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PACT members question the conviction of Katele Kalumba

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The Patriotic Front (PF)has described the conviction of former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba as a political gimmick by president Rupiah Banda.

PF National youth secretary Erick Chanda says though the conviction is welcome,Dr. Kalumba has been used as a sacrificial lamb to pay to for former president Dr.Frederick Chiluba’s sins.

Mr. Chanda accused the MMD of engineering the conviction of Dr. Kalumba in order to neutralize competition at the forth coming MMD convention.

He said president Banda is jittery of Dr.Kalumba’s presidential ambitions.

Mr. Chanda questioned why the former president Chiluba has gone scot free when his aides have been jailed.

He told QFM that if the MMD government is committed to fighting corruption they should appeal against Dr. Chiluba’s acquittal.
[pullquote]
Mr. Chanda accuses the MMD of engineering the conviction of Dr. Kalumba in order to neutralize competition at the forth coming MMD convention.[/pullquote]

He noted that the MMD will never fool Zambians that they are committed to fighting corruption.

And The United Party for National Development (UPND) has questioned the judiciary’s fairness following the jailing of MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba on corruption charges.

In an interview with QFM, UPND Secretary General Winstone Chibwe said the Judiciary’s jailing of Dr. Kalumba and six of his co-accused is questionable.

He said the charges the former Finance Minister has been convicted for are the same charges Second Republican President Dr.Chiluba was acquitted of.

[pullquote]Mr.Chibwe wonders how Dr.Chiluba could be acquitted yet his former finance minister together with his top former ministry officials have been convicted of the same corruption charges.[/pullquote]

Mr.Chibwe wonders how Dr.Chiluba could be acquitted yet his former Finance Minister together with his top former ministry officials have been convicted of the same corruption charges.

He said there is need for the judiciary to pull up its socks especially when it come to the way it is handling corruption cases.

Mr. Chibwe has since described as unfortunate for a man of Dr. Kalumba’s caliber to be jailed for corruption.

The Lusaka magistrate court on Wednesday jailed the former Finance Minister for 5-years after finding him and his co-accused guilty of corruption involving US$20 million.

Dr. Kalumba has since filed the notice for bail pending appeal to the High Court.

QFM

‘Insinuations about RDA malicious’

Entertainment Editor
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GOVERNMENT has said the insinuation that money amounting to K1 trillion was stolen from the Road Development Agency (RDA) was a mere malicious campaign because no such money was misappropriated and that this had been borne by the transformation of the road net work in Zambia under the RDA.

Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said in Lusaka yesterday that RDA was among the Government institutions that were accountable but faced challenges reminiscent to broad institutional difficulties experienced everywhere.

Speaking during a live programme aired on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)’s radio two, Mr Mulongoti said the K1 trillion over commitment had resulted from the three-year long-term programme that RDA had formulated.

“So there is no over commitment where that amount of money is being planned over a period of three years. You cannot fault people for planning in advance,” Mr Mulongoti explained.

He said RDA was very accountable and gave the example of the 72 km Zimba-Livingstone Road whose tender process for the first 30 km was done by the Government at a cost of K105 billion.

He said for the same road, same contractor and same period, the European Union awarded a tender of 210 billion (Euros 35 million).

The minister said reasons for the huge difference between the GRZ managed project and the one that was processed by the EU were unknown.

Mr Mulongoti said this showed how accountable RDA had been and explained, however, that should there be misappropriation of funds, all those involved would be prosecuted because the Government was of laws.

The January 2006 to September 2009 report by the Auditor General on RDA has revealed, among other things, alleged misuse of funds and over-commitment up to K1 trillion.

Mr Mulongoti said RDA needed the support of all stakeholders and not closure.
He said the terms used by some sections of society in reference to the RDA were very crude, such as misappropriation of funds, which was a criminal offence.

The minister said political opponents had taken advantage of the situation to attack the Government while some were driven by ignorance about the operations of RDA.

Mr Mulongoti said he was in the process of appointing the new board chairperson and members but that some people have turned down the offers because of the growing levels of malice against RDA.

The programme also featured out-going RDA chairman Walusiku Lisulo and director Erasmus Chilundika who reiterated that the K1 trillion which had been referred to as over-commitment was for three years.

