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Suggestions to Zambia’s Fifth President on Barotseland

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By Mungandi wa Muwina Mungandi

Zambia’s fifth President H.E MC Sata has so far performed true to his defining nickname as ‘Man of Action’. Since his inauguration as president on 23rd September 2011 he has made numerous pronouncements and taken numerous actions that will fundamentally change the landscape on the political, Economical and Social scene in Zambia forever. Obviously this is a frantic attempt on the part of the President to fulfill the 90 days promise. As to whether the pronouncements and actions are positive or negative is a subject of much debate which really should be engaged into on a one by one basis.

As a Barotse Self-determination activist, I wish to commend the President for pronouncements and actions in relation to the Barotseland issue namely, the release of the remnant Barotse detainees from the Mumbwa state prison and the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry into what he terms the ‘Mongu Saga’.

May I thank the President for the two timely gestures both of which are really long overdue. It is a marvel that immediate past President Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda could not see sense despite numerous free expert advices from all angles, including highly learned and experienced Lawyers like Dr. Roger Chongwe and Professor Hansungule, leading Politicians like Gen Masheke and Dr Sondashi, prominent Clergy like the late Bishop Paul Duffy (May his soul rest in eternal peace) and a group of Clergy even wrote a pastoral letter asking him to set the detainees free and appoint a Commission of Inquiry but to all these he put his fingers into his ears or buried his heard in the sand like an Ostrich. No wonder he had to go because a leader who cannot make use of such abundance of well meaning advice is not worth the leadership mantle.

In any case I wish to point out that the steps taken by the ‘Man of action’ falls far too low the expectations of the Barotse people to put it mildly. We can only hope that this is just the beginning of a set of actions by the President targeting at resolving the Barotse issue which is a big and complex issue that will not go away by cosmetic attempts.

May I make one or two suggestions to the President and his advisors:

  1. The Commission of Inquiry should be given terms of reference that go beyond just the ‘Mongu Saga’ so that it can inquire into the totality of the whole Barotseland Agreement 1964 Issue so as to inform government thoroughly.
  2. The president should extend his pardon to the detainees who were released on Nolle’ Prosque because we understand from expert explanation that Nolle Prosqui is not acquittal. The Barotse ex-detainees do not need to live forever with the Nolle hanging over their heads.
  3. The President should squash the dismissal from the Police Service of Superintendent Maybin M. Sikwa who was dismissed from the service over the ‘Mongu Saga’ issue.
  4. The President should seriously consider restoring the name Barotseland instead of the slave name ‘Western Province’ which is a source of embarrassment to the Barotse people as a starting point in search of a lasting pacific settlement to the Barotseland Agreement 1964 issue.

May the president ,the Government and the people of Zambia be informed that while we appreciate the little that has been done to pay attention to the Barotse Issue so far, the people of Barotseland will not rest until a genuine and amicable solution to the Barotseland Agreement 1964 standoff is finally achieved. May I also implore the Barotse people at home and abroad that the solution to the Barotseland Agreement 1964 issue squarely falls in the hands of the Barotse people themselves. It will not be gifted to them even by the so called ‘Man of Action’. What we want as Barotse people cannot come from either Addis Ababa or Lusaka, it can only come from the sacrifice, courage and self determination of Barotse People at home or abroad. Barrack H. Obama speaking on 5th February 2008 made a statement whose sentiment we must borrow for the Barotse Struggle:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”

 

Sata on the commission of inquiry appointed to investigate the January 14 Mongu killings

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File:Police on Patrol in Mongu during the Mongu riots

President Michael Sata says he is confident that the nine-member Commission of Inquiry he appointed to investigate the January 14 Mongu disturbances will pave the way for an amicable settlement of the problems in Western Province.

This was contained in a statement released by George Chellah Special assistant to the President on Press and Public Relations

“I have no doubt that the high professional and personal integrity of the commmission chairperson Dr Roger Chongwe, SC, and his team will help bring about an agreeable and peaceful settlement to this matter,’’ said the President.

