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Konkola Copper Mines detects impending caving in of the Ground at the Nchanga Open Pit

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Konkola Copper Mines detects impending caving in of the Ground at the Nchanga Open Pit

Konkola Copper Mines has predicted an impending slough (Caving in of ground) after its geo-technical assessments detected some slope instability at the Nchanga Open Pit Cut 2 in Chingola.

KCM Chief Executive Officer Christopher Sheppard says the anticipated slough is manifesting through a series of multiple tension cracks, which have continued opening up almost parallel to the strike of the open pit east perimeter road in a South East–North West direction.

Mr Sheppard said when he addressed the media in Chingola that preliminary indications have shown that the slough will be confined to a stretch of approximately 350 metres and the estimated volume of the area that would be involved in the failure is 8 million cubic metres.

He said the real time slope stability monitoring radar station is currently tracking the increasing movement of the slope inside the open pit and current predictions are that the open pit slope will fail anytime between today, 2 July and Tuesday 7 July, 2020.

He said, “I should hasten to mention that as a responsible management, we have already implemented a number of measures to avert a significant impact of the predicted slough on people, essentially communities around the mining area and our employees. I must state in no uncertain terms that our priority is to ensure the safety of people first, and also make sure that KCM, public and private property are safe-guarded.”

Mr Sheppard said the mine has demarcated a hazard exclusion zone, which is 90 metres thick to provide for an acceptable factor of safety.

He said the exclusion zone in which the slope failure will take place is thus at least 60 metres away from the nearby communities of Nchanga North (Buyantanshi Township and in particular Buntungwa Ward).

“All the structures within Nchanga North are situated on competent, stable basement rock which will not be effected by the sloughing of the open pit slope,” he added.

The CEO noted that KCM is currently rerouting power lines and water pipes, which carry water from Kafue Pump Station to the Nchanga Smelter and Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company on a stretch of approximately 650 metres and hoped works would be completed in the shortest possible time to avoid major disruptions to power and water supply.

Mr Sheppard said in order to prevent inadvertent entry of nearby residents into the hazardous exclusion zone, members of the Zambia Police and KCM Security have been deployed full time to the perimeter of the exclusion zone.

He said the mine has been engaging various stakeholders including the Central and Local Government authorities, civic and community leaders in sensitising people to find common solutions together.

It’s morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations

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It’s morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations

Action Aid Zambia says it is morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations or any other
allegations of corruption in nature.

Action Aid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba says while the principle of ‘innocence until proven guilty’ is legally recognized, failure to do so has the potential to promote compromise in leadership.

With direct reference to Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya who President Edgar Lungu says is innocent until proven guilty by the courts of law, Ms Ziba says regardless of the absence of a legal provision that allows the President to remove a Cabinet Minister on allegation of corruption, he can still act on moral grounds to demonstrate that he upholds national values.

Below is a full statement…

Explicitly, there is no provision that allows the President to suspend a Cabinet Minister from office on the grounds of an enquiry pending on the said Cabinet Minister. We cannot, however, depart from our determination as a people of the Republic of Zambia to ensure that our values concerning family, morality, patriotism and justice are maintained and that all functions of the State are carried out in our common interest.

This commitment is enshrined in our Constitution.

Part II of the constitution on National Values, Principles and Economic policies clearly outlines the principles of morality and ethics, good governance, and integrity.

These values are enshrined in our constitution which the President is obliged to report to the National Assembly once every year on the progress being made in applying the values and principles.

Based on the above, the President as an appointing authority and one who has sworn to protect the constitution including commitment to uphold morality should be able to demonstrate this by relieving the Cabinet Minister of his duties to enable an impartial process to take place. Similarly, it is a moral duty and responsibility of any Cabinet Minister being investigated to step aside to allow investigations to run without undue influence.

