Students at Zambia’s second public University on the mineral rich Copperbelt in Kitwe on Monday night rioted for unpaid meal allowances.

The students matched from the campus on to Jambo Drive which they blocked with stones, logs and burning types.

This is one of the many times students at CBU and UNZA have resorted to street protest to press the PF government to meet their needs.

Before going on a long term recess, the University of Zambia recorded an unprecedented number of riots on more than four occasions within a three months.

The students protested for various reasons included delayed opening of the institution due to a lecturer and management stand-off, meal allowances, UNZA radio intimidation and premature closure to allow for renovations for the Zone Six Games.

On the Copperbelt, the students were chanting anti PF government slogans as they protested over the delayed payment of their meal allowances.

The students condemned the bursaries committee for ineffectiveness in dealing with the student’s allowances.

The students were due to be paid their meals allowances last week on Friday.

The students were kept at bay by the police who were in full riot gear at the entrance of the University.

President Michal Sata’s decision to change the entire Cabinet leadership was been inspired by the continued leak of State House information to online media, according to sources.

President Sata recently fired Secretary to Cabinet Evans Chibiliti and later dismissed his deputy Teddy Mulonga before dropping Cabinet Permanent Secretary Ann Sinyangwe to Kabwe as Central Province Permanent Secretary.

Explaining the changes, State House sources said the clean up was necessitated by his lack of trust for the senior most civil servants at Cabinet.

“There are a number of reasons from what I know. Firstly, it seems the President lost trust in Cabinet leadership. He felt some people were working independently. You know that is a very sensitive office, if the President begins to see thing happen that he does not know about he gets worried,”

The sources said before his dismissal Chibiliti offered to step down but President Sata refused to accept his resignation.

“He was not happy with the fact that the H.E (His Excellency the President) always rebuked him in front of the media on certain things during State House functions. If you remember once he told Chibiliti that State House surroundings were dirty and he wondered what his job was. After that he said it in front of the media that he does not trust his Cabinet. When the police chaplain offered a prayer that day at State House, he told him ‘don’t pray for this Cabinet I don’t trust them’. After that event, Chibiliti offered to resign. He told H.E to retire him if he was not happy with his performance, but he refused.

The source said President Sata also believed that the questionable loyalty by the Cabinet leadership was responsible for the leak of information to online media.

“One time H.E told Cabinet members that they were the ones leaking information to Watchdog. He said they were with the Brazil trip were he had to travel economy on such a long journey. But that is one of the reasons. In fjust orking behind his back with their own agendas.”

Asked if the Cabinet ‘clean up had anything to do with the travel arrangements for the President, the source said, “that could be one of the reasons. In fact the President is likely to make big changes to the Cabinet at ministerial level soon,” said the source.

The ongoing feud between Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba and Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) has grown deeper, forcing the party to move the offices of its secretariat from a building owned by the latter.

Since joining PF, GBM has always hosted the party secretariat at his Gemmins Motors Bus garage warehouse located at Plot No. F/110/187. Luanshya Road in Lusaka.

A source has told Zambia Reports that Kabimba who is also secretary general of the ruling party has issued instructions to party officials asking them to move property out of GBM’s building.

“He has asked us to move the office equipment from their and Mr. Mfula (PF publicity director) has not told us yet where these things will go. We suspect it’s this same fight between GBM and SG (Secretary General), because as you know this building belongs to GBM,” the source said.

Efforts to get a comment from either Cabinet ministers proved fuel as they were reported to be in meetings.

Police in Ndola yesterday fired live bullets disperse former Raven Construction employees who protested against non-payment of their salary arrears.

The Ex-workers convened at Ndola Cabinet Office around 10:00 hours demanding for their wages and went on to hijack and deflate the tyres of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado belonging to Morne Labuschigne, a site manager at Raven.

This action saw Anti-riot police officers swiftly sealing off the entrance to Cabinet Office as the irate mob threatened to storm the building.

Later, the Anti-robbery police squad moved in and immediately started firing live bullets, forcing the protesters to scamper for safety.

And Labuschigne told the Times of Zambia that the former employees were demanding for more than K1 billion in unpaid salaries, while according to the company’s calculations, the 740 employees are only owed about K200 million.

