The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has reduced the forty eight hours Electoral rule of halting campaigns before the polling day in an election, to twelve hours.

This means that campaigns in any election in the country will be ending at 18:00 hours on the eve of the polling day.

ECZ spokesperson Cris Akufuna has disclosed to Qfm in an interview that the changes have arisen following resolutions that the ECZ and political parties made during a recent consultative meeting in Lusaka.

Mr. Akufuna has further noted that the new Electoral rule will be applicable to the June 20th Feira Parliamentary by-election.

Chief government spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni has urged people in the country to remain patient with the Patriotic Front (PF) government on the issue of availing the report on what caused the 1993 Gabon Air disaster in which the Zambia National Football team perished.

Mr. Sakeni who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting says the PF government also sympathizes and shares the frustrations of the families of deceased thirty men that died in the air disaster as it has taken too long to publish the report.

Mr. Sakeni has affirmed that PF government will keep its promise of publicizing the report once Cabinet reviews matter.

The Chief government spokesperson has also refuted assertions suggesting that the Zambian government and that of Gabon had gone into a conspiracy to hide the truth behind the cause of the 1993 Gabon air disaster the reason why up to now the report has not been disclosed.

The Minister was speaking in an interview with QFM.

A group of tenants living in former ZCCM houses in Mine compound of Kabwe have appealed to President Michael Sata to intervene in a matter in which they are facing eviction from houses they have been occupying for over 20 years.

Representatives of the group of 60 families told ZANIS in Kabwe that efforts to use other channels to find land where they could go and settle have failed hence the appeal to President Sata to help.

Everisto Mwenya, Charles Halubono and Charles Bwalya said the families were not opposing the Supreme Court ruling against them in 2011 but wanted an alternative place where they could go and settle.

They said early this year, Kabwe high court gave them up to 3rd May 2013, in which to vacate the houses or be forced out by bailiffs.

The trio explained that they had tried to find help from both the office of the Permanent Secretary and that of the District Commissioner in Kabwe but no positive results have been yielded.

“Though we still feel we are the rightful owners of the houses since we were the sitting tenants at the time of the sale of the properties, there is nothing we can do because the courts of law already passed judgement. But we are appealing to government, to help us with an alternative land where we can build since we are not against the court ruling,” said Mr. Mwenya.

He further stated that the affected families are not happy with the looming eviction and were ready to defend themselves even against bailiffs.
He however said the affected people would not want to be violent before they try the last resort of seeking help from the Head of State over their plight.
“We have hope that if President Sata hears this, he is definitely going to listen to us and he will intervene. We are poor people who can only look to government for help in this matter hence our plea to President Sata to listen to our cry,” Mr. Mwenya added.
[ZANIS]

Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Palan Mulonda, says the judiciary plays a critical role in marketing Zambia as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Ambassador Mulonda said the work of the judiciary in upholding the rule of law, guaranteeing freedoms and fighting corruption in the country had become critical considerations for attracting foreign direct investment and development assistance.

He gave an example of the Millennium Challenge Compact, a partnership between the American and Zambian governments, which places a premium on upholding the rule of law, guaranteeing freedoms and fighting corruption as eligibility criteria.

Mr Mulonda was speaking when four high court judges and three officials from the Zambian government paid a courtesy call at the Zambian Embassy in Washington DC today.

This is contained in a press release made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary to the Press at the Zambian Embassy in Washington DC, Patricia Littiya.

The judges include Judge-in-charge at Kitwe High Court, Justice Kaoma, Kitwe High Court Judge, Justice Judy Mulongoti, Lusaka High Court Judge, Justice Nichola Phiri and Kabwe High Court Judge, Justice Elita Mwikisa.

Others were Chief Administrator, Egipiso Mwansa, Deputy Director of Court Operations for the Lusaka High Court ,Charles Kafunda and Deputy Director of Operations at Supreme Court, Mathew Zulu.

The delegation is in the United States at the invitation of the United States State Department programme on the Rule of Law and Administration of Justice.

And speaking on behalf of the delegation, Justice Kaoma said the visit would afford the delegation an opportunity to learn about the American judicial system.

Judge Kaoma noted that there was a lot to learn during the visit especially that Zambia was undergoing judicial reforms.

She said among the critical areas that the Zambian delegation would look at would be the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as court annexed medication critical for speedy resolution of disputes.

ZANIS

Former MMD National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe has today testified in the Lusaka Magistrate court in the case in which former republican president Rupiah Banda is charged with abuse of authority of office.

Major. Kachingwe told the court that between the 2007 and 2009, while he served as deputy high commissioner to Nigeria, he had dealings with a company known as Sarb energy.

He testified that while in that country he was approached by two gentlemen who told him they wanted to do some oil business in Zambia.

He narrated to the court that he referred the two who he identified as Mapen and Acpen to a Mr. William Ngwira who could help them establish some contact in Zambia.

Major Kachingwe told the court that the two further told him that they had another proposal of a government to government crude oil contract.

He testified that after discovering that the Nigerian crude oil was not compatible with the Zambian refined oil from Indeni the discussion could not continue, adding that it was at this time that he had to travel for late President Levy Mwanawasa’s funeral.

He told the court that after the funeral, then acting president Rupiah Banda informed the late George Kunda and then Energy minister Kenneth Konga about the request if they could buy some Nigerian crude oil.

Major Kachingwe narrated that it was then agreed that the two presidents Rupiah Banda and his Nigerian counterpart Umaru Musa Yar’Adua should have a one to one talk about the proposal, and that president Banda also wanted to lobby for the approval of the Sarb Energy deal for the supply of 45 thousand barrels of crude oil per day.

Major Kachingwe also recalled that during the meeting former Defence Minister George Mpombo was also present and he suggested that the proceeds of the crude oil deal be used for poverty alleviation in Zambia.

But defence lawyers Eric Silwamba and Irene Kunda interjected stating that they were concerned about the hearsay and that the court should rely on hearsay.

The defence lawyers also argued that the state should bring cases grounded on facts and not hearsay.

The trial continues this afternoon.

QFm