A leading Civil Society Organization says it is shameful for the Zambia Police to selectively apply the Public Order Act after they allowed Patriotic Front cadres to march freely without a permit on Saturday.

The Zambia Police force has been denying the opposition and civil society organizations permission to hold public meetings but on Saturday watched helplessly as ruling party cadres marched from Northmead Basic School to State House as they took the 2016 presidential endorsement deal to President Michael Sata’s doorstep.

Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes executive director Boniface Chembe said the Zambia Police force were exposed for their lack of professionalism.

“The police should halt this selective application of the Public Order Act as they demonstrated on Saturday. The Patriotic Front cadres were allowed to march all the way from Northmead Basic School to State House,” Chembe said.

“This is the same force that has been so eager to break up demonstrations by the opposition. Remember how they beat up UPND cadres who demonstrated against the Director of Public Prosecutions? How many times have demonstrations against the acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda been refused? So there is a clear case of unprofessionalism by our police.”

He said the police should not allow themselves to be used by politicians.

“The police should be professional and not pander to the whims of politicians because once there is a change of government they risk reprisals,” he said.

The post CSO Condemns Selective Application of Public Order Act appeared first on Zambia Reports.

With the persistent fuel shortage in the country, government has moved to dilute the discontent by saying they are close to raising US$ 410 million for establishing a new oil refinery company.

Energy minister Christopher Yaluma said the Patriotic Front government was aware of the shortage of fuel but the problem was being addressed.

“Government is closing in on raising US$410 million for a new oil refinery as we try to find a lasting solution to the fuel situation in the country,” Yaluma said.

“We are also looking to find a 49 percent stake buyer of Indeni as we hope to make it more efficient in meeting the demand in the country.”

The country is currently experiencing a sporadic fuel shortage with motorists having to hop from several filling stations before getting luck with the commodity.

The post Yaluma Attempts to Dilute Fuel Crisis Discontent appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Campaigns for Thursday’s parliamentary by-election have heated up with President Michael President Michael Sata joining in the fray to boost the ruling party’s chances in the poll.

President Sata is hoping there will be no repeat of the last round of by-elections that saw the PF beaten in the Chipata Central seat despite having campaigned heavily.

According to the schedule for his Katete trip President was this afternoon expected to hold rallies at Chimutende and at Omelo Mumba Grounds in Riverside compound.

Sata is accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu.

The Mkaika seat fell vacant after incumbent David Phiri defected from the opposition MMD to the RULING PF.

The candidates contesting the Mkaika Constitency by-election are are Nigel Mpakateni of NAREP, David Phiri PF, Peter Phiri from MMD and Nelson Mwale of UNIP.

The post Sata Campaigns in Mkaika appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The ruling Patriotic Front says it will convene an emergency meeting to halt the raging subtle succession and endorsement debate.

Party national chairperson Inonge Wina said the endorsement debate that led to violent clashes on Saturday was denting the image of the party.

She said the party would convene to face the matter as it could bring down the ruling party if mishandled.

“This endorsement debate is denting the image of the party. We will meet as the Central Committee to address that matter, it is just that not all our members are around so as soon as everyone is around we will convene a meeting,” she said.

The endorsement debate has opened a three front war with defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba leading one front while secretary general Wynter Kabimba commands another faction with Kabwata Member of Parliament also angling in on the debate.

Meawhile the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes said President Sata should break his silence on the endorsement debate.

SACCORD executive director Boniface Chembe said President Sata should let the nation know where he stood on the endorsement debate.

He said the PF leader should be courageous enough to tell the nation why he had not guided on the debate.

The post Inonge Wina to Convene PF Emergency Meeting on Sata’s 2016 Bid appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Patriotic Front (PF) youths in Southern Province have joined fellow members in other provinces in endorsing President Michael Sata as the sole presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.

About 70 youths from Mosi-oa-Tunya and Zambezi Wards in Livingstone led by PF Southern Province deputy information and publicity secretary Brighton Luhyila yesterday staged a solidarity march in support of the endorsement of Mr Sata.

Speaking in an interview after the march, Mr Luhyila said the Zambian Constitution and that of the ruling party gave Mr Sata two terms of office and, therefore, he should be the sole candidate in 2016.

He said most party members were currently calling for a mass solidarity march in support of Mr Sata for 2016.

Mr Luhyila said those who had been given the mandate to serve in Government should have respect for the appointing authority.

