A civil society organization has challenged Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata, to declare his interest in the operations of Zambian Airways.

Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) national coordinator, Edwin Sakala, says it is clear that Mr. Sata has personal interest in the airline.

Mr. Sakala says the nation expects Mr. Sata to be in the forefront to ensure that the government recovers the debt owed by Zambian Airways.

He says the money can be used to improve the living standards of Zambians.

Mr. Sakala said in a statement that it is disappointing that Mr. Sata has acted contrary to people’s expectations.

Meanwhile, MMD National Secretary, Katele Kalumba, has appealed to party members to desist from commenting on allegations against former finance minister, Ngandu Magande.

Mr. Magande who is also Chilanga Member of Parliament has been accused of trying to ask government to delay repayment of a debt owed by Zambian Airways, a private firm.

Dr. Kalumba said in Lusaka that MMD members and all Zambians should respect official investigations, currently under way, on the financial irregularities at Zambian Airways.

He said people who have concerns should take their information to the committee investigating the matter.

Dr. Kalumba said Mr. Magande has expressed concern over the actions of some MMD members who are petitioning the party leadership to discipline him despite the matter being under investigations.

He said there is need to respect Mr. Magande’s concerns.

/NEWS/ZNBC

Former Transport minister, William Harrington, has discontinued his court action seeking judicial review over President Rupiah Banda’s decision not to suspend minister, Dora Siliya.

Ms. Siliya who is the current Transport minister has been accused of flouting procedure when awarding contracts to some foreign firms to implement projects for some Zambian parastatals under her ministry.

A tribunal has been set up to look at the accusations.

Mr. Harrington says he will now rely on the integrity of the tribunal chaired by Supreme Court justice, Dennis Chirwa, to ensure justice prevails.

The former transport Minister has instructed his lawyers to discontinue the case following Wednesday’s application by the state to adjourn the matter to next week.

Mr. Harrington says he expected the High Court to treat the matter with the necessary urgency before most of his witnesses who are government officials finish testifying.

The former minister had petitioned the President to suspend Ms. Siliya so that she could not interfere with witnesses.

Mr. Harrington has finished calling all his witnesses.

NEWS/ZNBC

The United Party for National Development, UPND, says it has embarked on the party strengthening programme in readiness for the 2011 general elections.

UPND spokesperson, Charles Kakoma, said the party is confident of winning the elections in view of the ambitious programmes it is currently executing.

Mr. Kakoma said among the programmes of strengthening the party, was a membership recruitment drive ahead of the polls.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, that with the recruitment of more members the party would strengthen its performance in the next elections.

He also said the party would soon embark on a nationwide tour of its presidential aspirant, Hakainde Hichilema, as a measure of enhancing his popularity ahead of the elections.

The UPND spokesperson said the opposition party has also started reorganizing the party youths to enhance their participation in elections.

ZANIS/AJN/ENDS/SJK

THE Government has said that all documentation regarding the Zambian Airways financial irregularities, including former Finance and National Planning minister, Ng’andu Magande’s letter to communications and Transport Minister, Dora Siliya, are already with the investigative wings.

Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said that all the evidence pertaining to Zambian Airways, which in January suspended operations, was with the three investigative wings probing the matter.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, was commenting on Mr Magande’s challenge to President Rupiah Banda or any individual to avail acting Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde copies of the letter.

“The Government’s investigative wings are handling the Zambian Airways issue and as such there is no need of setting up a tribunal. The letter by Mr Magande to Ms Siliya and anything else is with the investigative wings,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

He pointed out that the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zambia Police Service would, apart from relying on written documentation, call all the possible suspects and witnesses in the matter.

“The people will also be called and the Government has confidence in the investigative wings. The public will be informed of the outcome at an appropriate time,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

[Times of Zambia]

The Patriotic Front (PF) leadership in the district has suspended district chairman Charles Mazimba for allegedly releasing false information to the press without the consent and approval of the party.

Patriotic Front (PF) Mpulungu constituency secretary Peter Mwansa said district chairman Mazimba was removed from his position because of indiscipline.
He said Mazimba’s removal has been long overdue because of several cases of mal administration that he has committed in the recent past.

But when asked to state whether PF is a democratic party that believed in the freedom of expression of its members, Mwansa said the party believed in free speech but not issuance of unilateral statements to the press.

When pressed further on what was wrong with Mazimba’s part in last week’s story and if party members cannot freely discuss matters affecting PF, Mwansa stated that they party did not discuss the support for the expelled MMD Mpulungu MP Lameck Chibombamilimo.

Mr. Mwansa said the PF executive has totally disagreed and disassociated itself with the statement.

Last week, a party official had disclosed that the party would support Mr. Chibombamilimo if he decided to stand on its party ticket.

ZANIS/EK/MKM/ENDS

MMD Mpulungu constituency chairman George Tembo has resigned from his position with immediate effect citing frustrations within the ruling party.

