Dr Chiluba said in Kitwe that young people who were insulting President Banda were going against the teachings of the Bible on respecting old people and would reap what they were sowing.

Speaking on Sunday at Living Water Global Ministries Church in Kitwe, Dr Chiluba said those who were insulting people who were old enough to be their parents should not blame anybody for the bad luck that they could encounter in their lives.

He said the country would only receive God’s blessings if the people embraced dialogue and followed the teachings of God.

He said it was imperative that Zambians should embark on reconciliation for the country to continue receiving blessings from God.

“In the Bible, we are told to respect our parents. When we are told to respect our parents, it does not mean that only our biological fathers and mothers alone but all those who are old enough to be our father or mother.

“Those who are insulting President Banda are just cursing themselves because they are going against the teachings of the Bible, which talks about respecting our parents,” he said.

Dr Chiluba urged the Government to strengthen its relationship with Israel because it was a blessed country and Zambia stood to benefit a lot from the good relationship of the two countries.

He said when he became Republican president, he restored the relationship between Zambia and Israel because the Middle East country was a blessed state.[quote]

He said God had used him to restore Zambia’s relationship with Israel and it was imperative that the present Government strengthened the existing ties.

“I restored the relationship with Israel because I knew that Israel was a blessed nation. Just after restoring the relationship with Israel, the shortages of essential commodities like sugar, mealie meal and others came to an end,” he said.

Dr Chiluba said he was happy that people had appreciated his decision to sell houses to sitting tenants and that he did not regret having made such a decision.

He said he could not imagine what life would have been for retirees and retrenchees if he had listened to those who were against selling houses to sitting tenants.

“The mines were in Zambia and the people who were working in the mines that had produced the money to build the houses were Zambians and so, it was just fair that I sold them houses so that they could benefit,” he said.

Steven Mwakibinga said the sale of houses to sitting tenants and the coming up of many churches were some of the good things that Dr Chiluba did for the country.

Pastor Mwakibinga said it was good that following Dr Chiluba’s declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, a lot of churches came up.

He said it was good that President Banda also wanted Zambia to remain as a Christian nation, and urged other Zambians to support the declaration of Zambia a Christian nation.

[Times of Zambia]

President Rupiah Banda says peace is a prerequisite condition for attracting investors into the country.

President Banda says foreign investment would only come into the country if stability is assured.

Mr. Banda was speaking today at a rally to drum up support for the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate in the Chitambo Constituency parliamentary by-election Dr. Solomon Musonda at Chitambo Basic School.

President Banda said he would fight those trying to promote tribalism and divide the country.

He called upon all Zambians to have a clear vision and build a Zambia ideal for prosperity.[quote]

He pointed out that when investors come into the country this would translate into job creation.

Mr. Banda said those instigating actions that would result into the instability of the country were enemies of development.

He said government was focused and determined to encourage the setting up of manufacturing firms and would encourage the opening up of new mines in a bid to address the obtaining unemployment levels in the country.

Mr. Banda said it is therefore wrong for the some opposition leaders to say that government was not doing anything to move the nation forward.

He said the MMD was fielding Dr. Musonda in a bid to sustain development efforts in the area.

And speaking letter at Mukando Basic School, President Banda cautioned United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema against using insulting language towards him.

Mr. Banda said the UPND leader should not join in the cousinship exchange of words between him and Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata.

On the partial privatization of ZAMTEL, Mr. Banda said there was nothing irregular about the move to partially privatize the company.

He said the move was inevitable as the company was facing financial difficulties and needed to be recapitalized.

The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development UPND pact, the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and the United National Independence Party (UNIP) candidates are contesting the parliamentary by-election in Chitambo Constituency.

Dr. Solomon Musonda will stand on the MMD ticket and Chanda Mutale will contest for the seat on the PF ticket. FDD would be represented by Evans Chola, while UNIP is fielding Timothy Kapolo.

The Chitambo by-election which has been slated for August 13 was necessitated by the death of area member of parliament Nasim Hamir.

ZANIS

Former Kasama Central Constituency Member of Parliament Saviour  Chishimba says youths must take up leadership roles and contribute to national development.

Dr Chishimba made the pronouncements today during the official launch of the United Progressive People (UPP) party at Broadway Cinema Hall today.

He said currently the country lacks transformational leaders who need to spearhead developmental projects.

Dr Chishimba explained that the UPP had come with a gentle but revolutionary voice and that it would stand the test of time as it was founded on sound principles.

Speaking earlier, UPP Chairperson Mable Manda said the party would in the next three months hold a party convention where party leaders would be elected into office.

