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The Church is disturbed by the death of two people in Mongu, Western province of Zambia and the unrest unfolding over the Barotse Agreement of 1964.
Evangelical Fellowship of ZAMBIA-EFZ Executive Director Pukuta Mwanza says the church is saddened that the actions of a group of people calling itself the ‘Black Bulls’ over the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement has now resulted in loss of life.
Rev. Mwanza says the disturbances and the subsequent loss of two lives are unfortunate and regrettable.
Rev. Mwanza has further supported government position not to entertain calls for secession of the province.
In a statement to ZNBC in Lusaka on Saturday, Rev. Mwanza says Zambia is a unitary state and should be allowed to remain so.
And the Christian Coalition of Zambia says it is saddened by the unfortunate turn of events in Mongu and Limulunga.
Coalition President Bishop Godwin Musonda has asked the media not to sensationalise events in the Western Province.
Speaking with ZNBC News on Saturday in Lusaka, the Bishop has also asked the church in the area to be magnanimous in their message for peace and unity in the area.
Two people died in Mongu on Friday, among them a child, after a group of people ran amok over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.
Police shot dead one man as attempts to stop him from setting ablaze a filling station failed.
Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu says the consequences would have been much grave had the man succeeded with his intentions of arson.
Mr Lungu says the child died after he was hit by a stone, as a stone-throwing group went on rampage in Mongu.
Mr. Lungu says Government however regrets the loss of life.
The Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly which adjourned Sine Die on November 26 last year will resume sitting on February 22 this year.
This is according to a statement released by Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwiinga, Friday Evening in Lusaka to ZNBC News.
In the previous session, considerable business was transacted during the sittings of the House, which lasted for 41 days.
The House debated President Rupiah Banda’s Speech for the official opening of Parliament and the National Budget, which was approved.
Over 195 questions and 17 Government Bills were presented and considered by the House.
Parliament also saw 19 Ministerial Statements presented and extensively discussed by the House.
The House however resumes sitting without Mporokoso Member of Parliament Maynard Misapa who resigned from the ruling MMD to join opposition Patriotic Front-PF.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set March 3 as the date for the Mporokoso by-election.
The United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema has condemned the shooting of people in western province.
Mr. Hichilema says it is unfortunate that lives have been lost to matters that government would have avoided.
He has described the shooting incidence as police brutality which should not be allowed to take place in Zambia.
Two people, among them a child, have been killed while several others have sustained gunshot wounds in a confrontation between the police and advocates of the secession of Western Province.
Youths, mostly below the age of 25 years, were involved in the violence that started at around 11:00 hours.
An eyewitness who preferred anonymity said the youth dared police, saying they were ready to die for a “noble” cause.
They pelted all sorts of objects at the police officers who were later compelled to retaliate and in the process killed one person while several others were injured.
The youth sang and chanted the Barotseland anthem and slogans while daring the paramilitary police officers fully armed and dressed in riot gear.
But Mr. Hichilema says Zambia is under a democratic rule, which does no allow such matters to take place.
He accused president Banda of ruling Zambia as a one party democratic state which should not be the case.
Mr. Hichilema explained to QFM this morning that Zambians should not tolerate a one party state rule in the modern world.
MINISTER of Local Government and Housing Brian Chituwo says it is unacceptable for Lusaka councillors to allocate themselves over 80 plots at the Lilayi Housing Development project.
Brian Chituwo
Dr Chituwo has since directed the Lusaka town clerk to avail his office with minutes of the meeting where this decision was made. Lusaka City Council is dominated by Patriotic Front (PF) councillors.
“I was actually shocked when I heard about this matter. It is totally unacceptable for the councillors to allocate themselves those plots,” he said.
Dr Chituwo has also directed the town clerk to give him the justification for such allocations.
“That is selfish behaviour for civic leaders. For now, I take it as a rumour until we confirm this,” he said.
