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FILE: HH Speaking to Journalists after appearing for mention
Lawyers representing United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has asked the Kitwe High Court to stand down a bench warrant issued against him by Judge Catherine Mukanga.
It is understood that lawyers representing the acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda who is a complainant in the matter have never served the summons on him and that the last notice was published in a newspaper advertisement.
As a result of this, the UPND legal team was not aware of the dates and could not therefore inform Mr Hichilema who until yesterday was on a campaign trail in Mangango.
The lawyer are said to have pleaded with the court to lift the bench warrant and have undertaken to ensure that Mr Hichilema would be in court at the next hearing.
The acting Chief Justice has complained to the Kitwe High Court and charged him with contempt of court.This is in a case in which acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda has applied to commit Mr Hichilema to prison for allegedly commenting on an issue when he referred to her position as acting Chief Justice.
The matter was scheduled for hearing on July 9th this year but was adjourned to August 18th after the court was informed that summons had not been served because he was not found at a given address.
Ruling comes up today.
New Red Arrows coach Albert Kachinga says he wants to see the Airmen survive relegation.
Struggling Arrows are 13th on the 16-team FAZ Super League table with 19 points from 20 matches played.
Arrows, who are currently enduring a ten-match winless streak, have so far recorded nine defeats, seven draws and four wins.
“Surviving relegation is our priority,” he said.
Kachinga believes the three experienced players Arrows acquired in the mid-season transfer window- Francis Kombe, Kunda Mushota and Charles Siyingwa- would add value to the team.
“Kombe, Siyingwa, and Kunda are all experienced players. They will add value to the team,” he said.
Kachinga added:”The three have already brought depth to the team.”
Chipolopolo coach Honour Janza is worried over club-less striker Fwayo Tembo’s inactiveness since he controversially left Romanian club Astra FC last September.
Janza on Sunday drafted Fwayo into his Zambia squad preparing to face Sudan in the 30th August friendly match in Lusaka.
Fwayo has never played any official match since ditching Astra except for a friendly in which he featured for Zambia against Egypt last November.
Janza has observed that being dormant can negatively affect the ex-Basel and Etoile du Sahel forward who is now keeping fit at FAZ Super League side Red Arrows.
“It is a big concern that is why we have brought him to be active because if again we try to close him, he will be dead, he will be buried.
“If he is not active what impress us continues seeing him inactive or makes him active? So we are trying to open his doors to make him active that is what we have done,” Janza said.
Last month, false reports suggested that Tembo had signed for Turkish side FC Kanyo and another report linked the striker to Hungarian club Kaposvari Rakoczi.
“You know his life is football and he is still young and all what we need all of us is to try and help him to try and support him to manage himself as well as realize that football is his life.”
The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has scoped the Mangango seat after its candidate Rodgers Lingweshi polled 3,109 votes.
The PF candidate was followed by his closest rival Godwin Putu of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) who managed to get 2,375 votes
ADD’s Naluwa Mwene was in third position with 623 votes, UNIP’s candidate Janet Chingumbe was fourth with 375 votes; MMD’s Charles Mwenzala was firth with 136 and Fourth Revolution Party’s candidate Mukumbuta Kabuyana was in sixth position with 31 votes.
Mangango constituency has seven wards with 33 polling stations and 17,157 registered voters.
Out of the registered 17,157 voters, a total of 6, 471 votes were cast with about 60 votes rejected and about 10, 686 did not cast their votes.
Mr. Lingweshi served as a former civil leader in the previous UNIP and MMD government as a Councillor for Mangango Central Ward.
The Mangango seat fell vacant following the nullification of Robert Chiseke who also former Commerce Deputy Minister.
Meanwhile the UPND has managed to get Namando Ward in Luampa District while the PF gets Luampa Ward.
PF’s David Kahulu in the Luampa Local Government by Election has scooped the seat with 726 votes with UPND’s David Njamba as a run up with 575 votes.
And UNIP’s Nyumbu Chipango trailed with 30 votes respectively.
Meanwhile, UPND’s Mwiya Mundenge has scooped Namando Ward with 275 votes with his closest rival Katupisha Yambwana polling 262 votes while ADD’s Christopher Muchima only managed to get 17 votes.
Announcing the results at Luampa Primary School this morning around 01:00 hours, Returning Officer Peter Mulenga declared Mr Kahulu (PF) as a winner for Luampa Ward while Mr Mundenge (UPND) for Namando.
Mr. Mulenga said 11 for Luampa Ward and seven for Namando were rejected while there was no disputed ballot paper in the voting exercise.
At the time of announcements of results there was no candidate or party supporter as they were threatened by heavy presence of police officers at the totalling centre.
