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UPND Cadres
The United Party for National Development (UPND) Luena Constituency parliamentary by-election candidate Muyunda Ililonga has urged people to vote for him and his party in the forth-coming election.
Mr Ililonga said in Luena yesterday that he stood the biggest chance of winning the August 5 by-election because people were determined to end poverty in the area.
He said the UPND was the only party giving hope to people at the moment because of the progressive ideas the party had.
Currently, the campaigns were going on well and peaceful and people had assured him of their vote.
Mr Ililonga said he was popular in Luena and had a lot of investments that made him close to the people than anyone else.
“UPND is the party of the moment, I am confident that we shall carry the day come polling day,” he said.
Mr Ililonga said although four other candidates were vying for the seat, he only considered a strong challenge from the MMD candidate Mwangala Maopu and former Luena MP Charles Milupi from the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD).
[ Times of Zambia ]
Kafulafuta Member of parliament George Mpombo
Kafulafuta Member of Parliament (MP) George Mpombo has come under fire for criticising the Government’s move to buy mobile hospitals which he supported when he was a Cabinet minister last year.
Global Commodity Market Institute country director, Mwango Chisha said it was immoral for Mr Mpombo to criticise the project when he supported the decision just about a year ago.
Mr Chisha asked Mr Mpombo to tell the nation what had gone wrong with the procurement of the mobile hospitals within a short space of time.
Mr Mpombo, who was the minister of Defence, in May last year took a swipe at United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Hakainde Hichilema for criticising President Rupiah Banda over the mobile hospital programme.
He said neither President Banda nor anyone else in Government wanted a commission from the US$53 million mobile hospital deal as was being claimed by Mr Hichilema.
[pullquote]“Whatever Government does, there is always that element of national interest, so it should not be misunderstood at all.”[/pullquote]
The Post newspaper of May 11, 2009 quoted Mr Mpombo as saying: “I can assure you that no one is trying to make a killing out of this project.
“Whatever Government does, there is always that element of national interest, so it should not be misunderstood at all.”
Mr Mpombo also said the project was workable in other countries.
[ Times of Zambia ]
The Ministry of Health has dismissed allegations that there is a shortage of Condoms in North Western Province saying there were plenty of them.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson Dr. Kamoto Mbewe disclosed that there were currently 15, 000 condoms at the District Health Management Office in Solwezi.
Dr. Mbewe told ZANIS in Lusaka today that sometimes the retailers felt lazy to go the District Health Management Office to make an order for the product hence reports that there was a shortage.
Dr. Mbewe said sometimes retailers run out of condoms but that they were always in stock at DHMO.
He explained that if there was a shortage of condoms in North Western Province the problem would have been countrywide.
He advised retailers to be going to DHMO every time they run out of condoms instead of giving a wrong impression to the people.
Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) Patron Sikota Wina is quoted as having said that there was a shortage of condoms in North Western Province.
Visiting Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Rhumba musician Felix Wazekwa has observed that the Zambian music industry has the potential to grow and penetrate the international market.
Wazekwa said this was because a lot of Zambian musicians are highly talented and creative in the way they write their music.Speaking at a press briefing through an interpreter at Lusaka’s Pamodzi Hotel today, Wazekwa said the only thing that the Zambian musicians lack was exposure to other countries.
The 48- year- old musician added that exposure was very important for Zambian musicians, if they were to compete favorably on the international scene.Wazekwa said proper exposure was what made DRC musicians to be known and compete on the international with other musicians from different countries.
Wazekwa is in the country for five days to perform various shows across Lusaka.
Chief Justice Ernest Sakala has prodded the newly appointed commissioners of the Salaries Review Commission to harmonise discrepancies in salaries, benefits and conditions of service for Civil Servants in the country.
Justice Sakala said the commissioners must ensure that Civil Service workers who were the country’s backbone were appreciated by awarding them with better salaries and condition of services.Justice Sakala said this at the Supreme Court today when he swore in 15 commissioners to be sitting on the Salaries Review Commission.
He said there had been great amount of discrepancies in salaries and other conditions within the Public Service especially that while some were getting low salaries others in the same service others were getting much better salaries.He said this had raised questions among staff in the civil service.
