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Vice President Guy Scott says the recently released report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that Zambia was the most undernourished country in Africa is inaccurate.
Dr Scott said the report was not factual and does not represent the happenings on the ground.
He said the measurement they used to determine the nutritional profiles of some people in Zambia was wrong.
Dr Scott observed that some Zambians are just small people which he said does not translate into being undernourished.
“You see, Zambia is not all about the Bantu Botatwe people. Zambia is a mixture of people from different parts of the continent including the Pygmies or Bushmen. We have people in Zambia whose ancestors were Bushmen and they are small people, some of them live in and around The Bangweulu swamps,” Dr Scott said.
He added, “ So if these people from London come to do research on malnutrition and they see a 45 year of man looking like he is 10 years old, they quickly conclude that he is malnourished but that 45 year old man can run faster than a Lion.”
Dr Scot said there are a number of countries in Africa that are struggling with issues of undernourishment and Zambia does not rank among them.
“We need to be careful with these people coming here and telling us that we are undernourished. Sometimes they used defective tools of research and we should not pay attention.”
Rome based, the Food and Agriculture Organisation recently issued the State of World Insecurity Report which showed that Zambia has the highest number of undernourished people in Africa and second in the world with Haiti on the top spot.
It has emerged that the Post Newspapers Limited proposed to Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) that it pays its entire circulation income of K4,000,000 per month in order to clear the tax liabilities of K26,856.230.91 inclusive of penalties. However, ZRA Commissioner General Berlin Msiska rejected the proposal to pay tax liabilities in installments.
According to the proposal the instalments were to be paid to ZRA by creation of an Escrow account to which ZRA would be the sole signatory into which The Post’s circulation income would be paid and that it stay current with its liabilities but Mr Msiska still refused.
Details are that on September 9, 2014 ZRA’s commissioner – domestic taxes – wrote to it advising it that its tax liabilities were at K26,856, 230.91 inclusive of penalties and invited the newspaper’s representatives to a meeting on September 11, 2014 to discuss the settling of the liabilities.
The paper said at the meeting, the commissioner asked its representatives to make a proposal on how its liabilities would be dealt with and the newspaper proposed that it pays the principle amount owed in six monthly installments of K2,000,000 payable at the end of the month effective September 30, 2014.
It further proposed that the balance of K1,758,180.20 be paid in the seventh month on March 30, 2015 and that it would then make payments towards the penalty charges in four equal monthly installments of K1, 957,635.05 effective April 30, 2015 and finally pays interest of K929,231.63 on August 31, 2015.
The newspaper said that instead of the commissioner – domestic taxes – writing back, it was Dr Msiska who wrote back on September 19, 2014 refusing its proposal despite it having been asked for by ZRA.
Another meeting was held on September 22, 2014 where the newspaper proposed that its entire circulation income of K4,000,000 per month be paid to ZRA by creation of an Escrow account to which ZRA would be the sole signatory into which The Post’s circulation income would be paid and that it stay current with its liabilities but Mr Msiska still refused.
THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has cleared former Dangote Industries Zambia Limited human resources manager Bala Zango whom Minister of Labour and Security Fackson Shamenda reported for allegedly attempting to bribe him.
But Mr Shamenda said it is up to the ACC to determine whether to institute investigations into the matter or not as it considers several technicalities.
Mr Shamenda said he has no problem with the move by ACC not to institute investigations against Mr Zango for allegedly offering him a bribe.
“I have no problem with what the ACC has finally decided to do in the case I reported, though the problem now is that some people would put my name in the mud,” he said in an interview.
Mr Shamenda said this may be the reason several people shun reporting cases of corruption to the ACC.
He said his interest was to send a signal to the corporate world against bribing government officials in their quest to do business in Zambia.
On September 13, 2014, Mr Shamenda revealed that Mr Zango allegedly attempted to bribe him at a hotel.Dangote dismissed the allegations as malicious misinformation.
Below is the full statement by ACC
PRESS STATEMENT ALLEGED BRIBERY AGAINST A DANGOTE OFFICIAL
In light of various queries received on the position of the Commission on the above captioned subject, the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) wishes to confirm receipt of a complaint on the matter from Honourable Fackson Shamenda, Minister of Labour and Social Security.
The Commission wishes to advise that after due consideration of the complaint, the Commission has not instituted any investigations into the matter. In arriving at this decision the Commission has taken into consideration, among other issues, the circumstances and likelihood of an investigation which will disclose facts that show that an offence was committed under the Anti- Corruption Act.
The Commission would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public to always report any cases of alleged or suspected corrupt practices directly and in confidence to the ACC.
