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President Rupiah Banda before he left for South Africa at Lusaka international airport.PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday left for Burundi to
attend the international conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) heads of State and Government round-table conference.
Mr Banda, who is current ICGLR chairperson was seen off at Lusaka International Airport by Vice-President George Kunda, several Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, service chiefs, Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja and several Government and MMD officials.
Mr Banda is expected to chair the two-day high-level event, which will run up to tomorrow.
The round-table meeting is hosted by the government of Burundi and organised by the International Conference on Great Lakes Region secretariat with the support of the African Development Bank.
It will bring together political leaders of member states, high level representatives from each of the group of friends, international co-operating partners, African development institutions and other stakeholders.
The specific objective for the conference is to review progress and remaining challenges in the Great Lakes region and to also present proposals for the priority areas that are currently unfunded and for which support will be required.
Another specific objective for the round-table conference is to re-engage the Group of Friends, other partners and stakeholders to re-affirm their support for the International Conference on Great Lakes Region, among others.
In an interview in Bujumbura yesterday, special envoy for the President of Zambia and National Coordinator for the International Great Lakes Region, Dr Siteke Mwale, said President Banda is expected to play a key role at the round table conference.
Dr Mwale said the role of Zambia is to work closely with member states to ensure success of the round-table conference.
Defence minister George MpomboCHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha
has accused former Defence minister, George Mpombo and other former Government leaders of having launched a smear campaign against President Rupiah Banda and the ruling party through unsubstantiated statements.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the Government was extremely saddened by the behavior of the former senior Government officials who were reinforcing lies that the president’s sons were using State machinery to secure Government contracts.
He said it was disheartening that Mr Mpombo had repeated unsubstantiated allegations made by former vice-president Enoch Kavindele after State House and the Ministry of Defence denied any dealings with the President’s children.
He said Mr Mpombo’s incessant insults and accusations were part of his drive to misinform the public and ridicule the president.
In an interview with The Post Newspaper, Mr Mpombo is reported to have said that the president’s children should do business in a transparent manner and that they should not use State machinery to conduct business just because they were the president’s sons.
“These are serious allegations requiring a person of the experience and status of Hon Mpombo to have attempted to verify and so substantiate his public statement.
“If Hon Mpombo was making the statement in good faith, out of concern for this nation, he would have substantiated the allegations before making a statement,” Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said Mr Mpombo was by implication saying that the president’s children were involved in business in which they did not only use the State machinery but their father’s name.
He urged former leaders speaking out of bitterness to restrain themselves from making statements that endangered national peace and harmony.
Gen Shikapwasha also said Senior Chief Bright Nalubamba had chosen to play partisan politics in his discharge of duties as a chief.
He said Chief Nalubamba should realise that he was an official of the Government and had many channels to use if he wanted to advise the Government, including the president.
He said the Government had noted that the chief spoke ignorantly about the late president, Levy Mwanawasa’s policy on the future of the Task Force on Corruption.
Gen Shikapwasha said it was wrong for the chief to amplify allegations made by the opposition about the lack of benefit from attending meetings in foreign countries.
The Zambia – North Korea internarional friendly has been tentatively set for Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Faz confirmed today that the 1966 World Cup quarterfinalists will spend five days in Zambia during the build-up to their match against Herve Renards side.
North Korea are due to arrive in the country on November 17 ahead of the match on the 21st and depart 24 hours after the game.
North Korea have just qualified to the 2010 World Cup for the first time since reaching the last 8 in England 43 years ago.
The friendly is North Korea’s second with an African nation over the last 30 days.
North Korea earlier drew 0-0 with Congo-Brazzaville in another warm-up game played in Le Mans, France on October 13.
Indeni Oil Refinery in NdolaFrench oil giant Total has sold its 50-per-cent stake in
Zambia’s sole petrol refinery to the government in Lusaka for 5.5 million dollars. Until now, Total and the government had shared ownership of the 36-year-old Indeni refinery, which has the capacity to produce 24,000 barrels of fuel per day.
