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Extractive Industry Transparency Alliance has called on the Patriotic Front government to ensure it comes up with policies in the mining sector that will benefit mine workers and the local communities in which mining companies operate.
Alliance executive director Mwiya Mwandawande says government should understand that the labour dispute at South Africa’s Lonmin mine which resulted in the killing of 34 miners and several others injured, serves as a lesson to other countries like Zambia on the importance of having a mining industry that does not exploit the locals.
Mr. Mwandawande said Zambia has already shown signs of some discontent in the mining industry as evidenced by the recent dispute at Maamba Collum Mine in southern province which resulted in the death of a Chinese national.
Mr. Mwandawande has urged government to formulate guidelines that will ensure that the mining contracts it signs with the investors also serve the interests of the local communities and the mine workers.
Mr. Mwandawande was speaking to QFM news in an interview.
The Open Society Foundation says the opposition MMD’s repentance as announced by party president Nevers Mumba last week is an admission of guilt that the former ruling party was corrupt.
Foundation Executive Director Sunday Chanda told QFM News that it is important for the MMD leadership to bring back what they allegedly stole from the Zambians in order for their repentance to be complete.
Mr. Chanda said Dr. Mumba understands very well that repentance must be accompanied by restitution and that any repentance without amends will be deemed as an attempt to deceive people.
He has also slammed the MMD’s intentions to come up with an Anti Corruption committee to look into any acts of corruption within the party stating that the committee will just be a club of loyalists and one dimension whistle blowers.
Mr. Chanda added that the decision to disown convicted party leaders is an attempt to defend and protect suspected party criminals who are seemingly untouchable.
He said if the MMD is serious with repentance, they should ask all party leaders facing corruption charges to step aside and allow the due process of the law to take its course.
MMD Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka (in glasses)
MMD Chisamba member of Parliament Moses Muteteka yesterday appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to one count of theft of a motor vehicle.
Muteteka, 42, a politician of plot number 439 Ibex Hill in Lusaka, denied the charge when the matter came up for plea before principal resident magistrate Aridah Chulu.
The parliamentarian, a former Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing in the MMD administration, is charged with theft of a motor vehicle contrary to Section 281(a) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
“Yes, I do understand the charge and I deny that charge,” Muteteka said when the charge was read to him by Mrs Chulu.
Particulars of the offence are that Muteteka allegedly stole a motor vehicle namely Mitsubishi Fuso light truck valued at K75 million, the property of Chibombo District Council in Chibombo Constituency.
He is alleged to have registered the vehicle in his name with the registration number ABX 3529.
The offence is alleged to have been committed on May 24, 2010 in Lusaka.
However in an exclusive interview with QFM, last week Mr. Muteteka said that the motor vehicle theft charges slapped on him are mere misrepresentation of facts.
He said he initially bought two vehicles, his personal vehicle worth K 92 million and another one for the constituency, worth K 75 million kwacha from the same source.
He explained that he consulted the constituency committee and decided to instead give the constituency his personal vehicle, which he said was in a very good condition because he wanted the best for his constituency.
Mr. Muteteka said that there is nothing wrong with what he did adding that the only misunderstanding is the swap that was made.
Magistrate Chulu adjourned the matter to September 20 for commencement of trial.Muteteka is being represented by lawyer Friday Besa.
THE MMD and the Registrar of Societies have agreed to de-register the 42 branches which landed the party into a K400 million debt.
Chief Registrar of Societies Clement Andeleki said the branches will be de-registered once the MMD has made the full payment.
The former ruling party says the first payment will be made this week.
Mr Andeleki said in an interview in Lusaka that the MMD will, however, keep 11 branches which will include 10 provincial branches and the party’s secretariat.
“We agreed that once they have paid in full, we will de-register the 42 branches and the MMD will remain with only 10 provincial branches plus the secretariat,” he said.
He said it will soon be a policy for political parties to register only 10 branches across the country.
“We now want to make it standard for all political parties operating in the country to have only 10 branches, including the executive committee and the headquarters.
