The fifth session of the eleventh National Assembly resumes sitting this afternoon,  Tuesday,  February 9, 2016.

Parliament adjourned sine die on Friday, December 11, 2015.

Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwinga announced the resumption of parliamentary sittings.

This is the last sitting of the Eleventh Assembly whose life started in 2011 with the coming into office of the Patriotic Front.

President Edgar Lungu is expected to dissolve the eleventh National Assembly in May, in readiness for the General elections slated for August 11.

However before adjourning sine die on December 10th 2015, Members of Parliament spent the whole night debating amendments to the draft constitutional amendment bill of the National Assembly of Zambia number 17 of 2015.

Several amendments to the bill were passed during the debates while others were rejected.

Those rejected included the establishment of provincial assemblies and increasing parliament by 94 nominated members of parliament.

This process culminated into President Lungu early last month, assenting to the constitutional bills.

Meanwhile, Parliament was last year a hive of activities as lawmakers dealt with several issues affecting the country.

At the accident scene

Over 50 people are feared dead in Chibombo after a fatal road accident involving A Postal Services Bus and a truck. Here the picture of dead and injured people lying helpless

By Daniel Mwamba

Sunday, 7th February marked another anniversary since the Chibombo road disaster that claimed over 51 lives. Two years ago, a bus was traveling from Ndola to Lusaka when it crashed in the early morning killing girls, boys, mothers and fathers to become one of the worst road crashes in the history of Zambia.

Road crashes are on the increase and still cause some 2,000 deaths and 32,700 injuries in Zambia each year. And by 2020, since 2010, over 20,000 lives will perish if the current trends and attitudes persist in the country.

Involvement in road accidents is one of the three leading causes of death and hospital admission for Zambians just behind HIV/AIDS and malaria, but also a leading cause of death for young people.

According to statistics analysed by the Zambia Road Safety Trust, on average, one person is killed every four hours on Zambian roads, six to seven people die on a single day and about 140 people lose their lives in a month.
The UK road safety Charity Road Peace declares that Road deaths are not normal deaths. They are unnatural and untimely. No minute of silence, no front page coverage or life story published in the press. No meeting with senior police or politicians who promise to do all in their power to ensure justice is done and that lessons are learnt. Instead the family’s bereavement is aggravated by the death being: sudden, violent, unnecessary, frequent, premature and tolerated.
While information on road traffic fatalities is available, there is no systematic information which can be compared on the health of survivors/injured victims. There are a variety of definitions of ‘serious injury’. Many serious injuries are not reported and data on the long term health consequences of road traffic injury is not collected on a systematic basis.

The World Health Organization uses a severity ratio guideline of 15 serious injuries (requiring hospital admission) and 70 minor injuries for every road death. Disability is usually defined as an individual’s inability to carry out a normal range of daily activities due to physical and/or psychological trauma.

Permanent disability, such as loss of eyesight, or brain damage, can deprive an individual of the ability to achieve even minor goals and result in dependence on others for economic support and routine physical care.

Less serious – but more common – injuries to ankles, knees and the cervical spine can result in chronic physical pain and limit an injured person’s physical activity for long periods.

Serious burns, contusions and lacerations can lead to emotional trauma associated with permanent disfigurement. Road crashes can also result in a variety of long-term psychiatric and psycho-social problems.

On its part, the Zambia Road Safety Trust has continued not only to advocate for road victims with their families but also raise awareness on road safety in our country. Working with Puma Energy Zambia Plc, Puma Energy Foundation and Amend we continue to improve children’s road sense through our road safety education measures in primary schools directed at pupils and teachers. So far, over 20,000 children in Lusaka have benefited from this initiative which will be extended to copperbelt this year.

Through our strategic plan for 2020, we will be developing materials for parents. We will encourage greater use of safe routes to primary school by children. We hope to ensure that most pupils will know the safest pedestrian route from where they live to their new school.

Road safety is also a major concern for adults. Companies should have policies to protect their staff and others from dangers on the road. Companies can introduce in their work places proactive safety cultures.

Research has shown that companies with more proactive safety cultures management commitment, combined with shared safety values have fewer safety incidences and crashes among the workforce. The influence of the corporate safety culture can extend beyond the workplace, with the community benefiting from proactive safety management in the workplace.

Corporate influence can flow into the community via other forms of business practice including strategically planning road network use by time of day, routes, vehicle volume on any road at any given time, and time spent on the road per driver per day (fatigue management).

