MMD chairperson for information and publicity Dora Siliya has said the pact formed last year by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema and Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has collapsed because it was formed for selfish motives.

Ms Siliya also said condemnation of the recent visit to Northern Province by First Lady Thandiwe Banda was out of ignorance because every first lady had the right to donate to the vulnerable people in society.

At a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Siliya said the pact lacked a long term vision and a plan of action on how it would deal with the politics of ethnicity and as a result, it had been reduced to a tribal pact.

Ms Siliya, who is Minister of Education, said at its formative stage, the pact leaders did not have a joint action plan to deliver development to the Zambian people but rushed into announcing even without proper regard for the grassroot members.

Ms Siliya said the first week the pact was formed, the two leaders started calling for votes and launched the alliance without announcing their road-map, manifesto and vision which showed how short sighted the two leaders are.

She said the two political parties were tribal and had remained so even after the formation of the pact which had led to its demise.

Ms Siliya said two leaders coming together for the sole purpose of gaining power would always clash as they seek to appropriate power between themselves.

She said the PF and UPND were simply tribal parties and the ruling party was the only genuine political party whose manifesto addresses the needs of the whole nation.

Ms Siliya said the pact lacked true leadership that could unite all tribes in the country and had remained strong in a selected number of provinces without a proper explanation from the leadership.

She said the fact was they remained strong in a selected number of provinces because they campaigned on tribal lines while the MMD was constructing infrastructure throughout Zambia.

The minister said political parties and civil society organisations sympathetic to the opposition were condemning Government and yet the international community was praising Government efforts in delivering development to the people.

She was optimistic Zambians would start ignoring them because they were able to see huge infrastructure development such as health centres, schools and roads being constructed.

Ms Siliya said the Government had decided to construct five health centres in the high density areas of Lusaka as it seeks further plans to reduce distances from one health centre to another.

The minister said 23 district hospitals were being constructed throughout Zambia.
Meanwhile, Ms Siliya dismissed assertions that the national executive committee had become illegal on account of the expiry of its mandate.

She said the MMD constitution allows the NEC to function in-between conventions to provide continuity.

She said letters had been authored and Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande should have received by now and they were no longer members of the MMD.
[ Times of Zambia ]

THE United Party for National Development says it is shocked that the Patriotic Front (PF) decided to contest the position of deputy

Mayor in last Monday’s Lusaka Mayoral elections, a clear departure from the mutually agreed rules as stipulated in the UPND/PF memorandum of understanding.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said his party is surprised that PF has again gone against the alliance agreement, a development which has exposed deeper cracks in the fragile pact.

But when contacted for a comment, PF president, Michael Sata there was nothing wrong with the two political parties competiting against each other in an election.

On Monday, the UPND and PF competed against each other at deputy mayoral level with victory going to Kanyama ward 10 councillor, Harry Hampende of the UPND.
He polled 23 votes out of 41 cast.

Mr Hampende beat the PF’s Kalingalinga ward 31 councillor Dapson Chansa who got eight votes and the UPND’s Lilayi ward four councillor Lazarous Chulabantu who had nine votes.

Lately, the two political parties have breached their agreement not to contest against each other. Last month, they fielded candidates against each other in Kaoma and Chadiza ward by-elections.

But Mr Sata said there is nothing wrong for the two alliance parties competing against each other during elections.

Mr Sata said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that competition is healthy in any democratic society.
He said members of the two parties must be allowed to compete against each other to allow the selection of the best candidate.

“Competition is very healthy and besides that, the two parties competed against each other on the deputy mayoral position but all in all, it’s good to allow people to choose the best candidate,” Mr Sata said.
He said, however, that PF members also supported Mr Hampende as he could not have emerged victorious without PF’s support.

But Mr Kakoma said his party is surprised that the PF decided to contest the deputy mayoral position.
Mr Kakoma said the two partiers had an understanding that the PF would contest the mayoral post while the deputy mayoral position would be left to the UPND.

