Zimba district in Southern Province is susceptible to experience another water crisis if rains do not intensify.

Southern Water and Sewerage company (SWSCO) has since opted to source for ground water through sinking of boreholes at the SWASCO plant for the supply to Zimba residents.

SWASCO Managing Director Charles Shindaile said only two boreholes were successful and that they are not enough to supply the entire district.

Mr. Shindaile said the only solution to counter the Zimba’s water
crisis is to rehabilitate the Sianankanga Dam which is the source of SWSCO water supply in the district.

He said the dam needs to be desalted and also raise the embankment and the spill way.

And Zimba District Commissioner (DC) Elizabeth Kalaluka stated that she is worried of the water situation in the district.

Ms. Kalaluka said the dam which is the major source of water is drying up and that there are no rains hence, calling for serious interventions.

The DC is also expressed worry at Zimba Secondary School who depend on SWASCO for water.

She said with the high population at the school and the Cholera situation in the country, the health of the pupils and teachers is at risk without water.

Ms. Kalaluka has since directed the local authority through the rural water unit which has received thirty(30) boreholes from government to allocate two of them to the school so that they can have water in case the dam dries up completely.

China Gangu the company which was given the contract to sink 30 boreholes is already in the district and engineers yesterday identified the sites for the two boreholes at the school.

The contractors who were accompanied by the DC, SWASCO management, Council Chairperson, School Head teacher said the drilling will be done as soon as possible.

Ministry of Health says it cannot help people living with albinism with protective clothing as requested but will continue to provide them with sun screen lotions.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Kennedy Malama said the sun screen lotions that the ministry provides for people living with albinism is all the Ministry can do.

Recently, the National Albinism Networking Association of Zambia (NANAZ) President Dickson Konkola urged government and well-wishers to assist persons living with albinism with protective clothing during this period that the country is experiencing extreme heat.

He said the temperature is above 30 in most places which hinders the albinos to work as they are badly affected with the heat.

Mr. Konkola said the sun screen lotion being given to them by the ministry of health is not enough to protect the people living with albinism because they are finding it difficult to conduct their various activities under the heat.

He revealed that people living with albinism need long sleeved shirts, clothes with appropriate material among other things which would help shield them from the sun.

Zambia Association of Musicians President Njoya Tee’s wife Brenda has been convicted by the Lusaka Magistrate for assaulting her 13 year old niece for burning her with a pressing iron.

Magistrate Greenwell Malumani convicted Brenda on a charge of assault on a child and reserved the sentencing to Wednesday, January 31ST 2018.

Brenda was dragged to court and she was accused of having burnt her niece with a pressing iron on her chest on October 26, 2016 at their house in Lusaka’s Chalala area.

The girl is a double orphan.

It was alleged that Brenda had been angered by the girl‘s using of an iron which the couple had stopped using.

In testimonies in court, the girl’s classmate testified before Magistrate Malumani how her friend‘s hands were swollen and had a reddish blister on her chest when she asked her, she told her that shehad been burnt by her aunt.

She said that her friend informed her that her aunt beat her and later burnt her with a pressing iron on her chest after she used a pressing iron she was told not to be using.

The girl’s class teacher also testified how the school management summoned Brenda after the girl reported the case to the teachers.

And Winfridah Mundia, a teacher at Woodlands B Basic School also testified that the pupil reported to the school management how she was beaten and burnt by her aunt.

Ms Mundia told the court that she observed marks on the girls back and her thighs with a reddish blister on the chest.
The assault incident was later reported to Woodlands Police station.

Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu has opted to renounce his position and go for for early retirement. According to the statement released by the Caotholic Church to the media, the Pope’s Representative to Zambian and Malawi, H.E. Julio Murat, has since officially announced that His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Rt. Rev. Alick Banda, who until now, was Bishop of Ndola Diocese, as the Archbishop of Lusaka.

According to the statement , Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu was born on 21st May, 1947. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Kasama on 17th December, 1972. In 1987, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him Bishop of then Mbala-Mpika Catholic Diocese. He was then appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Lusaka in 2004 with the right of succession to replace the late Joseph Cardinal Mazombwe which he did in 2006.

