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Political analyst, Dante Saunders called on government to completely change the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to instill confidence in the electorates who continued to shun participating in elections.
Mr Dante observed that the current abnormal political situation in Zambia is responsible for the low voter turn out in the Chifubu and Luena by-elections.
He said that there is need to stream line the work of the ECZ whose credibility Zambians have continued to question.
[pullquote]“This will help the ruling movement for multi party democracy MMD government regain the people’s confidence in the commission” Mr Dante said.[/pullquote]
Mr Saunders said that it is vital for government to allow a complete change of the ECZ.
“This will help the ruling movement for multi party democracy MMD government regain the people’s confidence in the commission” Mr Dante said.
Mr. Saunders also explained that government should be able to allow the participation of the opposition in the ECZ.
He said as long as government does not agree to allow the ECZ to be changed, the current voter apathy will remain.
The political analyst also noted that failure to address this situation now, the ECZ is bound to experience worse apathy next year when the country goes to the tripartite polls.
[ QFM ]
President Banda boards the Zambia Air Force executive plane in Chipata
President Banda has challenged Zambians to shed off their dependency syndrome and to take the initiative to develop Zambia themselves. The President said that the best development was that initiated by the people themselves hence the need for them to be involved in it as this would also attract assistance from various co-operating partners.
“Meaningful development can only be achieved through the participation of all people including those at grassroot levels by being committed to eliminating poverty,” he said.
President Banda said this at Chilobwe Basic School grounds in Chipata yesterday when he officially launched the Mfumbeni Five-Year Strategic Development Plan aimed at mitigating poverty in Senior Chief Nzamane’s chiefdom.
Mr Banda said the Zambians can only be proud of themselves if they stood up to the challenge of fighting poverty by making a decision to develop themselves.
He praised farmers in the country for taking advantage of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to maximize their yields.
“I’am proud that you worked hard and took advantage of the FISP to produce more than anticipated and the country now has a surplus,” he said.
He said, however, that success is only possible through hard work and discipline. Mr Banda said Zambia produced 2.7 million tonnes of maize because of hard work, especially by peasant farmers who received support through the FISP.
Earlier, Senior Chief Nzamane said the Mfumbeni Strategic Plan intends to improve the quality of life among people in the chiefdom through development and prosperity centered on the local people.
He said the association will also plan, mobilize resources, monitor activities and collect data from zones in order to effectively manage the developmental activities.
He observed that despite it being a rural area it has great potential generate wealth but that there is need for people to remain focused on the objective of improving their standards of living.
The Senior Chief said that his subjects are poor because of unsystematic development plans but that the Strategic Plan will enhance coordinated development.
He said Government’s efforts to develop the area had fallen short of people’s expectations and resources allocated to developmental activities did not show clear and prominent results.
Senior Chief Nzamane said this was because people did not contribute to the planning and implementation of the developmental activities.
He cited education, commerce, health and agriculture as some of the sectors the plan will address.
Senior Chief Nzamane said that the association has already planned to have immediate activities of zonal farms to grow maize, groundnuts and millet to achieve food security.
He also said various factors limit access to Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services for people in the chiefdom.
Senior Chief Nzamane said long distances to medical facilities, some of which are inaccessible during the rainy season and stigma associated with the scourge, hindered access to the services.
He said this is why the plan incorporates programmes aimed at streamlining HIV and AIDS.
In a vote of thanks, Mfumbeni vice-chairperson Festus Ndhlovu said that President Banda’s coming to grace the occasion was testimony of Government’s commitment to support developmental programmes initiated by people in the rural areas.
Mr Ndhlovu said the people of Mfumbeni are happy that President Banda is willing to work with them in alleviating poverty by developing the area.
He said vices such as illiteracy, poor health, poverty and food insecurity have negatively impacted on the people hence the decision to initiate the strategic plan.
“Mfumbeni has suffered negative social, cultural and economic impact of inadequate development due to vices such as high illiteracy levels and deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS. This prompted the chief to put in place a strategic plan to guide for the implementation process of developmental programmes,” he said.
The 2010-2015 Mfumbeni Strategic Plan, an initiative of Senior Chief Nzamane has received technical support from United States International Development Agency (USAID) and various co-operating partners.
