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” The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT)
Todays word with Pastor Tupelo
You must know why you are here. Jesus knew why he came. In John 10:10 He said he came that we might have life and have it to the full. He also came that he might destroy the works of the devil 1John 3:8. He also said in Luke 4:18 that he came to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering sight to blind to set at liberty them that are bound and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Jesus understood his purpose for being here and hence everything he did was in line to fulfill this purpose.
Your purpose is defined in the purpose of Jesus Christ. You don’t have a purpose outside Christ because the Bible says in Acts 17:28 that ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ So our very existence is in Jesus, therefore his purpose for living becomes our purpose.
Jesus is now in heaven. He cannot preach the gospel to the lost except through you. He is depending on you to make manifest the savor of his Glory to this corrupt generation. He has made you a light to the world… so shine for Jesus with the gospel of salvation to the lost.
You are the hope for the world; you are the answer to the people’s problems. You are deliverer of the oppressed.
Zambia Under-20 today failed to qualify for the Rwanda 2009 Caf Africa Youth Cup after Egypt Under-20 beat them 1-0 away at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.
Egypt qualify for the Rwanda tournament 4-3 on aggregate after drawing 3-3 in Alexandria in the 2nd round, 1st leg match played on September 28.
A late goal in the midst of muted and baffling protests of an infringement from Zambia’s suspect defenders sealed Egypt’s passage to next January’s finals in Rwanda.
Ismaili Striker Ahmed Fathi scored his second goal against Zambia in the qualifiers after finding the target in the first leg a fortnight ago when he netted his teams opener at home.
Zambia’s only bright star throughout the match was striker Fwayo Tembo of Tunisian club Etoile de Sahel.
Zambian footballs comeback kid Tembo who scored a brace against the Egyptians a fortnight ago literally carried this lethargic team on his shoulders for most of the match before his team mates slumped onto the pitch at the end of the 90 minutes to stage a poor made-for-TV show of disappointment for their lack of hunger to win.
Furthermore, Tembo’s attacking partners at Nchanga namely the Israel-bound striker Emmanuel Mayuka and Zanaco attacker Roger Kola were subdued.
Apart from yet another alarming poor performance in attack for a Zambia team at the international stage, the defence was the home sides weakest link and frighteningly porous.
Oswald Mutapa’s side was lucky to survive with just one goal against an efficient and pragmatic Egypt who hit the stride mid-way through the first half after stuttering in the opening 20 minutes of the opening half.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Under-20 sides exit continued to mark a poor year for Zambia junior teams in continental outings after the Under-17 were ejected last month by Namibia from their 2009 Algeria tournament qualifiers.
Zambia progressed to the final stage of the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers thanks to a helping hand from Togo today who beat visiting Swaziland 6-0 in Accra.
Four goals from Togo’s English based striker Emmanuel Adebayor ended Swaziland’s dreams of making history of advancing in a World Cup qualifier and to qualify to Africa Cup in Angola in two years time.
The wins sees Zambia stay top of Group 11 on 7 points, with Togo second on 6 points while Swaziland’s slump to bottom of the pool on 4 points after their fairy tale ride turned into a nightmare away in Accra this evening.
Zambia go into the final group draws to be made next month together with 19 other teams when all the 2nd round qualifying stage matches are completed today.
Meanwhile, Togo could also go to the through Africa Cup finals as best runner-up.
Zambia’s presidential candidates held a joint meeting Friday with ECZ officials to discuss issues affecting the October 30 presidential poll.
The candidates present at the briefing were Heritage Party president Brigadier-General Godfrey Miyanda, United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema and Patriotic Front president Michael Sata. Mr Rupiah Banda could not attend the meeting as he is in Luapula Province to commission the Levy Mwanawasa bridge. Rupiah Banda was represented by his agent, Benny Tetamashimba.
The candidates agreed to post election results outside each polling centre to avoid suspicion of vote-rigging in this month’s election, an official said.
“We have agreed that the results should be posted outside the polling centres immediately after the count,” said Michael Sata.
The opposition raised issues concerning biased media coverage, especially by the state-run Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), which runs both a television and national radio.
The candidates rejected the decision by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to print 600,000 extra ballot papers.
“In every election, you will never see a 100 per cent turn out…why print a lot extra ballot papers,” Mr Hichilema said.
Gen Miyanda said he was of the view that the issue on extra ballots should be discussed when the actual ballots were in the country so that they could debate on facts.
Brig-Gen Miyanda said he had raised the issue of opposition parties being stopped from addressing rallies in places where Mr Banda was doing the same.
Brig-Gen. Miyanda said he wished Mr Banda had been at the meeting to hear it for himself.