“We are calling for unreserved total support to the Head of State. Those who fall short of that should form their own parties.

“We are saying in PF there is no room for selfishness, nepotism, favouritism and tribalism,” he said.

He said some party officials who were claiming popularity were riding on President Sata’s public record.

Mr Luhyila, who was flanked by a PF official Chola Kapwepwe and several other youths, however, declined to mention the names of people who were planning to challenge President Sata in 2016.

Source: Times of Zambia

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President Michael Sata yesterday led hundreds of mourners in paying their last respects to Zambia’s first indigenous Roman Catholic Cardinal Merdado Mazombwe at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka.

The 82-year old Cardinal died on Thursday after a battle with cancer.

Sata, who was accompanied by ministers of Commerce Emmanuel Chenda and John Phiri for Education, and several other senior Government officials, arrived at the Cathedral around 17: 30 hours.

After greeting Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu together with priests, nuns and other Catholic faithful who had gathered outside the church to welcome him, Mr Sata proceeded to view the body.

He later signed the book of condolences where he wished Cardinal Mazombwe a peaceful rest.

“We mourn Cardinal Merdado. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr Sata said in his message of condolences.

Dr Phiri and Mr Chenda also signed the book of condolences.

Several other mourners including Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda, Chieftainess
Nkomeshya, former Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, and Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Operations Bwalya Ng’andu were among the people at the cathedral.

The body viewing continued until the early hours of today.

Cardinal Mazombwe’s body arrived at Lusaka City Airport around 12:00 hours from Chipata, Eastern Province where it had been flown on Sunday to enable people in the province to pay their last respects.

Cardinal Mazombwe will be buried today within the Cathedral of Child Jesus next to first Archbishop of Lusaka, Cardinal Adam Kozowick and Most Reverend Adrian Mung’andu, who died in 2007.

A requiem mass would be held outside the church as more than 5,000 people are expected to be in attendance. The Cathedral of the Child Jesus has a capacity of about 2,000.

Earlier, hundreds of Christians from Chipata Catholic Diocese yesterday bade farewell to the Cardinal Mazombwe.

Scores of Christians paid their last respects to the late Cardinal starting on Sunday until yesterday morning at St Anne’s Catholic Cathedral Parish in Chipata District where the body lay in state.

There was a traffic jam in Chipata town as the casket was being taken to Chipata Airport yesterday.

The post Sata Bids Cardinal Mazombwe Farewell appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) is today Tuesday September 3 scheduled to meet Attorney General Mumba Malila as a follow up on the resolutions passed at its last Extra-ordinary General Meeting held on August 24, 2013.

The August 24 LAZ AGM resolved to maintain that Justice Lombe Chibesakunda is not qualified to hold the office of the country’s Chief Justice and that the association would engage relevant authorities on the issue of filling the vacant position of the country’s Chief Justice.

LAZ president James Banda said the meeting with the Attorney General, which is the initial measure the association had resolved to use to have the vacant position of the country’ s Chief Justice filled, follows a letter the Association wrote to the Ministry of Justice.

Banda notes that the letter was sent to the Ministry on August 26 last month and the Ministry replied last week to advise the Association on the date to hold the said meeting.

Banda has expressed delight that resolutions that the Association’s August 24 AGM had resolved are being followed through at a good pace.

Earlier, LAZ had however indicated that it will litigate over on the issue of the vacant position of the country’s Chief Justice if its intended plans to engage relevant authorities on the matter fails.

The post LAZ Dates Attorney General to Press Chibesakunda Exit appeared first on Zambia Reports.

President Michael Sata stunned the people of Katete on Monday afternoon when he told Patriotic Front candidate David Phiri to kneel for votes while he said he would not beg for votes from the electorates in Mkaika constituency.

President Sata told residents of Chamutende area that he would not force them to vote for a PF candidate as he told David Phiri to kneel and show respect to the electorates.

He told the prospective voters that Phiri, who had defected from the MMD to the ruling PF, was a changed man.

Sata urged the people of Mkaika Constituency to vote for the PF as a way of having their area development.

“The people need roads, the people need hospitals, the people need schools but to get that, you need an MP who has access to the treasury and the president so I am asking you to vote for Phiri. But I will not beg you to do it because it is your area that will suffer,” he said.

The candidates contesting the Mkaika Constitency by-election are Nigel Mpakateni of NAREP, David Phiri PF, Peter Phiri from MMD and Nelson Mwale of UNIP.

