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Zesco's Billy Mwanza shows a wound he sustained after he was torched by Al Ahly supporters in Egypt
Caf says Al Ahly will play one game behind closed doors following fireworks and fire flare scenes during their Caf Champions League game last weekend in Cairo that left one Zesco United player injured.
The Caf disciplinary board made the ruling on Friday when it met in Cairo.
Zesco defender Billy Mwanza suffered a hand injury in the second half of the match played on May 8 at Cairo International Stadium.
Mwanza needed five stitches on his arm after he was rushed to hospital just after he was hit by a flare thrown from the stands 10 minutes into the second half of the game.
The defender will miss Zesco’s league game against Roan United away at Kafubu Stadium this afternoon while he recovers from the injury.
CAF has also handed Al Ahly a US$ 40,000 fine on top of playing their first home game in the Champions League group stage that kicks off in July behind closed doors in Cairo.
Al Ahly went on to win the game 1-0 and advanced to the group stage on the same goal aggregate while Zesco have been relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup third round that commences in a fortnights time.
INSPECTOR General of Police Francis Kabonde has directed all provincial commanding officers to immediately disband all traffic roadblocks, describing them as a nuisance.
Mr Kabonde said the commanding officers should always be alert and ensure that the travelling public were not inconvenienced unnecessarily, saying most of the roadblocks were not beneficial to anyone.
Reacting to complaints from the public who complained of increasing number of roadblocks from Kapiri Mposhi to Lusaka, Mr Kabonde said the directive to discontinue such operations was with immediate effect.
Mr Kabonde said the commanding officers should ensure that the directive was implemented without fail, and cautioned officers who would deliberately attempt to set up a roadblock of disciplinary action.
“I want to confirm that I have with immediate effect disbanded roadblocks throughout the country because most of them are not beneficial to the service and the public as a whole and are not serving the intended purpose,” he said.
He said only checkpoints would be allowed at strategic points, adding that discontinuing of the roadblock did not mean that officers would go to sleep and that maintaining peace and order would continue.
He, however, appealed to the public to take an interest in differentiating between police officers from the Police Service and those from the Road Safety and Transport Agency (RSTA) whose line of operations was different.
He said his command was interested in ensuring that members of the public were not inconvenienced in the course of police duty while safeguarding property and maintaining peace.
At the weekend, some motorists complained over what they termed continued harassment by police officers manning roadblocks.
The motorists told the Times in Kabwe it was saddening that the public had continued to suffer at the hands of police officers in six or seven roadblocks mounted between Lusaka and Kapiri Mposhi.
The motorists claimed that as a result of the roadblocks, there had been loss of business due the inevitable delays.
Stand up for Zambia producer Chanda Chimba (III) captured when collecting footage for his series that has launched scanthing attacks in PF leader Michael Sata
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has sued the publisher of Stand Up for Zambia (SUFZ) News, Chanda Chimba III for allegedly publishing defamatory articles about him, including his sickness.
Mr Sata claimed he had been seriously injured in his character, credit and reputation and was demanding damages and an injunction restraining Mr Chimba and his servant or agents from distributing, circulating or selling the said tabloid until determination of the matter.
He said Mr Chimba’s publication alleged that his sicknesses had led to fears that he might not lead the country longer due to his serious medical condition.
In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court yesterday, Mr Sata said the defamatory articles were under the headlines “Sata is a sick man”, “Close encounter with the Cobra” and “King Cobra spearheads homosexual campaigns”.
Mr Sata indicated that the first article stated that he was diagnosed with four threatening diseases in September 2009 after undergoing 22 different medical tests at a named clinic in Lusaka.
He said a tube was inserted to pump out some fluid around the heart as a consequence of his heavy smoking and that there were fears that even if he was elected as president, he would not lead the country for a long time because of the serious medical condition.
Mr Sata said the second article stated that he would make a dangerous leader should Zambians make a mistake of voting him into office because he was exceedingly tribal and a reckless dictator.
“That Mr Sata lacked any qualification to be head of State and his understanding of issues was limited to attacks, insults and lies,” he said.
Mr Sata said the third article indicated that his desperation for power had turned him into a pro-gay activist.
“Sata is desperate because the Orange Party in Taiwan which bankrolled his last three attempts at the presidency is out of power and is demanding back the money that they spent on him and the land and other things that he had promised.
