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Zambia coach George Lwandamina says he is banking on the experienced pack he has selected to get the desired result this evening against Congo-Brazzaville.
Second hosts first at 18h00 (Live on SuperSport 9) this evening at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola when Zambia play visiting Congo in a 2017 Africa Cup Group E qualifier.
The tie is the first leg of a doubleheader with the return leg set for Sunday at 16h20 (Live on SuperSport 9) in Brazzaville.
Winner over both legs will almost certainly have one foot in next January’s tournament in Gabon with two games to spare heading into June’s penultimate round of qualifying matches.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed and definitely have to use our experience. We have had not had time together but most the players in this team known each other,” Lwandamina said.
Gone is the experimental side that his predecessor Honour Janza made and back are the old guards who include Christopher Katongo, Davies Nkausu and Isaac Chansa discarded by the ex-coach who return to join Collins Mbesuma, RaInford Kalaba, Kennedy Mweene and Nathan Sinkala in a bid to maintain Zambia’s momentum in Group E.
Leaders Congo and number two side Zambia are tied on 4 points with goal difference separating the top two teams.
“So we hope to be able to work as a team. They know each other but are coming to camp playing under different philosophy’s so we hope to synchronize the team in order to get the best result,” Lwandamina said.
The good news is striker Winston Kalengo who scored six goals for Zambia in 2015 arrived late last night after flight connection problems.
Kalengo got a lift from an unlikely source when opponents Congo offered him a seat on their charted flight to Ndola from Brazzaville where he ply’s his trade at AC Leopards.
The Zambia Airports Corporation Limited has confirmed that Qatar Airways, one of the Five Star Airlines in the world, will commence flights between Doha and Lusaka during the first Quarter of 2017.
The commencement of the Qatar Airways flights will help realize the strategic objective of turning Kenneth Kaunda International Airport into a regional hub, as Lusaka presents with characteristics of a natural hub due to its centrality.
Corporation Managing Director Mr Robinson Misitala said the development was a step in the right direction as it comes in the wake of massive infrastructure development currently being undertaken by the Zambian government at all four international airports namely, Kenneth Kaunda, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Mfuwe International Airports.
Mr Misitala said in order to sustain these developments, there is need to stimulate demand through introduction of new airline routes and operators.
Mr. Misitala further indicated that commencement of Qatar Airways flights will create an alternative option for connection through the Middle East which will ease network connectivity beyond Doha and open new opportunities in tourism and export potential.
He said this also provides the Zambian traveller with a wider choice of travel options and indeed increased capacity to support both passenger travel and cargo movement.
“Our expectation as Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, is that we will tap into a new market exclusive to Qatar Airways in terms of holiday which will entail growth in our traffic numbers. We further expect that our Zambian business entities will take advantage of the new market and explore new export markets especially from an agricultural product perspective. The airline will start by operating three (3) weekly flights using 254 seater Dreamliner (B787) direct between Doha and Lusaka,” he said.
He added, “They are in the process of confirming slot allocations with the relevant authorities in Doha after which the airline schedule will be communicated. Zambia Airports Corporation Limited is happy to state that the continued interest in destination Zambia by various airlines is testimony of the growth potential it has.”
Mr. Misitala implored all stakeholders to play their part in the continued development of the aviation industry and its related industries and consequently contribute positively to the growth of the Zambian Economy.
He also said that the Corporation is still in discussions with Fastjet Airlines and Turkish Airlines who have also expressed interest in Zambia.
Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare,Emerine Kabanshi and her Permanent Secretary,Davy Chikamata cut the ribbon during the handover of books to Kitwe Community and development Social Welfare College by Books for Africa in Lusaka
Government has handed over 1,248 textbooks to Kitwe Community Development Staff Training College donated by the United States of America’s Books for Africa.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Lusaka today Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare Emerine Kabanshi said the books will help government to provide literacy to the masses especially those who desire to study community development in the country.
Ms. Kabanshi noted that with the availability of various literatures by different scholars it will be easy and interesting for lecturers to deliver quality training to learners.
The Minister disclosed that the two Community Development Colleges in Kitwe and Monze has started offering Diploma programmes in Community Development in addition to the certificate programme they have been offering since inception.
She said government has a long term plan of enhancing transformative attitude in many areas of social, political and economic emancipation through the provision of relation education to the masses.
And Kitwe Community Development Staff Training College Principal Aaron Phiri commended government for facilitating the shipment of the books from the United States to Zambia.
