Court directs DEC to release Kalandanya’s accounts

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Court has ordered the Drug Enforcement Commission to release bank accounts belonging to businessman Bwalya Kalandanya and two of his companies.

Judge Edward Musona on behalf of judge Pixie Yangailo and Kenneth Mulife ruled that the State failed to prove that the money in the accounts held at Stanbic Bank Zambia Limited and Eco Bank Zambia limited was obtained through money laundering.

Kalandanya and his companies, Kalandanya Music Promotions, Nsochita General Contractors and Supplies Limited had appealed the decision by Drug Enforcement Director General to restrict and seize their accounts on allegations of money laundering.

They argued that the restriction of the accounts was illegal as the DEC did not serve them with any restriction notices as required by law and that the said notices have expired.

Kalandanya’s and his companies argued that Section 15 of prohibition and prevention of Anti-money laundering Act does not empower the officers of the DEC to freeze a bank account, as the same does not amount to property of the account holder for purposes of seizure.

They stated that the provision only empowers authorized officers to seize already acquired, determined and described property.

The appellants argued that the DEC needed to demonstrate that they acquired the money through money laundering as it would have justified the placement of impugned notices of seizure.

The State asked the Court to dismiss the appellants’ argument that the DEC acted without reasonable belief that the money in issue was seized because it was acquired through money laundering.

It said the appellants’ money which was credited to the Bank accounts in issue is liable to seizure because the DEC has interest in it.

“If the Court orders the release of the subject money, it would be contrary to public interest and tantamount to stopping criminal investigations,” the State said.

Delivering judgement judge Musona said for purposes of facilitating investigations into an alleged crime of money laundering, the burden of proof is on the party that is alleging criminality in the manner the money was acquired.

He said the State misdirected itself when it submitted that the appellants have the burden to prove that the seized money was amassed through money laundering activities.

“Placing the burden of proof on the appellants is requiring them to prove their innocence which is a violation of their fundamental rights,”Judge Musona ruled.

He noted that the impugned notices of seizure have no basis on which they can be sustained and discharged them.

“Ownership of property being a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 16(1) of the constitution, cannot be taken away from the appellants without giving them an opportunity to be heard,”judge Musona guided.

“By logical implication, a notice of seizure issued pursuant to section 15 of the Act, has a validity period of six months from the date it is placed on a property.”

He said since no action was taken after the placement of the notices of seizure on the appellants’ bank accounts and the period is in excess of sixteen months, the seizure notices have been rendered invalid.

“We accordingly discharge the two notices of seizure that were placed on the appellants’ bank accounts by the State on December 27, 2021. The appellants shall forthwith have access to their bank accounts in issue by way of withdrawing or depositing money,” ordered judge Musona.

By Mwaka Ndawa

Kalemba

YOUR VOTE, OUR STRENGTH – PRESIDENT HICHILEMA

April 28 2023

LUPOSOSHI – President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA has paid gratitude to Zambians for their continued support.

Speaking today in Katilye Ward of Lupososhi in Northern Province when he addressed residents, President Hichilema said that the support and votes for UPND remain the strength for government to continue delivering development for all.

“We don’t take your support for granted and this is why we call on all those appointed to work for the public vehemently regardless of the party.”

President Hichilema said Katilye Ward has over K28 million through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) describing it as a game changer.

The Head of State also cited free education, NAPSA partial withdrawal among other achievements.

Meanwhile, President Hichilema told the UPND elected Katilye Ward councillor Ernest Kasakula to be a flag bearer and work closely with the people.

“A councillor is the first point of solutions and challenges in the governance structure and this is why we appeal to all civic leaders to take keen interest in issues affecting people,” he said.

President Hichilema also directed that all schools should have tap running water and flushable wash rooms driven by solar energy as opposed to subjecting people to more challenges.

The President was optimistic that once these amenities are in place public workers will not desert the people but immediately begin delivering development.

(C) THE FALCON

PF CADER FRANCIS MUCHEMWA LOSES WIFE TO ANOTHER MAN.

Life seems to to be going on the path that he had not planned for, after loses his property to the State through seizures, Francis muchemwa a PF cader who was once upon a time very powerful and stationed at intercity has now lost his wife to another man.

Muchemwa who was called commander 2 is having the roughest time of his life.

Last year, The ACC and DEC froze his accounts, seized his trucks and later on seized his luxurious apartments situated in silverest near UNILUS.

A few days after this happened, the ACC further kicked him out of his house which he stay in with his wife and children, he was given a 7 day notice to vacate the house after which it was also seized and put under investigation for being suspected to be proceeds of crime.

NOW, the once upon powerful commander has lost another property this time in human form , his wife of many years has refused to go down with him in his struggles and has opted to leave him for another man, she has moved out of the small house francis had rented for him and his family and is now in the arms of another man, a named lusaka business man who is said to be taking very good care of her unlike the former commander.

She has also filed for divorce in the high court leaving the commander lonely and depressed.

By Emmanuel Chilekwa

DEMONSTRATION OF DISORDERLY GOVERNANCE INCOMPETENCE OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
■ Dr Edgar Ngoma advised Bally to overhaul the governance machinery, today, nothing has happened over 3 months ago
■ Bally must reduce his foreign trips and put his feet on the ground to get to know what is happening
■ Bally must fire Transport minister and his PS, right away.

Serious questions we can ask:
1. Do we have a President and Vice President in charge of government?
2. Don’t they have Monday Cabinet meetings?
3. How come such procurement was made without Cabinet or President’s knowledge ?
4. What has happened to budgeting and accountability, is the procurement system.working in the Bslly kamfulumende or the single sourcing has now gotten out of hand?
5. Bally must fire the Minister and his PS without further ado if what he claims as excesses is true, otherwise, he should just be mute and keep his peace at Community House.
6. Has government systems which has the OP and police intelligence stopped working? If so, do they provide accurate reports to their Boss on daily basis or they are so frustrated and refusing to give Bally timely data and information?
7. My mentor, and experienced Presidential and political advisor, Dr Edgar Ng’oma, the accurate political analyst advised Bally, more than three months ago – to fire, change, overhaul and make the civil servants re-apply for the positions because very few are working, now this is a clear alarming confirmation that governance and accountability are not there as we speak.

■ My Conclusion:
Bally is just pretending not to have known. If he didn’t know, then he MUST fire the Transport Minister Frankn Tayali, else, Bally should just consider resigning for sleeping on the job.

Bally should minimize governing from.”the air” as we have seen his incessant foreign trips now and then, that’s why he is not on the ground to know what’s happening. This is a direct indictment that the man is “not there” to govern and his chaps are taking advantage of his absence.

Bally should not be crying out loud like he has just woken up to see they have bought VXs – where is the OP, what reports do they provide him for them to have missed out that the PS and minister in charge are buying expensive vehicles?

Then, the so called “selling” should be done by the Sherrif at a public auction because I think these folks bought these vehicles to sell to themselves cheaply. No minister or civil servant should buy any of these vehicles.

FORMER PRESIDENT EDGAR C. LUNGU TO ATTEND EVENT TO COMMEMORATE KK NATIONAL DAY – AMB MWAMBA

He writes….

We are at the Embassy Park to commemorate the Kenneth Kaunda National Day.

With Parliamentary Accounts Committee Chairperson Hon. Warren Mwambazi and Hon. Chishimba Kambwili.

Former President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, will join in the celebration of Dr. Kaunda and our national heroes.

