Patriotic Front’s poor performance in the by-elections is a sign that some members have gone to sleep, says the party’s Lusaka Province chairperson Geoffrey Chuumbwe.

And Chuumbwe yesterday threatened to dissolve the PF’s district executive committee if members fail to resolve internal wrangles.

Addressing PF officials in Chilanga, Chuumbwe said it was painful as a ruling party to lose seats to the opposition.

“Maybe it doesn’t pain you to see us lose elections and we are the ruling party. I was in MMD and the party started losing popularity after seven years. Now you guys are losing popularity after two years. Can’t that come to your head and see what is the problem?” he said.

“The problem is that some people think that they have already reached after winning elections in 2011. It seems everyone has gone to sleep not knowing that after winning elections that is where the work should start.”

Chuumbwe said the ruling party was supposed to be constantly on the defensive.

“In politics my dear brothers and sisters, it is tough and difficult when you are in the ruling party because you are defending. In the opposition you are supposed to attack, and you can do anything and get away with it. But now we have to defend. Everything that we do as a party, people are watching us. We are the party in power, meaning that we are the people who are taking care of UPND, MMD and other political parties,” he said.

And Chuumbwe said he would have no option but to dissolve Chilanga District executive committee if the squabbles were not resolved.

“All these (opposition parties) are looking on us. Now if you are disorganized yourselves, then there will be chaos in the country. If you guys are united and working together, then the country will be united and work together. This government which is here today comes from us. We are the people who are supposed to be the light of government,” he said.

“Tell me if in Chilanga today there is light, there is no light, you understand. Maybe you it doesn’t pain you. It pains me a lot to see us losing a seat like Kafulafuta, for instance, it is really painful.”

Chuumbwe urged PF members in Chilanga to be united and mobilize new members of the party.

“That is why you see that in Lusaka province, when we have any by-election, even a ward election, we have had so many ward elections in Lusaka…we can boast that we have won everything because we don’t play games. We can fight somewhere else but when we are seriously doing party work we are very serious,” he said.

Chuumbwe advised district officials to put their differences aside and work for the party.

Source: The Post
“I can assure that we all have differences. We are not angels but we are human beings. where you find people, there are differences, but party work must be rerspected. Meaning that whether you like it or not, all of us here are working for the PF and President Michael Sata. If you are fighting amongst yourselves, you are anti-PF and anti Michael Sata, that is all,” Chuumbwe said.

The post Chuumbwe Attributes Poor By-Election Show to ‘Sleepy’ PF appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Catholic Media communications director Fr Paul Samasumo says rather than fight online media the Zambians must embrace it as it represented the future.

Fr Samasumo also urged the Zambian media not to relent in fighting archaic media laws.

“Online media is the future anywhere in the world. If we cannot embrace online media, if we cannot embrace the new trends we will remain backwards,” Samasumo said.

“Even in the vatican that is the trend, the Pope is always on twiiter. Even the resignation of Pope Benedict’s resignation was first announced via twitter.”

The Zambian government has launched a vicious campaign against online media blocking all media outlets critical of the PF government through China sourced technology.

So far the Zambian Watchdog and the Zambia Reports have been on the receiving end of targeted closure by the government after emerging as the alternative source of news from the two government dailies and the Patriotic Front aligned Post Newspapers.

The private independent Daily Nation has been slapped with heavy legal suits including some emanating from State House.

And Samasumo urged the media to fight archaic laws like criminal defamation.

“You have to fight archaic laws like criminal defamation because that will help free the press,” he said.

The post Embrace Online Media – Fr Samasumo appeared first on Zambia Reports.

People’s Party President Mike Mulongoti says President Michael Sata should not complain about permanent secretaries not performing because he is the one who hired them.

Mulongoti said the permanent secretaries were underperforming because they were not properly scrutinized on appointment.

Mulongoti urged Sata to fire them if he was not happy with their performance.

“Firstly who appointed these permanent secretaries? If they are not performing it could be that they were not properly scrutinized on appointment. So rather than complain he should fire them and ensure that the correct people are hired,” Mulongoti said.

