Here are the midweek fixtures of the Faz Super Division Week 25 game and standings ahead of matches to be played 29/09/2010.
Faz Super Division
Week 25
29/09/2010
Konkola Blades-Green Buffaloes
Nkwazi-City of Lusaka
National Assembly-Lusaka Dynamos
Kabwe Warriors-Red Arrows
Choma Eagles-Forest Rangers
Zesco United-Nchanga Rangers
Power Dynamos-Nkana
Postponed:
Zanaco-Roan United
[standings league_id=15 template=extend logo=false]
FUS Rabat of Morocco caught Zanaco officials an aware with their early arrival on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s penultimate CAF Confederation Cup Group B match.
Zanaco officials were expecting FUS at midday on Wednesday but the Moroccans decided to travel to Lusaka 24 hours earlier than scheduled.
The Moroccan side landed just before 13:00 on a South African Airways flight on Tuesday.
Zanaco officials rushed to the airport after being alerted of the surprise arrival of their opponents this weekend whose Tuesday landing according to sources was known by FAZ.
FUS later undertook their first training session late on Tuesday afternoon at Barclays Sports Complex where they trained for an hour.
Third placed Zanaco are on four points from as many games played, host FUS at Nkoloma Stadium in a match Wedson Nyirenda’s side need to win to stay in the hunt for a semifinal place in this year’s Confederation Cup.
FUS currently lead Group B on 9 points and need just a draw away against Zanaco to book one of the top two places in their group to qualify for the semifinals to be played at the end of October.
The Zambian High Commission in New Delhi, India is now satisfied with sanitary conditions in lodging facilities at the Commonwealth village where Zambia has been allocated Tower 28.
The third inspection of the facilities conducted Tuesday afternoon revealed that the living quarters given to Zambia were now in a habitable state.
Acting High Commissioner to India Brigadier General Allan Kalebuka expressed happiness that the mission’s demands for adequate and quality accommodation for the Zambian contingent have finally been met.
This is contained in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka by first Secretary for Press to the Zambian High Commission in India Bwalya Nondo.
Mr. Nondo has since confirmed that Zambia’s contingent to the 19th Commonwealth games is expected in New Delhi tomorrow.
ZANIS
Vice President George Kunda is tomorrow expected to travel to Solwezi in North-Western Province where he would meet visiting King Mwata Yamvwa of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who is in the country for a visit with four other chiefs.
While in Solwezi, the Vice President is also expected to meet senior Government officials.
This is according to a media statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Senior Private Secretary to the Vice President, Kenneth Ngosa.
Mr. Kunda will be accompanied to the province by Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Energy Minister, Kenneth Konga, Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarkio Kazonga, Gender Minister Sarah Sayifwanda and Southern Province Minister Elijah Muchima and some senior Government officials.
“The Vice President is tomorrow expected to travel to Solwezi in the North-Western province. Mr. Kunda will meet His Majesty Mwanta Yanvwa, other Royal highness and senior government officials in the province. He will be accompanied by some cabinet ministers including senior government officials,” Mr. Ngosa said.
The Vice President is expected back to Lusaka the same day.
ZANIS
Zambia’s Ambassador to Belgium Inonge Mbikutsita Lewanika has called on King Albert II of Belgium to use his royal influence to encourage Belgian investors to invest in Zambia.
Speaking shortly after presenting her credentials to the King at the royal palace just outside Brussels, Dr. Mbikutsita Lewanika also told the monarch that Zambia would further appreciate Belgian support for the education of women and children.
Dr Mbikusita Lewanika’s day with the monarch was characterised by equal pomp, an elaborate ceremony where she was escorted from her residence by a royal motorcade.
The Ambassador who was clad in an authentic Lozi royal ‘’Musisi’’ was received at the palace by trumpet sounds with 30 horsemen around the motorcade.
And King Albert thanked Zambia for her hospitality to refugees and its role in the Congo peace process.
The King called on the Ambassador to explain to the Belgians Zambia’s potential.
He said she should share the African experience on women involvement in development and peace process.
He has further called on Zambia not to relent in its pursuit of peace in the Great Lakes Region.
