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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 ]
Hope for Human Rights has asked Government to treat the Lusaka central Prison as a disaster and quickly move in to provide a solution.
Organisation Executive director Smart Chanda says Hope for human rights is saddened by the revelations by the prison authorities that they are forced to come up with a sleeping timetable for the inmates at Lusaka central prison-Chimbokaila.
A group of prisoners is allowed to sleep and later exchange with the other group due to inadequate space.
He says the international human rights law dictates that all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect.
[ MUVI ]
President Rupiah Banda has praised Zambian farmers for recording another historic bumper harvest.
The President is impressed with the unprecedented three point two metric tonnes of maize, which represents a surplus of over one million tonnes.
President Banda says his government has worked hard to introduce effective agricultural policies which have contributed to steady growth and stable food prices in the country.
Mr Banda was reacting to the announcement by Agriculture Minister Dr Eustarckio Kazonga that Zambia has recorded another bumper harvest.
This is according to a statement released to ZNBC News by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.
The President says his Government is in the process of working with the Food Reserve Agency, traders and farmers to identify the best ways to store and transport the huge harvest.
Mr Banda says his primary concern is to ensure the produce reaches the people who will most benefit from the harvest.
At the start of this year’s agricultural season, President Banda pledged increased budgetary allocation to the sector and a provision of 37 billion kwacha to build dams for irrigation and water supply to livestock.
The Economic Association of Zambia yesterday praised President Banda’s government for putting in place sound agricultural policies that have helped the country record another maize bumper harvest.
Last year Zambia produced another record bumper harvest of 2 point 8 million metric tonnes.
Choma District Education Board Secretary Annah Masilani has paid tribute to GLASCO Foundation of Canada for supplementing government efforts in increasing access to education in the district and the nation as a whole.
Ms. Masilani says shortening walking distances to school and increasing access to education for all is one of the major priorities of government which has built schools all over the country.
She said this yesterday during the hand over ceremony of a teacher’s house built under the donation of GLASCO Foundation of Canada at Katumbi Community School in Chief Macha ‘s area.
Mrs. Masilani pointed out that education has become a right and that every child is required to reach basic education from grade 1-9 by 2015, a target government is trying to achieve under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
She disclosed that her ministry is working with other partners in the district such as ADRA Zambia and GLASCO Foundation to ensure that it reaches its target before 2015 .
Mrs. Masilani revealed that her office is currently processing papers to try to gazette the community school so that it is upgraded from a community level to a basic learning institution in order for grade seven examinations to be conducted at the same facility.
She added that her office has already identified the school for farther help in form of grants to enable the institution procure chalk, books and pupils’ requisite.
Currently the school is running up to grade four and aims to reach grade seven as soon as it is upgraded to a basic level.
The DEBS assured the community of Katumbi that her office will send teachers since the school is slowly growing and will absored the increasing number of pupils due to good infrastructure which has been made possible by GLASCO Foundation in partnership with government.
She reminded the community to look after the newly built infrastructure with good care.
“I want to thank the donors for the job well done especially in the provision of solar panels for this will retain teachers in rural areas and as our wish is to make rural schools conducive to teachers,” she said.
And speaking at the same function GLASCO Foundation Chairman Colin B. Glasco said his organization will remain committed to improve the welfare of the under privileged in society.
He said he is overwhelmed with the response his organization has received from the local community.
President Rupiah Banda talks to President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and President Ipukefinye Pohamba of Namibia
President Banda was this morning among SADC heads of State and Government who attended the opening session of the on-going SADC extraordinary summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
The meeting is the first SADC summated devoted to regional economic development.
Other leaders who attended the summit include Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Amando Guebuza of Mozambique, Joseph Kabila of DRC, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Ian Karma of Botswana and host Hefikepunye Pohamba.
And speaking during the opening ceremony of the extraordinary summit, Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson Hefikepunye Pohamba called on SADC member countries to take an active role in global economic affairs.
Mr. Pohamba said this is important because it would be easy for the region to chart a clear course of the global economy with certainty.
