Renowned constitutional Lawyer John Sangwa says Government’s decision to take constitution amendments to Parliament goes against the wishes of the Zambian people to have a whole new constitution before the 2016 elections.

Mr. Sangwa says it is crazy to expect a new republican constitution to come out of the route the PF government has taken.

Mr. Sangwa says he is in fact doubtful the Zambian people will get a constitution they have been asking for.

He has told Qfm News in an interview that this is because Parliament which government wants to use does not have powers to come up with a new constitution.

Mr. Sangwa explains that Parliament only has powers to make amendments to an existing constitution.

He says this means that if government takes a constitution amendment Bill to Parliament, what Zambia will have is not a new constitution, but simply an amendment of the of the current constitution.

Mr Sangwa states that this will however be contrary to what the people of Zambia have been asking for that they have a new constitution.

He says this is why he thinks that by using Parliament as the means of delivering a new constitution to the people of Zambia, the PF government is only pushing its own political agenda.

Mr. Sangwa is of the view that if the PF government is so sure that by appointing a technical committee to draft the constitution a good job has been done, it must put the entire document to a referendum and let the people of Zambia decide.

He says the PF government needs to understand that making a new constitution is not a responsibility of a political party, but the responsibility of each and every Zambian.

Operation Young Vote executive director Guess Nyirenda says the pardoning of musician Clifford Dimba is a mockery to Zambia’s fight against defilement.
And NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale says the move taken by President Lungu to free Dimba, who is popularly known as General Kanene, is an embarrassment to the continent. Addressing journalists during a joint press briefing with the NGOCC in Lusaka yesterday, Nyirenda said the President had reversed all the efforts that stakeholders and citizens had made to end defilement and the violation of women’s rights. “The release of Kanene is very shocking because it has come at a time when the country is facing a lot of economic problems, talk of the fuel increase and other things and the President has just responded to all these problems with the release of General Kanene,” he said.
“That’s a mockery to our justice system, it is a mockery to the fight against defilement. We were making strides and the President has just reversed everything by releasing General Kanene.” Nyirenda wondered why the Head of State, who was a lawyer, could pardon Kanene, adding that President Lungu had now given powers to defilers and rapists to go on a rampage harming innocent children and women, and still hope to be pardoned. “For us now, this is telling us that our children can be defiled by anyone anyhow and when they [defilers] are in jail, they just praise the President, they just sing a song to praise the President and then they are released,” he added. “General Kanene is a convicted defiler.
He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and there is no way he can serve less than a year or a year and be released. There are so many Zambians who are facing injustice and they must be out of those jail cells but there they are; they are suffering and the President doesn’t pay attention.” Nyirenda urged Zambians to be aggressive and demand that the President rescind Kanene’s pardon.
“All of us as Zambians, mothers out there, fathers, you must stand up. This is not a women’s issue, we must all stand up and condemn this and tell the President in his face that this is wrong and it must be reversed and no apologies should be made about this,” said Nyirenda. And Mwale said President Lungu had embarrassed the nation by accepting the gender sensitive award bestowed on him during the AU summit in South Africa last month. “What the President has done is really an embarrassment to the continent, especially that he was recently given the gender-sensitive award.
What he [Lungu] has done is a mockery to the fight against gender-based violence,” said Mwale.

PF Copperbelt chairman Stephen Kainga has ordered the ruling party’s cadres to stop wearing black berets with the green inscription ‘100 per cent PF’.
And Kainga has apologised unreservedly and condemned attacks on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema by PF cadres when he visited Kitwe. Kainga said the PF berets were being used by unknown people for criminal activities. Armed PF thugs on Wednesday evening attacked Hichilema and his entourage on their way to a live programme on Radio Icengelo. In an interview, Kainga said it was regrettable that some PF cadres felt that they were above the law. “What happened on Wednesday evening is regrettable.
I must in the first place condemn those PF cadres for their bad behaviour. This issue of putting on berets should come to an end because we cannot differentiate between true members of the PF and some unscrupulous people committing crime in the name of the party,” he said. “Berets are being used wrongly in the name of PF. I, therefore, order all cadres to stop wearing them. Many people are putting on berets and doing evil things in the name of our distinguished party.”
Kainga, who was also summoned by the police for questioning over the attacks on Hichilema, said PF cadres should not feel that they were above the law. But UPND Copperbelt deputy spokesperson Lawrence Mwanza said the PF was resorting to violence because they had run out of ideas. “Nothing will stop the people of Zambia from voting out the PF. These are kicks of a dying horse.
Enough is enough and time for PF to go is 2016,” Mwanza said. He said no amount of violence or intimidation would stop the people of Zambia from voting the PF out. “We are prepared for these PF thugs but we will not act now. They will not manage to kill us all in this country. The revolution is now big and they just need to prepare to leave and not resort to violence,” said Mwanza.

