By Sishuwa Sishuwa and Nic Cheeseman

Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s “founding father” and first president, has died in a military hospital in Lusaka where he was being treated for pneumonia. Aged 97, he was the last of the generation of leaders who secured independence for their countries from colonial rule and went on to govern through their own distinctive political and economic philosophies. Like the continent’s other “philosopher kings” — Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, Senegal’s Leopold Senghor — Kaunda’s vision for Zambia’s post-colonial future left a profound imprint on society that lasted well beyond his time in power.

He will be remembered variously as a freedom fighter who supported liberation struggles across Southern Africa, a nation-builder who avoided divide-and-rule politics, a bad economist who presided over decades of decline, a repressive leader who enforced an unpopular one-party state and an elder statesman who peacefully accepted defeat having lost the 1991 general elections. He was all of these things, embodying both strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures. Yet above all, he is likely to be remembered, against the backdrop of his often corrupt and repressive successors, as a man who was ultimately willing to put the national interest ahead of his own.

The rise to power

Kaunda, popularly known as KK, was born in Chinsali to parents who were teachers; and, significantly, to a father who came from what is now Malawi. This gave Kaunda a distinctive position in Zambian political life. On the one hand he hailed from an area dominated by the Bemba and spoke the Bemba language, and so could effectively mobilise one of the country’s largest ethnic groups. On the other hand, his mixed heritage encouraged him to stay above ethnic politicking and to seek to balance the representation of different groups in his cabinet.

Having initially followed in his parents’ footsteps as a teacher, Kaunda resigned in 1951 to become the organising secretary of the Northern Rhodesian ANC in the Northern Province. In time, he became disillusioned with the moderate stance of ANC leader Harry Nkumbula and quit in 1958 to set up the rival Zambian (ZANC). This new political vehicle, which argued for rapid decolonisation, was quickly shut down by the colonial government, and Kaunda was imprisoned for nine months.

Upon his release, and with a reputation bolstered by the time that he had spent in jail, Kaunda took up the leadership of the United National Independence Party, which had been formed while he was in detention. By pushing a more radical message and developing a strong structure in urban areas along the line of rail, UNIP quickly eclipsed the ANC and so it was Kaunda who emerged as the country’s first Prime Minister and then President following independence in 1964.

In power, Kaunda sought to strike a delicate balance by not offending the country’s powerful trade unions — which frequently demanded improvements in pay and conditions — international donors, who wanted to see a reduction in government spending, its religious leaders who exerted a strong influence over Zambian hearts and minds, and the country’s different ethnic groups, each of which feared being outmanoeuvred by the others. The multiple compromises this resulted in are well demonstrated by his professed ideology, Zambian humanism, which was leftwing without being explicitly socialist, focused on the struggle for human progress without being “godless”, and was community minded while rejecting the principle of tribalism.

This was not simply a political manoeuvre — Kaunda really did believe in these things, and was in many ways more of a moderate than his counterparts elsewhere on the continent.

Yet, in consistently trying to balance these competing pressures, Kaunda risked pleasing no one. He failed to make the country less dependent on copper, but this didn’t stop damaging trade union strikes. Meanwhile, leaders from the Bemba rejected his efforts at ethnic balancing, complaining that they had not been sufficiently rewarded for the prominent role that they played in securing independence.

As economic conditions worsened, the greatest threat to UNIP was not defeat by the ANC, but rather that a group of Kaunda’s supposed allies would break away to challenge his rule. When his long-time friend and former vice-president, Simon Kapwepwe, left to form the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kaunda realised that a UPP/ANC alliance might defeat UNIP, and so began proceedings to introduce a one-party state in 1972.

Kaunda officially justified the one-party state on the basis that it was necessary because the country was at war. This was self-serving, because the real motivation was domestic not international, but it contained an element of truth. Kaunda had offered support to liberation movements in Southern Africa, offering fierce criticism to foreign leaders who supported white minority rule such as Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, and so feared attacks from apartheid South Africa.

Zambia also suffered in other ways. When sanctions were placed on Ian Smith’s Rhodesia, it cut off landlocked Zambia from important trading routes, making a challenging economic situation even more difficult. Initially Kaunda and UNIP’s legitimacy as nationalist heroes allowed them to ride this out but, as the economy continued to suffer, popular support ebbed away and the government was increasingly forced to use repression instead of cooptation and persuasion. Some dissidents were beaten and locked up,others fled the country.

By the late 1980s, Kaunda had run out of ideas, UNIP’s official structures were little more than a fiction, and the one-party state was on borrowed time.

A leader reborn

This is the point at which most incumbent leaders agreed to reintroduce multiparty politics only to use violence, censorship, and intimidation to manipulate the polls and stay in power. But Kaunda took a different path, and in so doing revived his reputation. UNIP tried to manipulate the elections but without the repression seen in places such as Kenya and Togo. The result was a landslide defeat, after which Kaunda gracefully accepted defeat and congratulated his successor.

That act allows Zambians to remember KK as a leader who twice put the national interest before his own — in the 1960s and in the 1990s. The relatively poor performance of the leaders who succeeded him only served to boost his political rehabilitation. His immediate replacement, Frederick Chiluba, stole hundreds of millions of dollars and tried to use the fact that Kaunda had Malawian ancestry to claim he was not really Zambian and bar him from contesting the 1996 general election. Viewed against the backdrop of current President Edgar Lungu, who stands accused of dividing the country while mishandling the economy and rigging elections, Kaunda’s record appears to be considerably more impressive.

The memory of Kaunda as a nation-builder will also be sustained by the contrast between his manner and the brash style of the contemporary political class. Despite being a national liberation hero, Kaunda never lost his human touch. We interviewed him and saw at first hand his modest lifestyle and lack of pretension. It was a reminder of a less cynical and more idealistic time when leaders were not assumed to be corrupt, arrogant and flashy. As some of those who have taken to social media to share their thoughts on his death have pointed out, it was characteristic of Kaunda that at a time when so many of Africa’s elite fly to the United States or India for medical treatment, he was treated and died in a Zambian hospital.

When Zambians observe 21 days of national mourning, they will not just be grieving for KK, but also for a lost era of hope, national pride and human dignity.

KITWE HIGH COURT REFUSES TO ADMIT CONFESSION IN SPAX CASE

Kitwe High Court has refused to admit into evidence a confession purportedly made by a co-accused of Chingola businessman, Kabaso Mulenga, alias Spax, implicating himself in the offences he is facing.

Kitwe High Court Judge Abha Nayar Patel feels the admission by the suspect was not made voluntarily.This is in a case Boyd Kamizhi, Maclean Kamizhi, Gilbert Zimba, Sivio Kwibisa, Jimmy Bwembya and Mulenga are facing various offences, including murder, rape and attempted murder.

At the start of trial, all the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.However, as trial proceeded, a police officer involved in investigating the matter told the court that the fifth suspect, Jimmy Bwembya, was arrested after he confessed his involvement in the alleged crimes.

But the defence rejected the State’s account of events and told the court that Bwembya was allegedly under duress to sign the statement of admission.The defence claimed Bwembya was tortured through constant beatings and starved by the police to squeeze a confession from him.

They said their client was picked from Solwezi in January last year and taken to Lusaka, where he was kept until March the same year when he signed the statement of confession.The defence applied for a trial within a trial to enable the court to assess voluntariness of the confession, an application which was granted.

Ruling on the request for a trial within a trial yesterday, Justice Patel said the burden of proving voluntariness of a confession is on the State.She said from her findings, the State failed to discharge its burden beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Patel said it is clear the confession by the suspect was not voluntary.“The accused person was not given an opportunity to call his relatives or counsel of his choice and he was not given any food where he was held,” she said.

Justice Patel took judicial notice that Lusaka Central Police Station, where the accused was held, has no feeding facilities and this prompted the suspect to rely on leftovers from other suspects in custody at the time.Justice Patel found that the interview, which was done in the office of the flying squad, where the confession was extracted, could not have been in a free atmosphere.

She said the State also failed to give reasonable explanation why the accused was kept in their custody from January to March and was only released after confessing.Justice Patel said the State did not use the available video recording facilities to substantiate voluntariness of the confession, adding that this was negligence of duty on its part.The matter in the main trial will come up on July 8 2021.

UPND has asked the Ndola High Court to join the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) as the intended third respondent to judicial review proceedings.

This is in a matter where the main opposition party is challenging the decision of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) not to prescribe the amount of airtime in the public media to be allocated to all the participating political parties.

UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda is seeking an order compelling ECZ to prescribe airtime to all public television, radio and print media for the benefit of all participating political parties and independent candidates prior to the August 12 General Election.

