State House has described the story in Malawi’s Nyasa Times that president Rupiah Banda will be president Bingu Wa Mutharika’s best man during his wedding as a incorrect, misleading and a fabrication.

Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere in a statement released to media said contrary to media reports, President Banda is not travelling to Malawi to attend the wedding ceremony of his Malawian counterpart, Dr.Wa Mutharika.

“I wish to inform the nation that contrary to media reports, His Excellency, Mr. Rupiah Banda, President of the Republic of Zambia, is not travelling to Malawi to attend the wedding ceremony of his counterpart, His Excellency, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi,” reads a statement

The statement went on to say that the President and the Zambian Government will instead be represented at the wedding ceremony by First Republican President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Parliamentary Chief Whip, Vernon Mwaanga.

Mr Jere also said that President Banda will be within the country on the day of the wedding.

Meanwhile, First Lady Madam Thandiwe Banda will travel to Malawi to represent the President at the funeral of former Cabinet Minister of Malawi, Dr. Aleke Banda who passed away last week in South Africa.

Dr. Banda, a veteran politician, was a close friend of President Banda. The First Lady will be accompanied by Tourism and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala.

ZESCO Acting Managing Director,Ernest Mupwaya has revealed that there is an increase in power demand in the country due to the national economic growth recorded in the first quarter of 2010.

Briefing the press in Lusaka this morning,Mr.Mupwaya says ZESCO has been struggling to meet the increased demand for power created by the increase in economic activity in the country which has had a ripple effect on the households.

He however says the completion of rehabilitation works at the Kafue Gorge power station and the progress being made in finalizing works at the Kariba north bank power station is expected to inject a further 300mega watts of power supply.

He also disclosed that the joint venture partnership between ZESCO and Tata Africa for the construction of the Itezhi Tezhi power station will also contribute significantly contribute to the national power supply .

[pullquote]And ZESCO director of generation and transmission, Masiye Mwale says ZESCO will not prioritize power supply to South Africa despite the country’s government requesting for over 2,000 mega of power supply from the company.[/pullquote]

Mr Mupwaya further disclosed that ZESCO will in the next two weeks sign a US$100million contract to conduct rehabilitation works in Lusaka, Copperbelt, Livingstone and Chipata as part of the measures to address the challenges the institution is facing in power supply.

And ZESCO director of generation and transmission, Masiye Mwale says ZESCO will not prioritize power supply to South Africa despite the country’s government requesting for over 2,000 mega of power supply from the company.

QFM

Republican President Rupiah Banda has declared today, Monday April 12th, 2010 a day of national mourning in honour of the late former Minister of works and supply Haswel Mwale.

In a statement released to MUVI TV News, Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja stated that the national mourning begins from 6 am to 6 pm.

Dr. Kanganja says all radio and television stations should play solemn music during the period of national mourning.
A funeral church service is scheduled to be held today at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Thereafter burial will take place at the Old Leopards Hill in Lusaka.
Mr. Mwale died on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
[MUVI TV]

The parents of the Zambian student who died in Russia have accused the Zambian and Russian governments of unfair treatment in the investigations of circumstances that led to his death.

The family has wondered why the investigative wings are carrying out an identification process without their involvement. They said that they felt unfairly treated especially that they are poor.

19 year old Lance Mate went missing on November 6, 2009 after a quarrel with some Russians and his body was last week retrieved from Kazanka River in Kazan City.

Mrs. Juliet Mate, the mother to the deceased, also expressed disappointment at what she described as a a bad picture being painted of her late son. She said he was a decent child who performed very well at school.
The Zambian Government has remained tight-lipped over the killing while Russian Ambassador to Zambia Boris Malakhov regretted Mate’s death.
[MUVI TV]

THE Government has questioned the calibre of opposition leaders like Lusaka business executive Geoffrey Mwamba seeking to be in Government when he has failed to settle a K2.4 billion debt to the Food Reserve Agency that takes care of peasant farmers.

Minister of Agriculture Peter Daka wondered yesterday why Mr Mwamba had failed to settle a 1998 loan from FRA which he now was claiming was petty cash to him when the same money works as a revolving fund to pay poor peasant farmers.

Mr Mwamba at a Press briefing yesterday boasted that he would today settle the debt to enable him recover the seized building seized by the FRA last week.

He said he would today instruct his junior accountant to pay the FRA debt so that he reclaims the seized building.

