President Mwanawasa has appealed to the ruling and opposition party leaders in Zimbabwe to embrace the virtue of humility in charting the future of their beloved country that they rightly reclaimed from the colonial masters after a long and bloody liberation war.

Officially opening the Summit at Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre today, President says the extraordinary Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Summit is not intended to put Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on trial over the current political situation in that country.

Dr Mwanawasa who is also SADC Chairperson said SADC can not continue to standby and do nothing when one of its members was experiencing political and economic difficult.

Dr Mwanawasa said SADC can not continue to standby and do nothing when one of its members was experiencing political and economic difficult.

‘’It would be unwise for a neighbour or neighbours to turn a blind eye when another neighbour’s house is on fire’’.

The SADC Chairperson who is also Zambia’s President said the region was at pains to see the fruits of the Zimbabwean independence struggle endangered as a result of political differences among political parties.

President Mwanawasa said that the Zimbabweans should put national interest above all the other interests and to take judicious decisions that would make Zimbabwe, the region and Africa proud.

He further said the Zimbabwean leaders should make these decisions fully aware that at critical times, great men and women have take bold steps for the benefit of posterity.

‘’That critical time has come for them and that time must be seized now’’, he said.

President Mwanawasa said SADC concern hinges on the failure by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the results of the presidential elections which has given rise to a climate of tension in that country.

The situation has further been aggravated by the inability of the High Court of Zimbabwe to determine the matter speedily following opposition MDC’s appeal to compel ZEC to announce the results.

Dr Mwanawasa said this situation has left Zimbabweans, the SADC region and the international community in the dark as to who won the recent Zimbabwe elections.

The extraordinary Summit in Lusaka convened to address the post election impasse in Zimbabwe is being attended
eight Heads of State namely South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Edwardo Dos Santos of Angola, Mozambique’s Armando Guebuza, Malawi’s Mbingu Wa Mutharika and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Others are Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba, Ian Khama of Botswana and host President who is also SADC Chairman Levy Mwanawasa.

President Mugabe is represented by a delegation of three ministers who include Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengege, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Rural and Social Amenities Minister Emmerson Munangagwa.

Opposition leader Morgan Tshivangirai who arrived in the morning is also in attendance.

And Dr Mwanawasa who hailed the Heads of State for responding to his call at short notice noted that their presence was a clear testimony of their unwavering commitment to the achievement of the objectives of the regional body.

He urged the Heads of State to discuss the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe in an open, objective and honest manner.

‘’This Summit, therefore should focus on helping Zimbabwe to find an answer that genuinely reflects the will of the people. I have no doubt in my mind that the presence of the Zimbabwean leadership at this SADC extraordinary meeting attests to their disposition to heed our advice and their willingness to steer the country out of the current situation’’, President Mwanawasa said.

‘’The challenge before us is that we should identify ways and means of assisting our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters in finding a solution which will be acceptable to the people of Zimbabwe and all parties involved in the recent elections’’.

President Mwanawasa explained that SADC‘s intervention is anchored on the pursuit of two objectives of the regional body namely to promote common political values, systems and other shared values which are transmitted through institutions that are democratic, legitimate and effective.

In addition, he said the intervention is premised on the need to consolidate, defend and maintain democracy, peace, security and stability.

He expressed confidence that the Summit will successfully achieve its objective given the good will portrayed by the people of Zimbabwe and the region.

The SADC Heads of State have since gone into a closed door session which will culminate in the release of a communiqué on its stance over Zimbabwe.

And American Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez said the political situation in Zimbabwe should be addressed amicably without violence and intimidation on the people.

Ms Carmen who commended Zambia for holding the extraordinary Summit said Africa should have solutions to its problems hence the SADC region was key in finding solutions to the situation in Zimbabwe.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has arrived in Lusaka, Zambia for this afternoon’s extra-ordinary summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to discuss the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

President Mbeki, who has led mediation efforts between the two Zimbabwean sides since last year through the “quiet diplomacy” approach, arrived at Lusaka International at 14:05 hours on board a South African Air Force plane.

He was received by Commerce, Trade and Industry minister Felix Mutati and other senior government officials.

In route to Lusaka, President Mbeki made a stopover in Zimbabwe where he met with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Despite growing tensions, Mr Mbeki is alleged to have maintained that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza arrived in Lusaka for the extra-ordinary summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to discuss the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe has risen to five.

President Guebuza’s presidential plane touched down at Lusaka International Airport at 13:15 hours and was received by Agriculture and Cooperatives minister Sarah Sayifwanda.

He followed President of Angola Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS who arrived at about 13:00 hours and was received by Transport and Communications Minister Dora Siliya.

Others that have arrived include President of Botswana Lieutenant General Seretse Ian Khama. Lieutenant General Seretse Ian Khama arrived in the country at Lusaka International Airport at 08:30 hours.

He was received by Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja, Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani, Lands minister Bradford Machila, Information Deputy Minister David Phiri and other senior government officials

This marks the first assignment that the Botswana leader is undertaking after he replaced President Festus Mogae who stepped down one year before the end of his term. Mr. Mogae had served 10 years as head of state, the maximum allowed by law.
Botswana’s new president is a former army commander and lieutenant-general who entered politics 10 years ago, after leaving the military.

