SIMON MWANSA KAPWEPWE’S LETTER EMERGES

MORE THAN AN INSPIRING EMAIL: PERHAPS A CALL TO LEADERSHIP!

By Kenneth K Mwenda

Today, Sunday, September 27, 2020, I woke up to a pleasant email from one of my former postgraduate law students at the University of Warwick in England, my good friend, Siddharth Raja, based in India.

It is now more than twenty (20) years since I left Warwick. I taught Siddharth at Warwick in 1997/98. In his message this morning, he reminded me of those good old days at Warwick. What a pleasant surprise after twenty-two (22) years! This is the beauty about academia. It is not about money, but making a difference in people’s lives.

Even more inspiring, and a reason why I am sharing this message (with Siddharth’s permission, of course), is the fact that Siddharth’s grandfather taught Zambia’s first Vice- President, Mr Simon M Kapwepwe, in India. And Siddharth has just shared with me a letter that Mr Kapwepwe wrote to his grandmother. It is the first time ever that anyone in Zambia is seeing this highly prized letter. I have attached it to this posting. Also, following below is Siddharth’s email to me. Thank you, Siddharth. Greatly appreciated.

**********
Dear Prof. Mwenda,

I trust this e-mail of mine finds you well and safe.

I am not sure if you will remember me — as one of your students at Warwick University in 1997-98…
There is another reason I am writing to you — and that too today; here’s a note I’ve written and as attached:

“What a Sunday discovery!
Earlier today, Meghna (my daughter) and I — on a lark — decided to open up and plough through some of the papers left behind by my paternal grandmother, Meghna’s great grandmother, Mrs. Lakshmi Raja. Her old tartan cloth suitcase lies quite forlorn in our attic, and we brought it out, and unzipped it (yes, it has a zipper that still works after almost half-a-century!).
And, while we found many family memories, this one caught my attention. A folded letter, that is quite faded, written on very thin, almost like butter paper. Dated 1st February 1952, well nigh 68 years ago. Addressed to my grandmother on the unexpected passing of her husband — a “ministering angel to you and to his children and in whom I have lost a man where I could go for advice.”

The author concludes: “I pray our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave only the cherish (sic.) memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the knowledge-imparting alter.”

And then he signs off: “Yours very sincerely and respectfully, S. M. Kapwepwe.”

This then, ladies and gentlemen, is Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, later the 1st Vice President of Zambia under the legendary Kenneth Kaunda (KK) and a stalwart of that country’s independence movement, writing as a 30-year old student of my grandfather’s in Bombay, at the Tanning Institute, Bandra.

My uncle recalls: “[Simon Kapwepwe] stop rigid and unmoving at the feet of Anna [as my grandfather was fondly called] for the whole time that he lay, as droves came to pay their last respects.””

I do hope to stay in touch.

Warm regards,
Siddharth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Siddharth Raja, Esq.

PRESS STATEMENT

27 SEPTEMBER 2020

ASKING ZCCM I H TO RUN MOPANI MINES IS A VERY EXPENSIVE JOKE

The PF Regime should tell Zambians who will be financing the operations of Mopani Copper Mines. It makes no sense for this same PF regime who are struggling to meet its debt obligations to start running the mines. Clearly PF does not understand the difference between running a mine and a black mountain. ZCCM IH has no capacity to run the mines. If ZCCM IH has any capacity, why did it fail to run Ndola Lime Company? If ZCCM IH has any capacity, why did it ask for foreign partnership to operate a much less complicated gold mine than a copper mine? Why did ZCCM IH fail to extract minerals from the black mountain but instead sold it? This is a very expensive joke of the century.

Yes, Zambians are not benefiting from their mineral resources. The problem is not privatization but how PF has managed investors. PF has been too brutal with investors, instead of engaging them in meaningful discussions. We have seen PF lining up cadres demanding the takeover of the mines and manhandling Mopani officials. PF is suggesting amending the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015. There is nothing wrong with this Act. What is wrong is your style of leadership and implementation of this Act. A bad carpenter always blames his tools.

As a Nation we don’t know who is financing the operations at KCM. We don’t know whether KCM is running profitably or not. However the bottom line is that the asset book value is going down as there is no corresponding recapitalization. During ZCCM, miners were getting paid on time, contractors and suppliers were paid on time. But the asset book value was going down due to inadequate recapitalization hence the mines were sold for a song.

For those who are excited about buying shares in the mines, they should know that a dividend is not paid like a monthly salary. A share holder can go for years without being paid any dividends as long as no profit is being recorded. The older or the deeper the mine the more it is expensive to run it profitably. Mufulira and Nkana mines are very old mines and therefore it’s very expensive to run these mines profitably. Zambians must brace themselves for more suffering as this PF Government pumps public resources into the bottomless pit.

Percy Chanda

UPND – Chairman for Mines and Freedom Fighter

PATRIOTIC Front media director Sunday Chanda says there is a wind of change blowing in UPND strongholds, which will lead to the re-election and consolidation of PF after the 2021 general elections.

And Chanda says the ruling party has not neglected Zambians, as evidenced by the strong levels of commitment in all areas of development.

Speaking when he featured on Hot FM’s the Hot seat radio programme, Thursday, Chanda argued that there was a wind of change blowing in favour of PF in UPND strongholds.

