Lamba chiefs on the Copperbelt province have distanced themselves from a statement attributed to Mpongwe Member of Parlaiment Gabriel Namulambe alleging that the Lambas are not happy with the way late Republican President Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy was handled.

Chairperson of the Copperbelt Chiefs Association Chief Mwinuna of the Lamba people in Mpongwe District says the Lamba traditional leaders will not accept to be drawn into the political statement made by Mpongwe Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe.

Chief Mwinuna says the Lamba chiefs like all chiefs in the country are custodians of the people and as such cannot be drawn into political quarrels.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Kitwe today that Lamba chiefs will not support statements which they do not understand by engaging in unnecessary quarrels with politicians.

“We are traditional rulers, all the Zambian people are our subjects so why should we be drawn into petty politics’’ said Chief Mwinuna.

He said traditional rulers in the area do not understand the context under which Mr. Namulambe uttered the statements attributed to him in the Press and that they could only issue a comprehensive statement on the matter after meeting Mr. Namulambe.

The traditional leader added that there were so many Lamba Chiefs on the Copperbelt and that he did not know the chiefs that Mr. Namulabe was talking about hence the need to consult him.

He disclosed that he would telephone Mr. Namulabe before he could issue any statement on the matter.

Mr. Namulambe is alleged to have said Lambas feel hurt, insulted an injured by constant attacks on late President Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy.

He is also alleged to have demanded that LAmbas be respected both in government and the MMD.

Some sections of society have since described the statement as being tribal.

And the Copperbelt Traditional Rulers have called on the ruling Movement for Multi Party Democracy to hold a party convention before 2011.

Chairperson Chief Mwinuna says it would be undemocratic for the ruling Party to refuse to hold a convention before the 2011 tripartite elections.

Chief Mwinuna observed that the MMD was founded on Democratic Principals which must be upheld at all times.

He added that if calls by some sectors of society that the Party should not hold a Convention are sustained the top leadership in the Party would be exposing the people to acts of dictatorship.

ZANIS

Energy and Water development Deputy Minister Hastings Imasiku has appealed to residents in Mongu and Kalabo districts to remain calm as government and ZESCO are doing their best to restore power in the two Districts.

Mr. Imasiki said ZESCO is currently working on moving a bigger transformer from Sesheke to Mongu and another one from Lusaka to Sesheke.

He told ZAINS in an interview that ZESCO is working around the clock and that power will be restored by Tuesday next week.

And Mr. Imasiku has said a back up system would be connected to the water and sewerage company to supply water to the residents.

ZESCO Mongu main transformer was damaged by lighting on Wednesday this week leaving residents in Mongu and Kalabo districts in a power blackout.

The power blackout that began on Wednesday afternoon has affected Mongu, Kalabo, Senanga and Kaoma, also resulting in erratic water supply in the affected towns.

[ZANIS]

The Chinese government has conferred a Sino-African Friendship award on first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

The award follows Dr Kaunda’s successful trip to China where he was voted as one of the five Africans who moved the entire Chinese people the most.

The award is voted by the informed Chinese general public on the internet across all China, and proves Dr Kaunda’s lasting popularity since he had been heard by the Chinese people about 42 years ago.

Speaking at a breakfast reception in Lusaka today, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the 4th Ministerial Conference of Forum on China-Africa cooperation (FOCAC) and Dr Kaunda’s trip back from China where he went to receive the award today, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin said the Chinese people cherish the sincere friendship that exists between Zambia and the Chinese people.

Mr Qiangmin said China’s support to Africa’s development would remain concrete and tangible, adding that whatever changes that mighty take place in the world, China’s policy of supporting Africa’s economic and social development will never change.

He disclosed that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proposed eight new policy measures during his keynote address to the conference that the Chinese government aimed at strengthening the Sino-Africa cooperation in the next three years from 2010 to 2012.

The Chinese Ambassador said based on the concerns raised by African countries on the implementation of the last eight measures, China decided to customize the new eight measures stressing more on helping Africa to overcome the financial crisis and improve African people’s living standards.

He said as the first of the eight new measures, China has proposed to establish a China- Africa partnership in addressing climate change where china would build 100 clean energy projects for Africa covering solar power, bio-gas and small hydro power stations.

“China will enhance cooperation with Africa in Science and technology. China would carry out 100 joint demonstration projects with Africa and receive 100 African postdoctoral fellows to conduct research in China. Third china will help Africa build up financial capacity”, he said.

Mr. Qiangmin revealed that Chiana would also provide US$10 billion in concessional loans to African countries, and support Chinese financial institutions in setting up a special loan of $1 billion for small and medium-size African businesses.

The other new measures include the opening up of the Chinese market to African products, enhance further cooperation in agriculture, their deepening of cooperation in medical care and health, and enhance cooperation in human resources development and education in addition to the expansion of people to people cultural exchange.

And speaking at the same function, Dr Kaunda said the relationship between China and Zambia was based on strong human relationships that have existed for a long time now.

Dr Kaunda said the Chinese people have looked beyond the issue of race and color which had been the source of many divisions in the world and has partnered with their African bothers and sisters for their betterment.

He said the old generation of Chinese and African people worked hard to build the relationship that exist between the two continents, saying the task is now on the new generation to continue fostering the relationship.

Dr Kaunda has since urged the new generation of Chinese and Zambian people to continue helping to carry on the honorable relationship between China and Zambia.

[ZANIS]