Counting of votes in underway in the Msanzala by elections with the Patriotic Front’s candidate Joseph Lungu taking an early lead.
Msanzala has 43 polling stations and 10 polling stations have been counted.
QFM’s Namasiku Njovu reports that out of the 3048 votes, Patriotic fronts Joseph Lungu has polled 1,721 votes, trailing behind him is MMD’s Peter Daka with 1,220 votes.
And independent Usaman Maumba has polled 27 votes with UNIP’s Shaderick Banda scoring 20 votes.
QFM
Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia Kipiego Cheluget has declined to comment on media reports suggesting that fugitive Henry Banda, son to former republican President Rupiah Banda is being harboured at the Kenyan State House in Nairobi.
Dr. Cheluget, who was approached by a Qfm staffer to get clarification on the matter, could neither confirm nor deny the media reports but opted to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Foreign affairs Minister Given Lubinda says he will issue a comprehensive statement once he studies the reports.
A daily newspaper quoted undisclosed sources yesterday as having revealed that Henry Banda is seeking refuge in Kenya after the Red light alert was sounded by former Inspector General of Police Dr. Martin Malama.
Henry is wanted by investigation wings for his alleged role in the fraudulent sale of Zamtel to LAP Green which has since been repossessed by government.
QFM
A group of homosexuals is said to be on rampage in Lusaka’s Chingwere and Matero townships abusing some unsuspecting residents.
The group is also reported to be sodomizing minors.
A victim Lax Lungu has narrated how he was seduced and sexually abused by a fellow man.
Mr. Lungu says he was attacked at night by the named man and his group on his way from shopping and forced him to have anal sex.
And residents both in Chingwere and Matero townships have complained of alleged police reluctance to deal with the group.
Below is a MUVITV Report
UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has said that a lot is expected from Zambia’s first woman Inspector General of Police, Stellah Libongani.
Mr. Hichilema has told ZNBC news that the country is eager to have a police service that is professional and impartial at ALL times.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Maxwell Nkole has called on police officers to support new Inspector General of Police Stellah Libongani.
Mr Nkole says Ms Libongani, whose appointment has been received wholeheartedly.
In a press release to ZNBC News today, the Permanent Secretary also paid tribute to former IG Martin Mlama.
President Sata on Tuesday appointed Ms. Libongani as Inspector General of Police, making her become the first woman in the country’s history to occupy such a position.
She was until her appointment Deputy to Dr. Malama, who was relieved of his duties as Inspector General and moves into the Foreign Service.
ZNBC
Esther Phiri finally returns to the ring after a one-year hiatus to defend her IBO and WIBA light welterweight crowns.
She will come face-to-face with Monalisa Sibanda who beat her 13 fights ago on October 10, 2005 in Harare.
However, the status of that last fight has been scrapped from a second round stop fight in favor of Monalisa to a no contest ahead of tonight’s bout at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
Since then, Esther has been unbeaten in 13 fights in which she has drawn one with three knockouts along the way.
It will also be the first time Esther will take to the ring in a rematch after rebuffing earlier overtures from the likes of Terri Blair against whom she fought to a bruising draw three fights ago on November 28, 2009.
Today’s fight will hopefully settle any despite as to who is the better fighter following the scrapping of the result from seven years ago.
However, it will be Monalisa who will be coming into this fight with more ring rust after having not fought since 2008 to raise a baby.
“Although I have not been fighting I have been training and I’m a good boxer, “Sibanda said at the official weigh-in in Lusaka on Thursday.
“Esther knows that, and she must be ready to surrender her belts.”
Meanwhile, the fight has not been without other controversies after being cancelled three times since July due to injury to Esther and logistical problems.
But despite that, camp Monalisa has been very patient and how much of that is a virtue for the Zimbabwean will be put to the test against Esther.
Herve Renard is set to stay on as coach until 2014.
Sports minister Chishimba Kambwili on Thursday disclosed that the Africa Cup winning coach has been given a four-year deal.
Kambwili said Renard’s new contract was agreed upon by both Government and the Football Association of Zambia after Zambia’s Africa Cup win in Gabon on Sunday.
“We had a fruitful meeting with FAZ and I want to announce that very soon we are signing a three-year contract with Herve Renard that will go up to August, 2014,” Kambwili said.
“We will ensure that we give him a lucrative deal so that he is not swelled by other countries that are after him.”
Renard went one step better with Zambia at the Africa Cup to win the tournament after guiding them to the quarterfinals in 2010.
Government has with immediate effect suspended Siavonga district council to pave way for investigations into the alleged corrupt practices by senior officers.
