The United Party for National Development UPND has declared that there is no way republican president Rupiah Banda will win next year’s presidential elections.

UPND Mapatizya Member of Parliament, Ackson Sejani says though former President Dr Fredrick Chiluba is campaigning hard for president Banda, his efforts will have no impact.

He adds that Dr Chiluba should not hide that he is not campaigning for president Banda.

Mr.Sejani however, says president Banda stands no chance of retaining power after next year’s tripartite elections because his government has failed to meet its obligations to the Zambian people.

Mr.Sejani further states that president Banda has associated himself with wrong people and that Zambians are not happy with his administration.

He also cites the failure by president Banda’s Administration to effectively sustain the fight against corruption, as one of the reasons which will cost him the presidency next year.

Mr.Sejani says president Banda should reconsider his decision to participate in the 2011 elections because the race is too tight for him and his party.

QFM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has apologised to opposition United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema for the remarks he made in Ndola in which he made reference to Mr Hichilema’s wife and consequently brought her name into politics.

The president said he regretted the statement he made and that it was not his intention to bring the name of Mrs Hichilema into politics by the comment he made at Ndola International Airport when he addressed his supporters.

Special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere said President Banda said the context in which he inadvertently used the term ‘Mwenye’ did not deliver the intended message.

In reference to Indian ladies, Mr Jere said what the president meant was that for cultural or religious reasons, some Asians do not expose their wives in public and that was understood.

Mr Jere said President Banda believed in equality of all races and therefore, regretted that his statement had given the impression that he was a racist or against the Indian community in Zambia.

“The president has, once again, unreservedly apologised to Mr Hichilema and the Asian community for the statement,” Mr Dickson Jere said.

However, the president had realised that he should not have made that statement, which has been misconstrued.

“Nonetheless, President Banda is sorry and has regretted his statement and has unreservedly apologised to Mr Hichilema and his family,” Mr Jere said.

Mr Jere said in that vein, President Banda has also apologised to the Asian community for his statement.

Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema said he would only comment when he sees the apology from the president.

He said he could not speak because he was addressing a public rally in Mwembeshi Constituency.

[Times of Zambia]

Dr. Chiluba has of late come under heavy criticism over his recent visits to the Copperbelt were he is said to be soliciting support for president Banda.

Speaking through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, Dr Chiluba said he is merely practicing his democratic right.

He said he has a fundamental right like any Zambian to participate in the country’s democratic dispensation and that his support for president Banda should not be mistaken as campaigning.

Mr Mwamba was speaking last evening on a heated live Q-FM programme, Monday Night.

He has described calls by the National Revolution Party (NRP) to have Dr Chiluba’s benefits frozen over his alleged involvement in active politics as misplaced.

Mr. Mwamba said NRP president Cosmo Mumba is misleading Zambians with his calls which are not backed by the truth.
[ QFM ]

And Mr. Sata has reiterated that President Rupiah Banda is allergic to the truth becauase whoever speaks the it becomes an enemy to him.
.

Mr. Sata said President Banda would always maintain Vice President, George Kunda, as his deputy because he is so submissive to him such that even wrong decisions do not exist to him.

He said the vice president is so submissive to the point that he even fails to correct the president when need arises.

Mr Sata noted that it is for this reason that his government has recorded failures since coming to power because of his hatred for the truth.

The PF leader says the president’s hatred for the Post newspaper has even diverted his attention from executing his duties as Head of State to attacking the newspaper which does nothing wrong but reporting the truth on the ground.

Mr. Sata has since encouraged the Post Newspapers to continue reporting the truth, even when he is voted into power in 2011.
[ QFM ]

THE Government is optimistic that the alliance formed by the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UNPD) will falter on the basis of the continued economic growth that has led to the landmark single-digit inflation at 7.8 per cent.

Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane said in Lusaka yesterday that a record economic achievement never reached in many decades would stifle criticism by PF leader Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema of UPND.

Meanwhile, Dr Musokotwane has challenged the opposition political party leaders that have continued criticising Chinese investment to take time and look at how much Chinese investment was coming into Zambia.

Dr Musokotwane said the Government would respond to the unrestrained criticism by the two leaders by growing the economy to levels that every Zambian would appreciate and that should create jobs, reduce bank interest rates and give value to the Kwacha, among other benefits to the people.

Thousands of Zambians were being employed in the mines, hotels and other manufacturing companies that were being opened as the economy continues to register growth. He said while the opposition leaders had continued to criticise Government’s economic policies, the international community was praising the Government for managing the economy well.

“There is lack of understanding about the economy.  That criticism by these opposition leaders does not make sense. Do they understand how many Zambian workers would have been on the streets if Lumwana and other mines were not open?” Dr Musokotwane asked.

He urged Zambians to judge the Government by the economic performance which was registering growth of around five per cent on average while the annualised rate of inflation had dropped to the single digit and the lowest in over three decades.

He said the issue of increasing tax bands on pay as you earn to relieve workers from the taxes on their salaries was still under discussion and was certain the best decision for the workers and the Government would be reached.

Government would not reintroduce subsidies in the importation of fuel because it wants to construct infrastructure to benefit the population.

Dr Musokotwane said the Government has the option of subsidising fuel and another one of saving the money to build hospitals, roads, schools and invest in agriculture. “The question is which option is the best, having no schools and clinics and take the money to fuel or having these important things constructed,” Dr Musokotwane said.

