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Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda says the revised minimum wage is now a piece of legislation which must be complied with by all employers in the country.
Mr Shamenda has warned of prosecution against erring employers. He told ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday that the revised minimum wage is non reversible.
Mr Shamenda said that the minimum wage was arrived at after wide consultation. He has urged all employers to implement the new minimum wage to avoid getting in trouble.
Mr Shamenda was reacting to the Zambia Federation of Employers -ZEF- Executive Director Harrington Chibanda who said the revised minimum wage is beyond the reach of many employers.
Mr. Chibanda was speaking when he featured on a Tv2 programme ‘Seven Dayas Today’ on Saturday morning.
And VICE-President Guy Scott yesterday assured that there will be no job losses following the upward adjustment in the minimum wage.
Dr Scott was responding to MMD Mafinga Member of Parliament, Catherine Namugala in Parliament yesterday who raised concern over the increase in the minimum wage, saying this would trigger job losses in the informal sector.
Dr Scott said that Government had taken a positive step in improving the welfare of domestic workers and others in the informal sector and that the law would prevent any job-cuts.
“What we have done as Government is the right thing, if we hadn’t created the jobs, people would still be complaining and so we are doing the right thing and I want to assure you that there will be no job losses following the changes we have made to the minimum wage,” Dr Scott said.
Recently Government announced a 100 per cent pay rise for workers in the informal sector and urged all employers to abide by the earning adjustment to improve the living standards of the workers.
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott told Parliament yesterday that £411,000 worth of assets and cash from the Barotse Royal treasury was distributed to district councils countrywide in 1964.
Dr Scott said according to the information released by former Minister of Local Government Sikota Wina as published in one of the editions of the Times of Zambia newspaper in 1964, the £411,000 worth of assets and cash was distributed to councils after the signing of the Barotseland Agreement.
The Vice-President, who laid the cutting of the article on the table of the House, was answering a question from Bahati member of Parliament (MP) Harry Kalaba (Patriotic Front) who wanted to know how much was in the Barotse Royal treasury and what happened to the money at the time the Barotseland Agreement was signed.
This was during the Vice-President’s question time.
And Dr Scott said the Litunga of the Lozi people in Western Province, like the other three Paramount Chiefs in the country, derives his powers from the colonial establishment and the republican Constitution.
Dr Scott said this in response to a question by Lukulu West MP Misheck Mutelo (MMD) who asked whether or not the Litunga has powers as those of the Chitimukulu of the Bemba, Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni and Paramount Chief Gawa Undi of the Chewa people.
The Vice-President dismissed assertions that Government is trying to ridicule the Litunga, describing them as baseless.
And Dr Scott said it is not Government’s desire to see people lose their jobs following the upward adjustment of the minimum wage for domestic, shop and general workers.
He said Government revised the minimum wage to ensure all workers are accorded decent salaries.
Dr Scott said this in response to Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala (MMD) who asked if Government is aware that the implementation of the minimum wage is likely to result in high levels of unemployment.
[pullquote] ZRA collected K1.185 trillion excise duty, K1.7 trillion customs duty, K3.9 trillion value added tax, K4.5 trillion pay as you earn while K7.5 trillion was collected from other taxes last year.[/pullquote]
“If we follow your logic, it will mean reducing wages and increasing the number of workers. But this is not the case with the PF government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Finance Miles Sampa told Parliament that Government collected K18.8 trillion in taxes from January 1 to December 31 last year.
He said the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) collected K1.185 trillion excise duty, K1.7 trillion customs duty, K3.9 trillion value added tax, K4.5 trillion pay as you earn while K7.5 trillion was collected from other taxes.
GOVERNMENT will next year re-introduce compulsory national youth service skills training for school-leavers at Zambia National Service (ZNS) camps countrywide, Parliament heard yesterday.
But the programme will not incorporate the rigorous military training aspect. The focus will just be on imparting various entrepreneurial skills in youths.
Minister of Youth and Sport Chishimba Kambwili told Parliament that the training will be conducted in the 81 districts of the country over 18 months and will focus on training youths in various entrepreneurial skills.
Mr Kambwili announced the development in response to a question by Bahati member of Parliament (MP) Harry Kalaba (PF) who wanted to know the plans Government has for youth development.
