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Transporter with alleged political backing arrested

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The Zambia National Farmers, ZNFU, in Mazabuka has welcomed the arrest of a transporter suspected of involvement in a scandal in which over 200 bags of fertiliser and Maize went missing.

ZNFU Mazabuka District Agri-Business Manager, Clement Phiri, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, that the swift action by Police to arrest the suspect deserves commendation.

Mr Phiri said the arrest of the named transporter, who allegedly has strong political backing, would serve as a warning to individuals that no person is above the law.

He said ZNFU is particularly cheered with the arrest because the suspect was boasting of immunity against prosecution despite having committed the offense.

Mr Phiri has, however, appealed to the affected farming community to exercise patience as Police intensify the investigations into the matter.

Meanwhile, Police in Mazabuka have released a suspect, who is alleged to have received the fertiliser consignment from the transporter on behalf of farmers.

Police sources told ZANIS that the suspect, who was picked after Police traced the National Registration Card number was released after the transporter cleared him of the allegations.

Police said the transporter will appear in court soon because it has now become apparent that he actually committed the offense alone.

ZANIS/ENDS/HC/SJK

KK preaches love among Zambians

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First Republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, has advised Zambians to embrace love and forgiveness in order to help achieve national unity.

Dr Kaunda said love is a cornerstone of efforts to achieve sustainable unity in the country.

He said this at the commemoration of the United Church of Zambia, UCZ, St. Andrews Congregation Golden Jubilee in Lusaka today.

He said love is the fundamental teaching that Jesus gave to people and should therefore be embraced by all Zambians regardless of tribe and color.

Dr Kaunda bemoaned the existing situation in the country where leaders were in the habit of insulting each other instead of learning to exercising love for on another.

“When you point fingers at your friend and call them names the other fingers are pointing at you meaning you are on the wrong,” he said.

He recalled that Zambia at independence used the One-Zambia One-nation motto which helped in achieving unity for all the 73 tribes in the country.

“One Zambia one nation was a good teaching that was embraced at independence in 1964, it helped us (Indians, Europeans, all whites and the 73 tribes) to be united without it we could not have been united and helped other countries gain independence,” he said.

Speaking earlier,UCZ St. Andrew’s Congregation Secretary, Benson Mucchelemba, said the church has in the last 50 years seen an increase in membership from 50 to Nine hundred members.

Meanwhile UCZ synod General Secretary, Chrispine Mbalazi, commended St. Andrews for its commitment and dedications toward the construction of the new church.

Rev. Mbalazi said the church has shown its commitments through the sacrifice shown even in the last 50 years the church has been in existence.

Other activities that characterized the commemoration of the golden jubilee where poems by children, singing and memory, music from choirs and the boy’s brigade band.

ZANIS/GP/ENDS/SJK

CSAWUZ welcome Sata’s decision over council budgets

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The decision by Patriotic Front, President, Michael Sata, to direct PF councilors to go ahead and approve the budgets for their respective councils has cheered the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia, CSAWUZ.

CSAWUZ Vice president, Beatrice Nyirongo, says it was important that the councils approved their budgets for the benefits of various community projects.

She told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, that Mr Sata had done the right thing for his party, the council and the people of Zambia.

She added that once the councils approve their budgets people would benefit in their respective areas as the councils would start embarking on different projects.

Mrs Nyirongo added that most of the projects in different areas stalled because most councils had not approved their 2009 budgets.

She has also advised politicians not to do things as they please but listen to the will of the people as they are the one who put them into offices and should be put first.

The CSAWUZ added that money was very important in the lives of the people as it is a driving tool.

Mrs. Nyirongo has since urged the councils that once they approve their budgets and they know the out come, the money allocated to projects should be used for the intended purposes adding that discipline must be observed.

She said with the rains the country was experiencing the councils need to approve their budgets in order to start working on projects such as the drainage systems and garbage collection.

Recently, the PF Leader Sata rescinded his stance and asked his Party councilors countrywide to go ahead and approve the budgets for their councils.