“There has been great amount of discrepancies in salaries, conditions and benefits within the public service. At times when asked by our staff, why their salaries are so low while others in the same public where getting much better salaries we fail to answer other than agree with them. It is not uncommon that certain civil servants are receiving salaries in US dollars while others with same qualifications are receiving salaries in Kwacha” he said
He said awarding civil servants with good salaries and conditions of services would help fight corruption as they would be deterred from temptations of graft and misappropriation of public funds.Justice Sakala said the civil servants would be very expectant of what the Commission would ultimately recommend to them.
Among the notable persons on the Commission are; Copperbelt University (CBU) Chancellor Professor Muyunda Mwanalushi, Former Chief Justice Matthew Ngulube, Public Service Management Division (PSMD)’s George Kawatu, and Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Secretary General Roy Mwaba.
Others are Danny Longwe, Nana Mudenda, Edgar Imasiku, Danny Musenge, Yuyi Libakeni, Japheth Msimuko, Mabvuto Sakala, Meamui Kongwa, Redson Lusale, Lloyd Sichilongo, and Professor Mutale Chanda from the University of Zambia (UNZA).
The last salary review commission was done in 1993.
President Rupiah Banda answering questions from Kanyanya Basic School Reporting Team known as 'Young Journalists' who are participating in a training project being funded by British Broadcasting Corperation in Mongu. This was before the President left for Lusaka after a series of campaign meetings for MMD Luena parliamentary candidate Mwangala Maopu
President Rupiah Banda says Government is focused on alleviating poverty and bringing prosperity for the benefit of all Zambians.The President said this when he addressed a large gathering during a rally held at Ushaa Basic School to drum up support for the MMD’s candidate in the Luena parliamentary by elections, Mwangala Maopu scheduled for 5th August, 2010.
President Banda told the people of Ushaa that by voting for Mr. Maopu, the people of the area and Luena as a whole would reap a lot of benefits as they would have a representative working with the majority members of Parliament who have influence in allocating natural resources.The President urged the people of Ushaa not to give Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) candidate Charles Milupi a second chance as Member of Parliament because he failed to implement any major developmental projects for the benefit of the citizens in Luena.
Mr. Maopu is a former teacher who is said to have worked so well with the local people.Other contestants running for the Luena seat have been floated by the United Liberal Party, United National Independence Party (UNIP), United Party for National Development (UPND) and ADD.
Zambia’s inflation rate has increased from 7.4 percent in June to 8.4 percent in July, the central statistics office has announced.
The increase of the country’s inflation rate has been attributed to the increases in food and non food prices.
Justin Katumbi, acting CSO Director says that between June 2010 and July 2010, the annual; inflation rates increased for food, beverages and tobacco, clothing and footwear, household, fuel and lighting, furniture and household goods, TRANSPORT and COMMUNICATION, and other goods and services.
Mr. Kalumbi has further revealed that the annual inflation rates reduced for medical care, recreation and education.
He says of the total 8.4 percent annual inflation in July 2010, food products in the consumer price index, accounted for 2.0 percentage points, while non- food products accounted for 6.4 percentage points.
He adds that a comparison of retail prices between June 2010 and July 2010 shows that the national average price of 25 kg bag of white roller meal reduced by 5.9 percent, from 40, 161 kwacha to 37, 809 kwacha.
Mr. Kalumbi says that the average price of a 20 liter tin of maize grain also reduced by 5.1 percent, from 19, 570 to 18, 567 Kwacha.
It has also been revealed that the national price of 1kg tomatoes increased by 3.3 percent, from 3, 493 to 3,607 Kwacha.
He also says that the national average price of 1kg dried kapenta increased by 6.0 percent, from 50,710 Kwacha to 53, 748 Kwacha.
Some workers at Kasama Municipal Council in Northern Province have complained of non-payment of their salaries for the past four months now.
The workers at the Council have threatened to go on strike if management does not pay them their salaries arrears by this month-end.
Some council employees, who preferred to be anonymous, told ZANIS in Kasama yesterday that they have not received their salaries since March, this year.
The workers have since accused Council management of being insensitive to their plight.
They charged that management had deliberately chosen to render a deaf ear to the suffering of workers and their families.
