Both the United Liberal Party (ULP) and the Federation of Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) have advised opposition Patriotic Front (PF) President Michael Sata to consider dialogue with government on the high mealie-meal prices in the country.

Speaking in separate interviews with ZANIS in Lusaka today, ULP President Sakwiba Sikota said dialogue was an amicable way of addressing and ironing out contentious issues facing the country.

Mr. Sikota further said dialogue with the government on national issues would help maintain peace and reduce tension in the country.

He noted that perceived tension impacted negatively on the country as it scared away investors.

And commenting on reports that Kitwe Patriotic Front (PF) women have threatened to undress during the demonstrations over the high mealie meal prices, Mr. Sikota said the women would only embarrass themselves.

He added that it does not make sense to undress during the demonstrations.

And FFTUZ President Joyce Nonde has encouraged the opposition leader Michael Sata to dialogue with the government.

Ms. Nonde, who noted that the problem was that the opposition has not accepted the outcome of the October 30, Presidential by- elections, advised Mr. Sata to discuss with government on finding solutions the problems in the country.

She however challenged government to comprehensively explain what has led to the high mealie-meal prices in the country.

Ms. Nonde charged that politicians both in the opposition and the government were to blame for some of the problems facing the country as their influence should be used to better the situation not seeking political mileage.

And Ms Nonde has since condemned the Kitwe PF women who want to undress during the food demonstrations.

She said Zambia is Christian Nation adding that God does not allow people to expose their nakedness to the public as the human body is his temple.

ZANIS/AJN/AM/ENDS

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has observed that countries that imported fertilizer early enough were able to procure it at a cheaper price. The president said the price of the commodity had risen by the time government had procured it.

He was speaking on a live radio program on radio Breeze FM in Chipata district.

Mr. Banda  stated that it was not possible for all farmers to benefit the commodity at a subsidized price saying the population of Zambia was too high.

Mr. Banda explained that people would be required to buy fertilizer at the common market if the subsidized fertilizer was not adequate because the population of the country was high.

He also appealed to farmers not to sell subsidized farming inputs for monetary gains. He stated that the program was intended to improve food security in the country by assisting farmers to produce more food.

President Banda also noted that there was no need to regulate the media if they could operate responsibly.

Speaking on radio Breeze FM in Chipata district, Mr Banda said the media did not need to be regulated if they could write and publish the truth all the time.

He expressed concern that some sectors of the media did not cover the October elections very well. President Banda stated that the media required to be factual and objective in their coverage, in a manner which he referred to as professional.

President Banda said the K10 Billion required for the completion of the Chipata/Mchinji railway line may be considered in next year’s budget.

Mr. Banda stated that it was the intention of government to see the completion of the rail line, which was intended to boost economic activities in the province.

He stated that he was aware that people in the province were anxious to see the project completed.

ENDS/HN/PK/ZANIS

Government has disclosed that it has only spent K44 billion out of the K309 billion which was budgeted for in the yellow book for this year’s constitution review process.

Vice President George Kunda said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that government has spent K44 billion on the various activities of the constitution review process contrary to remarks made by the opposition Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata that it had spent K400 billion on this year’s constitution review process.

He said government would further need an additional amount of K5 billion to carter for other constitution review activities up to the run-up of this year.

Mr. Kunda said that it was sad that some sections of the society were accusing government of over spending resources on the constitution review process when it had only utilized K 44 billion on the constitutional activities.

He said government had devised a mechanism aimed at rationalizing government expenditure with a view to responding to the challenges of the global economic and financial crisis and soaring mealie-meal prices and other essential commodities.

The Vice President further said that government had decided to withdraw from the race of hosting the All African Games in order to ensure that resources which were meant for the programme were channeled to other development programmes such as the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP).

He explained that if Zambia had hosted the All African Games its was going to spend over K800 billion in hosting the event, a situation he said was going to frustrate government efforts of implementing other development programmes.

Mr. Kunda has since advised the Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to desist from issuing statements that would help him win cheap political mileage.

Government has also developed a contingency Plan aimed at mitigating the effects floods in flood prone districts.

Vice President George Kunda, who announced the development in Lusaka today, said that government had decided to develop a Contingency Plan in order to respond to the various effects of flush floods in the event of an occurrence.

Mr. Kunda, could not state how much the plan was worth. He however said that government was working with other stakeholders in order to ensure that flood victims were taken care of in an event of an occurrence.

He further said that government under the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZAMVAC) has dispatched 14 teams to 34 districts in the country to assess food needs in the targeted areas.

The Vice President also disclosed that a team of Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee officials have been dispatched to Monze district to ascertain the gravity of food insecurity in the district.

It has been reported that people in Monze district are living on wild roots.

The Vice President has since assured the nation that government is actively and is continuously assessing the hunger situation and that it is defining other appropriate responses aimed at mitigating the effects of hunger in some parts of the country.

ZANIS/TK/AM/ENDS

Former Mazabuka District Commissioner, Misheck Chiinda, has urged Patriotic Front, PF, leader, Michael Sata, to state his position on calls by government to have an indaba over the rising price of meal meal.

