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Nurses urge MPs to forfeit their midterm gratuity

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Nurses in Ndola have appealed to both Members of Parliament to forfeit their mid term gratuity so that the money is channeled towards meeting their plight.

ZANIS Ndola reports that the decision was arrived at this morning during a general meeting between striking workers and District Union Officials at Ndola Central Hospital Cafeteria.

And Civil Servant and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) Ndola District Chairperson Joy Beene told ZANIS Ndola in an interview that the workers had resolved not go back to work until they meet their National Union Leaders on Friday in Kitwe.

Mr. Beene said the general populace of members have opposed to the decision by their national leaders to visit district saying it would be an expensive undertaking.[quote]

He said the members have since decided to travel to Kitwe and see their national leaders for the last time as they had decided to pass a vote of no confidence on their leadership.

He explained the meeting in Kitwe will decide the way forward for the workers.

He refuted allegation that the strike was political saying it was politics of the ‘stomach’ that was agitating the nurses to strike.

“We are challenging MPs and government if they love these people who are dying let them forfeit the gratuity of K480million they are about to get to the Nurses so that they go back to work,” Beene said.

And speaking at the same function a representative of the teachers in Ndola said teachers had decided to continue with their strike until government gives them a block figure.

The representative said although teachers were reporting for work that they will be in class for only 6 minutes as it was a representation of 15% of the total 40minutes each class period is allocated.

The teachers further alleged that government had decided to turn down their request for a permit so that they could demonstrate peacefully on Friday.

She further said due to the turn down of the request the teachers had decided to meet at Kansenshi Cemetery because no one needed a permit to assemble at a cemetery.

ZANIS

MMD suspends Mazabuka Central Chairman for de-campaigning RB in 2008

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Embattled MMD Mazabuka Central Chairman, Davis Bbilika has been suspended with immediate effect for allegedly de-campaigning President Rupiah Banda during the previous Presidential by-elections.

Constituency Secretariat, Roster Sholoka who confirmed the development in a statement to ZANIS in Mazabuka today said the decision to suspend Mr Bbilika was reached at during a heated constituency meeting yesterday.

Mr. Sholoka said apart from decampaigning the President, Mr Bbilika is also accused of having failed to account for the Eighteen million kwacha (K18,000,000) released for campaigns during the by-election.

Mr Sholoka said the suspended party official is alleged to have given an interview to Mazabuka Community radio station in which he publicly said he was not in support of President Banda’s candidature.

Mr. Sholoka also accused Mr Bbilika of having solicited undisclosed amount of money from a Minister without the knowledge of the committee to repair the broken down MMD party vehicle which he later diverted to repair his vehicle.

Mr. Sholoka also took a swipe at MMD district chairman, Trywell Himoonga for failing to take appropriate action against Mr. Bbilika for allegedly abusing party funds and de-campaigning the President.

But Bbilika when contacted for comment dismissed the allegations describing them as baseless.

Mr. Bbilika also said he will not accept the suspension because the party constitution does not give powers to his subordinates to suspend him.

He also explained that the K18 million was properly used adding that his constituency secretary and vice chairman, William Walimuntu are bitter because they did not receive allowances during campaigns.

Mr. Bbilika said he received instruction on how to use the funds from the Provincial Executive Committee.

He added that Provincial Vice Secretary, Emmerson Machila was in a better position to clear the suspicion by his junior officers.

He has since challenged the duo to publicly state how they abused campaign funds before he could expose them.
ZANIS

Harry Findlay released from Chinese custody

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Hong Kong authorities have released Harry Findlay, a Zambian national, who was in custody following his arrest over the possession of an alleged falsified passport.

This follows the intervention and representation by the Zambian government to the authorities in China and Hong Kong.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande confirmed the release of Mr. Findlay in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka

Mr. Findlay arrived in Hong Kong from Beijing, China on April 21st this year and presented his Zambian passport for immigration arrival formalities but a record check however, revealed that Mr. Findlay had previously traveled to Hong Kong under a different passport which bore a different date of birth.

