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World acclaimed gospel musician Michael W Smith to perform in Zambia this Sunday

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WORLD acclaimed gospel musician Michael W Smith, who has sold over 15 million CDs, arrives tomorrow evening around 17:00 hours from South Africa for Sunday’s concert at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.

The US Grammy-award winning artiste, best known for his highly awakening worship and praise songs like Above All, Healing Rain, Love Me Good, Draw Me Close, Let It Rain, will perform from 14:00 hours to 20:00 hours.

The high definition music equipment for the concert arrived yesterday by road in four heavy-duty trucks from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Andrew Chola, director at Christian Arts Promotions (Chapro), the organisers of the show, told Times Entertainment that Zambians should look out for what he called an “explosive Sunday.”

Smith, who is on a New Hallelujah world tour, remains one of the most popular artistes in contemporary Christian music with 21 albums to his credit, three Grammy Awards and 13 nominations, 36 Dove Awards and five Platinum and 15 albums.

“All is set, it’s a great achievement to have Michael come for a concert in Zambia. After listening and watching his music on CDs and videos, Zambians will have a chance to watch the man live,” Chola said.

“The guys from South Africa will set up the stage and put up all the lighting and other technical equipment needed to produce quality sound.”

The concert, which Chapro is organising in conjunction with Bizlink, a South African music promotion company and Sounds Investment, will also feature local gospel artistes like BM Sampa, Suwilanji, Zambian Voices, Potipher and Mweshi Mulusa among others. Charges for the concert are K50,000 for ordinary seats and K100,000 for VIP.

“Those in the VIP section will have a chance to shake Michael’s hand,” said Chola.
Besides, the one-day concert, Smith also holds a workshop with local artistes on Monday morning at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka.

In his two-decade career, Smith, born in 1957, has had the opportunity to sing for presidents, national leaders, community gatherings, memorials, the Billy Graham Crusades and on national and international television.

[Times of Zambia]

Govt in the process of introducing a social pension for senior citizens

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GOVERNMENT will spend over US$899,750 on 10,000 senior citizens under the social programme by 2012.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Austin Liato said Government and co-operating partners are in the process of introducing a social pension for senior citizens aged 60 and above.

He said the social pension programme will initially target Katete in the Eastern Province.

Mr Liato said this in a speech read for him by his permanent secretary Winnie Mwenda at the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Southern Africa regional technical cocktail on Wednesday.

“Government is committed to extending social security coverage and has agreed with co-operating partners to have a joint financing agreement to upscale the social cash transfers countrywide,” he said.

Mr Liato said the technical workshop had come at a time when countries worldwide are grappling with the challenge of identifying and drawing cost-effective strategies of extending social protection in the informal economy.

He said one of the key problems affecting social security is that half of the world’s population is excluded from any type of statutory social protection.

Mr Liato said in low-income countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, more than 90 percent of the population is not covered.

He said it is important that policy-makers, pension administrators, social security experts and researchers meet regularly to share knowledge and experience on social security.

Mr Liato said Zambia has been implementing a number of programmes with a view to determining the most appropriate approach to cover workers in the informal economy.

He said studies in Luapula, Northern, Eastern and Lusaka provinces have been undertaken with interesting findings.

And ISSA regional chairman Joseph Ewane Ejuba commended the nine countries that are in Zambia to share knowledge on social security.

He said social security is important in every country because it does not only benefit the present but the future as well.

Mr Ejuba commended Zambia for accepting to host a three-day conference under the theme ‘Extension of social security coverage to the informal economy’.

Countries participating in the conference are Ghana, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Mauritius and Zambia.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Zambia to Sell First International Bond of $1 Billion

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Zambia, Africa’s biggest copper producer, plans to sell its first international bond this year, raising $1 billion for rail and power projects, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said in an interview with CNBC Africa.

The government expects to have its first sovereign credit rating by the third quarter and will proceed with the bond sale soon after that, Musokotwane said in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast.

