RB should be given another chance, FDD vice president

28th July 2011

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Vice president Chifumu Banda says his party will support President Rupiah Banda in this year’s election because it has not changed its position it took in 2008.

Chifumu told the Watchdog that the position the party took in 2008 of supporting President Banda still stands and would only be looked into during the forthcoming National Policy Committee (NCP) scheduled for this month end.

The NCP is the supreme body which will be looking and approving among other matters the adoption of the party’s presidential and parliamentary candidates ahead of the election this year if any.

In an interview with the Watchdog Wednesday on the FDD’s preparations for elections this year, Chifumu said his party still stands and believes in President Banda’s leadership because he has performed exceptionally well.

“President Rupiah Banda should be given another chance to lead the nation because he has performed exceptionally well. It is for everybody to see what he has done in the past three years he has been in office, that it why as a party we have not changed our position we took in 2008 of supporting his candidature,” said Chifumu.

The FDD vice president said President Banda has reduced the levels of poverty in the three years he has been in office, hence the need to support his final term of office.

Chifumu who is also Chasefu FDD member of parliament said although his party has not yet declared its position indicating the way forward in this year’s election, he was confident that President Banda was the only credible candidate.

“The three year’s President Banda has been in office have been the most challenging ones but at least he has managed to handle the pressure that come with those challenges, during his first months in office the entire world experienced the economical meltdown, that was a serious economical crisis but he calmly handled and managed the problem which would have seen this country collapse economically,” he

said.

And on his president Edith Nawakwi, Chifumu said it was not clear if she would contest for presidency because she has not yet declared so.

“It is entirely her decision to make, as I said she has not yet informed the party about her candidature and will be meeting to make our position known at the month end, we shall also look at the number of people who have applied to contest as MPs on the party ticket but all these must be credible people,” said Chifumu.

Meanwhile the Chasefu lawmaker says he is confident that he will return the seat on the FDD ticket because he has worked closely with the people in his constituency on developmental purposes.

“Right now am in my constituency busy campaigning and there is no chance for any other candidate to unseat me because the people I serve feel adequately represented, I have delivered the development and are also looking forward to retain me,” he said.

UPND okays printing of ballots in South Africa

28th July 2011

The United Party for National Development says there is nothing wrong with printing ballot papers from South Africa.

UPND deputy spokesperson told Hot Fm radio that what is important is to ensure that elections are free and fair.

He said it’s not realistic to ask the Electoral Commission of Zambia to print the ballots in Zambia when the process has already begun in South Africa.

He said ECZ should make sure ballots are printed in Zambia.

The Patriotic Front is demanding that ballots papers should be printed in Zambia.

PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba said printing ballots are a security issue and that ECZ explain the tender procedure used.

He said PF should be engaged before the ballots are printed.

Sata accused of tribalism, interviewing MPs from home

By Jimmy Chibuye

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata is alleged to have hijacked the process of adopting parliamentary candidates in his party, leaving no room for other members to have a say.

Impeccable sources said in Lusaka yesterday Mr Sata has been conducting interviews in person and drafting a list of preferred candidates from his home.

The development is said to be frustrating older members of the party, who fear that the opposition leader will give preference to new members.

“Mr Sata is allegedly conducting interviews at his home, and he has drafted a list of candidates for Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces,” one source said.

He said Mr Sata’s action has caused anxiety among party faithfuls because they do not know their place in the party.

The sources said Mr Sata’s alleged tribal inclination has affected the adoption process of the PF.

The names on Mr Sata’s list include Miles Sampa (Sata’s nephew) for Matero Constituency, Sylvia Chalikosa (Lusaka Central) and the PF president’s son, Mulenga.

Mulenga is reported to have initially been eyeing Lusaka Central and Kabwata, but may now have to settle for the lower position of councillor in one of the wards in the capital city.

The sources said Mr Sata’s action contradicts what the lower organs of the party have recommended.

They said because of lack of democracy in the PF, the MMD has adopted some of the opposition members of Parliament to stand on its ticket.

Grassroots members of the PF have rejected former minister of Health Nkandu Luo, who is PF leader Michael Sata’s preferred candidate for Munali Constituency, to take over from incumbent MP Mumbi Phiri.

Sources said Ms Phiri has also not been interviewed because the members prefer someone else for the seat.

The development comes a few days after some PF members of the central committee said members in Munali Constituency have also rejected former Chongwe MMD MP Sylvia Masebo, whom Mr Sata wanted to impose on them against the wish of the party members in Chongwe, who prefer Geoffrey Chumbwe.

