A GROUP of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres yesterday severely beat up two founder members of the party who had called a Press briefing to demand for a convention and changes to the party’s constitution.

The two, Samson Zulu, who called himself an interim chairperson of a pressure group within PF, and Mubanga Chileshe, the chairperson for mobilisation, abruptly stopped their Press briefing when PF cadres pounced on them.

As soon as the two decided to stop answering questions from journalists who had gone late for the briefing, a group of about seven PF cadres stormed the conference hall at Court Yard Hotel and immediately started beating up the duo.

The cadres said Mr Zulu was arrogant and started beating him while dragging him downstairs from the conference hall in full view of journalists who had gone to cover the event.

As Mr Zulu and Mr Mubanga resisted being taken away from the hotel, the beating continued to the surprise of staff and management of the hotel who did not do or say anything about the turn of events.

However, noticing that the PF cadres were more interested in Mr Zulu, Mr Mubanga managed to flee and hid behind the hotel as his colleague was dragged outside the hotel’s premises.

Mr Zulu was dragged across Thabo Mbeki Road to a taxi rank opposite the National Assembly Motel where he was further beaten and bundled into a waiting van which sped off.

The fracas caused commotion with motorists wondering what was happening as Mr Zulu, who was severely bleeding from the mouth, pleaded with onlookers to assist him.

The van that carried Mr Zulu sped away and one police officer who was in the vicinity went to the hotel where he located Mr Mubanga and helped him escape in a private motor vehicle.

Court Yard Hotel management said they did not know what happened except that PF leader Michael Sata had telephoned the hotel to find out if there was any PF Press briefing.

A manager at the hotel, Hari Lavu said after Mr Sata was told that there was a Press briefing, he said he did not know about such an event.

Before the briefing ended, workers saw the two people being beaten and taken away.

Mr Lavu said as far as the hotel was concerned, the people who held the Press briefing had paid for the venue.

However, when reached for a comment, PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda declined to comment on the issue, saying he had received no information about the beating and manhandling of the two PF leaders and their call for a convention.

“What time did it happen? I am not able to comment because I have got no information about the clash,” Mr Lubinda said.

[Times of Zambia]

A PRESSURE group within the Patriotic Front ( PF) has opposed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their party and the United Party for National Development (UPND).

The pressure group known as Committee of Patriotic Front (PF) founders says the MoU leaves much to be desired allegedly because PF president Michael Sata’s approach to politics is different from that of UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema.

Committee representative, Samson Zulu said this at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.

“The pact which has been entered into between Mr Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema leaves much to be desired. For example, Mr Hichilema believes in intra party democracy while Mr Sata does not.

Mr Hichilema has allowed his MPs to attend the NCC while Mr Sata is expelling his for doing the same,” Mr Zulu said.
Mr Zulu said his members are not happy with Mr Sata’s failure to call for a party convention.

“We want to express our concern on the failure by the President of our party to call for a general conference,” he said.

Mr Zulu said PF has never held a convention since the party was formed.

“According to the PF constitution which we have not adopted, the general conference is supposed to meet once every five years. The party has not held a single general conference since it was registered almost nine years ago,” he said.

Mr Zulu accused Mr Sata of treating his party as his own property.

“Clearly, members of the press, this makes Mr Sata the absolute and unquestionable ruler of the PF. He does not need anybody to run the party. As PF stands now, it’s a personal property of Mr Sata to do with it as he pleases,” he said.[quote]

Mr Zulu said pressure group members decided to hold the press conference to denounce what they called violence by senior PF leaders against other members within the party.

“We the Committee of Founders, a pressure group within the PF, are prompted to call this urgent press conference to condemn in the strongest terms the violence that senior members of the PF are perpetuating against other members of the party,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Mr. Mwansa attributed the decrease in trade taxes to unscrupulous people evading paying taxes, especially on the boarder towns.

He said the reduction in trade taxes reduction translated into less revenue collected because of the difficulties created by the global economic meltdown that is forcing people not to pay trade taxes.

Mr. Mwansa said in Lusaka today that the authority has faced difficulties in meeting most of the set targets on trade tariffs due to the reduction in international trading.

He said ZRA is however, not sitting idle but putting up stringent measures to reverse the trend by vigorously sensitizing members of staff to sharpen their skills on customs data and collection management.

He said ZRA, collects tax on behalf of government, was however addressing the loss in revenue collection with the urgency it deserves.

Mr. Mwansa further pointed out that the second quarter of this year, international trading would increase because people were beginning to pay the required taxes following sensitization campaigns.

He could however not disclose the expected revenue to be collected in the second quarter of this year.

ZANIS

THE MMD in Central Province has said that the pact between the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) is an exercise of futility.

MMD Provincial Secretary, Roy Mulenga, told ZANIS in an interview in Kabwe today that it will be very difficult for any political party to unseat the ruling MMD especially now that it is very strong.

“We have the confidence that President Rupiah Banda will perform to greater heights and many people will be surprised and from what we have gathered the focus to remove MMD is the core business of any political party which is not an agenda,” he said.

Mr Mulenga said that the pact between the PF and UPND was merely a memorandum of understanding and not a merger or coalition as it is not there on the ground and it will never take off.

Mr Mulenga said that this was not the first time that the two political parties had tried to form a pact which simply meant that the two were not going anywhere in there efforts.

“If I quote them correctly, Hakainde Hichilema said the main core is that they should not attack each other inside and outside parliament and that does not hold.

“It is not the first time that they will try to form a pact and we do not see them going anywhere,” he added.[quote]

“As a party, we are ready to face any challenge with regards to any coalition or merger and it does not cause any threat. We are not sitting idle because we are touching the grassroots,” Mr Mulenga said.

