Fire has swept through Kabunda Girls High School on the outskirts of Mansa in Luapula Province, leaving four dormitories burnt, three pupils admitted to hospital and millions of Kwacha worth of girls’ property lost.

The inferno started on Saturday night around 22:00 hours as the girls were sleeping before it spread rapidly to the four closely-knit hostels, prompting the girls to scamper for their safety and leaving behind everything they owned.

“I have completely nothing as you see me. This chitenge (wrapper) I am wearing together with the top (blouse), I just picked from what my friends were throwing away.

‘‘I lost everything,” mourned Hellen Bwalya, a grade 12 pupil, as she struggled to stand properly in some over-size patapata slippers.

Mansa District education board secretary Valerie Mulwanda, who confirmed the incident, said the cause of the fire was yet to be established although initial investigations indicated it could have resulted from a suspected electrical fault.
[pullquote]“I have completely nothing as you see me. This chitenge (wrapper) I am wearing together with the top (blouse), I just picked from what my friends were throwing away.

‘‘I lost everything,” mourned Hellen Bwalya, a grade 12 pupil, as she struggled to stand properly in some over-size patapata slippers.[/pullquote]
Ms Mulwanda described the damage to the school as “extensive” saying only 96 of the 468 pupils at the all-girls boarding school had not lost any property as their dormitory did not catch fire.

“We have three girls still in hospital.

‘‘Their condition is stable. They are Theresa Makungu, Lillian Chungu and Constance Mbewe,” Ms Mulwanda told the Times in an interview at the school, some 15 kilometres west of the Mansa District administrative centre.

The affected girls lost clothes, books, beddings and other personal belongings, giving rise to calls for the school to be closed immediately.

But Ms Mulwanda declined to comment on the prospects of closing the institution and called for pupils to remain calm.

“We are aware that most of them (pupils) have lost their books. They have lost personal properties like mattresses and bedding, but we are advising them to continue studying in groups, to continue revising.

“They should be calm and stick within the institution. Grade 12s have already started writing and they need to continue,” she said.

By mid-day yesterday, some hostels whose roofs crumbled during the inferno were smouldering while most pupils could be spotted walking about the school premises in groups of fours and fives, recounting the happenings of the previous night with vivid desolation.

The outer premises were littered with girls’ burnt garments such as bracelets, wrist watches and neck chains.

A heavy presence of armed police officers was on site to provide security as Government officials from the provincial administration kept coming in turns to check on the extent of the damage.

“We shall soon be informed of what step to take. Otherwise, it (the fire) has really devastated us.

“We are not sure of the cause as yet, but the pupils are saying they just saw a spark from one of the hostels, and that’s how the fire started,” said school headteacher, Stella Mambwe.
[ Times of Zambia ]

President Rupiah Banda has said he was saddened by the accident involving a Zambia Air Force plane that carried his advance party to the Nsakwa Yaba Kaonde traditional ceremony in Kasempa at the weekend.

He said at Solwezi Airport yesterday that he felt depressed by the accident in which Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Works and Supply Minister, Mike Mulongoti and their counterpart at Community Development and Social Services, Michael Kaingu escaped unhurt.

The crew and passengers including State House chief of protocol, Bob Samakai and senior State House private secretary, Differ Mulimba were not injured, but the plane was damaged after careering off the runway upon landing.

The accident happened at Mukinge Mission Airstrip on Saturday around 11:00 hours.
“I was very sad and felt depressed, it could have been worse; I am sure they were traumatised though they showed bravery,” Mr Banda said, before he left for Mongu in Western Province.

And President Banda, who on Saturday graced the Nsakwa Yaba Kaonde traditional ceremony, said although massive investment was pouring into North-Western Province, much more needed to be done.

He said there was a lot of infrastructure development in the province, but the Government was still not satisfied with the progress made so far.

The president warned against misapplication of resources, saying it was a crime for anybody to do so.

Meanwhile, Mr Banda said during the traditional ceremony that his Government was working hard to construct and improve infrastructure in education and other sectors in the entire province.