“The Government now owns 100 percent shares in Indeni after concluding the talks with Total. We have taken over the 50 percent shares previously owned by Total,” the Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary, Berlin Msiska told Reuters.
Msiska could not immediately state whether Zambia would look for another partner or hold on to all the shares in the plant.
Indeni has been plagued by technical problems and erratic supplies of late, causing acute shortages of diesel and petrol in the country threatening to reverse Zambia’s economic gains.
A fault at the plant brought production to a halt on October 15. The ministry of energy said it expects to resume processing on Friday.
The fuel shortages have affected the country’s critical copper mining operations, which rely on diesel for production.
Zambia is Africa’s largest producer of the metal, which accounts for about 70 per cent of export revenue
Indeni Petroleum Refinery was 50 percent each jointly owned by Total El Fina EIF and the Zambian government and latest market estimates indicate that the refinery needs $65 million for recapitalisation.
Total last year told Zambia of its intention to sell its shares to another company but authorities in Zambia objected and opted to fully own the refinery.
Youths in Central Province have called on government to stiffen laws dealing with business proprietors selling liquor and allowing under age patrons in their bars.
The youths made the appeal in their message delivered during the African Youth day celebrations held at Kabwe Municipal Council grounds on Monday.
Delivering the message, Karen Malimba, a grade 11 pupil at Kabwe high school, said parents or guardians of children found in beer drinking places should also be arrested and charged for negligence.
Malimba said the under age or school going children found in drinking places should also be arrested and made to do community work for a period of at least four weeks.
She said once such steps are taken, the problem would be reduced in the country.
Malimba called on youths to become responsible, productive and stable so that they could contribute to the economic development of the nation. She said the theme for the occasion, ‘Productive youths for sustainability and economic development’ could not have come at a better time than now when there is need for behavioral change among the youth in the country.
Malimba observed that the issue of unemployment would be a thing of the past if youths got involved in income generating activities that would increase the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She called upon her fellow youths to refrain from alcohol and substance abuse in order to reduce the spread HIV/AIDS.
Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) in Kawambwa district has expressed worry at the poor performance of its sponsored pupils in the area.
CAMFED members expressed worry during their annual committee meeting in Kawambwa on Monday. The members said 90 percent of the sponsored girls in all schools in the district were not performing well while some were falling pregnant while still in school.
One of the members, Edith Chikonde attributed the poor performance of the girls to poor selection criteria and lack of seriousness on the part of the pupils.
Ms Chikonde wondered what method CAMFED was using to pick vulnerable girls to be sponsored because most of them were not performing to expectation.
And another member Elinah Mubita suggested that eligible vulnerable girls be subjected to aptitude tests before being put on sponsorship to avoid picking those who are not serious with school.
The members have since suggested that both vulnerability and academic performance be taken into consideration when selecting girls to be put on CAMFED sponsorship.
First Lady Thandiwe Banda has donated K4 million to two women groups in Kavyane and Msumbazi wards of Petauke central constituency.
Speaking when she made a donation on behalf of the first lady, Petauke central Member of Parliament Dora Siliya urged the women to work together if their areas are to develop.
Ms Siliya said many of the households in Petauke and the country as a whole are head by women adding that empowering women would go a long in reducing poverty levels in the country.
She said the two groups had shown the willingness to work together adding that the spirit was good for development.
Ms Siliya said that groupings such as women and youth are the best way to develop and as such should be encouraged.
She said the first lady was aware of the difficulties women were faced with and as such she would always come to their aid.
Meanwhile Ms Siliya has called on teachers to work for the development of this country.
Ms Siliya who is also Education minister said there could be no meaningful development without the teacher.
Kafue FlatsParliament yesterday heard that three firms are prospecting
for minerals in the Lochinvar National park and Kafue flats in Bweengwe constituency.
Mines and Mineral Development Minister has told parliament that Albidon Zambia limited, Dongwe and other small licensed firms are prospecting for Gypsum and other precious minerals and stones in the area.
Dr. Mwansa was responding to a question by Bweengwe Member of Parliament Hive Hamududu who wanted to know whether there were any firms prospecting for minerals in the Lochinvar national park and Kafue flats in his constituency.
