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25 Somalis arrested for illegal entry

Guest Editor
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The Immigration Department in Chipata district of the Eastern Province has arrested 25 Somalis for entering the country illegally.

Immigration Department Public Relations Officer, Mulako Mbangweta confirmed the arrest of 24 men and a 15 year old girl this morning.

Ms Mbangweta said the 25 Somalis who were arrested at Mpezeni Park in Kapata township were from Malawi traveling to Zimbabwe enroute to South Africa.

She said the officers were tipped about the presence of the Somalians by a driver of a canter truck from whom the foreign nationals wanted to get transport to proceed with their journey.

Ms Mbangweta said the 25 Somalis have been detained at Namuseche Prison in Chipata.

And Ms Mbangweta has asked Zambians to report suspicious movements of foreign nationals.
She said the immigration department was arresting Somalis who were entering the country illegally almost every week.

Ms Mbangweta disclosed that human trafficking had become a profitable business and required the involvement of all stakeholders to curb the illegal trade.

Last month 77 Somalis were arrested in Petauke after entering the country illegally while in May this year 16 Malawians were also arrested for entering the country without proper documents on their way to South Africa.

Meanwhile, four Malawians were yesterday arrested in Mgubudu area in Chipata district for attempting to obtain green national registration cards in the on going mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRC).

Ms Mbangweta said the four Malawians tried to obtain the NRC’s by giving false representation.
They have also been detained at Namuseche Prison and will appear in court soon.

ZANIS

Govt to construct labs in schools – Siliya

Guest Editor
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Government will soon start constructing laboratories in upper basic schools that do not have the facilities.

Education Minister, Dora Siliya disclosed in parliament today during the oral answer session that government would begin construction of laboratories in upper basic schools once funds were available.

Ms Siliya said there were no laboratories in most upper basic schools in the country following the recent separation of upper basic schools from secondary schools.

She however noted that government was currently providing mobile laboratory kits to schools that do not have permanent laboratory structures.

Ms Siliya said this was one way government was helping basic schools without permanent structures conduct science lessons.

She said this in response to Chilubi Member of Parliament (MP) Obby Chisala who wanted to know when government would fund the construction of laboratories and libraries at all upper basic schools in the country.

Ms Siliya said government was currently procuring and sending laboratory equipments to some schools in the country.
She said the mobile laboratory kits made locally, at the National Science Centre had greatly helped the schools conduct science lessons.

Ms Siliya further said government was planning to strengthen the Zambia Library Service to enable it be sustainable.
She said her ministry was also working with other organizations to provide library services for school going children and communities.

Ms Siliya said the move was being made to encourage the culture of reading among people in Zambia.

ZANIS

I am grateful for the support from government- Maureen

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Former First lady, Maureen Mwanawasa, says she is not at loggerheads with the government or President Rupiah Banda.

Mrs. Mwanawasa told ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Wednesday that President Banda and herself are not enemies.

The former first lady said she is grateful for the support the government has given to her family since the death of her husband almost a year ago.

Mrs. Mwanawasa said it is wrong for people to assume that she does not get along with the government or President Banda.

The country will this month remember late President Levy Mwanawasa who died in on August 19 and was buried on September 3, last year.

Since her husband died, Mrs. Mwanawasa has commented on a number of national issues.

Her views have been published, mostly by the private media.

[ZNBC]

Use CDF to develop your areas – Shawa

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Government has urged civic leaders and parliamentarians in Lusaka province to utilize the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to develop their areas.

Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa said there is need to unlock the potential of Zambians to enhance the promotion of economic growth and diversification.

Mr. Shawa noted that this would also help to improve the quality of public service delivery to the people.

The Minister said this when a group of councillors from Kafue District Council called on him at his office today.

He advised civic leaders to work closely with their area Members of Parliament in the use of funds from CDF to improve the social services and infrastructure development in the district.

Mr Shawa added that government is in hurry of extending benefits of economic growth and development to the people through the involvement of key stakeholders.

Earlier, Kafue District Council Chairperson, George Muleya said the council was working had in reviving the manufacturing industry in a bid to make the district an industrial hub of the province.

Mr Muleya said the construction of Universal Mining and Chemicals Industries, a major hotel and a cement manufacturing company would revive the economic activity in the district resulting in job creation among the people.

He commended government for injecting capital into Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ).

The Coucil Chairman said the move would help the fertiliser company resume full production.

Mr Muleya however, bemoaned the decline in the collection of council levy from firms that have closed down, such as Abion Nickel Mine.

