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MMD Eastern province chairman Kennedy Zulu in blue
Eastern Province Movement for Multi-party and Democracy (MMD) Chairperson Kennedy Zulu has appealed to the party cadres in the province to respect public service workers.
Speaking on a Good governance programme on radio Maria yesterday, Mr Zulu advised the cadres to embrace public servants because they are carrying out government works which aims at improving the life of every Zambian.
Mr Zulu said there is need to encourage civil servants to support the government of the day for them to effectively implement developmental programmes.
He also emphasized the need to respect traditional leaders who he said are the custodians of people of various tribes.
Mr Zulu said chiefs and headmen guide both their subjects and political leaders on various developmental issues hence the need to ensure that they are respected.
And Mr Zulu says the recruiting new members to the ruling party must be done by convincing people about the visible developmental programmes taking place in the province.
He said the construction of schools, hospitals and roads is visible and people can appreciate the developments that have been brought to various areas.
Mr Zulu reemphasized the need to support President Rupiah Banda if developments of social and economic sectors are to continue.
He observed that the province has seen a number of developments during the two years of President Banda’s rule.
He stated that apart from the schools, hospitals and roads; President Banda has reduced poverty at household level through subsidized farming inputs.
Luapula province minister Besa Chimbaka has charged that the opposition in the country have run out of campaign ideas and have thus resorted to empty criticism of government social and economical development programmes.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ZANIS yesterday, Mr Chimbaka charged that the opposition political parties do not have agenda to stick to.
He has told off the opposition political parties that are not able to tell the people what their parties are capable of doing when in power.
He advised the opposition to stop undermining the achievements the MMD government has continued to score especially in the Luapula province.
The provincial minister said the negative criticism on government will not deter its focus to ensure that various development projects are undertaken in all parts of the country including Luapula province.
Mr Chimbaka said the opposition must convince Zambians what they will offer them instead of hiding their manifestos and taking to enticing the people to believe government is not doing enough.
The minister said Zambians will not accept such people because they have nothing to deliver.
He accused some of the opposition party leaders as people who have questionable character and may just perpetuate plunder of government resources.
Mr Chimbaka said that everyone has been witnessing how President Rupiah Banda’s government is developing the country at a fast passé.
He further advised people in Luapula province to ignore all sorts of violence during the period of campaign.
Two people have died following the riot in Mongu today over the Barotse agreement. Home Affairs Minister Mkondo Lungu confirmed the two deaths and arrest of about hundred people in connection with the riot.
And Government has said that it will not condone any group of people that will continue spreading hatred, tribalism and violence in the country.
Acting government spokesperson Dora Siliya said that anyone who wants to take the law into their own hands will be dealt with firmly to send a signal to all thinking that government is soft on the matter.
Youths block the road that leads to the palace during the riot in Mongu over the Barotse agreement.
Ms Siliya has called on people of Western province to remain calm and not to allow the situation to worsen.
Addressing a press in Lusaka today, Ms. Siliya said it was unfortunate that the group calling itself the Black Bulls are taking advantage and misleading youths.
Ms. Siliya said youths should be vigilant and ensure that they are not victims as they will only be the ones to be exposed to the police.
She said it is the reason why government has sent a full force of police to diligently deal with the matter in the province.
And Radio Lyambai in Mongu has been closed. Sources at the radio station confirmed to QFM that the radio station was closed this morning when police stormed the station and confiscated computers.
The source says the station was closed for airing voice pops of people on the Barotse agreement.
Remains of burnt car on the main street as a result of riots in Barotseland
Sikalamba bridge along the bottom road from Sinazongwe to Gwembe
VICE President George Kunda has directed the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) and the ministry of works and supply to repair three bridges that have been washed away along the Bottom road in Sinazongwe district.
The Vice president who inspected the damaged bridges along the Bottom road yesterday said the situation must be handled as an emergency because some areas have been cut off from the rest of the country.
Mr. Kunda issued the directive when he addressed a mammoth rally at Maamba mine stadium in Sinazongwe yesterday.
