The University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) has hailed government for the progress in has made regarding the scrapping of the national student’s bursaries scheme and replacing by the student’s loan facility which will carter for a large number of vulnerable students.

UNZASU president Ali Tankara told ZANIS in an interview yesterday that the move will instil a sense of responsibility in beneficiaries as they will have the onus to pay back the loan.

Mr. Tankara said the loan scheme will benefit a cross section of students ranging from freshmen to in-service students and others wishing to undertake advanced programmes.

He said the current bursaries scheme disadvantages other students who may not be orphaned but are vulnerable as it provided for only students who qualify by means of being orphaned.

Mr. Tankara said the loan scheme will also help improve the standard of the education system not only to students but to the country as a whole.

Last year, government announced that it would scrap off the national students’ bursaries scheme and replaced it by the students’ loan facility.

Government yesterday reported that it has made progress in this area and that the facility will be effective in June this year.

Meanwhile, the UNZASU president has expressed happiness towards government’s completion of renovation works of students’ hostels at the country’s highest institution of learning.

He was optimistic that through the ongoing Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative that will see the creation of 10,000 bed spaces, government will be able to permanently address the student accommodation crisis.

The University of Zambia has for a long time been facing accommodation challenges which the current government is trying to address.

ZANIS

Two Chinese nationals were on Sunday arrested after beating up three Zambian nationals including a security guard of Mulungushi University in Kabwe.

The duo were arrested by the Zambia police around 16:00hrs on Sunday following a tip off from panorama security firm guards who caught the two culprits with the help of the victims.

Efforts to get a comment from central province police commissioner Standwel Lungu failed as he was reported to be in Lusaka attending to other official duties while Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela’s cell phone went unanswered.

A Mulungushi University security guard Henry Natamoyo confirmed the development.

Mr Natamoyo said he received a report around 15:00hrs on Sunday from the workers that the Chinese employers would leave the following day without paying the workers their wages. Because of this information, the Zambian workers decided to demand for their wages.

However,the Chinese contractors decided not to give in to the workers’ demands but opted to physically deal with the workers.

Mr. Natamoyo said when he tried to intervene in the matter he learnt that the Chinese had locked up one Zambian worker in the toilet whom they had brutally assaulted.

Mr. Natamoyo further explained that as he tried to go towards the toilet, one Chinese national blocked him from getting to the toilet in order to prevent him from seeing the assaulted worker.

“After I found the first Chinese, he told me not to proceed to the toilet but I insisted. Then I saw six Chinese nationals brutally beating a helpless Zambian national who was trying to escape from the toilet and I took a video of their brutality using my [mobile] phone.” said Mr. Matamoyo.

Mr. Natamoyo further said that one of the six [and main culprit] named Mr. Chu [commonly known as Yeye noticed his initiative of capturing the incident as evidence, and confronted him kicking him in the leg and he dropped the cell phone thereby distorting the clip.

[pullquote]“He ran after me [like u can see in the video] and kicked me in the leg then my phone fell. He picked it, grabbed my radio and continued kicking me while I was still on the ground until a group of fellow Zambian workers rescued me and helped get my phone and radio back.” explained Mr. Natamoyo.[/pullquote]

“He ran after me [like u can see in the video] and kicked me in the leg then my phone fell. He picked it, grabbed my radio and continued kicking me while I was still on the ground until a group of fellow Zambian workers rescued me and helped get my phone and radio back.” explained Mr. Natamoyo.

And a bricklayer, Samson Zulu confirmed to ZANIS that it was true that it was six Chinese nationals who beat him up.

In his explanation of the incident, Mr. Zulu said that upon hearing that their debtor and employer, Mr. Chu would be leaving [today], he together with his colleagues demanded for their wages worth millions of kwacha from their employer who declined to give it to them for over a month.

Mr. Zulu said they (Chinese) first started with hitting his colleague, Honest Mulenga with a bottle in the head and the other hit him on his hand thus causing deep injuries in the hand and a cut in the victim’s head.

“We found them drinking and chatting in readiness to leave for Lusaka and humbly asked about our money as we learnt that they were leaving [today] and they told us to see them at some other time but when we insisted, Mr. Wang called me aside.

“ Without realising it was a plan, Mr. Chu hit my shoulder from behind with a bottle and when I fell in agony the six started kicking me all over, strangled my neck and then dragged me to the toilet where they continued with their brutality.” lamented Mr. Zulu.

Mr. Zulu who showed evidence of the strangulation and bruises to ZANIS further said that he only found a chance to flee when the culprits were alarmed that Mr. Natamoyo and the other workers were heading to the toilet.

