Protect the DPP, Protect the Constitution

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

In 1969, at the height of the liberation struggle for Southern Africa, Zambia captured two Portuguese soldiers under the rule of colonial Angola.

The two soldiers were captured by the Zambia Police in Chavuma District.

The Lusaka Magistrate (of Ghanaian descent) sentenced the duo to a fine of K2,400 ($2,400) or two years imprisonment each for the offence in lieu.

But upon review of the case at the High Court by another expatriate jurist, Ifor Evan, the soldiers were released.

Judge Evan stated that the case was trivial and mere border tresspass.

The conviction was therefore quashed and the two soldiers were released and allowed to return to Luanda, Angola.

President Kenneth Kaunda, who was outside the country at the time, demanded for an explanation upon his return.

Chief Justice James Skinner responded to him by affirming the independence of the Judiciary.

Following this meeting, Kaunda publicly attacked Skinner and the entire white-dominated bench as being racist (he later apologised).

From this statement, UNIP hooligans orchestrated public demonstrations that ended up with the storming of the high court grounds and the attack on white judges.

Despite being seen as a nationalist and a comrade of UNIP, Zambia’s first Attorney General and later Justice Minister, Skinner was forced to resign as Chief Justice and both him and Evan fled the country.

The start of the rapid erosion of the independence of the Judiciary can be traced to this single incident.

It is therefore appalling to see UPND orchestrated campaigns against the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lillian Fulata Shawa-Siyuni SC and the absurd campaigns extensively covered by ZNBC, a public broadcaster.

Sadly, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) seemed to have joined the fray and public lynching, with their statement that failed to affirm the constitutional independence of the DPP’s Office but sought to focus and interpret an extremely narrow matter of a leaked letter of the DPP to the Drug Enforcement Commission.

Even this letter shows that the DPP is on the correct path as she was merely making an enquiry, a routine matter she conducts in her official interaction with Law Enforcement Agencies.

Infact, both the law on “Plea Bargain” and “Witness Protection” do provide for the DPP’s limited role in investigations.

The Plea Negotiations and Agreements Act of 2010 provides numerous instances in which the DPP directs both investigations and prosecution.

NOLLE PROSEQUI

The controversy surrounding the DPP and her decision to enter a Nolle Prosequi must be seen in context to her other similar decisions.

She has entered Nolles in cases involving high profile cases at the time such as; President Hakainde Hichilema, Nellie Mutti, John Sangwa, Rajan Mahtani and Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

Sadly despite the strong constitutional guarantees provided for the tenure of office of the DPP, and despite the prosecutorial decisions made being guaranteed as independent and entirely the discretion of the DPP, politicians have always illegally interfered with this office.

Recently holders of the Office; Mebeelo Kalima, Mukelebai Mukelebai, Chalwe Mchenga, and Mutembo Nchito have suffered orchestrated negative political campaigns and tribunals that have helped hound them out of office.

Zambians have a duty to stop this rot and the erosion of this office by ensuring that the Constitution as provided for in Articles 180-182 is upheld, respected and the DPP’s office is protected from malicious political attacks and orchestrated negative campaigns.

It is clear from the above that Presidents want a compliant and obedient DPP who, at their political whims, can succeed in their set agenda, usually against their perceived political opponents.

And therefore, any office, judge or DPP seen to be failing to tow their political line is hounded out of office.

We can only allow this if we have abandoned Democracy as a sacred project and way of governing ourselves, or if we have wilfully chosen to undermine its growth by desecrating the autonomy and independence of democratic institutions.

TEN YEARS SINCE SIX JOURNALISTS WERE FIRED

By Kennedy Limwanya, Journalist and Media Consultant.

Patriotic Front (PF) politician Emmanuel Mwamba has responded to my newspaper write-up which was, later, used as a script for a documentary that was aired on Prime Television and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation TV1.

I’m grateful to the two media houses.

It is not the first time Emmanuel is responding to me through Facebook.

For those who may not have read my article or watched the documentary, it was simply marking five years since the PF, under which administration Emmanuel served for 10 years, arrested United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema for a trumped-up treason charge.

In Emmanuel’s wisdom, the Zambian people do not deserve to be reminded about where they are coming from.

He says the documentary makes “unfounded allegations against the Patriotic Front Government and President Edgar Lungu . . .”

Really?

Emmanuel adds that “The documentary also abuses the images of the late President Rupiah Banda, cataloguing how he was allegedly extensively mistreated by the Patriotic Front government . . .”

Was Mr Banda not mistreated until he helped Mr Lungu win the 2015 presidential election?

I was a witness to all the mistreatment and humiliation he underwent both at home and abroad and this is a part of what I have been documenting for posterity.

There should be no need for pretence if we are to heal our country from the atrocities of the past.

According to Emmanuel’s thinking, telling history as it happened amounts to sowing “Seeds of Discord, Seeds of Genocide.”

So, should the Zambian people pretend that at no point did anyone get gassed?

Should we pretend that Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda were not shot dead on the day UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was appearing for questioning at Zambia Police Headquarters?

Should we pretend that a University of Zambia female student never suffocated to death because of a tear gas canister thrown into her room?

Should we pretend that six young Times of Zambia journalists were not dismissed in 2012 for merely being perceived to be Movement for Multiparty Democracy sympathisers, a few months after the PF assumed power in September 2011?

A detailed response to Emmanuel’s Facebook post will come in due course.

In the meantime, today, 13 April, 2022, marks exactly 10 years since six journalists were unceremoniously hounded out of the Times of Zambia at gun point.

These were Bob Sianjalika, Patson Phiri, Abel Mboozi, Obert Simwanza, Richard Mulonga and Whytney Mulobela.

Don’t the Zambian people deserve to be told the truth about the past?

HH SHOULD NOT CHANGE

…I’m thankful with way he’s
started his presidency – Fr Sakala

By Christopher Miti

SAINT Anne’s Parish priest in Chipata Diocese Fr Christopher Sakala says he is thankful with the way President Hakainde Hichilema has started his leadership.

In his sermon during Palm Sunday, Fr Sakala said his prayer is that President Hichilema will not change his way of running government.

“I am thankful with the way President HH has started his presidency. We just hope and pray that he does not change. That lovely heart is good,” he said. “I see a number of young ones coming to the parish to certify their papers because government is employing health workers and teachers. That heart of wanting people to live well and do things well, let’s just hope he is not going to change.”

Fr Sakala said things are being done the way they are supposed to be.

“We hope he will also subsidise fuel so that our lives can be better off. We were complaining about drugs in hospitals but we hear people from Ministry of Health saying (minister Sylvia) Masebo sent drugs. That’s how things should be,” he said. “Leadership should be about sacrificing for the people. This is the example that our President is showing us. My appeal is that, let it not be like a campaign but should come from the heart so that such things continue.”

Fr Sakala urged the people to pray for leaders so that they do not change but continue fighting for the people.

“People should emulate Jesus Christ’s model of leadership. Jesus knew that where he was going in Jerusalem there were a lot of hardships such as death but he never retreated,” he said. “We pray for our leaders not to slide back. There could be a lot of attacks from people but we need to encourage him to continue doing that which is good to the general citizenry. Same, even us Christians we should not be discouraged when we go through difficulties.”

Fr Sakala said the suffering and the subsequent death of Jesus Christ is a clear testimony that even a person who has not done anything wrong also goes through sufferings.

