Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Nchito
THE Annel Silungwe Tribunal yesterday resumed sitting with suspended Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito, who is under investigations, indicating that he will call 30 witnesses to defend him.
The tribunal resumed after a two-week adjournment following an application by Mr Nchito to allow him time to prepare.
The State concluded its submissions about two weeks ago after which Mr Nchito requested for an adjournment to allow him prepare his witnesses as part of his submissions.
This is expected to be the last stage of the hearing before the Annel Silugwe-led tribunal makes recommendations over the allegations that Mr Nchito, SC, abused his authority as DPP in his operations.
Mr Nchito has been without legal representation at the tribunal after his brother, Nchima Nchito, withdrew together with the entire Nchito and Nchito advocates from the proceedings.
Sources have revealed to the Daily Nation that Mr Nchito has named 30 witnesses to appear before the tribunal in his defence.
The State closed its case at the tribunal on March 9, 2016 and only resumed yesterday on its final duration before it makes recommendations of its findings to the President who is the appointing authority.
Last year, President Edgar Lungu appointed the tribunal to probe allegations of abuse of authority of office into the conduct of the DPP, and was subsequently placed on suspension.
But Mr Nchito commenced court proceedings with the intention to nullify the tribunal and its operatives, claiming persecution.
But the Supreme Court in February 2016 ruled in favour of the proceedings going ahead and probe Mr Nchito. Again Mr Nchito applied through the High Court for judicial review to act as a stay following an application at the Constitutional Court against the proceedings of the same tribunal, but High Court Justice Petronella Ngulube dismissed it.
Ms Justice Ngulube threw out the application citing the defendant for “forum shopping” following several applications being made over the same matter in different courts, all against the Supreme Court Ruling that gave mandate to the tribunal’s existence.
A WOMAN of Kitwe has told the Buchi local court that she was willing to tolerate her clergy husband’s promiscuous behaviour to save her marriage.
William Lengwe, 33, a pastor at Blessings Church in Mindolo sued for divorce after his wife, Hellen Lengwe, 26, caught him with a young church member at a guest house.
Hellen told the Buchi local court that the couple got married in 2011 and have two children.
She told magistrate Nsama Mutono that problems in their marriage started in 2013 when her husband became a youth pastor.
She said she used to find intimate messages on his mobile phone from younger women he congregates with at the same church.
“I used to find messages on his phone from different women from church telling him how they enjoy sex with him. One day, I was informed that my husband was at a guess house with a member of the church. I rushed there and caught him having sex with a church member,” Helen said.
Despite the heartache she had gone through, Helen, pleaded with the court not to grant the couple divorce because she had already suffered at the hands of William, adding that he was free to continue with his promiscuity.
William said problems in their marriage started when Hellen’s grandmother told him that he was a womaniser.
He said there is no peace in their marriage and that Hellen is very jealous and insults him whenever she sees him with a woman.
Magistrate Mutono granted divorce and ordered William to maintain Helen with K300 each month for two years and K200 for child maintenance.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has challenged the PF government to tell the nation what actions it is implementing to lessen the burden on the people which has came about as a result of the county’s broken economy.
In a statement, Mr Hichilema said more and more analysts including international organizations are confirming what has already been established as major challenges afflicting the county’s economy but that the PF government seems to be clueless as to what mitigating measures to put in place.
He said there is reason for the PF government to continue waiting in putting up remedial measures to avert the continued detoriation of the county’s economy saying if your business is running a loss but you want to survive then you do not wait a month.
Below is the statement issued by the UPND President.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Planning for Economic Growth and Prosperity
As the weeks go by and our President remains silent on what action he intends to take to fix our broken economy, more and more analysis and confirmation of our challenges comes from all quarters. The most recent projections include figures from the UK’s Economist Intelligence Unit that estimate real GDP growth will stand at just 2.8% in 2016 – the lowest level since 1998. Yet to date no one seems to be clear on the programme of action proposed by our government to tackle the slow down and reduce its negative impacts on the people, or if indeed there is any such plan.