“Who is to blame? This is what people talk about when they talk about a professional civil service which standard the PF has failed they have also recruited cadres based on patronage and not a competitive process.”

Recently President Michael Sata on creating the position permanent secretary at State House said many PSs had let him down and were underperfoming.

The post Mulongoti Tells Sata not to Complain About PS appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Two engineering students at the Copperbelt University students have died after drowning in a dam at Nsobe Lodge in Mufulira whilst on a social outing.

The duo has been identified as Brindly Mpashi and Mulenga Mwape both of Mufulira where the funerals are being held.

They were part of 12 students that had gone on a social outing but were not wearing life jackets when the canoe they were in capsized.

The post Two CBU Engineering Students Drown appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Thirty five households have been burnt in Kalabo and Limulunga Districts of Western Province in different circumstances.

Mongu District Commissioner Maurice Litula said the cause of the 20 that were burnt down in Kalabo was yet to be established while in Limulunga the houses were torched by a mad man.

Litula said the fire in Kalabo was suspected to have been an act of wizardly.

“In the newly established district of Limulunga 15 houses have been burnt by a mad man while in Kalabo it is not yet very clear although the people were saying the fire started last year in May and you know unless you have lived there it is very difficult to understand some of these things,” he said.

Litula said experts had been sent to the area to ascertain the extent of the damage and evaluate the value of the loss.

The post Mysterious Fire Sweeps Through 35 Households appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The opposition National Restoration Party has named its candidates in the three forthcoming by-elections in the Eastern Province set for September 5.

NAREP leader Elias Chipimo said the party will field candidates in Malambo, Mkaika and Petauke Central constituencies.
Chipimo said the party was spreading its influence across the country.

He named the candidates as Nigel Mpakata for Mkaika, Michell Manda for Malambo with Abel Phiri selected for Petauke Central.

The Malambo Mkaika and Patauke seats were nullified by the courts of law in what analysts argue is an attempt to give the ruling party a chance to increase its number of seats in parliament.

On Thursday, Zambia witnessed four by-elections that saw the ruling party lose in three and taking one.

The September five will provide another round of by-elections in the many more to be held as the PF moves to fight for its targeted 106 threshold to control parliament and rubber stamp decisions.

The post NAREP Picks Candidates for 3 By-Elections appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) disapproves of recent statements by Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba with regard to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Mr Kabimba made the statements in the lead up to the Chipata Central bye-election, once it became apparent that the ruling Patriotic Front party, where Kabimba also serves as Secretary General, was going to lose the seat to the candidate from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). The ECZ had issued a statement condemning the appearance of Paramount Chief Mpezeni at a PF political rally, which is against Zambian electoral laws.

“ECZ is being mischievous, they are trying to belittle President Michael Sata,” Kabimba said on July 26, challenging some officers at the ECZ to resign on moral grounds whom he accuses of allegedly having worked against Mr. Sata’s 2011 bid for presidency.

A statement issued last night by LAZ argues the ECZ had firm grounds to censure Chief Mpezeni for directing his subjects to vote for the PF candidate, Lameck Mangani.

LAZ president James Banda said it was “wrong” for Kabimba to verbally abuse the ECZ for correcting him, pointing out that Mpezeni had breached the constitution and the ECZ were acting within their right to enforce the law

Noting an overall deterioration in the rule of law in recent months under the PF government, the LAZ statement went further to criticize the recent appointment of three traditional rulers to the House of Chiefs from the newly created Muchinga Province by President Sata, despite earlier rulings which had decided that these individuals would not qualify.

The post Kabimba Wrong to Criticise ECZ – LAZ appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, ZNBC, owes Chanda Chimba, III more than K40,000 (K40 million old currency) for the payments made to the national broadcaster for the documentary series Stand Up for Zambia. This is according to a well placed source at ZNBC.

The source has told Zambia Reports that PHIBAJO Productions, the business name under which Chimba was doing business with ZNBC for many years, is according to a reconciled Account Statement code number 305675 owed K40,832,604.10.

This money has been outstanding in since September 2011 when PHIBAJO Productions account with ZNBC was reconciled.