“This is to avoid parties accumulating bills which they are unable to settle,” he said.
MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe said the party has agreed to have the 42 branches scrapped from the registrar’s list of registered branches.
Major Kachingwe said the branches were registered years back and were not in the party’s records although they remained on the register of the societies’ records.
He said the party has since agreed to pay off the debt and have the branches seceded from the party.
“We have agreed to pay of the debt and have these branches de-registered because they are not in our records,” Maj Kachingwe said.
MMD president Nevers Mumba said last week that the party will pay the K400 million which it owes the Registrar of Societies.
He also asked the registrar to de-register the branches which have landed the party into the debt because they are not recognised by the party.
“In the interest of unity, we have resolved to pay and asked the registrar to de-register the 42 branches. We are paying not because we owe but because we want to ensure unity,” he said.
He said de-registering the party would mean the country has to go for general elections because the 53 parliamentary seats that the party holds will have to be re-contested.
He said the delay in paying the K400 million is not because the party has no money but because the branches in question are not known by the party.
On March 14, 2012, the MMD was de-registered by the Registrar of Societies for non-compliance to the Societies Act.
However, on June 25, 2012, the Lusaka High Court threw out the application by Mr Andeleki to de-register the party for non-payment of annual returns amounting to K390 million
Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata
Mandevu Member of Parliament, Jean Kapata has dispelled assertions by some residents that she has neglected her constituency and described the allegations levelled against her as unfounded, adding that those accusing her of neglecting them have a hidden agenda
Ms Kapata instead stated that she stands to assist the voiceless in society.
The Mandevu MP, who is also Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister, assured her constituents that she was looking into the matter of poor drainage systems.
Speaking at Lusaka’s Protea Hotel shortly before going to tour works in her area, Ms Kapata said once drainage works are completed the negative impact of natural disasters, such as floods, would be a thing of the past.
She pointed out Garden Compound as one area in her constituency where drainages were being worked on.
Ms Kapata explained that the Patriotic Front (PF) government remains committed to addressing pressing issues that have hindered progress among the livelihood of Zambians.
She further urged residents in her constituency to guard against vandalising any public property.
The MP observed that there were a number of challenges which needed attention and on account of this, she decided to place every Monday afternoon as the day on which residents of Mandevu can go and visit her office to enlighten her on difficulties being encountered.
The Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister pledged to bring development to Mandevu by uplifting people’s standards of living.
Ms. Kapata has since called on Mandevu residents not to be misled by selfish individuals who were there to merely pass unconstructive criticism.
THE Patriotic Front (PF) says Zambians should ignore rhetoric meant to make President Sata’s running of the country difficult. The PF says Zambians should instead continue supporting President Sata and his administration to build on the successes achieved so far.
This is according to a statement released on Sunday by the PF’s director of media and publicity Chanda Mfula. Mr Mfula said Zambians should not allow themselves to be diverted from the PF’s achievements in the 10 months it has been in power.
He cited the reinstatement of the Abuse of Office clause in the Anti-Corruption Act as one such positive move by the current government. Mr Mfula said the clause has not only strengthened the fight against corruption but restored donor and investor confidence in the country’s economy and governance.
Mr Mfula said the PF’s commitment to the fight against corruption has already seen proper distribution of resources to needy and critical social and economic areas such as agriculture, education and health.
“This is no mean achievement as corruption has mainly been responsible for the lack of social services such as access to good health, clean water, food and education for the majority of our people in the last 20 years,” he said.
Mr Mfula said the PF, under the leadership of President Sata, is on course with its programmes aimed at delivering its promises to Zambians and is, therefore, always reluctant to engage in political discourse which does not address issues.
He said other milestone achievements by the PF include the increase in the tax exemption threshold and the upward revision of the minimum wage for low income earners, which has received support.
Last year, the PF government increased the tax threshold from K1 million to K2 million. This means those earning below K2 million are not taxed.
Government adjusted the minimum wage recently by about 100 percent, putting salaries for domestic workers at K522,000 per month, while shop and general workers will now earn about K1.1 million.
