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File: Lusaka business man and former Finance Chairman with lawyer Mumba Kapumpa at Magistrate Court.
Trial in a case in which Former Finance Bank board chairperson, Dr. Rajan Mahtani is facing two counts of acquiring special interest and money laundering charges failed to take off today.
This is because Dr. Mahtani is still recovering from an operation he under went at South Africa’s milpark hospital on 4th August 2011.
Dr. Mahtani’s Lawyer R. Madaika availed Lusaka Resident Magistrate, Joshua Banda a letter dated 8 September 2011, from Dr. Mahtani’s Doctor, Robert Girdwood.
According to the letter, Dr. Mahtani can only resume his normal work duties three months after the operation
Dr. Girdwood also states that Dr. Mahtani underwent quintuple coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, followed by post-operative recovery.
He adds that Dr. Mahtani is progressing well and he has asked him to return for follow ups in two months time.
The matter comes up for Mention on 14 October 2011.
Meanwhile, The Lusaka high court has adjourned to 12th September, the appeal hearing for 3 Patriotic Front (PF) cadres, convicted on assault charges.
The trio, Ashel Kampengele, George Lemba and Francis Mumba are alleged to have assaulted former PF member, Samson Zulu on 5th June 2009.
Lusaka Magistrate, Exornobit Zulu later sentenced the 3 after convicting them on assault charges.
Kampengele, Lemba and Mumba however appealed against their sentences.
Prof Nkandu Luo taking part in a Health Forum debate
Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister, Nkandu Luo has sued the state-owned Times of Zambia.
This is over a story published on 14th September 2011 under the headline Nkandu Luo donation cheque bounces.
In the story, the Times of Zambia alleged that Professor Luo’s cheque donation of 1 million kwacha to Chainda Catholic Women’s Club had bounced.
According to an affidavit filed in the Lusaka High Court on 4th October 2011, Professor Luo, who is also Munali Member of Parliament, has also sued a member of the respective women’s club, Mary Chileshe.
In her affidavit, Professor Luo says the story implied that she was a dishonest and fraudulent person, who claimed to be credit worth when in fact not.
Professor Luo is since claiming damages, costs and any other relief which the court may deem fit as well as an injunction against the Times of Zambia.
Nkwazi this afternoon dealt Zanaco another blow in their Faz Super Division title ambitions after beating The Bankers this afternoon in Lusaka.
Nkwazi dispatched Zanaco to their second successive league defeat just three days after visitors Konkola Blades beat them 3-2 at Sunset Stadium.
Zanaco this time went down 1-0 away to Nkwazi at Edwin Emboela Stadium in a rescheduled Week 20 game.
The two teams braved an afternoon downpour that slashed on Lusaka on Wednesday and left the players slipping and skidding their way through a match that looked destined for a scoreless draw.
Nkwazi’s winner came seven minutes before fulltime when Peter Lungu headed in the ball from a Perry Mutapa cross.
The win sees Nkwazi exchange places in the drop zone with Kabwe Warriors in 13th and 14th position respectively.
Zanaco meanwhile, stay put in 5th place after 25 games on 40 points and five points behind leaders Red Arrows.
Zambia this afternoon beat Faz Super Division side Power Dynamos 3-1 in a training game played at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Dario Bonetti had a full squad in training and no injuries to report on with midfielder William Njobvu back in action after recovering from an eye infection.
Meanwhile, midfielder Isaac Chansa of defending South African league champions Orlando Pirates made it without a hitch in the game just a week after returning to action following his recovery from a two-month injury layoff.
Chansa’s highlight was scoring the second of Zambia’s three goals in the warm-up match.
Defender Kampamba Chintu of Bidvest Wits in South Africa scored the opener before Power equalized through striker Felix Nyaende.
Golden Arrows striker Collins Mbesuma capped the afternoon at Arthur Davies with a sublime overhead kick.
“I am happy with the form of the players, they have showed quality in training,” Bonetti said in a post-training interview.
Government has directed all local authorities countrywide to immediately take over all markets and bus stations.
And all councils have been directed to take an inventory of all market stalls and create a data base for traders by October 18, 2011.
Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister Professor Nkandu Luo gave the directive at a press briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Professor Luo says the policy measures aim at bringing sanity to the markets and bus stations.
Markets have in the past been run by political cadres and Associations.
The minister has also directed Councils to immediately stop issuing Car wash licenses.
And Professor Luo says she is still studying the report on the Lusaka City Council Lilayi Land scam.
She says findings will be presented to cabinet and later to the public.
Professor Luo has also announced that mayoral elections will be conducted this weekend.
Bailiffs have seized property worth millions of Kwacha from the MMD Secretariat in Lusaka.
The action is over unpaid rental arrears to the National Pension Scheme Authority – NAPSA.
NAPSA has issued a warrant of distress to recover Four Hundred and sixty one Million Kwacha in unpaid rentals by the opposition MMD.
The MMD has its national Secretariat at the NAPSA building in Lusaka.
A ZNBC News crew that visited the Secretariat Wednesday morning found officers from the Sherrif’s office removing property which included office furniture, computers, a fridge and two Toyota Hilux vehicles.
And one of the Baillifs, Masauso Banda says he was only acting on instructions from his clients.
And Special Assistant to the MMD National Secretary Tobias Kafumukache who was found at the premises described the action by NAPSA as unfortunate.
He says more than half of the arrears have already been paid and wondered why NAPSA has taken such an action.
President Michael Sata has, with immediate effect terminated the contract of Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Commissioner Aaron Zulu. The President has appointed Ms. Alita Mbahwe as the new Commissioner of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
“In exercise of the powers vested in me under paragraph 1 of the first schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Chapter 96 of the Laws of Zambia, I hereby appoint you as Commissioner, Drug Enforcement Commission, with immediate effect,” stated the President in his letter of appointment to Ms. Mbahwe.
“I congratulate you on this well-deserved appointment and I am confident that you will perform to my expectations and that of the Zambian people in general.”
The anouncement is contained in a press statement released to themedia by special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah
Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda
Business at Kamwala Trading area has come to a standstill after scores of workers employed in shops staged a protest against their employers this morning demanding for improved conditions of service.
This is the latest of the ongoing demonstrations by workers across the country who are pressing for improved salaries.
A check by QFM at Kamwala trading area this morning found almost all the shops closed with workers gathered outside the shops singing songs of solidarity.
Some workers talked to complained that their employers pay them as little as K180, 000 as a monthly salary which they described as a drop in the ocean.
They have explained that it is unfortunate that despite making a lot of money for their employers, their salaries have not improved.
The have since called on government to come to their aid saying they will not return to work until their demands are met.
Efforts to get the comments from shop owners proved futile as they declined to talk.
Meanwhile, Labour,Sports,Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda has appealed to all employees in the country to remain calm while his ministry is carrying out the Presidential directive on the revision of the current minimum wage.
Mr Shamenda in a statement released to QFM today says his ministry has already started working on the presidential directive on the current minimum wage provision as contained in the statutory Instruments 1,2 and 3.
He says therefore work stoppages to disrupt productivity in the country should not be allowed.
He adds that in addition to the issue of the minimum wages, his ministry is looking into the improvement of conditions of service for all employees in occupations where the wages and conditions of employment are regulated through the process of collective Agreement under the Industrial Relations Act or where employee/employer relationships are governed by specific employment contracts which are attested by labour officers.
Mr Shamenda further states that his ministry remains open for consultations from both employers
Everybody ,male and female would like to have six-pack. It is the stuff dreams are made off. Well stop dreaming ,if you want to have well developed abs then you can. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication. It will not happen overnight.
The first thing you need to do is add a lot of cardio to you workout. You will need to lose the weight in order for you abs to show. Some cardio workouts you can do are ; running , swimming , cycling ,star jumps (jumping jacks).
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position.
Bring your knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out.
Go back to the initial position as you breathe in.
Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.
Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.
Note: Do this slow in-order to really feel the burn.
Alternate Heel Touches
Lie on the floor with the knees bent and the feet on the floor around 18-24 inches apart. Your arms should be extended by your side. This will be your starting position.
Crunch over your torso forward and up about 3-4 inches to the right side and touch your right heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement.
