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Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili says memories of the 1993 Gabon Air Disaster are still fresh 20 years after the calamity.
Sunday 28th April, 2013 marks 20 years since the plane carrying the national team plunged into the Atlantic Ocean killing everyone on board.
Reflecting on the 20th anniversary, Kambwili repeated that the victims of the disaster have left an indelible mark on the country.
” It is important that we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Gabon Disaster.
“Memories of those who have done tremendous works in life will always be fresh,” he said.
Kambwili added:” As government we still mourn with the bereaved families and as we have said in the past it was unfortunate that we lost the entire national team ”
The fallen heroes perished on their way from to Senegal for a 1994 USA World Cup qualifier.
Bert Mushala (R) with President Sata during campaigns
Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Bert Mushala has refuted claims that he imposed all civil servants under Provincial Administration to wear shirts as opposed to suits on Labour Day which falls on Wednesday next week.
Mr. Mushala says that it is the committee on Labour Day which is charged to decide on what to wear on the material day.
He however expressed concern that all the government departments in the area did not have adequate resources as they did not budget for events as reflected in the yellow book.
ZANIS reports that the provincial minister said this in an interview, in Chipata today.
Responding to complaints that the Permanent Secretary had imposed shirts on the workers, Mr. Mushala said he was not part of the committee which was expected to decide on the type of uniform for the departments under provincial administration.
“I’ am not part of the committee though I know that the suggestion was made because all departments under control 95 did not budget for events, where they can get an allocation for such events as Labour Day, Independence Day or Public Service Day unlike other provinces,”
he said.
Mr. Mushala urged the committee and all government departments to ensure that all workers participated in Labour Day activities saying even those in the districts should benefit from the uniforms.
He observed that there had been a trend where only a few individuals benefitted from such activities saying only a selected few were privileged to get uniforms.
“We want all employees including office orderlies and a district officer to also wear uniforms as Labour Day is for all workers and not a selected few.
“ We have observed that those in the districts are not considered as only those at provincial level get to wear uniforms and in some cases, awards.” He said.
And Mr. Mushala has appealed to people in the private sector to participate in the national events by awarding deserving employees.
“They should also participate in the match pass and all programmes lined up for that day,” he said.
There have complaints among some government employees that they have been compelled by the Permanent to wear shirts on Labour Day.
Some workers who sought anonymity said it would be the first time that civil servants would wear shirts because they had been wearing suits on Labour Day.
They told ZANIS in separate interviews that it would be unfair because their fellow civil servants in others provinces would wear expensive suits as they match on the national day.
“The suits have been motivating us to participate in the Labour Day activities but with this development, only a few will participate,” they said.
Some vowed not to participate while others said they would wear shorts or chitenge materials as government would only provide shirts.
But a check by ZANIS found most of the departments rehearsing ahead of the commemoration of Labour Day.
Beshe Health Centre in Shangombo District of Western province has been operating without qualified medical staff for five months.
The clinic has since been managed by a security guard following the departure of a nurse who has gone on leave and the environmental health technician who has gone for further studies.
ZANIS reports that this came to light when Sinjembela Member of Parliament (MP) Poniso Njeulu visited the area to check on various governments developmental projects being carried on in the area.
Mr. Njeulu who is also Information and Broadcasting Deputy Minister has since directed the Shangombo District Medical Office to ensure that staff is urgently sent to the clinic.
“I am deeply saddened with the development that there is no staff at the clinic, therefore I urged the district medical office to ensure that staff is urgently sent to the clinic “He said.
Mr. Njeulu stated that it is unprofessional and unethical for a security guard to attend to patients adding that this posse a great danger to the people seeking for medical services.
He said government is committed to ensure that only qualified medical staff attends to patients in all health centers across the country.
Bishop Joe Imakando and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia president Reverand Pukuta Mwanza (l) confer
The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) has observed that the Patriotic Front government has failed to keep its promise to governing the country on Biblical principles.
EFZ Executive Director Pukuta Mwanza has told QFM in an interview that the PF’s failure to stick to its major campaign promises implies that there is still more to be done to embed the Biblical principles in how it governs the country.