In terms of Section 39 (1) of the Anti- Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012, Public Officers are particularly required to make a full report to the ACC or the Police, of any gratification corruptly given, promised or offered to them within twenty- four (24) hours of the occurrence of the event.
Failure to do so without reasonable cause, amounts to an offence on the part of the public officer who is liable, upon conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand (200, 000) penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two (2) years, or both.
In light of the above, the Commission wishes to encourage all members of the public and public officers alike to report all cases of alleged or suspected corrupt practices directly and in confidence in order for the Commission to appropriately and timely deal with the cases in line with its mandate under the law.
Vice-President Guy Scott with Finance minister Alexander Chikwanda before a meeting at State House on July 14,2014 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
MINISTER of Finance Alexander Chikwanda has sued Anglican priest Richard Luonde for alleged defamation.
According to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Chikwanda said Father Luonde caused to be published in the Post newspaper edition of August 18, 2014, a story headlined: “Chikwanda is double-dealing with the mines and eating with two hands.”
Mr Chikwanda claimed that other alleged defamatory stories that were published in the Post under headlines: “Fr Luonde challenges Chikwanda to explain his role in Sigma Enterprises” and “Zambians are living dangerously by having a Finance minister whose interest is to protect mining companies so that his supply business remains profitable,” were defamatory.
VICE President, Dr. Guy Scott, addresses a rally at Vubwi Boma on Tuesday to drum up support for PF candidate, Margaret Miti in a Vubwi by-election slated for Thursday next week
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says Constituency Development Funds (CDF) should be scrapped and channelled to service delivery at local authorities.
Dr Scott said in its current state, CDF is not used effectively because the needs of constituencies differ.
“For me, I feel it would make more sense if CDF could be cancelled and the money diverted to service delivery,” said Dr Scott.
He said some constituencies use CDF to buy footballs while others want to implement development projects.
The Vice-President said local authorities would effectively use CDF for service delivery.
He was speaking on Monday during a Press Freedom Committee of The Post public discussion dubbed: “Three Years of the PF in Government.”
Dr Scott also said it is possible for Zambians to amend the constitution within a month but that some individuals are insincere.
“As PF government, we want a constitution that would stand the test of time and not one meant for elections only.
“It is not the whole constitution which is defective but if Zambians were to reach consensus and send the needy parts of the constitution to Parliament, enactment can take a few weeks,” Dr Scott said.
He said the constitution-making process is not undermined and that it is not correct for some people to suggest that all sections in the current constitution are bad.
And Dr Scott has called for the generation of more research papers on nutrition.
He said this in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of a collection of papers on undernutrition in Zambia by Department for International Development (DFID)-Zambia and the Institute of Development Studies of United Kingdom.
“There is need to expand social cash transfer because this would affect the nutrition in the country,” he said.
DFID head of Zambia office Bruce Lawson said there are promising developments and unprecedented opportunity to improve nutrition in Zambia.
Mkushi DC Luka Mwamba
Residents of Ntekete in Chief Shaibila’s area in Mkushi district have threatened to fight back investors who are reportedly burning houses and firing gunshots as tactics to evict 4,000 settlers.
Spokesperson for the residents, Felix Bemba told ZANIS that 19 men believed to have been sent by land investors allegedly burnt 19 houses last week leaving the affected families homeless.
Mr. Bemba explained that the 19 men who are believed to have come from outside Mkushi were armed with teargas canisters and two rifles.
He said that this was the second incident in which armed men had come to the area, fired gun shots and teargas in the village before burning some houses.
He said that Residents were hopeful that government would help to address the matter promptly, adding that they did not rule out retaliation if the matter was not attended to.
“ we are 4,000 against few Land Investors, we cannot accept to be treated like this as if we are still in the colonial era”, said Mr Bemba.
And Mkushi District Commissioner Luka Mwamba condemned the action by the land investors saying it was inhuman to burn other people’s property and fire gun shots to intimidate them.
Mr. Mwamba said that it was saddening to learn that the alleged perpetrators of were fellow Zambians, adding that he would pursue the matter with higher authorities.
He said that he had brought on board the interventions of the Permanent Secretary for Central Province as well as the Office of the Vice President.
He assured Ntekete residents that government would not take the matter lightly saying that the land investors had erred by resorting to burning houses and opening teargas on the villagers.
Mr. Mwamba said that although no one was shot or injured in the incident, the investors should dialogue to solve issues and not force.
He expressed solidarity and sympathy for the affected families adding that he was hopeful that the matter would attract intervention from President Michael Sata.
