Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata, has promised to cancel all motor vehicle loans chiefs obtained from the Government and convert them into grants if elected head of State.

Mr Sata said chiefs that had already paid some money towards the vehicles would be refunded by the Government should he win the October 30 elections.

Addressing a campaign rally in Mpulungu, Mr Sata said it was unacceptable for the Government to give loans to chiefs who did not even have a stable source of income.

Mr Sata said under the agriculture sector, he would ensure that chiefs were given more authority to administer the people and identify vulnerable individuals needing the Government’s support.

He said widows and the aged would get free agricultural inputs from the Government once identified by the chiefs.

He said all such measures would be effected within 90 days of ascending to the presidency because he knew where the money was in Government.

Mr Sata also promised to improve accommodation for police officers, saying some of them were living in deplorable conditions.

He said some police officers were living in metal containers and tents despite them playing a key role in the security and governance process of the country.

The PF leader also said Mpulungu Harbour would be opened up to all international destinations and be commercialised instead of running it in its current form.

He said fishermen would also be exempted from paying taxes but would be subjected to regulation to ensure that the fish population was not affected.

He said taxes would not apply to fishermen because Lake Tanganyika was natural water and not man-made.

Mr Sata said it was hard to believe that people in Mpulungu still had no running tap water when the river was just a few metres from their houses.

He also said the electrification of Mpulungu was long overdue and wondered why it had delayed when Tanzania had already done so.

He said the Government was taking too long to deliver development to the people and the PF would make sure a speedy process was conducted to free Zambians from poverty.

He said the October 30 elections were an opportunity for Zambians to bring in good leadership.

He said his past history could be traced in Mpulungu where he built a clinic several years ago. He said the clinic he built was still being used today and had not been rehabilitated or expanded from the time he left it.

Mr Sata said if voted into power, he would ensure that the clinic was turned into a hospital so that more people could be attended to.

Meanwhile, there was confusion in Mbala yesterday when police confronted Mr Sata and ordered him to leave the district because acting President, Rupiah Banda, was also scheduled to address a rally there.

The police officers confronted Mr Sata in his room at Lake Chila Lodge, about one kilometre from Mbala boma and said they had been informed that Mr Banda was scheduled to arrive in Mbala for a rally at the same site the PF leader wanted to hold his meeting.

Mr Sata, who is also on a campaign trail, refused to leave Mbala and said his notice for a PF rally was made earlier than the MMD.

After a protracted argument, Mr Sata and the police officers agreed that the PF rally should start at 10:00 hours instead of the initial 14:00 hours so that the MMD could also convene later in the afternoon.

Earlier, the police officers said they had been informed that the helicopter flying Mr Sata had not been cleared by relevant authorities to fly from Lusaka and requested to see the permit allowing the pilot, who is a foreigner, to fly in Zambian airspace.

It was later learnt that the pilot, though a foreigner, had obtained an 18-day permit to fly in Zambia and the helicopter got clearance from Lusaka to fly Mr Sata around.

Mr Sata later held his rally at 10:00 hours but at a different venue after mobilising people who were initially told that the meeting would take place at 14:00 hours.
Times of Zambia

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Hakainde Hichilema, has said he will use his salary to assist vulnerable youths in society if elected as Republican president in the October 30 polls.

Mr Hichilema said that he was seeking the Republican presidency so that he could serve the people of Zambia.
He said this when he addressed a rally at Kaunda Square grounds in Isoka yesterday.

“When you vote for us in office, we will work for you. I will use my salary to contribute to the youth,” Mr Hichilema said.

The UPND leader also said he would cancel the Presidential Emoluments Bill as well as the Constitutional Office Holders’ Bill so that the money could be channeled to the agriculture sector.

The bills seek to increase salaries and gratuity for the president, vice-president, speaker, ministers and the deputy ministers and other constitutional officer holders.

Such money, Mr Hichilema said, would be used to buy fertiliser and other agricultural inputs, which would be later distributed free of charge to farmers.

“When you elect us on October 30, we will cancel that bill and relocate the money to the agriculture sector so that you can have fertiliser and other inputs,” Mr Hichilema said.

If the people of Isoka love themselves, he said they should vote for the UPND as it was the only party that could improve their welfare.

Mr Hichilema said the UPND had a realistic and workable manifesto, and urged the people of Isoka not to vote for another party.

Times of Zambia

Home Affairs Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, has warned of stern action against people intending to use violence in order to win the October 30th presidential elections.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said all defense forces were geared to arrest any perpetrators of political violence in the run up to October 30th presidential elections.

He reacting to some remarks made by the opposition Patriotic Front and the United Party for National Development (UPND) that the nation will be plunged into violence should the ruling MMD win the forthcoming presidential elections.

He was speaking today at a rally held at Malambanyama in Chibombo district in Central province to drum up support for the MMD presidential candidate, Rupiah Banda.

He said the police service, together with other security wings, were ready to arrest people and their political leaders that were intending to cause political problems in the country.

