UPND is decaying, says Siamunene
By Cynthia Phiri in Sinazongwe
Fri 29 Mar. 2013, 14:01 CAT
THE UPND is decaying, says the party's Sinazongwe member of parliament Richwell Siamunene.
And confusion reigned at Sinazongwe civic centre on Wednesday when councillors attempted to stop Siamunene, from attending a full council meeting.
Upon seeing Siamunene's vehicle, all the 14 UPND councillors left the council chambers for another office where they seemed to have convened a meeting to strategise on how to hound their member of parliament, who has been suspended following his appointment to the Patriotic Front government, out of the full council meeting.
The meeting, which was scheduled to start at 09:30 hours only commenced at 11:30 hours because of a caucus held by the councillors, who seemed to be divided over the matter.
The councillors claimed that Siamunene had no right to attend the full council meeting as Sinazongwe member of parliament because the UPND district officials recommended that he (Siamunene) be expelled from the party.
But Siamunene explained to the councillors that they had no right to lock him out of the full council meeting because the Speaker of the National Assembly had not declared his seat vacant.
He also told them that the council chamber did not belong to the UPND but government.
He told the councillors that their action lacked merit and only showed how ignorant the civic leaders were about local government procedures.
''This is a sign that the UPND as a party is decaying. I am aware that the instruction came from the UPND secretary general Winston Chibwe that I should be blocked from attending this meeting just to embarrass me. Looking at a person of his calibre, it's astonishing that he exhibited colossal levels of ignorance over local government procedures," he said.
President Michael Sata appointed Siamunene commerce deputy minister and this week, the UPND leadership in Sinazongwe convened a meeting at which they suspended Siamunene from the party and recommended his expulsion.
And chief Sinazongwe, who has declared support for Siamunene, advised the UPND councillors not to rush into anything they would regret.
Chief Sinazongwe said in any election, the people vote for a person who was able to deliver and not for a particular party, adding that until and unless Siamunene's seat was declared vacant by the Speaker, he had right to attend any meeting in his capacity as member of parliament.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, RICHWELL SIAMUNENE, UPND, WINSTON CHIBWE
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Tonga chief counsels HH
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 21 Mar. 2013, 14:00 CAT
CHIEF Sinazongwe says Hakainde Hichilema's tribal sentiment can divide the country. Commenting on Hichilema's statement that those who think their tribes were superior to others were fools, chief Sinazongwe of the Tonga people of the valley said leaders should preach peace and unity and not segregation among its citizens.
He said all human beings were equal and that no tribe was foolish or superior to others.
"Tribalism won't take us anywhere. We (Tongas) can't form a government out of one (Southern) province; this is what you should understand. We can't form a government under one province unless you are supported by many provinces that consist of many tribes but if we start segregating, there is no way we can find support from our brothers and sisters," he said.
"If we continue segregating, talking about tribalism, we will never rule. Let's network with others just like we shouldn't let others feel that they own this country. Government is for everybody. This is our government. This must be realised that segregation won't help us. If you just concentrate on Southern Province, you won't rule. Why are we leaving the national cake to others? Let's be with them and work together."
Chief Sinazongwe said all those that had accepted government appointments were doing it in the interest of the nation and for the good of the people.
He said Hichilema should have accepted to serve under President Michael Sata so that he learns and understands how the government operates.
Chief Sinazongwe said Zambia was not a personal to holder asset for any particular tribe or individual.
On Sunday, Hichilema said those who consider their tribes more superior than others were fools.
During a briefing in Lusaka, Hichilema said those that saw their tribes superior to others were simply fools because it was God who created everyone.
We should not demonise each other on the basis of choices we never made. No one chose to be born in a particular area, he said without disclosing the tribes that consider themselves superior to others.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SOUTHERN PROVINCE, TRIBALISM, UPND
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Chief urges UPND not to lie about Monde's suspension
By Brina Siwale in Livingstone and Moses Kuwema in Lusaka
Wed 20 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE UPND leadership has started backtracking on the expulsion of its Itezhi-tezhi member of parliament Greyford Monde from the party based on his appointment as agriculture deputy minister.
