Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Felix Mutati has called on public service workers to exercise restraint in their demands for increased salaries and other conditions of service in view of the shrunken government revenue base brought about by the global economic crisis.

Mr. Mutati has since appealed to public service workers to appreciate government’s inability to meet their demands due to budgetary limitations.
He was speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, last night when he addressed Zambians resident there.

He was drawn to the matter by one of the residents who wanted government’s reaction to demands for higher salaries and improved conditions of service for public service workers.

Mr. Mutati said government’s revenue base has been severely affected by the global economic crunch which has resulted in closure of some of the country’s principal sources of income, such as the mines and other companies.

He, however, said government is working hard to diversify the economy from dependence on copper to other sectors, such as tourism and agriculture, as a long term measure to grow the economy and improve the living conditions of the Zambian people.

The minister urged Zambians in the Diaspora to be good ambassadors in selling Zambia’s investment potential to investors.
He said government has put in place a conducive investment climate ideal for all levels of investors from micro, medium to large scale investments.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mutati, says revelations of corrupt practices in some government ministries and other public institutions are a sign that government has put in place right mechanisms in the fight against corruption.

He said government is happy with the good work the office of the Auditor General and other law enforcement agencies were doing in exposing various financial scams and corrupt practices so that perpetrators of such vices face the wrath of the law.

He said the recent revelation of the K27 billion scam at the Ministry of Health is an example that those that want to take short-cuts to get rich will not escape the long arm of the law.

Mr. Mutati said recent approval of the Anti Corruption Policy by Cabinet, among other measures, is a demonstration of President Rupiah Banda’s commitment to zero-tolerance of corruption.
He explained that the policy aims at enhancing the role and capacity of the ACC in the crusade against corruption.[quote]

At the same function, Bank of Zambia Governor, Dr Caleb Fundanga, said Zambia’s financial sector has remained vibrant despite the global economic meltdown.

Dr Fundanga said no single bank has collapsed, but instead more new banks continue to be opened in the country, a sign of a promising economy despite the current global financial turbulence.

Speaking earlier, President Banda’s political advisor, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika, told the audience that looking at the pace of constitutional reform process by the NCC, it was possible to have a new constitution in place before the 2011 presidential and general elections.

Mr. Lewanika added that Zambia’s multi-party democracy is taking root as evidenced in the competition for office by various political players during elections.

And in his welcome remarks, Chairman of the Zambian Community in Cape Town, David Phiri, called on the government to establish a consular office in Cape Town that would represent and protect the interests of the growing list of Zambian nationals resident there.

Mr. Phiri said the consular office would also help promote economic and commercial relations between Zambia and Cape Town and foster social and cultural co-operation between Zambia and South Africa.

He said Cape Town has about 4,000 Zambian nationals engaged in various occupations who find it difficult to access consular services at the Zambia High Commission in Pretoria, which is thousands of kilometers away.

Mr. Phiri also appealed to the government to speed up the processing of new passports for Zambians resident in Cape Town. He said a number of them have applied through the High Commission in Pretoria but it is taking long for the new passports to be processed in Lusaka, a situation that has adversely affected the residents.

ENDS/EB/AM/ZANIS

Mr Sata who was speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday said there is still time before picking a presidential candidate.

He was commenting on UPND Namwala MP Robby Chizyuka’s statement that the PF-UPND pact should adopt UPND president Hakainde Hichilema as the presidential candidate for the 2011 general elections because he is a younger politician who has a heart for Zambia.

“Between now and 2011, anything can happen to both the young and the old,” Mr Sata said.

He said Major Chizyuka was not speaking on behalf of the UPND.

“Who is Chizyuka? He is just an MP. He is not speaking on behalf of UPND,” he said.

And Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has alleged that Namwala Member of Parliament Robby Chizyuka is being used to declare Mr Hichilema as the right candidate for the PF-UPND pact.

Mr Kambwili alleged that Major Chizyuka could be used by people who do not want the pact to work.

He said it is premature for people to start commenting on the one to field as a candidate for the 2011 elections.

Mr Kambwili said the pact has appointed a National Governing Council (NGC) which will choose the presidential candidate.

He however said Major Chizyuka is entitled to his own opinion.

And Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo said both Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata are good enough for the job.

He said as members of the pact, they will support either of the two candidates to be picked by the NGC.
Mr Nkombo however said it is too early to start discussing issues of a presidential candidate for the pact.

“For the moment, we are faithful followers of the pact. Who becomes the candidate is not an issue at the moment. It may become an issue in future when the NGC meets to decide. So, there is no need for controversy and there is no reason for people to be anxious,” he said.

Mandevu MP Jean Kapata said it is not yet time to discuss who the candidate for the pact should be.[quote]

“We have just started this process, so, the UPND member of Parliament (Major Chizyuka) can’t say that. We have not reached that stage yet,” he said.

And Moomba MP Vitalis Mooya said it is better to leave the presidential candidate issue in the hands of the NGC.

“It is too early for that. What is important is for us to consolidate the pact,” he said.

Bweengwa MP Highvie Hamududu said the pact will choose a presidential candidate when the time is right.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

A fight ensued in Lusaka yesterday at the Old Leopards Hill cemetery when family members to the deceased person differed over the appearance of their relative’s body after body viewing.

Relatives to the late Mary Banda descended on their in-laws from Central Province.

It is alleged that Mrs Banda, 41 years who died in the early hours of Tuesday this week, June 9 was beaten by her husband, Royd Kembo.

Trouble started at the church procession at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross when body viewing was conducted. It was at this point that the relatives to the deceased became incensed with the appearance of their relative.

At the Old Leopards Hill cemetery, Mrs. Banda’s relatives demanded that another body viewing be conducted before burying but Royd’s relatives objected and insisted that the burial ceremony should instead proceed.

But Mrs. Banda’s relatives said they will not bury until a postmortem is conducted amid shouts from their in-laws that the body of the deceased was cleared upon collection at the B-3 funeral (Home) parlour and subsequent church service.[quote]

A ZANIS crew that rushed to the Old Leopards Hill cemetery found the two families embroiled in the fracas.

A check revealed that Royd’s family had been thwarted from handling the burial procession and the deceased’s family had taken charge.

Narrating the ordeal, Monica Mwale, sister to the deceased claimed that Mary suffered injuries after her husband beat her up because the late was allegedly bleeding from the nose and ears.

“My sister was beaten by her husband. We want to know the truth to what killed our relatives. We don’t know what we are mourning because… and why is Royd’s family objecting to conduct a postmortem?” she asked.

Fanwell Mwale, another relative to the deceased accused Royd’s family of not being supportive at the funeral.

But Elvis Kambanya, brother to Royd in an interview challenged Mary’s relatives to prove who certified the alleged beatings.

Mr. Kambanya dismissed the allegations as unfounded and that there was no police report to justify the claims.

He regretted that the funeral was marred with disagreements between the two families.

“Let them tell us who certified that my sister-in-law, Mary was beaten by her husband. Because what I know is that the doctor certifies the body while a postmortem is conducted by the doctor and the police,” Mr. Kambanya dared.

The couple had four children.

Police Service Spokesperson Bonny Kapeso when contacted for a comment over the matter stated that he has not received the report.

Mr. Kapeso said police could only act upon receiving a complaint and advised people to desist from taking the law into their own hands.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has undergone a successful minor orthopaedic procedure for a knee problem that had been troubling him in recent days.

Medical doctors in South Africa 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 complete and full recovery within a short period of time.

He said Mr. Banda is expected to be discharged from hospital on Thursday after taking the recommended hours of rest after the operation.

President Banda is in South Africa to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa.

[ZNBC]