Vice President Goerge Kunda has assured the people of Western Province that the MMD government will continue delivering the promises it made during the 2008 Presidential By-election campaigns.

Mr. Kunda says government is decisive and has come up with a budget cycle which will ensure that projects and pogrammes are implemented within on year.

The Vice President was speaking when he addressed scores of Mongu resident who welcomed him at Mongu airport this afternoon.

He said government was implementing several programmes including those related to the governance system of the country.

The Vice President named the governance programmers as the National Constitution Conference (NCC) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which he said were aimed at involving people in the governance of the country

Meanwhile, Mr. Kunda has thanked the people of Western Province for voting for President Rupiah Banda in the 2008 Presidential by-election.[quote]

He said the massive vote was a clear testimony of the confidence the people in the Province have in the MMD and the leadership of President Banda.

Mr. Kunda also commended the people in Western Province for voting for several MMD members of parliament out of whom 15 are holding ministerial positions.

He said the MPs were playing an active role in contributing to the development agenda of the country.

The Vice President thanked the MMD leadership in the province for keeping the party united and ensuring that it remained strong and intact.

He, however, said there was need for the leadership to work even harder and explain the party policies and programmes to the electorate.

And speaking earlier, Western Province MMD chairman Simasiku Namakando appealed to the Vice President to send relief food the province to avert the hunger situation in some parts of the province.

Mr. Namakando said many people lost their crops in the floods that affected the province last rainy season.

And Mr. Nmakando has assured the Vice President that the Patriotic Front (PF)/United Party for National Development (UPND)pact was non-existent in the province.

ZANIS

ZESCO Senior Manager for Marketing and Public Relations Lucy Zimba says the shutdown s expected to last for a period of about 17 days from 06:00 hours to 18 hours during this period.

Ms Zimba said the shutdown is meant to facilitate generator efficiency tests to be conducted by the contractor.

Ms Zimba disclosed this in a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

She said the shutdown was part of the contractor’s obligation under the power Rehabilitation Project, recently completed at Kafue Gorge.

She said the shutdown of the 165 megawatts (MW) generator will result in a national power supply deficit of up to 100MW during peak hours daily and may necessitate increased load shedding.

“We Therefore wish to advice our customers to conserve electricity by switching off some electrical appliances particularly during the morning peak hours 06:00-09:00 hours and evening peak hours 18:00-21:00 hours daily during the stated period”, she said.

And the ZESCO Marketing and PR Manager has thanked ZESCO customers for their cooperation during the shutdown of one of the transformers at the Kafue Gorge last week.

She said as a result of the customer’s compliance to the “Switch and Serve” at peak hours during the shutdown period, load shedding was significantly reduced.

Ms Zimba said this demonstrates that power deficits can be managed and load shedding avoided.

ZANIS

Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people in Northern Province has thanked President Rupiah Banda and his government for facilitating his evacuation to India for specialist treatment.

Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said on arrival in Kasama aboard a Zambia Air Force Plane at about13:00hours that he was feeling much better following the medical treatment he received while in India.

The paramount chief also thanked the people of Northern Province for praying for his quick recovery.

And Northern Province Permanent Secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe, who led government officials in receiving his Royal Highness at Kasama Airport, said government will continue to address the welfare of traditional rulers in the country.

Mr Simfukwe noted that government regards Chiefs as important stakeholders in the development of the nation.

He said the evacuation of Paramount Chief Chitimukulu abroad for specialist treatment was a clear testimony of government’s commitment to providing quality health care to traditional rulers in the country.

Meanwhile the Ukusefya Pa Ngw’ena Traditional ceremony of the Bemba in the province, which was scheduled for this month, will take place on September 19, this year and is expected to be graced by President Banda.

The ceremony which was set for August 22, was postponed to allow the paramount chief recuperate from an illness.

Paramount Chief Chitimukulu said preparations for the ceremony were going on as planed adding that so far works at the main arena were almost complete.

The Paramount Chief has since appealed for financial and material support from well-wishers to enable the ceremony to be successful.

ZANIS

MMD National Secretary, Katele Kalumba says the party has great chances of wining the Kasama seat

Dr. Kalumba told ZANIS in interview in Lusaka today that the party has sent a team to Kasama to map out strategy ahead of the by elections whose date is yet be announced.

He said MMD is ready for the PF/UPND challenge in Kasama and predicted a tough contest there.

“We are now focusing on the Kasama seat and currently our men are on the ground there and once they give us a report then we will plan carefully for it,” he said.

Dr. Kalumba said the team is trying to find out what the people in Kasama want for them to select a suitable candidate to represent them.

Dr. Kalumba has meanwhile said the MMD victory in Chitambo had proved to many people that the UPND/PF pact is beatable at any level.

He said the win shows that the ruling party is still strong and popular and was capable of winning an elections any time.

He has further said the MMD won the by election because it fielded a strong candidate who articulated issues the electorates in Chitambo needed.

