PROPOSED ELECTORAL PROCESS (Amendment) BILL NO. 30 OF 2021 ON ACCESS TO PRISONS OR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES: NO PLACE FOR THE MEDIA!

It is clear that the forthcoming General Election will be characterised by media or information black outs and selective access to polling stations and campaign modalities.

The new proposed laws such as Electoral Process Amendment Bill No 30 and Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill No. 2 of 2021, among others are basically aimed at gagging the role of the media in election such as informing and educating the public.

In addition, these proposed laws also aim at suppressing freedom of and access to electoral information during elections which is not only against the Constitution but Banjul Africa Commission’s Guidelines on Access to information and Elections in Africa.

Amendment 4 of the proposed Electoral Process Bill 30 proposes access to prison or correctional facilities to the electoral commission of Zambia, accredited monitors, observers and polling agents, candidates and members of the public for specific tasks or reasons.

The Bill 30 does not make mention of access by the media and any party official in the absence of the candidate which implies that this category will not be allowed near the prisons during elections.

This conditioned and selective access to prisons for purposes of election is what must be of concern to stakeholders such as the political parties, media and CSOs.

As alluded above, the proposed Bill 30 does not even mention any access to these facilities by the media and does not make room for voter and civic education by CSOs or and other organisations, may only ECZ in its routine of conducting electoral processes.

The new section 24B in the proposed Bill 30 states: “An officer in Charge of a prison shall grant access to a prison to the following;

a) the commission for the purposes of conducting electoral processes;

b) a candidate in an election for the purposes of distributing campaign materials in a prescribed manner;

c) an accredited polling agent, observer or monitor for the puporse of observing or monitoring an election; and

d) member of the public for the purpose of voting.

When one analyses this provision, one comes to the conclusion that the drafters of this proposed law are limited in understanding the electoral process.

They have limit the electoral process in prisons to an event which is the day of election and access to the prisons or correctional facilities only on the election day with specified persons and institutions to enjoy that access.

The provision also creates a two-tier voters type those who will participate at the newly created prison polling stations who are free and well-informed (enlightened) of the candidates-the community and prison officers and the caged and with limited access to electoral related information except posters of candidates given to them by the prison officers without explanation-the prisoners.

Let us be alert and advocate for inclusive laws and laws that promote effective media participation in the electoral process for the sake of promoting transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

The rate at which government and electoral institutions want to obliterate the media from covering electoral related issues in the electoral process and churn out electoral information to the public for public consumption is very worrying.

I submit

Chipenzi McDonald

By Marvin Chanda Mberi

Ever since the collapse of the UPND marriage of convenience with the National Democratic Congress came to pass, a number of commentators and politicians have expressed their thoughts on the subject.

The views seem to suggest that the barely three year marriage of convenience between 5 time losing Presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema and Chishimba Kambwili has its tenure short-lived because the former did not want to give and take for the sustaining of the relationship.

Even the likes of great statesmen such as Sikota Wina have stepped in to offer parental guidance based on their wealthy of political experience spanning for the stretch of six decades.

According to Mr Wina, the uncompromising decision by UPND to impose their name as the flagship name for the alliance without resorting to any neutral name is selfishness exhibited by Mr Hichilema.

We are in agreement with the thoughts expressed by Mr Wina and certainly there is meetings of the mind, Mr Hichilema is a selfish politician who wants to use other political parties as a tool to be elected President.

Without straying in riddles Mr Hichilema started by using the Mazoka name to become UPND President, then attempted to use the FDD and UNIP under the disguise of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in 2006 but emerged in a distant third position.

In the run up to 2011 elections he attempted to use the Michael Sata led PF as a shortcut to become President but after the collapse of the pact, he came out in a distant third position.

In 2016, he attempted to use the Bemba speaking politicians such as Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, Mulenga Sata, and Miles Sampa among others to dilute his tribal tag but it all failed and he was overwhelmingly rejected in the Bemba speaking region.

Mr Hichilema needs to take time and reflect on the failed alliances where he has evidently been exposed as a political opportunist who wants to ride at the hard earned good repute of others.

As regards the events happening in the defunct alliances, it all points at his greediness and his lack of respect for diversity.

For instance, out of 5 political parties that have endured his bullying in the alliance, how did he override the importance of other political parties and came up with the name “UPND” as the sole collective identity of the alliance?

This is gross disrespect for diversity and it ought not to have a place in a politically diverse society.

The apparent greediness and lack of appreciation for diversity is a worry of every Zambian citizen because the Government operates in diversity.

Even the PF as the ruling party appreciates diversity.

It is because of appreciating diversity that members of other political parties have earned themselves positions in Government.

We wish to remind the readers that in 2019, the PF in Parliament appreciated the motions moved by UPND including the outspoken Mazabuka Member of Parliament Honourable Garry Nkombo.

It has not trivialized the importance of other political players on account of divergence of thought.

We therefore expect Mr Hichilema to recognize that UPND does not have the monopoly of ideas that are beneficial to the nation.

His chances to become President Lies in his ability to introspect on his documented greediness and appreciate the importance of others.

Mr Hichilema should avoid being in perpetual denial of his apparent greediness and reflect on his mistakes

ABOUT THE IMF: MISCONCEPTIONS VERSUS REALITY

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. There are a lot of misconceptions and sometimes just plain lies that have been peddled about the breadth and width on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and what it would mean if Zambia was to be placed on such a programme. But today l wish to address the specific untruth that has been peddled by the UPND President Mr Hakainde Hichilema that if he became President of Zambia, his economic turnaround model would hinge on putting the country on an IMF programme thereby accessing a cheap IMF loan which he would then use to pay off our existing expensive commercial loans such as Eurobond thereby reducing our repayment obligations and freeing up financial resources which would be used for other social causes such health and education. Such a simplistic view is impractical and untenable for reasons that l will give below. But before someone jumps to the usual punchline that l am attacking a fellow opposition, l want to make it categorically clear that there is nothing wrong about having a debate on how best to develop our country, no matter how heated such a debate might get. It is in the interests of the citizens of this nation that we have a viable economic turnaround plan, one that is tenable and sustainable.

