Construction of late President Michael Sata’s mausoleum will be completed in October in time for his memorial.
Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Permanent Secretary Charles Mushota disclosed this to ZNBC in Lusaka.
Mr Mushota expressed happiness with the support that government has rendered to the project.
He further urged Zambians to cherish the site as it is a national heritage.
FORMER Minister of Defence George Mpombo says the Patriotic Front (PF) on the Copperbelt is “as hard as a rock” and that alleged attempts by Roan member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili to destabilise it will not work.
Mr Mpombo says the PF on the Copperbelt is too strong to easily shake up and has urged the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services to humble himself and respect President Lungu and the PF leadership.
He said in an interview yesterday that President Lungu has remained popular in the province due to improvements in various economic fundamentals such as increased investments in road infrastructure.
The former Kafulafuta legislator has since appealed to Mr Kambwili to exercise humility and give President Lungu an opportunity to fulfil the vision of President Michael Sata.
“Unless he does that, he will find himself in a crumbled heap of political material that has made many capable politicians go astray.
“Therefore, having anybody entertaining the idea of forming a political party is equivalent to engaging in epileptic moves,” he said.
When contacted for a comment, Mr Kambwili said he appreciates and values the advice by Mr Mpombo but that he should have travelled to his home in Luanshya to talk to him in person.
“I respect his opinion, but I don’t think he needed to use the media. That is cheap politicking,” he said.
And Mr Mpombo has called on all Zambians to jealously guard the peace the country has enjoyed for a long time by behaving responsibly.
Mr Mpombo said the pronouncement of a threatened state of emergency following the invocation of Article 31 of the Constitution by President Lungu may be lifted if Zambians maintain peace in the country.
“The President acted in order to nip the threat to national security in the bud because destruction to public property was a serious threat to the economy, human life and foreign direct investment,” he said.
Mr Mpombo said the level of hatred that has engulfed the country of late is not good for development and regional stability.
He has since called on the opposition to stop disputing President Lungu’s legitimacy and concentrate on organising itself for the 2021 general elections.
“The opposition must pick up broken pieces and start preparing for the next elections instead of embarking on the campaign of horrible vitriol against Government and the President,” Mr Mpombo said.
He said irresponsible political rhetoric should not be entertained because there are no more campaigns and urged those still living in denial to accept the outcome of last year’s general elections.
Mr Mpombo said the United Party for National Development must respect President Lungu and wait for 2021, when the next general elections will be held.
FNB corporate affairs manager Luke Njovu said FNB believes that prospects in Zambia are improving.
Mr Njovu cited high copper production and improvement in electricity supply as some of the fundamentals expected to boost activity in the primary sector.
“Accordingly, we anticipate that gross domestic product will climb to around four percent this year and five percent next year. We further anticipate that inflation will remain in single digits to boost real income growth,” Mr Njovu said this in an interview at the just-ended Agricultural and Commercial Show.
He said the bank has had an exciting eight years of doing business in Zambia that culminated in being awarded the Bank of the Year award for 2016.
“While we have scored tremendous achievement in our formative years, we are even more excited at the prospects for the future, both for our business and for the Zambian economy as a whole,” he said.
And interpreting this year’s theme: Creating a green economy, Mr Njovu said the bank is focusing on agriculture and digital platform.
He said the bank is keen on supporting all key sectors of the Zambian economy with the agriculture sector having a portfolio of US$100 million.
Mr Njovu said now all transitions are performed on electronic platforms citing Zambia Revenue Authority tax contribution, e-National Pension Scheme Authority pension contribution platform and online banking for customers.
“In an effort to digitalise the bank’s platform…all our statements are issued free of charge to customers and can be accessed on the online platform. We have also zero-rated the FNB application, customers view their account details and make transactions free of charge,” he said.
Mr Njovu said the bank has also reduced on paper demand for new customers wishing to open accounts with FNB.
He said the bank has gone into partnership with oil-marketing companies to create a plateform where the public can pay for their fuel using VISA cards.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Davies Mwila has demanded an apology from South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for referring to President Lungu as Jonathan Lungu on Saturday.