The campaign period was characterised by violence from UPND and PF carders chiefly in Luampa Ward.
Luampa Ward fell vacant after the death of MMD Councillor Mr. Makawyanga Chinyemba while Namando became vacant after the death of PF councillor Shishau Muthala.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda addressing accountants during the ZICA annual ball dinner at Zambezi Sun Hotel in Livingstone
MINISTER of Finance Alexander Chikwanda has said material trappings have never been and will not be a thrust in his life.
Mr Chikwanda has also accused some media organisations of using individuals to “indulge in obscenities and falsehoods” against him.
The minister was reacting to media reports quoting former Anglican priest Father Richard Luonde and Chikondi Foundation president John Mambo suggesting that he is double-dealing the Zambian government with the mines.
He said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that he opted to accept President Sata’s call in 2011 to reinforce the pushing forward of the development agenda which is already transforming Zambia in a way not seen before.
“We are on course in making an impact on reducing or better even eradicating pervasive poverty that engulfs our nation. I hasten to say material trappings have never been and will not be a thrust in my life,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said some people for reasons best known to themselves have carried out an “insidious” slander campaign against him during his reign as Minister of Finance without moral reference.
Mr Chikwanda said the latest spate is over the Value Added Tax (VAT) General Administration Rule 18, which is premised on distortion from a classified letter which talks about the uncertainty on the VAT rule.
[pullquote]“Some media practitioners have unassailable advantage of perpetuating crusades against individuals who are perceived as inconveniences to them, shamefully, at the behest of political allies whose mission may have crash-landed,” he said.[/pullquote]
He said the VAT rule affects all exporters across the industry and not the mining sector but the mines were mentioned as an example because they have the largest accumulated backlog of refunds, which under the law have to be refunded.
Mr Chikwanda said the delays on the refunds have largely been on account of the rule requiring documentation from importers outside Zambia.
The minister said he has desisted from pouring scorn on people who are being used by some media institutions to scandalise him for avoidance of giving “legitimacy to their insinuations and credibility to their unconstrained enthusiasm” to slander others.
“Some media practitioners have unassailable advantage of perpetuating crusades against individuals who are perceived as inconveniences to them, shamefully, at the behest of political allies whose mission may have crash-landed,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda said the media is a very potent channel of communication and those with power to manage it should do so objectively with moral constraint.
He said he is heading a ministry entrusted with an onerous task of spearheading the management of the economy and staff at his ministry work exceedingly hard in an environment with poor work culture.
Mr Chikwanda further said the spirit of togetherness and fellowship in Zambia is very entrenched and that space for ardent apostles and high priests of hatred and malice will get increasingly narrower.
HOME Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula cuts ribbon to flag off the march past for Labour Celebrations in Kitwe
GOVERNMENT has given the Ministry of Home Affairs a go ahead to recruit extra personnel for deployment to border post areas in a bid to curb the influx of foreigners in the country.
Home Affair Minister Ngosa Simbyakula said Government had concerted to the increase in the establishment for the Ministry of Home Affairs by allowing the recruitment of extra immigration staff for deployment to border post areas.
Dr Simbyakula said in an interview yesterday that Government was alive to the challenge of manpower along border post areas.
“The challenge of manpower around border post areas has been with us for a long time and Government has responded by allowing us to recruit extra personnel for deployment,” Dr Simbyakula said without stating the approved figures for recruitment.
He said Government was seriously concerned over the presence of illegal immigrants in the country and was determined to regulate the influx by increasing security along border post areas.
Dr Simbyakula who attributed the current influx of foreigners in the nation to the country’s economic opportunities as well as the peace being enjoyed, said Government was putting measures in place to curb the problem of illegal immigrants.
He stressed the need to deploy extra immigration staff now that the country had more border posts than before.
Dr Simbyakula said Government could not afford to take any chances by permitting the continued influx of illegal immigrants especially in view of the current health threats such as Ebola.
“We have been given a go ahead to recruit extra staff for deployment to border post areas and we are only waiting for funding,” Dr Simbyakula said.
A number of foreigners have in the recent past been rounded up in various parts of the country in connection with various immigration offences.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Mufumbwe member of Parliament (MP) Stephen Masumba yesterday fired a gunshot in the air in Mangango to disperse suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres, who allegedly attempted to attack him.
And Itezhi-Tezhi UPND MP Greyford Monde was allegedly beaten by suspected UPND cadres during voting at Mwanambuyu polling station.
Western Province commissioner of police Lombe Kamukoshi confirmed both incidents yesterday.
Ms Kamukoshi said police received a report of Mr Masumba firing the gunshot in self-defence.
