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A senior customs officer says the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) will soon extend operation hours at Nakonde Border Post in Muchinga Province in order to improve on service delivery to the public.
ZRA acting Station Manager for Nakonde Customs, David Mungela, says Nakonde Border Post will from today, January 1, 2013, start providing 24 hour-service.
Mr Mungela said this during the commemoration of Customs Taxpayers Open Day held in Nakonde council grounds.
“I assure you that service delivery at Nakonde Border will soon improve because the good news is that come January 1, our station will start operating 24 hours service,” said Mr Mungela.
Mr Mungela further said the move is to enhance the flow of traffic and clearance of goods at the border.
He added that the new services were also likely to maximize on revenue collection at the border.
Mr Mungela said Nakonde border was one of the busiest borders in the country, hence the need to extend its working hours.
He further explained that during the night shifts, the station would only be dealing with issues of passenger clearance while other commercial business services would be offered during day time.
He added that operating the border 24 hours was in line with one of the most efficiency programs which the PF government was trying to implement in the country.
Earlier, Nakonde ZRA Examining Officer, Derrick Mukonki, advised all taxpayers in the area to always feel free by making use of ZRA offices each time they wanted to seek assistance from them.
Mr Mukonki said most of their clients fear to visit ZRA offices whenever they had something to inquire regarding ZRA services.
He added that failure to consult ZRA officials at the border has landed most of their clients in big problems for obtaining information on ZRA services from wrong people.
“We have had so many cases of clients who had been swindled by crooked people because of getting information on the services we offer from wrong people,” said Mr Mukonki.
The Customs Taxpayers Open Day is held in all border control points in the country to educate taxpayers on the importance of paying tax.
The Luwingu District Council has introduce dog levy in a bid to reduce the suspected rabies out break which has rocked many villages in senior chief Shimumbi, chief Chipalo and chief Tungati’s areas of the Bemba people in Luwingu district.
This is according an open letter to the public by the local authority.
According to the letter, which was distributed to residents and availed to ZANIS, the council made the resolution on the introduction of the dog levy during its sitting on September 13, 2012 under minute No. LDC 51/09/12.
The letter states that, residents will be paying K30, 000 (K30 rebased) each for the first two dogs and K50, 000 (K50) for any extra dog per annum.
The letter emphasises that the council has introduced dog levy in order to control diseases like rabies and to reduce on stray dogs.
The letter warns that residents who will not comply with the council regulation will have their dogs shot dead.
“Before you come to the council for dog licenses you are supposed to take your dogs to the veterinary department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for the vaccination,” read the letter in part.
Last year, many people in senior chief Shimumbi, chief Chipalo and Tungati, were severely bitten by stray dogs and foxes of which five of them died of suspected rabies diseases.
At Joko Health Post, Ndoki and senior chief Shimumbi Rural Health Centres in senior chief Shimumbi’s area, about the 32 cases of dog bites and fox bites were recorded out of which three died as they opted to seek medical attention from the nearby traditional healers.
Inspector General of Police, Stella Libongani, has assured the nation that police will deal severely with any culprit intending to swindle unsuspecting members of the public with the rebased K100 banknotes using old ones.
Ms Libongani said police is well equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to handle all sorts of financial crimes such as fraud, money laundering, counterfeiting and illegal exchange of currency.
She said the Zambia Police and other stakeholders, such as The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) and Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) have put in place measures that will ensure prevention of any sort of financial crime activities.
She stressed that police have put in place well calculated means of investigating and prosecuting such cases.
Ms Libongani warned any person with intentions to commit such crimes to desist from doing so as they risk facing the wrath of the law.
The Police IG also reminded all members of the public that it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to protect the integrity of the currency as well as that of the nation.
Ms Libongani said this exercise is timely and has been done at a very huge cost, hence requires the cooperation of all individuals.
She urged all members of the public to report to police or any law enforcement agency, any individual or individuals suspected to be involved in illegal cash transactions.
She said the nation is looking forward to a successful and peaceful transition from the existing to the rebased currencies as the police stood ready to deal with all transgressions.
There was drama in the streets of Kabwe this afternoon when a street vender refused to collect a K10.00 rebased note, previously K10, 000 from a customer, saying she did not want to be duped.
This was after a customer handed a rebased note to an old woman, who only identified herself as Bana Mpundu, to purchase tomatoes valued at K8.00, (K8, 000), from her stand.