Imenda is also seeking an order of mandamus compelling ECZ to prescribe the amount of airtime in any given language on public TV radio, electronic and print media to be allocated to all participants.

In an affidavit in support of summons for joinder of the third intended respondent filed on Tuesday by lawyers from M Associates, Imenda said ZNBC was the oldest, widest and largest radio and television service provider in Zambia which has also joined the digital age by having platforms on the internet.

He said ZNBC, a public broadcaster, was a foothold for successive ruling parties as news was usually in favour of government and the same has been witnessed throughout history.

Imenda said ZNBC has for a long time been a campaign tool and mouthpiece of government and the ruling party in its broadcasting and programming.

“ZNBC has become unfair to my party and its candidates, imbalanced and brazenly biased towards the incumbent in the campaign period announced by ECZ,” Imenda submitted.

“ZNBC has been unfairly broadcasting its content in the manner I have complained because ECZ has not performed its duties of prescribing airtime in any given language on public television or radio to a political party or candidate in the campaign period.”

He said there was no doubt that ZNBC was an electronic media whose responsibility and functions were to serve public interest as opposed to the government of the day.

The UPND secretary general said the public broadcaster had sufficient interest in the matter and was susceptible to an order for joinder to the proceedings.

Imenda said although the order of mandamus being sought was on ECZ, the blow would land on ZNBC which was the target of Regulation 8 of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

He said such an order would have an inextricable bearing on ZNBC since it was a public broadcaster.

“The joinder of ZNBC is highly necessary so that every aspect of the suit between the parties and every matter in controversy is determined in finality. The joinder is to avoid a multiplicity of actions,” said Imenda.

By Sara Yeta II

On 11 November 2020, Hichilema wished Lungu congratulations on a happy birthday, calling him his brother.

Many people extolled Hichilema for rising above political differences to congratulate Lungu on his birthday.

What Hichilema did is not extraordinary, but rather an expression of ‘Ubuntu’, the philosophy of ‘I am’ only because ‘we are’, which is a realisation that we are shaped by our relationships with other people.

Besides, Zambia is a Christian nation; therefore, life has to be lived in the context of Christian values founded on love.

Hence, the scripture from 1 John 3:15 says that ‘everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him’, while 1 John 4:20 says ‘if anyone says, “I love God”, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen’.

On 4 June, 2021, it was Hichilema’s birthday anniversary and media platforms were inundated with congratulatory birthday wishes. People expected Lungu to reciprocate Hichilema’s gesture.

No one is saying that Lungu has a duty to reciprocate, but people’s expectation was based on the spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ couched in Christian values.

To the displeasure of many people, Lungu did not wish Hichilema happy birthday and people did not hide their disenchantment over his indifference.

The question that asks for an answer is why Lungu did not reciprocate Hichilema’s human and Christian gesture? Your guess is as good as mine.

However, deducing from the way Lungu behaves towards Hichilema, it is plausible to conclude that Lungu hates Hichilema with a passion like Adolf Hitler hated the Jews.

His hatred is as a result of his failure to understand that politics is not a discipline of retaliatory harm; neither are political competitors enemies.

As a result, the venom of his hatred has polluted his spirit, poisoned his soul and seeped into his actions towards Hichilema.

What is regrettable is that his hatred for Hichilema has become dangerous. It has completely drained his spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ and Christian values, tarnished his soul and darkened his life towards Hichilema, such that he can do anything to get rid of Hichilema.

His hatred is so intense that he even fails to mention Hichilema’s name in public.

This may be an explanation for why there have been several attempts to assassinate Hichilema; they have arrested him several times, and he has been accused of all sorts of diabolic things, and other people have been co-opted to do the same, all under Lungu’s presidency, which was never the case under the presidencies of Mwanawasa, Rupiya and Sata, respectively.

That is what outward hatred does: it motivates damaging and violent behaviour towards other people, especially competitors.

The killing of Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda, where Hichilema was the target, and the recent shooting of Hichilema’s convey in Chingola are ugly reminders of what hatred can do.

My concern, especially after the Chingola shooting, is that Lungu’s hand of hate has the potential to become the hand behind the scene that will harm Hichilema.

If Hichilema is harmed, God forbid, this country can never see peace again because hatred is like the hot coal that burns the people it is thrown at while also burning the hands throwing the coal.

Lungu should know that we all have two wolves inside ourselves that are fighting each other. The first is the wolf of kindness, peace and love. The second is the wolf of fear, greed and hatred. The one that wins is one we feed; and we cannot feed both simultaneously.

For a long time, Lungu has been holding onto hatred against Hichilema, feeding his wolf daily so that it has become stronger, and is able to harm Hichilema.

Lungu should be reminded in clear terms that hatred is like poison, which, whether turned inward or outward, creates a destructive state of mind that can cause anarchy in this country.

It is high time that Lungu confronts his hatred for Hichilema, understands it and disassembles it because he will not remain president forever; moreover, we want to live in peace in this Christian nation.

PF CADRE Chishimba Kambwili yesterday failed to open defence in a matter where he is accused of calling President Edgar Lungu a ‘dog’ , on the pretext that he was diagnosed with malaria.

Recently, Kambwili was in Chinsali district in Muchinga Province campaigning for the PF on different radio stations where he labelled the UPND as a tribal party.

In this case Kambwili is facing a charge of defamation of the President.

It is alleged that on August 26 and 27, 2019, Kambwili with intent to bring the President’s name into contempt, hatred and ridicule alleged that President Lungu whom he referred to as a ‘dog’ was moving aimlessly and would visit any country wherever he was invited.

Kambwili said the ‘dog’ used to reside in Chawama and after being given an opportunity to be in ‘ste’ (State House) it wanted to explore the whole world when people were scrambling for mealie-meal which was pegged at K150.00.

When the matter came up for opening of defence before Lusaka chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale, Kambwili’s surety Kwangu Mukupa said the former traveled to Chinsali, he was diagnosed with malaria and was given a seven-day bed rest.

“He called me on Sunday and gave me a sick note,” Mukuka said.

But the sick note which was issued to Kambwili had no date, forcing the court to question whether it was authentic.

Mukupa told the court that Kambwili might have visited the hospital either on Friday or Saturday.

State advocate Charity Bauleni said she could not object as the court had taken note of the concerns she was about to raise in relation to the date.

At the last sitting, Kambwili could not defend himself owing to letters which were being sent to the National Prosecutions Authority to have the matter discontinued, which are yet to be determined by the prosecution.

Sources told The Mast that there were attempts by Daniel Nyati who is the complainant on behalf of the State to have the matter withdrawn.

According to the Zambian laws, a matter that is commenced through an arrest can only be discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, unlike under section 90 of the Criminal Procedure Code where a complainant is allowed to discontinue the case.

Magistrate Mwale reluctantly adjourned the matter to July 27 this year.

ZAMBIAN’S hunger for change is not just for bread and butter but for personal safety and security, says Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) chairperson Judith Mulenga.

CiSCA has condemned the escalating political violence in the nation, particularly between supporters of the ruling PF and the opposition UPND.

CiSCA regretted the disturbing trend whereby successive ruling party cadres, when on the threat of losing elections, resort to use wanton violence to intimidate their opponents in the desperate hope of holding on power.

“This unZambian, unconstitutional behaviour started with MMD when they were on the brink of losing power. Then now the Patriotic Front cadres who have historically thrived on violence since they came into power. PF cadres have attacked innocent mourners at funerals,” she said. “They have attacked motorists on the road who dare to drive in the right lane when they want to drive in the same lane but going in the opposite direction. We all witnessed on social media when they attacked people who were attending a Law Association of Zambia Bill 10 debate at InterContinental Hotel on 17th February 2020 all because the majority of public discussants were opposed to Bill 10.”

Mulenga said PF cadres had sometimes even turned their violence on each other.

She recalled that on May 2, PF cadres turned their anger on one of their own, Innocent Kalimanshi a known PF “commander” in full view of high-ranking party officials at their Secretariat.

Mulenga said in the process two journalists were also injured in the fracas.

“Unfortunately, our police service has failed to prosecute many of the perpetrators of this violence from the ruling PF. This has contributed to what we see today where UPND supporters are now taking matters into their own hands and retaliating,” she said. “This is a rather disconcerting situation because violence in whatever form and under whatever circumstances is reprehensible and repugnant to modern day politics. All political parties are under an obligation to ensure that the violence that we are seeing during this campaign period ends and ends quickly before it escalates into a fully-fledged conflict.”

Mulenga said the Constitution prohibits political parties from engaging in or encouraging violence or intimidating its members, supporters, opponents or other persons.