Archbishop Mpundu was first elected ZEC President in 1993 when he served for two terms and left office in 1999. He was elected later in 2002 and served in that capacity until 2008. In 2014 and 2017 He was re-elected President of the now Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).

Police in Lusaka have launched investigations in the matter in which pictures of two girls believed to be in a same sex relationship have been circulating on social media.

Police spokesperson Ester Katongo says according to Section 158 subsection 1 and 2 of the Penal Code, Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia, it is an offence for people of the same sex to engage in an intimate relationship or sexual affair.

She says Section 158 (2) states that any female who, whether in public or private ,commits any act of gross indecency with a female child or person , or procures a female child or person to commit any act of gross indecency with her , or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any female person with herself or another female child or person whether in public or private, commits a felony.

Ms Katongo adds that any person convicted of this offence is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a maximum sentence of fourteen years.

She further states that Section 155 (a) of the Penal Code under Unnatural Offences, criminalizes canal knowledge against the order of nature and anyone found guilty is liable to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years while the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

Ms Katongo says Police officers from the Cybercrime unit have since instituted investigations in the matter involving the two girls.

She has appealed to people with information that may be helpful in the investigations to report to any nearest Police Station so that perpetrators are brought to book.

Teaching Service Commission Chairperson Stanley M’hango says 42 Zambian Teachers will go to Seychelles to work as expatriate Teachers.

Mr. M’hango explained that the Zambian government was approached by the government of Seychelles to see if it can help them with human resource in the education sector.

In an interview with ZANIS, Mr. M’hango said the teachers were selected after undergoing intensive interviews and that they will be working in Seychelles for the period of 2 years with the possibility of renewing the contract.

He observed that the quality of Zambian teachers is what has attracted Seychelles to solicit for Teachers from Zambia to teach in that country.

Mr. M’hango added that the recognition of teaching as a profession in the country has also added value to the education sector in the country.

He disclosed that in Africa there are only 3 countries which have recognized teaching as a profession and Zambia is one of them.

Mr. M’hango stated that it was easy to enter into an agreement with the government of Seychelles because Zambia has a Teaching Profession council in place.

He further noted that it is for this reason the Teaching Service Commission will always make sure that all teachers conduct themselves in a professional manner so as to attract countries which might want human resource in the education sector.

Mr. M’hango affirmed that the Zambian Government will continue training more Teachers to ensure that the country has enough teachers.

M-Net’s spin-off version of Date My Family Zambia, following after the hugely successful South African version on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), has been hit by scandal following revelations over fake participants used in the show.

MultiChoice Africa and M-Net broadcast the show on M-Net’s Zambezi Magic (DStv 160) channel in Southern Africa, excluding South Africa.

Looking to cash in on the immense popularity of the show’s format in South Africa, M-Net greenlit a spin-off version for Zambezi Magic, but the fake spin-off version somehow failed to adhere to the strict production values and guidelines followed by the South African version.

The producers of Date My Family Zambia failed to properly vet the participants beforehand, resulting in a faked show, as viewers discovered. The show is produced by Media365.

The scandal has compromised the integrity of the show after revelations that several couples who have appeared on the show have cheated by having known each other already, and that in several cases they had already been in established romantic relationships before they “met” in episodes.

M-Net and Date My Family Zambia moved their burden to pre-check contestants, to viewers, who quickly started to point out, using simply social media platforms that can be easily reached and used by anyone, that participants have known each other before and have already been in romantic relationships.

MultiChoice Zambia and M-Net are now distancing themselves from the mistakes, saying the producers on Date My Family Zambia relies on the participants and the information they provide to the show.

Banks, hospitals, courts, schools and other institutions don’t just rely on the information provided by people and carry out checks to verify the accuracy and authenticity.

“For this purpose, our show producers rely heavily on the honesty of the applicants and full disclosure thereof,” says MultiChoice Zambia in a statement.

“However, due to misrepresentation by several participants of recent episodes, we have endeavoured to ensure a stricter vetting process so that our valued DStv customers can continue to enjoy an authentic entertainment experience with real honest conversations,” says MultiChoice Zambia.

Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili had to abandon a television appearance on Monday night at the eleventh hour after reports emerged that PF youths were planning to attack the TV station during the programme.

