President Rupiah Banda today visited Gwanda District about 150 Kilometres south of Bulawayo where he was born 72 years ago.

Mr. Banda was on arrival received by Governor of Matabeleland South Province Angelina Masuku and other provincial leaders.

In Gwanda, President Banda re-united with a Mr. Alatawo Naiki, a 79 year old businessman who paid his school fees from secondary to university level.

Mr. Banda was then take to Vumbachikwe Gold mine in the periphery of Gwanda town where President Banda’s father worked after he trekked from Zambia’s Chipata town in Eastern Province in search of employment.

President Banda was taken on a brief tour of the mine and later visited the Awake Compound nearby where he was born.

Mr. Banda later told the local people that he was happy to visit his birth and that the place has remained dear to him throughout his life.

He reminded the people that children were a blessing from God and should be guided to become future leaders.

President Banda yesterday officially opened the 50th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo with a call for Zambia and Zimbabwe to expand their manufacturing industries to overcome the harsh effects of the global economic meltdown. .

Mr. Banda is on a four-day State visit to Zimbabwe and is accompanied by first lady Thandiwe and senior government officials.

He returns home on Saturday.

ENDS/ID/AM/ZANIS

Operations at Nampundwe Mine in Mumbwa District will come to a halt on Monday 4th May due to restructuring in the KCM group of companies.

This has been announced by KCM Group Human Resources manager Susan Ziko who said the pyrite producing mine will remain closed for at least nine months before re-opening.

Ms Ziko said this when her team briefed Mwembeshi Member of Parliament Edward Kasoko at the constituency office on the future of Nampundwe Mine.

She however said none of the 321 miners will lose their jobs as KCM management has taken necessary measures to ensure the future of the miners.

The KCM human resource manager said in a bid to come out of the current global economic crunch, KCM has found it fit to transfer the Namundwe Mine Larox Filter machine to Nchanga Mine to help in the production of cobalt.

Ms Ziko however said KCM has already placed an order for a new Larox Filter from Sweden which will be installed at Nampundwe.

The KCM official said the Nampundwe miners will be asked to stay at home from Monday with options to choose which KCM mine on the Copperbelt they would like to be transferred to while a skeleton staff will be chosen to keep Nampundwe Mine afloat.

Ms Ziko said there is also an option for those who want to be separated from KCM operations.

But Mwembeshi Member of Parliament Edward Kasoko said the Larox Filter from Nampundwe can only be taken to Nchanga after a memorandum of understanding has been signed between his office, the Minister of Mines, Mine workers unions and KCM management to ensure the promise by KCM to re-open Nampundwe after nine months is adhered to.

He said this will be done in order that if KCM does not stick to the promise of re-opening Nampundwe after nine months, the Nampundwe community will be free to pursue the case in the court of law adding that no matter how long the case will take, the community will eventually win.

Mr Kasoko said this has been done because the community does not trust KCM which keeps changing its goal posts.
ENDS/MM/AM/ZANIS

A chief officer at Kafue district council has expressed disappointment with residents in Kafue estates who have turned refuse bins distributed to them under the Keep Kafue Clean Campaign programme for garbage collection into storage facilities for water and mealie meal .

Acting Council Secretary, Albert Hamayanda, told ZANIS in an interview today that some residents in Kafue estates were using the refuse bins to store water and mealie meal, which he said was wrong.

Mr Hamayanda said the council last year embarked on a programme to purchase refuse bins under the campaign so as to encourage residents to safely dispose of their garbage instead of using pits behind the back yards.

He said a total of 250 bins were bought and distributed to commercial outlets in the main town, markets and households in the estates.

He said a survey the local authority to monitor how the bins were being used revealed that many of the bins in the households were storage facilities for water and mealie meal.

The acting Council Secretary appealed to residents to immediately stop the practice as it was defeating the whole purpose of the Keep Kafue Clean campaign.

Mr Hamayanda noted that use of pits is being discouraged by the council as it had environmental effects.

Mr Hamayanda said his office was happy that the two trucks given to the council by government last year were being utilized well in Chilanga and Kafue townships for garbage collection.

He said his office will continue striving to ensure that cleanliness is maintained in public areas.

Mr Hamayanda also disclosed that the council will purchase more refuse bins so that each and every households can have bins in both Chilanga and Kafue townships.

ZANIS/ENDS/BS/EB

Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha, says he did not send Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Director General, Joseph Salasini, on forced leave.

Lt Gen Shikaphwasha says it is not correct that he sent the ZNBC Director Genral on leave, but Mr Salasini offered to stay away and apply for formal leave.

This is contained in a press statement by the Minister on the alleged forced leave of the ZNBC Director General released to in Lusaka this evening.

Lt Gen Shikapwashya, however, confirmed that he had held several meetings with the leaders of the workers’ representatives at ZNBC following their petition to remove the Board of Directors and senior managers.

He said the workers’ representatives presented him with a number of issues that they had raised with management and about which there had been no agreement, adding that they also alleged financial mismanagement.

The minister said, in response to their petition and request for his intervention, he has asked the Auditor Generals office to move in quickly to undertake a financial and performance audit.

As for the other demands concerning the removal of the board and management, the Minister said there was an agreement that those matters could follow a thorough study of the issues raised and in accordance with the existing ZNBC Act.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha also confirmed that he discussed the concerns of the workers and his decision to invite the Auditor Generals office with ZNBC Director General.

“In order of the Auditor General to undertake this audit, the Director General offered to stay away and apply for leave,” Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.

ZANIS/ENDS/EB