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Zambia’s inflation was at 6.4 percent year-on-year in January, the Central Statistics Office said on Thursday after a rebasing of the consumer price basket that made comparisons to previous months nearly impossible.
The CSO rebased the inflation basket to 2009. Inflation was at 7.2 percent year-on-year in December under the previous calculations.
The process of revising the CPI basket started before the elections in September last year, it said.
Analysts said inflation might edge up when the rebasing of the currency comes into effect in the next six months.
The government plans to lop off three zeros from the kwacha, which would make it 5.09 to the dollar, using Thursday’s exchange rate of 5,090.
“The danger to inflation lies on … initial price pressures that may come with Kwacha rebasing,” said Chibamba Kanyama, a member of the local think-tank, Economics Association of Zambia.
“We expect price increases by traders taking advantage of ignorance on deflated prices.”
The statistics agency also said the surplus on the trade account narrowed to 132.5 billion Kwacha in December from 194 billion Kwacha in November.
Copperbelt University based MMD cadres draped in the party colours
By Dr. Daniel K. Maswahu
In any competition everyone naturally celebrates number one. The laurel, the gold medal and the high table are all reserved for the fastest, the smartest, the brightest. Everyone loves a winner – just look at the staggering numbers of Manchester United supporters, fans (these actually bet and gambled money and possessions on the team) and sympathisers (these never placed any monetary or material bets, but to their credit did buy that over-priced T-shirt with Man U colours and made sure everyone knew about it). When “Chipolopolo” – the Zambia National soccer team win a game, even the neighbourhood dogs sense something is afoot from the increased number of (amateur) drunkards sleeping in the drainage ditches.
Number two? Ummm. Errr. The runner-up? Number two only gets credit for keeping number one just that tiny bit ahead. Let’s face it – if it wasn’t for number two snapping at the heels of number one, number one may not have broken that world record. Some top athletes make themselves ‘number two’ and so compete against themselves and their previous performances.
The term performance is in the Zambian political context somewhat alien. It is not given the significance it deserves with very desperate previous heads of state shamelessly taking credit for the forces of nature (rainfall and subsequent bumper grain harvests), the high price of copper and related metals on the world metal markets, and a predecessors efforts.
Performance in the minds of many Zambians equates to a big supermarket (think Shoprite, Pick and Pay or Game) just waiting (and begging) to be looted. This category of people characteristically hide the perverse inclination to take, take and take some more and not give or provide proportionate labour under accusations of tribalism. They unfortunately have no insight into their condition. The spirit of service that is required to raise an individual, a family, a community, a nation does not strike a chord with them. These people do not ask what they may give to their country – they ask only what they can get. Remember this next time you accuse someone of tribalism.
The Game of Politics
The stakes in the game of politics are obviously higher with loses being measured in terms of human life so one would expect greater respect and understanding for performance (or lack thereof). The only preparation Zambian political parties have prior to a stint in power is as opposition parties. The two political parties that have dominated the better part of Zambia’s 47 years in existence (UNIP and MMD) were before coming into power illegal, outlawed and considered borderline (and sometimes outright) terrorists. Their period of opposition prior to taking power was of course punctuated by the arrest of key leadership figures. The circumstances were somewhat improved for the Patriotic Front, but they had their share of time in the wilderness rendered twice as bitter by two very controversial presidential election polls that many now consider as having been snatched from out of their grasp. The argument for this “theft” of previous presidential election votes has everything to do with the drama that occurred when the then Chief Justice threatened to announce the September 2011 Presidential poll results to the world after incumbent Rupiah Bwezani Banda was caught in the spasms of a fit of denial generated by his own questionable governance and aggravated by a bunch of no-good “supporters” who predicted his “victory”.
Neither UNIP nor MMD had any concrete (or just plain ordinary) plans or agenda to cater for the event of them being kicked out of power – such was their intoxication. Their role as a post-ruling opposition party was and has never been clearly defined from within or from outside the party. Weaning (more like tearing) them from sucking (abusing) government coffers and resources has had dramatic effects on the existence and functions of these entities. They are now mere shadows of themselves after being or are currently being hounded by their sharp nosed successors.
