The Registrar of Society has maintained that the former ruling party MMD owes them over K390 million in arrears. Chief Registrar of Society, Clement Andeleki explained that the money is from the 42 registered braches of the MMD across the country and dates back to 1991.

He said the former ruling party who registered 43 branches has only been paying for its Headquarters in Lusaka while neglecting other branches.

Mr. Andeleki said this in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday. He explained that the society has from time to time been sending notices to the MMD to clear the arrears but had not received any positive response.

The Chief Registrar said he has now been forced to make a final reminder to the MMD adding that it will also go ahead and de-register the party if it fails to pay the outstanding arrears by Thursday next week.

“We have issued them with a reminder to pay the money by Thursday next week and should they fail to do that we will have no choice but to take the next step which is to deregister it. We have already notified the MMD on this next move should they fail to cooperate” he said.

Mr. Andeleki has however refuted claims that the ploy was politically inclined saying all registered organizations are by law required to give their annual returns to the registrar of society.

“The Registrar of society is not political; we are full time civil servants so any accusations of hatred are not true. We are following the laws which all organizations are aware of during the registration process.” He said.

But the opposition MMD who is at the centre of controversy have also maintained that they have no dues with the society and are up to date with arrears.

MMD Deputy national Secretary Chembe Nyangu also claimed that party has not received any formal communication and that it has only being hearing it in the media.

Mr. Nyangu said it would therefore be difficult for the former ruling party to settle debts it is not aware of.

He has since asked the Registrar of Society to avail the party details of the dues before it could decide whether to settle the bill.

The Registrar of Society this week issued a statement for the former ruling party to pay over K390 million dating back to 1991.

The Chief Registrar gave a one week ultimatum for the MMD to pay the dues failure to which the former ruling party faces de-registration.

ZANIS

FORMER Minister of Labour and Social Services Austin Liato has asked the court to acquit him, arguing that the prosecution has failed to prove its case.

Liato is charged for receiving or retaining stolen property involving K2.1 billion. He has said in his written submissions on the no-case-to -answer defence filed in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court yesterday that he is entitled to an acquittal because the prosecution case against him has failed.

The submissions were filed by his lawyers from Lukona Chambers and Mutemwa Chambers in Lusaka yesterday.

He is charged on one count of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime, contrary to section 71 (1) of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act number 19 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence are that Liato on November 24, 2011 in Lusaka possessed and concealed money at his farm number L/Mpamba/44 Mwembeshi amounting to K2.1 billion, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of a crime.

“Section 71 (1) Act number 19 of 2010 does not absorb the prosecution from adducing evidence beyond reasonable doubt, to show either that the money , which is the subject of these proceedings, is a proceed of any other offence, other than a serious offence under the Act.

“We consequently submit that the prosecution case has failed at this stage. The accused is therefore entitled to be acquitted,” read the submissions in part.

Liato said the prosecution has ‘lamentably failed’ to demonstrate through evidence that K2.l billion found in his possession was proceeds of any criminal conduct.

[pullquote]He said since it was not illegal for him to erect a safe storage in the manner he did, his conduct amounts to safe keeping of money and not concealment.[/pullquote]

He said the prosecution has not established that there was criminal conduct being investigated or prosecuted from which K2.1 billion could have been acquired, as a benefit by him or other person.

Liato said the prosecution evidence to the effect that he issued threats to some witnesses after the police removed money from his farm is a natural reaction.

He said his reaction cannot be considered as evidence of criminal conduct to warrant him being charged for the offence he is facing. Liato said no prosecution witness adduced evidence linking the K2.1 billion in his possession to proceeds of criminal conduct.

He said since it was not illegal for him to erect a safe storage in the manner he did, his conduct amounts to safe keeping of money and not concealment.

The matter will come up for mention and the prosecution’s submission of its written response to the defence submission on March 14.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Poetry is an art form in Zambia that is slowly growing and getting more recognition .

Poetry is a  kind of self expression,A lot more needs to be done to bring poetry into the lime light

Born in Zambia, Daliso Banda has lived within unique cultures in both in Zambia as well as China, and this diverse background shines through in the imagery of the poems.

