Former Community Development and Social Services Minister Stephen Manjata, who died on Sunday this week, has been buried at Old Mulamatila cemetery in Kaoma district in Western province.

The late Mr. Manjata died at Lusaka Trust Hospital after an illness.

Hundreds of Kaoma residents, who were led by Minister of Gender Inonge Wina and several other senior government officials, turned up in their large numbers to bid farewell to the former minister and former Luampa Member of Parliament at the church and burial services.

Speaking at the church service at Kaoma Evangelical Church of Zambia (ECZ), Mrs. Wina, who was representing government, said President Michael Sata learnt of the sudden death of Mr. Manjata with great sorrow and sadness.

She said immediately after hearing about the death of Mr. Manjata, President Sata instructed government to make necessary arrangements to ensure that the former minister was granted a state funeral in recognition of his great service to the country.

She said the late Mr. Manjata was a great grassroots man who was able to interact and mix with everyone from the lowest to the highest levels in society.

Mrs. Wina said the late Mr. Manjata also had a great understanding of politics and was able read the prevailing political climate in the country.

She said early in his political career, Mr Manjata played a great role as an activist in the UNIP youth wing adding that he was also very instrumental in bringing back multiparty democracy when he joined the MMD in 1991.

She said the late former minister will be greatly missed in the political circles as he was a unifying voice even amidst high political tension.

And Western Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta said the untimely death of Mr. Manjata was a great loss not only to his family and the people of Western Province but the nation at large.
Mr Mwaliteta said as a local entrepreneur in Kaoma, Mr. Manjata played a role in creating employment for the people of Kaoma through his timber business.

He urged the family to look up to God as they mourned their beloved relative.

And giving an emotional tribute, his son, Musenge stated that his father was truly a man of the people as he embraced everyone in society regardless of their social standing in society.

Musenge said his late father’s home was always open to everyone and that he always instructed his children to allow anyone who came to his house to see him irrespective of what time they came.

He said his father also taught all his children to take each other as one although they came from different mothers.

Times of Zambia has issued an apology to Former First Lady Thandiwe Banda over a story which they alleged that the State had seized properties worth billions of Kwacha, including a hotel in neighbouring Malawi and some apartments in Tanzania allegedly belonging to former First Lady Ms Thandiwe Banda.

Below is the full apology

In the Times of Zambia edition of December 20th 2011, issue number 15, 244 under the banner headline, “State Seizes Thandiwe’s Properties,” and quoting impeccable sources, it was stated that:

“The State had seized properties worth billions of Kwacha, including a hotel in neighbouring Malawi and some apartments in Tanzania allegedly belonging to former First Lady Ms Thandiwe Banda.”

It was further stated that,

“Government investigative wings were working in liaison with authorities in the host governments for properties suspected to have been plundered and were outside Zambia’s jurisdiction.”

The Times of Zambia is now satisfied that the above statements were wholly unfounded and desires to express its regret to Ms Thandiwe Banda and to unreservedly apologise to her and any other third parties for any embarrassment and inconvenience which the said article may have caused.

Accordingly the said article is withdrawn forthwith.

Kapiri Mposhi District Council has not received its 2012 Constituency Development Fund-CDF- because it has failed to account for the One point three billion received in the last two years.

This came to light during the Third Full Council Extraordinary meeting when it was reported that the local authority had failed to spend and retire over 1.3 billion Kwacha CDF that it received for various projects in 2010 and 2011.

The funds are still lying idle in the Council’s account and the Central government has ordered that the Council utilizes and retires the carry-over funds.

Incoming Council Secretary Hamwende Mpande disclosed that the council has failed to utilize the funds because of procurement requirements for some projects.

Mr. Mpande says most of the funds were budgeted for the procurement of a Grader, Community Radio Station Equipment and several on-going projects.

But Kapiri Mposhi Member of Parliament Lawrence Zimba wonders why the council has failed to utilize the money which were disbursed in the first quarter of 2011.

ZNBC

Quick action by police yesterday prevented residents of Zamtan Township in Kitwe from administering instance-justice on a man after he allegedly threatened to kill one of their colleagues following a dispute over land.

