Chairman of the Mahtani Group of Companies Rajan Mahtani is concerned that some sections of society are trying to harm his friendship with Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda.

Dr Mahtani said he has profound respect for Mr Chikwanda adding that he does not want anyone to come between his friendship with the Finance Minister.

He said media reports indicating that he belongs to a cartel fighting Mr Chikwanda are incorrect and baseless.Dr.Mahtani said he considers Mr Chikwanda as a true brother whom he would never want to injure in any way.

Dr Mahtani was speaking during a Jubilee dinner organised by the Mahtani Group of Companies to honour some freedom fighters.The freedom fighters also received a K50, 000 account opening for a Senior Citizens Account at Finance Bank.

He said all those trying to bring amenity between the two should desist saying as a Christian, he cherishes the friendship he has with the Finance Minister.

And Dr Mahtani says there is every reason to celebrate Zambia’s golden jubilee anniversary.
He said Zambia is one of the few countries on the continent which have not experienced any war hence the need to celebrate the golden jubilee anniversary as a way of thanking God.

There was drama at the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) public hearing in Lusaka this morning when the Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ) walked out of the hearing in protest of the agenda of the meeting.

The PTAZ was due to make the initial submission at the hearing organized in view of the association’s recent action against licensing of foreign fuel tankers by the ERB.

Speaking to journalists shortly after justifying his association’s boycotting of the public hearing, Association spokesperson Benson Tembo described the public hearing as a sham stating that it was against the provisions of the ERB Act.

Mr. Tembo, who was flanked by PTAZ president Roberto Sabbadin, says by holding the public hearing, the ERB is allegedly trying to hijack the objections his association submitted against the licensing of Superstar Forwarders Zambia Limited, Unitrans Zambia Limited and Zambulk Tankers Limited during a similar public hearing hosted by the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA).

He said his association has however withdrawn is objections against Zambulk Tankers Limited because its shareholding has put into consideration the interest of Zambians.

Mr. Tembo said his association which is demanding the dismissal of the entire ERB Executive, will now wait for Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma to correct the situation failure to which they will suspend operations.

But in its submission to the public hearing that continued in absence of the PTAZ representation, Superstars Forwarders Zambia Limited through their lawyer Anthony Kasolo of MSK advocates submitted that the complaint by the PTAZ has no basis at law.

Mr. Kasolo has argued that this is because Superstars Forwarders Zambia Limited has not contravened any provisions of the ERB Act nor conditions of the License it was granted.

He has also backed his argument with Section 16 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act No. 24 of 2010 which obliges enterprises at all times to refrain from any act or conduct that actually limits access to markets or otherwise unduly restrain competition like PTAZ is trying to do.

Meanwhile Unitrans Zambia Limited Director Musenga Musukwa seconded the arguments by Superstars Forwarders Zambia Limited and dismissed PTAZ’s objections as only a sign of fear of competition.

Mr. Musukwa says his company equally has not contravened any provisions of the ERB Act.

National Restoration party (NAREP) President Elias Chipimo Junior has observed that government has no intentions of holding a referendum to adopt a new constitution before the 2016 general elections.

Mr Chipimo told Qfm news in an interview that though he does not want to appear like a prophet of doom, the reality is that it is not possible that government will constitute a referendum for a people driven constitution as demanded by stakeholders.

The NAREP President said it is disheartening to see how government is neglecting to pay attention to the concerns raised by the majority of the Zambian people with regards the constitution making process.

The NAREP leader has further observed that the K29.9 million allocated to the constitution making process in the 2015 budget is little for such an undertaking.

He added that his party feels that government is still failing to accept that it has turned a blind eye to problems facing the Zambian people.

The Zambia Police say investigations into the leaked letter Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda wrote to President Michael Sata seeking approval to amend VAT Rule 18 are still ongoing.

The contents of a confidential letter written to President Sata in August this year were published in the Post Newspaper forcing government to declassify it.

Zambia Police Spokesperson Charity Munganga Chanda told QFM News that investigations are ongoing but could not disclose who is being investigated or what has been established so far.

Ms. Chanda told Qfm News that once investigations are concluded, Police will make public a full report on the investigations.

The Police Spokesperson has however declined to give further details on how long the investigation will take.

Government has assured health institutions that are facing a shortage of medical equipment and other essential supplies in Zambia that it was doubling its efforts to address the problem.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health Emerine Kabanshi urged health personnel experiencing shortages of medical facilities to report to Lusaka district medical office.

Ms. Kabanshi has since appealed to the health personnel in charge of ordering such equipment and supplies to ensure that they make their order quickly.