And this is precisely where the challenge lies. Once they came into power, there was a very fatal blurring of what belonged to government (the People) and what belonged to the party. PF are one step ahead on this one as they have no plans of staying any longer than two terms and can therefore comfortably map out a survival strategy for being in the opposition. There are some who are of the opinion that part of the solution is to fund opposition parties that have at least one third of total parliamentary representation. Those that oppose this view argue that if a political party cannot carry out simple book-keeping practice or even raise funds, they should not be allowed within bungee rope distance of the economy of an entire nation.
The purpose of this discussion is to give some thought to the clearly important role that opposition parties play in the Zambian context of democratic governance and to see whether the values they stand for while they are in opposition reflect on the type of governance standards they will “inflict” or propagate when they are ushered into power.
The Issues in Your Face
Despite losing on the simple grounds that they did not champion the people’s concerns (poor health facilities, poor and inaccessible quality education, rampant employment, markedly poor living conditions for the few employed – a.k.a. more money in the pocket) the current opposition do not seem to have taken note of these concerns. It is not rocket science to be able to figure out that these matters will continue to be the issues that the electorate decide on even in the future when asked where to best place their vote. As regional (tribal) voting was practised by all stake holders, the overall effect of this alleged stumbling block mathematically cancels itself out, so let’s not even go there.
The following are my views about what the current opposition should be talking about if they are to be taken as serious contenders come 2016 (yes, let’s all get over the 90 days please).
Corruption
Essential civil servants
We all know that the Zambia Police Service are the all time top scorers in this category. The cause is simple. There is a civil service code of ethics that labels a police officer indisciplined (and therefore subject to instant dismissal) if he or she complains about living in a “dog house” such as the one below (Mongu Police Camp) or complains about lack / delay of payment of their salary.
A House currently being occupied by Police Officer in Mongu district in Western Province
It should not take the sympathy and good will of a top ranking civil servant in the Ministry of Home Affairs to have such fundamental issues noticed and dealt with. At the end of the day, the ones who are morally indisciplined are the employers of the police officer who make it impossible even when “the economy is improving” or we are registering “bumper harvests” for police officers and other civil servants to earn a decent living wage.
This ethos governing the rights (or lack thereof) of essential civil servants to complain is entirely valid, but the employer should know that there arrives a point at which professionalism is thrown out of the window because the unpaid and poorly housed civil servant must somehow fend for his or her family. And even though some say that civil servants should not engage in politics, a decently paid civil servant makes an excellent “campaign manager” and vice-versa. Government is still the largest employer in the country, so the MMD must have unwittingly recruited many “campaign managers” in the September 2011 elections.
The Workshop Culture
In this same line, the phenomenon of having workshops for ridiculously obvious and unnecessary matters in remote and exotic places such as Siavonga and Livingstone deserves mention. The infamous Kapoko used this gapping financial loop-hole at the Ministry of Health to enrich himself sufficiently to buy a Hummer and a posh lodge (besides running a private nursing school). Holding a workshop is a culture that is merely secondary or a reaction to poor salaries.
The cancellation by President Sata of a Permanent Secretaries 6 day Livingstone outing last week may not recover all the costs incurred, but more importantly sends a clear signal of what the PF government’s current and future priorities are. Kachunga Edwin Simusamba, UPND Deputy National Chairman for Finance and Economics who would undoubtedly hold a senior government position if UPND came into power has posted sentiments on the Zambian Watchdog website describing this cancellation as “extravagant” making me and many others wonder when exactly the meaning of this word changed.
Permanent Secretaries and the acting Secretary to the Cabinet of all people should be aware of the message contained in Cabinet Office Circular No. 7 of 2006. Recovery of part of the allowances should be simple given they only attended two of the six days of the workshop. Protea Hotel Livingstone can (of course) be negotiated with as they now have at least 40 fully paid but unoccupied rooms which are still free to be leased out. The long term loses are what should be prevented and cancelling such a misadventure for senior officers leaves them and all concerned in no doubt about PF government priorities.
