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]

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

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

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

Mpelembe Drilling Company employees today almost stoned their Head Office in Luanshya in protest against management’s failure to pay them salaries.

Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) Mpelembe Branch Chairman, Geofrey Lishika, confirmed the development to ZANIS, adding that he was at pains to restrain the irate workers who carried stones and other missiles with the view of demolishing the offices.

Mr Lishika said the workers, who have not been working, were agitated because they have not been paid their half-salaries for the past five months, adding that most of them were living like destitutes.

He appealed to government to intervene in the matter before the situation becomes volatile.

He said he had to petition government through the District Commissioner’s office over the immediate sale of the company to a strategic partner who would be able to revive its operations.

Mr Lishika said the workers had suffered enough because of the collective agreement which binds them not to look for employment elsewhere for fear of forfeiting their benefits.

He said the District Commissioner, George Kapu, had arranged a tripartite meeting of the union, management and the labour minister next week to chart the way forward.

Some of the workers, who were met by the ZANIS crew, were flanked by their spouses and children demanded that union leaders give them food because they were starving.

ZANIS