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Kasama PF Leadership turn to President Sata to address Mealie-meal shortage

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Bag of Mealie meal
Bag of Mealie meal

Patriciotic Front (PF) leadership in Northern Provincial has appealed to President Michael Sata to intervene in the mealie-meal shortage in the country.

Northern Provincial PF Secretary Evarist Chella who stormed ZANIS office in Kasama today and was flanked by Women Provincial Vice Chairperson Rosemary Chilufya and other party officials said the party in the Province is worried because the mealie-meal shortage which he said is the lives of ordinary people in the nation.

Mr. Chella requested President Sata to instruct the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to off-load maize to millers to address the shortage.

He noted that mealie-meal shortage in Northern Province needs urgent attention by the national leadership.

Mr. Chella observed that a 25 kg of breakfast mealie-meal has shot up from K50, 000 to as high as K80, 000 which is too costly for people.

He also said that there is no reason for people to encounter problems when accessing mealie-meal in the nation because the nation experienced a bumper harvest in the last farming season.

Mr. Chella blamed the shortage on FRA as the millers are failing to buy maize from the institution.

And a survey carried out today by ZANIS in Kasama reveal that all out lets have run out of mealie meal.

ZANIS

Dora Siliya challenged to explain her State House visit

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MMD National Youth Secretary Tobias Kafumukache addresses journalists at the party secretariat in Lusaka
MMD National Youth Secretary Tobias Kafumukache addresses journalists at the party secretariat in Lusaka

MMD Spokesperson Dora Siliya has been challenged by her party to explain what her visit to State house was all about in what appears to be a deepening rift in the former ruling party.

MMD National Youth Secretary Tobias Kafumukache says the party has information that Ms. Siliya visited State house the same day National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe and party Chairperson for women affairs Catherine Namugala visited plot one.

Kafumukache says it is surprising why the visit of the two national executive committee members Major Kachingwe and Ms Namugala is being blown out of proportion when it was the National Executive Committee of the party that assigned them to converse with the head of State over the appointment of MMD members of parliament to government positions.

He says if some members think that the visit by the two officials was wrong, it would be better that the entire national executive committee of the party is hounded out for mandating the two officials to have a meeting with the head of State.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka this morning, Kafumukache says Ms. Siliya’s visit to State house should be explained to avoid speculations of her working with the Patriotic Front Government.

And Kafumukache has accused some party officials of sponsoring some party youths to cause confusion within the party.

He has also accused former party Lusaka province chairperson William Banda of organizing UPND youths to masquerade as MMD youths in an effort to destabilize the party.

Kafumukache says the party cannot afford to be ridiculed over simple issues instead of focusing on very important developmental issues that will benefit the people of Zambia.

QFM

Government will not take responsibility of transporting remains of dead Zambian in Czech

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Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda
Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda

Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda said Government would not take responsibility of Sikwebela Malitela, a Zambian resident in the Czech Republic who was found dead because the deceased was in that country on his own as he went through an acquired scholarship but was earmarked for deportations back to Zambia.

Today, heard that Sikwebela Malitela a Zambian resident in the Czech Republic who was found dead and his body floating in a river was facing deportation from that country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda told the house that Malitela whose body was discovered with a bag of stones strapped around it in what is suspected to be suicide was in the Czech Republic on his own accord.

Mr Lubinda said that government had made it clear to the family that it will not take responsibility to transport his remains back.

He explained that Malitela went to the Czech republican in 2005 on a scholarship which was later withdrawn.

Mr Lubinda told the house that the Zambian mission in Berlin was asked to go and identify Malitela for deportation which they did.

QFM

Mealie meal shortage: Vice President accuse Millers of Blackmail

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Vice President Guy Scott
Vice President Guy Scott

Vice president Guy Scott has accused millers of blackmail in view of the shortage of mealie meal that has hit the Copperbelt.

Dr Scott during the vice president’s question time in response to a question by Mafinga Member of Parliament, Catherine Namugala who wanted to find out government’s position on the mealie meal shortage, said millers ignored the advice given to them to buy maize for themselves on the open market up until the end of December when the FRA would supply them with maize in the second half.

Ms Namugala told the House that mealie-meal prices on the Copperbelt had gone as higher as K75, 000 making it difficult for the locals to purchase the commodity.

Dr Scott said that the millers thought they were clever and left the Food Reserve Agency to buy all the maize as has previously has been the case in the past with all the corruption and maize wastage involved.