“Therefore, the persistent and escalating violence is a failure by the leadership of the political parties concerned. Zambian’s hunger for change is not just for bread and butter but for personal safety and security. Zambians are tired of continuously living under lawlessness by successive ruling political parties and would want to see the vicious cycle of ruling party cadres thuggery acts to cease forthwith,” she said.

Mulenga said democracy entails dialoging, negotiating and genuinely embracing and living in diversity.

She said the hypocrisy of proclaiming the promotion of peace and unity in manifestos while letting supporters engaging in running battles leaving collateral bloodshed strewn all over the streets of the country was totally unacceptable.

Mulenga called on all political parties to conduct their affairs according to the constitutional provisions and tenets of democracy.

She urged the police service not to fail on their duty to “enforce the law against all forms of crime and disorder in order to maintain peace and order throughout Zambia”.

“And this duty must be discharged with the highest levels of impartiality. We demand that the police accord all political parties equal treatment and protection. The police must also bring to book all perpetrators of violence and see to it that the due process of the law is followed to its conclusion,” she said. “We strongly urge the Republican President Mr Edgar Lungu to do everything in his power as Commander-In-Chief to stop this violence starting with reining in his cadres. We have heard him make statements on a number of occasions to the effect that he is concerned about the violence that the nation is witnessing today. As Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces the onus is on him to engage all the necessary means to stop the violence. The buck stops with him.”

She said violence had the potential to escalate into a war and if that happens President Lungu should accept that he would have failed the nation.

“No to violent campaigns,” said Mulenga.

Vice President, Inonge Wina, says there are powerful forces that are pushing the country into instability but the government will not allow that to happen.

Mrs. Wina said this could be seen from the escalating cases of political violence that has filled the political space in the recent past.

Speaking when she met the members of the clergy in Kabwe today, Mrs. Wina challenged Christians and political party leaders to help stop the escalating cases of political violence in the country ahead of the August 21 presidential and general elections.

She said the fight against political violence should be a responsibility of everyone especially the clergy, in order to save the youths from destruction.

“We felt it was important to meet with you and hear from you on issues of the church development and development of Kabwe. It is up to you pastors to share ideas that will stop the political violence and propel the country to development after the elections,” she said.

And speaking to members of the Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mrs. Wina said there was no country in the world that can develop without partnering with the private sector.

The Vice President said government was there to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish while jobs are created by the private sector.

“Therefore, the government depends on the private sector for job creation while it creates an enabling environment for sustainable business prospects,” Mrs. Wina said.

She observed that Kabwe is strategically located and KCCI could easily transition into a trade leader in the region.

Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) running mate, Nkandu Luo, said the clergy has a bigger voice to condemn political violence in the country.

Prof. Luo said Zambia would not want to see citizens fleeing the country as refugees as a result of violence.

She thanked President Edgar Lungu for again nominating a woman for the running mate position which she said has given leverage to women.

She also paid tribute to Mrs. Wina for serving the country with integrity and transparency saying this has given dignity to the female-folk.

Prof. Luo has observed that the PF led government has done a lot in the last ten years, adding that the infrastructure development is the benchmark of any sustainable development.

Prof. Luo said the 2021-2026 PF manifesto empowers the people to be in charge of their resources and gives them hope through an effective education sector, health care services and commerce, trading and industry.

And Central Province Chairperson for the Clergy, Hector Sinyangwe, said the church is concerned about the high youth unemployment in Kabwe district.

Bishop Sinyangwe said the government should woo credible investors to invest in the various sectors of the economy in order to address the challenge of unemployment especially among the youths.

“We are concerned as a church with the levels of unemployment and we would want the government to woo credible investors that will turn around the economy and create jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president, Christabel Ngongola-REINKE, said it was the desire of the trade body to see industries like Kabwe Industrial Fabrication Company (KIFCO) being revitalized.

HH NI ECONOMY AS CHIFUNABULI RESIDENTS VOW TO GIVE UPND HUNDRED PERCENT VOTES

CHIFUNABULI residents of Luapula Province are gearing for the much anticipated victory on Thursday,12th August 2021, assured UPND Alliance Presidential aspirant Hakainde Hichilema and Running Mate Mutale Nalumango of a hundred percent vote.

Though lamenting challenges and threats instigated by the Patriotic Front (PZF) using the pandemic during ongoing campaigns, however, vowing not to sleep till Mr. Hichilema gets power this year.

Referring to increased poverty, poor incomes and lack of jobs, Chifunabuli residents expressed a desire to remove President Edgar Chagwa Lungu from power, through casting votes in favour of Hichilema and candidates on the UPND Alliance ticket.

“Our economy is broken and here in Chifunabuli, though the land is fertile, it is difficult for us to live a decent life as a consequence of a deplorable road network which scares businesses and transportators to bring goods, services and even resist temptation to transport people. This road becomes impassable during rainy season and no economic activities can take place. Sadly, there is no money to buy prescribed medicines as hospitals or clinics, end at diagnostic, analysis of one’s health,” residents in Chifunabuli lamented.

Kelvin Mulenga, a 65-year-old sexagenarian said the economic situation is too harsh to bear, crying four that the PF is mockingly disparaging citizens by giving out insignificant amounts of money, hoping to sweet-talk the electorate.

And UPND Deputy National Chairperson for Youths and Sports Affairs Prudence Mwansa urged the electorates not to be confused by Socialist Party colours, similar to UPND but must consider a symbol Pakuboko to differitiate with Fred M’membe party.

Meanwhile, UPND Deputy National Youth Chairman for Politics Stephen Chikota advised Chifunabuli residents not to be cheated that the Social Cash Transfer is meant for every citizen, when reality shows that empowerment is for PF alone.

Mr. Chikota says once the UPND Alliance team forms goverment, the Social Cash Transfer be pushed to the K380 per household of the old and the vulnerable.

“I am aware that PF has neglected you here there is no development and the money they are giving you is meant to foster development here, get it and demand more
Do not ever believe in them they dont mean well,”Mr Chikota pleaded.

In consolidating the message by Mr Chikota, UPND Deputy National Youth Chairperson for Gender Cindy Kauka once Hichilema takes office at State House, ZAMBIA will build a better and sustainable future for every one. The power is in your hands as women and young people to turn up in large numbers and vote for real Change,” Ms . Kauka said.

“There is no tribalism to preach about in UPND as PF claim, we are a one Zambia one nation Society, and youth must not sleep until HH becomes Zambia’s 7th Republican President,” advised Kauka.

UPND Women’s Chairlady Dorren Mwamba presence attracted hope and help to residents as she encouraged them to remain strong.

Ms. Mwamba emphasised that the ground work is very important in politics, vowing to continue drumming up support guaranteeing President Hichilema’s victory.

UPND Alliance Media

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Name: Hakainde Hichilema
Party: UPND
Age:59

Hakainde Hichilema is Zambian citizen born in 1962 and is married to Mutinta. Together they have three (3) children.

He holds BA Economics and Business Administration (University of Zambia),MBA Finance and Business Strategy (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom) and is a trained Business Negotiator as well as a qualified Change Management Practitioner.He is a member of the Institute of Directors.

Mr. Hichilema was Chief Executive of Coopers & Lybrand Zambia from 1994 to 1998 and headed Grant Thornton Zambia between 1998 to 2006 as Chief Executive Officer.These firms are both member organizations of Coopers & Lybrand International and Grant Thornton International respectively which operate in more than 100 countries world wide.

Mr. Hichilema has wide experience in Zambia, Southern Africa, United Kingdom and other countries at operational and executive management levels.

He has chaired several international conferences among them the Zambia Investment Opportunities Conference organized by the Financial Times of the United Kingdom held in London in May 1996 and a similar one was held in Lusaka, Zambia in 1997.

Further, Mr. Hichilema is an entrepreneur with a number of private and corporate investments.HH is also a large commercial farmer.

He served/serves on numerous (25) boards of corporate entities including;

· Chairman of the Board of Directors – Barclays Bank Zambia Plc.

· Chairman of the Board of Directors – Sun International (Z) Ltd

· First Chairman of the Board of Directors, Africa Trade Insurance (ATI) a multilateral Pan African organization based in Kenya.

· Chairman – Greenbelt Fertilizers Limited

· Chairman – Media Trust Fund

· Chairman – Export Development Programme II

· Director – Zambia Investment Limited

· Director – Seedco Zambia Limited

· Director – African Life Financial Services

· Director – Zambezi Nickel (Bermuda) Limited

· Director – Westlake Investment Ltd. (Mauritius)

· Board Member – Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI)

· Member – Zambia Business Forum

· Served for seven years on the Coopers & Lybrand’s Africa Governing Board

· Served on Coopers & Lybrand’s International’s Governance Committee

· Served as Non Executive Director – Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (Smelterco) Limited

Served on boards of eight other companies

Mr. Hichilema has visible foot prints in community work. He has supported many community projects including dip tanks, clinics, schools, boreholes, and dams’ e.t.c over the years. He has helped found a cultural fund aimed at financing the revival of cultural ceremonies in Zambia. Among the ceremonies supported by the fund include Kulamba Kubwalo of the Soli people in Central Zambia, Likumbi Lyamize of the Luvale people in North Western Zambia, Kusefya Pa Ng’wena of the Bemba People in Northern Zambia, Kuomboka of the Lozi people in Western Zambia, Lwiindi in Southern Zambia, Nc’wala of the Ngoni people in Eastern Zambia, Shimunenga among many others.

