President Rupiah Banda has condemned and apologized for the violence between the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and MMD cadres yesterday in Lusaka.

The two parties fought violent battles on the sidelines of a PF Lusaka Provincial conference at Garden House hotel.

President Banda has said it is sad that both the MMD and PF failed to co-exist in the area surrounding the Garden House Hotel.

“I am very sorry about that. I asked one of my colleagues who knew something about it. It is not justified, but I just want to say I am sorry. We don’t want this kind of thing,” he said.

Mr Banda said political party cadres should learn to co-exit and avoid all forms of confrontation.

The President said he understands that PF youths went to pull out a flag from a grocery shop run by one of the MMD members, a situation that infuriated the shop owner and other MMD cadres who later fought back at PF supporters.

“Why can’t we live side by side? They can put a PF flag here, MMD there, UPND there. I am sorry about that, and I condemn it,” he said.

Mr Banda has since called on the church to pray for the forthcoming general elections, just like it has always done in the past.

[pullquote]”Why can’t we live side by side? They can put a PF flag here, MMD there, UPND there. I am sorry about that, and I condemn it,” he said.[/pullquote]

The President said this at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka during the installation of Reverend Albert Chama, as Anglican Archbishop of central Africa.  With his installation, Archbishop Chama will now oversee Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Hundreds of Anglican Church members, their leaders and government officials attended the installation ceremony.

Meanwhile, at least 5 people have been arrested in connection with yesterday’s violence between Patriotic Front (PF) and MMD cadres.

Yesterday, PF and MMD cadres engaged in a violent fight on the sidelines of the opposition party’s Lusaka Provincial conference at garden house hotel.

Police service spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana has confirmed the arrest of the five people.

Ms Siamana has further said the police have instituted a probe in he matter, which will include other subsidiary issues.

MUVITV

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…We went through fire and flood, but You brought us to a place of abundance”
(Psalm 66:12, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In scripture, three Hebrew teenagers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were told to bow down to the king’s idol or they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. They said, “No, King. We’re not going to bow down. We know our God will deliver us.” Their attitude was, “We’re not worried about it. We know we have inside information. We know everything is going to be alright.” Notice they didn’t fight it. They weren’t upset. They weren’t complaining. They were at peace. They knew God Almighty had His hand upon them. The guards threw them into the fiery furnace, and when all was said and done, they came out without even the smell of smoke on them!

Notice that God didn’t deliver them from the fire; He delivered them through the fire. Maybe you are going through the fire today. Know that God is with you. He’s doing a work in you, and He’s displaying His glory through you. Remember, on the other side of the fire is a place of abundance and blessing! Stand strong and see the fulfillment of the promises He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for delivering and saving me. I stand strong no matter what I may be facing, knowing that You are with me. Thank You for protecting me through the fire and for leading me to the place of abundance and blessing You have prepared for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

A born-again woman has told a local court that her husband chains her hands and legs on suspicion that she is mentally deranged because of her way of praying which involves “speaking in tongues” and on top of her voice.

Ruth Chavula, who is an ardent member of Living Water Pentecostal Church in Kawama Township in Kitwe, said her husband accuses her of being insane because of the way she prays.

She said this in a case in which her husband, Martifel Nyasulu, sued her for divorce. Both are Kawama Township residents.

“My lord, my husband usually chains both my hands and my legs when I pray in tongues and on top of my voice. He suspects that I am insane because of the way I pray. This is wrong and unfair because I am not mad,” she said.

Chavula told the Buchi local court number two senior presiding magistrate, Maketo Likomba, who was sitting with senior presiding magistrate Godwin Lundu, that she has never had sex with her husband for two years because he has deserted her.

She said her husband does not support her and that it is not true that she has a boyfriend as alleged by her husband.

Chavula, who refused to give her statement until the court started re-examining her, said one day her neighbours locked her in a house with a man who wanted to start renting their house and that they phoned her husband, who found the two inside the house.

“We have two houses in Kawama Township. One of the houses fell vacant and I went with a certain man who wanted to look at it because he wanted to start renting it, but while we were inside viewing the house, some of our neighbours locked us from outside and phoned my husband, who came and found us inside with the man and he started accusing me of being unfaithful to him,” she said.