Vernon Mwaanga poses for a picture with ministry of foreign Affairs permanent secretary Tens Kapoma in Lusaka
Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga says President Banda’s foreign trips are aimed at promoting economic development in Zambia and are in line with an international trend of economic diplomacy.
Economic diplomacy is the process through which countries tackle the outside world, to maximize their national gains in all fields of activity including trade, investment and other forms of economically beneficial exchanges.
Mr Mwaanga said Zambians should be proud that the President is marketing the country at a regional and international level and bringing investment to the country.
“No country is an island; our country has a good reputation both at regional and international level hence the reason we are being invited because of the active role Zambia plays in regional, African and international foras.
Zambians should be proud that they are recognized and this helps in attracting investors to the country,” he said.
Mr Mwaanga, who is a seasoned diplomat, said the investors that come to Zambia after President Banda’s trips create employment for the Zambians and they contribute to Government’s tax revenue.
He said it is sad that the President is criticized when he is playing a role of economic diplomacy of being the number one sales and marketing person for the country.
Mr Mwaanga said no President everywhere in the world travel because economic diplomacy requires a Head of State to sell and market his country personally.
He said in economic diplomacy, the president is a major factor and for Zambia all the trips the president has undertaken to countries like China, Turkey, South Africa, Malawi, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe have been very beneficial to the country in terms of wooing investors.
Mr Mwaanga said it is at conferences and during state visits that presidents exchange ideas on how they are managing their economies.
He said economic diplomacy is one of the aspects included in Zambia’s foreign policy.
“And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!”
(James 3:10, NLT).
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Did you know you have the power to bless or curse your future? Your words have tremendous power. If you go around saying things like “I don’t have what it takes. I’m so clumsy; I can’t get anything right. I’m so undisciplined. I’ll probably never lose this weight,” you just cursed your future. No, we’ve got to be extremely careful about what we allow to come out of our mouths. Realize your words are setting the direction for your life. Let me ask you today, which direction are you going? Are you declaring good things? Are you blessing your life, speaking words of faith over your future? Or, are you going around saying negative things like “Nothing good ever happens to me. I’ll probably never get out of debt. I’ll never break this addiction?”
Today, choose to bless your future. Choose to declare what God says. As you align your words with His Word, you’re setting your future up for success. You’re preparing your way for victory, and you will fulfill the destiny He has planned for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, I choose to speak blessing over my future. I choose to speak life over my future. Thank You for equipping me with everything I need to fulfill the destiny You have prepared for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has described the just ended Luena and Chifubu by-elections as a wake up call to stakeholders in the election process.
The elections have also been estimated as an alert to all political parties and civil societies organizations involved in good governance and democracy, to revive the desire of voting in the electorate.
AVAP executive director, Bonnie Tembo said that the low turn out of the electorate during the concurrent by elections was a fact that political parties have failed to inspire voters.
Mr Tembo has called on political parties to work towards strengthening their structures if they are to lay strong foundations for voter mobilization.
He said that time has come for political parties to present real issues that respond to the needs of the people.
The AVAP Director indicated that petty issues and name calling type of campaigns are a threat to voter participation.
Mr Tembo Urge political parties to start preparing their manifestos ahead of 2011 election.
He has also called on Civil society organisationsa to enhance their activities that promote d voter education.
[ QFM ]
National Constitutional Conference chairperson Chifumu Banda and his deputy Russell Mulele, on the left, during the launch of the draft constitution in Lusaka.
By Henry Kyambalesa
Over the years, the people’s call for a Republican constitution that is expected to stand the test of time has been loud and clear. Unfortunately, we have wasted a good portion of our country’s meager resources on financing the Chona Constitution Commission, the Mvunga Constitution Review Commission, the Mwanakatwe Constitution Review Commission, and the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission without coming up with such a constitution.
We are now grappling with the draft constitution recently tendered by the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), which is apparently laden with Articles and Clauses that are partisan, short-term and discriminatory in nature. It has too many contentious issues, errors and inconsistencies, which are predictably going to elicit nationwide demonstrations and potentially culminate in losses of property and human life if the authorities attempt to push it through by hook and crook.
I, therefore, wish to urge President Rupiah Banda to appoint an ad hoc task force consisting of at most 30 citizens who do not currently hold leadership positions in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), political parties, religious institutions, the labor movement, the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, the civil service, and the House of Chiefs.
