President Mwanawasa has said that Zambians should not be surprised at his recent reconciliation with Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata which he described as infamous following the skepticism that has surrounded it among various stakeholders.

He said the reconciliation is not a strange phenomenon as it is the normal historical manner in which Zambians have dealt with conflict amongst themselves.

Dr. Mwanawasa also noted that many Zambian historic bitter tribal quarrels and wars have now resulted into good inter tribal relationships that have united all the country’s different tribes into a nation of common values.

He said the reconciliation between the controversial opposition leader happened because the time had come for it to end in the interests of the nation.

Dr. Mwanawasa said the reconciliation was also in line with his appeal for peace and unity in his inaugural speech after being re-elected October 2006 for his final term in office.

He added that the gesture is also not aimed at gaining reward and praise as he is human and might have contributed to the political differences experienced during his Presidency.

Dr. Mwanawasa said the humility and magnanimity demonstrated by the PF leader is commendable as it shows that political parties in the country remain independent to compete for political office.

He added that the independence will also guarantee accountability in public office through checks and balances as a critical role that is traditionally played by opposition political parties.

Dr. Mwanawasa observed that the plenary assembly theme challenges the Christian world to translate the teachings of Jesus Christ into practical realities adding that reconciliation must be promoted in order to promote love.

He said engagement in dialogue whose out come is peaceful co-existence and socio-economic progress is one way to achieving love and unity.

Dr. Mwanawasa also said there is need to resolve the recent South African xenophobic attacks and the Zimbabwean political crisis.

He said it is a serious contradiction that while Christianity is growing in Africa, Africans have demonstrated passionate hate for each other as demonstrated by the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The President said Zambia is no exception to the uphill battle that Africa is facing in ensuring justice in governance processes.

He said Zambian cannot claim to entrench justice in governance in the face of high poverty levels especially in rural areas of the country.

Dr. Mwanawasa said although the church and the state may sometimes disagree both institutions are intertwined and should strengthen their partnership in the fight against poverty and the life threatening HIV/AIDS.

He also noted that although the poverty situation in Africa still exists, the situation is slowly improving though it will take time for the current positive economic indicators to translate into the desired results for the people to directly benefit.

Dr. Mwanawasa has since commended the Catholic Church for their contribution in the Education and health sectors and the advocacy for debt cancellation through the Jubilee 200 campaign.

He attributed the current economic growth in the country as being partly as a result of debt cancellation the country received.

Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa has also appealed to the Catholic church and other churches to prioritize the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in their evangelization and implementation of social teachings.

And speaking earlier AMECEA Chairperson Archbishop Paul Bachenga said the assembly is united by ideals aimed at addressing key issues in the region.

Archbishop Bachenga commended President Mwanawasa for strongly standing and advocating for peace in the region.

He said the situation in Zimbabwe has deprived citizens of their human dignity which should not be traded with personal interests.

Archbishop Bachenga however assured the President that AMECEA will continue to play the prophetic role and enhancing peace and justice in the region.

He also said that AMECEA will also continue to pray with and for Zimbabweans as they try to resolve their political crisis and called upon its leaders to resolve the crisis amicably.

And Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) Chairperson Bishop George Lungu said one of the ways the church in Zambia is pursuing peace and justice for the people is through supporting the fight against corruption.

Bishop Lungu said corruption breeds impunity which results in poverty as most of the wealth is owned by a few selfish individuals who go unpunished.

Zambia is hosting the AMECEA plenary assembly for the third time with the first being in 1970 and 1992.

The spectacular event attracts over 200 delegates comprising of Archbishops, Bishops and other catholic church Clergy men and women from the AMECEA region which include Angola, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya among others.

Among the notables that attended the official opening of the plenary assembly are Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata, Cabinet Ministers and other government officials who accompanied President Mwanawasa.

ZANIS/CM/AM/ENDS.

The Parliamentary Committeee on Education has asked the University of Zambia to address their internal problems before asking for external assistance.

