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 .

[ZANIS]

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.

ZANIS

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.

[Times of Zambia]

Movement for Multi party democracy MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwanga has stated that the party is still receiving support.

Mr. Mwanga says that the party is doing well with the support from the Zambians who have continued to believe in the party.

He told QFM that the party has still the largest support in the country because of its good economic policies that have been put in place since its inception. [quote]

He however admitted that the party has some challenges that the party is slowly addressing.

He has called on the MMD sympathizers not to be cheated that the party has lost support in urban areas especially Lusaka.

He says that Zambia is not made up of Lusaka alone, as people in the rural areas still have faith and belief that the government will address its issues.

He further explained that if the government has failed to meet people’s expectations, the country would not have attended single digit inflation and the highest reserves in the central bank since independence.

QFM

Vice President George Kunda has warned that the country risks getting back to its economic doldrums if Zambians voted out the ruling MMD government from power in the 2011 tripartite elections.

Mr. Kunda says the MMD government has worked hard to revive and sustain the economic gains the country has continued to make.
.
He says as a result of government’s good economic policies, the country has won itself confidence from the donor community.

The Vice President who was addressing a rally at Keembe Farm Training Institute in Chibombo yesterday said in the last few years, the donor communities have been releasing huge sums of money for developmental projects because of the confidence they have in the government of the day.

He said without good economic policies, the donors would have withdrawn their funding from government.

Mr. Kunda said for the past few years, the country has been recording a bumper harvest because of government’s support to the agricultural sector through programmes such as the Farmer Input Support Programme ((FISP).

He also disclosed that this year, government has released K5 billion each to three ministries namely Gender, Sport and Community Development to empower women, youths and vulnerable clubs to enable them engage in various economic activities.

Mr. Kunda added that government has also given the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services an additional K10 billion for Food Security Pack programmes for vulnerable people in rural areas across the country.[quote]

He explained that all these programmes have been put in place in order to reduce poverty levels in the country which he said mostly affects the women, youths and vulnerable people.

Mr. Kunda urged the people of Chibombo district to forms Clubs and access these funds.

He told the gathering that 40 percent of the CEEC has been reserved for women, youths and vulnerable people.

The Vice President further warned that if Zambians voted for the UPND /PF Pact in 2011, all such economic empowerment programmes will discontinue thereby subjecting the Zambians to abject poverty.

“You have seen what the MMD government has done because of our good economic policies set by this government. So I urge you not to experience with leadership with some of these who only come to plunder the economy,” he said.

Mr. Kunda said some of the people vying for presidency now have failed before when they were in government and so far they have nothing to offer to the Zambian people if voted into government.

Mr. Kunda also requested the people of Chibombo to reject UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema because he partnered with PF leader Michael Sata whom he described as a failure.

The Vice President is in Central Province to acquaint himself with the economic problems the province was faced with. He will also inspect developmental projects, hold public rallies and meet chiefs in the province.

Earlier, Central Province Minister Ackimson Banda said the people in the province are happy with the MMD government for developing the area.

Mr. Banda said MMD government has scored a lot of achievements in various key sectors of the economy.

Mr. Kunda is expected to return to Lusaka on today. He is accompanied by Provincial Minister Ackimson Banda, Science Minister and Mumbwa Central MP Dr. Brian Chituwo and MMD Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu.

ZANIS

The PF/UPND Pact has refuted allegations by Vice President George Kunda that there will soon be massive defections of opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to the ruling MMD.

UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma said the pact was not surprised or shaken by the vice presidents claims which started last year.

Mr. Kakoma urged the electorate to ignore the assertions and prepare themselves for the 2011 tripartite elections.

“The Vice President is just dreaming. These dreams started last year before the MPs got their gratuity and no resignations have occurred since then,” Mr. Kakoma said.

He said last year, the MMD said the opposition MPs were just waiting for their mid-term gratuity before defecting to the ruling party.

