By Peter Sinkamba

KCM LIQUIDATION DRAMA: AN INSULT TO OUR COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

Ba UPND Government have one big problem: failure to heed to advice from opposition. And this mischief will cost the party and its government dearly in days to come.

Besides on the issue of cannabis and industrial hemp, we have advised them several times on what to do with the KCM liquidation and Mopani recapitalisation, but they have taken an aloof position, which ultimately will surely be costly.

Let’s take an example of KCM. We advised them publicly that the solution is as simple as President Bally directing ZCCM-IH Board Chairman to withdraw the liquidation process from court.

It is simple as filing a one page notice of discontinuance and a series of abandonment of appeals, and that is it. With an efficient lawyer, it takes less than twenty minutes to draft the notices, and no cost of filing, and that is it.

For, as I have stated several times before, the so called liquidation of KCM, in the current form, is an insult to the intelligence of all Zambian. Through ZCCM-IH, we Zambians have employed Milingo to be in custody, and if need be sale our assets at KCM. And in the processes, we have accussed him that he is a thief; that he has stolen; and we even know the amounts; and we reported him to the Police, who in turn effected an arrest; and we have presented him to court; and whilst the matter is in court, we discover that actually more money was stolen: and we add more charges of theft to the docket; and he continues being in custody of our assets, and selling them while appearing in court. If this not foolishness on our part, then what is it?

For no sane person can continue entrusting vital assets into the hands of sales person who he accuses to be a thief, and is appearing in court.

Instead of UPND government heeding to our advise of abandoning the liquidation court case altogether, they used an untenable route of appointing a receiver while maintaining the liquidation in court.

This what is called wanting to eat with both hands. It is indeed an insult to our collective intelligence.

Now, lawyers to KCM liquidator, Makebi Zulu Advocates, have dismissed assertions that Mr. Milingo Lungu is no longer the Provisional Liquidator by virtue of appointment of a receiver.

In a letter dated 11th March 2022 written to the Administrator General and Official Receiver, Natasha Nsanta Kalimukwa, Makebi Zulu Advocates, stated that her office does not posses such authority and her action stands in contempt of court.

You see how foolish we all collectively look now owing to UPND Government failure to heed to our honest advice ? SMH.

By Fanny Kalonda

PF member Bizwell Mutale says the party has chosen a non-rebrandable team in its rebranding process.

Mutale disclosed that PF officials only had one goal, “to reject president Edgar Lungu”.
“I was told by one of the officials and someone sent me a WhatsApp to show me that ‘you will be alone if you continue to support the president. You will be a pawn’,” he said.

Featuring on MUVI TV’s The Assignment programme on Sunday, Mutale said because of this and other factors, the party could not be rebranded in its current form.

“The attitude and the character that we are portraying, we behave like we are still in government. If you ask me, we have not changed at all. We have not moved at inch. Actually, we are even sinking because of the utterances and attitude which does not reflect on the party rebranding,” he said.

“We have remained a distraction to each other. We have remained arrogant. We need to reform as a party. I was denied the resource to mobilise the party. We have carried a non-rebrandable team which is advocating in front. We are saying, ‘let’s rebrand the party’, but non-rebrandable members have continued shielding the party. Transparency is not what the party stands for. We cannot rebrand at the stage we are. We need to reform. We had no interest of the party and of the president. The party had so many confusions which I cannot say because it would embarrass my party.”

Mutale further said the PF should ensure the presidential choice involved the people’s voice and choice.

He charged that a certain leadership group within the party had a goal to ensure former president Edgar Lungu did not win the general election.

“There is need to realign the party as it has total confusion and need to be united. The party needs to change the notion of behaving like they are still in power when they are not. It has always been disgruntled. Each one for themselves. We are arrogant and we have not accepted defeat,” said Mutale.

“People had personal interests and not interests of the president or the party. What we promote as members is the president, but it was not what was happening. It was parallel. I will give you an example, I went on a campaign trail and our own official members told members not to listen to me. They only had one goal, to reject president Edgar Lungu. I was told by one of the officials and someone sent me a WhatsApp to show me that, you will be alone if you continue to support the president. You will be a pawn. I looked at it and I was not bothered because the president was a president of the party.”

MADAM SPEAKER,
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN THIS AUGUST HOUSE AFTER OUR MAIDEN ADDRESS ON 13TH SEPTEMBER, 2021, WHEN WE OFFICIALLY OPENED THE FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTEENTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
TODAY, WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE AND INDEED THE NATION, ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE APPLICATION OF NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES.
THIS IS A REQUIREMENT UNDER ARTICLES 9 AND 86 (1) OF THE ZAMBIAN CONSTITUTION.
OBITUARY MADAM SPEAKER,
ALLOW US TO BEGIN BY PAYING TRIBUTE TO OUR FALLEN HONOURABLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KABWATA CONSTITUENCY, MR. LEVY MKANDAWIRE, WHO PASSED AWAY ON 18TH NOVEMBER, 2021.

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HIS UNTIMELY DEATH HAS ROBBED THE PEOPLE OF KABWATA CONSTITUENCY, THIS AUGUST HOUSE, AND THE NATION AT LARGE OF HIS VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION.
MADAM SPEAKER, HONOURABLE MEMBERS, LET US BE UPSTANDING AND OBSERVE A MINUTE OF SILENCE IN HONOUR OF THE LATE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
(PAUSE FOR A MINUTE OF SILENCE)
MAY THE SOUL OF OUR DEPARTED MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.
MADAM SPEAKER,
FOLLOWING THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF MR. LEVY MKANDAWIRE, A BY-ELECTION WAS HELD ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2022 AND THE PEOPLE OF KABWATA CONSTITUENCY ELECTED MR. ANDREW TAYENGWA, AS THEIR NEW MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.
WE CONGRATULATE YOU, MR. TAYENGWA, AND WE URGE YOU TO SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENCY AND THE COUNTRY WITH HONOUR AND DISTINCTION.

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MADAM SPEAKER,
THE NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, AS ENSHRINED IN ARTICLE 8 OF THE CONSTITUTION, ARE:
i. MORALITY AND ETHICS;
ii. PATRIOTISM AND NATIONAL UNITY;
iii. DEMOCRACYANDCONSTITUTIONALISM;
iv. HUMANDIGNITY,EQUITY,SOCIALJUSTICE,EQUALITYAND
NON-DISCRIMINATION;
v. GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INTEGRITY; AN vi. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
MADAM SPEAKER,
AS THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION, WE RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES IN SHAPING OUR INDIVIDUAL AND NATIONAL CHARACTER.
AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, THEY SHAPE THE MORAL FIBRE FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AT INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL, THEY GUIDE IN DECISION MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES.
. AT NATIONAL LEVEL, THESE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES ARE AN IMPORTANT MORAL COMPASS.
THEY PROMOTE HARD WORK, ACCOUNTABILITY AND SELF- DISCIPLINE WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE SHOULD, THEREFORE, EMBRACE THESE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES AND MAKE THEM OUR WAY OF LIFE.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ALLOW ME TO REPORT ON THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE AS A COUNTRY IN THE APPLICATION OF OUR NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES FOR THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.
MORALITY AND ETHICS
AS A NATION, WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THE APPLICATION OF MORALITY AND ETHICS.
HOWEVER, MORE REMAINS TO BE DONE AS INCIDENCES OF IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL CONDUCT CONTINUE TO BE HIGH.

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THESE INCLUDE:
• ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE,
• CHILD MARRIAGES,
• TEENAGE PREGNANCIES,
• GENDER BASED VIOLENCE,
• CORRUPTION
• AND ABUSE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA. MADAM SPEAKER,
IN ORDER TO CURB ALCOHOL ABUSE, GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL ALCOHOL POLICY, WHICH PROVIDES FOR A COORDINATED RESPONSE TO ADDRESS THE SCOURGE.
IN IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY, ONE OF THE MEASURES HAS BEEN THE SENSITISATION OF CITIZENS ON THE DANGERS OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
GOVERNMENT IS ALSO PROVIDING REHABILITATION SERVICES WHICH ARE AVAILABLE IN PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS, AS WELL AS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS IN SELECTED DISTRICTS.
. MADAM SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT ENACTED THE CANNABIS ACT NO. 33 OF 2021 AND THE NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES ACT NO. 35 OF 2021 TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, REGULATE THE USE OF THESE SUBSTANCES. OUR ADMINISTRATION WILL ENSURE THAT THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION ARE EFFECTIVELY ENFORCED.
MADAM SPEAKER,
THE FIGHT AGAINST ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS NOT FOR GOVERNMENT ALONE.
LET US ALL GET INVOLVED AND HELP OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH.
TO THE PARENTS, LET US NOT NEGLECT OUR RESPONSIBILITY OF MOULDING OUR CHILDREN INTO MORALLY UPRIGHT CITIZENS.
TO THE CHURCH, CIVIL SOCIETY AND TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP, LET US ALL TAKE INTEREST AND PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS SCOURGE.
TO THE YOUTH, WE URGE YOU TO REFRAIN FROM ABUSING ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS.

