Government says parents marrying off their school-going children should be prosecuted and charged.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande said parents should understand that marrying off their school girl children is not a blessing but a case.

Responding to lunga High School Head Teacher Roderick Mwansapa who expressed concern at the high rate of girl-child drop out due to early marriages, Mr. pande advised school teachers in his constituency to bring to his attention any case where a parent marries off a school going girl child.

Speaking Lunga High school which is under construction in kasempa  yesterday ,Mr. pande said there is need to protect the girl child so that they too could complete their education without disturbances.

The kasempa MP noted that parents marrying off their girl child at a tender age should be punished so that the trend is put to a halt.

Lunga high school head teacher Rodrick Mwanaspa and science teacher Euphrasia Mwila told mr pande that parents in the area claim that marrying off girl child was a blessing.

The two teachers said the trend was rampant two years ago before the only science teacher ,Ms mwila came to the school and introduced the safe club for the protection of the girl child.

At shependa basic school, head teacher Henry Kayombo also complained of the high drop out rate for girls due to early marriages.

Mr Kayombo  said the girl child in the area  still think getting married is then spending time learning in school .

He complained that parents were not doing much to help their girl child get educated.

The story was the same at Kantenba basic school where the Deputy Head teacher Brighton Mutoya going children expressed concern at the high drop out rate of the girl child.

Mr pande is in kasempa district to check on developmental projects embarked on by government and its cooperating partners.

He was acompained on tour of the projects by the district commissioner Henry Shantolo and other Heads of Departments.

ENDS CBM/AH/PK/ZANIS/KASEMPA

United party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has urged voters not to base their choices of electing a president on tribal or party lines in the October 30 presidential election.

The UPND leader said all Zambians were created by one God and this makes every one equal.

Mr. Hichilema said voters should elect a leader to lead and unite the country as a best way of remembering the late president Levy Mwanawasa.

He urged people not to vote for leaders who are campaigning on tribal lines, saying such leaders are not capable of uniting the Country.

He was speaking yesterday at a public rally in Mufulira held at Chawama grounds in Kantanshi township.

He retaliated that his party will run independently in the forthcoming election and has no intention of going in a pact with Patriotic Front Party.

He said UPND is ready to look after all Zambians well when it forms the next government.

He appealed to the voters in the district to vigorously campaign for UPND so that he can win the presidential elections set October 30.

The UPND leader has also pledged to build more hydro power stations as a way of reducing the power supply shortages that the Country is facing.

Mr Hichikema said once elected into power, government will embark on investing in the hydro power generation so that the load shedding is stopped and also be able to export to neighboring Countries.

Mr. Hichilema stated that the load shedding programme that government has resorted to was more to do with poor management of the energy sector by government.

He said his government will take advantage of the abundance water resources that the country is endowed with and produce more electricity.

On education he said government will introduce policies that will promote free education from grade one to university so as to enable more people access education.

He said a country can  not run without knowledge and he is ready to pay back to the Zambian for the free education that he benefited from once elected as president.

Mr Hichilema also stated that his government will repair the run down road infrastructure in the district and provide clean and adequate drinking water supply to the residents.

He said he intends to restore the life style of the people in the boarder town to better levels by allowing them to own more shares in foreign companies.

Mr Hichilema was addressing a rally in Mufulira yesterday at Chawama grounds in Kantanshi Township.

Earlier Mr Hichilema visited markets in Kansuswa, Kawama East and Buteko.
ENDS/PS/PK/ZANIS.

By Rev. Dr. Justine Likuka

Continued from part 2 Not too long ago I watched part of a documentary which traced the history of the Royal Family -the House of Windsor. In that program they recounted the passing away of King George VI. In 1952 the sad word went forth from London . . .

THE KING IS DEAD ! King George VI had died in his sleep at the age of 56. He was somewhat of a private man, in comparison with others who have held the throne, but he was greatly respected and admired. His reign had carried him through the rigors of World War 2, the election of a socialist government and the dissolution of much of the British Empire. His tired heart gave way. All across Britain, people flocked to churches to worship, to pray, and to seek comfort and hope. The people of Britain ran to the church in time of need and comfort.
Our own states man and brother – H.E Levy Patrick Mwanawasa [SC]’s death  brought a similar feeling among all Zambians and the international community alike.

