GOVERNMENT says plans by the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) to move a motion to impeach President Banda will fail.

Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government will wait for the opposition to move the motion.

He was responding to Nchanga PF member of Parliament, Wilbur Simusa who said his party and the UPND will move an impeachment motion against President Banda when Parliament reopens today.

“We are ready for them, let them go ahead with their plans, we are waiting for them,” he said.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said Kasama member of Parliament Saviour Chishimba gave good reasons of cheap politics when he resigned.

Mr Chishimba, who resigned from the PF on Sunday, said progressive change for Zambia will not come based on political partnership and that change that people need is not the removal of the MMD from power but progress in their living standards.

Gen Shikapwasha said the opposition is running an agenda of cheap politics, adding that such an agenda will not take the country anywhere.

“It is wasting people’s time even to think of impeaching the President. What reasons have they got?” he asked.

He said Government had invited the opposition to attend a national consultative forum so that they could put forward their ideas and agenda but that they declined to attend.

“We expected them to use this dialogue to lay their ideas before the Zambian people but they failed to do that because they have no agenda for the people of Zambia. The only agenda they have is greediness of getting into power. They should know that God does not allow greedy people to get into power.

“So, this impeachment move will come to nothing. We will deal with the impeachment motion when it comes,” he said.

Gen Shikapwasha challenged the opposition to tell the nation the plans they have to develop the country.
He said President Banda’s government is on course to develop the country.

“This government has held the country together and will continue to do so,” he said.

Gen Shikapwasha said the mining industry, whose resources were allegedly plundered by some of the people in the opposition, has now been resuscitated by the MMD government.
He said the economy has stabilised despite the recession.

Gen Shikapwasha admitted that there are challenges Government is facing, but that these will be dealt with.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

ministers and hundreds of mourners who paid their last respect to his late sister-in-law, Dorothy Nyirenda.

Mrs Nyirenda, who was born on February, 21, 1947 and died last week, was married to late Kabuka Nyirenda who was President Banda’s cousin.

Speaking during a church service held at Reformed Church in Zambia, Chelston congregation in Lusaka, President Banda described her as a kind woman.

President Banda said from the time he came to know Mrs Nyirenda, she had been a wonderful person who always stood ready to help needy people.

He said Mrs Nyirenda was a God fearing person who worked to see the development of the church to contribute to national development.

Mrs Nyirenda, who completed her secondary education in Eastern Province, pursued secretarial studies at Evelyn Hone College and worked in several institutions, including Nkana Copper Mines, the Government and the United Nations (UN) agencies.

Earlier, Reformed Church in Zambia resident minister, Reverend Madalitso Banda said losing a beloved person was such a painful thing, especially somebody who he said was a caring one.

Mrs Nyirenda died last week at Chilanga Hospice after complaining of spinal and general body pains and was put to rest at Mutumbi cemetery in Chamba valley.

In attendance were Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Defence Minister, Kalombo Mwansa, Communications and Transport Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa.

Others were Home Affairs Minister, Lameck Mangani, Lusaka police chief, Greenwell Ng’uni, All People’s Congress Party (APC) leader, Ken Ngondo and several clergymen.

[Times of Zambia]

Professor Chirwa, in an interview with ZANIS during which he produced his party membership card, said those claiming that he was not a legitimate member of the MMD were bent on spoiling his political aspirations.

He said he was a fully paid up member and urged those that had doubts about his membership to check the party records.

On the MMD convention, Prof. Chirwa said the decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of MMD to endorse President Rupiah Banda as the sole candidate was against the constitution of the MMD.

He said the move was undemocratic as it intimidated other party members from aspiring for the party presidency.

Prof. Chirwa called for the convening of the party convention so that all those interested in particular party positions can compete for such positions.[quote]

Prof. Chirwa said he has given time and resources to the MMD and therefore he had no intentions of leaving the party.

He said he was determined to fight from within the MMD until he is at the summit of the party.

