CHIEF Registrar of Societies in Zambia Clement Andeleki has said that he does he does not hate churches but merely wants order to prevail in the Christian community.

Mr Andeleki said it was a fallacy for some people to suggest that he was anti-Christianity as his office was operating within the law to correct wrong things which were done some various organisations, including churches.

He said his office has had serious problems with certain people who wanted to use the church to steal and other commit crimes in the name of God.

Mr Andeleki was speaking in Livingstone in an exclusive interview with Zambezi FM Radio Station.

He said his office had no problems with Muslims and other big churches such as the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and United Church of Chirst (UCZ), among many others.

“We have problem with these small churches where a husband and a wife put a tent and Chitenge to worshipping without being registered.

It is an offence for any head teacher to allow a church or a gathering of 10 or more people to operate within a school when such a church has no valid registration certificate to operate in the country,” he said.

Mr Andeleki said when people were doing something wrong, they would always find a reason that would bring hatred.

“For instance, some people were alleging that I am a Muslim and I hate Christians, that is a fallacy,” he said.

Mr Andeleki said he had been officiating in meetings for Muslims, Churches, political parties and other registered organisations without any bias.

“How do you explain a situation where some people go in buses and read one verse then start asking passengers to contribute money for the sermon provided?

We have said no to such things because enough is enough. If you are found preaching in the bus and asking passengers to give you money afterwards, we will deal with you and the owner of the bus because that is stealing,” Mr Andeleki said.

Her said if people wanted to preach in buses, they should go ahead and preach but they should not ask for money from passengers because that amounts to an offence for inconveniencing the traveler.

“A certain man of God in Lusaka has recently been marrying and re-marrying in the church as well as impregnating young girls who go to church to worship. He has been busy cleansing and committing activities which are ungodly.

As chief Registrar of Societies, I am mandated to enforce the Act and I have given him a five year ban though some people have cried foul,” he said.

He said the Registrar of Societies could close any political party whether it was in the ruling party or opposition as well as any organisation or a church which were not following the provisions of the law.

“It is very important for organistions such as churches to register with us so that they can have legal existence purposes.

For instance if your church is not registered and you invite another preacher from outside the country, that preacher can’t be allowed to preach in Zambia unless the church is registered,” he said.

He reiterated that it was an offence for any branch of the church or NGO to operate without being registered by the Registrar of Societies.

“When you register, there are a lot of advantages such as owning land, buying or owning property and accessing loans.

Anyone who operates unregistered entity commits a crime which attracts not less than seven years under the Societies Act,” he said.

President Michael Sata has with immediate effect created seven more districts. This is according to a press release made available to the media by State House.

The newly established districts are three in Western Province namely Nkeyema, Limulunga, and Mwandi. While the other newly created districts are Luano, Chisamba and Chitambo in Central Province, and Shiwang’andu in Muchinga Province.

The Head of State has directed the provincial leadership in Western, Central and Muchinga Provinces to liase with all the stakeholders, political parties and their Royal Highnesses in order for them to establish the centre where the district headquarters will be situated.

President Sata says the PF administration is determined to decentralise Government operations for the effective and efficient delivery of services to the masses.

He emphasised that the Government shall promote decentralisation and local community participation in order to build a better and transformed country.

Kabwe, December 5, A cross section of Kabwe residents have expressed ignorance over the on- going central province constitutional convention though the Technical Committee Drafting the Zambian Constitution is confident that the sensitization process has been successful.

Random interviews conducted by ZANIS in Kabwe revealed that most residents are not aware of the ongoing provincial constitution in the provincial capital.

Muntanga Mulonda who is one of the Kabwe residents said he is aware of the constitution making process but expressed ignorance of the stage reached in the constitution making process.

Mr Mulonda complained of lack of sensitization on the grass root level and appealed to the technical committee drafting the Zambian constitution to involve ordinary Zambians if they were to arrive at a people driven document that will stand the taste of time.

He said most people were not aware of the ongoing convention when it was being held in their town stating that the whole process has only targeted the elite and organizations to which some people may not be affiliated to.

He noted that most information relating to the constitution was only made available by means of radio, Newspapers and television adverts mainly made in English and are not accessible to the ordinary citizen.

“They may have advertised the convention on TV but there is need for road shows and door to door campaign to take the information to the people, i have not seen any information to that effect” he said.

Another Kabwe resident, Chabala Zulu expressed ignorance over the issue and further inquired what the constitution is.

Meanwhile, Champo Mweema a Catholic sister said she was aware that the constitution was being amended but did not know the current position.

Sister Mweema, appealed to the technical committee to ensure that most of the views held by people are implemented as there has been heated debate over the matter from its commencement.

She said awareness campaigns were only carried out at the beginning of the exercise and that not much information has been disseminated in the last stage which was held at district level.

The central province provincial constitution convention which begun on Monday, 3rd December has entered its third day and will be concluded on 8th December.

The provincial convention is the second last stage of the deliberations and making recommendations to the final draft constitution.

ZANIS

Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga has expressed confidence that Zambia will meet its target of switching on from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) in 2013.