“Clearly, you can see the trend that UPND strongholds are giving up! And if at all there is a wind of change happening, it is a wind of change that is turning former red provinces to green. North-Western Province is one of them, Copperbelt rural is one of them and there is no other way unless our colleagues wish to live in denial. Clearly, there is no other way to explain why UPND is losing Western Province, in North-Western Province, clearly, there is something that is wrong. And I am glad that my elder brother Gary (Nkombo) did not really go deeper…there are serious problems in the UPND! There is a sense of fatigue in the UPND. The UPND membership is fatigued and they are looking for development. What they have seen coming from President Edgar Lungu is the heart of a leader interested in taking development to all parts of the country without leaving anyone behind. The wind of change is the wind of change sweeping former UPND strongholds. The PF is still a very popular party on the ground,” Chanda argued.

He supported calls that there should be an establishment of a commission of inquiry into privatisation.

“Where I come from we say, ‘umulandu taubola’ (crime committed is never forgotten) this issue has been topical for many years and it is just important that maybe we must put this matter to rest. The only way of putting it to rest is not by being dodgy, it is by confronting it. Privatisation happened to Zambia. A lot of our people lost their livelihoods, a lot of our people lost their jobs, a lot of people lost their lives. And if anything was done irregularly, we are calling and I would support the establishment of an inquiry so that we must bring this matter to a close. Nga kwali abalufyenye (if you made a mistake), let them face the Zambian people. An inquiry is a cleansing process and I think it is only fair for a country like Zambia. This matter needs to be put to a close. Let the Zambian people be given an opportunity to bring this matter to a closure because what was being privatised were not assets for individuals; these were assets belonging to the Zambian people. Born and unborn. So, there must be accountability. We can’t be singing about transparency when it touches on other things,” he said.

Chanda also predicted that the ruling party was going to win next year’s election because they were hardworking.

“The reason why PF is winning next year is not because we are angels, it is not because we are the best that ever happened to Zambia. It is because we are a congregation of men, women and young people trying hard to create a better Zambia. We are team that is working hard, imperfect as we would be, frail as we would be, human as we would be, with our shortcomings as human beings…the PF in terms of resolve and political will is very clear for all to see that when we say, ‘we want to transition Zambia and we want to keep pace with the changing times, we want to transition Zambia from this land-locked country to a land-linked country. We want to be both theoretical and practical,” Chanda added.

He urged Zambians not to feel neglected by government.

“There is no denying that our people are having a hard time and the PF remains fully aware and cognisant of the fact that our people are having a hard time. These are our brothers, these are our sisters, our cousins, our neighbours. Of course, there is political rhetoric to the effect that we have made some of the outrageous decisions. We may not be a government of angels. The people of Zambia should not feel neglected by this government. We never promised heaven, what we promised was governance that is alive to reality, to the dynamics on the ground. Remember that some of these are global phenomena. The Zambian people understand the situation we are in right now; the Zambian people understand that this government feels their pain,” he said.

When asked about allegations that the PF was issuing NRCs to aliens and minors, Chanda dismissed this as cheap propaganda.

“That is cheap propaganda! We saw that and we were laughing because of all political parties, it was the UPND making those accusations. And we said to ourselves how this could be because UPND is a major culprit. Previous NRC issuance or voter registration processes, we saw a number of underage removed from the voter’s register in previous elections. UPND, unfortunately, believes that we are like them. They believe that we are as violent as they are, we are as manipulative as they are; they believe that we engage in these dirty tactics that they do. We are not like them, we are very different. That is the reason why those images ended on social media,” Chanda replied.

He insisted that there was nothing wrong with changing the voter’s registration and that Zambians should not condemn the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)

“One thing that I know is that there has been consistent stakeholder engagement by the ECZ and other stakeholders in this process. If you have a voter registration that is 15 years-old or over 10 years old, I don’t want to imagine how many Zambians in that voter’s register have died, how many Zambians have relocated to different places. What is wrong with saying, ‘can we take stock of who is available or who qualifies to vote?’ Times have changed, technology is evolving. What is wrong with having a new register? For me, I think we have become so suspicious as society. If we injure ECZ’s credibility, we are just doing it to our own peril. What if the same ECZ you are injuring declares you winner next year, what are you going to do? So, let us ensure that we help these institutions that we have set for ourselves to perform better,” he urged.

Meanwhile, Chanda said MMD president Nevers Mumba would land himself in “deep waters” because of his allegation that the ruling party rigged the Lukashya by-election.

“My old man’s problem is a very simple one: a quest for relevance. Now, as it is a quest for relevance, my old man will find himself in very deep waters because of the remarks that he has been uttering. If you are going to allege rigging, the first thing you want to do is go and petition the election. Why isn’t he petitioning the election? When you allege that you had information prior to this election that there had been a set-up to crack into ECZ and manipulate the election results, those are serious allegations. Why do you have to wait until the by-election has gone? You become a potential accomplice to the crime because that is about national security. When you allege that there were pre-marked ballot papers, why didn’t you protest, why did you allow your candidate to contest in the election with all that evidence with you?” wondered Chanda.- Diggers

A LETTER TO ALL ZAMBIANS

UPND CAN WIN 2021………But hmmm……

Here is my analysis. I will need you to grasp a thought first….PF has a certain percentage of loyal followers among the Zambian population. UNPD has it own too. We cant deny that ethnicity plays a huge part in this selection. Its everywhere. In Kenya most Luo’s support Raila while most Kikuyus are team Kenyatta. Even in America you have the blue states and red states.. So it is with UPND and PF which has staunch followers.. But majority of Zambian say about 80% dont belong to either PF or UPND..Actually many Zamhians hate politics and would rather stay away..that’s why even By elections have very bad voter apathy (turnout). Many see no reason to vote. But loyal members queue up

