Petition against Chipungu fails
By Namatama Mundia
Thu 16 Feb. 2012, 12:01 CAT
KENNETH Chipungu yesterday said he had been spending sleepless nights over the decision by losing candidates in the 2011 elections to petition the Rufunsa seat.
Speaking to journalists after Lusaka High Court judge Nigel Mutuna dismissed an election petition for Rufunsa Constituency filed by losing PF candidate Philip Mutantika and his UPND counterpart Shel Mulyata with costs, Chipungu thanked his wife for supporting him.
"I am a free man now and I shall go and work so that I finish the projects I started," he said.
Chipungu said he was very happy that the petition had been concluded.
He added that despite his impression that the Judiciary would be biased, allegations against him had been dismissed because they were lies.
He said he was a man of integrity who people in his Constituency voted for.
And delivering judgment, judge Mutuna said the petitioners did not prove all the allegations of electoral malpractice against Chipungu.
He said it was clear from the 18 petitioners' witnesses that they did not give evidence on what impact the alleged undue influence of Chipungu had on them.
Judge Mutuna said the petitioners failed to prove that whatever illegal acts complained of were consented to and committed by Chipungu.
Judge Mutuna also dismissed allegations that Chipungu distributed maize, adding that the petitioners' evidence was insignificant as they stated that they did not see him or his agents distribute the maize.
He added that the evidence of the petitioners on the distribution of maize was clear hearsay and that there was no proof Chipungu purchased hammer mills.
Judge Mutuna then dismissed the petition with costs, the same to be taxed in default and granted leave to appeal.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, KENNETH CHIPUNGU
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Police were unable to deal with last year's poll violence - Daka
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Mon 13 Feb. 2012, 12:59 CAT
DEPUTY Commissioner of Police Auxensio Daka says the police service did not have capacity to deal with electoral violence last year. And Inspector General of Police Dr Martin Malama has appealed to all stakeholders involved in last year's general elections to provide the police with critical analysis of how the law enforcement wing handled the elections.
In his presentation on objectives of the Policing Election Project (PEP) at Courtyard Hotel on Friday, Daka who is police deputy commissioner in-charge of administration said there were some cases where the police ultimately performed poorly in electioneering.
"The Policing Elections Project came in the wake of growing concerns of violence. The issue is that we did not have the capacity to deal with violence; it is not just moving in with power and guns, there are other ways to deal with violence," Daka said.
He said 5,500 police officers were trained in the election project although the police command would have loved to train all police officers.
Daka, who is also the PEP national coordinator, said the police was not happy when citizens start running away from the law enforcement agency.
"We are not happy when people say ba police niba yopa, ba za ku ika muma cell (I fear the police, they will put you in cell) if you go there. Nobody shall arrest you if you criticise the police. We will rely on your resolutions so that we ensure that we rely on them in future elections," he said.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, PEP, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Cops seize goods at Kunda's farm
By Bright Mukwasa
Sun 12 Feb. 2012, 11:50 CAT
POLICE have seized assorted goods from George Kunda's farm in Serenje, as part of the ongoing investigations. But Kunda, who is former republican vice-president, said he deserved some kind of respect from the police having served as their acting commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Central Province police commissioner Dr Solomon Jere said the move was part of the continued investigations into property that was suspected to have been corruptly obtained.
Dr Jere said police in Serenje in an operation that was conducted yesterday in the morning seized 15 bicycles, two ploughs, two hammer mills and two sewing machines.
He said they also seized one bale of blankets, 46 bags of mealie-meal, and 10 hand cycle pumps.
"We also recovered RB (Rupiah Banda) campaign materials including two Nissan light trucks, then the third one they have followed it up. I am told it is somewhere in Serenje. In Kabwe at police headquarters we have got three. That brings the total number to five which are believed to have been used by the former ruling party," Dr Jere said without revealing how much the goods are worth.
"These were recovered from both Serenje Central and Muchinga constituencies. What we are doing are just preliminary investigations if there is nothing wrong then these will be released to the owners."
But Kunda said police's decision to go to his parent's farm in his absence was harassment.
"My father had a stroke. They went there to harass them parents at 05:00 hours. They went to search the village. I left some six bicycles for my parents to use at the village. Also they saw some old bicycles of people passing by in the villages they starting collecting. They got, I am told 15 bicycles, six plus the other bicycles they say now they have seized bicycles as part of plunder of national resources," Kunda said.
He said the seized bags of mealie-meal were meant to give to the needy and also for consumption at his village.
Kunda said he was disappointed that as former vice-president, he was not being accorded any respect.
"Now my complaint is whether they like it or not, I used to be vice-president of this country. I used to act as president of this country, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, surely I expect some kind of respect from these people. I used to be their commander-in-chief and they can harass my parents in that manner? They search the village, it is me they are targeting, and in my absence they start searching the village," he said.
"They are talking about three vehicles, I don't know where they got those vehicles from. I don't have any vehicles at the village. I enjoy some kind of immunity, but this is how they are treating me?"
Kunda said President Michael Sata was setting a bad precedent, saying the people he had put in the forefront to fight corruption were messing up his name.