The source has revealed that management has deliberately kept quiet capitalising on what Chimba is going through hoping he may never claim the money when the exact opposite would have happened if it was Chimba owing ZNBC.

“This is why you will remember when Given Lubinda was Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services he quickly and quietly stopped talking about Chimba because he found out that we actually owed him,’’ said the source.

Chimba through his PHIBAJO Productions became an official agent of ZNBC in 2005 and did several transactions with the national broadcaster for which he was paid commission on every programme or commercial advertisement taken for broadcast on Radio or Television.

According to the source terms were such that Chimba could have anything aired on ZNBC with an upfront payment or the commercials or programmes would be aired on account, basically on credit, to be paid later as these are some of the benefits registered agents enjoy.

“So yes sometimes PHIBAJO Productions would owe but this time around ZNBC is owing and there is nothing wrong with that,” the source said.

“Whether Chimba intends to get the money through airtime for programmes or commercials he may wish to run or he wants the money back is something else. But one way or the other we must pay the money,” added the source.

The post ZNBC Owes Chanda Chimba K40 Million appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Lusaka High Court has reserved ruling on whether the tribunal instituted to probe the professional misconduct of recently resigned Supreme Court Judge Phillip Musonda should proceed or not.

High Court Judge Florence Lengalenga reserved the ruling to August 6, this year after hearing oral arguments by both parties in chambers yesterday.

This is in a matter in which Dr Justice Musonda is contesting the legality of the tribunal constituted to probe him after he resigned through a letter to acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda.

Ms Justice Lengalenga, in her ruling, said Dr Justice Musonda’s application in his affidavit granted him a judicial review and further a stay which blocked the tribunal from going ahead two days after it commenced.

She said going ahead with the tribunal to hear evidence against Dr Justice Musonda’s alleged professional misconduct would make him suffer injustices.

Dr Justice Musonda, of House No 12, Sianjalika Road, Woodlands, had sought judicial review on grounds that the tribunal was acting in excess of jurisdiction by insisting to proceed against him when he had resigned.

Attorney-General Mumba Malila in response to the opposition for a court order for staying the tribunal’s proceedings pending judicial review said the applicant’s appointing authority was the President and not the acting Chief Justice.

He indicated that the purported resignation by Dr Justice Musonda did not extinguish the tribunal’s mandate to inquire into his alleged professional misconduct.

Mr Malila said the tribunal was mandated to enquire into the applicant’s professional misconduct as a judge at the specific time and the purported resignation did not extinguish its mandate.

Three people, High Court Judge Albert Wood, High Court acting registrar Chilombo Phiri and State Counsel Nchima Nchito have so far submitted before the tribunal led by Malawian Judge Lovemore Chikopa.

Two other High Court Judges Charles Kajimanga and Nigel Mutuna were also party to the initial tribunal probe but the Ndola High Court recently granted them a stay where they questioned the legality of the tribunal.

Source: Times of Zambia

The post Court Reserves Ruling in Judge Musonda Tribunal to August 6 appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has refused to cite Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba for contempt of court.

The court has instead advised defence lawyers representing MMD president Nevers Mumba to make an “appropriate” application if the matter is to proceed.

This is in a matter in which Dr Mumba is charged with alleged abuse of authority of office and mismanagement of public funds involving over 156,000 Canadian dollars or K832,941,456.65.

When the matter came up for continuation of trial before chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda, the state said it was not ready to proceed because the prosecutor handling the matter was bereaved.

Defence lawyer Makebi Zulu said he had no objection to the adjournment as the prosecution had given a valid reason.

Mr Zulu, however, made an application that the court should summon Mr Kabimba whom he accused of commenting on a matter which was still before the court.

He said according to an article which appeared in The Post newspaper on July 24, 2013, Mr Kabimba was quoted making reference to Dr Mumba’s matter.

Mr Kabimba is reported to have said the MMD leadership was in court because it stole money.

“The MMD is in court because their leaders Rupiah Banda and Nevers Mumba have stolen money,” Mr Zulu quoted Mr Kabimba as saying.

