By News Editor, Barotseland Post

In an unexpected twist of events, two Princes have been fined two cows each for considering the abdication of Imwiko II, the current Litunga, King of Barotseland.

The Princes, who caused their own fate in the Limulunga Royal Capital after they revealed that their organization, Barotse Development Think Tank, had considered to campaign for the abdication of the King, were made to pledge to pay their respective fines by 31st October 2020.

While addressing the Saa-Siikalo Kuta, Barotseland’s Supreme Court, last month, the duo confessed that they planned to demand that His Majesty, Litunga Imwiko II abdicates because they believed, through some media reports, that His Majesty and the Barotse Royal Establishment were unwilling or had neglected to implement the 2012 Barotse National Council’s unanimous resolutions for Barotseland Independence.

The duo, however, must now pay two cows each for their error which the Kuta considered treasonous, failure to which they would face stiffer punishment.

The fine was arrived at after the two erring Princes had pleaded for lenience, stating that they did not actually plan to overthrow the King but rather merely considered to appeal to His Majesty to voluntarily abdicate so that another King, who would be more willing to implement the 2012 Barotseland independence resolutions, could take over.

And in fining the erring Princes, the BRE’s Induna Imandi has stated that the two were being fined following their own statements in the Saa-Siikalo, which was presided over by the Rt Hon Ngambela, where they confessed that their organization had been considering the abdication of the Litunga of Barotseland as purportedly demanded by the general membership of their grouping.

Consequently, the two Princes were each made to sign a pledge that the imposed respective fines would be settled by 31st October 2020, failure to which a worse punishment would be meted out to them.

Meanwhile, the Ngambela, Barotseland’s Prime Minister, Manyando Mukela, has admonished the duo, and the nation through them, not to listen to every social media report without validation.

The Premier’s admonishment came after the two claimed that the Litunga (King) and the Ngambela (Prime Minister) and his Kuta (court) were the ones objecting to Barotseland independence even after the president of Zambia and his Government were ready to grant independence to Barotseland through a negotiated Dialogue.

The duo claimed that the Litunga had rejected Barotseland independence after being bribed by the Zambian Government because he was not concerned with the welfare of the people of Barotseland.

This they said was according to an article which went viral on social media under the title, “Blame your Litunga and BRE, not us – Lungu tells the Lozis” which first appeared on 26th October last year 2019 in some sections of the Barotse social media.

In the said social media posting, Zambia’s President, Edgar Lungu, had allegedly told a group of Lozi elders to blame the Litunga and his Kuta who had failed to implement a dialogue process through which the President and the government would be willing to give independence to the contested territory.

This, the viral post had further suggested, was despite the Zambian government already giving the King and this Kuta huge sums of money required for the dialogue process.

However, the Ngambela stated categorically that the article in question actually lacked any merit as it was a mere fabrication by some irresponsible people on Facebook.

Princes Mwanza Kaluwe and Lubosi Litooma Mushala, in their respective capacities as Chairman and Deputy National Secretary of the Barotse Development Think Tank (BDTT), met their fate when they, on Tuesday 22nd September 2020, visited the Saa-Siikalo Kuta to, among other things, seek education on why little had been achieved on the implementation of the BNC resolutions, and how best to implement them and achieve independence of the Kingdom from Zambia.

It is customary for the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) to impose proportionate fines to any erring Barotse national, which is a more preferable course of action than handing erring members of the Barotse community to the Zambian Police where they often face unjust treatment.

By Sikaile Sikaile

UPDATE ON OUR REPORT HIGHLITING THE PF GOVERNMENT PLANNING WAR AGAINST ZAMBIANS AHEAD OF THE 2021 GENERAL ELECTIONS

07/10/2020

We are pleased to update the nation on our recent Report to the International communities regarding the PF government under President Edgar Lungu’s planned war against Zambians ahead of the general elections. There is constant communication and a growing interest in our submission regarding the collapsing Democracy and the Rule of Law in Zambia by the International Community. We shall provide routine updates on our drive for the restoration of our democracy and national identity.

Our correspondent from Amnesty International has guided us to refer the matter to the international office under the subject,”Zambia Research Team for a quick response”. This entails that our case is now a registered priority matter of concern for external trailing.

We have repeatedly guided and pointed out the deliberate removal of the key democratic milestones by PF which has degenerated Zambia into a much lower level than a medieval monarchy. Just like they have reversed our Economic growth into negative, our democratic rating currently is speculated to have dropped to a double figure minus index.
We have advised the PF government before that they should respect the rule of law and the Constitution of Zambia where our human rights are enshrined to no avail, we are now escalating our mobilization drive.We would like to retaliate that we shall not give up on calling for the International Community to intervene in this case.

We are also glad that the international community is acknowledging receiving our reports which is enriching our documentation trail for prospective referencing. The atrocities under the PF government constitute crimes against humanity justiciable under international law.

We are also seriously appealing to the international communities not to give the PF government any financial aid until there is democracy and the restoration of institutional integrity. We have irrefutable evidence of their heartless mismanagement of Aid money including the systematic siphoning of strategic national loans through bogus substandard infrastructure. We have evidence that much of the infrastructure is actually contractor financed. Any aid given at this time will definitely be a deservice to the Zambian People. We shall further guide the international community to strictly channel their critical support through their national agencies and not the Zambian government under PF.

May the almighty God bless Zambia.

Sikaile C Sikaile
Good Governance and Human rights Activist

PRESIDENT LUNGU AND PF DECLARE WAR ON THE CHURCH AS THEY GO FOR ARCHBISHOP TELESPHORE MPUNDU.

Let it be known, that those who fight friends of the Zambian republic and its people are enemies of the republic and its people.

Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, has consistently and over so many years of pastoral work, marshalled the Catholic Church’s social teachings in standing up for and with the country and its people each time political power brokers have attempted to adulterate, steal and sabotage our collective national interest.

Archbishop Mpundu fought colonialism alongside the founding patriots of an independent Zambia.

Archbishop Mpundu also fought on the side of the people in 1972 when the first government waged a politically motivated war against the Republican Constitution with the reintroduction of a one party state.

Archbishop Mpundu stood with the people in 1991, just as he did in the early 2000s when the late FTJ attempted to usurp constitutional power by trying to go for a Third Term.

It was Archbishop Mpundu and many other progressive voices who ensured the cancellation of the astronomical public debt to the tune of $7bn when the country was collapsing under its weight.

In the run-up to the 2011 general election, Archbishop Mpundu was yet again instrumental in ensuring his voice and that of the catholic church always reflected that of ordinary citizens when the MMD regime of RB started attacking the national interest.

This is a man whose history of practical servantship to country and people has never wilted.

Today, an adulterous, criminal organization called PF, with known and well established inclinations to fanning and blowing the hot flames of terrorism both here at home and abroad, has gone all out to attack Archbishop Mpundu – branding him a political operative of the opposition.

Let me remind the PF and its conceited leadership, that to fight Archbishop Mpundu is to fight the people of Zambia on whose account the man of God has been speaking.

Archbishop Mpundu has openly spoken about and against the growing problems of politically motivated grand corruption and theft of public resources. He has also spoken out and against the abuse of the police by the state to oppress citizens and opponents of the regime. He has spoken against Bill 10 and the deliberate desecration of the modern church by the PF for political grandstanding.

The Archbishop has also chastised the PF regime on the growing problems of hunger, poverty, inequality and poor economic management; as well as the growing tendencies of dictatorship under their watch.

So, when President Lungu, Davies Mwila, Kennedy Kamba and an entire host of these political parasites and demagogues attack Archbishop Mpundu, does this not amount to an attack on the people’s Republic of Zambia and all the values we hold dear?

Let Edgar Lungu and the PF take and limit their unholy war to their political opponents.

When you fight a proven servant of God, you fight the voice of God. And when you fight the voice of God by waging war against his children, you are starting a fire you will never be able to quench.

May all Zambians take their place and defend this country from the savagery of the PF regime.

By Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member

By Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member

WHILE PRESIDENT LUNGU COURTS PRIVATIZATION, LET HIM COME CLEAN ON THE ISSUE OF ALLEGED TERRORISM FINANCING.

President Edgar Lungu is busy persecuting his political opponents in Zambia on flimsy, trumped up charges, ranging from treason, aggravated robbery (in the case of Mucheleka and others), and now abusing state power to institute a Commission of Inquiry into the Privatization Process from nearly 30 years ago.

President Lungu was an active participant in this process. I want to imagine that he understood the process then, and still understands the historical perspective of the process. The only thing that has changed now is that Mr. Lungu is now trying to leverage this historical process against his political opponents.

