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The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) presidency has dismissed as usual rhetoric the announcement by Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda that the Patriotic Front (PF) government has created more three hundred thousand jobs from the year 2011 to-date.
MMD presidential Spokesperson Muhabi Lungu says this is because the government has not presented any proof that the said jobs have actually been created.
Mr. Lungu says if the PF is to convince the people in the country about the existence of the said job, it has to provide concrete proof by showing in which sectors the said jobs have been created.
He notes that the creation of any jobs in the country should also be traced to a particular source of employment with further proof of Pay As You Earn tax receipts to employees whose jobs have been referred to as those created by the PF government.
Over Four thousand former Angola refugees have applied for resident permits in Zambia.
Formal applications have been lodged in for various permits by the former Angolan refugees since last year.
Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu has disclosed this when he officially opened the 7th Zambia, Angola and UNHCR Tripatite meeting in Lusaka.
Mr. Lungu however says some applicants have not met the requirements for integration.
He says government embarked on the process of local integration of former Angolan refugees in November 2012.
Mr. Lungu says the government of Angola and Zambia requested for the meeting in light of the developments that have taken place since 31st December 2011 when a general cessation of refugees status became effective for Angolan refugees.
And Angolan Minister of Assistance and Social Re-integration Dr Joao Batista Kussumu says the Angolan government is finalizing the dossier concerning the plight of the refugees.
Meanwhile, UNHCR Country Representative Laura lo Castrol says the Zambia government and the UN agency will assist refugees who do not qualify for resident permits, to return to Angola.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has expressed happiness with the pace of construction works at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport’s new terminal building.
Mr Chikwanda praised contractors working on the Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport for putting up a world-class new international terminal building within a short period of time.
The new terminal building would be completed by Monday next week in readiness for the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly in Livingstone and beyond the event.
Mr Chikwanda commended the contractors saying though the timeframe to carry out the works was not enough they had tried to do the impossible within a short period of time.
He was speaking in Livingstone today when he inspected construction works at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport.
Currently, the existing airport building has the capacity to attract 250, 000 passengers per year while the new terminal building would be attracting about 700, 000 passengers annually.
The new terminal building would have two boarding gates, five club lounges, 30 retail spaces and viewing terraces.
“In all fairness, we can only commend those behind the airport project considering that the project has been executed within a short period of time.
“We are working against very limited time and well done for the tremendous job done to the project so far,” Mr Chikwanda said.
“From the Ministry of Finance, we will spare no efforts to ensure that the resources are available in right amounts at the right time,” he said.
He called for more hard word in ensuring that the few remaining works were completed by Monday as planned.
Witness Contradicts Zambia’s Accusations against Former President Banda, says Amsterdam
14 August 2013
Recent witness testimony from the trial against former President of Zambia Rupiah Banda demonstrates the political motivations driving the case and unlawful conduct on behalf of the government, says international lawyer Robert Amsterdam.
“Not only is the state seeking to manufacture a blatantly false charge against the former head of state, but they are illegally pressuring and parading witnesses in order to do so,” said Amsterdam, who represents the former head of state.
“The state’s biased handling of these cases demonstrates the persecutory nature of the proceedings.
They are not focused on the law, but rather maintaining power while the PF government completes its assault on the judiciary and legislature to return Zambia to a one-party state.”
The Zambian government’s controversial handling of two separate trials against former President Banda have been mired with irregularities, including three separate instances of the PF government ignoring court orders allowing the defendant the right to travel to regional conferences.
Other areas of the judicial system are also under attack in recent weeks, as the Supreme Court has been instrumentalised to intervene in by-elections by issuing mysterious press releases.
This week the state’s witness Mr. Akpan Ekpene, a Nigerian businessman and managing director of SARB Energy Limited, was called by the Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito.
In his testimony, Mr. Ekpene said that he saw nothing unlawful about donating campaign funds to the then-ruling party Movement for Multiparty Democracy, emphasizing that the donations were collected from well wishers in Nigeria.
During an earlier parliamentary hearing to strip former President Banda’s immunity, Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba alleged that the former government had paid $2.5 million to SARB from which former President Banda and his family derived benefit.
