First Lady Thandiwe Banda says the HIV/AIDS and Cancer debilitation have remained serious challenges to the country’s development.
Mrs. Banda says the situation demands the support and combined efforts of all stakeholders to be addressed.

She noted that these diseases which lead to prolonged illness, need special care which can only be made available through the participation of everyone.

The First Lady said this in Lusaka last night when she officiated at the prize-giving ceremony of a fundraising golf tournament organized by the Chainama Golf Club.Mrs. Banda commended the Chainama Golf Club for adopting the Kalingalinga hospice as one of the institutions they would support.

The First Lady said like other organizations, the sports fraternity must actively participate in efforts aimed at meeting some of the needs of the people in communities.

She said the Hospice was playing an important role by providing the necessary care and support to the terminally ill patients without any form of discrimination.

And Kalingalinga Hospice Administrator Sister Kay O’Neill commended the Chainama Golf Club for choosing to support the hospice.

Sr. O’Neill assured that the contributions to the institution would be used for their intended purposes.

Over K20 million was raised at the fund-raising golf tournament.

Recently, The First Lady in company of her South African counterpart Nompumelelo Nthuli Zuma, Vice President George Kunda’s wife, Ireen and Ministers’ spouses visited the Kalingalinga hospice.

ZANIS

ACTING MMD spokesperson Mike Mulongoti has challenged former Defence minister George Mpombo to resign from the MMD because he has become irrelevant to the party.

Mr Mulongoti who was reacting to Mr Mpombo’s continued attacks on the MMD said the fact that the MMD was not responding to his utterances showed that he had become irrelevant to the party.
He said keeping quiet did not mean that the party could not take action against Mr Mpombo and that it was a matter of time before action was taken.[quote]

“As a member of NEC he should have been doing something that can build the party and not divide it. If he wants he should leave the party,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti wondered why Mr Mpombo was crying for a convention when he had abandoned the people that voted for him as chairperson for energy.
He said that Mr Mpombo’s behaviour had consequences and that he should not blame anyone if the party acted.

And Mr Mulongoti refuted claims that the MMD is panicking because of the formation of the Patriotic Front (PF)-United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact, saying it is strategizing for the 2011 elections.

He was reacting to UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s claims that the MMD was panicking because of the pact.
He said the MMD could not panic because it was not even known who would challenge President Rupiah Banda from the PF-UPND Pact in 2011.
He said the two leaders in the pact – Michael Sata and Mr Hichilema had been beaten by the MMD on several occasions and that the party would only be concerned if it was a different candidate who would challenge President Banda.

He said it was the PF-UPND Pact that was panicking and that was the reason the two parties came together because they knew they could not dislodge the MMD from office.

MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga agreed with Mr Mulongoti on the matter and also said the party was strategizing for 2011 elections.

Mr Mabenga said the MMD was not asleep but strategizing for the 2011 elections and the opposition should look out.
He said it was Mr Hichilema who was panicking because he did not know what he would be even if the PF/UPND Pact won elections.
He said Mr Hichilema was panicking to the extent of allegedly bribing people in North Western Province with cows so that they could vote for his party in future elections.

When contacted for a comment on calls to resign from the ruling party, Mr Mpombo said Mr Mulongoti had no moral or political right to ask him to leave the party.

He said it was Mr Mulongoti who was a liability to the MMD.
“It is Mulongoti and his colleagues who have plunged the party into a crisis it is now experiencing. Unless people like Mulongoti leave, the party faces a irreversible political calamity,” he said.
Mr Mpombo accused Mr Mulongoto of not having feelings for the party.

[Times of Zambia]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says no one in MMD is scared of former Minister of Finance and National Planning Ngandu Magande because the latter is not as popular as he claims.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha advised Mr Magande to do his groundwork and gauge his popularity in MMD before declaring that the ruling party’s members who are backing President Banda are scared of him.

He was commenting on Mr Magande’s remarks that MMD members supporting President Banda are scared of him.

