Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Eularia Siyamujaye says the decentralization of Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) will reduce congestion of people awaiting pension’s benefits at Pension House in Lusaka.

Mrs. Siyamujaye said the decentralization of the program would reduce the distances that pensioners had to travel to access their benefits.

She was speaking at the launch of the PSPF decentralization in Chipata this morning.

Mrs. Siyamujaye commended PSPF for demonstrating commitment in maintaining standards of service delivery and accessibility to pension services in rural districts.

She also noted that queries on how to obtain house loans would be addressed at the new district office in Chipata.

“Civil servants who are members of the fund will be able to enquire and access the facility,” she said.

She further said the formation of a partnership among the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT), the Civil Service and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ), and the Zambia National Pensioners Association and the PSPF would assist the delivery of pension’s services to districts.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Public Service Pensions Fund, Muchimba Kamu said the decentralization pilot project will determine the success of the decentralization project to be conducted in the rest of the provinces.

Mr. Kamu said it was imperative for officers entrusted to run the PSPF offices in the district to be efficient in their work to win people’s confidence.

ENDS/HN/PK/ZANIS

A named police officer from Magoye police post, who was found drunk on duty, has been detained at Mazabuka Police station. This follows orders by Magoye Member of Parliament, Bennie Mweemba, to have the officer punished.

Both police and Mr Mweemba confirmed the detention of the officer to ZANIS in Mazabuka today.

Mr Mweemba said he ordered the detention of the officer because he found him drunk and unable to perform his duties while complainants waited for a long time without being attended to.

He said he will not tolerate indiscipline among police officers especially those that drink beer on duty.
Mr Mweemba said the officer will only be released from custody tomorrow.

“This chap ran away from me as I attempted to bundle him in my car. So what I did was to phone the Officer in charge who complained of fuel but I had to provide them with fuel in order for them to pick him. He will only be discharged tomorrow,’’ said Mweemba.

He also urged the Inspector General of Police to ensure that police officers reporting for work while drunk are fired because they are denting the good image of the police service.

Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba, also confirmed the development and said he would only issue a detailed report after receiving a police report.

Mazabula police station is another station where some police officers report for work drunk.

ZANIS/ENDS/HC/EB

Four Congolese nationals have been apprehended for indiscriminate cutting down of trees in a local forest in Mufulira.

The four were captured on Wednesday morning in a joint operation between officers from the forestry department and Zambia Police. They were found cutting down trees in Lumina local forest without a licence to allow them to enter a restricted area.

District Forestry Officer Frank Tembo confirmed to Zanis that the Congolese nationals were captured about 500 meters inside the forest on the Zambian side.
He said the four men were from chief Kipushi of Lumina village in the democratic Republic of Congo.
The four are Kacvwita Kaunda, John Chinyama, Kaindu Chola and John Mulyamu.

Mr. Tembo said the four were held at Central police where they were charged with contravening the forestry ACT Cap. 199 section 16a and b of the laws of Zambia.

The joint operation was conducted as a measure to conrol the rampant illegal cutting down of trees along the border area.

Mr. Tembo said the encroachment of foreigners in the local and natonal forests in the district had become rife hence the need to patrol forest lines along the border areas.

He also appealed for the provincial permanent joint commission to ensure that boundary issues in the district were clearly defined to avoid further encroachment of forests.

THE Zambia Police says it has received a petition to investigate treason allegations levelled against former Radio Icengelo station manager, Father Frank Bwalya.

Inspector-General of Police, Francis Kabonde said in an interview yesterday that he had received the petition from a Ndola farmer, William Wilima, and that police have instituted investigations.

Mr Kabonde said the police would thoroughly investigate the matter involving Fr Bwalya.

On Tuesday, Mr Wilima petitioned Mr Kabonde to investigate and prosecute Fr Bwalya for alleged treason.

Fr Bwalya has in the past weeks been using Radio Icengelo to promote his movement called ‘Change or Die Zambia.’

The clergy has since been removed as station manager for the radio station and transferred to Ipusukilo Catholic Church as parish priest.

However, Fr Bwalya has since asked for sabbatical for one year which the parish has granted him.
And Mr Kabonde has advised members of the public to observe the law of the land even if Zambia is a democratic nation.

He said each country had rules which governed it and that it was important for citizens to obey them.
“There are proper procedures or channels to be followed for any individual who has been injured,” he said.

Mr Kabonde said no one was above the law and that the police would ensure that law and order was maintained across the country.

“It is the duty of the Zambia Police to see to it that citizens are protected and that the law is observed,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

The first phase of investigations into the Zambian Airways saga have been completed and the docket has been forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration.

Inspector General of Police, Francis Kabonde, says the probe looked into the alleged failure by Zambian Airways to remit passenger service charges to government as agents of the National Airports Corporation.

The police chief also disclosed that a warn and caution statement has been taken from all the four directors of Zambian Airways.

These include the two Nchito brothers and Post Newspapers Editor, Fred Mmembe.

He said investigations into other areas of operations by the airline are continuing.

The investigations are being carried out by the police, the Anti Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission.

And Mr. Kabonde has reiterated that the investigations are not targeting any individual and appealed to the public to be patient.

He also said the investigations are have nothing to do with politics.

Meanwhile, the MMD Youth in Bwanamukubwa Constituency have appealed to Trasnparency International Zambia (TIZ) to put pressure on Mutembo Nchito to resign and pave way for investigations into his alleged dealings in Zambian Airways.

Youth Chairman Enock Chungu in a statement said, since Communications Minister Dora Siliya graciously resigned her Cabinet Ministerial position following the findings of the Tribunal, it is only healthy for TIZ to help in facilitating the speedy resignation of Mr. Mutembo Nchito in view of the allegations leveled against him and that investigations must be done for the truth to come out.

He described the allegations leveled against Mr. Nchito as critical which he said needed to be investigated once he stepped down for the process to be free and fair.

Mr. Chungu commended Ms. Siliya for what he termed as her smart resignation which exhibited maturity to the people of Zambia both in Government and the Private sector.

He added that the MMD Youths also want the Law Association of Zambia to help in the facilitation of Mr. Nchito’s case without unnecessary reservations.

Mr. Chungu added that the Zambain Airways issue is thorny and needs similar openness involving all stakeholders as was the case in the Dora Siliya situation.

He said Zambians want their money back which was drained in the Zambian Airways saga which could be used for other pressing issues of the country.

ZANIS/CN/CMM/PK/ENDS.