Spokesperson for the Patriotic Front government Kennedy Sakeni is expected to resign due to poor health, PF insiders have revealed.

‘South African doctors have certified him unfit to perform his duties and is expected to resign anytime’, said a source.

Sakeni who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister was first admitted to UTH on Sunday the 17th of March 2013 and remained in hospital for a good number of days.

He was later taken to South Africa and India for further treatment.

Source: Zambian Watchdog

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Pressure on the acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda to appoint a tribunal to investigate Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo over corruption and abuse of office allegations is mounting.

Lawyers working for the United Party for National Development (UPND) are now in the process of preparing papers for judicial review, while the originator of the tribunal, former Transport Minister William Harrington is reported to have taken the matter to the Judiciary Complaint Authority to complain about the delay in constituting the tribunal.

And speaking to the Daily Nation, a task team member to the tribunal complained that the office of the chief Justice was acting outside the law by delaying the appointment of the tribunal, despite the presentation of complaint bonafide as prescribed by law.

“Justice Chibesakunda should have automatically constituted the tribunal after all the laid down procedures was completed, but obviously this is not happening for political and legal reasons,” he said.

However, Mr Harrington could not be reached for a comment, although the task team believed him to have lodged the complaint to the Judiciary Complaint Authority.

The tribunal against Masebo had gained support from various nongovernmental organisations demanding that she should be investigated.

Mr Harrington resubmitted his application to the office of the chief justice several times and was still waiting for a response. Mr Harrington recently fulfilled all requirements for a tribunal to be constituted, in his re-application submitted to the office of the Acting Chief Justice.

Among other things submitted in his re-application was a list of 14 persons who could be subpoenaed for purposes of verifying print and electronic media publications as requested by the office of the Chief Justice.

He said a tribunal would set a good precedence for the country so that no public offices would be abused like was a case on Masebo’s alleged abuse of office.

Source: Daily Nation

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The trial of former President Rupiah Banda opened its third day of proceedings on Wednesday, with former Chief of Staff at State House Austin Sichinga called as a witness by Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito.

Answering Nchito’s questions, Sichinga gave his opinion on a copy of letter that police say was found in the home of the Former Minister of Energy Kenneth Konga, which alleges to be a draft signed by former President Banda concerning the acquisition of oil from Nigeria. On the stand, Sichinga testified that he never personally saw the letter in question, dated November 25, 2008, signed by President Banda.

Sichinga told Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda: “The president was asking his colleague to help us with crude oil. The second thrust was that the president was asking his colleague to enter into an arrangement with the Zambian government for Nigeria to buy Zambian minerals.”

Sichinga, 59, is a retired civil servant and now a part time lecturer at the University of Zambia, UNZA, with close connections to the ruling party (his older brother, Robert Sichinga, currently serves as the PF Minister of Agriculture. Robert Sichinga’s son is married to a daughter of President Michael Sata).

The trial against former President Rupiah Banda first began following the controversial removal of immunity by less than the constitutionally required 2/3rds majority of parliament seats. While a judicial review is simultaneously underway with view to the constitutional issues of the case, many supporters of former President Banda describe the corruption allegations as “unfounded” and part of a “politically motivated witch hunt” to remove potential competitors from the political arena should President Sata’s fading health prompt a new election.

On the stand today, Sichinga testified that at no time did he deal with anything to do with oil except when one day he was asked to edit a letter. He narrated that as chief of staff he serviced the president to ensure that he performed his job.

“This entailed managing his daily diary. The other job was to look after the staff at State House to ensure that they were doing the right stuff. It was also my responsibility to liase with other ministries on behalf of the president”, he said.

Sichinga, who first went to State House as Principal Private Secretary, also told the court that all correspondence to the president normally passed through his office.

“It was my responsibility to sort out this to all responsible staff. Equally, when the president needed to write, I would either draft the letter or my colleagues would,” he said.

Sichinga also told the court how in May 2009 he came across a letter which he said was a follow up to the earlier one and was in broad terms reminding the Nigerian president about the need to respond. The letter which the court admitted as ID3 was according to Sichinga’s testimony an indication that the letter of November 25, 2008 was delivered.

However, Sichinga told the court that in his discussions Nigerian oil did not specifically come out.

“Generally we did discuss issues to do with securing cheap oil. The discussion was on whether it was possible to secure concessions from some friendly countries to secure cheap oil so that our fuel prices could be reduced,” Sichinga told the court.