“When we encounter difficulties, we should not be discouraged. We should maintain our trust in God. Let’s stick to Jesus and follow him with love. All the suffering that Christ was subjected to was not for nothing but because of his love for you and me,” said Fr Sakala.

WHAT WE SAY AND DO HERE, WE SAY AND DO IT EVERYWHERE, HH TELLS SOUTH CHIEFS

President Hakainde Hichilema has implored traditional leaders across the country to partner with government for speedy delivery of development to the people.

And the Head of State has warned Zambians against being cheated by those who destroyed the country into believing that they can now do better than when they were in power.

Speaking when he met local traditional leaders before addressing a public meeting in Katimba ward, Monze District of Southern Province yesterday afternoon, President Hichilema said his government had already started taking development to all parts of the country without any segregation.

“We thank you for the vote in last year’s election. What we are saying and doing here is what we are saying and doing across the country. Within our few months in office, we have implemented some of the policies never done in many years,” he said.

“When we told people that free education was possible, they questioned us on the source of funds. But today, our children are going to schools without paying anything from grade one to grade twelve.”

The President said he was aware of some critics who were saying the free education policy had failed because of overcrowding in classrooms.

He wondered what was wrong with more pupils in classes because it showed those children in schools were previously unable to access education.

“As a mitigation measure on over-enrollment in classrooms, your government is now employing more than 30,000 teachers and more money has been allocated for school infrastructure development through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF),” the Head of State said.

He also underscored his administration’s other major achievements such as employment of more than 11,000 health personnel, bringing law and order in the country, increasing the number of bursary beneficiaries in public universities and other learning institutions, and the increase in fertiliser support programmes, among other successes.

And in a meeting with Monze-based traditional leaders who appealed for palaces, the Head of State said the UPND government policy will change slightly so that official palaces can be built on a more permanent basis.

This is unlike the current situation where a palace is built but when a traditional leader vacates the throne through whatever means, they still occupy the same residence as their personal property while government is forced to build another palace for the new traditional leader.

The Head of State reiterated the UPND government’s vision of not interfering in the selection of chiefs as that was the preserve of royal families.

The President also committed to ensuring that major investments such as mining activities benefit local citizens in their areas.

And during tour of agricultural exhibition stands, the President called on researchers to come up with early maturing varieties of seeds as a way of mitigating the effects of climate change.

He also called on citizens to avoid deforestation through charcoal-burning and encouraged them to, instead, plant trees.

Update on the suspended 29 PF MPs:

THE 30 day suspension, from Parliament, of Mporokoso PF member of parliament Brian Mundubile and 28 others comes to an end today – April 13, 2022.

The 28 others are

1. Stephen Kampyongo (Shiwang’andu)

2. Sunday Chanda (Kanchibiya)

3. Nickson Chilangwa (Kawambwa Central)

4. Kabaso Kampampi (Mwansabombwe)

5. Christopher Shakafuswa (Mandevu)

6. Philimon Twasa (Kasenengwa)

7. Melesiana Phiri (Milanzi)

8. Remember Chanda Mutale (Chitambo)

9. Mulenga Fube (Chilubi)

10. Andrew Lubusha (Chipangali)

11. Leevan Chibombwe (Bahati)

12. Golden Mwila (Mufulira)

13. Emmanuel Tembo (Feira)

14. Christopher Kang’ombe (Kamfinsa)

15. Elias Daka (Msanzala)

16. Marjorie Nakaponda (Isoka)

17. Chanda Katotobwe (Luapula)

18. Kampamba Mulenga (Kalulushi)

19. Francis Kapyanga (Mpika Central)

20. Dr Aaron Mwanza (Kaumbwe)

21. Anthony Kasandwe (Bangweulu)

22. Christopher Chibuye (Mkushi North)

23. Sydney Mushanga (Bwacha)

24. George Chisanga (Lukashya)

25. Maureen Mabonga (Mfuwe)

26. Emmanuel Mpankata Musonda (Lupososhi)

27. Ronald Chitotela (Pambashe)

28. Elias Makasa Musonda (Chimbamilonga)

First deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Attractor Malungo Chisangano announced the suspension on March 15, 2022.

However, the House adjourned sine die on April 1, 2022.

For Chawama PF member of parliament Tasila Lungu, her 30 day suspension from the House ends on April 17, 2022.

Meanwhile, for Kabushi’s Bowman Lusambo, Taulo Kabwe Chewe (Lubansenshi), Mutotwe Kafwaya (Lunte) and Lucas Simumba (Nakonde), their 30 day suspension expires on April 22, 2022.

The 34 PF members of parliament were suspended for disrupting the proceedings of Parliament, in front of the Speaker’s mace, on November 30, 2021.

Parliament is expected to resume in June this year for the consideration of committtee reports session.

Credit; #Kalemba April 13, 2022

Shortly after actor Al Pacino, 81, was seen on a dinner date with a woman 53 years his junior who has been identified as Noor Alfallah, 28, it has been uncovered that they’ve been in a romantic relationship for quite some time.

Pacino and Alfallah, who comes from a wealthy Kuwaiti-American family, were pictured together this week at a group dinner celebrating a new art exhibition featuring the works of painter Julian Schnabel.

81-year-old actor, Al Pacino is dating 28-year-old Noor Alfallah

The Oscar-winning actor exited the Felix Restaurant in Venice Beach, California, on Saturday evening April 9, with the successful TV producer after the pair dined on Italian food at the high-end eatery. The two stars were joined at the dinner by friends Jason Momoa, 42, and Julian Schnabel, 70, as Al and Noor left in the same car.

Before hopping into the vehicle, Noor who is also vice president of Lynda Obst Productions at Sony, was seen enjoying a cigarette outside.

81-year-old actor, Al Pacino is dating 28-year-old Noor Alfallah

Noor previously dated Mick Jagger, 78, billionaire investor and philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen, 60, and has also been spotted out in Los Angeles with 91-year-old Clint Eastwood, whom she insisted was a family friend.

Speaking to Hello shortly after, she discussed her romance with Sir Mick, saying that she ‘doesn’t regret’ their relationship despite their huge age gap.

81-year-old actor, Al Pacino is dating 28-year-old Noor Alfallah

Noor said at the time ‘Our ages didn’t matter to me. The heart doesn’t know what it sees, it only knows what it feels. It was my first serious relationship, but it was a happy time for me.’

She added: ‘[He’s] much fitter than I am. I really respect that he is so disciplined.’

On her recent relationship, a source told Page Six that Pacino and Noor started seeing each other during the pandemic. The source said;

“Pacino and Noor started seeing each other during the pandemic. She mostly dates very rich older men, she was with Mick Jagger for a while, and then she dated Nicholas Berggruen.

“She has been with Al for some time and they get on very well. The age gap doesn’t seem to be a problem, even though he is older than her father.

“She moves with the wealthy jet-set crowd, and she comes from a family with money.”

This is the first time Pacino has been seen out with a date since his 2020 breakup from Israeli actress Meital Dohan, who did have a problem with the age gap.

“Weeds” actor Dohan, now 42, said after ending their two-year relationship that their nearly four-decade age gap between them became too difficult.

DPP-&-MILINGO-&-EDGAR are FAMILY?
with EDGAR LUNGU being the. DAD-UNCLE (late dad’s brother) to MILINGO LUNGU, who is the DPP LILIAN SHAWA SIYUNYI’s UNCLE (Cousin to her late Dad SHAWA)……

Read Hon REAGAN ZULU’s Article below:

WE HAVE SPOTTED THE NEPOTISM, TRIBALISM, DELINQUENCY, INCOMPETENCE, CORRUPTION AND MISCHIEVOUSNESS AT THE DPP’S OFFICE.

