The Zambia Information & Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has discovered that Airtel Zambia has an automated call blocking system in its call centre which bars all numbers that call the call centre more than three times in any particular day.

ZICTA acting Public Relations Manager Chisha Shimungala in a statement released to QFM today says this practice is an affront to consumers’ rights and interests as it denies them the right to make a complaint and deprives them of the privilege to contact their service provider when necessary.

Mrs Shimungala explains that Section 67 of the Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) Act Number 15 of 2009 provides that all service providers must deal reasonably with their consumers and address consumer complaints.

She says the failure to adhere to the above provision constitutes an offence and any service providers found wanting is liable to prosecution.

Mrs Shimungala ZICTA has since directed Airtel to immediately cease the practice failure to which the Authority will invoke provisions of the Act and take stern action against the operator.

She adds that in the same vein, the other two mobile phone operators are urged to refrain from the practice.

She has further advised consumers and the general public to report to ZICTA non adherence to the directive by the concerned operator.

Former Commerce Minister Felix Mutati has denied purchasing a plot worth K2.8 billion and asked the Times of Zambia to seek more details on the matter before he could clarify.

“Try to get more details for me because I am not aware about that plot or farm. Get details and then I can comment,” Mr Mutati said.

Mr Mutati was reacting to President Micheal Sata’s accusation. President Sata disclosed that Mr. Mutati had acquired land worth K2.8 billion and declared that the “real” fight against corruption has just started.

The president said more corrupt activities committed during the MMD reign would be exposed, especially after Mutembo Nchito is sworn-in as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Speaking on arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport from South Africa yesterday, the president said the Government had no reason to relent and wondered how a former Cabinet minister could afford to procure land at K2.8 billion.

President Sata said he would soon swear in Mr Nchito who would “go for them, especially that he knew them well.”?“Very soon, I am going to swear in Mutembo Nchtito who knows them better.
He will sort them out including Dora Siliya. She must recover quickly,” Mr Sata said.

President Sata said the recent recovery of money underground provided a fertile ground for more intense investigations.

“We have not started. If they start burying money, we are going to dig all the money they have buried down. How can you expect a former minister of Commerce to buy a plot for K2.8 billion? Don’t worry this is just the beginning,” President Sata said.

[Times of Zambia]

KANSANSHI Mining Plc has dismissed claims that its employees in the gold production unit could potentially suffer from infertility as a result of the infra-red body searches.

Reacting to media reports about miners in the gold-digging section fearing for their fertility, a statement from the mining giant said the fears were misplaced.

“The claims are baseless and unfounded. The reported rigorous infra-red searches do not exist. All employees without exception, including supervisors and managers, are searched by hand-held metal detectors. These are the same devices used at airports and other high security facilities,” the statement reads in part.

Kansanshi mine says the metal detectors meet international standards of safety and are widely accepted as a quick, safe and non-intrusive security measure.

The country’s largest gold and copper producer says it has an impressive track-record in safety, health and environment.

“Kansanshi Mining Plc champions the highest safety standards in all its operations. It continuously strives to improve standards as evidenced by its rigorous pursuit of the company’s policy which dictates safety as the over-riding consideration in its operations.

“The company underpins that policy by encouraging employees to report risks and voice concerns as a way of upholding and continuously improving standards.”

The mine has also described suggestions that Government and dignitaries are barred from visiting the gold production unit as ‘preposterous’.

The statement states that the mine regularly hosts various stakeholders, including government officials.

“It is not true that government officials are not allowed to visit, as officials from the Zambia Revenue Authority, Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources, other ministries and government agencies are welcome and do visit whenever there are duties.”

The Zambian government owns 20 percent shares in Kansanshi Mining Plc while First Quantum, the Toronto, London and Lusaka-listed mining and metals company, owns 80 percent.

Meanwhile, Kansanshi Mine on Monday conducted an emergency shut-down, with no injury recorded following a discharge of acidic slurry within the high pressure leach section of the mine.

The statement says the shut-down, a result of equipment failure within the High Pressure Leach section of the copper-processing plant, did not stop mining or other processing operations.

“The failure resulted in an unplanned and rapid de-pressurisation of one of the autoclaves, with a consequential discharge of acidic slurry. An emergency shut-down was successfully initiated and staff in the affected area safely evacuated until the situation was brought fully under control,” the statement says.

It says the fact that nobody was injured was testimony of the company’s strict adherence to the highest safety standards anchored in the company policy.

“Kansanshi has recorded 3.8 million fatality-free shifts and is poised to reach 4 million by February 2012.

“We never compromise on the company’s dictum that no job is so important that it cannot be done safely,” the statement reads.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

MINISTER of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Given Lubinda on Monday when he bungee-jumped at Livingstone’s Victoria Falls, to support his claims that the bungee-jumping equipment was safe. Mr Lubinda left onlookers on edge as he took the dreaded plunge.