Mr. Phiri said government and its partners such as the Books for Africa deserve commendation for supporting collages which are training people in Community Development.
Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare,Emerine Kabanshi handover the books to Principal of Kitwe Community and development Social Welfare College,Aaron Phiri during the donation by Books for Africa to Kitwe Community Development College in LusakaMinister of Community Development and Social Welfare,Emerine Kabanshi and her Permanent Secretary,Davy Chikamata cut the ribbon during the handover of books to Kitwe Community and development Social Welfare College by Books for Africa in Lusaka
World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative Jacob Mufunda says his organisation will continue to render its support in the provision of TB drugs in order to reduce the prevalence rate by half which is currently at three million new cases in Africa.
And Copperbelt Provincial Medical Officer Consity Mwale says the province has enough Tuberculosis (TB) drugs to ensure that the disease is contained in the province.
Dr. Mufunda told ZANIS in an interview in Ndola today that globally there are about nine million new cases of TB of which three million is from the continent of Africa.
He said WHO has funds to support the disease as it aims to reduce the death rate of TB to fifty percent by the year 2025.
The issue of TB is not only for the Ministry of Health but that it needs innovative measures by all stakeholders to ensure that the death rate of TB is reduced, said the WHO representative.
He said WHO has the commitment to support, create awareness from partners and communities on TB as it is a major problem and that the organisation will solicit for more resource from stakeholders to support the containment of the disease.
And Copperbelt Provincial Medical Officer Consity Mwale says the province has enough Tuberculosis (TB) drugs to ensure that the disease is contained in the province.
Dr. Mwale said March 23, being world TB day the province will be commemorating the day with a view to creating awareness among all the people that Tb can be prevented and is curable.
He has since called on people not to stigmatize patients with TB as the disease is curable and called on people who have suspected TB symptoms to seek medical treatment early in order to contain the disease.
TB being a long term disease and that the province has no challenges with drugs because of the support that the Ministry of Health receives from its cooperating partners which include WHO, he said.
He said the province values the partnership that it has with WHO as the organisation is one of the players that has been helping in the fight against different diseases.
The WHO team is in Ndola to commemorate World Tb day whose theme for the year is, “Unity to End TB.”
The Copperfield Mining Services Contractor’s Water Bouzer busy watering the tarring materials for their proper fixing as part of the process in the tarring undertaking of part of the 79 kilometer pedicle road.
Government has expressed concern over the delayed construction works on the 69 kilometer Pedicle road that connects Mufulira District on the Copperbelt Province to Chembe District of Luapula Province.
Special Assistant to the President for Projects Implementation and Monitoring Lucky Mulusa expressed concern in Mansa when he addressed Government Heads of Departments.
Mr. Mulusa said the Contractor, Copperfields Mining Services, has been on the road for far too long without bringing the road works to completion.
He said the Pedicle road has taken three years and wondered whether the Contractor had the required capacity to do the Chienge – Kaputa road upgrading because he is the one who has been awarded the Contract as a co-venture with China Henan.
Mr. Mulusa called on Zambian Contractors to prove that they have the capacity and competency to handle big projects because foreign Contractors have so far performed better than the local ones.
He said the Pedicle road project should be revisited because it has taken too long to complete and there has been more than two extensions to the agreed completion time.
But Luapula Province Road Development Agency Engineer Gaston Meleki said the slow pace of works on the Pedicle was attributed to delayed payments to the Contractor by Government which has also led to the absence of the Supervising Consultant on the project from January this year.
And Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Boniface Chimbwali has objected to the extension of the deadline to August this year and stated that he is disappointed with both the Road Development Agency and the Contractor over the delayed works and delayed completion of the Pedicle road which in his view should be completed before the proposed August month end.
The project was initially given to an Italian Contractor Fratelli Locci who had his contract terminated before giving it to the Sub-Contractor in the same contract Copperfields Mining Services who took over in 2013.
The 70 Kilometer road project was contracted at the sum of K278 Million and should have been completed by December 2013 but the Contractor requested for an extension to November 2015 and now has requested for another extension to August 2016 month end.
Girl painted in yellow after she was accused of stealing
Management of Jets Stores in Lusaka has fired all its workers who took part in the painting and harassment of two teenage girls who were caught on camera stealing clothes.
The managers at the clothing store located at the PHI Mall informed officers from the Human Rights Commission who stormed the shop this afternoon that it has dismissed all the workers who participated in the act.