HH is an employer of Zambians in urban areas through companies and rural communities through his farming activities.

ITS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY WITHIN HOURS OF BEING ELECTED – GIVEN LUBINDA

FORMER Justice Minister Given Lubinda says Zambians should not be swayed to believing people who are promising that they will improve the economy within two hours of being elected.

In an interview, Lubinda said it would take so many years for a person who has never been in government to understand the mechanics of governance.

“Some people have a tenacity of demeaning the intelligence of Zambians. Some people think Zambians are not knowledgeable and they think that they can sway them by giving them false information, they understand the reasons for the high cost of living. They know that there are some people who are bent on telling falsehoods, who are giving people false promises that as soon as they are elected, Zambia will become three times bigger than it is within an hour, that productivity in Zambia will increase, within two hours. So, don’t be swayed to believe people who are bent on trying to convince citizens on the basis of falsehoods,” Lubinda said.

“Zambians are intelligent enough to realise that no one can improve the economy of the country within two hours of being elected, not even within one year of being elected. Zambians are aware of the fact that a person who has never been in government will not understand the mechanics of government, it will take them years before they understand.”

He emphasised that the PF was confident because it had been truthful to the citizens.

“This is the reason we in the PF are very confident because we are telling people the truth, we are not telling them falsehoods. Our campaigns are based on verifiable facts. Isn’t [it] true that when we took over government in 2011, the last investment in the energy sector was 1977? The last major investment in Zambia was in 1977 when the population was only 4 million. Isn’t it true that the PF government has invested in infrastructure development in the last 10 years? Isn’t it true that we built a very important Kazungula Bridge? Isn’t it true that the projects that MMD failed to do in 20 years, the Kalabo-Mongu bridge, we did it in two years? Isn’t true that we have increased the number of universities from two public universities to eight in 10 years?” asked Lubinda.

“Isn’t it true that we have doubled the salaries of civil servants in 2021? Isn’t [it] true that we have added to the number of teaching hospitals? We had one, we now have four. Isn’t it true that the Chipata- Lusaka road was in a state of disrepair when we took over? Isn’t it true that we repaired it? These are facts so there is nothing for us to worry [about]. We are not just fantasising, we are not going around the country telling people our dreams and wishful thinking. We are telling people what we have done and explaining to them what we will do to build on. The campaign for the PF is easy, it has never been this easy. It was difficult in 2011, it was hard in 2016 because President Edgar Lungu had not been given an opportunity to prove himself but now the dynamics are different.”

By Wiseman Tembo

SISHUWA SISHUWA SHOULD BE CITED FOR CONTEMPT FOR DISRESPECTING THE CONCOURT RULING AND DEMEANING THE LEARNED JUDGES

Contempt of Court refers to actions which either defy a Court’s authority or ruling, cast disrespect on a Court, or impede the ability of the Court to perform its functions.

I am of the view that University of Zambia Lecturer Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa should be cited for contempt because he did undermine the Constitutional Court’s authority when he called in on Hot fm’s Red Hot breakfast show on Monday the 14th of June 2021 between 07 and 09 hours to give his reactions to its ruling that President Edgar Lungu is eligible to contest the August 12 elections.

*Grounds for Contempt;*

1. Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa said that he expected the Constitutional Court to give President Lungu a ‘’third term’’ and that he would have been shocked if this was not to be so based on how the Court has been consistent in reaching decisions tending to be more protective of the Executive’s interest than those of the ordinary Zambians and the Constitution.

2. He accused the Court of failing to profile a reasoned judgement that would have addressed their full argument as petitioners on merits.

3. He charged that the Dany Pule ruling was an unfair judgement which created a bad precedent because the material fact on which the judgement is premised on was false hence it should not have been used to defeat their petition

4. He called the Constitutional court interpretation BOGUS

5. He accused the Court of arguing the case in favour of President Edgar Lungu

6. He charged that the Court judgement uses astonishing language and further accused the court of unwittingly amending the Constitution and promote abrogation of the law

7. He accused the Constitutional of trying to be above the Republican Constitution

8. He accused the Court of lacking demonstrable commitment to protect the Constitution and the rule of law

9. He accused the Court judgment of not being clear, reasonable and logical for it to be used in future as a precedent

10. He accused the Court of becoming a clear and present danger to the Republican Constitution, Democracy and the rule of law in Zambia because it has done more damage to Zambia’s democracy than the conventional courts that safeguard Constitutional order before its founding.

Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa should know that the Constitutional Court is a legally mandated body to interpret our laws and his legal opinions or interpretations of our laws are not authority. Therefore his wilful disobedience of the Court’s judgement and show of disrespect of the learned Judges is contemptuous.

GOVERNMENT NOT READY TO MEET RDAZ WITH DR SAMPA AS ITS LEADER – MALUPENGA

MINISTRY of Information and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary Amos Malupenga says government will only meet the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) on condition that association president Dr Brian Sampa is not part of the discussions.

But Dr Sampa has charged that the PS was speaking out of ignorance, arguing that he is still the president of the association even after being fired and his license suspended.

Speaking in an interview, Malupenga insisted that Dr Sampa was not expected to lead the delegation for the discussions as he was dismissed from his employment.

He added that the fact that Dr Sampa’s practicing license as a medical doctor had been suspended by HPCZ meant that he could not participate in any activity related to the practice of his profession.

“Government wants to engage the association in the discussion as it has been doing before. Except this time around, government does not expect Dr Sampa to lead the delegation for these discussions as association president. Firstly, government recognises the fact that as we speak, Dr Sampa was dismissed from his employment as a medical doctor. Secondly, his practicing license as a medical doctor has been suspended by the Health Professions Council of Zambia. And in line with their Act, they have prescribed conditions for the suspension. One condition is that during the three months he has been suspended, he will not practice as a medical doctor,” he said.

“The second reason is that during this same period, he will not participate in any activity that is related to his profession. That is according to the HPCZ Act. Now, if he insists that even if he has been dismissed and his practicing license has been suspended but still remains as president, our argument position as government is that yes, he may be president of RDAZ but the very fact that he has been suspended by the council, it means that he cannot participate in any activity related to the practice of his profession.”

Malupenga added that the association’s constitution which still recognises him as a leader had no effect because the HPCZ Act was superior.

“And then they are saying, as far as their constitution is concerned, he is still president for the next two years. Our position as government is that the Health Professions Council of Zambia was established by an Act of parliament, which means it is a higher authority. So you cannot compare the provisions of this act of parliament, to the constitution of the association. So our understanding is that the constitution of the RDAZ cannot be subordinated to an Act of Parliament.”

Meanwhile, Malupenga said it was unfair for the association to seek an audience with President Lungu as the Ministry of Health had continued to engage them on various issues.

“It is not justifiable for RDAZ to seek audience with the President and saying they have exhausted the lines of communication. That is not fair. It is a misrepresentation of facts. That is why government is ready and willing to engage them even as we speak. The Ministry of Health has given an update stating that from the last time we met even before they went on go slow, there has been progress on some of the issues so let us continue to meet, discuss and how we are going to go forward. The only challenge is that we are not going to have Dr Sampa in our midst,” he said.

“If indeed they are interested and they do not have any other motive, our expectation is that they will say ‘Dr Sampa you will not come, you are still our president but do not come to the meeting’. But if they insist that Dr Sampa must attend the meeting then they are not pushing their agenda in good faith.”

Malupenga advised the association to instead appoint their vice president as their representative to discuss the way forward.

“We are saying, this argument is unnecessary for the sake of making progress. Even if they want to insist that he is their president, yes they can recognize him but let them not bring him to the discussion table. There is no crisis, there is the vice president who can lead the delegation or another person whom they can choose. If they are interested in pushing this discussion forward,” he said.

Asked why Dr Sampa could not be allowed to meet the President as a citizen of Zambia, Malupenga said that would be “entering the room though a back door”.

“Now what you are suggesting is we enter the room from the back door. If our colleagues are interested in pushing the agenda of the welfare of doctors, it will be simple in proceeding with the dialogue other than to be misunderstood. And when they are accused of trying to be political, it will be very difficult for anyone to defend them. They have been invited to the table except they have been given a condition to say this man (Dr Sampa) is dismissed and he has been let go for his absenteeism not for his advocacy.”

