BRITISH High Commission consular officer Karen Michelle Van Boxtel, who is accused of assaulting her husband Carl Frieslaar, has refuted reports suggesting that she had fled the country for fear of appearing before the court.

Ms Van Boxtel said yesterday in an interview that she had never left the country, contrary to claims by her husband that she had run away with her children.

She said in the presence of her lawyer Chifumu Banda that it was malicious for her husband to claim that she had left the country when she had been within.

“It is very malicious for my husband to claim that I had left the country. He is saying that to influence the police because I cannot leave Zambia because this is my country,” she said.

She said Mr Frieslaar had been emotionally and physically abusive from the time she filed for divorce in August and had paid a private investigator to trail her.

“He knows that he cannot have me anymore, so he is bitter and wants to frame me because even my surety has not left the country,” he said.

She claimed that even the private investigator James Kasamanda had allegedly been lying on her movements because he wanted to please Mr Frieslaar who had paid him money.

On the three children, Ms Van Boxtel said she was living with them because the eldest was seven years old, while the youngest was three and that the court had granted her custody of the children.

But Mr Frieslaar said he was not bitter with his wife and that he welcomed her intentions to file for divorce because he could no longer live with her.

He said he was ready for the divorce and that he wanted to be with his children adding that his wife had defied a court order that asked her not to have custody of the children.

Ms Van Boxtel in the company of two other persons was alleged to have assaulted her husband a month ago and the matter had since been reported to the police.

But Lusaka police commanding officer Greenwell Ng’uni has said that Ms Van Boxtel and Mr Frieslaar had both reported assault cases to the police and that dockets had been taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further instructions.

[Times of Zambia]

THE MMD is ready to embrace former Republican vice-president Enoch Kavindele provided he follows the right channels, party deputy-national secretary Chembe Nyangu has said.

And Mr Kavindele said his decision to run for the number two party position at the MMD convention was aimed at assisting the ruling party realign itself as a formidable force ahead of the 2011 general elections.

Mr Nyangu said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Kavindele should have just followed the right channels to talk to the party hierarchy about his decision to come back to the party instead of rushing to the media to announce his decision.

“There is, however, no problem, we welcome him back following the amnesty that the ruling party has extended to our former members and those intending to join our party,” Mr Nyangu said.

Mr Kavindele in an interview earlier reiterated his decision to contest for the vice-presidency in the MMD.

The position has been vacant after late president Levy Mwanawasa froze its election.

“I want to assist the MMD, the party has had problems of late and hence my decision to contest for the position of the vice-president at the forthcoming party convention,” Mr Kavindele said.

The former vice-president was quoted in yesterday’s Post edition saying the MMD organisation had suffered as a result of not having a vice-president to support the president and so he intended to contest for the position at the convention to avail the required support.

Mr Kavindele said his decision was in response to calls by party members that he gets involved in the organisation of the party ahead of next year’s general elections.

[Times of Zambia]

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says the vacant Mpulungu parliamentary and local government by- elections will be held on 28th October 2010.

The additional Chilanga constituency and Kaumbwe ward by – elections in Chilanga and Petauke district, respectively, will also take place on the same date.

This is contained in press release made available to ZANIS by ECZ Public relations Manager Chris Akufuna in Lusaka today.

Mr Akufuna explained that all the requirements applying to the Mpulungu parliamentary and local government by –elections will also apply to the Chilanga Constituency and Kaumbwe ward by-elections.

He has advised voters in the affected areas to seek additional information from the office of the director at the ECZ or the district electoral officers , Town clerks , council secretaries in the respective districts.

The Mpulungu seat fell vacant after the untimely death the area Member of parliament Lameck Chibombamillimo who died in India after an illness last month.

On the other hand, the Chilanga seat fell vacant following the expulsion of the area Member of Parliament Ngandu Magande by the MMD. Also expelled is out spoken Kafulafuta MP George Mpombo.

[ ZANIS ]

Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) President Charles Milupi has been advised to stop cheating Zambians that the people of Western Province want a regime change next year.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, Chairman for Centre, Election and Good governance Gershom Musonda said Mr. Milupi had no presence outside Luena Constituency and that he had no authority to say that it was true that the people of Western Province wanted the MMD government out of power come next year.

Mr. Musonda charged that Mr. Milupi’s party was anchored on family members and extended family ties which he said had no blessings from the 73 tribes of this country.

He challenged Mr Milupi to stop making innuendos against the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) because the party had done a commendable job for the country as well as the people of Western Province.

Mr. Musonda cited some of the developmental projects that the MMD Government had implemented in Western Province as construction of schools, Clinics and other vital infrastructure.

He named schools being built under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda in the Province as Lukulu High School, Nalikwanda Technical High School and Nakanya High School at a cost of K26 billion each.

Others are Namusheshe and Lukalanga high Schools to a tune of 4.5 billion Kwacha as well as Lueti and Lwet Basic Schools in Kalabo and Luiwa National Park at a cost of 4 billion Kwacha each, respectively.

Mr. Musonda further said other Schools include Shioma and Mayukwayukwa Basic Schools in Shangaombo to a tune of K26 billion each.

He further outlined other schools which have received Government attention as Mwange Community which had been transformed into a full basic school with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and government amounting to K400 million.

And Mr. Musonda has urged the Catholic Church in Zambia to emulate Pope Benedict the 16th whom he said was working hard to resolve problems his Church was grappling with such as sexual abuse of Children and women.

ZANIS

Party Spokesperson, Charles Kakoma said the President’s quietness on the constitutional making process is a clear indication that government is not ready to budget for it in the national budget to be represented to parliament next month.

Mr Kakoma said President Rupiah Banda has no regard for people’s views on the constitutional making process, hence he would do anything to ensure that the wishes of the general public is not respected.

Meanwhile, Mr Kakoma said President Banda has remained quiet on the Poverty Reduction policy which is the number one goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said there is no way the country could reduce poverty if the head of State does not regard poverty reduction in his programmes of national development.

Mr Kakoma expressed disappointment that the President in his address to the national assembly did not say something on poverty reduction in the country.

He called on the President to state how he would fight poverty in his last tenure of office because Zambians would want to know government programmes in advance.
[ QFM ]