African leaders to emulate political icons such as the late Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela by waging a relentless fight against poverty, diseases and political violence that has rocked most African countries.

Dr Kaunda said he was confident that just as Africa worked hard and won its war against slavery, colonialism and apartheid, the continent had the capacity to overcome its present challenges.

The Zambian first President was speaking at Johannesburg’s Sandton International Convention Centre on Tuesday night when he bestowed the African President of the Year 2009 award on the current South African President Jacob Zuma,

This is according to a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka by Second Secretary for press at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa.

The awards founded by the African awareness Media and the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation which Dr Kaunda is Chairman, recognizes achievements made by the selected recipients in various fields and also serve to honor African leaders.

And in accepting the award, President Zuma praised Dr Kaunda for his good spirit which he said had been a guiding moral compass in Zambia.

Mr Zuma said the awards help remind African leaders of their responsibility to the people they serve.

He said it is a privilege to receive the award from President Kaunda and said Zambia being the former headquarters of ANC was his home away from home due to Dr Kaunda’s unity and hospitality adding that African leaders needed to emulate him.

The South African President noted that what was most special about the award was that it was African recognizing what they consider as achievement and appreciating their own.

He said African leaders have pledged to strive to eradicate poverty, diseases and conflicts and that they would also promote trade, investment, economic growth, skills development and stability on the continent.

“To promote good governance, we established the African Peer Review mechanism to foster economic integration and development we established the New Partnership for Africa development (NEPAD). These must the instrument we use to advance the cause of our continent,” Mr. Zuma said.

Also honored at the same function were Nigeria’s First Lady, Dr Hajiya Yar’ Adua as the best African First Lady of the year, the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as great Daughter of Africa and Nigerian academic Alhaji Dr Maintama Sule as great son of Africa.

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Patriotic Front (PF) Youths have condemned political parties parading traditional leaders during rallies.

PF National Youth Secretary Eric Chanda said his party is also against forcing the traditional rulers into partisan politics.
Mr Chanda said it is culturally unacceptable and disrespectful to take chiefs who are supposed to be non partisan and parade them at political rallies.

He observed that the development is a sad one and can lead to divisions in the respective chiefdoms and the country as a whole.

He said chiefs should be left out of the political ring in order to enable them operate in a non partisan manner to efficiently and without discrimination serve the people in their chiefdoms.

The PF National Youth Secretary said this in a press release made available to ZANIS yesterday.

He disclosed that the PF leader Michael Sata has maximum respect for the chiefs in the country hence the policy to pay a courtesy call on the chief whenever he enters a chiefdom.

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has been outstanding in the last one year where he managed to secure tens of thousands of jobs amidst the global economic crisis.

State House Special Assistant to the President Dickson Jere says the remarks attributed to Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) General Secretary, Oswell Munyenyembe, claiming President Banda had failed to inspire and impress miners in the one-year he has been in office, is regrettable.[quote]

Mr Jere pointed out that one of the key achievements of President Banda has been the manner he (Mr Banda) handled the crisis in the mining sector at a time when most investors had planned to put the mines under care and maintenance, which could have led to job losses.

This is according to a statement received by ZANIS by Mr Jere.

” President Banda personally intervened and persuaded mine owners not to pull out of the country. If they had done so, tens of thousands of mining jobs would have been lost,” he said.

The Special Assistant to the President explained that statement by Mr. Munyenyembe, in The Post November 7, 2009 edition shows that he has deliberately chosen to ignore the facts on the ground.

” Under the leadership of President Banda, Zambia has done remarkably well in mitigating the adverse impact of the global economic crisis,” he said.

He explained that Luanshya Copper Mine is out of care and maintenance and thousands of jobs have been saved and created. Munali Nickel Mine is about to re-open and jobs will be created adding that recently, Chambeshi launched its copper smelter, creating more jobs.

Overall, growth in the mining sector is robust and the sector is expected to grow by 15.2 percent this year despite the global economic crisis.

