By Shalala Oliver Sepiso

Foreigners have invaded Nangoma in Mumbwa and are dominating illegal gold mining. Our people don’t have metal detectors and so are overcharged for hiring these.

Then after digging the gold, they are given low rates the gold nuggets and dust. There is first a loss in terms of low price and then the lost of taxes since foreigners are buying the Gold and sneaking it out.

We also have a serious social problem brewing. Our women are being made impromptu informal and non-formal wives by the foreigners, who use them for accommodation and evading law enforcement agencies. A number of these women are expecting children and will soon have untraceable fathers to their kids.

The mining saw more than 4,000 people crammed on the site with no sanitation services and no health facilities.

Meanwhile beer drinking and substance abuse are on the rise as makeshift taverns with ear-bursting speakers spring up on the bushes of Matala.

Fights, thefts, pollution and even prostitution have become rife.

It’s good that the mine has been closed by Mines Minister Hon Paul Kabuswe who went there with area MP Hon Collins Nzovu, Central Province minister Hon Credo Nanjuwa and Senior Chief Shakumbila.

With the issuance of mining licences by Cadastre department suspended, the plan is to clean up such mines and their situation. It reminds me how we lost alot of revenue due to politically-connected individuals mining at this Nangoma mine without proper papers and without much benefit to the people living around this mine. With those who were mine went with the last government, there is space for the new government to ensure that whoever mines there now will ensure we people of Shakumbila Chiefdom are given a chance to mine and we are empowered with equipment to do the mining. Otherwise we shall have a situation where the Tanzanians continue to enjoy gold mining.

All in all the mine in Nangoma has alot of gold and government should take interest and have a stake for the benefit of Zambians. These mines, especially gold mines, need to be in Zambia hands.

WORLD BANK URGES ZAMBIA AND OTHER RESOURCE-RICH COUNTRIES TO STEP UP VALUE ADDITION- WE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN IMPORTANT STEPS

By Alexander Nkosi

According to Zambia Daily Mail, World Bank Africa chief economist Albert Zeufack has urged Zambia and other natural resource-rich countries to seize opportunities arising from the Russia-Ukraine conflict by increasing value addition to raw materials before exporting so as to create jobs and increase incomes. He said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to an increase international prices of commodities, particularly food staples, fertiliser, oil and gas.

How can Zambia increase value addition? By creating a conducive environment for the private sector to invest in value addition. We need to attract locals to invest in this as well as foreign firms to partner with locals in joint ventures. What major challenges is the private sector facing? Some of the major challenges include high interest rates and high cost of production.

1) High interest rates: How do we lower interest rates? Through reducing government domestic borrowing. How do we reduce government domestic borrowing? Through debt restructuring to release funds from debt service, thereby reducing pressure for borrowing.

2) High cost of production: One of the key factors driving the cost of production up is weak kwacha against the dollar. The cost of importing machinery and other inputs required to step up value addition is very high. Debt restructuring will reduce the amount we spend on servicing foreign debt (we pay in dollars).

This coupled with attracting capital inflow will strengthen kwacha and reduce the cost of machinery and other key inputs required to step up value addition.

In conclusion creating an enabling economic environment is key to promoting value addition. So far government has made progress towards securing the IMF deal key for destructuring with Western creditors, particularly the eurobonds which is complex due to the large numbers of investers involved. This coupled with restructuring of Chinese debt is key to creating an enabling environment that will promote value addition. It is also key to attracting joint ventures which will help boost capital and branding needed to penetrate international markets.

Is Zambia on track? Yes, however success in value addition will depend on how we utilise the breathing space we get from debts restructuring. Apart from addressing macroeconomic fundamentals, the President is also actively engaging the private sector as seen from the meetings held at state house. This dialogue is important.

By Charles Mundia

On 3rd September 2021, Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti was unanimously elected as Speaker of the Zambian Parliament, the first woman to hold the role. After her approbation ceremony, she was celebrated by many, loudly so by President Hakainde Hichilema who described her election as a huge achievement. The women’s movement was overjoyed and said her election was “a clear indication that Zambians have accepted women to lead in any position.”

Fast forward, eight months into her Speakership, Speaker Mutti has already demonstrated that her stay in the Speaker’s Chair poses a serious threat to Zambia’s democracy and the much cherished doctrine of Separation of Powers.

Granted, Speaker Mutti was a nominee of President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND, a party to which she holds membership but conversion and practice dictates that one severs all ties with the nominating party the moment one is sworn in as Speaker, something that Speaker Mutti is failing to do.

The Speaker is the Presiding Officer of the Legislative Assembly and as such she must act with both authority and impartiality, in Speaker Mutti’s case, she is only exercising authority without impartiality.

The Speaker’s role in the House is to maintain order, put questions after debate and conduct divisions. In maintaining order the Speaker interprets and applies the Standing Orders and practice of the House by making rulings and decisions, in Speaker Mutti’s case, she wants to misinterpret Standing Orders, make irrational rulings and cause divisions.

The other key role of the Speaker is that of the mouthpiece for the House which involves conveying Messages, Announcements and Addresses from the House to thePresident. The Speaker is also charged with upholding the rights and privileges of Members and of the House, in Speaker Mutti’s case, she wants to strip members of their rights and privileges even denying them salaries and allowances entitled to them.

If we were in sports, the Speaker is a Referee or an Umpire but in the case of Speaker Mutti, she wants to be a Referee, an Umpire as well as a player.

The latest case in which she ruled on December 7, 2021 that nine Members of Parliament whose election victories were nullified by the High Court should not be attending Parliament business speaks to her failure to respect constitutionalism.

Speaker Mutti, as a Lawyer of many years should have knownthat it has never been the duty of the Speaker to interpret the Constitution. That function remains the preserve of the Judges serving in our Courts of Law.

