Green Party President Peter Sinkamba says it is quite distressing that SADC Heads of State and Government move at lightning speed to cheer outcome of elections when their colleagues are re-elected but turn a blind eye to election processes when it matters most.

Commenting on the plight of Moses Katumbi who has been denied entry into DRC by President Kabila, Mr. Sinkamba said SADC leaders should not be a bunch of cheerleaders but rather, they must provide pollical leadership in the region when it matters most.

“The case in point is the on-going election process in DRC where President Kabila has thrown constitutionality to the wind. He is unconstitutionally illegally holding office and SADC leaders are merely watching. He has barred entry into the country Moses Katumbi, one of the leading contenders in the upcoming election, and SADC leaders are watching. A serious breakdown of human rights, constitutional law and order, is happening, and SADC leaders are aloof. This is quite distressing,” he said.

“If it were re-election of their own, they would have been the loudest congratulating him. Yet, the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation imposes a duty on them to promote democratic institutions and practices within the Region and encourage observance of human rights in accordance with the AU and UN Charters,” Mr. Sinkamba added.

“The SADC Protocol also imposes a duty on these leaders to protect the people and safeguard the development of the Region against instability arising from breakdown of law and order, intra-State conflict, inter-State conflict and aggression. Where need be, the Protocol empowers them to consider enforcement action if peaceful means fail, but regrettably, it appears they are collectively a bunch of failures,” he said.

He has implored the SADC Heads to demonstrate leadership by intervening on Katumbi’s plight so as to enable him to file his nomination papers before the deadline lapses on Wednesday. He said such a move could prevent more blood to be shed in DRC.

“Already there is so much bloodshed in Congo. To allow the situation to deteriorate further than this is serious irresponsibility and failure on the part of SADC leadership,” he said.

The Zambia Police in Kazungula District in Southern province has arrested a 36 year-old man for allegedly killing his 62 year old wife, following a domestic dispute in the early hours of today.

Masilingi Mashekabo of Mambova village in Chief Sekute’s area, allegedly killed his wife by beating her using a paddling stick after a marital dispute.

Southern Province Commissioner of Police Bonny Kapeso who confirmed the incident in a statement identified the deceased as Sarah Samapande, of the same address.

Mr. Kapeso noted that the incident occurred around 01: 30hrs in early this morning.

The couple is said to have been married for two years with no children between them.

The suspect has been arrested and charged with murder and will appear in court soon.

National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) says NRFA Public Relations Manager Alphonsius Hamachila says the agency projects to create 20,000 job opportunities this year.

Speaking on the sideline of the ongoing 92nd edition of the Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka, yesterday, Mr. Hamachila says the jobs would be necessitated from the 400 routine contracts.

Mr. Hamachila says this is one avenue in which the Agency could contribute and generate economic empowerment to the Zambian people.

“The Agency will interpret the 2018 Agriculture and commercial show by generating economic success for the people through creating 20,000 from the 400 road routine contracts that we have,” he said.

He noted that going by the theme for this year entitled “’ Sustainable economic empowerment” the NFRA finds as it sends a signal to economically empower youths especially in the road sector especially at its toll gates.

And Mr. Hamachila the Agency is projecting to raise K 1 billion Kwacha toll fees this year compared to the K667 million collected last year.

He said to achieve this fit, his Agency plans to construct 40 tolling stations in all the country’s provinces by the end of 2018 as it is part of its National Road Tolling Programme.

Mr. Hamachila, hailed the road users for their compliance in paying road tolls which he said is an engine to the successes recorded by the Agency.

Zamtel in partnership with the Ministry of Works and Supply has launched a free call Centre service for the general public to report any suspected abuse of government motor vehicles , toll free.

Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Sydney Mupeta believes the development will help the ministry to control the abuse of government vehicles.

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The new free call Centre has a capacity to handle over 45,000 calls compared to the current one which has a paltry 16,000 capacity. .

Speaking at the Zamtel Call Centre at the show grounds yesterday, Mr. Mupeta explained that apart from the services the mobile provider is currently offering, the company is with the help of the ministry of works and supply going to build more digital services that would ensure that government vehicles are only used for the intended purpose.

He said, “ real time management of transport will go a long way towards reducing costs towards reducing the GRZ fleet.”

And Minister of Works and Supply Felix Mutati said the call Centre of 3003 will go a long way in eliminating waste of public resources particularly to the misuse of government transport.

Speaking at the same Centre, the minister revealed that 2.1 billion kwacha has been spent in 2017 which is more than enough to replace the entire fleet of government on a yearly basis.

“ At the moment government is sitting on over 12,000 motor vehicles hence the need to bring about regulation on the use of government vehicles, “ said the minister.

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The compliance levels , the minister said, will be increased by the involvement of members of the public whenever they observe abuse of the vehicles as the move will be a sustainable way of continued control of the use of government motor vehicles.

Mr. Mutati also disclosed that the number of civil servants who have applied and registered for competence and have been issued with competence certificates has increased to over 1000.

Furthermore, the minister stated that over 120,000 kwacha has been collected for various fines and penalties for the offences committed while over 500 motor vehicles were inspected and consequently impounded 112 a move he said has reduced levels of accidents by 60 percent in the country.

Mr. Mutati revealed that the difference compliance measures put in place has enabled K395 million to be saved which will be channeled to various deserving sectors.

THE Olympic swimming pool in Long Acres has not been sold but has been only leased out for development, Lusaka City Council (LCC) public relations manager George Sichimba said yesterday.

Sichimba said the local authority had observed with dismay reports in some sections of the media that the council had sold the Olympic Swimming Pool to Chinese nationals.

Sichimba said in a statement that LCC had only entered into a 14 – year lease agreement with Futsal Limited to develop the facility to international standards, emphasizing that the local authority had not sold the swimming pool and had no intentions of doing so.

“The lease is in the spirit of public private partnership (PPP) where government is encouraging public institutions to partner with the private sector to enhance service delivery,” Mr Sichimba said.

He said the LCC realised K30, 000 per month from the lease arrangement and that the sporting fraternity would be able to access better facilities once the improvements to the swimming pool were completed.

He said that the Chinese nationals who were found around the facility had been contracted by Futsal Limited to do some construction works.

Mr Sichimba said that so far Futsal Limited had put up modern Futsal playing fields and a change room.

He said Futsal Limited had big plans of constructing an ultra-modern indoor sports complex which would encompass a new swimming pool.

“LCC is hopeful that once the full construction plan is implemented, the council, Futsal Limited and members of the public will benefit from the partnership. The swimming pool remained idle for many years resulting in the local authority and the public not to realise any benefits from it hence, the decision to lease it out to a company with capacity to develop the facility,” he said.

Mr Sichimba said Indications were that this was one of the best lease agreements LCC had entered into so far. He charged that the emerging phenomenon of people peddling lies of council selling public properties such as markets and other properties when in fact not, was malicious and dangerous because it was causing unnecessary anxiety and anger in residents. He appealed to Lusaka residents and the sporting fraternity in particular to support the undertaking and other similar ventures aimed at improving standards of public properties.