Zambia abandoned a plan to seek a credit rating and sell a bond abroad in 2008 after the global financial crisis sparked a sell-off of emerging market assets. The southern African nation joins countries including Kenya, Ghana and Angola that want to tap international capital markets to help finance the building of power plants and railways as economic growth accelerates.

“We have issues with energy,” Musokotwane told CNBC. “There are a number of roads that have to be rehabilitated.”

The minister said he expects a credit rating of higher than B+, which was awarded by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings to Angola last week. B+ “should be the minimum,” Musokotwane said.

The minister signed an agreement with JP Morgan Chase & Co. today to help the government prepare for the credit rating. Zambia is working concurrently on the rating and the bond sale, he said.

Copper and Growth

The economy will probably expand more than 6 percent this year, boosted by higher copper prices and a bumper grain crop, Musokotwane said. Copper prices have more than doubled since the beginning of last year and reached as high as $6,935 a ton in London today, while the government expects a 42 percent surge in grain output this year.

Musokotwane said he wasn’t overly concerned that the European debt crisis would make it difficult for Zambia to sell its bond.

The kwacha has dropped 5.7 percent against the dollar since the beginning of this month and was trading as high as 5,090 per dollar today.

–Editors: Philip Sanders, Karl Maier

To contact the reporters on this story: Nasreen Seria in Abidjan at [email protected].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at [email protected]
[Bloomberg]

Dr Kalumba granted K500 million bail

Entertainment Editor
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MMD national secretary Dr Katele Kalumba

The Lusaka Magistrate Court has granted convicted former finance minister and MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba and three of his co-convicts K500 million bail each.

High Court Deputy Director of Court Operations Edward Musona sitting as Magistrate, granted Dr. Kalumba, former Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, former Access Financial Services Directors Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe bail in their own cognizance with two reputable working sureties each.

The K500 million bail conditions also apply to each of the working sureties for the convicts.

Magistrate Musona granted the quartet bail when the matter came up for bail application hearing in chambers today.

And Ms Chibanda’s lawyer Nicholas Chanda confirmed to journalists that the convicts have been granted bail worthy K500 million each.

The convicted have since been ordered to surrender their passports to the clerk of courts.

On Wednesday, Mr. Musona convicted Dr. Kalumba together with his co-accused on corruption charges and sentenced them to five years imprison each.

The corruption charges relate to the irregular payments made to US security companies Systems Innovations and Wilbain Incorporated amounting to US$20 million.
[ QFM ]

AVAP urges youths not to be used in 2011 polls

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Chingola Youths enjoying roasted goat meat at Chingola’s Town center bus Stop.
Chingola Youths enjoying roasted goat meat at Chingola’s Town center bus Stop.

The Anti-Voter Apathy Project(AVAP)has urged youths in the country to avoid being used as mercenaries of political violence during the forthcoming 2011 elections.

AVAP Director General Bonnie Tembo told youths from various political parties in a training workshop at Fairmount hotel in Livingstone to desist from politics of insults and violence.

Citing the example of what transpired during the Mufumbwe by-elections in Solwezi recently,Mr Tembo advised youths to be messengers of democracy and not perpetrators of lawlessness.

“You see if you are sent to electorates in certain community you do not have to go there with pangas,machetes,stones and the likes because you are not going to the game park but you are going to a community where people live so avoid such kind of intolerance,” he said.

Mr. Tembo also challenged political parties in the country to place youth leadership skill at the centre of the 2011 elections.

He said AVAP wishes to see a country where political leaders are democratically mature unlike ones who breed politics of violence.

And government has pledged to support organizations that aim at promoting democracy and good government in the country.

Southern Province permanent Gladys Kristafor thanked AVAP for its consistence in supplementing government’s effort towards the realization of a liberalized Zambia.

“We must work together for us to make this country a better place so say no to violence we do not take pleasure to see what happened in Mufumbwe,”she said.

Ms Kristafor also urged the youths to take keen interest in understanding issues in politics such as the K5 bn that government allocated to the youth empowerment fund.

She said this when she officially opened the AVAP training workshop in Livingstone.