President Lungu has bigger problems to worry about, problems which will not just go away given that the issues are aggressively being tried in a Rwandan Court.

President Lungu’s mention in the alleged financing of an armed terrorist group in Rwanda should be of grave concern to all sober minded citizens. Of course, we are NOT implying that he is guilty, but merely raising questions about the calibre of his judgement.

Here are some basic facts and publicly available:

The testimony by Major Callixte Nsabimana also known as “Sankara” alleges the following:

– President Edgar Lungu gave Paul Rusesabagina $150,000 out of a total pledge of $1m towards the end of 2017. He further offered the rebels the ability to operate freely in Zambia.

– The president allegedly sympathised with Rusesabagina for the treatment he had to endure under the Paul Kagame regime. Rusesabagina had great respect for the president due to the help / support he had offered fleeing Rwandan businessmen.

– In early 2019, Nsengiyumva Appolinaire met with the President to discuss further support for overthrowing the Kagame regime.

We therefore have FIVE key players in this saga:

1. President Edgar Lungu – the only Zambian Citizen alleged to be involved

2. Major Callixte Nsabimana also known as “Sankara” – FLN leader, has already pleaded guilty to charges laid against him for attacks in Rwanda.

3. Paul Rusesabagina – Another alleged FLN leader last known to be based out of Belgium with a trucking business in ZAMBIA setup in the late 90’s after fleeing Rwanda.

4. Nsengiyumva Appolinaire – A Rwandan living in ZAMBIA operating an SME.

5. Kayumba Nyamwasa – former Rwandan military chief, arch enemy of Paul Kagame, exiled in South Africa and accused of Terrorism in Rwanda. Despite an arrest warrant, brags about being able to visit Zambia often and has allegedly been seen visiting Zambia often lately.

MAY 2019

As part of the trial in May 2019, Sankara alleged the involvement of high ranking intelligence officials in UGANDA and BURUNDI. Meanwhile the RWANDAN PROSECUTION alleged funding for this rebel group came from Rwandan refugees living in countries including ZAMBIA. Recruitment was also alleged to be happening in ZAMBIA.

Therefore, the initial allegations of terrorism financing and recruitment happening on ZAMBIAN soil came from the Rwandan prosecution, and by implication, the Rwandan authorities. The Zambian authorities did not/ have not respond to these allegations.

Around the same time, the Zambian Financial Intelligence Centre lays bare a case of terrorism financing that occurred in 2018, with funds flowing from Zambia to a state where terrorism activities are prevalent. The known individuals involved were linked to terrorism groups in that state. The case was transferred to “competent” authorities for further investigation.

DECEMBER 2019 to MAY 2020

In a complex web of transactions, ZCCM forms a joint venture with little known Sudanese investors (Karma Mining) for ZCCM to obtain a minority stake in a gold processing venture. In a transaction that appears to have failed basic due diligence measures, particularly due to Sudan being a known state sponsor of terrorism, as well as appearing of the sanctions list of the USA, UN, EU and UK. The sequence of events behind this transaction implies political connotations, and appears to have been forced onto ZCCM by the political elite.

A further venture was agreed into with Array Metals, who have exploration rights to $400m worth of Gold in Mumbwa. The players behind this group are Ugandans with no previous known gold mining experience. These Ugandans have suspected links to the political elite in Zambia and in Uganda, and officials are known to have business dealings with a UN sanctioned General from South Sudan.

The above two transactions, which leave the Zambian people with minimal benefits, coincidentally appear to be linked through the players and nations involved.

JULY 2020

As part of Sankara’s sworn testimony in court, startling new allegations are made, as summarised above.

The PF Government in a series of confused responses initially denies the claims without responding directly as to why the allegations cannot be true.

They then secretly (but exposed by eagle eyed citizens) send Joe Malanji as an envoy of the President to meet with Rwandan authorities. He returns and issues another uncoordinated and non-sensical statement saying that the Rwandans are equally surprised by the allegations, that they are not credible, and that Sankara had never travelled to Zambia. Bilateral relations remain intact.

FURTHER ANALYSIS

1. Sankara has never claimed to have traveled to Zambia. He said the people who met the President Lungu were Rusesabagina and Appolinaire.

These two individuals have irrefutable links to ZAMBIA. In fact the latter, until recently, is known to have been appointed to the procurement committee of the IDC by President Lungu.

2. The Rwandan prosecutors themselves alleged involvement of players on Zambian soil.

3. Would the Rwandan Government be prejudicial and ignore the court case and allegations to clear Zambia of any involvement before the trail is concluded and judgement is delivered?

4. What incentive would Sankara have to dream about the president’s involvement? How would Sankara even dream about individuals like Appolinaire being in Zambia?

5. Rwandan and Ugandan relations are strained. Zambian relations with Uganda are strong, and politically connected individuals between the two countries are involved in Zambian Gold. Is there a connection or is this a coincidence?

6. The PF regime indicated that Zambia was sending investigators to Rwanda to get further insights into the case. Was this ever done? If so, what were the results?

7. It is also important to note that Kayumba Nyamwasa, former Rwandan military chief, arch enemy of Paul Kagame, has been allegedly allowed free movement into Zambia despite an arrest warrant. This has been noted by the Rwandan authorities as well and requires explanation.

THE ZAMBIAN PUBLIC

The challenge the people of Zambia have with the current government and leadership is a matter of trust.

Even if the president is innocent in this, how can we be confident that one of his many friends and associates has not used the name of the president to commit crimes?

We have heard this over and over again from the PF. This is the reason why it is important that the president ensures he surrounds himself with people of good reputation and standing in society.

Why is it that the word “terrorism” keeps popping up in Zambia. First it was the FIC report, then ZCCM Gold Scandal with links to Sudan, a country sanctioned for state sponsored terrorism, as well as Uganda, a country mentioned as part of this plot and now sponsoring of terrorism in Rwanda.

NEXT STEPS

We propose the following:

1. Can the government sue the accuser in the courts of law.

2. There is a clear CONFLICT OF INTEREST. The President through his Minister cannot lead investigations into himself for these allegations.

Therefore, we propose that a cross member panel/committee to be setup in Parliament to lead the investigations. Parliament shall then hold Government to account should any of the allegations be proven. Failure to allow an independent parliamentary committee to investigate will raise red flags and create mistrust.

The people of Zambia deserve answers and we demand answers now!

By Banda Sakanya

Copperbelt ~ Kalulushi

DEATHS AND RELOCATION EXCUSE FOR DELETION OF VOTER REGISTER ARE NONSENSICAL AND UNDERMINES THE INTEGRITY OF ECZ

PF leadership says the register be deleted because it still has dead people and people that have relocated.
PF at its recent spontaneous sporadic rallies country wide, has accused UPND of having used dead people to vote in all the past elections. PF leadership says UPND is against deletion of voter register because it was using dead people to vote.

This is one of the most nonsensical excuse the whole bunch of PF leadership can ever come up with and it undermines the intergrity of ECZ.

Law states that there shall be continuous voter registration and deaths deletion which ECZ and PF have overlooked with reasons best known to both entities. And by going against that law, then the current ECZ leadership is incompetent and is not fit to conduct 2021 general elections.
If for real UPND was using dead people to vote as indicated by PF then ECZ commissioner Esau Chulu is the most incompetent and should resign.

BY DEATH~ There is a provision provided for and that is deletion, and I recall before every election, there is always a sensitisation by ECZ to submit names of dead people to be deleted from the register, but why hasn’t this provision been followed?

ECZ updates the register by getting data of deaths from hospitals and councils but why opt for deletion?

RELOCATION~ This exercise is done smoothly all the times there is a general election by allocating people where they have relocated to and there is no challenge whatsoever.

Therefore the reason coined by PF and ECZ of deletion is feeble and only meant to beef PF in its strong holds were it has registered even under age children to vote.

We know that PF has issued NRCs to kids and foreigners in Luapula Muchinga, Northern and Chipata and wants to maximize votes for PF and reduce votes from Southern , western, North Western, Copperbelt, Central, Lusaka where NRC issuance has been disadvantaged.

Esau Chulu should not take advantage of people’s docility.

We are sick and tired of this ECZ manipulator and we want a sane credible Electoral Commission under sane leadership.

ECZ is positioning to rig for PF.

UPND is against voter deletion because it is unconstitutional

ECZ and PF wants to unconstitutionalise the constitutional.

