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PRESIDENT Michael Sata is today expected to leave for Kampala, Uganda to attend the 4th International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) summit.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by State House Deputy Press Secretary Amos Chanda.
Mr Chanda said the ICGLR summit would take place from December 15 to 16, 2011 after which President Sata would return home.
He said President Sata would handover Zambia’s chairmanship of the group to President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
“The President will be accompanied by First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba who will deliver a keynote address at the First Ladies meeting on the sidelines of the summit,” Mr Chanda said.
President Sata’s advance party includes Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba, his Foreign Affairs counterpart Chishimba Kambwili, Deputy Minister in-Charge of Gender Emerine Kabanshi and other senior officials.
Meanwhile, Mr Sata has recognised James Ng’andu as Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba people of Chinsali in Muchinga Province.
The recognition follows Mr Ng’andu’s selection to ascend to the Nkula throne in line with the Bemba tradition and custom.
Mr Chanda said the president signed the recognition order yesterday under the authority of the Chiefs Act, Chapter 287 of the Laws of Zambia.
AUDITOR-GENERAL Annie Chifungula yesterday said the Zambia National Building Society (ZNBS) board approved the sale of houses at a reduced rate of 70 per cent based on an old property valuation report.
Ms Chifungula told the Mwila Lumbwe Commission of Inquiry on ZNBS that it was wrong for the board to have approved the sale of houses at a reduced rate without updating the value of the properties in question.
She said the valuation was based on the report done in February 2009 instead of undertaking a fresh one before offering the houses for sale.
“The sale was conducted on a valuation which was done in February 2009. This is wrong because you cannot offer something basing the price on a valuation conducted two and a half year ago,” Ms Chifungula said.
And during a sitting in Kabwe on Monday, ZNBS branch manager Mercy Musakanya complained of poor conditions workers have been subjected to over the years.
Ms Musakanya said the low salaries have left the workers demotivated hence the need to find a lasting solution.
She cited lack of equipment such as computers, furniture and air condition facilities as some of the problems which have remained unresolved for many years.
“I think the challenges that the institution is facing on a day to day basis are poor working conditions of service and we are hopeful that this commission will assist resolve some outstanding issues,”he said.
Another worker, Daniel Kabalika a clerk also echoed the fact that the institution is lagging behind in technology.
In response, Mr Lumbwe sympathised with the workers and assured them that their problems will soon be addressed.
Mr Lumbwe advised the workers not to relent as they wait for their problems to be resolved.
THE six months duration for the Constitution Technical Committee to come up with a draft constitution is within people’s expectation, opposition United Party for National Development (UPND)president Hakainde Hichilema has said.
Mr Hichilema said it was not necessary to drag the process when previous documents were readily available from where the 20-member Technical Committee could get vital information.
Speaking on Radio Phoenix’s ‘Let the people talk’ programme in Lusaka yesterday, the opposition leaders however said lack of a budget for the constitution making process was a source of concern.
“We expect the budget line to come through a supplementary budget because the Government has an obligation to tell the nation how much will be spent on this process,” Mr Hichilema said.
He said the constitution making process was an important national activity that required the cooperation of all sectors of society if a credible national document was to be delivered.
On Zamtel, Mr Hichilema said if not properly handled, the talk of the reversal of sale of the telecommunication firm could cost the country huge sums of money and had the potential to cause embarrassment to the nation.
Mr Hichilema said it was important that due care was taken in the manner the matter was being handled so that mistakes were not made.
“The sale of Zamtel did raise a lot of concerns at the time the transaction was taking place as was the case with Finance Bank but what is important is that care should be taken to ensure that money is not lost and the country is not embarrassed,” Mr Hichilema said.
He said the fight against corruption was important but that it should not be selective or vindictive.
He cautioned law enforcement agencies to be conducting their investigations thoroughly before issuing any statements.
Mr Hichilema said there should be respect in the manner people suspected to have committed offences were being treated.
He said such people should be presumed innocent until determination by the courts.