“Following the loss of power of the Orange Party in Taiwan, Mr Sata has now turned to gay activists and countries that support homosexuality to fund his campaign so that in return he would enhance gay rights in Zambia.
”The PF leader said the article also indicated that he had promised to remove from the Statutes the sodomy and bestiality laws as contained in Chapter 87 section 155 of the Penal Code so that gay rights would be guaranteed and enshrined in Zambia.
Mr Sata said the articles in their natural and ordinary meaning were understood to mean that his health had considerably deteriorated, and that the Zambian electorate should not vote for the plaintiff in the forthcoming presidential election as he was unlikely to conclude his term of office due to poor health.
Luangeni Member of Parliament (MP) Angela Cifire says Chiefs play a key role in the development process of the country and has dismissed claims that government only works with traditional rulers during election time.
Ms. Cifire who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister says it was pleasing that Chiefs in her constituency have continued to work closely with government to ensure that the much needed development is attained.
She told ZANIS in an interview in Luangeni that government appreciates the role traditional leaders have continued to play in ensuring that projects meant to better the lives of their subjects are implemented.
Ms. Cifire noted that Chiefdoms were cardinal in the effective implementation of government developmental projects because of the manner in which they were organized.
She said government and Chiefs have for a long time been partners in the development of the country a thing one cannot take away.
Meanwhile, Chief Maguya of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province has called upon government to continue taking development to rural areas across the country.
Chief Maguya said people in rural areas need development because they were the most vulnerable and called on those that have received development from government to show appreciation.
The United Party for National development (UPND) has charged that President Rupiah Banda’s regime has lost credibility in the eyes of Zambians and that no amount of damage control will change that perception.
Commenting on the formation of the MMD taskforce in Lusaka province aimed at winning support for President Banda ahead of the forthcoming tripartite elections, UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma described the idea of the taskforce as an exercise in futility.
Mr. Kakoma told Qfm that the formation of the MMD task force will not change the people’s perception of the MMD.
He says people are tired of the inefficiency of the MMD government and that nothing will stop Zambians from effecting the change of regime in this year’s elections.
And Mr. Kakoma has accused the MMD of using people purporting to be former high ranking UPND members in order to win support.
He says such political gimmicks will not work as the UPND is getting stronger every time the MMD announce fake defections.
[ QFM ]
The late Mufulira Wanderers coach and ex Zambia defender Harrison “Wawa” Chongo’s burial will take place on Monday.
Wanderers officials revealed today that Wawa will be put to rest in Mufulira at Chibolya Cemetery.
Chongo died on Thursday afternoon at Ronald Ross Hospital in Mufulira after suffering from High Blood Pressure on Wednesday.
Wawa was rushed to Ronald Ross during halftime of Wanderers Division 1 North Week 9 game against Prison Leopards at Shinde Stadium.
Wanderers went on to win the game 1-0 and move into second place and remain unbeaten this season after eight matches played.
Wawa, 41, leaves behind a wife and six children.
MTN/FAZ SUPER DIVISION
Week 8
14/05/2011
Green Eagles-Forest Rangers
Roan United-Zesco United
Konkola Blades-Kabwe Warriors
Lime Hotspurs- Nchanga Rangers
Kalewa-Zanaco
Green Buffaloes-Nakambala Leopards
Nkana-Nkwazi
Red Arrows- Power Dynamos
Zambia has raised the price of electricity for mining companies by 30 percent.
ZESCO and the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) have announced today in a move that will spike costs for the key sector in Africa’s leading copper producer.
CCEC and state-owned Zesco Ltd. said in a joint statement that the price hike would be backdated to take effect from January 2011.
The statement said the higher cost would provide the funding necessary to build new plants and invest in distribution infrastructure.
Frederick Bantubonse, the general manager of the Chamber of Mines of Zambia, an industry body which represents foreign mining companies said the higher cost of electricity would affect profitability.
Bantubonse said electricity is an important input for mining and any cost increase affects operations and profitability.
Neil Croucher, the managing director for operations at CEC told Reuters last month that the price increase would affect London-listed Vedanta Resources, Glencore International AG of Switzerland, Metorex of South Africa and Brazil’s Vale.
First Quantum has a separate agreement with Zesco and already pays more for power than the other miners.
Mining companies have been enjoying high copper prices on the international market with prices of the red metal hovering around US$9,000 since last year.
