Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Zambia’s participation at the nineteenth Commonwealth Games has finally come to a disappointing end after bowler Hilda Luipa failed to qualify to the semi-finals.
This followed two losses at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
This is according to a statement released to ZNBC by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian High Commission in India, Bwalya Nondo.
Luipa was the only Zambian left in the Games after the rest of the 21-member contingent fell out in preliminary rounds in all sporting disciplines.
Luipa lost her first game 2-0 to Australia’s Kelsey Cottrell in an early morning contest.
The Zambian bowler was down 10-0 after four ends and although she recovered to pick four points in the last five ends, the Australian picked just as many to win the set 14-4.
[ ZNBC ]
President Banda has called on the ruling MMD to take every election seriously.
Mr Banda said it is important for the MMD to work towards winning every election that comes along in order for it to continue providing leadership in the country.
He was speaking at Ndola International Aiport Wednesday morning when he arrived for a 3 day working visit to the Copperbelt Province.
Mr Banda also commended the MMD in the Province for being united, a factor which he said has led to the party gaining ground in the province.
Mr Banda further said he would not relax and leave the country in the hands of people who will not continue with the good policies that have been lined up.
And Coperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima paid tribute to President Banda for his commitment to deliver development to Zambians.
Mr Mbulakulima said the good policies put in place by President Banda have transformed Zambia’s economy for the better.
He assured the President that the province would continue rallying behind him as the country gears for the 2011 general elections.
[ ZNBC ]
Chile's President Sebastian Pinera embraces Florencio Antonio Avalos Silva, the first miner to be rescued(Yahoo news)
Sixteen of the 33 men trapped underground the Chilean mine since August 5th have now been rescued. Shortly after 11:00 p.m. eastern time, the first of the trapped Chilean miners miners was pulled out from underground.
The 33 men became marooned when the main access tunnel collapsed at the gold and copper San Jose mine near the northern town of Copiapo.
They were trapped 2,300ft below the surface for the last 69 days. They had managed to make their way to a shelter said to be the size of a small flat and that is equipped with water tanks, ventilation shafts and two wooden benches.[pullquote]Chile President Sebastian Pinera said the faith of the trapped miners has “moved mountains” and made the “miracle” of their rescue possible.[/pullquote]
The sun began rising today as one by one, miners are trading their underground chamber for the arms of their families.
It’s an emotional breakthrough that has captured Chile and the world. Florencio Avalos was the first to be freed. He hugged his tearful 7-year-old son and his wife.
The second miner to emerge couldn’t contain his excitement. He jokingly handed out souvenirs; rocks, of course, to rescuers. He also led cheers and embraced just about everyone he could get his hands on.
63-year-old Mario Gomez is the oldest of the trapped miners and was the 9th miner to be rescued.He dropped to his knees and thanked God when he got out of the rescue capsule.
Chile President Sebastian Pinera said the faith of the trapped miners has “moved mountains” and made the “miracle” of their rescue possible.
Each miner to reach the surface in the specially-designed rescue capsule brought new hope to those waiting.
Officials say it may take 36 hours to rescue all the miners, who range in age from 19 to 63.
Not everybody is as fit as the first few to be winched to freedom. Some of the miners are suffering from hypertension, diabetes and respiratory infections.
All the men will receive medical treatment after spending more than two months 2,000 feet down.Nobody has ever been trapped for that long underground and lived to tell about it.
Psychologists are concerned that the miners may struggle to return to a normal life once their celebrity status fades.
Chilean authorities have offered the men at least six months of psychiatric follow up evaluations.
The rescue efforts started early Wednesday morning and will continue throughout the day.The trapped miners put on green coveralls made of moisture-resisting material and personalized with names.
They will climb into a claustrophobic capsule only a little wider than the span of their shoulders. They will be instructed on the communications equipment and the oxygen supply inside the rescue tube. And they will put on special goggles to protect their eyes from lights up above as their eyes have become accustomed to the vampiric darkness of the caved-in mine.
Then the order to hoist will ring out and each man will begin their journey.
The first miners to come to the surface were deemed the most fit, but also possessed the most technical know-how so that they could advise the rescue teams.
The next five are the physically weakest, a term perhaps not appropriate for anyone who has survived more than two months in the bowels of the earth. But one of the miners has diabetes; another has black lung.
The last to come out will be Luis Alberto Iribarren, 54. Like the captain of a sinking ship, the shift supervisor volunteered to stay behind until all his men were safe.
