A-THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD man of Chingola has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 79-year-old woman while her husband watched.

High Court Judge Chilombo Phiri sent Webby Chibale to jail for rape after he admitted to the charge.

The Times of Zambia reports that the man told the court when the matter came up for plea, that he raped the woman in the presence of her husband because he suspected her to have bewitched his child.

He said the only punishment he thought was appropriate was to rape the woman in full view of her husband.

“I wanted to revenge because this woman bewitched my child. The only punishment I thought of was to rape her, while her husband watched,” he said.
In mitigation, Chibale asked the court to be lenient as he was a first offender, adding that he was remorseful for his actions.

Mr Justice Phiri, however, said that there were aggravating circumstances that surrounded the case in that Chibale raped an old woman.

“I will send you to jail for 30 years imprisonment with hard labour,” Judge Phiri said.

Chibale had sex with the old woman without her consent on January 27 this year.

On the material day around 20:00 hours, Chibale who went to the house of the complainant and found her with her husband, ordered the couple to enter the bedroom and threatened to kill anyone who would interfere.

Chibale then held the old woman by the neck, stripped her naked and raped her while her husband witnessed the act.

The court heard how Chibale raped the woman the whole night until the next day, while threatening her with a knife.

After the act the couple rushed to the police and the convict was arrested and charged for the rape offence.

HUMAN Rights activist Brebner Changala has disclosed that suspended Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito is trying to get sympathy from him and that he pleaded with him to avoid the tribunal.
“I am surprised with the amount of desperation that Mr. Mutembo Nchito is exhibiting over his impending Tribunal Hearing. The last few days have been characterized by Mr. Nchito and Mr. M’membe of the Post Newspapers Limited trying all sorts of tactics to try and avoid the Tribunal. These range from trying to get sympathy from me, attempting to scandalize me, having surrogates try to intimidate me and even secretly setting up meetings to plead with me,” he said.

He added that, “As everybody who is aware of my recorded interview that has been published by the Post, and as to how different it is from the headline banners in the Post, will wish to know that there is a serious conspiracy behind the scene to discredit and distort the truth surrounding the Tribunal. For example the recording does not state the questions and show the spirit of the interview but instead it starts in the middle of one of my answers.”
Mr Changala in statement released in Lusaka yesterday stated;

On Friday 17th April 2015 in an attempt to get sympathy from me Mr. Nchito approached me and started making small talk to me at the Tribunal. This was a clear attempt to get sympathy from me.

I want to clearly state that I feel nothing but the utmost sympathy for Mr. Nchito in view of the situation that he has created for himself and his associates. The sympathy I feel for him does not take away from the fact that Mr. Nchito has to face up to the charges made against him and it is only after having the Tribunal clear his name that he will ever be able to walk the streets of Zambia with his head held high.

There was a change of tact and on the same day I got a lot of verbal abuse from Mr. Tayali at the Tribunal saying the charges were going nowhere and I was wasting time. I believe this is the same thing Mr. Tayali said about the charges he is facing in the subordinate court.

I did not answer Mr. Tayali as he seemed to be extremely emotional about the whole thing and I could not understand why he was taking the plight of the DPP so personally as if his very future depended on Mr. Nchito’s fate.

The next change of tact was through the Post Newspaper insisting on having an interview on Wednesday 15th April 2015 which they kept and analyzed as to how best to present it to suit their storyline. It took them a full five days to decide how to package and present the interview. In the end they attempted to use it to deflect attention from the charges that Mr. Nchito is supposed to answer and they focused on allegations which do not form any part of the six charges he is supposed to answer. They also attempted to bring President Lungu into the picture and made up a conspiracy plot which I am not privy to.

On April 2015 I realised just how desperate Mr. Nchito was when he requested for a clandestine meeting with me at which his aim was to plead to me to save him.

Mr. Nchito requested that the meeting be at Inter Continental Hotel and this made me mistakenly believe that he wanted an open meeting in a public place. I got to Intercontinental in good time by 14:00 hours to wait for Mr. Nchito and decided to do some work in the business bureau as I waited.

