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Three families in Chavuma District in the North-western Province have been left homeless, after a hailstorm swept through the Boma township area.
The hailstorm damaged some shops of a prominent Chavuma businessman identified only as Mr. Kafuma, houses for two other families, and the house of the District Council Secretary.
Chavuma District Commissioner, Frobisher Fulayi confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
Mr. Fulayi said the incident happened on Sunday when people went for church service.
He said Kafuma bought tents which have been given to the affected families for use as temporary shelter.
The District Commissioner commended Mr. Kafuma for his humane gesture.
He further said a six-year old girl was struck by lightening, which made two others faint, while they were praying in a church.
This was during a heavy down pour of 7 mili-metres (mm) that lasted for only 30 minutes from 16-30 to 17-00 hours on Sunday.
Mr. Fulayi said the minor and two other unknown victims were temporarily admitted at Chavuma District Hospital for close to two hours for observation, before being discharged. The District Commissioner said the victims are all out of danger.
On 18th September, 2009, Chavuma district experienced heavy rainfall measuring 8.5mm and another 10.1 mm on 30th September, 2009.
Mr. Fulayi attributed the heavy rainfall to the district’s closeness to the neighbouring Congo-water basin and the Ituri rain forest.
He said the rain season in Chavuma starts in August every year.
Home Affairs minister Lameck Mangani is welcomed by Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Albert Muchanga in Kampala UgandaPresident Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala where he will join other African leaders from 35 nations to attend a land mark African Union (AU) Special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on the continent.
President Banda will be among other African Heads of State at the two-day Summit which is expected to be officially opened on Thursday by Libyan Leader Muammar Gadaffi who is also the incumbent AU Chairperson. The special summit will culminate into the adoption of the AU Convention on IDPs and Refugees.
The Summit which opened with the AU extraordinary session for ministers from respective African countries will also honour nations that have played a key role in hosting refugees and IDPs. Host country Ugandan Premier Apolo Nsibambi opened the ministers’ meeting which is expected to officially close today.
The Ministers meeting is also being attended by Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani who is leading the Zambian delegation part of which arrived in Kampala last night.
Zambia’s participation is cardinal at the historic Summit dubbed Addressing the Challenge of forced Displacement in Africa and aims to end the causes of forced displacement in Africa.
Briefing the Zambian delegation which included Mr Mangani, this morning at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, the venue of the AU Summit, Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Lazarous Kapambwe said the AU Summit on refugees and IDPs is the first of its kind and it is Zambia’s brain child.
Mr Kapambwe expressed happiness that Zambia not only initiated the concept of Refugees/ IDPs Summit but also contributed to the formulation of the AU draft Convention which African leaders are expected to endorse.
‘’Zambia’s participation is significant because we originated the idea at the Burkina Faso African Union Heads of State in 2006 and also the country has hosted refugees and IDPs for a long time now. Therefore, we felt the need for the AU Heads to meet and discuss the issue of IDPs which lacks the legal framework to protect them’’, he said.
Mr Kapambwe who pointed out that the Summit was scheduled to take place last year but was deferred to this year, noted that the African continent has been hosting refugees and IDPs more than any other continent in the world hence the need to devise an instrument which would cater for the humanitarian aid of IDPs.
Unlike, the refugees, a legal framework to cater for the IDPs was lacking therefore the AU heads have seen it imperative to endorse a convention which will also be used to lobby the United Nations and the International community to equally adopt the convention to consolidate support.
He said the convention is supposed to be endorsed at the UN level however, African leaders felt compelled to first lay ground before tabling the matter to the world body adding that the convention will be a launch pad to pressurize the UN to back the instrument at global level.
The Zambian Permanent Representative to UN explained that currently the UN and the international community was restrained from supporting IDPs because they did not want to interfere in the sovereignty of their countries.
He said the IDPs issue has been considered as the responsibility of the State by the UN and international community due to sovereignty factors but experience has shown that in some cases the State has been the cause of these problems.
