ZAMBIA
IN 2002 - REVIEW OF POLITICS IN ZAMBIA
Copyright 2003 Maidstone Mulenga
The year began with great hopes as Zambians welcomed a
new president _ Levy
Mwanawasa. Mwanawasa, a former vice president won the presidency by a
mere 28.6 percent of the votes cast, compared to 26.7 percent by his closest
rival, Anderson Mazoka of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
Mwanawasa, in becoming
the third Zambian president since independence from Britain in
1964, took over from term-limited Frederick Chiluba who had 10 years earlier
ended Kenneth Kaunda's 27-year reign.
In his inaugural speech on Jan. 2, Mwanawasa vowed to
clean up the government, cater for the people and ensure accountability by
leaders. The opposition parties were troubled by
Mwanawasa's victory, especially since Mazoka had earlier declared himself as
winner and had urged the Supreme Court to declare him president. His party, United Party for National
Development (UPND), warned Zambians to brace themselves for another tough
five years under the MMD government. Another losing candidate, Christon Tembo of the Forum for
Democracy and Development (FDD) said the elections were fraught with fraud.
Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda
filed a petition in the Supreme Court, joining the two other losing
presidential candidates in challenging the election of President Levy
Mwanawasa.
2002 was also historical as it marked the first time a
Zambian president had been stripped of his immunity.
Parliament voted to let former President Frederick Chiluba face criminal
charges over the so-called Zamtrop funds. But by the end of the year Chiluba had not been charged
with any crime after he secured an injunction halting any possible criminal
charges against him while he fights for his immunity in courts.
Here's
chronological look at Zambian politics in the Year 2002:
Jan. 7: Mwanawasa announces his “new
deal” Cabinet. Mwanawasa reverts to the post-independence tactic of assuming
the post of Defense minister. Three quarters of the Cabinet ministers
including Vice President Enoch Kavindele are
recycled from the previous government. None is from the opposition parties
despite the fact that opposition parties had won 80 of the 150 seats in the
National Assembly. President Mwanawasa also promises that he will when need arises call on both former presidents, Kenneth Kaunda and
Frederick Chiluba, for consultation on important national and international
issues.
Jan. 17: Opposition parties files
petitions challenging Mwanawasa's election. United Party for National
Development (UPND) President Anderson Mazoka and two former vice presidents _
Christon Tembo from the
Forum for Democracy and Development and Heritage Party leader Brigadier-General
Godfrey Miyanda are the main petitioners.
Jan. 22: The first sign of dissent in
the Mwanawasa government surfaces with the State House denying a report that
Mwanawasa and Vernon Mwaanga, then Minister of
Information, had differed at the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) summit held in Malawi.
Mwanawasa would fire Mwaanga few months later.
Jan. 25: The National Assembly fails
to sit after opposition parties’ members ask the High court for judicial
review on how to elect the Speaker. The Clerk of the National Assembly Mwelwa Chibesakunda's
insistence that the election of the Speaker be by secret ballot had prompted
the action. On the same day, the High Court acquits two suspects in the
murder of former Finance Minister Ronald Penza due
to lack of sufficient evidence. Also acquitted on the same date is Archie Mallie Mactribuoy, a man
romantically linked to former first lady Veronica Chiluba. Mactribuoy had been accused of
stealing a vehicle.
Feb.
6: Parliament resolves the dispute over the election of
the Speaker after the Clerk of the National Assembly agrees to allowed open
ballot. Speaker Amusa Mwanamwambwa
and his deputy, Simon Mwila, both from the ruling
MMD, are re-elected. The opposition blames the defeat of its candidate, Frederick
Hapunda, on their members who crossed party lines
in the vote.
Feb.
8: Mwanawasa attends a meeting for 13 African leaders to
discuss the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) in Paris. The
NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders to eradicate poverty and place the
continent on a path of sustainable growth and development, while
participating in the global economy.
Feb.
15: Coalition 2001 releases a report on the elections,
characterizing them as not free and fair due to fraudulent and intimidating
behavior by competing parties. The report named Movement for Multiparty
Democracy (MMD) and Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) as the worst
culprits.
Feb.
17: Former President Frederick Chiluba denies reports that
the MMD party and President Levy Mwanawasa's administration were bickering.