MY VIEW; Zambia’s founder President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda died on 17th June 2021. His memorial is being held on that day.
This day, Kenneth Kaunda National Day, was designed to celebrate Dr. Kaunda, the national team that perished on the Gabon disaster in 1993, and other heroes.

Similar to the Nelson Mandela Day, we are expected to celebrate this day with various activities ( . Bringing the event to KK’s graveside invites a sense of a memorial which is due on 17th June anyway.).

By Chainga Zulu

Kenneth David Kaunda would have been 99-year-old today, unfortunately he died on the 17th of June 2021, drawing curtain on Africa’s Liberation leaders. Starting his journey as a leader, becoming autocratic and ending as a stateman, KK’s life can fill libraries if all put in books.

Born in 1924, in the same year as his future fellow liberation-leader across the Zambezi, Robert Mugabe, he declared Zambia a one-party state under the United National Independence Party (UNIP) in 1972. Kaunda’s rationale for the introduction of the one-party state was to promote unity, stability, and national development. He believed that multiparty democracy would lead to fragmentation, tribalism, and division among Zambians, which could hamper progress and economic growth.

The one-party state system was characterized by the dominance of the UNIP and limited political freedoms. Opposition parties were banned, and political dissidents were often subject to detention and repression by the state. The government controlled the media and limited free speech and assembly.
Critics of the one-party state argued that it stifled political pluralism and democratic expression, which could have allowed for more diverse voices to be heard and better accountability of the government to the people. The system also led to allegations of corruption and abuse of power by the government.
I feel that the decision taken in 1972 was a necessary evil to the national hood of Zambia and her cohesion.

First, Zambia was surrounded by warring nations. Thus, it takes a certain level of control to keep peace in the country. And some of these may not be aligned with the conventional democratic tenets. History has demonstrated that opposition political parties can become careless to show that they are the better alternative to the ruling party. The one-party state provide political stability and continuity, by eliminating the need for political parties to compete for power and allowed UNIP to focus on governing the country.

Secondly, being a staunch opponent of colonialist governments and their policies of racial segregation and discrimination, Ian Smith and his Selous Scouts – a special forces unit of the Rhodesian Army known for their unconventional warfare tactics – were probably looking for any opportunity to silence KK. And not forgetting apartheid South Africa, the Portuguese in Angola and Mozambique. Even with all these measures in place, there were claims that the 1980 Coup attempt and the Mushala Upraising had the backing of South Africa.

Thirdly, we have seen so many countries experiencing significant challenges and instability after the fall of a strongman leader. For example, after the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the country experienced widespread violence, political turmoil, and a rise in sectarianism. In Libya, the fall of Muammar Gaddafi led to a power vacuum and armed conflict, with various factions vying for control of the country. Who knows what would have happened to Zambia if democracy and politics had been the nucleus of the country’s agenda?

Lastly, when we consider the inter-party violence and the strong tribal politics that had characterized early political parties in Zambia, Kaunda may have been right in introducing the one-party state. Many political parties had conspicuous tribal identities. For example, African National Congress (ANC) in Southern and Central provinces, United Party (UP) in N. Western and Western provinces, and the United Progressive Party (UPP) in the Northern province. We are well too familiar of how politicians have perfected tribalism as a tool for their political advancement. They usually have jejune messages, lacking any real depth or complexity, just appealing to people’s emotions. Tribal loyalties are an obstacle to development and advancement of a people. This in no way oversimplifies the complexities of cultural and historical realities nor promotes assimilation and erasure of cultural diversity. But in the words of Samora Moises Machel, for the nation to live, the tribe must die.

However, in 1990, Kaunda would repeal the one-party state and introduced multi-party democracy in Zambia. Today, we celebrate KK’s commitment to unity, social justice, and his dedication to the development of Zambia and Africa. He had his own weaknesses, yes, we must tip our hat to the man also known as musician, golfer, vegan and Betty’s lover. Happy
KK’s Day

PF CAUGHT IN OWN TRAP – KAWANA

April 27, 2023

Ministry of Information and Media Director Spokesperson Thabo Kawana says the Patriotic Front has been caught up in its on trap due to non adherence to its own constitution and the republican constitution.

Mr. Kawana says allegations made by the PF that President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA and the UPND are behind plans to deregister the PF using the Registrar of Societies are unfortunate.

Speaking this afternoon during a press briefing, Mr. Kawana said the PF’s troubles with the Registrar of Societies span back as far as April 2021 when the PF was in office.

“In April 2021, the UPND and President Hichilema were in opposition busy running away from teargasses and getting arrested by the PF and the same PF was already having problems with the Registrar of Societies,” he charged.

Mr. Kawana said that the Registrar of Societies has simply asked the PF to put their house in order by having Office Bearers registered at the Registrar of Societies as stipulated by the Societies Act.

“For a political party to be fully registered, there should be a list of at least ten Office Bearers who should possess a Green National Registration Card and a security clearance,” he revealed.

Mr. Kawana also disclosed that a party is mandated to bank with the Registrar of Societies a constitution which states how it will govern itself.

He said the PF has been caught up in its own trap by having a party President who wrote a letter that he had left active politics and resigned as PF President with Davis Mwila also checking out as party Secretary General.

Mr. Kawana revealed that PF Office Bearers in Mr. Samuel Mukupa has no NRC and security clearance to his name, Mrs Monica Mwale Mwansa, Annie Nyirenda Tisha all having no security clearance to their names and Hon. Emerine Kabanshi having no security clearance. Others are Hon. Freedom Sikazwe and Hon. Stephen Kampyongo both having no security clearance.

He charged that the list of PF Office Bearers is incomplete as it is not in line with the Societies Act hence cannot be banked as a list of Office Bearers.

Mr. Kawana wondered how the PF that failed to rectify their problems with the Society from 2021 could today claim that President Hichilema and the UPND want them to be deregistered.

He said that the behaviour of the PF speaks to the impunity with which the former regime broke the law with so much impunity and disregard for the national constitution including their own.

Recently, the Registrar of Societies threatened to deregister the PF for not complying with the Societies Act of availing a full and complete list of the Office Bearers.

(C) THE FALCON

INCONSIDERATE, KNOW-IT ALL PF CAN’T BOUNCE BACK

The Candidates’ Comment

One day, prior to the 2021 General Elections, then Patriotic Front (PF) media director Sunday Chanda had a meeting with The Candidates’ editor. This was before this platform was birthed. The meeting was held at Chrisma Hotel and, the agenda was ‘how can you help boost the PF digital media prominence?’

There was awareness within PF that, despite that Edgar Lungu and PF had done so many things from 2011 to 2021, there was little publicity of the benefits of those projects and many people did not really appreciate the works. At the time, the opposition was antagonistically branding all government projects as corrupt and they were quiet effective in their offensive message to the people.

We knew the problem.

We told Sunday that, the first problem was that almost all message bearers of government projects – including him as PF media director and his colleagues in the party – had been hated by the people so much that, whatever they said was either believed halfway or was not taken as gospel truth. Secondly, we told Sunday that the biggest mistake that many political parties and their leaders make is beginning to display their achievements in government, in the election year. Often times than not, people take such messages as part of campaigning and therefore, do not trust such. We made suggestions which we can’t share now because, that would be free consultancy even to the current government, as they face a similar problem today.

When we told Sunday these problems, these truths, he immediately developed hatred for us. Until today, Sunday hates the Editor/Chief Admin of The Candidates. This is because Sunday was told the truth.