The terms of reference for the task force should be to identify and examine contentious issues, errors and inconsistencies in: (a) the 1996 Republican constitution; and (b) the draft constitutions of the Chona Constitution Commission, the Mvunga Constitution Review Commission, the Mwanakatwe Constitution Review Commission, the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission, and the National Constitutional Conference.
Moreover, the task force should be required to prepare a draft constitution based on its findings. It could be given 1 year to complete its work, and its output could thereafter be tabled for comments by the citizenry.
We can hold the forthcoming tripartite elections under the 1996 constitution in its current form. It would not be prudent to push through a controversial and potentially divisive constitution just because we have spent unprecedented amounts of public resources on it. I believe it is much more important for the output of the constitution-making process to be widely acceptable.
It is shameful that after nearly 46 years of political independence, we have failed to give ourselves an acceptable constitution. Is there something that is innately deficient in us? How can personal, partisan and short-term interests inhibit us from working together to craft a constitution that will stand the test of time?
Nchanga Rangers opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Faz Super Division table today while Nkana won for a second successive time under new coach Linos Makwaza.
Rangers beat City of Lusaka 2-0 at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola to move from 35 to 38 points, four more than Zesco United who were not in action today because they have more than five players away on senior and junior national team duty.
Bruce Mwape’s side have all of a sudden found themselves in a position to give serious thought to a shot at the Super Division title that they have not won since 1998.
Rangers meanwhile, secured their win thanks to a brace from their prolific striker Chileshe Kabwe who now shifts into second place on the top scorers chart this season with seven goals.
Kabwe was on target in the 30th and 75t minutes of the match.
And in Kitwe, Makwaza’s rebound after a shock start to his tenure a week ago continued when Nkana beat Roan United 1-0 at Wusakile stadium in Kitwe today.
Victor Mwansa scored his second successive goal after also finding the target in Nkana’s 2-1 home on August 4 at the same venue.
Elsewhere, Zanaco sunk Lusaka Dynamos 2-1 away at Queensmead this afternoon to leave the latter deep in the mire of the relegation zone in 15th place.
Defender Charles Siyingwa put Zanaco ahead in the 46th minute but Dynamos equalized three minutes after the hour-mark through Jeff Banda.
Midfielder Henry Banda secured the three points for Zanaco with a goal in the 79th minute.
And Forest Rangers crawled out of the relegation zone for the first time this season when they beat Konkola Blades 2-0 after picking up their fourth win under Hector Chilombo this season.
Nasha Kaya scored Forest first goal in the 22 minute and the hosts stretched their lead six minutes later courtesy of an own-goal from Konkola Blades defender Roberto Kabeya.
Faz Super Division results
Week 20
07/08/2010
Forest Rangers 2- Konkola Blades 0
Nkana 1-Roan United 0
Nchanga Rangers 2-City of Lusaka 0
Green Buffaloes 1-Choma Eagles 1
Lusaka Dynamos 1-Zanaco 2
Postponed:
Red Arrows -Nkwazi
Kabwe Warriors-Zesco United
National Assembly-Power Dynamos
Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene of Free State Stars in South Africa will join the Zambia team on Sunday in Lusaka ahead of Wednesday friendly against Uganda.
Mweene is one of 12 foreign based players called up for the Uganda friendly in what will be new coach Dario Bonetti’s first official game in charge.
Zambia are expected to leave for Uganda on Monday for the friendly match to be played in Kampala.
Mweene said from Johannesburg Saturday afternoon that he was looking forward to meeting Bonetti.
Mweene said he will land in Lusaka early on Sunday evening after taking care of a club commitment that same day in Johannesburg.
“We have a pre-season friendly game against Golden Arrows in Johannesburg at around 11 and will later be released to join the team in Lusaka,” Mweene said.
This will be Mweene’s first match back in a Zambia jersey since the Africa Cup of Nations in January where the team reached the quarterfinals.
A Lusaka magistrate’s court yesterday sentenced Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s bodyguard, Judge Ngoma to three years imprisonment on two counts of assault.
Senior Resident Magistrate David Simusamba jailed Ngoma to three years on each count but the sentences would run concurrently.
