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

AFTER weeks of hectic and sometimes acrimonious campaigns, the electorate today go to the polls to choose a member of Parliament (MP) for the Kasama Central seat.
It is an election where six candidates face-off, but the media spotlight has been on MMD’s Burton Mugala and Geoffrey Mwamba of the Patriotic Front. However, elections being what they are, the other four candidates cannot be written off.
The other candidates are UNIP’s Alexander Chansa, All Peoples Congress’ Maggie Ng’ona, Christey Ntalasha and Mohamed Hamir, both of whom are contesting as independents.
MMD’s Mugala, once Zesco regional manager for Northern Province, is a well-known person in the constituency.
He based his campaigns on the need for unity of purpose for the country to achieve great success and has been calling on Zambians to embrace the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ motto.
Residents of Kasama cite his able leadership in various organisations and his humility as the features that make him a potential reliable parliamentary representative.

THE PF-UNDP pact’s Mwamba, popularly known as GBM, is also confident of scooping the seat, saying he is an indigenous person who would help ease the suffering of the people of Kasama Central.
Mr Mwamba’s message has been his desire for the northern region to be represented by someone of the same origin.
Zambia’s oldest political party, UNIP’s candidate, Chansa has been promising the strengthening of agriculture by improving the cooperative movement and increasing fertiliser given to peasant farmers.
His main target has been to rehabilitate the roads in the area and improve team work to reduce unemployment.
APC’s Ng’ona, known for her heart for marketeers, is targeting to give Kasama the first bus station and ensure that children on the street are accommodated in decent homes.
Her campaign message has been a direct appeal to the people of Kasama to elect a female MP because since the country got independence, no woman has been MP in Kasama Central.
Independent candidate, Hamir, 43, has been promising improved water reticulation in the area and help peasant farmers to become more self-reliant.
He has stayed in Kasama for 17 years and is confident that he will scoop the seat.
The other independent candidate, Ntalasha boasts of being the youngest candidate of all.
At 33, he is confident of playing a leading role to the youth whom he says he will help improve their lives by engaging them in projects that will enable them easily access the Citizens Economic Empowerment funds.
Pastor Ntalasha, who is Mission Christian Church pastor, believes in changing the mindset of the people.
He says instead of giving false promises, his campaign is focused on changing the central organ of the body, which is the mind.
He says he understands the concept of development and that the path to take is to change the mindset of the people, telling them not to rely on the Government to provide everything for them.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) yesterday declared that it was ready after 50 polling stations in eight wards were checked and resuscitated.
Kasama Town Clerk, Francis Nkhoma said his office was ready for today’s by-election and that six Land Cruisers and one light truck had been mobilised for Kasama by the ECZ.
The seat fell vacant following the resignation of PF MP, Saviour Chishimba.
The constituency has 34,451 registered voters and, hopefully, the voters will turn out in large numbers.
[Times of Zambia]

Some Members of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) in Namwala District have advised UPND area MP Major Robbie Chizyuka to resign instead of destabilizing the UPND/PF pact.
During a brief meeting whose resolutions were made available to ZANIS today, the 18 cadres said it was wrong for Major Chizyuka to start issuing statements that are bordered on instilling mistrust among members from both parties in the country.
The cadres said it would do Major Chizyuka good to just keep quiet if he does not want to exculpate himself than issue statement that are injurious to the pact.
The cadres added that Major Chizyuka has disappointed not only the party officials but the ordinary members of UPND in Namwala Constituency going by his behavior in parliament which led to his suspension and now stands suspended in the party.
They also said the MP’s assertions during his press briefing yesterday that the UPND/PF pact was headed for doom was his only wishful thinking as the members of both parties were in full support of the pact and more united in Districts such as Namwala.
Among the cadres who signed the press statement included, UPND Constituency Chairman Mr Simon Hamweene, District PF Chairman Mr Humphrey Mayonda, UPND District vice chairman Mr Clifford Musanje, District PF Chairlady Ms Veronica Imbuwa, UPND District treasurer Ms Ruth Moonga.
Others include UPND District secretary Mr Bedson Nkolola, PF District secretary Mr jimmy Chaandwe, and several other UPND and PF youths.

[ZANIS]

VICE-President George Kunda has said that the MMD will from now onwards treat local government by-elections with the same seriousness as the parliamentary polls.

Mr Kunda, who is also trustee in the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC), said the MMD would be paying more attention to the polls at ward level as a way of identifying the party with the grassroots and test the strength of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) Pact.

“From now onwards, we will pay the same attention to all by-elections, whether parliamentary or local government elections. We want to identify ourselves with the grassroots. We can’t be ministers or vice-presidents without you (the grassroots).We are also testing the strength of the Pact (UPND/PF Pact),” he said.

Mr Kunda, who made the remarks on Tuesday evening when he addressed MMD supporters who welcomed him at the Livingstone International Airport, said the party would continue to interact with people at the grassroots level to make it stronger.

The vice-president is in Livingstone to campaign for MMD candidate Mary Kaimba in today’s Kasiya Ward by-election.

Mr Kunda said the MMD had proved that it was stronger than the UPND/PF Pact during the Chitambo Parliamentary by-election in Serenje where it emerged victorious.

He said the MMD would equally scoop today’s Kasama Central Parliamentary by-election.

“In Kasama we are going to give them a good run for their money (the UPND/PF Pact). This so-called pact is very fragile. It can easily break,” he said.

He said the MMD was confident of retaining the Kasiya Ward seat, which became vacant after the former councillor Mary Mukwiza was appointed Kazungula District Commissioner.

He said Kasiya would remain the strong hold for the MMD and called on the members to remain united.

Speaking earlier, Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said the aim of the vice-president’s visit was to remind the people in the area about the values of unity.

Mr Munkombwe said the MMD was the only party that guaranteed unity in Zambia.
He said pacts or alliances had been experimented in many countries and had proved that they were not viable.

“Whatever alliance aimed at removing people from office does not work. The MMD will continue to exist. The pact has been resisting and it is just a pact of officials,” he said.

Mr Munkombwe said there might be some small differences within the party in the Southern Province but that did not mean that the party was not intact.

[Times of Zambia]