A Civic leader in Chief Muchila’s area in Namwala has expressed worry at the number of briefcase businessmen who have invaded the area and are buying maize from farmers at exploitative prices.

In an interview with ZANIS, Namakube ward councilor Japhet Ngalaba, said a lot of farmers risk facing hunger again next year as they are cheated by the businessmen to sell their produce at low prices.
He said farmers in the area are selling a 50 Kilogramme bag of maize at between K18,000 and K24,000, which he described as very worrying.

Mr Ngalaba said he has held meetings to advise farmers in the area against selling their produce at such low prices but the response has been negative.
He explained that the other problem has been that, due to the hunger situation in the area, some farmers had obtained loans from businessmen to support the food needs of their families from last year until March this year.

He, however, noted that despite these problems, farmers in the area are likely to record a bumper harvest and called on government to announce the floor price of maize to prevent farmers from further exploitation by dubious businessmen.

And Mr Ngalaba has said the provision of health services to the people in the area is below the required standards due to understaffing at Muchila clinic.
He stressed that the health institution was manned by only two health staff against a population of over 20,000, adding that sometimes officers deserted the health institution, leaving patients unattended to.

“Sometimes, these two health staff go for workshops for close to a week at times and you will find patients are not attended to,” complained Councilor Ngalaba.
He appealed to the Ministry to consider sending health staff to help people in the area to enhance service provision.

Meanwhile, a teacher at Itapa Basic School has complained of understaffing at the school saying the problem has lowered the teaching standards.

Mr Goodfellow Chatyoka told ZANIS that the school was manned by only two teachers against 593 pupils.
He called on the Ministry of Education to consider sending more teachers to the institution to uplift the education standards at the school.

ZANIS/ENDS/FM/EB.

A 31-year old man of Kapata village in Mpulungu district of Northern Province is nursing serious injuries in Mbala General Hospital after being attacked by a crocodile.

Emmanuel Sichilima sustained serious injuries on his belly and legs after a battle with the reptile at Lunzuwa river on friday night.

Raphael Sichilima, a friend to Emmanuel, told ZANIS that the victim was attacked around midnight as he was trying to cross the river on his way home from a drinkng spree.
He said Emmanuel was rescued by people who heard him shouting for help. He was paddled to Mpulungu health centre where he was referred to Mbala General Hospital.

Both police and hospital authorities confirmed the incident to ZANIS.

Raphael said the villagers of Kapata believe that the vicious crocodile has been terrorising them for several years now, and have since appealed to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to travel to the area and crop the reptile.

ZANIS/ENDS/EK/EB

Construction of a district hospital in Mpulungu district of Northern Province is expected to commence soon.

Provincial Medical Officer Dr Fabian Kabulubulu says the construction of the hospital, at a cost of about K15 billion, will begin in the next two weeks.
Speaking During the handover of the hospital site to a Chinese contractor, Jing De Zham enterprises Ltd, Dr Kabulubulu said the completion of the general hospital for Mpulungu is expected in the next three years.
He revealed that about K3.6 billion has been set aside for the first phase of the project and that K1.7 billion of the same amount is already available while the rest of the money is to be released within the course of the year.

Dr Kabulubulu said the project is expected to be implemented in three phases, adding that in the first phase, only the X-ray, theatre, maternity block and minor shelters will be constructed. The first phase is expected to last 38 weeks, meaning construction works in this phase will be completed by January next year.

He expressed happiness that the project, which was supposed to start last year, had finally begun.

Dr Kabulubulu urged district officials to take keen interest in the construction process and undertake regular visits to the project site.
He, however, emphasized that the supervision of the construction works will be solely done by the office of the Provincial Buildings Engineer (PBE).

And Mpulungu District Commissioner, Willie Simfukwe, welcomed the development, saying the people of Mpulungu have been waiting for the general hospital for a long time.

Mr Simfukwe said the district health team had been spending millions of Kwacha on referrals to Mbala General Hospital and that construction of the hospital will drastically cut down on such expenses.
He observed that construction of a general hospital in Mpulungu had been a long overdue development and will also help boost the morale of health staff in the area.

Mr Simfukwe urged the contractor to do a good job and follow the laid down labour laws of Zambia and ensure that the project is completed in record time, saying the project is yet another major development project government is undertaking in Mpulungu.

And managing director of Jing De Zham Enterprises Ltd, Xu Jian Lin said he is committed to completing the project on time as long as electricity and water supply on the site are provided on time.

ZANIS/ENDS/EK/EB

Senior Chief Mujimansovu of the Kaonde people in Solwezi in North-Western Province says he is saddened over the harassement of Provincial Permanent Secretary Eustern Mambwe by MMD cadres. This happened last week when Vice President, George Kunda, visited Solwezi district.

Senior Chief Mujimansovu expressed his saddness when he paid a courtesy call on Dr Mambwe in his office, and observed that those staging protests against the Permanent Secretary were not only dangerous to the province but also to the good reputation of the MMD party in the area.

The visibly annoyed chief said he observed with dismay, some senior government officials’ intentions and attempts to hold North-Western Province to ransom at the expense of development.
He appealed to the President to set up a team to investigate the matter and take stern action against those who will be found guilty.

The Senior Chief alleged that whatever transpired at Solwezi airport when the Vice President visited the province was instigated by some senior government officials and was not the wish of the people of North-Western province.

He further advised people in his chiefdom and the province as a whole to stop embarrassing themselves but instead focus on issues that could bring development to the province during this era of global economic crisis.

Some MMD cadres humiliated North-Western Province Permanent Secretary, Dr Eustern Mambwe, at Solwezi airport by carrying placards and banners denouncing him during the visit of Vice President Kunda last week.

ZANIS/ENDS/EM/EB

Twenty two convicts at Choma Central Prison in Southern Province have been baptized by the Seveth Day Adventist (SDA) church following an evangelism programme held at the prison.

SDA church elder Charles Shindaile said nine of the baptised are convicts while 13 are remandees.

Elder Shindaile said the SDA will continue offering Voice of Prophecy lessons to prisoners at Choma central prison to ensure convicts take a stand for Jesus Christ and reform.
The new Christians sang songs to glorify God as Choma Mission District Pastor Wesley Mwiinga baptized them.

And Pastor Mwiinga called on the baptized inmates to continue believing in the saviour, Jesus Christ.
Pastor Mwiinga, who read the Bible from the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16 verses 25 to 34, stressed that Jesus Christ was also baptized before he started his earthly ministry to give an example to his followers.
He assured the inmates that God loved them despite their status as prisoners and that there was no sin that Christ cannot forgive.

Meanwhile, one remandee who has been committed to the High Court for vandalising Zamtel cables in Maamba, Oscar Siamuzovu, expressed gratitude to the SDA for engaging prisoners in the Voice of Prophecy programme.
He said he felt free in the eyes of Jesus Christ after baptism.

And Zambia Prisons Fellowship chairman for Choma district, Pastor Brian Mbao, commended the SDA church for supplementing government’s efforts in reforming prisoners.

Pastor Mbao urged the SDA church in Choma to continue with its prisons ministries programme as the prison always receives new convicts.
He said the word of God can change the convicts, hence the need to help them turn to God.

The SDA church in Choma has also procured two television sets and a decoder worth K2.8m for use by inmates at the Choma Central prison.

ZANIS/NAIS/ENDS/LK/EB