We have all been rehearsing and dissecting the economic problems we are facing as a nation for some time now – they are no great mystery, and the important ones have been established, including power shortages, high inflation rates of over 20%, policy uncertainty and lack of confidence, prohibitive interest rates, lack of diversification and an education sector not well matched to the labour market demand. What we in the UPND are trying to say in reaction to this is that we can drive our own solutions. Together we can fix our economy and get Zambia back on track.
If your business is running a loss but you want to survive then you do not wait a month, a year or even longer to take action, but you identify the reasons for that loss and weigh up what you can do to address the situation. For example, if you are not selling enough fritters to make any profit you may decide that you need to reposition your stall to attract more passers-by, or perhaps you need to check the competition and vary your recipe to stand out with customers. What we have failed to see from the PF and President Lungu when it comes to managing the economy is anything beyond an occasional acknowledgement that business is not good today, this has been going on for too long now and talk needs to re-focus on solutions.
What we continue to call for is an urgent weighing up of the options open to us, and the launch of a decisive plan of action, timeline for delivery and expected results, as well as the names of those to be held accountable for implementation.
When resources are limited, as they are in our case, then planning becomes particularly important because prioritisation is the key to making sure a little investment will go a long way. These investments must go into areas that will have positive multiplier effects, and the plan must be made with an understanding of which areas we should tackle first that will then put us in a better position to tackle other problems thereafter.
Looking at the various economic challenges we face it is clear to us in the UPND that a big focus on supporting Zambian businesses to become competitive and grow is of primary importance. By supporting our Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) we can oversee accelerated job creation and by bringing inflation down then we reduce pressure on interest rates and can subsequently look to reduce these to the further benefit of business. Support must start with a clear and simple regulatory environment that is easy to understand and that keeps start-up and permit costs low. It must be followed with education and training initiatives and complemented with improved access to finance.
More broadly, policy certainty and confidence is an area that requires very little monetary investment by government, only vision, consultation and ultimately decisiveness.
Reforming our education system to better prepare and train students for jobs and business can also be achieved largely through consultation and collaboration with teaching professionals and industry. In the 21st Century we can also take advantage of the great advances in technology that enable us to deliver new tools and resources quickly to wide and remote areas, such as electronic textbooks and e-Readers. This is an area we want to invest in by cutting back on wasteful expenditures, such as frequent international trips with large delegations and endless by-elections.
Another area for investment, alongside local industry, has to be power. Investors have been pulling back from Zambia because of uncertainty and the continual changing of the goal posts by government. If we can confidently and decisively engage industry to tell them what projects we want to see, what incentives they can expect and reassure them of the stability of the terms of contract and rules of operation then investment will follow.
If the PF expects another five years in office then we must ask what is their plan and why have we never heard of it to date? We cannot continue to set ourselves up for failure by allowing uncertainty and external factors to overrun us without taking any action in response. What will be done today, tomorrow and the day after? If we want economic growth and prosperity then together we must take control of the reins of the economy and get Zambia moving forward.
The Nominees for the 2016 Zambia Music Awards have been announced . In the category of Best Female , 3 women have been nominated ; Cleo Ice Queen , Kan2 and Chileshe Bwalya.
Have a look at some of their work to help you decide who to vote for;
Zambian Voice Executive Director Chilufya Tayali has called on President Edgar Lungu to call for a press briefing where he would offer policy directions on a number of issues facing the nation.
Mr Tayali said Zambia has now reached a stage where the President needs to intervene on a number of issues to give policy direction.
“We have seen in the past that, whenever the President speaks out on something, people jump, the markets including exchange rates are prompted,” he said in a statement.
He said while the inflation rate seems to have performed well in the last month recording 22.20 percent in March of 2016 from 22.90 percent in February of 2016, there seem to be a shrouded policy direction on other economic factors.
“There is a lot of speculations on fuel, mealie meal, fiscal policy, Govt borrowing and its repayment plans, loadshedding, national security as we go towards the elections, among other issues,” he said.
He added, “People seem to be anxious on what the future holds. The opposition, on the other hand, are taking advantage of the situation to feed people unverified or imaginative information.”
Mr Tayali observed that due to obscure information, the debates in the country are rather emotional because people are merely speculating.