And at her residence in Brussels, the Zambian embassy expressed delight at the ambassador.
Embassy Minister Counsellor, Henry Mbushi said the presentation of credentials would enable Dr. Mbikutsita Lewanika work tirelessly for the Zambian embassy.
ZANIS
Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has implored striking resident doctors at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) to leave politics out of the health sector and immediately resume work.
And Lieutenant General Shikapwasha has expressed sadness saying the doctors have breached the Industrial Act.
Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, challenged the doctors to immediately resume work as Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao was addressing their matter.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha accused the doctors of having been sponsored by the opposition to discredit Government’s achievements scored in the Ministry of Health.
He reminded the health personnel to adhere to their calling of saving lives as opposed to being used as ‘conduits for political minions.
“My plea to the Doctors at UTH is that they should remove politics out of the health sector. The strike action is illegal and as Government we are saddened by the development,” he said.
Resident doctors at the largest health institution in the country, UTH have downed tool pressing for better conditions of service.
And Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha has lashed out at National Revolution Party leader Dr. Cosmo Mumba who is reportedly to have said that President Rupiah Banda and the entire Cabinet should resign on moral grounds because of what he said Government failure to run the country.
The Chief Government Spokesperson reminded Dr. Mumba to visit some of the developments Government had embarked on across the country in the health, education, tourism, mining and agriculture key sectors unlike speaking from what he termed as a ‘frustrated’ point of view.
“It is not true that Government has failed to address some of the contentious issues of political governance, economical and social issues but as Government, we are on track. It is surprising that Dr. Mumba has got no ears and eyes to see what government is delivering to the Zambian people.
ZANIS
MISA Zambia 2010 report has revealed that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services is the most secretive government institution for having an outdated website and failure to respond to written requests.
The 2010 report on the Most Open and Secretive government institutions in Zambia revealed that none of the government and public institutions qualified to be awarded the most open.
It also pointed out that out of the government line ministries; which include Ministry of Education, Transport and Communication, Finance and National Planning, Information and Broadcasting Services (MIBS) and Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ as a public institution) surveyed non of them qualifies to be the most open.
Launching the Report in Lusaka today, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Interim Chairperson Fanwell Tembo said the research conducted indicates that the Ministry of Education could have been the most open institution for 2010 if it had not failed to provide functional website which he described was the major criteria for the research.
Mr Tembo disclosed that Ministry of Education was closer to openness and responded to the citizen’s request for information despite not having a functional website.
He named the Ministry of Communications and Transport, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and ECZ for the well resourced websites which he said were bent on providing the public with necessary and useful information.
He noted that had the three institutions provided information to those who may not have access to ICTs through proactive disclosure and responded to written requests, they would have been among the most open.
[pullquote]He accused MISA personnel of diverting public attention from the problems, the organisation was facing.[/pullquote]
ECZ scooped this year’s newly added award called e-Governance Award, which was for institutions utilising Information Communication Technology (ICTs) for the better provision of information to the public.
But Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has described the MISA report as inaccurate and biased. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha challenged MISA-Zambia to sort out its internal wrangles first than ‘witch’ hunting. Commenting on the Report released to the media today, Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha dismissed the report saying it lacked accuracy and was unfounded.
He accused MISA personnel of diverting public attention from the problems, the organisation was facing.
Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha said MISA was being insincere by choosing to overlook positive developments, policies, and legislatives that Government had continued to undertake and to enhance public access to information.
Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha said in a statement released today that: “it was clear from the tone of the report that MISA’s primary aim was malice and ill will against government.”
[pullquote]Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha said in a statement released today that: “it was clear from the tone of the report that MISA’s primary aim was malice and ill will against government.”[/pullquote]
Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister noted that information was the primary product of any media organisation adding that the multiplicity of media houses was an indication that information was not only available but also accessible with Government being a principal source.
He said efforts and measures taken by Government in information provision confirm its unwavering commitment to facilitating the growth of the media and information sector in the country for a well informed populace.
He said Government appreciated the important role information played in national development and that it would continue working and investing in the media industry to ensure an informed and enlightened society.
[ZANIS]
Government will spend K5 billion towards the installation of 52 transmitters country-wide under the Rural Television Project.