He said the budgeting was in line with the medium term expenditure framework prepared by the Ministry of Finance and national planning, which encouraged institutions to budget for three years.

Mr Chilundika said management responses to the audit reports where all the misused terms and perceptions had been clarified had been ignored.

And Mr Walusiku said RDA officials had not misappropriated any money but had used it for the projects as approved by the government through an eight-man committee of ministers.

He said RDA was in the process of rolling out the second phase of the road sub-sector investment programme (ROADSIP-II) at a cost of about US$1.6 billion by 2013.

Mr Walusiku said RDA was facing numerous challenges as a result of limited funding .
[ Times of Zambia ]

UPND in 11 South districts want pact with MMD

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MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga

United Party for National Development (UPND) members in 11 districts in Southern Province want an alliance between their party and the MMD, veteran politician and parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga has said.

Mr Mwaanga said the people of Southern Province have called for a pact between the MMD and the UPND as opposed to the one that was currently in existence between the Patriotic Front (PF) and the UPND.

Mr Mwaanga who has just returned from a visit to the districts said the general view of the people was that they wanted to see an alliance between the MMD and the UPND as the two parties’ manifestos were similar.

In an interview, in Livingstone Mr Mwaanga said only an alliance between the MMD and the United Party for National Development (UPND) would produce a Republican president from Southern Province in 2016.

He observed that coalitions and pacts had a great capacity for failure especially in Africa because their ideologies were usually different.

He cited the pact between the PF and the UPND as one which would not work because the two opposition parties had manifestos that were diametrically opposed.

He said while the PF believed in socialisation and nationalisation, the UPND believed in liberalisation and a free market.

Mr Mwaanga said the people of Southern Province had observed that the MMD and UPND manifestos were similar and this was why they were calling for a pact between the two parties.

He would personally support a pact between the MMD and the UPND, as it would be for the benefit of the Zambian people.

“If UPND shows interest, I would encourage the MMD to enter into an alliance with UPND as it would be mutually beneficial to the Zambian people. It is not about personalities but the interests of the Zambian people,” he said.

Mr Mwaanga condemned the violence during recent by-elections in Mufumbwe saying violent acts did not add anything to development.

As the 2011 elections drew closer, it was important for Zambians to scrutinise speeches and see how some politicians were merely attacking others and engaging in name calling as those vices are bad.

“I believe that Zambians want politics of substance. Zambians want tangible service delivery,” he said.

On the appointment of opposition UNIP Member of Parliament Mkhondo Lungu as minister of home affairs, Mr Mwaanga said that the move was constitutional as the president was at liberty to appoint any MP regardless of which party they were coming from.

He congratulated Mr Lungu on his appointment.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Katele, others appeal against sentences

Entertainment Editor
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Former Finance minister Katele Kalumba and three others have filed notices of appeal against the five-year jail terms slapped on each of them by a Lusaka magistrate’s court.

Kalumba, former Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, Access Financial Services (AFS) directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu were on Wednesday each convicted and sentenced for five years imprisonment on various corrupt charges.

The four have also filed in affidavits in support of summons for bail pending appeal to the High Court.

Kalumba argued in his grounds of appeal that the trial magistrate erred in law and fact in convicting him against the weight of evidence.

Other grounds of appeal would follow after his lawyers study the case record.
Kabwe and Chungu said in their grounds of appeal that the trial magistrate misdirected himself on points of law by not considering the ingredients of the offences under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

Kabwe said the court misdirected itself on a point of law and fact by finding him guilty of corruptly erecting a cottage for former secretary to the treasury Benjamin Mweene.

Magistrate Musona is today expected to hear the bail pending appeal application although Chibanda’s bail application hearing date is yet to be set as her affidavit for bail was filed late.

In the same case Mr Musona also sentenced former chief economist Bede Mphande, former director of budget Boniface Nonde and Mweene to five years imprisonment each but suspended for 24 months.

The general director of SIDA Anders Nordström is fired

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The general director of SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) Anders Nordström is fired and the authority will be re-organized.

The reason is that the government is not happy with the control over money spent on development cooperation. The management of the authority bears the responsibility for the lack of control and for the organisational shortcomings according to the government.

After the revelation last year about development mean for Zambia being used for corruption and embezzlement in the African country, the government realised that something had do be done writes Minister for Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson on the debate site Newsmill.