The issue of the Speaker attempting to usurp powers from the Judiciary to interpret the constitution was well dealt with in the case of Chishimba Kambwili v Attorney General 2019/CCZ/009 in which the Constitutional Court ruled that the then Speaker, Dr. Patrick Matibini did not have the powers to interpret or resolve constitutional problems or matters that were before the Constitutional Court.

The ruling was delivered on February 18, 2020. Now this is a landmark ruling that even a young student in constitutional law is expected to be conversant with.

The actions by Speaker Mutti clearly contravened Article 72(2) h), 73(4) of the Constitution of Zambia and also the Articles 72(h) and 72(4) read together with the 73(4) which make it clear that a parliamentary seat can only be made vacant or dissolved by a court ruling and that a Member of Parliament should continue as an MP pending the determination of the election petition by the courts.

The Nine PF MPs did well to quickly seek judicial interpretation of Speaker Mutti’s ruling when she sent them away from the House.

In a judgement of March 22nd 2022 delivered by Justice Palan Mulonda, the Constitutional Court ruled that Speaker Mutti should not have sent the nine MPs away because they appealed against the High Court’s decision to nullify their election victories and by the operation of the law means that they retained their seats in Parliament until the determination of the appeal by the Constitutional Court.

“We hold that a member of parliament whose election has been nullified by the High Court and appeals to this court, by operation of the law retains the seat in parliament pending the determination of the appeal,” Justice Mulonda read.

Speaker Mutti was therefore careless in her ruling and one can easily deduce that her decision was driven by political interests from the Executive.

Now since she appears relentless in her pursuit to mutilate the constitution and entrench a culture of intolerance and intimidation in Parliament, she refused to acknowledge theruling and maintained that the MPs should join the other 30 MPs who were suspended for 30 days for disrespecting the House in November after they converged at the speaker’s Mace, thereby supposedly disrupting the business of the House.

With everything she has done and caused to be done in the short period she has presided over the affairs of the House, there is a very strong reason to raise concerns over her suitability for the role of Speaker. Her questionable rulings, her strange interpretations of Standing Orders and her general demeanour towards the members on her Right confirms that she could be a woman on a dangerous mission.

Now that Parliament is on recess, deeper reflections on the damage that her continued stay in that office could cause to our democracy must be had. We should even start exploring the possibility of instituting impeachment proceedings against Speaker Mutti. Impeachment motion against the Speaker is fully provided for in Article 83 of the Republican Constitution for violating the constitution.

I am of a strong view that the Speaker must at all times make her rulings based on sound constitutionalism and not allow herself to be used by any invisible hands. The role she plays in the governable system of our nation is very critical and she should not be used as a pawn for revenge politics.

On the other hand, I am beginning to feel that maybe the nation and especially the women’s movement celebrated way too early Speaker Mutti’s election. May the real Nelly please stand up…before she loses her seat?

Charles Mundia is a Political Scientist based in Lusaka

WE WERE SWIMMING IN VICTORY, NEVER SAW DEFEAT COMING – LATE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KUNDA

George Kunda: Best Law Student At UNZA, ZIALE. He graduated with a distinction at UNZA

He run his own law firm before joining politics where he become member of Parliament for Muchinga, Justice Minister and later Vice president.

After the MMD lost power in 2011, he became a strong opposition voice to President Michael Sata.

During one of our interaction with him, he told us that the MMD did not see the loose coming.

“We were cheated by the system that it was an assured victory.”

Kunda died on 16th April 2012 and today marks 10 years.

His son, Howard who later won his father’s seat has penned down the following article obtained by Zambian Eye to honor his father.

A giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration nicknamed Mr. Integrity

George Kunda (26 February 1956 – 16 April 2012), was a singular figure on the national stage — a man of quiet dignity and towering achievement in his professional circle, a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration nicknamed Mr. Integrity. The son of a miner, my Father obtained a law degree from the University of Zambia emerging the best student from both UNZA and ZIALE, and began practicing on April 28, 1982. The social and economic status established under his contribution to the national leadership remains a model for achieving justice in societies. He started his career at the Luanshya Municipal Council as a solicitor before creating his own law firm in 1990. It is common that the legal profession is associated with wealth and prestige but my father decided to venture into politics with a desire to serving the nation.
Today we honour 10 years of his passing on.

Many around Zambia were greatly influenced by his selfless struggle for a better Zambia, through his champion of leadership through rule and law, equality and equal distribution of the national cake. He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. My father used to say “opportunities must be created at community level to empower those who are keen to work, his desire was that communities take advantage of opportunities being availed to embrace self-reliance”. George Kunda can aptly be described as hard-working, honest a perfectionist at his work, and leaving nothing to chance and i always emulate his ways in the best ways I can.
George Kunda devoted his life to the service of his people and humanity, and as his son I can attest to the fact that he did so at great personal sacrifice. His principled stance and the moral force that underpinned it were decisive in making Zambia a country of justice. “His emphasis on mutual respect, punctuality and efficiency are some of the virtues of a good advocate that can lead one to scoring many positive strides in life’s long journey”, those are the words he used to advise young advocates.
I was privileged to be his son. A stickler for detail. He kept a meticulous record of all things around him, which he made sure everything goes to plan.

George Kunda showed what is possible for our country and within each one of us — if we believe, dream and work together because he highly believed in team work and a keen listener to criticism, an attribute which should be embraced by all politicians.
Let us continue each day to be inspired by his lifelong example and his call to never cease working for a better and more just Zambia.

