The African Parliamentarian Network against Corruption (APNAC) has challenged government to state clearly what Malawian judge Lovemore Chikopa is still doing in the country when the tribunal he is supposed to head has not yet commenced sitting.
APNAC chairperson Cornelius Mweetwa says the continued stay of Judge Chikopa in Zambia is a serious abuse of public resources and that it sends a clear message that he will be compromised.

Speaking to QFM, Mr. Mweetwa notes that Judge Chikopa’s recent appearance at statehouse for the swearing in ceremony of the recently appointed MMD parliamentarians is a source of concern which government needs to explain.

Mr. Mweetwa says the foreign Judge’s stay in the country is prejudicial as it implies that he already knows that the outcome of the court proceedings will be in favor of the state.

In may this year, President Michael Sata appointed and swore in Malawi high court judge Lovemore Chikopa to chair a tribunal expected to investigate the alleged interference by the suspended judges in the case involving the development bank of Zambia and the post newspapers, JNC investment holdings and Mutembo Nchito.

The tribunal was however put on hold after two of the suspended judges filed an injunction against President Sata’s decision to suspend them and to set up a tribunal to probe them.

QFM

Zambia Federation of Employers Executive Director Harrington Chibanda today failed to show up at Lusaka Central Police where he was summoned for questioning over the minimum wage.

Mr. Chibanda said in an interview from Ndola that he could not make it to the police station today due to a family bereavement. He said he was on the Copperbelt arranging for the family to travel to Mwinilunga where the funeral was being held.

Mr. Chibanda was summoned to Lusaka Central Police after Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda reported him for inciting employers to disregard the new minimum wage. He however maintained that Mr. Shamenda’s complaint to the police is aimed at intimidating the Zambia Federation of Employers.

“I have asked my lawyers to communicate to the police that I will only be available on Tuesday next week, at the moment, we are in mourning as a family,” Mr. Chibanda said.

Meanwhile, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions Secretary Genral Roy Mwaba has appealed to Mr. Shamenda to drop the complaint against Mr. Chibanda. Mr. Mwaba said it does not help the spirit of social dialogue if some partners start involving the police in their issues.

“We believe that this is an issue which could be amicably sorted using the channels provided for in the Tripartite Labour Consultative Council. We appeal to the Minister to drop the charges,” Mr. Mwaba said.

The Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAOG) has strengthened its resolve to upholding the death penalty in the draft constitution. Speaking at a press briefing today, PAOG Chief Bishop Harrison Sakala said this was in view of the increased brutal murders in the country.

He said life was sacred and it was unfortunate that in a Christian nation, people should be murdered in brutal ways.

He cited an example of the a NIPA student Ruth Mbandu who was murdered and had her facial skin peeled off while her eyes and ears were plucked out in what was suspected to be a ritual killing.

Bishop Sakala urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that all the culprits are brought to book.

He further called on the church to pray even more in times of such murders so that the ‘flaming darts of the devil’ are quenched.

He also urged the church to pray against road traffic accidents which have been on the increase in the country.

The bishop said the church strongly held that all human life is sacred and that was why it did not condone taking of life even through abortion.

Bishop Sakala said life begins immediately at conception and that it should be protected even before it is brought into the world.

He expressed disappointment that abortions are taking place in a Christian nation like Zambia.

He was reacting to reports that an international organization, Marie Stops, has been conducting illegal abortions in Muchinga and Northern provinces.

ZANIS

DEPUTY Minister of Local Government and Housing Steven Masumba has been granted a court order restraining the MMD from expelling him from the party.

Mr Masumba, who is MMD Mufumbwe member of Parliament, has been granted the injunction following his application on Monday.

The Deputy Minister sued MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe and was seeking an injunction to stop the MMD from expelling him until the matter is determined by the court.

High Court Judge Chalwe Mchenga restrained the former ruling party from writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare the Mufumbwe parliamentary seat vacant and to continue insisting that Mr Masumba is expelled.

