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PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has lost direction, the office of the second Republican president Frederick Chiluba has said.
Featuring on Joy FM’s Platform programme, Dr Chiluba’s spokesperson Emmnuel Mwamba said the former president had in 2006 supported Mr Sata because he had raised attractive issues.
Mr Mwamba, however, said Dr Chiluba had chosen to support President Rupiah Banda because of his good leadership as opposed to Mr Sata who had been inconsistent in the recent past.
“A lot has happened between 2006 and now, and Dr Chiluba’s choice should be respected because dynamics in politics have changed,” he said.
He said Mr Sata had been inconsistent on several issues such as the windfall taxes and the Constitution review process which he had initially supported but later changed positions.
In 2009, Dr Chiluba did not see stability in Mr Sata’s leadership, hence his support for Mr Banda.
Mr Sata was also not telling the truth by claiming that he had been given a dossier on Dr Chiluba by late president Levy Mwanawasa.
Mr Mwamba said Mr Sata should never think that he had done any favour for Dr Chiluba because the former head of State did a lot to help the PF as he had encouraged people to join it.
He refuted allegations that the former president was actively involved in politics, saying he had no intentions of holding any elective or party office.
According to Zambia’s laws, former presidents could issue any statements because they had not lost their fundamental right of expression, he added.
Dr Chiluba’s support of President Banda should be respected, just like when he supported Mr Sata in 2006, Mr Mwamba said.
He said Dr Chiluba remained a man of great influence like Dr Kaunda and some people still appreciated what the two former leaders did for them.
Vice President George Kunda says government will protect farmers’ interests in the country because this is the only way of guaranteeing food security in the country.
Mr. Kunda says farmers are playing a very important role in the economic development of the country hence the need to protect them
He says once farmers’ interests are protected, food production will be strengthened in Zambia.
He was speaking when he addressed commercial farmers in Chisamba yesterday.
And Zambia National Farmers Union Vice President David Golden, who is also a farmer in Chisamba, said the fluctuation of the exchange rate of the Kwacha to the United States dollar has affected farmers’ profits.
Mr. Golden also asked government to control the imports of wheat products into the country.
Ministry of health permanent secretary Velepi Mtonga
The Ministry of Health is in the process of establishing an ultrasound training centre at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Velepi Mtonga disclosed the development when she officially opened a three day ultrasound training workshop at UTH in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr. Mtonga noted that the establishment of an ultrasound training centre at UTH will help reduce the number of pregnancy related deaths among women in the country. Dr. Mtonga observed that the country has continued to lose lives due to lack of effective ultrasound services especially in rural hospitals.
She also observed that the skills which will be acquired from the centre by medical experts in various fields of the medical profession will help the health sector to make steady progress towards the attainment of the vision 2015 of providing equity of access to affordable, cost effective and quality imaging services close to the people in the country.
The Permanent Secretary said government alone is not in the position to adequately address all health problems hence the need for collaboration with various stakeholders to help speed up the implementation process in the health sector.
She said the partnership between government and other key stakeholders in the medical profession is vital in addressing some of the health problems that the country is faced with.
Meanwhile Dr. Mtonga has disclosed that government through the Ministry of Health has continued to play an instrumental role in devising, implementing and promoting the medical image of the country.
She noted that resulting from government’s commitment to providing quality health services to the people, about 71 hospitals country wide have been equipped with new ultrasound and X-Ray machines to help detect diseases in patients.
Speaking at the same workshop Radiological Society of Zambia President Beatrice Mwape commended government for equipping hospitals with X-Ray and ultrasound machines as well as human resource development.
She said this will help in the provision of quality health care to patients across the country.
However, Ms Mwape has bemoaned the lack of an ultrasound school to provide the necessary training to caregivers across the country and has since appealed to government and its cooperating partners to consider building an ultra-sound school.
The workshop which runs from the 8-10 February is being attended by various medical practitioners from across the country as well as researchers and professors from Germany, Tunisia and Uganda.
A hippo has killed a six year old girl of Kalabo district in western province and injured her grandmother after hitting a canoe in which they were.
Western Province Police Commanding Officer Vael Muzwenga identified the deceased as Nyambe Situmbeko and the grandmother as Mushiba Simasiku aged 45 years, both of Nalikoko village in Chief Sinawambuyu’s area.
Mr. Muzwenga told ZANIS that the incident happened along Lwambimba river as Mushiba, her husband and their granddaughter were in a canoe from a health centre to the village.
He said the family was attacked by the hippo near Machaulala village where it hit their canoe.
