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File:Two vendors have just concluded a meal along Lumumba road in Lusaka, although they could have had a better and decent meal at a restaurant shown in the background
A Lusaka based economist has noted the need for the PF government to review the country’s investment code.
Francis Chigunta says Zambia needs a good investment governance structure that will enable the country to maximize its benefits from foreign investment.
Dr. Chigunta told QFM news that PF policies on foreign investment are most likely not different from the policies of the previous MMD government.
He added that both PF and MMD seem to have economic policies that border on a market led type of economy.
Dr. Chigunta has also observed that the PF government still has a challenge of clearly defining the economic policies.
Dr. Chigunta who once served as former president Rupiah Banda’s special assistant for economic policies has noted the need for the PF government to remain consistent with its policies on foreign investment in order to continue attracting investors.
Hitachi Construction Machinery has officially launched a US$ 15 million re-manufacturing plant which will be manufacturing Japanese mining equipment in Zambia.
This is the largest Japanese project in Africa which has so far employed 120 Zambians and is expected to soon engage 40 more local.It will re-manufacture large-scale mining equipment and export to various countries in southern Africa.
The project, situated on the road leading to the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, will benefit large-scale mines such as Lumwana in the North-Western Province.
Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda officially launched the plant. Other government officials who witnessed the launch were Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education John Phiri, Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Keith Mukata and Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Richard Musukwa, who is in charge of large-scale mining.
Countries in the region that will benefit from the plant include Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Company vice-president Yukio Arima expressed gratitude to the Zambian government for facilitating the project.
“The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and other government bodies made a lot of efforts to make this project a reality. We are now convinced that ZDA is a trustworthy business partner,” Mr Arima said.
File: President Rupiah Banda receives a model of an earthmoving machine from Hitachi Vice President Yukio Arima (left) at the ground breaking ceremony of Hitachi remanufacturing factory site in Lusaka in 2011
Mr Arima said the company settled for Lusaka because of its centrality in the region.He said Hitachi carried out feasibility studies in every part of Africa and Zambia was found to be ideal.
“This factory will be the central hub for our operations in Central and Southern Africa,” Mr Arima said.
He described the local people Hitachi has employed so far as highly skilled, serious and dedicated.
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Akio Egawa said in a speech read for him by embassy charge d’affairs Atsushi Kuwabara that the setting up of the plant in Lusaka has opened a new chapter in the Japan-Zambia economic relationship.
“I count on the Zambian leadership to uphold this friendly business environment with transparent regulations,” Mr Egawa said.
Mr Egawa said most Japanese businesses are not aware of Zambia’s friendly and conducive investment environment.
And Mr Chikwanda said the opening of a plant in Lusaka is an indication of the confidence investors have in the Zambian economy.
“Zambia will benefit in many ways from this project but mostly in the transfer of state-of-the-art technological skills,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said the project will also bring in the country foreign exchange through exports of re-manufactured heavy equipment to other countries.
Mr.Chikwanda urged Japanese investors to take advantage of the Zambia’s huge investment opportunities in tourism, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Mr. Chikwanda observed that the current Japanese investment inflow into Zambia has remained low except in few areas like dealership and contractors and he hoped that the coming of Hitachi will attract more investors in the country.
He said Zambia has huge investment opportunities which Japanese investors can take advantage to invest in value addition such as one that will be provided in the multi facility economic zones which are under construction.
He added that government will, however, continue to dialogue with Japan in areas of official development assistance and in trade and investment.
The Minister reiterated his government’s continued policy improvement and initiatives that will strengthen the industrial sector in light of greater competiveness and integration of the world economy.
He has also pledged government support to the private sector initiatives that contribute to development and wealth creation.
Mr. Chikwanda has also commended Hitachi for investing in Zambia adding that the investment will bring more benefits to the country.
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has proposed that a commission of inquiry be established immediately to get submissions from members of the public and aggrieved parties over administration of justice.
LAZ suggests that the whole exercise should be in camera.
“The submissions shall provide the basis for understanding the true extent of the concerns, which at present are being relegated to the status of mere perceptions,” the report reads in part.
This is according to LAZ resolutions arising from the April 28 annual general meeting.
The report suggests several long-term and all-embracing measures that should be taken to fully reform the legal system and the judiciary.
LAZ has suggested the initiative of the inquiry to exonerate innocent judicial officers and further isolate those attracting bad publicity.