Mr Mwila says it is regrettable that a media house of the calibre of SABC could allow such a mistake to pass, which he says is an insult to Zambia and the President.
“SABC, like any other media house, has names of presidents on their fingertips,” he said.
Mr Mwila said as much as mistakes can be made, SABC could have made a correction immediately after making it, hence the need for them to unreservedly apologise and retract their reference to President Lungu as Jonathan Lungu.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by PF media director Sunday Chanda.
We take a wrap of how our senior Chipolopolo and ex-Under-20 stars performed at their respective European clubs this past weekend.
BELGIUM
Midfielder Emmanuel Banda on Sunday made his first start in his second match for third from bottom KV Oostende but was substituted in the 82nd minute of their 1-0 away loss at 6th placed Anderlecht.
AUSTRIA
Midfielder Enock Mwepu on Friday scored his debut goals at Liefering with a brace in 3-2 away win over winless and second from bottom Linz on.
Mwepu scored two second half goals to help Liefering rally from 1-0 down at halftime to see the 5th placed side collect their second league victory of the season after three rounds of games played.
Mwepu and striker Patson Daka played the full 90 minutes for the Austrian 2nd division club.
RUSSIA
URAL: Midfielder Chisamba Lungu on Sunday came on in the 57th minute for 9th placed Ural in their 1-1 away draw at 5th positioned Krasnodar.
SPARTAK MOSCOW 2: Striker Fashion Sakala on Saturday played the full 90 minutes but was not on target for Spartak Moscow 2 who lost 2-1 at home to Yenisey.
The loss was Spartak’s third of the season on 7 points,seven behind Russian 2nd divison leaders Baltika.
Defending FAZ Super Division champions Zanaco continued to make very little headway up the table after drawing at home with Green Eagles on Monday.
Zanaco were held 1-1 at National Heroes Stadium by Eagles to collect their third draw from six games since they were eliminated from the 2017 CAF Champions League group stage on July 8.
Ernest Mbewe put Zanaco ahead in the 73rd minute but that lead lasted just two minutes before Mwila Phiri equalised to see the two side share the points.
However, Zanaco were fortunate to earn a draw after Tapson Kaseba saw his stoppage time goal disallowed for offside when one of his teammates was not interfering with play.
Zanaco are up from 8th to7th on 31 points,seven behind Zesco United who are the new leaders after a 2-0 home win in Ndola over Nakambala Leopards on Sunday.
Eagles stay in 13th place on 27 points.
Meanwhile,5th placed Lusaka Dynamos collected their fourth successive draw the late kickoff at the same ebue when they finished 1-1.
Zambia striker Justin Shonga scored with a cheeky stomp in the 58th minute but Nkwazi lead lasted just four minutes when Mugalu headed in Joseph Ochaya’s cross.
Mugalu took his tally at the summit of the to 12 goals, three more than Zesco Jesse Were.
Nkwazi are 12th on 28 points after the draw.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION
WEEK 21
05/08/2017
Kabwe Warriors 0-Buildcon 0
06/08/2017
Nkana 1-Nchanga Rangers 1
Zesco United 2-Nakambala Leopards 0
Lumwana Radiants 1-Red Arrows 1
Real Nakonde 1-Forest Rangers 0
Green Buffaloes 1-Konkola Blades 0
Napsa Stars 2-Power Dynamos 3
City of Lusaka 2-Mufulira Wanderers 2
07/08/2017
Zanaco 1-Green Eagles 1
Lusaka Dynamos 1-Nkwazi 1
Debriefing journalists Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said after revealing her intent to visit Hichilema, President Edgar Lungu encouraged the Secretary General to proceed with the visit.
This was discussed during a closed door meeting at state house between President Lungu and Ms Scotland.
Ms Scotland has since proceeded to Mukobeko to visit Hichilema.
Ms Scotland is in the country on a three day working visit on her continued tour of African states affiliated to the Commonwealth.
The secretary general has re-echoed commonwealth’s position that Zambia’s 2016 polls were credible, free and fair.
She has also noted that Zambia remains to be a beacon of peace and a shining example to the world.