Mr. Kakoma said all the MPs from the Pact got their mid-term gratuity last year and no one has defected to the MMD.

He said no MPs from the PF/UPND Pact were planning to defect to the ruling party as alleged because there were no problems in the pact.

“There are no problems in the pact. People should just wait for the next government next year,” He said.

And Mr. Charles Kakoma has disclosed that 31 houses have been destroyed in Zambezi West Constituency in Zambezi District from heavy rains the area has been experiencing during the past few days.

Mr. Kakoma who is also Zambezi West MP said 150 people have been left homeless as a result of the floods which were now threatening to submerge Senior Chief Ndungu’s Palace.

He appealed to the Office of the Vice President’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Union to travel to the district to access the damage and assist the people that have been displaced as a result of the floods.

Mr. Kakoma said there was need to send food and other requisites to the area and also contain any possible outbreak of water borne diseases.

He sad reports from the area indicated that maize fields in Zambezi West Constituency have all been submerged in water.

Mr. Kakoma said because of the devastating floods, the area would likely going to experience hunger this year.

ZANIS

FORMER President Dr Frederick Chiluba has said he has the right to back President Banda and that this cannot disqualify him from receiving his pension and benefits as reportedly stated by former Minister of Finance Ng’andu Magande.

Dr Chiluba’s spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba said in a statement released yesterday that contrary to some assertions, the former President is still popular.

He said that Mr Magande should know that Dr Chiluba has not broken any provisions for his retirement from politics and cannot, therefore, lose his benefits.

Mr Mwamba explained that Dr Chiluba and any other former President that wishes to comment on matters of public affairs and supports a candidate and political party of his choice does not in any way break the law nor are his benefits threatened in any way.

He said the former President would only lose his benefits if he ceases to hold office on the ground of wilful violation of the constitution or of misconduct.
The other provisions are that a former President could lose his benefits if he is convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or engaged in active politics.

Mr Mwamba noted that the law states that active politics means doing any act indicating a person’s intention to hold elective or appointive office, holding of elective or appointive office or by a resolution of two thirds of the majority of members of the National Assembly.

“Dr Chiluba does not hold or does not intend to hold any political office. The law defines clearly what the framers intended to mean by `active politics’ and Dr Chiluba does not in any way fall in that category,” Mr Mwamba said.

He said that the Benefits of Former Presidents Act Cap 16 of Zambia is comprehensive, and so calls for Dr Chiluba’s withdrawal of benefits are malicious and intended to prevent the former President from meaningfully contributing to Zambia’s national development.

He said this law has been applied equitably in the past.

Mr Mwamba said that when Dr Chiluba remained MMD party president for three months, his pensions and benefits were taken away in compliance with the law.
He said the benefits were only restored when he resigned his position.

“We, therefore, wish to reprimand such persons as Ng’andu Magande who know the provisions of the law but chose to mislead the nation by alleging that Dr Chiluba is breaking the law by merely rendering political support to President Rupiah Banda,” he said.

Mr Mwamba said Dr Chiluba is only exercising his fundamental right of freedom of choice, expression, association and freedom of movement as guaranteed by the national constitution.

He said it is people like Mr Magande who are breaking the law by insisting on taking away Dr Chiluba’s fundamental rights.[quote]

“The bliss ignorance so far displayed by Mr Magande, in our view, amounts to irresponsible behaviour and having held a senior position such as a Finance Minister, his conduct should be beyond petty,” he said.

Mr Mwamba also said that Chiluba’s right to support President Banda must be respected without any question. He also dismissed assertions that Dr Chiluba’s trip to the Copperbelt is funded by State House.

“Since 2002, Dr Chiluba as former President has had his trips, local and foreign, funded by Government as a matter of entitlements.

Therefore, the assertion that the funds released for this Copperbelt trip to meet the welfare of his accommodation, food and that of his accompanying staff came from State House is only designed to embarrass President Rupiah Banda,” Mr Mwamba said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

ZAMBIA’S Lukundo Nalungwe yesterday blazed to aesthetic glamour when she bagged the M-Net Face of Africa award and in doing that turned around her life.“I am grateful to the Lord and Zambians for having been with me in their prayers.