Sometime after 14:00 hours I received a call from Mr. Nchito that he was in the Inter Continental car park and I should go outside and meet him there. As I had already gone that far I decided to go outside and meet him in the car park.

To my surprise Mr. Nchito was not dressed in an easily recognizable fashion, or in a suit as he usually is, but was in a tracksuit. He told me that he did not want us to talk in the car park but that I should get in his car and we should drive around as we spoke. It was clear that he wanted this meeting to be as secretive as possible.

Once inside his car he started pleading his case to me and telling me that he had acted in certain cases on instructions and the actions being attributed to him were not his own decisions. He talked about the nolles, the debts of Zambian Airways, what was owed to Finance Bank Limited, his relationship with Fred M’membe and many other things.

The trip took close to three hours and he passionately tried to plead his case to me. I was surprised as to why he wanted to plead the case to me instead of the Tribunal in order to clear his name.

The reason why he was pleading his case to me became clear after he handed me a dossier which he stated explained away all the charges. He also showed me, but did not leave me with, copies of documents and letters he said would help his case.

After doing this he then hit me with a bombshell. Mr. Nchito pleaded that I write a letter to the President withdrawing my letters seeking for a tribunal to be set up and that I should state that it had now come to my knowledge that all the charges against him were unfounded.

As I was frankly very surprised by this plea from Mr. Nchito I told him that I could not do such a thing without talking to my lawyers. At this point he pleaded with me not to talk to my lawyers or tell them about the meeting and drive we were having. This meeting was strictly to remain between Mr. Nchito and myself.

I decided I could not write the letter the DPP was pleading for because this would be subverting the work of the Tribunal. It is for the Tribunal to investigate the allegations and make their findings and not for me to supplant their authority. I took the view that Mr. Nchito should present his case to the Tribunal and not to me who is a mere witness in the proceedings.

Soon after this clandestine meeting I got a press querry from the Post Newspaper where similar issues to the discussion I earlier had with the DPP were canvassed.

Later I became disturbed that the DPP had approached me knowing I was a witness and also knowing that I had legal representation. I remembered the DPP in one of the cases he was handling complaining that there was a chance that the accused person would interfere with witnesses. I am still asking myself whether the secret approached request from the DPP did not amount to interfering with a witness. I also wonder if other witnesses have also been taken on a similar drive around Lusaka with the same motive and intent.

I now understand why he was insistent that the issue of the request for a letter should not be told to my lawyers. I wish to make it clear that the issues that the Tribunal are to look into are not dependent on my view over the same. Many ordinary Zambians, and those in the legal profession, feel that these are legitimate issues that the Tribunal

should probe. Mr. Nchito should therefore not hope that the Tribunal will go away by either threatening, scandalising or even asking me to write a letter of “exoneration” of the DPP. The only body at this stage that can exonerate him is the Tribunal.

If anyone doubts my recollection of what was said and requested by the DPP I would ask them to find out from Mr. Nchito or indeed ask him to produce the recording of our drive round Lusaka

Dr Msiska said President Lungu’s sentiments on Wednesday that most civil servants spend much of their time on Facebook and other social media networks at the expense of work, is a huge concern to the government.

On Wednesday, President Lungu directed: “This culture of sitting and posting stories on Facebook the whole day must come to an end.”

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Dr Msiska said Cabinet Office is working on a programme that will bar the use of certain social media sites during work hours.

“The hardware and software are already in place, and very soon, we will be filtering certain websites in Government offices. What the President said concerning social websites is very true,” Dr Msiska said.

He said his office is working on e-governance and Zamtel, together with the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications is already rolling it out.

President Lungu has expressed concern that some civil servants waste time on social media such as Facebook.

And Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga said his ministry is working towards restricting civil servants from accessing certain social sites during work hours as over-use of such media is promoting laziness.

Mr Mukanga said his ministry will issue a directive to Zambia Information and Technology Authority to check sites that are abused and block them so that only those that are appropriate during work hours can be accessed.

