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The Zambia Centre for Inter-party dialogue (ZCID)spokesperson Langton Sichone has condemned the violence occurring in the ongoing Solwezi By-election campaigns in Northwestern province.
Mr Sichone said ZCID is concerned with the way political violence has rocked the political landscape during recent by election campaigns and the current one in Solwezi.
He said it was disheartening to note that the perpetrators in the on going violence were members of the ZCID who were all witnesses during the formation of the electoral code of conduct.
He said ZCID expects all political parties to display high levels of political maturity and tolerance in relating with one another in the country.
Mr Sichone said this at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
He said there was need to adhere to democratic ideals and not to judge any member on a party’s position on any issue, but rather to seek deeper and better understanding of what happens in the political arena.
Mr Sichone urged ZCID members to desist from abrogating their own trust deed which requires them to conduct political activities within the democratic framework.
He said ZCID encourages various political parties to open debates where each party would have a chance to make suggestions on the best way of bringing development in the country. He further encouraged political parties to have a culture of consensus and to have mechanisms for consensus –building.
Meanwhile Mr. Sichone has said the violence that rocked the Solwezi by elections could have been prevented had the police acted expeditiously.
He has since urged the Zambia Police to deal with matters professionally because their conduct has always been a source of concern.
He further appealed to cooperating partners who consolidate democracy in the country to come on board and assist ZCID with resources to form the inter party liaison committees as a permanent feature of every election.
Lack of deposit slips at National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) in Chama is reported to have delayed the distribution of farming inputs to farmers in the district.
District Agricultural Coordinator, James Ngalamila, disclosed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Chipata.
Mr Ngalamila said the district received inputs in good time but his office could not distribute to farmers because they had not yet deposited the moneys in the bank.
“As far as we are concerned, we are ready with the distribution exercise as everything is in place. The only problem is that there are no deposit slips at NATSAVE for cooperatives to deposit their money,’’ he said.
Mr Ngalamila noted that the delay in distributing the inputs would result in serious challenges in transportation because most roads would be impassable during the rainy season.
He said most transporters would refuse to use longer routes that pass through Isoka and Chinsali in the Northern Province to deliver fertilizers and seed to chiefs Lundu, Chibale ,and in Chilubanama area.
“If we started the exercise this time, we could have used shorter routes but I am afraid, the delay will mean that we are going to use longer routes,’’ Mr Ngalamila noted.
Meanwhile, Mr Ngalamila has bemoaned the indiscriminate cutting of trees in chief Chibale’s area.
He said fertile soils were being affected by the careless cutting of trees, alleging that, people with traditional authority were allowing foreigners from a neighbouring country to be cutting Mukwa trees which they transported outside the country.
Mr Ngalamila said the district only had one forestry officer who did not have transport, adding that, at times, he was just helped by state police to make patrols.
A Combined team of Police Officers and council officials in Nchelenge district over the weekend picked up 31 teenagers, among them a Grade six pupil at a named school, who were found patronizing bars and night clubs.
The officers picked up 20 girls and eleven boys from drinking places in Kashikishi and Nchelenge BOMA in a clean up operation which lasted from around 21:00 hours to about 03:00 hours.
Among those apprehended from Kashgets Night Club, Mushima Nights, Kafindondo Night Club and Kabwe Bar were teenage prostitutes and alcohol abusers aged between 10 and 17 years old.
A ZANIS reporter, who witnessed the incident, found the officers bundling the teenagers, some of whom were very drunk, into council and police vehicles, which later took them to Nchelenge Police Station where they have been detained.
Meanwhile, Nchelenge District Council Secretary, Mwilu Lukwesa, has warned owners of drinking places allowing underage youths to patronize their premises that they risk being shut down by the local authority.
Mr Lukwesa said the local authority has started compiling a list of drinking places patronized by youths and may not renew their licenses at the end of the year.
He said the local authority, in collaboration with the police, will prosecute all the owners of the bars and night clubs where the children were caught.
Mr Lukwesa called on parents and all stakeholders to ensure that they look after their children and ensure that they do not enter drinking places.