While the principle of ‘innocence until proven guilty’ is legally recognized, it is morally wrong for a minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations or any other
allegations of this nature, as it has the potential to promote compromise in leadership. The fact that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is dealing with a high-ranking official of government; who exerts so much power and authority, there is a high likelihood of intimidation and interference; either direct or implied.

Part VII of our 2016 Constitution under Executive functions section 92, subsection 1, states ‘The President shall perform, with dignity, leadership and integrity, the acts that are necessary and expedient for, or reasonably incidental to, the exercise of the executive authority. Although not explicit, this is sufficient ground for the President to demonstrate the much-preached zero tolerance to corruption, and the need to uphold integrity in the office of the President and government.

Failure to exercise these powers from a moral standpoint raises a great deal of suspicion, and you cannot blame citizens when they insinuate conspiracy within senior leadership.

These are defining times, in our opinion, where the Head of State has an opportunity to walk the talk by upholding moral standards.

The President needs to demonstrate his principles on the call for every Zambian to uphold the National values particularly paying attention to key issues such as Integrity,
Transparency and Accountability which are key among government officials who occupy public office as they need to demonstrate principles to the general public that they are managing the public resources in a prudent manner.

It’s against this background that regardless of the absence of legal provision that allows the President to remove a Cabinet Minister on allegation of corruption.

It is our considered view that based on the moral grounds, The President can still act in order to demonstrate that he upholds the National values.

Nalucha Nganga Ziba
Country Director,
ActionAid Zambia

Free Lead Screening and Treatment for Children Impacted by Lead Poisoning in Kabwe Begins

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Free Lead Screening and Treatment for Children Impacted by Lead Poisoning in Kabwe Begins

The Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project has commenced free Lead screening and treatment for children impacted by Lead in Kabwe.

ZMERIP National Project Coordinator, Gideon Ndalama explained that the Project is using the door to door approach to recruit children for testing and treatment due to the Covid19 restrictions.

Mr Ndalama said the screening programme started with children initially identified by the Copperbelt Environmental Project, an earlier World Bank funded project and Kabwe Mine Pollution Amelioration Initiative (KAMPAI) project funded by JICA before it was scaled up.

He said since the commencement of the programme in April, 2020, over 4258 children below 14 years old have been screened for high blood lead levels, of which 659 have been put on Chelation treatment representing 15.5% of the total number of children screened.

Mr Ndalama said ZMERIP is aiming to test atleast 10,000 children and treat 4,000 by 2022.

He said the response from the community is overwhelming and expressed optimism that despite the slow start due to a number of challenges, the Project will meet the targeted numbers for testing and treatment.

According to the health facilities, an average of 30 children per day are being screened for elevated Blood Lead Levels (BLL).
Mr Ndalama said working in partnership with local leaders and Community health volunteers, the community is being sensitised on how to prevent exposure to lead. “As a Project we hope to see a change in attitudes towards Lead exposure especially after children have undergone treatment.”

Lab technician analysing blood samples for lead poisoning
Lab technician analysing blood samples for lead poisoning

ZMERIP Medical Officer Tiza Mufune said children with elevated blood Lead levels above 45 micrograms per decilitre are being put on Chelation treatment for 19 days after which they are retested to ensure they are responding to treatment and that Lead levels are reduced.

He said the Project with support from Ministry of Health has continued providing health education on Lead to caregivers and parents of the children during the focused group meetings in the community and during their visit to health facilities.

Medical research has shown that Lead exposure at any level could be harmful to people especially children.

Dr Mufune said the programme of screening and treatment of children allows the community to know the wellbeing of their children and how they can prevent high Lead exposure at community level. Apart from blood lead screening, the children have their nutritional status and general well being assessed.

And speaking in an interview, Elizabeth Tembo, a resident of Makululu Zone B in Kabwe commended Government for supporting the Lead testing and treatment programme.

Mrs Tembo who is also a community health volunteer said Lead testing is important because it keeps the community informed about the status of childrens’ health.