This was during the question for oral answer session. Mr Kambwili said once Cabinet approves the plan, Government will allocate funds in next year’s budget for the programme. He said ZNS camps will be renovated and instructors to train the youths will be engaged.
Mr Kambwili said Government has decided to re-introduce the programme as the current number of colleges and universities in the country cannot absorb all school leavers. He said Government wants to ensure that all youths acquire survival skills in the event that some of them do not enroll in tertiary learning institutions.
The minister said all school leavers will be enrolled in ZNS training camps regardless of the region they will have come from. Mr Kambwili was responding to a follow-up question by Sesheke Central MP Siyauya Sianga (UPND) who asked about the criteria that will be used to enroll school leavers in the ZNS training camps.
And Mr Kambwili expressed disappointment at Nalikwanda MP Geoffrey Lungwangwa (MMD) who said the compulsory training for youths will infringe on the rights of school leavers to choose what they would want to do.
The minister said he is disappointed that a legislator can be against a programme which will improve the welfare of youths. He said Government’s goal is to integrate the youth in development and that Government will also construct at least a vocational training centre in each district.
Mr Kambwili said Government will also facilitate the construction of recreational facilities and micro-financing institutions to enable youths to easily access finances.
“To demonstrate its commitment to youth development, K50 billion has been allocated in this year’s budget for youth skills development compared to K30 billion provided in the 2011 budget,” he said.
THE nine MMD members of Parliament serving in the Patriotic Front government as deputy ministers have pledged allegiance to President Sata and not their party president Nevers Mumba whom they have described as a failure.
Their resolution to stick to Government has prompted the MMD to consider expelling the MPs, a decision which if implemented, may spark as many as nine by-elections.
Hours after Dr Mumba held a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday calling on the MPs to exclusively stick to their party or risk expulsion, the lawmakers were defiant, saying they are “ready for anything.”
Frustrated by what they termed a scheme to obliterate them from the political scene, Dr Mumba yesterday raised the battle for survival by asking the nine parliamentarians serving in Government to resign.
But Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing Stephen Masumba, who spoke on behalf of others, said the MPs are not “shaken or moved” and they are still loyal to President Sata.
“When it is necessary for us to go to court, we will go to court when it becomes convenient. Dr Mumba is a failure and MMD is destined for doom because if I will contest the Mufumbwe seat on PF ticket, I will scoop it and this reflects the situation in the eight other constituencies,” he said.
Mwinilunga MP Elijah Muchima, who is Deputy Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said he will make a responsible decision over the call by his party president.
He said he consulted widely before accepting to serve in the PF government and that he will do the same even now when he is being requested to leave Government.
“I will have to consult with my chiefs and the people who voted for me into office. The people in my constituency were very happy when I was appointed deputy minister, so I will have to hear from them,” he said.
Chilanga MP Keith Mukata, who is Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said in an interview that there is a history to the MPs being appointed to serve in the PF Government.
He said the MMD party leadership made a decision then that their members could be appointed into ministerial positions and does not understand the change of heart this time around.
“There is nothing that they can point at and say I did wrong. Let them apportion blame if they want but I found it humbling to be appointed deputy minister by the President [Sata] even when I belong to an opposition party,” Mr Mukata said.
He said if the MMD has made a decision not to work with the PF government, then all their MPs including those who are backbenchers, must resign. Mr Masumba said the suspension or expulsion of him and his counterparts is expected and accused Dr Mumba of being bitter.
Dr Mumba disclosed at a press briefing yesterday that the party’s national executive committee (NEC) has decided to invoke the resolution of the parliamentary liaison committee which was held immediately after it lost the 2011 elections.
“We have found it necessary to defend ourselves and institute discipline in our party,” he said.
Dr Mumba alleged that the ‘hiring of MPs is a small part in a huge plan to dismember, destroy and to diminish the influence of the MMD and the opposition both inside and outside Parliament.’
“We find it extremely difficult to accept the behaviour of the Patriotic Front. If President Sata and the PF were respectful of us, if they could have called me, called us, maybe it would have been different. We would have said we are working with a civil Government.
