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President Rupiah Banda has donated assorted items and K5 million cash to a Kabompo couple that recently appealed for assistance in raising their triplets.
President Banda’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere said in statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today that President Banda was sympathetic with the couple after reading about their plight in the press on 19th December, 2010.
The President has since appealed to well wishers to assist vulnerable people during this Christmas period.
He said people should show love to others during this festive season especially that the period was a time for giving.
In June last year, Emelda Chikamba of Chikamba Village in Kabompo district of Northwestern Province gave birth to triplets.
Since then, she and her husband have been facing challenges in looking after their children.
The Chikamba family already has five other children.
Shoprite Checkers, Pick ‘n’ Pay, Pep Stores and Zambia Sugar have so far responded towards helping the couple with assorted items.
The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has commended Government for coming up with a law meant to protect consumers against exploitation by business people.
ZACA Executive Director Samuel Simutunda said the Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which was enacted into law in April 2009, would significantly help in curbing the sale of substandard and counterfeit products to consumers in the country.
Mr. Simutunda said this would therefore bring sanity to commerce.
He has since urged consumers to take advantage of the statute and use it to seek redress if aggrieved during this festive period.
He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that most business people had for a long time now taken advantage of the absence of a law that gave consumers an impetus to take to task traders that duped them through the sale of counterfeit products, especially during festive periods.
Mr. Simutunda also appealed to business firms to uphold highest levels of professionalism and refrain from selling substandard and counterfeit products to consumers.
He warned erring traders that they risked being prosecuted for flouting laws which Government had put in place to protect consumers.
Mr. Simutunda prodded business firms to sell consumer products that reflected the value for their money.
He also urged consumers not to get too excited and spend their monies unwisely during the festive period.
He noted that consumers have a lot of responsibilities to take care of after the festive period.
Stanbic Bank Zambia has said the increased number of banks on the market was helping the financial institution to provide quality services to its clientele.
And Stanbic Bank Zambia has described the year 2010 as successful for the bank and attributed this to the support the Zambian media has continued to render to the financial institution over the years.
Head of Marketing and Public Relations Kamiza Chikula said with the coming of new banks on board the bank was forced to devise strategies aimed at improving quality service in the banking sector.
Mr. Chikula said competition was healthy as it brought out the very best of banks but noted that an increase in banks also posed a challenge.
In an interview with ZANIS during a cocktail organised for the media, the Head of Marketing and Public Relations described 2010 as a success business year for the bank.
He stated that the current economic environment in the country was very conducive to do business, a development he also attributed to increased banks on the market.
Mr. Chikula said the bank opened new branches in Chipata and Livingstone (Eastern Province and Southern Province respectively) this year and had intentions of opening two more in Choma and Kabwe, (Southern Province and Central Province respectively).
Meanwhile, Mr Chikula has described the year 2010 as successful for the bank and has attributed this to the support the Zambian media has continued to render to the financial institution over the years.
The Stanbic Bank Head of Marketing and Public Relations said the media had continued to play a pivotal role in spearheading most of the successes his bank had achieved through effective coverage of its products.
Mr Chikula pledged his bank’s continued support to foster national development through its involvement sectors such as agriculture, health among many others.
The Stanbic Head of Marketing and Public Relations was speaking last night during a media cocktail organised by Stanbic Bank.
In the same vein, he hoped the relationship between the media and his institution would remain cemented in the coming years for sustained economic development.
Mr Chikula further prodded the media to continue partnering with Stanbic Bank in bringing about social and economic development in the nation.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin has said the bilateral relations that exist between Zambia and China have impacted greatly on the economic development of the two countries.
Mr. Li observed that bilateral trade this year realised 100% increase compared with the same period of last year adding that the bilateral trade volume from January to August this year climbed up to US$ 1.688 billion.
ZANIS reports that he said in Lusaka last evening during a media conference that with a growing balance in favour of Zambia, the country could be ranked as China’s third largest trade partner within the sub sahara region.
And Mr. Li noted that as of November this year, 13 enterprises settled down in the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ) realising US$ 780million and a turnover of US$ 770 million in 2009.
He pointed out that if the turnover reaches US$ 1.4 billion this year, it will bring US$ 40 million revenue to the Zambian government, thereby creating 4000 jobs for local people.
