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Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito says there is no law that mandates Police to arrest people found loitering at night.
Mr. Nchito says the police were overstepping their authority by arresting and charging people who move at night as there is no law in the Constitution which gives them powers to do so.
Mr Nchito who is a Commissioner on the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission has noted that some people work late in the night hence the need to allow them to move freely unless they are found in a situation suggesting that they are contemplating to commit criminal activities that is when they could be arrested.
The Commission yesterday sat in Lusaka’s Garden compound to receive petitions from residents.
And Chairperson of the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission Chairperson Frederick Chomba observed that much as the police could be seen as abusing their authority by arresting people for loitering at night, they protect citizens from criminals with evil intentions.
Justice Chomba noted that it was difficult to distinguish criminals from genuine people at night which he said has led to some people being arrested wrongly for loitering.
He observed that the laws against loitering existed during colonial days when citizens were required to move with passes at night which he said no longer exists in an independent Zambia.
He said the country should however not perpetuate colonial laws in an independent Zambia hence the need to allow citizens the right to freedom of movement.
The comments by Justice Chomba and Mr Nchito were prompted by a petitioner Rabson Nsoni of Garden compound who complained of continued police arrests of people found loitering at night.
Mr. Msoni claimed that police in Garden compound were using ‘’Shishita’ as a fundraising venture as they do not even issue receipts when offenders pay admission of guilt fines before being released.
He further claimed that police officers position themselves outside drinking places especially during soccer seasons to arrest people that move from bars to home after the night games or drinking.
He noted that it was unfair for the police to arrest people on the pretext of offering protection from criminals when in fact they lock up innocent people arrested for loitering together with criminals where they are ill-treated.
Garden police station was recently burnt down by angry residents after it was discovered that a boy who was arrested for loitering was found dead in the police cells.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Zambia (CDC) says Zambia will be among the first countries to achieve the target of an HIV and AIDs free generation.
Outgoing CDC country Director Lawrence Marum notes that Zambia has made tremendous progress in treating new infections and has paid particular attention to giving treatment to positive living patients.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka today, Dr. Marum says Zambians should be proud of their leadership that has made it possible for many positive living people to adhere to treatment and get on with life.
Dr. Marum points out that government through the Ministries of Health and Community Development Mother and Child Health has shown commitment to preventing mother to child transmission of HIV to the best of its ability.
He adds that it is in this regard that Zambia will come closely to reducing the HIV infections by next year.
Dr. Marum has since appealed to government to continue investing more in the health sector as it is key to serving more lives and preventing infections.
Dr. Marum is a pediatrician and epidemiologist who joined CDC in 1997 and has served in Zambia as country director since November 2008.
Fourty-Seven year-old Bishop Dominic Nyondo who was arrested last week for allegedly sexually abusing nine young girls from his Church has pleaded not guilty to nine counts of sexual abuse in a Kitwe magistrates court.
Bishop Nyondo of Holy Fire Christian Ministry Church in Kitwe has been charged with three counts of defilement, three counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault .
This was after he allegedly sexually abused the girls aged between 14 and 20 years on the pretext that he was cleansing them of evil spirits.
Bishop Nyondo of House number 853 Ipusukilo township in Kitwe is accused of allegedly having sex with three girls below the age of sixteen between April 2010 and November 2011.
He is further accused of allegedly having sex with three women without their consent between December 2013 and June 2014 and further indecently assaulting three women during the same period.
The accused person is said to have undressed his victims while he prayed for them, ‘anointed’ them with milk and later had sex with them.
Bishop Nyondo appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Daniel Musonda where he denied all the nine charges.
Bishop Nyondo has however been granted a cash bail of K5000 with two working sureties in their own recognisance after he applied for bail.
He was arrested last week on July 21 and the matter has been adjourned to August 11, 2014 for commencement of trial.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary Hlobotha Nkunika listen to an exhibitor John Mukupa during his tour of stands at the Provincial Agriculture Investment and Tourism show held at Kasama sports stadium recently. Looking on is Kasama Major John Nkumbula and Police Commissioner Charity Katanga
Northern Province Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has expressed concern at the high number of suicide cases in the area .
Mrs Katanga has advised aggrieved people to first seek counsel before taking their won lives.
Mrs Katanga said this in the wake of three people who committed suicide in Kasama last week.
She said such evil acts could have been avoided if the aggrieved persons sought advice from elderly people in their respective communities.
The Police Commissioner however warned that it becomes a crime in an event of one failing to achieve his or her goal of committing suicide and is punishable by the courts of law.