2. Before l go into the details of why HH’s IMF route is not only impractical but shallow and simplistic, allow me to use just a paragraph explaining the economic turnaround plan for my political party; the Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP). As PeP, our diagnosis of Zambia’s economic quagmire is not that we lack resources, no. But rather that half of our resources are wasted through incompetent management of national affairs by Government while another 40% is outrightly stolen thereby leaving only about 10% for use by the citizens of this country. In other words, the bucket is leaking. And when the bucket is leaking, the solution cannot be to put more water in it. To the contrary, the solution lies in mending the bucket. UPND’s and HH’s idea of getting an IMF loan amounts to putting more water in a leaking bucket. And that is the reason why l am fundamentally opposed to it. Our proposed idea for turning around this country’s economy is to mend the bucket by taking two actions; firstly to immediately stop the theft of public funds which can be achieved immediately within a year, and secondly to stop wastage of public funds through incompetence which is a gradual endeavor that we can achieve within 3 to 5 years. These two approaches have been very clearly outlined in the PeP manifesto ever since we formed the party in 2016. When we talk about theft of public funds, there are two aspects to it; there is theft of already declared income through exaggerated prices of tenders which is a small part of the theft, and then there is theft of undeclared tax and non-tax revenue which is the larger part of the theft that is usually never talked about. A very small proportion of the money that GRZ generates actually reaches the treasury and most of it is diverted into individuals pockets. Our estimates are that these revenue leakages amount to between 60% to 80% of the total actual revenue generated by GRZ. That is why you will find most senior Government officials coming from very big unexplained mansions in New Kasama to go and work in usually unsanitary government offices. The Government is poor while the people who work for it are rich. If this is genuinely fixed, something that we hope to do within a year, it would free up huge financial resources that can then be used to not only meet and payoff our loan obligations but also address other social needs of the nation such as health and education. In the medium to long term, once we also address the issue of incompetence by ensuring that all decision makers are employed on merit and not patronage, we will have sound economic policies coming from Government which will set the platform for private sector driven economic development. That my solution. That is the PeP solution. To mend the leaking bucket and not to just pour in more juice that would come from an IMF loan.

3. We can now talk about the lie on which HH’s economic turnaround plan for Zambia is premised. That he will borrow cheap IMF money and use it to clear our existing external debt such as the Eurobond. Before we get into the details of that, allow me to first explain what the IMF is and what it is not. The International Monetary Fund is an initiative of the United Nations (UN) and it is governed by what is referred to as Articles of Agreement which were adopted by its initial 29 members on 22nd July 1944 in a small city called Breton Woods in the state of New Hempshire in the United States of America. Over the years, these articles of agreement have been ratified by several other countries including Zambia. However, the articles of agreement only provide the general guide of how the IMF operates, the actual so-called nitty gritties are outlined in the IMF By Laws, Rules and Regulations. Now, it is these IMF By Laws which, in layman’s language, preclude the Fund from giving financial support to a member for purposes of refinancing that member’s existing loan facility and/or other financial obligation or for purposes of guaranteeing a future loan facility or the Fund’s financial support being used as collateral for an existing or future loan facility. Now, what am not sure about is whether HH knows this or he doesn’t. If he did, then he has been deliberately misleading Zambians by insinuating that his potential Government will get a cheap IMF loan and use the proceeds to liquidate existing expensive loans such as the Eurobond. If he did not know that the proceeds of an IMF loan cannot be used to re-finance another loan, then he is grossly incompetent.

4. Apart from the IMF By Laws, Rules and Regulations prohibiting the use of IMF loan proceeds to refinance a commercial or sovereign loan, once the Fund puts you on a programme, they will only give you money to help you with recurrent expenditure support and the amount is assessed based on your needs after you implement some of the Fund’s Programmes and achieve certain specific milestones such as trimming down the size of the civil service, getting rid of unprofitable parastatals etc. But that amount is unlikely to be much and it does not come as a lump-sum but is disbursed in small installments that are dependent on attainment of specific milestones that the IMF would have set for you in their programme. In Zambia’s case, it is extremely unlikely that we would access more than US$3 billion in total. Now, as at 31st December 2020, Zambia’s total external debt was about US$12 billion. The US$3 billion IMF loan would by far not be enough to refinance our country’s external debt.

5. The other point to note is that between our country’s external debt (US$ 12 billion) and domestic debt (K80 billion), it is actually the domestic debt that causes serious damage to our economy because it crowds out the private sector and drives up lending rates. Ever wondered why our bank lending rates have averaged 45% even when inflation was single digit? Well, it is because the Government through the Bank of Zambia is willing to borrow from the market at around 29% through Treasury Bills and Government Bonds. So if the risk-free rate is 29%, then how much do you think the bank would be willing to lend to your business? 45 percent or above is the answer. And for as long as enterprises in the private sector cannot access affordable loan, then forget about economic growth. In the few occasions that you see economic activities on the ground, it is by foreigners who come to Zambia with their own money while many brilliant Zambians go to the grave with their brilliant ideas that could not be funded due to the high cost of borrowing from financial institutions. On the other hand, external debt is money that you get from other countries and bring to Zambia and does not undermine the local economy in any way. If anything, it benefits the local economy. Therefore, HH’s preoccupation with external debt is misplaced and speaks volumes about his ability to understand the way the economy functions, let alone manage it. There are a lot of textbook economists out there and l have always argued that HH is one of them, based on the soundness or lack thereof of his economic policy proposals. But the quagmire that we face as Zambians is that our economy is so terminally ill due to the rampant and perpetual theft of public funds as well as inherent incompetence that there will only be one shot available to save it and turn it around. The person that takes that one shot better know exactly what they are doing. HH is evidently not that person.