I would have expected Mr Simusamba to demonstrate some knowledge of the difference between systemic and individual errors and accordingly offer improvement of workers’ salaries as a long term solution (thereby adding to UPND popularity, but he prefers to be fixated with the short term). This simple move would directly cut down on the hundreds of unnecessary workshops tabled within the civil service. The function of the opposition is not to merely deliver mindless, knee-jerk, negative opposition, but considered and well thought-out proposition.
The recent groundless call by UPND to impeach President Sata further conveys the impression that we are dealing with a bunch of disgruntled, frustrated elements with no sense of direction. UPND needs to seriously refocus and realise that the issues are not about Sata, but about taking care of the very valid concerns of the people.
Prosecution of former presidents and close associates.
Still on the subject of systemic errors, the recurring pattern of prosecution (intended and ongoing) and arrest (if ever) of former presidential candidates and those closely associated with them is a clear indication of a flaw in the system. Human nature is such that it will seek loop-holes in the system through which crimes may be carried out without punishment. The long term solution is very simply – seal off the loop-holes, which in this case are:
-drastically reduce the powers of appointing key civil servants by the office of the president (less powers of appointment and more appointments based on merit and track record thereby rendering the arms of government truly independent and more professional) and
-spread out and balance powers of office of the president by constitutional constraint requiring an elected vice presidential running mate. This will more clearly define the lines of power and additionally avoid costly re-elections.
Last but not least, the MMD bear the name of being democratic, but have repeatedly and flagrantly violated this primary ethos that brought them into being (with two consecutive top leaders namely the late Levy Mwanawasa and more recently Rupiah Banda being hand-pick instead of being democratically elected). I would expect them to champion and demand constitutional inclusion of intra-party democracy as a necessary requirement before any party is let loose on the national stage, but this may be asking too much given their total lose of direction. MMD need to clean their house big time by electing leaders who understand the fundamental meaning of democracy and are free of corruption and abuse of public resources to ever regain public confidence.
Part of the very simple reasons the top-most MMD leadership took liberties with public resources is that they over-stayed in power and felt they are only accountable to the group of people who hand-picked them (NEC) and not the Zambian public.
These are but a few of the critical issues I would expect mature opposition political parties that are in the business of serving the public for the long term to discuss.
Just as the ANC is celebrated in South Africa, Zambia should be celebrating the engineers of our important political milestones, not prosecuting and arresting them. The onus lies on the one hand with UNIP and MMD to re-capture the cause and arguments they were prepared to suffer and even die for that brought them into existence, and for PF on the other hand to elevate us to the next level by administering the necessary justice and end this pattern of ex-presidential prosecution and arrest by sealing the loop-holes. Those same causes and arguments are the reasons that there is today a Zambia proud and free, soaring upwards into an open blue sky like the magnificent fish eagle on our flag and coat of arms.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL Mumba Malila says Government will soon decide whether to compensate Libya’s LAPGreen Network following the reversal of the sale of Zamtel as the firm (LAPGreen) denies any wrongdoing during the acquisition of the 75 percent stake in Zamtel.
Mr Malila says Government will analyse the matter of compensating LAPGreen, after assessing the losses the country suffered in the transaction.
“The acquisition was done under a piece of law which provides for compensation and what remains is to determine the level of compensation, depending on the losses the country suffered,” Mr Malila said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
He said court action will commence in the High Court if the two parties fail to reach a compromise on compensation.
And in a statement released by LAPGreen on Tuesday, the Libyan telecommunications company complained that the Zambian government has not given it an opportunity to meet and discuss the matter.
“We are deeply worried by the announcement by the Zambian government that it is acting to reverse the sale of Zamtel, which is 75 percent owned by LAPGreen,” the statement reads.
The company says it has over the last few weeks made numerous attempts to find an amicable solution that satisfies both parties to the transaction and secure the best possible outcome for its employees and subscribers.
LAPGreen insisted that its acquisition of Zamtel was made through an open, transparent and competitive bidding process, overseen by well-respected international professional organisations and in strict adherence to Zambia’s established legal framework.