Mr Kambwili was scheduled to feature on a political talk show “The Oxygen of Democracy” on Prime TV that 20:30 Hours and had even started preparing for his appearance when he received intelligence reports of an imminent attack.

The reports indicated that PF youths had planned to attack Mr. Kambwili’s vehicle as he made his way into Prime TV studios which is located in Kabangwe area.
The PF youths are said to have also planned to disrupt the show midway in an event that Mr. Kambwili had found a way of sneaking into the studio.

Police officers from Kabangwe Police Post even visited Prime TV had advised the TV station not to go ahead and host Mr. Kambwili saying the police might not be able to prevent the planned attacks.

Programme Host Kalani Muchima confirmed that the police toured the station minutes before the show was due to start and informed them to cancel the interview in order to prevent a possible attack on the station.

Mr Muchima expressed disappointment that Police could fail to provide security to people and property when they fully know who was planning the said attacks.

Last month, some PF cadres also attacked 5 FM studios in Lusaka where Mr Kambwili was due to feature on the “Burning Issue” programme and the station ended up featuring NDC Spokesman Eric Chanda who condemned the attacks.

The PF cadres have not been arrested and no known investigation by police has been launched in the matter that left vehicles and other property damaged.

The ruling PF has astonishingly accused respected human rights organisation Amnesty International of receiving money from the opposition UPND to tarnish Zambia’s image internationally.

The PF alleges that Amnesty International is working together with the UPND and a South African-based political foundation to sponsor a smear media campaign against Zambia using musician Pilato who has since fled the country.

PF Media Director Sunday Chanda claimed that the UPND, working with a known Foundation in South Africa is sponsoring media space for Pilato with an agenda to project Zambia as a country that does not respect freedom of expression.

Mr. Chanda dismissed the allegations by Pilato that his life is in danger describing him as an economic refugee, trying to earn a living in South Africa and England.

“There are no conditions in Zambia to warrant Pilato to go into self-imposed exile unless he seeks to exaggerate his importance. We have private media hostile to the PF but none of their editors have ever contemplated running away from the country. Pilato has been seeking an appointment with President Lungu for eight (8) months and that has not been granted. That cannot amount to political hostility as the Presidency reserves the right on who to meet, when and of where,” Mr Chanda said.

Mr Chanda said named South African based Foundation in collusion with the UPND has secured media space for Pilato in the Mail and Guardian, BBC Africa, Financial Times London and ENCA SA among the international media organisations contracted by Amnesty to create a false brand about Zambia.

“Amnesty International should not be used to do International media placements by working with known Zambians who may be on their sponsor’s payroll,” said Mr Chanda

“His masters have placed space in the Mail and Guardian, Financial times London, ENCA SA with an agenda of showing there is no freedom of expression in Zambia. He is not a political refugee. He is a political project”

And Mr Chanda has stated that Pilato’s song has not been banned in the country.

He disclosed that Amnesty International never attempted to help any other person in the country apart from Pilato and Zambians must ask if they have been strategizing with his pay masters.

“Amnesty International is using Pilato’s falsified version in South Africa to raise alarm. He has featured on BBC Africa, ENCA and sponsored an article for him in the Mail and Guardian and there is another article underway to be published in the Financial Times in London and another one earmarked for SABC. This has all been planned by the UPND and a known Foundation in South Africa. He has been hired to champion their mission of giving Zambia a bad name in the international community ,” he revealed

Meanwhile, the PF media Director has explained that the reason Zambians have lost confidence in Amnesty is a result of false alarms the organisation created and have not be proven to date.

“Amnesty once came to Zambia and lied that 15 extra-judicial killings happened after elections and never named them until now. They haven’t named or identified the prisons holding the alleged 100 political detainees they claimed. That is why the Zambian authorities have very low level of confidence in Amnesty international.”

“Zambians must look at amnesty international as a political organization and will take their advice with a pinch of salt,” said Mr. Chanda.

Mr Chanda said the PF will no longer take Amnesty International seriously because they clearly compromised.
He described Amnesty International as a PR wing of the UPND under an agreement that allows them to receive cash donation from a know South African Foundation established by a powerful mining dynasty.