He lamented that Nchelenge has continued to record high incidences of HIV and AIDS infections, teenage pregnancies and early marriages because of vices such as beer drinking and prostitution among youths.
Mr Lukwesa said the operations are on going and will soon spread to villages around the district.
President Rupiah Banda says he has delivered some of the promises he made during his campaigns for republican president last year.
President Banda said he has worked hard to ensure that his promises were delivered.
He was speaking late Monday afternoon, shortly after he arrived at Lundazi airstrip from Chama district.
He also thanked the people of Lundazi for voting for him in last year’s presidential election, saying Lundazi produced the highest votes in Eastern province.
Meanwhile, President Banda is this morning expected to meet traditional leaders and MMD party officials after which he will hold a rally at Kaunda Square grounds in the afternoon. He will fly back to Chipata later in the afternoon. Mr. Banda will complete his visit to Eastern province and proceed to Solwezi in North-Western province on Thursday.
Earlier, Lundazi District MMD chairman, Frackson Banda assured the
President that the people in the district were in support of his presidency.
Mr. Banda appealed to the President to contest the presidency in 2011 so that he could start his own term in office.
“This term is not yours, you are merely completing the term of the
late President Levy Mwanawasa. You need to start your own,” he said.
A main road in Chitokoloki North-western ProvinceBy Henry Kyambalesa
There is never a dull moment in Zambia nowadays, particularly during Parliamentary sittings, and during campaigns for Parliamentary by-elections.
In campaigns leading to the Solwezi Central Parliamentary by-election, for example, Solwezi district has become another battleground for political hooligans after violent incidents during the recent Chitambo and Kasama Parliamentary by-elections. And Vice-President George Kunda has not ceased to embarrass himself by making meaningless statements.[quote]
It is surprising that Kunda would go Solwezi to campaign for the MMD candidate and make irrelevant statements that:
(a) MMD is committed to retain the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation in the new Republican constitution currently being crafted by the National Constitutional Conference (NCC);
(b) Hakainde Hichilema was in Solwezi to campaign for Michael Sata because he was unlikely to stand in 2011;
(c) the MMD has maintained peace and stability in the country from 1991 and that is what the party wants to continue doing; and (d) that MMD has never been violent.
Many of these statements do not address the issues which are haunting the people in Solwezi District or North-Western Province.
Besides, there was peace and stability during the UNIP era before the MMD assumed power. Also, violence perpetrated by MMD cadres recently has been condemned by all peace-loving Zambians nationwide, and are still fresh in people’s minds. Even in campaigns leading to the Solwezi Central by-election, MMD hooligans have already gone on record as having engaged in violent activities.
And by asking residents to “vote for a candidate that will have an easy access to government resources in order for development to flourish in the area … [and] so that development can continue”, Kunda is sowing seeds of secession. Such language is likely to make people in North-Western Province to start seeking secession due to potential neglect for not voting for an MMD candidate.
President Rupiah Banda needs to remove Kunda from one of the two portfolios he currently holds. He seems to be suffering from stress caused by work overload, or has he become senile at such a young age?
By the way, there are a lot of important projects and programs which the government needs to pursue in the North-Western Province in order to improve the socio-economic well-being of residents, such as the following:
(a) Construction of a nursing school in Mwinilunga, and upgrading the Solwezi School of Nursing so that it can offer Registered Nursing services.
(b) Construction of a bridge on the Zambezi river to connect the east bank to the west bank where discoveries of oil and gas deposits have apparently been made in Chavuma and Zambezi districts in order to facilitate the exploitation of, and further exploration for, oil and gas and other minerals.
(c) Completion of the tarring and maintenance of major roads in the entire province, including the Mutanda-Chavuma (M8) road, Solwezi-Lumwana road, and the Solwezi-Kipushi road.
(d) Tarring and maintenance of local streets throughout the province, such as the Kimasala, Kyafukuma, Mbonge, Messengers, Kyalalankuba, and Kansanshi Mine streets in Solwezi district in collaboration with the Kansanshi Foundation.