The Millers Association of Zambia says millers will next week meet to discuss a possible mealie-meal price hike following the recent increase in fuel prices.
The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) on Monday adjusted the pump price of petroleum products by K1.13 for petrol, K1.00 for diesel and K0.72 for kerosene. Petrol now costs K9.87 per litre from the previous K8.74, while diesel is now selling at K8.59 per litre from K7.59. Kerosene has been pegged at K6.12 per litre from K5.40 previously. Following the fuel price changes, MAZ executive director Harrison Banda said millers intend to meet to discuss the cost implications of the fuel price hike, with an increase in mealie-meal prices being an option. “I need to consult the members to get their views as each miller has a cost structure. We are having a meeting mid next week and I will be able to give you a position on that. We are just harvesting the new crop; normally when the maize is in abundant supply, the demand for mealie meal comes down and you have to take that into account,” he said. And Banda said millers were negatively affected by the continued load-shedding and are planning to meet Zesco to explore avenues to assist the industry cope with the pressure.
“We are planning to meet Zesco to see how best they could assist the milling industry because it [load-shedding] is increasing the production losses. We are being affected just like any other industry,” added Banda. Agriculture deputy minister Maxus Ngonga told Parliament yesterday that the government, under the Presidential Milling Plant Initiative, will facilitate the development of milling plants close to the production areas in all the 10 provinces. “The plan involves setting up 10 milling plants in all 10 provinces as well as small solar powered milling plants.
The small solar powered plants will be managed by the cooperatives. The programme aims to ensure that value addition is done near production areas. This will also help reduce the cost of living among our consumers,” said Ngonga, in a response to a question raised by Kalabo Central UPND member of parliament, Chinga Miyutu, on the setting up of milling plants across the country.
Miyutu wanted to know when the government would facilitate the setting up of maize milling plants in provincial and district centres to ensure low prices of mealie-meal.

At least 43 people have been killed in shelling by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the southern city of Aden, officials say.

They say at least 120 others were wounded in Sunday’s bombardment, which came amid attempts by government forces to tighten their grip on the city.

Aden has seen months of heavy fighting between rebels and loyalists.

Pro-government forces, backed by air strikes from a Saudi-led coalition, last week recaptured most of the port city, including the airport.

On Sunday, fierce clashes raged in Aden’s northern district of Dar Saad.

A Houthi rebel leader denied bombarding the district, but Yemeni medics said the shelling came from the rebel-held areas, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Overnight pro-government militias failed to capture the last remaining rebel stronghold in the city – the Tawahi peninsula in the south.

The government fled Aden in March, as the Houthis – Shia Muslims from the north who control the capital Sanaa – pushed towards the provincial capital.

Following the recent advances by loyalist forces, the exiled government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi declared the area “liberated” on Thursday.

Correspondents say the losses in the Aden region represent the biggest setback for the Houthis since Sunni power Saudi Arabia launched a coalition air campaign against them in March.

The Saudis say the campaign is aimed at forcing the rebels – who they say are armed by regional Shia rival Iran – to retreat and to restore the exiled government.

Iran denies backing the Houthis militarily.

The UN says more than 3,200 people, half of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict.

Another one million civilians have been displaced by the conflict and more than 80% of Yemen’s 25 million people now need some form of humanitarian aid.