The Vice President was on arrival accorded a ceremonial welcome by the valley Tonga Budima traditional dancers.
Vice President Kunda said during his tour of road infrastructure in the district, he had seen for himself the massive damage to bridges caused by floods in the valley district.
He said it is for this reason that DMMU under his office, together with the ministry of works and supply, should quickly repair damaged bridges and easy the suffering of the people.
Vice President Kunda assured thousands of Sinazongwe residents who attended the rally that government remains committed to the reconstruction of the Bottom road which he said was so dear to the
people of the three valley districts of Sinazongwe, Gwembe, and Siavonga.
He also assured the residents that government through the ministry of tourism and natural resources will look into the problem of the swelled population of crocodiles on Lake Kariba which have become a big threat to human life.
Vice President Kunda said during his meeting with Chief Sinazongwe, the traditional ruler had raised concern about the increasing number of people killed by rampaging reptiles on the lake.
And the Vice President has said government through ZESCO will electrify the shores of the entire stretch of Lake Kariba to attract more tourists and tourism enterprises.
He said government has good plans to develop the valley districts and called upon the people to support the programmes aimed at boosting economic development.
The Vice president is on a tour of five districts of southern province inspecting development programmes.
He is today expected in Kalomo where he is expected to inspect various developmental projects before addressing a public rally in the afternoon.
He is accompanied by livestock and fisheries deputy minister Albert Mulonga and community development deputy minister Adonis Mufalali.
Lusaka mayor Daniel Chisenga(R) -His office was allocated 10 Plots
THE Patriotic Front-dominated Lusaka councillors and officers have allocated themselves over 80 plots at the Lilayi Housing Development Project in a swap deal.
This followed the swapping of Farm 915 in Lilayi between the Lusaka City Council and Messrs Lilayi Housing Development. The plots went to the mayor and his deputy, town clerk and some members of staff.
According to minutes of the second ordinary meeting of the plans, works and development committee held at the Civic Centre on November 17 last year but read during the third ordinary meeting on January 3 this year, out of the 102 plots at the site, council officials allocated themselves 82 plots while 11 went to members of the public and eight to litigation.
The minutes obtained by the Zambia Daily Mail in Lusaka on January 13 also show that 45 plots have been allocated to councillors, 10 to the office of the mayor, five to the office of the deputy mayor and another five to the town clerk’s office.
Members of staff have been allocated 16 plots, office of the councillor for Lilayi Ward 4 has two plots, litigation eight plots and members of the public only receiving an allocation of 11 plots.
During the meeting, the acting director of legal services presented a report on the allocation of plots at Lilayi Housing Development Project. Members were informed that following the successful swapping of the land, a meeting attended by the acting director of legal services, acting director of city planning, Lusaka mayor Daniel Chisenga, Kanyama member of Parliament Gerry Chanda and the chairperson of plans, works and development committee discussed the allocation of properties in Lilayi.
The acting director of city planning said the Lilayi Housing Development Project had provided the council with temporary numbers to be used to identify properties before the formal numbering was done by the Commissioner of Lands.
It was also learnt that following the meeting held on December 23 last year, the councillors, acting director of legal services and acting director of city planning agreed that provisional offer letters be issued pending a formal decision by the plans, works and development committee.
It was at that point that the acting director of legal services availed the meeting with the proposed format of allocation of the plots to councillors, mayors, town clerk, members of staff and the public and a few for litigation.
Before this meeting, the acting director of city planning had tabled a report on the proposed land swap between the Lusaka City Council and Lilayi Housing Development Farm 915, Lilayi.
It was planned that the area would be serviced with water, sewer system, street lights, paved roads, storm water drains and street scape in addition to the erection of a wall fence with one secure entrance.
Committee members were informed that the piece of land measured approximately 6.3 hectares comprising 102 residential plots on an average of 400 square metres which the council valued at K40 million per plot, considering the difference in land value between the unserviced Lusaka City Council land (Sub A/915) and that of the Lilayi Housing Development.