Things begin to unfold slowly!

Mr. MILINGO LUNGU, the former KCM LIQUIDATOR, is believed to be a COUSIN to the current DPP’s FATHER.

The DPP’s FATHER Mr. SHAWA was also a former Barclays Bank Manager at Long Acres.

Mr. MILINGO LUNGU was accused of stealing and laundering the sum of K4.4 million from KCM.

On 7th April, 2022 the DPP Ms. LILLIAN SHAWA SIYUNYI, who is therefore also to be believed to be a NIECE to the said accused Mr. MILINGO LUNGU, entered a NOLLE PROSEQUI in the case against her UNCLE, MILINGO LUNGU, SON/NEPHEW to EDGAR LUNGU, in order to protect him.

Country men and women of Zambia, if you follow this carefully, you will notice SOMETHING FISHY going on in this case!
In the first place Mr. MILINGO LUNGU resigned from his post a few days after being accused!

He was arrested but then his NIECE, the DPP entered a NOLLE PROSEQUI.

Then the DEC Director General Madam MARY CHORWA ordered for the accused to be rearrested.
Upon seeing this, the DPP demanded for the DEC Director General to exculpate herself for rearresting Mr. MILINGO LUNGU.

What next??

If the relationship between the accused and the DPP, and EDGAR LUNGU is true, then Zambia needs to be serious.

This country isn’t a family business where each member of the family can just come, reap and go without sowing.

These are reasons why things are not making sense in this country. The poor gets poorer and the richer gets richer.

Just who will be brave enough to take no chances and deal with these long standing criminals in this country?

The current government promised to take no chances in the fight against corruption but it seem they are also reluctant.

Fellow Zambians, what are your opinions over this circus going on in this nation?

MARY CHIRWA WAS APPOINTED BY THE PF

…Prince Chanda..✍🏾🇿🇲🦅🙏🏾
We have an obligation as citizens to question the morality of those who hold public office and paid by us as tax payers when they decide to put themselves on the spot.

I am drawn to this debate around the country where UPND government wants to use wrong methods of attacking a constitutional office, that’s the office of the DPP. I do not know the two women at the centre of controversy but I know that one of them is doing it for the second time, antagonising government departments.

Some times I feel and think our journalists are cowards , sometimes I think they course they do is Congolese syllabus where no order or procedure is followed to pursue matters to logical conclusions.

Do we have journalist who would take this matter and inform the nation and the world who is wrong and why? Do we have remnants as state actors to serve this nation from this mediocre leadership but assisting our president?

Mary Chirwa was FIC boss, she handed ECL a report of corrupt ministers and government officials under PF and she expected DEC police and ACC to arrest those people. Mary Chirwa and the UPND made noise over the FIC report such that we saw the similar nonsense between Chirwa and DEC boss then Alita Mbae.

Chirwa was appointed by PF but I first heard about her when she filed for divorce to divorce a pastor who filed an affidavit alleging that he wasn’t promiscuous but his wife was because her ex husband committed suicide when he found her ready handed in bed with a Lusaka lawyer who is alleged to be one of the alliance members of the UPND. I read this story and it didn’t take much time the divorce move was withdrawn. Sometimes we must really sit down and think critically than running mouths with idiocy.

I have read a complaint lodged by Fumba Chama to Judicial complaints commission, I consider it rubbish and highly frivolous to be entertained by the Judicial complaints commission.

I have also read of LAZ president who has failed to guide UPND on serious matters of law including guiding the speaker of the house, but basing his comment on a leaked letter marked confidential. Common sense would demand that LAZ president should have stayed away from commenting on a matter based in a leaked letter.

Here is my question or questions.

Mary Chirwa as FIC boss told us the matrix of corruption under PF, she differed with DEC for not arresting people , today she is DEC boss. How many has she arrested based on her own FIC report? Since she was equally appointed by ECL just like DPP, why is UPND not seeing her as a PF surrogate to frustrate them and make them fail and look bad to the world? Why is UPND choosing Chirwa over DPP when both were appointed by ECL? Chirwa had issues of misappropriating money while heading FIC, who cleared her? Where did the money go? Did the money escape her custody to find itself in campaigns? Am just thinking loud. What role is the alleged alliance partner playing to destroy HH using Mary Chirwa?

This I ask……Was Mary Chirwa a sellout as a public officer?

I remain Hadliner 🇿🇲

AMBASSADOR EMMANUEL MWAMBA, LET THE SLEEPING DOGS LAY AND STOP BEING HYPOCRITICAL OVER THE PAST HAPPENS.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….
23/04/2022
By Singoma H. Brian

With due respect to you Amb Mwamba, your talking has come at a wrong time over the documentations of Five years without unanswered questions over president HH’s Treason Case. The million Dollar question could be why today Ambassador Mwamba you want to be a saint when all along you were dumb especially during the brutal regime of PF?

The PF under the leadership of president Lungu Edgar had appointed people in KEY positions in government from two regions, you were quiet!

The opposition leaders were not allowed to visit the PUBLIC Broadcast ZNBC. The case of Dr Nevers Mumba. Amb Mwamba you were quiet!! Under PF brutal regime ZNBC was used with people who could talk about bad things against President HH and certain regions and this was okay with you.

I don’t see anything wrong in airing that documentation of President HH Treason Case but I see the documentation being informant to the public for history purpose. People ought to know where we are coming from, where we are now and where we are going as a nation.

The PF employed people who were connected to the PF officials and those with money. Amb Mwamba you were quiet!!

The brutal arrest of President HH in the trapped up charge of treason and keeping him in a room without a toilet and water and took the International Community to voice out on the injustice. Amb Mwamba we never heard your voice!!

President Lungu said that after winning the 12th August 2022 will arrest HH. Amb Mwamba you were quiet like water in Well!! Do not take us for a tool when you and your government did evil things against certain people of certain regions.

To be honest, this country was divided be under President Lungu’s rule other tribes were rendered to be the outcast in their own country where employment was by the name of the applicants and the region.

If you do not have anything to say on national matters Amb better you keep quiet otherwise some of us it is hurting the way you ruled. We can not buy your IRONIC VERBAL and RHITORIC and it will be very difficulty for the Zambia people take serious as you aspire to lead the nation. You should be made aware that your government made us to be beggars where our relatives could not find jobs in your government. You and your cliques few became very rich. LET THE SLEEPING DOGS LAY otherwise you will not finish what you have started. Just eat quietly the money you made in the Foreign Mission as other regions could not have that opportunity under PF regime. You need respect yourself sir, for we are enjoying be the peace that have been brought by the New Dawn government with the Cabinet from all the ten provinces of Zambia.

End.

Ms. Siyunyi-DPP Vs. Ms. Mary Chirwa-DEC/ACC/ZP

• Kasonde Mwenda C -EFF President

Both the Director of Public Prosecution-DPP Ms. Siyunyi and DEC Director Ms. Mary Chirwa are correct ‘individually’ in some particular circumstances of the law but are ‘Collectively’ wrong in this particular case involving the re-arresting of Mr. Milingo Lungu by DEC/ACC/ZP following a nolle prosequi.