The Candidates editor told Sunday what many people in PF knew was the problem but feared to say. We all remember that this Sunday had nothing worth talking about, about the achievements of his party but, focused much on discussing the personality of Hakainde Hichilema – then, in opposition. It is Sunday who told Zambians in his long articles, pregnant with googleable big words, that Hakainde was a freemason. It is Sunday who told Zambians that Hakainde was an imperialist agent, that he privatized mines and so on and so forth. Sunday and his PF media, including the entire government communication system focused on the wrong message. All they did was slander, malign Hakainde. Consequently, they missed an opportunity to highlight their achievements and give people more reasons to retain them in power. On the other hand, the opposition – in this case the UPND as the main opposition –spent so much time and resources lacing all the projects PF did as corrupt. They spent a significant amount of time and resources telling people what Hakainde will offer once given a chance to rule Zambia. And they repeated this every day, in a coordinated manner on countless digital platforms they had access to and those they created themselves.

We believe, and we know we are not far from the truth that, PF lost the 2021 elections because they were arrogant, know-it all.

Again, we once sat down with Chris Zumani Zimba, Andrew Chellah and Sukwana Lukangaba, all former State House officials, just few months before the election and we told them, that they would lose the 2021 elections having looked at the numbers of the new registered voters. Our view was that, the new voters were millennials and the PF had no effective media strategy that found expression in the environment were these new voters belonged. We devised a plan for them, on how they could overturn their misfortunes, in waiting. But when we told them this truth, these characters started avoiding us and here we are, they lost the election terribly and now live in constant fear of arrests, persecution and prosecution.

We also remember that, The Candidates constantly ran an online opinion poll not only on PF in whole but even on individuals MPs. Whenever we published these results, many characters – bootlickers – in PF insulted us. Everyone knows, for example, how a very well-known PF cadre Chanda John Chimba threatened to report us to Police, in his head, because we were fighting government. This was simply because we told PF and its members the truth.

Again, we remember running an opinion poll and results showed that Hakainde would beat Edgar in that election. We did not publish the results, but shared them with Emmanuel Mwamba.

The then arrogant, know-it all PF is still the same. These elements, these characters have not changed even now. They are still the same people they were when they held power. These elements do not listen to advice and counsel. They only listen to their demons. Perhaps, it is the reason why this party is dying. It has many wrong chaps, many ignorant, yet egocentric, foolish and know-it all elements, characters in different layers of their leadership.

LIES HAVE SHORT LEGS

By Antonio Mourinho Mwanza

President Hakainde SAMMY Hichilema and his Government have consistently and defiantly denied having bought any new Government vehicles. They have insisted that they are using the same old vehicles they found after taking over government.

The so called order by President Sammy to “sell of Government vehicles” that his Government has bought is another publicity stunt meant to;

1. Divert the attention of the people from the pressing economic challenges the country is currently grappling with and
2. Make President Sammy appear to be a larger than life leader who puts the interest of the people before self. It is President Sammy’s strategy to always appear to be more caring and more frugal with Government resources when the opposite is true.

President Sammy never takes responsibility for his own failures and mistakes; he always shifts the blame to others so that they carry the blame while he presents himself as a messiah, angel. Typical of narcissists.

He has really mastered the art of diversion. Whenever he is pressed he finds something to divert the attention of the people.

Remember this is the same man who not long ago was claiming that he refused a fleet of new Presidential vehicles because the price was too high. Yet he is using the same BRAND NEW fleet of presidential vehicles that were bought for him.

Let him first sell the new presidential vehicles that he acquired when he became president before he asks others to sell.

By the way, to whom will the same vehicles be sold? His ministers or himself?

I want to end by reminding President Sammy that you can’t run government using lies, propaganda and publicity stunts. You need clear economic policies and programs that can create jobs, increase business opportunities and end poverty and unemployment especially among young people.

These publicity stunts will not help. The economy has collapsed. There is no money in circulation, the cost of living is escalating, Youth unemployment, hunger and destitution are getting worse and no amount of publicity gymnastics can help salvage Sammy’s waning political fortunes.

When we told him to sort out the mess at Ministry of Health, what did he do? Instead of sitting down with ZAMMSA, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance to sort out the problem, he rushed to Ndeke House to pause for selfies. The usual publicity stunts of his. What has happened? The problem has persisted, our clinics and hospitals still don’t have medicines and medical supplies.

We need actual solutions not aya manyengwe.

INSTITUTIONALISED PROPAGANDA AGAINST CITIZENS. The case of MoF&ND and Auditor General Victimization.

———————————————

By Mutotwe Kafwaya

I knew it was victimization.

With the passage of time everyone is getting to know that. It is becoming more and more clear that it was and still is victimization.

There should come point when a narrow view of government is substituted for a broader one.

I knew Dick Sichembe would be arrested. I knew it would be for no cause but to just cleanse him out for his position to be given to that woman who engineered an illegal internal audit. It would be a replacement of ethical behavior for utter unethical behavior.

That woman got the same allowances which she ensured were not reflected in that illegal audit report. Then after all the stories she offered to pay back the allowances in order to be appointed Auditor General – filthy!

The nonsense going on at ACC is also worsening with time. How do you constitute a team from MoF to go and station itself at ACC just in order to prove that some people got allowances?

Now that ACC has all the schedules, let them go and arrest all those who got the allowances, including that person leading that illegal MoF team operating at ACC.

Save your faces by stopping the rote. Leave the people to go back to work. If you really don’t want them in your faces, in those public offices, just retire them or negotiate their way out.

You have a lot of corruption to deal with for you to be wasting time. FIC, which you also plan to destabilize like Auditor General has shown you the extent of your corruption going on. Imagine ZMW6.1 billion in suspicious transactions. And the president knows everyone who is involved. Expose them, work on them, you do have legitimate work.

A PS at Agriculture refused to give documents to auditor general to cover corruption, health is in mess, mines is in a mess, at tourism you illegally cancelled hunting concessions, a DC stole uncountable bags of mealie meal, minerals were stolen in Luapula, mukula was stolen in western etcetera. There is too much work for you to focus on cleansing.

Broaden your view of government.

Restoring EVERYTHING PATRIOTIC.
MK27.04.2023

TAYALI IS A MERCENARY OF COWARD MUNDUBILE

Candidates Chief Admin(The Candidates)
Chilufya Tayali – who calls himself a Public Layer – yet, he has never stepped in any law school, has embarked on a path to push the Patriotic Front (PF) to hurriedly elect a leader.Chilufya now feels he has much influence in Zambia, such that, whatever he says, everyone must pay attention and adhere. Perhaps, Chilufya has been allowed by characters, elements in PF to have power over them. We find it not strange that Chilufya is now the biggest influencer in PF. They created this monster themselves. They created this Chilufya themselves. This is a product of their own factory. They manufactured a monster in Chilufya and they must live with it.

Behind all those rantings, all those talks that PF must elect a leader as soon as yesterday, there is Brian Mundubile – a cheap coward who can’t speak for himself but pays such people as Chilufya to talk on his behalf. It is Brian who is speaking using the mouth of Chilufya.

Whatever Chilufya is saying, it is Brian saying.
All this while, Brian was okay with PF not going to the convention to elect a new leader, soonest. Brian and his bootlickers, his sycophants basked in a self-manufactured falsehood that Edgar Lungu wanted him to be PF president. Indirectly and directly, Brian and his minions carried this message throughout the country to their party structures that, indeed, he was the chosen one of Edgar.
The truth is now setting in. Brian was never anyone’s preferred candidate. He was being created into this person who has been picked by Edgar, by himself and his minions to fool delegates of the PF convention.

