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Two boxers kept Zambia’s medal hopes in the competition alive after winning their respective bouts at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday night.
Middleweight Ben Muziyo beat Jamaican Michael Gardner 3-0 in a last 32 contest.
Muziyo will now face Brody Blair of Canada on Monday night in the last 16.
Also through on Saturday was Charles Lumbwe who advanced to the last 16 of the Light Welterweight contest after beating Bernardo Marrime of Mozambique 2-1.
Lumbwe is in action this evening against Junias Jonas of Namibia.
Meanwhile, Light Flyweight Bwalya Lumbwe enters the ring for the first time on Monday against Ugandan Fazil Kaggwa.
Zambia has a five-member boxing team in Glasgow but two boxers have already bowed out of the competition.
Flyweight Chris Katanga and Welterweight Mbachi Kaonga were eliminated on Friday night.
Nkana have moved into third place in Group B in the CAF Confederation Cup at the end of match day four in their pool.
Nkana’s status was confirmed after Al Ahly of Egypt beat Sewe Sport of Cote d’ivoire 1-0 in Cairo late on Saturday night courtesy of a Walid Soliman 4th minute penalty.
The result means that Sewe now drop to bottom on three points, one less than Nkana.
Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel stay second on five points despite losing 4-3 to Nkana earlier on Saturday afternoon in Kitwe.
Al Ahly lead Group B on eight points and they visit Nkana on August 9 in a penultimate group stage fixture.
The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections JCTR has expressed concern with rate at which country is quickly losing fiscal autonomy on account of exacerbated debt contraction with the current external debt is estimated to exceed US $4 billion by close of Fiscal Year 2014.
The organisation says the government’s borrowing at a commercial rate as opposed to bilateral, multilateral and concessional loans is a major source of worry as the country will be forced to pay high interest rates instead of channeling the resource to developmental needs.
The organisation further expresses concern over the lack of a sound risk management profile and are not backed by legislative oversight.
“It is rather a sad reality that over 60 per cent of Zambians live in poverty. Hence Zambia needs to improve on performance of its social sector namely health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation and social protection.
“According to the Ministry of Finance, government allocated US$ 29 Million from the 2012 US $750 million Euro bond to the health sector for modernization of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) , Livingstone General Hospital, Kitwe General Hospital, and Ndola General Hospital.”
The Centre adds that bond proceeds which have been allocated to the health sector were targeted at procurement of specialized equipment for theatre, prosthetics, orthotics, and other equipments which will not be generating income hence adding more pressure to the already over burdened tax payer.
The organisation has since called on government to ensure that resources raised by means of debt contraction are used for purposes of sustainable development.
“On this score, JCTR is appealing for maximum discipline on the part of controlling officers charged with the responsibility of implementing programmes and activities financed from debt proceeds”.
PATRIOTIC Front Secretary General (SG) Wynter Kabimba says he is a conveyor belt of President Sata’s development agenda.
M Kabimba said the country cannot record development without the inclusion of traditional leaders.
He said this in Mumbwa yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Shakumbila at his palace.
“Chiefs play an integral part in development. President Sata views traditional leaders as partners in development,” he said.
Mr Kabimba who is also Minister of Justice said traditional leaders have a key role to play in development.
Chief Shakumbila was flanked by three other chiefs, namely Chief Chikanta of Kalomo, Chief Kahare of Nkeyema and Chief Shimukunami of Lufwanyama.
Mr Kabimba said contrary to public opinion, Mr Sata has a heart for Zambia.
“His Excellency President Michael Sata wants to ensure that this country develops. Mr Sata loves Zambians and he wants everyone to live good lives.”
Mr Kabimba later attended a traditional ceremony in Shakumbila chiefdom.
captions Communications and Transport Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda yesterday mounted a Road Block at Prospect police Camp near Kabwe where he Impouded a number of Vehicles which had faults .In the picture, Mr Kaunda inspects the fire Extinguisher from a Rosa Bus while the Driver of a Bus looks on
Government says a vibrant motor industry is cardinal in fostering social and economic development in the country.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda says it was for this reason that government will continue to support the private sector in the motor industry sector.
