Vice President George Kunda has reiterated government’s appreciation to traditional values and ceremonies in the country.

The Vice President said in Mwansabombwe, Kawambwa yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe that it was a policy of government to promote traditional ceremonies and respect traditional rulers because of the role they play in governing and developing the country.

Mr. Kunda is in Mwansabombwe to grace this year’s Umutomboko traditional ceremony of the Lunda people of Luapula Province.

The Vice President told the chief that he had been sent by President Rupiah Banda to grace the traditional ceremony because the president himself who wanted to officiate at the occasion was committed with other national programmes.

Mr. Kunda said government is committed to meeting traditional leaders to discuss issues affecting them and their subjects to foster development.

He said although it was the first time for him to pay a courtesy call on the chief at his palace, the two had met before in other foras including the developmental meeting which was recently held in Mansa.

Mr. Kunda said the Umutomboko traditional ceremony has received a lot of international recognition which was a pride to the country.

He said government was happy that traditional ceremonies were now attracting a lot of local and international tourists.

‘This is why we shall continue to promote traditional ceremonies as government,” Mr Kunda said.

And Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe said he was happy that this year’s traditional ceremony was being graced by the Republican Vice President.

Chief Mwata Kazembe said traditional ceremonies were important because they promote cultural heritage.

He said there was hence need for government to support traditional ceremonies because a nation without culture is dead.

The Vice President was accompanied to Mwansabombwe by MMD Deputy National Secretary, Chembe Nyangu, Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice President, Gaston Sichilima, Deputy Local Government Minister, Moses Muteteka, Deputy Agriculture Minister, Allan Mbewe and Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, Simon Sichimba among others.

ZANIS

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be”
(1 Corinthians 12: 17-18, NIV).

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

In the New Testament, John was baptizing a crowd of people and drawing a lot of attention. Somebody came up and said, “John, are you the Christ or should we keep looking?” Without missing a beat John said, “No, I am not the Messiah.”

See, John knew what he was, but he also knew what he was not. It’s just as important to know what you’re not because if you don’t realize your limitations, you’ll get drawn into areas that may look impressive and may feed your ego, but they are outside of your gifting and calling; outside of what God anointed you to do. Anytime you go outside of your limitations, it will be a constant struggle. Don’t let that be you! Instead, stay focused on what you’re good at. Follow peace in your heart and know your limitations because God has created you just the way He wants you to be!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for choosing me. I ask that You help me to know my limitations. Help me to know my place in the body of Christ so that I can bring glory and honor to You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

– Joel & Victoria Osteen

Vice President George Kunda has said the Patriotic Front and United Party for National Development (PF-UPND) pact is in a state of paralysis and is bound to collapse any time.

Mr Kunda said as a result of the confusion in the pact, people are leaving the pact parties in large numbers to join the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

The Vice President was speaking today when he addressed Mansa residents who welcomed him at the airport before he proceeded to Mwansabombwe to officiate at this year’s Mutomboko ceremony.

He urged MMD members across the country, especially those in Mansa were the party has started gaining strength, to take advantage of the confusion in the pact to unite the ruling party.

“You must be united and take advantage of the confusion in the pact to strengthen our party, the ruling MMD,” Mr Kunda said.

He charged that as a result of the confusion in the pact, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has even stopped being seen in public as he has gone into hiding due to shame.

“We are not reading about him anymore since they started quarreling with Michael Sata. Because of shame, HH has gone into hiding.” The Vice President said

Mr Kunda further said that PF leader Michael Sata does not like the people of Luapula, as he has been suspending MPs in the province from his party and has also been insulting the royal highnesses in the area.

He appealed to the people of Luapula to continue rejecting Mr Sata and his party as he has no respect for the traditional chiefs.

Mr Kunda encouraged MMD members in the province to promote unity in order to strengthen the party instead of endorsing suspensions.

He said the suspension of party members is not good for the MMD as a party and has appealed to the party membership in Luapula province to desist from the practice.

“Just here I saw one poster saying we are tired of suspensions. This shows that people are tired of suspensions,” He said.

Mr Kunda noted that MMD as party must lead by example in desisting from suspending its members to encourage unity in the ruling party.