After the fracas, a government official apologised to the irate workers on behalf of the police for firing live bullets and beating up some of them during the protest.

World Bank Country Director Kundhavi Kadiresan has refuted reports quoting finance deputy minister Miles Sampa that the Brentwood Institution will stop budgetary support to Zambia effective next year.

Sampa, who is President Michael Sata’s nephew, is quoted in the State owned and PF controlled Zambia Daily Mail that theWorld Bank has indicated to Zambia that effective next year, it will not offer any budget support to the country following its graduation from lower income nation to a lower middle income status.

But Sampa’s statement is false as Kadiresan told the local media the World Bank will continue supporting Zambia in key areas of its economy.

She says the lender is currently in talks with government and that the outlook of support to the Zambian government will come out once the ongoing discussions are finalized.

Dr Kadiresan has also observed that the 2013 budget address by Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda had not made it clear if public institutions managing the railways sub-sector were presently capable and equipped to implement the ambitious development plans spelt by the PF government.

Dr Kadiresan expressed worry that almost 40 per cent of the Zambian population continue to live in abject and extreme poverty.

Transport minister Christopher Yaluma says the Patriotic Front will liberate market policies in the telecommunication industry pointing out the need for a fourth mobile service provider in Zambia.

Aside from Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia and ZAMTEL, Zambians have been waiting for a fourth mobile provider to the extent that Yaluma’s statement today will make the telecommunications sector more competitive.

During a tour conducted by Airtel Zambia managing director Fawaz King, Yaluma has backed calls generated by Zambian citizens seeking a fourth mobile service provider.

Meanwhile, Fayaz King indicated without hesitation that allowing a fourth mobile provider was welcome as a competitive environment was needed in Zambia.

King told Yaluma during the tour of Airtel House along Addis Ababa in Lusaka that Airtel Zambia had since invested over US $200 which had to a greater extent developed the telecommunications market.

Defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba commonly known as GBM says he will never worship PF chief propagandist Fred M’membe in a bid to enhance his presidential ambitions.

Mwamba, who has recently been engaged in a public spat with his justice counterpart Wynter Kabimba in what is a shadow succession battle, was featuring on CrossFire Blog radio – an internet based international channel hosted by Zambian journalists outside the country.

Both Mwamba and Kabimba are under investigations from the Anti Corruption Commission for alleged corrupt activities.

Mwamba is alleged to have solicited a Zesco tender to supply poles while Kabimba is a suspect of kickbacks in a multi-million dollar oil deal the PF government awarded to Trafigura mid this year.

The Post, however, recently exposed only Mwamba’s connection with the Zesco contract.

In response to the M’membe-Kabimba attacks on GBM, Mwamba’s camp also exposed the Trafigura kickback deals laying in open the corruption in the PF government and a deep infighting.

The revelations also confirmed recent speculation of a silent division in the PF leadership over the succession of President Michael Sata in an event he did not seek a fresh mandate in 2016.

Mwamba accused M’membe, who in the run to the 2006 elections was a bitter rival of President Sata but later backed the PF leader in 2011 for personal interests, of habouring a hidden agenda.

He said he will never yield to M’membe’s tactics in Zambian politics but warned he was aware of the private newspaper owner’s tricks.

“Fred M’membe only wants the people who worship him which I will never do, over my dead body!” Mwamba emphatically said, adding; “If he thinks he will decide the destiny of who should be President in this country, this time he got it all wrong.”

Mwamba said everyone in Zambian and abroad was aware of M’membe’s tactics and was ready to take him head on.

“Everybody knows his tricks, understand his motives and unfortunately we shall not allow him and whatever he is doing we are watching him very closely, we shall not allow him as Zambians. We know what his game plan is,” he said.

Mwamba, however, declined to expressely answer a question on whether he had presidential ambitions or not.
“Hahahaha… that’s a very interesting question. We will discuss when we come to that stage but all I can say is that President Michael Chilufya Sata is still our President,” he said when asked about his ambitions of taking over PF.

Mwamba also explained that he was not President Sata’s nephew but a brother in law.

President Sata’s government has been accused of nepotism in which many call it a “family forest”.

Mwamba further defended the appointment of his daughter Sibongile as first secretary to the Zambian Mission in Nambia saying she was the only child in formal employment while the rest were pre-occupied with his business which he referred to as the “GBM empire.”

