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Tuesday, September 23, 2025
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RB’s son James acquitted

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James Banda

LUSAKA Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda has acquitted former President Rupiah Banda’s son James of assault and warned him to desist from engaging himself in similar activities in future because it might land him in serious trouble.

The Magistrate, who acquitted James on one count of assault yesterday following the withdrawal of the complaint, said the courts were overwhelmed with cases of assault offences which were an indication that people had stopped resolving issues amicable.

“If a complaint from the complainant is true that you assaulted him, I will urge you to desist from such violent activities, they are unproductive, unhealthy and might land you in serious problems, please desist,” the Magistrate said. This was in a matter in which James was charged with one count of assault contrary to the laws of Zambia. He is alleged to have assaulted former Finance Bank corporate affairs director, Noel Nkhoma.

The magistrate said the complainant made the application to withdraw the matter on the strength of Section 201 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which states that if a complaint at any time before a final order was passed in any case under this part and satisfied the court that there were sufficient grounds to permit the withdraw of the case, the court would allow the withdraw and acquit the accused.

And in acquitting the accused, Magistrate Banda said the court was satisfied that there were sufficient grounds to permit him to withdraw the case and acquit Mr Banda. “It is abundantly clear from the provisions cited that the court possesses absolute discretion in allowing a withdrawal on sufficient grounds or promoting and facilitating reconciliation between the complainant and the accused,” he said.

Mr Nkhoma had informed the court that the matter before court was a matter that he had voluntarily withdrawn because he was part of the family and had decided to reconcile with James.

[Times of Zambia]

Women MPs want GBV case non-bailable

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Community Development, Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata

Community Development, Mother and Child Heath deputy minister Jean Kapata has said women parliamentarians will lobby Government to make all cases of violence and defilement against women and girls non bailable.

Ms Kapata said the women Parliamentarians would table a private member’s bill in parliament to compel Government to make all cases of violence against women and girls to be non bailable.

Ms Kapata was speaking when she and other officials from her ministry donated assorted cleaning items to Kalingalinga Health Centre and also cleaned Female wards at the Health Center to commemorate 16 days of gender activism. “People that engage in cases such as defilement with young girls are a menace to the public and should not be allowed back in the community but locked up,” she said.

She said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has intensified its progammes to empower women in income generating activities, agricultural input and financial literacy programmes. “It is believed that with this assistance women can be self sustaining and reduce on unnecessary conflict in a home over the usually limited resources thereby creating an environment of peace in a home,” he said

She said her ministry attaches great importance to the role that women and mothers play in creating a peaceful environment. Ms Kapata urged the community to ensure that violence against women and children was discouraged as it compromises their health and affect their potential to contribute more effectively in homes and the community.

She said the visit to Kalingalinga Health Centre was aimed at demonstrating solidarity for women and the importance of supporting good health in women as opposed to violence which in most cases compromised the health of women and children and hindered peace.

And the ministry permanent secretary Elwyne Chomba said to alleviate challenges that led to violence, there was need for both men and women to live in harmony and solve problems and obstacles in a peaceful and non-violent manner.

[Times of Zambia]

Police charge Liato over K2.1bn

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Former Labour Minister Austin Liato

POLICE in Lusaka have charged and arrested former Labour Minister, Austin Liato, for receiving stolen property.

Mr Liato, who has remained in police custody since Tuesday after turning himself in, will appear in court today. Investigative wings had no knowledge of Mr Liato’s whereabouts since last week when a combined team of officers from the Zambia Police, Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) unearthed K2.1 billion cash from his farm in Mwembeshi area.

Zambia Police Service spokesperson, Elizabeth Kanjela, confirmed Mr Liato’s arrest in an interview yesterday, saying the charge on the former minister was in accordance with provisions of Section 318 (1) of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia.

“Yes the former minister who was detained at Woodlands Police last night, was this afternoon officially arrested and charged with receiving stolen property which is contrary to Section 318 (1) of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia. He is expected to appear in court tomorrow,” said Ms Kanjela.

Security wings have been carrying out investigations, including interviewing a number of people, since the discovery of the money which was stashed underground.

Mr Liato was driven to his house in Kalundu soon after reporting at the Task Force offices on Tuesday where officers searched the premises for more than two hours.

The party later drove to Lusaka’s Woodlands Police Station where Mr Liato was detained awaiting charges. On Tuesday, Ms Kanjela had indicated that Mr Liato would only be charged and arrested after further investigations and once it had been established that there was reason for the police to do so.

