Zambians risk plunging the country into a dictatorial and failed State if they make a “wrong choice of voting for undemocratic” Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata in next year’s general elections, the Global Justice Zambia has warned.

Advocacy campaign manager, Samson Zulu said Zambians would be shooting themselves in the foot if they elected Mr Sata who had already shown that he was a dictator by refusing to go for the party convention.

[pullquote]“It is a vote that has power to reject such people. From the time he formed the party they have failed to go for a convention and Zambians should not be shocked when they hear that there will be no more elections if they vote for Mr Sata,” he said.[/pullquote]

Mr Zulu said in an interview during the week that with the resumption of the continuous voters’ registration exercise by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), time had come for Zambians to reject Mr Sata and his ally through a vote next year.

“It is a vote that has power to reject such people. From the time he formed the party they have failed to go for a convention and Zambians should not be shocked when they hear that there will be no more elections if they vote for Mr Sata,” he said.

He said the PF president was a danger to democracy as well as the peace the country was currently enjoying and might scrap out elections if he was given an opportunity to rule in 2011.

Mr Zulu said it was not a secret that Mr Sata had exhibited lack of respect and compassion to others, especially his political opponents whom he had continued to insult and issuing derogatory statements against them through the media.

Mr Zulu, however, commended the ECZ for resuming the exercise and urged all eligible citizens to register and vote in numbers when the time comes.

Meanwhile, Mr Zulu has called on the general public to scrutinise the recently released Draft Constitution and make necessary comments that would help make up an appropriate document.

Mr Zulu said the Draft Constitution was an important document that affected every citizen and should be treated with the seriousness it deserved for it to be of great value to the Zambian people.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president, Michael Sata, has charged that the ruling Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) has over stayed in government and is beginning to run out of ideas.

Mr. Sata has also challenged republican President, Rupiah Banda to upgrade the health institutions in the country and stop trekking out of the country every time he has a small health complication.

Addressing a party rally in Chawama yesterday, Mr. Sata said that the president Banda has failed the nation from the time he was part of the first government to the point where he is heading his own.

He said President Banda has worsened the status of the social sector in the country ranging from the health sector to the education because he is a failed leader.

Mr. Sata also indicated that President Banda’s movements across the world has contributed to Zambia’s failure to record significant development during his tenure.

He said that President Banda has shifted his concentration and attention to unnecessary issues at the expense of Zambians.
The PF leader told the gathering Mr Banda has failed to deliver to because of his inability to set the right priority for national development.
[ QFM ]

Vice President George Kunda has described the MMD as an honest party that had ensured prudent expenditure of national resources which he said had resulted in donors having confidence in the country.

The Vice President said Zambia’s economy was too small and only managed to raise a national income of about K17 trillion which he said was not enough to execute all the pressing needs of the citizens.

Mr. Kunda however noted that with these limited resources Government was trying to improve the living standards of its citizens.

Mr. Kunda said Government would continue taking development to all parts of the country through projects such as construction of schools, roads, and hospitals.

The Vice President has also assured the people of Mufulira that Government would work on the Sabina-Mufulira road and the Ndola-Mufulira roads which were in a deplorable state.

Mr. Kunda also promised the sitting tenants in the Kankoyo mine houses that they would be given those houses.

He said he would make recommendations to President Rupiah Banda to decide on how sitting tenants could be given ownership of the houses.

Meanwhile the Mr. Kunda has disclosed that the MMD was revising the party’s manifesto and was also strategising on how to approach the 2011 general elections.

The Vice President was speaking when he addressed scores of MMD members at Mufulira Municipal Council Chamber today. And speaking earlier, MMD Copperbelt Provincial Chairman Joseph Chilambwe said the party in the province was steady and intact.

He said party officials in the province have embarked on a strong campaign journey to recruiting new members.

ZANIS

Former Second Republican president Dr Frederick Chiluba says he fully supports President Rupiah Banda’s statement that cooperating partners should not blackmail government as a way of resolving challenges.

Dr Chiluba said cooperating partners should not take the country for granted because they were providing support to various sectors of the economy.
He said cooperating partners should respect the country’s sovereignty and not hold it to ransom.

The former president said Zambia never applied for support from donors but they have been bringing back what was gotten from the country. Dr Chiluba was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe on Sunday on the sidelines of the 50th birthday celebrations of Dr Bernard Nwaka at Global Living Water Ministeries International Church where he was invited to grace the occasion.

He said even the conditions attached to the aid was not necessary compared to what the colonial regime got from the country which was more than what they are giving back as aid.