The post I’ll Not Beg for Votes, Sata tells Mkaika Voters appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Patrotic Front (PF) Southern Province deputy information and publicity secretary Brighton Luhyila has said the province has become a no-go area for party secretary general Wynter Kabimba and his political schemes.

Luhyila’s sentiments come in the wake of infighting that has characterized the PF following the debate on President Sata’s endorsement as the party’s candidate during the 2016 elections.

Speaking from Livingstone, Luhyila said Kabimba was a traitor who was plotting a palace coup d’état on President Michael Sata because he was working with Post newspaper owner Fred M’membe to take over from the president.

Luhyila said kabimba’s failure to state his position on the current tide of endorsements for Sata to stand as the sole presidential candidate during the 2016 general elections.

“Our party secretary general Wynter Kabimba has been a disappointment because he has refused to support President Sata. We are aware of his plans because he thinks he can be President. However, we want to tell him that Southern has become a no-go area for him and all the structures have been told not to welcme him and to attend his meetings. He should come here at his own peril. We cannot tolerate this anymore,” he said.

Before the interview, Luhyila led scores of placard carrying PF members along Mos-oa-Tunya road to show solidarity for Sata’s candidature in 2016.

Luhyla said Kabimba was overrating his popularity when he had never won an election because even the position holds now was given to him by Sata.

He said Sata was clearly the PF’s candidate in 2016 because he was eligible under the party and republican constitutions.

He said all the PF members in Southern province were in support of Sata’s candidature and this must snk in Kabimba’s head.

“Those who have been given the mandate to serve in Government should have the respect of the appointing authority and this is President Sata,” he said.

Kahyila said Kabimba and his supporters should resign from the PF and form their own political party if he thought he was a political heavy weight.

He said Kabimba was promoting nepotism, tribalism, favouritism, greed and avarice within the PF, a thing, which the PF Southern province members would not tolerate.

“In the PF there is no room for selfishness, nepotism, favoritism and tribalism and we cannot allow this to continue,” he said.

Luhyila said most party officials such as Kabimba were not popular even within the party but were riding on Sata’s own dwindling popularity.

He said Zambians were not interested in Kabimba’s underhand methods of trying to get to the helm of the PF.

Factions have emerged in the ruling party where some members being led by Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba are endorsing Sata to contest the 2016 elections while the other, which is allegedly being sponsored by Kabimba is opposing the move.

The factions openly clashed at the weekend at Lusaka’s Northmead High school where some individuals were assaulted and property damaged.

The police have opened dockets for the for the illegality.

The PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba was not picking up his phone by press time.

The post Kabimba Plotting to Unseat Sata, says Luhyila appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Interesting times are upon us and for anyone who takes time off to think, they will realise that life has no linear formula and neither is the formula exponential in nature. Rather, life is a culmination of several factors all of which are dominant. Any scheming at an individual level can only go so far and cannot be the whole determining factor for the final eventuality.

It is this fact that has led the PF to its early demise as a dominant political force. The PF’s ascendance to power was on the back of three factors; the peoples’ desire to simply see change just for the sake of it; the MMD’s perceived mistakes; and the resolve and determination of one Michael Chilufya Sata. Born out of such a loose combination of factors outside the PF’s own making meant that the party had no firm foundation to survive the test of incumbency, in which it was up against the MMD’s record in government. The final blow has been the passiveness and gradual detachment of its rallying factor – Sata.

The question then is – what is the most likely outcome of Zambia’s political landscape given the demise of the PF? Before answering that question, it is important that the facts around the demise of the PF are unpacked for the doubting Thomases. The PF started as a result of Mr Sata’s frustration that he had been ignored as heir to the throne in the MMD in favour of Mwanawasa. Given his political background, he had everything it needed to take to start his own political party. However, his lack of any discernible ideological orientation robbed the new party of the resilience that comes with broad ownership emanating from broadly shared ideals. This is a factor that drove the MMD from individual initiators’ ownership to a broadly owned party founded on broadly based ideals. This is what underwrites the MMD’s resilience. MMD will not die – not just yet. But PF is dying – dying a moderately to a fast paced death.