However on the witness stand, Mr. Ekpene firmly denied that such transaction had been made, stating that it was, in fact, SARB Energy that paid the sum of $2.5 million to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as a normal deposit to secure a government-to-government oil contract.
The witness further stated that once the contract commenced the $2.5 million was refunded to SARB Energy. Mr. Ekpene went on to explain that the lifting of the crude oil only commenced at the end of September 2011, after President Banda had left office.
“The state’s case is falling apart before Nchito’s eyes – not only is there zero evidence of wrongdoing on behalf of former President Banda, they have even been shown to have removed immunity under false pretenses,” said Amsterdam.
“As a last resort, they are attempting to invent a crime that does not exist by claiming campaign fundraising is somehow illegal.”
Under cross-examination, Mr. Ekpene acknowledged that DPP Nchito personally visited him for a meeting in Nigeria in May 2013, after the trial had commenced, a fact which was denied by Maj. Richard Kachingwe.
Mr. Ekpene further stated that Nchito had promised him that if he came to testify in this case, he would be able to clear his and his company ‘s names. Senior official in the Zambian Ministry of Energy and Water Development further stated that once the legal issues had been concluded the new government would be able to revisit the transaction with his company.
During his testimony today, Mr. Ekpene broke down in tears saying that he was “being paraded” in that manner in court, commenting, “I am not testifying because I am hurt, I have high regard for that man and how I wished he had won elections because I would not be standing here and he would not be sitting over there in the dock.”
Amsterdam responds: “The fact that the DPP himself – instead of a prosecutor or an investigator from the Government Joint Investigations Team (GJIT) – personally flew to Nigeria and met with the witness to pressure him and deceive him is yet another demonstration of the extraordinary bias and conflict of interest behind this case.”
“As highlighted by MP Lucky Mulusa, Mr. Nchito once testified before a parliamentary committee that he would rescue himself from any prosecution in which he has a personal interest,” he said.
“This reckless pursuit of a false case against an opponent of the ailing President Michael Sata is indicative of an overall deterioration of human rights and rule of law in today’s Zambia.”
Transparency International Zambia Executive Director Goodwell Lungu (R) (file Picture)
Transparency International Zambia has demanded that action be taken against officials implicated in the corruption scandal involving UNWTO contracts.
In a statement, TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu said the revelations made by the Office of the Auditor General on the UNWTO contracts were disappointing.
“We want to demand here that the Controller of Internal Audits, the Auditor General, Zambia Public Procurement Authority and the Anti-Corruption Commission should immediately look at all the allegations of corruption and not wait until after the event is over but rather these cases should be attended to immediately and expeditiously,” Mr Lungu said.
He stated that PF government should immediately suspend all officials and contractors that have irregularly awarded contracts.
“In order for the country to be seen to be fostering the attainment of UNWTO’s goal of international understanding, peace, prosperity and universal respect for human rights, the PF government should pay particular attention to enhancing transparency and accountability in all the build-up activities that lead to this event,” he said.
He added, “It is therefore in this vein that we want to call upon the Minister of Tourism and Arts to publish in the public media, all contracts awarded and the names of the service providers and contractors, including the contract amounts. We also want clarification on why Government has gone ahead to give huge advance payments to some of the contractors against conventional practice.”
Mr. Lungu said TIZ also demands that the PF Government justifies how it has arrived at reimbursable costs for some service providers such as Coordinators both locally and internationally based.
“Transparency International Zambia would like to take into recognition the important value the UNWTO will render to Zambia and Zimbabwe the two countries economically, through job creation and indeed through the promotion of competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments as key indicators in development.”
He said, “While the UNWTO is seen to maximize the contribution of tourism to socio-economic development, this particular event deserves the support of all Zambians and should not be the reason for wanton and reckless public spending and violation of public procurement regulations.”
Mr. Lungu reminded the Patriotic Front Ministers and government officials of the precedence of the ICASA event held a few years ago which was tainted by numerous allegations of corruption and abuse of public procurement rules.
Orlando Pirates say Chipolopolo striker Collins Mbesuma’s injury sustained in Sunday’s post-match penalty semifinal cup tie win over SuperSport United is not serious.