/// END

SET 06.03.2021
Mobile: 0971195870

By Pamela Bwembya

MANIPULATING ELECTIONS in ZAMBIA

When two people have 21 items to share, grabbing one item from one of them and giving it to the other more than doubles the difference between them.

If in 2016, UPND strongholds had 10 voters and PF strongholds had 11 voters , reducing UPND’s number by 1 leaves them with 9 and increasing PF’s number by 1 gives PF 12 voters. The difference moves from 1 to 3.

Chances of physically storming polling stations to manipulate ballots will be slim in the next elections so a built-in reduction in UPND votes is required for a repeated result, assuming voters will again vote like they did in 2016.

I am of the view that the observed 100,878 reduction in voters in UPND strongholds is meant to counter ballot manipulation that created the approximately 100,000 difference in favor of ECL.

Such an approach is obviously flawed, and that necessitates a physical increase of registered voters in perceived PF strongholds. This is how the skewed NRC issuance and voter registration came in handy.

While UPND areas recorded a 100,878 reduction in registered voters, PF strongholds posted a 268,032 increase. This widens the gap between the two major parties to 368,910.

This is precisely what ECZ decided to do during the voter registration exercise. The observed belief in a straight PF victory in PF circles is based on the fact that the voter register has been manipulated to widen the gap between UPND areas and PF areas in favor of PF.

What are not factored in are the votes that will go to Kalaba’s DP, M’membe’s SPZ, Kaunda’s UNIP, Mutati’s MDC, Mumba’s MMD, Nawakwi’s FDD, Chishala’s HP, Nyirenda’s NAREP, BANDA’s PAC, Chanda’s UPPZ, Chishimba’s UPP, and if NDC survives Kambwili’s NDC. The fact is that the majority of citizens are not happy with how Edgar Lungu’s PF has made us poorer and taken away most of our liberties.

Looking at the names of the leaders of the parties in the above list bares one fact; THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN REGIONS OF ZAMBIA have an insatiable appetite to rule our country. Zambians must rise above tribal politics and rally behind proven consistent leadership. The 2011 UPND-PF alliance failed because UPND insisted on putting policies above positions. The UPND-NDC alliance is also threatened by insistence on a name and positions and not policies or ideologies.

I challenge readers to tell the nations how UPND policies have changed over the years.

PF has given power to bodybuilders in line with its “PAMAKA” slogan and clenched fist symbol. How strong or physically intimidating one is has become the yardstick for determining which youths should receive which contracts and which ones should control public markets and bus stations. National resources have become the preserve of violent gun-totting youths who are untouchable even when they are responsible for the deaths of more than 50 citizens.

We can put a stop to this by allowing fellow citizens who value hard work, education, and integrity to take up leadership positions in our beautiful country. HH and those alliance partner leaders are walking “freely” among us (though at times restricted by the Public Order Act and presidential prerogatives) because the state has failed to find prosecutable cases that would dent their integrity and put them away. If any among them have been successfully prosecuted it should be because such persons are not fit to lead this country.

ECZ has tried its best to determine who rules us forever, but WE THE PEOPLE of ZAMBIA can and must make the difference, because we have the right to make our lives better again.

1. We have been paying all sorts of taxes
2. Huge sums have been borrowed in our name
3. The state has failed to settle even interest on our debts
4. The number of unemployed but trained citizens is increasing
5. The cost of living is increasing at a frightening rate
6. The roads that were built with borrowed money now require repairs
7. Beautiful hospitals and clinics have no drugs
8. Ministries are underfunded
9. Government is more concerned about watching us and listening to our conversations for strange reasons
10. Our institutions of governance are being paid for nothing

…YET members of the executive and their supporters are getting richer. Don’t we really know where our money has been going?

WE JUST HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING

PB…always in national interest 🇿🇲

By Mwaka Ndawa

PATROTIC Front youth chairperson, Daniel Kalembe, has been found with a case to answer in a matter he is facing charges of assault in the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.

Lusaka chief resident magistrate Lameck Mwale said there is overwhelming evidence warranting him to place Kalembe on his defense as the state has established a prima facie case against him.

This is in a matter where Kalembe is facing two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Kalembe is on March 12, 2020 alleged to have assaulted self-proclaimed PF ‘national commander’ Innocent Kalimanshi and Nathan Phiri.

During trial,Joseph Kozi, a driver of Kasama member of parliament Kelvin Sampa, told the court that Kalembe did not assault Kalimanshi and Phiri claiming the two were assaulted by a tall man.

Kozi narrated that on the material day Sampa asked him to accompany him to the freedom statue where the youth day celebrations were held and he was told to drive a van belonging to the party.

Kozi said when he reached at the freedom statue, he parked the van and stood a metre away from the vehicle so that he could listen to President Edgar Lungu’s speech.

He said a group of youths, among them Kalimanshi and Phiri, sat at the back of the van.

Kozi told magistrate Mwale that he saw another group of youths walking towards the van whilst chanting songs inciting violence to which he decided to go and sit in the vehicle because they did not mean well

He claimed that he saw a tall man directing Kalimanshi’s group to leave the premise but they refused to heed to his directive and they told the said man that they would rather die at his hands than leave the premise.

Kozi said confusion characterised the area where the youths had gathered and many people were assaulted, including Kalimanshi and Phiri

He told the court that the assault victims sought medical attention at the University Teaching Hospital after obtaining police reports at Lusaka Central Police Station.

Kozi claimed that he did not see Kalembe assault Kalimanshi neither was the latter’s assailant before court.

Earlier, Kozi explained that he could not avail himself before court to testify in the matter last year when he was summoned because Kalimashi and Phiri wanted him to tell the court what he did not witness, and allege that Kalembe assaulted them.

And Kalembe’s arresting officer detective chief inspector Mutakatala Mwiya said he arrested Kalembe for assault following a report by Kalimanshi and others that they were lynched by him.

