The State and Council police in Livingstone have continued harassing newspapers and talk-time vendors selling in the main street of Livingstone despite the Town Clerk Vivian Chikoti cautioning them over the matter.

A newspaper and talk-vendor Fredrick Kubiwa alleged that he was beaten yesterday by a police officer for displaying copies of newspapers in the corridors of Mosi-oa-tunya road where newspaper and talk-time vendors had been allowed to sell their products.

Narrating his ordeal to the Times of Zambia in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Kubiwa said he was beaten by a police officer who was in the company of constable Mweemba and Council Police.

“I was beaten around 10: 45 hours yesterday because I was found displaying the papers. The police officer kicked me on my leg and told me that I was rude for responding that there was no way I could sell hidden newspapers.

“As newspapers and talk-time vendors, we are finding it difficult to sell our products because the State and Council Police are telling us to hide the newspapers and talk-time in our plastic bags,” he said.

Mr Kubiwa wondered how vendors could manage to sell their products which were hidden in their plastic bags.

“How can you hide newspapers because people are supposed to see the headlines before they buy?

As for me, I get 20 copies of Times of Zambia, 50 copies of Post Newspapers and 30 copies of Zambia Daily Mail and these papers weight about 10 kilograms (kgs) so it is difficult to hide them or carry them in plastic bags,” Mr Kubiwa said.

The Council and State Police were not available to comment over the matter.

On Monday, Ms Chikoti urged State and Council Police to avoid harassing newspapers and airtime vendors who have been given designated places to sell their products along Mosi-oa-Tunya Road.

Some newspapers and airtime vendors had complained that some State and Council Police officers were harassing them in the street despite being given designated trading places.

The vendors, who declined to be named for fear of victimisation, accused the police of threatening them with arrests and grabbing their merchandise.

Some members of the public also complained of having difficulties in accessing airtime and newspapers in the town center component of Mosi-oa-tunya Road following the removal of vendors last Friday.

But Ms Chikoti said Council management would engage the police over the matter as it appeared that there was a communication breakdown between the Council and State Police.

She said newspapers and talk-time vendors had been given designated points within the Main Street where they could continue selling their products without any harassment.

“I will go with the Council directors of planning and public relations right now to meet the police so that we advise them correctly,” Ms Chikoti said.

She said unlike other products which were previously traded in the streets, newspapers and talk-time would always be sold in the street although in a better trading environment.

Newspapers and talk-time vendors are however not allowed to put benches in the street and sit on them while selling their products.

Some designated and approved selling points for newspapers and airtime along the main road include Print Shop, Green Shop, Bhukhan Brothers,Airtel, DAPP, Food Palace and Post Office among others.

Last week on Friday, Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo with the help of officials from her Ministry as well as Zambia Police Service and the Livingstone City Council removed 157 street vendors from Mosi-oa-tunya Road.

The action was aimed at promoting cleanliness in the city ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly.

The vendors have since been relocated to Green Market while some vendors have been given contracts to help with the landscaping of Mosi-oa-tunya Road.

Several stakeholders in Livingstone, including tour operators and tourists, have welcomed the removal of vendors from the street saying the move would go a long way in promoting cleanliness in the city.

Vice President Guy Scott says the 600 mega watt Maamba coal thermal power plant under construction at Maamba Colliers Limited (MCL) in Sinanzongwe district will end infamous load shedding currently being experienced in the mines and other households in the district.

Dr Scott says the private sector should not wait for the government to intervene as they can also plays a pivotal role in the economic development of the country if they utilized the private public partnership (PPP) in sectors such as energy among others.

Dr. Scott reiterated that the PF government is geared and determined to drive the economy forward with the involvement of the private sector through the PPP.

The Vice President was speaking during the free medical care services held at Maamba Primary School organized by MCL where he commended MCL for supplementing government efforts in the energy sector and investing U$D750 million towards the plant.

Dr Scott said development in the country under the PPP arrangement can bear fruit when the private sector supplements government efforts thereby benefiting the local people in communities where the investors are found.

And Dr Scott has assured the people of Southern province that the Bottom road which existed since the Welensky era and did not have any facelift under UNIP and the MMD governments will be tarred under the PF government which has just been in government within a short period of time.

The Vice President who was in the area paid a courtesy call on Senior chief Sinazongwe and thereafter toured the coal mine.