"I am on the same level like him President Sata and this is how he is treating me? He's treating me with no respect whatsoever. Surely I expect some kind of respect. Now the man who is giving these instructions is Dr Solomon Jere and the Inspector General of Police Dr Martin Malama since they are working together they are tarnishing the image of the President because this is all witch-hunt. You seize household goods and you say you are fighting corruption? Is that the fight against corruption they are talking about?" asked Kunda.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, GEORGE KUNDA, MMD
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MMD campaign funds, materials were shrouded in secrecy - Njapau
By Allan Mulenga
Fri 27 Jan. 2012, 13:59 CAT
SOURCES of the MMD campaign funds and materials were shrouded in secrecy, says Grace Njapau. In an interview, Njapau, who was until last week the MMD national trustee, said the party sidelined some national executive committee (NEC) members prior to the elections.
"If it (election) was about resources, the MMD would have won. But people wanted change... I don't think there is any NEC member who knew about the donations, what we only saw by that time was the campaign materials.
We thought the party was buying the materials, we didn't know if it was being donated. But what we knew was that the party had campaign materials at that time which you all saw because they displayed on
TV," Njapau said.
She said despite being the national trustee of the party, she was not privy to certain decisions made by the top leadership.
"From the time I was there as national trustee, there were people who used to call me, ‘tell us what is happening in the MMD', I said ‘me I don't know' and I normally referred them to the secretariat so that they can get information. I was not part and parcel of what decisions the national secretary and others were making," said Njapau, who has since resigned from the MMD to pursue other interests.
She doubted the MMD's chances of bouncing back in power, saying that there was need to re-brand the party.
"Even when I am talking about these things it's just that I have been in the party for the past 20 years and I have risen through ranks from branch up to the top and I landed a position of deputy minister of home affairs. I think the future of MMD lies on themselves. They have to re-brand the party if they want to survive. They have also to accommodate those who started the party because some people are leaving the party because they are not happy with certain things in the party," Njapau said.
She urged the leadership in MMD to accommodate members at the grassroots.
"Looking at African politics, it will be very difficult for the MMD to come back, unless they work hard because the trend is that we started with UNIP, UNIP ruled for 27 years, then MMD ruled for 20 years. Now, there is PF government. I know PF also will be there for 20 years. For them MMD to come back in 2016, they have to work hard," Njapau said.
She said President Michael Sata's crusade on corruption should be supported by all Zambians because it was the right thing to do.
"There must be accountability of government assets, government property, national resources. Corruption is not a good thing. He President Sata is following what his brother former president Levy Mwanawasa did. If they are found wanting, they must be taken to the courts of law, but the investigations have to go on. This fight against corruption, everybody must support it. It should not be left to the President alone," said Njapau.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MMD, NEC
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Mukata denies dishing out food during polls
By Agness Changala
Fri 27 Jan. 2012, 14:01 CAT
MMD CHILANGA member of parliament Keith Mukata has denied allegations that he was donating food stuffs and money before and during last September's general elections.
This is in a matter where Patriotic Front losing candidate Geoffrey Chumbwe is challenging Mukata and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for his loss in the September 20, 2011 elections, which came up before High Court judge Gaudentia Salasini.
Responding to allegations from the petitioner, Mukata who is the respondent in the case, told the court that at no time did he take part or send people to distribute food stuffs and money during and before elections.
Mukata, however, said if distribution of money or food stuffs ever happened, it was done without his knowledge or blessings.
He said the evidence given in court that he was distributing money and food to the electorate was a fabrication because those who were making such allegations were not even part of his campaign team.
Mukata also denied distributing money to electorate as an inducement to get votes.
He said the testimony that was given by one of the petitioner's witnesses, Paul Banda, was unfortunate.
Mukata said Banda did not equally belong to his campaign team to make such allegations.
He, however, admitted making a donation of paint to a school sometime in May after being approached by one of the school authorities identified as Pastor Phiri.
Mukata told the court that when the issue of donations first emerged, he called Mobi Television to clarify but he was not given the opportunity to do so.
He said the development was damaging both to him and his political party as they campaigned.
Mukata told the court that it appeared that the television station had "a bone to chew" with him because it was not the first time they published innuendos against him and his party.
The matter has been adjourned to today for continued examination in chief.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MMD
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Fulfil campaign promises, Fr Miti urges government
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tue 03 Jan. 2012, 13:49 CAT
FATHER Evans Miti says Zambians want to see their country changing for the better in 2012.
Delivering a sermon at St Anne's Cathedral during New Year mass, Fr Miti who is also an assistant parish priest at St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Parish, said the PF government should show that it was committed to removing the abject poverty that people were facing.
"Give us a direction that indeed you are committed to remove this poverty which Zambia is still experiencing so that at the end of the day we can say ‘yes, we voted and we voted wisely'. But if we continue hearing that the previous government did this, the previous government did that, we are not going to go anywhere. We cannot develop through accusations. The time for reconciliation is now but I am not saying that we should reconcile with those people who plundered the national resources, no. People of good will should come aboard and move forward for prosperity. What we want is to see a Zambia changing for the better in 2012," Fr Miti said.
He said people should have a sigh of relief from their problems that emanate from poverty and other vices.
Fr Miti said it was only a few people who were still enjoying the fruits of the national cake of the country.
"You know poverty could be another way of the absence of peace. We have been talking of the single digit inflation, meaning that things are improving and people are now enjoying life because perhaps the government is working so hard. Now what I am saying is that the absence of peace is still there in Zambia. A lot of people even as we enter the New Year are still living in abject poverty. It is only a few people who are enjoying the fruits of the cake of the country," he said.
Fr Miti urged the PF government to fulfil its campaign promises.