Kalembe will open his defence on April 7, 2021.

By SmartEagles

IT’S A WASTE OF TIME TRYING TO CHALLENGE PRESIDENT LUNGU’S ELIGIBILITY TO CONTEST THE AUGUST 12 ELECTIONS-PAUL MOONGA

… as he says the ruling party is aware of the desperate maneuvers by the opposition to buy some judges to nullify President Lungu’s eligibility

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has advised the opposition UPND and it’s alliance partners to concentrate on selling their party ahead of the August 12 polls instead of wasting their time trying to challenge President Lungu’ eligibility to contest the presidential election.

Speaking at the media briefing in Lusaka today, PF Lusaka provincial Chairman Paul Moonga disclosed that the ruling party has information that the opposition has engaged a consortium of both local and international lawyers to challenge president Lungu’s eligibility.

Mr. Moonga charged that this is an indication that the opposition are aware that the PF under president Lungu will carry the day come August 12 hence their maneuvers to frustrate the PF.

He said it is unfortunate that the opposition has spent five years of having squabbles with the ruling party instead of telling Zambians what they will do for the country if voted into office.

” We are aware that by last year October, the opposition put together a consortium of lawyers waiting to go and petition the president once he files in his nomination papers,” he said.

The Lusaka Province PF Chairman also stated that the ruling party is also aware that the opposition is trying to buy some judges to nullify the eligibility of president Lungu.

Mr. Moonga has since warned that the PF is watching these maneuvers by the opposition and has since appealed to all the judges not to fall prey to plans by the opposition who he said have no plan for the country.

He has since challenged the opposition to concentrate on selling their Manifesto to Zambians instead of wasting time and resources trying to block president Lungu from contesting the August 12 elections.

And Mr. Moonga has charged that come August 12, 2021 President Lungu will carry the day as the country has seen unprecedented development under his leadership.

Meanwhile, Mr. Moonga has called for peaceful campaigns ahead of the general elections.

He said the party leadership in Lusaka will ensure that peace prevails in the run up to the August polls and has urged youths from the party to report to the police when provoked by the opposition.

And Lusaka Province PF deputy youth chairperson Kelvin Kaunda has assured the party leadership that he will ensure that youths conduct their campaigns in a peaceful manner.

#SmartEagles 2021

VICTIMISING MALANJI OVER HIS WEALTH WILL DISCOURAGE BUSINESSMEN FROM JOINING POLITICS, STOP IT

By Marvin Chanda Mberi

There has been petty generalization and the belief that those aligned to the politically exposed businesspersons or those holding public office cannot legitimately earn anything without underhand means.

They are judged based on salaries they earn.

This perception has instead turned into persecution and victimization of the hardworking legitimate businessmen from creating jobs that will employ Zambians.

It should be appreciated that those holding public office had a life before politics and it is unfair to limit the investments beyond the emoluments they are given in their course of service in public office.

It should be appreciated that to most patriots, politics is not a career but a selfless service to the Zambian people.

Of course Zambians cannot know every detail about those holding public office on what they owned before because they were not in limelight.

While it is correct to say that those holding public office must be accountable, this should be done through a process that is fair.

It is therefore victimization to drag everyone holding public office to non-existent and unfounded allegations of illicit financial deals.

As a matter of fact, the proceeds that can be used to procure an aircraft are traceable and if there was anything wrong the law enforcement agencies would have long before detected and exposed it.

We are in a society where there are inter linkages in the flow of financial information.

It is suprising that such speculations can originate from discredited online platforms such as Koswe yet they can’t invoke their investigative journalism and bring documentary evidence of the illicit financial flows, if any.

In a civilized society, the businesspersons who have legitimately earned their wealthy are a reservoir of business intellect which is imbued in them.

The emerging entrepreneurs and all those mudslinging the people making an honest living should instead seek audience with them to appreciate how they rose from the life of straw to commanding influence in the business fraternity.

Moreover, we are moving toward an industrialized Zambia were the local businesses should be the spine of the economy.

With the enabling environment the Patriotic Front Government led by President Edgar Chagwa Lungu will soon start yielding results and more innovative Zambians beyond holding public office will soon thrive.

As regards Zambian foreign policy, Zambia is transitioning from political to economic diplomacy.

This will lead to the creative Zambians to seek more opportunities and expand our export base to foreign countries.

The victimization of businessmen such as Foreign Affairs Minister Honourable Joe Malanji is likely to intimidate businessmen who an aspiring to join politics.

This is likely to deprive the nation the service of selfless aspiring candidates from participating in mainstream politics.

We challenge why institutions such as Financial Intelligence Centre, Anti-Corruption Commission and others did not raise red flag way before the issue came in public if there was anything fish about the deal.

This clearly shows that the concerns by certain sections of the public maybe in bad faith.

This is a wild goose chase and sheer victimization of public servants who privately ran businesses way before they aspired to hold public office.

SIKAILE SIKAILE WRITES

LUBINDA IS PLACING LUNGU IN A BLAST FURNACE

We are wondering what justice minister LUBINDA eats which has got to his brain to fail to reason properly. We have made it very clear through the constitution of Zambia that Edgar Lungu doesn’t qualify for presidency and should he go ahead then he will be committing a coup d’état and Zambia army will arrest him.

It is true our enemies can be those we eat with and our own selves. Lungu’s enemies are his own people failing to tell him the truth that he will be arrested and convicted if he decides to abuse the constitution of Zambia. He could also be his own eneny, I remember what happened when the Attorney General advised on ministers continued stay in office. Cadres were an leashed on him, they used tribal comments. State counsel Sangwa is arguing in line with the constitution of Zambia which was signed by Lungu himself. It is so shocking that these PF leaders are trying to lie to each other. This is a serious matter and we shall see that judge or electoral officer who shall process Lungu’s papers during filling in of nominations. We are waiting for him and that will be the end of PF.

