Next month they’ll take what they’ve learned here back to their home country in southern Africa to start a school for orphans.

“We value education as the key to national development,” Paul Bupe said. “Every country needs education. These kids are a time bomb to these countries. If they don’t get education, they will blow up in their faces, and the countries will become unmanageable.”

Bupe, pastor at St. Stephen African Methodist Episcopal Church, has dedicated his ministry to serving women and children, particularly widows and orphans, who are worst off in Zambian society.

He served for 11 years in Chililabombwe, a mining town where violence from the 13-year civil war in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo spills over the border. Nationwide, 10 percent of people in Zambia have HIV.

“AIDS has devastated our communities in such a way that children are left all by themselves — little kids fending for themselves,” he said.

Offered a chance to study in the United States, the Bupes and their four children couldn’t pass it up.

“Our plan was to go back and serve the people better,” Catherine said. “We can argue better, maybe, with the politicians.”

Catherine, formerly an accountant, earned a degree in social sciences at Allen University in South Carolina. Paul studied at Allen, Wilberforce University and Ashland Theological Seminary.

Along the way, they’ve made connections with several pastors and churches who might be able to help support their mission when they move to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.

They’re also taking supplies and donations with them on the move. Sandusky Schools contributed books and school supplies, while a Sandusky Brownie Troop provided clothes, including school uniforms.

The Bupes spoke at a meeting of the Brownies for World Thinking Day, a Girl Scout event that this year had the theme, “Together we can end extreme poverty and hunger.”

Catherine told the five girls, ages 8 and 9, about Zambian food and culture and how Zambian children live.

That included stories of hardship. Many children cannot go to school because they can’t buy the uniforms or the required black shoes.

“The kids were very touched,” Catherine said. “They started saying, ‘Oh, we have so many clothes and things we don’t use.’ Some of them cleared out their closets.”

Troop leader Tracy Stephens also got Wal-Mart to agree to reduce a rack of school uniforms — 52 pieces of clothing — to $1 apiece. She bought the clothes and gave them to the Bupes.

St. Stephen will continue collecting donated items to send to the Bupes. Stephens said she will gladly pick up anything anyone wants to donate and take it to the church if they call her at 419-503-0435.

People can also reach Paul Bupe at revpaulbupe.com

[Sandusky Register]

Government has maintained that it will not re-introduce the Windfall tax on the mining sector as it will militate against levels of mineral exploration activities in the sector.

Mines and Minerals Minister Maxwell Mwale says explorations is the backbone of the Zambia’s future in the mining sector stressing that the introduction of super taxes of mines would lead a drop in explorations as witnessed when the windfall tax was introduced in Zambia.

The Minister was speaking at the presentation of a cheque of dividend, a payment worth $ 18.1 million, by Kansanshi Mining PLC a major holding of First Quantum Minerals FQM to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mining Investment holdings ZCCM-IH, a minority share holder of Kansanshi.

The Dividend is the first single largest payment ever received by ZCCM-IH from the firm which is the highest since it began its operation in the mining sector.

Mr. Mwale said the gesture by the firm is a clear demonstration of Government and the countries benefits from foreign investments in the sector as opposed to some sections and sectors of the country that Government is not benefiting from its investments.

And First Quantum Minerals FQM Resident Director Kwalela Lamaswala said that the payment follows a review of Kansanshi Dividend Policy by the board and comprises a special Dividend of US$ 15.6 million for the end the financial year of 2007 while the other US$ 2.5 million accounts for the end of the 2009 financial year.

He said the objective of the review of its policy is to ensure that its share holders receive an attractive return on their investments.

Speaking at the same function as he received the cheque ZCCM-IH Board Chairman Alfred Lungu said that the Dividend not only represents a valuable return on its investment but that it will also enhance opportunities of the Government holding to supplement its investment portfolio for the ultimate benefits of the Zambians.

