A Witness has told the Luanshya magistrate’s court that six balls wrapped in paper of suspected marijuana were found in the vehicle belonging to famous Airtel sponsored musician, Moses Wisely Chibambo popularly known as ‘Dandy Crazy.’

Paul Chipasa, 39, an Assistant Security Officer at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in Ndola testified before Luanshya magistrate Edward Banda yesterday.

This is in a case in which Chibambo is charged with unlawful use of property contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Chabambo was in March this year convicted by the same court for trafficking in marijuana upon his admission of guilt and he is currently serving an 18 months suspended sentence.

In this case, the convict on march 6 this year was alleged to have unlawfully used un-registered Toyota Progress by trafficking in a psychotropic substance namely marijuana a herbal product of cannabis sativa without authority.

Mr Chipasha testified that the accused on the date in question was seen disembarking from the vehicle that was parked at Bottoms Ups Night Club in Luanshya where the substance was found.

He said he and his colleague from DEC had received information from patrons within the area that the ‘donchi kubeba ‘ singer was trafficking in Marijuana.

In his testimony, Chipasha said the accused was approached at the same Club where he was found sited with his friend and that upon greeting him, the accused looked uneasy.

“We later asked him to accompany us to our vehicle, and while we were there, the accused was interviewed by my colleague. He then declared two balls of Marijuana wrapped in a brown paper and money from his pocket,” he said.

He told the court they later moved out from the place using his vehicle because their presence had attracted attention from his fans around the area.

Mr Chipasha said six balls suspected marijuana wrapped in a brown paper was found on the roof part inside the vehicle together with his driver’s licence.

He said some vegetable particles suspected to be marijuana were also found on the dash board in the same vehicle.

Another Witness, Crispin Mulenga, 34, an Assistant Security Officer at DEC told the court that six balls were found in the vehicle.

Magistrate Banda adjourned the case to June 24 and 28 for written submissions from both the defence lawyers and the State respectively and set July 10 this year as date for ruling.

Chibambo is represented by two Lusaka based lawyers,Arnod Chikoli and Paul Mulenga from P. Mulenga and Associates.

Road Development Agency (RDA) Director and Chief Executive Officer Bernard Chiwala has dispelled assertions that the procedure in awarding contracts under the Link Zambia-8000 Road project is marred with corruption.dispels

Mr.Chiwala has maintained that there has been no contract awarded irregularly since ever since he took over office as RDA Chief Executive Officer.

Speaking when he inspected the procured earth moving equipment for the Pave Zambia 2000 project, in Lusaka today, Mr. Chiwala says the awarding of road contracts by the agency is done in the most transparent manner with the Anti-Corruption Commission being part of the tender awarding process.

Mr. Chiwala has also disclosed to journalists that so far the agency has spent about sixty five million Kwacha rebased to buy equipment to be used in the Pave Zambia-2000 project to be implemented across the country.

He says of the procured equipment so far, thirteen Front-End-Loaders, fifteen Water Bowsers, fifteen Rollers, fifteen Motor Graders, and fifteen Low Bed Trailers and Trucks horses have arrived in the country and that thirty Tipper Trucks are on the way.

The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) has identified schools as being the key components that could boost the campaign for Total Sanitation for Mkushi district.

National Trainer for CLTS, Moses Mutoka issued this statement to ZANIS when he facilitated for the School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) program at Mkushi’s Council Motel today.

Mr Mutoka explained that the essence of the School Led sanitation campaigns is aimed at preparing schools to be agents of triggering off hygiene related behaviour change in the communities.

He said that to this effect, the CLTS had embarked on a program to train some personnel from the school fraternities on matters related to the Total Sanitation efforts.

He said that this Trainer of Trainers (TOT) program was being piloted in Mkushi and Kapiri districts.

Mr Mutoka pointed out that the quest to attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status was amongst the prime focus areas for this program, adding that the practice of Open Defecation posed a health challenge to the communities.

He said that the program had the full endorsements of government through the Ministries of Local Government as well as Education and was being sponsored by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He explained that the schools fraternity had the potential to make a positive impact to the quest to attain ODF status, saying that schools had proved to be ideal platforms to effect behaviour change.

Mr Mutoka maintained that the major challenge that inhibited the success of sanitation campaigns was the mindset of residents.

He said that interventions such as the School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) were designed to influence a change of attitude towards bad hygiene practices such as Open Defecation, as well as encourage basic hygiene practice such as washing of hands after toilet use.

He revealed that to add some permanency to this program, the SLTS had been designed to culminate into the formation of sanitation committees with representation at schools as well as at District Education Board (DEBS) level.

Mr Mutoka elaborated that the TOT programs had contained theoretical as well as practical exposures that helped to enhance knowledge on the harmful effects of bad hygienic practice such as Open Defecation.

He said that in one of the field tours, the CLTS had taken some participants on a tour to a named farm in Mkushi’s Commercial Farm Block area.

He said that it was saddening to learn that management at this farm had not constructed a toilet in the workers compound which housed about 1000 workers.

Mr Mutoka also disclosed that, management of this farm did not accord any priority towards maintaining a clean surrounding for the workers compound as the grass was never slashed.

He said that owing to the combination of these factors, residents there practiced Open Defecation in the grass thickets that were close to the houses.

He stressed that SLTS was a useful intervention in such circumstances, explaining that all the children of school going age at this farm attended school at Farm Block school.

During a recent interview, District Medical Officer Rosemary Mwanza had confirmed the high incidence rate of diarrhea related cases in areas such as Munshibemba, Nkumbi and Tembwe Wards.

Dr Mwanza had mentioned that although diarrhea related cases were generally common in other parts of the district, the incidence rate in these areas that encompassed the Farm Block was amongst the highest in the district.

ZANIS