High safety standards promoted by one business can influence the required standards of other business partners within the community.

Road traffic accidents do not have a single cause. They result from a number of contributory factors that combine in a way that leads to a road user failing to cope in a particular situation. Road safety practice is a proactive attempt to identify the contributory factors that lead to road accidents, understand how they inter-relate and how they can be modified and prevented, to produce a safer environment and safer road users.

Teachers play a vital role in delivering road safety education to pupils. Parents also have a crucial role to play in their children’s road safety education and training, one which can be both positive and negative depending upon parental attitudes to road safety. For example, if a parent drives without a seatbelt, this can also affect the child’s road safety attitude. Drivers’ associations can all be powerful tools that can get road safety messages across.

We all have to die someday but it is when and how that differs – road death comes too early and its violent and unacceptable. The worst fate for a parent is having to bury their child, but this is what happens with two out of six road deaths in Zambia every day.

Because of this, we should not forget about chibombo!

Author is Chair for Zambia Road Safety Trust

Edith Nawakwi

The second leading opposition leader Edith Nawakwi says UPND is panicking and has warned the party against lying to the electorates that they are working with her and FDD

“I don’t want to take my people to UPND because I don’t want the fate that befell me in 2006 to happen again where I went into an alliance and all the prospective candidates were sidelined for better male candidates,” said Nawakwi

She said UPND is going to rural areas claiming they were working with FDD on the farmer support programme.

“I have heard a lot of non-sense, especially from Southern Province, where certain crooks from UPND are going round the villages saying that they are working with FDD.

I want to categorically say to UPND, stop lying,” Nawakwi said in an interview after meeting NGOCC members.

” I do not work with UPND. We left them a long time ago. UPND is beleaguered because it were supported by MMD MPs and grassroots structures in 2015, now those are no longer available for them. So they are panicking.” She explained

Nawakwi added that political party alliances in Zambia are not genuine and that she is not interested in becoming anyone’s running mate.

Three people have died while eleven are admitted to the University Teaching Hospital -UTH- after the bus they were travelling in lost control and overturned several times on Great North Road near 10 miles area.

Two pupils from Moomba School and the conductor of a bus died on the spot.

Three of the eleven admitted at the hospital are in a critical condition while 8 have sustained serious injuries.

The Toyota mini bus registration BAC 314 was carrying pupils when the accident happened.

A ZNBC’s Ruth Mwale who rushed to the accident scene found some parents at the accident scene.

Mercy Chileshe, one of the survivors said the driver was over speeding and was trying to overtake a truck when he lost control.

Meanwhile Nambula Sililo reports that General Education Minister John Phiri who visited the victims at UTH has described the accident as a shock.

Dr. Phiri says his Ministry will help the three affected families with funeral arrangements.

And UTH spokesperson Mulenga Mwenya says the three bodies have been identified and are laying in the UTH mortuary.

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema was a key speaker at the 2016 Mining Indaba in South Africa on Tuesday.

Hichilema one of the richest Zambian spoke alongside the CEO of Invest Africa Rob Hersov, Chairman of Credit Suisse Securities Rick Menell and CEO of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank Roberts Orya.

The annual Mining Indaba is held in Cape Town and brings together more than 7,000 delegates from 100 nations to discuss business opportunities in the sector. Notable speakers at the event include the CEOs of large companies such as Rio Tinto, Ashanti Gold and Vedanta, financiers and various ministers from across the continent.

Mr Hichilema spoke about the great opportunity that still exists in many areas of Zambia for mining projects, and in particular projects that will bring benefit to the people in terms of jobs and stimulating local economies. He stressed that with a stable policy environment, Zambia should have been producing 1.5 million metric tons of copper today, compared to the 750,000 metric tons it currently produces.

When asked what Zambia had learnt from the recent price fluctuations Mr Hichilema suggested that for far too long Zambia has been like a microcosm of the mining industry, believing during the good years that they will last forever and not reinvesting the money in diversification, and when the bad times happen panicking and trying to impose legislation that ends up causing further harm. This is a cycle we must break out from, the UPND President stated.

He further explained that given governments and companies both face challenges in navigating the commodity price cycle it was clear that the best way forward is through conversation and not confrontation. He spoke about the importance of identifying vulnerabilities that could create additional problems in advance, such as in the energy sector. He also stated that the recent weakness in the copper price and indeed any other commodities had proved a painful reminder that quicker action is required on diversification to end over-dependence on one sector, in the case of Zambia, mining.

