Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has said the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact is working with the civil society to breed anarchy in Zambia.

The minister accused the two opposition parties of being behind the Red Card campaign as realised in the manner they were collaborating with the civil society organisations such as the Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) and the Citizens Forum.

Mr Mangani said in an interview yesterday that it was surprising that the civil society was still calling for Zambians to join the Red Card campaign despite them meeting with him last week to address their concerns.
He said the two parties and the civil society organisations such as TIZ were always speaking one language even where there was no justification.

“It is clear that they have a hidden agenda as civil society. We need people who have progressive ideas as government and not those promoting anarchy,” he said.

He said the idea of meeting civil society organisations at his office last week was to iron out any issues raised but the government was saddened with the path its stakeholders were taking.

Mr Mangani said there was no justification for the Red Card campaign as being insisted by the civil society. He said Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda should come to terms and accept that issues raised by the civil society as reason for the Red Card campaign were already addressed by the government.

Earlier, Mr Kabanda appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the police to allow his organisation and other Red Card supporters to go on with their campaign.

Speaking on Face the Media radio programme on 5 FM in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Kabanda said the only thing the government could do to stop the campaign was to make all the things that had been lacking available to the people.

“If the government does not want us to go on with this campaign, then they should correct the situation which I think is becoming more desperate. For instance, the government should set the date for the referendum for the 50 plus one and it should also start the registration process for those who want to take part in it,” he said.

He said the Citizens Forum and other civil society organisations would then have nothing to flash red cards for, once their desires and those of the Zambian people were granted, failure to which they would continue with their campaign.
[Times of Zambia]

Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya says the red card campaign is now unstoppable as it has became a national campaign.

Fr Bwalya says attempts by government to thwart the whole campaign will not succeed.

He says the reason why government is intimidating the civil society organizations taking part in the red card campaign is because they are guilty.

Fr Bwalya in an interview with QFM from Kitwe adds that millions of Zambians have joined the red card campaign and that millions more will join.

He adds that government is panicking because they are not ready to appeal against the acquittal of second republican president Frederick Chiluba because doing so would jeopardize the political marriage he is enjoying with president Rupiah Banda.

He adds that failure by government to allegedly bribe the civil society organizations has led to further panic.

Fr Bwalya has since expressed confidence that the red card campaign will achieve its objectives because it is now a people’s campaign.

QFM

HOME Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has said the current probe on Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata is meant to establish whether he lied that he has never been convicted of any criminal offence when he declared his candidature for Republican presidency on three occasions.

Mr Mangani said although the incident could have occurred a long time ago, it was important to know whether Mr Sata had told the truth when he declared that he had never been convicted of any offence when filing nominations for the presidency.

He said in an interview yesterday the matter was now of public interest because information had surfaced that Mr Sata had allegedly committed a criminal offence when he was jailed at Bwana Mkubwa Prison.

Mr Mangani said people such as those who allegedly shared jail cells with Mr Sata who were volunteering could not be ignored.

He said the investigation should not be misconstrued as victimisation but a quest to find out the truth.

Mr Mangani said the relevant authorities had intensified the probe on the allegations that Mr Sata was once jailed after he had committed a criminal offence.

He said once the relevant authorities concluded Investigations, the nation would be informed of the outcome and then the Zambians will decide on what action to be taken on the matter.

Former freedom fighters Jackson Ngoma and Dingiswayo Banda both testified that Mr Sata was once incarcerated for a criminal offence, which he committed when he was still serving as a police constable in the Northern Rhodesia Police Force.

[Times of Zambia]

OPPOSITION Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has disowned its leader Edith Nawakwi over her continued attacks on President Rupiah Banda.

FDD vice president Chifumu Banda said yesterday in an interview that Ms Nawakwi’s attacks on President Banda were her personal views and did not represent the party’s position.

“You can ask senior leaders in the party or the national policy committee. Those views do not represent the views of the party,” he said.