But a general election is a different story… People participate and chose a candidate even if they dont belong to either grouping. The mistake of the UPND in my analysis has been partly thinking that because Zambia is in a terrible economic situation, therefore majority of the people are on their side! NO BALLY! The people, infact most Zambians are disinterested in politics

Coming to the caption, let me now explain it. Yes UPND can win if we have what is called A PROTEST VOTE.. There are many kinds of vote, for example you have a sympathy vote eg Rupiah Banda in 2008 got a sympathy vote (benefited from Mwanawasa’s death and legacy) Edgar Lungu in 2015 got a sympathy vote from late Sata’s legacy and so on…actually we can say 2015 and 2016 was a sympathy vote for PF. Sata even in his death won them both elections.. 2021 Edgar Lungu is on his own and if we could rate them on performance and without aid of state machinery, I doubt he would go through

Let’s come back to the protest Vote. We have had 2 protest Votes so far. October 31st 1991 that kicked out KK because of food shortages and bad economic conditions and December 27 2001 that boots booted out MMD because mainly of corruption and elected late Anderson Kambela Mazoka as President of Zambia. Though late President Chiluba who had so many skeletons made sure that results were manipulated firstly putting elections deep in rain season so that many places would be totally cut off and inaccessible and making sure those places he seriously manipulated figures and lastly announced on them 10 days later on 7 January after seriously rigging and putting in what he thought was his puppet Levy Mwanawasa who turned against him. In both instances corruption had become so high and poverty of the roof, more a repeatation of what we are seeing today

So 2021 we may see a Protest vote. It might swing in UPND’s favour. Not because they are great at mobilization and have put in a fabulous campaign no. Actually most Zambians are angry at HH and his team for failure to capitalize on the current situation especially the blatant corruption and the failed economic policies of the PF and also failure to reach the grass roots and take have a serious message apart from “Bally will fix it” which is more townish and sounds kwati niba exsay as compared to the slogan “More money in our pockets” that brought in the patriot front

The biggest fear however to UPND benefitting from the protest vote is State Machinery. We all know what this beast can do. Secondly we dont know what the PF is planning but am sure even a grade 1 or kindergarten student can feel something is brewing in the PF camp. Trust me they wont just relinquish power. Also things like online registration or the ECZ app raise serious eyebrows. The app asks for your location. What it means is that ECZ or somebody somewhere tracks your movement and current location. That being said they can know who has been to a polling station and who has voted and not voted. Simply put, somebody somewhere can vote for you!!!!!

Truth be told UPND has done poorly in terms of mobilization, strategy and a solid message. By now UPND should have adopted candidates to allow people to start knowing them also because adoption always leads to division. Those not adopted either become bitter or defect or ditch everything. Enough time was needed for healing and reconciliation. This might affect UPND chances…

However the status quo demands change. We have really lagged back as a Nation and suffering has increased under the poor leadership of hos excellency Edgar Lungu….However many are now questioning the capacity of UPND to rule effectively if they cant even plan and strategise now. How will they handle governing which is far far more serious stressful and complicated if coming up with a strategy is hard for them now?

Anyway whatever the case 2021 promises to be extremely exciting. Grab your popcorn and get ready for serious serious drama like you never seen before. The only worry is it doesn’t take a prophet to see that 2021 will be very violent and bloody. People on both camps UPND and PF are desperate for power. However I put it back to you the Zambian reading this, you have seen what the past 10 years have been under PF. From inheriting a fat coffer our reserves are now empty. We are now in debt of excess of 20 billion dollars. Cost of living has shot off the roof. Ask yourself if you are seriously willing to endure another 5 to 10 years of PF rule or its time to try something else. After all if we honestly analyse things, politicians are all thr same, it’s just like diapers if they over stay they begin to stint and must be changed. Personally I think this diaper is stinting and its time for a fresh one .. After all, nothing much changes, it’s the system that’s rotten and needs a total overhaul. Its just time to change whose in charge of this rotten system and see what he and his team can do for us…

I would have ended this article with PF must go but this is a nuetral article

With Love

Comrade Mwaba Mutale

By Anthony Bwalya

IT IS FOOLISH OF PF TO POSTPONE DEBT IN ORDER TO FUND THEIR 2021 CAMPAIGNS.

Since the year 2012, the Patriotic Front (PF) have been entrenching political power using excessive public borrowing to appease an often unsuspecting Zambian public under the guise of infrastructure development.

Here is some perspective: the PF have since borrowed around $20bn, in both local and foreign debt.

Out of this amount, only $7.4bn has actually been used to build roads, hospitals and schools buildings – nothing to do with actual ability for people to access decent, affordable public healthcare or education services.

The other $12.6bn has literally been stolen by PF politicians, who have further diverted substantial portions into party mobilisation activities of the PF all across the country.

This is the money Zambians now see Ministers and MPs, including cadres from the PF, now throwing around in gifts and empowerment projects.

Literally, everyone in the PF has morphed into a MOTHER THERESA and a charitable organization by themselves. They are all giving, giving and giving.

I have always mentioned, that ALL the so-called empowerment schemes being sponsored by the PF are anchored on pure criminal activities of theft, corruption and fraud against the Zambian people.