On the question of sustainability Mr Hichilema proposed that actors need to change their time horizons when looking at the sector. He cautioned that politicians must be careful not to get caught in the trap of politicising the sector. For investors and mining companies, Mr Hichilema said they must take serious time to understand the country’s priorities and how a project can be adapted to feed into these, for example by using local contractors and creating jobs. The benefits that can be secured beyond revenues are too often neglected, the UPND President concluded.

Mr Hichilema is set to make a further address this evening at the Graduate Business School at the University of Cape Town as part of their Distinguished Speakers Programme.

Mutembo Nchito

The Supreme Court has dismissed the application by suspended Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito to stop the tribunal instituted to investigate his alleged professional misconduct.

This is in a case in which Nchito had obtained a stay to stop the Tribunal constituted to investigate his wrongdoing by High Court Judge Mubanga Kondolo after he granted him leave to apply for judicial review.

Delivering the ruling Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima said the High Court Judge had erred in stopping the tribunal proceedings.

And Attorney General Likando Kalaluka in the arguments to discharge the order granting leave to apply for judicial review by Mutembo Nchito, said an injunction obtained by the applicant was against the President of the Republic of Zambia.

The State also argued that the leave granted to the applicant should be set aside to pave way for the Tribunal to carry out its mandate as Nchito had failed and neglected to substantiate the allegations of biasness.

In march last year, President Edgar Lungu suspended Nchito and appointed a tribunal to enquire into his alleged professional misconduct.

Under article 57 of the Constitution of Zambia, the Head of State then appointed Lillian Shawa Siyuni to discharge the functions and powers of the DPP pending the outcome of the tribunal.

The tribunal is now set to resume sitting.

President Lungu

President Edgar Lungu has told France24 that he will win the August elections.

Speaking on a programme called Eye on Africa which was also beamed on Radio France International, President Lungu said he was confident of scooping the poll.

President explained that his Patriotic Front (PF) has been consistent on policies and managed to uplift the welfare of Zambians as promised in 2011.

He said the PF has delivered development to all parts of the country and is now wrapping up the development agenda.

Lungu who concluded his visit to France on Tuesday faces a crucial election in August.

He came to office in January 2015 after beating his closest rival Hakainde Hichilema with just about 27,000 votes. Hichilema will be Lungu’s main challenger.

Alex Muliokela

President of the opposition United Poor People’s Party (UPPP) Alex Muliokela has vowed that no one will stop him from filing in his nominations papers for the presidency by imposing K70, 000 fee.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has increased the nomination fees for the presidential candidate from K10, 000 to K70, 000, a move viewed that it will prevent many from contesting for the top job.

Austin Chiyobeka Milambo

I want to categorically state that I am a local person of Mweembeshi Constituency of Shibuyunji district in Lusaka province and I am a SALA by tribe. UPND is the most popular political party in Shibuyunji district but the current MP is the wrong person for the sala people of Mweembeshi Constituency. The current MP is an absent MP in the constituency as he is not seen in the constituency when we need him most. One thing for sure is that UPND is now facing a serious challenge from the RAINBOW party as Mweembeshi constituency is Wynter Kabimba’s bedroom. If Wynter presses the right button in picking a quality local parliamentary candidate, then Mweembeshi people will be more than happy to elect the first local MP in more than a decade. I should mention that Milambo is not a local person and sala people are now looking for a local person.

Just this week on 7th february, 2016, The Post news paper ran a story where three headmen (Shichuumpalubanje, Muwuukila and Kolongo) summoned an investor by the name of Yusuf Aloo for breach of agreement. The Member of Parliament was on most occasions called to sort out this problem but Mr Milambo refused. Many farmers have nowhere to take their animals as the water points for animals are taken up by this arab but the MP has also deserted the people. The reasons being that he does not care because Mweembeshi is not Mr Milambo’s place and he does not own even a chicken in this constituency. He is a TONGA from MONZE who just chanced in our constituency because of his sister who is married in the constituency, to Mr Agley Kabimba the young brother to Wynter Kabimba.

Today, 10th of February 2016, the post reported a story where Wynter Kabimba was kwa Mukulaikwa and the former UPND councilor Mr Shansengo left the UPND to join RAINBOW. One reason for his leaving is that Milambo has failed to deliver in Mweembeshi Constituency. Milambo’s tribesmen are boasting because they are plenty in the UPND structures and are gossiping too much.

