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Can Zambia learn from South Africa Hosting FIFA world Cup?

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Jo’burg Soccer Fever

By Augustine Chisembele – Professional member of Project Management South Africa (PMSA)

The 2010 FIFA world cup has ended with Spain crowned as the world champions after beating the Dutch in the final game. After so much criticism especially from the foreign media, South Africa has hosted this edition of world cup with resounding success. South Africa has spent in excess of R33 billion to put together this global show piece. According to President Zuma the 2010 FIFA world cup has brought ‘priceless’ benefits to South Africa.

South Africa now boasts of improved infrastructure in transportation, communication and sport facilities among others. The country has ten (10) world class stadia spread across the country. On a social from, this rainbow nation has seen all races unite behind the world cup. This has triggered enhanced sense of patriotism, pride and achievement by South Africans. The economical benefits are just immense. VISA reported nearly $566 million spent on its debt and credits cards among a million visitors to RSA in June. South Africa has also positioned and marketed herself as a desirable destination to potential investors. It is often said success breeds success. RSA has now talking of hosting Olympics in 2020 even before the FIFA world cup dust settles.

Without a doubt the preparation for 2010 FIFA world cup was a huge undertaking by South Africa. And RSA was up to the challenge and successfully delivered.

Green Point Stadium Cape Town

Now the question one would pose is; can Zambia learn from South African hosting the 2001 FIFA world cup? Allow me to pose a few more questions just to spice-up the debate; What position does Zambia desire to occupy on the global scen? Where does Zambia see herself in 2020 or 2050; Is Zambia a country which enjoys tackling huge challenges? The clue to the answers of these questions may lie in the past. 46 years after independence, we seem to align ourselves with largely World bank, IMF, UN, AU, Nepad, declarations. While these global entities assist us with the universal obligations, we need home-grown vision to stand-out as a nation. South Africa had myriad reasons to host FIFA world cup cardinal of which was to enhance her global image. Zambia too needs a dream around which everything must be anchored. If we need to create a Zambia our future generations are going to be proud of like the South Africans are doing, it can never be business as usual for GRZ the key primary stakeholder.

Mandela Bay Stadium – Port Elizabeth

Don’t me get wrong, one cannot honestly expect Zambia to contest the right to host the next installment of world cup after Brazil in 2014. What is anticipated is that Zambia must start punching within or even above her weight. Like host the Africa Football Cup or All Africa games. But again we have failed to host these events. Just a while ago Zambia threw in a towel to host All Africa Games.

The bottom-line is that Zambia requires a strategy that must direct our policy formulation, inform our desired position on the world map, and track our progress in decades to come. Hosting of a global event is by no means the sole yardstick to measuring Zambia standing on the international scale. It is however a litmus test regarding our country infrastructure readiness and availability. Because it this infrastructure that benefit the Zambian citizenry. To answer the question. Yes, Zambia can learn from RSA hosting of the 2010 FIFA world cup.

Cross border trade poses threat of Polio outbreak in kapompo

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The Cross border trade between Angola and Zambia is posing an eminent threat of the outbreak of polio in Kabompo district.

Kabompo District Medical Officer, Stephen Shajanika made the observation during a district planning meeting held in the districtcouncil chamber yesterday.

Dr Shajanika said the cross border trade between people along theZambia-Angola border in chief Chiyengele and senior chief Sikufele areas posed a challenge and a threat at the same time because children across the border in Angola were not immunized.

He said there was need to set up a community radio station for information dissemination because most people who settled in the district were scattered making outreach activities difficulty.

Dr Shajanika said the district was planning to zone communities and set up immunization registers in villages in order to monitor children coming from the neigbouring country so that they could be vaccinated too.

The meeting was attended by senior chief Sikufele, chief Chiyengele and acting chief Kalunga, district heads of government departments and health personnel.
[ ZANIS ]

Eligible voter may not vote in forthcoming election in Gwembe

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Eligible voters in Hamatuba and Kkutwa areas in Gwembe District are likely not to participate in the forthcoming general elections because officers who conducted the national registration exercise did not reach the area.

This came to light when the District Voter Education Committee (DVEC) members carried out the voter education monitoring programme in the area.

Many eligible voters complained to the committee that they were unable to register as voters because they did not have national registration cards.

They said the mobile national registration card exercise did not reach their area hence their predicament.

The mobile national registration card exercise only reached Siampande and people from Hamatuba and Kutwa were expected to cover a long distance to Siampande to be issued with green National Registration Cards.

