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The National Restoration Party (NAREP) has accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) of playing politics in the mobile issuance of voter’s cards.
NAREP secretary general John Phiri says the mobile voter exercise was a flop since its introduction as the commission has never shown commitment to the exercise.
Mr. Phiri says it is time ECZ proved its innocence and independence as Zambians a are fed up with their tricks.
He noted that there is no way the commission can be doing the exercise secretly without announcing to people in the communities.
The NAREP secretary general says there is need to take such exercises serious instead of politicizing what should benefit the people of Zambia.
[ QFM ]
President Rupiah Banda has warned members of the ruling party to be wary of politicians who are joining the MMD with ulterior motives.
Speaking at rally in Sinda where he went to flag off a bridge construction project yesterday, President Banda said there were people who were joining the ruling party with intentions to destroy it.
He said as president he was committed to seeing the MMD remain a united front during the party convention set for April 5th 2011 at the Mulungushi University in Kabwe.
President Banda urged members of the party to keep the names of their preferred candidates to themselves until the convention in order to avoid divisions within the party.
The President who expressed confidence of the ruling party scooping the general elections said those campaigning for positions should do so peacefully.
The President’s remarks come against the open support that he has received and the endorsement of his vice-president George Kunda by Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda ahead of the election convention in April.
File: A traditional assistant to Mpezeni taking cow blood for Mpezeni to drink during the Ncwala ceremony
By LusakaTimes
Thousands of people from across the country, foreign tourists and journalists representing various International media organizations have flocked to Chipata to witness the 2011 N’cwala Traditional ceremony taking place at Mtenguleni in Chipata today.
President Rupiah Banda and wife Thandiwe are already in Eastern Province ahead of the official opening of the ceremony at which the Head of State is expected to be the Guest of Honour.
Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Tourism and Natural Resources minister Catherin Namugala and deputy minister in the office of the Vice-president Daniel Munkombwe are accompanying President Banda in Chipata with more cabinet ministers expected to join the entourage today.
Unconfirmed reports say President Banda has also invited his Malawian counterpart Bingu Wamutharika to join him in officiating at the culture rich ceremony of the Ngoni people.
Last year, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma did the honours with his sensational Zulu cultural dance troupe which he has still managed to send this year.
File: Impis from South Africa performing a dance
The South African Ngoni warriors are on the list of invited foreign dance troupes,others from Malawi, Mozambique and Botswana are also expected to exhibit various performances at the Mtenguleni arena later in the day.
But to kick start the programme, President Banda is expected to pay a courtesy call at the Chief’s special palace called the Laweni, after which he proceeds to the well decorated main arena.
The Chief’s special warriors called the Impis will then proceed to the Laweni to officially unveil the paramount chief of the Ngoni, who portrays the Lion King of the jungle, making the first official appearance of the year to his subjects.
During this stage, and the rest of the ceremony, no other person is allowed to wear the skin of a Lion and doing so attracts consequential punishment.
The Impis then escort the Paramount chief to Mtenguleni, chanting special praises amidst ululating and clapping from the half stripped elderly women of the clan.
Some half stripped elderly women of the clan during the Ncwala
Upon arrival at the arena, the Chief is welcomed by the rest of his subjects as the foot stamping, wriggling and clapping ritual takes centre stage.
The Chief has announced that there will be no political speeches allowed at the ceremony this year and therefore activities of entertainment in nature are expected to take up much of the day.
At the climax, the Impis will then do the most important ritual called the “Mnikelo” at which a special black cow will be slaughtered using spears.
The first blood drops of the dying animal will be presented to Chief Mpezeni who is expected to drink it fresh, signifying a go ahead to the hunters to prepare the rest of the meat for the subjects.
With this outlook, Chipata is this weekend the most happening town in Zambia as evidenced by activities already taking shape in various parts of the budding city.
Zambia has recorded a trade surplus of K1.48 trillion, the highest earning buoyed by copper exports.
