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President Rupiah Banda
The Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) Board Chairperson Reverend David Masupa says it is wrong for anyone to allege that president Rupiah Banda is corrupt if they cannot prove their allegations.
Reverend Masupa says whoever thinks president Banda is corrupt is free to report him the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
He says it will be illegal for president Banda to be accused of being corrupt if the accusations cannot be proved.
Reverend Masupa has since challenged people accusing president Banda of being corrupt to prove and report their allegations to law enforcement agencies.
[ QFM ]
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has charged that government has to prioritize poverty reduction as it prepares the 2012 national budget.
CSPR Executive Director Patrick Mucheleka says it is surprising that despite the country recording economic growth in the past years, people have continued to live in abject poverty.
Mr. Mucheleka explained that this time around, the national budget should contain attainable benchmarks on poverty reduction.
He says the Civil Society expects to see enhanced service delivery and improved livelihood of the majority Zambians.
Mr. Mucheleka called on government to pay attention to the trickle down effect where growth will translate into the creation of employment for the youths and reduced cost of living.
[ QFM ]
Education Minister and MMD Party Spokesperson Dora Siliya
The MMD says Patriotic Front-PF Leader Michael Sata is lying that he will implement the Barotseland Agreement if voted into power in this year’s general elections.
Party Spokesperson Dora Siliya says this is because Mr. Sata did support the Agreement when he was in government.
Ms Siliya told ZNBC News that the people of Western Province should not listen to Mr. Sata’s sentiments on the 1964 Barotse land Agreement.
She says it is unfortunate that Mr. Sata who has been in government before has continued to be inconsistent on national issues.
Ms Siliya has cited the Barotse land Agreement and the constitution making process as some of the issues Mr. Sata has remained inconsistent on.
And Ms Siliya says Mr Sata has failed to denounce violence.
She was referring to Mr. Sata’s failure to denounce reports of two PF members who were recently found with AK47 riffles.
And Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata and his supporters have accused Oblate Radio Liseli in Mongu of being sympathetic to the ruling MMD.
This was after the opposition leader accompanied by several rowdy supporters demanded that all of them be allowed to enter the radio booth where Mr Sata was due to be interviewed.
According to a reliable source in Mongu, staff at the radio station objected and advised the supporters to wait for Mr Sata outside the building.
The source said this angered both Mr Sata and his supporters who immediately started hailing insults on staff accusing them of being MMD supporters.
But when contacted for comment Oblate radio acting Associate Director, Father Kennedy Sampa and Assistant Production Manager both expressed ignorance on the matter.
Meanwhile the source says some youths in Mongu have distributed fliers urging people not to attend Mr Sata’s rallies in the area.
THE MMD on the Copperbelt has alleged that the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) management is frustrating President Banda’s home empowerment programme by issuing eviction letters to some sitting tenants occupying institutional houses.
MMD Copperbelt Province chairman Joseph Chilambwe said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that it is unfortunate that ZRL is indirectly defying President Banda’s directive that the houses be immediately offered for sale to sitting tenants and outstanding balances be written off.
“ZRL has written letters to sitting tenants that they want to repossess the houses. These people are indirectly challenging President Banda and this is what we don’t want,” Mr Chilambwe said
According to one of the letters dated May 9, 2011 authored by NM Mulikita and Partners Legal Practitioners, acting on behalf of ZRL and addressed to Mr Francis Mwansa of house number 11, Kalewa Road, Northrise in Ndola, the company wants to repossess the house.
The letter is headed ‘Vacation of Zambia Railways Limited property known as house number 11, Northrise, Ndola’.
The letter reads: “Caption matter refers, please note that we act on and on behalf of Zambia Railways Limited. We have instructions from our client to take possession of the premises that you are currently occupying. We, therefore, demand that you vacate the said premises within seven (7) days of receipt hereof, failure to which we shall commence legal proceedings to procure our client’s instruction without further recourse to you. Please acknowledge receipt hereof by duly filling in the space provided of the copy of this letter.”
