Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
UPND Copperbelt Province chairperson Elisha Matambo has said the outcome of the Mutaba Ward by-electionin Kafulafuta Constituency will define the most popular party between the UPND and the Patriotic Front (PF) in the province.
Mr Matambo said in an interview yesterday that the campaigns for the March 3, local government by-elections would show which of the parties commanded a larger following after they fielded separate candidates for the polls.
Mr Matambo said the UPND was successfully selling itself as an alternative political party, able to deliver social and economic development to the people of people in that area and Zambia in general.
PF Ndola District chairperson Rebby Chanda said his party was confident of winning the election.
MMD Masaiti Member of Parliament Gladys Lundwe, who toured the constituency, said the ruling party was undertaking various development projects in the area which could only be successfully completed with the help of councillors from the ruling party.
MMD Masaiti District chairperson Micheal Katambo said the MMD campaign team had embarked on a door to door campaign explaining the development projects which the Government was undertaking and why the people of Mutaba Ward should vote for an MMD councillor.
The MMD have fielded Gilbert Kayingu, while the UPND and the PF fielded John Tuseko and West Phiri respectively.
[ Times of Zambia ]
File: President Banda confers with US assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson (r) and American Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella at State House
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said Zambians should not be misled by anyone that what is happening in the Middle East and North Africa can happen in the country because Zambia witnessed winds of change in 1991 and is now a role model of democracy.
Speaking before departure for Chipata at City Airport in Lusaka yesterday, President Banda said he regretted what was happening in Libya.
He, however, said it was wrong for some people to take advantage of young Zambians who may not understand the country’s history and suggest that the crisis in Egypt would spread to Zambia because the country was already enjoying democracy.
The president said while the democracy may not be perfect, Zambians were working hard to refine the system.
“What is happening in Libya is very, very sad. I think that all the governments must listen to people, but thank you for the question, let me just extend a bit to Zambia.
“It is wonderful to have peace here and in any case what they are going through now, what is happening in the Middle East is what we went through in 1991.
“Zambian people are actually role models, and the Zambian Government is actually a role model. The democracy that we are practising here is what they are fighting for,” Mr Banda said.
He said as a way to strengthen democracy, Zambia had introduced the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue to allow people with different political persuasions to express their views and improve the systems of governance.
President Banda said Zambians had confidence in the country’s electoral system and it was the reason why they refused to be used by Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata after the 2008 elections.
“Those who are talking and taking advantage of young Zambians who may not be aware of where we are coming from must understand that to refer to Egypt is wrong. These people are behind us. We went through that already, and we are a democratic country.
“You know after the elections in 2008 when I was elected president, because of the gap between myself and Mr Sata he really believed that the Zambian people will rally behind him,” he said.
Mr Banda said in 1991, first Republican president Kenneth Kaunda conceded defeat to the MMD when he lost the elections.
He said those who lost elections should learn to concede defeat to uphold their dignity.
GALLANT Youths of Zambia National co-ordinator Henry Mulenga has branded Mbita Chitala a liar for refuting reports that he advised President Banda to concede defeat to the Patriotic Front (PF) during the 2008 presidential elections.
Mr Mulenga said in an interview in Lusaka on February 23 that he was present when Dr Chitala advised President Banda to concede defeat to PF president Michael Sata during the 2008 presidential election.
He said Dr Chitala is the one who is telling lies because he (Mr Mulenga) was present at the meeting held at Government House on September 30 or October 1, 2008.
Mr Mulenga said he recalls that Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda was also present during the meeting.
He was reacting to a story in The Post edition of February 23 in which Dr Chitala denied asking the President to prematurely concede defeat to Mr Sata when he was trailing by 80,000 votes.
Mr Mulenga said it was disrespectful of Dr Chitala to call the President a liar when he knows that what the head of State had said was true.
“It is insubordination for Dr Chitala to call the head of State a liar,” Mr Mulenga said.
Mr Mulenga said he was part of the MMD team that was working with Dr Chitala, who was the national campaign executive secretary, at the totalling centre at Government House.
He said when Dr Chitala saw that the Electoral Commission of Zambia was taking too long to announce the final results and that Mr Banda was trailing Mr Sata, he allegedly asked the team to accompany him to where President Banda was waiting for feedback.
