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Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda has said that former Republican Vice President George Kunda should be the last person to give advice on how the media should operate.
Mr. Lubinda said that Mr. Kunda has no right to attack the operations of any media, whether private or public.
Speaking at a media briefing at his office, also attended by heads of public media, Mr. Lubinda said that it is surprising how Mr. Kunda can suddenly change his stance on the public media when he and former Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha were in the forefront agitating for the regulation of the media.
Reacting to Mr. Kunda’s attacks on the public media for allegedly being biased in its reporting, Mr. Lubinda reminded the former Vice President that he is on record of praising freelance journalist Chanda Chimba III of being a professional journalist.
And QFM reports that Mr. Lubinda has agreed with Mr Kunda’s advice to members of the opposition MMD to brace themselves for hard times following investigations launched by the PF government of former government officials.
He has since reminded Mr. Kunda that he should not expect the PF Government to investigate politicians that never served in government and stated that government is determined in its fight against corruption.
The Zambia Police service has confirmed the summoning of former transport and communications minister Dora Siliya for questioning.
Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela has confirmed the development to QFM saying Ms. Siliya is expected to report at the former task force offices in Lusaka’s woodland area around 14:00 hrs.
The summoning of Ms. Siliya comes a few weeks after the commission of Inquiry that was constituted to investigate the sale of Zamtel established that the company was fraudulently sold as the then government did not follow that laid down tender procedures.
Ms. Siliya is also reported to have single sourced RP capitals of caymen islands to valuate the Zamtel assets which the commission’s report indicated was undervalued.
The commission established that the sale of Zamtel by the Zambia Development Agency was hastily done and that LAP Green failed to satisfy at least three of the procurement requirements and that it was shocking that they were awarded the tender.
Zambia’s life expectancy has risen from 37 to 43 years, partly due to various medical interventions, Ministry of Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has said.
The Ministry of Health has also made significant strides in fighting Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
Dr Mbewe said the improvement was mainly due to the many milestones his ministry has made in fighting pandemics such as HIV and AIDS which had previously reduced the life expectancy in Zambia.
In response to a press query on Tuesday, Dr Mbewe said the infection rate of TB has drastically dropped.
“The main reason for the reduction in the TB infection rate is the introduction of the National TB Control Programme, which focuses on addressing the problem and implementation of the TB control strategy in a consistent and effective manner,” Dr Mbewe said.
He said other factors that have led to a decline in the number of TB cases, include a good monitoring and evaluation system, quality assured drugs for patient management and care as well as availability of effective treatment.
Dr Mbewe said global health initiatives such as the Global Fund have also helped to reduce the prevalence rate of TB, as more resources for treating the disease are readily available.
He also said good programme management has led to a rise in the successful treatment of TB patients which in 2000 stood at 66 percent but rose to 86 percent in 2010.
Dr Mbewe said this is because many cases were identified early and treated successfully. The transmission rate of TB has also reduced in the communities.
He said because of the current interventions the Ministry of Health has embarked on combating TB, HIV and AIDS and other related illnesses.
He however said the burden of TB is still high despite the strides made so far, adding that there is need for more efforts in dealing with TB in children and prisons.
Dr Mbewe said laboratories should be well equipped so that many TB, HIV and AIDS cases can be detected early.
Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Minister GIVEN LUBINDA
GOVERNMENT has assured tourists visiting the Victoria Falls in Livingstone that the bungee jumping equipment at the falls is safe.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Given Lubinda said in an interview on Tuesday that tourists should not worry about the equipment as it has proven its reliability over the past years with only one mishap.
“The bungee has proven to be a very viable operation considering that more than 50,000 tourists jump on it every year. It has been in operation for 10 years. This is the first time I am hearing of an incident. The probability of an incident is one in 500,000 jumps,” he said.
Mr Lubinda was commenting on an incident where a 22-year-old Australian tourist plunged into the Zambezi River on Saturday after the bungee jumping cord snapped.
Southern Province commissioner of police Brenda Muntemba, who confirmed the incident, said the tourist managed to swim to the Zimbabwean side where she was treated and later evacuated to South Africa.
And Mr Lubinda said the safety record of the bungee jumping equipment at the falls is enough to guarantee tourists’ safety.