Recently President Rupiah Banda pledged to rebuild the churches and shops that where destroyed during the Mufumbwe by-elections.

ZANIS

ERZ fines NMEC K 2.7m for illegal charging

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The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has fined North-Western Energy Corporation (NWEC) K2.7 million for charging an unauthorized tariff to residential customers in Lumwana.

The ERB has since approved a tariff of K285.6/kwh effective May 1, this year far below the unauthorized K452.2/kwh the utility company was charging its customers.

ERB Board Chairperson, Sikota Wina has ordered NWEC to refund all residential customers that were charged the unauthorized tariff the difference between the approved rate and the disallowed rate from the time that they started charging the unauthorized rate.

“With effect from 1st May 2010, the approved tariff to be charged by NWEC is set at USC6/kwh; this translates to a tariff amounting to K285.6/kwh at the rate of K4,760/USD.

“The ERB further orders as follows: that NWEC be fined K2,700,000 for charging an unauthorized tariff to residential customers;

“that NWEC refunds all residential customers that were charged the unauthorized tariff the difference between the approved rate and the disallowed rate from the date that they started charging the unauthorized USC9.5/kwh up to 30th April 2010,” Mr Wina said.

Mr Wina said this during ERB meeting on the application by NWEC to effect electricity tariff held at Lumwana Mine in Solwezi today.

He further directed NWEC to work out and furnish the ERB with a mechanism by which it will compensate customers for the unauthorized tariff within 60 days and that the compensation must be made in full to all affected customers within 24 months thereafter.

Meanwhile, the ERB has commended NWEC for taking up the initiative to supply power to Lumwana and urged the utility company to expand its customer base.

ZANIS

Faz Week 12 Fixtures and Standings

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Here are the fixtures and standings for Faz Super Division week 12 matches to be played 28/o5/2010.

FAZ Super Division week 12

28/05/2010

Lusaka Dynamos-Konkola Blades

Nkwazi-Zanaco

Red Arrows-Green Buffaloes

City of Lusaka-Choma Eagles

Nchanga Rangers-National Assembly

Roan United-Power Dynamos

Nkana-Kabwe Warriors

Forest Rangers-Zesco United

Decisive Moment For Esther

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Female boxing sensation Esther Phiri

Esther Phiri enters the ring on Saturday to face Duda Yankovich of Brazil for the WIBA welterweight title at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

For most fans, this is fight is expected to be the bout that defines Esther’s status after a string of modest opponents from her 11-fight unbeaten run.

Victory for Esther against champion in recess Duda will also earn her the respectable WIBA title which is the top tier in the long list of women’s boxing organizations.

Esther enters the ring on the back of a dramatic draw at Mulungushi against American Terri Blair last November in a bout she failed to land a decisive punch against the 8th ranked fighter on the WIBA welterweight class.

A decisive win winthin the distance of this 10-round bout will go some way in restoring some faith in her prowess in the ring from a public that enjoys a love-hate relationship with the fighter.

Meanwhile, Duda returns to the ring for the first time since June last year when she lost to Holy Holm in her first fight outside Brazil and injury later kept her of action before making the trip to Zambia.

With one defeat from 12 fights the Serbian-born Brazilian has vowed to bounce back this weekend after losing to Holm when she faces-off against Esther.

Family of Ukrainian Doctor found dead in Solwezi express gratitute

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Dear Mr. President Rupiah Banda, Mr. Kabinga Pande, Dr. Mumba, Mr.Fabian Katiba, Mr. Simon Kunda and other concerned parties.

Dr, Valeriy Priyma’s family is grateful to all of you for all the assistance you have provided concerned with Dr. Priyma’s death and transportation his body to Ukraine.

We appreciate the information and advices you have given, as well as the connections you have shared with us. Your expertise and help have been invaluable during this process.

Again, thank you so much. We sincerely appreciate your generosity.And we hope for your further countenance in investigation of this accident and communications.

Best Regards,

Dr. Valeriy Priyma’s family”

MTN wants ZCC to probe charges

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MTN Zambia has submitted a request to the Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) to investigate the underlining costs for local calls to bring down the high charges of communication.

