MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba has been evacuated to India for specialised medical examination.

Ministry of Health permanent secretary Velepi Mtonga confirmed this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Mtonga said Dr Kalumba was flown to India last Friday for specialised examination of his heart condition.

She said Dr Kalumba was accompanied by his wife, Lumba.

Before he was flown to India, Dr Kalumba was discharged from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) because of lack of equipment to examine his heart problem.

“He was flown to India last week for further investigations because we do not have equipment which can examine his heart complication,” Dr Mtonga said.
And Dr Mtonga said she is yet to receive a report on the condition of Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga.

Mr Konga was also flown to India and was expected to undergo an operation.

“As you may be aware, there is that time difference between India and Zambia and so I’m yet to get a feedback on the condition of the minister,” Dr Mtonga said.

And when asked whether Government has changed the policy with regard to the countries where Government officials are evacuated for treatment, Dr Mtonga answered in the negative.

She said market forces determine which country a Zambian is evacuated to for specialised treatment.
Most of Zambia’s patients are evacuated to South Africa for specialised treatment.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has called on government to speed up the process of funding the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says timely funding to the ECZ will go a long way in enhancing comprehensive fresh voter registration in the country.

In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Tembo observed that the current voter register has outlived its usefulness because it has disenfranchised many eligible voters.

Mr. Tembo explained that the current voters’ register needs a complete overhaul to ensure that it is up to date because some people on the register have passed on, while others have relocated to other places.

He also noted that people who have lost either their voters cards or National Registration Cards will have an opportunity to have their documents replaced.

He said this would help curb low voter turn outs as evident in the past Chitambo, Kasama Central and Solwezi Central parliamentary by-elections. He further expressed concern that delayed funding to the ECZ will greatly disturb the institution’s constitutional and statutory functions.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tembo has also appealed to ECZ to begin the process of amending the electoral code of conduct ahead of the 2011 elections.
He noted that the electoral code of conduct in its current state can not provide the basis of promoting a level electoral playing field.

Mr. Tembo cited the media, the Police, electoral monitors and observers, the electorates, political parties and their candidates as some of the partners that should form part of the people in the amendment process of the electoral code.
ZANIS

Livingstone, November 30/09-ZANIS – Government has retaliated its commitment to the fight against Gender Based Violence.

Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said gender based violence is an act that should be eliminated whether in public and private life.

Mr. Munkombwe pointed out that the gender based violence act includes physical
and sexual assaults, neglect, verbal attacks, insults, threats, harassment and other psychological abuses.

He said this in a speech read for him by Livingstone Mayor Jorum Mwinda at the gender based violence show for Coordinated Response Centre (CRC) held at the civic centre in Livingstone on Saturday.

Mr. Munkombwe noted that violence against women was on the increase evident by several stories of violence in the media.

He stressed that gender based violence has far reaching consequences and can cause irreversible effects on the physical, psychological and social well being of an individual.

And Mr. Munkombwe charged that while gender based violence often takes place on the private sphere, it has an indirect but dramatic impact on a country’s health care system and places a severe burden on the national work force as cited by World Health Organization.

He disclosed that government remains committed in confronting gender based violence through its legal reforms which include the enactment of the proposed Anti Domestic Violence act which will among other things provide stiffer penalties for perpetrators of gender violence.

Mr. Munkombwe said this would ensure provision of quality services for survivors of violence and comprehensive protection of women’s rights.

He added that the formation of the child protection and women units is also another measure that would ensure that children are fully protected from gender violence and its effects.

At the same occasion, Bishop Raymond Mpezele of Livingstone Diocese said the church will always remain committed in the fight against gender based violence through the preaching of the word of God.

Bishop Mpezele thanked all the cooperating partners that were involved in making gender based violence road show a success in Livingstone.

The Bishop said this in a speech read for him by Fr. Clement Temba of Livingstone Catholic Diocese.

And in a vote of thanks, Livingstone Safer Zambia Project (ASAZA) Coordinated Response Centre (CRC) Advisory Council Chairperson Dorothy Velemu urged the survivors of gender based violence irrespective of gender, age and status, to report any case of violence to relevant authorities.

The Livingstone gender based violence road show was made possible with the support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the diocese of Livingstone, a Safer Zambia Project (ASAZA), UNICEF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The show was spiced up by the Sakala Brothers, the national dance troop and the Liwase drama group of Livingstone.

ZANIS

A civic leader in Mungwi District has appealed to government to sink boreholes in Sampa village to save people from drawing water from the crocodile infested Chambeshi River.

Iyaya ward councilor Francis Musonda made the appeal in an interview with the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) in Mungwi yesterday.

Mr. Musonda said many lives are threatened because people have to draw water from the river adding that recently, a girl in the area had her stomach ripped open by a crocodile as she attempted to draw water from the Chambeshi River.

The ward councilor further noted that Chambeshi River had burst its banks because of persistent rains making the situation even worse.

Mr Musonda also said that a woman escaped a crocodile attack last Thursday when she went to draw water at the same spot where the girl met her fate.

He has since appealed to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to hunt down the reptile so that people’s lives are safeguarded.

Councilor Musonda was in Iyaya ward to check on developments taking place in his ward.

ZANIS

Kabwe Mayor, Raphael Musonda has appealed to the church to help build the country on a strong spiritual foundation to promote respect for national leaders.

Mr. Musonda said that the growing trend of citizens insulting national leaders was disappointing and needed spiritual intervention hence the need for the church to take an active role to reverse the trend.

He said this in Kabwe yesterday during the ordination of three pastors, three deacons and one social worker at the Rock of Hope Assemblies Ngungu chapel.Mr Musonda noted that if insults are allowed, Zambia is likely to lose respect within Africa and the world over.He expressed worry over the attitude of politicians who fail to support each other and instead spend their time insulting at the expense of discussing developmental issues.

Meanwhile, Mr. Musonda has challenged church leaders to have passion to lead and guide the flock in a manner that would help transform Zambia into a real Christian nation. He said church leaders should always remember that they were called to
serve and provide sufficient information about Christian values.

And in his sermon, Rock of hope Overseer, Bishop Boniface Shonga said that the Christian journey called for continuity despite the many challenges citizens might go through.

Among the church leaders who were ordained included three pastors, James Bowa who is also Kabwe mayor chaplain, Muzionele Manda and Fred Mukubesa while deacons included Richard Mwansa, Rita Mutale and Elizabeth Chunga and Mr. David Simwanza was ordained as a social worker.
ZANIS