On 25th October 2023, we sued Mr. Miles Sampa in the Lusaka High Court challenging the so-called Extra-Ordinary General Conference held by him at Mulungushi International Conference.
The purpose for the legal suit was to go to Court to declare the Conference a nullity.
We sued because the so-called conference was held outside the provisions and regulations of the Patriotic Front Party Constitution.
On the same day, the Lusaka High Court Judge Situmbeko Chocho granted ex-parte, the Patriotic Front Party, an interim Injunction to restrain Mr. Miles Sampa from acting as a member of the Patriotic Front or leader of the Patriotic Front, affirming our decision to expelled him.
The Court scheduled the matter for inter-party hearing returnable on 21st November 2023.
However, we have learnt that today, Judge Chocho decided to hear the lawyers for Mr. Miles Sampa exparte despite the return date of 21st November 2023 and proceeded to discharge the Injunction in reason outlined that the Party didn’t disclose facts related to another matter before Judge Timothy Kate Katenekwa.
FACTS
We still have an active case before Judge Chocho stating that Mr. Miles Sampa is expelled.
The case Mr. Sampa was expelled on relates to the recent invasion at Party Secretariat and his decision to hold an illegal Conference.
ILLEGAL MANOUVRES AGAINST THE PATRIOTIC FRONT
We have since learnt that the entire activities were well orchestrated by the State.
We have noted documents showing that the Deputy Inspector of Police cleared fingerprints for Mr. Sampa and others during a public holiday and before Mr. Sampa’s Conference took place.
The letter was submitted to the Registrar of Socities on 24th October 2023 even before the so-called Conference took place.
THE POSITION FROM THE PATRIOTIC FRONT
The position of the Party is that Mr. Miles Sampa remains expelled and the party’s decision to expell him will be defended in the courts of law and in to the general public.
We also hold that the Conference held by Mr. Sampa remains illegal and a nullity as it had no blessings from the Party leadership and didn’t meet any provisions and regulations of the Party Constitution.
To our members, they must know that the attempts to take-over the Patriotic Front is well orchestrated by the UPND Government and Mr. Miles Sampa is a mere stooge in this operation.
The operation is designed to destroy the Patriotic Front and the Opposition in general. This is a brutal assault on mhlti-party democracy.
Issued by; Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Chairperson of Information and Publicity Member of the Central Committee PATRIOTIC FRONT
Shrinking Democratic Space Worrying …cries Zambian Civil Society amidst arrests and detentions
By Daily Nation-27.10.23
Zambia, once known as the proverbial last bastion of democracy in Sub Saharan Africa is teetering on the brink of losing that coveted lofty position as the ruling party UPND comes continuously under fire for abusing the rights of citizens.
This comes especially after personalities in the opposition perceived to be enemies of state got either arrested or detained by state police for one alleged crime or another.
This view has been aired by a group of 12 most influential non-governmental organisations in Zambia, most of them that previously backed the UPND when it was in the opposition raising a debate in the country on how far the state could go on stifling dissenters rights to expression and association and or including participation in the democratic space of the southern African nation civil society or CSO says is ´increasingly´ shrinking.
In a rare statement signed by the 12-member group representative in Lusaka the capital Ms Linda Kasonde, the consortium pointed out the below as the main indicators of a shrinking democratic space:
Trends of undemocratic tendencies by the ruling party
Intolerance of divergent views
Shrinking space for freedom of expression
A lack of Freedom of assembly which they now fear have the potential to plunge the country into the ´abyss of demagoguery and political repression´ to mention but a few.
The 12-member civil society group are also concerned that despite Zambia´s President Hakainde Hichilema who was propelled into office with the rallying cry of ´greater free expression and association´ having repeatedly expressed commitment to the rule of law and safeguarding human rights, gross violation abounds and rise in Zambia is lagging in that area now.
Human rights violations and trends of growing intolerance to dissenting voices´ by presidential appointee are on the increase says the 12-member civil society group that rarely issues public statements against the government, in which most of its former members have now been given full time top government jobs, lessening even further, the number of critical voices.
TO THE DEFENCE OF THE HH GOVERNMENT COMES MWEETWA
Like in every story, however, Cornelius Mweetwa, the Chief Government Spokesperson says “there is no democratic space that is shrinking in Zambia under President Hichilema” more like one British Premier once quipped, ´crisis no crisis. ´
Mweetwa adds that the CSOs are ´at liberty to express their freedom of expression and assembly without looking over their shoulders´ even through the sheer issuing of the statement.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mweetwa said government acknowledged the concerns raised by the 12 member CSOs adding that ostensibly they must count themselves fortunate because they have ´not ´been arrested´ for their dissent.
He however said the speed at which the CSO had moved to condemn the arrest of Sean Tembo, the leader of Patriots for economic Prosperity (PeP) should have been the same speed they should have condemned his insults against President Hichilema, he did not specify.
Needless to say, opposition leader Tembo arrested after police broke down the security door of his residence in the presence of his family has reported the alleged abuse of his rights to the International Criminal Court of Justice or ICC in the Hague against the government of Zambia. He remained in detention at the time of this publication by the Zambia Daily Mail.
In a joint statement which was delivered at Kapingila House in Kabulonga, Lusaka, Ms. Kasonde the executive director of Chapter One Foundation, who spoke on behalf of the other rights NGO´s called on government to urgently address what they have termed the ´embarrassing dent´ on the country’s democratic image which seems to have suffered a huge blow.
Below are the civil society groups that have raised red flags against the government:
Chapter One Foundation, Action-Aid, Alliance for Community Action, Bloggers of Zambia, Christian Churches Monitoring Group, GEARS Initiative Zambia, Centre for Trade Policy and Development, Council of Churches in Zambia, Free Press Initiative, Transparency International Zambia, NGOCC, PANOS and Zambia Council for Social Development.
Ms Kasonde advised government to act in line with their constitutional mandate by serving the country without fear or favour because if the undemocratic trends were left unchecked, there was a real threat that the gains so far achieved could be reversed.
WHAT THE INCIDENCE DO ACCORDING TO CIVIL SOCIETY
“The incidents of intolerance for dissent, preventing citizens, including those with dissenting voices from discussing issues of national importance is the very opposite of democracy,” the civil society says.
They add, “President Hakainde Hichilema has repeatedly expressed commitment to safeguarding human rights and the rule of law and we are taken aback by such action (of repression) from his appointees.”
The CSOs have also raised concern on the failure by public authorities to protect the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, citing some examples below:
The dismissal of a Zambia Daily Mail photojournalist Starfrance Zulu who lost his job because he took a picture of people in northern copperbelt Zambia queuing up for the staple food, mealie meal made of ground corn.
The threat against the influential Hot FM Radio station owner Oscar Chavula by the state-run Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) for hosting Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, a politics Professor often seen as critical to government. Dr Sishuwa opined that there was growing tribal discrimination in Zambia under the UPND government that could erode the gains in democracy.
And on the sidelines of the arrest of opposition leader Tembo, another opposition leader Harry Kalaba, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs challenged the western donors, in the past administration of the Patriotic Front that criticised President Edgar Lungu to do the same under the current administration of President Hichilema.
INCIDENTS OF STIFLING ASSOCIATION
In recent months, state police have halted opposition parties from holding public political rallies to speak to their supporters of the state of the nation, especially regarding the increased high cost of living.
Among the opposition parties that have been denied permits to public assemble as per law required are the PF, Socialist Party and to some extent Citizens First.
Conversely, a youth group that sought march or demonstrate against the high cost of living, high food prices and fuel were stopped from proceeding by police due to unspecified ´security´ concerns.
Hichilema was right to fire Judge Joshua Banda for corruption
THE Constitutional Court has ruled that the failure by the Judicial Complaints Commission to have former High Court judge Joshua Banda suspended pending investigations in his graft activities is water under the bridge as he was already fired.
Constitutional Court president Margaret Munalula says even though the court directs that the case be re-heard it will serve no purpose as the outcome is already known.
In this case Banda contested his sacking as an adjudicator by President Hakainde Hichilema for engaging in graft for soliciting a ‘Ka something’ from a litigant.
Banda who petitioned the State in the Constitutional Court over his dismissal said the disciplinary process by JCC shows that he was merely targeted by the commission with a pre-determined mind to discharge him as he was the only one who was singled out when the corruption allegations were against him and judge Charles Kafunda.
Banda sought an order to stay the decision by President Hichilema to fire him as it contravenes Articles 143 and 144 of the constitution.
He wanted the Court to declaration that the justification of the JCC to hear complaints against judges does not extend to matters that happened prior to a judge’s appointment to the office of judge as the same is the preserve of the President, Judicial Service Commission and the National Assembly.
Banda sought an order to quash the report of the JCC together with it’s findings and recommendations to the President to have him fired for mischievous behavior as the same is unconstitutional.
On May 6, 2022 the Head of State relieved Banda of his duties following a recommendation from the Judicial Complaints Commission for extorting a litigants during the execution of his mandate.
Banda was accused of soliciting for K130,000 from David Mwanza a former sheriff officer as an inducement or reward for a favorable judgement in case where he was accused of defrauding Mopani Copper Mines K8 million.
But in her judgement judge Munalula on behalf of judge Ann Sitali, Mungeni Mulenga, Matthew Chisunka and Judy Mulongoti said Banda’s argument that he was not heard on a charge of gross misconduct is devoid of merit as the charge clearly referred to corrupt practices which is captured by the definition of gross misconduct under Article 266 of the constitution.
She said the JCC acted in line with it’s mandate in Article 236 and Article 143 as there was a complaint which it had to investigate and Banda was informed about it and he responded to the allegations.
Judge Munalula indicated that the JCC properly considered the complaint even though it was after ratification of Banda’s appointment as High Court judge and covered pre-appointment misconduct because it was pending before it.
“The fact that a judge has been appointed to that office does not insulate the judge from being investigated for past misconduct particularly when the alleged misconduct occured before one became a judge and there was a complaint lodged against them that was pending hearing,” she said.
She indicated that The JCC did not usurp the powers of the Court when it investigated the complaint.
Judge Munalula indicated that the Commission had no option but to act in accordance with Article 144(2) by submitting a report to the President once a prima facie case had been established against Banda.
She said the JCC’s failure to suspend Banda before his hearing and removal is inconsistent with procedure in Article 144 of the constitution.
“Though the JCC breached Article 144 the complaint was a serious allegation of corrupt practices which brought his integrity into question,” judge Munalula noted.
“In his own evidence during trial Banda admitted receiving money from the complainant and purportedly giving it back because the complaint was extorting money from him.”
She said even though the JCC did not act in accordance with Article 144(2) and (3) Banda was given an opportunity to be heard on the charges of corrupt practices for which he was found wanting.
“We decline to grant the the declarations and other reliefs sought by the petitioner as they would serve no useful purpose in that even though the complaint was to be re-heard to ensure compliance with Article 144(2) the outcome is already known,” said judge Munalula.
ZNS CLINCHES JOINT VENTURE DEAL WITH US FIRM TO WORK ON 5,000 KILOMETRE ROAD NETWORK
Zambia National Service (ZNS) has entered into a joint venture agreement with Landlock Natural Paving Incorporated of the United States of America to construct, rehabilitate and upgrade 5,000 kilometres (km) of township and feeder roads across the country at a cost of US$725 million and to be undertaken over a period of five years.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Lusaka yesterday, the Honorable Minister of Defence, Mr Ambrose Lwiji Lufuma said the project scheduled to commence after the onset of the rains is in line with rural road connectivity programmes being spearheaded by the Road Development Agency (RDA).
Mr Lufuma disclosed that the joint venture will result in the creation of jobs for the Zambian people countrywide, reduce travel time for citizens as well as improve service delivery of goods and services.
“During the implementation of this milestone project, the Government is confident that many Zambian companies will be sub-contracted. This entails that there will be employment opportunities created and locals will also be expected to participate in the delivery of various goods and services arising from the demand generated by this partnership,” the Minister said.
He said the partnership will also provide cost effective road construction solutions which will see significant reduction in the cost of constructing roads while quality and durability will be enhanced as a result of technology that will be employed.
Mr Lufuma added that his Ministry will ensure that the joint venture achieves its aim which is to foster social and economic development of the road infrastructure.
The Minister also indicated that the partnership will also lead to technology transfer which he hoped will result in improved capacity and efficiency for ZNS in the construction of roads.
“From time and again the President of Zambia and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force has reiterated the need for the Defence Wings to participate in economic activities during peace time so that they can add value to the development of the nation,” the Minister said.
He added, “This partnership between ZNS and Landlock is therefore a clear testimony towards the actualization of the President’s directive”.
Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary, Mr Norman Chipakupaku who signed the joint venture on behalf of the Service, emphasized the need to have the project deliver value for money, cost effectiveness and timeliness.
And US Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Micheal Gonzales has expressed confidence that the project once implemented will see tangible and meaningful road infrastructure that will connect Zambian communities.
Mr Gonzales said the partnership between a US firm and ZNS was a demonstration of the sound bilateral ties existing between Zambia and the United States.
“Most importantly, the technology being employed by Landlock will only cost Zambia one sixth of the standard cost per kilomentre but last longer,” he said.
And speaking to journalists after the signing ceremony, RDA Director and Chief Executive Officer Engineer Grace Mutembo said the Agency currently had a feeder road network of 15,000 km.
“We have started working on a stretch of 4,000 km and with this agreement bringing on board 5,000 km, we are talking about 9,000 km of feeder roads now under facelift,” Ms Mutembo said.
She said the technology Landlock promises to bring was advanced and would extend the lifespan of the infrastructure once commissioned.
