A Zambian national has been arrested by Malawi Police for trafficking in 150 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Public Relations Manager John Nyawali disclosed to ZANIS in a statement that an identified businessman

of Chifwiti Village in Lundazi district of Eastern Province was arrested by Mzimba Police after he was found with 150 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Mr Nyawali said the arrested Businessman becomes a fourth Zambian national arrested in Malawi in a space of two weeks for trafficking in cannabis.

He said the other two have already started serving their jail terms after being sentenced to varying jail terms of eight and 10 years with hard labour.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nyawali has disclosed that 113 people were arrested countrywide in the last seven days for trafficking in different quantities of cannabis with a total weight of 4.5 tonnes.

He stated the among the arrested was a grade 12 pupil of Kasama High School in Northern Province.

Others arrested in connection with controlled drugs and precursor chemicals was a 65- year -old British national working as a volunteer at one of the community based organisation in Chipata.

He was found with Diphenhydramine, a class two controlled drug.

“Also arrested was a 39 year old businessman of Chilenje in Lusaka who was arrested from the light industrial area in Kitwe after he was found with Ephedrine which he was trying to sell,” Mr. Nyawali added.

The DEC Public Relations Manager explained that the suspects are detained in custody and will appear in court soon.

ZANIS

Government has taken over the former Mwange Refugee camp in Mporokoso district of Northern Province and has turned it into a Child and Youth Training and Settlement Scheme.

ZANIS reports that Sport, Youth and Child Development Deputy Minister Brian Sikazwe disclosed that the scheme has three thousand hectares of land on which youth that are willing to venture into agriculture for income generation purposes will be settled.

Mr. Sikazwe stated during the official opening of the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development quarterly review meeting in Kabwe today that 50 youths have already been settled at the scheme.

He appealed to officials in the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development to come up with workable strategies that will see Mwange Child and Youth Training and Settlement Scheme become the flagship for government.

The deputy minister stated that there should be no room for failure at the settlement scheme and has since appealed to the Permanent Secretary Teddy Mulonga to immediately set a team that should develop a concept paper for soliciting resources for the development of the Mwange scheme from cooperating partners.

He said this was important because resources coming from the Central treasury this year were not enough for the development of the scheme.

ZANIS

MINISTER of Works and Supply Gabriel Namulambe says Government will not recommend the use of Government Printers to print this year’s ballot papers because the department lacks the necessary equipment and security.

Mr Namulambe instead advised the Government printing department to prepare for the 2016 by-elections by upgrading the machinery and planning for the printing of ballot papers for some by-elections that may occur after the 2011 tripartite elections.

“If we are to print ballot papers, let us focus our energies on 2016 because we have to ensure that security is tightened and all the necessary machinery is bought and installed,” he said.

Mr Namulambe said this during a familiarisation tour of the government printing department yesterday.

“After this tour, I don’t think it would be wise for us to recommend that ballot papers be printed here, unless the Electoral Commission of Zambia insists. I would instead suggest that we focus our energies towards addressing the concerns raised by stakeholders and modernise the equipment here,” he said.

Mr Namulambe also called for intensive capacity building to acquaint staff with the use of modern machinery and ballot printing,” he said.

The ministry would recommend that some of the government printing employees are part of the group of printers for this year’s ballot papers so that they are aware of the required standards.

And speaking during the tour, Government Printers captain Joseph Simbeye told the minister that the printing department was at the moment unable to print ballot papers in colour until one of the new machines is installed with the right software.

Capt Simbeye said most of the machinery and equipment was in place but the location would require some refurbishment before the ballot papers are printed.

And Mr Namulambe said he was impressed with reconstruction works undertaken by Shanghai Construction of China at the new government complex buildings.

During a tour of the building, Mr Namulambe said the construction firm was working at good speed and the complete structures were neatly done.

“It is impressive that you have done this much despite all the difficulties. I am sure that even our stadiums will be complete in record time,” he said.

And Shanghai Construction Company chief quantity surveyor Wu Zheng Rong said the government complex wing would be completed five months ahead of schedule.

Mr Wu said the firm was able to achieve such quality works by combining Chinese and Zambian specifications.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

CHIEF Mwanachingwala of Southern Province has described Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha, who denied endorsing President Banda, as hypocrites.

And Royal Foundation of Zambia chairperson Chief Mukuni has described utterances by the two chiefs over the Mazabuka resolutions as unfortunate.

Chief Mwanachingwala said in a telephone interview yesterday that Chief Nalubamba is trying to console and please United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema because the Patriotic Front/UPND pact was unsuccessful.

He was commenting on comments attributed to Chiefs Macha and Nalubamba that they never endorsed Mr Banda for the 2011 elections.

“Chief Nalubamba is depressed that the PF/ UPND pact is dead and is only displaying his anger because he supports the UPND,” he said.

Chief Mwanachingwala said Chief Nalubamba encouraged him to invite President Banda to the recent conference of Southern Province chiefs where it was resolved that the chiefs would support Mr Banda in this year’s tripartite elections.

He said Chief Nalubamba should have told President Banda during the meeting that he would not endorse him.

“Why should Chief Nalubamba U-turn on this matter when we agreed that we would give Mr Banda all our support during the meeting?” Chief Mwanachingwala said.

He said Chief Nalubamba should thank Mr Banda for everything the President has done in his chiefdom and not show ingratitude and disrespect.

“Zambians should forgive Chief Nalubamba for denying what he earlier agreed to, because he doesn’t know what he is doing,” Chief Mwanachingwala said.

In an interview yesterday at his office, Chief Mukuni said he does not want to believe that the articles attributed to the two traditional leaders in The Post of yesterday are true and he hopes to hear that Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha were misquoted.

“It would appear that in Zambia today, there seems to be a culture of dissenting for the sake of it. It is very unfortunate indeed. I am sure the two chiefs will have problems with their subjects because how do you expect someone to say such things when they could not do so during the deliberations,” he said.

Chief Mukuni said he would like the two traditional leaders to come out in the open and state their true position on the matter of endorsing Mr Banda.

He said even when he spoke during the Mazabuka conference, he did not speak in his personal capacity about the traditional leaders’ support for Mr Banda but that it was a resolution which represented all the 41 chiefs.

“What I presented to the President were the feelings of the majority on their support for President Banda as Presidential candidate. These were not my personal feelings,” he said.

Chief Mukuni said he has been trying to get hold of the two traditional leaders but to no avail.

And Chief Chilyabufu of Itezhi-tezhi described the utterances of Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha as false while Chief Sinazongwe said he is extremely disappointed with the two traditional leaders.

“I disagree with the two chiefs and I am also angry with them. There is something wrong. Maybe they must have been approached by some opposition politicians who could have swayed them to change their stance. It is not right to go against what you have agreed to,” he said.

The traditional leader wondered how Chief Macha, who was secretary of the conference of chiefs, and wrote the minutes as well as the resolutions, could all of a sudden make a U-turn on supporting President Banda.

“Chief Macha was secretary of the conference and he wrote that all the 41 of us agreed and supported the proceedings. I don’t remember anyone disagreeing. I don’t know why he had to change,” Chief Sinazongwe said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]