ZAMBIA President Michael Sata declared it was “good to be back home” as he arrived in Harare Wednesday for a state visit during which he will also officially open this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.

President Sata was greeted by a 21-gun salute when he landed at Harare International Airport aboard the challenger for a three-day state visit to Zimbabwe.

President Sata, accompanied by First Lady Christine Kaseba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Given Lubinda and other senior Government officials, was welcomed by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace.

Others who were at the airport to receive President Sata and his delegation were Zimbabwean Vice-President Joyce Mujuru, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Zambian High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Ndiyoyi Mutiti.

President Sata also inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Zimbabwean army before he left the airport in the company of President Mugabe.

“I am certain that this visit will afford our two countries yet another opportunity to interact and further consolidate the excellent relations that we enjoy,” Sata said at a state dinner hosted for him by President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe said the two countries were like siamese twins adding Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle would have been harder without the support of its northern neighbour and the rest of the region.

“You suffered reprisals by the Smith regime because of the support you gave us. Lives were lost in Zambia because of your solidarity with our liberation struggle. In spite of all these actions by the settler regime, Zambia relentlessly supported our struggle,” he said.

“It is this assistance from Zambia and other Frontline States which enables us through the armed struggle to end settler colonialism and bring about independence in Zimbabwe.

“That we are inseparable can be traced back to the old times when our two people traded and shared the great Zambezi River. Then there was the ill-fated Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland which left large numbers of our people on either side of our borders.

“To this day, we have Zambians who have chosen to make Zimbabwe their home, as well as Zimbabweans who have done the same in Zambia.”

The two countries share the premier Victoria Falls resort and are set to co-host the 20th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation next year.

In addition an agreement was recently concluded to develop the US$4 billion Batoka Gorge hydro-power station on their common border which – with a capacity to produce 1,650 megawatts of electricity – would help end Zimbabwe’s perennial power supply problems.

“Such infrastructural projects are the enablers of real and sustainable economic development,” Mugabe said.

“As a matter of fact, this project is as important to our two countries as it is to the whole Southern Africa region which, as you know, is experiencing a critical power deficit.”

President Sata is today expected to visit Zimbabwe’s Heroes Acre where he will lay wreaths on the tomb of a soldier and then he will later visit the Zimbabwean Dairy Board and Tyrone Farm in Goromonzi, about 30 kilometres south-east of Harare.

[NewZimbabwe.com/Daily Mail]

Government has been challenged to clarify the position of Patriotic Front Secretary Winter Kabimba in government.

MMD die hard youth wing coordinator Bowman Lusambo says the nation needs to know what position Mr. Kabimba is holding instead of being subjected to speculations that he is third in the government hierarchy after republican vice president, Guy Scott.

Lusambo says it is important that governments come out in the open and state clarify Mr Kabimba’s position.

In an interview with QFM, Lusambo says if President Michael Sata has recommended that Mr. Kabimba should be third from him, the government hierarchy should be presented to parliament with clear responsibilities for each position.

He has also challenged the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), the civil society and non governmental organizations not to sit back but question Mr. Kabimba’s purported government position.

QFM

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says its Mufumbwe member of parliament will be now be considered as not being in good standing with the party.

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has told Qfm in an interview that this will be as the party ponders the action to be taken against Mr Masumba who has been charged with using fake documents to obtain a job in the Magistrate Court.

Mr Nyangu says the party is dismayed at the development regarding Mr. Masumba’s academic qualifications.

Mr. Nyangu explained that the MMD will not tolerate any member found wanting of engaging in fraudulent or corrupt activities as doing so will bring shame to the former ruling party.

He said Mr. Masumba presented to the party the same academic documents in question.

Mr. Nyangu was however quick to mention that Mr. Masumba must prove his innocence beyond reasonable doubt stating that the party will soon give a comprehensive position on the matter once consultations are concluded.

Mr. Masumba who is also local government and housing deputy minister , pleaded not guilty before Principal Magistrate Wilfred Muuma, to the charge of obtaining pecuniary advantage through false pretences contrary to section 309a (2)c of the Penal Code as read with section 41 of the ACC Act number 42 of 1996.

