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Several Patriotic Front (PF) members in Lundazi district of Eastern Province have passed a vote of no confidence in their District Executive Committee which they also accused of allegedly being in office illegally.
This is contained in a petition letter signed by 30 PF members from Lundazi Central, Chasefu and Lumezi constituencies and copied to the party’s General Secretary in Lusaka and the Provincial Chairman.
The petitioners allege that the District Executive Committee members, who were hand-picked in 2001, are all from Mnyamadzi ward in Lundazi Central Constituency and have failed to run the party effectively by not calling for meetings.
They further claimed that the behaviour exhibited by some members who refused the appointment of Daudi Mbeba as PF Lundazi District Political Secretary made by PF President, Michael Sata, is an insult tantamount to insubordination to the leadership of the president.
The petitioners charged that it was disrespectful to the national leadership for a district to refuse appointments made by president Sata.
The District Executive Committee members are reported to have told Mr Mbeba to go back to Lusaka and work with Mr Sata and not in Lundazi.
But PF District Vice Secretary, Patrick Nyirenda, dismissed the allegations as baseless and instead accused the petitioners of being used by Mr Mbeba to stir trouble in the party.
Mr Nyirenda also accused Mr Mbeba of imposing himself on the party as District Supervisor, when the position of District Party Organiser is for an employee of the party who receives a monthly salary and instructions from the district.
The Vice Secretary observed that the majority of the petitioners were not genuine members, saying according to investigations most of them are from UNIP.
He further disclosed that the party, in consultation with the provincial leadership, has since suspended Mr Mbeba from the party pending disciplinary action against him.
Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) reporter Victoria Naomi Keziah Phiri who died on Sunday was this morning put to rest at the new Leopards Hill Cemetery in Lusaka.
ZANIS Assistant Director of Technical Services Patrick Lungu said the passing away of Ms. Phiri came as a shock to the organization and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.
Mr. Lungu said it was unfortunate that Ms. Phiri’s desire to improve herself academically and workwise cannot be achieved now due to her untimely death.
And family representative Edwin Mofya described the death of Ms. Phiri as sudden and devastating to the family. Mr. Mofya said Ms. Phiri will be greatly missed by the family as she took interest in every member of the family and impressed everyone.
He expressed the family’s appreciation to ZANIS for the support rendered to them during their mourning period and the church for the comfort offered to the family.
Ms. Phiri, 38, died in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) on Sunday night, November 22, 2009, after an illness.
She joined the then Zambia Information Services (ZIS) in 1996 as an assistant information officer. During her career, she did several courses including a diplomatic practice, protocol and public relations course at the Zambia Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies School recently.
The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has announced that its customers across the country should expect intense load shedding.
Corporation Public Relations Manager Lucy Zimba told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that this is because of one of its generators that was taken out at Kafue Power Station recently.
Ms. Zimba said the generator was taken from the station about two weeks ago for urgent maintenance works.
She said the maintenance works are a routine for the corporation to ensure that the power station is in shape.
Ms. Zimba said the situation is expected to normalize by mid next week after all the works have been done conclusively.
She said a total of 165 megawatts power outage has been affected as a result of the development.
Ms. Zimba has since appealed to its customers to bear with the national power utility company because it is doing everything possible to ensure that the situation is normalised.
Mid this year the ZESCO Kariba North Bank power station, was partly gutted forcing the power utility company to increase load shedding to most of its customers to cushion the loss.
A four year old boy of Munguwabuto village in Chief Chipalo’s area in Luwingu district died instantly after being bitten by an unknown snake.
The mother to the boy narrated that that her son, who was playing with friends, went to relieve himself not knowing that there was a snake in the toilet. She said the snake bit him on the head as he was trying to enter the toilet.
Hospital authorities also confirmed the matter to ZANIS in Luwingu yesterday.
The quick disappearance of the snake is said to have caused the boy’s relatives’ suspicion that the incident was witchcraft motivated as the kind of attack has never been experienced in the area before.