The earning from copper hit an astonishing 90 per cent of Zambia’s export goods in the month of January.
Zambia, which since January 2010 had been recording trade surpluses, last month took the good trading tides to a new level with a trade balance of K1.48 trillion, about K400 billion more than the best trade surplus recorded in March last year.
Central Statistical Office (CSO) deputy director for social statistics William Mayaka said in Lusaka that both copper and the National Traditional Exports (NTEs) recorded high surpluses.
He said while Zambia recorded a sharp increase in the export value, there was a reduction in the imported value which had resulted in positive figures on the trade balance.
“There has been an increase in the total value of traditional exports between January this year and December last year, this resulted in the country’s ever dominant metal products recording an increase in the revenue of about 13 per cent,” he said.
The K1.48 trillion trade surplus comes a month after Zambia registered an K898 billion surplus in December 2010 to close the year on a surplus of K8.98 trillion through the 12 months of positive trade balances.
Zambia’s export value for January this year was K3.6 trillion with copper’s K3.24 trillion being 90.7 per cent of the exports while in December last year, total export value stood at K3.23 trillion with copper contributing K2.8 trillion, which is 86 per cent of the total export earnings.
According to Mr Kayaka, Switzerland remained the major export destination for Zambian goods accounting for 62 per cent and the goods mainly being copper.
The second biggest destination is China accounting for 13.6 per cent with South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the UK coming third and fourth.
For the imports, Zambia reduced on the goods brought into the country, the import value falling to K K2.09 trillion for January this year from the K2.3 trillion registered in December 2010.
Zambia’s major import commodity remained heavy duty mining machinery and parts with South Africa being Zambia’s major source accounting for 30.4 per cent of the import value.
DRC features second with mining products like copper ore and concentrate, which are brought into Zambia for processing, accounting for 27.4 per cent export value.
China was third largest import source with mining machinery, cell phones and cables among the imports and contributing just 7.2 per cent while India and the United Arab Emirates being fourth and fifth. They make up 4.2 per cent and 2.8 per cent of the imports respectively.
The Faz appeals committee has overturned Simataa Simataa’s suspension from all football related activities.
Simataa was suspended for three months in January by the Faz disciplinary committee for bringing the game into disrepute.
In passing judgment today at Golfview Hotel in Lusaka, Faz appeals committee chairman William Nyirenda SC the composition of the disciplinary committee whose members had publicly attacked Simataa rendered their decision unfair.
“The committee agrees with Mr Simataa with respect to Jim Chongo as article 45 (4) precludes or disqualifies Mr Chongo from sitting as a member of the disciplinary committee. Being a club official it is doubtful whether when he is sitting in a judicial capacity as the disciplinary committee does he would be objective and independent,” Nyirenda said in a read statement.
“The committee also agrees that the press releases that Mr Kasolo and Mr Hamiyanze issued with respect to those that were perceived to be against the executive committee of FAZ creates a conflict in them which in accordance with article 23 (1) of disciplinary committee code they should have declared.
“The fact that they did not declare that interest violates the provision of article 23 (4) of the disciplinary code effectively making the proceedings of the disciplinary committee of 6th January with respect to Mr Simataa a nullity.
“We therefore set aside the suspension of three months and restore Mr Simataa his full rights.”
When a doctor is called in to see a patient, he first takes a history from the patient or whoever can speak for them. The history will include facts like what the patient is complaining of, when and how symptoms started, date of birth, relevant details in the family history and then take notes on social factors as well. The doctor will then proceed to examine the patient by inspection from head to toe. Thereafter, he will examine by touch and hearing with his ears as well with the aid of instruments that can augment sounds and electric currents the body emits. By now, the doctor will be well on the way to understanding which system or systems are not working as they should and he will produce what is know as a ‘differential diagnosis.’ This is a list of possible causes of the patients problem and in the meantime he will act on one or two of these as a ‘working diagnosis.’
