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Information, broadcasting and Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda has lashed out at civil servants for organising unnecessary workshops in order to profit from allowances.
He also says many civil servants are in the habit of doing piece works in order to get allowances a thing the minister says will not be tolerated in the PF government.
Mr. Shamenda who is also government spokesperson also referred to a scenario where several Permanent secretaries would jot down presidential script and pretend to be working.
He disclosed that President Sata did not read the Labour Day speech that had been jotted for him but preferred reading a speech prepared by his press aid George Chellah.
Mr Shamenda says the PF government style of leadership meant hard work and not a lazy attitude towards work.
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) council has backed down after an intense challenge from members to repeal the provisions that ban them from issuing media statements, especially on serious national matters.
During an emergency LAZ meeting on Monday evening, it was agreed that provisions of Rules 17 (5) and (60) of the Legal Practitioners Practice Rules of 2002 which prohibited practitioners from issuing media statements should be repealed.
The provisions do not allow practitioners to issue media statements to discuss legal subjects without prior authority of the LAZ council.
LAZ president James Banda could not be reached for comment last night as he was reportedly in a LAZ council meeting.
The lawyers have also called for unity and consistency in the law fraternity and when issuing any media statements to avoid misleading the nation, especially on contentious issues that need professional interpretation.
“The LAZ council will have to constitute a committee soon that will look into the matter of repealing this provision to acceptable standards and will definitely be adhered to by practitioners,” the lawyers, who refused to be identified, said.
The lawyers met at the Ridgeway Southern Sun Hotel and debated at length a number of contentious issues.
They challenged the LAZ council on the need for them to have a right to express their opinion in the media even without express clearance.
The provisions of Rules 17 (5) and (60) of the Legal Practitioners Practice Rules of 2002 prohibit practitioners from issuing media statements or appearing on radio and television to discuss legal subjects without prior authority of the council.
According to sources, the lawyers also adopted the calls for judicial reforms which should not be targeted at individuals but should be generalised if they were to achieve the intended goals in the nation.
The lawyers were prompted to call for an emergency meeting with their association’s council following recent threats by LAZ president, Mr Banda that they risked having their licences revoked if they continued to issue statements without permission from the council.
LAZ had also banned them from issuing any statements on the suspension of the three judges and setting up of a tribunal without permission from the association’s council.
They emphasised that banning them from issuing any statements hinged on their Constitutional rights of expression on national issues.
The LAZ president recently said in an internal circular addressed to all legal practitioners that lawyers should stop expressing their opinion publicly without the permission of the LAZ Council.
Mr Banda also urged all members to immediately refrain from issuing statements to the media on any legal subject, including the recent event concerning the suspension of the three judges and the subsequent setting up of a tribunal to investigate their alleged misconduct.
The American Government has defied an order by Zambia banning foreign missions in the country from meeting opposition leaders because it is against demands of international diplomacy.
The country’s opposition political parties on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with the authorities at its embassy in Lusaka whose details are yet to emerge.
Recently, President Michael Sata warned Western diplomats against meeting opposition leaders, saying such acts amount to meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
Earlier, the opposition political parties met with the Zambia Episcopal Conference-ZEC- at Kapingila House in Lusaka with a call of continuous spirited fight for the suspension of the tribunal established to investigate three-suspended judges for alleged mischievous behaviour.
UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema says opposition political parties will not be intimidated by President Sata. And Heritage Party President Brigadier- General Godfrey Miyanda added that it is malicious to call for the resignation of Chief Justice Ernest Sakala in the name of judicial reforms.
Meanwhile, Opposition political parties in the country have been urged to put their houses in order if their relevance is to be realized.
Independent Churches of Zambia Board Chairman David Masupha says the country needs opposition political parties that are formidable and strong enough to stand independently.
Reverend Masupha says he is aware of some political parties that masquerade as opposition whose aim is to split votes during elections.
He says the opposition should therefore take advantage of the forthcoming by-elections to participate with a well meaning agenda.
Reverend Masupha was speaking to QFM news in an interview.
An amateur video producer takes time to smoke marijuana during the Bob Marley Memorial concert in Lusaka west.
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has instituted investigations into the alleged abuse and trafficking of drugs that characterized the Bob Marley Memorial Concert.
DEC Public Relations Officer Samuel Silomba says DEC will engage relevant authorities including other law enforcement agencies in seeing how the Bob Marley Concerts which he said have become breeding grounds for drug traffickers and abusers can be halted.Silomba told ZANIS in a statement in Lusaka that it was the desire of the Commission that communities and members of the public at large will participate in making the country a drug free nation.