UPND Kalulushi District Vice Chairman Administration

Liberia’s President George Weah has derided what he perceives as disrespectful text messages sent to him by young people seeking financial relief and claiming to be supporters of his Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) party.

In a church sermon, the former world best soccer player told worshippers that out of every 1,000 text messages he receives, 999 are insults, according to FrontpageAfrica.

He said will not render any help or assistance to persons who continuously show him disrespect through text messages. Weah is regarded as one of the most accessible African presidents with many Liberians having his personal phone number.

“You want something from me, you got to respect me; you got to be diligent. You are arrogant and you asking me for something small, I will not do it. You can’t be asking for help and disrespecting the President,” he said.

Weah, 55, criticized young people between the ages of 19 to 20 who want to live on their own adding that they should rather stay with their parents and use the money for rent to support their mother’s business.

He was quoted saying: “Some of you’re telling me to pay your rent; you get your ma and pa and you asking me to pay your rent; why you can’t go live with your ma. The money you want to pay your rent; you can use it with your mother to do business.

“Go take the one room in the place there and lay down inside and do business with the rest to help you and your ma. Why do you want to leave from [sic] your ma house when you 19, 20-years old.”

“You know I was 18 years sleeping on the floor? Why are you rushing life? he asked. “Anybody you got malice in your heart for me, it will not work.”

Weah grew up in the capital Monrovia’s Clara Town slum with his grandmother while trying to be a professional soccer player. He rose to stardom after playing for prominent clubs in Europe and won the FIFA Player of the Year title in 1995.

Weah was elected President in 2017, taking over from Africa’s first elected female president and Nobel Prize winner, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. This was after he lost his bid to become president in 2005 but was subsequently elected a Senator.

The former United Nations goodwill ambassador is very popular among the country’s youth but there are high expectations among that segment of the population for him to deliver on his electoral promise of jobs and prosperity.

In 2019, thousands poured out in the capital to protest against his failures to tackle corruption, economic mismanagement and injustice. Since he assumed power, economic growth has shrunk and while inflation keeps rising, according to the IMF.

According to the UNDP, 64 percent of Liberians live below the poverty line and the country is yet to recover from the from severe economic shocks in 2014/15 caused by the Ebola Virus Disease and the collapse in international prices of key export commodities such as iron ore, palm oil.

By SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE UPND has been using non-existing voters including long dead people to win elections in their perceived strongholds and that is why they are so scared of the new voters’ registration and updating of the voters’ roll, Patriotic Front deputy Chief whip Tutwa Ngulube has said.

Mr Ngulube said the arguments by the UPND president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema over online voter registration and updating of the voters’ register were invalid and unreasonable.
In an interview, Mr Ngulube noted the protracted mistrust and casting of aspersions on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) by Mr Hichilema over its decision to introduce the online voter registration and the voter registration update was just a way of continuing to win elections in his party’s strong holds using `ghost’ voters.
He accused the UPND of having been winning elections in Southern Province with huge margins using dubious means.

“The UPND is so scared of the new voters’ roll because the majority of the people who supposedly vote for them in their strongholds do not actually exists.
“And also there is this belief or an allegation that even people who died a long time ago do remain on the voters roll and the UPND has been championing and winning election in their perceived strongholds based on ghost voters.

“So we want to tell them that when the new voters roll is established, there will be no ghost voters because everyone will be required to present themselves physically,” Mr Ngulube said.

He added, “And you will see what will happen in 2021, the number of votes that they were getting, those 45,000 vs three or zero will not be there because the people of Zambian have now realized that the UPND have been winning elections in Southern Province using dubious means.”

Meanwhile, Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Team has sounded an alarm to Zambians that opposition leaders Hakainde Hichilema, Chishimba Kambwili and Nevers Mumba were planning to cause confusion ahead of the 2021 general elections.
Mr Tembo said the opposition leaders being led by Mr Hichilema have been conducting themselves in an unreasonable manner by seeking to create a narrative that everything about ECZ was wrong.

“It is our considered view that some of these opposition political party leaders including UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema, NDC’s Chishimba Kambwili and MMD’s Nevers Mumba, are hell-bent on causing confusion and anarchy ahead of next year’s general elections, so that they can create advance excuses to give to their supporters for their likely poor performance in next year’s elections,” he said.

Mr Tembo also said there was nothing wrong to pre-register and updating of the voter roll especially that the process of online registration was optional. – Daily Nation

By Sikaile Sikaile.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHO IS A THUG AND A LEADER IN THE PF GOVERNMENT.

Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja and Lungu should not think citizens are foolish to fail to read between the lines that they are covering PF criminals and mafias who are terrorists. The selective application of the law which has become the Hallmark of PF under Lungu is abundantly clear. Why is ill gotten power and wealth so blinding? Kanganja takes exceptional pride in being Inspector General Commander of criminals and not the law abiding Zambians he swore to protect.Lungu on the other hand is enjoying being a president of Corruption, thuggery and constitutional mercenaries.

Kanganja should not forget how he and Edgar Lungu have decided to hide the real market arsonists and gassers after their mission to smear their evil schemes on the opposition leader HH failed. Lungu has failed to constitute a Commission of inquiry against the market arsonists and gassers because it’s their scheme. How can a wizard Bewitch himself? I dare Lungu to form a Commission of inquiry if his government is innocent.

How many families have they put in disarray due to their insatiable appetite for power and wealth? How many innocent girls are they daily churning into prostitution due to their diabolical greediness?

On the destruction of the opposition UPND property in Munali constituency, Kanganja and Lungu went mute and later on aggressively turned on opposition members arresting them on allegations of destroying PF offices. Its crystal clear that Zambians have lost confidence in Kanganja and Lungu’s criminal administration of impunity.

PF criminals and thugs can do anything at will and no one in PF government can talk about it. Who cares any way? PF thugs can beat up a police officer on duty and no one can dare touch them. I just imagine if it was opposition members who brutalized Lusaka central police officers on duty, how would have Kanganja,Kampyongo and Lungu behaved. The opposition in entirety would have faced a firing squard. And today Jay Jay Banda is a free man whilst innocent citizens like Mucheleka, Ngwira and Mubanga are being tortured in prisons. We are sending serious warnings to the PF government and prisons Commission Chileshe that the international community is watching you closely. The coin is tossed and will soon flip. Whatever power and wealth you hold now will soon change hands and you will feel the need of protection you are denying the Zambians. Today, all Zambians including men and women in uniform need protection from the PF cadre turned militia.

Zambia police service has great men and women who can serve this nation diligently and professionally. It’s a few corrupt individuals like Kanganja, Kampyongo and Lungu who have turned this institution into a political security department of thugs with an agenda to suppress and crush our democracy.

Personally, I sympathize with the majority officers who are compelled to do wrong things by cadres outside the Police command. No one can protect them if they choose to do the right thing. These officers are paid nothing compared to what PF is paying their cadre turned militias.Their top leaders are the people behind all these criminals activities, how can they (junior officers)be inspired by criminal minded persons like Kanganja,Bownman and Kampyongo who are swimming in corrupt moneys? It is difficult now to distinguish who is a thug between PF militias and their leaders. They all behave the same.

Stolen money has gotten to the brains of these people. They’re like gods now. They don’t know that tomorrow wil be a different day. One most important thing I would like to remind Kanganja and others is that one day soon,you will be made to answer for all these atrocities in your own capacity as inspector General of Police who was sworn in to uphold the Republican constitution and not in the interest of Edgar Lungu. Anyone sworn through the constitution of Zambia is liable for prosecution upon failing to uphold the Supreme law of the land.

What type of a nation are we looking forward to where thugs, thieves and criminals have taken over running of all public institutions? Where thugs are more respected than our well trained security men and women.

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day these PF militias turn into a rebel group. The level of armament is worrying. PF government under Lungu is breeding terrorists that is why even their leader is quoted in international medias as aiding terrorism in other countries without shame. Zambians let’s wake up.

Sikaile Sikaile
Good Governance and Human rights Activist

UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Lusaka Provincial Chairman Obvious Mwaliteta says the party will not allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to bulldoze its electoral mandate without being accountable to the Zambian people.

Prison Voting came about after the Constitutional Court ordered the Government and the Electoral Commission of Zambia to allow inmates to start voting after Prison Care and Counselling Association Executive Director Godfrey Malembeka successfully sued the Attorney General in the Constitutional Court.

Following the case of Godfrey Malembeka (Prisons Care and Counselling Association – PRISCA) Vs Attorney General and ECZ in which the court held that prisoners’ right to vote should be upheld, and the Commission in fulfilling the ruling was required to undertake Prisoners Voting for 2021 general elections.