"What we would like to urge the government of the day, the PF which we feel that maybe they are the messiahs of our times is that ‘yes you are in government today but what we want is that; fulfil the promises you told us during the campaigns. Time is gone for you to be rebuking or talking about the previous government," said Fr Miti.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, PF
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Beyond 90 Days, A nationalists perspective for Zambia
TIME PUBLISHED - Friday, December 23, 2011, 7:29 am
By E.Katyoka
90 days have passed since the PF ascended to power after a resounding victory that gave it a five year mandate and unseated a confident MMD from its 20 year rule. The jury is still out whether the MMD will revive and regain its ‘glory’ or like UNIP, pass on into oblivion.
Five years is a long time in politics, leaders and indeed political formations are yet to be born.
Notwithstanding 2011 will go down as one of the most remarkable years in Zambian history. Either as the year when Zambians finaly got the government they had waited for,elected the long awaited ‘Moses’ to take the Nation into the promised land, and veritably implimented ” Mwanawasa legacy reloaded”
or, it will be the beginning of the worst years of the Zambian expedition. The undoing of a nation.
Much of how things will turn out rests squarely on the shoulders of one. His excellency Michael Chilufya Sata. To any casual observer of Zambian politics it is clear that the 2011 Elections seem to have fractured the facade of a Zambian Nationalism.
The Nation undertook the most divisive bitterly contested Election in modern history. The Nation voted, and Ethnic nationalism like a vampire reared its head again and Zambian Nationalism like humpty dumpty shatterd into a thousand pieces.
It is yet to be seen whether the stitches of political state craft can re-assemble a semblance of a Zambian Nationalism to which all the ‘Ethnic Nationals’ of this country can subscribe to; without reservations.
Two options remain; Either we accept the ethnic nationalist sentiment as something that has come to stay and pragmatically begin to say ” one Zambia many ‘Ethnic’ Nations – unity in diversity” or Embrace a higher Nationalism…an African Nationalism, driven by the commonness of our African heritage ‘Ubuntu’. A Nationalism that embraces the common humanity of all races, tribes and tongues and seeks as its goal the redemption of the continent from the evils of tribalism, conflict, corporate greed,corruption, cronyism and resource colonialism brought about by the new scramble for Africa.
A nationalism that will not be driven by color,tribe or narrow sectarian considerations but one driven by the urgency of the cause of the suffering masses. That Africa, the continent of the great pyramids will one day rise up to fulfil the scripture Psalm 68:31 “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” For the Earth earnestly awaits the manifestation of the sons of God
My prayer is that Zambia may remain one sovereign indivisible country. That while the rest of the world is moving towards regional intergration, we may not allow the balkanisation of our peoples who have long lived side by side for millennia under the commonness of our shared humanity: ‘ubuntu’ long live Zambia.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MMD, PF
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Some MPs are supposed to be in jail - Masebo
By Ernest Chanda and Bright Mukwasa
Fri 09 Dec. 2011, 13:58 CAT
CHONGWE PF member of parliament Sylvia Masebo says some members of parliament do not deserve to be in the House. Delivering her maiden speech in Parliament yesterday, Masebo said the MMD government engaged in a lot of corruption during the September 20 general election.
"Those in power at the time abused their offices to gain undue advantage over the opposition. Violence, abuse of State resources and machinery were the order of the day. I'm not surprised to see that we have a big number of petitions in our courts today. If our electoral process was fair, I can firmly inform you that some of these colleagues who are here are not supposed to be here," Masebo said.
"I want to say shame on our country. This is a country where we have leaders who are not supposed to be leaders. We have leaders who are supposed to be behind bars, not just for corruption but even for murder. I have in mind our citizens that were murdered in Mongu, in Mansa, in Mazabuka, Mandevu and so many people who have died of poverty because of bad governance."
Masebo said she had never known such greed and selfishness as displayed by the MMD government.
She said Zambians felt liberated after President Michael Sata won the election, hence the countrywide celebrations the moment he was declared winner.
Masebo said it was a pity that MMD corruption continued even when they are in the opposition, as witnessed in the Chongwe by-election.
"The PF government must clean up the whole electoral process. They must bring about a true and fair electoral system which will ensure that the will of the people prevails, not where we just have leaders buying their way through," said Masebo.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MPs, SYLVIA MASEBO
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Rupiah blames C/belt, Lusaka for his defeat
By Christopher Miti in Chipata and Thandizo Banda in Sinda
Wed 23 Nov. 2011, 14:00 CAT
FORMER President Rupiah Banda has accused the people of Lusaka and Copperbelt of having caused his defeat by voting overwhelmingly for Michael Sata. Addressing Sinda residents at Sinda market when he stopped over on his way to Chipata on Saturday, Banda thanked the people of Sinda for voting for him.
Banda also
advised the MMD members not to allow the PF cadres to grab bicycles that were given to them during the campaigns. He also said time had come for him to sit back and watch over how the Sata-led government will administer the many challenges facing the country.
Banda said that in the three years he had been president of Zambia, he ensured that Zambians had enough food by boosting the agricultural sector by providing adequate inputs.
Banda who said he would soon be retiring from politics observed that many people have risen in the name of succeeding him in the MMD.
He urged the MMD members to scrutinise those that had shown interest to succeed him.
He urged genuine MMD members to stick to the party.
And acting provincial chairperson Ezekiel Mtonga said Banda was in theprovince for the first time after his election defeat.
Mtonga said when news went round that Banda was visiting the province many people lined up in Nyimba, Petauke, Katete and Chipata to see him.