Like the ten already rescued, all of the men are expected to undergo about two hours of health checks at a field hospital set up at the mine. They will then be flown by helicopter to a hospital in the town of Copiapo approximately a 15-minute flight.
Miners who are healthy enough will be granted quick family reunions before being shuttled to the hospital.
“It’s extremely exciting for us. … It’s a very emotional moment for us,” said Jeff Hart, one of the lead drillers who assisted with the rescue efforts. “We worked real long and hard on that, and to actually see the capsule come through the first time through the hole that we drilled was just unbelievable.”
President Rupiah Banda
Former Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Fackson Shamenda has charged that republican President Rupiah Banda’s attacks on the donor community has cost the country its traditional donor support towards the national budget.
Mr Shamenda said the over 50 percent budget support cut by the donor community in the 2011 national budget is as a result of the arrogance on the part of the currnet leadership.
Mr Shamenda also pointet out that increased corruption in the country is the other reason for the continued reduction in donor support towards the country’s budget.
And the former ZCTU president said government should have used the JCTR basic needs basket as a threshold in arriving at the tax exemption threshold.
He said the K1 million exemption threshold announced in the 2011 budget is not satisfactory and clearly falls short of what was anticipated.
Mr Shamenda saidthe cost of living in the country is way too high for the government to settle for the K1 million tax exemption threshold.
[ QFM ]
National Constitutional Conference chairperson Chifumu Banda (L) and spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis, during the launch of the draft constitution in LUsaka.
Professor of the Human rights law, at the University of Pretoria, Michelo Hansugule has charged that government’s failure to commit to constitution making in the 2011 budget is testimony that the document will not be ready for the 2011 tripartite elections.
Professor Hansungule said it is finally evident that government has no intention of persuing the constitution making process next year.
He said what the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government has done is to make a public announcement that elections are more important that finalizing the constitution which should be a good democratic premise for development.
The Professor noted that the overall reformation of the constitution will never be done before the 2011 elections and the omission of its commitment in the 2011 national budget only shows that government is giving up on the matter.
Meanwhile Professor Hansungule has observed that the revised electoral code of conduct which empowers the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is a positive stride.
He said what is reassuring about the new code of conduct is that even without the new constitution in place, it can be enforced in totality.
[QFM ]
Why is Dario Bonetti still absent from his new home base of Zambia?
The Italian did not travel with the team back to Zambia on Tuesday afternoon from Libya where they lost 1-0 on Sunday in their Africa Cup Group C qualifier.
It was the second time that Bonetti has failed to travel back to Zambia after a foreign assignment.
Last month, he travel with the team to Yemen for a friendly on September 11 before returning to his Italian base and has not been back since.
Faz vice president Bonnie Mwamelo told local press on Monday that Bonetti was still sorting out personal issues back in Italy together with his three Italian assistants.
Mwamelo said Bonetti will be back “in time” to prepare Zambia for their Cosafa Cup outing in Angola that kicks off on November 14 and runs until the 25th.
Zambia however is mostly likely to be one of the seeded sides and so they might be exempt from the preliminary stage matches for a week and join the fray around the 20th for the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Bonetti will also not attend the FIFA/CAF Symposium for African national team coaches in Cairo that starts on Wednesday until Friday that will be graced by Spain’s World Cup winning coach Vincente del Bosque and Egypt trainer Hassan Shehata.
Instead Lucky Msiska ,who has so far struck a lonely figure as Bonetti’s “number two”, has traveled to Cairo to attend the symposium together with Faz technical director Honor Janza.
Enumerators recruited to take part in this year’s census of population and housing in Solwezi district have also protested over the K 1.5 million allowance.
Speaking on behalf of enumerators Aaron Mungoshi told ZANIS today that the K1.5 million allowance to be paid to them is not adequate and needs to be increased to K5million.
Mr Mungoshi said the enumerators have agreed not to sign the affidavit forms until government addresses their plight.
Addressing the protesting enumerators, Solwezi District Commissioner (DC)Frobisher Fulayi assured them that his office would resolve their concerns over allowances by tomorrow.
Mr Fulayi said the concerns raised would be looked into and a resolution will be found as soon as possible.
The DC dispelled claims that enumerators in other districts were getting more money than those in Solwezi District saying there were no disparities in allowances adding that the amount is uniform across the country.
