BY- ELECTION UPDATE

UPND SCOOP ITAPA WARD IN CHINSALI| RESULTS:
Titus Chola(UPND) – 587
Tresford Mutale (PF) – 439
Bwalya Kaela(SP) – 356
Christian Chileshe(CF) – 147
James Mulilo(LM) – 35
Total ballots casted – 1594.
Rejected – 30

BUNTUNGWA WARD OF MUFULIRA TOWN COUNCIL BY- ELECTION RESULTS
FINAL RESULTS
UPND- 635
SP- 138
IND- 121
IND- 24
LM-09
CF- 18
PF-04

RESULTS FOR MANSHA WARD OF KANCHIBIYA CONSTITUENCY IN MUCHINGA PROVINCE
UPPZ- 383
SP-322
UPND- 318

IT’S UPND VICTORY IN MUFULIRA’S BUNTUNGWA WARD BY ELECTION.

Just in
UPND SCOOPS ITAPA WARD BY- ELECTION IN CHINSALI CONSTITUENCY OF MUCHINGA PROVINCE

UPND WIN NAKATAMBO WARD BY-ELECTION IN CHITAMBO DISTRICT
UPND- 391
CF. 334
UPPZ. 81

UPND WIN NAKATAMBO WARD BY-ELECTION IN CHITAMBO DISTRICT
UPND- 391
CF. 334
UPPZ. 81

BREAKING NEWS
UPND WIN MUMBOTUTA WARD IN MILENGE DISTRICT OF LUAPULA PROVINCE
Mumbotuta ward by election results
Total
UPND…329
SP……….240
CF……….77
LM………41
PF……….05
Independent….00
Rejected……..09

BUNTUNGWA WARD OF MUFULIRA TOWN COUNCIL BY- ELECTION RESULTS
CHIBOLYA COMMUNITY CENTRE
STREAM 2
UPND- 154
SP- 35
IND- 21
IND- 01
LM-00
CF- 02
PF-01
REJECTED= 13

BUNTUNGWA WARD OF MUFULIRA TOWN COUNCIL BY- ELECTION RESULTS
CHIBOLYA COMMUNITY CENTRE
STREAM 1
UPND- 146
SP- 35
IND- 31
IND- 09
LM-06
CF- 06
PF-02
REJECTED= 13

RESULTS FOR NAKATAMBO WARD BY-ELECTION IN CHITAMBO DISTRICT
Nakatambo ward by-results
MPEMPA POLLING STATION
UPND-93
CF- 37
UPPZ- 1
REJECTED= 5
Remaining with 1 polling stations
(C) UPND MEDIA TEAM

*RESULTS FOR NAKATAMBO WARD BY-ELECTION IN CHITAMBO DISTRICT*
Nakatambo ward by-results
*Namakambo Station*
CF:130
UPND:119
UPPZ:7

*Chipata station*
UPPZ- 62
UPND- 57
CF 15
rejected 03

Remaining with 2 polling stations

Changwelungo polling station of Mumbotuta Ward in Milenge Constituency
Upnd…..185
SP……….70
CF……….02
LM………03
PF……….00
Independent….00
Rejected……..04

Shitambuli polling station of Mumbotuta Ward in Milenge Constituency
Sp ……..49
Upnd ……45
Lm ……..36
Cf ……..9
Pf ………. 0
Independent ……. 0

KAWANA VISITS MULTICHOICE OVER DSTV INCREMENT

Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana shares…

Earlier today, we visited MultiChoice Zambia Limited to establish facts surrounding the announcement of DStv price adjustment effective 1st April, 2024.

Company Managing Director Mrs Leah Kooma was on hand to take us round in order to familiarize ourselves with the company’s operations.

Mrs Kooma revealed that price adjustments are not determined by exchange rate fluctuations
but various factors such as satellite fees, cost of acquiring both local and international content, cost of distributing content and decoders.

As Government, we implored MultiChoice Zambia Limited to always carry people along in whatever it does as members of the public are an integral part of the company.

We conveyed to MultiChoice the concerns of the people that include expensive DStv, repeated programs/movies and frequent upward price adjustments.

We were glad to note that the increments are mostly annual and bi-annual and prices are in different bands that include K40 bouquet ensuring there is DStv for many at different levels to afford.

Zambia is ready for business hence the UPND New Dawn Government is creating strong institutions that support an enabling environment for investment.

Thabo Kawana
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Information and Media

STATEMENT BY PATRIOTIC FRONT (PF) PRESIDENT HON MILES BWALYA SAMPA ON THE DISASTER DECLARATION IN ZAMBIA BY THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA.

March 1st, 2024

This is not the appropriate time to jump on streams of arguments and play politics. We would like to respond to the announcement from the National Address at State House by His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema where he declared the current drought being experienced in the country as a “National Disaster”. We shall among other things highlight some other happenings in our country which we see fit to discuss.
Firstly, we wish to thank the President for taking a bold step to declare the drought incident a disaster as it is indeed a situation that has not only threatened our nation’s food security but energy production included.

As Patriotic Front, we would like to advise that the current situation is not a matter of talk and pass but one that calls on all of us in leadership, government, and all stakeholders to urgently come together with combined efforts to find not only lasting solutions but begin forthwith to implement them. The government must be in the forefront and bring to reality what it promises people and actualize them.

We further suggest long-term measures to combat drought. All areas where farming is done by our people must be prioritized and empowered with solar irrigation systems and technology immediately. We can save some maize, if not all, even now. Constituency Development Funds (CDF) in all constituencies where activities of commercial farming are done should begin to prioritize grants or loans to farmers specifically towards commercial irrigation equipments.

We believe this will not only help save the current crops but enable farmers to continue farming even after the usual farming season passes. We can see a country that took advantage of a bad situation turning itself into an all-year-round producer of maize, cassava, millet, rice, fruits, vegetables, and all other products that depend on rain to grow. Surely we can become a food basket once again.

We also want to advise the government to engage both local and foreign suppliers of maize in advance should the crop yield go to the worst this season. This will help us plan and prepare before the worst comes to our faces. When disaster knocks on our doors, we can prepare before we open the door. Therefore, it is our strongest stance to now move into mitigation measures in preparation for the poor yields expected. It is also important to begin planning on stocking up food reserves before the estimated time for the disaster to manifest after the farming season should the rain patterns stay the same.

Government should further look to promote and guarantee the private sector structured foward contracts of maize importation for 2025. Prices can be agreed now for delivery in say 6 or 12 months. This will mitigate foreign exchange risks in the anticipated maize importation that could escalate the retail prices of mealie meal.

On the rising cost of living and adverse economy currently being experienced, we can not continue politicking at the expense of our citizens who are looking to us for solutions to save them from all these poor conditions. We understand how bad things are and to think of a situation where we produce very low on the staple foods, we can’t afford to slumber . It will be detrimental to do so. These are matters of urgency and should be tackled right with the urgency it deserves. We have to find a way to bring the cost of living down to manageable levels. Our people should afford the basic commodities and it is for the government to ensure this happens through the policies it advances.

