A clergyman in Kafue has appealed to employers not to abuse maids by subjecting them to do works which could be carried out by their wives.

Apostolic Faith Mission in Zambia Bishop, Kingswell Sichela, said it is immoral for employers to subject maids to do dirty works such as washing underpants, taking food for their bosses to their bedroom and forcing them to have sex with them.

Bishop Sichela noted that it was unfortunate that such activities were happening in homes where some women live certain works to their maids, adding that maids are there to supplement works in a home.

The bishop was speaking during the graduation ceremony for 70 maids who graduated in house-keeping and catering orgainised by the Meclas Training Centre.

He commended Faith Fruitful International Ministries for coming up with a course to empower maids so that they know their rights and do their jobs professionally.

And Speaking at the same function, Gods Faithful Ministries International Director, Pastor Media Mweemba, said her ministry has decided to empower women with skills so that they could stand on their own and stop depending on men for everything.

Pastor Mweemba noted that most of the graduands are already employed and working in good institutions, and urged them to put the knowledge they acquired to good use.

ZANIS

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has recorded a deficit of K573.9 billion below target in revenue collected between January and September this year.

ZRA Commissioner General Chriticles Mwansa said the tax revenue out-turn largely due to on account of poor performance in trade taxes adding that this was lower than the projected revenue collection in terms of trade taxes

He said in the period under review ZRA collected K8, 717.5 billion in gross taxes while the refunds stood at K1, 644.9 billion, net tax gobbled K7, 072.6 billion against a target of K7, 646.5 billion.

Mr. Mwansa said this in Lusaka today in a speech read on his behalf by ZRA Commissioner for Domestic Taxes, Wisdom Nhekairo.

The Commissioner-Gen. noted that the world financial crisis contributed to the rapid depreciation of the local currency the Kwacha against other major currencies during the first quarter of the year which resulted to slowdown in cost importation in economic activities in the country.

Mr Mwansa said in a bid to mitigate the impact of the global financial crises on trade taxes, the Authority set up measures that increased audits of the Taxpayers’ accounts in different key sectors of the economy.

He explained that the audits enabled Authority to improve revenue collections from inland taxes, a situation that is more dependable and sustainable for the nation.

The however discloses that the Authority has embarked on vigorous mining audits to ensure that they maximize revenues including taxpayers’ accounts in different sectors of the economy.

The Commissioner General added that these audits are aimed at verifying the compliance with the tax regime and validating the cost structure of these sectors that are being audited.

Mr Mwansa said the Authority commenced its pilot audits in February this year for three major mining houses in Zambia with a technical assistance of the Norwegian government.

He added that the last phase of these audits commenced last week and it is expected to be completed by the end of November this year.

The mining companies being audited are Mopani Copper Mine, Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) and Kansanshi Copper Mine respectively.

The Commissioner however, said during the review period ZRA intensified audits for small scale mining companies involved in gemstones, quarrying and those dealing in base metals to ensure comply with payment of mineral royalty.

ZANIS

United Party for National Development -UPND- Namwala Member of Parliament ROBBIE CHIZYUKA has been expelled from the party.

The Party says Major CHIZYUKA has failed to exculpate himself against the charges leveled against him for being against the UPND Pact with the PF.

UPND Spokesperson CHARLES KAKOMA told a media briefing that the Speaker of the National Assembly has been notified of the development and has been requested to declare the seat vacant.

When contacted for a comment Major CHIZYUKA said he is consulting his lawyers on the next course of action.

[ZNBC]

The United Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF) Pact have adopted Watson Lumba as their candidate for the Solwezi Central Parliamentary by-elections.

Speaking at a PF/ UPND press briefing in Lusaka toady, PF spokesperson Given Lubinda said Mr. Lumba will stand on the UPND ticket.

Mr. Lubinda said Mr Lumba has been an active politician in Solwezi and chairman of the government contracts committee in the National Management Committee (NMC) of the UPND.

He the pact is confident that the pact will scoop the seat in Solwezi because the pact is becoming sharper and clearer.

Mr. Lubinda has since called on the electorate in Solwezi Central Constituency to vote for Mr. Lumba.

