POLICE in Luanshya have impounded a truck loaded with game meat, which was discovered abandoned in the bush in Kamirenda extension.

The Fuso truck registration number ABT 1603, whose owner was not known, was exposed yesterday by the local people who alerted the Zambia Combined Cadet Force (ZCCF), who rushed to the scene and immediately informed the police.

ZANIS in Luanshya reports that Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Joyce Kasosa confirmed the incident in an interview, yesterday.

Ms. Kasosa says the deserted truck was suspected to have been abandoned due to a mechanical fault.

She said the vehicle was then moved to Luanshya central police where it was impounded awaiting response from the Zambia Wildlife Association (ZAWA) in Mkushi.

She disclosed that the truck was carrying 30 bundles of game meat which was confirmed and counted by the ZAWA officers, and that the truck has since been moved to Mkushi pending further investigations.

Ms. Kasosa however said no arrests were made as the truck was found dissented and both the owner and the driver were not known.

She further appreciated members of the public for prompt action in reporting the suspicious vehicle to the relevant authorities, urging them to continue working with the police in abetting crime.

And a source who sought anonymity said the truck belonged to a Luanshya transporter Joe Kayuka of Kamirenda township, believed to have transported the meat on behalf of a customer.

Meanwhile, Police in Ndola have gunned down three criminals in Masaiti district suspected to have master minded various criminal activities in the Luanshya and Masaiti district.

The trio which was shot yesterday along Lamba Lima road in Masaiti district was said to have been responsible for a staged day light armed robbery which took place at standard chartered bank in Luanshya three months ago.

An AK47 riffle was said to have been recovered from the criminals.

Republican Vice President, Guy Scott, will be among several leaders to attend the 34th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled to open here on August 17, 2014.

The Vice President is expected to arrive in the resort Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls today at 14:00 hours.

According to a programme released to the media by the SADC Secretariat, Dr Scott will on Sunday, August 17, join other Heads of State and Government at the official opening of the Summit at the Elephant Hills Resort.

Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, will officially open the Summit under the theme ” SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation: Leveraging the Regions Diverse Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development through Beneficiation and Value Addition”.

President Mugabe will take over the chairmanship of the regional body from Malawi’s Peter Mutharika, who is also expected to give his maiden and key note speeches to the Summit following his election as new President of that country last May.

Meanwhile, at least 12 Heads of State and Government are expected to start arriving for the 34th SADC Summit in Victoria Falls town tomorrow to discuss topical issues affecting the regional grouping including financing to key projects including the Kariba dam and tackling poverty issues that threaten millions of people due to droughts in some parts of the region.

The 34th SADC Summit is also expected to consider the SADC Regional Strategy on Food and Nutrition that should go a long way in ensuring that there is adequate food supply in the region.

The SADC Presidents expected to arrive tomorrow for the two-day meeting include Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Armando Guebuza of Mozambia, Peter Mutharika of Malawi and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC.

Others are Hery Rajonarimampianina of Madagascar, Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana, Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Heads of Governments from Seychelles and Mauritius.

President Mugabe is also expected to host a State banquet for the SADC Heads of State and Government on Sunday evening before officially closing the meeting on Monday, August 18.

Meanwhile, First Ladies of the SADC region will also hold a one-day meeting on the side lines of the Summit whose outcome will be presented to the Heads of State and Government.

Other key note speakers expected during the Summit include Donald Kaberuka, the president of the African Development Bank, whose institution provides colossal financing to projects in the region and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Game Stores Management says it remains committed to investigate the sexual harassment allegations against Game Stores Manager Vincent Pallan in a fair and transparent manner.

And the Game Stores Management has disclosed that sexual allegations against Game Stores Manager Vincent Pallan are being treated with utmost importance at the highest level and in consultation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.

Game Stores Human Resources Manager Everisto Hakayobe has told QFM News in a statement that Game Stores remain committed to safeguarding the interest of employees and providing a wholesome and fulfilling work environment.

Mr. Hakayobe says Game Stores has been operating in Zambia for the past 15 years and that this is done in strict adherence to applicable Zambian labour laws and in consultation with relevant unions and employees.

Mr. Hakayobe says the company has a well defined and clear grievance procedure.