The seized building in Lusaka also houses the central secretariat for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), a party to which Mr Mwamba belongs and is a Member of Parliament.

Mr Mwamba, flanked by PF spokesperson Given Lubinda accused the Government of ‘squeezing’ him and mixing his business with politics, and that he was not a finished business person as some people were saying.

But Mr Daka said it was surprising that Mr Mwamba could drag the Government into an issue that was purely commercial between his business and the FRA.

He said the FRA was an independent institution operating through an Act of Parliament and there was no way the Government could interfere in its operations.

[pullquote]“If he is calling K2.4 billion petty cash why did it take him long to service the loan?” he asked.[/pullquote]

He said the FRA had its own mandate and through its board of directors made all its decisions and decided whom to do business with.

“The issue is between GBM and FRA and it is purely commercial without any political connotations,” he said.

Mr Daka said it was also shocking that Mr Mwamba and Mr Lubinda who were once political rivals when they battled for the Kabwata Constituency seat in 2006 were now friends who teamed up to denounce the Government based on false allegations.

He said as minister he could not understand why Mr Mwamba could boast about having a lot of money through a Press conference when he had neglected to service his indebtedness since 1998.

“If he is calling K2.4 billion petty cash why did it take him long to service the loan?” he asked.

Mr Daka said it was unfortunate that most farmers across Zambia remained poor when people like Mr Mwamba were not paying the FRA.

He said Government remained selfless and committed to the development of the agriculture sector through support to the farmers.

“That money is a lot to pay farmers across the country and he is not giving FRA,” he said.

He said the matter was decided by the courts that Mr Mwamba should pay the FRA and the Government.

And the FRA has confirmed that the Supreme Court passed a judgment in1998 against GBM Trucking and GBM Milling

FRA legal counsel, Chola Kafwabulula said in a statement yesterday that the court judgment was delivered in January.

He said the deal between the FRA and GBM was purely commercial and there where no politics involved.

He said GBM willingly offered collateral in form of a building in Villa Elizabetha and that was not done under any duress.

The Supreme Court upheld an earlier High Court decision in favour of FRA after GBM appealed to the higher court.

On April 7, the FRA seized a property belonging to GBM Trucking to recover more than K2.4 billion it was owed.

[Times of Zambia]

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has directed the minister of Finance and National Planning to immediately mobilise additional funds for the construction of main roads throughout the country this year.

The president called for the acceleration of road construction works in all the provinces following the end of the rainy season.

He said in a statement released by special assistant to the president for Press and public Relations Dickson Jere yesterday that the cost of repairing the roads had gone up because of the delays in completing the works.

Mr Banda said he wanted to specifically see the completion of the construction of the Mutanda-Chavuma Road in North-Western Province, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala Road in Southern Province, and the Kasama-Luwingu Road in Northern Province.

“A number of key roads have been under construction for many years without being completed due to inadequate funds.

“The delays in completing road construction have led to the escalation of costs over the years, compounding the problem of inadequate resources,” the president said.

He also directed the minister of Works and Supply to mobilise contractors to ensure that the specified roads are completed this year.

The president, however, said his directive to accelerate the road works should not in any way be used as an excuse to compromise the quality of works by contractors engaged by Government.

“In this regard, Road Development Agency officials and consulting engineers engaged to supervise these road works are directed to ensure that each and every road constructed meets the highest standards of quality and durability,” he said.

Mr Banda said apart from the specified roads that should be completed this year, works should commence on a number of other economically-strategic roads throughout the country.

He directed the minister of Finance and National Planning to mobilise extra funds from the bilateral and multilateral institutions specifically for the roads sector.

“My Government is committed to improving growth-enhancing infrastructure in the country. My Government is also calling upon the private sector to work closely with the Government and participate in infrastructure development through public private partnerships (PPP),” the president said.

A number of projects had been advertised under the PPP framework to enable the private sector participate in infrastructure development.

A legal and regulatory framework was already in place through the enactment of the PPP Act of 2009 which provided a conducive environment for private sector participationt.

“I, therefore, wish to appeal to the private sector to rise to the occasion and hasten to bring development and prosperity of our people as quickly as possible,” President Banda said.

He said the Government would continue prioritising the construction of schools, trades and training institutions, hospitals, clinics and health posts in every province of Zambia.

[Times of Zambia]