The Southern African Center for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) of discriminating against the Seventh Adventist Day SDA worshipers.

The ECZ has recently come under fire after announcing that the Chilanga and Mpulungu by elections will be held on the 30th October, a Saturday.

SACCORD Executive director, Lee Habasonda has challenged ECZ not to disregard calls by the SDA headquarters and reschedule the Chilanga by-election date.

Mr Habasonda said that it is prudent that the ECZ respect the religious right of the SDA’s and not disfranchise them on the basis that they might be a minority group of voters.

Mr Habasonda said that it will be tramping on the religious rights of the Saturday worshipers if the commission does not considers making changes to the poll date and a lot of people will be disfranchised.

He noted that it is important that serious and due attention is given to the matter to ensure that everyone’s view is put into consideration.

He has ,however,challenged all Saturday worshipers to take time to petition the commission on the mater and to ensure that their right to vote is not violated.

Lusaka lawyer Kelvin Hang’andu and the All Peoples Congress (APC) leader Ken Ngondo are amongst some of those that have expressed displeasure at the ECZ decision on the by-election date.

[ QFM ]

Roan Constituency PF Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has accused the MMD government of using the budget as a campaign strategy ahead of the 2011 general elections.

Mr Kambwili who has described the budget as unpractical has questioned where government will source the over 80 percent of the budget requirement when the windfall taxes on mining have been scraped off.

He has further challenged the government to re-introduce the windfall taxes on mining adding that is meant to deceive Zambians.

Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane on Friday announced the over K 20 trillion of 2011 National Budget 82.7 percent of it will be financed domestically while the remaining 17.3 percent will come from external resources.
[ QFM ]

President Rupiah Banda has arrived in Libya’ Sirte ahead of Sunday’s second high level Landmark AFRICA-ARAB Heads of State and Government Summit which takes place three decades after the first conference was held in Egypt between the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the League of Arab States.

President Banda’s challenger plane touched down at ALQURTHABIA International Airport at 16 00 hours (same time Libya & Zambia).

Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) reports from Sirte, the home town of Libya’s President Muammer Gadaffi, that on arrival, the President was met by General Moustaf Alkharob a member of Libya’s Revolution Congress and Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) Albert Muchanga, who is also an envoy to Ethiopia.

And also on hand to receive the Head of State were Senior Government officials from both Zambia and Libya.

A Guard of honour was mounted for President Banda by the Libyan Defense Forces and traditional dances were also show cased to welcome him.

Immediately after the airport formalities, the President was driven to the Presidential villa where he would stay until the Summit.

President Banda who is accompanied to Libya by Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale joins other acclaimed leaders from both the African and Arab regions at the Summit being described as a Summit of hope.

The President leaves Libya soon after the Summit.
[ ZANIS ]

Zambians have been urged not to under-rate the Presidential trips because of their enormous economic and political value to the country.

Presidential Affairs Minister, Ronald Mukuma says the President has a mandate to fulfil ZAMBIA’s obligations to the nation and the international community.

Mr Mukuma said in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka saturday that the Afro -Arab summit is important for the development of both the continent and Zambia as a developing nation.
[ ZNBC ]

The media fraternity in Zambia have reacted sharply to claims by Munali Member of Parliament (MP) Mumbi Phiri for referring to Journalists working for public media as ‘dogs’ for Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Ronnie Shikapwasha.

The media has demanded that Mrs Mumbi should apologises to the media fraternity for her insults attributed to Journalists.

Zambia Union of Journalists General Secretary (ZUJ-GS) Angela Chishimba warned Mrs Mumbi to desist from issuing such insulting statements.

Ms Chishimba said the Union is deeply saddened by reports from the MP referring Journalists working in the public media as “dogs”.

In a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Ms Chishimba, an employee of the Zambia Daily Mail urged its members to continue working professionally, without fear or favour.