Speaking shortly after walking out of a stakeholder meeting on Prison voting yesterday afternoon, Mr. Mwaliteta said it was folly for the ECZ to ignore major stakeholders in the electoral process in coming up with a decision to allow prisoners to vote in the 2021 General Election.

Mr. Mwaliteta said a lot of issues remained unclear on how the ECZ intended to proceed with its plans to have inmates vote during the 2021 tripartite elections owing to the lack of a clear roadmap on how political players would conduct their campaigns in prisons.

“We are not saying that we are opposed to inmates voting in the 2021 elections, but what we are against is them (ECZ) giving us an example that in South Africa it is happening. It can’t work in Zambia because in South Africa the people who appoint the Commission General of Prisons is not the President,” he said.

He wondered how the ECZ would ensure free, fair, and credible 2021 elections if the opposition political parties were not allowed to campaign in prisons while being accused of planning to fane violence in correctional facilities.

“If political parties are not allowed to go and campaign in Chimbokaila, then we are not going to have a polling agent because we need to have a polling agent inside. But, also, suppose the Commissioner-General of the Zambia Correctional Services is given specific instructions by the appointing authority, how are we going to monitor our votes?” asked Mwaliteta.

The Lusaka UPND chief said the Elections body has the mandate to serve the interest of Zambian citizens without whom they wouldn’t have been established.

By ZR Reporter

His Royal Highness Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni speaking people in Eastern Province has said he will not interfere in the privatization matter that happened in the MMD era.

The traditional leader said during a briefing over the weekend that he will let government investigate the matter.

President Edgar Lungu revealed plans to institute a commission of inquiry to look into the privatisation of national assets after he received a petition from a group of Students and Civil Society Organizations on behalf of 40,000 petitioners at State House on Thursday.

Meanwhile, chief Mpezeni implored traditional leaders in the country to work with the government of the day.

He said it was the government of the day responsible for all developmental projects taking place in the country adding that it was not possible to work with the government “which has not yet been born”.

He, however, expressed the need for people to respect government officials.

The traditional leader has also called on politicians to stop insulting one another stressing that insults are more hurtful than physical beating.

“The other thing I would love to say is something about these politicians. The campaigns that take place currently, do you know they do insult each other in their campaigns? Do you know that insults are more hurtful that physical beatings? Do you know that us chiefs work with the government of the day? You can’t work with the government that has not yet been born. How can you work with a child that is still in the womb? You are not even sure whether that baby will be male or female. Traditional leaders need to work with the government of the day. The government of the day is the one with medicine, all developmental projects come with the government of the day. Let us respect the government of the day. Even the one who is yet to come, we will work with that person the same way. But at the moment we cannot work with a child who is still in the womb,” he said.

“You know if someone is working and people are busy provoking that person he or she stops concentrating. I am not saying this because the current President is from Chipata and I am also from Chipata, but I am saying there is need for respect for each other. The most cardinal thing on earth is respect. If someone is chosen as a leader, that is a leader. That person has been chosen by God. Your time will also come, you will be accorded the opportunity to lead. Presidency is not endless.”

Chief Mpezeni also implored traditional leaders to emulate senior chief Mwata Kazembe’s style of leadership following the peaceful by-elections that were held in Luapula and Northern provinces.

And the traditional leader praised President Lungu for appointing Christopher Mvunga as BoZ governor. -ZR

By Judith Mulenga CiSCA Acting Chairperson

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA), while welcoming President Lungu’s affirmation of Article 88 of our Constitution on the right to petition, would like to caution the President to tread very carefully on the Commission of Inquiry on Privatization.

Zambia currently faces many problems that need laser focused sober solutions than the Pandora Box that he is being nudged to open as it may boomerang in his face. We put it to President Lungu that instituting a privatization commission of inquiry is not in the best interest of Zambia but a ploy to eliminate a formidable opponent in the name of Hakainde Hichilema. Not too long ago, President Rupiah Banda’s government wanted to introduce a degree criteria for a presidential candidate aimed at barring one Michael Chilufya Sata from standing for the Presidency. What happened next, the man won the Presidency in the very next general elections! Provisions of the Constitution should be respected equally. Invoking Article 88 at the expense of other justiciable civil and political rights in our Bill of Rights is setting a very dangerous reckless precedence.

CiSCA demands that since we are in dire straits as a country, President Lungu should make this commission of inquiry the mother of all commissions of inquiries so that he leaves a legacy of leadership when everything that Zambians need closure on was healed in the nation. This inquiry should include, among other inquiries, the cost of the fire engines, cost of the ambulances, mukula trees smuggling, sudden wealth of politically connected persons including his own jump from K2million to K23million in one year, the cost of the Michael Sata Tollgate, the exorbitant cost of our roads, the K450 million money laundering from corrupt government tenders, the outright embezzlement of K4 million by government officials, tribal diatribe from PF senior leaders against the people of Southern Province, the indebtedness that Zambia is in, the fencing of the Chimutengo Forest, the 48 houses, everything! Let us heal this nation once and for all so that as we go to the 2021 elections we are all truly exercising our democratic right to hear freely from all who aspire to rule and for us to vote without anyone’s fear of security of the person that Zambia has had to go through at every election since the 2015 presidential by-elections.

While as CiSCA we do not question the legality of the Commission of Inquiry, we are not convinced that the 40,000 signatories in the YALI Petition represent even remotely what would be considered public interest. CiSCA does not believe that President Lungu’s intent is to shine a spotlight on past errors and ensure that such events do not recur. CiSCA is not convinced that the urgency with which events are fast moving on this issue meet the legal reasonableness test. For instance, since there is a case in the High Court on privatization and the High Court is at the same level as a commission of inquiry but without the former’s legal binding status, CiSCA urges the pro Commission of Inquiry on Privatization to hold off and wait for the outcome of the court case. Mind you Zambia has a $18.5 billion albatross around its neck, most of it acquired by the Executive without approval by the National Assembly, therefore ultra vires to the Constitution and another issue needing a commission of inquiry!

We contend that it is wishful thinking, for the petitioners, to think that the Commission of Inquiry will not call witnesses from not only within but also outside our territory since the privatization involved international buyers too. The scope of this Commission of Inquiry is envisaged to be huge taking into account that evidence will straddle three decades. And since a Commission of Inquiry is not a court hearing, it is not reasonably expected that the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry will be acted upon by the court if this became necessary. We further challenge President Lungu to release all Commissions of Inquiries reports since PF came to power. The funds spent on them is not PF’s money but every Zambian’s money.

CiSCA hopes the President, having set a precedence, will also accept a CiSCA petition to withdraw Bill 10 from the floor of the National Assembly in national interest.

For those that have allowed themselves to fit snugly in the PF’s mold of a culture of silence, please be reminded that your voices of apathy should not be louder than your courage of conviction. Being silent is the same as abetting a de facto absolute monarch which President Lungu has become. Him and those connected to him live luxurious lives financed by our very meagre resources that they are supposed to safeguard for all of us, while the majority of Zambians, more than 54.5% live below the national poverty line. If people think this is an exaggeration, we challenge them to name one thing that President Lungu has wanted against the people’s will and he has respected our voices and backed off?

Police Warn And Caution Ex-Kitwe DC Over Illegal Meeting

By ZR Reporter

Former Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu has been warned and cautioned by police for holding an illegal meeting with three other people.

Mr Mpundu was summoned by Mindolo Police in Kitwe Monday afternoon, Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has confirmed.

The said illegal meeting was held at Luyando community in Mindolo without a permit or notifying the police.

“Yes, I can confirm that police in Kitwe summoned Binwell Mpundu. He was summoned with three others. This is contrary to the public order act on public gatherings. So he has been warned and cautioned,” Mrs Katanga has said.

FLASHBACK:

6 July 2019

*”AM PRESIDENT LUNGU’S LOVED SON” SAYS BINWELL MPUNDU. THIS SHOULD DO FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE ASKING ME ABOUT BINWELL*
===================
I have decided to say something to break my silence over the media story that has taken turns and twist with a view to correct the position on the matter and to stop other bad elements from maligning me as having said this and that.

I wish to state from th onset that am president Lungu’s loved political son and as a legitimate political son am very obedient to the instructions that my political father gives me.

Note that when i was appointed as DC for Kitwe, i was officially informed by word of mouth and in writting by his exellency the president and so when any other position will be made by the president regarding my position in the president’s government he will officially inform me as a son he loves.
I can therefore confirm that as things stand this remains a social media story not yet communicated to me officially.