Earlier former Zambia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Alexis Luhila in cross examination by the defence told the Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda that he was not privy to the discussion Major Richard Kachingwe had with people at the Nigerian National Oil Company where he accompanied him but remained in the foya adding that he never got any briefing from Major Kachingwe the apparent special envoy. He also told the packed court room that he had no idea of the contents of the khaki envelope Major Kachingwe had with him when he emerged out of an office. This was in response to questions put to him by Sakwiba Sikota, SC.

When asked by another defence lawyer Eric Silwamba, SC to give the designation of the three intelligence officers he had mentioned in his evidence in chief Luhila said , “This might be against their duties……..their names need to be with held. I will need another authority to disclose the names.”

Mr. Luhila said even though he does not recall the specific dates of the briefings from these officers he was not shown any documents. He further went on to tell the court that Major Kachingwe also never showed him any letter of appointment as special envoy.

The matter was adjourned at 11:10 hours to Thursday April 25, 2013 at 09:00 hours when the defence will cross examine Sichinga, PW3.

The post Banda’s Former Chief of Staff Testifies in Trial appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Agriculture minister Bob Sichinga has hit back at Home Affairs Edgar Lungu’s decision to reverse the ban on the export of Maize 48 hours after he had effected.

Lungu whilst acting as President drammatically reversed Sichinga’s decision to ban the expert of maize until an assessment had been done on the hunger situation in the country.

Sichinga had opted to remain mute but today came out of his cacoon to respond to Lungu saying he did not regret his decision to ban the export of Maize.

He said he was of the firm belief that exporting maize without knowing the food situation of the country would be costly.

“I did not make arbitrary decisions because always my decisions are well thought out. I do not regret the decsion i made,” Sichinga said.

Sichinga said his decision had been well thought out. Zambia is experience mealie meal shortages with the price of the commodity sky-rocketing since the Patriotic Front assumed office.

Experts are predicting serious food shortages this year following a poor farming season characterised late delivery of farming inputs. Some government officials, however, believe that export and smuggling of maize by senior PF officials was causing the shortages.

The post Sichinga Hits Back at Lungu on Maize Exports appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Following Tuesday’s by-election vote in Lukulu in Zambia’s Western Province, many opposition groups are on high alert for possible vote fraud by the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), as the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has refused to declare a winner more than 24 hours after the closure of polls.

Western Province, home to the separatist enclave of Barotseland, has traditionally been very critical of the ruling party and its leaders, and exit polls showed a comfortable lead for the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).

The ECZ this afternoon announced the results for the Kapiri Mposhi by-election that was won by the ruling Patriotic Front with the UPND in close second polling 5470 behind PF’s 6, 614. UNIP’s Francis Mwape managed a paltry 443 votes.

In Lukulu the ECZ has been dragging its feet in announcing the results and the information vacuum is fuelling tension, while the candidate from the UPND has already declared victory.

ECZ has continued to stifle the information flow however the UPND has said its candidate Misheck Mutelo had won the seat.

At the last count 25 of the 40 polling stations had indicated that the UPND was leading by over 1000 votes.

The post Delays in Lukulu Election Results Raise Tensions appeared first on Zambia Reports.

During a visit this week to Southern Province, Zambian President Michael Sata went on a renewed attack against the opposition, foreshadowing upcoming parliamentary by-elections in the Sinazongwe and Itezhi Tezhi.

Speaking before an assembled crowd in Choma, the stronghold of opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), President Sata attacked leader Hakainde Hichilema, accusing him of misleading the people of Southern Province by saying that the PF was running a “Bemba government.”

Mr Sata said he had appointed 10 ministers out of his over 80 cabinet from the Tonga speaking grouping.

The President also conferred with 27 chiefs that he lobbied to give him PF members of parliament as he continues his crusade to weaken the opposition.

He said that Southern Province had lagged behind for sticking to the opposition for over 10 years, indicating that they abandoned their local leaders, that the central government may be inclined to invest more in their province.

Mr Sata, who spent 10 years in the opposition, said the people of Southern Province should vote for the ruling party if they want to have development in their area.

The tour that was held under the guise of the christening of Choma as a provincial capital, which was a recent decision taken by the PF government to help “decentralize” the administration of the area. However, critics have pointed out that the re-districting was a political design to weaken opposition parties. The Choma celebration, however, very quickly turned into a political rally of sorts, where a variety of local PF figures took to the stage to denounce the opposition.

Newly anointed provincial minister Daniel Munkombwe held a lavish feast at Chief Chikanta’s area where he promised to wipe out the opposition, and sought to attract villagers over to the side of the ruling party.

The upcoming by-elections in Southern Province, which represent a record high number of unnecessary polls due to the ruling party’s frequent petitioning of results, are expected to feature a heightened level of campaign spending and PF presence as the party seeks to take over a rubberstamp majority of the parliament.

