TWO illegal miners died yesterday after being buried alive at Nchanga Open Pit Mine in Chingola while digging for Copper ore at the dumpsites.

And police on the Copperbelt have launched a manhunt for two gunmen who allegedly shot dead a man and got away with more than K1 million on the Kitwe- Kalulushi road.

Copperbelt Police commanding officer Martin Malama confirmed the incidents in an interview in Kitwe yesterday.

Dr Malama said the two illegal miners who were in a group of friends met their fate between 01:00 hours and 02:50 hours at 60 metres bench level.

He said their colleagues managed to retrieve the bodies and left them on the surface where the mine police found them.

“I can confirm that two miners were buried alive at Nchanga Open Pit mine in Chingola while digging for copper ore. They were in the company of their friends who retrieved their bodies and left them on the surface,” Dr Malama said.

He named the deceased as Justine Silwamba of house number 3 Robert Chipekwe Road in Chiwempala and William Katongo of Makulu Road of the same residence in Chingola.

Dr Malama said their colleagues have informed their relatives and that the bodies are at Nchanga North Hospital Mortuary.

And Dr Malama said two gunmen wearing masks on Friday shot dead a driver delivering bulk beer for Kankoyo Breweries in Kalulushi.

He said the incident happened around 18:00 hours between Kalulushi and Kitwe road and named the deceased as John Mutambo 55, of Kantashi Township in Mufulira.

Dr Malama said the gunmen shot Mr Mutambo in the neck while driving his vehicle, a Fuso Fighter Canter, and got away with more than K1 million.

Mr Mutambo was with a lorry boy who jumped out of the vehicle and ran to safety.

Meanwhile, WALLEN SIMWAKA reports that a cash-in-transit attempted heist on Thursday evening left motorists and pedestrians frozen with terror when three armed robbers masked in black Ninja tunics failed to accomplish their mission of stealing from a businessman of Asian origin on Independence Avenue in Kamwala.

The robbers had closely and inconspicuously trailed their target along Independence Avenue and as they approached the traffic lights at the Burma Road junction, they swiftly jumped out of a Corolla car they were in and briskly walked to the car the businessman was in just ahead of them.

The robbers tried to open the doors of the businessman’s car but they were locked. The businessman sensed danger and he sped off, ignoring the traffic red light. The bandits armed with a pistol and AK47 assault rifles then started shooting in the air prompting motorists and their passengers to cower in their vehicles while pedestrians scampered
The bandits jumped back into their car and sped after the businessman.

A witness at the scene said the incident happened around 17:45 hours.

“I was on a bus going home. As we approached the traffic lights three men all dressed in black and masked jumped out of the Corolla and ran to the car which was being driven by an Asian man. He immediately took off meandering through many other stationary cars and bandits sped after him as they shot in the air,” she said.

Police have confirmed the attempted cash heist and have launched a manhunt for the criminals.

Lusaka Police commanding officer Mhlakeni Zulu said the businessman owns a shop in Kamwala trading area and that the robbers must have suspected that he had the daily takings with him.

Meanwhile, CHRISTINE CHISHA reports that a three year old girl and a woman believed to be in her 30s died on the spot while four other passengers sustained injuries when the motor vehicle they were travelling in careered off the road on the Zimba-Livingstone road.

Police service spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said the incident happened around 12:00 hours.

She said the accident happened when Ajay Kurma, 38, lost control of the vehicle he was driving.

Ms Ndandula said those seriously injured and admitted to Shasik Private Hospital in Livingstone are Dipak Grove, 26, Garima Kurma, 37, and Divyani Kurma, 7.

The dead have been identified as Raj Kurma and Ruhn Kurma.

Meanwhile, police have appealed to members of the public travelling to Mansa to carry National Registration Cards (NRCs) with them as police have mounted check points at three entry points into Mansa.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen…”
(Matthew 28:6, NLT

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We have a reason to celebrate today because we serve a God who is alive and filled with resurrection power! Not only did He resurrect Jesus from the dead, but He wants to extend His resurrection power into every single area of your life, today!