He also said the Dividend will help ZCCM Holdings to offset the remainder of its Legal liabilities carried over from the old ZCCM Limited before the firm’s transformation into ZCCM in 2002.

Mr. Lamaswala called on other investment firms to emulate what Kansanshi has done in order demonstrate their investment worthiness in the sector.

QFM

MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga has said the Government is now in the process of managing economic fundamentals to maximise benefits for ordinary Zambians.

Mr Mwaanga said the Government was not responsible for producing data on the economy as these were produced by economic researchers using proven trends.

Mr Mwaanga also defended the decision to waive the windfall taxes on mining firms because this had led to increased investment in the sector.

Speaking during the recording of the Frank-Talk programme at Golden Bridge Hotel in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwaanga said the recorded economic development is real and was slowly benefiting the ordinary Zambians especially in rural areas where the ruling party was popular.

[pullquote]He said he conducted a research recently which showed that the people of South Province would only have accepted an alliance between the ruling MMD and UPND.[/pullquote]

Mr Mwaanga urged Zambians to start preparing their views on the proposed degree clause that was already adopted by the NCC.

Mr Mwaanga said the NCC merely passed a proposal and the people of Zambia would be given a chance to criticise the document before it finally passed into law.

Meanwhile, Mr Mwaanga has said the ideological impurities between the Patriotic Front (PF)/United Party for National Development (PF-UPND) would make the alliance crumble and rejected by the people of Southern Province.

He said he conducted a research recently which showed that the people of South Province would only have accepted an alliance between the ruling MMD and UPND.

According to Mr Mwaanga, this is because of similarities in the ideologies and the constitutions.

Mr Mwaanga said the research involved meeting traditional leaders, ordinary citizens and farmers who said they were not widely consulted before the alliance was mooted.

He said because of this, the MMD would defeat the alliance in the 2011 presidential elections.

Mr Mwaanga said the MMD has the greatest manifesto and urged Zambians not to waste votes on the opposition.

He said the opposition leaders were using bad language and should not be given chance to govern.

Mr Mwaanga said insinuations that the ruling part was tired were malicious as leaders change because of retirement.

On the controversial senior members of the ruling party Mr Mwaanga said he had offered free advice to them to refrain from attacking the head of State and toy the policies of the party.

[Times of Zambia]

Government has challenged Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to make public the results of medical tests he underwent on September 8, 2008 before he can continue to malign others.

But Mr Sata said the diseases which were detected after the tests had been treated and declared that he was ready to disclose the type of diseases in the presence of Mike Mulongoti.

Mr Mulongoti who is acting chief Government spokesperson said in Lusaka yesterday that he had been forced to challenge Mr Sata after observing careless talk on the health condition of Government leaders.

Mr Mulongoti said the Government was in possession of all medical records for Mr Sata mainly carried out at a medical centre in Lusaka.

He said after Vice-President George Kunda’s trip to South Africa for medical reviews, Mr Sata talked ill believing that the Government was merely threatening when it continuously said it had results of Mr Sata’s medical tests.

Mr Mulongoti challenged Mr Sata to deny that he conducted medical tests in September 2008 before he can start talking ill about other people’s health conditions.

“As Government we want to respect the rule that medical records are a private matter between the patient and the doctor and we want it to remain like that. I will not disclose anything further but let him continue, he will see what we will do,” Mr Mulongoti said.

He said details of medical tests should be disclosed to the public by Mr Sata to allow people make their own judgment on his fitness in comparison with the people he was maligning.

Mr Mulongoti, who is Minister of Works and Supply said the Government was ready to debate the matter until Mr Sata accepted that it should be rested and asked him to disclose the status of his health so that other leaders could do the same.

He said Mr Sata should be ashamed of himself for making phone calls to South Africa hoping that the vice president was dead.

He said the Government was ready to help Mr Sata by disclosing the results of his medical tests and allow the Zambian people make their own judgments.

