THE Government, economists and the communications union have condemned Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata for saying he will renationalise Zamtel once elected into office in 2011.

They advised him and other opposition politicians to stop issuing statements that may scare away would-be investors for Zamtel.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said it was wrong for Mr Sata to warn would-be investors when the decision to sell the company was done in good faith.

Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) president, Mwilola Imakando and National Union of Communication Workers (NUCW) general secretary, Clement Kasonde criticised Mr Sata and said his statements had the potential to scare away investors.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha advised the PF leader to stop politicking over Zamtel, saying if Mr Sata had the interests of the workers and Zambians as a whole, he would not issue such careless statements.
Gen Shikapwasha was reacting to recent comments by Mr Sata who was quoted by Reuters that should he be elected to the presidency, he would reverse the sale of Zamtel.

Gen Shikapwasha said the decision to sell the company was done after consultations and was aimed at saving the company from total collapse.

“We are concerned that Mr Sata has continued to issue statements that can scare away the would-be investors for Zamtel because the decision as Government is that it has been done in good faith,” he said.
If the Government did not want to be transparent in the sale of Zamtel, it would not have called for tenders, and wondered why Mr Sata was objecting to the sale.

The minister said the PF leader should find better ways of selling his party other than taking a confrontational stance of condemning and attacking the Government in power.

Zambians should be wary of such leaders who were ready to bring to a halt development programmes put in place to better the lives of people just to get to State House.

“The threats over Zamtel sale is mere politicking and this shows how Mr Sata is trying to win political support using Zamtel. Sadly this is being done at the expense of development,” he said.

Recently, Reuters quoted Mr Sata as having said that he would renationalise Zamtel, if elected as president in 2011, because the decision to privatise the company was not in the best interest of the country.

Mr Sata said the sale of Zamtel was unacceptable because, apart from it being a strategic organisation, the new majority owners were likely to close the rural branches and concentrate on urban areas.

“Those bidding for Zamtel are doing so at owner’s risk. The PF in government will reverse the decision to privatise Zamtel. Even if it is sold, we will renationalise it,” Mr Sata said.

MrKasonde wondered what solution Mr Sata would have for Zamtel if he blocked the sale.
Mr Kasonde said Mr Sata should not make statements that he knew would not have solutions for the company that was heavily indebted.

Mr Imakando, who also voiced the same sentiments, said people opposed to the sale of Zamtel should avoid making statements that may affect investor confidence which the country had enjoyed.

An independent economic analyst, Oliver Saasa said renationalising Zamtel would scare away other investors and was not in the best interest of the country because the sale was legally binding.

India’s Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Angola’s Unitel and Libya’s LAP Green Networks on Wednesday last week submitted bids to acquire between 51 and 75 per cent of the stake in Zamtel.

[Times of Zambia]

The Islamic Council of Zambia has encouraged the Muslim community and other religious leaders to work with the government of the day in promoting peace and unity in the country.

ZANIS Ndola reports that the Islamic Council of Zambia Deputy Mufti (Chief Priest) Sheikh Isaa Bonomali said this during a one-day Leaders’ workshop aimed at seeking a new beginning among Muslims in Zambia.

The workshop was aimed at based upon mutual interest and respect for all religions.

Sheikh Bonomali said the core interest of all religious leaders and politicians was to ensure that the people they lead had unity and peace.

The deputy chief priest further observed that there was need for religions in the country to work together and not compete since they share common principles of justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of human beings.

He explained that there was a misconception by people that Islam was a violent religion just because of few individuals that were engaging into violent activities.

He explained that Islam was not a violent religion but a peaceful one and that it was not competing with any other religion.

Sheikh Bonomali further said Islam had a proud tradition of tolerance, which was evidenced by Muslims’ participation in interfaith meetings in the country.

He said Muslim community has been participating in candlelight memorial services, which are held in churches on the eve of December 1 every year to commemorate the World AIDS day.

Sheikh Bonomali further praised government for creating providing freedom of worship among different religions in the country.

He further called upon the Muslim community to be good citizens and abide by the laws of the present government.

He said the Islamic Council would not protect any Muslims who will break the law of the land but would instead urge government to take stern action against those found wanting.