The perpetrators then later drove off but Mr. Natamoyo called the police and commanded security personnel at the gate not to allow them through thus forcing the perpetrators to abandon their vehicles at the gate and rushed to the main road to try and catch a lift to Lusaka but to no avail.

Two of the Chinese nationals were arrested around 16:00hrs, whilst three initially fled but later appeared at Central Police in Kabwe hours later, trying to bribe the police officers who arrested two.

The main culprit, Mr. Chu, is still in hiding but his whereabouts are allegedly known by the police.

ZANIS

Former Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister in the MMD regime, Moses Muteteka, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of abuse of authority of office and one count of theft.

Mr. Muteteka, who is also Chisamba Member of Parliament, appeared before Lusaka Magistrate Evans Hamaundu at Civic Centre Magistrate Court to take plea.

In count one and two Mr. Muteteka, who is represented by his lawyer James Matalilo, is charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to section 99 (1) of the penal code and cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.

It is alleged that Mr. Muteteka on dates unknown but between January 1 and December 31, 2010 while in Chibombo, being a person employed as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Housing, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did abuse the authority of his office by giving two hammer mills he obtained from Gender In Development Division (GIDD) meant for Chisamba constituency to his sisters Eldah Mulongwe and Rosemary Mulongwe respectively, an act which was arbitrary and prejudicial to the interest of government.

In counts three, four, six and seven, it is alleged that Mr. Muteteka on dates unknown but between January 1 and December 31, 2010 in Chibombo, being a person employed as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Housing, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown abused the authority of his office by giving hammer mills belonging to Chibombo District to Daniel Lyatumba, his grandfather of Mwapwa village of Kapiri Mponshi, his nephew Isaac Paso of Kangalangala village in Kanakantapa area ,Terry Milambo of Chitanta village and Fallace Ctito, his nephew of Kangombe village in Keembe constituency respectively.

This act was said to be arbitrary and prejudicial to the interest of government.

In count five Mr. Muteteka is charged with theft contrary to section 272 of the penal code cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence are that Mr. Muteteka on unknown dates but between January 1 and December 31, 2011 while in Chibombo , jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did steal one hammer mill Engine Number D 2.1006.07.1100037 and mill number 8146 valued at K21 million (KR 21 000), the property of Chibombo District Council.

In count eight Mr. Muteteka is charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to section 99 (1) of the penal code and cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.

It is alleged that on dates unknown but between January 1 and August 31, 2011 while in Chibombo, being a person employed as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Housing, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did abuse the authority of his office by procuring 26, two solar panels, one solar inverter, one solar regulator and one solar battery without following laid down tender procedures, an act which was arbitrary and prejudicial to the interest of government.

In the last count, Mr. Muteteka is charged with abuse of authority of office contrary to section 99 (1) of the penal code and cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence are that on dates unknown but between January 1 and August 31, 2011 while in Chibombo, being a person employed as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Housing, jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown did abuse the authority of his office by directing the Chisamba Constituency Development Committee to purchase six hammer mills from Saro Industries Limited the highest bidder without following the laid down tender procedures, an act which was arbitrary and prejudicial to the interest of government.

The matter has since been adjourned to 18th and 19th February this year for commencement of trial.

Mr. Muteteka is already appearing before senior principal magistrate Aridah Chuulu for theft of motor vehicles.

ZANIS

Ndola Mayor Davies Chiwela has said plans are underway to design and build a new Ndola City Centre near the Levy Mwanawasa stadium.

And Mr. Chiwela has indicated that his council will embark on rehabilitating all stadiums in the city and upgrading them to the level of the Levy Mwanawasa stadium.

Mr. Chiwela told ZANIS in an interview in Ndola at the weekend that the project of building a new Ndola city Centre will be established through the Private Public Partnership (PPP).

He said the site for the new town centre has already been identified on the Ndola and Mufulira road.

He said the new town centre will have modern shopping malls, hotels, intercity bus terminus and other social facilities.

Mr. Chiwela, who also said the civic centre will also shift to the new town centre, explained that this development follows the construction of the ultra modern Levy Mwanawasa stadium which he said has added beauty to Ndola.

And Mr. Chiwela has said his council will embark on rehabilitating all stadiums in the city to the standard of Levy Mwanawasa stadium.

He said Musa Kasonka stadium will be rehabilitated while Dag Hammarskjold will be reconstructed following President Michael Sata’s directive.

The Dag Hammarskjold stadium has not been rebuilt for more than a decade after it was destroyed for reconstruction.

ZANIS