The Government has demanded that United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema withdraws his remarks suggesting that President Rupiah Banda had criminal motives in considering the purchase of mobile hospitals from China.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha, said in Lusaka yesterday that the remarks that border on libel could not go unchallenged because Mr Hichilema had not produced any evidence to prove criminal intentions by the president.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said the proposal was mooted by Chinese industrialists who felt that mobile hospitals could help alleviate the suffering of the majority of Zambians in the rural areas.

“In accepting to consider the proposal, President Rupiah Banda had the Zambian people at heart most of whom have no access to medical facilities due to long distances or their non-availability.

“Cabinet has not yet sat to consider the proposal and when it does, serious consideration will be given to its feasibility as well as benefits in relation to establishing additional hospitals,” Gen Shikapwasha said in a statement.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said Mr Banda had a vision for the country that he could fulfill by looking at various proposals and options.

The proposals could be local or foreign and could help the Government achieve its goals of alleviating the suffering of the people.

He said what mattered most about the mobile hospitals the value the project could add to the health service delivery in Zambia.

Gen Shikapwasha said the Government found Mr Hichilema’s allegations totally unfounded and malicious and demanded that he substantiates or withdraws them.

[Times of Zambia]

ZESCO Limited managing Director, Rhodnie Sisala, has been relieved of his duties.

The newly appointed ZESCO board announced in Lusaka on Thursday that it has with immediate effect terminated Mr. Sisala’s contract.

The board has meanwhile appointed Director of Power Rehabilitation and Generation projects at ZESCO, Musonda Chibulu, as acting Managing Director.

Board Chairman Songowayo Zyambo says Mr. Chibulu will act as ZESCO chief executive until a new one is appointed.

He said the position of ZESCO Managing Director will be advertised.
[ZNBC]

The Lusaka Magistrates Court has sentenced seven Ministry of Home Affairs accountants and an immigration officer to a total of 195 years imprisonment with hard labour for theft and money laundering involving K1.6 billion.

The money was meant for civil servants’ housing allowances.

Lusaka High Court deputy director of operations Edward Musona sentenced Bonaventure Chembe (115 years), Kenneth Hamusonde (15 years), Edward Kombe (15 years), Nathan Mwanza (10 years), Edward Bwalya (10 years), and Christopher Sinkala (10 years).
Others are Lyambai Kambowe (10 years) and Lloyd Mudenda (also 10 years).

Mr Musona said the convicts will serve five years on each count and the sentences will run concurrently, meaning that each of them will only serve five years.

“Looking at the amount of money that was stolen and the fact that the convicts deprived rightful beneficiaries of their money, there is need for me to prescribe a deterrent punishment,” Mr Musona said when sentencing the convicts.

He also ordered forfeiture of four vehicles seized from Kombe namely a Nissan Sunny registration number AAM 6839, unregistered Nissan double cab, a Fuso Fighter truck, and a Toyota Sprinter registration number ABE 6463.

Mr Musona also ordered the forfeiture of a Toyota Corsa registration number ABE 2036 seized from Hamusonde.

He, however, acquitted Shadreck Mtonga, Jimmy Lozani, and Raphus Sinyangwe for lack of evidence against them.

In his judgment, Mr Musona said having analysed the whole evidence, he was satisfied that all accused persons were employees of the Ministry of Home Affairs, some based at the headquarters and others in provinces, when they were arrested in 2005.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs was paying its employees housing allowances at different rates and that the money was sent to provinces through bank transfers, except in a few isolated instances.

Mr Musona said most witnesses who testified said it was not right for accountants to travel to Lusaka to collect and cash cheques, and then go back to their respective stations with cash.

He said Chembe, who was in charge of salaries at the ministry’s headquarters, originated most of the cheques involved in the theft and some accused persons confessed having collected and cashed the cheques.

Mr Musona said Chembe admitted that the correct procedure of remitting the allowances to provinces was through bank transfers and that provincial accountants were not supposed to travel to Lusaka for the purpose of collecting cheques.

He said most payment schedules had names of intended beneficiaries who did not sign against their names to acknowledge receipt of the money.

Mr Musona said in some cases some intended beneficiaries got their allowances but others did not.
He said some of the purported recipients were called to testify and they denied receiving any allowance.

Mr Musona said since Chembe was in charge of salaries, it was his duty to ensure that money reached intended beneficiaries but did not make any follow-up.

He said this was not mere negligence on Chembe’s part, but it was guilt intent.

“I have no doubt in my mind that money was stolen and I am satisfied that Bonaventure Chembe participated in the theft. He was the mastermind and a hub on which all operations of theft were anchored,” he said.

On Hamusonde, Mr Musona said the convict admitted collecting and cashing cheques meant for housing allowances and his payment schedules depicted names of beneficiaries but none of them got the money.

He said all the loans and advances Hamusonde got during the period of thefts were just gimmicks to disguise the theft and money laundering.

On Kombe, Mr Musona said the former’s payment schedules indicated that intended beneficiaries did not sign against their names to signify receipt of the money and that he did not account for the funds.

Mr Musona said Mwanza also admitted collecting cheques from Lusaka but the person whom he claimed to have given the money when he went back to Chipata denied ever receiving funds from him.

On Bwalya, Mr Musona said the convict admitted collecting the money, but none of the intended beneficiaries listed on the payment schedule received it.

