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Minister of Foreign Affairs Chishimba Kambwili says there is no provision in the law, which states that the findings of the Commission of Inquiry should be tabled before Parliament.
Mr. Kambwili explained that the Inquiries Act clearly states that when the Head of State appoints an inquiry the report should be given to the President who later decides what to do with the findings and not Parliament.
The Minister is reacting to a request by the United Party for National Development – UPND to refer to Parliament the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the sale of ZAMTEL.
UPND Deputy Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says Parliament is the most impartial and competent body to scrutinise and determine the findings of the Commission of Inquiry.
Mr Mweetwa says referring the report to Cabinet would not be fair because the Commission was established with the authority of Cabinet.
The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has advised President Sata to make credible appointments of people to take up public office.
The women’s movement notes that it has now become a ‘Presidential’ game to error on some appointments and U-turn thereafter.
Lobby chairperson, Beauty Phiri says the development has since attracted a lot of negative debate, thus a call for credible appointments by the Republican President.
She says some appointments by the President are of people whose credibility is questionable and not fit to hold public office.
Ms Phiri notes that the reversed decisions started with the President’s over nominating of Members of Parliament
And the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has joined many other organizations and individuals castigating the composition of the technical committee of experts to draft the constitution.
Women’s lobby chairperson, Beauty Phiri says the current composition of the technical committee will not adequately represent civil society.
She notes that the inclusion of three catholic bishops on the 20-member committee has reduced inclusion of other people from other sectors.
There has been uproar from other stakeholders on the selection of members to sit on a committee constituted to look in to the constitution making process
Police in Lusaka have impounded a truck suspected to be carrying motor bikes and bicycles belonging to the former ruling party MMD.
Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Kanjela confirmed this to ZNBC news in a telephone interview on Saturday.
Ms Kanjela said the Police had impounded the truck but could not give more details over the matter.
The police spokesperson said she is yet to gather more information on the impounded truck.
A ZNBC news crew caught up with the truck in question after a tip off from members of the public.
The crew trailed the truck which was driven to former Task force on corruption building in Lusaka’s Woodlands where it is currently parked.
The truck belonging to Melcome Pharmaceuticals registration number AAZ 37 98 is suspected to be carrying bicycles which the MMD is reportedly to have corruptly acquired during the September 20 tripartite elections.
The motor bikes and bicycles are now a matter of on-going court cases involving some former ministers.
Vice President GUY SCOTT says Government will develop all constituencies in the Country regardless of the residents’ political inclination.
Dr. Scott also says government will carry on with all the develop projects initiated by the previous Government to enhance sustainable economic development.
He said this when he addressed three separate public rallies in Nakonde constituency to drum up support for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Abel Sichula in the Nakonde November 28 parliamentary by elections.
And Mr Sichula urged people in the area to vote for him in order to enhance development.
The Nakonde seat was not filled during the September 20 Polls following the death of one aspiring candidate Colonel George Siame.
Other political parties that are contesting the seat include Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and UNIP.
Meanwhile, Ballot papers for the Monday November 28th local government and three parliamentary by-elections have arrived in the country.
The ballot papers which were printed in South Africa arrived in the country on Wednesday, 16th November 2011.
All political parties contesting the by-elections verified the ballot papers during an exercise on Thursday.
Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna told ZNBC News that the commission will soon announce the day for the dispatching of ballot papers to various places where by-elections are being held.
The ECZ has set November 28 as the date for holding parliamentary by-elections in Chongwe, Nakonde and Magoye constituencies.
The Commission will on the same day hold local government by-elections in 35 wards.
The date has been set following the resignation of elected MMD MP Japhen Mwakalombe of Chongwe and deaths of John Siame of the Patriotic Front in Nakonde and Willie Malambo of the -National Movement for Progress during the run up to the September 20 tripartite elections.
The vacancies in the 35 wards arose from candidates’ error on ballot papers, deaths of candidates or uncontested elections.
Bread of Life Church owner Bishop Joe Imakando in prayer
An unidentified middle aged man has had part of his face ripped off after strong winds swept through the new multi billion kwacha Bread of Life International Church Building in Lusaka.
ZNBC Staffer Patricia Mapiki who was at the service reports that the man was immediately rushed to the University Teaching Hospital on Saturday.
The strong winds coupled with heavy rains also disrupted a dedication service of the new Church in Lusaka’s Emmasdale township.
The hell storm which lasted for close to ten minutes caused a near stampede in the Church as hundred of congregates scampered for dear life.