“Generally, voting has been peaceful despite two incidents that we recorded. Mr Masumba fired a shot in the air to allegedly disperse some suspected UPND cadres who were pursuing him.
“And at Mwanambuyu, some confusion erupted but was quickly managed by our officers,” she said.
Mr Masumba said in an interview that a suspected mob of UPND cadres attempted to attack him between 08:00 and 09:00 hours in Mangango Central.
He said the incident happened as he was monitoring the voting process in the area.
“I was moving about monitoring voting in the area and from nowhere, some UPND cadres started following me. I don’t know whether they were intimidated by my presence or other unknown reasons.
“They blocked my way and the district commissioner for Mitete is my witness. The mob tried to attack me, to kill me, and in self-defence, I fired a gunshot in the air,” he said.
Mr Masumba declined to state the type of firearm he had but said the cadres were armed with machetes and sticks.
He said after the cadres dispersed, they re-grouped and mounted a roadblock to prevent him from leaving the area.
Mr Masumba said he reported the matter to police and sneaked out of the area using alternative routes.
Last year on New Year’s eve, Mr Masumba fired a gunshot at a night club in Kitwe to scare off some men who had been trailing him and allegedly wanted to steal his unique Land Rover Discovery 3.
The firearm he used then was a nine millimetre accommodating 17 rounds and black in colour.
And Mr Monde said cadres attacked him at Mwanambuyu polling station around 10:00 hours as he was inquiring why some polling agents were blocked from accessing the centre.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock said the cadres attacked him in the presence of police.
“We reported the matter to the police command. I was with Honourable [Freedom] Sikazwe at the time of the incident,” Mr Monde said.
Sporadic incidents of violence have been recorded in the run-up to yesterday’s by-election.
COPPERBELT police commissioner Joyce Kasosa says police will execute the bench warrant issued against United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema.
Ms Kasosa, who did not want to comment further on the matter, said in an interview yesterday: “I can confirm the bench warrant has been issued and we are going to execute it.”
Mr Hichilema could not be reached for a comment.
Kitwe High Court Judge Catherine Makungu on Monday issued a bench warrant against Mr Hichilema for deliberately missing court.
This is in a matter in which lawyers representing acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda have applied to the Kitwe High Court to cite Mr Hichilema for contempt of court for allegedly commenting on the acting Chief Justice position when the matter is still in court.
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has challenged the appointment of Justice Chibesakunda as Chief Justice.
When the matter came up for hearing in the contempt application case on Monday, Justice Makungu noted that Mr Hichilema was absent.
“I am convinced that he is aware of these proceedings and was aware of them even before the matter last came up for hearing because I do not see how his advocates would come to court without their client’s instructions but with copies of the application since it has been proven that the application was in accordance with my order for substituted service advertised in the Daily Mail of 28 and 29 July, 2014,” Justice Makungu said.
She said Mr Hichilema must have seen the advertisements and that the purpose of serving such applications was to make the respondent or alleged contemnor aware of the application so that the court may give him a chance to be heard.
“In this case, he is aware of the proceedings and has appointed a firm of advocates to represent him and I have given him a chance to be heard.
“I will, therefore, not allow him to continue delaying these proceedings by deliberately not accompanying his advocates to court,” Justice Makungu said.
The Holy Fire Ministries Bishop Dominic Nyondo who was arrested by police in Kitwe for allegedly sexually abusing nine young girls from his church has committed suicide.
Copperbelt Police Chief Joyce Kasosa has confirmed the development saying Bishop Nyondo is believed to have thrown himself in the Kafue River in the early hours of today.
Bishop Nyondo, 47, of House number 853 Kapoto township in Kitwe died when he drowned in the Kafue River and left a note written in Bemba claiming that he was innocent of all the allegations.
In the note, Bishop Nyondo wrote that he was sorry to the lawyer but knew that there was no truth about all the accusations.
He wrote that it was just divisions in the church which led to him being accused of having canal knowledge of the young girls.
He wrote that the girls were asked to make false allegations to tarnish his name when his fellow Pastors wanted to be leaders in the church but he denied them the chance which led to the formation of breakaway church.
He accused a named Pastor who has established a breakaway church where all his members have gone to of being behind the false accusations.
Bishop Nyondo complained that he has embarrassed the whole nation and there was no need for him to continue living.
Bishop Nyondo said in his suicide note that he is dying for a good reason and quoted Matthew Chapter 7 vs 1 – 2.
He has since thanked all those who supported him during his cases in court.
Bishop Nyondo appeared in court for trial last week on Monday where 3 witnesses testified and was expected to re – appear in court on Monday next week for continued trial.