“Our only tools for survival are discipline and unity. As president, I would rather have 20 disciplined and dedicated MPs that 80 who not sure where they stand,” Dr Mumba said.
He said the party had resolved that any MMD MP, who accepts a ministerial job from the PF government, ceases to be a member of the party and a letter of expulsion shall be delivered and the national secretary shall inform the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Dr Mumba said while he can accept that MMD MPs can serve in the PF, he found it unacceptable that his party leadership is not consulted.
He said even President Sata and other opposition leaders protested when late President Mwanawasa appointed some members from the opposition to become part of Government.
Dr Mumba said he was not ‘poached’ from the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) but was appointed Vice-President following three months of discussions between the leadership of the NCC and MMD.
Other MPS serving in Government are Josephine Limata (Western Province), Patrick Ngoma (Education), Forrie Tembo (Local Government), Patrick Chikusu (Health), Nicholas Banda (Agriculture) and Isaac Banda (Mines).
By 19:00 hours last evening, some of the MPs were still locked up in a meeting with Dr Mumba at the party secretariat.
FILE: Gate crushers searching for left over food in Lusaka
The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection has acknowledged the new minimum wage announcement by the Minister of Labour, Fackson Shamenda stating that it shows that the government is cognisant of the need for workers’ salaries and wages.
They have observed that over the last year, the cost of living as depicted by JCTR’s Basic Needs Basket (BNB) had remained about K2.9m with the most recent figure being K3, 395,660 for the month of June 2012 for an average family size of five living in Lusaka.
The organisation says among some of the findings of the JCTR Satellite Homes research, a compliment to the BNB survey had been that low incomes and a high cost of living were having an adverse impact on people’s ability to make savings and access food daily with some households having to skip meals in order to stretch household income to the month end.
The have further stated that Satellite Homes Research conducted in high density townships typically Chainda, Chibolya, Chipata, Garden, Kalingalinga, Kanyama and Ng’ombe showed, the growing challenges of Zambians due to high costs of basic needs including food, accommodation, water and electricity.
And the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International observed that the increase in minimum wages was a positive initiative for workers as they would enjoy higher disposable incomes and thus better options and standards of living.
CUTS national Coordinator Simon Ng’ona however noted that it was over ambitious to subject the same increase across all sectors as sectors differ in terms of performance and market sizes.
Meanwhile, MMD president Nevers Mumba has charged that government has to create competition in the job market to ensure all Zambians benefit from high salaries.
Dr. Mumba said the released minimum wages will result in the massive loss of employment in the country.
Emirates Zambia County Manager Mr Khalid Hassan (centre) and Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Africa, Mr Jean Luc Grillet
Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has recently moved their Lusaka Town office to a new, and more centrally location.
The new high-tech office was inaugurated by Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Africa, Jean Luc Grillet in a VIP ceremony that was also attended by dignitaries and members of the travel industry.
Covering 512 square metres, the new sales outlet features seven customer service counters dedicated to flight bookings, Emirates Holidays’ reservations and general customer enquiries.
“The opening of our Lusaka sales office comes less than six months after we launched our flights from Lusaka to Dubai. This is a testament to the confidence that Emirates has in the growth of Zambia’s economy,” said Jean Luc Grillet, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Africa.
Extending Emirates’ award-winning standards of service to the pre-flight experience, the flagship outlet introduces a one-stop ‘Travel Hub’ addressing the needs of Emirates’ business and leisure travellers, premium passengers, frequent-flyer members and potential holiday-makers.
A team of dedicated local staff, overseen by Country Manager Khalid Hassan, is on hand to provide advice, assist with bookings and queries, and facilitate smooth payment for tickets.
“As one of the world’s most lauded airlines, Emirates enjoys a well-established reputation for superior customer service both in the air and on the ground. The new office will enable us to provide our valued customers in Lusaka with the high standards of service, and superior product and facilities that they have come to expect from Emirates,” Mr Grillet added.
The new office is located on the 2nd floor of Acacia Park, Thabo Mbeki Road, and is within easy reach of the commercial centres in Lusaka.
Emirates launched its five-times-a-week service to Lusaka and Harare on 1st February this year. To date, the airline has carried over 43,000 passengers on the route.
