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Thursday Zambia Football Round-up

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The Zambia Footballer of the Year awards take place tomorrow in the wake of a small storm on the eve of the ceremony.

Herve Renard has caused a storm at Football House following his alleged comments on the omission of Zambia’s new problem-son and CHAN ace striker Given Singuluma from the 2008 Footballer of the Year awards.

Short-listed for the award are all midfielders and they are Kebby Hachipuka of Choma Eagles, William Njobvu from Zesco United including the  Power Dynamos duo of Francis Kasonde and Kennedy Mudenda.

The award for the best player for 2008 will be handed out on Friday at a ceremony to be held at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka that starts at 16:00.

Renard is alleged to have called the awards committee “jokers” for not considering Singuluma for the player of the year award.

Singuluma inspired Zambia to a 3rd place finish at CHAN after scoring a record setting 5 goals at the inaugural competition hosted by Cote d’Ivoire from February  22 to March 8 this year.

Renard alleged utterances unknowingly hurt Faz treasurer Bonny Mwamelo who also headed the football of the year awards committee.

According to sources, Renard is said to have denied calling the panel jokers for overlooking Singuluma.

Meanwhile, Singuluma would have still been ineligible for nomination for the 2008 award despite his CHAN exploits.

To come up with their shortlist, Faz also use the same as Fifa and Caf’s selection process for its player of the year honor based on performances over a traditional 1-year-calender that sees national team coaches and team captains vote for their top three players.

In this case, coaches and captains from the 16 Faz Premier League team voted for their top 3 rated players from January to December 2008.

The Faz player of the year top 3 players plus ties are selected on a points system with 5,3 and 1 points given to the players who finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the polls respectively.

The Faz football awards committee headed by Mwamelo also includes on its panel Mulenga Kapwepwe(National Arts Council of Zambia Chairperson), Sampa Chitah(KCM) and Col Godfrey Mazeko (Red Arrows chairman).

The committee tallies and verify the votes before compiling the best four shortlist.

RENARD CALLS NJOBVU FOR 2011 QUALIFIERS

And Renard has added William Njobvu and 2008 young player of the year shortlist Jimmy Chisenga to his provisional team that goes into private camp in Johannesburg this Sunday.

The duos inclusion brings to 9 the number of home-based players selected for the Rwanda and Algeria Group C home games on June 6 and 20 respectively.

FIGGE BACK

Former Zambia coach Jochen Figge set to return on 6-month stint as Faz technical director.

This will be the German’s second stint in Zambia after a forgettable 6-months at the helm of the team two decades ago.

Zambia to harvest 1.9 million metric tones of maize for 2008/2009 season

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maizeZambia will this year harvest nearly 1.9 million metric tones of maize produced from the just ended 2008/2009 farming season.

This harvest puts the country on a safe food situation, whose annual human maize consumption is 1.26 million metric tones.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister, Brian Chituwo, said the crop forecasting survey for 2008/2009 agricultural season and the food balance status for the 2009/2010 marketing season indicate that the total maize production in the last farming season is estimated to be 1,888,773 metric tones.

Dr Chituwo said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that the food balance sheet shows that the total maize required for human consumption amounts to 1,263,098 metric tones.

He said the country has recorded a maize surplus of 203,271 metric tones from last year’s production, adding that government was ready to review the issue of maize exports.

This maize production represents an increase of 31 per cent compared to the previous season.

Dr. Chituwo stressed that the total maize requirements would take into account government’s strategic reserve stock of 110,000 metric tones for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

He however disclosed that the percentage contribution to national production by large scale farmers has reduced from 18 per cent during the previous season to 12 per cent in the just ended season.

Dr. Chituwo stated that large scale commercial farmers have achieved an average maize yield rate of 4.8 metric tonnes per hectare while small and medium scale farmers have achieved an average maize yield rate of 1.5 metric tones per hectare.

He has since appealed to the private sector to immediately start participating in the market by purchasing maize from farmers.

The minister also disclosed that the floor price for maize would be announced early next month.

ZANIS

Government sets aside K60 billion for settling teachers’ allowances

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Education Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa says government has made a budgetary allocation of K 60 Billion that will go towards the payment of outstanding allowances for teachers through out the country.