Kota-Kota Ward Councilor, Kenneth Siavundu told ZANIS that many people could not walk to Siampande to be issued with an NRC because of the long distance involved.

Siavundu feared that many eligible voters will be disfranchised and appealed to individuals to ensure that they obtain green national registration cards before the voter registration exercise came to an end.

And the police in Gwembe have run out of police reports issued to people seeking to replace their lost voters cards.

Gwembe police officer-in-charge Tundwe Chisanga disclosed to ZANIS yesterday that the police was overwhelmed with the number of people seeking to obtain police reports to replace their lost voters cards during the on-going registration exercise.

He said his office was working towards having more police reports reproduced to ensure the continuation of the exercise.

By press time yesterday, Hauma registration centre at Hauma Community School had only 15 police reports remaining.

Meanwhile, faulty generator sets are threatening the success of the voter registration exercise in Gwembe District.

Gwembe District Electoral Officer, Fred Mooya told ZANIS recently that his office had continued to receive reports of faulty generator sets at some registration centres.

He said Malilasuntwe registration centre had captured less new voters due to faulty generator sets used in the production of voters cards.

He explained that about 3 faulty generator sets had been withdrawn for repair and feared that the pace of the exercise could be slowed down if the situation persists.

[ ZANIS ]

DVEC APPEALS TO ECZ FOR MORE ALLOWANCES

Entertainment Editor
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The Gwembe District Voter Education Committee (DVEC) has threatened to abandon the voter education monitoring exercise if the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) does not increase allowance allocation to the committee.

The committee unanimously agreed to go on a go-slow if allowances for fuel and officers are not adjusted upwards.

The committee said that the allowances for fuel and committee members were not enough to successfully monitor the voter education exercise.

This came up yesterday during a field performance evaluation meeting at Munyumbwe

Civic Centre.

DVEC Chairman Paul Chikandula said Gwembe terrain was different from other districts in the country adding that 400 litres of fuel allocated for the exercise was not enough to monitor the exercise for 90 days.

Mr. Chikandula said monitoring voter education facilitators only twice in 90 days would make facilitators reluctant to work.

He said DVEC activities also included taking drama groups in the 14 wards around the constituency to mobilize and sensitize communities about the voter registration exercise.

Mr. Chikandula has advised ECZ to consider increasing allowances to the committee to enable it carry-out monitoring programme regularly in order to make the voter registration exercise successful.

He warned that DVEC members in the district would abandon the monitoring exercise in two weeks time if ECZ would not respond to the appeals.

[ ZANIS ]http://www.lusakatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ecz.jpeg

Mining sector performance cheers MMD

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File picture for Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane

THE MMD has said it is satisfied with the results of the decision taken to open up the mining industry to foreign investment as it has led to a dramatic turn-around in the performance of the sector.

Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane told management at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) that as a result of that decision, an industry that had all but collapsed 10 years ago was booming once again, with annual production of copper set to return to the peaks of the 1970s when Zambia ranked among the top five producers of the red metal.

“This year, for the first time since the 1970s, we will be producing nearly 700,000 tonnes of copper.

“Things have improved dramatically from the day when the Government took the almost inconspicuous decision to open up the industry to foreign investment,” he said.

Dr Musokotwane said just 10 years ago, the Zambian economy was in deep crisis with the mining industry in a collapsed state and production down to just 220,000 tonnes per annum from more than 700,000 tonnes in the 1970s.

“We had lost two-thirds of our production capacity…a huge segment of our economy was lost, while at the same time population had risen from under four million in the ‘70s to between 10-12 million; more people to take care of with less resources to do so,” he said.

He said the ‘contradiction’ was responsible for the deterioration in the economic and social sectors.

Dr Musokotwane said Government was “very satisfied” with the overall results so far of the decision to open up the mining industry and with the contributions of investors like Vedanta Resources which has spent more than $2 billion on new investments in KCM to revive an ailing operation into a major player in the Zambian economy.

He said now that the industry was performing well, the Zambian people were expecting increased contributions from the mining houses to the national treasury so that the Government could mend the roads, build more hospitals and schools.

Government would do all it could to ensure that mining houses were producing at a cost that made them competitive on the international market.

“South America produces at 60 cents per pound. Our costs are way above that. We have to find a way that enables us to be more competitive so that we can survive,” he said.

KCM Chief Executive Officer Kishore Kumar said KCM looked forward to the Bill on Partnership Agreements coming up in Parliament.