File:Former deputy Health Minister Dr Solomon Musonda at Woodlands police station after he was arrested.
POLICE have opened a docket against former Health deputy minister Solomon Musonda who is alleged to have caused the death of a man in a road accident as he was driving in Serenje in September this year.
Central Province deputy police chief Nelson Phiri said officers would soon exhume the body of the deceased who was buried without a post mortem being carried out.
The police would now have to summon the former deputy minister for questioning.
The police ordered that the body be exhumed so that investigations could be thorough.
Recently, Dr Musonda said he had paid money to the relatives of the deceased for funeral and burial arrangements out of compassion.
He said the payment was not in any way meant to avoid prosecution and that it was not compensation.
The former deputy minister said police facilitated the payment of money to the deceased man’s family and subsequent burial of the body without conducting a postmortem and wondered why the police “could t urn around.”
But Mr Phiri said investigations had advanced and that statements had been recorded from a Serenje based police officer and a court messenger who is alleged to have handled the burial consent.
A burial consent, which is alleged to have been forged, had been sent to Lusaka to the handwriting experts for examination.
File: MMD National Secretary Richard Kachingwe talking to Party President Rupiah Banda
THE MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) will on Saturday decide whether to elect a party acting president as National Secretary Richard Kachingwe accused some members of trying to destabilise the former ruling party.
Major Kachingwe said in Lusaka yesterday that those advocating the change of entire leadership were not genuine members as they wanted to ‘kill’ the party.
He said in an interview that it was unfair for any party member to accuse the NEC of having cost the former ruling party the last elections.
“According to the rules of our party we have a convention every five years and we are just seven months into the mandate. Those advocating for an overhaul of the leadership are not genuine members. They are actually enemies of the party.
“In fact when we came into office we inherited a shell, a dead party.
We had to start all over putting up structures,” he said.
Maj Kachingwe said the NEC would this weekend decide whether the party should appoint an acting president or hold a convention to elect a new leader.
He said the party organ would be sitting on Saturday to chart the way forward.
“The NEC is the supreme decision making organ. It makes rules and we are meeting on Saturday to decide whether we should appoint acting president or hold a convention to elect a new leader,” he said.
Former Republican president Rupiah Banda has indicated that he would be resigning from the party’s top position.
Five members of the party have applied to take up the top party position after successfully lodging their applications by November 30, this year.
Those who have applied are former Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Lunte Member of Parliament (MP) Felix Mutati, his Chisamba counterpart Moses Muteteka and former Zambian High Commissioner to Canada Nevers Mumba.
Asked whether the party had the resources to hold a convention, Maj Kachingwe said he could not talk about the party’s financial matters in the media and that the matter would be tabled before the Saturday meeting.
“The issue about financial resources is a private matter and there is no law that compels a party to reveal. However the greatest asset the party has are its members. It is these members who will raise the funds for the party,” he said.
North-Western Provincial Patriotic Front (PF) Youth Chairman Victor Kayekesi has strongly condemned the attacks on President Michael Sata and his government by North westerners.
Mr Kayekesi said is very unfair for people in the province to start attacking President Sata and his government and claiming that he does not like them by not appointing anyone from the region in his cabinet.
He told ZANIS in an interview in Solwezi yesterday that PF government is barely two months in power and must be given a chance to implement its developmental policies effectively with the support of all Zambian regardless who they voted for.
“It’s very unfair to President Sata for people in the province to rush and start attacking him and his government barely two months in power.
“ Unnecessary attacks on government will not do us any good as a province, meaningful development will only come to this region if we support the government of the day,” Mr Kayekesi noted.
Mr Kayekesi has since appealed to Traditional leaders in the province to desist from being used by selfish politicians who are inciting people in the province to revolt against the PF government.
He said Chiefs play an important role in issues of national development and that government stands ready to work with them in all matters of national interest aimed at improving people’s lives especially in rural areas.
Mr Kayekesi has since warned people in the province calling for the Mushala rebellion way of presenting their grievances to government to desist from doing so as the law will catch up with them.