We want to warn LUBINDA that he will be arrested as an accomplice if he tries to sabotage the constitution of Zambia on the pretext that stopping Lungu will be a threat to our peace. We are stopping a criminal activity and how does that threaten the peace of the country? The peace is already threatened by a President abrogating the rule of law with impunity. We are not fools Mr LUBINDA. Just begin to prepare a different candidate and stop telling Mr Lungu lies.

Don’t put him in trouble that you won’t be there for him when things get bad. We are waiting for him to be adopted and you will be shocked of the outcome.Let’s not embarrass our Head of State, no matter how pathetic his leadership has been. We need to break the cycle of arresting our former heads of state.

SIKAILE C SIKAILE

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FOR ZAMBIA AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

BY CIC PRESS TEAM

SIKAILE SIKAILE WRITES

STATE HOUSE KNOWS KILLERS OF NSAMA AND JOSEPH KAUNDA

We would like to remind president Edgar Lungu and his PF government that justice should be granted at all cost in the gruesome murder of two civilians Mr Nsama and Joseph Kaunda. We have for some time now been informing the nation about the state involvement in killings of innocent citizens by PF government.

We are also aware that president Edgar Lungu as commander in chief of the armed forces knows the killers of Mapenzi Chibulo, Vespers Shimunzhila, Matapa Glayzia, Malesu Mukonka, Obed Bwalya Kasongo, Mark Choongwa, Lawrence Banda, Frank Mugala, Kennedy Mudenda and many others. The people who have committed these crimes are free roaming the streets and Mr Lungu is happy.

On the murder of Mr Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda: before the execution we warned the country what PF were planning and few days later after the killing of Nsama and Joseph, we called upon Mr Lungu to fire Kampyongo, Kanganja, Lusambo and Esther Katongo following our independent investigations. However, our earnest call for justice was trashed by Mr Lungu and the PF government. Today Human Rights Commission finds the same culprits wanting.

We demand for the immediate arrest of the said people including Mr Nelson Phiri if we are to see justice in this case. We have all the information on who the real culprits are and constable Nyundu was used as a sacrificial lamb.Let all stakeholders take keen interest in this matter otherwise we shall continue being killed like chickens.

We are also aware of how some state house officials coordinated this shooting. This is why we have maintained our stance that the killing was a state house project and president Edgar Lungu is very much aware of all the people who participated in this extrajudicial killing going on in our country. We appeal to Mr Lungu to do the right thing because Zambians wants to see justice.

We again challenge Mr Lungu that if his hands are clean together with his government let him fire these people mentioned in the report immediately. But if he sanctioned this act of violence then he shall continue hiding them. We have not forgotten about the death of Obed Bwalya Kasongo killed by one of president Lungu’s current serving minister who again have appeared in the Nsama and Joseph Kaunda’s case.

Sikaile C Sikaile
Good Governance and Human Rights Activist for Zambia and Amnesty International

By CIC press team

By Wiseman Tembo.

Political | Analysis: HH’s Pride And Arrogance, His Political Flaws.

…. otherwise he would have been Republican President by now.

The late Anderson Kambela Mazoka built the UPND from scratch and within three years, he had built up a formidable infrastructure that almost defeated the MMD in 2001. However, Hakainde Hichilema has been using the infrastructure Mazoka left behind to bargain for political power thereby exposing his lust for power.

Since taking over the UPND (by default), HH has always been looking for who to use to get to State House. He found himself on a silver plate of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) already was already in place consisting of the UPND, FDD and UNIP, ready to challenge Mwanawasa and the MMD in the 2006 general elections. Despite being a novice in Politics, HH bullied his way to being the Alliance’s presidential candidate insulting, in the process, the FDD leader, Edith Nawakwi, that she belonged to the kitchen thus she wasn’t fit to be the Alliance’s presidential candidate. Mr. Hichilema contested the 2006 general elections and came out third getting 25% of the vote and the UDA got 26 seats in the National Assembly. The Alliance, understandably, disbanded in 2008.

On 4th June 2009, the PF and the UPND announced the formation of an electoral pact called PF-UPND Pact. Sata and HH were hailed by their supporters as patriots that had cast aside their selfish and parochial interests to foster unity in the opposition to help defeat President Rupiah Banda and his MMD.

The formation of the Pact was clouded in secrecy and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed provided bare information. However, a secret agreement existed, that provided that although a presidential candidate would not be announced till 2011, PF leader Michael Sata would stand while Hakainde Hichilema was designated as Vice-President. Further, the secret agreement stated that Sata would only rule for one presidential term while Hichilema would take over the reins in 2016. Hence began the troubles of the Pact.

As a way of proving their imaginary political superiority over Sata and the PF, HH and the UPND began to predict that since President Mwanawasa was a “Bantu-Botatwe” and was no longer on the scene, they could recapture the strongholds the party lost to the MMD after the 2006 Elections and previously held after the 2001 Elections.

While Hichilema was in the USA in May of 2010, he called for a press conference prior to his arrival. Upon his arrival, Hichilema declared that he was the most suitable presidential candidate for the pact because of his young age claiming that this was the world trend Zambia had to follow. He claimed that what had happened during that period in the USA, Russia, Tanzania and the United Kingdom where young candidates in Barack Obama, Dmitry Medvedev, Jakaya Kikwete and David Cameron beat older candidates gave him hope to lead the Pact.

During the same press briefing, HH threw shade on the PF and Sata by claiming that PF had lost significance ground in their strongholds in Luapula, Northern and Copperbelt Provinces following former president Frederick Chiluba’s public support rendering to President Rupiah Banda and the MMD, and this brought immediate concerns from the PF and Sata. This was followed by attempts by the UPND to justify and underplay Hichilema’s mild statement. But Sata and the PF could not be fooled because HH’s greediness had already been exposed. Rumours of the Pact splitting started gaining momentum.