In an interview with ZANIS today, Mr. Tembo said he has decided to step down as constituency chairman due to what he called frustrations perpetrated by a named district official which he had encountered in the recent past.

Mr. Tembo who recently declared interest to contest on the MMD ticket, if the speaker of the National Assembly declared the Mpulungu seat vacant, added that he will however remain a member and staunch supporter of MMD as well as being councilor for Mpulungu central ward.

He said his ambitions to contest the elections on the MMD ticket will still hold regardless of what has happened.

Mr. Tembo accused some MMD district officials of playing petty politics and manufacturing baseless accusations against him aimed at denting his image in the party.

He complained that there is no separation of power in the party in Mpulungu because some district officials have allegedly hijacked the running of the party by taking over the functions both at district and constituency levels.

“This is totally unacceptable in a democratic party like MMD,’’ Tembo complained.
And when reached to comment over Tembo’s resignation and how it will affect the MMD in Mpulungu, district chairman Edward Chelleh said he had received and accepted the decision of the constituency chairman.

” You see, as far as we are concerned George resigned from his position a long time ago though he was not coming out in the open,’’ Chelleh revealed.

He urged party member to be focused and remain united saying the party will still survive without Tembo as constituency chairman.

ZANIS/EK/MKM/ENDS

The ruling MMD on the Copperbelt has challenging the Post Newspaper to tell the country the truth about the Zambian Airways saga.

MMD Cadres, who presented a petition to President Rupiah Banda through Copperbelt Provincial Minister, Mwansa Mbulakulima, said the Post Newspaper should tell Zambians the truth about problems surrounding the Zambia airways.

The cadres, who assembled at the provincial administration office yesterday while singing songs of solidarity for Mr. Banda, were led by Copperbelt Province MMD chairman Joseph Chilambwe and Ndola district chairman Cephas Katongo.

Mr. Chilambwe said the MMD on the Copperbelt was totally behind the President and was congratulating him for having fired Energy Deputy Minister Lameck Chibombamilimo and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Jonas Shakafuswa.

He alleged that the two members had no respect for President Banda and the MMD party, adding that they should never rejoin to the party.

“We want to say bravo to President Banda for chasing Shakafuswa and Chibombamilimo. They have no respect for the President and the party. We don’t want them back in our party. They should join political parties that insult,” he said.

He said the MMD in the province was challenging the Post Newspaper to explain to the nation what their role in society was.

“The MMD on the Copperbelt is petitioning the Post Newspaper to tell the nation what their role in society is? They should also tell the truth about the K29 billion that the Zambian Airways owes the people of Zambia,” he said.

The provincial chairman said time had come for the law to visit the Post Newspapers because they were not sacred.

Mr. Chilambwe also called upon opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to stop ridiculing former heads of state like Dr. Fredrick Chiluba.

Meanwhile Mr. Chilambwe has appealed to MMD supports to fight and defend their party.

“This is our time, we must fight and enjoy ourselves because we are the ones that are ruling. And even in 2011 we will continue to rule this country,” he said.

And speaking earlier, Ndola MMD district chairman Cephas Katongo called upon Zambians to rally behind President Banda as he endeavours to recover the money owed by Zambian Airways.

Mr. Katongo said the money in question was tax payer’s money which needed to be channeled to developmental projects and not a few selfish people.

And Mr. Mbulakulima assured the petitioners that he would pass on their message to President Banda.

The minister, who said he was deeply touched by the conduct and words of the petitioners, said there was no way all people in the MMD could be wrong.

He said there was no way President Banda could sit and watch indiscipline creep into the MMD and not say a word.

ZANIS/PC/KSH/ENDS

The Millennium Challenge Corporation, MCC, has disclosed that Zambia has successfully been selected for a five-year United States foreign aid agency compact large scale funding for poverty reduction.

And MCC has since pledged to work with various stakeholders to find lasting solutions, through the compact fund, to the current economic challenges that the country is facing.

MCC Deputy vice President, Darius Teter, explained that the compact fund is a five year project grant, aimed at reducing poverty in developing countries through sustainable economic growth.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Teter said MCC in Zambia would implement the compact fund through stakeholders’ participation because they play a vital role in identifying needy investment areas for the country.

He explained that enhancing stakeholders’ participation would help achieve broad based understanding on sectors that require immediate developmental attention in the country.

He noted that his organization would ensure that local people also participate in economic growth through the creation of more employment opportunities.

He, further, called on civil society groups to help identify development projects that could impact positive on efforts of promoting investments in key sectors of the economy.

He cited the education, transport, agriculture and health as sectors earmarked to benefit from the fund.

And MCC Senior Director in the Department of Compact Development, Kyeh Kim, explained that there is need for Zambia to come up with a target approach if the fund is to benefit many people.

Ms Kim said MCC will ensure that it assists government to reduce poverty through the policies of good governance and economic growth.

Zambia is among the 18 countries that have qualified to the Compact global United States Government funding through the Millennium Challenge Account, MCA, after being on a threshold programme since 2004.

ZANIS/MM/ENDS/SJK