He said once it is confirmed that these plots have been given out, his ministry will ensure that it corrects the matter.
Dr Chituwo said the procedure that needs to be followed is for councils to advertise for land and applicants are supposed to attend interviews before selections are done.
“What criteria did they use to allocate themselves this land? Even if they say they applied, it is not possible that they were more successful than other members of the public,” he said.
[pullquote]“What criteria did they use to allocate themselves this land? Even if they say they applied, it is not possible that they were more successful than other members of the public,” he said.[/pullquote]
Dr Chituwo said everybody, including civic leaders, should be treated equally.
And the Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) has called on the Ministries of Lands and Local Government and Housing to investigate the reports of councillors allocating themselves plots.
ZLA executive director Henry Machina said it is unacceptable for the councillors to give themselves over 80 plots and leave a few for members of the public.
He said the Ministry of Lands should intervene in this matter and ensure that the plots are advertised so that members of the public can have access to the land in question.
“This is a very unfortunate situation which should not be allowed to continue as this will perpetuate the marginalisation of the poor and other citizens who are not privy to the activities of authorities charged with the responsibility of land allocation,” he said.
He said it is important to have a well articulated land policy to act as a guide to ensure efficient and transparent land administration.
Mr Machina said lack of effective mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in most local authorities can cause problems.
He said the lack of adequate supervisory and monitoring support to agents of the Ministry of Lands—local authorities and traditional leaders, compounds the situation.
Mr Machina has called on the Ministry of Lands to put in place a comprehensive land policy to guide land administration in Zambia.
He urged the Commissioner of Lands to reverse the unjust land allocations.
GOVERNMENT has awarded the first petroleum exploration licence to a Zambian company, Barotse Petroleum Company, to explore oil and gas in Western Province.
And two other Zambian companies have successfully gone through to the second bidding round for petroleum exploration. The two are Majeetu, which bid for block 15 in North-Western Province, and Metprosol, block 34 in the Kafue Basin in Southern Province.
Barotse Petroleum Company is among the three Zambian companies which successfully bid for the petroleum blocks.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka on January 14, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Maxwell Mwale said the company has been given a licence after complying with stipulations in the statutory instrument.
“I now have the pleasure of signing the first licence to the Barotse Petroleum Company, which has fully paid all the fees outlined in the statutory instrument,” Mr Mwale said.
He said Government expects the company to start work now and move into their blocks as soon as the rainy season is over.
Mr Mwale said he is confident that other successful bidders will follow suit to obtain their licences.
He said the exploration companies would submit quarterly reports to his office from which updates will be released on the progress of the work in the mining sector.
Mr Mwale said after the second bidding, the ministry would no longer advertise for seven other oil and gas blocks because this requirement has been abolished.
He said companies interested in applying for Government-reserved blocks should apply through the petroleum technical committee.
Mr Mwale said Government is now developing modalities for oil and gas exploration in reserved blocks which will be completed before the end of March this year.
He said bidders in Western Province should not be distracted by the current confusion in the province because Government will institute measures to protect their interests.
One of the shareholders for Barotse Petroleum Companies, Clement Mundia, said he is happy the company has been given a licence after waiting for two years.
Mr Mundia said this will encourage local companies to take up the challenges of investing in the mining sector.
Vice President George Kunda
Vice President George Kunda has directed the Ministry of Health to ensure the stalled project on the expansion of Kalomo district hospital is completed this year.
The Vice President said Government has already spent K1.2 billion on the project which commenced in 2005 but had not been completed to date.
ZANIS reports that Vice President Kunda said the Ministry of Health must quickly mobilise the K800 million needed to complete the project which includes among other facilities a new maternity wing and a theatre.
He was speaking when he toured the hospital expansion works in the company of Provincial Minister Elijah Muchima and Kalomo central UPND Member of Parliament Request Muntanga.
The Vice President assured medical personnel at the hospital that Government would do everything possible to see to it that the project is concluded this year.