The workers revealed that Council was collecting millions of Kwacha from revenue sources but wondered how the funds were being utilised.
They explained that despite management making promises to pay workers their monies nothing tangible had so far happened.
The workers have since appealed to Government authorities to intervene in the problems that have rocked Kasama Municipal Council.
Efforts to get a comment from Acting Council Town Clerk Victor Kakoma proved futile.
But Kasama Mayor Fidelis Chishoma yesterday also complained that Councillors had not been paid their sitting allowances for meetings that they have had in the last four (4) months.
Mr. Chishoma said the Councillors were entitled to sitting allowances each time they met for council meetings but regretted the non-payment of their dues.
He, however, claimed that Kasama Municipal Council currently did not have adequate funds to pay its workers and Councillors their monies and urged the affected individuals to be patient with the local authority.
The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has called on political players in the Chifubu, and Luena parliamentary by-elections to promote violence free campaigns.
ZCID Spokesperson, Njekwa Anamela said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Zambia Police, and other security agencies together with other political players should ensure that they all do their part in calling for clean campaigns.
Mr Anamela told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that all stakeholders must ensure that they promote peace in the run up to the two by-elections adding that political parties should also abide by the electoral code of conduct.
“We urge the stakeholders in the electoral processes, political parties, ECZ, police and all security agencies to ensure that they promote violence free campaigns. We also call on our members, the political parties to go about their campaigns in peaceful manner and follow the electoral code of conduct” he said.
He has meanwhile described as peaceful the on-going campaigns in Chifubu and Luena.
[pullquote]“We urge the stakeholders in the electoral processes, political parties, ECZ, police and all security agencies to ensure that they promote violence free campaigns. We also call on our members, the political parties to go about their campaigns in peaceful manner and follow the electoral code of conduct” he said.[/pullquote]
He stressed that political parties should stick to their promise to condemn violence during campaigns which they pledged during the meeting with ECZ prior to the announcement of the by-elections date.
Mr. Anamela has meanwhile described as robust the current political situation in the country.
He said political parties have gone into full force in their campaigns and consolidating their parties ahead of the 2011 general elections.
He also challenged political parties to sensitise their supporters on the need to register as voters in the on-going voter registering exercise.
Mr Anamela said parties should encourage all their supporters and the public especially first time voters to register for next year’s elections.
Billy Mwanza has been recalled to the Zambia national team by new coach Dario Bonetti for the Italians first game in charge against Uganda away on August 11.
The Zesco United defender has not played for the national team since late 2008 under former coach Herve Renard.
Mwanza will be amongst 20 home-based players who will report to camp in Lusaka on Sunday.
There is also a recall for his clubmate Enock Sakala while club-less midfielder Rainford Kalaba has also been drafted into the team.
12 foreign-based players who include captain Chris Katongo who recently moved to Greece side Xanthi and striker Jacob Mulenga of FC Utrecht in Holland are in the team.
Zambia will be using the match as a build-up for their 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifier against Comoros on September 4.
Struggling Afrisports have disclosed that they can beat demotion from Division 2 north.
Afrisports have won just two games this season in with nine draws from 15 matches and fourth from bottom in Division 2 after their demotion from Division 1 north at the end of last season.
“We have a bad start in our first half of the season and have won just two games,” Afrisports chief executive Gabriel Kaunda said.
“We came here to division two thinking we could do with our youth development but we got a rude shock with some of the experienced players some of the teams have.
Kaunda however said he was still confident Afripsorts will beat the drop to amateur Division 3.
“We still have 15 games to play and I am confident we can survive,” Kaunda said.
Should Afrisports drop further down the league ladder, it will mark a dark moment for one of Zambia’s most successful developmental teams that produced has established Zambia internationals Jacob Mulenga, Rainford Kalaba and Stophira Sunzu.