At the same briefing, Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ndiyoi Mutiti said for the first time, Africa is trying to address issues by dealing with the causes of refugees and IDPs unlike being reactive.
Ms Mutiti said the collective responsibility approach of dealing with the refugees/IDPs issue will help resolve problems currently being faced in supporting these peoples.
Earlier, Home Affairs Commissioner for Refugees Jacob Mphepo attributed the problem of refugees and IDPs to conflict and noted that the only difference between the two was that the former crossed the border.
Mr Mphepo said the convention will also provide for monitoring mechanisms and reporting in order to ensure that countries did not flout the instrument.
Zambia’s delegation also includes Western Province Minister Adonis Mufali whose region is also host to refugees, Chitambo Member of Parliament Dr Solomon Musonda and other senior Government officials.
Government has urged traditional rulers that did not received vehicles from government to exercise patient because more vehicles would be bought to cater for them.
Community Development and Social Services deputy minister Friday Malwa, said buying of chiefs’ vehicles is an ongoing programme until all of them are mobile.
Mr. Malwa was speaking at senior chief Mburuma’s palace in Luangwa district yesterday when he officiated at this year’s Mbambara traditional ceremony of the Nsenga-luzi people.
He said government has the welfare of the traditional rulers at heart hence the decision to buy them vehicles to enhance their movement in the supervision and monitoring of development programmes in their chiefdoms.
Mr Malwa also said government will continue to support traditional ceremonies as they provide an ideal platform to discuss developmental issues aimed at uplifting people’s living standards.
He observed that the people of Luangwa are talented in making artifacts such as baskets, reed mats and other crafts which they should display at ceremonies such as the Mbambara for sale to tourists and other visitors.
On agriculture, Mr Malwa said government has already sent 740 X 50kg bags of top dressing and an equal number of basal fertilizer to Luangwa in readiness for the forthcoming farming season.
He urged farmers in the area to approach farmers committees in order for them to access the inputs.
In the education sector, Mr. Malwa said government will soon start the construction of 16 classroom blocks at various schools in the district in order to widen children’s access to education.
Earlier, Lusaka province permanent secretary, Stephen Bwalya said the provincial administration was happy with the election of senior chiefs Nkomeshya Mukambo II, Mburuma and chieftainess Shikabeta as representatives of the province in the House of Chiefs.
The fuel situation in Luanshya has become desperate, as motorists continue queuing up for the commodity on a daily basis.
A check by ZANIS at all the three filling stations in the town found that motorists, especially taxi drivers, were in long queues, anticipating that the service stations would receive the commodity.
Proprietor of Chisongo BP Service Station in the second class trading area Vijay Takur said, he was expecting between 5,000 to 10,000 litres of petrol tomorrow.
Takur further said, although motorists had queued up, no amount of petrol would be received from suppliers today.
At the other two filling stations, the fuel attendants were ignorant as to when fuel would be received.
The majority of motorists have parked their vehicles, while others are paying through the nose to get a 2.5 litre of petrol at K25,000 from the black market.
Commuters on the other hand, are using buses on the routes used by taxis.
The fuel shortage has affected the entire country and the bank of Zambia governor Caleb Fundanga has warned that the economy may slid down if the situation was not addressed on time.
[ZANIS]
The Mansa District Freedom and Democracy Fighters Association has called on government to recognize and award freedom fighters residing in rural areas.
Association Chairman, Cyprian Mulonda said freedom fighters in rural areas also contributed to the fight against colonialism in Zambia, leading to the country’s political independence in 1964, but they were not being remembered for the noble role they played.
Mr. Mulonda called on government to extend the giving of awards to rural based freedom fighters also.
Mr. Mulonda said this during a meeting with Mansa District Commissioner Major Chibwe Nsakasha on Tuesday.
He said most freedom fighters in rural areas who greatly contributed to the liberation of Zambia have not been noticed, adding that many of them have been long dead.