Committee Chairperson Ms Faustina Sinyangwe made the remarks and wanted to know how the University of Zambia would maintain the standards of Education and also boost the moral of the staff at the institution.

Ms Sinyangwe said this when UNZA Vice Chancellor Stephen Simukanga presented the institutional ‘annual budget report allocation to the committee at the University of Zambia in Lusaka today.

During the presentation the UNZA Vice Chancellor told the Committee that out of a budget of K50 billion per year, Government only allocated a total of K4 billion to the institution.

The Vice Chancellor said the funds were inadequate to enable the institution meet its budgetary needs among payments of outstanding terminal benefits for retirees and workers’ emoluments.

Prof Simukange said the University also faced a number of problems such as the staffing levels have gone down from 50 % to about 30% in most departments which has in turn put a lot of pressure on the institution, adding that staff development programmes have also suffered.

And UNZA Registrar ,Alvert Ng’andu said there was need for Government to inject more funds towards the operations of the institution.

Mr Ng’andu noted that challenges that the Unversity is facing can not be solved without government involvment and intervention at the highest level which require a review of the polices on funding of Higer Education in Zambia.

He further emphasised the need for a national vision for development as detailed in the development plans which also requires a review of the governance framework in which higher Education operates.

Meanwhile, the Copperbelt University (CBU) owes the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) over K80 billion in unpaid Pay As You Earn (PAYE) statutory contributions.

Bursar, Fanwell Musonda said CBU has not been able to remit workers contributions to ZRA due to limitations in funds from central Government.

Mr. Musonda said this in Kitwe, when the parliamentary Committee on Education toured the university.

He said the institution presented a K212 billion budget to government for the financial year 2008 but only K62 billion was approved.

Mr. Musonda observed that the K150 billion shortfall will make it difficulty for the institution to meet some of its obligation’s.

And parliamentary Committee Chairperson, Faustina SInyangwe called for patriotism from academic staff at the institution if educational standards are to be enhanced.

ZANIS/ENDS/AH/CLM

President Levy Mwanawasa is expected to arrive in Egypt’s tourism resort city of Sharm-el-Sheikh on Sunday to attend the 11th Ordinary African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit which opens on Monday, June 30th, 2008.

And the two-day13th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, comprising Foreign Affairs Ministers opened today in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt with concern raised over the global increase of food and oil prices.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande confirmed that President Mwanawasa, who is also Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairman, would arrive in Egypt on Sunday to ZANIS in Egypt today.

Mr. Pande, who is leading the Presidential advance party, said the Egypt summit would discuss among other things the raising global food prices which were affecting every one on the continent.

The Minister said the summit would also discuss water and sanitation, progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), economic integration of the continent among others.

Mr. Pande said the summit would also discuss the issue of water because in the near future, the commodity might become as expensive as oil was today.

The 11th AU summit, whose theme is “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation”, will take place from June 30 to July 1 this year.

Finance Minister Ng’andu Magande, Tourism Minister Michael Kaingu, Local Government Minister Silvia Masebo, Justice Minister George Kunda and Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani are among the members of the presidential delegation.

And the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has said that the continent faces a lot of challenges from the impact of current developments in the international economic scene.

ECA Executive Secretary, Abdoulie Janneh, said during the opening of the 13th Session of the Executive Council of the AU in Sharm-el-Sheikh that recent positive economic performance of Africa was being threatened by global economic emergencies in food and energy markets.

Mr. Janneh, who is also the United Nations under Secretary General, said the above problems which were closely linked with the negative effects of climate change had potential to undermine political stability and scaling up of efforts aimed at achieving the MDGs.

He called for use of common solutions and benefits of regional and international cooperation to drive and guide national actions aimed at addressing the problems.

Mr. Janneh urged the international community to reduce trade restrictions and distorting agricultural support policies as a way of addressing the escalating food prices in Africa.

He said similar attention should be paid to soaring oil prices and called for solidarity between oil producing and consuming African countries.