In all seriousness, we would like to urge the government to take note of our proposals here and further encourage all stakeholders and political leaders to unite on these matters for the better good of the Zambian people regardless of political divides and differences. This is the time for all of us to work together and fight the poverty that threatens our people.

Lastly, we would like to call upon the government through the Ministry of Energy to strongly consider alternative energy sources such as solar biofuels and others. This drought is not only threatening food security but also the energy sector. The consequences of this reality will be so devastating to the economy. This is because production always and surely gets negatively affected by the loss of electricity whenever we experience load-shedding due to low water levels.

UKA RESPONDS TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S EMERGENCY DECLARATION

01st March, 2024

We, at the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) followed with great interest President Hakainde Hichilema’s press briefing of 29th February, 2024, where he declared a national disaster due to the apparent ‘prolonged drought’ facing the nation.

While the declaration is welcome, we feel it has come ´too little too late´ and should have been declared as far back as October 2023 – which coincidentally when the cholera issue should have also been declared. All the science pointed to the fact that Zambia would inevitably find itself in this unfortunate drought predicament sooner rather than later.

We shudder to think of the consequences the adverse effects of the drought will have on the majority of poor households in Zambia that are already facing only a meal a day because of the scarce and very expensive (a 25kg bag now costs about K360 from around K100 under the previous administration) mealie meal.

This, in spite of the fact that Mr. Hichilema promised to bring down the prices of our staple maize meal to K50 but alas, this was just one of the dozens of false promises he made to win an election.

What baffles and hurts us the most, as UKA, is the fact that President Hichilema, for no particular reason aside from greed, embarked on a mission to sell more than 1.5 MILLION METRIC TONNES OF MAIZE, our staple food in the reserves to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Now, when our people need it the most, faced with the very reason why food reserves were made –a possible famine, the reserves are not available and our people are faced with a looming hunger situation.

Up to now, we cannot understand or comprehend why a responsible government would sell its emergency maize stock to a neighbouring country even amidst warnings that a drought and food shortages were looming.

We can only ask a simple question, “Mr President what where you thinking Sir?

MR HICHILEMA SOLUTIONS TO HEAL THIS ILL?

In his usual brash and ´know it all´ posture Mr Hichilema has promised to combat future droughts or calamities:

a. Through the donor begging bowl as an immediate action also finding solutions.

b. Through generating energy which has been affected by the drought.

c. Through solar energy, provide cheaper finance provide insurance for farmers and to grow winter maize.

As UKA we do not believe that those solutions are immediately impactful and are an adequate response to the declared national disaster. Going around the world like butterflies begging for food, is not a solution Mr President.

We are in an emergency situation and that requires a well thought through localised response that is immediately practical and identifiable. In an emergency situation there is need to give very detailed step by step guidelines that, all involved can immediately implement and thus avert the situation.

WHAT SOLUTIONS IS UKA OFFERING IN THIS CRISIS MOMENT

What are the immediate measures we must put in place to mitigate the effects of the looming hunger situation caused by the lack of foresight and resultant ineptitude actions of the New Dawn Government?

In the Immediate Term

1. Determine how much land is available under irrigation for Commercial and Medium sized farmers. It is this land, that we need to utilise to save the nation from starvation.
2. We advise that Government engages Commercial and Medium sized farmers, for a discussion. These are currently preparing their fields in readiness to grow and irrigate their wheat.
3. Engage the commercial farmers and persuade them to plant maize instead.
4. Offer the farmers who have irrigatable land, the following:
   i. Free electricity when they agree to plant maize on behalf of the nation.
   ii. Free maize seeds.
   iii. Free fertiliser.
   iv) Agree on a pre-planting program.The opportunity cost of not planting wheat, must be borne by Government. The farmers need to be compensated for them not planting wheat.
5. On livestock, all the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) must be redeployed to drilling commercial boreholes.
6. These must be used for supply of water to livestock and for those people around those boreholes, to grow some food. These can include maize, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternuts, potatoes etc.
7. While you announced that senior government officials will no Longer fly business class and travel entourages be reduced, UKA recommends that you cut on your very costly foreign trips in order to channel funds into the Agriculture Sector.

In the Medium Term

8. Come to terms with the fact that Southern, Central and other such Provinces can no longer be relied upon to be the grain basket of the nation, owing to the fact that the rain-belt has shifted further North. There is therefore need to look North whether you like the people of the Northern Block or not!
9. Shift resources and skills to the Northern Block and harvest maize twice a year while you plant crops that are less water dependant in the other Provinces.
10. Improve farming Blocks like the Luena Farming Block in Chief Munkata’s area which has about 100,000 hectares of arable land and adequate water.

In conclusion, while, you Mr President CANCELLED the road construction contracts as well as electrification works to the Luena farming block simply because this was a project initiated by your predecessor such projects actually do offer solutions to the challenges being faced by the nation. Let us localise the solutions to these challenges facing us. We have the answers in-country.

God bless Zambia

Issued by:
Jackson Silavwe
National Council Member
UKA

Saboi Imboela
National Council Member
UKA

USA Embassy in Staff Corruption Scandal

USA EMBASSY IN ZAMBIA FIGHTING INTERNAL AND SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION!

STATEMENT FROM U.S. EMBASSY ZAMBIA:

Five months ago, the U.S. Embassy announced the discovery of a pattern of fraud, falsification of administrative records, and corruption within our organization. Based on the findings of this investigation, we took appropriate disciplinary action against those involved and we have now concluded this chapter of our history.

Since September, an impartial and systematic investigation revealed the scope and magnitude of these incidents and identified those individuals involved. Patterns revealed challenges similarly faced by businesses, organizations, and government institutions across many sectors and societies: falsified claims for allowances, coercion of colleagues to falsify records, and groups conspiring to defraud our institution for personal gain. The embassy took appropriate disciplinary action in response to each confirmed case, scrupulously applying the guidelines detailed in our employee handbook to respond equitably to individual case circumstances. We have introduced new training and reference materials to ensure our team better understands complicated regulations while strengthening management controls to better oversee the use of resources. Throughout this process, there was no evidence of fraud, corruption, or conflicts of interest related to any external activities such as issuance of visas, grants, or offers of employment.

The United States Embassy is not unique in facing the challenge of waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of resources by staff members; many large institutions face these challenges at some point. But, rather than deny or hide from our challenges, we are proud to be an organization that acknowledges our mistakes and learns from them. We hold our heads up high for being an organization that upholds accountability and impartially in real time. Most importantly, we remain proud of our Embassy staff as we continue to advance the values and objectives that the United States and Zambia share. Our tremendous impact on the lives of Zambians throughout this country would not be possible without the amazing work that U.S. Embassy personnel produce day-in and day-out.

