Let's work with govt - UPND MP
By Staff Reporters
Sun 20 Jan. 2013, 10:30 CAT
GWEMBE UPND member of parliament, Brian Ntundu says there is need to support the PF government so that its developmental agenda succeeds. Speaking yesterday during a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) stakeholders meeting held at Munyumbwe Civic Centre, Ntundu said the PF's 2013 budget was the best so far as it was activity based.
He said as member of parliament, there was nothing wrong in supporting the government of the day adding that members of parliament drew government salaries and allowances.
"It is illogical for MPs not to work with government because it is the same government that pays them salaries and fuel allowances for them to carryout their duties" he said.
Ntundu explained that the PF government was there to deliver to the people of Zambia and called on all Zambians to support government in implementing programmes.
He said the PF government was committed to adjusting the CDF upwards to ensure that Zambians plan and implement their localised developmental projects.
Ntundu, who spoke fondly and highly of President Michael Sata, said politics should not be mixed with development.
He cautioned UPND councillors against frustrating government's developmental agenda.
Ntundu observed that UPND councillors were the majority in Gwembe constituency and cautioned them against politicising government's developmental projects in the district.
He called for the proper utilisation of CDF for the benefit of the people of Gwembe.
The UPND leadership has instructed its members of parliament not to work with PF.
Recently, UPND's Sinazongwe member of parliament Richwell Siamunene was charged for supporting PF's developmental initiatives.
And Gwembe CDF stakeholders have unanimously proposed to purchase road equipment from the just released K1 billion CDF in order to improve feeder roads in the district.
In attendance were ward councilors, the district commissioner, heads of government departments, district council staff, NGOs, the church, chiefs, and community representatives.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CDF, UPND
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Copperbelt UPND labels Ntundu a mole
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 20 Jan. 2013, 10:30 CAT
THE UPND says it has not stopped any of its members of parliament from working with the government. But the party leadership on the Copperbelt has labeled its Gwembe member of parliament, Brian Ntundu, a mole for urging his colleagues to work with the government for development.
Reacting to Ntundu's call for his fellow party members to remove politics and work with the government, party deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said the leadership only forbade its members from working with the ruling PF.
"As UPND we have not stopped our members of parliament from working with government. That must be very clear on the minds of all well meaning Zambians. What we have stopped our members from doing is to work with PF. A clear distinction must be made between a government and a party," he said.
"Working with government is different from working with the party. However, the silver lining between government and the party running government is extremely thin that sometimes it is very difficult to figure it out where it ends because you find that the same people who are running a party are the ones in government. However, what is important in my view is to recognise when a member of parliament is interacting with government at the level of a government function. And a government function is blind to political parties. Now if a member of parliament is going to collaborate with government for government functions there is nothing really wrong that one can point at."
Mweetwa said there were so many issues on which UPND members of parliament had worked together with the government.
He said UPND members of parliament had many times voted together in parliament with the government on what he termed progressive policies.
Asked if he agreed with everything that Ntundu said, Mweetwa answered in the negative.
"I respect the fact that honourable Ntundu is entitled to hold an opinion that is constituted by himself. And I will defend his right to form and hold an opinion, but I do not agree with what has been attributed to him; some of the things that have been attributed to him," he said.
"For instance I don't agree with him when he says this budget is the best so far. He knows that the budget contains some of the things that we have disputed, so how can he brand such a calamitous budget as best? And I also disagree with what has been reported that he was speaking highly of President Sata. He must show evidence of what it is that Sata has done to deserve ululation and accolade in a meeting such as CDF meeting."
Asked if the party would discipline Ntundu based on what he said at the meeting, Mweetwa answered in the negative.
But Copperbelt Province UPND chairman Elisha Matambo said Ntundu was contradicting the stance of the party.
"We are asking honourable Ntundu to resign on moral grounds. He is a mole in the party who has an appetite for a ministerial position. So, we are asking him to leave quietly and look for a job from the PF government," said Matambo. "He is praising the budget which we refused as UPND. He is also speaking highly of the President who is harassing our president Hakainde Hichilema. Is that the government he says we should work with? He is putting salt on the injuries which we have. As an opposition party we are there to tell PF to create jobs for the people. In short we are working with government already by providing checks and balances."
Meanwhile, Mweetwa described the appointment of justice Minister Wynter Kabimba to the ZAWA board as a scandal.