Massive construction of houses by individuals was part of the general growth benefits because it had now become much easier to purchase building materials.

On Chinese investments, Dr Musokotwane told journalists after touring NFCA Africa Mining Plc facilities in Chambishi that armchair criticism was not healthy for the development of Zambia.

There was need for the opposition political parties to appreciate the investment pouring into the country other than criticising everything.

[pullquote]“There is lack of understanding about the economy.  That criticism by these opposition leaders does not make sense. Do they understand how many Zambian workers would have been on the streets if Lumwana and other mines were not open?” Dr Musokotwane asked.[/pullquote]

Dr Musokotwane wondered how the opposition political leaders could fulfill their promises to the electorate because they intend to chase the investors who brought in wealth.
“Zambian people should be wary of such leaders making fake promises because nobody can fulfill every citizen’s aspiration at once without serious investment,” Dr Musokotwane said.

Dr Musokotwane asked what sort of investments would come to Zambia if some vocal opposition political party leaders were voted into power because they were planning to chase the investors.

Opposition political parties needed to look at the positive side of the mining sector because it had continued to create jobs for the Zambian people.

Business levels in the next five years would increase in the country because the mining sector was expected to stimulate other activities like value addition when Multi Facility Economic Zones are completed.

[Times of Zambia]

Luapula Member of Parliament (PF) Peter Machungwa and Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde Simukoko have condemned Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata’s alleged lie that Chadian President Idris Derby sneaked into the country to meet President Rupiah Banda.

Dr Machungwa has urged Zambians to be alert and avoid entertaining statements that have the potential to ruin Zambia’s relationship with other countries.

Commenting on the PF leader’s allegation that Chadian President Derby was last month in Zambia for a business meeting with President Banda, Dr Machungwa said the statement should be condemned because of its negative impact on the bilateral relationships of Zambia with other countries.

“Zambians must be alert to such misinformation and be careful with what type of leadership some people are exhibiting, it is unfortunate that they just want to be heard to be saying something to gain cheap political mileage,” Dr Machungwa said.
Mr Sata made a telephone call to a ‘Let the People Talk programme last month which featured United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema and announced that he had information that Mr Derby was in Mfuwe to discuss business deals with President Banda.

He said Mr Sata’s statement had the potential to damage investor confidence and, therefore, should not to be entertained.

Dr Machungwa said Zambia should be careful with information coming from some opposition political leaders because they were aimed at creating unnecessary animosity in the country.
And Mrs Simukoko said even if the Chadian president came to Zambia, he did not come to commit crime but strike business ties that would benefit the citizenry.

Mrs Simukoko said it was high time that the opposition political leaders became realistic and stopped frustrating Zambians.

She said the Zambian people were tired of half baked blanket statements aimed at misleading the nation.

“Why can’t these leaders hold press conferences to give details on things they claim to have more information about, they are just misleading the people for personal agendas,” Mrs Simukoko said.

[pullquote]“These leaders are just bringing confusion and hatred because of their gossip, people wants real issues and not cheap politics,” Mrs Simukoko said. [/pullquote]

Mrs Simukoko urged opposition political leaders to help the Zambians understand issues by giving factual and accurate information so the citizens are able to make informed decisions.

She said, for instance, on the sale of Zamtel, the opposition had talked against it but they had failed to provide adequate information on what they are claiming.

“These leaders are just bringing confusion and hatred because of their gossip, people wants real issues and not cheap politics,” Mrs Simukoko said.

She said people wanted to know how the opposition if voted into power would address the many problems the country was facing and not gossip and cheap politics.

[Times of Zambia]

President Rupiah Banda has described his meeting with donors last Thursday as a success.

President Banda said the meeting at State House discussed Zambia’s developmental programmes.

The President was answering questions from Journalists shortly after he arrived from Ndola, Sunday evening, where he hosted his Botswana Counterpart,Ian Khama who officiated at this year’s International Trade Fair.

He however said the meeting did not discuss issues concerning funding to the road sector.

During the meeting Cooperating Partners pledged to continue supporting government’s development programmes.

Cooperating Partners Group Troika made the pledge when they met with President Rupiah Banda at State House.

The President discussed with Troika, issues pertaining to Zambia’s political and economic development.

President Banda also informed the Cooperating Partners that ZAMBIA had performed well in recent years in terms of economic development.

The President also bemoaned the culture of violence that has rocked the by-elections in the recent past.

Both the Cooperating Partners and President Banda strongly condemned political violence and called for peaceful campaigns.

Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande and Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha attended the closed door meeting.

ZNBC

The University of Zambia UNZA radio has dismissed assertions that it has become a play ground for politicians. Education Minister Dora Siliya disclosed to QFM that UNZA Radio station at the country’s highest institution of learning is being abused by politicians.

She said that the station has become a playing ground for politicians as opposed to its intended purpose of being a training ground for students at the University of Zambia. She said government will soon move in to intervene in the situation which she described as getting out of hand.

But UNZA radio station manager Macpherson Mutale has advised the Minister not to make the whole matter political. Mr. Mutale wondered why the Minister is insinuating such allegations when she had always turned down invitations to feature on the radio stations.

He said that as much as the radio station is a learning station, it strived to serve the surrounding the community. Mr. Mutale said that the radio station has never in anyway been influenced by the politicians in the country.

QFM