Mr Liato, who has since been disowned and suspended as national executive committee member by his party, the MMD, arrived at the Task Force offices in the company of his lawyer, Nellie Mutti, Joseph Mulyata, family members and friends.

On Friday last week, a combined team from the Zambia Police Service, ACC and DEC raided Mr Liato’s farm at number 44, Mpampa Settlement Scheme in Mwembeshi area where they conducted an operation and dug out K2.1 billion cash.

[Times of Zambia]

George Bush visits Zambia

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FORMER United States of America (USA) president, George W. Bush, arrives in the country tomorrow for a two-day visit meant to help raise awareness about health issues.

And Zambia is among several other sub-Saharan countries that will benefit from US$75 million that has been set aside by the American government to assist in curbing cervical and breast cancers.

US Ambassador to Zambia, Mark Storella, announced Mr Bush’s visit in Lusaka yesterday, saying the former US president’s coming to Zambia was aimed at raising awareness around health issues which included breast and cervical cancers as well as HIV/Aids.

Mr Bush will be accompanied by his wife, Laura and their two daughters. Mr Storella said the US was committed to working with Zambia in combating HIV/Aids, breast and cervical cancers.

He said the 43rd US president would be received by Republican President, Michael Sata and later meet with Zambia’s First Lady, Christine Kaseba. Dr Kaseba is a medical practitioner with a good understanding of women health-related issues in Zambia.

Mr Bush will also meet Minister of Health, Dr Joseph Kasonde as well as visit the Cancer Disease Hospital at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Mr Storella said the USA was committed to fighting breast cancer among women in Zambia because the disease accounted for half of all cancers women in Zambia suffered from. “We are working in a public private partnership to fight breast and cervical cancers,” he said.

The former US president will also be accompanied by representatives from some US pharmaceutical companies who have remedies for breast and cervical cancers. Mr Bush is in Tanzania today where he is part of celebrations commemorating World Aids Day. He will then travel to Zambia tomorrow and later Ethiopia to attend the ICASA HIV/Aids Conference.

Mr Storella said the US had been motivated to work with Zambia because of the commitment the Government and the country had shown in combating breast and cervical cancers. The US has also chosen to work with Zambia because of its increased budget in the health sector.

“The health workers in Zambia are also seriously committed and they are working very hard to save lives despite not having adequate resources to carry out their work,” Mr Storella said.

He said with the assistance from the US Government, many Zambians were now on anti-retroviral therapy and the more than US$100millon put in the malaria initiative through indoor residual spraying, incidences of malaria had reduced by 60 per cent.

He said the US was also committed to improving water and sanitation in Lusaka and would set aside $300 million to improve the situation in Livingstone. USA presidential initiative HIV/AIDS country coordinator, Kristin Mikus, reiterated the USA’s commitment to fighting breast and cervical cancers as well as HIV/Aids in Zambia.

[Times of Zambia]

Govt mends ‘burnt bridges’ with Angola

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Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili (L)
Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili (L)

PARLIAMENT yesterday heard that relations between Zambia and Angola have normalised after President Michael Sata sent First Republican president, Kenneth Kaunda, to apologise over what the previous MMD regime did to that country.

And Parliament has approved estimates of expenditure for the Office of the President, State House and those for the Vice-President’s Office.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Chishimba Kambwili, said he recently went to Angola where he held talks with an Angolan minister who assured him that Angola was now ready to cooperate with Zambia after the head of State apologised.

Mr Kambwili was responding to complaints by Zambezi West MP, Charles Kakoma, (UPND) who said that Mr Sata was wrong to tell the nation that there was tension between Zambia and Angola over what the previous regime did to that country.

Mr Kakoma said that people in his constituency were now living in fear following remarks from Mr Sata that there was tension between the two countries. But Mr Kambwili maintained that Mr Sata was right to inform the nation that there was tension between the two countries.

He said Zambia needed to apologise to Angola for the wrongs it did, hence the move by Mr Sata to send Dr Kaunda as his special envoy. “MMD had a problem with Angola and we apologised and now the relations are good,” Mr Kambwili said.

But former Home Affairs minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, said Zambia never did anything wrong and there had never been any tension between Angola and Zambia at any time.

