Government has released an additional K143 Million to Mazabuka district towards the payment of various outstanding allowances owed to teachers.

Mazabuka District Education Board Secretary, Darius Kaluba, who disclosed this in Mazabuka today,said the release of K143 Million brings the total funds released given to the district since January to K286 Million.

Mr Kaluba said the funds released are part of the K3.4 Billion owed to teachers in unpaid repatriation, settling in, leave terminal benefits and long service bonus allowances.

He said government deserves to be commended for the steady release of funds meant to dismantle the backlog of arrears.[quote]

Mr Kaluba said the debt owed to teachers is likely to swell because two months ago, 24 teachers retired from the public service in the district alone.

And Mr Kaluba has disclosed that funds for the payment of outstanding fixed band housing allowances have finally been released.

He said the funds would be disbursed to the district by the Office of the Provincial Education Office on Monday.

Mr Kaluba has since commended teachers in the district for giving government and the union ample time to complete the salary negotiations.

ZANIS

A United Party for National Development (UPND) Councilor has commended government for commencing the programme of electrifying rural communities in Sinazongwe district.

Malima Ward Councilor, Fisher Zimana, said in an interview that the electrification programme would fulfill government’s promise of lighting up rural communities which were displaced during the construction of Lake Kariba many decades ago.

Mr Zimana said people in the district were happy because they have for a long time now, waited for government to provide electricity to the rural areas.

He said the rural electrification programme should be extended to Malima area up to Chiyabi to boost the economic activities of the local people.

Mr Zimana said electricity would also attract investors to the area, adding that Malima ward was set to develop since most people in the area grew a lot of cotton in the district.

Meanwhile, Mr. Zimana also disclosed that people in the area were happy with the rehabilitation of the Bottom road from Sinazeze to Chabbobboma in Gwembe district.

He also appealed to government to find a contractor to rehabilitate major bridges on the same road since the Road Construction Company (RCC) that was working on the road did not work on the bridges because they were not part of the contract.

ZANIS

Chief Nsamba of the Bangweulu Swamps in Samfya has said, the theft of K10 billion by officers at the Ministry of Health is a sad development.

The chief has joined those calling for immediate arrest and prosecution of the officers involved in the K10 billion-scam.

He said those who will be found guilty of the corrupt act should be handed life jail sentences, because what they have done is tantamount to killing.

The traditional ruler said the K10 billion which the officers put in their pockets to serve their personal interests would have been prudently spent for the procurement of medicines to save lives, especially at the time when the country is grappling with the AIDS pandemic.

“In the Bangweulu swamps the situation is very bad in this era of HIV and AIDS, where people need better health services. There is need to have one of the health centres upgraded to stage II (two) clinic, where specialised health services can be provided ,” Chief Nsamba said.

He said he gets worried to understand that one of the officers identified to be behind the K10 billion-scam at the Ministry of Health has been transferred to the Ministry of Local Government.

He said leaving the said officer scotfree will afford him another opportunity to steal more public funds and urged the ACC to investigate deeper and arrest the officer.

“These people need to be handed harsher penalties, not simple sentences. Life sentence could be ideal, since what they have done is tantamount to killing,” the chief said.

ZANIS

Nurses in North-Western Province have appealed to government to consider paying of rural hardship allowance in order to motivate medical personnel serving in rural areas.

The nurses, who cheered as their union representative gave a speech during the international nurses’ day cerebration, later told ZANIS in an interview that North-western was a more of a rural area than other provinces in Zambia.

The nurses came as far as Chavuma, Zambezi, Mwinilunga, Mufumbwe, Kabompo and Solwezi to attend this year’s commemoration of nurses’ day which was hosted in Kasempa district.

Speaking at the same occasion, Zambia Union of Nurses Provincial Chairman, Laban Mungwala said North-western was predominately rural hence the need for the government to pay rural hardship allowance.

He said health workers in rural areas need motivation as they face many challenges while working to improve the lives of the people.

Mr. Mungwala observed that some teachers, who were serving in the same areas, have been receiving rural hardship allowance leaving health workers.

“As for us, we are forgotten simply because we are classified as essential workers and we cannot easily take industrial action,” he said.

Among the many challenges that were stated was the issue of housing allowance, which was said to be below their entitlement and the retention scheme.[quote]

Mr. Mungwala further commended nurses for having a self-sacrificing spirit, adding that most of the health centres have shortages of staff thereby making the few workers overloaded with work.

He said the issue of inadequate staff was not because of lack of skilled workers but because of lack of motivation in the health sector.

“As long as these are not addressed, nurses will continue going until such a time when government will be willing to provide meaningful conditions of service,” he said.

And gracing the occasion Kasempa District Commissioners Henry Shantolo commended the nurses for being innovative and ensuring that patients were cared for.

Mr. Shantolo said initiatives by health workers have resulted into significant improvement of the health systems in the district.

He further urged the public to support the efforts of the nurse in order to provide solutions to the challenges and demands being faced in providing care in the country.

ZANIS

Villagers in chief Kathumba’s area in Katete district have accused Mozambican security officers of harassment when manning the boarder areas.

Chief Kathumba’s Induna, Mbila Banda, said his subjects have for a long time suffered beatings and loss of money in circumstances when attacked by Mozambican security officers.

Mr Banda disclosed this at a sensitization meeting on health, marketing, agriculture and security in Katete district yesterday.

He appealed to government to quickly address the situation, saying Zambians have been kind to Mozambican nationals who are allowed to access medical assistance in the district.

Mr Banda has also called on government to quickly open up markets to stop farmers from selling their maize produce to briefcase buyers who are allegedly buying the commodity at give away prices.

He explained that it was unfair that farmers who had spent a lot of resources on farming are not benefiting from their produce.

Meanwhile, Katete District Commissioner, Elemani Mwanza, appealed for continued peace and patience among Zambians living in the border areas as government would address the matter to protect its citizens.

Mr Mwanza assured the villagers of responsible action, saying everything possible would be done as Zambia and Mozambique currently had warm existing relations.

He, however, expressed concern that some security officers were harassing Zambians for selfish gain because they do not provide government receipts to those that pay fines for the various offences charged.

The District Commissioner also commended some vigilant Zambians who retrieved eleven rounds of ammunition from a Mozambican national and reported the matter to the police.

He disclosed that the three named Zambians were initially summoned by chief Mwala of Mozambique for allegedly assaulting a Mozambican national and reported the matter to police in Zambia but it was later discovered that the assault occurred as the trio were trying to retrieve ammunition from the Mozambican national.

ZANIS