Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
EMIRATES, one of the world’s leading airlines has confirmed that it will make its inaugural flight from Dubai to Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda (KK) International Airport on February 1, 2012.
Emirates sales executive for the Netherlands Mathieu Hastman said Emirates will fly to Lusaka five times a week on every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Mr Hastman disclosed this at the on-going Vakantiebeurs Tourism Fair in Utrecht, Netherlands, where Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) is one of the exhibitors.
“The inaugural flight will depart from Dubai on Wednesday February 1 and arrive at KK (formerly Lusaka International) Airport at14: 50hrs the same day,” he said.
This is contained in a statement issued by ZTB public relations and media manager Caristo Chitamfya, in Lusaka, yesterday that the flight will depart from Lusaka at 19:00 hours the same day via Harare, and arrive in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) the following morning at 07:00 hours.
Mr Hastman says the response from the business community and public is encouraging hence the launch of the maiden flight into Zambia.
Vakantiebeurs is the world’s biggest trade and consumer fair in terms of attendance with close to 140,000 visitors and annual-held in Holland’s fourth city Utrecht.
The Dutch market is one of the priority areas for the ZTB international marketing strategy and hence their presence. ZTB will also exhibit in Finland, Spain, Germany and the United States, among other countries.
Meanwhile, a Dutch Holiday Research Company has awarded two Zambian Safari Operators a certificate for excellence.
Track and Trail River Camp in South Luangwa National Park and Mukambi safari lodge in Kafue National Park scored 8.9 and 8.0, respectively, in a poll conducted by Zoover, a renowned on-line research company that is supplying destination information to people planning to travel to various destinations around the world.
The research evaluated comments from tourists who visited Zambia last year and focused on three key areas namely: location, price in relation to quality and child-friendliness.
The internationally acclaimed Tripadvisor.com has also given the two operators high ratings.
Former Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane
Former Finance and National Planning Minister in the Rupiah Banda government Situmbeko Musokotwane has urged Republican President Michael Sata to tone down.
Speaking in an interview with Qfm, Dr. Musokotwane who is also Liuwa MMD Member of Parliament says the recent remarks attributed to President Sata in the media are not suitable for a head of state.
Dr. Musokotwane referred to a recent statement in which President Sata labeled former Republican Vice President George Kunda as a dullest lawyer in Africa for his claims that Dr Guy Scott does not qualify to hold the office of vice president.
He explains that such public utterances against perceived enemies will judge President Sata harshly and further calls on him to tone down.
And Dr. Musokotwane has charged that the poor performance of the Kwacha against major currencies is an indication that Zambia is paying the price for government’s failure to provide confidence in the country’s economy.
He says if not quickly addressed, the trend is likely to cause disparities in the country’s economy where imports will be much more expensive than exports.
And Former Commerce, trade and industry Minister Felix Mutati has predicted a difficult 2012 for Zambia.
Mr. Mutati says this is because the country seems to be very fatigued economically.
He points to the erosion of the kwacha which has continued to lose its strength against major currencies.
Mr. Mutati says it is thus important for the PF government to ensure that it is prepared for hard times ahead.
He has further proposed to the government to put emphasis on promoting Zambian business persons by ensuring that they have access to short and long term financing.
Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Evans Chibiliti (L)
GOVERNMENT will soon introduce performance contracts for ministers which will be evaluated every three months as a way of improving service delivery in the public service.
Acting Secretary to the Cabinet Evans Chibiliti said the initiative will be taken as a way of improving performance among public service workers in line with the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
“We will design performance contracts which the President will discuss with his ministers. Each year, ministers will do specific things and the President will evaluate them quarterly,” Mr Chibiliti said.
He said this in Livingstone yesterday when he officially opened an induction workshop for permanent secretaries at Protea Hotel.
Mr Chibiliti said he has already discussed the matter with President Sata and that he is confident his office will deliver on the performance contracts.
He said ministers will also use performance contracts to gauge the performance of their permanent secretaries who will do likewise on their directors.
Directors in various ministries will also evaluate the performance of senior government officers using performance contracts.
Mr Chibiliti said the contracts are ideal because the President has a social contract (the PF manifesto) with Zambians on which he has to deliver and that he is confident the system will yield results.
“If we all deliver, there is no reason why ministers should not perform. There should also be no reason why the President will not perform,” he said.