He appealed to the Government to look into the factors that were responsible for the high cost of copper production in Zambia, like unstable and expensive power, saying KCM had suffered damage from frequent outages and unstable loads.

He said just as Government had divested from telephony, it should also consider divesting from power supply.

[Times of Zambia]

TIZ challenged on graft report

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Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) to provide evidence that police officers are in the habit of getting bribes from the public.

Reacting to TIZ’s survey that ranked the Zambia Police Service as the most corrupt public institution in Zambia, Gen Shikapwasha said what the non-Governmental organisation was saying was a mere perception which should not be taken seriously by the people.

Gen Shikapwasha said that even late president Levy Mwanawasa told TIZ that they were in a habit of working on perceptions as opposed to providing evidence.
He reiterated Government’s resolve to rid the country of corruption.

Yesterday, TIZ released a report that ranked the Zambia Police Service as the most corrupt, topping the list of public institutions that receive bribes from members of the public.

[pullquote]“The top five public institutions whose officers were demanding the largest bribes are the Zambia Police, at 32.5 per cent, judiciary at 10.5 per cent, ZRA at 6.8 per cent, Ministry of Education at 6.7 per cent and Department of National Registration at 6.3 per cent,” Mr Lifuka said. [/pullquote]

The police service has for the last five years been ranked number one as the most corrupt public institution in the country.

Speaking during the launch of the 2009 Bribe Payers Index in Lusaka yesterday, TIZ president Reuben Lifuka said the top five public institutions whose officers were demanding bribes were the Zambia Police Service, judiciary, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), Ministry of Education and the Department of National Registration.

“The top five public institutions whose officers were demanding the largest bribes are the Zambia Police, at 32.5 per cent, judiciary at 10.5 per cent, ZRA at 6.8 per cent, Ministry of Education at 6.7 per cent and Department of National Registration at 6.3 per cent,” Mr Lifuka said.

The bribe demands ranged from K101,000 to K500,000.

He said bribes were most prevalent among junior officers in the cited public institutions.

Mr Lifuka said in the 2009 bribe index, 16 Government institutions were analysed while 1,220 respondents were engaged in the survey.

With regard to the Government’s fight against corruption, he said the respondents were asked to state their perception of the current administration in comparison to second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s and Dr Mwanawasa’s regimes.

Fouty-four per cent indicated that President Rupiah Banda was more serious, 25 per cent said he was less serious, and 31 per cent said that they were just the same.

“Compared to Levy Mwanawasa, 74 per cent of the respondents said Rupiah Banda was less serious while only 16 per cent said he was more serious,” Mr Lifuka said.

He said TIZ would support efforts to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Act to enhance the fight against corruption.

Unverified media reports on RB worry State House

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Special Assistant to the President for Press and public relations, Dickson Jere

STATE House has advised the media in Zambia to be extra cautious with stories they source from disgruntled politicians which are totally wrong and bent on tarnishing the name of President Rupiah Banda.

Special assistant to the president for Press and public relations, Dickson Jere said there was a growing pattern by the media to quote politicians on issues which they could easily and independently verify with relevant authorities before publishing them.

Mr Jere said he was shocked to hear of a story by Radio QFM, which was also published on the website, alleging that President Banda went to watch the FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa on his way to Turkey.

Mr Jere said it was easy for the media to check such basic facts instead of giving space to blatant lies often propagated by Mr Mpombo and others.

He said it was a known fact that Mr Banda left Lusaka on Sunday morning for Ankara, Turkey, on a Presidential Challenger plane and arrived at Esengoga International Airport in Turkey the same day in the evening.

“The presidential plane only made a brief stop-over to refuel in N’djamena, Chad. Zambian journalists from both the State-run and private media covering the president’s State visit in Turkey reported his arrival to their respective media houses,” he said.

Mr Jere said it was never his intention to respond to Mr Mpombo’s constant lies about President Banda because most Zambians had by now realised that he was an untruthful person.

[pullquote]He said it was a known fact that Mr Banda left Lusaka on Sunday morning for Ankara, Turkey, on a Presidential Challenger plane and arrived at Esengoga International Airport in Turkey the same day in the evening. [/pullquote]

He said only a few weeks ago, a similar lie was told by Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata who indicated that Mr Banda had gone to Cape Town for his knee review when in fact the president never travelled to the South African city.

But when contacted for a comment, Mr Mpombo admitted telling a QFM reporter that President Banda had stopped over in South Africa to watch the World Cup final.

He said he assumed the president had stopped over for the World Cup final on Sunday because the reporter had put it to him that he had stopped over in South Africa on his way to Turkey.