The firm has also stated that the sacked employees will have to bear their own legal costs in an event that the case goes to court.
And the Human Rights Commission has strongly condemned the treatment of the two suspects describing it as torture cruel, inhuman and degrading.
In a statement, Commission Information Chief Mweelwa Muleya said the Commission became aware of this form of human rights violation yesterday, 21st March 2016, through Social Media Platforms and immediately instituted independent investigations, which established as a fact that two named ladies of Mtendere Townships in Lusaka, aged 19 and 21 years old respectively, were indeed subjected to acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment by Jet Stores Officials on 23rd November 2015 around 18:00 hours.
Mr Muleya said the Commission has since interviewed the Stores Manager at Jet Stores, PHI, who has admitted painting the ladies with water paint, claiming that the victims consented to that kind of ill-treatment as opposed to being either fined or taken to police.
He said the Commission has also interviewed both victims who reported that they were physically and emotionally abused by beating them with electrical cables from 16:00 hours to 18:00 hours to an extent of one of them becoming unconscious while the other one bled from the ears.
“The victims also claimed verbal, sexual and physical harassment during the ordeal that took place in a room where they were later forced to lay down and subjected to being painted with yellow water paint all over the body,” he said.
Mr Muleya said the two female victims confirmed that they were accused of shoplifting a skirt, a sweatshirt and a hat while the stores Manager said they had shoplifted three ladies’ hats, a skirt and a boys’ T-Shirts.
“The Commission wishes to remind and warn both State and Non-State Actors that acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment are absolutely prohibited by Article 15 of the Zambian Constitution.
This prohibition is couched in absolute terms and no consent of the victim can waive this right to freedom from being tortured, which is aimed at protecting the inherent dignity and worth of a human being,” he said.
“It is also a breach of various Regional and International Human Rights Instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which Zambia ratified in 1998. There is no crime that justifies Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Suspects should always be reported to police who should in turn take such suspects to court, without resorting to torturing suspects under whatever circumstances.”
He added, “The Commission will summon both Jet Stores Management and the two victims for further investigations and action. The Commission is extremely concerned with increasing cases of such human rights violations. As a long term measure, the Commission is implementing Business and Human Rights projects and is also working towards facilitating the enactment of a national law criminalising torture to operationalise the Constitution and various Regional and International Human Rights Instruments.”
The Millennium Challenge Account Zambia Limited has today awarded a construction contract to UNIK worth US$21.9 million for water reticulation in the communities of Ndeke, Kwamwena, SOS Village, Chipata and Ng’ombe in Lusaka to underscore the importance of safe water supply in recognition of World Water Day.
The contract is part of the US$355 million Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) Project funded by the United States Government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through a five-year Compact with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
Under the contract, UNIK will drill 18 boreholes in locations with high quality underwater aquifers, lay over 250 kilometers of water supply network, and build 33 closed kiosks, each with two taps. In addition, a concrete reservoir (800 m3 capacity) and a 30-meter-high elevated concrete reservoir (700 m3 capacity) will be constructed.
MCA-Zambia Board Chairperson and Zambia’s Secretary to the Treasury Mr. Fredson Yamba said, “Kwamwena, Ndeke-Vorna Valley are among many new settlements that are being developed in the city. Most of these areas are without services such as water supply and sewer networks. Specifically, in Chipata compound, there is no network for water supply when the area has been in existence for a long time. I am therefore delighted that once construction works are completed, residents in these areas will no longer have to spend a greater part of their day in search of water, because treated water will have been brought closer to their homes.”
MCC Resident Representative Steve Marma noted that World Water Day, established by the United Nations on March 22, 1993 and celebrated annually since, “recognizes the importance water plays in everyone’s lives; it is a day for learning more about water related issues, and taking action to support clean water being available to all.” Mr. Marma mentioned a Kwamwena resident compelled to get water from two different locations, and boil the water so it is safe to drink.
In addition to saving time and money, Mr. Marma noted that, “The project we are celebrating today is meant to combat diarrheal diseases like cholera. Safe drinking water leads to improvements in health, school attendance, productivity, and entrepreneurship. It keeps children strong, families strong, and communities strong.”
Both the Secretary to the Treasury and the MCC Resident Country Director congratulated UNIK on winning the contract and noted the Contractor’s responsibility to complete all works on time and on budget to ensure the 100,000 Lusaka residents benefit as planned.