The demise of the PF will create interesting scenarios. Two dominant factions will emerge. One headed by GBM and the other by Kabimba. The GBM faction will largely remain intact. Reality is that the PF currently cannot win a general election to retain power. Its capabilities will even be further eroded when the party splits. The two factions will therefore look for partners. The GBM group will be more attracted to the MMD. If this happens, MMD will emerge the strongest party in Zambia after swallowing the biggest chunk from the PF carcass. The other group headed by Kabimba will find themselves unattractive to anyone for a while. This is because amongst this group will be the cartel that caused everybody including the PF trouble. It will have antagonised everybody but not everybody in this group will be to blame. To buy political relevance, this group will rid itself of the members of the cartel. This will not be difficult to achieve especially that the cartel comprises very few members – just about five to be specific and Kabimba is one of them. Dispensing with them will not be a problem. The only loss will be in form of access to ill-gotten wealth and favourable media coverage. After getting rid of the cartel, the Kabimba-less faction will be swallowed by the UPND.

This scenario perhaps explains why there seems to be lack of unity within the opposition currently. The reason is simple. Fate cannot allow the MMD and the UPND to combine at the moment. The spirit of confusion which is conspicuously apparent is purposeful. The combination of the MMD and the UPND would create a one party state because there would be no opposition. The PF is dying – in fact, it is dead. The battle for the soul of the nation will be between the MMD and the UPND in 2016.

The scenario also explains why the MMD has been in hibernation. The MMD has done nothing to reinvigorate its structures. The party has done nothing to defend itself from claims that the party is dead. The reason is simple – this would have strengthened the PF. Seeing that the PF had no opposition especially from the MMD, the party had no catalyst for internal unity promotion. It therefore turned its energies against itself. The end result is that the biggest enemy of the PF is the PF itself. The PF has finally delivered potential victory to either the MMD or the UPND. Indeed, life has no linear formula. What started as efforts to eliminate the opposition by the PF, has ended in a strengthened opposition and a dead PF.

This is the way I see it purely through the lens of deductive reasoning. I may therefore not be entirely correct especially that life has no linear formula. Speculation remains the game.

Lucky Mulusa is a Member of Parliament representing Solwezi Central Constituency.

The post Mulusa: Interesting Times Ahead of Us appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The opposition National Restoration Party has backed the High Court’s decision to allow Dora Siliya and others file their nomination papers after the Patriotic Front attempted to block their candidature using the courts of law.

High Court Judge Mungeni Mulenga has granted MMD Petauke Central MP Siliya and UPND’s Maxwell Mwale and Hastings Sililo the right to re-contest their seats after they were nullified by the courts of law.

NAREP president Elias Chipimo said the PF was abusing the court process to isolate strong opposition contenders.

“We stand fully behind the judiciary regarding the impartial manner in which it has discharged its responsibilities in the adjudication of the court process over the disputed nominations of Ms. Dora Siliya and Mr. Maxwell Mwale in the Petauke Central and Malambo constituencies,” Chipimo stated.

“As NAREP we had already gone on record to express our concern at the attempt to prevent these individuals from re-contesting their seats when the republican constitution clearly protects their right to do so.”

He added: “This has been wrongly presented as a fight against corruption when in reality it has been nothing other than the PF adopting a sore loser mentality.”

Chipimo said the public were now seeing through the PF strategy to wipe out opposition in the country. “We sincerely hope that the PF will start to appreciate that their tactics of hoodwinking the public have begun to show themselves for what they really are,” he said.

”We accept that corruption is a serious problem in our politics and needs to be tackled aggressively starting with any corruption within the current administration. The fight against corruption should not be undertaken selectively to advance the interests of a governing administration but to ensure that scarce national resources are properly accounted for.”

The post NAREP Backs High Court on Dora and Others appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia says it will comply with the High Court order to allow Dora Siliya and two others file nominations for the forrthcoming parlimentary by-elections.

And the Patriotic Front government is not giving up on seeing the opposition MPs fail to contest by saying they will appeal the High Court’s decision.

High Court Judge Mungeni Chanda ruled in favour of opposition candidates Dora Siliya of the MMD and the UPND members Maxwell Mwale and Hastings Sililo of Petauke, Malambo and Mulobezi Constituencies.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna said the ECZ will advize on the dates for the by-elections that were postponed following a statement from the judiciary public relations wing that caught the elections monitoring body off guard.

And the Patriotic Front Secretary Wynter Kabimba said the ruling party would appeal the decision.