The two got married in 1998 and have four children. They got married through customary marriage and they do not have a marriage certificate.

In his statement, Nyasulu said they lived in harmony for three years and that problems started when they had their first child.

He accused Chavula of being adulterous. He said that at one time around 19:30 hours he found her sitting on the laps of a man and that the two were holding each other passionately.

“When I wanted to chase the man and to remove her from the man’s laps, my wife got upset with me and hit me in the back with a big log. In the ensuing confusion the man escaped,” he said.

Nyasulu said his children told him that there was a man who was visiting his wife each time he was not at home.

“My wife spends nights away from home without telling me. She has threatened to kill herself and sometimes she would pack her household goods and go to her relatives. When I call for a meeting with her relatives to iron out the differences, her people don’t come,” he said.

Nyasulu also said that on another occasion he found her in the house with a man whose identity she has refused to disclose.

The court adjourned the matter and directed that Chavula’s pastor goes to the court and confirm whether she is mentally challenged.
[ Zambia Daily mail ]

The church says it will campaign against political leaders advocating gay rights and has embarked on sensitising and educating members of the public on dangers of voting for such candidates.

The stance follows Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s statement that homosexuals have rights in Zambia.

Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) overseer Bishop Peter Ndhlovu said in an interview that the church has embarked on programmes aimed at sensitising and educating people on the dangers of voting for leaders advocating for gay rights.

Bishop Ndhlovu said prayer meetings will be held around the country based on various themes to preach on peace, harmony, unity, and reconciliation as Zambia heads for the general elections due this year.

Bishop Ndhlovu said Zambia needs leaders who are biblical and have values. He said it is inhuman and an abomination for the country to have advocates of gay rights.

“The church is coming together to hold powerful prayers and public meetings to educate people on the dangers of voting for leaders advocating

gay rights. It is cross-denominational,” he said.

Bishop Ndhlovu said his church will go flat-out to campaign against the PF and any other political party promoting gay rights.

He said Mr Sata has run out of ideas and if he and the Danish journalists want to promote gay rights, it will not work in Zambia.

Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Pukuta Mwanza said in a separate interview that the prayer meetings are aimed at educating the general public and voters on how to identify qualities in leaders in the coming elections.

“We want members of the public and voters to know what to look for in leaders and we will continue campaigning against leaders advocating gay rights because we do not want our country to have such bad laws that promote inhuman ways of life,” he said.

Rev Mwanza said he will ensure that gay rights are not enshrined in the Constitution of Zambia.

Meanwhile, Government has asked the church in Zambia to reject people who want to defile society with evil and immoral practices such as homosexuality.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Ronnie Shikapwasha said the church must stand up and rebuke homosexuality because it is unChristian, unholy and ungodly.

“Homosexuality is not only abominable but also criminal in our society,” Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said.

He called on Christians to keep praying for peace and unity ahead of presidential and general elections due this year.

Rev Shikapwasha said Christians should pray for President Banda and his government so that he continues to lead this nation in peace and prosperity.

“We want members of the public and voters to know what to look for in leaders and we will continue campaigning against leaders advocating gay rights because we do not want our country to have such bad laws that promote inhuman ways of life,” he said.

He said this in Lusaka yesterday during the graduation of Omega Global University of South Africa.

Gen Shikapwasha urged the graduates to be the light of the world.

“The degrees you are getting today are not for prestige but they place a heavy and noble responsibility on you in guiding our society and being partners with government in the development of our nation Zambia,” he said.

Omega Global University Chancellor Vusumuzi Sibiya challenged the church leaders to become biblical and develop spiritual intimacy with God.

Professor Sibiya said this is the only way they will overcome challenges and temptations in their endeavours.

[ Zambia Daily mail ]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesetrday pleaded with opposition political parties to help his party win this year’s tripartite elections by forming loose political alliances with his party.

Mr Sata, during his address, bragged that the PF is the undisputable leading opposition political party that should be assisted by what he termed “small opposition political parties” to oust the MMD from government in this year’s general elections.