EARLIER Bread of Life Overseer bishop Joe Imakando says the centre will serve as a prayer platform for thousands of people.
Others that attended the service include political parties representatives and other Local and International church leaders.
[UPDATE]
A forty year old man has died after a ceiling board sliced half of his face after a heavy downpour in Lusaka’s Emmasdale area on Saturday.
The man who has been identified as Ashtoni Nyirenda from Kitwe died on his way to the University Teaching Hospital on Saturday.
Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela confirmed the death in an interview with znbc on Sunday morning.
The man is one of the construction workers at the new bread of life church building.
Mr Nyirenda was badly injured by falling pieces of the church ceiling board after strong winds blew off parts of the newly built multi billion kwacha Bread of Life International Church in Lusaka’s Emmasdale township.
Government has condemned the use of live ammunition on street vendors by police in Ndola on Friday.
Local Government Minister Professor Nkandu Luo says it was wrong for police to use live bullets on harmless street vendors.
Prof. Luo was speaking to ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday morning.
The Minister says while government appreciates police assistance in moving vendors from streets, the exercise should be handled in a sober and careful manner.
She says her Ministry has instructed all councils to form task forces to handle the removal of street vendors.
Prof Luo says the program also involves sensitising vendors on the negative effects of street vending.
On Friday The street vendors fought running battles with the Zambia Police Service and Council police deployed in the city centre to enforce a ban on street vending by the local authority. Business was paralysed as most shops located on Chisokone Avenue, Blantyre and President Avenues including Shoprite were closed for fear of being looted.
Copperbelt deputy provincial assistant commissioner Milner Muyambango and NCC public relations manager Roy Kuseka confirmed the operation to rid the Ndola streets of vending. Mr Muyambango said police threw tear gas canisters at the protesting vendors.
He, however, said there were strict instructions that no officer should carry any firearm during the operation. Mr Muyambango said one unidentified man sustained a broken leg during the fracas but it was not immediately established how he injured his leg.
He was not able to disclose the number of vendors picked up in connection with the riot as the officers were still patrolling the streets and had not furnished him with information.
Mr Muyambango said police had, however, managed to restore calm.
Police were deployed in the city centre as early as 05:00 hours yesterday to ensure that no vendor disobeyed the council order. And Mr Kuseka said the council had managed to achieve its objective of removing the street vendors and warned that those resisting the order would face the law.
He said the vendors had shown disregard for the law by rejecting the seven-day ultimatum issued last week. “We did not ambush them because they were fully aware of the resolution that they should not conduct any street vending as from today.
“This is in keeping with Government’s directive for street vendors to leave the streets by December 2 this year,” he said.
“No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God”
(Romans 4:20 AMP)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Just as putting your physical body into action makes it grow strong, putting your faith in action through prayer and thanksgiving will cause your faith to grow strong, too.
I love what this verse says about Abraham: No unbelief made him waver regarding the promise of God. What does it mean to waver? To waver means to go back and forth. It’s a very unsteady posture. Spiritual wavering is when we go back and forth in believing the promises of God. Wavering shows up in our words and actions.
Notice this verse didn’t say that Abraham never had unbelief or doubtful thoughts. It tells us that he didn’t let those thoughts cause him to waver in his words, actions and resolve. He took captive every thought and stood strong through His praise and worship! Remember, praise makes you stable; it makes you strong. Put your faith into action by thanking and praising Him all throughout the day!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, today I choose to bless Your name! I thank You for life. I thank You for breath. I thank You for provision, healing, strength and joy. I praise You for abundantly supplying all my needs so that I can be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Some Roman Catholics during a fundraising walk along Nkhata road in Lusaka
By Choolwe Muzyamba
Comrades, the debates, insinuations and innuendos that have ensued following the appointments and decisions being made by our republic president cannot go without comment. We should not sugar coat this bitter pill of rivalry that is slowly gaining dominance in our country, nor should we cocoon ourselves in a mesh of deceit and pretend that all is well.
The fact that different groups in the country are indicating that they feel left out in all these appointments and that there seems to be dominance of either Bembas or Catholics in the appointments being made by President Sata is reason enough for us rethink or/and restrategize. Let us not fall prey to the temptation of castigating this outcry as mere hullaballoo.
South Africa was warned in 2005 about the potential bursting of Xenophobic attacks on foreigners and the mistake they made then was to sweep the warning under the carpet and castigate those who warned them. I am sure that we all know what ensued in April of 2008 in the rain ball nation. Call me a prophet of doom at your own peril.
