Vice President George Kunda says President Rupiah Banda’s administration is on track in implementing late president Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy.

Mr Kunda says the some policies and government programmes left by the late president Mwanawasa are being followed by President Banda to address the plight of chiefs welfare by improving their palaces and providing transport.

He said government is determined to work with chiefs to develop the country in Tourism, Education and the health sector to change donor dependency.

Mr Kunda said this in Chibombo today when he met traditional leaders in Chibombo at the district council chambers.

He urged chiefs to rise to the occasion and work with government to reduce donor dependency.

The Vice President is in Chibombo to grace the 2009 Kulamba Kubwalo traditional ceremony of the Lenje people.

Chief Litete, Chipepo, Chitina, Chibale, Mungule attended the meeting.

Mr Kunda is accompanied by Deputy Minister of Community Development and Social Services Moses Muteteka, Energy Deputy Minister Allan Mbewe and Justice Deputy Minister Todd Chilembo.

Central Province Minister Danny Lumbama and senior government officials welcomed the Vice President in Chibombo district.

ZANIS

POLICE yesterday arrested nine motorists among them two Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament (MPs) for honking.

Mandevu MP Jean Kapata and her Munali counterpart, Mumbi Phiri were arrested with seven other motorists after they were allegedly found honking in Lusaka following the resolution by 17 Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) to do so in protest against former President Frederick Chiluba’s acquittal.

Police service spokesperson Bonny Kapeso who confirmed the arrest said the nine were in police custody awaiting court appearance next week.

They were charged with conduct likely to breach public peace and unnecessary hooting contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Mr Kapeso said the motor vehicles belonging to the suspects were impounded by the police.

He said the idea of hooting was disturbing, threatening and inconveniencing to other motorists who were likely to be distracted and cause accidents.

Mr Kapeso warned that the police service would next Friday be more organised and urged peace-loving motorists to stay away from the planned honking.

Hooting was mostly concentrated in Lusaka’s Cairo and Chachacha roads although police were placed in strategic areas in the town centre. No honking took place on the Copperbelt.

Meanwhile, MMD youths in Lusaka have condemned some donors and civil society organisations for planning to honk and engage other activities to discredit the Government.

MMD Lusaka Central Constituency youth publicity secretary, Elijah Manda said in an interview in Lusaka the planned demonstrations were not aimed at Dr Chiluba’s acquittal but at denting President Rupiah Banda’s leadership.

And chiefs In Luapula have advised all those accusing Mr Banda of facilitating the acquittal of Dr Chiluba to stop and instead respect the court’s decision.

In a statement to ZANIS in Mansa yesterday, incoming Provincial Chiefs Council Chairperson, Chief Chisunka said the traditional rulers feel Dr Chiluba had suffered enough humiliation and tribulation since he was charged with the cases eight years ago.

The chiefs cautioned all those planning to demonstrate against Dr Chiluba’s acquittal not to extend the demonstrations to Luapula Province because people there were not in support of such demonstrations.

And The Copperbelt Welfare and Environmental Protection Association has said it is appalled by sentiments and actions of the 17 civil society organisations and some diplomats to bring down a legitimate Government.

Association president Sydney Njamba said in a statement that he was particularly worried that the NGOs were promoting activities which could lead to anarchy

[Times of Zambia]

Luapula Chiefs have described as false and malicious, assertions that the traditional leaders were not in support of the appointment of Luapula Provincial Permanent Secretary Jazzman Chikwakwa and Provincial Minister Boniface Kawimbe.

The traditional leaders have since assured government that they will work with and support the leadership of President Rupiah Banda in the Province.

Luapula Province Council of Chiefs Chairman Chief Chisunka said the traditional leaders in the area were geared to work with Mr. Chikwakwa and Dr. Kawimbe because the two leaders were direct envoys of President Rupiah Banda whom they fully support and whose development programs they appreciated.

The traditional rulers were reacting to accusations that they do not support the provincial administration leadership of Mr. Chikwakwa and Dr. Kawimbe on the premise that the two leaders are outsiders as they do not come from Luapula Province.

Chief Chisunka said the allegations that the chiefs in the area are not in support of the two provincial leaders bordered on tribalism and were bent on creating disunity amongst the traditional leadership in the province.

The traditional leader said the speculations were aimed at promoting tribalism and hatred which in turn negated development.

“Those speculations that we are not in support of Mr. Chikwakwa and Dr. Kawimbe because they are not from here (Luapula) are aimed at destroying the good relationship we have with the government of President Rupiah Banda and we shall not condone such statements,” Chief Chisunka said.

He said that both Mr. Chikwakwa and Dr. Kawimbe have made headways in reconciling the traditional leaders with government through various visitations to all the chiefs in the province.

He said it would not do for the two leaders to be judged because they do not come from Luapula Province.

“We have had Permanent Secretaries and Ministers who come from this area but have failed to represent us effectively, so what we need are good leaders from any part of this country not only locals,” the Chief said.

ZANIS

The Forum for political parties, which includes National Democratic Party, Zambia Direct Democracy, PUDD and ZADECO intends to hold a peaceful demonstration next Monday at the British High Commission in Lusaka.

The demonstration is aimed at protesting against alleged interference by High commissioner,Tom Carter, in Zambia’s internal affairs.

Forum Chairperson, Edwin Sakala, says the parties have already written to the police, seeking a permit to hold the demonstration.

Mr. Sakala told ZNBC news that parties are not happy with Mr. Carter’s remarks over the acquittal of former President, Frederick Chiluba.

He said the diplomatic community in Zambia must respect the country’s judiciary.

