1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Pictures of the Week
Rehabilitation works at NCZ near completion
Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) in Kafue has submitted its tender to government for the supply of 31,000 metric tonnes of ‘D’ compound fertilizer for the 2009/2010 farming season.
And rehabilitation works which commenced two weeks ago at the plant are going on smoothly..
NCZ Chief Executive Officer Richard Soko disclosed this to Agriculture Minister in charge of Fisheries and Livestock Bradford Machila who paid an impromptu visit to the plant.
Mr. Soko said the company last participated in the fertilizer support programme in 2007 as it currently has no resources and subsequent capacity to do so.
He however said the company is expected to have its works of rehabilitating the plant complete by mid of this month in readiness for production and participation in the fertilizer support programme.
Mr Soko pointed out that the production of fertilizer at the plant largely depended on the company’s participation in the fertilizer support programme.
He said the company requires an additional 5000 metric tonnes of raw materials which it hopes can be secured once the tender is awarded by government to enable it meet its target.
Mr Soko stressed that the company has the capacity to perform well as evidenced in the past.
He said it was important that the process of awarding the contract is expedited so that NCZ begins production of the fertilizer early so as to have it delivered to farmers on time.
And Mr. Machila said government would like to see NCZ participate in this year’s fertilizer support programme once rehabilitation works are completed.
He said government was aware that the company has participated in the programme in the past and ensure that the company is accommodated in upcoming programme
Mr Machila said government was aggressively looking at ways of diversifying the economy and NCZ was key to diversification efforts.
He pointed out that there was renewed commitment by government to help in resolving problems at the plant.
He said the state recognizes that Kafue has been facing problems economically and as area Member of Parliament was happy with progress at the plant as it will uplift the lives of people in Kafue.
ENDS/BS/AM/ZANIS
Address street vending pragmatically, Chief Macha prods council
Chief Macha of the Tonga people in Choma district has advised the Livingstone City Council to employ workable approaches in tackling street vending in the tourist capital.
Chief Macha, who is the chairperson for the Choma joint monitoring team on sanitation committee, said street vending in Livingstone has gone out of hand because the city council has not been pragmatic in dealing with the situation.
He said effective legal enforcement that involves the state police, judiciary and the city council was the only effectively way to deal with street vending, which he said had become an eyesore in the tourist capital.
Chief Macha who is in Livingstone attending a UNICEF sponsored workshop on sanitation said the city council in the tourist capital should emulate the approach taken in Choma where street vending has become a thing of the past.
He said arrests and prosecutions was one effective way to reduce cases of vending because culprits would be sentenced to carry out community service by the courts of law.
The traditional leader said this would act as a deterrent to would be offenders.
Chief Macha further said traditional leaders were vehicles for development and must use their authority to champion the cause for good sanitation.
He noted that public health institutions will be greatly decongested if all people worked together to stop practices that cause poor sanitation and disease.
He said he has dedicated his leadership to addressing sanitation challenges not only for his own chiefdom but the entire Choma district.
Chief Macha said almost all households in his chiefdom have built pit latrines as a way of promoting good hygiene practices.
ZANIS/CM/KSH/ENDS
Operations at Nampundwe Mine to be suspended on Monday
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
Kafue Clean refuse bins turned into storage facilities for water and mealie meal
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
Mayor installation fails, Minister not cleared to travel
The inauguration of the Mayor for Mongu municipal council yesterday failed to take place after Community Development and Social Services deputy minister, Chinyanta failed to show up.
Addressing people who had gathered for the function at the council premises yesterday ,council acting Town Clerk, Frank Kalenga, said the minister failed to show up because he had not been cleared to travel by the president.
Mr Kalenga assured the crowd that once all necessary arrangements were in place, the mayor will be inaugurated.
Among those present at the council grounds was Western Province Assistance Secretary, Seth Muleya, some Mongu residents and MMD cadres.
Yesterday, Lealui ward Councilor, Shalala Simushi, scooped the mayoral seat in Mongu district after beating four other councillors who had contested for the position.
And Kande ward councillor, Fransisco Pereira, won the Deputy Mayoral position after beating five other contestants.
ZANIS/ENDS/BPM/TM/EB
Reintroduction of PE in schools cheers sports department
The Department of Sports Development in Southern Province has welcomed the reintroduction of Physical Education, (PE) as a compulsory and examinable subject in schools starting in the 2010 academic year.
Southern Province Sport Development Coordinator, Gibson Muyaule, said re-introduction of PE in schools would promote positive and lifelong healthy attitudes in young people, increase their attendance in school and improve academic performance.
Mr. Muyaule said PE and sport, through its various attributes, could help children establish and strive to achieve personal goals and reduce stress levels especially among children living in troubled homes.
He however, bemoaned the lack of and poor state of sports infrastructure in schools, which he said would hinder the successful implementation of the well intended programme in schools.
Mr. Muyaule said this in a statement made available to ZANIS in Livingstone today.
He has since urged local authorities to ensure they allocated additional pieces of land to schools for sports facilities, saying this would empower them to implement PE programmes effectively.
He further said it was the duty of the local authorities, as planners, to provide adequate recreational and sports programmes to the communities they served.
Mr. Muyaule also called on school authorities to lobby government for trained Physical Education teachers to teach PE only as a single subject.
ZANIS/AMM/KSH/ENDS
Government prodded to permit importation of mealie meal
Government has been prodded to rescind its decision not to allow the importation of mealie meal into the country.
The Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) says government should annul its decision in a bid to stabilize the price of the country’s staple food.
ZACA Executive Director Muyunda Ililonga said in an interview that consumers have continued to be subjected to purchasing mealie meal at exorbitant prices by some unscrupulous millers.
He said the solution to stabilizing the price of mealie meal is to allow for the importation of the product as increased supply of the commodity would push down the price.