And Government has said the Rural Television (TV) project which is in phase 4 and allocated to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) would enable 13 stations to be earmarked for Digital Migration project.
Information Deputy Minister Angela Chifire disclosed in Parliament today that ZNBC would soon start the procurement processes and that the funds include the purchase of television transmitters under the Rural Tv project.
ZANIS reports that Ms Chifire said in accordance with the ZNBC planning provision of TV service, the Musonda falls which also comprises of the 13 TV relay stations had been planned for.
She said the average cost of each of the phase 4 rural TV sites is U$$25,000, an equivalent of about K125 million.
The Deputy Minister was responding to a question by Chipili PF MP Davies Mwila who wanted to know when ZNBC will extend its television coverage to the Musonda falls in Luapula Province and what caused the delay in introducing TV coverage to the area.
Ms Chifire, however, bemoaned lack of funds to expedite the installation process but reiterated Government’s commitment to providing quality television programming to the people in the nation.
And Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Vera Tembo today told Parliament that Government approved a K6.050 billion budget for the Forestry Development Credit Facility (FDCF) Programmes between 2006 and 2007.
Ms Tembo said of the funds, K3.333 billion was released to her ministry adding that in 2008, the FDCF was discontinued after the establishment of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC)
Ms Tembo, however, said there were no successful applicants who accessed the funds from 2006 to 2008 because the Credit facility was transferred to the Commission.
She was responding to a question by Katanshi Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) Yamfwa Mukanga who wanted to find out the total funding to the facility programme from 2006 to 2008 and the number of successful applicants who accessed the fund during the same period.
Commerce Deputy Minister Lwipa Puma told Parliament that the Commission has utilised K111.5 billion so far.
Dr Puma said his ministry was now working on easing modalities to the form which required people to fill in when accessing the funds from the Commission in adherence to President Rupiah Banda when he recently opened the Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly.
And Vice President George Kunda emphasised that the CEEC encompasses all areas of economic development in its quest to improve the livelihood of the Zambian people.
Mr Kunda said the Commission was a clear testimony of one of the long term measures by Government in alleviating poverty among the people.
[ ZANIS ]
President Rupiah Banda has made changes to his Government by transferring three Cabinet ministers.
And President Banda has appointed Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Chriticles Mwansa as new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The President has transferred Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peter Daka to the Ministry of Science Technology and Vocational Training where he has taken over from Dr Brian Chituwo.
Dr Chituwo has been transferred to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing taking over from Dr Eustarcio Kazonga who has also been moved to the Ministry of Agriculture.
This is contained in statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relation Dickson Jere.
Mr Banda has appointed Chriticles Mwansa as Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
He has also transferred Science, Technology and Vocational PS Sherry Thole to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
Ms Thole takes over from Tiens Kapoma who was until now the PS while Mr. Kapoma will be redeployed within the Public Service.
The transfers are with immediate effect.
[ ZANIS ]
By Wesley Ngwenya
I have been privileged to have previously participated in the Population and Housing Census of 1990. I was only grade eleven by then. Those of us who were recruited were purely given the jobs on merit. There could have been a few who were there because they knew someone. Overall, the recruiting was very transparent where we even had to write a test as part of the interview process. I remember the K4000 I made that August holiday was so sweet. It was my first salary ever.
Twenty years later the ball game has changed. There are hundreds of thousands more people who are unemployed and are interested in participating either as Enumerators or as Supervisors. The selection process has equally changed. Now, it is done through District Commissioners who are appointed by the president and oftentimes belong to the ruling party.
In Lusaka alone, over five thousand applications were submitted to the DC’s office. According to my source, the MMD through the Lusaka Province Chairman, William Banda, submitted about two thousand names. Then there were ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and the like who each brought about five names. In the end, the job winners were only two thousand—a coincidence to the two thousand names submitted by “honorable” Banda? I don’t think so.
In Kafue, over nine hundred applications were submitted and only less than three hundred selected. I am sure there is a similar pattern, with statistics, all over the country as far as the number of applications submitted and those accepted. Is this telling us something on the state of affairs in this country? Yes, it does. The unemployment rate has risen so much in this country to uncontrollable levels.