Mr. Hamududu also wanted to know the names of the firms and the kind of mineral they are prospecting.
Mr. Hamududu said there was need for the Ministry of Mines to be careful as some firms would get consent for prospecting minerals while they were actually mining.
In response the Dr. Mwansa said the process of prospecting involves special meteorological works hence the use of some equipment which seem as though the companies were mining.
He appealed to those interested in prospecting for minerals in the area to apply for the mining rights.
Earlier Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffery Lungwangwa told the house that his Ministry is committed to holding the Rail Systems of Zambia (RSZ) accountable to the concession that was signed between the company and government.
Prof Lungwangwa said government will always make sure that the RSZ adheres to the concession requirements so that the rail sector develops in the country.
On the cargo exceeding the set tonnage, Prof Lungwangwa said there is a law that stipulates that any cargo vehicle should not be more than 22 metres long and should be weighed.
The Minister was responding to oral questions by Kabwe Central MP Kayula Kakusa who wanted to know whether the Government has any plans to introduce maximum tonnage on particular stretches of roads so that cargo exceeding the set tonnage should be transported by rail to save roads.
Mr. Kakusa also wanted to know when the Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) will repair the rail tracks to save the roads from being damaged by heavy trucks.
Police in Kalomo are holding three notorious criminals who have been on the run.
The three criminals have been terrorizing people in Mapatizya and Shampondo areas and are linked to a series of aggravated robbery and stock theft reports in neighbouring Zimbabwe.
One of the captured criminals, Kelly Shakalanga, 34 is believed to be the master minder of most aggravated robberies and is on record for escaping from prison after he was convicted of stock theft.
Southern Province Police Chief, Lemmy Kajoba, told ZANIS that Kelly was arrested last year for different offenses but managed to escape from police custody after cutting burglar bars.
The other two captured by police are Christopher Shandubu 35, commonly known as Dembo and Abel Simazeza aged 30.
Shandubu was found with nine rounds of ammunition at the time of his apprehension in Mapatizya area and has also been on the police wanted list for various offenses.
Simazeza was arrested in Batoka area and was found with two AK 47 assault riffles.
Mr. Kajoba said Simazeza was on record for beating up a police officer and for rape offenses.
“One Abel Simazeza is on record for using a fire arm to rape other people’s wives after threatening to kill their husbands with the weapon he carried during attacks,” Mr. Kajoba said.
The trio is being held in Kalomo police and will appear in court this week.
Meanwhile, a man of Kasuko Village in Chief Chongo died on Sunday after a mob pounced on him in Monze when he was caught with three stolen herds of cattle.
Mutale Kandunga, 36 was beaten unconscious by the mob and he died on the way to Monze police.
Mr. Kajoba told ZANIS in Livingstone that the deceased stole three herds of cattle from the Kafue Flats where animals are taken for free range grazing during the dry season.
“Mutale Kandunga was so badly beaten that he died on his way to Monze police after mob justice was administered on him,” Mr. Kajoba confirmed.
And police have launched an investigation into the matter and are looking for three named people believed to be responsible for the murder.
Mr. Kajoba has warned members of the public to desist from taking the law in their hands through mob justice.
“Police are looking for three named people responsible for killing this man because this country is governed by laws,” he said.
He advised people to take culprits believed to have broken the law to police.
The Minister of Defence, Dr. Kalombo Mwansa has said no sons of the republican President Rupiah Banda are involved in any government contracts, including that of arms procurement, as Mr. Enock Kavindele is alleged to have said.
This a reaction to a story carried in the Post Newspaper edition of Monday, 2nd November, 2009, headlined “Rupiah’s Clan Has Taken Over the Economy” – Kavindele.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services in Lusaka yesterday, the Ministry of Defence took strong exception to Mr. Kavindele’s assertion that President Banda’s sons are involved in the procurement of arms.
“We wish to inform the nation that this assertion by Mr. Kavindele has no grain of truth in it. The procurement of arms is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense.”