Mr. Muzwenga said the hippo killed the girl while Mushiba survived with injuries.
She is admitted to Kalabo district hospital where she is receiving treatment while the body of deceased has not yet been retrieved from the river.
A two year old boy of Dambwa North in Livingstone on Friday drowned after falling into a 20 litre container of water.
Southern Province Police Commanding Officer, Lemmy Kajoba confirmed the drowning of the boy to ZANIS in Livingstone yesterday.
Mr. Kajoba said the boy, Shula Mulenga, was sent to fetch water from an open container which was in the house.
He said it is suspected that the boy climbed on an object to fetch the water from the container and fell into the container, with head first.
He said the incident occurred at around 16:30 hours on Friday.
Mr. Kajoba said since there was no other person in the house, the boy drowned and died in the container.
He said people at home discovered what had happened when it was too late to save the child.
Mr. Kajoba said the matter was however under investigations to determine whether there was an element of negligence in the circumstances that led to the death of the child.
Meanwhile, investigations by ZANIS revealed that Mulenga was buried yesterday (Sunday, February 7).
Livingstone Deputy Mayor Aggrey Njekwa and former Town Clerk George Kalenga were among the mourners that attended the burial of the boy yesterday.
Hakaindeh in 2008Vice President George Kunda has accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Hakainde Hichilema of gagging the party’s original philosophy of inclusiveness and non-tribalism stance.
Mr. Kunda said Mr. Hichilema’s going into a political pact with the Patriotic Front (PF) was against the ideals on which late UPND president Anderson Mazoka formed the party.
“When the late Mazoka formed the UPND, it was represented by all tribes, it had a national agenda but HH is selling the party for silver,” he said.
He said PF president, Michael Sata, with whom Mr. Hichilema has entered into a pact, was supporting tribalism as evidenced in the last Kasama parliamentary by-election campaigns where he (Sata) allegedly declared that his candidate should be supported and voted for because he comes from Kasama.
“Hakainde Hichilema is not a tribalist, but why has he gone into a pact with a self-confessed tribalist?” he asked.
Mr. Kunda was speaking when he addressed a public rally in Chisamba today.
He appealed to UPND Members of Parliament (MPs) not to allow their party to lose the ideology it had at its formation.
“Tribalism is illegal in this country. So I am appealing to MPs in the UPND to kick HH out if he is misleading the party” he said.
The Vice President disclosed that many members and sympathizers of the UPND have noted the differences in the UPND-PF pact and were therefore leaving it to join the MMD.
“Thousands of Zambians have seen the evil in the UPND-PF pact and so they are moving out. By 2011, the pact will be a shell,” he told the rally.
Mr. Kunda has unlike the pact, President Rupiah Banda was promoting love and non-tribalism.
He said the party had a bright future and hence should be supported by all Zambians.
He said government, under the MMD has performed very well in the education, health and agriculture sectors by building more schools, health centres and creating a fertilizer support programme for farmers.
Mr. Kunda said government was currently rehabilitation silos around the country to ensure that the grain produced by farmers was properly stored before it was sold or consumed.
“As a government, we are planning ahead to address the problems we have in Zambia. We are developing the sixth national development plan which will be implemented over a period of five year,” he said.
And speaking at the same rally, Chisamba Member of Parliament, Moses Muteteka appealed to government to consider degazeting some forestry land in his constituency if order to subdivide it for resettlement by the local people.
Mr. Muteteka said many more people in Chisamba were engaging into farming hence the need to allocate more land for agricultural activities.
Earlier, Mr. Kunda addressed commercial farmers in Chisamba where he declared that government will protect farmers’ interests in the country in order to guarantee food security in the country.
Mr. Kunda said farmers were playing a very important role in the economic development of the country hence the need to protect their interests.
He said government will address farmers’ interests in terms of promoting irrigation and providing small scale farmers with agriculture inputs such as fertilisers and seeds.
And Zambia National Farmers Union Vice President David Golden, who is also a farmer in Chisamba, said government’s agricultural policies have enabled the sector to grow massively in the last ten years.
Mr. Golden said Zambia was now self-sufficient in wheat, maize and Soya production.
He however asked government to ban wheat importation into the country because there was enough local wheat produced by Zambian farmers.
He however complained that fluctuations of the exchange rate of the Kwacha to the United States dollar have affected farmers’ profits.
Mr. Kunda was on a three day tour of Central province to interact with chiefs, local people to appreciate challenges they were facing and inspect development projects.