Voters line up to cast their ballot at Chilombo Primary School in Shikombwe Ward in Mangango Parliamentary by-elections.
Voting in the Mangango Parliamentary by-elections today closed peacefully with the counting of ballots starting almost immediately to find the new Member of Parliament for the rural constituency.
The by-election which was being contested by six candidates from different political parties was generally peaceful despite clashes that had preceded it over the weekend.
However, the voting started on slow note with most polling stations visited in three wards recording as little as 20 voters by 08:00 hour.
By midday, most of the centres were yet to record a 50 per cent voter turnout although Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) said numbers had been average.
Chilombo polling station in Shikomwe Ward which has the highest number of registered voters in the constituency had recorded just 300 by 09:30 hours out of the 1,305 registered.
At Namaloba polling centre in the same ward, only 21 had cast their ballots by 07:30 hours out of 550 registered voters while the situation was hardly different from Namimbwe were only 26 out 372 had voted.
In Mangango Ward, 632 out of the registered 3,408 had cast their ballots by 13:30 hours while at Namalazi in the same ward, 243 had voted by midday.
Security was tight with every polling centre manned by uniformed officers while representatives from participating political party as well as observers were present at every centre.
Apart from the seemingly voter apathy, cadres from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) clashed with their counterpart from the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Mwanambuyu, one of the remotest wards in the constituency.
Western Province Police Chief Lombe Kamukoshi said the cadres clashed at the same place were UPND Katuba MP allegedly assaulted six PF cadres over week resulting into his arrest.
“But that was an isolated case and as I am talking to you, the situation is under control because our officer are on the ground in Mwanambuyu,” said Ms Kamukoshi in an interview.
Ms Kamukoshi said the situation had been quite during the voting period and expressed confidence that the electorates had cast their ballots without any intimidation.
Meanwhile, FODEP executive director Macdonald Chipenzi who is monitoring the polls has described the voting process as peaceful with voters casting their ballot without interference.
“So far the process has been peaceful, there is no intimidation or confrontation and I am pleased to note that all major political parties have their representative at every polling centre,” Mr Chipenzi said.
Mangango Constituency has 17,157 registered voters in its seven wards, but poor road network to remotest areas may prolong the official announcement of the results.
The ruling PF fielded Lyambai Lingweshi while the UPND floated Godwin Putu with the MMD hoping to retain the seat through Charles Mwenzela. There was also ADD’s Mweene Naluwa, while UNIP had Janet Chingumbe, with the Fourth Revolution Party floating Mukumbuta Kabuyana.
87-yer old Mubotela Siseko was the first to cast the ballot at Kanyimba polling centre in Shikombwe ward in Mangango parliamnetry by-elections87-yer old Mubotela Siseko was the first to cast the ballot at Kanyimba polling centre in Shikombwe ward in Mangango parliamnetry by-elections
MMD National Secretary Muhabi Lungu has dismissed as mere politicking claims by former party Spokesperson Dora Siliya that the former ruling party is dead.
Mr. Lungu says it is unreasonable for anyone to suggest that the MMD is on the death bed when the party has seats in Parliament and has been participating in by-elections.
Mr. Lungu has told Qfm News that it is such insinuations that he has now become tired of responding to as party Chief Executive Officer because they are baseless claims.
He adds that in view of the position Ms. Siliya has taken against the party, the MMD leadership will leave it up to the people of Petauke Central to decide who should be their candidate in the pending by-election in constituency.
Mr Lungu has also disclosed that the MMD has information that Ms. Siliya is allegedly among some people who want to form a breakaway political party.
He however says the MMD is not bothered by such a rumor.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group has announced an advisory services agreement, valued at $1 million, with Airtel Zambia to increase access to mobile financial services in the Zambian market in order to strengthen financial inclusion.
In Zambia, two-thirds of the adult population is excluded from formal financial services. A majority of the population has no choice but to rely on cash and informal services for transactions, savings and credit, at high risk and cost.
The overall aim of the three-year project is to assist Airtel Money Zambia in building a sustainable mobile money operation. IFC will provide market research and advisory services on agent network management and business strategy development.
The project is part of the Partnership for Financial Inclusion, a $37.4 million joint initiative of IFC and The MasterCard Foundation to expand microfinance and advance mobile financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Brenda Thole, Airtel Money Director Zambia, said, “A key focus area for Airtel Money is to support the government’s mandate to enhance financial inclusion and to reach out to the unbanked population who may still have fears of mainstream banking or believe the services are too costly. This partnership with IFC and The MasterCard Foundation will boost our drive of customer education and help us build strong agent relationships, which are key to the success of this product.”
