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Barclays Bank Zambia today donated assorted items worth K 8 million to Breakthrough Trust Cancer ward at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka. The Bank’s staff present at the donation also took time to clean the ward, B21.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, the Bank’s Managing Director Zafar Masud said the donation was made because of the Hospital’s committed fight against cancer.
Mr. Masud added that the donation is also part of his bank’s policy of giving back to the community. He said Barclays Bank would continue giving back to the community and that the community plays an important role in the Bank’s operations.
And Breakthrough Trust Cancer Hospital Publicity Secretary Amy Sikazwe thanked Barclays Bank Zambia for the gesture.
Zambia national soccer team coach Herve Renard talks to reporters after returning from Rwanda
By Simunyola Benjamin
The Zambian National soccer team has been in the soccer lime-light for far too long without claiming any major continental cup apart from the COSAFA which now is failing them.
Concerned Zambians living in South Africa met yesterday (18/11/2009) to discuss the way forward for the National team. Mr. Isaac Kalilo Kahilu a Zambian Businessman based on Jules Street in Johannesburg calculated the team’s performance which has become a tradition with most of us, leading to the Angola African cup of Nations. “we played 6 games, scored 2 goals and allowed 6 goals .Against even better performing teams who scored better but we still couldn’t make it to the finals in Angola”, said Mr. Kalilo. “How will the team perform better in Angola when they have shown that they can’t score or defend?” he said, “no, we need to talk to the FAZ president and concerned football council staff to resolve this problem, this coach must shape up or GO!”
Mr. Javan Safeli a soccer developer and retired soccer player was also in attendance. “It’s sad that our team is not showing signs of scoring goals and winning the games in Angola, rest to win the cup”. Mr. Safeli said. “It’s strongly suggested that the coach and the FAZ staff consider this as urgent and strategize for a change”, he said.
Another Zambian supporter Mr. Tembo, a truck driver by profession was also present. “Why can’t these boys stay home and save Zambia the millions in wastage? We can use that money for other developments unlike this soccer crisis” Mr. Tembo said. “It’s embarrassing to see our National team every time losing even to unworthy teams like Rwanda”
The writer tried to get views from players based in South Africa whose phones where either off or not answered. Mr. Kalilo Isaac tried to phone the FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya who is believed to be staying in Johannesburg, but the phone was off.
The meeting called for the head of the coach, who they claimed sidelined players. During the meeting an attendee phoned the Zambian High Commission in South Africa to seek an intervention. However, the commission offered no help as they referred him to another Sports council official in Zambia.
The Gathering come-up with this probable line-up, failure to which the Coach and his FAZ cronies should find their way to their farms;
1. Kennedy Mweene 2. Joseph Musonda 3. Mbola 4. Chintu Kampamba 5. Elijah Tana 6. Moses sichone 7. Felix Katongo/ James Chamanga 8. Andrew sinkala/ Isaac Chansa 9. Jacob Mulenga/ Singuluma 10. Christopher Katongo/ Noah Shivuta 11. Clifford Mulenga. Bench; Kalaba, Billy Mwanza, Ian Bakala, Kalilo kakonje, Nyerendah.
Kazungula District in Southern Province today failed to join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Toilet Day which falls on November 19 every year.
Some government departments from various ministries turned up to Namapande Resettlement area, the venue for the commemoration only to find that nothing was happening.
And a check by ZANIS at the site found that the people in the area did not know about the event and were doing their normal businesses while others where ploughing their fields.
Some government departments who turned up for the event expressed disappointment at the organizers of the event saying there was need to notify people on the preparations of the event.
The departments that turned up for the event included Immigration, Zambia Police, ZRA, Health, Prisons, the Network of the Zambian People living with HIV/ADS (NZP+) and Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA).
Meanwhile, Programme for Sustainable Rural Development (PSRD) Projects manager Semion Zgyambo told ZANIS in a telephone interview that the World Toilet Day in the district has failed to take place because it has been postponed to Wednesday next week.
Earlier in the week, invitation letters were dispatched to various government departments and Non-Governmental Organizations in the district.
According to the invitation letter dated November 13, 2009 and signed by the District Commissioner Mary Mukwiza the World Toilet Day commemoration was to take place today November 19, 2009 at Namapande Resettlement area.
Mrs. Mukwiza said in the letter that the World Toilet Day was set by the United Nations to enable the world reflect on the importance of every household having a toilet and using toilets accordingly.
She emphasized that proper maintenance and use of toilets could contribute to reduction of diseases while contributing to the cleanliness of the environment in the keep Zambia Clean Campaign.
The theme for this year’s World Toilet Day Commemoration is ‘The health of your child begins in a toilet’, understanding that good health and sanitation practices must begin at an early stage.