Mr Chibiliti said permanent secretaries should align their strategic plans and medium expenditure frameworks with the PF manifesto.
He said the PF government wants the public service to improve its service delivery because that is what is expected of it by Zambians. Mr Chibiliti urged permanent secretaries to find ways of maximising productivity in their respective ministries using available resources.
He said controlling officers should make their strategic plans based on available resources government allocates to their ministries.
He said he will give permanent secretaries more authority such as promoting staff as a way of motivating them so that they deliver to people’s expectations.
Mr Chibiliti said the Public Service Commission will no longer be responsible for promoting staff as this will be the duty of permanent secretaries.
And National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) executive director Answell Saka said the learning institution is ready to help the public service become more effective in service delivery.
“NIPA is ready to take on new demands that will arise as the public service continues to respond to emerging challenges,” Mr Sakala said.
A SUPREME Court judgement passed on October 6, 2009 and January 22, 2010 has put into context the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ)’s cry that there is need for reform in the judiciary.
Acting as Chief Justice and sitting with Supreme Court judges Sanderson Silomba and Hilda Chibomba, Mrs Mambilima upheld a magistrates’ court judgement in the case involving two Zimbabweans in what later became the gold-gate scandal.
The judgement was not widely publicised then but has now become of consequence after the gold in question was surrendered to the State, but was later sold to a Swiss national.
Mrs Mambilima’s judgement also lays bare some of the questions the LAZ are asking today about the judiciary after the Zimbabweans were convicted by the magistrates’ court, but were set free by the High Court before being convicted again by the Supreme Court.
The ‘strongly worded’ judgement, in possession of the Daily Mail, shows that attempts were made by officers from the Geological Survey Department, Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to corrupt the bench.
“Our wish is that the relevant wings of the government will take keen interest in what we have observed as we feel that corruption may have been the underlying cause for the strange behaviour of those officers,” Justice Mambilima said.
She added, “This judgement will, therefore, be made available to all those concerned with investigations as well as policy makers.”
The value of the gifts or money that was offered is not stated by Justice Mambilima, but the acting Chief Justice described the attempt as being equivalent to “contempt of court” and strongly condemned the action.
Last week, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) complained that questionable court officers existed at the top level in the judicial system which needed weeding in order to restore integrity to the profession.
A LAZ letter dated January 11, 2012 to the Minister of Justice, Sebastian Zulu called for a breath of fresh air in the judiciary to carry the reforms the association would be suggesting.
In a 141 page judgement, Justice Mambilima expressed disappointment with certain members of society who thought they would help the two Zimbabweans accused of being illegally in possession of the gold by offering all kinds of gifts and promising much more “if we ruled in their favour”.
Justice Mambilima described the inducement attempt as contemptuous and condemned it in the “strongest” terms saying it was only “calculated to interfere with the due process of the law. We shall not allow this to happen.”
The Daily Mail attempted to get a comment from LAZ president James Banda yesterday in order to establish whether incidents of bribery or other forms of activities that could influence the course of justice as inferred by Justice Mambilima were common but Mr. Banda did not answer his phone at press time.
The Supreme Court judgement upheld the conviction passed by the magistrates’ court and quashed the decision of a high court judge saying it was arrived at in error when the unmentioned high court judge released the gold exhibits to the convicted Zimbabwean owners prompting government lawyers to appeal to the Supreme Court.
A senior lawyer told the Daily Mail yesterday that the Supreme Court would normally side with the High Court and not the Magistrates’ court.
The Justice Mambilima-led Supreme Court bench made it clear in its verdict that an error was made by the judge when he returned the non-perishable exhibits (gold) when “it was quite obvious that the state was going to appeal.”
The Supreme Court bench went on to, “therefore, reverse the learned appellate judge’s court order alluded to at the beginning of the judgement and restored the orders made by the learned resident magistrate ‘regarding the conviction, sentences imposed on the respondents and the order of the forfeiture of the gold.”
The two Zimbabweans were jailed for two years with hard labour from January 22, 2010 and have since served their sentence.
The gold was forfeited to the state on Mrs Mambilima’s order but was sold to Swiss businessman Nicolae Buzaianu, who visited former President Rupiah Banda in October last year.
President Sata exposed the sale of the gold to Mr Buzaianu and the businessman’s visit to Zambia. The businessman also met Mr Banda’s son James, and former press assistant at State House Dickson Jere.