He says unfortunately the millers’ blackmail seems to have some effect into forcing government into directing FRA to release maize earlier than planned in order to bring down mealie meal prices down.

The Vice president disclosed that the situation has further been compounded by the mechanical outage at Mpongwe milling which has been down for seven days.

“Mpongwe milling has be down for past seven days which has aggravated the situation because it is the largest milling and supplier of mealie-meal on the Copperbelt, but by next week the situation will normalise, “he said

Dr Scott also said South Africa had stopped supplying the commodity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a situation which had caused severe demand of mealie-meal from Zambia into DRC.

The Vice President has assured that the escalating prices and shortages of mealie meal on the Copperbelt will normalise by next week.

The Vice President said Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Emmanuel Chenda would next week issue a comprehensive statement on various issues such as mealie-meal shortages.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) Nangoma MP Boyd Hamusonde wondered why there had slow distribution of the farming inputs under Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FISP). In his response, Dr Scott said Government inherited a system that was full of corruption.

He said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government found FISP marred with high corrupt practises and that it was cleaning up FISP distribution exercise.

Dr Scott said the Government would promote transparency and accountability in the manner farming inputs were managed for the benefits of several Zambians farmers.

Is Zambia Sata’s Animal Farm?

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By Rev K.Kaoma
The selective application of the law under President Sata’s administration is nerve-wracking. Zambia is a democracy and not the “animal farm,” in which citizens are treated differently based on their socio-economic and political status. In a democracy, nobody is above the law. Yet recent events in the country show that our country is slowly sliding into the animal farm state.

Let me make my point. Last month, Rosemary Mwasakandu was arrested for holding multiple citizenship contrary to section 55 of the Immigration and Deportation Act. Magistrate Willie Banda denied Rosemary bail and reminded her at Chimbokaila. This month, President Sata appointed Professor Clive Chirwa as the head of Zambia Railways. The PF heralded the appointment as a sign of good leadership by the president. However, like Mwasakandu, Prof. Chirwa held dual citizenship – Zambian and British. But unlike Mrs Mwasakandu, he was not arrested.

Another case of animal farm has to do with fake qualifications. On Thursday July 28, 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested Danny Mulwanda of Kasama for using false documents contrary to Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia. Danny’s case reminds us of the corrupt Henry Kapoko, whose wife, Mary Mwamba, was arrested for forging a grade 12 statement of results in 2009. Yet president Sata saw nothing wrong in appointing Stephen Masumba as minister of North Western Province at the time when his academic credentials are being challenged in the court of law. These two cases simply illustrate president Sata’s lack of ethical judgment and seriousness in fighting corruption in the nation.

Let me remind the president that he was elected to uphold our constitution. As a Christian, he promised to rule the country by 10 commandments – pledging to fight all forms of corruption and injustices. Sadly within one year, those promises have totally evaporated and faded – turning our beloved nation into the animal farm – where our constitution is replaced by one fundamental rule – ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.[pullquote]I submit, we have some bad laws in our nation and dual citizenship is just one of them. I would have no problem if all Zambians were not prosecuted for such crimes. That the poor people are imprisoned for violating such laws while well-connected individuals are given a pass is deplorable, immoral and unjust at its worst. [/pullquote]

Regardless of our political affiliations, Professor Chirwa broke the law of Zambia. In fact, had he sided with Nevers Mumba’s MMD or HH’s UPND, Prof. Chirwa would be caged by now. It is disheartening that for sometime now,our freedoms are no longer determined not by the constitution of the land but by our political affiliations and social status. For this reason, I have misgivings about the PF government’s commitment to fighting corruption in the nation. I am sure I am not alone.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against Professor Chirwa. I believe he is qualified to head Zambia Railways. In fact, unlike President Sata, I want Zambia to legalize dual citizenship. After all, my children hold American citizenship and I would love to call them Zambians one day. But my problem is simply this – why is Prof. Chirwa treated as a sacred cow when other Zambians are forced into dirty prisons for the same crime? Only the animal farm metaphor can provide the explanation – not all citizens are equal in Sata’s Zambia. Honestly, I can sympathize with Mrs Mwasakandu over Professor Chirwa. Dr. Chirwa is well vested with the laws of Zambia and knowingly broke it. So to give him a pass is just erroneous and an insult to democracy.

We all know that Dr. Chirwa campaigned for President Sata in 2011. In this case, it is payback time. However, the PF government is not the law of the land – our constitution is. The PF administration should not ride on the bandwagon of “the rule of law” while applying it selectively. So unless section 55 of the Immigration and Deportation Act is unconstitutional, Sata’s government owes the people of Zambia an explanation as to why Prof. Chirwa is not arrested. But since Zambia police aid the cult of the president, Mrs Mwasakandu is a criminal while Prof. Chirwa is clean.