(e) Construction of the planned railway line from Chingola to Benguela in Angola through Solwezi and Mwinilunga districts, maintenance of the Mwinilunga-Jimbe road which links Zambia to Angola, and active participation in the construction of a dual carriage way from Chingola to the Lumwana Mine being developed by Australian Equinox Minerals.
(f) Improvement of infrastructure at Solwezi airport, rehabilitation of all airstrips in the province, and expansion of Kifubwa, Solwezi, Mutanda, Mundanya, and other major bridges in the province.
(g) Development and maintenance of roads leading to tourist centres—that is: the Kifubwa National Monument, Mutanda Falls in Solwezi, Nyambwezu National Monument, Zambezi Source National Monument, Zambezi Rapids in Mwinilunga East and West, Lunga National Parks in Mufumbwe and Kasempa, Chinyingi Foot Bridge, Chavuma Rapids, and the Zambezi beach.
(h) Improvement of accommodation standards in tourist centers by providing incentives for the construction of motels and 5-star hotels (similar to the new Royal Solwezi Hotel and Villas in Solwezi) throughout the province.
(i) Speeding up the connection of areas of districts in the province that do not have electrical power to the national electricity grid, and provision of incentives for private investment in revamping the Mwinilunga Cannery factory.
(j) Construction of barracks in Chavuma, Mwinilunga and Solwezi for army officers at border towns, revival of the Kafumfula Zambia National Service (ZNS) camp in Kasempa district, as well as construction of houses for ZNS, police, military, and immigration officers in the province. An additional immigration border post would also need to be built in the province at Ndunga in Kabompo district on Zambia’s border with Angola to control illegal traffic and trade across the border.
(k) Improvement of the availability of safe and clean water throughout the province through boreholes, dams, water pipes, and protected shallow wells, and also provide for modern sewage facilities and both public and private rest rooms.
(l) Upgrading of resettlement schemes in the province by providing financial and material resources for constructing and/or rehabilitating boreholes, water wells, irrigation dams and canals, feeder roads, culverts, low-cost houses, clinics, basic schools, police posts, and other essential public services and facilities. The schemes include the Kazhiba scheme in Solwezi district, and the Litoya and Luwe schemes in Kabompo district. The planned Chikenge scheme in Chief Kalunga’s area, the Kayombo scheme in Chief Chiyengele’s area and Mumbeji scheme in Senior Chief Sikufele’s area should also need to be provided for in terms of essential public services and facilities.
Funding for these kinds of projects and programs nationwide can come from savings which can be realized from reducing the number of Cabinet portfolios by merging and/or abolishing some government ministries and agencies, abolishing the positions of Deputy Minister and District Commissioner, reducing the number of foreign missions by having single embassies to cover clusters of countries, and initiating many other cost-cutting measures.
President Banda introduces former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi to MMD cadres in Chipata, Zambia
President Rupiah Banda has reiterated his government’s commitment to continue allocating financial resources for developmental projects in the country.
President Banda said this in Chama yesterday when he addressed a public rally attended by hundreds of residents who braved the heat at Chama market.
Mr. Banda said government would ensure that more resources were provided for the development of the nation.
He said that his government intends to distribute resources fairly across the country so that development is spread evenly, adding that Zambians should actively get involved in developing the nation.[quote]
“We want to ensure that all the provinces in the country are developed and not divided because we are one nation,” he said.
And President Banda stated that for the first time in the history of Zambia, agriculture input such as fertilizer have been distributed to all the districts before the onset of the rain season.
President Banda has since reassured farmers that the cost of one bag of fertilizer will be at K50, 000 per bag, adding that the food security pact for a family has been reduced from eight to four so that more farmers could benefit from the supplement.
And President Banda has disclosed that his government would not arrest anyone for criticizing him, adding that as a leader, he would remain focused to developing the nation.
He said Zambia has chosen democracy as its guiding principle and he would therefore, not discriminate against anyone regardless of their political affiliation.