About 51 percent of the country’s population reflects a strong result of women that would want to vote in the coming general elections.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Kanni Wignaraja says this is critical because no country moves forward without the voice and active participation of women.
Ms. Wignaraja described the role women play as that of the transformational factor adding that their empowerment is the most powerful indication for any country’s development.
ZANIS reports that Ms. Wignaraja was speaking in Lusaka today during the Lusaka Women Peace Building Forum hosted by Northmead Assembly of God Church.
The forum was the second to be hosted by Northmead Assembly of God Church in partnership with Patriots Worldwide.
Meanwhile, Ms Wignaraja has urged Zambian citizens to focus their concentration on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and maintaining peace and tolerance as opposed to issues that have no impact on national development.
And Assembly of God Senior Pastor and Overseer Bishop Joshua Banda urged the Zambian women not to engage in indecent political acts of any nature but to exercise their statistical strengths to determine who gets into power as President, National Assembly and Local Councils.
PRESIDENT Banda has trashed allegations that he was involved in the US$98 million deal between Zambia National Building Society (ZNBS) and National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Society House.
Mr Banda told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that he had nothing to do with the deal.
He said as head of State, he is briefed before parastatals embark on such big projects but he has no role to play in tender processes because Zambia has procedures on public procurement.
“I don’t do things that way. In this country we have procedures but of course people say a lot of things.
And when I look at a project and approve it, the rest is up to the technocrats,” Mr Banda said.
He said this at Lusaka International Airport on arrival from Turkey where he had gone to attend the United Nations conference on least developed countries (LDCs).
Mr Banda said as head of State, he neither participates in nor interferes with tender procedures.
“I don’t participate in tender procedures. It is illegal for anyone to interfere with tender procedures just as it is illegal to interfere with the judiciary and Parliament. It is not right. You know this is life and somebody has to be accused,” he said.
Mr Banda said he saw the initial story carried by The Post and response from both ZNBS and NAPSA. He said what the two parastatals have said on the matter is the correct position.
Early this week, The Post alleged that the President was involved in awarding a US$ 98 million tender for the rehabilitation of society house to a Kenyan firm without following tender procedures.
But ZNBS and NAPSA dismissed the allegation and produced a copy of the advertisement for the tender.
The advertisement, issued by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority in the Zambia Daily Mail edition dated August 11, 2010, called for tender applications from interested parties.
Mazabuka District heath director Siyumbwa Kunda has said the recently-launched mobile hospitals in the province would enhance health care delivery and would benefit about 50,000 people in the district.
And Dr Siyumbwa has said the upgrading of Mazabuka District Hospital to a general hospital would start soon.
Dr Siyumbwa said in Mazabuka yesterday that the mobile hospitals would enhance health care delivery for the people in the district, especially in the outlying areas.
“The total population of Mazabuka is about 288,000 and it is estimated that about 50,000 people will benefit from the services of the mobile hospitals in the district.
“Because of the mobile hospitals, we shall also provide specialist treatment to people in the outlying areas of the district,” she said.
She said the mobile hospitals would enhance health care service delivery in the district and more so in areas where there were no health centres.
Dr Siyumbwa also said the upgrading of the district hospital into a general hospital would start soon.
She said the Government had already planned for the upgrading and that it was one of the projects that had been included in the Sixth National Development Plan.
Meanwhile, Chief Mwanachingwala of Mazabuka has said the mobile hospitals would be beneficial to the people in his chiefdom.
He said in an interview at his palace yesterday that the decision by the Government to procure the mobile hospitals would greatly benefit Zambians, especially those in rural areas.
“Clinics and health centres are distantly placed and therefore these mobile hospitals are very good. For us in rural areas we are happy because this is something that will benefit us,” he said.
Marvin Mwiinga, a peasant farmer in Chief Mwanachingwala’s area said the concept of mobile hospitals was good and welcome.
“We have to walk long distances just to get health care but now we hear these hospitals will be coming to our villages, which is a good thing for us.
“People have been dying before getting to a clinic and we believe that with these mobile hospitals it will be a thing of the past,” he said.
Juliet Mainga of Magoye said the Government had done well to consider the people in rural areas by procuring the mobile hospitals.
[ Times of Zambia ]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has proved that he will be a danger to national security if entrusted with power to run the country going by his failure to uphold confidentiality in his own party.