On March 11th 2011, the UPND officially announced that it had broken away from the electoral pact with the PF. They accused PF President Michael Sata of being disrespectful towards the UPND. Announcing the party’s decision to break away from the Pact during a press briefing, UPND Vice President, then, Mr. Richard Kapita, expressed confidence that the UPND were going to emerge victorious in the September 20 elections.

7 months later, the general elections were held and Sata and PF won the presidential elections, defeating incumbent Rupiah Banda of the MMD. PF got 42.85% of the total votes cast while UPND which came out third got only 18.54%. The PF emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly, winning 60 of the 148 seats.

The lesson to learn from HH’s political flaws and lust for power is that patience, humbleness and humility pays. Had HH humbled himself and let the great Micheal Sata to lead the PF-UPND electoral pact, he would have been Republican President today. His pride cost him the Vice Presidency and much worse the Presidency. As the word of scripture puts it, “pride comes before a fall”.

About The Author: Mr. Wiseman Tembo is a social and economic issues analyst.

©2021 Eagle One Zambia, Inc.
Journalism for social change

WHY CYBER SECURITY AND CYBER CRIMES LAW WILL BE DANGEROUS TO ZAMBIANS.

It is interesting how some institutions like IBA are supporting such a draconian law in this modern world that aimed at gagging and violating not only people’s freedoms and rights but the Constitution too.

Such institutions like IBA surprisingly have not supported the enactment of the access to information neither have they condemned its shelving for close to 20 years and yet this is key to growth of vibrant and plural media industry in Zambia including the fight against fake news and misinformation.

Limited circulation of authentic information is what has caused the growth of fake news and misinformation in the country and does not need the cyber security and crimes law but access to information law instead.

Sometimes, I wonder how Zambians get cheated, hoodwinked and blindfolded by the politicians in government and how institutions of governance got into muzungu anikonde vuvuzela mode and start supporting such evil intentions.

The cyber security and crimes Bill No. 2 of 2021 intends to expand the surveillance services by the state on citizens through intercepting, monitoring, seizing, searching and investigating their phones and computers with or without search warrants and court orders and at anytime and place as long as the law enforcement agencies such as cyber inspectors reasonably suspect that cyber crimes are being committed.

Bill 2 further violates the supreme law of the land by its intentions to invade citizens’ rights to privacy (Art 17), violate their freedom to information, expression and opinion and communication and the freedom of the press (Art 20), protection from deprivation of one’s property (Art 16) which includes computers, phones etal and the right to remain silent and share incriminating information (Art 18(7) when confronted by law enforcement agencies among others.

Citizens’ conversations, communication and correspondences are earmarked to be under constant monitoring, surveillance, interception and investigation by the state, its agents and the electronic communications service providers.

Bill 2 criminalises the right to remain silent when confronted and requested by the cyber inspectors and refuse to give evidence or information to them.

Possession of obscene materials, for instance in your phone or computer, even if they have just been circulated unsolicited, say by one of your whatsApp group member, is an offence that can lead you into jail for a minimum of period of 2 years.

The sanctions are so punitive and range from 2years imprisonment to life imprisonment and from K60, 000 in terms of fine to K600, 000 or to both.

Bill 2 has potential to congest the prisons in a short period of time and undermine the noble fight for the decongested prisons and the crusade embarked on by the President through the numerous pardons of prisoners.

In others, Bill 2 has nothing to do with cyber security, bullying and abuses but incriminating citizens and treating them as potential criminals who deserve to be jailed.

Though the capacity by the state to implement such a law once passed may not be there to meet the wide range of sanctions in the proposed Bill 2 against citizens, the fact that it is being rushed, the few politicians being targeted ahead of the elections will be netted.

However, the beauty is that those sponsoring this Bill 2 in the name of being a minister of cite cite will not be ministers in the next two months and surveillance, interception and investigation the state will most likely going to catch up with them as police and other law enforcement agencies will be free to intercept and monitor any communication, conversations and correspondences even from Given Lubinda and Kafwaya, the sponsors who will then be called former minister of cite cite.

Soon we will be welcoming them to the commoners’ common room and if this law is bad, let them dance pelete too with us.

Otherwise this law will undermine the fight against corruption, the safety of whistleblowers and existence and growth of investigative journalism in Zambia.

It is just one of the bad laws ever mooted in Zambia.

I submit

Chipenzi

STEPHEN KATUKA APPOINTED UPND NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

As HH nominates 12 women to the NMC

Lusaka~4th March, 2021.

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has appointed Stephen Katuka as the party National Chairman while Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa becomes the party spokesperson with Gilbert Liswaniso as new National Youth Chairman.

And President has nominated 12 women to the party’s highest policy making body bringing the total number to 30.

Making the announcement at the party secretariat this afternoon, President Hichilema stressed that the process to fill the available portfolios was made strategically and systematically to reflect the ideals of the UPND such as tribal, regional and gender calling it a “unifying” move.

“We need to be inclusive of everyone because hatred has no place in the UPND. Therefore, I have appointed Ms Doreen Mwamba as National Women’s Chairperson to beassisted by Edith Kamanga and Subeta Mutelo while Gilbert Liswaniso is Chairman for Youths to be deputised by Cindy Kauka with Liuwa MP Situmbeko Musokotwane retaining his position as Chairman Finance and Economics to be deputised by Grace Chibwa.Sylvia Masebo maintains her portfolio as National Mobilization and Strategy Chairperson while Charles Kakoma moves to Commerce and Trade Chairperson”,he said.

The UPND leader further appointed Mwinilunga MP Newton Samakayi as Local Government Chairperson while Patrick Mucheleka and Gertrude Imenda retain their positions as deputy Secretary-General Politics and Administration respectively with Watson Lumba retaining his position as Treasurer General to be deputized by Loveness Malambo.

“William Tekere Banda is National Chairman for Special duties with Namakau Kabwiku and Andrew Banda are Deputy National Chairmen. Rose Sakala becomes International Relations Chairperson.Small and Medium Enterprises goes to Elias Mubanga while this young man Levy Ngoma goes back to Agriculture Food and Water Development”.