I personally support the tribal view of most sala people in the constituency of wanting their own children taking over the leadership in the constituency. Let Milambo go and contest in Southern Province. We have a lot of intelligent and educated sala children who can lead this constituency. We had Hon. Chivumo, Hon. Shimoonde brothers and they performed to our expectations in UNIP and MMD. Milambo was lucky to have won that seat in 2011 because MMD did not adopt Mr Choonga a local young man whom most people wanted to be their MP but alas he was not adopted as the MMD adopted Mr Matawe and most people got disappointed and some did not even vote.

If UPND want to win Mweembeshi at all levels with a landslide victory, let them not adopt Milambo because we do not want him. WE WANT OUR EDUCATED SALA CHILDREN to take up the leadership of our land. Milambo has done nothing for the Sala people of Mweebeshi constituency. One thing for sure is that HH will get Mweembeshi but Milambo will fall and this will reduce the votes for HH too. Let HH adopt local people this time around so that the sala people of chief Shakumbila are also happy.

Currently there is no Sala MP parliament but there are three Sala constituencies in Zambia all under Tonga people. Wynter needs to change the candidate who is campaigning to contest as MP. He is not well educated and he does no appeal the voters but it is good that he is a local person but he is not a game changer.

RAINBOW district chairperson can easily bring us Mr Choonga RAINBOW can even today count that they have at least one MP. Can you engage him now before PF get him. If it fails with Mr Choonga, then give us Mr Shikabwali.

Lastly my presidential vote for sure is for HH but at parliamentary level, Milambo a BIG NO. All we want is a Sala MP from any party especially our own Kabimba’s RAINBOW party if UPND disappoints us.

A public commitment to publish its Social Labour Plan on the company’s website by Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American PLC, is a step in the right direction and more companies need to follow suit, says the Bench Marks Foundation.

The commitment by Cutifani followed a question raised during a session at the Mining Indaba by the Bench Marks Foundation, as to why it is so hard to access Social Labour Plans.  That meeting is taking place this week in Cape Town and running at the same time as the Alternative Mining Indaba.

“Honesty, transparency and open communication between companies, governments, communities and workers are essential if the mining sector wishes to recover from its losses due to the reduction in commodity prices and looming massive job cuts,” Capel pointed out.

During the intense discussions and debates at the 7^th Alternative Mining Indaba, lack of transparency has been one of the topics consistently raised by the hundreds of participants attending the conference from all over the world.

“In our vast experience in working with those within the mining sector and around mines, mistrust and lack of clear communication has been a catalyst for majority of incidents that occur, particularly strikes,” says Capel.

“Mining companies continue to shut their workers out of what is happening and workers normally only find out about layoffs and closures through the media, when it’s too late. No consultation and no preparation is given to either staff or those who will be affected by these actions.”

Capel noted that the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Thabo Makgoba, had told those at the Mining Indaba that building trust between mines and stakeholders did not happen overnight, especially when harm had been done.

“He also said that to build trust required companies to invest time and effort in closing the gaps between the mine and its stakeholders. The Archbishop said that a lot of healing needs to be done in many communities, like Marikana, but that this would require companies to admit to making mistakes and saying sorry.

“We agree, and we insist that companies must be more transparent and honest in their reporting. We continue to push for Social Labour Plans (SLPs) to be made freely available to communities and workers so that they can see what has been promised and can hold the companies accountable,”

“Transparency is about full disclosure of information. The receiver should have full access to what he/she wants, not just the information that the company wants to provide, no matter how uncomfortable this may be,”

“Commitments such as that made by Cutifani to share this information is vital, especially since what they do clearly affects so many.”

Capel said that Social Labour Plans should define the commitments made by the mine and their annual reports should talk to this plan. It should highlight what they have done and what they intend to do. If communities are able to easily access this, they can see what to follow up on and hold the company accountable for shortfalls.

“This is what we have been aiming for: for communities to be empowered with knowledge about what has been planned by mines for their environment and what steps the companies have undertaken to promote socio-economic growth and development as well as their plans for when the mine comes to an end.”

In terms of South African law, mining companies are required to submit Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) that contain the regulatory requirements of the mine to the Department of Minerals and Resources prior to the granting of a mining right.