He said he had seen for himself the congestion in the hospital wards because of limited space while lack of facilities such as the theatre had affected the institution’s operations.
Speaking during the same tour, district medical officer Dr Cephas Sialubanje said the institution was facing the challenge of inadequate space and lack of a theatre.
Dr. Sialubanje said this had forced the institution to refer patients to distant health facilities outside the district.
He told the Vice President that as a result of the long distances, some referral patients ended up dying on the way.
File:Vice president George Kunda and his wife Irene
VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda has requested the Post Newspaper to publish the violent pictures of the Chawama hacking which depicts violence allegedly perpetrated by Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata.
Mr Kunda said during a public rally at the Maamba stadium that when Mr Sata was Minister Without Portfolio in 2001, he gathered youths who went on rampage hacking the innocent people, preventing them from casting their vote in the Chawama by-election.
He said empirical evidence is there for everyone to see. He said the Post Newspaper, which seems to be doing so much to portray Mr Sata as a good leader, should also focus on Mr Sata’s alleged violent past.
According to a story in the Post newspaper of 19 July, 2001 headlined: ‘FDD will privately prosecute Sata’, the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD) vowed to mount a private prosecution against Mr Sata for instigating violence in the Chawama parliamentary by-election.
The story quoted FDD chairman Simon Zukas saying his party had gathered enough evidence to commence private prosecution proceedings against Mr Sata, who was also MMD national secretary at the time.
He said the PF/UPND pact is not making progress because the two leaders who engineered it are at crossroads and they don’t know what to tell the sponsors who have been funding them.
At the same rally, defectors swarmed the dais where the Vice-President was speaking from and were immediately wrapped in MMD campaign chitenge material.
Mr Kunda said Livingstone is being upgraded into a world class tourism destination by expanding the international airport and other amenities. He said the province also boasts of being one of the country’s most productive agriculture areas which contributes to reducing poverty.
Mr Kunda directed Southern Province Minister Elijah Muchima to make sure that Sinazongwe gets a modern high school possibly this year as the one in existence is unable to cater for the growing number of pupils.
Mr Kunda, who met with traditional leaders, said the meeting was development- oriented and he greatly appreciated the advice he got from them.
Mr Kunda said the completion of works at Kariba North Bank, Kafue and Itezhi tezhi will position Zambia as a major electricity exporter in the sub-region.
“All these are as a result of the Banda administration. The benefits are immense from these investments. In the past 40 years, there has never been any investment into the energy sector like we have done now. Southern Province stands to benefit greatly as the entire lake shore on Lake Kariba will be lit and this will promote tourism,” he said.
He said the Banda administration is accountable and believes in providing development to the entire country and fighting corruption.
Speaking at the same function, Mr Muchima expressed concern at the absence of member of Parliament Raphael Muyanda from the Vice president’s arrival.
He urged the people of Sinazongwe to think twice and make sure that during the 2011 tripartite elections, they elect a person who will always be available for them and that can only be an MMD MP.
“I expected to see your member of Parliament but he is not here and only one councillor came to receive the Vice President,” he said.
Former PF secretary General Edward Mumbi, who was at the vice-president’s rally, denied allegations by Mr Sata that he had leaked state secrets on the Barotseland Agreement.
File: President Rupiah Banda with his supporters at Lusaka City Airport before departure for Eastern Province to open MMD provincial Conference
PRESIDENT Banda is today expected to travel to Luapula and Northern provinces on a two-day working visit during which he will also officially open MMD provincial conferences in Mansa and Kasama.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the President for press and public relations Dickson Jere.
The President will today travel to Mansa where he will officially open the MMD provincial conference tomorrow which is expected to elect a new party leadership in Luapula ahead of the national convention.
After opening the Luapula conference, President Banda and his delegation will proceed to Northern Province where he will open another conference in Kasama on January 17.
The MMD has so far successfully held five provincial conferences in Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, North-Western and Western provinces.