Meanwhile Mr Kayekesi said the attitude of calling for the transfer of some non-North westerners holding influential positions from the province is uncalled for and that it must be condemned by all.
“North-western province is not an island, we need to be accommodate other people from different parts of this country who have come to work here as this is the only way we are going to develop our province,” Mr. Kayekesi advised.
More than 200 farmers in Chavuma and Zambezi districts have not been paid for sale of rice to FRA.
Zambezi District Agricultural Coordinator-DACO Lewis Chiwele and Chavuma District Farmers Association marketing manager Sylvia Mukwato confirmed this to National Agriculture Information Services-NAIS when the crew visited the districts during a tour of crop storage inspection yesterday.
The duo told NAIS that FRA purchased rice from more than 200 farmers in the west bank of Chavuma and Zambezi districts worthy more than 500 million kwacha of which farmers have not been paid since August 2011.
The non payment of Farmers for sale of their products by FRA has made it difficult for them to buy inputs for this farming season.
In an interview with one of the affected rice farmers from Nyatanda satellite depot of Chavuma district Chamuzumba Geofrey said that the situation had put them in an awkward situation as they could not access the inputs from the Farmer Input Support programme-FISP.
Mr. Chamuzumba has so far appealed to the government to expedient the process of payments for farmers to enable them buy inputs since farming activities were almost getting out of season.
In the same vein, more than 15 thousand by 40kg bags of rice purchased by FRA from farmers in Chavuma and Zambezi districts are marooned in the west banks and not collected.
The marooned bags of rice have been accumulative purchases for three consecutive marketing seasons from 2008/2009 through 2010/2011.
In an interview with Chavuma DACO Chimpipa Habeenzo said that the rice marooned in the west bank risked getting to waste if urgent action to move the crop was not taken by FRA.
Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM) National Secretary Chazele Mulasikwanda has described allegations labeled against him by Republican President Michael Sata that he (Mulasikwanda) was inciting hatred among chiefs in North-Western Province as false and unfounded.
Mr. Mulasikwanda said the warning given by President Sata of him being a tribalist was unfair to him.
In an interview in Mongu yesterday, Mulasikwanda stated that those tarnishing his name by giving the head of state ill information just wanted high positions in the (PF) government.
Mulasikwanda said that he encouraged all the Youth of Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM) to rally and campaign for President Sata in the just ended tripartite elections, so that he could win elections.He said that the same votes contributed towards Sata’s victory as fifth republican president of Zambia.
[pullquote]If I were a tribalist, I wouldn’t have encouraged Barotse activists to vote for Sata[/pullquote]
“If I was a tribalist, I wouldn’t have encouraged the youth to vote for a Bemba man as president of this country because he is not from Western Province.”
Mulasikwanda further refuted allegations that he wrote a circular that addressed all government heads of department calling them to attend a meeting.
Last week, a letter purported to have been written and signed by Mr. Mulasikwanda circulated in all government offices in Mongu district.
Meanwhile, Western Province Police Commanding Officer Fanwell Siandenge said Police summoned Mr. Mulasikwanda at the station
Mr. Siandenge said he had a closed door meeting with Mulasikwanda which lasted for almost an hour.
“He was shown and told to read the letters which were circulating in government offices last week, but he denied having participated in the writing of the same.He said there are other people who forged his signature so that they put his name in disrepute,” said Siandenge.
Mr. Siandenge however, said investigations on the matter were still going on.
Herve Renard has added two more junior internationals to his provisional 2012 Africa Cup team.
Renard today summoned two defenders from the victorious Cosafa Youth Championship winning team that retained its title last Saturday in Gaborone.
Konkola Blades defender Amos Simwanza and Alex Sichone have been called up to the senior team.
The duo join their junior counterparts Evans Kangwa, Reynold Kampamba and Bruce Musakanya who were drafted into the team before the Under-20 left for the Cosafa Youth Championships.
The five juniors arrival in camp brings to 26 the players in the local phase of training camp that entered week two this week.