Col. Kaunda said government would do so especially in the supply of brand new commercial motor vehicles saying this will go a long way in delivering the much needed development to the people.
He added that government was committed to ensuring that the supply of brand new vehicles in the country is enhanced in order to boost the effective and efficient transportation of people , goods and services.
ZANIS reports that the Transport and Communications Deputy Minister was speaking during the Yet Motors Limited Commercial Cocktail in Lusaka last night.
He stressed that it is high time that Zambians were accorded an opportunity to buy new vehicles as opposed to the current trend where the few vehicles found on the market failed to meet the required standards.
Col. Kaunda said Government’s vision is to have a country where people can buy new vehicles as this also plays a critical role in enhancing safety on the roads.
He appealed to players in the motor industry to provide incentives that will help people to afford to purchase brand new vehicles by providing possibility and affordability in payment terms.
Col. Kaunda further stated that the robust infrastructure development of roads, schools, and health facilities that government has embarked has provided an opportunity for the private sector to grow by acquiring contracts to execute these projects.
He said government is not only constructing roads but is also making sure that road signs and furniture are also included in order to enhance road safety.
Col. Kaunda said the supply of brand new commercial and industrial vehicles in the motor industry is of great interest to his ministry because the reported failure by contractors to execute contracts has mainly been because of lack of machinery and equipment which includes motor vehicles.
He stated that the enhanced supply of vehicles in the industry will afford Zambian contractors access to have equipment that are suitable to the industry.
FILE: MMD cadres during the Press conference held at party president Dr.Nevers Mumba’s residence
The MMD on the Copperbelt has charged that the UPND has become a corrupt party that wants to destroy the image of the former ruling party.
And the MMD copperbelt province spokesperson Peter Phiri says the party supports calls by MMD Die Hard coordinator Bowman Lusambo for UPND to stop bribing its members.
Mr Phiri says it is unfortunate that UPND is more concerned with bribing its members.
“To the UPND, as a Province we are on top on things. The only thing that we find shocking and unfortunate is the reaction by the UPND’s Copperbelt out going chairman Elisha Matambo to Lusambo’s statement. How can he say that MMD is dead when we have only been in the opposition for three years?” Mr Phiri asked.
“And for them it has been almost twenty years. Why have they not died?” Mr Phiri asked.
“The UPND should be the last party to wish the MMD bad. You see, the MMD has come a long way and now it has a tested leadership.”
He added; “The leadership of Dr Mumba is unique. Look at how he has managed to organise the party. Remember, it is difficulty for a party that was once in government to be this strong like the MMD.”
Mr Phiri also said the MMD on the Copperbelt will not take any attacks from the UPND.
” Let me remind Mr Matambo that the MMD is a bigger party than the UPND can think. It is not our policy and that of Dr Mumba to attack our fellow opposition but if they continue, we have no option but to protect our party,” Mr Phiri stated.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”
(Proverbs 23:7, AMP)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Your imagination is extremely powerful. God created you as a visual being. Choosing the right images in your mind’s eye is important because your life will move in the direction of your most dominant thoughts. The way you see yourself in your mind’s eye, over time, will drop down into your heart and become your reality. If you’ll create a picture in your imagination of the way God sees you, then your life will move in that direction. You have to get your mind into agreement with God’s Word by meditating on it.
Every morning, you should wake up and picture yourself succeeding; picture yourself healthy and whole; picture yourself and your family not only being blessed, but being a bigger blessing to others. If you’ll keep the right images in front of you and always submit yourself to God with prayer and thanksgiving, you’ll see yourself the way God sees you and experience all that He has in store for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, I come to You today giving every area of my mind and heart to You. Search my heart and show me what images I need to change to be in agreement with You. Thank You for equipping me with everything I need to live a life pleasing to You in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen
Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili on Saturday physcally confronted Ethiopian referee Bamlak Weyesa minutes after Nkana beat Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel 4-3 in a CAF Confederation Cup Group B match in Kitwe.
