Former Republican president Rupiah Banda’s son, Andrew has threatened to take legal action against Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and Zambia Daily Mail for bias reporting in the violence that took place during the Mkaika parliamentary by-elections.

Mr Banda said at a media briefing in Chipata yesterday that he felt injured when two media institutions reported that he was one the one who produced a machete and started hacking Patriotic Front(PF) cadres in the just-ended Mkaika parliamentary by-election in Katete District.

He said during the violence in Mkaika was unarmed adding that he had no machete.

“Truly, if I had a machete, definitely about 20 PF members who were around would have killed me and I am a person who cannot even kill a fly,” Mr Banda said.

He said he feels that the two media institution sold him adding that he had no option but to take legal action against for mentioning his name that he was behind the attacks in Mkaika in which some people were hospitalized at St Francis Mission Hospital.

Mr Banda said the two public media would have verified the information with him unlike what happened of reporting wrong information to the public.

Mr Banda has since been charged with two counts of assault and would appear in Katete Magistrate Court on Wednesday.

He also advised President Michael Sata to stop the violence which was happening in the country by PF cadres.

Mr Banda said he had been in politics for more than 25 years but he was sudden to whatever was currently happening in the country now.

And Eastern Province MMD secretary Samuel Lugomo Phiri condemned the violence saying the opposition political party was unhappy.

Mr Phiri said it was sad that the violence in the country have reached alarming level.

“The Zambia Police more especially the command in the province is not professional in handling the matters of violence. Please I am asking the Zambia Police command to be professional with the way they were handling matters that can cause strife in the country,” he said.

Mr Phiri said the MMD party was strongly condemning the violence which were taking place in most of the areas of the country.

He however, asked for unreservedly apology from the PF for attacking the MMD cadres.

Mr Phiri also said the party in the province was saddened that the funeral of late Roman Catholic Cardinal Merdado Joseph Mazombwe was not accorded a national mourning by the Government.

Matero MP Miles Sampa has revealed that he has been awarded damages amounting to USD $50,000 against Chisala Mulenga, the owner and promoter of Kachepa360, an online gossip site.

Posting on his Facebook page, Mr Sampa who is also Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister said he will donate funds received from the judgement to charity NGOs both in Matero and other parts of Zambia.

“In order to vindicate my name from perennial slanderous and unsubstantiated allegations directed at me by the online publication Kachepa360, I took up the matter in the USA courts of law where the defendant is domiciled,” he wrote.

He added, “After months of deliberations, the case was awarded in my favour against the promoter of the Publication Kachepa360, Ms Chisala Mulenga, and I have been awarded damages amounting to USD $50,000 at 12 % interest from November 2012.”

Mr Sampa said although he welcomes criticism, he also believes that the journalism profession should be unbiased, factual and professional regardless of the location of their residence or the medium used to disseminate their information.

“I decided on pursuing this matter in the relevant courts abroad to demonstrate that accountability is a standard for all, even for online publications which may feel that they are beyond the reach of the Law,” he said.

The case was heard and judgment delivered by Hon. Judge Patrick J. Brady in Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

Mr Sampa has since commended and thanked the USA justice system and his lawyer Mr Theodore Folkman for the work done.

President Michael Sata yesterday led hundreds of mourners to pay their last respects to the late Information and Broadcasting Service Minister Kennedy Sakeni who died at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka on September 5, 2013.

President Michael Sata described the late Minister of Information and Broadcasting Service Kennedy Sakeni as a selfless leader who served the nation with dedication.Mr.Sata said the nation has been robbed of a nationalist who contributed massively to the development of this country.The President said this during a requiem mass for the late minister held at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka yesterday.The Head of State said the late Sakeni 57, was a humble and dedicated leader who will be difficult to replace considering his vast experience in the civil service and political arena.He urged Mr. Sakeni’s family to continue looking up to God during this trying moment when a man of deeds and caring father will no longer be there to provide everything he used to provide for the family.Mr. Sata stated that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) will forever miss the late Information and Broadcasting Services Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni who earned himself senior positions in both the party and government because of hard work.

The late minister 57, who was also Mansa Central PF Member of Parliament and party’s Chairman for Luapula province, will be put to rest on Tuesday, 10th September, 2013 at Mushinka village in Chief Mwansakombe’s area in Samfya district, Luapula province.

The wife to the late Sakeni, Lilian Chama Sakeni said her husband was a listening and caring husband who was always there for the family.Mrs. Sakeni said her late husband has left a very big gap in the family which will be hard to fill up as he was a man whom she described as a hero.She said her late husband was a loving man who gave the entire family unconditional love as a husband and as a father.

Meanwhile, the son to the late Minister, Vincent Sakeni said his father was a loving father who cared for his children and the entire family members.He said Mr.Sakeni was a bread-winner and therefore his demise was shocking to the family.He said his father; the late Sakeni will forever be remembered by the family as he brought joy during his life time as a father.Mr. Sakeni stated that his late father was a very hard working, dedicated and humble person who deserved his appointments in various government portfolios.

President Michael Sata has since declared three days of national mourning in his honour commencing 8th September to Tuesday, 10th September, 2013.During this period, which starts from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours until the burial day, all flags will fly at half-mast and activities of entertainment nature should be postponed or canceled.

President Mr. Sata has accorded a state funeral in accordance with guidelines on state functions visited the funeral house for the late Mr. Sakeni and several mourners from all walks of life have continued flocking the funeral house.Mr. Sakeni died at the University teaching (UTH) in Lusaka and leaves behind a wife, Lillian Chama Sakeni and 13 children.The funeral is being held at his residence, house number 5369, Brentwood Drive in Lusaka’s Woodlands area.A requiem service for Mr. Sakeni was held at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus.