President Banda will be accompanied to Luapula and Northern provinces by MMD national chairman and Deputy Minister of Lands Michael Mabenga, MMD chairman for elections and Minister of Works and Supply Mike Mulongoti, Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga and other senior Government officials.
The President and his delegation are expected to return to Lusaka after completing the scheduled business in the two provinces.
Meanwhile, President Banda has expressed grief at the death of the mother to senior private secretary Rapson Chilufya, Elina Fulenge, who was 79. She died on January 14 at Ibenga Hospital. President Banda implored the bereaved family not to lose hope during the time of bereavement.
This is according to a statement issued by the press and public relations unit at State House. Mrs Fulenge is survived by six children and grandchildren.
Maamba Colliries (MCL) Coal Processing Plant (CPP) which is being replaced for a modern one
Maamba Collieries (MCL) in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province is expecting machinery to start arriving in the country in the first week of March to resume mine operations.
Chief Executive Officer Kalunga Mumba disclosed this when Vice President George Kunda toured the mining area today saying the thermal power plant had been earmarked to start operating after 29 months.
Mr. Mumba said the Chinese contractor would work on the thermal power Plant and about 600 people would be employed.
He explained that within six months the contractor would be on site to start working on the thermal power plant that would use coal to generate power.
The Chief Executive officer also pointed out that U$20 million had been planned for environmental protection which would include tree planting around the open pit area and for recycling water.
He added that U$6 million would be used to expand the water treatment plant for both domestic and commercial use.
Mr. Kalunga further informed the Vice President that the company had also planned to build 600 houses for its employees at the Council and Kabula areas reapctively once negotiations were completed with local leadership.
The Vice President was accompanied to Sinazongwe by Southern Province Minister Elijah Muchima, Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete and other senior government officials.
THE Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) has instituted investigations to ascertain the extent of contamination Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) has caused to the Kafue River before imposing sanctions against the mining company.
This is the third time KCM has polluted the Kafue River.
And KCM says it is ready to co-operate with the ECZ investigation into January 10 incident and has already been working in close liaison with the regulatory authority, having reported the Muntimpa Power failure within two hours of occurrence.
In a statement issued on January 14, KCM says the power outage led to the failure of the pumps at its Muntimpa tailings disposal site in Chingola.
Immediately after the power outage, two plants, the concentrator and the Tailings Leach Plant (TLP), were stopped and the matter was reported to the ECZ, the Mines Safety Department and local water utility firm Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company as a precautionary step.
The statement says ECZ officials were on site for preliminary investigations and took samples from the Kafue River and Mulonga pump station. All the readings proved to be within the allowable parameters.
The statement says KCM welcomes the ECZ’s investigation into the matter and is prepared to provide any information that might be needed.
Making the submissions to the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, ECZ executive director Paul Banda said the ECZ is investigating KCM to establish the source and cause of pollution to help Government to take appropriate action to prevent such incidents in future.
Mr Banda said this in response to a question from the Committee chairperson, Kankoyo member of Parliament Percy Chanda (Patriotic Front), who wanted to know the measures ECZ and Government are taking to prevent KCM from polluting the Kafue River and the environment.
But Mr Banda said the ECZ is disappointed at the failure by KCM management to adhere to the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act which is currently under review.
“KCM has failed to put in place adequate measures to prevent the pollution of the Kafue River.
“We have instituted investigations to ascertain the extent of damage the effluent has caused to Kafue River before taking action. This firm is not adhering to the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act. We are going to take action against the company to protect the health of people,” Mr Banda said.
He said it is important for KCM management to invest in modern technology to prevent environmental pollution.
“This is not the first time KCM has polluted the Kafue River and we are now worried about the health of people.
“The maintenance of the plant is a problem. The entire Copperbelt Province has been highly polluted by mining firms and other companies. So we have to do something to address the situation,” Mr Banda said.