Prof. Chirwa said under his leadership the MMD would be driven into a different direction with particular emphasis to accommodating divergent views in a bid to internally democratize the party.

Prof. Chirwa has not been shy in declaring his intentions to vie for the MMD party presidency but the MMD leadership has said he was not a genuine member of the MMD and was theefore disqualified from vying for leadership positions in the party.

Prof. Chirwa presently is a lecturer the University of Bolton in the United Kingdom.

ZANIS

Opposition political parties participating in the Chitambo parliamentary by-elections in Serenje have accused the ruling party of vote buying.

And the PF in Serenje has charged that the MMD campaign team in Chitambo constituency is using government vehicles which had registration numbers removed.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, FDD National Deputy Secretary, Nathan Mulenga, and National Elections chairman, Anthony Kasandwe, accused the MMD of dishing out mealie meal and salt to villagers in the constituency, especially in Muchinka ward.

Mr. Mulonga also said the MMD had allegedly hired cadres from the Copperbelt and Lusaka who were blocking the opposition from entering what he termed as territories for the ruling party.

He said people of Chitambo constituency were not interested in thug politics but campaigns based on issues, adding that it was unfortunate that this was coming from the ruling party.

Mr Mulonga added that the people of Chitambo should be given fare chance to chose a leader of their choice who they think could deliver.

“It is unfortunate that vote-buying is again showing its ugly face in this by-election. The MMD has made some places no-go-areas for the opposition, which is not good. They can bring people to help them but not thugs,” he said.

Mr Mulonga said the FDD will not be intimidated by anybody and will take any political party head on in the by-election.

Meanwhile, Mr Kasandwe refuted claims that the FDD was sponsored to field a candidate in Chitambo in order to split the votes of the opposition,

Mr Kasandwe said there was no logic in the claims because the party existed as an individual political party.

He said the FDD had been consistent because the party had been fielding candidates in the past five by-elections and it was a formidable and reliable party.[quote]

And PF district Vice Treasurer, Delvis Chisha, accused the MMD of using government vehicles in the campaigns and called on the police to investigate.

But MMD Central Province chairperson ,Boyd Mutonka, said the opposition should prove the allegations instead of just making baseless accusations.

Mr Mutonka said police should move in and arrest anybody who was blocking others from campaigning because the MMD did not engage thugs to cause any problem during the campaigns.

He denied that the party was using government transport, saying the opposition should have facts about their complaints other than talking about things that they would not prove.

ZANIS

United States (US) Ambassador to Zambia has called on all Zambians to get involved in the fight against corruption.

Mr. Booth said it is the duty of all Zambians to take keen interest on how donor funds are utilized as it the ordinary Zambians that suffer the consequences of corruption.

“Its up to the Zambians themselves to take a lead in speaking against corruption in the country so that money put in the economy by donors reaches the intended beneficiaries and is well accounted for”, he said.

Mr. Booth said the US Government will continue providing assistance to countries that uphold good governance and the rule of law.

He said his government will not impose any system of government on any nation in the world but would want to see that the assistance it provides to countries like Zambia reaches the intended beneficiaries.

Mr. Booth was speaking at the American Centre in Lusaka today when he answered questions from journalists and other members of the public on United States President Barrack Obama’s remarks to the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra last Saturday.

He further said the US would provide technical support to the Ministry of Finance in order to enhance transparency in the manner donor money is used.

Mr. Booth said the US government would also offer support to the Zambian government to ensure it enacts the Freedom of Information Act for journalists and members of the public to have access to public documents in order to enhance transparency in the country.

He encouraged journalists in the country to persevere as they endeavor to inform, entertain and educate the public as the nature of their job was risky and very dangerous.

“Reporting and investigating is a very dangerous job and I am aware that journalist all over the world work under very risky situations. But I only encourage the journalists to persevere as that is the nature of their job”, he said.

ZANIS