Apart from bungee jumping, Mr. Lubinda took a ‘gorge slide and swing at the Victoria Falls Bridge and remarked that the leisure activities are safe, contrary to popular belief that they can cause harm.

Mr Lubinda, who also participated in activities at the Victoria Falls Bridge Bungee jumping where there was an accident involving a tourist, urged all tourists and other guests to participate in bungee activities because they were safe.

“I came here to prove that the Bungee jumping activities are safe. I have done the slides and swinging because I have confidence in the activities. Let everyone come and do it. That accident was a small one in 50, 000 jumps in a year.

“The activities here are fantastic and you feel like rocks are holding you. Those who haven’t seen the Zambezi River down using the jumps at the Bridge are missing a lot,” Mr Lubinda said.

Recently, a 22-year-old Australian tourist plunged into the Zambezi River after the bungee jumping cord snapped.

The tourist managed to swim to the Zimbabwean side where she was treated and later evacuated to South Africa.

Meanwhile operator of the bungee jumping equipment regreted the incident, saying that it came to them as a shock. “Despite the experience of the crew and parameters and procedures, which have successfully guided the operation for 17 years and over 150,000 jumpers, we were unable to prevent this accident.”, read the statement released to the media.

” We take this exceptionally seriously and our objective now is to learn from this incident and review every component part of our operation to determine where we can further minimize the risk of bungee jumping from the Victoria Falls Bridge.”

The Operator has taken the following measures to ensure the incident does not happen again

• We have removed all bungee cords from the system, which were made with the same batch of rubber as that used to make the failed cord. These have been retained for further testing.
• An entirely new set of bungee cords have been installed on the system. These have been extensively load tested and inspected thoroughly and we are satisfied that they are safe to jump on.
• The entire bungee system has been thoroughly inspected and checked and we are fully confident that everything is safe to jump on.
• In addition to our normal checks and procedures we have instigated additional daily and intermittent checks on the bungee cords and we are fully satisfied that these checks and procedures are more than sufficient to ensure our clients safety.
• Our own crew are conducting test jumps before the commencement of daily operations and throughout the day.
• Experts in South Africa have been contacted and we expect them to be on site next week to help us with our ongoing investigations as to the cause of the incident.
• The broken cord has been carefully stored and will shortly be sent to South Africa for forensic testing.
• A qualified river guide with first aid certification and necessary safety and recovery equipment will be positioned in the gorge below the bridge.

” In light of the above Victoria Falls Bungee are entirely satisfied that everything humanly possible has been done to ensure the safety of our clients and bungee jumping operations have now recommenced without further incident,” concluded the statement

Finance bank board Chairperson Dr. Rajani Mahtani has been freed from criminal prosecution of money laundering involving the illegal acquisition of 25 percent shares in finance bank limited.

Director of Public Prosecution-DPP-Mutembo Nchito instructed the magistrate court presided by Lusaka chief resident magistrate, Joshua Banda to discharge Dr. Mahtani.

This was after Drug Enforcement Commission Principal state advocate Gracilia Mulenga, who made the formal application informing the court that the DPP had instructed for the discontinuation of the case.

In this case Dr. Mahtani was facing charges of illegally acquiring more than 25 percent shares in finance bank and another count of money laundering involving K81.7 billion.

In the first count, the allegation was that between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2009, Dr Mahtani acquired beneficial interest in voting shares of FBZ to enable him to control more than 25 percent of the total votes that could be cast on any general resolution at a general or special meeting of the bank.

It was alleged that Dr Mahtani did so without prior approval of the Bank of Zambia in writing, contrary to section 23(1), (2) (a) and (6) of the Banking and Financial Services Act number 21 of 1994 of the Laws of Zambia.

In the other count, the allegation was that between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2009, Dr Mahtani, jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown persons, engaged directly or indirectly in a business transaction that involved the acquisition or retention of more than 25 percent shares in FBZ, whereby K81.7 billion was realised as dividends from the said illegal acquisition.

He was charged under section 7 of the Prohibition and Prevention of Money Laundering Act number 14 of 2001 of the Laws of Zambia.

[pullquote]“I am a born-again Christian and I believe in Christian principles. Vengeance is not mine, it is the Lord’s…I have forgiven them but I need to make sure that my international reputation, which was at stake, is cleared,” Dr Mahtani said.[/pullquote]

The charges and other numerous allegations triggered the seizure and subsequent sale of FBZ by the Central Bank to First Rand National Bank of South Africa.

The discontinuation does not come as a surprise following Government’s reversal of the sale of Finance Bank to FNB of South Africa last year.