Normally he takes the one that is most likely to endanger the patients life or cause extreme morbidity were it not dealt with sooner. He may then order further tests depending on the complexity of the problem and this will go on until he comes to nail the final diagnosis. Some diseases have what are called pathognomonic features, which means that nothing else looks like it. Sometimes, all tests fail to ‘show up anything’ and it could be that newer tests are needed, or it is a new disease that would enter the medical vocabulary. By and large, a great majority of problems are solved by this time honoured practice which goes all the way back to antiquity.
In this two part article, I will first try to demonstrate from our history, that we are not where we were.
Politicians and all who are interested in solving the problems their country faces, may do well to take a leaf from the doctor’s approach to the human condition. It is important to take a good history of the country. It has been said that ‘those who do not know their history, are bound to repeat the same mistakes’ but indeed ‘there is nothing new under the natural sun.’ Life goes round, not in circles but in spirals, like the coils of a spring. We are at the same point but on a different plane, if haply higher. From 24th October 1964, much has changed in Zambia. There are many who recall with nostalgia, those ‘good old days’ and circulate black and white pictures of 1950s to 60s Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola city centres etc, over the internet.
Kitwe shopping centre between 1937-1967(Sent by David Kabwe)
Look at the neat streets, the cars, the functioning swimming baths; and one wishes that things were just as they were then! But, no one points out that in 1964, there was no University, fewer primary and secondary schools and hospitals. Schools and hospitals were segregated to ‘whites’ and blacks. After independence the whites were joined by the uppity blacks who could afford to pay, or the ‘senior staff’ in the mine townships. Only Church run institutions provided decent education facilities for the poor. Many Government primary schools were grass-thatch roofed buildings with holes in the walls for windows and pit latrines even beyond 1969! The main thoroughfares from Lusaka to Chipata and Mongu and from Kapiri Mposhi to Kasama were gravel roads. It was ‘hell run’ in the rainy season to drive from Lusaka to Kasama! Crossing the more southern parts of the Muchinga escarpment near Luangwa river en-route to Chipata from the capital was an exercise in sphincter control!
In the first five years after independence, the fledgling Zambian government followed the 1st National Development plan. Perhaps everything would have gone according to plan, if it wasn’t for the Ian Smith unilateral declaration of independence in Southern Rhodesia in 1965. A University was opened in 1966 and by 1973, Zambia had its first medical graduates. There were 11 of which only 3 were native Zambians! There was a massive programme of school and hospital building throughout the country and free education and health care! One turned up at boarding school to be educated, fed and supplied with toileteries free of charge. Textbooks, pens, pencils, note books were all provided by the state! Houses were maintained free of charge by the Public Works Department and there were Township Management Boards that took care of all our myseries. We were producing around 700,000 tonnes of copper a year at lower cost. We were on a roll!
The $3 billion reserve we had at independence, with a population of 4 million, would have to finish someday with this necessary public spending. We tarred the major roads, built an International airport, a world class conference centre in one of Lusaka’s leafy surbubs and we produced more children too!
We could have gone on to greater things but the southern African situation brought difficulties for us. Our national independence and security were under threat. In 1966, we did not even have an Air Force to write home about. The Harold Wilson government had to supply a couple of planes to defend Zambian airspace. In 1968, the Portuguese in Mozambique bombed the Luangwa bridge, cutting Eastern Province off from Lusaka. More and more acts of sabortage were perpetrated against our infrastructure, and sadly, with the corroboration of a few of our own people. The southern border with Rhodesia was closed and our most economical land route to the international markets was shut. Rhodesia’s Mr Smith confiscated more than half of our Railways rolling stock and aeroplains. Being a land locked country, with mining the mainstay of the economy, we were in ‘maningi trouble,’ as veteran soccer commentator Dennis Liwewe would say. Coupled with these external issues were the internal, tribalism and wrangles for power in the ruling party UNIP and the inter-party violence that erupted prior to the 1969 elections, when hundreds of Zambians lost their lives. Mufumbwe was a picnic in comparison to the violence we experienced then! I remember spending a whole afternoon in the hill in my childhood town for fear of being lynched by the marauding cadres from both Kaunda’s UNIP and Nkhumbula’s ANC. Following after the Nyerere’s Arusha Declaration, Dr Kaunda also announced the Mulungushi reforms, in which he became the defacto Chairman and Chief Executive of all the means of production through ZIMCO. It was not long after this that a One Party State would be declared and all political dissent would be crushed. I leave the judgement on the merits or demerits of this decision by the Kaunda administration to posterity. I am only telling the history.