Mr Chiinda has also urged the Police service not to take kindly, people agitating violence over the rising price of mealie meal if they are not ready to dialogue with government.

He told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, the rising price of mealie meal has nothing to do with President, Rupiah Banda, and government but the financial crisis dogging the world economies.

Mr Chiinda said the opposition and other members of civil society should instead offer solutions to the government on how to reduce mealie meal prices rather than inciting people to engage in violent activities and rise against government.

Mr Chiinda said while demonstrations are allowed in a democratic state such as Zambia, it would be disastrous for the Police to issue permits to the opposition parties especially the PF which is well known for fanning violence.

He, however, expressed happiness that Mazabuka residents including the PF cadres are against the demonstrations.

MMD Chisamba member of Parliament (MP) Moses Muteteka faces an insubordination charge over his ill remarks  alleging that President Rupiah Banda’s admission that Zambia is facing problems is a sign of leadership failure as published in one of the daily tabloids.

Briefing journalists in Lusaka yesterday, MMD Spokesperson Benny Tetamanshimba said MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga has with immediate effect directed MMD National Secretary Dr. Katele Kalumba to charge the Chisamba MP and ordinary member of the party, Moses Muteteka for under-mining the party communication channels.

According to Mr. Tetamanshimba, MMD National Chairman and Acting Party President Michael Mabenga has further directed MMD Deputy National Chairman Kabinga Pande to call a Committee to look at the charge letter and report to the National Executive Committee (NEC), the highest organ of the MMD party.

Mr. Tetamanshimba stated that Mr. Mabenga not taken kindly the sentiments of Mr. Muteteka because the MP is fully aware of a forum through which he can express his feelings on the governance of the MMD party.

He said Mr. Muteteka should have expressed his feeling through the MMD caucus meeting where political issues are discussed as well as the parliamentary Liaison Committee with the Head of State emphasizing that President Rupiah Banda was duly elected and voted for by the Zambian people to lead this country, Zambia.

Mr. Muteteka is quoted as having said that leaders are there to create hope, confidence and trust to the citizens because the Zambians  are waiting for solutions from the government of the day to solve the country’s problems.

President Rupiah Banda yesterday held talks with a special envoy of South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, regarding the humanitarian problems prevailing in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

President Banda met South Africa’s Cabinet Secretary, Reverend Frank Chikane at Mushroom Lodge in Mfuwe where Rev. Chikane delivered a special message from President Motlanthe on the situation in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Those in attendance of the closed door meeting were Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande and Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao, while the South African delegation included Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba, Director General of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Joy Ratheba, a Presidential Chief Analyst for International Relations and Trade.

The South African envoy was in Zambia to consult President Banda in his capacity as a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Troika which has been involved in trying to find a lasting solution to the problems prevailing in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a press statement issued by State House Chief Analyst for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere, President Banda said Zambia will support the humanitarian initiative by SADC on Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The South African delegation later left Zambia for the Democratic Repulic of Congo for similar talks.

Second President, Fredrick Chiluba, has returned from South Africa where he went for a medical review over his heart problem two weeks ago.

Dr. Chiluba, who arrived aboard a  South African commercial flight at about 14:00 hours in the accompany of his wife Regina and his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, was met at  Lusaka International airport by family members and his supporters.

And speaking to journalists shortly after arrival, Dr. Chiluba said his heart condition had tremendously improved after receiving specialist treatment at Morningside Clinic.

Dr. Chiluba said he was grateful to God for sustaining his life adding that, it was encouraging that he was getting better and stronger each day.

He explained that doctors attending to him have expressed satisfaction with his recovery process.

The former president also thanked the Zambian people for praying for him.

Meanwhile Dr.Chiluba said the current economic challenges Zambia was facing were inevitable because the global economic meltdown was affecting all the countries.

He said it was unfortunate that the beginning of the economic crunch in Wall Street in America later spread to other countries and has eventually become a global crisis leading into profit losses and job cuts in some companies.

Dr. Chiluba however hoped that President Rupiah Banda’s government was working towards finding measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis.

He has since called on Zambians to understand that the situation was global.

He explained that there was little that the government could do to avoid the current economic hardships apart from finding solutions to it.

Meanwhile, the second republican President has said he is willing to advise President Banda on the global financial crisis challenges Zambia was currently facing.

He said it would be disrespectful for him as a former head of state to advise the incumbent on challenges facing the country through the media, adding that President Banda was free to approach him on any issues in privacy.

And Dr. Chiluba has said he would continue to dialogue with government over the land allocation for the construction of his retirement house.

This follows his refusal to suggestions by the government to allocate him alternative land other than his preferred Baobab area in Lusaka’s Makeni area.

Dr. Chiluba explained that government passed a law when he was still President that allows a former head of state to have their retirement house built in an area of their choice.

And Dr. Chiluba has extended a message of condolences to the family of the late former Finance Minister, Emmanuel Kasonde who died on Friday last week.

Dr. Chiluba described the late leader as an intellectual and hard working man who saved the country as public worker for a long time.

ZANIS/CM/MM/KSH/ENDS