But Mr Chilambwe said President Banda’s executive order to offer the houses to sitting tenants is final and cannot be challenged.
“These people are tarnishing President Banda’s image, let them resign. But we are contesting this as a party and we will not tolerate it,” Mr Chilambwe said.
He advised ZRL not to take the law for granted by challenging Mr Banda’s directive and wondered why the company failed to evict the tenants from the houses when they were retrenched.
“We don’t know why they are now issuing eviction letters to sitting tenants because they failed to remove them from the houses when they were retrenched.
President Banda’s pronouncement has superseded all action by these people and we want to warn Zambia Railways management not to ‘take the law in their own hands’ by challenging the Presidential directive,” Mr Chilambwe said.
On April 16, President Banda said during a press conference at Hotel Edinburgh in Kitwe that he has received petitions from sitting tenants occupying Zambia Railways houses.
Mr Banda said he has directed the board of Zambia Railways to reduce the prices.
“I am happy to inform the sitting tenants that the board has responded to my directive and they will soon be reverting to you with offers at lower prices. This is in respect to all Zambia Railways houses spread out throughout the country,” Mr Banda said.
THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit of heads of State and Government has mandated President Banda and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to seek an end to the political crisis in Madagascar.
President Banda will take the responsibility in his capacity as Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation. Mr Chissano is the SADC mediator on Madagascar.
The two have been tasked to quickly convene the meeting at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone.
In a communiqué read by SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao at the end of the one-day summit here on Friday, the SADC members reiterated the need for an all-inclusive political process of reconciliation and finding a lasting solution for that country.
Dr Salamao said the SADC leaders also commended Mr Chissano for his efforts in bringing together the Madagascar stakeholders in the reconciliation process.
Madagascar is in a political crisis following an uprising that toppled the democratically elected President, Marc Ravalomanana, who is currently exiled in South Africa.
The country is now being managed by a caretaker government, the High Transitional Authority (HAT), headed by 36-year-old Andry Rajoelina whose government the international community, including SADC, do not recognise.
President Banda has said SADC is determined to ensure that constitutional normalcy and a favourable political atmosphere return to Madagascar.
Commenting on the mandate, President Banda said the Indian Ocean Island has gone through a lot of challenging political situations, which needed to be resolved.
“Madagascar is a sad and complex case due to its distance from the rest of the SADC countries but we are determined to see the return of peace in that country so that it can also experience the normalcy we are all enjoying,” he said.
He said the Gaborone meeting has been slated for June 5, 2011.
President Banda said the extra-ordinary summit was important and critical.
President Banda told ZANIS in an interview in Windhoek shortly before departure for Lusaka yesterday that the summit, which was the first of its kind to be devoted to economic issues in the region, showed the maturity of the regional body, which had predominantly been meeting to discuss political issues.
“I am happy that we were meeting especially to review what we went through as a result of the global financial crisis and I am sure you will agree with me that many countries were affected,” he said.
President Banda said that it was pleasing that many countries, including Zambia, emerged stronger and have learnt to diversify their economies.
And President Banda says Zambia stands to benefit a lot from the proposed economic integration of the economies of SADC, COMESA and the East African Community through the Tripartite Free Trade Area because of the central geographical location.
“As Zambia, we are seeing the results of integration through various economic activities in all our border towns. We have activities on the Angolan border for example, as well as in other areas,” he said.
President Banda said the MMD government is determined to ensure that all possible routes leading to other countries are quickly worked on to maximise Zambia’s benefits from the regional economic advancements.
President Banda returned yesterday.
Meanwhile, the summit could not deal with the political situation in Zimbabwe because of the absence of the SADC mediator for Zimbabwe, President Jacob Zuma.
Dr Salamao said that President Zuma could not attend the summit because of on-going elections in South Africa. He said President Zuma wrote to the SADC secretariat explaining his absence.