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TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ESPECIALLY THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY, WE IMPLORE YOU TO PUT IN PLACE MEASURES AND PROGRAMMES THAT WILL HELP OUR PEOPLE REFRAIN FROM ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
WE FURTHER IMPLORE YOU TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW.
IN PARTICULAR, WE CALL UPON THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO STRICTLY ENFORCE THE BY-LAWS THAT REGULATE THE SELL AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ANOTHER ISSUE AFFECTING OUR MORAL AND ETHICAL STANDING AS A NATION IS THE MANNER IN WHICH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ARE UTILISED.
THESE PLATFORMS HAVE MADE IT EASY FOR US TO INTERACT, SHARE INFORMATION, UNDERTAKE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS AND ENHANCE OUR DEMOCRACY.

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HOWEVER, GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED THAT SOME OF OUR CITIZENS ARE USING THESE PLATFORMS TO PERPETRATE HATE SPEECH, CYBERBULLYING, FAKE NEWS, CYBERCRIME AND CIRCULATION OF OBSCENE MATERIALS, AMONG OTHER VICES.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE USE THESE PLATFORMS RESPONSIBLY FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR NATION.
MADAM SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO PUT A STOP TO IRRESPONSIBLE USE OF “ICT” AS WELL AS ABUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.
THIS VICE MUST NOT BE CELEBRATED OR CONDONED IN OUR SOCIETY.
LAWS TO PROTECT CITIZENS FROM THIS ILLEGALITY WILL BE ENFORCED VIGOROUSLY.
LET US USE THESE PLATFORMS FOR GOOD AND TO FOSTER THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DEMOCRACY, CREATIVITY, ENTERTAINMENT, LEGITIMATE NEWS AND BUSINESS, TO NAME A FEW OPPORTUNITIES IT BRINGS.

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MADAM SPEAKER,
CHILD MARRIAGES AND TEENAGE PREGNANCIES HAVE REMAINED SERIOUS ISSUES IN OUR COUNTRY.
WE HAVE CASES OF GIRLS AS YOUNG AS 12 YEARS OLD BEING MARRIED OFF.
WE HAVE CASES OF TEENAGE GIRLS, WHO ARE STILL CHILDREN THEMSELVES, HAVING CHILDREN.
THESE TEENAGE GIRLS ARE EXPOSED TO HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AND EVEN DEATH.
THIS IS IMMORAL. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED.
TO THIS END, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH TRADITIONAL AND CIVIC LEADERS, THE CHURCH AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS TO SENSITISE COMMUNITIES ON THE DANGERS OF CHILD MARRIAGES AND TEENAGE PREGNANCIES.

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FURTHER, GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE SCHOOL RE- ENTRY POLICY AND THE KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL PROGRAMME TO ENSURE THAT THE GIRL CHILD REMAINS IN SCHOOL AND IS PROTECTED FROM THESE VICES.
ADDITIONALLY, THE FREE EDUCATION POLICY AMONG OTHER MEASURES, WILL FURTHER IMPROVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE GIRL CHILD AND THE COMMUNITIES AT LARGE.
GOING FORWARD, GOVERNMENT WILL HARMONISE ALL CHILD RELATED LEGISLATION TO ENHANCE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND WELFARE.
WE WILL ENFORCE THE LAWS AND BRING TO BOOK THOSE WHO MARRY TEENAGE GIRLS, AND PARENTS AND GUARDIANS, WHO MARRY OFF OUR GIRLS.
WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO BE PROTECTED FROM ANY FORM OF ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION.
MADAM SPEAKER,
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IS ANOTHER VICE THAT CONTINUES TO AFFECT OUR COUNTRY.

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GOVERNMENT IS WORKING WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS THIS VICE.
IN 2021, A TOTAL OF 20,540 CASES OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE WERE RECORDED COMPARED TO 26,370 IN 2020.
THIS SUGGESTS A DECREASE OF 22.1 PERCENT.
IN SPITE OF THIS REDUCTION, A LOT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE.
GOVERNMENT IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT ACTS OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE THAT GO UNREPORTED.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY COMMON IN RURAL AREAS.
WE URGE OUR CITIZENS TO BE ALERT, MAKE THIS FIGHT PERSONAL AND REPORT ANY FORM OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH VICTIMS CAN BE ASSISTED AND PERPETRATORS PUNISHED.

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GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN IMPLEMENTING MEASURES AIMED AT REDUCING INCIDENCES OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN REDUCE TO MINIMUM, GENDER BASED VIOLENCE.
WE MUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER, BECAUSE WHERE LOVE IS PRESENT, THERE WILL BE NO VIOLENCE.
OUR HOUSEHOLDS, OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR NATION, WILL BE BETTER OFF IF WE LEAD OUR LIVES WITH LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ETHICAL CONDUCT IS CRITICAL TO ACHIEVING OUR DEVELOPMENT AGENDA.
WE NEED A PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL WORKFORCE. IT IS IN THIS REGARD THAT GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO SENSITISE PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS ON CODES OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT.

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THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION IS DETERMINED TO CHANGE THE MIND-SET OF OUR CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS.
WE THEREFORE, CALL UPON ALL PROFESSIONAL BODIES AND ASSOCIATIONS TO SENSITISE THEIR MEMBERS ON THEIR RESPECTIVE PROFESSIONAL CODES OF CONDUCT AND ENSURE THAT THESE ARE ENFORCED TO THE LETTER.
PATRIOTISM AND NATIONAL UNITY MADAM SPEAKER,
ZAMBIA IS OUR COUNTRY. ZAMBIA IS OUR HERITAGE.
ZAMBIA BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
IT IS OUR DUTY, THEREFORE, TO NURTURE A STRONG SENSE OF PATRIOTISM, WHICH ENTAILS PUTTING THE INTEREST OF OUR NATION FIRST.
THIS INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL GOVERNANCE AND SAFEGUARDING NATIONAL ASSETS.
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DEMONSTRATE LOYALTY, LOVE AND DEDICATION TO OUR COUNTRY REMAINS WITH US.

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WE ARE PROUD OF ALL OUR CITIZENS WHO CONTINUE TO CARRY THE ZAMBIAN FLAG HIGH WITH A SENSE OF NATIONAL PRIDE IN AREAS SUCH AS SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT AND SCIENCE.
LET US BE INSPIRED BY THESE SHINING STARS AND EMULATE THEIR HARD WORK AND SENSE OF PATRIOTISM.
WE MUST EMBRACE THE VALUE OF HARD WORK AT PERSONAL, ORGANIZATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, WORK, WORK, AND MORE WORK, DELIVERS RESULTS.
WE MUST BE DISCIPLINED AND AIM FOR EXCELLENCE.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ENHANCE OUR PRODUCTIVITY AS A COUNTRY.
MADAM SPEAKER,
AS A PEOPLE, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE SAFEGUARDING OUR NATIONAL ASSETS FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

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WE ARE, HOWEVER, CONCERNED THAT SOME OF OUR NATIONAL ASSETS, SUCH AS ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE, ROAD FURNITURE AND MARKETS, CONTINUE TO BE VANDALISED.
THIS VICE MUST BE CONDEMNED AND STOPPED AT ALL COST.
IT DOES NOT ONLY DISRUPT SERVICE DELIVERY BUT ALSO DERAILS PROGRESS TOWARDS A BETTER ZAMBIA.
WE THEREFORE, CALL UPON ALL CITIZENS TO LOVE AND PUT OUR COUNTRY AND ITS INTERESTS, FIRST.
MADAM SPEAKER,
OUR GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO CONTINUE PROMOTING THE CONSUMPTION OF LOCALLY PRODUCED GOODS AND SERVICES.
THIS IS KEY TO OUR SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AGENDA.
WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS IN THIS AREA AS MORE OF OUR CITIZENS ARE CONSUMING OUR LOCAL PRODUCTS.
THIS IS EVIDENCED BY THE INCREASED SHELF SPACE FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS IN TRADING AREAS AND SHOPS.