The committee was told that plot beneficiaries would be required to pay a premium as top-up on the value of the land.
During discussions, the committee learnt that should the council agree to the land swap proposal, Messrs Lilayi Housing Development would proceed to develop some roads leading to their site to bitumen standard level at their own cost.
Other proposals presented to the committee meeting included the regularisation of stands 25090 and 25091 in Emmasdale and the existing commercial plot off Mumbwa Road, creation of two commercial plots on the Great East Road Chelston area, residential stands near Parliament compound and a plot on Commonwealth Avenue next to Petroda Filling Station.
Members who attended the meeting were a Mr C Msiska (chairperson), a Mr J Ngosa (vice chairperson), a Mr P K Chabala, Colonel Chanda (Kanyama MP), a Mr M Daka, Mandevu MP Jean Kapata, J. Mandeva, J. Njebe, Lusaka Mayor Chisenga and his deputy as ex-officio members of the committee.
THE women’s movement has called for the immediate arrest of Kasama Central member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba for allegedly threatening violence against his sister-in-law.
The Non-Governmental Organisation Co-ordinating Council has also demanded his resignation from Parliament.
But the police are still investigating the matter before they can make any move, Lusaka province commanding officer Mhlakeni Zulu said in Lusaka on January 13.
Zambian National Women’s Lobby public relations officer Nelson Banda said the law enforcement agencies should not hesitate to arrest Mr Mwamba because threatening violence is a criminal offence.
On January 11, Mr Mwamba allegedly threatened violence against Doreen Mwamba, his younger brother’s wife, over a debt of K11.5 million which he reportedly refused to pay.
“The police should cage Mr Mwamba until he is proven innocent. He is a danger to the well-being of women,” he said.
Mr Banda said in an interview in Lusaka on January 13 that no one is above the laws of Zambia and that Mr Mwamba should not be spared. He said Mr Mwamba is not fit to be an MP because his behaviour is a disgrace to the house that makes laws.
“Parliament is an honourable house and we cannot afford to have people like Mr Mwamba,” Mr Banda said.
He said MPs are supposed to take the lead in enforcing what they preach in Parliament, instead of doing the opposite.
Mr Banda said the majority of voters in Zambia are women and that Mr Mwamba should be wary of his actions.
“Very soon Mr Mwamba will be soliciting for votes from the same women and he should not be surprised if he is not re-elected to Parliament,” he said.
Women and Law in Southern Africa regional co-ordinator Matrine Chuulu said it is disrespect for an MP to threaten violence against a woman.
“The National Assembly is currently revising the amended Anti-Gender Violence Bill through its parliamentary committees on legal affairs, governance, human rights and gender matters which Mr Mwamba is part of and the behaviour he is exhibiting is uncalled for,” she said.
“Parliamentarians should be championing zero tolerance against gender-based violence,” she said.
And Leadership in Development executive director Moses Kalonde has given the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership a 48-hour ultimatum to discipline Mr Mwamba, failure to which it will mount a massive demonstration to force Mr Mwamba to resign on moral grounds.
Mr Kalonde said it is the responsibility of the PF leadership to deal with Mr Mwamba.
Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) chairperson Beatrice Grillo said she is disappointed with Mr Mwamba’s behaviour of perpetuating violence against women, especially that it is barely three months after he allegedly assaulted his wife.
“It seems Mr Mwamba is not remorseful. We reiterate our call for Mr Mwamba to step down as a member of Parliament for Kasama Central as he is not fit to be a leader. He lacks leadership qualities,” Ms Grillo said.
She said gender-based violence in any form should be condemned because it does not resolve conflict.
Ms Grillo said Mr Mwamba allegedly has a history of violence and wondered which other cases he has been involved in that have not been reported.
“As the women’s movement, we urge Mrs Mwamba (Doreen) and indeed any others who may find themselves in similar situations not to accept out of court settlements as this makes the perpetrators continue committing violence on others,” Ms Grillo said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwamba has accused the MMD of using his sister-in-law to tarnish his political career.
But MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu denied the allegations.
And Mr Mwamba’s brother George (Doreen’s husband) said the issue will be resolved within the family.
Mr Mwamba was speaking at a press briefing at his residence in Lusaka on January 13.
THE Zambia Police Service has maintained that the planned meeting today by a group calling itself the Linyungandambo and the Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM) remains cancelled and protesters will be arrested if they go ahead.
Western Province police commanding officer Peacewell Mweemba said the police will arrest anyone who will attempt to assemble in Limulunga.
“The organisers of the meeting have been informed that their meeting has been cancelled and those who will attempt to defy the order should be ready to collide with the law,” Mr Mweemba said.
He said the message of the cancellation of the meeting planned for today is clear and those who will want to test the law will find out what it means to break the law.
Northern Rhodesian provinces in the 1920s
The Linyungandambo group and the BFM are insisting on a meeting which they are calling the Limulunga Declaration.
Sources within the Linyungandambo and the BFM say the planned meeting will go ahead with or without a police permit. The sources said the Linyungandambo is not calling for violence and that there is no need for the police to surround the Limulunga Village, the royal home of the Litunga.
“We are peaceful people. We have always been peaceful and all we want are our rights,” one source said.
[pullquote]He said the message of the cancellation of the meeting planned for today is clear and those who will want to test the law will find out what it means to break the law.[/pullquote]
So far, the situation is calm. In the market place in Limulunga, some people are not even aware of what is going on and are wondering who the Linyungandambo is representing.
Some teachers at Limulunga Basic School described the planned meeting as a scandal which Government should not allow.
The teachers said it is not right for the Linyungandambo and the BFM to cause confusion and panic in Mongu because Zambia is a country of many tribes.
The teachers said those who are threatening to expel non-Lozi-speaking people from Western Province should also start calling for Lozis outside Western Province to go back to the province.
The Western Province administration has named a Mr Maxwell Mututwa as the man who is allegedly behind the clandestine acts of calling for secession. A team of senior citizens in Mongu early in the week went to Senanga to meet Mr Mututwa to urge him to stop his activities.
The Linyungandambo and BFM have been going around homes in Mongu and Limulunga asking for donations towards the planned meeting.
Meanwhile, REBECCA CHILESHE reports that the Kuomboka Kufuluhela Committee of Lusaka has endorsed the stand of the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) that discussions on the Barotseland Agreement should focus on a unitary state.
Committee chairperson Oliver Saasa said during a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that it is important to resolve the issue.
Professor Saasa said as a cultural association, the Kuomboka committee would like to assure all ethnic groups in Western Province and outside that anyone who recognises past kings of Barotseland who brought tribes together must recognise members of these tribes as equals.
He said besides, there is no such tribe as Lozi as the Lozi group consists of many ethnic and tribal groups and the Lozi language itself is not even originally Zambian but a derivative of the Sesotho language following the invasion of the Barotseland by Kololos.
“The committee would like to call upon both Government and the BRE to provide the needed leadership in facilitating dialogue as this is the only way that unresolved issues can be dealt with,” he said.
File: Delegates to the MMD eastern province conference casting their votes for the new leadership.
By Daimone Siulapwa
Following the violence experienced in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election last year, whose results have since been nullified by the Lusaka High Court, there is genuine, and understandably so, concern that the general elections to be held later this year, may not be free and fair.
But truth be told, this is not the first time that we are having violence in an election. We all, or atleast the majority of us remember the Mkaika, Chawama and Mapatizya formula. Most of the people who were involved in this violence are still active political players, and more worryingly, they have not come out in the open to condemn violence or to urge their supporters to restrain from possible violence.
Otherwise, one of the persons to have been singled out as instigating violence is Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Lusaka province chairman William “Tekele” Banda.
Those who know him from his days as governor in the Eastern province during the UNIP understand the man perfectly well. But make no mistake, he is not the only one – there are a lot of his kind not just from within the MMD but also from the opposition ranks.
