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Four suspected criminals believed to be Zambians have been gunned down at Tuduma in Tanzania by the Tanzanian police during an exchange of heavy gun fire.
Both Tanzanian police and Muchinga Deputy Commissioner of Police Peter Bubenshi have confirmed the incident in an interview with ZANIS at Tuduma today.
Mr. Bubenshi said the four suspected criminals were gunned down at about 11:00 hours yesterday when they staged a day-light robbery at beer depot located at Songea about 6 km inside Tuduma town from the Zambian border town of Nakonde.
Mr. Bubenshi said Tanzanian police have since recovered 400,000 cash Tanzanian Shillings equivalent to K1.6 million, an AK 47 Rifle and a Semi Automatic Machine Gun (SMG).
One of the deceased suspects was also found with a ticket for a Zambian bus operating between Lusaka and Nakonde which showed that he arrived in Nakonde in the morning yesterday and allegedly took part in staging the robbery.
The bodies of the four suspects are lying at Tuduma mortuary awaiting further investigations.
Meanwhile, a team of Zambia Police officers from Chinsali has arrived at Tuduma Tanzania for further investigations.
Mr. Bubenshi said the team will be in Tuduma working with the Tanzanian police to ensure that the case is fully investigated and the source of fire arms traced.
Rabies has broken out in Monze district leaving about eight people infected.
District Veterinary Officer Alex Hachangu told ZANIS in an interview today that the disease has broken out in Njola, Kayuni and Chisekese areas.
Dr Hachangu added that the eight people who were bitten by the rabid dogs have since received treatment.
“We first received reports of people bitten by a suspected rabid dog last month and we took blood samples for tests to Mazabuka where the results were positive for rabies,” said Dr. Hachangu.
“ I can also confirm that no death has been recorded as those who were infected were given rabies post exposure prophylaxis,” he added.
Dr Hachangu said the Department of Veterinary has since requested for K32,000 from government to vaccinate 2, 247dogs in the entire district in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.
Dr Hachangu further said the vaccination exercise will target areas such Njola, Kayuni and Chisekese where the rabid dogs has been reported.
“We intend to carry out massive dog vaccination against rabies in the district once government gives us funds especially in areas such as Njola, Chikuni, and Chisekese where we have received reports of suspected rabid dogs,” Dr Hachangu said.
Dr Hachangu further advised dog owners to keep dogs in their yards even when they are vaccinated adding that any dog found roaming the street during the vaccinations will be killed so as to keep the lives of people safe.
Meanwhile, Dr Hachangu said 10,000 herds of cattle have been vaccinated against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) since the exercise started last month.
He said the department is expected to vaccinate more than 10,000 cattle during the exercise following the release of K132, 000 and more vaccines from government.
Monze District has a cattle population of more than 140,000 and mostly owned by small scale farmers.
A student at the Copperbelt University sadly walks away after the PF Government shut down one of Zambia’s highest learning Institutions
Copperbelt University (CBU) students have called on government to re-open the learning institution immediately to avoid further disruption in the academic calendar.
The students who staged a protest at the BOMA Building which houses the office of the District Commissioner demanded that government re-opens the institution immediately.
Police officers in riot gear were quickly deployed at the scene to disperse the protesting students.
This is the second time that the students are staging a protest to pressure government to re-open the institution which was prematurely closed last month.
And speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) president Humphrey Mwenya appealed to government to quickly address the wrangle between the lecturers and management to ensure that the institution is re-opened.
Mr Mwenya urged government to take the education sector as one of its priorities as the trained labour force was cardinal to national development.
He also urged Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe to act as a link between the students and Presidents Edgar Lungu so that their problem can be solved.
Government last month closed the CBU following protests by the students sparked by the continued strike by the lecturers who are calling for the resignation of the University Vice Chancellor Professor Naison Ngoma and the entire management.
Zesco United have confirmed that Chipolopolo midfielder Kondwani Mtonga is set to re-join India Premier League side NorthEast United.