Mr Zulu said a statement like this should not come from a minister of Justice who swore to uphold the constitution of the country and that the defence does not take kindly to such statements.

He said the statement is demeaning to the court and tends to show that justice is unlikely to be done in the matter.

Mr Zulu said President Sata also made reference to the matter in court, according to an article which appeared in the
Zambia Daily Mail on July 21, 2013.

“Seeing that those who are supposed to protect our constitution have found our client guilty, we are constrained to apply for contempt against the President but we will reiterate our earlier application to call Mr Kabimba to show cause why he should not be cited for contempt,” Mr Zulu said.

And another defence lawyer Irene Kunda said it is “unprofessional and highly inappropriate” for a lawyer to demean the court and urged the court to take action against lawyers who comment on matters that are in court.

In his ruling, magistrate Banda said the court cannot be swayed by comments made by lawyers and politicians but that matters are dealt with on merit and on the basis of evidence brought to court.

Mr Banda said commenting on a matter that is in court is inappropriate, irregular and offends the law and that members of the public must resist the urge to talk about issues that are in court.

He advised the defence to make an appropriate application if they feel that what was said outside the court proceedings was contemptuous.

“The defence can make an appropriate application for contempt if indeed the minister of Justice said what he is reported to have said,” he said.

In the earlier matter before the court, Mumba is alleged to have failed to comply with procedures in receiving and disbursing CAD$122,229.85, illegally awarded a contract for the electrical works (CAD$9, 000) and carpeting (CAD$ 19, 850) at the Zambian High Commissioner’s residence to Restcon Construction Services and Argos Carpet Limited respectively. Mumba is also alleged to have awarded a contract for the construction of a deck at the Zambian High Commissioner’s residence valued at CAD$5, 248 to Stanmark Construction.

Source: Zambia Daily Mail

The post Kabimba Escapes Contempt Charge appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Patriotic Front (PF) in Lusaka has demanded that former Solwezi East Member of Parliament Richard Taima exculpates himself or leaves the ruling party over allegations that he de-campaigned the PF in the Solwezi East by-election which the ruling party lost.

This follows media reports suggesting that the PF lost in Solwezi East because Taima allegedly took a part in campaigning against the ruling party.

PF Lusaka District Chairperson Goodson Banda says the party in Lusaka will not allow traitors to infiltrate it to the detriment of the party’s well being.

Banda has appealed to the PF leadership to look into the allegations against Taima and make a prompt decision if such allegations are proven true.

Banda says such allegations if proven to be true will be an indication of how ungrateful Taima is, especially that despite the party not adopting him to contest the by-election, President Michael Sata had already offered him another job.

Meanwhile, Banda has described as mere politicking the condemnation of Justice Minister and PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba over his statement concerning the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

Banda says Kabimba does not need any further orientation do to his job as some civil society organizations have recently suggested.

The post PF Go for Taima after Solwezi East Defeat appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Opposition Movement for Multi-Party Democracy Director of Communications in the office of the party president, Muhabi Lungu, says reports in the media for party president Nevers Mumba to resign are baseless.

Lungu says his office has not received any communication from any member of the party calling for the resignation of Dr. Mumba.

He since challenged any aggrieved member of the MMD to use the appropriate channels of communication with the relevant party structures instead of rushing to the press.

Lungu adds those calling for Dr. Mumba’s resignation should do so using the correct procedure.

There has been a seemingly growing rift in the MMD top leadership with some named senior members of the party being accused of plotting to oust Dr Mumba from the presidency of the former ruling party.

The post Muhabi Brands Nevers Mumba Resignation Calls Baseless appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The body of a Copperbelt University (CBU) student who drowned at Nsobe Game Camp in Mpongwe has been retrieved and transported to Mufulira.

Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo and Copperbelt University Students’ Union president Oscar Mbewe confirmed this yesterday.

And Government is “deeply aggrieved” by the death of the CBU students.

Acting chief government spokesperson Fackson Shamenda said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that the death of the students has robbed the nation of promising intellectuals.