But singling out individuals as being in the forefront when it comes to election violence is not necessarily solving the problem. Why have we reached a stage in our democracy where we have to use violence during elections? This is a far more important question than most people realize.
This violence comes against a background, where as a nation, we have always prided ourselves in being a peaceful nation. While almost all our neighbours have had to deal with violence in the various stages of their history, we have largely remained a peaceful nation.
That includes our return to multi-party politics in 1991. While the country could have easily descended into chaos if Dr Kenneth Kaunda, then State President, had refused to accept the results which gave the MMD a landslide victory, he showed how true a Statesman he was by conceding long before the last vote could be counted.
However, since then, all subsequent elections organized under the MMD government have largely failed to inspire confidence, and have ultimately ended-up in the courts of law.
This started with the 1996 general elections which were boycotted by then biggest opposition party, UNIP, who claimed that the voters roll, popularly known as the Nikuv, did not inspire confidence that free and fair elections could be held.
Against all advice, Dean Mungomba, exuding confidence with his Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC) went on to participate in the elections, believing they stood a good chance of winning. Well, let us just say, they only managed to win two Parliamentary seats with President Frederick Chiluba winning about 58 percent of the Presidential vote. This election also resulted in a petition in our Supreme Court.
After that, followed the 2001 elections, which were also fiercely contested as there was no incumbent running. The number of presidential aspirants were a record 11, Levy Mwanawasa (MMD), Anderson Mazoka (United Party for National Development), Christon Tembo (Forum for Democracy and Development), Godfrey Miyanda (Heritage Party), Tilyenji Kaunda (UNIP), Michael Sata (Patriotic Front), Nevers Mumba (National Citizens Coalition), Ben Mwila (Republican Party), Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika (Agenda for Zambia), Gwendolyn Konie (Social Democratic Focus) and Yorum Shamapande.
Again, the outcome of the result was highly controversial with Mwanawasa winning by only a few percentage points. The aggrieved parties, mainly Mazoka, Miyanda and Tembo went to court again with a petition. After a long-protracted hearing and ruling, the court ruled in favour of Levy.
The 2006 elections were no different ,if not better. The two main opponents were Mwanawasa and Sata who had worked hard to build his party into being the main opposition party despite only having one MP in 2001. Again, it was closely contested with Mwanawasa winning by a few thousand votes. Sata was not impressed, he went to court. Same story happened in the 2008 presidential by-election won by Rupiah Banda of the MMD although Sata withdrew the petition later saying the outcome in the courts of law was almost a foregone conclusion.
That said, why do end up with election petitions all the time we have general elections? The answer is simple, few people except perhaps the ruling party have confidence in the electoral system. Few doubt whether the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is capable of holding free and fair elections. Many people believe the body is a stooge if not an appendage of the ruling party.
With that therefore, one way to ensure that we have credible elections results respected by all is to work at our electoral system. We certainly do not want a situation similar to that one obtaining in Ivory Coast or indeed the one we saw in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
On the other hand, the violence we have been witnessing in recent elections has got everything to do with our political players failing to articulate issues. This is also evident in our media, where we have seen very little intercourse in terms of policy and issues. What we have are mostly personalities with little on how they are going to improve the lives of the Zambians.
With this lack of policy issues, when they go into a campaign, instead of addressing the problems affecting the area, all they will be doing is attacking each other, using, mostly unemployed youths drawn outside that constituency or even district and province in certain cases.
The result of all this is that the electorate is unable to freely express their view through the ballot, which in itself is an affront to democracy. As we therefore gear towards the general elections, we would want to see political players addressing more issues as against personalities.
Vice President George Kunda says he is impressed with progress made on works currently going on at the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Kariba North Bank extension project.
Mr. Kunda said the US$420 million project is progressing well adding that Government is committed to ensuring that it supports ZESCO to meet its set standards of providing electricity to the nation.
The Vice President said this in Siavonga today when he inspected rehabilitation works at the ZESCO extension project.