Malupenga further revealed that government had recruited over 700 health personnel.

Newspapers were said to be the first drafters of history. They recorded contemporaneously the events as they purportedly happened. Then came cameras, television, video tapping and cellphones. History is being recorded everyday.

Zambians, however, have been cheated again in terms of contemporary important history. This column discusses this theft of Zambian history.

Zambian history short-changed again. Zambians have again been deprived of seeing their democracy being practised at the highest of levels and evaluating the caliber of their judges and lawyers in praxis at the Constitutional Court made a pyrrhic phantom. Constitutional Court judges and our lawyers have escaped scrutiny once again. Transparency and accountability of our ConCourt judges in discharging their responsibility in upholding the dictates of the Constitution and enforcing its imperatives have been rendered illusionary by the lack of public exposure of what went on in that courtroom during the arguments of the Petition involving whether President Lungi was eligible or not to run for a 3rd term in office. This may have been the most important petition in our lives. It would have afforded Zambians for the first time to see and hear legal arguments by our able lawyers presented to our judges in real time and assess for themselves the evidence and speculate in an informed way how the outcome should be. But nay, the proceedings were not televised, video taped, audio taped or recorded for broadcast or publication seriatim.

It is astounding that such an important legal event was not televised or videotaped or recorded for broadcast in real time or in delayed sequence for the edification of Zambians. We have taxpayer funded TV stations like ZNBC which should have been given access to televise the arguments on the petition. We have taxpayer funded public newspapers like the Times of Zambia and the Daily Mail. They should have serialised the petition, the answer and reply in two days or so for Zambians to read for themselves. The taxpayer funded newspapers should have transcribed the proceedings on a daily basis for Zambians to evaluate for themselves what was going on in the petition process. Instead all we are fed is taxpayer funded ruling party advertisements for which I opine no invoices can be produced and bank accounts shown to show that the ruling party paid and pay for these advertisements. I challenge the newspapers and ZNBC to show proof that the ruling party is paying for the serial advertisements that are running. ZNBC, Times of Zambia and the Daily Mail have killed Zambian democracy at the behest of the ruling party. The evidence continues to pour in everyday. The failure to broadcast or serialise the petition arguments and the petition itself is part of the evidence of this. ZNBC and these newspapers know that in a democracy they could go to court and apply for rights to broadcast or videotape or audiotape. It is done in the rest of the democratic world. You go to court to argue your case. Let the judges make a ruling and then you will know who is afraid of transparency and accountability. Democracy doesn’t fall like manna from heaven.

Taxpayer funded ZNBC, Times of Zambia and Daily Mail know the importance of publishing issues of national importance. They broadcast and publish the budget speech, they broadcast and reproduce in their entirety the Presidential speeches to Parliament and the occasional state of the nation addresses. This Petition was more important than the budget speeches and the annual Presidential speeches. The Petition dealt with whether Zambia was governed by the tenets of its Constitution or not. The Petition dealt with the well-being or lack thereof of our democracy, with We the People at the centre. The Petition was more important than the ruling party’s self aggrandisement advertisements at taxpayer expense without any permitted opposition coverage and advertisements.
These taxpayer funded news media even failed to summarize what this Petition was all about, yet we were told what the respondent and the Attorney General were saying in response.

Democracy has been debased in Zambia. The ruling party has massacred democracy in Zambia, the democracy we fought so hard to bring back and nurture. We succeeded in 1991. I even wrote a book on this: “Class Struggles in Zambia, 1889 to 1989 and the Fall of Kenneth Kaunda, 1990 to 1991” (University Press of America, 1992). In 2011 our democracy that we fought so hard for, permitted the current ruling party to assume power to continue the democratic project and not to annihilate it. Most institutions of democracy are now under state capture. This includes the Electoral Commission of Zambia. The police force has been commandeered to serve only the ruling party. The record of the judiciary is there for all to see and evaluate through its rulings from 2016 to the present. It is not speculation. The record is there.

Newspapers historically have been regarded as writing the first drafts of history. When television was invented and now videos and cameras and cellphones have joined the instruments of recording the first drafts of history. Taxpayer funded media if freed to promote and record the first drafts would be the most effective because of their pervasity and availability. This public media is person non grata to democracy in Zambia. The opportunity for the first drafts of history have been eviscerated by the public media.

Having said all the above, the private media is not absolved of the responsibility of doing the first drafts of history as well. This medium should have published the Petition verbatim. The private media should have recorded verbatim the proceedings in the ConCourt using all legal means, including shorthand typists. I take it they still exist. I used to use a few in Canada who could take word for word whatever was said in the courtroom and would reproduce it overnight in transcript form. Democracy never sustains itself even in America.

The Petition on eligibility was one of the most important documents in Zambia’s legal history. It must be read by every Zambian. It summarises our true Constitutional history from 1964 to the present 2021 dealing with the justification for two term limits on Presidential rule. The Petition also shows how and why Dan Pule was wrongly decided. The Petition is aided by the application for amicus curiae (friend of the court) standing of three Professors Beyani, Lumina and Mbao. The submission of these professors is simply out of this world. They show how the President was not eligible for a third term and how Pule was wrongly decided. The application should have been reproduced in the taxpayer funded as well as private media for the legal education of Zambians and as first draft of Zambia’s legal history. The treatment of the Petition and the Professors’ application by the ConCourt speaks volumes about the character and behaviour of this branch of the Zambian judiciary. It is only when you read these documents yourself and compare them to the respondents’ arguments and the judiciary’s judgment that you will understand why these documents should have been exposed to the public. They beckon us to judge our judiciary and our democracy.

The 2016 Petition and the arguments in the ConCourt should also have been televised and published verbatim. That is a piece of history that is forever lost to Zambians. Who benefits from the loss of these first drafts of Zambian history? This is your homework to figure out.

Dr. Munyonzwe Hamalengwa specialises on Justice and the Judiciary and teaches law in Zambia.

PRESS STATEMENT 14.06.2021

NKANDU LUO’S FALSE ‘CARTEL ASPERSIONS’ ON COMMODITY PRICE INFLATION

PF running mate Prof Nkandu Luo today made false aspersions and allegations that a cartel of unnamed people were behind the skyrocketing cost of food and commodities in Zambia.

Her unsubstantiated allegations were made to a group of PF supporters earlier today.

We wish to remind Prof Luo that the Zambian economy has tens thousands of importers, wholesalers and retailers.

How possible is it that a small cartel of people can connive with all these businesseses in the supply chain to hike the prices of commodities in unison and conformity with each other?

The causes of hyperinflation in Zambia are well known, and even the experts at Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and indeed the Bank of Zambia acknowledge these causes.

The causes of inflation are outlined below ;

1: A weak kwacha that continues to depreciate has led to increased prices and costs of imported commodities and raw materials for use in manufacturing and production. These price increases are then passed on to consumers by retailers.

2: High fuel and electricity costs coupled with load shedding are a major factor in the increase in production costs.

3: Unnecessary middlemen in the procurement of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and seed have led to artificial increases in the prices of agricultural produce, middlemen that were introduced into the supply chain by the PF government.

4: High levels of corruption and excessive debt that have put a strain on the treasury and the kwacha.

These are the primary reasons why inflation in Zambia stands at 25% today, much higher than the 7% inflation rate that the PF inherited from the MMD.

The Dollar exchange rate now stands at K22.8 as opposed to the exchange rate of K4.5% the PF inherited from the MMD.

It’s these numbers that explain the over 300% increase in commodity prices experienced over the last 6 years.

Thankfully, the UPND Alliance under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema has the solutions to these challenges, which include the strengthening of the kwacha through reviving of the mining sector and tourism to increase the inflow of dollars into the country, enhancing local manufacturing and agriculture to increase local produce, reduce on imports and insulate Zambians from the shocks of exchange rate driven inflation, refinancing of the National Debt, cutting out middlemen from procurement of fuel and agricultural inputs and to put an end to load shedding by making durable and cost effective investments in energy.

And a reminder to Prof Luo, if she has evidence of a cartel that is conniving with supermarkets, marketeers, tuntembas and street vendors to fix prices, she should immediately report that cartel to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission whose mandate it is to investigate and sanction such individuals.

UPND ALLIANCE MEDIA 1

BREBNER Changala has observe that PF cadres Chishimba Kambwili and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba’s struggles are never in national interest but personal.

While campaigning for the August 12 Presidential and General Elections, the duo has been on rampage promoting outright hatred towards Zambians from Southern Province.