On Monday last week, a 45 year old man of Munkonge village hanged himself after the death his mother.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday last week a student of Lukashya Trades Institute took his life by jumping off a rail bridge after his girlfriend was allegedly grabbed from him by another man and on Friday a 27 year old man hanged himself near a named church.
The introduction of feeding Programmes in Primary schools by government has improved the number of pupils attending classes in Chilubi district of the Northern province.
Chilubi district Education Standards Officer (DESO) Mulenga Sendapu disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS in the district yesterday.
Ms. Sendapu explained that since the programme was introduced in the area the levels of absenteeism among pupils have drastically reduced.
She added a monitoring exercise conducted recently revealed that in the past the levels of absenteeism among the pupils were high but that with the introduction of the feeding programme the attendance in many schools has been consistently above average.
Ms. Sendapu also explained that last month the department received another 700×50 kilogram bags of white maize and 300×50 kg bags of yellow beans under the feeding programme.
The DESO further called on the Government to continue with the initiative if high illiteracy levels were to be reduced in the country.
Meanwhile, Ms. Sendapu commended parents in the area for ensuring that their school going children attended classes.
She observed that parents in the area were playing an important role by helping the education authorities cook the food for the pupils.
The Primary school feeding programme is a government initiative supported by the United Nations under the World Food Programme (WFP) aimed at reducing illiteracy levels more especially in rural areas where poverty has become a major hindrance to the number of people accessing primary education in the country.
Miles Sampa donates his midterm gratuity, tells other MPs that politics is not money making venture
Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa has given up his K250, 000 his midterm gratuity towards helping jobless youths in his constituency.
Mr. Sampa said he will use his midterm gratuity which he is receiving from the National Assembly this September to offset a loan he obtained from Indo-Zambia bank for economic empowerment programmes for youths in Matero.
He has since created a company called Metro Cabs that will offer taxis to youths in the area who will be required to make K 600 weekly cashing to a revolving fund.
The fund will then be used to fund other developmental programmes in Matero constituency.
Mr. Sampa has since castigated MPs demanding higher pay saying politics is not a money making venture.
“To those that are in politics for money, I want to tell them that politics is not a money making venture. We go into politics to serve. They should try going into business if they want to be rich, some of us worked in banking for many years and we made our money there and we decided to enter politics to serve our people,” Mr. Sampa said.
He added, “When we were campaign in 2011 we promised jobs to young people and for the last two years we have not done much in that area. This year I was told by the Clerk at the National Assembly that they will be paying me 250,000 as part of my gratuity and I told myself, I surely do not deserve this package, so I approached Indo Zambia Bank for this loan which we will use to create jobs for our young people.”
Speaking at the same event, Indo Zambia Bank Managing Director Shankardas Gupta said commended Mr. Sampa for the initiative saying it will stimulate the growth of the SME sector and enhance job creation.
A 15 year–old grade six girl and her 49 year old aunt both of Chinsali have pleaded not guilty to trafficking in 507 grams of cannabis.
The duo appeared in the Chinsali Magistrates court yesterday.
Appearing before Magistrate Shadreck Chanda for plea was a grade six juvenile aged 15 of Chinsali Primary School and Maggie Bwalya, 49, both of Chandamali village in Chinsali district.
The duo is alleged to have trafficked in psychotropic substances contrary to Section 6 of the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances Chapter 96 of the Laws of Zambia.
It is alleged that on 23 July 2014 the duo jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown people willfully and unlawfully did traffic in psychotropic substances namely cannabis weighing 507 grams.
The duo pleaded not guilty and the matter has since been adjourned to 12 August 2014 for commencement of trial while both accused persons are remanded in custody.
Meanwhile, sources at the Drug Enforcement Commissioner (DEC) in Chinsali said the accused juvenile was allegedly given the contraband by her father to hide at her aunty’s place who is the co-accused after he noticed the presence of a combined team of police and DEC officers in the area.
The girl’s father who allegedly deals in the same psychotropic substances went into hiding after he heard that his daughter and sister had been apprehended.The operation was conducted after a tip off from members of the public.
First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba share a light moment with MMD president Dr Nevers Mumba and ZAAA president Elias Mpondela (r) during the Inter Company relay. Dr Christine Kaseba took part in a 5 kilometre walk in Lusaka on June 14 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) president Nevers Mumba says his party is determined to bring a new style of politics to the country’s political arena.
Dr. Mumba said politics of character assassination is not what will win the confidence of the majority Zambians.
