A 17-year-old pupil of Kasama Boys High School died on the spot after being struck by lightning.

The incident happened on Monday evening following heavy rains experienced in the District.

Kasama Boys High School head teacher Alex Mulenga confirmed the death of a grade eleven pupil whom he named to ZANIS in an interview, yesterday.

Mr. Mulenga explained that the pupil met his fate while he was returning home from Newtown area.

The body of the deceased is lying in Kasama General Hospital mortuary awaiting burial.

In a related development, a one by three classroom block at Musenga Basic School in Kasama has had its roof blown off by heavy rains coupled with strong winds.

This came to light when Mr. Mwansa and Ms. Mvula visited the school yesterday to check on the extent of the damage to the school infrastructure.

The DC assured school authorities that government would soon repair the damaged infrastructure so that lessons at the school could continue without disruption.

[ ZANIS ]

The Word Bank has called on the Zambian government to identify expenditure that is going to have a positive impact in reducing the effect of poverty.

World Bank Senior Country Economist Julio Revilla has observed that poverty levels in Zambia remain high in rural areas despite the country recording a reduction from 68 percent in 1996 to 59 percent in 2006.

Dr. Revilla said this in Lusaka today during the 2010 Zambia Public Expenditure Review Workshop organized by the World Bank in collaboration with government and other cooperating partners.

He said poverty reduction is a difficult goal to achieve through the budget process on annual basis adding that government should concentrate on public goods such as education and health.

And Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said that per capita income of the people has remained low and that government is focusing its attention on improving the living conditions of the majority Zambians.

Dr. Musokotwane said in a speech read for him by his Permanent Secretary Anthony Undi that government has stepped up efforts to accelerate investment in infrastructure development and social sectors.

He said the structure of the economy has been transformed with the private sector playing a significant role and that GDP growth has been high and sustained at 5 percent since 2003.
[ QFM ]

A 44- year-old man in Shangombo district in Western Province has died after his wife allegedly stabbed him with a knife.

Western Province Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Mongu today that Feela Sindala of Mboolo village in chief Mulangu was allededly stabbed by his wife.

Mr. Mweemba also identified his wife as Masiye Musiwa of Kakula village Chief Mulangu in Shangombo district.
He said Sindala and his wife Masiye picked up a domestic quarrel which ensued into a fight.

Mr. Mweemba narrated that in the process Masiye allegedly got a knife and stabbed her husband all over his body resulting in his death adding that his body had since been buried.

He said Masiye who is currently in police custody has being charged with murder and will appear in court soon.
In another incident, a 36- year -old man of Sesheke district of Western Province was yesterday found dead in his house.

Mr. Mweemba identified the deceased as Nickson Mulamfu Kapopwe, a teacher at Sichili High School in Sesheke district.

He said Kapopwe was discovered dead by his neighbours who later reported the matter to police.

The Police Chief said the postmortem revealed that Kapopwe sustained cuts on his forehead.

He said police suspects a foul play adding that an investigation has been launched into the matter.
[ ZANIS ]

Former Inter African Network for Human Rights and Development (Afronet) executive director Ngande Mwanajiti has advised opposition political parties to desist from promoting regionalism.

And United Liberal Party (ULP) secretary general Langton Sichone has said Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata and Lusaka lawyer Rodger Chongwe are courting trouble by supporting the Baroste Agreement (BA).

Mr Mwanajiti said Zambia had recorded massive developments under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

Speaking in an interview yesterday from Mwinilunga, Mr Mwanajiti said Zambia needed a leadership with a broader and bigger mindset to sustain the economic development the country was currently experiencing under the leadership of President Banda.

He said Zambia is currently on the right track under the current leadership of President Banda.

“I am calling upon every Zambian to ensure that Zambia remains a unitary State. Regionalism will not help the country in any way.

“It is literally impossible for any one region in Zambia to dominate any one region or regions,” he said.

Mr Mwanajiti advised people and groupings that were using regionalism to desist from that kind of politicking.

He said Zambians should put into practice the words in the national anthem and in the national motto of ‘one Zambia one nation’.
[pullquote]“I am calling upon every Zambian to ensure that Zambia remains a unitary State. Regionalism will not help the country in any way.

“It is literally impossible for any one region in Zambia to dominate any one region or regions,” he said.[/pullquote]
Mr Mwanajiti, a governance and human rights expert, said he would not join and be part of any entity or organisation that promoted a narrow agenda.

“My responsibility as Ngande lies in ensuring that I add value to whatever is happening in the country.

“I want to state categorically that I shall not join any organisation or entity which seeks to expound or propound ideas which are narrow and not contributing in establishing Zambia,” he said.

He said the people of Southern Province had been held captive by the opposition for a long time.

“It is not only my observation that Zambia is on the right track. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank have also confirmed that the country is well on track,” he said.

And Mr Sichone said in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata and Dr Chongwe, as senior citizens, should advise knowledgeably about the BA instead of seeking to gain political mileage out of the matter.

“Mr Sata is courting trouble by stating that the BA is real. He is just politicking over this matter and it will make him fail to govern Zambia if at all he wins next year’s general elections. Dr Chongwe, also as a lawyer, is supposed to advise correctly over this matter instead of misleading the nation about it,” Mr Sichone said.