He adds that the Game stores management has also set up an independently managed ethics phone line where employees who choose to be anonymous can be heard in an event that they fear victimization and or intimidation.

Mr. Hakayobe says the company is fully aware that the aggrieved ex-employee has not made use of the internal procedures to address her grievances before or immediately after her contract of employment had expired, in June 2014.

He says Game Stores management only became aware of the allegation against the Game Stores boss on the 11 August 2014.

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Commissioner Fredrick Ngandu says his commission will reduce distances for voters’ registration and elections to five kilometers before 2016 tripartite elections.

Commissioner Ngandu says this is in order for the electorates to easily access the polling stations.

He said that the ECZ has embarked on a countrywide delimitation exercise in order to create new wards, polling districts and stations where necessary.

He said the exercise was being necessitated by an increase in population and that some polling stations were located in areas not suitable for conducting elections such as markets.

ZANIS reports that the ECZ Commissioner said this during the official opening of the delimitation exercise in Chisamba district, today.

He however said the current delimitation would not include the creation of constituencies because the current constitution only provides for 150 constituencies.

He said following census of 2010, a delimitation Commission was constituted to review constituency boundaries .

Mr Ngandu said arising from the submissions received from the delimitation, the commission recommended that the number of constituencies be increased from 150 to 235.

He said the creation of new districts across the country has resulted in the revision of some district electoral boundaries to pave way for the new districts.

He said some constituency boundaries have also being affected by the revised district boundaries and that the commission had to adjust some constituency ,ward and polling district boundaries to avoid a situation where a constituency falls within two or more districts.

Meanwhile, four wards, nine polling stations and nine polling districts will be created in Chisamba district following the delimitation exercise by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

The Councilors in the district have proposed that Chikonkomene ward splits to create Mwantaya and Mwapula wards while Chamuka should be split to create Miswa and Mutenge wards in addition to the already existing six.

The councilors have also proposed to the commission that the number of polling districts increases from 44 to53.

And Bruneli, Chikuse, Kaminembe, Chipandaike, Kalimina, Kamulobwe, Mwantaya, Kasamba and Mafunda be turned into polling districts.

The Councilors also submitted that that the polling stations be Bruneli , Chikuse, Kaminembe, Kalimina, Kamulobwe, Mwantaya, Mafunda, Kasamba primary schools and Chipandaike community school.

First Lady Christine Kaseba has challenged pupils in Muchinga Province to take advantage of the Construction of the Robert Makasa University.

Dr. Kaseba urged the pupils to work hard in order to earn a place at the new university, as they will be given first priority.

The first Lady said this in Chinsali District today when she conducted an educational tour with the pupils that are attending a mentorship Programme in the district.

Dr. Kaseba said it would be meaningless for students from other provinces to fill up places at the university because people in Muchinga Province could not meet the standards.

She said she will continue monitoring the progress the pupils will be making and ensure that those that have good qualifications are given that opportunity.

Dr. Kaseba said the construction of the university in their area should motivate them to work even harder and achieve their dreams.

She said President Michael Sata is committed to the improvement of education quality in the country as evidenced by the two universities being constructed in the province.

Dr. Kaseba said this is an opportunity for the pupils of Muchinga Province to attain higher education as they now have a university within reach.

She said the tour should motivate them to work even harder at school and not to rush into early marriages.

Dr. Kaseba later visited the site for the construction of the Provincial Administration, Police Headquarters and a recently constructed dam.

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RATSA) has stressed that it will not issue operation licenses to driving schools that fail to conform to set standards.

RATSA Public Relations Officer, Fredrick Mubanga, disclosed in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today that his agency is still carrying out the exercise of closing down illegal driving schools.

Mr Mubanga said it is RATSA’s mandate to carry out inspections of driving schools periodically to ensure that driving schools adhere to the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002 and standards set by RATSA.

He said road traffic officers are always on the ground to conduct regular inspections during the process of applying for operational licenses, saying driving schools that do not reach set standards are not issued with licenses.

Mr Mubanga has warned driving school instructors that have a tendency of sourcing money from their students in order to acquire driving licenses on their behalf to desist from the vice.

He urged members of the public not to deal with any third parties as RATSA has no legally established authorised third party.

