Information Minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha has disclosed that about US$ 37 million worth of pirated video and audio materials were last year destroyed by government through numerous seizures of pirated and counterfeit products.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha says the exercise showed how much artists and government are losing through piracy and counterfeits although most of the works that were destroyed were of foreign origin.

ZANIS reports that Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha said this in a speech read on his behalf by Information Permanent Secretary Dr. Sam Phiri during the official opening of a three-day World Intellectual Property Organisation-Africa regional meeting on copyright and related rights in Lusaka today.

The meeting which has drawn participants from Zambia and other countries in Africa among them Gambia, Kenya and Ghana has jointly been organized by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and government.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha stressed that government attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of intellectual property rights as demonstrated by the numerous seizures of pirated and counterfeit products from the markets across the country.

He said intellectual property provides employment to artists and creators hence the need of protecting the Intellectual Property Rights.

The Minister further noted that artists pay taxes such as Value Added Tax among others to government and that it was therefore important that intellectual property in general, copyright and other related rights in particular are respected to safeguard the rights holders.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha also announced that government has taken deliberate measures aimed at protecting intellectual property rights which includes the Amendment to the Performance Rights Act.

He added that all statutes governing industrial property are being reviewed to make laws compliant to the international treaties and conventions that Zambia is part of.

Meanwhile, the Minister has indicated that the country still faces a lot of challenges with regards to copyright administration among them lack of capacity to effectively run collective management organizations despite the efforts that government has been making.

He appealed to the two organisations to continue training officers from his ministry and other agencies involved in the administration of copyright and related rights as that would ensure that the country has an effective mechanism for administering intellectual property.

And WIPO Assistant Director General Trevor Clerk said counterfeit products are a serious concern on people’s health and that copyright undermines the rights of creators hence the need to have everyone’s involvement in addressing such issues.

He observed that the 21st century was entered with tremendous copyright challenges and his organization is mandated to protect intellectual property globally.

Speaking on his behalf by ARIPO Director Christopher Kiige, Director General Jeff Sibanda thanked government and the rest of the country for the support it has given to his organisation since its inception.

Mr. Sibanda hoped that the meeting would be used as a platform for crafting appropriate recommendations for full implantation of the mandate on copyright and related rights within the framework of his orgainisation.

ZANIS

Livestock and Fisheries Minister Bradford Machila has cautioned young people in the country not to be swayed into voting for leaders that have no agenda for them as the country heads towards the general elections.

Mr. Machila says it is important for young people to scrutinize leaders and take into consideration their track record of good governance before giving them a vote.

ZANIS reports that speaking when he addressed youths in Mongu during the Western Province youth indaba, the Minister stated that the MMD government is the ideal choice for the youth in this year’s election because of strides government has made in uplifting their living standards.

Mr. Machila urged the youth to be careful with leaders especially from the opposition whose main objective is to use and exploit them in order to get to power.

He said it is imperative for the youth to exercise caution and ensure they vote wisely, saying the decision they make today will not only affect them but the future generation as well.

And Mr. Machila has urged the youth to be wary of the scourge of HIV/AIDS for them to continue contributing effectively to national development.

He said government is depending on the young people to push the development agenda of the nation hence the need for the youth to guard their health jealously.

[ ZANIS ]

A CHURCH elder in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) in Nakonde district in Northern Province says exposure to internet and pornography has contributed greatly to the moral decay among the youths in the border town.

Isaac Musukwa said this yesterday at SDA Nakonde main church in his special Family Life sermon.

Elder Musukwa said the continued exposure of the youths to the internet and pornography has contributed to the unbecoming behaviour of the youths who always want to experiment what they see on internet and pornographic materials.

Elder Musukwa said there is need to regulate what information or material is exposed to the youths so as to have decent youths who would grow up into responsible citizens of the country.

He also charged that some parents have also contributed to the diminishing moral fiber in society because of their failure to promote decent dressing among their children.

Elder Musukwa said a good parent ensures that a child is well dressed before leaving home adding that poor dressing that exposes essential parts of the body has resulted into a number of rape and defilement cases.

And Elder Musukwa also said broken homes are a source of social problems affecting the community.

