A Zambian student studying in Russia has bemoaned the rate at which racially motivated crimes are escalating in that country.
In a letter addressed to MUVI TV news, the student, who prefer anonymity claims that life in Russia for black people is a nightmare. He further claims that people of color have to grapple with discrimination and racial remarks behind the backdrop of increasing hate crimes.

The letter claims that in Russia anything can happen to black people who are in constant fear.
It further claims that black people are constantly mocked as they walk in the streets of Russia by people chanting racial slogans.
The letter comes following a video footage aired by MUVI TV showing the body of a Zambian student being fished out of the lake. The Zambian, who had been missing for six months and discovered during the Easter holidays, has since been identified as Lance Mate.

Sources reveal that the Zambian embassy in Russia had sent some officials to Kazan State where Mate was studying. His parents were informed that there was nothing the embassy could do as the matter is in the hands of the Russian government.

But the Russian Ambassador to Zambia, Boris Malakhov has distanced his country from allegations of escalating racial violence there. Mr. Malakhov says most of the cases involving neo racists in his country have been dealt with.

The Russian ambassador has however expressed regret over the death of Mate saying Russian police will investigate the matter for justice to prevail. He says the incident should not be perceived as a hate crime.
[MUVI TV]

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF) will subject the position of presidential candidate of the pact to a vote ahead of the 2011 elections.

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said members of the UPND and PF pact will vote in favour of a candidate of their choice to represent them in the presidential and general elections.

Mr Hichilema said in Lusaka yesterday when he featured on Radio Phoenix’s Let the people talk programme that speculations that the pact has chosen a presidential candidate are not true.

“Instead, pact members of the UPND and PF will vote to elect an individual who will represent the pact,” he said.

He said the existence of the UPND-PF pact is for the purpose of unity and providing good leadership.

Mr Hichilema said the pact is still consolidating its foundation and will ensure that it does not fall into a trap, as was the case in the 2006 elections.
“Right now, we are making our people understand why we merged with the PF,” he said.

He said all pact members will support whichever candidate the majority choose.

[ Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Zambian Government has submitted six project proposals for grant financing by the United States (US) government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for a financing agreement known as Compact.

Finance and National Planning minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said the proposals were in the areas of power generation and transmission, eco-tourism development, technical and vocational training, education, roads development, water and sanitation.

Speaking during a Press briefing in Lusaka, Dr Musokotwane said the Zambian Government had prioritised its submissions because it did not expect all the projects to be financed.

The minister further disclosed that a mission from the MCC was in the country until April 16 to review the project proposals for financing.

Dr Musokotwane said the review by the MCC was a step in the process of developing a financing agreement between the Zambian Government and the Compact.

“We were reselected by the MCC last year in December because we scored high on the MCC score card in strong policy performance in areas of just ruling, investing in the people, and economic freedom,” he said.

Dr Musokotwane said for Zambia to remain eligible for the grant, Government would have to sustain vigorous implementation of anti-corruption policies.

The projects that would ultimately be included in the Compact programme would need to meet investments criteria such as economic returns, environmental and social impact, and must be implemented within five years.

“The scope of the proposed projects was like to evolve further as more detailed feasibility and preparation work is conducted in the coming months,” Dr Musokotwane said.

President Rupiah Banda has sworn in the newly appointed Defence chiefs. President Banda this morning announced the retirement of all the defence chiefs.

he President Swore in newly appointed Zambia Army Commander Lieutenant General Wisdom Lopa and his deputy Major General Vincent Mukanda; newly appointed Zambia Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Andrew Sakala and his deputy Major General Monta Chileshe; and newly appointed Zambia National Service Commandant Major General Anthony Yeta and his deputy Brigadier General Nathan Mulenga.

And speaking during the swearing in ceremony at State House this afternoon, President Banda said the security services in the country are not only physically equipped but also have Officers with the right attitude. The President also expressed gratitude to the services of the defence and security personnel in the country.
He said they have worked tirelessly to ensure there is peace and stability in the country.

Meanwhile, President Banda has also sworn in newly appointed Attorney General Abyud Shonga Junior. During the swearing in ceremony at State House this afternoon President Banda said Mr. Shonga’s appointment is an important task because the entire legal profession will be looking up to him for guidance.

The President also swore in newly appointed Public Policy Specialist Sastone Silomba. During the swearing in ceremony, the President said Mr. Silomba’s appointment was timely because it has come at a time when Zambia was operating in a competitive world.

He called on the newly appointed Public Policy Specialist to understand global trends in the public Policy Sector to ensure best practices are adopted at local level.

Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda has reiterated that he will not hesitate to relieve any government official found to be practicing tribalism. Mr Banda said the worst crime one would commit is to be confirmed to be preaching tribalism. He says Zambia belongs to all Zambians and not to any particular tribe.

He adds that even in his appointments he made sure that all the country’s tribes are represented because Zambia belongs to all Zambians regardless of tribe.

President Banda adds he will strive to encourage unity in his own party the MMD,which unity he said he is proud of. He was speaking at State House this morning when he announced the retirements of the Defence chiefs.

