Pictures of President Banda at Kasaba Bay
Kashiwa Bulaya denied bail
The Lusaka High Court has rejected an application for bail by Former Ministry of Health permanent secretary Kashiwa Bulaya.
Dr. Bulaya had applied for constitutional bail pending appeal after the High Court upheld a three year jail term slapped on him by a Lusaka Magistrates Court on December 26 last year.
He was found guilty of abuse of authority of office when he irregularly awarded a contract to BUTICO A One of Bulgaria.
The contract was for BUTICO A One to supply Elixir 9 a herbal HIV/AIDS remedy amounting to over K3-billion.
Supreme Court Judge Marvin Mwanamwambwa sitting as High Court judge dismissed the application saying it had no merit.
Justice Mwanamwambwa maintained that Dr. Bulaya’s appeal has no chance of succeeding and that there will be no delay in disposing of the appeal if it goes to the Supreme court as claimed.
He said bail application is a discretionary relief and Dr. Bulaya is not entitled to it as a right.
The Judge said for the court to exercise its discretion to grant bail,the appeal must have three things which include, a chance of succeeding or whether it will take long to be heard because of the delay in preparing the record of appeal.
Justice Mwanamwambwa said the fact that Dr. Bulaya had been attending court trial while on bail is not an important consideration at this stage because during trial he was an innocent person and now he is a convict.
The Judge also said issues of Dr. Bulaya’s personal health and the possibility of contracting a communicable disease in prison are also not considered at this stage because he is a convict.
ZNBC
Parents appeal for grace period to pay school fees for their children
Some parents in Kafue have appealed to school authorities in the area not to turn away pupils unable to pay school fees when they report next week on Monday to learn as their parents scout for money, arguing that finding money is not easy nowadays.
One of the parents, Bella Banda said that school authorities in the district have a tendency of chasing away pupils in the first week when schools open and that it is not fair, as the pupils want to learn.
Mrs. Banda said Kafue is a town currently experiencing a lot of economic problems and that the school authorities should know that the delay in paying school fees is not deliberate. She said the school authorities should realise that they are also parents and that unemployment was very high and understand that sending children away from schools is not a solution.
Another parent Mrs. Dorothy Mwanza said the majority of parents work for Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) and African Textiles of Zambia (ATZ) both of which have not performed well for so many years.
Mrs. Mwanza further said there are many other issues to consider, especially that this is the beginning of the year and some children have to travel to schools that are very far away, and also considering that parents need to buy uniforms and  books for their children, apart from paying school fees.
Zambia Returns, Fighton Simukonda Named Zesco United Coach
Zambia returned home at midday today, Friday just 24 hours after their disappointing Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup exit when Sudan beat them 2-0 in Kampala with coach Herve Renard conceding his team was humbled by the ejection.
Renard also said a lot of work lay ahead and it will not be easy for his team to qualify for the semifinals of the CHAN tournament that kicks off next month on February 22 in Ivory Coast.
“We played very badly against Sudan and we were one of the favorites but we failed and you know, football is a school of humility,” Renard said.
Renard added that Zambia suffered from a lack of depth at Cecafa especially after he lost Kebby Hachipuka and William Njobvu to suspension including injuries to Kennedy Mudenda and Maunga Kabuku during the course of the tournament.
“Am happy with the base of this team but my substitutes they were not at a level of the tournament both physically and psychologically,” the Frenchman said.
Renard added that the focus now was preparing the team for the CHAN tournament starting with diet of three friendly matches coming up.
Zambia kickoff their CHAN preparations when they host DR Congo at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka on January 25 before facing South Africa in Johannesburg two days later.
They will then fly off to Yaoundé next month to take on Cameroon there on February 11 possibly en route to Cote d’Ivoire ahead of the CHAN finals there.
Zambia opens its CHAN outing on February 22 in a Group A match against hosts Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan.
Senegal and Tanzania are another team in Group A at the CHAN.
FIGHTON SIMUKONDA IS ZESCO COACH
Zesco have confirmed the appointment of Cosafa Castle Cup winning coach Fighton Simukonda as their new trainer to replace the departing Wedson Nyirenda.
