Zambia and China have this afternoon signed two agreements on economic and technical co-operation. The agreements will see Zambia benefit from Chinese grants and interest free loans.

Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane signed on behalf of Zambia, while Chong Quan who is the Vice Commerce Minister of China signed on behalf of his country.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Vice President George Kunda and visiting Vice Prime Minister of China Hui Liang

The two countries also signed two Memorada of Understanding to strengthen their agriculture sectors.

Agriculture Minister Eustackio Kazonga signed for Zambia while China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture Niu Dun signed for his country.

The other MoU was signed by Zambia Development Agency Chief Executive Officer Andrew Chipwende and Chairman of the National group of China Liu Shenli.

And Vice President George Kunda has said that China provides opportunities to many areas which are critical to Zambia’s economic development.

Mr Kunda said Prime Minister Hui’s visit to Zambia will create further channels of co-operation and enhance bilateral relations.

And Mr Hui said Zambia and his country have continued to enjoy long standing mutual and cordial relations.

Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda and visiting Chinese vice Premier Hui Liangyu are this afternoon expected to officiate at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a multi-billion Kwacha Lusaka stadium.

The ultra modern sports facility, to be built next to the old stadium, will be the second the Chinese government will construct, after the Ndola Stadium which is expected to be completed later this year.

In the last five years, the Zambia national soccer team has been playing its home games at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe after the grand stand at Independence Stadium was demolished to pave way for a new structure.

The independence stadium has not been operational after it was declared unfit by the world football governing body FIFA.

ZNBC

The opposition Patriotic Front ( PF ) says it is grateful to its pact partner United Party for National Development (UPND) for helping the party to become popular in Southern province.

And at the same launch, 30 MMD members defected to PF citing corruption and other irregularities in the MMD, as reason for their defection.

PF Provincial chairman Joseph Akafumba said today that the cordial relationship with the pact partner UPND has helped his party to grow in the province.

“ PF ‘s popularity in the province has grown massively, now. We ( PF ) have become a major talk of the day in the province, “ Mr. Akufuna said .

The provincial chairman said this at the launch of PF campaigns in the province yesterday in, Mbabala constituency in Choma .

He claimed the MMD has failed the people of Zambia lamentably especially in Southern province hence the need for them to join the PF.

He cited the recent burning down of people ‘s houses in Macha Chiefdom of Choma district and the shooting of miners at column coal mine in Sinazongwe District were the major indicators of government ‘s failure to protect its people.

He accused government of siding with foreigners.

He explained that the journey to change Zambia, which has began in Mbabala constituency, will spread to other districts in the province.

The PF provincial chairman further charged that there is need for the people to vote the MMD out, accusing government of being corrupt and visionless.

Mr. Akafumba also pointed out that the MMD is deceiving people by claiming things they did not initiate adding that it is high time people should say bye to it.

He advised people of Mbabala not to be deceived by the tarring of Choma Namwala road stating that is a duty of any government of the day to develop the country.

Mr. Akafumba said the PF has been always ready to address the challenges facing people hence the need to give it chance in this year s tripartite elections.

The PF provincial chairman said president Banda is spending much time commissioning small projects insteady of addressing serious challenges the country is facing.

He also refuted claims made by some people that PF is tribal and has challenged those claiming to came out in open .

And at the same launch, 30 MMD members defected to PF citing corruption and other irregularities in the MMD.

“We have been neglected by MMD hence the reason why we have decided to join PF because it seem to be focused,” they said.

Among those who claimed to have defected include Maxwell Muchimba who is former MMD Kabimba ward chairman,George Sikabanze former MMD Kabimba youth chairman and senior MMD member in Mbabala constituency Stanley Moyo .

ZANIS

Aspiring Mulobezi Constituency Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) Member of Parliament (MP) Mangenda Mubukwanu has accused incumbent MP Michael Mabenga of having neglected the people of Sesheke district in Western Province.

Mr. Mubukwanu alleged that there are no drugs and inadequate personnel in schools and health Centers while the road and rail infrastructures have collapsed.

Mr. Mubukwanu says it is the duty of the parliamentarian to facilitate and bring development closer to the people.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Mubukwanu urged the Sesheke electorates to give him a chance if they are see development on their door steps.

