Government has recalled 12 ambassadors and high commissioners including those in Kenya and Tanzania, said Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili.

Mr Kambwili told the media that the termination of contracts for the envoys was “with immediate effect” but they would be accorded a three-month period to prepare their return home in line with their conditions of service.

Among prominent ‘casualties’ are former Republican vice president Dr Nevers Mumba (High Commissioner to Canada), former president Rupiah Banda’s cousin Agness Ngoma (High Commissioner to Mozambique), Christine Lambart (High Commissioner to Kenya), late president Levy Mwanawasa’s aunt Marvis Muyunda (High Commissioner to Tanzania) and Zambia Army ex-commander General Isaac Chisuzi (High Commissioner to Namibia).

According to Mr Kambwili, others recalled are Professor Royson Mukwena (High Commissioner to the UK), ex-minister Marina Nsingo (High Commissioner to Botswana), Albert Muchanga (Ambassador to Ethiopia and AU), Reuben Musakabantu (High Commissioner to Malawi), Dr Sipula Kabanje (Ambassador to Zimbabwe), Anderson Chibwe (High Commissioner to Malaysia) and Alexis Luhila (High Commissioner to Nigeria).

The minister said former deputy chief executive of ex-ruling party – the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) – Jeff Kaande, who served as counsellor at Zambian Embassy in Japan and TV personality Doreen Mukanzo, who was first secretary for press at the mission in South Africa had also been recalled.

Sackings of diplomats were expected after their April 2011 meeting where then president, Mr Banda, thanked them for financing the MMD and urged them to finance his re-election campaign. Michael Sata, then main opposition leader now President, rebuked Mr Banda.

“That is the direct Presidential directive that those diplomats should divert money from their missions and send them to Lusaka for his campaign,” Mr Sata said then.

The body of a South African national aged 42-year who drowned at Victoria Falls was flown to South Africa yesterday, Southern Province police commanding officer Lemmy Kajoba has said.

Mr Kajoba said in an interview that the fire brigade in Livingstone successfully retrieved the body and was flown to South Africa yesterday.

The deceased was a director at Bell Dewar was attending the firm’s annual conference in Zambia at the Victoria Falls. He is said to have gone out for an early morning walk alone. He appeared to have lost his footing and drowned at Victoria Falls up stream around 09:00 hours on Sunday 16th October.

Southern Province police commanding officer Mr Kajoba said the deceased’s body was caught up in rocks before falling in to the gorge.

Meanwhile, Mr Kajoba said a 17 year old girl of Maramba township drowned at the Victoria Falls boiling point around 18:00 hours on Saturday.

Mr Kajoba said Juliet Mwamba of house number ME 171 Maramba who was in the company of friends slipped off while walking on the rocks near the river.

He said the body of the deceased was retrieved by the fire brigade and it was lying at Batoka hospital mortuary.

LOCAL Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister Nkandu Luo has said some management personnel at Kabwe Municipal Council (KMC) will be asked to stay away from their offices to allow for a comprehensive audit of council operations.

Professor Luo said during an orientation meeting held with KMC staff, councillors and retirees in Kabwe on Monday that she would ask her colleagues from the ministry to conduct a thorough audit of the council’s operations in the last five years and that the results would enable the ministry to take clear action.

“This council is in very bad shape and is one of the councils which have a lot of issues with regards to management.

“The audit will not just be focused on finances but will encompass the auditing of road rehabilitation contract awards, as well as the management of parks and car washes and the results will be shared with everyone,” she said.

Prof Luo said she was saddened by the treatment of retired staff that went to inquire about their pay at the council, and the huge salary gap between the town clerk and casual workers.

She said all the leaders should reflect on their behaviour and urged all those who would continue in managing the council operations to change the way they conducted themselves.

Prof Luo assured the retirees that she would study means to pay off the K7 billion owed to them by the Government once the budget was tabled in Parliament.

Speaking earlier, Boyd Banda, who represented the retirees, appealed to the Government to consider getting rid of the entire management at KMC because they were allegedly corrupt.

Zambia Local Authorities Worker’s Union chairperson Nicholas Chitambala said KMC employees were among the worst paid and most victimised by management in Zambia and called for the immediate removal of the Kabwe town clerk, director of administration and director of finance.

[Times of Zambia]

IRATE miners at Grinaker LTA, a contracted company engaged by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Chililabombwe, on October 18 attacked police officers with catapults during a protest over poor conditions of service.

The miners working at shaft number four engaged police in skirmishes and also blocked the Chililabombwe-Kasumbalesa road with stones but quick action by police dispersed them.

Acting Copperbelt police commanding officer Milner Muyambango said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that the miners attacked the police officers after they were dispersed from KCM plant.

He said the miners blocked some township roads and burnt tyres but police immediately moved in to restore peace. “The miners in Chililabombwe this morning fought running battles with police, they started stoning the police officers using catapults after they were removed from the plant. The miners also blocked the road leading to Kasumbalesa but now the situation has normalised,” Mr Muyambango said. He said the police did not arrest any miner during the fracas.

