THE Catholic Church Mansa Diocese in Luapula Province is embroiled in disagreement with a business executive over shareholding in an alcohol business from which the Church has been planning to withdraw.

The Mansa Dioecese has been in the business of brewing opaque beer through a company called Top Star Breweries in which it has a strong ordinary shareholding that stands at two million, representing 20 per cent since 2004.

The Church bought shares from a Lusaka business executive, Alan Kandala and a South African Hendrick Westerman and attempted to transfer them back to Mr Kandala on May 1, 2010 after the firm faced financial hardships and was placed under receivership by Zanaco.

Mr Kandala has demanded capital injection to allow the firm to get back on track and meet its financial obligations such as paying workers and creditors before the Catholic Church could depart from the company.

The form of transfer of the shares to Mr Kandala was signed by Mansa Diocese administrator Michael Merrizy on May 1 last year.

The company faced financial problems after it invested in the construction of another plant in Lusaka and after that, the Church appointed Deloitte and Touche to assess the financial position and draw up a business plan for the firm.

The Church also demanded that the Patents and Companies Administration Agency (PACRA) should de-register it as shareholders in Top Star Breweries, a demand PACRA declined to effect and instead referred the bishops back to Mr Kandala.

According to a letter signed by Bishop Aaron Chisha dated November 19, 2007, the Church confirmed its investments in Top Star Breweries and blamed Mr Kandala for failing to honour the financial obligations on behalf of the company.

“We would like to state that we have never shown any interest in providing further funds for the recapitalisation of the plant line restoration and the packaging project which requires funds to the tune of K500 million.

“In fact, all we wanted was to get back the money invested in Top Star Breweries and that is why we approached Deloitte and Touche,” Bishop Chisha wrote in his letter addressed to the director for corporate banking at Zanaco.

However, Bishop Chisha further disowned shareholding in Top Star Breweries in his letter dated February 21, 2008 to the inspector of companies at PACRA, saying Mr Kandala and PACRA registered the Church as shareholders without their consent.

Bishop Chisha stated that Mansa Diocese had never been a shareholder in Top Star Breweries but invested in the opaque beer brewing firm which failed to honour its obligations.

“Upon being told by Deloitte and Touche that Mr Kandala had registered on the mentioned date with the registrar of companies, we then decided to write you enquiring why you decided to register us without our consent, consultation and in our absence.

“But instead of answering to our letter, you have responded in a way we suspect you to be siding with Mr Kandala,” Bishop Chisha wrote.

But in his letter to the Catholic Nuncio at the Vatican Embassy in Lusaka, Nicola Girasoli, Mr Kandala contested that the Church offered him the same shares it had earlier denied in the business for them to exit from past, future and present obligations.

“The correct position is that at the time the letters were authored, the Diocese of Mansa was a 20 per cent shareholder in Top Star Breweries Limited, an opaque beer manufacturer, with plants in Lusaka and Mansa.

“The Diocese of Mansa enjoyed such equity in the company pursuant to the MoU on Top Star Breweries Limited, dated March 9, 2004 and a subsequent MoU, between the parties dated April 9 2004,” Mr Kandala said.

He said the Church should not abandon the investment in the opaque brewing outfit as the business was still viable.

He said the company needed recapitalisation because there were workers and creditors who should be paid and that so far, he had been paying legal costs to stop the liquidation from his personal resources without counterpart funding from the Catholic Church.

[Times of Zambia]

First Lady Thandiwe Banda has urged Zambians to perceive education as a means of getting out of poverty and a starting point for prosperity.

Mrs. Banda noted government has already made a deliberate policy of supporting young Zambians to have access to education.

Mrs. Banda said there is now need for Zambian parents to take advantage of this police and send their children to school.

She added that there was need to provide equal access to both girls and boys especially in rural areas.

She was speaking at State House today during the third First Lady for a Day Mentorship programme.

She explained that it for this reason that the programme is structured to empowering rural girls and boys with life skills in order to build their self confidence and instill passion and provide career guidance.

