Speaking when he launched the facilities at the newly constructed Chongwe District Hospital today, President Banda said more than 8.7 million Zambians across the country will benefit from the newly launched mobile hospitals.

Mr. Banda said the MMD government is determined to continue improving the health sector in the country for the benefit all Zambians.

ZANIS reports that the President stressed that the mobile hospitals will play a vital role in reducing maternal mortality rates in the country as health services will be brought closer to the people even in areas not easily accessible to people.

He noted that health services in the country are provided in two modes which include static health posts, clinics and general hospitals as well as mobile hospitals.

He said the two modes complement each other in the health delivery.

Mr. Banda said government has constructed hospitals, health posts, and health centers across the country for the benefit of the people.

The President further said that government is constructing 125 more health posts across the country in addition to building more District Hospitals in all the 9 provinces of Zambia.

He named the District hospitals constructed by government as Chongwe, Chadiza, Chama, Chavuma and Chiengi district hospitals.

He said others are Samfya, Lufwanyama, Lumwana, Lundazi, Namwala, and Serenje to mention but a few.

President Banda said that government was optimistic that by 2016 there will be District hospitals in all the 73 districts of Zambia.

President Banda also said government was constructing A general hospitalS in Choma and Lusaka.

He disclosed that the new Lusaka General Hospital will be officially opened by May this year.

Mr. Banda hailed the Chinese government for the assistance being rendered to Zambia including the purchase of mobile hospitals.

He stated that the new mobile hospitals will be supplied to all 9 provinces of Zambia.

The equipment consists of X-ray, laboratory, dispensary unit, power and water units and living quarter unit and the out patients department.

He disclosed that in each mobile hospital which will be supplied to provinces, there will be four Chinese Doctors to assist the local medical personal especially in Surgical, maternity and nursing.

President Banda also stated that government has procured 17 Marin Clinics and 12 Boats to be used in areas which are only accessible by water such as in Western and Luapula provinces.

And President Banda has said government intends to open a second school of medicine in Ndola in a bid to improve human resources in the health sector.

And speaking at the same event, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Quingmin said the mobile hospitals will go a long way in uplifting people’s lives in rural areas.

Mr. Li said President Banda should be appreciated for his initiative to purchase mobile hospitals.

He said China will not relent in partnering with the Zambian government especially in the health sector.

He stated that the bilateral relations between the two countries which he said dates back to many years should continue for the benefit of the two country nations.

[ ZANIS ]

Business at Senama market in Mansa District came to a halt last evening when a pregnant woman stripped naked in the market shelter after she was accused of stealing a Fifty Thousand Kwacha by her fellow trader.

The woman decided to strip naked after she failed to convince her accuser that she had not stolen the money.

The duo was selling vegetables at the market when they picked up a quarrel after one of them lost a K 50,000 and accused her friend of stealing the money.

ZANIS reports that after a prolonged argument, the woman who accused her counterpart of having stolen the money demanded that her friend produces all the money she had so that she could identify her K 50, 000 note.

It was at this point that the accused woman decided to strip naked in the full view of people who had gone to watch them argue and those that went to buy assorted items.

She told ZANIS that she stripped naked to show her accuser that she did not steal her money.

One of the on lookers who sort anonymity said it was shameful for a woman to resort to stripping naked in presence of men and children at the market.

She said it was unjustifiable for the accused woman to remove all her clothes in public even if she was pressurized by her friend.

Meanwhile, other women expressed displeasure at the event but condemned the woman who had accused the other of stealing the money for not listening to her friend’s explanation.

They said it would be more important for the women in question to settle their wrangles at the police station than reaching the extent of stripping naked in public.
[ ZANIS ]

Government has observed that disabled children have been neglected by society including those very close to them like their immediate families.

Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary (PS) Sherry Thole says the children have in most cases been discriminated against yet it is not by choice that they are disabled.

ZANIS reports that Ms. Thole said this in a speech read on her behalf by Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Director of Human Resource and Administration Lameck Kanyuka when Children In Need Network (CHIN) donated six wheelchairs to six disabled children at Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Center in Lusaka’s Chazanga area today.

She said it was gratifying that CHIN had committed its resources to helping children with special needs so that their welfare is also improved.

Meanwhile, CHIN Executive Director Samuel Chakamba said the mission of CHIN was to continue upholding the rights of the disabled children across the country.