Lusaka Province MMD task force spokesperson Chiwele Maimisa said it was not surprising that Mr Sata had been discovered by his own central committee members to cause confusion in the opposition party because the PF leader did the same way back during the days when he served as a constable in the colonial government in which he used to leak information leading to the arrest of Zambians.
And United Party for National Development (UPND) national youth chairperson, Joe Kalusa said Mr Sata was a danger to State security and should not be allowed to become Republican president after admitting that he had been personally leaking sensitive information against rival individuals in the country’s biggest opposition party.
On Wednesday, Mr Sata admitted that he had been leaking confidential information within the party’s central committee, saying he had been doing so to promote transparency.
Mr Sata also said he used to do the same when he was MMD national secretary.
Mr Maimisa said it was pleasing to note that Mr Sata had finally chosen to expose his true character of being a danger to national security and an untrustworthy person by admitting to leaking information which had in the end cracked his party hierarchy.
“It is not surprising that Mr Sata’s tricks have caught up with him because this is the man who used to report to the colonial masters every bit of information when others met to liberate the country.
“Zambians should be extremely careful with this man because the liberation he is talking about now may just mean taking the country back to his colonial masters going by the issues he went to advocate for during his recent trip to the United Kingdom,” he said.
Mr Maimisa said it was true that some PF Members of Parliament were currently disgruntled and were planning to leave the party, especially that Mr Sata did not seem to be set to go to the party national convention.
“In fact some MPs are now planning to petition the PF central committee to elect a person to be floated as a presidential candidate in this year’s elections because they feel Mr Sata is undemocratic and wants to continue imposing himself on the members,” Mr Maimisa said.
And Mr Kalusa said an opposition leader who admits having leaked information that is responsible for causing divisions among his leaders could plunge the country into chaos should he assume State power.
Mr Kalusa said even when UPND and PF ran the pact, Mr Sata leaked sensitive information to a private newspaper, a habit which showed lack of leadership skills. He warned Zambians that the country could degenerate into turmoil against other states should the PF leader become president.
He said Mr Sata should know that he would not become president of Zambia and that the challenge would only be between President Banda and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
Mr Kalusa said the weaknesses that had exposed Mr Sata, including his support for homosexuality, should make the PF leader forget about becoming president of this country.
Mr Kalusa also said in his usual dictatorial way of running the party, Mr Sata whose party had failed to hold the national convention, recently appointed Rebby Chanda as PF Copperbelt provincial chairperson despite having been rejected by the PF members who attended the provincial conference in Mufulira, in preference for former Masaiti PF secretary Sturdy Mwale who had since been suspended for challenging Mr Sata’s preferred candidate and tribesman.
POLICE in Chinsali have intercepted a group of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres as they schemed to attack Education Minister Dora Siliya to frustrate her tour of Northern Province where she has been addressing meetings and touring development projects since last week.
Ms Siliya is leading a team of Government and MMD officials to the province and she is today expected in Mpika on a similar mission.
One of the suspects has since been arrested in connection with the scheme and charged with conduct likely to cause the breach of peace.
Police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana confirmed and named the suspect as Smiler Chambwa, 27.
Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka, who is part of the delegation, also confirmed the incident in an interview from Chinsali yesterday.
Mr Muteteka said alert police intercepted the group and arrested one PF cadre from the scheming centre at night and he was immediately locked up at Chinsali Police Station.
The group had been discussing plans to attack the minister not knowing that police and other Government officials were listening to the conversation and immediately filed a formal report before Chinsali Police Station.
Confusion started during the day when PF Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba unleashed cadres at the market where Ms Siliya was addressing a meeting and threw stones at the rooftops as some residents bolted.
The cadres were allegedly given beer hours before the meeting started and that followed a series of successful meetings conducted in Kasama, Luwingu and Mporokoso which infuriated Mr Mwamba and organised cadres to follow the minister’s entourage to Chinsali.
Mr Mwamba denied the allegations yesterday, saying he was already popular and had no reason to sponsor cadres to cause harm on Ms Siliya.
Mr Mwamba, who is also PF chairperson for elections, said he did not believe in violence but peaceful campaigns which was the reason he had started campaigning that the whole province votes for PF in this year’s elections.