Mtonga spent five months on loan at North East United from Zesco in 2014.
He made 13 appearances and scored two goals.
“Kondwani Mtonga is set to return to North-East United FC of India,” Zesco media officer Katebe Chengo said in a statement on Tuesday.
The 2015 India Premier League season begins in the first week of October.
Meanwhile, Chengo said Zesco are willing to re-sign Togolese Defender Emmanuel Mathias who has been recalled by his parent club Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
“Togolese Defender Emmanuel Mathias is also set to return to MamelodiSundowns if his services will be required although he has been registered by Zesco United for the 2015 season,” she said.
Chengo added that during the ended mid-season transfer window, Zesco signed defender Emmanuel Mayuka from FAZ Division one side KabweWarriors on a permanent deal.
Defender Mayuka is not related to Southampton and Chipolopolo striker Emmanuel Mayuka.
Zesco have also acquired defender Shemmy Mayembe and midfielder Lackson Chewe from Zesco Academy plus striker Maybin Kalengo of Zesco Victoria Falls in Livingstone.
The FAZ Super Division champions have loaned Under 20 goalkeeper Samson Banda and forward Nathan Bwalya to Mufulira Wanderers.
Republican President Edgar Lungu alights from the presidential jet at Samora Machel Airbase in Mbala when he made a stop over from Uganda on his way to Mwansabombwe
Republican President Edgar Lungu has encouraged mining companies to use alternative sources of power for their operations in view of the ongoing countrywide load shedding.
President Lungu was responding to a question on some mining companies that are suspending operations on account of low power,shortly before departure for Ndola at City airport this morning.
President is on the Copperbelt to commission the US$400 million Dangote Cement plant in Ndola later this afternoon.
The cement plant, which has an installed capacity to produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement per annum, has been equipped with a 30 Mega Watt power plant.The cement plant commenced production in May this year.
The President is accompanied by vice president Inonge Wina, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani and Patriotic Front officials.
Meanwhile Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has certified Dangote cement compliant with the specified Zambia standards following the inspection and audit of the production process at the cement plant.
Nigerian Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is in Zambia on a one-day official visit to the country.
Osinbajo will be meeting with President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and Vice President Inonge Wina respectively.
The trio will be participating in the commissioning of the 1.5 million tonnes Dangote Cement plant and 30 MW coal-fired power plant in Ndola, Zambia today after which the Vice President would return to Abuja.
Mr Matt Pascal First Quantum Minerals Director of Operation with President Edgar Lungu during the Tour of Kansanshi Mine PLC in Solwezi on Friday 15-05-2015 Picture EDDIE MWANALEZA /STATE HOUSE.
Crippling power shortages have forced Zambia’s largest copper producer, First Quantum Minerals Ltd., to halt production at one of its largest mines, the company said Monday, in a major operational scale-down that will result in the loss of nearly 1,500 jobs.
The Toronto-listed miner said that it had embarked on a “rigorous” cost-cutting program to save its $2.1 billion Sentinel copper mine following the decision of the state power company, Zambia Electricity Supply Corp., or Zesco, to slash power supplies to its operation because of a nationwide shortfall.
Until recently, Zambia has had one of the most reliable electricity grids in the region, depending on its vast hydropower plants, as well as imports from South Africa to maintain a steady supply to its mines.
But both sources have faced pressure in recent months: The worst drought in three decades has lowered water levels at dams, plunging the country into a deficit of nearly 600 megawatts, while imports from South Africa have dried up as the region’s most-advanced economy grapples with its own power-generation shortfall.
“The electricity supply is insufficient to maintain viable mining operations,” First Quantum said. “All discretionary spending has been stopped and a process of closing out contracts to reduce costs has commenced.”
The Power cuts in Zambia, coupled with falling copper prices, are increasing the risk of a credit rating downgrade at copper producer First Quantum, Moody’s said on Monday.