“Kabesha Mulilo gets Lands portfolio with Jack Mwiimbu retaining legal and constitutional affairs to be deputised by Copperbelt based lawyer Daphane Chabu while Kasempa MP Brenda Tambatamba is new Community Development Chairperson to be deputised Lusa Kabemba. Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo retains Elections position with Giles Yambayamba is appointed Tourism Chairperson. Bernard Mpundu is chairman for Industrial Development while Likando Mufalali is in charge of infrastructure,”he told a jubilant crowd.

President Hichilema says the rest of the portfolio chairpersons and their deputies will be announced in due course as he implored the newly appointed team to get on the ground running as the work on the ground is demanding and will not accept laziness as the country is expectant of the UPND.

The nominated NMC members include:

1. Ms Angela Kawandami;
2. Matilda Shamuke;
3. Gertrude Imenda;
4. Marble Kamangela;
5. Grace Chivube;
6. Regina Musokotwane;
7. Rose Sakala;
8. Ennie Matutu;
9. Lusa Kabemba.
10. Cindy Kauka;
11. Patricia Nawa; and
12. Gladys Lundwe.

Other nominated are: Paul Sichamba, Paul Thole, Nathan Ilunga, Joseph Mpukha, Njamba Musangu and Brian Ndumba.

WE DEMAND FOR AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF THE NEW VOTERS RIGISTER, FIGURES HAVE BEEN COOKED TO AID PF RIGGING SCHEME.

Lusaka-04/03/2021

The figures for registered voters as released by ECZ last week have clearly been cooked and as such cannot be trusted. It is clear, ECZ have continued their drive to aid PF rigging of the August 12 elections, one does not need to be super intelligent to tell that the figures released by ECZ have been doctored and skewed to have more people voting in perceived PF strongholds whilst at the same time they have reduced numbers in UPND strongholds.

How can they explain the more than 100,000 reduction of voters in Northwestern, Western and Southern provinces and at the same time the unbelievable increase of more than 300,000 voters for Eastern, Muchinga, Luapula and Northen provinces, this is crazy! It is also common knowledge that the population of Zambia has been growing since we last held elections and so has the number of eligible voters in UPND strongholds. It is only expected that the number of registered voters in Northwestern, Western and Southern provinces is also supposed to go up.

As Lusaka Province, will soon be engaging ECZ on this one because they owe us and the Zambian people an explanation. ECZ has been systematically working on aiding the PF vote rigging mechanism and we cannot just sit and watch. We saw how they made sure that in UPND strongholds they took very few voter registration machines which kept on breaking down. Even the issuance of NRCs was problematic such that only a few were captured in UPND strongholds.

These latest inflated figures from PF strongholds goes to prove our suspicion that ECZ was registering some underage children and foreigners in order to increase the numbers. The conduct of ECZ is in breach of their Constitutional mandate to run free and fair elections. We can no longer trust this voter register and we demand that ECZ should subject it to an independent audit by a credible audit firm.

ECZ ought to know that process protects content. The process for coming up with this voter register raises a lot of legitimate questions. We cannot allow them to temper with the collective will of the zambian people. This careless way of handling elections is what has caused instability in many countries around the world. This election is about the people choosing their leaders. It is not open to ECZ to manipulate and force upon the people a leadership that they have already rejected.

In order to restore stakeholder confidence in this election the only sensible thing that can be done now is to have the voters register audited immediately!

ISSUED BY;

OTIS BWALYA,
INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY.
UPND LUSAKA PROVINCE.

PF Ministers Millionaires Club : State Capture

Joe Malanji was rich, but not that rich until now. We were together in MMD. Off course if you are a business man and become a Minister you become privileged to more opportunities and advantages. What’s shocking is how rich our Ministers have became at expense of a bankrupt nation and a shrinking economy. In the past few years 80 percent of PF ministers have became $ millionaires whilst the economy is doing badly. The cost of living is sky rocketing and genuine businesses have crashed. Apparently after becoming Ministers they have became better businessmen and women. The money they have they can pay off half of the ballooning debt and that is choking the nation.

When Chilufya declared millions of his earnings in court we were shocked, the foolish defense was that he has being doing even before politics. The same stupid reason today. Now every businesses man and woman understands that it’s best to get into goverment and give yourself more business opportunities.

This is very simple to see, its corruption and lack of interigty or ethics. Even the cadres now are called businessmen that are taking pictures and videos though money in the air. This is in the midst of banks “closing”, insurance companies in red, mines struggling, manufacturing limping and bank reseves dilapidated ..if cadres have money like that ..imagine the ministers, partners and relatives. They have shared the nation.

What they doing is insider trading because they have no interigty and patriotism. They share contracts from a privileged point of view; being in cabinet as business man you will be privileged to know when the dollar will go up or down, that the oil company be liberalized and all the major big business deals in goverment. Then they use their privileged connections and information to empower their business and partners . By the time the business is reaching market they have already grabbed half…like we are seeing in construction, gold mining and KCM. If it’s KCM they have shared it through contracts.

This is what happens when you elect people in goverment to serve themselves and not the people. They have served themselves and we are left with crumbs from the table at their mercy. Whilst we struggle to rise over K1000 to travel on bus to Kasama and back they are flying in their OWN planes. They have no decency or the heart for the people; merciless hearts that must be voted out. What is sad is that we even defend them. Let Malanji differ with Government today and we will see how long he has being doing business..He will crush in two weeks and that qualifies my statement that this must be corruption.

Offcourse there are benefits if you are in goverment but “teku kolopa” sparkling clean. Tell me which Cabinet member is not a millionare?

Nkonkomalimba Kapumpe

CLERK of the National Assembly has allowed Mazabuka Central UPND member of parliament Gary Nkombo’s motion to challenge Speaker Patrick Matibini’s ‘controversial’ ruling he made last year.

