GOVERNMENT has accused former Minister of Defence George Mpombo of being one of those allegedly holding secret meetings with some diplomats with a view to bringing down Government.

Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in an interview yesterday that the State 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,” Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting, said Mr Mpombo has no interest of the nation at heart, but is out to promote his own agenda.[quote]

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.

He said Government appreciates the role donors play in the economic development of the country.

“For many years now, Zambia has continued to enjoy a cordial relationship with the donor community, and it is our intention to continue with such relationships.

“It is dangerous for anyone to comment on issues which one has no knowledge of like Mr Mpombo is doing,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

Last Friday, Minister of Home Affairs Lameck Mangani said Government had uncovered a scam in which some diplomats have been holding secret meetings with some former Government officials with a view to bringing down Government.

Gen Shikapwasha said on Sunday that Government is making consultations through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ascertain if the actions of some diplomats accredited to Zambia have the blessings of their respective countries.

He said the diplomats may be recalled after consultations are concluded.

Gen Shikapwasha was reacting to a Copperbelt-based organisation’s call on Government to report some diplomats to their countries for possible disciplinary action if they continue holding alleged dark corner meetings with some former senior Government officials aimed at discrediting President Banda’s administration.

“Government wants to know if what the diplomats are doing has the blessings of their respective countries. As soon as the consultations are concluded, Zambians will see some of the diplomats going back to their countries. The consultations are a continuous process,” Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

WESTERN Province MMD chairperson, Simasiku Namakando has said he does not recognise the decision by MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba to dissolve the provincial committee.

But Dr Kalumba said yesterday that his decision was final and he would not respond to Mr Namakando.

Mr Namakando said in an interview yesterday that he was still Western Province chairperson and that his entire committee was intact.

He alleged that Dr Kalumba as national secretary had no powers to dissolve a committee except recommending to the National Executive Committee (NEC) if the provincial committee breached the party constitution.

The MMD had laws that should be followed when dissolving a committee and Dr Kalumba did not follow the party constitution because he had no powers to dissolve a provincial committee.

He wondered why his committee was dissolved because it only demanded for a convention while other provincial committees had said it should be postponed and had not been dissolved.

On Monday, Dr Kalumba said he had dissolved the Western Province executive committee and the Serenje Central Constituency committee in order to streamline discipline, organisation and mobilisation interests of the party.

Meanwhile, MMD youths in Livingstone have reaffirmed their support if the NEC’s decision to have the party national convention postponed to allow President Banda contest the 2011 general elections.

The youths have, therefore, dismissed assertions by district youth publicity secretary, Paul Sensele which were in support of the national convention as reported in The Post yesterday.

Livingstone MMD youth chairperson, Fennix Liandisha said in a statement yesterday that Mr Sensele’s remarks were personal and did not reflect the views of the youth leadership of the party in the district.

“The statement made by Mr Sensele is his own and has no blessings from the youth wing,” Mr Liandisha said.

The youth wing was in full support of the NEC’s decision to postpone the national convention and rallied behind Southern province party leadership under chairperson Solomon Muzyamba.

“We are in full support of the endorsement of our Republican president as our sole candidate for 2011 tripartite elections,” he said.

Mr Sensele was yesterday quoted in The Post as saying the MMD youths in Livingstone did not support the endorsement of Mr Banda as the sole candidate for 2011 and insisted that a convention should be held where a presidential candidate should be picked for the MMD ahead of the 2011 polls.

[Times of Zambia]

Police in Kasama have arrested a former Jubilee Zambia-Kasama Chapter Facilitator, Joseph Kachiliko, for allegedly pulling down MMD campaign posters ahead of Kasama Central by-election set for October 15, 2009.

And three people, suspected to be Patriotic Front cadres, have also been apprehended for masquerading as teachers when they featured on a live programme on Radio Mano yesterday to discuss the World Teachers’ Day.

Police sources revealed the developments to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Kasama this morning.

The police said Mr Kachilliko was picked up on Sunday after he was found removing MMD campaign posters from an unfinished building belonging to the Catholic Church in the town centre.

They explained that Mr Kachiliko used a ladder from his home to remove campaign posters while leaving those for PF intact.

The police sources said the suspect was detained at Kasama Central police station before being released on police bond yesterday.

Mr Kachiliko, who has been charged with pulling down campaign posters contrary to the Electoral code of conduct, is expected to appear in court soon.

And the three suspected PF cadres have been detained at Kasama Central police station for impersonation.

The trio, who claimed to be teachers, denounced the government during a live sponsored programme on Radio Mano where they talked about the commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day which fell yesterday.

However, some alert teachers reported the matter to the police and the suspects were later apprehended at the community radio station.

Meanwhile, police in Kasama have launched investigations in the mater to establish the people who sponsored the suspects to impersonate as teachers.