“When he looked at the block figure and saw the deficit between Mr Banda and Mr Sata, Dr Chitala tried to persuade Mr Banda to concede defeat. I was there and Mr William Banda and other people were also there.
“We did not agree with him that Mr Banda should concede defeat and we went outside to call the campaign manager, Mr Vernon Mwaanga, who was at the campaign centre in Rhodes Park. I personally called him and told him what Dr Chitala was trying to persuade Mr Banda to do,” Mr Mulenga said.
He said Mr Mwaanga directed the team and Mr Banda to wait for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to announce the final results.
“We waited until results from the last three provinces, which included Eastern and Western, where the MMD was strong, were announced. The MMD rapidly caught up and even surpassed the PF,” Mr Mulenga said.
He advised Dr Chitala to be honest enough and tell the truth.
“Dr Chitala should be honest enough and should not deny what he said,” Mr Mulenga said.
The draws for this years Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield have been made with defending champions Green Buffaloes taking on Zesco United in a semifinal doubleheader in Kitwe this Saturday.
Buffaloes who beat Zesco 1-0 in last year’s final will meet at Arthur Davies Stadium in a 15:00 kickoff.
The first kickoff will be a Copperbelt derby between Nkana and Nchanga Rangers who will take to the field at 12:30.
Winners will meet in the final next weekend at a venue to be announced later by Faz.
File:Some peasant farmers sieving their maize harvest. By Chanda K. Chishimba
Many Zambians living in the Diaspora have yearned to invest, back home, their hard-earned foreign currency. The feeling of having a tangible investment back home breeds excitement about one’s security should that individual decide to migrate back to the motherland. Diaspora based Zambians have engaged in transatlantic businesses with their relatives and friends in Zambia, ranging from clothes, electronic gadgets, rearing chickens, house construction, mining supply contracts, and cosmetics supplies to mention just a few. While Zambians abroad have done this in good faith, the majority of our people back home have viewed this link as a cash cow. This negative trend has eroded any confidence among the Diaspora Zambians that they had to invest in Zambia through friends and relatives. The potential loss of income from this lack of trust is colossal. As Zambians living in the Diaspora, we have merely complained about the attitude of our people in Zambia but we have not sought to come up with a more viable business venture, both that fulfills our potential to influence the world market and one through which our interests will be served.
Realizing that partnerships with our friends in Zambia only serve to enrich them, I have reached the inevitable conclusion that we only have ourselves to blame. For how can we continue pouring water into an ocean and expect it to dry up. Diaspora Zambians need to seriously tap into their exposure and potential to be a united front by championing large scale economic ideas. The privilege of living in a developed society must serve as impetus for us to strive to innovate as we are exposed to the way our friends engage in development. Diaspora Project 2012 is an effect of the negative returns we endure by investing at a small scale through our relatives in Zambia. As the name suggests, the project will target 2012 as its initiation year. Here is how it will work;
A membership of 5000 Diaspora Zambians will be targeted by the year 2012. The major goal of this project is to raise $13,000,000 within a year. How is this possible? Each member will contribute $50 every week for 52 weeks. Member contributions will not start until the targeted membership is achieved. Funds may be deposited in a reputable financial institution as agreed upon by the membership. The purpose of this project will be to raise a substantial amount of money, collectively, and target an investment sector in Zambia such as property development, cement manufacturing plant, pharmaceuticals, road construction, commercial farming, banking, insurance, software development, computer assembly plant etc.
A management team will be established to explore issues such as registration of the entity, legal requirements, financial management, recruiting, logistics, and business sourcing. In the beginning, this management team must be able to sacrifice their personal funds in order to realize the goals of the entity. The project does not take off until we have all the targeted 5000 members.
Diaspora Project 2012 will endeavor to create a difference from the usual poor quality and sub-standard goods manufactured in Zambia. The Project will engage field experts in Research and Development, Product Development, Packaging, Shipping, Global Marketing, and Resource Development. The project will aspire to penetrate the global market place by producing highly competitive products, products that meet or exceed international standards. Massive investment in this area will be required.
The Project will empower members to research and share development ideas for our common good. The intellectualism of each member will be explored and developed.
