Another charge slapped on Kapoko

Headlines

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June 14, 2009

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Henry Kapoko, the man embroiled in the scandal at the Ministry of Health has Sunday been given another charge.

This is for issuing a cheque on an insufficient funded account.

Commissioner of Police Graphael Musamba said this is contrary to the national payment and systems act number one.

Kapoko who is remanded in custody has already been charged for theft by public servant.

Meanwhile Police have formally arrested six officers from the Ministry of Health in connection with the K27 billion scam at the Ministry.

Mr. Musamba said they have been arrested for theft by public servant.

He told journalists that the suspects are being held at Woodlands and Kabwata police stations and that they will appear in court, Monday.

On Saturday police said they had picked up six officials from the ministry of health and the operations manager at Best Home lodge.
[ZNBC]

A Mark of Honor

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June 14, 2009

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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling”
(Proverbs 20:3, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

I’ve found that for most people, it can be easy to start a fight but hard to end one. It’s easy to get offended and say things that we know we shouldn’t, but once you get started, it’s difficult to stop. It’s hard to let it go. That’s why the scripture tells us that it’s much better not to ever even start a quarrel.

If you want God to honor you, if you want to enjoy your life to the fullest, then always strive to be a peacemaker. Be the kind of person who goes the extra mile to avoid an unnecessary argument. Make your home a place of peace. Choose to be in harmony with your spouse and the people you live your daily life with. The Bible says that you are blessed when you are a peacemaker. So today, look for ways to make peace. Choose to overcome strife and wear the mark of honor He has given to you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, today I choose to be a peacemaker. I choose to wear Your mark of honor and avoid strife in my life. Use me for Your purposes today as I yield every area of my heart to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen ministries

Government advised to legislate salaries

Economy

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June 14, 2009

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Former Communication and Transport Deputy Minister Alfred Ndhlovu has advised government to come up with legislation that will enable employees to be paid according to their level of education.

Mr. Alfred Ndhlovu said government should set a minimum salary that will enable people to be paid according to their education levels saying this will help address the current low wages in the country.

Mr. Ndhlovu, a former Transport and Coomunications Deputy minister in second republican President Dr Chiluba’s [quote]administration, said many workers in the country were being paid poor salaries despite their huge contributions saying this was tantamount to abuse of workers right.

He said paying the workers according to their educational levels will also enable parents put more value on education and thereby invest in their children.

Mr. Ndhlovu said this in a letter to chief government spokesperson Lt. Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha, made available to the media in Lusaka yesterday.

He said slave salaries should cease and allow people live a good standard of living if the country is to attain the much needed development.

He said the low wages lead to poverty adding that this was a major contributing factors why rural areas are not developed.

Mr. Ndhlovu further said the current maize floor price of K 65,000 given to farmers by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is also not enough considering the high cost of inputs in the country.

He also said that he is happy that Information and Broadcasting Minister Lt. Gen Shikapwasha during the commemoration of the world press freedom day expressed concerns at the low wages journalists in the country were receiving.

In his letter the former deputy minister has proposed that those below grade 12 should be paid K 1 million per month, K1.8 million for Grade 12, K4.5 million for First workers with Diplomas/University Degree.

He further said Second University degree holders be paid K 6 million and PHD holders be paid K10 million per month.

ZANIS

Church urged to buy land for community projects

General News

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June 14, 2009

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Government has urged the church and other stakeholders involved in uplifting the standard of living in communities to apply for land to build more projects.

And the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church says it will build about 3,000 churches and over 20 primary schools around the country.

Lands Minister, Peter Daka said the Church and organizations should apply for land whenever they need it adding that government will not hesitate as it will benefit communities.

Mr. Daka said this when he officiated at the SDA church building promotion programme in Lusaka’s Jack Compound today.

He said government is ready to work with the church in their programmes aimed at alleviating poverty.

He said government fully recognizes the important role churches play in fostering economic, social, and spiritual development in the country.

And SDA Zambia President Pastor Harrington Akombwa disclosed that the church will this year start building more churches and schools around the country.

Pastor.Akombwa said the church has started constructing three primary schools in Livingstone adding that it will also build two schools in each of the nine provinces around the country.

He said the schools will be built through partnership with donors from the United States and is aimed at helping the government achieve the MDGs and education for all goals.