Meanwhile, Mwanawasa cancels meeting with opposition parties, saying he has more important duties to attend to.
Feb.
22: Mwanawasa opens Parliament and makes his second major speech
to the nation. In a 120-minute address, President Levy Mwanawasa spells out
priorities of his new deal administration. Among them is accountability and
good governance to ensure the rule of law. He vows to strengthen the Zambia
Police Service, the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Anti Corruption
Commission and the Permanent Human Rights Commission. He pledges zero
tolerance on corruption. On the economy, the President calls for the
strengthening of monitoring system on privatized firms in order to safeguard Zambia's
interests.
Feb.
27: The petition against President Mwanawasa is postponed to give petitioners time to file all required
documentation. On the same day, Mwanawasa leaves for Australia to
attend the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit.
March
1: Parliament approves the abolition of several ministries
and creation of new ones as proposed by President Mwanawasa. The ministries
abolished were the ministry without portfolio, Finance and Economic
Development, Tourism, Environment and Natural resources, and Agriculture,
Food and Fisheries. The parliamentary action was only symbolic since the
president had already appointed ministers to run the new ministries and had
sworn them in.
March
11: President Mwanawasa fires Information and Broadcasting Minister
Vernon Mwaanga and withdraws his nomination to
Parliament. The president names former Labor Minister Newstead Zimba to replace him.
March
14: President Levy Mwanawasa congratulates Zimbabwean
counterpart Robert Mugabe on his re-election.
March
15: The Supreme Court refuses a bid by President
Mwanawasa's lawyer to quash the election petition and grants the petitioners
a seven-day extension in which to submit the security for costs. The three
opposition leaders, Christon Tembo
of Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Godfrey Miyanda
of Heritage Party, and Anderson Mazoka of UPND are seeking three separate
decisions. Tembo wants the election declared null
and void and the court to order a re-count, while Mazoka is asking the court
to declare him winner and president of Zambia. Miyanda wants the court to declare Mr. Mwanawasa as
unduly elected.
March
23: President Mwanawasa takes over as MMD party presidency
from former President Frederick Chiluba.
March
28: High Court orders the suspension of presidential
benefits to former President Chiluba because he was still in active politics
as president of MMD party, contrary to Former Presidents Act.
April
14: Losing presidential candidate and president of the of
the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) Nevers Mumba calls for the arrest of former President Fredrick
Chiluba.
April
14: President Levy Mwanawasa dares his challengers in the
presidential petition to produce particulars of their petition.
April
17: Police arrest opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader
Michael Sata and charge him with two counts of
theft of motor vehicles. The 64-year-old Sata is alleged to have stolen the vehicles during his official
duties as Movement for Multiparty Party Democracy (MMD) National Secretary
and minister without Portfolio in the Chiluba government.
April
19: President Levy Mwanawasa rules out possibilities of
forming a coalition government with opposition parties. He later leaves for a
three-day tour of Tanzania.
May
30: With Zambian people growing ever more desperate,
President Mwanawasa becomes the latest African leader to declare food
shortage a national disaster. Food agencies estimate that 4 million people
are on the brink of starvation.
June
9: President Mwanawasa orders police to arrest journalists
for reporting that he May have Parkinson's disease. Read my
commentary.
June
17: Former Home Affairs Minister Peter Machungwa
faces court contempt charges for allegedly disobeying a search warrant from
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officers.
June
19: The Supreme Court rules that the presidential petition
in which United Party for National Development (UPND) President Anderson Mazoka
wants to be declared winner of the December 27, 2001
elections can continue despite him paying security fees late.
June
20: Zambia sends
810 soldiers to Sierra Leone on
peace mission under the auspices of the United Nations.
June
25: President Mwanawasa suspends MMD National Secretary
Vernon Mwaanga from the ruling party for
insubordination.
June
27: As the Zamtrop scandal
erupts, Chief Justice Mathew Ngulube maintains
silence on his alleged receipt of $168, 000 (K672 million) from former President
Frederick Chiluba. The Post reports that Justice Ngulube
had received the money over a three-year period.
June
28: President Mwanawasa exposes an alleged plot to
assassinate him and government officials at Lusaka International Airport. As
part of security measures, he stops MMD cadres from greeting him at the
airport.
June
29: Chief Justice Mathew Ngulube
requests to go on terminal leave (translate - resigns). Justice Ernest Sakala is appointed acting Chief
Justice.