Mr Mpombo said he made the statement to indicate that the president was always travelling.

[Times of Zambia]

Zambia Player Movement Watch

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Now that the World Cup is over, the player merry-go-round is slowing stirring to life with some good and bad news for Zambian players in the South African league.

At Mamelodi Sundowns, midfielder Felix Katongo is set to stay and was not on the list of seven players the Pretoria club has transfer-listed for the 2010/2011 season.

Also not moving is former star striker Collins Mbesuma at Moroka Swallows who gets a contract extension for another season at the club whom he joined from Sundowns last year.

However, Zambia 2nd choice goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje should be on his way out of Amazulu who are currently in the hunt for a new number 1.

Kakonje has played six competitive matches in the 2009/2010 season for Amazulu.

Lusaka Province MMD Youth Chairperson found with a case to answer

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jubilant MMD Lusaka province youth chairman Chris Chalwe during youth day in Lusaka

MMD Lusaka Provincial Youth Chairperson has been found with a case to answer following his assault of two Zambian journalists.
Lusaka Senior Resident Magistrate, David Simusamba said Chalwe has been found with the case of causing occasional bodily harm.

Mr Simusamba said he was satisfied that a prima-facie case had been established and put the accused, Chalwe on his defence following submissions made by both the prosecution and Defence Counsel.

This is in a matter involving Lusaka Province MMD Youth Chairperson Chalwe accused of assaulting Post Journalist Chibaula Silwamba and Times of Zambia Senior Reporter Anthony Mulowa at the Lusaka International Airport .

And Lusaka Magistrates court has deferred to August 3, 2010 the matter in which a Patriotic Front (PF) member, Judge Ngoma is charged with one count of assault and abduction of fellow party members.

Lusaka Senior Resident Magistrate, David Simusamba adjourned the matter to August 3, today when it came up for judgement following the bereavement that the Defence Counsel has.

This is in a case in which Ngoma is charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 248 of the Penal Code.
Particulars of the offence were that on June 5 last year, Ngoma, while acting together with other unknown people, allegedly assaulted Mubanga Chileshe and Sam Zulu at Courtyard Hotel during a Press briefing that the complainants were addressing.

In another court, former Ministry of Health (MoH) Permanent Secretary (PS) Dr. Simon Miti today told the Lusaka Magistrate Court in continued trial that he was not in office when the donors assisted Zambia with 50,000 extra mother-baby kits.

Dr Miti, 49 of plot number 401 Lilayi, appeared before Lusaka Magistrate Kenneth Mulife as a prosecution witness in a matter involving former Ministry of Health Human Resource Manager Henry Kapoko and 12 others charged with Theft by Public Servant involving K27 billion.

Dr. Miti, who served as PS under the same ministry for seven years told the court that though the Ministerial Tender Committee (MTC) sat and approved the tender on January 21,this year, on the purchase of the mother-baby kits, he was not aware that an addendum was requested prior to the closing date of supply of mother-baby kits.

An addendum requires that an application is made 14 days prior to the closing of the tender when funds are expiring.

During Cross examination, Dr Miti said based on the documents he saw at the Anti-Corruption Commission, the MTC approved purchase of mother-baby kits three days before the expiry of the tender. Kapoko and 12 others are facing a charge of Theft of public funds contrary to sections 272 and 277 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

ZANIS

Mushili’s sentence challenged

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Former University of Zambia Students’ Union (UNZASU) President Solomon Ng’ambi has expressed concern at the simple sentence slapped on Patriotic Front (PF) Ndola Central Parliamentarian Mark Mushili.

Mr N’ambi said Mr. Mushili as a law maker was an example to society especially youth hence stiffer punishment should be meted out on him to deter would-be offenders.

In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, he challenged Mr Mushili to resign on moral grounds following his 6 months imprisonment with hard labour by the Ndola Magistrate court for attempting to swindle Government out of more than K300 million.

The former UNZASU leader said Mr Mushili was not fit to represent the people of Zambia as he could not inspire people or embark on real development in his area because of his theft record.

He said the people of Zambia deserved better representatives and not those with tainted records and selfish motives to defraud the country out of its meagre resources using their position.

He cast a doubt on whether the opposition was capable of providing alternative leadership as they had started swindling the country even before they formed Government.

Mr Ng’ambi called on Zambians to be wary of such people adding that it was not possible for Mr. Mushili to serve his sentence and at the same time attend parliamentary sittings.

