Mufumbwe rejected tribalism - Kabimba
By Ernest Chanda in Kasama
Mon 12 Nov. 2012, 14:00 CAT
WYNTER Kabimba says he has no ambitions of becoming Republican President. And Kabimba says the Patriotic Front's victory in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election is a rejection of tribalism and regionalism propagated by the opposition during campaigns.
During a special interview with Radio Mano in Kasama on Saturday, Kabimba, the PF secretary general and justice minister, revealed that he was comfortable with his current position of serving under President Michael Sata and had no ambition of becoming head of state.
He also refuted assertions that there is a power struggle within the party structures.
Kabimba, however, said there were a few individuals planning to hijack the party from outside, according to Radio Phoenix.
He said the outsiders trying to destabilise the party may be getting support from some members of PF in a bid to bring confusion in the ruling party.
Kabimba also assured that the party structures in Northern Province were intact contrary to perceptions stating otherwise.
And in an interview on the ruling party's victory in the Mufumbwe by-election, Kabimba said Mufumbwe residents had broken tribal barriers promoted by the MMD and its ally UPND.
Stephen Masumba, who lost the Mufumbwe seat after being expelled by his former party, the MMD, regained it on Thursday on the PF ticket.
"This is a landmark victory for us. What we are doing as a party is to reunite this country, to break down the poralisation…because this country is a unitary state; this country is one. What the people of Mufumbwe have done is to reject the Sunday sermons that come from political party leaders from the opposition that want to balkanise this country and segment it into tribal enclaves," he said in an interview.
"They have said no to that kind of preaching, 'we don't want an enclave we are part of Zambia. We are not Luvales, we're not Chokwes, we're not Kaondes, we are just Zambians. And therefore we are going to support the Patriotic Front with its national programmes'. That's the message that's coming from Mufumbwe."
Kabimba said for a long time, opposition parties had planted seeds of tribalism in their campaigns.
"'You know you Luvales, you know you Chokwes, you know you Kaondes they've given you a Kaonde candidate, what about you the Chokwe, how is he going to serve you?' And that has been the foundation of their existence as opposition political parties. We have broken down those barriers as PF," he said.
"The message that we took to Mufumbwe was not about segmenting that province. The message that we took to Mufumbwe was one of inclusive development for all the districts of North Western Province, for all the tribes that are in North Western Province. None of us chose to be their tribe. We found these tribes; they were allocated to us by God. So, the basis of judging another human being cannot be the tribe. And no human being is good or bad on the basis of their tribe."
And Kabimba praised traditional leaders in North Western Province for showing national leadership in the by-election. He said the traditional leaders sensitised their people on the dangers of tribalism.
"They spoke to their people that this is not about tribe; it's about the province and this is about the nation. My appeal is that the rest of the provinces should follow the Mufumbwe example," said Kabimba. "I'm calling upon my people from Southern Province to follow the Mufumbwe example because that is what is going to bring about development to Southern Province, that's what is going to bring about development to this nation."
Labels: MUFUMBWE, TRIBALISM, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Catapult-wielding MMD cadres ground ZAF chopper in Mufumbwe
By Misheck Wangwe in Mufumbwe
Fri 09 Nov. 2012, 14:00 CAT
OVER 20 MMD cadres at Kyamwina grounds in Mufumbwe on Wednesday attempted to stone a ZAF helicopter that was ferrying election staff and materials within the constituency.
And Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) commissioner Minerva Tembo said it was illogical for anybody to think that the Mufumbwe election would be rigged.
The helicopter could not take off on time as it was surrounded by cadres armed with catapults and knobkerries, threatening to stone it and accusing the ECZ and the PF of trying to rig yesterday's by-election.
North Western Province police commissioner Eugene Sibote, who confirmed the incident in an interview said the police had arrested an MMD cadre identified as Fred Mangisa, 30, who has since been charged with conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
"A ZAF officer came running at the police station and told us that the irate cadres want to stone the chopper. When our officers rushed there, these cadres started throwing stones at the officers. The one arrested (Mangisa) from chief Chizela areas was using a catapult and one of my officers was hit in the process," Sibote said.
He said the police confronted the cadres that were claiming that the air-lifting of election materials and election staff was one way of rigging the election.
"They were saying they are suspicious about these materials being air-lifted; now to us it was not a very valid concern. This constituency is vast and a chopper has been used so many times during elections. We are not interested in individuals that want to unnecessarily alarm the nation and make false claims of rigging. There are places that are closer to Kaoma and very far from this place and a chopper is used," Sibote said.
