PRESIDENT Sata has returned home from London where he went for a working holiday after attending the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr Sata arrived on a commercial flight at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport around 14:30 hours yesterday, after cutting short his planned 14-day working holiday.

Among those who welcomed him were Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda, the hitherto acting President, Defence Minister Edgar Lungu and Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba.

Meanwhile, Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) president Frank Bwalya has challenged government to explain why President Michael Sata has cut short his vacation 14 days holiday in London United Kingdom.

Fr. Bwalya said that government should also come out in the open and tell the nation if there is something serious that has made President Sata to cut short his holiday.

Fr. Bwalya said that there is need for government to tell the nation the truth on this matter.

Acting President Alexander Chikwanda has challenged critics of the Industrial Development Corporation to put forward their thoughts on how the IDC could be successful.

Mr Chikwanda who is also Finance Minister said politically motivated and arm chair criticism does not advance the cause of national development.

He said Government will continue to encourage Zambians to set up businesses but that Government will step in and set up businesses when local participation is low.

Mr Chikwanda was speaking in Lusaka Friday evening when he officially opened the new Madison House building on Independence Avenue.

“We will continue to encourage Zambians to set up businesses but during this period when Zambian participation is low, Government has opted to fill the gap by setting up the Industrial Development Corporation. Rather than criticize the formation of the IDC, I encourage all citizens to discuss how we can avoid the mistakes of the past and to put forward their thoughts on how we should model the IDC to be successful,” Mr Chikwanda said.

He added, “Politically motivated and armchair criticism does not advance our cause and objectives of enhanced welfare for all our people.”

Mr Chikwanda also said that it is disappointing that the insurance industry in Zambia contributes less than 2 percent to the Gross Domestic Product compared to Kenya’s 4 percent and South Africa 16 percent.

“Other countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius also have a high penetration ratio in excess of 3 percent,” he said.

“Clearly much more must be done. To this effect, I want to challenge the Registrar at the Pensions and Insurance Authority to work out a plan of action to remove bottlenecks which are hampering the growth of the industry so that insurance industry’s contribution to GDP rises to above three percent by 2015.”

And Lawrence Sikutwa and Associates Group of Companies Executive Board Chairperson Lawrence Sikutwa said LSA’s prime strategic thrust was to meet the financial and insurance needs for people in the outlying areas of the country.

“Madison House as it has been named is part of the Group’s business infrastructure development strategy and is to date the third largest office development by the Group.

Two earlier developments were a five storey office block in Lusaka Central Business District by Madison Life Insurance Company Zambia Limited and the corporate headquarters for the Group adjacent to this building,” Mr Sikutwa said.

Meanwhile, Madison General Insurance Company says the local insurance market has experienced intense competition over the last three years.

Company Managing Director Chabala Lumbwe says the local insurance industry has been relatively attractive and has seen an influx of new entrants of both local and international stature.

Mr. Lumbwe says the increased competition in the insurance sector has resulted in the flexibility of premium rates by market players.

He said Madison Insurance General has continued to grow despite the challenging economic environment and achieved premium income amounting to K240 million at the end of 2013.

THE PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Communications, Transport, Works and Supply yesterday took to task the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Ministry of Communications over the awarding of an additional contract to a suspected bogus contractor.

This is in a case in which an unnamed contractor was awarded a contract to construct the Kasaba Bay runway.

However a visit by the Committee, led by Senga Hill Member of Parliament Kapembwa Simbao, to Kasaba bay, revealed that works done at airport were shoddy.

The committee raised concerns over the contractor but later learnt that the same contractor had been awarded an even bigger contract to work on the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway.

But RDA chief executive officer Bernard Chiwala said the RDA was not part of the contract awarded to work on the Kasaba Bay runway, as this was the responsibility of the civil aviation department.

He however said investigations were launched and it was established that some members of staff within the Ministry had compromised themselves in the contract and one member of staff was certifying payments to pay his own company without declaring interest to the Ministry and RDA.

He said the case had since been reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who were currently pursuing the matter.

Mr Simbao however said “As a committee we are not happy with the contractor. We felt that this man must never be given another contract. We actually feel that by now he should have been behind bars.”

He said the RDA had since intensified monitoring on the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway works, where the same contractor had embarked on the road works.