Now what would be my view of the matter::

Note that am a civil servant who is transferable at the behest of the president and any such movement whether to a big city or a small district should not be viewed with ill intents.
And so being loyal son of the president i wish to state that i will serve and gladly serve with delegence anywhere am sent by my boss and so if the rumour is true i will go very urgently and serve the people of which ever area i will be sent to.

Those who have followed my journey through politics and now public service will know that my middle name is loyalty and therefore will not do or say anything that jeorperdises my virtue of loyalty.

I therefore wish to speak now to distance myself from anything that may have been said from yesterday as perporting to be my reaction to the rumoured transfer.

Am a true son of president lungu and i will serve him anywhere period.

Who says the people of kaputa or anywhere do not need my services.

So the speculations should end now and if you like or love me kindly support my position on the matter no matter how painful or dissapointing u may feel with this personal position.

Binwell Chansa Mpundu
Kitwe District commissioner.

ONLY HICHILEMA IS DEAD SCARED OF INQUIRY AGAINST PRIVATISATION CRIMES-MUTOTWE KAFWAYA

…. He probably knows that he maybe found wanting says Lunte Member of Parliament

Kitwe…. Tuesday October 6, 2020

Lunte Member of Parliament Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya has wondered why UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is not comfortable with calls by various stakeholders in calling on President Edgar Lungu to set up a commission of inquiry into the privatization scandal.

Speaking when he featured on a special programme on Radio Icengelo in Kitwe Monday night, Hon Kafwaya, who is also Transport and Communications Minister, said infact the UPND leader should be happy that this process may clear him of all the allegations.

He said it is clear that the UPND leader is scared that the commission of inquiry may review what most Zambians have been suspecting on what happened during the privatization process.

“There is nothing wrong for citizens to petition His Excellency President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu to set up a commission of inquiry to look at how the privatization process was handled. Just this morning (Monday morning), some citizens from here on the Copperbelt took a petition to Copperbelt Province Minister Hon Mwakalombe to deliver to President Lungu to look into the issue of privatization,” he stated.

“I wonder why HH is so scared of the commission of inquiry. What is he hiding? What is he scared of? There are so many questions that need answers! Why sale a hotel at US$6 million and not US$20 million? Let him allow the commission of inquiry to clear him if he did nothing wrong.”

Meanwhile, the Lunte Lawmaker said he does not doubt that the PF will win next year’s general elections because the people of Zambia have hope in the PF.

“You have asked me if am confident that we are winning 2021 general elections. Yes we are winning because I have seen that people have hope in the PF. You can see we are winning even by-elections in areas where we did not perform well in 2016 like Western Province. And I can tell you here that our colleagues (UPND) will as usual win on social media because they believe in propaganda,” he added.

He ended the radio programme by appealing to the people of Zambia to remain united.

CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer John Sangwa says any genuine commission of inquiry into privatisation of State-owned companies that was carried out in the 1990s should be done after the 2021 general elections.

And Sangwa has warned that setting up an inquiry into privatisation 10 months before general election is unreasonable and an abuse of the power of President and therefore illegal.

He warned that carrying out the exercise now would automatically make the exercise political.

On Thursday, President Edgar Lungu received at State House a petition from PF-aligned ‘civil society’ organisations led by Young African Leaders Initiatives president Andrew Ntewewe.

Ntewewe and others claimed that they had collected signatures from Zambians who wanted President Lungu to appoint a commission of inquiry.

But Sangwa said the inquiry was already politicised and seemingly targeted at an individual.

He reminded people to focus more on the coming elections than on the privatisation inquiry.

“My view is that if the demand for the inquiry into this the privatisation of State-owned companies is serious, it should be left to whoever is going to win the 2021 election to initiate the process, because only then will the inquiry be taken seriously. If it is undertaken now, which is about 10 months [before elections], it will be politicised and the findings will be questionable,” he said on Saturday. “So, if there’s a genuine desire to inquire into the privatisation of the national assets, it should only be done by whoever is going to win the elections next year. If you appoint an inquiry now, the people tasked with the responsibility will be under pressure to complete the exercise before August 2021.”

Sangwa said the timing was wrong and wondered why this was not done five years ago.

“And the timing is totally wrong. The PF have been in power for nearly 10 years, why didn’t they initiate the inquiry in 2011? If President Lungu is genuinely concerned about the privatisation process, why didn’t he appoint an inquiry in 2016 when he was elected?” Sangwa asked. “If we must initiate such an inquiry, the exercise must not be rushed or politicised. If they’re sincere that they are doing it for the country, the country will still be there after elections. So, what’s the rush? Because if you do it now, you want to produce a political report before August. So, if we want the exercise to be legitimate and non-partisan, let’s do it after the elections.”

Sangwa said, “We are trying to politicise a very serious issue which we shouldn’t”.

He noted that the country was facing many other serious and pressing issues.

“In fact, what we should be talking about is not just an inquiry, it should be an audit of the entire privatisation exercise. And it has to be broad-based, not focused on particular individuals, assets or companies; it has to be a comprehensive review of the entire privatisation exercise,” he said. “Right now, the timing is wrong, we are trying to politicise a very serious issue which we shouldn’t. The President also needs to be reminded that he doesn’t have a blank cheque. He cannot use the powers of his office as he pleases. There’re safeguards contained in the Constitution which he must observe in the exercise of the powers of his office.”

Sangwa reminded President Lungu about the Constitutional requirements for exercising the powers vested in the office of President.

“One of the requirements is that the powers of the office of President must be used to the wellbeing and benefit of the people. Now, he needs to justify the appointment of the privatisation inquiry at this time. He’s accountable; he’s not a law unto himself,” Sangwa explained further. “He must make to the people and explain how an inquiry into the privatisation of the State-owned over twenty years ago, at this particular time, will benefit the people and improve the wellbeing of the people.”

Sangwa, however, said no one should be protected if there was any evidence of wrongdoing in the privatisation exercise.

He said for now the most pressing issue was the country’s debt.

“We are not saying if there’s evidence of wrongdoing people should be protected, no. But the investigation must be independent, impartial and credible. Right now, we have more pressing issues. Any inquiry into the privatisation of the State-owned companies will cost money. Who is going to foot that bill?” he asked. “So, the most pressing issue which as a country we should be talking about is the debt problem. Whoever is contesting for the office of President should tell us how he will address the debt issue. By next year, the debt is likely to be sitting at more than USD$20 billion.”

Sangwa said Dr Kenneth Kaunda left a debt of US$7bn and after 18 years of MMD government, that debt was never repaid, but was instead written off.

“If we can fail to pay $7bn in 18 years, can they tell us what policies they will put in place to manage the country’s debt and still grow the country’s economy. That is the kind of conversation the country should be having, not privatisation inquiry,” he said.

He noted that parastatal companies were privatised over 20 years ago and the proposed inquiry can wait 10 more months.

“For now let’s focus on the most pressing issue, which is the election next year. If we are sincere, the country will still be there even after the election.”

“You have waited 20 years, why can’t you wait 10 more months if you are sincere and the proposed inquiry is not politically motivated? Those calling for the inquiry must convince the people that the proposed exercise is not politically motivated,” he said.

Sangwa noted that like any other undertakings, there were “no doubt” mistakes were committed.

UPND Chairperson for Economics and Finance Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane says it is malicious to insinuate that the purported owner of the 48 Houses is his nephew.

Dr. Musokotwane said a news report has come to his attention which alleges that a man who is a suspect in the ownership of the 48
mysterious houses, a Mr. Charles Loyana is his nephew.

He said the news report further alleges that while being interviewed on Radio Phoenix on 29 September 2020, he had difficulties in answering questions from a caller who insisted on knowing from him how Mr Loyona, a mere civil servant, earned enough income to build the 48 houses.

“I wish to state categorically that I have no relationship whatsoever, whether by blood, marriage, friendship, or any other social connection with Mr. Loyana or anyone else who is allegedly connected to those 48 houses. I don’t know Mr. Loyana, I have never met him and I don’t even know what he looks like,” Dr. Musokotwane said.

“Regarding the allegation that I had difficulties on a radio interview to explain how Mr Loyona earned income big enough to build 48 houses, this is yet another cheap lie. Many people who listened to my interview on Radio Phoenix on the 29th of September 2020 will agree that no person called during the entire interview to ask me about the 48 houses.”

“Meanwhile the recording of the entire interview may be obtained from Radio Phoenix. I wish to urge those who did not tune in to listen to the recording so that they get a proper perspective as to why we are experiencing the current economic problems such as the loss of value of the Kwacha which were the issues under discussion.”