“We are happy that the children are receiving the free health services. The community has waited for this opportunity for a long time,” Mrs Tembo said.

Mrs Tembo said, “I have two grandchildren with high Lead levels and I am confident that with the treatment the levels will reduce in their bodies.”

Mrs Tembo has encouraged parents from the affected communities of Makululu, Chowa, Kasanda and Katondo to work with the Project and ensure children benefit from the programme.

Government through the Project has procured state of the art Lead analysers and test kits. The Project has also procured drugs for $2.5 million dollars under a framework contract with UNICEF to support the health interventions.
The equipment has been installed at health facilities in Kasanda, Makuklulu, Chowa and Katondo, the lead hot spot areas which are serving as centres for Lead screening and treatment.

ZMERIP, in partnership with Kabwe Municipal Council, will be undertaking environmental remediation of households and selected public places in affected townships to reduce Lead levels in the soil.

Sunday Chanda backs President Lungu’s stance on Dr Chitalu Chilufya

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Sunday Chanda backs President Lungu’s stance on Dr Chitalu Chilufya

Patriotic Front (PF) Media Director Sunday Chanda has backed President Edgar Lungu’s stance not to interfere with the justice system and uphold the right of any person to be presumed innocent until proved guilty by the due process of the law.

Mr Chanda says President Lungu as a lawyer and leader, who respects human rights in the country, is saying the fight against Corruption is crucial and must be energized but that it must be done within the confines of the law.

He says the Head of State is saying the fight against corruption must be fought within the provisions of the law, without political considerations because they only create political witchhunts.

Mr. Chanda says President Lungu has placed on record that any senior government official can be investigated, arrested but must be done without any prejudice and upholding Article 18 -two that states that everybody is innocent until proven guilty.

He has told ZNBC News in an interview that the country is moving away from a regime where senior government officials or those that are connected to the corridors of power are shielded from facing the due process of the law.

Mr. Chanda said President Lungu reserves the right to fire or suspend any official under investigation when they try to temper with investigations.

He said in the past there have been, individuals that had been accused and suffered so much damage by the so called court of public opinion and in the end, got acquitted.

Mr. Chanda said it is unfortunate that sometimes those that are supposed to uphold and promote human rights are not rising to defend the right of accused persons.

Kansanshi Mine Appoints Anthony Mukutuma as First Zambia to to Head the Mine

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Kansanshi Mine Appoints Anthony Mukutuma as First Zambia to to Head the Mine

Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi North Western Province has for the first time appointed a Zambian as the Mine’s General Manager.

Anthony Mukutuma takes over as the Kansanshi Mine General Manager from David De Vries.

And Government has hailed First Quantum Minerals – FQM which runs Kansanshi mine for appointing a Zambian to the position of General Manager for the first time in its 14 years of operations in the country.

North Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu says this is a sign that major industries can be managed without expatriates .

Speaking when he met with management from Kansanshi Mine in his office in Solwezi, Mr. Mubukwanu said the government will continue supporting operations at the mine.

Meanwhile, FQM Country Manager Kingsley Chinkuli said the number of expatriates at Kanshanshi Mine is reducing as Zambians are being elevated to decision making positions.

And Mr. Mukutuma said he will ensure that the mine remains viable.

He said he will work towards ensuring production at the mine is increased and has called for political support from government.

Zambia Debt Crisis and its Implications on the Economy

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Zambia Debt Crisis and its Implications on the Economy

By Hakainde Hichilema UPND President

The combined effects of poor economic management, corruption, prolonged power cuts and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a severe deterioration in economic outcomes in the first half of 2020.

Shortfalls in tax revenue collections, intensification of corruption and heightened debt vulnerabilities continue to narrow the fiscal space to grow the economy and provide jobs, especially for our energetic youth.

At the current pace, Zambia risks reaching a precarious point at which a disorderly fiscal adjustment becomes inevitable.

To avoid a prolonged and painful recovery that this situation would entail, Zambia must not waste any more time in using the narrow window of opportunity that remains.