Minister of Local Government, housing ,early education and environmental protection Professor Nkandu Luo has told a media briefing in Lusaka today that the ministry has received reliable reports that some senior council officers who among them is the council secretary were involved in the illegal allocation plots.
The minister says she has therefore decided under the statutory provisions under the Local Government Act section 88 to suspend the council to pave way for investigations into the allegations.
Professor Luo has since appointed southern province provincial local government Officer Alex Bwalya as local government administrator at Siavonga council for an initial 90 days and will discharge all the functions of the council until the investigations are concluded.
Professor Luo has since signed a statutory instrument to effect the suspension of the council which will be published in the government Gazette.
She noted that corruption and abuse of office at the local authorities has over the years led to poor performance in the operations of the councils saying the PF government will ensure that the trend is reversed.
The minister has since warned of stern action council officials who engage in corrupt practices.
QFM
Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda says government will support global efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the Middle East.
Mr. Lubinda says his government is dismayed by the ongoing political unrests in the Middle East which have resulted in the killings of a number of innocent civilians.
He says the political instability in the Middle East has adverse effects within and beyond the region adding that there is urgent need for a political solution to the crisis.
And Mr. Lubinda has charged that his government’s foreign policy will be based on the mutuality of common interests, focus on promoting friendly and cordial relations and retaining Zambia’s membership to international organizations.
Mr. Lubinda said the Patriotic Front government is ready to work with both the bilateral and multilateral partners and will nurture the existing partnerships.
He explained that economic diplomacy will remain his government’s important focus of foreign policy and reiterated its commitment to creating sustainable partnerships with the international community.
The Minister was speaking in Lusaka today when he met members of the diplomatic corps.
QFM
Reuters reports that Stoppila Sunzu has set his sights on a move to England after becoming a hero in Zambia for converting the winning penalty in Sunday’s African Nations Cup final against Ivory Coast.
“I played for (French club) Chateauroux in the 2008-09 season and I would love to come back to Europe,” said Sunzu who is now with the Democratic Republic of Congo team TP Mazembe.
“I have a dream to play in England as I prefer Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers,” the defender told Romanian media on Thursday.
Zambia beat the Elephants 8-7 in a drama-filled penalty shootout in Libreville, following a 0-0 draw, to win the Nations Cup for the first time.
After the under-20 World Cup in Canada in 2007, Sunzu impressed in trials with English side Reading but he was denied a work permit.
[pullquote]The 22-year-old enhanced his growing reputation by keeping Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba quiet for much of Sunday’s final.[/pullquote]
The 22-year-old enhanced his growing reputation by keeping Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba quiet for much of Sunday’s final.
“Drogba was almost invisible, it was very easy for me,” said Sunzu. “I have no secret, I’m not afraid of any player or team regardless of names.
“I was very confident throughout the match. I was focused and it helped me to convert the last penalty.”
Frenchman Herve Renard coached Zambia at the Nations Cup but Sunzu also credited predecessor Dario Bonetti of Italy who was sacked in October, two days after the team had qualified for the finals.
“He (Bonetti) is a great coach, he did a very good job,” said the defender. “He contributed greatly to winning the cup although he wasn’t with us during the tournament.”
Sunzu said the players were given a unique reception in Zambia after the final.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Such a thing has never happened before in our country.
“People marched through the streets of Lusaka to celebrate with us and we were received like heroes.”
[Reuters]
Voting in the Msanzala by-election started at a good note following an impressive turnout of electorate at various polling stations.
ZANIS reports Petauke District Electoral Officer, Josephine Phiri confirming the development, in Petauke, today.
Ms Phiri said 51 votes out of 820 registered voters were cast at Mwambula poling station by 06:44 hours.
She furthermore stated that 221 votes out of 621 registered number of voters were cast their vote at Nyamphande Basic School by 07:22 hours while at Mateyo Mzeka polling station 141 votes out of 476 registered voters were cast by 08:30 hours.
She noted that all the 43 polling stations opened at 06:00 hours adding that the election was so far incident free.
The Msanzala seat fell vacant following the resignation of independent Member of Parliament, Colonel Lungu who is re-contesting the seat on the ruling Patriotic Front ticket.
In the 43 polling stations, there are 29, 428 registered voters.
ZANIS
Rabies disease has hit some parts of Kasama, Malole and Mungwi districts of Northern Province.
This came to the attention of Health Deputy Minister Patrick Chikusu who visited Malole, Mungwi and other selected Health centres in the in the province.