The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare service is operated by an A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering 12 luxurious First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 183 passengers in Economy Class. EK 713 departs Dubai at 0925hrs, arriving in Lusaka 1435hrs. The service departs Lusaka at 1620hrs, arriving in Harare at 1720. The return flight will leave Harare at 1850hrs, arriving Lusaka at 1950hrs. It departs Lusaka at 2125hrs and lands in Dubai at 0640hrs the next day.
With a fleet of 176 aircraft and already the largest Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 operator in the world, Emirates currently flies to 125 destinations in 74 countries. With an order for 50 new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft placed at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates now has 227 aircraft on order, worth over US$62 billion at list prices.
Emirates currently serves 21 passenger and cargo destinations across the African continent. Over the next five months, the airline will launch a further four destinations including Erbil, Washington, Adelaide and Lyon.
Emirates Zambia County Manager Mr Khalid Hassan (centre) and Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Africa, Mr Jean Luc Grillet
Mopani Copper Mines on Friday unveiled a sponsorship deal for “Mighty” Mufulira Wanderers that will see the firm rehabilitate Shinde Stadium.
Mopani Chief Executive Officer, Danny Callow announced the deal in Mufulira and revealed that his firm has allocated K500 Million toward the rehabilitation of Shinde Stadium which will commence this year.
Callow said Mopani would continue providing monthly grants to the Faz Division One North side.
” We are aware of the run-down state of Shinde Stadium, which needs some urgent attention. I am glad to announce that we have allocated a sum of K500 million towards the rehabilitation of the stadium this year,” he said.
Callow added:”This phase one will involve construction of a security wall fence to ehance security of the infrastructure before major rehabilitation works can commence.”
He also spoke against vandalism.
“One of the reasons we have dilapidated infrastructure is vandalism. We hope the community will guard against vandalism.”
Zambia midfielder Justin Zulu has joined South Africa Premier Soccer
League side Golden Arrows.
Kickoff reports that, Zulu has signed a three-year contract with
Arrows after he impressed the club during trials.
Arrows coach Muhsin Ertugral confirmed that he had signed the
22-year-old midfielder.
“Yes, he has signed,” the coach says. “I can’t say much about him
except that he is a very good player.”
The Lusaka born midfielder who has previously played in Israel, is
currently in Pretoria with Arrows who are doing pre-season training at
the High Performance Centre.
Zulu featured in almost all the 2012 Africa Cup qualifiers for Zambia
under Italian coach Dario Bonneti but Herve Renard overlooked him when
selecting the team which competed at the AFCON.
FILE: Senior chief Nsokolo innaugurates traditional beer chipumu at the Mutomolo traditional ceremony for the Mambwe people in Mbala
Senior Chief Nsokolo of the Mambwe people in Mbala in Northern Province has lamented the lack of sensitisation programmes in his chiefdom among his more than 30,000 subjects as the extended 60 days given for submissions by members of the public to the constitution making process draws to an end soon.
In a statement released to the media, Senior Chief Nsokolo said that he was deeply disappointed that while most parts of the country have received copies of the draft constitution, currently under review, his subjects, including his Chiefs, among others, Mwamba, Mfwambo, Kela, Kowa, Mphande, Chivuta, Penza, among other traditional leaders under his authority have not received copies of the draft constitution, let alone sensitisation programmes being undertaken in his area.
The Chief has since appealed to the Technical Committee Tasked to Undertake the Constitution Review Process by President Michael Sata, to treat the omission as a matter of urgency and expedite the sending of copies and personnel to his Chiefdom to enable the subjects participate in this national matter so that all their views, together with many other Zambians are included for final consideration by the Technical Committee.
The Chief further said that it is his fervent hope that the people of Nsokolo chiefdom, indeed all others in Mbala are not excluded from this important exercise as the constitutional making process is a human and birth-right for all.
FLASHBACK: FORMER President of Zambia,Dr.kenneth Kaunda was present at the ceremony of South Sudan independence birth day in Juba, South Sudan
Zambia has expressed disappointment over the omission of the country’s First Republican President and freedom fighter Dr. Kenneth Kaunda on the list of prominent African personalities honoured by the African Union (AU).
Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda says Dr. Kaunda is an African statesman who deserves honours from the Pan African organisation for the critical role he played in the struggle and liberation of the African continent.