The President said he remains committed to addressing the main causes of public discontent in Western Province thus the Barotse Agreement.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala will tomorrow, October 12, 2011, swear-in members of the Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the extra-judicial killings of civilians during the Mongu demonstrations.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 15:00 hours at the Supreme Court and thereafter the commissioners will proceeed to State House to pay a courtesy call on the Head of State.

President Sata named the Commission of Inquiry last week to investigate the Mongu killings and pardoned all Barotse activists who had been jailed over the January 14 riots.

Small-scale developments-our mud and our dust in Zambia

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Pedestrians walking through mud in Lusaka

By Nellow Simukonde( Civil Engineer)
Development to the man in the street, typically means improvement in the environment in which we conduct our daily lives. In our country, it has so far been the opposite in too many places.

Development brings along significant deterioration in the quality of our enviroment. Countrywide, this is mostly in the form of dust and mud.

Dust and mud put a bad mark on our appearance, sanitation and health,the beauty of our towns, and on tourism. We walk around with dusty shoes, our wardrobe turns pale in one day and buildings look tarnished. It is extremely difficult to maintain clean vehicles and the impact of excessive dust on vehicle systems is costly.

The problem begins with our developers. This is not to say developers are the problem. The problem rather lies in the framework of regulations and
the manner of their administration, or lack thereof, by the government. It appears small-scale developers (or entrepreneurial developers, as I would like to call them) in our country simply pay a fee to the council and they are good to develop land parcels in any way without following any development regulations.

small scale entrepreneurs in Lusaka

The only thing that seems to matter is that the building is in the right place and in the right zoning. Development is confined to the perimeter of the building. That is all the developer cares about. The adverse impacts of surface development, such as the removal of vegetation cover, increase in
impervious surface areas and subsequent changes in drainage patterns and increased storm runoff do not seem to be considered at all and go unmitigated.

Developers typically clear the area from the building footprint to the edge of the adjacent roadway. This area is left open without any landscaping or organized parking lots. This area, in front of numerous business buildings, is constantly walked on by pedestrians and driven over by traffic and parked on anyhow. These areas are the ‘breeding grounds’ for our dust and mud in towns and residential business centers.

Our country has many competent town planners and development engineers in government who, hopefully, appreciate the purpose of their professions in the welfare of the public as well as the beauty of our environment. Therefore, it does not make sense that the issue of dust and mud has never been addressed in the process of implementing small-scale developments. This is failure on the part of government.

Much of the government (councils) failure to provide proper oversight on small-scale developments can be attributed to corruption. We cannot expect small-scale developers to look out for our environment while they look to make profits. Spending a little more to at least improve the appeal of their facade is the last thing on their minds regardless of the value inherent within it. It does not affect their real business because we, as customers, have learned not to care how a business looks like on the outside as long as they have what we want.

We just go in with our mud and dust and give them our business. There is no reason to expect a single developer to care about the mud and dust in front of his business when nobody else cares. The issue of dust and mud (a result of poor drainage) is a government regulation issue and a constitutional responsibility effected through the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act of 1990. The Act is supposed to be administered by the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ), assuming this has not changed recently.

This was once a beautiful park in the copperbelt

On dust and mud,the council may as well be nonexistent. They do not consider the cumulative impact of small-scale developments on our environment. This
cumulative impact is just as significant as that of large developments which require environmental impact studies. The government must have regulations or codes at the local level or effectively enforce existing regulations to bring about proper site developments. A developer must be required to submit a plan of development, and design plans showing how he or she proposes to develop the site; not the building. It is the job of the city engineer to review these proposals and make sure the proposed site development is proper. Local regulations must require that small private developers include in their proposals, Best Management Practices for Erosion and Sedment Control on their sites, during development and after development. By these standards, most of our small- developments are incomplete and that is exactly how they look like to our tourists.

Regulation must require proposals on how small-scale developers will mitigate the impacts of increased storm runoff from their sites and demonstrate that their site development will be consistent with and or facilitate the orderly future development of adjacent plots. Failure of small developments to provide for proper drainage is what leads to mud, standing water and roadside ditches or storm sewers that are deposited with excess sediment and cannot do their job.