Where do you think the so-called Presidential Empowerment Fund Initiative gets its money from? And where do you think the so-called Kalumbila Cooperative get its money from?

So, now, public coffers are dry. The only people and organisation with money is the PF, and even theirs is fast drying up.

ENTER DEBT REPAYMENT POSTPONMENT NOISE

You see, the PF know very well, that the poverty trap they have deliberately orchestrated in Zambia will very soon backfire on them and potentially stir civil unrest and an almost immediate demand for them to vacate office.

This is what happens everytime and everywhere when the economy fails and people start scrapping for a living, with no meaningful access to health or education, not even jobs and the currency collapses.

See Zimbabwe and Venezuela.

So, what do they do? With less than 365 days to a historical general election in Zambia, the regime are seeking the keys to the cash vault.

They started with attempts to use BILL 10 as a tool to move monetary policy operations from the Bank of Zambia to a dysfunctional parliament, so that they may be able to print money as they please.

This has turned out to be a long route. They cannot wait.

So, they have now started making noise asking EUROBOND holders to postpone effectively $1.2bn of repayments over Six (6) months.

But the question is: what do you think the PF require this money for?

The Eurobond holders are NOT foolish. They know what the game plan of the PF is. With $1.2bn in their control, the PF can and will literally BUY OFF the general election even before it has taken place.

They will bribe the ECZ, they will bribe polling station officers, they will bribe the police, they will bribe the Judiciary and they will certainly bribe the electorate.

If and when Eurobond holders make the mistake of granting this evil request by the PF, they will lose much more than the money they are owed. They will have contributed to throwing away Zambia’s chance of starting the long process of rebuilding itself and rethinking how we can make good on our various debt obligations. Not only this, they will also have contributed towards setting the country on a war path with itself, because the consequences of a PF victory, aided by debt money, will be catastrophic and will ring out for many years to come.

WHAT ZAMBIA NEEDS NOW IS NOT MONEY.

ZAMBIA NEEDS LEADERSHIP.

PF DESPERATIONS AND MISCALCULATIONS AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO ATTACK THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHERN PROVINCE AND ARREST HH

We would like to to make it very clear to the PF government under Mr Edgar Lungu that his governments desperations of trying by all means to find a fault in Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the people of Southern province won’t be condoned.

It is shameful that the PF government is ready to shed innocent blood just to secure their long stay in power. We have all the intelligence information on how those military weapons he bought will be distributed across the country and Southern province being his target number one followed by N.Western, Western, Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt provinces. This week Mr Edgar Lungu was scheduled to visit Southern province after hiring thugs who were tasked to try to attack him and put the blame on the opposition UPND leader president Hakainde Hichilema and then attack the people of Southern province. The visit has been cancelled after we exposed this evil scheme.

We advice all Zambians in these emarked regions to stay away from Mr Edgar Lungu and PF government when they visit. Because they are ready to cause trouble at any time.

The desperate attempt to demonize HH by PF and it’s surrogates is a political boomerang. The PF intelligensia is Bewitched by both envy and unprecedented frenzy to stay afloat by clinging to a floating straw in the Social and Economic storm of their failed management. They have lost sanity along with judgement.
Two errors will decively drive the last nail in their coffin of Political relevancy: failure to define HH’s personality and downplaying the power of the digital space.

Truth be told, HH has overgrown his individuality. He is now an embodiment of hope and a salvage instrumentality for our paralysed economy.

A quick reflection on our last disputed election should tame any rabid political extremist in their tracks. Almost 50% of the votes cast during the last general election have galvanised to inflate HH’s personality. HH is possibly by now 60%+ of Zambians! Any misguided attack on his personality is an attack of more than 60% of the oppressed Zambians from across the tribal spectrum.

The first miscalculation lies in the untenable attempt to eliminate him politically by Hook or crook. HH by ideal description is more than an individual as he now represent hope and feasibly the only indispensable option for many Zambians. Maligning him is lamentably failing each day.

The digital landscape has enabled a balanced access to information globally. Attempts to misrepresnt facts have been buttressed within minutes by counter facts. PF is underplaying the power of digital influence. Anyone this time can verify facts with a click of a button.
No one has ever challenged the feasibility and pragmatism in HH’s proposed management plan. Professionals have been beaten hands down and the only thing, they can find is the barbaric Tribal rantings that have since dominated their modus operandi.

Unlike the prophets in the religious circles, his social and economic prophecies which he has relentlessly and lovingly issued as advisories and early warning to PF have found perfect fulfilment. As an economic pundit, his timely trajectories had they not been landing on deaf ears could have averted the broiling hyper inflationary whirlwind.

HH is now the litmus test of Patriotism. His survival in the hell created for him by PF is irrefutable evidence of his unmatchable capability to manage national level crisis.
It’s lamentable to see how professionals with publicly acclaimed credentials can stoop so far below as to betray the nationalist values for their personal experience. Think of the many virgins turning into instant prostitutes, orphans crowding the streets, Persons with Disabilities defrauded of their meagre funds all because of failed management.

Who is the enemy of the people between what HH is proposing to do and what PF has done? What other evidence of failure are looking for. PF should simply stop their desperate miscalculation and own up.

Sikaile Sikaile
Good Governance and Human rights Activist

MMD president Nevers Mumba says he will be very interested to go to court with the PF and divulge more information there, about how the ruling party allegedly gravely rigged the Lukashya vote recently.