Mr. Lubinda told ZANIS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia today that Zambia has since contested the issue at the on-going summit.
He said Zambians will not sit back and see history being buried because the history of the liberation struggle of the continent cannot be complete without the inclusion of Zambia and Dr. Kaunda in particular.
“This is a serious omission. Many Zambians will not take kindly to this,” Mr. Lubinda said.
Mr. Lubinda said he was, however, pleased that the contention has received active attention from the moment it was advanced at the AU meeting.
He said the AU Commission Chairperson Dr. Jean Ping has since assured him that the first five prominent people who have so far been honoured by the organisation were not the last.
The Zambian Foreign Minister said the country has requested the AU to come up with proper criteria which will guide member states on the people to be considered for honours.
“We have told them to ensure that a criterion is put in place so that countries can submit their nationals for consideration,” he said.
So far the new AU complex building has been decorated with the portraits of Nelson Mandela, late Congo DR Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, and Former President of Egypt Agdel Nasser and Emperor Haile Selaise of Ethiopia.
A statue of Ghana’s First President Osagefu Nkwame Nkuruma has also been mounted in the front of the multi-million dollar Chinese built AU headquarters.
Movement for Multi Party Democracy president Dr. Nevers Mumba
Nine by-elections are looming in the MMD held constituencies after party president Nevers Mumba this morning warned that to expel all MMD members of parliament currently serving as Deputy Ministers in the patriotic front government.
Dr. Nevers Mumba said this at media briefing at the party secretariat in Lusaka that the move is aimed at instilling discipline in the former ruling party. Dr. Mumba has since charged that the nine MMD mps in question have a choice to leave the party or join the PF and relinquish their parliamentary seats.
He said the party would rather have a few mps than have a bunch of indiscipline Parliamentarians.
And MMD Chilanga Member of Parliament Keith Mukata who is currently commerce deputy minister is reported to have handed his resignation letter as Deputy Minister to President Michael Sata.
And Dr. Mumba has announced that veteran politician and MMD founder member Vernon Mwaanga will next month retire from active politics. He said Mr. Mwaanga will however serve the party on the council of elders to be constituted soon.
Meanwhile, Former Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Kanchibiya Constituency aspiring candidate Sunday Chanda has resigned from the former ruling party.
In an interview with Qfm news, Mr. Chanda says his resignation from the MMD is informed by the unacceptable levels of intolerance, persecution and loss of vision on the part of the leadership of the Party.
Mr. Chanda who has wished the MMD well in its future endeavors, has not ruled out the possibility of joining a progressive political party but that he will commit to the Open Society Foundation, an organisation that advocate for good governance and creation of youth employment among others.
He says his resolve to point out the ills committed by the previous regime earned him all sorts of names with some party officials making wild allegations against his personality.
Mr. Chanda has thanked the MMD for giving him an opportunity to contest the Kanchibiya seat on the party ticket in last year’s tripartite elections stating that the experience allowed him to appreciate common facing people in Mpika which are poverty and disease.
He said unless all Zambians acknowledge their role in today’s unemployment levels, a national agenda to create a better life for the people will continue to elude the nations for many years to come.
Jay Rox released the first Official Music Video off his album “Mvesesani” Featuring Mampi . The song is titled “Roomie”
The Video was shot by Tommy Banda for MT Productionz and Produced by Duncan Sodala.
A very good video , must be the best song i have heard by Jay Rox so far . Mampi ,fresh out of the big brother house ,is very impressive on this song .Her new found fans all over africa will enjoy this. By Kapa187
ZAMTEL yesterday unveiled its new management team that is expected to help realise the company’s corporate goals and announced the completion of its optic fibre connectivity to two submarine cables.
Zamtel chief executive officer Mupanga Mwanakatwe said the new seven-member executive committee was composed of seasoned professionals who have worked in big companies in various capacities.
“The team has a wealth of experience, drive, motivation and innovation that will set Zamtel on a progressive path to realise corporate goals and objectives,” he said.
Dr Mwanakatwe named the entrants as Evans Muhanga who is the chief marketing officer, Albert Salima who is chief information services officer and Sydney Mupeta who is chief technical officer.
