MMD Patron Sikota Wina has said that the country has made tremedious economic progress under the able leadership of President
Rupiah Banda.

Speaking at Sandy’s Creations in Lusaka at “Meet the President FOR Unit and sustenance” fundrainsing Dinner Dance orgainsed by MMD Lusaka Province, Mr. Wina said under the guidance and massive experience of Pesident Banda, many countries were now evying the country’s sustainable unit and peace.

Mr. Wina said through Mr. Banda’s efforts, there was now unit within the MMD and the nation. He said even the International Monetary Fund President Dominique Strauss Kahn who was in the country recently was satisfied with the economic performance of the country in the last two years.

Mr. Wina said Mr. Kahn was satisfied with measures government had made in the management of the economy during the World Economic crisis.

He said the IMF official was extremely happy with the country’s economic performance and even asked Mr. Banda to influence other leaders in the region to come up with appropriate regislation that will make them easily access IMF funds.

Mr. Wina said during his visit Mr. Kahn encouraged other countries in Africa to seek to seek cheaper loans from china to grow their economies.

Mr. Wina said on good governance, Transparent International has rated the country above several other countries which indicated that the country was on the right track in the fight against corruption.

Former Finance and National Planning minister Ng’andu Magande has expressed happiness that the MMD government has been doing well in the last five years.

Speaking to Qfm in an interview after he renewed his MMD membership card at Mulungushi International Conference Centre on the weekend, Mr. Magande said the MMD is still there because it has kept the policies that were agreed in 2005.

He said the MMD government has managed to improve the economy and to get Zambia’s debt off.

The former minster said the International Monetary Fund will continue to support Zambia because the country has good economic policies.

Recently, International Monetary Fund Managing Director was in the country and said Zambia’s economy is in the right direction.

Mr. Straus however warned the country to weigh the country’s benefits from Chinese investment.

ZANIS/QFM

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