Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has agreed to appear before the Bemba Royal Council after he was summoned for allegedly issuing disparaging remarks against Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba speaking people in Northern Province.

Speaking during a live Bemba programme on Radio Mano in Kasama today, Mr. Sata revealed that he would soon make himself available to the Shi-Lubemba’s traditional council to answer charges of allegedly attacking Paramount Chief Chitimukulu in public.

He claimed that he had not refused to appear before the Chitimukulu but wanted procedure to be followed in summoning him.

Mr. Sata said he has a lot of respect for Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, whom he regards as his relative and would therefore, not do anything to jeopardize their relationship.

And Mr. Sata has continued to remain silent over his alleged traditional marriage to Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphor Mpundu’s sister, Patronella.

Speaking during the same programme, Mr. Sata said he would not be drawn into discussing his relationship with Archbishop Mpundu’s sister.

Mr. Sata refused to respond to a text message from a listener who wanted him to explain his alleged traditional marriage to the Archbishop’s sister.

He argued that he would not respond to the ‘so-called marriage’ issue because only MMD cadres were asking questions bordering on his personal life.

Recently, former president Frederick Chiluba revealed that Mr. Sata had a traditional marriage with Archbishop Mpundu’s sister, Patronella.

Dr. Chiluba revealed that Mr. Sata has two children with the same woman, who is an employee of the Bank of Zambia in Ndola and the PF leader acknowledged the revelation.

Archbishop Mpundu earlier this week also admitted that Mr. Sata had fathered two children with his sister outside wedlock but could not state the relationship between the two.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sata has said he was ready to be challenged for the position of PF president at the party’s general assembly to be held later this year.

Mr. Sata has since urged those willing to challenge him to declare their interests now, adding that his party had started holding primary elections at lower organs.

He said all but one of the positions in the party would be contested for at the general assembly to be attended by 6, 500 delegates.

Mr. Sata explained that the post of Secretary General would not be elective but instead the party president would choose the person to take up the position.

He said the move was aimed at ensuring that the party leader worked with someone whom he or she understands well.

In another development, Mr. Sata has revealed that a technical committee would soon meet and advise the PF-UPND pact on which candidates to contest the parliamentary by-elections in Eastern and Northwestern Provinces following the deaths of incumbent Members of Parliament.

He said the committee would also weigh the strengths of each party in the particular constituencies where elections would be held before adopting an aspiring candidate to contest the by-election.

Mr. Sata further expressed confidence that the PF-UPND pact would scoop the forthcoming parliamentary by-elections in the two provinces claiming that it was strong on the ground.

ZANIS

Mr. Kapungwe said it was unfortunate that many children, who could have been kept by relatives of their deceased parents, ended up without any care because Zambians had abandoned the extended family system. He said this after donating K1 million (US $210) to a children headed household of Nakoli compound in Kabwe.

Mr. Kapungwe said while government was doing what it could within its means to help out such families, it was important that many other people and organizations, took it up to assist such situations.

John Phiri 19, is looking after his brother and sister, Abel 13 and Anna 11, who are in grade five (5) and two (2) at Danford Chilwa school where he is also doing his ninth grade.

He is providing for their education, meals and paying rentals. Phiri said the three were double orphans, who were struggling to make ends meet, as they depended on selling fritters.

He thanked Mr. Kapungwe for the donation, saying the money would go a long way in assisting them meet some of his family’s needs.
Phiri said he was planning to spend the money to build a house of their own since there was already a plot, adding that he would make bricks and only hire a bricklayer while spend some of the money on roofing materials.

He also commended Jesus Cares Ministry, which he said was doing a lot in assisting the family especially in the education field.

ZANIS

The National Restoration -Party has dispelled assertions that it is being sponsored by the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

NAREP interim president Elias Chipimo Jr. says the party is not being sponsored by any organization but it is a financially independent party.

Mr. Chipimo, a prominent Lusaka Lawyer has since challenged those claiming that his party is being sponsored by the MMD to adduce evidence to substantiate their claims.

He has also defended his close relationship with the second republican president Dr Fredrick Chiluba’s press aide Emmanuel Mwamba.
Mr. Chipimo says there is nothing wrong to engage people that have been in politics for some time as he is new on the scene.

Featuring on the Public’s Last Say, On QFM last evening, Mr. Chipimo said he has been consulting and engaging politicians to see which path he can take.

Meanwhile , Former Church of God Overseer Bishop John Mambo has advised second republican president Frederick Chiluba to desist from using God to gain political advantage.

Bishop Mambo says it is wrong for Dr. Chiluba to claim to be a Christian when he is busy attacking others in public. He says attacks by the second republican president on others are disappointing especially coming from a person who declared Zambia a Christina Nation.

Bishop Mambo has since advised Dr.Chiluba to take a leave from active politics and concentrate on the needs of the church.
He says Dr Chiluba should now relax and enjoy his retirement other than going around attacking people; something he says is shocking for a born-again Christian.