In count one, Ngoma 42, of plot 21/15 of Balastone Park in Lusaka on June 5 2009 jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown assaulted Mubanga Chileshe thereby occasioning him bodily harm.
In count two, Ngoma on the same date jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown assaulted Samson Zulu thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.
Passing judgment Mr Simusamba said Ngoma’s action amounted to political violence that was slowly gaining ground in the country.
[pullquote]“There is need to deter people especially the youths from engaging themselves in political violence,” he said.[/pullquote]
He said there was need to curb political violence because it was dangerous to a young democratic country like Zambia.
“There is need to deter people especially the youths from engaging themselves in political violence,” he said.
In mitigation through his lawyer Chola Chama, Ngoma said that sending him to jail would not help him reform.
He asked the court to give him a non-custodial sentence to help him reform because the law provided for alternative punishment such as suspended sentence.
The same court earlier convicted Ngoma on both charges on Tuesday.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Vice president George Kunda
Vice PRESIDENT George Kunda says government is not getting rid of the abuse of office offence but could not guarantee whether the offence will be contained in the revised Anti Corruption Commission Act.
Mr Kunda told Parliament yesterday that the abuse of office offence also exists in the Penal Code and that government wants to avoid the duplication of offences as it reforms the law.
He said government wants to re-align the law so that it makes sense by avoid duplication.
Mr Kunda said abuse of office would continue to be an offence in Zambia’s statute books, but that the offence will be contained is government’s pre-rogative.
He explained that there is need to update the laws so that they are consistent with the country’s constitution so that even accused persons can receive justice.
The vice president said government wants laws which are in accordance with principles of justice and acceptable to Commonwealth standards.
Government has come under heavy criticism from various stakeholders over its intentions to remove the abuse of office offence from the Anti Corruption Commission ACC Act.
[ QFM ]
Government has recognized the election of senior chief Mununga of the Shile area of Chienge district in Luapula province.
President Rupiah Banda announced yesterday in Chienge that he has signed the recognition of senior chief Mununga, after the courts disposed of his case in which his election was disputed.
The President was in Chienge to officiate at the Bwilile ceremony of the Bwile people of senior chief Puta’s area.
Mr. Banda said government knows that chieftainship has become a source of conflict in the country because there are people who claim the chieftainship which is not theirs.
He said if government had been slow in recognizing senior chief Mununga it was due to consultation process involved so that it could not make a mistake in its final decision.
The President promised that government would also attend to other problems raised by senior chief Puta concerning chiefs in the due course.
He said to address these issues government was going to do things properly according to the system that is in place.
Earlier senior chief Puta appealed to President Banda to prevail so that government would restore and recognize the chieftainship of four traditional rulers in his area.
The senior chief said four of his subordinate chiefs lost their recognition in 1953 due to individual inabilities.
He named the affected chiefs as Kalembwe, Chikwame, Chipungu and Mwabu.
He said the recognition of the four chiefs is important to Chienge area as to will easy his burden discharging traditional responsibilities single handed involving a large area.
[ ZANIS ]
Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has expressed concern over the problems that have arisen because of the Direct Electronic Debit Account (DEDAC) system in the ministry of education.
ZNUT, Deputy National Secretary Catherine Chinunda said during a press briefing in Chipata that a number of teachers have so far experienced unnecessary deductions from salaries while others have gone for two months without salaries.
Mrs. Chinunda urged government to quickly address the situation saying it could affect the performance of teachers if left unattended.
“The teachers are being de-motivated as a result their performance may be poor and this could also affect the examination results among pupils in the country,’ she said.
Mrs. Chinunda disclosed that ZNUT is currently going round the country to determine the number of teachers that have been affected with the new payment system.
[ ZANIS ]
Kafulafuta MP George Mpombo making frantic calls to win back his freedom from a jail in Ndola after he was jailed for bouncing a chequeTHE Ndola Magistrates Court has convicted former Defence Minister George Mpombo on one account of dishonoring a cheque amounting to K10 million.
Ndola Chief Resident Magistrate Kelvin Limbani convicted Mr Mpombo in a case which came up for judgment.
Facts of the offence are that on December 18, 2009, Mpombo, with intent to defraud, issued a K10 million cheque to Colwyn Limited on an insufficiently funded account at Standard Chartered Bank.
