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Tasila Lungu with Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu

Neo says: embrace the political matrix

Political analyst Neo Simutanyi has advised government to appreciate criticism regardless from whom it is coming from.
Dr Simutanyi says it is wrong in a democracy for a political party in power to qualify criticism from opposition political parties.
Dr. Simutanyi is of the view that criticism is criticism and is not supposed to be constructive.
He has told Qfm News by telephone that for the fact that some political parties are in opposition they are supposed to raise issues that are critical to the governing party.
Dr. Simutanyi who is also Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director has explained that this implies that in a democracy, it is not up to the political party in power to render any criticism from the opposition trivial or otherwise
He states that this is because when registered opposition political parties raise critical issues against the government they in fact do so on behalf of the people.
Dr Simutanyi says this means that when responding to any criticism a political party in power should address the issue that has been raised as opposed to responding to the individual political party that has spoken on behalf of the people.
He says this is because by bringing out what the government is doing wrong, the opposition political parties are in the actual sense suggesting to the people that if they were in power they would have done thinks differently.

Q FM

CBU BC Bonanza

Government has dismissed reports suggesting that it plans withdraw sponsorship for students on government bursary at the Copperbelt University (CBU).
Education Minister Michael Kaingu has told a media briefing in Lusaka this morning that government has no such plans.

Edgar likes 'em young!

President Edgar Lungu says he has no apologies to anyone for appointing young people to serve in his administration.
President Lungu also said that he will not restrict himself to appointing people only from the civil service and those inclined to the ruling PF.
He has since pledged to appoint more women and more young people in his administration.
President Lungu was speaking this morning at State House when he swore in Mr. Likando Kalaluka as Attorney General and Mr Chalwe Lombe as Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Zambia cashes in on Chagwa's Trips

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has disclosed that a total pledge of 2.4 billion has resulted from the President’s visit to China.
Ms. Mwanakatwe told a media briefing in Lusaka today that outside the 2.4 billion, there is a further 800 million US dollars investment pledge.
Ms. Mwanakatwe says during the visit, the presidential delegation met Higer Bus company Limited who expressed willingness to set up a bus assembly plant in Zambia.

UPND's new home

The United Party for National Development has moved its headquarters from Lagos Road in Rhodes Park to #83 A Provident Road off Great East Road in Fairview, Lusaka.

Courtesy of Royd Moonga

Gay couple arrested, subjected to demeaning medical examination

Alert police in Kapiri Mposhi have today arrested two men for allegedly practicing homosexuality.
ZANIS reports that Central Province Commissioner of Police Standwell Lungu has confirmed the development in an interview in Kapiri Mposhi today.
Mr. Lungu named the suspects as James Mwape and Philp Mubiana both aged 21 years and residents of Ndeke Compound.
He said the duo have since been charged for having sex against the order of nature contrary to the laws of Zambia.
The two were arrested over the weekend after a tip-off from concerned members of the public who alleged that the suspects were married.
The two have been living together as man and wife in Ndeke area.
From the medical tests conducted on the suspects at Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital proved that they had been practicing sodomy, Mr. Lungu said.
The Police Commissioner said Philip had been acting as wife while James as man in the relationship which has existed for some time now.
“We have arrested two 21-year-olds and charged them for sodomy for having sex against the order of nature … they have been living together and having sex against the order of nature”, Mr. Lungu said.
He said the two who have since been granted police bond will appear in court on Wednesday this week.
Recently, government decreed that it will stiffen laws against homosexuality.
Minister of Youth and Sport Chishimba Kambwili said Government will help the people of Zambia to fight the vice with vigour.
He said on a commercial radio chat show, Let the people talk, that government will “not tolerate nonsense” and that homosexuality will not prevail in this country.
“We don’t want Zambia’s children to be taught any vice. We will not tolerate homosexuality. Those who want to promote homosexuality in Zambia are wasting their time. If anything, we are planning to stiffen laws against homosexuality,” he said.
And US-based Zambian Evangelist Edward Chomba said homosexuality should not be given a chance in the country.
Speaking during the same programme, Bishop Chomba said if homosexuality is given a platform for debate, “it will grow deep and derail our customs”.
ZANIS

