President Edgar Lungu has directed the Zambia Public Procurement Authority to ensure that all infrastructural projects, including the airport expansion and electricity power station projects, are supplied by locally produced products.

The President said the move will support locally produced goods such as steel bars produced by the Universal Mining and Chemical Industries limited of Kafue.

President Lungu said the steel plant, which employs about 1000 people, is in line with government’s development programme of job creation hence the need for support by all Zambians.

The Head of State said government stands ready to meet the energy demand required by the steel plant so that it can operate at full capacity.

President Lungu was speaking when he launched the new Direct Reduced Iron Plant at Kafue steel plant in Kafue District.

President Lungu has also directed the minister of mines and the Managing Director of ZCCM Investment Holdings to allocated Kafue steel plant a sizeable coal reserve to enable the upgrading of iron and steel products.

The President was earlier taken on a conducted tour of both the steel plant and the new Direct Reduced Iron Plant which is at the same premise.

And Trade Kings Group of Companies Executive Director, Bright Chunga, told the President that Kafue Steel Plant is producing 120,000 metric tonnes per annum but will upgrade to 240,000 metric tonnes per annum once the plant starts using iron ore later this year.

Dr Chunga said load shedding is one of the challenges that have hampered production restricting it to eight hours per day.

He has also disclosed that the firm will later this year open an ore mine in Nampundwe in Shibuyunji district.

The President is in Kafue District and later expected to address a public rally at Mutendere Primary school.

The vendors interviewed on the streets of Lusaka on Friday revealed that motorists and members of the public have stopped buying the other newspapers since the Post has now limited circulation.

They revealed that the trend has always been that people will buy the other two or three papers together with the Post as a way of getting a balance in news coverage.

“What used to happen is that the first paper of choice would be the Post, after they get the Post, then you find that someone will also get the Daily Mail or Times depending on which Headline they have and the Daily Nation would only be an option but since the Post became hard to find, people are now failing to buy any of the three papers which has now badly affected our sales,” said one vendor on Independence Avenue.

And investigations have revealed that some newspaper vendors on Cairo road have resorted to hiding the paper for fear of being attacked by PF cadres.
Some vendors who operate around Church House on Cairo Road said they have been warned that they will be beaten up and their wares confiscated if they are found selling the Post.

“So we have resorted to hiding the paper and selling it only to our trusted customers because we are scared of these PF cadres. They keep checking up on us to see if we are stocking the paper. They are saying that the Post is a closed publication so it is illegal to trade in it. This has made our work very difficult,” another vendor said.

The Zambia Revenue Authority this week raided the Post and confiscated equipment and assets of the newspaper company and paralysed its operations in a protracted.

However, the Newspaper has defied all odds and have continued publishing although with limited circulation.

The phrase ‘local is lekker’ flowed off Radisson Blu Zambia executive chef, Darrly Freeman‘s lips on Friday night as he feted guests to delicious local cuisines.
He was right. Local is always lekker.
The testimony is in the huge numbers of people that flock to the famous ‘matebeto’ restaurants in Lusaka’s Thornpark every lunch hour.
Zambians have a great love for local dishes such as bondwe and Chibwabwa, and being able to sample such cuisines in a five-star setup such as the Radisson Blu, is set to make it all the more delicious.
The Radisson Blu has tapped into this love by launching the new Chuma Grill menu and restaurant on Mondays.
In an interview, Radisson Blu general manager Marius Wolmarans said the restaurant would serve Zambian cuisines in a comfortable and relaxed environment.
“We want every guest coming into the country to have a real taste of the various Zambian foods, without having to leave our hospitable and warm environment,” Wolmarans said.
Interestingly, the restaurant is named after one of the famous explorer, David Livingstone’s helpers, Chuma.
Chuma was renowned for his hospitality to the explorer and is said to have taken great care of the explorer, especially in the last days of his life.
And chef Freeman said the restaurant will also boost local business as most of the foods are sourced locally, especially from the Tuesday Market in Kabwata, Lusaka.
Chef Freeman is the winner of the Master-cook Zambia 2014 cooking competition.