Mr. Mulonda said his association will soon embark on a program to locate and register freedom fighters in the district whose names will be submitterd to government for the granting of awards during this year’s independence day investiture ceremony.
In a related development, Mr. Mulonda appealed to government to assist its members with fertilizer and farming inputs for use during the coming farming season.
He said most freedom fighters in the district were ailing and too poor to manage buying the fertilizer and other farming inputs to enable them fight the hunger and poverty in which they are wallowing with their families.
In reaction, Major Nsakasha challenged the freedom fighters in the district to get organized and unite for government to easily help them.
He said freedom fighters deserve respect and honour for the role they played in the liberation of Zambia from colonial rule, 45 years ago.
Police in Senanga District have arrested a man for allegedly killing his five year old son in Western province.
Western Province Police Commanding Officer, Vael Muzwenga confirmed the
arrest of the accused, identified as Mulyata Kaliki of Kaliki Village in Chief Nalonga’s area.
Mr. Muzwenga said Mulyata is alleged to have killed his son, after he
brutally beat him on the head with a stick over the weekend.
He said that, Mulyata went home drunk where he differed with his wife, resulting in a
fight between the two.
The Commanding Officer said Mulyata’s wife later run away from home
and left the children with him.
Mr. Muzwenga said, on Saturday Mulyata again came home drunk around midday and
picked up a quarrel with his five year old son, who he started hitting with a big stick on the head.
The Police Chief said the boy became unconscious and later died in the evening.
Mr. Muzwenga said Mulyata was arrested and will soon appear in court.
[ZANIS]
The Maize Research Institute (MRI) has expressed displeasure at the rising number of illegal seed dealers who are supplying fake seeds to farmers in Southern Province.
MRI Mazabuka distributor Gilbert Vlahakis took a swipe at the illegal seed dealers who have invaded Southern Province.
Mr. Vlahakis was speaking during a sensitization meeting for this season’s farmer input support programme (FISP) attended by senior agricultural officers and district agriculture committee chairpersons in the province at Munzhi Lodge in Choma.
He said that 18 cases of fake seed dealers in the province have so far been identified, from whom two to three metric tonnes of fake seeds have been confiscated.
Mr. Vlahakis further said Southern Province has been targeted by brief case seed dealers who are taking advantage of the fact that region has the highest users of high breed seeds.
He cited the indent in Chikankanta area where farmers were swindled by briefcase dealers who sold them 83 bags of fake seeds purported to have been supplied by MRI.
Mr. Vlahakis warned that the problem of illegal seed suppliers will soon reach alarming levels if left unchecked.
He urged senior agricultural officers in the province to work closely with seed companies and Seed Control and Certification Institutes to arrest the situation.
Mr. Vlahakis explained that fake seed dealers have become sophisticated as they are using bags, labels and chemicals also used by licensed seed companies when marketing their fake seeds.
He expressed sadness to note that 9 cases of illegal seed dealers who were arrested by the police in the province last season were not taken to court despite overwhelming evidence being available.
The senior agricultural officers endorsed a decision to have fake seed dealers prosecuted, by invoking the seed control and certification Act.
They unanimously resolved to take punitive action against illegal seed dealers through the courts of law, to ensure that the vice is addressed.
THE current fuel shortage should be addressed quickly to avoid jolting the country’s economy, Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor, Caleb Fundanga has said.
Dr Fundanga said on Radio Phoenix monitored in Lusaka yesterday that the fuel shortage may lead to a rise in the cost of production and derail the revised inflation target of 12 per cent set for the end of this year.
“Authorities should actualise the measures taken so that the situation is normalised, otherwise this will have a devastating impact on the economy,” Dr Fundanga said.
Apart from the inflation target of 12 per cent, the Government also projected to achieve year-end economic growth of 4.3 per cent in 2009.