South African private sector reacts to Scotty's potty mouth

A South African organisation that was supposed to help with infrastructure development in Zambia has withdrawn from coming into the country following remarks by Vice-President Guy Scott that the country is backward.
Paragon Architects director Henning Rasmuss, who was invited to Zambia to meet Vice-President Scott and other government officials, was expected in the country this month to discuss infrastructure development and financing of modern markets considered to assist vendors.
Rasmuss was also organising workshops for district commissioners for infrastructure development.
He said in a message to the Refugee Help Desk, a Zambian organisation based in South Africa that was facilitating his visit, that his company would not carry out its infrastructure development plans in Zambia after the remarks by Vice-President Scott.
"We have been going ahead with the planning of the workshop in Zambia. However given the ill-timed comments of the Vice-President of Zambia Dr Guy Scott, it would be a complete waste of time to come to Zambia under these conditions and until the political storm has died down," Rasmuss said.
"We can certainly not promote South African development solutions. Politicians always play their own games but this storm will pass."
And Rhoda Nsama, who is the ambassador for the Refugee Help Desk and an associate member of Amnesty International which is helping 20, 000 Zambians living in that country as asylum seekers said Vice-President Scott's remarks had derailed the good relationship between Zambia and South Africa.
"The remarks by the Vice-President have really derailed the good relations that the two countries have enjoyed for a long time. Economically we know that the powerhouse of the Southern African economy right now is South Africa. So if he had a problem with the country, he should have dealt with it at a diplomatic level," said Nsama who received the message from Rasmuss.
"If you look at the message that Mr Rasmuss sent, it's almost like they are questioning the position of the Vice-President. It does not augur well. He has raised a lot of doubts on the relationship between Zambia and South Africa."
The UK Guardian reported that Vice-President Scott said South Africans were backward and that the country was the cause of the much trouble on the African continent.

Courtesy  The Post

Grow Up! - ZCID

 

 

The Zambia Center for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) has described as barbaric and undemocratic the character assassinating type of politics that has continued to characterize the ongoing campaigns in Kapiri Mposhi and Lukulu West parliamentary by-elections.

ZCID Executive Director Horrance Chilando has noted that people that continue assassinate their political opponent's character do not have anything to offer and that electorates in the two constituencies should judge people on such conducts when voting.

Mr. Chilando has however expressed hope that with the establishment of a Commission for Political Parties in the on going constitution making process such misconduct as witnessed from some political parties will be firmly dealt with.

He was speaking in an interview with Qfm.

http://qfmzambia.com

Riots Erupt in Katete

 ROYD MOONGA

Riots  have broken out in Katete following the murder of grade 12 pupil of Katete Day High School last week as she was returning from school.

Pupils from various schools in Katete and Chipata set ablaze shops owned by suspects linked to the  murder of the teenage girl.  Sources have disclosed that Kaysons Wholesalers, an Asian-owned shop, is currently on fire and Mr Paris Shop  have been burnt to ashes.  Looters spared only Pep and DAPP Stores, with one police officer suffering a broken leg in the chaos.

Police last week lauched a Man hunt for the killers and managed to nab one suspect who has since disclosed several names of local and Indian Businesmen involved in the suspected ritual murders. 

 

Homosexual Couples Face Jail Time

By CLAVER MUTINTA

MINISTER of Home Affairs Edgar Lungu says the police should bring to book couples who attempted to register same-sex marriages with the local authority in Lusaka over Easter.
On Saturday, four couples made up of four Zambian students and the men of foreign origin approached marriage registrar, Henry Kapata, trying to register their gay marriages but Mr Kapata sent them away.

The couples are Ritch Hemman, 64 and George Nsama, 26, Clive Reeves, 48, and Bruce Lianda, 22, Jones MacPherson, 36, and Sylvester Sichilima 30 and Humphrey Ray, 53 and Caleb Muswema, 34.
Mr Lungu said yesterday that the police should investigate the matter and establish the truth as Government does not support homosexuality.

“If the men are found to have committed any offence, action should be taken accordingly,” he said.
He said it is not for him to direct the police to pursue the gay men because the officers are competent enough to discharge their duties if an offence has been committed.

