THE Zambian government is not yet ready to increase its shareholding in the mining companies until such a time that Cabinet thoroughly examines the matter and advises on how to proceed, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda told accountants during a post-budget discussion last weekend.

“There has to be a Cabinet memo to state that Government wants to increase its stake in a company and as far as I’m concerned, there has been no such memo,” Mr Chikwanda said, “In the absence of a Cabinet memo, I can’t state for a fact whether there is any immediate intention for us to increase our stake in the mines.”

In October, Mines and Minerals Minister Wylbur Simuusa told journalists in Lusaka that Government may seek to “increase” its stake in the mining companies currently operating in Zambia but largely in foreign hands.

Mr Simuusa said it was a generally acceptable trend (upping the stake) in the world and would not be uniquely Zambian if it occurred. Mr Simuusa added that if any increase would be effected, it would be done in consultation with the owners of the mines. No short- cuts would be taken as Zambia respects investors but at the same time wants to ensure the mineral wealth is “spread around” in times of good prices.

Zambia wants to use proceeds from the mining companies to reduce poverty and create jobs.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

President Michael Sata has revoked the appointment of Dr Simon Kamwendo Miti as Zambia’s Ambassador-Designate to Switzerland. In revoking the appointment, the President directed the Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja to furnish him with a full report regarding Dr Miti’s employment status in the Civil Service.

This was contained in a press statement released to the media by the president’s special assistant for press.

Dr Miti has been on forced leave since 2009 following investigations into the financial scam which occurred at the Ministry of Health during his tenure as Permanent Secretary.
President Sata has further demanded for an update from law enforcement agencies on the matter.

Meanwhile, President Sata today swore-in 40 senior officers from the Zambia Security Intelligence Service (ZSIS). During the swearing-in ceremony at State House, President Sata emphasised the need for high standards of integrity, professionalism and ethics in the intelligence.

“Mr Director-General you have to refocus how you want to run the intelligence. As Commander-in-Chief, I want intelligence officers who will fit in any situation. In short, I want an all-weather intelligence officer,” the President said.

“We need an intelligence service which the country can depend on. And Zambia Security Intelligence Service must coordinate all other intelligence networks existing in government ministries.”

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott has said the Patriotic Front (PF) government will not re-introduce the windfall tax to save the economy from collapsing and urged Zambians to seek relief in the US$200 million royalty tax that has been gained from mining companies.

Dr Scott, who was reacting to statements by some trade unions and stakeholders that the PF cheated people using the windfall tax said the government had managed to remove US$200million from the mining companies and transferred it to the workers in form of Pay-as-You-Earn(PAYE).

Dr Scott explained that whether the money drawn from the mining companies would be referred to as windfall tax or mineral royalty, the fact remains that the Zambian government had gained a huge amount of money and relieved workers from paying high taxes.

He said the new PAYE in the 2012 national budget was the start of better things to come while the taxation system was still under review. The vice president said the US$200 million gained from the increased mineral royalty tax had been imposed on the mining companies to close the gap created by the reduction in thresholds on PAYE and seeks to earn ordinary Zambian workers an average of K1 million on their take-home-pay.

In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Scott said the increased mineral royalty tax had not reflected in the 2012 national budget because the amount had been captured by the mineral royalty tax. The vice president said the mineral royalty tax was the best form of tax because it stops mining companies from cheating government in terms of how much they were making.

Dr Scott said the government had not stopped managing the tax system to ensure that it benefits the Zambian people. He said the tax was determined by the volumes of copper they had sold internationally and that systems had been out in place to ensure that Zambians benefit from the system.

[pullquote] Union president Mundia Sikufele said in Kitwe yesterday that the union felt betrayed because the windfall tax was one of the major items the PF used during the campaign.[/pullquote]

“What matters is how much the mining companies will contribute to the national budget whether it is called windfall tax or mineral royalties. Our aim was to save at least US$200 million so that it goes to the workers in form of tax relief,” Dr Scott said. The vice president said the government had succeeded in removing US$200 million from the mines to transfer it to the workers as the PF administration moves to meet its campaign promises.

The new budget has provided for the tax free bands that start from a minimum of K2 million that will fall out of the tax bracket which means that the workers earning that amount would not be subjected to PAYE.

But National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUMAW) has questioned the Government for what it called back peddling on the re-introduction of the windfall tax. Union president Mundia Sikufele said in Kitwe yesterday that the union felt betrayed because the windfall tax was one of the major items the PF used during the campaign.

And Chamber of Mines general manager Fred Bantubonse said it was important that the Government realised that dialogue with stakeholders before the re-introduction of windfall tax was the way forward. HE Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) has also urged Government to pursue the introduction of windfall tax if Zambia was to move forward.

