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Ex-Zambia coach Herve Renard has been appointed Cote d’Ivoire manager.
Renard takes over on a two-year-deal from Sabri Lamouchi who left the job just after the 2014 world Cup in Brazil.
Fédération Ivoirienne de Football confirmed on its website today that Renard beat fellow contenders Frédéric Antonetti and Manuel José for the prized job.
“We were looking for a competent and loyal coach and who has a proven record, ” FIF president Augustin Sidy Diallo said.
Renard was prior to winning the race for The Elephants job in charge of demoted French club Sochaux on a short-term deal that expired in May.
Democratic Republic of Congo rhumba music maestro Kofi Olomide
Congolese Rhumba Musician Koffi Olomide says the Zambia Police Service has cleared him of allegations that he assaulted photographer Jean Ndayisenga in December 2012.
Addressing the media in Lusaka on Thursday morning, Koffi says he is in possession of a letter from the Zambia Police Service which has cleared him of any wrong doing.
Asked why he offered an apology to the nation in a TV advert for his shows, the musician says his promoters asked him to apologize even if he did not assault Mr. Ndayisenga.
Koffi has alleged that the photographer was in love with Congolese female musician Cindy Le couer who he kept following even at the backstage.
On Wednesday, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani says Koffi will by the end of today know his fate.
The Police Chief says police would decide whether to re-open an assault case against the Congolese Musician.
The complainant, Freelance Photojournalist Jean Ndayisenga claims, he was not consulted when police closed the docket and subsequently wrote to Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani to re-consider the matter.
Koffi, who is in the country with a 20 man crew, is expected to have two shows in Lusaka over the long weekend.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority -ZICTA is saddened with the continued poor quality of service offered by mobile telecommunication companies.
ZICTA Public Relation Manager, Ngabo Nankonde says the authority is aware of the poor standards of quality of service provide by operators.
Ms Nankonde says the poor quality of service consumers are being subjected to is evident as seen in the increased number of complaints lodged to the authority.
She said mobile phone operators have for some time now taken consumers for granted.
Ms Nankonde has told tv2 news at the ongoing national agriculture and commercial show in Lusaka today that ZICTA will soon take action against operator found wanting.
She says currently the authority is finalizing the compilation of data in order to take appropriate action against erring operators.
PF Matero Constituency MP Miles Sampa says he is happy with his youth empowerment Metro Cab idea, solely to benefit youths in the constituency.
Speaking on his social media face book page, Mr. Sampa says he underestimated it’s potential impact in the area.
He says the response has been overwhelming from all parts of the country and beyond.
He gave an update on the Metro Cab Launch that the full empowerment period has been reduced from three to two years and the weekly amount reduced to K500 from K600 as previously stated.
Mr. Sampa explains that responsible taxi drivers will therefore get to own their cars in two years.
MetroCab started full operations on the launch date , last Tuesday, as a fully registered company under the Companies act.
The MP said his constituency office has appointed Ms Ngolwa Jane Sakala as Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of Metro Cab Limited and who will be answerable to a Board of Directors.
The MetroCab is a nonprofit making entity whose sole mandate is to economically empower Youths.
All weekly cashing, according to Mr. Sampa, will be deposited directly in the Metro Cab company account by drivers and once the balance builds up to sufficient amounts to purchase another taxi, a new one will be bought and instantly given to another youth.
‘We have already been approached by potential financiers for more cabs to reach out to Youths beyond Matero, “ he said.
The next batch of 10 cabs will be rolled out sometime later this year, he said adding that: The only qualifying factor for the raffle being a PSV license (women are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity as well).
The civil society in Eastern Province has praised government for paying farmers who sold their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) within two weeks of purchasing the grain.
Speaking on Feel Free radio programme dubbed “The big issue,” Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) regional coordinator, Maxon Nkhoma and the Chipata District Farmer Association (CDF) coordinator, Virgil Malambo, noted that this is the first time that government is making prompt payments to farmers for the sale of maize.
The two said the move is a positive step and advised the government to continue paying farmers in good time, saying this will motive the farmers to sell the maize to FRA as opposed to private buyers.
Mr Nkhoma said farmers are happy with government’s move of releasing money for the purchase of maize.