Hundreds of Ndola-based Census of Population and Housing enumerators recently staged a protest outside the regional offices of the Central Statistical Office (CSO) demanding that their training allowances be increased after hearing that their counterparts in Lusaka were being paid K900,000 while they were paid K500,000 as training allowances.
Ndola DC , Joshua Mutisa and District police chief, Bonnie Kapeso held a meeting with the representatives of the enumerators after police convinced the protesters to disperse and give an opportunity to their representatives, CSO and the office of the DC to resolve the impasse.
Similarly , their counterparts in boycotted their training at Kitwe’s Vocational Training College recently demanding that they be paid the promised K 1.5 million allowances.
The Enumerators who were found standing outside the college are demanding that they also be refunded their transport allowances.
The enumerators have accused government of planning to under pay them after the whole census exercise.
The two hundred and twenty seven enumerators have vowed to go back to Lufwanyama were they came from if government does not honor what it promised.
Measles has broken out in Solwezi district in the North-western province.
District Commissioner Frobisher Fulayi who confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS, today, however said no deaths have so far been recorded.
Patients suffering from the disease are being admitted at Solwezi General Hospital.
Mr Fulayi said 40 measles patients are admitted at the hospital while 28 others are admitted at Solwezi Urban clinic.
He said most of the patients are children aged below five years.
The DC said his Office is mobilizing tents from Meheba refugee camp and Kamitonte to accommodate more patients as measures to contain the out-break intensifies.
Mr Fulayi appealed for calm among the Solwezi residents but was quickly to point out that people in communities should take precautions measures or rush to the nearest clinic for treatment.
The Catholic Church is disturbed by the continued trend of attacks and threats of violence against its leadership, Zambia episcopal conference spokesperson Father Paul Samasumo has charged.
Father Samasumo said he condemns acts of intimidation on the leadership of the Catholic Church.
He has reiterated that the whole Catholic Church stands with its leadership in working for a more democratic Zambia.
He said attacks on the Archbishop of Lusaka, Telesphore-George Mpundu, the Bishop of Mongu,Paul Duffy (OMI), and now against the Executive Director of Caritas Zambia,Samuel Mulafulafu are unfounded.
Father Samasumo said Caritas Zambia is not an NGO but an integral component of the structure of the Catholic Church, mandated to promote the social teaching of the Catholic Church.
He added that Caritas Zambia also works to empower Zambians in issues of justice, peace, development,and governance concerns.
He recalled that in March 2009, the Catholic Bishops of Zambia directed Caritas Zambia to animate volunteers throughout Zambia to prepare them to monitor the electoral process of 2011.
The Father said this is one way the Church has done to encourage ordinary Christians’ participation in governance matters and to promote the attainment of genuine democracy in Zambia.
And ZEC has condemned the recent violence that took place in Chilanga during the nominations for the parliamentary by-election.
He said after the experience of the Mufumbwe by-election violence, it was expected that the Zambia Police Service and other security wings would put in place proactive measures in policing election activities.
Football Association of Zambia president Kalusha Bwalya
Four Super Division clubs led by Green Buffaloes have broken the silence from top-flight teams by declaring that Kalusha Bwalya’s co-opted executive committee is illegal.
Faz has been embroiled in a constitutional impasse since the resignation of four executive committee members a fortnight ago when Pivoty Simwanza, Violet Bwalya, Henshel Chitembeya and Faz vice president Emmanuel Munaile quit over the way the way affairs were being run at Football House.
The Super Division teams joining Buffaloes in breaking the silence over the legality of Kalusha’s co-opted executive committee in the Super Division are all from the defence and security wing namely Nkwazi, Choma Eagles and Red Arrows.
The group of four calling itself the consultative group of defence and security teams is headed by Buffaloes chairman Colonel James Mazimba who said the clubs believed in constitutional order at Faz and have demanded an emergency meeting.
“As defence and security teams who are in support of upholding the FAZ constitution, we recognise difficulties that FAZ is likely to face in carrying out their mandate as a result of the said resignations which inter alia limits their ability to form a quorum by virtue of article 27.3 (iii),” Col Mazimba said in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Do hereby resolve and call upon the FAZ president (Kalusha Bwalya) to convene an emergency meeting to settle the current impasse and chart a way forward in accordance with article 26.2 (iv) of the constitution of FAZ and remain focused with eyes on the ball.”
Mazimba said the consultative group of defence and security clubs met on Monday on Monday in Lusaka where the four clubs resolved that Kalusha’s co-opted executive was operating without a legal mandate.