ZANIS reports that in another development, Mr. Kunda Wednesday afternoon commissioned the refurbished Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and donated Dental equipment by Lions Club of Siavonga to Siavonga General Hospital.
Mr. Kunda said Government has a deliberate policy of upgrading clinics and hospitals and equipping them with state of the art equipment to enable Zambians access quality health care.
He expressed gratitude to the Lions Club for supplementing Government efforts in providing health care.
And ZESCO Managing Director Enerst Mupwaya said the project will create more than 2000 jobs for the local people at the end of the works by 2018.
Mr. Mupwaya equally thankled Government for helping the utility company offset some of its challenges.
He said the project has focused on enhancing ZESCO’s ability to provide electricity in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Mr. Mupwaya explained that once the project is completed it will contribute to efforts of the Rural Electrification Authority and consequently reduce load shedding in the country.
He said the project will also provide an additional 360 mega watts of power once completed.
The Vice President is in Siavonga to assess developmental programmes.
Solwezi District Commissioner Frobisher Fulayi has refuted claims by Catholic Priest Father Patrick Chisanga suggesting that there was no Government representation at the handover ceremony of the newly renovated Saint (St) Francis Basic School in the district in North Western Province.
Fr Chisanga a Provincial Minister of Franciscan Friars in Zambia is quoted in a story carried in yesterday’s edition of The
Post Newspaper as having been baffled by Government’s absence at the handover of the school on Monday.
Mr Fulayi dismissed the claims as untrue because the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Fredrick Munkinyi was sent to the ceremony to represent him as he was unable to attend due to other commitments.
He told ZANIS in Solwezi today that he did not refuse an invitation but that he could not attend because he was preparing for President Banda’s recent visit and other pressing matters hence delegating the assignment.
Mr Fulayi said the Government system allowed for delegation, if the person invited was unable to honour the invitation.
He also said it was not true that Government had no plans for St Francis Basic School as K341 million had been allocated this year for the construction of a one by three classroom block, one staff house and toilets at the school.
Mr Fulayi added that 50 desks have also been sent to the school to help cushion the shortage of desks.
The District Commissioner said Government honoured the participation of individuals in all sectors of adding that it was
grateful to the Italian couple for aiding the school.
Heavy rains in December 2009 destroyed infrastructure at St Francis Basic School and an Italian couple came to the aid of the school by raising 80,000 Euros (approximately K510,313,792.00) towards its renovation.
Meanwhile, Mr Fulayi has confirmed the delivery of about 4 000 bags of D Compound and urea fertiliser by Nyiombo Investment to the district.
Mr Fulayi said the inputs were delivered on Monday and distribution to farmers that did not receive inputs has since commenced.
Solwezi district had a deficit of about 4 000 bags with 41 cooperative societies only receiving urea fertiliser while 51 others had not received either of the inputs for the 2010/2011 farming season causing panic among farmers.
Energy Permanent Secretary Teddy Kasonso has disclosed that Government has embarked on an ambitious programme of developing fuel storage facilities throughout the country.
Mr Kasonso said this was in an effort to promote value generating economic activities in all parts of the country other than in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces to ensure that all parts of Zambia developed simultaneously.
ZANIS reports that he described the energy sector as the heart beat of Zambia’s economy and that it fuelled economic activity.
Mr Kasonso said that every activity generating economic value in Zambia was powered through this sector and thus its importance as a conduit to achieving key economic milestones could not be overemphasised.
The Energy Permanent Secretary was speaking at the official opening of Livingstone Service Total filling station in Livingstone today.
Besides, the programme to develop storage facilities, Mr Kasonso disclosed that the uniform Pricing Programme (UPP) launched in September, last year was another effort intended to develop the country,especially in areas outside Lusaka and the Copperbelt.
Mr. Kasonso also said that UPP Programme has standardised the fuel pump price across the country in a bid to reduce costs of doing business and transportation of goods and services from source to consumer adding that this accounted for about 50 percent of the price charged to end users.
He noted Government expected that the private sector would support key programmes and invest in all the provinces.
