President Rupiah Banda is this Saturday scheduled to leave for Northern Province on a three-day working  visit.

This is according to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

Mr. Jere said while in Kasama President Banda will hold meetings with senior government  officials in the province before  joining the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) campaign programme for the Kasama Central parliamentary by-elections scheduled for October 15.

He said the President will be accompanied by Minister of Lands Peter Daka, Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao, and Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga.

President Banda and his delegation will return to Lusaka after completing the scheduled business in Northern Province.

ZANIS

The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in Northern Province has expelled its Provincial Women’s Secretary Elizabeth Ngoma.

Mrs. Ngoma has been expelled from the party for allegedly campaigning for and leaking confidential information to the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

MMD Provincial Secretary Sebio Mukuka told ZANIS in a press release that the decision to expel Mrs. Ngoma from the party was reached at during a disciplinary committee meeting which was held in Kasama today.

Mr. Mukuka warned that the MMD will not entertain people masquerading as its member yet their allegiance was with the opposition political parties.

He alleged that Mrs. Ngoma has been campaigning for PF candidate in the forth coming Kasama Central Parliamentary by-elections scheduled for October 15.

Meanwhile, the Mr. Mukuka revealed that 30 PF members from Chikumanino market have defected from their party to join the MMD.

Mr Mukuka has since urged the group led by Morgan Musonda to feel free and interact with MMD members in order to contribute to the social and economic development of the province.

And when contacted for comment, Mrs. Ngoma said she will not contest her expulsion from the party as it was an indication she was not needed in the party.

She however said the only crime she committed was to greet PF candidate Geoffrey Mwamba when he found her with MMD provincial vice Secretary Jairus Simunyola.

ZANIS

FORMER Minister of Defence, George Mpombo has denied allegations by Government that he has been holding dark-corner meetings with some diplomats.

Mr Mpombo said the allegations have no basis to show his involvement.

He said in an interview yesterday that remarks by Government Spokesperson Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha are aimed at destroying his character.
“I will not be shaken because at no time have I held such disgraceful meetings,” Mr Mpombo said.

He challenged Gen Shikapwasha to produce evidence to show that he has been holding dark-corner meetings.
Mr Mpombo said he is a patriotic Zambian and that he has the interest of the nation at heart.

“I was prompted to comment on the issue of the donor community because I saw that it was getting out of hand and that a solution was needed,” he said.

Mr Mpombo urged Government to bring back the foreign policy that will only give leeway to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to comment on issues that border on foreign policy.

“As it is now, any Government minister has the privilege to issue statements regarding foreign policy issues,” Mr Mpombo said.

On Tuesday, Government accused Mr Mpombo of being one of those allegedly holding secret meetings with some diplomats with a view to bring down Government.

Gen Shikapwasha said the State is aware that Mr Mpombo is being used to destabilise Government.

He said Government is aware that Mr Mpombo is being used to destabilise Government.

“As Government, we are fully equipped with information regarding Mr Mpombo as being one of our former senior Government officials holding dark-corner meetings so that people can rise against the MMD Government,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

Gen Shikapwasha said Mr Mpombo has no interest of the nation at heart but is out to promote his own agenda.
He advised Mr Mpombo to stop issuing comments on issues of diplomacy because he understands little or nothing about the subject.

“Mr Mpombo has never worked in a foreign mission for him to issue statements that Government must be careful with donors,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

He said Government is only safeguarding the interest of all citizens and not to be in conflict with donors.

Gen Shikapwasha said Government is going to abide by the Geneva Convention by resolving contentious issues with diplomats accredited to Zambia amicably.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE consortium of 18 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has temporarily suspended honking, but will instead seek legitimate ways of protesting the acquittal of former President Chiluba.

And the Zambia Police Service has welcomed the move and warned that anybody who will honk on Friday risks being arrested.

Spokesperson of the consortium Sam Mulafulafu said the decision was made after the NGOs met with the Zambia Police Service command.

This is contained in a press statement issued in Lusaka yesterday.

“We shall temporarily suspend honking for this Friday. However, we encourage the general public to continue whistling, drumming and blowing horns/vuvuzelas to show their support to this noble cause. In addition, we appeal to Zambians to continue wearing black attire on Friday and actively participate in all advocacy activities in their respective areas,” the statement reads in part.