The residents got incessant after the man, only identified as Mr Mate who claims ownership of land hosting over 500 residents produced a suspected gun and threatened to shot one of the residents resisting eviction.

It was then that the residents ran amok and started rioting by throwing stones and all sorts of missiles causing commotion in Zamtan.

A media crew that rushed to the earlier around 18:00 hours found the irate residents who armed with stones trying to lynch Mr Mate who was only rescued by police after they came in and fired tire-gas canister.

Kitwe district police chief, Chibesa Musa confirmed the protest but could not give details referring the matter to Copperbelt police commissioner Mary Tembo, who by press time could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Calm has returned to Serenje following a night of riots by irate residents.

The residents ran amok yesterday upon hearing that Police had arrested three suspects behind the murder of a young taxi driver who was reported missing on Monday 15th October 2012.

Gideon Kunda aged 22 of College compound was hired by passengers who later murdered him.

The incident happened on Saturday 13th October, 2012 around 16hrs.

Police managed to arrest three suspects in connection with the gruesome murder.

Two of the suspects were apprehended from Ndabala Check point as they were trying to escape.

Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela has told ZNBC News that the situation in Serenje town is now under control.

ZNBC

Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini yesterday ruled that Finance minister Alexander Chikwanda was in order to present the 2013 budget while at the same time acting as republican President.

Dr Matibini made the ruling after UPND Monze Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu rose on a point of order as to whether the Government was right to allow an acting President to present the budget.

Mr Mwiimbu wondered whether the Government was in order to abuse the processes of Parliament with impunity and setting precedence that demeaned the integrity of the House.

But in his ruling the Speaker said Mr Mwiimbu’s argument did not hold as Mr Chikwanda continues to be minister of Finance even when acting as President.

Dr Matibini said President Michael Sata had authorized Mr Chikwanda to present the budget speech as was usually the case.

“The presentation of the budget is always executed by the minister of Finance. The fact that he is acting President does not entail him to vacate the position. The President instructed the minister of Finance to deliver a message and he did just that.

“There is really nothing un-parliamentary and the House is not undermined. He (Mr Chikwanda) has not vacated that position. President Sata is still President of the republic of Zambia,” he said.

The Speaker also said the President under the provisions of the law could appoint a member of his Cabinet to act in his position during his absence.

Parliament also heard that Zambia currently has 2289 registered medical doctors as of June 30, this year.

Health Deputy Minister Patrick Chikusu was responding to an oral question by MMD Chipata Central MP Reuben Mtolo who wanted to know how many medical doctors are currently registered and practicing in Zambia.

On the number of Chinese medical doctor’s practicing in Zambia, Dr Chikusu said there were 132 conventionally trained doctors and 15 herbalists who are registered with the Traditional Practitioners Association of Zambia (TPAZ).

Of the 132 doctors Chinese Doctors, 64 are fully registered while 58 are on temporal registration.

Parliament also heard that government spends an average K9 million to educate a single student in the school of education at the University of Zambia (UNZA) while a Humanities and social Sciences student cost K12 million.

Responding to a question by PF Chilubi MP Obius Chisala, Education deputy minister Nevelyn Wilomba said a school of Medicine student’s education was pegged at K40 million, Mines student at K46million and Agriculture at K35 million.

The House further heard that 511 stray dogs had been killed in Lusaka from the time the exercise started to date.

Local Government deputy minister Forrie Tembo said 7995 dogs had been registered in the same period.

Mr Tembo said as a result of the registration exercise which costs K55, 000 per dog, the Government had raised over K439 million.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Livingstone City Council has rejected Minister of Youth and Sport Chishimba Kambwili’s directive to repossess the town centre swimming pool from former Southern Province Minister Alice Simango.

The local authority has maintained that the swimming pool was legally and transparently sold to Ms Simango.

But Mr Kambwili says the resolution of the Livingstone City Council to reject his directive for it to repossess the swimming pool is null and void.

The minister said the swimming pool falls under his ministry and not the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
He said any decision made by councillors can be overturned by the minister in charge of facilities.

“We are getting the swimming pool back for the people of Zambia,” he said.