The post Choma Celebration Turns into a PF Rally appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has scooped the Lukulu West by-election by a wide margin handing ruling Patriotic Front a massive defeat in the remote Western Province constituency.

With the Electoral Commission of Zambia having been dragging their feet in announcing the results where the opposition had taken a significant lead, the results were finally released last night with the UPND’s Misheck Mutelo winning by a landslide.

Mutelo polled 3894 ahead of PF’s Eileen Imbwae who got 1754 votes. This represents a massive vote difference of 2140 in a by-election the ruling party poured millions of funds with Vice-President Guy Scott abrogating the Electoral Code to campaign during prohibited hours.

Dr Scott had to be forced out of Lukulu by ECZ director Priscilla Isaacs when she called to remind him the campaign period had ended and he was not supposed to continue holding rallies on Sunday, 48 hours before the poll.

ULP candidate Mubita Sikwa got 61 votes. The win means UPND now has 30 seats in Parliament. PF won the Kapiri Mposhi by-election through Eddie Musonda who polled 6,614 votes against UPND’s Lawrence Zimba who had 5,470 representing a difference of 1144 in a heavily rigged by-election.

Meanwhile, the UPND leadership is this morning scheduled to hold a press conference to discuss details of the by-election and give a hint on a possible decision petition the election in Kapiri.

The post UPND in Landslide Lukulu Election Victory appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Auditor General Anna Chifungula says her office has moved in to probe happennings at the troubled Zambia Railways Limited which is already under investigations by the Anti Corruption Commission.

The company has come in the spotlight following a war that emerged between suspended chief executive Professor Clive Chirwa and the dissolved Mark Chona board.

Prof Chirwa had been demanding a K248 million monthly salary, a 25 % shareholding after five years while he accused the board of demanding a K500 sitting allowance.

“We have sent some officers there to get to the bottom of the matter. There were already people there but with the recent developments, it means we have to go deeper,” Chifungula said.

Drama at Zambia Railways emerged following in-fighting at the parastal company which received more than US$ 100 million Eurobond funds to set it on a path to recovery. President Sata invited Prof Chirwa from the United Kingdom to manage the company.

However, Prof Chirwa has barely spent six months and is now a subject of corruption investigation. He has since regretted his decision to leave his aerospace engineering consultancy in the UK to take over Zambia Railways.

The post Auditor Move in at Zambia Railways appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Government has set aside KR 31 million rebased for the recruitment of more health workers, and a further KR 41 million kwacha rebased under the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health for the recruitment of another 2500 workers this year.

This comes in the wake of increasing cases of unqualified medical personnel attending to patients in rural health centers.

Health Deputy Minister Patrick Chikusu has said the unavailability of health workers is continuously being attended to by the ministry.

He says just in 2012, the Ministry spent K 27 billion on the recruitment of health workers.Dr Chikusu adds that preference is being given to rural areas.

Source: Qfm

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Auditor General Anna Chifungula says her office has moved in to probe happennings at the troubled Zambia Railways Limited.

Zambia’s state-owned railways company has into controversy in the past number of months following President Michael Sata’s appointment of Prof. Clive Chirwa as chief executive officer after revoking the concession to private operator Zambia Railways Systems (RSZ).

During his tenure, Chirwa has called for massive capital injections from the state to pursue an ambitious expansion of the railroad system in Zambia, including far-flung proposals for an underground system. However, these proposals clashed with a number of board members led by Mark Chona.

Chirwa had been demanding a K248 million monthly salary, a 25 % shareholding after five years while he accused the board of demanding a K500 sitting allowance.

“We have sent some officers there to get to the bottom of the matter there. There were already people there but with the recent developments it means we have to go deeper,” Chifungula said.

Zambia’s railway system plays an exceptionally important role in the economy as it is used by mining companies to export copper and other precious metals for processing abroad.

The post Auditors Storm Zambia Railways Limited appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Chairman for Elections Ackson Sejani says that the culture of parading chiefs by politicians to politically pressure villagers should come to an end.

Commenting on the parading of chiefs from Southern Province at a political gathering by President Michael Sata during his visit to Chief Chikanta’s area Sejani said it was sad that chiefs had to endure political harassment from politicians.

“This culture of disrespecting out traditional leaders by coercing them into making political pronouncements is a disgrace to the institution of chieftaincy. First you weaken them by stripping them of authority and then you now auction them on the political market that is very sad,” he said.

“Chiefs are rulers over all people so if you force them to make partisan positions you lower the integrity of their positions.”