"Since MMD lost the elections there has been a lot of lies, some people were even speculating that he is bed ridden and so on. From what we saw when he came here everybody was convinced that he is quite energetic, he is very strong and he is just the way he has been," Mtonga said.
He thanked the people for voting for MMD in the province and for making sure that the party remained strong in the province.
Mtonga said Banda also showed some elements of displeasure with the behaviour of certain people who were close to him but defected to other parties.
"You know humanbeing characteristics are very funny, somehow yes, he felt betrayed by some members who were very close, some members that he himself supported, members that made this country and Eastern Province in particular to be very close and die hard for RB. But that does not make him change his approach to life, he is just happy and he encouraged us that defecting is part of politics, is part of the game. He wished those that have left the party and castigated him all the best wherever they have gone," Mtonga said.
He said Banda's trip was remarkable because people in the province were very anxious to see him.
Mtonga said Banda's trip was strictly private and that he did not meet anyone at his Bwezani Chasimpha farm.
He dispelled allegations that Banda gave out money to some women clubs that met him at the farm.
Banda who left Chipata yesterday travelled to the province by road for the first time since 2008 when he became president of Zambia.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, COPPERBELT PROVINCE, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA
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68 losing parliamentary candidates petition
By Maluba Jere
Thu 03 Nov. 2011, 09:10 CAT
SIXTY-EIGHT losing parliamentary candidates for various constituencies have petitioned the Lusaka High Court to nullify the election of their opponents, citing electoral malpractice.
Of the 68 petitions which have since been allocated and are awaiting hearing in the courts of law, 50 were filed by the ruling Patriotic Front while the opposition MMD petitioned five seats.
The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has petitioned 11 seats while two seats have been petitioned by independent candidates.
The Eastern Province has the highest number of petitions with 18 seats being petitioned. Fourteen seats are in Western Province, 10 are from North Western and five from Northern Province.
The seats being petitioned by the PF include Ikelengi in North Western Province, Chipata Central, Lukulu West, Lunte, Livingstone, Chitambo and Kafulafuta.
Others are Luampa in Western Province, Nyimba in Eastern Province, Zambezi West, Kaoma Central, Chisamba, Feira and Solwezi Central among others.
The MMD have petitioned Kaoma Central, Mangango, Nalikwanda, Kanyama Ward in Lusaka and Lukulu East in Western Province.
The seats that have been petitioned by the UPND include Solwezi Central, Livingstone, Petauke Central, Mufumbwe, Kabompo, Chadiza, Mwandi, Milanzi, Chisamba, Liuwa and Mutenda ward in Chingola.
Most of the petitioners have asked the High Court to nullify the election of members of parliament for those respective constituencies on ground that they were not dully elected.
They have asked the court to declare the election results null and void and that the costs for the petitions should be borne by the respondents who are the elected parliamentarians.
The country on September 20, this year held general elections which saw Michael Sata elected Republican President.
The PF scooped 60 parliamentary seats while the MMD won 54 seats. The UPND won 28 seats, while FDD and Alliance for Democracy and Development got a seat each with three seats going to independent candidates.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, UPND
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PF has learnt a lesson from MMD's defeat - Kabimba
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Wed 26 Oct. 2011, 15:50 CAT
THE ruling Patriotic Front has learnt a lesson from MMD's defeat that Zambian people do not want corruption, says Wynter Kabimba. And Kabimba has described as "fantastic and very successful" the PF's one month in office as the ruling party.
Reacting to former MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba's statement that the leadership of the former ruling party needs to address the issues of corruption, with which the party had been associated for years now, Kabimba said corruption had been embedded in MMD at the highest level.
Kabimba, who is PF secretary general, said corruption formed part of the MMD's legacy in the 20 years it had been at the helm of the country's leadership.
"While in power, they failed to deal with issues of corruption. The MMD in 20 years has only left one record behind - the record of corruption," Kabimba said in an interview yesterday. "It MMD has been the most corrupt organisation."
Kabimba said the MMD lacked political will to cleanse itself of graft.
"I don't think they have the political will within the party to rid themselves of corruption unless they get rid of those members whom they know have been perpetrating corruption within the MMD," he said.
"These are very high ranking members of the MMD party. So, corruption within the MMD is not something new within the ranks. It is something that has been a clear programme for them to execute."
Kabimba advised the MMD to rebrand itself by getting rid of corrupt elements who continue to steer the party.
He, however, said the former ruling party faced a challenge in that key members of the party were the ones at the core of corruption.
"MMD can rebrand itself if it got rid of the people that have been perpetuating the culture of corruption. Maybe MMD will rebrand itself which they cannot do because getting rid of that core group means the end of the party and that is why they are trying to auction the party to UPND," he said. "It is clear that the Zambian people do not want corruption.
That is very clear. One of the reasons they voted the MMD out was purely on account of making judgment against the MMD in the area of corruption. Therefore, the Patriotic Front has learnt a lesson from the MMD that it will not tolerate corruption within its ranks, both in the private sector and in the public sector and that stance we have taken very strongly and President Michael Sata is very serious about that position. We are very serious about it as a political party."
Kabimba advised the MMD to learn from its ill-fated alliance as it ponders an electoral alliance with UPND.
"We wish them good luck if they really think they can have a meaningful marriage with the UPND," he said. "They can only succeed if they can make Mr Hakainde Hichilema as the leader of that alliance because the man won't accept to be led by anybody.
He Hichilema thinks he is on earth, created by God only to come and lead others, and not to be led. If they want to go through our experience instead of learning from our experience, they first want to fall into that ditch before they can get out, let them go ahead. They will find UPND a very unreasonable group to deal with."