Meanwhile ZNS Chief of Marketing and Public Relations, Colonel Mulenga Nyone disclosed that the Joint venture will see the lifespan of feeder roads extended from the current 3-5 years to between 10-15 years. May be an image of 8 people and text
ZACCI APPLAUDS AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE ON GOVERNMENT DEBT RESTRUCTURING
Lusaka, October 27, 2023
The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) extends its sincere congratulations to the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Steering Committee of the Ad Hoc Creditor Committee for their achievement in reaching an agreement in principle on the key commercial terms of a proposed restructuring transaction (the “Restructuring”) concerning the Government’s bonds due in 2022, 2024, and 2027 (the “Bonds,” and their holders, the “Bondholders”).
This significant development marks a significant step forward in the ongoing Zambia debt restructuring process, promising to unlock substantial resources for our nation’s developmental agenda.
The agreement to restructure the Euro bonds offers critical debt relief, including the permanent waiver of approximately $700 million in claims and the provision of approximately US$2.5 billion in cash flow relief through reduced debt servicing payments during the IMF Programme period.
This landmark agreement sets the stage for similar restructuring agreements with our other private creditors.
We look forward to a swift implementation of this agreement in principle by the year’s end. Our profound gratitude goes to all our creditors for their unwavering support and collaborative efforts that have brought us to this pivotal juncture.
From a private sector perspective, the implications of these developments are profoundly positive.
We anticipate a reduction of government reliance on domestic credit lines, which will in turn avert crowding out the private sector.
With moderated interest rates and heightened private sector appetite in the domestic credit lines, expansion and opening up of new production lines is anticipated.
Subsequently, more jobs will be created and revenue collection in form of taxation will be enhanced.
Furthermore, the renewed interest from non-residents in treasury bills and the injection of resources to stabilize exchange rates will create a conducive environment for business operations.
This, in turn, is anticipated to increase the availability of credit lines, thereby opening doors for private sector investments aimed at expanding existing industrial output, improving production processes, and establishing new projects and ventures.
The will also foster stability of the exchange rate and is poised to instil confidence in the market, fostering a culture of predictability and planned investment strategies.
Nevertheless, sustaining exchange rate stability remains a priority for ensuring long-term economic stability.
In conclusion, ZACCI remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting and promoting the interests of the business community in Zambia.
We eagerly anticipate the positive outcomes resulting from the agreement in principle on the key commercial terms of the proposed restructuring transaction related to the Government’s bonds due in 2022, 2024, and 2027 (the “Bonds,” and their holders, the “Bondholders”).
MALE TEACHER FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUALLY ABUSING NEPHEW ON HIS CHILANGAMULILO DAY
A male teacher who was arrested on his wedding day for sexually abusing a 10-year-old nephews has been found guilty of committing the unnatural offence.
The accused, a teacher at Nakonde Secondary School, has since been committed to the Lusaka High Court for sentencing where a judge will impose not less than 10 years jail term.
Lusaka Magistrate Crispin Hampungani found the named teacher guilty after finding that the prosecution proved the case against him beyond reasonable doubt.
“The evidence has left me with no doubt in my mind that there was commission of the offence and the offence was committed by the accused.
“I, therefore, find the accused person guilty as charged for the unnatural offences against the order of nature. I convict him accordingly,” magistrate Hampungani said.
Facts are that on the material day, the accused was having chilanga mulilo in readiness for his wedding which was scheduled for April 25, 2023.
The accused, who was also in the company of the victim’s father and another friend, drunk whiskey and other beverages before going to the victim’s father’s house where they continued to drink.
They later retired to bed but after midnight, the accused walked and paced about claiming that he was looking for a bag.
At some point, he entered the girl’s bedroom.
The following morning, the victim later informed his parents that the accused sexually abused him at night by touching and fingering him in the back and making him touch his penis.
The court heard that a medical report showed that the child had a 1centimentre and 2mm deep cut on his anus.
The child also explained to a counsellor that the accused penetrated him.
The accused was later arrested on his wedding day, some two days after the act, which he denied committing and that he never touched the victim but only hugged him on arrival at the house that day.
But in his judgement, the magistrate found the accused guilty after analysing the corroborative evidence in the case.
“The victim said the accused inserted fingers in his anus and something hard was felt and that the accused did bad manners to him.
“But when asked as to whether there was anal penetration, the victim answered in the negative,” magistrate Hampungani said.
“This could have been due to the naivety of being a child of feeling shy to say things as they are”.
He also found as a fact, that the accused told the victim to face the window as he was molesting him.
“The evidence of the victim was corroborative, he said that the accused inserted his fingers between his bums, he felt something hard enter his bums.
“The medical report shows a cut from his anus and he told the same story to the counsellor at the hospital and he also said the same in court,” magistrate Hampungani said.
Evidence shows that the child was sexually assaulted, violated, abused and carnally known against the order of nature.
The court dimissed the accused’s defence of not remembering anything owing to his drunken state.
“The accused claimed he never remembered what happened that night as he slept around 22:00 but he said he remembered waking up looking for his bag the same night,” magistrate Hampungani said.
The court ruled that it had been proved beyond reasonable doubt that it is the now accused who had carnal knowledge of victim against the order of nature.
NO SINGLE PF OFFICIAL FROM MWANSABOMBWE ATTENDED THE SO-CALLED CONVENTION
….. we are not accepting the presidency of Miles Sampa because it was an illegal conference, says Mwansabombwe PF District Chairperson
Mwansabombwe… Friday October 27, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)
NO single Patriotic Front official traveled and attended the so-called general conference organized by suspended Matero Member of Parliament Hon Miles Sampa, says Mwansabombwe PF District Chairperson Chomba Lupambo.
Mr Lupambo says all the PF officials in the district were busy with independence day celebrations and were shocked that Hon Sampa organized a general conference in Lusaka.
He says he did not receive any information from the PF provincial office about any convention saying the one which was held in Lusaka was illegal.
Mr Lupambo says not until the PF will have a convention called by the Secretary General of the PF Hon Raphael Nakacinda, Hon Sampa cannot be recognized as a party president.
“The so-called general conference held on the 24th October 2023 was illegal. I want to categorically state that with regards Miles Sampa and his convention, there was no single PF official who attended that general conference. When he (Sampa) had that convention we were here in Mwansabombwe celebrating Independence day after that we had a meeting as PF officials consisting of the officials from the Constituency and District. All of us the officials were present during that meeting and I wonder who attended the same general conference on behalf of Mwansabombwe PF delegates,” he said.
“As a PF district Chairperson for Mwansabombwe, I have never received any official communication from the provincial office regarding the general conference. Our party has a communication channel, procedures and a constitution which governs how we proceed as political party. Us at the district level, we get the orders from the province and I can confirm that the province never wrote to us about the convention.”
Mr Lupambo says because of the above reasons, the PF in the district will not accept the presidency of Hon Sampa as PF president.
He said the party remains royal and committed to the leadership of acting PF President Given Lubinda.
An estimated 200,000 minors in Spain have experienced sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy since 1940, according to an independent commission’s report published on Friday.
The report, based on a poll of over 8,000 people, found that 0.6 percent of Spain’s adult population (approximately 39 million people) reported suffering sexual abuse by clergy members during their childhood.
When including abuse by lay members, the percentage increases to 1.13 percent, or more than 400,000 individuals, according to Spain’s national ombudsman, Angel Gabilondo, who presented the report’s findings during a news conference.
These revelations in Spain are the latest in a series of scandals that have affected the Roman Catholic Church worldwide over the past two decades, often involving children. In Spain, however, where the population has become increasingly secular, allegations of clerical abuse are only now gaining momentum, leading to accusations by survivors of institutional resistance.
“Unfortunately, for many years there has been a certain desire to deny abuses or a desire to conceal or protect the abusers,” said Gabilondo, a former education minister.
The report labels the Catholic Church’s response to child abuse cases involving clergy as “insufficient,” criticizing the church’s attitude. It suggested setting up a state fund to compensate the victims.
Child protection offices
The Spanish Bishops Conference announced that it would hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss the report’s findings, just prior to it being presented in parliament.
In March 2022, Spain’s parliament overwhelmingly approved the establishment of an independent commission, led by the country’s ombudsman, to investigate allegations of sexual abuse involving “vulnerable boys and girls” within the Catholic Church.
While Spain’s Catholic Church had long resisted conducting its own investigation, it chose not to participate in the independent inquiry. However, it cooperated by providing documents related to cases of sexual abuse gathered by dioceses.
Under mounting political pressure, the Church commissioned a private law firm in February 2022 to conduct an “audit” of historical and ongoing cases of sexual abuse involving clergy, teachers, and other individuals associated with the Church. This audit is expected to conclude by the end of the year.
In June, the Spanish Church announced the discovery of 927 cases of child abuse through a complaints procedure initiated in 2020. The Church asserts that it has established protocols for addressing sexual abuse and has created “child protection” offices within dioceses.
‘Tip of iceberg’
However, an investigation initiated by the widely circulated newspaper El Pais back in 2018 has revealed a staggering 2,206 victims and 1,036 alleged abusers with cases dating as far back as 1927.
“According to experts, this is just the beginning,” the newspaper noted on Friday before the report’s release.
The Church’s abuse crisis gained international prominence in 2002 when the Boston Globe newspaper exposed decades of child sexual abuse by priests and subsequent cover-ups by church leaders.
Subsequently, reports of widespread child abuse emerged in the United States, Europe, Chile, and Australia, eroding the moral authority of the Church with its 1.3 billion members and leading to a decline in its membership.
In neighboring France, an independent commission determined in 2021 that approximately 216,000 children, mostly boys, had suffered sexual abuse by clergy since 1950.
In Germany, a study uncovered 3,677 abuse cases between 1946 and 2014, while in Ireland, over 14,500 individuals received compensation through a government program for those who had experienced abuse at Catholic Church-run juvenile facilities.
The size of Kenya’s debt from the World Bank crossed Ksh1.5 trillion ($9.99 billion) in June on increased disbursements and depreciation of the shilling.
Fresh data published by the Central Bank of Kenya shows Kenya’s outstanding loan to the multilateral lender stood at Ksh1.57 trillion ($10.45 billion) at the end of the previous financial year from Ksh1.46 trillion ($9.72 billion) at the end of May.
The Ksh110.9 billion ($738.35 million) growth in a single month now means close to 60 percent of total owings to multilateral lenders belong to the World Bank.
The sharp growth in external debt has been attributed to new disbursements in the last month of the financial year and also accelerated by a sustained depreciation by the local currency that has shed 17 percent since January.
“The Ksh309.4 billion ($2.1 billion) increase in external loans is attributable to disbursements made during the month and depreciation against major currencies” said Treasury in the release.
The bullish dollar has gained significantly against weaker currencies since the pandemic and accelerated by geo-political tensions that disrupted international trade.
According to the data, 73 percent of the country’s external debt is owed to World Bank, Eurobonds, China and the African Development Bank, giving a combined Ksh3.97 trillion ($26.4 billion).
Increased dependence on these financial partners for infrastructural developments and fiscal support has put the country on a difficult path as it juggles high debt service costs.
The Treasury estimates that the total debt service costs for the current financial year will increase to a record Ksh1.62 trillion ($10.8 billion) with 38 percent of that going to external lenders.
The Ksh1.6 trillion that will be used on debt service represents 64 percent of total ordinary revenue that the Treasury expects to net in the year ending June 2024.
High exposure Overall, total debt to external lenders stood at Ksh5.4 trillion ($35.95 billion) in June and had risen to Ksh5.7 trillion ($37.95 billion) at the end of August, representing 54 percent of total public debt.
The high exposure to foreign currency risk will be felt as the country retires the 2024 Eurobond that will drain $2 billion from its reserves, translating to around Ksh300 billion.
The leaders of the European Union have not asked for a complete stop to the fighting in Gaza. Instead, they are requesting short breaks to send aid to the people there. The United Nations said their work in Gaza is not able to continue because of Israel’s constant bombing of the area.
The statement was released after meetings in Brussels on Thursday. The United Nations Security Council has tried multiple times to pass a resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas, but has been unsuccessful. Member states are now preparing to vote on a new resolution proposed by Jordan on behalf of Arab states on Friday.
The Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, said to diplomats at the United Nations Assembly Hall that punishing everyone for one person’s actions is not a way to protect oneself. The resolution asks for the fighting to stop, for hostages to be released, and for no one to be forced to leave their homes.
Over 2 million people in Gaza are going through a worsening crisis because of daily bombings and a blockage of fuel that is needed to save lives. Israel claims that Hamas is gathering and storing fuel for its own purposes, and has requested that Hamas, the powerful Palestinian group in control of Gaza, distribute it to others as well. The lack of electricity has greatly affected healthcare, and many people have had to leave their homes because of the bombings.
Since October 7, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 7,028 individuals in Gaza. Among the victims are numerous children. This information was reported on Thursday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
People all over the world are urging Israel to let aid into Gaza, which really needs it. The United Nations and some countries nearby are asking for a quick stop to the fighting, while others think there should be a temporary break so people can get the help they need.
However, the world has not been able to come together and agree on what to do about the crisis. It has been almost three weeks since the violence started, which was caused by Hamas’ violent attacks and kidnappings on October 7. These attacks resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people in Israel and over 200 people being taken hostage in Gaza.
The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said on Thursday that requests for a ceasefire were not about trying to achieve peace. Instead, they were about restricting Israel’s ability to protect its citizens and deal with a significant threat.
Israel is not fighting against people, they are fighting against very bad creatures. They want to completely destroy Hamas and will do whatever it takes to achieve this.
He said this while the Defense Minister said that Israel’s troops are getting ready for the next part of their fight against Hamas. People think this will be through a ground attack.
The movement will start when the circumstances are suitable. These conditions are complicated because the campaign is also complicated. “The soldiers are prepared,” Gallant said during a meeting in Tel Aviv.
Israel’s military carried out a planned operation in northern Gaza last night. They have promised to continue carrying out similar operations on the ground in the next few days.