Today, Brian and his minion are reading politics differently. They think Edgar is slowly positioning himself to come back, having looked at the reception he is receiving even from the very people who insulted him, not long ago. This is not settling well with Brian and his string of minions. His sycophants. They are not happy and now, they have released the barking, through Chilufya to begin pushing for a convention. They want this done hastily, as soon as yesterday, because they fear if they take long, Edgar would have strategized on how to be PF presidential candidate in 2026.

It takes very little intelligence – if a little is all that one has – to tell whom, Chilufya is talking for. He is talking for his master, Brian. One of the things Chilufya said in justifying himself was that Hakainde Hichilema needs a very brave person, as opposition leader. If you look at Brian, do you think he is a brave person? How can you think Brian is brave when all he does is hide behind hired dogs of the wind? How can you say Brian is brave when he is a scaredy-cat?

President Lungu; Be Brave And Come Out of Hiding

I first bumped into ArchbishopTelesphore Mpundu at Northmeads in Lusaka around March 2022…….in a liquor store to be precise. I had hoped there to get a few “brownies” after a long day at Mulungushi where we were attending a National Indaba on Street Kids. I’ve no clue what took the good Bishop there, but I know it wasn’t ma jiggies or toffee sweets for sure!

When I spotted him again in the corridors as we were preparing to leave, I asked my colleague to stop the car and accosted him. Since he always seemed to have an opinion on several issues, I thought I should pick his brains, particularly on politics.

He vented and gesticulated boisterously as he ran me through the litany of misdeeds of Lungu’s corrupt and kleptomaniac government. Furthermore, he disclosed how Lungu wanted to divide the Catholics in the nation by driving a wage amongst them and pitying the priests against each other. He didn’t have kind words for his predecessor at Lusaka Diocese, Bishop Alick Banda.

“One day, we were invited to State House as Catholic bishops. By that time Banda was still at Ndola Diocese,” the Bishop was literally fuming. “When the meeting ended, Banda and another bishop from the northern regions were nowhere to be seen.”

Tired of waiting, one of them suggested that they should just leave without them as the duo were adults who would easily find their way to Kapingila House in Kabulonga.

“We all knew what they were doing in there!” he exclaimed. “Even that so called fundraising walk they had in Ndola for the carpark was laced with corruption…..”

What I learnt about Bishop Banda that day was earth shattering…….it could actually perforate someone’s ears! Yes, as Christians we mustn’t hold grudges for a long time and should endeavour to forgive one another as much as possible. However, I was rather shocked yesterday see photos of the trio – Edgar Lungu, Bishops Mpundu and Banda all smiles as they posed for photos.

Bishop Mpundu knows in his heart of hearts that God is a witness to what he said about Lungu and Banda. What has changed now? Did he accuse his brothers falsely and therefore sinned in the eyes of our Lord?

What has necessitated this “reconciliation” as observed by the Newsdiggers Newspapers?

When some of us saw PF dilly-dalling to go for a party convention to ‘select’ new leaders and indeed Lungu launching his foundation, our sixth sense warned us that there was something definitely cooking in the air and we didn’t like the smell of it. I followed this up with an article, “Will Lungu Pull A Quick One?”

I postulated that there seemed to be well calculated machinations to dribble individuals deemed to be real owners of the party such as Miles Sampa, Chishimba Kambwili and Godfrey Bwalya Mwamba out of the presidential race and instead impose a weak candidate to warm up the seat for Lungu – someone with roots strongly hankered in MMD such as one Brian Mundibile so as to use it as a weapon to pull the rag off his feet at a later stage. Is the PF convention happening any time soon? No! Haven’t we seen Kambwili and GBM crawling back to Lungu? Of course, we have!

Chase pieces are now beginning to move fast and furious as Lungu’s plans fall into place. As we approach 2026, we should expect to see more individuals that had previously differed with Lungu making pilgrimages to his place to make amends, his outreach to churches around the nation will be heightened while the ‘noise’ from people clamouring about his return to power will reach a crescendo.

Ignore communique being made available to the public after such interactions that they are about academic work on the 2021 elections or exchange of notes about national and spiritual matters. It’s all a charade meant to hoodwink the public that Lungu isn’t scheming a comeback. It’s a well calculated move by a cunning and shrewd hardcore politician whose looks easily betray him.

While Lungu may be entitled to still harbour ambitions of bouncing back, he should be doing so within the confines of the law. The law is very clear, a former president shall be stripped of their retirement benefits should they continue involving themselves in active politics!

We are encouraging Lungu to be courageous and come out of hiding so that he should stop chewing our money.

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst

JUST COMPLY WITH THE LAW AND AVOID DRAGGING CIVIL SERVANTS INTO YOUR ILLEGALITIES.

April 26, 2023

LUSAKA – It was not our intention to respond on the ongoing debate over the pending deregistration of the former ruling party and now opposition Patriotic Front by the Registrar of Societies owing to the breach of section 2 of the Societies Act Cap 119 of the laws of Zambia.

But the amount of scorn being leveled against our Party and Republican President Hakainde Hichilema as well as the Chief Registrar of Societies Madam Thandiwe Mhende by the Patriotic Front leadership and surrogates leaves us with no choice.

From the onset, the UPND wishes to remind the Patriotic Front and its rank and file that the matter at hand is not political nor is malicious but a matter of law and we see no reason why government should be dragged in the mud because of the party’s disorganization and failure to respect the laws of the land.

The Chief Registrar is on firm ground and has cited the sections of the law which has been abrogated by the Patriotic front and has provided them with a remedy to cure the anomaly which the PF has found itself in. It is thus appalling that the party through former Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba and Matero lawmaker Miles Sampa have opted to dance to the gallery and in their true self rushed to seek public sympathy.

Instead of rushing to the media in an attempt to launder its ‘illegality’ and tarnishing the image of government accusing it of tramping on its democratic rights to exist, we urge them to quickly put their house in order during the seven days ultimatum and show cause why the party should continue operating as the country’s biggest opposition party.

The Registrar of Societies says they only have 3 office bearers in its custody instead of the required 10 and the PF insists that it has submitted the required number. It is time for the PF to merely correct the records and show the 10 office bearers in order to put this matter to rest instead of pointing accusing fingers.

The country and government has so many placing needs that need urgent attention and we really have no time to start discussing a matter that would have been avoided had the people respected the rules of the land more especially that they were the custodians of the same laws and regulations.

It is also a pity that the UPND and New Dawn government is being accused of engineering deregistration of the PF in order to turn Zambia into a one party state. We find this as a laughing matter because Zambia is a multiparty democracy with over seventy (70) political parties. How can deregistration of one political party lead to a one party state. What happens to the other 69 parties? Will they also go into extinct? Let the PF have respect for the other existing political parties as part of democratic coexistence.

As the party in government, we further wish to call upon and advise the Registrar of Societies to make sure that all existing political parties are following the requirements for their existence and are abiding to the requirements of the law.

As proponents of the rule of law, we urge the Registrar of Societies to leave no sacred cows as it sanitizes not only the political environment but all organizations falling under it.

Any failure to conduct a thorough check on the operations of all societies would render credence to suggestions that the PF misfortune is a witch hunt and not a matter of law. In the meantime, we shall follow the proceedings closely to its logical conclusion and urge the Registrar of Societies to conduct its business in a professional and legal way devoid of political or societal influence or pressure.