According to media reports, the DEC Director Ms. Chirwa is reported to have said that she is not intimidated by Ms. Siyuni’s (DPP) letter, she doesn’t need her directive to arrest or re-arrest. She was reacting to the News Digger report that: “DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions DPP Lillian Shawa Siyunyi State Counsel has demanded that Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Director General Mary Chirwa must exculpate herself over her decision to re-arrest former Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu. According to DPP Siyunyi, the Commission abrogated the Constitution by re-arresting Milingo on the same charges without being instructed by her office to do so.”

At Law the DPP has no jurisdiction on criminals matters under DEC/ACC/ZP whilst they are under investigation and this is the part where Ms. Chirwa is right but the position of the law changes when prosecution begins. The DPP becomes right when Criminal prosecution begins. Prosecution typically begins with an arrest by a police officer and Immediately PROSECUTION begins at Zambian Law the DPP is within the Law and has Power to : INSTITUTE, UNDERTAKE, TAKE OVER, OR CONTINUE ANY CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS at “ANY STAGE BEFORE JUDGEMENT” This is according to National Prosecution Authority Act No. 34 of 2010 Sec (8):

(1) which says: Subject to the Constitution, the DPP shall have authority over the exercising of all the powers and the performance of all the duties and functions conferred upon, imposed on or assigned to, prosecutors by this Act or under any other law.

(2) the functions of the Director of Public Prosecutions are to—(a) institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court, in respect of any offence alleged to have been committed by that person;

(b) take over and continue any such criminal proceedings as may have been instituted or undertaken by any other person or authority; and

(c) discontinue, at any stage before judgment is delivered, any criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by the Director of Public Prosecutions or any other person or authority;

While DEC Director Ms Mary Chirwa also has right to “ARREST ANYONE’ according to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances No. 35 of 2021 of the Laws of Zambia:
Sec(56): The Director-General or an investigating officer authorised in that behalf by the Director-General may arrest a person, without a warrant, if the Director-General or an investigating officer has reasonable grounds to believe that the person has committed or is about to commit an offence under this Act.

As the Law stands, the DEC Director is right to say can she doesnt need the DPP’s directive to arrest or re-arrest anyone but that is not entirely a correct position of the law especially in instances where the case is before the office of the DPP. Once the DPP has taken over and issued a nolle prosequi, DEC no longer has jurisdiction over the matter concerning the same grounds. They can only effect an arrest on different grounds. If indeed the DEC/ACC/ZP arrested Mr. Milingo Lungu on the same grounds a nolle prosequi was issued then the DEC are wrong at law. Lifting the nolle prosequi is a preserve of the DPP not DEC/ACC/ZP. If DEC/ACC/ZP feels it has found more incriminating evidence, then it will need to collectively work with the office of the DPP so that the office of the DPP can authorize the lifting the nolle prosequi to continue the matter.

Criminal prosecution typically begins with an arrest by a police officer and according to the Zambian law the DPP has POWER to stop/take over any criminal case according to National Prosecution Authority Act No. 34 of 2010 Sec (8).

It is bad Law to over-empower the DPP but that is the state of the Zambian Law until it is revised. We want Mr. Milingo Lungu’s case to be prosecuted and a justice served but it should be done within the law and conclusively.

Wherever we want to go our feet shall take us there.

Kasonde Mwenda C

Economic Freedom Fighters-EFF President

The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has questioned the omission of Zambia’s first female Republican Vice President Inonge Mutukwa Wina from the inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy awards during Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people.

The Litunga Lubosi Imwiko II, recognized 13 distinguished women in what were inaugural royal meritocracy awards during the Kuomboka ceremony held in Western Province at the weekend.

Mrs Wina was conspicuously missing from the inaugural list thereby raising debate on social media that the omission has politicised the awards.

Among those awarded are Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti, prominent Lusaka lawyer Mwangala Zaloumis, Zambia’s first woman cabinet minister Mutumba Bull and Ireen Muyenga who has excelled in the insurance industry.

Others are Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika who was the first woman to lead a political party in Zambia, first woman inspector general of police Stella Libongani, the late princess Nakatindi Wina, Zambia’s first nurse Kapelwa Sikota and former director general of immigration department Ndiyoi Mutiti.

In a media statement, NGOCC Executive Director Anne Mbewe Anamela said while it is the preserve of the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) to honour deserving recipients the awards were questionable without the mention of Zambia’s first elected female Vice President Inonge Wina.

Mrs Anamela said NGOCC feels that as a politician and earlier, as a gender activist, Mrs. Wina has contributed immensely to Zambia’s development and surely deserved recognition.

“While it is the preserve of the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) to honor deserving recipients, we are of the view that these awards are inconclusive without the mention of Zambia’s first elected female Vice President Madam Inonge Wina. As a politician and earlier, as a gender activist, Ms. Wina has contributed immensely to our Country’s development and surely deserved recognition,” Mrs Anamela stated.

Mrs. Anamela, however, said NGOCC has congratulated the thirteen (13) female recipients of the inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy award for their distinguished service to the country and the world at large.

She said it was pleasing that despite the entrenched patriarchy in local customs and traditions, women continue to excel in different spheres of life.

Mrs Anamela said the recognition of women is a testament to the fact that given the opportunity women, just like men can contribute to the development of Zambia.

“The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) congratulates the thirteen (13) female recipients of the inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy award for their distinguished service to the country and the world at large. The awards that were part of the 2022 prestigious Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people of Western Province are the first of their kind to honor deserving and outstanding women and men from Barotseland, who have served Zambia and the world well,” she said.

“It is gratifying that despite the entrenched patriarchy in our customs and traditions, women continue to excel in different spheres of life. This is, therefore, a testament to the fact that given the opportunity women, just like men, can contribute to the development of our country, Zambia,” Mrs Anamela said.

She further appealed to the New Dawn Government to fully operationalise the Gender Equity and Equality Act (GEEA) as a way of facilitating the establishment of the Gender Commission to enable gender mainstreaming in public and private sectors.

“To ensure that women’s participation is enhanced, we appeal to the New Dawn Government to immediately fully operationalise the Gender Equity and Equality Act (GEEA), to facilitate the establishment of the Gender Commission to enable gender mainstreaming in public and private sectors. As the women’s movement, we congratulate the BRE and King Litunga LubosiImwiko (II) for the bold step taken to recognise the thirteen women as the recipients of the inaugural Royal award,” Mrs. Anamela.

“We have no doubt that this single decision will motivate and inspire more girls, beyond Barotseland, to work hard and contribute to the development of the country. It is our hope that other traditional leaders will emulate this gesture as a way of bridging the wide gender gaps in the country, especially in rural Zambia. A hearty congratulations to all the gallant women that received the awards,” she added.

Meanwhile, Investment Development Consultant to the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Joseph Maopu has been quoted in the media saying some people left out during the awards may be considered in future.

Mr. Maopu has said more than fifty hundred (5,000) women of eminence from Barotseland who could all have been on the award list.

“These are annual awards from now on, thus every year men and women from Barotse will be awarded by his majesty the king, he added that the men and women that did not find themselves on the list of those that were awarded are likely to be awarded in the years to come,” Mr. Maopu said.

During a luncheon hosted in honor of President Hakainde Hichilema by the Litunga at the Limulunga Royal Village, Litunga Lubosi Imwiko the second said the awards are aimed at appreciating women who have shown rare skill and bravery in their execution of duty.

In a speech read for him by the Ngambela of Barotseland Mukela Manyando, Litunga said the award is aimed at inspiring young people to work hard and serve society with merit.