Traditional leaders have been largely been used as tools for political manipulation by politicians in Zambia, who are known to shower them with gifts and cash in the lead up to elections.

On his stop in Southern Province on Wednesday Mr Sata appealed to traditional leaders in the province to give him PF Members of Parliament. The province has two looming by-elections in Sinazongwe and Itezhi Tezhi (recently taken to Central Province) following the expulsion of two opposition UPND MPs Richwell Siamunene and Grayford Monde.

The post Stop Using Chiefs for Political Pressure – UPND appeared first on Zambia Reports.

US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella has said that the United States believes the human rights of all people including gays and lesbians must be protected.

In an interview on human rights to coincides with the release of the US 2012 Human Rights Report, Ambassador Storella said that all people must be treated equally and fairly, and that the U.S opposes laws that unfairly impact any group of society be it a religious minority, ethnic minority or gays and lesbians.

He said that this does not make them less human being nor does it change their entitlement to human rights or government’s responsibility to protect their human rights.

And Ambassador Storella has hailed what he has described as a remarkable tolerant Zambian people.

He pointed out that there are very few countries in the world that have 73 tribes and have never had tribal conflicts.

Mr Storella has since encouraged Zambians to continue building on the tradition of tolerance.

Source: Lusaka Times

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If you have previously read editorial comments in The Post newspaper predominately written either by the owner Fred M’membe or Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito, you’ll have an idea or would understand the venom with which they target their opponents.

Of interest in most of the write-ups is the maxim that “those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.” This wise saying has aptly been used when things favour M’membe against his perceived enemies.

But reading the editorial titled “Opposition doesn’t engender confidence” in The Post on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 makes one realize that the same words, the same analysis, the same wise saying used on others apply to our own behaviour and character.

Increasingly isolated, misinformed, and removed from the unpleasant reality that the rest of us are living, M’membe’s editorial column has come to represent a private inner monologue that is more suited to a psychiatrist’s sofa. It’s a great pity that the main newspaper of our country, for better or worse, has become a source of such profound disinformation both to our citizens, and worse, to the international community. But for M’membe, life on ‘Planet Fred’ is almost always serene, peaceful, and blessed the moral justice of self-certainty.

In his comment, M’membe used opposition Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi’s remarks to get at United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema for his unwavering support of fourth Republican president Rupiah Banda. President Banda is being persecuted by Mutembo and M’membe, the cartel behind President Sata, for what they believed was his role in the collapse of their poorly managed airline – Zambian Airways. That is why he is before court facing those extremely weak charges.

To cunningly disparage Hichilema, M’membe asks; “Look at an opposition leader like Hakainde Hichilema and ask yourself: what does he stand for? What does he believe in? What is it that he’s looking for in politics?”

Before anyone answers M’membe’s problems, he offers the response saying, “Clearly, Hakainde stands for nothing. What matters to Hakainde is whether you support him or not. If you support Hakainde, you can be anything, you can do anything, he will have no problems with you. Look at William Banda! How can a serious politician, a politician of honour and integrity, take William for a political advisor and right hand man?”

Unless M’membe knows otherwise, Hichilema’s position on corruption has not changed irrespective of who is involved, and unless M’membe appointed William Banda as special advisor to Hichilema, the UPND has made it very clear the former Lusaka Province MMD chairman remains an ordinary member of the party.

Instead of discussing the presence of convicted thugs in charge of President Michael Sata’s special advisory security team that are terrorrising citizens such as Judge Ngoma, M’membe chooses to target Hichilema for accommodating William Banda.

Analysing M’membe’s line of argument confirms that indeed ‘evil sometimes seem good to a man whose mind a god leads to destruction.’ This perfectly describes M’membe and the cartel he leads that holds President Sata hostage. If there is a person in Zambian politics that has shifted goal-posts more than anything or anyone, M’membe stands out.

In 2006, this Sata being praised today by M’membe was called all sorts of names. He was corrupt, a tribalist and far from a saviour. Today, M’membe parades Sata as the best thing ever to happen to Zambia. What has changed? Nothing. Sata is still the same if not worse now that age is taking its toll on him.

What M’membe should be concerned with is the management of the country’s affairs which are degenerating to embarrassing levels instead of continuously showing paranoia of a possible Presidency by Hichilema.

For all their promises, the PF has lamentably failed to deliver and these are things M’membe and Mutembo Nchito should be addressing, should be worrying over, not Hichilema. A new constitution was promised within 90 days. It’s not ready, it may not be ready this year and we don’t know when it will be ready. This should worry M’membe and the cartel if they are genuinely concerned with social justice.