Meanwhile, Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musotwane has said the Government would this week sign a statutory instrument to waive import duty on fuel to allow oil marketing companies (OMCs) source finished petroleum products at affordable prices.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Musokotwane said once the statutory instrument was signed, it would allow the OMCs to bring in petroleum products and help avert the fuel shortage.
He said the decision to suspend the 25 per cent duty on imported fuel was done in good faith and that the decision should be supported by all Zambians interested in seeing the situation normalise.
Dr Musokotwane said the decision to waive duty on fuel should not be politicised and reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring that fuel supply was normalised to enhance productivity.
“The recently suspended 25 per cent import duty on fuel will be implemented before the end of the week and we feel this should not be politicised,” he said.
Energy Minister, Kenneth Konga said the Government had decided to waive duty during the period of the shutdown of Indeni oil refinery.
The refinery was closed for maintenance on Thursday last week and will reopen during the first week of November.
Meanwhile, the shortage of petrol in Lusaka and other parts of the country has persisted with most filling stations being besieged by motorists.
[Times of Zambia]
THE Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited has finally restored water supply to all Police Camps in the Province.
This follows a part payment of about K149 million towards the outstanding water bills for Police amounting to about K327 million by government.
Managing Director Alfred Masupha said in a press statement release to ZANIS in Choma, that water supply has since been restored to all Police Camps in Southern Province.
The commercial water utility company disconnected water supply to all police camps in August this year in a bid to recover outstanding debts in unsettled water bills.
“The outstanding amount for all Police camps in the province was about K327 million as at September 30, 2009 and the payment made leaves the police with an outstanding balance of about K178 Million,” Mr Masupha said.
The Managing Director thanked Government for intervening saying the move has greatly helped both the Police in the province and the Company.
He noted that the payment made would assist Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited continue providing a sustainable service to its consumers in the Province and meet its obligations with suppliers and service providers while at the same time, the restoration of water supply to Police Camps would help prevent outbreaks of diseases especially that the rainy season was just around the corner.
Mr. Masupha reiterated that it was not the desire of Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited to withdraw water supply from its customers but that this was only done when all other available options proved futile.
He encouraged the Police to ensure that the outstanding bill of about K178 Million was quickly paid to avoid being disconnected again and also to ensure that the bill did not accrue to levels that would be difficult to manage by the Police in the Province.
Meanwhile Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited has received and installed a new coupling that had broken down on one of the pumps at the raw water intake in Livingstone causing a strain on the smooth water supply regime in the Tourist capital in the last fortnight.
The installation of the third pump at the Zambezi Raw Water Intake is meant to help normalise the water supply regime in the City of Livingstone.
Seventeen pupils in Kabompo District in North Western Province are protesting this year’s grade 12 final examinations because their names have been omitted from the examination register that had come from the examination council of Zambia.
This was brought to light when some of the pupils stormed ZANIS offices to air their grievances in Kabompo today.
The pupils displayed a list of names and examination numbers omitted from the examination register from examination council of Zambia.
They lamented that they were forced to write biology and home economics practicals on an uncertain promise that the school authorities would inform the Examination Council of Zambia about the matter.
When contacted a close source at Kabompo High school confirmed the development to ZANIS saying the school authorities had been told to submit names and examination numbers of all the affected pupils.
The source said the school head teacher Mr. Moses Kawiza who could not be reached by press time was following up the matter with the examination council of Zambia, because the number of the affected pupils had risen to 37.
He said that the affected pupils were those from Pokola open high school, Kayombo and Kabompo high schools.
Pupils from Pokola open and Kayombo high schools sit for their examinations at Kabompo High school because they have not been given examination center numbers by the examination council of Zambia.
And district education board secretary Felix Ngoma said he was not in a position to give information on the matter until he had discussed the matter with the school authorities.
Government has opened discussions with TOTAL to take over the company’s shares in Indeni.
This follows the decision by TOTAL to pull out of the country’s only oil refinery.
Mr MUMBA said the pull out of TOTAL from Indeni is not new because government was aware of the decision.