While PF has tasked Kambwili to discredit the Tonga speaking people in Central Province, Mwamba has been doing the same in the northern part of the country.

FDD leader Edith Nawakwi on the other hand has been on the onslaught, attacking UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s personality in her support for PF presidential candidate Edgar Lungu.

Changala, a good governance activist, has since appealed to the people to punish PF by rejecting the ruling party in the poll.

“For Mr Kambwili, I want to alert the police to follow his utterances very closely and, where necessary, lock him up and let him serve the sentences that are commensurate with the crimes that he is committing on camera in the desire to perpetually remain in power,” he told The Mast. “Chishimba Kambwili’s struggles, like those of GBM, are nothing but personal. They are never nationalistic and they are never in the interest of this country. For that, I appeal to the people of Zambia to rise on 12th August and reject this contaminated clique that includes President Lungu and the running mate, Professor Nkandu Luo. They have disgraced the Zambian flag.”

He described the trio as a national security risk, further calling for their arrest.

Changala also condemned President Lungu who has tolerated such hate speech from his senior party leaders.

“The likes of President Edgar Lungu, madam Nkandu Luo, GBM, Chishimba Kambwili are a security risk and inimical to our Statehood. I, Brebner Changala, must render a full apology to our Tonga colleagues and any other tribes that seem to be endangered by the continuous remaining of PF in power,” Changala added. “I therefore appeal to my brothers the northerners, the easterners and many people that are settled on the Copperbelt and Lusaka Province to show the door to this divisive and selfish clique. You cannot mount a campaign based on discrediting people’s voting pattern, and most importantly their tribe. This is the same angle that madam Edith Nawakwi is taking against Hakainde Hichilema. You cannot come from chief[tainess] Nawaitwika to go and solve problems in Kalomo. You jump about six provinces; that is mischievous, and that is serious.”

And Changala said Kambwili’s desperation to help PF win is criminal.

“Mr Kambwili has lost all credibility; he’s nothing but a shell of himself. My biggest challenge, as you can notice, this is the first time I am able to discuss an individual because I am really frightened. Frightened by what desperate men and women can do,” he noted. “These desperate men are going to plunge this nation [into chaos] and they don’t care. First and foremost, we are going to an election on 12th August. For Mr Kambwili and Mr GBM, and to some extent madam Nawakwi, the desperation by Mr Kambwili and Mr GBM can plunge this nation into chaos.”

He insisted that the trio’s campaign style was criminal and they deserved to be arrested immediately.

Changala also wondered why President Lungu who swore to uphold and protect the Constitution had allowed such lawlessness.

“Instead of discussing issues on how they will run this country for the next five years, they have decided to attack the Tonga people and all their voting system in order to invite anger from the northern and eastern votes. Now, this is immoral and that is criminal,” he said. “But what is of serious concern is their supervisor and principal, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who swore to uphold and protect the Constitution. He’s enjoying the chaos when people are looking for a nation of unity and a Republic of One Zambia, One Nation. This is the more reason that we must be concerned that President Edgar Lungu is not fit to be a leader because he’s taking pride and joy in the disturbance of this country by his own senior members of the Patriotic Front in order to gain political mileage.”

Changala has since reiterated his call for a total rejection of the PF in the coming elections.

“What Kambwili is doing during his campaign is against the law. If we had a police system that is functional, Kambwili is supposed to be behind bars today,” said Changala. “The President is a co-adventurer in the conduct of Mr Kambwili and GBM. And my appeal to the people of Zambia is to reject the PF and its people for trying to divide this country without shame.”

WE WILL REVERSE IT WHEN WE GET INTO POWER…NO PRESIDENT TO RULE MORE THAN 10 YEARS – HH

HAKAINDE Hichilema says when the UPND Alliance forms government, the constitution will be amended to make sure that no President serves more than 10 years.

Speaking during a press briefing, Saturday, Hichilema said he was duty bound to remove some lacunas in the Constitution, adding that once the

“I want to commit to the people of Zambia that when this alliance forms government, God’s will, courtesy of the people of Zambia, one of the things we have to do for many reasons includes stopping the wastage of resources on by-elections all the time. And now, reinforced by this court’s ruling, we have to amend the constitution so that no one again will be allowed to serve more than 10 years in the presidency. Somebody thinks that they have scored, no, I think they have scored their own goal. Led by the genuine church mother bodies, it is a duty of ours to remove any lacunas such that no one will do what the people decided against,” Hichilema said.

“I must actually go back to the [Mainza] Chona Commission which talks about term limits. HH doesn’t need more than 10 years. Ten years is more than enough to set the direction so that someone else continues and I can go and look after cattle. We should not be afraid of leaving office because we had something we were doing before seeking public office. After public office, we should go back to those things and leave the country and not destroy the country. This gentleman is working towards destroying the country.”

He thanked Constitutional Lawyer John Sangwa and others for doing what most Zambians were scared of doing.

“We saw the manipulation of our laws, we saw it coming. In 2016, that amendment of the constitution was to manipulate our laws. We saw the attempt to manipulate our constitution under bill 10. We knew what the intention was, was to confer someone a third term. Yes, the Constitution Court has pronounced itself, I want to thank the gallant John Sangwa and his team for doing what most Zambians are scared of doing. But also to thank Professors Chaloka Beyani, Dr (Melvin) Mbao, Professor Cephas Lumina,” said Hichilema.

And renowned lawyer Kelvin Bwalya Fube popularly known as KBF has called on Zambians to ensure that President Lungu did not rule for the third time.

“Because the Constitutional Court has now pronounced itself, being law abiding citizens we shall make sure that we obey that ruling. However, the real question that the Zambians must be asking themselves is the same question that the court was asking: ‘is Mr Lungu going to be allowed to run for a third term?’ That is the question before us as a nation. I want the Zambians on the 12th of August 2021 to come back with one vote, one verdict and tell this candidate of the PF that the Zambians have always said no to a third term. Our history as a nation is known on this subject,” he said.

“All of the commissions and the review commission to do with the constitution, the Mung’omba Commission, the Mwanakatwe Commission, the Mvunga Commission name them. This is one particular subject that the Zambians have insisted on, there should be no third term for a President. This question is now within our rights as Zambians. We have the power and the power we must exercise on the 12th August is to tell this individual there will be no third term in this country. We had a sitting vice-president joining the masses and we went and told the late FTJ, there will be no third term in this country, who was more popular than the current President. He was a political engineer but we showed him the door.”

He said no one was celebrating the decision made by the court on President Lungu’s eligibility because it was a bad decision.

“We shall be attacking them left, right and centre and hammering them on the 12th August and the answer must be on our lips. Let me thank SC John Sangwa on behalf of Chapter One, Legal Resource Foundation and the other petitioners who took up this matter under trying conditions. And they were trying to make a point to the court. And the court must be careful when a question is being brought to you time and again, it is because the silent majority of the Zambian people are saying ‘you have given us a wrong answer. We are looking for the right answer’ that is why no one is celebrating. This decision is not being celebrated by anybody because it’s a bad decision,” said KBF.

“The politicians have to rise up and tell the judges ‘you have done your job but now we are going to show you what we as the Zambians, as a custodian of the constitution which you have failed to uphold, we are now going to uphold it’ and say we had decided as early as 2001 there will be no third term in this country. Even my elder brother Mr Lungu must be shown the door this August.”

Meanwhile, All People’s Congress president Nason Msoni and Tentani Mwanza have joined the UPND alliance.

HAKAINDE HICHILEMA – A JUGGLER

Zambia’s main opposition candidate, Mr Hakainde Hichilema perfectly fits the category of a juggler.

He is a full-time entrepreneur, politician and family man who has never neglected his responsibilities.

His ability to satisfy these competing responsibilities leaves many people inspired and points to the fact that he is a hard worker.

To bring this article closer to home, look at how many hours he spends on roadshows engaged in an earnest and energetic manner with supporters, and then goes back to the community house in the evening still strong as an ox.

In all honesty, if Zambians want a hardworking president, Hichilema has shown his worth to earn the role of the republican president.

If we truly believe that it is important to have a president who is able to work on national challenges at the drop of a hat, then Hichilema is such a leader.

Appointing a hard worker, a dependable character like Hichilema for the presidency is a guarantee that he will continue to work to ensure that the country gets ahead in development. In fact, there is more to this quality of hard work than meets the eye. He is well known for taking initiative at work, a sure sign that he is a positive and ambitious leader.

He is not the type who will simply fly to Luangwa National Park to cut fraudulent deals and corrupt his central nervous system with Jameson’s; rather, he is a leader who takes seriously the fact that the country needs to move forward.

He is a hard worker ready to jump in to help those who are struggling to keep up because he finds fulfilment in helping others. This explains why he is seeking public office: to have a broader platform to help more people to break the fetters of poverty.