He stressed that true and mature politics is what Zambians need if the countrys democracy is to flourish.
Dr Mumba said so far his party has made tremendous efforts to speak the truth and to let the people understand the true meaning of politics.
The MMD president has also encouraged Zambians to continue living in peace and unity for the good of the nation regardless of political affiliation.
Aspiring candidate for Kabwata Constituency Clement Tembo has charged that current Member of Parliament has over stayed and should give room for others to develop the area.
Mr Lubinda has been MP for 13 years and would have served for 20 years if he contests and wins re-election in 2016.
Mr Tembo said it is unfortunate that Mr Lubinda wants to cling on to power when he has allegedly failed to effectively represent the people of Kabwata.
“Mr Lubinda is not there with the people, he is always stuck in his constituency office but people want him to move around and interact with them. Kabwata is not just about Chilimbulu and Burma roads, how about Jack compound, who is speaking out for those people? Kabwata is full of heaps and heaps of garbage and the MP is saying it is not his duty to clear garbage in Kabwata. I do not agree with that because the welfare of the constituency is supposed to be his baby.”
Mr Tembo said he decided to engage the local authority and hired the garbage clearing equipment at a small cost to demonstrate to residents in Kabwata that an MP can initiate development.He said it is sad that the poor people in areas of Kabwata such as Jack compound are still using shallow wells for their water needs.
“In this day and age, you expect people in Kabwata to be using shallow wells and you are still there as MP? Morally, you should just step aside.”
Mr Tembo said he has not officially kicked off his campaigns but was merely introducing himself to the electorate in Kabwata.
“We are doing something that has never been done before. We are introducing our ideas and telling the people that we are here to serve. We are not waiting for 2016 to meet our people, we have started sharing our ideas with the local people and that is not campaign,” he said.
Mr Tembo said his interactions with the people do not amount to political campaigns which might contravene the Electoral Code of Conduct since the official campaign period has not been officially declared.
He said the youths in Kabwata have resorted to beer drinking because of lack of jobs and recreation.
“What we plan to do is put together a number of youth cooperatives, have them registered and provide skills and allow them to bid for some of these construction works going on. No youth will be found in bars because everybody will be busy working,” he said.
Mr Tembo also pointed that Mr Lubinda has done well in the area of education infrastructure in Kabwata with the construction of Kamulanga School.
“On Kamulanga School, big up to the MP, that is a lot of good work. On the land issues in Mapopo he also did very well and helped the poor people there but surely he has over stayed and he should leave room for people with fresh ideas,” he said.
Mr Tembo also ranked President Michael Sata as one of the most hard working MPs when he served as in the 1990s.
“Kabwata has had a number of big political figures who have served as MP and their work is there to show but I think President Sata’s legacy in Kabwata is there for all to see, the Merzaf flats speaks for itself,” he said.
Boxer Ben Muziyo lifted Zambia’s fading medal hopes at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday night after winning his last 16 Middleweight bout on the night all-rounder Kabange Mupopo faded in her 400 meters semifinal heat.
Zambia’s last man standing in the ring defeated Canadian Brody Blair via 3rd round technical knockout.
Muziyo will now face Cedric Olivier of Mauritius in the Wednesday’s quarterfinals at 22h15.
His victory came after compatriot Bwalya Lumbwe lost 3-0 to Fazil Kaggwa of Uganda in a last 16 Flyweight contest on the same date.
Meanwhile on the track, Mupopo finished sixth in heat one of the 400 meters semifinals to bow out at Glasgow in the Shepolopolo captain’s first major world tournament outing six months after adding track and field to her résumé.
However, Saviour Kombe has a chance to redeem some hope in the 400 meters mens semifinals this evening when he takes to the track in heat three at 21h18.
Kombe advanced to the semifinals after finishing third in Monday’s first round in heat seven.
Indeni coach Steven”Baines” Mwansa says the 5-1 loss his side suffered at Power Dynamos on Sunday was a lesson to the Oil Men.
Mwansa said he wants to quickly forget the Arthur Davies massacre to focus on their next match against struggling Red Arrows.
“What we planned for never worked for us, we made a mistake in the first half by allowing an early game,” he said.
A brace from Jimmy Ndhlovu plus a goal each by Kennedy Mudenda, Richard Kasonde and Ignatius Lwipa guided Power to victory while Sam Chulu scored a consolation goal for Indeni.
“It is a lesson to us, this game has passed so we are now looking forward to the game against Red Arrows,” Mwansa said.
Power have now completed a double over Indeni this season as they won the corresponding fixture 3-1 in Ndola.
