Transport, Communications, Works and Supply Minister Christopher Yaluma has moved to allay reports of a power rift at Zambia Railways Limited involving Managing Director Professor Clive Chirwa and the board over corruption at the railway firm.
“These reports of a rift are exaggerated. The situation is okay and everything is operating normally,” Mr. Yaluma said in an interview.
When pressed further, Mr. Yaluma explained, “Professor Chirwa remains C.EO and he is not going anywhere. I know of those problems with the board but those things are normal in any organisation and so they should not be exaggerated.”
“As Minister of Transport, I am firmly in control of the situation at Zambia Railways.”
Mr. Yaluma said reports that Professor Chirwa had been suspended by the board were unfounded and a creation by people interested in causing confusion at Zambia Railways.
“What I know is that the board never made such a decision to suspend the CEO and that is the correct position,” he said.
“Yes some people want to see us fail on this project so they will try to cause confusion and derail us but we remain focused as government on delivering on the promise to transform Zambia Railways.
On the issue of board members demanding inflated allowances, Mr. Yaluma said allowances are normal and they should be paid as per entitlement.
[pullquote]“The K 500 million for each member is crazy. I cannot sanction that payment. I would be fired by State House if I ever sanctioned those huge allowances. What I have approved is in the range of K 7 million per sitting per member and that is in line with most parastatals,” he said.[/pullquote]
“The K 500 million for each member is crazy. I cannot sanction that payment. I would be fired by State House if I ever sanctioned those huge allowances. What I have approved is in the range of K 7 million per sitting per member and that is in line with most parastatals,” he said.
But highly placed sources at the company revealed that Professor Chirwa was barred from going ahead with his planned news last Monday at which he planned to expose the corruption at the company.
“What happened is that after the story went out that some board members want Professor out, Government heard that he was going to have a news conference on the same and they managed to somehow calm him and he cancelled the news conference,” the sources said.
They said the news conference was intended to blow the lid on the rampant corruption going on at the company and on the reasons why Finance Director Regina Mwale was sent on forced leave.
“It appears Professor compromised after the Minister intervened, he is now back in the office and working normally but we understand he has made a list of demands to the Minister. He wants Regina reinstated immediately and he wants certain board members dropped,” the source said.
Coachless FAZ Super Division side Lime Hotspurs are keeping the hunt for a new trainer close to their chest after firing Mathews Ndhlovu at the weekend.
On Saturday, Lime became the first Super Division side to fire a coach this season when they showed Ndhlovu and his deputy Benson Chambeshi the exit door.
The Ndola based club has picked one point from the first four opening matches.
In an interview, club chairman Joseph Chishimba said Lime will only give an update on their search for a coach on Thursday.
“We are going to state our position tomorrow (Thursday). It’s a long process,” Chishimba said.
Unconfirmed reports from Ndola suggest that Lime are quoting Fordson Kabole, who was recently fired by DR Congo side Don Bosco, and Wesley Mondo among other coaches.
Currently, club captain Clive Hachilensa and his vice Lameck Kafwaya are drilling their team-mates ahead of Saturday’s away Week Five match against Napsa Stars in Lusaka.
File:Students from the Copperbelt University protesting against management
The Copperbelt University Student Union (COBUSU) today stormed the the Ministry of Education headquarters in Lusaka seeking Government intervention over the CBU management decision to bar squatting at the institution.
The Copperbelt University Vice Chancellor Professor Ngoma has with immediate effect banned students from squating. The Copperbelt University has an accommodation capacity of around 1800 bed spaces against the more than 13000 students enrolled at the University.
COBUSU president Oscar Mbewe said it was unreasonable for CBU management to bar squatting when the enrollment scale at the institution had kept on increasing and yet there had been no infrastructure expansion to allow the enrolment scales match with infrastructure.
“Right now, we have a population of about 13, 000 students at CBU against rooms with about 2,000 bed space meaning that 11, 000 students have no accommodation,” Mr Mbewe said.
Students are saying it defies reason for the CBU management to bar students from squatting at the institution when there was accommodation shortage.
Security guards are searching rooms throughout the day and night to ensure there is no squatting and this has lead to students sleeping outside.
85 Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) miners at Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) in Chililabombwe were yesterday rushed to hospital after being gassed when a dumper truck caught fire underground.