Mbesuma sustained an ankle injury and was replaced by Lennox Bacela but Pirates team Doctor Lazarous Maphakela says the injury is not as serious as initially feared.
Maphakela told Orlandopiratesfc.com that Mbesuma only twisted his ankle and could not carry on because of an inflammation on it.
“Collins is fine – the injury is not as serious… there are no structural damages to his ankle – it was just a twist,” said Dr Maphakela.
Mbesuma is expected to be part of Pirates’ team to face visitors Egyptian giants Zamalek on Saturday evening in Johannesburg on match day three of the 2013 CAF Champions League in which the South African club leads Group A on four points.
And Mbesuma was mysteriously omitted Zambia’s friendly against Senegal that takes place this evening in Paris.
Former Energy Minister Kenneth Konga has testified in a case former President Rupiah Banda is facing corruption charges involving a Nigerian oil deal.
Testifying before Magistrate Joshua Banda this morning, Mr. Konga told the court that he did accompany Mr. Banda, in his then capacity as Energy Minister, on an official visit to Nigeria when the Oil deal was being initiated.
Mr. Konga of House No. 50 E Sable Road in Kabulonga, Lusaka, has told the court that while in Nigeria Mr. Banda and the then President of Nigeria Umaru Yar’Adua did hold a meeting where Mr. Banda requested that Nigeria supplies Zambia with Oil.
He narrated to the court that the request for Nigeria to start supplying oil to Zambia was done in good faith as at the time Zambia was in dire need of fuel supply to smoothly run the government operations.
Mr. Konga testified that after the meeting of the two heads of state, he was instructed by President Banda to write to the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum as follow-up in implementing what was discussed by the two heads of state.
He has told the Court that upon realizing that it had taken longer than he expected for the Nigerian government to respond, he asked President Banda to allow then Zambian Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Kachingwe to take over the negotiations on behalf of the Zambia government.
Mr. Konga disclosed to the court that from the time Mr. Banda allowed Major Kachingwe to take over the negotiations, he had not heard any development concerning the request of the Oil deal not until after one year when he had gone back to Nigeria for a private business visit.
Mr. Konga says in his second visit to Nigeria after one year, he had learnt that there was still no response from the Nigeria government over Zambia’s request but that some Nigerians led by Mr. Akpan Ekpene whom Major Kachingwe had found were willing to assist Zambia to get a prompt response from the Nigerian government over the request to start supplying Oil to Zambia.
Mr. Konga says he then informed then President Banda who agreed to that the Nigerian man Mr. Ekpene formally begins speaking on behalf of the Zambia government to quicken the process of getting a response from the Nigerian government.
The former Minister further told the court that after Mr. Ekpene took over the negotiations, he did not hear any further development about the request not until Major Kachingwe disclosed to him at the MMD convention that was held in Kabwe that the Nigerian government had agreed to the request of supplying Zambia with Oil.
Mr. Konga was being led in examination in-chief by the prosecution team led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito.
The matter has been adjourned to October 21st this year for continued trial.
Magistrate Banda has also set September 16th as date for mention.
65,000kgs of contaminated Zambeef products that were confiscated from the Northern region were this morning disposed off in Kitwe by burning them.
Four trucks containing contaminated offals and hooves where disposed off in Kitwe’s Ndeke presidential area in an exercise that included the Kitwe City Council.
Zambeef Manager Northern region Alvaro Diego said the products were from all outlets in the region.
Mr. Diego said about 35percent loss has been incurred by the company in the northern region since the revelations that the products contained harmful chemicals.
Kitwe City Council Public relations manager Dorothy Sampa said there were delays in disposing the products because the local authority was waiting for ZEMA to approve a site for the disposal.
Sampa revealed that the local authority is now more alert in its inspections since the ZAMBEEF meat contamination scam.
She however noted that the Kitwe City Council is in dire need of more health inspectors in order to effective carry out inspections.
Local Journalists and council officials were present to witness the disposal as requested by the Ministry of Health for transparency.
Last month, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde told Parliament that independent tests carried out on some seized Zambeef products confirmed the presence of formaldehydes in imported meat samples taken from different batches and outlets of Zambeef.
A 27 year old man was been beaten to death after he was allegedly found committing adultery with the wife of another family member.