The minister, however, said he will soon engage the operator of the bungee jumping equipment, Bungee Extreme, to ensure the equipment is safer than it currently is.
“I myself will be engaging the operator on how we can make this exciting tourism event become totally incident-free,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said his ministry has already swung into action on the matter and that he is waiting for a report from his officers in Livingstone before further action can be taken.
FORMER MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba has advised former leaders under investigations not to rush to the media to defend themselves but instead wait for security wings to conclude their investigations.
Dr Kalumba said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that there was no need for the former leaders under investigations to cry foul but should instead defend themselves in the courts if at all they felt they were innocent.
“My advice to those under investigations is that they should not rush to the media to defend themselves.
“If they feel they are innocent let them defend themselves in the courts of law instead of fighting their battles in the media. That is my only advice to them,” he said.
Several MMD former ministers are currently under investigations over alleged abuse of public resources.
And CARITAS – Zambia executive director, Sam Mulafulafu has said all corrupt leaders from the previous MMD government should be brought to book without delay.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mulafulafu said corruption in the MMD government was rampant and that those who would be found to have abused public resources should face the law immediately.
He, however, said current leaders should be monitored to ensure they did not fall into the same trap.
Mr Mulafulafu applauded the Patriotic Front (PF) Government’s efforts to stamp out corruption saying, however, that the campaign against the scourge should be done within the rule of law.
He said the Government should sustain the fight against corruption so that the root causes of the vice were completely wiped out.
“Corruption in the last three years was rampant and as such former leaders found wanting should be brought to book. In the same vein, current leaders should also be monitored instead of waiting until they are out of office and this is where we go wrong,” Mr Mulafulafu said.
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott has challenged MMD chairperson for legal affairs George Kunda to substantiate claims that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is using the fight against corruption to intimidate former leaders.
Dr Scott said Mr Kunda’s accusations were baseless and meant to divert attention from the fight against corruption.
The vice-president said the Government had seized cash, bicycles, motor vehicles, hotels, houses and several other properties suspected to have been stolen.
He wondered whether seizure of properties worth billions of Kwacha could be intimidation when former leaders who acquired them had no capacity to finance construction of high-class buildings.
He said the country witnessed one of the most expensive campaigns in the history of the country, undertaken by the MMD.
Dr Scott said instead of making accusations against PF, Mr Kunda should help explain how the MMD acquired the resources.
Mr Kunda on Tuesday told journalists that the PF Government was vindictive and targeted former government officials to silence the opposition.
He urged the former leaders to brace for hard times as the Government was seeking to arrest and victimise them.
But the vice-president said Mr Kunda should speak with facts and explain what security wings should do where cash, bicycles and other properties were being recovered.
The former vice-president also said the Government has set up commissions of inquiry to get to the bottom of questionable transactions.
“Let Mr Kunda say whatever he wants to say but the fight against corruption will continue. The Katundu (property) is there. It has been recovered but we don’t know where it came from,” Dr Scott said.
He said the Government has never fought the MMD from inception as alleged by Mr Kunda and that President Michael Sata had embraced every political party in the governance of the nation.
He said the appointment of MMD MPs to positions as deputy ministers was part of the plan to promote unity.
Dr Scott said if President Sata was president for PF members only, many people who served in the MMD would not have been involved in the governance of the nation.
THE LUSAKA City Council is collecting revenue worth K600 million per month from inter-city bus terminus since political cadres were banned from running the bus station last year.
LCC public relations officer Henry Kapata said in an interview in Lusaka on Tuesday that in the past, revenue from the bus stations was being pocketed by cadres, a trend which has since been reversed.
Mr Kapata said since the directive by Vice-President Guy Scott to depoliticise bus stations and markets, cadres are no longer interfering with these facilities.
“Currently, we can confirm that the local authority is collecting K600 million per month, from intercity bus station,” he said.
He said the cadres are cooperating following several meetings with them through the market and bus managers, tasked to run the facilities.
He dismissed reports that some cadres were defying the Vice-President’s directive by clinging to bus stations and markets.
Mr Kapata said the focus now is to ensure that the revenue from intercity, which is an international bus station, is ploughed back into the facility by modernising it.
He said part of the money will be used to establish a police station and improve sanitation at the bus station.