He was elected to parliament in 1998. He moved quickly up through the hierarchy, first as minister of presidential affairs and public administration and subsequently as vice president and party chairman.

He was followed by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila whose presidential plane touched down at Lusaka International Airport at 11: 30 hours.

The DRC leader was received by Labour and Social Security Minister Ronald Mukuma, Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja, Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani, Lands minister Bradford Machila, Information Deputy Minister David Phiri and other senior government officials

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika and Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba have also since arrived.

The duo who arrived separately between 11:40 hours and 12:00 hours were received by Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja and other senior government officials.

Meanwhile it is believed that Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai has arrived in the country for the extra-ordinary summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

Airport sources told ZANIS that the MDC leader arrived around mid day, away from the eyes of the press, shortly after the arrival of the Botswana leader aboard a private plane and was immediately whisked away.

Lusaka International Airport is a hive of activities as Zambia is today hosting an extra-ordinary summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to discuss the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

Members of the 14-member regional grouping are meeting in Lusaka to discuss Zimbabwe’s post-election impasse. The summit comes amid growing pressure on that country’s electoral commission to release the results of the presidential poll held two weeks ago.

The SADC is expected to debate on ways and means of assisting the people of Zimbabwe over the current impasse, following the 29 March elections, as well as adopt a coordinated approach to the situation in that country.

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has since congratulated President Mwanawasa, the SADC chair, and SADC for the move to convene the extra-ordinary summit of the regional grouping to discuss the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

The UN chief has described the convening of the summit as a timely initiative to help Zimbabwe overcome its post-electoral crisis through peaceful means.

“The secretary-general is concerned that the situation in Zimbabwe could deteriorate if there is no prompt action to resolve this impasse,” UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe has said.

Mr Ban Ki-moon’s predecessor, Kofi Annan, has also called for the SADC leaders to push for a peaceful and just solution to the impasse in Zimbabwe.

Mr. Annan has said SADC leaders have a grave responsibility to act and act not only because of the negative spillover effects on the region, but also to ensure that democracy, human rights and the rule of law are respected.

He warned that Zimbabwe was standing on the brink.

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai has been touring southern African countries, urging leaders to put pressure on Mr. Mugabe to step down.

He says he won the vote outright and has refused to take part in any second, run-off presidential poll with Mr. Mugabe.

In the parliamentary vote also held on 29 March, Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF lost its majority in the House of Assembly for the first time since independence.

Mr. Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) President Morgan Tsvangirai have been invited to the Extra Ordinary SADC Summit to be held in Lusaka – Saturday.

Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, John Musukuma said media reports suggesting that Mr. Tsvangirai has not been invited are incorrect.

Mr. Musukuma said this in a statement made available to ZNBC News.

He says the Extra Ordinary Summit which will take place at Mulungushi International Conference Centre will be opened by Presidetn Mwanawasa, the current SADC Chairperson.

Mr. Musukuma said this will be followed by closed sessions of the SADC Heads of state from member countries.

He said a final communique’ will be issued at the end of the summit.

And Mr. Musukuma said the Extra Ordinary Summit will be preceded by an Extra Ordinary meeting of the Ministerial committee on SDAC organs on Politics, defence and Security.

He said this will be followed by another meeting of the ministerial committee of the SADC Organ on Zimbabwe.

The summit has been called by President Mwanawasa as SADC chairman to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe following the March 29 poll, whose results are yet to be announced.

National Constitutional Conference-NCC Spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis has called upon Zambians to be determined to have a good constitution.

Mrs. Zaloumis said constitution making is a process that should not be rushed but demands commitment and determination for good results to be achieved.

Mrs. Zaloumis pointed out that there is hope that this time around Zambia will set a good example in Africa by having a good constitution because of the process that has been
employed.

She was speaking during a phone in programme on Oblate Liseli Radio in Mongu today.

Asked when the NCC would deliver the constitution to Zambians, Mrs. Zaloumis said, the NCC is determined to work and produce a good constitution and not to just hurry the process.

She noted that many countries that have hurried the process have ended up in trouble saying because constitution making is both political and legal.

She pointed out that the NCC is developing a constitution that will not be shot down in many generations to come.

And a number of callers expressed concern over the Barotseland Agreement demanding to know the position of the NCC.

Mrs. Zaloumis explained that the Barotseland Agreement has been the centre talk by the people of Western province saying the document has been presented to members of the NCC to read and debate when they begin their sittings.

And Mrs. Zaloumis explained that the allowances awarded to members of the NCC was not even enough compared to the USD 10,000 allowances that their Kenyan counterparts were
getting.

She noted that the much talked about allowances were not even any where near the USD50, 000 that their Nigerian counterparts were getting.

The NCC Spokesperson explained that it is unfortunate that some sections of society have concentrated on talking about the allowances at the expense of looking at having a good constitution.

She said cheap is not always the best saying quality was expensive.