Meanwhile, a 20-member Zambia team is expected to fly out to Angola on Friday ahead of Sunday’s friendly against their hosts before returning home immediately after the match.
Sports Minister Fackson Shamenda and FAZ President Kalusha Bwalya yesterday afternoon re-asserted their ‘ resolve’ to take Zambian football to a high level.
The duo also resolved to work together to steer the Zambian football ship forward as they hosted a victory luncheon for the triumphant Zambia U20.
The luncheon was held at the Lusaka hotel soon after the Zambia team arrived from Botswana where the young Chipolopolo defeated Angola 2-1 in Saturday’s final to win a third straight regional youth championship.
The Sports Minister, according to a local blogger, praised Kalusha for his strong stance on football and upholding its governance protocols.
He poured cold water on recent media reports that have portrayed them as being apart. He advised the Zambian football fraternity not to read too much into them because they were mere exchanges between two politicians sizing each other-up.
“I and Kalusha are politicians. We were just sizing each other up and now I know that this young man stands on firm ground. He can be a critical young man at times but he’s a leader who knows what is good and bad and that’s what I like because I hate people who will smile at me even when am wrong.
“ We are very good friends both on a personal note and professionally. We are way above what you read recently in the press. Kalusha will say it when it’s right or wrong but obviously, we will not go about with the press.
“ The good leadership of our football has been demonstrated by the team’s third straight win at the Cosafa and now we will work within the tripartite arrangement of the ministry, the sports council and FAZ and never interfere in FAZ operations. We can only intervene if there is a crisis but we are going forward to achieve a lot for our country.”
The minister and FAZ president welcomed each other’s frank talk and emphasized that while what was published in the media may have painted a bad and negative picture of their relationship, they were good colleagues who enjoyed their work and got along very well in engagements outside the game.
The minister said that the divergent exchange of views had in fact brought them even closer. He said that would further strengthen their interaction and help realize the PF government’s vision for sports development. Kalusha assured the minister of continued cooperation, partnership and hard work.
Said Kalusha: “Honourable minister, we are looking forward to a time when government – which is our main partner with the Chipolopolo – can spread support to the juniors and youths who are our future.”
It was this statement that brought a new revelation to the minister.
Said Shamenda; “I didn’t know that the under 20 were sponsored only by FAZ. For the team to win three straight titles without government support means that FAZ can do more with government support.
The PF government is proud of this achievement and I would like to give you my President (Sata) and government assurance that we shall support you so that we can win more titles and encourage the young boys to go to the Chipolopolo an score more goals so that we can win the Africa Cup.
Auditor General ANNA CHIFUNGULA has called on government to start prosecuting officers who misappropriate government funds.
Ms. CHIFUNGULA has regretted that action is not taken on culprits cited in the Auditor Generals reports.
She is hopeful that the trend will change under the new government.
The Auditor General’s report for Parastatal bodies for 2009 has revealed glaring irregularities.
The irregularities cited include unretired imprest amounting to K1.4 Billion,K14 Billion of unsupported payments and irregular payments totaling K4 Billion.
The parastatal bodies that have been found wanting include ZESCO, Road Traffic and Safety Agency and the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission -CEEC.
Others are ZSIC, Judiciary headquarters, State Lotteries Board and NATSAVE.
Meanwhile the Zambia National Building Society could have incurred a loss of K15billion through the sale of its housing units, if the Auditor General’s Office had not intervened.
Auditor General ANNA CHIFUNGULA said her office took action to stop the transaction upon receiving information from a whistle blower.
Ms. CHIFUNGULA said the ZNBS Board had proposed to sale the houses which it reverted from institutional to pool at a 70% discount.
This is contrary to the government sale of pool housing hand book which stipulates that 30% be slapped on sale of parastal houses.
Ms. CHIFUNGULA who appeared before the MWILA LUMBWE led commission of inquiry into operations of ZNBS said that the said Houses were not listed for sale by Former President RUPIAH BANDA.
And Mr. LUMBWE praised the Auditor General for preventing the transaction from going ahead by dispatching auditors to audit the institution.
