The Immigrations Department has appealed to members of the public to desist from assisting foreign nationals acquire national documents such as National Registration Cards, NRCs, and passports.

Immigrations Department Public Relations Officer, Mulako Mbangweta, said the act is a threat to national security.

Ms Mbangweta said the immigrations department, would soon begin arresting those allegedly assisting the illegal immigrants and advised people signing as commissioner of oaths for people intending to obtain the passport to be cautious.

She said it was important that the commissioner of oath thoroughly screened the people that they signed for on the documents adding the immigrations department would soon start taking action against the erring commissioner of oaths.

So far about two Zimbabweans have been arrested for being in possession of the Zambian NRCs and the new digitalized passports.

Another woman identified as Old Bikoni Arlene, aged 30, was arrested for allegedly entered the country through the Lusaka International Airport from the United Kingdom on the March 2009 and was issued with a passport on the 6th of March 2009.

The woman was also found with an NRC bearing different details from those that appeared on the passport.

Meanwhile, Ms Mbangweta said the Immigrations Department in Mpulungu has arrested Four Eritrea nationals for illegally staying in the country.

She said the Four Eritrea nationals had been detained and would soon be deported to their country of origin.

And over 23 Congolese were over the weekend released and had since been deported to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ms. Mbangweta said the exercise was aimed at decongesting the Police cells.

ENDS/MP/ZANIS/SJK

Opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Gwendolyn Konie, who died last Saturday, has been buried at her Kalabi farm in Lusaka’s State Lodge area.

First republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, senior government officials, some opposition political party officials, members of the civil society, the church and members of the general public were among the mourners that gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Kalabi Farm to pay their last respect to the late Mrs. Konie.

Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu, who represented government at the funeral, said the late Mrs. Konie’s death was a big blow to the nation.

Mr. Kaingu said Zambia has yet again robbed of a visionary and selfless leader who toiled tirelessly for the betterment of the Zambian people.

He said the late Mrs. Konie’s death was not only a blow to the nation but also to the women and girl rights movement as she was an active woman rights activist.

Mr. Kaingu said the late Mrs. Konie contributed positively to the social and economic development of the nation at the time she served in the UNIP administration under former President Kenneth Kaunda.

He said the late Mrs. Konie continued to serve the nation even after she formed her own party and was instrumental in uplifting the status of women and the girl child in society.

Mr. Kaingu said women and younger girls are very unfortunate to lose a gallant and special woman like the late Mrs. Konie who worked hard to ensure that the women folk claimed their place in the men dominated society.

And speaking during the church service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda said the late Mrs. Konie served Zambia in the most effective way possible.

Dr. Kaunda said he was greatly honoured to have worked with the former ambassador to the United Nations, who he described as a pillar in most of the developmental projects that his administration embarked on.

He said the late Mrs. Konie was a great women activist, who toiled tirelessly to see that women had their rightful place in society, adding that her contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS will greatly be missed.

And in a vote of thanks, family representative Clement Mambwe thanked government for the support rendered to the family in according the late Mrs. Konie a befitting funeral and burial.

Mr. Mambwe also thanked government for recognizing the efforts which the late Mrs. Konie made in the social and economic development of the nation and for according her a state funeral.

ZANIS/PM/KSH/ENDS

The Rotary Club of Chilanga has commended government for efforts being made in the advancement of science and technology in the country.

Rotary Club Chilanga chapter President, Henry Kando, said science and technology plays an important role to economic growth of developing countries like Zambia.

Mr. Kando was speaking when his club handed over a donation of more than 500 Science and Mathematics text books to Parklands High School in Chilanga today.

The club President has since challenged stakeholders to supplement government’s efforts in advancing science and technology for the country to record positive growth in the investment sector.

Mr. Kando further urged the school authority to ensure that the books are used to meet the intended purpose of equipping pupils with the necessary knowledge on the importance of science and technology.

Receiving the donation, Parklands School Head teacher, Loveness Sakufiwa thanked the club for the donation and said the books are an important resource to the development of young people.

ZANIS/MM/ENDS/SJK.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), has called for community partnership in the fight against drug and substance abuse in the country.

DEC Public Relations Officer, John Nyawali, said the Commission alone cannot manage to identify cases of drug abuse in communities hence requires the active involvement of the community in reporting such cases to the help bring culprits to book.

Mr. Nyawali told ZANIS in Lusaka that the Commission was ready to partner with stakeholders in safeguarding the young generation against the negative effects of drug and substance abuse.

He said the Commission has introduced programmes in schools to sensitize pupils on the dangers of drug abuse.

Mr. Nyawali said that the Commission will soon introduce debates on drug abuse in four schools, among them St Francis of Assisi Basic School, Makeni Ecumenical School, Chongwe and Kafue Boys High Schools.

He further said that the Commission offers counseling services to people, who have been finding difficulties in refraining from drugs.

END/AC/ZANIS/SJK.

Two pupils of Mwavi High School in Luangwa District died, while 22 others were seriously injured when the vehicle they were in overturned along the Great East Road.

The accident happened on Sunday around 15 hours near Malilapondolo Basic School on Great East Road, as the pupils were traveling for ball games from Nyimba High School.

The driver of the Mazda vehicle, which was carrying the pupils, is alleged to have lost control as he tried to avoid a pothole a few kilometres to the Luangwa Bridge.

Mwavi High School Manager, Rodgers Mwansa, confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Chongwe yesterday.

Mr Mwansa said one Grade 10 pupil died on the spot while another Grade 11 boy died as he was being rushed to Nyimba hospital.

The injured victims are being treated at Katondwe Mission Hospital.

A check by ZANIS and the Parent Teachers Association, PTA, Chairperson, Solomon Chidunuka, at Katondwe Mission Hospital found Eight girls and Seven boys nursing head injuries and some minor injuries while five others have since been discharged.

One of the victims, Mercy Nyirenda, a Grade 12 pupil, narrated from her hospital bed that the vehicle overturned when the driver attempted to avoid a pothole.

Hospital authorities at Katondwe comfirmed having discharged five pupils and that others were still being observed for head injuries.

Meanwhile, Luangwa District Commissioner, Stanislaus Kalunga, and District Education Board Secretary, Liberatus Longwa, who rushed to Nyimba hospital confirmed to ZANIS that the two other injured boys, who were admitted at Nyimba hospital, have been transferred to Katondwe Hospital while the bodies of the deceased boys have been taken to Lusaka for postmortem.

Capt. Kalunga described the accident as unfortunate and warned school authorities against engaging unreliable vehicles to transport pupils for school activities.

ZANIS/MN/CMM/ENDS/SJK