Reverend Mwanza also said the failure by the ruling party to ensure prosecution of perpetrators of corruption and misappropriation public funds as revealed by the Auditor General’s Report further implies that the PF did not mean it when it indicated that it will govern the country based on the Biblical Ten Commandments.
President Michael Sata had in his early days in office promised to government country based on the Biblical Ten Commandments.
The 32 year old Zambian woman who died in a skiing accident earlier this month has been laid to rest in Finland.
The young Zambian woman died in a downhill skiing accident in Finnish Lapland on Friday 5th April.She crashed on a gentle slope in ideal conditions.
According to information on the Zambia-Finnish Association facebook page the woman has been named as Christabel Musonda Chesu.
The accident occurred at the Pyhätunturi ski resort in Pelkosenniemi, some 150km north-east of Rovaniemi.
The woman ran off a slope and struck a tree. Rescue staff tried to revive her, but to no avail.
Two rescue squad units and a medivac unit were on the scene. A Border Guard rescue helicopter was also summoned, but the request was then cancelled.
The Rovaniemi newspaper Lapin Kansa reports that the woman apparently did not have much skiing experience. The crash took place on a blue slope, categorised as easy.
Seppo Saarinen, the local director of the Pyhätunturi company, says that conditions were perfect, with no ice on the slope. The slope was not crowded, with some 400-500 skiers using it.
Power Dynamos coach Beston Chambeshi says his team will not underrate Napsa Stars in Saturday’s FAZ Super Division match at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Power take on Peter Kaumba’s Napsa hoping to end their five-match winless streak.
Chambeshi said Power are not focusing on Napsa’s low start to the 2013 campaign ahead of the Week Six fixture.
“We are in the same league with Napsa so we need to prepare well,” he said.
Napsa have collected four points in five matches while Power, who trace their only win to 16 March, sits on six points so far in the league.
“We will treat each game with a different approach,” Chambeshi added.
The two teams last mate in the 2012 Barclays Cup final which Napsa won on penalties.
Meanwhile, Arthur Davies will host a doubleheader on Saturday with the luchtime kickoff match pitting Kalulushi Modern Stars against Kabwe Warriors.
Finance Minister Alexander ChikwandaFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said investors are increasingly showing confidence in Zambia’s policy direction and its national stability.
Mr Chikwanda said investors and other international partners were reporting satisfaction with Zambia’s policy consistency, national stability and its impressive social cohesion.
The minister said this in London yesterday in a special interview.
He said “Investors perceive Zambia as a good investment destination because of the proven political and policy stability over a long period of time.”
The sentiments are contained in a press statement released by Zambia’s Press Secretary to the United Kingdom, Amos Chanda.
He said investors were attracted to Zambia because its policies were consistent and predictable.
“We cannot put up with policy summersaults as we seek more open ways to engage with the rest of the world,” he said.
He dispelled as grossly misdirected, assertions in some circles that Zambia was moving towards capital controls saying the government had simply introduced monitoring mechanisms to enable the Central Bank capture vital statistics.
“For planning purposes we need to monitor what is produced and the true worth of those goods and services, especially mining exports. The Central Bank simply requests exporters to complete relevant forms for statistical purposes. How does that become capital controls?” Mr Chikwanda asked.
He said Zambia had the most liberal economy in the entire sub-continent adding that investors had special accounts with unfettered access as and when they pleased.
The minister said “we neither have capital controls nor exchange controls… we are a very open economy compared to none on the continent.”
He said that Zambian investors were able to repatriate their profits unhindered as long as they met all the statutory obligations.
Mr Chikwanda announced that government had engaged special consultants to advise the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) on mining production and taxation in a bid to maximise tax collection from the country’s core economic sector.
Mr Chikwanda held consultations with different investors in London on his way from the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC and he returns to Lusaka tomorrow.
Suspended Zambia Railways (ZRL) Managing Director Professor Clive Chirwa has vacated luxurious Fallsway
apartments and moved into his residence in Kabwe.