Ms Chishimba said the she does not expect such disgusting statements from political leaders who want to assume office and the same personnel who will serve them if by any chance, they assumed office.

“We demand that Mrs Mumbi apologises to the media fraternity for the insults attributed to Journalists. As ZUJ, we would like to state that our members will continue working professionally, without fear or favour.

The ZUJ-GS said if Mrs Mumbi had any complaint against any of our members, she should have used proper channels to communicate her displeasure,” Ms Chishimba said.

She said as far as the Union is concerned, no complaint has been lodged and therefore it takes great exception to that statement.

And some Journalists talked too by ZANIS in separate interviews threatened to ‘blackmail’ the Munali MP for her horrific remarks.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one Lusaka based Journalist reminded Ms Mumbi that the media is the fourth estate in the country that has the powers to build and destroy one’s character

Another Journalist from the Copperbelt province described the remarks as unfortunate saying parliamentarians and members of the press were supposed to be partners to national development.

[ZANIS]

EGYPTIAN ambassador to Zambia Salah El-Sadek has hailed the 2011 national Budget, saying it is was well elaborated and concerned the welfare of citizens.

Commenting on the Budget presented to Parliament yesterday by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Ambassador El-Sadek said it was gratifying that the government was trying to work and rely on local resources

United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota described the budget as fair but stressed the need to consult with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as to whether the K245 billion provided for next year’s elections was adequate for the task.

He was happy that the threshold had been raised from K800, 000 to K1 million although calculations needed to be worked out to see whether the move would translate into the intention of the government.

National Democratic Focus (NDF) president Ben Mwila described the budget as pro-poor and that many Zambians would now have more money in their pockets.

Kalulushi MP Anson Simama (PF) described the budget as good especially that 58 per cent of it was targeting at social sectors, which were cardinal to uplifting
the welfare of Zambians.

Kalomo MP Request Muntanga (UPND) was let down that the increment to the agriculture sector had failed to reach 10 per cent as per the Southern African
Development Community protocol.
Caritas Chipata acting director, Mthadziko Zulu described the budget as promising.

In an interview in Chipata yesterday, Mr Zulu said the budget was promising because it had touched on all important sectors of the national economy.

[ Times of Zambia ]

Government says it will recruit 5,000 teachers in 2011,for which a provision of k131.6 billion has been made available.

And K3,828.8 billion or 18.6 percent of the total 2011 budget has been allocated to education and skills development in the 2011 budget representing a 15.3 percent increase from the 2010 budget.

Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane in the 2011 budget announced yesterday said that the allocation reflects the MMD government’s continuing commitment to facilitating the empowerment of the citizenry with the knowledge and skills to fight poverty,disease,and ignorance.

He said government would continue with the dual strategy of accelerating infrastructure development in 2011,while ensuring requisite staffing of the newly built facilities.

Dr Musokotwane says the programme will continue in 2011 and over the Sixth National Development Plan,with additional emphasis on upper basic, secondary and tertiary education.
[ QFM ]

President Rupiah Banda is this Sunday expected to join several Heads of State and Government and Arab Kings in Libya at the Afro-Arab Summit.

President Banda leaves for Sirte, Libya saturday ahead of the Afro-Arab Summit, which is expected to forge closer partnership between African countries and the Arab World.

The Summit would be held under the theme ‘ Towards a Strategic Partnership.’

This is contained in a statement released to ZNBC in Lusaka Friday evening by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

The Summit is expected to be attended by over sixty leaders from the African Union-AU and teh League of the Arab States-LAS.

Mr Banda would be accompanied to Libya by Senior Government officials.

The last Summit of the Afro-Arab was held 33 years ago.

The Private sector and Non Governmental Organisations in Africa and the Arab World have also been sponsored to hold an Investment and Trade Forum on the sidelines of the Summit.

President Banda and his delegation returns to Lusaka immediately after completing his scheduled business in Libya.
[ ZNBC ]