“At a meeting of chairpersons of Green Buffaloes Football Club, Red Arrows Football Club, Nkwazi Football Club and Choma Eagles Football Club held on Monday 11 October 2010 in Lusaka, it was resolved that the existing FAZ executive was operating without a legal mandate. Arising from the resignations of the three committee members and the vice president, the current executive does not form a quorum to transact any business.”
The Citizens Forum has charged that government’s silence on the constitutional making process is a clear confirmation that it does not care about it.
Citizens Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda said the Finance minister should have given an indication on the way forward with regards the constitution making process during the presentation of the 2011 budget.
Featuring on Monday Night Live last evening, Mr. Kabanda said that finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane should have announced how much money had been allocated for the referendum in the constitution making process.
He added that a lot of money was spent on the NCC and that the silence on the part of government on the way forward on constitution making process with regards to the allocation of funds in the national budget towards the process is questionable.
And featuring on the same programme, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Executive Director Patrick Mucheleka called on government to seriously consider revising the mining agreements.
Mr Mucheleka said it is important that the government considers reviewing the mining agreements so that the country could benefit accordingly from its natural resources.
[ QFM ]
Peasant farmers pondering their next move after the Food Reserve agency failed to buy their maize. They are now spending nights in the cold in Kasama
By Daimone Siulapwa
The ruling party, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) seems to be celebrating the happenings in the PF-UPND Pact. Well, understandable. The more problems there are in the Pact, the brighter the chances the MMD has of retaining power. That obviously is the thinking in the MMD.
As things stand, the chances of the Pact surviving through to 2011 look all but over. However, that scenario does still not absolve the MMD of any blame for putting the country in the economic position that it is today.
The MMD came to power on the back heel of goodwill from the Zambians. They, in turn, promised to reverse the ‘misfortunes’ that the UNIP government of Dr Kenneth Kaunda had created.
No prizes for guessing whether that really happened.
The MMD government found a very vibrant middle-class existing in this country, only to destroy it through their reckless privatisation policies that left thousands of workers redundant some of them without any pay. No where else was this felt than on the Copperbelt and Lusaka were industries closed like taps of water.
If the MMD wants to know why they continue to perform poorly, this is the reason.
Having caused much of the damage during Frederick Chiluba’s tenure, there was some glimmer of hope that the administration of Levy Mwanawasa will correct the mess, but little happened other than the re-opening of mines in Luanshya and the selling of the Anglo-America Mines to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).
But if you ask miners or their children whether their life is better off now than it was during the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), the answer again, does not carry any prizes for guessing.
As has happened in the three elections, the MMD is likely to draw most of its votes from the rural areas. This is not because they have taken development there. Forget about the bumper maize harvest and the Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FISP), these have done little to improve the welfare of our people in the countryside.
The majority of our people in the rural areas are peasant farmers, and believe me; they are among the poorest despite largely feeding us. The price for which we pay the maize, grown by our peasant farmers is a joke to say the least. And it has its history.
Maize is always a political crop in this country. When President Kaunda tried to raise the price of maize in 1989, it triggered riots by youths. And since then, the urban population and the government have come to treat the issue of maize as a sensitive issue while being insensitive to the needs of our rural folk. We fail to pay them a good price for the maize they produce so that we can keep those of us who do not want to get a plough happy. In other words, we have enslaved our rural folks. They are subsidizing our living so that we can buy the latest vehicle on the market and drink our favourite beers in the most cosy bars.
Like Lusaka economist David Punabantu said in his article of October 26, 2009 in the Times of Zambia that 45 years after independence, many peasant farmers still use hoes and sell maize under mango trees at frighteningly low prices.
Indeed if maize is that cheap, why don’t we all not grow it instead of looking for a white collar job? While we want our peasant farmers to sell us this maize cheaply, we do not offer them anything. They do not have clean water, have to walk long distances to access a school and clinics.
Unfortunately, these rural folks are the people the MMD continue to hoodwink for votes with fertilizer in return for votes. Whatever the outcome of the elections, the MMD owe the rural folks.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dr. Nevers Mumba has been elected as the new President of the Ottawa Diplomatic Association (ODA). This was contained in a Press release made available to Lusakatimes by Ben Kangwa,First secretary(Press) of the Zambian Embassy in Washington.
