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The Road Traffic and Safety Agency, RTSA, has donated assorted food items worth K10, 000.00 to the families of the victims of the Chibombo bus accident in Kabwe.
Kabwe District Commissioner, Patrick Chishala, handed over the donation to the deceased victims’ families, at his office on behalf of the Agency, company yesterday.
Mr Chishala said among the donated items included 76×25 Kg bags of Breakfast Meal, 18x 10 KG Bags of Rice, 18x 10Kg bales of Sugar and 18×10 Litres of Cooking Oil.
Dry Kapenta, Detergent Pastes, Salt and Tea Bags where the other donated items..
The District Commissioner explained that considering that each bereaved family will receive an equal share of the donation.
Mr. Chishala has however advised the affected families to promptly choose administrators to smoothen the process of receiving the donations.
He said this is also necessary because there is need for the families to identify the items of the deceased persons at the Police Station.
He thanked RTSA for the donation and advised other well-wishers wishing to make the donations to contact his office.
Mr.Chishala also cautioned the bereaved families against diverting the donations saying anyone found wanting will risk persecution.
And speaking on behalf of the bereaved families, Simon Kasanda, thanked RTSA and the Office of the District Commissioner for the kind gesture.
Mr. Kasanda has also thanked government for its assistance it has rendered from the time of the accident with regards to transport, coffins and other logistics because this has demonstrated that the government truly cares.
He added that although this cannot replace their loved ones, they are glad that their relatives are still being remembered.
Mr Kasanda said the families will remain indebted to all Zambians for the great support they have received during their trying times.
18 people died in a fatal traffic accident on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 when the bus they were travelling in, lost control due to a tyre burst and overturned in Chisamba while on its way to Lusaka.
[ZANIS]
Solwezi General hospital staff demonstrate outside general hospital premises after a Ukraine Dr Movchan Seargy was murdered from his residence in the Hospital Compound on Sunday night. Dr Seargy,an Anaethetist from Theatre Section was found dead in the early hours of Monday.The murder of Dr Seargy by unknown people has angered workers at the hospital who have vowed not to attend to patients as this gluesome murder has come barely after three years ( from 2010) when another Ukrainian doctor was found murdered by unknown people in the same locality. Dr Seargy replaced his murdered counterpart from Ukraine.
Work at Solwezi General Hospital was paralyzed yesterday after health workers protested against the gruesome murder of a Ukrainian Anesthetist doctor who was found shot dead in an unclear circumstances.
Solwezi General Hospital Medical Superintendent, Mathew Ng’ambi said the health workers at the institution were concerned and saddened by the death of Dr Sergiy Monachov whose services played a critical role for the community of North-Western province.
Dr Nga’mbi said workers at the health institution now fear for their lives as they do not know who is next, adding that another Ukrainian Anesthetist doctor was murdered in unclear circumstances barely two years ago.
Speaking during the meeting with provincial, Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu, Solwezi General Hospital Public Relations Officer Levy Muna expressed worry that once such incidences continue, it will scare away foreign medical experts at the institution.
Mr Muna said that the health workers at Solwezi general hospital have in the recent past been experiencing incidences of murder and harassment by members of the community and claimed that the police in the province are not helping to bring the culprits to justice.
He said the workers will now be serving the community with fear once these issues remain unchecked.
And Provincial Minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu said the murder of foreign doctors at Solwezi general hospital will send a negative signal to the outside world.
He said the trend does not reflect the nature of the Zambian people who he described as peaceful and assured that government will ensure that the assailants are brought to book without delay.
Mr Mubukwanu said the late Dr Monachov provided service that was very beneficial to the Zambian people and that government is saddened by his untimely death.
“Government has alerted the security agents in the country to ensure that culprits of bad vices are brought to book without delay, so I’m assuring you that my office will do everything possible to address the challenges you have raised,” he assured.
Dr Sergiy Monachov, 55, a Ukrainian national was over the weekend found shot dead in his right chest in an unclear circumstances at his house in hospital compound in Solwezi district.
He was an Anesthetist at Solwezi General Hospital where he had worked for only 8 months.
Mongu District Commissioner Maurice Litula has advised Zambia Electricity Supply Company (ZESCO) limited to explore the vast energy resource in bio-fuel.
