Former Inter African Network for Human Rights and Development (Afronet) executive director Ngande Mwanajiti has advised opposition political parties to desist from promoting regionalism.

And United Liberal Party (ULP) secretary general Langton Sichone has said Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata and Lusaka lawyer Rodger Chongwe are courting trouble by supporting the Baroste Agreement (BA).

Mr Mwanajiti said Zambia had recorded massive developments under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

Speaking in an interview yesterday from Mwinilunga, Mr Mwanajiti said Zambia needed a leadership with a broader and bigger mindset to sustain the economic development the country was currently experiencing under the leadership of President Banda.

He said Zambia is currently on the right track under the current leadership of President Banda.

“I am calling upon every Zambian to ensure that Zambia remains a unitary State. Regionalism will not help the country in any way.

“It is literally impossible for any one region in Zambia to dominate any one region or regions,” he said.

Mr Mwanajiti advised people and groupings that were using regionalism to desist from that kind of politicking.

He said Zambians should put into practice the words in the national anthem and in the national motto of ‘one Zambia one nation’.
[pullquote]“I am calling upon every Zambian to ensure that Zambia remains a unitary State. Regionalism will not help the country in any way.

“It is literally impossible for any one region in Zambia to dominate any one region or regions,” he said.[/pullquote]
Mr Mwanajiti, a governance and human rights expert, said he would not join and be part of any entity or organisation that promoted a narrow agenda.

“My responsibility as Ngande lies in ensuring that I add value to whatever is happening in the country.

“I want to state categorically that I shall not join any organisation or entity which seeks to expound or propound ideas which are narrow and not contributing in establishing Zambia,” he said.

He said the people of Southern Province had been held captive by the opposition for a long time.

“It is not only my observation that Zambia is on the right track. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank have also confirmed that the country is well on track,” he said.

And Mr Sichone said in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata and Dr Chongwe, as senior citizens, should advise knowledgeably about the BA instead of seeking to gain political mileage out of the matter.

“Mr Sata is courting trouble by stating that the BA is real. He is just politicking over this matter and it will make him fail to govern Zambia if at all he wins next year’s general elections. Dr Chongwe, also as a lawyer, is supposed to advise correctly over this matter instead of misleading the nation about it,” Mr Sichone said.

He said the BA matter should not be taken lightly and Mr Sata and other politicians using it to gain political mileage should be condemned.

“ULP is alarmed that many politicians, including Mr Sata, have made the issue of the BA as material enough to use for the 2011 general elections, which should not be the case,” Mr Sichone said.

Mr Sichone said in as much as his party agreed that the agreement had not been resolved, those that were expressing their views should do so with care.

“Zambia is a unitary State and people should not lose focus regardless of their political affiliation, as doing so could compromise our sovereignty,” he said.

He said most of the countries that had decided to take the tribalism stance in politics had ended up in violence and bloodshed.

Mr Sichone said the stand by his party over the matter was that the agreement, in its current state, was not different from the way the Government was advancing development in all the nine provinces of Zambia.

“ULP stands by the Zambian Constitution which does not provide for the dividing of the country into regions, kingdoms or separate states.

“As Zambians, we need to look at development, social engagement, culture and all the things that can help Zambia progress,” he said.

[ Times Zambia ]

BARCLAYS Bank Zambia has asked 141 managers to reapply for positions that have been merged, upgraded and downgraded while others have been completely done away with as part of a restructuring exercise.

Head of corporate affairs Webster Malido said in a statement yesterday that the newly-created positions would be advertised internally and all eligible employees would be at liberty to apply for the available roles.
[pullquote]“As a result, a total of 141 management positions will be impacted by the re-organisation. No unionised colleagues will be impacted in any way as a result of this exercise,” he said.[/pullquote]
Mr Malido said some roles and positions in the business would be impacted by way of being merged, upgraded, and downgraded while some would completely fall away.

“As a result, a total of 141 management positions will be impacted by the re-organisation. No unionised colleagues will be impacted in any way as a result of this exercise,” he said.

Notwithstanding the re-organisation, all employees in impacted roles remain bona fide employees of the bank until the outcome of interviews for the new roles.

He said employees who might opt not to take up any role in the new structure would be offered a voluntary separation scheme.

He said the transformation of the bank was aimed at attaining full potential in all sectors, particularly the consumer market for which it had successfully built the requisite platform.

Mr Malido said it was right that the bank re-organised the way it managed its business because it had changed the way it dealt with customers and employees.

He said the bank in the last few years had undergone transformation which had seen it grow from 17 branches in 2007 to 56 and from 25 automatic teller machines in 2007 to 151.

Mr Malido said the transformation had seen Barclays Bank Zambia double its employment rate to 1,200 employees to date from only 600 in 2006, making the bank one of the leading multinational employers in Zambia.
[ Times of Zambia ]

A grade Eleven pupil of Ndola’s Temweni high School was Sunday found dead and police suspect foul play.

Police spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana identified the deceased girl as Mirriam Mumba aged 20 of Chipulukusu township in Ndola.

Ms SIAMANA said the school girl is suspected to have been raped before being murdered.

She said police found under wear, a pair of socks and shoes on the murder scene.

Ms. Siamana said the murder happened in the evening when the girl in the company of friends was on her way to attend a funeral in the neighborhood.
[ ZNBC ]

The Citizens Forum has accused government of harassing Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata following his summoning for questioning in Lusaka.

Last week the Drug Enforcement Commission summoned Sata over the $100,000 he is alleged to have given Change Life Zambia executive director Father Frank Bwalya.

Citizens Forum executive secretary, Simon Kabanda said allegations by the former PF general secretary, Edward Mumbi against Mr Sata that he gave the money to Fr Bwalya to de-campaign the MMD government amount to cheap propaganda and harassment against the PF leader.