Kafue District Hospital gets ultrasound machine

By Davies M.M Chanda Thursday, 28 July 2011 07:25

SAMSUNG Medical Centre of South Korea on Wednesday donated an ultrasound machine to Kafue District Hospital aimed at benefiting the vulnerable community and enhance the health delivery in the area.


The hospital also launched the medical camps in Chongwe and Kafue districts under Samsung employee volunteer programme organised and sponsored by Samsung Corporation, Electrical engineering and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and Urban Self Help (PUSH).


Samsung Electronics Limited Company has also set up a community business centre and computer training for youths in Soloboni community to improve its livelihood and has donated 20 computers to the centre.


Head of the medical team, Chung Sungsoo said during the launch at Nangongwe Urban Health Centre in Kafue that the medical camps would provide basic medical screening and treatment to the communities and improve hygiene to prevent treatable diseases.


Mr Sungsoo said the medical camps would be conducted by a group of medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists that would provide the general screening and ultrasound at the two medical camps.

He said more than 700 people were screened in Chongwe and about 600 would be screened at Nangogwe urban health centre.


“We have about seven Korean doctors and 40 nurses as well as local medical officers and some doctors from South Africa, bringing the number to 67 who will be conducting general screening at the medical camps,” he said.


Receiving the donation, Minister of Health, Kapembwa Simbao said the ultrasound machine would enhance the community knowledge on health.


Mr Simbao said provision of quality health was an enormous task that should not be left to the Government alone but required concerted efforts from various stakeholders.


In a speech read for him by Deputy Minister Christopher Kalila, Mr Simbao said the Government was pleased by the noble gesture of endeavouring to promote health and technical skills among the vulnerable community.


He said the Government was aware that the most vulnerable people were mostly in the rural areas and in need of designed health systems closer to their households.


Mr Simbao said the mobile health services which the Government had procured was one of the strategies to reach people in the rural areas and had built health posts to bring healthcare closer to the people.


He commended Korean medics, Samsung and Push for the good community initiative and urged Samsung to consider opening up an electronic manufacturing industry in Zambia.


And Nangogwe Clinic acting sister-in-charge, Stella Bowa praised Samsung for the equipment and medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists for their assistance.


'Stand up for Zambia' critics not sincere, says Mumbi

By Times Reporter


FORMER Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Edward Mumbi has said those opposing the television series "Stand up for Zambia" produced by Chanda Chimba III and reproducing PF leader Michael Sata’s speeches are insincere because the producer is not adding or subtracting anything from Mr Sata’s true character.


Mr Mumbi said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday it was unfair for some sections of society to condemn Mr Chimba for reproducing what Mr Sata had been saying.


He said Zambians should in fact commend Mr Chimba for exposing Mr Sata’s true character because he had not been misquoting the PF leader on anything.


“What is surprising is for even Mr Sata himself to describe that programme as promoting hate when it is himself who has been saying what Mr Chimba is simply reproducing without adding or subtracting anything.

“Let Mr Sata deny that it is not him in those pictures being shown on the programme,” he said.

Mr Mumbi said Zambians should not support media institutions that were in the habit of burying their heads in the sand but should instead commend Mr Chimba for quoting Mr Sata accurately by reproducing exactly what he had been saying word for word, thereby portraying the PF leader’s true character.


He described as dull, people that had been condemning Mr Chimba for showing the Zambians the true character of Mr Sata.


He was surprised that Mr Sata reacted the way he did in the Post Newspaper when President Rupiah Banda just said at a rally that Mr Sata was a vicious person who did not spare anyone as shown on "Stand up for Zambia" programme.


Mr Mumbi said the PF was now feeling the heat because Mr Sata’s true character had been exposed to the public through Mr Chimba’s programme.


“Mr Sata should also realise that he is aspiring for public office and is liable to public scrutiny, which Mr Chimba is simply doing. People need to be reminded of the character of a person eyeing public office,” he said.

PF CENTRAL COMMITTEE SIDELINED AS M’MEMBE TAKES OVER

By SUFZ Staff

Chaos is brewing in the Patriotic Front (PF) over the Cobra’s decision to ditch meetings with the PF central committee in preference to meeting with his chief strategist Fred Namakando M’meebe from The Post Newspaper.

According to dissatisfied members of the central committee, Mr. Michael Sata has stopped meeting senior party members apart from his close circle and now takes advice only for M’membe.

The sources say that many senior members have been sidelined and are unable to strategise ahead of the elections because Mr. Sata just works only with The Post nowadays.

“You know, we rarely have central committee meetings.  This started even before the convention but this time it is worse.   Even senior member such as ourselves just here our president speaking from Mongu, Chipata or Kasama.  We are just like spectators,” the source said.

Senior party members are also afraid that Mr. Sata might make a lot of mistakes in nominations for elective positions so much that he might dampen the mood of supporters. 