Many of us would like to forget the years between 1974 to 1984. Things got from bad to worse. Hyperinflation set in. The promised $400 million ‘Operation Food programme’ announced with much fanfare in a marathon speech lasting 3 hours, had come to naught. We became beggars in the world and the IMF and World Bank experts were in and out with ‘various remedies.’ Like the woman with an issue of blood in the Bible, we had haemorrhaged ourselves to severe economic anaemia and spent all the money with very little to show for it. A few people gathered some courage here and there to try and topple the government, but failed. They were tortured, brought before our courts and incarcerated while Dr Kaunda tightened his grip on power. It is so hard to understand how the kind-hearted 40 year old ‘non-violent’ Kaunda became the 60 year old who struck terror in his people! Zambians sung ‘Tiyende pamodzi’ not in tandem but in tow! Here is a lesson from history. All dictators in history started as young men under the age of 40. Someone pointed out recently that the best leaders the world has ever known are those who came to power in the afternoon of their lives. It is an interesting observation because personalities like Dr Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, FD Roosevelt, Sir Winston Churchill were all more than 60 years old when they became leaders. The worst dictators seem to ‘grow on the job.’ Libya’s strongman was 27, Castro 39, Mobutu 35, Museveni 42… the list goes on. Even our Chiluba who started at 48 wanted to carry on forever! It is kind like when you send a young person to prison for a long time, that being the only life they know, they can’t get prison out of them when free. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and notable among them are the ‘Ngwazi’ of Malawi, Dr Kamuzu Hastings Banda, but that is a special case.
Our friends in North Africa are waking up to reality today, but Zambians carried out a similar revolution just over 20 years ago. The so called ‘docile’ Zambians took to the streets and begun to riot. The Unions threatened mass strikes and for once Dr Kaunda’s grip on power looked loosened. You got to hand it to him; He saw the writing on the wall and avoided unnecessary destruction when he quickly conceded to change. I am mindful of one life lost during that uprising. At about the same time, Communism in Europe was collapsing. Dr Kaunda’s friend Nicolae Ceau?escu was overthrown by the people and executed in 1989.
Zambia had reached the nadir and now the only way forward was up. In 1991, a new era dawned. We can proudly tell the Arabs, ‘we’ve been there and done it.’ Zambians are not docile, but the most sensible and wise of people. If they want to move, they move. They can be stubborn if they want to; Gay rights issue for example. They are forceful but peaceful. The Frederick Chiluba’s MMD came into power amidst multi-party democratic politics and the whole world looked with favour upon this country that lies in the bossom of the mighty Zambezi, the river of God. Thank God Almighty, we are not where we were.
Striking workers at the Copperbelt University have been advised to resume work because the work stoppage is illegal.
Education Permanent Secretary, Andrew Phiri says the workers’ demand for the removal of the Vice Chancellor is not negotiable because it does not form part of the terms and conditions of service for workers.
Mr Phiri said this in LUSAKA, Thursday.
He said if the workers have any grievances with their Vice Chancellor they should channel them to the management and the University council instead of resorting to work stoppage.
Mr Phiri said Management and the University council reserves the right to take appropriate measures against perpetrators of the illegal work stoppage.
Unionised workers at the Copperbelt University have withdrawn their labour in protest against their Vice chancellor, professor Mutale Musonda.
President Rupiah Banda has commissioned the newly constructed Protea Hotel in Chipata in the Eastern Province.