Mr. Kabanda added that government’s quick reaction to Mr. Mumbi allegations against Mr. Sata only goes to show government’s injustices in applying the rule of law.

He said that the same government has dragged its feet in investigating how former republican president, Dr. Fredrick Chiluba obtained $8 million.

Mr. Kabanda explained that government has been quick to push the$ 100, 000 case against Mr. Sata but failed to pursue $8 million case of former president Chiluba with all the evidence available.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kabanda has charged that the Drug Enforcement Commission is responsible for the violence that took place at their offices last week involving PF cadres.

He said blaming the cadres for the tear-gas is wrong and irresponsible because the DEC are the ones who alarmed the situation.
[ QFM ]

The State has closed the case where Inktech Managing Director Mathew Mohan and two others are charged with the murder of Lusaka businessman Sajid Itowala.

And Lusaka Supreme Court Judge Gregory Phiri, sitting as High Court Judge, has set February 14, 2011 as date for handing in of written submissions ahead of the Judgement.

Judge Phiri said the date for Judgement in the matter will also be set on February 14.

State Advocate Benson Mpalo had earlier informed the court that the state had closed its evidence in rebuttal.

This was after African Gases Limited Executive Director Phillip Pumbwe concluded his testimony in the case.

And Mr. Pumbwe testified that African Gases Limited had no business dealings with Mathew Mohan and no payments were made to him.

Mr. Pumbwe, however, told the court that his company had business dealings with Mohan’s father, a Mr. J.C Mathew.

He denied ever signing a forest contract where Mohan was also made to sign as a witness.
[ ZNBC ]

Education Minister Dora Siliya has challenged parents to take a keen interest in knowing the kinds of books their children are reading for the country to produce a cadre of educated citizens that appreciates and feels proud of their nation’s culture and heritage.

Ms. Siliya said it is imperative that parents play a role in the education of their children for the country to produce disciplined, responsible and hard working citizens that can contribute positively to national development.

The Education Minister said this in Lusaka last evening when she graced the launch of a book entitled Icisalwa Maasaka by Dr Pardon Mwansa that has been approved by the Ministry of Education for use as a literature book for secondary schools in the country.

Ms. Siliya said it is important that parent’s obligation to their children’s education does not just end at paying school fees but ensure that such education also imparts values that are acceptable to society.

She said government will in the next three years be able to produce education space for about 1.3 million children to afford every child an education.

Ms.Siliya also stated that government was concerned about the reading culture in the country and will continue to fight for an improvement in that area.

She said government has over the years continued to increase allocation of funds to the Ministry of Education towards the purchase of reading materials to fight illiteracy.

Ms. Siliya said government desires to produce competent graduates, adding that books are at the centre of the realization of that dream.

She stated that Zambians must write their own stories and commended Dr Mwansa for writing his book in local language.

She urged him to translate the book into other Zambian languages to afford an opportunity to other Zambians from other tribes to read and enjoy the book.

Ms. Siliya also commended the publisher of the book, Maiden Publishing House for going an extra mile in resuscitating the industry and affording Zambians are opportunity to write books.

Speaking earlier, Author of the book Dr Pardon Mwansa said he decided to write his book in a local language for Zambians to appreciate and be proud of their heritage and culture.

Dr. Mwansa said it was important that Africans and Zambians in particular write their stories in their mother tongue if there were to uphold the tradition and culture.

He described his book as an emotional, interesting and a must read saying it depicts social challenges that every individual goes through.

And Maiden Publishing House Managing Director Christine Kasonde disclosed that her publishing house will publish at least one book in a local language every year.

Ms. Kasonde said this is because her organization realizes that local languages play an important role in curbing illiteracy among citizens in the country.

[ ZANIS ]

MMD chairperson for elections Mike Mulongoti has warned party members seeking to contest various positions not to use tribes to advance their political ambitions.

Reacting to remarks attributed to MMD Western Province chairperson Simasiku Namakando that tribal politics in the ruling party would divide it, Mr Mulongoti said members should campaign across tribes.

“We are in a time where intra-party democracy must be seen to be working. The habit of running for positions on the basis of tribal groupings is unfair and unnecessary. People should campaign across tribes,” Mr Mulongoti who is Works and Supply Minister said.

He said it was wrong for any party member to use tribe to boost their campaigns for positions.
[pullquote]“We are in a time where intra-party democracy must be seen to be working. The habit of running for positions on the basis of tribal groupings is unfair and unnecessary. People should campaign across tribes,” Mr Mulongoti who is Works and Supply Minister said.[/pullquote]
“Those who are competing for elective office must never look for excuses for not focusing on their campaigns. I refuse to be used as such,” Mr Mulongoti said.

The minister noted that as chairperson for elections, it was his duty to give guidelines to allow for fair play, party constitution legality as well as equity.

Mr Mulongoti said he had to ensure that deadlines as far as time was concerned were observed and beyond that there was nothing else.

And Mr Mulongoti has said the party would go ahead with provincial conferences once it had harmonised its programmes with President Banda’s schedule.

Mr Mulongoti said the party was trying to work out a schedule that would enable President Banda as party president officially open all the nine provincial conferences.

Meanwhile, the MMD Lusaka District choir has expressed its sadness at some party members who are working against provincial chairperson William Banda.

Choir chairperson Nelia Sakala said in a statement that Mr Banda had managed to transform the ruling party in Lusaka.

“With the coming of Mr Banda, our party has been reconstructed and we have taken control of Lusaka District in all political terms as we continue to establish a firm ground,” Ms Sakala said.

She appealed to President Banda to institute investigations about the parallel structures formed against Mr Banda.
[ Times of Zambia ]