Weyesa awarded two controversial penalties to Etoile in this seven-goal thriller at Nkana Stadium in Wusakile.
Immediately after the final whistle, Kambwili rushed on to the pitch where he accused the ref of poor officiating.
Kambwili was later whisked away from the pitch as police escorted the ref to the dressing room.
The Foundation for Democratic Process FODEP has challenged government to state its position on the demand by parliamentarians for a pay-rise.
FODEP Executive Director Macdonald Chipenzi says it is surprising and unfortunate that government and the Patriotic Front (PF) party leadership have remained visibly invisible and mute on the demands by some parliamentarians to have their perks adjusted upwards despite the sprawling poverty and a 2-year unilaterally government imposed employment and wage freeze on civil servants on account of limited public funds.
Mr Chipenzi says FODEP expected parliamentarians to demand for the lifting of the employment and wage freeze on civil servants before advancing such demands.
“However, FODEP wishes to applaud the leadership of the opposition political parties among them the MMD, NAREP, UPND and Matero PF Member of Parliament Miles Sampa for categorically disagreeing with the parliamentarians on the demand for a pay-rise,” Mr Chipenzi states.
“The opposition political party leadership and Hon. Miles Sampa’s move to disagree with their parliamentarians has shown great leadership on this matter and Zambians expected the PF, as a political party and government, to follow-suit. More so, because the PF file and rank have been crusaders of applying the limited public resources equitably in order to improve social services to all people hence their silence on the demand becomes very suspicious of their commitment to this crusade,” He said.
“FODEP, therefore, would like to challenge the PF government to come out from the hiding den because its silence on this matter has the potential to raise serious public speculations and the government and the party risk being accused of propping the parliamentarians’ demands. Further, this conspicuous silence from government and PF as a political party is counterproductive on the debate especially that they hold the answer to the demands since they know how fat the government treasury is,” Mr Chipenzi has said in a statement.
He says the government has been quick at repelling citizens’ demands for a new people driven constitution on account that it has no money for the exercise but that the limited funds available were for poverty reduction and other social service delivery programmes.
“Does this silence denote agreement to the parliamentarians’ demands? Does the failure by government to clearly state its position a signature of its desire not to jeopardize the pending benefits to its members out of this pay-rise since Cabinet and deputy Ministers are likely to be beneficiaries?
Mr Chipenzi has challenged government spokespersons Dr. Katema and PF party leadership to tell the nation their positions respectively on the demands by parliamentarians for a pay-rise.
He has also appealed to the public not to demonize Mafinga Member of Parliament for raising the matter in parliament because without her, the nation would not have known that was the intentions of parliamentarians.
This is contained in a press statement released to the media by FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi.
Nkana ended their three-game CAF Confederation Cup win-less drought with a 4-3 victory over Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in a Group B match played at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe on Saturday.
Nkana had recorded a home draw with two away defeats prior to this match that marked the return of coach Beston Chambeshi to his old club.
Goals from striker Ronald Kampamba, forward Festus Mbewe, winger Simon Bwalya and defender Christopher Munthali were enough for Nkana to beat Etoile and move to four points from four games played.
Striker Youssef Mouihbi opened the scoring with a 4th minute penalty before Kampamba equalised six minutes later and Festus added Nkana’s second in the 26th mninute.
The two teams went into the break with a 2-2 score-line after Safiane Moussa equalised for Etoile on 30 minutes.
Nkana were back in front three minutes after the restart thanks to Bwalya’s goal before Munthali scored the home side’s fourth seven minutes later.
The Muslim Community in Lusaka says it is concerned about the increased human rights abuse against its general membership by government authorities in Zambia.
And the Muslim community says there is no chance or room for gay-ism in their religion- Islam.