In 1963, another shocking word was sent out across the world:

THE PRESIDENT IS DEAD

It was unbelievable. JOHN F. KENNEDY, young, vibrant and dynamic, was cut down by an assassin’s bullet – a nation was plunged into grief. People flocked into churches in the greatest numbers since the announcement of the end of World War 2. Pastors/Ministers changed their sermon texts and preached messages of healing and hope to the people of America.
I guess you can see from the above that from time in memorial – when there was a calamity or tragedy in a nation, people “flocked to the Church”! This is the reason why I mentioned above that the Church, and the Clergy in particular must give direction and counsel to the nation in a time like this.
In the same way we saw people gathering to pray for Levy Patrick Mwanawasa’s healing while in France – people are still looking for answers and healing.We soon have to vote in a new President  and it is the Church to provide the answers, direction and healing of heart.

About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made,
That THE KING IS DEAD. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died. Crowned at the age of 16, he had reigned 52 years. Despite his failings, he was the greatest king since David.

The heart of Isaiah, the prophet, was broken. Uzziah was not only his king, he was also his friend. In his heartbreak, Isaiah made his way to the Temple to worship and to seek comfort and renewed faith.

Friends, when sorrow comes, when life presses you in, the best place to be found is in the House of the Lord. Death is viewed in different ways – but we all need to know that it is a “Door way” to being with the Lord! When Isaiah went up to the House of the Lord, he learned that the king was dead . . .BUT THAT GOD WAS NOT DEAD!

He was still upon His throne. Isaiah had lost his earthly king, whom he loved, but he caught a fresh glimpse of the King of Kings. He met with God in an encounter that radically changed his life. This is the HOPE that we have as Zambians today. In the midst of all this confusion and disarray, let Zambia be in the house of the Lord. I have been impressed with the way Zambians have conducted themselves from the time our President was announced sick in Egypt, taken to Paris and rumored dead……… Zambia has in all this while been on the knees Praying and trusting God. We had “Watchmen on the wall.”

I urge the church, civil society and the clergy to continue in the sprit of the dream that Mwanawasa has left the country with. Mwanawasa had a dream for this nation – he had a heart for the people. In succeeding him, we ask those in authority to be cautious and careful; and try in all ways possible to honor the “will” of our late leader.
He definitely had somebody in mind to take over from him as he clearly indicated. To those of you who know this Joshua – serve us the pain and disclose who he is; because the nation knows that you know that there is a Joshua whom he mentioned over and over again.
God bless Zambia – a Nation under God.

First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda has called on Zambians to elect a leader who will have a heart for the people and carry on the vision of free education for all Zambians, to take the country to greater heights.

Dr Kaunda  also urged the top leaders in Zimbabwe to use their peace deal and government of unity to help the poor people in that country access adequate food and water unlike the current situation.

He said education was an important aspect of economic development and his government was prompted to introduce free education for all Zambians from primary to university level because after British rule, the country only had 100 university graduates.

Dr Kaunda commended the late president Dr Levy Mwanawasa for re-introducing free education at primary level to enable even vulnerable Zambians gain entry into primary schools and hoped that the next president would carry on with the free education policy.

The former President said this during a media briefing at David Livingstone Safari Lodge and Spar today, organized by the SOS Children’s Village of Zambia Trust.

Dr Kaunda said helping the poor was not a job-seeking strategy but a service to people in need.

Meanwhile, Dr Kaunda has urged the top leadership in Zimbabwe to use the recently formed government of unity to uplift the living standards of poor people and enable them access adequate food and water unlike the current situation.

He implored them to emulate Kenya as it was also a government of national unity and had succeeded in restoring peace after disputed elections.

And SOS Children’s Village of Zambia Trust National Director, Florence Phiri challenged Zambians not to be dependent on donor support but be actively involved in resolving the problem of street kids.

Mrs. Phiri said no one would come from abroad to look after vulnerable children in Zambia because the will and passion to help them had to come from within the country.

She praised the late president Dr Mwanawasa for having a strong passion for vulnerable children countrywide.

Dr Kaunda is in Livingstone to play golf on Sunday September 21st as part of the fundraising activities for the SOS Children’s Village of Zambia Trust.