The goal of the incursions is to target and eliminate Hamas fighters, prepare for a full-scale invasion, and disable bombs and surveillance posts. This information comes from a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Daniel Hagari spoke on Thursday.
There were six people hurt when a rocket hit Taba, a city by the Red Sea in Egypt.
The rocket hit a building where ambulances are kept and also hit a residential area of the hospital’s office building in a city that is next to Israel. We don’t know yet who shot the rocket or from where, but the IDF said they know about the security issue.
The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, released a long report with many names of people who died since October 7. They say that these deaths were caused by the Israeli military’s attacks.
The ministry said that many more people have likely died than what has been reported. The report does not include people who have not been identified, those who were buried without being officially registered at the hospital, or those who are still missing. There are about 1,600 people who are still missing.
The list doesn’t separate people involved in combat and those not involved, but it does include information about age, gender, and the ID card number of the victims. This list was released after US President Joe Biden expressed doubt about the number of civilian casualties reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel and the US have said they are not sure if the numbers of people who died in Gaza are accurate, but they have not shown any proof that the numbers are too high.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said that the ministry in Gaza is secretly affiliated with Hamas. However, he did not deny that many Palestinians, including innocent civilians, have been killed.
The leader of the US-supported Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Mohammad Shtayyeh, stated that the PA’s own health authority believes the numbers are accurate.
“These numbers belong to us,” Shtayyeh said in an interview on Thursday with Al Jazeera. “Every day, the hospitals in Gaza send us these numbers. Our Ministry of Health receives them. ”
The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is led by a different group than Hamas, and it oversees the Ministry of Health, which has a connection with the Gaza ministry. Every day, the number of people who have died in Gaza is reported in both Gaza and Ramallah.
Israel has said that Hamas is in charge of important fuel supplies in Gaza. This is a big problem because hospitals, bakeries, and UN humanitarian efforts might have to stop working because they don’t have enough fuel.
Juliette Touma, who is in charge of communication for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has said that if the agency does not receive sufficient fuel, it will have to completely stop its operations. The fuel is necessary to generate electricity for hospitals and to desalinate water.
Touma said that UNRWA is still having a hard time because they have very little fuel, and the amount they have is getting even less. There is still limited supply of deliveries to places like hospitals and bakeries. UNRWA is having trouble because they are not getting enough fuel to the Gaza Strip.
The IDF explained that the issue in Gaza is not a shortage of fuel. Instead, it is caused by Hamas, the group in control of the situation.
Colonel Avichay Adraee stated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) successfully targeted and destroyed a Hamas military compound in the Gaza Strip. The operation was carried out in retaliation for the ongoing rocket attacks fired by Hamas towards Israeli territories. ColonelAccording to Israeli military intelligence, Hamas has control of a large amount of fuel, which ranges from 800,000 to potentially over one million liters, stored in Gaza. Jonathan Conricus shared this information with CNN on Thursday.
“He said that some of it was collected and stored earlier, some were taken without permission from the UN, and some were taken by Hamas from private sellers. ” Israel is stopping the delivery of fuel to Gaza completely because they think Hamas would use it for military purposes instead.
In simpler words, Tamara Alrifai, who works for UNRWA, said that it doesn’t matter if there are other sources of fuel in Gaza. UNRWA is a humanitarian organization and they shouldn’t have to beg for fuel to keep doing their work.
With very little fuel left, UNWRA is having to choose whether to provide electricity to bakeries or hospitals. More than 600,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and now only get one piece of bread a day.
On Thursday, twelve trucks with aid went into Gaza from Egypt. They brought water, food, medicine, and medical supplies, but no fuel. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported this.
According to PRCS, 74 trucks have entered the area since humanitarian aid transfers started again a few days ago.
Usually, there would be about 455 daily, the United Nations said. This means that essential supplies are coming into the area much slower than necessary.
The hospitals are very full and close to breaking down because there are too many injured people. Doctors have told CNN many times that they don’t have enough supplies or electricity to properly take care of them.
Russia‘s main bank has raised its main interest rate to 15% in an attempt to reduce inflation and strengthen the value of the currency.
The interest rate has increased by more than expected, going up by two percent. This means that it is now more expensive to borrow money, and it is the fourth time in a row that this has happened.
The prices of things have been going up very quickly all around the world, partly because of Russia invading Ukraine. In September, the inflation rate in Russia reached 6%.
The Russian government has been spending more money on its military.
The Bank of Russia, which is the central bank of the country, has increased interest rates by 7. 5 percentage points since July. Their goal is to bring down inflation to their target of 4%.
This means that there was a sudden and unexpected increase in prices in August when the value of the rouble fell below 100 to the dollar, and the government asked for stronger control over the country’s money.
On Friday, it was mentioned that the current increase in inflation is higher than what the Bank of Russia had predicted.
People wanted to buy more things and use more services than there were available. This caused the amount of money borrowed by banks to increase.
The pandemic caused problems in getting goods to people, which made prices go up. Then, in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, it also caused problems in getting enough food around the world and made energy costs increase.
Rising food and energy prices are big reasons why prices in general are going up all over the world.
The Russian economy is also facing more pressure because the country is buying more things from other countries than it is selling, and also because it is spending more money on its military for the war in Ukraine.
Russia was punished by countries in the West because it attacked Ukraine.
The rouble dropped in value when the war started, but it increased again because the government put restrictions on transferring money out of the country and because they earned a lot of money by selling oil and gas.
But, the currency has become worth about 25% less compared to the US dollar since the conflict started.
The Bank of Russia has increased interest rates by a large amount before. When Russia initially attacked Ukraine, the bank increased interest rates from 9. 5% to 20% However, they started decreasing the rates shortly afterward.
However, increasing interest rates can only do so much to stabilize an economy, and experts believe that Russia may face difficulties in attracting investment because of the sanctions imposed by Western countries.
Economists have said that one of the main reasons for the decline in the rouble is because Russia’s trade has been negatively affected by the sanctions.
Since the war started, several European Union countries that depended on oil and gas from Russia have promised to reduce their reliance on imports from Russia. Many of these countries have now found other sources to get their oil and gas from.
EU leaders have made a plan to control the amount of money Russia makes from selling oil, and they have also stopped Russia from using a payment system called Swift, which is used by many banks.
The European Commission said that the sanctions against Russia are effective.
The blog post in August mentioned that the amount of coal being sent out of the country has decreased, and the production of oil in the country has dropped by over 25%.
In the past week, Sharone Lifschitz has been with her mother almost all the time.
Yocheved, who is 85 years old, was one of two women who were set free from being held by Hamas in Gaza on Monday. She was taken away from her house in Nir Oz.
Sharone said that her mom is very strong and brave, but she still cares a lot about the people who are still trapped in those underground tunnels where the hostages from the 7 October Hamas attack are believed to be kept.
Sharone, a person who is a citizen of both the UK and Israel, traveled to Israel when she received the news that her mother had been set free.
However, it was a mixture of both positive and negative emotions. Yocheved’s husband, Oded, who is 83 years old and they have been married for 63 years, is still missing. It is believed that he is being kept against his will in the Gaza Strip.
Sharone shared with the BBC that her father dedicated his life to promoting peace and believed in the chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live peacefully alongside each other. She said this after her mother was freed.
He thought that you can make peace with the people who are against you. I hope he is well. I hope he can speak Arabic and that he is getting medical treatment.
The Lifschitz family had been living in Nir Oz for a long time and knew almost all of the approximately 400 other residents. Nir Oz is a community that is open to new ideas and combines farming and industry.
Over 100 people were believed to have been killed or taken by Hamas gunmen when they went on a violent rampage at the kibbutz on October 7th. Right now, Sharone is spending her time assisting her mother in her slow recovery. She is also trying to persuade the Israeli government and its allies from different countries to take more action in order to release the 229 Israeli and foreign hostages who are still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
She thinks that it’s better to delay Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to attack Gaza with tanks and a large number of soldiers in order to “defeat Hamas. ” This will provide more time for negotiations to free the hostages.
The people living in the kibbutz were not successful. Sharone is still shocked and confused at how long it took for the Israeli government and army to help these people who had to take care of themselves for nine hours.
We were killed and no one showed up for a long time. The main goal should be to help these people return to their communities and families.
Sharone explains that her mother is generally a positive person, which is why she extended a peaceful gesture to one of the people who held her captive. She shook his hand and said “shalom”, which means peace, when she was being handed over to the International Committee for the Red Cross.
Some people in Israel have raised doubts about the handshake, but her daughter explains that she did what she believed was the right thing to do at that time.
Sharone said that the man was a medical worker who had taken care of Yocheved while she was held captive. They also talked about bringing peace to the area. But Sharone wanted to emphasize that although Yocheved had received care after the violent abduction, it should not take away from the difficult experience the hostages went through.
Before Yocheved was released this week, there was no information about the Nir Oz residents who were taken to Gaza on motorbikes and cars.
Eight-year-old Ohad Munder-Zichri, along with his mother and two grandparents, have been taken by kidnappers.
Ohad’s cousin Osnat, who is 54 years old, said that the boy is really intelligent and talented.
“He is excellent at everything he does from the time he was born,” she explains.
Osnat and her children moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to live with their family and avoid the rockets coming from Gaza. The surprise attack on Nir Oz, a place created by her parents in the 1950s, was very shocking.
Osnat said, “Picture yourself sitting in your house. ” “You haven’t harmed anyone, but bad people enter your home, remove you forcefully, and abduct you. ”
She said that one of her cousins died in the attack.
This week was Ohad’s ninth birthday, but his family said they can’t have a celebration until he and the rest of his family are no longer restricted or confined.
After she was set free, Yocheved was able to tell what it was like when she was kept captive. She also said that there were other people from Nir Oz with her, but Ohad and Oden, who is Sharone’s father, were not there.
Sharone says it’s too soon to think about what will happen next, even though her mother was let go. Her parents’ house in Nir Oz burned down and they lost everything, including her mom’s photography career and her dad’s time as a journalist.
She says she will not go back to her family in the UK, and her mother Yocheved will not stop worrying until Oded and the other people from Kibbutz Nir Oz, including Ohad, are released. Sharone said that the man was someone who helped take care of Yocheved when she was kept against her will, and he talked to her about finding peace in the area. But Sharone wanted to make it clear that the care Yocheved received after the violent kidnapping should not make people forget about the difficult experience the hostages faced.
Yocheved was let go or set free this week. Previously, there was no information or updates regarding the Nir Oz residents who were transported to Gaza using motorcycles and cars.
Ohad Munder-Zichri, who is just eight years old, was taken by bad people with his mother and two grandparents.
Ohad’s older cousin, Osnat, who is 54 years old, said that the boy is really smart and skilled.
She says he is really good at everything he does, starting from when he was born. Please rephrase this text in simpler language: ”
Osnat and her children left Tel Aviv and went to Jerusalem to live with their family because they didn’t want to be near the rockets that were being launched from Gaza. The unexpected attack on Nir Oz, a place that her parents created in the 1950s, was very surprising.
Osnat told me to imagine myself sitting at home. You did nothing bad to anyone, but some very mean people come into your home, take you out forcefully, and make you go with them even if you don’t want to. Please rephrase this text using simpler language: ”
She says that her cousin died in the attack.
Ohad turned nine years old this week, but his family is waiting to have a celebration until everyone in the family is available.
After Yocheved was released, she could finally describe her experience of being held captive. She said that some other people from Nir Oz were there, but Ohad and Sharone’s dad, Oden, were not with them.
Sharone’s mom got fired, but Sharone believes it’s too early to start planning for the future. A fire destroyed her parents’ house in Nir Oz. Everything, including her mom’s job as a photographer and her dad’s past as a journalist, has been gone.
She says she will not return to her family in the UK, and her mother Yocheved will not stop until Oded and the other people in Kibbutz Nir Oz, like Ohad, are set free.
One of the few remaining congressmen from the Democratic party who did not support strict gun control laws has suddenly changed his mind after a mass shooting happened in his area in Maine.
Jared Golden, 41, didn’t support a ban on semi-automatic weapons until a gunman killed 18 people in his hometown of Lewiston on Wednesday.
The Marine Corps veteran admits that his earlier position was not successful.
He is a politician who represents a mostly rural area that supported Donald Trump in two elections.
The congressman, who was in his third term, won the election in 2018 and helped the Democrats gain control of the district.
Since he arrived in Congress, he has gone against his own political party by voting against a few measures related to controlling guns.
He was one of just five Democratic representatives who disagreed with a suggestion to forbid assault-style guns, which the House approved in 2022. It did not pass as a law.
“I do not agree or back any version of that,” Mr. Golden stated at that moment.
But on Thursday, Mr. Golden said that the shooting in Lewiston made him think again.
“He said at a news conference on Thursday that it is now time for me to accept blame for this mistake. ”
That’s why I’m asking the United States Congress to make a law to stop people from having assault rifles like the one the person used to do the mass killings in my hometown. He said sorry for disagreeing with gun control before.
Mr Golden expressed his intention to collaborate with any coworker in order to complete this task before his time in Congress comes to an end.
Susan Collins, a Republican Senator from Maine who is not extreme in her views, wants to put limitations on high-capacity magazines.
US President Joe Biden asked Republican lawmakers, who are in charge of the House of Representatives, to do their job and keep the American people safe.
But even when Democrats controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate during the first two years of President Biden’s term, they were unable to pass this particular law.
When Biden was the leader of a Senate committee, he was in charge of trying to limit the use of semi-automatic rifles in 1994. However, this restriction was only in place for ten years and people still argue about whether it actually worked.
In 2019, Maine made a rule called the “yellow flag” law. This law lets police officers ask to take away someone’s guns if they think that person might hurt themselves or others.