BBC

Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, ZESCO 2 BUFFALOES 1
CHRISTOPHER Katongo yesterday returned to the local league captaining Green Buffaloes in a Super Division week 16 match against Zesco United who opened up a five-point lead at the summit.
Katongo left Buffaloes in 2005 for a professional stint that took him to South Africa, Denmark, Germany, Greece and China.
Katongo, the 2012 Africa Cup winner, returned to Buffaloes last month after his contract at South African side Bidvest Wits was not renewed.
But his return could not inspire Buffaloes to victory as they went down to the reigning champions.
Mwape Mwelwa’s thunderbolt in the fourth minute gave Zesco the lead.
Mwelwa received a pass from Cletus Chama, beat a defender and fired past goalkeeper Fred Silwamba.
Katongo, 32, showed that he still has some football left in his legs when he unleashed a cracker that goalkeeper Jacob Banda saved in the 11th minute.
In the 29th minute, Misheck Chaila dispossessed a Buffaloes defender but shot straight at Silwamba.
Buffaloes piled pressure on the hosts and deservedly got the equaliser on 44 minute when Lottie Phiri beat Banda with a low shot.
The second half was a seesaw affair with both teams missing scoring opportunities.
Zesco coach George Lwandamina rested Justin Zulu for Maybin Mwaba in the 59th minute.
Mwaba got the clincher on 82 minutes with a left footer. Nigerian defender Ayo Oluwafemi found Chama who laid the ball for Mwaba to beat Silwimba with a low drive.
Zesco have 38 points, five better than Power Dynamos who edged Zanaco 1-0 in Kitwe on Saturday.
FOREST 1 RANGERS 1
In an early kick off at the same venue, Nchanga Rangers came from behind to hold Forest Rangers.
Joe Besa put Forest in front in the 36th minute after benefiting from a Mundia Mukokwa pass while Rangers skipper George Chilufya’s header zoomed over the crossbar in the 43rd minute.
Rangers got the equaliser on 71 minutes after Aubrey Chamulwanda nodded in a Bwalya Kasonde corner.
Forest have 23 points while Rangers are fourth from bottom with 16.

UNDER-23 national team coach Fighton Simukonda does not want a repeat of the Nigeria debacle and is leaving nothing to chance in the 2015 Senegal Africa Under-23 Championship second round return leg against Ivory Coast.
In the 2015 Congo Brazzaville All-Africa Games qualifier, Zambia held Nigeria to a goalless draw in Abuja but lost 2-1 at home.
Simukonda said in an interview from Abidjan on Saturday night that the team will not relent until qualification for the Senegal finals is attained and later the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
Zambia held Ivory Coast to a virgin draw.
“It is a good start but we still have a lot more to do. Ivory Coast is a good team and we need to work hard. We don’t want a repeat of what happened in the All-Africa Games qualifiers,” Simukonda said.
He commended the players for putting up a spirited fight and blamed Burkinabe referee Boukari Ouedraogo for disturbing his plan.
Zambia were reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes of the game after defender Boyd Mkandawire saw red for a second bookable offence.
“The referee messed up our plan when he sent off Mkandawire. Our plan was to get an away goal and finish them off at
home but a draw is a positive start and
we have to plan properly for the return leg. We can’t afford to lose again like we did to Nigeria. We have waited for so long and this is our chance to go to the Olympics,” Simukonda said.
And Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya commended the attitude of the players, saying the team has made a big stride towards qualifying for the Africa Under-23 Championship finals.
“The boys showed great cause playing a dangerous team like Ivory Coast and the team looked solid throughout the game. It is still 50/50 but with the commitment and determination we saw today [Saturday] we have hope. The boys have ambition and working hard to put the country on the world map,” said Kalusha from Abidjan.
Delegation leader Lee Kawanu commended the players for their exemplary behaviour while team manager Hastings Ndovi lauded the players for their resilience.
The team is expected back today.

PRESIDENT Lungu has ordered the evacuation of Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphore Mpundu to South Africa for specialist treatment, special assistant to the President for press and public relations Amos Chanda has said.
Mr Chanda said in an interview yesterday that Archbishop Mpundu has since arrived in South Africa.
“His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has ordered the evacuation of Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphore Mpundu to South Africa for specialist treatment and His Grace has since arrived in South Africa,” Mr Chanda said.
Archbishop Mpundu was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and was discharged last Wednesday.