Chairperson of the proceedings, Mkhondo Lungu, who had a tough time controlling the debate which was punctuated by numerous points of order, urged members to stick to the debate on estimates of revenue and expenditure for the country.

Mr Kakoma further urged Government to ensure that State House was not turned into a party headquarters for the PF and its cadres. Mr Kambwili said Government has engaged contractors to work on State House grounds saying the previous Government had left it dirty.

Earlier, the House approved estimates of expenditure for the Office of the President and State House amounting to K34bn. The House also approved estimates of expenditure for the Office of the Vice-President amounting to K73, 529,733,630.

Mpongwe MP, Gabriel Namulambe (MMD) and Kalomo MP, Request Muntanga (UPND) called on the Vice-President’s Office to ensure that people in agricultural settlements were given good services and allowed to acquire titles for the land. Vice-President, Guy Scott, assured that Government would do everything possible to address the plight of people in resettlement areas.

Earlier, Mr Lungu curtailed debate by Monze MP, Jack Mwiimbu (UPND) for taking to task, Lusaka Province Minister, Miles Sampa, whom he accused of tribal hegemony in his debate last Friday instead of focusing on the Budget. Mr Mwiimbu said Mr Sampa should be condemned by all Zambians for championing issues of tribal hegemony.

Mr Sampa later apologised for issuing ‘tribal’ remarks.

[Times of Zambia]

No windfall tax, Chikwanda restates

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Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda

FINANCE Minister Alexander Chikwanda has reiterated that it would be unwise for the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to reintroduce the windfall tax when metal prices on the international market are unstable and visibly trending downwards.

And Parliament last evening approved the K48 billion allocated in this year’s Budget to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) with Kalomo Member of Parliament (MP) Request Muntanga (UPND) urging the House to increase the K2 billion reserved for by-elections.

Concluding the policy debate on the estimates of expenditure for 2012 in Parliament on Tuesday evening, Mr Chikwanda expressed disappointment that former MMD ministers that abolished the windfall tax were now championing its re-introduction.

He told the House that the PF Government was very responsible, dignified and had the full mandate of the people of Zambia and as such would not play to the gallery and act impulsively just because someone was advocating the re- introduction of windfall tax.

The minister said it was extremely important to understand that the measures he had announced in the 2012 Budget address would ensure that the Government got some revenues while the “cow that produces the milk” was left to survive. “It would, therefore, be unwise for the Government to introduce windfall tax when metal prices are unstable and are now visibly trending downwards.

“It is for this reason that I am disappointed by our colleagues who were in Government yesterday and abolished the windfall tax; but are now calling for its re-introduction. Are they really being genuine, constructive and patriotic?,” he wondered. He said the former MMD leaders were not being objective in their debates on windfall tax and were being unpatriotic because their debates were not bordering on stability of investment, ensuring workers security of tenure and facilitating sustainable mobilisation of resources.

“Mr Speaker, allow me to talk about our extremely limited fiscal space or the resource envelop. Against overwhelming legitimate demands by our people all over the country, a Budget of K27 trillion or US $5.5 billion is just a tiny drop in the ocean.

“In the developed countries, our National Budget cannot even cover the annual expenditures of single big universities. Our economy was left by the previous Government at an exceedingly low ebb. The shanty compounds in which the majority of our citizens in urban habitats live have inadequate necessities such as water, sanitation and electricity,” he stressed.

He told the House that Zambian villages in far flung areas had barely seen any development and were even condemned to perpetual neglect and abandonment with rural poverty at over 77%.

“In the midst of all this, the previous Government maintained a budget that was largely targeting consumption in the public service at the expense of poverty reduction and infrastructure development nationwide. This sums up the immensity of the challenge we face collectively as leaders,” he said.

Mr Chikwanda however, hailed the support the Budget received but regretted that most brilliant ideas could not be embodied in the 2012 estimates. The Government would, however, consider the ideas in subsequent fiscal years.

On concerns raised on PAYE, the minister noted that the figure of about 80,000 which he discussed in his speech related to workers who earn between K12 million and K24 million per year and would, therefore, not be liable to PAYE.

“This figure is also in addition to about 112,000 workers who are already not paying PAYE because they earn K12 million per year or less. This means that if you add 80, 000 employees to the already existing 112, 000 employees who are off the PAYE tax roll, then more than 192, 000 workers who are in formal employment will be off the PAYE tax roll,” he said.

