Government has expressed worry at the underutilization of mobile phone services in the country.

Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa, says many people are not able to access the many mobile phone services that companies in the sector are offering.

Professor Lungwangwa said this when he led the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Local government in touring Zain Headquarters in Lusaka today.

He said people have limited usage of mobile phone services as they are only using it to make phone calls and sending messages.

Prof. Lungwangwa said there was need for people to start using mobile phones to access other services such as the INTERNET to enable them obtain vital information as well as getting connected to the rest of the world.[quote]

“The usability of mobile phone technology in Zambia is still underutilized, people have limited use for it, and they only use it for calling but cannot access mobile INTERNET and such other services” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Lungwangwa has assured that the international gate way is still under government control.

And speaking earlier, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and Local government, Ngandu Magande called on Zain Zambia to connect Information Communication Technology (ICT’s) to the rural areas.

Mr. Magande said he was impressed with the development of ICT in the country though rural areas where still untapped.

And Zain Zambia, Managing Director, David Holliday, said his company was investing in optic fiber in Lusaka, Livingstone, the Copperbelt and other major cities to improve on the speed of connectivity.

Mr. Holliday said the company had already stated laying the optic fiber in Lusaka and would soon go to other cities staring with Livingstone and the Copperbelt.

He said this would reduce the cost of connectivity adding that the current connectivity by satellite is expensive.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holiday said the Third Generation (3G) license the communication Authority (CA) issued to Zain was not for commercial use but for testing purposes.

He said Zain was still waiting for permission from government to give them the license to officially launch the 3G license.

Mr. Holliday further disclosed that his company has embarked on a training programme called ‘train the trainer’ where Zambian technicians and engineers are taken to study abroad-Zanis

Chungu’s lawyer, Nicholas Chanda, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that his client was discharged yesterday and was recuperating from home after he met the bail conditions in matters involving theft by servant and another of forgery.

Chungu was admitted to UTH about two weeks ago following a surgical operation after suspected food poisoning.

“He is now at home because he met the bail conditions while he was still in hospital on treatment. He will be coming from home to attend the court cases,” Mr Chanda said.

Kabwe senior resident magistrate, Joshua Banda granted Chungu bail in his own recognisance pending judgment in a matter he is facing two counts of forgery and falsifying a document contrary to the laws of Zambia.

It was alleged that Chungu on dates unknown in 2003 forged passport number ZH 88471, purporting to show that it was issued properly when in fact not.

In the second count, Chungu was charged with falsifying a document contrary to section 352 of the Penal Code CAP 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence were that, Chungu on December 3, 2008 in Lusaka, knowingly and fraudulently presented the passport in question to Mary Bwalya, an immigration officer.

In another matter before chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda, Chungu is facing169 counts of theft by servant contrary to section 272 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia and judgment is due to be delivered on Monday next week.

[Times of Zambia]

strike forcing management to close outlets.

The unionized workers are demanding that management expedites the introduction of a local pension scheme.

A check by ZNBC at Shoprite Cairo road and Manda Hill in Lusaka found workers seated outside while security officers manned the gates.

The situation was the same in Kitwe, Luanshya and Livingstone.

In Kitwe, workers gathered outside singing songs denouncing management.

And addressing the workers at Shoprite Manda Hill, Labour Deputy Minister, Simon Kachimba, urged them to be patient as government was addressing their concerns.

Mr. Kachimba said government has summoned a Shoprite executive officer from South Africa to discuss the matter.

National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers General Secretary, John Bwalya, told ZNBC in Kitwe that workers have rejected the pension scheme which was calculated in South Africa.

Mr. Bwalya said that Shoprite Management made pension calculations based on the South African laws which are not in line with the Zambian labour laws.

This is the second time that unionised workers at the chain store have gone on strike this year demanding introduction of a local pension scheme and improved conditions of service.

[ZNBC]