ZANIS/MB/KSH/ENDS

Agriculture and Co-operative Minister, Sarah Sayifwanda, has assured Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) workers and retirees that government would release K58.3 billion in the next two weeks for recapitalization of the company.

Mrs. Sayifwanda disclosed this in Kafue today when she addressed scores of angry NCZ workers at the Kafue District Commissioner’s office during a meeting.

Three days ago, the workers gave the minister a three day ultimatum in which to address them and tell them the future of the company.

Mrs. Sayifwanda told the workers that the three days which she was given was not enough to source for the required funds, saying President Levy Mwanawasa and the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Ng’andu Magande, were busy with other issues of national interest.

Mrs. Sayifwanda, who was accompanied by her deputy minister, Daniel Kalenga, and Lusaka Police Commanding officer, Greenwell Nguni, pleaded with the workers to give her time to effectively deal with the issue.

She said government would not close NCZ because President Mwanawasa and the MMD government attached great importance to the plant.

Mrs. Sayifwanda commended the workers for their patience despite numerous problems they were going through.

She pointed out that she was not a liar and she will ensure that the company is recapitalized so it continues operations.

Speaking earlier, NCZ Nation Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers ( NUCIW) branch Chairman Robert Musanje expressed disappointment with the government for failing to deal with the issue of NCZ prudently.

Mr. Musanje urged the workers not give up but continue fighting so that their plight can be heard.

He appealed to government to sort out the problems of NCZ once and for all stating that government’s release of funds to the company in piece meal was not solving anything.

The meeting which was attended by hundreds of workers was characterized by heavy presence of police and paramilitary officers in riot gear and gas canisters to maintain order in the event of any riotous behavior by the workers.

The workers demanded that government pays them off their terminal benefits saying they are tired of going to the streets every time they are not funded for production and salaries.

They lamented that many of them have become destitutes and are no longer able to sponsor their children to school.

The workers expressed fears that National Housing Authority (NHA) will anytime start reposing houses from them as the company has failed to buy the houses on their behalf due to lack of funds.

ZANIS/BS/MKENDS

United Party for National Development (UPND) has called upon Government to immediately re-capitalise Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia in order to mitigate the local fertiliser prices.

UPND Chairperson for Information and Publicity Charles Kakoma said re-capitalizing NCZ is inevitable following the increase in world prices of fertiliser by more than 300 per cent as announced in the international media recently.

This is contained in a media statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Kakoma noted that NCZ is a strategic institution for the development of the country’s agriculture sector.

He said although the Government has no control on the world prices of raw materials for the manufacture of fertiliser, there is need for it to quickly find a solution to the rising fertiliser prices as most peasant farmers cannot afford to buy the commodity at the newly announced prices.

Mr. Kakoma said the UPND is concerned with the manner in which the ruling MMD government is addressing the agriculture sector at the time the world is faced with the challenge of increased food prices.

He said President Levy Mwanawasa’s government should make decisive steps to ensure that Zambian farmers have affordable inputs that would help them keep food prices low.

Mr. Kakoma has also urged Government to quickly resolve and take into consideration the plight of NCZ workers and retirees believed not to have been paid their dues.

He said Government should always ensure that institutions such as NCZ are recapitalized in order for farmers to benefit from relatively cheaper fertiliser and to ensure that its workers in Kafue District have employment to enable them support their families.

ZANIS/ENDS/CM/CLM

Voting in the Milanzi parliamentary by-election in Katete district in Eastern province is progressing well, with over 900 people having voted by 09:00 hours this morning.

A check by ZANIS in over seven polling stations found hundreds of people anxiously queuing up to cast their votes despite the cold weather.

At around 09:00 hours, 300 had cast their votes at Kagoro Basic polling station, 233 at Dole basic school polling station, 150 at Kawaza, 130 at Kafumbwe basic school and 98 at Chimbundire polling station.

The number of registered voters at Dole polling station is 646 but only 233 had voted by 11:00hours, while Kagoro polling station has 722 where 300 people had cast their votes by 11:00 hours.

