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By ZamChro Correspondent

The Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba yesterday warned that PF will challenge President Rupiah Banda’s directive to local government minister Eustarckio Kazonga to issue title deeds to Kitwe’s Chisokone market to the Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA).

Kabimba, who is also chairman for PF local government and environment, stated that President Banda’s directive contravened the provisions of the Markets and Bus Station Act no. 7 of 2007.

“We as Patriotic Front view the President’s directive which is intended to please ZANAMA, which does not encompass all marketeers in the country as an act of patronage to woo the association’s executive to campaign for the MMD. It is, therefore, not a directive in the interest of the valuable marketers,” Kabimba stated.

He added that no piece of land used as a market could be alienated without the resolution of the council, which owns such property.

“Consequently, the Patriotic Front will challenge through the courts of law any illegal alienation of council property under the said presidential directive if you attempt to execute the same,” Kabimba warned.

He advised President Banda to appoint ZANAMA president Elvis Nkandu in the MMD since he personally expressed admiration for him as the Julius Malema of the MMD, instead of using the markets, which were the property of all citizens irrespective of their political affiliation to pay him for his partisan stance towards the MMD.

President Banda on Friday at the ZANAMA 10th anniversary celebrations, issued instructions to Kazonga that ZANAMA be given the title deeds to Chisokone market after a passionate plea from ZANAMA chairman general Elvis Nkandu to be handed the trading place.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Opposition Heritage Party president Godfrey Miyanda has advised Zambians to reject politicians who are preaching tribalism.

Brigadier-General Miyanda said there is a growing trend by some politicians to use their tribes as weapons to gain cheap political mileage.
General Miyanda said this in Lusaka when he featured on Radio Phoenix programme ‘Let the People Talk’.

He said it is unfortunate that some leaders are using primitive notions such as tribalism to gain political favour from the electorates.

“I am not against any tribe because it is God himself who created them but it is sad that politicians are abusing tribes to achieve their agenda.

“In our days, we never bothered which region our leaders were coming from because we were living as one people. But it seems this scenario has changed now. People are using tribalism to gain advantage,” General Miyanda said.

He said Zambians must not allow themselves to be used by politicians by engaging in tribalism.
General Miyanda said some citizens were encouraging leaders to continue practising tribalism by entertaining what they preached.

“Do you know that we can bring to an end tribalism and insults by politicians by simply saying no?

“The problem we have is that some people enjoy hearing insults and in fact they vote for people who preach that as well as on tribal lines. This is unfortunate and must come to an end,” he said.

Gen Miyanda said politicians must create a platform of decency in the political arena. He said leaders should justly criticise Government as opposed to using lies and tribalism to gain favour and sympathy from the public domain.

“As citizens, we must insist that our leaders talk to us about real issues that can contribute to the economic development of this country, nothing more or less,” he said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

President Rupiah Banda has said he will deal firmly with ministers working with the opposition to cause confusion in the country at the time he is trying to ensure stability in the nation. President Banda said he would not hesitate to discipline officials trying to cause confusion in the country.

He said during the celebrations to mark Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA)’s 10th anniversary that he was only human and if pushed beyond limits, he would have no option but to sack ministers promoting anarchy in the nation.

Mr Banda said the country’s economy was growing and currently, there was more than US$1.8 billion in the reserves at the central bank for the first time.

The president denied assertions that he had directed the payment of $5.9 million to Lusaka lawyer, Rodger Chongwe as compensation for the 1997 Kabwe shooting in which he and first Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda were injured.

He said he was a well-balanced person who would not undertake such an unconstitutional step. The president said he was not an easy person to cheat and this was why many people did not like him.

“I am a well-balanced person who cannot take such a step,” President Banda said.

He urged peace-loving Zambians to ignore those preaching hatred and concentrate on building the country with concerted efforts.

The president said it was sad some people tended to rise against the Government whenever there was a problem in the country such as the recent fuel shortage.

“Most people rose against us and wanted to incite more people to rise against us, saying we have failed, but imagine what would have happened if we had started fighting over the fuel shortage, which is even over,” he said.

Mr Banda said instead of feeling sorry for the Government, some people were pleased with the problems the country went through during the time of the global crisis as they thought it would result in the MMD Government failing.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Former Attorney General Mumba Malila yesterday said he served the Zambian people with dignity and honour.

Malila said he tried as much as possible to discharge the functions of the office but left it to the Zambian people to judge.

Malila said his job was extremely difficult but he believed he put in his best.

“I think I put in my best. I tried as much as possible to discharge the functions of the office with honour and dignity but at the end of the day, it is up to the Zambian people to judge. I did my best. It was a very, very difficult job indeed, extremely difficult. And many times too, you are easily misunderstood and sometimes people imagine you are up to no good when in fact your primary overriding intention in all cases is to ensure that the people of Zambia are represented well and that their interests are served at all times,” he said.

Malila said he tried his best and if his best was not good enough, he could not say because he was just human.

“I tried to be as honest as I possibly could. I tried to uphold the professional conduct and ethics, I tried to be a professional and I tried to detach myself from work and I hope that in all, I have achieved something for the Zambian people,” he said.

Malila said he was not upset that his contract had not been renewed and he was in fact excited that he had the privilege to finish his term of office.