At a Town Hall event this week, Ambassador Gonzales told the Embassy community, “know that with the conclusion of this investigation process, everyone who remains employed by the embassy today has my utmost respect, my appreciation, and most importantly my full confidence. I am proud to work beside each one of you, and humbled by the tremendous impacts we have made together to benefit the American and Zambian people.”

The U.S. Embassy urges all individuals and institutions to join us in building and enforcing a culture of shared accountability and responsibility. It is only by taking action – as individuals, institutions, or governments – that we can put an end to the scourge of corruption.

The Great Maize Sell-off: UPND’s Recipe for a Hunger Disaster”
Chilambwe Mulenga

In a baffling move that has left many scratching their heads and stomachs, the UPND government’s decision to offload Zambia’s maize reserves to neighboring Congo had ignited a firestorm of criticism. With food security teetering on the brink, citizens were left wondering if they’ll soon be dining on promises instead of meals.

The decision to part ways with our precious maize reserves seemed to have been made without consulting the common-sense manual. It’s like selling your umbrella during a downpour and hoping for sunny skies. And to add insult to hunger, the vibrant and knowledgeable Chola Kafwabulula, who held the key to our food security fortress as Director of the Food Reserve Agency, was unceremoniously given the boot. Clearly, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is surplus to requirements.

But wait, there’s more! Civil servants with a knack for understanding farming patterns and the art of stockpiling food for a rainy day at the ministry of Agriculture were shown the door faster than you can say “crop failure.” It’s like kicking out the lifeguards and then wondering why everyone’s drowning.

And let’s not forget the ingenious plan to distribute farming inputs like confetti at a wedding, with no regard for where the rain was forecasted to fall. Because who needs logic when you have political favors to dispense?

Now, as the clouds gather ominously and stomachs growl in protest, the UPND government seems content to fiddle while Zambia starves. But fear not, dear citizens, for salvation may yet come in the form of President Hakainde Hichilema’s epiphany. After all, it was he who once called for a hunger disaster to be declared. It’s only fair that he now takes a bite of his own words, now that he’s the one at the helm.
As unrest simmers and riots threaten to boil over, one can’t help but marvel at the UPND’s remarkable ability to turn a food crisis into a comedy of errors. With records aplenty at the Zambia Met Department and the Office of the Vice President’s DMMU, it’s clear that the writing was on the wall. Perhaps it’s time for the government to put down their pens and pick up some groceries instead.

In conclusion, as the country braces for the impending hunger disaster, one can’t help but wonder if the UPND’s leadership style is guided by a compass or a mood ring. Either way, it’s shaping up to be a feast of folly and a famine of foresight.
Napita Mukwai

AMB.MWAMBA RAISES CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN HIS CASE OF CALLING FOR NATIONAL SHUTDOWN

Lusaka-1st March 2024

….Mwamba’s call for a national-wide shutdown to protect democracy is a constitutional right to form opinion and express himself argues his lawyers …

Patriotic Front party Member of the Central Committee and Chairperson of Information and Publicity, Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba today appeared before Lusaka Magistrate, Hon. Chrispin Hampungani and raised constitutional issues in the case in which he has been charged with Sedition.

Mwamba said he could not take plea as the indictment against him was defective as it infringed on his rights to express himself.

He requested the Court to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court to determine whether the charge of seditious practice was tainable when the charge infringed on his constitutional rights.

He stated that Article 128 vests the powers to interpret the Constitution in the higher court.
He requested that the question be referred to the Constitutional Court for interpretation.

In the submission lawyer from Makebi Zulu Advocate Mr. Daka stated that;
Provision of 57(1) c Penal Code, Seditious practice objected;

1.manner it has been phrased

2. Statement made whilst exercising his constitutional guaranteed right of expression Article 19(freedom of conscious), 20 and 23.
3. Is to be read with articles 1(1) of the Constitutionas well as Aryicle 8 of the Constitution.
4. The summary freedom to form an opinion, hold and express it as guaranteed by the Constitution.
5. Such an opinion can be held and expressed without interference.
6. Protects the accused against on the basis political opinions
7. The indictment shows the accused expressing his constitionally guaranteed opinion and cannot be charged by the offence of sedition.

But State Advocate Siamaila Mable, objected to the application and claimed it was premature.

She requested the court that Amb. Mwamba takes plea before the Court could consider his application, he should take plea first.

Mwamba’s lawyers however, stated that a preliminary issue can be raised at any stage.

Magistrate Hampungani adjourned the matter to 14th March 2024 for a ruling

Below is the background

…Mwamba’s call for a national wide shutdown to protect democracy were seditious says

Patriotic Front party Member of the Central Committee and Chairperson of Information and Publicity, Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba has been appearing before Lusaka Magistrate, Hon. Chrispin Hampungani.

Mwamba is charged with the offence of engaging in seditious practices contrary to Section 57(1)(c) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

The case arises from Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba calls for a national wide shutdown to protect democracy and the Constitution whose words have been deemed to be seditious.

The details are that on the 4th day of
November, 2023 at Lusaka in the Lusaka
District of the Lusaka Province of the Republic
of Zambia, on his own Facebook page, Emmanuel Mwamba did publish
seditious material entitled National – wide shut down “This amendment to the patriotic Front Office Bearers remains illegal.”

Mr. Mwamba further stated that;

“Like the illegal changes at parliament or anywherelse, the extral -Ordinary General Conference that made Miles Sampa PF President, remains illegal and was held outside the provisions of the Patriotic Front Constitution.”

“The Patriotic Front shall Not be stolen by a stooge installed by President Hakainde Hichilema.”

“Parliament, Courts and Registrar of Societies will Not deliver justice. Family let’s reclaim our
Democracy and Constitutionalism by engaging in mass actions and national -wide shutdown.”

Parliament has failed the people, admits Mundubile

By Fanny Kalonda

MPOROKOSO PF member of parliament Brian Mundubile says the country is in danger because government chose to favour its friends in the mining sector.

He admits that parliament has failed the Zambian people “this time around”.
“So there is no new story President Hakainde Hichilema is going to come with to tell the Zambian people about how he’s the best economist. About how he’s the best farmer and about how well connected he is. He cannot say that anymore. The exchange rate has exposed him. They (IMF) are raising red flags. They can see some danger in continuing the danger which we started with them. So for me, I think that comrade [Situmbeko] Musokotwane has to move very swiftly, he has to proceed with speed to see to it that they reverse the measures of the mining sector. We still do need investment but I think they can come at a later stage. Let’s stabilise this economy first and there is no need for us to go all over,” Mundubile said when he featured on KBN TV’s State of the Nation programme on Thursday. “We are in trouble today because we favoured some friends. Our government leaders decided to favour some friends in the mining sector.”
He urged the UPND government to “take back the mineral royalty tax to six per cent and make it non-deductible.”