He challenged Patriotic front President Michael Sata for being silent over the matter. He said if the PF leader was credible, he should come out in the open and condemn the act by his MP like he has been taking interest on other high profile cases.

[pullquote]He cast a doubt on whether the opposition was capable of providing alternative leadership as they had started swindling the country even before they formed Government.[/pullquote]

And Mr Ng’ambi welcomed calls by Transparent International Zambia to impress upon the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to appeal against the sentence describing it as weak and likely to encourage crime in the country.

Mr. Ng’ambi has also called on law makers to come with a law to prevent MPs serving sentences from attending Parliament as they were not free citizens.
In a separate interviews with ZANIS today, SACCORD Information Officer Oby Chibuluma called on the Drug Enforcement Commission (ECZ) to appeal against the six month suspended sentence slapped on Ndola Central MP Mark Mushili.

Mr. Chibuluma said it was shocking to see a person in a scandal involving colossal sums of money to be slapped with a minor sentence when other people in society were jailed for just stealing a small amount of money.

He has since called on other stakeholders to join in this fight so that Government could appeal. He further urged the DEC to thoroughly investigate the matter to the latter.

Mr Mushili was last week slapped with six months imprisonment which was suspended for one year.

ZANIS

‘Randy’ hubby caught pants down

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THERE was drama in Kitwe’s Ndeke township yesterday when a woman caught her husband having sex with another woman suspected to be a sex worker.

Copperbelt Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) provincial co-ordinator Jurita Mutale confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.

She said the woman mobilised about 10 call-boys who went to the house of the alleged sex worker and burst into her bedroom where they found the two in the act.

Ms Mutale said the youths started whipping the two after which the man bolted through the back door with his clothes in his hands.

She said the youths dragged the suspected sex worker outside the house in full view of the members of the public and whipped her.

She said some elderly women who attempted to cover the woman were threatened with a beating.

“What happened is shameful and embarrassing. The call boys whipped the woman after they accused her of being a prostitute,” Ms Mutale said.

She said in the ensuing confusion, the alleged sex worker sneaked away and sought refuge in the neighbour’s house.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Nsanda still denies having child with Mufulira woman

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Chimwemwe Member of Parliament Willie Nsanda

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Chimwemwe member of Parliament Willie Nsanda has maintained that he does not have a child with a Mufulira-based woman who has sued him for child maintenance.

This is in a case in which Ingrid Strattman has sued Nsanda for maintenance of a child she claims was fathered by the MP ten years ago.

Nsanda said when the matter came up for continued hearing in Lusaka yesterday that he is not the father of Ms Strattman’s child because he was in South Africa when his former wife fell pregnant.

“I was out in South Africa for four solid months attending to my business and Ms Strattman was not pregnant by then. When I left for South Africa she had monthly periods, which is an indication that she was not pregnant,” Mr Nsanda said.

He said when he returned from South Africa, he called for a family meeting to determine the biological father of the child.

He told presiding magistrate Elijah Sandu, sitting with senior local court magistrate Hope Mwila, that a family meeting was marred with confusion arising from the behaviour of Ms Strattman’s relatives.

Nsanda said because of the confusion, the meeting was not concluded.

He said Ms Strattman could not have waited for over ten years to sue for child maintenance if the child was his.

Nsanda said he only has one child with Ms Strattman and not two as she has alleged.

“I only have one child named Elizabeth, with Ms Strattman and I love this child from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

Nsanda said in cross-examination that because the child in question is not his, she was named by her mother.

And Ms Strattman said in her statement that she was married to Nsanda for 10 years and has two children with him.

She said when she was living with Nsanda, he was supportive of the child in question before and after she was born.

“He did everything for our second born child, that is buying baby clothes, paying hospital bills and naming the child,” Ms Strattman said.

She said Nsanda denied having fathered the child when they divorced in July 2002.

Ms Strattman said she was surprised when Nsanda denied having sired a second child with her and that this prompted her to sue for child maintenance.

She said she has stayed with her child for nine months without Nsanda’s support but was forced to sue for child maintenance because the child is growing up.

Mr Sandu adjourned the matter to August 12, 2010, for continued hearing.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

State demarcates Nansanga farm bloc

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THE Government has made significant steps in the development of the Nansanga Farm Bloc in Serenje District, where a total of 352 farm plots and four service centres have been demarcated.

Central Province Minister Ackimson Banda said recently in Serenje that the farm plots would be ready for allocation as soon as cadastral surveyors from the Ministry of Lands placed the beacons on farm boundaries.

