GOVERNMENT has appointed an independent task force team to look into the issues affecting Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), primary labour and operational matters.

Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications permanent secretary Dominic Sichinga said the task force will assess the extent of the problem affecting TAZARA and report to the Zambian and Tanzanian governments.

“We are waiting for a report from the team that will be represented to the two governments…they will have to probe the headquarters, all operations of TAZARA and make recommendations,” he said.

The task force team comprises four individuals, two appointed by the Zambian government, a local citizen and a Malawian while the other two are appointed by the Tanzania government, a Tanzanian and Ugandan.

In an interview, Mr Sichinga said TAZARA is facing a lot of challenges adding that the railway firm is not operating at its optimal level.
He said Government wants to ensure that TAZARA operates at a viable and efficient level.

He said Government is aware of some problems the company is facing citing insufficient investment in the railway which needs to be addressed.

“As the Zambian government, we have in the past not put in adequate funds in the operations of TAZARA, whereas our friends from Tanzania have from time to time put in money towards operations of the company,” he said.

Mr Sichinga said inadequate funding presents challenges such as workers on the Zambian side being prone to victimisation if Government is not putting in its fair share.

He said the major problem facing TAZARA are historical liabilities such as statutory debts that have not been paid over the years.

Last week, TAZARA managing director Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika disclosed that the company requires US$ 770.1 million to improve on the company’s operations and infrastructure.

Dr Mbikusita-Lewanika said there was need to review the TAZARA Act of 1995 to improve the chances of engaging strategic partners or other options for Private Sector participation in investment, management and overall corporate governance.

He also called for an urgent council of ministers meeting to determine a cabinet memorandum for prompt and decisive attention of shareholding governments.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE First Session of the Eleventh National Assembly on October 14 opens its doors to the newly-elected members of Parliament amidst high expectations from the people as the House promises to deliver an effective, people-centred law-making process.

It is a hung Parliament, with no political party having a clear majority. The ruling Patriotic Front has 68 members (when combined with eight nominated members), the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), 54, and the United Party for National Development (UPND), 28.

There are three independent MPs while the Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) and the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) have a member apiece.

President Sata will open the proceedings with a presidential speech that will set the tone for the main issues of focus for the House during this session, after which the MPs will be debating the policy statements contained in his speech.

Being a hung Parliament, with all members having a fresh mandate and a new Speaker in prominent lawyer and former High Court Judge Patrick Matibini, the hopes are high from members of the public.

Apart from electing the Speaker, the first meeting of this session also elected Mkhondo Lungu as Deputy Speaker and Chifumu Banda as Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Whole House on October 6, 2011.

And as the business finally starts in the House, Zambians will be keeping their ears glued to the proceedings from Manda Hill in anticipation of a balanced legislature that will pass all the laws in the interest of the general public and not based on ‘collective agreements’ of their respective political parties.

The Tenth National Assembly, dominated by the former ruling MMD, saw a number of controversial bills that Zambians roundly condemned, sneaking through.
During its Third Session, which adjourned sine die on June 24, 2011 before Parliament was dissolved to pave way for the general elections, the House considered a total of 217 questions for oral and written answers and 20 motions to adopt Sessional Committee Reports.

In addition, four Ministerial Statements were presented and seven Annual Reports from Government Ministries and quasi-Government institutions were received and laid on the Table.

Parliament further voted for the removal of the Abuse of Office Clause from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act, but failed to garner the required two-thirds majority to amend the Zambia Constitutional Bill that could have seen the much-criticised National Constitutional Conference’s draft constitution coming into effect.

The House changed the law on Presidential Emoluments by removing the three-year stipulated period for gratuity in what commentators say was a bull-dozed process to ensure former president Rupiah Banda qualified for gratuity.

The Non-Governmental organisation (NGO) Bill, which restricts and regulates the operations of the civil society, also became law while the windfall tax on mines was voted out barely a year after Dr Mwanawasa’s administration had introduced it.

But with Government’s renewed anti-corruption drive under President Sata’s leadership, and the commitment to bettering the living standards of the people, some of the laws and decisions that were passed are likely to be revisited.

Other issues expected to dominate the session are the proposed adjustment to the retirement age from 55 to 65 years, the revision of the labour laws, and the ratification of the proposed new holders of constitutional offices, among them the Attorney General and the director of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The most prominent business of the house will probably be the presentation of the 2012 National Budget by the Minister of Finance, after which members will have to extensively debate the budget and consequently pass the Appropriation Bill before the close of the session.

Parliament is also expected to appoint the leader of the opposition from the MMD, being the party that garnered slightly above a third of the membership of the House as required by the law for a political party to be recognised as the official opposition.

This session opens with 155 members, three short of the required 158, following the death of some parliamentary candidates in Nakonde and Magoye ahead of the recent tripartite elections, and the resignation of Chongwe MP Japhen Mwakalombe a few hours after he was announced winner.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says the Malawian Government should not overlook the issue of giving a satisfactory apology to President Sata over the 2007 deportation despite him having sent a high level delegation to attend the 30th Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government summit in Lilongwe.

The theme for the summit is Harnessing science and technology for development.

Addressing local and foreign media during a press briefing at Golden Peacock Hotel on October 13, Dr Scott said there is urgent need to address the matter as it is negatively affecting diplomatic relations between Zambia and Malawi.

“While Zambia is attending the COMESA conference in Lilongwe at high level, it should not be overlooked that there is one major issue negatively affecting the relationship between Zambia and Malawi.

