The National Constitutional Conference has said the 1.8 billion kwacha spent on the procurement of microphones was necessary for an effective public address system.

NCC Spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis told Qfm in an interview that the National Constitutional Conference did not have an effective public system for an effective communication during deliberations.

But when asked as to whether the amount spent was not too much for microphones, Miss Zaloumis said the procurement of microphones was not done in a simplistic but in a wholesome manner.

She said it is unfortunate to think that money spent was too much as places like Mulungushi International Conference Centre need quality equipment in order to lift the image of the country.
And Miss Zaloumis has accused those against the NCC of being selfish and in a habit of condemning everything.

She said it is sad that the NCC cannot please everyone but consoled herself that at least the majority Zambians were in full support of the Conference.

But the citizens forum says that the procurement of microphones by the National Constitution Conference (NCC) secretariat is both a scandal and an act of irresponsibility.

Citizens forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda questions how NCC secretariat decide to spend so much money, K1.8 billion at a time when it is concluding its work.

Mr. Kabanda says that the reckless spending of public funds should not be left unpunished.

Mr. Kabanda has since demanded that whoever has been responsible for what he calls careless and reckless spending accounts for procurement.

Mr. Kabanda further adds that the people of Zambia are not going to let this issue die until the culprits are punished for this blatant abuse of public funds.

He added that the Country Cannot allow a situation where money is left to be abused at will by the NCC, when the health sector is limping.

In a statement made available to QFM, He says that several clinics of Lusaka have no medical suplies.

He charged that the whole procurement circus clearly demonstrates that from the beginning the NCC did not have direction.

He accused the NCC of not knowing what to do and the whole process did not have a clearly stipulated time-table.

QFM

World bank country manager KAPIL KAPOOR says Zambia and Nepal will benefit from the funds which are meant for climate change programmes and policy implementation.

Dr KAPOOR said once fully implemented and sucessful Zambia will be eligible to access about 60 million united states dollars to be used for climate change implementation programmes.

Dr KAPOOR said during the launch of the country’s water resources assistance strategic plan in Lusaka today that Zambia and Nepal were the first two countries to qualify for the funds and were selected by World Bank and other donors.

He said Zambia has about 45 percent water resources which are not fully utilised for economic development.

Dr KAPOOR said the available water resources can carter for the growth of the hydro water generation of electricity to su[pply about six thousand mega watts of power.

And Energy minister KENNETH KONGA said the countries available water resources can be used to accelerate economic growth through irrigation,water transport,health and tourism.

Mr KONGA said the one thousand eight hundred mega watts hydro power supply can be increased with support from donors and the business community.

[ZNBC]

Over 5,000 residents of Chelstone township have sued Patriotic Front (PF) general secretary Wynter Kabimba and three others for allegedly constructing a toilet on prime land meant for a shopping mall.

The plaintiffs have also sued a Mr Zulu of Chelstone, Sard Tech Company, and Lusaka City Council (LCC).
This is according to a writ of summons filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry by the residents’ representative Dauzeni Tembo.

Mr Tembo says Mr Zulu, Sard Tech and Mr Kabimba are allegedly working in league to commission the unplanned development while LCC, which is the city’s planning authority, is not doing anything.

“The first defendant (Mr Zulu), second defendant (Sard Tech), and third defendant (Mr Kabimba) have commenced construction of a toilet on a prime land of Great East Road in Chelstone area, upon which the community desires that a shopping mall be constructed as none exists in the area,” Mr Tembo says.

He adds that the area is too prime for construction of a mere toilet ‘as the said area is a gateway to the capital city and therefore desires a better structure’.

Mr Tembo says Mr Zulu, Sard Tech, and Mr Kabimba allegedly have no legal documents to support their action.

“In the meantime, the fourth defendant (LCC) has taken no steps to stop this nuisance despite a committee of residents making a representation (to the local authority),” he says.

Mr Tembo adds that it has now become prudent for the plaintiffs to seek the court’s indulgence for the sake of Chelstone and Lusaka, as such a development will only add to the city’s ugliness, especially that the toilet is being built on prime land.

He has since asked the court to declare that the first three defendants’ action to construct a toilet on prime land designated for a shopping mall is wrongful and illegal.

He is further seeking a court order to direct LCC to take all steps that will ensure that the said piece of land is not subjected to activities that are contrary to its approved use.

The case has since been allocated to Judge Munyinda Wanki.
Meanwhile, Government says it will not entertain cadres from any political party that will engage in illegal allocation of land.

Minister of Lands Gladys Lundwe said illegal allocation of land is rife in Lusaka, adding that those who will be found guilty will face the wrath of the law.

Ms Lundwe said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday following allegations that some cadres, including those from the MMD, are involved in land wrangles in Ng’ombe township.