He said his wish was that all children in Zambia have access to education because this was cardinal for the development of the nation.
“I want to see a situation where all children go to school even if their parents did not vote for me,” he added.
He appealed to Zambians to continue being focused and develop the country and not to listen to people from outside the country who would want to confuse the nation.
He has since urged Zambians to uphold peace and remain united for the good of the nation.
Meanwhile, President Banda said government would soon respond to concerns raised by traditional leaders in Chama concerning major projects such as the Chama-Matumbo road and the construction of a bridge at Luangwa river.
He said in a private meeting with the chiefs, he was informed of the need to work on the two projects in the province to enhance development.
President Banda assured the people of Chama that a contractor, Sable had already been engaged to work on the bridge.
Meanwhile, former Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Edward Mumbi commended President Banda for being a good leader.
Mr. Mumbi noted that unlike some party leaders, President Banda was not full of vengeance and insults.
He further charged that the PF leader Michael Sata had received a lot of money from donors which up to now can not account for.
The Road Development Agency (RDA) has dismissed claims that it was favouring foreign contractors in awarding contracts for road construction.
RDA head of public relation, Loyce Saili said the agency does not favour any contractors when awarding contracts but was offering equal opportunities for local and foreign contractors.
Mrs. Saili said all contractors bidding to win road construction contract were given an equal playing field but noted that local contractors needed to improve their capacity in terms of technical, equipment and trained personnel.
She disclosed that some local contractors have failed to execute projects they were given in certain parts of the country.
She said there was need for local contractors to partner with foreign contractors to enhance their capacity in road construction and rehabilitation in the country.
Mrs. Saili has meanwhile said the agency has embarked on rehabilitating and upgrading city roads in Lusaka to address the problem of congestion.
She said disclosed that the agency recently constructed the Lumumba-Kamwala by-pass road at a cost of over K10 billion as a way of easing traffic congestion in the city.
Mrs. Saili said the agency was also rehabilitating roads in Ibex hill, Avondale and Twin Palm road at a cost of over K57 billion.
Commenting on the Ndola-Mufulira road, Mrs. Saili said the road requires re-construction but noted that it will gobble huge sums of money.
She said the estimated cost per kilometer of the Ndola-Mufulira road is K3.5 billion.
She said currently, government has no sufficient funds to reconstruct the road noting that it would be worked on next year when funds are secured.
Mrs. Saili explained that most urban roads on the Copperbelt and other parts of the country require major overhaul, mainly rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
She said the road network of urban roads that needed to be worked on was around 5,000 kilometers at the rate of over K3 billion per kilometer.
Mrs. Saili however observed that some contractors, who have been engaged by RDA to do work, have performed very well while some have not performed satisfactorily.
She said the contractors that have not performed well will have their contracts terminated for poor performance.
She explained that the RDA does not take pride in terminating contracts it was obliged to ensure that contractors met the required quality of roads which will give tax payers value for their money.
Mrs. Saili said the whole K1.3 trillion that was budgeted in the 2009 RDA annual work plan for roads, has been used and roads been.
ZANIS
A panel of three high court judges is expected to hear the appeal case of Regina Chiluba’s receipt of alleged stolen properties and money. This came to light when high court Judge Evans Hamaundu informed parties to the case that the appeal case could not take place as it required more than one judge. The case has been adjourned to a later date. In adjourning the matter this morning, Judge Hamaundu says a penal of three judges has to be set and a pre-hearing be done before coming up with a date before the actual hearing of
the case commences. This is in a case in which Mrs. Chiluba is appealing against the Magistrate court’s sentence, to three-and-a-half years in prison for receiving and obtaining stolen state property while her husband Dr. Chiluba was Republican president. The magistrate’s court in Lusaka on March 3rd 2009 found Mrs. Chiluba guilty on five of six counts of fraud relating to receiving alleged stolen property and funds. Mrs. Chiluba was accompanied to court by her husband Dr. Chiluba and a number of sympathizers. Meanwhile Mrs. Chiluba’s legal representative Robert Simeza has requested the Lusaka high court to assist in securing the complete record of the evidence from the magistrate court. Mr. Simeza explains that the appeal case for Mrs. Chiluba cannot be properly argued without the complete record of the evidence that was produced in a lower court. He says the lower courts are obliged by law to prepare the record before the commencement of the appeal hearing.