“It is, therefore, imperative that the President steps in and put the country on the right course on policy for all citizens to follow.”
The XYZ Entertainment management have withdrawn Slap Dee’s unreleased ‘Black na White 2’ album from the 2016 Zambian Music Awards Nominations in the ‘Best Hip Hop/Rap Album’ category, The album is a double CD project and the first CD which was submitted to the ZMA Committee has not yet being unveiled to the public , that is according to the withdrawal letter drafted by the label manager ‘Harry Mwanza’.
Read the letter below:
STATEMENT BY ZAAP ON THE ZMA 2016
Zambia Arts Adjudicators Panel wishes to make a statement on the discussion surrounding the nomination of Slap Dee’s Black na White 2 in the Best Hip Hop and Best Album ZMA Categories.
The Panel of Adjudicators received the nominations of the album in question from the members of the public, and as is the procedure, the adjudicators looked for the album and verified with the artist and his manager concerning the release of the album.
The adjudicators were reliably informed that the album was released and a copy which I have with me here was availed to the Panel (judges).
The Panel therefore, wishes to thank the music fans and the media for the keen interest demonstrated in the ZMA. Please continue supporting the Awards. Allow me at this point to read the statement from Slap Dee’s Manager. (In the picture shown).
With this statement, the Panel wishes to announce that Black na White 2 has with immediate effect been removed from the 2016 ZMA nominations. Having done this, we wish to strongly caution artists and their managers against giving misleading information pertaining to their music works to the panel of adjudicators and the public. I thank you.
FILE: President Edgar Lungu and Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima shortly after swearing in Ceremony of Constitutional Court Judges at State House
CHIEF Justice Ireen Mambilima has thanked President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government for supporting and protecting the judiciary.
Ms Justice Mambilima said the judiciary was grateful to President Lungu and the PF Government for the steady and tireless support as well as protection.
She said her office had been concerned with delays in disposing of cases but she was glad to state that a number of interventions had been put in place such as the appointment of more judges and the establishment of more courts especially the specialised Divisions of the High Court and fast track courts.
Ms Justice Mabilima said this in Livingstone yesterday in a speech read for her by Judge Flugence Chisanga during the inaugural opening of the 2016 Sessions of the Industrial Relations Division of the High Court for Southern Province.
The Industrial Relations Court, which is now a Division of the High Court under the Amended Constitution of Zambia, has been launched in Livingstone to handle industrial and other labour related cases in Southern Province.
This means that the people in Southern Province will no longer be required to go to Lusaka for industrial and labour related matter.
The first circuit commenced in Livingstone yesterday on April 4, 2016 and the last one would commence on November 7, 2016 while each circuit session will be for a period of at least two weeks.
Ms Justice Mambilima said the first session in Livingstone symbolised the continued resolve in the implementation of the reforms in the judiciary.
She urged the judges for the Industrial Relations Court to rise to the occasion and ensure to dispose of the cases expeditiously despite of many challenges affecting the smooth operations of the judiciary.
“I have no doubt that the Industrial relations Division of the High Court will have a lot of cases to hear and determine in Southern Province.
“I say so in light of the fact that in the last three years, that is, from 2013 to 2015; out of the total number of 1, 806 labour disputes that were handled by the office of the senior labour officer, a total number of 740 cases were referred to the courts of law,” Ms Justice Mambilima said.
She said access to justice was one of the fundamental human rights which the judiciary was determined to uphold.
“We are all aware that Livingstone where the launch for the Industrial Relations Division is being done today is the hub of tourism in Zambia.
“As such, it has attracted considerable investment in the tourism and hospitality industry. Unfortunately, most of these disputes are not resolved by the parties ex-curia but are brought before the courts of law,” Ms Justice Mambilima said.
Ms Justice Mambilima also announced that plans were underway to construct a court building complex in Choma which would accommodate the High Court, Subordinate Courts and the Small Claims Court.
Speaking at the same meeting, Industrial Relations Court judge in charge Martin Musaluke said the achievement of bringing justice closer to the people in Southern Province would only be met if all stakeholders come together.
Mr Justice Musaluke said there was need for employers, employees, trade unions and the media in Southern province to come together and inform the public about the milestone of the opening of the Industrial Relations Division of the High Court in Livingstone.