Mr Muteteka expressed disapproval of PF machinations, especially that the ruling party allowed Mr Sata to address cadres even in areas where the MMD was popular in the spirit of promoting national unity and enhancing democracy.
He said the ideal situation was to allow all political contenders to address the Zambian voters peacefully so that they were given chance to elect leaders from an informed position.
Mr Muteteka, who is also MMD national youth chairperson, said many mistakes had been exposed in the management of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) and cited Chinsali District where a relative of a civic leader collected money to construct a clinic but abused K60 million without digging a foundation.
He said stoning Ms Siliya would not help matters but that the issue would still be investigated and the culprits would be arrested until the resources were accounted for.Mr Muteteka said PF had organised a public rally in Kasama this Sunday to attempt to defuse the impact of Ms Siliya’s campaigns.
He said the Government would not be detracted by the dirty campaign activities by PF but would continue to address the people of Northern Province to make them understand the Government’s vision for Zambia.
Mr Muteteka said if the tour was not undertaken, the Government would not have known that CDF was being shared by relatives of MPs at the expense of service provision to the people.
PF leader Michael Sata
Luapula member of Parliament Peter Machungwa says divisions in the Patriotic Front (PF) are expected because its president, Michael Sata, is not loyal to party members.
Dr Machungwa said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that those who supported MrSata have learnt a lesson and the divisions are likely to continue.
He was commenting on divisions which have rocked the opposition party.
“More members will leave the PF because of the bad leadership exhibited by Mr Sata. He will only remain with people who have accepted to be insulted and shouted at,” he said.
He said Mr Sata’s negative attitude towards his members will cost him in the 2011 elections.
Dr Machungwa said Mr Sata’s dictatorial leadership will force all good members to leave the PF.
And Committee of Citizens (CoC) executive director Gregory Chifire said the divisions in the PF are a sign of Mr Sata’s type of government should he be elected president.
Mr Chifire said Kafulafut amember of Parliament George Mpombo, former works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti and former ambassador to Libya Mbita Chitala have contributed to divisions in the PF.
He said the three individuals and Mr Sata practise ‘politics of lies and fabrications.’
Mr Chifire said Mr Sata is good at using people to advance his cause.
He said Zambians are not ready to vote for Mr Sata because he has never been democratically elected at a party convention.
Mr Chifire said Mr Sata’s support for gay rights will extensively divide the party. He said MrSata has nothing to offer and deliver to the people of Zambia as he lacks leadership qualities.
Mr Chifire urged PF members who are still reluctant to leave PF to do so as MrSata is just wasting their time.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing Moses Muteteka says the Patriotic Front (PF) in Northern Province has continued to sponsor hooligans who are disturbing MMD meetings at which the ruling party is explaining to the people the projects it has implemented in the area.
Mr. Muteteka said in a telephone interview from Chinsali yesterday the PF is unsettled by what the MMD has done for the people of Northern Province, and has therefore resorted to violence.
He said the reason for that behaviour is that the PF has no issues on which to campaign, and has chosen violence as a way of venting its frustrations on the MMD.
He said on Wednesday night the MMD uncovered a ploy in which some PF youths in Chinsali were strategising on how to disturb the MMD meetings, and threatened Minister of Education Dora Siliya, who is in the same entourage as Mr Muteteka and Minister of Labour and Social Security Austin Liato.
Mr. Muteteka said the youths became unruly, but police managed to apprehend some of them in connection with the violence.
“It is just normal for the PF to appreciate that we have delivered development, but what they are doing is backward type of politics,” he said.
Mr Muteteka said he has also discovered that PF MPs in the province are abusing Constituency Development Fund (CDF) money by engaging their relatives and friends and giving them money for contracts that they are not executing.
He said in one incident, he discovered that a named MP paid a purported contractor K60 million for the construction of a clinic, but the project has been at foundation level for the past seven months. Nothing is happening at the site.
Mr. Muteteka said it is unfortunate that the PF MPs have taken advantage of the huge allocations of CDF, which is supposed to benefit the people in the communities.
But he warned that any contractor who will be discovered to have got CDF money for unexecuted projects will be dealt with accordingly.
And Mr Muteteka has said as MMD youth chairman, he is disappointed with the PF leadership for abusing youths to work against the government, which is working hard to empower young people with survival skills and resources.
He urged the PF to discipline its cadres involved in acts of violence against the MMD.
[ Zambia Daily mail ]