Over 1.2 million people in Lusaka are expected to directly benefit from the project.
Millennium Challenge Account – Zambia Contract signing ceremony in Lusaka
Former Attorney General Musa Mwenye had denied having issued disparaging remarks against the Zambian judiciary in the United Kingdom.
Earlier yesterday, President Edgar Lungu said he was disappointed with Mr Mwenye for disparaging Zambia’s judiciary in the United Kingdom.
President Lungu said he has confidence in Zambia’s judiciary and has since requested the Law Association of Zambia and Chief Justice Irene Mambilima to look into the matter.
President Lungu alleged that Mr. Mwenye advised residents of Chingola to sue Vedanta Resources for allegedly polluting the environment in the courts of law in the UK because Zambia’s judicial system is not effective.
President Lungu described the criticism labelled against the judiciary as unfair.
He said he will speak for the judiciary because it has no voice to speak for itself.
President Lungu said the development is unfortunate especially that Mr Mwenye is a senior member of the Zambian bar who has attacked the Zambian judiciary in a foreign country.
President Lungu was speaking yesterday morning at State House when he swore in five Supreme Court Judges who include Justices Nigel Mutuna, Jones Chinyama, Jane Kabuku, Charles Kajimanga and Michael Musonda.
And President Lungu’s Press Aide Amos Chanda later told Journalists that the Head of state will seek counsel from the Law Association of Zambia and Justice Mambilima on the remarks made by Mr. Mwenye who is the legal counsel for Chingola residents in a matter they have sued Vedanta Resources for allegedly polluting the environment on the Copperbelt.
But Mr Mwenye said in a statement that his comments in London were not malicious or unfaithful as he was giving an expert report to lawyers representing Zambians seeking justice from Vedanta and KCM regarding alleged pollution.
He said English lawyers representing in the case asked him to give an expert report on behalf of Zambians who sued Vedanta about various aspects including the state of access to justice in Zambia.
Mr Mwenye said he gave his opinion to the High Court in London highlighting challenges people face based on challenges highlighted by several stakeholders including the Law Association of Zambia and the Judiciary itself.
He said he considers it his duty to aide poor Zambians to obtain justice from anywhere in the world against any form of injustices and is ready to share his opinion with President Lungu and the Law Association of Zambia.
“I am not the only expert who has been engaged in this case. Former Chief Justice Sakala and Professor Patrick Mvunga S.C both of whom have my utmost respect and admiration have been engaged by KCM and Vedanta’s lawyers to give expert reports and I believe they have done so,” Mr Mwenye said.
Late ex-Zambia Under-20 coach Wesley Mondo was put to rest in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Mondo, 54 died on Saturday at the UTH after an illness.
His last coaching job was at Botswana club Nico United.
“Mondo was a luminary in football, a born leader who identified so many talents among the footballers that we have today,” ex-Football Association of Zambia president Teddy Mulonga said.
Mondo was a former Zambia backroom staff under Roald Poulsen.
He also coached Kalulushi Modern Stars, National Assembly, City of Lusaka and Zesco United.
Among the players Mondo coached at Under-20 include ex-Nkana and Zambia midfielder Clement ‘Sata’ Mulenga and current Chipolopolo assistant coach Irfan Kwari.
Zambia has opponents Congo-Brazzaville to thank after they gave striker Winston Kalengo a ride on their charter flight for Wednesday’s 2017 Africa Cup Group E clash in Ndola.
Kalengo, who plays for Congo champions AC Leopards, has been stuck in Brazzaville since the weekend after the country was in lockdown due to presidential elections that took place there.
The striker failed to get a flight home for 48 hours before hitch-hiking on Congo’s charter flight to Ndola where they landed just after 19h00.
Kalengo then joined his team mates at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Tuesday night in the teams’ final training session where the match will be played in an 18h00 kickoff on Wednesday.
However, Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene is only expected to land in Ndola at 11h00 on Tuesday.
This is after he also found himself in the same flight connect jam in Brazzaville over the weekend where Sundowns where in CAF Champions League against against Kalengo’s club that ended 1-1 on Saturday.
However, striker Evans Kangwa of Hapoel Ra’anana in Israel has withdrawn from the match due to injury.
The good news is defender Stopilla Sunzu of French Ligue 1 club Lille and midfielder Lubambo Musonda of Armenian side Gandazsar joined the team on Monday evening.