[ZANIS]
President Banda (in red dress) escorts the King to board the Nalikwanda
A concerned Kalabo resident, Kalaluka Mubukwanu has advised Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs, Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika to leave the traditional leadership out of politics.
Mr. Mubukwanu said it was disrespectful Dr. Lewanika to draw the name of the Litunga into political matters.
He said Dr. Lewanika should instead direct his energies towards advising the ruling party on how best it can re-organise itself in Western Province.
Mr. Mubukwanu said accusing the Litunga of working with former MMD provincial chairman, Simasiku Namakando in hindering the progress of the MMD in the province was an insult to the Malozi people of the Barotseland.
He said the people in the province felt insulted because the MMD has failed to fulfil its campaign promises in the province adding that Mr. Namakando was only advocating for development in the province.
Mr. Mubukwanu advised that fighting Mr. Namakando would only retard development because attention would be diverted to him.
He has since urged Dr. Lewanika to stop implicating the traditional leadership in political matters as the Litunga has nothing to do politics.
Voting in the Solwezi Central Constituency Parliamentary by-election started at a slow pace this morning.
A random check by ZANIS at five polling stations found no queues as a few people were casting their votes freely.
At Kamakonde polling station in Mushitala, 89 people out of a total of 1, 202 registered voters had cast their votes by 08: 46 hours while Kimale polling station had recorded 110 out of 1, 832 registered voters as at 09:02 hours.
ZANIS also found that 150 people had cast their votes out of the 1,900 registered voters at Kikombe polling station as at 09:15 hours while at Kyankwakwa polling station at Solwezi basic school 130 people had cast their votes out of the 1,310 registered voters.
A check at the two Kandundu polling strings at Community revealed that 297 people had cast their votes out of 3,198 registered voters as at 09:42 hours.
The polling stations which opened at 06:00hrs this morning are expected to close at 18:00 hours.
The Solwezi central parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of area Member of Parliament (MP) Benny Tetamashimba.
The seat is being contested by MMD candidate Albert Chifita, Watson Lumba on the PF/UPND pact, Mohammed Kalela of FDA and Thomas Kafula who is contesting as an independent candidate.
Thirty eight inmates from the Copperbelt Region will be released on parole tomorrow, November 20th.
Zambia Prisons Service (ZPS) Senior Superintendent Daniel Chiwela said this will be the third group of inmates to be released on parole following the National Parole Board’s recommendation.
Mr. Chiwela said in statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday that this was according to the subsequent approval by the Commissioner of Prisons as provided for in the Parole Rules in pursuant to the Statutory Instrument number 101 of 2008 and in the Prisons Act Cap 97 of the Laws of Zambia.
He said Board members of the National Parole Board have been trained both locally and abroad in order to equip them to face challenges that they may face when implementing programmes of the parole system.
Mr. Chiwela said the inmates shall receive support and shall be under supervision adding that the they have undergone behavioral treatment and have attained skills in prison.
The first group of 23 parolees from Lusaka region was released on July 27th, while the second group of 59 inmates from Central Region was released on October 16th.
Conditional release entails an inmate is given some time in the community as a parolee to serve the remainder of sentence under conditions.The inmate is therefore a licensee to serve part of their sentence outside prison gates in the community so that they can fend for themselves eventually, once discharged from prison.
The Provincial Education office in Livingstone is investigating reports of leaked grade nine examination papers printed in Braille, a formal way of writing and reading for Person’s with visual impairment.
This came to light after some identified grade nine pupils who are sitting for their examinations from a named school bragged to their friends about their new skill of taking leaked exam material into an examination room.
A parent overheard the pupils in question narrate to their friends at home after sitting for their first examination paper on Monday,how they successfully managed to carry their leaked examination material impressed in Braille form upon rubbers and rulers, the only items allowed in an examination room.
The pupils said they acquired the Braille leakage skill from a named teacher from a private school during extra tuitions and the Education office is investigating the matter.
Southern Province Education Officer Festus Mungo told ZANIS that his office would follow the matter with keen interest to curb the scourge.
However, invigilators in all examination centres have been informed of the new skill in leaking examinations and are on the lookout for rough markings on rulers and rubbers.
Sinazongwe district Health Director Elias Chipandwe has said Cholera cases were likely to increase if preventive measure will not be effective.
Dr. Chipandwe told the Sinazongwe District epidemic preparedness meeting that there was a high risk of the disease to spread to a lot of areas in the district as the cumulative cases have reached 37 from the time the disease was confirmed as cholera last week.
He said most cases were coming from Sinazeze and Nkandambwe area where there is a Chinese Collum Coal Mine and one case was recorded from Sinakasikili.
The Director pointed out that the district was facing the challenge of fuel as at the time cholera cases break out there was no fuel in Choma and it was difficult to visit the affect areas.
