UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) in Southern Province has refuted
claims by former Republican Vice President, Lieutenant  General Christon Tembo, that there are only two viable political parties in the country.

UPND Provincial Secretary, Mayaba Hanseluka, told ZANIS in an interview in Monze today that as far as UPND in southern province was concerned. General Tembo
was not the spokesperson for the party and his statement in the press had been taken with great exception.

Mr.Hanseluka was reacting to Lieutenant General Christon Tembo’s statement in The Post newspaper, dated September 7th, 2007, where he was encouraging UK-based
automotive aerospace expert Professor Clive Chirwa to join MMD because there were only two or so viable political parties that were active and could give some sort of direction in the country.

General Tembo’s statement further stated that MMD was the first followed by PF while others were as good as dead.

The UPND spokesperson said that if General Tembo wanted to encourage the UK-based
automotive aerospace expert Professor  to join MMD, he should do it out of national interest and not for personal gain.

He said that UPND was still strong and they are many other political parties in the country that were going strong, adding that General Tembo should visit the
registrar of societies for him to know the number of viable political parties in the country.

He called on the former republican vice president to desist from underrating other political parties in the country especially that he was no longer active in politics.

Community Development Minister Catherine Namugala has called on the church to play a paramount role in supplementing government efforts  aimed at addressing social issues  that affect the vulnerable and underprivileged in society.

Ms Namugala says the church has an obligation to assist government in improving the
living standards of people in societies.

Ms Namugala was speaking at the Fundraising Luncheon of the United Church of Zambia
(UCZ) Section 1 of Kabwata’s St Paul’s Congregation in Lusaka yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mrs Namugala has challenged the church to come up with programmes that
seek to look into the plight of the disabled and the vulnerable people in the
country.

She said government had continued to play its role of ensuring that the burden faced
by the elderly, vulnerable as well as street children in Zambia were tackled through
various programmes.

Ms Namugala said the church needed to join hands with government in coming up with
programmes that will discourage the disabled and the underprivileged people from
going to the streets.

And Zambia National Tourist Board Chairperson Charity Lumpa said the church is
scouting for K20 million to go towards the construction of the church chalets at the
UCZ Kabwata St Paul’s Congregation.

Ms Lumpa, who also represented the UCZ St Paul’s Congregation church at the
fundraising luncheon, further commended government for placing great importance in
working with stakeholders such as the civil society and the church.

Ms Namugala also donated K1.5 million towards the construction of the church
charlets at UCZ Kabwata’s St Paul’s Congregation. 

Steven Chilatu has been re-elected Mayor of the city of Lusaka.

Mr. Chilatu polled 21 votes against his closest rival, Charles Msiska, who got fourteen votes.

Mr. Msiska was the deputy mayor of Lusaka.

Returning Officer, Philomena Ng’wane, announced the results of the elections at the civic centre, Friday morning.

Earlier. councillor Jim Dons, from the opposition UPND withdrew his candidature for the position of Mayor saying his decision was based on self conviction.

And Ngwerere Ward 19 councillor, Mary Chiziya Phiri, has been elected Deputy Mayor of Lusaka.

Mrs. Phiri beat three other candidates to scoop the position.

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe stormed out of the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit after an explosive clash with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa during a closed session, it has emerged.

Mugabe’s confrontation with Mwanawasa and his subsequent indignant departure from the meeting raised fears that the already divided regional bloc could be further weakened by further infighting and divisions.

The SADC is riddled with geo-political and personal rivalries among leaders which threaten to make it difficult to deal with internal conflicts and rein in rogue states. Mugabe’s fracas with Mwanawasa was reminiscent of his row with former South African president Nelson Mandela during a SADC meeting in Angola in 1997.

Diplomatic sources who attended the summit revealed this week that Mugabe walked out of the meeting after a row with Mwanawasa over Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis.

The sources said Mugabe went off in a huff after the unprecedented confrontation. Mwanawasa was chairing the meeting, which ended on a sour note.

The wrangle was caused by an attempt by Mwanawasa to table Zimbabwe for discussion, a move which enraged Mugabe.

Mugabe arrived home early looking glum after hurriedly leaving the summit. Upon his return, he said the meeting went well but made it clear his regime would continue with its own programmes, regardless of what the SADC leaders were saying.

