MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba has submitted that the case of corruption against him has not been made in terms of the law and appealed to the magistrate court to acquit him.

Katele and his co-accused persons have also urged the court to set them free because the prosecution teams had failed to prove the cases beyond any reasonable doubt.

This is in the case in which Kalumba and six others are charged with corruption involving overpayments to Systems Innovation and Wilbain Incorporated.

Others charged are former Ministry of Finance and National Planning permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, former Ministry of Finance director of budget, Boniface Nonde, former secretary to the treasury Benjamin Mweene, former chief economist Bede Mphande and defunct Access Financial Services Limited directors, Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe.

Kalumba, who made the submissions through his lawyer Vincent Malambo stated that the case against him in terms of the law had not been proved and urged the court to set him free and that payments that were made to the two companies did not suggest that he was the one who facilitated them.

And former Access Finance Services (AFS) directors, Chungu and Kabwe also submitted through their lawyers John Sangwa before High Court deputy registrar, Edward Musona, who is sitting as magistrate that there was nothing to indicate that the prosecution was done in the interest of justice, law and order.

The duo said the court ought to dismiss the charges against them and that it would be gross miscarriage of justice if they were not acquitted.
Mr Sangwa submitted that there was no evidence from the proceedings to suggest that Chungu and Kabwe erected cottage for Mweene or corruptly gave a farm to Chibanda.

And Chibanda, in her submissions, also indicated that it was not up to a prisoner or an accused person to establish his or her innocence but that it was for the prosecution to establish whether she was guilty or not.

Through her lawyer Nicholas Chanda, Chibanda argued that there was no proof beyond all reasonable doubt that she committed the offences, which the prosecutions team were alleging and prayed that she be set free.

And Mweene submitted that there was no evidence to suggest that he was aware that the erection of his cottage was intended to do a favour to Chungu and Kabwe and that he did not see how the erection of the house was connected to the alleged corrupt practices of signing of contracts and authorisation of payments into the Zamtrop account.

Judgment has been set for May 26, this year.

[Times of Zambia]

The Zambia Disability HIV/AIDS Human Rights Programme for the Blind (ZDHHPB) has strongly condemned the man of Namwala District who has ditched his twenty nine year old fiancée for giving birth to a limbless child.

Melody Miyoba of Sigwidi village in Chief Bright Nalubamba’s area was betrothed to Trust Michelo who has however changed his mind following the birth of his limbless son, Blessings two years ago fearing that people would laugh at him for having a disabled child.

ZDHHPB Programmes Director Elijah Ngwale told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the decision by Mr. Michelo to ditch his fiancée and abandon his biological disabled child was inhuman.

Mr. Ngwale said ditching the fiancée and abandoning the disabled child would negatively affect the child’s future.

He said there was no need for Mr. Michelo to ditch the fiancée and abandon the disabled child as the child was innocent.

He said the disabled child was young adding that he needs all the support from his biological father who is still alive.

Mr. Ngwale said the child did not wish or choose to be born disabled adding that Mr. Michelo should consider rescinding his decision of abandoning his disabled child.

He said Michelo’s child can contribute significantly to the development of the country despite his condition adding that disability is no long inability.

Mr. Ngwale has since called on all Zambians to condemn Mr. Michelo for abandoning his disabled child.

Mr. Ngwale said what Mr. Michelo did was total discrimination not only on the part of his child but all disabled persons.

He said it is very unfortunate that some people in the country were still discriminating persons with disability.

ZANIS

The Electoral Commission of Zambia says it has not yet decided on whether to have ballot papers for the 2011 elections printed in Zambia or South Africa.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna says the commission is still assessing whether the State owned Government Printers is in a position to meet the security concerns that calls for printing of ballot papers.

In an interview with QFM today Mr Akufuna said that the commission is still waiting for the Government to address the security concerns at the Government Printers building that were raised during a consultative meeting of stakeholders before a decision can be made.

And Mr Akufuna says the commission is and will remain an autonomous body. He said the commission is not mandated to take decisions from anyone. He adds despite the ECZ drawing it’s funding from the treasury, it has always demonstrated its independence.

Earlier Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti was quoted in the media saying that the 2011 election ballot papers will be printed in Zambia.