Power Dynamos say they will take disciplinary action against striker Alex Ng’onga for attending trials at South African club Mpumalanga Black Aces minus permission.
Ng’onga was earlier this month reported to have attended trials at Black Aces in South Africa for close to two weeks.
Power secretary Ricky Mamfunda said Ng’onga’s action amounts to indiscipline.
Mamfunda said Power will not tolerate indisciplined players.
The 22 year old striker has since resumed training days after returning to Arthur Davies Stadium.
“Of course action will be taken because we can’t condone indiscipline. The executive will sit to decide what to do with the player,” he told Radio Icengelo in Kitwe.
“Our players need to realise that this is not social football they are employed. For somebody to go away and fail to report for work for days without notifying the officials that calls for disciplinary action,” Mamfunda added.
Ng’onga’s blurred disciplinary record is well documented.
Kalulushi Modern Stars have displaced stuttering Mufulira Wanderers from the top of the FAZ Division One North table after beating Forest Rangers 1-0 in Ndola on Sunday.
Green Witika scored the lone goal as Kalulushi silenced Forest at Dola Hill to move to 33 points after 19 matches played.
Forest now drop into fourth place on the table and remain stuck on 31 points.
Kalulushi reclaimed the leadership thanks Mighty’s 1-0 loss to Mufulira Blackpool in the Mufulira derby played at Shinde Stadium.
Blackpool scored a 34th minute goal through Happy Ng’ambi to condemn Wanderers to their second straight defeat after last week’s similar loss at Kitwe United.
Mighty are now in joint second with improving Chambishi who beat Mining Rangers 1-0 away at Garden Park Stadium in Kitwe on Sunday.
In other matches, Linos Makwaza’s Lime Hotspurs beat Zesco Luapula 2-1 while Lumwana Radiants thrashed Ndola United 3-0 in Lumwana.
FILE: President Michael Sata and Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda watch a workers’ march-past during Labour Day celebrations in Lusaka
President Michael Sata, may you please help us?
By a Miserable Retired Civil Servant
Nobody knows my name.
I am a retired civil servant who served my country for many years before retiring several years ago, after 36 years of national service. Unfortunately, up to now, I have not been paid my retirement benefits.
After years of neglect, unfulfilled promises and disappointment from the MMD governments, I was one of those who woke up early on 20 September 2011 to cast a vote for change, secure in the expectation that I would finally receive my earned benefits. President Michael Sata and the PF had pledged to look into our welfare once in power. They had promised to even improve our monthly pension to sustainable levels. Unfortunately, this promise has not materialised to date, at least for me and a host of my colleagues I know.
I appeal to our President to please consider our plight, especially that nobody appears to be interested in speaking for us. We do not have an effective union to represent us. Neither do we have a ministry that has been assigned to deal particularly with our issues and concerns.
[pullquote]I was one of those who woke up early on 20 September 2011 to cast a vote for change, secure in the expectation that I would finally receive my earned benefits. [/pullquote]
I recognise the fact that I am fortunate that I have lived this long to tell the story, of how my own country has forgotten about the plight of its ex-servants. It is an act of God that l am still alive. And I am grateful to Him. Do not be surprised if you wake up tomorrow or the day after and learn that I have ceased to breathe. Obviously my death, like those of my colleagues long gone, won’t make the news headlines because nobody knows my name.
Many of my colleagues have died without receiving their benefits, leaving children in distress and poverty, shattering dreams of tomorrow. Nobody knew their names. Nobody listened to their cries. A majority of them died on the way to the Public Service Pension House, chasing their benefits, which they had worked for more than half of their lives. Even the families they have left behind continue to struggle to get this money. Today, as a country, we keep a noisy silence about these parents of the children that live, as if all is well and unmindful that we may be culpable for sending them to their graves prematurely. How many more will have to die before we pay attention to and hear the cries of those who have been unsuccessfully courted by death and survived this ordeal?
Is it that surprising that many civil servants today are reported to be stealing from their country? Every year, the Auditor General tells us of what has now become a ritual: so and so much public funds have been misapplied or misappropriated this year. We see a number of civil servants earning very little salaries erecting mansions in Chalala, New Kasama and Sunningdale. We see them buying expensive vehicles way beyond their income. (This is not to say there are no civil servants that are genuinely and legally investing in construction of housing estates, but an acknowledgement that there are some who are robbing their country, just like the Auditor General’s reports tell us. Wrong as all this is, I do not blame the civil servants who are misappropriating public funds. They are seeing how those who were in their positions yesterday are being treated today, how they are struggling, struggling even just to get that which is due to them.
