I WRITE to congratulate  Mr Mulenga Sata, who is the current Lusaka Mayor and Lusaka District Patriotic Front chairperson on his being elected LGAZ president in what we hear were tightly contested elections at Kansanshi Hotel in Solwezi at the weekend.
Your duty now is to defy what is going round in the woods that you will be overloaded with work and, therefore, might fail to execute some of your duties in some offices; noting that currently you hold four offices; that of councillor, Mayor, PF Lusaka District chairman and now LGAZ president.
All these offices are very important and will always call for your time and you must always avail yourself
What is  being  speculated, however, is one thing and what you are yet to prove to the speculators is another.
How you will shuffle yourself between these offices is what is interestingly being awaited to prove your mettle and ingenuity. I wish you well and success as you aim to serve all the four offices diligently and passionately.
It has again, however, not come as a surprise that some candidates are crying foul over excessive pressure from top Govt officials that led to their pulling out of the race.
We have heard of such whenever there are elections and one wonders whether we will ever have free and fair elections in Zambia.
Voting for an imposed candidate at the expense of the preferred candidate by the voters to me does not imply free and fair because that means the voters’ free choice would have been tampered with.
Adoptions have mostly proved to be critical if you are not in good books with the authorities and that is where voters are always disenfranchised.
Kudos to you Mulenga Sata.

Wisdom Muyunda
Chingola

Mama Christine Kaseba is unique

ON 20th September 2011, my wife and I passed our night in the sitting room waiting anxiously to hear what news ZNBC was going to air regarding the outcome of the 2011 presidential election results that sparked sporadic demos throughout the capital city and the Copperbelt, which happen to be the stronghold of the Patriotic Front. I was also caught up in this fracas on my way from Kitwe to Ndola.
I thought it was going to be another 2008 fiester! Of course I new PF, as popularly known, was going to carry the day, because the man of action himself, Mr MCS, had played his cards very well, thanks to Parallel vote tabulation system.
Immediately, it was announced that the boat had sailed through, I could not hold back the tears of joy, which also happens to be the name of my daughter, because the man I have ever admired since 2001 had ascended to the driving seat of Mother Zambia.
Bravo Your Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata!!!!!!!!!!
But besides this successful and hard working man of the land, is a humble but hard working qualified medical practitioner, Mama Christine Kaseba-Sata!
Look at the first six (6) letters of her first name, Christ, this is her strength. Bamayo you are one in a trillion, you are unique!
Apart from making sure that batata is well looked after as he confessed it himself, the World has  benefited greatly from the various programmes you have embarked on eg Ubutala Bwa Bumi, UBB. Bamayo umutima mwakwata mutwalilile, Lesa euka milambula.  You mean a lot to Zambia and Africa as a whole that is why i have referred to you as the Queen of Africa.  Uushitasha mwana wandoshi.
Talk about the cervical cancer awareness, even a seven- year-old girl knows the devastating consequences of this deadly disease.
Napapata batata, Lesa amisunge pakuti bamayo mwatupela babombe imilimo mwabapela by virtue of the position she holds as First Lady of Zambia. An honest and hardworking First Lady you have given Zambia. Her dressing speaks volumes about her character. Banamayo napapata, emulate the way this Queen of Africa dresses.
She reminds me of my late mother, late Mama Betty Kaunda and Mrs Mwanawasa. She is very modest and yet very educated. The behaviour of your children is another marvel! Exemplary! Meeting you bamayo just for a hand shake would be an honour to me. I commend you to God Almighty for His divine protection and many more years as First Lady of this great nation, Zambia.  Please greet batata for me. Your ardent follower,
Rodrick Lombe,
Ndola.

Govt should do more to boost farming

JUDGING by Mopani Copper Mines’ completion of the US$500 million
Mufulira smelter upgrade project, which is expected to stop the
sulphur dioxide emissions that have affected the area for over 70
years, it can be said that the frustration most affected local farmers
feel is a direct result of  the Government’s failure to facilitate
development of phosphate mining in Zambia to provide adequate raw
materials for production of fertiliser at Nitrogen Chemicals of
Zambia.
The Mufulira smelter’s capturing of 97 per cent of sulphur
dioxide emissions and turning them into sulphuric acid, a major
ingredient other than phosphates in fertiliser production should
compel our Government to speed up the process of issuing mining
licences for phosphates in Petauke and Western Province to investors
who had expressed interest to undertake the venture.

 Science and
innovation can help farmers by developing new seed varieties, creating
new cropping techniques, and also developing adapted fertilisers to
satisfy Zambia’s specific soil characteristics and crop needs.

Incidentally, the completion of the Mufulira smelter upgrade project
would result in a greatly improved environment for the local community
and Mopani employees but sulphuric acid – the by-product – could be an
agricultural turning tide in Zambia.
Mubanga Luchembe,
Lusaka