The dumper truck caught fire whilst in the underground workshop which was stocked with a range of oils at shaft number three.
Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Joseph Chewe and KCM spokesperson Joy Sata both in separate interviews confirmed the incident which happened in the early hours of yesterday.
Mr Chewe said a dumper truck caught fire but referred queries to KCM management for details.
Ms Sata who alongside other management officials quickly rushed to the scene of the accident said 85 miners were gassed after a dumper caught fire whilst in the workshop at shaft number three.
She said the affected miners where quickly evacuated and rushed to Konkola Mine Hospital where they underwent medical observation.
“Because the dumper truck caught fire whilst in a workshop which had oil,it made the miners inhale some fumes and so they had to be taken to hospital for medical observation,” she said.
Ms Sata, however, said the affected miners were all out of danger and that most of them had since been discharged after undergoing observation while the few others had remained for the usual 24 hours observation.
She said the gassed miners were both KCM and contracted employees adding that the incident did not affect underground operations as shaft number four and one remained operational.
Representatives of Political Parties, faith based Organizations, Zambia Police, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Human Rights Commission and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) have resolved that the current constitution making process guarantee and enhance the independence, the powers and the autonomy of the Electoral commission of Zambia.
The resolutions were made yesterday following a consultative forum held in Lusaka organised by the ECZ on peaceful, free and fair elections in the country.
Speaking at a media briefing today, Non Governmental Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Board Chairperson, Beatrice Grillo,said the stakeholders also agreed that the Commission be granted more powers to enforce the Electoral Act and regulations, coupled with powers to disqualify erring candidates and political parties’ participation in an election for grave violations of electoral laws.
[pullquote]
the consultative forum was fruitful despite the Patriotic Front being the only Political Party present that has not signed the agreement and resolutions of the forum
[/pullquote]Ms Grillo says the stakeholders further agreed that religious leaders should facilitate dialogue among the political party leaders to address the current issues of concern which are now affecting the peaceful conduct of election.
She added that they also agreed that the playing field in the electoral process must be leveled and all political parties adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Ms Grillo said the consultative forum was fruitful despite the Patriotic Front being the only Political Party present that has not signed the agreement and resolutions of the forum.
[QFM]
At the end of the taxiway the plane turned and faced east. The president peered through the window again and saw that people were still waving. He spotted the VP for he was the only white person in the crowd. He was standing next to the Acting President, a man who only a few hours ago had been his junior.
Lately, the VP had begun to dread trips to the airport to see off the president. They were his worst moments. He often felt disregarded, demeaned and humiliated. There were times when he felt like a jerk—like a pawn, a stooge—times when he felt as rotten as he was feeling now. It’s the law of the land, he reminded himself for the thousandth time.As he watched the plane, rage swept through him like an avalanche, taking with it all the wonderful moments he had spent with the president—the first meeting to form an opposition party; their victory celebration in September 2011; the memorable reception following his appointment as vice president; and his excitement at seeing the headline in the Guardian newspaper: “Zambia’s white vice-president hails ‘cosmopolitan’ new era.”
[pullquote]Remember, when the army officers salute, you don’t need to salute back, just smile. Often we’ve had acting presidents use the wrong hand to salute. And one more thing, after all is done we’ll drive your back to your house and not Plot 1[/pullquote]
He stole a glance at the Acting President and saw that he still displayed the “pinch me, I’m dreaming” smile. He had been pinching himself since the president asked him to act. Not in his wildest dream did he envision becoming acting president, not for one day. To say he was shaking like a leaf would be an understatement. He could hardly keep his feet on the ground.
The VP tried, as he had done on several occasions on a day such as this, to remain composed, but his mind was working some negatives: I’m not going to address this chap as ‘sir,’ or ‘Mr. President.’ He can eat crow, all I know. I mean how can I? Why should I? I’m the second most powerful man in Zambia. I answer to no one but Michael.
The plane raced down the runway. The president waved as it began to climb on its way to cruising altitude. VP reluctantly waved back. The plane disappeared. The Acting President was still waving.The head of the presidential security whispered in the Acting President’s ear: “Your Excellency, sir, he’s gone. You can stop waving now. You need to say bye to the VIPs and the Generals before you leave. Remember, when the army officers salute, you don’t need to salute back, just smile. Often we’ve had acting presidents use the wrong hand to salute. And one more thing, after all is done we’ll drive your back to your house and not Plot 1.”
