The PF-UPND pact emerged as winners of yesterday’s elections held across the country. The pact won the Kasama seat and two other ward elections seat.

In Kasama, PF candidate, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, amassed 10 688 votes and was followed by MMD’s Burton Mugala who polled 4 184 votes.UNIP candidate Alexander Chansa was third with 189 votes with Independent, Mohammed Ayoub Hamir, managing 170 votes. Another Independent candidate, Christy Ntalasha, got 50 votes with APC’s candidate Maggie Ngona trailing with only 40 votes. This is according to results from all the 50 polling stations in the constituency.

In Livingstone, The United Party for National Development (UPND) won the Kasiya ward by-election in Livingstone.UPND candidate, Cacius Mauma emerged winner after the returning officer, Tedson Nyirongo, cast a lot following a tie between the UPND and MMD.This is in accordance with the Electoral Act of 2006 and the Electoral Returning Officer’s Handbook. The Act allows the Returning Officer to decide between the candidates with tying votes by lot.

Both the UPND and MMD candidates polled a total of 497 from the seven polling stations, forcing the returning officer to cast a lot to determine the winner.

Official results indicated that UPND’s Mauma polled a total of 497 votes, MMD’s Mary Chiwisha Kaimba got 497 votes, while United Liberal Party’s candidate, Ifunga Mubiana, got 110 votes and UNIP’s candidate, Mwansa Andreas, only polled a total of 16 votes.

And Returning Officer,Mr Nyirongo, has described the general situation as peaceful with no serious incidences experienced. Mr Nyirongo said the general turnout was better than in the previous by-election in Maramba ward.

He said a total of 1,128 registered voters in Kasiya ward cast their vote out of about 2,800, representing about a 40 per cent turnout. The winner was declared around 01:45hours this morning.

In Itezhi-tezhi district, the opposition Patriotic Front PF/UPND pact scooped the Lubanda ward local government by-elections by a landslide victory.

A local pastoral and farmer, Harrison Kamano, won the seat after getting over 491 votes under the PF/UPND ticket.

The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate, Bettis Mambonwa, managed to get just over 240 votes as a closest rival, while UNIP got 48 votes only.

The Lubanda ward seat fell vacant following the incaceration of former UPND councllor, Harry Namaluba, for participating in unlawful assembly at which he incited people to dethrone chief Shimbizhi.

Returning Officer, Cheembo Mangwato, officially declared Mr Kamano as the new councillor for Lubanda ward last night at 20:00 hours.

ZANIS

Suspected UPND cadres has manhandled two Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) officers in Livingstone’s Libuyu Compound as they drove around the township to announce President Rupiah Banda’s arrival.

President Banda is expected to officially open the Zambia Air-force Pass-out Parade.

A technician, Gilbert Phiri and a driver, Daniel Mulyata escaped unharmed when a group of more than ten men, armed with stones, surrounded their slowly moving vehicle and forcefully bringing it to a halt.

The cadres who accused ZANIS officers of campaigning for MMD by announcing Rupiah Banda’s arrival through the mobile Public Address System as voting in Kasiya ward was in progress mobbed the vehicle viciously grabbing the microphone from the announcing technician and pulled it off the hook.

Irate suspected UPND cadres then forced the door open and tried to pull the technician out of the vehicle, hitting the duo in the process.

Realizing that their lives were in danger, the two ZANIS officers sped off to the nearest Libuyu Police Station.

The alleged UPND Cadres have confiscated the microphone from the mobile van and it has not been retrieved yet.

President Banda is tomorrow expected in Livingstone to officiate at the Zambia Air-force Pass-out Parade and it is mandatory that ZANIS carries out presidential announcements prior to the Republican president’s arrival.

[ZANIS]

President Rupiah Banda says he is not afraid of anyone standing against him as Party President.

Speaking upon arrival at Livingstone International Airport ahead of the Zambia Air force Pass out Parade today, Mr Banda said it was not true to say that the MMD was threatened.

”Iam not afraid of anyone standing against me as President. We are free in our party and will fight for democracy,” he said.

Mr Banda said all members of the party in any case who the MMD was being compared to have never held any convention.

”Have you ever heard of the United Party for National Development (UPND) or the Patriotic Front going to a convention?” he said.

”Don’t worry about what you are hearing that no one is allowed to express himself in the party. You can’t be a member of the party and start airing your views through the press,” he said.

He urged the MMD to remain united and focused adding that the party had channels of communication that party members needed to use.

And Mr Banda has condemned the UPND for going with spears and axes to attack UPND Namwala Member of Parliament Robby Chizyuka.

Mr Banda has also said there is no need to worry about the UPND/PF Pact as it was a pact of two ambitious people.

”I don’t know if we should change the Constitution to have two Presidents. Sata has tried to stand as President three times and Hakainde Hichilema has tried twice at his age, he said.

Mr Banda also said when his name was floated to stand in the 2011 elections in Livingstone, he had reminded the cadres that the MMD had priorities and the determination of the leader for the 2011 would depend what the MMD would put in terms of development.[quote]

He said if MMD wins the Kasama parliamentary seat and the Kasiya ward, then the pact would be finished.