Dr. Chipandwe appealed to the wel-wishers to assist them with fuel, Chlorine, and the disinfectants to ensure that homes where the epidemic was coming from were sprayed.
He said most households were the cholera has occurred have no toilets.
The meeting also head that the Skalamba stream from the Chinese Collum mine has been contaminated with resulting in the spread of cholera cases because most villages draw their drinking water from the same stream and they do not boil it.
The meeting also resolved that the business community within the district should be approached to ensure that they contributed to the eradication of cholera in the district.
FORMER Taskforce on Corruption executive chairperson Max Nkole has described allegations by the Committee of Citizens (CC) that he had asked for the discontinuation of the case involving former Republican president Frederick Chiluba as a lie.
Mr Nkole said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that at no time did he write a letter to the Republican vice-president asking that the case should be discontinued and challenged CC executive director, Gregory Chifire to immediately publish the purported letters.
Mr Chifire on Tuesday challenged Max Nkole to deny that he had written letters to the vice-president asking that the case involving Dr Chiluba be discontinued.
He said that Mr Nkole should in the next seven days publicly admit that he had written several letters to the vice-president, saying that Dr Chiluba’s case should be dropped because of lack of evidence.
“I am challenging Mr Chifire to publish the letters I purportedly wrote immediately,” Mr Nkole said before adding that in fact he could not write such a letter to the vice-president but to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).[quote]
Mr Nkole said there was no way he could have said that the case should be discontinued due to lack of evidence as a person who had been championing the need to exhaust the justice process through appeal.
He said non-governmental organisations officials should not use their positions to misinform the nation, adding that there was need to stick to the truth.
Mr Chifire had said that if Mr Nkole did not respond to the committee, he would make public the letters.
But Mr Nkole said Mr Chifire was free to tell the nation whatever he knew about the issue.
PF Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili (L)
OUTSPOKEN PF Roan Member of Parliament (MP) Chishimba Kambwili, who was a vocal opponent of Chinese investors, has been awarded a contract to supply goods and install some equipment at the re-opened Chinese-owned Luanshya Copper Mines.
Mr Kambwili, who was opposed to having Chinese investors take over the then closed Luanshya Copper Mine, confirmed that his company had been awarded a contract by China Non Ferrous Mining Corporation (CLM) and he extolled the new owners for the massive investment.
The MP’s company, called Roan Bread, was among the 20 Luanshya-based companies awarded contracts to supply goods and services to the mining firm.
About 200 Copperbelt companies have benefited so far.
Mr Kambwili said in an interview that it would be unreasonable for him not to appreciate the huge investment the mining firm had made in Luanshya.
When asked why he was against the Chinese investors when the Government announced that the Chinese would take over the mining firm, Mr Kambwili responded: “I was doing my job to ensure that the Government brings in reputable investors.”[quote]
Mr Kambwili said he was overwhelmed by the huge investment CLM had brought into Luanshya even before beginning production of copper.
“It will be unreasonable for the area Member of Parliament to demonise the investments the Chinese have brought to Luanshya Copper Mines, I am impressed, I actually inspected rehabilitation works last week,” Mr Kambwili said.
He said apart from the huge investment, he was impressed with the salaries the miners were getting.
The lowest paid in G7, according to the CLM salary scale for the surface workers, is K1.2 million and K1.4 million for those working underground.
He said paying the workers such amounts before resuming production and the sale of any copper is testimony that CLM was in Zambia for a substantial period of time to enable the economy of the town and people to improve.
Mr Kambwili said the economy of Luanshya was destined for a boom because of the huge investment the mining firm had brought into the country.
On being awarded a contract, Mr Kambwili said it was awarded to his company.
“It is my company that has been given a contract not as Chishimba Kambwili MP, my company applied for the bid and it was picked like any other company that has been given contracts.
“You can even ask the Chinese, they also don’t even know that my company is one of those given contracts,” he said.
He said there was nothing sinister about being awarded a contract because he had been in that business since 1993 and had dealt with mining firms.
And sources at CLM said Mr Kambwili had been given a contract to supply Maheu drink, and he was also contracted to install some equipment at the concentrator where rehabilitations were still going on.
About US$90 million was earmarked for all the rehabilitation works and so far S$70 million had been spent.
CLM has also embarked on the rehabilitation of an eight-kilometre road leading to Muliashi Copper site at a cost of K9 billion and half of the road has since been tarred.
CLM vice-general manager Gao Xiang said 200 local companies had registered with the mining firm to supply various items.
He said he was impressed with the support CLM had received from the both central and local government levels, the community and the mining unions.
“We have received tremendous support from the people here and more especially the peace in the area is nice for business,” Mr Gao said.
Production is scheduled to start on December 15 after rehabilitation works on the concentrator are completed.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Chief Mechanical Engineer Edward Simbaya says the rehabilitation and up grading of power on the Kariba extension project will cost approximately US $820 million.
