PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF) President Michael Sata has claimed that he is ready to serve as vice-president of PF-UPND pact if UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is chosen as president of the pact.

But spokesperson for PF rebel MPs Peter Machungwa said it would be a mark of naivety for anyone to believe that Mr Sata would accept to be vice-president.

Mr Sata said in Lusaka yesterday on HOT fm Radio’s hot seat programme that he has no problem being vice-president of the pact because positions are not his preoccupation.

“Why not be vice-president…positions are not my priority, we are concerned about the welfare of the people,” he said.

And Mr Sata has accused rebel MPs from PF and UPND of being scared of the pact forming Government in the 2011 elections.

He said some MPs are worried of the PF-UPND pact forming Government hence soliciting to be pro MMD and speaking ill of the pact.

[pullquote]“Why not be vice-president…positions are not my priority, we are concerned about the welfare of the people,” he said.[/pullquote]

“Some MPs are very worried on where they will be when the pact forms Government hence soliciting to stand on the MMD ticket through speaking bad about the pact, they know that 2011 is very near,” he said.

Mr Sata cited PF rebel MPs from Luapula Province as some of those who are pro MMD.
But Dr Machungwa said it would be a mark of naivety for anyone to believe that Mr Sata would accept to be vice-president.

Dr Machungwa said the statement is a political gimmick and that Mr Sata will spring a surprise on Mr Hichilema who he, for now, wants to dupe into believing that he can be made president.

He said instead of making assumptions, Mr Sata must categorically state who is going to be president of the Pact.

Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata is hallucinating by insinuating that the rebel MPs are scared of the possibility of the pact forming government next year.

He said it is infact Mr Sata who is has his figurative tail between his legs because he knows that he will never rule Zambia.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Barry Chibale 36, who allegedly beat up his wife Rutendo Bobo and chopped off part of her nose and upper lip during the fight on Sunday appealed in court for plea yesterday.

Chibale appeared before principal resident magistrate Justin Banda and pleaded not guilty to two counts of unlawful wounding contrary to section 232 (a) of the penal code chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia

Bobo and her friend Harriet Mutale were allegedly assaulted by Chibale on July 18 this year in Kabwe after picking a quarrel with his wife.

Chibale’s wife who is still admitted at Kabwe Mine hospital told ZANIS from her hospital bed that Chibale used a broken beer bottle to cause wounds on her and her friend.

Part of her nose and upper lip were sliced off during the fight that occurred at one of the bars in Kabwe.

The couple had just divorced and had differences over the sharing of household property.

The court granted Chibale bail in the sum of K5 Million with two working sureties.

Magistrate Banda said Chibale would remain in custody until the bail requirements were met.

Trial has been set for August 4, this year.

ZANIS

National AIDS Council (NAC) Board Chairperson Joshua Banda says Zambia has made remarkable progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.

Bishop Banda said the country has so far achieved 100 percent HIV blood screening and has also managed to put about 70 percent of the people who require treatment on Anti Retro Viral (ARVS) drugs.

Bishop Banda said this in Kasama today when he addressed the 7th AMICAALL- Zambia General Assemble being held alongside the 47th Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) Annual General conference under the theme “Local Government – A responsive approach to accelerating MDGs attainment through decentralization”.

Progress has also been made in the reduction of the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child from 30 percent to 10 percent while the number of people willing to know their HIV status has increased from 16 percent to 43 percent.

The NAC chairperson also revealed that the country has registered a TB cure rate of 80 percent and a reduction in the default rate.

Bishop Banda has since appealed to civic leaders to be part of the intensified efforts towards meeting the set targets by 2015 by using their comparative advantage to harness resources for the attainment of other MDGs.

He said local government has a critical role in the attainment of MDG targets as it plays a catalytical role in linking central government to communities dealing with health, political and social economic challenges caused by HIV/AIDs.

Bishop Banda said NAC has resolved to intensify HIV/AIDS interventions at local level for the next framework circle 2011-2015 which was in tandem with the MDG target date.

He pointed out that the decentralization of HIV services will lead to their integration and mainstreaming in Local Government programmes

Bishop Banda added that decentralization will help communities be part of the problem identification and solving process as opposed to importation of solution which tend to alienate the people.

He noted that collaboration with influential community actors such as traditional and faith based leaders will lead to enhancement and synergies of programmes and achievement of long term sustainable development results.

Meanwhile, Bishop Banda says there were no plans to make HIV testing compulsory besides the routine testing being done when women go for antenatal clinic.

Responding to a question by one of the delegates who wanted to know whether NAC had plans to make HIV testing compulsory, Bishop Banda said NAC was of the view that voluntary counseling was more empowering.

He said individuals should be concerned with saving their lives by willingly knowing their HIV status.

