United Party for National Development Leader Hakainde Hichilema has charged that it is becoming evident everyday that the wishes of the masses that voted for change during the last general elections are being betrayed by the PF Government.

In a statement released to the media today, Mr Hichilema said that the change that was voted for is slowly beginning to resemble the old MMD regime.

He said that nothing has changed as the style of governance of the Michael Chilufya Sata led government is worse than the MMD government they have replaced.

Mr Hichilema said that in the previous regime, Zambians were unhappy with the use of Presidential powers to intimidate people and traditional rulers, citing the case when former President Rupiah Banda threatened to revoke the recognition of Chieftainess Nkomenshya.

He said that today President Michael Sata has continued on this wrong path and that he is even getting worse.

The UPND leader stated that President Sata is on record of mocking the Litunga, not long ago, while he recently threatened to revoke the recognition of the Eastern province Chiefs, Chief Madzimawe and Senior Chief Nzamane for merely expressing a view different from that of the President and Paramount Chief Mpezeni.

Mr Hichilema said that President Sata should desist from maneuvers to intimidate and threaten chiefs.

QFM

THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has transferred a lawyer who has been serving on the combined team of security personnel investigating corruption in the previous administration to Chirundu in unclear circumstances.

This has raised eyebrows as the move is suspected to be a cover up of corrupt activities that he may expose against some senior officials.

Mr Tresford Chali has also been moved from the legal department to customs services division with immediate effect following a memorandum authored by Commissioner General Berlin Msiska dated January 26, 2012 to the office of the director of Human Resources.

The development comes in the wake of a recommendation by Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Maxwell Nkole in a letter dated December 22, 2011 to the Attorney General for Mr Chali to be appointed co-prosecutor in the Pepsi deal and the single-sourced deal on the installation and management of scanners at some border posts.

Mr Msiska has noted that Mr Chali’s department lacked the ability to supervise subordinates by allowing him to operate from the task force offices without written authority from ZRA.

“I have received repetitive complaints from Mr Chali’s division about his irregular reporting for work and commitment to his duties. One such complaint was that Mr Chali was reporting from the task force office under the Inspector General’s office without written authority from ZRA,” Mr Msiska stated in his letter copied to the Board Secretary and Commissioner Customs Services.

The ZRA report constituted to probe allegations of corruption has revealed that Mr Chali objected to the deal in which Cargo Scans earned huge sums of money per month on the scanners that were procured using tax payers money.

“The commission noted that an assistant legal officer by the name of Tresford Chali had recommended for the termination of the contract in his legal opinion, on Cargo Scans rendered on March 10, 2011. As at November 2011, ZRA had not terminated the Cargo Scan contract,” the Kingsley Chanda Commission of Inquiry wrote in its report that was released by Minister of Finance and National Planning Alexander Chikwanda recently.

In his letter to the attorney general which was also copied to the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Mr Nkole recommended that Mr Chali should be attached to the combined team of security officers as a co-prosecutor in the Pepsi deal in the event that arrests were effected.

Mr Nkole said Mr Chali was already working with the team and had provided much valuable advice in finding critical evidence needed to compile the case file.

“This request is made against the understanding that Mr Chali possesses capacity and authority under the ZRA Act to, not only investigate but to prosecute on behalf of the institution,” Mr Nkole wrote.

But Mr Chali has since received a transfer letter to Chirundu on the same date that Mr Msiska wrote to the human resources asking them to transfer him.

The letter authored by acting director of human resources Oneson Musabi dated January 26, 2012 when the directive was issued, states that Mr Chali must move to Chirundu with immediate effect as a senior customs collector.

“By copy of this letter, the finance division is advised to amend their records and pay you subsistence allowance. Further, they should start paying you hardship allowance and arrange to pay you disturbance allowance as soon as you move to Chirundu, while administration department is advised to arrange transport to move your family and personal effects as soon as you are ready,” the letter to Mr Chali says.

Mr Msiska has instead recommended senior inspector of taxes Mrs Mahongo Machayi and ZRA prosecutor Eugene Chisenga for the taskforce assignment.

Mr Chali’s legal opinion rendered in March last year on the scanners was that the contract between ZRA and Cargo Scans be terminated and that ZRA should instead seek a refund or set off the money spent on buying spares and that the property must revert to the tax collector.

He recommended that ZRA should only pay Cargo Scans for the maintenance of the scanners during the period when the scanners were non-operational as opposed to paying them all the time.

Mr Chali referred to Clause 9.3.1 which did not oblige ZRA to give reasons for terminating the contract.