ZANIS
A TOTAL of nine cooperating partners have confirmed their commitment to give Zambia more than K1trillion in Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) towards the 2010 national Budget after noting the Government’s progress in addressing most of their concerns.
The Government and the cooperating partners are also this week expected to sign an agreement on the resumption of funding to the health sector, which was suspended about six months ago, following the Ministry of Health financial scandal.
The cooperating partners announced their firm commitment of K1.032 billion after a high-level policy dialogue with the Government, which was co-chaired by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Musokotwane and outgoing Cooperating Partners Poverty Reduction Budget Support group chairperson, Derek Fee confirmed the donors’ commitment during a joint briefing at the end of the meeting.
The amount is also over and above the $169.8 million, which was committed by the cooperating partners towards this year’s national Budget.
Dr Musokotwane said the meeting was a follow-up to the main one held in September this year and was aimed at resolving outstanding issues particularly on the progress on public financial management, governance and health sector issues.
Dr Fee who co-chaired the meeting said the Government’s continued commitment to the fight against corruption and strong response to audit findings through concrete remedial measures was the best guarantee for donor support.
Dr Fee who is European Commission (EC) head of delegation to Zambia said that the announced support was a contribution to the overall national development plan and reform agenda with ultimate aim of reducing poverty in rural and urban areas.
Apart from EC, other cooperating partners are African Development Bank, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the World Bank.
The donor community recognised the overall progress made by the Government in several areas of the roadmap and considered it sufficiently satisfactory to confirm the budget support commitment.
Notable progress was recorded on the strengthening of the public financial system, and the revision of the budget cycle. Other areas hailed were the launch of Anti-Corruption Policy and the increase in funding towards the Auditor General’s office for this year.
For the health sector, the cooperating partners acknowledged the progress attained in implementing the remedial measures agreed on in the action plan, which would pave the way for the release of donor funding.
The Government and the cooperating partners are, as the result, scheduled to sign an agreement for the resumption of funding to the ministry of Health and related areas.
President Rupiah Banda has declared today Thursday 26th November, 2009, as a day of national morning in honour of late former Commerce and Industry Minister Otema Sy Musuka who died on Sunday at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
Secretary to Cabinet Joshua Kanganja announced the development in a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka last evening.
Dr. Kanganja said all flags will fly at half mast and activities of entertainment nature should be postponed or cancelled during the national morning period which will run from 06:00hrs to 18:00hrs.
The Secretary to Cabinet also disclosed that the burial for the late Ambassador Musuku will take place today at the Old Leopards Hill Memorial Park in after a church service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and that mourners should be seated by 09:20 hours.
The late Mr. Musuku also served as Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
POLICE in Chipata have arrested two officials of a non governmental organisation (NGO) called Harvest Help for swindling peasant farmers more than K600 million.
The 400 swindled farmers had sold maize to the NGO.
The two named officials are in police custody to help with investigation into the matter.
Eastern Province police chief Mary Chikwanda confirmed the arrest but could not give more details as the police were still investigating.
The two leaders are alleged to have collected a number of bags of maize from the farmers and did not pay for them.
The farmers’ group leader Malekano Phiri who is MMD Ng’ongwe Ward councillor said the maize was given to Harvest Help in August and to date, the NGO had not paid for it.
He said the farmers gave their maize to Harvest Help after the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) indicated they had met their target in all the satellite depots.
“We gave Harvest Help the maize because we were desperate after the FRA indicated they had already bought the quantity of maize required in each satellite depot,” Mr Phiri said.
Mr Phiri said the farmers gave the maize to Harvest Help because of the trust they had for the organisation which had been working with the community in all the wards in Chipata.
He said Harvest Help sold the maize it bought from farmers to millers and was paid cash but went on to cheat farmers that they had not yet been paid.
Mr Phiri complained that farmers had been subjected to misery due to the non payment of their money by the NGO.