He has thanked government for creating an enabling environment for the church and further pledged his church commitment to the country’s leadership.

And the church has raised more than 15 million toward its programme while other have pledged both financial and material support and the minister has donated K1 million towards the programme.

ZANIS

Govt expects 100% teacher turn-out on Monday

Headlines

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June 13, 2009

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Ministry of education permanent secretary Lilian Kapulu

The government expects a 100% teacher turn-out on Monday. This follows the successful conclusion of bargaining between government and three teacher-unions, out of which teachers have been given a 15 percent pay rise.

Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, Lillian Kapulu says teachers that will NOT report for work on Monday, will be doing so at their own peril.

Mrs. Kapulu has warned that labour laws will apply for teachers that decide to stay away from classes but hoped the situation will not reach that level.

She says there is no justification for teachers to continue with their strike action after being awarded a 15 percent pay rise.

And Mrs. Kapulu says the ministry of finance will soon release K15 Billion as part payment of fixed band allowances for teachers.

The Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary said government is aware that teachers are owed K42.5 Billion in fixed band and is determined to off-set the arrears by August this year.

And the three Teacher unions in Lusaka say there is NO need for teachers to continue with the strike action.

And the unions have challenged those within the teaching profession inciting teachers to continue with the strike to leave the profession.

This was said by Lusaka province Basic Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) Chairman Ian Miyoba, flanked his Secretary Clifford Chirwa.

Mr. Miyoba thanked national leaders from the three teacher unions for their courage and determination in reaching at the 15 percent pay rise with government.

And Zambia Union of Teachers (ZNUT) Provincial Secretary Lillian Nshinga, said teachers should report back for work on MOnday.

Ambassador Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika’s interview on MCA

General News

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June 13, 2009

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This is an interview of Zambia’s ambassador to the United States Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika conducted on the 10th of May, 2009 on the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) in the United states.

In the interview, Ambassador Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika discusses the efforts Zambia is making in fighting corruption and how Zambia qualified for the threshold status and how the country qualified for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) compact status.

Many thanks to the First Secretary (Press) at the Zambian Embassy in the US, Mr Ben Kangwa, for making the video clip available to us

LT Update

General News

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June 12, 2009

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This is to inform you that the site will be intermittently available over the weekend to facilitate debugging (trouble-shooting) and fixing of the piece of software that has been causing the “504 Gateway Time-out nginx/0.7.35” error lately.

The work will largely take place between 24:00 hrs (ZMT) midnight and 06:00 hrs (ZMT) in the morning , the period we have the least traffic. We hope to fix the problem over the next nights.

Sincere apology for the inconvenience this work will cause.

LT team

Cattle farmers call for the lifting of export ban

Rural News

Guest Editor

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June 12, 2009

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Cattle farmers in Western Province have appealed to Livestock and Fisheries Minister, Bradford Machila, to lift the ban on the exportation of raw cattle skins.

Western Province Cattle Farmers and Marketing Association Chairperson, Mbikusita Munyinda made the appeal through ZANIS in Mongu today.

Mr. Munyinda said small scale cattle farmers were losing huge revenues through the current policy which bars them from exporting raw cattle skins.
He stated that the total value of an animal was inclusive of the price of its skin hence the need for the Minister to lift the ban.

Mr. Munyinda said a lot of cattle skins were going to waste at the butcheries and abattoirs in the province as farmers cannot turn their animal skins into blue leather which can be exported.
He disclosed that currently ZAMBEEF was enjoying the monopoly of exporting leather as it had the capacity to transform raw skins into blue leather.

Mr. Munyinda has since urged ZAMBEEF to consider buying cattle skins from other cattle farmers and even train them in tanning in the province.

ZANIS

Striking Ndola workers reject 15% hike,demand resignation of union leaders

Feature General

Guest Editor

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June 12, 2009

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Striking Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education workers in Ndola have asked for the immediate resignation of their National Union leaders who are part of the salary negotiation bargaining team.

ZANIS Ndola reports that the decision was reached at a joint meeting between the Health workers and their Education counterparts at Ndola Basic School this morning.

In a joint resolution read by Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) Ndola District Chairperson Nibbu Nyasulu and Civil Servant and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) Joy Beene, the workers said the leaders in the bargaining team had failed to represent the wishes of grass root members.