The Energy Regulation board ERB has announced the reduction of fuel effective from midnight. In a statement released to the media today, ERB attributed the reduction to the drop in the price of crude on the international market and the sustained strengthening of the Kwacha.
Below is the full statement
There are two things which one should exercise caution with before discharging because you can’t take them back once discharged,that is words out of ones mouth and a bullet out of a gun. I am cautioning honourable Chishimba Kambwili to use his head now more than ever before he uses his mouth because the way he is going about his rantings doesn’t denote integrity or honour. Yes we know he can talk but revealing things which he stumbled upon by virtue of him being a government officer may land him in problems and he shouldn’t blame anyone or cry foul.
As a politician, one should understand that there are six types of followers:
By far the most important ones are the ones who believe in you and sympathisers because they will campaign for you whenever they can, without expecting anything in return. When Mr Kamwbili was expelled from PF, people believed that he was curtailed out of the party using what he termed as a kangaroo court. Where the accuser was the judge and jury. This made him have sympathizers. But now, looking at how he is conducting himself, he is going to lose that set of people because there is no honour in revealing secrets that you swore to keep. People will think twice and sometimes think twice about thinking twice about revealing some secrets to him because they will not be sure whether he will manage to keep his buccal cavity in check. In the same vain, a woman loses her dignity when she starts revealing bedroom secrets to her friends or other people generally regardless of her situation.
There are two times in life when you should really keep your mouth closed, when you are under water and when are you are angry. So if Hon Kambwili is revealing these things because he is upset I am advising him as a political comrade to have a selectively permeable political mouth for his words because he is going to lose his dignity and then find himself with a case to answer.
In my political career I have always known that it pays off to give people reasons why they should follow you more than struggling to give them reasons why they shouldn’t follow your opponent. So he shouldn’t be like detective politician Saviour Chishimba if he wants to be regarded as a presidential material. He should try by all means to emulate President Wynter Kabimba of Rainbow party because he conducted himself honourable after being relieved of his duties from PF because if he doesn’t his mouth will be his biggest enemy sooner than he thinks and people are going to think he is too desperate for power that he is willing to do or say anything.
All in all, by and large, a wise man once said nothing.
I rest my case.
By David Chishimba
Rainbow Party Provincial Youth Vice IPS
We finally crossed another river on a pontoon as the sun set before we arrived in Kalabo by 6:00pm (18 hours). It was hot and humid. Kalabo was even smaller that my home small town of Lundazi in the Eastern Province of Zambia. The only small Rest House we stayed at served us nshima with chicken. The following morning, I spent an hour inspecting the small NAMBOARD depot. The only one employee who was the manager complained about the delay of delivery of fertilizer from Mongu Provincial Headquarters since the December growing season was just two weeks away. Soon after we embarked on our long return journey to Mongu.
That night at about 9:00 pm (21 hours) Mr. Mundia and I walked from Lyambai Hotel to Sinjonjo Bar to see if I could by the remotest chance still find the mystery chiphadzuwa or chipeshamano woman. As fate would have it, I was desperate to meet her again since I was flying back to Lusaka the following morning. We waited and waited as I bought several rounds of beer and chit chatted with Mr. Mundia at the bar; not as my NAMBOARD driver but this time as one desperate young man trying to help another. I had been watching the bar entrance like a hawk. She suddenly popped in. I saw her quickly surveying the bar clearly searching for someone. Once her eyes locked with mine, chiphadzuwa walked toward me. I was very ready knowing this may be the last time I might see her.
When I shook her hand in the Zambian greeting, I held it a while longer this time to feel her soft hands. She drew nearer and stood closer to me.
“Something…..something….Kaonde and …something SiLozi …..something … something”, she said hastily suspiciously glancing at Mr. Mundia. Mr. Mundia laughed nervously.
“Bo Mundia,” I quickly asked. “What is she saying, what is she saying!!??”.
“She is saying she speaks Kaonde but knows very little SiLozi. She is asking if I am a spy.”
“No, No, No,” I shook my head. “Tell her you are my friend. Tell her we work together at NAMBOARD. Ask her her name. Ask her why she thinks you are a spy. Ask her who that man was the other night who took her away from me.”