Professor Lungwangwa said in Mazabuka this morning, government has since released K 11. 5 Billion which has been paid to teachers as leave benefits and settling allowances.

The minister who was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba said government is committed to ensuring that problems that hinder stability in the teaching fraternity are resolved.

And the Minister has commended teachers in Mazabuka for refusing to join the strike action by their fellow teachers.

Prof. Lungwangwa said in Mazabuka today when he paid a courtesy call on Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba that there is need for the teachers countrywide to emulate their counterparts in Mazabuka and give government ample time to conclude the negotiations.

He said the release of the K 11 Billion by his ministry for the payment of outstanding fixed band housing allowances is enough testimony of government commitment in addressing challenges facing teachers.

Prof. Lungwangwa said the Ministry of Finance has assured him that it will release the remaining balance payment on fixed band housing allowance in three installments, in a bid to overhaul the backlog of arrears.

He said government is not sitting idle but is doing everything possible to address the problems facing the education sector.

Speaking earlier, Mazabuka District Commissioner, informed the Minister that teachers in Mazabuka have rejected calls by the Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) provincial leadership to down chalks.

He said local union leaders from the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) , BETUZ and Secondary Education Schools Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) have been going round briefing teachers on the status quo regarding the salary negotiations.

He also commended government for injecting colossal sums of money towards infrastructure development.

Mr Hamaamba said government last year built 17 classrooms from the K 1.5 Billion released for infrastructure development adding that another K 2.2 Billion has this year been released for the construction 32 classrooms.

He also commended Mazabuka District Education Board Secretary for being instrumental in ensuring that the implementation of infrastructure development is enhanced.

ZANIS

Blind foreign nationals throng Lusaka streets

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The Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD) has observed an increase in the number of foreign blind people on the streets in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt province who are begging for money.

ZAPD Acting Director General, Charles Mwape, said some of the blind people are suspected to be from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Mwape told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that this has affected the reintegration programme which the agency, working with government under the auspices of the ministry of Community Development and Social Services, has embarked on.

He said government and the agency have found it difficult to clear the blind persons from the streets because of the new people that have since thronged the streets.

Dr. Mwape has since appealed to the Department of Immigration to help scrutinize travel documents of the suspected foreigners on the streets.

He said the department of immigration should move in if the programme of integrating the blind is to succeed.

Meanwhile, the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD) has extended the period of registration for its affiliates.

Dr. Mwape has disclosed that the agency has extended the registration period to May 27, 2009.

He said the extension follows an appeal by stakeholders to have the date extended after ZAPD ran out of application forms for the registration.

He has however maintained that no organization whether local or foreign, that will not register with ZAPD would be allowed to operate and offer services to disabled people once the extension period elapses.

Dr. Mwape said there is therefore need for all organizations dealing with disabled people to register with his agency so that the agency can start monitoring their activities and help better the lives of the disabled people.

Act 33 of 1999 of the Laws of Zambia provides that every organization providing services to the disabled should be registered with ZAPD.

ZANIS

Cardson Kabwe discharged

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Cardson recuperating 5 days after the operation.
Cardson recuperating 5 days after the operation.
Lusakatimes is pleased to report that Cardson Kabwe the Zambian

medical student studying in Russia, who was in urgent need of a life saving heart operation was discharged from hospital on May 12th.A successful heart operation was done on the 22nd April.

Cardson Kabwe was denied assistance by the Zambian Embassy in Russia who advised Cardson to fly back to Zambia.An air ticket through Bursaries Committee was arranged for him to fly back to Zambia.

Cardson as well as other students knew this would be a death sentence on the young bright medical student.So an urgent appeal was sent to raise funds for the operation. Zambian students in Russia, Lusakatimes readers as well as other Zambians around the world contributed money to help save Cardson ‘s life.Indeed Cardson’s life has been saved and on behalf the 25 year old orphaned medical student we wish to thank you for your support.

Poverty reduction funds diverted to repair the Provincial Minister’s house.

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The parliamentary public accounts committee has heard how K108 million meant for poverty reduction in Northern Province were diverted to repair the Provincial Minister’s house.

Provincial Accountant, James Munkanta said K108 million was diverted to rehabilitate the official residence of the minister.

Mr. Munkanta admitted that he succumbed to pressure from the then Permanent Secretary Joel Ngo to divert the funds.

