The opposition UPND has adopted Pastor Kangwa Chileshe as its candidate for the Lusaka Mayoral elections.

Pastor Kangwa is famed for his acting role in Zambia’s first soap opera Kabanana in which he played the lead role of Jason Kabanana.

The UPND has also adopted George Muleya as the party’s candidate for the Chilanga Council Chairperson position.

UPND Chairperson for Elections Garry Nkombo unveiled the two candidates at a news conference late Thursday.

And in an interview, Pastor Chileshe thanked the UPND leadership and the entire membership for adopting him as one to contest the Lusaka Mayoral elections.

He said if elected, he will work towards creating a city that everyone will be proud to live.

Pastor Chileshe said once elected, he will instill a sense of responsibility and accountability in the running of the city council with strong adherence to the rule of law

He says he knows Lusaka very well and it’s many challenges having been born in the city at UTH and lived most of his life there.

Mines Minister Richard Musukwa has vowed not to resign his position over the Black Mountain disaster which claimed 10 lives.

Mr Musukwa who is also Chililabombwe Member of Parliament said there is no way he is going to resign his positions because mine accidents are common.

He attributed the accident to failure by those that invaded the mine to follow safety procedures.

The Mines Minister was speaking on Thursday in Parliament when answering questions after he delivered a ministerial statement on the Black Mountain disaster.

“I am not resigning, if criminals or illegal people invade a mining site like they did at the Black Mountain, surely that is not a good cause for me to resign,” Mr Musukwa said.

Mr. Musukwa said he would not resign because criminals invading a mining site was not a good cause for him to resign.

He explained that those who died in the Black Mountain disaster were illegal miners who were working scavengers.

“The accident that we are considering, as you know government gave a license to seven companies. The people involved in the accident were scavengers and they entered the mine site illegally,” he said.

Mr. Musukwa said people should not blow the Black Mountain accident out of proportion because mine accidents happen all the time.

“If criminals or illegal people invade a mine site like they did at the Black mountain, surely that is not a good cause for me to resign. I’m not resigning. I’m going to ensure that this matter, the unfortunate circumstance that has happened is never repeated by ensuring that our people comply with the mines and minerals act.”

“What is unfortunate is that we have an accident that has happened and this accident is unfortunate. Mr Speaker, as you are aware government and the ministry would not allow the operation that would result in an accident. As I stand, Mr Speaker, I would like to inform you that all mining operations sit on a platform of fairly stable and safety conditions which they have put in their operations.”

However, Mr Speaker, only last week I had an accident which was recorded at Konkola Copper Mine. This is a very unfortunate circumstance that happened and that we should not use it to propel different persuasions to the subject matter,” he said.

The Mines Minister also disclosed that one of the seven companies allowed to operate the Mine, Chapamo Mining Limited has taken up the responsibility of compensating bereaved families because the accident happened within their licensed area.

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has added its voice to the call for an explanation on the tragedy at the black mountains were several small scale miners have died after the slug collapsed yesterday.

MMD National Secretary Raphael Nakacinda President Edgar Lungu should act over the gross irresponsibility that has led to the death of some youths who were mine slug at Nkana.

Nakacinda also called on the nation not to apportion blame but to work together in finding a lasting solution to the quagmire at the Black Mountains.

Below is a statement as issued by the MMD Secretariat.

THE BLACK MOUNTAIN DEATHS IS A TRAGEDY WORTHY OF AN EXPLANATION.

The Movement for Multi Party Democracy(MMD) would like to express our deep shock at the sudden death of several lives of small scale miners famously known as ‘JERABOS’ in Kitwe at the Black mountain.

We want to convey our disheartening heartfelt message of condolences to the affected families and pray that the good lord strengthens them during this trying moment. We want to pray also that the injured ones we pray for their full recovery.

The entire country is deeply affected by this unfortunate dark cloud that has gripped us and we can only but describe this as a tragedy, which has claimed the lives of our people. In the midst of such horror and loss, we are particularly sensitive to what government has to say.

We need government to avoid a hasty statement, but to give a comprehensive one. It is not time for excited junior PF party officials or inappropriate government officers to begin issuing empty statements. Let substantiative govt officers be responsible for communicating on the matter to avoid appearing like mocking the grieved families. History will record our response and judge or justify us harshly as a nation.