QFM

By Lusakatimes staffer
President Rupiah Banda has retired all the top defense force commanders and their deputies from the Zambia Army, Zambia Air force, and the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and replaced them with other officers with immediate effect.

Those retired include Zambia Army commander General Isaac Chisuzi,Zambia Air force commander Lieutenant General Samuel Mapala, and Zambia National Service commandant Major General Raphael Chisheta.

Speaking at the press briefing at State House today President Banda retired the Zambia Army Commander Isaac Chisuzi and replaced him with Brigadier General Lopa who he has promoted to the rank of Major General and was until his appointment Defence Attaché at the Zambian Mission in Ethiopia Addis Ababa.

At Zambia Air Force (ZAF), President Banda retired Lieutenant General Samuel Mapala and replaced with him with retired Brigadier General Andrew Sakala who he has recalled and promoted to the rank of Major General.

Zambia National Service (ZNS), Commandant Major General Chisheta has been retired and replaced with Brig Gen Yeta, who has since been elevated to the rank of Maj General.

President Banda retired ZNS deputy commandant Brig Gen J.M Miti and replaced him with Brig Gen Nathan Mulenga who was until his new appointment ZNS secretary at the Ministry of Defence headquarters.

The President told the gathering that he made the changes to ensure that young officers were given chance to hold decision making position and to boost their moral.

He said the men chosen merit their positions because they were experienced officers and had performed well in their previous positions.

The President noted that his appointment of the defense force represent all the regions in the country to ensure that every one contribute to the national duties.

All the appointed defense force commanders and their deputies would be sworn in today.

Mr. Banda thanked the retired officers for working well with him and for the support they gave him at the crucial time he was elected as republican President.

However, President Banda has disclosed that the campaign to destablise his government by some Non-governmental organizations and some political parties has failed.

The President warned that he would not allow any person to destablise the peace that Zambians have continued to enjoy during the presidential elections next year in 2011.

He charged that some political parties have failed to win past elections because they use tribe to climb the ladder adding that his ruling Movement for Mult-party Democracy (MMD) was a national party that articulates the issues of all Zambians.

Editors note:We sincerely appologize for the errors in the previous article

The government has charged that the United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president Richard Kapita is ignorant of the activities at Lilayi Police Training College, hence his baseless allegation that cadres are being trained there.

Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani said it was wrong for Mr Kapita to mislead the nation by accusing the MMD of training cadres to cause confusion during the forthcoming by-elections in Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Mangani said it was not true that the MMD was using the college to train cadres and appealed to politicians to avoid misleading the public.

Mr Mangani said politicians should avoid raising unnecessary alarm on important institutions like police colleges and called on them to stop involving police in politics.

“I think Mr Kapita is ignorant because how can he say that cadres are being trained at Lilayi? This just shows how desperate he is, he lacks information on what goes on at Lilayi,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UPND/Patriotic Front Pact has dismissed reports that the opposition is plotting violence during the forthcoming elections but instead accused the ruling party of being behind the act.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said the pact was aware that the people planning to cause confusion belonged to the ruling party and wondered why the MMD was accusing the opposition parties.

He said the pact had information about several people some of whom were already in Mufumbwe with a view of causing confusion.

And PF secretary-general Wynter Kabimba said it was saddening that the MMD was allegedly witchhunting as it had failed to provide details on the people planning to cause confusion.

Recently, MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya disclosed that the ruling party had uncovered a scam in which some opposition parties taking part in the Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections were recruiting cadres from Lusaka and Copperbelt to cause confusion.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has assured the electorate it will deliver credible elections in the coming Milanzi and Mufumbwe parliamentary by elections.

Speaking in Lusaka yesterday, ECZ public relations manager Cris Akufuna said the commission would conduct a briefing for candidates that had already filed in the names in readiness for the elections.

Mr Akufuna said a briefing for monitors would also be conducted to enlighten them on their role and that copies relating to codes of conduct would be distributed to remind and correct them about their duties.

“Cadres and police officers who go beyond their duties do not mean the commission has failed to perform, the codes of conduct will alert them on the do’s and don’ts so that we have peaceful by-elections,” Mr Akufuna said.

Mr Akufuna said the commission would also conduct a briefing for conflict management committee and that voter educators would be on the ground to sensitise voters on the dangers of conflicts during elections.

He said some observers during election come with hidden agenda to blemish the good image of the commission and that it was not easy to deal with them because they added credibility to their work.
“Observers are like our witnesses, we cannot do away with them.

Mr Akufuna said accusations of the commission being partisan were mere perceptions and that the commission had performed its duties effectively and independently despite criticism from stakeholders like some political parties.

“As a commission, we involve political parties during our discussions, they are aware of the mandate of the commission which was stated by the Zambian law to propose names of candidates, appointment of members of the commission by the president. I am very sure that criticism comes as a result of those laws,” he said.

And Mr Akufuna said the continuous voters registration (CVR) exercise would start in June this year, and that the commission had met with members of Parliament including other stakeholders like the media and civil society to brief them on the exercise.

The commission would sensitise voters on the CVR a month before and that the communication techniques would be through radio stations in all districts, music, drama, and that voters education facilitators would conduct door to door campaign.

[Times of Zambia]