As stakeholders in the Zambian economy, our offer for free advice to the PF administration on debt and other economic management issues still stands. Our free consultation will save critical resources.

Since 2012, our advice on debt management has been as follows:

(a) Stop the careless, unplanned and excessive borrowing;
(b) Strengthen the legal and regulatory framework for debt procurement and management;
(c) prepare a robust plan for the repayment of the enormous debt, including the establishment of an adequately funded sovereign wealth fund.

Failure to heed our advice has brought us to this point – an unsustainable debt path that casts a shadow on the economic prospects for our children.

We know we were right. Our first 10-year Eurobond was issued with a 5.625 percent yield in 2012, and nine years later, the yield has increased to over 50 percent. This means that our Eurobond is of junk status, reflecting a heightened risk of default. Enlisting the services of debt advisors is further confirmation of the dire situation we are in.

Our current advice to the PF Administration as the country seeks to restructure our debt, is that a successful restructuring that provides enough debt relief relies on taking immediate measures to restore debt sustainability and restore stability in the economy.

In this regard, our high-level advice is that with immediate effect, strengthen oversight and the overall framework for debt procurement, monitoring and reporting. Proposed changes in the Bill 10 will only weaken the oversight role of Parliament, further undermining this effort.

Procurement of non-concessional debt must stop. The PF Administration must end the situation where their alleged ‘moratorium on new borrowings’, has seen some Ministers commit the country to new loans. For now, we will not comment on the role of the Minister of Finance in debt procurement, as the issue is in court.

Importantly, the PF government must commit itself to transparency and full disclosure of all contracts that have been signed. Transparency and accountability, which are the hallmarks of good governance, will build confidence among our creditors, especially in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to which Zambia has sought participation. Regarding the DSSI, we further implore the PF Administration to adhere to the requirement to direct financial resources toward mitigating the health, economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and call for strong safeguards to protect public resources against theft.

We also take this opportunity to implore Zambia’s creditors, official and private, to provide relief to the country through this initiative. It will not only bring some relief to the multitude of Zambians struggling to cope under these challenging economic times but also improve the country’s repayment capacity.

Of great concern to us is that government expenditure continues to rise in the context of significant revenue shortfalls yet without major changes to the National Budget. The government recently announced that while revenues have fallen by K20.8 billion, expenditures have risen by K20.0 billion, including an increase in debt service by K8.7 billion. Current measures to address this shortfall do not go far enough.

We implore the PF Administration to revise the 2020 Budget and undertake necessary reforms to make a real impact on lowering runaway expenditure. Of note is the need to eliminate all inefficiencies in the Farmer Input Support Programme (FSIP) to reduce its fiscal burden of this initiative, while improving the targeting of poor farmers. We also highlight the inefficiencies in the operations of ZESCO that tend to shift losses towards the taxpayer.

We therefore encourage the government to keenly look into this and other areas where savings can be made.

Lastly, subscribe to an IMF staff monitored program, commit to undertaking both structural and quantitative benchmarks.

In rebuilding the economy, we are happy to engage fully and continue to provide the advice we have been giving you for the last nine years. We have one Zambia and no other country to run to.

President Lungu expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit

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President Lungu expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit

President Edgar Lungu is tomorrow expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit.

President Lungu is expected to arrive in Livingstone in the morning and will immediately proceed for a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a four star Mosi-0-Tunya Livingstone resort hotel and conference facility.

Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale has confirmed the Presidential visit in Choma today.

Dr. Hamukale explained that the project is an outcome of the 2019 Southern Province tourism and investment exposition.

And President Lungu will on Saturday travel to Monze to commission new housing units for the Zambia Correctional Service.

The President will later in the afternoon be in Mazabuka to commission another set of housing units for Zambia Police Service.

And the Patriotic Front -PF-Southern Province Chairman Lawrence Evans says the party in the province is excited that President, Edgar Lungu is once again expected to undertake a working visit to the province.