General Shikapwasha said people who were trying to use violence in the forth coming presidential bye-elections were cowards of losing the elections using the right channel.

Mr. Shikapwasha, who is also Keembe Member of Parliament, has since instructed all defence forces in the country to be on high alert and ensure that all people intending to use violence to win the October 30th presidential elections were arrested.

Meanwhile General Shikapwasha has urged the people of Central province not to rally behind political parties that were centering their campaigns on lies.

He said it was important that the people of Zambia understood that elections were being held because of the untimely death of President Levy Mwanawasa, whom the people of Zambia gave the mandate to govern the affairs of the nation until 2011.

He cautioned people against listening to untrue statements being made by some opposition political parties that they would improve the economy once ushered into office.

He said the Zambian economy was already performing well because of the good policies which were initiated by the late President Mwanawasa.

He described UPND President, Hakainde Hichilema as a person who had no experience to run the affairs of the country.

He said Mr. Hichilema was not the right person to rule the country because he has no political experience and other expertise to advance the national affairs.

And General Shikapwasha has warned the people of Zambia against voting for the opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata.

General Shikapwasha said the people of Zambia risked spoiling their future if they voted for Mr. Sata whom he described as a dictator.

He said the PF leader was not the right person to rule the nation saying the nation should be ruled by a person who could uphold the norms and tenets of democracy.

He said the Patriotic Front candidate could never be a good president for Zambia because he was allegedly not accepted in his own party.

He called on Zambians to never be entertained by Mr Sata saying that the Patriotic Front leader was just a political entertainer who could never advance the nation to greater heights.

And Chibombo District MMD chairperson Lloyd Kayeka said his party was still strong and intact to win the forthcoming presidential elections.

He promised the MMD a landslide victory in Chibombo district.

ZANIS/TK/EML/KSH/ENDS

The Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) has warned that mobile service providers which would fail to improve on the quality of service to customers in the next three months may have their licenses revoked.

CAZ Acting Chief Executive Officer, Richard Mwanza, said revoking the licenses would be a drastic measure which the authority would not hesitate to take if mobile service providers failed to improve the quality of services offered to their customer.

Mr. Mwanza said this in an interview with ZANIS in Livingstone today.

He expressed disappointment with the quality of service offered by mobile service providers to their customers countrywide saying customers were being denied the right to get value for their money.

Mr. Mwanza bemoaned the increased number of calls being dropped without warning while customers were being charged even for unsuccessful calls.

He noted that customers were paying for each call that was made and subsequently dropped without any room for compensation.

He has since advised mobile service providers to increase their network uptake to enable them satisfy customer requirements.

Earlier, Mr. Mwanza officially opened a Human Resource and Performance Improvement workshop organized by CAZ and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) at Zambezi Sun hotel in Livingstone today.

He called for increased productivity, efficiency and investment in the telecommunications sector despite available resources being scarce.

He added that this was the only way the sector could contribute to the development process of the country.

He further observed that infrastructure alone was not sufficient for economic growth, adding that human and capital resources were also needed for greater benefits to be derived from the telecommunications sector.

Mr. Mwanza said the workshop provided a good platform for mobile service regulators and operators to formulate better ways of making productive use of people through analyzing and evaluating rather than guessing.

ZANIS/FM/KSH/ENDS

The verification of ballot papers for presidential elections delayed to take off in Lusaka on Tuesday morning as stakeholders demanded for the immediate withdrawal of extra ballots.

Representatives of various interest groups threatened to pull out of the exercise if the extra ballot papers were not withdrawn and destroyed.

The stakeholders demanded that the excess ballot papers should be destroyed in their presence.

Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- Principal Electoral Officer, Wina Mwanamoonga, could not withstand pressure and called for help from the head office.

UPND National Trustee, Captain Walusiku Lyambela, argued that there is no basis in sending extra ballot papers to polling stations.

Patriotic Front Member of the Central committee, Samuel Mukupa, demanded that the extra ballots be burnt before the exercise could start.

The situation only normalised after ECZ Deputy Information Technology Director, Brown Kasaro, arrived at the ECZ warehouse at the Lusaka International Airport.

Mr. KASARO told the angry stakeholders that there was no need for tempers to flair because aspiring presidental candidates will meet the ECZ on Wednesday to resolve the issue.

The verification exercise only started around 12 hours after the confusion which lasted for over two hours.

The four presidential candidates are on Wednesday expected to meet with ECZ officials to resolve the impasse created by the printing of 600 thousand extra ballot papers.

ZNBC

Acting President, Rupiah Banda, has challenged his opposition counterparts in the October 30th elections who are indicating that they will not accept the outcome of results if they are not elected, to withdraw from the race immediately.

Mr. Banda said in a democracy presidential candidates should be willing to accept the outcome of the elections whether they loose or win.

He assured the opposition presidential candidates that he will offer them a big democratic fight in the forth coming polls.

Mr. Banda said he is confident of winning the elections democratically based on the fact that he has vigourously campaigned almost in all parts of the country.