The press release emphasized that the assertion by Mr. Kavindele should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves because no son of President Banda or any of his relatives has approached the Ministry of Defense on procurement of arms.
ZANIS
Mr Banda taking an oath during his inuarguration November 2008The Forum for Political Parties (FPP) has congratulated
President Rupiah Banda on his 1st anniversary as Republican President.
FPP Chief Spokesperson Charles Kafumbo says the road for Mr. Banda as Republican President has not been smooth but that he proved to be a strong and focused man.
Mr. Kafumbo told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the one year that Mr. Banda has been President a lot of people have insulted and called him names and yet he has not lost direction.
Mr. Kafumbo said it was his organization’s prayer that God may grant President Banda good health and more wisdom on how best to rule the country.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kafumbo has urged President Banda to urgently convene at an inter-party meeting to address issue of violence in political parties in the country..
Mr. Kafumbo said if the political party violence, if not properly addressed and handled can led to loss of lives.
President Banda was inaugurated as fourth Republican President on November 2 after the death of President Levy Mwanawasa.
A youth activist in Lufwanyama has appealed to government through the Ministry of Health to conduct a mobile male circumcision programme in the district to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe, Fairchild Fundanga said there is a high demand for male circumcision among the youths who have been enlightened that the operation reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Mr Fundanga said the youths are currently turning to traditional circumcision methods in their efforts to protect themselves from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
He noted that the traditional circumcision methods being used were posing a health risk including HIV/AIDS infection due to the use of unsterilized equipment.
Mr Fundanga appealed to government to intervene and provide safer circumcision operations in the district.
He noted that there was also need to educate traditional circumcision experts in rural areas on how to sterilize their equipment.
Male circumcision has been approved to be effective in reducing chances of contracting HIV/AIDS and most Zambian men are slowly accepting the operation in a bid to protect themselves from the pandemic.
winstone zuluWinstone Zulu, one of the world’s leading activists against
the spread of HIV/AIDS and TB says there is need for collaboration between government and TB centers in the country if the fight against the disease is to be won.
Global Friends in Action Program Manager Winston Zulu says despite the disease being in existence for more than 120 years, people have not fully understood it due to lack of adequate information compared to that of HIV/AIDS.
Winstone Zulu became the first individual in Zambia to publicly acknowledge being HIV positive.He has been living with HIV and AIDS since 1990, and became sick with – and was cured of – TB in 1997. He watched four of his brothers die of TB, as a result of a lack of access to the drugs that would have cured them and extended their lives.He’s since become the preeminent global advocate on the dangers posed by the increasing spread of TB throughout the developing world.[quote]
He’s one of the few TB survivors who continuously remind us that TB is the leading cause of death for those with HIV.
Mr Zulu has urged government to come up with programs that would adequately raise TB awareness in communities so that people understand the disease including its medication.
Mr Zulu told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that lack of access to TB information and medications has played a role in the increase of TB cases although it is curable.
He was once quoted as saying “It’s difficult to get drugs in some rural areas,but the strange thing is that you can find Coca-Cola almost everywhere.”
Meanwhile Mr. Zulu has said his organization, with financial assistance from the Catholic Church in the USA, has embarked on a campaign to empower people living with TB by building them houses and improving their diets.
He said the initiative which started 3 years ago has seen the construction of 10 houses out of the targeted 100 units in Kabwe’s Makulu Township.
Mr Zulu said the process has been slow due to inadequate resources and non-availability of land for the structures.
And Mr Zulu disclosed his organization has constructed a multipurpose community centre and also intends to build a secondary in the same area..
Paramount chiefs Gawa Undi and Mpezeni, chiefs Madzimawe and Maguya during burial Of Michael Daka, elder brother of chief Undi at Mkaika royal grave in Katete
Of late, the behavior of some of our chiefs has become inimical to the functioning of a vibrant and peaceful multi-party political system that we are attempting to create. I have two examples of such behavior.