July
3: Trial date set in the case in which former presidential
aide Richard Sakala is charged
with abuse of office.
July
8: President Levy Mwanawasa leaves for Durban, South
Africa, for the meeting of heads of
state for the dissolution of Organization of African Unity and creation of
the African Union.
July
11: President
Mwanawasa, in a special address to Parliament asks the National Assembly to
strip his predecessor Frederick Chiluba of immunity so as
to prosecute him on corruption and fraud charges.
July
12: The government withdraws the case against two members
of Parliament and two Journalists charged with defaming Frederick Chiluba
when he was still president. The four: Dipak Patel,
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) MP for Lusaka's Central; Edith Nawakwi, FDD MP for Munali;
Fred Mmembe, managing editor of the Post Newspaper;
and Bivan Saluseki, a
reporter for the Post.
July
13: President Mwanawasa says he will not daunted
by the possibility of having his victory nullified by the Supreme Court but
vows to run again.
July
14: Former President Fredrick Chiluba calls a press
conference to deny all the charges leveled against him by President
Mwanawasa. He denies allowing MOFED Limited to siphon money out of the
country. Chiluba also denies charges that he was responsible for the loss of
U$20.5 million in an arms supply contract with a dubious supplier Katebe Katoto, alias Raphael Soriano of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He
also challenges Parliament to remove his immunity only on conditions that
Mwanawasa and former President Kenneth Kaunda lose theirs too.
July
15: Retired security and intelligence officers urge
President Levy Mwanawasa not to accept the proposal by former President
Frederick Chiluba to allow former director of intelligence Savior Change to
disclose all the beneficiaries of the ZAMTROP account.
July
15: The Cabinet office denies allegations that the
government funded first lady Maureen Mwanawasa's trip to the Southern Province
which is believed to have gobbled K700 million.
July
16: Parliament
votes to lift former President Frederick Chiluba's
immunity.
July
17: Former President Dr. Frederick Chiluba goes to court to
challenge Parliament's decision to strip him of presidential immunity on
charges of corruption and abuse of office during his 10-year reign. The
government establishes a special investigations and prosecution Task Force to
investigate the mismanagement of public resources in the last ten years. My comment on Zamtrop.
July
23: The first session of the 9th Assembly of the National
Assembly elects Chipili Member of Parliament Jason Mfula (MMD) as Deputy Speaker, taking over from Simon Mwila, whose nomination to Parliament was
revoked by President Mwanawasa. Also,
Parliament swears in nominated Member of Parliament Kalombo
Mwansa who takes over as Foreign Affairs minister
following the resignation of Katele Kalumba, who has been linked to the Zamtrop
account abuses.
July
24: The Supreme Court orders parties involved in the
presidential petition case to desist from issuing public statements on the
matter. The ruling follows an application by the petitioners to stop
President Mwanawasa and others from making statements aimed at threatening
would-be.
July
30: Parliament ratifies the appointment of Caleb Fundanga as governor of the Bank of Zambia (BOZ).
Aug.
5: President Mwanawasa says he will not call for early
elections, accusing some of the members of his ruling party of trying to
sabotage the government.
Aug.
7: Government reveals that President Mwanawasa has made 14
foreign trips and 21 local ones ever since he assumed office in January this
year. The total cost of the president's foreign trips is US $1.4 million
while the local ones consumed over K1.8 billion. The government also reveals
the Zambian president was the least paid in Africa as he
gets only US $700 as monthly salary.
Aug.
9: Ernest Sakala sworn in as
chief justice; Legal Affairs Minister George Kunda
takes on additional work as attorney general; and Phillip Musonda,
Catherine Kafunda, Charles Kajimanga,
Rhoida Kaoma and Anderson
Zikonda are elevated to High Court judgeship.
Aug.
21: The government rejects genetically modified corn
donated by the United States. My comment on GM corn
Aug.
23: Former State House
spokesman Richard Sakala
denies stealing a motor vehicle. He is alleged with
two others to have stolen three vehicles, property of the Presidential
Housing Initiative.
Aug.
