MMD aspiring Presidential candidate Ng’andu Magande has launched his 2010 MMD Presidential campaign which has been airing on Mazabuka Community radio station in Mazabuka District since Saturday.

According to Station manager, Belon Chintombwa, the campaign advertisement which has been composed in Bemba is encouraging all MMD delegates to the convention to vote for Mr Magande for MMD Presidency.

Mr. Chintombwa disclosed this to ZANIS in Mazabuka today when he announced that Management at Mazabuka Community radio station has suspended the broadcasting of political campaign advertisements for Mr Magande.

Mr Chintombwa said management decided to suspend the airing of Mr Magande’s political advertisements because the K 300,000 that Mr Magande paid through his agent for advertisement has been exhausted.

Mr Chintombwa disclosed that the political adverts for Mr Magande only ran for three days starting from last week on Saturday adding that the radio station will only resume the broadcast of Mr Magande’s campaign materials once payments are made for more slots.

Meanwhile, Some MMD members in Mazabuka are reportedly distributing the Curriculum Vitae for Mr Magande who is Chilanga MMD member of parliament to residents ahead of party convention.

ZANIS

MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba has castigated some of the ruling party’s national executive committee members who are fond of leaking confidential party information to the media.

And the ruling party has instituted investigations into the leaking of MMD NEC meeting proceedings to expose the perpetrators of the offence.

Dr Kalumba said it is unfortunate that every time the MMD holds its NEC meetings, some mischievous members distort what is discussed and later release it to the media.

He said this in an interview in Lusaka following an article which appeared in The Post newspaper yesterday.

Some source who attended the NEC meeting last week was quoted alleging that President Banda supported MMD cadres who threatened to harm Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi.

But Dr Kalumba said the article is misleading and is a fabrication of what really transpired in the meeting.

He said despite the party instituting security measures during meetings, some members who are traitors have continued to sneak in devices in a bid to put the name of the party into ridicule.[quote]

“We have always put in security measures when we are having important meetings and so I am disappointed with some of our colleagues who sneak in devices such as phones to distort what is being discussed and obviously they are being paid for the information they are releasing,” he said.

Dr Kalumba said members of the ruling party are supposed to be loyal and uphold the party’s rules and regulations.

He said it is sad that members who do not have the interest of the party at heart are trying to create confusion in the MMD by leaking distorted information to some sections of the media.

Dr Kalumba said the party has instituted investigations and all those involved will soon be exposed.

He said if members do not agree on what is discussed in the meeting, they are always given chance to air their views.

Dr Kalumba said the party president, Mr Banda, who chairs NEC meetings, is accommodating and allows every member of the executive to speak out on the various issues discussed.

He said it is hypocritical for traitors to rush to the press to distort NEC proceedings.

“It is very un-trustworthy of these people to go out and disclose internal matters when they are always given a chance to air their views. But obviously they are afraid to do this, hence they opt to rush to the press.

“I will get to the bottom of this issue and I’m sure the President wants to see the people who are doing this to be exposed because what they are doing is not good for the party,” he said.

Dr Kalumba warned that he will discipline members who will be found wanting.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

First Lady Thandiwe Banda has appealed to the people of the United States of America to take advantage of Zambia’s conducive political and business environment to invest in the country. Mrs. Banda has also reiterated that Zambians consider peace as an essential ingredient for current and future development initiatives hence they promote it.

She was speaking in Beverly Hills at the Fox Entertainment Studios in Los Angeles, USA, last night at a cocktail party held in her honour by the Fox Entertainment Group.Mrs. Banda, who is here at the invitation of a not-for profit organization, Prevent Hate, is accompanied by 13 Zambian businesswomen who were today scheduled to attend an entrepreneurial workshop.

The workshop is aimed at fostering business linkages between Zambians and their Los Angeles counterparts.
At the cocktail party that was attended by an array of Hollywood stars and business persons, Mrs. Banda said Zambia was an ideal investment destination because of its political stability, abundant natural resources and enabling business atmosphere.

She emphasized that it was important that Zambians and the business persons of Los Angeles took advantage of the twin-city relationship that has existed between Los Angeles and Lusaka since 1968. And Fox Entertainment Group senior vice-president Mitsy Wilson said her organization was honoured to host Mrs. Banda who was accompanied by Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala.

And in an interview with Fox News, Mrs. Banda said peace was an asset that Zambians could not afford to lose as there were many lessons from many African countries about what would happen in the event of turmoil.
Mrs. Banda told anchor Susan Hirasuna that Zambian people were determined to preserve their peace, which was why she would keep on being a crusader of peace initiatives, hence her acceptance to Prevent Hate’s invitation.

While here, Mrs. Banda has visited the Jenesse Centre for Domestic Violence, a modern shelter for victims of violence where they receive comprehensive services such as job training, counseling and legal help. The first lady’s delegation has also toured the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust with the aim of creating an understanding between Zambians and the Los Angeles Jewish community.

Mrs. Banda, who arrived here last Thursday, also spent time with Zambians living in California at social evening hosted at the residence of Mr. Kalima Chimpampwe where Zambian athlete Prince Mumba was among the guests. Mrs. Banda urged the Zambians here to invest their earnings in Zambia so as to contribute to the country’s development.

And president of the Association of Zambians in California, Mwelwa Mulenga, appealed for the establishment of a consular in California, saying the state had a population of over 4,000 Zambians.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Banda yesterday attended church service at the West Angeles Cathedral at the invitation of Bishop Charles E Blake. Mrs. Banda was given time to address the congregants and in her speech, she thanked Bishop Blake for supporting African children through his charity, Save Africa’s Children.
ZANIS

Police have recorded a warn and caution statement from opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambili for allegedly threatening violence on members of staff of Muvi television station last week.

Police recorded the statement from Mr. Kambwili at Woodland Police Station in Lusaka today.
Mr. Kambwili and some of the suspected PF cadres are alleged to have on January 19, 2010, and his sympathizers stormed Muvi TV premises at night during a live programme and threatened violence to the guests on the programme and some journalists.

After the warn and caution statement, Mr. Kambwili told his sympathizers that he was not worried about the Muvi TV issue.
He said the PF was not party.

Mr. Kambwili said police will inform the nation about his fate once investigations over the matter are completed.
He was accompanied to Woodlands Police Station by Mandevu Member of Parliament Jean Kapata, Munali MP Mumbi Phiri and other PF members.

ZANIS

Former President Frederick Chiluba says he stopped being in active politics immediately he left State House in 2001.

Dr. Chiluba told ZANIS through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba that he should not be perceived as an active politician simply because he is supporting President Rupiah Banda’s government.

He explained that by virtue of vacating State House and the presidency nine years ago, he ceased to be in active politics.

He dismissed assertions that he was slowly getting back into active politics as alleged by opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Wynter Kabimba, who also threaten to seek court intervention on the matter.

Mr. Kabimba recently claimed that Dr. Chiluba was engaged in active politics and said the PF would seek the courts intervention to stop the former President from accessing his terminal benefits.

Dr. Chiluba described Mr. Kabimba’s claims as baseless and unfounded.

He said he had the right to rallying behind President Banda or any candidate of his choice in the country.
Dr. Chiluba was also accused of campaigning for the ruling MMD in the Copperbelt province last week.

ZANIS