South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress (ANC) is almost certain to win today’s election, but it still faces the biggest challenge since coming to power at the end of apartheid in 1994, according to latest surveys.

The key issue is whether it can retain the two-thirds majority in parliament which it has kept for the past 15-years it has been in power.
As the governing party, the ANC has always focused on reconciliation, stability and development; resolving ethnic problems properly, improving black people’s political and economic situations. Some polls showed that the ANC still dominates politics in South Africa and is expected to obtain 60 percent of the vote in today’s election.

The recently formed breakaway party Congress of the People (COPE) formed by ANC dissidents last year, may pose the biggest challenge to the ANC.It could reduce the ANC’s dominance in parliament in the face of growing public anger over graft, poor services, poverty and crime.
However, the National Prosecuting Authority gave the ANC a boost in mid-April when they dropped graft charges against the party leader Jacob Zuma, paving the way for him to be elected president.
COPE has changed the political landscape, but some analysts said its chances of breaking the ANC’s dominance have faded after an initial buzz.
Recent polls have shown that as a party set up just a few months ago, the COPE could only draw eight to 12 percent of the votes with some polls placing the party at six percent.

South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) only won 12 percent of the votes in the last election in 2004 and is largely regarded as a white-dominated party, just winning limited support among black voters. DA leader Helen Zille has set a goal for her party to prevent the ANC from gripping a two-thirds majority in parliament which it needs to rewrite the constitution.

Internal splits have become the main reason for the ANC’s decreased support. The party was rocked by internal feuding between party leader Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki’s supporters and resulted in the creation of COPE late last year.

Meanwhile, South African people are growingly concerned about unemployment, HIV/AIDS, crime, poverty and corruption among others. HIV and AIDS are major health concerns with the country ranked fifth in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence globally. The South African National HIV Survey estimated that 10.8 percent of all South Africans over two years old were living with HIV in 2005.
Crime has had a pronounced effect on the South African society: many middle-class South Africans moved into gated communities, abandoning the central business districts of some cities for the relative security of suburbs.
ZANIS/XINHUA/ENDS/MM

The Tonga Traditional Assocation (TTA) has urged Tourism , Environment and Natural Resources Minister Cathrine Namugala to fully utilise traditional ceremonies to market the country’s tourism.

In an interview with ZANIS yesterday, TTA president Dickson Namanza said it is unfortunate to note that Ms Namugala’s ministry has to date not recognized the potential of some traditional ceremonies, apart from ones like Kuomboka,Ncwala and Umutomboko ceremonies, to market the country’s tourism internationally.

Mr.Namanza said traditional ceremonies held in other provinces such as the Gonde Lwiindi ceremony of the Tonga speaking people have not been receiving overwhelming support from the ministry.
He said the association was trying hard to ensure that the Gondo Lwiindi ceremony in particular, is put on the world map in order for international tourists to appreciate the rich Tonga tradition.

Mr.Namanza said government must also consider revising grants given to traditional ceremonies saying the standardised K 2.5 million grant was not sufficient.
He however commended MTN for supporting the recently held Kuomboka ceremony of the Lozi people by donating K90 million to ensure its success.

Mr.Namanza called on other stakeholders to emulate MTN’s gesture by supporting other traditional ceremonies as this would go a long way in enhancing the traditon and culture of all tribes in the country.
He said the TTA was already on the ground preparing for the 2009 Gonde Lwiindi ceremony to be held in July in Monze district.

Mr.Namanza said the TTA would ensure that traditional discipline is consolidated and promoted through providing excellence in receiving people from all walks of life.

ZANIS/PB/ENDS/MM.

Public service drivers in Lusaka parked their buses on Tuesday morning in protest against increased penalty fees for traffic offences.

Scores of Lusaka residents were forced to walk long distances to work because of lack of public transport.

A check on some routes leading to the town centre found scores of people walking to their various destinations.

The situation however returned to normal around 09:00 hours after the drivers resumed their duties.

When contacted Police Spokesperson, Bonnie Kapeso, said the new fees have not been effected.