Mr Mulongoti who is also MMD chairperson for elections said Mr Sata used other people’s illnesses to gain political mileage and warned that the Government would also use his illness to gain the similar measure of political gain.

But Mr Sata said the diseases the Government had listed were long treated and pledged to co-operate in conducting another set of similar tests to prove that he was cured.

Mr Sata claimed that the diseases he was found with were minor. He said the diseases were not strange to society and was ready to disclose to the public in the presence of Mr Mulongoti.
[TIMES OF ZAMBIA]

The Evangelical Youth Alliance International (EYA) has backed President Rupiah Banda’s observation that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Africa were criticizing African governments.

President Banda told delegates at the just ended World Economic Forum in Dar-es-salaam , Tanzania that NGOs in Africa were at all times attacking serving heads of state a situation he said was retrogressive.EYA President, Moses Lungu said the observation by President Banda is timely.

Reverend Lungu said most NGOs have abandoned their roles of service delivery to the people and shifted their goal posts to attacking and suppressing the governments of the day.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Rev. Lungu observed that Chief Executives of the NGOs have become agents of imperialism whose core agenda is to advocate for regime change of governments.

Rev. Lungu reminded the NGOs that President Banda is mandated by the Zambian people to drive the nation to economic recovery.He said the NGOs’ motive was clear and that it was a recipe for anarchy and civil unrest that could lead the country into the doldrums of poverty, disease and under-development.

Meanwhile, Rev. Lungu has observed that the violence that marred the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election was a desperate move by the opposition UPNDF/PF pact. He appealed to government not to relent in bringing the culprits to book because violence is detrimental to national security.

The Clergyman expressed fears that slowly the violence that characterized the Mapatizya polls in Southern province and now in Mufumbwe would engulf the entire nation and lead to a civil war if left unchecked.

Rev. Lungu charged that the UPND/PF pact threw away the Electoral Code of Conduct in the
Mufumbwe elections and adopted the ‘Mapatizya formula’ to instill fear in the electorate.

The EYA president further appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to intensify Voter Education Programmes.
(Q FM)

William Banda says insulting the Head of State amounts to committing a felony and urged the pact leaders to differentiate development from mere politicking.

He warned the United Party for National Development and Patriotic Front (UPND/PF) pact leaders Hakainde Hichilema and Michael Sata that government will deal with them.

Mr. Banda was speaking to a state run news agency in an interview in Lusaka.

He said that the ruling MMD does not want to be dragged into uncivilized cheap politicking.

Mr. Banda urged the opposition to concentrate on organizing their respective political parties claiming that the pact is about to break.

He said the MMD is not threatened by the formation of political alliances because it is evident from the past that pacts in Zambia do not work.
[ QFM ]

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda returned to Zambia from South Africa yesterday where he had gone for a medical review, condemning rumours about his purported demise as satanic and contrary to Zambia’s Christian and cultural values.

Mr Kunda who arrived at about 12:58 hours aboard a South African Airways flight, accompanied by his wife Ireen, was received by hundreds of well-wishers who included ministers, senior Government officials, hordes of MMD members, his children and grandchildren.
The joyous Mr Kunda waved the MMD symbol as he alighted from the plane, much to the jubilation of hordes of people who thronged the runway at Lusaka International Airport to welcome him back home.

He took time to greet Government officials, MMD officials and cadres who included various singing and dancing groups, who painted the airport runway ‘blue and white’ – the MMD colours.  The Vice-President robustly walked to the VIP lounge where he addressed journalists.

“It’s so nice to be back home. I have missed nshima. It’s three weeks and I am grateful to the President, Government, the party leadership, the provincial (MMD) chairman, and all the Zambians who have received me. This shows that the people of Zambia were praying for me; there is a lot of sympathy and encouragement,” Mr Kunda said.

He said the rumour that was circulated in the country about his purported demise was the work of sadists who were hoping to destabilise the working of Government. He said his medical review has been politicised by some opposition political party leaders who were hoping that his purported demise would turn out to be true.