In a related development, the Kasama District Conflict Management Committee has asked the Patriotic Front (PF) to release the foodstuffs that they had confiscated from the MMD on suspicion that food was being distributed to would-be voters in Kasama Central Constituency.

This was after the PF officials failed to produce the exhibits during a District Conflict Management Committee meeting held yesterday to discuss a complaint by MMD that the PF cadres had stolen foodstuffs from the ruling party’s campaign sites.

The Conflict Management Committee has since given the PF up to Wednesday this week to produce the confiscated items or risked the matter being taken up by the police for further action.

ZANIS

Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao says government is committed to improving the health of the people in the country.

Mr. Simbao says this can be achieved through partnerships not only with the private sector but community organizations as well.

This was in a speech read by Dr. Victor Mukonka Director of Technical Services at MOH on behalf of the Minister when the European Union (EU) donated 100 bicycle ambulances and 300 community health information cards worth K430 million to Ministry of Health in Lusaka today.

The minister is always appreciative of the support the EU continues to render to his ministry is through various programmes such as sensitizing individuals and communities to create demand for information on malaria prevention and treatment.

Mr. Simbao said government has put in place a number of activities in order to address the disease burden faced by the communities.

He also expressed happiness that the 2008 health management information system shows a 30 percent national decline in malarial incidence.

The donation is aimed at assisting the vulnerable in accessing quality health services

And speaking at the same function the European Union says it will continue funding the ministry of health and has appealed to donors who have pulled out to rescind their decision.

However, Head of E.U delegation, Derek Fee, says Zambia needs to improve its fraud departments to ensure donor funds are not abused.

He has also appealed to donors who are withholding funds to instead institute measures to safeguard their financial support.

Dr. Fee says the EU anti-fraud Office and the Global fund have offered technical assistance to the investigative organs of the government to prevent abuse of public funds.

He however says he respects the decision by some countries to withhold aid because the action is aimed at protecting funds provided by their tax payers.

ZANIS

The British Government has been given a seven-day ultimatum by a consortium of political parties known as the Forum for Political Parties (FPP) on its alleged involvement in Zambia’s internal affairs.

FPP Spokesperson Charles Kafumba flanked by Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) National Coordinator Edwin Sakala, Party for Unity Democracy Development (PUDD) Secretary General Dennis Sichinde presenting the petition at the British High Commission in Lusaka today.

FPP sympathisers displayed a placard denouncing the British government with a message; “No British interference. Former colonialists respect our sovereignty,”

A Security Manager at the British High Commission, Tim Parkinson received the petition on behalf of the British government but refused to answer questions from both the FPP and Journalists insisting “No comment”.

Soon after presenting the petition, Mr. Kafumba expressed disappointment and accused the British government of having sponsored the civil society and some Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to gang-up and incite anarchy in the country.
Mr. Kafumba, who is also National Democratic Party (NDP) Secretary General, challenged the British government to disclose and inform the nation how much it has spent so far on funding the task force on corruption.

He said the case of former republican president Fredrick Chiluba is closed and appealed to the British government not to control Zambia any more because Zambians are capable of running their own affairs.

ZDDM National Co-ordinator Edwin Sakala charged that civil society and NGOs Chief Executive Officers are on foreign payroll receiving money from the British government to continue honking and causing anarchy in the country.

Mr. Sakala expressed disappointment that the British government has ignored the Geneva Convention which compels foreign nations to utilise diplomatic channels of communications and instead funded Zambian civil society organisations.

He advised the British government to stop funding the Task Force because the funds are from tax-payers’ in that country and could be channeled to key sectors of the economy.

He alleged that the FPP is aware that an individual prosecutor is getting 10 million British Pounds every sitting and another K100, 000 million salary per month for a Taskforce Chairperson.

He said the Zambian Anti-Corruption Commission is capable of handling and disposing off court cases.

He lashed out at the British government High Commission Tom Carter should be ashamed of himself because of his clandestine and continued utterances in the media advising him to respect the sovereignty of Zambia as a State.

And heavily armed security officers have sealed the British Embassy in Lusaka. Zambia Police Officers are keeping vigil at the British Embassy and the petitioners were not allowed inside and they presented their petition at the gate.

Meanwhile, the Citizens Committee (CC) has expressed disappointment that some civil societies are being used by Western countries to rise against the Zambian government instead of rising to the occasion to defend their country.

In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, CC Executive Directive Gregory Chifire suggested that government should depot diplomats who neglect to respect the sovereignty of the country.

Mr Chifire alleged that his organization is aware of some civil society and Non-governmental organizations that are receiving monies from Western countries to cause anarchy in the country.

Mr. Chifire said it is unfortunate that some diplomats accredited to Zambia have ganged up with some civil society organizations and NGOs in the country to de-stabilize the internal affairs and governance of the nation.
ZANIS