The Zambian government will be enticed to provide tangible benefits to the Project through acquisition of land, tax incentives, and foreign trade policy alignment. If the Zambian government can extend a favorable windfall tax regime to foreign investors, they can certainly do the same to Diaspora Project 2012. While we indigenous Zambians sit back and arm chair critique Zambian government policies, our colleagues from other countries are engaging in meaningful investments in our own backyard. The advantage that Diaspora Project 2012 brings to the Zambian economy will be immense. As opposed to foreign investors who externalize profits, the Project will reinvest back into the Zambian economy. The Project will also create jobs for the local people.
The ultimate goal of the Project will be to become the most ingenious economic block in Africa. The potential of this Project to engage in meaningful global trade will be its cornerstone.
In any investment, investors intend to realize a profit. Members of the Project will share profits through their equity concentration in the Project.
The need to engage serious debate on this issue is of utmost importance. For so long, Zambians in the Diaspora have been a laughing stock of our people back home, that after spending so many years abroad, we still have nothing to show for it. Yet, over the years, we may have contributed to our people being very rich and comfortable through our hard earned money and bogus investments that they lure us by. It is time that we as Zambians in the Diaspora put our energies together and developed an initiative that will benefit us and our children. The onus is ours to prove that we can make a meaningful investment in Zambia while going about with our daily lives in the Diaspora.
So Kalusha Bwalya is now amongst the big boys in the corridors of African football in Cairo.So what really to does it entail to be a CAF executive committee member? Here are excerpts taken from the current Caf statues defining the executive committee.
Executive Committee
ARTICLE 22
COMPOSITION
1. The Executive Committee elected by the General Assembly shall comprise:
• one (1) President;
• twelve (12) members.
The Committee may co-opt one (1) or two (2) members who shall not have the
right to vote.
The national association to which the President belongs shall not be entitled to
have any other member in the Executive Committee.
2. After each General Assembly at which elections are held, the Executive
Committee, upon a proposal of its President, shall elect a first and a second vicepresident
from amongst its members.
3. African representatives on the FIFA Executive Committee shall attend all meetings
of the CAF Executive Committee without a right to vote.
4. Once a candidate is elected as the President of CAF, he can no longer hold office
in his own national association for the duration of his term of office.
5. A national association can be represented by only one member on the Executive
Committee.
6. Each of the six (6) zones listed in Article 13 of the Statutes shall have the right to
two (2) members on the CAF Executive Committee.
7. The term of office of the President and the members of the Executive Committee
shall be four (4) years. Half of the Executive Committee shall be re-elected every
two (2) years.
8. Members of the Executive Committee shall enjoy full independence in the exercise
of their functions at CAF, and should not be subjected to any pressure.
9. Members shall retain their position on the Executive Committee for the whole
duration of their mandate and may only be removed from their functions by a
decision taken in conformity with existing statutory provisions.
III
Organisation
B. Executive Committee
20
10. At its first meeting, after an Ordinary General Assembly convened in an even year,
the Executive Committee may decide to co-opt one (1) or two (2) members for a
term of four (4) years.
Any decision to co-opt shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of members present.
If such a decision is taken, the election of the member(s) proposed by the
President shall be made by a simple majority of members present at that session.
11. National associations to whom Executive Committee members belong are
obliged to make every effort to enable such members to attend all meetings of
the Executive Committee.
12. Should there be a vacancy on the CAF Executive Committee during the first half
of the term of office, the Executive Committee shall elect a replacement for the
remainder of the term.
13. If a member is repeatedly absent from meetings of the Executive Committee
without good reason, the Committee shall report this to the next General
Assembly, asking it to take appropriate measures.
14. The Executive Committee shall meet at least twice every year. It may also be convened
at the request of the President, or of seven (7) of its members.
15. A member of the Executive Committee, the Emergency Committee, the Legal
Bodies or any Standing Committee must absent himself from any discussion
about a dispute concerning his national association, club or an official or player
of the said association.
16. Executive Committee resolutions shall be adopted by a simple majority of the
members present. In the event of a tie, the President shall have a casting vote.
When decisions requiring a secret ballot are tied, lots shall be drawn.
17. For the deliberations to be valid, a quorum of half plus one of the members shall
be required. If the quorum is not reached at the first meeting, a minimum of five
(5) members shall form a quorum at a subsequent meeting called within 24
(twenty-four) hours.