Lukona Chambers and Okware Associate who represented the two convicted Zimbabweans that brought in the multi- billion kwacha gold could not be reached for comment yesterday.
In the January 11 letter, LAZ president Banda said, “we are of the view that the current leadership of the judiciary would find difficulties to carry out reforms we will be proposing…judicial reforms invariably will include filling the judiciary with forward-thinking, credible, competent judges and magistrates with integrity.”
This was also the first time LAZ was casting aside diplomatic decorum and taking on the judiciary with all its institutional might in what analysts say may lead to a showdown.
The showdown comes at a time that President Michael Sata has embarked on an anti-graft fight that he says shall have ‘no sacred cows’ and has already affected former leaders such as Dora Siliya, Situmbeko Musokotwane and George Kunda.
The judiciary has not been touched thus far as the Sata-led anti-graft fight engages in top gear with the release of the Zamtel probe report that has placed Ms Siliya on the spot for various irregularities in the sale of the state telecommunication company.
Minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu has said the repossession of 75 percent shares in Zamtel from LapGreen Networks of Libya is non-negotiable. Mr Zulu said as far as Government is concerned, there are “no exit barriers” on the reversal of the sale of Zamtel.
The minister said Government will not negotiate with LapGreen over the plans to repossess the shares because the contract was null and void from the outset. Mr Zulu said in an interview yesterday that Government will soon repossess the 75 percent shares from LapGreen and float them to Zambians.
He said this follows Cabinet resolution on the matter. The minister said Government does not risk paying LapGreen any money as compensation once their shares in Zamtel are repossessed. Mr Zulu said this is so because LapGreen was corruptly awarded the contract by the MMD government, adding that there is documentary evidence to that effect.
Last week, former Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane warned that Government risks paying LapGreen between US$400 million and US$1 billion if it reverses the sale of Zamtel.
But Mr Zulu said Dr Musokotwane is entitled to his own opinion but that Government is unaware of compensation money that will be paid to LapGreen after it repossesses Zamtel.
“Government decided to reverse the contract and take back the 75 percent shares sold to LapGreen because of fraud and many other irregularities that accompanied the contract.
“So, there is nothing like negotiating with LapGreen. We are taking back the shares and if there will be ‘any’ negotiation, it will be to determine whether they (LapGreen) deserve any compensation or not,” he said.
Mr Zulu said LapGreen Networks and RP Capital were supposed to be disqualified initially from the bidding process because they did not meet the criteria set by the Zambia Development Agency.
“The evaluator and contractor should have been disqualified in the first place but because of corruption, they were allowed to do the work. So, how do we compensate them when the contract was null and void?” Mr Zulu said.
Efforts to get a comment from the Libyan ambassador on the matter proved futile. Dr Musokotwane’s mobile line went unanswered after several attempts. The Zulu probe team has recommended that apart from re-taking the 75 percent stake in Zamtel, all top directors and senior managers must have their contracts immediately terminated.
The Siavonga magistrates’ court has convicted and sentenced a 24 year old man to six months imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty of being in possession of marijuana, a psychotropic substances.
Siavonga magistrate, Bathromeo Kaonga slapped the six months sentence on Lucky Shamahoko who was facing one count of trafficking in psychotropic substance contrary to section six Cap 96 of the laws of Zambia.
The court however suspended the six months sentence slapped on Shamahoko on condition that he does not indulge himself in any psychotropic substance related offences.
Particulars of the offence are that Shamahoko of Machavika village in Chief Chipepo’s area in Siavonga district, on 25th December 2011 in Machavika did traffic in psychotropic substance namely marijuana without authority.
The court further recorded that when the food and drugs laboratory at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka analysed the substance, it confirmed that it was marijuana which weighed 2.5
grammes.
Shamahoko admitted the charge and said he was using the marijuana as medicine to treat his young brother who had an ear problem.
He told the court that his grandmother advised him to use marijuana as medicine saying it was the best drug for ear problems.
In mitigation, Shamahoko pleaded for court’s lenience saying he was a double orphan and looks after his siblings.
However, the magistrate said the offence committed was a serious one which carries maximum sentence of up to 25 years.
Magistrate Kaonga said the nature of the offence committed was on the increase in the area.
He observed that considering the age of the convict and the quantity of the substance found in his possession, he decided to give him a second chance.