Mr MUMBA said TOTAL had stopped supplying crude to Indeni two years ago and informed government of its intention to sale the 50 per cent shares held in Indeni.
He, however, said the pull out of Total from Indeni has nothing to do with the current petrol shortage being experienced in the country.
Government and TOTAL both hold 50 percent shares in Indeni.
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it will continue demolishing illegal structures in the city.
Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Habeenzu Mulunda says this is because of the rampant proliferation of such structures in Lusaka.
Mr. Mulunda told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that it is unfortunate that some people have continued to perpetuate the act knowing fully well that it is against the law.
The Council Assistant Public Relations Manager said Lusaka City had continued looking untidy most because of some of the illegal structures.
Mr. Mulunda said the Council would ensure that only legal structures remain to avoid situations where people put up buildings on top of water service pipe lines and electricity cables.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mulunda has called on members of the general public to report any suspected illegal structures in the city.
He said once the Council receives reports of any illegal structure the local authority would not hesitate to swing into action to demolish.
He said members of the general public have not been helpful in reporting such matters and appealed to them to be proactive.
Mr. Mulunda said this is important because it is not possible for the council alone to monitor the activities of people around the city.
He appealed to all Lusaka residents to consult the council and follow the right channel of obtaining land to avoid inconveniences.
Mr. Mulunda warned that said the council would not compensate owners of illegal structure once they are demolished.
Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions (OQBP) says it will continue securing credible opponents for local boxers to uplift boxing standards in the country.
OQBP Director of Operations Chris Malunga says the local boxing standards can improve if boxing promoters could lure internationally acclaimed boxers to fight the local boxers.
Malunga said doing so could also help in exposing local boxers to competitive international boxing standards as opposed to securing weaker opponents for the local boxers.
He revealed to ZANIS sports in an interview in Lusaka, today, that the Boxing Board of Control(BBC) voted his stables as the best boxing promoters in Africa. He said for this reason the OQB stables would continue staging quality bouts to give Zambian boxing fans value for their money.[quote]
The local stable at the weekend held a successful African Boxing Union (ABU) Cruiser weight title bout between Fraisal Arrami of Tunisia and Charles ‘Wasaja’ Chisanga. Arrami defeated Chisanga in a technical knockout in the tenth round to win the belt.
The Zambian fighter who quit the sport with the defeat also faced another tragedy after his wife Lillian collapsed watching her husband being pummeled by the Tunisian. She however recovered in a local hospital.
Meanwhile, Malunga has expressed no regret at Chisamba’s loss to the Tunisian saying the local boxer fought very well but only lost to a good boxer.
He however said Chisamba’s decision to retire soon after the fight was made out of frustration because of the loss.He said his stables will sit down with the boxer to over his fight with the Tunisian.
The Anti Voter Apathy Project has called upon political parties not to impose candidates on the people in the Solwezi Central Constituency parliamentary by-election.
AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says the last two by-elections held in Chitambo and Kasama serve as bitter lessons for political parties that ignore the will of the people.
Mr. Tembo says the adoption process for candidates should be in line with democratic principles that allow party members to have a say in selection process.
Mr. Tembo was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He said imposing candidates on the people would make it difficult for political parties to sell candidates hence denying themselves victory.
Mr. Tembo said his organisation will conduct voter education in all 5 wards covering 30 polling stations of Solwezi Central Constituency.
Meanwhile, AVAP has called upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to create voting streams in big polling stations to speed smooth voting.
Mr. Tembo regrets that the Solwezi Central voter’s register which has 34,633 registered voters of which factors such as death, transfers, relocation and loss of NRC and voters cards have distorted the total number of registered voters.
He has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to immediately undertake voter registration and put mechanisms to ensure continued updating.
“ECZ from the onset should make it clear whether lost replaced voters cards will be used in Solwezi Central which where a source of problems in Kasama,” he said.
AVAP has also called upon political parties to concentrate on issue based campaigns as opposed to personal attacks.