Kawaza polling station has 438 voters in the register but only 150 had cast their votes by 10:00 hours.

Voting closes at 18:00 hours this evening.

The Milanzi constituency seat fell vacant in March this after the death of Dr. Chosani Njovu of the United National Independence Party (UNIP).

Political parties contesting the seat include the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Patriotic Front (PF), United National Independence Party (UNIP), United Party for National Development (UPND), All People’s Congress party (APC) and the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).

Milanzi constituency has 19,700 registered voters and 40 polling stations.

ZANIS/LN/KSH/ENDS

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have maintained that the presidential run-off election set for June 27 is still on, and have since dismissed Morgan Tsvangirai’s withdrawal from the race.

ZEC chairperson Justice George Chiweshe told journalists that it was too late for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader to pull out of the election.

Chiweshe said the Commission met earlier in the day to deliberate on the issue, following the submission of the withdrawal letter by Tsvangirai on Tuesday.

‘It was unanimously agreed that the withdrawal had inter alia been filed well out of time and for that reason the withdrawal was of no legal effect.

‘Accordingly, the Commission does not recognize the purported withdrawal and is therefore proceeding with the presidential run-off election as planned,’ he said.

Chiweshe said ballot papers had since been printed and dispatched.
Tsvangirai, who is pitted against Zanu PF candidate President Robert Mugabe in the election, withdrew from the election, citing various reasons.

In his arguments for the pullout, the opposition leader said obtaining conditions, among them, political violence and intimidation, made it difficult to hold a free and fair poll.

Following the withdrawal statements, Justice Chiweshe told observers and other stakeholders on Monday that the country would still hold credible elections despite the various incidences of political violence that occurred.
“We do not have a war in the country, generally there is peace,” he said.

“You never have an election (anywhere in the world) that is 100 percent perfect and I believe we can hold a free and fair election.”
He said the Commission was ready for the election as logistics had been put in place.

The Friday run-off election follows failure by both candidates to garner a majority vote in the harmonised elections held on March 29.

Three by-elections are also to be held on the same day.
New Ziana/ZANIS/MK

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa says he remains committed to fighting vices such as corruption that frustrate government’s efforts of improving the national economy.

Dr Mwanawasa said he will continue with the crusade against corruption in order to secure a stable environment for the implementation of developmental projects.

He said the crusade has helped the country regain investor confidence in various sectors of the economy especially in the mining sector, and increased donor aid in the education and health sectors.

In view of the prevailing environment for investments, Dr. Mwanawasa said government has embarked on mineral and oil exploration in selected parts of the country.

ZANIS reports that The President said government is spending substantive financial resources on exploiting natural resources for improved economic activities that are aimed at alleviating poverty.

Dr Mwanawasa further stated his return to active politics in 2001 was intended to improve transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.

Meanwhile the president has called for the quick completion on rehabilitation of Kagoro basic school for which government released K19 Billion for the project.

He expressed concern with the slow pace at which rehabilitation works are going on at the school.

Dr Mwanawasa also expressed disappointment with Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) for wanting to insist on carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project when, the school has in fact existed since 1943.

He said the money that the ECZ expected the school to pay in form of study fees could be used for other projects at the school.

The president directed the minister of education professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa to ensure the quick completion of rehabilitation works at the school.

Dr Mwanawasa said his emphasize on free education to be compulsory for all children in the country was aimed at ensuring that all children receive better education as was the case in the past.

Dr. Mwanawasa who this afternoon completed his three day visit to Katete is tomorrow expected to attend the burial of vice president Rupiah Banda’s late mother Sara Zulu in Chipata and later return to Lusaka.

He was in Katete to drum up support for MMD parliamentary candidate Reuben Banda for tomorrow’s Milanzi Bye Election.

The Seat which is being contested By UPND, UNIP, ACP,PF and FDD fell vacant after the death of Chosani Njovu of UNIP.

ZANIS/HN/LN/SJK/MK/ENDS