Bana Mpundu practically refused to collect the money and demanded the return of her merchandise, saying she did not want to lose her goods by obtaining a fake note.
In an interview with ZANIS, Bana Mpundu said she did not understand why a person would come into town all the way from home just to give her a foreign currency, especially on New Year’s Day.
She unwittingly complained that it is unfair for people to dupe elderly people like her because they are struggling to make ends meet with little resources that they have.
Bana Mpundu, however, recalled that she once used a similar note in the Kaunda era, but unknown to her is the fact that the Zambian Kwacha has been rebased with effect from today by way of cancelling the three zeros.
Moreover, after a profound explanation from her fellow street vendors, David Mwape, Bana Mpundu accepted to collect the money but on condition that Mr Mwape exchanges his old Ten Thousand Kwacha note with the new currency.
Bana Mpundu, aged over 55, is just one of the many Zambians that have no absolute knowledge on the rebased currency and definitely need sensitization.
Meanwhile, Kabwe’s famous Shopping Mall, Shoprite and Restaurant, Hungry Lion, closed business abruptly because the shop assistants had trouble understanding the rebased currency.
A check by ZANIS found the two shops closed by 10:00 hours in the morning, because the shop assistants had trouble assimilating the transactions in the rebased currency.
Some of the shop assistants talked to said they had trouble reconciling prices in the rebased currency as most of their items and food had a segment of Ngwees but that they did not understand the modalities, except for block figures.
They said they needed a lot of sensitization, not only from the Bank of Zambia (BOZ) but their employers as well, because the new financial system now entails that they must give their clients the symmetries, accordingly.
They, therefore, closed the shops, saying they will only resume operations once their managers, whom they contacted from Lusaka, give them a substantive in-house training on the new currency.
And NATSAVE Bank in Kabwe today broke its record of latency when it happened to be the only banking institution that had operational ATM machines.
All the banks were non-operational except for NATSAVE.
The only challenge was that the bank had no VISA services to allow inter-banking services, and as a result, only indigenous customers had an opportunity to use the facility.
Nonetheless, the three banks promised to resume their ATM machine banking services by 14:00 hours today while ZANACO hopes to resume its operations tomorrow.
Chiefs and traditional affairs Minister Nkandu Luo
ELDERLY people should not be abandoned because they are an important part of Zambia’s heritage, Chiefs and traditional affairs Minister Nkandu Luo has said.
Professor Luo said Zambians and Africans in general should not abandon old people but they should give elderly people comfort in their homes.
The Minister noted that it was unAfrican and unZambian for any person to abandon elderly parents.
Prof Luo was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when she handed over donated a 5, 000 litres water tank to Maramba Old People’s Village.
Besides donating a water tank valued at K3 million, Professor Luo also handed various food items to elderly people at Maramba Old People’s Village as New Year gifts valued at the cost of K2.5 million.
The handover ceremony was part of the commemoration of the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of World Heritage Commission.
“As Zambians and Africans, we should not be abandoning old people but give them comfort in our homes.
The onus is on us as children and great grand children to look after our elderly people in society. Today we are what we are because of our parents and if we abandon elderly people, we won’t get blessings from God,” she said.
Professor Luo said she was happy to be part of the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of World Heritage Commission.
“We have thought of coming to Maramba Old People’s Home especially to donate a water tank because they need it more than anybody else.
Water is life and if you look around this Village, old people need water and they also need food hence it was also thoughtful to donate food here,” Prof Luo said.
She said he would engage the Minister of Community Development, Maternal and Child Health Joseph Katema to see else could be done jointly to improve the Village.
“For instance, we can plant flowers here because plants are part of therapy. Planting flowers doesn’t cost much.
Old people’s homes in Europe and America, one of the things which give you conform and attraction is their surroundings,” she said.
Prof Luo also said Zambia needed to put a lot of its heritage sites at the centre state to promote tourism.
“Recently during heritage celebrations in South Africa, we visited heritage site and it is a world of its own inside.
For 2013, I challenge the director of heritage that we need to sit down and see how we can enhance some of our sites and make them attractive to tourists,” she said.
She said if the heritage sites were improved and presented to the World Heritage Commission, they would boost the tourism sector in the country.
