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The Council for East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) says it will invite Zambia for the fourth coming Senior Challenge Cup to take place in Nairobi, Kenya.
The two-week event, to run November 24th to December 7th, will also help the hosts to scout for players who will join the senior team for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers which start next year.
“We shall also invite the COSAFA champions Zambia and Malawi for the CECAFA Cup so that we spice up the event,” Nicholas Musonye, the Secretary General, told MTNFootball.com.
Musonye said they expect to have a very competitive tournament in Nairobi.
The Supreme Court has reserved ruling on the execution of a stay filed by state filed in the High Court to block Dora Siliya and two others from participating in by-elections.
The ruling which has been reserved for a date yet to be announced, will establish whether to lift or not the stay which the State filed in the High Court to block the three candidates from participating in by-elections that were scheduled for 5th September this year.
During the inter-party hearing on the Execution of the Stay this morning which was held in chambers, the state was being led by Solicitor General Musa Mwenye while the lawyers for the respondents were led by Joseph Jalasi.
The respondents through their lawyers argued that if the matter of barring them from participating in the by-elections is further prolonged, there would be a constitution crisis as the constitution provides for ninety days in which to hold by-elections.
The State however argued that the ninety days period provided for in the constitution does not apply in this case as the by-elections were necessitated by nullification.
The lawyers for the three former members of parliament further argued that the appeal by the State is before the Supreme Court incompetently as the Attorney General has no locust standing in the case when the ECZ itself which is the custodian of elections has not appealed.
The State however, contended that the Attorney General is the custodian of public interest and therefore he is entitled to appeal even when the ECZ does not appeal against the High Court ruling.
Irate members of the public in Kitwe on Tuesday battered a man for claiming to be Jesus Christ.
Mupeta Chishimba a resident of Mindolo Township in Kitwe was beaten after he was spotted going round town preaching God’s message claiming he was Christ and that all divine powers of Jesus had incarnated in him.
The man incensed members of the public when he said he was Jesus Christ who had come to put an end to all ‘political Governments’.
“I am Jesus Christ from the heavens who has come to save you from this world and I would put an end to the Political Government of this world and I will start ruling no one can stop me because I posses the divine power,” he said.
Chishimba claimed he fell off from heaven in 1999 with the sole purpose of initiating judgment for mankind and end political rule.
But when word went round that a man calling himself Jesus was in town claiming to preaching God’s word and healing the sick, people went to catch the gimps of the man.
As the man was preaching within the central business district, people gathered around him mostly traders from the streets.
He also denounced church leaders and urged them to stop deceiving people by saying Jesus is coming when he was already there, because he came from heavenly Kingdom.
People questioned his proclamation and also his authority by claiming he was Jesus and preaching the word of God.It was at this point that people charged on the man and pull him to the ground before starting to beat him.
They beat him with different types of objects attracting the attention of several other people who even mocked the man by telling him to save himself since he was claiming to be Jesus.
Some people started calling for the cross in order for them to crucify him to prove his divine powers.
An eye witness a Mulenga Bonnie said this man had been going round telling people lies of possessing divine powers that he was the son
God.
Zone Fam Member Jay Rox brings his latest music video for “Kumutima” Produced by Shom C and Directed by Lusaka based Director Lloydee.
The video was shot on location at Ground Xero studios in Lusaka. The song Kumutima has been performing well on the local charts peaking at Number One on most radio stations.
Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata
Government has procured 208 ambulances to be distributed to various health centers countrywide, Community Development, Mother and Child Health deputy Minister Jean Kapata has told Parliament.
Ms Kapata told Parliament on Tuesday that the ambulances had started arriving in the country and would be distributed to districts to help address health delivery hurdles especially in rural areas.
Ms Kapata said this in response to UPND Sesheke Member of Parliament (MP) Siyauya Sianga who wanted to find out why funding to Yeta Hospital in Sesheke was erratic.
Ms Kapata said mismanagement of resources at some health centers and districts was hampering proper health delivery services in some parts of the country.
She said Government was committed to ensure adequate funding to various health centers but that mismanagement of resources was affecting health services.
“As Government, we are committed to ensuring that there is adequate funding to various districts but the problems at Yeta Hospital are due to mismanagement of resources once released to the district and our policy is that every institution must account for the funds released before another allocation is released.
“To ease some of the problems we are encountering in the provision of health delivery services, Government has procured 208 ambulances for all the hospitals in various district and this figure, is far beyond the number of districts we have and they will be sufficient,” she said.
FIVE Patriotic Front (PF) officials were yesterday detained at Kitwe central police station for alleged conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
Copperbelt deputy Commissioner of Police Richard Mweene confirmed the arrest and named the five as Steven Chindindi, Francis Salim, Moses Musonda, Charles Kabwita and Michael Chileshe.