“We hope this situation can still be amicably resolved and we welcome an opportunity to work with the Zambian government to achieve this.
LApGreen said under its ownership, Zamtel has moved from a state of near insolvency to become a national success story.
“As well as growing Zamtel’s subscriber base by over 600 percent in just over 18 months, we have created 1,700 jobs in Zambia,” the statement reads.
The actual number of jobs according to government reports is actually 700 which is down from 3,000 when the company took over.
The government after a probe has established that RP Capital grossly undervalued the company before it was sold to LAPGreen and that thus far Zambia has only received US$15 million from the Libyan company out of the agreed US$257 million.
The transaction has sucked Dora Siliya, the outspoken Petauke legislator, George Kunda and Situmbeko Musokotwane, the former Finance Minister who yesterday faced investigators at the former task force offices.
Making ends meet...A woman selling food stuffs as a source of income
Dear Bloggers,
I would please like you to advise me on what to do. My husband died in 1995, and from that time I have been unable to claim his Group Life insurance. The first time I inquired I was told it couldn’t be paid because the company he worked for (then Premium Oils Industries) was owing in premiums. Then the company went into liquidation. At Zambia State Insurance I was told it was a non starter.Please can someone out there advise me as to what to do to get the money.
GOVERNMENT has increased salaries for all health workers by 100 percent, Minister of Labour, Sport and Youth Chishimba Kambwili said in Ndola yesterday.
He said the pay rise will boost morale among health workers across the country.
“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.
The minister was speaking after visiting Morganite Limited. He said Government is concerned about the poor salaries many workers get across the country.
Mr Kambwili said the salary increment for health workers is an indication that Government is committed to improving salaries for civil servants, as promised during election campaigns.
And in another development, Mr Kambwili has ordered Morganite Limited general manager Stanley Kampo to report to the ministry next Tuesday.
The minister said Government is concerned with reports that Mr Kampo abuses workers and insults them.
“First of all, I am shocked that the person we are talking about is a Zambian and honestly, how can he do that to fellow Zambians? I want him next Tuesday at my office so that he can answer the allegations,” Mr Kambwili said.
[pullquote]“Today , we have increased the salaries for all our health workers by 100 percent, so when the PF government says it is putting more money into people’s pockets, we mean business and we are serious,” Mr Kambwili said.[/pullquote]
He was speaking at Morganite Limited after paying a surprise visit to the company. The minister also ordered management to engage a human resource manager to help the company with personnel issues. Mr Kambwili said management should also allow workers to form a union.
And workers complained about the poor salaries offered by management. One worker said the pay slip does not indicate the housing allowance paid to workers and that they have not had a salary increment for the past four years.
Meanwhile, PRESIDENT Sata has asked Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda to explore ways of doubling remuneration of Zambian doctors as a way of putting more money in their pockets and improve health.
Mr. Sata also said rural health centres in the country are in a deplorable state and it is important to improve the doctor to patient ratio by having more doctors attend to patients in rural centres.
“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”
If the doctors wages are doubled, a junior Zambian doctor from the University of Zambia could take home about K10 million which is still less than their colleagues in Nambia and South Africa.
President Sata said this at State House yesterday after he swore in a deputy minister, a permanent secretary and ambassadors and high commissioners.
He regretted that it has taken long for some ambassadors and high commissioners to take up their positions despite being appointed as far back as October last year, because of the poor record previous office holders left behind and urged new diplomats to exhibit exemplary behaviour.
[pullquote]“I am pleading with the Minister of Finance,” President Sata said. “We have to find ways of doubling salaries for doctors to beat others in the region, so that we can attract our doctors back.”[/pullquote]
Mr Sata said it is important to have more doctors in the country to improve the health profile of citizens and make sure the PF manifesto is implemented.
The President’s directive is in line with the Patriotic Front campaign promise to improve the health sector by facilitating the building of vital infrastructure that will deliver primary healthcare as close to the people as possible.
