The UPND has dispelled media reports suggesting that the party is pondering on an electoral pact with the Patriotic Front (PF).

Party Secretary General, Tiens Kahenya, said in a statement to ZNBC that his party is not contemplating entering into a pact with any political party.

Mr. Kkahenya said UPND is currently conducting a postmortem of the last presidential election.

He said the party is also focusing on the 2011 tripartite elections.

Mr. Kahenya however, said his party will always remain committed to genuine proposals for alliances.

[ZNBC]

A Ndola Senior Citizen has advised the losing political parties in the just ended October 30 presidential by-elections to have a fair election postmortem before pointing an accusing finder at anyone.

Mr. Humphrey Ngulube told ZANIS in Ndola that the opposition was fragmented and needed to learn from what they did in 1991 to unseat the all powerful UNIP regime.

He said the opposition strategy was faulty because they did not have one message for the electorate as one party promised more money in people’s pockets without explaining where the money would come from.

He said the other promise was the lowering of taxes, also without explaining how this was going to be done, when it is known that governments raise money through taxes.

He added that some messages scared investors and eroded investor confidence which played badly on the electorate’s minds engaged by the investors in various sectors of the Zambian economy who felt their jobs would be at stake when the investors decided to go away.

He advised the opposition to learn from the American politics where only two major parties contest and the defeated candidates congratulate the winners because they know they want to serve the same people and there was only one chance at a time for a person to become president.

He said the ruling MMD had only one message of development and continuity from where the late president left and people understood such that message without remaining with unanswered questions.

He advised that the church should remain neutral on issues that had the potential of dividing the nation and provide Godly counselling which would build the nation because there were many factors and issues that unite Zambians than losing an election.

He said the division that existed in some people’s minds in the opposition political parties was not real to many Zambians because the country was more united now than before.

He said the opposition should also consider formulating a workable strategy for rural Zambians where experience has now shown than they were not performing and their strategy was either non existent or adversely poor.

ENDS/CN/PK/ZANIS.

SECRETARY to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja says government through the the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has developed a draft National Anti Corruption Policy and Strategy aimed at harmonising and coordinating efforts in the fight against corruption.

Dr Kanganja disclosed that one of the key elements of the policy was that of institutionalising the prevention of corruption adding that this called for individual institutions to develop and implement corruption prevention mechanisms.

He said while investigations and prosecutions would continue, it was better to prevent corruption in the first place because investigation and prosecution was not easy given the nature of the crime.

The Secretary to the Cabinet was speaking in Livingstone today when he swore in 22 integrity committee members drawn from the Judiciary, Kitwe City Council, Livingstone City Council, Zambia Police, Immigration department, National Registration and Pssports and the Ministry of Lands.

Dr Kanganja said he was confident that the draft National Anti Corruption Policy would be approved before the end of this year as it was just pending approval by Cabinet.

He said the policy was meant to remove opportunities for corruption and ultimately improve service delivery in public institutions.

Dr Kanganja noted that the concept of institutionalisation of corruption prevention through integrity committees was not unique to Zambia as there were other jurisdictions around the world who had similar arrangements in place.

He said although the National Anti-Corruption Policy has not yet been approved, the government gave a go ahead for the implementation of the institutionalisation of corruption prevention through the formation of integrity committees.

He said this is because of the importance government attaches to the need for improved service delivery in public insitutions.

Dr Kanganja observed that during the FNDP , government will have to undertake a number of policies and key reforms in the area of transparency and accountability adding that some of the issues to be addressed through the ACC would include the revision of the ACC legislation so as to strengthen it and bring it in line with internationally accepted best practices.

He said the other issues included the placing of the emphasis on prevention of corruption and related malpractices in public and private institutions and to institutionalise corruption prevention in both public and private institutions.

Dr Kanganja called on the newly sworn members to spearhead and facilitate the process of preventing corruption in their respective organisations and providing information on what the integrity committee would accomplish in their organisations.

Speaking earlier, ACC Acting Director General Mrs Rosewin Wandi said the commission stands ready to work with government and all stakeholders in both private and public institutions to see to it that the government’s goal of enhancing governance and service delivery through integrity committees is achieved.

ENDS/FM/PK/ZANIS/.

(title revised)

When FTJ introduced a liberalized economy in Zambia little did we know the impact it would have on our waist lines. I returned to Zambia after two years in Australia and the first thing I noticed as I walked down Cairo road one morning was how fat people had become in a very short time frame.

There was a guy I was with at secondary school more than a decade ago, who used to go by the name Muselepete. He was so thin we thought he should be studied in a lab because not even malnutrition could make someone that skinny ! We always teased him how that his ribs would make the same sound as a guitar string if he ran his fingers down his chest. Well, after not seeing this friend for only two years, I found him almost obese! He had probably moved from a size 26 to 42. I hardly recognized him when he called out to me. He had the signature pot belly, I could not make out whether he had a neck or not but the few anatomy courses I did at Unza assured me he must still have one neatly tucked between his now chubby chin and broad chest. This phenomenon I found was repeated on a majority of my peers.

The mushrooming of fast food take-aways in Lusaka has really gotten people fat. They joke that “balelila” but should we really embrace the western lifestyle with caution thrown to the wind?

People in the west are now realizing how bad and unhealthy their lifestyles are. Its the cause of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and some cancers.

I would urge middle class Zambians to stick to the natural foods our grandparents and parents raised us on. Once in a while leave your second hand japanese car and walk. Go to the gymn or just exercise for at least 20 minutes three times a week.

Ruling Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) former presidential Aspirant Caine Mweemba has supported calls Republican Rupiah Banda to be the party’s president.

Mr. Mweemba said it is prudent that the National executive council (NEC) endorses President Banda to be the ruling party president to show their confidence in his leadership and unity in the party.

He noted that the NEC should ask President Banda to accept the recommendation as MMD President in MMD Party for the stability and unity in the country.

Mr. Mweemba pointed out that there was a Danger to have two centers of powers in the party hence the MMD party has an opportunity to recruit itself and energizes it self as a party with president Banda.

He was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka, Sunday.

He however said President Banda has a wide range of experience the ruling party can benefit from.

Mr. Mweemba said he has confidence that appointing President Banda will unite and strengthen the party if he become its leader.

Meanwhile Mr. Mweemba has extended his congratulatory messages to the MMD presidential candidate Rupiah Banda for his October 30 victory.

ZANIS/AH/Ends/MM

President Rupiah Banda Sunday led service chiefs,High commissioners, members of the diplomatic core and senior government officials in laying wreaths in remembrances of fallen heroes of the first and Second World War.

President Banda arrived at the cenotaph at 08: 45 hours and lay his wreath in remembrance of the war heroes at the cenotaph in in Lusaka, Sunday.

Justice Ernest Sakala, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanawabwa, service chiefs, ex-service Legal chiefs and other head of international organizations followed in laying wreaths.

The ceremony was graced with a prayer by Zambia National Service(ZNS ) chaplain Henry Malifeyo who

also read a bible scripture from the book of Isaiah chapter 2 verses 2 – 5.

Chaplain Malifeyo said there was need to respect the gallant men and women who fought in the 20th century.

Zambia Air force ZAF, Major Fr Eugene Nyambe prayed for peace to prevail in the countries that have mass destructions peace to also prevail in Zambia.

Fr Nyambe also prayed for God’ blessing for the war torn countries Sudan and Congo DR for peace in the two countries.

ZANIS/AH/ENDS/MM