Zanaco head to Kampala on Tuesday with six new faces in the 18-man team ahead this Fridays Caf Champions League preliminary round first leg match against hosts Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
Zanaco and URA clash on February 12 at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala at 15:00 Zambian time.
Wedson Nyirenda’s side fly-out to Uganda at 11:00 on Tuesday
The six new faces in Zanaco’s team to face URA include striker Mathew Macha who joined from promoted Nchanga Rangers this year.
Striker Vanecious Mapande who arrived from demoted Chambishi is also in the final 18 that also includes left-back Maybin Chishimba from Konkola Blades plus his former club-mate in at the Chililabombwe side midfielder Trinity Chalanshi.
Forward Judge Mkandawire signed from Red Arrows and midfielder Sydney Kaluwe who joined this season from Lusaka Dynamos complete the newcomers in the travelling party.
Meanwhile, veteran defender Kennedy Nkethani returns to the fold after a lengthy injury spell that saw him miss all of last season due to injury.
Zanaco will host URA in the return leg on February 27 at sunset Stadium in Lusaka.
Winner over both legs will advance to the first round where they will take on ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire who they host during the weekend on March 19-21.
Treasured possession...Bishop Joshua Banda secures his expensive phone after a press briefing in Lusaka.
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Female boxing champion Esther Phiri and trainer Anthony Mwamba (sipping wine) during a cocktail with Esther's sponsors at Pamodzi hotel
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High Court Judge Justice, Florence Lengalenga (center) inspects a guard of guard of honour during the official opening of criminal court sessions at Chipata High Court
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33-YEAR OLD Woman of Musmali Village in Mansa has given birth to four Babies, one boy and 3 girls. Here, the father to the quadruplets Emmanuel Semba 38, Dr. Kasongo Irung (who performed the ceaserian op), Mansa General Hospital Nursing Officer, Astridah Hikaamba and four student Nurses with the babies
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National soccer team head coach Herve Renard arrives at Football House for a press briefing where he said he has not yet decided to renew his contract when it expires in May this year
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President Rupiah Banda and First Lady Thandiwe Banda interact with Zambians resident in Ethiopia at the weekend.
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Umwana musuma...MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba at the funeral of late MMD Milanzi MP Reuben Banda in Chipata
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ZAF flight assistants secure the coffin of the late MMD Milanzi MP Reuben Banda before it was flown to ChipataLate MMD Milanzi MP Reuben Banda's wife Mary is assisted to board a ZAF plane before going to Chipata at Lusaka city airport
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Floods in the Kamwala second class trading area. Shoppers have to wear gumboots or wade in the pools of water to access shops.
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Lusaka district Commissioner Christa Kalulu talks to reporters on the floods situation in Lusaka
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Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba (l) and Upnd Spokesperson Charles Kakoma at the press briefing in Lusaka
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Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarkio Kazonga is taken on a tour of the water works by Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company Managing Director George Ndongwe (left) in Kafue
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Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei leaves the magistrates court complex in Lusaka.
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Saluting Chinese food..An unidentified Chinese man expresses his satisfaction for Chinese food in Lusaka
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who needs a chair when legs can do? .....Two Chinese friends enjoy a Chinese cuisine during the celebration of the Chinese new year in Lusaka
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Youth leaders from the Progreesive Development Movement addressing a press briefing in Lusaka
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Praying for Haiti...Bishop Joshua Banda and Bishop Joe Imakando (r) pray for the Haitians after the launch of the Haiti Help initiative in Lusaka
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Education Minister Dora Siliya, flanked by Zambia Institute of Special Education Acting ZAMISE principal Grace Mulenga (left), inspects a library project and lecture rooms under construction at ZAMISE in Lusaka
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Massoud Barclays Bank MD Farewell - Picture from LT blogger : Jean Mandela
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Education Minister Dora Siliya inspects a newly opened computer laboratory at Chilenje High School in Lusaka
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An unidentified Chinese enjoys a glass of MOSI lager in Lusaka
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Workers from Turner construction firm building trading stalls at Chilenje market
Chief Chikanta of Kaloma District in Southern Province says he does not see anything wrong with Second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s support for President Rupiah Banda because it is normal in a democratic society.
The Chief who was flanked by Chief Bright Nalubamba of Namwala told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, that Dr Chiluba has a right to support any Presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.
Chief Chikanta observed that Dr Chiluba is a member of the ruling party and it is only normal for him to rally behind President Banda who also belongs to the same party.
The Chief cited former South African President, Nelson Mandela who openly supported President Jacob Zuma, during the Presidential elections in that country.
He urged those criticizing the former president and threatening to lobby government to withhold his benefits to leave him alone and allow him to exercise his constitutional right to associate with other groupings.