QFM

SOME youths of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in Ndola yesterday surrounded and locked up the office of Tazama Pipelines managing director Largeman Muzelenga demanding his removal to pave way for investigations into revelations by the Wynter Kabimba Commission of Inquiry on the alleged loss of K2 trillion in fuel procurement.

The youths led by Ndola Central Constituency youth chairperson Muma Musonda surrounded Tazama House in the central business district in Ndola as early as 07:30 hours and vowed not to allow Mr Muzelenga enter the building.

The Daily Mail crew that rushed to Tazama House found PF youths instructing the secretary to the managing director to lock the office and not to allow him in the office.

The youths entered the building and forced the secretary to lock the door to the MD’s office and demanded for the keys.

However, quick response from the police prevented the youths from seizing the office keys from the secretary.

The police officers later asked the youths to leave the building.

And addressing the youths, Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo appealed to PF youths not to take the law into their own hands.
Ms Tembo also warned Tazama staff not to remove any files from offices until investigations are concluded.

“Please air your views using the right channels and respect the law. Now that you have aired your views, investigations will be constituted,” she said.

The Wynter Kabimba Commission of Inquiry into the Energy Regulation Board has recommended that former President Rupiah Banda, his son James and some former senior government officials be investigated over the K2 trillion oil procurement losses.

Tazama Pipelines Limited has submitted to Government suggestions for the construction of new loading facilities to double the storage capacity to meet the increasing demand of petroleum products in the country.

And Tazama has also submitted that Government considers relocating residents in the neighbouring Old Regiment township to enhance security around the area.

Tazama director of operations and engineering Majah Kikula said the storage capacity is inadequate to meet the increasing demand for the commodity.
“The storage capacity here is only 10 tanks and that is not enough to meet the increasing demand for petrol and diesel from oil marketing companies,” he said.

Mr Kikula said this during a tour of the fuel terminal by the Parliamentary Committee of Lands, Water and Energy Development in Ndola yesterday.
He said most of the storage facilities are run-down with a lot of leakages since the company took over operations of the terminal in 2007.

Mr Kikula also revealed that in 2010, one of the tanks got perforated on top and rainwater mixed with diesel contaminated more than 200 cubic litres of gas oil.

“We have so far renovated almost all the tanks and the planned construction will help us have enough stocks because at the moment we cannot meet the consumer demand,” Mr Kikula said.

He said a lot of rehabilitation has been undertaken at the terminal and that by September this year, operations will increase.
Mr Kikula said sometimes Tazama and Indeni are subjected to import petrol to meet the high demand of the commodity.
He attributed the increase in demand for the commodity to mining activities and the high number of people acquiring motor vehicles.
And Mr Kikula said some residents of the Old Regiment township are terrorising tanker drivers by draining fuel from the trucks and stealing goods from the truckers.

“This is a restricted area and we applied to Government to have the people living close to Indeni and Tazama to move away. As you can see there are always trucks surrounding this area, so it is not safe to have people living around here,” Mr Kikula said.
And parliamentary committee member James Kapyanga, who is also Kabwe Central member of Parliament, commended the management of Tazama for working hard to meet the increasing demand for petroleum products in the country.

[Daily Mail]

PRESIDENT Sata has appointed managing director of Professional Insurance Corporation George Silutongwe as a new chief executive officer of the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZISC).

Mr Sata announced Mr Silutongwe’s appointment in a letter dated April 19, 2012 to the Minister of Finance and National Planning Alexander Chikwanda.

“I congratulate you on your well-deserved appointment and I am confident that you will perform to my expectations and that of the Zambian people in general,” Mr Sata said in a statement issued by Ministry of Finance and Planning spokesperson Chileshe Kandeta yesterday in Lusaka.

Between 1980 and 2011, Mr Silutongwe served in other capacities in the insurance industry.

He was managing director of Professional life Assurance Limited, deputy director of Zambia Insurance Business College Trust and assistant general claims manager at ZSIC.

Mr Silutongwe is a chartered insurer who also holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from Lincoln University, United Kingdom (UK).
Mr Silutongwe is also an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, a member of the Institute of Risk Management, UK, and fellow of the Insurance Institute of Zambia.

In another development, the Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW) has implored Government to quickly appoint boards for National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and Workers Compensation Fund Board (WCFB) to rekindle the process of salary negotiations.