And Kabimba said the pronouncements and decisions made by the PF in the first 30 days of its reign had rejuvenated the hopes of Zambian people like never seen before in the last twenty years.
"The Zambian people have never been so encouraged in the last twenty years than they are now," he said. "They have been encouraged now than ever before and this is the time when the people of Zambia are saying that they can only see change under a PF government and nothing more.
It's been fantastic and very successful one month of the PF. You have seen a lot of new changes that came about, and we have no doubt in itself is building confidence of our people in the party and the PF government."
Kabimba said PF victory could only be attributed to our people.
"We are a government of the people," said Kabimba. "And therefore, we shall do what the people of Zambia want us to do. We shall do only those programmes that have the support of the Zambian people. We shall only execute those programmes that go to benefit the people of Zambia and not the individuals in government.
We are well-focused in terms of our programmes both in the party and government. We have no doubt that we will not let the Zambian people down, and they will be able to see this within the next year or two."
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MMD, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Zambia Police quiz former Mines Minister over Bicycles used in campaigns
TIME PUBLISHED - Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 8:29 pm
Former Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale this afternoon appeared for questioning at the former Task Force offices before the Zambia police in connection with the bicycles that were recovered at his residence in Makeni .
A check by QFM at the former Task Force building at about 15 hrs found that Maxwell Mwale had just left after being questioned. The police are currently investigating MMD officials to establish the source of campaign materials used in the just ended elections which include bicycles and motor vehicles.
When contacted police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana could not give details by broadcast time saying she did not have the details ready from the people that were questioning the former Mines Minister.
Meanwhile, the Lawyer to former Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande has distanced his client from the Gold saga. Sakwiba Sikota said that Mr Pande was called to answer queries over the source of funding for the ruling MMD in his capacity as Vice National Chairman of the party.
Mr Sikota told ZNBC News that connecting Mr Pande to the Gold scandal was erroneous. He has also demanded for an apology from the Police service whom he said some media institutions have quoted confirming that Mr Pande was answering queries on the Gold saga.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, KABINGA PANDE, MAXWELL MWALE, MMD, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, TASK FORCE
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FODEP requests Sata to probe previous elections
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 17 Oct. 2011, 13:30 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata must consider appointing a commission of inquiry into the elections that have been conducted in Zambia since 2001, says FODEP.
In a statement, Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president Dr Alex Ng'oma said the revelations contained in the October 7, 2011 edition of The Africa Confidential magazine that
former president Rupiah Banda attempted to use "the top directors of the Zambia Intelligence and Security Services to rig our elections" must be accorded the attention it deserves.
"It makes very sad reading and must be accorded the attention it deserves. The Foundation for Democratic Process is aware that many of our precious people have, over the years, slowly been losing confidence in our electoral process precisely because they believe that elections in Zambia are rigged, and participating in them is a sheer waste of time," Dr Ng'oma, who is also a political activist, said.
He said the revelations raised very serious national concerns about the kind of electoral process the country has had over the years.
"In view of the revelation by Africa Confidential, therefore, FODEP would like to request the Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, to kindly consider appointing a Commission of
Inquiry into the elections that have been conducted in Zambia since 2001. Such a Commission, in our view, should go beyond mere election administration as such, and conduct a forensic audit of the Electoral Commission of Zambia," he said.
"It is our firm belief, at FODEP, that only bold steps taken on the basis of the findings of a Commission of Inquiry can serve to restore our people's confidence in our country's electoral process."
President Sata has recently appointed a number of Commissions to probe various activities and events in the country, among them the killings in Mongu and alleged corruption in the energy sector.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, FODEP, MICHAEL SATA
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COMMENT - Also see:
Rupiah resisted to leave power, reveals Magazine, Chibaula Silwamba.
Why Rupiah cried
By The Post
Thu 13 Oct. 2011, 14:00 CAT
We have noticed that some people have been misled into believing that Rupiah Banda willingly gave up the presidency because he was prepared to respect the wishes of the people and he is therefore a good democrat.
Rupiah did not respect our people when he was president. He made a classical mistake of over-confidence. He looked down upon our people so much that he believed that he could rule them for however long he wanted. Maybe this is the advice that he got from his deceased political mentor Frederick Chiluba. We say this because that was Chiluba's mindset as well. Although Chiluba claimed to have been the founding father of democracy, he did not believe in democracy.
And when Chiluba was engaged in a political struggle, he believed in using undemocratic methods that militated against the functioning of the very democracy that he claimed to have fathered. Chiluba is supposed to have told the late Dean Mung'omba that Zambians were so docile that he could rule for as long as he wanted. Chiluba believed this, hence his attempt at a third term.
But the Zambians that he believed to be docile showed him the way out of State House. In his reincarnation as special advisor to Rupiah, Chiluba shamelessly told the nation that he would use all kinds of tricks, including international ones, to ensure that his preferred candidate, Rupiah, won the election. In his bragging, Chiluba forgot that our lives are not ours but they are in the hands of God. That is all we are prepared to say about Chiluba for now.
When the campaigns came, we could all see some of the tricks that were being employed to ensure that Rupiah won regardless of what our people wanted. Clearly, Rupiah thought he could manipulate our people. This country has never seen the amount of election materials, or indeed bribes flowing in an election as was the case with the MMD campaign. They were prepared to subvert the will of the people by flooding them with gifts - wanted and unwanted.