Now go back slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
Now crunch over your torso forward and up around 3-4 inches to the left side and touch your left heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement and then go back to the starting position as you inhale. Now that both heels have been touched, that is considered 1 repetition.
Continue alternating sides in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
CROSS BODY CRUNCH
Lie flat on your back and bend your knees about 60 degrees.
Keep your feet flat on the floor and place your hands loosely behind your head. This will be your starting position.
Now curl up and bring your right elbow and shoulder across your body while bring your left knee in toward your left shoulder at the same time. Reach with your elbow and try to touch your knee. Exhale as you perform this movement. Tip: Try to bring your shoulder up towards your knee rather than just your elbow and remember that the key is to contract the abs as you perform the movement; not just to move the elbow.
Now go back down to the starting position as you inhale and repeat with the left elbow and the right knee.
Continue alternating in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
Note: You can also do all of your repetitions for one side and then switch to the other side.
AB CRUNCHES
The standard abdominal crunches is a great exercise for developing the upper ab region. When performing this exercise do not put your hands behind your head and force your neck as you will only do damage. Place your arms by your ears or across your chest.
Lye flat on the floor with your knees bent.
Crunch upwards trying to touch your shoulders on your knees.
Really squeeze out each rep and hold the movement slightly at the top.
HOW TO DO THEM
Do 10 reps of all these exercises , that will be 1 set. rest for 1 minute then do 10 more reps of each. Do as many sets as you can.
Do not be discouraged if you can not do 10 of each ,start with 3 , do them regularly and you will be able to increase.
Reuters reports that the government has temporarily suspended metal export permits ahead of the release of new guidelines, the ministry of mines and minerals development said in a latest move to increase transparency in Africa’s top copper producer.
Newly elected President Michael Sata has been concerned — analysts say with good reason — about copper exporters misreporting the amount of ore leaving the country, and last week said that henceforth all export payments would have to be routed via the central bank.
The suspension of permits is another sign of Sata’s administration acting quickly on its populist campaign promises.
“All current permits issued by my ministry are immediately suspended pending issuance of new guidelines by the government,” Godwin Beene, the permanent secretary at the ministry said in the document, dated Oct. 4 and seen by Reuters.
The new procedures are to be in place by Oct. 16, according to the document addressed to the chief executives of miners operating in the country, which include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals , London-listed Vedanta Resources , Glencore International AG and Metorex of South Africa.
Copper accounts for three-quarters of Zambia’s export earnings, but the mining industry contributes only about 10 percent of its tax revenue.
According to Zambian figures, much of the copper exports are destined for Switzerland but little of them show up in Swiss customs data, raising questions about transparency.
Former President Rupiah Banda told Reuters in March audits had revealed that the Zambian mining sector owed up to $200 million in unpaid taxes.
United Party for National Development vice president Richard Kapita
Opposition political parties have floated UPND Vice President Richard Kapita for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly.
UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the opposition have also agreed to field MMD Lundazi Member of Parliament Mkhondo Lungu for the position of Deputy Speaker.
Mr Kakoma says the opposition will also go ahead to field FDD Chasefu MP Chifumu Banda for the position of Deputy Chairperson for the Committees of the whole house.
He was speaking in an interview with ZNBC Nws in Lusaka on Tuesday.
On Monday, opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said his party was consulting other political parties over the impending election of a new Speaker of the National Assembly.
But Mr Hichilema dismissed as misleading newspaper reports suggesting his party and the MMD were planning to field veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga.
Mr. Hichilema said the nation would be informed of the candidate his party would support for election as speaker once consultations were completed.
[ZNBC]
TAZARA managing director Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika
UNIONISED workers at Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) have downed tools to press for the removal of managing director, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika and payment of K2.4 billion in outstanding leave pay.
The workers have also appealed to President Michael Sata to quickly intervene and ask the newly-appointed minister of Labour, Sport, Youth and Gender to help resolve their plight.
Workers Union of TAZARA general secretary, Africa Mkandawire told the Times in an interview that the union had directed the workers to withdraw their labour following a meeting between the union and management on October 3 this year which failed to resolve the workers’ plight.