He said that PF president, Michael Sata’s remarks that the MMD will disturbalise the pact is not true because as a party they would not waste time on a fruitless pact like that of PF and UPND.

ZANIS

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) says lack of action on cadres that are bent on harassing journalists has led to some members of the public to emulate them in harassing journalists.

MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson Henry Kabwe says it is sad that the violence against journalists in the country by some political party cadres is being emulated by some members of the public.

Mr. Kabwe’s sentiments come in the wake of reports that on Wednesday, this week, relatives of the former Human Resource Officer in the Ministry of Health Henry Kapoko harassed journalists who had gone to cover his case at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court complex.

He called for decisive steps to be taken against the cadres in order to put an end to the harassment of journalists by cadres as other members of the general public might to be inclined to emulate the actions of the cadres.

Mr. Kabwe urged both the ruling and opposition political party leadership to order their cadres to stop the violence and harassment of journalists.

“We are calling upon presidents of both the ruling and opposition parties to ensure that they order party cadres of their respective political parties to stop violence against journalists. We are also urging them to make responsible statements that can not spark violence,” Mr. Kabwe stated.

He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that MISA is concerned that grievances against journalists have not been dealt with promptly and conclusively.

Mr. Kabwe further noted that it is unfortunate that the harassment of journalists in the country is beginning to attract regional and international attention.

The Post has since written to SADC requesting the regional bloc to intervene in the harassment of its journalists.

And the MISA Chairperson has accused cadres from a named political party of having created an impression that journalists in the country discharge their duties unprofessionally.

He said journalists in the country have always striven to discharge their duties professionally amid a working environment which has at times not been conducive.

Mr. Kabwe said there is need for politicians and other stakeholders in the country to support existing media institutions.

He however, also urged media institutions in the country to unite and support one another in order to win public confidence.

“We are urging journalists to support their colleagues that are being harassed and not detach themselves. The media must streamline their operations and work towards getting public confidence,” he said.

Of late some journalists have been physically harassed and expelled from meetings where public officers had been officiating.

ZANIS

THE Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) have agreed to work together in a move meant to provide more effective checks and balances to the MMD Government.

But MMD deputy national secretary, Jeff Kaande, said the MMD was not scared of the PF and UPND working together because it had become stronger.

In a joint statement issued by PF president Michael Sata and his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka yesterday, the two leaders said the parties would work together at all levels on all matters of national importance.

The two opposition political parties are also demanding early presidential and parliamentary elections.

Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema said the two parties held a meeting in the morning yesterday where the landmark agreement was made.

“We have therefore started a long and difficult march in the same direction, not as one organisation but as two giants in Zambian politics,” they said.

The opposition leaders said the two political parties were the only representatives of the majority of the Zambian people.

Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema alleged that the MMD had in the past taken advantage of the differences within the opposition ‘‘o entrench bad governance and massive inefficiency’’.

The two leaders said the suffering of the Zambians would not end under the current Government.

They said the parties were responding to the loud and growing appeal from the party members and the general public.

They said they would lay groundwork for an effective, accountable, efficient and pro-poor government to replace the MMD.

However, Mr Kaande said that the PF and UPND could even merge with other political parties but the MMD would still beat them in the 2011 elections.

He said calls for early elections were ‘‘wishful thinking’’ because the country would only hold presidential and general elections in 2011.

“That is just politicking. They are just entertaining and pleasing themselves because they have no power to call for early elections,” Mr Kaande said.

He wondered what power the two political parties had for them to call for early elections when they were due in 2011.

[Times of Zambia]

The Economic Partnership Agreement for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Council of Ministers has hit a deadlock over the implementation of the most favoured nation (MFN) clause, which is critical to the launch of the Comesa Customs Union (CU) slated for Sunday next week. ESA has stated that the MFN clause which favours certain developed Countries trading with COMESA member states be reviewed or excluded in its application to all developing Countries as it contravenes the World Trade Organisation rules that provide for South to South Cooperation. But Zambia’s Commerce and Industry Minister Felix Mutati has urged COMESA to unblock the deadlock on the conditions of the MFN clause if the Launch of the Customs Union was to succeed. Mr Mutati who is also the Chairperson of ESA was speaking in an Exclusive Interview with ZANIS in Zimbabwe’s Resort Town of Victoria Falls. He said the member states must unite and come up with a common stance that is comprehensive and support regional Integration. “Time has come for us to conclude and implement the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as we have been discussing and far to long hence the need to conclude quickly to alleviate the Poverty levels in our various Countries” Said Mr. Mutati. He said Zambia’s exports to the European Union (EU) rose to US$5 billion , indicating the country’s significant economic development. Mr. Mutati called for the removal of all trade barriers between COMESA and the European Union. The European Union is the biggest importer of Zambia’s none traditional products, such as vegetables and flowers, hence the need to conclude the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement. Some Member States who are massively exporting to Asian Countries have strongly objected to the implementation of the MFN clause saying the MFN would injure the bilateral relationship exiting with these Countries. Others were agreeable to the implementation of the clause saying it would improve trade among the member states.[quote] Meanwhile Mr Mutati has revealed that a quarter of Zambia economic growth was as a result of the intra COMESA trade. He said COMESA was the bridge of the International Markets and urged member states to work towards achieving the regional integration through the Customs Union. He added that 70 % of Zambians growth was generated through exports with COMESA. 19 COMESA member states are expected to launch the CU on Sunday at a Summit under the theme Consolidating Regional Economic Integration Through Value Addition Trade and Food Security. ZANIS