A check at the ZRL CEO’s residence in Kabwe’s Highridge area yesterday found that the suspended Managing Director Professor Clive Chirwa had moved into the house following President Michael Sata’s directive for him to vacate the luxurious Fallsway apartments and placed him on half monthly pay, pending the conclusion of investigations.
A visit at the CEO’s residence, a woman found said Prof Chirwa had referred all queries to Shitima House which houses ZRL offices and would not see any person.
The house in question looked like works were still going on as some structures looked run down while some workers were busy cleaning the surroundings.
Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Permanent Secretary, Muyenga Atanga, confirmed that Prof Chirwa had occupied the house but requested that he be given a bit of privacy during this period.
Dr Atanga was early this week was appointed to oversee Zambia Railways (ZRL) operations has started his work in Kabwe.
Dr Atanga in an interview in Kabwe yesterday said he had started his work and that there was a lot of work to be done but was confident everything would be in place soon.
President Sata recently suspended prof Chirwa for alleged corruption in the manner he managed the national railway and ordered for investigations.
The commission has since commenced investigations into reports of alleged corrupt practices and abuse of authority of office against Prof Chirwa and the dissolved ZRL Board of Directors.
Former PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda with former Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Mr.Dickson Jere during the occasion of the dissolution of the National Assembly at State House
THE State has appealed to the Supreme Court against the Lusaka High Court’s decision to grant former republican President, Rupiah Banda, leave to commence judicial review to challenge Parliament’s decision to lift his immunity.
The State has also indicated to the court its intention to make an application to have the judicial review proceedings stayed pending the determination of its appeal by the Supreme Court.
This is in a matter in which Mr Banda has challenged the National Assembly’s decision to lift his immunity so that he could face criminal charges allegedly committed during his tenure of office.
High Court Judge Annie Sitali has since granted Mr Banda a go-ahead to commence proceedings to challenge Parliament’s move but the permission would not operate as a stay to the criminal cases and investigations the former Head of State is facing.
But when the matter came up for interparty hearing in Ms Justice Sitali’s chambers yesterday, one of Mr Banda’s lawyers, Abyud Shonga told the court they were ready to proceed but had received a notice of appeal from the State against the decision by the High Court to grant his client leave to commence judicial review.
Mr Shonga however sought guidance on whether the appeal would operate as a stay because the same could have an effect on whatever proceedings were ongoing.
“We are reluctant to proceed given the existence of the appeal but I have been advised by the State this morning that they will seek to address the court on that aspect,” Mr Shonga said.
Comfort Mulenga from the Attorney General’s Chambers later told the court that on April 18, 2013, the State filed a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the High court’s decision to grant Mr Banda permission to commence judicial review for the removal of his immunity.
Eric Silwamba, also Mr Banda’s lawyer said his team had no objection to the application to have the matter adjourned pending an application by the State to file for an application to have the judicial review proceeding stayed pending the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Ms Justice Sitali has since adjourned the matter to May 2, 2013.
A 35 old year old Soldier of Ndola set on fire his ex-girlfriend’s house after he was denied entry into the house and property worth KR85 000 in the house was burnt to ashes.
The soldier identified as David Chitalima of 1 Commando Unit in Ndola set ablaze his ex-girlfriend’s house in Kaloko township who he has a child with after being denied entry yesterday just after midnight.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Mary Tembo confirmed the incident and saying there were eight people sleeping in the house at the time the soldier set it ablaze but luckily, none of them was seriously injured or choked as they managed to escape.
Ms Tembo said Chitalima on April 24, at mid night went to his ex-girlfriend’s place where he demanded to enter the house but he was denied.
After a few minutes, Chitalima went away but later came back with a bottle filled with paraffin which he lit to set the house on fire. Family members of the house who escaped upon
noticing the fire later managed to put out the fire with the help of neighbours but most of the property had already been burnt to ashes.
The family found a plastic bottle that had paraffin partially burnt. Ms Tembo said a docket of arson had since been made though the soldier was not yet arrested.
Government has taken a strong swipe against opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema for allegedly using derogatory language against Vice President Dr. Guy Scott.