THE Road Development Agency (RDA) says it is ready to terminate the over K300 billion Pedicle Road contract awarded to Fratelli Locci of Italy, from whom former President Rupiah Banda’s son Andrew has admitted receiving a “payment” which he says is not a” kickback”.
RDA management last week met to assess the unimpressive pace at which Fratelli Locci, owned by one Antonello Locci, is mobilising equipment for the project which should have started on October 26, 2011.
The agency is preparing a report to the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication on the delayed project for consideration.
“We were discussing that last week because we thought that it will be important for us to do a report in terms of status of the project and where it should have been at this moment…once we do that they (the ministry) will give us guidance as government.
“If they tell us to terminate, we have no quarrel, we can terminate immediately but at least we will have advised our Government on the loss that RDA will incur and RDA represents government. Our role here is to give Government professional advice…” RDA senior manager for construction and rehabilitation Ronald Nyangu said in an exclusive interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Nyangu said the RDA management is not happy with the pace at which Fratelli Locci has been mobilising equipment for the 70 kilometre road, which has been on the drawing board for years now.
He clarified that RDA has not yet paid Fratelli Locci anything because of the public outcry.
Mr Nyangu said the Italian firm, which has already reaped K142.6 billion from the Zambian government for the two contracts it was awarded to rehabilitate township roads in Ndola and Mufulira under the MMD government’s so-called “formula-one”, has submitted performance security and an advance guarantee from Banc ABC, requesting the RDA for an advance payment for the Pedicle project.
He could not give his impression on the quality of Fratelli Locci’s work that gobbled the K142.6 billion because the “formula-one” project was being supervised by some officers who were recently fired from RDA.
Mr Nyangu added that after assessing the Pedicle Road project, management found that despite the slow pace, Fratelli Locci is on course to mobilise equipment.
“So we found it difficult to terminate immediately and instead what we did as management was to consider whether to terminate the contract, especially in the light of the cries we are getting from the people.
“We also recognised the fact that if we terminated then, Government would be liable to pay termination costs. There will be costs for loss of profit by the contractor, and then there will be cost for the equipment he has mobilised and to demobilise that equipment. Then there are other costs that go with termination of the contract and all those will be lumped on government but meanwhile, nothing will have been done,” he said.
Mr Nyangu could not confirm if it is true that Fratelli Locci was introduced to the RDA by Andrew Banda.
“I wouldn’t say that Fratelli was introduced to RDA by one of the sons of the former President because my role here is to implement projects…when we tender, we do open tender and anyone who has capacity on the Zambian market is free to participate in that tender. When they tender we evaluate, and once we evaluate there is a process that we follow.
“So whether they were introduced by the former President’s son or not, that I would not know because I look at the documents as they come and those documents don’t indicate how this person has come. We have so many contractors from China and South Africa who are introduced on the Zambian market by many different people, but for us to consider them they produce papers that show that they are qualified to do that kind of job,” he said.
Tarring of the Pedicle Road, the shortest route between Copperbelt and Luapula provinces, will cost Government exactly K313, 887,290,717.78 70 and is scheduled to be completed on October 25, 2013.
William Banda with Edward Mumbi at the Lusaka magistrate court recently
RETIRED politician Edward Mumbi faces possible arrest if security reports linking him to a group of people circulating stories that President Michael Sata’s health has greatly deteriorated are corroborated, the Daily Mail has learnt.
Security reports show that the group which could be led by Mr. Mumbi, a former MMD supporter, has given President Sata only about seven months to live due to “unspecified” ill health.
Mr. Mumbi, who once served as a secretary general of the PF, distanced himself from the reports, saying whoever was circulating the report was doing so in bad faith as he has not wished Mr. Sata “ill” ever since he quit politics and Mr. Sata won the September 20 election.
President Sata is not “happy” with the reports and has reacted by saying that they in fact border on “illegality” via a phone interview, through his special assistant for press and public relations George Chellah yesterday.
Mr. Chellah, who “hoped” the reports were “untrue” for the sake of Mr. Mumbi, advised the retired politician to “lay low” rather than incriminate himself on a potentially “illegal” exercise that could land him in serious trouble.
“If what you are saying is true, Mr. Mumbi’s action clearly borders on an illegality,” Mr. Chellah said. “As far as we are concerned the President is enjoying good health. What is sad, however, is that this is not the first time this rumour is being maliciously circulated.”