Mr Mfula also said both public and private media are enjoying great editorial independence to enable them give the Zambian people balanced and impartial views.
And PF Copperbelt provincial youth secretary Chanda Kabwe says the youth expect the opposition to participate positively in the governance of the country for the benefit of the people.
Mr Kabwe said the current trend where the opposition is not participating in the development of the country is worrying.
“As PF youths on the Copperbelt, we would like to express our displeasure with the leaders in the opposition who are constantly frustrating efforts that the government is making to improve the social welfare of the people,” he said.
Mr Kabwe cited the United Party for National Development (UPND) as one of the opposition parties not offering constructive criticism to Government.
He appealed to UPND youths to behave in a mature and sober manner whenever they are issuing statements in the media about the government.
Mr Kabwe also urged non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Zambia to supplement Government’s efforts in sensitising members of the public about the constitution-making process.
He said a good constitution should reflect the views of the majority of the Zambians, hence the need for NGOs to participate fully.
Some Shaka Shake opaque beer waiting to be guzzled by some youths
Street vendors in Lusaka have spread their business tentacles by introducing the sale of liquor on the streets without any liquor licenses.
The vendors who are selling Chibuku shake shake have told MUV TV NEWS that the beer they are selling is not as harmful as the banned alcohol sachets popularly known as Tujilijili.
Meanwhile the Vendors have vowed not to leave the streets unless they decide on their own.
The vendors have explained to MUVI TV NEWS that no amount of pressure from any government official will force them to leave the streets.
They have stated that being on the streets is the only price they have for voting for the Patriotic Front in the 2011 general elections.
There has been conflicting statements from government officials on the issue of street vending.
Former labour Minister Austin Liato with his wife and sympathysers at the Lusaka magistrate court
Former Labour Minister Austin Liato has resigned as Chairperson for labour in the opposition Movement for Multi-party Democracy-MMD.
Mr. Liato, who was tipped by the majority to become MMD vice-president for political affairs, had his political ambitions shattered after the party resolved not to put into leadership, any member convicted by the courts of law.
But the former Kaoma Member of Parliament argues that the decision to stand as the party’s vice president was propelled by people on the ground.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Muvi TV news, Mr. Liato says the so called new style of politics will lead the political party into extinction as the majority of members were not consulted on the matter.
He adds that although he will not challenge MMD president Dr. Nevers Mumba on some decisions, Mr. Liato vowed never to keep quite on issues that affect party programmes and functions.
He has also predicted that the former ruling party is headed for political extinction and doom if the views from the grassroots are not taken into account.
Mr. Liato has since thanked people that backed his candidature.
Meanwhile, the MMD, through the Deputy National Secretary, Chembe Nyangu, says it has not received the resignation letter from Mr. Liato regarding his NEC position.
FILE: Nyiombo Depot Manager Alfred Mwenya (l) explains the fertiliser distribution programme to Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Nicholas Banda at Mwenzo Food Reserve Agency in Nakonde
One of the bidders in the supply and delivery of fertilizer for the year 2012 to 2013 farming session has cited corruption in the awarding of the tender to Nyiombo investment.
Neria’s Investment Limited has since filed for judicial review of government’s move to award the tender to Nyiombo investment amid an appeal it has lodged before the Zambia Public Procurement Authority.
In an affidavit filed in the Lusaka High Court, Neria’s investment claims the move by Agriculture Minister, Emmanuel Chenda, to announce the awarding of the contract to Nyiombo investment before the Zambia Public Procurement Authority could resolve its appeal, is illegal and in contravention of section 70 4 of the ZPPA act.
The company has cited the issuance of a certificate of registration to Nyiombo investment by the Citizen’s Economic Empowerment Commission-CEEC- on May 17 2012 as one irregularity adding that this was done after submission of bids was closed. Submission of bids was closed on April 29 2012.
Neria’s investment claims that on August 10 2012 it appealed against the awarding of the tender to Nyiombo investments but that Mr. Chenda went ahead and announced that the contract was finalized.