“This situation prompted the summit and the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation to defer the matter to a later date not later than 12th June this year,” he said.
FLASHBACK: Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane (l) with Nchelenge Member of Parliament Ben Mwila
GOVERNMENT has disclosed that the K1 trillion to be used on an urban roads rehabilitation programme will be paid by mining companies.
Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane said this is money that the mining companies owe the government in taxes.
He said in 2008, mining companies had a dispute with Government over corporate taxes, variable income taxes and mineral royalties but the matter was resolved after meeting, and the mining companies are now paying arrears.
“The arrears that the mining companies are paying have created extra revenue that has been channelled to infrastructure development and rehabilitation of urban roads,” he said.
Dr Musokotwane said another potential source of the money will be the selling of bonds on the international market at US$500 million. Part of this money will be used for the urban road rehabilitation programme.
He said this in Lusaka yesterday during the recording of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning television programme, Culture Remodelling.
The programme also featured Minister of Works and Supply Gabriel Namulambe.
The theme of the programme was infrastructure development, progress and financing arrangements.
Dr Musokotwane said most roads in urban areas have had their useful life, hence the need to rehabilitate them.
He said there is nothing political about infrastructure development, rehabilitation and construction of roads.
He said when an economy is growing, there is always need to grow infrastructure to match the expansion of the economy.
Dr Musokotwane said if it was political, the private sector would not have joined in infrastructure development but they foresee more growth of the economy, which will result in high demand for more and better infrastructure.
He said more investment is coming despite this being an election year because investors have confidence in the government.
Dr Musokotwane said a review of the growth of the economy will be madebetween July and August.
He said the economy is no longer stagnant but is growing and it is only right to improve the infrastructure.
And Mr Namulambe said works on major roads are progressing well because most contractors are on site or just waiting to sign contracts.
He said some of the major road projects are the Chipata-Mfuwe, Sesheke-Senanga, Isoka-Muyombe and for the Kalabo-Sikongo roads.
Mr Namulambe expressed disappointment that some Kitwe residents were stoning the machinery moved to the site to start the road rehabilitation.
He said that the MMD government wants to ensure that more roads are constructed to ease movement of goods and people.
Mr Namulambe said it is a pity that his predecessor, Mr Mike Mulongoti is condemning the construction and rehabilitation of roads on the Copperbelt when he is the one who promised that township roads would be worked on.
He said K19 billion has been allocated for feeder roads on the Copperbelt in this year’s budget and K6 billion has already been released.
Mr Namulambe commended mining companies such as Mopani Copper Mines and Konkola Copper Mines for supplementing Government’s efforts by rehabilitating some township roads on the Copperbelt.
He said President Banda should be commended for initiating and completing development projects started by President Mwanawasa.
He said Mr Banda has shown that he is a responsible leader who wants to improve the lives of all Zambians.
Isaac Chansa came off the bench on Saturday to inspire Orlando Pirates to the South African league title when they beat visiting Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-1 at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.
Chansa scored the winner six minutes before the close of the match to hand Pirates their first league title in eight years.
This is after coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of the match for Bongani Ndulula who scored the games opener in the 38th minute.
However, that goal was cancelled out by Zambia striker Collins Mbesuma who scored his 11 league goal of the season.
Pirates finish the season on 60 points, level with Ajax Cape Town who could only draw 2-2 in their final match to see their dreams of a debut league win dashed.
Sunset Stadium today took the semblance of Nkana Stadium on a very bad day of football when Zanaco supporters battled with pro-Kalusha Bwalya sympathizers at the end of the home sides league match against Konkola Blades.
Mayhem ensued at the end of the game in this Faz Super Division Week 9 game that Zanaco lost 3-2.
The dynamite and fuse were set during the game thanks to some poor officiating by Kitwe referee Alfred Zwaki who ignored foul appeals on Zanaco players but was lenient with those affecting Blades players.
The two sides were level at 2-2 in the 63rd minute while all this was going on.