Mr. Chellah cautioned Mr. Mumbi saying, “Mr. Michael Sata, the President, is not the same Michael Sata he knew as an opposition leader…he has become President of Zambia and despite the fact that we don’t engage in meaningless verbal exchanges, we would like to caution Mr. Mumbi not to be a part of the group of people peddling these “UnAfrican” rumours because Mr. Sata is President and that makes such statements illegal, sensitive and alarming.”
Mr. Chellah added: “The President has a country to run, poverty levels to reduce and such reckless reports are an unnecessary distraction which must be avoided by all means. We have tolerated him in the past but we won’t tolerate him any more if he continues on this reckless path.”
Mr. Mumbi, who opted to drive over to the Daily Mail when contacted, practically pleaded with the newspaper saying, “I have nothing against Mr. Sata as a President and an elder brother because he has the people’s blessings to rule the country after being democratically elected. I think the people linking me to the “unChristian” reports are MMD elements who are disappointed by my quitting after I discovered that they were in the habit of burying money underground.”
Mr. Mumbi—despite having announced that he had quit politics—has been linked to reports of an MMD faction that is counting on “ill health exit” by Mr. Sata in order to take over government.
The politician, who addressed himself as “former PF secretary general” long after he had left the party, citing irreconcilable differences, told the Daily Mail that he is now just happy to rear chickens for a living.
During the election campaign period ahead of September 20, Mr. Mumbi was used extensively like a blunt object by the MMD propaganda wing, to punch as many holes as possible in Mr. Sata’s character and the PF as a party but all his efforts were futile.
He was counted in the same once ‘mighty’ league as Chanda Chimba III, Edwin Lifwekelo and Humphrey Siulapwa of the New Generation Party and cast President Sata in bad light, whenever the State-run media gave them an audience.
Yesterday, however, he said, “Even if you are a rocket scientist, you have to be mad to criticise Mr. Sata’s policies in three months. However, I still maintain that I differed with him on principle.”
ADD president Charles Milupi condemned the people circulating rumours about the President’s health saying it is spiritually and morally wrong for anyone to say the President may die soon.
“Let’s put our politics on the right path and stop peddling lies. It’s wrong,” he said. Mr. Milupi said only God knows when anyone will die. He said those wishing the President to die will not benefit from his death in any way.
“Even if President Sata died today, they won’t take over the PF and the MMD won’t come into office,” Mr. Milupi said.
The people spreading such alarming and false rumours must stop immediately.
Hugh Jackman does some intense workouts to get in shape for movies like “Wolverine” and “Reel Steel”. Here is a sample of his workout it is divided into two phases ; bulking up and cutting.
Phase one: bulking up
“I do no more than an hour – but the training is pretty intense,” says Jackman. Perform this circuit twice a week, with at least two days’ rest to allow your muscles to recover and function at full tilt every time you attempt it. For each exercise in your workout, use the rep structure below. Make sure you are lifting the maximum possible weight – so that you are close to failure with the last rep of every set.
Set 1 8 reps (120 secs rest) Set 2 6 reps (120 secs rest) Set 3 4 reps (120 secs rest) Bonus set 1 rep max with a spotter
The Workout
Bench-press
Lie on a bench holding a barbell above your chest with both hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Lower the bar to your chest, then push explosively back to the start.
When you push the heavier sets, use a spotter, to avoid crushing your ribs.
Incline dumb-bell fly
Lie on a incline bench, holding two dumb-bells above your chest, palms facing in.
Open your arms sideways until your upper arms are parallel with the floor, twisting the dumb-bells to face your feet as your arms move down.
Engage your chest to return your arms to the start position, reversing the twist
Close-grip barbell press
Lie on a bench below a barbell rack. Hold the bar with your hands about 20cm apart.
Keep your elbows tucked in to your sides and lower the bar slowly to your chest.
Then push back upwards in a controlled motion.
You should feel this working the centre of your chest and in your triceps.
Tricep dip
At a dip station get into the starting position with arms straight.
Keep your wrists locked and abs tight. Bend your arms at the elbows until they reach 90 degrees.
Then push back up. To add weight, hold a dumb-bell, weight-plate between your knees.