And Caritas Zambia says the Auditor General’s reports should NOT be a mere exercise where action is not taken.
Caritas Zambia Director SAM MULAFULAFU says all people named in the Auditor General’s reports should be queried.
He has told ZNBC News in an interview that there is need for a deliberate measure to ensure that anybody cited in the Auditor General’s report is made to account for the irregularities highlighted
Retired FIFA Referee Cornelius Mwanza has declared that he doubts whether bribing of match officials exist on the local soccer front.
The Kalulushi-based referee officiated for 17 years before retiring in 2009.
He said during his time as a referee he never encountered any bribery incident.
Mwanza, who is now a match commissioner, however, acknowledged that referees globally are usually suspected of being bribed by home teams.
“After officiating for 17 years I have never come across any incident of bribery involving referees, including my self when he was a referee,” he stated.
“But all of us have been suspicious over issues of bribery because all teams that play at home try by all means to win games,” he said.
Mwanza further urged fans in the county to learn football rules so that they do not unnecessarily accuse match officials of being biased.
He noted that some fans dispute referees decisions as a result of not understanding rules of the game.
Mwanza has since appealed to the Football Association of Zambia and clubs to help supporters have access to new football rules in the best interest of the game in the country.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema-Accused of being undemocratic
United party for national development UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has charged that the ruling Patriotic Front has grown the appetite to ridicule Zambians.
Mr. Hichilema has further charged that the fight against corruption under the Michael Sata led government is mere deception.
He says some appointments the president has made do not collate with the stance he has taken on the corruption fight.
Mr. Hichilema adds that as much as his party supports the corruption fight, it should be fought with action and not words.
And Mr. Hichilema has advised the government not to politicize the fight against corruption.
Mr. Hichilema says the fight against graft should be conducted in a professional manner and not in a selective manner.
Mr. Hichilema was speaking this morning on Let the People Talk on Radio Phoenix.
Father Frank Bwalya has charged that MMD presidential aspirant Nevers Mumba cannot be trusted with the leadership of the party.
Father Bwalya has described Dr. Mumba as a shameful lair, who cannot be trusted to run the affairs of the former ruling party,
Father Bwalya, who is the executive director of Get Involved Zambia, said that it was a pity and shameful for a leader to lie that he was cleared by the auditor general’s report while he served as Zambia’s high commissioner to Canada.
In an interview with QFM radio, Fr Bwalya said that Dr. Mumba has been exposed of his lies even before he attempts to take over the presidency of the former ruling party.
He has further questioned the rational behind Dr Mumba’s defence of former president Rupiah Banda against alleged corrupt activities.
He said that it was clear knowledge that the former head of state might be linked to corruption.
Father Bwalya has advised the MMD leadership to think clearly on the type of leader they would want to have.
He adds that Zambia needs political leaders who are clean and have a better vision for the country whether in opposition or the ruling party.
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) says it has suspended operations at Fitwaola Open Pit to facilitate transitioning to underground mining.
About 267 people operating at Fitwaola Open Pit recently lost their jobs after KCM allegedly terminated a contract with Moolmans, the company they were working for.
Moolmans management said they terminated the contracts of the employees following the action KCM took.
But KCM head of public relations,Joy Sata said in response to a Press query yesterday that the company had temporarily suspended operations at Fitwaola to facilitate transitioning to underground mining.
“KCM wishes to advise that open pit operations at Fitwaola have been temporarily suspended in order to bring forward the transitioning to underground operations,” Ms Sata said.
She said due to operational challenges specific to open pit mining of the Fitwaola ore body, the mine had experienced three stoppages in its short life of less than six years.
Ms Sata said Fitwaola ore was more amenable to underground mining and that was being actively reviewed.
She said mining at Fitwaola was initiated shortly after Vedanta took over at KCM in August 2005 and operations contracted out in April 2006.
[Times of Zambia]
PRESIDENT Michael Sata is today expected to leave for Kampala, Uganda to attend the 4th International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) summit.