Dr Musokotwane said the vile and malicious insinuation that Mr. Loyana is related to me is a PF creation.

“It first emerged in Parliament months ago when the PF member of Parliament for Chitambo, one Remember Mutale, made a wild accusation that Loyana is my nephew. Because parliamentary rules prohibit lies, I reported him to the Privileges Committee of Parliament which deals, among others, with disciplinary cases involving MPs. Mr Mutale was ordered to prove his accusation at a hearing. For the purpose of the hearing, he was at liberty to bring as many witnesses as he wanted. He lamentably failed to prove his allegation because it was based on lies. Arising from his failure, he was found to have breached Parliamentary rules. For this, he was admonished by the Speaker in front of all MPs and he was made to apologise to me, which he did.“

“In conclusion, the story that Mr. Loyana who is allegedly connected to the 48 houses, is my nephew, is totally false, vile, and malicious, and only fit for the garbage.”

He added, “In the meantime, Zambians await the conclusions from the many investigative agencies in the country to find out the owner of those 48 houses and bring him/her and their accomplices, no matter their status or connections in society, to book.”

“Surely, this is not a complex matter as ownership of property in Zambia is on public records and can be easily verified at the Ministry of Lands.”

ECZ! THE MATCH STICK SETTING ZAMBIA ABLAZE

A redemption of our dysfunctional Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), would restore peace, and harmony than the combined efforts of any dialogue processes in our political stalemate.

A rapid litigation of ECZ based on its statutory functions in any court of competent jurisdiction would deliver a verdict of guilty without parole for conspiracy, complicity, incompetence, neglect and abetting the crimes against humanity.

The Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 empowers the Electoral Commission with the following extract Statutory Functions;
Function 3. To administer and enforce the Electoral Process Act, and the Electoral code of conduct.Function No.4 To collect mistakes committed by the Electoral officers in the tabulation of results within seven days of the declaration of results.

Function No.5 to disqualify a political party or candidates in breach of this code.
Vision: to be a model electoral management body that meets the aspiration of the Zambian people.
Without doubt, an Electoral Commission of Zambia that meets and personifies the values espoused in this preamble has since been fossilized and its Ghost of vengeance has returned to haunt the Zambian people.

What we have now is a mutant organization that is a direct opposite of what the envisioned ECZ should have been. ECZ was designed to be an independent and autonomous constitutional body that delivers credible elections. A strong and independent Electoral Commission of Zambia which fulfils its statutory functions would have;averted the blatant mismanagement of public resources,ensured a respect to the rule of law, Promoted and protected institutional integrity and autonomy,guaranteed an impartial and predictable judiciary, a level playing field for all political players in the democratic process, eliminated all forms of hooliganism,delivered a professional and civilian police service and would have elevated the Electorates/people to their right place of being the arbiters and architects of their governments.

Do you realize that all the problems we have currently are a result of a statutory retro-functional ECZ? The will of the people is redefined, twisted and replaced by the diabolical schemes of the PF ANNOINTED were criminality is defined as humbleness.

Our extracted functions clearly indicate that ECZ is working in reverse mode at the caprices of its captors the PF ANNOINTED and its demigod Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

The PF ANNOINTED has completely kidnapped the ECZ and demanding a hefty ransom of delivering a Zambia of gullible muted zombies. All the blood shed this far in the electoral process is a result of a dumb and toothless ECZ.
Its mandate to meet the aspirations of the Zambian people would have seen it spearheading consultations on electoral reforms. Its current unilateral dominance of the Electoral process is first an onslaught on its statutory functions and secondly on the Zambian people. ECZ has become a rigging instrument in the grip of the PF ANNOINTED. A rigged process can never deliver a free and fair electoral result. From daylight bribery, to innocent cold blood killings of innocent people during elections, a functional ECZ would have proscribed and completely banned PF by now. But how do you reprimand your captors. What we have instead seen is the determined extension of abetting electoral flaws by ECZ to the extent of manipulating figures during elections and now tempering with Electoral Process and discarding the old register. Where is credibility in this arrogance?

Why hasn’t ECZ consulted? Where were they to wait until the eleventh hour? All this is a calculated move by the PF ANNOINTED to crush the Zambian democracy at allcost.

The current situation in the country and the ensuing tension with high volatility is a direct product of ECZ making. There can never be any credibility in such an acrimonious unilateral bulldozing of a people`s process by the PF ANNOINTED through their hostage ECZ. Zambians should invoke the constitutional kill switch to abort this statutory retro-function of ECZ. Zambia will go up in flames if this collusion is not decisively amputated with surgical precision.

Sikaile Sikaile
Good Governance and Human rights Activist

ECZ MULTIPLE BREACHES OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS ACT OF 2016 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA.

VOTER REGISTRATION

SECTION 7: ‘ The Commission shall conduct a continuous registration of voters’.

Interpretation: This means that voter registration is an ongoing process that should take place on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis and should never be stopped. The law requires the ECZ to have permanent voter registration centres just like the National Registration Office.

The Law only requires the ECZ to stop voter registration in any district during the period of a by election, or during the period of general elections. Otherwise voter registration is to be done on a daily basis without breaks.

Question: Has the ECZ conducted continuous voter registration since the electoral process Act of 2016?

Answer: The Answer is an emphatic ‘NO’. The ECZ is in breach of the Electoral Process Act of 2016, they have failed to conduct continuous voter registration since 2016, and as such the Chairperson of the ECZ, Commissioners of ECZ and Chief Electoral Officer must be compelled to resign from their positions for being in breach of the law.

PRISONER VOTING

SECTION 9: (1) The commission shall not register a person as a voter if that person

(D) is detained under the Criminal Procedure Code.

(F) is under a sentence of death imposed by a competent court, or a sentence of imprisonment imposed by a court or substituted by a competent authority for some othersentence imposed by that court;

Interpretation: The law is very clear, any person currently serving a prison sentence as a result of a court conviction is not eligible to register as a voter, and the commission is prohibited by law from registering prisoners as voters.

Question: Is the ECZ in breach of the law by registering prisoners as voters?

Answer: It’s an emphatic ‘YES’. The law expressly prohibits the registration of prisoners as voters. The ECZ is therefore in serious breach of the law by proposing to register prisoners as voters.

It is illegal and an offence to register prisoners as voters.
On these grounds the ECZ Chairman and Commissioners must resign in national interest.

VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS

Section 13. (1) The Commission shall establish a Provisional Register of Voters as prescribed.

Question: Is there a provisional voter register?

Answer: Yes, there is, it was established in 2016 and used in the 2016 General Elections.

Section 14. (1) The Commission shall compile and maintain the Register of Voters as prescribed.

Interpretation:

The key words here and ‘compile’ and maintain’.

In 2016 the ECZ compiled a voter register. Compilation of the register is a once off event which took place in 2016.Therefore, the ECZ only needs to maintain the register that was compiled in 2016.

Question: How should the ECZ maintain the voter register?

Answer: Through continuous voter registration as prescribed in section 7 of the Electoral Process Act of 2016.

Question: Is the ECZ in breach of the law by failing to maintain the register that was compiled in 2016, and proposing to throw it away and create a new register?

Answer: The Answer is yes, the ECZ is in breach of the law, the law requires them to compile a register (which they did in 2016) and to maintain it through continuous voter registration (which they have not done since 2016).

On these grounds again the Chairperson, Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioners of the ECZ must be compelled to resign or be removed from their offices for breach of the electoral act, negligence, and gross incompetence.

SECTION 10 – DEREGISTRATION OF VOTERS

A registration officer shall de-register a voter if the registration officer is satisfied that the voter

(a) does not qualify to be registered as a voter;

(b) no longer meets the qualifications for registration as specified in section eight;

(c) has been fraudulently registered;

(d) obtained the registration through submission of falseinformation or making of a misleading statementInterpretation: What this means is that these are the only circumstances under which a voter can be deregistered.

Question: Is the ECZ in breach of the law by deregistering over 6 Million registered voters ?

Answer: The answer is an emphatic ‘YES’, the ECZ does not have authority under law to deregister any voter unless one of these 4 criteria has been met.

On these grounds again the Chairperson and Commissioners of the ECZ must be compelled to resign for proposing to illegally deregister over 6 million validly registered voters who have not met the above 4 criteria for voter deregistration.

REMOVAL OF DECEASED PERSONS FROM THE VOTER REGISTER

The argument put forward by the ECZ is that they want to create a new voter register because there are a lot of deceased (dead) persons on the register.