With a quarter of an hour to go before the end of the match, Zanaco supporters showered unprintable verbal abuse on Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza who was at the game.
“Now you have brought issues of the FAZ AGM to our stadium with your useless referees from your referees desk,” one supporter said.
Blades then took the lead in the 78th minute straight from a corner taken by ex-Zanaco defender Maybin Chishimba.
As tensions simmered, Mwanza made a rare early exit from a league match when he departed together with Zambia coach Dario Bonetti’s assistants.
However, a bunch of Zanaco supporters followed Mwanza to the car park shouting obscenities and threatening him but he was saved from any physical abuse thanks to the quick action of the Police before speeding out of Sunset.
Then, after an erratic last 10 minutes that Zwaki extended by another 5 minutes of extra time, the fuse was lit when he blew the final whistle and all hell broke loose.
One unidentified fan charged to the VIP gate and slapped Faz executive committee member Macha Chilemena who fell to the ground before an aide charged at the assailant who sort refuge in the band of angry Zanaco supporters that was still high up in the terraces digesting the loss and poor refereeing.
Reinforcements arrived for Chilemena almost immediately as scuffle ensued as both known pro-Kalusaha supporters and Zanaco fans took their fight to the car park while the Police struggled to separate the two warring camps.
“Mwatu delelela sana imwe bena Kalusha napa meyasu ponse shuwa? Mule ponoka lelo mulechimona (This bullying from you Kalusha supporters has gone to far and you have the audacity to challenge us in our own backyard. You are gonna get it today),” one hardcore and upset female Zanaco supporter said.
One spectator identified as a Kalusha supporter begged for police to escort him out of the stadium while another attempted to jump on a mounted policeman’s horse before he was taken out of Sunset sandwiched between two horses.
Another target who was clad in an replica orange Zambia jersey synonymous with the Kalusha camp hid amongst the Blades players claiming to have traveled with them before he was fished out and beaten.
Then one Blades fan oblivious to the political background to the tension was lynched by the Zanaco supporters and was saved from further punishment by the police before calm was restored.
The ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) says it has no doubts that the forthcoming elections will be peaceful.
MMD National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe says the peaceful elections to be held peacefully will shame advocates of violence.
Major Kachingwe pointed out that it is pointless for anyone to doubt whether president Rupiah Banda will conduct peaceful elections this year when he delivered good elections when he was acting president in 2008.
He says President Banda is committed to holding free and fair general elections this year.
[ QFM ]
THE Christian Coalition has urged the Catholic Church to clamp down on its wayward priests to restore the integrity of the church.
Coalition executive director John Mwendapole said in Lusaka yesterday that the Catholic Church has itself to blame for speculation that it supports opposition Patriotic Front president Michael Sata.
Mr Mwendapole said the speculation arises from the fact that the Catholic Church has not come out in the open to condemn its priests who actively participate in politics.
“Let them clamp down on wayward priests to remove all misconceptions,” Mr Mwendapole said.
He said some named priests have been seen publicly embracing Mr Sata and campaigning with him, which is wrong because the church is supposed to be neutral.
Mr Mwendapole said the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has at no time condemned priests from the church who use the Catholic Church to openly antagonise the MMD government and demean its development projects.
“They only have themselves to blame and they should not turn around and castigate others who defend a constitutionally elected government,” Mr Mwendapole said.
He said the ZEC should not blame anyone who defends government from unnecessary attacks.
Mr Mwendapole said the attacks on the Catholic Church are a clear indication that people are not happy with the unwarranted attacks on government and that the ZEC could remedy the situation by ensuring that priests stick to preaching the gospel and not politicking.
He said the communiqué ZEC issued to all its churches on Thursday and Government wings is a “gimmick to cow Government into submission”.
Mr Mwendapole said the role of the church in Zambia is to preach the gospel and not to incline its membership to supporting certain politicians.
“Some priests are using the church as a platform to manipulate the Catholic Church membership into supporting their preferred political parties, which is wrong,” Mr Mwendapole said.