Moody’s, which has a negative outlook on its B1 rating for Canada’s First Quantum, said that “credit metrics may deteriorate more sharply than anticipated in the next 12 months, towards levels not commensurate with the current rating.”
First Quantum’s problems were compounded by a fall in copper prices — down about 18 percent so far this year — that is denting its revenue at a time of mounting financial pressure for the company, which is consuming cash as its develops its large, open pit Cobre Panama project, Moody’s said.
Over 5,000 males aged between 10 and 49 have been circumcised in the April Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) in Eastern Province.
Provincial Medical Officer Abel Kabalo told ZANIS in an interview today that 5,242 males were circumcised in the April VMMC campaign saying this was against a target of 5000.
Dr Kabalo stated the programme targets another 5000 in the August VMMC campaign and will specifically target those that are HIV negative.
He stated that VMMC is on-going for males who are HIV positive as they can access the service in various health facilities at any time.
He however expressed concern that reduced support from cooperating partners such as Society for Family Health (SFH) may affect the August VMMC campaign.
The Provincial Medical officer expressed worry that the VMMC August campaign may not reach the intended target of 5000 males in various parts of the province due to inadequate support.
He however stated that health workers will use established systems and available resources to carry out the campaign in all the nine districts of the province.
Dr. Kabalo disclosed that all the holidays on the school calendar have been reserved for the exercise.
We, as the Green Party, are extremely disappointed with the manner in which Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili has handled the employer-employee relationships at ZNBC in the last week which resulted in the suspension of a union leader Martin Maseka. Since the root cause of the disturbance specifically relates to collective bargaining, industrial relations, and social security laws, we would like to appeal to Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda to immediately intervene and resolve the impasse.
Further, we urge government to immediately suspend the Director General Richard Mwanza so as to facilitate investigations of alleged abrogation of the collective agreement and misappropriation of monies.If the PF government is serious with fighting corruption and promoting good governance and transparency in public institutions. Furthermore, we urge the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Anti-Money Laundering Unit of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to move in and investigate alleged misappropriation of workers’ pension funds by ZNBC Management.
We believe that the workers have a cause to protest since management decided to unilaterally delete or remove some of the conditions of service from the collective agreement. If proven, this constitutes a grave breach of labour laws. Instead of intimidating and persecuting the workers, it is therefore imperative that Government lends them an ear. In a democracy a government should be sensitive to workers distresses.
Secondly, the workers allege that management has not accounted for the monies deducted from earning to pay Zambia National Building Society, which has resulted into some employees facing legal action. This is a very serious corruption and money-laundering allegation which warrants prompt proactive investigations by ACC and DEC. We hope that the two institutions have already moved in to investigate the allegations.
Zambia will be one of three debutants at the second edition of the CAF Under-23 Cup in November.
Tunisia and Mali, who eliminated defending champions Gabon, are the other tournament first-timers joining Zambia at the championship that will decide Africa’s three representatives at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Zambia, quarterfinalists at Seoul 1988, are chasing their third Olympic outing.
Tunisia seeking their first Olympic appearance since Greece 2004 so too will be Mali after reaching the quarterfinals in Athens.
And Fighton Simukonda’s team is in the company of four other high-powered prospective opponents for the tournament that will run from November 28 to December 12.
They include Senegal who automatically qualified as hosts and are chasing their second Olympic appearance since reaching the quarterfinals at London 2012.
Zambia’s nemesis in the 2011 CAF Under-23 qualifiers Algeria will be heading for their second appearance but still without an Olympic outing since 1980 in Moscow where they were quarterfinalists.
2012 quarterfinalists Egypt will be hunting for an unpredicted 12th Olympic appearance.
Africa’s most seasoned Olympic team has been taking part in the quadrennial event since 1920 in France and represented the continent in five successive finals in between the two World Wars including the infamous 1936 Berlin Games.
The rest are Atlanta 1996 Olympic champions Nigeria with six Olympic outings will be hoping for the first Olympiad since winning silver at Beijing 2008.