ZANIS/AJN/ENDS/SJK

Grandstand: Herve Faith

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After a nine month honeymoon, Herve Renard is finally feeling the pressure of marrying into Zambian football family where all matches are great and not small.

Renard, uncertain over his future as Zambia’s coach especially after local mining giant KCM who had sponsored his salary since May but backed-out in November after they began to feel the pinch of the global credit crunch, was on Friday asked a question he hoped would never hear…but not this soon anyway.

Asked by a Lusaka-based TV station if he would quit should public opinion swing against him following Zambia’s recent embarrassing group stage exit at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda, Renard buckled and said he would respected their wishes.

Nine months is a long time in football, in a span coaches destiny’s are easily made or broken by tournament qualification, promotion and relegation.

In nine months, Renard’s biggest claim to fame has been to guide Zambia to a very gusty final qualifying phase of the 2010 World/Africa Cup group stage qualifiers.

Otherwise there has been nothing much to show that Zambia is on the up before and after that with two regional tournament failures under his helm especially in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup a tournament whose national teams rarely ever book air tickets to African Cup tournaments.

In August, he failed to guide Zambia to the finals of the renamed Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup after gaining easy passage, courtesy of their still highly respected regional stature, to the quarterfinals thanks to a preliminary round bye only to mint bronze.

Every tournament, friendly, big or small, is treated with respect and with much anticipation by Zambian fans and defeat is always an anathema.

It might be a little unfair to say Renard is unsettled for the time being but it is quickly going to become a topical issue and it is beginning to feel hotter than October on a rainy January day.

And Renard will not have to wait very long after the Cecafa Cup to find out for himself what the public really feels about him because on January 25, Zambia host DR Congo in a friendly international in the tight confines of Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.

It will be Zambia’s first official home game this year and fans will be very curious to see for themselves what the future holds for Renard with the CHAN tournament looming over the horizon when they open their account at the inaugural event against hosts Cote d’Ivoire on February 22.

NMC advises Livingstone residents not to panic over mealie meal

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National Milling Company, NMC, has advised Livingstone residents not to panic over the shortage of 25 Kiloggramme bags of Breakfast mealie meal bag in the tourist capital.

National Milling Company Managing Director, Peter Cottan said the milling company was doing everything possible to ensure more 25 KG bags of breakfast mealie meal are supplied on the market to arrest the trend.

Mr Cottan attributed the shortage to the recent reduction in the prices of mealie meal announced by the company.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, that National Milling Company will next Wednesday visit Livingstone to assess the situation, in an effort to address the crisis.

Mr Cottan has since disclosed intentions by the milling company to announce new prices of mealies.

He urged the Food Reserve Agency, FRA, to ensure it concludes agreements with other Millers in order to sustain increased supply of mealie meal and reduced prices in the country.

Mr Cottan also advised other Milling Companies to be more consistent and help by distributing more mealie meal to satisfy the market demands especially in Livingstone.

Meanwhile, Mr Cottan has since dismissed claims that National Milling Company mealie meal prices have not been reduced in Lusaka.

Yesterday, some Livingstone residents complained that the tourist capital had run out of the National Milling Company 25KG break fast mealie meal.

ZANIS/AJN/ENDS/SJK

Death threats force Munali Coffee managers to flee

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Two senior managers at Zambia’s largest Coffee producing company, Munali Coffee limited in Mazabuka have fled the company premises following death threats from former Mubuyu farms employees, who were evicted from the farmland by Court Bailiffs.

Company Finance Manager, Britten Gavin, confirmed the development to Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba, when he visited the company to investigate the eviction of former employees by the Bailiffs.

Mr Gavin said a human resource manager and Coffee Control marketing manager fled the premises on Thursday Night and their whereabouts are not yet known.

He said the two fled after some former employees turned violent against them.

But armed Police officers from Mazabuka and Nega Nega Police stations, who are still keeping vigil at the company premises, told ZANIS, there was no need for the managers to run away because maximum security measures had been put in place.