In the last 90 days of Rupiah's presidency, his government degenerated into panic mode and started senseless road works which could not be finished in the time required in a bid to woo voters to his side. This did not work. Rupiah ran a corrupt government which accepted bribes and illicit commissions as normal. With this newly-acquired wealth, Rupiah believed that he could buy the electorate. It is this over-confidence that cost him dearly.
There is no doubt that his loss caught him by surprise. The many pundits that he had accumulated, including very respectable international think-tanks, told him he was winning the election, albeit by a narrow margin. How they decided that the narrow margin would swing in Rupiah's favour is not for us to say. But those predictions lulled Rupiah into a deep sleep of false comfort.
To him, as long as he was throwing money at the electorate and outspending the opposition, he had won the election. More cynically, Rupiah had begun to believe his own propaganda. They kept Michael Sata out of the state media and the only attention he ever got from them was probably the biggest propaganda and character assassination campaign seen in our country.
Rupiah and his minions were so impressed by the lies and defamation that they threw at Michael that they started to believe it. This was to be their undoing. As a result of this overconfidence, Rupiah who promised to pummel Michael in the election and leave him punch-drunk was himself punch-drunk after the polls. He did not believe what had hit him.
We are not, therefore, surprised with the information that is now emerging about the events that occurred in the period after Rupiah realised that he was losing the election. The article from Africa Confidential is very instructive. It helps to put Rupiah's character in proper prospective. It also helps us to understand what happened in the immediate aftermath of the election.
It also helps us to ask interesting what ifs. The biggest ‘what if' is what would have happened if we did not have parallel vote tabulation? We say this against the background that Rupiah and his minions had put up a very spirited fight against parallel vote tabulation. How did they finally agree to have parallel vote tabulation?
It seems we have the influence of the US government to thank for that. This is because it appears to us that the decisive event that made Rupiah reluctantly accept parallel vote tabulation was the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This brings us to the next big ‘what if'. What if Hillary had not visited Zambia?
It is clear that Rupiah only gave up power because he thought there was no alternative. If the election could have been rigged, it was going to be rigged. There was some rigging but clearly, it did not help them as much as they hoped. And as a result of that failure, today we sit with a new government in power.
Rupiah's overconfidence and his having reposed his confidence in money saved the country from a heartless tyrant who would have caused so much heartache in the country had he received a full five-year mandate. The picture that emerges from the information now available is that Rupiah did not intend to give up. But what is more worrying is that he was prepared to tamper with the election and rob the people of their victory.
We must be grateful to those patriots who, in their own way, stood up to stop this. But we must also be vigilant and work to unearth all the wrong things that may have happened in the last election and ensure that dirty tactics are never again used to undermine our democratic process. Rupiah's attempts bring us yet another cold and chilly ‘what if?' What if those who refused to help Rupiah subvert our democratic process did not refuse? Where would we be today?
There is a lesson in that courage to do the right thing is what it takes to serve a nation. For that reason, we salute every Zambian, and even foreigners who stood up to Rupiah and helped to save our democracy. Today, we can write as we do because there is peace in our country. And we thank God for this peace.
As for Rupiah, the wrongs that he did and the wrongs that he tried to do will haunt him until his dying day. Let this be a lesson to all those who wield power on behalf of our people that it is better to use it to serve one's people than to enjoy it for its own sake. Rupiah may not have wanted to give up power but he had no choice in the matter. He put his trust in money and tyranny.
And when it mattered most, these vices failed him. Rupiah was taught that money could buy you friends but not their affection. In the end, when Rupiah realised that his confidence had been misplaced, all he could do was cry because he discovered he had lied to himself and how painful that was.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, DEMOCRACY, FREDERICK CHILUBA, HILLARY CLINTON, MARK STORELLA, MICHAEL SATA, RUPIAH BANDA, VOTERIGGING
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Rupiah resisted to leave power, reveals Magazine
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 13 Oct. 2011, 14:00 CAT
RUPIAH Banda wanted to resist leaving power after his September 20 electoral defeat to Michael Sata, an influential London based investigative magazine has revealed.
In its October 7, 2011 edition, Africa Confidential, quoted Zambia's State House sources saying Banda was on the verge of declaring himself winner of the September 20 presidential poll after realising he had lost the elections to then opposition Patriotic Front (PF)'s Sata.
Africa Confidential reported that it was only the intervention of top advisors, electoral officials, founding president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and United States and European Union diplomats on September 22 that persuaded Banda not to subvert the results and stay in office.
"The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Justice Irene Mambilima, is reported to have threatened to resign and tell the world the truth if Banda did not accept defeat. US Ambassador Mark Storella warned Banda that if he did not respect the election results, he would only be able to maintain power by brute force," Africa Confidential reported.
"A despondent Banda, faced with advice and warnings from so many different quarters, gave in and shortly afterwards publicly conceded defeat."
Africa Confidential reported that delayed announcements of results and Sata's hints on polling day that the vote was being rigged encouraged suspicion and unrest over Banda's intentions and fuelled the protests in the Copperbelt towns of Kitwe and Ndola where two protestors died during large-scale rioting.
"One factor that gave the opposition confidence that rigging would be difficult was the deployment of some 9,000 observers to monitor polling stations across the country by a civil society organisation, the Civil Society Election Coalition. Using a method called parallel voter tabulation (PVT), monitors take a sample of voting intentions to project probable national results, much like ‘exit polls'," Africa Confidential reported. "The results are believed reliable enough to highlight anomalous voting patterns caused by ballot stuffing. The ECZ tried to stop PVT because it was afraid of inaccurate results being released. The ECZ was set up as an independent regulator but its powers remain limited because the necessary amendments to the Constitution have not been made."