"It defies all forms of reasonable logic, it is anomalous and scandalous. He is a very senior minister who by virtue of being on the ZAWA board should not be reporting to a junior minister Sylvia Masebo. It is like reporting to himself, and his presence in board meetings will intrinsically entail intimidation to the others. So, we urge President Sata to intervene and revoke that appointment," said Mweetwa.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CORNELIUS MWEETWA, ELISHA MATAMBO, UPND
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"Sexual appetite shouldn't override need for circumcision"
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 22 Nov. 2012, 13:10 CAT
DR Francis Manda says Gwembe UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu's sexual appetite should not override the advatages of male circumcision.
Commenting on Ntundu's fears about circumcision and the fears that 'sweetness' of sex is lost when one gets circumcised, Dr Manda, a urologist, advised the member of parliament not to only look at his sexual appetite but also other issues which in the end could affect him.
"People who are not circumcised, they are at the risk of getting cancer of the penis and two, most of the men because of their inner foreskin which harbours the virus called human papilloma virus, they are carriers of this virus and they pass it on to women and they end up with cervical cancer. His sexual appetite should not override the advantages of circumcision," he said.
Dr Manda said Ntundu's fears were based on ego and that he was not looking at what could befall him in terms of cancer.
"He is just being selfish by looking at his sexual appetite and not looking at other issues which in the end can even affect him. He could have cancer of the penis," Dr Manda said.
Dr Manda said it was only the sensation to the manhood that was lost when one got circumcised.
"Those people who have premature ejaculations, we use circumcision as one of the forms of treating them. If he says no I am going to lose this, that's being selfish, he is looking just at sex, he is not looking at other issues in the broader spectrum," he said.
Dr Manda however, said circumcision was voluntary and that Ntundu was free to remain the way he was if he so wished.
"If his main concern is his sexual behaviour, let him remain like that, but let him not discourage others because we have seen and it is proven beyond any doubt that circumcision is one of the tools which we use in mitigating not only HIV and AIDS but other sexually transmitted diseases," said Dr Manda.
During the voluntary medical male circumcision workshop for members of parliament on Monday, Ntundu, 50, laid bare his sex life and revealed that he struggled to do one round of sex on account of his age.
"When I was young…I had my first child at the age of 17 and during that time, I used to do more rounds but now I am 50 years old and I struggle to do one round of sex. Now if I am struggling at 50, what will happen if I circumcise…I am sure you know what I am trying to say," said Ntundu, sending the audience into laughter.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CIRCUMCISION, FRANCIS MANDA, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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COMMENT - Circumcision is being pushed by a couple of fanatics who want to circumcise the world, and know that Africa is an easy mark because we are outsourcing our healthcare to unaccountable NGOs, instead of collecting the taxes that allow our ministries to set their own policy. For more information, google: doctors opposing circumcision hiv statement.
Gwembe UPND MP Ntundu fears circumcision
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 20 Nov. 2012, 12:00 CAT
GWEMBE UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu, 50, yesterday laid bare his sex life and caused laughter during a sensitisation meeting for members of parliament when he said he struggles to do one round of sex on account of his age.
This was during the voluntary medical male circumcision workshop for members of parliament, when Ntundu was given an opportunity to ask a question following Dr Manasseh Phiri's lecture on male circumcision. Ntundu wanted to find out from Dr Phiri if it was true that the 'sweetness' of sex is lost when one gets circumcised.
"When I was young….I had my first child at the age of 17 and during that time, I used to do more rounds but now I am 50 years old and I struggle to do one round of sex," explained Ntundu.
At this point, Dr Phiri chipped in and advised Ntundu to spare the meeting the details and get straight to his question.
Ntundu then proceeded and said: "Now if I am struggling at 50, what will happen if I circumcise… I am sure you know what I am trying to say."
Later, Dr Phiri assured Ntundu that it was not true that 'sweetness' was lost after one was circumcised.
Earlier, Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu shared his experience on circumcision with his fellow parliamentarians.
Hamududu revealed how his wife, who had accompanied him for circumcision, got concerned that the 'instrument' could be damaged.
This was after Kalomo UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga asked Hamududu if his wife had accompanied him for circumcision of which he responded in the affirmative.
"My wife was there watching because she is the owner of the property and she was making sure that the doctors were doing it nicely," said Hamududu.
He revealed that after undergoing circumcision, he received a number of phone calls from friends and relatives.
Hamududu later told the gathering about how he wished his wife was present yesterday to testify about other benefits that had come with his circumcision.
He further said the country had lost a number of ideas that were buried at the cemetery because of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Speaking earlier, US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella said the national goal that Zambia had set of circumcising 1.9 million men by 2015 would prevent up to 339,632 new HIV infections.