President Hichilema handed over the awards to the 13 women, two of whom were given posthumously.

AUTHOR: Sibeta Mundia | Barotseland Post | 12th April, 2022.

The 2022 Kuomboka was not only very successful but also very memorable and eventful! Particularly, the inauguration of the King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy Awards as a permanent Kuomboka feature, was a breath of fresh air as it honours the legacy of one of the greatest Kings to have emerged out of Africa.

King Lewanika ruled Barotseland from 1878 (with a break in 1884-5) till his death in 1916, and present-day Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Congo DRC and Angola’s national borders exist in their current form due to his influence, and it was about time that his legacy was commemorated – if not anywhere else, certainly in Barotseland.

In Barotseland, King Lewanika, the unifier, was so named and famed because of how he established a unified Kingdom by bringing the over 38 ethnic extractions found in the territory to live as one Barotse nation!

No one looked at themselves as anything other than Lozi; whether they be maChokwe, Imilangu, maKwamashi, maKwandi, Aluyi, maLuvale, Lushange, maFwe, maIkwamakoma, maKololo, maKwamwenyi, maKwengo, maLiuwa, maLukolwe, maMbumi, maNdebu, maShanjo, maNanzwa, maKwamulonga, maHumbe, maYauma, maNdundulu, maShasha, maMbunda, maMbukushu, maTotela, maNkoya, Simaa, maSubia, maNyengo, maToka- Leya or any other as long as they were within the national boundaries of Barotseland!

A unified and consolidated Barotseland is perhaps one of the greatest legacies of King Lewanika. He believed in unity so much that he took a wife from as many of these tribes as possible, bearing him 44 children (22 males and 22 females). This way, he ensured that all ethnicities would share in the throne of Barotseland through his blood! There is, therefore, no tribe in Barotseland that does not share in Lewanika’s bloodline in one way or another as the citizens were also encouraged to intermarry!

All Lewanika’s successors, thus far, are his children or grandchildren born of different mothers from varying tribes of Barotseland who must always ensure that Barotseland remains strong and united!

WHY WAS INONGE WINA NOT AWARDED THIS INAUGURAL KING LEWANIKA ROYAL MERITOCRACY AWARD 2022?

The answer, in our view, is not far from King Lewanika’s legacy as has been explained above! We may not know the exact criteria used to nominate the recipients, but the name itself is very instructive! It boils down to King Lewanika (the unifier) and his legacy!

Inonge Mutukwa Wina is a bonafide daughter of Barotseland, and her ascendency to the second-highest political office in Zambia would have automatically made her among the inaugural thirteen recipients of this award!

However, she was conspicuously left out, this time, giving rise to many questions, speculations and accusations about why she was snubbed! Therefore, we outline some of the reasons that may have discredited her status in Barotseland, despite her great personal achievements as Zambia’s first female vice president.

We must state also that Inonge Wina will make it on the list in future years because of her contribution and personal achievements!

During Wina’s tenure as Vice President under President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Barotseland experienced the worst tribal divisions recorded since King Lewanika’s passing!

The Lungu-Wina presidency was openly and directly pursuing a strange policy that sought to divide Barotseland along tribal lines to weaken the Litunga (King) of Barotseland in the political hotspot of Western Zambia!

They openly encouraged and financed known rebellious and discredited individuals, masquerading as chiefs, such as Webster Mulubisha and Josiah Nyumbu Litiya Mubukwanu, who was enthroned by Litunga Imwiko II but later dethroned as Mwene (Chief) Chiyengele at Nañoko area of Mongu, to revolt against Litunga Imwiko II. These two rebellious and deposed chiefs were given direct access to State House where they were paraded on national television ZNBC main news, with the support of President Edgar Lungu, to complain against their alleged ill-treatment from the Lozi-speaking people and their so-called ‘Lozi chief’, The Litunga, in the presence of Edgar Lungu who seemed to agree with their rebellious falsehoods!

Zambia’s policy on the Litunga of Western Province (as the Litunga of Barotseland is called in the Zambian Constitution) is a well-established and long-standing policy. The Litunga’s powers and his jurisdiction over the entire Western Province is a constitutional matter stipulated in the chiefs’ ACT of the laws of Zambia.

However, President Lungu and Wina pursued a strange policy that financed the late Webster Mulubisha, who was masquerading as Mwene (Chief) Mutondo at Shikombwe, to go to the High Court of Zambia to have the Chiefs’ ACT repealed so that the Litunga of Western Province would not have his jurisdictional powers over Chief Mutondo and all other maNkoya and maMbunda aligned Chieftencies of the Western Provinces. These currently number over twenty-one, and have all peacefully co-existed under the Litunga for centuries!

This is an assault not only on the current Litunga but also on King Lewanika’s legacy of a strong unified Barotseland!

Strangely, the High Court of Zambia ruled in Mulubisha’s favour in an unprecedented judgement that recommended having the particular provisions of the Chief’s ACT, which consolidated the Litunga’s powers over all the Chiefs in the Western province, expunged from the National Constitution and the Laws of Zambia altogether!

Essentially, this ruling would have meant that the Litungaship would no longer exist in Barotseland. Without the Litungaship, there would be no Barotseland, so they thought, and Inonge Wina, who should have known better, did not seem to care at all!

Secondly, Edgar Lungu and Inonge Wina had continued to recognize these two impostors as chiefs, who the Litunga Imwiko II had dethroned during Michael Sata’s presidency and who the Michael Sata-led administration had de-gazetted as chiefs following the then prevailing Zambian laws under the Chiefs ACT!

Webster Mulubisha and Josiah Nyumbu Mubukwanu continued to receive government salaries and allowances while their replacement chiefs installed by the Litunga after deposing the two were denied government recognition and remuneration, making them languish in destitution!
This confusion later spread to Mwene Kahare Chieftency where the Litunga-installed Chief, Justine Kahare, remains unrecognized by the government to this day!

It took the Litunga having to go to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to seek a proper legal interpretation over this matter.

In his litigation, The Litunga of Western Province, Imwiko II, was joined by the Paramount Chiefs of Zambia, Gawa Undi of the Chewa people, Mpezeni of the Ngoni and Chitimukulu of the Bemba. The ConCourt ruled in favour of the Litunga and the Paramount Chiefs of Zambia and retained the Litunga’s powers over all chiefs in Western Province and the Paramount chiefs of Zambia’s respective powers over the chiefs under them.

Their powers to enthrone and dethrone were also consolidated!

Therefore, we think that King Lewanika, the unifier, would not want such divisive individuals as Inonge and Edgar Lungu to be honoured in his name as they pursued a policy that divided Barotseland in such a way that his (Lewanika’s) children began to look at themselves as Nkoya, Mbunda, Luyana, Shanjo, Subiya etc!

In Barotseland, no single tribe is meant to be more or less Lozi than the other! All its inhabitants are equally sons and daughters of Lewanika!

Furthermore, it was also under Inonge Wina and Edgar Lungu’s presidency that the current Litunga suffered the worst personal ridicule as Litunga.

He was severally dragged to Zambian courts by known ruling Patriotic Front Party cadres and functionaries, such as Nabiwa Imikendu, over frivolous matters!

It is very uncustomary for the Litunga of Barotseland to be subjected to any litigation as culture forbids him to stand and speak in his own defence!