He said the major works included Kanyama Boarding High School in Mwinilunga, which is under construction at a cost of K44 billion, Kayombo Boarding High School in Kabompo, under construction at a cost of K33 billion, and Chavuma Boarding High School, costing K27 billion.

He said a number of construction projects were underway around the province and included the D 181 Kamatete and Mulonga-Kalobwe roads connecting farm blocs in Kasempa and Solwezi, respectively.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha said a board of enquiry would be set up to investigate the cause of the accident, according to ZNBC News monitored in Ndola last evening.
[ Times of Zambia ]

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has acknowledged that the fight against corruption is far from being won.

ACC Girector General Godfrey kayukwa said the commisiion is committed to ensuring that the levels of the vice are reduced and further called on youths to get on board.

Mr Kayukwa was speaking in Lusaka during the send off ceremony for the schools (ACC) club members.

Mr Kayukwa said youths play an important role in fighting and alleviating corruption and called on them to join in as ambassadors to the community.

He bemoaned the commission’s challenges in receiving funds from government adding that with the coming on board of department of the international development (DFID), more improvements would be made in funding ACC School clubs.
[QFM ]

Police have arrested the two Chinese nationals who shot at 11 miners and one onlooker at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.

The Police sources informed Lusaka Times that Senior Police Officers from Livingstone town and Choma were sent to the coal mine to arrest the culprits who opened fire at the crowd and wounded the 12 people.

A check at the Maamba Hospital found that two miners who were in critical condition have been referred to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for specialist medication.

Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete is reported to have confirmed this  development.  He said  that it was unfortunate that the Chinese nationals shot at the Zambians and that they should be arrested.

Police sources said the two Chinese nationals involved in the shooting have been taken to Choma after a statement was recorded from them.

The two miners Vincent Chengele 20 and Simon Simwete 28 who were in critical condition at local Hospital were taken to UTH after they were shot in the chest and  the head.

Madinda Siamubotu, one of the victims, said from his hospital bed that workers from shaft two and shaft three decided to gather in order to reach a consensus with management over their grievance to improve the conditions of service.

The miner explained that the Chinese management urged them to stop going underground because they had produced enough coal for sale.  However,  management decided to cut their salaries for the days they were informed not to go underground.

Mr. Siamubotu said the workers decided to call  their Union President Mr Sifuniso Nyumbu who  promised that he would drive from Lusaka to come and address them.

Mr Siamubotu pointed out that when the two Chinese nationals  from shaft two saw that the workers had gathered outside the gate they came out of their offices armed with  shot guns and decided to open fire at the  crowd.

However, an eye witness,  John Siabana said the Chinese nationals opened fire at the miners after they started throwing objects  at them.

And yesterday, miners protesting against the shooting broke the wall fence, and ripped off the roof at shaft two and carried away the iron sheets. The protesting workers also got away with water pumps and pushed the buckets that ferry coal from the underground into the tunnels.  Sinazongwe police failed to control the angry  protesting workers and  called for reinforcement from Choma and Livingstone. The angry protesters vowed to sort out the Chinese management.

And Mr Mpombo has warned officials in the ruling MMD that they would face severe consequences when they leave office.

Contributing to debate on the Anti Corruption Bill which among other things seeks to repeal the ACC Act of 1996 and implement the National Anti Corruption Policy in Parliament today which went through seconding reading,Mr Mpombo said any government that would come into powr will move amendments to repeal the law.

Mr Mpombo he recalled how the MMD government after coming into power in 1991 repealed the leaders Pension law which UNIP had enacted after realizing that they would lose power to the MMD.

He warned against compromise in making laws because that could backfire.

He also called for the need to curtail presidential powers over the Anti Corruption Commission because this could be used to pursue perceived political enemies.

But Vice President George has dismissed the view advanced by some institutions and individuals that the Anti Corruption Bill of 2010 will weaken the fight against corruption by repealing the section 37 of the ACC Act of 1996.

He said such a view has no basis as on the contrary the Bill enhances the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution and punishment of corrupt practices and related offences.
[ QFM ]