Mwamba denied soliciting a tender from Zesco but defended his family’s decision to compete for the lucrative contract that has sparked controversy of his alleged corrupt activities.

He said he did not accrue his money from corrupt activities but through hardwork which had for long been supported by his family and children.

Mwamba said he was above board in his private business but that did not stop his family for competiting for government tenders.

“My family is from a business background. They deserve to tender but there is no way I am going to solicit for a contract, I am above board,” he said.

“That Zesco contract is not the only one I have tendered. They [his opponents in PF] have won more contracts than ourselves.”

Mwamba described as nonsensical attempts to stop him from growing his business empire when foreigners were accessing huge government contracts at the expense of Zambians.

He also said he would be ready to leave government if President Sata decided any day to relieve him of his duties saying it was the prerogative of the President to hire and fire.

Mwamba, a huge PF funder before elections, maintained that his business was transparent and open for scrutinty.

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it is receiving reports of violence in Mufumbwe ahead of the November 8 parliamentary by-election.

Public relations manager Cris Akufuna has since warned that the commission will not tolerate any electoral violence ahead of the by-election.

MMD delegations in the area have recorded attacks from PF hooligans in the area.

Akufuna said in an interview in Lusaka on Monday that the commission will not hesitate to invoke the provisions of Section 28 of the Electoral Act, which provides for the postponement of a by-election in the event of escalating violence.

“We are receiving reports of violence in Mufumbwe where party cadres are reportedly fighting but this should be avoided at all costs.

“We are appealing to all political parties contesting the Mufumbwe seat to respect one another. When aggrieved, they can go to the district conflict management committee where they can have their problems sorted out,” he said.

Akufuna however said the commission has engaged the police to provide maximum security for the by-election to be successfully conducted.

He said the commission also wants police officers to conduct themselves in a professional manner when administering the Public Order Act.

Akufuna appealed to police officers to apply the law fairly to all political players during campaigns ahead of the by-election.

He also urged all political parties to conduct peaceful campaigns for the by-election.

Akufuna said all political leaders should restrain their supporters from engaging in acts of violence to help foster peace and unity in the country.

He said the country’s young democracy can only flourish when all political leaders become tolerant to one another and avoid practising politics of character assassination.

Source: Zambia Daily Mail

‘What on Earth next?’ hooted Sara, as she looked up from the newspaper. ‘Have you read this story about Kambilimbili grazing his cattle on Mpatamatu Golf Course?’
‘He’s supposed to be the Minister of Sport,’ I sneered, ‘but now he’s busy destroying a golf course. Our whole way of life is under threat from these barbarians.’

‘I don’t know why you read newspapers if they upset you so much,’ said Kupela, as she buttered yet another slice of toast.

‘We’ve got a new government with new ideas, but you two are still stuck in the past. And anyway, which of you has ever played golf? The only game you know is darts!’

‘You always argue the opposite of anything we say, just for the fun of upsetting your parents, even before we’ve finished breakfast. You know very well that that this monstrous upstart Kambilimbili is not in the business of introducing any new ideas, he’s just stealing council land.’

‘Your trouble is,’ said Kupela, ‘that you assume the worst instead of looking for the best. What Kambilimbili is actually trying do is to transform the ancient Bemba game of bulunshi into a modern form of golf.’

‘Bulunshi? Never heard of it!’

‘Well well, my know-all parents,’ Kupela scoffed, ‘Then I have to inform you of something you don’t know, probably because you’ve never bothered to read Audrey Richards book about the Bemba, who were famous hunters. Bulunshi was an ingenious way of hunting an elephant by using a stick to hit a stone right up its bum.’

‘Would that kill it?’ Sara wondered.

‘It would die a week later of constipation,’ Kupela explained, ‘providing enough meat to feed a whole village for a couple of months.’

‘Huh,’ I scoffed, ‘there aren’t any elephants in Northern Province.’

‘Precisely because they were all victims of bulunshi,’ explained Kupela. ‘That proves my point.’

‘So what’s this got to do with golf?’

‘Golf started in a similar way. The Scots used to kill ferrets by swinging a club when the ferret put its head up from its ferret hole. It was great sport. But after they’d killed off all the ferrets, they had to invent golf as a substitute.’

