A United Liberal Party official in Kafue says the party will not take the invitation by UPND to join the party seriously because the UPND has not changed for the better from the time, Anderson Mazoka, died.

ULP Southern Province Vice Chairman, Manda Mwansa, has charged that UPND President, Hakainde Hichilema, is being unrealist by inviting ULP to join UPND and form one party.

Speaking in an interview in Kafue today, Mr Mwansa said that UPND has not shown any remorse for the violence, corruption and tribalism some members of the party have allegedly exhibited since the demise of late leaders Mazoka.

Mr Mwansa instead advised Mr Hichilema to consider joining ULPsaid it is Hakainde who should join ULP as he has allegedly exhibited desperation to work with ULP leader Sakwiba Sikota.

He said Mr Sakwiba has leadership attributes necessary for leading a nation.

He accused Mr Hichilema of having destroyed UPND by appointing more of his tribesmen to run affairs of the party.

Mr Mwansa also disclosed that more than 200 cadres have defected from UPND to join ULP because the party has lost vision based on principles and integrity.

ZANIS/BS/CMM/ENDS/SJK

The Copperbelt Provincial Office says there is need for more information on the Chambishi Multi Facility Economic Zone (M-phase project), if the local people were to understand what the project was all about.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Jennipher Musonda said there was need for more information on the project to be availed to the people
for them to understand it.

The Permanent Secretary said this would also enable her office to take up the issues and explain competently to the people.

She said this yesterday when the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs which had gone to Chambishi to assess M phase project, paid a courtesy call on her at her office.

Mrs Musonda said she was impressed that the Committee had made an effort to check on the project to gather information about it.

And speaking earlier, Committee Chairperson Given Lubinda said that there was need for the managers of the M-Phase project to build closer relationship with the community.

He pointed out that the Committee observed that there was so much investment in Chambishi that needed to be exploited to develop the area.

Mr. Lubinda has since urged managers of the M-Phase project which kicked off a few months ago to share information with major stakeholders and the people on the ground, because its success depended on them.

The Committee was expected to hold a meeting with management of Non Ferros Africa Mining Company (NFC), the company spearheading the project but could not because the General Manager Tao Xianghu and his deputy Zan Baossen were out of the country.

Chambishi on the Copperbelt has been earmarked for an economic zone and the project is expected to culminate into diverse investment.
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A 23- year- old bus conductor died on the spot when a Lusaka bound Combs coach services Scania bus allegedly ran over him.

The Eastern Province Police chief explained that it is alleged that the late Victor Sichula was leaning against the door of the bus whilst it was moving and as the bus driver tried to avoid hitting into potholes the door opened pushing the bus conductor out. He said it was at this moment that the rear left wheels run-over him leaving him dead.

Mr. Mundene wondered why the deceased decided to stand by the door side when the bus was not full as it had only 34 passengers on board.

He said depending on the outcome of Police investigations, the driver of the bus will be arrested and charged for the offence of dangerous driving.

Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has urged political parties participating in the forthcoming Milanzi by-election to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid violence.

Mr. Mateyo, in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said political parties participating in the by-election must keep in mind that violence will not be allowed as a way of enticing or forcing voters to vote for preferred candidates.

He disclosed that the commanding officer for paramilitary battalion senior assistant commissioner of police Peacewell Mweemba and his officers have already been dispatched to Milanzi for the purpose of reinforcing the already existing manpower in Milanzi constituency.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mateyo has directed the police on the Copperbelt to tighten security at Chililabombwe stadium in view of the impending international soccer match between Zambia and Swaziland on Saturday this weekend.

Mr. Mateyo said football cuts across national boundaries and any form of violence or conduct that instills fear will not be accepted because the results will be determined on the pitch.

He added that he has directed that offices assigned to police the stadium both in and outside are only given long and short buttons and should ensure that unnecessary congestion inside the stadium does not arise.