He was speaking in an interview with journalists in Lusaka yesterday.

“It is sad that technology, which is meant to make work easier, is being abused by not only civil servants, but also those in the private sector. We want to see an empowered staff and work culture which will produce good results because things are not running properly,” he said.

And speaking during the commemoration of the Girls in ICT Day in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mukanga called for the creation of a global environment that empowers and encourages young women and girls to consider careers in ICT.

He said Government, under the leadership of President Lungu, has demonstrated commitment to employment creation and entrepreneurship with ICT identified as a priority area.

Education Permanent Secretary Patrick Nkanza has called on teachers to be Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literate.

Dr Nkanza said teachers play a critical role in imparting ICT knowledge to their learners in order to make them compete favorably on the labor market which is mostly ICT based.

ZANIS reports that the Permanent Secretary said this when he graced the International Day for girls in Information and Communication Technology at Mulungushi University in Kabwe today.

“ICT presents many opportunities for improving the way we live, the way we teach, the way we learn. There are opportunities for decent, rewarding work”, he said.

He however added that such opportunities could only be realized if people made efforts to improve their knowledge and competencies in ICT.

‘’Teachers have a critical role and must, themselves, be ICT literate. The learning environment must as much as possible be ICT based and the Ministry supports this initiative’’, Dr Nkanza said.

And Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) Vice Chairperson Helise Ng’ambi observed that the numbers of females in ICT related jobs worldwide was very low because of the low numbers of girls opting to study in ICT related fields.

“It is said that worldwide, more than 95 percent of jobs have a digital component. It goes without saying that if the girl child is to make a meaningful contribution at any level of development and to realize her full potential, she needs to be ICT literate”, Professor Ng’ambi said.

Prof Ng’ambi who is also Mulungushi University Vice Chancellor said her organization was privileged to contribute to a technologically transformed nation by creating a platform to encourage and mentor female children in various schools and communities in ICT education.

President Edgar Lungu has called for strengthening of bilateral cooperation with Botswana, Saudi Arabia,and South Africa.

The Head of State said Botswana, Saudi Arabia and South Africa have been significant bilateral and multilateral cooperating partners to Zambia’s development.

President Lungu said this today when he received letters of credence from the Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdullah Alowaifeer, Botswana High Commissioner Lebonaamang Mokalake and South African High Commissioner Sikosi Ntombazana Mji.

Speaking after receiving their letters of credence President Lungu noted that Zambia has over the years enjoyed warm relations with the three countries characterized by strong bonds of friendship, partnership and cooperation.

He explained that as he accepts their letters of credence; Zambia looks back at the 50 years since independence with great pride of the milestones achieved with her partners.

President Lungu recounted that the relations date back to the pre-independence era during which nationals from the three countries came to settle in the country and made Zambia their home.

He explained that the investment incentives in country’s economy especially in the priority areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, mining, tourism, and manufacturing are designed to provide confidence and benefits to investors.

President Lungu added that the economic strategies are intended to contribute towards poverty alleviation and creation of decent employment and prosperity for the ordinary Zambian.

The Head of State hoped that the appointments of the Ambassador and the two High Commissioners will enable Zambia and the three countries to enhance cooperation and assured the diplomats of his support in their duties.

A 2016 peaceful elections committee in Mongu District of Western Province says it will hold an inter political party football tournament at Mongu Sports Stadium aimed at healing political grievances among political players.

ZANIS sports reports that Committee chairperson Mubita Wakumela says the event was also aimed uniting the country.

The tournament which will be held under the theme “Together, we unite Zambia‘’ kicks off tomorrow the 24th of April and is expected to end on 15th may 2015.

Wakumela said this in a statement released in Mongu District today.

The tournament which extends to Lusaka Province next month will attract eight political parties in western province namely PF, MMD, FDD, UPND, UNIP and Revolutionary Communist Party among others.

The tournament kicks off tomorrow with Revolutionary Communist Party verses Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).