MINISTER of Health Chitalu Chilufya says former President Kenneth Kaunda is in high spirits and enjoying good health.

Dr Chilufya said at a media briefing yesterday that there is no need for the public to panic and speculate about the health of Dr Kaunda, who he said is responding well to treatment.

“Doctors will not be rushed to discharge him; however, this does not mean that he is very sick, he is being taken for physiotherapy for other old ailments,” Dr Chilufya said.

The minister, who later visited the former President, provided an opportunity for journalists to take pictures as proof that he was not on life support machines as speculated on social media.
And State House has described the health of the former President as stable and well enough to be discharged soon.

Special assistant to the President for press and public relations Amos Chanda said in a statement that doctors are conducting a comprehensive routine medical check-up on the former President.

“Following Dr Kaunda’s admission to hospital, State House has been receiving calls from foreign governments and international media, especially in the wake of fake reports announcing the demise of the revered statesman and some of the reports actually quoted the public broadcaster, ZNBC,” Mr Chanda said.

Mr Chanda has since advised the media to maintain basic decency in reporting and avoid unethical conduct.

He said Dr Chilufya would be giving routine updates on the matter whenever necessary.

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina says well-planned and serviced towns and cities can be engines of development for Zambia and can contribute more than 80 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Speaking at the launch of the first-ever national urbanisation policy, Mrs Wina said Government is keen to ensuring there is sanity in human settlement through appropriate land administration and development planning strategies.

She said this is in a speech read for her by Minister in the Office of the Vice-President Sylvia Chalikosa.

She said the new urbanisation policy will help Government co-ordinate and rally various actors to establish a shared vision for desired urbanisation within 20 to 30 years.

Mrs Wina said the objective of the national urbanisation policy seeks to avoid future human-made and environmental disasters from unplanned rapid urban population and physical growth.

She said the policy also seeks to create jobs to lift people out of poverty by harnessing agglomeration advantages of concentrated economic activity.

“Although Zambia started urbanisation in the early 20th century, the country has never developed a comprehensive policy to guide human development, apart from the policy statements pronounced in the five-year national development plan,” she said.

Mrs Wina said unregulated urban growth in Zambia has resulted in mushrooming of informal settlements in peri urban areas which are prone to poor sanitation, crime, pollution, diseases, unemployment, poverty and other vices.

And speaking at the same function, Minister of Local Government and Housing Vincent Mwale said the preparation of the national urbanisation policy is being spearheaded by his ministry and UN Habitat for Humanity.

“The issue of urbanisation is high on the global agenda, hence the formulation of the national urbanisation policy which is important in the development processes in Zambia,” he said.

GOVERNMENT will raise US$13 million from the export of 100,000 metric tonnes of maize to East Africa and the Great Lakes Region.

Food Reserve Agency (FRA) executive director Chola Kafwabulula said the agency was authorised to sell 100,000 metric tonnes of maize to any trader that has capacity to export.

Mr Kafwabulula said at a joint press briefing with the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday that FRA received 42 applications from traders which represented a tonnage of 1,052,210.

“We were authorised to sell 100,000 metric tonnes of maize. We received 42 applications from interested companies; 13 were rejected because they did not meet the criteria.

“We have allocated maize to 29 companies of which 26 are Zambian while three are foreign. The maize to be exported is from the old stock,” he said.

Mr Kafwabulula said FRA wants to open a market beyond the traditional export market to enable farmers to sell their excess maize after the agency buys the authorised 500,000 metric tonnes.

And Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya commended FRA for prioritising Zambian companies in allocating the maize.

She said the ministry has given a policy direction to FRA to procure only 500,000 metric tonnes for strategic stocks.

Ms Siliya said the agency has also been allowed to carry out transactions on a commercial basis.

“Such initiatives are aimed at empowering Zambian exporters. I am impressed that majority of the selected companies are Zambian. The export season will continue for the next 12 months, especially to Kenya, to ensure that even excess maize is exported,” she said.

And speaking at the same briefing, Minister of Finance Felix Mutati said Government will work with FRA and the private sector to create more markets for exports.

He said Government will facilitate export of maize at exit points such as Nakonde and Kasumbalesa border posts to make the process favourable for the traders.

Mr Mutati said Zambia should take advantage of the removal of import duty on Zambian maize in Kenya and export more to enhance revenue for the country.

POLICE and other defence and security agencies have been granted powers to stop and search vehicles without a warrant, withdraw travel documents and detain suspects for more than 48 hours with authority of a magistrate.