On the moral front, for Mr. Sata to uphold Chirwa’s appointment – knowing too well that he held dual citizenship says much about the president’s judgement and character. If Sata allowed the law to take its course, many of us would have taken his pledge to fight corruption seriously. Alas, he sings anti-corruption songs only when it fits him. I submit, we have some bad laws in our nation and dual citizenship is just one of them. I would have no problem if all Zambians were not prosecuted for such crimes. That the poor people are imprisoned for violating such laws while well-connected individuals are given a pass is deplorable, immoral and unjust at its worst.

It is gravely depressing that in our country, some citizens are beyond the law. In fact, big fishes can do whatever they want without any fear of prosecution. It is for this reason that we Zambians should unite in rejecting the PF “animal farm” for democracy. Please let us put all our political and tribal differences aside and demand a Zambia where no person is above the law. Together we can make Zambia a better place for all – not just for the chosen few.

Magistrate rejects Andrew Banda, Locci petition

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Locci entering the cells at Woodlands Police Station
File: Locci entering the cells at Woodlands Police Station

Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda has thrown out an application by Andrew Banda and business executive Antonello Locci in which they want the court to quash their corruption charges.They two had claimed they were charged under a repealed law.

This is in a matter in which Banda, son of former Republican President Rupiah Banda, and Locci, director of Italian construction company Frattelli Locci, SRI are jointly charged with two counts of gratification for giving assistance.

Banda and Locci had recently asked the court to quash their indictment on the basis that they were charged under the Anti -Corruption Act number 38 of 2010 which has since been repealed.The magistrate invoked Article 28 (2) of the Constitution and referred the matter to the High Court for the determination of Constitutional matters.

High Court Judge Evans Hamaundu in his ruling said he did not see any constitutional issues.Mr Justice Hamaundu referred the matter back to the magistrate’s court to deal with the application.But Mr Banda in his ruling yesterday said he agreed with the prosecution that the rule was not to legitimise offences committed before the repealed law.

“Given that I have said sections 14 )3) (e) of chapter 2 and section 95 (1) (2) of Act number 3 of 2012 including the South African Constitutional case I have referred to, provide sufficient legal basis upon which to arraign accused persons on the law that had been repealed.

“The new Act cannot be used to charge the accused persons for things done before its enactment.”

Mr Banda said there was a common principle that prohibits retrospective application of criminal laws and as such the duo’s prayer that the charges be quashed could not stand.Particulars in the first count are that Banda, being a First Secretary at the Zambian Embassy in Italy and later Deputy High Commissioner to India, solicited and agreed to receive gratification from Locci amounting to two per cent of all money paid to Frattelli Locci SRI by the Road Development Agency (RDA).

In the second count, Locci on the same dates in Lusaka is alleged to have agreed to give gratification to Banda amounting to two per cent of all money paid to his firm by RDA.

The matter comes up on November 27, 2012.

[Times of Zambia]

First Lady clarifies K1.5bn allocation

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File picture: First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba in Canada

First Lady Christine Kaseba says the K1.5 billion budgetary allocation to her office is not meant for her salary but for operations.

Dr Kaseba said the money was for support members of staff, who needed to be paid salaries while other logistics also required money from the same allocation.

She explained to journalists on Wednesday in Kitwe that initially, she operated using funds under the President’s office but was grateful that Government had decided to allocate some funds to her office to enhance transparency.

Recently, Parliament approved K1.5 billion allocation for the office of the First Lady.

The First Lady said the funds would enhance transparency and accountability in the administration and support services to the office of the First Lady.

“The budget allocation is meant for members of staff who need to be paid salaries and also for fuel for the vehicles that we use. It’s not meant for my salary and we are thankful that Government has recognised us,” she said.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD youth wing plans for a showdown with Major Kachingwe

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National Secretary Richard Kachingwe
National Secretary Richard Kachingwe

MMD youth wing today plan to lock out National Secretary Richard Kachingwe from the party secretariat.

MMD youth wing coordinator Bowman Lusambo said the youth in the party would today march to the party secretariat to hound out Major Kachingwe from his office.

Mr Lusambo said in an interview yesterday that the youth would no longer tolerate Maj Kachingwe’s maneuvers to undo MMD president Nevers Mumba.