ZANIS

The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) in Livingstone has passed a vote of no confidence in the party’s top leadership accusing it of failing to organize the members at grass root level.

According to a statement made available to ZANIS in Livingstone today, Livingstone District FDD chairman Allan Shawa observed that the party has been static at grass root level.

Mr. Shawa said the FDD district leadership will soon embark on recruiting new members and form new branches and ward committees in readiness for the 2011 general elections.

“The party is not moving. It is dead at grass root level because national FDD leaders have abandoned the party. They are stuck in Lusaka,” he said.

He said the party in Livingstone will use its own initiative and start organizing the party before the next general election and called on party national leaders to be proactive.

He said FDD official should consider coming in the open and explain the position of the party and the plans for 2010 general elections.

Mr. Shawa further claimed that lack of finances has contributed to failure by the top FDD leadership to reorganize the party at the grass root level.

ZANIS

Vice President George Kunda has urged all eligible voters in the country to register during the forthcoming voters’ registration exercise.

Speaking at Kanona Basic School in Serenje today, Mr. Kunda said there are many citizens who have reached voting age in Zambia.

He said it was for this reason that they must take advantage of the next voter registration exercise which will be conducted by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to register as voters.

He also said it was time the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to restructure itself in readiness for the 2011 general polls.

Mr. Kunda, who is also Minister of Justice, emphasized the need for the party to keep record of how many members it has countrywide.

He explained that it was for this reason that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the MMD will send a number of registers to various parts of the country to ascertain the exactly number of its members.

Earlier, the Vice President met a number of traditional leaders, among them Chief Mailo, Chieftainess Serenje and senior Chief Chitambo.

Mr. Kunda assured the chiefs of continued government support because traditional leaders are government’s developmental partners.

He said it was encouraging that traditional leaders were also supportive of President Rupiah Banda and his government.

Mr. Kunda said this when he met chief Mailo at his palace in the outskirt of Serenje district today.

And Chief Mailo expressed gratitude to the MMD government for many developmental projects in his chiefdoms.

The traditional leader says the MMD was the only party which had the vision to develop the country.

He however said there was need for Zambians to continue supporting the MMD government even in future.

He further said he has read the MMD government’s Vision 2030 of making Zambia a middle income country, noting that this was a progressive vision.

The traditional leader said he was praying hard to God to extend the MMD’s leadership for a better Zambia.

He also said Zambia was lucky to have continued enjoying peace and attributed the development to the MMD government.

Meanwhile, Education Deputy Minster, Richard Taima has expressed sadness at the state of some schools in the area.

Mr. Taima said some classroom blocks in the areas are in a deplorable state.

He said it was for this reason that his ministry will soon hold a budgetary meeting with stakeholders to build more one by three (1 x 3) classroom blocks throughout the country.

He reiterated government’s commitment to increasing the number of schools around the country.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health, Solomon Musonda has disclosed that plans were underway to build more health centres in the country to take health services closer to the people.

Dr. Musonda said his ministry will build more hospitals as close to the people as possible.

He said this at Serenje district hospital after he conducted a tour of a new theatre at the health centre worth K70 million.

He has however stated that there is need for the community to participate in the construction of health centres especially that there are budget constraints.

Dr. Musonda said his ministry, through the Poverty Reduction Programme, has limited funds to cater for all requisites of new health centres.

He advised that it was in this vein that the community should construct health centres on self help basis and not to expect government to buy equipment such as furniture and other medical equipment.

And Acting District Medical Officer Jerry Sinyangwe thanked government for government’s support to his institution.

He disclosed that other than the construction of the new theatre at his institution, government is constructing a new health centre in the district.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multi Party Democracy MMD has expressed displeasure at opposition political parties continued insults and attacks on the Republican President.

MMD national Chairman Michael Mabenga has since advised opposition political parties to direct their energy to tell the Zambian people what they will do when they come into power.

Mr. Mabenga said President Banda has made visible efforts to ensure the country achieves enhanced economic Development.

He noted that the MMD as a party has a passion for the efforts the President has made in a short time that he has saved in office since his election.