“It is a pity that foreigners have started bringing this thing to us now. We are on dangerous ground where people are bringing new things to us and we are watching.

“The police must do their work…same-sex marriages are not a normal thing and we do tolerate such,” he said.

The minister said Zambian law does not support same-sex marriages and it is shocking that some people can come out in the open and attempt to register an illegal practice.
Mr Lungu challenged the church and community to condemn same-sex marriages and not embrace alien practices.

He said gay marriages have created problems in countries where they are allowed and that Zambia is not ready for the acts.

And Lusaka province commissioner Joyce Kasosa said the police will only start investigating when Mr Kapata reports the matter to the police.

She said police have no basis on which to commence investigations in the absence of a formal complaint or report.

“We want the person who witnessed the event to help us to start investigations,” she said.
Ms Kasosa said police are aware that there could be bad practices in the communities which are not reported to law enforcement officers.

- Courtesy of http://www.daily-mail.co.zm

Referendum Coming! - Wynter

Wynter Kabimba

Government has categorically stated that the Draft Republican Constitution currently under debate will be adopted through a referendum.

Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said in Lusaka yesterday that the Patriotic Front (PF) constitution was clear that the republican constitution should be adopted through a referendum.

Mr Kabimba said the form the referendum would take was, however, dependent on the structure of the draft report adding that Government was yet to constitute a Referendum Commission as doing so now would be too costly.

He said Government would, however, not accept infusion of external ideas into the process and this would be met with the utmost resistance.

He dismissed assertions that the constitution process lacked a legal guiding framework saying the process had so far not been prejudiced by Government influence.

“The constitution process has not been prejudiced by lack of legislation to it, there has not been any government white paper to say what Government wants but the only caveat is that it should be devoid of external influences,” Mr Kabimba said.

He was speaking when he officiated at the launch of a study on political governance in Zambia.
And Government will soon dispatch a team of officials to the United States of America (USA) for a familiarisation study on operations of District Attorneys, Mr Kabimba has said.

President Michael Sata recently said Government would establish District Attorneys in Zambia to accelerate delivery of justice especially in remote areas.

Mr Kabimba said Mr Sata was determined to ensure the District Attorneys were established and that his ministry was also working diligently to materialise the Head of State’s agenda.

He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when visiting USA counselor Jeffrey Minear to that nation’s Chief Justice John Roberts paid a courtesy call on him.

“We are hoping that we fast-truck judiciary reforms. We want to have a justice system that will deliver judgment fast. Soon, our officers will also be going to USA to learn more about District Attorneys,” he said.

And Mr Minear commended Zambians for their continued efforts to formulate the new constitution and was confident the document would be realised.

He called for continuous exchange of expertise citing the case where some officers from Zambia would travel to USA on a study tour of operations of the District Attorneys.

Courtesy of http://www.lusakatimes.com

Free Our Client, RB's Lawyers Ask Court

RB arrives.  Photo courtesy of Power 99.7

The Defense Team representing former President Rupiah Banda in a case in which he is facing Abuse of Authority of Office charges has asked the Lusaka Magistrate Court to free their client on grounds that the law on which he was arrested and charged does not specify clearly what criminal offense he his facing.

During the commencement of trial this morning before Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda, Mr. Banda's lawyers argued that section 31 as read with section 41 of the ACC ACT No. 3 of 2012 which Mr. Banda was charged for Abuse of Authority of Office is substantially different from Section 89 (1) of penal Code.

The Defense team led by Professor Patrick Mvunga further argued that the ACC ACT No. 3 of 2012 does not operate retrospectively and that the matter is constitutional that should be referred to the High Court for determination.

Meanwhile the Prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution Mutembo Nchito contended that the matter in which the former President is charged with Abuse of Authority of Office should not be determined by the High Court as similar case of Godfrey Miyanda and the People failed to be determined High Court in a similar manner.

The Prosecution has further asked for a day more in which to submit more of their arguments in reply to submissions made by the Defense.

The case has since been adjourned to Friday 5th April for continuation of trial.

Mr. Banda's bond has since been extended.

- Courtesy http://qfmzambia.com