Issued by:

Ruth Dante-Heaton
Media Director
UPND

OPPOSITION IN ZAMBIA YAMADONGO DONGO

The Candidate’s Comment

When you view the political dynamics with an open, honest, and critical mind, you will agree that currently, the opposition is in disarray. The opposition, both in their individual and collective capacity, can not win 2026 elections. The opposition is fragmented, and in their individualism, they lack the potency to unseat the ruling United Party for National Development(UPND) and Hakainde Hichilema in 2026. This is mainly because the leaders of these so-called opposition parties are not known enough countrywide and also because there is little or nothing they’re doing to ensure that they mobilise support countrywide.

Anyone is free not to agree with us. They can form their own opinions, and that is okay. Our view finds expression in honesty, in reality. Many of these so-called opposition leaders and their parties are underrating Hakainde. They think Hakainde doesn’t want to continue ruling beyond one term, and they think he doesn’t know what he is doing. This is someone who managed to unseat a ruling party, having failed to do so in many years. Hakainde is not a small or weak person that many people think he is. This is someone who is tough tested and if you are going to grab government from him, you better do more than post a few things on social media here and there, without really getting to work, on the ground.

We remember that the very day when the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced results that Hakainde lost, he would embark on campaigns immediately. Hakainde never stopped campaigns. Hakainde never stopped fighting. He never stopped pushing. His victory is perhaps sweet because the man really fought for it. It would have been very unfair if Hakainde had never become president in his lifetime because the man fought really hard to be where he is today. We do not see the kind of personality of Hakainde among the current crop of opposition leaders today. Yes, they can talk loudly on top of their voices, but many of them – if not all – are only social media leaders worth nothing to talk about, really .When you go into many rural areas and ask people about these opposition characters, people hardly know them. How can they win a national election if they’re not known beyond their social media reach?

We do not intend to belittle whatever efforts the opposition, collectively, are doing , but clearly, whatever it is they are doing isn’t enough to win power. It is foolish for anyone to think Hakainde will lose power on the premise that mealie meal prices have increased or because of fuel prices. The economy status of Zambia has never really been a single deciding factor in elections if history is followed. Rupiah Banda’s administration was very much doing great economically when he was removed from power by Michael Sata in 2011.

Elections are decided by many compounding factors , beyond a few economic hardships here and there. And besides, it is not like Hakainde hasnt done anything good, any marvelous things worth celebrating and praising by some factions of voters. Hasn’t he employed civil servants massively? Hasn’t he ended the levels of caderism? Hasn’t Hakainde done some good things? Of course, he has scored on some fronts and we believe, he will still score on many fronts before 2026.

If you’re going to win elections, there has to be more stamina. When Hakainde was in opposition, for example, when he was summoned to appear before law enforcement agencies, the tension was felt countrywide.Why? Because Hakainde transformed himself into an institution and not an individual. We can say the same about Michael Sata when he was in opposition. This transformation is not cheap. This transformation doesn’t come easily and the current crop opposition leaders are far from it.

If you think Hakainde will lose elections in 2026, with the current status quo, of opposition leaders , dream on. It is like a pig flying.

GBM’S LETTER DECLARING INTEREST GOES ‘MISSING’ AT MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

By Correspondent Reporter(New Dawn Newspaper)
THE letter in which former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) wrote declaring interest has gone missing at the Ministry as the current Permanent Secretary Norman Chipakupaku cannot trace it.

And the prosecution has objected to the production of a photocopy of the letter Mwamba wrote to the Ministry declaring interest in October 2011.

This came to light yesterday when Mwamba presented before Lusaka Magistrate Stanford Ngobola a reply from Chipakupaku stating that he cannot find the letter he wrote in 2011 in October, declaring interest.

This is in a matter the former defence Minister is facing 24 counts of failure to declare interest, money laundering and being in possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime.

When the matter came up for continued trial, Mwamba explained that he declared interest in writing to the then permanent secretary as guided by the Attorney General’s chambers as provided for in the Ministerial handbook and code of conduct.

He testified that he instructed his lawyers from Makebi Zulu Advocates to write the Ministry of Defence specifying the kind of documents he wanted as regards to the matter before court but that he was informed this week that the letter cannot be traced.

“I instructed my lawyers from Makebi Zulu to write the Ministry of Defence to specify the kind of documents I required and on that letter there were two attachments for easy of reference to the Permanent Secretary, the first later was dated 06 July, 2016 which was signed by the then PS madam Mbolelwa, in which she had written to Director General Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) indicating that she had in her possession a letter in which I declared interest on the 5th October 2011,” he testified.

Further, Mwamba said in his second attachment was a letter he wrote on 5th October, 2011 declaring interest as a serving minister by then.

“Your honour, the second attachment was a letter I wrote to the PS on the 5th October 2011 in which I declared interest. On the letter, there is a date stamp from the Ministry of defence, the letter was addressed to PS Ministry of Defence. The other letter was written by PS to Director General ACC and was signed by PS defence. The letter was addressed to Director General ACC. The last attachment was my letter I wrote to PS at the time I saved as Minister,” he explained.

He said after making effort to get the original copy of the letter he wrote declaring interest, he was only informed that the same letter he had requested for could not be traced through his lawyers.

“On the 5th April 2023, a response letter came from PS defence, it was addressed to my lawyer Makebi Zulu…Your honour as per the letter of 5th April, 2023 from PS defence, they are saying that they can’t trace the letter I wrote to them in 2011 on 6th October, they cannot also trace the original letter written by PS in the same Ministry, of 6th July 2016,” he stated.

He said this as he produced the letter to be part of evidence, before the prosecution objected to the production of the letters.

“The foundation is not laid for the said document to be produced as evidence as the accused did not show the steps taken to retrieve the said documents (original copies) and therefore they should be rejected from the evidence before court…,” state prosecutor Ngwira said.

And another state prosecutor a Tembo referred to a ruling the court made in the last sitting in March 2023, where rejected the production of the same document.

But Mwamba’s lawyers contended that he had done all he could to bring the said original copies before the court and that the PS had written indicating that he could not trance the original copy.

He said at no time did the PS Chipakupaku dispute the letter in question but that he did not trace the original copy.

“My client has produced a letter from Permenent Secretary were he says the request cannot be granted as they cannot trace the original of two letters dated 6th July 2016 and 5th October, 2011, …there is no standard that has been laid down as rule, it depends with circumstance in each case, and this case the original document is in custody of the Ministry of Defence which is the State, what more diligent search is my client supposed to do, other than what he has done so far? There is no diligence search that can be done by my client in these circumstances and therefore he has laid down a proper foundation for the said documents to be admitted as evidence in Court,” said Lemba one of the lawyers.

Jonas Zimba of Makebi Zulu advocates stated that the liberties of Mwamba were at state and if the court denied him chance to produce the document as part of his evidence, the outcome would be fatal.

Zimba stated that the allegations by the State against GBM were that he failed to declare his interest in writing, adding that to the contrary there was evidence to the effect that he wrote to the ministry declaring interest and that was the document the State did not want to be produced before court.

In his ruling, Magistrate Ngobola agreed with the prosecution not produce the photocopied letter GBM wrote to the Ministry of Defence declaring interest, saying he had rejected the same document in March as it failed to meet the standard foundation of evidence.

The matter was adjourned to 9th May, 2023 for continued trial.

Masebo brewing bigger disaster over drugs, not suppliers

By John Phiri ( the assertions in this article are the views of the author)

With the two service delivery fiascos already chalked up in the nation’s agriculture sector, there is cause for even greater worry that Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo is helping incubate a disaster to overshadow the current shortage of mealie meal.

