The United Party for National Development (UPND) has dared the Zambia Police to arrest the PF/UPND Pact leaders Michael Sate and Hakainde Hichilema.

Responding to MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya’s call on the police to visit the two pact leaders on allegations of accusing President Rupiah Banda of planning to eliminate them,UPND Secretary General Winstone Chibwe saidc that the police could go ahead and arrest the two leaders.

He said there was nothing wrong for what the two pact leaders said by stating that president Banda has intentions to eliminate them as his political opponents.

Mr Chibwe accused the MMD of desperate and capable of doing anything that would keep them in power.

He said the UPND/PF pact is not scared of the calls by Ms Siliya to arrest the two pact leaders because such threats are expected in the political arena.

Mr. Chibwe reiterated that UPND was ready to defend itself from any form of provocation in the forth coming Mufumbwe and Milanzi Parliamentary by elections.
QFM

MMD Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo has reiterated his intentions to challenge President Rupiah Banda at the party convention.
Mr. Mpombo has said that his supporters are on the ground and indications are that he will put up a good fight at the convention. He said his suspension by the party will not intimidate him in his quest to challenge President Banda. He added that he will go ahead with his intentions despite the suspension announced recently.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mpombo has dismissed claims by National Revolution Party (NRP) president Cosmo Mumba that he has shown interest in standing in the 2011 polls on the NRP ticket. Recently, Dr Mumba hinted that Mr Mpombo had agreed to stand as NRP president in next year’s general elections.
But in an interview with Muvi TV news yesterday, Mr Mpombo described NRP as a briefcase party which he would not associate himself with. Mr Mpombo denied ever talking to Dr Mumba in the recent past.

[MUVI TV]

Homes Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has charged that Wynter Kabimba is the most inept secretary-general the Patriotic Front (PF) has ever had.

Mr Mangani has also revealed that he has impeccable information that Mr Kabimba was only hanging on in the party because PF president Michael Sata was keeping a damning dossier on his dealings while he was Lusaka town clerk fearing that it may be exposed if he dared cut links with him.

In apparent reference to sentiments attributed to Mr Kabimba in the Press which described Mr Mangani as acting like a rottweiler which was on the loose, Mr Mangani said the PF secretary-general was himself behaving like a dog going by the petty comments he had been issuing in the Press of late.

The minister said Mr Kabimba should also tell Zambians the truth about a house he allegedly purchased at a scandalously reduced price when he was town clerk.

He added that Mr Kabimba instead of generating frivolous law suits on inconsequential matters which did not have a bearing on his party, should be organising the PF now that it was apparent Mr Sata and Dr Guy Scott were tired, going by the loss of steam in their programmes.

“His party is not thriving because he lacks stamina and on the issues of loyalty, he is behaving like a bigger dog because he knows that Mr Sata has a dossier on him and he knows he will be finished if this information is released in public domain. He is hanging on to the PF for personal reasons. Tell me, who is the dog in this regard,” he said.

Mr Mangani said the art of organising a party could not be likened to experience in superintending over garbage collection exercises, but required a lot of tact, wit and patience, vital ingredients that lacked in Mr Kabimba.
[Times of Zambia]

MMD Copperbelt provincial chairperson Joseph Chilambwe has advised Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata not to mislead the youth with promises on employment which he may not fulfill.

He said the opposition leader was so desperate to become Republican president that he was making promises that he could not fulfill.

Mr Chilambwe was speaking yesterday in Kabala area in Chimwemwe Constituency during a meeting with residents who complained of being neglected by the opposition area member of Parliament.

The residents complained of the poor state of roads, the non-functional boat which was damaged by a hippo and the clinic which was only operating during day time because of security reasons.

Mr Chilambwe said he was hopeful that the people had learnt a lesson from voting for an opposition MP who had not fulfilled his campaign promises.

“I get surprised that the people, especially you the youth, get excited when the PF leader says he will create employment and put more money in your pockets.

“You the youth should support the MMD Government because it has a manifesto and policies to improve people’s lives. We have a lot of policies that aim at empowering the youth,” he said.

And MMD Copperbelt task force member Joe Malanji promised the people that a boat worth K72 million would be purchased to replace the damaged boat in the next two weeks.

Mr Malanji, who also donated 1,000 Chitenge materials and K1.5 million to the people in the area, advised them not to fall prey to the promises of opposition politicians.

He advised the youth to desist from involving themselves in violent activities and pursue dialogue with Government on various issues affecting them.

Mr Malanji said the Government was ready to dialogue with anybody and was disappointed that some clergymen were in the forefront of agitating for violence in the country.