He said the Commission will endeavour to bring anyone abusing or trafficking in drugs to book.Silomba said the impression created in the media about the abuse of drugs at the Bob Marley Concert was misleading.He stressed that the Commission does not give permission to anyone to abuse or traffic in illicit drugs nor does it issue permits to anyone to hold concerts or events in the country.
The DEC Public Relations Officer stated that people that were involved in abusing and trafficking illicit drugs at the Bob Marley Concert did so with the full knowledge that they were breaking the law.The Bob Marley Memorial Concerts are renowned for the rampant abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs, a situation which has raised great concern from Government and members of the public.
Police on the Copperbelt have charged seven pupils of Chati High School in Lufyanyama district for riotous behaviour and have been released on police bond.The pupils are among the group that participated in the torching of their head teacher’s house and damaged school.
10 of the pupils believed to be masterminds of the unrest have since not reported for school when the term opened for fear of reprisals.Copperbelt police chief Mary Tembo said the seven pupils were arrested and charged three weeks ago and they will appear in court after
investigations were completed.
She said the seven pupils had been slapped with the charge of malicious damage to property.
“The matter will go court after the investigations are finished, but the 10 pupils who instigated the riot are still at large,” she said.At the opening of the term, only 100 out of the 400 pupil population reported to school.
Before the close of the first term in April, pupils at Chati High School staged a riot and burnt their head teacher Christopher Mpofu inside his house and damaged school property worth millions of Kwacha.The riot was caused by the death of a female pupil committed suicide after she was not allowed to pay exam fees by the head teacher.
Police in Petauke district in Eastern Province are holding a 32 year-old witch doctor of Chinzombo village in Chief Mumbi’s area for exhuming a body of a four-year old boy.
Eastern Province Police Commissioner, Grace Chipalila, who confirmed the incident to ZANIS, identified the witch doctor as Paul Phiri.Mrs Chipalila said Phiri was picked after receiving a report by some villagers that he was found with the coffin around 22:00hrs on Friday.She said according to reports reaching her office, the witch doctor was approached by the family of the deceased, identified as Julius Phiri, to avenge the death of the boy.
Mrs Chipalila, however, said that the family of the deceased boy reported the witch doctor to police alleging that he exhumed the body against their wish.She said according to the family, the exhuming of the body was not part of the agreement to avenge the death of their son. Mrs Chipalila said police has since charged the witchdoctor with trespassing into the grave site and operating without license.
The New Generation Party has joined calls to have the Director of Public Prosecution Mutembo Nchito step down.Speaking at a press briefing at Court Yard Hotel, NGP president Humphrey Siulapwa stated that Mr.Mutembo Nchito and the state controlled Post Newspaper owner Fred Mmembe are criminals and have crippled hands of the Republican President Mr. Micheal Chilufya Sata.
Mr. Siulapwa said DPP Mutembo Nchito and Fred M’membe obtained money from Development Bank of Zambia dubiously or otherwise fraudulently which they channeled into the defunct Zambian Airways without any collateral to pay back the over K14 billion loan they owe the Development Bank of Zambia.It is a serious breach of law that must not be entertained by any well meaning citizen of this country, as such Nchito must willingly step aside to allow the law take its course against him and Mmembe.
He wondered what could have been said and written by the Post Newspaper if this crooked business of borrowing public money to inject into personal fake businesses was conducted by other individuals other that him Fred and Nchito.
As NGP, we demand that Mutembo Nchito steps down to allow transparency to prevail in this respected executive office Siulapwa said.Meanwhile Mr. Siulapwa has called on the constitutional technical committee to consider the inclusion of Barotse agreement submissions very critically.He said although the secession is not a good idea being demanded by certain sections of Western province, it is worth finding lasting solutions that must be enshrined in the Zambian constitution for future guidance.
File:National Restoration Party president Elias Chipimo junior and his vice Charles Maboshe
National Restoration party president Elias Chipimo Junior has said that he is deeply troubled by calls for the Chief Justice to resign. Mr. Chipimo said that the unfolding events in the judiciary can be likened to the type of propaganda that was perpetrated by the previous MMD administration prior to the 2011 elections, which led to the downfall of the MMD.
Mr. Chipimo said that with limited alternative media, the signs do not look good for Zambia’s fledgling democratic credentials.