In his acceptance speech Dr. Mumba thanked the delegates at the XII General Assembly of ODA for the confidence placed in him by the members. He stated that, he accepted the honour on behalf of his country Zambia, and Africa as a whole. Dr. Mumba is the first African Head of Mission to ever hold the Presidency of ODA. The nominated candidate’s name is circulated through the various regional groups, for endorsement, i.e. the European Union, the Americas, the African, the Asian, the Arab, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. It is then floated at the Annual General Assembly.
The ODA consists of Diplomatic Agents of Foreign Countries and members of International Organizations accredited to Canada. The Governor General of Canada is the Patron of the Organization.
The outgoing Executive Committee was led by H.E. Ambassador Khaled Bahah of Yemen and his first Vice-President was H.E. Chan Ho Ha, Ambassador of Korea, the second Vice-President, H.E. Camille Robinson-Regis, Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago. Others on the team included the High Commissioner of India, H.E. Shashishekhar Gavai, Ambassador of Morocco, H.E. Nouzha Chekrouni as Board Members.
Dr. Mumba’s team includes, among others, First Vice-President, H.E. Johann Georg M. Witschel, German Ambassador, H.E. Akbar Zeb, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Canada.
The election took place at the XII General Assembly on 7th October 2010 in Ottawa.
Hundreds of Ndola-based Census of Population and Housing enumerators yesterday staged a protest outside the regional offices of the Central Statistical Office (CSO) demanding that their training allowances be increased after hearing that their counterparts in Lusaka were being paid K900,000 while they were paid K500,000 as training allowances.
Ndola District Commissioner (DC), Joshua Mutisa and District police chief, Bonnie Kapeso held a meeting with the representatives of the enumerators after police convinced the protesters to disperse and give an opportunity to their representatives, CSO and the office of the DC to resolve the impasse.
[pullquote]“The truth of the matter is that the Ndola enumerators will be paid the K2 million like their Lusaka counterparts who have also started receiving their down payments while the rest of the payments would be honoured after the completion of the 21-day long exercise,” Mr Mutisa said.[/pullquote]
Mr Mutisa said it was discovered that allegations that the Ndola enumerators were being underpaid were not true because the people they were comparing with in Lusaka were paid K500,000 training allowances and an additional K400,000 as down payment for their redeployment allowance.
He said the Ndola enumerators had not been given their redeployment allowances down payment because the local 2010 Census authorities planned to issue the payments after those engaged took oath and signed their contract forms.
“The truth of the matter is that the Ndola enumerators will be paid the K2 million like their Lusaka counterparts who have also started receiving their down payments while the rest of the payments would be honoured after the completion of the 21-day long exercise,” Mr Mutisa said.
The countrywide 2011 Census of Population and Housing is expected to officially kick off on October 16.
Lusaka resident chief magistrate Charles Kafunda yesterday rejected an application by Lusaka lawyer John Sangwa and his client, former Finance Bank chairperson Rajan Mahtani to have their forgery case stayed.
This is in a case in which Mathani and Sangwa are facing five counts of forgery, uttering false documents and fabricating evidence.
Mr Kafunda dismissed the application to stay the proceedings pending hearing of the same case in the Kitwe High Court because proceedings before him would not in any way be prejudicial to those before the Higher Court.
Mahtani had applied for judicial review in the Kitwe High Court challenging his arrest by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) alleging that his arrest on money laundering charges by the commission was illegal.
Mahtani’s lawyer Steven Malama said his client had filed a notice of judicial review in the Kitwe High Court and urged the lower court to stay the proceedings pending hearing of outcome.
But Mr Kafunda said the notice of judicial review before the High Court may or may not act as a stay of proceedings of the matter and that there was no substance in the argument because the accused would not suffer any prejudice if the matter was not stayed.
And public prosecutor, Mwewa Musonda, had earlier objected to the application claiming it was based on speculation and it could not be prejudicial to the proceedings in the High Court.
Mahtani, 62, business executive, of 5 Finance House Heroes place in Lusaka and Sangwa, 45, lawyer, of subdivision 1/subdivsion U of farm number 125A Lusaka West have both denied the five charges.
In count one Mahtani, is jointly charged with Sangwa with one count of forgery contrary to section 342 and 347 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence allege that Sangwa and Mahtani between July 13 and August 30, 2010 jointly and whilst acting together and with intent to defraud or deceive did forge a letter dated July 12 this year purporting to show that it was genuinely prepared and signed by deputy Bank of Zambia Governor Denny Kalyalya when in fact not.
In count two, three and four Sangwa alone is facing three counts of uttering false documents contrary to Section 352 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