He said there is need to promote strong marriages that will be responsible for the good upbringing of the children.

Elder Musukwa said there is need for couples to be faithful to each other saying there should be no sex outside marriage as it is a recipe for social ills in the community.

The church elder called on the Christian community to be prayerful in order for them not to be tempted into sinning saying Zambia is a Christian nation and therefore, there is need to promote good morals among its citizens.

A commissioner in the Ministry of Home Affairs has urged newly-wed couples to respect vows of marriage and fear God if they are to succeed in marriage.

Mr. Ananias Miti, who is member of the Police and Prisons Service Commission, also warned new couples to avoid infidelity in order to avoid the HIV and AIDS scourge.

Mr. Miti reminded young couples that marriage vows were meant to cement the unity of husband and wife just like God created Adam and Eve to be one body.

He said this last evening during the wedding ceremony of son of Lusaka Deputy Permanent Secretary, Richard Chinjili, Dockson, who married Mirriam Hara in Lusaka.

Mr. Miti, who is also former Eastern Province Police Officer Commanding, advised the young couple to stick to each other until death, saying nobody else forced them into the marriage bondage but themselves.

He added that it was for this reason that they should remain honest with each other so that they avoid the HIV and HIDS scourge.

Mr. Miti warned HIV and AIDS has no cure and has brought more misery than happiness in young marriages through infidelity between couples.

“I want to remind you that you are one body. If one of you travels out, he/she should always remember that another half has remained back home so you should not look for sexual substitutes out there,” he said.

He also warned the couple that if they chose to be unfaithful, they risk breaking their marriage, an act which he said would be defying Gods wish and was tantamount to eternal punishment.

United Party for National Development (UPND) has described the recent revelations made by former defence minister on the $ US 100 million arms deals as shameful.

UPND vice president for administration Richard Kapita says government should therefore come out in the open and set the record straight in the allegations made by Mr. Mpombo that president Banda wanted his Son James to benefit fRoM the deal.

Mr. Kapita tells QFM news that it is time that African leaders and those in particular learnt to be honest when serving the people that put them into office.

He adds that the truth will one day surface no matter how long it may take because the people of Zambia are following all the developments closely.

And Mr. Kapita says the people of Zambia should not expect much from parliament when it resumes sitting this month-end.

He says the MMD had an opportunity to give the people of Zambia a new constitution but that it instead chose to manipulate the all process.

Mr. Kapita has since called for the dissolution of parliament so that the country can go to the polls.

[pullquote]Mr. Mpombo said that he had no documentation on the matter claiming that all the documents were left at the ministry of defense.[/pullquote]

However, former defense Minister George Mpombo failed to substantiate his claims over what he termed the failed arms deal when asked to produce documentation to support the allegations.

Mr. Mpombo said that he had no documentation on the matter claiming that all the documents were left at the ministry of defense.

When asked further as to whether he has any evidence about the claims he has been making in the recent past Mr. Mpombo who is also Kafulafuta MP said it was difficult to prove.

QFM

New Generation Party President Humphrey Siulapwa has warned Zambians to be wary of politicians calling for change to avoid plunging the country into chaos.

Speaking during a press briefing at the party headquarters in Lusaka today, Mr. Siulapwa said Zambians are clever enough to see what type of change they want and not the change being advocated by frustrated politicians.

Mr. Siulapwa said majority of some former MMD members who have been expelled from the ruling party have now re-grouped under the Patriotic Front thinking that Zambians are not watching them.

He warned the Patriotic Front members to be careful with people such as Former Ministers, Mike Mulongoti, Ludwig Sondashi, Edith Nawakwi, George Mpombo and Mbita Chitala whom he described as disgruntled politicians who have lost direction and have since joined the Patriotic Front.

He accused Mr. Mulongoti of lacking principles and that he was a shameless opportunist who overrates himself.

Mr. Siulapwa said it was strange that Mr. Mulongoti had allegedly continued cheating the nation that he put President Banda in State House in 2008 yet he only has one vote.

He said contrary to what he termed Mr. Mulongoti’s selfish motives; Mr. Siulapwa said it was the people of Zambia that voted to have President Banda in State House.