Reminiscent of the previous occasions, the VP waited for the Acting President to lead the way. This was the part he despised the most. It made him feel unwanted; often dejected. He knew some cabinet ministers did not approve of him being VP. They often showed it when the president was out of the country. If they had their way they would relegate him to a ministerial position or confine him to the party.
FILE: Vice president Guy Scott following proceedings during the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony
Actually, the thought had crossed the Acting President’s mind. He was thinking of holding an impromptu press conference in the State House gardens the next day. He had spent the previous night preparing his speech. It read as follows:
Countrymen, I speak to you not only as your Acting President, but also as a compatriot mindful of the sacrifices you have made over the years. At the height of hunger, poverty, and disease you have remained resilient. Faced by these challenges, you have chosen hope over terror; over horror; over trepidation. You have remained a patient, loving people adored by the world beyond our borders. But what good is patience and love without the full measure of happiness? Why should we continue to be a patient and loving, but suffering people? Why can’t we carry our patience and love, which are our God-given precious gifts, to higher heights?
One lesson we have learned over the years is that happiness is never given on a silver platter. It is earned. It is earned not only through hard work, but also, and mostly through intelligent initiative—no more no less. The path to happiness is not for the lazy mind. It is not for those who are not innovative. It is not for the greedy and the corrupt. It is not for the privileged, the rich and the fortunate. Rather, it is for the positive thinkers, doers, inventors, and risk-takers, and that’s who we should be.
Countrymen, we toil too much, and sweat profusely because we refuse to use our heads. We accept narrowness. Time and again we sacrifice too much and blister our hands and break our backs so we may live another day, and yet we can do something about it. We can ease our pain. How can we ease our pain? By being more creative than we currently are; by being as curious and as innovative as our fellow humans in the developed world. Our minds are no less inventive as theirs. Europeans and Asians are not a fortunate people. They are a hard-working thinking people. They think all the time. We think sometimes and often we think no times.
[pullquote]For him to behave like us is to fail us. When he became VP we were expecting him to be in the forefront in making our president appreciate democracy. Democracy is what has made Dr. Scott’s race successful[/pullquote]As your Acting President, I am here to lay a new foundation for our growth so that when the president returns he will find us picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and beginning to remake our country. Here is what I have decided. By the power invested in me as your Acting President, I have with immediate effect made major changes to the cabinet and created the Ministry without Portfolio to meet the demands of a new age. It will be headed by Dr. Guy Scott.
Let me briefly say something about Dr. Scott. As Vice President, he is a wasted talent in a country full of frills. He carries with him responsibilities without authority. We all know he will never be president. He’ll always be left to ridicule because he can’t even act as one. Yet, he is one of us. But let’s face it, in this world of prejudice, discrimination, and racism, our Dr. Scott can knock at more doors than even our president. He is much more believable at the IMF, World Bank, 10 Downing Street, even at the White House because of the color of his skin. It is not racism, countrymen, it’s the truth.
Edgar Lungu
There are many things Dr. Scott can achieve on our behalf, but unfortunately he’s not patriotic enough. His heart is not Zambian enough. Here is a man who has taught robotics at Oxford University and yet he has done nothing for Zambia in terms of technology. There is not one single machine of value to us he has constructed, and yet he can. He can make automated processing machines for our factories, and robots for auto manufacturing. He can take us from hand production methods to machines. That’s what he should be doing at the Ministry without Portfolio. He should be encouraging abstraction, discovery, and curiosity. He should be creating a social order based on industrialization. The 2020 generation should remember him as the Zambian white man who revolutionized the Zambian industry.
Also, Dr. Guy Scott knows that copper is our lifeline. He knows copper is to us as gold is to the South Africans. While gold has made South Africa a prosperous nation, copper has turned us into paupers. Although copper may be down from the peaks of the 1970s when we ranked among the top producers in the world, we still have enough rock to last us a lifetime. Dr. Guy Scott knows it. He was born in this country. Growing up, he was a friend to some of the current Chief executives in the South African mines. Instead of him watching our mines run down by unscrupulous Chinese and Indians, he must broker a deal with some of his friends to come back and work with our Zambian team to pump life back into our most treasured industry and bring our copperbelt towns back to life. Our Zambian miners deserve better.