In its manifesto on human resource, the PF says it intends to improve conditions of service to minimise the brain-drain.
It also plans to “rehabilitate and expand existing health training institutions to increase the number of graduates”.
Recently, President Sata announced an ambitious plan to erect some 650 health centres countrywide to make health care more accessible.
He said the new health posts are lined up as follows: 98 in Southern Province while Central Province will have 52 and Western Province will have 62 new health posts.
Mr Sata said new health posts will bring with them the benefits of boosting the construction sector and consequently job creation during the construction phase, plus greater access to health, especially in rural areas.
Northern Province will have 107 new health posts while North-Western Province will have 74. Lusaka Province will have 27, Luapula 63, Eastern 68 and Copperbelt 87.
The President said the health posts and residence facilities will be equipped with solar systems, equipment and furniture, hand pumps, medicines, dressing materials, electricity and running water.
President Sata also instructed the Minister of Health Dr Joseph Kasonde to step up the recruitment of health personnel both locally and abroad to ensure that the new health posts are adequately staffed.
A SOLWEZI man has reportedly deserted his wife, a mother of two sets of twins and triplets, who is now struggling to take care of the family.
Miriam Masonde, 39, of Kandemba township in Solwezi who gave birth to triplets late last year said her husband, Greyard Kanyala, disappeared from home a few months before the triplets were born.
Ms Masonde, who visited the Daily Mail offices in Solwezi recently, said before the arrival of the triplets, she already had two sets of twins aged 20 and seven.
According to Ms Masonde, her husband has never communicated with her or any member of the family since he left home and his mobile phone has been switched off.
And Solwezi-based Multi-Dimensional Christian Ministries founder and pastor Jane Kumoyo has decided to adopt the ‘fatherless’ triplets after learning that their father abandoned the family last year.
Pastor Kumoyo, who is also the contracts manager for Mr Clean, a leading cleaning company in the country, said she will take care of the triplets.
Pastor Kumoyo coincidentally met Ms Masonde at the Daily Mail offices at Provident House in Solwezi where the latter went to seek assistance from well-wishers, through the newspaper.
“We will solicit for clothing and food for the babies from well-wishers and I will have to buy some of the requirements myself,” she said.
Multi-Dimensional Ministries is a small and newly established entity but is already supporting 85 orphans and 30 elderly men and women in Chief Mumena’s area in Solwezi.
Former Deputy Transport and Communication Minister in the late president Fredrick Chiluba’s government has charged that government decision to reverse the sale of ZAMTEL to LAP Green of Libya is misplaced.
Mr Ndlovu has further accused President Michael Sata and some cabinet ministers of making decisions on a matter they have no knowledge of.
He said that it was not too late for the PF government to swallow its pride and accept that government has no capacity to run ZAMTEL and should instead put it in private hands, either under LAP Green or any other investor.
He said that was a fact that nationalization of any parastatal company is never a solution for Zambia’s economic situation.
Mr. Ndhlovu said that the decision taken by government to take back the telecommunications company will put it in a fix in terms of competing favorably with the other two mobile service providers.
And Former Minister of Finance Dr. Musokotwane has expressed shock at government’s move to reverse the sale of seventy five percent of LAP green shares in Zamtel.
He also wondered why government was rushing to accept the Sebastian Zulu led commission of inquiry on Zamtel and further doubted its transparency.
Dr. Musokotwane said that it was surprising for one to say that the telecommunication company was undervalued when the Zambia Development Agency-ZDA said the valuation was good.
He expressed fears over the reversal of Zamtel saying that the move will be costly to the country once the matter is taken to court.
And Former ZAMTEL workers who were laid off after the alleged fraudulent sale of the parastatal company have called on government to re-employ them or pay them their full terminal benefits.
The workers who have broken their silence also accused the previous administration of threatening them for demanding to be paid their dues.
Josephine Mulenga one of the workers gathered to give solidarity march to President Sata for reversing the sale of Zamtel urged government to investigate the manner in which they were laid off.
She says many workers who had served the institution for over five years were only paid five million kwacha.
