resignation at Chabanga Lodge this morning in the Itawa area of Ndola.

He said he had resigned as defence minster and MMD National Executive Committee member responsible for energy development.

Mr Mpombo said he was not in the position to talk too much because he has not yet heard from the president but he would date the press at a later stage at an appropriate time.[quote]

He said he would remain a member of parliament for Kafulafuta Constituency until 2011 beyond which he was not too willing to continue in order to give young people a chance to take up leadership.

Mr Mpombo said he would concentrate his energies on constituency projects and issues to do with the environment because there was too much deforestation in his constituency.

He said he had written to the president to accept his resignation on personal grounds.

Mr Mpombo said he was grateful that he had served as Southern Province Deputy Minister as his first ministerial appointment by the late president Levy Mwanawasa and later as minister of Energy before coming to the Copperbelt as deputy Minister when later he was appointed Defence Minister.

Mr Mpombo described himself as “a hard coiled spring” of MMD and would remain a loyal member of the ruling party.

He said he would relocate to Katonte farm which was situated next to Chief Nkambo’s area where he would stay for a few weeks.

He stated that resigning was a painful decision which he took after consultations with his family and other stakeholders adding that he wanted to do it in a smart way and allow the dust to settle.

Mr Mpombo, however, appealed to the party leadership to hold the national convention where NEC members could seek a fresh mandate from the party and uphold the good tenets of democratic practice by not imposing candidates but allow democracy to flourish.

Mr Mpombo said the MMD was founded on the bedrock of democracy and should promote unity of vision purpose, direction and strategy.

He said holding a national convention was a constitutional requirement of the party and should not be overlooked like other parties that were not democratic were doing.

Mr Mpombo said it was a matter which should handled properly and cautiously because it had the potential to divide the party.

He noted that the MMD was a beacon of democracy in the country and should remain focused and resolute on constitutional matters.

Mr Mpombo said he had no intentions of standing as party president at the convention and he was also not available for the Kafulafuta parliamentary seat in 2011 because he wanted to have more time with his family and his studies in MBA and Doctorate.

ZANIS

Jakaya Kikwete, were yesterday among hundreds of people who turned out to celebrate this year’s Lwiindi traditional ceremony in Chief Monze’s area.

Speaking when he officially opened the Lwiindi traditional ceremony, President Banda said Tongas were very peaceful and hardworking people.

Mr Banda called on all Zambians to remain united, adding that this was the only way the country could achieve economic development in both the education and health sectors.

He urged Zambians to remain united and listen to the advice offered by their leaders.[quote]

Mr Banda also thanked Tanzanian President, Mr Kikwete, for having accepted to attend the Lwiidi ceremony at short notice.

And speaking earlier, Mr Kikwete urged the Tonga people to preserve and guard their culture and commended Chief Monze for preserving the Tonga culture in the age of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and the global village.

Mr Kikwete said maintaining the traditional culture was a big challenge in the age of computers, television sets and other gadgets such as cellular phones, that seemed to be stealing the hearts of young people.

”Our young people tend to spend more time on these gadgets and in the process learn and acquire foreign culture which leads to the degrading of our traditional African culture,” he said.

He said there was need to be vigilant if the traditional culture was to be maintained.

”Please maintain these important traditions. Make sure that the younger people and the educated men and women are fully involved and participate in these traditional ceremonies and ensure that they do not participate like expatriates from Europe,” he said.

He noted that Africans must be proud to participate in their own culture whether they were educated or not.

Mr Kikwete described his participation at this year’s Lwiindi traditional ceremony as revolutionary because Heads of States ended in other countries’ capital cities and rarely in the villages.

”Taking a visiting Head of State to a village to witness a traditional ceremony is something that President Banda deserves applaud. Thank you Chief Monze for agreeing with President Banda and allowing me to witness this ceremony of the Tonga people dedicated to thanking God for the good rains and harvest. I am very impressed with what I have seen,” he said.

And Chief Monze thanked both Presidents Banda and Kikwete for agreeing to grace this year’s Lwiindi ceremony.

He said his desire was to see a ceremony that was not only peaceful but also non-political, adding that this was the reason why he had directed everybody going to attend the ceremony not to put on any clothing with political inclination.