And party General Secretary Carolyn Nanyangwe said the people of Zambia had for the past 45 years yearned for a leadership that guaranteed justice and dignity for all.

ZANIS

the Government to evaluate the work of the Task Force on Corruption considering the huge amount of money that is paid to lawyers on the investigative wing.

TIZ president, Reuben Lifuka said in an interview in Lusaka that if an evaluation process was undertaken, the Government would draw up lessons on how best to set up the financial intelligence unit under the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).[quote]

Justice Deputy Minister, Todd Chilembo last week told Parliament that the Government had this year budgeted US$720,000 for legal fees for local lawyers on the task force.

“While we appreciate that fighting corruption is expensive, the results should justify these huge expenses. “We want to urge the Government to conduct a thorough evaluation of using a task force to investigate and prosecute high-profile corruption cases and use these lessons as it embarks upon setting up the serious frauds unit or the financial intelligence unit,” Mr Lifuka said.

He said the TIZ had for some time been concerned with the design of the task force and its subsequent operations especially in terms of securing the services of private legal practitioners.

He said one of the reasons advanced for setting up the task force was that experts from the different law enforcement agencies would be pooled together and, thus, ensure success in the investigation and prosecution of high-profile cases. “The engagement of private legal practitioners is a clear indication that the task force on its own lacks the necessary technical capacity. The payment of $700,000 each year would not be necessary if Government had concentrated on developing the institutional and technical capacity of the ACC.

“This is not to say we do not recognise some of the important successes scored by the task force, but we are convinced that it is an expensive undertaking,” Mr Lifuka said. He said part of the money being paid to private lawyers on the task force could have been used to strengthen the work of the ACC.

“The unfortunate part of this whole episode is that it is possible that despite Government spending such colossal sums on lawyers and other operational costs, little may come out of the several court cases,” Mr Lifuka said.
[Times of Zambia]

government decided on how best the privatization of ZAMTEL should be handled.

NGP President Humphrey Siulapwa says government has the mandate from the people to make decision on ZAMTEL.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Siulapwa said Zambians should not be defensive and confrontational on the issue of ZAMTEL.

Mr. Siulapwa said ZAMTEL has continued to make losses hence the need for the people to let government to privatize the firm.

The NGP President said the privatization of ZAMTEL was inevitable adding that what matters was how the privatization was going to be managed.

He said Zambians should offer alternative solutions on how best the government could handle the privatization of ZAMTEL.

Meanwhile, Mr. Siulapwa condemned the shooting and the use of live bullets on Copperbelt University students where Cornelius Mwape, a CBU student, was shot and wounded by police.

He said there was need for the Police Service to produce a comprehensive report on the matter.

Mr. Siulapwa said the Police officer involved in the shooting of Cornelius Mwape must be prosecuted.

And Mr. Siulapwa also condemned the violence on Journalists by some Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) cadres.

He said violence against journalists by some MMD cadres was unfortunate.
ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has urged the people of Chitambo Constituency to elect a Member of Parliament who will easily access government resources for use in the development of the constituency.

President Banda urged Chitambo residents to vote to the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate Dr. Solomon Musonda because he would bring about development in the area.

Mr. Banda was speaking at when he addressed scores of residents during a rally at Gibson Basic School and Katinda Basic School in Serenje today.

President Banda said Dr. Musonda was a capable leader because he understood and articulated issues well.

Mr. Banda said government, through its Area Members of Parliament, was particularly committed to bringing development to rural areas.

On the rehabilitation of roads, Mr. Banda said government has since dispatched Earth moving machines to all districts to work on the road network in all the districts.

He said the move was in line with the election campaigns during the presidential by-election.[quote]

Speaking earlier, MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga urged political leaders in the country to emulate the leadership of President Banda who is focused on national development.

Mr. Mabenga urged the people of Chitambo to vote for the MMD candidate because the MMD government is committed to national development.

And Chief Kankomba said the people in Serenje District were happy with the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

He said President Banda is the first Republican President to visit the area since independence.

Chief Kankomba said it was wrong for some people to label traditional leaders as partisan by virtue of supporting the government of the day as they were justifiably helping to all the people regardless of political affiliation to bring about development.

Meanwhile, all the eight chiefs in Serenje District have thrown their support behind the MMD candidate Dr. Solomon Musonda.

President Banda is tomorrow, Monday, scheduled to hold another rally at Chitambo grounds before moving to Kando Basic School where he will hold another rally before leaving for Lusaka.

The Chitambo by-election which has been slated for August 13 was necessitated following the death of area member of parliament Nasim Hamir.

ZANIS