South Africa return for a second CAF Under-23 Cup tournament and are seeking their first Olympic qualification since Sydney 2000.
The 2015 CAF Under-23 Cup draw date and venue ceremony will be decided at this weeks CAF Executive Committee meeting on August 6 in Cairo.
Urban Hype released the audio Sweet Melody that samples the ever classic Angelique Kidjo(Benin) hit song Agolo late last year and has become a hit song across the continent. Sweet Melody is a sensual and visually stimulating video shot in the coastal region of Kenya by the Nigerian video director Aje Films
file:People protesting against Vedantaprotest against Vedanta in Londonprotest against Vedanta in Indiaprotest against Vedanta in India
Six global locations in India and Zambia held angry protests opposing the activities of British-Indian mining company Vedanta over the 1st and 2nd of August. Vedanta’s AGM at Ironmongers Hall, Barbican, London was mobbed by a loud rally organised by Foil Vedanta, accusing the company of pollution, human rights abuses and financial mismanagement.
Vedanta’s share price has slipped 61% this year to 377p, and continues to dive as Q1 results show increased debt, and Cairn India minority shareholders oppose their attempt to merge with the oil and gas subsidiary to gain access to its $2.6 billion cash reserves for debt servicing.
In the Zambian copperbelt, communities living around the mines and smelters of Vedanta’s copper subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines staged two days of protests in Chingola town on 1st and 2nd August. They decried KCM’s continued pollution of the River Kafue and local streams, which have left the water devoid of life, and communities with long term health problems and without clean water. Most of the protesters are also victims of the major pollution of the river Kafue by Vedanta in 2006, which affected up to 40,000 Zambians. KCM was finally confirmed as guilty by the Supreme Court of Zambia in April this year, though $2 million compensation earlier awarded to the victims was retracted under pressure from company lawyers. The claimants have accused Vedanta of corruption and bribery in the case.
[pullquote]$2 million compensation earlier awarded to the victims was retracted under pressure from company lawyers[/pullquote]
Joseph Sibezulu, one of the protesters says:
“Zambia’s environment has been polluted and destroyed by the so-called foriegn investors including Vedanta. People are suffering health problems and the companies don’t even help us with medical expenses. We as Zambians say no to these looters.”
KCM was earlier indicted in Zambia when evidence emerged of major tax evasion and transfer mispricing.
A parallel event will also take place in the capital Lusaka, organised by the pressure group Power Zambia, who will issue a press statement highlighting the poor working and health conditions of KCM’s workforce, including the impacts of high arsenic-tainted copper concentrate, which was recently being imported by KCM from Chile, but was banned from processing in Zambia by the government in July 2015, as it endangered workers and the environment.
Protesters at Vedanta’s AGM in London focused on the company’s $9.1 billion net debt crisis and desperate attempt to merge with oil and gas subsidiary Cairn India to gain access to its $2.6 billion cash reserves.
Vedanta’s Q1 financial results released on 29th July revealed $500 million increased debt and impairments. The share price has now slipped to a historic low of 377p. Dissident shareholders were expected to warn Vedanta’s shareholders inside the AGM that the company may follow the pattern of Indian energy corporate, Essar – bleeding subsidiaries of their assets, de-listing them, and incurring huge debt write-downs, if they continue on their current trajectory.
Miriam Rose from Foil Vedanta said:
“Vedanta has been increasingly restructuring its toxic debt into Indian public banks, putting the taxpayer at risk of major losses if the firm goes bust. The high risk, high debt operating style also puts its 82,000 employees in a very insecure position, as jobs that were touted as ‘developing’ their communities are being lost overnight, leaving communities polluted and devastated without livelihoods.”
