FORMER MMD Lusaka Province Chairman William Banda yesterday walked to freedom after the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court acquitted him of two counts of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime, contrary to section 71 (1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act.

Mr Banda, who is now a Special Advisor to UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema, was arrested in connection with the possession of five (5) vehicles, a Toyota Prado registration number ABZ 1661, Toyota Prado registration number ABR 9874, Toyota Harrier registration number ALB 3619, Toyota Surf registration number ABG 9009 and Toyota Cresta registration ABX 1408 “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

He has been set free after the court found that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubt.

In acquitting him, Magistrate Lameck Mwale, stated that it was difficult to prove that the vehicles and the money were “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime because the State failed in their investigations to prove the allegations.

Mr Mwale said it was not in dispute that four of the five vehicles were registered in Mr Banda’s name except for one which was registered in his wife’s name.

He said he was also alive to the fact that Mr Banda was found in possession of the vehicles and money amounting to K 1.8 million which were acquired through a number of property and business he had in Lusaka, Chongwe and Chipata which was in accordance to Mr Banda’s evidence.

In his evidence, Mr Banda told the court that he used his money to acquire the said property because he was running some businesses.

It was also his evidence that he had sold a property which was situated along Manchinchi Road which was sold at K 1 million.

In another count, Mr Banda was accused of being in possession of cash amounting to K1.8 million “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

The prosecution called eight witnesses.

THE Government has described 2016 as a successful year in its quest to take development to the citizenry, and is optimistic that the country’s economy will continue flourishing next year.

Chief Government spokesperson Kampamba Mulenga said despite global economic challenges that had not spared Zambia, the Government had performed fairly well in its quest to improve the livelihood of all citizens.

Ms Mulenga, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said in an interview yesterday that in view of many economic gains that the country had recorded, the Government was confident of doubling its success next year.

“I am happy to state that the Government has this year performed fairly well in its implementation of various programmes of development and we are very confident that more economic gains will be achieved in the coming New Year,” she said.

The minister said the massive infrastructure development the country had so far achieved was remarkable and had assured of remaining committed in uplifting the welfare of all citizens.

The Government’s continued investment in infrastructure projects such as health and education, she said, had been key in helping to uplift the living standards of all Zambians.

She said her ministry would remain committed to ensuring that the implementation of phases two and three of the digital migration project became a success.

The digital migration project is being implemented as part of the global decision to execute the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) resolution which was passed in 2006.

This involves change of television broadcasting system, from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting, and the Government has decided to implement the project in three phases.

Ms Mulenga assured of the Government’s commitment in improving the welfare of the public media institutions, namely, the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

The minister called for peace and unity, citing the need for all citizens to remain committed in helping realise the Government’s national development agenda.

ABOUT ten inmates have escaped from Sinazongwe police station cell after breaking
the wall.

The Police have since launched a man hunt to arrest the inmates and
called on members of the public to report if they see any of the
prisoners to the nearest Police Station.

Southern Province Police Commissioner Bonnie Kapeso said the inmates
broke the wall in the cells at the Sinazongwe Police station and thereafter
removed the bugler bars.

He said the incident happened during the Christmas holiday.
“Yes I can confirm about 10 inmates have escaped from Sinazongwe and
my appeal is to the members of the public if they notice any of them
they should report to the nearest police station,” he said.

President Edgar Lungu has directed the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU)under the Office of the Vice-President to join the Ministry of Agriculture in an emergency operation to curb the spread of army worms that have invaded some districts on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces.

The operation involves among other Government agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture, DMMU and the Zambia Air force (ZAF).

The Zambia Air Force has since began to airlift chemicals to Ndola on the Copperbelt, Chinsali in Muchinga Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Chipata in Eastern Province.

The District Agriculture Coordinators (DACOs) for Lusaka, Luapula and North Western Provinces have already collected the chemicals.

President Lungu has directed that the chemicals that were purchased under emergency operations should be distributed to all parts of the country although the outbreak of army worms has been reported on the Copperbelt, Luapula and Central Provinces.

The DMMU and Ministry of Agriculture will be doing random checks across the country tomorrow (Thursday) to ensure that the emergency operation of spraying was going on as directed.

President Lungu is concerned that if the outbreak of the worms is not controlled speedily, the crop yield for 2016/2017 may negatively be affected.

He has assured farmers that all provinces will receive the chemicals by tomorrow morning.

“All DACOs are expected to closely monitor the operations against army worms and provide regular reports on the situation,” State House Spokesman Amos Chanda said in a statement.

THE political environment in Zambia is still hostile for women but we are comforted by the fact that there are exemplary women like Vice-President Inonge Wina who have opened the way for other women to come on board, Mumbi Phiri has said.

Reflecting on her political life since coming onto the political scene in 2006 when she won the Munali parliamentary seat, Ms. Phiri said her political journey has not been rosy but said resilience, determination and the courage to rub shoulders with men had made her who she was today.

She advised women interested in taking up political careers to believe in themselves and realise that there was still some degree of stigma as politics in Zambia was still regarded as a game for men and women were just supposed to be spectators.

She, however, said women had the political acumen to change the political landscape in the country only if they could prove their worth just like men who had made the grade in Zambian politics.