Meanwhile Mr Akufuna has dismissed assertions by some opposition political parties that ECZ is giving priority to the Milanzi parliamentary by-election because it is a stronghold of the ruling MMD.

He says the commission can only announce an election date of a by-election after being officially notified by the National Assembly through the Speaker.

Mr Akufuna explains that the vacancy for the Milanzi seat was communicated to the ECZ earlier and while the vacancy for the Mufumbwe seat was only communicated to the commission when the date for the Milanzi by-election had already been announced.

There have been calls for the ECZ to hold both the Milanzi and the Mufumbwe by-elections at the same date. The ECZ has set 29th April, 2010 as the date for the Milanzi parliamentary by-election.

QFM

A veteran politician in Mansa has demanded thatformer Home Affairs Minister George Mpombo resigns from the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)MMD for his continued attacks on President Rupiah Banda.

Paul Kalwa, one of the founders and former leader of MMD in Mansa, alleged that Mr. Mpombo lacked
morality,respect for the ruling party,and he should therefore, resign.

Mr. Kalwa told ZANIS in Mansa today that it was unacceptable for Mr.
Mpombo to continue uttering unfounded criticisms against President Banda.

He said it was regrettable that the former Home Affair Minister has
resolved to keep attacking President Banda when he willfully resigned from
his ministerial position.

“Mpombo resigned from his ministerial position. President Banda did not
sack him, he just accepted his resignation. So why has he continued to hate
RB and hail insults at the President,” he asked.

He charged that Mr. Mpombo was one of the founders of the United Party for
National Development (UPND) and was always seeking guidance from the UPND
which he said allegedly advised him to resign.

Mr. Kalwa alleged that Mr. Mpombo did not understand the constitution of
MMD hence his unfounded criticisms on the president.

He said if Mr. Mpombo had been the member of MMD from the beginning and
had studied the constitution, he would have been a disciplined member of
the party.

He said it would be better to replace Mpombo than the party to
tolerate his criticisms on the president and the entire party leadership.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kalwa has urged the opposition Patriotic Front (PF)
President Michael Sata to learn to appreciate.

Mr. Kalwa wondered why Mr. Sata failed to appreciate what the late
President Levy Mwanawasa did for him.

He said it was wrong for the PF leader to say that his evacuation to South
Africa when he suffered a heart problem was mere public relations gimmick.

He reminded Mr. Sata that he was evacuated to South Africa because he was
entitled to it.

He said Mr. Sata had served in government before as a cabinet minister and
was, therefore, entitled to such medical attention.

“Mr. Sata does not appreciate and so I am urging his followers to refrain
from his leadership or else they will be misled,” he said.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) Lusaka Province Women have called on women politicians in the country to practice politics of   value and honesty instead of politics of insults, hate and disrespect.

MMD Lusaka Province Women Chairlady, Jane Mkalipi said this at a media briefing at the MMD provincial office in Lusaka yesterday. She was reacting to Forum For Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi’s recent comments on President Banda’s Trip to China.

Ms. Mkalipi said the utterances by Ms. Nawakwi were as a result of lack of knowledge adding that she will not be allowed to destroy MMD the way she destroyed FDD. She said President Rupiah Banda has scored many successes and his last trip to China resulted in China reducing 50 percent of the total debts for the TAZARA rail line.

She said the President also managed to convince investors to invest in Zambia which will create more Jobs for people in various sectors of the economy. She added that the President also strengthened the bilateral relations between Zambia and China.

Ms. Mkalipi stressed that Ms. Nawakwi has neither capacity nor intelligence to run for republican presidency adding that her morals were questionable.

Meanwhile, Ms. Mkalipi has also reacted to Richard Kapita‘s utterances that only mad people can defect to MMD. She said that the United Party for National Development (UPND) is not a threat to the ruling MMD adding that the UPND has failed to perform as a party on its own.

Ms. Mkalipi has since asked Mr Kapita to be cautious in his utterances and urged him to concentrate on his party whose leader is allegedly about to be impeached by his own Members of Parliament (MPs).

ZANIS

Republican President Rupiah Banda has appointed Bob Samakai as Chief of State Protocol at State House.

