THE National Union of Communication Workers (NUCW) has advised Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to consult Zamtel workers and their representatives before making retrogressive statements over the decision by Government to re-capitalise the company.

Speaking in an interview in Ndola yesterday, NUCW president Patrick Kaonga said it is unfortunate that someone aspiring to become the republican president could issue such baseless statements on Zamtel when there are people who could provide him with authentic information regarding the re-capitalisation of the company.

“There are structures where Mr Sata could find out the details about the genesis and actual re-capitalisation process of Zamtel. As you know, workers did not want Zamtel to collapse like Zambia Airways, and recommended that it be re-capitalised,’’ Mr Kaonga said.

But Mr Kaonga said the statement by Mr Sata that Zambians must boycott the services of Zamtel was irresponsible and clearly shows that he does not want to put the interests of Zamtel workers and Zambians first.

He said Zamtel has picked up financially following the decision by Government to re-capitalise the company.

“Probably, Mr Sata is not aware that Zamtel used to fail to remit pay as you earn (PAYE) to the Zambia Revenue Authority because its financial capacity was so bad the PAYE was just on paper,” Mr Kaonga said.

He said Mr Sata should be aware that workers of Zamtel have been engaged in the re-capitalisation process of the company from its inception.

“We feel Mr Sata would have been happy if Zamtel had collapsed. We are very happy as Zamtel workers because the company is doing well,” Mr Kaonga said.

He said Zambians should be happy that Zamtel is now able to make a meaningful contribution to national economic development.

Mr Kaonga said it was retrogressive for Mr Sata to castigate Government for the positive decision it made to revamp Zamtel’s operations.

Mr Kaonga said Zambians expect to hear development-related utterances from Mr Sata, and not words of destruction.

“We would like Mr Sata to come up with ideas of how he would improve Zamtel operations further, including other parastatal companies that are having financial constraints instead of calling on Zambians to boycott the services of the company when it is doing well,” Mr Kaonga said.

On Sunday, ZCTU secretary general Roy Mwaba described Mr Sata as an irresponsible leader who does not care about the welfare of Zamtel and its workers.

Mr Mwaba said Zamtel generates funds and pays billions of Kwacha to the Zambia Revenue Authority, contributing to the country’s economic development.

Mr Sata made the remarks while addressing a public rally in Kabwe.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

MINISTER of Science, Technology and Vocational Training Peter Daka says Government plans to build colleges in each district of the country under the supervision of his ministry to ensure all youths in the country have an opportunity to acquire life skills.

Mr Daka said in an interview yesterday the colleges will give a zero-entry point to enrol for studies so as to give school dropouts and those without full certificates an opportunity to acquire life skills.

Mr Daka said under the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP), Government has a plan to set up institutions in each district so that individuals who will not qualify to enrol in conventional tertiary institutions can have an opportunity to acquire skills through the special colleges.

“Government wants a situation where no youth will lag behind in poverty due to lack of education. That is why we intend to ensure that all youths have a certain skill to enable them compete favourably, and at the same time contribute to national development,” he said.

Mr Daka said students who graduate from these colleges will contribute to national development through starting up their own business ventures in trades such as carpentry and tailoring.

“We realise that even those who drop out of schools should still be accorded an opportunity to have a skill that they can use to pursue their dreams, and in doing so be economically stable,” he said.

Mr Daka said this would in turn help scale down the level of poverty, and the tendency of school dropouts to engage in vices such as drug abuse.

“Acquiring a skill and education will equalise the playing grounds so that even the vulnerable can have competitive advantage in the search of employment,” he said.

ZESCO and the International Commercial Bank of China have signed a facility loan agreement worthy over 1 point 3 trillion Kwacha for construction of a new 3 hundred and 30 KV power line in Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The loan agreement facility will ease construction of the 6 –hundred and 84 kilometer, 330 KV power line from, Pensulo substation to the proposed Kasama substation and from Pensulo substation through Msoro to the proposed Chipata West Substation to be constructed by the TBEA of China.

ZESCO Managing Director Ernest Mupwaya signed the Agreement on behalf of the Power utility company while International Commercial Bank of China Chairman Mr. Jing Jianging signed on behalf of the Bank.

And Energy Minister Kenneth Konga says the project will increase access to energy for the rural community.

Mr. Konga says the project will create one thousand direct jobs and 2 thousand indirect jobs in the supply chain.

Mr. Konga was speaking during the signing ceremony for the facility agreement between ZESCO and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Lusaka.

He also called for more investment in the energy sector.

And Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Chairman Jinag Jianging said Zambia is the most important market for the bank.

Mr. Jinag says the 2-hundred and 85 million United States Dollar project will boost the social- economic status of Zambia.

Earlier, ZESCO Board Chairman Kwalela Lamaswala said that the project to be undertaken aims at increasing transmission capacity and supply to its customers.

Mr Lamaswala says the improvement of transmission supply will also enhance investment in the two provinces.

Meanwhile, ZESCO Managing Director Ernest Mupwaya says the project will enable ZESCO have the opportunity to also export to neighbouring countries.

And TBEA Chairman Li Biangu says his company is determined and committed to quality works on the 3-hundred and 30 KV line.

The project is expected to commerce before October 2011.

ZNBC

United Party for National Development President Hakainde Hichilema has called on the electoral Commission to extend the voter verification exercise.