“Something….something… something, Chintele, Ikelenge ..Kaonde..Linda“ she said rapidly as she began to tag and pull my arm with both her hands toward the door.
“Bo Tembo, she says the other night she was with her cousin who was watching her. She is from the small village of Chintele in Ikelenge in Mwinilunga north of here. Her name is Linda. But she can tell you more outside the bar because her cousin may have spies here.”
All three of us walked out of the bar and turned to the right along the wall where it was more discrete. I beckoned Mr. Mundia to come and stand closer to us. She leaned against the wall and held my right hand between both her hands and began squeezing my hand between her hands playfully. This immediately set my body on fire. I leaned my left elbow on the wall with my palm supporting my head next to her head, felt her warm breath and tried to kiss her. She moved her head to the side the last second and softly tapped me on my shoulder lightly pushing me away while smiling.
“Something…… something……..something….something?” she asked at Mr. Mundia.
“Bo Tembo, she is asking what is your name and what do you do in Lusaka.”
“Tell her, I am Mwizenge Tembo, from Chipata or Lundazi, I speak Nyanja. She can call me Tembo. What’s her Kaonde name. I am a Staff Training Officer at NAMBOARD in Lusaka. Ask why she came here to Mongu. Tell her I am very attracted. I love her. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
This time the conversation was getting longer between Linda and Mr. Mundia because of so much information. I was beginning to get jealous that Mr. Mundia might just try to steal her for himself during the translation. Linda was at first animated and then she paused the playing with my right hand between her hands. She looked down with anguish and sadness as if she was about to cry.
“Bo, Mundia,” I asked anxiously. “What did she say? Why is she sad?”
“Bo, Tembo, It is a long story. She says she is happy you find her beautiful. But she said all men say that to women. She says her Kaonde name is Jitanda which means bright star. She asked me how do you say I love you in Lusaka City Nyanja. She likes to hear it. Her parents had arranged marriage for her to a man she did not love and did not want to marry. She ran away from her Chintele Village in Mwinilunga to get away and hide at her cousin’s house in Mongu. But her cousin betrayed her. He wrote a letter to the village that Jitanda was at his house. Her uncle who owns a truck is a fish monger in Mwinilunga. He drove to Mongu to buy dry fish. Her cousin and her uncle are making sure she will be on that truck when going back to Mwinilunga. She is afraid and sad.”
I slipped my right arm around her tender soft waist and pulled her to my chest and whispered I was sorry. She leaned her head on my left shoulder and sobbed throwing her left arm on my right shoulder. Her soft bosom heavily leaning on my fast thumping chest inflamed my body and my passion for her was so overwhelming it boiled over. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to furiously pierce with a spear his wretched heart any man who wanted to torture this my beautiful soul. We breathed hard hot steam like two furious Cape buffaloes fighting to the death. I desired to devour her like nshimas with a thousand delicious dendes, ndiyos or relishes; chicken, beef, rape, delele, beans; all together. I wanted to devour her like a thousand delicious mangoes. We kissed deeply, desperately, and passionately like the world and tomorrow did not exist at that moment. We meshed as one and almost on the edge of death with passion for each other.
Suddenly she pushed me away. She had seen something over my shoulder. “something… something…..bar….” she said as I held on to her hand as she tagged away from me toward the bar entrance. Mr. Mundia had moved a good distance away from us no doubt to get away and seek safety from the dangerous fire-sparks from two passionate lovers.
“Bo, Mundia!” I shouted breathlessly. “What is she saying?”
“She says her cousin is here looking for her. It must be the man who just entered the bar. She has to go. She has no choice.” There was a pause. “Bo, Tembo,” Mr. Mundia spoke in a low tone. “She is not a local girl. She loves you. She has not even asked you for money.”
“Bo, Mundia!!” I pleaded. “Oh, please ask her to come with me to the Hotel. She can come with me to Lusaka. She can sit on the floor of the plane. She can slip away with me. She can hide in the Hotel with me.Tell her, I swear I won’t touch her all night!!”
“Something… something….something” she replied.