“There is no magic. The moment that is done, we are going to have the forex that we need. We can’t give away three, four hundred million dollars and walk around with a … bowl we celebrate when the IMF disburses $180 million. That is unfair,” he said. “When they say the bar has been raised, I think there is a difference, they should say the cost of living has been raised. What has gone up is the cost of living. If raising the bar means increasing the price of fuel from K15 per litre to K34, I agree they have raised the bar. If increasing the bar means increasing the cost of mealie meal from K120 to K400, yes then I agree they have raised the bar.”
Mundubile also said there is has no democracy in parliament.

“What we don’t have in today’s parliament is what you call parliamentary democracy, the freedom of members of parliament to speak and speak freely. When presiding officers begin to call out names of members, that is disrespectful. Remember these are members of parliament, elected members of parliament representing Zambians out there. The moment you say, honourable Munir Zulu sit down, that is very disrespectful and that already begins to breed tension,” he said.

“If presiding officers in our parliament begin to use whips to control the House, the tension will begin to go down that is one, then two. It’s common knowledge that all the three presiding officers were previously members of the UPND, could still be active members of the UPND. But the moment they occupy that seat, they are supposed to be impartial. They should be independent and impartial. They have to take off that hat for the UPND because what happens is that the moment they don’t do that, they will find themselves reacting to debate.”
Mundubile said the tension in parliament is due to the fact that the presiding officers do not take off their UPND jackets.

“We are not there as the opposition political parties to begin to sing praise songs to the UPND. If they have scored in an area, it is not my job to talk about it. I simply ignore it, I will go to an area that needs attention. So the presiding officer must not like my debate for them to allow me to debate because I represent the people. That is the people’s House. That’s a national assembly. So part of the tension you can actually see the bias, points of order are granted to one side of the House and not to the other,” he said. “So it’s because when presiding officers don’t take off the political party jackets they begin to create tension in the House. So a presiding officer must be independent and impartial.”

Mundubile noted that the country is in problems because parliament was rendered dysfunctional.
“We are in problems, the UPND managed to export 1.5 million tonnes of maize because parliament was rendered dysfunctional. It’s the first time I have seen members of parliament disrespected by presiding officers,” he said. “If members of parliament were given ample time to discharge their function on the floor of the House through debate, through motions, we would have stopped comrade Musokotwane from giving the concessions that he gave in the mining sector but all these ministers are protected under the flow of the House. A properly functioning parliament would allocate ample time on serious subjects like mineral royalty on the mining sector. But today the investors walked away with all those conditions because members of parliament were not allowed or were not given enough time to debate the matter.”

Mundubile said the country has a mining sector that is plundering resources for free.
“On behalf or my fellow members of parliament I want to come before the Zambian people and admit that parliament failed the Zambian people this time around. We have the high mealie meal prices because parliament did not take its position to stand in the gap. The high fuel prices are because parliament did not take its position to stand in the gap. Had parliament taken its rightful position, the Minister of Mines [Paul Kabuswe], the Minister of Finance, was going to be stopped from giving those concessions that are now hurting our economy. If parliament was given enough time to debate fully and freely we would have not allowed for Indeni to close. We would have been importing commingled fuel,” he said. “We have the mining sector that is plundering our resources for free. We have no medicines. We have a cancer hospital, poor people are dying in homes, they come there just to die. They come to the cancer hospital, there is no attention at all and yet government came under the floor of the House and said we will start sending them to Tanzania. How many people have been sent to Tanzania?”

Mundubile added that the democratic space had really shrunk.
“Today our democratic space has shrunk so much that the UPND have this hysteria, this fear of the unknown, that if so and so goes and speaks to the media, they may expose us in this area and that area. And that the challenge that you have when you are not in the habit of telling the truth, you begin to fear your own shadow because you don’t know what is going to come out and that’s I think the position that the UPND finds itself in,” he said.

“What we are experiencing today, just the exchange rate says it all. So there is no new story President Hakande Hichilema is going to come with to tell the Zambian people about how he’s the best economist. About how he’s the best farmer and about how well connected he is. He cannot say that anymore. The exchange rate has exposed him, the same goes for comrade Musokotwane. He was recently voted the best finance minister and President Hakainde Hichilema was talking about being in the champion’s league. I don’t think my two older brothers can even refer to the champion’s league anymore. Comrade Musokotwane as the best performing minister, I don’t think he wants to hear that because you can’t have a best performing minister in the world or in Africa with the worst performing currency. So really, the leaders in the UPND like grandstanding. They like headlines, they like to be praised even when they have done nothing. Many of the times they have made mistakes because they start by blowing healines. They celebrate small victories and they later regret.”

Mundubile insisted that he was still acting as leader of opposition in parliament.
“I am still exercising my full authority as a leader of opposition. Before I came here I was having a caucus with the members of parliament. We still have yet another caucus of members of parliament. So I am still working as leader of opposition, exercising the same authority, supervising member of parliament, preparing for debates and generally business of the House,” he said.
“The other matters, yes, will be dealt with by the courts but it has never stopped me from functioning. I am not competing with anyone. I am leader of opposition, and that’s the bottom line,” said Mundubile.-The Mast

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ECL.

It is hypocritical to claim that ECLs remarks amount to treason or ploting of a coup.

Those who have been lined up to be vuvuzelas in the media are clearly on a mission to psych unsuspecting Zambians to view ECL as an alarmist when in actual fact he is not.

There are videos on social media which have emerged as evidence of President HH calling for early elections as well as asking Zambians to rise against the President and the Government when he was in opposition.

That was the norm on most occasions when he appeared on radio, TV and Polical rallies and International media platforms.

Did anybody call for his arrest on those grounds? The answer is a big NO. Why is that so? Because he was allowed to politick and issue political statements as an opposition political party leader who has the right to participate in politics as provided for in our Republican Constitution.

If he was allowed to do politics and issue political statements without intimidation why should he today turn around and instruct the police and the speaker to spearhead a campaign to arrest the now leader of the biggest opposition political party for merely advising the Government to address the issues of police brutality so as to avoid agitating civil arrest? That is very hypocritical and Zambians should not allow our Country’s democracy to be raped in Broad day light.

President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is a Zambian citizen first and he has every right to participate in our Nation’s politics at any given point because the Country’s Constitution accords him that privilege.

Secondly he is a leader of a political party and he has the mandate to speak on behalf of the people and on behalf of the political party that he represents.

Nobody should be agitated and rise to issuing threats of arrests and detention everything he speaks out for poor Zambians who are suffering in poverty and hardships.

For your own information, the current high cost of living and harsh conditions of life have brought a heightened amount of tension in the compounds. It is therefore very prudent to handle political opponents whom the masses are seeing as their hope very carefully.

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ECL AND CONCENTRATE ON ARRESTING THE HIGH COST OF LIVING AND THE SHORTAGE OF MEALIE MEAL.

Tobias More Banda

Tobias T. Banda
Concerned Citizen.