Northern Province Provincial Medical Officer Jerita Chinyonga also confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mungwi and attributed the disease outbreak to the un vaccinated dogs that are looming the area.
And Mungwi Baptist rural health centre Sister in charge Grace Sinkala said the rabies outbreak in the area has affected both the young and the old and added that more patients are still being brought to the health centre.
Meanwhile Dr Chikusu has directed the provincial medical team to ensure that they procure more rabies vaccine to combat the scourge.
Dr Chikusu also directed the Provincial medical office to engage the Provincial Veterinary Officer and work out modalities on the vaccination of the reported rabies infected dogs before many people get affected.
Efforts to get a comment from the Provincial Veterinary Officer by ZANIS proved futile as he was reported out of town.
The National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) Director Stanley Phiri says the pending demise of the Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (LASF), which is expected to wind up in 2017, was a planned move by government when it enacted the NAPSA Act of 1996.
Mr. Phiri explained that government enacted the NAPSA Act number 40 of 1996 to allow all workers employed after 2000 to belong to the scheme and not LASF as it was expected to wind up its operations.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview today, Mr. Phiri said claims that NAPSA was getting members from LASF was not true as it was planned by government to have one fund to take care of all civil servants’ social protection as opposed to having many.
He said NAPSA was established after the transformation of the Zambia Nation Provident Fund (ZNPF) to allow all regular employees and farmers to subscribe, taking into consideration that other funds such as LASF and ZNPF would gradually wind up.
He however explained that government has indicated that it will find a way of harmonising the two acts but noted that it was not possible to allow the two Acts to operate side by side.
Recently, Local Government Permanent Secretary Bernard Namachila indicated to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that LASF would soon wind up and leave hundreds thousands of retirees in poverty.
LASF is currently owing about 2, 000 retirees colossal sums of money amounting to over K69.3 billion in retirement benefits and its membership has declined from 19, 000 to 6, 000 members.
After the formation of NAPSA in 2000, all the civil servants that were employed after that year belonged to NAPSA leaving LASF with more retirees than active members.
This situation may result in some retirees to be denied their benefits.
[ZANIS]
Forum for Democratic Alternatives president Ludwig Sondashi has said that there is a criteria which has to be followed when government thinks of moving boundaries of provinces around.
Dr Sondashi in a statement released to QFM said that the reason for interfering with provincial boundary must be genuine and should be in the national interest.
He said that moving boundaries of provinces to make them weaker, so that the ruling party can easily win in the targeted elections, is not a good reason for interfering with the provincial boundaries.
He added that the people affected in the annexation must be consulted,both affected people to be moved from their existing province and those remaining in the left over district.
Dr Sondashi who is a lawyer by profession explained that the provincial or district alignment normally works well, if the district to be detached has people who are of different culture, language characteristics and behavior which are totally different from those remaining in the provincial block.
He said that with regards to Solwezi, the people comprising Solwezi district have lived with the rest of the people in North Western Province in harmony and fraternity for centuries and are now so close through intermarriages that separating them now would disadvantage them and could easily create tension in the province and civil disobedience.
Dr Sondashi added that since Solwezi district has been blessed with three big mines, annexing it to Copperbelt Province would be viewed as denying the entire province with the much needed benefits from the mines after years of suffering together.
He said that he does not believe that centralisation requires the realignment of a district like Solwezi.
QFM
The Drug Enforcement Commission has arrested and jointly charged three people for money laundering related offences.
DEC Acting Public Relations Officer Samuel Silomba told QFM that Jay Ernest Chisanga, 40, of Woodlands Extension in Lusaka was arrested and jointly charged with Enock Rakim Kapusa, 37, of Farm No. CC1140 Ngwerere in Lusaka, and Chipo Hachitapika, 32, of Plot No. 194/25 Olympia Extension in Lusaka, for money laundering related offences involving over K 800 million.
Mr Silomba says it is alleged that Jay Ernest Chisanga, Director of Hemens Import & Export, Enock Rakim Kapusa an Accountant in Government Ministry, and Chiko Hachitapika a Banker at a named Bank, stole over K800 million property of the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
He says they did this by forging and uttering accountable documents, namely Electronic Funds Transfer Advice (EFTA) and backing sheet from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry where they purported that Hemens Import & Export was the beneficiary of the said funds, when in fact not.
Mr Silomba further stated that the trio further engaged into money laundering by importing various goods through Hemens Import & Export from different countries using the said proceeds of crime.
In another development, the Commission has arrested and jointly charged two persons for issuing a cheque on an insufficiently funded account.
