The shortage of fuel in Lusaka has persisted despite government still maintaining its stance that the country has enough fuel stocks.

A check in some filling stations found motorists queuing up to acquire the commodity.

Petroleum and Allied Workers Union of Zambia Secretary General, Malambisha Chisembele, says he is concerned at the supposed fuel shortage and its impact on their membership.

For several weeks the fuel shortage has hit Lusaka with several filling stations going without the commodity. Some Lusaka motorists expressed concern over shortage and wondered what could be behind the scarcity of fuel around the city.

Last week, government accused Total and Puma Oil companies of being behind the shortage of fuel being experienced in some parts of Lusaka.

Energy Minister Christopher Yaluma said in Lusaka on August 18, 2013 that the fuel shortage being experienced were as a result of the two Oil companies not collecting the commodity from Ndola where the country’s oil refinery is based.

Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has reiterated that her late husband Levy had wanted Ngandu Magande to succeed him as Republican President.

“That was his wish before he died and he had shared it with some of us that were close to him. He believed Magande firmly represented his vision for the party MMD and the nation at large,” Dr Mwanawasa said.

She added, “Even though Magande had gotten my late husband’s endorsement, it was not going to be automatic that he was going to win the elections, not at all.”

Dr Mwanawasa said the late President was highly impressed with Mr Magande’s stewardship of the economy.

“The truth is that, even if my late husband believed in Magande, I know for sure that there were others interested in challenging for the same position so it was not going to be automatic that Magande was going to succeed him,” she said.

“When he died, we had a duty to support what he had wished for. I believe those of us that he had confided in over his choice of Magande had a responsibility to ensure that his wish was honoured.”

Dr Mwanawasa advised opposition leaders to respect the government of the day.

“As a Christian nation, we have a duty to respect our leaders and the government of the day, let’s pray for them and guide them,” she said.

Dr Mwanawasa was speaking Sunday evening when she featured on a live Muvi TV programme called the Assignment ahead of her late husband’s memorial set for September 01, 2013.

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions says it will oppose intentions by government to amend the Pensions scheme to do away with lump sum pension pay outs for pensioners.

Under the proposed new Pensions scheme, government wants to do away stop lump sum payments for retirees opting to introduce piece meal monthly payments.

ZCTU President Leonard Hikaumba told Journalists in Lusaka that the labour movement in Zambia will not agree to the changes.

“Government should immediately halt this process especially that we have not been consulted. We have information that government wants to start paying piecemeal payments at a particular rate, we don’t even know how government has arrived at that rate,” Mr. Hikaumba said.

Mr. Hikaumba said pensioners always look forward to receiving a lump sum payment as a token of appreciation for their long service and a way of guaranteeing their future.

He said ZCTU wants government to maintain the lump sum pay outs as they go a long way in assisting pensioners adjust to a life without their jobs.

Mr. Hikaumba also demanded that workers retirement benefits from schemes such as NAPSA should also be paid as a lump sum as opposed to the current system.

“As ZCTU, we believe that government has a responsibility to source and secure resources for sustaining an effective pension scheme,” he said.

The Drug Enforcement Commission must explain to the nation why it arrested and dragged Civil Rights Activist Brebner Changala to court on a non-bailable offence of drug trafficking which it later abandoned, says NAREP president Elias Chipimo.

Chipimo wondered why the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) arrested, charged and took Changala to court when it knew that it could not successfully prosecute the case.

Chipimo said that it was appalling that security wings such as DEC, the police, intelligence and the Anti-Corruption Commission could be the ones bidding for their appointing authority to harass government critics.

“We are appalled at the treatment of an established civil rights activist Brebner Changala who is doing a gallant job for the country and the people of Zambia by demanding that there be proper checks and balances to this government.

We don’t expect that when the PF is unceremoniously booted out of government in 2016, Brebner Changala will stop his sense of activism, he must continue because it is voices like his that should never be silenced,” said Chipimo.

Chipimo observed that Changala had raised important issues which any listening and responsible government should take note of and address in the best interest of the nation.

“Our view as NAREP is that institutions of governance should not be disbanded but encouraged to attach professionalism in order to serve a greater good rather than be used against political opponents and other critics of government.

They should serve their intended purpose in an accountable manner and not like the way they are now conducting themselves now by bidding for the appointing authority. There is no doubt that the case involving Changala was merely politically driven,” he said.

He challenged DEC to come out categorically and deny that it was not being used by the appointing authority to harass and arrest Changala.

” Let them deny that the allegations we are putting forward are not true, let them explain what transpired, we want to know what they got from Brebner Changala’s home, why the allegations went ahead and why they entered a nolle prosequii,” Chipimo said.

He said that Zambia was in an era where the people should demand certain things from their leadership to offer credible checks and balances adding that leaders had the responsibility to govern and not to fan trouble.

“We are seeing impunity being practiced by the PF leadership; we are seeing arms and organs of the state that should uphold the law and protect individual citizens, turning a blind eye and deliberately choosing to punish those that have different views about governance,” the NAREP leader said.

Chipimo said that the day PF starts silencing voices such as Changala, Zambia will be doomed and spiral into serious political and economic crisis.

He said that what had killed the PF government was lack of a plan for the country and having consistently resorted to harassing, intimidating and attacking people and politicians for being critical.