Embattled Herve Renard breaks his silence tomorrow when he dates the press after morning training in Lusaka.
Renard has ducked the press since Zambia lost 1-0 to Egypt at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe on October 10 in their penultimate 2010 Group C qualifying match.
The Frenchman this week came under attack from his own camp in particular the nomadic German-based midfielder Andrew Sinkala whom he dropped for the match against Rwanda.
Sinkala took a swipe at Renard and poured his heart out in the local press over his relationship with the Frenchman and it is hoped the latter will have something major to say on this issue during his briefing.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the brewing clouds, the team went about the business of preparing for the crucial Rwanda game away in Kigali this Saturday that they must win to book their place at the Africa Cup in Angola in January.
Zambia need to beat Rwanda to safely secure the third and final qualifying berth in Group C they currently hold on 4 points against the latter’s 1 point, although a draw will suffice for the former to book their place at the finals in Angola.
And goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene arrived from South Africa this evening together with the Israel based-duo of striker Emmanuel Mayuka and midfielder William Njobvu.
Earlier in the day, Given Singuluma from TP Mazembe, Mamelodi Sundowns player Felix Katongo including he Amazulu duo of goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje and defender Kampamba Chintu all joined camp in Lusaka.
Captain Christopher Katongo and defender Joseph Musonda all joined the squad on Sunday.
Jacob Mulenga and Rainford Kalaba are both being expected later tonight and tomorrow respectively.
Zambia are expected to leave for Rwanda on Thursday.
Vice-President George KundaVice President George Kunda has cautioned people of
North Western Province against making experiments on government leadership.
Mr. Kunda said it was important for people in the area to vote for a candidate that will have an easy access to government resources in order for development to flourish in the area.He appealed to the people in the area to continue supporting MMD so that development can continue, noting that government would not relent in its efforts of ensuring that the people in the province benefit from its leadership.
He said it was only the MMD government which has the capacity to developing all parts of the country because it was the party in power.
Mr. Kunda said it was not safe to experiment on leadership by voting into office people that did not have the interest of the electorate and of the nation at heart.
He said the MMD government has managed to lead the country in peace and tranquility and has accelerated development because it leaders were experienced.
He said government has a robust programme for building schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure through out the country, adding that it has so far succeeded in its developmental programmes because it was listening to the citizens.[quote]
Mr. Kunda was speaking at a public rally at Kyafukuma Basic School in Solwezi today to drum up support for the MMD’s candidate Albert Chifita in the forthcoming Solwezi parliamentary by-elections.
And Mr. Kunda has said it was a legal requirement for foreign investors to practice cooperate social responsibility.
He said it was important that investors support communities that live around the area of their operation.
Mr. Kunda was reacting to reports that Kansanshi mine investors were not doing enough to support communities around the mining area.
He said investors should not only make money but should instead plough back some of their profits into communities by building schools, clinics and other facilities.
And speaking earlier, North Western Province Minster Joseph Mulyata accused Kansanshi mine owners of only employing opposition Patriotic Front (PF) members at the expense of the local community.
He said it was strange that some mining companies could engage themselves in politics by employing only members of a particular political party when government does not choose who to employ.
Mr. Mulyata said since Kansanshi mine is based in Solwezi, it must work towards benefiting the local people.
He said government will soon engage the mining company to discuss the problems surrounding the employment of the local people.
Meanwhile, government has pledged to continue putting in place programmes that will benefit the poor and disabled people in the country.
Community Development Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka, who was speaking at the same rally, said government would ensure that the living standards of Zambians were improved.
Mr. Muteteka said government has so far spent K50 billion on Fertilizer Support Program (FSP), adding that input on this programme have already been distributed to vulnerable but viable farmers through out the country.