Hyenas in chief Zingalume’s area of Chadiza district are terrorising domestic animals forcing local people to spend sleepless nights in an effort to safeguard their animals.
Jessy Mudenda of Zingalume village complained to ZANIS that a number of goats and pigs have been killed and eaten by hyenas in the area.
Mrs. Mudenda, who spoke through sobs, expressed anger that the hyena had even killed a heifer goat that she had gotten on loan and wondered how she would replace it.
She has since appealed to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to quickly kill the wild animals before they start to harm people.
File: Peasant farmers wait for the Food Reserve Agency to buy their maize
Farmers in Katete district have continued to complain against the Food Reserve Agency’s (FRA) delay to pay them for the maize they sold to it last year.
Katete District Commissioner, Anselimo Mbuzi, said the farmers have continued to complain over the delayed payments of the outstanding K4billion owed to farmers in the area.
Mr. Mbuzi told ZANIS in an interview that in December last year, the district received K4.1 billion for settling the outstanding balance when the actual balance was over K8 billion.
He however stated that government was committed to ensure that all the farmers were paid their monies adding that it was not government’s intention to disadvantage them by delaying payments.
Mr. Mbuzi, who was optimistic that the district would soon receive funds for the payment of farmers, said government grain worth K45 billion from farmers in the district in the last marketing season.
The Ndola high Court was yesterday morning kept guessing on the whereabouts of Patrick Mwanawasa to commence hearing in the Kafulafuta parliamentary election petition.
Patrick’s absence forced the court to adjourn the matter twice with the hope of securing his attendance. When the matter was recalled at exactly 12:30, Patrick’s lawyer, Benson Siame informed the court that his client had communicated to him via phone that he was tied up.
Mr. Siame added Patrick promised that he would be in Ndola before the end of business but never turned up due to his busy schedule. This forced Ndola court Judge Mary Mulanda to adjourn the matter to today in the interest of justice.
Patrick Mwanawasa is petitioning the election of MMD’s James Chiseba as Kafulafuta Member of Parliament. Patrick is the son of former late republican president Levy Mwanawasa.
Zambia’s Africa Cup Group A opponents wrapped-up their preparations ahead of this weekend’s big kickoff.
Libya, who have been camped in the UAE, lost 1-0 to Cote d’Ivoire in Abu Dhabi in a friendly on Monday.
Chelsea’s striker Salmon Kalou scored the game’s lone goal in the 60th minute.
In Malabo, co-hosts Equatorial Guinea finished 1-1 against Cameroonian club Coton Sport on Friday.
They play their final friendly on Wednesday against a yet to be named team in Malabo.
On Sunday in Dakar, Senegal beat Kenya 1-0 thanks to a 63rd minute goal by Demba Cissé Papis of Bundesliga side Freiburg.
Libya and Equatorial Guinea meeting the tournaments opening game in Bata on January 21 while Senegal and Zambia will meet shortly thereafter at the same venue in an opening day doubleheader.
ZNBC’s excuse that they cannot broadcast the 2012 Africa Cup has been given a boost after mining concern FQM gave them US$ 250,000.
First Quantum minerals resident director Kwalela Lamaswala said the deal will see ZNBC carry live TV and radio broadcasts of Zambia’s Africa Cup Group A games.
FQM’s package means ZNBC now has a shortfall of US$160,000 of its total broadcast package rights of US$410,000 for the Africa Cup tournament.
“First Quantum has had a fruitful association with soccer, and shares the passion of Zambians for the beautiful game. Therefore, it became imperative for us to lead the way in ensuring that the millions of soccer fans are not deprived of the joy and thrill of seeing their idols in action at Africa’s prestigious football arena,” Lamaswala said in a statement.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has vowed not to support the PF government’s proposal to increase the retirement age from 55 to 65 years.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says the proposal once implemented will deny the young people especially graduates an opportunity to be employed.
He observes that narrowing employment opportunities for the young people will result in brain drain as most of the graduates will resort to looking for employment in the diaspora.
Speaking to QFM News, Mr. Mweetwa says the statement by the immediate past labour Minister Fackson Shamenda that the issue is non-negotiable is unacceptable and has urged the labour movement not to dance to the tune of government.
He adds that the move to increase the retirement age is a political gimmick which PF is trying to use to avoid paying retirement packages and shift the burden to future governments.