“LAZ recognises that there has been continuing and persistent issues raised around the administration of justice in Zambia and particularly, there has been a perception that incompetence and corruption have permeated the judicial system,” the report states.
The lawyers also suggested that the Judicial Complaints Authority should be redesigned and re-aligned so that it performs an independent and effective policing role.
“Therefore, we strongly recommend that after the commission of inquiry so constituted has rendered its report, and the commission finds some judicial officers wanting, the commission should recommend to the President to deal with such judicial officers in accordance with the constitution,” the report reads.
During the opening of the LAZ meeting at that time, Attorney General Mumba Malila candidly said judges are not above the law.
Mr Malila said judges must not think that their decisions and their persons cannot be scrutinised or questioned as they expend justice.
“We are now living in an age of prevalent unabated judicial controversy, where the doings of the judiciary should be publicly scrutinised and discussed almost as frequently and as with much venom as those of politicians,” Mr Malila said.
LAZ says judicial reforms will require a constitutional amendment to permit for the scrutiny and vetting of serving judges.
The report recommends that serving judges should be subjected to a process of vetting for the purpose of ascertaining suitability to continue holding office.
“LAZ is therefore recommending that the (republican) Constitution be amended during the on-going constitution review process to permit for the establishment of a vetting tribunal to undertake the task of testing the suitability of sitting judges to hold high judicial office,” the report reads.
LAZ also contends the problem facing the legal system in Zambia transcends the judiciary and encompasses the legal system as a whole, ranging from lawyers, police and security agencies, the prison service, prosecutions authority and the legal aid board.
Meanwhile LAZ has implored newly-appointed Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda and her deputy, Florence Mumba, to work closely with the association and other stakeholders to ensure successful reforms in the Judiciary and the legal profession.
LAZ president James Banda said LAZ welcomes the two appointments as they are long overdue.
Mr Banda said the association has every confidence justices Chibesakunda and Mumba will, in the period that they are acting, assist to push the process of judicial reforms forward.
He said in a statement yesterday that it is LAZ’s sincere hope that Justice Chibesakunda and Justice Mumba will get the Judiciary to work with the association and other stakeholders in the reform process.
“As we welcome the appointments of justices Chibesakunda and Mumba and notwithstanding that the appointments are only in an acting capacity, it is our sincere hope that the two honourable justices will get the Judiciary to work with the Law Association of Zambia and other stakeholders to achieve meaningful reforms in the Judiciary as well as the legal profession,” he said.
Mr Banda said LAZ will remain focused on the structured process of judicial reforms which the association has already embarked on.
He said the association believes the Judiciary itself should take the lead in the process of correcting matters.
“The Judiciary should not allow a situation where reforms are forced on it due to inertia or lack of initiative on the part of the Judiciary.
Introspection is very cardinal in this respect,” he said.
Mr Banda commended former Chief Justice Ernest Sakala and former acting Deputy Chief Justice Dennis Chirwa for their long service to the nation.
“We wish them well and trust they will enjoy their leave and eventual retirement,” he said.
On Thursday, President Sata announced that Justice Sakala had gone on leave pending the expiry of his contract later this year.
In his place, President Sata has appointed Supreme Court Judge Chibesakunda to act as Chief Justice.Acting Deputy Chief Justice Dennis Chirwa had also proceeded on leave pending retirement.
President Sata has also appointed Supreme Court Judge Florence Mumba to act as Deputy Chief Justice.
A 26-year-old man caused a stir in the Ndola Magistrate’s Court yesterday when he threatened to beat up deputy district state prosecutor Eliko Banda after he was sentenced to four years imprisonment for impersonating as First Lady Christine Kaseba’s nephew.
After chief resident magistrate Collins Lundah passed the judgement on Martin Sikazwe, whose real names are Mambo Maluba, the district state prosecutor attempted to restrain Maluba from leaving the court but the latter wanted to forcefully see his way out.
“You sit there or else I will use force and beat you up,” Maluba said to the amazement of a packed courtroom.
This was in a matter in which Maluba was facing 10 counts of forgery, impersonating a public officer and obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretence.
In the first and second counts, Maluba is said to have forged a national registration card number 245465/75/1 belonging to Martin Sikazwe and card number Z9526741, contrary to Section 347 of the Penal Code, and giving false information to a public officer.
In the third count, Maluba is charged with impersonating former State House private secretary Alfred Chipoya in order to get a job at Ndola’s Indeni Petroleum Refinery.