And chief Sinazongwe of the Tonga-speaking people of Sinazongwe district has advised the UPND not to lie to the nation that they had suspended Monde because of other charges other than his acceptance to serve in government.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa yesterday claimed the party would have no problem with its members of parliament working with government as long as they remained loyal to the party.
Mweetwa, who was among those that called for Monde's expulsion, said that the PF was welcome to appoint UPND members of parliament as long as they consulted the party before the appointment.
"We are not saying that our MPs should not be appointed by the PF. If PF or indeed any government wants to appoint a UPND MP as minister, they should first formally approach the party so that when such a person is appointed, they will have the blessings of the party," said Mweetwa.
However, last week, Mweetwa together with party president Hakainde Hichilema, said Monde would be expelled from the UPND.
Hichilema told Breeze FM that Monde knew the consequences of accepting a ministerial position in the PF government.
Hichilema said that the UPND had a strict policy that stated that no member of parliament would accept to work with the PF government as minister or deputy minister.
And Mweetwa last week 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 manage waging 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 stance. 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 then.
And party deputy secretary general Kuchunga Simusamba last week also said it was sad that Monde would spend his 'political robes with the greedy and Judas Iscariot for a few pieces of silver'.
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," said Simusamba.
"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," said Simusamba last week.
However last week, the UPND avoided suspending Monde over accepting the ministerial position but instead slapped him with different charges.
In a letter dated February 15, 2013 and signed by party secretary general Winstone Chibwe, UPND stated that it had been brought to its attention that Monde had on numerous occasions failed to avail himself for party programmes and had failed to work effectively with the constituency and the general membership of the party.
Chibwe stated that specifically the party had charged him with destabilising the party, bringing the party name into disrepute and public odium by issuing unauthorised statements, failure to obey or carryout party instructions and activities and failure to maintain a cordial working relationship with local party officials in Itezhi-tezhi.
"The aforesaid is a testimony that your membership is questionable and that your motive is malicious and with intent to destabilise and injure the good image and reputation of UPND, as a well-organised party," he stated. "By virtue of the powers vested in me, under Article 8 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), you are hereby charged with the offence of gross misconduct and therefore suspended with immediate effect from the party as your actions are in breach of Article 8 of our party's constitution. You are given three days from date hereof, to exculpate yourself."
However Mweetwa has suddenly made a u-turn on his expulsion statement and said in an interview that the party had no problem with its members of parliament being appointed as ministers in government.
"We find it extremely disappointing that many people are failing to draw a distinction between working with government and working with the PF. Working with PF is where you begin to indulge yourself in political activities that undermine our party," Mweetwa said.
He cited himself as an example of how an MP in the opposition should work with government.
"All of us work with government. I am the MP for Choma, I work with government but no one has complained about me because I only work with government and I am loyal to my party. I don't work with PF, what we don't allow is working with PF," he said.
"That way their loyalty will still remain to the party that sent them to Parliament. So this issue of cutting deals behind is what UPND is saying no to. We are not saying UPND MPs should not be appointed or work with government; it is as simple as that."
President Sata appointed Monde as deputy minister.
Meanwhile, chief Sinazongwe says the UPND should understand that Monde was in government to serve Zambians and not his interest.
Commenting on the suspension of Monde from the UPND, chief Sinazongwe also advised the UPND not to lie to the nation that they had suspended Monde because of other charges other than his acceptance to serve in the PF government.
"It is not true. They should not lie to Zambians because we know that Monde has been suspended because he was appointed into government. …The fact is that Monde has been appointed into government and has been charged because of that. They just want to mix things," chief Sinazongwe said.
And chief Sinazongwe said the President had a right to appoint any member of parliament into government regardless of the political party they belonged to as long as they were serving the nation.
"As long as someone is obedient to his party, he can be loyal to his party but serving the nation. He is not serving that opposition party. He is serving the country, the people of Zambia. That's what we must understand. Anyone who is appointed to any position, whether he is in opposition; MMD, UPND, he is supposed to be let free not to be suspended but to look at what activities he is going to do for the nation. Is he going to serve the people of Zambia or the party? This is what we must understand; the government does not belong to the ruling party only. It belongs to everybody, every Zambian, whether opposition or not," he said.