She clarified that Lusaka MMD chairperson William Banda was engaged to help establish whether it was true that party cadres are engaged in illegal allocation of land.

Ms Lundwe said a taskforce was formed to stop the culprits from continuing with the vice.
Ms Lundwe said this is contrary to claims by Mandevu Patriotic Front (PF) member of Parliament Jean Kapata that Mr Banda is the master-mind in the fracas.

“When the ministry got reports and claims that MMD cadres are grabbing land from residents of Ng’ombe township, we thought it wise to engage Mr Banda so that he could ascertain whether it is members from his party who are involved in that activity.

“The police are doing a good job but we thought it will be more appropriate to involve Mr Banda so that he can identify the people involved,” Ms Lundwe said.

She said it is not right for political leaders to publicly accuse one another of allocating land illegally as this has potential to cause confusion among their cadres.

Ms Lundwe said her ministry has received a number of reports of leaders who are allegedly involved in illegal land allocation and that the cases are being dealt with administratively.

She said leaders will not be able to control their membership if they cannot conduct themselves in an orderly manner.

Ms Lundwe also advised members of the public to be honest when submitting information to the ministry.
She noted some people have gone as far as pretending to be displaced when in fact not.

“I recently visited a site near SOS Children’s Village where I found women who pretended to be squatters and needed land, but it was later discovered that they were actually just ferried there by some unscrupulous people.

“Their plan was that should they have been given land, they would have later demarcated it and sold it to other people,” she said.

Ms Lundwe said the ministry is trying its best to resolve land problems but that it is saddening that some individuals are not being honest.

She said the MMD is a Government of laws, adding that those found wanting will not be spared by the law.
Ms Lundwe has since advised affected people in the Ng’ombe saga to dialogue in trying to resolve the matter.

She said her ministry is ready to meet all the parties to settle the matter amicably.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Lusaka High Court has dismissed an application by Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata for an injunction to stop the TIMES newspaper from publishing articles about him.

Lusaka High Court Judge Evans Hamaundu said in a ruling that he had declined to grant an injunction sought by Mr Sata, who wanted an interlocutory injunction to restrain the Times from publishing what he alleged were defamatory words concerning him.

Mr Sata had said in the affidavit in support of his application that the Times published articles that concerned him in several of its editions in February this year.

The affidavit said the words in those articles were understood to mean that he was not a law abiding citizen, that he had a criminal record, that he was not a sincere Christian and that he was a dishonest person without integrity.

Mr Sata wanted the defendant, Times, to be restrained by way of a court order from repeating the publication of defamatory matters because he was likely to suffer irreparable injury as his political ambitions and standing in the Catholic Church could not be atoned for by damages.

The Times, through their lawyers Brian Singine and Joseph Musonda, filed an affidavit in opposition to the application saying that the plaintiff, Mr Sata was a president of the main opposition political party in Zambia and was for that reason a well-known public figure whose conduct the general public were entitled to comment on.

“The defendant published the articles complained of in the discharge of a public duty to the general public,” the affidavit says.

It said the Times were not the originator of the information contained in the articles and prior to the publication of the articles the defendant had contacted Mr Sata for his reaction.

At the hearing, Mr Sata’s lawyer John Mulwila said there were serious matters to be tried namely, whether or not the plaintiff was dismissed from the police because of a criminal offence and whether or not he led a polygamous life.

The court was asked to grant an injunction if there was prima facie evidence that the statements made were not true.

The plaintiff’s contention was that when it came to matters concerning a political career, the issue of damages would not suffice and only a freezing order would do.

In response, Times counsels argued that the question of whether an injunction ought to be granted or not was to be determined by reference to the circumstances and the state of the law.

“An injunction will not be granted if it will be oppressive to the defendant. The defendant will be able to substantiate the material complained of once the matter proceeds to trial.”

The lawyers argued that the defendant has not continued to publish the same material but has published different articles on different subjects.

An award of damages would sufficiently indemnify the plaintiff if he succeeded in that action.

Mr Justice Hamaundu said in his ruling that in such a matter, the newspaper’s right to freedom of speech should be considered.

He said the articles complained of could be defended successfully by the defence at trial and to satisfy himself, he wanted to closely look at the articles complained of.

The first article, the judge said, showed that it was a report by the Times of words said at a Press conference by former president Frederick Chiluba who was also responding to utterances that Mr Sata had said about him and his wife.

The rest of the articles showed that they were reports of what other people had said and in those articles, Mr Sata was quoted as having made some response or other to the utterances.

“Clearly, the defendant was merely disseminating what other people including the plaintiff were uttering.

However, the defendant was making attempts to balance the utterances by seeking the reaction of the plaintiff,” Mr Justice Hamaundu said.

He said the matter was an appropriate case where the defendant’s rights should remain protected and for that reason, he declined to grant the injunction sought.
[Times of Zambia]