Vedanta recently announced ‘drastic’ job cuts across its Indian aluminium business, which it claimed was due to cheap imports from China and low aluminium price.6 7
In Rajasthan, India, retrenched miners from Matoon Mines Mazdur Sangh (Matoon Mines workers union) protested alongside local villagers polluted by phosphate dumps. Ninety miners were dismissed by Vedanta subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Limited in December 2014 with only 1 month’s advanced pay. Berulal Meghwal, Dalit farmer and Matoon mines trade union activist said:
“Vedanta have flooded this area with money and bribes, and flooded my fields with phosphate mine-waste. They have acquired grazing land for phosphate dumps which is illegal under Rajasthan law as of April 2014. No-one was compensated for loss of grazing land.”
Kumari Bai, a local resident living beside the phosphate dumps in Matoon said:
“I have been sitting in ; protesting ; going to meetings but nothing happens. They tell us to leave and say they’ll close the mine and then within a few hours they start again. They got scared that women are gathering to complain so we took our kids as well. See it with your own eyes and then you’ll know. There are cracks in my house now and our animals can’t graze. Dust is flying in. Every time you have to sweep the house. We can’t afford to build another house. We want compensation for the loss.”
In Korba, Chhatisgarh, India, a rally took place, demanding accountability from Vedanta’s aluminium subsidiary BALCO for constructing a boundary wall and expanding ashponds without permission, as well as several other illegal construction plans which are encroaching on common land and destroying livelihoods.
Ramayan Singh from Rukbahari, Chhattisgarh, said:
“We are protesting on behalf of the ten villages where BALCO is trying to set up an ash pond for its power plant and acquire our 30.68 acre of fertile land. Vedanta officers have tried to allure in the past and taken land by promising jobs. We have not received any fair compensation nor jobs. Now we are hearing that they are cutting jobs for low price of aluminium. Why would we believe them?”
Chamra Singh from Rukbahari, Chhattisgarh said:
” Forest and land is our life. How many days this compensation will last? We have been using this land since generations. It is our source of life and we wont give it at any cost. Company is spreading lies that outsiders are instigating us.”
The protesters also demanded justice for the victims of the 2009 chimney collapse which killed between 40 and 100 people.Last year the Sandeep Bakshi Judicial Commission report which holds Vedanta guilty of negligence in the incident, and was suppressed by Vedanta in India, was released by activists.
In Dehli a statement from the protesters said:
“We stand in solidarity with affected communities around the world and call upon the Ministry of Finance and the RBI not to extend life support to floundering Vedanta by refusing to approve any public credit or bid to bail out Vedanta. This is in line with RBI Governer Raguram Rajan’s own warnings about the major crisis of bad debt facing India today and his resolute call for punishing defaulting corporations that “freeload”.
Incoming Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba has revealed that he will finally take up his diplomatic posting in Pretoria this week.
In a detailed posting on his Facebook page, Mr Mwamba has also disclosed that he will not be in the running for the Kasama Central parliamentary seat.
He said after wide consultation, he has chosen to honour the appointment by President Edgar Lungu and carry out his diplomatic duties as expected with due diligence and commitment.
Below is Mr Mwamba’s posting.
Shortly after the January 2015 Presidential By-Election, President Edgar Lungu appointed me as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia.
I promptly accepted my appointment and proceeded to start a 5-week Diplomatic Course.
Many colleagues, some senior members of the party and ministers, and many of our supporters and well-wishers called me to express disquiet proposing that I go back to President Lungu and attempt to persuade him that I be given a local position because they felt that I was probably more useful in the country.
My views were however consistent. “All appointments come from God. It is God who appoints, promotes, and establishes us”.
I insisted that President Edgar Lungu was gracious enough to choose me among many deserving colleagues, patriots and many hard working workers of the party to afford me this opportunity and it was wise that I promptly accepted and took up the position as given”.
For I am frequently guided by Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans NOT to harm you, but to prosper you and to give you hope and a future”
Later the PF Media, Publicity Strategic Committee an adhoc committee of the Campaign Committee, to which I was Chairperson conducted a post-mortem and review of the January 2015 Presidential By-Election.