The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the economies of scale that Government was creating through policies such as UPP must translate into meaningful investments that triggered employment and economic activity for the local people.
File: FAZ life members Mr Banda, David Phiri sitting next to officials from the National Sports Council of Zambia Elliot Mpande and Smart Mwtitwa
By LusakaTimes
The National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ) has told Faz not to take a offensive stance against its affiliates in the lead-up to the March, 2011 annual general meeting.
NSCZ spokesman Smart Mwitwa told a media briefing in Lusaka today that Faz should not intimidate its affiliates as the day draws closer for the associations AGM.
“The sports council would like to advise FAZ not to take any steps that will be interpreted as intimidation or that will disadvantage any member of the football family on the run up to the forth coming annual general meeting,” Mwitwa said in a statement read at the media briefing.
Faz recently suspended Simataa Simataa who is the general secretary of the Andrew Kamanga Faz faction.
And Mwitwa said Faz should also publicize in advance the list of delegates who will be eligible to attend the AGM in March and that the NSCZ will continue to monitor closely events in the build-up to the Faz congress.
The NCSZ has been a key player in the Faz impasse and was represented at the Zurich tripartite meeting with Fifa by its head Chifumu Banda that was also attended by Kalusha Bwalya and Andrew Kamanga factions and minister of sport Kenneth Chipungu.
Referees Association of Zambia (RAZ) president Welly Chikuka has said he is pleased with his affiliates overwhelming show of unity in the wake of their mother bodys’ deregistration from Faz.
Faz during the festive season said all referees should register directly with the referees department Football House headed by Katongo Kabungo and that it had deregistered RAZ.
However, referees from the main football playing artery of Southern, Central, Copperbelt and Eastern Provinces have since then issued public statements defying Faz’s directive.
Referees from Central Province on Wednesday told The Post Newspaper that they will not officiate any games until after the outcome of the 2011 Faz annual general meeting that Fifa has called to be held in March.
“The referees have shown that they are not a group of people who can be pushed around,” Chikuka said.
The RAZ members have also wondered how Faz can deregister RAZ when it only be constitutionally ratified at the Faz AGM.
PF leader Michael Sata with his secretary general Wynter Kabimba in KatetePATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has admitted having participated in a special committee of Cabinet ministers who in 1993 recommended to second Republican president Frederick Chiluba that the Barotseland Agreement had expired.
Mr Sata said in Lusaka yesterday that he was part of the eight-member committee that dismissed the Barotseland Agreement as stale and illegal, deserving no attention from Dr Chiluba’s administration.
The PF leader dodged questions on why he had shifted his position to now insist that the agreement was valid and that he would implement it if he ascended to power.
He instead accused Dr Chiluba of leaking the documents to former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi who last weekend revealed Mr Sata’s past views on the Barotseland Agreement.
“The point is, why did they leak the document to Edward Mumbi? Edward Mumbi has never been a Cabinet minister, so where did he find those documents? It is Dr Chiluba because he wants to buy freedom from the cases he is facing,” Mr Sata said.
Dr Chiluba’s office said it was not available for comment.
When reminded that he had lately issued statements that contradicted his long-held view that the Barotseland Agreement should not be recognised, Mr Sata could not provide any answer except to continue attacking Dr Chiluba.
He said Mr Mumbi failed to publish the whole report because he knew that it was against the law to place documents classified as confidential in the public.
The documents produced by Mr Mumbi during his media briefing on Sunday also stated that Mr Sata had recommended to Dr Chiluba that the recognition of the Litunga of the Lozi-speaking people in Western Province should be withdrawn.
Mr Sata wanted the Litunga to lose his recognition to allow the Government to treat him as a political opponent.
Mr Mumbi during his Press briefing described Mr Sata as a hypocritical person and warned the people of Western Province that the PF leader would not entertain any such debates if he assumed power.
