The Pan African Parliament (PAP) has sworn in five (5) Zambian parliamentarians. The swearing in ceremony took place in Addis Ababa Ethiopia yesterday during the opening of the 6th Ordinary Session of the Second Parliament.

Those sworn in include; Solwezi Central MP Lucky Mulusa, Mutinta Mazoka of Pemba, Dorothy Kazunga of Kafubu, Davis Mwango of Kanchibaya and Lubansenshi MP Patrick Mucheleka.

The five Parliamentarians will represent the Zambian Parliament at the Pan African Parliament for next five years.

This is according to a statement released to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia, Dorcas Chileshe.

Speaking after the swearing in ceremony, PAP president Moussa Idriss urged members to double their commitment and ensure that they advocate for policies which will help address the numerous challenges on the continent.

And PAP Ambassador Jerry Rawlings urged the Pan African Parliament to enhance its image and reputation by taking strong positions on various challenges affecting Africa.

The PAP 6thOrdinary Session of the Second Parliament under the theme,” Transformation of the Pan African Parliament into a legislative Organ” has attracted over 235 members from 47 AU member states.

The five (5) day Session will discuss the State of the African Union, Peace and Security on the continent and the state of Ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections.

ZANIS

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has pounced on two seniors management officers at the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) who are currently being investigated by the commission for various offences including money laundering activities and seized six motor vehicles from them.

DEC acting Public Relations Officer Samuel Silomba, who confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said the motor vehicles were seized early this week by the officers from the commission.

Mr Silomba said investigations into the matter involving ZRCS senior management officials have reached an advanced stage.

However, he could not give out the names of the affected officers but said the nation would be kept informed of any latest development at Zambia’s largest humanitarian organisation.
Efforts to get the comment from ZRCS Secretary General Charles Mushitu proved futile as his mobile phone was switched off while Public Relations Manager, James Zulu could not comment referring all
queries to the former.

Meanwhile, sources from within Zambia Red Cross Society have revealed that the remaining few motor vehicles were being parked in different locations within Lusaka, where the commission could not find them.

The sources said the organisation has been grounded to a halt following the sudden closure in December last year of the institution after senior managers received immerse pressure from the commission to stand aside to pave way for investigations.

The workers complained that management communicated to them through telephone calls and text messages, informing them that the organisation had been closed until January 8, 2012.

The employees told ZANIS yesterday that as things stood, they received information that the humanitarian organisation might not resume operations for a very long period of time considering that seniors officers were under investigations.

The workers also complained that they had not yet received their salaries as far back as September last year and appealed to the government to serious intervene.

ZANIS

THE technical committee tasked to draft the new Constitution on Monday started preparing the first draft which will be ready within four months to allow for comments from members of the public.

Justice Minister Sebastian Zulu said in an interview in Lusaka that the first draft would be ready in the next 4 months.

He said experts at the meeting urged draft persons to prepare a consolidated first draft after making comments on the major views that had been gathered from the three previous reports, the Mvunga, Mwanakatwe and Mung’omba Constitution review commissions.

Mr Zulu said members of the Technical Committee would start travelling to the provincial centres to seek comments on the first draft but would not gather fresh views as that had been done by the previous commissions.

The minister said it was important to ask the Zambian people whether or not the contents of the first draft contained what they submitted to the Mvunga, Mwanakatwe and Mung’omba review commissions.

He said a new Constitution in a democratic country must be compiled after gathering comments on the submissions but would not duplicate the previous work by gathering new views.

Mr Zulu said members were yesterday given the submissions that had been generated from the previous commissions for them to study and that the commissioners would reconvene thereafter to allow the draft team to complete their job in four weeks.

He said he submitted a proposal on the sitting allowances to be paid to the commissioners and that they would revert to him at their next meeting.

Mr Zulu said the commissioners had not earned any allowances from the work they had done so far because formulating the allowances was part of their job.

“I cannot tell you yet how much we have proposed because the matter is still under consideration but we have suggested something as Government. If we do not agree, then I can inform the nation,” Mr Zulu said.

The Technical Committee would produce the final draft Constitution by June this year after which some issues would be subjected to the national referendum.

Recently, committee spokesperson Simon Kabanda said the Technical Committee was different from the constitutional review commission (CRC) and the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

This is because the Technical Committee had a strict deadline and timeline considering that the gathering of views had been done by the commissions.

[Times of Zambia]

WORKERS at National Housing Authority (NHA) in Lusaka yesterday downed tools demanding, among other things, the dissolution of the board and removal of top management officials for allegedly “bringing problems” to the organisation.

According to NHA union branch chairperson, Oscar Mwananyanda, the main cause of the work-stoppage was to push management to pay the workers their commutation of leave days. This was to enable them attend to some of their children’s school requirements as the current education allowance was inadequate.

Mr Mwananyanda said the education allowance for those with children in Grade One to Four, was K500,000 a term while those in Grade Five to Ten was pegged at K550,000. Workers on one year contractual employment got K225,000 a term.

“The entire management has failed to run NHA because they have continued to give us reasons that the company has no money every time we ask for our entitlements.

“They have bought carpets and new furniture (for the company) but they are failing to pay us our meagre commutation despite approving them,” he said.

The workers were demanding that the chief executive officer Elias Mpondela, human resources manager and director of finance, among other senior staff, be investigated for allegedly “bringing problems at the organisation”.

Mr Mwananyanda cited, among other problems, the alleged unnecessary trips abroad by senior management staff using company funds.

Their other complaint was that employees were being denied salary advances when faced with problems.The workers accused management of non-remittance of Pay-As-You-Earn to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) as well as contributions to the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) even after making deductions from workers salaries.

However, a check at the NHA offices in the afternoon showed that workers had called off their work protest.

NHA corporate affairs manager, Bwalya Makasa, said workers had resumed duties.

Ms assured the workers that they would be paid their leave commutation, but expressed surprise that even non- unionised had decided to protest.

She said management was scheduled to hold a meeting with the new workers union leadership to look into their concerns.

[Times of Zambia]