Police in Kapiri Mposhi apprehended a man believed to be from outside Kapiri Mposhi who was allegedly giving out cash to some voters in a bid to woo them to vote for a ‘particular party’, district electoral officer Mpande Hamwende confirmed.

He said the man was apprehended after he was found with KR13,000, five national registration cards and five voters’ cards.

Voting in Kapiri Mposhi Constituency parliamentary by-election yesterday was marred with widespread apathy.In Lukulu West, voting closed at 18:00 hours and most of the polling centres were not reachable by road.

The choppers that were to carry the ballot boxes from 39 polling stations could not be used at night.

Lukulu has a total of 11,889 registered voters and at Mitete Polling Station, the only one ballot boxes was ready, 306 had cast their votes as at closing time out of the total registered voters of 450.

The Lukulu West seat is being contested by Patriotic Front’s, (PF) Eileen Imbwae, Misheck Mutelo for United Party for National Development (UPND) and United Liberal Party’s (ULP) Mubita Sikwa.

The seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court nullified it following an election petition.The voter turnout, however, was reported to be encouraging, unlike for Kapiri Mposhi.

Kapiri Mposhi District has 84,000 registered voters with 89 polling stations.But a check at most polling stations after 10:00 hours found widespread apathy.

In some cases, electoral officers had to wait for people to walk in and cast their votes but most electoral officers were optimistic that more people could turn up later in the day.

A check at Railways, Fire Brigade, Old Civic Centre, Hill Top and Kapiri Mposhi basic schools found no queues, while the electoral officers, monitors and observers found were patiently waiting for voters.

And District Commissioner Beatrice Sikazwe, who was found casting her vote at Kapiri Mposhi Basic School, was not happy with the turn out, saying voter education was needed.

The Kapiri Mposhi election are being contested by PF’s Eddie Musonda, Francis Mwape for UNIP and Lawrence Zimba on the UPND ticket.

Unconfirmed reports put PF in the lead in Kapiri Mposhi.

Two boys from the same family have died of suspected food poisoning in Mpulungu’s Chilwa village while three others have been admitted to Mpulungu district Hospital.

Meanwhile, the deceased family members to day beat to death a 49 year old man who they suspected to have given the poisoned foodstuffs.

ZANIS reports that both police in the district and health officials have confirmed the incident in separate interviews.

The deceased were named and aged 12, and five, years, respectively.

Police sources said that the incident happened last evening when the family ate food provided by the late Davies Mazimba.

According to sources, Mazimba accompanied by his wife, are said to have taken some food to the victims’ family during a routine visit.

The whereabouts of wife to the deceased man are unknown after being equally badly beaten.

Facts are that as the family sat to have their meal, the deceased victims developed stomach problems and died on the way to the hospital.

Police said the community later realizing the case as that of food poisoning, descended on Mazimba and his wife and started beating them.

The mob beat up Mazimba who died on the spot whilst his wife was whisked away from the angry mob by unknown sympathizers.

The bodies of the three people are lying in Mpulungu District Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem and burial.

A visit this morning at the hospital found the other victims of the suspected poisoning lying in hospital beds in their respective wards.

Hospital authorities identified those admitted as Cylla Nankala, Eddie Sikapite and William Sikapite.

Police are still carrying out investigations to establish the motive behind the food poisoning.

ZANIS

Government has condemned the indiscriminate selling of customary land by some traditional leaders.

Central Province Permanent Secretary, Anne Sinyangwe says it is unfortunate that most traditional leaders in the country have not realized the value of land by giving it away without following the laid down procedures.

ZANIS reports that the Provincial Permanent Secretary said this in Kabwe yesterday.

This was when she officiated at the Consultative Workshop, organized by the Zambia Law Development Commission, which attracted participants from Central, Muchinga, Northern and Lusaka Provinces.

She stated that government is aware that all development is anchored on prudent and efficient utilisation of land and thus, the demand for land in Zambia has greatly increased.

The Permanent Secretary, however, observed that the issues surrounding the administration of Customary land has over the years raised many concerns from different stakeholders.

She said, for instance, the women’s access to land has been one of those highly debated issues, especially among the civil society organizations.

She added that controversies have also been recorded in some areas between the local communities and traditional authorities, with regard to loss of rights to some common pool areas, including unwarranted land displacements brought by new landlords.

‘’I think there is urgent need to find a lasting solution to issues surrounding customary land administration in the country, because as you may be aware, land wrangles are everywhere, especially among traditional leaders and this problem is obtaining, not only in Central Province but across the country,’’ she said.

Mrs Sinyangwe, therefore, urged the workshop participants to participate fully and make recommendations that will meaningfully contribute to the development of the country.

And Zambia Law Development Commission Senior Research Officer, Abraham Miti, says every nation derives pride from the availability of land.

Mr Miti, however, regretted that currently, the Customary Land is under traditional tenure or open areas administered by traditional rulers, who have no clearly defined property rights, because the community usually have access to natural resources.

He added that this arrangement is sometimes a source of friction among the rural dwellers since no individual settlers can claim a unique proprietary interest in the land.

ZANIS