He was then detained and subsequently charged with two counts of using a false travel document and two counts of making false representation to an Immigration Assistant.

Mr. Findlay appeared in the Shatin Magistrates Court on April 30th and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was scheduled to reappear for judgment on June 18, 2009.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande said following government representation to the relevant authorities in both China and Hong Kong, the case against Mr. Findlay has since been withdrawn.

Mr. Pande has since expressed the Zambian government’s gratitude to the government of China for the release of Mr. Findlay.

He said this attests to the fact that Zambia and China enjoy warm and cordial relations.

ZANIS

Nurses urged to resume work

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The Zambia Union of Nurses Organisation (ZUNO) has called on its members to immediately resume work following the signing of the collective agreement.

ZUNO president Thom Yungana says failure to report for work is tantamount to absenteeism as the collective agreement singned between unions and government is law.

Mr Yungana says by signing the agreement government has shown willingness to engage nurses on issues affecting them.

He was speaking in Lusaka at the signing of the recognition agreement between his union and government.

Health Permanent secretary, Velepi Mtonga, warned that government has the right to withdraw the recognition agreement should the union abrogate the provisions of the industrial relations act.

Nurses country wide have been on strike to press for better conditions of service.
[ZNBC]

Eric Silwamba explains Dora Siliya’s judgment

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FORMER Communications and Transport minister Dora Siliya
FORMER Communications and Transport minister Dora Siliya

Lusaka Lawyer Eric Silwamba has described Tuesday’s High Court ruling that former transport Minister, Dora Siliya did not breach the constitution as a landmark judgment based on the 1996 law.

Mr. Silwamba said that the law requires a cabinet minister to seek the Attorney General’s legal opinion or advice before signing government contracts.

He said even though this requirement is mandatory under this law, compliance is not.

This means that the minister can choose to take the advice or ignore it.

Mr. Silwamba said the judgement also clears Ms. Siliya of all three allegations determined by the Judge Dennis Chirwa tribunal early this year.

Ms Siliya was alleged to have breached the Constitution when she ignored the advice from the attorney general and awarded a contract to RP Capital and partners to value Zamtel assets.

Delivering his ruling yesterday, High Court Judge Philip Musonda said the philosophy underlying the non-conferring on the attorney general, as chief legal advisor to the Government, veto or overriding power was that he gave professional advice, which was legalistic to the president and Cabinet.

He said the attorney general was not an elected official and he, therefore, did not factor the social, political and economic conditions prevailing at the time, which elected officials representing the people must take into account.[quote]

Mr Justice Musonda said the law moved slowly while the social, economic and political events happened instantly and needed an instantaneous response.

The judge said while in Article 56 (7) the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would violate the Constitution if he did not follow the attorney generals direction, Article 54 (3) of the Constitution was without sanctions.

“What is unconstitutional is failure to get the advice of the attorney general and not failure to follow it, interpreting the law strictly,” he said.

“In that regard if legal opinion runs counter to achieving a certain objective, ministers have the option to ignore it, but to ignore it because they are profiting from it is the very evil the parliamentary and ministerial code of conduct reprehends,” he said.

“The tribunal’s findings that there was no breach of Part II of the ministerial code of conduct remain undisturbed, which means she is cleared by the tribunal under Part II and by this court under Article 54 (3) of the Constitution and it is so ordered,” he said.

The judge, however, said it was an uncomfortable fact to preside and respectfully disagree with members of the Dennis Chirwa-led tribunal, who were among the most gentle, friendliest, warm-hearted individuals in the institution.

“I say this because there may be especially among the laymen a mistaken notion that dissent or being reversed is synonymous with discord in the judiciary,” the judge said.

FODEP embarks on electoral process sensitization drive

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has embarked on an electoral process sensitization drive ahead of the 2011 tripartite elections.

FODEP Communications Officer MacDonald Chipenzi told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the campaign will, among other things, involve the utilization of live radio discussions.