General Shikapwasha said leaders who are popular have nothing to worry about because their work speaks for them. He said using the media to issue statements which are baseless to gain political mileage can be in vain if God has not ordained those aspiring to positions of leadership.

“I understand Mr Magande is forcing himself to speak. This is for society to see that he is around and still active in politics when in actual sense he has nothing to talk about,” he said.

General Shikapwasha accused Mr Magande of not having any agenda for the country which can win him political mileage.

He said it is high time Mr Magande and other political leaders understood that it is only God who ordains people to become leaders.

“I can just advise my brother honourable Magande and others to be patient because it is God who appoints leaders, and when he gives you that position of leadership, nobody can take it away from you,” General Shikapwasha said.

And General Shikapwasha has called on MMD members to rally behind President Banda to enable him deliver to the Zambian people.

He said many people have been envying the ruling party because it has excelled from the time it was formed.

“As MMD members, let’s be united and make our party win the 2011 general elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, the MMD on the Copperbelt has said the alleged courting of ministers in President Banda’s Cabinet by the UPND-PF pact is a sign that the opposition lacks credible leaders to form Government.

MMD Ndola district youth chairman Patrick Nyasulu said in Ndola yesterday that the UPND-PF pact has no direction for the country.

“If the pact has credible leaders who can form Government, why start looking at who to fish from President Banda’s Cabinet?” he asked.

Mr Nyasulu said the ruling party is the only political party which has an agenda for the country.

Zambia Daily Mail

Ex-Communicated Catholic Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has implored government to create employment in the country in order to reduce the number of youths roaming the streets in the country.

Bishop Milingo said Zambian youths are looking up to the leaders for solutions to their unemployment.

He said the only for the youths to positively contribute to national growth and safeguard their future is to be in stable employment.

He further called on government to come up with training centers where youths will be trained in various life skills.

He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he officiated at a conference on peace matters.

And speaking at the same function, former Secretary to the Cabinet Sketchely Sachika called on Zambians to always uphold peace in the country.

Dr. Sachika said people should work actively in promoting peace in the country if development was to be guaranteed.

ZANIS

Livingstone Member of Parliament (MP) Sakwiba Sikota has implored government to expedite the upgrading of one of the tertiary institutions into a university in the tourist capital.

Mr. Sikota lamented the Livingstone is only city in the country that does not have a higher learning institution.

He however said he is personally facilitating and working hand in hand with government through the Ministry of Education to speed up the expansion programme of a named college in Livingstone so that it is transformed into a university.

Mr. Sikota was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sikota has disclosed that government through the Ministry of Health has opened an Intensive Care Unit (ICT) at Livingstone General Hospital (LGH)

Mr. Sikota, who is also United Liberal Party (ULP) president, commended government for the initiative saying patients, who were previously referred to other hospitals in Choma and Lusaka would now be treated in Livingstone.

He added that the move to establish an ICU at Livingstone General Hospital has lessened medical cover costs requested by insurance companies when patients are referred to other health institutions.

And Mr. Sikota has disclosed that there were plans to put up modern infrastructure at the Livingstone Intercity Bus Terminus and the Maramba market.

He said this will be done through the Public Private Partnership, (PPP).

He said these initiatives are being spearheaded by an adhoc Committee of the PPP under the Livingstone Municipal Council.
[ZANIS]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'”
(II Corinthians 12:9, NKJ)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We all go through seasons of difficulty that can sometimes feel overwhelming. But during these times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than the struggle we face! He’ll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and get into agreement with Him.

Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it’s wrapped in its cocoon in the dark on the backside of some tree, it doesn’t look like it has many options. But after it becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t just sit waiting for someone to come and drill a hole and let it out. No! That butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it’s going to be set free to fly. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places we are in. We have to pray, we have to believe, and keep pressing through to victory.

Today, no matter what you may be facing, remember His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in you. Keep believing, keep praying, keep hoping, and keep pressing through. Before long, you’ll break free and rise to the new levels of victory God has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the strength to make it through any challenge I may face. I choose to put my trust in You. I declare that You are good and thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Joel Osteen ministries