He, however, appealed to government to ensure that all farmers are paid K70 per 50 kilogram bag of maize, adding that a number of private buyers are currently paying as little as K50 per bag.
Mr Nkhoma said though the economy of Zambia is based on a free market policy, government should ensure that no one pays below the market floor price in order to protect the people.
Mr Nkhoma stated that this will help ensure that farmers recover money spent in the production of the grain, saying currently farmers are not getting enough as they are selling the grain at a lower rate compared to the production costs.
He said the government should not allow farmers to suffer just because it is a free market economy.
Meanwhile, Mr Malambo wondered how other buyers are selling the commodity below the floor price, saying the floor price set by government should serve as a guide and that no one is supposed to sell below the set price.
Mr Malambo also noted that farmers are being exploited by tobacco merchants who do not want farmers to be independent because they want to continue to control the farmers by setting their own prices for crops.
He noted that farmers are facing a number of challenges in the production of tobacco where merchants only buy tobacco from farmers who were given loans by the same merchants, who he accused of forming a cartel that exploits the farmers.
Mr Malambo said the farmers are forced to get loans as independent farmers do not have a market for their produce.
He also accused the tobacco merchants of buying at a lower rate as compared to the current Kwacha/ US dollar rate.
“The marketing of tobacco is done in US dollars and most of the merchants were buying the produce to lower rates compared to the prevailing rate. Those who sold their tobacco when the rate was at K7, were paid K6 or K5.9 in some cases,” he said.
He called on the Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) to ensure that farmers are protected against such unfair activities in the marketing of crops.
PF Members welcome Vice President Dr. Guy Scott (r) at arrival at Kaoma air strip to drum up support ahead of the forthcoming Mangango August 19 2014, Parliamentary bye elections in Kaoma District, Western Province
Vice President, Guy Scot, has asked the electorate in Mangango Constituency to vote for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidate, Rodgers Lyambai Lingweshi, in the August 19, by-election.
Dr Scot said people of Mangango should vote for Mr Lingweshi because only the ruling party candidate can foster development in the constituency.
Speaking during a public rally to drum up support for Mr Lingweshi at Kafwansoni Primary School yesterday, the Vice President said the opposition has no developmental agenda for the constituency.
He said the Patriotic Front is creating a better Zambia as it can be evidenced by the developmental projects being undertaken in less than three years that the party has been in government.
Dr Scot said the opposition has no message for the electorate in Mangango apart from peddling lies about President Micheal Sata’s health.
And speaking at the same rally, Western Province Minister, Richwell Siamunene, said voting for an opposition Member of Parliament (MP) will be wasting votes because the opposition parties do not want to cooperate with government.
Mr Siamunene said although he was an opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) MP he is serving in the PF government in order to take development to his constituency.
He said it is only an MP from the ruling PF who can bring development to Mangango Constituency.
And PF Chairperson for elections, Silvia Masebo, asked the people of Mangango to give the ruling party an opportunity to prove itself in terms of service delivery by voting for its candidate.
Ms Masebo said people of Mangango will be free to vote for another party in 2016 if PF fails to address some of the challengers being faced in the area.
The Mangango seat fell vacant after the nullification of the seat for Robert Taundi Chiseko of the MMD by the Supreme Court.
The Zambian Kwacha has maintained its resilience against major convertible currencies as demand and supply have remained constant.
The local currency continued to hold steady against the United States Dollar trading in the range of K6.150 to K6.170 per one US Dollar.
This is according to Cavmont Bank market report for Wednesday, July 30, obtained by ZANIS in Lusaka today.
The report stressed that the local unit remains in positive territory and biased towards a stronger local currency.
The market report further disclosed that importers are still looking for more favourable levels.
Meanwhile, the Bank’s aggregate current account balance decreased by K290.16 million to K1, 050.84 million while the cost for interbank borrowing and lending remained at 15 percent.
The report further stated that funds traded on interbank were K304.50 million.
Human Rights Activist, Brebner Changala, this morning briefly broke down in tears when he submitted his petition to the Chomba-led Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission in Kabwata on the conduct of security wings especially the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Zambia Police Service.