No one plans the death of others, but a certain level of irresponsibility can. We find these kinds of deaths as avoidable deaths hence the need to summon government to take responsibility.

We are highly disdained by the basic political expediency with which as a nation we carelessly handed over a “Death Trap” without paying particular attention to the safety of those unsuspecting individual beneficiaries.

After the burial, we call upon President Edgar Lungu to act on this level of gross irresponsibility by those he had tasked to handle the processes of the Black Mountain.

It is the duty of any governments like it is for our government to ensure the safety of the lives of its citizens. Worse off in situations where government creates a “DECREE” such as that of handing over the Black Mountain to Jerabos as empowerment without a clear safety assessment. A hint of conscience would have prevented it.

Never should we allow ourselves as a nation to succumb to irresponsibility thereby losing lives. This tragedy cannot be ignored. This tragedy cannot be appeased with empty rhetorics.

We act to defend ourselves and deliver our children, youth and women from a future of fear of working in dangerous places to earn a living. Everyone has a stake in this tragedy. Others celebrated the handover of the Black Mountain while others opted silence.

However, people should not blame one another at a time like this, but it is time to find a lasting solution with the Black Mountain.

If interventions used in the past to address this problem has proved futile, then it is probably time to try other measures to bring to an end to this unfortunate situation.

A greater majority of people engaged in illegal or small scale mining are the youth. The country can do well to redirect the energies of these young and active men and women into other productive ventures that would equally guarantee enough income for them to live meaningful lives.

One readily available venture is agriculture, which has the capacity to employ almost everybody engaged in illegal mining and small scale mining.

As a way forward, we propose that we must ensure these miners are organized and structured. So that in case of govt empowerment or accidents as this there is a system to follow through and people to apportion the responsibility. We must remove the stereotype where mining is only legal when its the Chinese and foreigners. This way Zambians can form cooperatives to equally participate in mining activities as they get more mechanised and move away from these dangerous pick and shovel that characterise the Jerabos.

We would also like to take this same opportunity to extend a message of condolences to the NDC, on the loss of their senior members yesterday in a fatal road traffic accident.

Issued by;
Raphael Nakacinda
MMD National Secretary

The Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed that Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has upheld the decision of the Chief Registrar of Societies to cancel the registration of the Democratic Party.

In a statement, Ministry of Affairs Spokesman Nephas Chifuta said the Democratic Party does not therefore exist forthwith.

“Anyone purporting to be an official or member of the said Democratic Party would be in breach of the law and would be dealt with in accordance with the law. The Minister of Home Affairs Honourable Stephen Kampyongo MP., shall issue a comprehensive statement on this matter in due course,” Mr Chifuta said.

The D. A recently announced that it will unveil Bahati PF Member of Parliament Harry Kalaba as it’s party President in August.

National Restoration Party President, Elias Chipimo has offered his condolences to the families of the young men that lost their lives in what he described as Zambia’s worst mining “accident” in recent years.

Mr. Chipimo has called for the resignation of Mines Minister, Richard Musukwa who recently declared that mining operations at the Black Mountain were safe and it was not a disaster in waiting.
Mr.Chipmo said the accident was not only predictable, it was actually predicted.He has also called on President Lungu to appologize to the families of the victims for putting the lives of their loved ones at risk.

Below is the Full Press Statement

Blood on their hands

We received, with a heavy heart, the news that filtered through this morning about the death of many young Zambians while operating at the Black Mountain slag dump in Kitwe. We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the young men that have lost their lives in this terrible incident which ranks as Zambia’s worst mining “accident” in recent years.

This “accident” was not only predictable, it was actually predicted. Many, including NAREP, had warned of the danger of unsupervised operations at the slag dump. The decision to grant open access to a dangerous and unstable mine site reflects the irresponsibility of political leadership whose sole aim is to retain political power at any cost. President Lungu and his advisers must surely now reflect on how many lives they feel need to be needlessly lost in order to secure their political survival on the Copperbelt. They should answer the question as to whether they feel they have blood on their hands.