And speaking during a stakeholders' meeting yesterday, Tembo said political parties must refrain from telling lies that had potential to disrupt peace.
"What happened over the chopper was regrettable. How can elections be rigged in a chopper when records are there to verify and countercheck the process? If we ask how and where rigging takes place, can you explain? This is the confusion that you are perpetuating and it must be stooped," Tembo said.
MMD leader Nevers Mumba, who went to the police station on Wednesday, vowed that party cadres would do everything possible to defend themselves and the votes because the PF had engaged in malpractices.
Mumba, who was in the company of Gabriel Namulambe, said the party expected the police to take action against PF cadres that had engaged in electoral malpractices.
He alleged that the PF was beating up MMD cadres and they were going round distributing stuffs to people despite the campaign period coming to an end.
"Listening to you commissioner, you mean well but there is a big thing going on. If you don't stop people like Judge Ngoma, the people in the MMD will stop him but stopping him, it may be bad for both the groups which we don't want the police to allow what's happening. We are giving you a tip to save lives. Even if you answer us and give us explanations, it will not change what they are planning to do," Mumba said.
But Sibote said the police would work professionally and according to the law, adding that it was unacceptable for anybody in the MMD to think that the command was biased.
He said officers had been deployed on the ground to monitor the situation and to bring those breaching the law to book.
But PF campaign manager Jean Kapata said it was sad that Mumba had resorted to lies after noticing that the PF was enjoying popularity in Mufumbwe.
Kapata said the PF had not in any way engaged in malpractices in Mufumbwe and it was sad that stories were being fabricated by the MMD to portray a picture that there was violence in Mufumbwe when in fact not.
"It is sad that Nevers Mumba is now a blatant liar. He is a pastor, he must be telling then country the truth. We are not campaigning as PF, it's the MMD camp that is trying to cause confusion and our people have been avoiding them," Kapata said.
Voting started on a slow pace and final results are expected by 10:00 hours today.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CADRES, MMD, MUFUMBWE, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Opposition lucky I'm head of state - Sata
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 08 Nov. 2012, 14:00 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says the MMD is very lucky that he is now head of state because he could have taught them a lesson in the Mufumbwe by-election. And President Sata says the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has so far exhibited a very independent and mature way of running elections.
President Sata, who approached ECZ chairperson justice Ireen Mambilima after swearing in ECZ commissioners and two permanent secretaries in the ministries of education and agriculture, said opposition political parties were very lucky that he was now in charge of the government.
This was in reaction to the exclusion of 18 polling agents from conducting the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election after complaints from the MMD that they were politically inclined to the ruling PF.
"They are lucky I am no longer in opposition…you justice Mambilima, you know too well what I am capable of doing," President Sata said as he led justice Mambilima outside for a photo shoot.
And President Sata has urged justice Mambilima to sit down with the newly-appointed ECZ commissioners and ask for more money so that they could hire their own personnel.
He said the tendency by the ECZ to hire 'outsiders' to conduct elections was tarnishing the image of the Commission.
"For example, yesterday Tuesday or two days ago in Mufumbwe, that returning officer who is a council secretary, under the instruction of Nevers Mumba, he excluded 18 teachers, accusing them to say you are PF. Now how do you expect the returning officer to behave that way? So madam, you sit down with your new commissioners…," President Sata said.
"When I was in opposition I said the same thing, the earlier you have your own independent human beings instead of relying on the council employees…it's a big problem. I know the country is very big for you to employ all those people but the elections only come once every five years and on intervals of by-elections."
He said the ECZ has so far exhibited a very independent and mature way of running elections.
"But you still have a few individuals here and there, like the one we saw in Mufumbwe. A council secretary excluding 18 teachers to say they are PF, then what is he himself?" President Sata wondered.
And speaking to journalists later, ECZ director Priscilla Isaacs said the institution has plans under its decentralisation programme to have permanent staff in each district.
Isaacs, however, said the establishment of permanent staff at district level was dependent on funding.
"I think we have made our needs known to the Treasury and once the commission is funded for decentralisation, then of course we will be able to have permanent staff in the district. But for the conduct of elections, given the number, you are well aware that when we have general elections we recruit over 60,000 temporary staff. For elections and by elections, we will still need to recruit temporary staff to man the polling stations," she said.
On the exclusion of 18 polling agents from conducting the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election, Isaacs said the issue was deliberated upon by the district conflict management committee.
She said the committee felt that in the interest of maintaining public harmony, there was need for the officers to be replaced.