And Mr Changala has petitioned the commission to recommend to the State to stop security wings from conducting night raids in people’s home and compel the State, through the Director of Public Prosecutions to put a life span for a nolle prosequi to be in effect.
Mr. Changala, who started his petition in a jovial and friendly mood, gradually turned angry during his petition and briefly broke down when he narrated how he was treated by the security wings who he said raided his houses and humiliated him and his family.
Mr Changala accused the State of using the Drug Enforcement Commission, police and the courts to humiliate political opponents by accusing them of unbailable offences and after detaining and remanding the accused for long periods without proper evidence they enter nolle prosequi which cannot be questioned by anyone.
He observed that DEC has been searching people’s houses for seditious materials without search warrants from the courts while courts deliberately take long adjournments to frustrate the accused which he said was a violation of human rights.
He recommended to the commission that the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions should be curtailed so that the DPP should be giving reasons to the court for entering nolle.
He disclosed that he was a victim of nolle as he has been on five nolle prosequi since 2001 which he said was not safe for any citizen as he does not know whether he would be re-arrested for the case has been closed which he said the judiciary should revisit to ensure that there is a time frame for nolle.
And Commission Chairperson noted that the abuse of nolle has been a subject of complaint by many petitioners during the commission’s public sittings, saying it has to be looked at carefully.
Justice Chomba stated that many people in other townships of Lusaka where the commission has held public sittings have already recommended that a nolle prosequi should have a time frame, a recommendation Mr Changala laboured to explain.
Another petitioner, Chrispine Sichone, submitted that the clause in the Civil Service Disciplinary Code which subjects civil servants suspected of committing criminal offenses to earn half salary should be
abolished because it contravenes the Article 18 of the Constitution of Zambia which states that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Dr Sichone noted that clause 56 of the Disciplinary Code violates human rights as it takes away part of the income of a civil servant who is not proven guilty hence it should be abolished.
Dr Sichone also appealed to the judiciary to put a time frame within which a case should be concluded in order to serve on time and financial resources.
The Annual rate of inflation for the month of July, 2014 has increased to 8.0 percent from 7.9 recorded in June 2014.
Speaking during the release of the July, 2014 monthly bulletin, Central Statistical Office Director, John Kalumbi says the increase in the annual rate of inflation is mainly attributed to increases in the non food items.
Mr. Kalumbi says between July 2013 and July 2014 the annual rate of inflation increased for Alcohol beverages and tobacco, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, health and other housing equipment while it decreased for food and non alcoholic beverages, transport, clothing, footwear, communication and miscellaneous goods and services.
Mr. Kalumbi says of the total 8.0 percent annual inflation rate recorded in July 2014, food and non alcoholic beverage products accounted for 3.5 percent, while non food products accounted for a total of 4.5 percent.
He states that the annual rate of inflation increased for Central, Lusaka and North Western Provinces while it decreased for Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Northern, Muchinga and Western Provinces.
Mr. Kalumbi says Lusaka Province had the highest provincial contribution of 2.5 percent while North Western Province had the lowest contribution of 0.3 percent.
He further disclosed that the country recorded a trade surplus valued at K47.7 million in June 2014 from a trade surplus of K41.1 million recorded in May 2014.
Church Mother Bodies say demands by Members of Parliament, Civil Society Organizations and some opposition political parties to meet President Michael Sata at State House are justified.
Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) President Reverend Alfred Kalembo has told QFM News that President Sata however deserves privacy as an individual despite him being a public figure.
Reverend Kalembo says those seeking to meet the President should do so by being mindful of the President’s individual privacy.
Reverend Kalembo was however quick to mention that people have the right to know what is happening to the Head of State following his absence from the public eye.
He says Zambians are anxious for the President to address them on the many issues that have been happening in the recent past.
And Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) Board Chairperson, Bishop David Masupa, says the people of Zambia deserve to know what has been happening to the Head of State.
Bishop Masupa says the only way to end speculation on the President’s wellbeing is by him addressing a press conference.
Meanwhile Christians against Poverty in Zambia (CAPZ) Executive Director, Evangelist Gregory Chileshe, says it is pointless for MPs, CSOs and political parties to demand to meet President Sata, but that it is important for president to address the nation.