THE Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) says the International Criminal Court (ICC) was set up to humiliate African leaders.

CAPP president Wynter Kabimba says the ICC was not established in good faith.

Mr Kabimba who is also Zambia’s Minister of Justice and secretary general of the ruling Patriotic Front, says the time has come for African countries to reject the ICC and other Western influences meant to humiliate Africans.

He told journalists here that when the CAPP held a meeting in Lusaka last month, the ICC was discussed and members spoke against it.
Mr Kabimba said CAPP supports Kenya’s decision to pull out of the ICC.

“We support Kenya for pulling out of the ICC and urge other African countries to follow suit,” he said.

He said time has come now for African governments to take charge of their own affairs. Zambia is party to the ICC.

Kenya pulled out of the ICC last week after its Parliament voted on the decision, becoming the first African country to do so.

The ICC was set up in 2002 and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are facing trial at the Hague.

The United States of America, Israel and Sudan are not party to the ICC.

THE Patriotic Front (PF) has set up a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) whose sole mandate will be to help alleviate poverty among women and youths in Zambia.

Secretary General Wynter Kabimba said the NGO would be responsible for the establishment and administration of vocational skills training Centres.

Mr Kabimba said the NGO would help youths and women acquire training skills that would enable them set up businesses to sustain their families and contribute to national development.

He said this during a PF Ndola district consultative meeting at the trade fair grounds in Ndola at the weekend.

“I urge all the women and youths to take advantage of this NGO. We want every one of you to benefit from the party in Government,” he said.

Mr Kabimba who is Justice Minister said a Pilot project in tailoring for women and literacy centre had been established in Lusaka and a total of 207 participants had since graduated.

He said the party was in the process of forming a cooperative that would ensure that the women trained used the skills to generate income and improve their livelihood.

He said the party was also planning to establish vocational training centres in all the provinces and smaller ones in all the districts.

He said priority would be given to provinces and districts where the party was strong and politically organised.

“Furthermore, the party has established a national youth centre, which coordinates political mobilisation, leadership training and education for youths to ensure more youths are recruited,” he said.

Mr Kabimba, however, urged party members to cooperate and put to good use the NGO in order for the party to be strengthened.

A MADISON Insurance Group team manager who caused the death of three people due to speeding shed tears in court after he was fined.

Kelvin Chikonde, 44, openly wept as Kabwe High Court Judge Elita Mwikisa was passing judgment and advised him to go through the Highway Code to avoid accident adding that as a result of his carelessness lives were lost.

This is in a case in which Kelvin Chikonde was facing three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. It was alleged that on July 25, 2012 in Serenje district he caused the death of Mwape Sibande, Barbra Zingani and Hassani Banda while driving a Nissan Twin Cab registration number ALF 6469.

When the case came up for the reading of facts before Ms Justice Mwikisa, the accused pleaded guilty to all the three counts.

In mitigation defence lawyer, Bridget Pizo pleaded for leniency saying her client was remorseful over the loss of lives and that the families to the deceased had all been compensated though that would not back the lives of the victims.

He pleaded with the court not to suspend his drivers’ licence as his work involved driving.

In her ruling, Ms Justice Mwikisa said this time around she was not going to send him to prison but would fine him K7, 500 to be paid by October 5, 2013 or in default face nine months imprisonment.

The court also endorsed his licence and warned him that if he appeared in court under a similar offence she would have no option but to send him to jail.

As the judgment was being passed the now convict was fighting tears but as he walked out of dock, tears rolled down his cheek.

Work on the draft Constitution has been finalised but the document is currently going through the final editing process, spokesperson of the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution Ernest Mwansa has said.

Mr Mwansa said in an interview at the weekend that those drafting the final document had completed compiling the final draft Constitution and were currently just making few adjustments to the document.

He said the draft persons had submitted the finalised document to the Committee to go through.

He said the committee later made adjustments to it which the draft persons were currently working on.

He said once the draft persons had made adjustments and the Committee went through it, it would be given to the editors to do the final editing.

“Once the editors go through the final draft Constitution the document would then be submitted to President Michael Sata and the public for scrutiny,” Mr Mwansa said.

Mr Mwansa, however, did not indicate when the document would be handed over to the President and the public, but stated that the public would be informed once all the works had been completed.

Government through the Minister of Justice recently gave the Technical Committee a one month extension to complete the document from the initial July 31, deadline to August 31, 2013.

However, despite the extension the Committee has not yet completed the task.

A PREGNANT woman has died after allegedly being beaten by her husband whom police have arrested in connection with the death.
The incident happened on Saturday around 23:00 hours in Kawama in Ndola.

Efforts to get confirmation from acting Copperbelt commissioner of police Joyce Kasosa proved futile as her mobile phones went unanswered.

But police sources said the woman identified as Memory Chama, 24, who was seven months pregnant was found with marks on her neck and a suicide note written in a man’s handwriting was found beside the body.

The sources said the husband Justine Mbewe, 28, a taxi driver reported the matter to Chifubu police station around midnight.

At the scene, police questioned the husband and asked him to produce Ms Chama’s other handwritten documents to compare the writing with the suicide note.

Investigations proved otherwise and Mbewe was arrested.

“When he reported the matter, he kept changing statements. Initially, he said his wife had committed suicide, then he told the police that he just found her dead upon returning from work,” the source said.

The source said the police became suspicious of Mbewe’s incoherent statements and detained him to assist with investigations.

He said Mbewe is detained at Chifubu police station while his wife’s body is lying at Ndola central hospital mortuary.