The post ECZ to Respect High Court on Dora appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The 59 Barotseland activists who are charged with treason today appeared in the Mongu Magistrate to take plea. When the matter came up for plea the charge was read out to the 59 comprising 54 men and and four women who said they understood the charge but the matter was adjourned to September 17 for hearing. The Barotseland activists were arrested after the swearing in ceremony of Afumba Mombotwa as administrator general sparked celebratory scenes in the province. There has been growing discontent among the people of Western Zambia following the PF’s failure to honour the restoration of the Barotseland  ...More

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Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba yesterday gave the clearest indication that acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda will continue in her office despite the parliamentary select committee rejecting her name after being clearly challenged on matters. Kabimba, an advocate of the High Court, sounded more layman than the highly articulate Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party.

And Brig Gen Godfrey Miyanda asked an emotionally charged Kabimba to say where Patriotic Front President Michael Sata, then MMD top official, was when Dr Kenneth Kaunda was barred from contesting the 1996 general elections by the then MMD government.

Featuring on Cross Fire Blog Radio that was also broadcast on ZNBC Radio Two, Kabimba said Chibesakunda could act until seven years insisting that despite being over age she would stay in office.

Kabimba said the Patriotic Front government would wait until Chibesakunda’s name was taken to the floor in the house for debate that is when they would give it up.

“It is not correct to say the select committee has the final powers. The power they have is delegated and if a name is given to them they can make a recommendation either in the positive or negative but to reject a name at that stage is premature,” he said.

But Miyanda challenged Kabimba why the PF took the name of an individual who did not qualify from the onset to avoid controversy.

Miyanda said the President had the constitutional option to present as many as three names if they were rejected successively with the third automatically going through if the individual met the threshold.

The former Vice President made a meal out of the Justice Minister and challenged Kabimba to state why Chibesakunda had been asked to act in her position for more than one year.

“Everybody has spoken, you (Kabimba) have just pronounced now that the Chief Justice is acting, why has she been acting for more than a year?” General Miyanda asked as Kabimba responded, “Why not? Where does it say?”

Miyanda said, “It is conventional, even conventional wisdom does not permit a person to act [that long] that is why you have complaints of civil servants who are acting for so long. I do not think that it is proper for you to say the Chief Justice is acting when there is need to send another name to parliament. Why are you not sending another name to parliament? Are you going to send another name to parliament or not we want to know?”

He challenged Kabimba to cite the constitution in his debate.

“With regard to the acting Chief Justice, if he can cite provisions and draw my attention to it I will withdraw my complaint. I have not come across a provision where it says you can be indefinitely acting. Why should you act? There are many lawyers in the country, there are many highly qualified people,” he said.

“The select committee established that she did not meet the threshold. There is no need for them to take to parliament.”

Miyanda further said, assuming they take the name to parliament and they vote and those who want her win despite her not qualifying, you will create a constitutional crisis because she does not qualify. So there is no need to take names to parliament which do not meet the threshold.”

Kabimba, realising he was not matching constitutional arguments with a fellow panelist, claimed he would not delve into the constitution as it was above the comprehension of General Miyanda and the listeners.

“I am avoiding deliberately getting in the constitution. I would not want to bore the listeners, I want to give the listeners a lay man’s version so that they are able to follow the argument and participate in it,” he said.

“If we get into the niceties of interpreting the provisions General Miyanda does NOT EVEN have the SKILLS to interpret the constitution. He is NOT qualified to do that and that is the problem you have in this country everybody is qualified in everything. No sir I am not a soldier myself so I cannot advise you on how to command a platoon.”

At this stage Miyanda handed Kabimba a copy of the constitution which the Justice Minister refused to get insisting that he was more knowledgeable at law having obtained a law degree.

“If you are not a lawyer you will not know, seek the services of a lawyer. You can go on contract but these contracts should not go beyond seven years. That is what the law provides. Judge Chibesakunda is within this parameter. She is over 65 but she is entitled to this period of being on contract,” he said.

Under pressure Kabimba stuck to his degree line, “This is not a contestation about opinions. I am more qualified to understand these things than you sir. Just like you are more qualified than me on military issues, but certainly I could not have spent five years at the university and you spent one year reading law.”

On the attempts to bar candidates whose seats were nullified, Miyanda said as long as they were not prosecuted of corruption or reports made to the Electoral Commission, the candidates were within their right to re-contest their seats.

“The person has to be convicted or a report submitted and in the case before us no such thing has happened,” he said.

He advised Kabimba to exercise restraint in the manner he conducted himself.