According to the rule, the person needs to get a medical check-up and be put under protection.
It is not as broad as “red flag” laws. The “red flag” laws let family members, teachers, and others do the same thing.
It is not known if anyone asked for something official about the person who did the shooting on Wednesday. The police and family members say that this person had serious mental health problems.
The Portland Press Herald, which is a newspaper in our area, shared that the yellow flag law has been used only 58 times over the course of three years.
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects the right of Americans to own guns.
As per the White House, Russian forces are responsible for the deaths of soldiers who try to retreat from an aggressive assault in eastern Ukraine.
According to the United States, some of the people who were hurt or killed from Russia near Avdiivka were a result of their own leaders’ instructions.
Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting each other strongly for control of the frontline town since October.
It is believed that Russia experienced big losses during this time.
Ukrainian people believe that about 5,000 Russian soldiers were injured or killed in Avdiivka. The United States thinks that Russia lost at least 125 armored vehicles and a lot of equipment, which is enough for a battalion.
A person from the Ukrainian army said that Russian soldiers were not attacking Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka because they had suffered many casualties. They also mentioned that there were rebellions happening within some Russian units.
Russia’s military forces are not well-trained, do not have enough equipment, and are not ready for fighting. This was also true during their unsuccessful attack last winter, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby during a briefing on Thursday.
He said that the Russian military seems to be using a strategy called “human wave” tactics, where they send large numbers of unskilled soldiers directly into battle.
No good tools, no one in charge, not enough resources, no help. Kirby said that it is not surprising that Russian forces are feeling discouraged and demoralized.
If the Russian troops take over Avdiivka, which is close to Donetsk city, it will be more difficult for Ukrainian forces to continue moving forward in the Donetsk region. This is because Russian troops will be moving their front line backwards.
Almost all of the 30,000 residents of Avdiivka have left because Russian forces are still attacking the town. Earlier this week, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the situation was really difficult.
On Thursday, the US said they will give Ukraine $150m (£123. 7m) to help their military. This includes things like guns, bullets, and weapons to destroy tanks.
However, it is uncertain if Ukraine will continue to receive assistance in the future after Republican Mike Johnson was elected as the speaker of the US House of Representatives.
Mr Johnson, who belongs to the conservative side of the Republican Party, opposes giving any more help to Ukraine from the United States. In the past, he has also backed changes to prevent this aid from going through.
The US has given a lot of money (over $46 billion) to Ukraine for their military, and also provided additional money for other needs like finance and helping people.
The leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, attacked Ukraine in a big way in February 2022.
Qatar has found eight Indian citizens guilty of espionage and has given them the punishment of death. This decision was made after the Indian government reported that these individuals were detained in Doha last year.
On Thursday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed being very surprised by the decision and promised to discuss the matter with authorities in Qatar.
The statement said that we are talking to the family and lawyers and looking into all the legal choices available to us.
The people from India who used to work in the Indian Navy have been identified as ex-servicemen. This information was mentioned in a letter written by the External Affairs Minister, S, and the letter is dated December 23 of the previous year. Jaishankar, who was shared by Indian lawmaker Manish Tewari, on a social media platform called X, previously known as Twitter.
Tewari says he received a letter as a response to his concerns about the unfair imprisonment of retired Navy officers, which he had raised in parliament.
MajorGeneral(retired) Satbir Singh, who leads the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, said that the families of the men were very sad and upset.
“He said that these guys went to teach the Qatar Navy people, but now they are getting accused for spying. ”
Singh said the group has been supporting the men since they were kept in custody last year. They have been sending letters to important Indian government officials, like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to fight for their rights.
Out of the group of eight people, seven were in charge and one was a person who worked on a ship, according to what he said.
They are all older men who have different health problems that require care. The families are very upset and saddened by the news,” Singh said.
The Indian government did not provide any specific information about the accusations or the final decision. They also didn’t reveal the names of the people involved. However, they mentioned that the individuals were working for a company called Al Dahra, which is located in Qatar.
According to the United Nations, there are many Indian workers in Qatar. They make up a big part of the 2 million foreigners who work in the country. In fact, 95% of all workers in Qatar are from other countries.
India has stated that it is looking into all possible legal actions after a court in Qatar gave a death sentence to eight former Indian naval officers, without specifying the charges.
According to reports, the men, who had jobs with a private company in Qatar, were arrested last year because they were believed to be spying.
Both Qatar and India have not told everyone what they are being charged with.
On Thursday, the government of India expressed their strong surprise and said they will discuss the decision with the authorities in Qatar.
India’s foreign ministry said that it is waiting for the detailed judgment and considers this case to be very important.
“We are staying in contact with the family and legal team. We are looking into all the legal choices we have. We cannot say more about this right now because the case details are confidential. ”
The text says that these men are workers for a company called Al Dahra, but many reports say that they used to work in the Indian Navy. Last year, in the government, the foreign minister called them “former soldiers” of the country. Some families have also told the local media about the identities and backgrounds of the men who serve in the Navy.
They were arrested last August and it was big news in India. However, not much is known about the charges against them.
According to The Hindu newspaper, the men were accused of doing something wrong with important information, but neither of the governments have confirmed this. The BBC could not check if the allegations were true on its own, but it has asked the Qatar embassy some questions.
Some smart people say that the current problems between two countries could have a negative effect on their relationship. There are more than 700,000 people from India in Qatar and we have a strong connection for trade and business. According to Former Indian ambassador to Qatar, Deepa Gopalan, the Indian government is closely monitoring the case and may have to address it at a high level to make sure that the lives of the people involved are protected.
In December, Mr. Jaishankar said that the government was talking with Qatar about a very delicate situation.
We prioritize their interests above everything else. Ambassadors and top officials frequently communicate with the government of Qatar. He said that they are our top priority.
Many people from India live in the Gulf region, and many of them have jobs that don’t require much skill and pay lower wages.
These migrant workers have been very important in developing the economies of Gulf Arab states and they also send a lot of money back to India.
The United States has attacked two places where Iran’s Revolutionary Guards keep their weapons and ammunition in eastern Syria.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the airstrikes happened because Iranian-supported armed groups attacked US bases in Iraq and Syria recently.
He said that the US strikes were different from the fighting happening between Israel and Hamas.
Iran has not yet responded or made a statement about the matter.
The attacks happened on Friday morning around 4:30 in Abu Kamal, a town near the Iraq border.
We don’t know yet if anyone was hurt or killed in the attacks.
American and allied soldiers have been targeted in Iraq 12 times and in Syria 4 times during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Pentagon says that 21 US military personnel were hurt but not seriously.
American officials say that the attacks were done by Iranian groups who are working together with other groups in that area. Iran supports both Hamas, which is in charge of Gaza, and Hezbollah, which operates in Lebanon, by giving them weapons and financial assistance.
Mr Austin said that the attacks on US forces by Iran-backed groups are not acceptable and need to be stopped.
“If Iran’s allies keep attacking our forces, we will do whatever it takes to keep our people safe. ”
The White House announced on Thursday that President Joe Biden had sent a special message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, advising them not to attack US personnel in the Middle East.
During a meeting at the United Nations in New York, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, cautioned that the United States would also face consequences if the violence in Gaza persists.
The United States has sent military ships and planes to the area recently. On Thursday, a US official mentioned that approximately 900 US soldiers were being relocated to the area.
American military bases in the Middle East have been attacked in the past, and as a result, the United States has responded by launching counterattacks.
In March, the United States did many air attacks in eastern Syria against groups connected to Iran. They did this because a drone attack killed an American worker.
A Member of Parliament from India, who often strongly disagrees with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his political party (BJP), is involved in a disagreement over claims of bad behavior in the parliament.
Nishikant Dubey, a member of the BJP party, is saying that Mahua Moitra, who is an MP from the TMC party, is taking money to ask questions in parliament.
Mr Dubey is saying that Ms. Moitra asked questions about the Adani Group, which is a big business owned by a wealthy man named Gautam Adani, in return for receiving presents and money from a businessman.
Ms Moitra has said that she didn’t do what she’s accused of and is willing to be investigated. A group of lawmakers who make decisions about what is right and wrong in politics began discussing the situation on Thursday.
Political experts say that the committee cannot punish Ms. Moitra, even if it decides against her, because it doesn’t have the authority to enforce its decisions. The house will need to review the recommendation and decide if they want to approve or refuse it. If Ms Moitra is forced to leave parliament, she can question the decision in court.
In January, the money activities of the Adani Group were looked into after a company called Hindenburg Research accused them of cheating and making false financial records for many years. Hindenburg Research is a company from the US that focuses on making money by betting against certain stocks. The Adani Group said the allegations are not true and called the report mean-spirited.
Since then, Ms Moitra and many lawmakers from the opposition have requested the government to investigate the accusations against the Adani Group. India’s market regulator, called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), is currently looking into the accusations against the company.
What has occurred up until now.
On 15 October, Mr Dubey sent a letter to the head of the parliamentary group, sharing information he got from a lawyer called Jai Anant Dehadrai.
Mr Dubey said that Mr. Dehadrai, who Ms. Moitra called a bitter ex-partner, had provided undeniable proof of bribes being exchanged between her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The intention behind this was to target the Adani Group and Mr.
People think Mr. Adani is friends with Mr. Modi and politicians from the opposing party have accused him of unfairly benefiting from this friendship. Adani and the BJP party deny these allegations.
Mr Dubey said that until recently, 50 out of 61 questions asked by Ms. Moitra in parliament were about the Adani Group. He also accused her of taking bribes totaling 20 million rupees ($240,542; £197,700) from Mr. Hiranandani.
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Ms Moitra has said that the accusations are not true and she has taken legal action against Mr Dubey, Mr Dehadrai, and various news organizations for damaging her reputation.
The Hiranandani Group denied the allegations. On 20 October, it was said that Mr. Hiranandani gave a written statement to the parliament’s ethics committee. In the statement, he changed his position and said that Ms. Moitra had purposely focused on Mr. Adani and his businesses to gain fame.
He also said that Ms Moitra shared her parliamentary login information with him so he could ask questions for her when needed.
News agencies quickly reported on the supposed affidavit, but Ms. Moitra expressed doubts about its authenticity in a press release on X.
The paper that the document is written on is not official or certified. Why would a highly respected and educated businessman from India agree to sign a letter like this on plain white paper, unless someone forced him to do it by holding a gun to his head.
Darshan Hiranandani has not been asked to come for questioning by the CBI, the Ethics Committee, or any other investigative agency in India so far. Who did he give this written statement to, she added.
The day after Mr. Dubey made his claims, a representative for the Adani Group said that Mr. Dehadrai’s complaint shows that there has been a plan since 2018 to damage the reputation and interests of the Adani Group and its Chairman Gautam Adani.
The TMC has not made a clear decision on the matter. Derek O’Brien, a lawmaker from the party, said that the leaders of TMC will wait for the report from the ethics panel before making a suitable choice.
The disagreement has become a big news story because Ms Moitra is seen as an important politician who has connected with both city and countryside voters in West Bengal. Her supporters say that the BJP is creating this controversy as a strategy to harm Mr. Moitra’s popularity with voters before the general elections in 2024.
From someone who works with money to someone who makes decisions in the government
Before joining the TMC in 2010, Ms. Moitra worked as a banker. At the beginning of her political career, she mainly focused on the state level and worked closely with ordinary voters.
In the 2019 parliamentary election, she ran for office in Krishnanagar, West Bengal. She had to show that she could represent the many voters in poverty. Poverty line is a way to measure how well someone or their family is living.
Ms Moitra won the elections with a lot more votes than the other candidates, almost 60,000 more votes.
Ms Moitra, in her first speech in parliament, said that India had been seeing “indications of fascism” under the BJP government. The speech became very popular on social media and people had different opinions about it. Some people praised her for being honest, but others criticized her for scaring people.
Ms Moitra has now become a well-known person in the TMC, a political party that already has Mamata Banerjee, a powerful female leader in charge.
Ms Banerjee, a strong speaker, is part of a group that wants to challenge Mr Modi’s BJP in the upcoming election. In 2021, she openly criticized Ms Moitra for causing conflicts within their party. People who study politics are paying attention to what Ms. Banerjee will say or do in response to the ongoing problem.
Freeze all PF accounts, Ngona directs banks as he puts Nakacinda, Lubinda on ice
MORGAN Ngona has directed ZANACO and Atlas Mara Banka to freeze all accounts belonging to the Patriotic Front until new signatories are availed to them.
The Miles Sampa-appointed PF Secretary General has also ordered Given Lubinda and Raphael Nakacinda to stop holding any activities in the name of the party.
In a letter addressed to the PF president vice-president who appointed Nakacinda as Secretary General, Ngona stated; ” My office has noted your constant illegal activities in the name of the PF”.
Ngona told the duo that the October extraordinary general conference had passed a resolution to expel them from the party for various reasons including their continued disregard of court injunctions which resulted in multiple contempt of court cases currently awaiting judgments.
He said Lubinda and Nakacinda had also been expelled from the party for their “illegal holding of the entire PF hostage for your private agenda”.
“In view of the above, you are directed to stop masquerading as acting PF president as the Party now has an elected President in the name of Hon. Miles Sampa,” he stated.
“As you are not a member of the PF, any further impersonation or activity in the name of the party will be deemed criminal and by copy of this letter, the Police Command is hereby informed,” he added.
The letter which has been copied to the Chief Executive Officers of ZANACO and Atlas also stated; “Copies in Commercial Banks are hereby also notified to freeze the PF bank accounts until documents of new signatories are submitted”.
The former ruling party has been plunged by dramatic infighting since losing power in 2021 but the political theatre escalated to Hollywood levels when a controversially-convened extraordinary general conference elected Miles Sampa as new President on Tuesday.