The first example relates to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, who has been quoted by Chibaula Silwamba of The Post Newspaper as having said the following in an article entitled “Chitimukulu Vents His Frustration on The Post” of October 23, 2009:
“We have to be on the side of the governing party and the government. There is no chief who could be on the side of opposition political parties. I can never be on the side of an opposition political party.”
In an article by Ernest Chanda of The Post Newspaper dated November 1, 2009 entitled “Chief Puta Bans PF Activities,” Chief Puta is quoted as having banned Patriotic Front (PF) activities in his chiefdom on grounds that the party’s leadership is opposed to former Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s acquittal. In the same article, he is also accused of having tried to block the nomination of a PF candidate for the November 19, 2009 local government elections.
Since independence in October 1964, there have been complaints and sentiments from some segments of Zambian society about the use of traditional leaders by ruling political parties to gain political advantage, particularly during political campaigns. The revelation that chieftains in the Eastern province were consulted in the process of picking an MMD candidate for the Milanzi parliamentary by-election last year, and that the Republican president urged chiefs to support the MMD candidate in the Chitambo parliamentary by-election this year, are cases in point.
If we are not careful, we could be paving the way for anarchy in our 286 chiefdoms by pushing chieftains into the political arena. We could be planting the seeds of destruction for the Zambian nation, and for our nascent democracy; we could be starting a vicious fire for our children and grandchildren to extinguish—and they will not judge us kindly if we leave them a country that will be in flames!
I believe very strongly that the partisan stance by some of our chiefs is partly promoted by the subsidies, electrification of palaces and the car loans extended to them through the office of the Republican president.
I, therefore, wish to call upon President Banda to initiate, by Executive Order, the removal of public assistance to chiefs from the office of the Republican president and placed under the aegis of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs in order to forestall any suspicions that assistance to chiefs is designed to woo their support for the ruling political party during elections.
There is also a need to uphold Articles 65 (clauses 3 and 4) and 129 of the 1996 Republican constitution (as recommended by the National Constitutional Conference), which bar chieftains from participating in or joining partisan politics unless they formally abdicate their traditional leadership roles. If they are allowed to participate in partisan politics, they can consciously or otherwise abuse the absolute traditional authority they wield by imposing their political views and choices on their subjects — a situation which can lead to tribal politics in our country.
Moreover, traditional leaders’ participation in politics can lead to the disintegration of their chiefdoms. Let us consider a number of scenarios which can culminate in such a situation.
Firstly, a chieftain is, ideally, an impartial leader of all the people in his or her chiefdom regardless of their political affiliations. However, his or her participation in partisan politics can inevitably place him or her in an adversarial position against subjects who may have different political alignments.
Secondly, the political arena naturally requires participants to advocate certain causes and articulate their ideological convictions which, for a traditional leader, are likely to be at variance with the causes and convictions of some of his or her subjects. Thirdly, partisan politics is fraught with slander, snobbery and discourtesies to which traditional leaders can choose to subject themselves only at the immense cost of losing the abounding and unconditional respect accorded to them by their subjects.
Further, chieftains’ participation in active politics can frustrate efforts aimed at creating a level playing field for all political contestants, since they (the chieftains) already have a faithful following in their areas of jurisdiction.
We would do well to address allegations of election-rigging, vote-buying, intimidation, and access to public resources by the ruling political party without opening up other avenues for unfair political advantage.
The Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) says there is need for government to undertake investigations and prosecute those found guilty of abuse of authority in the disbanded Task Force on Corruption.
ZDDM National Coordinator Edwin Sakala says despite the many financial irregularities revealed by the Auditor Generals report, government has still remained mute over the arrests of the perpetrators within the organization.
He alleged that ZDDM was aware that former Task Force Chairman Marks Nkole had illegally awarded contracts to foreign firms in the United Kingdom without following the normal tender procedures but has not been arrested.
Mr. Sakala stated this in a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today. He said government must fully investigate all the financial irregularities and allow the law to take its course on those found wanting.
Mr. Sakala added that in the interest of justice, government through the Vice President should allow all the people injured by the Task Force operations through illegal arrests, prosecutions and seizure of their property to be given an opportunity to seek legal redress.