‘So Kambilimbili is not farming but playing bulunshi?’

‘Have you ever heard of a Bemba farming cattle? Of course not! He’s invented a modern adaptation of bulunshi, called bulunshi golf, which involves hitting golf balls up a cow’s bum.’

‘Oh My God!’ said Sara. ‘Doesn’t it hurt?’

‘Only if swing the club clumsily and hit your foot,’ said Kupela.

‘So how do you get the ball out of the cow’s bum?’ I wondered.

‘Ball boys are being trained by the National Service,’ she explained. ‘It’s the first time they’ve ever done anything useful. It’s all part of the government programme to increase employment.’

‘And does the National Service also mow the lawns and apply the fertilizer?’

‘No, the cows do all of that, the whole system is self-sustaining and eco-friendly. Hundreds of Americans are already flying in to play bulunshi golf, it’s the latest fashion in ethnic sport. New lodges are being built all over Luanshya to accommodate visiting golfers. It’s just a pity you’re so out of touch. You just don’t know what’s going on.’

‘It’s a pity that Kambilimbili can’t think up some more ideas like this,’ said Sara.

‘What are you talking about?’ laughed Kupela. ‘He’s a lateral thinker who is absolutely bristling with lots of new ideas.’

‘All imagination and no brains,’ I suggested.

‘So you may imagine,’ retorted Kupela. ‘I suppose you haven’t heard of his brilliant scheme of tearing up the railway line and sleepers between Luanshya and Kitwe, and registering the track with the International Olympic Committee. It’s now the official route for all international marathon races.’

‘But where shall we find the athletes for running up and down this track in the middle of nowhere?’ I wondered.

‘His ideas don’t stop there,’ explained Kupela. ‘He has used his position as Minister of Sport to throw all the students out of Yunza, which is now being rehabilitated as a SADC Regional Sports Centre. We shall soon be producing top-level athletes by the thousand!’

‘What will happen to all the Yunza students?’

‘The government has finally admitted that we don’t need any more unemployable university graduates, and instead we are going to train athletes to run round in circles at incredible speeds in order to earn lots of money and become world famous. Kariba Lake is to be turned into the world’s biggest swimming pool, and Kariba Dam Wall is to become the highest diving board in the world.

Zambia Airforce is going to increase its number of aeroplanes to three to provide sky-diving, and the Great Bag of Maize is going to plunge from forty kilometers high in the sky in order to break the World Stupidity Record, and…’

‘And, and, and,’ I interrupted. ‘And Kambilimbili is just an odious little thief who is stealing land in Luanshya.’

‘But you have to realise,’ Kupela conceded with a sigh, ‘that some little things do go wrong. But they will soon be corrected by Our Great Leader, who is allergic to corruption.’

‘But you have to realise,’ said Sara, ‘that our Great Leader has just received medical treatment in Seoul, and his allergy has now been cured.’

Source: Kalaki’s Corner

Zambia midfield ace Rainford Kalaba has called for adequate preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Kalaba said since the Chipolopolo will be the team to beat at the soccer showpiece slated for South Africa, there is need to prepare adequately.

He said in an interview from Lubumbashi yesterday that the Chipolopolo stars are eager to defend the Africa Cup crown.

“We need intensive preparations because we are the champions and all the teams that have qualified for the Africa Cup will be looking forward to beating Zambia.

“We are the champions and we want to continue being champions,” said Kalaba, who is among four Zambian players nominated for the 2012 Africa-footballer-of-the-year award.

Others are Christopher Katongo, Emmanuel Mayuka and Stopilla Sunzu.
Kalaba also said he is recovering from a groin injury which saw him miss last Saturday’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Uganda, which Zambia won 9-8 on penalties.

Zambia have avoided last year’s finalists Ivory Coast, Ghana and hosts South Africa in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

He is hoping to return to action for TP Mazembe in this weekend’s CAF Champions League second leg semi-final against Tunisian side Esperance.

Zambia’s opposition lawmakers on Tuesday again walked out of parliament protesting Speaker of National Assembly Patrick Matibini’s biased style of conducting debate.

It is the third time members of the opposition have walked out of Parliament in protest against Matibini who is displaying his excessive PF cadre qualities than any other Speaker in history.