Meanwhile, the German Government is expected to send its director of Southern Africa for the Ministry of economic corporation and development Dr Ingolf Dietrich to Zambia for talks with the minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda. The talks would establish entry points in the national budget which the German Government would fund the one per cent that had remained for donor partners. In an interview in Lusaka on Sunday, German Ambassador to Zambia Frank Meyke said the discussions will take place on November 29 and November 30 November, 2011.

Mr Meyke said the German government was impressed with the national budget because it gave workers greater relief on their take-home pay which would promote investments and saving.

[Times of Zambia]

The past articles have concentrated mainly on mens workouts. This series will be just for the ladies.

This first work out will concentrate on the legs. These exercises will strengthen and tone the thigh and butt muscles.

THE WORKOUT

SQUAT JUMPS

Do 3 sets of 10

how its done ;

• Squat then jump as high as you can and land softly .
• repeat this 10 times (or 5 for beginners ) to complete one set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpxEwikRndQ

AROUND THE WORLD LUNGE

Do 3 sets of 10 (5 for beginners)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWzD6_do91c&feature=relmfu

BROAD JUMPS (FROG JUMPS)

Do 3 sets of 5

This exercise will increase your heart rate and increase your strength.

How its done ;

• Stand with your feet comfortably apart
• squat , swing your arms, and jump as far as you can
• Remember to land softly so that you do not injure yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gd6Lr7mtt8

BY KAPA187

The Lusaka high court has ordered Konkola Copper Mines PLC –KCM- to pay 10 billion kwacha to 2000-Chingola residents for polluting the Kafue River with mining effluent.

Passing Judgment Supreme Court, Judge Philip Musonda, ordered that two thousand affected residents who dragged the mining company to court be paid five-million- Kwacha each.

Judge Musonda says in their countries of origin such recklessness would have attracted severe criminal and civil sanctions.

He said the residents had proved their case against KCM in common law and statutory law and that KCM is reckless and had no regard for human, animal and plant life.

He said KCM acted with impunity and immunity thinking that they were politically correct and connected.
Judge Musonda said he agreed with the residents’ pleadings that KCM was protected from criminal prosecution by political connections and financial influence, which he said put them beyond the pale of criminal justice.

He said the fine on KCM was to deter others who may discharge poisonous substances without diminishing their potency not to cause harm to the environment, human beings and animals.

Judge Musonda reiterated that KCM’s action amounted to lack of corporate responsibility and criminal and a tipping point for corporate recklessness.

He said there was gross negligence by KCM whether human beings died or not saying the company deprived the community the right to life, which said is a fundamental right in the country’s constitution.

“Here is a multinational enterprise which has no regard for human life for the sake of profit and turned the residents of Chingola into Guinea Pigs and showed no remorse,” judge Musonda said. “In their countries of origin such recklessness would have been visited by severe criminal and civil sanctions.”

Judge Musonda said the judgment against KCM may appear to be investor unfriendly but stressed that international standards needed to observe high environmental standards saying that was a global approach.

He said the fact that Zambia is in dire need of foreign investment to improve the well being of its people did not mean its people should be dehumanized by greed and crude capitalism which he said puts profit above human life.

The 2000 residents who were being represented by Lusaka lawyer Kelvin Bwalya sued KCM as the first defendant, Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) formerly Environmental Council of Zambia as second defendant and Chingola Municipal Council as third defendant.

According to the 2000 residents, ZEMA is alleged to have failed or neglected to carry out inspection or supervise the pipes that were discharging effluent into the river.

They claimed that Chingola Municipal Council failed to take adequate measures to mitigate and control the effects of pollution of water supply by maintaining sufficient water reserves.

They stated that this caused great pain and suffering to the residents as the local authority collects huge amounts of rates from KCM which benefits the residents needed to enjoy.

However, Judge Musonda said ZEMA did the best it could by shutting KCM operations adding that he found no negligence on its part and acquitted the agency.

MUVITV

The opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says it still has an opportunity to bounce back to power in future elections.

MMD Chairperson for Commerce Felix Mutati says the former ruling party has embarked on a process to cleanse the party before electing a new person to take over from former President Rupiah Banda as party president.

He said in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka that the party has since set up a postmortem committee to ascertain why it lost in the September 20 general elections.

Mr. Mutati, whose name has been floated by the general membership to take over from former president Banda, said it is important for the party to critically analyze its operations before electing new leaders to lead the former ruling party.

The Lunte Member of Parliament (MP) has also advised the party against rushing into electing a new leader of the former ruling party saying the issue should be handled carefully.

Mr. Mutati noted that the MMD needed to know what happened for it to lose the September 20 election and establish whether or not it lost contact with the people and learn from the reasons to build a stronger party.

MMD president Rupiah Banda has stated his intention of resigning from active politics following his defeat in the September 20 general election to Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF).

The MMD is in this vein asking its general membership to apply for the position to take over from him.

Some MMD members have named Mr. Mutati, former Zambian Ambassador to Canada Dr. Nevers Mumba, and former Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande as possible candidates to replace Mr. Banda.

ZANIS