He insists that the PF in the Lukashya parliamentary by-election engaged into grave and embarrassing malpractices and that he could not stomach that ‘fact.’

At the MMD secretariat in Lusaka on Monday, Mumba told journalists that the PF rigged the Lukashya poll result and that such was overdone.

The following day, opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili asserted that the MMD is simply tasting its own medicine on rigging, for it birthed the vice when it was in government.

He called for Mumba to tone down on that topic.

On its 19:30 hours main news on Tuesday, CAMENT TV video-called Mumba to respond to Kambwili’s assertion.

Mumba said two wrongs could never make a right.

“Whether it is done by my party or another party, a wrong act and an immoral act or a corrupt act is still immoral and it is wrong. We should never take pride in saying ‘MMD did [and] so, let’s do it,’” Mumba reacted. “I think that’s a terrible precedent for anybody that must move the country forward.”

Asked if he felt directly attacked by Kambwili’s remarks, the former high commissioner to Canada responded that: “I don’t think so.”

“I think that Honourable Kambwili was trying to highlight a concern that the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, in its time, entertained this kind of behaviour. It’s important to note that I was a victim of the MMD’s malpractices when I was leading the National Citizens Commission,” he said. “So, I know exactly what I’m talking about. Well, the MMD has a new president; that action or those actions were not done under my leadership. Therefore, I cannot take full responsibility for it. Of course, America has a new President, President [Donald] Trump – it does not mean every Republican president does what he does.”

Mumba indicated that he contextually understood Kambwili’s concern.

He was, however, quick to note that he was totally opposed to any system that robes Zambians of their freedom to choose their own political leader.

“Whether it’s MMD or PF, no one has any legal right to steal the rights of the Zambian people,” Mumba asserted.

Asked by the news caster, Liseli Kanyanga-Mubanga, if he had evidence that the Lukashya vote was rigged, Mumba said as a Pastor he could not make a groundless statement.

“First of all, they (some PF officials) have mentioned about going to court; I would be very interested to go to court with them and it’s only there that I’m going to reveal the information that I have,” Mumba said. “Of course, I’m a Pastor [and] I’m not going to make a statement that is founded on nothing.”

Mumba further regrets that those in the PF do not recognise the fact when a person like him raises a concern, “I’m not doing politics.”

“My vision for ‘Zambia shall be saved’ entails that we do whatever we can as a people and as leaders to clean up the political process of our country,” he said. “It is in the interest of the Patriotic Front that they take time to answer me; I’m not just a political leader of a political party [but] I’m a former [Republican] vice-president.”

Mumba said when he raises such concerns, “I’m raising them in the interest of the nation, on behalf of all of us that were not there to witness the malpractices [in Lukashya].”

“They (malpractices) were grave, embarrassing [and] below what I can stomach and I’m sure many Zambians will not stomach that. It’s not about winning or losing the election; it’s about leaving a legacy of a clean system that our children are going to elect for themselves leaders of their own choice,” Mumba said. “We need to do whatever we can as leaders not to react to Nevers Mumba but to ask the question ‘ladies and gentlemen, what is Nevers talking about? Can we sit down with him? Can we do this thing together?’”

He also said he was not willing to leave the topic of electoral malpractices for only 2021 elections.

“I’m not willing that we leave it for that time. Let’s talk now, let’s clean it (electoral system) now. Let’s not be emotional, let’s not try to jump ship. Let us do what leaders are supposed to do – we must clean the electoral process,” stressed Mumba.

PF Media Director Sunday Chanda says the ruling party has gained grip in UPND regions because UPND members are fatigued with fake promises by the opposition party.

Speaking on Hot FM today, Mr. Chanda also says the ruling party never promised heaven on earth but real things on the ground which are being delivered.

The PF Media Director says the ruling party will obtain better margins in 2021 general elections in UPND regions because it has a message which resonates in a pro- poor manner.

He says it is always a responsibility of the top leadership to condemn remarks on Mwine Lubemba Chitimukulu Kanyanta Manga Sosala II if members of the alliance are demeaning the traditional leaders.

Mr. Chanda says the ruling party concludes that the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema supports attacks on the Chitimukulu because he does not discipline his Deputy Secretary General and alliance partners who issue unprintables against Mwine Lubemba.

He says Mr. Hichilema had an opportunity to clear himself about the Chitimukulu while in Kasama but shocked everyone when he added an insult at a rally in Kasama.

And Mr. Chanda says embattled MMD President Nevers Mumba issued rigging claims of the Lukashya Parliamentary by- election because he is looking for political relevance which unfortunately will land him in trouble even though it is not the desire of PF.

Mr. Chanda says the ruling party condemns any form of violence to win an election because the works are speaking for themselves.

He says while PF has always condemned and allowed it’s members appear before the courts of law, UPND has never done the same as it lacks quality leadership.

Mr. Chanda says there is need for constructive debate on national matters because time foe name calling has elapsed.

He says the PF will soon present it’s vision for the period 2021 to 2026 challenging the opposition to do something different than focusing on doing same things differently.

Mr. Chanda says the ruling party is focusing on workable solutions as opposed to copy and paste such as the opposition DP which cut and paste former US President Barack Obama’s message.

He says the PF is committed to a peaceful and violent free general election next year but has warned that President Edgar Lungu’s call for peace is not a sign of weakness.

Mr. Chanda says President Lungu has repeatedly said that no one is worth shading blood for but the opposition has never encouraged members in a similar manner.