He said this was done without authority from the secretary to the treasury.[quote]

This came to light Wednesday, when Northern province permanent Secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe and his delegation appeared before the committee chaired by Luena MP, Charles Milupi.

Mr. Simfukwe said K300 million unretired imprest for the 2007 financial year has now been regularised.

The parliamentary public accounts committee chairman urged Mr. Simfukwe and his accounting staff to strictly adhere to financial regulations.

[ZNBC]00

Chief Mwansakombe denies belonging to opposition PF

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Chief Mwansakombe of the bena Ng’umbo people in Samfya district of Luapula province has refuted media reports that he is a member of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

And Chief Mwansakombe has commended government and the PF for attending the funeral of senior Chief Mwewa, who passed away last week.

The chief said in an interview in Mansa today that it was not true that he was a member of the PF, saying as a chief, he was supposed to be non partisan.

One of the local daily newspapers on Monday this week quoted chief Mwansakombe, who is Luapula Province Council of Chiefs chairperson, as having told PF leader Michael Sata that he was a member of the party.

The traditional leader is alleged to have made the declaration when Mr. Sata called on him, to convey his condolences on the late senior chief Mwewa of the Ng’umbo people in Samfya.

Chief Mwansakombe said he was displeased by the reports carried in newspaper alleging that he was a PF member.

He said as chairperson of Luapula Province Council of Chiefs, he would equally not allow any chief from the province to publicly declare that they belong to a particular political party.

He said however that his subjects were free to identify themselves with any political party of their choice.

The chief said traditional leaders were supposed to be free and non partisan so that they could welcome leaders of various political parties without discrimination.

He has meanwhile commended the PF president for traveling to Samfya to attend the funeral of the senior chief who was buried on May 8, 2009.

“Of course, we want to thank the PF president for coming and conveying his message of condolences to the bereaved family of the late senior chief Mwewa. We are very grateful for this,” Chief Mwansakombe said.

The chief also commended government for material and financial support rendered during the funeral of the late Chief Mwewa.

Chief Mwansakombe also thanked government for rehabilitating Musaila-Kasaba road, which was in a very deplorable state.

He said people in Chifunabuli constituency were happy with government for sending a good contractor, who has almost finished working on the road.

“We are happy that government has responded to our cry and sent us a good contractor who has really done a very good job on the Musaila-Kasaba road. We are grateful to government for that,” he said.

ZANIS

Curio sellers in Livingstone cry over “unfair competition”

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Local tourism investors in Livingstone have appealed to government to save them from folding up because hoteliers and lodge owners have allegedly monopolized every tourism opportunities.

Mukuni Park Association of curio-sellers’ chairperson, Evans Musili said most hotels and lodges have began selling curios, thus preventing tourists from visiting Mukuni Park where they could find a variety of curios.

Mr. Musili asked the Minister of Tourism, Catherine Namugala to personally visit local tourism providers and listen to their cries.

“We are appealing to the Minister to help us. She should identify and visit these small-scale entrepreneurs to hear there cries otherwise hoteliers and lodge owners are kicking us out of business. In the end, we will remain with nothing to do,” he said.

He said established investors such as Sun International Hotel and other hospitality providers should not be allowed to monopolize everything in terms of tourism.

And Mr. Musili said tourism market in Livingstone has in the last one month recorded the lowest number of tourism clients this year mainly due the South African Airways that has not been coming into Livingstone following recent elections in South Africa.

“Also partly due to the South African Airways which has not been moving due to the election period in that country and the fright has been the major transporter for tourists since Zambia Airways collapsed,” he said.

He said curio sellers’ hope was now on the forthcoming 2010 world cup when an influx of tourists is expected to be recorded.

Another curio-seller, Lucky Kapalu said local tourists were very difficult to deal with because most of them prefer to purchase products at a lower price.

“Usually they would not buy up to three smaller items maybe just costing K15, 000 total. Even then you still have to negotiate. Chinese tourists do not even usually buy, they can move from that end to that far end without buying anything,” he said.

The tourism industry is one of the sectors that were adversely affected by the global economic crisis.

