South African President Jacob Zuma on Saturday visited former president Kenneth Kaunda at his home in Lusaka.

According to the South African presidency, President Zuma found Dr Kaunda “in good spirits”.

“President Zuma found President Kaunda in good spirits and expressed his wishes for good health and many more years of a peaceful and enjoyable retirement for this highly regarded selfless freedom fighter and humanist who made Zambia the home of thousands of South African exiles during the struggle against apartheid,” the presidency said.

The former President Kenneth Kaunda yesterday amused South African President Jacob Zuma and his delegation when he performed his ‘signature jogging move’ and has since assured the nation that he is well.

Dr Kaunda was recently admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for routine medical check-ups.

Mr Zuma, who was in the country to officiate at the Agricultural and Commercial Show, took time off his schedule to visit the former statesman at his residence in State Lodge to renew their acquaintances.

Dr Kaunda, who had a casual conversation with Mr Zuma, said he was honoured by the visit as he never expected it.

“I did not think you could find time to come and see me due to your tight schedule, I’m grateful for this gesture. I’m fine and thank you all for the best wishes,” Dr Kaunda said.

The former President wished Mr Zuma well and implored him to be a servant of the people as he governs the country.

President Zuma said he was glad to see Dr Kaunda looking strong and enjoying good health.

“It is nice seeing the old man looking strong. I didn’t know he could jog,” he said.

Mr Zuma was happy to be in the country, adding that Lusaka was his second home.

The South African leader was quick to point out that the capital city has drastically changed due to the various infrastructure projects.

Mr Zuma, who once lived in Zambia during South Africa’s liberation struggle, said the capital city has witnessed massive development.

The President said he holds Dr Kaunda in high esteem and despite the tight schedule, he could not leave the country without seeing him.

“I see things have changed a lot in Lusaka, this was also my home.

Mr Zuma was met on arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) by President Lungu and was accorded a 21-gun salute after which he inspected a guard of honour.

President Lungu and Mr Zuma later held private talks at State House before the latter officially opened the Agricultural and Commercial Show.

MINSITER of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo has directed Zambia Correctional Facility commissioner-general Percy Chato and Livingstone Correctional Facility officer in-charge Ivor Musumali to follow up reports that some officers at the facility beat up inmates.

The directive comes after three convicts claimed that some officers mistreat them, contrary to the institution’s guidelines.

The three convicts, whose identities have been withheld, told Minister of Justice Given Lubinda, Mr Kampyongo and National Guidance and Religious Affairs minister Godfridah Sumaili during their visit to the correctional facility recently that they are ill-treated.

The convicts revealed their ordeal after Mr Lubinda asked the more than 500 male inmates to feel free and come out in the open if they are being beaten.

Mr Lubinda said corporal punishment is no longer allowed in Zambia, adding that those in incarceration were not there for punishment but reformation.

Mr Kampyongo warned that any officers who will be found to have beaten or used force against the convicts will be disciplined.

Mr Kampyongo said inmates are Zambian citizens just like any other and they deserve fair treatment.

Meanwhile, some inmates have pleaded with Government to come up with measures where someone who is released from the correctional facility can get financial help so that they can start a new life.

FURNITURE and timber worth thousands of Kwacha have been burnt to ashes in unclear circumstances at New Kasanda Market in Kabwe.

The fire is reported to have started around 20:30 hours on Friday in sections where carpenters make and sell furniture.

Some eye-witnesses claimed the fire started after sparks were seen on electricity cables while others claimed the fire started under two poles on which a transformer is mounted.

A check by the Sunday Mail around 21:00 hours at the market found police officers, officers from the fire brigade and officers from Zesco struggling to extinguish the raging fire.

Some owners of the furniture, who rushed to the market, were seen wailing over the loss of the property.

And some onlookers poured scorn on the fire brigade for failing to extinguish the fire, which consumed chairs, cupboards, wooden doors and timber.

Among the senior Government officials found on the scene were Central Province minister Sydney Mushanga and his permanent secretary, Chanda Kabwe, Kabwe district commissioner Dominic Mulenga, Kabwe town clerk Ronald Daka and Central Province commissioner of police Lombe Kamukoshi.

And in an interview, a visibly disappointed Mr Mushanga described the burning of the furniture and timber as an unfortunate development.

“This is very sad. This is one of the biggest markets we have in Central Province,” Mr Mushanga said.