In 2007, the ECZ ordered the mining firm to close its tailings leach plant after it polluted the same river, the main source of water for residents on the Copperbelt.
More than 300 bags of maize have gone to waste at Kazungula’s Manyemu-nyemu satellite depot in Southern Province after being soaked with rains.
The development has incensed District Commissioner Albert Chifita who wandered why maize was rotting when Government had given FRA tents for proper storage.
The District Commissioner also took to task a maize buyer Anderson Mfuzi who failed to give a logical answer on why the maize was soaked.
Mr. Chifita told Manyemu-nyemu residents that Government could not afford to waste resources by buying maize in bulk which would only go to waste saying such scenarios should be avoided.
But Kazungula District Cooperative Union Marketing Manager Mwachila Mwiinga expressed ignorance about the rotten maize.
Mr. Mwiinga said all the Depots were given tents and Manyemu-nyemu was given six tents to protect the maize bought.
He also revealed that at Ngwenzi Satellite Deport there was still maize awaiting collection because all transporters suspended the exercise due to the bad state of the road.
“For Ngwezi, we are in the process to talk to Mulobezi Railways to bring it here at the Holding Depot”, he said.
Mr. Mwiinga further assured the nation that the maize would not be soaked at the Holding Depot.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer, has applied to Zambia’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to buy Massmart Holdings Ltd.’s operation in the southern African country, the commission said.
A final decision on whether to let the company operate in Zambia will probably be made before Feb. 26, the Lusaka-based competition agency’s spokesman Brian Lingela said in an e-mailed response to question yesterday.
“They are seeking authorization for the acquisition of 51 percent of the issued share capital of Massmart in Zambia,” he said.
Wal-Mart is seeking to buy 51 percent of Johannesburg-based Massmart to help boost sales internationally. The South African company operates Game stores in Zambia. Massmart shareholders are to vote on the transaction on Jan. 17.
The commission wants to ensure Wal-Mart doesn’t “restrict or distort competition to an appreciable extent in the relevant market,” Lingela said.
Lucky Msiska has said he is almost resigned to his under-23 team playing without any foreign-based players against Zimbabwe in Harare next week.
Zambia and Zimbabwe Under-23 teams will meeting on January 22 at Rufaro Stadium in their Maputo 2011 All-Africa Games preliminary round return leg match with the latter leading 3-2.
Msiska said the possibility of striker Fwayo Tembo of FC Basel in Switzerland featuring in the return leg was bleak.
“The club have said they will not release him because it is not a Fifa match date and they only planned to release him for just one game,” Msiska said.
Fwayo played in the first leg on January 8 held at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka.
“It looks like I will only feature the players I have at home, there is nothing much I can do,” Msiska said.
And Msiska and his team are in Chingola en route to DR Congo on Saturday where they will face TP Mazembe in a friendly on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Zambia women’s national team on Saturday hosts South Africa in an Olympic Games first round, first leg qualifier at Nkoloma Stadium.
South Africa who hold a six-to-one win edge over Zambia in seven meetings since 1993 will be looking to avenge their first ever defeat at the hands of Zambia that they suffered exactly a year ago in the Fifa Under-20 Cup qualifier.
Zambia won 2-0 in the return leg in Lusaka to pick-up their first ever win over South Africa in a women’s football competition but bowed out 6-2 on aggregate.
Government has announced that Hundreds of people have been arrested and detained in Mongu in Western Province for threatening the country’s peace and security.
And Government has confirmed that two people died today in Mongu following violent activities.
Home Affairs Minister MKhondo Lungu also disclosed that five people have been arrested in Lusaka for inciting people in Mongu to engage in riotous behaviour.
On culprits arrested in Mongu, Mr. Lungu said they were arrested after they went on rampage destroying property and pelting stones at police officers, and attempting to set ablaze a filling station.
He said Government would not tolerate such behavior from a group of people agitating violence hence jeopardising the lives of other innocent citizens and the nation’s security.