The Lusaka high court has since stayed the contract pending final determination of the judicial review.
In a tender to Nyiombo Investments and Omnia Small Scale Limited the two companies are to supply and deliver over 100 metric tonnes of fertiliser worth over 128 million US Dollars under the Farmer Input Support Programme-FISP- for the 2012/2013 farming season.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development Emmanuel Chenda has since announced that Nyiombo Investments was engaged to supply and deliver over 40 thousand metric tonnes of D Compound and more than 50 thousand metric tonnes of Urea at a contract value of over 80 million dollars.
File: The failed National constitutional Conference of 2011
The Oasis Forum has expressed worry that the ongoing constitution making process runs a risk of failure due to government’s lack of political will.
And the Oasis Forum has demanded that government publishes a detailed breakdown of how the K95 billion released for the work of the technical committee has been spent.
Addressing a media conference in Lusaka today, Oasis Forum Spokesperson Fr. Cleophas Lungu said it is a matter of concern that the whole process of constitution making process runs the risk of failure.
Fr. Lungu said the Forum is concerned that government is failing to positively respond to what well-meaning Zambians have been demanding thus far.
He said consensus building is at the heart of any constitution making process adding that adopting a secretive and know it all attitude is a recipe for disaster.
Fr. Lungu said government should immediately start the process of putting together a constitution bill which will give legal backing to the ongoing process.
He said having an Act of Parliament to govern the process would protect the entire constitution making process of political manipulation.
Fr. Lungu said the likelihood of political manipulation is still there especially that the final report would be present to the President and his cabinet.
Meanwhile, Fr. Lungu says the Forum is concerned over the lack of transparency in the utilization of public funds allocated for the constitution making process.
He said despite several promises from officials like the Minister of Justice, the budget of the Committee has to date not been published.
“We wish to restate our call that the budget for the whole process must be made public with immediate effect in the spirit of promoting transparency and accountability in the utilization of public resources,” Fr. Lungu said.
“We are of the strong view that the said budget be published showing the source of the K95 billion, the budget lines and what amounts are being used for the personnel, printing of various materials and the organisation of district, provincial , national and sector conventions.”
And Fr. Lungu has raised concern that the PF government is becoming more intolerant to divergent views.
He said the manner in which UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has ill-treated at a police station is a clear sign that the PF government is becoming intolerant to divergent views.
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has urged the Patriotic Front leadership to take stock of their performance in relation to pre-election campaign promises.
LAZ president James Banda has observed that most of the campaign promises made by the Patriotic Front remain unfulfilled.
Mr. Banda has cited the promise of delivering a people driven constitution within 90 days after assuming office as a prominent issue that has raised eyebrows in some sections of society.
The LAZ president has however observed that the PF government has an opportunity to make history by enacting a Constitution that will embrace the views of every Zambian.
He says it is therefore important for government to engage all stakeholders in coming up with a document that will stand a test of time.
Mr. Banda says consensus is a key component in the country’s constitution making process.
National Restoration Party (NAREP)president Elias Chipimo Jr
National Restoration party president Elias Chipimo Junior has charged that the Patriotic Front has been dismal in its performance during the one year they have been in power.
Mr Chipimo said that the PF has failed to come up with a clear plan for the development of the country since taking over government last September.
He added that foreign investors are also unsettled as a result of certain economic policies the government has come up with.
He has further stated that the PF is clueless on curbing unemployment among young people in the country.
Mr Chipimo said that the idea of re-introducing the Zambia National Service skills training for school leavers is simply a gimmick to buy time.
He wonders how government is going to fund the ZNS skills training and what jobs will be available after the youth have completed the training.
Mr Chipimo was speaking on Muvi TV’s the Assignment last evening monitored by QFM.
The Catholic Church has described as disrespectful the response given by Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu to the Church’s demand on government to revoke the deportation of Fr. Viateur Banyangandora.
Zambia Episcopal Church General Secretary Fr. Cleophas Lungu said the Catholic Church finds it disrespectful for Mr. Lungu to ask the Church to formally appeal against the deportation of Fr Banyangandora through the media.