Mr Mushanga said Kabwe has no fire tender, and that is why the fire brigade failed to extinguish the fire.

Mr Mushanga said the Ministry of Local Government has procured 12 fire tenders and Kabwe will receive two.

“We have been helplessly watching because we don’t have a fire tender. The Ministry of Local Government has assured us that we will be provided with two fire tenders,” he said.

And Mr Kabwe, who visited New Kasanda Market yesterday to check on the situation, said police have launched investigations into the cause of the fire.

“Let us allow our colleagues from the security wings to do their investigations,” Mr Kabwe said.

Mr Kabwe commended all the officers and marketeers who helped in extinguishing the fire because this also helped in saving the Zesco transformer.

SEVENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Mulomba Mutakwa is by far the oldest person in Zambia to sit for Grade 12 General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations.

Mrs Mutakwa, a retired teacher, was last Wednesday among 13 GCE candidates who sat for history paper (I) at Kabwe School for Continuing Education.

As she sat in the examination room waiting for the invigilator to hand her the question paper, she was very anxious and probably felt she made a wrong choice to go back to school. But she remained undaunted.

She did her best, she says.

“I was very anxious but I am happy that I wrote the paper,” she said. “It [examination] has motivated me and I am encouraged. I feel I can do it.”

Pastor Simweemba, director of Home Health Education Service (HHES) in Kabwe under the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), convinced her to sit for GCE examination.

“He felt this was going to help me to be well-informed,” the septuagenarian shares.

She does a lot of work under HHES and this demands a lot of reading and exposure to current affairs. It means a good command of English is a pre-requisite for her.
She also has an interest in history.

“History will also help me to understand the scriptures,” Ms Mutakwa, a retired primary school teacher, says.

In March this year, the mother of four and grandmother registered to sit for English, Religious Education and History at Kabwe School for Continuing Education.

She did not, however, sit for English and Religious Education because she had a bereavement on the dates she was supposed to write the two subjects. She intends to sit for them next year.

True to its name, the Kabwe School for Continuing Education has for the first time recorded a septuagenarian among its GCE candidates.

“She is even an encouragement to members of staff that age shouldn’t be a factor to make progress in education,” principal at the school Elias Chanda said.

Mrs Mutakwa told staff at the school that she intends to enrol in university to undertake a course that would be of interest to her.

“Our advice to her is that she shouldn’t give up but keep writing until she has the right qualifications,” Mr Chanda said.

Central Province education officer Jennipher Banda described Mrs Mutakwa as a courageous woman.

Ms Banda adds that Mrs Mutakwa stands as a shining example that “education knows no age”.

She says there is a big possibility Mrs Mutakwa is the oldest person in Central Province to have sat for Grade 12 GCE examinations.

Her granddaughter, Lucy Mondoka, is humbled by her grandmother’s decision.

Ms Mondoka, a teacher at Kabwe School for Continuing Education, adds that her grandmother is showing a good example that anyone can go to school at any age.

“This is a big step she took because at her age, she is supposed to be resting but she has decided to return to school,” Ms Mondoka says.

Ms Mondoka is inspired and she wants to improve her academic qualifications.

When she completed her primary school decades ago, Mrs Mutakwa proceeded to do her junior secondary education.

She went up to Form Two and proceeded to David Livingstone Teacher Training College for a two-year course.

She worked as a primary school teacher for 31 years. She retired in 1996 at Mine Primary School, one of the local schools in Kabwe.

UPP leader Saviour Chishimba will remain in Police custody even after being arrested and charged for allegedly defaming the President.

Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed that Dr Chishimba will remain detained as he awaits court appearance sometime next week.

Dr Chishimba was arrested on Thursday and since this is a long weekend because of Monday is a holiday, he would have spent five nights by Tuesday next week.

Ms Katongo says the Defamation of the President is contrary to section 69 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Dr. Chishimba is facing charges in connection with the statements he allegedly issued against the President on July 1 and July 8.

He was picked up in the car park of the Diamond Television station by plain clothed Police officers.

This was after he had completed featuring on a recorded programme called COSTA which will be aired on Sunday at 19:00 Hours.

Foundation for Democratic Process, FODEP Executive Director, Mweenge Chimfwembe has attributed some social and the environmental challenges prevailing in Kakahindu community in Kalumbila district to lack of interaction between the Lumwana Mine Company and people in the area.