For immediate release

HANDS OFF EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, WE FORSEE HEAVY POLITICAL MALICE COMING AGAINST SOMEONE WHO DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIME

As KUM’MAWA DEVELOPMENT COALITION (KDC) also known as UMODZI KUM’MAWA, we would like to strongly emphasize that there is absolutely nothing illegal or criminal about President Edgar Lungu’s recent statement in which he mentioned that Zambians may rise against the UPND Government before 2026 if the police continue to beat up, harass and tear gas innocent people anyhow.

As KDC, we have watched the video interview featuring the former head of state and we clearly concluded that, he was merely reminding and warning the police to conduct themselves in a professional and civil manner when dealing with Zambians because our citizens who are already enduring great suffering may easily rise up against the government if not well handled by law enforcement agencies. To us, this is a political statement made in good faith and with good heart from someone who is an experienced statesman.

However, we are saddened to see multiple statements coming from Zambia police, government institutions, ruling party cadres, state sponsored media platforms and UPND leaders calling for the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of president Lungu on account that his statement borders on either coup attempts or treason. Unfortunately, the public broadcaster, ZNBC TV was not speared in spreading what we now believe is political witch hunt, malice and persecution against the former president. We think this is really sad for many well meaning Zambians.

As a pressure group, we want to put it on record and reiterate in the strongest terms possible that we do not welcome nor support any form of possible political harassment or persecution against the former President on account on his objective advise to the police and the government. As a movement that advocates to defend and advance the rights and interests of Easterners, KDC will take such political actions threat to rule of law, democracy, peaceful coexistence and national unity especially that those calling for the blood of president Lungu seem to be a cohort of bitter people from the Zambezi provinces and ruling party associates.

If such political malice is being championed against innocent people, we will stand in solidarity with President Lungu because he hails from Eastern Province and will the son of Eastern soil. We hence call upon the government to reconsider any attempts to politically intimidate or harass president Lungu because many people of Eastern Province and the entire country are not willing to allow the mistreatment or harassment of our former head of state in any manner that is deemed malicious and vengeful. These actions may not only undermine the democratic principles we hold dear but also obstruct the developmental progress of this great country we now call a Christian Nation.

We want to take this opportunity to also urge the Inspector General of Police to remind his officers to act above board and outside political partisanship. By this, we mean that they do not need political influence for them to act on anything or investigate anyone including Dr Edgar Lungu. If any politician committed a crime, let the police make their findings devoid of heavy political hands as seen in the several statements issued by those politically inclined on Wednesday on different media platforms.

Umodzi Kum’mawa Development Coalition (KDC) aims to strategically advance development programs for the people of Eastern Province in the broader context for the modernization and development of Zambia by advocating and defending for their interests and rights in all sectors. The coalition recognizes that the region has abundant natural resources and the local people must always be engaged and prioritized to discover and actualize their full developmental potential just like other Zambians elsewhere.

Issued on behalf of KUM’MAWA DEVELOPMENT COALITION

Chanoda Ngwira
SPOKESPERSON

ZAMBIA POLICE ‘MISLEADS’ ITSELF: ‘DON’T BEAT AND TEAR-GAS HUNGRY AND ANGRY PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY CAN RISE UP AGAINST HH AND REMOVE HIM PREMATURELY’, ECL WARNED POLICE AND HIS UTTERANCES ARE NOT SEDITIOUS OR CRIMINAL AT ALL

By Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba

Let us watch this video together and make independent decisions than being misled as we discuss only 12 points:

1. After the city council inspector confiscated his only income generating machine and refused to release it, Mohamed Bouazizi doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire and died. This is what triggered an uprising in Tunisia in December, 2010 countrywide and saw the ousting of President Ben Ali in January, 2011 as he was blamed for high unemployment, poverty, economic hardships, and council police brutality against street vendors.

2. What happened in Tunisia in 2011 is exactly what president Lungu was reminding and advising the police. The context of President Lungu’s interview was necessitated by police brutality at Kabwata police, prevailing hunger, high cost of living, staple food scarcity, unnecessary police provocation, citizen anger and possible civil uprisings against a government.

3. In 2015, Former US Senator, Pat Roberts said “Show me a nation that cannot feed itself, and I’ll show you a nation in chaos”. Today, Zambia is facing a staple food crisis and national hunger is the word.

4. We sold our maize reserves, there are no rains, famine is looming, mealie meal is becoming too expensive each day, and many people are hungry and angry. Look, these are economic conditions of what existed in Tunisia in 2010 before the uprising.

5. In 2017, the World Food Program USA (WFP) produced a report on “food-related instability” in the US and linked ways that ‘hunger drives conflict’. With high cost of living, food shortages and this national hunger, President Lungu’s warning to Zambia police’s violent and inhumane treatment of hungry and angry citizens is timely and beneficial to President Hakainde’s rule and government.

6. In 2023, British Red Cross confirmed that “Soaring food prices, conflict and climate change are plunging Africa into a severe food crisis with plus 150 million people facing extreme hunger”. Since Zambia is part of this situation, the police must know that harassing and tear gassing hungry people like they did at Kabwata police is politically very dangerous for this UPND government of HH.

7. Hungry and angry people easily raise up like they did in Tunisia in 2011. If the police keep on harassing and beating up innocent citizens like we saw at Kabwata police station, the same police will be directly undermining law and order and peaceful coexistence because hungry and angry citizens are too dangerous everywhere and anywhere.

8. In countries like Venezuela, Iran, Tunisia, South Africa, Libya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and many others, we have seen how street protests or uprisings were initiated and championed by people who were agitated, irritated and irked by their own governments of which the police were the main triggers and catalysts. This is where President Lungu’s warning must be taken serious by the UPND government and everyone.

9. President Lungu’s statement was conditional: if police brutal behavior is not adjusted against citizens, it has the potential to trigger citizen protests, chaos and consequently force HH to step down prematurely.

10. ECL’s statement was a strong caution to the police not to provoke and anger people’s emotions anyhow because many are already struggling with economic hardships, are unhappy and depressed. This is objective, sound and practical advice to any government.

11. Therefore, my appeal to Zambia police is that, don’t deliberately mislead yourselves concerning ECL’s statement. Don’t allow politicians to urinate on their professional integrity and institutional reputation.

12. Don’t accept to be dragged into partisan politics by anyone. This is important because, politics is like wind, it is never consistent in blowing towards one direction but ever changes directions any day, anytime.

Dr Chris ZUMANI Zimba is a Political Scientist, Researcher, Author & Consultant specialized in Comparative Global Governance and Democratic Theories. He holds a PhD, MA, BA and Cert in Political Science. Zimba was President Lungu’s Political Advisor from December 2019 to August 2021. By philosophical approach, Dr. Zimba is a Pan Africanist as well as Afro-Christian by religion.
Email:chriszumaniZimba.cz@gmail.com

HICHILEMA RETURNS TO THE BAROTSE ISSUE IN CHIPATA

It is sad to note that Mr Hakainde Hichilema and those around him have failed to develop or improve their leadership skills in the two and half years that they have been in power.