Magistrate Limbani said the court had taken note of Mr Mpombo’s evidence that he had December 17, 2009 phoned Mr Terence Findley of Colwyn Limited and asked him not to deposit the cheque the following day since he had cash at hand.
Mr Limbani said the court was convinced that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that a cheque was issued and dishonoured and that the account was insufficiently funded.
He said the court was further convinced that the accused was aware of his obligation of paying back the money on December 18 and the consequences of not honouring that obligation.
Mr Limbani said since the accused had organised the money in cash on December 17, 2009, he should have deposited it in the account.
“I am convinced that the accused was fully aware of his obligations and since he had cash in hand on December 17th 2009, he should have deposited it. “Therefore, I find suppositions by the accused that he had called Mr Findley on December 17th 2009 asking him not to deposit the cheque as a mere afterthought meant to conceal the fact that he willfully had intent to defraud and I, therefore, convict him,” he said.
In mitigation, defence Lawyer Bonaventure Mutale asked the court to accord Mr Mpombo leniency by giving a penalty of a fine as opposed to a custodial sentence because the complainant had suffered no loss.
“I am humbly asking the court to accord maximum leniency to the accused person by considering a penalty of a fine as opposed to imposing a custodial sentence, considering that he repaid the debt at the earliest opportunity and that the complainant has suffered no loss,’ he said.
He further said the circumstances surrounding the case did not show any aggravation.
Mr Limbani reserved sentencing on August 9, 2010 and remanded Mr Mpombo in custody. – ZANIS.
Marketeers at Chipata’s Kaumbwe market today wake up to a rude shock when they found their trading stands burnt to ashes.
About 300 stands have been burnt to ashes following an inferno which swept through the entire market last night.
A check by ZANIS found the trading stands completely burnt as the owners and on lookers looked on in disbelief.
And when interviewed, one of the marketeers , Petronela Mwale, revealed that the fire started around midnight and was believed to have been started by some unknown people.
She said that alert shop owners and Chipata Municipal Council fire bridged prevented the fire from making further damage.
Meanwhile, Kaumbwe Market Chairperson, Clement Mwelwa, revealed that last year, fire also gutted the market destroying some trading stands.
Mr. Mwelwa said that the fire that was experienced last year and that of last night both started from the same place on the eastern side of the building area.
[ ZANIS ]
TWO Zambian drivers who operate the long distance haulage bus, Zambia-Namibia, were arrested and detained in Katima Mulilo last week Thursday for allegedly contravening the Namibian Transport Act. A police source said Masauso Sakala and Lucky Mudenda were detained for 10 hours after traffic officers at a road block arrested them for picking up Namibian passengers on the way to and from Windhoek.
The police source also said the charges constitute a fine or imprisonment as the two contravened the permit issued under the Namibian Road Traffic and Transport Act.
“They were taken in after countless warnings on several occasions to stop picking up Namibian passengers,” said the source.
Sakala and Mudenda, who were charged for carbortage, are out on bail of N$5,000 each and the case was postponed to 17 August 2010 pending further investigations.
The Road Transportation Act, Act 74 of 1977 reads: “A person undertaking a public road transport service must have the necessary permit, operating licence or ad hoc authorisation; and be registered in terms of this Act in case of minibus taxi-type, metered taxi, bus-type and coach-type services…” the permit reads.
Some Zambia-Namibia bus conductors, who declined to be named, this week told Informanté that their transportation permit allows them to trade, that is to pick up passengers within the borders.
“There are many foreign buses trading in Namibia but they do not suffer the harassments that befall us weekly when we drive through the town. The permit does not limit us to board foreigners’ only,” they complained.
A tertiary student, Jane Malumo, who boarded the bus when the arrests were made, said the bus was trailed and stopped 20 km before Katima. She said the officers demanded all Namibian passengers jump out and luggage thoroughly checked adding that they were subjected to victimisation and harassment.
“This bus is always searched at the borders and in town every time they drive through. Chaos broke out when the police came and demanded that Namibian passengers dock out of the bus,” she said.
A local mini-bus operator, who declined to be named, said the Zambian Bus is allegedly causing mayhem at the town as they get local customers that they should be transporting to Windhoek.
“The Zambian bus is not profiting us local operators in anyway. The bus boards both foreign and local passengers depriving us of making a living too,” said the operator.
