Patriotic Front (PF) Southern Province Political Secretary Brian Hapunda has rubbished claims by some online publications that he fired gun shots at a nightclub in Livingstone at the weekend.

But Southern Province Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga confirmed that the police in Livingstone had received a complaint of firing gun shots allegedly by Mr Hapunda and that the provincial PF police secretary would be questioned soon.

Mr Hapunda said contrary to the claims, he was in Choma throughout the whole weekend to meet party officials and prepare for President Michael Sata’s visit to the Provincial Capital and chief Chikanta’s area on Wednesday.

Speaking in an interview from Choma yesterday, Mr Hapunda said he was a responsible married man who had no time of patrionising night clubs.

He claimed that the allegations published on the Zambian Watchdog yesterday could have come from some United Party for National Development (UPND) officials who were always bent on tarnishing his image.

“We all know that UPND has not fully recovered from their recent loss of the Livingstone Parliamentary Seat to PF and hence they are coming up with all sorts of accusations to tarnish my image.

In the first place, I came here in Choma last week and I am still here so how can fire guns in Livingstone the same day that I am in Choma? Secondly, I don’t need to move with guns in Southern Province because I am a free person,” Mr Hapunda said.

When contact for a comment yesterday, Mrs Katanga said the police received a complaint on Saturday from a Livingstone Richard Sakala over the firing of gun shots at East point Discoteque and Mr Hapunda would be questioned over the matter.

Yesterday, the Zambian Watchdog published a letter yesterday quoting an anonymous person who claimed to have witnessed the firing of gun shots outside Livingstone’s East point Discoteque by Mr Hapunda.

The source claimed that scores of Livingstone locals and taxi drivers witnessed the act and that what was sad about it was that Mr Hapunda was doing it in full view of everyone at East point Discoteque.

Copperbelt University Management has accused some students of taking advantage of others without accommodation by charging them exorbitantly for squatting.

The institution’s Registrar Allan Ilunga said this is illegal and must be stopped immediately to protect the vulnerable students.

He said the university would endeavor to continue on its mandate of providing excellent education in a safe and healthy environment conducive for both students and those who support them.

Mr Ilunga said the institution was aware that some students have taken advantage of others without accommodation by charging them higher prices for squatting.

“CBU like any other institution has limited bed space and can only accommodate numbers equal to what is available and this should not compromise healthy issues or allow students to exploit their colleagues,” he said.

He said the University had on short term basis engaged private property owners in the surrounding areas to provide alternative accommodation to students who were not accommodated at the institution.

Mr Ilunga said CBU, like any other educational institution, had rules and regulations that govern its operations and that the student’s information handbook does not allow students to have extra people living in their rooms.

He said the institution was simply enforcing the already existing rules on accommodation and had the responsibility of providing a conducive environment at campus.

Mr Ilunga said CBU does not want to expose students to communicable diseases hence the decision to ban squatting.

Last week Copperbelt Students Union (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.

Mr Mbewe said the institution had a population of about 13, 000 students against 2,000 bed spaces which meant that 11, 000 students have no accommodation.

Meanwhile, Mr Ilunga said management was working at addressing the accommodation challenges and would create an addition of 10 000 bed spaces by the year 2016.

Mr Ilunga said in a statement in Kitwe yesterday that the institution was working towards addressing the accommodation problems through partnering with the Government in constructing hostels through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to provide enough bed spaces to students.

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has refuted media reports alleging that staff assigned on road traffic patrols receive unjustified allowances.

RTSA Principal Publicity Officer Mercy Mwila said the allowances referred to are in fact subsistence allowances to help staff meet their daily requirements while out of station on highway patrols.

This is because the officers are required to spend nights and days away from home.

In a statement to ZANIS, Mrs. Mwila disclosed that RTSA staff only receive a subsistence allowance of KR500 per night meant for meals, accommodation, and mobility when out of town, adding that the amount is below the normal government night allowance.

She explained that in 2012, RTSA in partnership with the Zambia Police, and the Road Development Agency (RDA) launched a National Road Traffic Enforcement Programme funded by the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) which was meant to address the unprecedented high levels of road traffic accidents which killed more than 1,600 people in 2011.

Mrs. Mwila further explained that in an effort to address this scourge through road safety sensitization and intensifying traffic patrol, human and financial resource was needed, prompting all the partner institutions to put their resources together to meet the desired objectives.

She observed that with over 40 000 kilo meters of road to be covered, the partnership involved all road sector agencies and the Zambia Police team being given roles and tasks while managing the roads.

Mrs. Mwila said it is due to the requirement to travel to districts while collaborating with Police Officers in respective Provinces that a subsistence allowance of KR500 per night was recommended to contribute towards staff welfare in accommodation and meals.

She added that the allowance is not a stipend to appreciate staff involvement despite their participation in enforcement after working hours on a daily basis.

Ms. Mwila disclosed that the Agency uses a schedule to alternate staff involvement which also contributes to reducing familiarity with motorists on public roads.

She urged the public to feel free to report any corruption activities involving traffic officers saying the Agency will ensure it is promptly stopped.

ZANIS

Republican vice president Dr Guy Scott says there is need to clean up the distribution of subsidized fertilizer and inputs.

Dr Scott said government is aware that the distribution of subsidized fertilizer under the Fertiliser Input Support Programme-FISP is characterized by corruption.

The vice president made this revelation when he appeared on a special programme on Radio Liseli, a community radio station in Mongu.

Dr Scott wondered how the intended people can benefit from the FISP if the exercise is mugged with corruption.

Dr Scott explained that the subsidized fertilizer is meant for viable small scale farmers.

The vice president however lamented that the people benefiting from the subsidized fertilizer are big farmers and some civil servants instead of the small scale farmers.

Dr Scott reaffirmed the government’s commitment in cleaning up the distribution of subsidized fertilizer.

Meanwhile, Dr Scott says government will establish Zambia News and Information Services offices in all the nine new districts created by President Michael Sata in the western province.

He said the new ZANIS offices will help government have access to the concerns raised by the grassroots in the districts.

Meanwhile, Dr. Guy Scott has left Mongu for Lusaka following his tour of duty in western province where he also graced the 2013 Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people held yesterday.

The Vice President was seen off by Provincial Minister Obvious Mwaliteta, Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba, district commissioners and senior government and ruling PF party officials.

Dr. Scott who described the ceremony as successful, was accompanied by his wife charllote, cabinet, deputy ministers and senior government officials.

The ceremony was also attended by 65 chiefs from Zimbabwe, local and International tourists among others.

Meanwhile, business came to a stand still in Mongu and Limulunga districts yesterday as people left their stands and shops to witness this year’s Kuomboka ceremony.

The ceremony was celebrated admidst tight security by the Zambia Police and traditional security personnel.

Later in the evening, hundreds of people took a glimpse of King Imwiko Lubosi II who was dressed in a royal attire as he arrived to the safer land.

The King was received by his subjects with traditional songs and dances by different dance troops across the province.