“The executive must resist from attacking the ECZ in the manner that destroys the confidence that they have,” Miyanda said.

“Your office minister of Justice is too strategic to be the one that issues out statements of that nature. I think you must restrain yourself. Whatever you say will be interpreted in a certain manner so you should be the last person to be condemning ECZ.”

However, Kabimba opted to mock General Miyanda: “I want to say this with the greatest respect to General Miyanda he does not participate in elections. His party has no capacity to participate in any election. The problems that we encounter in the field he does not know, he has no councillor, no MP so he is academic about these issues.”

He further said, “THE PF government has done far much better in terms of governance than the MMD did. General Miyanda was in the MMD government when they barred Kaunda from standing as a candidate for UNIP.

“This is the man who is pontificating here today, being self righteous that he believes in democracy. He was in the MMD government that barred Kenneth Kaunda from standing because of self preservation,” Kabimba said as General Miyanda asked, “Where was Sata?”

Kabimba suddenly went mum when he was questioned about President Sata’s whereabouts when the MMD barred Kaunda in 1996.

The post Gen Miyanda Takes Kabimba Back to Law School appeared first on Zambia Reports.

United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says he is not surprised the Patriotic Front government want to take the High Court’s decision to allow Dora Siliya and two others to contest the by-elections to the Supreme Court.

Hichilema said it was curious that the Supreme Court was where acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda was housed.

He said apart from being a waste of time the appeal was an act of initimidation to the judiciary.

Hichilema said it was always a nervous experience for the opposition to go to the Supreme Court where Chibesakunda had continued to occupy office despite protestations from the civil society, Law Association of Zambia and the opposition political parties.

On Tuesday, High Court Judge Mungeni Mulenga ruled in favour of MMD Petauke Central Member of Parliament Siliya and UPND members Maxwell Mwale and Hastings Sililo in a matter they had sought judicial review after the Electoral Commission of Zambia had halted their candidature following a PF instigated legal action.

However, Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba has said the government would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

The post Hichilema Smells a Rat on PF Appeal appeared first on Zambia Reports.

‘How was school today?’ I asked Nawiti.

‘Awful,’ she said, with a little sob. ‘I cried and cried.’

‘Oh dear,’ I said, putting my arm around her. ‘What happened.’

‘It was in the playground during morning break,’ she sniffed, ‘when suddenly one of the boys shouted SNAKE! and then all the boys picked up sticks and stones and beat a little snake to death. It was terrible! Why did they do it Grandpa?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I think they did it because they are nasty little creatures!’

‘What, snakes?’

‘No, the boys! Why are boys such nasty little creatures, Grandpa?’

‘It’s not the boys’ fault,’ I said. ‘It’s because they’re scared of snakes.’

‘But why are they so scared?’

‘It wasn’t always so,’ I admitted. ‘There was a time when we used to live in harmony with the animals of the forest. That’s how it was a hundred years ago in the little village of Zed. Some of the animals from the forest even used to come and live in the village. The wild dogs became tame, and used to help with hunting. Spiders and lizards came to eat the mosquitoes and flies. Everybody lived happily together. Although there was a problem with the rats who would come to steal food.’

‘That was not so good,’ said Nawiti.

‘Not at all,’ I agreed. ‘People wasted too much time chasing rats. Then one day a great python from the forest appeared in the village and said Rats are my favorite food, let me stay in your village and your rat problem will be over.’

‘And were their problems over?’

‘Oh yes. Anytime the python found a rat he just swallowed it whole. So he soon became a popular friend of the people. Everybody call him PF, although nobody was quite sure whether PF meant Popular Friend or Python of the Forest.’

‘So everybody was now happy?’ suggested Nawiti.

‘It was not a happy time,’ I replied sadly. ‘It was the time when people were becoming very unhappy with their chief, a fat and greedy fellow called Nyamasoya. He would take the people’s beer for his own beer parties and take their cows to buy more wives for himself.’

‘So the people became annoyed?’

‘Of course. But the Python from the Forest knew how to take advantage of the situation. While people were sleeping he would go round whispering in people’s ears, saying I am your popular friend PF, I got rid of the rats for you and now I can get rid of Nyamasoya! Vote for me and I shall swallow him whole! Shush! Don’t kubeba! Just vote for me! ’

‘And did they?’ wondered Nawiti.

‘Oh yes. The PF was elected Chief and immediately assumed the grand title of His Excellency the Greatest Python from the Forest and Swallower of the Enemies of the People.’