Ambassador Storella said the target figure was an astonishing health and financial benefit for Zambians.
"We applaud your bold leadership and the American people, through PEPFAR, have invested more than US$17 million dollars for 2013 to support Zambia's national goal," he said.
Ambassador Storella said Zambia's high HIV prevalence rate was in part due to low levels of male circumcision.
He said the demand for medical male circumcision was still low, adding that it was essential for members of parliament to encourage people in their constituencies to undergo medical male circumcision in order to achieve and AIDS free generation in Zambia.
Meanwhile, deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Mkhondo Lungu said informing members of parliament on important issues like male circumcision was a sure way of communicating with the ordinary people in various constituencies and the country.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, GWEMBE DISTRICT, UPND
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MMD, UPND MPs mock PF
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 03 Nov. 2011, 14:30 CAT
OPPOSITION MPs heckled and mocked the Patriotic Front government over manoeuvres by President Michael Sata to appoint Xavier Chungu as Luapula Province permanent secretary.
Gwembe United Party for National Development (UPND) member of parliament Brian Ntundu said the appointment of Chungu, Zambia's former intelligence chief who is suspected to have anchored late Frederick Chiluba's sustained haemorrhaging the country's coffers, signaled the end of President Sata's fight against graft.
Ntundu who laid on the table The Post newspaper edition number 5492 headlined ‘Sata appoints Xavier PS' said he had been "put off" by Chungu's appointment.
"If what you have written, "then you are gone." And if it's true, through, then we are not fighting corruption. What is true from your good friend "your paper" The Post newspaper which is only a friend to you only… I can even lay it on the table of the House," Ntundu said amidst shouts of ki masholi (they are thieves) from some UPND MPs.
He said PF should not overrate its election victory that saw the party dislodge MMD from power after 20 years.
"I am now beginning to think MMD was a better government," said Ntundu as opposition MPs burst into shouts of hear! hear! hear! hear!
Ntundu said the opposition would only support the PF government if it brought progressive bills to Parliament.
"We are not bitter and we shall support you when you bring in good Bills that favour Zambians. If you bring in motions that would not be in favour of Zambians, we shoot them down and you can dissolve if you feel like and you will see us here again," said Ntundu.
He, however, said Zambians were not interested in going for another election.
"If our President thinks there is money in the coffers, let him do the roads. Let him not take that money for another election. People of Zambia are not interested," said Ntundu.
Last week, President Sata threatened to dissolve Parliament if the opposition MMD and UPND continued to frustrate the fight against corruption by undermining formulation of legislation aimed to strengthen the fight against the vice.
President Sata said if the opposition for the second time shot down the motion to have the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) adopted, he would have no option but to dissolve Parliament and call for elections.
And Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) MP for Luena Mulumemui Imenda said fighting corruption did not amount to witch-hunting.
"I support the President. I must state that it is not witch-hunting to investigate cases of corruption," said Imenda when delivering her maiden speech to Parliament. "The investigation is about what happened, if there is a who, well let them explain."
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CORRUPTION, MMD, PF, UPND, XAVIER CHUNGU
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Ntundu’s ‘sort out The Post’ statement
Written by Noel Sichalwe and Gillian Namungala
Opposition UPND and the ruling MMD have distanced themselves from Gwembe member of parliament Brian Ntundu’s call on the government to sort out The Post.
And MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba has said the ruling party has got nothing to do with those calling on the government to sort out The Post. UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma on Monday explained that what Ntundu said in Parliament was his personal view, which did not reflect the views of the party and its policy on media freedom.
"I would like to state that what Honourable Ntundu debated in Parliament and what he said about The Post is clearly his personal views," he said. "It did not reflect the views of the party and it is not policies the party stand on. We will continue to have our own issues but that does not justify the closure of the institution. The UPND stands on media freedom. It is very very clear.
"We support the freedom of information and freedom of the media and therefore, we will not advocate for the closure of media institutions which we feel are not covering us fairly. Of course as stakeholders, we also have the right to complain when we think that UPND is not fairly covered, but that is not justifying the closure of any media institution, including The Post because they have not covered us the way we wanted. It is also not our policy as a party, for example, that journalists that reported the way they reported should be arrested. I don't think that is the way even Parliament should agree to move a motion to start arresting journalists who report things that are not likeable to politicians."
Ntundu last week asked the MMD government to seriously sort out The Post now that the elections were over, describing the newspaper as stinking.