This is contained in an ex parte order signed by Mr Justice Mchenga yesterday.

“It is ordered and directed that the defendant [Maj Kachingwe] and his agents or servants or otherwise, however, be restrained and an injunction is hereby granted restraining him from alienating the plaintiff [Mr Masumba] until after the hearing of this matter,” Mr Justice Mchenga said.

In a writ of summons filed on Monday, Mr Masumba wanted the High Court to grant him an injunction restraining the MMD, its agents or servants from any further action against him, until the determination of the matter.

He is further claiming an order that his alleged dismissal or expulsion from the party is null and void, costs and any other reliefs the court will deem fit.

Mr Masumba also wants the court to grant him an order that the expulsion of a member of Parliament by any political party from performing national functions, is ultra vires [beyond constitutional powers].

He said he was not called to any disciplinary committee to give his side of the story and determine the merits and demerits of his position and that he only learnt about the decision to expel him through the media.

Mr Masumba said the MMD’s decision is malicious and without due regard to the rules of natural justice and fairness.

And Mr Masumba, who visited the Daily Mail offices in Lusaka yesterday, said he is in Government serving the interests of Zambians.

Mr Masumba was expelled last month for what the MMD called “gross misconduct” and not because he accepted a job from the PF government.

The minister is one of the 10 MMD MPs serving as deputy ministers in the PF government.

Meanwhile, STEVEN MVULA reports that three traditional leaders in Mufumbwe have pledged to support the PF despite not voting for the party in last year’s general elections. The chiefs are Mushima, Chizela and Munyambala.

In a signed statement released yesterday, the chiefs said: “Despite the fact that we did not give you a seat in Parliament, we believe that all this is in the past. Now our President is Mr Sata and the PF is in government.”

The traditional leaders said they have been compelled to give unwavering support to the PF because it is the party in government and no meaningful development can happen without its involvement.
The chiefs said they want to be part of the team that will deliver development to Mufumbwe.

They also appealed to President Sata to move the capital of North-Western Province from Solwezi to Mufumbwe.

Mufumbwe, they said, is centrally located and it will help to spur development in the province.

Meanwhile, the MMD leadership in North-Western Province has expressed surprise that Mr Masumba has dragged the party to court for expelling him.

Acting provincial chairman David Kapwepwe said it is strange that Mr Masumba has U-turned on his earlier decision not to appeal against his expulsion.

This is according to a statement released yesterday

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Embattled MMD Mufumbwe Member of Parliament, Steven Masumba has challenged his expulsion from the party in the high court.

Mr. Masumba who is serving in the PF government as Local Government and housing deputy minister charges that the decision to expel him was done out of malice and without due regard to the rules of natural justice.

In his statement of claim filed in the Lusaka high court Mr. Masumba claims he was not heard at any disciplinary hearing to determine his merits or de merits of his position.

He is asking the court to order that his expulsion from the MMD is null and void.

Mr. Masumba has also filed in an exparte order for the court to grant him an injunction against the MMD until final determination of his law suit.

He says his acceptance of the position of deputy minister in the PF government is not against the MMD constitution.

MUVI TV

A special Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances court in India has convicted a Zambian national and handed her down 30 years with hard labour for attempting to smuggle drugs from Mumbai to South Africa.

Naney Tembo, 28, was apprehended on December 22, 2008, by the detectives of the Mumbai Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) on a tip off that she was carrying drugs when she was about to board a South Africa-bound flight.

The AIU officers recovered 77 tablets of heroin, weighing 840 gms, stashed in four socks hid by Tembo under her dress.

Tembo initially tried to misguide the interrogators saying that she was not aware that the consignment was a contraband and she did the “job” to support her family in Zambia. During the trial special public prosecutor Arun Gupte examined 13 witnesses.

Tembo was convicted on counts of attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country and contravention in relation to manufactured drugs and preparations under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakhs on Tembo. She will have to undergo the sentence for 30 years with each term extending up to fifteen years.