Given Lubinda and Ben Tetamashimba
Mr Tetamashimba said it was not true that the opposition was being barred from holding rallies. When asked on his campaigns, Gen Miyanda said there were many ways of killing a rat.
“ There are many ways of killing a rat. Why did you not cover me in Kabwe or Kapiri Mposhi,” he said in response to a question as to why was he is not going out in rural areas to campaign.
Mr Tetamshimba described the meeting as successful though another one would be held on Wednesday next week to conclude the matter on the extra ballot papers.
Mr Sata said the discussions were cordial and commended ECZ chairperson, Justice Florence Mumba, for operating in a transparent manner.
“The meeting was very fruitful. Justice Florence Mumba is going in the right direction and needs our support and protection,” Mr Sata said. He however, called on ECZ director, Dan Kalele, to be more transparent in the manner he was running the institution.
Mr Hichilema felt the meeting as reasonable and said that political parties had raised a lot of issues that needed to be addressed to have a free and fair election.
He said others issues he raised were the use of public resources during campaigns.
Mr Tetamashimba said Mr. Rupiah Banda could not be at the meeting because he was waiting for Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, who was expected in the country to commission the Levy Mwanawasa Bridge in Chembe.
ZIMBABWEAN First Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday visited former Zambian First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa, to console her over the death of Dr Mwanawasa. Mrs Mugabe, who came aboard an Air Zimbabwe flight that touched down at Lusaka International Airport at 12.45 hours, was welcomed by acting President Rupiah Banda’s wife Thandiwe and some senior Government officials.
Mrs Mugabe broke down upon meeting Mrs Mwanawasa at State House as the two embraced at length.
Mrs Mugabe told Mrs Mwanawasa that she was deeply shocked when she learnt about the death of Dr Mwanawasa.
“My sister I was away at the time of the President’s death and could not come with my husband for the burial. I thought I should call you but since we used to work together a lot, it was difficult for me to do so,” she said.
“But because I was so touched, I said to myself, let me go today and express my condolences to my sister face to face. Please accept my condolences and I urge you to look to God during this trying moment,” Mrs Mugabe said. She said the death of Dr Mwanawasa was a great loss not only to Zambia but the African Continent. She further urged Mrs Mwanawasa not to despair but look to God knowing that he did not give anyone burdens they could not bear.
Grace Mugabe and Maureen Mwanawasa talking to their aides
Mrs Mugabe assured her colleague that she would always be there for her and the children whenever they needed her. She said it was now the responsibility of Mrs Mwanawasa to look after her children as a single parent, but that she should always look to God for guidance on how best look after them.
She said the best way to remember and honour Dr Mwanawasa was by ensuring that the children were supported. Mrs Mugabe called on Mrs Mwanawasa to continue with her organisation, the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative to help the needy and that her husband’s death should not discourage her.
She said Mrs Mwanawasa was free to ask for any form of assistance from her in Zimbabwe to enable her continue sustaining her children and her organisation to eradicate poverty among the needy.
Earlier, Mrs Mugabe signed a book of condolences at State House.
In her message, she expressed her deep sense of shock and sorrow at the death of Dr Mwanawasa.
“I express my deep sympathies and condolences to my dear sister Maureen and the children as well as to the people of Zambia…,” Mrs Mugabe wrote.
Grace Mugabe and Maureen Mwanawas after laying wreaths on Mr.Mwanawasas grave
She prayed for the soul of the late President to rest in peace.
Mrs Mugabe and Mrs Mwanawasa later laid wreaths at Embassy Park, the burial site of the late Dr Mwanawasa.
Printing of Presidential ballot papers which started on Friday last week at South Africa’s Universal Printing Company has been concluded and the consignment was expected to be dispatched to Zambia from Durban via Johannesburg last night.
ZANIS reports from Durban that a check at the plant last evening by stakeholders who are here to witness the exercise found stitching of the electoral materials being done and some of the ballot papers had already been packaged. Universal Printing Company Special Projects Consultant Vik Vaid said printing finished Thursday afternoon and 4, 523, 150 presidential ballot papers had been printed. Mr Vaid also said work on about 2 000 ballot papers for Parliamentary and 13 local Government by elections had also been completed.
‘Work is on course. We have printed as ordered by ECZ and the truck which will carry the ballot papers will depart Durban for Johannesburg on Friday evening’. On the presidential ballots which had some error, Mr Vaid said this was a minor issue and it had been rectified.
“We have since reprinted the ballot papers whose polling station name and I.D was missed by the machine on the covers”. This is a non issue and the covers have since been reprinted’. He said.
Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Senior Public Relations Officer (SPRO) Sylvia Bwalya expressed happiness at progress so far recorded.
‘We are satisfied that the job has been done on time, looking at what has been covered so far’. She said.
All the electoral materials are expected to depart Johannesburgh at 11 hours aboard a chartered South African Airways and would arrive in Lusaka at 13 hours on Sunday.
The presidential election will be held on October 30 with parliamentary and local government by elections for Ndola Central, Mwansabombwe and 13 wards across the country respectively.Political party (MMD, PF, HP and UPND) and Civil Society representatives (FODEP, Zambia National Women’s Lobby and Transparency International Zambia have been here (Durban) since Thursday last week to monitor the exercise.
Others present are representatives from Christian Council of Churches in Zambia, Drug Enforcement Commission, Anti Corruption Commission and the Zambia Police.Meanwhile, ECZ Commissioner Joseph Jalasi has said electoral officials comprising Town Clerks and District Secretaries from all the 72 districts in the country would receive their electoral materials. Commissioner Jalasi said the electoral officials would verify the consignment at the airport before taking them to respective districts.
‘Packaging will be done district by District’, He said. He implored various political parties to witness the arrival of the ballot papers on Sunday and ensure that right materials have been received.
The ECZ Commissioner also advised respective political parties to randomly go to polling stations and establish whether the documents had correct information against the document the Commission would give them.
‘I implore political parties to go randomly to polling stations to establish whether serial numbers will be the same against the document they will be given by ECZ’, He said.
The High Court seating in Chipata District of Eastern Province has fine a 36 year-old man of Lusaka K1.2 million for causing death by dangerous driving contrary to the law of Zambia.
High Court Judge Naboth Mwanza fined Jackson Njobvu after was found guilty of causing the death of six people when the bus he was driving over turned in Katete late last year.
Facts before the court were that on 24th December last year, Njobvu while driving a motor vehicle, a Scania Macopolo registration number ABH 102, on great East Road lost control of the vehicle and over turned leading to the death of six people.
Among the six that died was Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) Eastern Province Acting Provincial Information Officer Mukelebai Mumbuna Mwape who died on the spot.
Njovu was charged with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Judge Mwanza ordered Njovu to pay up within seven days failure to which he would be jailed.
The judge also ordered the suspension of Njovu’s drivers license for nine months.
As Zambia’s international gateway issues continue, the World Bank said a review is needed of the problems relating to infrastructure, regulatory and institutional requirements of the telecom industry in order to solve troubles affecting the sector.
The challenges in the telecom sector that Zambia is facing go beyond the issue of the international gateway, according to the World Bank country manager for Zambia, Kapil Kapoor.
“It is unfair to place the blame solely on the international gateway fees as the only hindrance to telecom sector development but to also look at other factors related to infrastructure development, regulatory and institutional requirements,” Kapoor said.
The Zambian government has refused to deregulate the country’s international gateway, claiming that doing so would put the security of the country at risk.
Private mobile operators Zain Zambia and MTN have been protesting the Zambian government’s regulation of the international gateway and the high cost of acquiring a gateway license.
The Ministry of Communications and Transport increased the international gateway fee two months ago from US$12 million to more than $18 million, making Zambia the most expensive country in Eastern and Southern African for private telecom investors to do business.
Meanwhile Private operators in Zambia must route their international calls through the government-owned Zambia Telecommunication Company (Zamtel), which owns and operate the international gateway. However, Zain Zambia and MTN issued a joint statement recently claiming that Zamtel’s gateway is experiencing increased failures on international calls.
Both operators have sent letters of complaint regarding the international call failures to Zamtel and the Communications Authority of Zambia.
Zambia international midfielder Felix Katongo has joined French Ligue 2 club Chateauroux on loan from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes until the end of the 2008/2009 season.
Rennes official website confirmed Katongo’s loan deal to Chateauroux where he hopes to get more playing opportunities after being a peripheral figure at the Ligue 1 side whom he joined in January at the end of Zambia’s campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana.
“I needed to play. I hope that when I return from loan, I will be able to again play for Stade Rennes,” Katongo told Rennes site.
“The team (Stade Rennes) is mainly already made up and it is difficult to make a first team place.
“This is a good move for me to seek some playing time elsewhere. I will fight every day to play as often as possible and be able to express and show my qualities on the pitch.
Katongo said the decision to seek a loan move to Chateauroux came after recent consultations with Rennes officials.
“I decided to leave Rennes. The bosses asked to me whether I wanted to go on loan. They said to me: if you want to remain, you remain; if you want to leave, you can leave. I looked at my situation and I decided to join Chateauroux.