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WE NOW HAVE 47 LOCAL COMPANIES CERTIFIED TO USE THE OFFICIAL PROUDLY ZAMBIAN LOGO, COVERING 565 LOCAL PRODUCTS REGISTERED WITH A MARK OF QUALITY UNDER THE BUY ZAMBIA CAMPAIGN.
THIS IS PROGRESS COMPARED TO 33 COMPANIES CERTIFIED IN 2020, COVERING 500 PRODUCTS.
FURTHER, THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN INITIATIVES AIMED AT INCREASING THE USE OF LOCAL INPUTS IN VARIOUS PROCESSES AND PRODUCTION VALUE CHAINS.
VALUE ADDITION IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT, AMONG OTHERS, TO DRIVING THE GROWTH OF OUR ECONOMY.
MADAM SPEAKER,
IT IS GRATIFYING TO WITNESS INCREASED ACTS OF CARE FROM CITIZENS AND ORGANISATIONS, WHO HAVE BEEN RENDERING SUPPORT TO THE NEEDY ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
SOME CITIZENS HAVE BEEN OFFERING THEIR SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO SERVE THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

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WE SALUTE ALL THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR SERVICES AND PROVIDE RESOURCES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
THESE INCLUDE FAITH-BASED ORGANISATIONS, CHURCHES, MEMBERS OF THE WARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES AND THE COMMUNITY WELFARE ASSISTANCE COMMITTEES, AMONG OTHERS.
MADAM SPEAKER,
A NEW DAWN IS HERE.
IT IS TIME TO WORK HARD AND BUILD OUR COUNTRY AS A UNITED PEOPLE.
IT IS TIME TO STOP ANY FORM OF DIVISION BASED ON ETHNICITY, POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, OR ANY OTHER DIFFERENCES.
WE ARE ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION, ONE PEOPLE. WE MUST RID OURSELVES OF ACTS THAT DIVIDE US.
WE ARE ZAMBIANS FIRST BEFORE AFFILIATION TO A POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, OR SOCIAL GROUPING.

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IN THIS REGARD, WE MUST ENJOY OUR FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS WITHOUT FEAR OF VICTIMISATION.
THERE IS NO HONOUR IN CADREISM, VIOLENCE, AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FELLOW CITIZENS.
TO THOSE WHO WANT TO COMMIT THESE CRIMES, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.
THE LAW WILL VISIT YOU REGARDLESS OF YOUR POLITICAL AFFILIATION.
WE URGE OUR CITIZENS TO REPORT ANY FORM OF HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE IN MARKETS, BUS STATIONS OR PUBLIC OFFICES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
GOVERNMENT WILL UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW AND ACCORD EVERYONE EQUAL TREATMENT IN LINE WITH THE LAW AND OUR NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES.
GOING FORWARD, LAW AND ORDER EVERYWHERE AND ALL THE TIME, SHOULD BE THE NORM, AND NOT THE VIOLENCE AND HOOLIGANISM OF THE PAST.

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DEMOCRACY AND CONSTITUTIONALISM MADAM SPEAKER,
IN A DEMOCRACY LIKE OURS, THE PEOPLE ARE SUPREME AND ARE THE HIGHEST FORM OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY.
INDEED, THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE ARE OUR MASTERS.
WE ARE PROUD THAT OUR THRIVING DEMOCRACY CONTINUES TO BE A SHINING EXAMPLE IN THE REGION AND ON THE CONTINENT.
THERE IS NEED TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THOSE OF US IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY, ARE THERE, COURTESY OF THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA, TO SERVE AND NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THEM.
MADAM SPEAKER,
THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO CREATING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WHERE DEMOCRACY CAN THRIVE AND AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH POLITICAL ACTORS FREELY COMPETE ON IDEAS, CONVICTIONS AND SERVICE.
THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE RECENTLY HELD BY-ELECTIONS AT PARLIAMENTARY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVELS, WHERE POLITICAL PARTIES CAMPAIGNED FREELY DEVOID OF VIOLENCE.

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WE THANK THE POLITICAL PARTIES, THE PEOPLE OF KABWATA CONSTITUENCY IN LUSAKA, LIANGATI WARD IN SENANGA AND SOKONTWE WARD IN MILENGE FOR THE PEACEFUL BY-ELECTIONS.
THIS IS INDEED, HOW IT SHOULD BE.
THIS DEMONSTRATES OUR DEEPENING DEMOCRACY. MADAM SPEAKER,
THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION RESPECTS THE PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION OF POWERS AMONG THE THREE ARMS OF GOVERNMENT.
WHILE COORDINATION IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE, WE WILL, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO RESPECT THE AUTONOMY OF THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATURE AND JUDICIARY IN CARRYING OUT THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATES.
MADAM SPEAKER,
AS INDICATED, OUR ADMINISTRATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE RULE OF LAW TO ENSURE AN ORDERLY AND JUST SOCIETY.

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ALL PERSONS, INSTITUTIONS AND ENTITIES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, SHALL OPERATE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW.
WE WILL ENFORCE THE LAW EQUALLY REGARDLESS OF ONE’S STATUS IN SOCIETY.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL AGENDA OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT SHALL UNDERTAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO GATHER AND BUILD CONSENSUS WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS ON HOW BEST WE CAN GIVE OURSELVES A CONSTITUTION THAT REFLECTS OUR SHARED AND CHERISHED ASPIRATIONS AS A PEOPLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF US WILL CONTINUE TO LOBBY YOU AND OTHERS FOR THE NATION TO LEGISLATE AGAINST COSTLY, TIME CONSUMING AND DISRUPTIVE BY-ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS SHOULD HAPPEN ONCE IN EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IN BETWEEN ELECTIONS, WE SHOULD FOCUS ALL AVAILABLE TIME AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS.

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IN ADDITION, WORKING WITH YOU AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, OUR ADMINISTRATION WILL AMEND THE PUBLIC ORDER ACT IN LINE WITH OUR DEMOCRATIC TENETS.
HUMAN DIGNITY, EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND NON- DISCRIMINATION.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ENHANCING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE IS A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO TURNING AROUND OUR ECONOMY TO ACCELERATE SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND UPLIFT THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE CITIZENRY.
IN THIS REGARD, MORE EFFORT WILL BE PLACED ON CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AND A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.
MADAM SPEAKER,
OUR GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO HAVE A DIGNIFIED WORKFORCE.

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EMPLOYERS SHOULD COMPLY WITH OUR LABOUR LAWS AND PROVIDE A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE WORKERS.
IT IS IN THIS REGARD THAT UNDER THE DECENT WORK PROGRAMME, OVER 3,800 LABOUR INSPECTIONS WERE UNDERTAKEN IN 2021 TO ENHANCE THE PROTECTION OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS, IMPROVE THE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY.
IT IS CLEAR THAT A LOT STILL REMAINS TO BE DONE TO PROMOTE THE DECENT WORK AGENDA.
ALL EMPLOYERS SHOULD ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH LABOUR LAWS.
WE ALSO URGE EMPLOYEES TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE LABOUR OFFICE, ANY CONCERNS THEY MAY HAVE, FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WE BELIEVE THAT, WORKING TOGETHER, THE WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY WILL IMPROVE.

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MADAM SPEAKER,
WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS AMONGST OUR YOUTH.
THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION WILL REVIEW, REALIGN AND ADD NEW YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES TO MAKE THEM MORE RELEVANT, VIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE.
THIS PROCESS HAS INFACT, ALREADY COMMENCED.
WE URGE THE YOUTH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES SUCH AS THOSE UNDER THE DRAMATICALLY ENHANCED CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND (CDF), TO BETTER THEIR LIVES.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACCESS TO LAND, MINING LICENCES, TIMBER LICENCES, AND CONTRACTS FOR GOODS AND SERVICES WILL BE EXPANDED.
ADDITIONALLY, OUR STRATEGY TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH WILL NOT ONLY BRING ABOUT ECONOMIC GROWTH BUT CREATE JOBS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

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SELF-EMPLOYMENT WILL CONTUNUE TO BE PROMOTED AND SHOULD BE VALUED.
MADAM SPEAKER,
AS A NATION, WE HAVE A DUTY TO EDUCATE EVERY ZAMBIAN CHILD, REGARDLESS OF STATUS.
AS STATED EARLIER, OUR FIRST BOLD STEP IN THIS REGARD WAS TO MAKE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION FREE AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHEN OTHERS MOCKED US THAT THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE, WE INSISTED THAT IT WAS AND WE ARE DOING IT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE ALSO KEEPING MORE VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL BY ENHANCING THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME.
THIS IS NOT ONLY ENSURING THAT PUPILS ARE NOT ABSENT FROM CLASS BUT ALSO IMPROVING THEIR LEARNING OUTCOMES.

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MADAM SPEAKER,
OUR GOVERNMENT IS CONSTRUCTING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO BRING PUBLIC SERVICES CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE AND ADDRESS THE DEVELOPMENT INEQUALITIES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.
RURAL CONNECTIVITY, TRANSPORTATION, ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY, AMONG OTHERS, ARE HIGH ON OUR AGENDA.
PROJECTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED AND ONCE COMMISSIONED, MORE OF OUR PEOPLE IN PERI-URBAN AND RURAL AREAS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO MARKETS, ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY AND EASE OF DOING BUSINESS WILL IMPROVE.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO WATER AND SANITATION, USING CDF AND OTHER MECHANISMS.
MADAM SPEAKER,
AS INDICATED, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AND EXPANDED THE CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND FROM 1.6 MILLION KWACHA TO 25.7 MILLION KWACHA PER CONSTITUENCY.