Mr. Evans says the President’s visit to Southern Province is a continuation of his developmental agenda for the province.

He has urged everyone to accord the President a warm welcome as he visits Southern Province on his unprecedented development drive, which has seen him either commissioning a secondary school, district hospital among others which has never been seen in the country’s history.

Mr. Evans has told ZNBC News that the PF is also happy to note that the President is also scheduled to meet with traditional leaders in the three districts.

He said this is because traditional leaders are partners in development and President Lungu has continued to accord the traditional leaders the respect befitting their status and has been appealing to them to continue giving counsel to politicians.

Mr. Evans said the engagement is timely especially coming a few days after the Southern Province council of Chiefs made a passionate appeal to Members of Parliament to fully support the Constitution amendment bill number 10 of 2019.

President Lungu was in Southern province in May during which he opened the Victoria Falls to the public, which was closed due to the outbreak of the Coviod-19.

This is according to a statement issued to ZNBC News by PF Southern Province Information and Publicity Secretary, Trymore Mwenda.

Zambia Police Arrest Man for Defaming Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development

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Zambia Police Arrest Man for Defaming Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development

Police in Lusaka have arrested Maxson Nkhoma of Kapata Compound in Chipata, Eastern Province, for alleged defamation against Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development, Vincent Mwale.

Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo says Mr Nkhoma, aged 33, is alleged to have published defamatory remarks on social media against Mr Mwale.

Ms Katongo says Mr Nkhoma has been charged with two counts of Criminal Libel contrary to section 391 chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Meanwhile, Police in Siavonga have also arrested a former UPND Youth District Chairman John Simweemba, 40, of Kaleya Compound for proposing violence.

Ms Katongo said Mr Simweemba, acting with four other people, allegedly organized an illegal public meeting where he was inciting people to be beating public officers.

She said he was referring to officers who will be conducting mobile issuance of National Registration Cards, including Police officers.

Ms Katongo said this allegedly happened on June 28, between 14 and 16 hours at Sianyolo Primary school grounds in Siavonga.

She said Simweemba is currently detained in Police Custody and is likely to be jointly charged with four others with unlawful assembly as they did not notify the Police to have a public meeting.

M’membe’s Socialist Party receives kudos for appointment

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M’membe’s Socialist Party receives kudos for appointment

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has hailed the appointment of Rehoboth Kafwabulula, a 21-year-old youth, as Socialist Party spokesperson.

YALI President Andrew Ntewewe who affirmed his organisation’s belief that political parties must show a genuine commitment to bringing the youth to the decision-making table said the Socialist Party appear to be leading the way.

“Our country’s national development trajectory is dependent on bringing the youth, women and persons with disabilities to the decision-making table rather than using them as a springboard to achieve one’s political ambition,” he said

Meanwhile, Mr Ntewewe has said opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) is an organisation that stands in the way for the youth to have fair and guaranteed representation in Parliament in 2021 through its its opposition to a mixed member representation system.

“The capitalist-gatekeepers and MPs in the UPND will not relent but fight a system that should ordinarily make youth representation a reality through enactment of the proposed Article 47(2),” said Ntewewe.

Mr Ntewewe said the proposed Article 47(2) facilitates the changing of an electoral system to one that promotes fair representation and equitable treatment of each gender as required by Article 45(1)(c)(d) of the Constitution.

“We know, however, that unlike parties that are socialists in nature, capitalism is not about fairness. For UPND, only those leaders with capital to fund their campaigns will dominate are preferred as best representatives of the people in the National Assembly,” charged Ntewewe.

The proposed amendments to the Constitution of Zambia proposes to introduce a mixed member electoral system meant to provide for safer seats for youths in the National Assembly, including those from UPND.

Mr Ntewewe said the Zambian youth has spoken, loud and clear, that time has come for them to be represented in law-making processes and decision-making on the affairs of their country.

