Former president Kenneth Kaunda has said homosexuality should not be tolerated in Zambia because it is against Bibilical teachings.

Dr Kaunda said yesterday that Zambians should learn to uphold good morals according to Christian values.

He said homosexuality was against God’s commandments and that leaders should instead advocate for laws that prohibited such wicked vices especially that Zambia was a Christian Nation.

Speaking when he and Champions for an HIV-free generation held a meeting with civil society organisations in Lusaka, Dr Kaunda implored citizens to allow the Government to enact laws to stop promotion of homosexuality.

“This is a very serious human activity that should be handled very carefully and we need to fight against it,” he said.

Former Botswana president Festus Mogae, who is the chairperson of the Champions for an HIV-Free Generation, said they had not come to advocate for the promotion of homosexuality in Zambia.

Meanwhile, a Kitwe clergyman, Bernard Nwaka has challenged opposition parties to state their positions on homosexuality instead of keeping quiet.

And International Fellowship for Christian Churches president, Simon Chihana has said homosexuality will never be a human right issue because God created men to perform some special roles, which should only be done by men.

Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo recently revealed that Patriotic Front president Michael Sata was having meetings with donors where he was assuring them that he would legalise homosexuality and revert the country to a secular state provided they backed his candidacy.

And President Rupiah Banda said on Tuesday that the Government was aware that some sections of the donor community had embarked on a campaign aimed at making Zambians believe that homosexuality was a human rights issue.

Bishop Nwaka of Living Water Global Ministries said in an interview yesterday in Kitwe that the Church wanted to know the stance of the leaders aspiring to be future presidents since Mr Banda had indicated his position.

Bishop Nwaka said Zambians wanted to know where the opposition leaders stood so that they could make informed decisions during elections next year.

“Homosexuality or same-sex affairs are serious issues political parties should not ignore because Zambia is a Christian Nation,” he said.

Bishop Nwaka said the Church was happy that President Banda and his Government had condemned the acts because it was not a human rights issue in a Christian nation.

And in an interview yesterday, Bishop Chihana said homosexuality was not a human rights issue but a demonic right which was unacceptable.

He said his own findings showed that most people practising homosexuality were victims of the act who were finding it difficult to fully recover and were now being forced to perform the act on others.

[ Times of Zambia ]

General workers engaged by Lusaka’s ZCON construction today fought running battles with Zambia Police officers during a riot sparked by the company’s alleged reluctance to offer them job contracts.

The workers are engaged to do construction works at the Levy junction, near government printers.

The irate workers complained that they have been working for over a year without signing job contracts.

The workers who sung solidarity songs flashed placards with messages denouncing ZCON management.

They accused their Corporate Affairs Manager Emmanuel Chilekwa of employing his relatives whom he has allegedly given job contracts.

But Mr. Chilekwa dismissed the accusations as false and malicious.

He said ZCON Management is discussing with South African based officials on the best way to improve the workers conditions of service.

Mr. Chilekwa appealed to the general workers to maintain calm while their plight is being addressed.

Police had to fire tear gas canisters to disperse the irate workers who scampered for safety.
[ ZNBC ]

Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president, Charles Milupi has observed that the MMD government is too mesmerized by anyone called a foreign investor so much that indigenous people are becoming second class citizens in their own country.
[pullquote]”Zambians are being made to suffer because their government has been made to surrender to the investors,” Mr . Milupi said[/pullquote]
Mr. Milupi said this is evident by the failure by the government to condemn the Chinese mine owners who shot at 11 miners in Sinazeze who were protesting over improved working conditions.

ADD president noted that the shooting at Collum coal mine is a clear tragedy and an indication that government has given too much priority to the foreign investor above their own people.

He said government has made foreign investors feel that they are kings in this country and weigh above the Zambians who are hosting them.

Mr. Milupi further blamed government for the failure by the foreign investors to respect the laws of this country.

He said it is for this reason that the government could not lift a finger against the investors no matter how serious what they have done is.

“Zambians are being made to suffer because their government has been made to surrender to the investors,” Mr . Milupi said
[ QFM ]

Judgment in the Mufumbwe constituency by-election petition has been deferred to November 2010.
The judgment in the matter which was expected to be delivered today by High Court Judge Philip Musonda, will now take place next month on a date to be announced.

This is in a matter in which loosing MMD candidate Mulondwe Muzungu, has petitioned the election of United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Elliot Kamondo as Member of Parliament for Mufumbwe constituency in the April 29, 2010 by-elections.

Mr Muzungu wants the court to nullify the results of the by-elections on the basis that the elections were marred with violence.

The Mufumbwe by elections campaigns were characterized by some of the worst violence in recent times with three people losing their lives in the process and others being injured.
[ QFM ]

Chinese Investors at Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe District have been given two weeks in which to improve working conditions at the mine or face government action.

Southern Province Minister, Elijah Muchima who issued the ultimatum at a media briefing in Livingstone tuesday, said the mine owners have up to October 30, to put their house in order or face the law.

The Minister has summoned Management of Collum Coal Mine to his office for a meeting on 1st November.