[pullquote]It is not racism, countrymen, it’s the truth[/pullquote] It has always been our belief that Europeans are organized, and it has been their belief that we are disorganized. We have one European from the cult of efficiency who can show us where we’ve failed. For him to behave like us is to fail us. When he became VP we were expecting him to be in the forefront in making our president appreciate democracy. Democracy is what has made Dr. Scott’s race successful. For him to fail to tap it onto our president is to deliberately divorce himself from our advancement.
Countrymen, instead of mounting Dr. Scott on the political anthill, stepping on helpless ants, chanting “Donchi Kubeba!” in a language similar to Bemba, and indulging in political shenanigans, let us put this, our dear muzungu, to good use while we are in power. Let us use him as a link in our quest for prosperity.
I have also decided to drop the Minister of Finance and asked Dr. Dambisa Moyo to replace him. Dr. Moyo has been inside the World Bank and seen shylocks at work, setting the security at a pound of our flesh. She understands how the institution has destroyed Africa; how it has enslaved us. She also understands the Chinese and their underhand methods and demands. I believe she holds the key to our economic growth. She will cohort with Dr. Guy Scott, an economist himself. As for the current Finance Minister, I thank him for a very long, long, long distinguished service. Thank you, countrymen. Inside the presidential limo the Acting President finished reading the speech. He put it back in the folder. He was thinking about the press conference when it dawned on him that it was a pipedream. It was a waste of time. The VP was going nowhere. He was the throne bearer of the deity. He was a cosmic used to keep the ambitious and traitors at a distance. With him as Vice President there would be no heir. The credibility quotient for this article is this: If it deals with politics it’s a fact; if it is dramatized it’s fiction; if it is outrageously unbelievable, it’s a fact.
Scores of Chinese nationals resident in Zambia shooting pictures of their friends and relatives during the Chinese new year celebration in Lusaka
By Laura Miti
The National Constitutional Convention is currently going on at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, in Lusaka.
Citizens all over the country are holding thumbs praying that sooner rather than later, this protracted process that has gobbled up insane amounts in taxpayers’ money will be put to bed.
The kind of money the constitution review process has used up, carelessly and uneconomically, is actually one for the history books. This has been a criminally wasteful procedure since President Levy Mwanawasa engineered it to be as unending as possible.
Every administration after that has continued to ensure that the constitutional review process is useful only to silence immediate demands by citizens.
Meanwhile, it has continually been designed to never compromise subsequent governments’ unyielding quest to continue ruling via the flawed document that places interest of politicians before that of citizens.
Of course, citizens pray not only that the unnecessarily long money wasting roadmap, whose end even now is known only by State house reaches its conclusion.
More importantly, the earnest, collective supplication directed heavenwards is that the end to this meandering, start and stop path we have been on will deliver the kind of document that will change Zambia for the better forever.
But it is not really the constitution convention I want to talk about today. Rather, it is something that came to my attention because of that gathering. The matter exercising my mind this morning is that of how many Chinese nationals are apparently holding menial jobs in the country.
You see, I happened to visit someone who is a delegate to the constitutional convention and is, with a couple hundred other delegates, accommodated at the New Golden Peacock Hotel on Kasangula Road, in Roma.
Boy was I shocked at the number of Chinese people doing very basic jobs in that hotel!
From what I could see, the hotel is employing Chinese waiters, bartenders, and even guards at the gate.
My question is why, how? Are we issuing work permits to Chinese nationals to come and cook Nshima?
I ask because the Nshima I ordered was brought to the table by a Chinese waiter.
Now let me quickly hasten to say that I am no xenophobe. I well understand that in this global village we now inhabit, labour, like capital, travels freely and lands in corners far away from “its home.” I really have no problems with skilled non-Zambians competing for and taking up high end jobs in Zambia if we do not have the personnel for them.
[pullquote]What story did the Golden Peacock cook up to convince an immigration officer that they needed expatriate bartenders, waiters and supervisors?[/pullquote]
I cannot, though, accept that in this country where millions of young, able-bodied people with basic, and many times tertiary, education are unemployed, we would allow basic positions to be filled by the Chinese.
Isn’t government supposed to protect these jobs for citizens in order to reduce the massive poverty and unemployment statistics? Forget statistics, shouldn’t government be doing its damnest to ensure that every jobthat can be done by a Zambian is made available to them so that a few hundred more citizens can have their sorry lives dignified by work.