He explained that the balance of 500,000 formal sector employees who are in higher income brackets would also benefit because they would actually not be subjected to PAYE for up to the first K24 million of their total annual earnings.

“The way the tax bands have been realigned will entail more benefit for tax payers. This is true empowerment and more money in the pocket of our citizens.

Mr Speaker, the explanation above has demonstrated how our tax package concessions will yield K1 trillion extra disposable income for all workers that earn taxable incomes,” he noted. The minister noted that he would see how he could address concerns on calls to increase Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Mr Muntanga in supporting the Budget allocation for the ECZ told the House that the K2 billion reserved for possible by-elections was not enough owing to the more than 50 petitions before the courts of law which could result into a mini-general elections if nullifications occurred.
[Times of Zambia]

Son Grabs House from his Father

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A seventy-nine-year-old man of Lusaka, Robert Banda, is faced with the agony of losing his only source of income, a house, which has been grabbed from him by his son.

Mr. Banda narrates how his 41-year-old, Son, James Banda grabbed the house and has been subsequently threatening to kill him.

He disclosed that his son, who had asked him for assistance after he was robbed to stay in the respective house for only three months, has now changed his mind.

Mr.Banda complained of unbearable misery ever-since his son refused to move out of the house.
[Muvi TV]

Sata meets Pentecostal pastors

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President Michael Sata
President Michael Sata

President Sata, met 26 pentecostal pastors from various congregations at State House yesterday.

The pastors who were led by Healing Word Ministries International Senior Pastor Moses Chiluba appreciated the President’s gesture to grant them an opportunity to engage him.

They submitted that as Church leaders, they believed that God raises his anointed in various seasons and assured the President that they will continue praying to God to guide and give him wisdom as he leads the country.

The pastors also expressed regret at some derogatory statements that came from some sections of the clergy within the Pentecostal movement against President Sata when he was an opposition leader.

The clergymen further stated that it was sad that certain pastors who wanted political recognition from the MMD regime went out of the way to utter embarrassing remarks against President Sata.

In response the President advised the pastors to forget about the past and make a new beginning.

The President said with the involvement of the Church governance becomes much easier as the Church is closer to the grassroots.

[MUVI TV]

Zanaco Resignation Was Cordial Says Wedson

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Wedson Nyirenda says he leaves Zanaco with fond memories despite the challenges in the latter two successive seasons.

And Linos Makwaza has been linked to Zanaco as Nyirenda successor following the latters resignation on Monday after three seasons in charge.

“I think I have had a good time at Zanaco. I won the league in my first season and later took them to the heights of the Caf Confederation Cup in 2010 where we finished third in Group B and that is something we should cherish,” Nyirenda said.

“2010 was a challenging year when we finished 5th because of the wrangles at Faz and 2011 was even more challenging after we lost over half of our first team players.”

Zanaco finished 8th this season.
Nyirenda said reaching the 2010 Barclays Cup final where they lost 2-0 to Zesco United was a bonus after a rough latter two seasons.

And Nyirenda said he could not confirm nor deny speculation that he was returning to Zesco where he first made an impact winning the league in 2007 and 2008.

“I have many options both in Zambia and outside and I will look at the options but meanwhile I am taking a short break,” Nyirenda said.

Meanwhile, Nyirenda’s departure has fueled talk that Makwaza who is out of contract with Nkana will be lured to Zanaco.

Makwaza’s stock has been rising over the last three seasons after impressive results with shoestring budget clubs Forest Rangers and later Nkana.

He has also managed to keep Nkana in the top flight for the last two seasons after a similar feat Forest.

Makwaza is currently away on international duty as assistant coach with the Zambia Under-20 team at the Cosafa Youth Championships in Botswana.

DAPP Zambia Managing Director dies

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Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Zambia Managing Director, Rene Schultz has died.

Mr. Schulz, 60, of Northrise in Ndola died in a road traffic accident at Mafwasa area along Great North Road in Kapiri Mposhi last night.

Central Province Commissioner of Police Dr. Solomon Jere confirmed to ZANIS today that the accident happened around 20:30 hours when Mr. Shultz who was heading to Lusaka tried to overtake a truck.

Dr. Jere said upon seeing an on-coming vehicle, Mr. Shultz withdrew from overtaking the truck but ended up crashing into the truck’s trailer.

He said Mr. Shultz who was alone in the vehicle died on the spot and that his vehicle Toyota Land cruiser Prado registration number ABT 9905 was extensively damaged in an accident.