ZUFIAW General Secretary Joyce Nonde Simukoko commended Government for appointing a new director general for NAPSA and commissioner for WCFB.
Mrs Simukoko also said in an interview that several parastatal organisations have been operating without boards, which has negatively affected the decision-making process.

She said the whole process should be completed by putting in place boards so that the decision making process is not affected.
“Right now salary negotiations have stalled. There are decisions that management cannot make. That is why it is important to have boards in place,” Mrs Simukoko said.
She called on Government to quickly put in place all boards in the affected parastatals to ensure that management issues that remain unattended could be addressed.
“It is so frustrating, that is why workers get angry and act that way,” Mrs Simukoko said.
On Monday, Information, Broadcasting and Labour permanent secretary Amos Malupenga appointed Mr Charles Mpundu as director general for NAPSA and Elizabeth Nkumbula as commissioner for WCFB.

[Daily Mail]

Urban Chaos was founded in 2009 by childhood friends Mwamba Mulenga aka (32 Karat) and Terrence Makondo (Swayvy) in their first year at the University of Zambia.  Joined later in that year by Mass Communications student Ben B (real name Benson Witika), the trio started off making tracks off basic equipment in their room.  Within no time at all, the group began to establish a buzz around campus as being the most legit hip-hop act around.  The roster was completed in 2011 with the additionof J-pryd, and now Urban Chaos seek to solidify their place as hip-hop’s new wonder boys.

32Karat

In addition to being the group’s main beat-maker, 32 Karat brings a wealth of experience and freshness to Urban Chaos’ sound.  Arguably one of Zambia’s best freestylers (as evidenced by his winning K2million courtesy of MTN at the last Cypher), Mwamba is a gifted lyricist with a natural knack for punchlining and creative wordplay.  3 is also a talented footballer who once did a stint with Cardiff FCs youth academy in Wales, where he spent part of his childhood.

Ben B

Ben B has always had a passion for entertainment and is probably the most versatile of the group.  He combines the ability to sing in different styles with a very convincing rap delivery.  He also doubles as a presenter on UNZA Radio.  A true linguist, Ben’s verses inspire and entertain even the most sceptical of listeners.  Ben sees himself shining bright in Africa in the very near future as he really appreciates all music coming from the continent.

J-Pryd

Born in Kitwe but raised in Foxdale Estates Lusaka, Pride Michael Phiri is the Urban Chaos lyrical genius.  The soft-spoken Information Systems student counts Lupe Fiasco as his major influence.  Devoutly Catholic, J-Pryd listens to a lot Christian music; Lecrae and Tedashii in particular.  J-Pryd is easily the most poetic of the group, often seasoning Nsenga into his smooth Nyanja delivery.  Much has been said in underground circles about his potential to become the next huge emcee in Zed, and he relishes the chance to impress.

Swayvy

Swayvy contributes a distinctively unique rap style developed through years of carefully studying the classic hip-hop artists.  Swayvy can also boast of his very credible skills as a beat maker, having done the lions share of the production on early Urban Chaos projects, as well as providing the beat for the soon to be released banger “Mfumu” which includes a Ruff Kid sample.  Swayvy cites Lil’ Wayne as a major influence, inasmuch as he tries not to sound like him.  A commerce student and Kalundu resident, Swayvy counts cars, junk food and soccer as his other interests.

The group scored their first real success when they released the song “Esther Phiri”.  The song received a fair amount of attention on Lusaka radio stations and the underground circuit.  Things began to slow down when 32 and Swayvy transferred to CBU and Mulungushi respectively.  Plans to record an album were shelved as it was almost impossible to coordinate recording sessions with conflicting school calendars.

Now under the wing of former Q FM and X.Y.Z heavyweight stretch.dj the group has rediscovered their passion and are forging ahead with plans to release their mixtape “D.O.A: Death of Audiotape “ as well as 32 Karat’s solo project “the Mixtape Called the Album”.  2012 indeed looks bright for the young talented starlets, as they hope to bring nothing but the very best for the listening public.  Fans can expect collaborations with established acts as well as videos by the end of the year as well as their very first LP in the first quarter of next year.

THE MUSIC

Uli so

By Kapa187