The aspiring MP charged that the people of Sesheke district have rejected Mr. Mabenga whom he described as better placed both as MMD National Chairman and Lands Deputy Minister to answer to the challenges faced by the people of Mulobezi.

“Mr. Mabenga has neglected the people of Mulobezi area and they have no representative in the National Assembly to initiate developmental projects for them.

“ He ( Mr. Mabenga ) is well placed both at ruling party level in MMD as well as holding the portfolio of Deputy Minister in Government,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr. Mabenga over the matter failed as his mobile phone was not reachable.

However, the ADD aspiring candidate lamented that the Mulobezi community was in dire need of development to come closer at their door steps unlike the current case.

He disclosed that this time around, Mr. Mubukwanu would give Mr. Mabenga a good run ahead of the parliamentary elections should the opposition ADD adopt the aspiring MP.

Mr. Mubukwanu claimed that once adopted, he would sink more bole holes so that people could access clean drinking water, improve the agriculture sector by mechanising the crop and animal husbandry through the utilization of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as opposed to misappropriating the Fund which the incumbent MP was a ‘charged for corruption involving K30 million CDF’.

Mr. Mubukwanu further claimed that he would revive the Kataba rail sleepers which was allegedly uprooted for unknown reasons by the MMD Government as well as recapitalise the Mulobezi saw mills industry to create more jobs to the local people.

“Mr. Mabenga in his capacity as MMD National Chairman and Lands Deputy Minister, Sesheke district in particular and Western province as a whole could have been developed by people like him but he is busy trotting cheating President Rupiah Banda that the people have salt when the people do not have it,” said angry looking Mubukwanu.

The ADD aspiring lawmaker appealed to republican President Mr. Banda to scrutinise the people around him and those eating with him than wait to be embarrassed by the 2011 polls results.

ZANIS

Three government documents have surfaced linking Patriotic Front Leaders Michael Sata to the abrogation of the Barotse Agreement of 1964 and de-recognizing of the Litunga as paramount chief of the Lozi people.

The documents are alleged to have been written by eight full cabinet ministers in the former second Republican President Dr. Chiluba’s administration on behalf of the government.

A committee is said to have been constituted to negotiate with the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE ) representatives on the agreement.

Mr. Sata, who was then Minister of Local government and housing, was among the eight Ministers who recommended to government that based on the enquiry the Barotse land agreement was stale and no longer legal as it was overtaken by event.

Former Patriotic Front ( PF ) Secretary General Edward Mumbi revealed the development to journalists during a briefing in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mumbi availed to the official documents, one of which was written in 1992 when the eight ministers met a delegation led by the Ngambela and members the BRE.

The second document revealed that it was written in 1993 and bared recommendations of the findings to Government and a letter which was written in 1996 requesting then President Chiluba to derecognize the Litunga as paramount chief.

Mr. Mumbi explained that Mr. Sata’s committee of eight full cabinet Ministers slowed government’s attention to the Barotse Land Agreement and was further killed by a letter dated 18th August 1993 which said that the inquiry showed that no judicial process was commenced by the BRE or any other party aggrieved by the proposed amendments in reasonable time.

Mr. Mumbi wondered how Mr. Sata can now claim to support the agreement when he was among the eight Ministers who recommended that the agreement be disbanded as it was stale.

The former PF secretary general challenged Mr. Sata to explain to the Lozi people and all Zambian how the agreement he considered illegal has turned to be legal now that he is not in government.

He urged the people of Western province to seek an explanation from Mr. Sata to task for skimming to dethrone the Litunga in January 1996 by writing a letter to President Chiluba so that the Litunga’s Chieftainship recognition be dropped which Chiluba refused.

Mr. Mumbi has since warned Zambians to be cautious of the PF leader who he described as a popularist politician and danger to the country as he is not decent and honest.

He said will do anything including risking his life to enter state house and asked Mr. Sata to leave issues such as the Barotse agreement to intellectuals and decent people to debate.

He noted that President Banda and his vice President was not in government at the time of the agreement but are trying hard to dialogue over the issue which he said should be commended and supported.

ZANIS