Chief Government Spokesperson Minister Kennedy Sakeni described Mr. Hichilema’s language as uncivilised, un-Zambian and unacceptable.
Mr. Sakeni, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, told ZANIS in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that it was against the Zambian culture and tradition to use derogatory language against the leaders in society.
He has since advised the UPND leader to show restrain and refrain from engaging in politics of insults and hatred.
“The Zambian culture and its people’s upbringing entails respect and sober language towards the elderly leaders in society,” he said.
Mr. Sakeni has further called on Mr. Hichilema to exhibit high levels of civil and sober language when reacting to national issues.
He stressed that name calling and insults will gain the UPND leader and the country nothing except drawing the country’s politics back to the Stone Age era.
Mr. Hichilema is quoted in one of the daily tabloids as having used unpalatable language against Dr. Scott.
Mr. Sakeni has since reiterated government’s commitment to promoting decent and result based politics that will benefit the general populace.
POLITICIANS, claiming that democracy in Zambia is under siege, are using political tactics to tarnish the reputation of Zambia’s government and perhaps have the country sanctioned, according to Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott.
Mr Scott, speaking in Johannesburg, on Thursday addressed concerns about the direction of Zambia’s political and business policies under outspoken President Michael Sata’s administration.
Opposition leaders earlier this year accused the government of jeopardising Zambia’s democracy after a series of investigations — and harassment — of opposition members. The recent deportation of foreign business people has also seen the Zambian government being accused of backdoor socialism.
The immunity of former president Rupiah Banda was withdrawn and he was arrested on charges of corruption in recent weeks.
The development was labelled politically motivated, but is not new in Zambian politics.
The immunity of former president Frederick Chiluba was lifted by the Zambian parliament in 2002.
Mr Scott’s comments were in part directed at a press briefing called by opposition leaders, including Nevers Mumba of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy and Zambia Direct Democracy Movement leader Edwin Sakala, earlier this year, at which they accused Mr Sata of being a dictator and urged the international community to help defend democracy in Zambia.
They also said that the Public Order Act was being used to prohibit them from gathering in Zambia and encroached on freedom of expression and association.
Mr Scott said the act was legacy legislation that the Zambian government would put under judicial review. “People have a very long memory when it comes to the nightmare days of the past. These acts are bits of legislation that we have inherited. It’s a colonial piece of legislation.… We don’t lock people up on the president’s say-so.”
Mr Scott said the opposition often exploited the international media and appealed to international bodies such as the Commonwealth to have the country censured.
Earlier this month the Movement for Multiparty Democracy said it would boycott parliamentary by-elections which started this week, citing intimidation and harassment of their supporters.
Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma (left ), Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo (right)
Minister of transport, communication, works and supply Christopher Yaluma has said the works that are going in the tourist capital ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) preparations are very disappointing.
Mr Yaluma was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when he toured projects that are being done ahead of the UNWTO conference slated for August this year, he said the technocrats are failing to give concrete answers to what the status quo is, as they are just giving open ended answers about the questions.
“I am not impressed with the works that have been done, if you look at the maramba cultural village it link the people’s culture to the tourists,” he said
I am also disappointed with the road works as by now I expected that the Mosi oa Tunya road would have been done, as we do not expect the road in the state that it is by now,” he said.
Mr Yaluma said the officers that are going to contribute to the failing of the projects by not being done on time would face the full wrath of the Government.
He said the Government will not spare anyone that will cause the government to be embarrassed to the international community.
“We must provide proper structures so that the people will have a lasting impression about the country,” he said.
He said it is sad that the market has not yet been done. Mr Yaluma said there is need for the officers to quicken the works as the infrastructure plays a critical role in the development of tourism.
“We also bear in mind that we are competing with Zimbabwe,” he said.
The minister said he is impressed with the works that going on at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula international terminus.
He noted however that when someone looks at the face value of the project, it is not convincing that the project would be completed on time.
He directed the managing to constant check on the project every weeks so that the challenges that would encountered along the way would be resolved in the quickest possible time.