Speaking earlier, Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said the PF/UPND Pact was nothing but an arrangement.

Mr Munkombwe said if there is an election in Kasama, Mr Hichilema doesn’t go there to support the candidate and wondered how he was busy campaigning for a ward councilor in Kasiya ward.

And MMD Provincial Chairman Solomon Muzyamba said the province was politically stable. He said the Pact was an arrangement between two leaders who were members of that Pact.

Mr Muzyamba said the people were however not in it adding that the sentiments coming from Mr Chizyuka were an indication of the feelings of the people.

The President is tomorrow expected to officially commission 18 officers at an Officers Pass out Parade.

ZANIS

A Consortium of NGOs, churches, trade unions and concerned citizens has denounced the planned demonstrations against the acquittal of former President, Frederick Chiluba.

The consortium, which met at Lusaka’s ZAMCOM Lodge on Thursday called on all Zambians to respect the court’s verdict in the case involving Dr.Chiluba.

It also resolved to discourage citizens from participating in activities that have potential to destabilize the nation.

Bible Gospel Church in Africa Overseer, Bishop Peter Ndhlovu called for action against people agitating anarchy.

World Baptist Churches Association Founder, Bishop Billy Bwanali said people should focus on praying for the government of the day and not pushing for agendas that may divide the nation.

And National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers President, Seth Paradza, said President Rupiah Banda must be supported in his efforts to reconcile the nation.

Evangelical Youth Alliance President Mose Lungu said Zambia’s peace should not be disturbed by a few members of the civil society championing foreign agendas.
[ZNBC]

First Lady Thandiwe Banda says there was urgent need to reverse the high levels of unemployment, low health status and poor sanitation in order to achieve sustainable economic growth in Zambia.

Mrs. Banda said for the country to achieve this sustainable economic growth and development, partnerships for development should be encouraged.

She said this today when she officially launched a K3.4 billion Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) and Development Aid from People to People (DAPP), Child Aid Project in Nampundwe community in Mumbwa district of Central Province.

The project, which will run for an initial four years, seeks to empower communities for the development of children who are a key focus to development.

She expressed happiness that KCM had undertaken a comprehensive community development strategy that aims at addressing some constraints to development.

She further expressed gladness that KCM had recognized the value of children in development, adding that the importance of creating a healthy and conducive environment for the growth and development of a child cannot be over-emphasized.

Mrs. Banda said all households are key to the child development process and that the empowerment of communities is cardinal to ensuring efficient child development.

She commended KCM for its valuable work in communities such as its Roll Back Malaria Programme, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programmes, health, education, sport and several others that signify KCM’s commitment to the development of the country.

The First Lady further urged the Zambians to appreciate partnerships, saying much can be achieved if people worked in partnership with all sectors of the community in which they live and work.

Mrs. Banda said active community participation is essential for the success of social development programmes.

He said private sector led initiatives are a great stride towards securing the social and economic environment for children and the general populace at large.

She appealed to other companies in the country to emulate KCM by undertaking similar programmes for the common good of the nation.

And speaking earlier, KCM Human Resource Vice President Sophie Mutemba said corporate social responsibility should augment government efforts in achieving sustainable economic development through community development.

Ms. Mutemba said issues of health, sanitation, education and livelihood skills at household level have great impact on national development.

She said it was for this reason that KCM engaged DAPP as a development partner to empower communities with education, skills and material support for health, sustainable livelihood and income generation.

She said through the child aid project, KCM aims to reach out to a total of 10, 000 households in the selected pilot areas of Nampundwe and Chingola.

ZANIS

The Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has urged political parties and their members to develop a culture of conceding defeat when they lose an election.

SACCORD Executive Director Lee Habasonda said political party leaders and their members should learn to accept election results in order to promote peace and harmony after elections.

Mr. Habasonda told ZANIS in a telephone interview in Lusaka today from Kasama that candidates that will lose in the today’s Kasama Central by-elections should accept defeat.

He noted that accepting election results was one way of avoiding violence in the aftermath of elections.

He observed that it would be unfortunate if political parties that would lose will engage in violence instead of accepting the results and defeat.

Mr. Habasonda has since challenged political parties contesting the Kasama Central by-elections to also know and understand the importance of peace, adding that peace is cardinal to the development of the country.

He said it would be sad if any of the political parties that would lose the elections would resort violence that might injure people.

Meanwhile, SACCORD has expressed happiness that the voting process in Kasama opened on a peaceful note.

The Kasama Central parliamentary seat fell vacant after the resignation of the area Member of Parliament, Savior Chishimba, who was a Member of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

The candidates contesting the by-election are Movement for Multiparty Democracy’s (MMD) Burton Mugala, Geoffrey Mwamba for the Patriotic Front (PF)-United Party for National Development (UPND) pact, United National Independence Party’s (UNIP) Alexander Chansa while the All People (APC) fielded Maggie Ng’ona.

Christey Ntalasha and Mohammed Hamir are contesting as independents.

ZANIS