He pointed out that his party had asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to resign because he is personally embroiled in a politically-charged debt claim in excess of K14 billion to a state owned entity and is presiding over an institution that is granting nolle prosequi’s in respect of a man whose bank is owned millions of dollars by the DPP or companies in which the DPP has major shareholding.
Mr. Chipimo said the Chief Justice has only two months to serve under his current contract stating that his resignation now would put undue pressure on the Judiciary at a time when alleged intimidation tactics from the current Government are already highly evident.
He said that the Judiciary no doubt needs reform and cleansing from corruption but that so does the legal fraternity and the Government itself. Mr. Chipimo said that the full truth regarding secret prison visits and whether these were by a Judge or a lawyer masquerading as a judge will no doubt emerge and it will be clear then as to who has really been behind the shielding of fugitives from justice.
President Michael Sata has with immediate effect created Zimba as a new district in Southern Province. This is contained in his letter to the provincial minister Hon. Obvious Mwaliteta.
The Head of State has advised Hon. Mwaliteta to liase with all the stakeholders, political parties and their Royal Highnesses in order for them to establish the centre where the district headquarters will be located.
Zimba is the second district to be established by the President in Southern Province within seven days. Last week, President Sata created Pemba as a district in line with his campaign promise to decentralise government operations for the effective and efficient delivery of services to the people.
The creation of Pemba as a district has attracted praises from various stakeholders in the area including the traditional leadership.
Government has refuted reports that it intends to nationalise Zambia National Commercial Bank, whose 49 % stake was was sold to Rabobank in 2007 at US$8.25 million. Reacting to Professor Oliver Saasa’s comment in the Post Newspaper that President Michael Sata’s statement on Zanaco was premature and sends shivers in the economy that government is going to nationalise the bank, Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Development Affairs Paul Siame said that no decision has been made by Government to nationalize ZANACO.
In a press release to the media today , Mr Siame said that it was not the policy of the PF Government to nationalise companies. Mr Siame further said that the Government of the Republic of Zambia welcomed investors across all sectors of the economy and has provided for incentives aimed specifically at increased levels of investment and international trade, as well as increased domestic economic growth.
“Transparency, property protection and non discrimination are investment policy principles that underpin the Government’s efforts to create a sound investment environment for all in order to spur more domestic investment, sustain high levels of foreign investment and enhance economic diversification”, read the statement
“The Government has a duty as custodians of national assets to protect public interest where they may be allegations of corruption such as the privatization process of Zamtel and therefore institute investigations.”
“In the case of Zamtel, investigations did indeed prove that it was corruptly privatized and the Government took the necessary corrective measures in national interest in line with its policy of zero tolerance on corruption,” stated the statement before saying that the Government fully supported measures that encourage responsible business conduct by all investors, be they small or large, domestic or foreign.
The release concluded by saying that the Government will continue promoting investment, foreign and domestic to tap emerging and existing investment opportunities to boost the country’s development objectives towards becoming a diversified economy driven by investment and a vibrant private sector.
File:Some female judges and other judiciary staff pose for a photograph after a workshop in Lusaka
THE International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) says judicial officers, as servants of the people, are subject to the rule of law and should carry out their functions in accordance with the law.
The ICJ said this in a statement released yesterday following its completion of a mission to Zambia in the case of the suspension of three judges.
Supreme Court Judge, Philip Musonda and High Court judges, Charles Kajimanga and Nigel Mutuna were suspended last month and a tribunal has since been appointed to probe their alleged misconduct.
The ICJ said it believed that judicial officers were, like all other institutions of the State, subject to the law, the rule of law in particular, and should carry out their judicial functions in line with the law.
The ICJ also hoped that the due process and constitutional guarantees would be followed to ensure that the process was consistent with fairness and that it was not used to undermine the independence of the Judiciary in Zambia, as has been the case in other jurisdictions within the region.
The institution also observed that it was important for any judiciary to depict qualities of independence and accountability in the administration of justice.
Following the suspension of the judges and concerns about the relations between the Judiciary and the Executive, the ICJ sent a fact-finding mission to Zambia between May 16 and 18, 2012 to understand the circumstances leading to President Michael Sata’s decision, the forces at play and the impact of this development on the independence of the judiciary.
The ICJ delegation met various stakeholders and other persons interested in the administration of justice.
