By REBECCA CHILESHEPATRIOTIC Front (PF) president, Michael Sata, says the party will not punish any of its 27 members of Parliament for participating in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) but those who have committed other offences will face penalties.

Mr Sata said in an interview on Monday that the PF was not worried about members who had defied instructions to shun the NCC because the party had more important issues than the NCC.

“As far as the PF is concerned, the NCC is a dead issue.

The party is not worried about our colleagues who are defying their own decisions by taking part in the conference,” Mr Sata said.

He said only those MPs who knew they had gone against the PF constitution should be worried about what would happen to them.

He said the MPs should not panic but just go ahead and “enjoy” the allowances from the NCC.

He said the MPs should not even have bothered to go to court over the NCC because the court was not a disciplinary committee of the PF.

He said by taking part in the conference, the MPs were merely giving the party a chance to re-organise itself and to bring in more competent people.

Mr Sata said he regretted having embraced Luapula MP, Peter Machungwa and Bangweulu MP, Joseph Kasongo, who he said had brought confusion in the party.

He alleged that Dr Machungwa, who came from the Party for Unity Democracy and Development (PUDD), was instrumental in destabilising the PF, even before he joined it.

“We are actually reaping where we sowed.

We did not listen when people warned us about the characters of some of these people,” Mr Sata said.

We knew that some of the people who were joining us from PUDD and Forum for Democracy and Development such as Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka and Major Celestino Chibamba did not mean well.”

He said the party had difficulties selling Mrs Chitika-Mulobeka, Major Chibamba and Ernest Mwansa to the people in their respective constituencies during last year’s general elections.

Mr Sata said he had to plead with chiefs and the people to accept some of the candidates the PF fielded.

He said the party’s NEC would soon meet to find a new chairperson for elections to replace Mr Mwansa who was removed from his position last week.

Mr Sata said once a replacement for Mr Mwansa was found, that person would draw up a programme for elections to usher in new leaders.

The PF president said he was pleased that the party was now going to get better leaders because it had “more intelligent and loyal leaders” than the 27 MPs combined.

He said it was just as well the PF did not form government because some of the MPs who had “betrayed” the party would have been ministers.

He said people in the provinces had already started campaigning for new leaders to take over the various positions that have fallen vacant.

But Dr Machungwa, the spokesperson for the 27 MPs, said he would not comment on the allegations made against him by his party president.

Dr Machungwa also advised PF spokesperson, Given Lubinda, not to be personal when dealing with party issues.

He said Mr Lubinda was behaving as though he was “more PF” than other members yet he was also just appointed by Mr Sata.

He was reacting to a statement by Mr Lubinda that Dr Machungwa must produce minutes of the meeting where party leaders resolved to incite party cadres to rise against the 27 MPs.
[Zambia Daily Mail]