"But the commission is looking at it that in future, when we do have such cases, there must be very concrete evidence that should be considered before we replace any officers. As at now, the replacement was done and officers are being deployed today yesterday," said Isaacs.
The two ECZ commissioners that were sworn in are Justice Christopher Mushabati and Dr Fredrick Ng'andu.
And President Sata has urged newly-appointed education permanent secretary Chishimba Nkosha to ensure that the schools that the MMD government started constructing were completed.
"The outgoing government or the gone government left so many schools which Mr Nkosha and Mr John Phiri you have to complete. There are so many schools where I have travelled which have not been completed and you are duty bound. They started those schools, they did not win the elections but we are supposed to finish them because the innocent children need to stop crowding," he said.
President Sata further urged newly-appointed Ministry of Agriculture permanent secretary Siazongo Siakalenge to ensure all farmers that supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency were paid because the government had already released the money.
"Then you should look at the storage, we don't have the silos...," said President Sata.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, ECZ, LEADERSHIP, MICHAEL SATA, MMD, MUFUMBWE
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MMD, PF cadres in near punch-up in Mufumbwe
By Misheck Wangwe in Mufumbwe
Wed 07 Nov. 2012, 16:30 CAT
MMD and PF cadres almost exchanged punches at Mufumbwe Police Station when officers impounded a vehicle belonging to an MMD cadre who was allegedly delivering roofing sheets to voters.
The vehicle, a Mitsubishi Pajero registration number ABT 3739 that was carrying 10 iron sheets, was impounded in a ward called Munyambala by police after a tip-off that the MMD was distributing various items to the voters as a way of enticing them to vote for their candidate, Stafford Mulusa.
The PF officials led by provincial youth information and publicity vice-secretary Jackson Kungo and Brian Hapunda, among others, demanded that police takes action over the alleged breach of the law by the MMD cadres who were campaigning and dishing out gifts to the voters in Muyambala ward and the surrounding areas despite the close of the campaign period that came to an end yesterday at 06:00 hours.
MMD provincial executive committee secretary Emmanuel Chihili and Kikwaba had an altercation with the PF supporters that were with Yobe Banda, the district chairman for the PF in Solwezi, and almost exchanged punches at the police station before they were separated and dispersed by the police.
"Our people on the ground noticed that the MMD was dishing out an assortment of stuff to people and they saw this vehicle that belongs to the MMD carrying iron sheets that were being taken to a community school there in Munyambala. They notified the police and the police took action. The MMD's old tricks of cheating the people are gone and their malpractices will not work," said Kungo.
But MMD national youth secretary Tobias Kafumukache said the party would take legal action against the police over the allegations that the party was distributing iron sheets to voters.
"Police has confirmed that they have got proof, they have got pictures and everything. We hope to meet them in court so that they explain to us who issued the iron sheets and who bought the iron sheets because as MMD we have no clue whatsoever," he claimed.
When asked whether the vehicle belonged to the MMD or not, Kafumukache said the vehicle belonged to the party but the owner of the iron sheets was not known.
"It's very unprofessional for the police and the PF government that has acknowledged defeat in this election to make last-minute attempts to de-campaign our party," said Kafumukache.
North Western Province police commissioner Eugene Sibote confirmed that the 10 iron sheets had been impounded by police to pave way for thorough investigation in the matter.
Sibote appealed to both parties to maintain peace and avoid actions that would trigger violence ahead of tomorrow's by-election as the people of Mufumbwe were enjoying peace.
Meanwhile, a furious MMD cadre identified as Cephas Kikwaba almost hit Zambia Daily Mail photojournalist Angela Mwenda and ZNBC cameraman Kennedy Kanyembo with a walking stick for taking pictures of him and the vehicle that was impounded by the police.
The fuming Kikwaba was only restrained by police officers at the station who told him to respect the work of journalists who were at the station.
Labels: CADRES, ENNANUEL CHIHILI, MMD, MUFUMBWE, PF, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Our plans for Mufumbwe are big, says Scott
By Misheck Wangwe and David Chongo in Mufumbwe
Fri 12 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says the opposition MMD and its new companion the UPND will never form government as Zambians are no longer interested in politics of lies.
And Mulondwe Muzungu who wanted to stand as an independent candidate in the Mufumbwe by-election yesterday pulled out of the race and withdrew his nomination papers after being advised by the UPND to abandon his candidature and rally behind MMD candidate Stafford Mulusa.