“What we know is that our president is always communicating with M’membe and just walks in the Post Offices and chooses which reporter he wants to talk to or accompanying him wherever he is going.  he is really just like part of that company.  But you know, he is forgetting that he has members of the central committee who are his chief advisors and the highest policy organ of the party but he has decided to listen to only one man,” the source complained.

Mr. Sata is also reported to be causing confusion at the grass roots in Lusaka by imposing candidates.

The PF Lima Ward leaders have warned Mr. Sata against imposing a candidate on them or else they will boycott voting.

The angry members who staged a demonstration that was filmed by Muvi TV, aired their grievances and frustration at Sata’s undemocratic tendencies and vowed to take him on if he imposed a candidate for Matero Constituency.

The Lima Ward Executive Committee insists that the primary adoption process for candidates has not been completed.

Ward Secretary Robson Lwisha who tried to calm the irate cadres said all aspiring candidates for parliamentary and local government elections on the PF ticket have been interviewed at ward level.

He further told Muvi TV news that the names of shortlisted candidates have been handed over to the constituency committee.

The cadres allege that corruption marred the adoption process and that it is being condoned by Mr. Sata.

IT’S ABOUT ZAMBIA

By SUFZ Staff

Michael Chilufya Sata of the patriotic Front has come under a lot of scrutiny in many quarters, this paper inclusive.  This is because there is more at stake than just Sata.

As we take sides choosing our preferred candidate, we must know that a vote is a mark of approval.  Voting for a particular candidate means endorsing what the candidate and his party stands for.

So if you vote for PF it means that you approve what they do, say and what they stand for in general.

But what does Michael Sata really stand for?  Any answer that you give is likely to be the right one.  if you say he is for Taiwan and not the people’s republic of China, you are right.  if you say he is for China, you are likely to be right as well.  If you say he wants to partner with UPND you are right, if you say he is against UPND you are also right because he calls them under five. Those who say he is for gayism and those who say he is against are both correct because of some unclear statement made by the Cobra on that issue.  If you say.....? Do we need to give more examples; there are too numerous for one edition.

The weak current of air in the sails of the PF is the mantra ‘donchi kubeba’.  Donchi Kubeba means that let us deceive them.

In the Bible, Satan’s main job is to deceive as revealed in Rev 22:10.  Could this be the source of PF inspiration especially that the Cobra is a Serpent?  It should not surprise the nation that this is coming from the PF who are in alliance with the Fred M’membe owned PF controlled Post Newspaper.

The Post has in the past called for the removal of the Christian nation clause terming it non-sense.   However they found ‘let’s deceive them’ more appealing perhaps because they are under the influence of the Chief Deceiver himself, the serpent. 

After many years of bitter enmity,  M’membe’s Post and Sata’s PF have finally found some common ground.  However they should be careful how they tread because they are not on solid ground.   The mystery of what binds these two unlikely bedfellows together is solved by the similarities that lurk in the shadows. 

The Post has published stories of Homosexuals in a manner that seems to extol the lifestyle.   And recently the Cobra was caught on tape talking gayism and lesbianism and the need for their recognition in the Laws of Zambia.  He had never talked about it locally in his numerous radio appearances or at his adage laden rallies.  Instead of with the electorate, he chose to discuss the issue with foreign journalist for broadcast in their countries.

But laws to legalise same sex marriages cannot be passed while Zambia remains a Christian nation hence the push for secularism from the usual suspects.  Getting rid of light is inevitably inviting darkness, getting rid of God from the constitution is actually inviting Satan into Zambia!

What next, will they fight to change the National Anthem because of the line ‘Praise be to God’ ? One visiting Nigerian prophet was so moved by our Anthem that he declared in a crusade that the Zambian National Anthem must have been approved by God himself.  We should however question ourselves whether a satanic secular state is what we want to leave for our children. 

The Bible states that a Good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children (Proverbs 13:22) and what better way than leaving them in a conducive environment where they are able to go to school and become what God intended them to be.  Not everyone can leave an inheritance by way of property or money but we can all participate in leaving a wonderful country for the coming generations by voting for the right candidate. 

Political parties will come and go but the beloved country Zambia will remain.  This is why we must select a president who has the interest of the country at heart.

This paper is aptly named Stand Up for Zambia because it is the nation’s future at stake and this country is too precious to be handed over to the hands of people like Michael Sata of the PF.

This coming election is about standing up and saying we are not going to let the country fall into the hands of evil characters with questionable leanings.  These career critics have turned themselves into the major minority through importunate nitpicking.

It is not about hating the man; its about loving the republic of Zambia.

Meditation:  ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.’ – Psalms 33:12.