Mr Banda said the new hotel will provide excellent services that should be emulated by others in the hospitality industry in the area.
ZNBC’s Chabwera Zulu reports that the President said this during the commissioning of the Twenty billion Kwacha hotel, Friday.
Mr Banda said the new hotel will help in attracting tourists to the area.
He said he is confident that the hotel will be effectively marketed in a bid to promote tourism.
The President is happy that hotel standards are going up in the country.
And Protea Hotel Zambia Limited Chairman, Mark O’donnel said the new hotel is the only internationally rated hotel in the Eastern Province.
Mr O’donell said Protea hotel has built a reputation for proving quality services since the first Group hotel was opened in Chisamba over 12 years ago.
Vice president George Kunda about to get into his official government vehicle
Vice President George Kunda says security agencies acted professionally to prevent loss of lives and property when some Barotseland activists rioted in Mongu last month.
And Mr Kunda says there is no justification for calls to dismiss Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu and Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde following the recent unrest in Mongu and some parts of Western province.
The Vice President said this when he issued a statement about the recent riots in Mongu in Parliament this morning.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Amusaa Mwanamwambwa on Tuesday directed the Vice President to issue a statement over the death of two people in riots in Mongu.
This was after Luena MP, Charles Milupi rose on a point of order, over government’s silence about the recent unrest in MONGU.
Mr KUNDA explained that police had NO choice but to use reasonable force to protect life and property.
He said the Barotseland activists kept charging on the police despite warning shots fired in the air, putting the lives of the officers at risk.
And the Vice President said paramilitary officers deployed in MONGU will NOT be withdrawn in a bid to sustain law and order in the area.
He said people in Western province are happy with the security measures that government has put in place.
Twenty two people are facing treason charges over the riots that erupted in Mongu over the Barotse agreement of 1964.
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) yesterday said it was ready to contest the 2011 presidential elections without a partnership with the PF and rejected a fresh call by the Sata-led party for a joint national committee to discuss the allocation of seats and candidacy for the pact.
UPND secretary general Winston Chibwe said he was in possession of a letter authored by Mr Kabimba proposing that a joint management committee meeting be convened quickly to discuss Prof Chirwa’s views but his party had rejected the proposal.
He said UPND had been calling for meetings with PF since April last year but the PF had rejected the appeals and wondered why Prof Chirwa’s personal views could even result into a meeting.
He said UPND was not surprised that the PF was no longer interested in the pact and said the party should be made aware that UPND was the biggest opposition party in the country because it had gained ground since 2008.
“If PF is not interested in the pact anymore, it is fine with us because we are ready to go it alone. They have continued to put adverts in The Post newspaper against us through those letters.
“There is too much deceit in PF. We have been calling for meetings ourselves since last year and the PF have been refusing. On their call for the meeting, we have also refused and I have since written a letter to Mr Kabimba.
“It was delivered this morning (yesterday) and probably that is why they are saying they are no longer interested in the pact. We have fundamental issues to deal with as UPND, so it is fine, we are a big party,” Mr Chibwe said in an interview at his office.
And Mr Kabimba on Wednesday revealed that the PF had become tired of the pact.
When contacted to state whether the pact between the two parties still existed following the recent differences, Mr Kabimba said there was nothing left to talk about in the UPND-PF Pact and that he was tired of the pact.
File: Jonas Shakafuswa kneels before President Rupiah Banda during the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony
GOVERNMENT has demanded a public apology from Katuba member of Parliament (MP) Jonas Shakafuswa for alleging that President Banda is running a mediocre Government.
Lieutenant-General Ronnie Shikapwasha said it is unacceptable and unZambian for Mr Shakafuswa to call Mr Banda ‘a monster’ and to incite Zambians to rise against a democratically-elected Government.
The Chief Government Spokesman was reacting to a statement in yesterday’s Post in which Mr Shakafuswa was quoted as having said Zambians must rise against President Banda because of his ‘mediocre’ leadership.