Mr. Chipenzi said FODEP has since embarked on a voter education exercise in Mpika District to encourage pupils who are 16 and older to get National Registration Cards (NRCs) in readiness for the 2011 elections.
He said pupils that are 18 years and older would further be encouraged to register as voters.

He added that FODEP has also embarked on another pilot project in Solwezi, North Western Province to educate pupils on the importance of their participation in elections.
Mr. Chipenzi said the pilot project will be done in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chipenzi also disclosed that FODEP will soon conclude its findings on the delimitation process ahead of the 2011 tripartite elections.

He said FODEP is currently on the ground in Chitambo Constituency in preparation for of the forthcoming by-election.

ZANIS

Choma health staff down tools again

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Nurses and other unionised staff at Choma general hospital in Southern Province have downed tools again, barely two days after calling off the strike action that had crippled the health institution in the past two weeks.

But the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) has pleaded with health workers in the district to return to work because their continued strike action does not have the blessings of the union.

ZANIS reports that the decision to resume the strike follows a meeting by nurses and other medical staff held at the hospital at which they unanimously agreed to commence the industrial action today.

The nurses resolved not to attend to any patients in the hospital until government meets their demands, accusing their union leaders of failing them by accepting to sign for a 15 percent pay rise.
The nurses are demanding K 1 million risk allowance, K 1,925,000 night duty allowance, K 1,500,000 uniform allowance and K 500,000 overtime allowance.

On Monday, unionised health workers and other public service workers in the district held a meeting at Choma General hospital at which they all resolved to call off the work stoppage.

CSAWUZ branch chairperson Switzer Mpuka said it was surprising that health workers could take a unilateral decision to go on strike when they were part of the collective decision with other civil servants to resume work during at a meeting he addressed at the hospital on Monday.

Mr Mpuka said the health workers who regrouped yesterday have refused to be addressed by any union leaders claiming they have been betrayed enough by the national union leaders.

He has since advised the health workers to reconsider their position and resume work because they will have no protection from the union especially that the collective agreement has already been signed.

ZANIS

Zesco battles to restore power supply

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ZESCO Limited was by yesterday battling to restore normal power supply after the country on Monday experienced widespread blackouts when one of the four transformers at Lusaka’s Leopards Hill high voltage sub-station caught fire.

The Leopards Hill sub-station in Lusaka is a transit point for power being transmitted from Kariba North Bank and Kafue Gorge power stations and collapsed after the fire on one of the transformers leading to the power outage.

Zesco Lusaka division manager, Ernest Mupwaya said in in Lusaka that Lusaka, Central, Eastern, Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula and North-Western provinces were supplied power by Leopards Hill and Lusaka West sub-stations.

Mr Mupwaya said engineers by yesterday morning managed to switch on power to nearly all the provinces except for Lusaka as they were still trying to balance voltage following the loss of one transformer.

Zesco senior manager for marketing and public relations, Lucy Zimba said almost the whole country experienced the power failure except for Southern and Western provinces which are supplied from Victoria Falls, and areas serviced by small hydro power stations.

Ms Zimba said the company started restoring power after 22:00 hours but could not switch on all its customers at once because that would have resulted in damage to the machines at Leopards Hill as well and the Lusaka West substations.

“The power failure emanated from a fault at Leopards Hill high voltage sub-substation in Lusaka. We are now relying on the remaining transformers at Leopards Hill,” she said.

Zesco board chairman, Songowayo Zyambo yesterday directed management to publicise the recovery plan and keep the public informed on the progress being made on the implementation of the recovery plan.

Mr Zyambo said investigations on what caused the fire on the transformer had started.

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) said it had engaged Zesco Limited to establish the full extent of the causes and effects of the nationwide blackout, which happened on Monday.

ERB acting executive director, Lukonde Mfula called for calm during the period and indicated that 80 megawatts of electricity was imported from the Democratic Republic of Congo to service the mines.

Mr Mfula said the Copperbelt Energy Corporation switched on the 80 megawatts of gas turbine alternator generation capacity they owned to ensure the mining sector was not adversely affected by the blackout.