It’s is clear that Mr Hichilema has been on a limitless one-man power exhibition. He appears to speak without much thought, self-limitation, and moderation. He is literally his own advisor too.

Worse still, Mr Hichilema doesn’t seem to weigh the consequences of his utterances.

On his own, Mr Hichilema decided to set fire on himself by bringing up the issue of the Barotseland Agreement to a totally wrong forum – the Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province.

Mr Hichilema continues to provoke the people of Barotseland by not fully understanding the matter at hand, and respecting their feelings, right or wrong.

Why try to humiliate them in this manner? Was he trying to turn the Ngonis against the Lozis? Was this intended to humiliate the Lozis?

We advise Mr Hichilema to meet the Lozi leadership and try to resolve these issues with maturity, decorum and respect. Issuing intimidatory statements at traditional ceremonies is certainly not the best way to approach such a contentious and emotive issue.

Let Mr Hichilema convene an indaba where proposals and views on the Barotseland Agreement can be discussed and a workable solution found.

Mr Hichilema must meet the right people representing Barotseland and not the politicians from Lusaka that are lying to him.

We actually wonder who is advising Mr Hichilema on the Barotseland Agreement issue! Is it elements from Barotseland that he has given jobs or none Lozis who are totally ignorant about the issue?

We had decided to stop talking about this issue and give him space to think through this and possibly resolve it. But because of his lack of a disciplined approach to problems and his reckless utterances, we are forced to say something again.

We strongly believe the traditional leadership in Zambia has more wisdom, tact and leadership skills to deal with such delicate matters than Mr Hichilema and his appointees combined together.

Mr Hichilema must know that there is always a heavy price to pay for being excessively absorbed in one’s own interests, thoughts and desires.

Life always humbles an arrogantly conceited mind. It’s just a matter of time!

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party

*By Dickson Jere*

Unlike the lifting of Immunity of former President Frederick Chiluba (2002) and Rupiah Banda (2013) which was done with ease in Parliament, the law has now changed since 2016. See Article 98 of the Constitution.

In Chiluba and Banda cases, a wide range of unsubstantiated allegations were made in Parliament, which prompted MPs to lift Presidential immunity without verification of the allegations. And it was by mere simple majority vote by Parliament! But now the law has changed. The following pointers must now be followed for lifting Immunity:

1. It is the sitting President himself who should go to Parliament and present a Report detailing the specific allegations against former President. (Rupiah Banda was done by Minister of Justice).

2. The allegations must be specific and Parliament is obliged to set-up a special Committee to probe the allegations before tabling them in the House unlike in the Chiluba and Banda case.

3. The former President, unlike previous, is allowed to challenge and be heard at Parliament before lifting of immunity. So, if the allegations are fake, the Committee will inform Parliament and the whole process fails! Lawyers get involved at this stage like in the US during congressional hearing of impeachment of the President.

4. If the Committee finds that the allegations are valid, Parliament will still has to vote for lifting of immunity and the motion requires two-thirds majority unlike in Chiluba and Banda cases where you just needed simple majority.

5. Once immunity is lifted, the former President ought to charged with those specific charges or alleged offences that Parliament approved and nothing else. In both Chiluba and Banda cases, they were charged with other unrelated offences not presented to Parliament.

6. If acquitted by the Courts, immunity is given back automatically by operation of law unlike in the Chiluba and Banda cases.

The effect of the above entails that the former President must be investigated first and prima facie case found against him before contemplating to lift immunity. There is no law that stops law enforcement agencies from investigating former President but prosecution. The process has now been lengthened following the unsuccessful prosecution of Chiluba and Banda. No ordinary MP or Minister can move Parliament to remove immunity unlike in the past. It must be President.

DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY – A CASE OF MR EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU

Authored By Mupishi Jones

Those who chose to believe a single story without listening to the other side of the same story,are likely to arrive at wrong conclusions.Always remember that every story has two sides.

The danger of meeting, chatting, dining, walking, planning with the same people and faces everyday,24/7 is that you start sharing the same fears,you start telling each other what you want to hear, you start believing in what you discuss everyday and eventually you start thinking and convincing yourselves that it is what every citizen is thinking out there! You lose yourself, you lose your critical thinking,you lose your objectivity and rationality and eventually you become out of reality.

You start believing that what you are doing is very right and in the best interest of everyone and yet not. That’s the same thinking that gives rise to extremism either political or religious extremists.

Since Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu lost power in 2021,he has been meeting, discussing, dining, walking, jogging with the same people and faces everyday 24/7 who contributed to his humiliating defeat from power. Today the same people and faces have convinced Mr Lungu to convince himself into thinking that Zambians wants him back into power, he’s convinced himself that the majority citizens made a mistake to vote him out of power and that now they’re regretting. That is what is driving him to behave and talk the way he is talking today.He has convinced himself that he was a far much more better leader than President Hakainde Hichilema and that even his worst as a President cannot much President Hakainde Hichilema’s best performance.Thats what believing in a single story can do, delusional thinking.
Mr Lungu doesn’t believe that the brutality of his regime was lethal because he was surrounded by the same people and faces everyday 24/7 who were telling him what he wanted to hear only and not the truth.He doesn’t even believe that a citizen like Lawrence Banda,a young man full of life was gunned down to death in cold blood by his personal barberman during political by-election campaigns in Kaoma when he was the commander in chief of all the security wings in this country.Mr Lungu doesn’t believe that the brutality of his regime extended deep into compounds were innocent citizens were permanently maimed by his political cadres .To hear that there are a lot of citizens within Lusaka who never set foot into Intercity for the whole duration of his term in office because they were suspected to be supporters of the opposition especially UPND,Mr Lungu thinks these are just fairytale stories aimed at denting his image….. effects of a single story.
I don’t think Mr Lungu thinks citizens like Mapenzi,Nsama and others died in cold blood through the brutality of his regime.If you tell Mr Lungu today that his PF cadres were more powerful than the state police, he’d simply laugh at you and accuse you of scandalizing him.
That’s the level of how isolated Mr Lungu has become from the realities of his brutal regime.

He is complaining of shrinking democratic space and yet he is free to speak from anywhere anytime without even constantly looking behind his shoulder the way his friends were running through rooftops of radio stations .I doubt if Mr Lungu knows that from the time UPND assumed office,there has been no organized political attack on any opposition political party from the UPND cadres, there’s been no closure of private radio stations, there’s being no political fights at burial sites, there’s being no political violence in either bus stations or markets! I don’t know whether he has forgotten that equally UPND had raised lethal political party cadres capable of handling and repelling the attacks from PF cadres when they were in power and that these UPND cadres are still around except under restraint? Mr Lungu is a lucky African politician who ascended to the presidency without ever setting foot in a police cell.He inherited the presidency through a sympathy vote when President Sata died midterm.His second term was marked with a lot of controversy.No wonder his exit was a historical and unprecedented defeat. He is even lucky that the current President is extremely tolerant.I’m sure even himself he knows and it’s the reason he’s riding on.