ZANIS reports that the Namibian President said SADC cannot afford to be a passive bystander in the process of global economic transformation.
He said there was need for SADC member countries to actively help shape the global economic landscape and create better conditions for the citizens.
“We share a common vision for a region that is more closely integrated in line with our commitments as set out in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) and the various protocol s that our Regional organization has adopted over the years in order to pursue our integration agenda more effectively,” he said.
Mr. Pohamba said today’s summit which has been devoted to the economic development of the region should be seen in the context of leaders’ recognition of the need for active participation in the global economy.
The SADC chair noted that over the years, substantial resources have been spent while many meetings on economic issues have also been held.
Mr. Pohamba noted that as the region looks at the efforts it has made in the last thirty years and to the future, there was need for leaders to remain focused on the fact that whatever they do, the aim at achieving the ultimate goal of improving the living conditions of citizens in the SADC region.
He noted that millions of people in the region have continued to live in abject poverty and suffer from hunger, preventable diseases, lack of access to quality education, health care and other basic amenities.
He said in order to address such challenges and other developmental gaps, there was need for leaders to take actionable decisions at the on-going summit.
“The challenges we face are manifold and indeed, formidable. But, they must be met, so that we may truly translate the vision of our founding fathers into material well-being of our people,” said President Pohamba.
He cited lack of adequate resources from the region and ineffective implementation of decisions taken by the regional body as some of the persistence challenges.
Mr. Pohamba said it was critical that the decisions taken by the leaders in SADC are seriously and effectively implemented for the region to move forward.
He called on SADC leaders to mobilize domestic resources and marshal the necessary political will in order to give concrete meaning to the regional integration agenda.
President Pohamba noted that while foreign funding by development partners has been generous and welcome, dependence on it alone could constrain development efforts.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pohamba has announced that in June this year, a tripartite summit to be attended by Heads of State and Government of SADC, COMESA and the Eastern African Community which will focus on the finalization of the process of establishing the envisaged tripartite free trade area will be held in South Africa.
He said the meeting will also look at the harmonization of trade arrangements among the three Regional Economic Communities, free movement of goods and people, joint implementation of intra-regional infrastructure programmes as well as institutional arrangements on the basis on which the three regional bodies would foster cooperation.
Mr. Pohamba stressed that the establishment of the envisaged Tripartite Free Trade Area was critical towards revitalizing the economies of Southern, Eastern and Central Africa besides being a crucial building block towards achieving the African Economic Community as outlined in the Abuja Treaty.
Meanwhile, President Banda is this afternoon expected to present reports to the closed door session of the Heads of State and Government on on-going mediation efforts in Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
President Banda is the chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation of SADC.
The Faz Super Division enters Week 9 with a couple of intriguing clashes taking place on Saturday.
Leaders Nakambala Leopards take on Red Arrows in Mazabuka knowing they will remain top whatever the outcome of their home match this weekend against their visitors from Lusaka.
Nakambala are on 19 points, four more than 3rd placed Arrows with the latter targeting to join Nkana as the second team to win in Mazabuka this season.
At Sunset Stadium in Lusaka, second placed Zanaco host Konkola Blades.
Zanaco, who like Arrows are on 15 points, come into this match on a big high after an important 2-1 home win over their rivals from the Copperbelt Zesco United.
More of the same is expected from Zanaco including another red hot display from their DR Congo winger and early candidate for 2011 player of the year Fabrice Mbimba.
And in Chingola, 4th placed Nchanga Rangers will be looking for their first league win over guests Green Buffaloes in six years.
Rangers can trace their last league win over Buffaloes to March 18, 2005 when they beat the latter 2-0 at the same venue.
FAZ Super Division Week 9
21/05/2011
Forest Rangers-Power Dynamos
Green Eagles-Nkana
Nakambala Leopards-Red Arrows
Nkwazi-Kalewa
Nchanga Rangers-Green Buffaloes
Zanaco-Konkola Blades
Kabwe Warriors-Roan United
