EGYPTIAN DANCE

DANCE FROM EGYPT

NUBIA DANCER

A member of the Egyptian Numbian Drums displays a peakcock-like dance

UNCLE FRED AND HUMPHREY SIULAPWA

REPORTERS AND UNCLE FRED

Some reporters pose for a photograph with Second republican president Frederick Chiluba.

FRUITS! FRUITS! FRUITS!

Zambia Army brass band members 'invade' a plate of fruits.

ARMY MAN

A man from the Zambia National Service helps himself with a plate of fruits.

SCAVENGER

A ma looking for left over drinks from the dump site.

LEFT-OVERS

Some people helping themselves with left over drinks and mineral water after the celebrations.

LEFT-OVERS

A man walks away with drinks and mineral water after guests failed to eat all the food prepared for the Africa Freedom Day commemoration.

FEEDING CORNER

A man walks away after getting his share of food.

DR CHILUBA'S SHOES

DANCING QUEEN

One of Brian Chilala's dancing queens showcase her skills.

BRIAN CHILALA

Lusaka musician Brian Chilala singing during the commemoration.

Buffet marquee

GARRY NKOMBO LOOKS AHEAD

MAZABUKA Member of Parliament Garry Nkombo looks forward to the success of the UPND-PF pact. He also seem to be wooried about whether it would work or crack before next year's general elections.
Here Mr Nkombo is following a speech by his UPND president Hakainde Hichilema at the Lusaka international airport. This was when Mr Hiclema arrived from the USA where he had gone for a leadership programme.
Mr Hichilema has projected himself as the best person to lead Zambia because he is young and not old and rusty like his pact mate Michael Sata. He said the world is aware that he was a young person with energy and brains, just like David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Mr Hichilema's speech implies that the pact has not yet agreed who their presidential candidate would be in next year's elections. It looks like there is a power struggle especially on who should lead the alliance. If they two parties have strategised, why are they still keeping the information to their chests? My view is that the sooner the two parties announce the presidential candidate the better. But from the look of things, it seems more work has to be done before a real pact is born.
The UPND and PF have postponed the launch of the pact, which was slated for April 2010. UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said the postment was because of the recent by-elections in Kasama, Chitambo, Mufumbwe and Milanzi.
Critics in Zambia and members of the ruling MMD have projected a collapse of the UPND-PF alliance because both leaders seem not to be ready to deputise the other in the elections. In any case, the Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata have been campaigning seperately in different parts of Zambia.

CHILUBA IN LUAPULA

Second republican president Fredrick is in Luapula province attending a meeting on development relating to the province. The meeting was organised by Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima and Patrotic Front Kawambwa Member of Parliament Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka.
Some opposition players have said Dr Chiluba is going to kick-start the campaigns for the ruling MMD, but Dr Chiluba and the organisers have denied the allegations.
Some youths from the opposition Patrotic front have been ferried to Mansa, the venue for the meeting to cause confusion. Alert police officers in riot gear have been keeping vigil in mansa, though.
Dr Chiluba arrived in Mansa by road around 21:00 hours with his wife Regina and former Patrotic Front secretary generals Edward Mumbi, Charles Chimubwa and Edwin Lifwekelo.
He was also with Defence minister Kalombo Mwansa and other party officials.
Dr Chiluba was welcomed by scores of Mansa residents who thronged Mansa hotel to shake hands with the former head of State. He was immediately ushered to his resting rooms.

HERE, DR CHILUBA IS READING SOME OF THE MESSAGES THAT WERE SCRIBED FOR HIM BY MMD MEMBERS.

BACK TO THE BLOCK.

I have decided to bow to pressure from my followers and fans to come back on this platform.
I had vowed to only come back to blogging after completing my online profile, but my plans have been curtailed by follwers who want me to continue with this blog as I focus on the other project.
This is an intro that I am back.
2010 is an interesting year for me because we have the World Cup coming up in South Africa in June. But here in Zambia, it is a year when we expect to see the heightening of politics gymnastics because of presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011. We expect a lot of activities in these two events and there will be lots of pictures herein. The year 2009 was a very interesting and challenging year n all areas of human endeavor and these are too numerous to mention. The best celebration that I have is that we are all sound and alive.
These are some of the major evens and ctivities that we shall follow with glee on this blog. I expect to share some of the moments in pictures as I have always done.
All I ask from my follwers is to maintain levelheadedness as we discuss our topics. I am aware that we all come from different bckgrounds and all manners of affiliations and beliefs. Lets us respect each other's opinions as we comment on the debates since we are here to contribute to efforts on developing Zambia and the world at large.
Please take time to vote in the polls that would be contained herein and remember to sign in as a follwer so that we can grow in numbers and make this place a real platform for dialogue.
Best regards
Richie.

PF CORRESPONDENT??

Post Newspaper reporter Patson Chilemba is sandwiched between Patrotic Front leader Michael Sata and general secretary Edward Mumbi during the PF's last rally in Lusaka on Wednesday.



I have not blogged on this site for a long time now. This is because of certain reasons.
I have put my blogging activities on ice because I was sorting out one or two things.
Anyway, I was preparing for a better blog or website where I wanted to make certain changes or make this blog bigger and better.
However, I was disturbed by a call from Mr Patson Chilemba who was ordering me to remove the blog, which I have re-posted above.
I took this picture in the run-up to the 2008 presidential elections in Lusaka.
I was busy when he called me initially last week. Patson said he wanted to discuss pictures on my blog. Patson told me in no uncertain terms that the pictures on the blog where embarassing him and in a clearly commanding tone, he ordered me to delete the posts.
I was in a wrong place to discuss such a matter. I advised him to call me some other time when I shall be better placed to talk. Before he could hang up, I indicated to Patson that I was not ready to 'match to his orders'.
In the second call from my Mr Chilemba, which was on Tuesday, may 5 2009, he indicated that the pictures where defamatory and he gave me an unspecified period in which to delete them.
"I have consulted senior people at my place of work and we think the pictures are defamatory.
"What I want to tell you is that you should remove the pictures because they are denting my image. I am running out of talk time bye," he uttered.
I am not a legal person. Therefore, I would like to find out from the legal minds out there whether the pictures are truly defamatory.
My interest was not in defaming Patson. I am a Photo-journalist for goodness sake! I carry pictures in my head and in that post, the picture was where a reporter was on the 'wrong side'.
I have never seen anywhere in Zambia where reporters share the same platform with politicians, especially at an event like a public rally and under any circumstance.
In this picture, Patson could have been mistaken for a political party cadre, hence my slug.
I am a photographer and missing such a picture would be a fallacy, especially that it was scoop.
I have no hard feelings for Patson, but I think next time, he must watch where he sits during such political events.