Mr Simbaya said the schedule to normalize the situation at the Kariba North Bank Power Station extension is on course.
He explained that the power station currently has four power stations with a capacity of 600 mega watts.
He added that the extension is expected to add two more power stations which will give a power outage of 360 mega watts.
Mr. Simbaya further said that after the completion of the extension of the power station the utility company under the Kariba North Bank Power Station will be able to supply a total of 1080 mega watts.
He said this during a client tour of the Kariba North Bank power station in order to allow clients to have a clear picture of the operation of the nation’s main power utility company. The clients in the tour were picked on random.
Meanwhile Mr. Simbaya has also disclosed that fire that broke out at the power station has had less effect on the power utility because the clearing up of the station and rehabilitation has been done by ZESCO Staff.
Mr. Simbaya promised customers that the situation is expected to normalize by mid next year because an assessment has already been done on the works.
Mid this year the second largest power station in the country, Kariba North Bank was partly gutted which forced the power utility company to increase load shedding to most of its customers in order to sustain the existing power stations.
Vice President George Kunda says the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy) MMD is confident of retaining the Solwezi central constituency parliamentary seat in today’s by-election.
Mr Kunda said the MMD has done its best and accomplished its mission of convincing the electorates in Solwezi central constituency to vote for Albert Chifita as he is the only credible candidate who has a heart to save them.
The Vice President was speaking during his rally at Kimiteto basic school to drum up support for MMD candidate Albert Chifita in tomorrow’s Solwezi central by election in Solwezi yesterday.
Mr Kunda advised all political parties to adhere to the rules of finishing their campaigns today at 18 hours and ensure that the elections are held in a free and fair environment.
He therefore thanked all MMD political party officials for making the campaigns for the Solwezi central constituency parliamentary by-election a success and urged them to continue with the same spirit t of strengthening the party.
And Mr.Chifita appealed to the electorates to vote for him because he was the only credible candidate they have lived with when he was District Commissioner who knows their problems.
He pleaded to the electorates to forgive him today if he had wronged anyone during his execution of duty when he was District Commissioner.
The Solwezi Central seat was left vacant after the death of area MP Ben Tetamashimba, who was also Local Government minister.
Mr. Watson Lumba is standing on the UPND/Pf pact ticket, FDA has Muhammad Kalela and Thomas Kafula is standing on an independent ticket.
Home Affairs Minster Lameck Mangani has called for strengthened laws to deal with pornography and piracy in the country.
Mr. Mangani said there is need for punitive action against perpetrators of such acts as they have negative consequence to both the people and the government.
He said the Zambia Police Service has established the Intellectual Property Unity (IPU) to deal with these problems and has so far recorded lot of successes.
Mr. Mangani said this in parliament today in response to question from Chilubi Member of Parliament Obius Chisala Davis Mwila who wanted to know why government has not taken measures to control pornography and piracy in Lusaka, Ndola, and Kitwe.
He has however said the fighting pornography has remained a challenge due to its secrecy.
He said the IPU is working with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and has arrested a number of people piracy and for been found in possession of obscene material.
He said the simple sentence and fine for people found in possession of this is not adequate and people have taken advantage of this to continue dealing in these illegal activities.
Mr. Mangani said government is losing a lot of money through adding that it needs to be addressed so that it can also protect the musicians.
He further said government is meanwhile destroying all the materials that are confiscated in the operation so that they don not lands in bad hands.
British High Commissioner to Zambia, Thomas Carter says his government has positively responded to the recent Forum for Political Parties (FPP)’s petition barring his government to stop meddling in Zambia’s internals affairs.
Meanwhile the forum says it is not fully satisfied with the response given to them by Mr. Carter.
Forum Spokesperson, Charles Kafumbo confirmed to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Mr. Carter responded to the FPP’s petition but did not give details.
Mr. Kafumbo said the high commissioner however did not include in his response the concerns to stop commenting on the country’s internal affairs, and also actual budget his country had spend on the now disbanded tusk force on corruption.
He has however thanked Mr. Carter for responding to their petition although many of its issues some issues like its support to the tusk force has been overtaken by events.
He said a careful study of the response has shown that he meant well in his response to the petition.
Mr. Kafumbo has said the forum has since arranged a meeting with the British High Commissioner that will seek to harmonize the different opinion on issues of fundamental importance.
Meanwhile, the forum has condemned the offensive words exchange by top political leaders and some sections of the media.
Mr. Kafumbo said the continued bickering and squabbles by political should be condemned by all well meaning Zambian and it is adding no value to country.
He said if left uncheck this is likely to plunge the country into chaos.
He has since called for a politicians to consider coming up with an inclusive government of national unite to divert the current squabbles in the country to involve politicians in governance issues.