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OUR CITIZENS, AT THE CONSTITUENCY LEVEL, NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE AND IMPLEMENT THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL PRIORITIES IN LINE WITH OUR DECENTRALISATION AGENDA.
THE PROGRAMMES SHALL BE DRIVEN BY THE COMMUNITY.
THIS WILL PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IMPROVE LOCAL ECONOMIES AND THE LIVELIHOODS OF OUR PEOPLE.
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INTEGRITY MADAM SPEAKER,
THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO GOOD GOVERNANCE.
TO THIS END, WE ARE DETERMINED TO SEE TO IT THAT ALL THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT MUST BE RESPONSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT.
MADAM SPEAKER,
WE ARE COMMITTED TO FIGHTING CORRUPTION, STRENGTHENING THE RULE OF LAW AND ENSURING PRUDENCE IN THE UTILIZATION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.

27
CORRUPTION TAKES AWAY THE MUCH-NEEDED RESOURCES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOBS, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVING EDUCATION, HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES.
CORRUPTION REDUCES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. WE MUST FIGHT CORRUPTION IN ALL ITS FORMS AND MANIFESTATIONS.
IT IS THEREFORE WRONG FOR THE CORRUPT TO DELIBERATELY AND INTENTIONALLY LABEL THEMSELVES AS VICTIMS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION SO AS TO GAIN SYMPATHY FROM THE PUBLIC.
CHILDREN, WOMEN, THE YOUTH, AND OTHER VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY REMAIN THE TRUE VICTIMS OF CORRUPTIONS.
MADAM SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRIMES COURT TO EXPEDITE THE DISPOSAL OF CASES.
THIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FALTER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. THERE WILL BE NO SACRED COW IN THIS FIGHT.

28
WE MUST ALL DECLARE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION.
WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ENGAGED IN CORRUPTION TO VOLUNTARILY COME FORWARD AND PAY BACK TO SOCIETY WHAT THEY TOOK AWAY.
IT IS WISE TO DO SO THAN TO WAIT FOR THE INEVITABLE, PROSECUTION AND THE RESULTANT CONSEQUENCES.
WE MUST WORK HARD AND BE FIRM AGAINST UNETHICAL CONDUCT IN BOTH OUR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIVES.
IN OUR QUEST TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, WE ARE DEVOLVING THE RESIDENT JUDGESHIP TO THE PROVINCES.
THIS WILL FACILITATE ACCESS TO JUSTICE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME BY OUR PEOPLE. REMEMBER, JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.
MADAM SPEAKER,
WE ARE STRENGTHENING MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT.

29
GOING FORWARD, A SIMPLE RULE OF THUMB IS THAT WE WILL PROCURE GOODS, SERVICES AND WORKS AT THE CORRECT PRICE, RIGHT QUALITY AND ENSURE TIMELY DELIVERY.
TO THIS END, WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE MEASURES TO SEAL LEAKAGES IN THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
WE SHOULD DEPART FROM THE BAD HABITS OF THE PAST.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO UTILISE PUBLIC RESOURCES PRUDENTLY.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MADAM SPEAKER,
IN OUR EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY, WE ARE PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE ADOPTED A GROWTH PATH THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE DEVELOPMENTAL INTERESTS OF BOTH PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

30
WE WILL ENSURE THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS GUARANTEES INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY AND ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY.
CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES TO THREATEN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY.
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE EVIDENT TO ALL OF US. IN THE RECENT PAST, SOME PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOODS AND DROUGHT RESPECTIVELY.
SOME OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LEFT HOMELESS. CROPS, LIVESTOCK AND OTHER MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.
THIS HAS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THE LIVELIHOODS OF OUR PEOPLE.
IT IS, THEREFORE, IMPORTANT THAT, AS A NATION, WE TACKLE THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE UTILISATION OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES BY OUR FARMERS.

31
MADAM SPEAKER,
TO FURTHER MITIGATE AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, OUR ADMINISTRATION IS PROMOTING AFFORESTATION.
TO THIS EFFECT, 5,854.7 HECTARES OF TREES WERE PLANTED DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.
WE SHOULD AND WILL DO MORE IN THIS AREA.
IN ADDITION, THE NUMBER OF HECTARES OF AREAS WITH FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS HAVE INCREASED TO 2.37 MILLION HECTARES FROM 1.64 MILLION HECTARES IN 2020.
LET EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TAKE AN INTEREST IN PLANTING TREES AS IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND GO A LONG WAY IN PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND MITIGATING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
MADAM SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT HAS AFFIRMED ITS COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING ISSUES OF CLIMATE CHANGE BY CREATING THE MINISTRY OF GREEN ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT.

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WE ARE DETERMINED TO PLACE THE COUNTRY ON A BALANCED GREEN DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PEOPLE, PROFIT AND THE PLANET.
MADAM SPEAKER,
INDISCRIMINATE DISPOSAL OF SOLID AND OTHER WASTE IN PUBLIC SPACES IS A SOURCE OF GREAT CONCERN.
IT IS DISHEARTENING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF SOLID WASTE LYING AROUND IN MANY OF OUR PUBLIC SPACES, SUCH AS MARKETS AND BUS STATIONS.
THE WASTE BEING DISPOSED-OF IN UNDESIGNATED AREAS IS MAKING OUR SURROUNDINGS UNTIDY, UNHYGIENIC AND IS CLOGGING UP DRAINAGE SYSTEMS.
THIS IS CONTRIBUTING PERENNIAL FLOODS ESPECIALLY IN URBAN DISTRICTS.
OUR COMMUNITIES ARE BEING EXPOSED TO HEALTH HAZARDS WHILE OUR EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ARE BEING UNDERMINED.

33
WE MUST PUT AN END TO THIS. WE URGE ALL CITIZENS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN KEEPING ZAMBIA, CLEAN, GREEN AND HEALTHY.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGH RECYCLING AND PRODUCTION OF ENERGY.
CONCLUSION MADAM SPEAKER,
DURING OUR INAUGURAL ADDRESS, WE COMMITTED AND LAID DOWN OUR VISION TO BUILD A BETTER ZAMBIA.
A ZAMBIA WHERE REAL JOBS AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE CREATED.
A ZAMBIA WHERE OUR PEOPLE WILL BE ASSURED OF FOOD ON THEIR TABLE.
A ZAMBIA ANCHORED ON LOVE, NATIONAL UNITY AND MUTUAL RESPECT.

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MADAM SPEAKER,
OUR GOVERNMENT IS AWARE THAT THERE ARE MANY SOCIAL ILLS THAT ARE PREVALENT IN OUR SOCIETY.
HIGH RATES OF DIVORCE, SUICIDES, CRIME AND OTHER SEVERE SOCIAL ILLS ARE OF GREAT CONCERN TO US AND REQUIRES OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO BRING ABOUT REMEDIES.
AMONG THE REMEDIES ARE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES, COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS, COUNSELLING AND A STRONG ECONOMY THAT EASES OUR CITIZENS OF FINANCIAL DISTRESS.
AS STATED IN OUR PROMISE TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA, OUR FOCUS FOR THE NEXT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS IS ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.
THIS VISION RESONATES WITH OUR SHARED NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES.
THE WEALTH OF THIS COUNTRY BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
WE MUST ENHANCE AND MAINTAIN INTEGRITY IN OUR DAY TO DAY INTERACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES.

35
OUR VISION ALSO CALLS FOR EACH ONE OF US TO WORK HARD AND DO OUR PART IN THE NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION AGENDA.
WE MUST ALL BE ACCOUNTABLE IN WHAT WE DO.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON EACH AND EVERYONE OF US TO FULLY EMBRACE OUR NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, AS ENSHRINED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THEY ARE MEANT TO ENABLE US TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMON VISION OF A PROSPEROUS ZAMBIA.
THEY ARE MEANT TO HELP US DEVELOP THE RIGHT ATTITUDES REQUIRED FOR OUR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
OUR EFFORTS TO INCULCATE THE NATIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES INTO OUR GOVERNANCE SYSTEM ARE ALREADY YIELDING RESULTS, AS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE PROGRESS IN THIS ADDRESS.
WE, HOWEVER, NEED TO DO MORE TO OPERATE WITHIN OUR OWN ETHICAL STANDARDS AND THOSE SET BY OUR FOREFATHERS AND MOTHERS.

36
ON OUR CHOSEN JOURNEY TO BEING A TRULY VALUE-CENTRED AND PRINCIPLE-CENTRED NATION, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK IF VICTORY HAS TO BE ASSURED.
ZAMBIA REMAINS A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY. ON THE ROAD AHEAD, WE SHOULD ANCHOR OUR ACTIONS ON OUR CHRISTIAN VALUES, FAITH AND RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE.
AS GOVERNMENT, WE ARE EAGER AND AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THE MUCH-NEEDED LEADERSHIP.
MADAM SPEAKER,
NO MATTER THE CHALLENGES WE FACE, IT IS TIME FOR OUR HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE TO BE REALISED.
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, WE SHOULD WORK AS A TEAM. UNITY IN DIVERSITY AND UNITY OF PURPOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
MAY WE BE ETHICAL, MORALLY UPRIGHT MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY AND SERVANT LEADERS.
GOD BLESS OUR PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTRY.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.