“Today we are going to fish him out of the Secretariat together with Chembe Nyangu. We will camp there until the National Executive Committee (NEC) calls for a meeting to discipline Maj Kachingwe and Mr Nyangu,” he said.

He said other secretariat staff and NEC members would be allowed to carry on with their duties without hindrance.

“We will not be intimidated by his military expertise, what we are saying is that he should respect our party president and the Members of Parliament,” he said.

Mr Lusambo said claims by Maj Kachingwe that he was instrumental in keeping the MMD afloat after its defeat by the Patriotic Front (PF) during the September 20, 2011 general elections were not correct.

He charged that members of the party were aware that Maj Kachingwe and President Sata were old time friends who had continued working together.

He also charged that Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala and Maj Kachingwe were delaying Dr Mumba’s party programmes.

Maj Kachingwe on Wednesday vowed that no ‘rogue elements’ would hound him out of the former ruling party.

Maj Kachingwe also disclosed at a media briefing that there was a clique in the party which was targeting to destabilise the secretariat.

Maj Kachingwe and Mr Nyangu have in the recent past come under attack from within the party that they had been compromised and were allegedly working with the PF.
But Maj Kachingwe said it was not his style of politics to insult the Republican President as promulgated by some people in the MMD.

He said some people had been accusing him of not issuing strong statements against the PF and President Michael Sata in particular.

Meanwhile, sources within the MMD yesterday revealed that MMD MPs met with Dr Mumba at his residence in the morning to chart the way forward on the impasse in the party.

And MMD chairperson for elections Gabriel Namulambe said it was important for the party to realise that it had problems which needed to be resolved internally.

Mr Namulambe said in an interview that party members should desist from running to the press to iron out their problems.

He said those with issues should come out in the open and lay on the table any problems which needed to be resolved.

“Let us accept that there is need to sit down and sort out the problems. There is need to face the problems head on instead of going to the media,” he said.

Mopani Copper Mines happy with massive investment in mining sector

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Mopani Copper Mine in Kitwe

Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) PLC has observed that Zambia’s mining sector is bright as evidenced by the massive investment in the industry.

Mopani Copper Mines Chief Executive Officer Danny Callow said his mine has invested about US$2 billion in the rehabilitation of old mining infrastructure and setting up of new ones.

Mr. Callow said this investment has contributed to the significant improvement in the country’s national copper output.

He said the national copper output is currently at around 700,000 tonnes adding that this growth rate has led to a critical shortage of suitably trained and experienced technical personnel to support the increasing mining activities.

He was speaking during the 2012 school of mines symposium at University of Zambia in Lusaka.

Mr. Callow lamented that the skills shortage in the mining industry has led to serious competition among mining companies for the few available skilled persons.

He further disclosed that MCM has already started constructing a multi billion Kwacha world class technical mining training centre in Mufulira town so as to enhance skills training among the local people for them to be relevant to the growth of the mining sector.

Mr. Callow said the centre will be constructed at a total cost of US$15 million.

He stated that MCM anticipates to train about 200 students in various mining fields

He said the training will be aligned in a manner that will enable the student to work anywhere in the world.

Mr. Callow said MCM recognizes the need for quality mining skills training to assist the country produce artisans with skills that would be applied anywhere in the world.

He said MCM is committed to providing necessary facilities and financial support towards higher education that is responsive to the needs of the industry and society.

Mr. Callow explained that Zambia’s success in the mining sector remains dependent on quality skills training as this is what will drive development of the economy and attainment of the targeted increase in production.

And School of Mines Head and Lecturer Dr. Jewette Masinja thanked MCM for demonstrating its commitment of supporting higher learning institutions by providing training in relation to mining.

ZANIS

Avoid donor dependence, Zambians advised

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Copperbelt Provincial AIDS Coordinator and Advisor has challenged the country to reduce dependency on donor funds for HIV/AIDS programmes.

Violet Mongeza said government and other stakeholders should be able to mobilize funds from local corporate entities because most donors were currently struggling with their own financial crises.

Ms Mongeza said business houses should also offer to assist in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic because the scourge also affects them.

Ms Mongeza was speaking in Kitwe yesterday during a World AIDS Day preparatory breakfast meeting organized by the National AIDS Council for Chief Executive Officers of Kitwe based corporate organizations in an effort to lobby their support to the World AIDS day commemoration which falls on December 1.

Kitwe has been chosen to host this year’s National World AIDS Day Commemorations.

The decision has been arrived at due to this year’s theme which is targeting youths and Kitwe happens to have the highest population of youths compared to other districts in the country.