The Tuesday walk out around 17:00 hours was prompted by MMD Nalikwanda MP Geofrey Lungwangwa’s point of order that sought to find why the House has not been officially informed on who is acting finance minister sincer the substatitive holder of the position Alexander Chikwanda was acting President and not participating parliamentary debates.

Lungwangwa was wondering whether it was in order for government not to inform the House on who the acting finance minister in place of Chikwanda was.

Professor Lungwangwa said Mr Chikwanda, as a mover of motion on 2013 national budget presented last week, was supposed to be in the House to take down concerns raised by members during debates.

But in his ruling, as the trend as become in what is seen as a strategy to frustrate opposition MPs, Matibini ruled Prof Lungwangwa out of order saying the leader of Government business Dr Scott was in the House and that Cabinet Ministers and their Deputies were always present to hear what other members debated.

This was after Matibini had again ruled UPND opposition member Jack Mwimbu out of order on a matter related to parliamentary procedure.

Matibini was imposed on the Patriotic Front by PF chief propagandist Fred M’membe.

Barely a day after The PF aligned Post Newspaper attempted to launder Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba from corruption allegations quoting anti corruption officials, the party’s secretary general Wynter Kabimba is again implicated in a bribery scandal aimed at stage managing defections from the opposition UPND in Lusaka.

Popular online outlet, Zambian Watchdog, has established that Kabimba bribed a UPND Lusaka Province Youth spokesperson Ronald Mufungulwa to ‘purchase’ members of the opposition party to defect to PF.

The UPND official facebook page has also announced that Mufungulwa is suspended for unspecified disciplinary misconduct but that the party will give details later.

The Watchdog, however, reports that the suspension of Mufungulwa is as a result of bribes from Kabimba.

Mufungulwa was apparently reported to the National Management Committee by one of his targets who he had arranged to meet Wynter Kabimba as proof that there were people who wanted to defect to PF.

Without Mufungulwa’s knowledge, the targeted lady had alerted other UPND members and placed her mobile phone on speaker when conversing with the suspended official to confirm the proposed appointment whilst the members of the UPND listened on.

During the conversation Mufungulwa revealed all the plans they had with Kabimba and some of the benefits she and other UPND members to be recruited were going to enjoy.

These benefits, according to the report, included cash on the day of resignations and jobs in embassies and other government departments.

Mufungulwa explained that personally he has already received money from Kabimba so he knew what he was talking about.

It is the second time Kabimba, who is being groomed by the PF Post Newspaper which masks its advocacy in deceptive anti-corruption campaigns, is being implicated in corruption related activities.

In his struggle for power against his Cabinet counterpart for defence Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, Kabimba has been linked to receiving millions of dollar kick-backs from Trafigura in an oil deal.

This was after his camp accused GBM of soliciting government contracts but the PF privately owned mouthpiece has been already announced that the Anti Corruption Commission has cleared Kabimba after preliminary investigations.

The Zambia national soccer team will play South Africa, as well as camp in India next month, as part of preparations for the defence Africa Cup championship at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) chief executive officer Jeyakumar Janakaraj said the mining giant has arranged for the national team’s camping in Goa, where the team had similar training prior to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

And Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) communications manager Erick Mwanza has said South Africa will host the friendly on November 14.

On the India outing, Janakaraj confirmed during a KCM media workshop in Chingola that sending the national team for camping in India is part of the company’s contribution to helping coach Herve Renard nurture young talent and ensure Zambia mounts a strong defence of the title next January in South Africa.

“There are arrangements right now which are going to take the Zambia national team to India in November. We have a very structured programme in helping young talent to improve. We genuinely want football standards to improve in Zambia and we want to produce some more good players,” Janakaraj said.

He said KCM is currently working out some logistics with the Football Association of Zambia on the duration and number of warm-up games the team will play with the Indian national team and top professional sides.

India has some of the best training facilities in the world.

During last year’s training camp, Zambia played against the Goa select XI and the India national team, winning 4-1 and 4-0 respectively.

Hichani Himoonde, Chisamba Lungu and Nathan Sinkala were the revelations of the India training camp and Renard drafted them into the senior team. The trio was instrumental in guiding the Chipolopolo to the continental glory at the 2012 finals.

And on the friendly against South Africa, Mwanza said the game is important because it will give Renard an opportunity to assess players who can be included in the national team.