Africa Confidential reported that Banda learned on September 21 that the vote was going against him and summoned the top directors of the Zambia Intelligence and Security Services to ask them to help reverse the result.
"The security men apparently told Banda they could not help because it was too late. Intelligence chiefs had for months complained that Banda no longer listened to their advice," Africa Confidential reported. "Junior intelligence officers, we hear, helped to prevent ballot-stuffing, having heard Sata, a former police officer, promise to improve their welfare. The conventional wisdom had been that Banda would swing the elections."
It reported that Zambia had seen unprecedented economic growth against the background of a booming mining sector and grateful businesspeople swelled the MMD's election war chest.
"After the vote on 20 September, it became clear that the key factor against Banda had been the 1.2 million newly-registered voters, some 90 per cent of whom are young, unemployed or impoverished students," Africa Confidential reported. "They are highly receptive to the charismatic Sata's offer of ‘salvation to the laboured'.
Voters also feared that a second Banda term would see a return to the blatant corruption of president Frederick Chiluba's time. Banda's open association with Chiluba harmed him."
Africa Confidential reported that Banda made the mistake of falling out with the Roman Catholic Church, which commands the faith of one-third of Zambians.
Africa Confidential reported that the Catholic Church believed that campaigns against it in the state-owned media were planned and coordinated by the government.
"Although this was Sata's third attempt at the presidency, his campaign message had not changed fundamentally: ‘More jobs, less taxes and more money in your pockets.' While the MMD attempted to dent PF support in its Copperbelt strongholds, it neglected to shore up its own areas of traditional support," Africa Confidential reported.
"The MMD is said to have borrowed large sums to finance its extravagant campaign, which was run by Banda's sons Henry and James, with the help of journalist Dickson Jere, Banda's Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations."
Africa Confidential reported that the Banda family was completely unprepared to lose the election.
"James Banda briefly ‘fled' to South Africa, fearing recriminations but soon returned. In the MMD, the pair are roundly blamed for the debacle," Africa Confidential reported.
Chief Justice Ernest Sakala declared Sata duly elected President on Friday September 23.
According to ECZ tabulation of results for the September 20 presidential elections, President Michael Sata obtained 1,170,966 votes (42.24 per cent), former president Rupiah Banda 987,866 votes (35.63 per cent), UPND's Hakainde Hichilema 506,763 votes (18.28 per cent), Charles Milupi 26,270 votes (0.95 per cent), Elias Chipimo Junior 10,672 votes (0.38 per cent), Tilyenji Kaunda 9,950 votes (0.36 per cent), Edith Nawakwi 6,833 votes, Ng'andu Magande 6,344 votes (0.23 per cent), Brig Gen Godfrey Miyanda 4,730 votes (0.17 per cent) and Fred Mutesa 2,268 votes (0.08 per cent). At least 2,772,264 people voted out of 5,167,154 registered voters. However, 39,602 votes were rejected.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, COUP, DICKSON JERE, IRENE MAMBILIMA, RUPIAH BANDA
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Inclusive Government illegitimate: Mugabe
Posted by By Our reporter at 8 October, at 02 : 07 AM
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Thursday said Zimbabwe’s inclusive Government was illegitimate and needed to give way to an elected administration. He, however, said he could not determine when a fresh vote could be held.
President Mugabe has been pushing for a poll to end a power-sharing government he formed two years ago with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, following the contentious 2008 elections.
Addressing Zanu-PF supporters in Harare, President Mugabe accused Tsvangirai and the MDC of “dragging their feet” and delaying he writing of a new Zimbabwe constitution, a key step before any new elections are held.
“Those riding on the chariot of this creature (inclusive Government) and enjoying it don’t want the pleasure to go,” President Mugabe said.
“It is an illegitimate one because it’s a political creature not really born out of the wishes of the people but the wishes of the parties to create a transition to elections.”
While expressing his frustration at ideological and policy differences within the inclusive Government, President Mugabe said the timing of a fresh vote was not entirely in his hands.
“I am sorry we have not been in control of the mechanisms, mechanisms that we thought would lay the road to an election this year in terms of our decision taken at our last conference in Mutare (last December),” he said.
“The constitution-making process has been moving at a tortoise’s pace.”
Zanu-PF declared President Mugabe its presidential candidate at a party conference last December and resolved to push for elections this year.
However, the MDC-T, backed by regional leaders, has insisted on the completion of constitutional and other political reforms before a new vote.
In September, President Mugabe vowed to call an election by March 2012, despite possible objections from his inclusive Government partners.
Elections are due in 2013 but President Mugabe says the inclusive Government ran its course last February.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, ROBERT MUGABE
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COMMENT - Wow. Wow. And wow.
Police probe Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane
TIME PUBLISHED - Saturday, October 8, 2011, 10:03 am
Police in Lusaka are investigating Former Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane for allegedly using public funds to procure over one thousand bicycles. Police Public Relations Officer, Ndandula Siamana says police have
so far confiscated hundreds of bicycles from Dr Musokotwane’s residence in Lusaka west.Ms Siamana has told ZNBC News in Lusaka that police suspect public funds could have been used to buy the bicycles. Ms Siamana could not state what the bicycles were used for but says a statement is yet to be taken from the Former Finance Minister.