When he announced an all-round fight against corruption after assuming power, President Michael Sata urged Zambians to report incidents of corruption to law enforcement agencies.

[Times of Zambia]

MINISTER of Justice Sebastian Zulu has disclosed that he is in the process of preparing a cabinet memorandum recommending the registration of the London High Court judgment against former President Chiluba’s co-accused persons.

Mr Zulu said in an interview yesterday that he will table the matter before Cabinet for the possible registration of the judgment in the Zambian High Court, involving 19 persons who a London High Court found guilty of stealing over US$100 million public funds.Mr Zulu said Cabinet will make the final decision on the matter.

Get Involved Zambia executive director Father Frank Bwalya recently called on Government to consider registering the London High Court judgment. The case involves former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba, former Zambia Security Intelligence Services chief Xavier Chungu and former Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda among others.

The accused were found guilty of stealing public funds from a Zambia Intelligence bank account dubbed Zamtrop. The judgment was delivered by Judge Peter Smith in 2007 in London’s Royal Courts but Government under then President Rupiah Banda failed to locally register the judgment for enforcement.

Mr Zulu said Government is determined to recover the monies alleged to have been stolen, adding that the US$100 million involved is “too colossal to be ignored and forgotten”.

“Government is in the process of making a decision because US$100 million is a lot of money. Government will not just forget this easily. We are going to pursue it and cabinet will decide. I am in the process of recommending that we pursue the matter…I will prepare and present a cabinet memo for cabinet to decide,” Mr Zulu said.

[pullquote]“There is no way we can just forget about all this money which was gotten from the [Zambian] people through the Zamtrop account. This matter has to be pursued,” Mr Zulu said.[/pullquote]

Mr Zulu said Government would in due course announce its decision on the matter after procedures are addressed. He said it is important and responsible for Government to pursue the matter because it involves public funds which should benefit Zambians.

“There is no way we can just forget about all this money which was gotten from the [Zambian] people through the Zamtrop account. This matter has to be pursued,” Mr Zulu said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Zambia’s coach ,Herve Renard is doing a good job so far . We have reached the quater-finals and should go further this time around.

He expelled Cliford mulenga from the African Nations Cup squad for a breach of team rules.

Mulenga broke a curfew, along with three other unidentified players, after Zambia’s win on Sunday over Equatorial Guinea in their last group match. While the trio apologised, Mulenga, with a reputation for being head strong, did not.

“The coach has made it very, very clear why he had made that decision and it is in the interest of teamwork and unity and that cannot be compromised,” the association’s press officer Erick Mwanza told reporters in Bata, where Zambia are preparing for their quarter-final against Sudan on Saturday.

Hopefully this will not affect the rest of the team , Renard has to make sure the team is physically and mentally prepared for this weekends game.

Playing career

Born in Aix-les-Bains, Renard played as a defender for French sides AS Cannes, Stade de Vallauris and SC Draguignan in a playing career which lasted from 1983 to 1998.

Coaching career

Renard began his coaching career with SC Draguignan in 1999, leaving in 2001. He was Assistant at Chinese side Shanghai Cosco from 2002 to 2003, and managed English side Cambridge United in 2004. He became manager of AS Cherbourg in 2005, leaving them in 2007. He next became Assistant to Claude Le Roy for the Ghana national side. He was appointed manager of the Zambia national team in May 2008. At the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, he led Zambia to the quarter final stage of the tournament for the first time in 14 years. Renard left his duties as Zambia manager in early April 2010 with only two months remaining on his contract. Two days later he agreed to become manager of Angola. He resigned from his position as Angola manager in early October 2010, and was replaced by Zeca Amaral.

USM Alger

On January 21, 2011, Renard reached an agreement with Algerian club USM Alger to become the head coach of the club.

Second spell in Zambia

Following the dismissal of coach Dario Bonetti on 10 October 2011, the Football Association of Zambia offered him a coaching position. On 22 October 2011, it was announced that he would return for a second stint as coach of Zambia on a one-year contract.

Renard has revealed that he wears the same white shirt at every match for superstitious reasons, which date back to beating Tunisia in the first match at Angola 2010.

“In 2010, we played the first game against Tunisia and I was wearing a white shirt,” said the Frenchman.

“The second game I changed because I said I can’t wear all the time the same, and I put on a blue shirt and we lost against Cameroon.”

“I think I won’t change – but don’t worry, I clean it after the game. It is very clean – no problem.”

BY KAPA187