He said the union had asked the workers from Nakonde to Lusaka to stop work in protest against the continued stay of Mr Lewanika who they say was ineffective.
Mr Lewanika, when contacted, refused to comment.
When contacted for a comment TAZARA public relations manager, Conrad Simuchile said management was concerned by reports that the workers had withdrawn their labour demanding the removal of the managing director and a salary increment.
He said management was appealing for calm among the workers and urged them to give management a chance to look into issues they had raised and present them to the relevant organs of the TAZARA structure such as the TAZARA Joint Council and the board of directors.
But Mr Mkandawire said the workers also wanted the deputy managing director, corporation secretary and the regional general manager to be relieved of their duties.
He said the workers did not want the four officials because they were allegedly insensitive to their plight.
“Starting from today, operations will be paralysed on the Zambian side, in fact some workers at some stations have heeded our calls to withdraw labour and they are not working,” he said.
Mr Mkandawire said the workers were also demanding that the company amends its collective agreement so that workers retire at 60 years according to the Tanzanian law which they said the board and management of TAZARA were currently abrogating.
He said the workers were also being mistreated by the management by allegedly giving them tasks which were outside their job descriptions and that they were threatened with dismissal if they failed to do what they were assigned.
Mr Mkandawire claimed that Mr Lewanika had been absent from his Tanzanian office for the last two months and was currently staying in Lusaka.
Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda
LABOUR Minister Fackson Shamenda has said employers should not continue to abuse workers by paying the minimum wage but should pay wages that are proportionate to the amount of work given.
And the minister has said workers across the country were free to protest and air their grievances as long as they did not resort to illegal strikes.
Mr Shamenda said it was clear that workers had been oppressed for a long time and that it was expected that they felt liberated and wanted to publicize their plight.[pullquote]Workers are protesting because they have seen a change in policy and government so where they protest, they are free to do so as long as they do not engage in illegal strikes or affect production[/pullquote]
He said the protests would eventually pass because they represented results of the many under-hand methods used to cheat the Zambian workforce in most companies.
“They are protesting because they have seen a change in policy and government so where they protest, they are free to do so as long as they do not engage in illegal strikes or affect production,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said various companies should not pay poorly because of the low minimum wage requirements stipulated by law.
He said workers should be paid wages that reflect the amount of work they were asked to do.
Mr Shamenda said as part of the review of the minimum wage, his ministry would study various industries and establish how individual industries were performing and what the workers should be getting.
He said companies should award employees according to their capacities and not restrict themselves to paying the minimum wage.
“We cannot have companies giving minimum wage to workers even in mining or hazardous environments, when they have the capacity to pay more,” he said.
Former Minister of Finance & National Planning N'gandu Magande
National Movement for Progressive party leader Nga’ndu Magande said in Lusaka yesterday that the president should have waited for the outcome of results from the commission of inquiry he had tasked to investigate the sale of the bank.
Mr Magande, who is a former Finance minister, said Presidents Sata’s decision on FBZ may raise uncertainty in stakeholders and members of the public. He said the president should have maintained the pronouncement he made when he directed the ministry of Justice to establish a commission of inquiry to probe the sale transactions of FBZ and ZAMTEL.
“I think he should have allowed the process of the law to be followed. The directive he gave the ministry of Justice to establish a commission of inquiry to probe the transaction was a very good move. The commission could have come up with tangible results,” Mr Magande said.
Zambia Empowerment for Economic Development leader Fred Mutesa said President Sata’s decision was done haphazardly. Dr Mutesa said President Sata should have given sufficient time to the ministry of Justice to act according to his directive and get a solid report after investigations. “The setting up of the commission of inquiry was imperative because we all really wanted to know reasons why the MMD government sold Finance Bank and how the transaction was done,” he said.
United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema welcomed the move by the Government to give back Finance Bank Zambia to the original owners.
He said repossessing FBZL was a good move because the bank was taken from Rajan Mahtani for political reasons. He, however, called for orderliness in the handover of FBZL to the original owners.“Finance Bank was taken over wrongly and its handover to the original owners is a very welcome move except that the transition should be done in an orderly way,” Mr Hichilema said.