Chief Sinazongwe said he saw no reason why opposition political parties should always have difficulties appreciating the appointment of their members of parliament into government.
"I think it must be enshrined in the Constitution, to protect the opposition members who are appointed in the government. The opposition must learn to support the government in power," he said.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, CHIEFS, CORNELIUS MWEETWA, GREYFORD MONDE, UPND
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Chinese investors are above the law - Sata
By Sandra Lombe in Livingstone and Patson Chilemba in Lusaka
Sun 17 Oct. 2010, 04:40 CAT
MINEWORKERS unions have strongly condemned the shooting of 11 Collum Coal Mine workers in Sinazongwe by Chinese managers after they allegedly protested over bad conditions of service. And chief Sinazongwe has warned that the shooting of the workers in his chiefdom marked the beginning of war between the Chinese and the local community.
Meanwhile,
PF leader Michael Sata has charged that the shooting incident had revealed that Chinese investors were now above the law. Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) president Rayford Mbulu and National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) national secretary Godwell Kaluba in separate interviews said
it was unacceptable that investors could resort to shooting workers that were demanding what was rightfully due to them.
Two of the victims who were seriously wounded, Vincent Chengele 20, and Simon Simwete 28, have since been evacuated to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
“I have dispatched the general treasurer and director of occupational safety and health. They should be in Sinazongwe tomorrow (yesterday) to get information on the ground. In a mine we can’t allow the carrying of firearms, we can’t allow the Chinese to do that. The police should investigate and bring to book the suspects. We don’t care what investments people bring in the country. They should have sought dialogue with the workers or the unions. This is regrettable. What if a life was lost?” Mbulu asked.
“We can’t allow people to do anything they want because they have brought ‘funny money’ in this country. They can take it elsewhere. They must be arrested immediately.”
Mbulu said MUZ was dealing with a similar case three years ago where Chinese investors used a firearm on miners in Chambeshi. He expressed regret that the case was up to now still being investigated.
“Workers should be protected in this country. We want to be informed that these suspects have been brought to book. They should leave our country,” Mbulu charged.
He said there were many investors that wanted to invest in the country but Zambians should never allow such behaviour from foreign investors.
And Kaluba said there was growing concern over some Chinese investors who had exhibited violence towards staff at their mines.
“There are some bad eggs. It’s very unfortunate, it’s extremely unacceptable. When people are crying for better conditions of service, it means there is a problem. It’s either management doesn’t want to listen, negotiate or dialogue. The shooting is extremely unacceptable. In some cases we have had the Chinese slapping or beating up Zambian workers,” he said.
“This is unacceptable, that is why some people say the Chinese are bad.” Southern Province commanding officer Lemmy Kajoba referred queries to public relations office, as the matter was now being handled by Police Service Headquarters.
Police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said she was not yet at the office by press time. However, chief Sinazongwe has expressed anger and strongly condemned the Chinese managers for shooting at the workers. He said firearms should never have been used.
“The issue was very simple, they (workers) were asking; ‘why no increment for two months’. The other thing could have been communication was not good, the workers were using English and the Chinese were using Chinese. Two guns were used,” he narrated.
“They shouldn’t have used the firearms. That’s very bad. We know they bring development but they shouldn’t shoot and use violence on the workers. This is the beginning of war between the locals and the Chinese. We need to harmonize the situation if no death occurs. If there is a death, this war will never finish unless we step in as traditional leaders.”
And narrating events that followed, chief Sinazongwe said the residents in the area were angered after they heard about the shooting and that the Chinese managers had run away.
“The people went to hunt for them. Police came with tear gas and many people were tear gassed,” he said.
“The two that were seriously injured in the chest by this time have been taken to Lusaka (UTH). For the others (nine) here, we don’t know when the bullets (pellets) will be removed.” UTH public relations manager Pauline Mbangweta could not give details of the two referred to UTH.
“I am told they are at UTH.
I am here trying to check, I will give you details later,” Mbangweta said. Meanwhile, Sata has charged that the Chinese investors were now above the law. Commenting on the shooting of the eleven workers, Sata said it was only in Zambia where a foreigner could shoot so many Zambians and get away with it. “You see the Chinese are above the law.