ENDS/AMM/PK/ZANIS

By Dr. Emmanuel Makasa

Zambia’s lack of progress as a country in the last 43 years of independence has been mostly because of having a faulty constitution at every stage of the three republics. The government of a country is based on a set of laws in the constitution and if these are outdated, out of place or favoring some, then it is a matter of garbage in, garbage out.

The sitting presidents of Zambia starting with Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chuluba and the late Levi Mwanawasa, were in the peoples way of giving themselves as set of laws stipulating how they want to be governed at every time of constitutional review. A constitution by the people of Zambia and for the people of Zambia. The last constitutional review hit a snag over the method of adopting it. The people wanted the whole constitution to be adopted, as we have wished to be ruled (as is…) and didn’t want anything removed to suit the ones in power for this is our country and we are the people. Zambia is not the trees being cut down for charcoal in the forest or the wild animals being watched by tourists therein. Zambia is the people (like they say on the streets of Lusaka that “Icalo bantu”). Therefore, the government in power is but only contracted to run the affairs of our land on our behalf for so long only according to the way we have said and agreed to be ruled.

The only sure way we felt we could have such a constitution is if we adopted it through a referendum to avoid the ruling party and government of the time from adding or subtracting anything from it to suit themselves. Levi Mwanawasa said it would be too expensive to hold a referendum and bulldozed his way to setting up the expensive NCC that has indefinitely suspended its work, and I wonder why… This setting up of the NCC caused such political instability and a constitutional crisis splitting the nation into two with the church, civil society and opposition on one side. As if that was not enough, the allowances paid to persons sitting on the NCC were ridiculously high such that it was disgusting and would prove to be more expensive having the NCC compared to a referendum.

Levi died and may his soul rest in peace. We are grateful for what he did for his fellow Zambians. Here we are at the verge of a national election to choose a president. The ballot papers have not been printed as we haven’t had the nominations by ECZ yet. A referendum would have been conducted nationwide in a similar manner as the coming election except the voter votes “Yes” for adopting the new constitution or “No” for not adopting the new constitution. In the coming election therefore, we have a cost effective and sure way of having a people driven constitution adopted without opposition or manipulation from a sitting president. We should vote for a new president and for whether we agree to be ruled according to the new constitution that we have written. It is a golden opportunity to have our lives secured, security and freedom guaranteed, voices heard and a go at dignity and self respect as a people. It is that easy and that simple yet a courageous and a big step forward. Let us have a referendum together with the coming presidential election.

Acting President Rupiah Banda has said he joined the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) when he bought the party membership card in 2002.

Mr. Banda said although he did not publicly announce his resignation from the United National Independence Party (UNIP), he ceased to be a member when he bought an MMD membership card.

He said by virtue of buying the MMD membership card and renewing it every year, he naturally stopped being a member of the former ruling and oldest political party in the country.

“You don’t need to announce when you resign from one political party just as you don’t announce when you join another party,” he said.

He said he was also elected as a trustee of the MMD, a move that consolidated his membership in the ruling party.

This has allayed speculations that have been going on in the recent past about Mr. Banda’s candidature for the forthcoming presidential election under the MMD ticket.

He said since UNIP was the seed of all political parties in the country, many Zambians of his age, who were politicians once, naturally belonged to the party.

Mr. Banda said this when he featured live on Mano Community Radio Station in Kasama last evening.

The Acting President has meanwhile expressed optimism that Zambians would vote for him on October 30th, 2008 because of his vast experience in politics, Government and diplomatic service.

He said he was the best candidate among all other contestants of the republican presidency because he had rich curriculum vitae and experience as well as successful management of the country as a vice president and as acting president.

He explained that he served in cabinet as a Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Minister of Mines.

He also served as ambassador to the United States of America and the United Nations and also acted as President of Namibia under the SWAPO, the position he said was out of the trust the UN had in him.

ENDS/KSH/PK/ZANIS.

Kasempa Member of Parliament, Kabinga Pande has told the opposition political parties not to expect any vote from the area, where he said the people know only the MMD which they want to continue with its development programmes.

Mr. Pande who is also Foreign Affairs Minister said this after inspecting the Kasempa – Mumbwa Road which is under construction. He said the people of Kasempa would not make the mistake of voting for the opposition, because they dont want the ongoing development projects in the area to come to a stand still.