Fr. Lungu said Fr. Banyangandora was in Zambia as a son of the Catholic Diocese of Chipata adding that the appeal by the Church’s leadership in Eastern Province was enough ground for Mr. Lungu to review the deportation.
He however revealed that the Church and the government have commenced negotiations with the possibility of having the deported priest return to Zambia.
Fr. Lungu said the Catholic Church maintains that there were no credible reasons to justify the deportation of Fr. Banyangandora.
Meanwhile, hospitalized Medardo Joseph Cardinal Mazombwe is said to be coping well and responding to treatment at South Africa’s morning side Clinic.
Zambia Episcopal Church General Secretary Fr. Fr. Cleophas Lungu told Reporters that Cardinal Mazombwe is able to speak now and has been doing some physiotherapy treatment for his spine problem.
Fr. Lungu said the Catholic Church is grateful for the prayers of quick recovery extended to Cardinal Mazombwe since he fell ill.
He said the medical team is still doing a number of tests and will be able to determine the next course of action on Wednesday.
Tribe wasn’t an issue the day soccer fans went to receive the Chipolopolo Boys at KK International Airport in Lusaka after winning the Africa Cup of nations in February this year
By Rev. K.Kaoma
In “The night without a President,” veteran politician Sikota Wina’s shows how tribalism almost destroyed the new independent nation of Zambia in the late 1960s; forcing President Kaunda to resign for a night. If Kaunda and his friends thought that they had resolved the issue of tribalism then, they were wrong. Today, churches and political parties are still divided on tribal lines as they did then, if worse.
It is sad that even after 48 years of independence tribal identification has become the highest qualification to holding office in our beloved nation and in some cases in the Church. It is sad that at the time when our nation is suffering from the cancer of tribalism, political and religious leaders are doing little to confront it aggressively!
If there is something that “The night without a President” reveals, it is that tribal suspicion has a history in our political discourse. Just as some Tongas and Lozis vowed not to support a Bemba then, the situation has not changed that much. They are some Bembas out there who are ready to vote for a frog than give their vote to HH; reason, teti nvotele umutonga! The same can be said about the Lozi and other tribes in Zambia.[pullquote]Today, we have a choice: to allow politicians to divide us while they make millions, or unite and fight for our equal share as Zambians[/pullquote]
Tribalism is a dominant force in Zambian political discourse. Generally, tribal loyalty and not ideologies or policies determined one’s political affiliation. Even when the party has failed to execute its manifesto as was the case with the MMD, people from the leader’s tribe are likely to vote for that party out of terror of being governed by another ethnic group. Yet the only benefit such tribes receive from their tribespersons is occasional beers, fitenges and salt during the campaign season.
Despite UNIP, MMD and now PF being associated with the Bemba, for example, Northern, Muchinga, Central and Luapula provinces remain among the least developed regions in the nation.
Here, it is important to recapture the fact that Africans understand themselves as a community. Rather than following René Descartes in saying cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am), Africans would say “I am because I am interconnected to my family, community and tribe.”
For Africans, defending one’s tribe is a moral issue. When the MMD and now PF government ignore the plight of the Lozi, even those in the diaspora feel disrespected. Likewise, when Sata demeans HH, the entire Tonga community feels disparaged. HH should also understand that when he degrades Sata, it feeds into the stereotype that Tongas’ are against Bembas. Such stereotypes may energize one’s tribal base but will not win one a national election in which all tribes participate.
Most people believed that the advent of education will make us more conscious of our individual needs as opposed to ethnic ones. The late president Frederick Chiluba, for example, asserted that many people viewed themselves as individuals and not simply as members of some ethnic group. While such an argument has some truth, tribalism should not be underrated in Zambian politics.
No one can deny the fact The United Party for National Development is by default a Tonga party and Patriotic Front is a Bemba political party. The MMD may appear national but in reality, it is still perceived as another Bemba party. With Nevers Mumba now on the helm of MMD, it is not likely that Tongas or Lozis will give him their vote. If HH or Chipimo need to win the 2016 elections, they have to unite all Zambians. Tribalism works to the advantage of the ruling party, hence under the current scenario; Sata’s PF is likely to retain power in 2016 even by a very small margin.