It is only in Zambia where a foreigner can shoot so many Zambians and get away with it, and the police are only making slogans that ‘we are going to investigate’. They are behaving the same way they behaved on Chitambo MMD member of parliament Dr Solomon Musonda who shot a PF cadre” he said.
Sata said the Chinese were supposed to be in custody pending investigations because the evidence was already there that they shot people. “That’s the evidence. What more do they want? Why did they let people who were shot taken to the hospital and leave the Chinese? Are the Chinese above the law?” he asked. Sata said the slowness by the government and the police to react to the shooting showed that the country lacked leadership.
“If we had leadership, what is happening would not happen because I can’t see any investor in the People’s Republic of China shooting any Chinese and getting away with it,” Sata said. He said the opposition should put aside their differences and speak strongly in unison against the incident.
Sata said the PF would demonstrate to the country how patriotic they were as the party would stand by the victims of the shooting.
“We know we can’t be protected by this government because it has been heavily corrupted by the Chinese for the 2011 elections and the current by-elections,” said Sata.
An eyewitness on Friday told The Post that the Chinese employers shot the victims in the neck, mouth, head, shoulder, chest and other parts of their bodies. When contacted for a comment, mines minister Maxwell Mwale said he was awaiting a full report on the matter.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, CHINESE, CHINESE COLLUM COAL MINE, GODWELL KALUBA, MAXWELL MWALE, MICHAEL SATA, MURDER, RAYFORD MBULU
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Chief Sinazongwe describes floods as worst disaster
By Charles Mangwato in Choma and Ernest Chanda in Lusaka
Thu 11 Mar. 2010, 07:20 CAT
CHIEF Sinazongwe has described the devastating effect of the floods as the worst disaster to have hit the valley district in living memory due to the massive damage to infrastructure and crops. Meanwhile, youths have taken advantage of the collapsed bridge at Sinazeze and are cashing in by carrying people on their backs to cross the flooded stream.
Chief Sinazongwe said he is shocked that despite the massive damaged to infrastructure and crops, there has been no immediate action thereby causing despair and worry among the people in the valley.
He said apart from two bridges being washed away on the Batoka-Maamba Road, several other link roads had been extensively damaged with bridges and culverts being uprooted.
He said the magnitude of human suffering as a result of damaged infrastructure was unbelievable as scarcity of food and high prices had hit the valley district.
“These floods were only witnessed in 1963,” he said.
Chief Sinazongwe said it had not even been easy for him to travel to Choma to attend a ministry of local government and housing meeting as he had to cross the stream using an excavator at the point where the bridge had been washed away.
“It is practically impossible to move. This is the first time I have left my palace since February 15 when we were inundated by floods,” he said.
“I had to use two vehicles to reach Choma, one from my palace to Sinazeze where I crossed the stream using an excavator before jumping onto another specially arranged vehicle from Choma that was waiting for us on the other side.”
He said urgent action is needed to restore normalcy in the valley district where food scarcity is already taking its toll on the people.
Chief Sinazongwe said prices of essential goods like mealie-meal had sky-rocketed with a 25 kilogramme bag hitting between K 70,000 to K 100,000.
And a Sinazongwe resident, Richwell Siamunene called on the government to help communities in that area after 1000 housing units brought down by floods.
Siamunene said several bridges had also been swept away and most roads were left impassable.
Meanwhile, youths at Sinazeze are cashing in by charging K5,000 per person to be ferried across the river on their backs.
Several women were seen on the backs of youths crossing the stream.
The youths are also making brisk business by transporting goods like mealie-meal from Choma across the stream into Sinazongwe.
Meanwhile, Sinazongwe district secretary Oliver Muuka said several commercial fishermen who are stuck with bags of Kapenta due to damaged roads have started using water transport from Sinazongwe to Siavonga.
Muuka said the local authority had lost revenue from fish levy. “Some white fishermen remain without electricity because poles that collapsed cannot be replaced as Zesco personnel cannot access their areas,” he said.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, FLOODS, INFRASTRUCTURE
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Chief Sinazongwe urges urgent attention on flood situation
By Sandra Mulowa
Sun 28 Feb. 2010, 03:30 CAT
CHIEF Sinazongwe has said the flood situation in his area is desperate and needs urgent attention. And four people have died in senior chief Mweemba's area after the car they were in was swept away by water. Chief Sinazongwe said the rains had caused havoc in Southern Province.