The Police, further, explained that the stoppage of the evictions greatly contributed to the peaceful atmosphere at the company.

On Thursday, Court Bailiffs from Lusaka swung into action and evicted former Mubuyu farms workers and dumped them across the Mazabuka- Kafue high way opposite the main entrance to Mubuyu farms.

ZANIS/ENDS/HC/SJK

RB assures Defence forces of improved conditions of service

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Mr Banda inspects a guard of honour at national assembly buildings
Mr Banda inspects a guard of honour at national assembly buildings

President Banda, says Government is working hard to improve the conditions of service for defense and security personnel in the country.

President said this today during a scheduled Defence Council meeting which was held to discuss various issues concerning the welfare of the defence and security personnel.

This is according to a statement issued by Chief Analyst for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere, made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

And Mr. Banda also appealed to political leaders to desist from using issues involving defense and security forces for their political propaganda, because doing so could create unnecessary discontent in the nation.

The President, who is also Commander In-Chief of the Armed Forces, regretted that some political leaders have continued to issue careless statements designed to incite the Defense and Security personnel against government on grounds that it is allegedly not addressing their problems.

He said Government through the defense Council has addressed several issues concerning the defense forces.

He said the issues of accommodation, general welfare of the entire personnel and senior officer’s contracts have been tackled by his Government.

The President said he has held two meetings with the Defense Council within the two months he has been in office because he attaches great importance to the welfare of the defense forces.

ZANIS/GP/ENDS/SJK

Plan for a Comeback

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Today’s Scripture

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…” (II Corinthians 2:14, NKJ).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

God promises to always lead us into victory! That means, no matter what you are facing, no matter what’s going on in the world around you, no matter what anybody says, you should always be planning for a comeback! In the middle of that adversity or tough time, start making your list of who you’re going to invite to your victory celebration. You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to celebrate what God is going to do in your life.

Put some action behind your faith. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re going to do when you get out. If you lost some money when the stock market went down, start planning your coming-out-of-debt party. When things don’t look good in the natural, remember, we serve a supernatural God. With God leading you into victory, you can always plan for increase. You can plan for restoration. You can plan for a comeback that will make you stronger and better than you ever were before!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, I give You thanks and praise today for the promise of victory. Give me Your vision for the future so that I can move confidently into the abundant life You have for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen ministries

Zambian Airways Suspends Operations

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Reuters reports that Zambia’s privately-owned carrier Zambian Airways said on Saturday it had suspended operations with immediate effect, citing high fuel costs over the last year-and-a-half and the need to restructure its operations.

The airline said in a notice to passengers at Lusaka airport that it had experienced difficulties after jet fuel rose 100 percent in the last 18 months, increasing its operational costs by 50 percent.

“This created a lot of problems for Zambian Airways as a growing business. In the interest of our stakeholders and our employees, we have decided with immediate effect to suspend all our operations until further notice,” it said.

Dozens of passengers flying to South Africa were left stranded, eye witnesses said.

The airline has been operating two flights a day to South Africa and used to fly several times a week to other major hubs in southern Africa.

[Reuters]

Teta gives LCC Three-day ultimatum for budget approval

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Local Government and Housing Minister, Benny Tetamashimba, has given the Lusaka City Council a Three-day ultimatum during which a special council meeting to approve the 2009 council budget should be held.

Mr Tetamashimba in a letter addressed to the Mayor, of Lusaka and the Town Clerk and copied to ZANIS in Lusaka today said he has ordered the council to approve the 2009 by January 13, 2009 failure to which undisclosed measures would be enforced against the local authority.

“The council is directed to hold the special council meeting to approve the 2009 budget before the 13th of January ,2009 failure to which I shall proceed to take measures to correct the situation prevailing at the council,” he said.

Mr Tetamashimba regretted that the political situation at the council has negatively impacted on the welfare of residents of Lusaka city.