The five allegedly paralysed operations at the Kitwe City Council (KCC) after they locked the Director of Administration and Human Resource’s office.
They accused Mr Wisdom Bwalya of working with an opposition political party and leaking important information.
The group led by Mr Kabwita, who is Chimwemwe ward councillor locked Mr Bwalya’s office around 07:30 hours yesterday and demanded that he be retired.
The five damaged the handle of the door to the director’s office but quick action by police prevented them from causing further damage.
PF Kitwe District youth secretary Mukuzo Kaboba, said the party officials locked Mr Bwalya’s office because he was allegedly compromising the operations of the council by being partisan.
Opposition MMD Die-Hard youth Coordinator Bowman Lusambo has given the Zambia Police a seven days ultimatum in which to explain to the nation the procedure it has continued to use to permit Patriotic Front (PF) cadres to conduct protests.
Lusambo says his party would like to know the procedure the PF cadres have been following for Police to continue granting them permission to stage protests against PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba.
He says failure by the police command to explain to the nation the procedure PF cadres have been using to obtain police permits will force youths from the opposition to demonstrate against the police.
Lusambo has stated that there is no way the opposition can continue being denied police permits to hold political public gatherings when the PF cadres are allowed to hold protests almost on a daily basis.
He told QFM that such double standards by the Police in administering the Public Order are unfair and discouraging to the opposition in the country.
Government is working on legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure that it adequately provides for investors in line with international best practices while at the same time responding to the needs of the Zambian people.
Speaking during the official opening of the African Copper IV Conference in Lusaka this afternoon, Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma dismissed reports from certain quarters that Zambia has introduced foreign exchange controls.
Mr. Yaluma explained that Statutory Instrument No. 55 of 2013 is aimed at enabling the Central Bank to monitor all inflows and outflows of foreign exchange and all transactions relevant to Zambia’s balance of payment.
Mr. Yaluma says government is currently analyzing the mineral value chain which includes exploration, mine production processing, and refining to come up with an efficient and effective minerals monitoring and auditing mechanisms.
He adds that effective and efficient minerals monitoring and auditing will not only ensure that what is due to government in terms of revenue is collected but will also encourage transparency and eliminate the perceptions of wide spread tax avoidance practices within the mining sector.
DEPUTY Inspector-General of Police Solomon Jere (right) talks to newly-appointed Patriotic Front (PF) interim District chairperson Robert Chikwelete at the ruling party’s District office premises
Lusaka Province youth chairperson Ackson Ngoma said no youth has been sponsored to push for Patriotic front (PF) secretary general (SG)
Wynter Kabimba’s resignation. Mr Ngoma said youths want Mr Kabimba to step down because they are unhappy with the way he has been managing the party.
The eight district chairpersons from Shibuyunji, Chilanga, Kafue, Luangwa, Rufunsa, Chongwe, Lusaka and Chirundu said there is no one financing party cadres calling for Mr Kabimba’s resignation.
The chairpersons said Mr Kabimba’s alleged poor judgement and poor management of party affairs has led to divisions in the party.
On Tuesday, scores of PF cadres carried mock coffins in the party secretary general’s name and demanded his resignation but Mr Kabimba told the media that only President Sata has the powers to hire or fire any party member.
Meanwhile, Lusaka district chairperson Robert Chikwelete has said that Mr Kabimba’s assertions that there are tribal elements championing his removal from the post of SG are pure admission of guilt on his part.
“Mr Kabimba, the lawyer, does not need to be reminded that power is always borrowed from the people and that in any democracy, power is right at the bottom; the bottom he fondly referred to as the streets. Today, we have the first secretary general of a party in power, who can arrogantly refer to youths as street kids,” Mr Chikwelete said.
[pullquote]“Mr Kabimba, the lawyer, does not need to be reminded that power is always borrowed from the people and that in any democracy, power is right at the bottom; the bottom he fondly referred to as the streets. Today, we have the first secretary general of a party in power, who can arrogantly refer to youths as street kids,” Mr Chikwelete said.[/pullquote]
He alleged that Mr Kabimba’s stand has weakened the PF and that he has become a polarising figure in the party.
Mr Chikwelete said officials in Lusaka have nothing personal against Mr Kabimba but their interest is the party’s unity, mobilisation and growth.
“It is sad that Mr Kabimba can today label the PF to be more tribal than the United Party for National Development when not too long ago, he was in the forefront condemning the opposition’s tribal outlook,” he said.
Mr Chikwelete said the PF central committee should remind Mr Kabimba that President Sata was popularly elected by Zambians overwhelmingly and not based on narrow and parochial interest like ethnic and tribal loyalties.