Speaking at a press briefing, Mr. Mabenga cited the growth in the mining sector, the oil explorations and the re introduction of the Fertilizer Support Input Program in the Agriculture sector as some of the many development efforts scored by President Banda.

He noted that all these achievements are an indication that the President is working and wondered why some people are saying the President has failed.

Mr. Mabenga further said the opposition political parties were using bad language because they have taken advantage of the democratic environment in Zambia.

He called on Zambians to support President Banda because he meant well for Zambians.

Meanwhile, the MMD has said the recent tour of Western province by United Party for National Development- UPND President Hakainde Hichilema was unsuccessful.

Mr. Mabenga also reiterated that former Gender Minister Patricia Mulasikwanda’s resignation from the MMD party was a good move adding that she was just there to detract the party.

He noted that her moving to the opposition UPND/PF Pact will not make any impact saying Ms. Mulasikwanda failed to improve her political career from as way back as the time she was with UNIP and MMD.

ZANIS

Chief Government Spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha says government performed well in most sectors in 2009.

Gen. Shikapwasha who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister pointed out that there are numerous achievements that the country recorded this year especially in the education and health sectors.

He said in 2009 alone government managed to construct high and basic schools in all provinces in the country.
Gen. Shikapwasha noted that the construction of hostels at the University of Zambia is another major achievement scored in 2009 in the education sector.

The Information and Broadcasting Services Minister said an average of about six thousand teachers have since been employed to supplement the teacher ratio in peri-urban and rural areas in an effort to improve the education sector in the country.

Gen Shikapwasha highlighted these achievements scored by government through 2009 in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He also pointed out that government had embarked on electrification of schools in rural areas to try and improve the education sector in remote areas.

Meanwhile, Gen. Shikapwasha disclosed that in 2009 government constructed more hospitals and clinics in most parts of the country.

He said the construction of a cancer hospital at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the ongoing construction works of a general hospital in Lusaka are some of the many projects that government embarked on in 2009.

ZANIS

FORMER MMD national secretary, Vernon Mwaanga has advised the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to reinstate the Simasiku Namakando-led dissolved Western Province executive committee.

Mr Mwaanga said there was no way the NEC should fail to recognise the reconciliation between President Rupiah Banda and the dissolved executive committee.

He said the acting party president had taken a reconciliatory path which should be recognised and the best route to take was to reinstate the committee.

When contacted for a comment, MMD deputy national secretary, Jeff Kaande agreed with Mr Mwaanga’s advice but said NEC would have to sit and make a decision.

“I totally agree with Mr Mwaanga’s advice but what I should say is that we are just waiting for a directive as NEC and we will act.

‘‘Now that the national secretary, Dr Katele Kalumba is back, he will liaise with our party president and give the directive as to when NEC should meet to decide on that matter.

“This is not a one-man show. It is not about Jeff Kaande but it is the responsibility of the NEC. I mean, who am I to argue against the president,” Mr Kaande said.

Asked about his earlier statement that Mr Namakando ceased to be a party member after his executive committee took the party to court, Mr Kaande said such were the regulations of the MMD but that since they were made by the people, it was up to the same people to bend them.

Mr Mwaanga said it was important for the NEC to realise that the president himself had reconciled with Mr Namakando and the rest of the NEC members and follow the path the president had taken.

“Unless this is done, the party will leave itself open to acrimony. The provincial executive committee is next to the NEC and this is why I am saying the party should find a way of dealing with this issue,” he said.

He said President Banda’s stance to reconcile with Mr Namakando should not be taken as a sign of weakness but that the president had looked at a broader picture, a position he said was the best for the party and its members.

He believed that the party had the capacity to deal with various matters in an amicable way and advised senior members of the party to stop attacking each other in the Press.

Mr Mwaanga said senior members of the party should show that they were able to handle issues internally because what was currently happening did not paint a good picture to the members.

He advised MMD members not to worry about the negative statements coming from the party’s enemies because as a party in Government, the MMD had scored various successes in growing the economy, poverty reduction, agriculture, health and in education.

He said the MMD needed to manage its politics well as it prepared for the 2011 tripartite elections.

Mr Mwaanga said the policies of the MMD had won accolades from the international community which was why the party’s enemies were attacking it on a daily basis.

[Times of Zambia]