27: The High Court in Livingstone nullifies the
parliamentary election of Local Government Minister Michael Mabenga as Mulobezi Member of
Parliament. The court cites voting malpractices by the ruling MMD as reason
for its decision. The nullification of Mabenga's
victory brings to four MMD electoral victories declared null and void. The
others are Levison Mumba,
who lost Musanzala constituency in the Eastern
province; and Catharine Namugala and Harry Sinkala of Isoka East and West
respectively.
Aug.
28: Boston University choses
former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda as the first participant in a
fellowship program that rewards former African heads of state who further
democracy and leave office voluntarily. Kaunda goes to
Boston
Aug.
30: The Lusaka High Court rules that there was no
"impropriety" in lifting the Frederick Chiluba's
presidential immunity by the National Assembly. But Chiluba's lawyers obtain a stay of execution as they
appeal the ruling. Aug 31: Members of the task force formed to investigate
the plunder of the country's resources spend several hours at Frederick Chiluba's house in Kabulonga
searching for drugs.
Sept.2:
Police and task force members search former MMD National Secretary Vernon Mwaanga's home for undisclosed items. Also searched is
Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) President Benjamin Mwila's
home in Chudleigh.
Sept.4: U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is hackled at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South
Africa, after he criticizes Zambia,
where millions of people are starving, for refusing to accept American
genetically modified corn.
Sept.7: The government
impounds a South African plane allegedly chartered by former Zambia Security
Intelligence Services chief Xavier Change in a bid to flee the country. Also
recovered are billions worth of assorted goods suspected
to be the property of government.
Sept.19:
President Levy Mwanawasa says he will re-contest the presidential elections
if the Supreme Court nullifies his election. Meanwhile, the European Union
Electoral Observer Mission leader, Michael Meadowcroft
tells the court that the elections were not free and fair. He says the
government-controlled media favored the ruling party MMD. He also testifies
that there was no distinction between the operations of the ruling MMD and
government.
Oct.
5: President Levy Mwanawasa threatens to prosecute MMD Malole Member of Parliament Sebio
Mukuka for revealing that people in his area were at risk of starvation.
Oct.
11: Prominent lawyers Vincent Malambo
and Sebastian Zulu named as State Counsels. Mwanawasa says the dignity of
State Counsel is the highest honor granted to any legal practitioner for contribution
to the development of law in the country. Malambo
is a former Legal Affairs minister while Zulu was former United National
Independence Party (UNIP) secretary.
Oct.
16: The government discloses that 2 million people
including 97,000 orphans in urban households are in desperate need of relief
food. Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Patrick Kalifunga says 2.9 million people would require relief
food by March 2003. Meanwhile, hundreds of Bank of Zambia workers go on
strike to protest management's decision to report unionized workers to police
for allegedly writing an anonymous letter to management.
Oct.
18: President Mwanawasa falls ill, diagnosed with
bronchitis. Mwanawasa’s health has been a concern to Zambians since he was
once involved in a road accident when he was the country’s vice president in
the Chiluba government in 1993.
Oct.
23: The government denies approving three media bills to be tabled in Parliament during its next sitting.
Oct.
24: Zambia turns
38 years old. Opposition parties boycott ceremonies at State House as
President Mwanawasa honors former President Kenneth Kaunda and other
politicians.
Oct.
27: South African businessman
accuses UPND President Anderson Mazoka of fraudulently obtaining more than
R24 million for presidential campaign materials used in the elections. Laban Servan Naidoo gives Mazoka a 48-hour ultimatum in which to
refund the money.
Oct.
28: UPND President Anderson Mazoka denies the allegations.
Oct.
29: THE Lusaka High Court acquits Clara Tembo
on charges of killing her husband Paul after the State entered withdraws the
case following the death of two key witnesses in a road accident.
Oct.
29: Parliament has ratifies the appointment of Doris Mwiinga as new Clerk of the National Assembly, taking
over from retiring Mwelwa Chibesakunda.
Mwiinga becomes the first woman in Zambia to
hold the post.
Oct.
30: The Supreme Court decides to hear the case in which
former President Frederick Chiluba has appealed against the decision by the
High Court to have his immunity lifted.
Oct.
30: The Government maintains its decision to reject
genetically modified foods. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Mundia Sikatana says scientific
uncertainties on GMOs made the government reject
the genetically modified foods as a precautionary principle.
Nov.
6: Parliament today passed three amendment bills to
increase the salaries of for the president, ministers and Members of
Parliament.