A group calling itself PF Generals has called on the opposition to stop alarming the nation on food shortages so as to avoid panic buying in the country.
In a statement issued the to the media the group said they have carried out independent investigations which have revealed that the country has enough food stocks in the country.
Below is a full statement from the group.
We the PF Group calling ourselves PF Generals wish to urge the opposition to stop alarming the nation on matters of food security to avoid panic buying.
The PF Generals have carried out independent investigations which have revealed that Zambia has enough food in stock.
We would like to thank and commend His Excellency The President of The Republic of Zambia Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu for the resolute efforts towards the development of the Agriculture sector.
The Minister of Agriculture Hon Given Lubinda, The Food Reserve Agency, Millers Association of Zambia and the Zambia National Farmers Union have all indicated that the country has enough cereals and mealie meal.
The challenge of mealie meal has widely been attributed to careless talk by some opposition leaders who predicted a food shortage.
To such leaders we urge them to remain sober because they are causing misery among innocent Zambians.
The PF Generals also urge Zambians to look out for people smuggling the essential commodity and immediately report such to relevant authorities.
The Lusaka High Court has ruled that Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini was wrong to declare the Kasama Central seat vacant.
High Court Judge Florence Lengalenga has also ruled that Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba should be given all his emoluments from the time his seat was declared vacant by the Speaker.
Judge Lengalenga says the Speaker crossed his jurisdiction by declaring the Kasama Central seat vacant.
She has also ordered the state to bear all the legal costs for the Kasama Central lawmaker.
This is in a case in which Mr. Mwamba challenged Dr Matibini’s decision to declare his seat vacant.
In his application, Mr. Mwamba said he already had a pending matter in the courts of law regarding his membership in the Patriotic Front.
He said Dr Matibini’s decision to declare his seat vacant should have come after the outcome of this petition.
Mr. Mwamba contended that Dr Matibini should have properly ruled over the issue of whether his Parliamentary seat was to become vacant after the determination by the Court over his membership.
Mr. Mwamba’s seat was declared vacant on July 28 2015 by Dr Matibini following his decision to join the UPND and his subsequent appointment as vice-president for administration.
And UPND has released the following Statement
High Court Ruling Confirms Speaker Matibini’s Bias
When Hon. Jack Mwiimbu raised a point of order over the bias of the Speaker in the National Assembly a few weeks back, the Speaker responded “Posterity will judge me”. It now looks like we do not have to wait for posterity, the Supreme Court has done just that for us in the case where Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) sought judicial review concerning his expulsion from Parliament.
In July last year when GBM was appointed Vice President for the UPND, the Speaker expelled GBM from Parliament through a point of order on the pretext that he had crossed the floor. What we do not understand is why the Speaker went above the law that regulates the expulsion of Members of Parliament from the National Assembly. There were two cases at the time in which the head of the LEGISLATURE decided to act as judge and legislator, the other involved Hon. Patrick Mucheleka who the Speaker claimed was an innocent by stander in that situation.
Well the birds have come home to roost via a court ruling that is setting the record straight, that an endorsement of another Presidential candidate is not a basis for expelling a sitting Member of Parliament. GBM did not state that he had left PF to join UPND, but rather that he was endorsing HH of the UPND. When Hon. Mwiimbu made that point of order the Speaker denied his assertion, but this court ruling has exonerated Hon. Mwiimbu.
We have observed on several occasions how Speaker Matibini has applied the law and parliamentary procedures selectively to the advantage of the PF. This rests this matter of his perceived bias, which has included UPND MPs wearing PF regalia yet remaining in Parliament even when the party has written to him to expel them. Still posterity has now arrived early for Matibini.
Girls caught stealing painted in yellow at Levy Mall
JET Stores in Lusaka has come intense condemnation from stakeholders after workers poured yellow paint on two young ladies for allegedly stealing from the store in November 2015.
The Human Rights Commission in a statement issued to the media by its Chief of Information, Education and Training Mweelwa Muleya said it strongly condemn acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of two females.
Muleya said the Commission become aware of the incident yesterday after the pictures of the two ladies went viral on social media and that independent investigations have confirmed the incident.
“The Commission became aware of this form of human rights violation yesterday, 21st March 2016, through Social Media Platforms and immediately instituted independent investigations, which established as a fact that two named ladies of Mtendere Townships in Lusaka, aged 19 and 21 years old respectively, were indeed subjected to acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment by Jet Stores Officials on 23rd November 2015 around 18:00 hours.