18. Decisions taken by the Executive Committee shall be binding with immediate effect.
19. Deliberations shall be recorded in the minutes, which shall be sent to all the
members before the next meeting.
III
Organisation
B. Executive Committee
21
ARTICLE 23
POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the execution of the policies and
decisions of the General Assembly, the management and the administration of CAF.
2. It shall take decisions on all matters that do not fall within the sphere of responsibility
of the General Assembly or other bodies by law or under these Statutes
and regulations.
3. The Executive Committee may co-opt one (1) or two (2) members.
4. All its members shall be entitled to propose items for the agenda of meetings of
the Executive Committee or of a Standing Committee.
5. It may delegate in totality or in part some of its responsibilities to its members
individually or grouped as a committee or to the Secretary General as dictated by
its established methods of management.
6. Upon a proposal from the President, it shall appoint the chairmen, deputy chairmen
and members of the Standing Committees, as well as set up new Ad hoc
Committees.
7. It may dismiss members of Standing Committees if they are guilty of a serious
violation of their duty and replace them for the remainder of their term of office.
8. It shall formulate specific regulations for Standing and Ad hoc Committees.
9. It shall approve the working programme of the Standing and Ad hoc Committees.
10. It shall decide on financial matters, examine and approve the budgetary reports
presented by the Secretary General, as well as examining and amending the draft
budget before submitting it to the General Assembly.
11. It shall be the supreme authority for all matters concerning CAF competitions.
12. It may delegate some of its powers to the competent committees, reserving the
right to exercise them whenever deemed necessary.
13. If a Standing Committee decision does not conform with the provisions of the
existing Statutes or regulations, the Executive Committee can – before submitting
the case to the CAF Appeal Board – either send the dossier back to the competent
committee for reconsideration or look into the matter itself.
III
Organisation
B.
Organisation
B. Executive Committee
22
14. It shall appoint or dismiss the Secretary General at the proposal of the President.
15. It shall appoint for a period of four (4) years the chairmen, vice-chairmen and
members of the legal bodies of CAF.
16. It shall decide the place and dates of the final tournaments of CAF competitions.
17. It shall decide the date and venue of the General Assembly.
18. It shall approve the CAF administrative chart.
19. It shall approve the Regulations Governing the Organisation of CAF, except for
those under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly.
Source: Courtesy of The Confederation of African Football.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) says the fielding of different candidates in the Mutaba ward local government by-elections was as a result communication breakdown within the pact.
UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mwitwa says lack of proper communication within the pact is resulting in the two parties to act without consultation.
Mr. Mwitwa says it is unfortunate that things are happening like this as it is contrary to the Memorandum of Understanding between the two political parties.
He, however, says the adoption of different candidates in the area by the pact members is good as it will give a clear indication on what the people on the ground think of the pact.
The memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties forbids them to compete against each other in the by-elections leading up to the forthcoming general elections.
Contrary to the memorandum of understanding, the two parties have separately fielded candidates in the forthcoming by-elections in Masaiti District on the Copper belt.
According to a statement made available to QFM by the electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ) the PF is fielding West Phiri while John Tuseko is contesting on the UPND ticket.
The ruling MMD is being represented by Gilbert Kayindu.
[ QFM ]
Faz vice president Boniface Mwamelo says he hopes Kalusha Bwalya landslide win in Khartoum today will be embraced by all Zambians.
Kalusha secured the Cosafa zone seat in the Caf executive committee after a resonating 38 votes to six against his nearest rival Walter Nyamilandu of Malawi.
“I hope this cuts across the divide and we only hope that everyone will embrace it as their victory,” Mwamelo said.
Kalusha will serve on Caf’s decision making organ on a four-year term starting this year until 2015 to become the second Zambia to hold a top position at Caf since Tom Mtine who is a honorary member of the continents football governing body.
Meanwhile, South African Danny Jordaan failed in his quest for a Fifa seat crushing to 4th place in the vote for one of the two Caf seats up for grabs in Zurich.
Jordaan got 10 votes, two less than COSAFA president Suketu Patel of the Seychelles.
Jacques Anouma from Cote d’Ivoire retained his Fifa seat with 35 votes.
