The Livingstone City Council has engaged some companies to help with the collecting of garbage in Livingstone City

Acting Public Relations Manager, Emmanuel Sikanyika, told ZANIS in an interview that the council’s trucks are not enough to manage waste, hence the calling for help from the private sector.

He added that this development would yield beneficial results in waste management because the council has now divided the city into zones.

“We have divided the city into zones and these are the companies that will be responsible for the different zones.

“One of the companies is BBMC Essential Enterprises and it will be managing Zone One; K and C will manage Zone Two. Zone Three will be managed by Citi Mop limited; Kapata Moyo General Dealers will mange Zone Four; Nrosrn will manage Zone Five; Kesley Enterprises will be responsible for Zone Six and Solid Waste Management Unit(LCC) will manage zone Seven,” he said.

Mr Sikanyika assured the public of better services of waste management once the franchise concludes its Memorandum of Understanding.

He has since called on the public to help the council by not dumping garbage anyhow.

Meanwhile, a resident of Maramba Compound, Elizabeth Shambisho, expressed happiness over the council’s plan of collecting garbage.

“ We wanted the council to come up with a system of collecting garbage. Now that they are going to do so, we are ready to pay subscriptions for the waste to be collected from our homes from time to time,” she explained.

Another resident of marimba compound, Phyllis Kapumpa, is also for the idea of subscribing for garbage collection.

“People are ready to pay subscriptions for the garbage to be collected,” she assured.

Mrs Kapumpa added that the garbage dumping is giving her and her neighbours a job of waking up early in the morning to stop people from dumping the waste near their homes.

“We would like the council to do something by punishing people that are found dumping garbage in undesignated areas,” she explained.

Mrs Kapumpa further called on the council to sensitise people about the dangers of throwing litter anyhow.

Meanwhile, Beauty Mwandwe said if the council was to make them pay a subscription fee for garbage collection it should be at a reasonable price for everyone in the area to afford.

Mrs Mwandwe further said collecting garbage effectively will help reduce the number of diseases caused by waste dumping, especially in the rainy season.

ZANIS

Police today cautioned the United Party for National Development (UPND) party leader Hakainde Hichilema. According to the statement releasaed by Zambia Police public relations officer Elizeberth Kanjela, Mr Hichilema was cautioned on two counts.

The first involved the publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public c/s 67 of the penal code cap 87 of the laws of zambia.  This is in connection with the statement he made during a press conference where he stated that the PF government had sent PF youths to be trained by sudanese militias.

The second involved the Defamation of the president c/s 69 of the penal code cap 69 of the penal code cap 87 of the laws of zambia.  The statement is contemptuous of the presidency by likening him to a Chimbwi (Hyena) with No Plan in his governance of the republic of zambia.

High Court Judge Eddie Sikazwe has threatened to release more than 15 suspects facing various offences if the State did not offer convincing explanations over the delay in prosecuting the matters.

Judge Sikawzwe threatened to release the convicts in his chambers yesterday when the State informed him that they could not hear all the over 15 cases including that of incarcerated Lusaka business executive Mohan Matthews and three others.

Judge Sikazwe told the State that it was unfair to continue detaining suspects in congested cells as far back as 2008 without offering proper excuses for not prosecuting the matters.

Justice Sikazwe who is based in Kabwe is in Lusaka to hear his cases but had not heard any because the State had given him excuses which he was not convinced with and was forced to order the State to offer convincing reasons or he would release them.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, these people have been in custody for years and instead the State has continued to delay the matter instead of prosecuting the matters, I need the State to offer proper explanations why they have delayed the mattesr or else I will release them,” he said.

Meanwhile, more than 14 ex- soldiers who were retired in national interest have sued the attorney general and the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) board and were claiming a declaration that were entitled to be paid their pensions benefits which was not the case.

They stated in their statement of claim filed yesterday in the Lusaka high Court that they were paid their benefits under a wrong Section 39 (1) instead of Section 39 (2) which excluded the pension’s benefits ad yet they were entitled to them as they were contributing members.

They claimed that since they were retired at the instance of the Attorney General in national interest they were entitled to pensions benefits under Section 39 (2) of the PSPF Act of 1996.