The implementation of mobile financial services has shown to be a successful way of increasing access to finance in several African markets. Kenya’s M-PESA is one of the most well-known mobile money operators in the world and is used by over 70 percent of Kenyan adults. In Tanzania, FinScope data show that the use of mobile money services has helped increase the rate of financial inclusion from 15.8 percent to 57.4 percent in just four years.
Greta Bull, IFC program manager for the Partnership for Financial inclusion, said, “Mobile phone usage is very high in Zambia, making it an ideal market in which to leverage technology to reach those who have previously been excluded from formal financial services. Financial inclusion is an important tool in promoting inclusive economic growth that can have significant impact on livelihoods.”
Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister, Forrie Tembo
Government says it is not impressed in the manner civic authorities are administering land matters in the country.
Local government and housing deputy minister, Forrie Tembo says government was concerned with the manner most councils in the country have permitted illegal land allocations in their districts.
Mr. Tembo said this has resulted into the mushrooming of an un-authorized structures, a development he said could be avoided if civic authorities operated more professionally regarding land administration and acquisition in the country.
ZANIS reports that the Deputy minister said this during a meeting he held with council workers together with Kalomo district commissioner, Lucia Mwiinde in the district, today.
This was after he , Mr, Tembo, toured several illegal residential structures that have been built on State land in Bwacha and Boma areas.
“I am quite disappointed with what am seeing on the ground, we have encouraged more problems for ourselves. You, as councils should take time to sensitise the community on land acquisition procedures other than make your districts be un-governable,” Tembo lamented.
And Mr. Tembo says resident development committees (RDC) were no longer recognized in the country.
He explained that the RDCs were illegal and had no powers to apportion pieces of land in part of the country.
The deputy minister warned that saying any person found wanting posing as a RDC officer will face the wrath of the law.
He was responding to remarks by council secretary, Forster Nasilele who said the RDCs in the area have continued to administer allocation of plots in the district.
The minister accompanied by his physical planning and housing principal planner for development control, Shadrecrick Kafwambile is on a tour of Southern province on an inspection of illegal land allocations and acquisition and monitor the administration of CDF.
Meanwhile, government is considering re-introducing the grain levy.
Mr. Tembo said at the same meeting that it was unfortunate that some councils had misinterpreted the grain levy by even targeting the farming communities when actually it was meant for the buyers.
He noted that in the absence of a broad tax revenue base mostly from the evaluation roll and without grants, councils would not adequately provide the much needed services which communities expect from them.
Former Mozambique President Joaquim Alberto Chissano
Former Mozambican President Joachim Chisano has congratulated Zambia for attaining 50 years of independence.
Mr Chisano says he hopes that the 50 years of Zambia’s independence will give the people and leadership of the country more wisdom and unity for continued development.
The former Mozambican President said this to journalists upon arrival in the country at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport aboard a South African Airways plane which touched down at 12:35 hours.
He was met on arrival by Foreign affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu, his Lusaka Province counterpart Wamuyima Muwana and Chairperson of the Zambia @ 50 Secretariat Mulenga Kapwepwe.
He noted that the relationship between Zambia and the rest of the countries in the sub region was about to be disturbed because of contradictions in leadership.
Mr Chisano however stressed that as Zambia celebrates 50 years of independence, its people should work towards strengthening peace and unity.
He also expressed happiness to note the massive development projects that have taken place in the country which he said has helped transform the country into one of the region’s economic hubs.
Mr Chisano noted that the nation’s agriculture sector in particular has continued to grow despite the mining sector been the mainstay of the country’s economy.
He said Zambia was now a fine example to the rest of the SADC region and the African continent in general that it is possible to achieve
high levels of development.
The President of Mozambique is in the country for a three-day state visit to commemorate Zambia’s Golden Jubilee anniversary which will be held on October 24 this year.
He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and will later in the even attend a dinner to be hosted in his honour.
The former Mozambican Head of State will also hold a lecture on the cooperation between Zambia and Mozambique among many other activities.
On Tuesday 19th August 2008 Zambians received the sad news that their President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa had passed away.
The then Vice-President Rupiah Banda made the following announcement on ZNBC
“Fellow countrymen, with deep sorrow and grief, I would like to inform the people of Zambia that our president Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa died this morning at 1030 hours.”
President Mwanawasa suffered a stroke at an African Union summit in Egypt and was then flown to France, where he had remained in hospital.The late President was elected as Zambia’s third republican President in December 2001 under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) ticket and re-elected in 2006 for the second five year term of office.
Click here to see the pictures of Zambians honoring the Late President Levy Mwanawasa during the funeral procession to Mulungushi.