“The tactics used to forcefully evict these residents is very un-Zambian and cannot be tolerated”, he said.
THE Patriotic Front (PF) in Southern Province has joined the rest of the country in celebrating the party’s three years in power.
Scores of provincial and district party officials yesterday danced, sung songs and marched for a journey of about five kilometers from Mukuni Park to Maramba Cultural Village to celebrate PF’s three years in power.
Addressing party officials at Maramba Cultural Village, PF Southern Province chairperson Daniel Munkombwe saluted President Michael Sata and the ruling party for fostering developmental in the province.
Mr Munkombwe, who is Southern Province Minister, said the PF Government was currently upgrading the Bottom Road and Niko Road in the province which was neglected by all the previous Governments.
He urged PF members in the province to be accommodative and recruit new members to enable the party bounce back to power in 2016.
Mr Munkombwe said it was unfortunate that some named party officials were promoting parallel structures while others were claiming that PF was for Bembas and not Tongas.
“In politics, there is no one who is useless because more votes can be obtained even from people who are regarded useless.
These rebels who don’t want to work with established party structures should stay away from us,” he said.
PF provincial political secretary Leonard Siachona urged party members to continue recruiting new members in readiness for 2016 elections. Mr Siachona said PF needed more members in Southern Province to make it grow.
PF provincial chairlady Annie Tischer urged women to avoid being used by party officials who were not part of established structures.
Ms Tischer said there was need for party members to get instructions from Mr Sata, PF Secretary General Edgar Lungu and other established structures in provinces.
PF Livingstone District chairperson Fred Chibuye said the ruling party was intact in the area despite of a few squabbled.
Mr Chibuye said saluted the PF for promoting huge developmental projects in the country over the last three years.
Local Government Minister Emmanuel Chenda (left) talks to Lusaka Mayor Mulenga Sata during an inspection of Lusaka Town centre market
Minister of Local Government and Housing Emmanuel Chenda has called on all councils in the country to curb corruption and mismanagement of funds by embracing electronic transactions in revenue collection.
In speech read for him by his deputy Nicholas Banda during the launch of the Direct Debit and Credit Clearing (DDACC) partnership between Lusaka City Council (LCC) and ZANACO, Mr. Chenda said corruption and mismanagement of funds can only be reduced by lessening human interaction with cash.
He said DDACC, which is a service that will allow Lusaka City Council clients to pay for rates using ZANACO’s electronic platforms, will enhance the local authority’s ability to collect revenue.
The minister also directed the council to explore other avenues of collecting revenue and not to depend on already established systems.
Speaking earlier, ZANACO Managing Director Bruce Dick said the DDACC service will improve the council’s cash-flow management which will eventually translate into improvement of the local authority’s liquidity while at the same time reduce the cost of doing business.
At the same occasion, Lusaka Mayor Mulenga Sata said the partnership between the LCC and ZANACO will help improve efficiency in collecting revenue.
Mr. Sata said the council was trying its best to reduce human contact in financial transactions in its effort to address challenges of theft of funds by employees.
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) Nchanga concentrator in Chingola has been shut down.
KCM public relations and communications manager Shapi Shachinda said Nchanga concentrator has been out of operation since Saturday.
Mr Shachinda said KCM was forced to shut down the concentrator on Saturday following the Copperbelt Energy Corporation’s (CEC) unilateral decision to restrict power supply to KCM.
He said in a statement that shutting down the concentrator has in turn affected production at the company’s Tailings Leach Plant (TLP), which depends on primary material from the concentrator.
“KCM has lost an estimated 482 metric tonnes of copper production from the concentrator and the TLP since Saturday, worth approximately $3.3 million,” he said.
Mr Shachinda said the restrictions imposed by CEC were greatly impairing KCM’s production and profitability, which compromises the safety of employees and may have implications for job security if prolonged.
The Nchanga concentrator, which has an annual capacity of nine million metric tonnes per year, is the largest of two concentrators that KCM operates, the other being the Konkola concentrator.
Mr Shachinda said KCM has been committed to finding a lasting resolution to the dispute with CEC and it was disappointing that CEC had taken such production impacting action.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has started the delimitation process of wards and polling district boundaries throughout the country in preparation for 2016 tripartite elections.
Speaking at the official opening of a three- day district delimitation sitting in Kazungula ,ECZ Chairperson Justice Ireen Mambilima said the current delimitation exercise which started in July will review the existing wards and polling district boundaries.
Justice Mambilima said the exercise will further involve the creation of new wards and polling districts thereby establishing new polling stations where necessary.