Example of a Mobile Hospital recently donated to Zambia
By Henry Kyambalesa
The recent castigation of critics of mobile hospitals by President Rupiah Banda that the issue is none of their business should be openly condemned by all citizens who care about the future of our beloved country.I surely thought President Banda’s decision to purchase mobile hospitals from the China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation was shelved after it generated so much controversy in the country! It has now become clear that President Banda is not only stubborn and arrogant; he also lacks good judgment. For how can a leader who has good judgment completely ignore the voices of so many citizens who are against the purchase of the US$53 million mobile hospitals through a loan from EX-IM Bank of China?[pullquote]“In a sense, we’re talking about … sending smart white boys in to tell them how to run their countries.”[/pullquote]
It is irresponsible, wasteful and unwise for President Banda to buy mobile hospitals which are likely to last only a few years, given the poor state of roads in rural areas. Also, there are a lot of rural communities today where there are no motorable roads. Moreover, it is hard to imagine how the mobile clinics will be used – would they be driven around in rural communities on a regular basis in the hope of finding a sick person?
Further, it will be very difficult to control the potential abuse of the mobile facilities and their contents. Besides, the recurrent costs of maintaining the mobile hospitals will be prohibitive after spending the following amounts (extracted from The Post Online article of April 27, 2009 entitled “Donors Question Government’s $53 Million Deal”) which are required to seal the two-year contract:
US$
36,260,356 Cost of the 9 Mobile Clinics
3,300,000 Spare Parts for 2 Years
6,000,000 Medicines and Medical Appliances
5,144,650 Chinese Engineers and Medical Staff
—————————-
50,705,006 (+ tax)
—————————-
As any genuine development economist would advise, loans, if there is really a pressing need to obtain them, should ideally be used to support the production and/or exportation of trade-able goods. However, the US$53 million loan would still have made sense if it was secured to cater for the following:
(a) Provision of free healthcare for all Zambians;
(b) Construction of more permanent healthcare facilities nationwide;
(c) Provision of adequate medicines, medical equipment and ambulances;
(d) Financing of research designed to find cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases; and
(e) Hiring, retention and training of health personnel.
The mobile hospitals are, at best, a luxury Zambia cannot afford. No doubt, the procurement of such temporary facilities is going to be the most conspicuous case of misapplication of resources by a Republican president thus far. It is a clear case of misplaced priorities! Sooner or later, the President and/or members of his inner circle will be crossing national borders for medical treatment or check-ups after wasting the US$53 million!
And they want to rule Zambia beyond 2011 up to 2030 whether we like it or not—arrogant, stubborn, belligerent, and condescending as they are! That will surely be a testimony to the statement attributed to Dr. Frederick Chiluba by the late Dean Mung’omba that Zambians are docile!
The gross mismanagement of resources, among other forms of incompetence by the MMD government, reminds me of the following words of an anonymous official in an unnamed donor country quoted by L. Timberlake in his 1986 book: “In a sense, we’re talking about … sending smart white boys in to tell them how to run their countries.”
President Banda wants to continue to mortgage our country and the future of our children and grandchildren through such loans. He does not seem to see anything wrong with our country’s over-dependence on loans and donor funding to provide for public services and facilities.
He needs to trim the highly bloated government going through public expenditures line by line, program by program, agency by agency, department by department, and ministry by ministry in order to eliminate unnecessary application of public funds. There is a need for the government to perform existing and planned government functions with a smaller number of Cabinet Ministers, and to abolish the positions of Deputy Minister and District Commissioner.
Also, there is a need for him to reduce the number of Zambia’s foreign missions by having clusters of countries to be served by single embassies, and to initiate restrictions on leaders’ trips to foreign countries and the sizes of delegations on such trips.
The US$53 million deal has all the characteristics of an attempt by President Banda to use the mobile clinics as a campaign tool for the 2011 general elections, designed to woo voters in rural areas. He could win the Republican presidency, but he won’t be there to make a contribution to the re-payment of the loan!
And how does one explain the prominence of single-source procurement by the President during the short period he has been in office, if it is not to reap personal or political benefits from the deals involved? What is the use of having a procurement authority and technocrats in government ministries whose function is merely the acquisition of machinery, equipment and services that are prescribed by ministers or State House?
There is a need for Chinese government officials to guard against encouraging President Banda to borrow lavishly from their country’s state companies to finance projects which are conceived without consultation with Parliament and the Zambia Public Procurement Authority. He clearly wants to secure the US$53 million loan to buy mobile hospitals mainly to win the rural vote in the 2011 elections, and they will do well not to participate in this furtive scheme if they are interested in cementing the existing cordial relations between their country and the people of Zambia.