Mr. Litula says if the Utility firm can exploit the vast resource in bio-fuel because of the huge cattle population in the area, it will have an alternative source of power for the district and the entire nation.
ZANIS reports that District Commissioner was speaking at a District focus sensitization workshop on energy organized by the Energy Regulation Board held at the Provincial Conference hall in Mongu yesterday.
Mr. Litula noted that the creation of more districts will facilitate the opening up of more filling stations and other fuel deficit areas in the Province.
He has since urged ZESCO and the Energy Regulation Board to actively work with his office, the local authority and other key stakeholders to address numerous energy concerns in Mongu district.
Western province is mainly a cattle land where the people in the area have lived on and at times depend on the domestic animals for their livelihood both economically and socially.
Meanwhile, Energy Regulation Board Manager for Southern Region Allen Polito said the board’s role is to implement government policies.
THE Government is reviewing the findings which emanated from the recent negotiations between the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and public transport operators to discuss the possible hike in bus fares following the 15 percent increase in the fuel pump price.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma said in an interview yesterday that RTSA had already submitted a report from the meeting and the Government is studying the report in order to make an informed decision on the matter.
“RTSA have submitted a report from the meeting which they had with bus operators on Monday. So we are currently reviewing and once we are through with the study, the outcome will be made known to the public,” he said.
Bus operators countrywide had said they would hike fares at the beginning of this week in view of the KR 1.75 increase to the price of all petroleum products.
However, a survey later yesterday revealed that bus fares in Ndola remain unchanged as operators are still charging commuters the old amount for transport on all routes in the city.
Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe (c) talks to a Chinese exhibitor (l) as My Home Town Chairperson George Cornhill (r) looks on at the on going Choma trade fair and festival in Choma.
Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe has called for unity among political party members in order to achieve economic development.
Mr Munkombwe said there is need for good working relationship between opposition members and those from the ruling party for the betterment of the Zambian people.
The Provincial Minister said this at Nsongwe Basic School in Senior Chief Mukuni’s chiefdom yesterday when he officiated at a celebration of the connection of electricity to Nsongwe village.
He also noted that strong leadership with good followers can bring about massive economic development in any given society.
Mr Munkombwe praised Nsongwe Sustainable Development Coordinator Bridget Meyer and her husband Bob who have been a driving force in bringing electricity to Nsongwe village.
He also thanked the donors, Jan Miller and Wendy Burger for their contribution in making sure that Nsongwe village is connected to the national grid and urged them to continue with the good works everywhere they will go.
Earlier, Nsongwe Sustainable Development Coordinator Bridget Meyer disclosed that she had a vision of making sure that her village is electrified one day.
Ms Meyer said she was happy that her dream had finally been achieved adding that the quality of education for the pupils at Nsongwe Basic School shall improve.
At the same event, Katombola Member of Parliament Derrick Livune said he was impressed with the development of rural electrification at Nsongwe village.
Mr Livune disclosed that the area becomes the third in Kazungula district to receive electricity.
And Livingstone Member of Parliament Lawrence Evans praised the donors and the initiators of the project for the job well done.
He said pupils from Livingstone district will equally benefit from the services from Nsongwe Basic School which is now electrified because the area which is under Kazungula district shares a boundary with his constituency.
Meanwhile, Nsongwe Basic School Head teacher Edissy Makala said the installation of electricity at the school will bring about development in the area.
Ms Makala charged that teachers will now have enough time to prepare for their lessons adding that even pupils themselves will be exposed to other learning programmes such as computers.
And Senior Headman Vincent Simasiku appealed to the community members to guard the installation of electricity in the area jealously.
Secretary General of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Wynter Kabimba
Government has transformed the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) into an independent National Prosecution Authority (NPA) which also targets to create over 1,700 jobs countrywide when fully functional.
All criminal prosecution functions would now be vested in the NPA to operate under the National Prosecution Authority Act, No. 34 of 2010.
Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said prior to enactment of the NPA Act, the DPP used prosecutors from other law enforcement agencies to prosecute criminal cases in subordinate courts at district level.
Mr Kabimba was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the induction of NPA Board members where he challenged them to ensure cases recommended for prosecution had over a 90 per cent success rate if taken to court.
“NPA will promote the integrity and enhance the status of State advocates and prosecutors to promote honourable and good practices and increase the confidence of the public in State advocates and prosecutors,” he said.