In an interview after the PF candidate in the Mufumbwe by-election Stephen Masumba successfully filed in his nomination yesterday, Vice-President Scott said the PF government under the leadership of President Michael Sata had a great passion for the poor and wanted areas like Mufumbwe district to begin to see tangible development.
"This province, North Western, is a hunting ground for us. We are happy the chiefs have accepted us together with our people. The development agenda for Mufumbwe and North Western Province as a whole is ongoing. The people here want to be connected to Zesco's main grid in terms of electricity, not the generator that uses diesel and stops every now and then.
This road from Kasempa turn off to Mufumbwe is being finished by the end of this month," Vice-President Scott said. "The road was supposed to finish under the MMD in 2007 but they kept not funding it and when we came, we funded it and the road is now finished. Our plans for our people in areas like Mufumbwe are big and we want their support to take the country forward."
He said the PF government was mindful that Mufumbwe was a different case in terms of politics and that people wanted to have one of their own PF member of parliament for development to flourish.
"We had a school burnt down here some few days ago and I sent my Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU) to work on it and it's in operation now. We will continue being responsive to the needs of our people and look at the farmers, they are not complaining in Mufumbwe. They are up to date with their payments," Vice-President Scott said.
And speaking when he met North Western Province chiefs, Vice-President Scott said the government desired to work closely with traditional leaders to deliver the much-needed development.
And chief Mushima Mubambe's representative Ackson Mumba said the traditional leaders in the province were happy with the dedication the PF had shown to end poverty and enhance national development.
And Masumba, who filed his nomination papers at about 09:55 hours, immediately declared that he stood a high chance of retaining the seat saying MMD was finished and would not be a challenge in Mufumbwe.
He said that in the last one year that he had been member of parliament, he had done several projects which would be his witness for people to re-elect him.
And speaking at a rally after Masumba filed his papers, Vice-President Scott said PF was not scared of the MMD and the UPND alliance and called on the electorate to unite and vote for Masumba.
Vice-President Scott jokingly said that despite Masumba looking like a Makishi dancer, as he was draped in the PF regalia and splashed with face powder, the PF would tutor him into a leader of action serving in government.
"If he gets lazy dancing with Congolese dancers, I will 'dinda' (punish) him. So please vote for him; give him your trust and let him work," said Dr Scott as the crowd cheered.
Vice-President Scott was accompanied to Mufumbwe by senior government and party officials among them, PF national chairperson who is also gender minister Inonge Wina, Willie Nsanda, Jean Kapata who is the campaign manager, Professor Nkandu Luo and Esther Banda.
Meanwhile, Muzungu who was constantly on phone during the filing of his nomination papers as an independent candidate, surprisingly pulled out of the race after being called by the UPND and advised to withdraw his papers and help boost MMD's Mulusa's campaign.
"We were in the process when the phone call came and advised that we should proceed in the spirit of the pact, so I had to pull out," Muzungu said.
And returning officer Pythias Samakong'a also confirmed that the National Restoration Party (Narep) had pulled out of the election as its candidate Kelvin Kaputula sent a text to him saying the party would not take part in the by-elections.
And MMD president Nevers Mumba said the Mufumbwe seat belonged to the MMD and there was no way the people in the area would vote for PF's Masumba who was expelled from the party for being indisciplined.
"Our colleagues the PF thought that Masumba's behaviour was appropriate and that they could use him. This is strange, they can't win. MMD is extremely strong on the ground and our candidate Stafford Mulusa is winning," Dr Mumba said.
Those that successfully filed in their nomination papers include Masumba, Stafford Mulusa, and UNIP's Steven Kamwengo.
Meanwhile, filing of nominations for the Mufumbwe by-election slated for November 9, was generally peaceful in the morning except in the afternoon when police arrested two youths who were drunk and disrupted the free flow of traffic by blocking the road.
The youths that were earlier arrested by police are suspected to be MMD cadres that caused further commotion at the police station after one of them started throwing himself against a wall while claiming that police had taken his money and bank documents.
The unidentified youth was later locked up in an isolated cell.
North Western police deputy commissioner Bonnie Kapeso said police would not tolerate behaviour that would bring unnecessary attention and further urged all political parties to learn to co-exist as Zambia was a democracy.
The police also briefly detained 30 PF cadres who were on a truck that mistakenly parked at a lodge called First Inns where MMD senior officials were lodging, prompting MMD cadres to confront them.
The cadres were however released after Kapeso cautioned them, saying police would not tolerate anyone trying to fan violence.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, MUFUMBWE
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