Maluba is said to have created fake e-mail addresses purporting to belong to Dr Kaseba from which he sent mails to former Indeni Petroleum Refinery human resource manager Mwikwanu Susiku.
In other counts, Maluba is charged with obtaining pecuniary advantage from Indeni Petroleum Refinery by issuing cheques and salaries of up to K13 million between January 13 and February 28 this year.
When the matter came up for judgement yesterday, Mr Banda informed the court that Maluba was a second offender having been convicted in 2010 in Lusaka for impersonating a public officer as special assistant to then President (Rupiah Banda) for press and public relations Dickson Jere.
“Your honour, the record from Lusaka Central Prison shows that the convict served 18 months on the said count of obtaining pecuniary advantage, escaping from lawful custody and malicious damage,” he said.
When asked if he had anything to say over the record, Maluba opted to remain silent.
However, in a two-page mitigation read to the court, Maluba said he was sorry for his action, saying it was a way of getting a job to sustain himself.
“My lord, I want to apologise to the First Family for the embarrassment I have caused, especially to the First Lady. I have admitted that I am a chief sinner, so I wish she could hear this and forgive me. I also want management of Indeni Petroleum Refinery to forgive me,” he said as the courtroom burst into laughter.
Maluba also thanked the media for what he termed support and exposure of his sins.
In sentencing Maluba, Magistrate Lundah said Maluba deserved leniency because he readily pleaded guilty and therefore did not waste the court’s time.
“You are a very good speaker but unfortunately, you use your talent wrongly and that is why you are always in trouble. I want to believe that you can reform and that is why I will send you to prison for a while so that you can reflect and come out as a changed and better person,” Magistrate Lunda said.
He sentenced Maluba to 18 months on the first and second counts, six months on the third and sixth counts, two years on the fourth and fifth counts, three years on the seventh count and four years imprisonment on the rest of the counts, all with hard labour.
The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has attributed the increased load shedding currently being experienced in the country to a power generation deficit of 250 Mega Watts.
Company Acting Managing Director, Victor Mundende, says the deficit has been caused by increased mining, industrial and agricultural investments.
Mr. Mundende says despite this increase, there has been delayed investment in the company’s transmission distribution systems.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mundende said this at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He has also cited hydraulic limitations and rehabilitation works as some of the causes of the deficit in generation from the company’s power stations.
He said load shedding management is being carried out to protect the generation equipment, which would automatically shut down should there be an overload, a situation he says would be costly.
Mr. Mundende also stated that ZESCO has put in place short and long term mitigation plans such as the installation and upgrade of substations and transformers.
And Mr. Mundende has disclosed that the current voltage profile of the company in the Northern and Luapula provinces is not good.
He says the profile is expected to improve with the commissioning of the 180 Mega Watts generator at Kariba North Bank and the 50 Mega Watts from Ndola Energy, increasing the overall generation to 1, 835 MW, as compared to the current 1, 605MW being generated.
He has also disclosed that the company’s immediate and long term projects amount to a total of over US$5 billion, part of which has already been sourced.
Mr. Mundende said other mitigation measures to improve delivery include the distribution of energy saver lamps, on which the company has so far spent over US$1 million .
He has further dispelled assertions that the lamps are harmful to human life, saying they are merely a compact version of florescent tubes that are currently used widely.
He says the lamps have a very low content of mercury that is relatively harmless because it is used up as the lamp expires.
Ex-Zambia Women Team coach George Chikokola believes that Shepolopolo need lucky to overturn the 4-1 deficit when they face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in Saturday’s Africa Women Championship qualifier away.
Zambia is in South Africa seeking to reverse the 4-1 loss they suffered in the first leg match of the Africa Women Championship qualifiers final round played in Lusaka 21 days ago.
Chikokola said it is difficult for Zambia to upset the tables.
“The problem we have is that we haven’t got an active women’s league so it is very difficult to say we are going to upset the deficit knowing the standards of our friends there in South Africa. But God willing anything can happen you know in football,” he said.
Chikokola has since advocated for the creation of the national women football league in order to raise the standards of the game.
The 2012 African Womens Championship will take place in Equatorial Guinea from October 28 to November 11.
Faz say there has not been an outcome in their engagement wth Fifa over their Sudan case.
Friday was awash with rumours that Zambia were awarded three points by Fifa for Sudans use of an ineligible player Saif Ali in the two teams 2014 World Cup Group D qualifier on June 2 in Khartoum.