Dr. Chakamba said his organization would not relent in rendering support to the children with disabilities across the nation to improve their livelihood.

And Bwafwano Community Home Based Care Center Director, Beatrice Chola commended CHIN for the gesture adding that the wheelchairs would go a long way in assisting the children.

Ms. Chola called upon CHIN to continue offering support to children with disabilities across the country and appealed to other organizations to emulate CHIN’s support to disabled children in the country.

ZANIS

The just ended Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit of the organ Troika on Politics, Defence and security Cooperation has urged Zimbabwe to immediately end violence, intimidation, hate
speech, harassment and any other form of action that contradicts the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agenda (GPA).

The SADC summit noted with grave concern the polarization of the political environment in Zimbabwe as characterized by the resurgence of violence, arrests and intimidation.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the summit held in Livingstone to consider the political and security situation in the region, particularly on Madagascar and Zimbabwe, the summit noted with disappointment of insufficient progress that has been made on the past SADC decisions on the implementation of the Global Political Agenda (GPA) in Zimbabwe.
The communiqué that was read by SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao expressed
SADC’s impatience in the delay of implementing the GPA.

The summit has since resolved that there must be an immediate end of violence, intimidation, hate speech, harassment and any other form of action that contradicts the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agenda.

All stakeholders to the Global Political Agenda have been urged to implement the provisions of the GPA and create a conducive environment for peace, security and free political activity.

It was also resolved that the inclusive government in Zimbabwe should complete all the steps necessary for the holding of the election including the finalization of the constitutional amendment and the referendum.

It was further noted that SADC should assist Zimbabwe to formulate guidelines that will assist in holding the election that is peaceful, free and fair in accordance with SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.

The Troika of the organ shall appoint a team of officials to join the facilitation team and work with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) to ensure monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the GPA.

The Troika shall also develop the terms of reference, time frames and provide regular progress reports, the first to be presented during the next SADC extraordinary summit.

The summit shall review progress on the implementation of the GPA and take appropriate action,” reads the Communiqué in part.

The summit also endorsed the report of the SADC facilitation on Zimbabwe.

And the summit recalled and reiterated its decisions of March, 2009 on the urgent need to restore constitutional order in Madagascar and pledged full support to the SADC mediation team in its efforts to help the Malagasy people in finding a lasting solution to the crisis facing the country.

According to the Communiqué, the summit also considered the report of the SADC mediator and noted the development of the roadmap for returning the country to constitutional normalcy.

The summit recommended the convening of an extraordinary summit to further consider the Madagascar report as a matter of urgency.

The summit has since urged all Malagasy Political Actors to reject violence or threat to use violence during the transition.

The summit committed to consolidate and protect the achievements made in the mediation process and urged all the political parties to cooperate and support the work of the SADC meditation towards the free, fair and credible elections.

The summit reiterated that the Malgacho-Malgache Dialogue continue to be guided by consensus, inclusivity and transparency and commended former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano and SADC mediator on Madagascar for his efforts in finding the lasting solution for Madagascar crisis.

In reviewing political and security developments in the continent, the summit noted with grave concern the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Cote d’Ivoire leading to increased deaths, displacement of persons and influx of refugees.

The summit also called on Mr. Laurent Gbagbo to hand over power to the internationally recognized winner of the Ivorian Presidential elections, Mr Allassane Ouattara with immediate effect to avoid further bloodshed

With regards to Libya, the summit noted with concern the obtrusive measures taken by some countries which go beyond the letter and spirit of UNSC Resolution 1973 on the No-Fly zone and called for the adherence to the political track that was initiated by the AU to pave the way for political solution in accordance with all its resolutions.

The summit that was chaired by President Rupiah Banda was attended by the Chairperson of SADC President Hifikepunye Pohamba, South African President Jacob Zuma, who is deputy chairperson of the Troika organ and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.

Also in attendance was President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai who is Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara.

ZANIS

FORMER republican President Frederick Chiluba has urged Zambians to ignore United States of America-based Zambian clergyman Edward Chomba’s denunciation of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation because he is a fraudster.

And chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has said Zambians should pay no attention to Bishop Chomba because he is a fake clergyman.

Dr Chiluba said Bishop Chomba is not a credible representative of the clergy because he was ex-communicated from the Church ‘for his immoral and dishonest conduct.’