Company chief marketing officer, Ernst Fonternel said ZCC should determine the causes of high interconnectivity rates in Zambia, to help to come up with solutions on how to reduce the costs.

“We have put up an application through ZCC to look into the high connectivity rates within Zambia between the local players,” he said.

Mr Fonternal said measures were being put in place to address concerns that customers were raising in terms of lowering the cost for local calls.

He said Pricewaterhouse Cooppers was also conducting a study on the high interconnectivity rates which would be completed by the end of June this year.

Speaking after the Launch of the MTN Blackberry mobile phone in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Fonternal said customers should expect reduced rates once the two reports were finalised.

And Mr Fonternal said it would soon operationalise the international gateway once the operators licence was granted by the Government.

[ Times of Zambia]

We have enough tools to silence those insulting RB – MMD

Guest Editor
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President Banda pleads with the people of Milanzi to vote for the MMD candidate during a campaign trail

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has warned that it has enough tools and machinery to silence all those insulting President Rupiah Banda.

MMD Lusaka Province Information Publicity Chairperson Greenock Lupambo said the opposition have not seen any reaction from MMD cadres yet but warned that what the party will do to those insulting the President will be regrettable.
He said the ruling party will not continue to have the President ridiculed in the media, stating that they are ready to protect, at any cost, the President from being insulted.

Meanwhile, Mr Lupambo has said the MMD Leadership in Lusaka is optimistic that the party will this time win back all the lost parliamentary seats in Lusaka Province during the 2011 elections.

He said the ruling party is working hard and seriously to ensure that they win all the seats at all costs.
He added that the party is receiving a lot of both financial and moral support from its partners to facilitate the party’s success in the 2011 elections.

[Q fm]

Mpombo has case to answer

Entertainment Editor
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George Mpombo

NDOLA Chief Resident Magistrate Kelvin Limbani has put former Minister of Defence George Mpombo on his defence after finding him with a case to answer.

This is in a case in which Mpombo is charged with an offence of a dishonoured cheque.

In his ruling in the Ndola Magistrates Court yesterday, Mr Limbani said he had considered the evidence on record and found that the State had established a prima facie case against Mpombo in accordance with chapter 207 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), which requires him to be put on his defence.

Mr Limbani said six witnesses testified in the case and that the State filed written submissions while the defence made oral ones.

Particulars of the offence are that Mpombo, on December 18, 2009 with intent to defraud, issued a cheque number 000014 worth K10 million to Colwyn Limited of Ndola on an insufficiently funded account, which rendered the cheque dishonoured.
[pullquote]“When I reached his place, I told him that the hydraulic system on both my tractors had packed up and I needed K10 million to sort out the hydraulic system because I was unable to spray the crop…..it was very, very urgent, absolutely urgent,” Mpombo said.[/pullquote]

During his examination-in-chief led by his lawyer Bonaventure Mutale, Mpombo said on December 10, 2009, he went to Mr Terence Findlay’s office after the latter invited him through a Mr Watson Katema Mutale.

He said Mr Findlay was excited to see him and asked him why he had resigned from his ministerial portfolio.

“When I reached his place, I told him that the hydraulic system on both my tractors had packed up and I needed K10 million to sort out the hydraulic system because I was unable to spray the crop…..it was very, very urgent, absolutely urgent,” Mpombo said.

He testified that Mr Findlay was sympathetic with him and agreed to lend him K10 million in exchange with a postdated cheque.

“I was given K10 million cash, we agreed that I will give him a post-dated cheque for K10 million. I issued the cheque and it was drawn on my account,” Mpombo said.

He testified that he issued a postdated cheque to Mr Findlay because his account had insufficient money at the time.

“I had to sort out the problem of selling animals at the farm and Mr Findlay was aware that my account had insufficient funds.

Notwithstanding this, he accepted the cheque,” Mpombo said.

He said he issued a postdated cheque to Mr Findlay, which was to be deposited on December 18, 2009, but that on December 17, 2009, he phoned Mr Findlay and told him not to proceed to deposit the cheque because he was mobilising funds.