The Patriotic Front has questioned MMD faction leader Nevers Mumba’s intentions behind his election rigging allegation after the just ended by-elections in Lukashya and Mwansabombwe.

During Hot FM’s “What’s hot in the news” program on Tuesday, Dr Mumba claimed that he was informed of a ploy to rig the Lukashya by-election and was aware of it before election day.

Dr Mumba added that he did not report this to ECZ and Zambia Police.

But PF vice national youth chairperson Benjamin Siwila wondered why the opposition leader withheld such information.

He asked what the intent was of raising an alarm after elections had passed instead of reporting to law enforcers before voting day.

Mr Siwila, who wondered why Dr Mumba’s party participated in the just ended by-elections if he knew they were rigged, and demanded that the he reveals the name of informant.

He said in a statement issued to the media today that Dr Mumba knew that withholding information of such serious nature might be tantamount to abetting a crime.

“We have noted with much disappointment the utterances and allegations made by New Hope MMD leader Dr Nevers Mumba in light of the just ended Lukashya and Mwansabombwe by elections. It is of utmost importance that Police and the electoral commission of Zambia take interest in the allegations and get to the crux of the matter,” he said.

“Dr Mumba told the nation on in a phone in interview by Hot FM radio station on Tuesday the 22nd of September 2020 that. He also stated that he did not report this to ECZ and Zambia Police. As a senior statesman, he knows better than to withhold information of such serious nature which might be tantamount to abetting a crime. Electoral malpractice is against the law in Zambia and indeed world over. The nation is left with no choice but to ask the following questions; 1. Why did Dr Mumba withhold this information? 2. What was the intent or purpose of raising alarm after elections had passed? 3. Why did his party (MMD) participate in the by elections if he knew they would be rigged? 4. Would such a man be trusted with instruments of power?”

Mr Siwila said the opposition leader should formally report the matter to Zambia Police Service and the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

He also called on the Zambia Police to pursue the matter in question swiftly and ensure the truth and justice prevail.

Ugandan singer and opposition politician Bobi Wine has questioned the academic credentials of President Yoweri Museveni, reigniting a 2016 battle of academic qualifications between the lawmaker and the man who has been in power since 1986.

Wine, 38, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, had written to Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) in 2016 casting doubt over President Museveni’s academic documents he presented for purposes of nomination for the Office of President during the 2016 election period, according to the Monitor.

In the letter to the EC, Wine also expressed doubt over Museveni’s suitability as a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.

However, the country’s electoral body said the academic documents of Museveni as presented in 2016 did not require verification since they were governed under Section 4 (15) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005.

“For avoidance of doubt, if a candidate has an advanced level certificate obtained in Uganda or qualifications higher than the prescribed qualification obtained in Uganda or obtained from the former University of East Africa or any of its constituent colleges, then, there shall be no need for the verification of his or her qualifications by the National Council for Higher Education,” the acting Secretary of the election management body, Mr Leonard Mulekwah said.

Wine’s latest attack on Museveni’s academic records comes after a lawyer based in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, recently petitioned the EC to make available the academic documents Museveni used to stand for the 2016 presidential elections.

Nkunyingi Muwada, the petitioner, said Museveni ascended to power without being vetted when the National Resistance Army captured power in 1986 adding that having been president since then, the election body could have ignored the prerequisite of asking for his academic documents, according to the Nilepost.

The move comes at a time when another lawyer, Male Mabirizi, requested and was availed with the academic documents Wine, who is also a presidential hopeful.

Wine took to social media to lash out at Uganda’s election body for releasing his academic qualifications while refusing to release that of Museveni. According to him, the move suggested Musevini’s academic qualifications were not genuine.

“The Electoral Commission which took a few days to release my academic documents is now speaking in tongues when it comes to Gen. Museveni’s documents. The Emperor is naked,” Bobi Wine posted on his social media platforms.

Mabirizi has accused Wine of age cheating, an electoral offence which could be unjustifiably used to disqualify him.

In his petition to the EC, Mabirizi contends that there is no way Wine who claims to be 38 years old could have finished his Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) in 1998.

The UACE is the minimum requirement for one to run for president, according to Uganda’s electoral laws.

“I should not be blamed for always being extraordinary. People who I went to school with know that I did not study all classes. For instance, I did Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) when I was in Primary Six and I passed to enter Senior One,” Bobi Wine responded.

By Daily Revelation Reporter

State House and the Ministry of Home affairs have finally relaxed their clutches on Felix Mutati, by allowing the registration of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

And Harry Kalaba’s Democratic Party (DP) says it is set to form government next year, following the Court of Appeal decision to reinstate the registration of the party.

State House has made life a living hell for former finance minister Mutati, whose attempts to find a vehicle to kickstart his political life in the past one year has been frustrated at every point.

Well placed sources have told Daily Revelation that after Mutati lost the MMD presidency to Dr Nevers Mumba, he was desperate to kickstart his political career by trying to find another political party vehicle. However, sources said his attempts through his supporters to register a political party,MDC, where being frustrated by the Registrar of Societies, on instructions from State House and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The sources said State House feared that Mutati, would draw support from the ruling, though not much but significant enough to tilt the 2021 elections, which President Lungu narrowly won after defeating opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

“The position from State House is that they don’t want new parties coming up, especially those that have some alignment with the PF, especially that we are only a few months before the next election. There is also a fear that drawing away support from the ruling party, no matter how little will be strengthening the opposition,” the sources said.