Three things are must be done from this point onwards:

(i) Mr. Richard Musukwa must resign as Minister of Mines – this is what any self-respecting individual who goes on record rubbishing the concerns of people’s safety a few days before an accident actually happens, would do;

(ii) the police, local authorities and the Ministry of Mines should take clear and comprehensive steps to ensure that no further mining operations take place without proper and enforceable guidelines that adhere to the law and safe mining practices; and

(iii) an apology should ensue from President Lungu to the families of the victims of this “accident” for putting the lives of their loved ones at risk.

In future, no politically motivated manoeuvres of this nature should be allowed to endanger the lives of communities yearning for empowerment. We have always said that there is a way to empower the youth on the Copperbelt. NAREP remains open and willing to provide these ideas and to work together towards their implementation in order to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.

Elias C. Chipimo
President
National Restoration Party (NAREP)

The on-going works on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway are a serious diplomatic scandal, says Green Party President Peter Sinkamba.

And Mr. Sinkamba has called upon the Chinese Government to completely write-off the loan given to Zambia for the project for sub-standard works by one of its parastatal companies.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sinkamba has demanded that Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and Ndola International Airport should be allowed for use after completion of the works by China Jiangxi International until the works are verified by international construction experts to avert an airport disaster at the two airports.

Speaking in Kitwe this morning after inspecting the road, Mr. Sinkamba said the quality of works on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway by China Jiangxi International is of substandard quality and added that and he has no doubt in his mind that on-going works on Kenneth Kaunda Airport and Ndola International Airport will also be sub-standard quality.

“As the Green Party, we call upon the Chinese Government to write-off the loan which was given to the Zambian government for the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway because China Jiangxi International, is a Chinese Government company, has done a scandalous job. This is a serious diplomatic scandal. It is not right for the Chinese Government to engage in rip-offs like the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway,” Mr. Sinkamba said.

“The Chinese Government gave us a loan to construct the 2,000km TAZARA. No doubt about it, TAZARA was a quality job. And we the Zambian people are thankful for perfect job done in a record time. And we also thank the Chinese Government for writing-off the TAZARA loan,” he said.

“Now coming to the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway, this one is a scandal. The works to resurface less than 70km the Kitwe-Ndola Dual Carriageway has taken a record six years. We expect much better than that from a Chinese Government company. We cordially invite the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia to come to the Copperbelt prove our point. As a face-saver, the best the Chinese Government could do is just to write-off the loan,” Mr. Sinkamba said.

Mr. Sinkamba explained that China JCHX was granted the contract to resurface 65km of the dual carriageway from Ndola to Kitwe in 2012 and up to now, in 2018, the works are far from being completed. He said several stretches along the road have been redone on a number of times but the redone works only last for less six months.

He said the quality of work by contractor China Jiangxi International on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway is very pathetic and wonders why the company was awarded such sensitive works without any proven record of satisfactory works in Zambia.

He added that the road is now a serious hazard, especially in the night because half the total stretch of the dual carriageway has been ripped off.

He regretted that China Jiangxi International was allowed to completely rip-off the original works without verification that they could better work. He said even in the state the old road was before ripping it off in 2012, it was by far stronger and of much better quality than the sub-standard China Jiangxi International works.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sinkamba regrets that China Jiangxi International was awarded two very sensitive airport construction jobs. He said construction of runways and taxiways is a very specialized and sensitive job which requires experienced and proven records of excellence.

“Going by what we have seen on the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway, this company lacks appropriate experience and proven record of experience in Zambia to undertake sensitive and specialized works like airport runways and taxiways. We think that when they finish working on the Kenneth Kaunda international Airport and Ndola International Airport, AITA should commission an independent verification exercise before the airports are operational to avert disasters,” Mr Sinkamba said.

Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya has clarified that government has not banned travels for the President, government leaders and civil servants but is merely trying to manage the process so that the country gets maximum benefits from such travels.

Addressing Journalists at her office in Lusaka yesterday , Ms Siliya who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services said the travels are necessary for the work of government and that travels will be restricted to those with comparative advantage and benefits for the country.

Last week Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe announced that President Edgar Lungu had introduced several new austerity measures in an effort to address the country’s worsening debt crisis.Among the austere measures introduced were a cut down on ministerial travels.

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