A political analyst Alex Ng’oma has formed an organization known as the Intellectual Forum Institute of Zambia (IFIZ).

Dr. Ngóma said the aim of the organization is to serve as a platform for intellectuals in the country to interact and share knowledge and ideas through public presentations and intellectual debates.

He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the organization hoped to ensure that outputs from the said presentations and intellectual debates can feed into the wider national debates and development agenda.

“IFIZ is a local, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. Its mandate is to serve as a platform, or a kind of Insaka, for intellectuals from all walks of life, to interact and share knowledge and ideas through public presentations and debates,” Dr. Ng’oma explained.

He said the organization will serve as a channel for intellectuals to make their knowledge known and ideas available to the nation as well as to interrogate issues that are taken for granted.

Dr. Ngóma has meanwhile observed that Zambia has increasingly become an arena for impolite behaviour noting that some of the political players have chosen to pursue politics of character assassination, insults and violence.

He said this kind of behaviour has scared away intellectuals from making contributions for fear of denting their integrity.

He disclosed that the Intellectual Forum Institute of Zambia will be officially launched in due course when all necessary logistics are put in place.

The remains of the four victims of the Mopani Copper Mine accident have been buried at Nkana East Cemetery in Kitwe.

Hundreds of Kitwe residents turned up to pay their last respect to the deceased miners.

The burial procession was preceded by a church service at Nkana stadium in Kitwe.

And Government has called on mining companies to step up their safety measures to reduce mine accidents.

Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma said the Mopani Copper Mine accident is a strong reminder to government that there is still a lot of effort that needs to be put towards enhancing safety in the mining companies.

Speaking during the church service for the deceased miners, Mr Yaluma directed all mining companies to step up their safety measures to reverse the current trend of mine accidents which he described as worrisome.

And Mr Yaluma cautioned miners against rushing to go and work without observing if the work sites are safe.

The Minister urged the miners to refuse working from unsafe environments assuring them that no one can fire them for doing so.

And Mr Yaluma disclosed that Mopani has agreed to employ one person from each of the grieved families in order to cushion the economic hardships that they believed families may be subjected to due to the death of the miners.

And Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) President Chishimba Nkole urged Mopani Copper Mine to review the cause of the accident that claimed the four miners.

Mr Nkole called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the accident so that the lives of other miners will not be put at risk since the South Ore Body (SOB) shaft where the accident happened from is still working.

He also challenged the Mine Safety department to establish if the accident was predictable and preventable.

And Mopani Copper Mine Chief Executive officer Johan Jansen said the mining house will ensure that safety is enhanced.

And speaking after burial, Information minister Chishimba Kambwili who represented all the bereaved families urged Mopani to fulfill its promise of compensating the families and establish the true cause of the accident.

The funeral precession was attended by senior government officials that included Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda, Foreign Affairs deputy Minister Rayford Mbulu, Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge and other senior government and Patriotic Front officials among others.

The deceased are Arnold Mambwe, Honesty Mushota, Emmanuel Kyongola and Abel Munthali who were all machine operators.

They died two weeks ago after a rock fall in an underground pit when the area caved in at South Ore Body (SOB) shaft.

Green Party President Peter Sinkamba said it is shocking that President Lungu has been mute on the two very important events that ordinarily necessitate intervention of the President.

Mr Sinkamba said what is even more distressing and flabbergasting is that President Lungu has chosen to deliver speeches at campaign political rallies in and attend ceremonies at the expense of addressing governance issues at the two important institutions. 

“As the Green Party, we do not think that PF winning of Bangweulu Constituency is more important than the crisis at CBU. We do not think that officiating and delivery of speech at the Show in Lusaka is more important than resolving the crisis at CBU. We do not think that delivery of speech at Dangote Cement is more important than resolving the crisis at ZNBC,” Mr Sinkamba said.

He has since urged President Lungu to place value on the education of the youths and act now to resolve the crisis.

“As a beneficiary of university education, he knows too well how his education has helped him ascend to the highest office of the land. He knows too well the comfort that goes with university education once completed and is employed.”

He said it is extreme selfishness on the part of President Lungu to continue ignoring the plight of students roaming the street for no fault of their own, but poor governance in the education sector. 

This was after the mine rescue team retrieved the remains of the four miners yesterday who died in an underground mine accident at South Ore Body shaft after rock fall.

Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe said mourners are expected to gather at various funeral houses and the funeral procession will be held at Nkana stadium before proceeding to Nkana East Cemetery for burial.

The deceased are Abel Munthali, Arnold Mambwe, Honest Mushota and Emmanuel Kyongola.

Mr Kabwe thanked the mine rescue team at Mopani Copper Mines for retrieving the remains of the four miners.

“The mine rescue team exhibited professionalism during the rescue operation as the surviving family members were given updates on their findings on a daily basis, Mr Kabwe said.

He added, “Kitwe is undergoing a difficult period with deep sorrow due to the untimely death of the four miners who died last month and they will be finally put to rest at Nkana East Cemetery in the District. The mourners are expected to gather at various funeral houses and the funeral procession will be held at Nkana stadium where they will be a church service starting at 08; 30 Hours today, the 5th of August 2015.”

He has appealed to the residents of Kitwe to give a dignified send-off to the miners who died during the course of their duty as they were determined  to ensure that the mining industry continue to develop for the betterment of Zambia.

“To all the Mining unions, the Church, Mopani Copper Mines, Mines Safety Department and other stakeholders, I am humbled for the support rendered to the affected family members of the deceased both materially and financially. Let me also thank the families of the deceased for being calm and exercising patience during the mourning period as the Mine rescue team searched thoroughly for the remains of the departed at the Mopani Copper Mines South Ore Body Shaft.”

Mr Kabwe said it is indeed a big loss for the mining sector and the nation at large because the quartet contributed positively to the development of the country as mining is the mainstay of Zambia’s economy.

He added, “the Mining rescue team also managed to retrieve the Cubex drill rig, the machine which the four deceased miners were using on the fateful night when they were buried alive after a rock caved in at 3240 feet level.”

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) will not implement the cremation of bodies despite the shortage of land to bury dead people in Lusaka city.

Lusaka City Council Public Relations Manager Habeenzu Mulunda told ZANIS that the local authority instead looking for land for a cemetery.

Mr. Mulunda said after having discussions with the church and the Christian community, it was realized that cremation was not an option to the shortage of land.

The Lusaka City Council had previously considered cremation as an option to address the land shortage in the city.

He has however said cremation was legalized in the constitution and therefore people were not stopped from cremating if they desired to do so.