President Banda has reduced by 50 percent the prices for the sale of RAMCOZ houses. Similary, the Presidential decree has affected all Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) houses.

” I wish to inform the people of Luanshya that with immeadiate effect, the price of RAMCOZ shall be sold to sitting tenants at 50 percent of the 2006 price,” he said.

The President said this follows sitting tenants’ petition for him to consider revising the asking price of the said housing units. The move will affect 2000 families.

Mr. Banda stated that prices for the sale of RAMCOZ houses should be sold to sitting tenants at 50 percent of the 2006 evaluation.

He said he had accepted the recommendation from the Vice President George Kunda, as Justice minister and supervisor of the Administrator General, that the houses of be reduced by 50 percent.

He disclosed this during a public rally at Dola Hill in Ndola today.

President Banda announced that the Ministry of Lands has already started processing offer letters to all sitting tenants.

He urged the Ministry of Lands to promptly issue all offers and certificates of title.

President stated that he was not prepared to have delays in the issuance of certificates of title as has been the case with the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) houses.

Meanwhile, the President has handed over five letters of offer to sitting tenants of ZAFFICO to purchase their houses at prices ranging from K4 million to K1.5 million.

The beneficiaries include a Mr Bornface Kasote who will pay K3.5 million, Maxwell Kalyamato K4 million and Moleon Muthali who will pay a paltry K1.9 million.

Others are Wisdom Musonda K1,9 Million and Davies Ngulube will pay K 1.5 million for his house.

He said having shelter gives dignity to the family and hence his government was committed to empowering the citizenry with accommodation for them to be economically empowered.

And President Banda has promised to find a person that provide funds to purchase a house for a widow of an ex ZAFFICO employee.

President Banda stated that he was touched when he saw the woman and her children when he inspected the housing units and felt duty bound to find someone who will buy her the house.

About 2, 000 Zambians will benefit from the sale of ZAFFICO and RAMCOZ houses.

ZANIS

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says it might have to institute public interest proceedings over the breach of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Act.

This is in the advent of the association citing the national broadcaster, ZNBC for gross abuse of the respective piece of legislation.

LAZ President, Musa Mwenye says ZNBC has on several occasions in its news, broadcast libel and slander with no regard for rights of persons.

Mr Mwenye has further explained that LAZ is exploring means of redress of the situation in the interest of the public.

He has added that ZNBC’s news broadcast is unbalanced and mostly inclined to the MMD, a situation which has been compounded by the absence of a board of directors at the media institution.
[ MUVI ]

Movement for Multiparty Democracy MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga has said that the party is relieved now that Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo has left the party.

Mr. Mabenga said that the MMD did not like the behavior of Ms. Masebo and that it was therefore a relief that she has left the party.

In an interview with QFM in Lusaka, Mr. Mabenga said the MMD was still intact despite the departure of the former local government and housing minister.

He said the party does not regret that Ms Masebo has left the party because it will even become much stronger.

He has expressed confidence that the party will still retain the votes in Chongwe constituency because of the developmental initiatives that the MMD government has taken to the area.

Mr Mabenga further states that the party will remain focused and ensure that victory is guaranteed the coming elections.

And Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu has said the process of adopting candidates to stand on the ruling party’s Parliamentary and Local government seats in this year’s elections was going on well in all the constituencies across the country.

Mr. Nyangu said the party was so far satisfied with the manner in which interviews were being conducted throughout the country.

He urged all Provincial MMD panels involved in the process to do a good job so that the party would be able to choose winning candidates in this year’s elections.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that all interviews were currently being conducted at provincial level adding that they were going on smoothly in all the nine provinces of Zambia.

The deputy National Secretary said that the process was halted following the demise of the Second Republican President Dr Frederick Chiluba who died on Saturday, June 18, 2011.

Mr. Nyangu stated that the party was optimistic that by today,(Saturday), the National Executive Committee (NEC) would be in a position to receive a list of adopted candidates for both Parliamentary and local government elections.

He further explained that the MMD would ensure that it selects candidates who would be easy to pitch to the electorate ahead of this year’s elections.

He added that the party had never experienced any adoption problems from the time the exercise started early last month adding that this was an indication that the ruling party was the most democratic party in the country.

Mr. Nyangu also said that the opposition would wake up in a rude shock after this year’s polls because the ruling party under President Rupiah Banda‘s leadership was going to win the elections with a resounding victory.

He appealed to all Zambians to vote for President Banda and all MMD cadidates for continued development in the country.

The Zambia Army says a fact finding mission that was instituted to investigate international media reports that Zambian troops deployed as peace keepers in Sudan failed to protect the civilians in Abyei region during clashes between rival Sudanese forces has established that troops conducted themselves professionally.

Reuters recently reported that Zambian troops retreated during the fight that took place on the 21st of May, 2011 between Sudan armed Forces and the Sudan people’s Liberation army in Abyei.

At a press briefing in Lusaka this afternoon, Zambia Army Chief of operations and training, Brigadier general John Bulawayo said the fact finding mission to Sudan which was led by Deputy Army commander and Chief staff Major General Vincent Mukanda has revealed that the Zambian troops conducted themselves in a professional manner contrary to reports.

Brigadier General Bulawayo adds that the UN force commander Major General Moses Bisongi Obi confirmed to the fact finding mission delegation that the Zambian troops conducted themselves professionally and were able to protect the UN staff and property.

General Bulawayo has also noted that no fatalities were recorded among the Zambian Peace keepers who are currently in Sudan.

QFM

Chongwe Member of parliament Sylvia Masebo says she is excited at attacks targeted at her by the MMD following her resignation because they are an indication that the ruling party is panicking.

Ms. Masebo has told QFM amid laughter that she is wondering why the MMD has continued to attack her when they had earlier indicated that her exit from the party was good riddance.

The parliamentarian could however not comment on the accusations that she has been asking MMD members in Chongwe to surrender their MMD materials so that they can be used for a staged defection this weekend.

Ms. Masebo told QFM that she was rushing for a meeting to plan for a rally scheduled to place tomorrow in Chongwe district.

She adds that all queries that people have been asking about her will be answered during the same rally where she will formally announce her exit from the MMD.

Yesterday the MMD in Lusaka province during a press briefing announced that the Party had information that Ms. Masebo was planning to stage a fake defection were she would lead the defectors to the PF.

And Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata says Chongwe Member of parliament Silvia Masebo resigned from the ruling MMD because she wants to join the opposition Patriotic Front.

Mr. Sata says every person has a right to decide where they want to belong noting that when an individual decides to resign it means they are not satisfied with their current position.

He says Ms. Masebo is welcome to join the party adding that the PF will be ready to welcome her.

In a telephone interview with QFM, Mr. Sata says with the recent defection of former Kitwe mayor Lackson Kazabu from the UPND, the PF will continue welcoming more members into the party.

Mr. Sata says Mr. Kazabu’s defection to the PF is confirmed and that he has since applied to contest one of the constituencies in Kitwe on the PF ticket.

QFM