– The control over SIDA must be better and comprehensive changes are necessary to reach the vision about an aid that makes a difference writes Ms Carlsson

Charlotte Petri Gornitzka has been appointed new General Director at SIDA.

Tommie Ullman
[email protected]

[Stockholm News]

Elephant tramples a Serenje peasant farmer to death

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Elephant

A stray elephant has trampled to death a Serenje peasant farmer after he tried to chase it from his field.

The farmer of Mapepala area in Serenje district died after he was trampled on by the elephant on Sunday night.

Central Province Police Chief, Simon Mpande confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Kabwe today and named the deceased as Francis Kunda of Chief Chitambo’s area.

Mr. Mpande explained that the deceased had gone in the company of his friend named as Charles Chisenga of the same area to scare away three elephants which had strayed into his field at about 23 hours.

He said according to Chisenga, they tried to chase the animals by ringing bells and making other noises which made two of the elephants to run away but one charged at them.

Mr. Mpande said the angry elephant attacked Kunda ripping open his stomach hence killing him.

He said Kunda’s body was only recovered the following morning after Chisenga informed villagers that his friend did not return after the beast attack.

And Serenje District Commissioner, Stanley Chibwana who expressed shock at the incident said he would go to Mapepala area with Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officers to assess the situation.

He also advised people in the area to always work with ZAWA officers when ever they were terrorised by wild animals.

Animals from the nearby Kasanka National Park in Serenje usually stray into Mapepala area.

ZANIS

MISA – Zambia urges media houses to be professional

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MISA Zambia Chairperson Henry Kabwe
MISA Zambia Chairperson Henry Kabwe

The Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, has called on Media institutions to be professional in their reporting so as to ensure that it is not regulated by the government.

Speaking in interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today MISA Zambia President, Henry Kabwe urged Media institutions to be truthful, fair and objective in their reporting.

Mr. Kabwe called on Journalists to report about stories that promote development and peace in the country. He said the media should avoid being political but report on development issues that are helpful to the nation and the public.

“Journalists must play their role of providing the public with informative, entertaining and educative materials as opposed to being political,” said Mr. Kabwe.

He explained that Journalists should avoid propagating agendas of political parties’ and bringing out issues in a political manner.

Mr. Kabwe noted that Media institutions should be responsible in their reporting and that they should avoid being biased.

He also urged politicians to provide the media with information that promotes peace, intelligence and developmental in nature as opposed to attacking each other.

Mr. Kabwe advised politicians to work together and avoid being emotional and personal.
He said politicians should be focused and learn to exchange ideas that are development oriented.

And commenting on the same matter Press Association of Zambia (PAZA),President, Andrew Sakala called on the public not only to focus on the negative aspect but also on the positive issues that the media report about.

Mr. Sakala noted that Journalists have been playing an important role of providing information to the public on Economical, Social and Political issues among other issues.

He said what the media report about is simply a reflection of society happenings and therefore it is vague general and wrong for one to condemn the media.

” Journalists should not be blamed for their reporting because they only bring to the attention of society the happening events”, said Mr. Sakala.

Mr. Sakala has called for a fundamental change in the way politicians exchange their ideas and views.

He added that media institutions have a right to support apolitical parties of their choice. He has since urged journalists to be professional, objective and truthful in their reporting.

ZANIS

Senior Private Secretary to the President advises Mpombo

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George Mpombo

Senior Private Secretary to the President Rapson Chilufya has advised former Defence Minister George Mpombo to take a break from attacking innocent people and make peace with people he has offended.

Mr. Chilufya who spoke in his personal capacity said Mr. Mpombo’s continued attack on the president, State house workers and other innocent people should not be allowed to go on without comments.

Mr Chilufya was reacting to Mr Mpombo’s statement issued in the Post newspaper of 16 May 2010.

He wondered why Mr. Mpombo has chosen to continue attacking him and the president when he voluntarily resigned from his position without giving any one reasons and advised him to reflect on his life.

Mr. Chilufya explained that the former defence minister referred to him as a mere male clerk and not a senior member of staff dismissing this as a statement meant to mislead the public.

He said Mr Mpombo’s statement is meant to demean the late president who appointed him to the position and the incumbent president for returning him as a senior member of staff at State House.