Banda offers a fascinating contrast between experiences living in other countries with the universal events experienced in relationships and shares this profound thoughts about life and death-joy and sadness-love and hate.

In the poem “Heartbreaker,” the reader is transported back to the memory of a first love when Banda writes, “She’s tender and caring. The kind of a woman that makes a man forget about the outside world.” In “Friends Forever,” Banda captures the beauty of two souls who find the peace of everlasting friendship: “Lovely like a rose, faithful like a diary. Friends from the start-friends till the end of time.”

For those who are experiencing loneliness or who are just dreaming of better days, Banda’s flowing and lyrical style accompanies a strong message of hope that illustrates that no one is ever truly alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyXNeP76K1k&feature=youtu.be
By Kapa187

Chief Government Spokesperson Fackson Shamenda has expressed disappointment at some UPND leaders who are allegedly inciting youths in Southern province to demonstrate against the realignment of districts in the province.

Mr. Shamenda has since cautioned youths against being incited to demonstrate on matters that they do not understand saying they risk being misled by UPND selfish politicians.

Mr. Shamenda was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

He said the demonstrations can only become a fundamental basic human right when protesters fail to utilize the normal established channels of communication.

He urged young people to engage into dialogue and desist from rushing into demonstrations because the exercise was retrogressive to national development.

Mr. Shamenda, who is also Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Labour, said demonstrations were legal when solidarity matches are taken up after dialogue has failed between the two parties.

Mr. Shamenda noted that youths in Southern province did not understand what they wanted adding that such moves might cause anarchy in the nation.

He further urged leaders not use youths to instigate violence in the country but should strive to make Zambia a peaceful country.

The Minister regretted that some leaders were restricting their interests only to their regions and not the nation at large.

Mr. Shamenda explained that national leaders were not supposed to regionalize were they came from, describing the move as unfortunate.

Recently, United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema indicated that government should not threaten demonstrators in Southern province because doing so was their basic fundamental human right.

ZANIS

Former Minister of Information, Ronnie Shikapwasha has refused to be drawn in to the  debate where he is accused of directing ZNBC to air the infamous Stand up for Zambia documentary by Chanda Chimba.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha who was Minister at the time of the documentary refused to answer any questions from a ZANIS reporter who contacted him for a comment.

The former Chief Government Spokesperson said he had nothing to comment on the matter.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha and his Permanent Secretary (PS) Dr. Sam Phiri were cited to have directed ZNBC to air the libellous documentary on ZNBC and they have since been surcharged to pay K900 million in legal fees.

Information Minister, Fackson Shamenda who disclosed this at media briefing in Lusaka yesterday said, the two former government officials have been surcharged and will foot the over K900 million in legal fees to SBN Legal Practitioners who represented ZNBC in court cases.

[pullquote]“I was a civil servant and how can I be made to pay because in the first place the lawyers sued ZNBC which is a different entity,” he said.[/pullquote]

But Former Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. Sam Phiri expressed ignorance of the documentary and denied any involvement in its airing.

Dr. Phiri said he found the programme airing on ZNBC when he joined government as PS in 2010 and did not know who directed the airing of the documentary.

He has since challenged the Ministry of Information and ZNBC to produce evidence where he instructed the airing of the stand up for Zambia documentary.

“I came to the Ministry from South Africa in November 2010 and found the programme airing and I never even knew anything about it nor where it was produced, including the person called Chanda Chimba who was producing the same documentary,” he said.

“I would be happy if the Ministry or indeed ZNBC produce evidence of my involvement or directive to air the documentary in question,” Dr.Phiri said.

The former PS also wondered how he could be made to pay the money when the lawyers were demanding money from ZNBC which is a public institution.

“I was a civil servant and how can I be made to pay because in the first place the lawyers sued ZNBC which is a different entity,” he said.

Dr. Phiri has also challenged the board at ZNBC to come out in the open and release the evidence that he was among the persons that directed for the airing of the documentary.

ZANIS