Meanwhile, the Minister has disputed reports that Kanyama clinic in Lusaka is facing a shortage of intravenous fluid (drips).

She explained that Lusaka‘s Matero, Chawama and Kanyama clinics have all the needed supplies because Medical Stores Limited deliver such requirements directly to clinics.

Ms. Kabanshi added that the reports of shortage of intravenous fluid at the mentioned health centre are false.

Recently, there was a report that residents of Kanyama in Lusaka were appealing to the relevant authorities to quickly address the shortage of intravenous fluid.

And the Zambia Medical Association confirmed receiving reports of shortages of essential medical supplies at Kanyama clinic and other health centres in the country.

Association president Aaron Mujajati said government and other stakeholders should however work together to address shortages of essential medical supplies in health institutions.

TOURISM and Arts Minister Jean Kapata has threatened that she will mobilise party members and deal with people claiming that the Patriotic Front (PF) is the most undisciplined ruling party Zambia has ever had.

Ms Kapata said Zambians were awere that some media houses had embarked on a crusade to demonise the PF and selected government leaders so as to divert attention from its own peoblems.

She said a named media house was attacking Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda because they had failed to “convert him so that he could trade his political soul with their agenda of breaching tax laws by avoiding to pay tax’’.

“Those claiming that PF is the most undisciplined must know that they enjoyed the goodwill of President Sata and the PF and must stop behaving like they own the party.

‘‘The PF is not their party for them to continue weeping and mourning about the dismissal of their friend. Since their friend was fired, the PF had become tribal, corrupt, violent and undisciplined.

‘‘The media house has gone too far and let them know that we can easily stop them. They were tolerated by the previous governments and they thought they would manipulate the PF. Their time of reckoning is coming very soon,” Ms Kapata said.

Ms Kapata said it had become clear that the media house had embarked on a crusade to destroy the ruling party following the dismissal of a strong ally of the media house.

Ms Kapata said the PF was aware that the media house was behaving like a political party and that the ruling party was gong to orgasnise itself and defend President Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu who is Defence and Jusctice minister as well as seceretary general of the party.

Ms Kapata apealed to President Sata and Mr Lungu to quickly deal with all the government and party officials whose loyalty was divided because those were the people stealing and leaking State secrets.

She said the PF ‘‘experienced the worst forms of violence before Mr Lungu was appointed secretary general and that calm had returned to the party.

Ms Kapata said the people who were causing confusion in the PF were those whose layolty was divided and that it was time President Sata and Mr Lungu cleansed the ruling party so that it could concentrate on delivering to the people.

She said it was a reality that there was a cartel in the PF and that the sooner President Sata and Mr Lungu dismantled it, the better for the stability of the ruling party.

She revealed that most of the district comissioners and political secretaries across the contry were not loyal to President Sata because they believed they got their appointments through other influences.

And a PF strong supporter Rechael Chileshe has given the media house a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw its claims that the ruling party was the most indsciplined Zambia has ever had or face the wrath of the cadres.

Ms Chileshe threatened that should the media house continue attacking the ruling party leadership, she would have no option but open what she termed a “can of worms”.

Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) is saddened with some parents’ attitude towards their children in special schools.

Southern Province ZAPD Coordinator Ruth Munkombwe told ZANIS today that some parents have a tendency of using special schools as dumping sites for their children with disabilities.

Mrs. Munkombwe said this after receiving a briefing on some of the challenges that St. Mulumba Special School is faced with.

School authorities at the institution explained that some parents were abandoning their children at the school gate without paying for their boarding supplement.

And St. Mulumba Special School head teacher Jasert Ngulube has also confirmed the sad development.

Mr. Ngulube told ZANIS that some parents were running away from their responsibility of paying boarding supplement for their children at the institution.

He narrated how a named parent left his child on the pretext that he was going to deposit the boarding supplement at the bank and went for good.

Mr. Ngulube attributed such behavior to poverty levels among some families as parents with children in the primary section pay K650 while those in secondary school K900 per term.

Meanwhile, ZAPD has donated K6,150.00 towards boarding supplement for 10 most vulnerable children at St. Mulumba Special School.

Presenting an education support funding from ZAPD to the school this morning, Mrs. Munkombwe said it was not easy to run a special unit and commended the teaching staff for their commitment.

Mrs. Munkombwe further urged the children to keep up with the fighting spirit and to never get discouraged by society’s perception of their impairments adding that every child can succeed in education.

St. Mulumba special school in Choma district is catering for children with intellectual, visual, and hearing impairments.