[Times of Zambia]

THE allegations by the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) that the MMD was training 200 cadres at Lilayi Police College and had mobilised 70 vehicles to use in the forthcoming Mufumbwe and Milanzi by election were a reflection of the desperation by the opposition.

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said both the PF leader Michael Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema were now making wild allegations against the ruling party.

Ms Siliya said the UPND and PF leaders had run out of ideas and the effect of losing elections several times was haunting them.

She said the opposition leaders and their members have now resorted to telling lies in a last ditch attempt to impress the people.

“This is a reflection of true desperation by the opposition. These are wild and unfounded allegations that they have resorted to,” she said.

Ms Siliya was reacting to a statement by the PF/UPND Pact yesterday that the MMD had mobilised 70 Government vehicles to use in the Mufumbwe and Milanzi by-elections and that it had connived with the police to train over 200 cadres at Lilayi Police College.

She said the MMD would use no trickery to win the elections but would put to use its proven track record that Zambians have all come to understand and appreciate.

Ms Siliya said it was unfortunate that the opposition political parties, especially the PF and the UPND had abandoned the responsibility of selling their manifestos to the people but were busy discussing the MMD all the time.

“They are not talking about the economy. Zambians are not interested in them and will not be swayed by such wild allegations,” she said.

Ms Siliya who is Petauke MP (MMD) said Zambia wanted to hear more talk about economic growth and not the lies and allegations that the opposition were making.

She challenged the PF and the UPND to travel to Milanzi and Mufumbwe and identify the alleged Government vehicles that the MMD was using.

“When leaders speak there should be sense in the things they say,” she said,

She said the fact that the PF and UPND were making such allegation ahead of the by-elections clearly showed how they were scared of losing the two seats.
The by-elections in both constituencies are set for April 29.

Meanwhile, ELECTION materials have arrived in Mufumbwe in North-Western Province ahead of Thursday’s nominations for the April 29 Mufumbwe Constituency parliamentary by-election.

District electoral officer, Aaron Kamalondo, who is council secretary, confirmed yesterday the arrival of ballot materials and said all was set for nominations.

“Materials came yesterday, only the ballot papers are remaining. You know those can only be brought days before the election, and they can only be printed after nominations,” Mr Kamalondo said.

He said campaigns for the seat left vacant following the death of MMD area member of Parliament Misheck Bonshe last month would officially kick off after nominations.

While UNIP had reportedly named its candidate, the ruling MMD and the UPND-PF Pact, who are keeping their cards close their chests, would name their candidates before Thursday.

UPND provincial chairman, Wishikti Katambi said in Solwezi that the party had done its assessment on the ground and would start the campaigns after the nominations.

“We are law-abiding, so we will start campaigns after nominations. Solwezi Central was tougher, this one is a walk-over.

‘‘With due respect, we shall meet on the battlefront,” Colonel (retired) Katambi said.
Party provincial secretary, Obet Mayambu said recently that the opposition should not expect an easy run after winning last November’s Solwezi Central parliamentary by-election.

Mr Mayambu said MMD would leave no stone unturned in retaining the Mufumbwe Constituency seat after learning a lot from the Solwezi by-election where the ruling party may have underestimated the opposition party.

[Times of Zambia]

by Henry Kyambalesa

I wish to comment on the article which appeared in the Times of Zambia of April 4, 2010 under the title “How MMD Government [Has] Improved Education” by George Chisanga.

It is shameful that both Mr. Chisanga and the Times of Zambia can publish such trash in a newspaper. Firstly, the title of the article should have been about teachers because there is nothing in it that addresses the issue of education in Zambia during the 19 years the MMD has been in power.

Secondly, Mr. Chisanga is most probably not a journalist because all the verbiage he has published in the newspaper is based on his own opinions rather than a sampling of teachers’ views about the adequacy of their conditions of service with respect to their salaries and allowances.

Thirdly, he has alleged that funding to Kabwe Trades, Lusaka Trades, Nortec, and Lukashya Trades has been superb. Would students, faculty and administrators in these institutions honestly agree with him? [pullquote]“Imiti ikula e mpanga,” [/pullquote]

And, among other empty claims, he has cited schools which have been constructed or being constructed from the scratch as one of the highlights of MMD’s quest to improve education in the country. Well, many of these schools have been constructed with funding from donor countries!

My soul bleeds to read such trash being peddled in government-controlled news media. Does Mr. Chisanga think that Zambians are fools who cannot notice the rot in Zambia’s educational system? If his article represents MMD’s view about education in Zambia, then I do not see why any Zambian would want to vote for MMD candidates in 2011 because MMD’s failure to deliver anything of substance in all important areas of human endeavor actually affects every citizen irrespective of their political affiliation.