Mr. Ililonga said Zambia has in the past exported mealie meal to neighboring countries to help stabilize the price of the commodity in those countries hence a similar measure should be taken by Zambia.
He called on government to prioritize the welfare of consumers.
Last week, the Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) also appealed to government allow for the importation of mealie meal to help reduce prices as some millers were exploiting consumers through excessive pricing of the commodity.
But government has said the importation of mealie meal would undermine the local millers existing capacity to create jobs and make money for re-investing in the country.
Commerce Minister Felix Mutati has said the importation of maize through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was enough to cater for the deficit.
ZANIS/PM/AM/ENDS
Insurance and pension entities swell up to 408
The number of insurance and pension entities has increased to 408.
Pensions Insurance Authority (PIA) Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Chris Mapipo says the insurance and pension entities has scaled up from 361 last year to 408 this year.
Mr. Mapipo who disclosed this during a media breakfast in Lusaka today, further said Authority this year licensed 152 insurance entities and 256 pension entities.
And insurance and pension entities as of last year contributed over K700 million to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Pensions Insurance Authority (PIA) Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Chris Mapipo
said this is a drop from the over K1 billion contribution made by the insurance and pension entities in 2007.
The Authority draws its mandate from the pensions Scheme Regulation Act of 1996.
ZANIS/AJN/AM/ENDS
Shikapwasha denies sending ZNBC Director General on forced leave
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
State challenges ZEC over Fr. Bwalya
Government has challenged the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) to state its position on Father Frank Bwalya’s recent political pronouncements.
Lusaka Province Minister, Lameck Mangani says government is concerned about Father Bwalya’s confrontational stance against the government’s social and economic programmes.
Mr. Mangani told ZANIS in an interview that now that Father Bwalya has allegedly become an active Patriotic front (PF) activist, there is urgent need for the church to take a stand on the matter.
He said government is aware of the clergy’s political association with the opposition political party which is alleged to have sponsored his provincial tours and radio programmes aimed at denouncing the government.
He however said government welcomes constructive criticism from the church as it considers it a social partner in fostering peace and national development.
Mr. Mangani further said the confrontational and partisan stance taken by Father Bwalya is a disgrace to both the church and the people he purports to represent.
He said the church cannot continue to be mute as Father Bwalya has accepted to be guest speaker at a planned demonstration by the Patriotic Front on the Copperbelt.
He said the rules of natural justice demand that the clergyman relinquishes his post as a priest and take up his new role of a political activist.
ZANIS/JT/AM/ENDS
Faz Premier Division Week 8 Fixtures
Here are Fridays Labour Day holiday Faz Premier Division fixtures.
Week 8
01/05/2009
Power Dynamos- Young Arrows
Zanaco – Roan united
Kabwe Warriors- Lusaka Dynamos
Nakambala Leopards-Forest Rangers
City of Lusaka- Choma Eagles
Chambishi-Green Buffaloes
Postponed:
Red Arrows- Zamtel
Zesco United-Konkola Blades
Armed bandits terrorise Shangombo villagers
A civic leader in Shangombo district has appealed to the police service to intensify patrols in the area in order to hunt down more than 18 suspected armed robbers, who have allegedly stolen more than 55 herds of cattle this month alone.
The same gang is suspected to have recently stolen goods worth millions of Kwacha from a Mr. Lisheko Sitongani of Likulushitu.
Mulamba ward councilor Mandevu Chipali said the suspected robbers have been stealing cattle from farmers at gun point.
Mr. Chipali said more than 20 herds of cattle were stolen from Induna Sambiana and Induna Nasimona of Kaanja area while over 30 other herds of cattle were stolen from Uyiwaye Lubasi, a head teacher at Sinjembela Basic School.
He said in all these theft cases, AK47 rifles were used to scare off or shoot property owners that would resist.
He explained that people in Shangombo were now living in fear because of the same armed robbers.
Shangombo District Planner, Munalula Imonga also confirmed the theft incidents to ZANIS in a telephone interview.
Mr. Imonga expressed worry saying unless something was immediately done, people’s lives and property would remain in danger.
He also appealed to the police to protect and save lives of people.
However, Western Province Commanding Officer, Vael Muzwenga yesterday said police have already intensified patrols in the district to track down the armed bandits.
Mr. Muzwenga said the bandits are believed to be hiding in Sioma-Ngwezi National Park in Shangombo district. Sioma Ngwezi national park borders Zambia and Namibia.
ZANIS/JA/KSH/ENDS
ZNBC Director General sent on forced leave
Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC) Director General Joseph Salasini has been sent on leave to pave way for investigations into alleged mismanagement of funds at the institution.
Government has since instructed the Auditor General’s office to probe the handling of revenue at the institution and present the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services with a comprehensive report.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha announced this when he addressed ZNBC unionized workers in Lusaka today.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha told the workers to assist the Auditor General’s office with adequate information that will help with investigations and advised the workers to be patient as the matter is being investigated.
The minister said government needs to have a clear picture of issues that are being faced by the corporation.
ENDS/AH/AM/ZANIS
Bodies of three children retrieved from lake Kariba
Police in Siavonga yesterday retrieved bodies of three children that drowned in Lake Kariba last week after a banana boat they were travelling in capsized.
The three children aged between five and eleven years, died on Lake Kariba in Siavonga last week after a banana boat they were traveling in with eighty other passengers capsized due to strong waves.
A four year old boy also died and was buried while the other passengers managed to survive the accident that occurred around Munene island on Lake Kariba.
Siavonga District Commissioner Emily Striedl told ZANIS today that the bodies of the three girls that were found floating were retrieved by police yesterday.
The bodies that include two sisters have since been buried.
ENDS/LL/PK/ZANIS