The body of Mr. Shultz is lying in Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital.

(ZANIS)

Government to resurrect KK’s Zambianisation programme

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The president of the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia, Rayford Mbulu
Mr. Rayford Mbulu

The government has resurrected Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s 1971 Zambianisation program that aims to put locals in management positions.

The Zambianisation Committee is lead by Deputy Minister of Labour Rayford Mbulu, who this morning visited Airtel, the biggest telecommunications company in the country, to inquire on the number of expatriates it has employed.

Mr Mbulu told the Airtel Managing Director Fayaz King that the Patriotic Front Government wanted to see Zambians in “decent employment” adding that it was going to focus on citizen’s empowerment and was not going to accept cheap expatriate labour.

“We are only going to accept expatriates with very rare skills that cannot be locally obtained,” Mr. Mbulu said. “Even then, they should be understudies to transfer those rare skills to locals so that those people can quickly handover to locals. That skills transfer will build capacity and will make Zambians excel.”

He then asked Airtel to submit how many employees it had, what skills existed at the company that were not locally possessed, the number of expatriates and the expected length of stay and at what point they were going to hand over their positions to Zambians.

In response, King disclosed that Airtel currently employed 393 locals with just four expatriate managers.

Mr King said Zambia was among the top four important investments in Africa which called for the best skills locally and across the continent.

He said it was the policy of Airtel to let its African operations run by Africans but not necessarily Zambians.

Mr King disclosed that a couple of Zambians were working in other parts of Africa and that it was important that the country also accepted staff from those countries.

He also disclosed that the biggest challenge the telecom had was staff retention as rival companies tended to poach skilled labour after the company trained them and sent them abroad for work experience.

“When our staff comes back from training or from working in our international operations, they attract a premium and the opposition gets them,” he said. “We are trying to fill all available positions with locals, that is in line with our policies. Our brand is unique and requires a lot of training, they are no short cuts. Unfortunately, after that training, we begin to compete with the international job market. In some instances, where you pay an engineer US$3000, they are offered US$12, 000 which makes it difficult to retain them.”

Western Province assured of development

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File:Western Province Permanent Secretary Seth Muleya walking at the damaged bridge in Kalabo during his familiarization tour in Kalabo

Government has assured the people of Western Province that the Patriotic Front (PF) government will ensure that the province receives its fair share of national development.

Government has commissioned the long awaited K 2 billion Mayukwakwa Bailey Bridge across Luena River in Kaoma district that was washed away during flash floods caused by last season’s rains.

Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu said the Government will ensure that the province benefit from its pro poor policies which are aimed at bettering the welfare of Zambians.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Mubukwanu who is also PF Mongu Central Member of Parliament was speaking in Mongu yesterday during commissioning of the Mayukwakwa Bailey Bridge constructed by a combined team of Zambia Army and Zambia National Service.

He explained that developmental challenges in the province are not insurmountable saying the PF government is currently implementing programmes that will have a direct impact on enhancing the social and economic status of the people.

Mr. Mubukwanu further explained that the 2012 National Budget is testimony of Government’s resolve to tackle poverty in the country and making Zambia a better place for all regardless of their status.

And Mr Mubukwanu said the construction of a bailey bridge on the Mayukwayukwa U4 road brings to an end perennial cutting off of the area from the rest of the province during rainy season.

He said the bridge will also ease transportation of people and agricultural produce to the market and access to social services in the district.

Mr. Mubukwanu has since directed Kaoma District Commissioner to ensure that the bridge is secured at all times by inhibiting vehicles with load exceeding 15 tonnes from using the facility.

Earlier, the District Commissioner Frederick Lubasi commended the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) for contracting the defence force to work on the bridge.

Mr. Lubasi said the bridge plays an important role in the district’s social and economic development and also connects Mayukwayukwa Refugee Camp to the rest of the province.
[ZANIS]

Zamtel unveils $120, 000 Levy Business Park outlet

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Company Chief HR Officer Eve Banda flanked by Corporate Communications Manager Kennedy Mambwe

Zamtel, Zambia’s only total communications solutions provider has today opened a customer service outlet at the new Levy Business Park.
Unveiling the outlet this morning, company Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer Eve Banda said the company spent $120, 000 on the centre.