The Minister told journalists at a press briefing in Lusaka today that Government would do everything possible in its powers to ensure that all those involved in the violence were brought to book.
He said it was the Government’s duty to ensure that the lives of Law abiding citizens and the country’s peace were protected.
[pullquote]“Zambia is one, and as Government we will not dialogue with anyone over the issue and we urge people to desist from engaging in violent activities or risk being arrested” Mr. Lungu said.[/pullquote]
And Mr. Lungu has stated that Government would not dialogue with anyone over the Barotse Session Agreement of 1964 as it had the potential to divide the nation.
He said no part of the country would be separated from the rest of the nation as a result of few selfish individual.
“Zambia is one, and as Government we will not dialogue with anyone over the issue and we urge people to desist from engaging in violent activities or risk being arrested” Mr. Lungu said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lungu has confirmed that two people have died in Mongu following today’s violent activities.
He said among the dead was an innocent child who was killed by a stray stone from people who were pelting stones at police officers while the other person was shot at by police as he attempted to burn a filling station.
)Youths blocks the road that leads to the palace during the riot in Mongu over the Barotse agreement.
The Minister said police were left with no option but to shoot the person as the consequence would have been grave, if he was left unchecked.
‘’It’s not that the police take pride in killing people but it’s just that they were left with no option as setting a filling ablaze was going to result in serious consequences” The Minister said.
Mr. Lungu has since advised Mongu residents to remain calm as the situation was being adequately addressed by law enforcing wings.
And The Baroste Royal Establishment has been prodded to come out in the open and help address the issue surrounding Barotseland Agreement of 1964.
A senior citizen in Mongu Evans Musialela sounded the call following violent activities that ensued in the district Friday morning prompting business stoppages.
Mr. Musialela said the BRE was to blame for the current situation in the Province because it had not taken keen interest in issues surrounding the Barosteland agreement of 1964.
All Government and Private schools, and business houses in Mongu remained closed in fear of the impending fracas by youth groups advocating the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964, in both Limulunga royal village and Kapulanga compound,
Radio Liambai was equally closed down by police and its equipment confiscated but efforts to contact the Manager Mukeya Liwena over the matter revealed that he was out of Mongu.
Remains of burnt car on the main street as a result of riots in Barotseland
A check by a ZANIS crew at most schools in the district found that all school going children did not report for classes on Friday.
Business was equally affected as shop owners did not open their shops forcing business activities to ground to a halt.
Meanwhile, police officers and other security wings were on the ground to quell riotous youths who attempted to go ahead with the meeting which was scheduled to take place in Limulunga royal village.
Some youths in Kapulanga compound mobilised tyres and burnt them barricading Limulunga road to motorists.
MMD Eastern province chairman Kennedy Zulu in blue
Eastern Province Movement for Multi-party and Democracy (MMD) Chairperson Kennedy Zulu has appealed to the party cadres in the province to respect public service workers.
Speaking on a Good governance programme on radio Maria yesterday, Mr Zulu advised the cadres to embrace public servants because they are carrying out government works which aims at improving the life of every Zambian.
Mr Zulu said there is need to encourage civil servants to support the government of the day for them to effectively implement developmental programmes.
He also emphasized the need to respect traditional leaders who he said are the custodians of people of various tribes.
Mr Zulu said chiefs and headmen guide both their subjects and political leaders on various developmental issues hence the need to ensure that they are respected.
And Mr Zulu says the recruiting new members to the ruling party must be done by convincing people about the visible developmental programmes taking place in the province.
He said the construction of schools, hospitals and roads is visible and people can appreciate the developments that have been brought to various areas.
Mr Zulu reemphasized the need to support President Rupiah Banda if developments of social and economic sectors are to continue.
He observed that the province has seen a number of developments during the two years of President Banda’s rule.
He stated that apart from the schools, hospitals and roads; President Banda has reduced poverty at household level through subsidized farming inputs.
