The Passenger Pedestrian and Cyclist Association of Zambia (PAPECAZ) has urged government to immediately ban the movement of commuter buses at night.

PAPECAZ President Lawrence Kaoma says the movement of long distance buses at night should be banned with immediate effect to curb the rising number of road accidents where innocent lives are lost and maimed.

Mr Kabwe said the ban should be implemented as most drivers are failing to observe and maintain road safety measures especially at night.
He has suggested that long distance buses should start off at 05:00 hours in the morning to their various destinations and stop at 21:00 hours.

“We are demanding from government for the immediate ban of movement of passenger buses at night. Most drivers have failed to maintain road safety measures at night,,” he said.

Mr. Kaoma’s observation comes in the wake of a recent case where a bus was impounded by the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) but was later released only to kill eight people in Kapiri-mposhi due to defective tyres and wipers.

This is contained in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.
Similar road mishaps have occurred in different parts of the country within this month.

Mr. Kaoma , who is also Past RTSA Board Member said the agency is not to blame for many road accidents occurring across the country but that he placed 100 percent blame on the drivers for the loss of lives.
ZANIS

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) appealing to employers to extend maternity leave provisions for female workers.

The ZCTU President Leonard Hikaumba said in a presentation to the Technical Advisors at Lusaka’s Golfview Hotel that female workers should be given maternity leave starting a month before the expected date of delivery and six months after that.

He said this during the maternity protection workshop hosted by the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA) which has entered its second day today.This is ahead of the First Ladies’ Workshop begins on Tuesday November 24 and ends on November 26, 2009, respectively,

Mr Hikaumba said future healthy and productive employees would emerge if working mothers were enabled to lay firm foundations for their children. Short maternity leave periods left children growing without the needed guidance of their mothers.

He said under the Employment Act section 15 (a) the Public Sector provided 90 days’ maternity leave while under the Minimum Wages Act private sector employers provided 120 days which were both inadequate to enable female workers to recover and also care for their babies.

He regretted that some employers in the hospitality industry in Siavonga did not provide for maternity leave forcing female staff to resign when they were expectant.

The ZCTU leader appealed to employers to appreciate the importance of maternity leave as the last days of an expectant mother’s labour were critical to the lives of women..

Mr Hikaumba stressed that the law requirements states that a female worker could access paid maternity leave after every two years but it was disadvantageous in cases where employers offered yearly contracts rather than long-term employment conditions.

Mr Hikaumba said it was also proved problematic where female professionals changed jobs and had to wait for another two years saying employers should realize that in modern times family planning was fashionable and female workers would not frequently request maternity leave if the ideal seven-plus months were provided for.

He called on employers in the country to seriously consider providing child care facilities at places of work so that breast feeding mothers could bring their child minders to work.

He added that nutrition of the baby was crucial and mothers could not constrain their new-born children because of restrictions at work.

Mr Hikaumba called on the Ministry of Labour to make sure that employers enforce current maternity laws and also revise those restrictive provisions.

The regretted that the ministry is under-staffed that could help clump down and conduct monitoring of human resource management at places of work.

ZANIS

Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani says the police have arrested a number of suspected masterminds of the recent Konkola Copper Mine riots.

Mr. Mangani told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the suspected masterminds will appear in court soon. He said government will not condone any irresponsible behavior where people take the law into their own hands.

The minister said it is necessary for employees or any section of society to use the correct channels of addressing their grievances rather than resorting to violence.

He said it was okay for the miners to complain about whatever they felt but that it was not good for them to destroy company and public property.

Last week KCM miners’ riot disrupted the mining company’s operations for three days after management allegedly failed to award its workers improved conditions of service.

ZANIS

Three female Monalisa School pupils drowned at Adventure city in Lusaka, on Friday.

Police Spokesperson Bonny Kapeso confirmed the incident in a press statement made available to Zanis in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr. Kapeso said the three were among fellow pupils who had gone on an educational tour at adventure city when they met their fate at around 14:00 hours.

Mr Kapeso disclosed that the trio has been identified as Bernice Namusa aged 12 years, Kakulu Mate aged 11 years old and Mirriam Mambwe aged six years old.

The spokesperson has since advised the general public to be extra cautious especially when accompanied by children at all times.

ZANIS

Zimbabwean First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe arrives in the country tomorrow,Monday November 23rd, to attend the African First Ladies against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA) conference.

Her Ethiopian counterpart Azeb Mesfin who is OAFLA President arrives in Zambia the following day on Tuesday.Other First Ladies expected to attend the conference are Namibia’s First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba who is represented by Reverend Mrs Hilukiluah who has already arrived in the country.

The OAFLA Conference is intended to empower SADC First Ladies with information on maternal health issues and also develop a comprehensive SADC OAFLA sub-regional plan of action.

This is contained in a press statement released by State House’s Press and Public Relations Unit.

The focus of the conference which is being hosted by Zambia’s First Lady Mrs Thandiwe Banda is Maternity Protection as a Preventive and Care Strategy Against Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.

According to the statement, Technical Advisors of the visiting spouses of heads of states are already deliberating ahead of the First Ladies’ workshop which begins on Tuesday November 24, 2009.

Among the planned activities is a visit-site tour to Matero Clinic in Lusaka where there is a support programme for mother and child health, and the State House Women’s Club, Nursery and Pre-School.

The workshop will close with a gala dinner at Hotel Inter-continental in Lusaka on Thursday November 26 whose major function will be to raise funds to help support OAFLA Zambia Chapter activities.

ZANIS

Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Emily Striedl has urged Law Enforcement Agencies to initiate a framework that will strengthen their fight against corruption in the country.

Ms. Striedl said that a strong framework would enhance the Law Enforcement Agencies to have better ways to fight against corruption in the country.
She was speaking in a speech read on her behalf by Siavonga District Council Deputy Planner Charity Kayombo when she officially closed a four day workshop for Commonwealth In-Country Capacity Building for Governance Oversight Institutions.

The event was sponsored by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Commonwealth Secretariat in Siavonga.
Ms. Striedl said the Law Enforcement Agencies coordination in the fight against corruption in the country is not effective at the moment. She said it was important that the Law Enforcement Agencies coming up with a framework of strong coordination would also help in fighting corruption at a faster rate hence making the country a better place to live in.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Secretariat Adviser Roger Koranteng pledged the Commonwealth Secretariat support to Zambia in the fight against corruption.

Dr. Koranteng said the Commonwealth Secretariat is keen to see corruption in Zambia come to an end.He urged the Law Enforcement Agencies that attended the workshop to put into practice what they discussed and deliberated.
ZANIS

First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda says he is not happy with the political situation currently prevailing in the Country.

Dr Kaunda told ZANIS in an interview in Kitwe today that if Zambians did not check the political hostilities existing among the various political parties the country would be thrown into chaos.

He said he was saddened by the culture of violence and insults that has characterized Zambian politics and that there was urgent need to correct the situation.

“If you obey Gods word, preach love and unity all the time you can not begin to beat some body,” he said.
He added that peace and unity could only come if people learnt to follow God’s commandments especially loving your neighbor as you love yourself.

He further said there was no other way to correct the political hostility prevailing in the country other than following God’s orders and commandments.

Dr Kaunda, who was in Kitwe to attend a tree planting exercise for the Rotary club of Kitwe North, said Zambians must begin to follow the spirit of brotherhood to enhance economic development and peace.
ZANIS