He was speaking at the campaign rally held in Mansa on Friday.

Mr. Banda also challenged a named opposition political party leader to instill a face of discipline and good manners in the youth in the interest of promoting democracy in the country.

He said Zambia is a democratic nation where all parties are free to hold public gatherings without undue interference from political party opponents.

He advised the ruling MMD members to remain disciplined and never engage in any conduct likely to disrupt any gathering of political opponents.

Mr. Banda said in the spirit of democracy he has invited many foreign observers to come and observe this month’s presidential elections in order for them to prove that the MMD is a democratic party which is determined to lay a level playing field.

Earlier, opposition ULP leader, Sakwiba Sikota, feared that the country risked suffering a constitutional crisis if electorates elected the opposition in the forth coming elections.

Mr Sikota told Mansa residents that the opposition political parties which are fielding candidates in the elections have minority representatives in parliament and can therefore enact and puff the national constitution.

Mr. Sikota charged that development in Luapula and other parts of the country could suffer if the national budget could be rejected by majority MPs in parliament.

He cited a neighbouring country that could not approve a national budget for a period of ten months because the sitting president had no representation in parliament.

And former Vice President, Nevers Mumba, advised people of Luapula not to heed to the fake promises that some opposition presidential candidates were making in the hope of winning the support ahead of the elections.

Dr. Mumba appealed for the church’s support and embrace Mr. Banda as next president of Zambia.

And Zambia National Marketing Association ZANAMA chairman, Elvis Nkandu, advised Zambians not to vote for politicians who based their campaigns on insults and character assasination.

The Acting President wound up his campaign trail of Luapula Province with promise that he will not respond to insults from opponents, hence urged the electorates to vote wisely.

He was accompanied by ULP leader Sakwiba Sikota, Dr. Nevers Mumba, NDP leader Benny Mwila and MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga and other party officials.

Mr. Banda returned to Lusaka immediately after addressing the rally.

A year after rehabilitation works began at Independence Stadium in Lusaka, the facelift is making a slow and anxious progress.

Firstly ,work has stalled on 44-year-old venue with an indefinite delay in the laying of a new artificial turf to replace the old grass surface.

Then it is still uncertain when the new grandstand will be built after the four-decade-old structure from where the legendary Dennis Liwewe made his famous football radio commentaries high-up in an orange press cubicle.

Exorbitant bids received by the stadium landlords, the Government, will see the iconic venue remain closed for at least the foreseeable future.

A scar remains where the grandstand once stood at Independence as the ghost of Dag Hammarskjöld Stadium in Ndola resurfaced.

Dag was raised in the mid 1980’s to make way for a new venue for Zambia’s failed hosting of the 1988 Africa Cup finals.

However, while construction delays continue to haunt Independence stadium, people building houses  continue to creep closer and closer to the perimeter of the venue, that has given both joy and painful memories for soccer fans over the years.

No longer will spectators, unable to pay the required entry fee  to watch a sports event, have the privilege of a panoramic view of the arena on match-day from Humanism Hill located on the south-side of stadium.

The rocky outcrop is now dotted with private housing developments that have spread across the hill like a cancer and also encroached onto the western side where homes now stride between the stadium and the old Chingwere cemetery.

Meanwhile, the Gabon air disaster grave yard just south of the Stadium is with each year that goes by adopting semblance of a dignified and pristine stature,15 years after that dark April tragedy.

Adding to the pain is the last game Zambia ever played there is one fans would rather forget.

October 8, 2006, archrivals South Africa’s Bafana Bafana won their first international match there beating

Zambia 1-0 in a 2008 Africa Cup Group 11 qualifier.

With that, a refreshing but now seemingly drawn-out new era at Independence is awaited to erase the old errors and sorrows

The Anti Rigging Zambia Limited has lost a bid to compel the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ- to register all eligible voters before the October 30, presidential election.

The organisation was seeking a declaration that the decision by ECZ to rely on the 2006 voters register is ultra vires to the constitution and null and void.

The Anti Rigging Zambia Limited had sued the ECZ and the Attorney General in the Lusaka High court, seeking redress in the matter.

It argued that the ECZ has the obligation to ensure that all those who are eligible to vote in the coming election are registered before the poll.

But Lusaka High Court Judge, Phillip Musonda, rejected the application saying it is not possible to prepare a fresh voters roll because of lack of time.

Judge Musonda also said Zambia does not have resources to immediately carry out such an expensive exercise in the remaining few days before the poll.

The Judge further pointed out that the court has taken judicial notice of the fact that the donor,the Treasury and the ECZ never anticipated the presidential by-election.

He said the decision would have been different if this was an election which was anticipated like the 2011 General elections.

He said the court also takes judicial notice that government went to the European Commission to request for two Hundred and Twenty One million Pounds to fund this sudden presidential elections.

Judge Musonda said there has been no willful neglect or serious failing on the part of the electoral commission of Zambia as alleged.
[ZNBC]