Dr. Kalumba has further commended the people of Chitambo for voting for the MMD and also thanked its leadership for choosing the best candidate.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has scoped the Kikonge Ward by-election in Mufumbwe District in North western Province.

And the MMD has also scoped the Kavwena Ward in Solwezi District but has lost a seat in Kabompo.

MMD candidate Moses Maginsha poured in 382 votes beating his rival from the UPND/PF pact who only managed to get 144 votes.

MMD Deputy National Chairman, Kabinga Pande and Kikonge Ward polling assistant Munalula Ngula confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mufumbwe today.

And Mr. Pande said the victory by the MMD was an indication of the confidence the people of Kikonge have in the MMD and in the government of President Rupiah Banda.

Kikonge Ward fell vacant after Moses Maginsha resigned from the Untied Democratic Alliance (UDA) UPND to join the ruling MMD.

Mr. Pande has since advised him not to look back but support the ruling party in its endeavor to deliver to the people.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pande, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, has condemned the harassment of Commerce Deputy Minister Richard Taimaand by suspected UPND/PF cadres.

The cadres who are said to have come from Chingola and Solwezi drove into buses and harassed Mr. Taima.

He said the Deputy Minster was only rescued by Police officers from Chingola and Solwezi who escorted him to Chingola.

Mr. Pande said police have since launched investigations into the matter but appealed to people not allow and engage in politics of violence.

He said people should be allowed to choose leaders of their choice without being harassed or intimidated.

And in Eastern province, The ruling MMD has retained the Makaika ward by-election held yesterday in Katete district.

MMD’s Judith Tembo took the day with 543 votes out of the 901 votes cast beating her nearest rival Michael Mwanza from the PF-UPND pact who got 233 votes. Samson Zulu of UNIP was third with 106 votes.

Returning officer, Mukiti Lukonga who announced the election results at Mphangwe Motel last night said 19 votes were rejected.

The election was held following the death of MMD councilor, Edwin Mwanza.

And in Mumbwa, the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has won three seats in Local Government by-elections.

Mumbwa District Chief Electoral Officer, Dominic Simasiku confirmed the results to ZANIS, that UPND won the Nalubanda, Chisalu and Nambala Local Government by-elections.

Mr Simasiku disclosed that in Nalubanda Ward, UPND’s Maybin Kalambwe narrowly beat MMD’s Frank Malumbe with a vote tally of 279 against 264, whilst 6 ballots were rejected.

For Chisalu ward, Mr Simasiku said that UPND’s Beauty Katubulushi got 324 votes against 267 for MMD’s Chizuma Himoonga, with UNIP’s John Chumbwe getting 47 votes.

In Nambala Ward, UPND’s Kenneth Similindi got votes against MMD’s Hardon Moono who got 225, with UNIP’s Christopher Lutanda getting 42 votes.

The Nalubanda and Chisalu seats fell vacant early this year, following the death of UPND Councilors Boniface Muyangwe and Paul Chikoko respectively.

The Nambala seat fell vacant following the sacking of MMD’s Christopher Nole by the Council early this year.

ZANIS

The Copperbelt University (CBU) has been closed with immediate effect to restore calm at the institution following a spate of violent demonstrations in the last two weeks.

CBU Acting Registrar, Mwala Sheba in a statement to ZANIS in Kitwe today said a special senate meeting which sat this morning resolved to close the institution for two weeks with immediate effect.

Mr Sheba said the action was aimed at allowing the university management enough time to restore calm to ensure public safety.

On Wednesday evening the students battered a Guinean businessman, Mamadi Conde, 76 and stole K200 million from him.

They also set ablaze his Totota Hilux Surf and made off with Cell Phones, Money and other business documents.

The students have been demonstrating over the shooting of their colleague by Police and the appointment of Dora Siliya as Education Minister.

ZANIS/

The long awaited judgement in the case where former president Frederick Chiluba is charged with corruption has again been adjourned to Monday. The Judgment was initially set for July 20th before being moved to today Friday the 14th.

State Prosecutor Mutembo Nchito said the reason of the delay was not clear. He told the media that he did not know why the judge is not ready for the case and he is going to learn about the details.

And  Chiluba’s spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba echoed the same sentiments. Mr Mwanba told the media that the judgement was deferred because Ndola High Court deputy registrar Johns Chinyama, who is sitting as magistrate in the Chiluba case, had indicated that he was not ready to pass the judgment yet.

“He called all the lawyers to his chambers and announced that he was not yet ready. So we don’t know what that means, if it’s him who is not ready or the judgment. He just said I am not yet ready,” Mwamba said.

Scores of people and Chiluba’s family members this morning came to the magistrate’s court to witness the landmark judgment involving the former Republican president.

Chiluba is charged with Access Financial Services Limited director Faustine Kabwe and Aaron Chungu with the theft of public resources totalling several millions of dollars.