The sources revealed that noticing lack of movement with the registration of a new political party, Mutati and his supporters entered into talks with officials from late Mike Mulongoti’s People’s Party, and just when they thought they had concretised the deal, there was a sudden uprising from some members in the PP against the alliance, effectively killing the talks.

The sources said thereafter, Mutati and his former faction members in the MMD attempted to get into a merger with Highvie Hamudu’s party, and just when they thought they were making progress there was a sudden change on the part of Hamududu, and no progress was made on that score.

The sources said the same happened with the talks involving Jackson Silavwe’s Golden Party, who after initially agreeing to join hands with Mutati found State House’s hand too ‘generous’ to deny.

“We only received word of him telling us, after we had made progress that you can join but you must work under me,” the sources told Daily Revelation.

However, sources have told Daily Revelation, that Mutati’s officials where called to the Registrar of Societies offices last week to collect the registration certificate, which had been pending since November, 2019. The sources said the Society made the move on instructions from the Ministry, following media revelations on their conduct.

The sources said the MDC was now preparing to hold a convention that will legitimise Mutati’s standing in the party and with the public.

“He is actually the founder, and he just wants to use the process to legitimise himself as following the democratic process. We shall be having the convention very soon, with 10 members from each district and the whole 24 member executive,” said the sources. “Right now we are printing tshirts and branding vehicles. At least we have a platform now we can use, either on our own or in discussions with other parties.”

-Daily Revelation

By Patson Chilemba

Opposition alliance chairperson Charles Milupi says he stands by his recent statement that alliance partners were facing difficulties agreeing on the electoral pact due to insistence by some members that “if you want to work with me, you must work under me.”

But alliance member, National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili, said alliance partners have not reached the stage where they have completely disagreed, saying rushing to the press when matters were still under discussion was what usually killed alliances.

Speaking with Daily Revelation, Milupi said he stood by what he said in the story he gave to this media organisation recently, but had only a problem with the heading, which included the word “cracks”.

“I think the story itself I have received many calls praising me, not from PF but from people saying that’s exactly what needs to be done because we need a strong opposition…Because what normally happens (with regards the heading), some people who may be lazy, you know people reading culture is very bad, they just look at the headline and they form an opinion,” Milupi said. “The main body (of the initial story) is perfectly alright, someone sent me a message and that’s what exactly if I gave you the…just that we don’t want to discuss the thing that’s exactly what I have said but I have no influence on how the headline is written. We are used to that.”

He said Daily Revelation was very accurate in how they quoted him in the story.

“So I think I stand by what (I said), you know I don’t say things without thinking. Because we can’t pretend that all is well, and by the way when I talk about alliances, I am not just talking about one alliance, there are many attempts to form alliances, the are many many many many…people discuss, there are so many discussions taking place and most of them they falter on the question of leadership,” Milupi said. “You will agree on everything you know, that the country is going down, we need to do this, to do that but when it comes to leadership exactly what I said in my story is what prevails and as a result we do not really focus on delivering the right sort of message…just read the story that you wrote it was so good.”

Alliance member James Lukuku accused Daily Revelation of falsifying the story and writing propaganda against UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

But Kambwili said one could only say they were facing challenges if they had failed to agree.

“As at now we have not failed to agree, we are still consulting, counter consulting, proposing and counter proposing. So I wouldn’t say that we are facing challenges because when you are coming together as an alliance…you are coming from two different backgrounds you need to understand each other agree to disagree. There is no relationship which has no challenge,” Kambwili said. “For me I will not say we have challenges and we are failing to agree. We have no declared a deadlock. We are still discussing, we are yet to have another meeting, we are waiting for Honourable Milupi to come back from Western Province so that he can convene a meeting. So I don’t know from what angle he’s looking at it but I think we haven’t reached a point where we have disagreed completely and reached a deadlock where you can even think of inviting other people to come and mediate.”

Asked on how true the assertions were that Milupi has proposed to contest seats in Western Province, but the UPND argue that they have members of parliament and a footing already in the province, and should therefore be the ones to contest, Kambwili said: “That’s what I am saying, you know when you are still discussing you are debating in order to agree. So I don’t think it’s right for Honourable Milupi to go to the press at this time because there haven’t been what I may call serious disagreements. If there were serious disagreements we could have said ah twafilwana (we have failed to reach consensus).”

Kambwili said the last meeting involved the proposals agreed and that they should go and consult their parties, and provide feedback.

“You know what I told you last time that you know what has destroyed these alliances is this issue of quickly rushing to the press, quickly coming up with conclusions, you know lets give this alliance time to nature, we may agree to disagree and disagree to agree but at the end of it all we will agree on one thing and I am very confident that we will agree on one thing,” Kambwili said. “I am very confident that we will agree on one thing because we are committed that this thing should work and we are looking forward to it to work. But when you start going to the press to involve outsiders, people read and put comments you will be disrupted by those comments.”

Kambwili said some of the people one might think were advising, could actually be fomenting propaganda in order to break the unity.

“That’s why for me it’s not the right time to issue any statement and go to the press over the alliance because we are still discussing,” said Kambwili.

Efforts to talk to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema failed as his mobile went unanswered.

-Daily Revelation

DEMOCRATIC Party president Harry Kalaba says Easterners are bitter and that they will not tolerate jokes in next year’s elections.

Kalaba also says former Republican president Rupiah Banda tried in as far as the agricultural sector is concerned but that President Edgar Lungu has failed.