Police have assured the NGOs that their rights to demonstrate will not be interfered with.

The NGOs have vowed to continue to agitate for the appeal process against the acquittal of Dr Chiluba.
“We remain resolved to use all legal means possible to send our message across,” the statement reads.

The Zambia Police Service invited the consortium of 18 civil society organisations for a meeting on Tuesday to discuss public security concerns.

The Police Command said honking is illegal according to section 153, sub-section 1, 2 and 5 as well as section 223, sub-section 1 and 2 of the Road Traffic Act.

The NGOs have agreed with the Zambia Police Command that the former implements the law on public order in a fair and impartial manner.

And Police Service spokesperson Bonny Kapeso said the Zambia Police Service is grateful that the civil society organisations are receptive and has agreed to dialogue in the interest of peace.

He said the meeting with the NGOs resolved that police will support any lawful option that the civil society organisations will take, as long as it does not border on breaking the law.

Mr Kapeso also said police will allow the NGOs to hold peaceful demonstrations as long as notice is given and that this will also depend on the security situation.

“If anyone dares honking on Friday, we are going to arrest them and take them to court because we have done our part to reason with the civil society organisations,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE MMD has challenged former Finance minister N’gandu Magande and others insisting on the national convention to fund the meeting as the party has failed to raise the required amount of money.

Acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said the party was disappointed that those calling for the convention had not shown any willingness to give financial contribution despite championing the calls.

Mr Mulongoti said in an interview yesterday that the MMD national executive committee (NEC) was not against holding the convention but had no money to host the event.

“We have challenged those championing the holding of the convention to come up with resources but none of those who are making such calls including Mr Magande has shown interest in contributing financially,” he said.[quote]

He said a wrong impression had been created that the NEC did not want to hold the national convention because it did not want the president of the party and other members to be challenged.

He challenged those who have been speaking the loudest to fund the convention if they wanted it to be held.

Mr Mulongoti said those calling for the convention and claiming to have the interests of the party at heart should be willing to fund the meeting.

Recently, President Rupiah Banda said the MMD should be left to debate whether the convention should be deferred until after 2011 elections because that was part of the internal democracy.

Mr Banda said he had not feared to be challenged by any person contrary to insinuations by some people.

He said most of the opposition parties had never held a single convention but nobody was talking about them.

The NEC has since endorsed President Banda as the sole party candidate for the 2011 general elections and members from the provinces did not see any need to go for a convention.

And former Defence minister George Mpombo has said he would not stop demanding that the MMD holds the convention and there is no need to ask individual parties members to fund the national convention because the MMD had the means to do so.

Mr Mpombo said in an interview the argument that the funds were not available could not hold saying in the last presidential elections, the MMD was able to source funds from well-wishers at home and abroad.

He said he would continue agitating for a convention because that was the only way the MMD would prove to be democratic.

Mr Mpombo also denied insinuations that he was one of the prominent citizens working with some diplomats with a view of bringing down the Government.

[Times of Zambia]

Former Patriotic Front Secretary General Edward Mumbi says he was forced to resign from the opposition because of the dishonest manner in which the PF leader Michael Sata was managing the affairs of the party.

Speaking at a campaign rally at Musenga Township in Kasama to drum up support for the MMD candidate yesterday, Mr Mumbi said when they formed the PF they had agreed that the party would stand for the truth and fairness.

He however said he was disappointed to note that the party started drifting from its tenets because of the bad leadership of Mr Sata.

Mr Mumbi said he was ready to face Mr Sata on Radio Mano so that the two could explain to the public the reasons that led to his resignation from the PF.

He said PF received a lot of financial support for mobilization during the last Presidential By elections which has not been accounted for by Mr Sata.

Mr Mumbi revealed that the PF in Northern Province was supposed to receive over K700m during the 2008 elections but these funds never reached the province resulting in some of the party’s polling agents not being paid.

He charged that Mr Sata’s style of leadership has led to a lot of people to resign from the party.

Mr Mumbi has since appealed to PF members to examine their conscious and see why they should continue being in a party whose leader is dishonest and practiced politics of insults.

ZANIS