Chief Chikanta wondered why some members of civil society and opposition are scared of Dr Chiluba’s involvement in politics.
Luapula Province Minister Boniface Kawimbe has called upon the Ngumbo people of Samfya district to support their newly crowned Senior Chief Mwewa.
Dr. Kawimbe says this is important because it will help to foster development in the area. He said it is important for people to realize that the task and challenges of leading people were enormous and needed full support of the people.
Dr. Kawimbe said this in Samfya during the installation ceremony of Albert Chileya as Senior Chief Mwewa.
He said, on its part, government will continue offering support to traditional leaders in the province to help them spearhead development projects in their areas.
Dr. Kawimbe said government’s doors were open to the royal highnesses’ for consultations, advice, guidance and counsel on various matters affecting the nation and the province in particular.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kawimbe has appealed to traditional leaders in Samfya District to unite and take advantage of government’s favourable polices to foster development in the district.
He said with such co-operation, there was no reason why food production could not be boosted with the favourable weather and ideal soils the district was endowed with.
Dr. Kawimbe commended the traditional leaders in the district and the royal Electoral College for facilitating peaceful elections which had resulted into a smooth succession transition for the new Senior Chief Mwewa.
The provincial minister implored traditional leaders in the district to prepare family trees in advance and circulate copies to government and relevant stakeholders in order to avoid succession wrangles.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Lt. Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha
Former US president Jimmy Carter challenged African governments to speed up the legislation for access to information in their countries.
Mr. Carter regretted that even when all the other continents were claiming to have access to information laws in place, Africa had lagged far behind.He was speaking when he officially opened the African Regional Conference on the Right of Access informational in Ghana. Mr. Carter reminded the conference participants that access to information was a basic human right and a key factor in reducing corruption in government.
The former US president said access to information laws also increased the participation of women in decision making adding that he was amazed by reports that women in Liberia could not participate in politics and were being raped even with a woman president in office.
Mr. Carter who singled out South Africa as the only country that had passed the freedom of information law in Africa cited Zimbabwe as another country that had passed the same information Law which it had, however, twisted around to persecute people who released public information.
The African Regional conference on the right of access to information is the third major conference that the Carter center for Democracy Program has sponsored on freedom of information after the Atlanta Declaration in 2008 and the Lima declaration in Peru, South America in 2009.
Mr. Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter have since left for Sudan to monitor the situation in that country before the presidential elections due in six weeks time.
Speaking yesterday when he chaired a high level panel discussion on transparency at the La palm Beach hotel in Accra during the on- going Right of Access to information conference organized by the Carter Center for Democracy program, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Lt. Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha assured the Conferenc that the Zambian Government will table the freedom of Information Bill immediately parliament resumes sitting this month.
Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said the Zambian Government has already reached an advanced stage in pushing for the legislation of the Freedom of information Act and was currently wrapping up its study of other models as advised by the World bank and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP to see which model would best suit the Zambian environment .
Gen. Shikapwasha said the Zambian administration under President Rupiah Banda was in a rush to pass the Freedom Of Information Bill and other media bills ,but was taking its time consulting widely so that it could come up with an -all embracing legal framework that would enhance people’s equitable access to public information .
The minister who cited cost as another factor that had weakened the pace for legislation, explained to the conference that the access to information, or freedom of Information Bill should not be viewed from the prism of being an exclusively media bill alone, but one that would benefit every citizen who might need information .
Government has urged Zambians to use the country’s cultural diversity to create wealth for themselves and the nation.
Community Development and Social Welfare Minister Michael Kaingu said traditional ceremonies should not be viewed as mere dancing events because they have the potential of contributing to the social and economic development of the country.
The minister was speaking last night in Chilanga, Lusaka when he officiated at Chilanga Gold Tournament Prize Giving ceremony organized by the Chilanga Kuomboka Traditional Committee.
The event was organized to raise funds for the successful holding of the Kuomboka Traditional Ceremony of the Lozi people of Western Province in April this year.
‘‘Zambians should use these traditional ceremonies to enrich themselves and create wealth for themselves. They should not only view them as events where we go to watch traditional dances,’’ Mr. Kaingu said.
He said there was need to mainstream the country’s culture diversity into national development programmes.
He urged Zambians to take advantage of the country’s cultural diversity to fight poverty and create wealth for themselves.
Mr. Kaingu also appealed to traditional leaders in the country to get actively involved in the fight against poverty through traditional ceremonies.