Mwanza said FAZ is hoping to field a full-strength Chipolopolo since the match will be played on a FIFA day that allows teams to call their foreign-based players.

“But it must be noted that players can only join the team 48 hours before the game because most them will have engagements with their teams shortly before the FIFA day,” he said.

He said Renard is hoping to name the team that will go for the final training phase after the friendly match against Bafana Bafana.

“Once again the coach wants to pick more players from the local teams so this game against South Africa is an opportunity for the players to show what they can do,” he said.

He said FAZ is awaiting communication from the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) on the venue for the match.

Mwanza said FAZ will ensure the team is adequately prepared for the continental championship because the association is aware of the tough competition that will be at the Africa Cup.

He said the association has set high standards in terms of training camp for the Chipolopolo and this year will not be an exceptional.

Source: Zambia Daily Mail

Recent political infighting among two figures of the ruling Patriotic Front party may land in civil courts, as Post Newspaper editor-in-chief Fred M’membe is reportedly considering bringing a suit against Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

After weeks of negative articles alleging corruption by the defence minister, Mwamba said in an interview that “M’membe wants to decide who becomes president of Zambia.”

A reliable source at the newspaper disclosed that the CrossFire programme aired on Blog Talk Radio on Tuesday angered M’membe who immediately engaged prominent Lusaka lawyer Lubinda Linyama to take legal action against GBM.

The source said M’membe yesterday held a private meeting with Lawyer Linyama of Erick Silwamba and company who is believed to be his relation.

“It seems he was consulting on the same because the two held a meeting at M’membe’s office.

And today The Post twisted Mwamba’s Blog Talk interview and accused the defence minister of entering politics to expand his business.

During the interview, Mwamba said he joined politics because he wanted to be closer to people in government.

But othe newspaper run a provocative headline on its front page today saying: “GBM SAYS HE ENTERED POLITICS FOR BUSINESS”.

The story says GBM wanted to make his business successful, hence his decision to join politics.

The Post Newspaper has unofficially taken the side of Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, who has been pushing to take over control of the party.  Mr. Kabimba faces his own corruption allegations.

Heritage Party President Brig Gen Godfrey Miyanda says the Patriotic Front government’s first 12 months have been a joke as there was failure by the leadership to steer their boat properly.

According to his statement issued to the media Miyanda said PF does not need more time to deliver as its boat was sinking.

“I disagree that the PF must be given a chance to carry out their mandate. This approach introduces a diversionary angle as it distracts the public from raising the real issue of the ’90 Day ruse’ which achieved its intended purpose but is now disowned by its PF foster parent,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “It is especially more important for opposition leaders to take an aggressive though not destructive stance to jolt the blubbering PF to wake up and change course. Regrettably some of the opposition leaders seem to want to be seen and heard to be politically correct, in a way that is becoming confusing and ambivalent as one cannot tell whether they are actually opposition or are mere sound boxes for the PF.”

Brig Gen Miyanda accused the PF government of inconsistency in policy pronouncements.

“There was an election pledge to expel the Chinese from Zambia, which many suffering Zambians believed and voted for the PF. After winning the election President Sata quickly took over the Chinese from the MMD in unexplained circumstances. We are entitled to speculate that the very honey that President Sata alleged was being enjoyed by the MMD as their reason for aligning themselves to the Chinese is now being gulped by the PF!” he stated.

And Brig Gen Miyanda said the timing registration of sim-cards was highly suspect and must be reversed or suspended.

He stated that that implementation of the plan had a tendency to compromise privacy and makes relevant constitutional safeguard on privacy moribund.

“Additionally, with the selectiveness and vindictiveness that has manifested under the PF regime, business opportunities will be in jeopardy because of the selective manner in which the first 90 days were carried out. Company secrets will not be safe; even court matters will not be spared…” he stated.

“If the PF does not rescind or suspend the sim-card exercise, I would personally advocate for a class action so that many citizens join as litigants to stop this unjustified erosion of our constitutional rights. This scheme must not be implemented, certainly not under the presidency of President Sata,” he stated.

Source: Post Newspaper

According to a new market report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the operational risk model for Zambia has been downgraded to reflect deepening perceptions of political risk.