Once the mining right has been granted, the mine is required to implement its undertakings and programmes and then report against the respective progress on an annual basis so that it can retain its mineral right.

The Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) was created provide a space for everyone from all over Africa and the world to discuss and workshop subjects that are wreaking havoc or working well in the mining sector.

The theme this year was “Making natural resources work for the people and ended with a march to the Cape Town International Convention Centre to highlight the injustices communities and miners endure as a result of mining and the high incidences of deaths experienced as a result of mining. A final communiqué was handed over to a representative of the African Union at the end of the march. To date, those directly representing the mining companies have not accepted declarations from the Alternative Mining Indaba.

Felix Mutati at a campaign rally with Hakainde Hichilema, Geoffrey Mwamba and Patrick Mucheleka

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) National Treasurer Ms Elizabeth Chitika has slammed Lunte Member of Parliament Felix Mutati for deliberately avoiding and failing to address the issue she raised earlier that he is a United Party for National Development (UPND) member who is double-dealing but pretending to be a genuine MMD member.

In an interview on Wednesday, Ms Chitika reiterated that Mr Mutati features on a 2016 UPND calendar as their party official and he is just trying to change the subject after being caught in his own web of double dealing that has exposed him as a shameless opportunist.

Ms Chitika wondered why Mr Mutati sent people to the MMD secretariat to express their views by smashing windows and breaking windows of several motor vehicles over the postponement of the 2016 MMD convention to next year. She wondered why Mr Mutati was failing to respect the final decision of the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) to hold a convention in 2017 when he respected the decision of the same party organ to forgive him and bring him back to the MMD after he was expelled with 19 others on 31st January 2015 at a NEC meeting.

“I would like to find out from Honourable Mutati whether what they did is indeed expressing their views by breaking a party office. If he is MMD, how would he want to send people to break the party office?” wondered Ms Chitika.

And Ms Chitika asked where Mr Mutati has been the last four years when the party has gone through many challenges and a lot of people left the party.

“I would also want to find out from Honourable Mutati where has he been all this time? We have kept this party from the time everybody scampered in all directions. We have invited all of them to take part in the activities of the party. They have never been there. But now that they know that there are elections coming, because they are chancers, they want to come full force and say ‘We want a convention’,” said Ms Chitika.

Mr Mutati issued a statement published in Lusaka Times yesterday in which he accused MMD President Dr Nevers Sekwila Mumba of taking the MMD into an alliance with UPND. But Ms Chitika refuted these allegations saying that nothing was finalized with UPND and no MMD MP was appointed to lead any such discussions. She challenged Mr Mutati to produce written authority for any MP to talk to the UPND on behalf of the MMD.

She further noted that if indeed Dr Mumba had made any deal with UPND, it made no sense for him to stand in the January 2015 presidential by-election against Mr Hichilema. She said on the contrary, Mr Mutati accompanied by other “muselela kwakaba” MPs like Kabinga Pande and Elijah Muchima supported UPND of their own accord and had no blessings of the party grassroots, the NEC or Dr Mumba.

Ms Chitika emphasized that MMD is united and solidly behind Dr Mumba, contrary to exaggerated reports in the media that suggested otherwise. She said there are no “factions” in MMD and the rantings of a few disgruntled elements cannot be taken to be representative of any part of the MMD. She urged all MMD members to work hard and remain focused on the August 2016 election.

ZNFU President Evelyn Nguleka

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has launched investigations into allegations of fraud and theft at the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU).

DEC officers on Tuesday, 9th February,2016 visited the ZNFU offices in the Show Grounds as part of the investigation.

And ZNFU President Evelyn Nguleka has assured ZNFU members and stakeholders to remain calm during the course of the investigation.

Dr. Nguleka in a statement to QFM News says the ZNFU offices will remain operational and continue to serve its membership during the investigation.

She adds that the allegations of fraud and theft arise out of a leaked preliminary audit report conducted by EMM Corporate Partners.

Dr. Nguleka states that as things stand now, the current audit process is yet to be concluded.

She further states the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) has been engaged to interrogate the professional conduct of the auditor and the auditee; and to review the entire audit process and findings with a view to appointing an independent auditor to be agreed upon between cooperating partners and ZNFU.

The Zambia Police has exhumed the grave of a Senenga Man who ‘resurrected’ three months after he is believed to have died and buried.

Mufalali Mufalali of Senenga district in Western province is believed to have been buried in November 2015 but resurrected in circumstances that have left the police ‘ghosting’ for answers.