In the same article, Mr Shakafuswa called President Banda a ‘monster’.
But Gen Shikapwasha said it is ridiculous for Mr Shakafuswa to disrespect the decisions Mr Banda is making pertaining to the governance of the country.
He said Mr Shakafuswa must refrain from inciting Zambians to rise against President Banda by alleging that the President is a dictator and that he is refusing to listen to the concerns of Zambians.
“It is very unZambian for him to insult or call elders monsters. Mr Shakafuswa’s statement is very alarming and disturbing to Government and the MMD. It can cause anarchy in the nation because President Banda has supporters who have been provoked by the statement.
“Government is demanding that Mr Shakafuswa apologises unreservedly for the lies he has been perpetrating against President Banda and his Government because that is the correct and honourable thing to do,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He advised Mr Shakafuswa to refute the statement if he was misquoted by the newspaper and stop sowing seeds of hatred for political gain.
Gen Shikapwasha also appealed to the media to help Government promote peace and unity in the country by not publishing stories which have the potential to breed anarchy.
Gen Shikapwasha said journalists are the eyes and ears of the public and they belong to a noble profession premised on the dissemination of truthful, reliable and accurate information to the public.
He said the conduct of some media houses leaves much to be desired.
“In their desperate campaign against President Banda’s Government, they have continued to peddle lies pertaining to the affairs of the nation,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
[pullquote]“I will call him to explain what I was trying to say in the story I gave to the Post. The impression created that I called President Banda a monster is wrong,” he said.[/pullquote]
Meanwhile, ZANGOSE CHAMBWA reports that the church has condemned Mr Shakafuswa for insulting President Banda and has called on him to show remorse and apologise.
Independent Churches of Zambia president David Masupa said President Banda deserves respect while Bible Gospel Church in Africa Bishop Peter Ndhlovu has described Mr Shakafuswa’s remarks as irresponsible.
Meanwhile, DORIS KASOTE reports that Mr Shakafuswa said President Banda is like his father and he could not call him a monster.
Mr Shakafuswa said in an interview that he may have political differences with Mr Banda but he cannot refer to a head of State as a monster.
Asked if he would make a public apology over his statement as demanded by Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha, Mr Shakafuswa said he would personally talk to Gen Shikapwasha.
“I will call him to explain what I was trying to say in the story I gave to the Post,” he said.
“The impression created that I called President Banda a monster is wrong,” he said.
Mr Shakafuswa was reacting to a story in the Post edition of yesterday in which he was reported as saying Zambians should rise against ‘this monster’.
He said the monster he was referring to was the ‘system’ and not Mr Banda.
He said the system that the President was operating under was the same one allegedly created by Mr Mulongoti and others.
UPND chairman for international relations Clive Chirwa
THE MMD will win this year’s presidential and general elections if the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) participate in the polls separately, UPND chairman for international relations Clive Chirwa has said.
Professor Chirwa puts the MMD’s popularity surge at 38.1 percent and the PF-UPND pact’s collective performance at 19.34 percent. He advised the alliance to work “extremely hard”.
He warned that figures from the last 55 by-elections show that the MMD has an edge of about 50 percent over the pact, and urged the two parties to take his analysis seriously.
And the MMD has hailed Prof Chirwa’s advice to the pact partners as a true reflection of the current political reality in the country, and a confirmation of the ruling party’s strength.
In a letter addressed to PF president Michael Sata and his UPND counterpart Hakainde Hichilema dated February 15, 2011, Prof Chirwa told the pact not to ignore his figures “as they give a very clear outcome if it does not function to the ability expected by the people of Zambia.”
He said the figures are based on the results of the three parliamentary and 52 local government by-elections conducted between August 2009 and September 2010.
Prof Chirwa outlined the calculations that helped him arrive at the two figures.
“Taking into account these weightings, MMD has clocked 38.1 percent success, while UPND has 16.54 percent and PF 2.8 percent,” he said.