Mr. Li noted that currently, more than 300 Chinese companies operated in Zambia, a development which he said had increased the total value of Chinese investment in Zambia from US$ 500 million in 2006 to 1.26 billion in 2009.
He further explained that Chinese invested enterprises at the moment account for 60% of Zambia’s infrastructure construction market, 50% of the construction materials market, 20% mining projects and 10% of the agriculture and service market creating at least 20,000 jobs for Zambians.
Mr. Li also pointed out that interactions in culture, education, health and military have been more frequent and closer between the two countries.
He noted that Zambia and China signed the implementation plan of China-Zambia Culture Cooperation Agreement from 2010-2012 in July this year and that all cooperation projects under the agreement were progressing well and as scheduled.
Meanwhile, Mr. Li noted that China and Zambia will next year enjoy a wider range of cooperation and face new historic opportunities.
He said the two countries will continue promoting more robust bilateral relations, enhance mutual political trust, upgrade the level of effective cooperation in economic and trade among others.
Mr. Li also said China and Zambia will make great contribution to peace, stability and prosperity not only for the two countries but the whole Africa and the world at large.
Government has warned that it would not hesitate to withdraw liquor trading licences from liquor traders found flouting the law.
Lusaka Province Liquor Licencing Board Chairperson, Stephen Bwalya, said Government is concerned with the behaviour of some traders that were in the habit of admitting underage patrons to their premises.
Mr. Bwalya, who is also Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary, said Government had put in place punitive measures to deal with traders that flouted the laws.
He sounded the warning in Lusaka today during the Provincial Liquor Licensing Board fourth quarter meeting for the year 2010.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Lusaka Province Liquor Licensing Board Member, Andrew Mukutu.
Mr. Bwalya further urged liquor traders to observe the stipulated opening and closing hours in order to avoid breaching the law.
He said the Board had learnt that some traders were operating without licences and in unsanitary conditions.
And speaking earlier, Lusaka Province Liquor Traders Association Chairperson Nelson Sapi expressed happiness with the level of compliance by his members.
Mr. Sapi said the association was also happy with the involvement of the local people in the hospitality and liquor business.
He said more people have gone into liquor trading, adding that this was evident by the number of liquor outlets in the province.
The Lusaka Province Liquor Licensing Board has since considered 725 liquor licence applications.
The Ministry of Health has indicated that it has no intentions of training Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) both in rural and urban areas of the country.
Ministry spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe said the idea of training TBAs was not good because certain situations which expectant mothers faced required the attention of qualified medical personnel.
Dr. Mbewe told ZANIS in Lusaka today that conditions such as excessive bleeding must be attended to by qualified medical personnel.
He charged that TBAs contributed to high levels of maternal mortality rate in the country hence the need for expectant mothers to deliver from health centres.
He emphasised that the Ministry of Health was carrying out massive sensitisation campaigns to women on dangers of delivering from home.
Dr. Mbewe explained that these campaigns were being done through safe motherhood action groups.
He said the role of TBAs has shifted to holding workshops with expectant mothers and educating them on benefits of delivering from health centres where all their complications could be handled by qualified medical personnel.
Dr. Mbewe said it was therefore imperative for all expectant mothers to deliver from health centres for their safety and their babies.
He called on all expectant mothers attending workshops with the TBAs to adhere to what they learn and regard the material as important material.
A soccer fans body has condemned the harassment of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) sports journalists by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Communications Officer Erick Mwanza.
The Zambia Voluntary Soccer Fans Association (ZAVOSOFA) described Mwanza’s behaviour as uncalled for and an embarrassment to the country’s football governing body.
ZAVOSOFA president Peter Makembo urged the public to condemn in the strongest terms possible acts of intimidation and harassment on journalists by people running football affairs in the country.
Makembo said Mwanza should know better channels to apply if he is aggrieved than resorting to harassing journalists.
The ZAVOSOFA chief stressed that it was saddening to note that a person of Mwanza’s calibre who hailed from the media fraternity himself would behave in the manner he did.
Makembo urged Mwanza to apologise unreservedly to ZNBC and the media industry as a whole for his attacks on journalists or face the consequences.
He told ZANIS Sports in an interview in Lusaka today that people that have issues with journalists should not take the law into their own hands but follow established channels to air their concerns.