Mr. Siulapwa wondered why it had to take a dismissal for Mr. Mulongoti to see all the evil things he was now talking about with regards to President Rupiah Banda.

He said Mr. Mulongoti’s behaviour exposed how shallow minded and selfish he is.

He warned Mr. Mulongoti and Dr. Chitala to stop making un necessary attacks on President Banda because his supporters wont sit idle but retaliate when ever the Head of State is insulted.

He said Dr. Chitala was unstable, unreliable and a traitor who has betrayed both former President Frederick Chiluba and late President Mwanawasa when he was given responsibility in the party and in Government to serve the Zambian people.

And the New Generation Party President has rubbished the opinion poll conducted by the Center for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Dr. Neo Simutanyi that Patriotic Front President Michael Sata is poised to win this year’s elections by 31 percent.

Mr. Siulapwa said it was wishful thinking that the Patriotic Front President Michael Chilufya Sata will win this year’s election.

He said the people of Zambia know very well what President Banda has done for this country and that he deserves a second term of office.

The opposition leader said those thinking that President Rupiah Banda will lose this year’s election will wake up to a rude shock after the announcement of the results.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda says Turkey is an important country and that Zambia will greatly benefit economically from Turkeys Experiences.

President Banda said this today at Lusaka International Airport shortly before his departure for Istanbul,Turkey where he will be among the other world leaders attending the 4th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries.

Mr. Banda said the conference is an important forum for Zambia and other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as well as co-operating partners to re-examine the entire development paradigm in the light of existing and emerging global challenges and existing poverty.

The President said Zambia and Turkey enjoy warm bilateral relations which date back to many years ago adding that this was an opportunity for Zambia to benefit economically from that country’s vast knowledge in economic management.

He said he was personally invited by his Turkish counterpart, President Abdullah Gul for bilateral discussions meant to further benefit the two countries.

President Banda added that the Zambian delegation from all sectors of the economy are already in that country and that he was optimistic that Zambia will amass many benefits because Turkey has a vibrant economic policy which has made that it to be what it is today.

[pullquote]And on Mr. Sata’s trip to the United Kingdom, President Banda said the trip was fake and that it had no significance whatsoever because the latter was not invited by Oxford University perse.[/pullquote]

And President Banda has described Patriotic Front President Michael Sata as a desperate person without any vision for the country.

President Banda said Mr. Sata has been in Government for many years and only left the MMD when he was not adopted by the party in 2001.

He said Mr. Sata served in many Government portfolios where he did not even perform to the expectations of the Zambian people.

And on Mr. Sata’s trip to the United Kingdom, President Banda said the trip was fake and that it had no significance whatsoever because the latter was not invited by Oxford University perse.

President Banda said Mr. Sata was invited by a small group of students adding that even those who saw the picture in the Post Newspaper would be able to attest to it that only a small group of people attended his meeting.

[pullquote]President Banda wondered what bad things Mr. Mulongoti has seen in the MMD which he never saw until he was ejected from the party.[/pullquote]

Meanwhile, President Banda has called on the media in the country to stop addressing expelled former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti as Honorable because he was no longer a nominated Member of Parliament.

He said Mulongoti is a frustrated person and warned him to stop making unwarranted statements against him and the party in the press.

President Banda wondered what bad things Mr. Mulongoti has seen in the MMD which he never saw until he was ejected from the party.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has called on first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda’s son Colonel Panji Kaunda to stop provoking the ruling party by claiming that most Zambians are leaving in poverty.

MMD Deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu says Colonel Kaunda should desist from attacking the MMD regime adding that he failed to offer constructive advice to Dr Kaunda when he was President.

Mr. Nyangu says Colonel Kaunda lacks principles as he keeps moving from one party to the other stating that Zambians should not take him seriously.

He says his support for the PF is an act of desperation following his expulsion from the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Meanwhile, Mr. Nyangu has declined to comment on the call by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for political parties to stop airing campaign adverts on radio stations as the move is illegal and a breach of the electoral code of conduct.

MMD is one of the political parties illegally airing campaign adverts on various radio stations ahead of the general elections.

Recently, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha threatened to close down all radio stations running political adverts.
[ QFM ]