UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday failed to state the reasons for the impeachment of President Rupiah Banda.

Mr Hichilema, when asked about the statements by the UPND-Patriotic Front (PF) pact, failed to give the grounds for the impeachment of President Banda but instead said the Government should concentrate on addressing problems affecting the nation.

The UPND leader said in an interview that the Government should not breach the Constitution but govern in the interest of the people by attending to issues that citizens raised.

Pressed to state the reasons for the planned action announced recently by PF Nchanga MP, Wilbur Simusa and whether his party was part of the scheme, Mr Hichilema said he could not state.

“I cannot categorically state that but all I can say is that the Government should address the issues that people are raising,” he said.

Mr Hichilema condemned President Banda’s appointment of Lands Deputy Minister Michael Mabenga and Education Minister Dora Siliya despite them being cleared by the courts.

Mr Mabenga was acquitted by the magistrate’s court after the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Tribunal found him guilty and recommended that he should be prosecuted.

Ms Siliya was found to have breached the Constitution by the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct tribunal but was found innocent on appeal in the High Court.

Mr Hichilema urged the Government to intervene in the go-slow at the University of Zambia (Unza) and resolve outstanding issues in the Health sector.

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Authentic Advocates for Justice and Democracy (AAJD) has said the plan to impeach President Banda was ill conceived because he had not contravened any law.

AAJD president Emmanuel Sikanyika said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda had not contravened any provision of the Republican Constitution to justify his impeachment.

Mr Sikanyika said the president did not contravene the provisions of the Constitution as he only reappointed Ms Siliya after she was cleared by the High Court.

He said it was wishful thinking for the PF-UPND pact to start instigating initiation of impeachment proceedings against President Banda.

He said it was common knowledge that the UPND and PF pact was mooted with the sole purpose of causing confusion in the nation and thereafter reap from the unrest that may follow.

Mr Sikanyika said the UPND and PF pact was flat out inciting people to rise against the Government without any justifiable cause.

[Times of Zambia]

Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people in Luapula Province has appealed to government to repossess both the Kawambwa Tea Company and Mununshi Banana Estate.

Chief Mwata Kazembe implored government to consider repossessing the companies or find new investors to manage and run the estates.

The Mwata made the appeal today in Kawambwa when Presidential Special Assistant for Government Policy Implementation and Monitoring (PIM), Ben Kapita paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.

He noted that Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estates were still viable projects but had been mismanaged by private investors who were currently managing them.

The chief said the managements at the companies had not paid workers their salaries for over 12 months and that production at the firms had extremely reduced.

The Mwata said that the management at Kawambwa Tea had not also laboured to reinvest in the company and to expand the plantation as it was still picking tea from the 423 hectares initial plantation put up by government before privatization.

Kawambwa Tea Estate is on a 2000 hectare plot most of it which is not utilized.

The traditional leader said both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were productive when they were in government’s hands prior to privatization.

He suggested that the two companies be repossessed and run as a consortium by government in order to ensure that the welfare of workers was safeguarded.

He said it is government’s responsibility to ensure that lives of the people in the area are protected.

“I’m not happy about the state of affairs at both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estate, my appeal is government should repossess these companies because our people are not benefiting from the current investors there,” Chief Mwata Kazembe said.

Meanwhile, the Mwata has commended government for creating the position in the President’s Office aimed at monitoring and evaluating government projects and programs in the country.

The late President Mwanawasa created the position of Presidential Special Assistant for government Projects and Programs in charge of monitoring and evaluation of the projects.

Mwata Kazembe said the position would enable reliable and informed feedback to the President on projects and programs that government was implementing.

The traditional leader said this would ultimately ensure that resources allocated to project implementation are used as intended in order to benefit the people.[quote]

And Mr. Kapita has said that government would consider the best alternative to revitalize Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Schemes to make them profitable again.

Mr. Kapita said government would not sit idle and watch its people suffer despite putting in their best to improve their livelihoods.

“it is not right to have workers go for months without pay, these companies were created at public funds expense and the public should benefit, government will find an alternative to make these companies profitable and stable again,” Mr. Kapita said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kapita said that government would continue funding and implementing programs and projects aimed at improving livelihoods of the people adding that it would not segregate development on political party lines.
Mr. Kapita has since urged government workers who are implementers of these projects to be committed in order to guarantee that government programs and projects benefit the people as intended.