“She says she is not that kind of girl. It is bad enough that she is at a bar. If her family heard she had spent a night at some hotel with a man she was not married to, she would be called a prostitute. That would be the end of her life. She might as well be dead.”
A minute later, Linda came out with her cousin and were engaged in an animated argument. She pointed in my direction. She sadly and painfully waved at me as she reluctantly walked away into the dark night. I felt a nail hammered into my heart.
The following morning at 10 am (10:00hours) the half full 35 passenger Zambia Airways two propeller plane was raving loudly getting ready to taxi for takeoff at Mongu Airstrip. The door was still open and Mr. Imasiku and Mr. Mundia were still standing by to see me off. A young man ran to Mr. Mundia, said something, and handed him an envelope. Mr. Mundia looked at the envelope and rushed to the still open door of the noisy raving plane and beckoned me to come to the door.
“Bo, Tembo, a young boy on a bicycle brought this letter to the NAMBOARD office this morning. It is addressed to you.”
I put the letter in my jacket pocket. The Zambia Airways Friday weekly plane flew from Lusaka that morning. It was now going to fly to Sesheke to drop and pick up passengers. Then it would fly to Livingstone to pick up some tourists and back to Lusaka. As I stared at the beautiful landscape below, I realized at that moment through a glaze of my own tears that Linda Jitanda had just made me love Zambia even more and forever. How could you not love your country if it gives you such a beautiful soul of a woman; everything that a man worships in a woman? Why would she have to marry a man she did not love?
I was thinking of the best moment to open the envelope. The thoughts and anticipation tormented me so much that I decided, with my hands shaking, to open the envelope while flying calmly between Livingstone and Lusaka.
21 November 1976
Dear Husband Tembo
I don’t know to write. Only know Kaonde. I ask friend to write for me. I am very happy to meet you. I love and think look you for 4 days. Last night I give you all my heart forever. I cry. You good man. Go back to Chintele village today. Come to Lusaka. Marry, clean house, cook food, speak Lusaka Nyanja. Make you happy. Nikukonda maningi Tembo. Meet in heaven forever.
Your Darling
Linda Jitanda
By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.
Professor of Sociology
CHIEFTAINESS Waitwika of the Namwanga people in Nakonde district in Muchinga Province has asked non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to revisit the administration of contraceptives to schoolgirls in the name of preventing unwanted pregnancies as it is contributing to moral decay in the country.
She said in an interview yesterday that a number of unmarried girls in her chiefdom are on long-acting contraceptives provided by some NGOs which have made them to indulge in sex.
“I have noticed that girls, especially those who got pregnant but went back to school after delivery, are put on contraceptives to prevent them from conceiving again. I feel this is just promoting immorality,” Chieftainess Waitwika said.
She said some of girls who started taking contraceptives from childhood have complained of difficulties to conceive when they get married.
Chieftainess Waitwika said it is unfortunate that most girls are no longer scared of engaging in sex.
“Some girls are given everything by their parents but you tend to wonder why they still go out to sleep around for money and sometimes just pleasure,” she said.
Chieftainess Waitwika said the best way to help girls is to continue offering them counsel on the importance of living a morally upright life instead of shielding them by providing contraceptives which are better off being used by married people and adults.
She said discouraging early marriages is working out by way of giving people correct information.
“Some people are finding it difficult to move away from marrying off children early because it has been a tradition from way back. So, we have started punishing parents who marry off their daughters early and we also get back those girls into school and good results are being achieved,” Chieftainess Waitwika said.
Southern Province police commissioner Bonny Kapeso said in a statement yesterday that the accident happened when the driver of a Toyota Hiace minibus registration BAE 2682, identified as Brighton Hadunka, 46, of Mumbwa, lost control of the vehicle due to excessive speed.
“Five passengers died on the spot, including the driver, while two others died whilst admitted to Namwala District Hospital with 18 others who sustained various body injuries,” Mr Kapeso said.
The accident happened around 20:00 hours. Mr Kapeso has since cautioned motorists driving at night to always exercise patience.
“Motorists driving during the night have been cautioned to always be prudent and exercise patience bearing in mind that they are carrying lives of people,” he said.
