About 140 residents of Chingola were this morning rushed to various health centers across the district after their houses were last night spread with unknown chemicals by unknown people.

According to Radio Phoenix, Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo said reports from various clinics and hospitals in the District indicate that criminals are now spreading the yet to be known chemical for unknown reasons.

Mr. Tembo said health authorities have confirmed receiving and treating victims.

The Chingola Mayor has noted with concern that despite intensified security, criminal activities in Chingola have persisted.

Meanwhile in Kitwe, the current volatile security situation on the Copperbelt has forced trading places such as Chisokone Market to close earlier than usual.

According to Association for Vendors and Marketeers President, Abel Chikwa, the market is now closing by 18:30 hours instead of the usual 20:30 hours.

Mr. Chikwa told Phoenix News that marketeers are losing out on business as they are forced to knock off early for fear of being attacked while clients are also equally shunning the markets beyond 18:00 hours due to suspected ritual murders in Chingola with fears that the situation is spilling into Kitwe.

He says the loss of business cannot be quantified yet but was quick to mention that markets have more business between 17 and 21 hours as this is the time most customers in the formal sector knock off and buy from the traders.

The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance has urged the government to provide financial support to the Lunga District Administration to start unlocking the water channels leading to the district.

The CSO-SUN has also urged other stakeholders to come on board and help the government in sourcing for funds to unblock the water channels.

CSO-SUN Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru says maize and Cassava fields in Lunga District have started flooding caused by unblocked water channels in the region resulting in crops being submerged.

Mr. Mhuru said his engagement with the Authorities in the District has established that the Lunga District Administration requires K160 000 to run a dredger to clear the channels especially in Chief Kasoma Lunga’s area which is the most affected area.

He has warned that failure to attend to this situation will result in increased levels of hunger in the District and reverse the gains the country has made in fighting malnutrition.

Mr. Mhuru said with the people of Lunga having been among the most affected by hunger last year, he expects them to start asking for relief food as early as March this year as they would have harvested nothing.

“The impact of the floods on agriculture was more felt in Lunga District last year as 38,000 people had houses and crop fields submerged following a continuous downpour. This situation is likely to repeat this year if the water channels are not unblocked”, he said.

And Chief Kasoma Lunga also confirmed that flooding has impacted negatively on the agriculture sector as the crops are usually submerged in stagnant water during the rainy season.

The Traditional Leader said Cassava and maize no longer grow because of the water except for rice which is also failing to grow due to huge water volumes as a result of flooding.

Kagem Mining, which operates the largest emerald mine in the world, in Lufwanyama, has signed a collective agreement with unions under which unionized employees will receive a 10% increase in basic salary for 2020 and a further 10% increase for 2021.

The collective agreement followed successful negotiations between management and representatives of the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers and the Mine Workers Union of Zambia, in which it was also agreed to enhance the company pension contribution from 15% to 20% of basic pay, bringing the effective salary increase to 15% for 2020 and 2021, and the overall increase to 22.5% over the next two years.

The parties further agreed to enhance repatriation allowance by 11% and raise the education allowance by 125% recognising the importance of education of employees’ children. Transport allowance has also been increased.

A new grading structure will be implemented and all conditions of employment have been aligned to the Employment Code Act number 3 of 2019.

Kagem Board Chairman Dr Sixtus Mulenga commended union representatives for the efficient and professional manner in which negotiations were conducted.

He said the salary increment reflects expected cost of living increases, and additional benefit increases are in line with industry expectations, while recognising the need for continued investment in the gemstone sector.

The agreement was also welcomed by Boniface Mutale, Director on the Board of Kagem representing the government, who thanked management for their input in the negotiations.

Mr Mutale said this is a win-win outcome that recognises employee input while also ensuring that Kagem continues to be a flag-bearer for the colored gemstone sector, putting Zambian emeralds on the world map through continued investment in production and marketing.”

The company is owned 75% by London-based Gemfields in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation, which holds 25% on behalf of the Zambian Government.

FAZ has reported Sports Minister, Emmanuel Mulenga, to FIFA, for alleged interference in the running of football in the country.

The Sports Minister has confirmed this in Lusaka, saying FAZ has accused him of trying to change the association’s Constitution, ahead of its elective AGM this March.

Mulenga has told a media briefing in Lusaka that the Ministry of Sports, through the National Sports Council, will write to FIFA to clarify on the allegations made by FAZ.

He has added that he has NOT interfered with the running of football in any way, as his ministry simply wrote to FAZ, indicating that the forthcoming FAZ elections in March should be free and fair.

Meanwhile, Mulenga says FAZ has NOT officially notified the Ministry on who they have selected for the vacant national football team coach.

Mulenga has refuted claims by Football House that it has submitted the name of the Coach that has been settled for to the Ministry for approval.

He says as it stands his Ministry cannot act on media reports as there has been no official communication from FAZ.

Mulenga says he has noreason to be a stumbling block in the process of engaging the Chipolopolo Coach, adding that FAZ should just follow the normal channel of communication.

But FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala, earlier told ZNBC sports in a telephone interview that FAZ submitted all the necessary documentation to Sports Permanent Secretary, Joe Kapembwa.

Global Frontiers International Trust Limited (GFI), a Zambian faith-based organisation has expressed commitment to replicate Rwanda’s unity and reconciliation model to Zambia and other African countries.

The commitment was made on Tuesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the organisation’s founder Dr Joshua Banda and Rwanda National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC).

The agreement aims at building collaboration in respect to the Commission’s mandate towards preserving peace, unity and reconciliation ideals thereby contributing to the global cause of achieving social cohesion, socio-economic development, good governance, conflict prevention and resolution.

Prior to the agreement, the organisation conducted study tours to different parts of Rwanda for two years to learn more about Rwanda’s unity and reconciliation model in communities so as to replicate it in Zambia and other countries.

Bishop Banda said the agreement will enable his organization to contribute to the greater pan-African goals of both the African Union as well as many other institutions that act at the pan-African level to be able to bring African people together.

“Rwanda has achieved a lot in unity and reconciliation among its citizens and, as a result of that, there was a desire to see how we can collaborate and maybe extend some experience and mutual efforts towards building greater cohesion not just in Rwanda but in many parts of our continent,” Bishop Banda said after signing the MoU.

“There are still conflicts and tensions across the continent and there is need to be able to grow some levels of cohesion and more peaceful coexistence of our great people of Africa,” he added.

The collaboration envisaged under the memorandum will involve the Commission using the services of GFI in conflict resolution, peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Bishop John Rucyahana, the president of Unity and Reconciliation Commission, thanked GIF for their commitment to extend the model towards building a United Africa.

“This is a call of deeper challenge not only to sign but to also ensure what we sign is put into action to create awareness among Africans of what Africa is and the purpose for which Africa exists,” Rucyahana said.

He, however, insisted that the agreement was not meant to bring Rwandans living in Zambia and other countries back to Rwanda but a campaign through which the world will know the truth about the Genocide against the Tutsi and share the Rwanda’s journey to build unity and reconciliation among their citizens.

“We want our people to be healthy, productive, honorable and exemplary wherever they are and have a clean and clear conscience. If the campaign becomes successful, then the world will hopefully know the truth about Rwanda’s past and become open to extraditing Genocide fugitives hiding out there because they will have no more excuses anymore,” he said.

There are an estimated 4,000 Rwandans living in Zambia.