She said the exercise has been necessitated by several factors which include the long distances that voters cover during voter registration and elections as well as the population increase.
This is contained in a speech read for her by District Electoral Officer who is also Kazungula District Council Secretary Winstone Kasonkomona.
Justice Mambilima charged that the Commission would like to ensure that distances are reduced between polling stations and thus making it easier for the electorate to access the polling stations.
She mentioned that the Commission has also established that some of the polling stations are located in places not convenient for conducting elections adding that such polling stations needed to be relocated to more suitable sites.
“I wish to emphasize that the commission will only be able to effect the delimitation of the new council wards after the Ministry of Local Government issues the Statutory Instrument to legalize the new wards in accordance with Section 9 (2) of the Local Government Act CAP 281,” Justice Mambilima said.
She said the Act states that ‘after consultation with a council, the Minister of Local Government and Housing may, by Statutory order, alter the number of councilors of which the council consists’.
Justice Mambilima however, said the current delimitation exercise will not include the creation of more constituencies because the current constitution only provides for 150 constituencies.
She added that government in its quest to efficiently deliver services to the citizens, has embarked on decentralization of the country’s governance system which resulted into the creation of 29 new districts across the country thereby increasing the national total of districts from 74 to 103.
Justice Mambilima said this development has resulted in the revision of some of the district boundaries to pave way for the new districts adding that the Commission will have to adjust some constituency, ward and polling district boundaries to avoid a situation where a constituency falls within two or more districts.
She expressed hope that in the meantime, the delimitation of polling districts will result in the delivery of more efficient electoral services.
Meanwhile, Katombola Member of Parliament Derrick Livune and other councilors have expressed concern over the Commission’s decision not to consider Kazungula district for delimitation of wards stating that the district is vast and needed one or two more wards to add to the existing 14.
But ECZ Systems Manager Fredrick Liemisa said the issue raised will be presented to the Commission for consideration.
In his presentation, Mr. Liemisa explained that Kazungula district will in the mean time be considered for creation of polling stations only because it did not give birth to a new district a situation that caused reactions from the civic leaders.
President Sata being welcomed by Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini during the opening of parliament on September 19, 2014 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
SPEAKER of the National Assembly is studying the case in which some private media organisations were barred from covering live the official opening of parliament by President Michael Sata last week.
This follows a point of order raised by Mazabuka central UPND MP Gary Nkombo in parliament yesterday.
Mr Nkombo told the House that he was aware of correspondence from National Assembly to a private television station which was requesting to cover the live proceedings of the official opening of parliament but were referred to Zambia News and Information Services, (ZANIS).
He said the denial of the private media to cover live proceedings of the official opening of parliament were contrary to page 51 of the standing order 154 which addressed housekeeping.
The denial was also contrary to provisions of the Constitution under part 5. He said Information and Broadcasting minister Joseph Katema said it was the duty of the National Assembly to either allow or not allow the private media coverage of the live proceedings.
Mr Nkombo said Vice President Guy Scott however later took responsibility and apologised for what transpired.
He sought a ruling from the Speaker on whether Government was in order to carry on with the inconsistencies associated with the barring of some private media organisations from covering the official opening of parliament.
In his response, Dr Matibini said he would need time to study the point of order raised by Mr Nkombo to ensure that he gives a good response.
Meanwhile Parliament heard yesterday that a troop of 300 security officers from Kamfinsa were still deployed in Chibolya to continue ensuring law and order.
The House also heard that Government spend about K100,000 to carry out a security operation in Chibolya to retain peace and sanity to the area.
Home Affairs deputy minister Stephen Kampyongo said police seized illegal firearms and guns from the operation carried out in Chibolya on May 29 and 30 this year.
He said the funds were used for fuel, allowances for officers and equipment. Mr Kampyongo said Chibolya had become a den from criminal activities where guns were being hidden and some innocent citizens were being held captive for years by the criminals.
Katuba UPND MP Jonas Shakafuswa and his Namwala counterpart Miyoba Lubezhi called on the ministry to extend such operations to rural areas to curb cattle rustling which had become rampant.
The Post Newspapers Limited has obtained a stay halting the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) from seizing its property.High Court Judge-in-Charge Isaac Chali granted the newspaper leave to commence judicial review against ZRA’s decision to disallow it to pay the tax liabilities in six installments and the stay would stop the commission’s decision to seize the newspaper’s property.
Police and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officers this morning conducted a raid on the office headquarters of the Post Newspaper in Rhodespark, Bwinjimfumu road in Lusaka.The newspaper’s operations were halted.