He said he should understand that he was appointed by the President to work with him as the Head of State can not work without the senior private secretary who is regarded as a bridge between the president and people including Mr. Mpombo.

And Mr Chilufya dismissed claims that the President only appointed people from Chipata adding that the former defence minister had deprived the Lamba people of a Cabinet Minister by resigning without giving reasons.

Mr. Mpombo’s remarks against the Senior Private Secretary were published in the Sunday Post newspaper dated 16 May 2010.

ZANIS

RB urges Africa to utilise ICTs

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PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda

President Rupiah Banda has called on African countries to adopt and use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to create wealth and improve their citizens’ lives.

President Banda said the exchange of and access to information and knowledge through the use of ICTs has contributed to development of many countries in Africa .

He said ICTs have the potential to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich nations in the world, adding that it would be to the advantage of the African countries to embrace the ICTs in their quest to develop further.

He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President George Kunda, at the official opening of the e-learning Africa Conference at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

This is the fifth international conference on ICT for development, education and training in Africa and is being attended by over 1,700 delegates, out of which 700 are Zambians.

President Banda said Zambia now has a better opportunity to develop because of many ICT strategies which she is employing.

He pointed out that Zambia has already adopted the e-government, e-commerce and now the e-learning among other.

He added that the laying of the optic fibre was one measure that is aimed at easing the use of ICTs in Zambia .

The President further said ICTs can help to significantly grow the economy, which is a precondition to national development.

President Banda also said the national ICT policy which government launched would help the country achieve its vision 2030 and will contribute towards attaining the Millennium Development gals by 2015.

He has since urged player in the development of ICTs to provide cheaper by reliable services that would be afforded by many citizens in developing countries.

The President also urged multilateral organizations and others participating in the conference to consider promoting e-learning further after attending the conference in Lusaka .

Earlier, Minister of Education, Dora Siliya said Zambia has scored a lot of successes in the ICT sector, citing the laying of the optic fibre as one of the main successes the country has achieved.

Ms. Siliya said the launching of the video conferencing equipment by President Banda yesterday was another milestone in the development of ICTs in Zambia .

The video conferencing equipment links he University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University .

Meanwhile, a clergyman from Gambia in West Africa , Tilewa Johnson, warned African societies that ICTs can be both a blessing and a curse depending on how it is handled.

ZANIS

CCZ steps in church’s row

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The Council of Churches has observed that wrangles that have characterised the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in the recent past are an affront to the body of Christ.

Council of Churches Secretary General Suzanne Matale says the church is the beacon of peace, unity and reconciliation and should therefore not be a place for riots and confusion.

Rev Matale told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that one of the pillars of resolving conflict is dialogue hence the church must be an example of how conflicts should be resolved.

She stressed that the church should not copy the model of politicians and other individuals who believed in personal confrontations to resolve issues.

Rev Matale pointed out that the church should lead by example and practise whatever they preached which is promotion of peace, unity and reconciliation.

“The Council of Churches in Zambia therefore is calling upon all its members to seek amicable ways of dealing with issues of misunderstanding”, she said.

The Council of Churches Secretary General said the church has always had procedures and processes of dealing with issues according to the scriptures.

She expressed hope that there would be no further incidents of such nature in the future.

Wrangles recently erupted in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the UCZ over allegations of misapplication of Church money and issues of immorality.

Yesterday, some irate church members threatened to burn the Matero UCZ church, accusing their pastor of immorality and alleged squander of church resources.

ZANIS

Illegal house builders encroach Solwezi School

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A Solwezi community school plot has been encroached by residents posing a threat to the development of the school.

Chamuta Community School Head Teacher, Fredrick Fwoloshi has since appealed to Solwezi Municipal Council to help remove the people that have encroached on the school plot.

Mr Fwoloshi said the permanent structures that were being constructed on the plot were posing a threat to the development of the school.

He noted with sadness that the future of Chamuta Community School was uncertain as there was no room left for the expansion adding that even the road to the school was blocked.

[pullquote]He noted with sadness that the future of Chamuta Community School was uncertain as there was no room left for the expansion adding that even the road to the school was blocked.[/pullquote]

Mr Fwoloshi made the appeal in an interview with ZANIS in Solwezi today.