Maybe you have a dream to get out of debt, pay off your house or be free from that burden of lack; but it looks like it’s impossible. Business is slow. The economy is down. You’ve gone as far as your education allows. But God is saying, “I’m not limited by those things. I’ve got resurrection power. I can give you one break that will thrust you to a new level. I can open up doors that no man can shut. I can bring talent out of you that you didn’t know you had. I can cause people, for no reason, to go out of their way to want to be good to you.”

Your part is to keep believing today knowing that He wants to bring you into supernatural increase. Remember, He is risen, He is alive, and He is faithful to His Word. Trust Him today and let His resurrection power work in your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your resurrection power at work in my life. Today, I give You my broken dreams, disappointments, failures and setbacks and trust that You will breathe Your life into me. I trust that You have a good plan for my future and are leading me into total victory! In Jesus’ Name.Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

SOME opposition members of Parliament (MPs) and councillors in Lusaka have come under attack from residents and members of their party for failing to provide leadership that could steer development in their respective constituencies.

The residents have demanded that the MPs for Munali, Lusaka Central, Kabwata, Chawama and Mandevu constituencies and the councillors should not seek re-election in this year’s polls because there is nothing to show for their term of office.

“Despite some of the MPs and civic leaders claiming they would change Lusaka in 90 days after the 2006 elections, five years down the line nothing has been done,” said Famous Bwalya of Lusaka Central constituency.

He said Lusaka Central MP Guy Scott has done nothing to improve the constituency and that he has allegedly never visited some residential areas like Northmead.

Mr Bwalya said the poor state of the drainage at Northmead market is just one example that proves that the MP has not bothered to work with the residents.

He said a good MP is one who visits every area under his constituency at least twice in a year.

“Parliament does not sit everyday. They go on recess. We know that Parliamentary Committees are there but he can pass through and sit with the people for 30 minutes and listen to them,” he said.

[pullquote]“Parliament does not sit everyday. They go on recess. We know that Parliamentary Committees are there but he can pass through and sit with the people for 30 minutes and listen to them,” he said.[/pullquote]

Mr Bwalya said in this year’s elections he will not support Dr Scott or any of the councillors who are in the limelight for sharing plots and not enhancing development of the city.

Mrs Acquilline Kalunga of Luangwa township, also in Lusaka Central Constituency, said she has never seen Dr Scott in the residential area.

She urged women and youths not to vote for an opposition MP because they do not care for the people.

“From the debates in Parliament I can tell that opposition MPs have never appreciated the development projects undertaken by the government that mean well for the Zambian people.

“Does being an opposition MP mean never appreciating good things done by Government, such as rejecting the constitution and mobile hospitals?” Mrs Kalunga asked.
Mandevu township resident Ruth Moyo said she is not going to sit and see things go wrong without doing anything.

“My vote will speak for me. I want to see meaningful development come to Mandevu. Having an MP who is just vocal on attacking Government has not helped the people of Mandevu at all. Politics is about talking and working for the people,” she said.  The Mandevu MP is Mrs Jean Kapata.

Mrs Elizabeth Nachalwe of Chawama said their MP, SampaBredt, has failed them and should not stand because she will not get their vote.

[pullquote]“My vote will speak for me. I want to see meaningful development come to Mandevu. Having an MP who is just vocal on attacking Government has not helped the people of Mandevu at all. Politics is about talking and working for the people,” she said.[/pullquote]

Mrs Nachalwe said she has never heard Reverend Violet Sampa-Bredt raise her voice in Parliament to express the needs of the people of Chawama in terms of infrastructure development, health services or road rehabilitation.

“We have seen for ourselves that areas where MPs are from the MMD there is development because the MPs speak for the people.

“One example is Chongwe where we have seen a number of schools being built and they have a big district hospital now because their MP does not just speak but pushes and looks for donors to finance different projects,” she said.

[pullquote]“One example is Chongwe where we have seen a number of schools being built and they have a big district hospital now because their MP does not just speak but pushes and looks for donors to finance different projects,” she said.[/pullquote]

Mrs Nachalwe, who is a PF member, said Government waits for an MP to present the needs of the people in his area before they can work together.

She said MPs should also source for funds from donors.