He adds that Dr Chiluba should also desist from attacking other church leaders.

QFM

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says it is unwarranted for former Minister of Defence George Mpombo to allege that President Banda and his administration neglected the health of Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Misheck Bonshe.

Mr Bonshe, who was Mufumbwe MMD member of Parliament, died in Nigeria last Sunday from suspected high blood pressure.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Mpombo is merely politicking and advancing his political interests at the expense of mourning his departed colleague.

Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said he found it strange for Mr Mpombo to blame Government and President Banda over the untimely death of Mr Bonshe.

He said it is surprising that Mr Mpombo as a delegation leader of the Zambian team which travelled to Mbabane, Swaziland for a Southern African Development Community (SADC) security and politics meeting could not arrange for Mr Bonshe’s evacuation to South Africa for specialised treatment.

“This is so since Mr Mpombo says South Africa was just about 30 minutes away from where the meeting was taking place,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said Mr Mpombo should have alternatively used his initiative to suggest even driving Mr Bonshe to South Africa for advanced treatment.

The minister said it appeared attending the SADC meeting was more important to Mr Mpombo than his friend’s health.

He said since Mr Mpombo said the Zambian delegation included some medical doctors, logistical arrangements could have easily been made in collaboration with the Zambian High Commission in South Africa and the Ministry of Health to have Mr Bonshe evacuated to South Africa.

Gen. Shikapwasha said Government is taken aback by Mr Mpombo’s narration that after the SADC meeting, the Zambian delegation was flown together with Mr Bonshe to Livingstone via Johannesburg for a Zambia-Namibia Joint Permanent Commission meeting.

He wondered why Mr Mpombo did not become considerate enough to suggest that Mr Bonshe be hospitalised in Johannesburg where their booked plane landed before proceeding to Livingstone to substantiate the former minister’s claims that the deceased was a very close family friend of his.

“I wish to make it clear that this Government pays meticulous attention to cases of critical sickness such as the one which afflicted the late Deputy Minister of Home Affairs,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said there is no way that there would be negligence on the part of Government to let Mr Bonshe die without being subjected to good medical attention.

He said as far as evacuations of critically ill people are concerned, Government does not segregate.

The minister said Government pays undivided attention to all, including those in the opposition or the ruling party with high level examples being the cases of Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata and the late Mainza Chona.

Gen. Shikapwasha said it is Government’s view that Mr Mpombo is off the mark when he alleges that President Banda and his administration did not care for the health of Mr Bonshe.

He said Mr Mpombo’s utterances should be treated as unfounded verbiage aimed at politicising Mr Bonshe’s death to enhance his political image.

The minister accused Mr Mpombo of seemingly being desperate to mend his dented political career through his unguided and improperly researched statements.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

I would love to help children

“I am happy that we came here to learn more about ourselves, to know what we can do for ourselves, and also appreciate what others are doing for us. I would love to work in the health section,” Little said during a class field trip to UNICEF’s offices in the Zambian capital. “I would love to help children, especially those that are born to HIV-positive parents.”

Little laments that some of his friends have not been able to attend school because their parents have died of HIV- and AIDS-related diseases, leaving them without the needed financial support. “They can’t come to school because there is no one to support them. I feel pity because I can’t see a bright future for them. I hope a cure can be found one day,” he added.

Speaking during the visit, Kondwani Joe Banda, 17, a UNICEF Zambia Unite for Climate Ambassador, encouraged other children to work hard and help control climate change in their communities. “Let’s help preserve our climate. We are global citizens, so whatever happens elsewhere affects us, too. We should be proactive… and the time to act for our environment is now,” said Kondwani.

A broader understanding

Musonda Musole, a teacher at the school, thanked UNICEF for giving the pupils a broader understanding of UNICEF’s work in Zambia: “We feel this will inspire many pupils to work extra hard, especially because they shall begin to appreciate what organizations like UNICEF do for them.”

UNICEF Representative in Zambia Lotta Sylwander led a 90-minute interactive discussion with the students, which included watching a video explaining UNICEF’s accelerated child survival and development programme in Zambia, and a talk by UNICEF Zambia’s Staff Association President James Simasiku.

Ongoing collaboration

“UNICEF Zambia takes pride in its ongoing and future collaboration with the Government of Zambia, and implementing programmes aimed at improving the welfare of children and mothers. We warmly welcome significantly better outcomes for children and their mothers, now and in the future, in every part of the country,” said Ms. Sylwander.

The ten pupils who visited UNICEF are among the 130 seventh graders at Kabulonga Basic School who are studying about the United Nations during the current school year. The UN is incorporated in the Zambian Social Studies syllabus. The field trip offered an opportunity for pupils to visit UNICEF and find out for themselves about the UN’s work in the country.