During the UNIP era, I do not remember seeing school-age children begging on the streets, or selling all kinds of wares in town centers around the country. The blame for this phenomenon falls squarely on the shoulders of the MMD government for its failure to provide adequately for the educational needs of our children.

Since the MMD came to power, we have seen tens of thousands of Grade 7 and Grade 9 students being spilled onto the streets every year. We need to seriously consider the prospect of extending educational opportunities to all Zambia’s children because they are the jewels of our Motherland. “Imiti ikula e mpanga,” a Bemba maxim tells us. It is, therefore, surprising that we have continued to pay lip-service to the educational needs of our country’s youth.

But even in the face of such obvious failure, President Rupiah Banda and Vice President George Kunda are on the campaign trail for re-election in 2011 without any shame!

There is a lot MMD leaders need to do in this endeavor between now and September 2011 in order to improve their chances of winning. Among other things, they need to abolish examination fees and Grades 7 and 9 elimination examinations, and to provide for free education through Grade 12 as an initial step in making education more accessible to all Zambians.

Besides, high-school graduates who would obtain a Division 1 should be automatically awarded scholarships upon being accepted at any Zambian college or university. All other high-school graduates and working Zambian men and women wishing to pursue further studies should be granted with low-interest loans upon being accepted into classroom-based or correspondence-based programs of study offered within Zambia.

Loan recipients who would graduate with “Distinction” should be excused of 75% of their debt obligations, while those who would graduate with “Merit” should be absolved of 50% of their debt obligations. And all college and university graduates who would sign contracts to work in the teaching, healthcare or agricultural professions within Zambia for at least 4 years should be absolved of 100% of their debt obligations.Apart from government loans, they should encourage commercial banks and other financial institutions operating in Zambia to consider lending for education as part of their business. The Indo-Zambia Bank students’ loan scheme launched at Mulungushi University in April 2009 is a good start in this endeavor.

To accommodate primary school leavers in secondary schools, as well as continuing Grade 9 students, they need to take the following measures: (a) provide for immediate expansion of facilities at secondary schools which do not currently have extra space for Grades 8 and 10 classes; (b) allow interested secondary school teachers destined for retirement to delay their retirements, as well as hire more of the trained teachers who are currently unemployed; and (c) step up enrolments in training programs for secondary school teachers by at least 5%.

There is a need to make a sustained effort to cater for the basic needs of the educational system, including: (a) schools and classrooms that are adequately equipped for both teaching and learning; (b) qualified, self-motivated and well-paid teachers or lecturers in every classroom; and (c) competent school administrators on competitive conditions of service, and adequate office supplies and fixtures.

Funding for education and other essential public sectors can be sourced partly from abolishing some of the top level sinecures in government and retire the holders of such sinecures early with full benefits. A lot of material and financial resources can be saved in the long run by taking such a measure, including salaries and allowances, office furniture and fixtures, buildings, automobiles, gasoline, utilities, telephone expenses, and so forth.

Also, there is a need to go through government expenditures line by line, program by program, agency by agency, department by department, and ministry by ministry in order to eliminate unnecessary application of public funds.

Moreover, the government needs to reduce taxes and interest rates so that individuals and businesses can keep more of their earnings for investment and consumption and, in the process, stimulate economic activities and job creation. The new businesses and employees would eventually expand the tax base by contributing to tax revenues.

The people are tired of government leaders who talk the talk without making any tangible or serious effort to walk the walk, so to speak.

Suspended Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) member George Mpombo has predicted a massive defeat for his party in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by election.

Mr. Mpombo said the MMD would fail to win the elections in the constituency because they have failed to take development in the area.

He said if the MMD returns the seat in Mufumbwe then it means that there is political recovery on the part of the party.

Mr.Mpombo who has been a critic of his own party stated that the MMD has failed to involve the electorates in the developmental initiatives.

He predicted that if the MMD loses the election in north western province it would be the beginning of the end for the ruling party.

The Kafulafuta Member of Parliament said he has been calling for the re-organization of the party to ensure that it was always on top.

He added that the current MMD government is disorganized making it impossible to reclaim the political status it enjoyed some time back.

Mr Mpombo also stated that the MMD has a bigger chance of winning the Milanzi constituency seat because the party has dominant support Eastern Province.

However, MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga has warned the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) pact of a clear defeat in the next by elections to be held on the 29TH of April in Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies, respectively.
Mr. Mabenga said the act does not threaten the ruling party in the forthcoming elections because it has learnt its lessons and the seats at stake are already under the ruling party leadership.

