VATICAN Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girasoli has said utterances by individual members of the Catholic Church and some clergy in Zambia should not be misconstrued as representing the official voice of the church.

Archbishop Girasoli said approximately 30 per cent of Zambia’s population were Catholics and it was impossible that such a large population could hold a uniform opinion on any issue.

The pronuncio said the Catholic Church in Zambia was not interested in any human or political power but the aim of the church was to march in solidarity with the people and to proclaim the gospel.

Achbishop Girasoli was speaking at his residence yesterday during the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

“In Zambia, almost 30 per cent of the citizens are officially declared Catholics. This means that it is impossible to have among such a large number of Catholics in Zambia uniformity of thinking and of speaking on the so many social and human issues that Zambian citizens are facing.

“Unfortunately, very often the single voice of one of our Catholic member or one member of the clergy is confused with or taken as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Zambia. Of course different points of views with which we may agree or not are always welcome and are an enrichment for democracy and a support for a fruitful dialogue in society so we respect the opinion of everybody,” Archbishop Girasoli said.

It was important for the Zambians to realise that the Catholic Church officially spoke through the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) and through the Vatican Embassy for matters related to the church and the State.

He said the church in Zambia was not concerned with indicating to Zambians what they should do or not do, but that the main goal was to serve the Zambians by sharing their sorrows and their hopes and help them, regardless of their religious affiliation.

He said the Catholic Church was serving the people of Zambia through 220 schools, a university and 69 health institutions throughout the country.

Achbishop Girasoli hailed the relations between the Vatican and Zambia which he said had been solid for 45 years.

Education Minister Dora Siliya said the Catholic Church in Zambia had for years championed the cause of the poor, spoken on behalf of the voiceless, fought for social injustice and assisted in the education and health sectors, among other services.

Ms Siliya said the Government shared the same values with the Catholic Church, particularly in areas of reducing poverty, creation of employment and the provision of social services.

“We will therefore continue to cooperate with the Catholic Church as well as to ensure peace, stability and security in the country which are a prerequisite to any meaningful development,” Ms Siliya said.

[Times of Zambia]

Movement for multy Party democracy (MMD) has disclosed that Kafulafuta Member of Parliament Goerge Mpombo is not a member of the party.
MMD chairperson Michael Mabenga said that Mr. Mpombo was officially expelled from the party and that whatever statements he is making about the Party is personal and does not represent the MMD party.

Mr. Mabenga charged that Mr. Mpombo is not patriotic member of MMD and that he just came in the party from the United Party for National Development (UPND) because the late President Levy Mwanawasa was related to him.

The MMD Chairperson said there is no way MMD could to keep a member who keeps defaming the President of the party and its members.

Mr Mabenga said that the conduct of Mr Mpombo is an embarrassment to the MMD.

He has since urged Mpombo to stop masquerading as MMD NEC member.
( QFM )

President Rupiah Banda says he will continue paying attention to the needs of North Western Province in order to develop it.

He said this when he addressed a mammoth gathering outside Senior Chief Kanongesha’s palace in Mwinilunga today.

He said North Western Province which is endowed with minerals will assist to propel the economy of the country.

President Banda stressed that government is determined to reduce poverty in the area by creating employment through the opening of new mines.

He implored the people to vote for the MMD during elections in 2011 for continued development in there are and the entire country.

Meanwhile, Senior Chief Kanongesha has assured President Banda that people in his area would continue supporting the MMD administration.

The chief said this when the President paid a courtesy call on him at his palace just before addressing the public.

QFM

First-quarter copper production in Zambia, Africa’s largest producer, rose to 174 407 t from 170 948 t produced in the corresponding period last year, Zambia’s central bank said on Wednesday.

Copper exports in the first quarter rose to 173 421 t versus 153 306 t exported in the same period last year, a statistics report from the Bank of Zambia showed.

“We should expect more copper with the start of production at the Konkola deep mining project, the resumption of output at Baluba mine and ramp up at Lumwana mine,” said Mathias Mpande, a mining engineering senior lecturer at the University of Zambia.

“Zambia should reach 800 000 t of copper without much difficulty by the end of 2010 unless something unexpected happens,” he said.

Zambia’s total copper production in 2009 was slightly below 700 000 t.

The central bank said cobalt output in the three months to March 31 jumped to 1 921 t from 1 081 t last year, while exports of cobalt increased to 1 905 t from the 1 251 t exported during the first quarter of 2009.

“Cobalt production is increasing because Chambishi Metals has started producing again. The cobalt price is also rising and this is an incentive for cobalt producers to increase their output,” said Mpande.

Copper mining is Zambia’s economic lifeblood and the mines are a major employer in the country of 12-million people.