He said the party has not received communication why the consensus between the two parties was defied.

“If Mr Sata is saying competition is good then we didn’t know about this rationale because there was an understanding that our party should contest the deputy position while the PF would contest the mayoral post,” he said.

And MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said the continued confusion in the pact is an indication that the leadership is disorganised.

Ms Siliya said Zambians should not trust the pact’s leadership because it has no agenda for the nation.
She said the MMD is the only organised party which Zambians should trust.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

A LUSAKA man convicted of aggravated robbery and murder yesterday confessed to killing former president Kenneth Kaunda’s son, Wezi.

Moses Mulenga told the Supreme Court sitting in Ndola that he robbed and murdered Major Kaunda and that he was not hired to do so but did it out of banditry.

This is when Mulenga, 41, appeared before the Supreme Court bench sitting in Ndola yesterday comprising Chief Justice Ernest Sakala and Supreme Court justices Lombe Chibesakunda and Marvin Mwanamwambwa for appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Mulenga appeared with Amon Banda, 43, for appeal against their conviction of robbing Major Kaunda and murdering him.

Facts of the case in the charge of aggravated robbery are that Mulenga and Banda on November 3, 1999, in Lusaka while jointly acting together and armed with an AK47 assault rifle, robbed Major Kaunda of a Toyota GX Land Cruiser, registration number AAL 5948, valued at K80 million, and during the act used violence to retain the said property.

Mulenga and Banda were also charged with murder and facts were that the two, on November 4, 1999 in Lusaka, murdered Major Kaunda.

They were sentenced to death when the Lusaka High Court found them guilty on July 25, 2003, but they appealed against both the conviction and the sentence. When the matter came up yesterday, senior Legal Aid counsel Kelvin Muzenga said he was appearing for the second appellant, Banda and that Mulenga would represent himself as he had something to inform the bench.

Mulenga then told the court that he deeply regretted the matter over which he was in court and to clear his conscience, he was abandoning the appeal.

“My conscience cannot allow me to go ahead with this appeal because everything that the judge in the lower court found I had done, I did,” he said.

Mulenga said he took part in the stealing of the vehicle and the shooting of Major Kaunda, adding that he did it out of banditry and that no one sent him or hired him to do so.

Mr Justice Sakala asked Mulenga if he had consulted widely before he decided to drop the appeal and Mulenga said he had and that he did it because of his troubled conscience.

As for Banda, Mr Muzenga said the trial judge misdirected himself when he convicted his client based on uncorroborated evidence.

He said the trial judge relied on the evidence given by three witnesses, who were the taxi driver that drove the two to Major Kaunda’s house, Major Kaunda’s wife and a third witness.

Mr Muzenga said Mrs Kaunda was traumatised at the time she was identifying Mulenga and Banda and therefore gave weak evidence while the other two witnesses were accomplice witnesses who had interests to serve.

The State counsel, Ms Phiri urged the court to uphold the conviction for Banda because while the other two were suspect witnesses, it was an odd coincidence that the two could identify the same people as Mrs Kaunda who had no interest to serve.

The judgment on the appeal was reserved to a date to be announced later.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya says Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s challenge to call for an early election is baseless because only President Banda is mandated by law to announce the date for elections.

Ms Siliya said in Lusaka yesterday during a press briefing that Mr Sata’s call for elections is retrogressive.

She said President Banda has a bigger mandate to develop this country than listening to Mr Sata.
“Only President Banda has the privilege to announce the date for the 2011 elections because the law allows him to do so,” Ms Siliya said.

Mr Sata was quoted yesterday calling for early elections.
Ms Siliya said, however, that the MMD is not scared because it has more experience in winning elections than the PF.

And PF Matero Constituency member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe has said it is impossible for the PF to win early elections because the party, in alliance with the United Party for National Development (UPND), has not revealed to Zambians its preferred candidate in the 2011 elections.