QFM

Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) members of Parliament from Luapula Province have declared that they will decampaign party leader Michael Sata for allegedly trying to secretly concession land in the province.
The MPs have also told Mr Sata to forget about getting votes from the people of Luapula Province in the 2011 elections.

Speaking on behalf of the other MPs, Luapula Member of Parliament Peter Machungwa said yesterday that Mr Sata’s secret deals were likely to put the country at risk. In his reaction to revelations by former PF general secretary Edward Mumbi that Mr Sata’s US$27,000 was meant for land which he allegedly promised to give to a team of foreign business people had he won the 2006 elections, Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata should not be entrusted with the running of the nation because his actions were likely to put Zambia at risk.
He said it was now evident that Mr Sata was not the right person for the country’s highest office saying the opposition leader would concession the entire country if given the instruments of power to rule Zambia.

Dr Machungwa added that the PF leader had also told his donors that apart from the nine known Zambian provinces, there was also a 10th province called Muchinga Province in Northern Province. He said the people of Northern Province should also be careful with Mr Sata because they may one day just wake up and find that part of their land had been concessioned.
“In fact there is already a PF chairperson for Mr Sata’s Muchinga Province. According to Mr Sata, Northern Province is divided into two areas. This should be of great concern for the people in the province because something fishy may secretly have happened for the PF to come up with such a province,” he said.

Dr Machungwa, who is also spokesperson for the PF MPs attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC) declared that the MPs from Luapula Province would now gang up and explain Mr Sata’s secret dealings to the electorate in the province. He said the revelation that Mr Sata promised to give land to a group of foreign business people was sad and urged Zambians to be careful with some leaders they entrust with power to run the nation.
“Let us be careful as Zambians and not elect leaders that are fond of making secret deals to only benefit themselves. As MPs from Luapula Province we will now tell our electorate why they should not vote for Mr Sata. We will explain the secret deals Mr Sata has been making on Luapula land,” he said.
He said Mr Sata’s failure to explain the source of US$27,000 was a sign that the money was not genuinely obtained.

Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata’s exposed secret deals should be an eye-opener for Zambians and should not be taken lightly, especially that the person who disclosed the issue was a former PF general secretary who once worked closely with the PF leader.
On Friday, Mr Mumbi disclosed that the controversial US$27,000 grabbed from Mr Sata in South Africa was given to him for a deal to concession a mineral-rich piece of land in Luapula Province to a team of foreign business people had he won the 2006 elections.
[Times of Zambia]

Transparency international Zambia TIZ president, Rueben has advised the ruling movement for multi party MMD to avoid picking on corruption cases that are only beneficial to the party in power due to its political connotation.

In an interview with Qfm, Mr Lifuka reveals that even though government would argue to say that pushing forward its research on finding details to opposition patriotic front president, Michael Sata’s once upon a time confinement to a maximum prison is beneficial to the electorate in the country, it also shows that the government is only picking on cases that will be politically beneficial to MMD.

He said that it is very evident that all the information being revealed on the time Mr. sata served a prison sentence will be to the detriment of the PF and possibly the pact as well but to the benefit of the MMD.

He has therefore urged the MMD to give the very same attention in addressing the increasing number of government officials being highlighted in the auditor general’s report.

[pullquote]He has therefore urged the MMD to give the very same attention in addressing the increasing number of government officials being highlighted in the auditor general’s report.[/pullquote]

Mr. lifuka says that it is immoral for government to allow the misappropriation of such huge public resources go unnoticed while it pushes for cases such as Mr. sata’s all for the benefit of the MMD.

He says that President Banda and his government should set the national priorities way above party politics and tactics.

He says that people have so many unanswered questions and the MMD should not just get sentimental and focus on the issues that are being put forward by the people.

QFM

Movement for Multi party Democracy MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga has warned the opposition patriotic front PF and united party for national development UPND pact of a clear defeat in the next by elections to be held on the 29TH of April in Mufumbwe and Milanzi constituencies, respectively.

Mr. Mabenga says that the pact does not threaten the ruling party in the forthcoming elections because it has learnt its lessons and the seats at stake are already under the ruling party leadership.

He has therefore assured the two opposition parties who have merged to build a stronger force against government that the pact does not have a chance of scooping the next elections and the MMD is working tirelessly to maintain their seats.

He also states that his party has already learnt enough lessons from the two elections that were conducted in the recent past and it will not allow the forthcoming seats to go into the hands of the opposition.

He also maintains that his party is working within the electoral code conduct and currently, very observed of the laid down stipulations.

QFM