He said he was extremely honoured to officiate at the fundraising event organized by the committee of the rich Kuomboka traditional ceremony which started in 1876.
The minister, who pledged K3 million to the committee, commended the 15 Zambian companies that sponsored the Golf Tournament at Chilanga Gold Club.
And Chilanga Kuomboka Traditional Committee Chairman Aongola Mutukelwa commended government for its continued support to the Lozi traditional ceremony.
Mr. Mutukelwa explained that the purpose of the fundraising venture was to raise money and building materials for the ceremony.
The fundraising prize giving ceremony was also attended by Princess Nakatindi Wina and her husband Sikota Wina who are matron and patron for the Chilanga Kuomboka Committee respectively.
The Forum for Progressive Parties (FPP) has condemned the print media for publishing people especially women who are allegedly half naked .
FPP Secretary General (SG) Charles Kafumbo says the publishing of such pictures in the newspapers should be condemned by all concerned Zambians.
Mr. Kafumbo told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that it is high time that print media desist from publishing nude pictures in their newspapers.
He said it is immoral to publish pictures of women who are half naked adding that it corrupts the mind of people especially the children.
Mr. Kafumbo’s sentiments comes in the wake of publication of half naked women published in one of the tabloids and daily newspapers.
The Forum SG has since taken a swipe at Women Civil Organizations in the country over their silence to comment on half naked women.
He said the Forum would now start championing for the rights of women because the publishing of half naked women in the newspapers is tantamount to pornography.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kafumbo has advised women in the country to dress properly when they go out to functions because they should not blame the media if the find themselves in those circumstances.
He said indecent dressing especially among the women folk is against the values of the declaration of Zambia, a Christian nation.
The Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) has announced that it will resume operation of its passenger trains today, Monday, February 8, 2010.
RSZ Deputy General Manager -In-charge of Corporate Affairs Charles Phiri announced the development in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka this evening.
Mr. Phiri said the suspension of the passenger trains was due to unforeseen circumstances.
He assured the traveling public that RSZ has put in place all the measures to guarantee the passengers of smooth movement to their various destinations.
Mr. Phiri said during the suspension which started on Friday last week, the company recorded some loss in business but said this was manageable.
“We wish to inform our esteemed customers that RSZ resumes full operations on Monday February 8. We temporary suspended our operations due to unforeseen circumstances. The company has made a sizeable but manageable loss,” Mr. Phiri said.
OPPOSITION political parties should offer alternative solutions to the challenges affecting the nation because politics of merely criticising the Government is long gone, former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa has said.
Featuring on a Joy FM live chat-show “Tikambilane” yesterday, Mrs Mwanawasa said leaders from the opposition and the Government should co-exist and support one another in the management of the country.
She said there was need for opposition leaders, who considered themselves as the government in waiting, to prove to the people that they had alternative ways of tackling issues like the effects of the floods in Lusaka.
Mrs Mwanawasa said politics of merely criticising the Government was long gone and those aspiring for leadership positions should be able to prove to the electorate that they are capable of providing better policies than those of the ruling party.
She said she was still an ordinary MMD member who was on the “bench” and if called upon to “play on any number” she would be able to respond accordingly.
Mrs Mwanawasa insisted she had no grudge against the MMD or the Government saying whenever she spoke strongly, she did not do so out of malice but to advise leaders.
On the adoption of degree requirement by the National Constitutional Conference for people vying for the presidency, Mrs Mwanawasa, who is a lawyer said it was not necessary.
She said what was important was a candidate’s performance.
Mrs Mwanawasa said a candidate’s past performance should be an important barometer in an election. The degree requirement might disadvantage other people like those in the military who do not have degrees.
On life after president Levy Mwanawasa’s death, she said it had not been easy to live as a widow since a lot of friends and some relatives had been shunning her.
Mrs Mwanawasa said during late president Levy Mwanawasa’s sickness and after his death, there had been a lot of adverse publicity about her with some people spreading rumours that she had a lot of money in First Alliance Bank and that she owned the multi-national oil marketing company, Petroda.
She said all that was not true as she did not even know much about the two entities and challenged the law enforcement agencies to arrest her if she had stolen anything as first lady.[quote]
She said the Mwanawasas were among the first families who had left State House with as little as they had gone in with.
Mrs Mwanawasa challenged other widows to rise and claim whatever was due to them as most of the traditional beliefs were oppressive to them.
She urged society to stop oppressing widows and orphans.
On the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI), Mrs Mwanawasa said the organisation was still active although many organisations had stopped supporting it.
She appealed for further support so that the organisation could continue with the projects it had initiated and embark on others.