The deceased identified as Leonard Chitambala was beaten to death by Sebastian Kunda after he was found committing adultery with his wife in their matrimonial house at Kamisadaka village in Kapiri Mposhi district.
Deputy Central province Commissioner of police Edwin Bwanga who confirmed the development said the incident happened at the weekend around 23:00 hours when Mr Kunda returned home.
Mr Bwanga said that after the beating and on his way home,Mr Chitambala collapsed after moving few metres. He died on
the way to the hospital.
Police have since picked up the accused person to assist with investigations and that he would be charged with the offence murder once investigations are concluded.
He cautioned the public against taking law into their own hands.
In another development, Police in Kabwe have arrested a 40-year-old man who allegedly defiled his five year old grand-daughter.
The accused identified as Emmanuel Kunda is alleged to have defiled the girl at her parents’ house in Nakoli township where he had gone visiting and took advantage of the absence of the girl’s mother who had briefly gone out.
Mr Bwanga said the incident happened around 16:00 hours, on August 4, 2013.He said the matter was reported by the daughter to the accused and
that he has since been arrested and charged with the offence of defilement and would appear in court soon.
Chief Chimbuka of the Bemba speaking people in Chinsali district has advised the Patriotic Font Leadership to stop running the party like a company.
The traditional leader who himself said he is a staunch PF member observes that this has led to many people who were sympathetic to the ruling party leaving.
He says the ruling party should work at getting back to the people especially in rural areas if the party is to survive.
Chief Chimbuka who opted to use his native language in an interview with QFM says he is speaking from experience having seen what is going on in the ruling party.
Chief Chimbuka adds that the people on the grassroots are not with the ruling party because they feel abandoned after voting for the ruling party in the 2011 elections.
He says he feels very sorry for the Patriotic Front, urging those at secretariat and the provincial to work extremely hard to move the party forward.
TRANSPORT, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga cuts a ribbon as he hands over medical equipment to Kamuchanga Hospital donated by Mopani Copper Mines.
GOVERNMENT says it has opened talks with prospective investors to re-establish a national airline.
Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga said his ministry has intensified efforts to re-establish a national airline to help boost the country’s tourism.
Mr Mukanga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that a committee set up by the ministry for the re-establishment of a national carrier has come up with recommendations which have since been taken to Cabinet for approval.
“We have submitted our recommendations to Cabinet for approval because we don’t want this programme of coming up with a national airline to fail,” he said.
Mr Mukanga said the absence of a national airline has negatively affected the development of tourism, non-traditional exports and other industries that directly or indirectly rely on tourism.
He said many countries have expressed willingness to help Zambia re-establish a national airline.
Mr Mukanga said his ministry is also doing feasibility studies to determine how much it will cost Government to re-establish a national airline.
The minister said Government is working hard to reposition Zambia as an air transport regional hub.
GOVERNMENT has raised K15.4 billion, out of which K11 billion was from domestic tax and non-tax revenue sources.
A total of K4.4 billion was from the issuance of treasury bills and government bonds and K697.7 million from foreign grants for both budget and project support.
Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba has disclosed that K15.4 billion was released for development programmes, social services and to facilitate government operations in the ministries, provinces and spending agencies.
“Expenditure for six months (January to June) is equal to the revenues which were mobilised and this means that the budget was balanced,” Mr Yamba said.
He said a total of K1.2 billion was released for debt service payments and K673.2 million went towards payments of interest on government bonds and treasury bills while the balance of K574.2 million went towards external debt service payments.
Mr Yamba said K9 billion was released to ministries, provinces and spending agencies for operations and development programmes, among them construction and maintenance, Zesco power rehabilitation and for outstanding bills under the Farmer Input Support Programme.
He said other notable expenditure included K1 billion transfers to grant-aided institutions such as the Zambia Revenue Authority, road agencies and universities.
“It is important to stress that the Government makes resources available under the contingency budget line to cater for all unforeseen and unavoidable expenditures, including by-elections,” Mr Yamba said.
He said K90.1 million was allocated and approved by Parliament as contingency provision for 2013.
The treasury is confident that Government will implement the 2013 budget within the broad categories approved by Parliament, he said.