Therefore, if Zambia wants a team-player president able to enthuse people to hard working citizen status, let us vote for Hichilema.

Look at how self-motivated he is – a key component to being a president. He is not the type who will just show up in Nkwazi House office to work because it is his duty, but rather one who works because he is motivated to serve the masses.

We have surely all seen that Hichilema’s hard work includes setting national goals and priorities and striving to achieve them? This man is the president we need to vote for in the forthcoming elections.

In the history of Zambian politics, Hichilema tops the chart of politicians in terms of his ability to learn.

From the time he joined active politics he has learnt all he can and has graduated from being seen as a calculator boy to being a political guru. He has done this by focusing on things he did not know and learning more each day in order to develop a hearty connection with people from all walks of life. In doing so, he has shown that he is not arrogant; therefore, he has what it takes to work hard and to provide the quality of leadership that the country needs.

In addition, he is a self-reliant leader. The assurance of having a president able to use his power confidently and thoughtfully means that Zambians will not need to worry about his performance or his abuse of government institutions or processes because he is a man equal to the task.

I would be failing in the purpose of this article if I did not speak about his political stamina, which is demonstrated in his strength to stand strong in the midst of life-threatening situations such as the recent fracas in Chingola where live bullets were fired at his convoy. He did not hang up his gloves but continued to put in the required work to fight for the common cause. This is not a simple thing; his political stamina allows him to push himself and others to fight for a better country.

His life enlivens the maxim that great souls persevere to the end, and if Zambians want a president who does not quit, and who remains committed and ambitious about a better country for all, we need look no further than Hichilema.

For many years they have accused him of a lack of political fit – that he is a boardroom- and social media politician. However, in no time, he has evolved and fully embraced the political culture and the people – rich or poor. He has proven that he not only does fit into the political culture but that he also has a clear vision to serve the country, making him adored by many people.

In no way am I saying that Hichilema is a Herculean politician – because most of his leadership qualities have emerged as a result of team spirit. Therefore, voting for Hichilema is voting for a president who has what it takes to work well with others regardless of their regional or ethnic grouping. This is the type of president that the country needs to unite people into one country.

Finally, it goes without saying that Hichilema is a detail-oriented person. He has proven this so many times, including when he shared his province-by-province socio-economic development agenda and in so doing, silencing his critics. This is an imperative quality that we need in a hardworking president.

Let us galvanise our brothers and sisters to vote for a person with the capacity to pay attention to detail on development issues that are lacking in the current regime.

Put simply, Hichilema has what it takes to lead this country to success because leadership is one of his top qualities. He understands what the country needs and he is willing to go the extra mile to unite all of our people in order to build a great nation.

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S EXTENDED MESSAGE TO DEFENSE FORCES.

We remain grateful and indebted for your service and sacrifice to our country and our people.

We are acutely aware of some of the critical challenges Zambia’s defense forces continue to face.

We feel duty bound to make clear some of our tangible commitments towards a roadmap aimed at resolving the challenges you face in the course of your selfless service to our country and our people.

We wish to reiterate, that in honouring the service and sacrifice of our service personnel and their families, it is vitally important that the UPND administration deliberately and actively invests in the welfare of our service personnel and their families, as well as investing in military training and technology to make it easier for our service personnel to diligently serve our country.

This is why in honouring the service and sacrifice of our service personnel, the UPND administration wishes to commit to the following roadmap:

1. Maintain stability and integrity of our defense force by ensuring a predictable, meritorious staff retention plan across all ranks. No service personnel, irrespective of their rank, will ever have to serve in fear of losing their job.

2. Discharge in full the retirement benefits of all retired service personnel under ZAF, Zambia Army and ZNS, including the police. Our service personnel must be honoured during both their active and post service years.

3. Discharge in full all claims relating to outstanding allowances, among them settling allowances.

4. We intend to fully revive and bring to life the notching system in our service system by creating sufficient economic capacity for better funding support across the service system.

5. Service personnel who serve on UN missions to be paid their allowances in full and without undue delay.

6. We also intend to fully operationalize the local manufacturing of defence force uniforms and associated kits. This will not only spur local job creation but also instill a deep sense of pride in our service personnel.

7. We also intend to fully exploit the potential of ZNS in infrastructure development as a way of creating jobs and supporting skills development in our country.

We further emphasize, that the dedication, honour and service of all our service personnel can only be repaid by a national leadership which will commit itself to reciprocating the values cherished and propagated by our defense personnel.

Issued: Anthony Bwalya
UPND Presidential Spokesperson
14 June 2021

A LETTER TO A PF COMMANDER
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Dear Maxwell Chongu,

I thank God who through previous leaders accorded you a chance to pass through a classroom to learn how to at least read and write some legible stuff. Others like Innocent Kalimanshi were not as lucky, which is why the closest thing to education is bleaching his body, including his pendulous testosterone factories. This is possibly because of an INHERITED belief that English is a white man’s language, and being white magically transforms Bemba into pure English. Your fellow commander goes a step further to acquiring his education by claiming to be an Amelikan.

Please Max, I hope you are aware that Eddie Gowa, aka America 1, is not any different. His infamous chant of AKAWAWAWA is most likely derived from the phrase “A CALL TO WAR, WAR, WAR”. What else could that gibberish mean? CHACHACHA was about a new dawn which unfortunately set with our Kwacha.

You will agree with me that in the school that you attended, there was no single subject on violence. In fact, if you care to look closely among your leaders, you will notice that there is a relationship between educational levels and the belief that violence is a good weapon for imposing some stup!d will over law-abiding citizens. It was not by chance that Jay Jay invaded a police station. Ask him to send you his grade twelve certificate if you are not sure.

You should be grateful that the crafters of our constitution set the ability to read, even without understanding what you read, as a bare minimum for one to qualify to make laws in parliament. This makes it possible for you, like Bowman, to aspire for higher offices. I hope you now understand why men and women without full grade twelve certificates passed laws that later disqualified them.

The truth however, is that even a full grade twelve certificate like the one Jay Jay has only allows one to read without understanding what is read. That is how uncle Freedom can try to deny the people of Mpulungu freedom to campaign freely. That witchdoctor only understands ‘palibe kantu’ and other charms that make very educated judges lose their legal bearings in courts that are expected to be the soul of our democracy. He can possibly read but understanding thelizno.

It is pity that smart but twisted members of your party have exploited the cowardice in an excuse of a president to deprive deserving citizens of opportunities to help grow our economy through fair business. Max, the road drains that have made your already big head even bigger should have been done by respected contractors that know how to make basic concrete. That work should have been done by citizens that understand that concrete is not just a mixture of stones, sand, cement and water in any proportions.

Smart but twisted twits like Francis Muchemwa have been rewarded with trucks for doing nothing but bothering travelers at Intercity bus station through organizing energetic youths into an effective burden on travelers.

I hope you understand that our security men all require a discernible secondary school education. That is because being in the police or the military does not only require ability to read but the ability to understand what is read. Policing citizens requires an understanding of rights of those you serve and those of the enemy. Your youths know nothing of that sort and that is why they should not be on our streets pretending to keep peace.

Zambians are tired of this mediocrity that moves precious resources from councils with educated people who can offer appreciable services to communities into the hands of cadres who should have been employed by the same councils to improve our communities.

Your stup!d soldiers are only captured as unemployed youths by Zambia Statistics Agency even when they are collectively richer than our city councils. When we say we want change we mean just that.

There is a reason why security personnel generally live in camps or barracks, and if you want to discover why, just keep on pretending to be a security force. You and your fellow commanders live among us and you can be picked one by one until your entire group is behind bars, waiting patiently for two week holidays promised by a fellow lawless man. The Zambia police proved that point when Kanganja, an IG who only acts when he is threatened by a lawless boss, moved his brave men to pick those that showed Kalimanshi that he is as vulnerable as the rest of us when it comes to violence.

MWICHINDIKE BA MAX, ZAMBIANS THAT LIVE AROUND YOU WANT CHANGE, AND IF THAT MEANS DEALING WITH LAWBREAKERS LIKE YOU THEY WILL DO IT.

We love you as our brother and we expect you to smell the coffee that is brewing, because if you don’t, MUKAFWA KUMAKOFI BA SWAINI.

PB….always in national interest

PRESIDENT LUNGU MUST ADDRESS THE ‘ELEPHANT’ IN THE ROOM.

By Hon Kasolo Chisenga

I think it is high time the Zambian people were told the full truth, on the political violence the country has experienced over the years.

The narration that it is two political parties namely UPND and PF that are out to destroy each other is far from the truth, as East is from the West.