Yesterday, PF national youth chairman Chishimba Kambwili spoke against what he called “divisive elements” in the ruling party as he called on party secretary general Wynter Kabimba to apologise for alleging that tribalism and ethnicity existed in the party.
Mr Kambwili demanded that Mr Kabimba should stop peddling lies about alleged tribal cliques in the party fighting him. Mr Kambwili said that Mr Kabimba should own up on his presidential ambitions instead of
being arrogant and maligning his own party over alleged tribalism.
Mr Kambwili alleged that Mr Kabimba was being hounded out of office because party cadres were incensed by his presidential ambitions.
[pullquote]Mr Kambwili said that Mr Kabimba should own up on his presidential ambitions instead of being arrogant and maligning his own party over alleged tribalism.[/pullquote]
He said it was unfortunate for Mr Kabimba to label his own party as being tribal instead of him ensuring there was discipline within the party structures to make it stronger.
He said it was not right for Mr Kabimba to state that there are tribal elements in the party because the party has embraced all tribes and is taking development to all parts of the country.
He said Mr Kabimba should apologise to the people and that he should work to instil discipline in the party, unity and tolerance.
“Let us be united and this idea of saying that there are tribal factions is a lot of nonsense and it should come to an end. I do not think PF has any tribal faction,” Mr Kambwili said.
Mr Kambwili said members should concentrate on developing the nation instead of who will be president because the time for that will come when the party goes to the convention.
On Tuesday, Mr Kabimba told the POST that a clique of “tribal elements” was financing PF cadres to cover up for their tribal agenda.
“In order to cover up for that tribal agenda, they have now resorted to hiring innocent youths to propel their political agenda. That is what is going on. These are the people that went to the people of Zambia in 2010 and 2011, campaigning that we would like to unite the country across ethnic diversity and that people should not vote for the UPND because it was ethnically tribal,” he said.
“The people of Zambia believed us in that message. After taking power, a clique now has emerged in PF which is more tribal in their thinking, in their action, in their attitude, in their deeds, than the UPND.”
[pullquote]“The people of Zambia believed us in that message. After taking power, a clique now has emerged in PF which is more tribal in their thinking, in their action, in their attitude, in their deeds, than the UPND.”[/pullquote]
Kabimba said his contribution to the PF was across ethnic diversity.
“You can’t cheat the Zambian people in that way. So, I am becoming the sacrificial lamb of that tribal agenda. Because I didn’t go out to the Zambian people to cheat them, to lie to them that I was participating in the PF on tribal lines,” he said.
“I genuinely believed and I still believe today that my service, my contribution to the PF as a political party and to the PF government, is to all Zambians across ethnic diversity.”
Kabimba wondered why a “clique of tribalists” had emerged when the PF did not campaign on tribal lines.
As world leaders gathered today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to focus on laying the groundwork for a new sustainable development agenda, the President of Zambia highlighted the importance of building global partnerships to address issues of poverty and development.
In his statement on Tuesday to the opening of the General Assembly’s General Debate, President Michael Chilufya Sata said that the importance of the intergovernmental processes on sustainable development “is critical and cannot be overemphasized.”
Mr. Sata and the other General Assembly participants are due tomorrow to discuss ways to accelerate progress towards the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to “set the stage” for a development agenda after the 2015 deadline.
Ahead of those discussions, he stressed the need for a single set of universally agreed goals reflecting sustainable development priorities which are “actionable, concise and whose implementation will resonate with different development and economic levels of Member States.”
He emphasized the need for such goals to be “prudently balanced” and “effectively integrate the economic, social and environmental” aspects of development.
“To this effect,” Mr. Sata said, “it is necessary to build global partnerships that are supported by commitments towards regional and international cooperation, anchored with mutual accountability, enhanced local private sector and public private partnerships.”
Turning to Zambia’s progress on the MDGs, he noted that the country has made “tremendous progress” on Goal 4, which calls for reducing by two-thirds the percentage of under-five mortality rates, and Goal 5, which calls for reducing by three-quarters maternal mortality ratios.
The national MDG report also indicated that while the challenges are still immense, Zambia has made great strides in its fight against HIV and AIDS, and ensuring that people who are living with the virus receive the best of care and access to social protection services.
The country faces challenges, however, in lowering levels of poverty and unemployment.
“My Government has taken an unprecedented painful step of curtailing subsidies on fuel and maize,” Mr. Sata said, thereby releasing “much needed resources” for programmes that specifically target poverty alleviation.
Mr. Sata is among the scores of leaders to speak at the annual General Assembly session at which heads of State and Government and other high-level officials will present their views and comments on issues of individual national and international relevance.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Matibini has directed Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu to issue a ministerial statement on recent protests by PF cadres in Lusaka.
Dr Matibini made the directive following a point of order from Choma UPND Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa.