Mr Yamba said as per established global treasury management practices, the Ministry of Finance will make expenditure realignments and ensure that prudent actions are undertaken to achieve the objectives of the 2013 budget.
Mr Yamba said where any expenditure realignments are deemed inevitable, ministries,provinces and spending agencies will be required to work within adjusted budgetary provisions,authorised by the treasury, to ensure that key government programmes for 2013 are implemented prudently.
“The key lesson learnt from budget performance in the first six months of 2013 points to the need to enhance the implementation of development programmes to accelerate the benefits of improved public service delivery,” Mr Yamba said.
He said the treasury would continue to closely monitor and evaluate budget and economic affairs to ensure that national development programmes were on course.
“I take this opportunity to encourage all ministries, provinces and spending agencies to continue promoting best practices and ensuring sustained transparency and accountability in the use of public resources for general improvement in the well-being of the people of Zambia,” Mr Yamba said.
BARRICK Lumwana management on Monday reinstated 24 out the 71 employees that were last week dismissed in connection with the pornographic film detected in the company computers.
The workers were reinstated following an appeal against the management harsh decision to dismiss them.
National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) president James Chansa and Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Joseph Chewe confirmed the reinstatement of the 24 workers in separate interviews yesterday.
Mr Chansa who on Monday travelled physically to Lumwana with the view to engaging management over the plight of the dismissed workers said Barrick Lumwana management brought back 24 workers who were among those that contested their dismissal.
“As at 16:00 hours yesterday, we managed to bring back 24 workers who appealed against their dismissal,” Mr Chansa said.
He said 50 appeal cases had so far been head by management out of which 24 workers were reinstated and 26 rejected.
Mr Chansa who said the union was yet to hear results of other appeal cases expected to take place soon was happy with management considerate decision to bring back some of the workers.
“This is a good move by management to reinstate some of the workers especially that it was done after we pleaded with them to consider treating the affected employees as people with families to look after,” Mr Chansa said.
He said he watched the pornographic film which involved a three-year-old boy and a girl aged 10 and this made the union to understand management decision to dismiss the workers.
“We are hopeful that at the end of the day a good number of the affected workers will be brought back although it may not be everyone and so my appeal to mineworkers is that this should serve as a lesson,” he said.
And Mr Chewe appealed to Lumwana management to consider pardoning all the involved workers saying the best remedy for now was to put in place measures that would prevent such unwanted material from finding their way into company computers.
Seventy-one Barrick Lumwana employees consisting 31 in senior staff and 40 in junior staff were dismissed last week on Thursday after they were identified to have been watching pornographic film on company computers.
FILE: HOME Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu (far right) addresses inmates after commissioning the newly built Mwembeshi Maximum security prison in Mumbwa district
THE Zambia Prisons Service (ZPS) has said it will not condone distribution of condoms in prisons because doing so encourages homosexuality among inmates.
ZPS commissioner Perce Chato said the prisons authority had no intention of embarking on the distribution and supply of condoms to inmates.
Mr Chato said this in an interview in Kitwe shortly after he launched the Mobile Hospital at Kamfinsa State Prisons.
He said permitting distribution and supply of condoms would be encouraging Sodomy, an act which was illegal in the country.
“We have an obligation to protect and promote the Republican Constitution. If we permit distribution of condoms its like we are contradicting the provisions of the Constitution which prohibit homosexuality,” Mr.Chato said.
He said homosexuality under the Zambian law was illegal and that the prisons service had no intention of changing that.
Mr Chato also said the prisons service was determined to prevent acts of homosexuality in prisons because it was a known fact this was one of the major driver of HIV-AIDS.
He further stated that the service five years ago conducted a survey on the status of HIV/AIDS in prisons and it indicated that the prevalence rate stood at 27 percent in all facilities which was very high.
Mr Chato said a significant number of prisoners were today aware of the vice and this had helped to reduce the prevalence rate.
“Most inmates are now aware about the danger of indulging in homosexuality and its consequences. So the HIV-AIDS prevalence rate in most facilities across the country is now at minimal level.”Mr Chato said.
Mr Chato also called on concern non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other relevant stake holders to come on board and conduct a research on homosexuality and HIV-Aids in all facilities across Zambia.