He appealed to traditional leaders and the church to work with his ministry in the distribution of inputs to avoid incidents of segregation and abuse of the programme.
On women empowerment, Mr. Muteteka said government has allocated K5 billion in next years budget for the empowerment of women and appealed to them to form cooperatives for them to access the funds.
He said government was mindful of many challenges that women around the country were facing and was working hard to mitigate some of these sufferings.
And Solwezi central campaign manager Kabinga Pande appealed to the electorates in the area not to deceive themselves by voting for the opposition political parties whom he said were only bent on opposing whatever programme the government initiates.
Mr. Pande, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, said Mr. Chifita is the best candidate for the Solwezi Central parliamentary seat because he has the experience and understood the difficulties people faced in the area.
He said Mr. Chifita was once a District Commissioner for Solwezi and therefore, it would be easy for him to understand the needs of the people.
The Solwezi parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of Ben Tetamashimba, who was Member of Parliament under the MMD.
A 19 year old Zambian student studying at a university in South Africa, who went missing on 24 October 2009, has been found dead in a Roodepoort police mortuary in South Africa.
The teenager, Ponjee Sendwa, allegedly went to a night club in Roodepoort near Johannesburg to celebrate Zambia’s Independence Day with his friends when he met his fate.
The boy’s father, Neol Sendwa, who is an engineering manager with BP Zambia in Lusaka, said the body of his son was discovered at Roodepoort police mortuary yesterday morning.
This is contained in statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by the second secretary for press at the Zambian Embassy in South Africa, Phillip Chirwa.
Mr. Sendwa said his son was murdered on the night of 24 October and dumped in a pond where his body was retrieved by police the following day.
He said the police treated the body of his son as unidentified because the deceased teenager had no documents on him.
He said the boy’s body was only discovered after he (Mr. Sendwa) produced the late son’s photographs to Honey dew police station in Roodepoort.
Ponjee went to South Africa last year to pursue his studies in Economics and Administration at Monash University in Rusimig, Roodepoort.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to bring the body to Zambia.
Police in Nchelenge district in Luapula Province are holding a 28 year old man for allegedly killing his 24 year old pregnant wife.
The man, identified as Moses Mutawa of Nkalamo Village in Chief Kambwali’s area, was apprehended by police after he allegedly killed his wife, Agnes Mulenga of the same Village after a domestic dispute.
Luapula Province Police Commanding Officer, Auxencio Mbewe said Mutawa, who is believed to have been drunk on the material day, kicked and punched his wife on 1st November, 2009 in unexplained circumstances, resulting in her death two days later.
He said results of the postmortem conducted on the deceased at Saint Paul’s Mission Hospital revealed that she was about two months pregnant at the time of her death.
Mr. Mbewe said the accused man is being held at Nchelenge Police Station and will appear in court soon.
He said the deceased was buried on Wednesday last week, at Nsoka Village after the postmortem.
Mr. Mbewe urged couples in Luapula Province to find amicable solutions to disputes instead of engaging in violence.
He further called on the people of Luapula to refrain from engaging in excessive beer drinking, as doing so affects their reasoning.
The Police Chief warned that the police will not take kindly to people indulging in any mischievous activities, adding that any one found wanting would be prosecuted.
Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support(RAPIDS)Chief of Party Batuke Walusiku says about 20, 000 caregivers in Zambia will be honoured for their assistance to vulnerable children and those orphaned due to HIV/AIDS.
Ms Walusiku said her organisation will tomorrow honour its 19,839 caregivers for their wide contributions and care for HIV/AIDS victims.
She said the honoured caregivers will, apart from receiving tokens of appreciation, also participate in a short refresher course on care giving using the RAPIDS guidebook.
She pointed out that the United States government through RAPIDS has invested US$57 million dollars for the 2004 – 2010 period to help mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The Chief of Party said this during a press briefing held at RAPIDS offices in Lusaka today.
And caregiver Lesta Chingangu has urged communities to combat HIV/AIDS which has affected a number of people.