HH’s SONA TALK HOME POINTS March 11th 2022
By: IP Muvi tv
1. Government is enhancing the Alcohol national policy to curb drinking abuse as he urge parents to secure their Children.

2. President HH be bemoans the increasingly abuse of Information and Communication Technology – ITC throuhg social media platforms being used for to perpetrate hate speech, says punitive measures to will be enforced to the control the vice.

3. Children marriage and early pregnancies has remained a source of worry.
He has therefore called for partnership with traditional leaders in an effort to address the matter.
4. He has called for professional workforce and ethical conduct in the civil service.

5. Mr. Hichilema has called for patriotism among the citizens in order to promote unity and peace.
He has also called for hard-work at individual level and all work places.
6. President Hichilema is concerned by the failure by both members of the public and officer bearers in protecting public infrastructures.

7. He has disclosed that his goverment want to ensure citizens consume locally produced products( Local is Laker).
This is aimed at promoting growing Zambian companies as he wonders why Zambia is importing onion.

UNITY:

8.He head of state has called for unity among citizens stating that there should be no divisions on either political or tribe lines.
He says he expect citizens to live on Biblical lines.

He has emphasized that anything wrong which happened in the past should not be repeated now and going forward.
9. Mr. Hichilema has also warned unruly cadres stating whoever will commit a crime in the name of a cadreisim they will be on their own.
He has advised the police to ensure they decisively act on anyone who breaks the law.

DEMOCRACY:

10. The president says there must be tolerance among parties affiliates in order to enhance democracy.
11. The new dawn government will respect the rule of law and the separation of powers.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS:

12. Mr. Hichilema has announced that Constitutional reforms is priority in in order to deal with the lacunas in the suprema law of land other legislative laws.
13. He says his government is working towards ensuring ways that will help curb Unnecessary by holding of by-elections.

UNEMPLOYMENT

13. The new dawn government has becomaned the escating levels of employment in the Country, Mr. Hichilema says more youth empowerments will given.
The president has discouraged the dependence on handouts among the Youth.
14. No more the importation of school desks going forward.
15. Government that is committed to improving the infrastructure status across the Country.

WATER & SANITATION

16. President Hichilema has announced that his goverment is working towards improving the water and sanitation system of the Country.

He insists his government will ensure that all the stolen money once recovered including CDF will dedicated to improving the welfare of citizens in the rural places.

CORRUPTION:

17. He will fight Corruption to the end and advices all those found wanting not to be cry babies.
18. He has advised all those who enganged themselves themselves in the act to willingly surrender the money to the state.

19. Says corruption individuals should stop parroting themselves as victims.
He says there will be no sympathy in fight corruption.

ECONOMY:

20. The new dawn government will in the next four years from now focus in reconstracting the economy.
He says it is not a secret that the economy was in the last year’s runed down as he calls for an objective debate in parliament.
21. He called for concerted efforts in the RESTRACTURING the economy.

PRINCIPLES:
22. He has rea-firmed ZAMBIA’s status as a Christian nation adding that no one should portray to be more of a Christian compared to others.
He concluded by assuring parliamentarians to ensure that they help restore the dignity of the Country.

HH, TACKLE FUEL PRICES
…soon citizens will park vehicles, walk to work – Kabimba

By Kombe Mataka

ECONOMIC Front leader Wynter Kabimba says President Hakainde Hichilema should tackle the price of fuel as opposed to treating Zambians to boring issues of payment of retirees.

Kabimba said for Ukrainian Ambassador to South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana, Liubov Abravitova to appeal to the Zambian government to suspend its diplomatic ties with Russia she, “has jumped on the gullibility of the Zambian government”.

“We are in for a rough ride because of that vote [at the United Nations General Assembly against Russia],” he warned.

Speaking when he featured on 5FM Radio’s The Burning Issue programme on Tuesday, Kabimba warned that if not addressed the country will soon have citizen’s vehicles parked as they will no longer afford the commodity.

“If you remember, their campaign promise or explanation was that the reason why the fuel was expensive was because it had a lot of middlemen scamming the government. They said it was a scam between the government and middlemen yet these guys are supposed to be economists,” he said.

“I am sure there must have been a lecture one day at the University (of Zambia) which HH attended dealing with oil but they (UPND) offer a very simplistic explanation to such a fundamentally valuable issue. Now they have changed the story and even made it worse than PF by saying that now oil will be reviewed every month.”

Kabimba implored the UPND to understand dynamics involved in fuel pricing.
He challenged them to own up to reality instead of uttering economic jargon.

“…Because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict now the price of a barrel of oil has shot up from 90 dollars per barrel to 140 dollars as at yesterday (Monday) and nobody knows how long that conflict will take. It is at 140 dollars because the United States has had to offload 30 million barrels from its reserves to cushion that. It will be way above,” Kabimba explained. “In fact, it is expected to go up to 200 dollars a barrel. Don’t the UPND guys understand this? Don’t they watch TV to see where the world is going? This is not just about speaking nasal English; speaking English through your nose, this reality.”

He argued that no matter how late President Hichilema knocked off from work, Zambians still wanted solutions to the many problems in the country.

“It is not about the President knocking off at 17:00 [hours] and going to Community House. It’s not about locking up State House. It is about spending nights understanding where this world is and where it is going in the interest of the Zambian people. So, if the oil price keeps on escalating, we shall be walking to work,” Kabimba warned.

“We will be as good as being in an oil embargo. Why do you think Shell today is resisting the sanctions against Russia by the US against importing oil? Because they know the importance of oil. Why do you think Germany is being cautious about applying sanctions on Russia over oil? Because they understand the importance of oil and gas for their economy. And I want to hear HH address this on Friday (today) instead of boring us with how many retirees have been paid.”

Kabimba said the issue of retirees was important but that fuel was critical.

“We know (issue of retirees) that it won’t change the price of rice in China even if you paid all the retires. It won’t change the economy. There will be a bit of money in circulation, so what? There are fundamentals we have here which the UPND government must be dealing with and to do that they must spend sleepless nights,” he said.

“The options they are giving about 100 pupils a classroom and payment of retirees and that kind of thing is not what is going to move this country forward. The aspect of the oil is an important one. We need to understand the dynamics and that is why the way we voted at the UN General Assembly is important because there will be economic repercussions coming out of that vote.”

Kabimba said the UPND policy of reviewing oil prices monthly could be the cause of their downfall.

“It will not help. The truth of the matter is it will not help and that will be the downfall of UPND government which is founded on the lies they told during campaigns and the reality that they are facing today,” he added.

“If you understand international politics, just the elementary international politics and President HH says he has global connections; if he understood those global connections well and how this world is constructed, you can actually see that oil is an important driver of the economy. Look, we want to have leaders in Africa and Zambia in particular that spend sleepless nights understanding where this world is coming from, where it is, where it is going. There are people that sleep to dream and others that dream to change the world and we don’t have the crop of citizens that dream to change this world. We need to have a crop of citizens that dream to change this world. We don’t have them now. The crop we have is a crop of neo- liberal capitalist leaders that are more agents of the West than representatives of their people.”

Kabimba cited PF’s fake promise of cheapening the price of oil by constructing an oil pipeline between Zambia and Angola.
“We saw this with PF. PF had announced that they wanted to put an oil pipeline into Angola to Zambia through Malawi. The PF said it will bring oil from Angola in Zambia. Then you ask them, don’t you know that Angola imports its oil? The oil that Angola produces or drills is drilled as crude oil,” he explained.

“Then it is sent out to Europe through multinational companies such as Shell and BP and Mobil, and Angola imports that oil at ten times the price of their own oil. And so is the case with Nigeria. And here you have a whole government which does not understand that Angola suffers from the same shortages and pricing like Zambia. It does not produce any oil and they were talking about putting a pipeline and thought that Angola will make the price cheaper. A dream! But a dream founded on ignorance. This is the case with UPND.”
Kabimba warned that it was high time the UPND started aligning its policies with global developments.

“The importation of oil which they thought was very easy, Russia is the third largest exporter of oil after the US and Saudi Arabia. They have the largest oil and gas reserves in the world. Doesn’t HH understand that? And his team; you go and vote against Russians instead of being neutral or abstaining like South Africa and Botswana did and Zimbabwe!” he said.

“Let us understand geo-politics and let us understand politics at international level, not just in terms of making deals and connections, no. There are fundamentals here that will eventually affect the Zambian economy, oil is one of them. The US has had to send an envoy to Saudi Arabia to go and see if the Saudi government can increase production of oil but Saudi alone is not enough. They need Iran which is also one of the world’s producers of oil but Iran is in talks with the US to see how they resolve the Iran [nuclear] deal and sanctions on Iran. So, the Iran oil is not on the market yet. Russian oil will not be on the market with the conflict proceeding. Where are our colleagues in UPND…and they call themselves businessmen! We are in for a rough ride because of that vote.”