When certain groupings within the population begin to raise concerns of the nature they are raising today here in Zambia, It should be a source of concern for all the peace loving and patriotic Zambians and all those who at least pretend to be.
It’s not a secret that the majority of President Sata’s appointments are Bemba, with very little representation from Southern and Northwestern provinces. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for appointments based on tribes, but on merit while taking very full cognizance of the fact the appointments must reflect our diversity as a nation. It is incumbent upon the President to unite the nation at such critical times. When comrade super KK was faced with such a predicament, he coined the term “One Zambia, One Nation” which saw him defeat the rivalry that was growing then.
More still, I vehemently and ebulliently feel that the composition of the technical committee set up to give us a new constitution has failed the test of logic. How do you appoint 3 catholic Bishops???
How?? When there are so many religious groupings in Zambia. Zambia is not a country for Catholics only!! We have Protestants, Adventists,Muslims, Hindus etc. and all these sects whether you agree with them in principle or not need and deserve representation, after all they might not also agree with you in principle and that does not make you Catholics superior. We are not coming up with a code of conduct for Catholics; we are coming up with a National Constitution for crying out loud! Not all Zambians are party to the Catholic dogma or indeed the Christian dogma nonetheless, they too deserve to be heard and represented.
Surprisingly, President Sata decides to appoint one traditional leader, who actually hails from the Northern Province, In what capacity? Anyway, whatever the capacity the bottom line is that the President should be away of this imbalance emerging under his realm. No wonder phrases such as Barotse and Bantusthan are beginning to gain prominence. It is because we have now started seeing our differences due to this hegemony that is growing at an increasing rate!!
Candidly speaking, we have seen the rivalry emerge and let us not blind ourselves as this might be a time bomb for our beloved country. Let us not allow our president make cautiously and ethically inept decisions that might cripple this nation in the near future….Comrades, Let us remain united and resolute, this is no sour grape but a cry for my beloved country!!
A senior government official in North Western province says Government has plans to revamp the defunct Mwinilunga pineapple canary.
North Western province Permanent Secretary David Shamulenge told the Zambia News and Information (ZANIS) in a phone interview that government intends to reopen the defunct pineapple canary.
Dr. Shamulenge said Government will for partners to ensure the factory is reopened so as to create employment for the youths in the province.
Dr. Shamulenge said youths will only have money in their pockets once they are offered employment through the reopening of the pineapple canary and other income generation ventures.
He stressed that farmers in Mwinilunga District have the potential to feed the canary with pineapples once it resumes operations.
Dr. Shamulenge said Mwinlunga has the best pineapples hence the need to reopen the canary and assist the farmers market there produce.
He said the reopening of the pineapple canary will play a pivotal role in creating market for the pineapple farmers.
Dr. Shamulenga said a scheme will be initiated that will seek to assist pineapple farmers to boost their production.
PARLIAMENT heard yesterday that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has no intentions of reconstituting the defunct Task Force on corruption as existing investigative wings were equal to the task of fighting graft.
Justice deputy Minister Ngosa Simbyakula told the House that the Government would use the combined skills of the existing investigative wings to fight corruption.
Dr Simbyakula was responding to an oral question by Kamfinsa Member of Parliament (MP) Moses Chishimba who asked whether the Government had any plans of reviving the Task Force on corruption.
The Parliamentarian in a follow-up question asked what mechanisms the Government would use to fight graft to which Dr Simbyakula said the existing investigative were adequate to fight the scourge. “The existing institutions are quiet adequate. We shall use the combined skills from the law enforcement agencies to fight corruption,” the deputy minister said.
Bahati MP Harry Kalaba (PF) asked what measures the Government had put in place to avoid parallel setting up institutions to fight corruption to which Dr Simbyakula said there were existing agencies the state would use.
The defunct Task Force on corruption was abolished by the Rupiah Banda regime and last week President Michael Sata Task Force was just a money spinner for the so called prosecutors who were getting K100 million per month and only managed to secure three convictions in
seven years.
I know politics can be dirty and brutal at times. But in Zambia, recently, it seems the new president is driving too fast to keenly observe the traffic rules. I believe in President Sata like most Zambians. But the November 16th, 2011 report in the Zambian papers worries me.
The report that, “The President is concerned that information obtained so far suggests serious financial impropriety at the Mission in Toronto, which is under the supervision of Dr. Nevers Mumba,” is fundamentally disturbing, for three reasons. First, such a mission does not exist. In fact, if it did, that would have been a big breakthrough for the Zambians in Canada, especially those in the
Greater Toronto Area (GTA). On May 13th, 2010, I requested then Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, to establish a consulate at Toronto because people were having distance-difficulties to always travel to Ottawa for passport applications. The former Minister nodded my request, but ignored it when he reached Zambia.
