Zambia

Former South African president Nelson Mandela’s lawyer has been accused of profiting from corruption proceeds involving Zambian ex-leader Frederick Chiluba, court documents obtained by Agence France-Presse showed on Wednesday.

Zambia is planning to invite foreign firms to conduct exploratory drills for oil and gas after the first-ever reserves were found near the border with Angola, the government said on Monday. Samples taken at a dozen sites in the north-western provinces of Zambezi and Chavuma over the weekend confirmed gas and oil residues in the impoverished Southern African country.

Opposition leader Michael Sata’s threat to run a rival system of government after losing last month’s national elections was branded as treasonous on Monday by Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa. ”What Sata is saying is treason. Let him not push his luck too far. I will sort him out,” Mwanawasa said while unveiling a new Cabinet for his second and final term.

South Africa winger Sibusiso Zuma has put club before country and refused to play in Sunday’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Zambia in Lusaka, officials confirmed on Saturday. Zuma has told caretaker coach Pitso Mosimane he is unavailable and wants to concentrate on establishing his place at German Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld.

Zambia’s main opposition party on Friday mounted its first challenge to the government after losing general elections on September 28, which it claims were rigged, by insisting it had the authority to clear land deeds. The Patriotic Front of veteran opposition leader Michael Sata, who was beaten by President Levy Mwanawasa in the presidential election, said it would exert its authority.

Zambian opposition chief Michael Sata, defeated in disputed national elections, positioned himself at the head of a ”people’s government” on Wednesday with plans to slash taxes in councils run by his party. Patriotic Front leader Sata was forced to accept defeat in his quest to become the country’s president when incumbent Levy Mwanawasa was sworn in for a second term.

President Levy Mwanawasa urged his rivals to join him in fighting Zambia’s deep-rooted poverty on Tuesday as he took office for a final term after disputed elections that sparked a wave of opposition riots. Mwanawasa underscored the need for a united front in reversing the fortunes of one of Africa’s most impoverished countries at a swearing-in ceremony.

Zambian opposition leader Michael Sata appealed for calm on Monday after his supporters went on a rampage when presidential election results showed incumbent Levy Mwanwanasa on the verge of victory. Troop reinforcements were sent into slum areas of Lusaka on Sunday night after supporters of Sata’s Patriotic Front rioted and set fire to a police station, a supermarket and vehicles.

Zambia’s outgoing president Levy Mwanawasa took the lead as vote counting continued after general and presidential elections, but opposition leader Michael Sata disputed some results, citing ”irregularities”. Latest figures issued for the presidential vote by the Electoral Commission of Zambia late on Saturday showed Mwanawasa with 510 523 votes ahead of Sata with 473 332.

Polling booths began to close in Zambia at 6pm local time on Thursday at the end of a general election in which President Levy Mwanawasa is seeking a second and final term of office, organisers said. A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of Zambia said people who were queueing outside voting stations at the official close of voting would still be able to cast their ballot.

Zambia went to the polls on Thursday to elect a new president after a razor-tight race pitting the internationally respected incumbent against a fiery populist who has promised to give impoverished Zambians a bigger share of their nation’s copper riches. Voters began gathering well before dawn and stood patiently outside polling stations in downtown Lusaka, slowly filing in as voting officially began after 6am.

The main contenders in Zambia’s general election made a final pitch for support on Wednesday with President Levy Mwanawasa urging voters to reject the ”fantasy” of his populist challenger Michael Sata. On the eve of the ballot, the state of the economy continued to dominate debate with Sata accusing Mwanawasa of turning Zambia into the poor relation of Southern Africa.

Until five years ago, Michael Sata — the most charismatic of Zambia’s presidential candidates in the 2006 tripartite elections — was chief executive of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy and the chief ”fixer” for former president Frederick Chiluba. The opposition Patriotic Front leader, popularly known as ”King Cobra”, has gone on to emerge as the leading presidential contender.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who is facing four challengers in next week’s general elections, on Friday predicted an outright victory for himself and the ruling party. Mwanawasa, who is seeking a second term in office, said the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy would triumph on September 28 as most Zambians had been impressed with his performance.

Zambia has temporarily closed its main border crossing with Tanzania following a night of riots that left several people injured and property damaged, an official said on Friday. The riots were sparked off late on Thursday after word went round that a Tanzanian national had died in police custody in Zambia, said Edwin Sinyinza, a district commissioner in northern Zambia.

South African cardiac specialists are to help decide whether Zambia’s former president Frederick Chiluba is fit to stand trial on corruption charges. One of the doctors behind a preliminary medical report said that Chiluba was ”very sick” but more tests would be needed to ascertain the extent of his illness.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who is seeking a second term in office in next month’s elections, is likely to face at least 11 challengers, according to a preliminary nominations list released on Monday. Eleven opposition candidates have indicated they will run in the September 28 polls.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has won applause from foreign donors for his economic and anti-corruption record. But while Zambia has avoided the kind of strife that has plagued some of its neighbours, that hasn’t made its politics any more predictable. Mwanawasa is now seeking a second term in a September 28 poll whose outcome is far from certain.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa on Wednesday night dissolved the country’s Parliament and his Cabinet and named September 28 as the date for the country’s next round of national elections. Earlier in the day, the country’s high court refused to forbid Mwanawasa from unilaterally deciding an election date.

Pride in Zambia’s surging currency is giving way to concern as farmers, manufacturers, tourism officials and aid groups start to feel the sharp edge of the strong kwacha. The Zambian currency gained 30% against the dollar in just a few weeks last November, the result of high international copper prices and rising foreign investment.

Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa declared himself fit on Thursday to run for a second five-year term in elections later this year despite suffering a mild stroke, state-run radio reported. Opposition leaders have argued Mwanawasa, who has a history of hypertension, should step down because of poor health.