Maravi

Kambwili lifts Mwamba ban

Kambwili lifts Mwamba ban
By Ndinawe Simpelwe
Thu 14 Feb. 2013, 15:10 CAT

SPORTS minister Chishimba Kambwili has lifted the life ban slapped on Anthony Mwamba by the Zambia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board. Kambwili said Mwamba's case against ZPBWCB was not serious enough to warrant the ban.

Kambwili said the issue was simple and could have been handled without imposing a ban on the Exodus Boxing Promotions director.

"As minister of sports, my job is to develop sport and not to kill it," Kambwili said. "In the end, it was the boxers who were suffering because they were not receiving services from their trainer. So I have lifted that ban and Mwamba is a free man now. He is free to continue with his stable.

If you look at Mwamba's contribution to the growth of female boxing in the country, there is no one who has done what he has done. He has produced a world champion. This is the guy you want to ban and you expect Zambians to sit idle and watch you?"
Kambwili further said he had arranged for a meeting with both Mwamba and the ZPBWCB next Tuesday.

The ZPBWCB last month banned Mwamba from taking part in any boxing activities for allegedly bringing the name of the sport into disrepute.

Mwamba was alleged to have accused board officials of knowing nothing about boxing after they advised him to organise a bout for his boxer Esther Phiri who had remained idle for almost a year.

But Mwamba blamed ZPBWCB secretary Ben Saili for all that transpired against him and for Esther's early retirement from boxing.

Mwamba expressed disappointment with the way Saili was using his position to handle issues.

Mwamba sided with Esther that frustration from administrators had forced the once flamboyant boxer to hang up her gloves.

"I'm disappointed with Saili because of the way he has handled my issue," Mwamba said. "It seems he wants to settle grudges using a public office but that is not how you handle issues. He pushed so that I'm banned but when he banned me, he banned all my boxers. I have over 30 boxers under my stable and if I'm banned, it means all the 30 boxers are banned because as manager I'm the only one who can pay the affiliation fees. This is killing boxing in the country and that is not how you run a public office."

He said he had invested KR90,000 in his stable and to close it for simple reasons was unfair and a huge setback for boxing.

Esther announced her retirement on ZNBC Television on Monday evening, citing frustration following Mwamba's ban.

Mwamba described Esther's retirement as a surprise and sad development, saying she was the best boxer he had worked with and they had achieved a lot together.

Mwamba said there was nothing he could do to persuade Esther to return to the ring because she had made a personal decision which he would support.

"It is sad, I didn't expect it. All I can do is to support her in whatever she wants to do. I have come very far with her and she is now like a relative to me. It is very sad," said Mwamba.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=30263

GODFREY MONDE, UPND, PF, MICHAEL SATA, ROBERT SICHINGA, CABINET, EMMANUEL CHENDA, KUCHUNGA SIMUSAMBA,

Monde explains his decision to join govt
By Roy Habaalu and Moses Kuwema
Thu 14 Feb. 2013, 14:30 CAT

Obligations to the country taken precedence over loyalty to an individual UPND Itezhi tezhi member of parliament Greyford Monde says obligations to the country, the people and his constituents will always take precedence over loyalty to an individual or a group. But UPND says Monde should consider himself expelled for accepting a ministerial position.

Explaining his acceptance of his appointment as agriculture deputy minister, Monde stated that throughout his political career as a member of parliament for Itezhi Tezhi, he had followed the "personal philosophy that he was a free man, a Zambian, a public servant, and a member of his party, in that order always and only".

"My decision to accept His Excellency, President Michael Sata's appointment as a deputy minister does not need a long explanation. I have put my country, my people and my constituents in Itezhi tezhi first. I have put them ahead of any divisive partisanship," Monde stated.

"I come from a very poor constituency of Itezhi tezhi. And I am not a rich man. But I want the best and nothing but the best for these people. I want to see their lives improve in the period they have given me to serve as their member of parliament. And all my decisions and actions will always be in accordance with this."

Monde called on Zambians to unite and join hands in the spirit of 'one country, one nation, one people, marching together into the future'.