Strangely, again, the litigants in these frivolities specifically petitioned the courts to compel the Litunga to personally attend court sessions even when they knew that Barotse traditions and culture would not permit him!

The plan was that once he did that, the same people would find cause to appeal to Barotse traditions and culture to have Lubosi abdicate his throne as King for disrobing himself in a common public court of law! Consequently, if he failed to attend court sessions, they would seek to move the court to sue him for contempt of court!

This particular litigation went all the way to the ConCourt for legal determination, and, thankfully, this litigation was also eventually decided in the Litunga’s favour without the Litunga ever needing to set foot in court.

The widely publicised litigation was that Lubosi Imwiko had failed to organize Kuomboka and that he was an incompetent King!

All the while Inonge Wina and Edgar Lungu and their Patriotic Front (PF) party had hoped they would get rid of this particular Litunga and have a PF user-friendly Litunga take over the Barotse throne!

The PF also sought to mobilise their political base along tribal lines in Barotseland. Some tribes in Barotseland who they considered non-Lozi, were financed, used and pitted against those they considered more Lozi.

Some community radio stations were established and promoted by the PF to propagate anti-Lozi and anti-Barotseland hate speech, particularly in Kaoma district.

Also, it was under Inonge / Lungu presidency that those advocating for the restoration and consolidation of Barotseland’s self-determination were arrested and prosecuted indiscriminately!

Some Zambians may not be aware that calls for Barotseland self-determination, whether internally in Zambia or as an independent state, predates Zambia’s 1964 political independence!

It is a legitimate aspiration that won’t simply be wished away! It must be resolved amicably one way or another!

Barotseland joined to be part of Zambia based on the Barotseland Agreement 1964 and no government in Zambia will ever run away from this matter as the Zambian state is actually at fault!

However, during the time Inonge Wina was the leader of government business in Zambia’s national assembly, the Zambian parliament declared that the name ‘Barotseland’ was unparliamentary!

This outrageous parliamentary ruling upset the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) because it meant even they were unparliamentary! How could they possibly be ‘Barotse’ Royal Establishment without Barotseland? Litunga ki Litunga wa Bulozi!

The Litunga is simply the Litunga of Barotseland, and Barotseland is and shall remain Barotseland to its people!

So, declaring their country unparliamentary simply means all Barotse people are unparliamentary! This amounts to genocide as a country has ruled that a section of their citizenry is unparliamentary!

Forget the name ‘Western’ province which was proclaimed and imposed on the territory unilaterally, and only in 1969, shortly after the same Zambian parliament purportedly annulled the pre-independence Barotseland Agreement 1964 treaty that conjoined two separate British Protectorates, Barotseland and Northern Rhodesia, as one independent country Zambia!

There is so much more we can write in support of the Litunga and the Barotse Royal Establishment’s decision to not award Inonge Wina in this Inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy Award. However, the above listed would stand out as fundamental!

Her association with the ‘disgraced’ Wina name or the fact that there is a new UPND-led government in Lusaka, in our opinion, does not even come close to the reasons for her isolation! The Litunga is always above such mundane political considerations! The LITUNGA is APOLITICAL!
Her being Zambia’s first female Vice President, although a very great achievement, is disadvantaged by her indiscretions as a Lozi princess who should have guided her PF party to adhere to long-standing Zambian policy as far as the Litunga of Western Province is prescribed in the constitution!

She should also have helped protect the people of Barotseland in their collective socio-economic and political struggles and aspirations!

However, we are confident that she will be a recipient of this award in the future! We would simply advise her to visit the Royal Kuta and submit herself to their counsel and iron out whatever issues may still be outstanding between herself and her King so that she can take her due recognition as the first woman vice president in Zambia!

To the winners of the Inaugural King Lewanika Royal Meritocracy Awards 2022, we say congratulations!

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Patriotic Front lost elections partly due cadreism, political violence, tribal talk, and hate speech.

In the occurrence of Holocaust, Genocide and Xenophobic attacks, perpetrators use some genuine facts to peddle hate, bitterness, and anger against a group of people…

And when people respond and act on the negative rhetoric, and attacks occur, lives are lost, politicians are the first ones to issue regret and words calling for calm.

Many times, they play a role by preying on legitimate discontent and turning it into a desperate cause.

In this case, Hakainde Hichilema’s arrest, a regrettable and violent affair, an abuse of the due process of the law in the manner he was arrested, is being used to peddle hatred and not Justice, to incite anger against Edgar Lungu, the leaders and followers mentioned.

Do we need to tell this story or any other acts of injustice and abuse of the law? Yes….in a professional, objective and fair manner.

Besides, wasn’t Hichilema voted in to resolve things that went wrong? And not to repeat the very mistakes…and not to use and practice revenge, retribution or injustice during the process?

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Genocide occurs because institutions and a compliant media participate in the fanning of flames of anger, bitterness and divisions against a group of people.

This is what a documentary,shockingly, shown on ZNBC , a public broadcaster, and circulated and aired on private media like Prime TV and others, is doing.

The documentary script is dangerous, makes unfounded allegations against the Patriotic Front Government and former President Edgar Lungu, and it is scripted to wake anger against Lungu and all those that served in his government.

Sadly, the documentary relies and exploits heavily, the images of the foundation of the treason case and the narration that was made by the now First Lady, when President Hakainde Hichilema was arrested and the manner in which the arrest was done, to cast broad negative aspersions against former leaders and members of the Patriotic Front government.

If anyone wishes to investigate the entire episode of how that charge was handled, and abusers brought to book, a proper legal process can be set in motion, than conducting a one-sided public trial in a court of public opinion, capable of causing and inciting a lynching against former President Edgar Lungu and others.

The documentary also abuses the images of the late President Rupiah Banda, cataloging how he was allegedly extensively mistreated by the Patriotic Front government led by President Michael Sata.

Does someone want a group of people to rise against another? Is there no rational gate-keeper who could have applied sense before such an inflammatory documentary was approved and aired on national television?

Do people remember that Jackson Kungo and many other persons aligned to Patriotic Front were also victims of political violence?

Does ZNBC Management know their sacred public role? Are we back to “Stand Up for Zambia” type of dangerous documentaries?

National unity is an on-going national-building project but we must remind ourselves, that it is quickly lost by programmes like the documentary in question.

China’s government is in the process of consulting internally about Zambia’s international debt restructuring, Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa says.

“I went to China myself with the minister of foreign affairs and China indicated they were coming on board and they are just making internal consultations,” Mr. Nkulukusa told Reuters, declining to give further details of the March trip.

Zambia was the first country to default in the pandemic era, in November 2020, as it buckled under debt of more than 120per cent of GDP.

The debt hit US$31.74 billion at the end of 2021, 17per cent higher than six months earlier, according to official Zambian data.

China and Chinese entities held US$5.78 billion.

“We are now waiting for the official creditor committee to be formed and then we will present the debt sustainability analysis,” Mr. Nkulukusa said.

Zambia and China’s foreign ministers held talks on March 19, Zambia’s embassy in Beijing said in a statement at the time, during which “the two sides applauded the excellent relations that exist between Zambia and the People’s Republic of China.”

Zambian finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane told parliament on March 25 that its creditor committee would be announced “within the next few weeks”.

He said last week that the southern African nation should get a formal deal with the International Monetary Fund, which holds its Spring Meetings next week, by mid year.

Zambia reached a staff level agreement with the IMF on a US$1.4 billion, three-year credit facility in December 2021.