Club management said in a statement today that Simukonda will be assisted by former Roan United and Forest Rangers trainer Andre Mtine.
Details of the duos contracts had yet to be finalized in the wake of Nyirenda’s departure from Zesco to Zanaco this week.
Simukonda is said to have beaten three other candidates for the top job at Zesco with the others being Peter Kaumba, Fordson Kabole including his assistant Mtine who takes up the title of technical director.
Simukonda led Zambia to the 1998 Cosafa Castle Cup crown as caretaker coach and also trained the Under-17 in 2000.
His previous clubs appointments include Roan, Konkola Blades, Zanaco, City of Lusaka and Lusaka Dynamos.
Death toll in yesterday’s bus mishap rises
The number of the people that died in yesterday’s road traffic accident at Chingwere junction on the Great North road in Lusaka has increased to 13.
University Teaching Hospital (UTH) public relations manager, Pauline Mbangweta, confirmed the development and said the thirteenth person died last night.
Yesterday, UTH received 11 bodies as brought-in-dead (BID) while one died at the hospital.
21 other Chingwele bus accident victims sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the UTH.
Ms. Mbangweta out of the 21 victims who sustained injuries, one died last night, eight were in a serious condition while 11 others are in a stable condition.
She said all other bodies have been identified except one body of child.
She said the medical personnel are ensuring that the patients get necessary medical attention.
Ms Mbangweta has since appealed to members of the public to come and assist identify the victims and bodies at the casualty ward and the mortuary respectively.
At around 12:00 hours yesterday, 11 people died while 21 others were injured after the bus they were in collided with a foreign truck on the Great North Road.
The Mitsubishi Rosa bus was coming from Ndola. The driver of the bus is still on the run.
ZANIS/AH/KSH/ENDS/LSK
Chipata slashed maize victims to be compensated
People whose maize was slashed on hill slopes in Chipata district on Wednesday will be compensated.
Chipata Central Member of Parliament, Lameck Mangani confirmed the development in a telephone interview. Mr. Mangani said that the Chipata District Disaster Management Committee will go to the hills and assess the damage to see how the affected families can be assisted, although he did not disclose the kind of aid to be provided.
The MP, who is also Lusaka Province Minister, however, warned that the move to assist the affected families is not an acknowledgement that people should continue cultivating on the hill slopes.
Mr. Mangani said that cultivating on hill slopes contributes to land degradation. He said that this is because the hills are left bare resulting in heavy current of water from the hill slopes, damaging property and roads in the townships.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mangani has condemned the move by the residents to stone his building in Nabvutika compound in protest against the council’s action.
The MP said that it was also unfortunate that the residents had intentions to go and slash maize at the republican president, Rupiah Banda’s farm along the Chipata-Mfuwe road.
He strongly condemned the action by the grieved residents, saying people should not take the law into their hands. The residents on Wednesday took to the street stoning the building belonging to Mr. Mangani, a shop for Nabvutika Area Chairman for Zone 3, Dauzen Mwanza and a house belonging to Chipata mayor Sinoya Mwale.
This was in protest against the move by the council to slash their maize planted on the hill slopes. The slashing of maize has also sparked confusion between the mayor and the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy, MMD’s leadership, with the mayor facing disciplinary action.
ENDS/HN/PK/ZANIS
Waste Management in Lusaka—what is going on?
By Wesley Ngwenya
If you live in Lusaka, you do not have to go far to see the trash that is continuously piling our front yards, backyards, main roads, side roads, bus stations, markets and virtually everywhere you go. It is disgusting especially at this time of the year. Every time I take the short cut to my place and step on chicken feathers or rotten nshima I cannot help but ask the question; What is the local government’s plan regarding waste management in Lusaka?
I was probably one of the few residents in Lusaka who had the privilege of paying a waste management company to collect my trash weekly when I lived on the other side of town. I am not even sure that service is available on this side of town since I have never seen one of those trucks in this neighborhood.