And Kabimba laughed off the move by Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Africa to engage Zambian journalists over that country’s conflict with Russia.

“We can’t even have an embassy here for Ukraine. Ukraine is the second country in terms of land mass in Europe. It is Russia, Ukraine and others and the Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa had the cheek to hold a briefing with the Zambian journalists to break ties with Russia! To get what from Russia? Refugees who are running away from there,” asked Kabimba.

“Why didn’t she have a briefing with South Africans where she is resident? It is because she knows South Africa understands what it is doing. So, she has jumped on the gullibility of the Zambian government! All this just shows you…I don’t think this is a matter that even went to Cabinet. What I found interesting is, last week there was a photo which I saw in the print media of HH hosting lunch for some senior citizens, [Vernon Johnson Mwaanga] VJ was one of them. The other notable figure of interest to me was Mr Wilted Phiri, the former director of intelligence. If HH had met VJ before this vote was taken and asked him which way to go, I don’t think he would have advised him (HH) to vote the way they did because VJ was ambassador to Russia at the age of 21.”

HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IS NOT SLOW BUT MAKES CALCULATED MOVES LIKE A TIGER – ROMEO KANGOMBE

“Remember late President Sata called him his calculator boy because HH is always makes calculated moves. The slow movement of a tiger is not a mistake but a calculative move”- Romeo

Sesheke Member of Parliament Romeo Kangombe has described President Hakainde Hichilema as a calculative leader who does not act out of impulse or emotions. The lawmaker who is also UPND chairman for strategy and mobilisation has warned those who looted public resources not to be naive to think the President doesn’t know what he is doing. Kangombe has charged that the same way PF was removed from power a lot of criminals will be caught by surprise.

“Patience is not a weakness but the strongest strategy to get effective results. I know some people would have loved President Hichilema move quickly and crack the weep on all corrupt elements who looted public resources, even I wanted that. But when you look at past cases, government has ended losing more money due to rushed populist decisions. When you go to court it’s not about what you feel but what you can prove. This why it’s important for investigative wings to be forensic in their investigation. Remember some of these criminals have hidden stolen funds in foreign countries and this requires a lot of intelligence gathering.” Said Romeo Kangombe.

“I personally, feel President Hakainde Hichilema has done very well so far to stabilize and unite our country. The expectations from the people are genuine but I think HH is not slow but calculative. The peace we are enjoying today is because of a calculative and mature leadership of President Hichilema. We must be happy and proud to have such a leader who knows exactly what he is doing” said Kangombe.

“To you criminals, don’t be naive to think President Hichilema doesn’t know what he is doing. You will be awaken to the worst shock of your life. When I see criminals mocking, disrespecting and daring the President I feel sorry for them. President Hichilema is like a tiger, he is making calculated moves towards his goals and targets” added Kangombe.

Lusaka-11th March 2022

Lawyers to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Provisional Liquidator, Makebi Zulu Advocates, have dismissed assertions that Mr. Milingo Lungu is no longer the Provisional Liquidator.

In a letter dated 11th March 2022 written to the Administrator General and Official Receiver, Natasha Nsanta Kalimukwa, Makebi Zulu Advocates, stated that her office does not posses such authority and her action stands in contempt of court proceedings under Cause No 2019/HP/0761.

And KCM has stated that Mr. Milingo Lungu remains Provisional Liquidator as his position was appointed by the Court of Law.

KCM has called on all stakeholders to support Mr. Milingo and to remain calm until further orders from the Courts of Laws.

Below is the official statement made by the Provisional Liquidator of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mr Milingo Lungu;

MR. MILINGO REMAINS PROVISONAL LIQUIDATOR-KCM

Lusaka-11th March 2022

We wish to advise that the Provisional Liquidator of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mr. Milingo Lungu remains Provisional Liquidator.

The announcement made by the Administrator General and Official Receiver is outside the law and outside the authority reposed in such office.

We wish to emphasize that the Administrator General has no powers to suspend the operation of the court order, court directives or court decions.

This is because nowhere in Section 69 of the Corporate Insolvency Act No. 9 of 2017 or any other law is the Administrator General given powers to suspend a Liquidator appointed by the Courts of Law.

As the court proceedings under Cause No. 2019/HP/0761 shows, this action by the Office of the Administrator General stands in Contempt of Court because the Order states that;

“It is hereby ordered that Milingo Lungu of Messrs Lungu Simwanza and Company be and is appointed to act as Provisional Liquidator of the Respondent Company until the conclusion of the hearing of this Petition or further order”

And Mr. Milingo Lungu’s lawyers, Makebi Zulu Advocates, have advised that Mr. Milingo Lungu remains Provisional Liquidator until the Court directs otherwise.

We wish to advise all stakeholders remains and continue to support the work of KCM and the Provisional Liquidator until further orders of court.

Please be advised accordingly.

Milingo Lungu
Provisional Liquidator.

PF ONLY HOPE FOR SUFFERING ZAMBIANS

By Edwin Lifwekelo, PF Deputy Media Director

The people of Zambia are suffering and are looking to the Patriotic Front party to rescue them from the hardships they are grappling with six months after changing government.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has demonstrated that it has no capacity to resolve the nation’s numerous challenges. It is clear that it does not have any clear plan to address the high prices of consumer commodities.

The PF stands out as the only hope for the nation with its clear pro-poor and pro-growth Manifesto. For this reason there is a need for unity of purpose.

The party is the only panacea or antidote for the country’s challenges. That is the reason it must embrace unity and understanding of its responsibility to the people of Zambia for its survival beyond 2026.

There is urgent need for the party’s membership and the leadership to do a thorough introspection on how they wish to relate with the Zambian people on a number of political and economic matters affecting the nation.

We wish to emphasise the need to focus on re-organising structures and mobilising new members to join our mighty.

We can easily win the 2026 presidential and parliamentary elections, but this can only be possible if we all pull in one direction with the sole agenda of rebuilding and organising the party and making it more attractive.

It’s time we all went to the people and to our members to explain our vision, goals and aspirations for the period 2022-2026.

The UPND regime is a failed project that anchored its vision on false promises to our people, the reason its legitimacy has expired already less than six month in office.

The PF remains the party of choice for the zambian people. The UPND regime is fully aware of this. Our party remains extremely attractive; we can build or destroy that confidence the people of Zambia are showing in us through the way we handle and respond to internal and national issues as they arise.

I therefore appeal to our leadership and to our members to remain focused and resolute and concentrate on rebuilding our mighty party.

We must remove our small personal ambitions and egos and look at the bigger picture; that of preserving and growing the party for the benefit of Zambians.

Let us remain united as a party and rally behind the leadership led by acting President Hon. Given Lubinda and acting secretary General Hon. Nickson Chilangwa.

They need our support as the incompetent and vindictive UPND regime continues persecuting our leaders and members, many of who have been arrested, are appearing in courts of law, have had their properties searched or are still in hiding.

These are the leaders we have for now whose duty is to protect, preserve and grow the party.

Sean Tembo, the PeP president, writes:

ABOUT TRIVIALITY AND PETTINESS

1. Good morning fellow citizens. We have a big problem in this country. We have a President who is extremely petty and in order to please him, his Government officials have equally become very petty and trivial. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between Cabinet Office and the UPND Secretariat, as far as their behavior is concerned.

2. In the past two weeks, three key events have happened to prove the level of pettiness and triviality of Bally and his new dawn administration.

3. Firstly in Chipata at the N’cwala traditional ceremony, the Bally ordered the ejection of the PF acting President Given Lubinda from the VIP section so that he should go and sit in the crowd. Such treatment for a leader of the main opposition political party has never happened in the history of this country. Bally himself was always invited to events and treated as a VIP during his 15 years in opposition.

4. Secondly, Bally and his new dawn administration decided not to extend an invitation to NDC and its President Saboi Imboela for women’s day celebrations. Meanwhile government sent invitations to all the proxy political parties of UPND. This is despite the fact that NDC is one of the few women-led political parties in Zambia today, and it is Women’s Day that we were celebrating.

5. Thirdly, Bally and his new dawn administration decided not to invite any other political party to second youths to attend the Youth Indaba which started the day before yesterday. That makes the so-called Youth Indaba to be a UPND Indaba instead as all the youths attending it came from UPND structures.

6. Some people may not see anything wrong with the above three events, but there is a very dangerous pattern developing here. For a very long time, the State Functions Department at Cabinet Office operated independently until now after Bally became President. These days, Cabinet Office only sends invitations for national events to UPND Alliance partner political parties.

7. We have a President who is extremely petty and trivial and while such behavior is his personal preference, our worry is that when a President is too focused to settling petty scores with the opposition, he most likely will not have the time to address important national matters such as reducing the cost of living, creating a conducive business environment for SMEs to thrive, creating youth employment etcetera.

8. That perhaps explains why, apart from the IMF loan bailout application, Bally and his UPND do not have any economic turnaround plan for Zambia. Instead of focusing on matters that will uplift the welfare of the Zambian people, he is busy trying to fix those who are not his praise singers. A President who keeps so many grudges cannot possibly succeed in properly serving the nation. The President needs prayers so that the vengeance and bitterness which he accumulated over 15 years of opposition politics can be watered down and he can begin to focus on national building.