He says the problem with parliamentarians from Eastern Province is that they do not speak for the province.

Featuring on Chipata’s Radio Maria’s good governance programme on Saturday night, Kalaba, who shared the platform with the party’s supreme organ, Democratic National Committee (DNC) member, Bridget Nkhoma and Eastern Province DP chairperson Danton Ndhlovu, said easterners should not allow to be used by the PF again.

“Niziba, this time banthu bakum’mawa bakalipa, Bridget Nkhoma enze niuza ati ‘ba president banthu, bakum’mawa sibafuna masobela bafuna ati government ichinje next year (I know this time easterners are bitter. Bridget Nkhoma was telling me that ‘Mr president easterners do not want jokes; they want government to change next year),” Kalaba said.

He said the PF government would soon start enticing teachers and other civil servants because of next year’s elections.

“They will soon start telling lies that they will improve teachers’ salaries but that’s not true; don’t believe them. Again, look at the floor price which was given to farmers for maize and yet the same government went to buy a presidential jet,” Kalaba said. “They are claiming that the previous jet was not moving very fast because they want him to be reaching his destinations very fast. But now even if you reach very fast but people are hungry, what would you have benefited?”

Kalaba complained that teachers were not on payroll because the government said it has no money.

“This time even if you go to the nursing school and you graduate there is no guarantee that you will be employed. In those days during Dr Kaunda, Grey Zulu and Reuben Chitandika Kamanga’s government, when you finish your teaching course today then tomorrow you will be given a school,” he said. “Those days, people used to choose schools from three provinces but today those things are not there.”

Kalaba pledged that once in government, the DP would ensure that all trained teachers were employed within six months because there were a lot of schools without teachers, adding that the current teacher-pupil ratio was catastrophic.

He said unemployed nurses would as well be employed within six months of the DP’s government.

Kalaba said men and women in defence forces needed superior conditions of service.

“Once we come as DP, we’ll make sure we take care of them (civil servants) because today it’s only an MP who will bring a duty free vehicle in this country. The food that MPs eat at Parliament Motel is tax-free. Even beer, Castle is now K8 but at Parliament Motel maybe now that’s when beer has reached K2.20 because it is subsidised,” Kalaba explained. “But now why are you subsidising politicians only? Civil servants do not know subsidy [and] even the messengers in councils, there is no subsidy. DP in government all these jokes will go.”

He further indicated that Eastern Province could do well in the agricultural sector but that the problem was uncaring leaders.

“Tenze naba Rupiah Banda; at least tinaonako chitukuko ku agriculture kuyenda kusogolo. Pamene ba Banda benze ba president banayesako manje bamene balipo sitizakamba nazamazina pano, agriculture kuno ku Eastern Province yayendelatu pansi. DP ikabwela mu government tifuna agriculture kuno ku Eastern Province iyende kusogolo (we had Mr Rupiah Banda; at least we saw development in the agriculture sector going forward. When Mr Rupiah Banda was president, he tried but the one who is there; I will not even mention the name, the agriculture sector in Eastern Province has gone down. When DP forms government it will improve the agriculture sector,” Kalaba said.

He added that when people are neglected, next year was a good time to teach politicians lessons.

“People are staying as if Zambia is not their country, they stay like foreigners. We want to end this issue as DP! We only remember Eastern Province when elections are near; we forgot the easterners when there are no elections,” Kalaba noted. “We want to remind the people of Eastern Province that when they see that these people do not pay attention to you, the time to teach them a lesson is next year. In the next eleven months there will be elections, go and vote in numbers, voter registration starts next month, go and register so that you vote for DP.”

He said easterners should not live in the past of being told that the province was the bedroom for PF.

“Ngati muzasala mu vakudala vakuti niku bedroom beve bakudya. Ngati badya kuja vakudya sivimachoka m’mala mwao vathamangila m’mala mwanu (if you will remain in the past of saying this is the PF stronghold while them are eating… When they eat, the food doesn’t get transferred from their stomachs to yours,” Kalaba said. “So mufunika kuyenda ku vota kubachotsa aba (so you need to vote to remove these people).”

Kalaba said once Eastern Province starts making cooking oil, starts growing cotton and tobacco at a large-scale, farmers would have money.

He said Malawi was doing far much better than Zambia.

Kalaba also said members of parliament in Eastern Province did not speak for their people.

“God gave us everything here in Eastern Province but our leaders when we choose them here in Eastern Province and when they go to Parliament, they just play politics,” he said. “They don’t even talk on behalf of Eastern Province. I am urging the people in this province to listen to Parliament TV so that you see for yourself if there is any MP who speaks on behalf of this province. You will find that there is none.”

He further pointed out that Eastern Province could manage to feed the entire country but that the only problem was the available political leadership.

On his running mate, Kalaba said the right time to mention such had not yet come but that a running mate would be announced later.

On her part, Nkhoma said in the DP government there would be no by-elections because it was a sheer waste of time.

Nkhoma said areas like Chipangali sub-centre had no water, further proposing that the money used in by-elections could be channeled to water projects.

She also said the money that went to by-elections could be used to buy medicine in health centres across the country.

Meanwhile, Ndhlovu said he had gone to all the 14 districts of Eastern Province and that most people’s main complaint was being removed from Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and that farming inputs were going to PF cadres.

Ndhlovu wondered how people could survive when the agricultural sector was destroyed.

He said the other problem in the province was lack of adequate points for accessing drinking water.