He disclosed that a named contractor would be allocated the tender next week because the PF government and its leadership knows how to govern the people well and has got passion to serve the people of Zambia.

He urged the people of Sinazongwe and the country as a whole to rally behind the PF government if development was to flourish.

He urged the people of Sinazongwe to support area MP Richwell Siamunene so that they can see development as their MP is a serving Deputy Minister in the PF government despite being an opposition member.

And MCL has donated a KR20,000 cheque to the Ministers’ Wives Club toward the health care services.

MCL Resident Doctor Ashwin Devineni who handed over the cheque said the club has been instrumental in alleviating the sufferings of women country-wide.

Dr Devineni who reiterated MCL’s social responsibility in the education sector also donated 250 blankets to Maamba Hospital with a bed space of 180 patients but caters for over 120,000 people in the area.

Dr Scott’s wife, Charlotte who received the donation on behalf of the Club thanked MCL for the gesture aimed at improving the livelihood of the people.

Mrs Scott said people in communities feel good and they have got hope when investors come and invest in their areas.

The Vice President who was in Sinazongwe district has since returned to Lusaka for other national duties.

ZANIS

Government says increased air transport can contribute to the growth of the aviation industry in the country.

Local Government and Housing Deputy minister Nicholas Banda says that government was excited with the initiative by the private sector to invest in air transport.

ZANIS reports that the deputy minister said this after the 105 passenger Proflight plane successful landed at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport yesterday.

Mr. Banda said the move by Proflight to offer an alternative to road transport was quite welcome.

He stated that government would always support investment in the air transport sector as one way of decongesting roads whose lifespan has been shortened due to over use.

“As government we are really excited by this development by preflight which should be emulated by other players in the private sector to accord Zambians alternative transport and decongest our roads,” said Mr. Banda.

Mr. Banda also said plans by the government to establish a national airline has reached advanced stages .

He added that competition in the aviation industry should be encouraged so that the services could benefit even ordinary Zambians.

And Proflight Marketing Manager Hellen Mwamba said the Carry Bird airfares pegged at KR250 is sustainable and expressed hope that many Zambians would now afford to travel by air.

Ms Mwamba also said the 105 Passenger plane has been leased from Star Air Cargo of South Africa.

And Senior Chief Mukuni has hailed the launch of direct flight by the private airliner saying the move will help to boost the hospitality sector in the tourist capital ahead of the United Nations World General Assembly (UNWTO) to be co-hosted between Zambia and Zimbabwe in August this year.

Chief Mukuni said the development was a good step in the right direction as the country prepares to co-host the UNWTO in August.

Meanwhile, Government and Industry director Captain Phil Lemba says the airline has plans to expand its services to other neighbouring countries such as Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe after the company was successfully granted clearance.

Capt Lemba also said the company was waiting for the lifting of the ban on Zambian aircraft into the European Union following serious concerns of safety of the planes.

ZANIS

The Government has rescheduled the effective implementation date of SI 32 of 2013, from Thursday 16th May, 2013 to Monday 1st July 2013.

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda says that the amended implementation date is contained in Statutory Instrument Number 35 of 2013, which has been gazetted today.

Mr. Chikwanda explains that apart from enabling the Bank of Zambia to complete the setting up of an electronic monitoring system.
He said that the measure will give room to Financial Service Providers and other relevant stakeholders to establish systems for complying with the provisions of Statutory Instrument Number 32 of 2013.

This is according to a statement to ZANIS signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta, today.

Statutory Instrument Number 32 of 2013 will now be read together with Statutory Instrument Number 35 of 2013.

“As a listening Government, it has become incumbent for us to allow our people and all concerned to reflect and fully acquaint themselves with the provision of the Statutory Instrument and its application requirements,” said Mr. Chikwanda.

“I wish to reiterate that the spirit of the Statutory Instrument is to enhance transparency and accountability in the conduct of business, increase compliance with tax obligations among businesses and plug leakages currently existing in the Foreign Exchange Market.

“It will also assist us to enhance the integrity of the Balance of Payments data in Zambia, a critical ingredient in effective policy formulation and economic management,” he added.

The Minister has instructed the Bank of Zambia to step up sensitization efforts so that all affected stakeholders and the general public are on board by 1st July 2013.

On the 29th April 2013, Government issued the Bank of Zambia (Monitoring of Balance of Payments) Regulations, 2013, Statutory Instrument Number 32 whose effective date was 16th May 2013.

ZANIS