LATE President Levy Mwanawasa’s first born daughter Mirriam Mwanawasa has said it is shocking that Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata can claim that her father’s decision to evacuate him to South Africa for treatment was a mere public relations (PR) gimmick.

Ms Mwanawasa said in Ndola yesterday that it was not right for Mr Sata to have pretended that he had reconciled with her father and start attacking him now that he was dead.

She said Mr Sata who was on record saying he had appreciated Dr Mwanawasa’s gesture, should realise that the u-turn he had now made was a very bad example to the upcoming generation.

“Such a u-turn is shocking and regrettable as it is giving a very bad example to the upcoming generation. Mr Sata had publicly appreciated the gesture by the big man and for him to now turn around and state that it was just mere public relations my father wanted to play, is a very sad development and I wish he had the courage to tell him that before he died,” she said.

She said Mr Sata should apologise both to God and the Zambian people because what he had done was a sin.
She said it was actually shameful for Mr Sata to be so inconsistent.

“I just pray for Mr Sata’s deliverance because such utterances can only come from a person possessed with a demon. Whatever good the late president did to Mr Sata during the time of the PF leader’s need was wholehearted and for God’s glory and it is quite common that what Mr Sata has engaged in, is spiritual battle. The devil has led Mr Sata into forgetting easily.

“It is actually shameful for him to make such a statement. Mr Sata should have been brave to tell my father what he is saying today. He should not have pretended to have reconciled with my father and start attacking him now just because he is no more. Let Mr Sata leave my father to rest in peace,” she said.

She said she would not judge Mr Sata but would only pray for his salvation for ‘all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’.

She called for peace and unity in Zambia as a Christian nation and urged people to remain true to each other and avoid cheap politics whenever the country approached general elections.

Former special assistant to the president on policy implementation Jack Kalala said yesterday that he would today issue a statement over Mr Sata’s remarks.

And Leadership in Development Executive Director Moses Kalonde said Mr Sata had continued to lose political direction hence his resort to attacking the dead.

Mr Kalonde said Mr Sata had shown the Zambians the level of his ingratitude by stating that Dr Mwanawasa’s decision to evacuate him to South Africa was mere PR.

“The late president never considered Mr Sata as his political enemy when he decided to evacuate him to South Africa. That was a gesture from deep down Dr Mwanawasa’s heart, which Mr Sata should appreciate. Really this man does not appreciate,” Mr Kalonde said.

He said even the statement stating that he regretted having served under second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s Government just went to show that he regretted having served Zambians.

Times of Zambia

THE Lusaka Boma Local Court has fined a man K28 million as compensation for divorce with the first installment of K4 million to be paid on April 30, 2010.
He was ordered to pay his ex-wife the rest of the fine in monthly installments of K800,000 and to also pay K400,000 for child maintenance every month.

Senior presiding magistrate Elipher Mwewa in her judgment said the man will also pay house rentals of K2.5 million for a year for his ex-wife.

This was in a case in which Lukonde Makungu, 30, of Olympia Township in Lusaka sued his wife Bwalya Chisapa, 28, of the same township for divorce.

Makungu told the court that he was prompted to sue his wife after discovering that she had two boyfriends.
He claimed that his wife started flirting with affluent men with whom she worked.

Makungu said although his wife explained to him that there was no love affair between her and the men, he did not believe her because this was not the first time he was hearing about her extra-marital relationships.

In cross-examination, Makungu insisted that their marriage should be dissolved because, Chipasa allegedly started using charms, a practice he did not understand.

In defence, Chisapa denied having extramarital affairs but said that Makungu has a girlfriend named Mary.
She said since learning that Makungu has a girlfriend, he shifted from the matrimonial bedroom and stopped eating from home for a year.

She said that because of this it became difficult to even make love with him since they slept in separate rooms.

Chisapa said when they got married, Makungu was a very good man but she does not understand why his attitude towards her has changed so much that he was asking for divorce.

“I loved my husband but since he wants this marriage to end, I have no problem because I can not force him to love me,” Chipasa said.

Magistrate Mwewa said divorce is not good, especially when one has small children who are supposed to enjoy the love of their parents.

She said in some circumstances, the court has no option but to end the marriage when it is insisted upon.