He said farmers did not have money to buy farming inputs for this farming season.
Mr Phiri said the Government should confiscate and sell assets of the NGO for the farmers to be paid.
And Chipata District Farmers Association coordinator Virgil Malambo said he was supprised the NGO was involved in such malpractices.
Mr Malambo said it was wrong for Harvest Help to swindle the farmers.
MMD Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga has said that it is indiscipline for former Defence minister George Mpombo and others to continue attacking President Banda through the media when they are aware of communication channels within the party.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwaanga said as such, Mr Mpombo and others that have incessantly attacked President Banda over the MMD convention and other issues faced disciplinary action.
This was particularly that the MMD had two days ago offered an olive branch to Mr Mpombo for reconciliation with others in the party.
“I certainly do not appreciate the attacks on President Banda by Mr Mpombo. If Mr Mpombo still wants to see the MMD continue as a governing party, he should direct his comments in writing to the right organs and not commenting through the media. That is indiscipline of the highest order,” Mr Mwaanga said.
He said that it was normal for MMD members to agitate that things should be done in a certain way but that they should not use unorthodox means of putting their points across.
He said using unorthodox means was tearing the party apart and it was therefore important that senior members like Mr Mpombo avoided such.
“I do not think that we are helping each other by attacking the party president in the Press. A party that does not have discipline will quickly run into trouble and what Mpombo and others are doing is starting trouble in the party. Members who are making such statements are indisciplined,” Mr Mwaanga said.
Mr Mwaanga said that the party constitution was clear on members that continuously violated the regulation, saying Mr Mpombo and others were courting trouble for themselves.
On the continuous comments on MMD matters by son of late President Levy Mwanawasa, Patrick, Mr Mwaanga wondered what constituency the late president’s son represented.[quote]
And MMD Luapula Province MMD chairperson Chrispin Musosha has said utterances by Mr Mpombo will not distract President Banda and the MMD from its developmental agenda.
Mr Musosha who is Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister said in an interview yesterday, Mr Mpombo’s outbursts on the president would not be allowed to distract him from his developmental focus.
He said it was clear that Mr Mpombo was sponsored and was not alone in causing confusion within the ruling party.
Mr Mpombo and his group had been planted and their objective was to call for a convention and then pour in a lot of money so that the president could start bending to their demands.
“There is no need for in-fighting because all past MMD presidents were given chance and ruled without any problems,” he said.
Grassroots in Luapula had accepted that the party had no money for a convention because he had covered all the structures of the party.
Mr Musosha said that it was sheer indiscipline for any party member to talk ill of the leadership
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has with immediate effect made changes to his Cabinet in a move that has seen Deputy Defence Minister Eustarkio Kazonga being appointed as Local Government and Housing minister.
In a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere, the president said that Dr Kazonga replaces Benny Tetamashimba who died in September.
The president has appointed Chitambo Member of Parliament (MP) Solomon Musonda, as the new Deputy Minister of Health, taking over from Mwendoi Akakandelwa who has been moved to the Ministry of Energy and Water Development in the same capacity.
Mr Banda has also appointed Kalabo MP Sikwibele Mwapela as new deputy Minister of Western Province, replacing Adons Mufalalai who has moved to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
The president in making the changes directed the new appointees to work hard in order to improve service delivery to the people of Zambia.
Mr Banda has moved North-Western Province Deputy Minister, Joseph Mulyata to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives while Daniel Kalenga who was at the Ministry of Agriculture becomes deputy in North-Western Province.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Deputy Minister Elijah Muchima has been moved to Local Government and Housing, while Ministry of Sports, Youth and Child Development Deputy Minister Angela Cifire has moved to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.
President Banda has transferred Hastings Imasiku from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training to the Ministry of Energy and Water Development with a call to help stabilise the flow of fuel in the country, which was erratic in the last few weeks.