“We’ve got one international creditor that seems to taking a bit more time to make a decision,” Britain’s Africa minister Vicky Ford said on a visit to Zambia last week on the privately owned Hot FM Radio, without giving further details.

Zambia is also struggling to service some “old debt”, presidential spokesman Anthony Bwalya told Reuters, but declined to specify which.

“On one hand we need to service those debts and on the other we need to provide critical public services,” Bwalya said.

That’s why it is important that we quickly anchor down that IMF deal so that those monthly payments – principal and interest – can be brought down to something that is within affordable margins.”

At the end of 2021, the country was in interest arrears on a majority of its foreign currency debt, according to government data.

China has lent African countries hundreds of billions of dollars as part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which envisaged Chinese institutions financing the bulk of the infrastructure in mainly developing nations. Yet the credit has dried up in recent years.

ITS NOT THE SIZE OF THE BY-ELECTION, BUT THE LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE-HH

President Hakainde Hichilema has castigated the Patriotic Front (PF) for accusing him of going for what they term as a small by-election.

The President notes that every Zambian whether one or many, matters to him and values them regardless of where they live in any part of the country.

He says it is not about how small the by-election is, but his love for the people and desire to deliver development that matters.

Speaking yesterday when he addressed scores of people in Malekani and Palangoto areas of Lukutu ward in Lubansenshi constituency to drum up support for UPND candidate for tomorrow’s by-election, President Hichilema said he will do things differently to show his love, commitment and value for the people.

President Hichilema has since thanked people of Lukutu ward in Luwingu district in Northern Province for voting for change and bringing upon themselves liberation from years of endurance and struggle.

“They are saying the entire head of state has gone for a ward election, are you not also people who deserve to see your president and interact for the sake of development. I have come because i love you and you matter to me”President Hichilema said.

And the President is disappointed that the PF in the last ten years failed to develop Lukutu ward.

The head of state is dissapointed that the former rulling party failed to construct Lubansenshi bridge and other important roads for the beloved people after all the years they had been in power.

He promised to construct the much needed bridge and a road in order to deliver development to the rural parts of the country.

He urged the people to vote for Peter Chanda, who is standing on the UPND ticket, in order to accelerate development in the area which the PF neglected in the last 10 years.

The President reminded the people not to vote for the PF who failed to deliver, and wondered how they can deliver anything this time around after so many years of failure.

He said Government has put in place many developmental programs for the people in a few months it has been in office, such as free education, increasing the constituency development fund (CDF) as well as increasing and disbursing the social cash transfer effectively on time.

“The last seven months has resulted in retirees being paid,children accessing free education, social cash trasfer being increased among other things” he said, with an assurance that more is yet to come.

Job crises in the Health Sector

I have kept on reciting questions from the time I read about the 109 thousand of our Citizens who applied for the 11,200 available jobs in the Health sector. I have a lot of questions without answers, please help me to answer some of the questions:

1. How many Health workers do we have in Zambia?

2. How many potential Health workers are being manufactured in the medical schools across the country?

3. What is the current required numbers of Health workers in Zambia.

4. Is there need to freeze the training of Health workers and if so, for how long?

Note that we are working on the assumption that Data is wrangled, clean and therefore they are no duplicates.

The Numbers of the applicants has made me appreciate the problem we have as a country, let’s just assume for once that we freeze the training of medical students and redeploy them to other faculties such as Agriculture and bricklaying, then we focus to fully dismantle the backlog of 109,000 currently roaming the streets. This number at a current recruitment levels of 11,200 it will take 10 years, meaning that those who are 40 years now, would be 50 years old at the time of their first job if picked in the last batch. This is sad!

What could be the remedy?

1. If possible, to sign MOUs with countries that have scarce medical workers in the region & 🌎 for loaning our Citizens for at least 5 years. After the transfer window, they can come back with the much needed experience and free to start their own clinics while some can be employed in the public health facilities.

2. To deliberately encourage the veterans/gurus in medical space to open their medical facilities. They can be supported with seed money by the government for their initial investment and this can stimulate employment. One more incentive is that they can have access to NHIMA funding and Fairly treated like public health facilities. Those employed can strictly be at the same salary scale as those employed by the service public commission. I Know this is a tough call and less plausible.

3. This one is radical, ooops. Freeze the training of medical students for at least 5 years.

Thank you for reading about what is bothering my head!

Russian leader, Vladimir Putin has stated that peace talks with Ukraine is ‘dead’

According to Putin, without a deal acceptable to Russia, his forces would continue their offensive against Ukraine .

Putin’s statement on Tuesday, April 12 comes as Russian forces bombarded Ukrainian military positions and residential areas in the country’s east and unleashed new rocket attacks.

In his first comments on the war in almost a month, Putin said that peace talks had stalled after what he called a “fake” situation in Bucha, a town outside of Kyiv where Ukrainian officials reported the discovery of several hundred dead civilians this month after Russian troops retreated.

Ukrainian and Western officials are pursuing investigations into potential war crimes committed in Bucha and in other formerly Russian-held towns in northern Ukraine before Moscow’s withdrawal at the end of March.

Ukrainian authorities are also investigating allegations by Ukrainian forces that they came under a Russian chemical attack in Mariupol, where Russia is still fighting to consolidate gains.

Putin also said Ukrainian negotiators had “deviated from agreements” reached in Istanbul.

Ukraine last month presented its proposal for a neutral status and international security guarantees, but the two sides involved in the conflict – Ukraine and Russia, haven’t moved closer toward a potential cease-fire.

“We have again returned to a dead-end situation,” Putin said.

“Inconsistency about essential matters has been creating well-known difficulties in achieving final agreements on the negotiating track which would be acceptable to us. Unless that happens, the military operation will continue until it concludes and the objectives set at the beginning of this operation are achieved.”

Putin said the main goal of the offensive was “to help people in Donbas,” in another sign that his forces would launch an assault on the eastern region. He added that “there is no doubt” the goal will be achieved, speaking during a visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a Russian spaceport in the country’s Far East, along with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that high-precision air- and sea-based missiles launched overnight destroyed an ammunition depot and a hangar with Ukrainian aircraft at the Starokostiantyniv military airfield in the western Khmelnytskyi region, as well as an ammunition depot near Havrylivka in the Kyiv region.

While the Ukrainian Air Force said it had downed a Russian plane, two helicopters and four drones.

By Daily Star Reporter

The opposition PF has prayed that President Hakainde Hichilema should reduce fuel prices by K4 ahead of the by election in Lukutu ward of Northern Province.

PF Acting Secretary General Nickson Chilangwa said the reduction would at least give Zambians relief and breathing space from the escalating prices of goods and services as well as the “crushing” high cost of living they are currently burdened with.

Chilangwa insinuated that President Hichilema’s visit in the Province is about him wanting to campaign ahead of a by-election in Lukutu ward.

He told Daily Star Newspaper in a statement that it is shocking to see the whole Republican President and his entire government machinery move all the way from Lusaka to Northern Province at a huge cost to the national treasury just to go and campaign for a simple ward by-election at a time when people are going through tremendous economic challenges.

“Last February when Mr Hichilema realised that they were losing the by-election in Kabwata Constituency, they quickly duped the voters by reducing fuel prices by K1; we hope that he will do the same by reducing the price of fuel by atleast K4 so that the people of Lukutu in particular and the people of Zambia in general may atleast get some relief and breathing space from the escalating prices of goods and services and the crushing high cost of living they are currently burdened with,” he said.