By Peter Sinkamba

DPP DILEMMAS: EITHER SHE RESIGNS OR ENTERS NOLLES IN ALL DEC AND ACC CASES

The DIrector of Public Prosecution (DPP) Lillian Fulata Shawa Siyuni SC is in an unprecedented dilemma with only two options where either she resigns or she enters nolles in all cases before her brought by either the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) or the Anti-Corruption Commission, where arrests were made without receiving instructions to arrest from her.

This is so because the letter that is in public domain to the DEC Commissioner General Mary Chirwa, which Ms Siyuni has not disclaimed, rebukes Ms Chirwa for carrying out an arrest of former KCM Provisional Liquidator Milingo Lungu without instructions to arrest from her. The Constitutional implication of this directive from the DPP is that no person should arrested and docket brought before her for prosecution of corruption and money laundering matters, if she has not given arrest instructions on those matters.

If she prosecutes other matters where no arrest instructions were issued by her, then she will not only be biased but also discriminatory, and thereby unconstitutional and illegal, pursuant to Article 23(2) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 1996 and Article 1(2) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 2016.

Although Article 180(7) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 2016 provides that the DPP shall not be subject to the direction or control of a person or an authority in the performance of the functions of that office, however, this privilege is not absolute. There are four limitations enshrined in this Article. First, the DPP should not excersize powers in a manner that is inimical to public interest. Second, the DPP should not undermine the administration of justice. Third, the DPP should not undermine the integrity of the judicial system. And fourth, the DPP should prevent and avoid abuse of the legal process.

Article 180(4) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 2016, which provides for powers of the DPP, does not give powers to DPP to issue arrest instructions to any law enforcement officer. Therefore, the letter by the DPP to the DEC Director General is not only inimical to public interest but also undermines the adminstration of justice, integrity of the judicial system, and is an abuse of the legal process.

Essentially, natural justice requires that a person receives a fair and unbiased hearing before a decision is made that will negatively affect them. The three main requirements of natural justice, that must be met in every case are: adequate notice, fair hearing and no bias.

Therefore, based on the three main requirements of natural justice, there is a second dilemma that the DPP is confronted with concerning with the Milingo case and all other cases from DEC. Now that the DEC has re-arrested Milingo, and meanwhile, there is a direct confrontation between the DPP and the DEC Director General, considering the confrontation in the hind sight, will the DPP prosecute the Milingo case without bias? Or indeed, will the DPP prosecute all other cases from the DEC without bias?

Articles 180(2) and 182(3) of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 2016, provide that the conditions that apply to a judge apply also to the DPP. Implicitly, by Article 266 of the Constitution of Zambia 2016, the DPP is a judicial authority, and thereby amenable to the Judicial Code of Act of Zambia.

Thus, the third dilemma confronting the DPP concerns law requirement for judges to recuse themselves if their impartiality might reasonably be questioned.

Section 4 (1) of the Judicial Code of Conduct requires that a judge or other judicial officer shall not discriminate in the performance of their duties of that office. They are require to perform their duties without bias or prejudice and should not, in the performance of adjudicative duties, by word or conduct, manifest bias, discrimination or prejudice. They should also not permit any member of staff or any other person subject to that officer’s direction and control to discriminate or manifest bias or prejudice.

Section 6(2) of the said Act disqualifies a judge of judicial to adjudicate or take part in any consideration or discussion of any proceedings in which the officer’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned on the grounds that the officer has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party. Thus, where such impartiality may rise, the judge or judicial officer must recuse himself or herself, and the matter ought to be allocated to another judge or other person for adjudication.

The dilemma here is that there is only one DPP. If the DPP is conflicted, that is it! There no other alternative person authorized by the Constitution to perform functions of the DPP. So, what happens to the Milingo case and all other cases brought to her by DEC where she has not issued any arrest instructions, and in view of the direct confrontation between the DPP and DEC DG? Thus, will the DPP proceed to prosecute the cases even if she is conflicted in the manner described?

If she forces matters and proceed to prosecute the Milingo case and all other DEC cases, two things are likely to happen: first, pursuant to Section4 (2) of the Judicial Code of Conduct, the magistrate who will handle the case may be dragged to the Judicial Complaints Commission for allowing the DPP to take part in proceedings before that magistrate, where the DPP has manifested, by word or conduct, bias, discrimination or prejudice contrary to the Constitution and the Judicail Code of Conduct.

Secondly, of the President is serious enough to defend the Constitution, he may invoke Article 181 to appoint another person to perform functions of the DPP in the Milingo case and all cases brought by the DEC because under the current circumstances, the DPP is unable to perform the functions of office with integrity and without bias or prejudice.

In my view, instead of complicating her life and future as explained above, I think it more honorable for her to voluntarily resign.

JUSTICE MINISTER WARNS RAPHAEL NAKACHINDA

By KETRA KALUNGA

Retract the allegations levelled against me that I am somehow involved in criminal activities failure to which legal action would be taken against you, Justice Minster, Mulambo Haimbe has warned Raphael Nakachinda.

Mr. Nakachinda who is PF media and publicity chairperson alleged at a media briefing on Wednesday that Mr. Haimbe and other government officials attempted to bribe PF Lusangazi chairperson, Patrick Banda, so that he could withdraw an election petition.

Mr Banda, who appeared at the press briefing with Mr Nakanchinda confirmed that the meeting with the UPND officials took place where he was being coerced to withdraw his challenge of the nullification of his election as council chairperson.

Mr Banda said he was left wondering what the UPND officials wanted by pursuing him in the manner they did.

He explained that even the Examination Council of Zambia were being forced to withdraw the replacement of his grade 12 certificate on orders from higher offices.

And Mr Nakachinda complained that Presidential advisor, Levy Ngoma and other UPND and government officials had abducted Mr Banda with the view of coercing him to withdraw his petition and promised him a job as Katete DC and cash reward of K150,000.