The Barotseland Agreement, according to M’membe, Sata and Mutembo, was to be honoured within 90 days of assuming power. This promise, the Lozis that were used in the campaign against the MMD, are patiently waiting to see become a reality. The 90 days has passed, what next? M’membe should offer answers, not targeting Hichilema.

Instead of bribing the Litunga, the same people who claim to be fighting corruption, the Lozis want to know how they will be honoured through their Barotseland Agreement for rendering Sata the support he needed in 2011.

The country’s international reputation has drastically dropped, going from a good and exemplary democracy to something of an autocratic or dictatorial regime and this is what should be concerning President Sata, or his machinery led by M’membe, Nchito and Kabimba.

It is actually hard to know who to blame for the current failure of governance in Zambia: President Sata, or the M’membe cartel. But the fact is both are responsible for the rapid dissolution of public service and the damage to Zambia’s international reputation.

Clearly, before destruction, M’membe could being going mad considering the clueless articles his PF mouthpiece – The Post – is discharging.

In thinking that he is telling off Hichilema, any right thinking Zambian knows that’s exactly what he is. A man with no principles, as long as you massage his ego, give him unlimited access to state machinery he will call the devil a saint. M’membe befits the man who stands for nothing, not Hichilema.

All Zambians are aware and are able to see what sort of an opposition the country has, one that is able to stand the cruelty of a group of evil men plotting disaster against their own country.

Even where they are in charge, in their own political party, there is no single or unitary PF but rather a collection of competing factions. There is Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as GBM, Alexander Chikwanda on one side, Given Lubinda on the other, Chishimba Kambwili and Kabimba all pulling in different directions to topple the ailing Sata.

Look at Kabimba, the man does not have his own party’s support, and many PF members are deeply embarrassed and offended by what M’membe has done and continues to do to the nation. The newspaper man is totally scared that the moment Sata, who is unwell and may not continue after 2016, steps aside he may be in big trouble. He certainly will have a lot to answer.

M’membe knows that he can’t fight corruption because he is himself corrupt and a product of corruption but has woven it in a package to fight others.

It is not Hichilema or any opposition member who told us about GBM and the tender at Zesco involving pole. It is not the opposition that surrendered Kabimba to ACC on kickbacks from Trafigura.

But the same M’membe can’t competently see anything corrupt and find a logical conclusion to these investigations. Everyone knows it is because he has to protect his interest by not pursuing that investigations. Isn’t that corruption? These are corruption cases any media can pursue and deliver proper updates without any political interest.

Today, he is relying on Charles Milupi to get at Hichilema. But this is the same M’membe who has previously told us Milupi is not a serious politician such that even in his own area – Western Province – he can only manage one MP. But because what Milupi says suits M’membe, he is a man whose advise the opposition must heed. Wait until Milupi calls M’membe to come to equity with clean hands and see what sort of opposition garbage Milupi will turn out to be in the eyes of the M’membe. Is that what M’membe thinks is consistency, principles and a man who stands for something?

Just look at how PF and its managers are scrumbling for Eurobond funds at the Zambia Railways.

Professor Clive Chirwa is M’membe’s friend and appointee. The dissolved Zambia Railways board chairman Mark Chona is also M’membe’s friend. And they are both accusing each other of corruption. What happened to the birds of the same feather? All of M’membe’s friends are tainted with impropriety. What does this say about him?

Fortunately, Zambians are not gullible, across all sectors, including those kaponyas, taxi drivers, marketers and street vendors, they are all able to see that the PF government has proven itself woefully incompetent, and now only among the opposition can they find talented, fresh, accomplished figures in both the UPND and MMD with real ideas to help move Zambia forward.

The post Opinion: Life on Planet Fred appeared first on Zambia Reports.

On the fourth day of hearings in the trial of former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda, a witness testified before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda that according to discussions in various staff meetings at the Zambia High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, the initial steps for Zambia to obtain oil from Nigeria had already been done under late president Levy Mwanawasa.

The testimony is seen as yet another setback for prosecutors, who earlier this week faced difficulties introducing a letter which was recognized by one witness as a forgery.

Margaret Kaemba, 62, a business woman of plot F50A/79 Makeni, Lusaka, and former First Secretary at the Zambia High Commission in Nigeria testified that it was generally discussed if it was possible to get discounted oil from Nigeria, except that the type of crude from there would not be refined in Zambia.

“Sometime in March 2010 the reception called me that there were two people who wanted to see the person who deals with economy and trade. They directed them to my office,” Ms Kaemba said in response to questions from the Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito, commenting that the two people introduced themselves as brothers.