Mr Banda said another development that had advanced was the construction of the 33 kilovolts power line into the farming bloc. Phase one of the project has already been completed.

“The Government has further facilitated the electrification process of the farm bloc. Phase one of the 95km stretch of the 33kv power line has been constructed alongside 29.5km of 11kv of distribution line,” Mr Banda said.

The provincial minister, who is Serenje Central Member of Parliament, said additionally to the completed works, the construction of one bridge of the three designed by the Road Development Agency (RDA) had been completed while another one would be completed soon.

“As for roads, the entire trunk road network of 155km has been completed by China Geo Engineering Company during the first quarter of 2010,” he said.

The minister was optimistic that local and foreign investors should now show interest in investing in the farm bloc to transform the economy of Serenje and Zambia as a nation.

“Owing to such investment in infrastructure in the farm bloc, various investors from within and outside Zambia have already shown interest in development of the farm bloc, which is commendable for the development of Serenje and Zambia as a whole,” he said.
Mr Banda assured Serenje farmers that the Government, through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), would buy their produce once the moisture content reached proportional levels.

He said owing to the increased production this year, the Government had scaled up on the number of satellite depots from eight to 15 to enable the farmers sell their maize at no or low transport costs.

“I am pleased to note that following the completion of the holding depot at the turn-off, all the maize which the FRA will buy will be retained in the district unlike in the past,” Mr Banda said.

The minister cautioned farmers to guard against HIV/AIDS, which he said had not spared the agricultural realm.

[Times of Zambia]

I’ve been vindicated over dead end PF/UPND Pact, says chief

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Chief Mwanachingwala

CHIEF Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people in Mazabuka District has said he has been vindicated by his earlier statement that the Patriotic Front (PF)-United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact was headed nowhere as the two leaders rushed into an arrangement which was not supported by the majority.

And former PF general secretary, Edward Mumbi has said the emerging cracks in the pact had proved to his critics that he was right when he said it was not workable.

Chief Mwanachingwala said what was currently happening in the pact was merely the beginning of more problems to come.
Commenting on the apparent cracks in the PF/UPND Pact by competing against each other in Kaoma and Chadiza local government by-elections, Chief Mwanachingwala said yesterday that PF president Michael Sata had once indicated to him that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was an inexperienced politician.

“You just watch, some more problems are coming. For me, I knew that Mr Sata was not going to accept to be led. The whole arrangement was just a cheat,” he said.

He said Mr Sata went into the pact with the UPND just to marshal support from voters in Southern Province, a UPND stronghold.

Asked on what advice he would give Mr Hichilema, the traditional leader said there was no way he was going to counsel the UPND leader as he had insulted him.

He said Mr Hichilema should have apologised for the remarks he made against him. PF Matero Member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe echoed Chief Mwanachingwala’s sentiments over the happenings in the PF-UPND pact.

Ms Sinyangwe said there was no reason why two big parties could enter into a ‘gentleman’s’ agreement when forming a pact.

[pullquote]“You just watch, some more problems are coming. For me, I knew that Mr Sata was not going to accept to be led. The whole arrangement was just a cheat,” he said.He said Mr Sata went into the pact with the UPND just to marshal support from voters in Southern Province, a UPND stronghold.[/pullquote]
She said it was clear from the beginning that the two leaders were interested in contesting the Republican presidency. She said party members from both parties should have been consulted before the two leaders agreed to form a pact.

MMD youths on the Copperbelt have said the pact has no capacity to form Government. Provincial youth chairperson, Evans Chibanda said the pact leaders had been living on pretence even when they knew that there were serious problems within their party structures.

And Mr Mumbi said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that what had happened in the pact was something many people foresaw because the pact had no foundation.

[Times of Zambia]

UPND/PF pact headed for doom- Mabenga

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The Movement for Multiparty Democracy MMD says it has been vindicated that the PF/UPND pact is headed for doom.
Party National Chairman Michael Mabenga who is in Mongu to drum up support for the MMD parliamentary candidate in the Luena by-election said Zambians must now realize that the Pact has no agenda is only meant for taking over the nation for selfish reasons.

He stressed that Zambians must now make the right choice on who to vote for now that they know that the Pact has deceived them enough.

Mr Mabenga said the MMD is now even more optimistic of scooping the 2011 presidential elections with the emerging cracks in the PF/UPND pact.

His comments come in the wake of divisions that have emerged in the pact following the two parties’ fielding of separate candidate in the Chadiza and Kaoma ward elections, violating the 2009 agreement they signed not to compete against each other in successive elections.
[ QFM ]

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