Mr. Haimbe however said he has engaged his lawyers to take the necessary steps for Mr. Nakachinda to retract the allegations failure to which civil and all necessary action would be taken against him.

Mr. Haimbe said in an interview that it was defamation of character for Mr. Nakachinda to create an impression in the minds of the general public that he was involved in criminal activities based on pure untruth which cannot be proved.

He claimed that Mr. Nakachinda has got issues and those would have to be reversed in terms of him being held accountable for what he says and does.

“I want to place it on record that what was stated by Mr. Nakachinda are pure and complete untruth and he is using the platform that is being made available to him to gain political relevance and mileage,” he said.

Mr. Haimbe said much as Mr. Nakachinda enjoyed his freedom of expression that must not be used to injure the reputation of others.

He maintained that the allegations were based on pure untruth which Mr. Nakachinda cannot prove and that was tantamount to criminal defamation.

A BlackRock Spokesperson has disputed estimates of potential gains by campaigners championing the cancellation of Zambia’s debt.

Activists have claimed BlackRock could make $180 million profit out of its investment in Zambian bonds if the debts are paid in full.

The New York Headquartered firm said in a statement that there had not been any significant increases in its holdings of Zambian debt since September 2020 “other than as required to ensure the funds remain near or at the benchmark”.

They added: “The money invested in bonds by asset managers is predominantly the money of ordinary people saving for retirement. None of the money is the asset manager’s.”

The company said any decision on restructuring these bonds must therefore be balanced against the duty of the asset manager to protect the savings of the millions of people whose money was lent to these countries, while at the same time recognising the difficult circumstances they are facing from the challenges posed by the pandemic.

The spokesperson said the firm had “no discretion” to sell bonds held in index funds, “so it is in our clients’ interests for these countries to thrive and succeed”.

And on Wednesday, protestors staged demonstrations outside of Blackrock’s Edinburgh office to demand that the company cancels Zambia’s debt.

On the day BlackRock announced its annual earnings, campaigners from Global Justice Now and Jubilee Scotland were demonstrating for Blackrock, one of Zambia’s largest known bondholders, to write off the country’s debts as it struggles to recover from the pandemic.

Activists arrived outside of BlackRock’s office in the capital with a large piñata in the shape of a black rock with one campaigner in a suit and a Larry Fink mask – CEO of BlackRock – holding it up for other protestors to hit.

The contents of the piñata were said to symbolise many of the things Zambia will continue to have restricted access to until its debt is cancelled such as money, medical equipment and renewable energy.

Zambia’s debt payments to asset managers such as BlackRock will also render Scotland’s aid funding to the country “virtually insignificant”, campaigners warn.

Zambia is one of the Scottish Government’s international development partner countries but its debt repayments for 2021 were 75 times more than the aid money Zambia received from the Scottish Government in the previous five years combined, according to campaigners.

Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns at Global Justice Now, added: “Zambia’s ability to respond to the pandemic and the climate emergency is being massively undermined by the debt repayments that it is having to make to banks right here in Scotland, such as BlackRock.

“While BlackRock is making huge profits, people in Zambia are going without vital medical supplies and access to education. That’s a global scandal that must end.

“We echo the call of our friends in Zambia for BlackRock to cancel Zambia’s debt.”

Line Christensen, campaign director at Jubilee Scotland said: “The aid money given by Scotland to Zambia is being dwarfed by the huge repayments that Zambia is being forced to make to private creditors like BlackRock.

“Big banks often pile crippling interest on low-income countries’ debts, locking them in a never-ending cycle of payments that prevent investment in crucial infrastructure, education, and health services -and they haven’t let up during the pandemic.”

CAMPAIGNERS protested outside of Blackrock’s Edinburgh office to demand that the company cancel Zambia’s debt on Wednesday.

On the day BlackRock announces its annual earnings, campaigners from Global Justice Now and Jubilee Scotland were demonstrating for Blackrock, one of Zambia’s largest known bondholders, to write off the country’s debts as it struggles to recover from the pandemic.

Activists arrived outside of BlackRock’s office in the capital with a large piñata in the shape of a black rock with one campaigner in a suit and a Larry Fink mask – CEO of BlackRock – holding it up for other protestors to hit.

The contents of the piñata were said to symbolise many of the things Zambia will continue to have restricted access to until its debt is cancelled such as money, medical equipment and renewable energy.

Zambia’s debt payments to asset managers such as BlackRock will also render Scotland’s aid funding to the country “virtually insignificant”, campaigners warn.

However, the company is not responsible for setting interest rates on which Zambia’s outstanding debt is expected to be repaid. Furthermore, BlackRock cannot unilaterally sell or cancel Zambia’s debts as the majority are held through index funds.

Zambia is one of the Scottish Government’s international development partner countries but its debt repayments for 2021 were 75 times more than the aid money Zambia received from the Scottish Government in the previous five years combined, according to campaigners.

Activists have claimed BlackRock could make $180 million profit out of its investment in Zambian bonds if the debts are paid in full.

However, BlackRock is an asset manager, not a private bank, and as such does not itself stand to make profits on the repayment of Zambia’s debt.

Isaac Mwaipopo, a member of the Zambia Civil Society Debt Alliance, and Executive Director of the Centre for Trade Policy and Development, speaking from Zambia, said: “Zambia’s debt crisis is preventing people getting access to healthcare, education, and other social services.

“We urgently need all of Zambia’s lenders, including BlackRock, to agree to cancel debt so we can recover from the pandemic and the economic crisis we face.

“Loans were given at high-interest rates, and have been trading at low prices, so it is only fair lenders agree significant debt cancellation, rather than making mass profit out of the Zambian people.”

Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns at Global Justice Now, added: “Zambia’s ability to respond to the pandemic and the climate emergency is being massively undermined by the debt repayments that it is having to make to banks right here in Scotland, such as BlackRock.

