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.

The MMD has called on the people of Southern Province to help dispel the tribal notion by embracing other political parties

Speaking when he addressed party officials from three districts at Monze Hotel MMD National Secretary Raphael Nakacinda said the people in the province were not tribal but that the tag has been put on them by politicians who wants to use it as a campaign tool.

Mr Nakacinda said the province should welcome political parties that have the interest of the nation at heart as that is the only way the country will develop.

He said it is important that people in the area elect their leaders on merit and capacity to deliver adding that the province will never produce a President if they isolated themselves because other regions would also vote for their own.

He said his party demonstrated when they were in power that there was only one Zambia by ensuring that people from all the provinces participated in the running of government.

And speaking earlier Provincial Chairperson for Southern Province Oliver Pelete bemoaned the harassment of members by members of the UPND in Monze.

Mr Pelete said members of the UPND and some former party officials who went to the UPND with Nevers Mumba are harassing members when they try to mobilize the party.

He said Monze and Pemba districts was proving to be more difficult than other districts as the two districts are home to the wife of the founding father of the UPND and the president of the party respectively.

He was however quick to mention that the provincial leaders would not be intimidated nto giving up the province which has accepted the MMD due to the development it took to the province when it was in power.

The party National Execitive Commitee was on a mobilization tour of Southern province.

A 45-YEAR-OLD bishop of Radiant Church International in Kasama has been arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year-old congregant.

Northern Province commissioner of police Richard Mweene said in an interview yesterday that the incident happened around 12:30 hours on Wednesday on Kasama-Isoka road.

Mr Mweene said bishop Cephas Mabo allegedly raped the young woman when church members went for prayers on the mountains. The clergyman allegedly lured the woman into a nearby bush and did the unthinkable.

He said after the incident, the woman attempted to commit suicide by drinking a poisonous liquid.

“She has been admitted to Kasama General Hospital while the suspect is in police custody,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police have apprehended two Zambians and a Congolese national for allegedly being in possession of dangerous weapons.

Mr Mweene said the suspects were found with seven explosives, two litres of sulphuric acid, five packets of Urea fertiliser and mica powder.

“We are currently interviewing them to establish the motive behind their carrying of such substances,” Mr Mweene said.

The names of the three suspects have been withheld for security reasons.

STATE House has assured investors that Zambia has remained a stable, open and liberal democracy where their investments are safe.

Special assistant to the President for press and public relations Amos Chanda says President Lungu is committed to ensuring that opportunities for investors are provided as long as they operate within the laws of the country.

Mr Chanda told journalists yesterday that this is why the President engages investors and other stakeholders as it is within his mandate to create an enabling environment for investment.

He said the President has been doing this by assuring investors of the stable and conducive environment in Zambia, both economically and politically.

“Within this line of assuring investors that their businesses are safe, the President has a number of engagements this month with stakeholders in the political and business arenas,” Mr Chanda said.

He said London-based Commonwealth secretary general Patricia Scotland is expected in the country on Monday and she will on Wednesday meet President Lungu to discuss a broad range of issues.

The matters to be discussed range from economic co-operation and politics to bilateral and multilateral agreements all within the framework of the Commonwealth.

“Baroness Scotland will discuss the role of the Commonwealth in promoting governance in the country. The two will also discuss the final report of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which sent the observer mission to monitor elections last year,” Mr Chanda said.

He said the verdict of the Commonwealth was that the 2016 general elections were free and fair and were conducted in an orderly and competent manner.

Meanwhile, President Lungu yesterday met First Quantum Minerals chairman Philip Pascall and discussed the mining fiscal regime and the investment climate in Zambia.

During the meeting, President Lungu assured Mr Pascall of his commitment to making Zambia stable and attractive to investment as this is one of the main resolves his administration has undertaken.

“Next week, the President will be meeting president of Barrick Gold Kelvin Dushnisky, the owner of Lumwana Mine, to discuss a broad range of issues,” Mr Chanda said.

Mr Chanda also said President Lungu will next week receive Tullow Oil chief executive officer Aidan Heavey, with whom he will officially launch oil explorations in Northern Province. Tullow Oil is one of the largest oil businesses in Europe.

President Edgar Lungu has warned State House staff against abusing the US$282 million communication towers contract which has been awarded to Huawei by recommending unqualified companies as sub-contractors.

The Head of State said this in Lusaka this morning when he witnessed the signing of the framework and loan agreement for the construction of 1,900 communication towers under Phase II which will cover 90 percent of Zambia.

Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba signed on behalf of the Zambian Government, while Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming signed on behalf of the Chinese Government.
President Lungu says over 2,000 jobs will be created in Phase II of the communication towers project.

The Head of State has also warned Huawei which is the main contractor against unfair competition and disadvantaging competitors.

And the President has emphasized that he is ambitious to return to power in 2021 because of his vision to transform and develop Zambia.

Speaking earlier, Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba urged Huawei Technology to consider sub contracting local contractors during the implementation of the project.

Mr Mushimba says the project will help in bridging the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of ICT.

And Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming has urged Huawei Technology to ensure that it completes the project within the stipulated timeframe in order to win the full confidence of the Zambian government.

Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja has directed all provincial Police Commissioners in areas with impending by- elections to allow Political Parties to conduct their preparatory meetings and Campaign freely, but in line with the provisions of the Public Order Act and other pieces of Legislation.

In a statement issued to QFM News today, Mr. Kanganja says in view of the scheduled by-elections in some parts of the Country, Police Commissioners should inform Regulating Officers and all other officers under their command not to use the provisions of the Preservation of Public Security Act number 112 to impede the forthcoming by-elections.

He says in the same vein, political parties should ensure that they conduct their activities peacefully and abide by the provision of the Public Order Act which requires them to notify the police on their intended activities to enable Police Officers to plan effectively and put in place necessary security measures.

The Police Chief has further urged Political Party leaders in respective areas to avail their planned activities to relevant regulating officers to enable them plan in advance.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kanganja has assured members of the public that enough Police Officers have been deployed to provide security throughout the period of the Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka.

He says officers have been positioned to man all the gates, Car Parks, Bus stops near the Show Grounds and are also conducting general patrols within and around the premises.
He says Police will provide security during day and night time to ensure that show goers and exhibitors’ properties are safeguarded.