One young man who applied as an Enumerator in Lusaka showed me his grade twelve results. He had all distinctions. He met all the other requirements. Does it mean all those given the jobs had the same or better results than this young man? I very much doubt that. The lack of jobs in Zambia has left many people wonder about on the streets doing nothing. Many of these people are told to do something. What can they do if they cannot access finance, have no housing, have no food, etc? Many graduates are languishing the streets hoping someone can give them a buck or two. Meanwhile, their so called president and his buddies are busy flying all over and telling us there is no money.
The Zambia land alliance ZLA has charged that the perception created by government’s decision to remove the abuse of office clause from the anti corruption commission ACC act will leave a negative dent on the fight against corruption.
ZLA executive director, Henry Machina disclosed that the decision will soon have devastating effects on the already porous system of land allocation in the country.
Mr. Machina told QFM in an interview that there had already been serious allegations of theft and crookedness in the land allocation process in the country.
He said the removal of one of the most significant deterrents of such behaviors by those heading over public institutions and departments, will only worsen the situation.
Mr Machina added that it would lead to further inequity in land allocation too.
Mr. Machina said that government should have been discreet enough to ensure that the clause stays within the ACC act and that the removal of the clause is currently tantamount to having legalized corruption in this country.
Mr. Machina was Commenting on the government’s removal of the abuse of office offence from the revised ACC Act.
United Party for National Development (UPND) National youth coordinator, Joe Kalusa has said Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata is a “tired old man” who should never be allowed to rule this country.
Mr Kalusa also described as insulting and disappointing the statement by Patriotic Front (PF) National youth Secretary Eric Chanda, that Michael Sata is more popular than Hakainde Hichilema.
Mr Chanda has been quoted in a daily tabloid as having stated that the UPND’s claim for the Pact presidency beats common sense because the PF leader is more popular that the UPND one.
[pullquote]He has also accused the PF of “sugar coating” its stay in the pact adding that the recent suspension given to Mr Chanda was just a way of hoodwinking the UPND.
[/pullquote]
The UPND National youth chairperson said things are not alright in the pact and the PF should take responsibility for the predicament that the pact has found itself in because they are the ones who have continued attacking the UPND leader.
Mr Kalusa said the PF general secretary, Winter Kabimba has contributed to the killing the pact.
The pact leadership has remained mute over the wrangles despite calls by various stakeholders that they speak out and be heard to provide harmony to the shaky political marriage the two parties have gone into.
He has also accused the PF of “sugar coating” its stay in the pact adding that the recent suspension given to Mr Chanda was just a way of hoodwinking the UPND.
But Mr Kalusa last week showered words of praise on Mr Sata stating that he was equally good to stand as the 2011 elections candidate.
[ QFM ]
A political analyst has observed that the opposition can still remove the Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) without the pact.
Dante Saunders said that in an event that the UPND/PF pact fails, Zambians should not lose hope of changing government.
Mr Saunders said the hopes of Zambians should not die if the pact fails to achieve its objectives.
Speaking on Monday Nite Live last evening, Mr Saunders added that it could still be possible if the two parties stood as individuals parties.
He believed that the MMD could be taken on by any opposition party in Zambia under any free and selection.
Mr Saunders,however, said that it is too early to say that the pact will decide to break.
[ QFM ]
Lusaka lawyer Christopher Mundia has described remarks by Bishop of Mongu Diocese Paul Duffy that there is lack of development in Western Province as disgusting, considering the massive investment by the Government in the area.
Mr Mundia, who is a State counsel, said Bishop Duffy and other Catholic clergy did not have the right to speak for the people of Western Province especially the Mongu-based bishop whose allegiance to the Zambian people was minimal since he was a foreigner.
“I wish to state that as one of those that hail from Western Province better known as Barotseland, I am disgusted to listen to what comes out of Bishop Duffy’s mouth which is akin to a can of worms,” he said.
Mr Mundia said Bishop Duffy and other members of the Catholic clergy who have their own motives against President Banda’s administration should avoid hiding behind their religious collars because the current record of the Catholic clergy world over was that of misery and total disappointment.