“Our hope is that parties such as the Patriotic Front (PF) and Socialist Party will participate and adopt more youths in the forthcoming 11 ward by-elections and 2021 general election,” said Ntewewe.

He said the Zambian youth must not be surprised that UPND does not support the changing of Zambia’s electoral system to one that would support a mixed-member representation in Parliament.

The organisation has since encouraged Rehoboth to exert her influence and become good champions of youth leadership and representation stating that youth deserve a place on decision-making platforms.

Working with the dead

Entertainment Editor
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Working with the dead

Ever wondered what it feels like to work with dead bodies on a daily basis? Kennedy Gondwe has been speaking to a man who does just that – and makes a living from death.

Micho Congratulates Patson and Mwepu

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Chipolopolo coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has congratulated Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu for winning the Austrian league title with RB Salzburg.

Salzburg clinched their seventh consecutive league crown with two games to spare over the weekend with Patsons’ 24 goals playing a huge part in the cause.

“We want to congratulate our players Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu for winning the Austrian championship. We need an injection of motivation for all of us because we need a winning mentality,” Micho said.

“Those are two flag bearers that are supposed to take Zambian football where it is supposed to.”

And Micho added that he is pleased to see some of his European-based players also getting some game time since the restart of their respective leagues in June.

“I am happy to see other players like Evans Kangwa, Kings Kangwa and Lameck Banda are playing in Russia. We are always happy whenever our players are getting minutes and getting that competitive advantage,” Micho added.

Why you are as healthy as your internal age

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Why you are as healthy as your internal age

How Healthy Living Can Reduce Internal Age and Disease Risk

Why improving your Internal age really matters

Heart attacks, strokes and sudden deaths are becoming increasingly common in Zambia and other developing countries. In fact, one of the most disturbing trends is that these devastating conditions are occurring more frequently in younger individuals than one would typically see elsewhere. Heart attacks and strokes can be quite disabling if not fatal and can adversely affect individuals who are in the prime of their most productive years.

Risk factors for heart attack, sudden death and stroke

Two impressive large clinical studies were conducted across all the 5 continents, the INTERHEART and INTERSTROKE  studies demonstrated that the in over 90 percent of all the cases of heart attacks and strokes, 9 risk factors were mostly responsible for these unfortunate events. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, smoking, poor diet choices (lack of fruits and vegetables), excessive alcohol consumption and stress. Further there is also a very close link between all these risk factors and early memory loss dementia and early cognitive decline)

The good news however, is that all these risk factors are modifiable i.e. can be reduced or avoided through adoption of lifestyle changes and or aggressive treatment with medications.

Internal versus chronological age and the risk of cardiovascular events

Advancing age has for the longest time been closely linked to cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes, sudden death and memory loss). Recently, however, the scientific community has started to focus more attention on internal age as a more powerful predictor of the risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or dying suddenly. While chronological age refers to the time that has passed since birth, internal age, on the other hand refers to how well the organs are functioning. Normally, chronological age equates to the internal age. It is well established that People who live the longest (centenarians and supercentenarians) have lower internal ages compared to their chronological ages.

Reducing internal age and risk of events

Chronological age cannot be reversed and has nothing to do with our adopted lifestyle choices. On the other hand, internal age is intricately connected to our lifestyle choices (physical activity, stress, sleep habits, smoking etc.) as well as with biological genes and acquired medical conditions (obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure etc). Lowering one’s internal age through adoption of healthy lifestyles along with aggressive management of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes can lead to improved quality of lives and longevity.

By Sula Mazimba MD, MPH

 

 

MID-WEEK PRO’S HIT LIST

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Here are selected briefs from mid-week action by our foreign-based players.


TANZANIA
Midfielder Clatous Chama scored retaining league champions Simba SC’s second goal in the 57th minute of their Dar-es-Salaam derby triumph over Azam FC to reach the Azam Sports Federation Cup semifinals to eliminate the holders.