ENDS

SET 11.03.2022

The Anti Corruption Commission has been challenged to take an interest in the matter in which Parliamentary Accounts Committee Chairman Warren Mwambazi has been implicated in the face mask supply scandal at DMMU.

And further details have emerged showing that Mr. Mwambazi’s company was irregularly awarded several lucrative contracts under the PF administration.

And some Members of Parliament have resolved to push for the removal of Mr. Mwambazi from the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.

The MP who opted to have his name withheld said the ACC should now move in and investigate Mr. Mwambazi’s shoddy deals now that Speaker Nellie Mutti has asked him to recuse himself from chairing PAC hearings when matters involving his company come up.

The Member of Parliament stated that Mr. Mwambazi is exhibiting arrogance by describing MPs questioning his integrity as “boys making noise.”

The MP said the Commission should launch investigations into Mr. Mwambazi’s business conduct if the Commission is serious about fighting corruption.

“There is a lot of evidence to show that the PAC Chairman is not as clean as he portrays himself during those hearings and the ACC has a duty to take an interest in this matter. What the Speaker did when she ruled yesterday confirms that there is something sinister in his (Mwambazi) business dealings,” he said.

The MP said the Commission should investigate how Mr. Mwambazi obtained lucrative contracts at the Kafulafuta Dam Project and feeder road construction contracts at the Ministry of Local Government.

He revealed that the Commission should also move in and investigate how Mr. Mwambazi is allegedly using a Ndola-based energy firm Kapekisa Oil Marketing Company to obtain favours from Energy Minister Peter Kapala.

“The ACC should question why Mwambazi is using Kapekisa, a company in which he has interest to obtain pecuniary advantage in oil tenders from the Ministry of Energy. The close relationship between Mr. Kapala and Mwambazi is questionable because prior to the elections, these two people didn’t even know each other but now they have formed a close bond such that Minister Kapala even appointed Mwambazi’s wife Mazuba into the Rural Electrification Board without any qualifications,” he said.

The Member of Parliament wondered why Kabushi Member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo’s wife has been arrested for concealing property suspected to have been proceeds of crime while Mr. Mwambazi is still driving a vehicle that belongs to Mr. Lusambo has not been interrogated.

“The ACC was so fast in closing in on Mrs. Lusambo that she obtained property that they suspect was illegally acquired by her husband but here you have Mwambazi who is still driving a vehicle ( Toyota GX Reg. BAE 5990) which he got from Mr. Lusambo and he hasn’t even been questioned by the Commission.”

The MP alleged that Mr. Mwambazi is trying to downplay the seriousness of the allegations leveled against him by refusing to state his position on the matter.

“You have a guy who is abusing his privileges as PAC Chairman to malign his colleagues from the previous administration when he is a full beneficiary of the same PF system that rewarded its cadres. He shouldn’t be allowed to use PAC to scandalize his friends.”

He added, “everybody knows that Mwambazi was sponsored by Hon. Lusambo to win the Bwana Mkubwa seat, so if the ACC is after Bowman as a genuine fight against corruption, they should also go for Mwambazi because he is a beneficiary of Bowman’s perceived corruption.”

And some Members of Parliament have resolved to proceed to have Mr. Mwambazi removed from the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.

The MPs stated that the way Mr. Mwambazi has responded to the face mask scandal has the potential of undermining public confidence in the work of the Committee.

GIVEN LUBINDA Vs. MAINDA SIMATAA CASE SET FOR MONDAY…

As UPND abandons it’s Kamwala Councillor to face Lubinda’s lawyers alone in the High Court

PF acting President Given Lubinda’s Lawyers Kaunda Kaunda Legal Practitioners have served UPND Kamwala Ward councillor Mainda Simataa with a court summons following his refusal to publicly apologize over his claim that the former PF Kabwata MP is illegally occupying a community play park that belongs to the people of Kamwala.

The Councillor who was served at 20:00hrs yesterday is unlikely to file a defense today, and will most likely appear without legal representation before Justice Lombe Phiri at 10:45 on Monday 14 March 2022.

It’s alleged that the UPND is not interested in the matter and will not support the Councillor or residents of Kamwala who want to get back their property.

And a source within the UPND has told MUVI TV that Simataa won’t get any help or lawyers from the Party because there’s a group within UPND trying by all means to take him down and cause a by-election in Kamwala and field in a a councillor they can control. “There’s even a group that got money from KCC night club owners and promised to protect them from Simataa who’s been on their case for noise pollution in Madras Kamwala, and this group will be happy to see Lubinda finish off the vibrant councillor who doesn’t have the party’s blessing or protection”, said the source.

Meanwhile Simataa has accused the Anti-corruption commission and some Lusaka City Council officers of secretly working with Lubinda…

“Look, it’s on record, I’ve written to LCC Town Clerk and Director of Finance who’ve been dragging their feet to avail me with critical documents to enable me file a reply for my people while they give access to Lubinda’s Lawyers instantly”.

Simataa has also lashed out at Anti-Corruption Commission director whom he says is too soft, sympathetic, slow and unwilling to act on high profile corruption suspects in the former PF regime.

Sex workers in Mombasa county of Kenya, have joined other citizens of the East African country in condemning acts of sexual violence meted on a female motorist in Nairobi last Friday.

About 16 suspects accused of robbing and sexually molesting a female diplomat on Forest Road have been detained for 15 days to enable detectives to complete investigations. The suspects were arrested following a viral video showing the complainant being attacked on March 4. The Zimbabwean diplomat is said to have reported the incident at the Parklands police station.

Maryline Laini, Executive Director of Nkoko Injuu Africa, a CBO that champions the rights of sex workers, has announced that in solidarity with the female motorist, its members will not be offering sexual services drivers for one week.

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Prostitutes vow not to offer s3x to taxi drivers for one week for molesting a female passenger

Sex workers in Mombasa county of Kenya, have joined other citizens of the East African country in condemning acts of sexual violence meted on a female motorist in Nairobi last Friday.

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About 16 suspects accused of robbing and sexually molesting a female diplomat on Forest Road have been detained for 15 days to enable detectives to complete investigations. The suspects were arrested following a viral video showing the complainant being attacked on March 4. The Zimbabwean diplomat is said to have reported the incident at the Parklands police station.

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Maryline Laini, Executive Director of Nkoko Injuu Africa, a CBO that champions the rights of sex workers, has announced that in solidarity with the female motorist, its members will not be offering sexual services drivers for one week.

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Laini said;

“These people are our clients, but from today, no registered sex worker will offer sexual services to any bodaboda rider in this region. If a member is found with a bodaboda client within the period, she will be deregistered”

Laini also told K24TV that denying drivers sexual services, is one way of demanding justice for women who are subjected to sexual assault in public spaces.

She added;

“We know this is where we get our basic needs and fend for our families but we are ready to go hungry for this type of violence to come to an end”

Western officials have warned of their ‘serious concern’ that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use chemical weapons in Ukraine to commit further atrocities during the invasion.

The officials claim that an ‘utterly horrific’ attack could be launched on the capital of Kyiv to revive the Russian war effort amid logistical issues, mechanical failures, and a lack of fuel for their armoured vehicles.

In a briefing with journalists, one Western official who spoke on on condition of anonymity said: ‘I think we’ve got good reason to be concerned about possible use of non-conventional weapons, partly because of what we’ve seen has happened in other theatres.

‘As I’ve mentioned before, for example, what we’ve seen in Syria, partly because we’ve seen a bit of setting the scene for that in the false flag claims that are coming out, and other indications as well.

‘So it’s a serious concern for us.’

UK’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the UK has already handed Kyiv 3,615 anti-tank weapons, known as NLAWs, or new light-antitank weapons.

He said a ‘small consignment’ of Javelin anti-tank missiles will follow, while ministers consider whether to send Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles.

But a Polish proposal to hand its MiG-29 fighter jets to a US military base in Germany, with the expectation they would be handed to Ukrainian pilots, was dismissed in Washington.

The warnings came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a Russian missile attack had landed a ‘direct strike’ on a maternity hospital in the southern port city of Mariupol.

The hospital was decimated, with women and children feared trapped underground in what Zelensky described as ‘an atrocity’.

Ukraine’s Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba called it a ‘petrifying war crime’, as he pleaded for allies to supply Ukraine with aircraft.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there are ‘few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless, while Foreign Secretary Liz Truss described the hospital attack as ‘absolutely abhorrent’, but continued to reject Ukraine’s request for a no-fly zone to be imposed over its skies.

ABOUT POVERTY IN A LAND OF PLENTY: A CASE OF ZAMBIA

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. Good morning fellow citizens. Oil prices and copper prices are always positively correlated, meaning that the factors that cause one to go up generally cause the other to go up as well, and vice versa.