[pullquote]“The point is, why did they leak the document to Edward Mumbi? Edward Mumbi has never been a Cabinet minister, so where did he find those documents? It is Dr Chiluba because he wants to buy freedom from the cases he is facing,” Mr Sata said.[/pullquote]
He said Mr Sata was using the Barotseland Agreement for political expedience but such debates would not be tolerated under a PF administration.
He said this in reaction to a story in the The Post of January 8, 2011 in which the PF leader was quoted as saying the Barotseland Agreement was still valid.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Citizens has accused an opposition political party and some prominent Lusaka business persons of championing the Barotseland Agreement to cause anarchy because of their desperation to ascend to power.
Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said in Lusaka yesterday that the opposition party and the Lusaka business executives were sponsoring the renegade groups in their quest to tarnish President Rupiah Banda’s image.
“It is very unfortunate that politicians and these people are getting this desperate to try and discredit President Banda and Government.
“We are aware that they are working with three groups in Western Province,” Mr Chifire said. He appealed to the police to investigate the activities of some opposition parties and some media houses. “We are also aware that some media houses are involved in this scheme.
“We know that the flag and some of the documentation were done by some media personnel that have hatred against the Government and President Banda,” he said.
He said the groups pushing for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement had the potential to cause ethnic violence and ultimately destabilise the nation.
“Imagine what would happen if the so-called Black Bulls go ahead and beat up non-Lozi-speaking people in Western Province. The same will happen to Lozis in other provinces. “These people shouldn’t be myopic, they should look at the bigger picture,” he said.
And the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management (ZIHRM) has condemned people agitating for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement.
ZIHRM president Namucana Musiwa said in Lusaka yesterday that as a professional body responsible for promoting professionalism and productivity, they were concerned that if unchecked, the events in Western Province could cause chaos.
“Our concern as a professional body is based on the fact that Western Province does not only have Lozi, Luvale, Nyengo, Nkoya and Mbunda-speaking professionals but professionals who are Zambian and hail from different parts of the country and different parts of the world,” Ms Musiwa said.
Meanwhile, the Government has banned media houses hosting phone-in programmes on the Barotseland Agreement to save the country from potential violence.
Acting Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya said this in an interview with Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation television yesterday.
WORKS and Supply Minister, Mike Mulongoti has expressed concern over the illegal construction of houses at the Independence Stadium which are close to the perimeters of the area where the new Lusaka Stadium will be built.
The minister said in an interview that the construction of houses and other buildings too close to the stadium was making work for the local authorities like the Lusaka City Council (LCC) extremely difficult.
And LCC public relations manager, Chanda Makanta described the construction on the boundary of Independence Stadium popularly known as ‘Humanism Hill’ as illegal adding that the local authority would conduct a survey and would soon make a decision on what action to take.
Makanta said in an interview yesterday that it was unfortunate that people had continued to erect buildings in undesignated places. The council will do an on the spot check and will advise on what action would be taken on the illegal squatters.
She said LCC would do everything within its means to ensure that residents are restrained from building illegal structures.
“For now our stance is that those structures are illegal. As I have earlier said, we wouldn’t allow people to build so close to the stadium, and in this case, right next to the wall of the stadium. It is not right.”
“They are there illegally. We would not allow structures to be built so close to the stadium. It is a challenge because the city of Lusaka has grown so big that the council does not have the capacity to contain its growth.
For example, we have less building inspectors and surveyors and because of that we are hardly on the ground to see what is happening,” Makanta said.
Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) of China is set to redevelop the old Independence Stadium soon after the rainy season and is also scheduled to construct a 50,000 capacity state-of the-art stadium next to the 46-year-old arena following the ground breaking ceremony by President Rupiah Banda and Chinese vice Premier, Hui Liangyu in Lusaka on Monday.
President Banda said at the ground breaking ceremony that engineers and other experts were expected on the site immediately and that works would begin after the rains. The president said the two projects have been funded by a concession loan of US$94 million from the Peoples Republic of China and are expected to be completed in 2013.
The new stadium will be the largest in Zambia while Independence Stadium will be the second largest followed by the 41,000 capacity stadium currently under construction in Ndola and set to be completed in June.