Prof Chirwa said the results do not mean UPND is now the favoured party over the PF.
“However, what these figures clearly show is that if we had to go it alone as PF or UPND, MMD will be voted into power yet again as our (pact) total resurgence is 19.34 percent, which is approximately half that of MMD (38.1 percent),” he said.
Prof Chirwa also expressed worry at the voter registration list of January this year.
“We are seeing a complex picture emerging, which tells us a simple message that requires the pact to work extremely hard in order to achieve the aspiration level the Zambian people are yelling for,” he said.
He discussed many other issues related to the pact in the letter, including proposals on how positions should be shared between the two partners.
MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga commended Prof Chirwa for telling the truth over the party’s strength.
“I am happy that Clive Chirwa has supported our assertions that the MMD is powerful and will beat both the PF and UPND even if they stand as a pact,” he said.
Mr Mabenga said it is good the information is coming from the pact’s own member and not from the MMD.
“Even if they stand as a pact, we are not shaken in any way. Even without us speaking, their own member has conceded that we are a powerful party and will win the elections. This is really good,” he said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga PandeGovernment says it is constantly monitoring the situation in Libya and putting in place measures to evacuate the 42 Zambians from that country following the civil strife that has rocked the North African country.
Foreign Affairs minister Kabinga Pande told parliament in a ministerial statement today that all the 42 Zambians in Libya are safe so far.
He says government is preparing to evacuate Zambians in Libya among them 38 embassy staff, two students and a footballer with his wife.
Mr Pande says government is concerned with the violence in Libya which has led to the loss of several lives.
He adds that Zambia condemns any form of violence, adding that as a member of the UN human rights council,the country is among those that has requested for the convening of a meeting tomorrow to discuss the violation of human rights in Libya following a clampdown on protesters.
Asked by Monze Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu whether Government is considering cutting diplomatic relations with Libya as Botswana has done following a government clampdown on protesters, Mr Pande said Zambia has interests to protect
New Kabwe Warriors chairman Andrew Kamanga has said he hopes to help turn around the fortunes at one of Zambia’s most supported clubs.
Kamanga was confirmed head of Warriors on Thursday and takes over from Evans Mutangama who resigned last week.
“I remain grateful to the sponsors who have entrusted me to lead the team they believe can take Kabwe Warriors back to the glory days,” Kamanga, who was until his appointment as chairperson a committee member.
Warriors have not won the league title since 1987 and their last cup triumph was in 2007 when they won the now defunct BP Top 8 Cup.
“We hope that we can focus on improving the fortunes of Warriors which still remains a big team in Zambia with a large following,” the Lusaka businessman said.
Meanwhile, bouncing back at the club is long-serving secretary Hayden Dingwall who will be Warriors vice-chairman.
File: Western Province Permanent Secretary Seth Muleya speaking to nurses at Kalabo District Hospital during his Familiarization tour in Kalabo
Government has allocated about K1.1 billion for the rehabilitation and construction of office blocks and government guest houses in all the districts in Western Province.
Provincial Permanent Secretary Seth Muleya disclosed the development today during the official opening of the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting held in the Minister’s conference hall.
Mr. Muleya said that part of the amount is meant for the construction of Shangombo district office block and the extension of Mongu district Commissioner’s office respectively.
He said other developmental programmes earmarked in the province is the provision of street lights in Kalabo and Sesheke districts at a total cost of K200 million.
The Permanent Secretary further said that a total sum of K1.5 million has been earmarked for rural water supply in the Province.
Mr. Muleya implored civil servants in the province to remain non-partisan during this year’s tripartite elections.
He noted the role of civil servants is to interpret and implement policies and programmes of the government of the day hence those wishing to be actively involved in partisan politics should offer to resign.
Meanwhile, Mr. Muleya has warned that his office will not shield anyone found to have misappropriated public funds meant for development in the Province.
He said the Province has previously had a lot of audit queries arising from unretired imprests and misapplication of resources.