ZANIS

Government to electrify all chiefs’ palaces

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Government has made significant progress in electrifying chiefs palaces in the country.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Water Development, Peter Mumba says many palaces in the country have since been electrified with either solar power or conventional electricity from the national grid.

Mr. Mumba told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that palaces which are not on the national grid have been provided with solar power while those on the national grid have been electrified under the auspices of Rural Electrification Authority.

He has however urged the chiefs in the country whose palaces have not been electrified to be patient as government is doing everything possible to electrify all chiefs’ palaces in the country.

Mr. Mumba said the electrification of chief palaces and the rural electrification project that government is implementing are aimed at taking development to all parts of the country.

He said the move will open up the rural areas but added that it has however been hampered by inadequate resources.

Mr. Mumba further said government has set other priorities which include electrification of clinics and schools.

He said some chiefs in the country have opted to electrify need areas such as clinics, hospitals and schools before they can have their palaces electrified.

ZANIS

Satirical Renditions

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2.zungulilarb
3.rbhippolodge

Not all Chinese investors are bad – Hikaumba

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ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba (R) shares a light moment with VP George Kunda at Labor Day celebrations in Lusaka
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba (R) shares a light moment with VP George Kunda at Labor Day celebrations in Lusaka

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says it is unfair to label all Chinese investors as exploitative.

ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba said in an interview that some Chinese investors have proved to be good investors.

Mr. Hikaumba further noted that exploitation of workers was not exclusive to some Chinese investors as other employers were equally guilty of mistreatment of workers.

He said it is therefore not fair for the people to look at Chinese investors as the only employers that exploit workers in the country.

Mr. Hikaumba has however appealed to NFCA, the Chinese investor that has taken over Luanshya Mine, to abide by the labour laws.

He urged the Chinese investor to have respect for Human Rights and offer decent conditions of service.

Mr. Hikaumba said the investor should also seek to ensure Mine safety standards are upheld.

He said the Labour Movement would be vigilant in ensuring that labour laws are strictly adhered.

Today, Mr Hikaumba and other senior leaders from the labour movement are expected to meet President Rupiah Banda at Hippo lodge in Kafue National Park where Mr Banda has gone on a seven day working retreat.

Mr Hikaumba said the meeting with President Banda was aimed at discussing the various issues that had beseeched the labour movement in the recent past.

Mr Hikaumba said President Banda has given ZCTU a good opportunity to enable them highlight the various critical issues affecting the industry that may need presidential intervention.

” This will give us an opportunity to discuss a lot of pending planned issues that require the attention of the president,” he said.

Mr Hikaumba said the labour movement in Zambia was currently facing a lot of challenges, especially with the high number of job losses due to retrenchments arising from the effects of the global economic crisis.

The ZCTU president, who did not want to comment much on the matter, said most of the issues to be discussed at the meeting with President Banda would call for quick action and implementation.

Mr Banda is on a one week long working retreat during which he is expected to hold meetings with various stakeholders including the business sector on national issues.

And the Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) has commended government for securing an investor to run Luanshya Mine.

FODEP President Stanly Mhango said the Mines Workers’ Union of Zambia (MWUZ) should engage the Chinese investor to orient them on the working conditions and the labour laws of the country.

Mr. Mhango appealed to Government and MWUZ take up the challenge of ensuring that workers at the Mine are not exploited by the Chinese.

ZANIS

EU gives Zambia K140 billion for improved agric, food security

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Zambia is this year expected to receive K140 billion in grants from the European Union (EU) under the EU global food facility and other financial instruments to improve agriculture and food security in the country.

The K140 billion EU grant to Zambia is part of the Union’s global one billion pounds meant for food facility and other financial instruments for improving agriculture and food security.

EU Head of delegation in Zambia, Derek Fee said these grants are aimed at assisting government to finance activities in the agricultural sector.

Dr. Fee said that the grant was meant to improve access to agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds, and services such as veterinary and advisors
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He added that improved access to agricultural inputs and services would provide safety net measures that would facilitate social transfers to vulnerable groups.

He said a total of 23 developing counties will benefit from this financing package.

“The projects to be funded will impact positively on the lives of millions of the poorest people in Africa, Asia and Latin America, underlining the significance of the EU as the world’s principal partner in improving food security across the globe,” he explained.

And EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said the package shoes how serious Europe was in assisting developing countries to resuscitate and help poor people to improve their food security.