 A SPLINTER Catholic Church called the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Zambia has been launched with Archbishop-elect, Luciano Mbewe, calling for more priests to join the church and fulfill their God-given role by marrying.
Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) spokesperson, Paul Samasumo, said in reaction that he did not have much information about the newly formed church but was aware that the Catholic bishops in Zambia would preside over the matter next month.
Father Samasumo said in an interview in Lusaka that the newly formed church had created parallel structures in the Roman Catholic Church and could not claim to be part of the Church.
Archbishop Mbewe said during the launch of the new church which has strong links with excommunicated prelate Emmanuel Milingo that the hour had come for priests in the Roman Catholic Church to start marrying and taking care of their forsaken children.
Archbishop Mbewe who is also the apostolic administrator of the new church said over the years most priests had laboured quietly and prudently to advocate for the restoration of married priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
Archbishop Mbewe said during the ceremony held at Peace Embassy that there were moments that the priests hoped the restoration of married priests would be made
possible.
Other church leaders who had since been co-opted in the church attended the lunch.
“We feel duty bound now to found our own Catholic church, an independent Catholic church where we can truly enjoy the freedom enjoyed by children of God. It should surprise no one to hear of yet another Catholic church,” he said.
Archbishop Mbewe said there were other independent churches that came into existence especially in the 1870 AD when some bishops broke away from Rome over the issue of Papal infallibility.
He said freedom of worship as enshrined in the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) charters stipulated that it was an inalienable right to found churches and worship God without any interference from any quarter.
Archbishop Mbewe who served as a Roman Catholic priest for over 17 years said the problem of mandatory and compulsory celibacy for priests in the Roman Catholic Church was crucial.
He said profound pain and suffering had been caused to priests as a result of celibacy and that most of this pain and suffering was uncalled for.
He said the celibacy found in the Bible was not compulsory but optional. Archbishop Mbewe said Jesus Christ refused to make celibacy compulsory but left it optional.
“The majority of these priests and bishops do not have this gift, they are like the majority of humanity and they deserve to marry and still continue to minister to God’s people,” he said.
Archbishop Mbewe said it was a known fact that nearly all the apostles to Jesus and the first Pope, Peter were married and so were the other 28 Popes as the Holy Bible stated that being accompanied by a wife in the ministry was not a minus but a great asset.
He said celibacy was made compulsory in the 12th Century for dubious reasons but it was never accepted in practice.
He said the priests and bishops resisted the man-made law and they appeared celibate in public yet privately they were going out with women, a scenario, which he said even prevailed today.
Archbishop Mbewe said the celibacy issue had led to some priests contracting HIV/AIDs.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Mbewe said the church should work with the Government of the day. He said days are gone when the Church was the enemy of the State.

[Times of Zambia]

The Catholic Church in Zambia says it will take legal action against a break away church which is using its name. Zambia Episcopal Conference, ZEC, Spokesperson, Father Paul Samasumo said the new religious group has no right to use the name of Catholic church. Fr. Samasuno said ZEC is currently consulting its lawyers with a view of taking action to restrain the new group from using the name of the Catholic Church. He told ZNBC news, that the Catholic Church respects the law which allows formation of churches but cannot allow its name to be used by other groups. Tuesday, a break away group from the catholic church, launched a church in Zambia – called the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Zambia. Archbishop elect and apostolic administrator Reverend, Luciano Mbewe announced the launch of the church. Meanwhile Chief Government Spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti said the launch of the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Zambia is retrogressive.[ZNBC]

Social networking sites could eventually eliminate entirely the need for the offline socialising that has become the cornerstone of the festive season.Most people have heard of Facebook but there are plenty of rivals vying for its crown. The BBC News website dips into some of the more interesting alternatives in a bid to make sure that no-one need be lonely this Christmas. HABBO Users create avatars and collect furniture A good one for the teenagers as this virtual environment was created specifically for that age group. The community was launched back in 2000 and combined the idea of a chatroom with an online game. It has recently had a makeover to improve access to personal pages, friends and groups and bring it more up to date for the generation most at home on social networking sites. It allows users to create their own personalised Habbo character and dress it with accessories, including hats, belts, jewellery and facial hair, as well as gas masks, paper bags and hairstyles. Users can also buy furniture to put in the various rooms it creates within the virtual hotel using credits bought with real-life currency Earlier this month it teamed up with Greenpeace to see what its members thought about global warming. Some 50,000 teenagers filled in the survey and 74% rated global warming as their biggest concern, ahead of drugs, war or violence. The site now has, of July this year, more than 82m registered characters. According to Nielsen/NetRatings Habbo attracted an audience of 292,000 from the UK during the month of October. PERFSPOT Perfspot is aimed at university students and young professionals Perfspot is a social networking site geared toward university students and young professionals, and its ethos is based on the desire to obtain a “perf” life. It offers most of the usual features of social networking, including newsfeeds, customisable profile options and the option of linking photos to other users’ profiles plus unlimited space to upload images and videos. It hit the headlines in the late summer, becoming the fastest growing social networking site. In the months April to August 2007 it grew a massive 756%, compared to Facebook’s 541% growth. As the UK’s fastest growing brand this year it is a good illustration of how social networks can come out of nowhere if they hit the right note with users. FREECYCLE Freecycle aims to reduce rubbish in landfill If you have an interest in the environment and like the idea of reusing other people’s junk, or have unwanted Christmas presents that you want to recycle then Freecycle could be for you. The non-profit network is based on the premise that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and is about harnessing the power of the internet to connect communities and ‘gift’ each other everyday objects that they no longer want. It is a global network made up of over 4,000 groups. It now has in excess of four million members, and is adding 25,000 new members each week. Each group is moderated by a local volunteer and the main thrust of it is to “reuse and keep good stuff out of landfills”. Each city has a unique e-mail group and anyone living in the area is welcome to post items to be given away or seek