Mrs Sinyangwe said Mr Sata is being misguided to think that he can win elections when the PF is on the verge of collapse.

She said Mr Sata’s utterances on early elections clearly show that he is allegedly power-hungry.
“As far as Zambians know, the PF-UPND pact has not chosen a leader despite Mr Sata being ready to win the elections,” Ms Sinyangwe said.

She said Mr Sata’s statement clearly shows that he will not participate in the 2011 elections as a pact representative but as a PF president.
Ms Sinyangwe said the PF is bound to lose more votes than it did in previous elections if an early election is called.

“The PF leadership should put its house in order because there is too much confusion in the party,” she said.

United Liberal Party president Sakwiba Sikota said the opposition political parties have no authority to call for early elections even if they declared themselves ready.
Mr Sikota said only the republican President is backed by the law to call for elections when his five-year term elapses.

Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi said the opposition can only be sure about the date of elections when the draft constitution is enacted because there is a proposed date that specifies when elections are supposed to be held.

Mr Milupi said at the moment, the date of elections can only be known by the President.
And Ms Siliya has said the MMD has officially written to its expelled members of Parliament, George Mpombo for Kafulafuta and his Chilanga counterpart, Ng’andu Magande.

She said the duo was expelled because they brought the name of the party and that of President Banda into disrepute, contrary to the MMD constitution.

“In the letters to Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande, we have indicated that they have been expelled because they failed to abide by the MMD constitution,” Ms Siliya said.
She said the charges against Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande are similar.

“The two failed to uphold the rules of the party and national executive committee (NEC) members felt enough warnings had been given to the duo and the logical thing to do was to part company with them,” Ms Siliya said.

She said Mr Magande did not even bother to exculpate himself when summoned by NEC and Mr Mpombo could not give compelling reasons.
“As far as MMD is concerned, the duo are not our members and anything they say, we will consider it as vuvuzela,” Ms Siliya said.

She said any member of the MMD who brings the name of the President and that of the party in disrepute is not a desirable member of the ruling party.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]

Mr Mpombo said it is too early for him to disclose his next course of action following his expulsion from the ruling party when he has not yet received the letter.

He said he has no idea on the contents of the expulsion letter and that for him state whether he would challenge his expulsion in court would be pre-mature.

On the invitation by the Patriotic Front to join its ranks following is expulsion, Mr Mpombo laughed before saying he would confirm today.

The MMD National Executive Committee on Saturday expelled Mr Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande from the ruling party during a meeting held at State House.

and The Patriotic Front (PF) said the Movement for Multi-party Democracy, MMD, is in a state of confusion.

Commenting on the decision by the party to expel Kafulafuta and Chilanga MMD Members of Parliament from party, PF Vice President, Guy Scott, said it is a sign that the ruling party is embroiled in confusion.

Dr Scott said the ruling party has bitten its own legs and arms by expelling the two parliamentarians whom he says did not deserve expulsion.

Dr Scott noted that the ruling party has de-campaigned itself both in Chgilanga and Kafulufuta constituencies, adding that the PF will scoop the two seats.

He said the expulsions of Mr Magande and Mr Mpombo has been stage managed by the ruling party to bar the duo from challenging President Rupiah Banda for the party presidency at the convention.

Dr Scott was speaking with QFM in an interview in Lusaka.
[ QFM ]

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya says the MMD will hold its national convention before the 2011 elections contrary to reports in some sections of the media that MMD has no money for the convention.

Ms Siliya said the MMD could not have embarked on elections at the lower organs of the party if it knew that it would not hold the convention.

She said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda has never announced that the party has no money to hold a convention.

“MMD has only one party spokesperson and those reports that are aimed at bringing the name of President Banda into disrepute as having said the party has no sufficient resources to hold a convention are false,” Ms Siliya said.

She said soon the party will start holding provincial conferences in readiness for the convention.
And Ms Siliya said the expelled MPs are no longer a factor in the ruling party.