“The students would have contributed greatly to the development of the country. On behalf of the government, I convey heartfelt condolences to Copperbelt Province Minister Mwenya Musenge, and through him, to the bereaved families, COBUSU and the entire CBU staff and student fraternity, on this tragic and untimely loss of lives,” he said.

Shamenda said all companies and individuals engaged in water transport services should observe the highest standard of safety measures at all times to avoid loss of life.

And Ms Tembo said the two bodies are in the Malcom Watson Hospital mortuary in Mufulira.
On Saturday, two CBU second year students drowned in a river at Nsobe Game Camp in Mpongwe.

Mbewe said students are devastated by the tragic loss of their colleagues.

He said in Kitwe yesterday that the body of Francis Mulenga Bwalya was retrieved on Sunday afternoon and immediately transported to Mufulira together with that of Brindley Mpashi.

“A dark cloud hangs over CBU following the death of our friends… the student populace is deeply saddened because we have lost two vibrant students who could have contributed to the development of the institution and the nation… this is a big loss,” Mr Mbewe said.

Bwalya and Mr Mpashi were second year students in the school of mathematics and natural sciences.

Mbewe said COBUSU has written to Nsobe Game Camp and other pleasure resorts to put in place safety measures to prevent the loss of life.

He also advised students to follow the regulation which requires them to inform the dean of students and the COBUSU leadership 48 hours before taking a trip out of campus.

“We know that this was a private trip but regulations cover both private trips and official CBU trips,” Mr Mbewe said
The two students will be buried today in Mufulira and COBUSU and management have provided financial, material and moral support to the bereaved families.

Meanwhile, Mufulira district commissioner Beatrice Mithi has said one of the students was taking care of her incapacitated mother. “This is sad… one of the students was taking care of his mother who is in a wheelchair after suffering a stroke. We have lost future leaders.”

CBU public relations officer Grace Mikunga said Mr Bwalya and Mr Mpashi were part of a group of nine students at Nsobe Game Camp.

“Three students got on a canoe belonging to a private individual but unfortunately the vessel capsized as they were trying to return ashore. Only one student who was putting on a life jacket survived,” Ms Mikunga said.

The post CBU Students Who Drowned to be Put to Rest Today appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Former Evelyn Hone College lecturer Clayson Hamasaka has said he is stressed over the law enforcement agencies’ continued shift of goal posts as they attempt to charge him for allegedly having links with the Zambian Watchdog.

Hamasaka, an alleged target of the Patriotic Front leadership through the Zambia Police, wrote on social media facebook that the police who initially announced they were pursuing him for drug related offences had shifted to sedition and now were stretching their charge list to pornography.

He said he had not been shown the said pornographic material by the police who had been holding on to his gadgets since the night that they had bundled him away to a police cell.

“As you may know, the issue was about being searched for drugs at first, the defamation of the president, later being in possession of seditious materials, and now being in possession of an obscene picture which I have not seen and the officers have had and still keeping my machines all this time,” he said.

“I am so stressed I have elected to remain silent, so do the same also. Thank you for all your phone calls and messages. Just thanking officers for all ‘the professional job’ being done.”

Hamasaka is one of three journalists President MIchael Sata’s government has arrested as they clamp down on critical media in the country intensifies.

So far online media has been operating to a limited capacity after the intelligence system shipped in technology that is meant to paralyse websites critical of government with the Zambian Watchdog and Zambia Reports access to domestic serves severed.

The post Hamasaka Stressed over Shifting Goal Posts by Police appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The Patriotic Front has unleashed its youth wing on the Electoral Commission of Zambia with level party functionaries taking turns in attacking the elections body for having censured the ruling party for breaching the Electoral Code of Conduct.

A cluster of PF officials have taken the hint from the party secretary general Wynter Kabimba to publicly denounce the ECZ.

Shibuyunji Ward chairperson Joseph Kasonde ate into national television air time when he was accorded acres of space calling for the resignation of ECZ executive director Priscilla Isaacs.

“We are calling on the ECZ executive director Priscilla Isaacs to resign her position and become spokesperson for the opposition,” Kasonde said.