Mr Sata, who claimed the PF is the biggest opposition said his party needs to accommodate smaller opposition political parties to strengthen his chances of winning the elections this year.

He made the plea to other opposition political parties when he opened the Lusaka Province PF conference at Garden House Hotel on March 19.

The PF leader said opposition political parties can co-operate and unite even after the alliance it entered into with the UPND collapsed.

Mr Sata has blamed the MMD for the demise of the PF-UPND pact, alleging that the ruling party manipulated the opposition political party.

PF Lusaka Province chairperson Davies Chama has said his party regrets the collapse of the pact it formed with the UPND.

[pullquote]Mr Sata told Mandevu member of Parliament Jean Kapata to stop threatening the police that she would undress but should instead go to the Inter-City Bus Station and undress in protest against the suspension of the council.[/pullquote]

The UPND and the MMD have in recent weeks stated that the PF is not as strong as its leaders claim it is.

The PF has reportedly been sending emissaries to the UPND to try and keep the pact alive, but the UPND has categorically stated that the alliance is dead.

Meanwhile, Mr Sata has castigated PF Lusaka members of Parliament for not protesting against Government when the Lusaka City Council was suspended.

Mr Sata described the MPs as docile.

Mr Sata told Mandevu member of Parliament Jean Kapata to stop threatening the police that she would undress but should instead go to the Inter-City Bus Station and undress in protest against the suspension of the council.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Unruly Patriotic Front cadres, this morning attacked and nearly lynched a ZNBC crew that went to cover the PF Lusaka province conference and launch of the party manifesto.

The visibly drunk cadres, who where deployed at the entrance of Garden house motel blocked the crew from entering the venue and threatened to burn the vehicle together with the crew inside it.

The PF carders who were armed with sticks and stones harassed the journalists accusing them of not covering the PF leader Michael Sata.

Some cadres also attempted to grab the camera from ZNBC cameraman Cuthbert Miti.

One cadres hit the cameraman on the shoulder while others vented their anger on the vehicle banging it with sticks and fists.

When asked why a crew that was invited to cover the PF function was harassed, Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba claimed the cadres were not from his party.

Mr Kabimba told ZNBC by telephone that he had given strict instructions that all members of the press be allowed passage into the motel.

He said he was sorry that such an incident had occurred.

ZNBC

United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that there is no possibility of reviving the political alliance with the Patriotic Front. Mr Hichilema said his party feels betrayed by the PF.

He said the PF has not been sincere in the way they have been handling the political pact for the past one year.

Mr Hichilema said his party will not reconcile with the PF over the Pact because the PF’s intensions of forming the Pact were not genuine.

He said the PF’s wish of wanting to go it alone has been granted and that the UPND will move on as a single party.

Mr Hichilema said accusing the UPND for the collapse of the pact is a mere public relations tool which the PF is putting across.

Mr. Hichilema was speaking to journalists in Lusaka today during the UPND’s card renewal exercise held at Mulungushi International Conference centre.

Early this week the PF General Secretary Wynter Kabimba accused the UPND of undermining the pact.

The UPND and PF formed a pact in 2009 with a view to remove the MMD from power.

ZNBC

The MMD Presidential candidate aspirant Nason Msoni has charged that Republican President Rupiah Banda does not qualify for gratuity under the current Presidential emolument Act.

Mr. Msoni says it is,therefore, an abuse of legislative powers if parliament goes ahead with the ongoing amendment of the Presidential emoluments Act.

He says dismantling existing laws for the purpose of accommodating individual interests is a dreadful way of enacting laws of the land.

The Presidential aspirant added that the essence of making laws is to protect the common good by disqualifying and barring those who do not qualify for certain privileges.

Mr. Msoni has also urged Members of Parliament not to amend laws in defiance of common sense.

The Bill that seeks to allow a serving head of State access benefits even if they have served less than three years has gone through to the committee stage.

Vice President George Kunda told parliament on Wednesday that the current presidential emoluments amendment Bill is unfair because it does allow a president who has served less than three years in office to access gratuity.
[ QFM ]