In November last year, Nkombo wrote to Clerk of the National Assembly, seeking to challenge Dr Matibini’s ruling over a point of order concerning three PF members of parliament who did not vote for Bill 10.

Nkombo stated that he wished to challenge the decision of Dr Matibini on a matter of conflicting rulings.

Nkombo noted that Section 23 (d) of the National Assembly (powers and privileges) Act state that, “Any person shall be guilty of an offence who – sends to any member any threatening letter,” – which is the case now – or challenge any member to a fight, on account of his conduct as such member”.

He recalled that PF secretary general Davies Mwila wrote letters to Frank Ng’ambi (Chifubu Constituency) Eulario Musonda (Kamfinsa Constituency) and Kabaso Kampampi (Mwansabombwe Constituency) to exculpate themselves for failing to vote for Bill 10.

“As a result of Mr Mwila’s act, Monze [Central UPND] member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu raised a point of order in relation to the Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general’s letter to three named MPs asking them to exculpate themselves as to their failure to vote for Bill 10,” Nkombo stated. “Presiding over the matter, chairperson, Hon. Catherine Namugala ruled as follows: ‘…unless, of course, as you have said, you can show evidence that those particular Hon members are being punished for what they have done in the House while enjoying their privileges, as Hon. members of parliament”.

He stated that arising from that ruling, he raised a point of order pursuant to the National Assembly (powers and privileges) Act and adduced evidence, “as guided by the ruling of the First Deputy Speaker on the same matter as highlighted above”.

Nkombo stated that in his ruling, Dr Matibini said, “…these letters you are bringing here are a subject of internal proceedings of a political grouping. It is work in progress. I am also alive to the fact that we do not have strict rules of loci standi, but I am left to wonder why we have these busybodies.”

“In view of the above, I wish to state that the Speaker’s ruling contradicts the earlier as such creates a procedural crisis as we are left to wonder which ruling shall bind future decisions,” he stated. “Further, refer to the point of order raised by Kanchibiya MP Hon. Dr Martin Malama on December 5th, 2019, in which he quoted an item reported by the Zambia Daily Mail, alleging that ‘United Party for National Development (UPND) secretary general Hon. Stephen Katuka had issued threats to two honourable MPs, namely Prof Geoffrey Lungwangwa and Teddy Kasonso on how they decided to deal with the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019.’ Based on this point of order, Hon Katuka was summoned by your committees on Privileges, Absences and Support Services to exculpate himself.”

Nkombo is seeking “a one-third of the House to endorse the challenge to the Speaker’s ruling forthwith.”

In a letter from the Clerk’s office to Nkombo dated February 25, 2021, the motion will be placed on tomorrow’s order paper.

“… I am directed to refer to your letter dated 13th November, 2020 in which you sought to move a Challenge Motion entitled: Annul Speaker’s Ruling,” states the letter in part. “That in terms of Standing Order 62 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders, 2016, this House annuls the Speaker’s Ruling made on Friday 13th November, 2020, that the Patriotic Front Party should conclude its internal disciplinary proceedings against Mr K. Kabaso, Member of Parliament for Mwansabombwe, Mr E. Musonda, Member of Parliament for Kamfinsa and Dr F. Ng’ambi, Member of Parliament for Chifubu, for not participating in the voting on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019, and that a complaint may be filed against the Party’s Secretary General only by the affected members. I am further directed to inform you, Sir, that the Motion will be placed on the Order Paper for Thursday, 4th March, 2021.”

PRESIDENT LUNGU WILL WIN WITH OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE VOTES COME AUGUST 12-MUMBI PHIRI
… as she says he is an easy commodity to sale

By SmartEagles
Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri has said that it is a waste of time talking about President Lungu’s eligibility to contest the 2021 general elections.

Mrs. Phiri charged that those that have been bringing up this issue were just politicking as the courts have already cleared this issue.

Speaking when she featured on Pan African radio’s ‘People’s Debate’ program, Mrs. Phiri said the party has already resolved that President Edgar Lungu will be the party’s sole presidential candidate in the August 12 elections because he is an easy commodity to sale.

She explained that President Lungu has won the hearts of many Zambians across the country as he has proved that he is a humble leader who cares for people.

The PF Deputy Secretary General also stated that it will be very easy to market President Lungu due to the unprecedented development the PF government has implemented under his leadership within a short period of time.

Mrs. Phiri said it is these developments that will see President Lungu win with over 70 percent of the votes come August 12, 2021.
And Mrs. Phiri stated that for the first time in the history of Zambia, President Lungu is the only head of state who cut his salary by 20 percent to give to the vulnerable.
“He has the right to get that money and give it to his relatives or children to spend it however they want,” Mrs. Phiri said.

She explained that she was shocked when she traveled to Western province with President Lungu to learn that the head of state used his personal salary to build fish ponds for the people who were called ‘Linyungandambo” in order empower them.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Phiri said the party has not stopped anyone from challenging President Lungu at the fourth coming General Conference as long as they are members of the party and qualify.

“We have not stopped anyone to challenge President Lungu but we have rules that are supposed to be followed,” she said.

And Mrs. Phiri stated that the party is more than ready to welcome back former Roan Member of Parliament Hon. Chishimba Kambwili if he decides to go back to PF.
“Now, if Hon. Kambwili even at 12 hours today said he is coming back to the PF; he is more than welcome because that is what we have been preaching, ” Mrs. said.

She explained that Hon. Kambwili is one of the founder members of the party who will be welcomed in the same manner Hon. Mwenya Musenge and Hon. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba have been received.

And the PF Deputy SG said it was unfortunate that the former PF Secretary General Mrs. Bridget Atanga is again at the centre of wrangles in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“This is the same woman who nearly brought blood shed in PF when President Michael Sata died,” she said.

Mrs. Phiri said it is unfortunate that the country can have a woman who is always finding herself on the wrong side of things.
#SmartEagles 2021