My question is how are the Chinese coming here to work as guards getting the work permits they require? What story did the Golden Peacock cook up to convince an immigration officer that they needed expatriate bartenders, waiters and supervisors?
As things stand, given our policies that allow free flow of profits generated by “investors” out of the country, it is safe to assume that apart from a large amount of the money Zambia is spending on accommodating delegates to the constitutional convention making its way to China, even the little that could remain in salaries is taken out by cooks and waiters.
My oh my! Ibetter end.
Yes, I have avoided belabouring that little matter about how President Sata and the PF executed an acrobatic about-turn deserving of an Olympic gold medal regarding their campaign promises to deal with the Chinese unskilled-labour situation.
The Golden Peacock is, of course, a great example of this. All I will say is it is time the PF reconsidered this question. It is time to institute polices that give the 20-year old Mwansa, Mabvuto andMundia, currently sitting around in Chawama somewhere, an outside chance at holding a basic job in their own motherland.
Delegates to the on-going Constitution National Convention have unanimously endorsed the recommendation
that ministers and their deputies should be appointed outside parliament and that their appointments should not be ratified by parliament.
Former Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa in contribution to Article 20 gave examples of Nigeria and the USA where ministers were appointed outside parliament and the system was working well.
But Heritage Party leader Godfrey Miyanda opposed this saying the President-elect went to the polls with a team and wondered why he should not utilise his team to become ministers.
The delegates also retained the proposal in the first draft Constitution that provincial ministers should be sitting in Cabinet meetings as ex-officio members and that petitions in presidential elections should be done within 60 days from the date of announcement of results.
[pullquote]He said this when he announced that he had received a report that a delegate was assaulted by another during health break just because they differed during debates.[/pullquote]
They also retained the proposal that if a president, while in office, sues another person, then his immunity should be removed.
Earlier, chairperson of the Convention Pofessor Muyunda Mwanalushi warned delegates against attacking each other physically after differing on opinions during debates.
He said this when he announced that he had received a report that a delegate was assaulted by another during health break just because they differed during debates.
ZESCO Limited officials inspect the waters at Lake Kariba where the utility firm generates power
SOME Livingstone residents have rejected the proposed average of 26 per cent increment of ZESCO tariffs arguing that the upward adjustment will increase the cost of production and in turn push up the cost of various commodities.
But ZESCO defended its proposed electricity tariffs increment saying the move would enable the power utility firm to meet various operational costs, high inflation and increasing demand for electricity.
A Livingstone resident, Samuel Banda, said ZESCO employees were not productive as they were getting 2, 000 electricity units each at a far reduced price every month while ordinary Zambians had to spend huge sums of money to buy electricity units.
Mr Banda said the Government had cut down on the distribution of mealie meal to military personnel and stopped the use of pool vehicles to civil servants to reduce on costs hence ZESCO should emulate such a move.
He was speaking in Livingstone at New Fairmount Hotel yesterday during Energy Regulation Board (ERB)’s public hearing on ZESCO’s application to revise electricity tariffs by an average of 26 per cent across all categories of customers.
“As I make my submission, I wish to strongly oppose the increment of electricity tariffs. The reason is that ZESCO increased the tariffs a year or two year ago but we never saw any tangible changes in the supply of electricity and service delivery. What is the guarantee now that we will see changes in its operations?
“Secondly, ZESCO has failed to minimise operational costs of producing electricity. ZESCO has been buying luxurious vehicles and they pass these costs to us electricity customers,” he said.
Mr Banda urged ZESCO to find an equal partner to inject investment capital into the firm and also consider listing on Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) to enable the utility firm raise the required funding.
“I wish to suggest that ZESCO employees start buying electricity units at market price to help the institution raise the required funds to enhance power generation,” he said.
At this point, ERB board vice chairperson Robinson Mwansa assured consumers that the institution would have a final say on ZESCO’s application to increase electricity tariffs.
Another customer, Ruth Hansen said if the electricity tariffs were increased as proposed, the cost of stock feeds and mealie meal would go up as such commodities required electricity to drive their production.
Ms Hansen said she would have to increase charges at her hammer mills as electricity was one of the major costs of production.