However, Ms Mwewa said children are not supposed to suffer even when parents have divorced, saying it is for this reason that the father must continue paying child maintenance as stipulated by the Zambian Laws.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Six civil society organisations in Lusaka have petitioned government to immediately release from detention former Catholic Priest father Frank. Bwalya

The civil society in a communiqué signed in Lusaka today accused police of exhibiting double standards and practising political policing as opposed to civil policing which was anchored on respect for human rights.

Fr. Bwalya, who is Change Life Zambia Director is current detained at Kamfinsa Prison in Kitwe for allegedly campaigning for the removal of the current government from power.

Those who signed the communiqué at the press briefing in Lusaka today are Transparent International Zambia (TIZ) President Reuben Lifuka, Caritas Zambia President Samuel Mulafulafu and ‘the de-registered’ SACCORD’s Executive Director Lee Habasonda.

Others include Paul Lungu’s National Youth Anti-corruption Movement, Rickson Kenema of the Zambia Youth against the fight Against Corruption and Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) representative Patrick Mucheleka

CSPR representative Patrick Mucheleka who read the communiqué of behalf of other civil society organizations warned government that the civil society would not be intimidated by the arrest of Fr. Bwalya

Mr. Mucheleka said the civil society has vowed to continue to advocate for the fight for a good constitution, good governance, corruption and fight against high levels of poverty in the country.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has said that contrary to people’s perception, he liked former catholic priest father Frank Bwalya but only hated his behaviour of agitating for disunity and violence in the country.

President Banda said he did not like the behaviour of Fr. Bwalya who has chosen a path of undermining government through acts bordering on violence and death.

Mr. Banda further condemned Fr. Bwayla for abandoning the pulpit and urged him to return to his call of preaching the gospel.

President Banda was speaking at the Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) Matero Congregation in Matero Compound in Lusaka today.

Mr. Banda expressed sadness that the church has remained mute in condemning the Catholic Priest for his relentless attacks on government.

He said the church should be able to point out the mistakes of Fr. Bwalya because the president believed that the church never advocated violence and death.

“I love Fr. Bwalya but I hate what he does and his behaviour of agitating violence and death. Fr. Bwalya should be condemned by all right thinking people but why is the church quiet on Fr. Bwalya?” President Banda asked.

The president told the congregation that government was committed to working with the church to foster development in the country.[quote]

Mr. Banda said government respected and wanted to continue working with the church because it has demonstrated that it was an all wealther friend of government in improving and developing key sectors of the economy such as education and health among others.

He reminded the church to vote for credible leaders like him in next year’s elections because it has exhibited maturity in his leadership. Mr. Banda requested the church to pray for politicians in the country for peace to continue prevailing because there was currently no sanity in the current Zambian politics.

He said the Zambian politics have been characterised by insults and hatred from UPND/PF pact leaders Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema.

Speaking earlier BIGOCA Overseer Bishop Peter Ndhlovu said the church will continue working in harmony with the government of the day.

Bishop Ndholovu said there was no way the church could detach itself from working with government because it was a true and faithful partner to government in national development.

ZANIS

United Party for National Development (UPND) Vice President Richard Kapita has urged Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to told Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies by-elections simultaneously to save on costs.

Mr. Kapita said declaring Milanzi as the only seat to be contested for presently would be a waste of scarce resources that the country has.

The UPND vice president was speaking at a UPND press briefing in Lusaka today.

Mr. Kapita observed that ECZ would spend more money sending people to South Africa to have the ballot papers printed separately for the two by-elections.

And Mr. Kapita accused the ruling Party for targeting UPND members for UPND in Milanzi and Mufumbwe constituencies.

He said the MMD was panicking because it has no candidates in the named constituencies and was eyeing UPND members.

“We know that MMD is panicking for not having candidates for Milanzi and Mufumbwe constituencies but we are not going to allow them, we have enough evidence,” Mr. Kapita noted.

He has also refuted reports that members from UPND defected to join MMD at yesterday’s MMD card renewal exercise.

Mr. Kapita said the party members have a strong conviction on UPND and know what the party has for its people.

“Our people know that UPND will soon take lead and has therefore no reason for joining a party which is losing in the coming tripartite elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kapita has called on MMD and the police to release Father Frank Bwalya and give him a fair trial.

“It is said that Fr. Bwalya was been starved and his family could not be allowed to see him especially his mother,” Mr. Kapita observed.

Mr. Kapita said Fr.Bwalya deserved a trial just like anyone else and then charged according to the outcome.