[pullquote]“My plea to all my fellow countrymen and compatriots is that this country is ours individually and severally under our motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’. Foreigners should not be allowed to divide us as Zambians are one in diversity,” Mr Mundia said.[/pullquote]
He said he had been to Western Province three times lately and agreed that the province suffered injustice during the Chiluba and UNIP eras and the province, which was the most highly educated was rendered the least.
“But since coming to power of the late President Levy Mwanawasa and continued by President Banda, no sensible person can say that Western Province is neglected now,” Mr Mundia said.
He cited development projects such as the Mongu/Kalabo Road, Senanga/Sesheke Road, the forthcoming rail line from North-Western Province via Kaoma, Mongu, Senanga and Sesheke to Namibia and Livingstone, Mulobezi, Sesheke and Namibia as big projects for the province.
“My plea to all my fellow countrymen and compatriots is that this country is ours individually and severally under our motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’. Foreigners should not be allowed to divide us as Zambians are one in diversity,” Mr Mundia said.
He said there were atrocities committed against the innocent people by the Catholic clergy in countries such as United States of America where the Church had paid more than US$600 million arising from sexual abuses and scandals on innocent teenagers.
Mr Mundia reminded Bishop Duffy that some institutions in Ireland and German had been closed as announced during the recent papal visit to the United Kingdom.
He said Zambians had accepted to work as united entities, which had been, demonstrated when Zambians allowed leaders from various provinces to rule them without consideration for origins. He said Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who hails from Northern Province ruled for 27 years and later Zambians voted for Dr Fredrick Chiluba from Luapula, who was followed by late Dr Levy Mwanawasa from Central Province and we are now led by a head of State from the Eastern Province.
Mr Mundia described as unfortunate a decision by Father Paul Mpundu to support Bishop Duffy’s remarks.
“To the people of Western Province, I wish to say and endorse what the royal establishment has said that, yes, we have problems of under-development but they are being tackled by this current administration,” Mr Mundia said.
[ Times of Zambia ]
GOVERNMENT has tasked a team of officials from the Ministry of Health to investigate the cause of the withdrawal of labour by resident doctors countrywide to determine how the issue will be resolved.
Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said currently his ministry does not know why the doctors have downed tools.
Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said currently his ministry does not know why the doctors have downed tools.
“The permanent secretary of Health has sent people to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) to find out what the problem is. When those people give a report, then a way to resolve the issue will be found,” Mr Simbao said.
He said this in an interview following the announcement by the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) yesterday that its members have withdrawn their labour because their grievances have not been resolved.
RDAZ acting president Amon Ngongola said at a press briefing at UTH that the doctors decided to withdraw labour after attempts to avoid the situation and solve their grievances with the Ministry of Health failed.
“As an executive of RDAZ, we had engaged all channels necessary to avert this action as we recognise that the withdrawal of labour as health workers results in loss of life and no amount of aggravation can be equated to the value of the life of a human being,” Dr Ngongola said.
He said this at a press briefing at UTH yesterday.
Dr Ngongola said in the last two years his association, Zambia Medical Association of Zambia, and the Ministry of Health have been engaged in several discussions to try and resolve the problems that have beset doctors in the country.
He said following the discussions, it became apparent that the ministry had limitations in solving the problems.
“While we recognise the tremendous efforts made by the ministry to try to resolve these problems, it became clear that the ministry had limitations,” Dr Ngongola said.
He said his executive will continue to urge the association’s members to reconsider the decision. Dr Ngongola apologised to President Banda and the public for the action taken by doctors, which he described as unfortunate.
He paid special tribute to Mr Banda for the many development programmes his administration has carried out in the health sector.
Dr Ngongola said the recent commissioning of the magnetic resonance imaging and computer axial tomography scans at the Cancer Diseases Hospital, upgrading of selected clinics to hospitals, opening and building of new hospitals, clinics and health centres and building of new housing facilities for health workers are some of the developments in the health sector.
Dr Ngongola said his association is strongly persuaded that only the listening ear of Mr Banda can address the long-standing grievances affecting its members.
He reiterated that his executive strongly regrets having withdrawn labour and hopes the action will be a thing of the past.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
© Lusaka Times