NPA Board chairperson is DPP Mutembo Nchito while his vice is Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Josephs Akafumba.
Other members include Public Service Management Division Permanent Secretary Velepi Mtonga, Ministry of Labour Permanent Secretary Trevor Kaunda, a bank and administrator Kelly Mwanamwale, a legal practitioner Dean Mwansa Mumba and Mbololwa Muyaba, chief
administrator NPA.
Mr Kabimba said the NPA would develop, promote and enforce internationally comparable practice standards for prosecutors and ensure rules and guidelines for professional ethics were responsive to effective administration of criminal justice.
He said it would implement an effective prosecution mechanism that would maintain the rule of law and contribute to fair and equitable criminal justice and effective protection of citizens against crime.
He said the NPA would also appoint State advocates and prosecutors and promote appropriate standards of practice by State advocates and prosecutors in criminal prosecution.
The authority would conduct research into various disciplines of law to study the role that prosecution mechanisms should play in establishing effective rule of law and human rights to bring the law in line with developments and best practices of other countries.
Mr Kabimba said the NPA was reinforced by President Michael Sata’s policy pronouncement on the establishment of the office of the District Attorney in all the districts.
“The establishment of the office of the District Attorney entails decentralisation of prosecution services in the quest to make prosecution of cases more efficient by enhancing the delivery and dispensation of justice,” he said.
He urged the Board to expedite implementation of President Sata’s policy pronouncement and that they should take a proactive approach in the administration of the criminal justice system.
He said the Board should have an objective state of mind coupled with fairness adding that they should maintain confidentiality as they carried out their core duties.
The Minister said in 2012, the Government approved the organisational structure of NPA that had a staff establishment of 1,712 positions spread across the country.
NPA currently existed in only five districts namely Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Livingstone and Kitwe.
Mr Kabimba said a robust staff capacity was competent to prosecute emerging crimes such as financial and white color cases which would entail intensive training programmes for the prosecutors.
Government would further revamp operations of the legal aid system to ensure a professional balance between NPA and legal aid.
He said the current delivery of criminal justice was besieged with many challenges and the Board should ensure cases recommended for prosecution had over 90 per cent of a success rate if taken to court.
He said people found misappropriating public funds among others politicians and public officers should be successfully prosecuted and convicted expeditiously.
And Mr Nchito assured Zambians that the Board would work diligently to ensure effective delivery of the criminal justice system and at the same time fighting corruption.
He said the Board would keenly follow all pertinent issues of public interest and was confident the NPA structure would be decentralised to create more jobs in line with Government’s desire.
In attendance at the induction were Attorney General Mumba Malila, Solicitor General Musa Mwenya, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani and Anti-Corruption Commission director Rosewyn Wandi.
President Michael Sata has ordered the media to stop quoting Henry Sosala as Senior Chief Mwamba of the Bemba people in Kasama in Northern Province.
According to a document obtained in Lusaka yesterday signed by President Sata and addressed to Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo, Mr Sata noted with displeasure and alarm at the manner Mr Sosala had continued to masquerade under the title of Senior Chief Mwamba.
He said it was not the intention of his administration to interfere in chief’s succession processes but would equally not stand idle and watch the “deliberately” created confusion take root in the management of chiefs and traditional affairs.
He was of the firm belief that coming from the royal family, Professor Luo, valued and possessed full knowledge on how Bemba chiefs were chosen and subsequently installed on the chieftaincy.
“On his own admission, the said gentleman, Henry Sosala has confessed publicly in the media (refer to the Post newspaper edition No. 6039) where he said, “…he has not undergone the traditional initiation rituals as required by the Bemba tradition.” With this confession, how then can Mr Sosala continue carrying the title of Senior Chief Mwamba?
“By copy of this letter I am demanding that the media immediately cease quoting or admitting any material for publication from the said gentleman, under the title of Senior Chief Mwamba until this confusion is sorted out,” Mr Sata said.
FILE: President Michael Sata with Malawian High Court Judge Lovemore Chikopa (second l), Justice Naboth Mwanza (r) rand Justice Thomas Ndhlovu (far l) after a swearing-in at State House.