Kunda Newton Silwenga, 37, of Plot No. 24392A, Libala South in Lusaka was arrested and jointly charged with Thomas Mwansa Mushibwe, 39, of 750 Avondale Lusaka, for issuing four post-dated cheques amounting to over K23 million on an insufficiently funded account.
The suspects have since been released on bond and will appear in court soon.
[QFM]
My enthusiastic congratulations on a magnificent vicory from an Israeli fan. Your team was disicplined, fit, creative and in brief,looked like champs and played like champs. You deserved to win -inspite of that heart stopping penalty that Drogma very conveniently kicked wide.
A fitting monument to the memory of the players who died in the tragic plane crash – and a brilliant example to Zambian youth who will learn from the dedication and hard work of the team that must have preceded this victory.
Keep it up Zambia
R.Melmed
Congratulations from the UK to the Zambia national team on their win.
This old expat is proud of of you!
C.Pass
I wish to congratulate the Zambian Team on its great victory. All the players were magnificent. The were calm,professional and skilful.It was indeed a wonderful victory for the whole country. I feel very proud of Zambia today.
John Macnamara, Dublin, Ireland (First Headmaster of St. Clement’s Secondary School in Mansa, Luapula Province 1964.)
From South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995 to a Roger Milla-inspired Cameroon in Italia ’90, Africa has provided some the iconic moments in recent sporting history. Without doubt, the achievements of Zambia on Sunday night in winning the Africa Cup of Nations will be added to that list.
Thanks to the power of Twitter and Facebook, this was not only the most-watched Cup of Nations ever but also the most commented upon. When Sunday’s final entered its penalty shoot-out, social media networks were ablaze with people sharing their opinions on the likes of Chris Katongo and Rainford Kalaba. This Zambia team had a story to tell and people were listening to their inspiring message.
They represented Southern Africa with aplomb and duly made us proud. Every time a team from these shores beats anyone from west Africa, yours truly celebrates.
It was even sweeter because one very arrogant west African so-called football pundit had predicted a 4-0 pasting for the Copper Bullets by the the Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure-led Ivorians. He shall, as of now hopefully, forever keep his peace.
Many attributed the victory to an amazing team spirit from a crew that fielded only one international player.
Zambia were the underrated underdogs at the African tournament, much like their country, which boasts a thriving democracy, a less-traveled destination for African wildlife and the spectacular Victoria Falls — along with a booming copper industry that recently catapulted the country to the status of lower middle-income.
“I am saddened by the absence of Nigeria but the message the Eagles have to derive from the Zambians is that one has to love his country and not put money first. Football is all about commitment and fighting spirit. Zambia played their hearts out for their nation in honour of their colleagues. Though many people felt that they would be overrun by the Ivoriens, I told a lawyer friend of mine that from what I saw of them in two or three matches, I said I have confidence they would give any team in Africa a run for their money.”
In Zambia, a nation where soccer has always had a deep meaning for people, Stoppila Sunzu’s winning penalty late in the shootout set off wild celebrations.
Car horns and vuvuzelas blasted throughout the night in the capital of Lusaka, fans cloaked in the green and copper colors of the national team streamed into streets around the country, and schools closed for a self-declared national holiday.
The success by Zambia in the just-ended African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea serves as a big lesson for the disorganised Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) in many ways.
Chipolopolo on Sunday made history by becoming the second southern African country to win the African Cup of Nations after South Africa in 1996. Zambia beat favourites Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes.
South Africa won it at home, but Zambias victory is unique in that they won it away from home and it was a fitting tribute to members of the Zambian side who tragically perished in the ocean off Gabon in 1993.
You see the Zambians represent my ideal team with limited resources. They are neither huge nor tall, but are as frail as Botswana players but hey they pack a lot of surprises.
They are swift when attacking; an obvious sign that they are playing to their strength and body structure. This is what I want to see happening with the Zebras….
Zambia has definitely shown us the way. Equally even the premier league in Zambia is no different from our league, but the team has shown us a trick or two.
“This has given FAM hope that in football,success can be achieved if
you are committed,dedicated,have good tactics and are hard working.
Zambia who are our brothers have given us the courage that you do not
have to fear names but have self belief,” Nyirenda says in the
statement.
In Qatar Senior management of Abdullah Abdulghani & Brother, The Holding Company of Toyota & Lexus Qatar,congratulated Zambia by placing Zambian Flags at their Head Office in Honor of the Victory and Fallen Zambian Heroes. Toyota & Lexus Qatar is the official sponsor of the Football QSL (Qatar Super League).
© Lusaka Times