There are so many girls who could have easily been picked as winners and for everybody who supported me, I say thank you…I am honoured,” said the 22-year-old Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICAS) student.

Lukundo beat nine other models selected from an initial batch of over 400 and starts her new career with a trip to America this week to take part in the New York Fashion week.

Lukundo, who won the whooping US$50,000 prize, said even after winning the glamourous award, she will not stop school.

“I know this has opened doors to many things but I will remain focused. I am writing my examinations in June and I will remain myself,” she said.

It was a tensed up final, with Lukundo having been the last announced in the top five at the event held at Lagos’ Eko Hotel and witnessed by a number of dignitaries, including 1988 winner Oluchi, who was one of the judges.

As the last five was trimmed to Lukundo, Zimbabwe’s Rosanna Hall and Ernania Rainha Manuel from Mozambique in the last three, it was difficult to know who would strike gold.

Immediately Lukundo was announced winner, tears of joy rolled down her face and minutes later back stage, she made her call to Zambia.

“I phoned my elder sister and all I heard were screams. They sounded happy and I think we will only talk when all of us come to terms with this,” she said.

It was elegance, poise and aesthetic glamour that Lukando displayed to make her win the first prize and prop her to fame.

She said she had made a shot at qualifying for the M-Net Face of Africa award three times before, the first having been when she was 18 years.

“I knew I would make it one day and this is why I tell Zambian girls never to give up on their dreams,” Lukundo said.

In the post event interview, Lukundo broke down as she remembered her brother who died a day before she was selected to represent Zambia.

Oluchi described Lukundo as the appropriate candidate for the crown.

“She worked hard for six months and deserves to win. Her winning is not based on tonight’s events, but events in the last six weeks,” she said.

M-Net Africa director of operations Biola Alabi praised Lukundo for winning and appealed to young girls to emulate her hard work.

Other finalists were from Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola and South Africa.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…time and chance happen to them all”
(Ecclesiastes 9:11, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

When God laid out the plans for our lives, He lined up the right people, the right breaks, and the right opportunities that we needed to fulfill our destiny. The Scripture talks about how time and chance will come together for every person. In other words, there are moments of favor that God has already released into your future. If you’ll let that sink down into your heart today, it will change your whole outlook on your future.

So many people miss out on the good things because they allow fear to distract them and hold them back. They say, “What if I fail?” “What if they don’t like me?” “What if I make a mistake?” To that I say, “What if you succeed?” “What if they like you?” “What if you do it better than anyone else?” That’s expecting God’s goodness and favor. And when you go out each day with an attitude of faith and expectancy, you’ll see those good things He has in store. You’ll walk into divine moments of favor, moments of blessing, moments of increase; and you’ll be fully equipped to live the life of victory!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for the good things You have in store for my future. Thank You for Your peace and joy that surrounds my every step. I choose today to keep my heart focused on the good things You have in store for my future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter Chairperson Henry Kabwe has condemned acts of violence allegedly perpetuated by two Patriotic Front Members of Parliament (MPs) on a ZNBC news crew that went to cover a PF/UPND press briefing yesterday.

Mr Kabwe advised the MPs to lead exemplary lives so that the young people are able to cope.

He regretted that the two law makers could seek so low to engage in physical confrontations when expressing their views.

Mr Kabwe further said the recent alleged attacks on ZNBC reporters are an indication that the PF MPs are ignorant on the operations of Journalists.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today.

The MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson has since challenged the opposition MPs to do the right thing and advocate for the implementation of the ZNBC amendment Act of 2002 which if passed would transform ZNBC into a public media organisation.

The named PF MPs are alleged to have warned the ZNBC news crew to stay away from UPND/PF functions and threatened to burn their vehicle.

ZANIS/