Speaking in an interview Mr Chipenzi said there is need to appoint judges of the constitutional court as the court will play an important role in the August,11 elections.

He said the President needs to appoint the judges so that they can be scrutinized by the public and avoid being accused of appointing his relatives who would protect him if the constitutional court could be needed in case there is a dispute after the polls.

“The President should concentrate on making and promoting a smooth electoral process ahead of August, 11, general elections and one of those is the operationalization of articles 103, 104 and 105 which talks about the establishment of a constitutional court.

“The constitutional court is the only institution which can respond to any electoral Disputes at Presidential level hence the President should stop concentrating on the appointments of Permanent Secretaries and start appointing constitutional court judges. We are 6 months away from the elections and government seem not to be moving forward in terms of establishing the constitutional court,” he said.

He added ” the President should now concentrate on identifying and scrutinizing the judges who will be appointed because they will be key players in the forth coming elections. Our appeal to the President is let’s us have movements towards the constitution of the constitutional court. “

Media Liaison Committee chairperson Enock Ngoma says lawyers engaged to seek legal redress against the biased media coverage by state run ZNBC, Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail will on Wednesday submit the petition to the high court.

The committee is seeking the courts intervention and is hopeful that the national broadcaster and the sister companies will stop the biased coverage of political parties and other stakeholders.

Mr Ngoma said the committee is hopeful that the courts will compel the 3 public institutions to start giving equal coverage to all political players as the institutions are not private but public hence should give coverage to all Zambians.

He said the committee has engaged lawyers who are pursuing the issue and are expected to submit documents in the High court on Wednesday.

He said the committee was forced to take court action against the three public media institutions because of the continued biased coverage of political parties with only the ruling party enjoying the coverage.

He said the action by the committee is based on a precedent which was set by the court in 1991 when the directors of the 3 institutions were put on suspension for failing to give equal coverage to all political parties in the run up to the general elections.

The court action comes after numerous calls by stakeholders for the public media to give equal coverage to all political parties and other stakeholders.

Stakeholders have argued that the 3 public media institutions are run using tax payers money hence should be accessible by all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation.

FOLLOWING complaints that affected motorists do not realise value of their money, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has unveiled a market inquiry on towing of vehicles involved in accidents or breakdowns.

Several motorists have complained that privately-owned tow-vehicles usually appear at scenes of accidents or breakdown and immediately start towing the vehicles to the nearest police stations even without consent or agreeing on the fees to be paid by the affected people.

CCPC is since requesting for information from the public who are not satisfied with conditions of service rendered and the price charged by such firms.

“We are conducting a market inquiry in the towing sub-sector, this is in view of complaints received from consumers in the towing sub-sector that were not satisfied with conditions of the services, and did not realise the value of their money,” CCPC says.

“To understand the sector better and protect consumers of the towing service, CCPC is inviting members of the public around the country to submit their experiences,” the notice read in part.

It stated that CCPC is mandated to review the operations of the market in Zambia and the conditions of competition in those markets.

“CCPC is also mandated to protect consumers, to achieve this, the Commission undertakes market inquiries in order to understand and appreciate the operations of a sector of the economy,” it stated.

Police in Kitwe have quelled a riotous protest by Copperbelt University-CBU students who went on rampage this afternoon to press for payment of their meal allowances.

And calm has returned to the Jambo Drive Campus as police in riot gear continue to keep vigil over unfolding events.

A ZNBC News crew that found the road leading into the campus blocked with logs and stones.

And Copperbelt Province Police Chief Charity Katanga disclosed that over 17 students were apprehended during the fracas.

Ms. Katanga said those picked up have been charged with riotous behaviour and malicious damage to property.

She said the 17, who include two female students are detained at Riverside Police Station.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Services in Monze District over the weekend and this morning arrested nine suspects who were found in possession of 160 Kilogrammes of Dried Zebra Meat and a live protected Pangolin.

And the Department says rehabilitation works on the Lochnivar Lodge is are nearing completion following the release of more than K500,000 by government towards the refurbishment of the structure and other tourism facilities in the National Park.

Monze District Area Warden Wilfred Moonga said out of the suspects, six were arrested on Saturday around 16 : 00 hours while the rest were arrested this morning around 09: 00 hours.

Mr. Moonga who confirmed the arrests to ZANIS today said the six suspects who included a police officer were found in possession of a live Pangolin without legal documents contrary to the Wildlife Act N0. 14 of 2015 of the laws of Zambia.

The six suspects who are all males were apprehended around 16 hours on Saturday after a tip of from members of public as they tried to sale the Pangolin at K80,000 in Monze’s Manungu compound, he said.

Suspects arrested included Patrick Mulenga aged 34 of Petauke compound in Petauke District, Cephas Zulu aged 58 of Kalindawalo chiefdom in Petauke District, Peter Phiri aged 38 of Kabasa Chiefdom in Katete District , Munyangano Musoke aged 36 of Naluwama chiefdom in Mazabuka District.

Also included are Peter Nthani aged 36 and Charles Mbawo aged 56 of Garden Compound and Chelston in Lusaka, respectively.

“ I can confirm that we arrested 9 suspects in total out of these, six were found in possession of a live Pangolin and three have been arrested today after they were found in possession dried meat,” said Mr. Moonga.

Mr. Moonga said the Department believes the suspects poached the live Pangolin from one of the Districts in East Province and were trying to sale it to unsuspecting members of public in Monze District.

The area warden said the rescued Pangolin has since been released in Lochnivar National Park adding that the Department has since seized a Toyota Hilux Surf registration Number ARB 1330 belonging to one of the suspected alleged to have been used to traffic the live protected animal.

And Mr. Moonga said three suspected poachers were arrested after they were found in unlawful possession of 160 kilogrammes of dried Zebra meat concealed in a large plastic bag without a legal documents.

He identified the suspects as Mweemba Machelo female aged 38, Christine Mweemba female aged 30, and a male Mayambu Chiyoba aged 23 all of Chief Hamusonde’a area in Monze District.

“This Morning around 9 hours near Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula Stadium, we arrested three suspects , two females and a male who were found in possession of 160 kilogrammes of dried Zebra Meat government trophy which they concealed in large plastic bag popularly known as, “ Ukwa bag” as they were trying to hike en-route to Lusaka ostensibly to sale the meat,” said Mr, Moonga.

The Department has for this reason heightened patrols in the Lochnivar National Park and spot checks in the District to prevent poaching and prevent trafficking of government trophy by poachers, he said.

He, however said the Department needs more manpower and resources to adequately conduct patrols and intensify nights patrols in the Park.

“I would say we seem to have rampant poaching especially during this time of the year when some people are facing hunger and also because of the proximity of Lochnivar to Lusaka where there is a seemingly a ready market for bush meat,” Mr. Moonga said.

He added that the, “Department needs more resources and manpower to curb any poaching activities.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Moonga said the completion of rehabilitation works on the Lochnivar Lodge would help to spar tourism arrivals to the National Park renowned for its unrivalled Lechwe and bird population.

He said so far government has released more than K500,000 for rehabilitation works on the lodge and other tourism sites adding that the major rehabilitations works on the tourism facilities in the park would significantly revive tourism in the District and subsequently tourist arrivals in the National park.