Chief Monze also appealed to government to recognise him as Paramount Chief of the Tonga people in Southern Province.

”I’m the 9th Paramount Chief. I ask government to recognise me as Paramount Chief in this province.

Chief Monze also appealed to his people to work hard and uplift the country in terms of agriculture.

Patron of the Lwiindi Tradition ceremony, Hakainde Hichilema, said collectively, Zambia could address the challenges the country was facing.

And chairman of the Lwiindi traditional ceremony, Rex Matala, urged government to closely monitor the distribution of fertilser under the Agriculture Support Programme (FSP).

He said the coming of two Heads of State to address the ceremony was historical, adding that as long as he remained chairman of the traditional ceremony, he would ensure that the event was not politicized.

Mr Matala further said that traditional ceremonies were not places to show political strength, but were meant to bring people together in unity.

President Rupiah Banda and his counterpart Mr Kikwete have since flown back to Livingstone where they are expected to attend another ceremony that will be held at Chief Mukuni’s palace in Kazungula district.

ZANIS

Kamanga, has observed that unemployment levels were alarming in the country, adding that government alone cannot employ everyone but should provide Skills Training Centres as a stepping stone to self employment.

He observed that young people are the future of any nation, yet 80 per cent of them are not employed and are on the streets while others are drunkards.[quote]

Mr Kamanga challenged the young people to look within themselves in order to create their own world instead of looking for someone to employ them.

He said unemployed youths could use Skills Training Centres and become useful citizens and emancipate themselves from the belief that they could only make it in life if they were in formal employment.

Mr Kamanga was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

He expressed sadness to learn through the media that last week, youths turned in great numbers to get employed as policemen and yet they have good academic papers which they could use otherwise to attain skilled goals.

He said the over 5,000 youths who turned up for interviews were fighting for only 180 available vacancies in the police service because they cannot help develop their talents due to lack of Skills Training Centres.

Mr Kamanga, however, advised the youths not to be frustrated but to believe in themselves, saying employment is not the ultimatum.

The motivator also advised the youths against shunning their dreams, saying it is not too late to improve their ideas, adding that they could create their own opportunities as every person has a gift and talents to develop.

Mr Kamanga said the youths should realize that going to school, college or university does not mean one has to be employed by someone but to use the talents and gifts to develop abilities in life.

ZANIS

said he wants to go to State House to enjoy himself. He said this in Kitwe when he launched his political party to be called the Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA).

Dr Sondashi said his children and wife, Virginia, have been suffering ever since he resigned as Cabinet minister from the previous governments.[quote]

“I want to go to State House to enjoy with my wife and my children because they have suffered following my resignations from previous governments.

I want my wife to be first lady also,” Dr Sondashi said

He said his wife rebuked him on several occasions when he resigned from his positions in government but that he assured her that one day he would make it to State House.

Dr Sondashi however clarified his statement after a Mr Nyereti wondered why the former minister had formed his party just to go and enjoy himself in State House.

“I am the only one who is ready to reduce my presidential powers when I am elected in 2011,” Dr Sondashi said.

He said the FDA would bring Zambians together and that the republican presidency would rotate from one province to another to discourage tribalism.

Dr Sondashi admitted that he was one of the leaders who created the problems that the country is currently going through and that he will not retire from active politics until he changes the situation obtaining in the country.

Dr Sondashi said he is confident that his party will remove the MMD from power in the 2011 elections.

He said it will be difficult to join the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) pact because of differences in ideologies with his political party.

Dr Sondashi, however, said he can only join the pact if he is allowed to become its president and lead it into the 2011 general elections.

And FDA Kafue organiser Trust Chitonge denounced PF president Michael Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema, saying they had no capacity to turn around the country’s economy.

Mr Chitonge accused Mr Hichilema of failing the country during the privatisation of some parastatals and that there was no way he can manage the affairs of the nation.

He also accused Mr Sata of failing to make any meaning contribution in the previous governments he served.

Mr Chitonge urged people to rally behind the FDA in 2011 if they wanted a better future for their children.
[Zambia Daily Mail]