He said the opposition leaders who were criticising President Banda on the matter were doing so because they were ignorant of what they were saying and have not been to State House.

He warned people to watch out for such leaders critiquing the President if they got to power because donors did not vote for Government but the people of Zambia did.

[pullquote]He said even the conditions attached to the aid was not necessary compared to what the colonial regime got from the country which was more than what they are giving back as aid.[/pullquote]

Dr Chiluba was commenting on recent criticism by some opposition leaders over President Banda’s reaction to some cooperating partners’ interference into the country’s internal matters.

Last week, upon arrival from Namibia where he had gone on an official State visit, President Banda said cooperating partners should not blackmail government as a way of resolving challenges that the country was facing in various sectors of the economy.

And speaking during celebrations, Dr Nwaka said people especially Christians need to stand with Dr Chiluba because of what he went through when he declared Zambia as a Christian nation.

The clergy said Dr Chiluba should be respected very much and look at him as a father of the nation for the good that he did when he was president.
He cited the home ownership policy that he implemented during his tenure of office saying it was unfortunate that many people have forgotten soon and failed to appreciate Dr Chiluba.

Dr Nwaka said what the former president went through after his presidency was a spiritual battle which God has seen him through.

ZANIS

The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has described as unfortunate, republican president Rupiah Banda’s statement that co-operating partners should not blackmail the government by withholding donor support as a way of resolving challenges faced in various sectors of the economy.

And President Banda has been asked to apologize to the donor community for his undiplomatic behavior over their concerns raised on the accountability and usage of the resources they bring into the country.

AVAP executive director, Bonnie Tembo sai that national leaders should realize that Zambia is not an island and is dependant on the aid that comes into the country through donors.
He also indicated that President Banda as a national leader is expected to uphold a high level of diplomacy concerns that the donor community is bringing to the fore over the accountability of resources

Mr. Tembo said that government cannot go on to speak ill of the cooperating partners in national development even when it is clear that over half of the national budget is financed by donors for the implementation of programs every year.

He said it was surprising to note that even the vice president, George Kunda had the audacity of echoing the remarks from the president, when he is aware of the operations of government and how the nation needs to treasure cooperating partners.

Mr Tembo appealed to president Banda to apologize to the donor community and respect the cooperating partners for their contribution to national development.

He reminded him of the fact that the donor community’s aid to Zambia has never left the nation to suffer even when they accumulated serious debt which people could not pay back to the world lending bodies.

However, the Committee of Citizen’s executive director, Gregory Chifire, accused some donors of sponsoring regime change to some extent that they are bankrolling certain institutions.

Among them he cited, non governmental organization NGO, media institutes, religious organizations, political parties and some individuals.

[ QFM ]

Mines and Mineral Development Deputy Minister, Gabriel Namulambe, has preferred to remain mute on his defense of late Republican President, Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy.

In an interview with QFM, Mr. Namulambe said he would not want to involve himself into politics barely a week after his reappointment as Deputy Minister.

He said being a Local Council man, he is still trying to understand how the Ministry of Mines operates.

He said he wanted to concentrate on business and developmental issues rather than discussing politics which do not yield any results afterwards.

Mr. Namulambe said whatever he had said earlier concerning the legacy of late President Levy Mwanawasa should not be brought back to public discussion because it is over.

He asked the reporter to find out views from Civil Society Organizations and some Non Governmental Organizations so that he hears what they have to say, hoping to make a response afterwards.

He added that politicians like Mr. William Banda and some opposition political parties must make comments on his reappointment, and not himself.

Early this year, President Rupiah Banda had relieved Mr. Namulambe of his duties as Science and Technology Minister for protecting the legacy of late President Levy Mwanawasa, but recently reappointed him as Deputy Minister of Mines.

QFM

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…”
(Romans 8:26, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Do you ever get focused on what you consider to be a disadvantage or weakness in your life? Maybe there’s something about yourself that you don’t like physically. You may have even been through an unfair situation: a divorce, a bad business deal, or a bad break.

We all have things that can feel like disadvantages, things that make it harder on us. But just because you have a “disadvantage,” just because you’ve been through a tough time doesn’t mean you’re supposed to sit back and settle where you are. No, God still has something great for you to do! He wants to show Himself strong in and through you. The Holy Spirit wants to help you during those times when you feel weak. If you will stay in faith and not get negative toward yourself or your future, then God can take what you think is a liability and turn it into an asset. What you think is a disadvantage God will turn around to be an advantage so you can move forward into the abundant life He has for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I give You all that I am. I invite You into the weak places in my life so that You can turn them into strengths. Thank You for working in my life and filling me with faith and expectancy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.