So what does the law say about this matter?

Section 16: Amendments to Voters Register 16.

(1) A registration officer shall—

(c) delete the name of a voter who is deceased.

The law is very clear, deceased voters must be deleted from the register.The Law does not allow for the creation of a new register for the reason of knocking off dead people.

The word ‘DELETE’ means to ‘REMOVE’ from an already existing document.You can only delete something from something else that already exists, and what exists is the 2016 Voters Roll, therefore the deceased persons must be deleted from the 2016 voters roll.

Question: Is the ECZ In breach of the Electoral Process Act 2016 by proposing to discard the register for the reason of knocking off deceased people?

Answer : The answer is an emphatic ‘YES’, the law requires the ECZ to ‘DELETE’ the names of deceased persons from the voter roll, it doesn’t require the ECZ to create a new voter roll, in fact there’s nowhere in the law where the ECZ is granted powers to discard the voters roll and create a new one, the law requires them to maintain the existing register on a continuous basis and to register new voters and delete deceased voters. The voters roll has an indefinite life abs no one has authority under the law to discard the voters register.

On this basis again, the Chairperson of the ECZ, Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioners must resign and be prosecuted for breaching the law.

CONCLUSION

Any election conducted by the ECZ through a new voter register is illegal, ultra vires, null and void and is non-binding on the people of Zambia.

Any election where prisoners are allowed to vote is illegal, ultra vires, null and void and is non-binding on the people of Zambia.

Any election conducted by the ECZ where the 6.6 million validly registered voters are deleted from the voter register is illegal, ultra vires, null and void and is non-binding on the people of Zambia.

So Zambians should not even consider any process conducted by the ECZ outside of the provisions of the law, that is not an election, it is an illegal attempt to create a dictatorship in the country through an illegal sham electoral process done outside of the provisions of the law.

Zambians should not participate in any purported election done outside of the provisions of the law, it is illegal, null and void, ultra vires and non-binding on the people of Zambia.

All genuine political parties should not participate in any purported election done outside of the provisions of the law, it is illegal, null and void, ultra vires and non-binding on the people of Zambia.

Participating in such an illegal election would be validating it and rubber-stamping illegality and a bogus electoral process conducted outside of the provisions of the law.

If the ECZ proceeds to conduct a purported election conducted outside of the provisions of the law, Zambia will be without a President because any individual supposedly elected through that process shall not be recognized as President of the Republic of Zambia because they would have been elected through a process that is illegal, null and void, ultra vires and outside of the provisions of the law, which will create a constitutional crisis as the country will be without a legally elected Head of State when the tenure of President Edgar Lungu has expired.

COPYRIGHT NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PARTY.

By Julia Malunga

Bwalya Ng’andu should have sought President Edgar Lungu’s permission to postpone the budget presentation so that he speaks to the creditors first.

He observed that the 2021 budget was now in limbo.

“What was I expecting to happen is that immediately they set the date of 29th September as the day date for this creditors virtual conference, I talked to somebody informally and said I wish someone could advise the Minister of Finance to say ‘why don’t you agree and go to the boss and tell him ‘sir, I want to hear what the creditors are saying because whatever they say will have an impact on the numbers I put in the budget. Can we postpone the budget to after we have met the creditors because when we meet the creditors depending on what they say if it is negative then it means that the budget has to be prepared with an understanding that we have to raise this money to pay debt’,” Magande said.

“If some of the people will be positive, we can pick those who are positive and say at least 50 percent of the creditors are willing to forgive us. Then we say therefore the budget will also have numbers which are indicating that we might get more money. But if these people come with a hostile attitude then he has to go back to parliament to present an amended budget. So the amount which was said to be paid to foreign debt, is it going to be the exact amount if the creditors are not prepared to give us a moratorium? The budget now has commas and questions marks because some of the numbers were based on what the creditors are going to say.”

Magande said Dr Ng’andu would have taken questions from creditors during the investors call.

“How do you have a meeting where you are addressing the creditors and then you issue a statement and you go away? Obviously, they must have had a lot of questions to ask like ‘how much do you think you are going to save in the next six months?’ That is what I would have loved to hear. Just like at the Paris Club when you address the creditors, after that they also have an opportunity to make comments and ask questions before they even make a reply to the presentation by the Minister,” he said.

“So I expected that the format they were going to use for this whether it is Lazard advising them, they could have said what is the format, it would have provided an opportunity for the other people to ask certain questions arising from the Minister’s statement. Now when you leave people like that it means they are not cross-pollinating their ideas. So for some, being the first time we are going through this experience, I think that the government missed an opportunity to know reviews of the creditors and obviously that is a very big omission.”

And Magande insisted that a national meeting to discuss debt repayment was essential.

“This simply means we have to find the money to pay. And I remember an analysis from someone after the budget presentation that we are supposed to be paying something like US$800-900 million per year on interest rate. Where will we get that kind of money to pay? Which is about US$ 1 billion every month? These things should not be partisan these things are national. So if you call a national meeting and you know some people who have been involved in that sector and they come together, you will even hear views of somebody who is from Lumwana, or Livingstone then you set a better understanding of what your citizens are fearing. Because it is us now who have to start saying ‘but if government does not have the money to pay debt how will I go to the bank and get money?’” Magande asked.

“Because the commercial banks will just be commandeered to surrender all the money and foreign currencies to the Bank of Zambia for the government to meet their obligations. It is not a healthy thing. Some of us have never lived through such a period. Perhaps the people that are trying to solve the problems they are getting expert advice from those who have gone through it but then we also want to be educated on how these things are done.”

Meanwhile, Magande said if Zambia did not have a package IMF, no one would be willing to deal with the country.

“The truth of the matter is that the other donors, the Paris Club and individual countries cannot do anything if the IMF which is an International financial supervisory body does not deal with us. Nobody will deal with us. All these bilateral donors are going to be having Independence day celebrations receptions and at those receptions they will issue diplomatic and nice statements. But until their countries and their board members who sit on the IMF can say ‘go and talk to Zambia on this’ they will not do anything. It will just be diplomacy. These Ambassadors are trained in diplomacy to go and say nice things even when they don’t mean it. If we have no package with the IMF , nobody is going to ever make a proposal that they meet us outside the boardroom of the IMF,” said Magande.

Credit: Diggers

Suspended Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe, Kalulushi Mayor Rashida Mulenga and former Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu have refuted claims that they have joined the Opposition NDC to contest their Parliamentary seats.

The three have however declared that they will apply to contest Parliamentary seats on the PF ticket.

The trio said this at a joint media briefing in Kitwe.

Mr Kang’ombe reaffirmed his allegiance to the ruling PF adding that his aware of well known people within the ruling Patriotic party who are peddling lies that the trio are working with the opposition National Democratic Congress party but the only sin they have committed is to aspire for higher offices.

“To express an ambition to run for higher political office cannot be the basis upon which some people must be making assertions that we are politically misaligned,” Kang’ombe said.

And Mpundu disclosed that he is now a full time political player and he is aspiring to stand as Member of Parliament for Nkana Constituency.

“Currently, we are engaged in the activities that are meant to ensure the re-election of the PF. I must put it on record that I have intentions to stand as MP for Nkana but that can only happen when i make an official statement,” Mpundu said.

He further charged loyalty was to PF should not be questioned because they have been loyal from 2016 when we were not picked as MP candidates despite being preferred candidates.

“There is no harm to express your desire to be MP, come next year, we will definitely express our intention to stand as MPs. If we are not picked as PF Candidates, then I think let us get there when it happens. It is an assumption that we will not be picked, so we cannot discuss assumptions here,” he said.

He further disclosed that he was aware of Government officials, including PSs, who want to stand as MPs of which at an appropriate time, he will disclose the names.

Asked on her ambitions to stand as Kalulushi MP in 2021, Mulenga confirmed she is contesting the position in 2021.

“Yes, I have heard calls from different people for me to consider running for higher office, but that decision will be made in an orderly manner that does not interfere with orderly functioning of my office, party organisation or any other government functions in the District,”Mulenga said.

She assured the senior PF leaders she was available as before for duty to help mobilise the party ahead of the 2021 elections.

I THINK most Zambians watch too many movies and think the military is just running around shooting guns. They think all you need is muscles and basic literacy to be a soldier.

That is further from the truth in the modern military. The number of people needed to get a guy in the frontline shooting guns is tremendous.

You need to feed, clothe and arm that guy. It is called logistics and is a highly specialized and complicated skill.