She challenged women in politics to be more versatile in what they were doing without necessarily abandoning their duties as mothers or wives in their families because they still had a role to play in their homes.

“My only advice to women who want to take the a political path is to be focussed on what they want to achieve and not to be distracted by people because the political environment in Zambia is a little bit hostile towards women.

“A few year ago women were regarded as housekeepers and this is why whoever joined politics was attacked and accused of a lot of things just like they have done to me.

“If I were not determined, I would have abandoned politics because a lot has been said about me. The only good part for which I praise God is that my husband is a very understanding man who has not only disregarded the mudslinging against me but was the one who single-handedly sponsored my campaign for Munali in 2006 because he believed in me,” Ms. Phiri said.

She challenged women to hold themselves in high esteem if they wanted to make an impact in their political lives.

She said people like Ms. Wina were worth emulating because she had practiced her politics with dignity.

“There is this notion among people that for a female politician to get to the top in life, they have to use their bodies but that should not be the case. People will respect us based on what we portray when we join politics. We are in the limelight and whatever behaviour we portray is under scrutiny.

“We need to be mindful of what we do, wear or what we say in publics and I am glad that we have people like Ms. Wina who have conducted themselves as politicians in a dignified manner.

‘‘What she puts on or says portrays a picture worth emulating because if you are a woman in politics and every day you put on mini-skirts, for example, people will judge you based on your dress code because there is a lot of stereotyping out there,” Ms. Phiri said.

A 29-YEAR-OLD woman of Kisasa compound in Kalumbila district has been killed by her husband after a domestic dispute.

North Western Province police chief Auxensio Daka said the incident occurred on Monday around 21 hours and identified the deceased as Karen Makechi while the suspect is John Palata of the same compound.

Mr Daka explained that the deceased suffered a twisted neck and swollen private parts as an unknown object was inserted in them.

He said the matter was reported to police by the deceased’s younger sister Tina Bajibanga.

“We recorded a murder case in Kisasa where a man beat his wife to death following a domestic dispute,” said Mr Daka.

He said the suspect has been detained and charged with murder while the body of the deceased has been deposited in Solwezi General Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.

Meanwhile, 29-yea-old Pearson Bisanka of Mambwe village in Kakombe area in Kasempa district has committed suicide by hanging himself to a tree with a chitenge material.

Mr Daka said police visited the scene and found the deceased’s body still hanging to the tree about 200 meters from the village. “The incident was reported by the father of the deceased. However, when police officers visited the scene they found that there was no foul play suspected so the family was advised to bury the body,” he said.

A total of 233 refugees from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of ZambiaCongo (DRC) have so far entered Zambia following the political instability that has characterised that country.

However, the Zambia Red Cross Society says about 400 asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have so far received humanitarian assistance in the last few days.

ZANIS reports that Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Chileshe Mulenga said the country has continued to record an influx of refugees from the DRC into Zambia through various border posts.

Dr Mulenga said the highest number of 151 refugees entered Zambia on December 21, 2016 through Sumbu, Mpulungu and Kaputa border posts of Northern and Luapula provinces respectively.

He said the Office of the Commission for Refugees is working closely with all the law enforcement agencies to screen the refugees from the DRC before placing them in the designated refugee centres.

And Dr Mulenga expressed hope that the political instability in the DRC will be resolved peacefully and timely for the benefit of the people.

Dr Mulenga said Zambia and DRC have for a long time continued to enjoy cordial relations and therefore the current political instability in the DRC is of great concern.

He said this is not the first time that Zambia is hosting the refugees from the DRC and other neighbouring countries and called on Zambians to respect and honour human rights of refugees.

Dr Mulenga has also called on the international community, especially the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Zambia Red Cross Society to help the refugees from the DRC to settle peacefully in the country.

However, the Zambia Red Cross Society says about 400 asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have so far received humanitarian assistance in the last few days.

Zambia Red Cross Society Communications and Public Relations Manager Bruce Mulenga confirmed to ZANIS in Lusaka today that the Society has established transitory camps with Emergency Response Materials in Kipushi, Kakoma, Chiengi, Kaputa, Nsumbu, Mpulungu and Nchelenge districts.

Mr. Mulenga explained that the humanitarian assistance includes food aid and non-food aid such as blankets, mosquito nets and immediate medical support.

And from Kaputa district in Northern Province, ZANIS reports that over thirty-five Congolese nationals mainly from Moba in Katanga region of Eastern Congo have entered Zambia to seek asylum.

Kaputa District Commissioner, Mulenga Fube said the district is conducting both security and health screening on the asylum seekers before they are accepted in the country.

Mr Fube said that the district which borders Congo DR has been receiving asylum seekers almost on a daily basis adding that the number is likely to increase.

The District Commissioner further revealed that Chief Kaputa has since provided the Congolese nationals with temporal shelter during their stay in Zambia.

And in Mpulungu , district authorities have disclosed that 47 asylum seekers from Congo and Burundi have been received and are in transit to Maheba refugee camp.

Mpulungu District Commissioner Dennis Sikazwe said that all the asylum seekers will be taken to Maheba refugee camp because the district does not have capacity to accommodate them.