The seat fell vacant after the death of Solwezi MMD area Member of Parliament (MP) Ben Tetamashimba and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set November 19th 2009 as the date of elections.

Speaking earlier UPND Chairperson for Information and Publicity Charles Kakoma announced that the party yesterday expelled Namwala Member of Parliament (MP) Major Robbie Chizyuka.

Mr. Kakoma said the expulsion comes as a result of Mr. Chizyuka’s gross misconduct which has caused discontent and despondency in the pact.

He explained that the party has since written to Mr. Chizyuka’s lawyers who have since responded on the matter.

Mr. Kakoma further explained that the Speaker of the National Assembly has also been informed and advised to declare the Namwala constituency seat vacant.

He further said the Southern Province MMD have welcomed the move to expel the area MP.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) Mukangala ward councilor Francis Kanema has scooped the council chairmanship through votes casted in Mwinilunga district.

The seat was tightly contested between MMD councilor Kanema and UPND Mulumbi ward councilor William Mukangla, both councilors failed to beat each through the ballot.

The first round of voting both MMD and UPND councilors scored 12 votes each out of the 24 votes casted, second round the councilor still failed to beat each other as they scored 12 votes each.

The full council went for the third round of voting; still a deadlock could not be reached as the two candidates scored 12 votes each from the 24 votes cast.

A lot was used to decide the winner of the position of the council chairperson, through a lot Councilor Kanema managed to beat his reveal councilor Mukangala

And addressing the full council shortly after being declared a winner by the electoral officer Munganga Shadrick , Councilor Kanema assured the both MMD and UPND councilors that he would work towards improving the operations of the council.

He said wining through a lot was a bad sign, hence the need to improve the operations of the council.

Chairperson noted that the poor performance of the council has attributed to some councilors from the MMD to vote for UPND.He stressed that his office remains open to the councilors despite their political affiliation.

Meanwhile the position of vice chairperson went to MMD IKelenge ward councilor Eriton Kabola who went an opposed.

[ZANIS]

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa yesterday warned members of the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) to desist from referring the electoral pact when in Parliament.

Mr Mwanamwambwa said the electorate voted for the MPs based on their respective political parties and not the pact and as such, the members should avoid talking about it.

The speaker said this after Chinsali MP Christopher Mulenga (PF), during the debate on the 2010 national Budget said he was happy that the pact had a new member named Geoffrey Mwamba of PF.

“Be mindful of what the constitution states, you are in this House through a political party process or independent. If you constantly bring in things that are not in the provisions of the constitution, you are confusing the voters,” Mr Mwanamwambwa said.

“The voters want to know if you belong to the UPND, PF or MMD. Nobody will stop you from talking about the pact outside the chambers,” Mr Mwanamwambwa said.

Contributing to the debate on the 2010 Budget, Moomba MP Vitalis Mooya (UPND) said the construction industry in the nation was not growing as fast as it should because Government-funded projects were taking long to complete thereby increasing costs.

Mr Mooya said for instance, the construction of the Dag Hammarskjold Stadium in Ndola was much lower in the 1980s but because of the delays, the total cost was in 2009 estimated at more than K 300 billion.

According to the world economic report on construction, Zambia was ranked 125 out of the 129 countries surveyed.

Chilanga MP Ng’andu Magande (MMD) said as much as he supported the Budget, he was not comfortable that it did not highlight the activities that would be undertaken during the year.

It was important that the Government was transparent, accountable and adhered to the tenets of good governance so that donors could continue assisting in the development projects.

“If rules and laws are not followed to the letter, that is corruption. Reduction in donor aid could have been avoided if we are perceived to be a country that is seen to be fighting corruption,” Mr. Magande said.

Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister, Chilesehe Kapwepwe told the House that the daily revenue collection by the Zambia Revenue Authority at Nakonde border post for the period 2005 was K829.1 million, in 2006, K 801.0 million, in 2007, K 1,375.7 million and in 2008 it was K1, 507.9 million.

She said this in response to a question by Chinsali Central MP Christopher Mulenga (PF) who wanted to know how much was collected at the border post on a daily basis in the said years.

Mr Mulenga also wanted to know how much revenue was collected at the same border post from 2005 to 2008 year by year.

[Times of Zambia]