“All labour and industrial relations cases in the province can now be filed and heard in Livingstone.
“With improved infrastructure and adequate funding, resident judge could be stationed here in Livingstone to exclusively deal with labour and industrial relations cases,” Mr Justice Musaluke said.
Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu said the presence of the Industrial Relations Court in the province would result in quick disposal of cases, reduction in the cost of litigation and access to justice by more people.
Mr Mubukwanu also said the Government had bought a light track for the judiciary to mitigate transport challenges.
Solar Powered Milling Plant
Former Commerce Minister Felix Mutati has observed that the solar milling plants which have been littered around the country by government are more of decorations along roadsides as opposed to their intended purpose of playing a role in the reduction of mealie meal prices in the country.
And Mr Mutati says the PF government should stop playing with the lives of the people and deal with the challenge of escalating mealie meal prices and unavailability of the commodity.
Speaking in an interview Mr Mutati said it would have been prudent for the PF government to first deal with production of maize instead of setting up milling plants which are becoming white elephants especially in Northern Province.
He explained that there is no investment which begins with the end process before looking at the production side of the products.
“We have the issue of solar plants that have been littered all over the place. These things we were told are beginning to make a difference but the reality on the ground particularly on the Northern Province is that these things are not producing mealie meal so they are becoming more like decorations by the road sides.
“In any investment that you do you don’t start with the end process you start with the production so the concentration should have been on the productive capacity. How do we enhance the productive capacity of maize in order to have sufficient output to be consumed by our people.
“Now what we are seeing is a blame game that people are smuggling, that they are exporting that is purely an indication that at the level of management of the product we have a lot of gaps and my advise to government is let them get there act together because this is a serious problem which affects the ordinary person on a daily basis and we can’t play any more with issues of 1:lack of stoke and 2: hiking prices,”he said
He challenged government to explain to the nation why the country is facing mealie meal shortages when it has said that the stokes are enough and millers have also indicated that they have the capacity to produce more.
“Even during the last seating of Parliament we were assured by the Minister of agriculture that the country has enough maize stokes and that there was no cause for alarm, there was no cause for panic and that he had the whole act of both maize to be distributed to the millers and of stokes being available until the next crop.
So there are two key issues that remains unanswered whether the information that he was feeding into Parliament that is sufficient stoke is indeed accurate. If that information is accurate, where is the bottle neck in the distribution chain of maize to the various millers because the millers have indicated that it is not lack of capacity but lack of stoke,” he wondered.
Antonio Mwanza
The opposition FDD has described agriculture Minister Given Lubinda as a failed project who should be fired for failing to run the agriculture sector of the country.
Speaking in an interview FDD Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said Mr Lubinda has continued giving Zambians statistics of the commodity when what they need is affordable mealies meal.
“The persistent shortage of mealie meal and escalating prices of the commodity poses a serious national security challenge that needs immediate government intervention. I’m speaking to you from Chipata and I can tell you right now that if you go to Shoprite Chipata you will not find even a single bag of mealie meal. Chipata Shoprite has completely run dry and we have people going from one point to the other looking for the commodity. The situation is grave and there is need for government to quickly put up mitigation measures and ensure that the situation normalises.
“We find it very disappointing that while people are queuing for the commodity across the country hon Given Lubinda wants to simplify the situation by giving us statistics instead of giving us solutions. The Minister of agriculture says we have enough maize in stoke to last for the next three months, that is not what we need. The people of Zambia want to have access to mealie meal and have access to mealie meal going at affordable prices. We do not want statistics we want solutions from the minister of agriculture,” he said.
He added “And his Excellency the President as to be very wary because issues of food are a matter of national security. We do not want to see the situation that we saw in the late 90s when they were food riots because of shortage mealie meal.
This situation if it is not dealt with now it will degenerate into complete chaos and civil strife. Our advise to his Excellency is to fire the minister of agriculture as he has failed to ensure that this country has enough food and that this country has food to export and have an increased turn over of foreign exchange so that we can deal with the issues of inflation and deal with the issues of devaluation of the kwacha.”