“Even this Old People’s Home we can make it a tourist attraction for Livingstone. We can make it attractive and sell-able because they are people who would just like to visit and see elderly people
Even in terms of donations, we will have a lot of people coming from the international world to donate and even adopt the place,” she said.
Prof Luo urged the business sector in Zambia to consider coming on board to help upgrade Maramba Cultural Village especially as Livingstone prepares to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly this year.
Business sector, remember the Village and contribute. Look at the Home in a more positive way so that we facelift the centre for our old people
National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) executive director Collins Chipote said his Commission decided to celebrate the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of world heritage convention by providing a water tank and foodstuffs to elderly people at Maramba Old People’s Home.
The Jesuits Center for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has urged government to put in place measures to counter the looming food insecurity resulting from the current farming season.
The Jesuits Center for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has urged government to put in place measures to counter the looming food insecurity resulting from the current farming season.
JCTRR Director says the army worms which recently invaded fields in most parts of the country, will negatively affect the agricultural production for the 2012/2013 farming season.
Father Chiti says it is therefore important for government to adequately prepare for the anticipated food insecurity.
The Clergyman has also noted with sadness that the development will affect Zambia%u2019s efforts in alleviating poverty.
And Father Chiti has urged the government to approach the corruption crusade with urgency adding that the fight will be meaningless if public resources are not recovered.
He says Zambians expect convictions of those found wanting of corrupt practices and that public resources recovered should be channeled to other needy sectors.
Father Chiti was speaking in an interview with Qfm News.
Government is saddened by the high number of road traffic accidents in the country.
Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni says government notes with grave concern the continued high number of road traffic accidents occurring in the country.
Mr Sakeni who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said according to Police Report, 1,000 lives were lost due to traffic accidents between 1st January and 28th December, 2012,
In a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today Mr Sakeni said Zambia has an average of three deaths as a result of traffic accidents on a daily basis, the statistic which he described highly unfortunate and unbearable.
“Government notes with grave concern the continued high number of road traffic accidents in the country. Can you imagine that 1,000 people died this year from January to December? This is an average of three deaths per day, a statistic which is highly unfortunate and unbearable,” Mr Sakeni lamented.
He said government reiterates its call to road traffic authorities to intensify road patrols and sensitize the public on importance of road safety especially during the festive season which is widely celebrated by people annually.
Mr Sakeni said the festive season should be a time of joy and happiness and not sadness and sorrow.
He called on motorists and the public at large to observe traffic rules and regulations at all times so that they do not endanger their lives and those of other people.
“Motorists and the public at large are called upon to observe traffic rules and regulations at all times so that they do not endanger their lives and those of other people. The festive season should be a time of joy and happiness and not sadness and sorrow,” he said.
About 12 people died country-wide from 111 accidents, which occurred during the Christmas holiday in Zambia.
Zambia Police Service Spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela confirmed in a statement to ZANIS last week.
And Ms Kanjela said police recorded a total number of 64 assault cases of which 56 are coming from Lusaka province while Southern, Luapula, Muchinga and Northern provinces recorded no incidents.
She said this year’s Christmas holiday recorded an increase in the number of road traffic accidents as compared to 2011, which recorded 96 accidents and 10 murder cases.
Prior to Christmas holiday, President Michael Sata encouraged Zambians to use the Christmas festival to promote reconciliation and love.
Mr Sata has urged Zambians to use the festive period to show love, compassion and care to one another and families to get-together.
Zambians from all walks of life tomorrow celebrates New Year, 2013.
File:President Sata talks to Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao says the newly launched rebased Zambian currency will make business easy for Chinese investors working in Zambia due to its similarity to their currency Yuan.
The Chinese Ambassador noted that the Chinese people will have no difficulties understanding the rebased Zambian currency because the new notes and coins have less zeros which used to confuse them.
Mr Yuxiao disclosed that the Chinese government through the Bank of China based in Zambia has made enough sensitization to Chinese nationals living in Zambia by using the Chinese language especially for those that do not understand English.
He noted that the Bank has also printed the adverts in the daily papers for Chinese nationals who are unable to access the Bank of China which is in Lusaka so that that they are not caught unaware.
He added that the embassy will further post the new rebased currency on the website as part of the sensitization campaigns.
The Ambassador noted that the rebasing of the currency is a good thing for the economy and investors who have pumped their monies into the country.