The bitter truth is that Mr Lungu was running a very brutal regime more than any other regime in the history of this country.Just like a fish under water doesn’t know whether it’s raining up there, its equally normal for Mr Lungu and his colleagues in PF not to believe that their reign was full of terror because they were the perpetrators of this and usually beneficiaries of a cruel system do not see anything wrong with their system.

Mr Lungu and his colleagues in PF might be rightly so,pointing at a number of projects that they did when in power as justification for their come back.However what they do not realize is that in the eyes of many citizens, those projects are nothing but painful reminders of how government and political leaders can steal from the very citizens they purport to be serving.It is an indisputable fact that Mr Lungu and his colleagues in PF collectively became richer than the government that employed them within their term of office.

Mr Lungu was and he’s still the creator of the problems which he wants to pretend to come and solve today.
Let him come out of his old circle of PF friends and see the reality from a neutral angle…..no normal citizens can miss his regime….. zero!
I submit

Mupishi Jones
0977480386

POLICE ARE UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY AND DECAMPAIGNING PRESIDENT HH – ANDD

The Advocates for National Development and Democracy says it is deeply saddened by Wednesday’s action by the police during former president Edgar Lungu’s presence at Kabwata police station.

ANDD Executive Director Samuel Banda says what happened is a clear threat to the country’s political coexistence, which if left unchecked will negatively affect the country’s democracy and the rule of law.

“We are cognizant of the fact that President Hakainde Hichilema has preached the importance of upholding the rule of law, which unfortunately is not what is pertaining, going by the police conduct in recent times, including on Wednesday when they should have not used such force on a small crowd gathered to offer solidarity. The police must uphold the rule of law and ensure the protection of democratic principles, including allowing opposition political parties to operate freely without intimidation,” he stated.

“We feel any actions that undermine this fundamental aspect of democracy erode trust in law enforcement and threaten the integrity of the political process. The conduct of our men in uniform is denting the integrity of the Government because police are part of the governance process through the safeguarding of people’s rights regardless of political affiliations.”

Mr Banda said this conduct is therefore likely to decampaign President Hichilema if the trend by the police is left unchecked.

“We also want to echo Mr Lungu’s statement which is a reminder to the police not to provoke hungry and angry Zambians who are in need of peace, law and order. As an organization, we want to appeal to the Zambia police to therefore remain politically neutral, stand professionally upright and resist the temptation of being used as political pawns in national matters,” he added.

“This is important because once the Zambia police is deemed politically biased and compromised, public confidence and stakeholders’ trust in them becomes automatically eroded and undermined. The Zambia police is one public institution that is closely monitored by local and international stakeholders when assessing democratic rule, good governance, rule of law, law and order as well as protection of citizens’ rights and fundamental freedoms.”

He said in all fairness and honesty, his video analysis of the PF members and supporters who gathered at Kabwata Police Station in the morning of Tuesday revealed that the crowd was so small and handful in number.

“From a professional point of you, we believe that the police were not supposed to have used tear gas canisters especially the men and women in uniform were more in numbers. In addition, we are aware that Kabwata Police Station is near four important public facilities (1) Kabwata Clinic, (2) Kabwata market, (3) Chimbokaila state prison, (4) University Teaching Hospital (UTH) is within walking distance too,” he indicated.

“Given this situation, Zambia police misled themselves to act with physical force and shoot tear gas canisters as this act was provocative in nature, inciting mob reaction and also unnecessarily both threatening, intimidating and alarming. While we commend the Zambia police for being vigilant in maintaining law and order, we also recognize that Zambia is a multiparty democracy and all political players must be treated the same as well as protected by the state itself.”

The ANDD boss said if Zambia is to see development and democracy mature, Zambia police will be an important player in ensuring that all stakeholders are protected and their rights and freedoms are respected and guaranteed.

“Therefore, we also wish to condemn police brutality and violence we saw and witnessed at Kabwata police yesterday where a few unarmed people were physically beaten, made to scamp in all directions and many others including bypassing citizens tear gassed with canisters like smoking rats. This gesture from the Zambia police undermines democracy and is unconstitutional,” he submitted.

EDGAR AND HIS SPONSORS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT COUP .

By Pungwa(Zambia Eagle)

When edgar lungu charged that president HH , a legitimate president of the republic of zambia , will be forced to give up power before 2026 he did not mince his words .

We say this because a lot of zambians are not aware about the dark side of zambias politics , where previous presidents were captured , controlled and eventually brought down by fertiliser and safari hunting oligarchs .

Rupiah banda was the 1st to be captured , he had to give contracts single sourced to Gulam patels company . When gulam wanted to meet rupiah it was rupiah who had to travel to gulams residence in makeni . It was micheal sata who revealed this in his last campaigns before 2011 elections .

And when rupiah lost , gulam asked rupiah not to hand over power to sata but rather to the army . It was fred mmembe who persuaded KK to warn rupiah that Lusaka would burn if he did not concede defeat .

Under edgar the capture was worse , truck loads of beer , women from far east were arranged for edgar at private game ranches belonging to gulam and irfan yousuf , a fugitive who was exposed by harry kalaba before elections . Gulam , bokani , zuneid and irfan were receiving single sourced contracts , money paid in advance but goods not supplied .

The presidential jet was used by yusuf brothers for their family wedding in dubai .
Edgar was told that they had arranged 500,000 pre marked ballots which led to lungu telling the nation that he would win by 500,000 votes in his campaigns .
When lungu stood in 2016 , gulams residential workers were seen lifting ballot boxes at bayuni school in makeni .
And when edgar lost it was gulam and irfan yousuf who asked edgar not to concede defeat .

It was only after they were exposed by activists that irfan rushed to rupiah on sunday morning pretending that he wanted edgar to concede defeat but by then amos chanda had already warned rupiah that irfan did not come to him in good faith .
After HH came to power they couldnt capture him but warned him that they would make zambia ungovernable . They used all media and courts to fight HH to get their safari areas back but HH had said they must be hit where it hurts most that is fertiliser and fuel contracts .

That is how the fertiliser and fuel propaganda is being driven .
President HH has warned previously that some people were planning a coup in zambia and lungus statements confirm this .
The president was warned not to treat Lungus sponsors with kids gloves and it is now coming to light why he was warned .

The yusuf brothers and gulam patel had lungu captured , and they now own majority of zambias land totalling thousands of hectors which president HH wanted to cancel but some of the presidents advisors are all in the payroll of irfan yousuf and that is why the president could not cancel them .

Before lungus sponsors rise up against zambias elected president zambians must rise up against the ‘guptas’ of zambia .
Lets join hands and fight the war mongers.- Zambia Eagle

“ZAMBIAINS ALREADY ROSE AGAINST LUNGU ON 12TH AUGUST 2021”

There is a famous say that ” It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” After loosing power in 2021, Mr Lungu has been shaping his next destiny through his careless statements. Thanks to his immunity because by this time he should have been behind bars either for crimes he committed which led to Zambiains vote him out or what he has been saying recently.