The score for government effectiveness risk has worsened by four points, to 68. Recent developments have pointed to an increase in policy risk in Zambia. A number of new regulations have been introduced, with limited private sector consultation, including a 67% increase in the basic minimum wage. Furthermore, the government has proposed a series of revisions to the Companies Act, which include major restrictions on foreign-owned firms, including on their right to borrow funds locally. The revised Companies Bill also gives an unspecified cabinet minister the right to prescribe, by regulation, that a certain sector is not open to foreign investment, and does not explain what would happen if the minister were to nominate a sector in which foreign firms were already present. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s central scenario is that the more radical measures proposed under the new Companies Bill will not get through parliament, but this is not certain.

The score for foreign trade and payments risk has weakened by four points, to 43. Only weeks after the president, Michael Sata, said that the government had abandoned previously mooted plans to restrict the repatriation of profits, senior government officials have indicated that these plans are back on the table. Mr Sata and his government came to power on a mandate of raising the extent to which Zambians (as opposed to foreign investors) benefit from the country’s mineral wealth, and are likely to face continued public pressure to introduce controls on the repatriation of earnings from exports (which consist predominantly of copper). Following recent statements by senior officials, the likelihood of some capital controls being introduced is now high.

Owing to these changes, the overall risk score for Zambia has worsened by a point, to 52.

Source:  Economist Intelligence Unit

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has been challenged to investigate Parliament and determine how Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito was ratified inspite of negative reports, some in court impinging on his character and integrity.

In a letter to ACC Director-General Roselyn Wandi, Brebner Changala suggests that Parliament too should be investigated for ratifying Nchito when the man had heavy luggage of sorts of litigations on his head.

He also called on the ACC to investigate Nchito for abuse of power in that the DPP obtained pecuniary advantage by entering a Nolle Prosequi in favour of one of his creditors (Dr Rajan Mahtan).

“When Mr. Nchito took office as DPP, the first thing he did was to remove the Chief of State Advocate and her deputy who are two senior most prosecutors. Was the civil service regulation followed? Was this act within the law?” he questioned.

This looked like a carefully planned and neatly executed move in order for him to abuse power of which the two were perceived to be an impediment.

Mr Changala said he understood the constitutional independence and the enormous and yet noble powers vested in the office of the DPP but he however said he could clearly see a trade in justice.

Mr Changala  wondered whether Parliament was availed enough and credible information on Nchito before it ratified him as DPP. He said Zambian needed a credible and vibrant DPP to fairly prosecute its many cases.

“What role did our security wings play to clear the candidate? Was Parliament aware that the candidate for DPP office forged a Judge’s Order (Supreme Court Judge Gregory Phiri? What type of input did LAZ submit to the select commit in parliament?” he asked.

“Was parliament aware that this candidate had at one time walked out on a High court Judge while the court was in full session, there by demeaning both the court and the presiding judge?

“This was contempt of the highest order. I’m asking all these questions, because the current DPP came into office laden with heavy luggage of all sorts of litigations on his head,” Changala says

He said parliament should have waited until Mr Nchito had attended to all his outstanding cases against him.

Mr Changala observed that prosecutors from the ACC had to be approved by the DPP who had glaringly abused power, a situation that puts the criminal justice system in grave danger.

He warned that if the Commission did not act, it would throw the entire fight against corruption into disarray.

Source: Zambia Daily Nation

After a month of intense political infighting among Zambia’s ruling party, the Minister of Defence Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba suffered another setback after he was forced out of his position as Chairman for Elections at the Patriotic Front.

Mr. Mwamba, who is facing corruption allegations and an attack campaign from Zambia’s Post Newspaper, has been competing with Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba over the future leadership of the party.

Yesterday Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo was appointed chairperson for elections for the Patriotic Front after the party resolved to remove Mwamba from the position.

Kabimba, who acts as the party’s secretary general, is rumored to have engineered the removal of GBM from overseeing elections for the party, commenting that the PF came to the decision following a recent executive committee meeting.

Adding fuel to the fire, Kabimba said Mwamba relinquished his position following a domestic dispute with his wife over a year ago.

“GBM resigned from the position after he was accused of battering his wife Chama,” Kabimba said.  ”But the PF thought that the position was a serious one and needed to be filled. So the one in charge of elections is Masebo and not GBM.”