But in his presentation at the function, ZESCO acting managing director Christopher Mubemba said there was need to increase proposed electricity tariffs to enable the power utility firm meet various operational costs as well as high inflation and increasing demand for electricity in the economy.
Mr Mubemba said ZESCO would like to contribute positively to the development of the country and hence it was necessary to increase the tariffs.
“If we fail to increase the electricity tariffs, we will be contributing to Zambia failing to achieve the vision of the country attaining the prosperous middle income nation status by the year 2030,” he said.
ERB chairperson George said it was undeniable fact that the energy sector in Zambia was at crossroads
Dr Chabwera said there were structural difficulties in the energy sector which did not just require new thinking and ideas.
In its application, ZESCO has proposed the adjustment of 32 per cent for residential, 11 per cent for large power consumers, 24 per cent for small power consumers, 24 per cent for commercial consumers and 18 per cent for service consumers.
Wynter Kabimba address a rally in Kapiri Mposhi over the weekend
People’s Party President Mike Mulongoti openly accused Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba of laying a foundation to succeed President Michael Sata.
During a rare National Watch television programme on ZNBC last evening, Mr. Mulongoti said Mr. Kabimba who is also PF Secretary General has been blocking potential successors to President Sata in order to smoothen his way to the top.
“Everybody knows Wynter is a pretender. He is preparing to take over, I know he will deny it but that is what the people in the party are telling us,” Mr. Mulongoti said.
“He is busy kicking out any potential threats to his presidential ambition so that he positions himself to take over, everybody knows that,” he said.
This was after Mr. Kabimba described Mr. Mulongoti and others who campaigned for the PF in the run up to the 2011 elections as political refugees who had sought solace in the PF.
“Our view as the PF is that Mr. Mulongoti and all those that came and sympathized with us were never our members, we view them as political refugees who had run away from a civil war in their own parties and we accommodated them. If refugees at Maheba sympathize with Zambians, they don’t become Zambians. That was the similar situation that Mike (Mr. Mulongoti) and others found themselves in,” Mr. Kabimba said.
The accusations from Mr. Mulongoti will go far to reinforce a general perception that Mr. Kabimba has been orchestrating the recent power battles in the PF to position himself for the big post in the likely event that President Sata does not rerun for office.
“My friend here (pointing at Mr. Kabimba) is a beneficiary of politics of patronage. He has never won an elective political office. He is where he is today because he was appointed Secretary General and nominated as MP by President Sata. He has idea of what it takes to form a political party,” Mulongoti said.
He continued, “My presidential ambitions are well within my right. I have the rights to dream big also. I want to be President. I was a Councilor, MP and Ministers, is it wrong to progress in life?”
Mr. Mulongoti defended his decision to form his own political party saying it was a better option.
“I couldn’t go to the MMD because of the manner in which I was expelled and I couldn’t go and officially join the PF because it has its own problems, not all is well in the PF. I didn’t want to join a house which is on fire.”
Scores of mourners on Tuesday morning turned up for the funeral procession of ex-Power
Dynamos defender Nick Peters who was interred at Nkana East Cemetery in Kitwe.
Peters , 47, died last Saturday after collapsing during a social football match at Ndola Wanderers Grounds.
Tuesday’s funeral procession begun with a requiem mass at Anglican Church in the Kitwe town centre before mourners proceeded to Nkana East Cemetery.
Ex-players who witnessed Peters’ send-off included Power coach Beston Chambeshi, Nkana great Musole Sakulanda and retired keeper Kennedy Kalale among others.
After collapsing, Peters was rushed to Ndola Central Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
He is said to have been unchallenged at the time he collapsed.
FILE: Dandy Crazy dances with one his dancing queens in Chipata
Airtel-Zambia has disclosed that it will support Zambian Artist Wesley Chibambo, popularly known as Dandy Crazy, in his efforts to help other members of society who are using drugs to reform from the same.
In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Airtel Corporate Communications and Public Relations Officer Lisa Mulozi, said the company was convinced that the musician has shown genuine intention to reform and be an ambassador for the anti-drug campaign.
Mrs. Mulozi said the Airtel will review its contractual relationship with Chibambo on a quarterly basis.
Chibambo, a resident of Kitwe, was on March 7, 2013 arrested in Luanshya by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for trafficking in 14 grammes of cannabis which was concealed in the pocket of his trousers and also in the compartment of his unregistered Toyota Progress.