“It is very clear that Isaacs has been paid by the opposition to ensure that the ruling party does not win elections.”

And Lusaka District PF youth chairman Kennedy Kamba said that the ECZ was bent on embarrassing the ruling party.

“The comments by the ECZ were meant to embarrass the ruling party because there was no complaint from the opposition or anyone but the ECZ acted on behalf of the opposition.”

During the just ended round of parliamentary by-elections, the ECZ sternly cautioned the PF for parading Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people at a political rally where he campaigned for the ruling party.

ECZ has previously stopped opposition political parties such as the MMD from using material which had fourth Republican president Rupiah Banda because he had resigned following complaints from PF members led by Bonny Tembo.

The post PF Youth Wing Join ECZ Onslaught appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Four people have died in a road traffic accident on the Mongu/Lusaka road in a road traffic accident involving a minibus Rosa and a light canter truck.

The truck and the bus collided on the road in Namashashe area with 18 people sustaining injuries and hospitalized at Kaoma District Hospital.

Western Province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba said part of the road was closed due to construction works and the accident may have been due to poor signage and visibility.

Mwamba said the accident occurred around 15:00 hours on Friday.

The post 4 Die on Mongu/Lusaka Road in Accident appeared first on Zambia Reports.

The executive director for Heal Zimbabwe, Rashid Mahiya, has said former president Rupiah Banda has set a precedent to other current African leaders that there can be a smooth transition of power when a sitting president loses an election.

Mahiya said as Zimbabwe goes to the polls on July 31, 2013, the spotlight would be on President Robert Mugabe to ensure free and fair elections as exemplified by Zambia’s 2011 polls. He said African presidents had the responsibility ensure peaceful transitions of power after elections, and should not be afraid of stepping down if defeated.

There is, however, an unfortunate trend of prosecuting former African presidents, says Mahiya, which is partly responsible for their resistance to democratic transitions, creating dictators who cling to power and ultimately impede development on the continent.

Referring to the current cases against former Zambian president Rupiah Banda by the Patrotic Front (PF) government, Mahiya said some African presidents such as Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe were reluctant to hand over power because of the persecution and prosecution that would follow them as a result of the actions committed while in office.

After losing the 2011 elections Rupiah Banda performed a smooth hand over of power to Michael Sata, but the PF government has slapped numerous charges on the former president on criminal allegations that are yet to be proved.

Speaking during an interview, Mahiya said prosecuting former presidents after they leave power was a growing trend in Africa, but it was discouraging sitting presidents from handing over power even when one lost an election.

He said Zambia’s Rupiah Banda was a good example to Africa because he showed that there could be a smooth hand over of power when a sitting loses an election. Mahiya said African leaders must prepare for transitions while in office to avoid conflicts after they lose power.

“This is the problem that we have in Zimbabwe. It seems Mugabe is scared of handing over power realizing the wrongs that he has done and staying as president is the best thing because of the prosecution he would go through if he leaves the presidency. Some African presidents remain in power because of their transgressions while in office. What we learn from what happened in Zambia’s 2011 elections is that there can be transfer of power after an election and this is what Zimbabwe has to learn,” he said.

He said the biggest challenge to democracy in Africa was the transfer of power from the loser to the winner especially when the loser is the incumbent and this is because of the consequence of losing power.

Mahiya said some African presidents refuse the hand over power because they are always thinking about the arrests and other forms of harassment after losing power.

“As Africans, don’t we think those presidents in America, Britain and other developed countries have transgressions they committed while in office and yet they are never arrested and harassed after they leave power. We understand our African politicians are problematic especially when they are in power, but we need to guarantee them that they are safe when they leave power.

Heal Zimbabwe is a Harare based non-governmental (NGO) organisation focused on reconciling and healing victims of political violence.

The NGO has worked with Zimbabweans who lost relatives in the 2008 election violence where it empowered families of victims with services such as income generating activities.

The post Banda Set a Precedent by Stepping Down, Says Zimbabwean Activist appeared first on Zambia Reports.