Perhaps it is here that opposition leaders should change their strategy if they want to rule Zambia. Like Barack Obama did in 2008 when he addressed racism in American politics, politicians should address tribalism as a major threat to Zambian democracy. They must give a better vision for a united Zambia where tribal differences are celebrated as the very knots that unite our nation. But to pretend it does not exist or to accuse PF or UPND of being tribal while benefiting from it during elections is self-deception and entombing our nation’s future.
Friends, Zambians are nonviolent but to think that the country is immune from tribal related violence is a delusional. Our leaders should know that tribalism can win one the presidency but it cannot ensure the security or the development of our nation. Demonizing each other will only do one thing; allow politicians to make money on our backs while we are busy fighting each other.
It is time we realized that no one tribe makes Zambia. Like our soccer National Team, we can make Zambia great if we work as team. We need all tribes to win the war on corruption, poverty, ignorance and ultimately tribalism.
Alas, poverty knows no tribal boundaries or identifications. For a common man, being Bemba, Lozi, or Tonga does not put food on the table. Let us put aside tribalism, and fight our common enemy responsible for our perpetual agony – politicians who continue to amass wealth at our expense. Today, we have a choice: to allow politicians to divide us while they make millions, or unite and fight for our equal share as Zambians. Kaunda taught us to shout, “One Zambia, One Nation,” but it is encumbered on us all to turn those words into a lived reality. Next time when we sing our national anthem, let us put away tribalism and become “all one, strong and free!”
File:Some pedestrians in Lusaka walk past a heap of garbbage along Lumumba road oblivious of the possible outbreak of cholera with the onset of the rains.
CHOLERA has broken out in Mpulungu in Northern Province.Northern Province permanent secretary Emmanuel Mwamba said in a statement issued in Kitwe yesterday that Mpulungu District Hospital recorded the first case of cholera on August 12.
He said the hospital has treated 52 suspected cases of cholera and recorded one death.
Mr Mwamba said there are seven patients currently admitted to Mpulungu hospital.The most affected villages are on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and these are Kasasa, Tonga, Mupata, Sondwa and Posa although nearly every village has recorded a case of suspected cholera.Mr Mwamba said Government has put in place strong preventive measures to curb the outbreak.
He said a medical team dispatched to the area last week has attributed the outbreak of cholera to the sudden downpour that the country experienced two weeks ago.
Mr Mwamba said he has dispatched Northern Province medical officer Dr Jelita Chinyonga to Mpulungu to help co-ordinate the prevention and treatment of the cholera cases.
He also said the medical team has established an unusual high outbreak of diarrhoea diseases in the surrounding villages.
Mr Mwamba said the medical team is undertaking medical tests to validate and distinguish the cholera cases from normal diarrhea diseases.
He also said Government has banned all gatherings, including funerals, to comply with prevention regulations to help mitigate the outbreak.
He also directed Mpulungu district commissioner Juliana Chuzu to ensure the communities abide by the instructions.
“The medical team is also training communities in identifying the cases, carrying out disinfections in affected homes and areas.
The team is also airing key messages on the local radio station and distributing chlorine on the lakeshore villages,” Mr Mwamba said.
Mr Mwamba also directed Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company to restore water supply to Mpulungu townships following the breakdown of the service last Friday.
He is concerned that the outbreak of cholera may escalate if water supply is not restored immediately.
Mr Mwamba warned that this will worsen and undermine the prevention mechanisms that the medical team has put in place.
Mpulungu lies on the shores of Africa’s deepest and largest fresh water lake – Tanganyika.
The town usually records cases of cholera during the rainy season.
This is mostly due to unhygienic conditions and lack of latrines and toilets in fishing villages.
Extractive Industry Transparency Alliance has called on the Patriotic Front government to ensure it comes up with policies in the mining sector that will benefit mine workers and the local communities in which mining companies operate.