“One was Michael Osigwe and the other one I can’t remember his name but he was also Osigwe,” she said. According to her they told her the Osigwe family has been involved in the Nigerian oil industry since 1928. “Based on that they said they had been discussing with President Rupiah Banda about the possibility to lobby on behalf of Zambia to buy oil direct from the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They said that over a period they did the lobbying and were happy to report that Zambia was among the countries to buy oil from Nigeria,” she told the court.

But Ms. Kaemba also testified that one of the reasons the two Osigwe brothers had gone to her office was because President Rupiah Banda was not receiving their calls and were finding it difficult to get in touch with him. She added, “They wanted to pass the message that the government to government oil contract had been approved. But I told them that we didn’t have any information at the mission on any oil deal and that it would be difficult for the mission to help.”

In cross examination by Former President Banda’s defence lawyers, Ms Kaemba admitted that she first saw the two Osigwe brothers on March 24, 2010, her birthday, and that after that meeting she decided to google to get more information and found that the Osigwes were truly in the oil business.

Asked by defence lawyer Irene Kunda why she entertained the Osigwe brothers for what appeared to be a lengthy period, Ms. Kaemba said that in her judgment, they “did not look like thieves,” at which point the entire courtroom burst into laughter.

“I decided to get the help of the High Commissioner so that together we could make an opinion,” she said. At this point she was also taken to task by the defence for changing an earlier testimony. She had earlier told the court that as a sign of politeness she asked the Osigwe brothers to give her their business cards as she walked them out after the High Commissioner Mr. Alexis Luhila had been hostile to them. But at this point she was telling the court that she got the cards from the Osigwes in the high commissioner’s office.

Earlier former Chief of Staff at State House Austin Sichinga, told the court in cross examination by the defence that Rupiah Banda declined an invitation from the Osigwe brothers to go and give a talk in Nigeria. This was on the basis that he could not visit a private citizen of another country without clearance from the particular president, prime minister or majesty as that was the standard procedure. As far as the witness was concerned Mr. Banda kept himself at arms length from the Osigwe brothers.

Sichinga also told the court how he did not see anything wrong with the former president meeting the Osigwe brothers in the company of another person who looked like a Zambian in New York when they went to attend the United Nations general assembly in September 2009. This was in response to a question by Eric Silwamba, SC.

The witness also testified that ID 2 and ID 3 the letters allegedly signed by Mr. Banda were written before 2009 and long before meeting the Osigwe brothers. Referring to ID 3 Sichinga said he would not have passed it as it had several mistakes. ID 2 is the letter alleging that Mr. Banda requested his Nigerian counterpart to help Zambia with crude oil while ID 3 is the follow up letter. The witness admitted that he has never seen the original of ID 3 and that investigators never showed him.

Responding to Prof. Patrick Mvunga, SC Sichinga told the court that ID 3 is very difficult to describe. He also told the court that if the defence accept ID 2 it would be right to say that Mr. Banda was writing in his official capacity as President of Zambia.

President Banda is accused of abuse of office relating to an alleged oil deal with Nigeria.  His supporters, however, maintain that the prosecution is politically motivated without any basis in fact.  Former President Banda’s immunity was removed earlier this year in a controversial vote before the national assembly, which is now under Judicial Review.

The post Rupiah Banda Trial: Witness Says Mwanawasa Initiated Oil Deal appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Respected physicians Dr Canisius Banda has finally been unveiled as a UPND member saying the party had done well under difficult circumstances.

Dr Banda who is immediate chairperson for health in the MMD said he would not have joined the Hakainde Hichilema led party if it was tribal.

He said the ‘donchi kubeba’ anthem had brought misery to the majority of Zambians.

“If UPND was a tribal party I would not have joined it because I don’t subscribe to such nonsense and tired debates of maligning other people of God,” he said.

“If people have nothing to say against others, the best they can do in the name of almighty God is to keep quiet than peddling lies like they have been doing on HH.”

“It is time as country we once more submit ourselves to almighty God because there were too many divisions in the nation created by the PF administration.”

Dr Banda called for national unity to develop the country.

“Zambia belongs to all of us and it was time we embraced national unity and reclaim the freedoms that we have lost as a country. People are being harassed every day, we have lost freedom to assemble, people have no food, poor health and education services are all part of this administration,” he said.

And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema welcomed Dr Banda urging him to use his vast experience to develop the country.

He said Dr Banda had a distinguished record of public service. Hichilema congratulated the party members who worked hard to deliver victory in Lukulu West.

The post UPND is Not Tribal – Dr Canisius Banda appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Hope for Human Rights has expressed worry over the congestion at the condemned prisoners’ section at Mukobeko Maximum prison in Kabwe.