“We have strengthened our supervisory role of the road to ensure that there is no weak project management,” he said.

Acting Communications Permanent Secretary Joe Kapembwa told the committee that his ministry would consult and see the way forward regarding the matter.

And Mr Kapembwa informed the committee that his ministry had started collecting toll fees for trucks along the Solwezi Road and was working out modalities to start charging even smaller vehicles.

Earlier in his presentation Mr Kapembwa informed the committee that AVIC International had been selected to construct the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola at a cost of US$520m under a three-year project.

The PF Government has expressed concern over the tensions at Kasumbalesa border where two lives have so far been lost in a space of one-week.

The Latest status update on the Presidential facebook page reads

A number of you have been contacting me in my inbox raising concern over the security situation at Kasumbalesa Border Post visa vis the recent unfortunate loss of lives.

Be assured that as Government we are equally concerned and have swiftly engaged our Congolese counterparts on the need to avert similar occurrences in future by tightening security at Kasumbalesa and ultimately preventing criminal elements from taking advantage to peddle their narrow and selfish interests.

The situation is being addressed and I therefore, appeal to all Zambians to remain calm. I have also directed all security wings to ensure that the safety of all Zambians and our neighbouring compatriots passing through our country is guaranteed. Lets maintain peace! MCS –

Chaos characterised Kasumbalesa border post yesterday after a Zimbabwean truck driver was shot dead by unknown people just a day after calm had returned to the area.The truck drivers had just resumed working after a boycott sparked by the brutal killing of their colleague, Patrick Mwila, 28, by a Congolese soldier on Thursday last week.This led to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Katanga Province Cabinet donating US $15,000 cash to the family of Patrick Mwila a truck driver who was shot dead by a police officer in that country.

Zambian and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) residents yesterday rioted in protest at the killing of the Zimbabwean driver as others took advantage of the situation to loot shops.

Police fired teargas to restrain the irate residents from causing further damage to property.

The 52-year-old Joseph Mwachande Howard of Vitwell Limited of South Africa, who was driving a Mercedes Benz truck registration number XKT 039GP, was shot twice while he was in a queue on the Zambian side between Minestone Market and Petroda Filling Station by unknown people.

Chililabombwe police commanding officer Grace Kalenga, when briefing Chililabombwe District Commissioner Stuart Chipumbi and the Mayor Godwin Matafwali, who had rushed to the scene, said police officers heard gun shots just after they had finished their patrols around 05:30 hours.

The cold-blooded murder sparked tension and stones rained from both ends of the border.

Some Zambians looted a shop they believed to be owned by a Congolese and stole about 100 mattresses which the police later recovered from some homes. Some Congolese who had gone to Divine Bakery on the Zambian side were trapped inside the bakery but were shielded from possible attacks by police officers.The truck drivers remained calm throughout the episode.

Katanga Province Governor Moise Katumbi held a closed-door meeting with Zambian officials after which he said the two neighbouring countries should urgently hold talks to find a solution to the problem.Mr Katumbi urged the truck drivers to continue with their work as the DRC had reinforced security.

Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge expressed regret at the killing of Mr Howard and appealed for calm among the residents as investigations were being carried out.Mr Musenge said he would visit Kasumbalesa Border Post where Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani were expected to join him to discuss the security situation.

Zambia’s High Court yesterday granted an injunction against the government’s overturning of an earlier decision to reject a Large Scale Mining Licence for Zambezi Resources’ copper project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

The decision of the Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection the Hon Harry Kalaba, is stayed pending the hearing of an appeal. An interparte hearing is scheduled for 18 February 2014.

This follows the filing of an injunction on Friday 31 January by the Lusaka-based Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Forum – supported by ActionAid Zambia -, which refutes claims made by the Minister that all potential impacts of the project would be addressed by cost effective measures and technologies.

ActionAid Zambia Country Director Pamela Chisanga said:

“We fully support the High Court’s decision to halt this project while the case undergoes an appeal. There are concerns raised by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) as part of its rejection of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) which must be seriously considered.

“The government has failed to address the negative impacts of mining on the livelihoods and wellbeing of citizens and it is strange that they have decided to authorise this project when Environmental Impact Study failed to meet the required standards.

“The rural communities who live in the areas around the park will certainly suffer if the mine goes ahead, particularly due to the pollution of their water sources.”