The result is flooded roads following rain storms during our wet season. In the absence of other measures that would accomplish the same mitigation effects, small developers must be required to pave the area between the buildings and the adjacent roadway and mark out a proper parking lot. If the distance to the street is too much, the developer needs to propose a landscaping plan that introduces grass cover or other non-erodible application between the roadway and the parking lot.

This curbed grass cover should be maintained by the developer as long as it is on his property. Offsite development on public property must be adopted and maintained by the council. This opinion is expressed with the hope that our new government is going to look at the small changes that will make a long-term difference in the lives of Zambians.

Our new president’s best record comes from his performance as governor of Lusaka and as Minister of Local Government and Housing. He demonstrated then that he had a vision on how to improve the environment in which we live our lives,by cleaning up the house. I hope that he will bring this vision into
this government because we could use it. Town and country planning must begin to make sense for once.

It is time our government ventured out and embarked on an awareness campaign for developers as well as citizens to bring an understanding of what it will take to improve our surroundings, the importance of sustainable development and the role government will play in it,including improvement of water supplies to maintain grass landscaping.

A road in a residential area in the copperbelt

Government must also encourage individual home owners, through community enhancement programs, to grass their surroundings.This endeavor to reduce or eliminate dust and mud and clean up our surroundings begins with the government itself, especially its ministry offices. There are numerous government offices with vast dust pans in front, constantly being eroded.

I have just spent a month in Mpika. There, the ministry of health offices, the ministry of agriculture offices, and the general hospital itself sit before a waiting cloud of dust. This is the same senario countrywide. If our government is to put an end to our dust and mud, it must first
start addressing the issue around public property. It would not make much sense for the government to enforce onsite and offsite development rules on developers to reduce dust and mud while there are no properly paved roads or the existing roads abutting these parcels are in sorry shape.
Health and dust are not compatible in development.

Foreign Investors in Timber Industry in Zambia externalizing their profits-TPAZ

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Zambia is losing revenue from illegal cutting of trees. Mongu district forestry department confiscating timber from unlicensed dealers at Mongu central market during a market inspection exercise in Mongu

THE Timber Producers Association of Zambia (TPAZ) has urged Government to revoke all timber licences because most investors are allegedly externalising their profits.
TPAZ vice-president Charles Masange said the timber industry is currently dominated by foreign investors, hence the need for Government to sort out the issuance of licences to bring sanity in the industry.

Mr Masange said in an interview in Lusaka that Zambia could realise revenue from the export of timber if the necessary measures are put in place for the industry to positively contribute to country’s economy.

He said the policies should be revised in order for both parties to benefit unlike the current situation where only a few are advantaged noting that the timber sector is only contributing one percent to the Gross Domestic Product.

“The timber industry has been performing very badly because it is overcrowded by foreigners,” he said. He said Government should immediately revise the Investment Act under Zambia Development Agency to scrutinise genuine and fake investors and also constitute a Taskforce to monitor and control timbering in the country.

[pullquote]Mr Masange said currently most foreigners buy timber from the locals at a minimum price of K1 million per tonne and resale at about US$10,000 to 12,000 per tonne.[/pullquote]

Mr Masange said currently most foreigners buy timber from the locals at a minimum price of K1 million per tonne and resale at about US$10,000 to 12,000 per tonne.

He alleged Zambians will continue to be disadvantaged, if the trend of investors engaged in large hectarge of timbering is left unchecked adding that foreign investors should be allowed to participate in the secondary industry so that they export finished materials instead of raw materials.

He said Zambia does not benefit from its timber as it is directly exported to country of the investors’choice.

[pullquote]“I call them (foreign investors) harvesters instead of investors because they are abusing our timber which is natural resources from which we are suppose to benefit locally,” he said .[/pullquote]

“I call them (foreign investors) harvesters instead of investors because they are abusing our timber which is natural resources from which we are suppose to benefit locally,” he said .

He also said the Government should consider funding the wood industry so that it can create jobs, improve people’s livelihood and generally contribute to the development of the country’s economy.

MMD’s ‘Shi Mpundu pa nkoloko’ jailed for 18 days with hard labour

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NDOLA Principal resident magistrate Collins Lundah has sentenced former MMD Ndola district vice-information and publicity secretary Alex Mubanga to 18 days imprisonment with hard labour for conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.

This is in a case Mubanga, 53, popularly known as ‘Shimpundu pa nkoloko’ was charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, contrary to section 178 (F) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence are that Mubanga on August 27, 2011 in Ndola, jointly and whilst acting together with persons unknown, did threaten violence against Patriotic Front (PF) member George Mutale outside Mixed Doubles pub.

Passing the sentence in the Ndola magistrates court yesterday, Mr Lundah said he had thoroughly gone through the facts and found Mubanga guilty. “I have gone through the facts thoroughly and I have found you guilty of the subject offence,” Mr Lundah said.

Mubanga said he did not have anything to add or subtract to the statement of facts when it was read out to him. In mitigation, Mubanga of house number 1091, Lubuto township in Ndola, asked the court for leniency because he is an asthma patient and also suffers from diabetes.

“I have understood the charge and I plead for the courts leniency because I have realised that what I did was wrong and I have since transformed into a better citizen,” Mubanga said.

Mubanga said he has reformed and is remorseful for his actions. He complained that the MMD has abandoned him despite the fact that he is a staunch member of the opposition party.

Mr Lundah said he would be lenient because Mubanga is a first offender who had shown remorse. The sentence runs from October 5, the date on which his bail was revoked after he changed plea, admitting the charge.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Dr Musokotwane agrees to provide Police with bicycles documentation

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Police spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana
Police spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana

POLICE have asked former Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane to provide documentation on the procurement of the 1,230 bicycles confiscated from his house.

Police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said the police want Dr Musokotwane to provide receipts as proof of purchase to ascertain if the bicycles are private property.
Ms Siamana said in an interview in Lusaka on October 10 that Dr Musokotwane has agreed to produce documents that will prove that the bicycles belong to him and were not procured with public funds.

“We discovered that they were actually 1,230 bicycles which were confiscated from Dr Musokotwane and now we want the documentation which will prove that this is personal property,” Ms Siamana said.

She said the receipts will also help the police determine whether tax was paid on the bicycles and which company supplied them.

Ms Siamana said it is important for the police to get the documentation from Dr Musokotwane as this will also reveal the source of funding for the buying of the bicycles.
“We want the receipts and tax paid which will prove whether the bicycles are personal property or not,” she said.

She said Dr Musokotwane has agreed to provide the police with all the documentation regarding the procurement of the bicycles.

She said when the police complete studying the documents it will further determine whether to hand back the property or not.

Police last Friday confiscated over 1,000 bicycles from the private residence of the former minister.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Zambia-Malawi relations cordial – Kambwili

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Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Chishimba Kambwili says Zambia and Malawi enjoy cordial diplomatic relations and has dismissed assertions of souring ties between the two countries.

Mr Kambwili said in an interview on October 10 that it is important for people to differentiate between President Sata’s deportation from Malawi in 2007 and the diplomatic relations between Zambia and Malawi.

“To the contrary, the diplomatic relations between Malawi and Zambia are very cordial. You must appreciate that Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Bob Sichinga and his team has left for Malawi to attend the COMESA summit and I leave tomorrow (today) at 11:00 hours,” Mr Kambwili said.

He said President Sata would not have sent the Zambian delegation to attend the COMESA summit if the diplomatic ties between the two countries had soured.

Mr Kambwili, however, said President Sata is right to ask for an apology from the Malawian Government for having deported him in 2007.

“There is an issue here which should be resolved between the Malawian Government and His Excellency President Michael Sata and we are asking them to revoke the deportation and furnish us with reasons why he was deported,” Mr Kambwili said.

He said this is a lesson to African countries not to mistreat opposition leaders.

Mr Kambwili said African leaders should learn from developed countries like Britain and the United States which do not mistreat opposition leaders.

He said African leaders should realise that they will not be in their positions forever.

“The President is right to ask for an apology so that the matter can be resolved,” Mr Kambwili said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Commission of Inquiry not set up for retribution-Kabimba

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PF Secretary General, Wynter Kabimba
Wynter Kabimba

The Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Sata to probe corruption allegations into the procurement of oil and petroleum products started sitting in Lusaka yesterday.

Chairperson Wynter Kabimba said the commission was not set up for retribution and will not be prejudicial in executing its mandate.

President Sata recently dissolved the Energy Regulation Board and appointed the commission of inquiry.

President Sata appointed the commission to address what he called corruption in the energy regulation sector. President Sata said that there was too much corruption in the handling of energy in the country, and that the current fuel prices at the time were supposed to be cheaper by more than K500 per litre.

Other members of the commission sitting include Guy Phiri, Chipili Katunasa, Hang’umba Hang’umba, Charles Mushota, and Kelly Mwanamwale.

And Former Chairperson of the disbanded Board of Directors at ERB Sikota Wina said that his team would fully co-operate with the Wynter Kabimba Commission of Inquiry.

Mr. Wina said that the former board members had nothing to hide regarding the operations of the ERB, stating that it was understandable that the new government wanted to clear the air over the performance of the Energy sector.

ZNBC

Dario Fired Via Phone Call

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Dario Bonetti has revealed that he received his dismissal notice through a phone call from Faz boss Kalusha Bwalya.

Bonetti’s 15 month in charge officially ended on Monday after Football House revealed that the Italian would leave by mutual consent.

“I have nothing in writing I was just called on phone by Kalusha,” Bonetti said. “I am still waiting for official documents right now.”

Bonetti added that he was not shocked by the news and was expecting it.

The Italian 15-month reign has seen him preside over 8 victories,3 draws and 4 losses.

Bonetti said he was not bitter to have been dismissed just after securing Zambia’s place at the Gabon/Equatorial Guinea Africa Cup tournament which is three month away and to be held from January 21 to February 12.

“We had the results we were top of the group sometimes the result is not enough too like in this case,” Bonetti said.

FAZ fires National Team Coach Dario Bonetti

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Zambia National Soccer Team Coach Dario Bonetti watches the Zesco –Green Buffaloes rescheduled Week 10 match from the terraces at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka
Fired Zambia National Soccer Team Coach Dario Bonetti

The Executive Committee of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) met today in an emergency meeting to review the performance of the national team and have decided fire coach Dario Bonetti

FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya said the decision was taken by mutual consent.

“Though the team has qualified, there’s still more that the team can give.The team has more potential than that,” the FAZ President said

“We will go back to the drawing board, consult with stakeholders and make necessary changes in due course, ” Kalusha added.

However Bonetti has denied that he had agreed to leave. “My intention was to stay here,” he said

“I have done my work very well, I have qualified the team for the Nations Cup. This is a great opportunity for all our players,” he argued. “The people are happy, everything was ok. Obviously I am sorry for what’s happened, but I must accept it,” he said

He talked up his record with Zambia.

“I’m happy and our record in the last 15 games speaks for itself ,one of the best in Africa.I enjoyed working with this team.We contributed positively and We have worked very well. Nobody can discount this.”

“I feel very happy because We worked with very good players and the staff. I want to stay happy and leave with fond memories of my time here.I hope we can close the contract properly.”

Bonetti did say he has enjoyed his time in the country Zambia and thanked the Government and people .

“All the people I met, they are happy and friendly . We were very well received. I want to thank the people of Zambia for their hospitality.

Council takes over Kulima Tower Bus

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Mini buses are operating out side the Kulima Tower station which is under renovation.
Mini buses are operating out side the Kulima Tower

The Lusaka City Council has taken over the operations of Kulima Tower bus station in Lusaka.

Council Public Relations Officer Henry Kapata says the move is in line with the provisions of the Bus Stations and Markets Act of the Laws of Zambia.

Mr. Kapata says political party cadres smoothly handed over operations to the local authority this morning.

He told ZNBC News Monday morning that plain clothed police officers and council police officers have been deployed to monitor the situation at the station.

Last week Local Government, Housing Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister professor Nkandu Luo directed councils to take over operations of Bus stations and markets.

ZNBC

ECZ announce Parliamentary bye-elections dates.

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http://www.lusakatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ecz.jpeg

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set Thursday November 24 as the date for Parliamentary bye-elections in three constituencies and 35 wards.

The three constituencies include Chongwe where newly elected MMD MP Japhen Mwakalombe resigned and Nakonde where the PF candidate John Siame died before the election.

The other constituency is Magoye where the National Movement for Progress candidate Willie Malambo also died before the September 20 polls.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna says the Commission has set November one as the date for the filling in of nominations.

Mr Akufuna says aspiring candidates will be required to pay 5-hundred thousand kwacha and that all the candidates should carry with them nine supporters.

He says aspiring candidates who had earlier paid their nomination fees and were validly nominated will not pay the fees except for Chongwe.

ZNBC

Scrutinize MMD defectors – Nyangu

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MMD Deputy National secretary Chembe Nyangu

Opposition MMD Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu has urged the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) to scrutinize former MMD members joining the ruling party.

Mr. Nyangu says some party members leaving his party have a problem and that they were taking their problems to the ruling party.

Mr. Nyangu who was speaking in an interview in Lusaka says people leaving MMD are no committed and principled members.

“I would like to caution PF that those defecting from the opposition have got problems themselves. Some of them are not genuine MMD members they have got problems and they are taking problems to the ruling party because they know very well that they are problematic themselves. Leaving MMD is not the reason for joining PF,” he said.

He cited the United National Independence Party (UNIP) as one of the parties whose members have remained committed despite the party leaving power about 20 years ago and appealed to MMD members to emulate UNIP.

“Look at UNIP, it has been there for many years but it is still strong. Why can’t our members in MMD emulate UNIP by remaining and support their party,” he said.

Mr. Nyangu, however, says each person has got a democratic right to join any political party of their choice.

The former ruling party has in the past few days suffered major setback as its members continue to defect to the ruling PF.

ZNBC

Finance Bank to float shares on Lusaka Stock Exchange– Dr Mahtani

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Dr Rajan Mahtani

The Mahtani Group of Companies has disclosed that Finance Bank Zambia will be listed on the Stock Exchange for the benefit of Zambians.

Group Chairman Rajan Mahtani also says the reversal of the sale of Finance Bank has restored confidence in foreign investors wishing to invest in Zambia.

Dr Mahtani says President Michael Sata’s directive to reverse the sale of Finance Bank has proven that he will not allow any injustice to be done to anyone.

He says in a statement to ZNBC News that the regulators deliberately ignored the fact that 40 percent of the Bank is owned by credit Suisse, one of the largest players in the international financial industry.

Dr. Mahtani also says Finance bank was deliberately undervalued and that the restoration process will prove that the bank’s value will be in excess of $200 million within a short time.

Dr. Mahtan sounded a warning to the those owing the bank to settle all their dues in the shortest possible time as their ‘orchestrated schemes’ had failed.

ZNBC

Three children drown

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Three children of Madimba area in Lilanda compound in Lusaka have drowned in an open water well.

According to information obtained at Chunga police post all the three children are aged three years old.

Eye witnesses told ZNBC News that two of the Children are a set of twins while the other is also a twin from another family.

Corridar Tokwani says the children were all found dead in the well Sunday afternoon.

Mrs. Tokwani suspects the children where playing near the well in which they drowned and died.

Meanwhile, residents of Madimba area in Lilanda have bemoaned high incidences of children drowning in water wells in the area.

They have since appealed to Government to improve water reticulation in the area to reduce on the number of water wells.
[ZNBC]

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