Mr Hichilema says this will allow people enough time to verify particulars on their voters’ cards ahead of the tripartite elections.

He was speaking in Lusaka on Sunday when he presented a 10 million Kwacha Cheque to the Disabled Persons Development Enterprise.

Mr Hichilema also called for peace and unity in the party ahead of the elections.

And Mr Hichilema says it is important to look out for underprivileged especially the disabled.

He says leaders should not seek public office for selfish gain but to uplift the living standards of people.

And Disabled Persons Development enterprise Coordinator John Changwe says youths can play a critical role in the development if given the platform.

He thanked Mr Hichilema for his generous donation to the disabled.

Meanwhile, the United Party for National Development (UPND) President, Hakainde Hichilema says the year 2011 should one to retire old politicians.

Mr Hichilema has explained that people should ensure that they scrutinize old politicians before casting their ballots.

He has observed that some old politicians have served in government since the first republic.

Mr Hichilema has challenged Zambians to move in tandem with the current developments of putting into public offices youthful leaders.

ZNBC

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has charged that the intensification of developmental projects by government as the country heads to the polls should be discouraged.

FODEP president Dr. Alex Ng’oma has told Qfm in an exclusive interview that development projects must take place every year.

Dr. Ng’oma has observed that Zambia has a strange phenomenon where projects of development are carried out in an election year.

He says development should be encouraged at all levels and every time in order for the lives of Zambians to be improved.

Dr. Ng’oma who is also a political scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Zambia adds that even though such projects may be carried out in good faith, they tend to sway the decisions of voters during election.

And Dr. Ng’oma has welcomed the plan by government to refurbish the University of Zambia infrastructure adding that the development is long overdue.

QFM

THE Committee of Citizens has alleged that the Department for International Development (DFiD) is using the Press Freedom Committee of the Post to fund the Patriotic Front (PF) and its agent Bob Sichinga’s countrywide tours through seemingly innocent electoral programmes.

Executive director Gregory Chifire said in a statement yesterday that it is wrong for DFiD, a British government sponsored donor agency, to sponsor a political party, and has since called on relevant authorities to investigate the matter.

Mr Chifire said Mr Sichinga has been going round the country using the platform of the Press Freedom Committee of The Post to campaign for the PF with donor funds, strengthen PF structures and prepare for Mr Sata’s rallies to enhance his chances in this year’s elections.

“We, therefore, condemn this donor agency and the Press Freedom Committee, which is sponsoring PF campaigns.
“This agency is a development wing of a well-respected foreign government, and should never take political sides or embark on activities that openly undermine the MMD government,” Mr Chifire said.

Mr Chifire alleged that Mr Sichinga is currently running the PF, and that he was the one who organised Mr Sata’s tour to the United Kingdom’s Oxford University and the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom.

He said his organisation is aware that certain donors have heightened activities against Government and are funding the opposition through dubious entities such as media bodies.

“We appeal to the government and security wings to immediately probe the huge funding being given to the Press Freedom Committee of The Post by the donor agency and establish if it is being used for the intended purpose.

Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post chairperson Chansa Kabwela declined to comment.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

OPPOSITION political parties, major trade unions, the Church and the Commuters’ Rights Association have hailed President Rupiah Banda for the launch of an all-round road refurbishment process in some selected parts of Lusaka as a process that will create a new path of th eeconomic development.

President Banda on Saturday launched a K300 billion project for the construction of roads in Lusaka to provide quality service to the Zambian people.

The president also said Government, through Zesco Limited would start providing solar panel geysers for free to its citizens while connection fee for electricity to homes had been spread to many months to reduce the impact and suppress the cost.

Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) secretary general Ozwell Munyenyembe said the gesture to improve road infrastructure would benefit the mine workers.

Mr Munyenyembe said the Zambian workers must support the efforts bythe Government and noted that some workers had failed to procure geysers for their homes because of the high costs.

Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba noted that the road rehabilitation project had come at the right time when economic activity was increasing in Zambia.

Mr Hikaumba appealed to the Government to scale up similar efforts in the rural areas to spread the benefits of development because some areaswere impassable.

United Liberal Party (ULP) secretary general, Langton Sichone said the Government should not lose focus following some destructive statements that development should not be given to the people because of elections.

Mr Sichone said the restructuring of connection fees for electricity and the provision of solar energy geysers to the people was a great initiative taking place for the first time in the history of Zambia and should be commended.

Mr Sichone said the MMD party was elected to deliver development to the people for a period of five years and the Constitution allows Government to construct roads even when there are elections taking place in the country.

Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) commended Government’s decision to allow consumers to access electricity by paying a nominal fee as opposed to the past when the huge amounts of money were inhibiting access to electricity.

ZACA executive director Muyunda Ililonga said the move shows Government’s commitment to poverty reduction among the people of Zambia.

Mr Ilionga said the decision would also accelerate Zambia’s move towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number one on cutting poverty by half by the year 2015.

He said the introduction of prepaid meters by Zesco had helped the consumers and Zesco to conserve power which could now be spread to other users.

And the Christian Coalition spokesperson John Mwendapole commended President Banda’s relentless effort to develop thecountry through the rehabilitation of roads and easy access to electricity.

Mr Mwendapole said most houses in township areas have not been electrified for a long time and this would give them an opportunity to electrify their houses and venture into various businesses.
[ Times of Zambia ]