[BBC]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Members of Parliament participating in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) have accused the party’s leadership of inciting cadres to rise against them for taking part in the meetings.
But PF chairman for information and publicity, Given Lubinda challenged those making the allegations to report the said leaders to the police as inciting cadres to rise against them was a criminal offence.
Spokesperson for the MPs participating in the NCC deliberations, Peter Machungwa said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that PF cadres were being asked to raise complaints and charges against the MPs to justify the imposition of disciplinary measures against them.
Dr Machungwa said the rising against the MPs had already started in Bwana Mkubwa Constituency in Ndola, Kasama Central and Lukashya Constituencies.
He said such stage-managed activities would create a rift within the party and weaken the PF. He said the activities were also contemptuous in the light of the injunction granted to MPs taking part in the NCC.
“Under the circumstances we appeal to our colleagues masterminding these activities to be mindful of the greater interest of our party and the Zambian people in general. We have not instructed our lawyers to begin contempt proceedings because we are hoping that they would reason. We are taking a reconciliatory path,” Dr Machungwa said.
Mr Lubinda said for leaders to be accused of inciting cadres, Dr Machungwa and others were in a way branding the PF leadership of being anarchists and should therefore be reported to police.
“Let them furnish the police with evidence so that the police can investigate which leaders are inciting cadres. Every Zambian has the right to complain when their MP is not doing the right thing. If people are unsatisfied with the MP what has that got to do with the party leadership?” Mr Lubinda asked.

FORMER Republican President Frederick Chiluba has said he has no personal differences with businessman Rajan Mathani but decided to terminate their relationship because the latter became greedy after being helped in his business deals. Dr Chiluba insisted that the Government was still giving Finance Bank preferential treatment against other banks, which he said were better and well established.

Government says it is ready to partner with the American government in the fight against corruption under the Millennium Challenge Account progarmme.

Attoney General, Mumba Malilia says the joint threshold project between the government of Zambia and the American government is to collaborate with the private sector and civil society through the threshold country plan to implement key reforms and build capacity for good governance.

Mr Malila said this during the official launch of the Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) Advocay and Legal Advice centre ALAC,in Lusaka last night.

He said ALAC is a new initiative which marks a giant step in the fight against corruption for Zambia and the entire continent.

The attorney general further noted that ALAC will provide a free charge avenue for members of the public to report corruption , seek advice and create confidence in those seeking solutions.

Mr Malila observed that his office remained open to constructive dialogue with stakeholders on how to entrench a comprehensive and robust fight against corrution by promoting good governance.

Speaking eariler, Anti-Corruption Commission ACC, Deputy Director General Ms Rosewin Wandi said the fight against corruption can not be effectively waged by the ACC alone but requires concerted efforts from all sectors in the country.

Ms Wandi noted that ALAC has the potential to contribute to the prevention and combating of corruption in Zambia.

She further noted that the advocacy centre can productively carry the message of corruption prevention to the entire population as staff can inform and educate the citizens about the negative effects of corruption.

And Transparency International Zambia,TIZ president Ruben Lifuka, said ALAC chapter is number 25 worldwide where citizens can seek advice, propose and report corruption cases to TIZ.

Mr Lifuka disclosed that ALAC has so far received 173 complaints from the public adding that 70% of the clients who make reports are victims while 23% are whistle blowers while 7% are witnesses.