Sampa’s opponents have protested the election calling it illegal but their efforts to stop him from carrying out party presidential duties have hit a snug as they have failed to locate and serve him an ex-parte interim injunction.
In the meantime, Ngona has kept the media with announcements of sweeping changes and latest developments in the party.
“SAMPA’S SHAM RETREAT WAS COOKED UP AT COMMUNITY HOUSE,” PF
…We are aware money exchanged hands…
Thu. Oct 26, 2023/ Smart Eagles
The Patriotic Front has revealed that the Miles Sampa misconduct and bogus Mulungushi Conference centre gathering which he masqueraded as a PF General Conference, was proudly sponsored by none other than President Hakainde Hichilema , Mwimbu , Siandenge and Akafumba at the advise of Mr Levy Ngoma .
And speaking at the PF Secretariat in Lusaka this morning. Patriotic Front Secretary General, Hon. Raphael M. Nakacinda stated that out of decency, the party has withheld voice conversations and correspondence between senior UNPD officials because they hope President Hichilema’s conscience can guide him to do the right thing and stop the wrong activities he is doing against the PF .
“We are aware of instructions from Mr Jack Mwimbu to the Police. We are aware that money exchanged hands , we are aware of an instruction that the Chief Registra at the Registra of SOCIETIES report to her office at 7 o’clock yesterday hoping Miles would have his papers in order so that by 8 , they would effect change of office bearers of the PF. We are aware of this criminal enterprise maneuvers,” he said .
And SG Nakacinda bemoaned that Presisent Hichilema had since 2021 moved in to paralyse and cripple 2 very critical arms of government , the executive and the judiciary, through nepotism and tribalism.
He said the judiciary was, therefore, on trial to demonstrate that they are acting as an independent arm of government that they are supposed to be .
SG Nakacinda has since urged the Chief Registra to stand on her intergrity and refuse to be used to conduct an illegality on behalf of community house , stating that if they insist on giving her instructions to do wrongful acts, she insist that they put it in writing so that when the day of reckoning arrives, she would have records to prove she had been acting under duress and cohesion.
Nakacinda has since urged all PF Members to remain steadfast and not be distracted by the Machinations of the UPND and President Hichilema of attempting to destabilise the biggest opposition in the nation, the Patriotic Front.
On 7th October, 2023, President Hakainde Hichilema apppointed veteran administrator, Peter Mumba as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy.
This decision was made because of a brewing crisis looming because of failure to obtain diesel supply for the month of September and October, 2023.
The Permanent Secretary Like the supply of fertiliser, the oil sector attracts big boys with support heavy lobbying done through the President, State House aides and Ministers and their Permanent Secretaries and the casualties are usually civil servants as seen in this reshuffle.
On the latest debate on the oil crisis and its procurement, here are the details.
In July 2023, the Ministry of Energy offered opportunities to oil companies; Devon Oil Zambia Limited, Agro-Fuel Investments and Puma Energy Zambia PLC to supply Low Sulphur Gas Oil through the TAZAMA Pipeline for the months of September, October and November 2023.
DEVON OIL ZAMBIA LTD
Devon Oil is a thriving and upcoming local supplier.
On 22nd August 2023 Glencore Energy UK Ltd Director, Louise Bullen, wrote to Devon Oil Zambia to express interest to supply diesel to Zambia through Devon Oil. Glencore Energy offered 100million litres.
“We hope to be given the opportunity to discuss the terms of a potential supply of diesel during September 2023 through the port of Dar-es-Salaam.”
On 1st September, 2023 Devon Oil Zambia Managing Director, Mr. Chombe Gondwe accepted the partnership with Glencore Energy to supply fuel to Zambia in September 2023.
He promptly submitted the assurances to the Ministry of Energy.
On 1st September 2023, Ministry of Energy offered a contract to Devon Oil Zambia to supply 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel within the stipulated period of September 2023 through the TAZAMA Pipeline.
The Ministry was emphatic that Devon Oil Zambia was granted the approval but the authority would not extend beyond September 2023.
Devon Oil was were also reminded that the petroleum products must have a landed price below the Energy Regulation Board regulated wholesale price.
Devon proceeded to make arrangements with the TAZAMA and the pipeline was left free for the entire month of September to allow the company to use the period for importation of the commodity.
On 16th September, 2023 Devon Oil wrote to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy to inform them that Glencore had advised Petroleum Bulk Procurement Agency of Tanzania about the nomination of Mt. Haima, an oil products tanker ship vessel, of its arrival dates between 26th September and 30 September 2023 at the Port of Dar-es-Salaam.
Devon also requested that the Energy Ministry in Zambia intervenes with authorities in Tanzania for the vessel Mt. Haima consigned by Glencore Energy UK ltd to be given priority berthing-a process of mooring a ship in its allotted place for it to discharge its cargo.
This allocation had to be at a Single Point Mooring, a designated place to accommodate deep draft tankers while they transfer crude oil or petroleum products.
On 18th September, 2023, the Permanent Secretary wrote an urgent letter to the counterpart, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Tanzania requesting the Vessel, Mt. Haima, be given priority berthing during the laycan (a ship’s arrival window) of 26th September and 30th September 2023.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that in Zambia’s national and security interests, it was important that the vessel bringing fuel for the month of September was granted priority access to port facilities.
On 21st September, 2023, Eng. Felchesmi Mramba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, acknowledged that Tanzania had given Zambia increased and speedy access to port facility following the conversion of TAZAMA Pipeline to carry finished products.
He however, informed Zambia that Tanzania was facing a critical fuel shortage and had made long-term planning and the State-owned oil enterprise-Petroleum Bulk Procurement System, had lined up vessels in priority for the month of September to berth in order attend to the fuel crisis in Tanzania.
He stated that in view of the above and due to a very short Notice given to the authorities by Zambia and market supply challenges in Tanzania, the vessel Mt. Haima from Glencore Energy UK could not be given priority berthing.
He however stated that Tanzania would continue to assist the country on security of supply for the national interest of Zambia.
Fearing a shortage of fuel in the country, the Minister of Energy cancelled the offer and approval granted to Devon Oil Zambia on 1st September 2023 in which they were to supply Low Sulphur Gasoil by month-end.
The Minister reminded Devon Oil that their supply was restricted to the month of September 2023 and the company had failed to fulfil the terms of the contract.
Devon/Glencore ship Haima carrying 100metric tonnes of Gasoil was sold to a Tanzanian supplier called Augusta Energy who had a berthing slot for end of October for the Tanzanian market.
The tanker was sold to Augusta Energy of Tanzania.
AGRO-FUEL INVESTMENTS
In 2022, Agro-Fuel Investments Ltd was awarded to supply and deliver 100,000metric tonnes of Low Sulphur Gas Oil and 15,000 metric tonnes to finalize the conversion of the TAZAMA Pipeline to become a carrier of finished products.
The firm is also a local and Zambian owned company run by Shashikant Patel.
Shashi, as he is known in the private sector once ran one of the oldest Public Private Partnership concession, the Mpulungu Harbour.
Agro-Fuel has since obtained further contracts to supply diesel to the Ministry of Energy.
Recently, Agro-Fuel were notified by TAZAMA that the company would be unable to use the pipeline during the month of September 2023 as the facility had been granted to Devon Oil Ltd to use it for their importation of petroleum products during the September 2023 period.
TAZAMA advised Agro-Fuels to reschedule the use of the pipeline to October 2023.
In September, 2023 Agro Fuels managed to secure berthing time for their vessels to discharge 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel on 25th October and 27th October, 2023.
PUMA ENERGY ZAMBIA PLC
On 21st September 2021, PUMA Energy proposed that it was capable of supplying fuel to Zambia through TAZAMA Pipeline at a competitive and fair price. PUMA stated that the company could supply diesel within a period of 20 days if there were no challenges at the Dar-es-Salaam Port.
Recently the Ministry of Energy had also written to Puma Energy to confirm that following the company proposal to supply 100,000metric tonnes of Low Sulphur Diesel as proposed in their letter dated 21st September 2023 and has requested PUMA Energy to reconfirm delivery dates for their diesel.
IS THE PIPELINE HELPING IN THE PRICE OF FUEL
There has been marginal improvement in the pump price since the Tazama Pipeline online.
Before the TAZAMA Pipeline came on board to transport finished products, the pump price of diesel was higher than petrol.
PRICES OF FUEL BEFORE PIPELINE CONVERSION
For example, in January 2023, the pump price for Petrol was at K24.49 but diesel was selling at K26.44, In February 2023, petrol was K27.22 while diesel was at K29.25 and in March 2023, Petrol was selling at K28.52 while diesel was selling at K29.25.
PRICES AFTER PIPELINE CONVERSION
In April 2023, the pump price of petrol was K27.59 while diesel fell to K26.28. In May 2023 petrol was selling at K27.59 and diesel at K24.64.
In June 2023, the price of diesel was at K24.45 while diesel fell to K21.87. In July diesel was at K24.93 while diesel remained at K21.87.
In August 2023, Petrol was at K25.57 while diesel was priced at K23.36. In September 2023, Petrol was selling at K29.42 while diesel was at K26.88. In October 2023, petrol was at K29.98 while diesel was just about K29.96.
As shown above, the price of diesel has fallen marginally down since the TAZAMA Pipeline came on board. No photo description available.
Investigation reveals how Kapala blocked importation of cheaper fuel
By Mukosha Funga Njenga AN investigation has revealed that Energy Minister Peter Kapala cancelled a contract for the importation of cheaper fuel by Devon Oil Zambia Limited, before giving preference to Agro-Fuel Investment, a company that is under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Zambia has been battling with high fuel prices, with petrol and diesel selling at around K30 per litter, the highest that the commodity has ever been sold at.
Two weeks ago, President Hakainde Hichilema, while swearing in Peter Mumba as new Energy Permanent Secretary, said the increased fuel prices had pushed the cost of living higher, and urged the regulatory authority to switch from monthly price reviews in order to allow businesses and households to plan.
On Wednesday, president of the Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia Dr Kafula Mubanga charged that Kapala was engaging in economic sabotage by single-sourcing Agro-Fuel.
On the same day, the Anti-Corruption Commission announced that it was investigating allegations of corruption in the irregular award of a tender for the supply of diesel and the cleaning of TAZAMA Pipeline to Agro Fuels by the Ministry of Energy.
According to PACRA records, Agro-Fuel Investment Limited is owned and controlled by Shashikant Patel, a Zambian businessman of Indian origin, along with two other minority shareholders namely Juzer Mustakali Sadikot and Ajay Patel.
Well-placed political sources tell News Diggers that Patel is among ‘important’ businessmen who contributed funding to the ruling UPND during campaigns ahead of the 2021 general elections, and that he has a close relationship with energy minister Kapala.
Recently, when the government passed a Statutory Instrument to change the usage of the TAZAMA Pipeline from transporting crude oil to finished petroleum products, the Ministry of Energy allegedly single sourced Patel’s company, Agro-Fuel, to clean up the pipeline in preparation for open access usage by all government-contracted fuel suppliers.
After the cleanup exercise, however, Agro-Fuel took over the government-owned pipeline for exclusive usage to supply low sulfur diesel, disadvantaging other oil marketing companies that are transporting the commodity by road.
On October 12, Energy Regulation Board Chairperson Reynolds Bowa confirmed to News Diggers that there was no competition among OMCs on the usage of the TAZAMA pipeline as earlier envisaged by the government because only one company was using…
By Prince Bill M. Kaping’a Political/Social Analyst
Day by day, Sean Tembo, leader of a nondescript political establishment is fast proving himself to the public as a raw, uncouth and uncultured politician. Why do we say so?
Whenever he try to engage in political discourse or dialogue of any kind, be it splashing his thoughts or going live on Social media, he chooses to use the most corrosive, condescending, insulting and vile language! Surely, is this the way we should be conducting our politics in this era of Social media when our children are ever fidgeting with handsets in pursuit of knowledge or anything entertaining?
Tembo probably thinks he’s endearing himself to the public by electing to unleash expletives on Facebook once in a while. To the contrary, he’s being a bad example to the youth of this country and probably his own children as they are likely to take it as normal to use insulting language.
We will cite a few examples: Commenting on the affordable mealie meal that ZNS is offloading through some chain stores to cushion the impact of the exploitative price of our staple food; he wrote on his Facebook page, “Bally selling few bags of ZNS mealie meal using Shoprite to create a perception of low prices is equal to masturbation.” Say what! Language experts would be quick to explain to you this does not only constitute hate speech, but is equally insulting to the head of state since he’s the subject in this sentence.
In another video which has gone viral on Facebook whereby he’s complaining about the torture occasioned on him by the police at a location in Makeni, he claims that the cops had to use pliers to squeeze his scrotum, hence making it swollen. It’s a pity if such a thing happened to our brother; but surely, couldn’t he have found palatable or politically correct language to use such as ‘private parts’ as opposed to perforating the ear drums of little children with his strong language?
What Tembo is doing isn’t the best way to showcase himself to the general public as a fearless man that doesn’t fear anyone! Not even Julius Malema, the South African outspoken opposition leader uses such kind of coarse and graphic language as he engages with his perceived opponents. We know everyone is desperate to go to Plot 1 Independence Avenue but let us try to civil at all times!
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has warned Zimbabweans of crippling power cuts for the next 30 days owing to technical faults at Hwange Power Station and procedural maintenance of Hwange Unit 7, which was synchronized in March 2023.
The power utility said Hwange Unit 7 will be taken off grid for 30 days, a move that will see load shedding increasing.
“ZESA Holdings would like to inform its valued customers that it is experiencing depressed generation owing to technical faults, which have recently happened at Hwange Power Station. This occurrence has resulted in increased load shedding.
“Furthermore, we wish to notify Stakeholders that the Hwange Unit 7, which was synchronized in March 2023, is scheduled to undergo Class C Maintenance, a statutory procedure that requires the Unit to be taken off the grid after running for a defined period.