”
Meanwhile, Katongo was expected to make his competitive debut for Chateauroux by press time Friday evening in Chateauroux’s Ligue 2 home game against Metz.
Katongo is the third Zambian player to join Chateauroux after striker Jacob Mulenga who has been at the club since 2004 and midfielder Stophira Sunzu who joined from Afrisports in September.
The 24-year-old former Green Buffaloes midfielder previous played for Jomo Cosmos of South Africa and currently Zambia’s top scorer this year with 4 international goals.
The Zambia Under-20 national team take on Egypt Under-20 in a Rwanda 2009 Caf Africa Youth Cup 2nd round, 2nd leg qualifier at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.
Victory for Zambia will see them qualify for an unprecedented second successive Africa Youth Cup final.
Zambia and Egypt come into this match level at 3-3 from the 1st leg played in Alexandria a fortnight ago.
Zambia Under-20 Coach Oswald Mutapa has some extra help on the bench in Chingola on Saturday with Zambia coach Herve Renard who was present in the away 1st leg match.
It is the first time since Roald Poulsen in 1994/1995 with the Under-23 that saw the rollout of ex-internationals Jones Mwewa, Vincent Mutale and Alex Namazaba that a senior national team head coach has actively been working with junior national teams.
Moreover, with the possibility of Swaziland upsetting Zambia’s 2010 World/Africa Cup ambitions when they face Togo in Accra on Saturday should they win by 1-0, a double-whammy of failures would be a serious dent on the 7-month-old Faz administration thus Renard’s active role with the team.
Back to the game at Nchanga, Striker Roger Kola of Zanaco who scored the opening goal including Fwayo Tembo of Tunisian club Etoile de Sahel who hit the target twice are both available for the game in Chingola.
Meanwhile, there will be one player who will be looking forward to put disappointment of not reaching an Africa junior tournament behind him.
Zanaco midfielder Henry Banda suffered a 1st round disappointment with the Under-17 class of 2004 during the 2005 Caf Africa Under-17 Cup qualifiers when Zambia were eliminated by Tanzania before the latter were disgraced in the final stage for age cheating.
Banda will be looking for brighter prospects this time around and he is expected to be a key player in midfield for Zambia as they seek some revenge after Egypt denied them passage to the Under-20 finals twice in 2001 and 2005.
But Zambia come with an edge in this years Under-20 campaign after defeating Egypt 3-0 at the 2007 tournament held in Congo-Brazzaville in a Group B match with Tembo scoring one goal back then.
Next years Africa Youth Cup be held from January 18 to February 1.
The Government has challenged people with information that it plans to rig the forth-coming October 30, elections to come out in the open and provide evidence.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Mike Mulongoti said people with information on how the purported rigging would be conducted should alert the government so that action could be taken against those who would be found wanting.
Mr Mulongoti who is MMD chairman of elections said it was saddening that people had continued to issue statements without providing facts with a view of tarnishing the image of the Government.
He further described the reports of rigging as malicious and that those who were issuing such statements were aware that they would not win the elections and were trying to draw attention.
He assured the public that there was no need to fear or worry because it was interested in conducting a free and a fair elections for the benefit of the people.
“We think that people are just being malicious and are trying to attract attention that we are planning to rig, we don’t even know how this is done maybe they have an idea on how it is done and so ask them. They are just scared because they are seeing the defeat in their face,” he said.
The minister said it was not possible for the elections to be rigged because all the points were monitored by all political parties and civil society and wondered at what point the elections could be rigged.
And Mr Mulongoti said the MMD party was still intact and that everyone was working according to assigned tasks and dismissed reports of division in the ruling party.
He said the party and its members were working together as one team.
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says he is not seeking the Republican presidency for monetary gains because he is already comfortable.
He said unlike other presidential aspirants in the October 30 polls, he was comfortable and joined politics as a mere service to the people of Zambia.
Mr Hichilema said this in Petauke on Wednesday when he addressed a public rally at Mizyu Ground.
He said the salary of the president was nothing compared to the money that he had acquired in his private business.
He said he could be counted among the first five Zambians with more heads of cattle.
As a result of that, he would ensure that he helped in setting up dip tanks if he was elected president.
He advised Zambians not to elect a president on tribal lines, adding that countries with successful economies were those run by young leaders like himself.
Mr Hichilema cited the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is under Joseph Kabila, Botswana ruled by Ian Khama and Tanzania by Jakaya Kikwete, among others.
Earlier in the day, Mr Hichilema toured Petauke main market where he bought various foodstuffs and urged the traders to vote for him.
Soon after visiting the market, he travelled to Chipembe, a distance of 20 kilometres from Nyimba, where he addressed another rally.