Many are agreed that, apart from parading herself at every conceivable public function of the Ministry of Health, Minister Masebo is roundly considered to have already failed, and has remained planted in her cabinet job for the political consideration of maintaining the Lusaka Province support base for the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

Masebo seems more invested in the optics of media functions and an iron-fisted haranguing of technocrats in the Ministry of Health. The list of senior officers she will weed out of the Ministry structure is bound to keep growing, without regard to the negative impact this has on capacity of her Ministry to deliver services to citizens.

Periodically, the government releases impressive figures of disbursements of increased funds allocations for purchase of medicines and medical supplies, but this has failed to bring any appreciable improvement to the stock levels of medicines in public health facilities.

Earlier public relations stunts by the top government officials, notably that of Vice President Mutale Nalumango, are currently the butt of jokes about stacks of empty boxes set before cameras that have simply led to louder public cries about shortages of drugs.

Any listener to morning phone in radio programmes will attest to the fact that everyday there are complaints of patients with all kinds of illnesses leaving clinics and hospitals with prescriptions to buy medicines because public health facilities have inadequate supplies of drugs.

Shortages of essential medicines have now become an accepted fact of life in Zambia’s public health facilities in both urban and rural areas. Hospitals and clinics countrywide are now being forced to use operational grants and paltry income from user fees to buy some drugs from the local market to cover for the periods of acute shortages.

The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA), concerned that its members are being asked to attend to patients without the required supply of essential medicines, has been raising this issue consistently almost every week.

But they too now seem reluctant to discuss this issue and in the latest report, ZMA General Secretary Roy Tolopu said his group has been raising the issue of shortage of drugs for a long time and was now fatigued.

In the light of increased allocation of treasury funds to the Ministry of Health, particularly for purchase of drugs, it is surprising that procurement and delivery is still proving problematic. The question is why?

Part of the answer is a loss of confidence by the community of drugs suppliers, arising from unpredictable and the uncertain business environment created by the new Ministry of Health’s not-so-subtle interference in operations of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA).

Former Pharmaceutical Association of Zambia President Jerome Kanyika put a finger on this aspect when he said there is a dangerous standoff between ZAMMSA and drugs suppliers as the latter are reluctant to undertake procurement and supply of drugs because the tenders had become invalid due to the lapse of time.

Kanyika explained that prolonged evaluation of tenders had gone beyond the stipulated 21 days and gone up to 120 days, and as a result, the fluctuations in the exchange rate had affected the pricing of the suppliers’ bids, hence their reluctance to undertake the procurements.
What is the explanation for this prolonged evaluation process?

The Special Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Health on the Availability of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Health Facilities Countrywide, that Masebo fought so hard and managed to get rejected by Parliament, contains the answer.

The Committee found that ZAMMSA, apart from its general capacity challenges, has a specific major problem with decision making because of debilitating “external influence”.

This is the same influence that they found had resulted in cancellation of nine supply contracts by the Ministry of Health, without any mitigation plan being put in place; there was also no transitional procurement plan by the Ministry of Health for the responsibilities that shifted to ZAMMSA.

The Committee’s Special Report also proffered a solution – ZAMMSA should be given autonomy. Masebo said of the Report that she could not understand what autonomy the Committee was talking about, even when in one explanation for the shortage, technocrats had put it on record that she personally cancelled some contracts, and procurement processes had to be re-initiated.
From all this, the inference is that the shortage of drugs has everything to do with the management of the Ministry of Health and the decisions by the Minister, and has nothing to do with suppliers, whether old or new.

There is ample evidence that Masebo as Minister has been identified as being central to the Ministry of Health’s failure to resolve the problem of continued shortage of essential medicines and other medical supplies.

But since the drugs supply problem first surfaced, the United Party for National Development (UPND) government machinery sprung to Masebo’s defence, declaring satisfaction with her work. Her failure now threatens to engulf the whole goverrnment.

While all this was going on, Masebo decided that the solution to Zambians crippling shortage of drugs was in the hands of Egypt.

At first the Egypt adventure was styled as a stop-gap measure of bulk supply to be used to bridge the period of critical shortage now publicly acknowledged, and was expected to have materialised by end of last year, only to be deferred because of financial and bureaucratic requirements Masebo and team had failed, or refused, to consider.

Hence, after she went to Egypt to smooth over the process of this procurement, the team led by Presidential Adviser Roma Chilengi was dispatched, and ZAMMSA was directed to invite the bid from Egypt for supplies worth $70 million.
But there are two issues that will arise regarding the Egypt connection, military-run Unified Procurement Authority of Egypt, through which ZAMMSA will buy drugs from manufacturers, an arrangement for which this agency will receive 7% commission. The UPA itself was just established in 2019 to coordinate healthcare initiatives in Egypt.

The procurement is faulty as the agency is not manufacturer of medicines but is expected to contract other Egyptian companies to source medicines to supply to Zambia.

There is really no difference between ZAMMSA buying through the UPA of Egypt, which is not a manufacturer, and the old system where Zambian registered suppliers procured from Indian manufacturers.

Since ZAMMSA, under the new arrangement signified by the bid document, is not buying directly from manufacturers, there is, therefore, the special incentive that has convinced the government to take this route cannot be that of getting rid or middlemen. It must lie somewhere else and will certainly come to the fore in future.

The second issue that causes disquiet about procurement of drugs from Egypt, worth $70 million, is that the government is denying the country’s nascent drugs manufacturers the significant fillip of the required demand boost envisaged under the Zambia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Initiative (ZPMI) supported by the European Union.

The ZPMI took a major step forward just a month ago when the EU brought European pharmaceutical manufacturing firms to partner with Zambian emerging drugs manufacturers. The opportunity cost of this $70 million procurement from Egypt will therefore be reckoned in lost impetus to grow local pharmaceutical manufacturing under this initiative.

It is disingenuous of President Hichilema and Minister of Health Masebo to proclaim that they are moving the country towards greater local manufacture of medicines, when they are spending the greater amount of drugs allocations simply shifting such dependency from India to Egypt.

Part of the rationale behind the EU supported ZPMI is that the Zambian government’s contribution to its actualisation should be to channel significant drugs procurement orders towards the few emerging manufacturers so that they can grow their production capacities.
This has not been done. Instead there has been demonisation of old suppliers, disturbance to the medicines supply chain, scattering of most senior public officers who previously managed the system, and heavy handed interference in the handling of tenders by ZAMMSA.

All these are reported to be the handiwork of the Minister of Health. The outworking of all these factors will not produce pretty results. Should these machinations backfire, its fallout will make the current shortage of mealie meal look like child’s play.

THREATENED CANCELLATION OF THE REGISTRATION OF THE PATRIOTIC FRONT PARTY

THE Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) is deeply concerned by the threatened cancellation of the registration of the Patriotic Front (P F) political party by the Registrar of Societies and is urging the former ruling party to urgently address the compliance issues raised so as to ensure the party remains a legal entity in the interest of the country’s democracy.

Zambia’s Constitution which states that we are a democratic and multi-party State, recognizes the important role of political parties in the governance of the country.

The important role of political parties in the country’s democratic governance system cannot be over-emphasised. It is against this background that we remain concerned with the threatened cancelation of the registration of the Patriotic Front as it would negate the democratic gains made by the country.

While recognizing the legitimate role of the Registrar of Societies to promote compliance of Societies, it is our considered view that this must not be to the detriment of the country’s democracy as espoused in the Republican Constitution.

State institutions such as the Registrar of Societies should be more concerned about deepening the country’s democratic culture. As opposed to threatening de-registration, the Registrar should instead be supporting Societies, including the PF to ensure that they are compliant in the best interest of democracy and good governance.