And tthe Christian Coalition has accused civil society organizations planning to demonstrate over former president Fredrick Chiluba’s acquittal of trying to destabilize the country and please the donor community.

Coalition Youth Chairperson, John Mwendapole, said in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today that their motive is purely to disturb peace in the country and please donors who want to see Chiluba imprisoned for their own reasons.

Mr Mwendapole charged that the civil society organizations have demonstrated from the reasons advanced that they are not even interested in the peace of the country.

He said when they are very important issues such as slave wages offered by some investors and street vending among others, the organisations have kept quiet adding that it shows they are not representing the ordinary people.

He has therefore called on peace loving Zambians to ignore the civil societies planned demonstration over former president Chiluba’s acquittal.

Mr Mwendapole said there is need to believe in the integrity of the judiciary and in the principal that one is innocent until proven guilty.

He called on Zambians not to be swayed by what he termed mafia groups that want to take over the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

ZANIS

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a company of Vedanta group in copper business is the largest copper producer in Zambia. The company is equally committed to bringing social and economic empowerment in the region. Recently KCM has been focusing towards Luano community.

Chingola’s Luano area is about 22 km from the town centre and its main community occupation is farming. The economic condition of the community living in Luano are far from being satisfactory. The community struggles to just manage the basic necessities like salt, money for milling their maize and paying the school fees. Most of the members of this community are not connected to the national power grid and have lower literacy levels and poor road network. The biggest challenge is to find exactly what may suit the targeted community and the general climate for the projects. Yet there is nothing that may perfectly suit this rural community than farming projects.

To avoid creating any dependency, KCM spent over K53 million (more than USD 10,000) to source 300 goats for 100 families on condition that they pass on the first offspring to other needy families belonging to the same cooperative and who are on the waiting list. The goat passing-on project is aimed at reducing poverty levels among the non-mining community of miners.

One would wonder how KCM identified such a remote community under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project. KCM manager for CSR Ms. Sampa Chitah explained that KCM had been working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to help in finding the needy communities. This has helped in breaking the chains of dependency. Over the years, the animals reproduce, leading to a greater supply of surplus products for the generation of income.

Ms Chitah said the Luano goat draft project was among many programmes KCM has undertaken. Others are sustainable livelihood programmes, mentorship of widows of former miners and support rendered to Mutende and Luwi orphanages.

The sustainability of the projects was highlighted by Chingola veterinary officer, Mr. Peter Kabungo, who urged farmers never to break the chain of recipients because through the draft goat project, the people of Luano could help families to become accountable to each other and restore their dignity and self-respect.

Dr. Kabungo said Government is happy with KCM’s quick response to the call made at the Copperbelt Agriculture and Commercial Show in which the Government appealed for diversification as noticed from the theme ‘Productivity in Adversity’. He said this was a call to diversify overdependence from copper to other minerals and agriculture for sustainability.

Dr. Kabungo also added, in conclusion, that stakeholders and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives should ensure that the farmers are helped with the needed chemicals and the Ministry of Agriculture in the district is to be in constant touch with the farmers.

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set November 19, 2009 as the date for the Solwezi Central Constituency by-election following the death of area Member of Parliament, Benny Tetamashimba last month.

ECZ senior public relations officer, Sylvia Bwalya announced in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the Solwezi Central parliamentary by-elections would take place alongside three local Government by-elections in three provinces.

The local government seats are Katete in Chienge District in Luapula Province, Nakulenga in Zambezi District in North-Western Province and Kauba in Pemba in Southern Province.

Ms Bwalya said that aspiring candidates in the by-elections should lodge in completed and attested statutory declaration and nomination papers on October 29, 2009 between 09:00 and 15:00 hours.

She reminded the aspirants for the parliamentary by-ections to take nine supporters who should be registered voters within the constituency.

The parliamentary candidates would also be required to pay K500, 000 non- refundable nomination fee while those for municipal council by elections would be required to pay K75, 000 and K50, 000 for those in district local authorities.

The campaign period starts on October 29 at 15:00 and ends on November 18 at 18:00 hours.

Ms Bwalya urged the non-governmental organisations wishing to monitor or observe the elections to apply for accreditation from the ECZ, which is open until November 10, 2009.

[Times of Zambia]

Lameck Mangani’s recent claim that the government has unearthed a scheme in which some prominent Zambians and some diplomats accredited to Zambia are conspiring to destabilize Zambia is a scam and an embarrassment to the people of Zambia.

Such a claim tells us volumes about the caliber of some of the current crop of government leaders. It is a clear depiction of the shallowness of some of our leaders.

The allegation that some diplomats accredited to Zambia are conspiring with citizens to destabilize the country is a very serious matter. It would be understandable if it was an MMD riff-raff who had made such an allegation, not a government Minister responsible for Home Affairs, even if such an allegation had any merit at all.

What Zambians expect from the Minister—and other Ministers as a matter of fact–is to get the police and other investigative organs of the government to investigate his suspicions thoroughly. If the findings of such an investigation confirm his suspicions, the government can seek to prosecute Zambian citizens involved in the alleged plot through the existing legal channels. And rather than rushing to the media to castigate the diplomats, a sensible government would logically write to the home governments of the diplomats involved for their action if their diplomats are found to be wanting.

It is not in the interest of any one for the Minister to unashamedly alarm the nation with unfounded allegations of a conspiracy to destabilize the country. If there is any truth to his allegations, why can’t he name the individuals involved?

Making such a serious claim without naming the culprits can only lead to rumor-mongering and mistrust among the citizenry. President Rupiah Banda needs to caution his Ministers against making such reckless allegations. If they do not have anything important to tell the people, they would do well just to shut up than to continue to embarrass us.

Henry Kyambalesa