Others are Nchimunya Hachandi (chief financial officer), Mooka Silumbu (chief human resources and administration officer), Lho-zindaaba Sakala (chief sales and distribution officer) and Leya Ngoma (chief legal and regulatory officer).
On the expansion programme, Dr Mwanakatwe said Zamtel had completed its optic fibre connectivity to two submarine-Wacs and Sat3 through the Namibia Telecoms.
He said as the result of that, Zamtel was now able to deliver 600MBPS of internet capacity to the Zambian customers, making access to fast internet broadband even more affordable for all.
The Zamtel fibre runs from Solwezi, Ndola, Lusaka, Livingstone and Sesheke into Namibia and eventually to the Western seaboard international undersea cables.
“We are in discussion with other neighbouring countries for additional connectivity in line with our strategy of multiple entry points. We are planning to introduce additional value-added services in the near future,” he said.
Dr Mwanakatwe said Zamtel was also planning to increase capacity on its fixed internet broadband on ADSL to cater for everyone who has a landline at home as a short to medium-term solution.
He said the company plans to replace the copper network under fixed lines by growing its fibre metro network, a development he said would provide cost-effective end solutions to corporate clients such as branch inter-connectivity.
On the GSM side of business, Dr Mwanakatwe said Zamtel has continued with its rollout of 3G and 2G network coverage and that his company plans to increase the number of sites for the 3G from 155 to 200 by September this year.
He added that Zamtel had increased its roaming access on 130 networks in 70 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America and that Zamtel would soon launch data roaming which enable the clients send and receive e-mails seamlessly while abroad.
And speaking at the same media briefing, Mr Muhanga announced the launch of a new promotion dubbed “Real Mahala”, where Zamtel clients who subscribe to 6 to 6 Amplified promotion would be able to make free calls from 20:00 to 06:00 hours.
The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says the silence of the Civil Society Organisations involved in the advocacy of good governance will soon be exposed. MMD National Secretary Richard Kachingwe
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Qfm news, MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe says it is surprised that the CSOs have suddenly gone mute on issues of good governance.
Major Kachingwe says sooner than later, Zambians will know the reasons why the organisations in question are adamant to criticize the bad governance being exhibited by the current government.
He says Zambia can only develop with the presence of a civil society that is organized and able to offer checks and balance without taking sides.
The MMD Chief Executive Officer has since urged the CSOs in the country to serve the interest of the majority poor people and voiceless they claim to represent.
Ministry of Information Broadcasting and Labour Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga
GOVERNMENT says it will not allow the three public media institutions to collapse as they are viable entities.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga, said Government was working out lasting solutions to end financial woes at the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC).
Mr Malupenga said Government was aware that the three institutions were facing financial challenges but that these were not insurmountable.
“The public may wish to know that the Government is the sole shareholder of these institutions we are talking about. Government cannot allow its institutions to collapse unless the Government wants to collapse itself,” he said.
Mr Malupenga was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of National Executive Committee members from the Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) at his office to seek clarification on the current financial position of the three public media.
The delegation comprised ZUJ president, Anthony Mulowa, General Secretary, Angela Chishimba, vice-president, Nkweto Mfula and national treasurer, Ackim Nyangu.
The union wanted to know the future of the Times of Zambia owing to a statement attributed to the former Information, Broadcasting and Labour Minister, Fackson Shamenda that the company was going through financial difficulties and owed huge sums of money in unremitted statutory obligations.
Mr Malupenga said the intention to privatise one of the two public print media institutions was not as result of the financial problems the organisations were facing.
He reiterated Vice-President Guy Scott’s announcement that Government intended to offload 35 per cent shares in the public media.
He said a reputable media organisation in the region had expressed interest in obtaining the shares from one of the print media houses.
He disclosed that the said organisation expressed its intention in a letter dated April 24, 2012 to the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour.
He said interest was particularly made in purchasing shares in the Times of Zambia.
Mr Malupenga said the minister was yet to present the proposal to Cabinet. He said as late as yesterday, the same media institution through one of its directors had called his office requesting for a meeting with the new minister to discuss the same matter.
Mr Mulowa called for dialogue at all levels so that there was no misunderstanding among all parties involved.