We produced and submitted a Report to President Edgar Lungu. When we presented this Report, President Edgar Lungu used the opportunity to inform us that he had caused a transfer.
He stated that I was now to head Zambia’s Mission in South Africa.
I thanked him for the honour and trust he had shown in me and in my capability to undertake such a senior assignment.
Because of this transfer (from Malaysia to South Africa) and many other factors that have been beyond my control, the time and period to take up my appointment was delayed.
Unfortunately and because of this I was a subject of numerous speculations and malicious innuendoes by online media and social media blogs.
Despite being privy to exact and correct information about my delay, I chose to remain quiet and suffered the humiliating but false reports.
ON KASAMA CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY
When Former Minister of Defence and Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) opted to render support to the UPND and its leader Hakainde Hichilema, in the Presidential By-Election, many residents there began to call for my name as his suitable replacement.
My name joined the list of other possible aspirants, in Kelvin Sampa (Child Rights activist and businessman), Gabriel Kaunda (former PS), Frederick Chisanga (former PF Provincial Chairperson and Diplomat in China).
Many remembered the work i did, the development initiatives I pushed hard and the open access I gave my office to ordinary people…many said they wanted a leadership that was focused on development, employment creation and empowerment and not hand-outs and donations.
They remembered the issues I used to raise constantly in the media especially on Radio Mano for a University, township roads, water and sanitation, a General Hospital and health centres, issues related to agriculture a developed Kasama City with a shopping mall.
At this stage I informed and shared my aspirations with President Edgar Lungu. My reflections were that GBM would attempt lock the seat in the courts of law until probably 2016.
I told myself that I would take my appointment in South Africa and come and consider running for the seat whenever it was declared vacant.
However, the seat has suddenly become vacant following the decision by GBM to accept the position of Vice-President (Administration) in the UPND.
Following this development the seat became vacant probably faster than we had all anticipated.
I had to make a very hard and difficult decision.
I have spoken to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu Kanyanta Manga II, various members of the party and senior officials and colleagues.
After wide consultation, I have chosen to honour the appointment given to me by President Edgar Lungu and carry out my duties as expected with due diligence and commitment as I have displayed in the past, when I have been given such an opportunity.
I also pledge to support which ever candidate the party will choose to be our candidate for Kasama Central.
I urge such a candidate that the party will give an opportunity to represent us to take up the serious development issues and needs affecting Kasama Central and the country.
This week, I am expected to take up office in Pretoria as Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa and begin another journey.
South Africa nationals, corporate and business entities have invested heavily in our economy.
I hope to organise this important community to help with whatever challenges they face. I also hope to lobby and encourage new investments from South Africa in our country.
I also hope to work and help coordinate with members of the Zambian community in South Africa who have made the strategic decision to settle, work and study in South Africa.
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba ZAMBIA’S HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SOUTH AFRICA
President Edgar Lungu has disclosed that solar powered hammer mills to be set up in the 10 Provinces have been bought and will soon be delivered to various districts.
President Lungu says Government is working with the Zambia Cooperative Federation -ZCF- to set up solar powered hammer mills in order to address the price of mealie meal in the country.
He said government is working with ZCF because it recognizes the importance of a strong cooperative movement which will help restore many challenges that people in the agriculture sector are facing.
The Head of State was speaking in a speech read for him by Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda in Lusaka last evening at the fundraising dinner for the Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa people of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
President Lungu also disclosed that government has sourced a 50 million United States dollar loan to address the problem that people in the aqua culture sector are facing.
And Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi called for unity and co-existence among all the tribes in Zambia
Speaking through his representative Chiganga Phiri, Kalonga said peace is a catalyst for national development adding that he looks forward to welcoming people in Katete for this Month’s Kulamba Traditional Ceremony.
And the Chewa heritage foundation Zambia Chapter Chairman James Chirwa says the fundraising dinner will allow the people to raise financial resources needed to host this year Kulamba a traditional ceremony.
