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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
.
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.
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
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.
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.
Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) says inadequate funding has slowed down its rural television expansion project.
ZNBC Acting Director General Juliana Mwila says the corporation is in need of funds to enable it complete the rural expansion project which it has embarked on in its bid to cover the whole country.
Mrs. Mwila said this when she led a ZNBC delegation that appeared before the parliamentary committee on information and broadcasting which was chaired by Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka in Lusaka yesterday.
She said adequate funding will also help enhance the operations of the national broadcaster in its quest to disseminate information to the nation.
Mrs. Mwila also said that there is need to replace the old analogue equipment at mass media complex with the modern digital equipment.
She said there is need for the corporation to move in tandem with modern trends in order to operate efficiently.
Mrs. Mwila however, said government through the ministry of information and broadcasting has assured the corporation of funding to further improve its operations and coverage.
And the ZNBC Acting Director has dismissed suggestions from quarters of society that the national broadcaster is biased in its coverage.
Mrs. Mwila said ZNBC has continued to endeavor in ensuring that all stakeholders and political players are given adequate coverage.
She also explained that it is within the corporations mandate to ensure that government policies and programmes are given enough air time to ensure that they are effectively explained to the nation.
Mrs. Mwila added that it is also important that the head of state is given adequate air time to enable him explain government decision, policies and programmes.
Given Singuluma joined Zambia in camp late on Tuesday but on Wednesday dodged the press after both morning and afternoon training sessions.
The ace CHAN striker has been absent for the first two days of training camp due to what the technicial bench described as “family matters.”
The Zanaco striker’s absence comes in the midst after confusion over his player status following alleged reports that he had signed contracts with both TP Mazembe of DR Congo and FC Haka of Finland.
“I have nothing to say to you (Reporters).Hasn’t enough been written about me in the newspapers?” Singuluma said at the end of Wednesday mornings training session at Barclays Sports club in Lusaka.
He went through the same paces with the press again at the end of the afternoon session following a subdued performance in a training match against Green Buffaloes that ended 1-1.
Meanwhile, Zambia rallied from 1-0 down in the second half after Tyson Chikwanda had given Buffaloes the lead to equalized through the promising Zanaco attacking midfielder Michael Bwalya late into the game.
Coach Herve Renard said after wrapping up Wednesday’s workout that he was satisfied with the training so far.
Zambia on Thursday wrap-up training in the morning with another warm-up match this time against division 2 south club K-Stars at Barclays before breaking camp at midday.
Seven regular members of the Zambia team including goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene who is in the country will regroup on Sunday.
The eight plus the coaching staff will on the same day fly out to Johannesburg where they will be joined by
18 other foreign-based call-ups during the course of next week for a private training camp there.
Zambia will return home on June 2 ahead of their 2010 World/African Cup Group C match against Rwanda at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe.
Red Arrows won their first league game of the season today when they beat Young Arrows 5-1 away at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Wednesday’s victory for Arrows was their first in four league games played after three successive defeats.
But it was Young Arrows who took the lead through Juma Lwipa in the 4th minute to see Alfred Mulao’s side take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Arrows rally began in the 52nd minute through Judge Mkandawire before Simon Lupiya scored his first of three goals on the day a minute later.
Jimmy Njobvu made it 3-1 in the 67th minute before Lupiya completed his hat trick in the 85th and deep into fulltime.
The victory sees Arrows shift from 16th to 14th on the Faz Premier Division table with 3 points while Young Arrows remain in 13th position on 7 points, four more than the winners on the day.
Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata, yesterday took to task his councillors in Kasama and warned them of being expelled from the party if they do not perform to the expectation of the electorates.
Mr Sata who paraded his councillors before the multitude at a public rally held in Kasama yesterday at President’s Park, said he will not condon indiscipline among the councillors who become champions of corruption at the expense of developing their wards.
He explained that councillors were supposed to be mobile and monitor how developmental activities were being implemented in the district rather than going round soliciting personal financial support.
He said he had received numerous reports that some PF councillors were soliciting some help from other well-wishers for their personal gain in the name of developing their wards.
The PF leader further said he would be sad to hear that PF councillors are taken to court over corruption and abuse of office and public funds, saying the duties of councillors were to speak for the people and take development to the grass root.
Mr Sata noted that some councillors were busy empowering themselves by taking advantage of the global financial down turn that the country has been faced with living the electorates suffering.
He commanded PF councillors in the province to be social to the people regardless of their political affiliation rather than being champions of plundering ideas.
The PF leader added that his party can only win the forthcoming tripartite elections if only the relationship between the people in the community is sound with their councillors.
And Mr Sata has insisted that he will contest the Presidency on PF ticket in the forthcoming general elections.
One of the lodges seized by the ACC in Roma township
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has unearthed a scam in which over K10 billion from the ministry of health has been misappropriated.
The commission says the money was misappropriated by some health officials.
The commission has also seized twelve vehicles, an executive lodge, two houses and another building under construction in Lusaka.
Among the seized vehicles is a hammer H3, X5 BMW, two Mercedes Benz cars, two Lexus cars, a 30 tonne Nissan UGI tipper truck and a Mitsubishi challenger.
A ford ranger and Mazda pick up van have also been seized.
ACC spokesperson Timothy Moono said the commission has so far seized and restricted property in excess of three billion kwacha belonging to a former ministry of health official.
The official has since been moved to the ministry of local Government.
The Commission has however not named the official but said investigations will continue.