Algerian Football Federation head Mohamed Raourao won the other Caf seat in Zurich to become the new Fifa executive committee member on 39 votes.
FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya has scored a landslide victory to capture an executive seat on the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee. Kalusha got 38 votes against the closest Walter Nyamilandu of Malawi who got 6 votes.
Others in the race included Adam Mthethwa (Swaziland) – 3 votes, John Muinjo (Namibia) – 5 votes, Justino Fernandes (Angola) – withdrew, Danny Jordan (South Africa) – withdrew
The Zone Six seat, commonly known as the COSAFA position, was left vacant following the decision not to re-contest the position by incumbent and former SAFA president Molefi Oliphant.
Vice-President George Kunda yesterday presented to Parliament the Republican Constitution Bill number 60 of 2010 that will provide for the printing and publication of the amended Constitution.
Mr Kunda said the Bill, which was presented to the House for the first reading, would provide for savings and transactional provisions of the existing State organs, institutions, administrations, offices, institutions and laws.
He said the Bill would also provide for the savings of succession to assets, rights, liabilities, obligations and legal proceedings, and also to provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has formed a special committee comprising 13 members of Parliament who would look into the Republican Constitution Bill.
Mr Mwanamwambwa urged the committee to conclude and report back to Parliament by March 20, this year.
And Education Minister Dora Siliya presented the Zambia Qualifications Authority Bill number 62 of 2010 that provides for the development and implementation of a national qualifications framework.
Ms Siliya, however, withdrew the Bill for further consultation with various stakeholders.
Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka told the House that his ministry, through the National Housing Authority, between 2000 to 2010 spent K544 billion on constructing 2, 676 housing units in Lusaka and Ndola.
Mr Muteteka said in Lusaka, 2,438 houses were at a cost of K538 billion while in Ndola, 138 houses were built at a cost of K6.1 billion.
Communications and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa said K509.4 billion was spent on paying retrenchment packages to 2,330 former Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) employees.
Professor Lungwangwa told Parliament yesterday that all the former Zamtel workers had been paid their benefits.
He was responding to a follow-up question by Chipili Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Davis Mwila, who wanted to know how many workers had been re-engaged as at September 2010, after the partial privatisation of the telecommunications company.
Communications and Transport Deputy Minister Mubika Mubika said 696 employees had been retained out of an establishment of 751 employees.
[Times of Zambia]
MMD Luapula Province chairperson Emmanuel Chungu has said Patriotic Front (PF) leaders are panicking over the popularity of the ruling party in the area, and the opposition political party is now fabricating stories in order to gain political mileage.
Mr Chungu said the party in Luapula Province was working well with PF ‘rebel’ Members of Parliament (MPs) contrary to reports in yesterday’s The Post that he had complained that some of them had outlived their usefulness.
“Whatever was reported in The Post is not true, this is a blatant lie. Our relationship with the PF MPs in Luapula is good and to us they are not rebel MPs but cooperating partners.
“I have never said what was attributed to me. Our relationship with our cooperating partners is very fruitful and people saying this just want us to differ,” Mr Chungu said.
The February 22 edition of The Post quoted sources as having said Mr Chungu had, during the MMD NEC meeting on Saturday, expressed doubt over the popularity of some PF ‘rebel’ parliamentarians from Luapula.
Mr Chungu said as provincial chairperson of the ruling party, he had a duty to engage all the people in the area, including those from the opposition parties, to promote unity regardless of political affiliation.
“MMD is enjoying massive popularity in Luapula as can be seen by most of the by-elections which we have won in the recent past.
“Such reports by the opposition will not deter me to continue working hard so that the party gets even stronger,” he said.
He said MMD was working hard to ensure that more investments was taken to the province so that there could be extra income and jobs for the people.
The Ministry of Education has transformed the Academic Production Unit-APU- into what is called Open Learning classes.
Education Permanent Secretary, James Mulungushi says the Open Learning classes will be controlled by the Ministry of Education rather than by individual schools.
Dr Mulungushi said this in a statement issued to ZNBC news in Lusaka on Tuesday.
He said the Ministry will develop an open learning operational policy to guide how the program should be managed.
DR MULUNGUSHI said under Open learning classes, pupils will pay the same fees that apply for the rest of the learners at each school.