He said President Lungu should stop hanging on to dead wood and that the President should be wary of the continued mealie meal shortages as it can be a source of civil strife.
“There is no need for the President to continue holding on to dead wood Mr Lubinda is a failed project. He has failed to provide farming inputs to the farmers and now he is failing to ensure that is country has enough food.
The president has to avert the crisis by taking remedial decisive measures that measure is to fire hon Given Lubinda ensure that the food reserve agency is instructed to offload the maize to the Millers. work on the key issues that have raised the production cost that is the continued load -shedding and other related costs,” he said
Vice President Inonge Wina says government has continued with its programme of fostering development in all parts of the country with impartiality.
Mrs. Wina said this on arrival at Mansa Airport in Luapula province today.
She said Luapula province has equally benefited in not only the road but also in education and health sector infrastructure development.
Mrs. Wina has meanwhile urged the people in Luapula province to take advantage of the abundant waters that the region has to enhance fish farming.
She said government was determined to support small scale farmers and since prioritised agriculture in its development plan.
She noted that the people in the area should therefore take advantage of government’s support of the agriculture sector.
The Vice President is in Luapula province on a four day tour during which she will inspect projects being implemented by government.
She was today scheduled to inspect the Chipungu border in Chiengi district, followed by the handover ceremony of solar water geysers to St. Paul’s mission hospital.
THE Prisons Service has bemoaned the overcrowding of the correctional centres in Eastern Province.
Acting Prison Commanding Officer Alex Chibale told High Court Judge Gertrude Chawatama during the official opening of the Chipata High Court session yesterday that the correctional centres also known as prisons in the province were 80 percent overcrowded.
Superintendent Chibale said the correctional facilities were built for smaller inmates but were currently overcrowded.
“The correctional facilities in the province are 80 percent overcrowded and these were constructed for the smaller inmates but are overcrowded,” he said.
Mr Chibale said the correctional centres in the province were currently holding 2,045 inmates.
As at 09:00 hours, Chipata correctional centre had 960 inmates, Katete correctional centre 259 inmates, Petauke correctional centre 290 inmates, Nyimba correctional centre 218 inmates and Lundazi correctional centre 318 inmates respectively.
He explained that situation in all the correctional centres was calm despite facing the challenges with lack of adequate staffs at Chipata Correctional centre.
He said Chipata Correctional Centre had a staffing level of 47 instead of the 160 officers thereby stressing the officers who were at the centre.
Mr Chibale said correctional centre which was known as Namuseche was also facing the challenge with transport.
He said it was posing security risks to transport inmates serving long sentences to either Mukobeko Correctional Centre or Mwembeshi Correctional Centre.
He also said both inmates and correctional staffs were facing the biggest challenges of lack of uniforms.
Mr Chibale said there was need for enough uniforms as well as the rehabilitation of the houses for the correctional staffs who were currently staying in a dilapidated houses.
And Ms Justice Chawatama promised to visit Chadiza open air correctional centre at an appropriate time.
Zambia defender Stopilla Sunzu marked his first French Ligue 1 game in 2016 with a goal.
Sunzu scored his debut league goal for Lille since his loan move to the French club this season in a 3-0 away win over 10th positioned Nantes on Sunday.
He netted the second goal in the 58th minute after Lille had taken a 1-0 halftime lead.
The Zambia defender played the full 90 minutes in his ninth match for 7th placed Lille.
This was also Sunzu’s third competitive match this year for Lille since January when he played in a Cup ties against Guingamp and Trelissac on January 13 and 20 respectively.
Sunzu is nearing the end of a one year loan deal from Chinese clun Shenhua.
Barely a week after political party leaders pledged to avoid attacking one another after issuing resolutions which were agreed to during the indaba called by the Catholic Bishops and attended by other church mother bodies, politicians have reverted to their old habits of issuing derogatory statements against one another.
In her latest outburst against UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri in apparent reference to Mr Hichilema said she does not like mentioning some names because they make her lose her appetite.
Ms Phiri, who was featuring on the Platform radio program On Joy FM, got irked when listeners, who participated via text messages, kept blaming her party for the economic hardships in some parts of the country, such as Kabwe and other parts of Central Province.They said the that PF had failed to revive companies such as Mulungushi Textiles and Kapiri Glass company.