Mr Banda has moved Gladys Lundwe as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy and Water Development to the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Child Development.
President Banda has also moved Community Development and Social Services Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing in the same capacity.
Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development Christopher Kalila has been moved to the Ministry of Works and Supply in the same capacity, while Deputy Minister at Local Government and Housing Lwipa Puma, has been moved to the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry.
The president has transferred Chrispin Musosha, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, while Deputy Minister of Works and Supply Mundia Ndalamei has been moved to Sport, Youth and Child Development in the same capacity.
Others changes involve Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Richard Taima, who has been moved to the Ministry of Education in the same capacity, while Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development Allan Mbewe has been moved to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Meanwhile, President Banda has also made changes to his Government at the Permanent Secretary level where he has appointed Teddy Mulonga as new Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development.
The president has also appointed Timothy Hakayu as new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Housing while Sherry Thole has been appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training.
Other new appointed permanent secretaries include Medson Lisati at the Management Development Division at Cabinet Office and Gabriel Kaunda who would be Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender.
The president has transferred Permanent Secretary at Gender Matondo Monde Yeta to the Ministry of Lands, while Ngosa Chisupa has been moved from the Management Division to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.
President Banda has also transferred Teddy Kasonso from the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Energy and Water Development, while Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Gladys Kristafor has been moved to the Ministry of Tourism.
The president has also appointed Menda Menda to take over as Community Development and Social Services.
Former State House senior private secretary, Alfred Sakala has been appointed Deputy Permanent Secretary in Luapula Province.
Herve Renard has named his final 18-man Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup team and dropped four players.
Top on the list of omissions are Zesco United defender Hichani Himoonde and 2008 Faz footballer of the year Kennedy Mudenda of Power Dynamos.
Himoonde has missed the entire period of training camp this week ahead of the teams departure for Kenya tomorrow.
The Zesco defender is currently attending trials at TP Mazembe from DR Congo.
Meanwhile, joining Mudenda and Hichani on the missing list are strikers Chipulu Chileya and Jackson Mwanza of Konkola Blades and Zesco respectively.
Meanwhile, Chinese-based striker James Chamanga is back in the team after agreeing with Faz to play at the Cecafa tournament.
Zambia are in Group A together with Ethiopia, Djibouti and hosts Kenya, the latter whom they face in their opening preliminary round pool match this Saturday in Nairobi.
Team:
Goalkeepers: Jacob Banda (Zesco United), Joshua Titma (Zanaco)
Defenders: Emmanuel Mbola (Pyunik Yerevan, Armenia), Charles Siyingwa, Thomas Nyirenda (Both Zanaco), Dennis Banda (Green Buffaloes), Percy Kisonge (Zamtel), Jimmy Chisenga (Red Arrows)
Midfielders: Henry Banda, Allan Mukuka (Both Zanaco), Stopilla Sunzu (Clubless), Kebby Hachipuka (Choma Eagles), Sebastian Mwansa (Green Buffaloes), Luka Lungu (Both Power Dynamos)
Strikers: Kennedy Chola (City of Lusaka), James Chamanga (Dalian Haichang, China), Enock Sakala (Zesco United), Felix Sunzu (Clubless)
10-man City of Lusaka left Faz Premier League title contenders Zanaco bruised and sore after leaving Sunset Stadium with a shocking 1-0 win over the log leaders.
The result ,means Zanaco must win away at Kabwe Warriors on Sunday to collect the league but a draw for them and a win for Zesco United at home against Chambishi on the same date will be enough to hand the latter their third successive league title.
Meanwhile, today’s match was a game of two halves.
The first half produced about the best and eye-catching football I have watched to date in 45-minute period.
However, the second half degenerated into boring, rough and ether-inducing display of football with a heavy dose of North African style football thrown-in courtesy of the men from Woodlands Stadium.
Zanaco threatened in the opening quarter of the first half led by Allan Mukuka and tried to intimidate City with the same shock and awe sweeping movements that work so well against Chambishi last Wednesday whom the annihilated 4-1 at the same venue.