He explained that the term of office for the Attorney General was three years renewable and he did not apply for it to be renewed after it expired. He said when the contract expires, the person holding the office could either apply for it to be renewed or the government could request for the person to stay.
Malila said he did not apply for the job and the government did not offer to renew it either.

“That is why I am saying that I am not bitter. I am not bitter,” he said.

Malila thanked President Banda for having allowed him to finish his term of office. He said he would wait for his consideration when the offer by President Banda for him to be appointed into the diplomatic service comes as he President Banda was still just thinking about it.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

The Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) has expressed concern at the lack of publicity concerning issuance of national registration cards in view of the 2011 general elections.

FODEP president Stanley Mhango said his organisation is not happy that the countrywide NRC issuance exercise has not received enough publicity.

“As FODEP, we are concerned that there is little publicity on the issuance of NRCs. There is need for scaling up of publicity of the exercise through the Zambia News and Information Services,” Mr Mhango said.

He said Government should indicate the number of people it intends to issue NRCs with to clear suspicion.

“In the interest of transparency, we are demanding that Government gives us figures of how many people it intends to issue NRCs with to clear suspicion.

This will allow other stakeholders to mobilise those that are eligible to get NRCs,” Mr Mhango said.

He said Government should ensure that the exercise is given more time and resources in areas where roads become impassable due to rainfall.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Zambia was ordered to pay Lusaka lawyer Rodger Chongwe $2.5m as compensation by an Australian court for the 1997 shooting incident in Kabwe by police where he and first Republican president Kenneth Kaunda were injured.

Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani said in Lusaka yesterday that Dr Chongwe has since the judgement almost 10 years ago been pushing to be paid that amount but the Government was still negotiating.

“Dr Chongwe took the matter of the Kabwe shooting incident to a court in Australia where Zambia lost the case because no official from Government attended any of the court sessions there.”

“The court ordered that Dr Chongwe be paid US$2.5 million and he has been pushing for that amount since then,” Mr Mangani said.

Mr Mangani said Dr Chongwe’s issue required legal opinion hence, the move by Mr Banda to write the Attorney General Mumba Malila seeking his opinion and guidance.

“And even that does not mean the President authorised the payment. But even the US$2.5 million needs to be negotiated and at no time did the President authorise that the money be paid to Dr Chongwe,” Mr Mangani said.

“There is need to bring sanity and as Government, we will ensure that those trying to raise false alarm are brought to book by investigating thoroughly,” Mr Mangani said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Parliament has approved a supplementary budget of K1, 633.1 trillion for the financial year ending 31 December 2009.

Presenting the supplementary estimates, Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said that as a way of meeting the shortfalls in numerous key strategic sectors, he was a bearer of news from the president that the House accepted the supplementary estimates.

Soon after reading the statement on urging the House to accept the supplementary estimates, all members agreed to the president’s message for the supplementary funding to sectors such as governance, health and education among others.

Dr Musokotwane said that he was happy that the entire House agreed to the supplementary estimates for the financial year ending December 31.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Members of Parliament (MPs) have complained of the poor state of roads in all the provinces and urged the Government to consider improving the road infrastructure in the country.

Contributing to the debate on the 2010 national budgetary allocations to all the nine provinces of the country, the MPs on Wednesday complained that the state of the road infrastructure in most provinces was in a deplorable condition.

Matero MP Faustina Sinyangwe (PF) said the road infrastructure in her constituency and specifically in Balastone Park was in a deplorable condition.

Nchanga MP Wilbur Simuusa (PF) said roads in his area were in a deplorable state and he had been asking the Government to do something about the situation.

Lukulu West MP Eileen Imbwae (ULP) said that it was disheartening to note that the Mongu-Kalabo Road had not been worked on for many years.

Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka said the Government had made strides in improving the road infrastructure throughout the country.

He said it was clear that the members, particularly from the opposition were not interested in seeing the good things that the Government was doing in terms of improving the road network.

In Central province for example, Mr Muteteka said the Government had worked hard to improve the road infrastructure.

He said that this was in line with the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) and therefore wondered how and why the opposition MPs could incessantly be attacking the Government.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

The ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has decided to re-instate its suspended members of the Western Province executive committee.

MMD spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti clarified in Lusaka yesterday that it is not the entire Western Province MMD executive committee which was suspended.

He said only four out of the 24 members were suspended.

Mr Mulongoti said those who were suspended are the provincial chairperson and his deputy, the provincial chairlady and the provincial youth chairperson.

He said the way forward is to re-instate the suspended officials.

“The issue of differences was not there in the first place, so, if people get punished for reasons that were not clear and those reasons become clear that there was no issue, they should be re-instated,” he said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Members of Parliament have called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to computerise the death register to enable the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) delete names of people who have died from the voters’ roll.

Speaking on behalf of MPs who attended a symposium organised by ECZ in Chisamba on Sunday, Mbabala MP Emmanuel Hachipuka said the Ministry of Home Affairs should come up with a mechanism that will help to detect names of people who have died.

Mr Hachipuka said it is the duty of the ministry to ensure that all records of Zambian citizens are updated.

“Many names of people who have died still appear on the voter’s roll, which is not supposed to be the case,” he said.

He said the move will enable Zambians have confidence in the ECZ.

“It is our appeal, as MPs, to the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that the death register is computerised before the 2011 presidential and general elections,” he said.

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