He has also reminded the Lusaka City Council that there is currently no vacancy in the office of the Mayor despite the postponement of mayoral elections recently.

“The SI number 120 of 2008 postponing the Mayoral, deputy Mayor, Chairman and vice Chairman has not been revoked,” he said.

ZANIS/GP/ENDS/SJK

Civil servants lead in corrupt practices

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THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said corruption complaints it receives suggest that government officials are the most corrupt.

ACC acting director Rosewine Wandi said according to the reports received, between 60 and 70 per cent of reports were complaints against government officials while only about 20 per cent were on officials in the private sector.

The rest were complaints on officials from other government agencies and civil society organisations.
Mrs Wandi was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during a belated end of 2008 press briefing.

She said the commission recorded a total of 31 arrests and 11 convictions in 2008.

Mrs Wandi said that two acquittals and one withdrawal of cases were also recorded.

She said in the year under review, the commission received a total of 2,007 reports of which 696 were categorised as corruption complaints while 1,311 were non-corruption related complaints and were treated as information received.

She said from the 696 corruption complaints, 387 cases were authorised for investigations while 307 were not, as they were deemed not to be pursuable.

Mrs Wandi said appropriate advice was given to the complainants, while other cases were referred to relevant authorities for appropriate action.

She said the commission also participated in the monitoring of the October Presidential election and received 68 complaints on allegations of electoral malpractices.

Mrs Wandi said some cases were investigated but that no tangible evidence was adduced leading to closure of the cases while others were referred to and resolved through the conflict management committees in the various districts.

And Mrs Wandi said to reduce the number of cases involving government officials, ACC was working on institutionalising corruption prevention through integrity committees.

She said to this end, the Ministry of Lands, Ndola City Council, Lusaka City Council, the Department of Immigration and Zambia Police had developed draft codes of ethics, and that government also launched a Code of Ethics for civil servants.

Mrs Wandi also said further prevention of corruption had been conducted with the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).

She said the commission faced challenges such as lack of funding to institutions that had established integrity committees to cover their activities.

And Mrs Wandi said the commission had developed another strategic plan to be launched soon.

She said in the plan, the commission had repositioned itself to further propel the fight against corruption in Zambia with a new vision.

Mrs Wandi warned that there would be no “sacred cows” in its fight against corruption.

She said the commission was happy that President Banda’s administration had continued to fight corruption.

“With this kind of political will, we shall investigate and prosecute the culprits no matter who they are and without any selectivity,” Mrs Wandi said.

She was happy that the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for Zambia had improved over the years.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Govt works to transform prisons

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Government says it is putting in place measures to transform the penal system in an effort to turn prisons into modern correctional institutions.

Home Affairs Minister, Kalombo Mwansa, noted that prisons exist as correctional institutions and not for punishment.

Dr. Mwansa was speaking after a conducted tour of Mukobeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe yesterday.

And speaking at the prisons service annual ball, Dr Mwansa said the role of prisons should aim at rehabilitating offenders and successfully reintegrating them into society as law abiding citizens.

He noted that the provision of rehabilitating programmes, community training and increased agriculture production has contributed meaningfully to the national food basket.

And Dr Mwansa also disclosed that government was in the process of mechanising prisons farms across the country in an effort to scale up food production.

He, further, revealed that the prisons service would be among the beneficiaries of tractors that President Banda received on behalf of the country from the Libyan government.

Speaking at the same function, Prisons Service Commissioner, Gibby Nawa, said the service is committed to ensuring it operates in line with government policy of providing effective correctional services.

He disclosed that the service had in the last year recorded an increase in skills training and food production.

Mr Nawa also revealed that the service produced 70, 000 x 50 kilogramme bags of maize representing a 40 per cent increase and 150 metric tonnes of Wheat representating a 50 per cent increase in production of both grain compared to the previous year.

He commended government for supporting the Service with various logistics such as transport and agriculture equipment to ease its operations.

He, however, called on government to consider reducing the staff-inmate ratio by employing more prisons staff in order to achieve the standard staff ratio to achieve adequate supervision and monitoring.