GOVERNMENT says it takes great exception to allegations by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema that the Patriotic Front (PF) administration is plotting to assassinate him.
Chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili told a media briefing in Luanshya yesterday that to make such claims, Mr Hichilema does not understand the politics of the country.
“He is under-five and needs to grow up. There is no way the PF government would want to assassinate him because he is a political player. The best for him is not to raise such accusations but to assist Government in finding solutions of the problems that the country is facing,” he said.
HH and LifwekeloMr Kambwili was reacting to Mr Hichilema’s accusation that violent political attacks on him are a ploy to assassinate him.
Mr Hichilema told a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that attacks on him and the UPND on the Copperbelt last week by suspected PF cadres are allegedly an attempt to kill him.
Meanwhile, Mr Kambwili has said the increase in the pump price of fuel was not the PF government’s making but international market forces.
Mr Kambwili, who is minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said: “The increase in the pump price of fuel is not determined by Government but by the international oil market. So it will be petty for someone to heap the blame on President Lungu for the increase in the pump price of fuel.”
On load shedding, the minister said the people of Zambia should understand the effects of global warming that has caused low water levels in the reservoirs for power generation.
He said members of Parliament (MPs) were taken on a tour of Kariba Dam for an on-the-spot check of the low water levels for power generation.
“It is of God’s making and not President Lungu. The Zambian people should take time to understand the issues of global warming. So it is wrong for someone to come and heap the blame on President Lungu,” Mr Kambwili said.

SUSPECTED members of a notorious gang of gunmen called karavinas have shot dead Zambezi Central ward councillor Yona Mbalakanyi, 73.
North-Western Province commissioner of police Grace Chipalila and Zambezi district commissioner Catherine Mukuma confirmed this in separate interviews yesterday.
Ms Chipalila said police have since instituted investigations to establish the motive behind the murder.
“Mr Mbalakanyi was the councillor for Zambezi Central ward. He was shot dead around 20:00 hours on Friday evening,” Ms Chipalila said.
She said police recovered empty cartridges of an AK47 rifle at the scene.
Mr Mbalakanyi’s body is in Zambezi District Hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.
Meanwhile, ZANIS reports that one person died on the spot and about 25 were seriously injured when the bus they were travelling on overturned on the Sesheke-Livingstone road on Saturday.
Agrippa Munangwa, the driver of the public passenger bus, died on the spot when he lost control of the bus as he was trying to overtake a car.
The accident happened at about 18:40 hours and that the bus was carrying about 28 passengers and four members of staff of Shalom Bus Services.
The injured passengers have been admitted to Mwandi Mission Hospital while the body of the dead driver is lying in the hospital mortuary.

THE much anticipated “Chuundu Chaitwa” meeting of the Tonga people in Monze yesterday ended in confusion after fights erupted among the delegates.
Tempers flared after a representative of Senior Chief Monze asked the gathering to wait for the meeting between the chiefs and President Lungu before coming up with resolutions.
This angered the youths who accused the chiefs of being bought by the Patriotic Front (PF) against the interests of their own people.
According to impeccable witnesses at the scene, the youths were further incensed after the organisers refused to give them a chance to address the gathering.
This prompted a fight between the youths who wanted to mount the podium and those who wanted to keep them away.
Other delegates joined in the fight accusing the youths of having been sponsored by the PF to cause confusion.
The police, however, managed to quell the confusion.
Some people were injured and the meeting was stopped for some time before it proceeded to make resolutions.
Meanwhile, the committee of the Chuundu Chaitwa meeting of the Tonga people says it has believed in unity since independence in 1964, CHOMBA MUSIKA reports.
Speaking when he read the resolutions at the end of the meeting yesterday, convenor Vincent Malambo said: “We believe in the unitary state and the talk of secession has never been part of our agenda; we value the peace our forefathers fought for. Our chiefs who expressed anger at Mr Chama’s (PF secretary-general Davies Chama) statement have never publicly or privately spoken of secession because they value national unity,” Mr Malambo said.
He called on citizens to nurture and guard jealously the “One Zambia One Nation” motto.
And another convenor, Dr Kabeta Muleya, said the people of Southern Province are peaceful and non-tribal.
And committee chairperson Edson Hamakowa dispelled media assertions that the Chuundu Chaitwa meeting had been cancelled.
“There were reports on radio that this meeting was not going to take place, this was done by people who want to disturb our meeting and we shall not allow any person to speak over issues that are not part of our agenda. Those are the same people misleading others,” Mr Hamakowa said.