FAZ Communications Officer Erick Mwanza on Monday night stormed ZNBC newsroom, demanding a retraction of a story aired on the evening main news and charged at some of the members of staff he found in the newsroom.
ZNBC management has since given Mwanza a 48- hour ultimatum to apologise or they would take legal action against him.
Meanwhile, Makembo has welcomed FIFA’s directive to FAZ to call for early elections during the meeting between FIFA, FAZ, FAZ faction and government officials in Zurich, Switzerland that was held to find solutions to the current impasse at football house.
He said FIFA’s ruling was an indication that the World Soccer Governing body acknowledged the grievances of the FAZ faction led by Aaron Kamanga and Simataa Simataa.
Construction works on the multi billion Kwacha worth Boarding school in Milenge district in Luapula Province is expected to be completed next year.
The construction of the boarding high school in Milenge district has been funded at a total cost of over 25 billion kwacha by Government.
Milenge District Commissioner Rosemary Malutu told ZANIS in an interview in Milenge that the contractor is expected to hand over the facility to Government after the rainy season.
Ms. Malutu said once completed the boarding high school will help add value to the education sector in the district as well provide quality education to pupils.
She said since the district got its district status 13 years ago, it has been working hard to ensure that it attracts the much needed development adding that the school will go a long way in the development of the district.
And Science Technology and Vocational Training Permanent Secretary Chriticles Mwansa said the construction of the boarding High school will complement the intended construction of a Trades institute in the district next year.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwansa has appealed to Government departments and ministries to work together in fostering national development.
He said ministries should partner in spearheading development as they all work for one common vision of developing the nation.
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has received an undisclosed substantial amount of money from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to enable it continue conducting sensitisation programmes on voter registration in eight districts across the country.
FODEP Information Officer McDonald Chipenzi named the districts FODEP was scheduled to conduct its sensitisation programmes as Sinazongwe, Kazungula, Choma, Siavonga, Kabompo, Chavuma, Mwinilunga and Kasempa.
Mr. Chipenzi told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the Foundation would ensure many people were sensitised to register as voters in preparation for the 2011 general elections.
Mr. Chipenzi however, declined to mention how much money UNDP had given FODEP to carry out the sensitisation programmes in the named districts.
In a related development, the FODEP Information Officer has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to ensure that voter educators that have been removed in some parts of the country were redeployed.
Mr. Chipenzi noted that the development had resulted in a low voter registration turn out especially in some rural parts of the country.
He pointed out that this had also led to many people to be de-motivated as there was no one to educate them on the need to register as voters.
Mr. Chipenzi said a lot of people were willing to register as voters as long as they were properly educated and sensitised on the process.
He also urged school going children that have reached the age of sixteen to ensure that they obtained National Registration Cards (NRCs) by taking advantage of the school holidays.
Mr. Chipenzi further said this was very important as it was their right to do so and that the move enabled them to participate in national activities.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has disclosed that it will soon publicise the revised electoral code of conduct.
ECZ Public Relations Manager, Cris Akufuna, said the revised code of conduct would be made public after all logistics concerning the document are put in place.
Mr. Akufuna told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the document was being worked on before it is gazetted, adding that it would thereafter be published in the media for the people to read.
Mr. Akufuna said the ECZ was working round the clock to have the document finalised as soon as possible.
The ECZ Public Relations Manager said the revised code of conduct was agreed by all stakeholders at a workshop held at Livingstone New Fair recently.
He said the stakeholders included the Church, Civil Societies, Political parties and other concerned interest groups.
[pullquote] Other recommendations include the announcing of the winner of the elections within 48 hours.[/pullquote]
Among the recommendations in the revised code of conduct is the barring of traditional leaders from exerting undue pressure on their subjects to support a particular political party or candidate.
The stakeholders also agreed that political parties shall sensitise their members and ensure total observance of the provisions of the electoral code of Conduct.
It was further agreed that the ECZ shall submit a report of breach of the code of conduct to the Zambia Police, the Anti-Corruption Commission and Drug Enforcement Commission for possible prosecution for those found wanting.
Stakeholders also came up with the provision that campaigns shall commence on nomination day and end two days before elections take place.
Other recommendations include the announcing of the winner of the elections within 48 hours.
Further recommendations among others made were that political parties, the church and civil society organisations should be able to carry out voter education in the country and that the Electoral body would ensure smooth handover of power to the winner of the elections after voting.