Second, the only office that exists at Toronto is the Zambian Canadian Foundation (ZAMCAN) which I preside over, and Dr. Mumba does not supervise the ZAMCAN board, let alone reorder our financial obligations. In fact, since Dr. Mumba became High Commissioner, he has repeatedly expressed regret that his Mission could not help us financially because “there is no allocation for that purpose from
Zambia.”
Third, on October 29th, 2011, ZAMCAN in conjunction with the Mission at Ottawa hosted the Zambia National Arts Council-led Amayenge band. The troop was sponsored by the Zambia-Canada Cultural Exchange and
partly by Barrick Gold. Even with these sponsors, we still had difficulties on the release of the finances, and up to date they owe ZAMCAN some money they did not fulfill. At all times, the finances
were been handled by someone else and not Dr. Mumba.
I am neither MMD nor PF, but I feel that Mr. President should present us with a new attitude to politics. We expect him to rule the country with well-searched and properly vetted facts. We expect his advisers
to be themselves well-informed and candid with information. We expect him to concentrate on delivering on his promises rather than focusing on non-substance-related politics. If his allegations on Dr. Mumba are
politically-motivated, we expect the president to stop campaigning and begin ruling. We expect the president to listen to the people more, but to be cautious in selecting what is credible and in disregarding what is purely flattery.
I beg the president to focus on issues and fulfilling campaign promises. The people of Zambia are not benefiting from politically-motivated rhetoric so far. In his campaigns, Mr. President promised: a new constitution within ninety (90) days; free education; jobs for youth; more money in the Zambians` pockets; windfall tax on mining; Barotse Agreement restoration; proper housing; free fifteen (15) bags of fertilizer per farmer; upgrading of shanty compounds; liberalisation of air waves so that private media houses can broadcast national wide. To accomplish these, our dear president needs to concentrate on truth and ignore liars, and remember that Zambians elected him for change, and not for more of the same!
MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya has appealed to the Patriotic Front (PF) Government not to use the fight against corruption to persecute innocent people from the former ruling party.
But Chief Government spokesperson Given Lubinda said the PF Government has no reasons to settle political scores using institutions of governance like the police.
Ms Siliya told journalists after attending former Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Maxwell Mwale’s case at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court complex that the PF should strive to build on the country’s peace and not to persecute former MMD cabinet ministers.
“Let us not set a precedent that every party which comes out of power must have its former cabinet ministers and members prosecuted for corruption.
“The fight against corruption is good but it should not be a tool to persecute former cabinet ministers,” she said.
Ms Siliya said Zambia is treading on dangerous grounds if every political party which forms government will take a stance of prosecuting former cabinet ministers.
She claimed that MMD members are being mistreated by the PF Government over campaign materials the former ruling party legally acquired.
Ms Siliya said it is surprising the PF Government is after the MMD over campaign materials when the ruling party is busy distributing chitenge materials in Chongwe Constituency.
“The PF today is persecuting the MMD over campaign materials because they did not have some chitenge materials to distribute during the September 2011 tripartite election.
“But why are they distributing chitenge materials in Chongwe for the by-election if that is being considered as corruption?” she asked.
Ms Siliya said the PF should concentrate on governing the country and build on the already existing peace for Zambia to continue being a beacon of hope and peace.
But Mr Lubinda, who is also Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, said the PF Government has not embarked on a witch hunt against the former cabinet ministers in the MMD Government.
He said people who have been arrested by the police have questions which the police want them to answer.
“Let the old adage come true today, Let the guilty be afraid, at an appearance of the police officer they shall run and when they so do the police will follow them.
“All those people who have been arrested, it is because the police believe that they have answers to the questions the police have,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said there is no political motivation to arrest some cabinet ministers and some prominent figures.
Mr Lubinda said all Zambians know of scandals associated with named individuals in the former regime but those people are still going on about with their business.
“Indeed those individuals are still going on about with their business free, had we mounted a witch hunt, all such people would have been rounded up,” he said.
Mr Lubinda said people who are free in their dealings will have their minds and conscious clear and will go about with their businesses as free citizens as any other person.
He said the PF Government has no interest “whatsoever” in settling political scores using institutions of governance, especially the police.
I would like to respond to Dr. Mutesa’s, president of Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED), call that the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) be included on the 20 member panel for constitution making. I personally think that leaving them out is really not “discriminating” against any Zambians.