My proposal to the government is to scrap the TV license fee here in Lusaka after all no one really watches ZNBC. Worse still no one pays the license fee. Thankfully, I don’t own a TV set and if I had one I would find it difficult to pay the fee. Instead of the TV license fee the government departments should work together to convert that into a garbage fee. Every household of Lusaka will be obliged to pay the garbage fee since it disposes waste on a daily basis. This fee can be incorporated on our water bills or land rates whatever is easier for the local authorities. We would then have a central dumpster on every street corner where we can dispose our trash. Every week the trucks would come and do their rounds collecting the trash.
Knowing well the great benefits this would have on my city I would gladly pay my garbage fee. It is no secret that when our trash is collected and disposed in designated landfills we would have a cleaner city. Before you know it we would be breathing cleaner air, drinking cleaner water, eating cleaner food, and living healthy lives. What does this mean for the government? A happy healthy population. This means no longer dying from those funny curable diseases. Instead of residents spending time lining up at clinics and taking days off from work, they would be busy working hard making money for the government.
The government needs to take proactive measures in insuring that they manage the waste problems that our city faces. This may not seem as a big problem now but with the growing population in the city it will be so critical in a few years. Don’t just collect trash in wealthy neighborhood drive by the poor neighborhood too. You never know you could win the voters’ hearts and take Lusaka in 2011.
Patrick Phiri Signs 2-Year Deal With Simba SC
Patrick Phiri yesterday signed a 2-year deal to coach Simba SC of Tanzania.
Phiri joins Simba after a season in charge at Nkana and being at the helm of Zambia from 2006 to March 2008.
This will be Phiri’s third stint with the record 17-time and told The Guardian of Tanzania that he was looking forward to the challenge of coaching Simba yet again.
“I know that two years is not enough to build a strong team but I will do my best to make sure that I do it, otherwise I will be forced to renew the contract to finish my mission,“ Phiri told The Guardian.
And Simba chairman Hassan Dalali said the club was pleased to have finally secured Phiri’s services for the next 24 months.
“We hope that Phiri will take us where we want to reach,“ Dalali said.
“We have been performing poorly for a long time. We tried to hire different coaches but none of them succeeded. I am sure Phiri will make it because he knows Simba very well.”
Phiri, whose salary would be paid for by Tanzania Breweries, has been given the mandate to find his own assistant coach.
In his previous tenure with Simba, Phiri led the club to the 2004 title and Tusker Cup triumph and also guided the Dar-es-Salaam Simba to the 2004 CECAFA Club Cup semifinals.
Phiri later resigned citing personal reasons before returning briefly in 2005 in a caretaker role following the resignation of South Africa Trott Moloto.
Earth moving machines lying idle in Solwezi
North-Western Province Minister, Joseph Mulyata was today incensed with the roads department for abandoning earth moving machines in the bush instead of utilizing them to improve roads.
The visibly annoyed Minister said it is painful on the part of government to see equipment on which government spent a lot of money being abandoned in the bush without any government officer or caretaker looking after them.
Mr Mulyata expressed the disappointment when he found the new government earth moving machines marooned at Kisasa area in Solwezi west constituency along the road leading to Senior Chief Musele with only a villager left to look after them.
He said the excuse that they can not work on the roads because of the rains was not acceptable because there are certain portions where the machines could be used even during the rainy season.
He said it is sad to find that the equipment is lying idle in the bush when some portions of the roads are being washed away by the rains.
Mr Mulyata who was on his way to pay a courtesy call on Senior Chief Musele of the Lunda people in Solwezi at his palace yesterday took some time to inspect the machines and interviewied the villagers found at the scene.
He was accompanied by Provincial Administrative Officer, Kabinga Nondo, Solwezi District Administrative Officer, Benson Kapumo and journalists.
‘Since the villagers are saying the officers left the equipment on November 26, last year and are saying they would only get back in April, this would mean the machines would remain idle for half the year which is not acceptable,’ the minister said.
Mr. Mulyata expressed fear that some spare parts of the machines may start missing hence rendering them useless if they are left in the bush for too long.
The Minister has since assured the chief that he would make sure that the officers get back to the site and continue with the works.
Senior Chief Musele in echoing the minister said the officers abandoned the machines after working on only a three kilometer stretch.