THE Supreme Court will today deliver judgment on whether a tribunal should be constituted to investigate the conduct of one Supreme Court judge and two High Court judges.
The matter concerns the alleged misconduct of Supreme Court judge Phillip Musonda and two High Court judges, Nigel Mutuna and Charles Kajimanga.
The judgment has dragged for over 10 months after High Court judge Fulgence Chisanga granted the trio leave to commence judicial proceedings which also operated as a stay.
But the State appealed to the Supreme against Judge Chisanga’s decision.
Today the Supreme Court bench will decide whether President Michael Sata’s decision to suspend the trio and appoint a tribunal to be chaired by Malawian Judge Lovemore Chikopa should commence or not.
In an event that the court decides to dismiss judge Chisanga’s ruling to stay the proceedings then, the main matter concerning the judicial review would start and at the same time, the tribunal sitting would also start.
If the High Court’s ruling to stay the proceedings is upheld, then the applicants would continue working while the judicial review granted earlier would commence in the High Court before Justice Chisanga.
Work at Solwezi General Hospital was paralyzed this morning after health workers protested against the gruesome murder of a Ukrainian Anesthetists doctor who was found shot dead in an unclear circumstances.
Solwezi General Hospital Medical Superintendent, Mathew Ng’ambi said the health workers at the institution were concerned and saddened by the death of Dr Sergiy Monachov whose services played a critical role for the community of North-Western province.
Dr Nga’mbi said workers at the health institution now fear for their lives as they do not know who is next, adding that another Ukrainian Anesthetist doctor was murdered in unclear circumstances barely two years ago.
Speaking during the meeting with provincial, Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu, Solwezi General Hospital Public Relations Officer Levy Muna expressed worry that once such incidences continue, it will scare away foreign medical experts at the institution.
Mr Muna said that the health workers at Solwezi general hospital have in the recent past been experiencing incidences of murder and harassment by members of the community and claimed that the police in the province are not helping to bring the culprits to justice.
He said the workers will now be serving the community with fear once these issues remain unchecked.
And Provincial Minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu said the murder of foreign doctors at Solwezi general hospital will send a negative signal to the outside world.
He said the trend does not reflect the nature of the Zambian people who he described as peaceful and assured that government will ensure that the assailants are brought to book without delay.
Mr Mubukwanu said the late Dr Monachov provided service that was very beneficial to the Zambian people and that government is saddened by his untimely death.
“Government has alerted the security agents in the country to ensure that culprits of bad vices are brought to book without delay, so I’m assuring you that my office will do everything possible to address the challenges you have raised,” he assured.
Dr Sergiy Monachov, 55, a Ukrainian national was over the weekend found shot dead in his right chest in an unclear circumstances at his house in hospital compound in Solwezi district.
He was an Anesthetist at Solwezi General Hospital where he had worked for only 8 months.
Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata
Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister says male midwives work better than the females because they are available at any given time.
Ms Kapata says the input of the male midwifery and that of a female one is different.
She was reacting to reports by Mwandi MMD Member of Parliament Michael Kaingu’s call for government to do away with male midwives.
The Deputy Minister noted that female midwives go on maternity leave posing a shortage in hospital and clinics in the country while male midwives don’t go for maternity.
Ms Kapata said that Mr Kaingu was taking the country backwards by suggesting that government should do away with male midwives.
She said there was no logic in Mr Kaingu’s argument it was culturally wrong for government to allow male birth attendants, because there were male doctors world over who were attending to both genders.
“We have male doctors in this country does it mean he cannot attend to a woman patient or one who is giving birth?” she asked.
Ms Kapata said the country is currently experiencing a shortage of human resource and the government has trained so many midwives who seem to be stable and remained in the country to serve.
Yesterday, Mr Kaingu was quoted in the Post Newspapers saying government should do away with male midwives.
Konkola Blades officials have bemoaned the wear and tear on their home pitch with a third team Lubengele Grineker squatting at Konkola Stadium.
Sources at the club say officials are upset that the Division 1 North club have done nothing to work on their Lubengele pitch.
“Three teams playing at Konkola is taking a toll on the pitch,” the source said.
“It is always in use throughout the month for both training and league matches which isn’t a good sign.”
Blades also share the pitch with sister club and fellow FAZ Super Division club Konkola Mine Police.