Mr Mweetwa rose on a point of order on the protests that led the PF youth to match to State House where they demanded PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba’s resignation.
Mr Mweetwa is concerned that protest by the PF cadres could endanger public security.
He says this is because police have played double standards by refusing the opposition permission to hold rallies in densely populated areas for security reasons while PF cadres are protesting on streets.
In his ruling, Dr Matibini has directed that the Minister of Home Affairs issues a statement in Parliament this week.
In an apparent U-turn,the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution has announced that the final draft constitution will be handed over simultaneously to the Republican President and general public.
Committee Spokesperson Ernest Mwansa in a statement issued to QFM News says the position of the Technical Committee has always been, and still remains that the final draft Constitution, the Constitution of Zambia Bill and the Committee’s Report will be handed over simultaneously to President Michael Sata and the general public.
Mr Mwansa says after the release of the final draft constitution, the general public will be free to scrutinize and comment on it but that they will not make submissions to the technical committee because its mandate would have ended at the handover ceremony.
He adds that the Technical Committee had intended to submit the final draft constitution to various stakeholders and to the people of Zambia at large to comment on the final draft Constitution and to thereafter consider those comments with a view to incorporating them in the final draft where necessary before submitting it to the President and the public at large.
Mr Mwansa however, says this could not be done because of the time constraints.
Nchanga Rangers came from behind to beat visiting Green Buffaloes 2-1 in a delayed FAZ Super Division Week 21 tie at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola on Wednesday.
The win has pushed Nchanga to third on the table with 39 points.
All the goals came in the second half after a goalless first half.
Winger Allan Mukuka put Buffaloes in front with a 54th minute header which was cancelled by Bornwell Mwape’s header five minutes later.
Martin Daka scored the winner on 68 minutes heading in a corner by Alex Ng’onga.
This was a sweet revenge for Nchanga who lost the first round match in Lusaka earlier in the season.
After the loss, Buffaloes are stuck on 33 points.
–
Nkana returned to the top of the FAZ Super League for the first time in two months thanks to a brace from Reynold Kampamba in a 2-1 home win over bottom placed Lime Hotspurs at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe today.
Lime were not as bad as the score line suggested and equaled their hosts who have the previlage of home advantage on their side.
Nkana were forced to rally after Lime took the lead in the 14th minute through Victor Kashitu.
The home side equalised a minute later through Kampamba who converted a penalty after Kobe Chipeta handled the ball in the box.
Lime were unlucky not to retake the lead in the32nd minute when Nkana goalkeeper Makasa Mufwaya saved a Bobby Chansa shot before the two sides went 1-1 into the break.
Nkana’s winning goal came in the 61st minute when Kampamba turned in a Rabby Lwambula cross.
Nkana move up to 43 points, one more than Zesco United whom they exchanged places with.
This is after Zesco could only manage a scoreless home draw against Red Arrows in Ndola.
Meanwhile, Nchanga Rangers came from behind to beat Green Buffaloes to rise from fourth to third at Nchanga Stadium.
Allan Mukuka put Buffaloes ahead in the 54th minute before Bornwell Mwape and Martin Daka hit the target in the 59th and 68th minutes respectively.
The International Monetary Fund plans to come to Zambia in January to start talks about a new loan programme for Africa’s top copper producer, the Fund said on Tuesday.
The IMF said Zambia’s economy is projected to expand six percent this year as copper production increases, and inflation is now 7.1 percent year-on-year, close to last year’s level.
But copper prices have fallen and the government’s spending is much higher than planned in its budget, while revenue is below target.
Zambia now only has enough reserves to cover less than three months’ worth of imports, below the ratio the IMF typically considers adequate to protect a country in case of shocks.
[pullquote]Zambia now only has enough reserves to cover less than three months worth of imports[/pullquote]
“A further build-up of reserves from the current level… is needed in light of risks stemming from a potentially deteriorating external environment,” John Wakeman-Linn, the IMF’s mission leader, said in a statement after visiting Zambia this week.
The mission came to Zambia for the IMF’s regular analysis of its economy, known as an Article 4.
The government has spent money on fuel subsidies, a September wage hike for civil servants, and paying for the debt and operations of the Food Reserve Agency, which purchases food from farmers in disadvantaged parts of the country for prices usually higher than those in the market.
The IMF said Zambia’s budget deficit this year should now reach about 8.5 percent of GDP, above the five percent target.
Investors have become more interested in fast-growing Zambia in recent years, and the country’s debut $750-million bond issue last year was 15 times oversubscribed.
However, the bonds for B-plus-rated Zambia have performed poorly this year. Investors have become more reluctant to take on the biggest risks as the US Federal Reserve is planning to scale back its bond-buying programme, which had boosted risky assets.