Foreign mining companies in Zambia include London-listed Vedanta Resources, Canada’s First Quantum Minerals, Glencore International of Switzerland and Metorex of South Africa.

[Mining Weekly]

Republican president Rupiah Banda has described the red card campaign being spearheaded by Change Life Zambia executive director Fr. Frank Bwalya as total madness.

President Banda said that he will not be disrupted by the campaigns that seek to disturb his distribution of developments in the country. He added that Fr. Bwalya is no longer a Catholic priest and that the red card campaign, which he described as nonsense, will not go anywhere.

Speaking on the Copperbelt on Tuesday, President Banda expressed happiness that the people there have rejected the red card campaign. He stated that the red card campaign will not take Fr. Bwalya anywhere but will just bring chaos.

And President Banda says that he will never be worried about the United Party for National Development and Patriotic Front pact. He has expressed confidence that he will do far much better than the pact as the two parties have failed to win in the previous elections.

Meanwhile President Banda has said that the people who were laughing at him when he wore a white barret instead of a red one are just jealous because he looked good.
[Q FM]

THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) has warned United Party for National Development (UPND) members of Parliament to desist from distancing themselves from decisions passed by the conference.

NCC spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis said the conference arrives at decisions collectively through consensus hence it is irrational for some members to dissociate themselves.

Mrs Zaloumis said this in Lusaka on Monday in response to UPND vice president Richard Kapita, who was quoted saying that some UPND MPs were not part of the decision arrived at by the conference last week.

Mr Kapita was referring to the decision by the conference to delete an article relating to the right to access food, water and shelter.

Mrs Zaloumis, however, said the conference does not arrive at decisions as parties or stakeholders but collectively.

She said all members of the NCC are expected to honour the decision of the majority of members.

Mrs Zaloumis said political party members taking part in the NCC deliberations should not use the conference to settle scores with opponents.

She said the deliberations of the NCC are neutral and decisions are arrived at amicably.

“Whenever we are adopting articles, if there are members who do not agree with certain decisions, they are at liberty to rise to call for a division within the deliberations.

“So it’s surprising that we can have members who want to rush to the media to distance themselves from the decisions we arrive at,” Mrs Zaloumis said.

She said the conference has been given a mandate to deliver a people-driven constitution and that members of the NCC should ensure that this is achieved.
[Zambia Daily Mail]

PRESIDENT Banda has directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to sell the Itawa flats and houses at the Masala housing complex to the sitting tenants at fair and reasonable prices. The President has also ordered the Ministry of Lands and all councils to expedite the issuance of title deeds before the end of August this year.

Mr Banda said this was so because the Patriotic Front (PF)-run councils were charging exorbitant land rates on houses owned by Zambians. The president said the council had conspired to reverse the empowerment policy initiated by second Republican president Frederick Chiluba by frustrating house owners by asking rates which house owners could not afford.

He was speaking during a Press briefing at Broadway Lodge in Kitwe yesterday.

“My Government will not entertain this kind of dishonesty any longer. These PF councils which have turned rates into rentals and are demanding rates from people on residential properties which are unattainable must reconsider this,” Mr Banda said.

The president said the owners of the houses were Zambians without a regular income, adding that some of them were over burdened with the care of orphans, while others were widows or widowers who had lost their bread winners.

[pullquote]“My Government will not entertain this kind of dishonesty any longer. These PF councils which have turned rates into rentals and are demanding rates from people on residential properties which are unattainable must reconsider this,” Mr Banda said.[/pullquote]

He said it did not make political, economic, moral or even financial sense to over-value properties just to collect higher land rates.
Mr Banda said some house owners who failed to pay the increased rates had their household goods confiscated by councils, a situation he said was unacceptable.

He said the manner in which PF-run councils were charging rentals was a sure recipe for political revolt. The council had not undertaken any maintenance or repair works to the flats.

And Mr Banda disclosed that he had also received a petition from former United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) workers throughout the country who were offered houses by Government to buy at book value but had not because some officials in Government increased the property prices beyond the former workers’ ability to pay.

He said he would not entertain any further delays in the issuance of title deeds, adding that the Government would not allow the councils to frustrate its efforts to empower the people.

Earlier, when he launched the Copperbelt roads project, President Banda commended the Japanese government for the support it was rendering to the Zambian people.

He said the Japanese people opted to support the Zambians because they knew that they were accountable and would use the funds for their intended purpose.

And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura said the project was particularly significant in that it would enhance economic development.

Mr Mitamura said the project would be implemented at an estimated cost of US$27 million, which was equivalent to about K133.4 billion, and that it was the largest grant project to be undertaken by the Japanese government.

[Times of Zambia]