After failing to link former Evelyn Hone College journalism professor Clayson Hamasaka to a sedition charge, the Zambia Police planted evidence of obscene materials on his seized laptop in order to bring a case against him, a source tells Zambia Reports.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source, who maintains impeccable ties to senior police officials in Lusaka, says that officers were acting under heavy political pressure to bring a charge against Mr. Hamasaka, who is alleged to participate in the government-critical online newspaper Zambian Watchdog.

Hamasaka was originally arrested in the early morning of July 9 following a police raid on his house, claiming they were looking for drugs and arms. He was later released on bail while another journalist arrested that evening, Thomas Zgambo, was held for four days before being charged with sedition.

According to the source, Zambia’s law enforcement agencies were able to retain possession of Mr. Hamasaka’s laptop computer and smartphone for more than two weeks, allowing them the opportunity to plant the pornographic materials sufficient for a charge on possession of obscene materials.

“Actually this case has been a challenge, so now we have just been told to plant the evidence,” the source tells Zambia Reports. “With his computer in our possession, it was very easy to put the evidence on the hard drive.”

The source indicated that the police were unable to come up with any evidence that would hold up the sedition charge against the journalist in court.

“We tried going over everything but nothing to link him to sedition because there is just normal journalism material. Now pornography is easy to plant.”

So far three journalists have been arrested on suspected links with online website Zambian Watchdog, with one, Wilson Mpondamali, continuing to be held in detention despite his deteriorating health and absence of legal authority to jail him without charges.

Last year, Mr. Hamasaka was fired without explanation from his position as a lecturer at Evelyn Hone College following an appearance at the college radio station by opposition politician Hakainde Hichilema. Hamasaka’s wife has also been dismissed from her job at the municipal utility company.

The post Police Accused of Planting Porn on Journalist’s Computer appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Opposition Alliance for a Better Zambia has exposed a scheme by the Patriotic Front government to hound out Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson Ireen Mambilima for being strictly adhering to the Electoral Code of Conduct.

The Mambilima led ECZ has of late drawn the wrath of the ruling party for censuring Patriotic Front aligned Chief Mpezeni who campaigned for the PF during the recent by-elections in Chipata.

The ECZ had also found the national broadcaster, ZNBC, in breach of the Electoral Code of Conduct in its coverage of elections.

ABZ leader Fr Bwalya alleged that PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba was the “choirmaster” of the current anti ECZ sentiments.

“The on-going chorus of attack on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) by Patriotic Front (PF) with Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba as the choir master is part of a scheme to replace ECZ chairperson Justice Ireen Mambilima and other critical staff with PF cadres,” Fr Bwalya said.

“PF wants to do this in line with their party constitution article 3 which says; “The Party shall ensure that all public institutions, State-owned enterprises and popular mass and similar organizations are led by persons who are members of the Party and who are uncompromisingly committed to achievements of the Party.”

He said the ruling party had realized that Mambilima would not champion their causes and had not helped them win by-elections that saw the opposition take the lion’s share recently.

“PF has realized that Justice Mambilima and her staff can’t be used to promote the interests of their party. Therefore, the public should expect many PF officials from various parts of the country to join the chorus the choirmaster Kabimba has started,” he said.

“PF plans to do the same with Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) which has of late exhibited elements of fair and objective coverage of dissenting views. With the police, they have no problem because they are getting full support in advancing their interests.”

The PF recently lost three of the four by-elections despite President Michael Sata having campaigned heavily with the aid of some compromised traditional leaders.

The post PF Want to Remove ECZ Head, Charges Fr Bwalya appeared first on Zambia Reports.

Football Association of Zambia Kalusha Bwalya, seemingly getting too comfortable under the wash of the blue colour spray of The Post Newspapers, let his mind running away a little when he made quite scathing comments on the leagues where Zambian players ply their trade.

It could have earned him full marks by his hosts but in truth the comments had far reaching football and relationship consequences. For those that may have missed; here below is the bit of what the FAZ man said;

“Our league is going to suffer if we continue being feeders of South Africa, TP Mazembe and Angola for instance. Surely they are much better off going to Europe.