This is contained in a media statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

Mr Samakai was until his appointment Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

President Banda has also appointed Director of Human Resource and Administration at State House Mr Eliazer Kawila as the new Comptroller at State house.

Meanwhile, the President has also appointed State House Chief Analyst for Political Affairs Dr Francis Chigunta as acting Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs for Administrative convenience.

Mr Jere disclosed that all appointments are with immediate effect.

ZANIS

FORMER freedom fighter, Jackson Ngoma has insisted that he shared a prison cell with Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata when he was incarcerated at Bwana Mkubwa and Mukobeko maximum prisons in the 1960s.

Mr Ngoma maintained that it was him who shared a prison cell with Mr Sata and not his older brother as purported by the PF president.

Mr Sata recently featured on the ‘Political Hour’ programme on Radio Breeze FM in Chipata and denied ever sharing a prison cell with Mr Ngoma.

However, Mr Sata admitted sharing a prison cell with Mr Ngoma’s older brother who he identified as Paterson Ngoma.

He said he was incarcerated for his involvement in the struggle for political liberation and not for a criminal offence.

But in an interview in Chipata yesterday, Mr Ngoma insisted that it was him who had shared a cell with Mr Sata at Bwana Mkubwa Prison in Ndola and Mukobeko in Kabwe in the early 1960s.

He displayed a certificate of his release from Bwana Mkubwa Prison and admitted that he had a brother by the name of Paterson Ngoma, who died some years back.
He, however, insisted that it was him who was once imprisoned together with Mr Sata.

Mr Ngoma, who once served as Mambwe District governor during the UNIP regime, has also threatened to file a court injunction against Mr Sata the moment the PF leader files his nomination to contest next year’s presidential polls.

He said Mr Sata’s past record could not allow him to contest the Republican presidency.

“I have enough evidence to prove that I shared a prison cell with Mr Sata and that he was incarcerated for a criminal offence and not as a freedom fighter as purported by him on Radio Breeze,” he said.

He dared Mr Sata to sue him if it was not true that they had shared the same prison cell.

Mr Ngoma also challenged the Zambia Prison Service to check their records and tell the nation the offence Mr Sata committed when he was fired from the Zambia police force.

[Times of Zambia]

BANK of Zambia (BoZ) has now started issuing licensing to micro financial institutions (MFIs) to be accepting deposits from customers to push down interest rates.

The central bank believes that the measure would help the micro financing firms to have more liquidity of their own rather than depend on borrowing from commercial banks, which would enable them reduce interest rates.

BoZ Governor Caleb Fundanga said in an in interview in Lusaka that the central bank had put in place measures to address the exorbitant interest rates charged by MFIs in Zambia by authorising them to collect deposits.

He said MFIs would now be able to collect deposits at a lower rate of five per cent and then lend it at a considerable charge like what commercial banks are offering at 20 per cent.

“We are now licensing deposits taking in MFIs and this means that they will be able to collect deposits from the public and at the same time it will help reduce the interest rates,” he said.

MFIs would be able to do business at a much lower lending rate compared to the current situation where they were borrowing from commercial banks at 30 per cent.

Dr Fundanga said the MFIs were in turn lending at more than 80 per cent, which was too high.

“People have complained about commercial banks having very high interest rates at 26 per cent but some MFIs are charging more than 100 per cent interest on the loans and people are still borrowing. It is amazing and in fact it is a challenge,” Dr Fundanga said.

The central bank had created a window for them to take deposits so that they can access cheaper money.

“MFIs should not look to Government to subsidise their operations because Government as you know is also hard pressed with funding. We would not like to over burden Government but they can collect deposits from the public,” he said.

Dr Fundanga urged MFI institutions to lend to the production sectors to grow the economy.[quote]

“We can not grow our economy by just funding for consumption we need to lend to the production sector,” he said.

In a separate interview, Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) chairperson Saviour Chibiya urged MFIs to also access the global funds that were available for them.

Mr Chibiya said there were global funds set aside for the purpose of promoting MFIs for them to access cheaper funding rather than borrowing from commercial banks.

He noted that commercial banks had commercial motives so if they could access the global fund, they would be able to source affordable funds.

[Times of Zambia]