Mpombo told the court that by December 17, 2009, he had mobilised K10 million and agreed with Mr Findlay that he could make the payment another day because the matter was not urgent.

“Mr Findlay told me that he was not pushing me and that I could make the payment another day. It is a blatant lie that he told me to deposit the money in Lusaka,” Mpombo said.

He denied allegations that he dishonestly issued the K10 million cheque to Mr Findlay with intent to defraud him.

During cross examination by prosecutor Lawrence Mudenda, Mpombo said he did not make arrangements with his bank to pay the K10 million to Mr Findlay in case the cheque was deposited.

He admitted that on December 18, 2009, he had K46,000 as available balance in his bank account and that the money could not cover the K10 million he owed Mr Findlay.

“Mr Findlay is my bapongoshi (son-in-law), he assured me that he would not deposit the cheque on December 18, 2009,” Mpombo said.

Mr Limbani set July 16, 2010 as the date on which he will deliver judgment. He ordered the State to make its written submissions on June 10, 2010 while the defence will make theirs on June 25, 2010.
[Zambia Daily Mail ]

PACT members question the conviction of Katele Kalumba

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The Patriotic Front (PF)has described the conviction of former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba as a political gimmick by president Rupiah Banda.

PF National youth secretary Erick Chanda says though the conviction is welcome,Dr. Kalumba has been used as a sacrificial lamb to pay to for former president Dr.Frederick Chiluba’s sins.

Mr. Chanda accused the MMD of engineering the conviction of Dr. Kalumba in order to neutralize competition at the forth coming MMD convention.

He said president Banda is jittery of Dr.Kalumba’s presidential ambitions.

Mr. Chanda questioned why the former president Chiluba has gone scot free when his aides have been jailed.

He told QFM that if the MMD government is committed to fighting corruption they should appeal against Dr. Chiluba’s acquittal.
[pullquote]
Mr. Chanda accuses the MMD of engineering the conviction of Dr. Kalumba in order to neutralize competition at the forth coming MMD convention.[/pullquote]

He noted that the MMD will never fool Zambians that they are committed to fighting corruption.

And The United Party for National Development (UPND) has questioned the judiciary’s fairness following the jailing of MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba on corruption charges.

In an interview with QFM, UPND Secretary General Winstone Chibwe said the Judiciary’s jailing of Dr. Kalumba and six of his co-accused is questionable.

He said the charges the former Finance Minister has been convicted for are the same charges Second Republican President Dr.Chiluba was acquitted of.

[pullquote]Mr.Chibwe wonders how Dr.Chiluba could be acquitted yet his former finance minister together with his top former ministry officials have been convicted of the same corruption charges.[/pullquote]

Mr.Chibwe wonders how Dr.Chiluba could be acquitted yet his former Finance Minister together with his top former ministry officials have been convicted of the same corruption charges.

He said there is need for the judiciary to pull up its socks especially when it come to the way it is handling corruption cases.

Mr. Chibwe has since described as unfortunate for a man of Dr. Kalumba’s caliber to be jailed for corruption.

The Lusaka magistrate court on Wednesday jailed the former Finance Minister for 5-years after finding him and his co-accused guilty of corruption involving US$20 million.

Dr. Kalumba has since filed the notice for bail pending appeal to the High Court.

QFM

‘Insinuations about RDA malicious’

Entertainment Editor
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GOVERNMENT has said the insinuation that money amounting to K1 trillion was stolen from the Road Development Agency (RDA) was a mere malicious campaign because no such money was misappropriated and that this had been borne by the transformation of the road net work in Zambia under the RDA.

Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said in Lusaka yesterday that RDA was among the Government institutions that were accountable but faced challenges reminiscent to broad institutional difficulties experienced everywhere.

Speaking during a live programme aired on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)’s radio two, Mr Mulongoti said the K1 trillion over commitment had resulted from the three-year long-term programme that RDA had formulated.

“So there is no over commitment where that amount of money is being planned over a period of three years. You cannot fault people for planning in advance,” Mr Mulongoti explained.