The link between corruption and the ill-treatment of retirees is not hard to discern here. A mind-set that ‘I should steal or harvest as much as I can before I retire’ has been cultivated and entrenched. Why? Because they are increasingly recognising the fact that it is the surest way of avoiding our fate, of being turned into beggars tomorrow, as we are. I come from the KK generation where misappropriation of public funds was abhorred and where the dignity of both the current and previous public service worker was assured or guaranteed. Today, I am paying the price for serving my country diligently and with honour, honesty and distinction for close to four decades. Does the government realise the message they are sending to present workers by not paying retirees?
[pullquote]The link between corruption and the ill-treatment of retirees is not hard to discern here. A mind-set that ‘I should steal or harvest as much as I can before I retire’ has been cultivated and entrenched. [/pullquote]
Our plight is worse now that MPs are only speaking for themselves. And before Catherine Namugala attacks me, I wish to tell her that I have a wife, children, grandchildren and I understand the difficulties of sending children to school. I am a father and guardian of many and my children have had to be withdrawn from school because of lack of funds. When I talk of school, I do not mean those abroad to which politicians send their children. I mean public schools, those in Zambia where the rest of us send our children, where fees are low but too high for a retired civil servant like me, who has not received a penny for my services rendered to my country.
While Namugala, Effron Lungu, Jack Mwiimbu and their co-MPs are concerned about what will happen to them tomorrow, I can hardly make my ends meet today. While our MPs are afraid that they will wallow in poverty tomorrow, some of us are already living the nightmares of their worst fears, and getting to the next day is a struggle. While our MPs will get their gratuities even before their term of office expires, and will further be paid their mid-term gratuity prior to that, they should know that some of the people who elected them are going without retirement benefits for many years. They are already starving, they are suffering and lead terrible lives that should shame our collective consciences, especially those of our leaders.
It is not just MPs. Even the Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda is a culprit. He has given absolutely no attention to our plight. His annual budgets have promised many things to many people but nothing to retirees. Completely nothing. When the government awarded a pay rise to public service workers, no reference was made to us, the retirees. Does this suggest that even the Patriotic Front Government in which we deposited so much hope has no regard for people that contributed so much to the development of this country? Alright, I understand when the government says it does not have money because it can only give what it has and nothing more. But austerity needs to be equally shared among us all. It should not only be retirees sacrificing; all-from the President down to MPs, should.
[pullquote]While Namugala, Effron Lungu, Jack Mwiimbu and their co-MPs are concerned about what will happen to them tomorrow, I can hardly make my ends meet today.[/pullquote]
I had planned to invest my retirement package wisely. I drew up a plan of how to do exactly this. That vision is gathering dust today. My country has forsaken me. My leaders have now turned into spokespersons of their own interests. What happened to being the representatives and spokespersons of the people? Who will hear and advance our cries and concerns as retired civil servants? Who will speak for us? Is this the best way to treat us after many years of service to our country?
Not paying a retired person is tantamount to killing me, especially after using me for the most productive part of my life. This is not the way to treat fellow human beings, to treat fellow citizens. A more fair, just and humane approach is needed. I appeal to President Sata to help us get our benefits. I speak on behalf of many retirees, who are supportive of you and your government and who remain confident that you can help us to celebrate our Jubilee meaningfully. Mr President, are you hearing me?
The Catholic bishops have strongly condemned same sex marriages and other unions that go against human nature and natural law.
The Bishops in the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) have since affirmed the institution of marriage as an indissoluble union of love between a man and a woman
AMECEA Chairman Rev. Berhaneyesus Souraphiel says marriage between man and woman is the only institution which is open to procreation and denounced any attempt to redefine marriage.
Rev. Souraphiel explained that Family life must be respected, promoted and protected so that it can provide men and women an opportunity to weave a social fabric of peace and harmony.
ZANIS reports that this is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of 18th AMECEA Plenary Assembly held in Lilongwe from the 16 to 26th July, 2014.
AMECEA consists of eight countries namely Malawi, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Eritrea, Zambia, Uganda and Ethiopia.
And the Catholic Bishops have expressed sadness at the on-going conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.
Rev. Souraphiel said the bishops have deplored the suffering of the people in the named countries and other parts of the world.
He has since appealed to governments in the region to work hard and address the root causes of these problems to ensure protection of the lives of people and their properties.
The Reverend has further appealed for concerted regional and global efforts towards solving these problems being faced in the named countries.