He was slapped with a one year jail term by Luanshya Magistrate Edward Banda who later suspended the same sentence to 18 months on condition that the convict does not involve himself in any criminal offence during this period.
This means that Chibambo will not be in jail for drug trafficking but if he commits another offence within the next 18 months, he will be jailed for the offence and the other one he will commit.
The vehicle in which the drugs were found has since been seized by the commission.
The 36 years old musician was granted a KR500 bail with one working surety resident in Luanshya.
He is expected to appear in court on 10th May, 2013 in a case where he is charged with unlawful use of property, which is the vehicle in which the cannabis was concealed.
Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba says government has the desire and commitment to partner with the church in addressing the many challenges being faced by the general citizenry in the country.
He also said government recognizes the pivotal role that the church plays in the quest to promote holistic social and economic development of the people.
Mr. Kabimba, who is also Patriotic Front Secretary General said this when he officiated at the United Church Synod Executive Meeting held at the Diakonia Centre in Kabwe.
It is apparent that the prevailing cordial relations between government and the church in Zambia, dates back as far as independence.
Mr Kabimba observed that it was imperative that both government and the church continue nurturing cordial relations and take every opportunity to consult and engage one another on critical issues of social and economic development.
Mr. Kabimba said the state shall not attempt to interfere in the spiritual and administrative affairs of the church, [that is] if the church desists from acting as an agent or spokesperson of one group against another in the political arena or play the role of judge in non-spiritual matters.
He further advised that Instead the church must only offer moral and spiritual guidance by engaging the state and other parties directly and not always through the news media.
“As moral conscience of our nation, the church must manifest impartiality and objectivity at all times in its comments in matters of good governance,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to ZANIS in an interview, United Church of Zambia Synod Bishop, Mutale Mulumbwa, said the church is ready to partner with government in addressing key matters to do with the country’s socio-economic development.
Bishop Mulumbwa reaffirmed that the two entities have had an overwhelming partnership in developmental matters and that the relationship has overwhelmingly prevailed through all preceding governments and now with the incumbent Patriotic Front government.
“We have had nice times with government, since the Kaunda era [up to date] and I should confess that it is not at all times that we agree with each other, as at times we differ in the way we look at things, however, in-a-nutshell, we have the same goals and objectives.”
Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma (left ), Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo (right)
Transport, Works, Supply, and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma today took to task management and staff at the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) over the authority’s alleged failure to regulate the high tariffs and poor service delivery by mobile service providers.
Mr. Yaluma charged that ZICTA has stood by and watched mobile service providers exploit Zambians through high tariffs.
He said this when he visited ZICTA offices in Lusaka today.
He said ZICTA has not performed its regulatory role even when it was aware of its responsibility of ensuring that quality services were delivered to consumers.
Mr. Yaluma alleged that the authority has instead teamed up with mobile service providers in exploiting the public.
He said as a communication regulatory authority, ZICTA should adopt an aggressive approach in regulating mobile phone service providers.
He has since instructed the authority to come up with a clear strategy of how it plans to improve access to information and communications technology, detailing the cost and benefits to Zambians.
The minister observed that ZICTA’s previous strategies lacked a clear roadmap, hence making it ineffective.
And ZICTA Board Chairperson Gertrude Akapelwa Euheni disclosed that her authority will soon open an ICT centre of knowledge which will train information technology personnel in order to improve ICT innovations in the country.
Mrs. Euheni said lack of an ICT training centre has hindered the levels of performance in the sector.
Meanwhile, ZICTA Director General Margaret Mudenda said the authority will endeavour to provide the best service to Zambians.
Popular gospel rapper Pompi ,who’s album “MIZU” has been greatly received by his fans all over zambia , took to his facebook page to defend himself and his lota house label mates recent performances at some night clubs.
He had this to say
“We will continue ministering to the lost. There is nothing more ugly than an orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion. We at Lotahouse value people so much so that we will not discriminate on who is and who is not worthy of the Gospel. Those who want to keep the Gospel within the four walls of the church sorry but we have to leave the 99 in search of the one lost sheep as commanded by our Savour Jesus Christ. Enjoy the luxury of freely given Green pastures, We will be delivering this very important good news of grace to that one. The truth needs no defending so we will simply reply by sending you progress reports.”