Kaunda Square Stage One businessman Patrick Bwalya, who lives in Ng’ombe township, said he treks between two constituencies – Munali and Mandevu – but has not seen the two MPs or even their councillors.  The Munali MP is Mumbi Phiri.

Mr Bwalya said the problem is that people intending to be MPs do not even understand their role and end up promising people wrong things.

He said there is a communication breakdown between MPs and councillors and they do not work together despite most of them belonging to the same political party.

[pullquote]He said there is a communication breakdown between MPs and councillors and they do not work together despite most of them belonging to the same political party.[/pullquote]

Mr Bwalya said he had been living in Kaunda Square since 1983 and has not seen councillors working with MPs.

Mr Watson Mtonga of Mtendere township said the opposition MPs will leave no legacy to talk home about in the five years they have served.

He accused their MP, Mrs Phiri, of being arrogant and that she does not listen to the concerns of the people.
Mr Mtonga said a number of concerns, such as the poor state of roads, have not been attended to in Munali, especially in Mtendere and Kalikiliki.

He urged Zambians to vote wisely in this year’s elections.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has charged that it would be politically tragic for Zambians to vote and usher into State House the Patriotic Front (PF) because the opposition party has exhibited strange and odious social and moral traits.

The UPND says openly supporting homosexuality to win a political vote is not only a spiritual sin but a moral and political abomination.

Mazabuka Central member of Parliament Garry Nkombo said PF president Michael Sata should never be allowed to get anywhere near the presidency because the man needs political and spiritual cleansing.

Mr Nkombo said in an interview in Mazabuka that Mr Sata should embark on a programme of cleansing himself before he can ask Zambians to vote for him.

He said homosexuality is an abomination that any morally upright political leader should abhor and condemn.

“It is an abomination and Mr Sata should cleanse himself before he can ask Zambians to vote for him. Mr Sata has openly said he supports homosexuality and all Zambians heard him. He has not even denied it,” Mr Nkombo said.

He said the PF has been comprehensively inconsistent in a lot of national matters adding that it was one of the reasons that led to the collapse of the PF-UPND Pact.

[pullquote]The scenario is that we are going to share votes in this election year. People know what is good for them and what is not. If ever one expected defections, they should have happened when President Banda was here,” Mr Nkombo said.[/pullquote]

Mr Nkombo said the UPND knew from the start that the PF was not sincere in the alliance and that the party had been scheming to ambush its partner with the dissolution of the pact.

He said that the PF was shocked that the UPND was wide awake when the death of the alliance was announced.

And Mr Nkombo has said the PF and a named daily tabloid have formed a pact that is working at scandalising other political leaders.

Mr Nkombo said it is clear that the PF and the tabloid are pursuing an agenda that is against the majority of the Zambians.

He said the tabloid has been channeling propaganda for the PF and that it has worked hard to rebrand Mr Sata but with little success.

Mr Nkombo said the newspaper and the PF have been lying about defections in Southern and Western Provinces but that Zambians have seen through the propaganda.

“It is clear that Zambians have seen through the lies being propagated by the PF and the newspaper. The defections are all stage managed. The scenario is that we are going to share votes in this election year. People know what is good for them and what is not. If ever one expected defections, they should have happened when President Banda was here,” Mr Nkombo said.

And Southern Province MMD chairman Edgar Keembe has said the PF has been faking defections because the opposition political party has realised that it cannot win any election.

Mr Keembe said in a separate interview that the people of Southern Province can never vote for Mr Sata and the PF.

He said it is not politically possible for the PF to suddenly become the most popular party in Southern Province when barely two years ago the party was at the tail end in the last election.

[pullquote]The truth is that although the MMD has not mustered complete support in Southern Province, it is illogical to assume that the PF could suddenly be the most popular party in the province.[/pullquote]

He said while the MMD has not mustered complete support of Southern Province, it is utopia for the PF to cruise past the ruling party and the UPND.

Mr Keembe said the PF popularity has hugely been damaged by the propaganda one newspaper has been churning since 2008.