File:Some female judges and other judiciary staff pose for a photograph after a workshop in Lusaka
The Judiciary and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (JAWUZ) has taken a swipe at the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) for using the media to call for reforms in the Judiciary.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, union President Peter Mwale called on LAZ to engage stakeholders to improve and expand service delivery to the public in the dispensation of justice as opposed to speaking through the media.
And in response to recent statements that LAZ has issued on the Judiciary, Mr. Mwale has demanded that LAZ desists from issuing such statements as they have the potential to destroy and ruin the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
He says it is unfair for LAZ as a professional body to call for the dismissal of any perceived corrupt judges and Magistrates through the media on unsubstantiated facts knowing that such officers cannot defend themselves through the press.
Mr. Mwale says LAZ is fully aware of the challenges that the Judiciary is faced with and that it is important for the Law Association to help address the constraints and not use their positions to seek for jobs in government.
And Mr. Mwale has refuted assertions of a management crisis in the Judiciary stating that management is intact and capable of delivering better services with regards to the dispensation of justice in the country.
Meanwhile, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has increased calls for an independent Chief Justice through judicial reforms charging that the current Chief Justice position held by Justice Ernest Sakala enjoys no ‘security of tenure’ as Zambia’s democracy continues to grow, according to correspondence to the Minister of Justice in possession of the Daily Mail.
“The current Chief Justice does not enjoy security of tenure as he is on a contract and serves at the President’s pleasure,” the LAZ letter to the Ministry of Justice reads, adding: “This is not a healthy state of affairs requiring immediate remedy.”
LAZ president James Banda confirmed that there is correspondence to that effect but “I really can’t say anything more at this stage. I have to call you back.”
But the Daily Mail can confirm that it is LAZ’s considered position that a Chief Justice that serves at the mercy of the President is open to “manipulation” by the executive, hence the need to have the position protected by law the way positions such as Director of Public Prosecutions, Attorney-General and Solicitor-General are.
LAZ also wants High Court judges to be more independent via a reform that shall ensure they do not serve on contract because that, too, makes them weak, “especially that the terms of the contracts are not known to the public.”
The law lobby group also wants the Ministry of Justice to shake up the bench by replacing the top brass at the judiciary as soon as possible as the judiciary reforms continue, suggesting that “we already have eminent persons of high integrity who we are confident will spearhead reforms and ensure that the integrity of the judiciary is restored and maintained.”
This is the first time LAZ has effectively passed a vote-of-no-confidence in the current judiciary heads, in a development that may culminate in major changes in the judiciary depending on the response from the Minister of Justice.
Mr Banda told the Minister of Justice in the letter that the need for change was urgent in order for progressive judicial reforms to commence.
Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, a reformist himself, could not be reached for a comment yesterday.
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has issued another stern warning to unauthorized garbage collectors against illegal garbage collection in the city.
LCC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Henry Kapata said it was illegal for unauthorized individuals to collect garbage in residential areas before signing a memorandum of understanding with the local authority.
Mr. Kapata said this in an interview with ZANIS today.
He noted that all legal garbage collectors have since signed memoranda of understanding with the council and have since been allocated a legal dumping site in Chunga.
He said the council was incensed with illegal garbage collectors who dump the collected refuse indiscriminately.
Mr. Kapata explained that those who would not comply with the law will face the wrath of the law.
He further explained that the authorized garbage collectors were also working with the community in collecting refuse.
Mr. Kapata added that residents should also play a role by not dumping garbage in undesignated places.
The Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) is working with government to stop gender based violence in the country.
YWCA Executive Director Patricia Ndhlovu told ZANIS in Lusaka today that cases of gender based violence involving spouse battering and killing in Zambia have increased.
Mrs. Ndhlovu said cases of women being killed as a result of domestic differences with their husbands have increased.
She said her organisation was working hard to sensitise the public against gender based violence while empowering the victims of the same.
She further said spouses should learn to dialogue as opposed to resorting to violence.
Mrs. Ndhlovu emphasised the need for victims of gender violence to report to the police and other relevant authorities so that perpetrators are brought to book.
She said the total number of gender based violence cases in the first quarter of 2011 was 2,028.
Out of this number, 462 cases were of child defilement, 64 were rape cases, 645 were spouse abuse and 12 cases were of murder involving
female spouses.
Mrs. Ndhlovu has since urged members of the public to actively help fight gender base violence and ensure a zero tolerance to the vice.