“We have been inundated by calls, emails and messages of all manner of sort regarding the decision of FIFA over the matter we referred to FIFA House regarding our June 2 qualifier in Khartoum. Contrary to many false reports and allegations circulating on a number of social media as well as some websites, Football House has not received communication of FIFA’s Disciplinary committee,” said FAZ communications officer Erick Mwanza.
“We therefore would like to advise members of the public to disregard these rumours and false reports spreading on many online publications. Once FIFA has reached a decision, we shall be informed of the outcome and subsequently, we shall issue relevant media and public pronouncements.”
Striker Lottie Phiri has ruled out the prospect of joining any local club before his contract with South African side Mpumalanga Black Aces expires next month.
Phiri is on a off-season break in Zambia and this week Power Dynamos Secretary Justine Kapoma had indicated that the Kitwe side wanted him to rejoin the club he ditched last season.
The player said it is impossible for him to join any club because he has a runnong contract with Aces.
“For now i have a running contract with Aces so it’s not possible to join Power,” Phiri said.
The ex-Red Arrows player added that he will decide his next move after the expiry of his one year contract with the South African First Division side.
” I will make a decision after my contract with Aces expires on 2 June this year,” he revealed.
Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga
The task force working on the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill has completed drafting the document and is expected to launch it next week for public scrutiny and comments.
The Task force comprising of the civil society, legal experts, Transparency International, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and other stakeholders has been working on the Freedom of Information legislation for the past few months and have made headways.
Government says the progress made in formulating the FoI bill indicates the commitment it has attached to ensuring that there is free flow and public access to information.
Information, Broadcasting and Labour Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga made the disclosure when officials from the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) called on him at his office in Lusaka yesterday.
ZANIS reports that according to the Ministry’s Press and Public Relations Unit, the PS told the team comprising DFID Governance Advisor in Zambia Sam Waldock and Dr. Mark Robinson, the DFID Chief Professional Officer in the Governance, Conflict and Social Development Division at the Organisation’s Headquarters in London that FoI Bill draft is ready to be launched soon.
“A taskforce has been working to come up with draft legislation on the Freedom of Information Bill. This is now ready and we will be launching it in few days time for public scrutiny and input. The Draft will be thereafter be submitted to Cabinet and later Parliament for commencement of the enactment process,” said Mr. Malupenga.
Mr. Malupenga who is also the spokesperson for the taskforce appealed for financial support from cooperating partners and other stakeholders to publicise the draft bill in the print and other communication channels to enable members of the public access the document countrywide.
And Mr. Robinson pledged DFID’s support for the ongoing media reforms in Zambia describing the country’s freedom of information process as impressive.
File: Former Agriculture Minister Mundia Sikatana brandishes the ruling MMD party symbol during Independence Day celebrations
Former Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Mundia Sikatana has passed away.
University Teaching Hospital (UTH) public relations manager Pauline Mbangweta confirmed Mr Sikatana’s death.
Ms Mbangweta said Mr Sikatana died on Thursday around 22:00 hours following an illness.
“He was brought here (UTH) on 12th June (2012) and was admitted in our main ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where he died around 22:15 hours on Thursday),” she said.
During then President Levy Mwanawasa’s reign, Mr Sikatana, a lawyer by profession, was appointed as Agriculture and Co-operatives Minister in 2002 and in 2006 after his re-lection as Head of State, Dr Mwanawasa appointed him as Foreign Affairs Minister, but was later that same year relieved of his duties for what the President attributed to as his (Mr Sikatana’s) declining health.
Meanwhile, Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has described the death of the organisation’s founding president and its trustee Fostone Sakala as shocking.
FODEP president Shepherd Chilombe said during a media briefing in Lusaka that the country had been robbed of a father, democrat and mentor whose services and elderly advice would greatly be missed.
Mr Chilombe, in his message of condolence to the bereaved family on behalf of FODEP, said Rev Sakala would be remembered for, among other things, his contribution to the formation of FODEP and dedication to its cause until his death on Wednesday at the UTH.
The Registrar of Societies has threatened to deregister all registered political parties and other organisations that have not complied with their statutory obligation of paying statutory fees to government.
Chief Registrar of Societies Clement Andeleki says it is by law, the obligation of all registered political parties and organizations operating in the country to pay their statutory fees in accordance with the Registrar of Societies Act.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Andeleki said in an interview in Lusaka today that all societies still owing money will after June 30 be published in the daily newspapers.