And Victor Mulenga called on the National Union of Communication Workers-NUCW President Patrick Kaonga not to pretend that he is happy with government’s move when he was part of the people who betrayed workers.
The joint investigations team has today recorded a warn and caution statement for former finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane for the offence of abuse of authority of office, contrary to section 99(i) of the penal code cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.
This is in a case in which Dr.Musokotwane granted the deferment of value added tax (VAT) and excise duty to Varun Beverages Zambia limited the producers of Pepsi on their product for a period of five years.
Dr. Musokotwane was accompanied by his lawyer Milton Mubonda of D.H Kemp and company.
This is contained in a statement released to QFM by public relations officer of the joint government investigative wing, Charity Chanda.
Meanwhile Police have arrested and charged four people of Lusaka with forgery.
The police have also confiscated a computer, a scanner with a printer and a type writer.
Also confiscated are forged copies of school certificates, college diplomas and degrees of the University of Zambia, the Copperbelt University, the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) and theUniversity of Namibia,
Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela named those arrested as Samuel Muyunda aged 38 of Kuomboka Chawama, Visto Chinyimba aged 44 of Chipata Overspill, Bonnet Kaluya aged 52 of Jack Compound as well as 39 year old Emelda Bwalya of Matero compound.
Ms. Kanjela told journalists in Lusaka this afternoon that the victims will appear in court soon.
She has further warned members of the public that the police force will extend the arrests to people who are in possession of forged documents.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kanjela says police have apprehended two people of George Compound for making fake cement.
She says the two have been detained to help with further investigations in the matter.
Bank of Zambia Head of Public Relations Kanguya Mayondi (L)
The Bank of Zambia has commenced the process of procuring the rebased currency. Bank of Zambia head of Public Relations Kanguya Mayondi has disclosed in a statement to QFM that once the rebased currency is procured and delivered by the printers and minters,it will be issued to circulate side-by-side with the existing currency for a period of time.
Mr Mayondi has said that this is to allow for an orderly withdrawal of the existing currency.
He said that during the period over which the existing currency and the new currency will be circulating side-by-side,providers of goods and services will be required to display prices in both the existing and the new currencies.
He explained that for example if the price of a loaf of bread costs K3,500, the provider of bread will display the price of bread as K3.50 and K3,500.
Mr Kanguya said that the general public should continue using the existing bank notes in their daily transactions until such a time that the new currency is issued in circulation.
And the Bank of Zambia has clarified that the rebasing of the Kwacha does not change the value of the currency and the purchasing power.
A national currency is rebased due to the need to address costs associated with an accumulated loss in the value of a currency that undermines its basic function as a store of value, medium of exchange and measure of value.
The loss of value is typically as a result of high inflation rates over a prolonged period of time.
Zambia has played to a 2-2 draw with Libya in a game played on a water socked pitch. Zambia now leads the group with 4 points and Libya have collected their first point of the tournament.
Government has warned of stern action on heavy Industries’ companies allowing their workers to work without safety attire.
Labour Minister Chishimba Kambwili said government will not compromise on safety standards and will ensure that all workers are protected
He said Government hold with high esteem the lives of the Zambian workers and will do everything possible to see that the work in safe environment
ZANIS reports the minister saying this during a conducted a tour at Scaw ltd a company which is involved in metal re-moulding in kitwe today.
He also chased away some of the workers after observing that they were handling metals without safety gloves.
He ordered the workers to go back and only report when the company acquires safety clothing for them.
He also issued a two day ultimatum to the company to address the safety issues and further urged the workers to report to his office if the company management fails to address the problem.
Mr Kambwili also castigated the some Zambian workers and there supervisors for defending the company’s flaws
He be mourned that the workers and supervisors were not giving him correct information during his tour regarding the company’s condition of services despite them tipping him through the phone.
The Minister who also toured chambeshi copper smelter (CCS) in Kalulushi asked management both companies to stop casualization
Mr kambwili said his government does not encourage companies to offer workers contracts but urged them to put all its essential workers on full time and pensionable jobs.