“The most publicised defections are fake and stage-managed. The truth is that although the MMD has not mustered complete support in Southern Province, it is illogical to assume that the PF could suddenly be the most popular party in the province. The PF is giving the said defectors money and the same people come to tell us that they are being bought to defect. There is a lot of goodwill from the people and change in the province is coming,” Mr Keembe said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Kansanshi Mines PLC, in Solwezi district of the Northwestern Province, has refuted accusations by sections of society in the area that it is mistreating its workers.

But Anti Voter Apathy Project ( AVAP ) Executive Director Bonnie Tembo confirmed the reported abuse of Zambian miners saying in most instances, the unfortunate miners working at the gold section of the mine especially, are abused before knocking off.

Speaking to ZANIS in a telephone interview, today, Mr Msiska said that the reports of workers’ abuse at the country’s biggest mine were untrue.

He said Kansanshi Mine PLC is a renowned international mining company that is determined to maintain international standards of mine operations, one of them being looking after workers’ welfare.

” We are very responsible as Kansanshi Mines. Yes we mine gold. And we are proud to say that we are up to date with paying Tax to the national treasury, but we do not abuse our workers,” Mr Msiska said.

However, Mr Tembo said that it is true that Zambian mine workers at Kansanshi Mine were being abused by management at the Solwezi based mine.

The AVAP Executive Diriector told ZANIS in a walk in interview in Lusaka , today, that he came back from Solwezi where his organisation held a voters exercise meeting.

He said some of the participants during the same meeting had complained that either themselves or their relatives and friends working at the mine were abused by Kansanshi Mine PLC management.

Mr Tembo said local mine workers in the country will continue to expirience labour at the hands of new mine owners as long as government continues detouching itself from owning some of the mines in the country.

Pointing to concerns being expressed by local stakeholders alleging that the mining industry has not benefited ordinary Zambian citizens, Mr Tembo emphasized that as long as there is no government ownership of the mines, ordinary Zambians should not expect to benefit from the current mining activities in the country.

ZANIS

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has said President Banda will not be pressured to announce the election date as he would do so at the right time.

Mr Nyangu said in an interview in Lusaka on April 21 that Mr Banda will announce the polling date when the time comes.

“Announcing the election date is the prerogative of the President and no-one should pressure him to make this announcement,” he said.

Mr Nyangu said previous Presidents were not pressured to announce the polling date because this is a privilege of the Head of State which has been in place for a long time.

He said Mr Banda will not announce the election date for the sake of pleasing certain people.

“The MMD and Mr Banda will not make decisions to please a few individuals who do not even appreciate the developments the party has initiated.

These people, especially some Catholic bishops, do not appreciate anything. Even if Mr Banda announces the date today, they will still criticise the decision,” Mr Nyangu said.

He said Zambians should respect Mr Banda’s administration and its decision not to hastily announce the polling date.

And Mr Nyangu said it is sad that Ndola Catholic Bishop Alick Banda has failed to appreciate President Banda’s directive to write off outstanding balances on over 3, 386 housing units on the Copperbelt.

He said Bishop Banda can afford to criticiseMr Banda’s decision because the church accommodates him for free.

“Bishop Banda’s comments are unfounded and unfortunate. We expect people like him to support initiatives intended to promote the welfare of the needy,” Mr Nyangu said.

He said it is unfortunate that Bishop Banda does not want to support Government’s decisions intended to empower poor people.

Mr Nyangu said Bishop Banda’s comment is a clear indication that the clergyman does not care for people, especially the needy

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has advised government to heed to the Oasis Forum’s advice of relieving republican vice president George Kunda off his duties.

TIZ President Rueben Lifuka says Mr. George Kunda, who is also Justice Minister, should take responsibility for the failed constitution as he has been at the helm of the whole process that was widely unaccepted by society.

Mr. Lifuka says the failure by to take responsibility will give an impression that public resources can be wasted and no one can be held accountable.

In an interview with QFM, Mr. Lifuka says TIZ still stands by its early call on Mr. Kunda to resign as his resignation will send a strong signal to anyone who will take charge of the constitution making process that it is a serious national process which needs to be addresses in a non-partisan manner.

Recently, the Oasis Forum demanded the resignation of republican vice president George Kunda for failing Zambians on the constitution making process and advised government to constitute a lean committee to deliberate on the Mung’omba draft constitution to see the way forward.

QFM