2. Since the value of our monthly fuel imports make up less than 20% of the value of our monthly copper exports, any increment of oil prices on the world market is supposed to be off-set by the additional revenue generated by Government from increments in copper prices on the world market. Meaning that we are not supposed to suffer any upward price adjustment at the pump even when world oil prices go up as they have recently due to the Ukrainian war.

3. The reason we are feeling the pinch of high fuel prices is because Govt has given the mines a de facto tax holiday, so we as a nation are not benefiting from high copper prices. The new dawn administration gave mining houses this de facto tax holiday because these mines have been funding the UPND campaigns since time immemorial, so they are now paying back the debt.

4. However, this is being done at the detriment of Zambian citizens. With the copper prices being at a record high, we were supposed to be recording a huge budget surplus right now, our foreign reserves at BOZ were supposed to be growing exponentially, our foreign debts which the current Govt inherited were supposed to be liquidated at a fast pace, but none of that is happening.

5. To the contrary, Govt is broke. They are failing to even hire the 11,000 medical personnel and 30,000 teachers which they promised. Contractors have not been paid for months resulting in huge loss of employment and high levels of suicide among them. Hospitals have no medicines and the cost of living is unbearable. These are problems which are supposed to be there when copper prices are at rock-bottom not when they are record high.

6. As painful as it might be, Zambians of all creed, regions, provinces and tribes need to accept that the man whom we entrusted with the job of running the affairs of this nation on 12th August 2021 does not have the national interest at heart. He has put his personal interests and the interests of his UPND party above the interests of the nation. Instead of collecting the tax that is due to the nation from the mining sector while copper prices are at an all-time high, he would rather give them a de-facto tax holiday so as to pay back the debt that his party has accumulated over the years while in opposition from these mines.

7. As painful as it might be to accept, there is little question that our man is a saboteur. He is sabotaging our country in favour of foreign and corporate interests, all at the expense of the common Zambian. Instead of bringing hope and help to the people as promised during campaigns, all he is offering the Zambian people are shallow excuses which become more and more incoherent by the day.

8. Five years is too long a time to wait to correct this situation. By that time, our country would have been destroyed beyond repair. Something must be done now to rescue our country from the hands of this saboteur. The question is what should we do?

/// END

10.03.2022

The Saboi Imboela led National Democratic Congress (NDC) faction has accused the ruling UPND of intolerance and harboring hate against opposition political parties.

Ms. Imboela said the UPND’s intolerance and harboring hate against opposition political parties distorted Tuesday’s International Women’s Day celebrations in the country.

She said the NDC and other parties were not invited for Women’s Day celebrations.

Ms. Imboela said the NDC was disappointed to see thousands of UPND women clad in their party regalia at the exclusion of all other parties.

Ms. Imboela said the UPND Government decided to invite a handful of opposition members just to save their faces.

“To have a party in government that is so intolerant and clearly hates associating with other political parties is very retrogressive for the country. Governance is not about who you love or hate, but about the laid down procedures and processes that government workers have to follow in order to administer state affairs in an equitable and just manner. While we celebrated Women’s Day in different ways and had a great time as women from all walks of life yesterday, it was very sad to see that the UPND had gone all out to distort the government way of commemorating the day,” Ms. Imboela said.

She recalled how the UPND used to shun all state functions during its time in the opposition.

“The UPND was well known for staying away from all state functions during such days, and it looked like they decided to celebrate all the years they stayed away from the celebrations yesterday. Now they think that they can use government resources to line up all their cadres and eat what they failed to eat in opposition, all in one day. It was so disappointing to see thousands upon thousands of UPND women clad in the red danger regalia at the exclusion of all other parties, except a handful they called to save face,” Ms. Imboela said.

“A number of political party presidents have since confirmed that, just like the NDC, they too did not receive their Women’s Day invitation. Unprecedented. The Cabinet Office has a list of all registered political parties, their leaders and their contact numbers. This is the same list that successive governments have all been using. As a woman leader of my party, I feel extremely disappointed that the UPND and its leadership, that does not respect women, has appointed few women in their Cabinet and other positions, has scrapped off the ministry of gender, has finally gone ahead to distort our day as women by making it a UPND event, instead of a national event,” she said.

“Additionally, they have even failed to make the First Lady identify a charity of her choice and work with her in that area, because they do not value women and their contributions. Women are an endangered species in the UPND government and the distortion of the day yesterday further goes on to prove just how UPND will stop at nothing to undermine and erase any gains that women have made in the country so far,” Ms. Imboela added.

Meanwhile, unlike Ms. Imboela’s party that wanted to participate in the Women’s Day celebrations, the Patriotic Front (PF) resolved not to participate in the event.

In a statement released after the party’s weekend central committee meeting, the party said that it will use these days to galvanize their women and youths across the country to do community service in their various localities.

The Party accused the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of completely ignoring the youths and women and have relegated them to the tail-end of the social, political, and economic strata, adding that President Hakainde Hichilema has systematically excluded women and youths from critical governance issues by deliberately sidelining them as far as appointments to key government positions is concerned.

USE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS TO FORMULATE AND REVIEW POLICIES, PF URGES GOVERNMENT

….parading hungry mothers and youths during public holidays would never put food on their Table stresses Mourinho.

LUSAKA, Wednesday, March 9, 2022 (SMART EAGLES)

THE Patriotic Front (PF) party has noted the need for public holidays such as Youth and Women’s days to be used to review policies that affect women and the youth.

Speaking when he featured on Millennium radio programme today, PF Media Director Antonio Mourinho Mwanza said the country should begin to move away from the misnomer that public holidays are all about marching.

Mr Mwanza said it is for this reason that the Patriotic Front party celebrated Women’s day differently by doing community service as opposed to marching because the current government is NOT doing enough to offer opportunities to women.

He says the Patriotic Front appreciates national events and national holidays such as women’s and youth days but would not participate in marching if they are continued to be neglected.

“This is were the problem is that if you don’t go to freedom statue or arena to march, then it means you dont particpate on Women’s day.
Our refusal to participate in the marching during Women’s day is that we can’t march when this government has neglected the Women. We refused to be paraded because of the unemployment levels among women and the youths, due to poverty, price increase of commodities and high cost of living as well as for 5 women appointed as Cabinet Ministers when pf had 12 ministers in cabinet. This government is not creating opportunities for women including the Youth.

And Mr Mwanza said it would be gratifying to do away with matching and start looking at issues that affect the people such as the Youths.

He has reiterated the party’s stance that it will not take part in matching during the Youth day National events.

He said the Youths have been completely shunned by the New Daw administration as can be seen from the appointments of Ministers, District Commissioners and Directors in various parastatal boards.

“We will not match when jobs are not given to the young people. There is no youth today who holds any position in any position of government. This government has neglected the Youths we will not match. Let us use these public holidays to engage in community service to give back to society. Let us use Youth day as a moment to look at a review on the policy on women and Youths over the years whether we have made progress or not,” he said.

“The Youths voted in numbers but appointments being made at District Commissioner level do not involve any single youth. Instead, the people who retired 10 years ago are being brought back. We will not match when jobs are given to people who retired 10 years 20 years ago, ” he said.

He said it would be beneficial on labour day to look at the condition of service of employees, policies surrounding , working conditions and environment in terms of investment as opposed to wearing Printed T-Shirts to go and match.

GOVT NOTES THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN A RIGHT MANNER

Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda writes;

The Zambian National Anthem is established by the National Anthem Act No. 40 of 1973 and as amended by Act No. 13 of 1994, Chapter 7 of the laws of Zambia.

It is an important symbol of nationhood, freedom and independence which was attained at great sacrifice by the freedom fighters.

The national anthem binds the country together, promotes unity and nationhood under the spirit of ‘One Zambia, One Nation.’

It is also a reminder of posterity of where the country is coming from and the need to sustain the unity of purpose in building a united and prosperous Zambia.

The National Anthem is not an ordinary song as the law prescribes how it is supposed to be sung.

Section 3 of the National Anthem Act provides that: ‘ any person who does any act with intent to insult or bring into contempt or ridicule the national anthem, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Five Thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both.’

This shows how important the National Anthem is and the respect it is supposed to be accorded when it is being sung.

Government has, however, noted with concern that some citizens are not singing the National Anthem in the manner that it is supposed to be done.

Of particular concern are situations where some people are seen walking about or wearing caps while others are on cellphones when the National Anthem is being sung. Government has also noted that during coverage of national events, media personnel continue to walk about as they set up their equipment while the National Anthem is being sung. This will not be tolerated.

Government, therefore, urges the media to setup their equipment in advance as opposed to doing it when the National Anthem is being sung.

Government also wishes to call upon citizens to adhere to the decorum and dignity required of the National Anthem as provided for in the law.

Citizens are further reminded to sing all the three stanzas of the National Anthem at all times.

Government, under President Hakainde Hichilema is committed to building an inclusive and united Zambia where the values of love, unity, respect, integrity, hard work and patriotism amongst citizens, are paramount.

Hon. Chushi Kasanda, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON

9th March, 2022