“While BlackRock is making huge profits, people in Zambia are going without vital medical supplies and access to education. That’s a global scandal that must end.

“We echo the call of our friends in Zambia for BlackRock to cancel Zambia’s debt.”

Line Christensen, campaign director at Jubilee Scotland said: “The aid money given by Scotland to Zambia is being dwarfed by the huge repayments that Zambia is being forced to make to private creditors like BlackRock.

“Big banks often pile crippling interest on low-income countries’ debts, locking them in a never-ending cycle of payments that prevent investment in crucial infrastructure, education, and health services -and they haven’t let up during the pandemic.”- the national

The continued high prices of crude oil on the international market will potentially result in another fuel price hike at the end of April beyond the current prices with such trends anticipated to sustain over the next few months.

The Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia is anticipating around a 1 to 2 percent fuel hike at the end of April when the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) reviews fuel pump prices while the conflict in Ukraine sustains negative effects on international pricing mechanisms.

Association President Kafula Mubanga tells Phoenix News that the sustained war in Ukraine will continue to negatively affect the pricing of fuel in zambia especially that the country has no control over international pricing mechanisms.

The current price of crude oil on the international market is over $108 per barrel while the local price for petrol was last increased to K26.50 from K21.96 previously and diesel up to K26.22 up from K21.54 with both signaling an increase of over K4.50.

And on recent revelations by Energy Minister Peter Kapala that government will remove all remaining subsidies and waivers on fuel by the end of June 2022, Dr. Mubanga is confident that government has conducted a thorough analysis to determine that the benefit of doing so would outweigh the losses especially with the anticipated impact on ordinary citizens.

Meanwhile, Agro-economist Frank Kayula has anticipated an increase in the price of fertilizer to over k1000 per bag as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war which will affect Zambia’s food security.
Dr Kayula in an interview with phoenix news says this will also likely see increased prices of seeds on the market which will disadvantage farmers.

Dr Kayula says once price of seeds go up, it has the potential to affect beneficiaries of the farmer input support program which and result in government reducing the number of beneficiaries on the program.

He has however advised government to consider enhancing the use of sustainable agriculture and organic fertilizer in order to ensure nutrients are given to the soil to maintain productivity as one way to cushion the impact the war in Russia and Ukraine has on the agriculture sector.

BALLY’S CHOICE OF ANTHONY WAS AMAZINGLY METICULOUS

Emmanuel Chilekwa

15 April, 2022

The choice of my brother as Special Assistant for Press and public relations, Anthony Bwalya was indeed a very meticulous one, it’s on point, no doubt.

He resembles his boss, talks like his boss, gestures like his boss and swings his tongue like his boss. This is really a meticulous choice. Bally really applied his meticulousity tenets into this choice.

Surprisingly, my brother Anthony has also adopted the swinging of his tongue when he’s talking, just like his boss, I never observed this aspect before now.

Surely, this choice was truly very meticulous. Now I understand why my mulamu Mubita Nawa is still ku wire and yet the two battled from the same pew.

But on this score, Scripture is very clear : two will be at the well, one would be taken, the other will remain.

Let me start imitating boss, may be I can be considered, #mulekutika?

Bally is not a tribalist. My brother here, is Bemba, he’s a Bwalya – forget the insinuations or rumoured gossip, but see how Bally brought him so close and made him important. Wonderful.

Even Bembas look like their Tonga bosses because we are all made in God’s image and we came from one Father, ABRAHAM, so similarities are a natural affinity.

If my brother puts on a face mask, and he stands next to his boss, I have difficulties differentiating or distinguishing who is Bally and who is Anthony save for their heights and depth of voice. From the distance, their foreheads are more than close, their foreheads look like siamese twins, their hair cuts is like they have one barber man – this was a perfect, meticulous choice Bally made, wonderful meticulous choice of like for like.

From the current upgraded looks of my brother Anthony, he’s looking so buoyantly beautiful with a soft bulging but enviable skin and clearly speaking, Anthony is practically not affected by the dilapidated, suffocating and sinking economy being run by his boss – he has put up weight and looking good but aging gracefully faster than one would have thought.

With such rapid buoyant positive changes in 8 months, who could say the economy or Bally is not doing well? Unless one was a fool or not thinking – things are well inside the ranch.

CONFISCATION OF LUSANGAZI COUNCIL CHAIRPERSON’S G12 CERTIFICATE BY ECZ ANGERS PF

….the country could be dealing with a regime that has criminal motives charges Nakacinda.

LUSAKA, Thursday, April 14, 2022 (SMART EAGLES)

THE Patriotic Front (PF) party has charged that the country could be dealing with a regime that has criminal motives.

This is in light of the alleged bribery attempts by Government to have PF sponsored Lusangazi Council Chairperson Patrick Banda withdraw a petition in the Constitutional Court after alleged failed attempts to disfranchise him from contesting an election using lies that he did not have a Grade 12 Certificate.

Speaking at a Media Briefing, Wednesday, PF Information and Publicity Chairperson Raphael Mangani Nakacinda said the party is saddened to learn that State House had allegedly instructed the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) to have Mr Banda’s Certificate confiscated.

Hon Nakacinda said this comes after his Binoculars zoomed into a failed meeting organised by Levy Ngoma, Patrick Mucheleka and Mr Mulambo Haimbe allegedly promising the Lusangazi Council Chairperson K150,000 to have a petition withdrawn.

“This is barely two days after the Political advisor to the President Mr Levy Ngoma, Provincial Minister for Eastern Province, the Permanent Secretary and the District Commissioner went to try and coerce him to withdraw a petition in the Constitutional court and that he be offered money and probably given the position of DC in Katete,” he alleged.