Executive Director Smart Chanda stresses the need for the ministry of home affairs to have the section decongested.

Chanda says his organization strongly feels that there is more to be done in terms of ensuring that the inmates are treated like any other human beings, adding that their status as condemned prisoners should not warrant their discrimination.

He also stated that his organisation does not support the retention of death penalty in the draft constitution because it does not favour deterrence and that people would never refrain from committing some capital offences.

He has pointed out that Zambia has failed to reinforce the law on death penalty, the reason why all stakeholders should work together and see to it that serious measures are put in place to favour deterrence.

Chanda has since called on the ministry of home affairs to find other means of helping the Zambia Prisons service in decongesting the prisons through out the country.

Source: Qfm

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The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has commended political parties that took part in the April 23 Kapiri Mposhi and Lukulu West Parliamentary by-elections for being peaceful during and after the polls.

AVAP Executive Director Richwell Mulwani notes that the political meetings that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had hosted for political parties prior to the polls played a key role in preserving peace during and after the by-elections.

Mulwani has also particularly commended the United Party for National Development(UPND) for not taking the law into their own hands in Kapirui Mposhi when they exercised citizen’s arrest on a suspected PF cadre who was caught distributing cash to electorates on the polling Day.

He says that is a good example of how politics ought to be done in the country.

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Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has implored the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to thoroughly investigate allegations of corruption leveled at the Zambia Railways Limited.

Hichilema notes that the allegations against Professor Clive Chirwa and the dissolved Board are serious and require exceptional attention by the ACC.

Hichilema further states that the allegations also an indictment on the Patriotic Front government.

The ACC has launched investigations into allegations of corruption against Professor Clive Chirwa and the dissolved board following the directive by President Michael Sata.

Source: Qfm

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Former Patriotic Front PF Lusaka province chairperson Davies Chama says party Lusaka province Chairperson Geoffrey Chumbwe should consider stepping down in view of allegations that he personalized 31 plots in Silverest area.

Chama says the Mr Chumbwe will do republican president Michael Sata a service by stepping down from his position.

Chama says the petition to President Sata by the PF Lusaka province officials to discipline Mr. Chuumbwe is a sign that there is rampant corruption and abuse of office.

He states that there is need for government to show integrity in the way it is fighting corruption in the administration of land.

He adds that it is sad that such allegations are coming from within the party membership.

Chama was commenting on the petition addressed to President Sata by some PF Lusaka province officials accusing PF Lusaka Province Chairperson Geoffrey Chuumbwe of personalizing 31 pieces of land purportedly given to him by the Chongwe district council to share with 24 provincial and six district leaders in Lusaka Province.

Source: Qfm

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It is just a little over a year since George Kunda, Zambia’s Vice President from 2008 to 2011, passed on. Many will remember him for speaking in capital letters but those that knew him even closer and intimately will remember him for not just being a brilliant lawyer but a good carpenter as well. Yes GK, as some of his peers would refer to him, was a carpenter, and a good one at that according to his son Howard. The Kunda homestead in Lusaka’s new Kasama tells it all. You may not notice when you get there but the man people only knew as a lawyer had put up an elaborate carpentry workshop as curving wood was his lifetime passion.

Irene Kunda, the widow, and her children did not want to be alone in remembering their loved one for they knew that the late George Kunda was also a friend and colleague to many. For this reason a remembrance church service was held on Saturday April 20, 2013 at the Mary Immaculate Catholic church in Lusaka.

Former President Rupiah Banda, his wife Thandiwe, Movement for Multi-Party Democracy, MMD, president Nevers Mumba, United Liberal Party, ULP, president Sakwiba Sikota and Douglas Siakalima special advisor to the United Party for National Development, UPND, president Hakainde Hichilema were in attendance. Others were high court judges, Dominic Sichinga, Chalwe Muchenga and Nigel Mutuna. There were also other people from all walks of life including members of the legal fraternity, politicians, businessmen and the clergy.

The remembrance church service lasted a little over an hour and was followed by the unveiling of the tomb by Mrs. Kunda, children and grandchildren at the Leopards Hill Memorial Park. It was here that former president Rupiah Banda, MMD president Nevers Mumba, ULP president Sakwiba Sikota and Douglas Siakalima from the UPND all paid glowing tribute to a man they all associated with in one way or the other.

For Rupiah Banda, George Kunda was a man he worked with very closely, a man who deputised him as vice president and he said, “You know it is not easy when you are one man and you have to choose the one person that you can trust implicitly, that you can sleep in peace and feel that he is there in case anything happens to me or if I have to travel out that I can trust this man completely with the thirteen million people of Zambia under his care.”