Meanwhile First Rand National Bank (FNB) has said it has not yet received an official notification on the decision to reverse the sale of Finance Bank Zambia.
FNB South Africa chief executive officer Michael Jordaan said there had been no formal communication on reversal of its transaction to acquire certain assets and liabilities of FBZ.
Mr Jordaan said this in a statement yesterday released by FNB South Africa head of corporate communications, Virginia Magapatona.
“FNB confirms that despite today’s media reports, it has not received any formal notification that its proposed transaction to acquire certain assets and liabilities of FBZ has been reversed.
“Zambia’s central bank, Bank of Zambia approached FNB South Africa to provide experienced managers to assist BoZ in managing the operations of FBZ whilst BoZ undertook a process to secure the long-term future of FBZ,” Mr Jordaan said.
President Michael Sata on Monday reversed the sale of FBZ to FNB and ordered the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to return it to its original owners. Mr Jordaan said BoZ conducted a transparent process which it confirmed was both within its mandate and within the appropriate legal framework to protect depositors, customers and employees of FBZ and that it was systemically important to the banking system of Zambia.
“This process resulted in the proposed sale transaction with BoZ. We strongly believe that the due process was followed and that the agreements reached with BoZ were concluded in accordance with
the Zambian law,” he said.
Mr Jordaan said FNB South Africa was already a significant international investor in Zambia to which it was still committed and would continue to evaluate its options as the situation developed. Meanwhile President Michael Sata’s decision to reverse the sale of Finance Bank Zambia Limited (FBZ) and return it to the original owners has been received with mixed feelings.
The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) last month sold selected assets and liabilities in FBZ to FNB at a net cost of K27 billion. The central bank last year had taken over supervisory action against FBZ and took possession of the bank.
[Times of Zambia]
Minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu at the swearing-in ceremony at State House
JUSTICE Minister Sebastian Zulu has said while constructive criticism of the judiciary is welcome, the media should not insinuate wholesome corruption in the judiciary when it cannot substantiate its claims.
And Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Minister, Given Lubinda has said the Government will not run affairs of the judiciary based on people’s opinions.
Mr Zulu said that the Government had noted with disapproval that some media houses had taken it upon themselves to insinuate that the entire judiciary was corrupt and that they should give reasons behind the acquittal of certain individuals.
He said in a statement yesterday that some media houses had also misled the public that adjudicators acted on instructions from some authorities to decide in a particular way. The minister said it had further been suggested by some media houses that judicial officers could be arrested and prosecuted for what were perceived as wrong judgments.
“The position of the Government is that in terms of the law, no judicial officer can be arrested or prosecuted for delivering what can be perceived as a wrong judgment. “It should be noted that judges do not dialogue with third parties regarding the content or basis of their judgments. The judgments speak for themselves,” he said.
He said the Zambian Government was a signatory to the Commonwealth Bangalore Principles which ensure judicial independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equity of all before courts, competence and diligence of judicial officers.
Mr Zulu said the principles alluded to were of critical necessity to constitutional governance and were enshrined in the Zambian Constitution and the Judicial Code of Conduct.
He said it was an undeniable fact that some magistrates had been arrested, prosecuted and convicted for corruption while others had been dealt with administratively and dismissed.
He said in an even that members of the public or other third parties suspected impropriety or misconduct on the part of a judicial officer, they may complain to or present their evidence of such impropriety or misconduct to relevant institutions such as the Judicial Complaints Authority.
Mr Zulu said judicial officers were therefore not immune from criminal sanctions for corruption. “The judiciary is not averse to constructive criticism but it is destructive criticism which is objectionable,” he said. And Mr Lubinda said yesterday that the new Government respected citizens’ freedom of expression.
He said the Patriotic Front administration was eager to listen to various opinions being expressed concerning what needed to be done in sectors such as the judiciary. He, however, said the Government would not act on or respond to every opinion by citizens on any subject.
“We will not react every time someone gives an opinion on anything because we then run the risk of reacting to everything that is expressed,” he said. He said the Government would operate by acting on issues based on thorough analyses of situations.