The Copperbelt province also has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country which stands at 23 per cents while the average national rate is at 14 per cent.

And Kitwe District commissioner Elias Kamanga appealed to business houses in the city to sponsor the organization of the World AIDS Day commemorations and ensure that that it becomes successful.

Mr Kamanga said HIV and AIDS is a serious health problem that cuts across all social economic fabric as such tackling it needs consented efforts from both government and the private sector.

This year’s World AIDS day will be commemorated under the theme ‘Getting to Zero; I am a Youth Making a Change for an HIV Free Zambia’.

ZANIS

Government to introduce public employment exchange services for job seekers

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Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda
Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda

GOVERNMENT will next year embark on an ambitious programme to introduce public employment exchange services which will be created in all 10 the provinces to place job seekers with prospective employers.

Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda said the programme would also provide career counseling and guidance services and collection of labour statistics on labour demand and supply.

Mr Shamenda was speaking in Parliament on Wednesday evening when he presented a ministerial policy statement for his ministry whose 2013 national Budget allocation of K36.8 billion was approved.

“Furthermore, the ministry will implement the 2012 to 2015 decent work programme. This will be linked to the national strategy on industralisation and job creation adopted by Government to ensure the promotion of decent work,” he said.

He told the House that the ministry had finalised data collection for the 2012 labour force survey and expected preliminary survey results by March 2013.

He said the programme was significant as it had strong labour market information systems that would be able to access how many jobs the Government would be creating on an annual basis sector by sector.

He said the practice of casualising labour was rife due to factors such as the prevailing high unemployment and under-employment levels that made job seekers susceptible to abuse by some employers.

Mr Shamenda however said, once the law relating to engagement of casual labour was reviewed, it would greatly contribute to arresting the vice.

“In order to strengthen law enforcement capacity, the ministry has also procured eight motor vehicles which will be used for labour inspections,” he said.

He was glad the court had settled the issue of minimum wage to the satisfactory of the Government and the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) which had since accepted the ruling.

On the 2013 ministerial budget, he said they would focus on improving capacity in rehabilitation of dilapidated infrastructure and building new offices where they never existed and setting up a public relations unit that would improve communication with stakeholders and the public.

Earlier, the Parliamentarians approved the 2013 Budget allocation to the Ministry of Justice of K295.1 billion in which Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba assured Zambians that Government would ensure the country would have a people driven Constitution without any interference.

And Deputy Chairperson of parliamentary committees Chifumu Banda directed Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Emmanuel Chenda to issue a ministerial statement by today on Government’s position over payments of farmers by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

This was in his ruling to a point of order raised by MMD Mpongwe MP Gabriel Namulambe who wanted to know whether it was in order for Mr Chenda to keep quiet when FRA had not paid several farmers in some parts of the country.

Government to deal with loan defaulters-Kambwili

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BETTY Nyau, Director of a business called Betty’s baby wear, receives a cheque of K 28, 509,000-00 from Youth and Sport Minister, Chishimba Kambwili, during the handover ceremony of youth empowerment cheques to youth in Eastern Province
BETTY Nyau, Director of a business called Betty’s baby wear, receives a cheque of K 28.5 million from Youth and Sport Minister, Chishimba Kambwili, during the handover ceremony of youth empowerment cheques to youth in Eastern Province

Government has warned that it will not hesitate to bring to book any youth group that will not pay back the loans that they have accessed from the Youth Development Fund, (YDF).

Youth and Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili has expressed regret that out of the K4 billion that was disbursed by the MMD government to the youth groups in the country, only about K100 million have so far been paid back.

Mr Kambwili said that this is why this time government will put strict measures in place to ensure that all the monies that will be given out to the youth is paid back for others to benefit.

Speaking when he handed over 18 cheques to youth groups in Chipata today, Mr Kambwili said it is a duty of government to ensure that the living standards of the people especially the youths are uplifted.

He said government will ensure that all the monies given to the youth groups are properly accounted for in a transparent and efficient manner.

He noted that government has a responsibility to effectively facilitate, promote, coordinate and monitor youth empowerment initiatives in order to improve the quality of lives of the youth throughout the country.

Mr Kambwili explained government has recognized the youth as partners in the development of the country.

He said entrepreneurship is an integrated component of youth empowerment and job creation that can be attained through enterprise, training and development of micro credit for small scale business as well as start up capital.

The minister noted that this is why his ministry has created the youth development fund as a vehicle to promote enterprise development for wealth and job creation among the youth in the country.

Earlier Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba assured the minister that the province will ensure that the loans given to the youth are repaid and that beneficiaries are fully aware of this revolving fund.

In a speech read for him by his Deputy Permanent Secretary Zachariah Luhanga, Mr Mwamba said it is gratifying to note that the ministry has prioritized youth as key to national development.

He further thanked government for creating the youth fund adding that it will go a long way in building capacity and making the youth to successfully contribute to the economic development of the country .

And one of the recipients of the loans Mwima Mutime thanked the PF administrative for fulfilling the election promise of improving the welfare of the people and empowering the youth throughout the country.

In the 2012 budget, the government has allocated about K11.8 billion for the youth fund where as K700 million has been allocated to Eastern province.

ZANIS

Lusaka Water and Sewerage station Engineers at UTH to fix water problems

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Director of Engineering at the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), Wilson Shane
Director of Engineering at the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), Wilson Shane

Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) management today resolved to attach a team of engineers to the the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) to ensure that the water shortage problem was resolved once and for all. LWSC has already dispatched the Engineers and they will be stationed at UTH until at a time that water supply is normalised.

Earlier, President Michael Sata today paid an impromptu visit to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka to check on the water supply which was yesterday reported to be erratic.

President Sata was not amused with what he found and without hesitation directed UTH management and the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to ensure that normal water supply is restored at the highest health institution in the country.

“I don’t mind if there is no water in the whole Lusaka but UTH must have water. People are suffering here,” he said.

President Sata directed UTH Managing Director Lackson Kasonka and the LWSC to ensure that both the underground and overhead reservoir tanks are always filled with water so that patients and those taking care of them do not have a shortage of the commodity.

The UTH tank has a capacity of 1.08 million cubic litres of water but there was only about 40,000 litres when the President visited the institution this morning.

Director of Engineering at the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), Wilson Shane, had a tough time to explain to President Sata why there was an erratic supply of water at the institution.

Mr. Shane however maintained that his company had supplied water to the underground reservoir tank at the institution.

He said the onus was now for UTH to pump the water from the underground tank to the overhead one which distributes the commodity to the rest of the health institution.

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Housing, Emerine Kabanshi, explained to President Sata that power outages were to a greater extent responsible for intermittent water supply.

Ms. Kabanshi said when there was a power outage at the water pump in Kafue, the rest of Lusaka gets affected in terms of water supply.

But despite all these explanations, President Sata directed that all relevant authorities should find a lasting solution to the water shortage at the institution so that water supply is normalised.

Yesterday, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) reported that normal operations at the UTH theatre had been suspended because of lack of water.

ZNBC further reported that the maternity ward was also facing a serious shortage of water hence operations had been affected.

ZANIS

William Njobvu Thanks GRZ for Call

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Given Lubinda
Given Lubinda

Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda has phoned Israel based Chipolopolo midfielder William Njobvu to inquire about his safety following recent security concerns.

More than 150 people have died over the last week in an armed standoff between The State of Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza strip.

Njobvu plays for Israeli top flight side Hapoel Be’er Sheva a club based in Beersheba City that lies just West of the Gaza Strip.

The ex-Lusaka Dynamos player confirmed on his Facebook page that Lubinda telephoned him over his safety.

“Thank you to Honorable Given Lubinda for the important call of concern over my safety here in Israel, many thanks to the Zambian people for their prayers,” Njobvu posted on his Face book page.

“It is indeed a blessing to come from a country with such great leaders and great people.”

Njobvu is expected to be part of Herve Renard’s Chipolopolo team that goes into camp in South Africa just after Christmas ahead of the 2013 Africa Cup after missing this year’s tournament due to injury.

 

 

“Sate Sate” Kampamba Itches for Foreign Move

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Nkana striker Reynold “Sate Sate” Kampamba has declared him-self ready to play football abroad.

Kampamba, 20, finished as the 2012 season top scorer after netting 15 goals in all competition.

Swiss side Young Boys is understood to be among hosts of European clubs interested in signing the youngster.

Kampamba said after emerging top scorer on the local scene he wants to go abroad.

“Next season I want to go abroad to play football and I am ready,” he said.

The striker said he was excited to finish as top scorer.

“It’s good and actually it was a gift from God. I am just thanking my team, all the coaches and my team mates. As Nkana, we didn’t start the season well but we late improved and I think the coming of Mopani (Copper Mines) changed a lot at Nkana,” Kampamba said.

Kampamba has also been nominated for the 2012 Young Player of the Year Award.

 

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