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.

The matter comes up tomorrow.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Police in Solwezi have arrested a 13 year-old boy after he allegedly stole a vehicle which was parked outside a named night club sunday.

The boy is reported to have sped away in Joseph Kaselenge’s car around 02:00 hours.

The juvenile used a make shift key to unlock and drive the car registration ABH 7631.

North Western Province Commanding Officer, Charles Lungu confirmed this to ZNBC news Monday.

Mr Lungu said the teenager however, abandoned the car after he plunged into a ditch.

He said police have arrested the boy and confiscated the makeshift key used to unlock and drive the car.

Meanwhile, a 22 year old man is struggling for his life in Solwezi General Hospital after a crocodile bit his legs while swimming in the Zambezi River.
[ ZNBC ]

Zambia’s freedom fighter and veteran politician Dingiswayo Banda has died.

Mr Banda died Monday around 08:30 hours at the University Teaching Hospital -UTH.

UTH Public Relations Manager Pauline Mbangweta confirmed the death of M Banda to ZNBC News today in Lusaka.

Mr Banda served in government as Minister of Housing and Social Development in the first Cabinet of 1964, before being transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Works in 1966.

The late Banda also served in the Ministry of Youth Co-operatives and Social Development before he was appointed Copperbelt minister.

He also served as Member of Parliament for Mandevu and Lundazi Central constituencies during the one party state.

Mr Banda parted company with Dr Kaunda in 1995 when he vehemently opposed the former president’s move to come back to active politics.

In 1996, second Republican president Fredrick Chiluba appointed Mr Banda as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, where he worked for seven years before the late President Levy Mwanawasa retired him 2003.

Mr Banda was a member of the National Constitutional Conference -NCC-.
[ ZNBC ]

Zambia National Broadcasting (ZNBC )staff will join Tuesday’s demontration against Patriotic Front (PF) Munali MP Mumbi Phiri if she does not apoligise for her insulting remarks to journalists.

This was disclosed by ZNBC Public Relations Manager Mirriam Tonga in Lusaka Monday.

Mrs Tonga said it is unfortunate that Munali Patriotic Front-MP Mumbi Phiri has so far failed to apologise for referring to Journalists in the public media as dogs.

Mrs Tonga said Mrs Phiri must acknowledge that she erred and the corporations is ready to accept the acknowledgement.

She said ZNBC takes strong exception to the use of unpalatable language irrespective of where it is coming from.

Mrs Tonga said in a statement that ZNBC is hoping that Mrs Phiri will heed to calls for an apology for using bad language and bringing into disrepute the standing of parliament.

However, the PF MP has since apologised to journalists in Zambia for referring to public media reporters as ‘Information minister Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha’s ‘dogs’.

Ms Phiri said she did not call the journalists in question “Dogs” but “Watch Dogs”.
[ ZNBC ]

Institute for Human Rights and Democratic Governance (IHRDG) Director Franco Kapijimpanga says the violence that marred the Chilanga nominations proves that Zambian politics are still immature and full of intolerance.

And Mr Kapijimpanaga has challenged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to take responsibility of the violence that occurred in Chilanga last week on Thursday.

Mr Kapijimpanga said the (ECZ) failed to enforce the electoral code of conduct by allowing those who perpetrated violence go unpunished.

He said it is important that institutions that have been given the power to bring sanity to the politics of this country take their occupation seriously and ensure that people respect the law.

Mr Kapijimpanga noted that ECZ could not end at blaming the political parties involved in the violence but also take responsibility for having failed to take action despite the power that has been vested in the commission to deal with whoever abrogates the law in the electoral process.

Mr Kapijimpanga also said that it is reckless for Caritas Zambia Executive Director, Sam Mulafulafu to claim that the Chilanga by-elections might be bloodier than the Mufumbwe by-elections.
[ QFM ]

MEDIA bodies have resolved to protest before the Speaker of National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa over sentiments by Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Mumbi Phiri referring to practitioners in the public media as dogs.

And the MMD has joined the media fraternity in condemning Ms Phiri for referring to the media workers as dogs of Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Lt-Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha.

The media bodies that include the Press Association of Zambia, the Press Freedom Committee of The Post newspapers, Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA), the Zambia Union of Journalists and the Zambia Union of Broadcasters and Other Information Disseminators (ZUBID) said they will protest tomorrow over Ms Phiri’s remarks.

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said Ms Phiri should do more to improve her education levels to understand how to conduct herself as an honourable person.

In a joint statement released to the Times of Zambia signed by the five media houses, the associations have stated that they will tomorrow petition the Speaker to take action against Ms Phiri’s refusal to withdraw her statement against the public media personnel.
[pullquote]“We feel that Mumbi Phiri’s behaviour puts the name of the speaker into disrepute and puts the reputation of Parliament into question.”

“Her apparent denial to apologise shows how deep rooted her arrogance is. We think she is fighting wrong people who have nothing to do with the land and other problems in Munali Constituency,” the statement further reads.[/pullquote]
“As the media associations we have decided to march to the National Assembly building to petition the Speaker to either reprimand her or take any corrective measures against her,’’ the statement reads in parts.

The associations have since called on all media practitioners, sympathisers and associates to assemble at BP Arcades Shopping Mall at 13:00 hours in time for the protest march to Parliament.

“We feel that Mumbi Phiri’s behaviour puts the name of the speaker into disrepute and puts the reputation of Parliament into question.”

“Her apparent denial to apologise shows how deep rooted her arrogance is. We think she is fighting wrong people who have nothing to do with the land and other problems in Munali Constituency,” the statement further reads.

The association noted that Ms Phiri does not understand her role as MP and the dignity that goes with the position and her public conduct.

Ms Phiri was quoted as having called media practitioners working for the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation as Gen Shikapwasha’s dogs.
[ Times of Zambia ]