The SADC said it was preparing an economic recovery package for Zimbabwe, but Mugabe’s spokesman, George Charamba, said in his anonymous column in the government-controlled daily Herald that Zimbabwe did not need help from the region because “no aid cent will come from SADC countries”, reflecting Mugabe’s attitude after the summit.

This was contrary to President Thabo Mbeki’s claims that there were no divisions over Zimbabwe at the summit and that the SADC was committed to helping Zimbabwe out of its crisis. He had described reports of division as “fictional” and said SADC leaders were not at odds over Zimbabwe.

But information gleaned from senior SADC diplomats indicates there were not just divisions, but a fierce clash between Mugabe and Mwanawasa that left the regional leaders shocked. They say the trouble started after Mbeki del-ivered his report on talks between the Zimbabwean ruling party Zanu (PF) and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mbeki had earlier given the report to Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the chairman of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security. Mbeki briefed the summit on Zimbabwe in his capacity as an SADC -appointed mediator .

Mbeki said in his briefing there was progress in the talks, although parties needed to intensify negotiations.

“After Mbeki delivered his report to the summit, Mwanawasa, as the chair of the meeting, said there was an urgent need to discuss Zimbabwe because the situation there had become ‘unacceptable’. Kikwete said there was no need to discuss it because talks were in progress and Mbeki concurred,” a senior diplomat said. “Kikwete then suggested Mugabe should be asked what he thought about Mwanawasa’s proposal. When Mugabe was given the platform to speak he launched an angry tirade, attacking Mwanawasa left, right and centre before walking out in protest.”

The diplomat said Mugabe angrily asked: “Who are you, Mwanawasa? Who are you? Who do you think you are?”

“Mugabe also said he was aware of Mwanawasa’s recent meetings with western intelligence agencies on Zimbabwe. He said he would ‘not allow Mwanawasa to sell out Zimbabwe as he has done to Zambia’,” the diplomat said.

“During the process Mwana-wasa was shaken and he kept on saying: ‘Mr President I didn’t mean to say that; you misunderstood me. No, Mr President, that was not my intention’ .”

Sources said Mugabe, after blasting Mwanawasa, walked out and did not return.

Efforts by colleagues — including Kikwete and Mbeki — to persuade him to return to the meeting failed.

BusinessDay 

Mazabuka member of parliament, Garry Nkombo, says the K840 Billion sugarcane investment programme at Zambia Sugar Company plc in Mazabuka, has not benefited local businessmen.

Mr. Nkombo said in Mazabuka during a stakeholders meeting chaired by District Commissioner, Misheck Chiinda, that the company has failed to honour the agreement it made with the local business persons.

He said what is happening now is totally different from what was agreed upon with the company.

Mr. Nkombo said the company assured local contractors and business persons that priority would be given to them before seeking services elswhere.

Mazabuka District Business Association member, George Daka, said his association is disappointed with the company.

Mr. Daka said the association has received a raw deal over the contracts despite assurances from management.

Muchinga Member of Parliament in Serenje, George Kunda, has said the Parliamentary Cosntituency offices were important for communication between members of parliament and the electorate.

Speaking after visiting Muchinga cosntituency office at Chibale, Mr. Kunda who, is
also Justice Minister, said he was happy that people were reporting  issues
pertainig to the developent of the constituency to the professional assistant.

He urged the members of the public to cotinue using the office to communciate to him
matters of development so that they were in touch with him as Member of Parliament
for the area.

”This is good because sometimes these people don’t see me and yet they have issues
of development to report.  Even when I am not around they bring reprots to the
professional assistant here. I am happy that this is going on,” he said.

He commended National Assembly for coming up with constituency offices, saying it
was a good initiative, which should be supproted by all.

And professional assistant (PA) Chibuye Chisanga, said many people from nearby
places flocked to the office to report various issues of development to him.

Mr Chisanga said it was just unfortunate that those from far away places in the
cosntituency, failed due to distance.

Meanwhile, Muchinga cosntituency member of parliament, Goerge Kunda has called upon
people in his constituency to ensure that they got involved in monitoring
development projects in the area.

Mr. Kunda said it was sad that when government released funds for development
projects, the communities appeared to have nothing to do with its implementation.

He was speaking after Muchinga cosntituency professional assistant, Chibuye
Chisanga, reproted that constituency development fund (CDF) released between 1988
and 2001 for cosntruction of Kantamba-bridge were not accounted for.