He said the children cannot have extra curricular activities such as productive unit and physical education because the school has been surrounded by houses.

Mr Fwoloshi further said the environment was no longer conducive for effective learning hence the need for the council to move in as soon as possible.

When contacted for a comment, Solwezi Municipal Council, Public Relations Officer, Chris Mulaliki said the council is not sitting idle and will soon move in to re-demarcate boundaries for the school in the district.

Mr Mulaliki said the council has observed with sadness that there has been an increase of wrangles between schools and communities in the district.

He said that it was unfortunate that people were building on school plots and warned that the local authority would soon start demolishing structures that have been built without the council’s approval.

ZANIS

Katele’s jailing should serve as deterrent-TIZ

Entertainment Editor
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Transparency International Zambia TIZ says the conviction of former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba and his co-accused is welcome and was expected.

TIZ president Rueben Lifuka said it is hoped that the conviction of the MMD National Secretary and his co-accused would mark the end of corrupt activities in the country.

He added that the convictions should also serve as a deterrent to would be corruption perpetrators.

Mr. Lifuka noted that the judiciary in the country should be commended for the work it has done on the case.
said the judgment should also send a message to the government workers that corruption has ill effects on the country.
A Lusaka magistrate Court yesterday convicted former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba together with six his co-accused on corruption charges.

Lusaka High Court deputy director of court operations Edward Musona sitting as magistrate sentenced Dr Kalumba,former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda and former Acess Financial services directors Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour.

He handed former ministry of finance Chief Economist Bede Mpande, former secretary to the treasury professor Benjamin Mweene and former director of Budget Boniface Nonde suspended sentences.

Dr Kalumba has since filed the notice for bail pending appeal to the High Court.
[QFM}

Chile-Zambia Result

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Here are the team analysis sheet for the Chile-zambia friendly played on 26/05/2010
Chile 3(52: Alexis Sánchez 52″ 83″, Jorge Valdivia 85″)- Zambia 0.
Chile: Claudio Bravo; Ismael Fuentes (m.46, Marco Estrada) Pablo Contreras, Gonzalo Jara (m.46, Mauricio Isla), Gonzalo Fierro; Carlos Carmona, Roberto Cereceda (m.46, Alexis Sánchez), Jorge Valdivia, Fabián Orellana; Esteban Paredes (m.46, Jean Beausejour) y Rodrigo Tello.

Coach: Marcelo Bielsa

Zambia: Kalilio Kakonje; Francis Kasonde, Hijani Himoonde, Stophira Sunzu, Emmanuel Mbola; William Njovou, Rainford Kalaba, Jonas Sakuwaha (m.41, Clifford Mulenga), Cristopher Katongo; Félix Katongo y Rodgers Kola (m.69, Given Singuluma).

coach: Wedson Nyirenda
Referee: Gabriel Favale (Argentina)

Cautions: Félix Katongo, Cristopher Katongo (Zambia).

Mother burns children’s buttocks with hot knife

Guest Editor
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Two children of Lusaka’s Chainda compound have sustained burns after their mother deliberately pressed a hot knife on their buttocks.

The incident happened after the mother discovered that one of her children had strayed to a neighbour’s home to eat nshima, Zambia’s staple food.The mother in a fit of anger allegedly took a knife and placed it on a hot brazier before burning her children.

University Teaching Hospital spokesperson Pauline Mbangweta confirmed to MUVI TV news that the two siblings are admitted in one of the surgical wards.
She said the children are responding well to treatment and their condition is stable
[Muv TV]

Rwanda asks Zambia to extradite genocide suspects

Guest Editor
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Government is studying the letter sent to President Rupiah Banda by his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame requesting the extraditing of Rwandan suspects of the 1994 genocide who fled to Zambia.

Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says the Zambian government has always been called upon by the International Criminal Court Tribunal in Arusha,Tanzania to help the Rwandan government to expedite the cases pertaining to the 1994 Genocide.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has written to the Zambian government through counterpart President Banda seeking the arrest of those suspected of involvement in the 1994 Rwanda genocide which claimed the lives of 800,000 Tutsis and Moderate Hutus.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha says the government will not hesitate to hand in the suspects once investigations are instituted to track those involved.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha disclosed this to QFM in an interview.
[Q FM]

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