ZANIS/WN/MKM/ENDS
UPND partnership with Norwegian party welcomed
The Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution and Disputes( SACCORD) and Forum For Democratic Process( FODEP) has welcomed the collaboration of United Party for National Development UPND and Norwegian International Liberal Party.
SACCORD executive director Lee Habsonde said the collaboration of the two political parties is an important development that will help UPND learn from the Rebel International Party on how to manage conflict within their political party.
He said local political parties need to learn from these parties how to manage internal political affairs within themselves.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today Mr.Habasonde added UPND will be a more strengthened party.
Mr. Habasonde however urged other political parties in the country to find such partners who can assist their party to enrich the democratic process in the parties.
FODEP president Stanley Muhango stressed the need for political parties to build capacity such as the exchanging of ideas, sharing of experiences with other international parties on issues of democratic governance.
Mr Muhango said that it was important for the local political parties to merge with well known international parties that will not bring danger to the country.
He challenged the political parties to strengthen their political parties as a way of knowing how best to run a party and form a good government.
Meanwhile UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said the party signed a memorandum of understanding MOU with the Norwegian liberal party yesterday with a high power delegation led by their vice president who visited Zambia.
Mr. Kakoma noted that the UPND has entered into a working relationship with the Norwegian Liberal party to work on areas of capacity building between parties.
UPND is a member of the liberal interaction a group of all liberal parties in the world.
ZANIS/AH/MKM/ENDS
Zimbabwean firm to invest in Kasaba Bay – RB
A Zimbabwean firm has expressed interest in investing Kasaba Bay with an initial investment capital of US$ 8 million.
The foreign company Matetsi Wild Life Enterprise has since engaged government into the possibility of investing in the Mpulungu based bay.
Company Director Charles Davy disclosed after the tour of the bay that his company was keen in investing in Zambia because of the country’s enabling investment climate and growing economy.
President Banda said such investment would go a long way in promoting the northern tourism circuit .
Mr. Banda said government will do everything possible to facilitate such meaningful investment.
He said government would work on infrastructure such as roads and airports in a bid to promote a good climate for investment.
Mr. Banda said tourism is key to the country’s economy particularly at a time when the country is trying to diversify its economy.
Meanwhile, speaking before departure for Lusaka, Mr. Banda said his administration would strive to ensure that all provinces got a fair share of development.
Mr. Banda, further, reiterated the support that Northern Province gave his candidature and the MMD party during the October 30 presidential elections.
The President said his administration would work to fulfill its election campaigns.
Mr. Banda was in Northern Province for a three day official visit during which he inspected the abandoned tourism infrastructure at Kasaba Bay in Mpulungu District.
President Banda also paid courtesy call on the paramount chief Chitimukulu in Mungwi district and also officially opened the Provincial Auditor General’s office
ZANIS/AM/MKM/ENDS
Irate Fishermen threaten to lock up Fisheries offices
The wrangle which has been burning between the fisheries department and fishermen in Mpulungu over the new fees and charges introduced in the new fisheries act, has taken a new twist with fishermen now threatening to lock up the fisheries offices.
The wrangle which has been going on for months now, deepened today when fishermen stormed the offices of the fisheries department demanding the release of a truck carrying fish and kapenta which was impounded in Serenje by fisheries officers.
The truck had been impounded because it had no certificate of origin papers to ensure its safe passage to the Copperbelt.The irate fishermen accused officers at the department of not doing enough to ensure that the new fees are revised saying they were now going to take the law into their own hands.
They said they have procured locks to lock up the offices of the fisheries department and the district commissioner if the truck is not released today.
The fishermen vowed not to pay the new fees and fish charges included in the new fisheries act saying they are ready to die or go to prison for their cause.
They maintained that the fees introduced in the new statutory instrument are too high, unreasonable and unjustified.Fisheries officers in Mpulungu were at pains to explain to the angry fishermen about their limited powers over the new act.
Fisheries research officer Justina Zimba had to leave the meeting abruptly in an effort to contact the director of fisheries in Lusaka to seek advice on how to handle the irate fishermen.
