Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy National Chairperson for Mobilisation, Geoffrey Mwamba says President Edgar Lungu values the contribution that the womenfolk have continued to make in the social economic development of the country.

Mr Mwamba who is also a PF Member of the Central Committee said this can be seen by the appointment of Professor Nkandu Luo as his running mate in the 2021 General Elections.

He stated that the party is happy that many Zambian women have raised the country’s profile through the successes they have scored.

Mr Bwalya cited the Republican Vice President, Inonge Wina who he said has greatly contributed to running the affairs of the country diligently.

He has since welcomed the appointment of Professor Luo as the Presidential running mate in the August 12 General Elections.

Mr Mwamba said this in Kasama when he received over 200 defectors from the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) who have joined the PF.

He charged that it is good that people have now realized that PF is the only party of choice and has a clear developmental agenda.

And speaking on behalf of the defectors, Stanley Bwalya accused the UPND of lacking clear strategies to drive the party forward.

Meanwhile, PF Provincial Coordinator for Mobilisation, Jairos Tembo appealed to the defectors to go flat out and campaign for the party ahead of the August 12 General Elections.

But when reached for comment, UPND Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary, Evaristo Bwalya said the party is not aware of any defections that have taken place in the province.

Mr Bwalya however alleged that the UPND is aware of the scheme by the PF to lure its supporters.

A Farmer’s group in Chipangali District has commended government for giving it a grant of over K 1.7 Million to carry out various activities to improve livelihoods of people in the area.

Cholinga Farmers’ Group Chairperson, Francis Banda said the grant which had come at a right time, will help alleviate the suffering of most households in Eastern Province.

Mr Banda said the group is expected to venture into fish farming and intends to sell the product to all the districts in the province so as to raise funds to sustain the project.

Mr Banda was speaking when Ministry of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary, Trevor Kaunda, visited the project site to check on how the works were progressing.

Mr Banda said out of the total grant of K 1,716, 602-00 received through the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZIFLP), the group has already received K 429, 00-00, representing 25 percent of the total grant which has been used to dig four fish ponds and pay for the sinking of a borehole among other activities at the project site.

‘’ We have dug four fish ponds of 20 by 30 metres including paying for the sinking of a borehole and we promise to do our best to sustain the project, ‘’ he said.

And National Development Planning, Permanent Secretary, Trevor Kaunda said government was happy to see that the group was busy with works at the project site after it received its initial 25 percent of the total grant.

Mr Kaunda noted that government through ZIFLP will ensure all the remaining funds of the grant are disbursed so that the group fully implements its project activities.

‘’ We are happy to note that you are on the ground working and we want to assure you that we will send you all your remaining funds so that you do all your activities here,’’ he said.

The Permanent Secretary also urged Eastern Provincial Administration to ask the contractor to quickly sink the borehole at the site because money has already been paid for the exercise.

Mr Kaunda was accompanied to the site by Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Josphat Lombe and ZFLP National Coordinator, Dr Tasila Banda.

The 32 member Cholinga Farmers’ Group which is situated in Chief Mshawa’s area in Chipangali District, is expected to venture into fish farming, maize and tomato growing and tree planting.

16 Presidential candidates have successfully filed in their nomination papers for the 12th August general elections out of the 20 paid-up candidates, after the presidential nominations which started on Monday 17th May through to yesterday Thursday 20th May, officially closed.

Speaking during a briefing in Lusaka to mark the closing of the presidential nomination process, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano said that Movement for Democrtatic Congress ( MDC )’s Felix Mutati, United Party Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia ( UPPZ ) Charles Chanda, All People’s Congress Party ( APCP) leader Nason Msoni with Independent candidate Masuwa Kalabi having failed to file in his nomination papers.

“The first include Mr Nason Msoni, All People’s Congress Party whose pre-processing was incomplete and also did not submit nomination documents, we also had Mr Peter Chanda New Congress Party who officially withdrew from the nomination process.