The team of ZRA officers arrived at the Post Newspapers offices around 10:00 hours and by about 13:00 hours the officers were still inside the company premises.
Earlier this month it emerged that the Post Newspapers Limited owed the Government more than K8 billion (unrebased)in taxes.The Newspaper apparently stopped meeting its tax obligations soon after the PF formed government in 2011.
Mr Justice Chali granted the Post Newspaper permission to commence judicial review against ZRA’s decision to refuse its offer to pay tax liabilities of K26,856.230.91 inclusive of penalties.
Mr Justice Chali said when he granted the request ex-parte that the same would operate as a stay against ZRA’s purported decision to seize goods from The Post as the company was operating in apprehension of the goods by which it generates income being seized.
According to the notice of application for leave to apply for judicial review filed by Post Newspaper Limited’s lawyers from Messers Nchito and Nchito, the newspaper is challenging the decision of ZRA Commissioner General Berlin Msiska to refuse its proposal to pay tax liabilities in installments.
Defense Minister Edgar Lungu (r) confers with PF Western Province Chairman Kenneth Namutulo (r) as Zambia Army Secretary Brig Gen. William Sikazwe (c) looks on during an Official visit in Mongu District at Country Lodge, Western Province
Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has accused the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Government of not attaching the importance that public offices deserves.
And the opposition party says the PF’s continued stay in office is a serious liability to the nation.
Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza has noted that the PF has turned the governance of the country into child’s play and a platform for looting public resources and sharing the nations resources in the name of working for the people.
He observed that in a country with so many serious social and economic challenges there is no way one person can be holding 6 serious posts as is the case with the acting president Edger Lungu who is also the Minister of Justice and Defence adding that Mr. Lungu is no super human to also be the Secretary General of the PF, MP for Chawama and Chairperson for Discipline in his party.
He wondered if Mr. Lungu even has time for any of the offices saying the man could just be pretending that he is a hard work when he is actually doing nothing while people he is suppose to be supervising are busy lazing around in offices.
“Public office under the PF has been reduced to a platform were people can bambazonke, its just a platform to get allowances and its about sharing as well as personal benefits as Mr. Lungu himself once said.
“Edgar Lungu is no super human to be holding six jobs. He is the acting President, the Minister in charge of two important Ministries; Defence and Justice, he is the General Secretary of the PF, he is the MP for Chawama and also the Chairperson for Discipline are you telling me that this guy has time to be in all these offices. This shows that the PF do not attach great importance to public office to them public office is for bambazonking and enriching themselves and friends as well as families.
“No human being can work in 6 serious offices as is the case with Mr. Lungu. By the time Edgar Lungu leaves his offices he will be one of the most richest Zambians because of the allowances he is getting from the many offices at the expense of the majority of Zambians who gave the PF a chance to better their lives and not only a few individuals in government,” Mr. Mwanza noted.
Mr. Mwanza also noted that keeping PF in office for the remaining two years of their term is a liability to the nation as the ruling party has continued in its path of destruction of looting public resources since assuming office.
“Keeping the PF in office for the next two years is a serious liability to the people of Zambia because we are paying heavily. This is actually the highest level of ineffective running of the government, actually its child’s play, its governance made easy by the PF.
“What the PF are doing is simplifying and cheapening governance because they don’t care whether there is service delivery to the people no, for them its about sharing positions that’s why President Sata has gone on for the past three years with a ceremonial vice president in Guy Scott because he does not care,” said Mr. Mwanza.
He added: “keeping Guy Scott as Vice President has been a total waste of national resources and drain to government’s resources because there is no way you can be a Veep who can not act when your boss is not around.”
A van ferrying policemenr along Independence Avenue in Lusaka
Police and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officers have conducted a raid on the office headquarters of the Post Newspaper in Lusaka today.
Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officers raided the Post Newspapers offices on Bwinjifumu road in Rhodespark in an operation linked to the media institution’s outstanding tax payments.
The team of ZRA officers arrived at the Post Newspapers offices around 10:00 hours and by about 13:00 hours the officers were still inside the company premises.
Attempts by Journalists who have besieged the Newspapers premises to extract information from the ZRA officers have been unsuccessful as they have remained tight-lipped.
The officers have been frequently seen going in and out of the offices perhaps for consultations.
The Post Newspaper is allegedly owing the Government more than K8 million in taxes which have been outstanding since 2011.
According to ZRA Taxpayer compliance status report as at 1st September, 2014, Post Newspaper Limited had accumulated a total of more than K8 billion (unrebased) in Income Tax, Pay as You Earn (PAYE) and Value Added Tax (VAT).