Later, Ms Zimba told the fishermen that she had been assured by her boss that the truck impounded in Serenje will be released.
She said the fishermen where being unfair to the officers on the ground because they were only implementing the law.
She told the fishermen that the matter is still under discussion between the director of fisheries and the permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture.
Ms. Zimba said officers cannot carry out any changes or implementations on the ground without written documentation from their superiors.
She appealed to the fishermen to be calm and wait for the outcome of the discussions.
By press time the fishermen were preparing to get a police permit so that they could match to the offices of the fisheries department so as to lock up the offices .
ZANIS/EK./MKM/ENDS
Police stop Chipata residents from slashing RB’s maize fields
The Chipata Municipal council has suspended the slashing of maize on hill slopes until further notice .
The action follows the action by some Chipata residents who yesterday went amok and wanted to slash maize at President Rupiah Banda’s farm after Chipata Municipal Council slashed their maize fields.
Chipata mayor Sinoya Mwale said the council will not continue the program until it convenes a meeting with the affected residents.
Residents whose maize was slashed by the local authority yesterday went on rampage stoning a Hummer belonging to Chipata central Member of Parliament Lameck Mangani, a shop in Navutika and the house belonging to the mayor.
Quick action by Zambia Police who rushed to the area, prevented the irate residents that wanted to protest by slashing maize at the president’s farm.
A check by ZANIS found police officers manning the field around 16 hours yesterday.
Sources who chose to be anonymous said police had rushed to the farm when the residents threatened to slash the fields at the farm of the head of state.
Earlier, the affected residents stormed the office of the District Commissioner Nicholas Banda seeking for assistance to appeal to the local authority not to continue with the program of slashing their fields.
Mr Mwale has vowed to take action against the people that stoned his house in protest against the slashing of maize.
He told a local radio station during a phone in program today that he was aware that the move to stone his house was instigated by some members of the ruling MMD.
Chipata Municipal council took the move of slashing the fields due to concerns of the environmental degradation caused by rain water that runs from the hills which have been left bare due to farming activities.
Mr Mwale said the local authority has been sensitizing residents against cultivating on the hills since last October though the residents went ahead and cultivated.
ZANIS/PN/MKM/ENDS
Pictures of President Rupiah Banda in Northern Province
President Rupiah Banda has returned to Lusaka from a three day official visit to the Northern Province.
Mr. Banda who came aboard a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) plane arrived at city airport at around 17:05 hours.
The President was accompanied by Community Development Minister Catherine Namugala, Home Affairs Minister Mike Mulongoti, Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe.
Others were Local Government and Housing Minister Benny Tetamashimba, Office of the Vice President Deputy Minister Gaston Sichilima, and Presidential Advisor for Political Affairs Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika.
Mr. Banda was met on arrival by Vice President George Kunda, several cabinet ministers, service chiefs and senior MMD party officials. Below are pictures of his tour
Investigate the operations of the Task Force on corruption, ZDDM
The Zambia Direct Democracy Movement, ZDDM, has petitioned President, Rupiah Banda, not to consider extending the mandate of the Task Force on Corruption before investigations are done on its operations.
ZDDM National Coordinator, Edwin Sakala, said the Task force on Corruption should be investigated before it auctions property recovered from alleged plunderers.
In a letter dated January 2, 2009 addressed to President Banda and copied to ZANIS in Lusaka, Mr Sakala said the actions of the Task Force on Corruption should be thoroughly investigated to establish whether they were conducted in an objective manner.
Mr Sakala also suggested the establishment of a commission of inquiry to look into pending investigations of cases of alleged economic plunder being handled by the Task Force.
He said the Task Force on Corruption was formed outside the Constitutional provisions despite the presence of other security and investigation wings such as the Zambia Police Service and the Anti Corruption Commission, ACC.
He alleged that the crusade against corruption was vindictive and clouded with hatred.
Mr Sakala has since asked President Banda to consider disclosing to the nation the amount of money the Task Force on Corruption has used since its inception.
He said this would help the nation establish whether the institution has recovered more money than it has utilised in its operations.
ZANIS/CM/ENDS/SJK