He has since directed labour officers to closely work with the two companies and ensure that they putting its workers on full time
The minister has meanwhile urged management at Chambeshi to stop reduce outsourcing Chinese workers he advised the company to stop the trend but instead help to Zambian workers through technological transfer by equipping them with necessary knowledge to run the company.
He also urged the company to start giving its workers better salaries in order to motivate them.
Meanwhile CCS chief executive officer Yang Xinguo said the company is currently working on the need to start localization of labour.
President Michael Sata has directed the Zambia Police to provide maximum security to Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people in Eastern province.
This follows alleged threats of violence against chief Mpezeni from Chiefs Madzimawe and Zamane after he openly called for the lifting of former President Rupiah Banda’s immunity to allow him to clear himself against the corruption allegations.
The President said that Paramount Chief Mpezeni just like any other citizen has a right to speak out on issues affecting the Zambians.
President Sata said that he may consider revoking the recognition of Chiefs Madzimawe and Zamane should they continue threatening violence against Paramount Chief Mpezeni.
President Sata has since asked the minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu to write to the two subordinate chiefs warning them against their unlawful activities.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni has described as malicious the Internet story that alleged that President Michael Sata had died.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni said politicians should learn to practice politics responsibly by discussing real issues that can contribute to the welfare of citizens and development of the nation and not issues that can destabilize and bring anarchy into the country.
ZANIS reports the Paramount chief was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Chipata yesterday.
And Paramount Chief Mpezeni stressed the need for the police to get to the bottom of the issue and ensure that the authors of the story are brought to book.
He wondered why the trend had continued saying this was not the first time that people were spreading such ill rumours about the highest office in the land.
“The police should put an end to such falsehood because it will continue, this rumour was there even before his election when it was alleged that he had collapsed in Mongu,” he said.
The false story appeared on Wikipedia website recently. It alleged that President Micheal Sata had died. However , State House described the story as false and malicious.
Meanwhile, Paramount chief Mpezeni has appealed to government to quickly pay the 150 farmers who are still being owed money by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for the purchase of maize sold to the agency last year.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni expressed worry that farmers may not have enough yields in the 2011/12 farming season because they have not been able to procure farming inputs.
“Some of them have not even been able to send their children to school because they entirely depend of farming and they only get money once in a year after the sale of maize” he said.
And chief Jumbe of the Kunda people in Mambwe district has also complained about lack of payment to farmers by FRA for the purchase of maize in the 2010/11 farming season.
Chief Jumbe said it is sad that some farmers have failed even to cultivate their fields saying they may not produce enough grain in this year.
Chief Jumbe has since appealed to government to quickly address the situation to assis t farmers in the area.
Zambian state power company Zesco Ltd. plans to hike prices for electricity by 17 to 33% from May to raise money for reinvestment in the sector, it said on Wednesday.
“The adjustment in electricity tariffs is a vital part of ensuring that electricity supply is secured and national development is sustained,” Zesco said in a statement.
The price increase would not affect the mines whose power costs were increased by 30 % last year under a separate agreement with the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC).
Zesco said the price of commodities such as copper, aluminium and steel, used in the manufacture of spare parts and machinery, had pushed costs up.
The depreciation of Zambia’s kwacha currency over the last three years also meant Zesco had to spend more to purchase materials, it said.
Zambia’s electricity supply will remain tight for the next four years, casting a shadow over the power-intensive mining sector.
The Energy Ministry estimates generation capacity will not exceed projected demand until 2015.
Former Labour and Social Security Minister Austin Liato
AN arresting officer has told the court that the search he conducted into former Labour Minister Austin Liato’s bank accounts did not show any transaction relating to the K2.1 billion which was dug out from the former minister’s farmstead.
And Lusaka Magistrate Aridah Chulu has set March 30, 2012 as a day for ruling on whether Liato has a case to answer or not on the charges levelled against him.
Liato is charged with one count of receiving or retaining stolen property contrary to Section 318(1) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
It is alleged that on unknown date but between September 1, 2011 and November 24, 2011 in Lusaka Liato received and or returned money amounting to K2.1 billion knowing or having reasons to believe the same to have been feloniously stolen, taken, extorted, obtained or disposed of.