“We also had Mr Felix Mutati movement for democratic change whose pre-processing was incomplete and later officially withdrew from the process and last but not least Mr Kalabi who was unsuccessful as he did not meet the number of required supporters,” he said.

And speaking when officially closing the nomination process, ECZ Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu explained that the closing of the nomination process delayed allowing the independent candidate to file his nomination papers, adding that the commission had to use its discretion to go beyond the 17 hours deadline just to allow the candidate to file in his nomination but he was however unsuccessful.

“I had to exercise my discretion to allow a candidate who was already on the premises to bring his supporters in the hope that by the time we should have closed, he would have raised one thousand supporters,” he said.

And earlier, Mr Kalabi accused the commission of not communicating adequately with him on the requirements needed when filing his nomination process, claiming that his supporters were blocked from accessing the Showgrounds which the designated place was meant to scrutinize the supporters.

Mr Nshindano however denied the allegation saying the commission adequately informed all the candidates prior to the start of the process and that candidates need to own up when they make mistakes as opposed to falsely accusing the commission.

The ruling PF, UPND, Third Liberation Movement, Socialist Party, Party of National Unity and Progress (PNUP), UNIP’s, United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ) and MMD have this week successfully filed in their nomination papers.

Other parties are Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP), Democratic Party (DP ), Leadership Movement (LM), Zambia United for Sustainable Development ( ZUSD ), National Restoration Party (NAREP), New Heritage Party(NHP), People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF ) all successfully managed to file in their nomination papers for their respective Presidential candidates and running mates.

A 21-year-old woman of Chipata’s Kalongwezi Extension Township in has been convicted and fined K10, 000 by the Chipata Magistrate Court for attempting to sale five voters cards.

The Court has declared that if the convict fails to pay the K10, 000 fine before May 25, 2021, she will serve a seven months jail sentence.

This is a case in which Tanaka Ibrahim appeared before Chipata Resident Magistrate (RM), Betty Mwiinga for one count of offering to sell voters cards contrary to section 87(1) (d) of the electoral process Act Number 35 of 2016 of the laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence were that Ibrahim on April 29, 2021 did offer to sell five voters cards to Zuberi Muthalika, a practice which is illegal relating to the polls.

The convict admitted to the charge when the matter came up for plea on Wednesday.

On April 29, 2021 police in Chipata received information from members of the public that some people were selling voters cards in Kalongwezi Township.

Acting on the report, police rushed to Kalongwezi Township and found Ibrahim and her friend Jemima Musonda with five voters cards bearing different names.

Police picked Ibrahim and her friends, together with the voter’s cards bearing names of Ruth Mwale, Sharif Jamey, Esther Lungu, Fridah Mwale and Ibrahim Teneka.

After investigations were conducted effectively, Musonda was released from police custody and was turned into a state witness.

The Court heard that Ibrahim duped the owners of the voter’s cards by lying to them that there was a politician giving loans to Chipata residents once they produce voter’s cards.

The Court also heard that the owners of the voters cards believing it was true, gave Ibrahim their voters cards to acquire loans on their behalf.

The owners of the voter’s cards were shocked upon hearing the convict had put their voter’s card on sale at K100 each.

In Mitigation, Ibrahim asked the Court for leniency as she was a first offender who had readily admitted to the charge.

The convict told the Court that she was youthful and if given a second chance she would help in bringing development in the nation.

Ms Mwiinga said she had taken note what the convict had said in mitigation but added that the offence Ibrahim committed was a serious one especially that there are supposed to be general elections in the country this year.

“I have taken note of what you said in mitigation, however this is a serious offence especially that the country is going to the polls this year,” she said.

Resident Magistrate Mwiinga sentenced the convict to K10, 000 fine in default or serve a seven months simple imprisonment.

Ms Mwiinga said the convict should pay the fine before May 25 or serve the jail sentence.