Let us go to the very beginning of this crisis. Soon after the passing on of President Sata, there was a tag of war on who will take over the PF. There was the Guy Scott team using the police apparatus and the Willie Nsanda team using cadres. It is in this period that names such as Innocent Kalimanshi, got to be known. As he himself Kalimanshi says, they fought hard to have Edgar Lungu bestowed as PF president. He has always said that he worked very hard for PF during the Kabwe convention.

It was from that time that the MISTRUST between the police and PF cadres began. So when Edgar Lungu became president, the cadres took it upon themselves to be offering ‘security’ whenever he is moved from place to place. They did this by clearing the road and escorting him. They openly said that they did not trust the police to do a ‘good’ job.

With Edgar Lungu now as president of Zambia, the cadres then transitioned to PF SECURITY WINGS. There is Delta Force in the Cooperbelt, Kulima Tower branch, Intercity Branch, the “Americans” of Kalimanshi, Northmead Security all in Lusaka. All these offer the so called security for PF. Whenever the PF secretariat needs them, he calls upon them, to carry out whatever duties he assigns them.

The election of Lungu as president meant the police were no longer their enemy. The PF cadres now saw a ‘new enemy’ and that was the UPND.

It was from then onwards that UPND started experiencing atrocities from PF cadres, whilst the police looked on. The police held an inferior role in the eyes of PF cadres due to the history outlined above.

Rallies by UPND were constantly disrupted with impunity by the so called security wings. UPND members suffered severe beatings from these cadres. Sadly UPND members have died at the hands of suspected PF cadres and up to now, the police have not acted on a number of cases.

It became routine for UPND to report on attacks by PF, to a point that they were labelled ‘cry babies’. It was only after UPND began to prepare themselves, to thwart attacks from PF security wings, that they began to have successful rallies or campaigns.

Up to today, UPND still faces attacks from PF cadres whenever they go about their work. Recently they had their presidential roadshow blocked by PF cadres, who came armed with machetes, stones and knives.

IN CONCLUSION, PRESIDENT LUNGU, DISBAND YOUR PF SECURITY WINGS! THAT IS THE ‘ELEPHANT’ IN THE ROOM. AND PEACE WILL RETURN TO ZAMBIA. ANYTHING ELSE IS BEING DISINGENUOUS!

PeP STATEMENT No.45 ISSUED ON MONDAY, 14th JUNE 2021: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we are saddened by news of the sudden collapse of President Edgar Lungu during the commemoration of the 45th Defense Day in Lusaka yesterday. We wish His Excellency a speedy recovery.

2. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we wish to take this opportunity to advise President Lungu to give his health priority over political posturing. We say so because of the photos that emerged soon after the President’s collapse in which the President was pictured fishing in front of quickly-assembled journalists at State House. Our considered view is that any person who is just from collapsing needs a rest and does not deserve to be paraded in front of TV cameras just so as to falsely portray them as being fit and healthy.

3. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we further wish to advise the President to consider taking a short leave to rest and refresh. We are fully aware that as a Presidential Candidate in the 12th August general elections, President Lungu has had and will continue to have a grueling campaign schedule which can take a toll on any person. However, the President should prioritize his health over politics.

4. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we would also like to appeal to President Lungu’s handlers to avoid exerting unnecessary pressure on the President for him to portray an image that all is well. We say this with particular reference to the Press Statement that was issued by the Secretary to Cabinet who also doubles as the Principal Private Secretary to the President, minutes after the President’s collapse; that the President is fine and will continue with his scheduled activities.

5. As Patriots for Economic Progress, our considered view is that any person who has suddenly collapsed deserves a detailed medical inquiry before they can be certified as fit to resume their scheduled activities. It is common knowledge that collapsing is merely a symptom of an underlying medical condition and it is important for medical personnel to be given an opportunity to undertake their medical investigations so as to find out what that underlying medical condition is and address it.

6. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we would therefore like to condemn in the strongest terms possible the decision by the Secretary to Cabinet who also doubles as Private Secretary to the President to make a conclusion that the President should proceed with his scheduled activities barely an hour after the President collapsed and ostensibly in the absence of any proper medical investigations. It is evident that Dr Simon Miti put political interests above the health and personal well-being of the President. This particular situation particularly exemplifies why the roles of Secretary to Cabinet and that of Principal Private Secretary to the President are deliberately separate and should not be occupied by a single person, as the case is at the moment. The conflict of interest by Dr Simon Miti in the discharge of the two roles is clearly evident in this matter.

7. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we finally take this opportunity to appeal to President Lungu’s family in general and the First Lady in particular to put the health of the President first and not allow any political interests to compel the President to resume his activities before the real cause of his collapse has been investigated by medical personnel and resolved. We have seen this script play out on too many occasions in the past and we would not want to see it play out again this time around. Political posturing should not be done at the expense of the health of a President.

Thank You and May God Bless the Good Citizens of the Republic of Zambia and our Ailing Nation.

YOURS SINCERELY

SEAN ENOCK TEMBO (SET)
PARTY PRESIDENT
PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP)

By B Flow
OPEN LETTER TO DR ECL & MR HH.

Dear PF President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and UPND President Mr Hakainde Hichilema ,

I come in peace.

Allow me to start by congratulating both of you for working so hard to become the two biggest political leaders in our country. No one can dispute the fact that you both have a massive following across the nation. Many people follow you and most of the times, your followers take whatever you say as gospel truth. Therefore, allow me to remind you that by virtue of you being the two most followed politicians in Zambia, you have a great responsibility of preaching peace and coexistence among all citizens. The Bible in Luke 12:48 says, “To whom much is given, much is expected.”. You have been given leadership in your parties, now we expect you to champion peace among your followers.

As polling day draws nigh, some of your supporters are getting more and more anxious. Suffice to say, some of them are becoming impatient as they can’t wait to see who between the two of you will emerge triumphant in the 12th August, 2021 elections. We also know that both of you want to win this election but I will be quick to say your victory should not be tantamount to loss of lives. It should never take bloodshed for one of you to ascend to the highest office in the land.

The two of you have the power to end the bloodshed that we are currently witnessing in some parts of the country amidst your campaigns. No citizen deserves to die in the process of supporting your political ambitions and aspirations of presiding over our great nation. We know that you can never allow or encourage your biological children to be used by anyone as tools for political violence. Similarly, you can enable other parents to feel the joy that you feel whenever you look at your lovely children who are not participating in the use of the weapons which some of your party cadres are using to harm other citizens. Remember we are all your children.

Zambians are looking for leaders who will not only improve the economy but also help to maintain the good record of peace which the country has held for many years. It is therefore up to the two of you to tame your cadres who are on record of perpetuating violence in some of your strongholds. In the spirit of one Zambia one nation, I pray for the day the two of you will come together to demonstrate to your supporters that elections are about competing on the basis of ideas and not about fighting. We have read some of your statements on your Facebook pages, but I believe you can do more than that to safeguard peace. Your message should not be limited to a few posts on Facebook. It must be backed by action such as condemning and disciplining unruly cadres who perpetrate violence during your campaigns. Kindly go out there and use all available channels and platforms to spread the message of peace. Remember that whenever your cadres fight, your names and leadership styles automatically become the subject of discussion in the nation.

Through this open letter, I would like to publicly challenge the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to facilitate a process that will bring together Dr ECL and Mr HH to sign a social contract with the Zambian people in which the two leaders of the two biggest political parties will commit to condemning the increasing political violence among their supporters. ECZ can organise a special meeting where Dr Lungu and Mr Hichilema can be allocated a special moment to shake hands and make a shared speech live on national TV. During that moment, the two leaders can announce to their supporters their commitment to a free, fair and peaceful election. I know my proposition may appear too ambitious as it is up to ECZ and the two leaders to accept or decline this call, but after all is said and done, we shall know the quality of the leaders who are aspiring for the presidency by the commitments they make and the actions they take.

Allow me to use this opportunity to urge my fellow citizens, especially the youth, to desist from using violence as a means to the attainment of victory for your preferred candidates in the 2021 elections. While you are exchanging ama kofi, the politicians are enjoying ama coffee. We must remember that politicians come and go but Zambia is for us all. We only have one Zambia. It is the only one we have. There is no need to harm one another in the name of supporting our favourite political parties and leaders. ECL and HH have never put up a physical fight or boxing match, so why should we?

I hereby challenge you, Dr Lungu and Mr Hichilema, to publicly condemn the ongoing political violence. I also challenge ZNBC to record and broadcast video content showing the leaders of PF, UPND and other political parties condemning political violence.

May the man with the best ideologies and ideas of developing Zambia carry the day on August 12.

Your quick action against political violence will be highly appreciated.

With love,

Kasoka Brian Bwembya A.K.A B’Flow
Zambian citizen.