Mr Hichilema later moved to Nyimba where another rally was held.
When his motorcade arrived in Nyimba, some suspected MMD cadres displayed their party symbol to Mr Hichilema, a move that angered his supporters.
He approached the cadres and told them that there was no need to antagonise one another because they were all Zambians.
Some police officers who were assigned to ensure that law and order was maintained at the rally cautioned the suspected MMD cadres and one was arrested for allegedly destroying Mr Hichilema’s poster.
THE Patriotic Front (PF), if elected into power, has pledged to put up an oil pipeline from Angola to Zambia’s North-Western Province and a refinery to supplement Indeni Oil Refinery in addressing fuel shortages.
Spokesperson, Given Lubinda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that a PF government would address the problem of petroleum importation through the party’s foreign policy.
Mr Lubinda, who is PF presidential candidate Michael Sata’s campaign manager, said there would be need to strengthen bilateral relations with Angola.
He said because of the growing importance of North-Western Province in national development, a PF government would set up a second oil refinery to cater for crude oil from Angola.
Mr Lubinda, who is Kabwata Member of Parliament, said Zambia has not taken full advantage of her position as a neighbour of an oil-producing country.
“The importation of oil from Angola would lead to the stability of pump prices and ensure continued supply of the commodity as the two oil supply sources will supplement each other,” he said.
He said a government led by Mr Sata would also review the existence of the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) and consider its relevance to the current economic situation in the country.
Mr Lubinda said an examination of the ERB would be with a view to either phasing it out or restructuring its operations to ensure efficient service delivery.
He said the PF believes that the Ministry of Energy could handle the work being done by the ERB.
Currently, Zambia imports crude oil through Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and it is pumped through the Tazama pipeline to Ndola where it is refined at Indeni Oil Refinery before it is distributed throughout the country.
Zambia opposition parties are accusing the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) of vote buying ahead of this month’s presidential election. The opposition parties say government’s sudden release of funds yesterday (Thursday) estimated at several billion Kwacha for development activities in communities across the country is a calculated attempt to influence the election. But the government dismissed the accusations saying community development cannot wait. A Mr Mulonga told reporter Peter Clottey from the capital, Lusaka that the timing of the development funds is generating controversy.
“That is true because the opposition parties were yesterday saying the government is trying to hoodwink voters into voting for the ruling party candidate Rupiah Banda. Yesterday, the government announced the release of Constituency Development Funds amounting to billions of Kwacha. But the opposition parties and other stakeholders have rejected the move saying why should the government release this money now instead of before or after the election. They are saying the fact that the government is releasing the funds during this campaign period it is trying to work on the minds of the voters,” Mulonga noted.
He said some observers see the government’s action as a political ploy to garner votes for the ruling party in this month’s presidential election.
“They think that the move intends to make the ruling party’s presidential candidate look as if he is the working man trying to solve the country’s problems. And that Rupiah Banda (the ruling party’s presidential candidate) is the only man who can bring development to Zambia. So, the voters should go out in their numbers and vote for him,” he said.
Mulonga said the controversy surrounding the community development fund could influence the election.
“That is an open ended question, which can go either way because some people believe that the government is going to deliver if they vote for Rupiah Banda. They are arguing that development cannot wait just because there is an imminent election and that the government has got to do its work. But I also agree with those who say that the move can attract voters to swing to the ruling party,” Mulonga pointed out.
He said there seems to be a keen interest in this month’s presidential election.
“People have been following this subject from the time the president died, Dr. Patrick Levy Mwanawasa because we are talking about 400 billion Kwacha ($106 000,000,000) for the election, which is quite a lot of money coming from the treasury of Zambia. So, we had a briefing yesterday from the electoral commissioner of Zambia, Justice Florence Mumba who told reporters that the government has provided the electoral commission with a substantial amount for the elections. And the cooperating partners through the United Nations Development program have also contributed money towards the election,” he said.
Mulonga said Zambians are expressing confidence then election would not be hindered because of help coming from the international community.
“So, Zambians are quite clear that the election would proceed and all the financial hiccups that were expected have been handled. So, now people are more optimistic and are just watching the candidates and deciding who is going to sell their manifesto and who is going to be the best leader for Zambia,” Mulonga pointed out.
He said the electoral commission is being proactive to pluck loopholes to prevent vote rigging in the election.
“Those are some of the issues, but the electoral commission has been emphasizing that the electoral system of Zambia cannot accommodate rigging because it is quite secure. They have actually asked all the players to send monitors who would monitor the results of the election in various constituencies for their various parties in this month’s presidential election,” he said.