Youngson Kalobo’s young brother, Cyme Kalobo has been chosen by the jerabos to succeed Youngson who died few days ago. Cyme Kalobo will now head the group that has gained national notoriety for it’s copper related activities and widely referred to as ‘The Jerabo’s’.

A vehicle donated by Kelvin Sampa to paramount chief chitimukulu was involved in an accident on Sunday arising from suspected faulty breaks.

The Mercedes Benz S350 was donated for use at the forthcoming ceremony to install Paramount Chief Chitimukulu.

A LUSAKA house wife has complained in the Lusaka Boma Court of how her husband has never shaved her private parts in their 15 years of marriage.
Constance Mukuka, 32, of Mtendere told senior magistrate Petronella Kalyelye that her husband Prosper Chanda’s close relationship with his mother has further contributed to the lack of intimacy in their marriage.
Mukuka told the court that Chanda is not allowed to have sexual intercourse when his mother is visiting.
“I don’t understand the relationship he has with his mother. The bond between them is a bit weird because he is not allowed to have sex with me when she is visiting us. My mother-in-law always wants to be left alone with him even at odd hours and I am not privy to what they discuss,” she said.
This is in a case in which Chanda sued Mukuka for divorce. The two got married in 2000 and have three children together. Bride price was paid.
Mukuka complained that after they had their third child, Chanda deliberately denied her conjugal rights for six consecutive years because his mother said so.
“My husband chased me from our matrimonial home because my mother-in-law did not want us having sexual intercourse. She said we had to sleep in separate bedrooms because she did not want me to conceive again. I have never met an in-law who does not want her married son to be intimate with his wife because she wants him to herself,” she complained.
But Chanda told the court that Mukuka accused him of having a sexual relationship with his biological mother.
“My wife said she was told by a witch doctor that my mother moves her [wife] out of our bed at night using magic in order to have sex with me,” Chanda said

Boko Haram members yesterday July 19th attacked the border village of Kamuna in Cameroon, roasting a total of nine children to death in the ensuing inferno. Many houses and properties were also destroyed by the sect members.

If a lady want to have freedom based on faulty understanding, give it to her and watch her use it.

The Zambian rapper shared the inspirational  quote together with this photo on his social medial page: “If you don’t have a job, your job is to find one.”

Controversial Zambian musician Clifford Dimba aka General Kanene who was last week pardoned by President Edgar Lungu after he was jailed for having sex with a minor on Sunday savagely beat up one of his three wives after she refused to have sex with him.

Kanene’s third wife identified as Sharon suffered heavy injuries on her face and right eye after she was beaten by General Kanene for refusing to sleep with him.

Close family members narrated the incident in separate interviews that General Kanene took his wife to a named Lodge in Lusaka and demanded that he sleeps with her but she refused because she was having her periods.

This infuriated Kanene who started beating Sharon forcing her to flee the room, a situation that attracted onlookers.

The family this morning tried to persuade Sharon to report the matter to the police but she refused.

Concerned family members have since brought the matter to the attention of President Lungu since the victim is unwilling to lay charges on Kanene.

The family have made their disappointment known to State House that a man President Lungu released from prison recently has beaten up their relative.

They are waiting for President Lungu’s response before taking further action.

President Lungu pardoned General Kanene last week and urged him to be an ambassador in the fight against Child defilement and gender based violence, a move which caused uproar in the women’s movement.

Lusaka Times

POLICE in Lusaka have arrested five boys aged between 15 and 18 years of Kabulonga boys’ secondary school for allegedly taking turns in defiling a 15-year-old girl of Kabulonga Girls Secondary School.

Lusaka Province commissioner of police Charity Katanga said the incident happened at Kabulonga girls’ secondary school on Saturday around 20:00 hours after attending a party.