You need to ensure he can communicate so he can report and receive instructions. It’s called C3I or C4I.

He needs air support and artillery covering him. Firing artillery is sophisticated calculations are needed which allow an artillery shell to land at the place indicated.

It requires human resource management to ensure he has right skills to carry out his job and that the right personnel are allocated in his units to fill all the slots. His battalion will have a drivers, clerks, storesmen, armourers, paymasters, accountants, IT personnel, telecommunications specialists, mechanics etc.

Specialists in the storage and transportation of all manner of stores from artillery shells to bread and eggs and fuel.

The military is a sophisticated multidisciplinary force that requires a multitude of skills to get that guy in the frontline to fire bullets at the enemy.

Even the modern enlisted man nowadays needs to be able to operate very sophisticated equipment.

Sitting inside a Shilka ZSU-23 self propelled anti aircraft gun is a computerised system for tracking enemy aircraft and firing at them.

The modern armoured personnel carrier has GLONASS and GPS navigation systems built in.
Modern 4.5 generation aircraft like the L-15 are completely computerised with glass cockpits.
The modern Zambian military operates sophisticated communications systems which combine telephony, the internet, video conferencing and so on.

The modern military is a far cry and far more advanced than the military of 30, 40 or 50 years ago.

Some of the best IT technicians I have worked with were ex-military. They trained not just in the military’s own technical schools but at CBU and UNZA and also abroad. It is interesting interviewing someone who has a diploma from ZIT, another diploma from a University in Yugoslavia and a degree in Electronics from the Hellenic Defence Academy and yes he has just retired as Warrant Officer from the AirForce or another with a Diploma from Nortec in heavy vehicle mechanics, an East German degree in Electronics and some Russian qualifications in mechanics and motor vehicle engineering. And you ask him what he did in the army. I drove tanks was the answer.

Then someone tells you about how one time the Zambian Army was in Mozambique fighting Renamo and a Zambian platoon got trapped deep in Mozambique. How he and other soldier were dropped by choppers to counter attack and surround Renamo. Then you ask how did you know the guys were trapped ? Oh we we re e listening on the Radio in Petauke and our commander was listening in Lusaka. So you get a map and realise there was a radio network working from deep inside Mozambique and officers could follow what was going on 300 kilometers away and could despatch more troops by helicopter to trap the Renamo forces. So what happened to the Zambian troops trapped ? Oh says the retired Colonel we used them as bait. They ran for the Zambian border. We put a force there. We also choppered troops on the flanks of the Renamo guys. And then when they were pushed back they ran right into a trap. Only lost one guy in the trapped platoon but killed 73 Renamo.

It’s not all guns and macho Rambo style shooting there is lots of brain work too. Let me not even go into psychological warfare and winning hearts and minds. How there are specialists in the military trained in mass communication and can do training in diverse things like public health, sanitation ? Or print leaflets and set up radio stations and broadcast propaganda?

By Brian Mulenga

Kalemba

Open letter to President Edgar Lungu.

Dear Mr President,
I have just finished giving myself the first of two daily insulin injections. This is a privilege because there are thousands of Zambians out there who are diabetic like me but do not have the luxury of getting even one jab as they cannot afford it. My monthly insulin bill is K540 ( Five Hundred and Forty Kwacha ) not including the syringes which are K5 ( Five Kwacha ) each and are meant for single use only, meaning in a month I would need Sixty syringes times Five Kwacha, which would bring my monthly bill to K840 ( Eight Hundred and Forty Kwacha ). I cannot afford to use a syringe once, so I use it four times.

Now, Mr President, how many zambian diabetics can afford this? If the insulin was available at government hospitals, life would be so much easier for thousands of my fellow Zambians with this condition and there would have been no need for this letter, but there is no insulin at government hospitals.

So, Mr President, this letter is not meant to solicit for money or insulin, but it is a reaction to your willingness to set up a commission of enquiry to look into the privatisation of companies some twenty/ thirty years ago. Mr President, this Commission would require a lot of money to be able to carry out the assignment, maybe not less than Twenty Million Kwacha. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the Commission, but when the country is facing serious economic challenges, such as lack of insulin in government hospitals, is this Commission really of any commercial value? How
many vials of insulin would Twenty Million Kwacha buy? How many Zambian lives would Twenty Million Kwacha save?

President Sata had a commission of enquiry to look into the Barotseland Agreement of 1964. The report is gathering dust somewhere on some shelf. Nothing to show for money time and effort. You Sir, had the commission of enquiry on political violence set up. Has the violence stopped? Has the country benefited from the report? The report told us what we already knew. Had the money spent on that enquiry been spent on syringes, wouldn’t that have made your Zambia, my Zambia, our Zambia better?

Mr President, there was an outcry from all over Zambia about the over priced Fire tenders, a very obvious rip off, but you did not set up a commission of enquiry. The Forty Two Million Dollars went into private hands.

Wouldn’t it be cheaper Mr President, to ask the legal team, the accounts and audit departments at ZDA to carry out a forensic audit of the privatization of Twenty years ago? Wouldn’t the Auditor Generals’ office not manage that task at no extra cost, with a little help from the Financial Intelligence Unit and possibly DEC and ACC?

Zambia is headed towards an election and the Electoral Commission of Zambia have not been given enough funding to carry out that very important task, instead of setting up the privatisation commission why not give the ECZ the money?

Our national debt is so high and we are asking the lenders to give some breathing space. When we are not prudent with the Kwacha, how can they trust us with their Dollar? Maybe, rather than a privatisation commission, we should have a Debt Audit Commission.

Mr President, you were Chairman of the team in charge of the Lusaka Cold Storage Board unit which was awarded to Keembe but Galaun Farms had issues with the offer to Keembe and went to court to stop Keembe from getting the winning bid. Shouldn’t the Management buyout team have been given the offer as they were the only indigenous Zambians of the three bids received?Do we need to have a commission of enquiry to tell us that we should take you to task over your recommendations?

Mr President, this is not about politics, I do not belong to any political party but I am a poor Zambian with a wish that my country, nay, my government can take care of me in my time of need, and my time of need is now. Insulin is a must have necessity and I am sure there are other drugs for other conditions and illnesses that the money to be used for and by the privatisation commission could be channeled to, that poor ordinary Zambians like myself could truly appreciate.
Sincerely,
Boni Mubukwanu

SMART EAGLES

Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people in Eastern Province says Privatization occurred, and authorities must conduct investigations.

But the Chief said authorities must conduct investigations before he comments on the matter .

Speaking during a press briefing on Saturday, Chief Mpezeni said in as much as he was a father to the ruling party and those in opposition, authorities should handle the matter amicably.

He was responding to journalists who inquired to understand his position on privatization.

Meanwhile his Royal Highness has hailed traditional leaders in Northern and Luapula provinces for holding peaceful by elections despite insults showered against their electorates by some political leaders.

He said the just ended elections were an indication that a nation can hold elections without violence and vulgar language.

“I would like to commend Luapula and Northern Province Chiefs for holding peaceful elections , they showed leadership that a nation can hold elections without violence .” Said Chief Mpezeni .

He has since called on the traditional leadership countrywide to learn from the just ended elections and protect their citizens from violence .

“Let all traditional leaders denounce violence . All leaders across the country should know that traditional leadership is like a hen which safeguards its own chicks when it sees that there is an enemy the hen covers the chicks! Thats the same with traditional leadership.

Meanwhile the paramount Chief has urged politicians to stop insulting the President as their means to ascend to power .

“To all Politicians insulting the President…Vulgar language is not in our culture ; be sober as u conduct politics .” He emphasized.

We are working with the government of the day , a parent can never work a child which hasn’t yet been born . U can’t work with a child which is in a womb .

Meanwhile Chief Mpezeni has urged the traditional leadership and citizens to work with the government of the day as evidenced by the infrastructure development rolled out countrywide irrespective of tribe .

“I am urging the Traditional leadership to work with the government of the day . Development in hospitals , schools and many more come with the government of the day not that which u haven’t seen.

“Am not speaking because His Excellence Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu is coming from eastern province but am talking because leadership comes from God , and those who are vying for leadership should wait for their time and we will give them respect .” He stated .

Meanwhile the Paramount has thanked the Republican President for appointing Mr. Christopher Mvunga as Bank of Zambia following his ratification by parliament last week .

“We are grateful to the President for appointing Christopher Mvumnga ,thanks to the president for appointing Christopher Mvunga because his appointment came as a wonderful surprise . Allow him to work don’t just keep talking to distract them” He stated .