(Daily Mail)

New Zealand based , Zambian Electropop artist Mukuka Musowa released her latest single “Just Fine” .

Just Fine is the third single off Mukuka’s on-going project with Producer Nate. The single was written for and will be featured on a New Zealand Television Show BOTH WORLDS, which will be aired on TV3 in August 2016 where Mukuka’s music, culture and influences are documented.

BY KAPA187

President Edgar Lungu says government is rolling out vigorous developmental projects because it is fully aware of the challenges people in the country are facing.

The President says he is administering a government that is on course to make Zambia a food basket.

President Lungu says government has put in place good policies such as the increase in the price of maize at which the Food Reserve Agency -FRA- will buy from the farmers.

He says the policies that include quick delivery of fertilizer to the farmers have resulted into Zambia being the only country in the region that has produce enough maize to feed the nation and export.

The President was speaking at a Campaign rally held at Chimusanya Primary school grounds in Rufunsa district.

President Lungu said he is a leader of a listening government and has assured the people of Rufunsa that government will not grab land from anyone.

The President also said will continue to preach non violence campaigns.

And Christian Democratic Party Apostle Dr Daniel Pule says starting from July 4, he will start prayer and fasting ahead of the polls.

And former Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Captain Austin Chewe said all opposition political parties are fully aware of the works that President LUNGU is spear heading.

Meanwhile, PF Rufunsa candidate Kenneth Chipungu said he is thankful to the PF for adopting him to stand on the PF ticket.

The State has entered a Nolle Prosequi in a case where opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Vice President and Presidential Running Mate Geoffrey Mwamba is accused of Conduct Likely to Cause the breach of Peace.

Principle State Advocate Katongo Waluzimba under the Office of the National Prosecution Authority said they had instructions to stop the case but that the other two cases are still on.

Yesterday the matter came up before Kitwe Magistrate Maloto Phiri and first was the Assault Case were the complainant Moses Katongo of No. 1074 Kawama, Kitwe identified Mr. Mwamba as the one who had slapped him on 19th May 2016 around 14 hours.

Mr. Katongo a Toothpaste street vendor at Chisokone Market claimed that on the material day a group called “HH” led by a man he identified as “Mr. GBM” came to the market and upon reaching his stand “Mr. GBM” asked him to shout “forward” and flash a unfolded palm symbol but that he refused.

He claimed it is at this point “Mr. GBM” slapped him on his mouth and left him bleeding and two teeth shaking.

At was at this point that Mr. Katongo reported the matter to Police that gave him a medical Report to present at the Hospital.

During Cross Examination by Defence Lawyers led by Mulilo Kabesha and Tom Shamakamba said the accused was lying to the Court as the statement he gave to the Police which he Mr. Kabesha read in Court was different from his submissions this morning especially on the matter of bleeding and shaking of teeth.

And a second Witness Dillan Chama, 23, also identified Mr. Mwamba who was in the company of UDF President Miles Sampa with about seven others and a mob as the person he saw slapping Mr. Katongo around 11 hours.

And Magistrate Phiri adjourned the matter to 3rd August 2016 for the continuation of the case and the accused Bail has since been extended.

Present during the case was the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his United Democratic Front counterpart Miles Sampa, former Acting President Dr. Guy Scott and former Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe among others are a crowed of chanting UPND supporters outside the Courts.

Security was tight as the Zambia Police had deployed a battalion of Police officers heavily armed and in full riot gear to maintain peace.

Meanwhile Mr. Mwamba popularly known as GBM has since resumed his campaigns on the Copperbelt and was expected to address rallies in Chililabombwe, Chibuluma and Ndola respectively before attending a dinner Dance at Kitwe’s Mooba Hotel tonight.