Economics Association of Zambia president, Mwilola Imakando expressed fear that if interruption of power continued, it might lead to reduced productivity and negatively affect the country’s economy.
[Times of Zambia]

RB doing well,Shikapwasha

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Chief Government Spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha says President Rupiah Banda is doing well following a minor knee operation he underwent in South Africa last week.

He said at a media briefing in Lusaka that President Banda even chaired a cabinet meeting, Monday.

This was in response to questions from Journalists.

President Rupiah Banda on Thursday last week underwent a minor operation in Cape Town, South Africa for a knee problem that had been troubling him in recent days.

Medical Doctors conducted an orthopeadic procedure called arthroscopy on the President’s right knee.

[ZNBC]

ZNBC management asked to respond to audit report

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ZNBC management has been asked to respond to highlights in the auditor general’s report over a recent audit query at the national broadcasting station.

Information minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha disclosed this at a media briefing in Lusaka, Tuesday.

He said the audit report on ZNBC is currently going through the normal audit procedures.

General Shikapwasha said he would inform the nation once the audit procedure has been completed.

The auditor general recently carried out an audit on the management of ZNBC operations.

The auditors submitted the initial report to the minister.

ZNBC director general Joseph Salasini had asked to go on leave to enable auditors carry out their work.

Director Press, Public Relations and Planning at the ministry of information – Juliana Mwila has been acting in his place.

[ZNBC]

Ronnie Shikapwasha warns HH

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Some opposition political party leaders will be charged for treason if they continue to incite workers to go on with the strike.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha issued the warning at a press briefing in Lusaka, Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha said the law will take its course on UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema if he continues to call on workers to sustain their strike in which some people may be losing lives.

Gen. Shikapwasha said it is disheartening that some leaders are taking actions that are intended to bring down the Government of the day to gain access to power.

He said it is unreasonable for any political leader to gain political mileage by demanding that more people die through the strike action of some health workers.

He also dismissed Mr. Hichilema’s allegations that each ministry was losing K60 billion annually through corruption.

[ZNBC]

High Court clears Siliya

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Ms. Siliya
Ms. Siliya

The Lusaka High Court has quashed the findings of the Dennis Chirwa tribunal that found former Communications and transport minister Dora Siliya in breach of the constitution.

Lusaka High Court Judge, Phillip Musonda has found that Dennis Chirwa tribunal exercised excessive jurisdiction when it invoked Article 54 sub-section 3 to declare Ms. Siliya in breach of the constitution.

The Dennis Chirwa tribunal found that Ms. Siliya breached the constitution for disregarding legal advice from the Attorney General’s chambers relating to a Memorandum of Understanding between government and RP Capital partners of Caymans Islands to value Zamtel Assets at $2 million.

Ms. Siliya applied for judicial review in which she challenged the Tribunals’ powers to invoke constitutional provisions which are a preserve of the High Court.

Judge Musonda in the ruling delivered found that Ms. Siliya did not breach the constitution and further said the Dennis Chirwa tribunal findings that there was no breach of part two of the parliamentary and ministerial code of conduct will remain undisturbed.

He said findings that Ms. Siliya did not breach part two of the parliamentary and ministerial code means she is cleared by the tribunal and the High Court under Article 54 subsection 3 of the constitution.

[ZNBC]

Serenje pupils riot, damage property

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Serenje Technical High School pupils, on Saturday night rioted causing damage to property in the township and at the government user block that houses most government offices including that of the district commissioner.

Confusion reigned in Serenje Boma when the pupils broke loose at about 23 hours and headed for the boma center where they caused damage to motor vehicles at the bus station and broke window panes to most of the business buildings.

The buildings include Malpontela Inn, PEP shop, Bata, GM trading Fikayeba, PAM office and truck and Serenje business center.

Others included the office of the District Commissioner, United Nations Volunteer (UNV), Zanis, DEC, Office for the District Administrative Offices (DAO), the office of the President (OP) two minibuses and a truck.