Mr. Nyasulu said teachers were passing a vote of no confidence in their representatives at national level.

“As teachers we have resolved to pass a vote of no confidence in our national Union Leaders and we have even resolved that the contributions we make to the unions be withheld immediately,” he said.

He further said the teachers have resolved that government and the bargaining team that had prematurely signed the agreement should immediately re-open the negotiations because teachers in the district would not go back for work unless their demands were met.

And the Nurses who earlier in the day had a meeting at Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) resolved to continue their strike until government awarded them a K1.5m salary increment across the board.

Mr. Beene said the nurses had resolved that their national union leaders should not agree to sign the 15% salary increment because the grass root membership had totally rejected it.

Meanwhile, Mr. Beene has appealed to President Rupiah Banda to have a fatherly heart towards the people who were unnecessarily dying, by awarding nurses their genuine demands so that they could go back to work.

A check at Ndola Central Hospital this morning revealed that management had decided to close down all wards on the Fifth, Fourth and Second floors inlcuding the Gynaecology wards.

ZANIS

Countdown to 2009 Castle 7’s Begins

Sports

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June 12, 2009

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Zambia’s second biggest sporting event the Lusaka Castle International 7’s tournaments kickoff on Saturday and ends on Sunday.

The event is second in size to the Zambia Golf Open that this year has suffered two delays and two venue switches brought about by the recent global downturn and now set to be held in Ndola this August.

12 teams from five nations including Zambia will battle for honors to be crowned the 11th champions of the Castle 7’s tournament.

Hosts Zambia are seeking their first Castle 7’s title win after finishing runner-up over the last two seasons to
of the competition to defending champions Zimbabwe.

Zambia, two-time champions Zimbabwe and record four-time champions Mpumalanga are the three seeded sides in this years draws and lead Group A, B and C respectively.

Zambia are in Group B together with Botswana A, Harare Sports Club and Zambia Defence Forces side that will comprise players from Arrows and Buffaloes rugby clubs.

Zimbabwe , who are eying a third successive Castle 7’s title, are in Group A and have been paired against Zambia B playing as Lechwe including two South African teams namely Golden Lions and Natal Sharks Academy.

Group C comprises of Mpumalanga, Goshawks of Zimbabwe, Botswana B and Kenya.

Kenya together with Zimbabwe are the two sides in this years Castle 7s that represented Africa at the 2009 IRB 7’s Rugby World Cup and will be the sides to beat for any team with ambitions on this years title.

Kenya reached the semifinals of the IRB 7s World Cup held in Dubai this past March while Zimbabwe reached the quarterfinals of the same tournament.

2009 Lusaka Castle 7s International Fixtures

13/06/2009

09:00: Goshawks-Botswana B

09:20:Botswana A-Defence Forces

09:40:Lions-Lechwe

10:00: Mpumalanga-Kenya

10:20:Zambia-Harare

10:40: Zimbabwe-Sharks

11:00:Goshawks-Kenya

11:20: Botswana A-Harare

11:40: Lions-Sharks

14:40: Mpumalanga-Botswana B

15:20:Zambia-Defence Forces

15:40: Zimbabwe-Lechwe

15:40: Kenya-Botswana B

16:00: Harare-Defence Forces

16:20: Sharks-Lechwe

16:40:Mpumalanga-Goshawks

17:00: Zambia-Botswana A

17:20: Zimbabwe-Lions

14/06/2009

Quaterfinals

09:20: Quarter Final 1

09:40: Quarter Final 2

10:00: Quarter Final 3

10:20: Quarter Final 4

Semifinals

14:10: Semifinal 1

14:30: Semifinal 2

Finals

17:00

*All kickoff times are Central Africa Time

RB leaves hospital

Health

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June 12, 2009

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President Rupiah Banda who underwent a minor operation in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday for a knee problem has been discharged from hospital.

Medical doctors who conducted the operation on the President’s right knee say it was very successful.

State House Press Aide, Dickson Jere, said in a statement that the President is expected to make full recovery within a short period of time.

President Banda is among several leaders attending the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town.
[ZNBC]

Barclays Bank employees awarded a K600,000 pay rise

Economy

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June 12, 2009

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Barclays Bank Zambia PLC has awarded its unionized staff a 15 percent salary increment translating into K600,000 across the board effective 1st April 2009.