He said the Chinese investors are confident of the good economic policies of Zambia adding that even the rebasing of the currency is not a new thing to them as they are always kept aware by government.
The Ambassador further hailed the good investment policies by the Patriotic Front government and assured that his country hopes to continue increasing investments in Zambia.
Mr Yuxiao noted that Zambia being a peaceful country coupled with its sound economic policies, investors will always abide by the changes such as the kwacha rebasing.
He disclosed that his countrymen and women have invested in excess of US$2 billion in various sectors of the economy.
The Chinese Ambassador was among the dignitaries that attended the official unveiling of the new notes and coins at the Government Complex in Lusaka this morning.
The new currency will be in circulation starting tomorrow and will circulate alongside the old currency up to 30th June 2013.
Finance Minister Alexander ChikwandaFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda
The new Zambian currency, Kwacha and Ngwee, has been launched with a call on the business community to keep the prices of goods and services unchanged.
Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda unveiled the new currency at a colourful ceremony held in Lusaka at the new Government Complex yesterday.
The new currency comprises of six notes with features such as the African Fish Eagle, coat of arms, freedom statue, trees and animals while there are four coins minted with a coat of arms, a bird and animals representing the abundant wildlife and tourism potential of the country.
The new currency becomes legal tender on 1st January 2013 and will circulate side by side with the old currency for six months to allow the public to completely switch to the new currency.
In his key note address, the Finance Minister observed that the steps taken by the Bank of Zambia to prepare the country for the currency change will proceed with minimal or preferably no hitches.
Mr Chikwanda noted that the rebasing of the kwacha was aimed at addressing the inflationary spirals which over the years caused the currency to depreciate to intolerable levels which were not cost neutral in terms of the economy.
The Minister further stated that decision to rebase was premised on government’s conviction to restore the intrinsic value of the currency as a medium of exchange by bringing normalcy to the numeration of the local currency.
He said it is an internationally accepted practice to rebase a currency during the periods of low and stable inflation stating that in the last five years, inflation has generally taken a downward trend in Zambia.
The Finance Minister dispelled assertions and misconceptions by some circles of society that the rebasing was a gimmick by the new government to nab unscrupulous members of society adding that it will instead lead to greater confidence in the currency and also simplify book keeping, accounting records and facilitate easier business transactions.
Mr Chikwanda however noted that the rebasing of the currency will neither cause revaluation nor devaluation of the kwacha meaning that prices of goods and services will not change and encouraged the general public to accept the new notes and coins.
And Bank of Zambia (BOZ) Governor Michael Gondwe announced that following the launch of the new family of notes and coins, the Bank of Zambia has made available the currency in all commercial banks and agencies throughout the country.
Dr Gondwe assured the public that sufficient security features have been embedded into the new high value K100 notes to make them sufficiently different from the current K100.
He noted that the BOZ team discovered during sensitization campaigns that many people were of the view that the introduction of the new high value K100 note would be confused with the current K100 note.
The launch was attended by senior government officials, diplomats accredited to Zambia, officials from both the notes printing company, G&D of German and South African mining company and CEOs of Banks and Public and Private Institutions.
Lusaka Province Commissioner of Police, Joyce Kasosa
Two male teenagers are behind the brutal killing and defacing of a taxi driver, Matthews Chipili, who was dumped at a plot in Lusaka’s Roma Township a week ago, Police have confirmed.
The two Lusaka youngsters are aged 14 and 16, Lusaka Province police commissioner Joyce Kasosa said.
The two youngsters will appear in court on Monday after police closed the investigations. They face a possible charge of murder and aggravated robbery.
“We have concluded investigations in the killing of Matthews Chipili. We have apprehended two teenagers aged 16 and 14 who confessed to the killing and they took us to the site of the killing and explained how they performed the killing and stole his vehicle and that they wanted to enjoy life from the robbery. The two will appear in court on Monday, next week,” Ms Kasosa said.
The murder trial involving the two juveniles is widely expected to stir public interest and have a packed courtroom though entry would be restricted to close relatives as it would be a juvenile hearing.
Their motive, Ms Kasosa said, was merely to steal the late Mr Chipilii’s vehicle and ‘enjoy’ proceeds of the heinous act, of Thursday last week.
Ms Kasosa said this at a media breakfast organised by the Zambia Police at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Chipili’s body was discovered by passersby who alerted police. The killing shocked the public more so that it left Mr Chipili’s family traumatised.
