The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has condemned Saturday’s clash between the ruling MMD and PF cadres during their campaigns in Kasama.

FODEP President, Stanly Mhango told ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday that the foundation strongly condemns the act of political violence adding that it should have no part in Zambian politics.

He said FODEP has always advocated for free, fair and clean campaigns and called on political parties to abide by the electoral code of conducts.

The fight ensued when PF cadres tried to impound a campaign vehicle belonging to the ruling MMD party on suspicion that it was a government vehicle.

Mr. Mhango said it was wrong for the PF to act on a mere suspicion saying they should have followed the right procedure rather than taking the law in their hands.

He said they should have reported the case to the police or the electoral commission of Zambia who could have known what measure to take against the MMD.

He has also advised the MMD campaign team to avoid using unregistered vehicles as this was also the cause of confusion during the Chitambo by-elections.

Mr. Mhango has meanwhile commended police for their swift action in quelling the violence between the two parties.

He has also appealed to both parties and others to conduct issue based campaigns rather than resorting to violence and other malpractices.

Mr. Mhango said he is however impressed with the way campaigns have been conducted in Kasama so far.

He said apart from the tribal remarks uttered by PF candidate, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) that Kasama is for Bembas and this recent incident not many cases have been reported so far.

Mr. Mhango said this by-election has been a good one compared to the previous one as political parties have shown maturity in their conducts.

He has also advised the people of Kasama to choose for themselves a leader who will represent them well and bring development in the area.

ZANIS

Government has maintained that the law will take its course on any person trying to destabilize the peace of other members of the public.

Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani says there is need for people in the country to desist from activities that are likely to disturb and bring confusion in the country.

Mr. Mangani told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that, the police have the mandate to ensure that peace prevails in the country including the roads at all times.

He noted that people planning to use the roads to cause confusion will be dealt with by the police adding that they also risk being arrested.

Mr. Mangani further cautioned that unnecessary honking and whistling on roads is an offence and any person found wanting will be arrested.

The Minster was reacting to the decision by 18 Civil Society Organizations (CSO) who have vowed to continue honking and whistling against Dr. Chiluba’s acquittal.

Last week a consortium of 18 CSOs devised various strategies such as honking and whistling as a way of protesting against the acquittal of former President Chiluba.

And nine motorists among them two Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament have since been arrested and charged with conduct likely to breach public peace and unnecessary hooting contrary to the laws of Zambia.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has arrived back from the United States of America (USA) were he had gone to attend the 64th regular United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

The plane carrying President Banda who was accompanied by first Lady Thandiwe touched down at the Lusaka International Airport at about 10: 00 hours.

And the President was received at the Airport by Vice President George Kunda, Defense Minister Kalombo Mwansa, Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani and Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha.

Others were Sports and Youth Child Development Minister Kenneth Chipungu, Energy Minster Kenneth Konga and Deputy Ministers, senior government officials and some MMD party cadres.

Apart from attending the UN General Assembly Mr. Banda and other African Heads of State also attended the 2nd summit of heads of State of Africa and South America in Caracas Venezuela.

From Venezuela Mr. Banda proceeded to Cuba for a three day state visit at the invitation of his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro.

While in Cuba Mr. Banda investitured former resident of Cuba Fidel Castro with an Award of the Order of the Eagle of Zambia first division for his meritorious political, social, and economic services rendered to the people of Cuba and other countries in the world before addressing Zambian students.

Mr. Banda was accompanied to USA by his wife Thandiwe, Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere, Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala among others.

ZANIS

The New General Party (NGP) has called on government to expedite the enforcement of the Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) regulations to bring sanity in the organisations.

NGP President Humphrey Siulapwa said in a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today that it has become necessary to regulate the operations of NGOs in the country following their conducts in the past few months.

He said NGOs in the country have lost direction and their original concept of supplementing government efforts in contributing to national development and instead become anti –government.

Mr. Siulapwa charged that the NGOs have decided to be anti-government while showing their allegiance to the donors who are funding them

He said it is therefore important for the government to quickly enforce the new NGO law to regulate them before they can bring confusion into the country.