‘And did he swallow all the enemies of the people?’

‘Oh yes. He completely encircled Nyamasoya, and then slowly swallowed him. He had indigestion for three weeks.’

‘But wasn’t he supposed to put Nyamasoya before a judge?’

‘He had already swallowed all the judges and replaced them with parrots.’

‘Wasn’t that against the law?’

‘He made the law himself!’

‘How did he do that?’

‘He swallowed all the opposition members of parliament!’

‘Was that allowable under the constitution?’

‘He’d already swallowed the constitution!’

‘Couldn’t he be prosecuted?’

‘He swallowed the prosecutor!’

‘So there wasn’t a prosecutor?’

‘He replaced him with a snake!’

‘Oh dear,’ said Nawiti sadly, ‘He had seemed to be such a well meaning python, but now he was swallowing everybody!’

‘Not everybody,’ I explained. ‘Only those with power. Soon the Python from the Forest had all the power to himself, and nobody could challenge him. All the institutions of the state had been swallowed. The police force was completely swallowed, and replaced by a pack of mindless hyenas.’

‘Did he really have to eat everything?’

‘The appetite for power is a form of gluttony. The more the python eats, the more he wants to eat. Until all its competitors for power have been swallowed.’

‘So what happens then? What other power can it feed upon when the only power remaining is itself?’

‘That is the inevitable and tragic part of the story,’ I replied sadly. ‘There was nothing left for it to attack. The monster now had no choice but to turn upon itself. The internal organs of the python begin to fight each other for power. The little brain, the Dotty, tried to get more power over the mouth in order to get more food for itself.

But greedy mouth, the Kabika, now reached down towards the Great Belly of the Monster, the GBM. The GBM desperately reached up to the heart to seek protection, but found nothing there but a spitting cobra. As the python writhed in the agony of its own self destruction, its swallowed victims escaped from its torn belly. And so, after the agonies of the PF dictatorship, the village of Zed returned to normal.’

‘Ooh,’ said Nawiti, ‘what a relief!’

‘And ever since then,’ I explained, ‘people have always been frightened of snakes, even when they look quite innocent and peaceful. Tell me, as those boys were killing the snake, what were they shouting?’

‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘It sounded like they were chanting Piss Off! Piss Off!’

‘No,’ I said. ‘They were chanting PF! PF!’

The post Kalaki’s Korner: The PF Snake appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Patriotic Front government has finally conceded it will not manage to meet the demand for the short-in-supply BCG vaccine from children.

Community Development Minister Dr Joseph Katema said the supply of the vaccine had been depleted by the reduced funding from the Global Fund.

He said the children that missed out would still have a two year window period to be vaccinated.

Zambia has been hit by a shortage of drugs with the Ministry of Health being forced to come out in the open after months of denying the crisis that started with Anti Retro Viral drugs drying up.

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The K18 billion DBZ debt which President Sata has failed to clear may lead to him being dribbled out of the 2016 presidential bid.

A senior PF official told the Daily Nation that the Chikopa tribual was supposed to gravely undermining the judgment and punish the judges responsible and thereby to cause a write off the debt in return for the support of a named official’s 2016 presidential candidature.

This was why colossal expenses were being incurred on the tribunal. Failure by the tribunal to clear the debt has seen the alternative candidate being supported for presidency so that he can clear the debt from State House in 2016 or even before.

“This is why they are upset by endorsements because they have their own candidate despite President Sata having a constitutional mandate to stand for two terms.”

Meanwhile, the Zambian Law Reports Editorial Committee has selected Judge Nigel Mutuna’s judgment against Zambian Airways owned by Mutembo Nchito, Fred M’membe and Nchima Nchito for inclusion in the 2012 report.

Entry into law reports represents outstanding judgments with clear and proper statement of the law, accurate, brief, and clear summary of the facts of the case as well as uniqueness of the point of law decided and precedential value of the judgment .

Judge Nigel Mutuna found that the three directors were culpable to pay back the K18 billion owed to Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ).

In particular, Judge Mutuna found that Mutembo Nchito who is now Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was amenable to prosecution for a criminal offence under section 357 of the Companies Act.

Defence Minister Godfrey Mwamba said M’membe supported President Sata in 2011 for ulterior motives adding that the Post editor in-chief should not think that Zambians were foolish and easy to manipulate because M’membe’s scheme against President Sata’s presidency was well known before he became president of Zambia.