Mr. Michel said agriculture could provide good growth potential in developing nations during the current tough global economic times.

The Food Facility was established in December 2008 as the EU’s main response to the worsening global food security situation in 2007 and 2008.

ZANIS

First Lady and the Ministers’ Spouses Club hand over the rehabilitated mothers’ shelter

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First Lady Thandiwe Banda and the Ministers’ Spouses Club today officially handed over the rehabilitated mothers’ shelter to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Mrs. Banda and the Ministers’ Spouses Club rehabilitated the shelter at a cost of K100 million.

Speaking during the hand over ceremony, Mrs. Banda said the move was aimed at supplementing government’s efforts in helping the hospital provide shelter to expectant mothers and other patients at the hospital.

Mrs. Banda appealed to the business community to help erect similar mothers’ shelters at all hospitals in the country.

She said government needed support to address challenges faced by the citizenry in various sectors.

And Sister-in-Charge of the rehabilitated UTH mothers’ shelter, Beauty Chilanga, thanked the First Lady and the Ministers’ Spouses Club for the gesture

ZANIS

Political squables stalls the K30 billion Irrigation project

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The K30 billion Manyonyo Irrigation Scheme being constructed by a Chinese contractor in Mazabuka has stalled due to alleged political interference and refusal by a church organisation to relocate to another area to pave way for the construction of a main dam.

And Manyonyo Water Users Association (MAWAUSA) has called on government to move in quickly and resolve the wrangle that has slowed down progress on the government-sponsored project before the contractor pulls out.

MAWAUSA Chairperson, Boniface Lundah, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that the Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Chikankata Member of parliament, Munji Habeenzu, was behind the problems in Manyonyo.

He alleged that Mr Habeenzu has unconstitutionally dissolved his legally elected committee and replaced it with suspected UPND cadres on tribal lines.

Mr Lundah accused Mr Habeenzu of waging war against non-Tonga speaking people by inciting the settlement committee to rise against his committee.

He explained that the church leadership has refused to shift from the area designated for the construction of the dam claiming they can only do so after being compensated.

But Mr Habeenzu dismissed the claims of tribalism and political interference describing them as mere lies.

Mr Habeenzu said as area member of parliament he had the right to dissolve a committee in the event that the community is not happy with its operations.

He accused the Lundah-led committee of allegedly personalising the project.

Mr Habeenzu also denied claims by Mr Lundah that the newly constituted committee was composed of UPND cadres.

Mr Habeenzu said the committee was chosen by the community itself who demanded the removal of the Lundah-led executive.

And Mazabuka District Project Manager in the Ministry of Agriculture, Alex Nonde, also confirmed the stalling of the project.

Mr Nonde, who attributed the problem to weather pattern and wrangles amongst the community, said his office is concerned with the wrangles and has since sought the intervention of the District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaambo.

He explained that the community, which is suppose to help in surveying farm boundaries for the construction of field canals, cannot do so because they are embroiled in wrangles.

The dissolved committee has since refused to surrender office documents claiming it cannot succumb to a politically installed illegal committee.

The committee has also soughty the intervention of Registra of Society to arbitrate in the dissolution of the committee.

ZANIS

NW Province gets K690 million for road rehabs

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Government has released K690 million for the rehabilitation of feeder roads in Northwestern province.

Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary, Eustern Mambwe said the K690 million that has been released was part of the K2 billion meant for the rehabilitation of feeder roads in the province.

Dr. Mambwe disclosed this when he addressed Provincial Heads of government department in Solwezi today.

He said the rehabilitation works on the roads commenced last month in Solwezi and would continue until all targeted feeder roads were done but stressed that this would be done within the stipulated period of three and half months.

Dr. Mambwe said the works would be done in three groups, with Group A, which would led by Solwezi District Commissioner, covering Solwezi district.

He said Group B, which would cover Kasempa, Mufumbwe, Zambezi and Chavuma districts would be led by Kasempa and Chavuma District Commissioners respectively while Group C that would cover Kabompo and Mwinilunga would be led by Mwinilunga District Commissioner.

Dr. Mambwe said contractors in this project would start by rehabilitating roads that lead to chiefs’ palaces before other feeder roads would be worked on.

ZANIS

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