He has further called on government not to allow the civil societies who are planning to demonstrate go ahead saying the country should not see a repeat of the Copperbelt University demonstrations where people hijacked and become violent.

Mr. Siulapwa warned that if demonstrations are allowed, people could take advantage to destabilize the country.

ZANIS

Paul of the Bible is a very fascinating man. Before he was a follower of Jesus Christ, he saw Stephen been stoned for his faith (Acts 7:59) and even after they killed him, that never turned people away from following Jesus Christ but more people were still giving their lives to Jesus Christ. He decided to get involved in order to stop this movement (Acts 9:1-5), which was spreading like wild fire.

He got letters from the high priest in order to give him authority to go to Damascus and arrest the Christians to bring them bound to Jerusalem. On the way to Damascus the Lord appeared to him and asked him, “Saul (later on known as Paul), Saul, why are you persecuting me….” and Paul responded and said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said to him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

For rest of his life on earth, Paul pursued this question; a quest to know Jesus (“Who are you, Lord?”). Many of us just know Him by head knowledge but we need to have a personal revelation of Him. Even after walking with the Lord for many years, Paul said to the Philippians, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10)

Like Paul we need to ask Him; “Who are you, Lord?” so that we get to know Him for ourselves in a deeper way because that’s the only time we will walk in His power. The Bible says, “They that know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32).

Jesus Himself said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”- (John 17:3). When Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus was not speaking to people who did not know Him, but His followers, just like in Ephesians 3:17. Let Him answer your quest to know Him, like He did for Paul.

Bishop Jeston & Rev. Charity Katebe

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]…”
(I Peter 5:9, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

The very moment you first feel fear, you have to resist it and act against it. If you make the mistake of dwelling on your fears and start thinking about all the reasons why you can’t do what God is telling you to do, then it won’t be long before you develop a negative mindset that will make it much more difficult to overcome.

When God told David to go fight Goliath, the Bible says that David moved quickly toward the battlefield. In other words, he didn’t think about it. He didn’t allow fear to grip his heart and talk him out of it. He just did what God wanted him to do.

So many people today are just sitting on the sidelines of life. They have tremendous potential on the inside, but they keep letting the enemy talk them out of doing what God wants them to do. Every time they get a vision of victory for their life, the enemy brings fear; and they just swallow his lies hook, line, and sinker. Don’t let that be you! Instead, obey quickly. Resist fear and boldly embrace everything the Lord has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

“Father God, today I choose to resist fear. I choose Your Word. I choose Your love. I believe that with You, all things are possible. Thank You for giving me the power to live in victory in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Patriotic Front (PF) and MMD cadres were this morning engaged in a physical confrontation outside Shoprite Checkers premise in Kasama.

And alert police officers from Kasama Central police station managed to quell the violence between the two parties.

The fracas erupted when some PF cadres tried to impound a campaign vehicle belonging to the ruling party on suspicion that it was a government vehicle.

The PF cadres harassed the driver of the vehicle in question and later grabbed his car keys but MMD cadres retaliated and a fight ensued.

After a fierce struggle, some cadres from the ruling party retrieved the keys for their campaign vehicle.

However, no one was injured in the fracas.

And police officers, who arrived at the scene several minutes later, dispersed the unruly party cadres from Shoprite premise.

The police later kept vigil at the shopping centre until the situation was calm.

Meanwhile, MMD campaign manager in the Kasama Central by-election Charles Shawa has condemned the behavior of the PF cadres’ who wanted to impound a campaign vehicle belonging to the ruling party.

Mr Shawa said it was unfortunate that the PF were trying by all means to cause tension ahead of the October 15 Kasama Central by-election.

He said there was no need for PF cadres to cause panic among members of the public when the vehicle at the centre of the controversy was stuck with MMD campaign posters.

Mr Shawa told ZANIS today that the MMD has avoided provocative acts from the opposition camp by concentrating on issued based campaigns.

He advised the PF leadership to restrain their cadres’ from engaging in violent acts in order for the Kasama Central by-election to be held in a peaceful atmosphere.

ZANIS