Former Luena Member of Parliament Charles Milupi after launching his new political party in Lusaka.
The Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) interim president, Charles Milupi has described republican President, Rupiah Banda’s call for the electorate in Luena not to vote for him as a distortion to democracy.
Mr. Milupi who recently relinquished the parliamentary seat to take up ADD presidency, said that his conduct is within the obligations of the constitution.
he said the decision he made was in the best interest of the people and his performance in that area still holds enough reputation for him to retain the seat.
Mr Milupi said that ADD is an effective opposition political party that could be able to give a new turn to national politics by according credibility to the democracy that this country has been built on.
He pointed out that his party is by far the most popular party in the LUENA at the moment and MMD is too unpopular to compete for the parliamentary seat.
The ADD president said he is building the ADD on issues and not character assassination as it has been the case with other political parties.
Mr. Milupi, however, said that he does not expect the republican president to take pride in insulting competitors.
[ QFM ]
A Lusaka magistrates’ court handling the case involving nine Ministry of Health employees, yesterday advised defence lawyer Keith Mukata not to argue with the court but wait for its guidance.
Magistrate Kenneth Mulife advised Mr Mukata, who is one of the defence lawyers in the matter after he alleged that Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Dennis Simwinga was not serious with his re-examining of former permanent secretary Simon Miti.
This is in a case in which Ministry of Health human resources officer Henry Kapoko and eight others are facing a charge of obtaining money by false pretences amounting to more than K1.9 billion.
When Mr Simwinga was re-examining Dr Miti, Mr Mukata objected saying that he was not serious but the State prosecutor protested.
Mr Simwinga said it was not fair for Mr Mukata to purport that as a public prosecutor he was not serious in his re-examination.
He demanded an apology saying the State was serious with the matter contrary to Mr Mukata’s claims.
But as Mr Mulife was guiding the two parties, Mr Mukata continued addressing the court and Mr Simwinga.
This prompted Mr Mulife to advise, Mr Mukata not to argue with the court but wait for his guidance.
“Counsel shall not argue with the court because it is up to the court to provide guidance and not the lawyer. In the interest of time and the accused’s liberties, Mr Mukata should apologise,” he said.
Mr Mukata, however, apologised to Mr Simwinga and retracted the statement that the ACC prosecutor was not serious and sober.
And during continued re-examination, Dr Miti said he signed the contract to award the mother baby kits to Kahekam Limited, a company linked to Kapoko.
Dr Miti said the contract was also signed with Ministry of Health head of procurement and supplies unit, Able Katongo who is jointly charged with Kapoko.
Kapoko is jointly charged with head of procurement Katongo, procurement specialist Anthony Mwila, Justine Phiri, an internal auditor and assistant director of administration Norbert Peleti.
Choosing a presidential candidate for the Patriotic Front-United Party for National Development (PF/UPND) pact in 2011 will spell doom for the alliance, Luapula member of Parliament Peter Machungwa has said.
Dr Machungwa, who is spokesperson for the Patriotic Front (PF) members of Parliament attending the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) said yesterday that this is because neither PF leader Michael Sata nor his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema is willing to deputise the other.
He however said in an interview yesterday that it is good Mr Sata has realised that the vacuum in the pact leadership is creating problems.
Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata’s suggestion that choosing a leader at this stage will rescue the pact is not feasible.
“Even assuming that one of the two leaders agrees to deputise the other, this will only solve half the existing problems. This is because their manifestos are very different from each other and it will be difficult to harmonise them,” he said.
Dr Machungwa challenged one of the two pact leaders to come out openly and state that he is willing to deputise the other, otherwise there will be no deal.
He said most of the senior members in both PF and UPND know that the pact is only on paper, although the charade will go on for a while.
Dr Machungwa said at the end of the day, it will be “things fall apart” for the pact.
Mr Sata has said that part of the solution to ending the wrangles in the pact is to choose a presidential candidate who will lead the two parties in the 2011 general elections.
The two parties in the pact said they will soon hold a meeting at which top on the agenda will be leadership of the pact.