Mr Muchima said the investors at the mine will have to show that they have complied with the law at the meeting which will also be attended by officials from the Ministry of Labour, and the Environmental Council of Zambia.

He observed that miners have been subjected to slavery conditions and all of them are employed on part time, despite a number of them clocking nine years of service.
Mr Muchima has also directed that no employee should be fired for having participated in the protest over the weekend.

Meanwhile, The two Chinese collum coal mine supervisors who shot at protesting miners Monday appeared in a Choma Magistrates court.

Xiao Li Shan 48, and Wu Jiu Hua 46, have been charged with attempted murder contrary to section 215 of the Laws of Zambia.

They appeared before Magistrate Willie Sinyangwe.

Particulars of the offence are that the two supervisors, on October 15th 2010 jointly and whilst acting together, unlawfully attempted to murder Boas Siapwaya.

In the other 12 counts the duo are alleged to have unlawfully attempted to murder the other 12 miners that were injured in the shootings.

The two, who preferred to use Chinese in court, were assisted in interpretation by Chris Xing.

They were represented in court by Kalenge Mulenga from Ambient Associates.

Magistrate Sinyangwe noted that the accused were appearing before him for mention as the offence they are charged with can only be tried in the High Court.

The magistrate stated that the matter would be referred the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further instructions.

Magistrate Sinyangwe adjourned the matter to November 2nd for mention waiting for instructions from the DPP while the duo has been remanded in custody.

[ZNBC]

The Zambia Federation of Employers ZFE says it is disgraceful to see investors mistreating local workers who fight for their right.

Commenting on the shooting of 12 miners by Chinese nationals at Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district , ZFE president George Chabwera said it is sad that such incidences have continued to happen despite the country celebrating its 46 years of independence.

Speaking in a telephone interview Dr Chabwera said the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) should direct all investors in the country to engage themselves with the Zambia Federation of Employers to run them through workers Industrial and Labour laws.

Dr Chabwera said it is unfortunate that the Chinese nationals resorted to shooting as a way of solving problems instead of engaging in proper dialogue with the workers.

Twelve miners including one onlooker were on Friday, 15th October 2010, shot and seriously wounded by Chinese nationals at the Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province, as they were presenting their grievances of poor working conditions to Chinese management at shaft two.

Police have since arrested the two Chinese nationals who shot the miners.
[ QFM ]

A rapid assessment conducted by the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) on the livelihood of young girls in Kapiri Mposhi has revealed that truck drivers are sexually abusing several of them.

A similar survey was conducted by CAMFED in 2007 and revealed the existence of various forms of violence, both sexual and physical, in schools against female pupils by male school teachers and schoolboys.

FAWEZA programmes manager, Edith Ng’omba said FAWEZA Central Province chapter undertook a rapid assessment of safety and the security situation of girls in Kapiri Mposhi because of high presence of travellers both foreign and locals.

Ms Ng’omba said truck drivers in Kapiri Mposhi made their temporary resting sites en route to various destinations and that put a number of schoolgirls at a high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.

She said a large farming community surrounded the town with scattered squatters and village settlements located far from most schools and pupils walked long distance, making schoolgirls vulnerable to abuse.

Ms Ng’omba said this at the weekend when she presented to Education Minister Dora Siliya a pictorial album consisting of different pictures on girl-child abuse and exploitation situation in Kapiri Mposhi.

She said the objective of the campaign was to identify spaces where girls experienced most violence and highlighted situations and factors that were threats to school girl’s safety and security in Kapiri Mposhi.

She said the campaign was aimed at engaging school managers, community leaders and the general public to make them recognise the risk factors that compromised girls’ safety and put in place regulations to protect them and ensure their retention in schools.

“As you may be aware, Kapiri Mposhi town lies on the highway to the northern part of Zambia and to the borders of Congo, Tanzania and other east African countries. As such it has a high presence of travelers, both foreign and local,” Ms Ng’omba said.

She said FAWEZA found that weekly boarding pupils such as girls lived in rented lodging, making them vulnerable to sexual violence.

She said the girl-child in such situations were at a higher risk of dropping out of school due to pregnancies since Kapiri Mposhi had an influx of truck drivers.

And speaking when she received the album, Ms Siliya called on various organisations to work closely with her ministry to address challenges faced by vulnerable children in many communities.

She said her ministry was aware several children, especially the girl-child, were faced with all forms of abuse such as sexual harassment and organisations dealing with the welfare of children should join the crusade to advocate for better livelihood.

Ms Siliya said her ministry would organise a seminar where organisations and stakeholders dealing with the welfare of children could meet to discuss how the plight of underprivileged children could be addressed.
[ Times of Zambia ]

POLICE in Ndola have arrested an 84-year-old man of Mushili Township for allegedly defiling his three-year-old granddaughter.

Copperbelt police chief, Martin Malama confirmed the incident and said the man was detained at Masala Police Station while investigations in the matter were continuing.

“Yes, it is true that an 84-year-old man of Mushili Township is detained at Masala Police Station for defiling his three-year-old grand daughter but as at now, I cannot disclose his name because we are still investigating the case,” Dr Malama said.
[ Times of Zambia ]