The former president continued, “When it was my turn to choose someone to be my vice president, I then realised how difficult it was because as you know I was new, I came from outside. I was invited by that great man the late president Mwanawasa to join him as his vice president and there I was presented with colleagues to work with. In a way I am very happy that I became president at the time when I had the whole cabinet in front of me, I had the whole civil service, I had the whole population of Zambia to assist me in achieving what everybody attributes to me. But all of us as a team, we worked together. I found a great team when I came and in that team was this man that I was not able to witness his burial because I was at Boston University at the time in the United States. I couldn’t come as my sponsors were not able to send me back. But today is a great day for me and my wife and my family to be able to witness George Kunda’s unveiling of the tombstone after being away from us for one year. It’s very vivid to me, I see him as I speak now, I feel him. And the church where we went to pray now was one church he was very proud of. Always he spoke to me about his church where he prayed and how happy he was to belong to that congregation.”

The former president was actually so pleased to see all the people that showed up to remember George Kunda and said, “I want to thank all of you, I saw in church the various people that came. I saw leaders from other political parties, I saw leaders from the judiciary, I saw members of parliament, I saw my colleagues, former cabinet ministers. All this implies the greatness of the man we are here to honour today.”

Banda paid glowing tribute to the late Kunda describing him as a man particular about hard work. “If you gave George Kunda an assignment to come back and report to cabinet at the next meeting, he will report at that meeting and the report will be complete. Everybody will agree that he paid attention to his assignments for the people of our great country Zambia,” said the former president. Mr. Banda concluded by saying, “During the period that I worked with him, I can testify that I was totally satisfied with the support he gave me and the cabinet and all the people of Zambia as we worked for the future of our country.”

MMD president Nevers Mumba described Kunda as a man who served his country well, a man so dedicated to duty. “May be we will never have known this man but he is a man who served this country well. We are proud of him, of his family because we know for a man to work as hard as he did it was at the expense of his family. They allowed him to do it and they took the heat. We are grateful,” Mumba said. Mumba also said the MMD was grateful for all Kunda did for the party.

“He did not serve his party just because he wanted to be popular but he pushed the cause of liberty and democracy for our country. We are very proud that even after we lost the elections he did not back out like some people. He continued to serve the party. He continued to go to court on behalf of the many members of our party that were falsely accused. He was there for the party until he died. We take of our hats to say thank you,” said the MMD president. “Our word will not suffice,” he added, “but we want to say thank you for the labours that you left behind with us.”

Mumba noted that Kunda’s abilities were exceptional and far between. “Even president Rupiah Banda had to say, you know what George, I think you know what it takes I will give you two jobs instead of one. There are very few people, when people are looking for jobs in cabinet. He was one of the very few people that held two jobs, justice minister and vice president. And that was reflective of his capacity to perform,” he said.

Douglas Siakalima of the UPND had this to say, “This life we remember today, indeed he was a great man. Even when you disagreed with what he said, you still respected he passion with which he would put across certain things. Suffice to say that this man, he was indeed a courageous man. For some of us he has not died in vain. I think he gave us courage to still continue even when under a lot of adversaries we still want to continue emulating him.”

ULP president Sakwiba Sikota who first knew the late Kunda in1980 at the Law Practice Institute, LPI, passionately spoke about how he learned the importance of hard work from the person he simply described a very good man. He also spoke about the time Kunda was vice chairman of the Law Association of Zambia, LAZ. “During my tenure there is a lot of things which I have been credited with and which have been said to have been the success of that tenure. I have said it before in many fora and I will say it again here. All of the successes of my tenure as chairman of LAZ were directly as a result of the late George Kunda. He did all the ground work, he did all the hard work. I merely was honoured to present the hard work that he had done,” said Sikota.

He said what struck him most about Kunda was the passion he had for justice. “He wanted to see a just society for Zambia and we discussed this many times,” Sikota added. The ULP president said he was extremely happy to see Kunda get into politics after him and get into parliament. “It was a joy to have someone like him because the level of intellectual debate that he brought to the house is something which is sadly missing sometimes when I look at the debates that go on,” he said.
Sikota went on to further describe Kunda as one of the leading legal brains Zambia has ever produced, a fact he said every single lawyer in the legal fraternity will acknowledge.

In remembering George Kunda, the man some people credit for speaking in capital letters, there are some who actually think that if he was alive today he would have positively advised the Michael Sata led Patriotic Front, PF, government on the so many things that are just not adding up. Advice is one of the things he liked to give and positively so. He will also be remembered for that by many.

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