RUSSIA
Striker Evans Kangwa started but was substituted in the 57th minute while his brother and midfielder Klings Kangwa came on three minutes earlier in 11th placed Arsenal Tula’s 3-1 home loss to Akhmat Grozny who are just below them at number 13.
Midfielder Lameck Banda was on the bench for Tula who suffered their third straight defeat since the league restart on June 20.

SWEDEN
Striker Edward Chilufya started for 6th positioned Djurgardens in their 1-0 away loss at number two side Malmo but was substituted in the 33rd minute due to injury.


AUSTRIA
Striker Patson Daka played the full 90 minutes for retaining Austrian champions RB Salzburg in their 5-1 home victory against Sturm Graz but was not on target.
Midfielder Enock Mwepu was an unused substitute.

UPND Objects to the Proposals Presented by ECZ on the 2021 Elections

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UPND Objects to the Proposals Presented by ECZ on the 2021 Elections

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has expressed concern over a number of proposals by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) ahead of the 2021 General Elections.

In his letter to ECZ Chief Electoral Officer, Patrick Nshindano, UPND Secretary General, Stephen Katuka cited the high nomination fees, 30 days voter registration period, the voters register, printing of ballots in the United Arab Emirates and the lack of sponsored stakeholder monitors as well as prisoner voting as some of the concerns that need urgent redress.

Mr Katuka said the proposals if implemented will not only disfranchise eligible voters, but also serve as a systematic barrier which has the potential to pose a serious indictment on holding free, fair and credible elections.

“We reject the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) position to hold a 30 days voter registration as doing so will disfranchise many eligible citizens. Our view is that voter registration is supposed to be a continuous process. We reject the proposed nomination fees for the 2021 General Elections in that, in a democracy like ours, all citizens have the right to participate in the elections without systematic barriers like hiking of nominations fees,” the letter read in part.

Mr Katuka further added that the party was not in support of the suggestion by ECZ not to sponsor stakeholders intending to monitor the printing of ballot papers for the 2021 General Elections in Dubai while allowing prisoners to vote posses a serious threat to national democracy.

“We reject an overhaul and complete deletion of the current voters register as the current electoral code provides for continuous registration of voters. We reject the idea to extend voting to prisons as doing so will disadvantage opposition political parties given the security nature of prisons,” the letter further read.

The ECZ has since the disputed 2016 General Election come under fire from political players and stakeholders for its perceived connivance with the ruling PF ahead of what most commentators term a two-horse race between UPND and PF.

HH and his team storm National Registration office to demand Answers for the “Selective Issuance of NRCs”

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HH and his team storm National Registration office to demand Answers for the “Selective Issuance of NRCs”

The United Party for National Development (UPND) Leader Haikainde Hichilema yesterday stormed the National Registration office to seek answers on why there is a selective issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs).

According to Mr. Hichilema, all the senior officers went into hiding for fear of being fired by what he described as the corrupt PF especially, if they attended to his team to provide answers they were seeking.

The UPND leader accused the department of National Registration of issuing NRCs in perceived ruling Patriotic Front(PF) strongholds while ignoring the UPND strongholds.

“The department of National Registration has of late been issuing NRCs in perceived PF strongholds while people in other parts of the country who also need the same document are not being accorded a chance to do so,”, he said adding that his party knows this is a PF scheme of wanting to disfranchise many Zambians but UPND will allow this to happen.

“We, therefore, immediately call on the PF to stop this scheme of selectively issuing NRCs but to those being issued with the document, we appeal to you to use the same in kicking out the PF,” he said.

The UPND leader said that he had evidence of crowds of people at Lupiya village in Chiengi Constituency, Luapula Province, being given NRCs while the same was not being done in Southern, North-Western, and Western Provinces and called for the process to be done in a uniform manner across all provinces.

HH and his team arrive at the National Registration office
HH and his team arrive at the National Registration office
HH and his team at the National Registration office
HH and his team at the National Registration office
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