“This work is expected to be completed within 30 days.
“Please be assured that we are working around the clock to implement measures aimed at reducing the severity of load shedding.
“Valued Customers are encouraged to use electricity sparingly.,” ZESA said.
Energy regulator, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) this week approved ZESA’s request to raise electricity tariffs by USc2/kWh.
ZESA said its previous tariff was too “sub economic” to maintain power supply and service debts.
Officially opening the 2023 Annual Congress of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) on Thursday, Industry and Commerce Minister Sithembiso Nyoni said:
“Government has availed appropriate fiscal incentives, access to foreign currency and is undertaking efforts in the provision of sufficient energy through the rehabilitation of Power Stations in order to have an enabling environment for industrialisation.”
Zimbabwe’s neighbor, South Africa is also facing electricity challenges. The World Bank Board has since released a US$1 billion Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support the government of South Africa’s efforts to promote long-term energy security and a low carbon transition.
“The loan endorses a significant and strategic response to South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, and the country’s goal of transitioning to a just and low carbon economy.
“South Africa has been facing an ongoing energy crisis which has had a marked negative impact on productivity and safety, at a time when the country has been working to implement a just transition to a low carbon economy.
“In 2022, electricity cuts, known as load shedding, averaged eight hours per day, costing 2-3%of GDP growth to the economy,” the World Bank noted.
During a recent interview on The Word With Jackie Rae, Tory Lanez’s attorneys Crystal Morgan and Michael Hayden spoke on the performer’s 10-year prison sentence. For those who don’t know, he’s behind bars for shooting Megan Thee Stallion outside of a party back in 2020. Though he’s maintained his innocence, a judge handed him the decade-long sentence in August.
His second motion for release on bail is currently pending, after the judge denied his first request last month. Most spectators believe that they’ve got a pretty decent grasp on what took place the night of the shooting. His legal team, however, claims that there’s much more to the story than the public knows. Morgan even says that she would tell the whole story herself, if it were ethical.
Attorneys Speak On Tory Lanez’s Case
“There is a lot of shroud and mystery around this,” she explained. “The full story didn’t come out — I think a lot of people want to hear it. If I was able to say it, I would share with the world, but ethically I cannot say it and it’s not my story to share.”
Morgan continued, describing how she believes that Lanez is having such a tough time appealing his case due to the public’s perception of him. “Our justice system overall has kind of moved from ‘innocent until you’re proven guilty’ to ‘guilty and you have to prove you’re innocent,’” she said. “So I really find that like with not just Tory Lanez’s case but a lot of our cases, we’re in a uphill battle because, y’know, people’s minds are already made up.”
It remains unclear what kind of new details the “full story” includes, and whether or not they could point to Lanez being innocent. What do you think of Tory Lanez’s attorneys claiming there’s more to the story of Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg’s legacy as the star MCs of Death Row Records is virtually unmatched within not just the West Coast, but hip-hop as a whole. Tha Doggfather remains one of rap’s most important leading gurus, whereas ‘Pac remains arguably the most influential rapper of all time. However, interest in the two doesn’t just revolve around their current moves and, in Shakur’s case, his tragic murder.
Moreover, nothing matches those early days in many’s eyes, whether due to their artistry, their groundbreaking characters, or their iconic style. On that last point, some iced-out pieces that the two spitters once owned could sell for a massive pile of cash at an upcoming auction.
Furthermore, GottaHaveRockAndRoll.com claimed to TMZ Hip Hop that they got their hands on Snoop Dogg and Tupac’s diamond-encrusted Death Row pendants. They will soon go up for auction, along with many other items from the Suge Knight-fronted record label’s heyday.
Apparently, the outlet got them from Reggie Wright Jr., the Row’s former head of security. From what these reports allege, Suge commissioned various chains for his artists to borrow, and set aside these 14-karat “Fully Iced” pieces for ‘Pac and Snoop. As such, hopeful buyers expect them to go up for anywhere between $500K and $1 million.
Tupac & Snoop Dogg In 1996
Not only that, but a couple of partial diamond pendants will also be available, and folks think they could sell for any price point between $200K and $500K. In terms of other items available, there’s also Tupac’s SNL memorabilia from 1996, including a performance envelope and a personalized ticket. Those are expected to range from $8K to $12K, and is part of an online bidding structure.
It opened today (Thursday, October 26) via Gotta Have Rock And Roll and will close on November 10. This is a part of the outlet’s celebration of rap’s 50-year anniversary.
Do you think that you’ll try to get your hands on any of these items or are those price tags too steep? How else do you think Death Row’s legacy will endure? Let us know what you think about all this down in the comments below. Also, stay logged into HNHH for more news and updates on Death Row, Tupac Shakur, and Snoop Dogg.
David de Gea might be in for a surprise. United is coming back to the club after being away for three months.
After 12 years with United, the player’s contract finished on June 30, and he left the team in July.
At one point, it looked like he would stay at Old Trafford, but the club pulled their contract offer, and De Gea wrote an emotional statement about leaving.
Erik ten Hag chose to replace him with Andre Onana from Inter Milan for £43.8 million. He had worked with Onana at Ajax.
People say that United told De Gea to wait to find a new team until they had signed Onana. On Tuesday night, Onana saved a last-second penalty against Copenhagen.
But the United goalkeeper who has been with the team the longest is still a free agent, despite a number of ties.
In an amazing change of events, Neil Custis of The Sun says the Red Devils want to bring De Gea back to the team.
The story says United is ready to offer the 32-year-old a short-term deal because Onana will be away for the Africa Cup of Nations.
When he signed with United, Onana had quit playing football for Cameroon because he didn’t agree with the boss, Rigobert Song.
But after being out of action for 10 months, the former Barcelona young player made a big change and was called back to the team in August.
United could be without their first-choice goalie for up to eight games while he is at the AFCON. He has played twice since then.
From January 13 to February 11, the event takes place. Cameroon is in Group C, along with Gambia, Guinea, and the top seed, Senegal.
Alay Bayindir, a second goalkeeper that United bought for £4.3 million from Fenerbahce, moved from that team.
It’s still too early for him to play for the club. Tom Heaton, who came back to United for a second time, is their third-choice goalie.
United is worried, though, that they won’t have enough help between the posts for a key time.
The winner of the Premier League Golden Gloves De Gea might be able to help right away, and he just got back from seeing his old friends in Manchester.
With a picture of himself and captain Bruno Fernandes, he made United fans lose it.
As a player, De Gea made £375,000 a week and played 545 times for the club before he left.
MUNDUBILE REMAINS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT -AMB. MWAMBA
…Makebi Zulu Advocates remain lawyers of and for the Patriotic Front…
Lusaka-Thursday 26th October 2023
Please note that there are no changes that the Patriotic Front has made at Parliament or anywhere else.
We must state that Hon.Brian Mundubile MP, remains Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
Further note that Mr. Miles Sampa remains expelled from the Patriotic Front and we have qritten to the Speaker to have the seat deckared vacant as there is no court challenge to our decision.
Further, the Lusaka High Court granted the Injunction to the Patriotic Front and stated that Mr. Sampa is NOT a member of the Patriotic Front.
“It is hereby ordered that the defendant be and is hereby restrained from holding himself out as a member of the Patriotic Front, a party functionary of the Patriotic Front Party or a leader of the Patriotic Front”, reads the High Court Order.
The Court injunction restrains Mr. Sampa, his agents or his servants to behave or present themselves as members of the Patriotic Front.
Any letter that is issued by other persons other than the Secretary General, Hon.Raphael Nakacinda is good evidence and will form part of contempt proceedings.
Further, we are putting Kalemba online newspaper and other zealous media organisations, on Notice. For Kalemba we may include its editor, Mr. Salim Daweood for contempt. Kalemba has been at the forefront of purveying contemptous material that flies in the face of the Court Order and the online paper is constantly issuing gross misinformation about this matter.
To our knowledge no changes have been made at the Registrar of Societies as reported by Kalemba and others.
If any changes were or would be done at the Registrar of Societies, it will be a flagrant violation of the High Court order that states;
“It is further ordered that the defendants is restrained from approaching the Registrar of Societies to effect any changes to the Register of members of the Patriotic Front Party as it appears at the Registrar of Societies either by himself, his agents, servants or whosoever “.
We have also reported to the Zambia Police all the documents written or issued or uttered so far by Mr. Sampa or his agents, as the documents are forgeries.
We hope the Police will pursue these criminal investigations.
Issued by; Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Chairperson for Information and Publicity Member of the Central Committee PATRIOTIC FRONT
UPND IS A “DESPOTIC REGIME” EVEN PREPARED TO FIGHT ITS OWN COURTS Leader of the opposition in Parliament.
………….as Mr. Mundubile asks, ” how safe are even investors if the UPND regime can disrespect court order
Kelvin Sichizya in Kasama
October 26, 2023- Kasama- Leader of the opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile has said the UPND government is a “despotic regime” which even investors should never trust becuase it can and will continue to break its own laws as long as it protects itself
But Mr. Mundubile says the UPND leadership can continue to do anything while they have the time but warns that the PF Movement will handle matters adquately when time is right.
Speaking on Kasama radio last night, Mr. Mundubile who is also the Mporokoso Central Member of Parliament and PF Presidential hopeful said, the UPND government was a “despotic regime” which was “unconstitutional, undemocratic”, which he said was overlooking court orders as though it was above the law
He said his party was going to investigate the Eagle mealie meal suspected to be GMO to feed Zambians but said when the suspicion is confirmed, ” someone must resign”.
And Lukashya Member of Parliament in Kasama who accompanied the leader of the opposition has charged that the UPND Government has for a long time tried to scandlise the PF leadership involving MPs, Mayors and Councillors but said, it had failed leaving the party intact
“Every political party has controls and for the Police to give Miles Sampa the authority to hold a convention within hours to go breaking the law by holding a retreat they termed as convention, it makes us understand what the UPND regime means”.
The two PF leaders bemoarned the demise of former Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa and former Finance Minister Ng’andu Magande
They noted that the current Finance Minister Musokotwane failed to learn anything about prudent management of resources from Mr. Magande when he served under him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mundubile has called on Zambians to remove President Haakainde Hichilema in 2026 saying it was very clear that the President had failed ” just as First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda had warned before he died”
He said it was unfortunate that Zambians were celebrating the 59th Independence Anniversary under such difficult conditions where they lacked food and medicines in hospitals.
Violence, caderism caused PF to lose power – Emmanuel Mwamba
VIOLENCE, caderism and abuse of police caused the PF to lose power in 2021, Emmanuel Mwamba has said warning the UPND not to go the same route.
Featuring on UNZA radio this morning, Mwamba said the party was now working on transforming its approach to politics and distancing itself from a history marred by violence.
Mwamba, who is PF chairperson for information and publicity pointed out that the fact that party youths did not storm the Mulungushi International Conference centre on Tuesday to violently halt Miles Sampa’s illegal General conference was testament of transformation.
“The PF of old would have stormed that area. Lusaka would have come to a stand still,” Mwamba said.
“Not that we don’t have the capacity, even now we can call our cadres, that there is someone who wants to destroy PF and they would have turned up in thousands at Mulungushi (Conference Center),” he said.
Mwamba said the party was working on efforts to regain the trust and confidence of the Zambian people.
He stressed that the PF was the only party voted out of power not because of a lack of work but due to a history of political violence.
Mwamba stated, “The PF remains the only party that was voted out not because they didn’t work but because of violence.”
His sentiments came in the wake of a challenge from the radio moderator who said the PF had no moral right to condemn the government for alleged abuse of police because they also did the same when they were in power.
Mwamba responded by acknowledging that such incidents were reasons why the PF was voted out of power, emphasizing the people’s desire for a free environment where individuals, could express their views without intimidation.
Mwamba stressed, “Do you know why the PF were punished? The PF were punished because of cadreism, political violence, and abuse of the police. Zambians rejected this type of politics.”
“So why would the UPND begin to repeat the mistakes that were rejected by Zambians? It means they don’t understand why they were elected,” Mwamba added.
Mwamba reiterated the PF’s commitment to transforming its political practices and distancing itself from violence.
Mwamba further disregarded Sampa as the the PF president stating that the convention was illegally conducted without proper procedure by a suspended member of the party.
MEDIA STATEMENT MADE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT THE PARTY
SECRETARIAT
ON Thursday, 12 October 2023, a Mr. Morgan Ng’ona wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor at Mulungushi University in Kabwe. Mr. Ng’ona claimed that the Patriotic Front was going to have an annual retreat to commemorate
independence week.
The letter on the Patriotic Front letterhead read;
SUBJECT; INDEPENDENT RETREAT
‘Our Club will be holding one of our annual retreat for our selected members
expected to be around 500. It will be a one night gathering of which we apply to
your institution to use your venue for the convenience of accommodation and
meals (lunch, supper and breakfast) for one day. Once invoiced and price acceptable, we will make payment soonest towards the Independence week.
We submit for your consideration purely to also boost the existing University own
auxiliary or additional income raising project.”
We were immediately made aware of this letter as the University authorities
wanted more details about the event.
A casual scrutiny of the document immediately revealed that the letterhead
was a forgery and Mr. Morgan Ng’ona was identified a previous member of the
Patriotic Front who initially came from Ndola and settled in Matero.
He became a close associate of Mr. Miles Sampa. In 2022, Mr., Ng’ona defected with other officials to a rival Opposition party.
In October 2022, when the Party invited persons expressing to stand as president of the Patriotic Front, Mr. Ng’ona, although well-known to have defected to a rival
Opposition party, was seen accompanying Mr. Miles Sampa to the Secretariat.
We immediately reported to the Zambia Police the forgery and urged them to arrest Mr. Ng’ona for purporting to be a convenor.