“For us in MMD we must lead by example, especially here in Mansa where we are gaining strength. We must be united in this province and throughout the country behind President Rupiah Banda.” he said.

He called for pro-activeness among party members to forestall any confusion in the party by reporting any provincial member identified to be fermenting disorder.

Mr Kunda assured the people of Luapula that government will continue supporting the hosting of the Mutomboko traditional ceremony because it is a traditional ceremony of international recognition and provides an opportunity for government leaders to share developmental ideas with the people of the province.

And speaking earlier, Luapula Province MMD Provincial Chairman, Emmanuel Chungu appealed to government to work on some important roads which have not been worked on.

He also said that government should find quickest ways to address the plight of former Mansa batteries workers who have not been paid their dues since the closure of the battery company in the early 1990s.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda says the zeal of Zambian farmers to produce food and cash crops was very encouraging.

Speaking after touring a number of stands in the Lusaka Show Grounds this morning, President Banda said he was impressed with what he saw on exhibition in different stands today.

“This is something that is very encouraging. It is encouraging to see people especially in provincial stands producing so much food,” he said.

He said the production of over 2.7 million metric tones of maize this year was an indication that Zambia was on the right track in terms of food security and economic development.

President Banda said in order to sustain such development, there was need for Zambians to be united and uphold the peace which the country has been enjoying since gaining political independence 46 year ago.

And President of Malawi, Bingu Wa Mutharika, said Zambia has tremendously improved its agricultural activities over the years.

Professor Wa Mutharika said Zambian farmers have also improved the packaging of their farm products, which he said will create a lot of markets for them.

“I came to this show ground a long time ago when I was Secretary General of COMESA. But now there is great improvement. I would say keep it up,” he said.

Earlier, President Banda and President Bingu Wa Mutharika, separately toured various stands which included Lima Hall housing exhibits of agricultural products from all nine provinces of Zambia, ZAMSEED, Workers Compensation Fund Control Board, ZAIN and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).

Other stands the Presidents toured are Malawi and Kenya stands in the Jubilee Hall, Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Association (ZCSMBA) Environmental Council of Zambia, Energy Regulation Board (ERB), Bankers Association of Zambia, and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

The rest are SAROS Agro Business, Conservation Farming Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture and ZAMBEEF.

Some ministers and other senior government officials accompanied the two presidents on the tour of stands.

The two Presidents are scheduled to officially open the 84th Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show this afternoon.

This year’s show is being held under theme ‘Sustainable Development’.

Hundreds of local companies and over 15 countries are exhibiting at this year’s Agricultural and Commercial Show, which opened its doors to the public two days ago and closes on Monday, August 2nd 2010.

Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika has said Africa should not wait for the West to prescribe solutions for its problems.

And Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda has said Africa’s journey to prosperity needs prudent and decisive decisions for the continent to attain sustainable economic and social development.

Speaking yesterday in Lusaka when he paid a courtesy call on Dr Kaunda at his Kabulonga office, President Wa Mutharika said Africa’s future depended on cooperation by its leaders.[pullquote]I believe that the memoirs Dr Kaunda is writing are really not addressed to Zambians or Africa but to the entire world[/pullquote]

“We shouldn’t wait for the West to come and tell us what we should do. I have told Washington that I know my problems and we know the solutions.

“I want our children to know that while there is an Africa of hopelessness, an Africa of hunger, there is also another Africa, an Africa of opportunities,” he said.

He said five years from now, issues of food shortages would be history for Malawi and Zambia, given the good performance of both countries.

“We do not have to go overseas to beg for food, Malawi and Zambia can actually feed some parts of SADC,” he said.

Prof Wa Mutharika said he was happy to learn that Dr Kaunda was writing his memoirs.

He said he has been inspired by Dr Kaunda’s writings on humanism.

“I believe that the memoirs Dr Kaunda is writing are really not addressed to Zambians or Africa but to the entire world,” he said.

Dr Kaunda said African countries were on a journey to prosperity, and that time had come for the continent to rethink its economic strategy.

He said agriculture should be considered as the mainstay of the economies of African countries.

[Times of Zambia]