He noted that the development has negatively affected the revenue base of the council leading to failure by the council to provide quality service to the people.

ZANIS

Monitors set for Chitambo elections

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TWO election-monitoring organisations have arrived to monitor the Chitambo parliamentary by-elections in Serenje.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) and Ant Voter Apathy (AVAP) have sent monitors to Serenje district for tomorrow’s Chitambo constituency by-elections.

AVAP executive director Bonny Tembo confirmed in Serenje that his organisation already had 26 monitors in Chitambo constituency.

Mr Tembo however said AVAP would not manage to send monitors to Chobela and Kamaka polling stations in Luombwa ward because the area was not easily accessible.

And FODEP information officer Macdonald Chipenzi said the organization had six monitors to monitor the elections.

Mr Chipenzi whose team arrived yesterday, said he had already been in the field to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, Chitambo by elections, Electoral Officer, Milton Sakala has said all elections officers had already been taken to their respective polling stations.

Mr Sakala said the few that remained yesterday had been taken this morning adding that all was set for elections tomorrow.

He explained that the constituency had a total of 12,881 registered voters in 27 polling stations.
ZANIS

BAMUKUKULU -STOP CORRUPTION – video clip

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A reader sent us a link of a video clip on the public medium youtube.

Some viewers might find certain scenes in the clip disturbing. Viewer discretion is absolutely advised. LT gives it an 18 rating.

Search for the title on youtube

Pregnancies and abortions worry Kalomo headteacher

Guest Editor
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Mwaata Day High School authorities in Kalomo have expressed worry over the increasing rate of pregnancies and abortions being recorded at the learning institution.

School Headteacher, Benson Hachoombe said in an interview that an average of 10 female pupils fail to report for school at the start of every new term due to either induced abortions or pregnancy.

Mr Hachoombe has since appealed to guardians to assist the school administration to impart good morals in the children to avoid such incidents.

“There is a growing concern especially with girls. The issue of pregnancies and abortions has become common, there is little that the school can do to prevent the vice unless parents are highly involved. Children are mostly living in rented rooms on their own and as a day school control is very difficult,” he said.

The school has a large number of its pupils renting apartments in the surrounding areas while a small fraction is staying with relatives.

The setup is said to have resulted in undesirable behavior among some pupils who have involved themselves in illicit practices such as unprotected sex and patronising beer houses.

ZANIS

Competition in water sector not healthy, NWASCO

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The National Water and Sanitation Company (NWASCO) says opening up the water sector to competition could undermine the accessibility of the commodity by the poor in the country.

NWASCO Public Relations Officer (PRO) Rose Tembo says encouraging competition in the industry would lead to high pricing of the commodity and would ultimately make it difficult for the poor in society to access the commodity.

Ms Tembo further expressed fear that the coming up of more companies in the water industry was likely to compromise the quality as well as the service delivery of the commodity.[quote]

She was speaking in an interview in Lusaka today.

Ms Tembo noted that it was Government’s mandate to provide safe and quality water to all its citizens icluding the poor.

She said research conducted on the subject matter has revealed that allowing more companies into the water sector was likely to create difficulties in the accessibility of clean and safe drinking water by the public.

Ms. Tembo said water is a social good necessary for human survivor and as such should never be made open for competition.

She said lessons should be learnt from countries like Mozambique where citizens were subjected to low quality and poor service delivery but high pricing of the commodity as a result of their Government’s decision to open up the water sector to competition.

She said Government has at the moment no plans of opening up the water industry to competition because of the duty it has to the people in the country to provide them with quality water at a minimal cost-Zanis.

Underutilization of mobile phones services worry govt

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Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa
Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa

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

Monze man briefly takes over Radio Station, insults RB and Shikapwasha

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Police in Monze have arrested a man who stormed SKY FM radio station on Monday night, destroying property worth millions of Kwacha.

SKY FM Sales and Marketing Executive, Paul Siambala, confirmed the incident to ZNBC news.

He said the man gained entry into the radio station after breaking windows using a fire extinguisher.

Mr. Siambala said the man then grabbed the microphone from the announcer on duty and insulted President Rupiah Banda and Information Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha.

He said he was alerted by listeners and immediately informed police who apprehended the suspect.

[ZNBC]

Chungu goes home after discharge

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POLICE officers with former Zambia intelligence chief Xavier Chungu get into a motor vehicle after a court hearing in Lusaka
POLICE officers with former Zambia intelligence chief Xavier Chungu get into a motor vehicle after a court hearing in Lusaka
FORMER Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) director general Xavier Chungu has gone home after he was discharged from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and met bail conditions in all the cases.