He challenged the Catholic Church to explain why it allows its priests to support Mr Sata when the church is supposed to be non-partisan.
“The priests are behaving like loose canons and if not properly handled, they can cause havoc in the country,” Mr Mwendapole said.
He said instead of supporting Mr Sata, the Catholic Church should use the influence they have on him to make him a better and more consistent leader.
GOVERNMENT says it has set aside K52 billion for the recruitment of expatriate medical personnel in the country.
Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said the medical expatriates to be employed this year will be part of the 2,150 trained health workers the Treasury has given authority to recruit.
Mr Simbao said this in Lusaka on Thursday when he appeared before the House of Chiefs to explain staff shortages in the country’s health institutions and the measures Government is taking to beef up the number of qualified medical personnel at all health institutions.
He said Government is concerned about the shortage of trained health workers, and is doing everything possible to employ more staff to help meet the demand for healthcare services.
Mr Simbao said Government will ensure all hospitals and clinics being built across the country are adequately staffed.
“Staff recruitment is a matter that is currently being given utmost attention by Government. This year, my ministry has been given authority to employ 2,150 health personnel. In addition, we have set aside K52 billion in this year’s budget which will go towards the recruitment of expatriates to try to meet the demand for health services.
“This money has to be used, otherwise it will go back to the Treasury,” he said.
Mr Simbao said the Ministry of Health currently has an establishment of 8,000 nurses against the required 23,000, and 990 doctors against the required 2,300.
He said Government has put in place effective interventions to improve staffing levels in the health sector.
Mr Simbao said Government has rehabilitated and opened all the old training institutions, which were closed, and has started training more health personnel to ease the shortage of staff.
“We are training close to 1,000 nurses and about 100 doctors per year.
In addition, we are considering training 7,000 community health workers in the first phase and another 14,000 in the second phase.
This will help us to improve staffing in the health sector.
“We have also opened the Ndola Medical School at the Ndola Central Hospital, where we will in June this year start training medical personnel with an initial number of 50 students. We are hoping that in the next five years, we will ease the staff shortage in the health sector,” he said.
Mr Simbao assured the nation that Government will continue putting in place more measures aimed at helping improve standards in the health sector.
THE House of Chiefs has recommended to Government to consider exempting traditional leaders from paying tax from their personal incomes.
The House said traditional leaders are senior citizens and should be given special privileges.
Moving the motion during the House’s sitting in Lusaka on Thursday, Chief Liteta of Central Province said he is concerned that traditional leaders have been subjected to paying tax when they are senior citizens who are contributing meaningfully to national development.
The chief said traditional leaders must be exempted from paying tax from their personal incomes.
“Traditional rulers play an important role in the development of any nation because they are the custodians of the law. Chiefs advise Governments on any issues concerning the welfare of people because politicians alone cannot manage without the support of traditional leaders.
“It is for this reason that they should be exempted from paying tax from their personal incomes to help them stand on their own,” he said.
Seconding the motion, Chief Simamba of Southern Province said traditional leaders play a unifying role besides helping to spearhead development in their chiefdoms.
He said the chiefs should, therefore, be given special privileges which will give them an opportunity to contribute effectively to overall economic development.
Supporting the motion, Chieftainess Nkhomeshya of Chongwe said Government should consider amending the current tax system and ensure that traditional leaders are exempted from paying tax from their personal incomes.
“The salaries of chiefs are low and when taxes are deducted from our salaries, we almost remain with nothing. We need to be exempted from paying tax to improve our welfare,” she said.
THE Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) says it has started reviewing the Intestate Succession Act number five of 1989 to make it more responsive in addressing the high cases of property grabbing in the country.
ZLDC director Annette Nhekairo said the organisation has decided to review the law because in its current form, it is not up to speed with modern administration of estates for people who die without leaving a will.