Contributing to the motion to adopt the report by the committee on information and broadcasting services, which was tabled before Parliament, Ntundu said now that MMD had won the presidential election, it should deal with The Post for its unfair coverage towards President Rupiah Banda.
Ntundu said it would be useless for the government to fail to deal with The Post when during the run-up to the just-ended election, the newspaper was insulting their candidate on a daily basis.
However, Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa intervened and asked Ntundu to withdraw the word 'stinking'.
Ntundu then withdrew the word 'stinking' and described the newspaper as unprofessional.
And Tetamashimba said President Banda had nothing to do with people that were calling on him to deal with his critics.
"Let's give President Banda a chance to govern this country. I can tell you that he will not go back to attend to those who were against him," Tetamashimba said. "I can't start condemning The Post for what you were writing. Fred [M'membe] has been my friend for a long time."
Asked to explain why the MMD had not denied the reported electoral malpractices prior to last month's presidential election, Tetamashimba said the people of Zambia would judge whether The Post was wrong or right.
"The MMD has nothing to do with what The Post was writing, but we read everything. It's up to the people of Zambia to judge," Tetamashimba said. "All I can say is that there is need for a private media in the country to help provide checks and balances."
Meanwhile, Kakoma said the Patriotic Front (PF) would never expand its political base to other regions as long as long as it continued to view non-Bemba speaking people as tribalists.
Kakoma was commenting on remarks by PF Roan member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili who said that UPND did not enter into a pact with PF because it was tribal. He said it was tragic for the PF to always look at things through tribal spectacles.
Kakoma said as long as PF focused on having a Bemba president, it would continue failing to penetrate other regions because such areas would be apprehensive to their motive.
Kakoma said the PF's hegemonic view that tended to belittle other political parties and non-Bemba speaking regions was hurting the feelings of other people and would make it difficult for them to be accepted nationwide.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, MMD, THE POST, UPND
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UPND MP calls on govt to sort out The Post
Written by Lambwe Kachali
Friday, November 14, 2008 8:00:27 AM
GWEMBE UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu yesterday asked the MMD government to seriously sort out The Post now that the election is over, describing the newspaper as “stinking”.
And Matero member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe said it was a shame for The Post to be advancing selfish interest in its reporting. Meanwhile, independent Luena member of parliament Charles Milupi accused The Post of doctoring pictures that it used on its front page during the elections.
Contributing to the motion to adopt the report by the committee on information and broadcasting services, which was tabled before Parliament, Ntundu said now that MMD had won the presidential election, it should deal with The Post for its unfair coverage towards President Rupiah Banda.
Ntundu said it would be useless for government to fail to deal with The Post when during the run-up to the just ended election; the newspaper was insulting their candidate on a daily basis.
"MMD should be strong enough to sort out such media organisation. In this case, I will not fear, I mean The Post Newspaper. There is no way, the media can become so strong to an extent that it can insult everybody including the head of state, and you are there smiling. If you have problems in sorting out The Post, we shall do that for you. The Post is stinking, it's useless," Ntundu charged.
At this point, Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa intervened and asked Ntundu to withdraw the word 'stinking'.
Ntundu then withdrew the word 'stinking' and described the newspaper as unprofessional.
"I want the government to pass this bill [Freedom of Information Bill] so that the media can be regulated. I am sure even the campaign manger which The Post was supporting is sad because he did not achieve anything," Ntundu said as Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament asked him whether his party had won the elections.
Ntundu then said he did not mention any party adding that he thought that the PF had paid The Post for the good coverage.
He commended the public media for what he termed fair coverage.
"So, if you have skeletons and fear The Post, it's up to you," Ntundu said as the ministers shouted that they had already started. "The government must regulate the media and not fear them."
And Sinyangwe in apparent reference to The Post said what used to come out of the newspaper as far as campaign coverage was concerned was very unprofessional.
"We will not sit down and see people advancing their selfish interest. It will be wrong to take action when you see people dying because of bad reporting. Journalists must do what is right. We must see to it that ethics are followed all the time when reporting," Sinyangwe said. "Politics is not about insulting each other."
Meanwhile, Milupi said although the media was an important component in the governance of the country, the coverage in the last election was not balanced.
"Last election we have seen the worst coverage of the press. It is proper for a private media to have an editorial position, but it is improper for the media to have day after day in the editorial comment be against one candidate. Even in the jokes and letters to the editor," said Milupi. "They went to an extent of doctoring pictures. I could see that some pictures were blended. It's a shame!"
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, FAUSTINA SINGYANGWE, THE POST, UPND
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