Speaking during the signing of the Collective Agreement with Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (ZUFIAW), Acting Barclays Bank Managing Director (MD) Patrick Wanjelani said the current economic meltdown has brought about many challenges to the banking sector.

Mr.Wanjelani said these challenges have also affected many negotiating programmes aimed at improving working conditions and salaries for employees.

He however, noted that despite these challenges there is no need for employers to relent as employers continue to play an important role towards increased production in any sector.

He noted that it is for this reason that workers should always be regarded as important resources to the company’s production hence the need to look after their interest well.

Mr. Wanjalani disclosed that regardless of the global economic melt down, Barclays bank remains committed to improve the conditions of staff amid difficult times.

The MD further thanked the workers and the negotiating team for the sober and mature manner in which they engaged management during the negotiations.

Mr. Wanjelani pointed out that this is a clear indication that trade unions and management are willing and able to work closely together in improving the conditions of workers in the country.

He has however, urged employees to work hard and maintain the partnership that is exiting between the two parties.

And speaking earlier, (ZUFIAW) General Secretary Joyce Nonde Simukoko said the banking sector is one of the sectors that should assist government in its economic growth.

Mrs. Simukoko explained that credible investors should be more interested in contributing to the development of the country their operating from by improving their working conditions for their staff.

She said good working conditions for employees can help motivate staff therefore increase productivity.

She expressed happiness that the collective barging agreement between ZUFIAW and Barclay’s management went well without disturbing workers.

ZANIS

Africa Public Service Day will be a Public Holiday – Dr. Kanganja

General News

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June 12, 2009

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Zambia will on Tuesday, 23rd June 2009, commemorate the Africa Public Service Day to reflect on issues affecting the African Public Service and generate positive interest in the work of the Public Service.

Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Joshua Kanganja, in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, explained that the day which has been designated as a Public Holiday on the Zambian Calendar will be celebrated at national and provincial level with the participation of Public Service employees.

Dr. Kanganja said the Africa Public Service Day, which the Zambian Public Service started observing at national level in 2008, will be used, among other activities, to reward outstanding initiatives and promote professionalism in the Public Service.

In Lusaka, a March Past will be held from Manda Hill Shopping Mall to the Mulungushi International Conference Centre where awards for outstanding initiatives that have positively enhanced service delivery, transparency and accountability in the Public Service will be presented.

Dr. Kanganja said as part of the celebrations, a Road-Show will be held at the Arcades Shopping Mall Grounds from Wednesday, 17th through to Friday, 19th June from 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours.

During the Road-Show, Government ministries and institutions will display information and carry out practical demonstration of the services and products they offer.
ZANIS

Simon Miti declares assets

Headlines

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June 12, 2009

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Former Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Simon Miti has submitted a declaration list of his property to Law Enforcement Agencies.

This is in connection with on-going investigations into the K27 billion corruption scam at the ministry.

Dr. Miti’s lawyer Rabson MalipengaA confirmed to ZNBC that his client submitted the list at the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) offices Friday morning.

Mr. Malipenga said the submission was agreed upon when a warn and caution statement was recorded from the former health Permanent Secretary.

Dr. Miti was Thursday interrogated from about 12:00 hours to 18:00hrs at the ACC Headquarters. The list has not been released to the public.

Meanwhile, Henry Kapoko has appealed against a magistrate court’s decision to deny him bail pending trial in the Lusaka High Court.

Kapoko, a former Ministry of Health Human Resource Manager, was last week denied bail by Magistrate Kenneth Mulife on grounds that he attempted to evade arrest and tried to flee the country.

Kapoko’s lawyer Kelvin Bwalya has argued in the high court that the trial court erred in law and in fact when it denied his client bail on the ground that he would run away.

Mr. Bwalya submitted that other grounds of appeal will follow at the hearing.

And High Court Judge Essau Chulu has set June 16 as the date for hearing of Kapoko’s bail application appeal.

Kapoko’s defence team had submitted before magistrate Mulife that their client deserved bail because he was of fixed abode and a civil servant.

Kapoko has pleaded NOT guilty to obtaining K1.9 billion by false pretences.

It is alleged that on unknown dates but between January 22 and February 28 this year, jointly and while acting together with other unknown persons and with intent to defraud or deceive the ministry of health, Kapoko obtained money by false pretences.

[ZNBC]