These are some of the measures that will be implemented during the three months the invoked Article 31 of the Constitution will be in force.

This follows President Lungu’s issuance of the Preservation of Public Security Regulations Statutory Instrument No. 55 of 2017.

Acting Minister of Home Affairs Given Lubinda said at a press briefing yesterday that the regulations provide guidance to the police and other defence and security agencies during the period of the threatened state of emergency.

“The regulations are in two parts; those which can be implemented directly, and regulations that will require the President to issue specific orders to be implemented,” Mr Lubinda said.

Under the regulations, the maximum detention period for suspects is seven days if the police satisfy the magistrate that their actions are necessary.

Mr Lubinda, however, said a detention period beyond seven days must be done by the order of the President.
The regulations have also extended the powers of the police to the defence forces and other national security services when acting in aid of the police.

“These regulations are not meant to interfere with the freedom and liberties of law-abiding citizens, but will only be applied to citizens who are found breaking the law.

“The general public is free to go about their normal business as there is no curfew or restrictions in movements,” Mr Lubinda said.

Mr Lubinda said regulations which will require the President to issue specific orders will only be invoked under compelling circumstances.

These orders include prohibiting certain activities at dwelling places and in public places, closing of premises, imposing curfews, blackouts and controlling of electricity.

Others are restriction orders, directing of persons to proceed to and remain in any part of Zambia and the detention of specific persons.

“His Excellency the President has not issued any specific order in this regard. Security agencies, therefore, will not implement any of these regulations,” he said.

Mr Lubinda said the regulations have also provided for procedures for any aggrieved person in addition to the existing procedures in the courts of law.

“I urge members of the public to continue with their normal lives and support the security agencies in the preservation of public security. I also encourage the public to take interest to read the regulations to avoid being misled. These regulations can be obtained from Government Printers at K40 per copy,” he said.

Recently, President Lungu invoked Article 31 of the Constitution to give police more powers to stop a spate of economic sabotage in the country.

The police in Solwezi have detained a driver of a freight liner truck registration no BAB 7321, BCA 7308 T, BCA 7309T for causing a fatal road traffic accident which has claimed a life of a 17 year old boy.

North western commissioner of police Auxensio Daka confirmed the accident to Solwezi FCC radio this afternoon.

Mr Daka identified the driver as James Katai aged 37 of suburb area in Mufurila who whilst driving a freight liner from east to west hit a pedestrian Philip Samona aged 17 yrs of Mitec area whose head was crushed and died on the spot.

He said the accident happened this morning opposite Prompt spare shop mitec area when the driver was avoiding a small pot hole and in the process lost control of his vehicle and hit a pedestrian who was standing by the side of the road.

The accident angered members of the public who began stoning all passing vehicles and in the process a few were damaged.The police can not confirm how many cars were damaged as the owners left the scene in fear for further damage.

The driver of the freight liner has since been detained at Solwezi police station for causing death whilst the body of the deceased is at Solwezi general hospital mortuary.

Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo says the police command is privy to the fact that some people with criminal minds are deliberately misleading the public by issuing false and alarming information through social media.

Mrs. Katongo said in a statement that the people with criminal minds are misleading the nation through false and alarming information with a view of causing panic.

Mrs. Katongo said this week deceiving information was peddled on social media asserting that a named Bank in Choma was on fire while another alleged that a building on Lusaka’s Kafue Road belonging to a named company had collapsed.

The Police Service mouthpiece has since reminded Zambians that it is an offence to publish whether orally or in writing any statement, rumour or report known to be false which has potential to cause alarm to the public or that which has a likelihood of disturbing the public peace.

“The police command is privy to the fact that some people with criminal minds are deliberately misleading the public by issuing false and alarming information through social media” Katongo said

Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) Chapter President Reuben Lifuka has commended Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) for commissioning a study that challenges organizations to think creatively and strategically in fostering contributions towards an effective fight against corruption.

Corruption in Zambia has been a thorny issue for some time and many stakeholders are cleaving to see a corrupt free country.

Speaking during a seminar at Intercontinental Hotel, Lifuka said the study will expedite the fight against corruption, adding that the move by Open Society Initiative from Southern Africa (OSISA) will also reduce the impact of corruption on democratic development in Zambia.

And Lifuka noted that corruption erodes people’s sense of equity and belief in justice as it undermines the trust people in Government, adding that Corruption only sustains poverty and inequality.

“I want to commend Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) for commissioning a study that challenges organizations to think creatively and strategically in fostering contributions towards an effective fight against corruption” Lifuka said