The reversal was done three days after President Sata had constituted a commission of inquiry to investigate the sale of the Bank by the previous regime.

And commenting on the discontinuation of court proceedings against him, Dr Mahtani said he is relieved in that justice has been done.

He said he has no ill feelings against all the people who made false allegations against him and that he has forgiven everyone involved.

“I am a born-again Christian and I believe in Christian principles. Vengeance is not mine, it is the Lord’s…I have forgiven them but I need to make sure that my international reputation, which was at stake, is cleared,” Dr Mahtani said.

He cautioned people to avoid the culture of making false allegations against their perceived enemies. “They must realise that there is the rule of law and justice must prevail,” he said.

[MUVITV/ Zambia Daily Mail]

Lawyers representing former PF Secretary General and MMD member Edward Mumbi have given the Zambia Daily Mail 14 days to apologize of face legal action for the stories published in the Daily mail issues of 5th January and 6th January,2012, headlined Mumbi Faces Arrest and Mumbi is Wrong-Mambo.

This emanated from a story which linked Mr Mumbi to a group of people circulating stories to the effect that President Michael Sata’s health has greatly deteriorated and that he has only about seven months to live.

In a statement of claim for damages for libel, obtained by QFM, Mr Mumbi’s lawyers George Kunda and Company says the serious allegations are completely false and malicious and that they constitute a grave libel upon their client.

[pullquote]The statement says the two articles published by the Daily Mail are highly defamatory and have lowered Mr Mumbi in the estimation of right thinking members of society and have exposed him to hatred,contempt and ridicule not only in Zambia but worldwide since the newspaper is also published online.[/pullquote]

The statement says the two articles published by the Daily Mail are highly defamatory and have lowered Mr Mumbi in the estimation of right thinking members of society and have exposed him to hatred,contempt and ridicule not only in Zambia but worldwide since the newspaper is also published online.

The lawyers say their client fears for his life because of the publications which impute that Mr Mumbi has criminally defamed the President and spread seditious statements against the President and the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

They are demanding that the newspaper publish in the next issue a full and complete retraction and apology in terms to be approved by them on their client’s behalf, in as prominent a position as the article complained of, that a written assurance and undertaking be made by the newspaper that they will not further publish any similar articles concerning their client.

They further demanding that the Daily Mail pays their client a proper suitable or reasonable sum as damages for the injury to his reputation and for the embarrassment and distress caused to him, and to indemnify their client in respect of the costs which he will have incurred in the matter.

QFM

Ndola High Court Judge Timothy Katenekwa says one of the key requirements for the judiciary to be free and independent are secured adequate funding.

Justice Katenekwa says in spite of the judiciary having continued to operate effectively; the institution in the northern jurisdiction still faced a number of challenges in the area funding, transport and infrastructure.

The high Court Judge was speaking during the ceremonial opening of the High Court criminal Session for the Copperbelt, Luapula and Northern provinces, yesterday.

Justice Katenekwa said the inadequate infrastructure has posed a challenge as the current high court building was built with only offices for two judges and two court rooms.

He said with the increase in the establishment of judges and support staff, there is urgent need to have more court rooms and office space.

Justice Katenekwa said any well functioning democracy needs a free and independent judiciary where funding is also adequate and sound.

He said government should ensure that it funds the institution on time because justice delivery is one of the key demands of the Zambian people.

The judge also appealed to government to increase and improve support to other stakeholders in the justice delivery system.

He mentioned these as been the Zambia Police, office of the DPP, Legal AID, Zambia Prison Service and the social welfare department.

Justice Katenekwa said the operations of the judiciary will not be smooth if these key stakeholders are not adequately catered for the areas of manpower, transport and adequate funding.

He said for the justice delivery system to operate efficiently and effectively, it as necessary that all the key stakeholders are in a position to move at the same pace.

He however expressed happiness at the recent directive by the head of state to the attorney and solicitor general’s to look at the conditions of lawyers employed by the legal aid board.

He also said the increase of judges from four to six at Ndola has greatly helped in dispensing cases as only cases to be heard during this year’s session were committed last year.,

The judge called on all those involved in public service particularly the justice delivery system to rise to the occasion and perform their duties effectively to sure that the Zambian public enjoy their rights in full.

And Copperbelt Province Minister Rodgers Mwewa who was guest of honour said government recognises the judiciary as an important arm of the state and partner in delivering good governance to the Zambian people.

The minister said the PF government is committed to rule of law and will strive to address the issues of inadequate infrastructure and funding to the judiciary and other stakeholders.

Mr Mwewa said government has adopted a zero tolerance to corruption in order to implement a number of programmes to improve the social conditions of people and ensure that resources are spent properly.

He urged the judiciary to play its role to ensure that corruption cases are properly handled and appropriate sentence meted out.

ZANIS