The ICJ team that comprised Justice Moses Chinhengo, formerly of the High Courts of Zimbabwe and Botswana and ICJ commissioner, as head of the delegation; Justice Qinisile Mabuza of the High Court of Swaziland; Justice Thomas Masuku, formerly of the High Courts of Botswana and Swaziland, member of Advisory Group – Centre for Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) and interim coordinator of the African Judges Forum (AJF); Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer and ICJ consultant, and Arnold Tsunga, the Africa director of the ICJ Africa Programme.
The ICJ further said the matter had been handled in a manner that had created potential for a serious strain in relations between the Judiciary, the Legal Profession and the Executive in a manner that did not augur well for judicial independence and harmony in the administration of justice.
The matter had also provided an opportunity for public expressions on the state of the administration of justice in the country in a way that had placed the judicial institution into public scrutiny, if not potentially into disrepute.
“While such scrutiny is not a problem, the readiness and enthusiasm with which some leaders in Government have commented on this development is of concern.”
“The ICJ reiterates that it is important for any judiciary to depict qualities of independence and accountability in the administration of justice. While the ICJ may not be opposed to legitimate expression of opinion on judicial accountability, such expression must have regard to due process requirements of international and municipal principles on judicial independence and the rule of law.
The ICJ has since encouraged all those involved to exercise restraint as the process unfolded to avoid a situation where the public felt that there was political encouragement to attack the judicial organ or the judiciary was forced to invoke contempt proceedings in a manner that may escalate the situation.
By D.Banda
I read with dismay at the style of leadership that President Sata is exhibiting especially with regard to the suspension of the 3 judges.We have no problem investigating the 3 judges and the judiciary as a whole, but the manner in which Sata is doing it, leaves so much to be desired.
Firstly the suspension of the Judges came as a result of the judgement that was given in the K14 billion issue that his friends Nchito and Mmembe are involved in. Suppose the judgement was in favor of his friends, would he have gone ahead to suspend them and set up a tribunal? I don’t think so.
If he wants to show the general public that he is allergic to corruption and he is in there for the overhaul,why can’t he first suspend Nchito and then investigate the issue with the K14 billion and tell the nation that he will recover the money from the duo. It does not make sense to us to investigate the judges when his partners are refusing to pay back tax payers money.
Let him deal with Mmembe and Nchito before dealing with the judges and that will give us confidence that he is in there for the job and for the
poor ordinary Zambian. He should not even lie to us that he wants to clean the Judiciary, he wants to hammer them because they gave judgement not in favor of his buddies.
Look at the number of tribunals, if they make submissions not in his favor he hammers them and tells them that they don’t know what they are doing. Sata is ruling Zambia with preconceived ideas and if you challenge his authority then you are in trouble.No wonder those in his camp are so afraid of him and its only online papers who can provide checks and balances and report on real issues without government pollution.
I used to follow other news medias a lot because they used to be objective in their style of reporting and now it looks like only online forums can provide us with that objective role of alliance for what’s going on in Zambia.
Secondly the setting up of so many tribunals is a waste of tax payers money at the expense of the poor ordinary Zambian. The fight against corruption is so selective such that people like Nchito and Mmembe are free to do what they want because they are untouchable now. The
mounting pressure to have the Chief Justice resign is an indication that they want people to shift the attention from the K14 billion to
issues that are not at hand.
If we want to have the Chief Justice resign, lets call for the resignation of Nchito and believe me Nchito will never resign on moral grounds and Sata should be made aware that if he does not do the right thing with the issue of the K14 billion,he is putting himself in jeopardy and one day these mistakes will visit him because no government stays in power forever.
Even the single sourcing and awarding of contract to Chikwanda’s company to renovate state house is an issue that will visit him one day. I wonder why Guy Scott has even tolerated the PF this long with the mistakes they have made so far, I thought he was a gentleman who would address
those issues with the PF or even resign to protect his name. The mistakes, intimidation and shortfalls we have seen so far in the present government is a clear indication that the government has no idea what they are doing and they have lost direction which they did not have in the first place.
Political campaigns are different from reality and it is very easy to say that will perform outside of realism and when given the reality of platform, performance is deterred by conceptualism of the fact that it takes a different position to comprehend what we promise. We do not appreciate the new concepts of intimidation and selective fight against corruption being brought in the political arena and into he country by the PF government, we need to enhance the livelihood of our people for a better tomorrow and know that what we do today will come to haunt us tomorrow and that is something that the government of the day need to be made aware of by the media.