She said it is up to the public to judge the two MPs because MMD has parted company with them.

“Whatever Mr George Mpombo is saying about our party does not hold any water because we have shown him the exist door,” she said.

On Sunday, the MMD expelled Mr Mpombo who is Kafulafuta MP and Chilanga MP Ng’andu Magande from the ruling party.

And MMD national executive committee (NEC) chairman for Defence and Security Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha says the current executive of the ruling party will be in office until a new executive is ushered into office.

Gen Shikapwasha told journalists yesterday in Lusaka that it is wrong for anyone to insinuate that the mandate for the current executive has expired because the convention to elect leaders has not yet been done.

“MMD is a party which may have a NEC running until the next convention. That is only when another NEC is put in place,” he said.

Gen Shikapwaha, who is also Minister on Information and Broadcasting Services, said anyone challenging the legitimacy of MMD NEC is wrong.

He said Mr Mpombo has been insulting the President for a long time without remorse.

“Many people have advised Mr Mpombo several times and I am one of the people who have counselled him but to no avail. He wanted to do it his own way,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

[Times of Zambia]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba’s wife Chama is admitted to MKP Hospital in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area after she was allegedly battered by her spouse in a marital dispute.

Police have since opened a docket against Mr Mwamba. When contacted, Mr Mwamba said he could not comment because he was busy in a business engagement.

According to a medical report signed by a Doctor Lubaki dated September 5, 2010, Mrs Mwamba sustained a cut on her face, bruises on the left and right shoulders, and on the left eye.

The medical report states that she sustained soft tissue injury and her cousin, Charles Mwansa said the family would not allow Mr Mwamba, who is also PF chairperson for elections to visit his wife at the hospital.

“Deep cut on her forehead and general body pains. Fists are alleged to have been used in the act. Beaten and assaulted by a known person,” states the report on the Zambia Police form number 32, which bears the stamp for Woodlands Police Station.

Police officers from the criminal investigations office at Woodlands Police Station recorded a statement from Mrs Mwamba from about 14:00 hours to 17:15 hours yesterday and she struggled to speak because of pain.

Mr Mwansa, who accompanied the police to the hospital, said the family had decided that Mr Mwamba should face the law.

During the fight, Mrs Mwamba was in the company of Reverend Edith Mutale.

Mr Mwansa narrated that when Mr Mwamba started beating his wife, his grandmother Lister Mwansa attempted to separate them but she was overpowered.

After the fight, he took her to the car and drove to Ibex Hill Hospital where she was allegedly beaten again before medical doctors and nursing staff separated them.

They arrived at Ibex Hospital around 14:30 hours where Mrs Mwamba’s family resolved to seek a medical report at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

“But because of the cut on the forehead, she was bleeding profusely and the doctors stitched her face and then she was taken to UTH. It was at that point that we decided to take the matter to the police,” Mr Mwansa said.

He said Mr Mwamba would only see his wife after the court case was over.
Mr Mwamba and his spouse have five children together and have been married for about 30 years.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD Spokesperson Dora Siliya said expelled Chilanga Member of Parliament Ng’andu Magande and his Kafulafuta counterpart George Mpombo were given a chance to exculpate themselves before they were expelled from ruling party.

Ms Siliya who is also Education Minister said Mr Magande did not bother to respond while Mr Mfpombo’s defence was unsatisfactory.

She said this at a press briefing in Lusaka, today.

Ms Siliya explained that Mr Magande and Mr Mpombo were expelled in order to instil discipline among MMD party members.

And Ms Siliya said only President Rupiah Banda has the authority to announce the date for the tripartitie elections.

Ms Siliya was reacting to calls for early elections by Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata.

She said Mr Sata should realise that the MMD has a lot of experience in winning elections.

Mr Sata has been quoted in Monday’s edition of the Post Newspaper as calling for early elections.

ZNBC