Bishop Banda also said NAC has prioritised the maximization of male circumcision as there was documentary proof that it is quite effective in the fight

ZANIS

PRESIDENT Banda says the PF-UPND pact should remain intact so that the MMD defeats it in its united form. President Banda said this in response to journalists who asked for his comment in Lusaka yesterday.

“I told you before, if the pact were in MMD I will answer you but the pact are outside the MMD; it’s up to them to sort out the problem,” he said.

Mr Banda said the MMD has been winning despite the pact being together.

“They have always been fighting us. So for me, as president of MMD, I am working on the belief that they will continue together. I don’t want to presume that they will crack; that is up to them. If they do crack, okay. But we always campaign assuming that they are together,” he said.

President Banda said the MMD stands a good chance of scooping both Luena and Chifubu parliamentary by-elections.

“Of course we have to work hard; you know how elections are like. Until you win, you haven’t won,” he said.

“I am going to Luena first. It will be very tight the next 10 days but I am going to both Luena and Chifubu,” Mr Banda said.

He urged all political parties to condemn election violence.

He said there are just a few people who want to use violence as a means to win elections.

“I think the majority of Zambian people want peace. Our democracy is so important, it is more important than any individual political party or any leader. So I believe that the Zambian people will rally behind peace.

“Reading what you have been reporting in the papers, it looks like the majority of stakeholders in this country have condemned violence. The churches, newspapers, politicians, everyone has condemned violence. So those who think violence will take them anywhere are mistaken,” he said.

Mr Banda said what the Zambian people want is to have peaceful elections because it’s their chance to give a fresh mandate to their leaders.

“The message is that violence does not pay. When you have an election, that is the time and chance to make the changes that you wish,” he said.

And commenting on the concerns raised by the Catholic Church on the National Constitutional Conference, Mr Banda said as a leader, he will try to get everybody together and see if they can agree on something which is good for the country.

“I have just seen it this morning; you know this is a very important body of people. We have just read what they have said and understand it. But sometimes you (the press) may also misunderstand what they are trying to say,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) on the Copperbelt has accused its pact partners, the Patriotic Front (PF) of behaving like it was more superior than UPND.

Copperbelt UPND provincial chairperson has also said the PF has blown the emergency Kitwe meeting recently chaired by party’s vice-president Richard Kapita, out of proportion.

Mr Matambo said yesterday the UPND in the province was disappointed with the behaviour by the PF and urged their pact partners to respect the UPND as it was equally strong on the Copperbelt.

Mr Matambo was disappointed with Nkana Member of Parliament (MP) Mwenya Musenge for thinking the PF was more superior than the UPND on the Copperbelt and demanded that the PF should respect his party because they needed them in the pact.

Mr Matambo was reacting to Mr Musenge’s condemnation of the meeting held at Kitwe Little Theatre on Friday last week where it was alleged that the UPND had resolved to back President Rupiah Banda if its party president Hakainde Hichilema was not picked as the pact’s presidential candidate.

“The PF should realise the meeting was purely a UPND meeting. PF has been having its own meetings without UPND members attending and we have not been complaining. We now wonder why they should be jittery whenever we hold our meetings,” Mr Matambo said.

[pullquote]“The PF should realise the meeting was purely a UPND meeting. PF has been having its own meetings without UPND members attending and we have not been complaining. We now wonder why they should be jittery whenever we hold our meetings,” Mr Matambo said.[/pullquote]

He said people and Zambians in general, should know that the UPND and the PF were two different political parties with each one working hard to reorganise itself.

“Mr Musenge should not think it is only the PF which is strong on the Copperbelt. He should realise that the UPND is not a dead party on the Copperbelt, we are equally strong and we demand the respect from PF because we need each other in the pact,” he said.

He said it was, infact, Mr Musenge who was in the forefront of hindering the progress of the pact in the province as he never wanted to organise meetings aimed at promoting common ground for the two parties.

ADD president Charles Milupi said the pact was formed as a result of the realisation by Mr Hichilema that his party had lost popularity and could not win any election.

Mr Milupi said in Lusaka yesterday in an interview that the weaknesses in the pact were long predicted because it was formed without consideration for the sticky issue of policy harmonisation, non-selfish agenda and balancing power among the leaders to secure the long term strength.

Mr Milupi said PF president Michael Sata and Mr Hichilema formed the pact without considering how they would relate policies that would guide education, health and agriculture.

He said before the formation of the pact, the two parties contradicted each other on windfall tax, the National Constitutional Conference but went ahead without much debate on these matters.

The two opposition political parties have offered separate candidates in a ward by-election in Chadiza in contravention of the ideals of the pact that provide that they would not compete against each other in future elections.

[Times of Zambia]