He said out of the user fees paid by open learners, teachers will receive an allowance for the extra work.
Government last week announced the abolish ment of APU classes.
[ ZNBC ]
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has declared that it has sufficient ground to win this year’s elections even without its PACT partners, the Patriotic Front.
UPND Secretary General Winston Chibwe says the UPND was formed as a political party with an intention to form government and that it has remained focused to its objective.
Mr. Chibwe explained in an interview with QFM that the party has continued to gain popularity.
He was reacting to UPND Luapula province Chairman Chishimba Chilufya’s Statement that the two opposition leaders Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema should resolve the issue of the pact presidency as the pact is the only solution to remove the MMD from government.
Mr. Chibwe maintained that UPND will only agree on the presidential candidate of the pact with the PF after the two parties meet to draw a national development plan.
He has since appealed to UPND members across the country to remain calm and continue campaigning for the party ahead of this year’s elections.
Mike MulongotiDismissed former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti says he does not regret declaring his interest to contest the vacant MMD vice presidency at the forth coming party convention.
Mr. Mulongoti says he is proud of what he did and does not regret his decision to challenge vice president George Kunda.
In an interview with QFM, Mr. Mulongoti says it is one of his democratic rights to challenge for any position of his choice adding that his rights are protected by the republican and party constitution.
And when asked what his next step would be after his suspension from the ruling party as party, Mr. Mulongoti says he is patiently waiting for the formal letter from the national executive committee (NEC).
Mr. Mulongoti was on Saturday fired as works and supply minister by President Rupiah Banda on grounds that he had been attacking Vice-president George Kunda and the president.
And the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) has recommended to its party convention for the expulsion Mr. Mulongoti from the party as chairman for elections.
[ ZNBC ]
File: Losing MMD Mufumbwe parliamentary by election candidate Mulondwe Muzungu (r) addressing a press conference in Lusaka.
Kajilo Muzungu, son of losing MMD Mufumbwe constituency candidate Mulondwe Muzungu, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on each of three counts of manslaughter contrary to section 199 of the penal code Cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.
The sentences will run concurrently and this means he will only serve a 10 year sentence on all the three counts.
Kitwe High court Judge, Justice Isaac Chali sitting in Solwezi found Kajilo with a case to answer on all the three counts after the state called in 10 witnesses to testify.
Particulars of the offence were that on 30th April 2010 in Mufumbwe district on the Mutanda- Chavuma road, Kajilo unlawfully caused the death of three juveniles aged between eight and 12 years old by hitting them with a vehicle.
He had in his plea, pleaded not guilty.
Giving evidence in defence, Kajilo said while driving from Kakikasa, where the MMD had set up its camp going to Chizela area around 05:00 hours, he saw a mob comprising mostly youths who had machetes and sticks in front of him that had covered the entire road.
He said he hooted and flicked the lights of the vehicle as a way of asking his way through but the crowd did not respond.
Kajilo said from the non response of the crowd, he realized that his vehicle had been identified because of the posters that it carried.
He says because of the prevailing political situation during the campaign period and his own experience of being attacked, Kajilo realized that his life was in danger.
He added that it was then that he decided to maneuver in the crowd to find his way and in the process knocked down five people three of whom died and two sustained injuries.
But passing judgment, Justice Chali said from the evidence given by prosecution witnesses and the postmortem reports, there were no intervening circumstances to show that the deceased died from other injuries other than those sustained from the accident.
Justice Chali observed that the witnesses said Kajilo drove in a zig-zag manner which had been confirmed by the sketch plan drawn by the police officer who went to the accident scene and his own evidence that he tried to maneuver to find his way from left to right.
He inevitably concluded that despite the volatile environment in the area and the danger that Kajilo claimed to have faced amidst the mob, his vehicle was not scratched or damaged which showed that the mob was not armed.
The Judge said Kajilo’s conduct was bad as he should have avoided driving through the crowd by driving back upon discovering that the mob was hostile but proceeded to hit people on either side of the road.
Kajilo pleaded for maximum leniency from the court saying he regretted the incident that happened adding that he was currently on medication for a liver complication and had family and civic duties as he represented the Chizela royal establishment in the council.
Justice Chali said the circumstances under which the incident occurred compelled him to punish Kajilo severely.
[ ZNBC ]