10 years after they last played in Caf club cup competition, Nchanga Rangers return to savor some African football.
Rangers will be Zambia’s sole representatives in the Orange Caf Confederation Cup.
It is 10 years since the Chingola club last took part in Caf club competition and that was in 2000 when they reached the quarterfinals of the defunct Caf Cup.
However, they find a football landscape that is hungrier more ambitious despite the lack of incentives to play in the preliminary three rounds of the Confederation Cup.
There is a conventional wisdom that Zanaco and Zesco have set a template for any local team to qualify to the lucrative group stages of either the Confederation or the Orange Caf Champions League.
This follows the two team’s feats in the last two edition of the Caf club tournament.
Zesco are in the Champions League where they will face Caf club debutants Liga Muculmana of Mozambique who were promoted in 2007 and three years later were crowned champions.
The Maputo side will visit Ndola to play Zesco on January 29 in a preliminary round first leg match.
Meanwhile, Rangers will be tested later rather than sooner after their preliminary round opponents Bulawayo Highlanders withdrew from this year competition due to financial constraints.
Rangers qualify to the first round with a walkover win where they will face Dr Congo giants Lupopo in March with an away first round, first leg match.
Bruce Mwape work starts now with his fairly modest squad of players to shame the skeptics.
The Lusaka City Council has abolished reserved parking slots in the city with effect from January next year.
Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Mulunda Habeenzu said the action was in response to complaints from members of the public.
He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the decision was arrived at to solve the problems of parking in town experienced by motorists adding that the parking spaces would instead be open to every motorist at a fee.
Mr. Habeenzu noted that the Council would only allow companies that have paid upfront to possess reserved parking slots until February when agreements expired.
He said it was sad to note that some companies allocated themselves reserved parking slots without authority from the Council.
However, Mr. Habeenzu appealed to companies that were in an agreement with the local authority and still owed the Council to finish paying their outstanding arrears.
He also urged the public to work with the Council by paying the parking fee that would be arrived at.
Police has staged a man hunt for bandits that killed a Kabwe businessman and his Security Guard at Lion of Judah shop in Makululu Compound of Central Province.
Speaking in a telephone interview with ZANIS this morning, Central Province Commanding Officer Stella Libongani said Police is looking for the killers of Webby Simpokolwe aged between 30 and 32 years and his security guard, Johnson Lubenge who were shot dead by armed robbers with two AK-47 rifles around 19:00 pm on Sunday at the same shop.
Ms. Libongani however said the manhunt was not only targeted at killers of Mr. Simpokolwe and Mr. Lubenge but assailants of many other innocent people who may have died as a result of the criminals that were terrorising the Compound.
She noted that in the recent past, crime had continued to escalate in Makululu Compound leaving many innocent people dead despite the security measures that security wings had put in place to mitigate crime.
The Commanding Officer assured the people of Makululu Compound that Police had heard their heartfelt cry and would do everything in its power to ensure that justice prevailed.
Ms. Libongani further appealed to the public to assist police apprehend the criminals and further urged anyone with evidence leading to the arrest of those culprits to report to the nearest police station so that the criminals could be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, a salesman at the same shop, Giliat Chizola who was hit by a stray bullet during the shooting is still nursing injuries at Kabwe General Hospital.
Hospital authorities said Mr. Chizola was in a stable condition and may soon be discharged.
President Rupiah Banda has said the Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD)was the only political party to steer the nation forward, beyond 2011.
And President Banda has challenged those in the opposition to join the ruling party saying they should not waist time being in the opposition.
Mr. Banda said the 2011 general elections were vital to the ruling party and critical to the party’s agenda.
The President called for hard work and unity among the MMD party members if the country’s peace and national development was to be strengthened.
“It is a party to which all of us should be proud to belong; those who are not members should come and join this party. It is the only party that will take care of us all Zambians and the party that will be able to frustrate reactionary activities in our country. We have to ensure that our country remains what we have always wanted it to remain, One Zambia, One Nation.
‘’This is the only party that will be able to fight for the development of this country as it goes forward. Civil servants and everyone in this country should be interested in strengthening of this party, which is the party that is binding the people of Zambia together.’’ President Banda said.
The President was speaking when he addressed scores of people who welcomed him at Mongu Airport. This was shortly after arrival from Lusaka aboard a ZAF plane.