As already stated, Zambia is a multi-party state and the de-registration of the PF has the potential to negatively affect the citizen’s right to freedom of Association which is guaranteed by the Constitution.

We also urge political parties to ensure that they fulfil their legal requirements as provided by the Societies Act Chapter 119 of the laws of Zambia so that they are not found wanting and ultimately disadvantage the Zambian people.

The leadership of the PF should as a matter of urgency submit the requirements as demanded by the Registrar of Societies.

It is our hope that all political parties, including the governing party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), are compliant with the provisions of the Societies Act.

As the women’s movement we are keenly following the implementation of the rule of law and its unbiased enforcement in the present and future.

ISSUED; for/NGOCC

Grace M Sinkamba

BOARD CHAIRPERSON S

LUBINDA CHALLENGES MAGISTRATE NGOBOLA’S DECISION IN THE HIGH COURT
…as he wants all documents recorded from him, Chinese businessman before Court

By New Dawn Reporter
PF vice-president Given Lubinda has rushed to the High Court challenging the decision by Lusaka Magistrate Court Stanford Ngobola who refused him to access to statements taken from a Chinese businessman Ju Wenbin and himself in 2019.

According to the petition before the High Court Registry, Lubinda wants the decision to be rendered null and void as it breaches his right to a fair trial.

Lubinda states that sometime last year around March, he was arrested after being charged for the offence of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

He submitted that in no time he started appearing before the courts of law to answer to the charges levelled against him, and that 12 witnesses were called to support the allegations leveled against him by the State.

Lubinda stated that one of the witnesses was the arresting officer Friday Tembo from the ACC, who was ordered to make available the documents (Statements) during cross examination, saying an issue arose to whether or not the prosecution witness recorded any statement from Ju Wenbin a Chinese businessman and himself to which he agreed.

“The defence lawyers made an application before Court, for the prosecution witness (Friday Tembo) to bring before Court the following documents which are in the custody and control 1. Ordinary statement recorded in 2019 from Petitioner (Lubinda), 2. The ordinary statement recorded from Ju Wenbin and 3. a warn and caution statement from the petition,” he submitted.

Lubinda explained that Magistrate Ngobola allowed the application, but that the state only submitted a warn and caution statement without the other two ordinary statements from Ju Wenbin and himself going against the ruling.

He complained that when his lawyers raised the matter as to why the State witness and the prosecution only tendered selective documents before court and not all, Magistrate Ngobola ruled against his own decision made earlier.

“When the defence raise the issue as to why the prosecution witness and the prosecution only tendered selective documents and not all, the court rendered guidance profusely to the effect that the prosecution can do so when the accused (Lubinda) is put on his defence and not at this stage, effectively vacating the order to produce the said documents the courts had initially given,” he explained.

He said the decision by Magistrate Ngobola has rendered his ability to demonstrate and prove that he did not commit the offence handicapped.

“That the petitioners’ ability to demonstrate and prove at no case to answer stage that he has no case to answer, was and/or has been rendered handicapped given the fact that the petitioner is unable to test the veracity of the prosecutions witness testimony during cross examination testimony using the said recorded statements which are so crucial in proving and disapproving the allegations labeled against him during cross examinations.”

Lubinda submitted that his lawyers equally needed the same documents for cross examination and possible production of the same documents as part of evidence to prove his case.

“The position of the court to guide at what point the said documents can be produced vacating its earlier decision to allow the production of the said documents on the pretext of the procedure is an afront to justice and right to a fair trial accorded to the petitioner by the constitution of our land. The court disallowing the production of the documents at this stage renders it irrelevant for the petitioner in this matter to rely on the said documents when he is put on his defence, the documents are crucial on this stage. The statements ordinarily recorded by the investigative officer, who in this case is Friday Tembo, his knowledge of the facts of the case may also lead to apparent certainty when in fact there is uncertainty, which is the reason why the said documents they failed to produce are so crucial to test the veracity of his testimony and in order for the petitioner who happens to be the accused not to be prejudiced.”

He further submitted that Magistrate Ngobola breached the constitution by violating his (Lubinda) rights to a fair trial which is protected under the constitution.

“His rights to a fair trial under article 18(1) of the constitution has been violated by the decisions of the magistrate to only permit the prosecution witness referred to in paragraph 8 when the accused placed on his defence, seemly suggesting that the accused has been found with a case to answer, which effectively affect the petitioners ability to formulate a defence with documents that speaks to his case which are in custody and control of the prosecution witness. Further, it takes away from the equality of arms between the prosecution and defence and lastly it jeopardizes the petitioner’s presumption of innocence,” he stated.

Now Lubinda wants the High Court to declare the decision by Magistrate Ngobola to have violated his rights to a fair trial and that the refusal by the State to produce the document in the matter was ultra vires.

He also wants the court to declare Magistrate Ngobola’s decision of allowing the prosecution to only produce the said documents when he is put on his defence as null and void.

Lubinda wants the court to order the prosecution to avail him ordinary documents recorded in 2019 from him and Ju Wenbin among other reliefs sort.

THE CHIEF REGISTRAR OF SOCIETIES NEEDS TO DRINK SOME COLD WATER & CALM DOWN

By Miles Sampa,
MP & PF Presidential candidate

The current chief of the registrar of societies Mrs Thandiwe Phiri Mhende was identified and appointed by the home affairs minister Steven Kampyongo and then PF secretary general (SG) Davies Mwila. By default and according to the PF constitution, her appointment was approved by the then PF and Republican President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his MCCs. If it was in the western world, when PF lost power in 2021, she should have voluntarily resigned to follow her appointees and allow new policy careers in her seat.

She clearly inherited her akawawawa former Ministers’ archaic coward tactics of deregistering opponents political parties. In a typical muzungu anikonde fashion she is now brining the antics into the current UPND government. What is on her table now as reminded by the undersigned in writing was for her her to ‘remind’ or ‘order’ PF to hold their long over due elective general conference.

She however and in the Davies Mwila and Steven Kampyongo fashion now written threatening to deregister the Patriotic Front Party. She thinks will impress her new boss and Minister of Home Affairs Jack Mwimbu.

First of all such actions have no room in the morden democratic dispensation and more so after the recent visit by the USA Vice President Kamala Harris. She picked on visiting Zambia to highlight it as a beacon of peaceful and reasoning democracy in Africa. It will be embracing her if her visit is followed with international headline acts of Zambia killing and not building democracy.

The Chief registrar of societies approach is that of using an atomic bomb on a matter that can be resolved by engagement and other softer means. There is more pressing economic issue this government is dealing with like mealie meal supply challenges and they do not wish to add other headaches on their plates bordering on governance. The avoidable dent will not go on Mrs Mhende but posterity would harshly judge the Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwimbu and the President Hakainde Hichilema.

In any case and if she proceeded to deregister PF, it would border on contempt of court as the case in court which is yet to be determined seeks for Mrs Mhende as the Chief Registrar of societies to supervise democratic elections in PF and not to deregister it.

I wish to assure PF members to stay calm and whatever we all do here on, the only sure solution to satisfying concerns of office bearers vacancies from the registrar of societies to hold a general conference soonest. We have been constituent in advocating for this so then mandatory new office bearers list of 10 can be provided.

Anyone opposing a general conference now is an enemy of democracy and PF which now risks deregistration because of no convention when it should have taken place about 2 years ago. Raphael Nakachinda who himself illegally exists in Zambia’s political discourse because he has never stood or been elected anywhere in his life time. It’s against both the Zambian and PF constitution to perpetually occupy political leadership positions without being elected. He needs to sit down and allow PF to hold its convention so that it can elect snd submit the list of elected 10 office bearers.