ZNBC
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MMD, NDANDULA SIAMANA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE
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PF government will pursue UPG bribery case, says Lubinda
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 03 Oct. 2011, 16:40 CAT
GIVEN Lubinda says UPG corruption and bribery is still a valid matter that the PF government will pursue vigorously. In an interview, Lubinda who is information and tourism minister said the fact that the party won the election did not mean that the corruption and bribery of Universal Print Group would be ignored.
UPG is the South African company that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) engaged to print ballot papers for the just-ended general election.
The company's special projects manager Vik Vaid is alleged to have bribed some senior ECZ officials in order to secure contracts to print ballot papers for Zambia's 2006, 2008 and 2011 elections.
"Our having won elections does not mean that Vik Vaid is exonerated from impropriety; it does not exonerate those from the ECZ who were receiving money for dubious activities. A wrong is a wrong irrespective of the end result. And we are doing this because we promised the Zambian people that we want to govern them well and leave a better Zambia," Lubinda said.
"It was not a false allegation, it is a matter which was not only about the elections
of 2011. It was a matter of impropriety involving the supply of ballot papers to the ECZ, and even after the elections the matter is still a crime, which requires follow up, and offenders requiring prosecution. So no one should say we are being vindictive, no. And I am not going to agree that this matter be forgotten about simply because we have won elections."
Lubinda said prior to elections, he had warned that the matter would still be valid regardless of who won. He said it was a known matter that Vaid and some ECZ officials had misconducted themselves in the past and deserved to be punished.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, GIVEN LUBINDA, PF
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Sata's win is refreshing - Wila
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 03 Oct. 2011, 16:30 CAT
LUSAKA lawyer Wila Mung'omba says the desires of many Zambians could be met by President Michael Sata's administration. In his congratulatory message to President Sata, Mung'omba said the Patriotic Front's electoral victory was refreshing and provided a new start.
"
Our country has enough resources to take care of our entire population, to create hope for everyone. Our children and grandchildren deserve quality health and education; they deserve to be employed when they have been trained. These desires now appear implicit in President Sata's appointment of his Cabinet," Mung'omba said on Saturday.
"I like the combination of education and science and technology. I also like the new Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. These are landmark innovations in Zambia's health sector. Zambia still loses too many mothers at childbirth, and too many of our children even before they reach five years. I hope this new ministry will deal with these eradicable health-related problems."
Mung'omba said in the past administration, the Ministry of Community Development had been abused by the ruling party to distribute money and food to fictitious women organisations during campaigns.
He said the transfer of Early Education to the Ministry of Local Government was also significant.
Mung'omba said the move paved the way for local authorities to start getting involved in providing early education exposure to children.
"Whereas there are limited pre-school facilities in certain urban areas, there are absolutely none in rural areas. I hope the new ministry can deal with this deficit," he said.
"I congratulate President Michael Sata very heartily on his election as President of the Republic of Zambia. I also hasten to congratulate him on his perspective and well-balanced Cabinet. There could have been more women in it, but on the whole, it is a Cabinet that for a long time comes with fewer ministers carrying their own tags of corruption and incompetence."
And Mung'omba said the new Ministry of Labour, Sport, Youth and Gender must be looked at in terms of expanded education and health policy.
He said when the youth get trained, they must look forward to making a decent life for themselves and contribute to the development of their country through decent jobs.
"Social security is still too weak in Zambia and I hope that these reforms are aimed at reducing the current uncertainty. The levels of poverty we have seen since 1990 have been a result of poor policies. Education had stopped to be a priority and jobs were for the favoured few," said Mung'omba.
"Every Zambian has a right to employment. A nation that fails to prioritise education cannot develop and will always remain vulnerable to poverty. Every government ministry must endeavour to exploit any educational component in it to advance knowledge and, therefore, efficiency and productivity. The winning of elections by the Patriotic Front is refreshing. It is a new start. The President deserves support of the Zambian people. There is always strength in unity. So I congratulate the President and his cabinet."
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MICHAEL SATA, WILLA MUNG'OMBA
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Masebo starts election petition process
By Joe Kaunda
Thu 29 Sep. 2011, 16:40 CAT
SYLVIA Masebo has directed her lawyers to commence the petition against her loss in the recently held Chongwe parliamentary election which she says was fraught with massive irregularities.
Masebo, who contested the seat on the PF ticket, said she had since handed over evidence to her lawyers MNB Legal Practitioners to show that the elections were characterised with massive rigging and abuse of resources by those in government, including the former president, Rupiah Banda.
"The whole government machinery through the president, including the now former first lady was used to rig the elections," Masebo said.
"There was the intimidation of voters after the president threatened to dethrone our traditional leader, senior chieftainess Nkomenshya Mukambo II. This intimidation by the president even caused apathy among voters and violence by the MMD. Then there was also massive vote buying."
Masebo cited the distribution of relief maize, government hammer mills, sewing machines and sinking of boreholes in selected villages.
"The former first lady distributed tractors and money to women's clubs. Public resources were distributed from Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development, Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, the CEEC Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission to selected groups. Even suits were given to headmen," she said.
"Soldiers in the barracks were paid their long outstanding dues on the day of the elections, there was ferrying of voters on the election day and the introduction of pre-marked ballot papers,"
She said it was saddening that these abuses took place in all the 58 polling stations in Chongwe Constituency leading to her loss to MMD candidate Japhen Mwakalombe.
Masebo said she had gathered all the evidence on the ground and witnesses to prove that the election was not free and fair.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MMD, SYLVIA MASEBO, VOTERIGGING
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