THE MMD and the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact yesterday called for an end to violence during the campaign for next Friday’s Solwezi Central Constituency parliamentary by-election.

The two parties denounced the violence that has rocked the campaigns with the latest being on Saturday night when cadres from the two parties clashed.

Campaign managers for ruling MMD candidate, Albert Chifita and Patriotic Front- UPND Pact aspirant, Watson Lumba were forced to step in to condemn the violence after MMD and UPND cadres clashed on Saturday after they crossed paths in the central business district.

MMD campaign manager, Kabinga Pande and PF-UPND Pact campaign manager, Steven Katuka denounced the violence during a Press briefing held in Solwezi yesterday after the two camps had a meeting with the North-Western provincial police command.

The two managers, who are both members of Parliament (MP) in North-Western Province, said the people in the constituency were peaceful and were all related, and the two camps agreed that there should be no violence.

Mr Pande said campaigns for the poll to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Solwezi Central MP, Benny Tetamashimba had been going on smoothly and peacefully after the violence at nominations until “yesterday (Saturday) when there was an incident.”

“People here are all related, and we have agreed that there should be no violence.
‘‘Any cadre who will be involved in the violence, it will be him or her and the police; and the police from now onwards would not let anyone be violent.

‘‘They charge immediately,” Mr Pande, who is Foreign Affairs Minister, said.
Mr Pande, who is Kasempa MP, said he had agreed with his Mwinilunga East counterpart, Mr Katuka to speak to their supporters against violence, which was first experienced during nominations for the November 19 by-election.

He said the two major camps would also monitor each other and would keep their communication lines open, with the campaign managers asked to inform the police and the rival camp before any impending violence.

He said the two parties had allowed police, who would not tolerate any violence, to search at random any vehicle, including those of senior officials like himself and Mr Katuka of any weapons.

Mr Katuka said the two camps condemned the violence by its cadres in the strongest possible terms, as while elections would come and go, the people, who were brothers and sisters, would remain.

He said he would talk to the supporters in his camp about avoiding violence so that the election, whose other candidates are Muhammad Kalela of the Forum for Democratic Altenatives and independent, Thomas Kafula could be won on merit and not through intimidation.

Meanwhile, MMD cadres clashed with some miners on a bus taking them for work around 17:30 hours on Saturday after they responded with opposition symbols as the ruling party cadres were driving by.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it”
(Numbers 14:24, NAS)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

One time in Scripture, Moses sent twelve men to spy out the Promised Land. The people of Israel were camped right next door and excited about possessing the land. But after 40 days, ten of the men came back with a negative report. They said, “Moses, there are giants in the land, and we’ll never defeat them.” That negative report spread throughout the rest of the camp, and the people began to murmur and complain.

But one of the spies named Caleb said, “Moses, we are well able to defeat these people. Let us go up at once and take the land!”

It’s interesting that they all saw the same land, the same circumstances, yet they had totally different views. How could their reports be so opposite? Here’s how: Caleb had a different spirit. He saw things with a different perspective. Others were focused on the giants, but Caleb was focused on his God. The people who complained never actually made it into the Promised Land, but Caleb did. He accompanied a new generation that chose the blessing of God.

Today, choose to have a different spirit. Don’t listen to what everyone else says, listen to what God says. Choose to believe His Word, and He will carry you into your promised land!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

“Father in heaven, today I choose to tune out the negative voices of the world. I choose to trust in You even when no one else will. I thank You for the good things You are doing in my life and trust that You will fulfill every promise You’ve made to me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. ”

Joel Osteen ministries

By Henry Kyambalesa
The statement made in Parliament recently by Vice President George Kunda that the government was treading carefully on the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill because it can be used for espionage by what he referred to as some irresponsible and unpatriotic media houses does not make sense because state secrets are not supposed to be made available to the media even if the Bill was to be enacted.

Besides, voices of dissent and criticism of the government come from citizens who love their country. There is a need for George Kunda to avoid using rehearsed statements designed to brand Zambians who are critical of mediocrity in the governance of the country as being unpatriotic citizens. We are fed up of such language, which was often used during the UNIP era, and which has now been adopted by the MMD government.

In fact, the preoccupation by President Rupiah Banda’s administration with enacting legislation designed to regulate the operations of NGOs and the private media is a clear case of misplaced priorities. Zambians have now become tired of asking MMD leaders to address their demands on the government. Among other things, Zambians want a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.

Moreover, they want lower PAYE and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, sustained protection of the fragile natural environment, and consolidation of our oneness and common future as members of the Zambian family.

Criticisms of the MMD government by some segments of Zambian society are clearly a result of government’s failure to address these demands. If the government can start tending to these demands and set timeframes for meeting them, they will be surprised how quickly the criticisms will subside and give way to genuine praise from both the private media and the general public. It is as simple as that!

Private media institutions are, therefore, not the problem; it is an inept government that is actually the problem—a government that has clearly failed to address the sources of the discontent among citizens and continued to castigate the private media through which such discontent is expressed!

If Zambians expect the Rupiah Banda administration to address their basic needs, they are fooling themselves; they will eventually realize that they have government leaders who are more interested in lining up their pockets, and the pockets of their kith, kin and sympathizers.

yesterday told parliament that K92 billion, out of the K150 billion earmarked for the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) funds has been released for various developmental projects.

Mr. Mutati said K35 billion has already been spent on about 160 projects, adding that another 240 projects have been approved at the cost of K52 billion as at 30th September 2009.

He said the commission was still considering the remaining projects for funding.

He was answering a question raised by Kanchibiya Member of Parliament (MP) Davies Mwango (Patriotic Front), who wanted to know how much money has so far been disbursed by the CEEC to the intended beneficiaries country-wide and how much is expected to be disbursed next year.

Mr. Mutati said over 1,200 jobs and a lot of wealth has been created through the funds from the commission.

He explained that the beneficiaries of the CEEC funds have been drawn both urban and rural areas of Zambia, contrary to assertions by some MPs that only those from urban areas have benefited.

Mr. Mutati stated that the funds are meant for all the Zambian citizens, adding that the rural communities have not been left out.

He further explained that CEEC has established offices in all the districts in order to make people access the funds easily.

And contributing to the debate, Lukulu East MP Batuke Imenda MP (United Liberal Party) bemoaned the alleged long process through which people have to go through to access the funds, adding that the procedure was complicated and cumbersome.

Meanwhile, Kabwata MP Given Lubinda (PF) asked how many women and youths have benefited from the CEEC so far.

In response, Mr. Mutati said government has put on board youth groups, women clubs and the physically challenged persons as priority for accessing the funds.

He disclosed that government will consider increasing the allocation to the commission so that more people could benefit as a way of alleviating poverty in communities.

ZANIS