He said the BA matter should not be taken lightly and Mr Sata and other politicians using it to gain political mileage should be condemned.

“ULP is alarmed that many politicians, including Mr Sata, have made the issue of the BA as material enough to use for the 2011 general elections, which should not be the case,” Mr Sichone said.

Mr Sichone said in as much as his party agreed that the agreement had not been resolved, those that were expressing their views should do so with care.

“Zambia is a unitary State and people should not lose focus regardless of their political affiliation, as doing so could compromise our sovereignty,” he said.

He said most of the countries that had decided to take the tribalism stance in politics had ended up in violence and bloodshed.

Mr Sichone said the stand by his party over the matter was that the agreement, in its current state, was not different from the way the Government was advancing development in all the nine provinces of Zambia.

“ULP stands by the Zambian Constitution which does not provide for the dividing of the country into regions, kingdoms or separate states.

“As Zambians, we need to look at development, social engagement, culture and all the things that can help Zambia progress,” he said.

[ Times Zambia ]

BARCLAYS Bank Zambia has asked 141 managers to reapply for positions that have been merged, upgraded and downgraded while others have been completely done away with as part of a restructuring exercise.

Head of corporate affairs Webster Malido said in a statement yesterday that the newly-created positions would be advertised internally and all eligible employees would be at liberty to apply for the available roles.
[pullquote]“As a result, a total of 141 management positions will be impacted by the re-organisation. No unionised colleagues will be impacted in any way as a result of this exercise,” he said.[/pullquote]
Mr Malido said some roles and positions in the business would be impacted by way of being merged, upgraded, and downgraded while some would completely fall away.

“As a result, a total of 141 management positions will be impacted by the re-organisation. No unionised colleagues will be impacted in any way as a result of this exercise,” he said.

Notwithstanding the re-organisation, all employees in impacted roles remain bona fide employees of the bank until the outcome of interviews for the new roles.

He said employees who might opt not to take up any role in the new structure would be offered a voluntary separation scheme.

He said the transformation of the bank was aimed at attaining full potential in all sectors, particularly the consumer market for which it had successfully built the requisite platform.

Mr Malido said it was right that the bank re-organised the way it managed its business because it had changed the way it dealt with customers and employees.

He said the bank in the last few years had undergone transformation which had seen it grow from 17 branches in 2007 to 56 and from 25 automatic teller machines in 2007 to 151.

Mr Malido said the transformation had seen Barclays Bank Zambia double its employment rate to 1,200 employees to date from only 600 in 2006, making the bank one of the leading multinational employers in Zambia.
[ Times of Zambia ]

A grade Eleven pupil of Ndola’s Temweni high School was Sunday found dead and police suspect foul play.

Police spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana identified the deceased girl as Mirriam Mumba aged 20 of Chipulukusu township in Ndola.

Ms SIAMANA said the school girl is suspected to have been raped before being murdered.

She said police found under wear, a pair of socks and shoes on the murder scene.

Ms. Siamana said the murder happened in the evening when the girl in the company of friends was on her way to attend a funeral in the neighborhood.
[ ZNBC ]

The Citizens Forum has accused government of harassing Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata following his summoning for questioning in Lusaka.

Last week the Drug Enforcement Commission summoned Sata over the $100,000 he is alleged to have given Change Life Zambia executive director Father Frank Bwalya.

Citizens Forum executive secretary, Simon Kabanda said allegations by the former PF general secretary, Edward Mumbi against Mr Sata that he gave the money to Fr Bwalya to de-campaign the MMD government amount to cheap propaganda and harassment against the PF leader.

Mr. Kabanda added that government’s quick reaction to Mr. Mumbi allegations against Mr. Sata only goes to show government’s injustices in applying the rule of law.

He said that the same government has dragged its feet in investigating how former republican president, Dr. Fredrick Chiluba obtained $8 million.

Mr. Kabanda explained that government has been quick to push the$ 100, 000 case against Mr. Sata but failed to pursue $8 million case of former president Chiluba with all the evidence available.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kabanda has charged that the Drug Enforcement Commission is responsible for the violence that took place at their offices last week involving PF cadres.

He said blaming the cadres for the tear-gas is wrong and irresponsible because the DEC are the ones who alarmed the situation.
[ QFM ]

The State has closed the case where Inktech Managing Director Mathew Mohan and two others are charged with the murder of Lusaka businessman Sajid Itowala.

And Lusaka Supreme Court Judge Gregory Phiri, sitting as High Court Judge, has set February 14, 2011 as date for handing in of written submissions ahead of the Judgement.

Judge Phiri said the date for Judgement in the matter will also be set on February 14.

State Advocate Benson Mpalo had earlier informed the court that the state had closed its evidence in rebuttal.

This was after African Gases Limited Executive Director Phillip Pumbwe concluded his testimony in the case.

And Mr. Pumbwe testified that African Gases Limited had no business dealings with Mathew Mohan and no payments were made to him.

Mr. Pumbwe, however, told the court that his company had business dealings with Mohan’s father, a Mr. J.C Mathew.

He denied ever signing a forest contract where Mohan was also made to sign as a witness.
[ ZNBC ]