The teenagers informed police during investigations that they intended to the sell the stolen vehicle and use the money during the festive season.
The late Mr Chipili, who died at the age of 20, was discovered with his facial skin peeled off, his throat cut-open and left eye and tongue gouged out as the two juvenile assailants went away with his car, which had since been recovered by police.
Ms Kasosa dispelled assertions that the murder was in any way linked to the murder of late National Institute Public Administration (NIPA) Ruth Mbandu who was slain in a similar manner in July this year.
Police thanked the media for being patient, while investigations were conducted as releasing piece-meal information was going to have jeopardised the probe.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani said a total of 9,612 gender-based violence (GBV) had so far been recorded this year.
Ms Libongani also said 1,000 people had lost their lives in road traffic accidents, recorded in various parts of the country.
Ms Libongani said 1,650 accident victims had survived with grave injuries while 2,000 survived with minor ones.
FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi has challenged Patriotic Front (PF) youths on the Copperbelt to state which party they are linking him to.
Reacting to calls by Copperbelt youth chairperson Menyani Zulu for him to resign and publicly mention a political party he allegedly belonged to, Mr Chipenzi said he could comment on the assertions only if those accusing him mentioned the party they were saying he supported.
“I thought that they are the first ones who are supposed to mention the party they are alleging that I belong to.
“The best they can do is say, ‘This man belongs to this party,’ that’s when I can only respond to their allegations,” Mr Chipenzi said.
Mr Chipenzi attributed Mr Zulu’s accusations against him to his continued condemnation of Government receiving defecting opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) resulting in by elections.
He vowed to continue condemning defections of MPs regardless of which political party they belonged and were defecting to as by elections were a huge cost to the nation because resources meant for developmental purposes were being channeled to such elections.
“As FODEP, we will not stop condemning defections by Members of Parliament because they are a huge drain on the national treasury. By elections are a drain on national resources,” he said.
Mr Chipenzi , however, said his organization welcomed divergent views, especially that it championed democracy and thus it would be failing in its duties if it demonized those that were freely expressing their views as doing so (divergent views) was one of the tenets of democracy.
“They (PF Copperbelt youths) are just expressing their democratic right. Let them continue to speak and we shall not demonise them for expressing their opinion. We must encourage this kind of talk in a democracy,” he said.
Mr Chipenzi observed that such criticism was one way of providing checks on and balances on FODEP it being a public institution, adding also that it was indication that his organization had not done a good job in sensitizing the public that FODEP was not restricted to talking about elections only.
He said his FODEP would remain being objective and urged the people to put politics aside when talking about developmental issues.
Last week Mr Zulu challenged Mr Chipenzi to step down and come out in the open by declaring a political party he belonged to as he was allegedly siding with the opposition in his statements, a move he said had turned FODEP into a sham and an embarrassment to its donors
THE Zambia police service has instituted investigations into Congolese rhumba musician Koffi Olomide alleged assault of a freelance journalist on Friday.
Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kajenla confirmed in Lusaka yesterday that police were on the ground to investigate the matter before they could make a move.
Olomide is alleged to have assaulted photojournalist Jean Ndayisenga commonly known as Mandela for allegedly kicking him in the face as he tried to take photographs of the musician after a live performance at Pamodzi hotel.
Ndayisenga reported Koffi for assault at Kabwata police station but the case has been transferred to Lusaka Central police.
But Ms Kanjela yesterday said in an interview that police has started probing the matter.
Koffi arrived in the country on Wednesday for two performances in Lusaka before moving to Kitwe for another show at Moba hotel today.
President Michael Sata has released 59 female prisoners countrywide as part of this year’s New Year celebrations.
This is according to an Order of Release signed by the Head of State dated December 28, 2012. President Sata signed the order in exercise of the powers vested in him by Article 59 (d) of the Constitution of Zambia.
Out of the 59 female prisoners, 43 are inmates with children, 12 are aged [above 60 years] and four (4) are expectant mothers.
The rationale behind the President’s decision is to decongest the extremely crowded prison facilities countrywide as well as reintegrate prisoners into society. In fact, this move has also resulted in the freeing of about 50 children who are below the age of three whose mothers were serving various sentences.
President Sata has counselled the released inmates to show exemplary behaviour and prove to the society that indeed they have reformed.