Sadly, City rolled-up their sleeves and refused to be cowed by Zanaco’s attacking trio of Mukuka, Makundika Sakala and Winston Kalengo.
And bang on 16 minutes a resolute City took the lead through midfielder and former Zanaco player Lawrence Lubinda who stamped in the ball with his right foot inside the six-yard box.
City then suffocated Zanaco and the lack of air supply was very evident as Mukuka, Sakala and Kalenga now drowning, periodically came up to take a gaps of air.
The early signs of the ugly side of City’s game to come later in the second half firstly manifested themselves in the 21 minute when their coach Happy Sichikolo was sent off for decent for uttering something unsavory to the match officials.
It was the second time that Sichikolo had been sent off in another big Lusaka derby game in less than 40 days after also seeing red on October 11 away to Green Buffaloes in a match City won 2-1 at Edwin Emboela Stadium.
And in the 35th minute, Zanaco came close to leveling scores through Sakala but his trademark header was easily dealt with by City goalkeeper Yombwe Chabala who gathered the tall striker’s effort.
The game changed shape in the second half with City resorting to the theatrics of delaying tactics that eventually cost them a goalkeeper.
Yombwe was sent off just before the hour mark for delaying tactics for allegedly faking an injuring and limped off after he received his second yellow of the day.
City players then got away with some crude tackling before taking a page from the Arab football book on delaying tactics; diving and rolling on the slightest of contact much to the dismay of a packed Sunset Stadium.
However, replacement goalkeeper William Chibale was the only City player who had the decency of sticking to the fundamentals of football and also made some important saves from Zanaco’s frustrated attack.
At the end of the match, Zanaco locked themselves away in the dressing room to digest the defeat while City’s convoy led by their barmy bunch of supporters with lights flashing and car hooters ringing, snaked their way through the heavy 17:00 traffic back across town to celebrate at Woodlands.
The Southern African Postal Operators Association (SAPOA) will next month reduce time taken to transport mails to a maximum of five days as a way of improving business in the region.
SAPOA Chairman Giandev Moteea says post offices in the region have decided to start using electronic transactions as a way of improving their operations.
Mr. Moteea disclosed this during a board meeting for Chief Executive Officers and Postmasters in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. He encouraged Post Offices in the region to use reliable transport, courier and financial services and encourage governments and the corporate bodies to utilize their services in their communication and transportation.
And speaking earlier, Zambia Postal Services (ZAMPOST) Board Chairman James Banda applauded government for introducing the Postal Services Act that will facilitate reforms in the postal sector.
Mr. Banda disclosed that ZAMPOST has embarked on linking and computerizing all Post Offices in the country to one satellite main server to make operations efficient and transparent.
The Kasama magistrate court has sentenced two employees of Radio Mano community station to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for forgery and altering false documents.
Magistrate Dominic Makalicha passed convicted suspended Radio Mano Executive Director David Chanda and his programmes manager Henry Njenje Lupiya, on five counts of forgery, altering false documents and theft by servant.
In the first count, Chanda and Lupiya, on unknown dates but between January 1, 2005 and August 31, 2007 jointly and whilst acting together with unknown people, forged minutes of a board meeting for Radio Mano which they presented to Cavmont Capital Bank with intention of opening an illegal bank account.
In the second count, the duo did alter a false document namely minutes of a board meeting for the radio station to Cavmont Bank for the opening of an account with full knowledge that the said minutes were false.
In the third, fourth and fifth counts, Chanda and Lupiya on unknown dates but between April 4th, 2006 and July 10th, 2007, allegedly stole money belonging to the community radio station amounting to K12, 250, 000 contrary to the law.
The accused persons, who were both on bail, had denied all charges but were found guilty by the court after trial.
In passing judgment yesterday, Magistrate Makalicha said the prosecution team had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Chanda and Lupiya were guilty of forgery and uttering false documents, contrary to the law. He convicted them accordingly.