Evangelist Chileshe says most of the people are eager to have the President address the nation.
And the sixteen political parties in the Grand Coalition championing the speedy enactment of the new Republican Constitution have opted to take the battle to the streets following government’s apparent unwillingness to dialogue over the release of the final draft constitution.
Spokesperson of the sixteen political parties, Reverend Jervan Kamanga, says all efforts to dialogue with government for the possible release of the final document have failed and that the only solution left is to take the fight to the streets.
Reverend Kamanga has told QFM News in an interview that if it means to camp at State House to demand for the release of the document, the grand coalition will do just that.
Reverend Kamanga, who is also National Restoration Party (NAREP) National Secretary, says government is doing injustice to the people who voted for them by ignoring the issue of the constitution.
He says the Grand Coalition has been meeting to discuss the way forward and that they have resolved to put the necessary pressure on the government to release the document.
Reverend Kamanga says the Grand Coalition will continue to look for means and ways to compel the government to release the final document.
MMD President Nevers Mumba says Zambia will be saved from immoral politics very soon.
Reacting to Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba’s remarks that he is a cheat, Dr. Mumba says it is God who will judge him and not any human being.
Dr. Mumba has told Qfm News in an interview that he has always been a Pastor and has never stopped serving God as Mr. Kabimba is implying.
He laments that Mr. Kabimba is attacking his personality and his Christian life because of politics, which he says is wrong and unacceptable.
Dr Mumba has reemphasized that he is still a strong a Preacher with 53 churches dotted around Zambia and outside the country.
And Dr. Mumba has noted the need for politicians to respect each instead of engaging in immoral politics that will not yield any positive results.
He says he will stand firm and continue speaking to Zambians on the need to promote peace and unity in the country.
MMD Mwandi Member of Parliament Michael Kaingu has observed that the gesture by PF Matero MP Miles Sampa to donate taxis to jobless youths in his constituency is a business venture.
Dr Kaingu said there is nothing spectacular about Mr Sampa’s initiative because he is treating it as a business venture.
“It is not really a donation. It’s an investment. He promised those youths and he has used a business principle to deliver part of that promise. It’s really nothing as far as am concerned,” Dr Kaingu said.
He said the public should not use the Mr Sampa’s initiative as the pinnacle for public service saying some MPs do a lot of work even without publicizing them.
“Some work quietly you know, they don’t want to attract unnecessary attention but they do a lot of work for their people so for me am really not bothered,” he said.
Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has urged his MMD counterpart Dr Nevers Mumba to desist from dragging the name of the UPND in efforts to revive his party.
Mr Hichilema said attacks from Dr Mumba that the UPND is a regional party for failing to attend the Umutomboko traditional ceremony is baseless.
Dr Mumba was quoted in the Post Newspaper stating that failure by the UPND to attend last weekend’s Umutomboka ceremony in Mwansabombwe is a sign that the UPND is a regional party and does not bother about other regions and their culture.
He said Dr Mumba should concentrate on sorting out the mess that it is currently going on in his party.
“Our message is clear, we are busy selling our message to the people and we will not engage in cat fights with the MMD. What we know is that Dr Mumba wants to use the UPND to help project the MMD in a more positive light but we will not help him with his crusade. The MMD has flagging fortunes and we can understand his desperation,” Mr Hichilema said.
Mr Hichilema explained that he failed to attend the Umutomboka because he had an engagement in South Africa adding that the UPND was however represented at the ceremony.
“I had to be in South Africa over the weekend but we sent representation to the ceremony. I respect all traditional ceremonies. I have been to Mwansabombwe three times in the recent past and our officials have attended a number of these ceremonies. You cannot use absence at the ceremony to talk about tribe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Opposition Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) president Nevers Mumba says he is confident that his party will scoop the forth-coming local government and parliamentary by-elections on August 19.
Dr Mumba who is currently on a campaign trail in Milenge district says the MMD has never been in a political pact with the United Party for National Development (UPND).
Dr Mumba told ZANIS in an interview in Milenge yesterday that the UPND was however welcome to join the pact between MMD and other political parties if it was looking for opposition unity in the country.