And Road Transport and Safety Agency Public Relations Officer, Mukela Mangolwa, said the agency is still charging old fees.

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) says it would coordinate with the police and devise new strategies in order to impound vehicles which are not in road worthy conditions.

RTSA spokesperson, Mukela Mangolwa, said people driving trucks which are not road worthy have been avoiding police road blocks hence the decision by RTSA and the police to carry out road patrols at night.

Mr. Mangolwa told ZANIS that the new road patrolling methods would enable the agency and the police spot vehicles which are dangerous on the roads.

He said most truck drivers, who carry sand and stones, do not have licenses while some of their trucks were not even registered with RTSA. as it only registers vehicles which are fit to be on the roads.

He added that vehicles which are not in a good road condition were the cause of most road traffic accidents which otherwise could be avoided.

Mr. Mangolwa has since called on the general public to corporate with RTSA by reporting defective vehicles.

ZANIS/AC/KSH/ENDS

The attainment of the nationwide coverage of Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) services among the Zambian population is still a challenge, Minister of Health, Kapembwa Simbao has disclosed.

In a speech read for him by his deputy Minister, Mwendoi Akakandelwa, Mr. Simbao said the provision of the PMTCT services has remained a challenge despite the programme having expanded over the years.
He revealed that by the end of 2008, only 51 per cent of HIV positive pregnant women were accessing comprehensive PMTCT services while 29 per cent of estimated HIV exposed newborn babies received ARV prophylaxis.

Mr. Simbao was speaking at the first mid term review of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) regional grant for the scale-up of the PMTCT of HIV.
He said there was, therefore, need to improve quality of care for HIV positive mothers and children where these services already exist.

Mr. Simbao said government has since put in place the Zambia National Scale-up Plan for PMTCT and Paediatric HIV Care Services for 2007 to 2010 to provide comprehensive PMTCT services to at least 80 per cent of pregnant mothers by 2010.
He added that the plan is also meant to provide Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) services to at least 80 per cent of children living with HIV.

He said in addition to the current funds committed to PMTCT by the government and its partners, the CIDA grant funds have been specifically targeted at scaling-up PMTCT and Paediatric HIV interventions in ten highly affected districts in six of the nine provinces.
He also noted that the average HIV prevalence rate in the targeted areas is 25 per cent, with a range of 22.2 per cent to 30.9 per cent.

Mr. Simbao further said it is estimated that 8,036 paediatric infections will be averted at an estimated cost of US$320 per infection within the two years of the duration of the present grant.
He named the targeted districts as Chingola, Chipata, Kabwe, Kafue, Kitwe, Livingstone, Lusaka, Mazabuka, Mongu and Ndola.

The minister commended the WHO country office, regional office and the headquarters for having brought together technocrats from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe to share their successes, challenges and other experiences in implementing PMTCT.

And speaking at the same event, WHO Country representative Olusegun Babaniyi said over 90 per cent of the 1,200 children who acquire HIV every day get it through mother to child transmission.
He however said this could be prevented and the risk could be reduced to less than 5 per cent in Africa where breastfeeding is a norm.
Dr. Babaniyi thanked CIDA for partnering with WHO and providing 15 million Canadian dollars to contribute towards scaling up PMTCT services for nine African countries which have high HIV prevalence rates.
He said WHO, in collaboration with other co-operating partners, stood ready to help national governments in their quest to scale up PMTCT services.

Dr. Babaniyi has since urged participants to share challenges they may be facing in individual countries so that together, they could come up with solutions to these problems.
He further urged participants to consider vulnerable groups and come up with strategies that will make PMTCT services accessible to pregnant adolescents and physically challenged HIV positive people.

ZANIS/MK/KSH/ENDS

Government says Zambia will continue to implement the organized voluntary refugee repatriation programme in accordance with international standards and legal framework.
This is because more refugees living in Zambian refugee camps have shown interest in being repatriated.

Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary (PS), Ndiyoyi Mutiti, said focusing on the implementation of the repatriation programme would be of great help to Zambia.
Mrs. Mutiti said this in Lusaka today when she officially opened a two day fifth session of the tripartite meeting for the voluntary repatriation of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) refugees from Zambia.
She expressed gratitude that in the last two years since the implementation of the voluntary repatriation programme, a total of 70,015 DRC refugees have been repatriated and integrated into their local communities in their country.

Mrs. Mutiti said holding the fifth session tripartite meeting on voluntary repatriation demonstrates the zeal and commitment of Zambia and DRC to continue assisting more refugees to return home.
She has since appealed to all stakeholders to support the voluntary repatriation programme by assisting socially, economically and politically.

And United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) country representative James Lynch said for the last two years, it has been difficult to repatriate refugees to their countries.
Mr. Lynch however expressed happiness that DRC refugees were now more willing to return to their country.

Meanwhile, DRC General Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and Security, Byanza Sanda appealed to DRC refugees in Zambia to return home adding that DRC was now peaceful.

ZANIS/AJN/KSH/ENDS

There was drama at the ongoing United Nations racism conference in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday when the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a speech that provoked loud protests, resulting into some delegations leaving the conference room.

The Iranian President said it was regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States had committed themselves to defend the racist perpetrators of genocide during the recent bombardment of the Gaza region in Palestine.

This was an indirect reference to Israel.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said as long as the Zionist domination continued, many countries would never be able to enjoy freedom, independence and security.

And speaking later, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway, Jonas Store said the outcome document of the Review Conference was against incitement of hatred, contrary to the views held by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mr. Store said the Iranian President’s statement was an incitement of hatred and was bent on spreading policies of fear in the world.

The Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister, however, regretted that some states had decided, some on very short notice, to boycott the conference.

Mr. Store said non-attendance was not an option and that Norway would not surrender the summit to extremism, hence its attendance.

And South African Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, speaking on behalf of the African group, said Africans had first hand experience of the pernicious and the egregious impact of slavery, slave trade, colonialism, apartheid and genocide.

Mrs. Zuma said apparently, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) was adopted in a country which for decades, struggled against the direct impacts of discrimination and oppression on the basis of race and colour.

Zambia’s delegation leader, Todd Chilembo, who is Deputy Justice Minister, is expected to deliver his statement tomorrow.

ZANIS/VH/KSH/ENDS

Kabushi Constituency Residents Development Committee Chairman Isaac Daka in Ndola has complained that some officials from Ndola City Council have been allocating plots illegally in his area which has created confusion among the residents.

Mr. Daka told ZANIS that he has reported the matter to Ndola City Council, without any corrective action made and that pressure was mounting.

He said the illegal allocation of plots in Kabushi Ward was rampant as there has been cases of one plot been given to more than one person because of the love for money by those involved.

He said he suspected that the Council Officers were working with other high ranking officers of the local authority in their illegal activities and appealed that something should be done quickly.

He said he has also other issues that people wanted the Council to work on like the bridge which needed rehabilitation between Dambo School and the Chinese complex as the issue had been a pending one for a long time.

He said the illegal allocation of in-fills plots was another matter that Council has been sitting on for a long time but people in the area wanted to see tangible results in addressing their needs.

Mr. Daka added that the non-rehabilitation of the main Kabushi Market building has been on the developmental agenda for a long time and that the council was elusive on the matter.

He said people needed to see a change in the environmental management of the surroundings of the clinic, the Council offices and the market which was a council respondibility that has been neglected for a long time.

Mr. Daka said the Council integrity Committee was sent to the area to verify on illegal allocation of plots and the RDC was a part to the verification process but no corrective action has been done.

He said people in the area were annoyed with the shoddy work that was done on the bridge because it cost government millions of Kwacha which has not helped to solve the problem because of poor workmanship.

He said the market structure had been turned into a place of public convenience and was stinking badly because of neglect by the council which should manage it to allow people to transact business in a humane environment.

And Ndola City Council spokesman when contacted for a comment was reportedly out of office.

ZANIS/CN/CMM/PK/ENDS.