The source wondered what the Chililabombwe municipal council was doing about their teams pitch which remains in a deplorable state eight games gone into the 2013 season.
Government has observed that limiting the age of second hand vehicles entering the country will disadvantage the majority of Zambians who cannot afford to buy brand new ones.
Communications, Works, Supply, and Transport Minister Christopher Yaluma said government will therefore not limit the age of vehicles entering Zambia.
Mr. Yaluma was reacting to calls by Toyota Zambia Limited on government to limit the age of second hand vehicles entering the country to four (4) years for cars and pick-ups and five (5) years for trucks in a bid to improve safety conditions on roads.
He argued that vehicles that were unsafe on roads were due to lack of maintenance rather than their age.
Mr. Yaluma told ZANIS that government already has good systems in place to monitor the safety of motor vehicles through the Road Traffic Safety Agency (RTSA) and other local authorities.
He reiterated that government will only limit the age of vehicles coming into the country if there were compelling reasons to do so noting that safety was not one of them.
Mr. Yaluma said most cars that were entering the country were not only in good condition but also very affordable for the majority of Zambians.
He stated that limiting the age of motor vehicles will only benefit players in the local industry and not necessarily benefiting the ordinary Zambians because vehicles would be beyond the affordability of most citizens.
Zambia has in recent years seen an influx of second hand vehicles most of which come from Japan with an age average of about eight (8) to twelve years old.
Zambia and Angola will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) where a railway system will be built to directly connect the two countries’ mining towns.
This came to light when Angolan Minister of Transport and Communications Augusto da Silva Tomás held bilateral talks with his Zambian counterpart Christopher Yaluma at his office yesterday.
Mr. Tomas da Silva, who was in the country to represent Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, said his country was committed to ensuring a railway line is built soon in order to enhance trade between the two countries.
He disclosed that the two countries will also sign an MoU to create a direct link by constructing a road from Shangombo to Ruvungu in Angola.
He said once the project is in place, it will not only benefit the residents of the two towns but their countries as a whole.
And Zambian Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma said a railway would be the shortest link between Zambia and Angola.
Mr. Yaluma said the railway and road projects were key projects which need to be completed in the shortest possible time.
He said Angola was rich in oil and hence Zambia can tap this commodity from that country at a cheaper and faster rate than it was doing now.
He said there was need to create self reliance in the region because this was the only way to accelerate Africa’s development.
The Angolan Transport and Communications Minister arrived in the country yesterday to analyse matters related to the reinforcement of bilateral co-operation, mainly in the field of transport and communications.
He flew back to Angola the same day after meeting President Michael Sata and holding bilateral talks with his Zambian counterpart.
A financial expert says the introduction in of Statutory Instrument number 32 of 2013 has marked a return to foreign exchange controls in Zambia.
Over the weekend, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda announced that he had signed SI 32 of 2013 aimed at monitoring balance of payment in a transparent manner.
The new law applies to financial service providers licensed under the Banking and Financial Services Act, and importers of goods or services exceeding 10,000 US dollars or the equivalent in other foreign currency.
And any person, who contravenes any provision contained in SI 32 of 2013, will be deemed to have committed an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or to both.
But Maambo Hamaundu said although government keeps denying that Zambia has returned to forex controls, the new Statutory Instrument has effectively reintroduced forex controls in a limited fashion.
“For me whether they accept it or deny it, what we are seeing now is a return to foreign controls albeit in a limited manner,” Mr. Hamaundu said.
He said, “You have provisions in the SI that limit the cash amounts that people can withdraw from a financial services provider to US$ 5,000 per month. We never had such restrictions on cash withdraws previously and that in essence is a control.”
Mr. Hamaundu added, “Many of us did anticipate that government was by and large going to introduce some measure of foreign exchange controls and a quick glance at SI 32 shows that there are controls, they have introduced foreign exchange controls although in a limited fashion.
Mr. Hamaundu explained that the new law has also come with a lot of paperwork required to be met by all exporters of goods and services which might add to the cost of doing business.
“All those forms requiring to be filled will bring administrative challenges for most businesses,” he said.
Mr. Hamaundu has warned that the new Statutory Instrument might have long term negative effects on the Zambian economy.
He said foreign investors will opt to sit on the fence and not to commit huge financial resources in Zambia because of the new restrictions.