Eastern Province Minister Charles Banda has advised the Patriotic Front (PF) in the region to investigate allegations that some civil servants are members of the former ruling party, MMD leading to a matter in which PF party cadres last week closed government offices.
Mr Banda said in an interview with ZANIS this yesterday that it is true that there are some bad elements in the civil service some of whom were employed as favours by the MMD.He said the cadres throughout the province should hold their fire as the Central Committee is looking into the matter.
Mr. Banda however charged that some of the employees do not even have the required qualifications saying they were aggressive and unruly towards members of the Patriotic Front when the MMD was in government.The Minister stated that some of the government workers were even holding positions in the former ruling party.
“Some were District Chairpersons, there is need to cleanse the public service to ensure that government’s developmental programs are not
frustrated,” he said.Mr Banda said that time has changed and those that were aligning themselves to MMD should not be kept in those offices.
“There is need to strike a balance and those people injured their colleagues when the MMD was in office, they refused to work with others
so why are they still holding to offices when PF which they opposed is now in governemnt,” he wondered.
Mr Banda stated that a precedence was set where the opposition was treated as enemies.“People should realise that they cannot be the Alpha and the Omega,they thought that the MMD would rule forever but things have changed,”he said.
Last Thursday, PF cadres led by District Information and Publicity Secretary, Ledger Tembo allegedly locked the offices of the District Administrative Officer (DAO) Simeon Banda, District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), Samuel Phiri and the Local Court offices who were accused of being MMD.
PF district information and publicity officer said the officers in question had continued the MMD working culture, alleging that they were bringing the name of the ruling party into disrepute.
And reacting to the incident, District Administrative Officer, Simeon Banda, said he was not objecting the closing of his office but said he
was a civil servant and as such he will continue reporting to the office until the Public Service Commission advises.
File:Retirees camped outside the ministry of Finance premises to press for their retirement packages
Retirees of Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) in Kapiri Mposhi district have appealed to government to release its budgetary allocation of K45 billion to the company to clear the backlog of unpaid retirement packages to former workers of the company.
The retirees and some widows of the deceased former workers who died without getting their pension benefits made the appeal yesrerday to Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe.
Government provided K45 billion in the 2012 National Budget for payment of pension arrears to former TAZARA workers and for the recapitalization of the railway company.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees and widows of the deceased former workers, Leonisa Mwanza said government needs to move in and pay the former workers because the railway company has failed to do so.[pullquote]We have made efforts to get our money but we have been informed by the two pension institutions where we were contributing that TAZARA never used to remit the deductions for our pensions. We want government to intervene because we have suffered a lot[/pullquote]
Mrs. Mwanza said all the former TAZARA workers who retired in 2002 have not been paid their terminal benefits despite contributing to the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) and the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA).
“We have made efforts to get our money but we have been informed by the two pension institutions where we were contributing that TAZARA never used to remit the deductions for our pensions. We want government to intervene because we have suffered a lot,” Mrs. Mwanza said.
Mrs. Mwanza said government should release the funds allocated in the 2012 National Budget for the former workers to move on and invest in personal income generating ventures to improve their livelihoods.
She said workers are also faced with challenges in paying utility bills for water and electricity and to send their children to school because of the non-payment of their pension benefits.
“Some former workers have died without getting their money… our children have now become beggars and prostitutes and they cannot go to school and ZESCO and Lukanga Water have disconnected their services from our homes because we cannot pay, we need government to come to our aid,” Mrs. Mwanza said.
And District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe has appealed to the former workers to remain patient because government will soon look into their plight.
Ms. Sikazwe said government provided for K45 billion in the National Budget because it understands the predicament and suffering of the former TAZARA workers and their families.She said government is committed to paying the retirees since the K45 billion intended for that purpose reflects in the Yellow Book,Estimates of Expenditure for the year 1st January 2012 to 31st December, 2012 presented by Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda in November last 2011.
“Government realizes the importance of this money and knows how you have suffered but it won’t be long before we pay you your pension benefits, I’m just appealing to you to remain calm so that this issue is dealt with harmoniously,” Ms. Sikazwe said.
Meanwhile, Unionized Workers of TAZARA (WUTAZ) who downed tools over two weeks ago have resumed work.The workers called off the strike after Communications and Transport Minister, Yamfwa Mukanga appealed to them to resume work last week.The workers went on strike to press for payment of their delayed March and April salaries.The workers have since been paid their March salaries.