“There is no patience in the Zambian players. If we have to play at the World Cup, then we should look and envy players playing in Europe. Because when you go there, you will find players that play in teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester. Those are the teams these guys should aim at. Unfortunately, our boys are easily misled. My worry has been; who is talking to the players? They are becoming breadwinners at an early age,” said Kalusha

Very noble sentiments on the face of it and definitely ones to make the back page of any publication coming from a man who himself made time in Europe. But not if you draw yourself to two lines- “…OUR BOYS ARE BEING MISLED.” By who Mr President?

You Mr President has had a hand in several transfer deals that have been steeped in corruption and have almost brought Zambian football to near paupers. Emmanuel Mbola has never played decent football since 2010 when his Africa Cup exploits won him many scouting eyes and even attracted the attention of Serie A giants Juventus until Mr President you smelt the money and in a well documented confession by Mbola’s former manager Elijah Chileshe, a big fish is involved in the Mbola deal.

Chileshe or Shenko revealed how on a visit to TP Mazembe all the dreams that the player had of going to Europe melted in that lush office which only you and Shenko know the full story but the tragic end was that Mbola stayed put in Lubumbashi where he was made to entangle in a transfer dispute that took over a year for FIFA to resolve.

Mbola’s free-fall has continued as he has now lowered his bar to playing for local guns Nkana as his big move. In any case, TP Mazembe and some South African clubs deserve Zambia’s respect for helping keeping our boys in shape going on to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. Five of Zambia’s Africa Cup winning team were TP Mazembe products that first won the Africa Club Championship and went on to play at the FIFA Club World Cup.

While Kalusha’s target with these clubs starts and ends on “how much the transfer fee” is, TP Mazembe and those teams in South Africa generally contribute to the general well-being of our players. TP Mazembe and teams like Sundowns just don’t end at “how much is my CUT” business like the case is with Kalusha. You wonder whether he made those comments in sleep mode.

Another note Mr President, “My worry has been; who is talking to the players at home.” Again Mr President who are you deceiving? Many bogus agents have surfaced with hardly no one in the players’ home set up ever aware of any connection with agents until THE well engineered hotel visit for a ‘meeting’ with so and so from wherever just to have a chat. None of the player’s family is ever that connected!

How many agents has Sunzu met? And at whose behest? Quite a stampede around the young man to ensure any orderly club to do business. This could be another tragic story given Sunzu though young will need to hit his prime and with Zambia not so very high on the global ranks performance wise or otherwise it could be difficult to get a look in. Is it not a shame that for all the noise made about winning the Africa Cup all that we can show for in Europe is Mayuka’s not so high flying trek to Southampton.

You further say, “they are becoming breadwinners at an early age.” Need we go back to the Emmanuel Mayuka chapter, the teenager whose right to sign a contract to the point of forgery you pushed with all that evidence in public domain. Was that not forcing Mayuka into a breadwinner clearly against the rules and conscious?

You make a strong case against the TP Mazembe and South Africa leagues. Mr President, where you not the first official to do business with Mazembe in the Mbola case? Has not TP Mazembe picked players that none of the clubs anywhere in the world could look at for their dismal form. Some of them have been roped in on charitable grounds, no need to mention names.

But some waning careers have seen a bit of light courtesy of the mercies of Moise Katumbi. Was not the bulk of the Africa Cup winning team not from TP Mazembe and South Africa? If they did not go to Europe is that entirely a Mazembe problem? None of these clubs cajole Zambian players into signing for them?

None of the Zambian players that go to South Africa has ever been held against their will. It is a free market. How many Zambian players has the SA league given a livelihood? Without South Africa could the former golden boy of Zambian football Collins Mbesuma ever got a resurgence?

So Mr President have some respect for the local leagues that have built your players sometimes at the expense of their own nationals. Well, you can fool those who conveniently wish to be fooled when it comes to player transfers, agents and other things, but not everyone. Its best Mr President you keep your player skeletons to yourself before people resurrect what your hand has seen from the days of Maybin Mugaiwa, Harry Milanzi, Dudley Fichite and the late Chaswe Nsofwa to mention but a few.

Source: bolazambia

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