THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has filed a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling in which The Post Newspapers was granted a stay of execution to restrain the authority from demanding full settlement of tax obligations.

This is in a case in which The Post Newspapers has appealed to the Supreme Court following the High Court’s dismissal of its application for judicial review over the proposal to pay the tax liabilities in instalments.

The Post Newspapers owes Government over K16 million, inclusive of penalties and liabilities.
The High Court has, however, ordered the Post Newspapers to honour its tax obligation with the government within 90 days of the disposal of its appeal in the Supreme Court.

The firm had earlier applied for judicial review in the Lusaka High Court following ZRA’s rejection of its proposal to pay the tax liability in instalments.

According to the notice of appeal filed in the Supreme Court registry last Friday, ZRA, through its legal department, stated that it was appealing against the whole judgment.

The Post Newspapers had earlier appealed against Lusaka High Court judge Mwiinde Siavwapa’s judgment of October 30, which favoured ZRA over disputed tax obligations.

The media organisation appealed to the Supreme Court against judge Siavwapa’s verdict, which allowed the ZRA to implement its demands to collect disputed tax figures from the

A 25-YEAR-OLD man of Senanga suspected to be part of a group of United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres who beat up children and smashed windows at Vice-President Inonge Wina’s private home in Nalolo has been charged with malicious damage to property.

On Saturday, suspected UPND cadres, who were in Nalolo in Western Province to accompany their president Hakainde Hichilema, beat up children at Mrs Wina’s home and damaged property in the house.

Western Province commissioner of police Charles Lungu said in an interview yesterday that police have charged and arrested Kwitu Kanyanga for malicious damage to property.

Mr Lungu said Mr Kanyanga was allegedly in the company of other people suspected to be UPND cadres.

He said Mr Kanyanga was arrested for allegedly stoning a shop belonging to a Patriotic Front (PF) official.

By press time, Mr Kanyanga was scheduled to be put on an identification parade.

An identification parade is where the police put a suspect in a line-up of people. They ask a witness to look at the line-up to see if they can pick out the person who committed the offence

“Apparently the suspect and his friends travelled to Senanga after attacking the Vice-President’s family and they were arrested after the group stoned a shop belonging to a PF member. The owner of the shop even identified the suspect during an identification parade in Senanga,” Mr Lungu said.

He appealed to political cadres to be tolerant of divergent views to avoid clashes.

“We are not at war. We should respect and know that we are in a multi-party democracy. People should respect each despite belonging to different political parties,” he said

PF Secretary General Davies Chama has said that the ruling party does not have the numbers in Parliament to single handedly secure the passage of the Constitution Bill into law.

Mr. Chama said that contrary to suggestions by the Grand Coalition on the Campaign for the People Driven Constitution that it practically has 109 members in Parliament, the ruling PF only has 87 members.

He has told Qfm News in an interview that the fact that it will require at least 106 Members of Parliament to get a majority vote in the House, the success of the Constitution Bill depends both on the PF and the opposition.

Mr. Chama stated that this means that the ruling PF will not get the blame if the Constitution Bill fails in Parliament.

He said that there is nothing more the ruling PF can do other than what it has already done by taking the Constitution Bill to Parliament.

Mr Chama stated that the ruling party only hopes that MPs will support the Bill when it comes up for debate in the House.

Mr. Chama said the ruling party wants to put to an end to the debate on the enactment of the new Constitution once and for all.

Meanwhile, Political Activist Dante Saunders has demanded that PF Secretary General Davies Chama apologizes to Zambians for telling them to urinate in Lake Kariba in order to fill up the lake for power generation.

Mr. Saunders said that Mr. Chama ought to know that his remarks are tantamount to insulting Zambians including elderly people.

He has told QFM News that it is disappointing that Mr. Chama did not consider how injurious his statement would be to elderly people.

Mr. Saunders said that it is sad that Mr. Chama has continued uttering irresponsible remarks even when he came under attack for his tribal remarks against the Tonga Speaking people earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Mr. Saunders says both the ruling PF and UPND should take responsibility for the recent violence in Kitwe and Mongu.

Puma Energy Zambia Chairperson Jacob Sikazwe has applauded government for providing an enabling environment and supporting his company’s network development in the country.

Mr. Sikazwe said Puma has continued to invest heavily in the retail network by upgrading existing infrastructure and equipment and constructing new industry service station from the time it entered the Zambian market.

He added that Puma would continue to introduce other goods and services such as convenience stores and restaurants.

Mr. Sikazwe was speaking when they unveiled the Puma Energy Zambia Fuel Card at Longacres Puma Service station in Lusaka today.

He stated that the Puma Card will help improve efficiency of operations for business owners, fleet managers, corporate customers and non-governmental organisation.

And BancABC Managing Director Clergy Simatyaba said his institution was working hard to be a premier financial institution through partnering with the leaders in the petroleum market.

Mr. Simatyaba said BancABC has partnered with Puma to develop the fuel Card.

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has warned motorists against contamination in fuels for vehicles.

ERB Public Relations Manager Kwali Mfuni says during the course of this year, the Regulator has noted increasing accidents of consumers complaining of wrong fuel had allegedly been dispensed into their vehicles.

Motorists should be alert whenever fuelling their vehicles at filling station to avoid cross contamination of fuel, she explains in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

“Adulterated fuel should immediately be decanted in the presence of the car owners so that the customers only buy quality commodity (fuel), “ Ms. Mfuni said.

She advised motorists to contact the Regulator’s Toll Free line 8080 at all times whenever there is such an incident.

She furthermore appealed to the motorists to familiarize themselves with the different fuel colour codes to avoid such incidents.

The ERB Public Relations Manager explained that Green colour is for Petrol, while Blue is Kerosene or Paraffin and Diesel has got two colour codes Yellow/straw and Purple respectively.

The Regulator has so far handled eight cases of cross contamination and fuel pollution which at the expense of motorists who have complained to ERB who in-turn have charged the affected filling stations.

Ms. Mfuni urged motorists always obtain receipts whenever they purchase fuel and take note of the distributor.

Recently, the Regulator summoned Puma, Mt Meru and Engene filling stations following complaints from customers over polluted fuels.