"I am very sad. The continuous rainfall has caused havoc here. The rains are bad, they are beyond the expectations, and bridges have been washed away. We are cut off completely, even the road that leads to the palace is cut off," he said.
"The Malima Road is also cut off. All bridges are gone, crops are gone and others are submerged, houses have collapsed and others are collapsing. In senior chief Mweemba's area, three lives have been lost, including vehicles are stuck."
He called on the government to urgently send officials to assess the situation.
"Someone from government should come here and see the picture on the ground, they shouldn't just hear," he said.
His palace has been cut off from the rest of the district following heavy rains.
And a Sinazongwe businessman Richwell Siamunene said several bridges had been washed away.
He named the bridges as Nangombe, Kanzenze, Sialwele, Nakula and Sigombela (chief Mweemba's area).
"About six power lines have been uprooted due to rains and fish traders have lost their fish. Lumama is extensively affected; its cut off in three areas, no vehicle is going to Choma. We don't know how the people are moving and living," he said.
Siamunene said two bodies of the four people that are feared dead in chief Mweemba's area had been retrieved.
"The other bodies are still missing (of a boy and a woman). They were in a vehicle which was going to Maamba, and then it was pushed due to flood currents. There were about 10 people in the van, which was driven by Max Sidenda. This happened two days ago," he said.
And the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has said that it is closely monitoring the flood situation in North Western Province.
And the government in conjunction with ZRCS on Thursday started relocating about 161 families in Lusaka from flood areas to a camp that has been set up at Independence Stadium.
In an interview yesterday after permanent secretary in the office of the Vice-President Davies Sampa, other government and Zambia Army officials toured the campsite at Independence Stadium, ZRCS secretary general Charles Mushitu said North Western Province was a source of conern.
"Our men are on the ground details will be given later. The area is a source of worry," he said.
He also said ZRCS was still waiting for reports from different parts of the country on the flood situation.
Labels: CHIEF MWEEMBA, CHIEF SINAZONGWE, FLOODS, NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE
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Chief Sinazongwe dismisses Times story on UPND-PF pact
By George Chellah and Namatama Mundia
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
CHIEF Sinazongwe yesterday dismissed the recent media reports that 15 chiefs in Southern Province have rejected the UPND-PF Pact as a lie. And Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima said chief Mwanachingwala is a fake human being.
Reacting to a story that appeared in the Times of Zambia last Saturday, chief Sinazongwe said the story was false and meant to destroy his name.
“…that we had a meeting with chiefs, which was not correct, there was no one time, no one day where we sat for a meeting with the chiefs of the valley. Where we said we don’t like UPND because they never reported to us as chiefs. I was quoted as that, it is not true! This young man rang me whilst I was in a Post Office in Kalomo,” chief Sinazongwe explained.
“He asked me a question of how many chiefs am I leading as chairperson of the Gwembe Valley chiefs and he wanted the names of those chiefs I am leading and I told him. And then you know what he wrote at the end, that we were not going to support Hakainde because he never reported to us, which was not true.”
He maintained that all the chiefs from the valley had never sat and resolved not to support the UPND.
“So I am reacting that journalists must write truthful articles not articles which are never put on record,” chief Sinazongwe said.
“We had no meeting of the valley chiefs, he was asking the names of the valley chiefs, which I gave him and didn’t know that he was going to make a story bad like that.”
Chief Sinazongwe said the reporter never asked him about the Pact.
“How can me as a chairperson of the valley chiefs tell a lie like that, that we had a meeting? This young man… I was very bad I did not record his name. I thought he was just merely asking me the question of how many chiefs that I am leading as the chairperson of the valley chiefs,” chief Sinazongwe said.
“So he narrated the story differently which is a surprise. Please kindly could you young men as journalists be recording something which is true. There was no statement that was issued.”
And Syakalima said chief Mwanachingwala always wanted to eat with the ruling party whenever the country gets close to elections.
Labels: CHIEF SINAZONGWE, PF-UPND
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