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]

New Zesco MD dropped

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THE Zesco board of directors has terminated the employment contract of newly-appointed managing director Lemba Nyirenda.

Zesco board chairman Songowayo Zyambo announced in a press release yesterday that the board failed to reach an agreement with Dr Nyirenda on the terms and conditions of his contract of employment.

“Further to our earlier announcement concerning the appointment of Dr Lemba D. Nyirenda as managing director of Zesco, we regret to inform the public that the board has failed to reach an agreement with Dr L. D. Nyirenda on the terms and conditions of his contract of employment,” he said.

Mr Zyambo said the board has therefore declared the position of managing director vacant with immediate effect.

He said the chief operating officer, Mr Cyprian Chitundu, has been appointed to act as managing director.

On July 4, the board of directors appointed Dr Nyirenda as Zesco managing director.

He replaced Mr Rodnie Sisala whose contract was terminated about three months ago.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Teta and Wina in SA hospital

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MINISTER of Local Government and Housing Benny Tetamashimba has been admitted to Milpark Hospital in South Africa.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Velepi Mtonga confirmed this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.

It is not yet clear what Mr Tetamashimba is suffering from, but Dr Mtonga confirmed that he was evacuated to South Africa two days ago.

And Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao told the Daily Mail earlier that evacuation of patients for specialist treatment abroad is decided by an ad-hoc committee at the University Teaching Hospital.

And the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation reports that veteran politician Sikota Wina has also been evacuated to South-Africa for medical treatment.

Both Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha and Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Kamoto Mbewe confirmed the evacuation of Mr Wina.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Government vehicle impounded for misuse

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Kitwe District Commissioner, (DC) MacDonald Mtine, has impounded a government vehicle which was being abused.

Mr Mtine impounded the light truck registration GRZ 189 BC was carrying blocks for a private contractor to Chipashi Primary School in Kamfinsa constituency.

The DC said the GRZ vehicle was meant for the Keep Zambia Clean and Healthy program in Kafinsa constituency.

Mr Mtine commended the local community who spotted the vehicle and confronted the driver who failed to give the proper explanation over the usage of the government vehicle by a private contractor.

The DC said the papers showed that the blocks were being delivered by Blockman Builders and Contractors Limited to Wilsanga General Contractors and Food Suppliers Limited.

Mr Mtine said he has instructed the police to detain both the driver and the agent of the private contractors to give an explanation as to why the government vehicle was used to do private work instead of doing its intended purpose.

The DC said government would not allow people to frustrate its work by misusing its facilities without proper explanation.

Mr Mtine said he was waiting to hear from the local authority with regard to the usage of the vehicle by the private contractor.

The vehicle is parked at Kitwe Central Police Station.

ZANIS

Police condemned for violating suspects’ rights

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The Human Rights Commission has strongly condemned police in Kasama for failing to observe the rights of suspects.

Commission Chairperson, Pixie Yangailo, has since described the prevailing conditions at Kasama Central Police Station as pathetic.

Ms Yangailo revealed that suspects at the police station were sleeping on the floor due to lack of mattresses and blankets to cover themselves during the night.

She told ZANIS that her fellow commissioners, who inspected the police station, felt that the police were violating rights of suspects by forcing them to spend nights without beddings in the cells.

Ms Yangailo has since demanded that the police command immediately procures new mattresses and blankets for the detainees.

Ms Yangailo also said her commission was shocked and disappointed to learn that the entire Kasama district is being serviced by one police patrol vehicle.

She noted that the district is too vast for police officers to depend on a single vehicle to curb crime and urged police authorities to dispatch additional patrol vehicles to the area.[quote]

Ms Yangailo has, however, encouraged police officers to continue with their hard work of combating crime despite having shortage of transport.

Meanwhile, Ms Yangailo has bemoaned the poor state of police posts in Kasama, saying most of them lacked proper infrastructure and communication facilities.

She cited a police post in Mulenga Hill, where two police officers have surrendered a room each from their houses for use as police cell and reception respectively.

Ms Yangailo said the situation was unacceptable as the safety of police officers together with their families was at risk.

Ms Yangailo has since challenged Northern Province Police Commanding Officer, Charles Lungu, to take the concerns of the Human Rights Commission seriously as they border on the lives of people, especially police officers, who were operating under difficult conditions.

ZANIS

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