On Monday, the local authority unanimously upheld the resolution of a full council meeting of September 4, 1998 which offered the swimming pool to Ms Simango and A1 Butchery to former councillor Henry Sibalwa.

In a full council meeting convened to come up with a response to Mr Kambwili’s directive, the councillors said the minister had by-passed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing under which the council falls.

They made the resolution after debating the report submitted by Town Clerk Vivian Chikoti, which stated that the swimming pool was legally sold to Ms Simango and that all procedures were followed in the transaction.

“The swimming pool was sold to Ms Simango through a competitive bidding process at a price of K9 million under minute number LCC/644/98 of 1998. It was sold at the same time as A1 Butchery to Mr Henry Sibalwa,” Ms Chikoti submitted.

She said her office submitted all the documentation concerning the sale of the facility to the Ministry of Youth and Sport after the ministry requested for information regarding the sale of the swimming pool.

Ms Chikoti’s report was supported by the documents Ms Simango produced when she appeared before the councillors.

“I bought the swimming pool after it was offered to me following a full council meeting. The truth will prevail,” Ms Simango said.

And Livingstone mayor Aggrey Njekwa, who chaired the meeting, said Mr Kambwili should have liaised with Minister of Local Government and Housing Emerine Kabanshi, who would have written to the Livingstone City Council through the permanent secretary to hold a full council meeting to discuss the sale of the swimming pool.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it is receiving reports of violence in Mufumbwe ahead of the November 8 parliamentary by-election.

Public relations manager Cris Akufuna has since warned that the commission will not tolerate any electoral violence ahead of the by-election.

Mr Akufuna said in an interview in Lusaka on Monday that the commission will not hesitate to invoke the provisions of Section 28 of the Electoral Act, which provides for the postponement of a by-election in the event of escalating violence.

“We are receiving reports of violence in Mufumbwe where party cadres are reportedly fighting but this should be avoided at all costs.

“We are appealing to all political parties contesting the Mufumbwe seat to respect one another. When aggrieved, they can go to the district conflict management committee where they can have their problems sorted out,” he said.
Mr Akufuna however said the commission has engaged the police to provide maximum security for the by-election to be successfully conducted.

He said the commission also wants police officers to conduct themselves in a professional manner when administering the Public Order Act.

Mr Akufuna appealed to police officers to apply the law fairly to all political players during campaigns ahead of the by-election.

He also urged all political parties to conduct peaceful campaigns for the by-election.

Mr Akufuna said all political leaders should restrain their supporters from engaging in acts of violence to help foster peace and unity in the country.

He said the country’s young democracy can only flourish when all political leaders become tolerant to one another and avoid practising politics of character assassination.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has filed in a notice of appeal against the Magistrate Court’s decision to refuse to refer his case to the High Court.

Mr Hichilima contends in his notice of appeal filed before the court that Lusaka chief resident Magistrate Joshua Banda erred in law and fact when he ruled that there were no constitutional issues in his application as what he could only see was a criminal charge against the opposition leader.

This is contained in a notice of appeal filed on his behalf by his lawyers Sakwiba Sikota,Martha Mushipe, Keith Mwemba, Milner Katolo, Chad Muleza, Marshal Muchenda and others.

Hichilema said Margistarte Banda’s conclusion that he did not find any constitutional issues to warrant the reference of the matter to the high court was an error in itself.

He said his application to have the matter referred was for the high court to determine the constitutionality of section 67 of the penal code under which he had been indicted on a charge of publication of false news.

Hichilema further said that Magistrate Banda misdirected himself and fell in grave error when he declined a constitutional reference to the high court without making a finding as to whether the application was frivolous and vexatious.

He added, “the trial magistrate also misdirected himself when he failed to appreciate that the constitutional issues raised where of public interest which needed to be fully inquired into and determined by the high court”.

This is in a case where Hichilema, 50 was charged with one count of publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

It is alleged that Hichilema on June 11, 2012 in Lusaka, orally published statements in which he said, inter alia, that “PF had signed an arrangement for the militia in Sudan to train PF youths.

[Times of Zambia]