Dr Mumba revealed that the MMD is in a pact with the Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) led by Father Frank Bwalya, The All Peoples Congress (APC) of Nason Msoni, Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) whose president is Dr Fred Mutesa and the Peoples’ Party led by Mike Mulongoti.
The MMD Leader was speaking after addressing a rally to drum up support for Geston Mumba at Musolo village for the forth-coming local government by-election in the area.
Dr Mumba says there is no competition without hard work.
Dr Mumba says the on-going by election campaigns across the country call for hard work and sacrifice.
The MMD Leader is confident that his party will scoop the forth-coming by elections and does not feel threatened by the ruling Patriotic Front-PF.
He said the PF government has failed on its campaign promises and that the people of Zambia are no longer interested in its lies.
Dr Mumba said his party will remain truthful and build on the programmes that have been successful in the past while giving measurable promises to the electorate.
And when asked how his working relation was with the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) the time they were in a PACT, Dr Mumba refuted the assertion saying his party has never been in a pact with the UPND.
Dr Mumba said the UPND is welcome to join if they were looking for an opposition unity in the country boasting that the MMD was a party with character and is represented in all the 10 provinces
Pressure mounts to introduce cameras in courts, law enforcement institutions
Members of the public have continued mounting pressure on the judiciary to introduce cameras in courts and institutions that deal with law enforcement in the country in order to ensure transparency in their discharge of their duties.
The debate as to whether cameras should be installed in courts to film proceedings or not has been popping up in almost all the townships the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission has held public sittings in Lusaka.
Members of the public have suggested that judges and law enforcement agencies such as the police, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Prisons Service officers were breaking laws with impunity because no one monitors their operations.
Others have suggested that cameras in courts and police stations will help members of the public to understand court procedure which would help them once they appear in court to either defend themselves or to testify against the accused.
Today the topic of introducing cameras in the courts of law came up during the commission sitting in Chilenje where a resident of Libala, Brian Kuwema, submitted that the commission should consider introducing CCTVs in courts if corruption and all sorts of injustices by the judges are to be addressed.
Mr Kuwema stated that apart from judges, police officers, DEC officers and officers at the Prisons Service violate human rights everyday as they are not monitored by anyone.
He explained that at both the police and in prisons, inmates’ human rights are violated as they are beaten by officers which should not be the case.
He observed that the camera would also serve as sensitization to the public who would get to know the procedure in both courts and police.
He said the gadgets can be installed and controlled by the institution to avoid interference.
And Mr Kuwema submitted that for the judiciary to be independent, the Chief Justice should not be appointed by the President but an independent board which should be interviewing people who qualify for the job.
Meanwhile Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) Executive Director, Lee Habasonda, observed that the introduction of cameras in courts would interfere with security matters despite the idea being a measure to enhance transparency in courts.
Mr Habasonda, however, wondered how the cameras would work at police stations especially if they are operated by the same officers as they would be turning them off if they want to commit some illegal activities to avoid being spotted.
He noted that introducing cameras in courts, prisons and police was a good idea as it would expose illegal activities in law enforcement institutions.
A Serenje ex-military officer yesterday left the Legal and Justice Sector Reform Commission with mixed reaction after he narrated of how he suffered imprisonment on charges of defilement which led to the loss of all his financial resources but was later acquitted.
Major Nicholas Munthali of Serenje District in Central Province told the commission that because of negligence by the police and the magistrate he was made to serve prison sentence for three years at Mukobeko Maximum Prison before the truth was established to warrant his acquittal.
He explained that during the process of proving his innocence in the courts of law he lost all what he worked for in the civil service due to high legal fees.
Major Munthali sent the commission into laughter after he disclosed that the police believed the story of a young girl who was merely dreaming of being defiled and arrested him which later went to court
without proper investigations.
He stated that it took him three years for the high court to prove that he was innocent and by then he had lost almost all his property.
He observed that the police do not investigate before arresting people, a situation he said has led to congestion in remand prisons and delayed justice.
He also submitted that the local courts should be abolished in Zambia as they do not serve any purpose because they are not in consistence with other courts but a mere source for corruption for local court justices.
He called on the judiciary to closely monitor the operations of the local courts and the prisons to ensure that corruption and perpetuation of human rights violation is avoided.