Mrs. Banda stated that it is difficult to achieve the best in life without proper education, adding that this is why education should be made a priority and a passport to any country’s development.

She further encouraged the participants in the programme to work hard and contribute to national development by achieving their education goals.

The First Lady has also thanked Stanbic Bank for its continued commitment to empowering rural communities in which they operate through programmes such as the Junior Achievement Zambia (JA Z).

Earlier, JA-Zambia Board Chairperson David Chakonta expressed happiness with the First Lady’s commitment to supporting the education sector in Zambia.

Mr. Chakonta said through the First Lady’s support, JA-Zambia will continue to empower young people with entrepreneurial and financial literacy for them to realize their potential and noble purpose.

And Stanbic Bank Managing Director Dennis Kennedy disclosed that his bank has spent over K120 million in providing support to education programmes especially among the vulnerable groups in society.

Mr. Kennedy reiterated his bank’s support towards initiatives targeted at improving the education sector in the country.

The First Lady for a Day Mentorship programme aimed at identifying school going children between the age s of 14 and 18 and impart them with knowledge in various life skills.

The 18 participants drawn from all the nine provinces of the country were awarded with certificates for successfully completing the Mentorship programme.

ZANIS

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mutale Nalumango has prodded women in Zambia to work together and avoid pulling each other down in order for them to achieve a common goal.

Mrs. Nalumango said women were very influential in society hence the need for them to work hard and be supportive to one another.

She was speaking in Lusaka today when she officially opened a six day Zambia Union Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) Women Congress dubbed ‘revival and reformation’.

She explained that God was looking for women who are revived and transformed and are ready to uplift the lives of other women.

Mrs. Nalumango advised women not to celebrate their colleagues’ failures and misfortune but to help them come out of the hardships they are facing.

And speaking earlier, President of the SDA Church Harrington Akombwa said his church values the role women play in the church and society.

Pastor Akombwa said the women congress was a triennial conference held in order to bring women together and empower them with skills and knowledge for them to contribute positively to the development of the church and the society.

He noted that women’s influence in the church and society cannot be underestimated as they are the majority and can make good contributions if empowered.

And the organizing committee member, Charity Ngondo assured that women will utilize the lessons that will be learn in order for them to be transformed into revived people.

The congress, which is being hosted by the Central Zambia Conference, has been organized to impart wisdom and knowledge in women and has attracted participants from all the nine provinces of Zambia.

Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation ZESCO Public Relations Manager Andrea Makulu has hailed communities around the country and the law enforcement agencies for their continued support in curbing vandalism on the company’s equipment.

Mr. Makulu says that the electricity utility company has been working with the law enforcement agencies and the communities in protecting electricity equipment from being vandalized.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that ZESCO has beefed up and intensified security patrols on various ZESCO power installations.

He explained that the company has employed officers who are carrying out patrols on all ZESCO lines and substations to ensure that vandalism cases are reduced.

He expressed happiness that communities have been vigilant in protecting the equipment which he said was encouraging on the part of the company.

Mr. Makulu noted that there has been a significant reduction in the number of vandalism cases country wide.

He has since appealed to the members of public to desist from vandalizing ZESCO equipment as this would negatively affect the development process of the country and their communities in particular.

And The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has threatened to disconnect power supply from the Namwala Boma if bills amounting to over K782.5 million were not settled in full immediately.

In a notice of disconnection dated 11th April, 2011 obtained by ZANIS yesterday, the power utility company warned of disconnection as per section 14(2) of Chapter 811 of the Laws of Zambia.

The notice signed by the area Manager Joseph Soko also warned of legal action against non-settlement of the bills.

“Please take note that should you fail to pay and remain disconnected for more than twenty-one days, legal action will be taken against you and your service line/transformers will be recovered,” stated the letter in part.

And Namwala District Commissioner, Wilson Siadunka has appealed to government departments at the Boma to contribute money in order to settle the bill and avoid power supply disconnections.

ZANIS