Mr Lifuka said the objective of ALAC is to promote great transparency and contribute to the reduction of opportunities of administrative corruption by empowering citizens to take action against the vice.

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 AMP).

What do you need today? Do you need guidance or counsel about a particular situation? One of the reasons Jesus was sent to this earth was to be your Wonderful Counselor. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Counselor comes to live inside of you by the Holy Spirit. Notice He’s not just any kind of counselor, He is the Wonderful Counselor. He is full of wonder and amazement. He’s extraordinary. He’s the very best counselor you could have—He knows all things! Do you need counsel today regarding your job? Do you need counsel regarding your relationships or an important decision? Do you need a counselor to act as your defender today? Call on the Wonderful Counselor. Open your heart and let Him show you His wisdom. Receive His counsel from the Word of God. Receive His counsel from the godly people in your life. As you seek the Wonderful Counselor with an open heart, He promises to lead and guide you. He promises to show you paths of life so that you can live in victory the way God intends!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Spirit that lives inside of me. Thank You for the Wonderful Counselor that guides and protects me. I choose Your guidance today. Speak to my heart so that I can honor You and follow Your leading today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

courtesy of Joel Osteen Ministries

The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) which began sitting on Wednesday this week, has adjourned until January after making headway on the proceedings of the conference.

And Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) President Leonard Hikaumba has scooped the position of the Vice Chairperson along with Patriotic Front (PF) Matero Member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe and Katombola Member of Parliament Regima Musokotwane.

The conference which was officially opened by President Levy Mwanawasa has since appointed the chairperson, the three Vice chairpersons and the spokesperson.

The conference chaired by Lusaka Prominent Lawyer Chifumu Banda also appointed an interim committee that will constitute rules which will govern the proceedings of the conference.

The 15 member committee headed by Lusaka Lawyer Dr. Patrick Matibini is expected to formulate rules that are subject to approval by the conference when it reconvenes on January.

The committee that includes members from the Church and Civil Society is comprised of prominent persons that include Lawyer Nelly Miti, Stanely Muhango from Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP), Bonnie Tembo from Anti- Voter Apathy (AVAP) and politician Dante Saunders.

Announcing the adjournment, NCC chairperson Mr. Banda said the conference would only convene for four days in January next year so as to allow MPs to attend the official opening of Parliament.

Mr. Banda further called on the MPs who would want to be part of the committee to be constituted to submit their CVs to the secretariat.

He said the conference did not want to put people in the committees who would be handicapped in their execution of duties.

The NCC, expected to sit for one year, would debate and adopt the Mung’omba Draft constitution which will be presented to parliament for enactment.

Some of the issues contained in the draft constitution that the NCC is to debate include the bill of rights and its enforcement, citizenship, economic and social rights, representation of people and public finance and budget.

Others issues are Political parties fund and registration, executive, legislative, judiciary, Chieftaincy and house of chiefs land and property and environment and natural resources.

Meanwhile, ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba has scooped the Vice Chairmanship of the NCC.

He emerged victor after beating the only other contestant, University of Zambia (UNZA) Students Union president Saje Samuwika.

Mr. Hikaumba polled 373 votes while his rival polled 50 votes, bring the total number of voters cast to 423 .

Mrs. Sinyangwe polled 347 , Mrs Musokotwane 322 and Ms. Miti 132.

The results were announced by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) returning officer Joselyne Mubita.

Speaking after the elections, Mr. Hikaumba said he was humbled by the outcome of the elections.

He said the NCC had the challenge of giving the Zambian people a document they have been looking forward to for a long time.

Mrs. Musokotwane pledged to work as a team in coming up with the constitution that will stand the test of time.

Mrs. Musokotwane, who disclosed that she was sure of scooping the position, said time has come for the country to come up with good constitution.

She said Zambia has been a shining example in many areas in the region hence should be an example of the good constitution.

Ms. Sinyangwe said she was humbled by the confidence people have show in her to contribute to the constitution making process.

She said the task given to her was a big challenge but stated that she would pray to God to give her the wisdom to deliver to the expectation of the Zambian people.