He noted with concern that there were too many registered organisations that had emerged and continued operating in the country despite them not being up to date with their obligation of paying statutory fees.
He said religious groups, churches, political parties, mosques, community organisations and other similar societies will face cancellation if they do not comply with the Registrar of Societies Act.
He stated that social groups wanting to operate should at all cost ensure that they adhere to what is required of them.
Mr. Andeleki has lamented that government is losing colossal sums of money due to most organizations’ non remission of statutory fees.
All political parties are expected to submit their returns to the office of the Registrar of Societies on an annual basis after they have undergone registration.
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The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has awarded the tender to print ballot papers for the forthcoming three parliamentary and 19 Local Government by-elections to Smith and Ouzman of the United Kingdom (UK).
This was contained in a statement by ECZ public relations manager Chris Akufuna in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Akufuna said the Commission had received two bids, one from Smith and Ouzman and the other from Ren-Form cc of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Previously, ECZ had been using Universal Print Group (UPG) of Durban, South Africa to print electoral materials such as ballot papers.
ECZ set July 5, 2012 as the date for the parliamentary By-Elections in Livingstone, Chama North and Muchinga Constituencies as well the 19 Local Government by-elections around the country.[pullquote]Let me also state here that the PF government is committed to ensuring that ballot papers for future elections are printed locally. My government will do everything possible to realise this[/pullquote]
Last year in his address to parliament President Sata promised the nation that all election ballot papers will be in future printed from within Zambia.
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There have been calls from various members of society to have printing done locally.
Earlier this year Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) Executive Director Richwell Mulwani said Government Printers has the potential to print ballot papers if it is funded adequately.Mr Mulwani told Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in an interview in Lusaka February this year, that the company has previously printed important documents which demonstrates its capacity of printing ballot papers as well.
He said Zambia has set a good example in the region through conducting peaceful and free elections hence the need for the country to consider printing ballot papers locally.Mr Mulwani noted that the printing of ballot papers locally would increase credibility of holding elections and reduce suspicions among political players.
He said the development could also promote transparency in the printing process and give political players an opportunity to monitor the process.
Former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said Zambia has the capacity to have election materials printed locally.Mr. Mulongoti has further appealed to government to invest in the government printers in order to avoid overspending on the exercise that can be carried out within the country.
He said there is need to empower local printing companies by giving them business of handling the printing of ballots for elections.
ALLIANCE for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi
Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi has urged the police to handle United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema’s case professionally.
Mr Milupi, who was part of the UPND leader’s delegation at the police station during the questioning session, said this is so because seemingly, the case is being engineered from high-ranking officials within Government.
“Let me be very clear that the defence of democracy and constitution is the responsibility of all of us. We are here, we have left what we were doing to come and stand by the president of UPND because we believe what is at stake is just not him but the whole democratic process in this country.
“Listening to the charges that have been read out, in my mind, it’s very clear there is a lot of political pressure. We have seen statements in the press today (yesterday) where threats of being taught a lesson have been made. This is very sad because what can happen to one can happen to all of us,” Mr Milupi said.
But Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela dispelled reports that the police were acting on instructions from the State to arrest Mr Hichilema. She said Police operate professionally as they investigate a case before they can summon and arrest an individual.
And after the interview which took over two hours, Mr Hichilema said that it went on smoothly despite taking long. He said he will wait for the next course of action from the police. Mr Hichilema thanked all who turned up at the police to give solidarity.
“The interview was alright and our position is we should keep our legal rights, our rights, our constitutional rights to do things but I will not say more,” Mr Hichilema said.
[pullquote]But Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela dispelled reports that the police were acting on instructions from the State to arrest Mr Hichilema. She said Police operate professionally as they investigate a case before they can summon and arrest an individual.[/pullquote]
And MMD treasurer Mwansa Mbulakulima, who was also present to give Mr Hichilema solidarity, said all Government institutions should operate independently. He said it is his sincere hope and prayer that the police will continue to operate independently.
And slogan-chanting cadres caused traffic congestion on Independence Avenue from the Supreme and High Courts roundabout when Mr Hichilema arrived for interrogation. It was the same when Mr Hichilema and his entourage of UPND members of Parliament and leaders of other political parties left the Service Headquarters after interrogation.
The chanting UPND cadres circled Mr Hchilema’s vehicle resulting in the convoy moving slowly to their party’s secretariat about 2kms away in Rhodes Park.