He said RDA was very accountable and gave the example of the 72 km Zimba-Livingstone Road whose tender process for the first 30 km was done by the Government at a cost of K105 billion.

He said for the same road, same contractor and same period, the European Union awarded a tender of 210 billion (Euros 35 million).

The minister said reasons for the huge difference between the GRZ managed project and the one that was processed by the EU were unknown.

Mr Mulongoti said this showed how accountable RDA had been and explained, however, that should there be misappropriation of funds, all those involved would be prosecuted because the Government was of laws.

The January 2006 to September 2009 report by the Auditor General on RDA has revealed, among other things, alleged misuse of funds and over-commitment up to K1 trillion.

Mr Mulongoti said RDA needed the support of all stakeholders and not closure.
He said the terms used by some sections of society in reference to the RDA were very crude, such as misappropriation of funds, which was a criminal offence.

The minister said political opponents had taken advantage of the situation to attack the Government while some were driven by ignorance about the operations of RDA.

Mr Mulongoti said he was in the process of appointing the new board chairperson and members but that some people have turned down the offers because of the growing levels of malice against RDA.

The programme also featured out-going RDA chairman Walusiku Lisulo and director Erasmus Chilundika who reiterated that the K1 trillion which had been referred to as over-commitment was for three years.

He said the budgeting was in line with the medium term expenditure framework prepared by the Ministry of Finance and national planning, which encouraged institutions to budget for three years.

Mr Chilundika said management responses to the audit reports where all the misused terms and perceptions had been clarified had been ignored.

And Mr Walusiku said RDA officials had not misappropriated any money but had used it for the projects as approved by the government through an eight-man committee of ministers.

He said RDA was in the process of rolling out the second phase of the road sub-sector investment programme (ROADSIP-II) at a cost of about US$1.6 billion by 2013.

Mr Walusiku said RDA was facing numerous challenges as a result of limited funding .
[ Times of Zambia ]

UPND in 11 South districts want pact with MMD

Entertainment Editor
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MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga

United Party for National Development (UPND) members in 11 districts in Southern Province want an alliance between their party and the MMD, veteran politician and parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga has said.

Mr Mwaanga said the people of Southern Province have called for a pact between the MMD and the UPND as opposed to the one that was currently in existence between the Patriotic Front (PF) and the UPND.

Mr Mwaanga who has just returned from a visit to the districts said the general view of the people was that they wanted to see an alliance between the MMD and the UPND as the two parties’ manifestos were similar.

In an interview, in Livingstone Mr Mwaanga said only an alliance between the MMD and the United Party for National Development (UPND) would produce a Republican president from Southern Province in 2016.

He observed that coalitions and pacts had a great capacity for failure especially in Africa because their ideologies were usually different.

He cited the pact between the PF and the UPND as one which would not work because the two opposition parties had manifestos that were diametrically opposed.

He said while the PF believed in socialisation and nationalisation, the UPND believed in liberalisation and a free market.

Mr Mwaanga said the people of Southern Province had observed that the MMD and UPND manifestos were similar and this was why they were calling for a pact between the two parties.

He would personally support a pact between the MMD and the UPND, as it would be for the benefit of the Zambian people.

“If UPND shows interest, I would encourage the MMD to enter into an alliance with UPND as it would be mutually beneficial to the Zambian people. It is not about personalities but the interests of the Zambian people,” he said.

Mr Mwaanga condemned the violence during recent by-elections in Mufumbwe saying violent acts did not add anything to development.

As the 2011 elections drew closer, it was important for Zambians to scrutinise speeches and see how some politicians were merely attacking others and engaging in name calling as those vices are bad.

“I believe that Zambians want politics of substance. Zambians want tangible service delivery,” he said.

On the appointment of opposition UNIP Member of Parliament Mkhondo Lungu as minister of home affairs, Mr Mwaanga said that the move was constitutional as the president was at liberty to appoint any MP regardless of which party they were coming from.

He congratulated Mr Lungu on his appointment.
[ Times of Zambia ]

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