Isaac Musonda, 27, an assistant investigations officer at the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) told the court yesterday the search he conducted on Liato’s personal accounts at Zanaco, Indo Zambia Bank, Investrust and a business account held in Kaoma with Finance Bank Zambia could not show any transaction involving the money in question.
Mr Musonda who told the court that his role in the matter was to investigate the matter to the fullest said the cash inflow and out flow from Liato’s bank accounts did not show that the K2.1 billion passed through the accounts.
Mr Musonda who was led in evidence in Chief by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mutembo Nchito said although Liato had a constitutional right to remain silent, he arrested him because he failed to account for the money when he was asked.
He said that a notice of seizure was later issued to Liato which indicated a total of K2.1 billion to which he signed and got a copy.
Mr Musonda said he arrested Liato because of the manner the money was concealed which he said was unusual and it was the first time he saw such an activity.
He said after the excavation of the money from Liato’s farm he conducted a search because he wanted to verify and analyse whether the money came from his bank accounts.
Mr Musonda stated that although there was no law that prohibited Liato from keeping his money the way he wished such as burying it underground, it was strange for him to have concealed the money in such a manner.
He said that during his search he looked into the period from January 2010 to November 2011 and the possibility from the money that Liato received as gratuity and his pay slips but the monies when added could not amount to the K2.1 billion in question.
Mr Musonda said during cross examination by Liato’s lawyers that the cash flow in Liato’s accounts were not sufficient in that they were small amounts in which when summed up could not add up to K2.1 billion adding that in one of the accounts, there was only K800,000.
He said although there were no investigations that linked Liato to criminal activities in relation to the money in question, the way he concealed the money gave a recipe for him to suspect illegal activities because it did not show legitimacy.
And Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation officer Chipezana Phiri-Banda told the court that it was unusual for Liato to have buried the money in a strong room, especially that he was not even residing at the farm at that time.
Ms Banda, who told the court that there were two concrete slabs before the money was found, said although there was no law that compelled Liato not to keep his money anywhere he wished, there was something suspicious about the way Liato buried the money.
When asked by one of the defence lawyers Nellie Mutti why they conducted a search in the absence of Liato, Ms Banda said looking at the nature of the case, they could not wait for Liato who had informed them when they called him that he was in Kaoma and could only be at his farm around 21:00 hours.
She said the search was conducted in full view of Liato’s workers after which one of them Kalu Chiswaswa even signed for the money before it was taken to Bank of Zambia for safe custody.
Ms Banda who told the court that the counting of the money at the former Taskforce offices was done manually said although there was a difference of K100,000 as the total money that was dug up was K2,1,100, the difference was only with two K50,000 notes.
She refuted a statement by the defence lawyers that the actual money that was found was K2.7 billion.
Earlier, defence lawyers Mutemwa Mutemwa, Ms Mutti and Moses Chitambala had objected to Ms Banda’s tendering of the money as evidence before court saying she did not lay enough evidence to identify the money such as giving serial numbers even for one note adding that the money could have been any other money.
But in his ruling, Ms Chulu dismissed the application by the defence lawyers saying it was not in dispute that the K2.1 billion was unearthed from Liato’s farm in Mpamba settlement in Mwembeshi.
Liato will appear for mention on February 24, 2012.
National Movement for Progress Party president Ng’andu Magande has lashed out at some sections of society stating that the reversal of the ZAMTEL sale will bring about economic uncertainty.
Mr. Magande says stakeholders should not be scared of a decision that can result in Zambia benefiting through transparent ways of doing business.
He says if the decision to reverse the sale of ZAMTEL was done in good faith, then the action should be supported.
He notes that Zambia should not be desperate for investment even when transactions are fraudulent.
Mr. Magande tells QFM in an interview that he hopes the decision to reverse the sale of ZAMTEL has been made in national interest.
He has since advised the Zambian government to put in place a team that will carry the vision forward in as far as advanced technology is concerned.