Mr Banda said although people had a right to express their views, the FDD always had a clear position on national issues.

“Those views are hers and do not represent FDD members or the party position,” he said.

He said he did not discuss other people’s utterances because people could not tell the difference between him and other people.

“You know I am a lawyer and I know that every person has a right to express himself or herself,” he said.

The FDD vice-president said even if he had his personal opinion and the fact that he chose to keep quiet did not mean that he did not hold any views.

And FDD national youth chairperson Levy Ngoma said he would issue a statement on the matter today.

Mr Ngoma said he was scheduled to meet Ms Nawakwi last evening before he could issue a statement today.

Ms Nawakwi has in the recent past launched an aggressive attack on President Banda raising concerns in the MMD ranks and the public.

She has recently condemned President Banda’s trip to China and alleged that the president was leading the country on a path of economic disaster.

The opposition leader has also been reported to have attacked President Banda saying most clinics in Lusaka had no medicine and the situation was deplorable.

She has also been quoted as saying that without her support in the 2008 elections, Mr Banda could not have been elected as president.

But many MMD sympathisers have said that Ms Nawakwi was a job-seeker who wanted President Banda to appoint her to a Government position even when there was no need.

[Times of Zambia]

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader, Edith Nawakwi has vowed not to succumb to the intimidation of the ruling MMD following her sustained criticism of president Rupiah Banda and his government.

Ms Nawakwi said in an interview she would continue to be critical of the MMD leadership style.

The FDD leader described Vice president George Kunda’s remarks and for the African institute of democracy and good governance as empty for alleging that she has failed her party and members were calling for her removal.

Ms Nawakwi said it is clear that the ruling MMD has been threatened by her stability in leadership and the heat is too much for them to handle.

She said the assertions by Mr.Kunda that her party members would soon be petitioning her are false and only go to show that the MMD has started to porch some of her party members to destroy her political career.

She accused the ruling party of sponsoring a few members in the FDD who might rise against her and call for her to step down.

QFM

THE MMD in Mufumbwe has castigated North-Western Province MMD youth chairman Newton Malwa for asserting that the party will lose in the Mufumbwe by-election if it adopts Ambassador Mulondwe Muzungu as its candidate.

Mufumbwe MMD chairman Samola Kayombo said in a statement yesterday that although the party has not yet announced its candidate for the by-election, Mr Muzungu’s capacity to win the seat is unquestionable.

“Any sincere member of the MMD should know that Mr Mulondwe Muzungu is a force to reckon with not only in Mufumbwe Constituency but the entire province. If he was adopted to contest the seat, the MMD would scoop it without difficulty,” Mr Kayombo said.

He said Mr Malwa’s assertion in Friday’s edition of The Post newspaper that Mr Muzungu, who is the country’s ambassador to Libya, would lose the Mufumbwe seat to United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Elliot Kamondo if adopted, is misplaced.

Mr Kayombo said it is wrong for Mr Malwa to compare Mr Muzungu’s influence and popularity in the district to that of Mr Kamondo whom he alleged is a political novice.

He cast doubt on the genuineness of Mr Malwa’s membership of the MMD, because of the assertion, which he said should not have been made, as the MMD has not announced its candidate.

Mr Kayombo said Mr Malwa’s assertion is understandable as he has never been to Mufumbwe and that he does not understand the politics of the district.

He said the MMD is the only party in the district with a large following.

Mr Kayombo said the MMD in Mufumbwe will not allow squabbles that could divide the party.

He said the party is following President Banda’s efforts of reconciliation and unity within the MMD.
Mr Kayombo said Mr Malwa should be reprimanded for not following MMD procedures on making press statements.

He said the MMD in Mufumbwe is more united than ever before and stronger than the UPND.

Mr Kayombo said this is because people in the district appreciate the development which they have seen under the MMD.

He said Mr Banda should be assured that the MMD will scoop the Mufumbwe by-election.

[Zambia Daily Mail]