Mr. Kabimba is also facing corruption allegations which have not yet been officially investigated.

President Michael Sata has ended his four-day working visit to South Korea where he attended the Third Africa-Korea Economic Cooperation Forum (KOAFEC).

The President departed Korea yesterday at 20:00 hours local time (13:00 hours Zambian time) aboard a Cathy Pacific commercial airline via Hong Kong and Dubai and is expected in Lusaka today at about 14: 30 hours.

President Sata is accompanied by the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba, Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda, Agriculture Minister Emmanuel Chenda, and Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah.

Before visiting Korea, Sata also spent several days in Japan promoting foreign investment in Zambia.

He was seen off at Incheon International airport in Seoul by the Chief of Protocol for the Korean Government, Bae Jae Hyun and the Executive Vice President of Incheon Airport Management who is also a Professor at Korea Aerospace University, Young-Geun Lee.

President Sata held talks with Professor Young-Geun shortly before departure for Lusaka.

Several sources have indicated that Sata’s Asia tour was punctuated by alarming and erratic behaviour unusual for a head of state, including a number of missed appointments, threatening language, and undiplomatic demeanor.  Sata’s entourage refused direct interviews from a number of Asian media houses, and allegedly sought to cover up the president’s odd conduct.

Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Winter Kabimba has refuted claims by the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) that the ruling party is using underhand methods to hoodwink voters into voting for its candidate in the Mufumbwe parliamentary bye-election.

Mr. Kabimba told ZANIS in a telephone interview in Lusaka today that the PF wants to win the bye elections in a transparent and accountable manner, saying the accusations are baseless.

He said if the MMD feel they have no chances of winning the by-election, they should tell the voters instead of raising lies to disrupt the voter’s attention on making a right choice of a candidate.

He said it is not true that the PF has used the payments to farmers for their maize as a strategy to hoodwink farmers in order to get votes adding that paying of farmers for their grain has always been a government program that should not be politicized.

He said government will continue paying farmers their money as they sold their maize to government.

Mr. Kabimba has, however, stated that as party Secretary General he does not know of a businessman named Shawi Fawaz who is alleged to have been sponsoring the parties’ alleged violence acts in Mufumbwe.

Meanwhile, North Western Province Police Commissioner Eugene Sibote has described the political atmosphere in Mufumbwe as peaceful.

Mr. Sibote told ZANIS in a telephone interview that it was sad that information is being manufactured to insinuate incidences that the police have not come across.

Reacting to a statement from Mufumbwe MMD campaign manager Newton Samakayi, Mr. Sibote said it was not true that the police have been reluctant to react to violence acts allegedly being perpetrated by the PF but was quick to act on the opposition.

“Police in Mufumbwe have only recorded one incident,” Kabimba said.  ”That happened when MMD members reported that they were attacked but later refused to take the police to the scene of the alleged violence so that police could establish the truth.”

He said the Mufumbwe by-election campaigns have been peaceful adding that all parties contesting the by-election have conducted their campaigns in a peaceful manner.

Other rights organizations monitoring the bye-elections have observed a much different picture.  The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) recently released a report documenting numerous instances of ruling party cadres beating opposition party workers and repeated threats of violence.

And commenting on the chopper that landed in Kalengwa and raised suspicion of malpractices, Mr. Sibote said the only plane that landed in Kalengwa on October 11, this year was a chopper that carried Vice President Guy Scott when he went to witness the filing nominations by candidates in Mufumbwe.

He said Mufumbwe does not have the airport facilities that can accommodate the size of the helicopter commonly used by the Vice President.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy in Mufumbwe have accused the ruling Patriotic Front party of using underhand methods to hoodwink voters in the forthcoming by-election.

MMD Mufumbwe Campaign Manager Newton Samakayi has told ZANIS in a statement that the Patriotic Front party has sponsored violence through Shawi Fawzi because they are not prepared for the by-election.

Mr. Samakayi further stated that the era of deceit belonged to the 2011 adding that the time for realism has come to North Western Province.

He further said people of North Western Province will not entertain lies as they deserved to be part of the wide spectrum of the development process of the country.

Mr. Samakayi has further given the Zambia Police 24 hours to assume responsibility failure to which a citizen’s arrest shall be effected by his party on any one found wanting in violence.