The pupils also burnt down the agricultural show enclosure at the national square where the show committee is preparing to hold this year’s agricultural show from 26th to 27th June.
Central province minister Ackimson Banda and provincial permanent secretary Dan Lumbama both of whom are in Serenje, condemned the action by the pupils and urged the police o investigate the matter deeper and ensure all involved are brought to book.

Seven pupils were apprehended with the help of the call boys and other concerned people at the bus station where the pupils threw stones at anything including human beings.

At the school, headmaster Ivwanani Mulambya conducted a roll call at about 01:00 hours, to help find out who was present or absent.

The minister wondered why pupils should riot when negotiations were over and the teacher unions signed the agreement with government for a 15 percent salary increase.

The pupils rioted over the strike by teachers saying their parents could not be paying school fees and yet they (pupils) were not learning.

And Mr. Lumbama said the event was uncalled for and the behavior by the pupils was a high level of indiscipline and showed what kind of people society will have.

He urged police to get to the root cause of the problem and bring the culprits to book adding that parents of the pupils involved should be made to pay for the damage caused to property.

“The damage should be evaluated and the cost be passed on to the school so that through the pupils, parents should pay.Why attack property for innocent people?” he wondered.

Mr. Lumbama said it was unfortunate that the pupils took to the steets when lessons at the school were going on smoothly after district education board secretary (DEBS) Patson Sichone working with district commissioner Stanley Chibwana mobilized senior teachers and others to handle all classes.

ZANIS

MMD and PF political squabbles stalls market development in Ndola

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A MARKETEER in Ndola has bemoaned the involvement of politics in the running of urban markets.

Speaking in an interview in Ndola yesterday Mr Arthur Mataka said markets in the Ndola urban have remained in deplorable state because people entrusted with running them have been embroiled in political antagonisms that over take market developmental programmes.

Mr Mataka noted that Chifubu market lost out on the urban market upgrading programmes due to some political confusion that were fueled by a named opposition political party that crippled the market upgrading programme and caused it to be abandoned.

He observed that if the political antagonisms existing between the Patriotic Front and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy members in the running of markets are not addressed, that there will be no development in the market structures in Ndola and in all urban markets country wide.

Mr Mataka who is also Chifubu market advisory committee chairman called on the council officers to put politics aside when carrying out their civic administrative duties so that they could improve the infrastructure in markets and also serve all Zambians regardless of their political affiliations.

He appealed to the Ndola City Council to deliver services that it ought to deliver to the people in the markets and ensure that sanity is brought to the markets.

He also urged political party cadres from the two political parties to desist from interfering with the Council Management in its running of the city.

ZANIS

Illegal Timber traders invade Chama district

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-A Senior Government Official in Chama District says illegal timber dealers have invaded areas in chiefs Chibale, Muliro and Lundu in Chama North in the Eastern Province.

Chama District Commissioner (DC), Peter Nyirenda confirmed this development in an interview with ZANIS in Chama over the weekend.

Mr. Nyirenda lamented that unscrupulous people both locals and Tanzanian nationals have ventured into illegal activities in chiefs Chibale, Mulilo and Lundu.

He revealed the District have since recorded an increase in unwarranted indiscriminate cutting of trees for timber production.

He said the timber cut from the three chiefdoms is being transported into neighboring Tanzania via Isoka and Nakonde on a daily basis.

The DC revealed that a District Forest crack team was last year formed specifically to monitor and curb illegal timber dealers but nothing has so far been done due to lack of funding and transport in the Department of Forestry.

Mr. Nyirenda expressed worry that once the forests are completely deprived; the district will experience negative climatic change such as drought and floods.

The DC who revealed that government was also losing huge sums of revenue , appealed to the Ministry of Environment to give the Department of Forestry in Chama a vehicle, if the trend was to be controlled.

Meanwhile,Mr. Nyirenda has since warned offenders to desist from the vice because once caught, they will be prosecuted.

And when contacted for a comment District Forestry Officer (DFO), Japhet Kabonso referred all queries to the Provincial Forestry Officer (PFO), Bwalya Chendauka who could not reached by press time.s

ZANIS