Ms. Chingangu observed that RAPIDS helped lessen the challenges being faced by caregivers in the country through their continuous support.
She said many orphans are able to go back to school with the help of RAPIDS adding that the number of orphans has since risen from 50 to 261 thousand under the RAPIDS programme.
The plane carrying the FIFA world cup Trophy, Lusaka International Airport
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President Banda introduces former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi to MMD cadres in Chipata, Zambia
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Security personnel harassing a photographer when the FIFA world cup arrived in Lusaka, Zambia
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MMD cadres queue to shake president Banda's hands in Chipata, Zambia
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Journalists wait to shoot pictures of the world cup trophy in Lusaka, Zambia
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Former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi is greeting MMD cadres in Chipata, Zambia
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An unidentified woman using her mobile phone to shoot pictures of a plane carrying the FIFA world cup trophy in Lusaka, Zambia
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FIFA world cup Trophy Tour, Lusaka, Zamba
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An unidentified MMD cadre singing party songs before president Banda's arrival in Chipata, Zambia
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An unidentified Chinese man waiting for President Banda's arrival at Chipata airport, Zambia
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Zambian Breweries Group managing director Pearson Gowero hoist a special packaged coke in Lusaka, Zambia
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Vice president George Kunda is helped to wear gloves before laying a foundation stone for the construction of an agricultural technology demonstration centre in Lusaka, Zambia
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An old IFA truck transporting charcoal from Chongwe to Lusaka, Zambia
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An unidentified man watching a Nyau dancer in Lusaka, Zambia
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Mine looks different...Agriculture minister Brian Chituwo seem to be telling education minister Dora Siliya (l) after receiving gifts from the Chinese embassy in Lusaka, Zambia
Women treated for breast cancer are at a higher risk of a relapse if they have “dense” breasts, say researchers.
Those with denser breasts are four times more likely to see their cancer return, compared to women with less dense breasts, says the journal Cancer
The Canadian authors advise that women with the densest breasts should have radiotherapy while the women with less dense breasts could be spared.
Experts say further studies are necessary before any treatment change.
The researchers from the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, looked at the medical records of 335 women who underwent surgery for invasive breast cancer and for whom a pre-treatment mammogram was available.
Patients’ breasts were categorised as low density, intermediate or high.
Greater risk
Breast density was higher in the younger women in the study, which surveyed women with an average age of 63.5 years.
The women in the high density group experienced a much greater risk of breast cancer returning.
Over a 10 year period, they had a 21% risk of cancer recurrence, compared to a 5% risk for women with the least dense breasts.
After 10 years, the difference in the rates of disease recurrence for women who did not receive radiotherapy after surgery was more pronounced, with 40% of women with high density breasts experiencing cancer recurrence compared with none of the women with the lowest density of breasts.
The authors said their findings indicated that women with low breast density, may not need radiotherapy, but that women with high breast density could significantly benefit from the therapy.
‘Breast density modifiable’
The researchers believe the hormonal profile of denser breast tissue makes it more susceptible to cancer.
Dr Steven Narod, of the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Canada, said: “The composition of the breast tissue surrounding the breast cancer is important in predicting whether or not a breast cancer will return after surgery.
“Breast density has been found to be modifiable to some extent by physical activity and hormone therapy.”
‘Attractive prospect’
Stephen Duffy, Cancer Research UK’s professor of screening, said: “This is intriguing.
“One reason for this could be that we know breast density increases the risk of a breast cancer in the first place, so it may simply increase the risk of a second one.
“Another possibility is that the dense tissue makes it more likely that other areas of cancer in the breast are not visible at initial diagnosis and so are not removed when surgery takes place.
“The potential to spare women who do not have dense tissue from radiotherapy is a very attractive prospect. But further studies will be necessary to be sure that this is safe practice.”
Maria Leadbetter, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said: “By being able to determine which women may or may not benefit from radiotherapy it may be possible to offer more tailored treatment.
“It could also reduce the total number of women having radiotherapy, which can have significant long-term side effects.”
