The Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda for failing to report to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) the alleged corruption with the dangote official within the stipulated 24hours.

Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza explained that the Anti-Corruption Act section 39 clearly stipulates that any public official must report any incidence of corruption with 24 hours of coming into contact which the Minister did not do hence the need for his arrest and subsequent prosecution.

Mr. Mwanza noted that as high a ranking public official Mr. Shamenda should be an example to his juniors and that his failure todo so shows both lack of seriousness and commitment in fighting corruption.

He further said the arrest of Mr. Shamenda will not only send a massage to public officials but that it will also show the commitment and seriousness by the ACC to fight the scourge regardless of who is involved.

“As FDD we demand for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Labour and Social Securities Minister Fackson Shamenda failing to report the alleged corruption by the dangote official to the ACC within the stipulated 24hours. Section 39 of the Anti-Corruption Act is very clear that any public official has to report any incident of corruption to either the Police or the ACC within 24hrs.

“Mr. Shamenda’s failure to report the alleged corruption within the stipulated 24hrs shows a serious lack of commitment on his part as high profile public official and his arrest will send a clear massage to all public officers to take the fight against corruption seriously,” Mr. Mwanza said.

He added that the arresting of Mr. Shamenda would send a clear signal to all the workers in the country be it public or private to take the fight against corruption seriously and that the country will no longer condone the scourge which has continued to gable public resources meant for the development of the country and eradication of poverty.

Asked if he won’t be accused politicking Mr. Mwanza replied that failure to arrest Mr. Shamenda will only vindicate stakeholders who have for a long time accused both the ACC and government of following up cases selectively as the evidence clearly shows that Mr. Shamenda did not report the alleged corruption within the stipulated time frame.

Republican Vice President Dr. Guy Scott has dismissed reports that President Michael Sata is dead.

Dr Scott said this in Parliament this morning in response to a question by Monze central Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu who wanted to know the President’s health status following US media reports that he was attended to by Doctors in his hotel room.

Dr Scott said the health of President Sata has been entirely normal in New York this morning.

He said following the media reports he was very quick to ascertain the actual situation which revealed that it was not true that the President had died.

“This morning I woke up I received a number of phone calls asking about the President’s health, initially, the first call I receive must have been from the Guardian who probably told Newsweek who told Associated Press who probably picked it from the Zambia Watchdog that the President has passed on. This Mr Speaker is not true and the President is in perfect health,” Dr Scott said.

Dr Scott also told Parliament during the Vice President’s question time that further investigations have also revealed that the President has not even received specialized or emergency medical treatment in New York.

And Dr Scott says a Head of State can be in attendance at the UN General Assembly without necessarily having to speak unless one has something particular that they want to add to the world discourse.

President Sata is in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, where he was scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

The speculations started swirling Wednesday night, when President Sata failed to show up for his scheduled address at the General Assembly, which this week conducts its annual debate, an opportunity for the U.N.’s 193 members to showcase their policies to the world. President Sata was slated to follow Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, Wednesday night.The U.N. moderator then received a notice, and after a short hesitation announced, instead, that the next speaker, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, would address the council. No alternative time for President Sata’s address was announced.

Earlier this morning Chief Government Spokesperson Joseph Katema told QFM in an interview that Government has not received any information that President Michael Sata has been admitted to a New York hospital as has been reported by US media.

US media organizations that reported President Sata’s hospitalization include VOA, New York Times, Newsweek and Associated Press.

Associated Press has reported that Police in New York have said that President Michael Sata was treated in his New York hotel room by doctors but has not been hospitalized.

President Michael Sata had flown to New York from Lusaka to attend the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. He did not deliver a scheduled address to the 193-member world body on Wednesday.

President Michael Sata was scheduled to speak before the United Nations General Assembly but failed to appear for his slotted speech.

At approximately 20:50 hours local New York time on Wednesday night, shortly following the speech by President of Venezuela Nicholas Maduro, the UN moderators had an awkward period of silence as they appeared to be receiving the information, and then proceeded to simply announce the next speaker at the general debate, United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron.

Sata was treated on Thursday. He is about 77. He became Zambia’s fifth president in 2011 after three failed attempts. He is known as a staunch advocate for the poor and an opponent of Chinese investment in Zambia’s mines.

Sata went to Israel for medical treatment in June.