Zambia Daily Mail reports that the blood samples collected from Mufalali, who is in his mid-40s, his father, Kabalube Mufalali, and 14-year-old daughter, Masheke Mufalali, have proved an O blood type group match.

Western Province commissioner of police Charles Lungu said yesterday that it is claimed that Mr Mufalali came back to life on February 8, 2016 and he was identified by his wife and daughter.

Mr Lungu said Mr Mufalali, who is in the custody of a pastor, is not in his right state of mind. He said Mr Mufalali allegedly told police at Senanga Police Station that his father allegedly sold him for suspected rituals after he fell ill last year.

“The only thing the man remembers is that he was very sick at the time the father took him to an unknown place,” Mr Lungu said.

On the blood samples, Mr Lungu said blood tests conducted at Senanga Hospital have revealed that Mr Mufalali, his father and daughter might be related.

Mr Lungu, however, said that the samples will be sent to Lusaka for a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test to establish the relationship.

By press time, the police were exhuming the grave in which Mr Mufalali was allegedly buried.

“This is not the first time we are handling such a matter and it is common here in Western Province. We had a similar case four years ago and when the grave was exhumed, only blankets were found,” Mr Lungu said.

Watch the video story by Muvi Television on this link.

HH waves at supporters

A Nigerian Pastor prophesied that opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema will be president of Zambia.

The Nigerian Pastor delivered the prophecy during a church service which was recorded on a video that has since gone viral on social media. See the video here.

Davies Chama

HH arriving in Samfyaof

Patriotic Front Secretary Davies Chama says opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) president would only be president of Zambia not during this generation.
In an interview with the Zambian Eye’s Correspondent Mwatitha Lubinda, Chama stated that the UPND president will perhaps only come to power in the year 2115.
The PF Secretary General explained that that’s is why he can never ran away into asylum, if the opposition leader were to be given an opportunity to ran this country because his opportunity to ran this nation will not come during his (Chama) lifetime.
“Am not a coward I can never ran away because Hakainde will never be president, okay (and) assuming that he won the elections in 2115, hmmm in 2115, In the likelihood that he won. I can never ran away because in my entire life I have always been in the opposition, no no no Hakainde can never scare me, no WHO IS this uncircumcised philistine who can scare me?” he asked.
And Chama castigated those fueling confusion in the opposition Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) indicating that the move is a sign that some opponents are scared of the alliance between the two political parties.
He stated that the tension in the MMD is well known as they are instigated by people that know the future of the party.
“Alliances if you set conditions there are no preset conditions the fact that people have heard that you want to set alliances they will instigate a lot of confusion because they wanted to form an alliance with you. But I have always said that the biggest alliance you can ever have is with the Zambian people. That is the biggest alliance you can ever have. So these internal tension in the MMD are well known and are sponsored by the UPND. Its because they are scared that if PF and MMD come together they don’t have chance to win these elections,” stated Chama.
But UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka said the PF Secretary General’s remarks are irresponsible childish and foolish because choosing a leader is not based on an individual but on the people’s choice .
Katuka noted that it’s not for Chama to decide who will rule this country but the people will judge according to the manner they are running the affairs of the country.
He observed that Chama has no political history compared to the UPND leader for him to give judgement on political journey of an individual and a party.
“The Patriotic Front Secretary General has no political history. Have you ever heard of him anywhere? The decision as to who wins an election depends on the people’s choice. Am alive to the fact that there were some people in 2011 who swore that PF will never rule this country but these same people are today serving in this same party, its not for Chama to decide who will run the affairs of this country but the peoples choice. It’s irresponsible childish and foolish thinking for the Patriotic Front Secretary General to utter those words,” Katuka charged.
He indicated that any party serving in the opposition is a government in waiting and can offer better alternatives to the electorates adding that the PF has let the people down in the manner they are handling national affairs.
“For people who have been around like me I have seen a better Zambia before independence and after but what is pertaining today is due to lack of leadership in the ruling party. Zambia is a beautiful country endowed with so many natural resources that are underutilized,” Katuka explained.

Nevers Mumba

MMD national secretary Mwansa Mbulakulima says he is ready for a fight with Nevers Mumba and maintains that the party at its January 30 national executive committee meeting resolved to unconditionally form an alliance with the PF.

And Mumba’s spokesperson, Raphael Nakacinda, has defected to the Felix Mutati MMD faction that is demanding for a party convention ahead of the general elections.