As to why those that were at the helm of PF last two years were not submitting annual returns indicating bonafide office bearers is not so baffling. Your guess is as good as mine and await their legality or illegality pronouncements in the courts of law.

PF will however prevail beyond these turbulences, come what may.

To my dearest PF members in the 10 provinces of Zambia, stay calm and blessed. PF will never be deregestered as there is no Davies Mwila and Steven Kampyongo in the UPND government. PF true rebranding requires owning up and disowning old bad deeds like of the two former Ministers of Home Affairs that specialized in deregistering opponents political parties.

Its my prayer and confident the current Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwimbu won’t follow his predecessors bad traits and deregister PF as incited by the Chief Registrar of Society Mrs Thandiwe Phiri Mhende. Political parties should be beaten in ballot boxes and not through deregistering them.

MBS24.04.2023

BREAKING NEWS: Ambassador Anthony Mukwita Releases new Book

…´China in Africa, Zambia´s Story´ available on Amazon now

26th April 2023

Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote:

It is with great joy and humility that I write today that my new book, “China in Africa, the Zambia Story” is finally out after months and years under construction.

For a start, you can access the book via Amazon and other online bookstores before it finally hits the Zambian and other African bookstores.

I have no doubt the book will blow your mind away, if you are interested in geopolitics and local too.
God bless you, enjoy the book, my second instalment as a published author.

Your support and critical analysis, as I try to add to the geopolitical body of knowledge will be greatly appreciated as usual.

Inside this Book

China in Africa Zambia´s Story

This book tells a riveting story of Zambia´s mixed relationship with China whose presence dominates African skies presently.

Ambassador Anthony Mukwita breaks into tiny bits, an issue of global interest that would have ordinarily been complex to digest by ordinary readers.

Readers keen to know how China won the hearts of Africans and African leaders through soft power to ostensibly topple the United States and its allies from the age-old top slot will love it.

Ambassador Mukwita dives into the history of Zambia and its people, how they laugh and cry to make global sense.

It is a no holds barred tale that does not flatter China or the Zambian hosts as the two jostle to co-exist in an ever-evolving geopolitical world.

Momentarily, irate Zambians angered by Chinese employers kill the investor, next Chinese investors shoot in cold blood to death, Zambian workers. There´s blood, tears and joy written on several pages.

It reveals the ´sensitive´ diplomatic relationship Zambia ´enjoys´ with China and the relationship Zambia ´enjoys´ with the USA.

It´s an economic, political, and international relations account.

It is about the war between the United States and China on African soil. The Thucydides trap.

It is a fast paced easy to read book, hard to put down given the mastery writing skills of Ambassador Mukwita, a former Editor in Chief, published author and senior diplomat.

University libraries, embassies, bookstores, and government offices need this book.

Source: China in Africa, Zambia, the Zambia story via Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/1776428560

GOVT WOES MINING INVESTORS

….Zambia has restructured the Mineral Royalty tax regime to align with international good practice

Lusaka… Wednesday April 26, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)

Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane has called on investors to invest in the mining sector to increase exploration and develop green field projects.

D. Musokotwane says such move will indeed support Government’s strategy to diversify within the mining sector; and will increase the country’s net foreign earning apart from improving the living standards of the surrounding communities and the whole nation.

He says to encourage investment in the sector, Government has restructured the Mineral Royalty tax regime to align with international good practice and in the effort to make the sector more attractive for investment.

The Finance and National Planning Minister said this at the inaugural Zambia Institutional Investors Forum 2023 at Ciela Resort and Spa in Lusaka.

“The mineral royalty is also deductible for corporate income tax purposes; and the Property Transfer Tax rate on the transfer of mining rights held by exploration companies has also been reduced. Zambia has mineral endowment that remains untapped. Apart from copper, there are other minerals such as Gold, Zinc, Lead, Iron Ore, Manganese, Nickel, Feldspar, sands, Talc, Barite, Apatite, Limestone, Dolomite and Uranium among others,” he said.

“In the agricultural sector, Government wishes to expand the production capacity of the sector and promote economic diversification, sustainability and create employment opportunities. Given that Zambia is endowed with a large arable land resource base of 42 million hectares, a lot of opportunities exist for crop farming and breeding of livestock. The country is also endowed with large freshwater bodies that can support irrigation and aquaculture including cage fish farming.”

Dr. Musokotwane indicated that government has already provided incentives to the agricultural sector adding that these include lower corporate income tax rates in the agricultural sector; suspension of customs duty on machinery, equipment and other goods; and zero-rated Value Added Tax (VAT) rate for most agricultural products.

“Tourism: There are various opportunities in the tourism sector ranging from the establishment of hotels to the development of recreational facilities. Government focus in this regard, is on developing the enabling infrastructure that will unlock opportunities for investment and support to surrounding communities. Specifically, we are in the process of securing resources to develop prerequisite infrastructure at Kasaba Bay, Liuwa and the source of the Zambezi river that will attract private sector investment into these areas,” he added.

“Some of the incentives provided by the Government include the suspension of customs duty on the importation of safari vehicles and reduced corporate tax rate from 25 percent to 15 percent in the sector. Government is also working on a number of measures to reduce the cost of doing business in the sector.”

As for the Manufacturing sector, Dr. Musokotwane stated that government aims to expand the manufacturing base by promoting value addition in the country.

“One key strategy is the use of Multi-Facility Economic Zones and industrial parks. The Zones and industrial parks come with a range of tax incentives for companies that are established in these designated areas,” he concluded.

“Energy: Government recognises the critical role the energy sector plays as an enabler of economic development. Given the growing demand for energy due to increased economic activities in the various sectors, the sector is much a priority. To increase electricity generation, a key policy reform is to make tariffs cost reflective to attract investment into the sector.”

BOWMAN LUSAMBO ‘HOMELESS’ AS COURT UPHOLDS ACC APPEAL

April, 25th 2023

LUSAKA – The Economic and Financial Crimes Court has upheld the four grounds of appeal filed by the Anti Corruption Commission in relation to a matter in which the Lusaka magistrate court declared a warrant of seizure placed on Bowman Lusambo’s Chamba Valley properties by the ACC as null and void.

Economics and Financial Crimes Court Judge Pixie Yangailo who delivered her ruling further dismissed Mr Lusambo’s argument that the appeal be set aside as it is anchored on a subsisting criminal cause.

Judge Yangailo who sat with Judges Susan Wanjelani and Judge Kenneth Mulife a warrant of seizure can still be issued on a property that is subject of a Restriction Order in order for the state to have temporal custody or control of the said subject.

She also agreed with the ACC that a warrant can either be an order of court or Notice issued by the Director General of the ACC as provided for under section 58 of ACC Act and added that section 3 of the Act guides on the definition of seizure.

She further said the lower court had no authority to review the order as it did when reversing the warrant as the proceedings were criminal in nature as such powers are only vested when subordinate courts are dealing with civil matters.

” Rules applicable to warrants are those provided for in the criminal procedure code. In reference to Order 5 rule 11 of the surbodinate court which require the filing of an affidavit before it be used in court was a misdirection, especially that the matter was still at an investigation stage and no criminal proceedings had commenced”, Judge Yangailo said as she further found merit in the ground of appeal.

She has granted Mr Lusambo who was represented by Counsel Botha of Makebi Zulu Advocates leave to appeal.

(C) THE FALCON