In four separate petitions to the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission in Chawama today, representatives of the Muslim community told the commission that their members are facing discrimination and violation of their human rights in courts, prisons, police stations and in many other public institutions where they are forced to do what is against the Quran.
Chawama Mosque Youth Forum Leader Elias Sinkala told the Commission that Muslims in Zambia are not recognized as citizens as they are un-candidly treated in courts such as taking oath using the bible and told to remove their head gears especially at police stations.
He explained that forcing Muslims to take off their head gears at police stations is a violation of their human rights as individual who
belong to a religion which is recognized by the constitution.
And commenting on homosexual practices in Zambia, Mr. Sinkala said his religion has no room for such as his religion only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman or two.
Mr. Sinkala stated that it Islam does not allow men to marry fellow men saying doing so was against the law.
And Nancy Musa who was representing the Chawama Mosque narrated how she was made to remove her head scuff at the National Registration Office for her to take her side photo.
Ms. Musa however said she was shocked to see celebrities who were in dreads where not treated in the same manner.
She noted that public officers perceive Muslims to be foreigners who she said was not the case and added that officers should be educated that Zambia has people of different religions.
And another member of the Islam Bamus Seif Tembo also complained that Muslim leaders are not recognized by police as leaders who can sign for bond when their member has been found to be in conflict with the law.
Tembo wondered why the police should deny Muslims such rights when Christian leaders enjoy such rights.
He also complained that Muslims in Prisons are subjected to eat food which are deemed illegal by their religion because the prisons do not
provide their food.
But Commission Chairman Frederick Chomba explained that in some cases Police officers take it that all citizens are the same such that they make them remove their head gears without intentions of discriminating the Muslim community.
Justice Chomba however noted that in some instance the public officers’ error hence stated that discrimination against one religion is not
encourage in the country.
Majority of petitioners to the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission in Lusaka’s Chiwama Township today demanded that officers from Law enforcement agencies should declare their assets they acquire once in office.
The petitioners observed that police offices, judges and other officers from investigative wings have a tendency of acquiring wealth dubiously using their positions.
Adam Phiri, a resident of Chawama told the commissioner that some police officers today own property worth a lot of money beyond their respective salaries.
Mr. Phiri explained that police, DEC and ACC officers are in the habit of taking bribes from offenders which he said made them wealthier.
He said in some instances most officers from the same trend acquire more than five mini-buses which he said are driven by unlicensed drivers who are protected by the officers.
Mr. Phiri also stated the ACC and DEC are a let down to the society as they wait to be instructed as to who they should investigate and pay a blind eye at the corruption taking place at the passport office and National Registration Issuance office.
He also appealed to the commission to consider addressing the cause of congestion in prisons which he said was due to lack of coordination between the arresting officers who arrests people without evidence and the courts.
He appealed to the office of the Director of public Prosecution to stop the police from arresting people if they re not ready to have them prosecuted due to lack of evidence.
And another petitioner Robert Sakala submitted that the commission should address the issue of unlawful detention by police and searching people by the DEC and ACC without court warrant to do so.
Mr. Sakala who was among the Zambia Army Officers accused of plotting the 1997 attemted presidential coup lamented that congestion in prisons can be addressed if authorities consider
allowing bail for known people in their cognizance while those with small offences be given community service as their punishment.
Mr. Sakala also appealed to the office of the DPP to consider decentralizing their offices so that cases are quickly cleared noting that the police in most cases arrest people before investigating which
leds to prolonged detention of people in cells before being charged.
And Mr. Sakala has submitted to the commission to come up with a board or a tribunal composed of retired judges which will be specifically set to hear presidential petitions so that such cases are concluded before the president-elect is sworn in.
He also suggested that the President-elect should be sworn in office after a period of 90 days not within hours after being declared winners of the election
File: Peasant farmers sifting through their maize before selling the crop to the Food Reserve Agency
Small scale farmers in Eastern Province have questioned government’s reason for not commencing the purchase of maize as announced and called on it to be mindful of their plight and commence purchasing maize.