Mr. Malupenga said despite the tight schedule ahead of the implementation process, government’s commitment and its swift response on the exercise remains positive.

He observed that since the coming of the new government into power in September 2011, major strides have been taken to ensure that the country gets on course with the subject of digital migration.

ZANIS reports from Windhoek in Namibia that Mr. Malupenga was speaking in an interview today soon after the launch of a symbolic switch on ceremony of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to digital terrestrial television.

Mr. Malupenga said currently, Zambia is in the tendering process in which a bidder is yet to be picked and engaged in running the implementation process of DTT for the country.

He disclosed that the tendering proceedings were supposed to have been closed in October 2012 but due to a number of challenges surrounding the implementation process, the period was extended and is due to close next week.

The Permanent Secretary cited financial constraints as one of the major challenges in achieving the implementation of the DTT for Zambia.

He however said government has already tasked the Ministry of Finance to mobilise resources to ensure the success of the project.

He also said Namibia, like Zambia, is facing similar challenges in its quest to implement its digital migration.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to Namibia Wendy Sinkala was present at the ceremony.

And Namibia Minister of Information and Communication Technology Joel Kaapanda said the switch on to DTT was a demonstration that his country has fulfilled the international obligation guidelines set by the international authorities.

Mr. Kaapanda said as Namibia migrates, there will be many channels that will be made available through the provision of efficient services.

He has since urged the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s board and management to remain on course during the implementation process.

He added that it was important for Namibia to live up to her obligation.

Meanwhile, NBC Director General Albertus Aochamub said the switch on of Namibian Broadcasting Corporation to DTT was an achievement that would not only increase the performance of the corporation’s productivity but also increase its revenue base.

ZANIS

The Copperbelt province constitution convention has banned delegates from using electronic gadgets during the sessions following the picture that appeared on the INTERNET yesterday showing some delegates playing computer games when others were debating the constitution.

Vice chairperson for the Copperbelt constitution convention Rosta Nachalwe announced the ban this morning after seeing a picture on the INTERNET showing two female delegates playing computer games while others were busy debating the district resolutions of the constitution.

Ms. Nachalwe said participants, who wish to play games at the expense of debating the national document, risk being expelled from the house for not following house rules.

She noted that such individual were denting the image of the province hence the need to have them expelled for wasting taxpayer’s resources.

She said the constitution making process was an important undertaking which should be taken seriously by all participants who have been tasked by Zambians to formulate the constitution on their behalf.

The angrily looking vice chairperson also cautioned people suspected to have taken the picture to report such matters to the convention leaders before uploading them to the public.

She stressed that failure to report such matters may result into expulsion from the convention and urged those who were photographed playing during constitution debates to apologize before action is meted out on them.

And provincial facilitator Steven Lindunda expressed disappointment at some delegates’ lack of concentration during the sessions saying such were only attending the convention because of financial gain.

Mr. Lindunda noted that some delegates were always reporting late for sessions while others do not contribute anything, a trend he described as sad and irresponsible.

He said delegates have a rare opportunity to represent their districts and not surf the internet or play game.

The picture appeared on the INTERNET with a caption, “While the rest are busy debating and making submissions at the Copperbelt provincial…., BIG QUESTION? Who are they representing?”

The provincial constitution conventions, which are being conducted in three provinces, officially opened on Monday this week and are expected to close on Saturday, 8th December, 2012.

ZANIS

The Technical Committee on drafting the national constitution has so far spent K52 billion out of the K95 billion which government allocated towards the constitution making process.

Chairperson on the Technical Committee on drafting the national constitution Annel Silungwe said an additional K20 billion has been allocated for the constitution making process in the 2013 national budget.

Justice Silungwe was reacting to demands by some delegates in the Northwestern province constitution convention who were demanding for more allowances as they carry out their duties in the national constitution making process.

He has since asked the delegates to sacrifice as they deliberate over the constitution making process because they were using public funds.

He explained that the Auditor General’s office will audit the committee when the whole exercise comes to an end.

Justice Silungwe said although the money seems to be colossal, it was not enough to cater for any increase in allowances to the delegates.

The chairperson further said the delegates were carefully selected to be part of the constitution convention and has since challenged them to perform according to the public expectations in order to produce a good constitution.

Meanwhile, Justice Silungwe said consulting international experts was important in the constitution making process.

He was reacting to concerns raised by some delegates on the issue of international consultation which they felt would divert the aspirations of the Zambian people and argued that the constitution was for Zambians hence it should be people driven.

He said for Zambia to have a good constitution, it needed to consult widely from various organisations, the people of Zambia and international experts.

Justice Silungwe clarified that all international experts that were consulted were Zambians who live abroad except one who is from South Africa.

He said there was absolutely nothing wrong with consulting outsiders in order to embrace the best practices in the constitution making process.

The chairperson said the technical committee was fully focused and therefore, there was nothing that will divert it the focal point in order to give the people of Zambia what they deserve.

And technical committee member Mwangala Zaloumis said the team has adhered to the terms of reference and consulted widely from outsiders was within the terms of reference.

ZANIS