Ms Phiri advised the listeners to stop blaming the PF over issues they were not party to, claiming that most of the economic mess the country is facing was because of the privatisation of state companies, which was done way before the PF took over office.
In another reference to Mr Hichilema, Ms Phiri said some people should explain the criteria they used to acquire properties of companies they never worked for.
“Does that person follow the history of this country? Fortunately we have very few people who think like her, people know when Kapiri Glass company was sold, it was long before PF came into power, Mulungushi textile is jointly owned by a Chinese company and the Zambian government and the majority shareholder is the Chinese company. Get to know the nitty-gritty and the history, then you will understand than you just talking.
“I didn’t mention your HH, in fact, I don’t even want to mention some names because they make me lose my appetite, but the facts still remains: we have people in this country who benefited from privatisation. Some of us talk like this because we have relatives who died when Lima Bank was privatized for a song and to see those people who never worked for Lima Bank occupying the houses which belonged to Lima Bank, we ask and I wish they could tell us the criteria they used for them to buy houses for companies they never worked for. It’s really sad and the facts are on the table.
“People must not come on the radio with bitterness, speak on the facts, privatisation was there, Lima Bank was sold and some of our brothers and sisters are beneficiaries of the assets of companies which they never worked for,” she said.
Asked if she was not practicing hate speech Ms Phiri said she was simply calling a spade by its name.
“…Give me another name for me to call them that’s what they are called, and I don’t think in my interview I have mentioned HH, Kunda remind me where I mentioned HH, I am above that! You know when I say a fact and it’s connected to your leader that’s not my fault, mentioning some names makes me lose my appetite. No it’s not hate because they want to force words in my mouth, if anything I mentioned my sister Edith Nawakwi and I mentioned her because she gave me an assignment, am suppose to go to Soweto market,” she said.
She also called on traditional leaders to avoid partisan politics.
“…Shakafuswa is a politician mind you and he has the right to belong to wherever his heart desires but not a chief’s wife. Those 5 wives of chiefs who said they are going to support President Edgar Lungu did you see them lift a PF symbol? They were just speaking and every chief where you go to they were saying they will support the government of the day.
“By our Constitution our chiefs are not supposed to be partisan, now you see a chief’s wife lifting a symbol and I can see from your surname that’s your area my brother advise your chief’s wife not lower herself to my level, she is respected, she is our mother and am giving her advise not that am taking anything from her,for her to be lifting a symbol she is degrading herself to my level she is very respected, I’m just a cadre.
“And the person from Kabwe who said zinc mine is closed is it PF who closed? Continued Ms Phiri in my opening remarks I said the disadvantage we had as a country was privatisation, even the money hasn’t been accounted for and that’s a fact whether you want to change or what and the way you are speaking passionately that PF is going, we heard this even on the 20th kunda kunda I was here with my brother in law who saying wufa wadula even that political party that will come are telling me they will give you food for free, we all have to work to make ends meet so all those are just stories in fact to those elections in January were more crucial than these ones.”
Ms Phiri also laughed off Obvious Mwaliteta’s reason for his defection to the UPND calling him a political prostitute who joined the PF at the eleventh hour.
“If that complaint of a grade 12 certificate is coming from a person like me who was not in Parliament when the was that law was passed it was going to be understood. I think my brother Mwaliteta even when the debates were going on he knew that he was a is it a grade 2 or 5, he knew deep down his heart and when that bill passed the first reading, second reading he had a chance to change and that Constitution could have come with an amendment and am speaking as a former Parliamentarian who understand the procedure of Parliament.
“You can’t let a bill pass first reading, second reading, third reading and when it’s passed that is when you start complaining. It’s amazing but look at the background of Mwaliteta where did he come from? My brother is just proving that he is a political prostitute because he wasn’t even PF. He came at the good will of my late President Michael Sata, he came at the eleventh hour together with my sister Silvia Masebo. Hon Mwaliteta that is his nature. I think even saying that he is a grade 2 or 5 is an understatement, it’s in his nature,” she said.