He said the persecution of Mr Banda started prior to the August 12, 2021 elections when news broke out that he was going to be sponsored by the Patriotic Front.
“The first thing was to abduct him, I had to personally hide him. When they realised that they could not stop him, they came back with a lie that he did NOT have a G12 Certificate. He got attacked during the first round of August 12 elections. He got attacked, had his Certificate stolen. He reported to the Police, went to ECZ and paid the requirements to have his Certificate reprinted. The candidate who was not part of the nominations , goes to write a letter to ECZ that he doesn’t have a certificate. They went and abused the Police to have him arrested and pushed the matter to the Margistrate court,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lusangazi Council Chairperson Patrick Banda is demanding to have his Grade 12 Certificate returned to him after it was confiscated by the Examination Council of Zambia as per the instruction alleged to have come from State House.

“Yesterday to my surprise, late in the evening, I was called by the Examination Council trying to find out my whereabouts. We met with a named ECZ Official married to a named Permanent Secretary. She told me that she had received instructions to have my Certificate confiscated. What interest does the Examination Council have in this matter,” he said.

He said the people in Government should have pity for the people of Lusangazi because they need a representative.

“I need my Certificate, I am a Zambian and not a foreigner. It is within my rights to contest , no one should stop me. The issue of Lusangazi has been there from campaign until I won. Does it mean they want to kill opposition,” he said

PRESS STATEMENT BY HON. GIVEN LUBINDA, PATRIOTIC FRONT ACTING PRESIDENT ON THE CONTINUED RUSSIA/UKRAINE CONFLICT

15TH APRIL, 2022

We strongly commend Russia for its efforts to bring the conflict to a close which we hear should be ending within two to three weeks. We therefore call on all parties involved to support this initiative by Russia. It is our sincere hope that the outcome of these efforts shall be a win-win for both Russia and Ukraine. It is only a win-win situation for the two which can ultimately culminate in a win for mankind and for the entire world.

We are also alive to the fact that Russia/Ukraine negotiations are not an easy undertaking, This is the reason why we commend Russia’s commitment to continue pursuing the route of dialogue in its quest to persuade the West to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and roll back decades of the alliance expansion in Europe.

We understand the sentiment of Russian Ambassador, Alexander Lukashevich, the Head of Mission of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna that there will be catastrophic consequences if the two sides do not agree on Russia’s proposed security red lines that would guarantee Russia’s security. After all every sovereign state has a right and a duty to its citizens to guarantee its National integrity and security.

We urge all the players to respect and honour the Minsk Agreement and set a precedent that International Agreements can indeed be honoured. The Russia/Ukraine conflict has provided the world with a unique opportunity to realise that no country is above the other. This is proof that we cannot achieve and maintain global peace without striving and maintaining a system of balance-of-power. A balance-of-power system is more stable than one with a dominant state or bloc of states against all else. Aggression of weak states by powerful state alliances can be minimized when there is equilibrium of power between rival coalitions.

Historically, Zambia has been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement on matters of international conflict involving competing interests between the Western and Eastern blocs. And we call upon the Zambian Government not to deviate from this historical principle by maintaining a neutral stance on the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

We believe that it is important for all interested parties, including Zambia, to understand the complicated and delicate nature of this conflict and join efforts to end it and restore peace in Europe and the rest of the world. The world should hear both sides. Russia has appealed to the global community to understand the reasons for its military operation in Ukraine, which include demilitarisation and denazification of its neighbour for the safety and security of the Russian people. It has reminded the world that since Ukraine declared independence it had remained non-aligned until the western-backed coup in 2014 after which it has been pushing to join the Western military alliance, the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which has declared Russia as its adversary. This, if actuated, would directly threaten Russia’s security as it shares a long border with Ukraine.

The West turned down Russia’s requests for security guarantees of non-expansion of NATO to Russia’s borders and started mass deliveries of lethal weapons to the Ukrainian government, encouraging the activities of nationalist anti-Russian and armed groups and foreign mercenaries.

It is our strong belief that all these aforementioned factors must fully be addressed if we are to find a lasting peaceful solution. Glossing over the fundamental causes of the conflict cannot guarantee the avoidance of further conflicts in the future.

We urge the parties involved not to relent on pursuing a peaceful resolution and ensure that all the Articles of the Minsk Agreement are respected and strictly adhered to.

It is also our considered view that in order to safeguard peace and maintain an equilibrium of global military power, the globe needs a balance of economic and financial systems. To avoid economic dominance by any single state or group of states and in order to maintain global economic stability, we call on all nations to support the emergence of a new Economic Payment Scheme other than the SWIFT.

I thank you.

By Kombe Mataka

LUNTE PF member of parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya says someone is sitting at the edge of their seat to make sure PF officials and anyone associated with it is convicted of corruption.

And Kafwaya says he is eligible to stand for presidency both at party and national level.

Kafwaya, a PF presidential aspirant, told The Mast that the Executive must stay in their lane and stop interfering in the operations of the investigative wings.

“It is like someone is sitting at the edge over these cases. But they should stay in their lane. It’s not their job and for me, I learnt to stay in my lane. Everything I would do, when I served in various positions, would be in the confines of my responsibility. If everyone stays in their lane, the fight against corruption is going to be easy. They are not going to act inappropriately because there is nobody giving pressure to another. Not where someone enters a nolle prosequi and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) is asked to re-arrest and take back the case to court,” Kafwaya said. “It does not look clear to you because you have taken a position. You have taken a position that he is a criminal… There is no one who is a criminal prior to being convicted. This is what we are saying. You cannot call me a criminal. I am innocent until proven guilty by the competent court of jurisdiction. For most of these people who are associated with PF including us PF members, you are even calling us a criminal organisation. This is incorrect. It is immoral and it shouldn’t even happen. You have no right to say that until someone is convicted.”