Ms Nhekairo said this in Lusaka yesterday when she appeared before the House of Chiefs to explain the challenges the current Act is facing in addressing property grabbing cases, as well as the urgent need to review the current Intestate Succession Act.
She said current statistics indicate that over 78 percent of widows and orphans continue to suffer injustices countrywide because of archaic laws such as the Intestate Succession Act.
“Research has shown that there is apparent resistance to the provisions of this Act. This is further evidenced by the high number of reported cases of property grabbing at police stations across the country and at legal advice desks.
“As we may be aware, the mandate of the ZLDC is to develop the law to meet the changing needs of society. In accordance with its objectives and functions under the Zambia Law Development Act, Chapter 32 of the Laws of Zambia, the commission is required to undertake research and make special recommendations on the need to revise the Act,” Ms Nhekairo said.
She said the current Intestate Succession Act does not adequately protect the interests of the widows and orphans, especially on matters relating to customary land.
Ms Nhekairo said the Act poses challenges in administering the Act as it is applied according to customs and traditional norms prevailing in a particular area, which vary in a country of 73 tribes and 286 chiefs.
She said the Act also greatly disadvantages widows and orphans with regard to their rightful inheritance shares from the estates of their husbands and fathers.
Ms Nhekairo also said the police should be empowered to arrest people violating the law, while the judiciary should be mandated to prosecute such cases to deter intending perpetrators of the vice.
She said the Law Development Commission has documented cases of injustices against widows and orphans to show the extent of the problem in the country.
Labour and Social Security Deputy Minister Simon Kachimba
DEPUTY Minister of Labour and Social Security Simon Kachimba yesterday rebuked a Chingola-based foreign investor for allowing his workers to share sleeping space with goats.
The workers sleep in a garage which the investor also uses to keep goats.
Mr Kachimba said when he inspected Wang-Kong Company Limited that it is inhuman for the firm to allow its workers to sleep in a garage that also houses goats.
“I am giving you up to Monday to move these people out of the garage. Give them money so that they can go and rent good houses in the townships,” Mr Kachimba said.
He said Government appreciates the contribution investors are making to economic growth, but it is important for them to respect human rights.
He also said it is unbelievable that the investor is paying his workers a monthly salary of less than K350,000.
The visibly annoyed Mr Kachimba urged management to move the workers from the garage and give them better salaries to secure alternative accommodation.
“Let us have respect for workers, without workers there can be no production. Government recognises the role workers play in national development. It is important for our partners, investors, to do the same by giving them good conditions of service,” Mr Kachimba said.
He said Government supports progressive investors who are adding value to the economy.
[pullquote]“I am giving you up to Monday to move these people out of the garage. Give them money so that they can go and rent good houses in the townships,” Mr Kachimba said.[/pullquote]
Mr Kachimba also toured the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) housing complex in Kalulushi.
He called on Zambians to ignore disgruntled politicians who are criticising the developmental projects Government and its partners are undertaking.
Mr Kachimba said it is unfortunate that some people have politicised the developmental projects NAPSA is undertaking countrywide.
He said President Banda and his administration will not be derailed from implementing viable projects which are positively impacting on the lives of Zambians.
He is happy that the Kalulushi NAPSA housing project is progressing well, but advised the contractor, Yangts Jiang Enterprises, to provide workers with protective clothing.
He also advised the workers against stealing protective clothing from the company.
The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has appealed to cooperating partners not to provide financial support to some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for conducting election monitoring.
ZCID has bemoaned the partisan manner in which some CSOs are going about performing their role.
This was agreed upon by political parties that are members of the ZCID at an inter party dialogue summit held in Lusaka on Thursday.
ZCID spokesperson Njekwa Anamela says cooperating partners should not provide CSOs with support for conducting election monitoring as this may be misunderstood and lead to acrimony.
Mr. Anamela, who is also United National Independence Party (UNIP) vice president, has, however, implored cooperating partners to support the ZCID in enabling the institution assist political parties in deploying polling agents.
[ QFM ]