No action was taken by the Police.
During the same period, our members in Eastern Province and Western Province
reported strange and suspicious activities being conducted by the two characters identified as Nkonge Musubilwa also known as Chama America and Victor Kapungwe also known as Mr. Ground. The duo was inviting members of the Patriotic Front to join them in Lusaka for a Conference.
We called both Chambeshi and Kasama District party leadership over the status
of these two characters.
We were informed that the two do not belong to the Patriotic as demonstrated by their social-media videos in which the two can ppear and regularly insult both the leadership and the party. In one of the videos Chama America praises both Mr. Miles Sampa and President Hakainde Hichilema for buying them smart phones and pledge to heighten their work….” tulechitoba ci PF…No Miles Sampa, No PF”, they say.
During the Central Committee Meeting held on Sunday 22nd October, 2023, the Meeting made tough decisions to curb the rising indiscipline and meted out punishment to senior leaders who were currently facing disciplinary.
To safeguard the integrity and restore discipline in the Party, the Central
Committee Meeting suspended its National Chairperson, Hon, Davies Chama,
Matero MP, Miles Sampa, Davison Mungandu, Chama South MP and Mafinga MP, Robert Chawinga.
The Central Committee also directed lower organs of the Party to act and formally withdrawal membership to ordinary members who were showing gross indiscipline.
The Meeting directed that the lower organs should make public the membership status of persons such as Chama America and Mr., Ground who were busy scandalizing the Party and causing harm to the Party while masquerading as members of the PF.
On Monday 23rd October,2023 we were informed that Mr. Ng’ona had now
moved to Mulungushi International Conference Centre. He was asking to book
a committee room that could accommodate about 200 persons.
He purported that the Patriotic Front would be holding an Independence Retreat and Party
Workshop for its members on Independence Day, 24th October 2023.
We repeated our call to the Police that the so-called retreat was a fraud and illegal and that the Party, through the Central Committee or any party organ or provincial or district committees had no such activity planned for the day.
We warned that this was a plot by Mr. Miles Sampa to turn it to an illegal Conference.
Our fears were confirmed. We saw one of the biggest security operations was
seen in recent times at Mulungushi International Conference.
Looking at the level of security you would assume that 54 Heads of State were gathered at Mulungushi International Conference for an African Union Meeting.
About 8 Rosa buses arrived with about 200 persons and the entire place was
cordoned off and secured.
Although Zambians were celebrating one of its most auspicious days, the
Independence and the country had a visiting dignitary in Her Excellency, Mrs. Samia Suluhu Hassan, the UPND Government decided to defile this day with the mockery of democracy
This event was properly choreographed. As soon as President Hakainde Hichilema finished the Investiture Ceremony at State House the activity for the so-called workshop began.
Mr. Sampa claimed that he had convened members of the Patriotic Front to an
Extra-Ordinary General Conference. He claimed that the delegates were
attending an elective Conference. The theatrics were completed by a sham
election.
The whole circus was shown live on Prime tv, Kalemba and Mr. Miles Sampa’s
Facebook.
As we all could see for ourselves Mr. Miles Sampa has become the first man in
the world to poll and garner 2,901 votes out of official delegates numbering not
more than 200!
The joke of the Ceremony must be entered in the Guinness World Record for an
election that had 200 delegates but attracted 3,179 total votes!
The Media were not left out the circus. The Media especially ZNBC, Times of
Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Kalemba and Prime Television, who went to great
lengths to call this meeting a Patriotic Front Meeting. These media organisations,
despite showing their own images, read incredulous numbers and participated
in fraudulently calling Mr., Sampa as new PF President.
HOW PATRIOTIC FRONT GENERAL AND EXTRA-ORDINARY CONFERENCES ARE
CALLED AND HELD
In the Central Committee Meeting held in August 2022, the resolved to:
1. Invite presidential candidates to lodge in expression of letters of interest
starting from 1st September 2022 and the closing date for applications was
set for 31st October 2022
2. Prescribed fees of K100,000 for female applicant and K200,000.00 for male
applicants.
3. The Central Committee prescribed that an Extra-Ordinary General
Conference will be held by March,31st 2023.
ON 28th October 2022 The Acting Secretary General Hon. Nixon Chilangwa
announced that he had received successful expression of interest from nine
presidential candidates: He accepted the following expression of interests from:
1. Hon. Greyford Monde
2. Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
3. Dr. Chitalu Chilufya MP
4. Hon. Miles Bwalya Sampa MP5. Hon. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba
6. Dr. Chishimba Kambwili
7. Hon. Brian Mundubile MP
8. Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya MP
9. Mr. Goodward Mulubwa
These names will be submitted to the National Council for scrutiny and approval.
The National Council is the highest policy-making body of the Party in the
intervals between General Conferences and is provided for under Article 48 of
the PF Constitution.
It comprises;
1. Members of the Central Committee.
2. Members of the National Assembly
3. Provincial and District Officials.
MILES SAMPA’S CONFERENCE IS ILLEGAL ON ALL FRONTS
As demonstrated above, none of the processes and regulations provided for
under the party Constitution, were followed, or adhered.
No Notice was issued for the Extra-Ordinary Conference by the Central Committee. Mr. Sampa’s meeting was called by a Mr. Morgan Ng’ona, a nonmember of the Patriotic Front.
The Conference is chaired by the National Chairperson, who is Hon. Emmanuel
Musonda Mpankata MP.
The genuine and registered presidential candidates were not informed or available to participate in the elections.
The Electoral Commission is established for the purpose of elections.
The Electoral College comprises about 600 X 10 provinces, members from party
structures from each province, Further the National Council comprises which
comprises members of the Central Committee, Members of Parliament,
Provincial and district and constituency party officials.
GOVT MUST BE HONEST ABOUT PLANS TO IMPORT GMO MEALIE MEAL
There is need for Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his corrupt puppet regime to be honest and transparent about the mealie meal crisis in the country.
It is very important that this regime and Mr Hichilema, in particular, takes full responsibility of this unprecedented leadership failure and admit that we have a serious mealie meal crisis at hand. Let them swallow their pride and tell the nation the truth by revealing the extent of this crisis.
Mr Hichilema must know that keeping quiet, denying or concealing the truth about the current mealie meal crisis has damaging consequences. Evidently, the mealie meal situation in the country today has reached desperate levels and this regime can no longer mask or pretend that this problem doesn’t exist.
And we want to repeat the counsel we have consistently offered to Mr Hichilema that he must be extremely cautious with the manner they are handling the mealie meal situation in the country. History has shown that the poor have never been friendly in their response to unprecedented high food prices and shortages. When their lives and well-being are threatened due to unaffordable food prices and shortages, the poor have always sought solutions differently and in their own way. But there is no need to tempt people to reach such desperate levels.
Let Mr Hichilema acknowledge that their failure to manage the mealie meal supply and prices poses a serious national security risk both in the short-term and long-term.
However, we are aware that there are plans by this regime to import mealie meal from South Africa for the next eight to 12 months. We request them to be honest and transparent over this transaction and let the people know way in advance that the mealie meal that will be coming through from South Africa is Genetically Modified (GMO) and it should be clearly labelled as such. So that citizens can have a choice and decide whether to eat GMO mealie meal or not.
Further, it is high time this regime and Mr Hichilema specifically, humbled themselves for once and listened to other stakeholders. This regime was told by many, including ourselves, that their senseless exports of maize will lead to mealie meal shortages but they ignored this wise counsel.
We told them that their claim that Zambia had more than enough maize stocks was flawed and failed to consider the role of government in driving maize production through input subsidies. Now they have depleted the reserves and are resorting to desperate measures. As usual they were confident in their lies and deceit yet they didn’t know what they were doing and where the situation was headed.
If the nation had enough reserves as they claimed, why are they importing GMO mealie meal? Will this leadership ever be serious enough to take care of the numerous problems facing our people? This is the highest form of recklessness and sheer incompetence. Why is Mr Hichilema and his league gambling with people’s lives? Why are they changing policy every day?
The mealie meal situation in the country is unbearable and the citizens have been inconvenienced and wrestled with prohibitive prices for a while. This is unacceptable and this situation can’t continue.
Mr Hichilema and his corrupt puppet regime have failed.
H.E PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA HONOURS VICTIM OF THE MAILONI BROTHERS BRUTALITY….THE LATE ZFDS PILOT MAJOR MOSES MASUMBA.
Zambia Flying Doctor Service fallen hero the late Major. Moses Masumba has today the 24th of October,2023 received posthumously the President’s insignia of honor from His Execllency President of the Republic of Zambia. Mr. Hakainde Hichilema during the 59th Independence investiture ceremony held in Lusaka.
Major. Moses Masumba was until his demise ZFDS Chief Pilot and had dedicated 21 years to the Service ensuring that the mandate of the ZFDS of going to the rural and hard to reach areas of Zambia is achieved.
However,his career was cut short as he was murdered on May,5th 2010 by the infamous ‘Mailoni brothers’ at Cheembe airstrip while ferrying a medical team that had gone for a medical outreach in Luano Valley Central Province.
And Yichidi Ndhlovu former ZFDS pilot who was Maj.Masumba’s co-pilot on May 5 th 2010 has also been honored for her bravery and flying the aircraft onboard the body of late Maj. Masumba and medical personnel to Ndola safely.
The two heros were honored and given special recognition from his Excellency alongside other great men and women in Lusaka during the investiture ceremony at State House.
The Medal was received by the late Major Masumbas wife ,Mrs Nancy K.Masumba whilst Captain Yichidi Ndhlovu received hers in person.
Speaking at the same event,the Chief Executive officer,Dr George Ng’uni was elated at this noble gesture by the Government of the Republic,indicating that after 13years of his death,this gallant hero is remembered for the immense contributions to ensuring medical services are provided to the most rural parts of Zambia,this recognition is a great honor to the Service and also the families that have been honored.
Report says Li Keqiang, a former leader of China, passed away due to a sudden heart attack in Shanghai on Friday. He was known for his ideas on making changes in the country.
He was 68 years of age.
China’s number one, Li, was given the title but did not have much real power. Two leaders were in power until last year. One of them was in charge of the country’s economy for ten years, from 2013 to March of this year. This leader served under the supervision of Xi Jinping, a strong ruler.
During his time as the boss, Li guided the world’s second-biggest economy through a tough period of increasing problems with technology and trade with the United States, growing government debt and unemployment, and the pandemic.
In his last year as the leader, the economist talked a lot about the problems China’s economy faced because of the pandemic lockdowns. He supported actions to create more jobs and keep the economy stable.
Li is known for using his English skills sometimes when he appears outside of mainland China. He also represents a different way of thinking about China’s relationships with other countries. This is important because China’s relationships with Western countries are becoming more difficult.
Li said that China and the United States have similar things they care about, in response to a question from CNN during his yearly press conference in March 2021. The two countries should focus more on what they have in common and try to find more ways to work together.
As people heard about Li’s death on Friday morning, they shared a quote from his speech in 2022 where he promised that China will stay open to the world, no matter what happens internationally.
Li, a person with advanced knowledge and skills in technology and industry, who has studied law and economics, was seen as someone who supported private businesses. He was also seen to have a different policy view from Xi, who has increased party control over the economy.
Li was in charge of many of China’s actions to support economic growth for ten years. He believed in connecting China’s economy with the rest of the world, but Xi started to ignore him.
In recent years, people from other countries started to think that Beijing might not continue with its policy of “reform and opening. ” However, Li kept telling foreign business leaders and local officials that economic development is still the most important thing for the party.
During the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, he organized meetings where he told government departments to help foreign companies overcome obstacles to start producing again.
According to Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation think tank in the US, Li is the only member of the Politburo Standing Committee who openly supported Deng Xiaoping’s open-door policy. This policy goes against Xi Jinping’s preference for state-controlled measures.
Li is also known for talking about problems in society. People on social media noticed that he said that 600 million people in China, which is about 40% of the population, only make 1,000 yuan ($137) per month.
These comments were made during the leader’s yearly meeting with journalists in 2020. They reminded everyone that China is still facing challenges in helping its citizens escape poverty, despite the leader praising China’s efforts in this area as something the whole country can be proud of.
During the pandemic, when Beijing’s rules made a big part of the country stop, Li asked the local leaders to follow the rules seriously and help the economy, small businesses, and jobs.
He was the most important official to visit Wuhan in January 2020, during a time when the city was locked down and struggling with a large number of infections in the first known pandemic outbreak.
Some things Li did to improve the economy seemed to show that he didn’t have a good relationship with Xi. Many people believed that Li didn’t have as much power as past premiers.
When the leader suggested bringing back street stalls to help the economy and solve the problem of a lot of people not having jobs, some media organizations didn’t like the idea.
The criticism from party supporters created rumors of disagreement between the two top party leaders on how to boost the economy while dealing with strict pandemic measures.
Li is often seen as someone who learned from Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao. Hu guided China through a period of quick growth from 2002 to 2012. The men had similar ideas about money and how it should be handled. They gained power by being part of the Communist Party’s Youth League, which used to be a place where future leaders were trained.
The group was famous for creating leaders who wanted to change things, and these leaders came from ordinary families. However, it is thought that Xi has ended their power and influence since he became the leader.
Last year, people paid a lot of attention to the connection between Li and Hu. During the end ceremony of the October 2022 Communist Party Congress, Li, who used to be a powerful leader, was unexpectedly taken away. This happened while Xi was strengthening his control over the party.
During an event that is usually very planned and organized, Hu was taken out of the room by someone. As he left, he stopped to gently touch Li, who had a serious expression, on the shoulder. Li nodded and then looked towards the departing former leader. According to official media, it was later suggested that Hu had to leave because of health problems.
During Hu’s leadership, Li became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee in 2007.