The ex-soldieries said that they were together with others between 1995 and 1997 arrested ad charged with offences of treason and misprision of freedom contrary to Section 43 (10 of the Laws of Zambia and were remanded in custody.

They said after judgment dated 27 December 2002 the plaintiffs were acquitted and all charges against them were reinstated in their employment and were paid all their dues.

They claimed that they were also paid their lost and damaged properties and other incurred expenses as a result of moving items from the barracks to alternative places.

The soldiers were now demanding to be paid their pensions benefits using the correct section and not the wrong one which the Ministry of Defense used.

Alert police officers in Kabwe thwarted an attempt by students at Mulungushi University from damaging property after a management circular was issued instructing students to start sharing rooms.

The irate students blocked the main road inside Mulungushi University and lit a fire. This caused panic among lecturers forcing them to lock themselves in Vice Chancellor Professor Vernon Chinene’s office for over two hours.The students refused to back off.

On Tuesday night, the main campus was cordoned off by plain clothed police officers.

The circular alerts students that they should prepare to start sharing rooms in August this year because there would be a shortage of space in view of new students enrolment.

Central Province Commissioner of Police Solomon Jere said the situation was calm after police engaged the union leaders and management.

Dr Jere said police would continue to monitor the situation and urged the students to remain calm as management attempts to resolve the problem of accommodation.

When contacted, professor Chinene said the students’ protest was uncalled for protest although the circular which instigated the unrest has been removed pending further instructions from the ministry of education.

Last week over 353 Copperbelt University students staged a protest for non-payment of meal allowances since the academic year opened 5 weeks ago.

The students gave the bursaries committee 24 hours ultimatum to pay the remaining amount failure to which they would boycott classes.
The students matched from the campus on Jambo Drive to Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation where they blocked the entrance and some students openly wept that they were starving.

The students condemned the bursaries committee for ineffectiveness in dealing with the student’s allowances.

Copperbelt University Students Union president Thompson Luzendi said the government should deal with the bursaries committee alleged inertia when dealing with students issues.

“The committee is so effective, how does it expect the students to survive with the allowances,” Mr Luzendi said.

But when contacted education minister John Phiri said he was not aware that some students were not paid their allowances.

Meanwhile Lecturers at Mansa Trades Training Institute have protested over the 10% salary increment offered to them by management.

The lecturers, who stormed ZANIS offices in Mansa complained that it is unfair for management to offer them a 10% salary increment.They are demanding an increment of between K600,000 and K1,000,000 across the board.

The lecturers are also demanding, among other things, the auditor’s report which was released recently to be made public and have vowed never to go back for work until their grievances are met.

A check by ZANIS at the institution this yesterday found lecturers singing songs denouncing the Lecturers and Support Services Union at the institution.

Speaking to ZANIS earlier, Lecturers and Support Services Union Chairperson, Julius Chilufya, said the union has tried to address the lecturers over their grievances but nothing has materialized.

Mr Chilufya said the union has managed to put in place conditions of service for the lecturers which have not been there since 2010 but the lecturers seem not to appreciate the efforts of the union.

The students at the institution have rallied behind the lecturers.The students, who gathered at the administration block, say the reasons advanced by the lecturers, are genuine and need agent attention.Student Union president, Mukubulo Chilufya, said the students at the institution are not happy with the way the institution is being run.

Mr Chilufya said it is sad that the infrastructure and equipment at the institution has remained unattended to for a long time and graduates half backed students.

The Non Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) board chairperson Beatrice Grillo says the Patriotic Front will be in trouble if it does not deliver a people-driven constitution.

And Mrs. Grillo has appealed to the technical committee drafting the country%u2019s constitution to consider adjusting the extension of the debate on the draft constitution to 30 days and not 50 days.

Speaking at a media conference, Mrs. Grillo says it welcomes the extension of the consultative process because it will be an opportunity for the technical committee to produce copies of the draft constitution in various local languages but notes that the extension of 50 days is too much.

She however expressed confidence that the country will have a good document because the technical committee drafting it has shown commitment.

QFM