Nov.
7: The Task force investigating the plunder of national
resources vows to track down former Foreign Affairs Minister Katele Kalumba, faces charges of stealing millions from the government.
Nov.
9: President Mwanawasa discloses that opposition Forum for
Democracy and Development (FDD) leader Christon
Tempo had approached State House for K3 billion to enable him settle his
debts. In return, Tembo allegedly offered to drop
the presidential petition against Mwanawasa.
Nov.
12: The Supreme Court warns journalists, politicians and
members of the public from commenting on the presidential petition currently
before the court.
Nov.
12: Former Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) National
Secretary, Michael Sata testifies in the
presidential petition, telling the Supreme Court that he was part of a MMD
plan to win the elections at all costs. He reveals that the MMD gave
Mwanawasa K150 million weekly allowance. He also said MMD used about 350
assorted motor vehicles, 5,000 bicycles and thousands of T-shirts and Chitenge materials to woo voters.
Nov.
12: Government names Robert Serpell
and Geofrey Lungwangwa as
vice chancellors for University of Zambia and
the Copperbelt University
respectively.
Nov.
14: Former Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Services Vernon Mwaanga tells the Supreme Court
that the subsidized mealie meal supplied by Chani fisheries last year was meant
to bring down prices of the staple commodity, and hence attract voters to
pick an MMD candidate.
Nov.
17: Government lawyers urge the Supreme Court to dispose of
the presidential petition because there is no existing provision of law upon
which court can annul a presidential election. The lawyers argued that once
the president has taken office, his election could not be
annulled in a petition.
Nov.
19: The Supreme Court throws out a motion by President
Mwanawasa's lawyers to halt the presidential petition. The court said it has
the discretionary powers whether or not to annul the election of the
president. The hearing continues.
Nov.
20: Sport, Youth and Child Development minister Levison Mumba testifies before
the Supreme Court that he offered a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of
Health to Levy Mwanawasa to use in the presidential campaign. Mumba's testimony would later prove to be his downfall as
Mwanawasa fired him a few days later.
Nov.
20: Supreme Court adjourns the presidential petition
hearing to Jan.
13, 2003.
Nov.
22: Heritage Party President Godfrey Miyanda
sues the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) for allegedly evicting from
his Kabwata Office. The case was set for Dec. 18.
Nov.
25: Police shoot and kill two people in Lusaka’s Kalikiliki Compound after a confrontation with residents
whose houses were under demolition by the Lusaka City Council.
Nov.
28: Parliament learns that over K134 million meant for the 11th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually
Transmitted diseases in Africa (ICASA) was used by Livingstone Member of
Parliament Sakwiba Sikota
and his wife to establish an automotive company.
Nov.
26: Vice President Enoch Kavindele
says the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) does not intend to expel Sports
Minister Levison Mumba
from the party despite his damning testimony in the presidential petition. Mumba was fired as minister the
next day. Mwanawasa appointed Bwacha Member of
Parliament Gladys Nyiongo, in his place.
Dec.
5: Former Lusaka Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo
arrives in the country for a visit and parries all talks on his controversial
marriage to a Korean woman Maria Sung. Milingo says
the issue, like the marriage, was dead. See Milingo at his wedding.
Dec.
7: Home Affairs Minister Lackson
Mapushi dies in a road traffic accident along Chibombo Road. Family alleges he is a victim of foul play.
Dec.
14: President Mwanawasa's bowtie goes K8.5 million at the
MMD fundraising dinner dance at Ndola's Mukuba hotel while his dance with first lady Maureen is
sponsored for K30 million. A Luanshya businessman wins the bid for the bowtie.
Dec.
18: The government withdraws the Refugee Bill from
Parliament to allow for further consultations following its rejection by
opposition Members of Parliament. The bill would have allowed refugees to get
Zambian citizenship.
Dec.
27: 1997 Coup plotter Captain Steven Lungu
tells the Supreme Court that his intention on the day he staged a coup was to
call for free and fair elections. That was during
his appeal hearing.
Dec.
30: Jailed former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu appeals to President Mwanawasa to pardon him but
also says he is willing to stay in prison to resolve his cases. Chungu is in detention pending trial on charges of
abusing office and misappropriating government funds from the Zamtrop account based in United
Kingdom.
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