And miners at China Non-Ferrous Corporation (NFCA) in Chambishi yesterday evening protested over management’s refusal to award them a K2 million salary increase. The miners blocked the road with stones but quick action by police prevented the protest from degenerating into a riot.

Acting Copperbelt police commanding officer Milner Muyambango said in an interview yesterday that 60 police officers have been deployed to Chambishi to maintain law and order. Mr Muyambango said the workers burnt tyres and blocked the road with stones but that no-one was injured.

“The workers at Chambishi NFCA have been protesting for three weeks now. Yesterday [Tuesday] in the evening they blocked the Kitwe-Chingola road. They burnt tyres on the road and put huge stones but no-one was injured,” he said.

Mr Muyambango said the protests in Chambishi and Chililabombwe have so far been peaceful and that the police have not made any arrests. He said police will continue maintaining law and order to protect lives and property in the communities.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Government has urged UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to stop trivializing the decisions that government is making for the benefit of the Zambian people.

Chief Government spokesperson Given Lubinda says the opposition leader is at liberty to engage the government on policy matters stating that the PF government will not allow the opposition to derail it in its quest to deliver development to the Zambian people.

Mr. Lubinda says it is regrettable to learn that Mr. Hichilema has been attacking government for its decision to relocate the provincial capital of southern province from Livingstone to Choma which is centrally located.

He says moving the capital to Choma will reduce the cost of running government business in the province adding that it is sad that the opposition leader has failed to see logic in the decision made.

Mr. Lubinda has further stressed that the establishment of Muchinga province as the 10th province was one of the issues which the PF talked about during its campaigns and that the government is merely fulfilling its promise to the people of that area.

And Mr. Lubinda has advised Mr. Hichilema to take a break and recover from the election fatigue. The Chief government spokesperson adds that the UPND leader should also reflect on the future of his political career and that of his party.

QFM

Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Musa Mwenye has said that at no time did the association’s executive press him to condemn activities of Republican President Michael Sata.

An online publication has indicated that the LAZ Executive has been pressing Mr. Mwenye to condemn the numerous constitutional breaches that President Michael Sata has allegedly committed.

Mr. Mwenye said that the Law Association of Zambia will not allow to be used to fight political confrontations. Speaking to QFM in a telephone interview, Mr. Mwenye said that LAZ will continue to carry out its mandate of saving people, regardless of their political affiliation.

Mr. Mwenye noted that the association can only condemn an act on legal basis either privately or publicly.

And when asked on reports that he is expectant to be appointed Solicitor General by President Sata, Mr. Mwenye said he could not comment on the matter because he was not the appointing authority.

The LAZ president said that President Sata is the only person who can answer such questions because he is the one making the appointments.

QFM

WORKS and Supply Permanent Secretary Watson Ng’ambi has said his ministry received instructions from State House to single-source the procurement of four armoured luxury 4×4 Lexus motor vehicles.

President Sata recently questioned the logic by his predecessor to buy two luxury vehicles worth K3.6 billion amidst other pressing needs in the country, and also ordered the police to look for two other Lexus vehicles that had been procured.

Mr Ng’ambi said the ministry received instructions to seek permission from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority to allow it to buy and make the vehicles bullet-proof in line with the specifications that came in writing from State House.

On Sunday, through his administrative assistant Mikatazo Wakumelo, former President Rupiah Banda said he was not a procurement officer to be involved in the procurement of vehicles and that people who bought them were still serving in the Government. That was in reaction to revelations by President Michael Sata that Mr Banda’s administration bought four luxury Lexus vehicles and wondered what value they were adding to the people of Zambia.

Mr Ng’ambi said State House generated the quotation from one company in Germany and delivered it to the ministry to facilitate the purchase of the vehicles. “You know that we cannot buy anything that State House does not want. We received instructions and a quotation from one company in Germany to buy the four vehicles,” Mr Ng’ambi said.

He said having made all the arrangements, officials from State House, the Government controller of transport at the Ministry of Works, John Kasanga and other security personnel travelled to Germany to supervise the stripping and armour-plating of the vehicles.

Mr Ng’ambi said no-one had authority to question what State House had arranged because specifications on where the vehicles should be bought and their details were received from there.

He said a Government team went to Germany in August this year to supervise and facilitate transportation of the vehicles to Lusaka. President Sata recently questioned the logic by his predecessor to buy two luxury vehicles worth K3.6 billion amidst other pressing needs in the country. Speaking when he swore in Zambia National Service Commandant Nathan Mulenga and his deputy Alick Kamiji on Tuesday last week, Mr Sata expressed disappointment at the expenditure on the luxury vehicles.

However, Mr Banda last weekend welcomed the investigations into the matter, saying he was not a procurement officer. He said he was available at any given time to answer to any clarification which the current Head of State may have before they are made public.

{Times of Zambia}