"We must unceasingly work to lift this nation to a higher destiny. We have achieved a lot as a nation when all our people united in just causes. And what we have achieved as a nation should not be allowed to be lost in suspicion, selfishness, and politics among any of our people.

We have to guard against divisiveness and all its ugly consequences. And in these times as in the times before, it is true that a house divided against itself by the spirit of party, faction, of region, tribe, is a house that cannot stand," Monde stated.
He stated that the ultimate strengths of the country would lie not in money or infinity or boundless resources, but in the unity of the people.

"Believing this as I do, I have concluded that I should accept the President's appointment for me to serve our people in government," he stated.
Monde said he had not abrogated any clause in the party constitution warranting his expulsion.
He said he had consulted people in his constituency before making a final decision.

"My appointment is to serve the people and not myself. It's a national cause. People in Itezhi-tezhi are happy with it and have been calling me. We consulted widely before this decision and until I receive the letter of expulsion, I am still a UPND member," Monde said.

And UPND senior members yesterday met to moot out ways of expelling Monde.
Party deputy secretary general Kuchunga Simusamba said it was sad that a young politician would suspend his political robes for a few pieces of silver like Judas Iscariot.
Simusamba said Monde had betrayed the cause of the party and that of his constituents.

"He (Monde) has always been treacherous and he's one of those members of parliament who failed to file for his councillors in his constituency. We have been watching his dealings with the PF and today is a great day for us because his sins have been exposed and this is where he says goodbye," he said.

"He has expelled himself and we accept his decision. We will replace him with a more trustworthy member of parliament. It's obvious that we are winning that seat, so let him enjoy those pieces of silver hoping he doesn't end up hanging himself like Judas Iscariot."

Simusamba said it was not surprising that Monde had accepted the offer. He appealed to the government leaders to search their consciences and determine whether it was necessary to create unnecessary by-elections.

He said UPND was ready for the PF schemes and to defend its territories.
Simusamba said his party had found candidates to field in the Kapiri Mposhi and Lukulu West constituencies who would not be announced through the press.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said Monde would be expelled from the UPND.
He said the party would soon set the course for disciplinary action against Monde.

"Speaking in my own capacity as Mweetwa and not UPND, I can say Monde will be expelled because a precedence has been set before where the people that have joined government against the UPND's policies and guidelines have been expelled. Examples are there for people like late Ben Tetamashimba and others," he said.

Mweetwa advised Monde to resign from the UPND and join the PF, saying that would be the moral decision to make.
He said Monde had shown that he was a very weak soldier who had failed to wage a war from the opposition battlefront.

"Opposition politics is for strong individuals because temptations are so grave. It is also embarrassing for people in political nursery to begin their careers with fragile stances. Monde has shown that young people are not going to Parliament to serve the people but to serve their own interests. This is political treachery and an act of cowardice," Mweetwa said.

The UPND during the day continued to taunt Monde on its Facebook page saying: "Monde says he has accepted the appointment as deputy minister in the PF government and is ready for any verdict that will be passed on him from his sponsoring party UPND. We wonder how ready he is and what makes him ready."

Another Facebook posting read: "Hon Monde, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors which will be minus the UPND tag on you. Our stand has always been clear; you don't need to be minister to contribute to development as an MP. UPND MP accepts to be minister, we don't think twice but put into action our resolution that was agreed and signed by all our MPs.

Itezhi-tezhi UPND MP Hon Monde who we hear has been sworn in as new deputy minister for agric! is being met this morning to exculpate himself and if it is true that he has accepted this appointment then he is gone."
President Sata yesterday appointed Monde as deputy minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

"…I have appointed you deputy minister and have assigned you to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock," read President Sata's letter to Monde in part.
President Sata said he was confident that Monde would perform to his expectations and that of the Zambian people.

Meanwhile, President Sata has swapped commerce minister Robert Sichinga with his agriculture counterpart Emmanuel Chenda.

According to a statement made available by the President's special assistant for press and public relations George Chellah, the changes are with immediate effect.

Labels: ANTHONY MWAMBA, CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI

posted by MrK @ 5:44 PM