He said that it was a well known fact that M’membe was supporting and hero-worshipping President Sata because of the loan burden he has.

The section states that “If an officer of a company who is knowingly a part to the contracting of a debt by the company has, at the time the debt is contracted, no reasonable or probable ground of expectation (after taking into consideration the other liabilities of the company at the time) of the company’s being able to pay the debt, the officer shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable on conviction of a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty monetary units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or both.

The facts of the case in particular the financial state of Zambian Airways demonstrated severe financial hardship and indebtedness but Mutembo despite knowing this, went ahead and committed the company to further debt.

According to submission of the 2012 Judgments for Zambia Law Report, Judgment in the case were based on clear and proper statement of the law.

Source: Daily Nation

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The Lusaka High Court has dismissed the injunction granted to Kabwata member of parliament Given Lubinda in which he had sought a court injunction to retrain the Daily Nation from publishing articles about him.

The articles over which Lubinda took the newspaper to court for were ‘Lubinda’s inflated ego’ and ‘Sata has let Lubinda down’, but Justice Sichinga discharged the order of injunction granted on July 15, 2013.

Justice Sichinga stated in his ruling that it was trite that injunctions were a form of equitable relief granted at the court’s discretion.

“I have carefully considered the affidavits on record together with the skeleton arguments and written submissions. From the onset, it is trite that injunctions are a form of equitable relief at the courts discretion. In this matter, I have firstly considered whether the plaintiff herein has substantive cause of action,” Justice Sichinga said in his ruling.

He said while the plaintiff was a public figure being a member of parliament and a senior
member of the ruling party, it was also true that the defendant, the Daily Nation was a popular daily newspaper.

“The plaintiff here in is a public figure being a member of parliament and a senior member of the ruling party. The defendant on the other hand is a popular daily newspaper and in the event that the defendant was found liable, they would in my view be able to settle the appropriate sum in damages to the plaintiff. For the forestated reasons, I discharge the order of injunction granted on the 15th day of July, 2013,” Justice Sichinga ruled.

The Daily Nation has come under heavy barrage of legal suits from top PF leadership including President Michael Sata and defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba for being critical of the ruling party and government.

The post Zambia Daily Nation Win Case Against Lubinda appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Chipolopolo coach Herve Renard is set to join South Africa topside Orlando Pirates if Zambia fails to beat Ghana on Friday, sources close to the two parties have disclosed, according to bolazambia.com.

Renard has told close associates talks between the two parties were underway and that the result in Kumasi in a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier was crucial to determining progress on the issue.

The Frenchman has not hidden his farewell message after hinting last week that the African Nations Championship (CHAN) defeat against Zimbabwe subsquently eliminating Zambia for the 2014 edition could have been his last at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

“If Zambia lose, Renard is out. He may stay for the knockout if the team makes it but he has already told people to start counting him out,” the source said.

In South Africa, sources at Pirates have said the Frenchman has engaged people to represent his discussion with one of the top clubs in the Premier Soccer League and so far, things look bright for both parties.

But Pirates spokesperson Mickey Modise in an interview with bolazambia this morning that issues of negotiations were never discussed until they were concluded.

“Issues of talks between the club, players and officials are not discussed before conclusion. When we agree about the terms, that is when we can talk to the media,” he said.

Asked if Pirates and Renard had so far discussed anything, Modise claimed; “No, I don’t know that name. I don’t know whether he exists or not. That’s my comment.”

But bolazambia sources have insisted that Renard and Pirates have reached an advanced stage in their discussion and that the Frenchman was sometimes frustrated with comments made by officials like sports minister Chishimba Kambwili.

Renard has not been happy with Kambwili’s comments from the time Zambia was embarrassingly eliminated from the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations and that it explains why the otherwise media friendly coach has shied away from interviews to avoid publicly hitting back.

Their frosty relationship hit the backroom spotlight after Zambia was eliminated by Zimbabwe with Kambwili storming the dressing to bullock the players and singled out Nkana striker Festus Mbewe.

Apparently, Renard was infuriated and defended the players telling Kambwili to heap the blame on him as coach and not the players.

Several efforts to get Renard’s comment since the incident have proved futile as his mobile phone has gone unanswered. Similar attempts to get Kambwili’s comment were made this morning but he too did not pick his line.

Chipolopolo are scheduled to leave for Ghana today on a chartered flight for the crunch fixture on Friday night in Kumasi.

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