It was saddening to hear Mr Lungu agitating for an uprise against a legitimate President whom Zambiains voted for to remove him from power after abusing his presidency.

Mr Lungu must appreciate that we have a God fearing Republican President now in President Hakainde Hichilema who is also just committed to important national issues than politicking.

Zambiains know who Mr Lungu is because his Police was known for abusing Zambiains publicly and even killing Zambiains in many occasions. It is without respect for Zambiains for Lungu to state that the current conduct of police officers may make Zambiains to rise against the President.

Zambiains never rose against Lungu when his Police killed Nsama Nsama, Mapenzi Chibulo, Lawrence Banda and many others. Zambiains never rose against Lungu when his Police undressed Mrs Chishimba Kambwili in public view of our Children, Zambiains never rose against Lungu for many Zambiains who died in almost all the by-elections during his PF Presidency. Why should Zambiains rise against a Republican President who has brought freedoms which even Lungu himself is abusing?

We want to remind Mr Lungu that Zambiains already rose against him in 2021 and currently all is well in Zambia. As Zambiains we have free education for our Children, increased CDF from which we have grants for our businesses, loans, school sponsorships, free trade skills, desks for our Children, building of schools and many more things.

We have seen mines revamping under President Hakainde Hichilema translating into more jobs for our Children and expansion of SMEs sector. On this call Mr Lungu is on his own and we are happy that the Police is investigating his careless statement.

With the development we are now seeing in Lambaland on the Copperbelt, we will not allow Mr Lungu to continue misbehaving and misusing his immunity.

Issued by
Evans Lubemba
Kafulafuta UPND Chairman

HH running a kleptocracy – Zimba

By Ernest Chanda

POLITICAL scientist Chris Zimba says Tranpranecy International’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index and Zambia was meant to fool President Hakainde Hichilema who runs a kleptocracy.

Accordongto the Cambridge English Dictionary, kleptocracy is a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people.

In January 2024, Transparency International -Zambia (TIZ) released their 2023 Global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

TIZ announced that for the first time in 10 years, Zambia’s corruption perception score had had improved by four points from 33 to 34.

But Dr Zimba who was former president Edgar Lungu’s political advisor from 2029 to 2021 dismissed the findings as ‘’empirically total nonsense and morally rubbish’’.

‘’TIZ shockingly announced that, ‘for the first time in 10 years, Zambia’s corruption perceptions score improved at global level from 33 to 37 and thereby ranking from 116th to 98th position’. By implication, TIZ meant that the perception of corruption among stakeholders in Zambia has improved from worse to better. But we know that HH runs a kleptocracy, a government where corrupt politicians enrich themselves secretly outside the rule of law, through kickbacks, bribes, and special favours from lobbyists and corporations, or they simply direct state funds to themselves and their associates,’’ he said in his writeup titled ‘TIZ fooled HH: Bally runs a kleptocracy (Rule by theft) like old Seseko of Congo or Razak of Malaysia’. ‘’As such, we find TIZ ‘2023 Corruption Perception Index’ to have blue colours of ‘fools day’ and very difficult to appreciate… At the kleptomaniac pace Bally’s government is moving, there is no doubt HH’s regime is likely to surpass ‘the world’s greatest financial scandal’ of 2015 in Malaysia soon or later. And Transparency International Zambia will be shamed with regret and embarrassment for fooling themselves and a sober head of state and government with inaccurate corruption perception reports. Their 2024 CPI on Zambia is empirically total nonsense and morally rubbish.’’

Dr Zimba cited incidences of corruption in the new dawn which, in his opinion, cannot be dismissed.

‘’In the 2024 Zambia’s budget, we saw how $1 million (more than K25 million Kwacha) will be spent on President’s foreign Advisory Services. Tony Blair, a renowned gay champion, HH’s friend and his foundation as well as Greg Mills, Bally’s trusted advisor and his Brenthurst are direct beneficiaries of this tax payers money in the name of kleptocracy,’’ Dr Zimba said. ‘’This president, our HH and his government are intently and visibly walking the path of Razak’s kleptocracy in many ways as you[’ll] soon see. By the way, by definition, kleptocracy is a form of government where theft, corruption, looting, plundering and embezzlement of public resources is made routine and common practice.’’

He likened President Hakainde Hichilema to late Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) leader Mobutu Sese Seko.

‘’In conclusion, we should vividly note that the scale of corruption scandals and evidence of it under HH’s UPND administration is pointing to inbuilt naked kleptocracy in his presidency and government just like Mobutu Seseko of DR Congo. Maybe this explains why BBC last month, mistakenly reported that HH was the Congolese President being sworn in for his second term in Kinshasa. He is ‘Congolese ruler’ with governance colours of Mobutu Seseko,’’ said Dr Zimba. ‘’We must applaud Dr. Fred M’membe for defining UPND’s government on 13th January, 2024 that ‘HH runs a government of thieves, by thieves and for the thieves’. Factually, this is the most accurate meaning of kleptocracy to the extent that no person or institution can doubt, distort or debate the captioned description and preposition in HH’s government for now.’’

Why is Archbishop Banda vocal now,why was he quiet during Lungu’s brutal reign,asks Siatubotu

By Kholiwe Miti

THE Voice executive director Faith Siatubotu has wondered why Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda is suddenly outspoken when he was quiet during the PF government.

Siatubotu says the Archbishop should have used the same energy to speak for victims of brutality.

“It is quite disappointing and hurtful that Archbishop Alick Banda today decides to voice out when he was silent like still waters when there was massive bloodshed in the country under the leadership of former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” she said in a statement. “Where was the Archbishop when the country was being looted by the PF? Where was he when Vespers Shimunzhila, Lawrence Banda, Mapenzi Chibulo, Frank Mugala, state prosecutor Nsama Nsama and many others were murdered? Where was he when President Hakainde Hichilema was incarcerated on trumped-up charges? Why was he silent when the Tongas were being insulted and demonised, others losing their jobs because of one man (HH)?”

She also challenged Archbishop Banda to state what he really stands for.

“Where was the Archbishop when citizens were being beaten for wearing political regalia in opposition of PF? The PF committed grand corruption, crimes against the people of Zambia in full sight of everyone and the evidence is the Zambian people turning up in numbers to vote them out. What does the Archbishop stand for? Is he a representative of the Church and the pulpit or a political tool in a holy robe?” wondered Siatubotu. “Let the Archbishop come out in the open and declare his position so that we can choose which lens to view him with. But one thing is certain, the Archbishop does and is not standing for the truth. If he were, he would have rebuked the former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu for his pathetic leadership, and advocated for the arrest of those that committed crimes against the Zambian people. The question is why speak now when he was silent when we needed him? We respectfully ask the Archbishop to kindly take a seat and allow those who stand for the truth defend the Zambian people like they did against the PF, not those who voice out only when it is convenient and beneficial to them.”
Credit The Mast