THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has said statements by Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata and his secretary general, Wynter Kabimba on the status of the pact go against the spirit which prompted its formation.

And the opposition party has said PF is no longer as strong as it was in 2006 and 2008 and therefore cannot claim that only its president could lead the pact.

Reacting to statements by Mr Sata and Mr Kabimba in yesterday’s Post, UPND acting party spokesperson Douglas Syakalima said by their own statements, the two did not believe in the spirit of the pact.

“By saying that UPND should accept that PF has more MPs than the UPND and the issue of presidency only means that they don’t believe in the pact,” Mr Syakalima said.

But when contacted for comment, Mr Sata said his party was still strong.

“If they respect the pact they would not speak like that. We have helped them to condemn Chizyuka (Namwala Member of Parliament Robbie Chizyuka).

“Those rebels in PF are our problem. We went to Chifubu where there was a rebel MP and we won,” Mr Sata said.

But Mr Syakalima said the pact had never discussed the issue of presidency as claimed by Mr Kabimba.

He said in Lusaka yesterday that the claim by the PF that it had more Members of Parliament (MPs) was wrong.

[pullquote]“As an old man, we expected Mr Sata to provide wisdom in the pact, but he has failed. If anything his statements in the media are showing that he is losing wisdom every day,” Mr Kalusa said.[/pullquote]

“The reason why people enter into pacts or alliances is because they realise that they cannot single-handedly win and form Government.

“That’s why we have had a slogan in the pact that if it is not Michael Sata as president then it should be Hakainde Hichilema,” Mr Syakalima said.

He said PF was no longer strong because most of its MPs voted with the MMD in Parliament and wondered why the PF could not accept reality that they had been losing to the MMD in Luapula Province.

Mr Syakalima said that PF could no longer bank on its past glory because the “political pendulum is emotional and unpredictable.”

He said while the Liberal Democrats were a small party in the United Kingdom, they determined who formed Government in the last elections.

UPND chairperson for energy Garry Nkombo said it was wrong for Mr Sata to create an impression that PF was larger than the pact.

Mr Nkombo noted that the more than 70 per cent of the people who voted against the MMD were more than the share of the PF.

He maintained that Mr Kabimba was an enemy of the pact and that the Zambian people would blame him for breaking the opposition alliance.

And UPND national youth chairperson, Joe Kalusa has claimed that Mr Sata has lost wisdom despite having served in Government for a long time.

“As an old man, we expected Mr Sata to provide wisdom in the pact, but he has failed. If anything his statements in the media are showing that he is losing wisdom every day,” Mr Kalusa said.

And Copperbelt UPND chairperson Elisha Matambo said in Ndola yesterday that the party grassroots members were “sick and tired” of the attitude of the PF bigwigs who had continued to issue statements that belittled the UPND.

[Times of Zambia]

EXPELLED MMD Chilanga Member of Parliament (MP) Ng’andu Magande has launched his campaign for his presidential bid in 2011 through a political movement called the National Movement for Progress (NMP), currently distributing campaign fliers in Southern Province.

According to one of the fliers obtained by the Times in Monze, the former Finance and National Planning minister claims to have been the architect of the economy during the reign of the late president Levy Mwanawasa.

“This son of mother Zambia tried his best to transform the Zambian economy working together with the late president Levy Mwanawasa SC,” reads the flier authored by “concerned public servants”.

“You and I experienced and appreciate the positive change in our economy that came with reform and management style under his stewardship,” it reads.

Mr Magande’s campaign claims Zambia’s standing with the international community had greatly improved and that Zambians were well respected worldwide because of his leadership.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Magande failed, as his mobile phone remained switched off.

Mr Magande recently told a tabloid that he would leave his options open to either form a new political party or join the existing ones.
The MMD recently expelled Mr Magande from the ruling party.

When contacted for comment Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata said Mr Magande had a democratic right to form a party.

“We are not in a one party State. Any body that wants to form a party is free to do so,” he said.

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya refused to comment and only stressed that Mr Magande and Kafulafuta MP George Mpombo were no longer members of the ruling party.

UPND acting spokesperson Douglas Syakalima said the party would only comment after Mr Magande officially announced his intentions.

[Times of Zambia]

Government has said it will not tolerate unnecessary excuses from Zambian workers who are working with a Chinese firm Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC) to build the Ndola stadium.

Minister of Sports Kenneth Chipungu said complaints that the workers were being mistreated at the construction site was one way of delaying works which he said would not be tolerated.

Mr. Chipungu said the Chinese firm had a deadline to meet adding that they were working hard to ensure that the construction of the stadium was completed within the stipulated time frame saying it would be costly to extend the construction period.

He added that extending the construction period of the stadium would require mobilisation of more resources saying this would be unaffordable for the country and that it may delay the works even further.

He said the country was in a hurry to have a modern, multi-purpose Stadium to host international matches adding that the Chinese contractor was aware of the nature of work and would not also tolerate absenteeism, underperformance and laziness from workers.

He said workers at the stadium most of whom were youths should not unnecessarily complain but commit themselves to the work which he said would benefit them greatly once completed.

The Minister said this in an interview in Lusaka today. This was in reaction to a story carried in the media recently that the Chinese contractor contracted to build Ndola stadium was mistreating Zambian workers at the site while favouring Chinese workers.

So far, about 700 to 1,000 locals have been employed at construction site located strategically at the entry point to Ndola from the rest of the Copperbelt towns.

The building of the 45,000-capacity stadium in Ndola by AFECC would, apart from helping develop sport, bring funds to the national treasury.

The Ndola stadium would be fully funded by the Chinese government which offered to put up an ultra modern structure in Zambia after talks between Late President Levy Mwanawasa and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in 2006.

The stadium which is scheduled to be completed in October next year will gobble about US$60 million.

ZANIS

The PF leader said the two political parties should promote unity and fight the challenges that are facing the pact.

He, however, said the pact is intact despite the news that it is under pressure and that he would not be distracted from the real objectives of the pact.

Speaking on the platform programme on Joy FM today Mr Sata further observed that most people have felt the impact of the pact and there are trying by all means to destabilize it.

There have been continuous attacks among the members of the pact and the MMD party that the pact is crumbling owing to their failure to choose one presidential candidate.
[ QFM ]

MMD Lusaka Province Deputy Chairperson Henry Mutiti also said the MMD is looking forward to retain the Chilanga parliamentary seat.

Mr Magande has since fallen out of favor from the party following his alleged insubordination against high ranking party leaders.

Mr Mutiti was speaking during a news conference in Lusaka today.

And MMD Lusaka province women chairperson Jean Mkalipi has warned former Defense Minister, George Mpombo against continuing attacking President Rupiah Banda.

Ms Mkalipi said Mr Mpombo misled himself when he resigned as defense minister.

She warns Mr Mpombo, who is also Kafulafuta MP, of what she terms, stiff consequences from MMD cadres if he continues attacking President Banda.

Ms Mkalipi also reminded Catholic priests to clear their names of sex abuse rather than commenting on Zambia?s political activities.
[ MUV TV ]