“This is the issue of His Excellency President Michael Sata’s deportation from Malawi when he was in Zambia’s opposition,” he said.

Dr Scott said President Sata has made it very clear that he requires a satisfactory apology, explanation or whatever it may be before relations between the two countries can be normalised.

The vice-president, who arrived in Lilongwe on October 13 at 12:30 hours, said he is personally grateful for the rousing welcome he received at Kamuzu International Airport.

The vice-president said Zambia needs good relations with neighbouring countries but that even if President Sata was deported when he was an opposition political party leader, it is important that the Malawian Government apologises to Mr Sata.

Dr Scott said such an apology should not be given to the delegation he is leading in Lilongwe but go to State House in Lusaka.

He said the failure by the Malawian Government to apologise or give a satisfactory explanation to President Sata is souring diplomatic relations between Zambia and Malawi.

On March 15, 2007, President Sata was deported from Malawi upon his arrival at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre and was driven back to Zambia through Mwami Border in Chipata.

On Saturday, President Sata turned down an invitation by Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika to travel to that country to attend the COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit on grounds that the latter has neither apologised nor furnished him with reasons for having deported him in 2007.

But Malawian Government spokesperson, Patricia Kaliati was quoted by the Nation on Sunday of Malawi as having said “as Government, we have heard”.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Honorable Shamenda,

Kindly find time and visit Lafarge Cement Zambia Ndola factory. We are suffering.

1. lowest paid worker gets K1.8 million

2. Most employees are on contracts and some have worked more than 10 years on contracts

3. Ndola Cement factory alone sales about K900million in daily sales but pays workers poorly with yearly increaments between K90,000 and K120,000.

4. Our union is controlled and intimidated by management, they get what management gives them.

5. Gratuity for contract workers is calculated at 15% which is very low.

6. We have foreign managers who get as high as K150 million to K350million per month with K7million weekly allowances, besides the company paying for their accomodation, food dstv electricity etc.

7.Bonus is calculated at 10% meaning those with biger salaries gets more than workers who suffer for it. 10% of 1.8m is K180, 000 and 10% of K50million is K5million, see the gap.

8. Christmas bonus was scrapped off, we dont get it any more in Lafarge, but we make billions of kwachas for a French guy.

9. Mr Shamenda, President Sata, please help us, dont turn blind eye on us , we voted for you. Remember us, we cannot demonstrate or go on strike.Union workers are few and can be easily fired.

Help us please.

Concerned employees

NEWLY elected Mangango Constituency member of Parliament, Robert Chiseki (MMD) has been arrested and charged with fraudulently obtaining a Zambian national registration card (NRC) and giving false information to the public.

Minister of Home Affairs Kennedy Sakeni said in a statement on October 12 that investigations into this matter started before the September 20 tripartite elections.

He explained that inspite of the available information at the time, the former ruling party went on to adopt him as its candidate.

“I therefore wish to confirm that this arrest is not politically motivated. I would also like to warn members of the public to desist from obtaining NRCs by giving false information to officers as this is a crime.

Mr Chiseki appeared in the Kaoma Magistrates Court yesterday and has been granted K1 million bail.

On Tuesday President Sata said a refugee had won parliamentary elections after obtaining an NRC. President Sata commended Minister of Home Affirms Kennedy Sakeni for his tremendous efforts to have the Mangango member of Parliament Robert Chiseki arrested.

Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) has petitioned the Lusaka High Court to nullify the election of Felix Mutati and Misheck Mutelo as MMD members of Parliament for Lunte and Lukulu West Constituencies.

PF Lunte Constituency losing candidate Emmanuel Chilubanama and Lukulu West losing candidate Eileen Imbwae have asked the High Court to nullify the two seats stating that the polls were marred by violence and vote buying.

Mr Mutati and Mr Mutelo were declared winners of Lunte and Lukulu West Constituencies, respectively in the September 20 tripartite elections. This is contained in separate election petitions filed in the Lusaka High Court on October 11.

Mr Chilubanama, of farm number 50a Makeni in Lusaka said the campaigns in the elections were characterised by bribery and corruption of voters. He said the bribery and corrupting of would-be voters is contrary to section 79 of the Electoral Act number 12 of 2006, particularly subsections (c) (d) and (f).
“Your petitioner therefore prays for a declaration that the election was null and void and a declaration that Mr Mutati was duly elected as a scrutiny, verification or recount of the votes casts,” Mr Chilubanama said.

He is also praying for costs and incidentals to the petition and any other declaration or order the court will deem fit. Mr Chilubanama said Mr Mutati allegedly distributed iron sheets and donated desks to a community school and urged people to vote for him.

And Ms Imbwae of F197a/y/2 Bob Strasser road, Lusaka West has sued Mr Mutelo (first defendant), Electoral Commission of Zambia (second defendant) and Attorney General (third defendant).

She said the election of Mr Mutelo was void by reason of corrupt and illegal practices and voters in the area were prevented from electing their preferred candidate due to electoral offences, intimidation and threats.

Ms Imbwae said during the campaign period Mr Mutelo allegedly told the electorate she had pulled out of the race and had travelled to China.

She said prior to the election day Mr Mutelo and his agents went door to door campaigning and distributing money ranging from K5, 000 to K100, 000 an act which was illegal and corrupt and amounted to bribery contrary to the Act.

[Zambia Daily Mail]