He reminded Mr. Munyenyembe, that the measures taken by President Banda have helped to stabilise the membership of his union.

” While Zambia lost an estimated 8,500 jobs in the mining sector, the comparable figure for the Democratic Republic of Congo is 200,000 and South Africa 30,000. Most of those who lost jobs in Zambia have been reemployed in case of Luanshya Copper Mines,” Mr Jere said.

revealed that the couple that drowned in the swimming pool last Friday was taking alcohol while conducting swimming lessons.

The bar man who was on duty on the fateful night disclosed to ZANIS this morning that late Mr Elijah Zulu a Zambia Revenue Authority customs officer and Zodie Dube a student of computer science at Evelyn Hone College were both drinking Savanna, an alcohol beverage.

The bar man who asked not to be named disclosed that the couple was ordering waiters to serve them with Savanna beer from the bar as they taught each other how to swim.

“ I was one of those people who were on duty on that day (Friday) and I remember getting orders of Savanna beer from waiters meant for a couple that was having a nice time in the swimming pool,” revealed the named bar man.

The bar man further alleged that the alcohol that the couple took could have had an effect on them and could have forced both of them to drown.

And commenting on the matter, Lusaka province police commanding officer Greenwell said the matter involving the death of the couple is subject to investigations by police.

“Police will carry out their investigations if the family suspects foul play but as am talking now the officer in charge for Siavonga has not given me a feedback apart from the earlier report of the death,” stated Ng’uni in a telephone interview.

Meanwhile, Siavonga district Council has given lodge and guest house owners in Siavonga District a seven days ultimatum in which to provide twenty four hours qualified swimming pool supervisors to avoid deaths occurring in swimming pools.

Council Secretary Ackson Habanji said the premise owners should also provide safety water floaters for their swimming pools for the use of those that are learning how to swim.

Mr. Habanji issued the ultimatum following the death of the Customs officer and his girlfriend who drowned in a swimming pool in Siavonga’s Manchichi bay lodge on Friday last week.

He said all lodge owners with swimming pools in their premises should register with the council in order to ascertain compliance and warned that failure to do so will call for legal action against them.

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President Rupiah Banda has advised media organizations against using the media as a tool of destruction.

Speaking live on Radio Chikaya in Lundazi, today, Mr Banda urged the media to refrain from being used by sections of society to stir up confusion in the country by publishing political insults which he said can cause anarchy in the country.

The President, who was speaking on the Radio station’s Good governance and the community programme, stated the media plays an important role of informing the people on various developmental programs.

Mr Banda stressed that as Republican President he has the power to shut down any media organization but said he would not do so because he believes in freedom of the press.

He further stated that the media houses that have been criticizing him, have done the same to his predecessors noting that criticism was not a new thing.

Sections of the media has in the recent past under taken consistent attacks and criticism on President Banda and his administration, a situation that has attracted concerns from peace loving Zambians.

The President, who is in Eastern Province on a working visit, is scheduled to end his visit to the province today after which he is expected to connect to Northwestern Province to drum up support for for Solwezi Central MMD candidate Albert Chifita.

And President Banda has assured the people of Lundazi District that government will complete the construction of the Chipata -Lundazi road.[quote]

He said government realizes that the road is an important road that connects the country to the rest of the country and international markets.

Mr Banda said government would soon complete the 80 plus kilometers construction works to ensure that farmers in the province can access markets for their produce.

He also said that in a meeting with traditional leaders of Lundazi, they had informed him that they were pleased with the feeder roads that are being maintained by the Chinese contractors.

He further assured the nation that all roads in the country would be worked on and maintained.

Meanwhile, president Banda said government reduced the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) pack because government had realized that peasant farmers only require one or two of top and basal dressing fertliser.

He also stressed that government has engaged traditional leaders and churches on the distribution panel to ensure there is no corruption in the distribution of farming inputs.

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