He said this in a statement issued by his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba in Lusaka on April 1.

“The so called Bishop Chomba is officially married to five women in South Africa, Malawi, USA and recently Nigeria.

Owing to the scandalous nature of the life of Bishop Chomba, it is imperative that Zambia takes precautions towards fraudsters who will besiege it during this sensitive period of elections,” Dr Chiluba said.

Bishop Chomba on April 1 told Radio Pheonix’s ‘Let The People Talk’ programme that Zambia should never have been declared a Christian nation because Government was allegedly presided over by corrupt politicians.

He said the politicians did not consult the Church before making the declaration.

But Dr Chiluba said Bishop Chomba is an impostor and hypocrite who was excommunicated from the Church in 2007 by Arch-bishop Timothy Paul Baymon.

Arch-bishop Baymon is the Arch-bishop of the International Communion of the Holy Christian Orthodox Church and President of the World Bishops Council.

The former head of State said the Church should not allow people such as Bishop Chomba to masquerade as members of the clergy in Zambia and use the platform to champion dangerous causes.

“We call upon the clergy to scrutinise and root out impostors like Mr Edward Chomba so that people know that he does not represent any church in Zambia or the USA as reported by some sections of the media,” he said.

And Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in an interview in Lusaka on April 1 that Bishop Chomba is fake because he was excommunicated from the Church in 2007 for immoral conduct.

“Edward Chomba is not a bishop, and he is misleading the public because he was excommunicated in the USA in 2007. So, he has no right to talk about Government and about the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said Bishop Chomba does not qualify to be a clergyman because he is married to five women.

He said Mr Chomba was ex-communicated by International Communion of the Holy Christian Orthodox Church arch-bishop Timothy Paul Baymon.

Meanwhile, KANYANTA KATONGO reports that Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire has said Zambians should not take Bishop Chomba seriously because he is not credible.

Mr Chifire said Bishop Chomba should come out in the open and declare his political ambitions instead of misleading Zambians.

He said in an interview in Lusaka on April 1 that Bishop Chomba is not a true Christian leader because he is married to five women.

“Bishop Chomba should tell the nation about his relationship with Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata, who allegedly gives him money,” he said.

He said Bishop Chomba should join Mr Sata in PF and stop hiding in the Church.

Mr Chifire said Bishop Chomba’s remarks were uncalled for.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja says the fight against corruption is for every Zambian and not the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Government alone.

Dr Kanganja said when he opened the dissemination workshop for ACC policy to permanent secretaries in Lusaka on April 1 that Zambia will only eradicate corruption if all stakeholders join the fight against the vice.

“There is a tendency in this country to think that the fight against corruption is the responsibility of ACC and Government alone. This is a wrong concept which should not be entertained.

We ought to take the corruption fight very seriously because if we do not, we will cripple the nation economically and disadvantage the poor,” he said.

Dr Kanganja said Zambians should take a firm stance on the fight against corruption for the country to make progress.

He said citizens should refuse bribes and report all people engaged in corrupt activities to the ACC and other investigative agencies.

To permanent secretaries, he said their role as chief executive officers in Government is important in the fight against corrption because they promote transparency, accountability and efficiency in the delivery of public service.

“The fight against corruption is the responsibility of all of us. Your role is even greater because of the job you do in ministries, departments, agencies and provinces,” Dr Kanganja said.

He said the development of the National Anti-Corruption Policy and its implementation Plan indicates Government’s commitment to fight corruption.

The National Anti-Corruption Policy will be implemented within five years from 2010 to 2014.

Dr Kanganja said corporate and political will from permanent secretaries will be needed to successfully achieve the implementation of the policy.

Earlier, Commonwealth Governance secretariat advisor Roger Koranteng commended Zambia for the firm stance it has taken against corruption.

Dr Koranteng said Zambia is among leading African countries in the promotion of good governance, which includes the fight against corruption.

“Fighting corruption is like waging war. It is important for Zambia to sustain the fight against corruption. Zambia cannot fight corruption if it does not have a good administration. I am happy to say Zambia has a good administration in the fight against corruption,” he said.

And ACC director-general Godfrey Kayukwa said the workshop will highlight the role of permanent secretaries as chief executive officers in Government in the implementation of the policy against corruption.

[ Zambia daily Mail ]

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