“I have no doubt that enough police human resource will be available in order to address areas of conflict, should need arise,” he said.

The Zambian Government yesterday launched the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Integrated Development Plan, KAZA, aimed at enhancing the growth of the tourism sector in the Southern African region.

Speaking shortly after the launch of the programme Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Michael Kaingu, said the launch of the integrated plan will significantly assist in the attainment of the social, economic and environmental goals set by the Zambian government.

He cited Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola, Botswana and Zambia as key countries to benefit immensely from the KAZA integrated plan.

He said the move to sign the Memorandum of understanding was also aimed at improving the living standards of people in both Western and Southern provinces of the country respectively.

Mr Kaingu said the KAZA integrated plan will target three national parks that include Mosi-o-tunya, Kafue and Sioma-Ngwezi national parks respectively.

He cited infrastructure development such as roads, airports, hotels and the Private Public Partnership (PPP) as some of the extra remedial measures that the government has put in place to facilitate the growth of the tourism sector.

Mr Kaingu challenged entrepreneurs in the country to seriously invest in the sector by other developing places with attractive features such as water falls.

He said Zambia was still an attractive tourist destination with variety of unique tourism products that other countries did not have which he said needed to be exploited.

Mr Kaingu said ZTB should make the 2010 Soccer World Cup slated for South Africa and the 2011 All African Games to be held in Zambia a marketing tool for the development of the country’s tourism sector.

He also disclosed that his ministry is in the process of coming up with the carnival type of tourism that would enable the country to market its tourism potential meaningfully to other regions.

And speaking earlier at the launch of the KAZA programme, Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people of Southern Province pledged total support to the KAZA integrated plan and assured government of his subjects support to the programme.

Chief Mukuni said the successful launch of the programme will play a paramount role in the transformation of the Livingstone city and other surrounding areas as it would help in boasting Zambia’s tourism potential to greater heights.

He further urged his subjects to support the government plan in an effort to enhance tourism development and employment creation for the people.

Mozambique High Commissioner to Zambia, Maria Mate, says the reconciliation between President Mwanawasa and Patriotic Front (PF) president, Michael Sata is not only good for Zambia but a shining example other leaders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region should emulate.

High Commissioner Mate said the reconciliation should be encouraged for the purpose of promoting peace and unity in Zambia and the entire SADC region.

“The reconciliation between President Mwanawasa and Mr Michael Sata is a good thing and a shining example in the region because it is based on SADC principles of promoting peace and reconciliation,” Ms Mate said.

She was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when she paid a courtesy call on Lusaka Province Minister, Lameck Mangani at his office.

The reconciliation of the two leaders would help to promote peace and unity in the country.
She appealed to Zambians to rally behind the two leaders.

Earlier, Ms Mate described the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa as criminal and a sad development to the SADC region.

She said the attacks should not be encouraged because they were a recipe for civil unrest in the SADC region.

“Mozambique had to evacuate 40, 000 of its nationals that were caught up in the xenophobic attacks in South Africa. What happened was a sad development and we shall wait for the judgment,” she said.

In another development, Ms Mate called for exchange visits between provincial government administrations in Eastern and Lusaka provinces in Zambia and those of Tete Province in Mozambique.

She said such visits would help the exchange of ideas aimed at improving the welfare of the people living along the border areas.

“I recently travelled to Luangwa, Katete and Petauke to check on the health centres in areas where the two countries share the border. There is a pending trip of health officials from Zambia to Mozambique to look at these issues,” he said.

And Mr Mangani called for the strengthening of the cordial bilateral relations that have existed between the two countries.

Zambia and Mozambique had a lot in common especially regarding the people on the common border.

The provincial minister said exchange visits would help to improve the welfare of people in border areas.
“People of Zambia and Mozambique have a lot of things in common especially those in Eastern Province and such trips will help a lot.

We have to improve the health centres in border towns for the benefit of people from the two countries.

The minister later held a private meeting with the High Commissioner for 30 minutes.

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