He said, after touring the many development projets in Kasempa, he would embark on a vigorous campaign for the MMD Presidential aspirant Rupiah Banda, who is currently the Acting Republican President.

Mr. Pande further said, the one or two votes which the opposition might get will be spoiled votes.

And Kasempa member of Parliament Kabinga Pande has expressed concern over the slow pace of the construction work of a 1 by 2 class room block at Shapenda Basic School and a health post in the same area.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also was not happy to see uncompleted houses for agriculture extension officers at Katatenda, work which he said was started in June this year.

He said it was saddening that construction work was still at slab level, whereas at some schools which received funding during the same period, construction work was at roof level.

Mr. Pande called upon the Kasempa Health Management Team to ensure that the health post under construction in the area was completed before the end of this year.

ENDS/CM/PK/ZANIS.

Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa has challenged the University of Zambia Senate to rescind its decision to open the institution without further delay. Prof. Lungwangwa says the current recess at UNZA is not necessary and unjustified  because the University Council should be able be in position to expeditiously conclude salary negotiations and other conditions of service.

Prof. Lungwangwa says Government is committed to dismantle the K360.6 billion debt at the two major universities in Zambia.

Prof. Lungwangwa says K259.8 billion debt for the University of Zambia (UNZA) and K100.8 billion would be settled soon and that government will release the remaining 2008 supplementary budget of K20 billion at UNZA Great East Campus and K10 billion for the Copperbelt University respectively.

The Education Minister announced this at a pres briefing in Lusaka today.

He said government is committed to development of the public universities and it is doing every possible to enable them play their key role in the development of the country and fulfilling the Vision 2030.

He lamented that government is aware of the persistent accumulation of huge debts by the public institutions has constrained the financial sustainability.

And the University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) has expressed disappointment at the decision taken by the senate to extend the re-opening of the University indefinitely.

President, Solomon Ngambi  said the union is very disturbed with the decision taken by UNZA senate to extend the recess for the students as it will greatly affect the students calendar.

Mr. Ngambi said this in an interview with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS0 in Lusaka today.

He charged that government and UNZA management were not handling the problems been faced at the institution with the seriousness and emergency it deserves.

“There are no problems which can not be resolved hence we do not understand why government and UNZA management are failing to resolve the problems with the striking lecturers,” Mr. Ngambi said.

Mr. Ngambi added that most students will be de-franchised in the forth coming Presidential by-elections if the university does not open before 30th October as most of them are registered voters at the institution.

He said the close of the university should serve as a timely warning to UNZA management to also ensure that it clears the books of accounts which have not be audited since 1997.

Mr. Ngambi further urged management at the institution to consider revising the renewing of contracts and conditions of services for lecturers from one year to five years as the this was responsible for the yearly disturbance at the institution.

Mr. Ngambi has since government and UNZA management to find a lasting solutions to the problems been faced at UNZA in a bid to ensure that the institution runs smoothly once students get back.

The UNZA senate yesterday announced the extended recess for its students.

The recess was supposed to end on the 21st a of September  after a senate decision to send students back home in July to allow for negotiations between striking UNZA lecturers and management.

The University was prematurely closed two months ago after students rioted over the strike by lecturers.

The Lecturers have rejected a 10% salary increase effected by management instating that they signed for a 15% pay rise.

And opposition National Revolution party has advised the Government to intervene and stop University of Zambia (UNZA) senate from extending the recess if students are to be given a chance to vote wisely in the October presidential elections.

Party president Cosmo Mumba said it was unfortunate that the highest learning institution in the country could be under going such problems when the Country about to hold important election and also that exams are near.

Yesterday the UNZA senate and the academic authority announced that the institution will not open tomorrow citing that the environment at the institution was not yet conducive for learning.

Dr. Mumba disclosed that the UNZA was closed at the time when many youths in the Country are also making decisions on who should rule them in the forth-coming presidential elections.

He noted that if government does not quickly intervene, the situation might worsen and end up disfranchising students who registered as voters at the institution.

He explained that students at UNZA come from far places and have different backgrounds, adding  others do not have  money to come to Lusaka to vote, hence can only be accorded the chance of participate if the institution is opening.

ENDS/MMPK/ZANIS.