Mr Mubanga stated that RATSA is the only agency mandated to issue drivers’ licenses in the country.

He said driving school instructors caught in such actions risk having their institutions closed with immediate effect.

Government says it has started the process of repossessing being chunks of land dubiously allocated to the so called investors on the expense of Zambians.

ZANIS reports that Chiefs and Tradition Affairs Minister Prof. Nkandu Luo said this in Mumbwa yesterday when she visited Chief Kaindu’ s palace in continued search for land relocated over 1,000 squatters in Mumbwa Game Management Area of the Kafue National Park.

The Minister was shocked to see that Hernan Folly Farm was allocated 2,500 hectares of land in the banks of Kafue River more that the threshold, which Chiefs and Councils can give out adding that any land more than 250 hectares, needs consent from the President.

Prof. Luo said she would inform President Sata so that the process of reposing land from Hernan Folly Farms commences and he would only be given 250 hectares and that a buffer zone must be created away from the leave.

The Minister warned that government will deal ruthlessly with any one breaking the rules in land allocation whether a traditional leader or a local authority as land is being held by the President in trusted to the people of Zambia.

She observed that only few individuals who are not Zambians are the one owning land throughout the country as similar names a found everywhere.

Prof. Luo also observed that there have been a lot of problems regarding the allocation of Land in Chief Kaindu and directed that the process of land allocation in the Chiefdom must be stopped until all queries regarding the same are resolved.

Meanwhile, only 159 squatters of the Mumbwa GMA out of 1,111 will be relocated to the Kaindu – Chitanda disputed land as it has only 1,000 hectares as opposed to the 11,000 hectares earlier announced.

The minister said the Surveyor General who went on the ground to map the area found that the earmarked piece of land have people already settled in it and only few spaces were available to relocate the squatters.

The minister added that more land must be sourced from the nearby Chiefs so that people in the GMA are removed as soon as possible before the onset of rains.

She disclosed that the first bunch will start moving in soon and government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit will help them with tents and relief food until they are integrated into society.

And Chief Kandu has complained to the minister that he had no land to settle as he was squatting in the land owned by the Catholic Church.

He said that he would not know where to go if the Catholic Church evicts him as the palace was built on the catholic land.

Professor Luo however, said the government is in the process of engaging the Catholic Church so that an alternative land is provided for the Church.

The University of Zambia (UNZA) Main Campus has assured all students that have been accepted at the institution that all letters have been sent to their exact postal address and on time.

UNZA Acting Public Relations Manager, Stamflus Chewe, appealed to the in-coming students not to panic but exercise patience as their letters have been processed.

Mr Chewe dispelled assertions that the letters were taking too long to reach their preferred destinations including far flung towns like Kaputa district.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, Mr Chewe said all letters were sent and the institution is now conducting medical examinations for the newly accepted students.

Mr Chewe disclosed that medical examinations started this week on August 11, and the process is progressing well, an indication that some students have already received their admission letters.

He said those who have not received their letters should check at their respective postal offices.

Mr Chewe has since advised the new student applicants at UNZA to give correct postal addresses to the management when applying.

He observed that those complaining are mostly coming from the capital, Lusaka who used addresses from far places so that their chances of being accommodated may be heightened.

“Letters do take some time to reach their destination but if people do not receive their letters by the end of this month, they should come and get a reprint from the Main Campus,” he said.

There have been some serious concerns from some accepted students at the Main campus that the letters are taking too long to reach them.

This has left many of them in suspense as they anxiously wait to see their letters of admission at the country’s highest leaning institution.

The University of Zambia is set to re-open on September 14, 2014, with the first year students reporting first on that date for registration and subsequent orientation.

First Lady christine Kaseba this morning conducted an eductional tour of Robert Makasa university in Chinsali.This was part of the Teachers, Community Leaders/ Pupils mentorship in Muchinga Province.Muchinga Province Education Officer (PEO) Jobbicks Kalumba paid glowing tribute to the First Lady for taking time off her busy schedule to be part of the Mentorship programme in Muchinga province.Mr. Kalumba said the event is an eye opener for the Ministry of Education in the Province to strengthen all interventions aimed at securing the future of children.

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