I think so because, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) is just like Chanda Chimba, Edwin Lifwekelo and Gregory Chifire forming a national organisation to deceive people that they represent national interests. No they don’t. Most of them are just one man show churches, capitalising on TV publicity, who have no concern for the poor Zambians…Go here and see for yourselves
Is it not evangelicals who “prophesied” Chiluba’s third term? Who castigated catholics over the NCC to an extent of saying, “Don’t comment over the NCC, you refused to be part of it.” They were proud to be part of a process that did not serve national interests and were happy to enjoy the money. And this weakness for money makes a lot of them suspect.
Most of them enrich themselves, driving hummers and other expensive cars, buying private jets, etc over the heads of their poor members. And they call this being “blessed.” This means these people represent themselves; they represent nobody else out there.
If the rich people in their churches give them expensive and luxurious gifts, they count these gifts as part of their blessings and eat them, without sharing with the members…
They are not servants, they are the master. “Men of God,” they call themselves; who must not be touched because they are the anointed of God, the “special” ones.
How they use the tithes and offerings they collect is proof of that.
They say, “Bring your tithes and offerings to the Lord, so that there is plenty in the Lord’s house.” When people do that, they discover the pastor gets rich, while they stay poor. And yet both of them are in the SAME house of the Lord.
This is the same as Gregory Chifire saying, “Rupiah has brought development while Zambians are suffering, him he is enjoying.”
Dr. Mutesa, we do not want such people in our constitution making process. That is being responsible, not discriminatory.
I would also like to appeal to EFZ to come up with some code of ethics for their members, most of them who are one-man show churches. The fact that you stand before men and represent God before them does not make you better than others. When you collect tithes and offerings, let there be food for ALL, not just for you alone, in God’s house.
THE number of workers complaining about poor working conditions on the Copperbelt is growing as the government tries to grapple with a uniform working conditions guideline.
The latest to complain are workers from Lafarge Cement plant in Ndola who have complained over poor salaries and claimed that their colleagues at Lafarge Cement plant in Lusaka doing similar jobs get better salaries than them.
The Lafarge complaints come shortly after workers at Electrometer Plant and several miners protested demanding improved working conditions.
The workers at the Ndola plant have since appealed to the Minister of Labour Fackson Shamenda to come to their aid because they have suffered enough.
In a statement issued in Ndola yesterday the workers complained that, their yearly salary increment ranges from K90,000 to K120,000 while their colleagues in Lusaka get more.
“Our colleagues at the Lusaka plant get better salaries than us in Ndola yet we work for the same company and doing the same job and this anomaly has not been addressed by management despite bringing the matter to their attention,” the statement said.
The statement read that most workers have worked for more than 10 years on contracts with very low gratuity of 15 percent at the end of the contract.
The concerned workers said they have continued to wallow in poverty when the company is paying foreign workers huge salaries.
The statement also stated that the managers at the Ndola plant get between K150 million and K450 million per month and K7 million as weekly allowances while their accommodation and bills are also catered for by the company.
“This is the company that is always complaining of not having money when our managers are getting huge salaries at the expense of majority workers,” the statement read.
The workers also want Christmas bonus, which was scrapped off seven years ago, to be re-instated and also the harmonisation of production packages.
Blades club executive members confirmed Mwila’s death this evening.
Mwila died in a Johannesburg hospital just before 18:00 hours from burns he sustained in an electoral fire accident at Konkola Mine in Chililabombwe on November 9 where he worked.
Mwila was a key member of Blades coaching staff after taking up several gap-coach positions over the last six years.
He was in temporal charge of Blades after the departures of after the Fighton Simukonda in 2004, Fordson Kabole in 2005, Dean Mwiinde in 2009 and Peter Kaumba in 2010.
And
The Barclays Cup final set for Saturday in Kitwe has been postponed.
Faz communications offcer Erick Mwanza said this was due to the three-day period of national mourning that started on Friday for the late ex-minister in the UNIP era Justin Mukando.
“In view of His Excellency the President Michael C. Sata’s declaration of three days of national mourning in honour of the former Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Mr. Justin Mukando, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) and Barclays Bank Plc would like to advise the football fraternity and entire nation that the final match of the 2011 Barclays Cup championship which was scheduled for tomorrow Saturday 19th November 2011 has been postponed,” Mwanza said.
Mwanza said a new date for the final will be advised later.
Power Dynamos and Konkola Blades were due to face-off in the Barclays Cup final at Arthur Davies Stadium.