“The Zamtel outlet at this multi-million dollar facility is strategic to both the business and customers as it is uniquely housing a desk dedicated to SME and Corporate/Enterprise customers for on-the-spot business solutions.

A unique feature about Zamtel is our focus towards providing a unified customer service excellence across all touch points in the country” said Ms. Banda.

Earlier in the year, Zamtel embarked on a journey to improve its ability to deliver accessibility and affordability to customers through renovated world-class service points.

The Levy Business Park outlet becomes the latest on the list of revamped customer centres after Manda Hill, Cairo Road, Crossroads Shopping Mall, Lumumba Road, and Livingstone’s Falls Park Mall.

“Refurbishment works have also started at the Ridgeway customer centre in Lusaka and next we are moving to Chipata and Kitwe. Purposefully, the Zamtel outlets are steeped in innovation as true one stop shop Centres where customers can pay bills, buy sim packs, scratch cards, latest handsets, and browse the internet set up for their business and personal pleasure’, she said.

The company has invested in state of the art technology and friendly staff to ensure the customers gets the best service.

Help the poor appeals First Lady Christine Kaseba

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First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba

FIRST Lady Christine Kaseba has said it is devastating and unbelievable to hear of some people burying huge sums of money in the ground while many Zambians wallow in poverty.

The first lady said there were a lot of people struggling for meals and paying school fees and yet others were buried their money instead of assisting those in need and to help alleviate poverty in the country.

Speaking when she received a donation of 1,000 assorted blankets from former MMD deputy health minister Chilufya Kazenene at State House yesterday, Dr Kaseba said there were many wealth people in society, who did not bother to spare part of their wealth to make a difference in the lives of those who were destitute. “Please stop burying money and donate to those who struggle to find food and to pay school fees etc,” she said.

She commended Mr Kazenene and his family for thinking about the needy in society even after having left public office, saying leadership was not only about being a minister or government official but playing a role in society and making a difference. The first lady said the gesture demonstrated the Christian expectation of giving to the poor.

“I urge all those who are privileged in one way or another to think of that little girl struggling to raise school fees for her education, to think about that old lady who is not sure where the next meal will come from to feed her orphaned grandchildren and many others who are in a state of deprivation through no fault of their making at all,” Dr Kaseba said.

Dr Kaseba said the culture of community services was a way of giving back to society and should be encouraged so that people’s lives could be touched and hope restored to the helpless and poor. She pledged to use her skills to support community health needs especially for women and children who bore the biggest brunt in shouldering the various social – economic challenges.

And Mr Kazenene said his family found it helpful to donate to the office of the First Lady because they were sure that as a ‘mother’ of the nation, she needed such donations. Mr Kazenene said the president and his family needed support from the private sector if they were to deliver to the nation and called on other people to ensure that they supported the first family in order for it to deliver.
[Times of Zambia]

4 Chinese charged with defilement

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POLICE in Luanshya have now settled for a charge of defilement for the four Chinese nationals involved in alleged sexual abuse of nine girls.

Copperbelt deputy police chief, Milner Muyambango said on Monday that the four had already appeared in court charged with defilement. He said the number of girls who were allegedly defiled had reduced to seven from the initial nine because police had no evidence that two of them were sexually abused.

The four Chinese would appear in court again on December 1.

Meanwhile, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group have condemned the alleged defilement of seven children by some Chinese nationals on the Copperbelt.

The two organisations have called on law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter so that the perpetrators could be punished. YWCA Copperbelt regional coordinator, Jurita Mutale said it was saddening that such acts were happening at a time when Zambia was commemorating the 16 days of gender activism.

Ms Mutale said yesterday that the law should take its course against the suspects
if investigations proved that they defiled the minors. She appealed to the Government and other interest groups to work together in combating crimes against children.

And Zambia Women’s Lobby Group national coordinator for the men and boys’ network, Nelson Banda called on law enforcement agencies to make sure the suspects were punished for the offences. Mr Banda said it was unacceptable for anyone to take advantage of children and violate their rights.

He said whether the children had consented to the sexual acts or not, it was not right for anyone to abuse them. Mr Banda, who thanked the police for moving in quickly, said it was criminal for the suspects to sexually abuse children in exchange for money.

Last weekend, police on the Copperbelt detained four Chinese nationals in Luanshya for allegedly defiling seven girls aged between 13 and 15 years. The suspects were alleged to have been giving the children money in exchange for sex.

[Times of Zambia]