Mr. Banda is in Mongu to open the MMD Provincial conference being held at Kambule Technical School.
The President has already opened similar conferences on the Copperbelt and Central Provinces and now Western Province.
He said the conference should result in deeper unity within the ruling party adding that it was a party for all the people of Zambia, in every corner of Zambia and uniting the country.
President Banda is accompanied by MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga, MMD Elections Chairman Mike Mulongioti among other MMD NEC members.
Cabinet ministers and several party cadres were on hand to receive the President at the airstrip.
President Banda returns to Lusaka soon after scheduled business in Mongu.
Forum For Leadership Search Executive Director Edwin Lifwekelo (L)
Forum for Leadership Search Zambia has called on Government to declare the Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM) a terrorist organisation and must with immediate effect de-register the organisation.
Forum For Leadership Search Executive Director Edwin Lifwekelo said it was very evident from activities perpetrated by the movement that it was a clear indication of what he described as a terrorist grouping prepared to sacrifice the lives of Zambians.
Mr. Lifwekelo explained that any activity of the Barotse Freedom Movement must be declared treasonable and that the culprits arrested must be dealt with under the treasonable act to stop future offenders.
This is contained in a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.
Mr. Lifwekelo pointed out that violence that occurred in Western Province recently had the potential to ignite a civil war in the country.
“The Registrar of Society has a lot of explaining to do on how and why such an organisation was registered in Zambia in the first place when the freedom that Zambia enjoys was fought at great cost 46 years ago”, he said.
He stated that the Barotse Agreement does not fit into modern Zambia and peace loving Zambians and genuine Lozi speaking people must reject such a movement.
He explained that Western Province does not have the economic base to be independent from the rest of Zambia.
Mr. Lifwekelo accused some sections of the media and some frustrated politicians of wanting to use the Barotse agreement for political mileage.
He added that any support for the Barotse Freedom Movement would bore consequences too ghastly to contemplate if handled with kids gloves.
In a related development, Forum for Progressive Politics (FPP) has condemned the violence being perpetrated by advocates of the restoration of the Barotse Agreement in Mongu.
[pullquote]Mr. Kafumbo challenged the Barotse Patriotic Front (BPF) leader Mutangelwa Imasiku to tell the nation of the boundaries of the land being claimed saying that demands were being made that portions of land comprised Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, Northern and Southern Province.[/pullquote]
FPP Secretary General Charles Kafumbo described the tearing and burning of the national flag by the advocates as treason.
And Mr Kafumbo has advised Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to disassociate himself from the BPF because his recent utterences of restoring Barotse lands to the Barotse people was a clear indication that BPF was a wing of the opposition party.
Mr. Kafumbo challenged the Barotse Patriotic Front (BPF) leader Mutangelwa Imasiku to tell the nation of the boundaries of the land being claimed saying that demands were being made that portions of land comprised Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, Northern and Southern Province.
He said these five provinces totaled 35 tribes adding that this was half of Zambia’s native 73 tribes and that the chiefs of the respective lands were not part of the Barotse land.
Mr. Kafumbo urged Mr. Imasiku to restrain from acts of treasonable behaviour if peace was to be upheld in the country.
On advice to the PF leader, the FPP Secretary General said his organisation wanted Mr Sata to condemn the riots currently taking place in Western Province especially the one that happened last Saturday where Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) leader Charles Milupi was attacked and stoned by BPF cadres.
He said his organisation supported Government efforts to maintain law and order in Mongu and bring perpetrators to book.
[pullquote]He said these five provinces totaled 35 tribes adding that this was half of Zambia’s native 73 tribes and that the chiefs of the respective lands were not part of the Barotse land.[/pullquote]
In July this year, the Barotse Royal Establishment in its submissions to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) expressed grief that the provisions of the Barotseland Agreement had not been considered in the Draft Constitution and among others proposed to NCC and Government to consider acknowledging the Barotse Agreement to be the instrument by which the unitary State is constituted and outlined a number of articles that BRE was unhappy about.
Meanwhile, Mr Kafumbo has sent a message of quick recovery to the PF leader’s wife Dr. Kaseba who is currently undergoing treatment in South Africa.
Dr. Kaseba was evacuated to South Africa on Sunday for specialist treatment after experiencing chest pains and high blood pressure.