“For us as PF, we are happy to note that Mr. Hichilema has realised that the UPND have lost popularity and they cannot win even a simple WARD election without the heavy involvement of the President, his entire cabinet and the entire state machinery getting heavily involved. This is clearly a show of no-confidence. The UPND are fully aware that things on the ground are bad; the economy has collapsed, people have no money, the cost of living is escalating, the prices of essential goods and services are beyond the reach of many Zambians and the jobs they promised the youths are nowhere to be found.”

Chilangwa said the President is doing this at a time when government has literally got no money to waste on such “unnecessary trips.”

“Mr Hichilema promised the people of Zambia that once elected, he would not be wasting their hard earned taxpayers’ money on unnecessary expenditure such as the trip he is undertaking today but like he has reneged on most of his campaign promises, he has continued to recklessly deplete the national coffers on his unproductive voyages and adventures with no any sense of concern or care for the suffering masses,” he said.

“The entire Government and its machinery has shifted to a tiny ward of Lukutu which has less than 1700 registered voters at the expense of poor Zambian taxpayers. There are 4 helicopters, over 50 government vehicles, numerous Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, District Commissioners and countless Senior Government officials that have gone and are camping in Lukutu. They are wasting man-hours campaigning for UPND in Lukutu Ward while amassing hefty allowances and other incentives at the expense of poor taxpayers who are suffering and are in dire need of some breathing space from the prevailing excruciating economic challenges.”

Chilangwa wondered if the President cared for the ordinary Zambians.

He further wondered why the Head of State couldn’t use the huge amounts of public resources that he is “wasting” on electioneering and campaigning to uplift the lives of the people of Lukutu by giving them agro-inputs.

“Contrary to the electoral code of conduct, the UPND are using and abusing government resources campaigning in the Lukutu Ward. They have flooded the ward with lots of government vehicles which they are disguising as personal motor vehicles by removing or hiding the number plates. This behaviour is criminal and must be stopped forthwith. These are the same things that the UPND were accusing the PF of doing yet they are the worst culprits,” he said.

“We have observed a number of government trucks heading to Lukutu, it seems the President has finally opted to give the great people of Lukutu the fertilizer which his government has up to now failed to deliver. One can only wonder, of what use will that fertilizer be, looking at the fact that farming season has already come to a close.”

By Daily Star Reporter

Continuing to talk about the broken promises has become as futile as the UPND in Government continuing to talk about the PF and their failures, Chishala Kateka has said.

The New Heritage Party (NHP) president told Daily Star in a statement that time has come for Zambians to look at possible solutions, “the things that will take us forward as a country.”

Kateka said certain issues, especially of an economic nature, have a more immediate impact on the daily lives of Zambians.

And the opposition leader said recently projected GDP growth rates by the New Dawn Administration are reactive rather than proactive projections.

“Recently projected GDP growth rates of [3.5% – 2022, 3.6%-2023, 3.9% – 2024] by our Government are, in our view, reactive rather than proactive projections. These rates cannot and will not cure the country’s endemic problems such as poverty, unemployment, unstable FX rate, low export earnings. Without an adequately high growth rate, the aspirations for job and wealth creation will remain a pipe dream,” she said.

“The key question Government should have asked itself is ‘What should we do to achieve a GDP growth rate of not less than 6-8% consistently year on year?’ This growth rate is, in our estimate, the growth rates we as a country need to achieve in order restore the economic productivity lost and restore the per capita GDP after adding 4million + people since 2013. With a target growth rate, a formulation of strategies and policies around where we want the country to be should then have been crafted.”

Meanwhile, Kateka said failure to address the cost of living of Zambians will cost UPND Government “very” dearly.

“The BOZ’s (and by default – Government) monetary policy approach of focusing on inflation while ignoring the real economic variables that affect citizens on the ground is the real elephant in the room. Failure to address the cost of living of Zambians will cost this Government very dearly. As we have said, with no significant and aggressive real GDP growth, there can be no real employment or wealth creation,” she said.

The governing United Party for National Development (UPND) on the Copperbelt has received with mixed feelings the Constitutional Court‘s decision to uphold the election of Allen Banda as Patriotic Front Chimwemwe Member of Parliament in Kitwe.

The Constitutional Court on Monday upheld the election of Allen Banda as Member of Parliament for Chimwemwe Constituency.

UPND Copperbelt Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary Timothy Mfula has said the ruling party respects the court’s ruling.

Mr. Mfula, however, said the UPND is saddened with the Court’s ruling on the matter.

Mr. Mfula has since urged UPND members to continue supporting the party despite the outcome of the petition for the Chimwemwe Seat.

“We respect the verdict because it has come from a legally constituted body which is the constitutional court and the highest court in the land,” Mr. Mfula said.

The constitutional court has said there was mismanagement of results by the Electoral Commission of Zambia that is good enough to nullify the elections.

“But we also have our misgivings. For a start out of the six polling stations we recovered 720 votes and the other 35 polling stations they could not avail us of the Gen 20 forms which would have given us a clear picture of how we had performed,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement after being declared winner, Mr. Banda expressed happiness that justice and the will of the people of Chimwemwe had prevailed.

Mr. Banda said it was good that the case was finally over and cleared of the allegations of electoral malpractice raised by the Chimwemwe losing Candidate Bornwell Matanda in the August, 2021 General elections.

He added that it was now time to start working and address the challenges people in the constituency were faced with.

“Patriotic Front (PF) Chimwemwe Member of Parliament Allen Banda has charged that the upholding of his election by the Constitutional Court has cleared the allegations of electoral malpractice raised by the Chimwemwe losing United Party for National Development (UPND) Candidate Bornwell Matanda in the August, 2021 General elections. This follows the decision by the Constitutional Court to dismiss the Ndola High Court ruling it made on 22 nd November, 2021, that the election of Mr. Banda was null and void due to what it termed non compliance with the provision of the Electoral Process Act relating to the conduct of elections which came as a result of the Electoral Commissioner of Zambia (ECZ) failure to have sufficient Gen-20 forms to distribute to all polling agents,” read a statement from Mr. Banda’s media team.

“Mr. Banda says the court process was a drawback as it hindered him from performing his parliamentarian duties to the people of Chimwemwe and the nation at large as promised during campaigns. He said now that the matter has been settled by the ConCourt, it is time to hit the ground and deliver to the people of Chimwemwe who entrusted him with the mandate to fully represent them in parliament. Mr. Banda said the upholding of his election by the ConCourt is a mass victory for the people of Chimwemwe Constituency who turned up in numbers in the August 2021, General Elections to choose development over poverty and unemployment. He has since hailed the Constitutional Court for upholding the tenets of democracy and the rule of law which inspires hope for an independent judicial system in Zambia,” the statement added.

“The Chimwemwe law-maker has thanked God for being his strength. He has further thanked the Patriotic Front, the people of Chimwemwe, the church and his supporters from all walks of life for standing with him during the legal battles. Mr. Banda has also expressed glowing gratitude to his legal team led by a prominent Lusaka Lawyer Chifumu Banda SC and his associates for putting up a spirited fight that has seen him return the seat. says he will soon be meeting stakeholders and councilors in his constituency to chart the way-forward on various pending developmental projects that stalled as a result of the court case and the subsequent ruling by the speaker of the National Assembly that all MPs who seats where nullified should not participate in parliament proceedings despite having appealed the nullification. God Bless the People of Chimwemwe.”