He said people must not rush in criticising the decisions of the Director of Public Prosecutions Lillian Siyunyi without understanding factors accompanying such a decision.

“How did the DPP enter a nolle prosequi? What you are not asking is how was he arrested [former KCM provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu]. How coherent were the testimonies placed before the DPP entered a nolle prosequi? The DPP is there and is a public officer, that is when you conclude the matter but the problem is that the position is that that guy is guilty and he should be jailed! Go online and see those media organisations which are housed at State House. Go and see what Koswe has written? Go and see what [Zambian] Watchdog has written. I am used to seeing what they wrote…” he said.

“Let us be clear. Don’t take a position because your position may be wrong and formed on inadequate information. And that is where I was saying let police arrest on their own. If police are not forced on me, they will never arrest me when they arrest me, it’s because they will be coming with a legitimate issue which will have a high chance of success in the courts of law. But if you just push them because they are at your mercy, you can push one judge, push another one, but maybe at another person, you will become stuck and find there are no issues. And then the public will say ‘he was properly arrested, even after being found guilty at a lower court by somebody more independent and with a higher standard of morality.”

Kafwaya said it was in public domain that the investigative wings were moved to State House. “But under what law was that done? It has never happened. DEC has always been under home affairs,” he said. “Create an environment where these institutions operate with their law apparatus as opposed to operating with men so that we create a better society. Anybody can come into conflict with the law and anybody can become anyone’s enemy at any point.”

And Kafwaya said those that worked under him could testify that he was the right calibre to take the PF forward.

“You can go to Cancer Diseases Hospital where I worked for four years. You can go to Ndeke House where I worked for some years. You can go to ministry of works and supply. You can go to Ministry of Transport where I served until we lost. People will not tell you now that just because I worked responsibly I was not able to produce results. I produce clean results,” he said. “In political leadership it is very different. It is not the political leadership that decides who should be president. It is the people you are leading who assess your suitability. And the people you are leading should be able to say that is our leader not saying I am supposed to be a leader. I have good number of supporters who have called upon me to contest the presidency and I have looked at my qualifications in terms of that position and I do think the call by those many supporters is justified. The experience I have, the mentality that I have, the level at which I have served and also my focus on service, I thought that getting such a promotion from people is good enough. It is an expansion of my capacity to serve at a broader scale.”

Kafwaya said Zambia required leadership.

“I have to offer hope. Zambia as a country requires leadership which is local, people centred as opposed to foreign centred. Yes, I am going to contest the PF presidency. Both from the national Constitution perspective and the PF constitution perspective, I qualify,” said Kafwaya.
“The loss of elections in August [2021] should be an opportunity for us in PF to reflect where we disappointed the people. If a chance ever arose for PF to be in the driving seat again, we will have a high chance of avoiding them. You can tell right now that the mistakes PF were making are very similar to those that people are complaining about the UPND. This morning [Tuesday] I was reading of a minister who went to park a GRZ vehicle at a night club and boasting that they had money to go and campaign in a ward by-election.”

UPDATE: MONGU MAYORAL BYE – ELECTIONS

Ichipani scoring zeros in the Mongu by-election

Mala polling station results
Nyambe Muyumbana UPND – 50
Kamwengo Kamuti PNUP – 0
Mundia Francis PF – 0

Katimba ward in Monze
Hamunyangwa poling station,
UPND 196
DP 10

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
MULAMBWA PRIMARY – 03
UPND 80
PF 10
PNUP 04

MINISTER CONFERENCE HALL 01
UPND 115
PF 08
PUNP 07

MULAMBWA PRIMARY 01
UPND 64
PF 08
PUNP 02

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
KAMBULE BAIT HALL- 01
UPND 76
PF 03
PNUP 02

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE*
Nalikwanda constituency mongu district
Imalo
UPND 136
PF 9

Matamena
UPND 99
PF 3
Siyobe

UPND 168
PF 0
Nalisindi
UPND 71
PF 2

Lwandui
UPND 133
PF 22
Simulima
UPND 88
PF O

Loma
UPND 170
PF 1

Mukoko poling station
UPND 109
PF 11
Pnup. 10

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS FROM KAMBULE WARD (MANDANGA COMMUNITY SCHOOL POLLING STATION)
UPND = 314
PF = 34
PNUP = 08
TOTAL VALID VOTES CASTED IS = 356
NO REJECTED VOTES.

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
Sishemo polling station
UPND 88
PNUP 3
PF 2

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
Maala polling station in lealui lower
UPND 50
PF 0

*MONGU MAYORAL RESULTS UPDATE*
1.Lealui upper Holy Cross
UPND 163
PNUP O2
PF 0 (ZERO)
Rejected 2
2. Tungi polling station
UPND – 83
PF – 10
PNUP – 07
3. Malabo Poling Station
Upnd 47
Pnup 2
Pf 1
4.Holy Cross polling station.
*Results*
UPND 165
PF 0
PNUP 2
Rejected 2
5. Zen liwanika Nursing school
UPND 172,
PF 12
pnup 11
Lealui lower
UPND 142,
PF 2
Nyuta polling station in Nalikwanda
UPND 86
PF 2

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
Nalwei polling station
UPND 132
PF 2

MONGU MAYORAL BY-ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
Nakanya ward
UPND 538
PF 60

PF LOSES IN LUKUTU WARD IN NORTHERN PROVINCE

Palangoto poling station in Lukutu Ward:
UPND 128
SP. 204
PF. 25
DP. 02
Ing’andu kapelembe Poling station Lukutu Ward
UPND 60
SP. 58
PF. 20
DP. 01
Mwine menda Poling station in Lukutu Ward
UPND 278
SP. 32
PF. 17
DP. 00
One Poling station Malekani being awaited at the totaling centre

UPND SCOOPS LUKUTU WARD BY- ELECTION IN LUWINGU DISTRICT*
UPND= 675
SP=404
PF=251

TOTAL IN KATIMBA WARD OF MONZE
UPND 1453
LM 48
DP 121
PF 10

Here are the consolidated results for the Katimba ward by election of Monze District in southern province.