[pullquote]“Mr Sata, let me tell you, there is a lot we know about your health. However, we have remained committed to Christian values. Your health remains between you and your doctor,” Mr Kunda said.[/pullquote]

“What kind of hatred is this,” he asked.  Mr Kunda said Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata phoned the Zambian High Commission in South Africa asking them to confirm his alleged demise.

According to Mr Kunda on his second telephone call, Mr Sata accused the High Commissioner to South Africa Leslie Mbula and Government of lying about his purported demise.

“When he was told that I was still alive, his reaction was ‘thank God he’s still alive,” of course with a forked tongue,” Mr Kunda said.

“Unfortunately I got the rumour which was circulated in Zambia about my purported demise. This must have been fabricated definitely by some criminals, sadists and in fact satanists, because this is not our culture. These are some of the things that are coming from outside the country such as homosexuality,” Mr Kunda said.

He said it was unfortunate that there were bizarre and eccentric characters in society who thrive on inflicting pain on others.

Mr Kunda said the enemies of Government and the ruling MMD wanted to create tension in the country, weaken the system, and make them lose the capacity to defend the President.

“To the contrary this ungodly and criminal act has made me stronger and somewhat elevated me to the status of a martyr,” he said.

[pullquote]“Unfortunately I got the rumour which was circulated in Zambia about my purported demise. This must have been fabricated definitely by some criminals, sadists and in fact satanists, because this is not our culture. These are some of the things that are coming from outside the country such as homosexuality,” Mr Kunda said.[/pullquote]

Mr Kunda said he went to South Africa aboard a commercial aircraft on prior arrangements with his physician, contrary to rumours that he was evacuated in an emergency.

He said he stayed in a hotel for two days prior to commencing medical review at Morningside Clinic.  Mr Kunda said he started going to the clinic for medical review during the reign of the then President, Dr Levy Mwanawasa who facilitated the treatment of many people outside the country, including Mr Sata.

He said President Banda has continued with this practice due to his kind heart.Mr Kunda said a medical review may entail admitting a person into hospital and this is what happened to him. The Vice-President said like any other person, he needs medical treatment, what he needs from the people of Zambia are prayers for good health.

Mr Kunda said speculations of his purported death, devastated his family and children some of whom are still in school.

He charged that Mr Sata was behaving like he has never been a subject of similar rumours.

“Mr Sata, let me tell you, there is a lot we know about your health. However, we have remained committed to Christian values. Your health remains between you and your doctor,” Mr Kunda said.

Mr Kunda said as Catholics, they pray for the sick. He urged Christians in Zambia to condemn politicians who thrive on spreading falsehoods and wishing sick people dead.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us”
(2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

As a believer, God wants to do His work on the earth through you. You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power. It’s easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realize that you are equipped to be somebody else’s miracle?

Every single day, we have opportunities to show God’s love and compassion to others. We have the opportunity to meet their needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an eternal harvest.

I encourage you today to look for ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you pour into others and help meet their needs, God will make sure that others pour into you. Let’s continue to work together to build His kingdom to the glory of God!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for choosing me and using me. Once again, I surrender every area of my life to You. Show me ways to be a miracle to others so that my life brings glory to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Father Bwalya said the civil society organization in the country were worried of the rampant violence being exhibited during political campaigns.

He said only political leaders themselves have the key to stop the spread of the violence being perpetuated by cadres who obey every instruction they give them.

Father Bwalya said cadres should not be blamed because they could not do anything without the consent of their political leaders.

He appealed to political leaders from the both the opposition and the ruling party to take keen interest in conducting their political campaign without violence.

The CLZ Director noted that the operations of political parties in the country was worrying as regards to violence and they should to take a strong stance against it.

He said that political violence is affecting the lives of Zambians and if no action was taken by those in leadership position, it would paint a bad picture on the country’s developing democracy.
[ QFM ]