He used to be very important in a political party in a province that has a lot of factories. Then he became the leader of another province that is known for farming.
Li was born in Anhui. When he was a teenager, he worked hard on a farm in the eastern province during a time called the Cultural Revolution. This was a big change in society and politics in China that lasted for ten years, and was led by Mao Zedong.
Very unfortunate turn of events. This is exactly what some of us were trying to avert the party from going into this tight corner.
When some of us tried to advice on what the party should do and do it rightly so, we were labelled rebels of the party and working against the return to active politics of our beloved former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
What happened yesterday is a bitter pill for us all loving PF members to swallow. Technically what has happened yesterday is the beginning of the existence of PF1 led by Miles Sampa and PF2 led by the Alewelelapo team/project. If we had gone to the convention last year, all this could have been avoided but others thought they were more intelligent politically and wise than us all PF loving members.
If we had held the convention in good time, Miles would have been put in his right place by party delegates. Miles Sampa would have lost to whoever at the convention but unfortunately, the arrogance and I know it all attitude by most of our Party seniors and those misleading our beloved former President has put us in this very awkward position we are in today.
Yes an ILLEGALITY has been committed by the Miles Sampa camp but I don’t know how honestly we will survive this as a party in opposition for we are dealing with a government that will go to length to disregard the law of the land with impunity and will ensure that any court or judge that we will run to for a legal remedy or legal relief in our legal battle with Miles Sampa, they will certainly not entertain our court action but will always rule in favour of PF1 under Milea Sampa.
What this means is that we will be in court as a party as regards legality of PF1 and PF2 the case of MMD that was split into two by us the PF government then.
In a weeks time, there is a ward by-election nomination I think in Northern Province. PF1 and PF2 will both turn up at the nomination centre each with their candidate and ECZ will turn away both PF1 and PF2. This will also happen in 2026 at the Presidential nomination centre where PF1 and PF2 will both turn up at Mulungushi Conference Centre with two different PF Presidential candidates and ECZ will dismiss PF1 and PF2 from the 2026 general elections.
Selfishness, greedy and ARROGANCE by some of our party leaders has put the last nail on the political coffin of our Party, the PF which Michael Chilufya Sata MHSCTRIP built from scratch!
EXPELLED MILES SAMPA REPORTED TO POLICE FOR FRAUD AND FOR FOR UTTERING FORGED DOCUMENTS TO THE REGISTRAR OF SOCIETY
25th October 2023
The Registrar of Society Chief Registrar of Societies Lusaka
RE; FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS FILED IN THE REGISTRAR OF SOCIETIES BY AGENTS OF MR. MILES SAMPA
We have noted with concern that documents have been filed or uttered by a Mr. Morgan Ng’ona to your office, purporting to come from the Patriotic Front.
Mr. Ng’ona is purporting to be the Secretary General of Mr. Miles Sampa and the Patriotic Front.
Following the decision by the Patriotic Front to expel Mr. Miles Sampa and subsequent decision to order that his seat, the Matero Constituency seat, be declared vacant in accordance with Article 72 (e) of the Republican Constitution, a decision that has been communicated to him and to other authorities. Mr. Sampa or his agents cannot purport to be mebers of the Patriotic Front.
This decision is contained in a letter dated 24th October 2024 from the Patriotic Front to Mr. Sampa.
Further following the order of the court obtained from Lusaka High Court on 25th October 2023, that restrains Mr. Sampa or his agents to carry himself or his agents as members or as a leader of the Patriotic Front, the documents filed and uttered to your office are fraudulent and a forgery and should immediately be treated as such.
The documents submitted by Mr. Sampa to your office constitue contempt of Court and have since been reported to the Zambia Police for criminal investigations and action.
Please be notified accordingly.
Raphael Mangani Secretary General Patriotic Front [10/25, 18:13] Kafwa8: 25th October 2023
The Lusaka Commanding Officer Zambia Police Lusaka Dear Sir,
The Registrar of Society Chief Registrar of Societies Lusaka
RE; FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS FILED IN THE REGISTRAR OF SOCIETIES BY AGENTS OF MR. MILES SAMPA
We have noted with concern that documents have been filed or uttered by a Mr. Morgan Ng’ona to the Office of Registrar of Societies, purporting to come from the Patriotic Front.
Mr. Ng’ona is purporting to be the Secretary General of Mr. Miles Sampa and the Patriotic Front.
Following the decision by the Patriotic Front to expel Mr. Miles Sampa and subsequent decision to order that his seat, the Matero Constituency seat, be declared vacant in accordance with Article 72 (e) of the Republican Constitution, a decision that has been communicated to Mr. Sampa, to the National Assembly and to Chief Registra of Societies, Mr. Sampa or his agents cannot therefore purport to be members of the Patriotic Front.
This decision of expulsion is contained in a letter dated 24th October 2024 from the Patriotic Front to Mr. Miles Sampa.
Further following the order of the court obtained from Lusaka High Court on 25th October 2023, that restrains Mr. Sampa or his agents to carry himself or his agents as members or as a leader of the Patriotic Front, the documents filed and uttered to your office are fraudulent and a forgery and should immediately be treated as such.
The documents submitted by Mr. Sampa to the Office of Registrar, constitutes contempt of Court and we therefore report them to the Zambia Police for criminal investigations and action.
GOVERNMENT ACCORDS MWANAMWAMBWA, MAGANDE STATE FUNERAL
The government wishes to inform the public that the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has accorded an official funeral to the Late Former Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Honorable Amusaa Katunda Mwanamwambwa GCDS who died on Saturday, 21st October, 2023.
President Hakainde Hichilema has also accorded an official funeral to the late Former Minister of Finance and National Planning Honorable Ng’andu Peter Magande, who died on Sunday, 22nd October, 2023.
This is in recognition of the numerous individual contributions to national development made by the two national leaders when they diligently served the Government of the Republic of Zambia in different portfolios.
The Late Honorable Amusaa Mwanamwambwa served the public service as Diplomat, Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister, and Speaker of the National Assembly.
Similarly, Honorable Magande also served in various positions in the public service and international organisations before he was nominated as a member of parliament and subsequently appointed and served as Minister of Finance and National Planning from 2003 to 2008.
Government further wishes to inform members of the public that the Late Former Minister of Finance and National Planning Hon Ng’andu Peter Magande, will be buried on Friday, 27th October, 2023 at the Leopards Hill Memorial Park in Lusaka. The Official Funeral Church Service will be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 10:00 hours.
The public is also informed that the late speaker of the National Assembly and Cabinet Minister, Hon. Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, GCDS, will be buried on Tuesday, 31st October, 2023, at His Farm, Number 380-A, Ansdale Palabana Road, Chongwe District.
The Official Funeral Program for the Late Honorable Mwanamwambwa on Tuesday, 31st October, will commence with a Valedictory Service at the National Assembly of Zambia at 09:00 Hours followed by a Church Service to be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross at 11:00 Hours.
Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema has accorded a Day of Nationa Mourning to each of the Late National eaders, Honorable Amusaa Mwanamwambwa and Honorable Ng’andu Peter Magande.
The National Mourning will be observed on the respective day of burial for the two National Leaders, from 06:00 Hours to 18:00 Hours, during which time all activities of entertainment nature should be suspended while flags will fly at half-mast.
Oliver M. Kalabo (Dr). ACTING SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
Workers at a mine in South Africa have started coming back up to the surface after being trapped underground for three days. The police are calling it a situation where the workers were held as hostages.
On Wednesday, the police said that more than 500 miners at the Gold One mine were held hostage by armed people who had weapons like clubs and mining tools.
The workers were stuck in a situation where two groups disagreed with each other.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said that some troublemakers had forcefully trapped its members, not letting them go.
But the rival union called Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said it did not trap workers at the mine that is close to Johannesburg. Amcu said that the miners were there on their own accord and were doing a peaceful protest by sitting in.
Over 100 workers came out of the mine again on Wednesday morning. A worker, who didn’t want their name to be known, told the BBC: “I left because I was concerned about my well-being. ”
“Lwazi” mentioned that he understood and felt sorry for Amcu. Amcu has been trying to be officially recognized at the mine for about five months. Currently, NUM has an agreement with Gold One mine where they are the only union allowed to represent the workers there.
“Lwazi agreed with the idea of allowing another union to organize at the mine, but didn’t support the way they went about it. ”
On Wednesday, the families of the workers were waiting outside the mine for their loved ones to come out.
A woman told the BBC that she had been waiting outside since Monday morning because her husband didn’t come back from work the previous night.
I feel pain. I don’t know when my husband will come back. He is sick. He has a disease called tuberculosis.
My husband is the one who earns money for our family. “I’m scared to go back home because I won’t know how to answer my kids’ questions,” she said.
Brenda Mudiri, who speaks for the police, said that officers were talking to the miners as they came out of the mine.
The people we spoke to said that they were kept somewhere without being allowed to leave. They informed us about fifteen people who were holding others captive. She said that it is difficult to tell which group these people who took hostages are associated with.
The people in charge at the mine agreed with the police and NUM’s opinion that the miners were taken captive.
Amcu claims that Gold One bosses worked together with the NUM, but the mine says this accusation is not true.
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has labeled his rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) a “criminal syndicate” following their decision to facilitate the holding of by-elections as a result of controversial recalls of the party’s 14 lawmakers by Sengezo Tshabangu.
The CCC argues that Tshabangu who styled himself as the party’s interim Secretary-General before recalling the legislators and 17 councillors, is an imposter. They have since reported him to the police.
The 14 MPs have also approached the High Court seeking an order reversing Mudenda’s decision to endorse Tshabangu’s request.
While the High Court ruling is still pending, Mnangagwa went on to proclaim the Statutory Instrument 188 of 2023 setting 9 December 2023 as the date for by-elections.
Against this background, Chamisa claims that what Mnangagwa, Mudenda and ZEC did is criminal.
In an interview with Sources Media Agency, the main opposition leader further argues that the ruling Zanu-PF party and its leader Mnangagwa sponsored the recall of CCC members in order to divert attention from the need to hold fresh elections.
“The engineers of everything here is Zanu-PF. Mr Mnangagwa is the one who is sending all these ghosts. And we have said to the police, ‘please arrest these people because they are committing a crime.
“At law, it’s an impersonation. They can recall MPs but you can’t stop an idea whose time has come. If anything, they are losing. You can’t have that type of behavior from people who are winning,” Chamisa said.
“If you say it’s a weakness, why would they deploy resources to fight a weak man. The Tshabangu guy is not a CCC member. He is being imposed on the CCC to particularly achieve certain ends.
“Why is Zanu-PF doing this? They know that we defeated them in the election. They want us to take our eyes off the need for a proper election and focus on these stupid and useless by-elections that are created unlawfully, criminally and unconstitutionally.
“We will not waste our time on unconstitutional things.
“The fact that we have a Speaker who chooses to act, not just in error or on the basis of a mistake but on the basis of a crime, a ZEC that chooses to act on the basis of a crime and a president of a country who chooses to act on the basis of a crime, that makes it a criminal syndicate.
“Zimbabwe has become a crime scene when it comes to tearing apart the Constitution of the land,” Chamisa said.
As if recalling MPs was not enough. Tshabangu, this week, told ZEC that he and two others, Mbuso Siso and Jabulani Ncube are the authorised signatories for the party candidates who will take part in the upcoming by-elections.
Nakacinda, group stranded with court documents meant for Miles
RAPHAEL Nakacinda and group are stranded with court documents they are suppose to serve Miles Sampa to prevent him from carrying out PF presidential duties following his election at the extraordinary general conference yesterday.
The group is making frantic efforts to locate Sampa and hand him the ex-parte order awarded in their favour against the the Matero member of parliament who has been a pebble in the party’s boots.
At an impromptly-organised convention, Sampa beat six other candidates to assume the presidency of the party.
After his installation as party president, Sampa appointed Morgan Ng’ona as party Secretary General and this morning submitted a list of new office bearers to the Registrar of Societies.
Sampa’s election did not go down well with other party who rushed to court and filed an order to prevent the Matero member of parliament from posturing as party president.
However, the court remains ineffective as they have been unable to serve to Sampa who is said to have travelled out of the country on parliamentary duties.
High Court Judge Situmbeko Chocho granted the order to Alebwelapo project coordinator Raphael Nakacinda who applied as as PF Secretary General.
In the ex-party order for an interim injunction stopping Sampa from presenting himself as a member of the PF or hijacking the captaincy of the PF boat, Judge Chocho has barred the newly elected PF boss from changing the names of office bearers of the party at the Registrar of Societies.
“Upon hearing counsel for the plaintiff and upon reading the affidavit in support filed herein deposed to by Raphael Nakacinda it is hereby ordered that the defendant be and is hereby restrained from holding himself out as a member of the Patriotic Front Party, a party functionary of the Patriotic Front Party or a leader of the Patriotic Front Party,” reads the order.
“It is further ordered that the defendant is restrained from approaching the Registrar of Societies to effect any changes to the register of members of the Patriotic Front Party as it appears at the Registrar of societies either by himself, his agents, servants or whosoever.”
According to the penal notice judge Chocho warned to commit Sampa and his agents to prison for contempt of Court if they disobey her orders.
She guided that Nakacinda will indemnify Sampa if she establishes there was no concrete reason to grant the Given Lubinda lead PF faction an injunction.
The inter-party hearing for the said application has been slated for November 21, 2023.
In this matter Nakacinda who has instituted the action against Sampa in his capacity as Secretary General of the Given Lubinda lead faction is challenging the selection of Sampa as PF president by party members during an extraordinary convention that was held at Mulungushi international conference center in Lusaka yesterday.
Nakacinda and his counterpart Given Lubinda who have have defied two Court orders stopping them from masquerading as PF leaders argue that the election of Sampa is illegal as the expelled him from the party for misconduct.