Speaking in separate interviews small scale farmers in Sinda and Katete said government was not being sincere with farmers when it says there is high moisture content in the maize because last farming season did not record extreme weather patterns which would justify their claims.
The Farmers said it was unfair for government to announce that they are commencing the crop marketing season only to come up with some reason that has prolonged the commencement of the marketing season.
“We have come from different Villages to sale our produce but the FRA are telling us that our maize still has high moisture content; that is a lie because this is July we always sale our crop in May and June why should it be in August or September now?” Questioned one of the small scale farmers John Mwanza; from one of the villages in Chief Kawaza’s chiefdom in Katete.
The farmers complained that they have been spending nights in the cold since 28th June as they had expected to sale their produce on the first of July as announced by government and are now at risk of being attacked by Hyenas and other wild animals.
The Farmers further said government should realize that the farmers put in time, resources as well as their efforts to produce the maize hence government should show some seriousness when dealing with them.
Some farmers in the district have been waiting to have their maize purchased for over three weeks while spending nights outside as they wait for their produce at satellite depots.
Kabwata Member of Parliament, Given Lubinda, visiting Kazimu Sata at Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital
A TEAM of councillors and staff from Lusaka City Council (LCC) led by Kabwata member of Parliament, Mr. Given Lubinda yesterday took time off their Johannesburg study tour to visit Kazimu Sata and Tiberth Musambachime at Milpark Hospital.
The team of councillors and staff from Lusaka City Council (LCC) are in Johannesburg, South Africa to study operations of automated ticketing systems in that country.
The study tour, conducted under the auspices of Vane Technologies of South Africa, is being undertaken with the view of introducing electronic ticketing systems in various operations at Lusaka’s Inter-City Bus Terminus.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Mr. Lubinda said he was glad to see that both Kazimu and Tiberth looked “bright” considering that they were involved in a traumatic accident during which they sustained serious injuries.
“I am glad that they could recognise me and we could even converse. We keep them in our prayers and I call on all Zambians to pray for them.”
Mr. Lubinda also commended the Zambian High Commission to South Africa for keeping the nation informed on the condition of the two.
“I wish to commend the High Commission for doing a good job. We have been following through the media and we have learned that you are indeed looking after them well,” Mr. Lubinda said.
Other members of the delegation were Councellors Chrispin Kabole and Robinson Kalota, and LCC Finance Director, Mr. Victor Mazimba; Engineer, Mr. Musonda Mulenga; I.T. Manager, Ms. Judith Beene, and Inter-City Manager, Mr. Penjani Chirambo.
On the tour, Mr. Lubinda said that the tour acted as a due deligence exercise on the company. He has since appealed to Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Muyeba Chikonde, to assist with further studies of the company’s track record.
Mr. Lubinda said the bus terminus handled a huge number of both vehicles and people and that there was need for an efficient and fool-proof system in order to increase accountability levels. Mr. Lubinda said LCC was losing a lot of money through theft and corruption because of the current systems which he said were easy to compromise.
“The world is becoming cashless in its transactions and we cannot be left behind. If our people are able to buy bus tickets and other things through vending machines, then we will reduce on cases of theft. This is something we can roll-out to other parts of the country if it succeeds in Lusaka. There are so many bus operators at Inter-City and the current system is just too cumbersome,” Mr Lubinda said.
He noted that the terminus deserved a fast and efficient system that would make it easier for bus operations to be time-bound.
He said LCC thought of taking the study tour because the system being proposed by Vane Technologies was new in Zambia and so needed to have an on-the-spot inspection.
Mr. Lubinda said the company disclosed to his team that they handled the ticketing for the 2010 Africa Cup Tournament held in South Africa and were also doing tickets for various airlines including the Gauteng Province train system, Gautrain.
Kabwata Member of Parliament, Given Lubinda, visiting Kazimu Sata at Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital
