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 The sentence runs from October 5, the date on which his bail was revoked after he changed plea, admitting the charge.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]

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]

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]

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

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]

Labour Deputy Minister Rayford Mbulu has instructed all unionised workers who had downed tools at the Non-Ferrous Mining Company of Africa NFCA in Chambishi to resume normal duties immediately.

This is because the company and the government have resolved their critical concerns including the basic pay for the miners.

Mr. Mbulu says management at NFCA has agreed to pay K2million as basic salary for the lowest paid worker.

He says no worker will also be victimized for protesting to demand improved conditions of service.

He says the workers were not on strike but merely protesting against alleged prolonged oppression.

But the Deputy Minister has wondered why the company has suddenly agreed to increase salaries for its workers when all along NFCA indicated that it was not able.

But NFCA Corporate Affairs Manager Nelson Jilowa says management has no comment on the matter at the moment.

When asked when the management would respond, Mr. Jilowa who attended the Deputy Minister’s press briefing with other NFCA Senior officials told ZNBC News that comment has been reserved.

Meanwhile Mr. Mbulu has directed Scaw Limited in Kitwe to immediately stop casualisation of labour.

He has also instructed Murray and Roberts of Chingola to harmonise salaries for Zambians and expatriates.

He also warned Chambeshi Metals to normalise salaries which were reportedly reduced by forty per cent during the 2008 global recession.

Mr. Mbulu says the Patriotic Front PF government is eager to create an enabling environment for investment
[ZNBC]