1. UPND 1453
2. DP 121
3. LEADERSHIP MOVEMENT 48
4. PATRIOTIC FRONT 10
   official results to be made by ECZ

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda has advised the UPND to petition the Judicial Complaints Commission to remove Director of Public Prosecution Lillian Siyuni from her position for alleged misconduct.

CiSCA Chairperson Judith Mulenga has said that the JCC is empowered to recommend the removal of the DPP if she is found wanting in her conduct.

Ms Mulenga wondered why the cadres were intimidating the DPP and giving her ultimatums when they can report her to the judicial complaints authority.

UPND Youths in Lusaka Province yesterday gave Ms Siyuni a 48 hours ultimatum to resign from her position for allegedly frustrating the fight against corruption.

And The Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has urged people aggrieved by Director of Public Prosecutions Lillian Siyuni on grounds of incompetence, among others, to use laid down procedures to address such grievances.

In a statement availed to the media, SACCORD Executive Director, Boniface Cheembe has cited the action taken by activist Chama Fumba popularly known as Pilato to report the DPP to the Judicial Complaints Commission as the laid down procedure, adding that SACCORD will be following up the matter before the JCC as submitted by Mr Fumba with keen interest as it has a bearing on the strength of the country’s governance and democracy.

Mr states that this has a bearing on the extent to which citizens of the Republic of Zambia continue to have faith in using established institutions to address their grievances and thereby contribute to maintaining the peace of the country.

Yesterday, a day after the Lusaka Province UPND leadership called for the resignation of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lillian Siyuni, party youths gave her 48 hours to vacate office or face mass protests.

Some people accused Ms Siyuni of discharging Patriotic Front (PF) aligned persons facing criminal charges.

UPND youths in Lusaka Province asked Ms Siyuni to vacate office within two days, failure to which they will stage mass protests, including at her office.

Provincial youth chairperson Anderson Banda told a media briefing that youths will protest if Ms Siyuni does not heed their call to step aside.

“We in the UPND are peaceful people, but we will not allow anyone to frustrate President Hakainde Hichilema’s fight against corruption.Ms Siyuni is not serving the interests of Zambians, we demand that she resigns, ” they said

And today, a group calling themselves Concerned Citizens have reported Director of Public Prosecutions Ms Lilian Siyunyi to the Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba for alleged abuse of office and misconduct.

One of the Citizens names Matomola Likwanya said that said they decided to report the DPP for a criminal offence of conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.

Mr Likwanya alleged that the DPP has abrogated section 112 of the Penal Code, citing the handling of a matter relating to former Konkola Copper Mines Provisional liquidator Milimo Lungu whose lawyers complained to the DPP for being re-arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission.

According to another member of the group, Alex Bwalya, the group is seeking intervention of the Inspector general of police.

Mr Bwalya said the DPP cannot continue to be in the office where she continues to undermine the course of Justice and that the DPP must resign and allow for cases to be executed in an effective and efficient manner.

Meanwhile, Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) President Jackson Silavwe has said that the UPND is trying to bully the DPP into submission so as to bend to their political will and emotions.

In a statement to the media, Mr Silavwe said that the calls by the UPND for the DPP to resign are unfounded and that the DPP is being treated with political suspicion by the UPND for one simple reason, she was appointed by the Former President.

“Madam Siyunyi is a seasoned professional. It is a clear case of a ruling party, UPND, interfering with the operations of state institutions.

“The correspondence between the DPP and DEC is good for a growing democracy, it spells accountability and a strong separation of powers between state institutions. We differ with those calling for her resignation. We stand with DPP Lilian Siyunyi, ” concluded the statement.

THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has condemned in the strongest terms possible, calls by some senior officials and cadres of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mrs Lillian Fulata Shawa-Siyuni, SC to resign.

In a statement issued to #Mwebantu, LAZ Honorary Secretary Sokwani Chilembo said the Rule of Law demands observance of the law in the conduct of public affairs by everyone.

Mr Chilembo explained that the ruling party is no exception and must take the lead in assuring the country that the Rule of Law will be respected.

He added that LAZ is greatly concerned that the calls threatening the DPP are also echoed by persons holding leadership positions in the UPND party.

“The DPP is a Constitutional office holder whose tenure is guaranteed up to retirement age of sixty (60) years by the provisions of Article 182 of the of the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2016, unless she resigns out of her own volition or is removed in line with the provisions of Article 144 of the Constitution on the grounds stipulated in Article 143, which include mental or physical disability making her incapable of performing judicial functions, incompetence or gross misconduct,” Mr Chilembo stated.

He further said it is extremely important for the UPND officials, cadres or any citizen to follow the Constitutional provisions, and not resort to intimidating a Constitutional Office holder.

“Democratic principles can only be entrenched in the country if Constitutional Office holders, such as the DPP, are allowed to perform their functions without fear or favour, devoid of any intimidation,” he said.

And Mr Chillembo noted that LAZ has since written to the Secretary General of the UPND expressing its concern over the matter, and calling on him to immediately redress the situation within his ranks in order to prevent the breakdown of the Rule of Law.

“We also urge the public to respect constitutional provisions, and not spearhead violation of the Constitution,” he said.

Yesterday some UPND officials and carders give the DPP Ms Lillian Siyuni a 48 hours ultimatum to resign from her position failure to which protests were threatened.

(Mwebantu)