The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has described the just ended Luena and Chifubu by-elections as a wake up call to stakeholders in the election process.

The elections have also been estimated as an alert to all political parties and civil societies organizations involved in good governance and democracy, to revive the desire of voting in the electorate.

AVAP executive director, Bonnie Tembo said that the low turn out of the electorate during the concurrent by elections was a fact that political parties have failed to inspire voters.

Mr Tembo has called on political parties to work towards strengthening their structures if they are to lay strong foundations for voter mobilization.

He said that time has come for political parties to present real issues that respond to the needs of the people.

The AVAP Director indicated that petty issues and name calling type of campaigns are a threat to voter participation.

Mr Tembo Urge political parties to start preparing their manifestos ahead of 2011 election.

He has also called on Civil society organisationsa to enhance their activities that promote d voter education.
[ QFM ]

A Lusaka magistrate’s court yesterday sentenced Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s bodyguard, Judge Ngoma to three years imprisonment on two counts of assault.

Senior Resident Magistrate David Simusamba jailed Ngoma to three years on each count but the sentences would run concurrently.

In count one, Ngoma 42, of plot 21/15 of Balastone Park in Lusaka on June 5 2009 jointly and whilst acting together with others unknown assaulted Mubanga Chileshe thereby occasioning him bodily harm.

In count two, Ngoma on the same date jointly and whilst acting together with other persons unknown assaulted Samson Zulu thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm.

Passing judgment Mr Simusamba said Ngoma’s action amounted to political violence that was slowly gaining ground in the country.
[pullquote]“There is need to deter people especially the youths from engaging themselves in political violence,” he said.[/pullquote]
He said there was need to curb political violence because it was dangerous to a young democratic country like Zambia.

“There is need to deter people especially the youths from engaging themselves in political violence,” he said.

In mitigation through his lawyer Chola Chama, Ngoma said that sending him to jail would not help him reform.

He asked the court to give him a non-custodial sentence to help him reform because the law provided for alternative punishment such as suspended sentence.

The same court earlier convicted Ngoma on both charges on Tuesday.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Vice PRESIDENT George Kunda says government is not getting rid of the abuse of office offence but could not guarantee whether the offence will be contained in the revised Anti Corruption Commission Act.

Mr Kunda told Parliament yesterday that the abuse of office offence also exists in the Penal Code and that government wants to avoid the duplication of offences as it reforms the law.

He said government wants to re-align the law so that it makes sense by avoid duplication.

Mr Kunda said abuse of office would continue to be an offence in Zambia’s statute books, but that the offence will be contained is government’s pre-rogative.

He explained that there is need to update the laws so that they are consistent with the country’s constitution so that even accused persons can receive justice.

The vice president said government wants laws which are in accordance with principles of justice and acceptable to Commonwealth standards.

Government has come under heavy criticism from various stakeholders over its intentions to remove the abuse of office offence from the Anti Corruption Commission ACC Act.
[ QFM ]

Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has expressed concern over the problems that have arisen because of the Direct Electronic Debit Account (DEDAC) system in the ministry of education.

ZNUT, Deputy National Secretary Catherine Chinunda said during a press briefing in Chipata that a number of teachers have so far experienced unnecessary deductions from salaries while others have gone for two months without salaries.

Mrs. Chinunda urged government to quickly address the situation saying it could affect the performance of teachers if left unattended.

“The teachers are being de-motivated as a result their performance may be poor and this could also affect the examination results among pupils in the country,’ she said.

Mrs. Chinunda disclosed that ZNUT is currently going round the country to determine the number of teachers that have been affected with the new payment system.
[ ZANIS ]

THE Ndola Magistrates Court has convicted former Defence Minister George Mpombo on one account of dishonoring a cheque amounting to K10 million.
Ndola Chief Resident Magistrate Kelvin Limbani convicted Mr Mpombo in a case which came up for judgment.

Facts of the offence are that on December 18, 2009, Mpombo, with intent to defraud, issued a K10 million cheque to Colwyn Limited on an insufficiently funded account at Standard Chartered Bank.

Magistrate Limbani said the court had taken note of Mr Mpombo’s evidence that he had December 17, 2009 phoned Mr Terence Findley of Colwyn Limited and asked him not to deposit the cheque the following day since he had cash at hand.

Mr Limbani said the court was convinced that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that a cheque was issued and dishonoured and that the account was insufficiently funded.
He said the court was further convinced that the accused was aware of his obligation of paying back the money on December 18 and the consequences of not honouring that obligation.

Mr Limbani said since the accused had organised the money in cash on December 17, 2009, he should have deposited it in the account.

“I am convinced that the accused was fully aware of his obligations and since he had cash in hand on December 17th 2009, he should have deposited it. “Therefore, I find suppositions by the accused that he had called Mr Findley on December 17th 2009 asking him not to deposit the cheque as a mere afterthought meant to conceal the fact that he willfully had intent to defraud and I, therefore, convict him,” he said.

In mitigation, defence Lawyer Bonaventure Mutale asked the court to accord Mr Mpombo leniency by giving a penalty of a fine as opposed to a custodial sentence because the complainant had suffered no loss.
“I am humbly asking the court to accord maximum leniency to the accused person by considering a penalty of a fine as opposed to imposing a custodial sentence, considering that he repaid the debt at the earliest opportunity and that the complainant has suffered no loss,’ he said.

He further said the circumstances surrounding the case did not show any aggravation.
Mr Limbani reserved sentencing on August 9, 2010 and remanded Mr Mpombo in custody. – ZANIS.

Marketeers at Chipata’s Kaumbwe market today wake up to a rude shock when they found their trading stands burnt to ashes.

About 300 stands have been burnt to ashes following an inferno which swept through the entire market last night.

A check by ZANIS found the trading stands completely burnt as the owners and on lookers looked on in disbelief.

And when interviewed, one of the marketeers , Petronela Mwale, revealed that the fire started around midnight and was believed to have been started by some unknown people.

She said that alert shop owners and Chipata Municipal Council fire bridged prevented the fire from making further damage.

Meanwhile, Kaumbwe Market Chairperson, Clement Mwelwa, revealed that last year, fire also gutted the market destroying some trading stands.

Mr. Mwelwa said that the fire that was experienced last year and that of last night both started from the same place on the eastern side of the building area.
[ ZANIS ]