“The Commission has since interviewed the Stores Manager at Jet Stores, PHI, who has admitted painting the ladies with water paint, claiming that the victims consented to that kind of ill-treatment as opposed to being either fined or taken to police. The Commission has also interviewed both victims who reported that they were physically and emotionally abused by beating them with electrical cables from 16:00 hours to 18:00 hours to an extent of one of them becoming unconscious while the other one bled from the ears. The victims also claimed verbal, sexual and physical harassment during the ordeal that took place in a room where they were later forced to lay down and subjected to being painted with yellow water paint all over the body,” Muleya said.
“The Commission wishes to remind and warn both State and Non-State Actors that acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment are absolutely prohibited by Article 15 of the Zambian Constitution.
This prohibition is couched in absolute terms and no consent of the victim can waive this right to freedom from being tortured, which is aimed at protecting the inherent dignity and worth of a human being.
“It is also a breach of various Regional and International Human Rights Instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which Zambia ratified in 1998. There is no crime that justifies Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Suspects should always be reported to police who should in turn take such suspects to court, without resorting to torturing suspects under whatever circumstances.
“The Commission will summon both Jet Stores Management and the two victims for further investigations and action. The Commission is extremely concerned with increasing cases of such human rights violations. As a long term measure, the Commission is implementing Business and Human Rights projects and is also working towards facilitating the enactment of a national law criminalising torture to operationalise the Constitution and various Regional and International Human Rights Instruments,” the statement further reads.
Meanwhile YALI also added its voice and below is a statement in full.
YALI CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST JET STORES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) calls upon the Zambian Government to prosecute JET employees at PHI Shopping Mall and take measures to ensure that that JET Shop Management are held accountable for violating the rights of 2 ladies who were painted with yellow paint on allegation of shoplifting.
It is clear that Jet Shop and it’s employees have violated the constitutional rights of the ladies by the degrading and inhuman treatment of the 2 ladies whom they suspected to have tried to shoplift from JET Stores.
Article 15 of the Zambian Constitution protects it’s citizens from being subjected to torture, or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other like treatment and both foriegn and local investors must be alive to such provisions.
We call on the Zambia Police to enforce the rights of the two ladies by bringing the employed from JET who splashed paint on the ladies to book and take measures to have the investor account for allowing such inhuman treatment from happening within the precinct of its stores.
YALI call upon the Zambian women and their movements such as NGOCC and Zambia National Women Lobby Group to conduct peaceful protest at JET Stores around the country including the demand of closure of JET stores.
We cannot allow our young mothers to be stripped of their dignity in the name of enforcing the law.
Antonio Mwanza
The Forum Democracy and Development says it is immoral and callous for Republican President Edgar Lungu to increase his salary when his Government has refused effect an upward adjustment for public service workers.
FDD Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said there is no justification for President Lungu to increase his salary as everything he uses is paid for by tax payers
He accused President Lungu of being selfish and that the motive for increasing his salary was because he was preparing for a fat retirement package as he knows that he is entitled to 80% of his salary when he retires.
“It is immoral and callous for President Edgar Lungu to increase his salary when his Government has refused to effect an upward salary adjustment for public service workers despite the rising cost of living, the depreciation of the Kwacha and high inflation rates.
“There is absolutely no justifiable reason for Mr Lungu to increase his salary because everything that the President uses, from a handkerchief to Jameson is fully paid for by us the taxpayers. There is no expense that the President bores, as every good and service for him and his next of kin is fully paid for by the Zambian people.
“The only motivation behind this very insensitive increment is greed. Mr Lungu has a selfish bambazonke attitude towards national issues. He wants everything for himself and nothing for others. He is preparing a fat retirement package for himself because he knows that he will be entitled to 80% of this salary once he is out of office,” he said.
He added “We strongly beseech the President to listen to his conscience, that is if he has any and immediately annul this immoral increment. He should instead allocate that excess money to other needy areas such as education where primary schools get a paltry ZMW1500 per year as allocation for operations.
“The President has to realise that we hold public office not for self aggrandisement but for public service. We are in politics not to enrich ourselves but to enrich the lives of millions of Zambians in whose trust we preside over the affairs of the State. Those in public office are stewards who should administer public affairs with love, honesty, prudence and personal sacrifice. Let us stop this callous and immoral culture of using power for personal gain.”