Magistrate Makalicha said he had taken into consideration the mitigation by the convicts but noted that the offences committed were serious and as such the duo deserved stiffer punishment to deter would be offenders.
He jailed Lupiya and Chanda to one year six months on each of the two counts and said the sentences would run concurrently with effect from yesterday.
Magistrate Makalicha however, acquitted Chanda and Lupiya on counts of theft by public servant due to insufficient evidence to warrant their conviction. He further advised people holding public offices to execute their duties diligently and desist from abusing their authority for their selfish gains.
In mitigation, Lupiya and Chanda both asked for leniency from the court saying they were first offenders and were looking after their families, who would suffer if they were sent to prison.
Meanwhile, there was drama outside the magistrate court yesterday when relatives to Lupiya and Chanda cried uncontrollably.
ZANIS
By Chanda K
Laws of any land are meant to be respected. However, some laws are a detriment to society, such that, they must be challenged and repealed. One such law is the Benefits of Former Presidents Act Cap 15. By this, I do not mean the country should not have such a law, but that this law should be revisited, as far as building former Presidents expensive houses is concerned.
Agreeably, Zambia has been rated among the Highly Indebted Poor Countries in the world. This fact alone is evidence enough that laws such as the one above are a major cost to our country.
Our leaders need to be level headed and sober minded to enact laws that are beneficial to the self-sacrificing people of our great nation. It is highly irresponsible for our leaders to ignore the plight of our people and allocate billions of taxpayer money to such expensive projects.
What message are we sending to ordinary people out there? That it is okay to be irresponsible during your working days and not save up enough money to build yourself a modest home. The message to any individual who aspires for the highest office in the land must be, that they are sacrificing their lives to help humanity and not for their personal aggrandizement. How do our leaders live with the fact that the country can easily afford to build a house worth K7 billion for one individual and let millions of others go homeless. How do we account for the lack of funds to adequately fund our education system, put drugs in hospitals, and pay our teachers, police, nurses, and doctors’ well? How do we honestly live in such a society and be proud of our nation?
These questions must echo in each of our minds. I was taken aback to read in one of the local tabloids that President Rupiah Banda’s plot for construction of his house has already been found. What? If my memory serves me right, RB is an incumbent president and perhaps far from being a former Head of State. So how come the country is already spending money on a house of an incumbent president. Maybe my legal professionals can interpret the Act better than I can. I beg to be educated. Isn’t this a clear abuse of the law? If he ends up serving, not even 1 term, but 3 years, is he really entitled to the house? This is abuse of public funds of the highest order.
The Benefits Act must address this issue seriously before it breeds acrimony among our people. Act should stipulate that the house entitlement would only be earned if one serves an entire term, one term for instance. Further, those funds to build the house will only be allocated upon the vacation of the Office of President. It is indisputable that we must provide for our former presidents, but this must be done in a more cost-effective way. Our country struggles to provide basic services, yet we can afford to build houses for leaders who never even made any significant changes in our people’s lives. This is very painful. I beg to move.
The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has between January and November this year lost K3.7 billion through vandalism and theft of its power supply cables in Lusaka.
ZESCO Lusaka Division Manager Ernest Mupwaya said the company has however recovered some of the stolen cables. He expressed concern at the increased cases of theft and vandalism of power supply copper cables in the city.
He said this has affected about 120 customers on existing power supply in the capital city alone.
Mr. Mupwaya said on each day, Zesco records at least three cases of vandalism or theft of cables, adding that the crime is rampant in Matero, Garden, Chipata and Ngwerere areas
Mr. Mupwaya has meanwhile disclosed that two suspects have since been arrested in connection with the recent theft of cables worth K 500 million. He has warned of stern action against perpetrators of the crime especially that ZESCO was now collaborating with the Zambia Police in fighting the scourge.
ZANIS