Speaking after touring Kakahindu Community, together with other members of Solwezi and Lusaka based Civil Society Organisations, Mr.Chimfwembe observed that most of the houses in Kakahindu have developed cracks and are on the verge of collapsing while others have collapseddue to blasting at the mining firm.

“As FODEP, the reports that we are getting from our monitors and after inspecting the Kakahindu community, here in Kalumbila district, we feel there is little interaction between the Lumwana mines and the community regarding some of the environment effects that need to be addressed,”Mr. Chimfwembe observed.

“As FODEP ,the reports we are getting from our monitors in Kalumbila District, Kakahindu Community which is basically few meters from the Lumwana mine ,we feel there is very little interaction between Lumwana mine and the community regarding some environmental challenges that need to be addressed,” FODEP Executive Director said .

Mr.Chimfwembe who also visited Kakahindu Primary School which runs from Grade one to nine also observed that the school is lacking adequate services provision in the e
ducation sector as evident by low staffing levels as well as inadequate classroom blocks to cater for the growing population of pupils at which is close to 1000.

“We have observed that cracking of houses and very little service provision .And at Kakahindu School we have 900 pupils against 9 teachers. This entails that planning has not taken place here,”Mr.Chimfwembe.

Mr.Chimfwembe feels that it is unacceptable for the residents in the said community to grapple with these social and economic challenges considering that they live in the mine catchment area.

He has since appealed to the Ministry General Education and Lumwana Mine to address the challenges being faced by the residents of Kakahindu community in the education sector.

The Executive Director has also called on the Mine and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency, ZEMA to find a ways of offsetting the cracking of houses in order to prevent houses from collapsing.

“It is incumbent upon Lumwana to ensure that where they are operating their business should plough back so that the community can begin to appreciate their development,” Mr. Chimfwembe said.

He further calls upon the government to explore a robust local industrialization policy that can enable local people to take advantage of Copper and other mineral resources to develop intermediate products such as geysers and solar panels among others unlike the current situation where copper and other minerals are exported in raw form.

LUANSHYA Mayor Nathan Chanda says the reopening of the Baluba mine that was put under care and maintainance in 2015 will create jobs for the youths.

Mr Chanda said with the rise in copper prices on the world market the Luanshya Municipal Council was expecting China Non Ferrous Metal Company Luanshya Copper Mines (CLM) to start firing back to life after the positive trends the world copper mining industry was currently recording.

He said the re-opening of the Baluba mine and Shaft 28 would also boost the economy of Luanshya by complimenting the Mulyashi Open Pit.

” We are optimistic that Baluba mine which is on care and maintainance and Shaft 28 will be opened. Copper prices are now doing well and the Kwacha has appreciated well so we expect the two mines to be opened for the benefit of our people.We are confident that with the attractive Copper prices, things will change in Luanshya and expect that all the workers to be called back for work,” he said.

Mr Chanda said that following the meeting CLM management in which they stated that the delay in re-opening was due to low copper prices and power, he was optimistic that with the change of prices the mines would be opened.

He was hopeful that the mining sector would continue making Luanshya a better town for both investors and the locals who included the local suppliers which would positively impact on the economy of the district.

Mr Chanda said he would soon be visiting the mines to get first hand information on their plans with the increase of copper prices on the world market.

Meanwhile LMC has embarked on a series of community sensitisation activities as part of the commemoration of the Local Government Week.

LMC public relations manager Gideon Thole said the municipality had joined the rest of the of the nation in commemorating the Local Government Week which falls from August 3 to August 10 under the theme ‘Harnessing the demographic dividend through investment in youth’.

He said that during this period, LMC would hold community exhibitions with the aim of collecting feedback and interacting with residents on various Council functions as laid down in the Local Government Act Cap 281 of the Laws of Zambia.

Mr Thole said the Local Government Week gives an opportunity to the local authority to update residents on the progress of various developmental projects being undertaken by the Council in line with the district’s strategic plan.

“As part of the commemoration activities the Council is show casing its potential to developers and investors, apart from showing residents other social and economic development and personal advancement opportunities offered to individual residents.
As part of the programme, members of the public are being informed about the mandate of the local authoritys’ guiding principles such as openness, transparency and accountability which are required for efficient and effective service delivery to residents,” he said.

Mr Thole said in concluding the activities LMC would also award deserving rate payers, public institutions and citizens, who have directly or indirectly contributed to the local authority’s service provision, during the African Day of Decentralisation on August,10.