The bodies of the deceased are in the Namwala District Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and burial.
Last month, 11 people died on the spot while 29 others sustained injuries in a night road traffic accident which happened at Munali Hills in Chikankata district.
The driver of the Hino truck, which was carrying people, livestock and assorted goods, is believed to have been over-speeding when he lost control of the vehicle which later plunged into a 10 metre gorge.
THE Zambian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK) is investigating the authenticity of an online story about a 16-year-old upcoming Zambian footballer who has been killed in that country.
UK’s Metro News, an online newspaper, on Saturday reported that Joshua Bwalya was stabbed to death in London in the latest case of postcode gang wars in that country.
Joshua was chased through the streets of Barking on Tuesday night and stabbed to death in an attack police described as brutal.
Joshua’s family said he was a victim of ‘crazy postcode’ wars and had been targeted by a gang from another estate from the one he lived in with his Zambian parents.
According to the publication, one of his four sisters told the Evening Standard: ‘He was just on the wrong place in the wrong time, a victim of a postcode war.
“It was because of where he was from, not who he was, they were just after anyone. It’s shocking how innocent people are dragged into this.
“He was a beautiful boy with his life ahead of him and now our family has been ripped apart,” the family members were quoted.
The Scotland Yard police are investigating the alleged murder of Joshua in Barking.
And a post-mortem found multiple stab wounds on Joshua’s body and they were the cause of death.
Scotland Yard detective chief inspector Gary Holmes branded the killing ‘a senseless act of violence’.
“I urge anyone who has information that can help our investigation to come forward and help us to bring Joshua’s murderers to justice,” Mr Holmes said.
Joshua was preparing to start studying business at college and had played for Barking FC, which is planning to hold a memorial match.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba said in an interview yesterday that he will update the nation as soon as he receives a report.
He also urged Zambians living abroad to alert Zambian missions in their respective countries whenever they encounter misfortunes.
“Zambians living in other countries should always find time to visit embassies and missions abroad to alert them on happenings regarding their fellow Zambians,” Mr Kalaba said.
Eastern Province CSPR co-ordinator Maxson Nkhoma has described the high annual student failure rate at ZIALE as “literacy sabotage”.
Mr Nkhoma said in a statement that Zambians, especially the poor, do not have affordable legal representation because of ZIALE’s alleged inability to produce more lawyers onto the labour market.
“It’s difficult to comprehend how out of 300 students who sat for ZIALE mid-year examinations, only seven passed,” he said.
Mr Nkhoma said Zambia needs more qualified lawyers to represent those in correctional facilities unlike the current situation where only a few rich people afford the costly legal representation.
PRESIDENT Edgar Chagwa Lungu says he is leading a team that will leave legacy befitting to make generations to come proud.
And President Lungu says he will endeavour to engage various sections of society to help him govern.
Speaking when International Fund for Agricultural Development paid a courtesy call to him at state house, President Lungu said his government was ready to partner with investors and organisations that can help transform and better the lives of an ordinary Zambian.
“We want to leave an impact! A positive impact. We want to say we found it at this level and lifted it to that level,” President Lungu said.
“That is the legacy we want to leave!”
And President Lungu took notice of the works of the United Nations noting that their already reseached work can be used by government as templates.
“The UN family gives us a lot of hope…The UN have experience, they know what works and what doesn’t. They can tell us what we can or can not try…,” he said.
He noted that people learn by listening to others and that was why he was engaging various sections of society.
“We learn by listening… we know what we want and what we want is to deliver service even to rural areas, make them more attractive with development and hence decongest the urban area,” President Lungu said.
Among the Officials present was IFAD President, Gilbert Houngbo, UN Systems Country Coordinator Janet Rogan.
Others were IFAD Regional Director Sama Jatta, Country Director Abla Benhammouche, economist Oscar Anadumba and logistics specialist Waseem Khan.
On hand to aid the President receive the entourage was Agriculture Ministers, Michael Katambo and Hon Dora Siliya as well as Commerce Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe.
The ministers thanked IFAD for their support as cooperating partners in small holder farming targeted at reaching out to women and the youth.
© Lusaka Times