ZANIS/ENDS/CM/SJK

Chungu, Kabwe sue Max Nkole

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PARAMILITARY police officer block Aaron Chungu and Faustine Kabwe in their lawyers vehicle from leaving the magistrate Court in Lusaka last month
PARAMILITARY police officer block Aaron Chungu and Faustine Kabwe in their lawyers vehicle from leaving the magistrate Court in Lusaka last month

DEFUNCT Access Financial Services Limited directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chnugu and their lawyer John Sangwa have sued Task Force on Corruption executive chairman Maxwell Nkole for alleged false imprisonment.

The alleged false imprisonment relates to an incident in which Task Force officers held the trio under siege at the magistrates’ court complex for about four hours when they attempted to arrest Kabwe and Chungu after the duo ignored call-outs to appear before the anti-graft agency last year.

This is contained in a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court by Mr Sangwa.

He says on December 24, 2008 at about 09:30 hours, while he was talking to Kabwe and Chungu, police officers wrongfully and without reasonable cause forcibly detained and prevented them from leaving the complex until 13:00 hours when they were allowed to leave.

This was after Kabwe and Chungu had attended a court session in another case where they are jointly charged with MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba and four others for corrupt practices.

Mr Sangwa states that the officers acted on the premise that they had instructions from Mr Nkole to arrest Kabwe and Chungu.

“The police officers were at all material times under the direction and control of the defendant in the purported performance of his functions.

In the premises, the plaintiffs were wrongfully imprisoned and deprived of their liberty, and Mr Nkole is liable to the plaintiffs in respect of such imprisonment,” Mr Sangwa said.

He says the officers’ conduct was arbitrary, oppressive, illegal and or unconstitutional, and that the plaintiffs were therefore claiming exemplary damages.

Mr Sangwa says the officers failed or refused to listen to the plaintiffs’ explanation or pleas and threatened to use force on them.

“The police officers were armed with AK47 automatic rifles which they threatened to use. The imprisonment of the plaintiffs took place in full view of court officials and private legal practitioners,” he said.

Mr Sangwa says the officers ignored the plaintiffs’ explanation that there was a court order staying the defendants’ decision to arrest Kabwe and Chungu.

He says Kabwe and Chungu were kept without food or access to a lavatory during the said period.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Stolen medical gloves retrieved

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The Pharmaceutical Regulation Authority has confiscated medical gloves worth K457 million in a raid on a shop at Kamwala shopping complex in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

The gloves are meant to be given freely in Government health institutions.

Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority Inspector Muyamba Mainga says the authority got a tip that the shop was selling Government property from a concerned citizen.

He said the authority will follow the matter until the culprit is prosecuted.

Mr. Mainga has also warned shop owners selling Government property that they risk being prosecuted.

Fort Jamesons wholesalers proprietor Desai Mohammed said he bought the gloves from a person who resides in Northmead.

Government to protect genuine businesses

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Government has reiterated it’s commitment to protect genuine investors from unscrupulous people that want to destroy viable businesses through the sale of counterfeit products.

Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani said government will protect investors from unscrupulous business who want to profit from counterfeit products.

He said counterfeit products can ruin the economy if left unchecked as culprits deprive the genuine company owners of the much needed profits.

The Minister further stressed , the products have negative effect not only on the economy but also on the users.

Mr. Mangani was speaking when a three member delegation led by a South Africa based Lasher Tools company Export Manager Niel Walker paid a courtesy call on him at his office.

Mr. Mangani said Zambia remains a preferred investment destination in Africa despite the prevailing global financial crisis.

He stated government has put in place good policies which have made the country attractive to foreign investment.

Speaking earlier, Mr. Walker commended government for demonstrating commitment in the fight against counterfeit products.

He pledged his company’s continued investment in Zambia .

Lasher tools which has been operating in Zambia for the past 30 years is the manufacturer of wheelbarrows , shovels, rakes and grass slashers.

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