The NCC has embarked on a country wide sensitization tour on the NCC mandate and its operations among others which will continue during the NCC life span.

The National Constitution Conference (NCC) has embarked on a countrywide sensitization drive of core representatives and stakeholders on the NCC.

NCC Spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis told ZANIS in Mongu today that the countrywide tour of districts is aimed at discussing various issues pertaining to the NCC and the constitution making process.

Mrs. Zaloumis said the sensitization process will involve meeting and explaining in greater detail to stakeholders such as government officials, community leaders, various professionals, among others, pertinent issues concerning the NCC and the constitution making process.

She said public participation in constitution making is vital hence the resolve by the NCC to strive to have everyone understand the mandate of the NCC.

Mrs. Zaloumis said by so doing the people will be better informed and would hence actively participate in the constitution making process.

She however noted that among the challenges the NCC team will meet during the exercise is the high levels of misunderstanding of the constitution by some people.

Mrs. Zaloumis also said people may think the whole exercise is an absolute waste of time but she pointed out that constitution making is time-consuming and is an expensive undertaking.

She explained that Zambia was in fact striving to undertake the task in the most inexpensive manner.

And speaking when Mrs. Zaloumis paid a courtesy call on him, Western Province Minister Adonis Mufalali hailed the NCC for undertaking the countrywide sensitization drive.

Mr. Mufalali pointed out that people in the Province needed to understand what the NCC was and what its mandate is.

ENDS/CBM/AM/ZANIS

Government has given the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) a six weeks ultimatum to start disbursing the citizen economic empowerment funds to the intended recipients.

Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Felix Mutati said the process of disbursing funds by the commission should be speeded up so that people do not lose hope in the commission.

Mr. Mutati noted that there is need for the CEEC to start working out modalities and publish the guidelines on how the citizen should access the funds.

He advised the CEEC to come up with a strategy of reaching out to all parts of country and ensure that the fund is accessible to all beneficiaries within six weeks.

Speaking at the launch of CEEC Company Logo, the Minister ordered the commission to ensure that they start disbursing the funds before it holds any other gatherings like workshops, seminars among others.

He said he did not want to see a situation were he will start explaining what the CEEC is all about when parliament resumes sitting in June.

Meanwhile, Government has implored the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the economic funds.

Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry Felix Mutati says the Commission should further ensure that the funds are accessible by all the targeted beneficiaries in the country.

Mr. Mutati explained that the economic funds should not be treated as a Bank loan or grant but be seen as a grant meant for empowering the local citizens so that they can contribute to national development.

He noted that the collateral and payment terms should be flexible and not discourage people to apply for the funds.

Mr. Mutati said government has pledged its support to ensure that people are economically empowered for the betterment of their lives.

He stressed that people want to see transformation of funds from policy to implementation.

The Minister was speaking in Lusaka today when he officiated at the launch of CEEC Organisation Logo.

And speaking earlier, CEEC Commissioner Dillon Chipungu said the Organisation aims at changing the way business is conducted in the country.

Mr. Chipungu said the Commission remains committed to promote economic transformation in order to increase the participation of Zambian citizens in the economic activities of the country.

Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe will attend an emergency meeting of regional leaders on the presidential poll delay in Lusaka.

The BBC reports that his Deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga said that if there is a SADC meeting, President Mugabe will definitely be there.

The opposition said its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election outright.

It has accused the government of using the delay to engineer a second-round victory for Mr. Mugabe.

President Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the 14-nation Sadc grouping, called the emergency meeting for Saturday.

Zambia’s Information Minister Mike Mulongoti told the BBC that Mr. Mugabe’s presence would not necessarily be helpful.

The Movement for Democratic Change’s leader, Mr. Tsvangirai, is touring Southern Africa in a bid to get regional leaders to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to announce the results of the presidential election.

Patriotic Front Councillors in Kasama yesterday boycotted a meeting called by Kasama Central Member of Parliament Xavier Chishimba to discuss the disbursement of K260 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for 2006 and 2007 respectively.

The councillors, who included Kasama Mayor, Sebastian Chipope, maintained that they do not recognize Dr. Chishimba as MP because he was an expelled party member.

They said they had nothing to discuss with the embattled MP whom they accused of frustrating developmental programmes in the district.

The councillors said they would continue to uphold their party’s directive not to entertain Dr. Chishimba’s manoeuvres to win back support from PF members after his expulsion from the party.

But Dr. Chishimba dismissed his purported expulsion from the PF and vowed to continue executing his duties as Kasama Central Member of Parliament.

The MP described the councillors’ actions to shun his proposed meeting on the disbursement of CDF as retrogressive, and warned that they risked becoming irrelevant to the development of his constituency if they do not change their attitudes.

Dr Chishimba also accused the councillors of having vested interests in the allocations of resources to beneficiaries in his constituency, saying the clubs earmarked to benefit from the CDF were just formed a few weeks before the funds were aportined.

He further said he would go ahead and constitute a new committee to oversee the disbursement of the K260 million CDF which was lying idle in commercial banks in order to spearhead development in his constituency.