He said government would not condone wastage of its resources on projects that had no positive impact on the ground.

Mr. Kapita is in Luapula Province to inspect government funded projects and programs.

ZANIS

The Citizens Forum in Mungwi District has demanded the immediate resignation of Malole Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Munaile, accusing him of failing to deliver on his election promises to the electorate.

Forum District Secretary Baitwell Mfula made the demand in a press statement availed to ZANIS in Kasama today.

Mr. Mfula claimed that there have been numerous complaints from Mungwi residents over the alleged non-performance of Mr. Munaile in his constituency.

He said Mr. Munaile would do better by emulating Kasama Central MP Saviour Chishimba, who resigned voluntarily from his position.

Mr. Mfula charged that Mr. Munaile, who is also Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) vice-president, had allegedly failed to spearhead development in his constituency, resulting in under development of the area.

Mr. Mfula said it is only in order for the MP to step down and allow focused individuals to contest the Malole seat, so that the electorate could see meaningful development in Malole Constituency.

He warned that if Mr. Munaile does not resign voluntarily, the people of Malole would have no choice but to use other means to have him forced out of office, adding that people were fed-up of empty promises from the area MP.

Mr. Mfula explained that Mungwi residents wanted to see infrastructure development take root as the District has lagged behind in terms of development despite attaining district status over 10 years ago.

He further advised Mr. Munaile to stop attacking innocent people who are critical of his poor performance as MP.

Mr. Mfula charged that there is nothing wrong in other people expressing interest in taking over from Mr. Munaile if they feel capable of delivering to the expectations of the local people.

By press time, efforts to get a comment from Mr. Munaile in Lusaka, failed.

ZANIS

Chief government spokesperson Rev Ronnie Skikapwasha has said it is irresponsible for Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes [SACCORD] to accuse government of using the existing laws and the proposed Non Governmental Organizations NGOs and the freedom of information bill scheduled to settle personal vendettas.

Rev. Ronnie Skikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services queried whether SACCORD has been following the public debate on the two bills and the out cry against the publication and circulation of obscene pictures closely.

Rev. Shikapwasha said government was acting according to the wishes of the people and in accordance with the law.

This is according to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Rev. Shikapwasha stated that it is unfortunate to suggest that when the police question or arrest suspects they do so in pursuance of personal vendettas.

He said SACCORD as an organization established to resolve disputes should be the last to provoke conflicts over the bill.

The Minister pointed that the organization should instead urge people to allow due process of parliamentary procedure to drive the debate through to the ultimate enactment of the alleged contentious bill.

Rev. Shikapwasha said the claim that government is writing laws and using government institutions to pursue vendettas is un acceptable.

He stressed that government has no interest in enacting laws intended to fix individuals or organizations, other than the enjoyment of more freedom and avoidance of anarchy in the conduct of NGOs.

The Minister further said what the forthcoming bill would try to do is to bring sanity in the acquisition and disbursement of resources in the NGOs and to also help NGOS defend themselves if they were wrongly accused.

ZANIS

The new owners of Luanshya Copper Mines will only be able to engage workers on full time basis after six months.

Mines Minister, Maxwell Mwale, says this is because China Non-Ferous Metals which has taken over the mine currently has no revenue stream to employ workers permanently.

He told ZNBC news in Lusaka that the former owners of the mine, ENYA, did not leave any stockpiles of copper concentrates for continued production.

Mr. Mwale said the new owners have to start from the scratch.

He said China Non-Ferous Metals is pumping money into the mine, but will not make any profit until after six months.

Mr. Mwale was reacting to the Mine Workers Union of Zambia, which expressed concern over reports that the new investor at Luanshya Copper Mines was offering six months job contracts to employees.

Union general secretary, Oswell Munyenyembe, said the move taken by the new investor is contrary to earlier assurances that employees would be given pensionable jobs.

China non-Ferrous Metals has invested 400 Million US dollars in Luanshya Copper Mine which shut down early this year after ENYA pulled out, citing falling Copper prices on the World market.

[ZNBC]