About Sinkala, Mr Musona said it was not in dispute that he collected the money and that it was also not in dispute that his payment schedules were not signed.
Mr Musona said Kambowe and Mudenda also collected money separately, paid some beneficiaries but did not pay others.

He granted the convicts leave to appeal to the High Court against his judgment.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Environment deputy Minister, Vera Tembo Chiluba to pay her condolences on the death of her son, Castro.

Mrs. Banda visited the funeral house in Lusaka.

The wife of Vice President, George Kunda, Ireen and some wives of ministers also visited the funeral house.

Castro, 33, is the son of second republican president, Frederick Chilba.

He died on Tuesday at the Univeristy Teaching Hospital in Lusaka after an illness.

He was until his death National Youth Chairman for the opposition National Revolution Party.

Meanwhile, Castro will be buried in Lusaka on Saturday.

And Dr. Chiluba who is currently in South Africa for his routine medical review, is expected to return home on Friday in time for his son’s burial.
[ZNBC]

I was disturbed by a call from a Mr Patson Chilemba who was ordering me to remove the picture shown above, which I had posted on my blog. I took this picture in the run-up to the 2008 presidential elections in Lusaka.

I was busy when he called me initially last week. Patson said he wanted to discuss pictures on my blog. Patson told me in no uncertain terms that the pictures on the blog where embarrassing him and in a clearly commanding tone, he ordered me to delete the posts.

I was in a wrong place to discuss such a matter. I advised him to call me some other time when I shall be better placed to talk. Before he could hang up, I indicated to Patson that I was not ready to ‘match to his orders’.

In the second call from Mr Chilemba, which was on Tuesday, may 5 2009, he indicated that the pictures where defamatory and he gave me an unspecified period in which to delete them.

“I have consulted senior people at my place of work and we think the pictures are defamatory”, he said. “What I want to tell you is that you should remove the pictures because they are denting my image. I am running out of talk time bye,” he uttered.

I am not a legal person. Therefore, I would like to find out from the legal minds out there whether the pictures are truly defamatory.
My interest was not in defaming Patson. I am a Photo-journalist for goodness sake! I carry pictures in my head and in that post, the picture was where a reporter was.

Zambian Photo-journalist and Blogger

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LOCAL Government and Housing Minister Benny Tetamashimba has asked Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to discipline his Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili for insulting the people of North-Western province during a public rally in Kitwe.

But Mr Sata said yesterday that according to rules of natural justice, he would allow that Mr Kambwili be heard before he could issue a comprehensive comment.

During the rally, Mr Kambwili blamed the people of Luanshya for having voted for Labour and Social Security Deputy Minister Simon Kachimba as Member of Parliament for the area, saying he knew a lot of well meaning and successful Luvales but not Mr Kachimba.

In his letter dated May 4, 2009 addressed to Mr Sata and copied to President Banda, the chairpersons for the Lunda Lubanza, Likumbi Lyamize, Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena and Nsakwa Yaba Kaonde ceremonies, Mr Tetamashimba said that as a person from North-Western Province, he expected the PF president to discipline his member for tribal remarks.

“As a person who originates from North-Western Province and to other Luvales, Lundas and Kaondes and all other tribes there, I want to know what you as president of the PF will do to punish Mr Kambwili and if you do not do that, we shall take it that your tribe where Kambwili comes from hates the people from the North-Western Province,” Mr Tetamashimba’s letter reads.

He said that the people of North-Western Province would defend themselves against tribes that insulted them.

Mr Tetamashimba, who is MMD spokesperson, said that the people of North-Western Province would also punish the leaders of parties that tolerated such ideas by ensuring that their parties were non-existent in the province.

“As North-Western Province we believe in One Zambia One Nation,” he said.

In his letter dated May 6 2009 to Mr Tetamashimba, Mr Sata said that it was important that Mr Kambwili was accorded an opportunity to be heard.

“I am unable to comment on your allegations against Mr Kambwili. Natural justice demands that the accused be heard; I am therefore referring your letter to Mr Kambwili for comment. On receipt of his comment I will be at liberty to reply to your letter,” read Mr Sata’s letter.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Sata said that he had in fact expected Mr Kachimba and not Mr Tetamashimba to complain if he fel t insulted by Mr Kambwili.

He said it was wrong for people to survive on tribalism noting that if Mr Kambwili made a mistake, then he did so as an individual and not collectively or as somebody from a particular province.[quote]

“I would have rather expected a complaint from Mr Kachimba but the point is I do not see the reason why people should survive on tribalism,” Mr Sata said.

And Mr Kambwili yesterday said he did not insult the Luvale-speaking people but that he only criticised Mr Kachimba as an individual.

Mr Kamwili said he was not a tribalist as some people had branded him and indicated that the erroneous impression arose from what he termed as incorrect media report.

He said while at the PF rally in Kitwe at the weekend, he said most Luvales he had met were intelligent and propagated progressive ideas unlike Mr Kachimba who was also of the same tribe.

Mr Kambwili said that he had also said that the people in Luanshya were suffering because they voted for Mr Kachimba who was not giving correct advice on the mines.

“I said that I know a lot of Luvales who are successful and well meaning in society but that Mr Kachimba was not among them. He has continued praising the Chinese mine managers instead of questioning the slave wages they are paying Zambians,” he said.

Mr Kambwili said Bembas and Luvales were one people who came from the Kola kingdom in the present day Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and that there was no way he could insult his own brothers and sisters.

[ Times of Zambia]