Mumba, the MMD president, in a letter dated February 2, asked Mbulakulima to confirm whether his statement in the media that the former ruling party had resolved at its January 30 NEC meeting to unconditionally go into an alliance with the PF was correctly attributed.

“I write to ascertain as to whether the statement attributed to you in the media on February 1, 2016 that the MMD had resolved to back the PF unconditionally was correctly attributed to you and the media did not misquote you. Can you please respond in order to ascertain the next course of action,” Mumba’s letter to Mbulakulima read.

Mumba said the NEC meeting did not resolve to “unconditionally back the PF” but that it had tasked him to meet President Edgar Lungu to agree on the terms of an alliance.

But Mbulakulima told journalists in Lusaka on Tuesday that he was disappointed with Mumba’s decision to write him a letter over his statement.

“I still insist that the statement I gave to the media is a true reflection of MMD members who attended that NEC meeting. Mumba would have done Zambians a favour by stating which side he is on, alliance with the PF or the UPND?” Mbulakulima asked.

He said Mumba should not forget that he (Mbulakulima) was one of three members of parliament that had helped to hold the MMD together.

“I am not bragging; it’s a fact which Zambians know that if there are three or so MPs who held MMD together, I am one of them. He (Mumba) is being insensitive and insincere by writing such a letter to me. Let me remind Mumba that ‘you cannot quarrel with everyone’. Is he the only one who is always right? Was Major [Richard] Kachingwe wrong? Was Dr Brian Chituwo wrong? Were Kapembwa Simbao, Catherine Namugala and Muhabi Lungu wrong? I don’t think so!” Mbulakulima said.

He said he was ready for a fight with Mumba.

“I can see that he has taken his fight to me and so I am waiting for his next action [that] he has promised. I have responded to his letter, which I took time to study,” said Mbulakulima.

And MMD sources have disclosed that Nakacinda dumped Mumba few weeks ago and is now working with Mutati.

“Even his own spokesperson, Nakacinda, where is he today? He is working with Mutati. He knows that the party needs to go to a convention, but since Mumba is forcing matters, he (Nakacinda) has dumped him. It only shows that the party membership has lost confidence in him,” sources said.

The sources said Mumba made the announcement that he is enjoying a cordial relationship with Rupiah Banda so that he could get some sympathy from the State and stop Mutati from taking over.

“Not long ago, Mumba said Banda had selfish motives and was confusing the party, but after seeing that genuine MMD members are now mobilising behind Mutati to rescue the party from being handed over to the PF for selfish reasons, he has now changed and is saying ‘Banda and I enjoy cordial relations’; he is afraid and he wants the PF to help him because he is alone now.”

When contacted, Nakacinda said he will comment at an appropriate time, but confirmed that he was not siding with Mumba while denying that he was not siding with Mutati neither.

“I don’t think there is a necessity for us to start classifying people in groups or camps, it will be very unfortunate if that is there. I don’t think at this particular stage I would want to comment on those issues, because there are a lot of insinuations and childishness around issues that are supposed to be discussed from the point of view of the institutional arran

FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzie

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Executive Director Mcdonald Chipenzi has quit.

Chipenzi says the happening inside and outside FODEP has made him take the decision.

Below is a short statement.

Comrades, friends and fellow Zambians, this is to inform you that effective Monday,  February 15, 2016, i cease to be the Executive Director for the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP).

This is due to the happenings within and outside and will inform the nation at an appropriate time.

I remain committed to the causes I have stood for in the 8 years i spent at FODEP…I must thank you all for the support…Political parties, churches, legal fraternity, media, cooperating partners and the labour movement..Above all, let me thank my Board Members for understanding me of this decision and also members of the organisation across this great country for the support rendered which made the implementation of the projects smooth. Their support was my strength and resolve.

I love you all. I now concentrate on completing my studies. God bless you all…HAPPY VALENTINE—REMEMBER THE POOR,  PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE ORPHANS AND INDEED THE MARGINALISED NEED YOUR LOVE AND VOICE…KEEP NOT QUIET WHEN THEY  ARE BEING OPPRESSED AND SUPPRESSED BY THE POWERFUL, EDUCATED AND RICH…GOD LOVES THOSE WHO SPEAK FOR THEM…AM RESOLVED TO BE BY THEIR SIDE ALL THE TIME, EVERYTIME