ZANIS

PRESIDENT Banda has declared that he is ready to stand in the 2011 presidential elections and is confident of victory because the ruling party is more unified and better coordinated than it was in the run-up to the 2008 elections.

And former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa re-affirmed her family’s support for the ruling party and urged it to work in unity.

Mr Banda said the ruling MMD could not win the 2008 presidential elections with a wider margin because he did not have enough time to prepare for the elections after the demise of President Mwanawasa.

He said this when he launched the MMD membership card renewal in Lusaka yesterday.

“I have never denied that I am ready for the 2011 elections. We are ready for both the elections and the national convention. When we will hold the convention is our business,” President Banda said to the jubilation of hundreds of party cadres.

He said campaign efforts for 2011 will be more harmonised, unlike in 2008 when certain people were doing their own things.

He said there will be a committee that will ensure that campaign activities are harmonised throughout the country.

It will discipline those who may want to pull in different directions.

Mr Banda said the committee will also ensure that the party speaks with one voice.

“It wasn’t like that last time because I had just come in and did not have enough time to coordinate things. However, I would like to thank you for what you did because if it was not for you, I would not have won the elections,” President Banda said.

He said the MMD government has worked hard to deliver development to the people and ensure that people have equal access to national resources regardless of who they voted for.

Mr Banda urged MMD officials not to relent in serving Zambians with passion and humility, regardless of the achievements Government has scored.

“Let’s not show arrogance to the people. I don’t like arrogant people,” he said.

He said he gets surprised by former Defence Minister George Mpombo’s verbal attacks because he did not fire him.

Mr Banda said Mr Mpombo quit on his own, but wonders why the former minister attacks him.

Mr Banda said he was chosen Republican Vice-President because the late President Mwanawasa saw that he was a true supporter of the party.

“I did not come from nowhere. I came into this party. I was invited to come because I was devoted to this party. I fought to be where I am today,” Mr Banda said.[quote]

Mr Banda called on the party leadership to promote unity because the ruling party can no longer tolerate politics of insults and hatred.

He said the MMD should work hard in future by-elections, saying they lost the Solwezi Central by-elections because they were divided over petty things.

The President assured Zambians they will sleep in peace next year because Government will ensure that they choose their leaders in a conducive atmosphere.

Mr Banda warned people against voting for leaders who have a track record of intimidating and hounding out political opponents because such politicians could manipulate the Constitution if voted into power.

The President said party members will be free to contest for positions at the MMD convention.

He said those who are in the habit of offending party members will only have themselves to blame if cadres bar them from attending the convention.

Mr Banda warned of disciplinary action against party cadres who are reportedly soliciting money from business houses in the name of MMD.

The President urged MMD cadres to do things correctly so that they do not provide an opportunity for the opposition to attack them.

And speaking to journalists after she renewed her membership, Mrs Mwanawasa said the MMD should unite as it cannot afford to lose focus now.

She said the party should, in the spirit of forgiveness, bring everyone on board, including the outspoken members and those considered as prodigal members.

Mrs Mwanawasa said she renewed her membership to re-confirm her family’s commitment to the party.
She, however, said as wife of the late President, she gets injured when she hears people talking about his legacy.

Meanwhile, President Banda said Patriotic Front secretary general Wynter Kabimba was expressing ignorance when he condemned his state visit to China.
The President said his trip to China was an eye-opener of how the Asian country overcame poverty.

He said it was a world-wide trend for leaders to share ideas and learn from one another.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains”
(Colossians 4:3, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Did you know that when Paul wrote this verse, he was in chains and in prison? He was arrested for preaching the gospel. Everything in his surroundings shouted “limitations,” but instead of looking at his surroundings, Paul kept his eyes on the limitless God. He kept looking for the open door of opportunity that God would have for him next.

No matter what “chains” you may feel like you are in today, remember, we serve a God who’s in the business of setting people free, and He has equipped you with His power. When doors look closed all around you, when your surroundings look limited, when you feel like you’re in chains, remember, God is still at work. He’s promised to walk with you all the days of your life. Keep your hopes up. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Like Paul, pray for those opportunities to be opened to you. If you fall, get right back up and press forward with even greater determination because He promises to break the chains and open doors of opportunity in your life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I choose to take my eyes off my surroundings and focus on You. I choose to focus on the passion and dream You’ve placed in my heart. I trust that You are working behind the scenes, opening doors of opportunity. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.