Press-up
Get into a press-up position.
Keeping your elbows tucked in and core locked tight, lower until your nose is an inch from the ground.
Push back to the start position.
To build more muscle, Jackman gets a spotter to place a weight plate on his shoulder-blades.
Phase two: cutting
In the second 6-week phase of Jackman’s regime, use lighter weights, higher reps and vicious cardio sessions to strip body fat without losing muscle. “Training wise, speed it up,” Jackman says. Perform the same circuit as Phase 1 but with lower weights and higher reps. Then perform a cardio session .
Interval cardio
Warm up, then Sprint hard for 15-20 secs. Rest for 30 secs. Repeat for 10 sprints. After some time you will be able to sprint for longer times.
James Chamanga and Thomas Nyirenda are in a serious fitness race before Herve Renard names his final 23-man team on January 10.
Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza said in a statement that the injured duo is set for a fitness test this weekend.
Both striker Chamanga of Dailan Shide in China and defender Nyirenda of Konkola Blades travelled with the team to its South African training camp after Christmas nursing injuries.
Chamanga suffered his injury in December who Nyirenda sustained his in November.
And Mwanza revealed that the Israeli based duo of Roger Kola and Justin Zulu were expected to join the team at its Johannesburg training camp by Thursday morning.
Zambia plans to start importing refined petroleum products from neighbouring Angola to lower the cost of fuel.
Energy permanent secretary George Zulu has told Reuters that oil-rich Angola was willing to supply Zambia with petroleum, which the country has been importing from the Middle East.
Mr Zulu says a technical team led by the minister of energy will travel to Angola next week to discuss the details of importing finished petroleum products.
He says government has been looking at ways of bringing down the cost of fuel and that so far it seems the answer lies in importing fuel from neighbouring Angola.
Mr Zulu adds that technical team traveling to Angola would also explore the possibility of jointly putting up a pipeline from Angola to Zambia.
Zambia relies on semi-refined oil imports from the Middle East but has been studying plans to import crude oil from Angola and set up a new oil refinery locally.
President Michael Sata apologised to Angola in October for the MMD government’s backing of the former UNITA rebels led by Jonas Savimbi in the country’s 27-year civil war.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has said that ballot papers for the forthcoming Msanzala parliamentary by-election will still be printed outside the country.
ECZ Director Priscilla Isaac in a statement released to media explained that the Commission will outsource the printing of ballot papers because the Government Printers is still not able to meet the full requirements and specifications for the printing of ballot papers.
Ms Isaac said that the tender process for the identification of a printer has started and that all stakeholders will be advised once the Commission has identified a suitable printer to print the ballot papers for the Msanzala parliamentary by-election and four local government by-elections.
The ECZ Director was earlier in the day quoted by ZNBC News as saying ballot papers for the forthcoming by-elections will be printed locally, and that the selected local printer would be announced in due course.
Meanwhile Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president Alex Ng’oma has backed calls to have ballot papers for the forthcoming Msanzala parliamentary by-elections printed locally.
[pullquote]President Michael Sata recently said the Chongwe, Nakonde and Magoye by elections were the last to use materials printed abroad.[/pullquote]
In an interview with Qfm, Dr. Ng’oma has expressed happiness that Zambians have now realized that printing election materials outside the country is a costly exercise.
Dr. Ng’oma said that it was time for the PF government to implement its pronouncements of investing in the Government Printers.
He explained that government should heed the calls by stakeholders in ensuring that the country’s electoral system is desirable in upholding democratic tenets.
President Michael Sata recently said the Chongwe, Nakonde and Magoye by elections were the last to use materials printed abroad.
First Quantum Minerals says the strike action by miners at its Kansanshi mine in Solwezi is illegal.
Workers at the Kansanshi mine, Zambia’s largest copper mine which produced 231,000 tonnes of the red metal in 2010, downed tools on Tuesday demanding 100 percent pay rises and bringing production to a halt.
Company spokesperson Godfrey Msiska says there was no deadlock reached and as far as the management is concerned the strike is illegal.
He confirmed that the strike action by the workers has entered the second day today, with workers blocking the gate to the mine plant.
Mr Msiska has appealed to union officials to convince the workers to go back to work so that negotiations, which had been suspended because of the strike, could resume.
