Illegal beer trading has drastically increased in Itezhi-tezhi district.

A survey by ZANIS around the town revealed that numerous makeshift shops and other grocery shops in the township are selling spirits in sachets without any liquor licences.

Meanwhile the sachets are littered all over the market area as the consumers of the spirits just throw the empty sachets any how.

And Itezhi-tezhi District Council Secretary, Cheemo Mangwato, has warned of stern action against those selling alcohol illegally.

Mr Mang’wato said that it is a legal requirement that whoever wants to engage in liquor business must obtain a liquor licence from the local authority before proceeding with trading in alcohol.

“All liquor traders by law are supposed to be licenced by the local authority and all those trading illegally will be followed by the local authority soon,” he said.

Mr Mangwato further said that Itezhi-tezhi district council has already embarked on mass sensitization of people on their need to licence their liquor trading.

ZANIS/ENDS/FM/EB.

About K198 million meant for HIV/AIDS programmes in Western Province last year has been returned to treasury because there were no structure for focal point persons to use the funds.

This came to light when the newly elected Provincial Focal Point Coordinating Committee (PFPCC) paid a courtesy call on the Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Phanuel Chibala at his office today.

Mr. Chibala said the money was returned to treasury because the province, by then, had not met the requirements by National AIDS Council (NAC) that there should be a focal point persons structure in place.

He has therefore urged the committee to revive HIV/AIDS activities in the province and act as a bridge between provincial management and the departments in order to utilize such monies.

Meanwhile, Western Province Permanent Secretary, Ikanuke Noyoo has called for an intensified HIV/AIDS fight in the province.

Mr. Noyoo, who pledged his support towards the fight against the pandemic, said HIV/AIDS needed an intensified and well coordinated fight to ease its deadly effects in the province.

He said this when the committee paid a courtesy call on him yesterday.

And Acting Provincial Planner, Sineva Kambenja appealed to the Permanent Secretary to help supervise the utilization of funds allocated to various departments in the province for HIV/AIDS programmes.

Mr. Kambenja said though there was money allocated to departments for HIV/AIDS activities little was being done as the monies were usually channeled to other activities.

ZANIS/JA/KSH/ENDS

About 10 hectares of cassava fields in Kantenshya ward and other surrounding villages in Isoka district of Northern Province have been heavily infested by suspected cassava mealy bugs.

A check by ZANIS in the area over the weekend revealed that 70 small scale farmers have had their fields infested by the suspected mealy bugs.

Areas badly affected include Namota, Mukangala, and nearly all the villages in Kantenshya ward of chief Kafwimbi’s area.

Camp extension officer, Bernard Kashiwa has confirmed the infestation to ZANIS in Isoka.

Mr. Kashiwa suspected that mealy bugs have spread across the camp because farmers in the area are growing the same variety of cassava commonly known as “Isunda” which is an early maturing variety which has allegedly lost resistance to the pest.

The Extension Officer said that the pest causes malformation of leaves and poor growth of the crop affecting the development of tubers and rendering the plant worthless.

“The pest would greatly affect the yield if left unchecked and will compromise the household food security as cassava is the staple food in the area,” Said Mr. Kashiwa.

Acting District Agricultural and Cooperative Coordinator (DACCO)Clive Matengu confirmed having received a report on the outbreak of suspected mealy bugs in Kantenshya ward and other surrounding villages.

Mr. Matengu said samples of the same suspected mealy bugs will be taken to Misamfu agricultural research station in Kasama for diagnosis.

The acting DACCO who commended the officer for promptly reporting the presence of suspected mealy bugs in the cassava fields in Kantenshya and other surrounding villages appealed to the farmers to immediately report to relevant authorities if they see any peculiar pest in their crop field.

ZANIS/ENDS/JM/HM/CLM

Some Kawambwa residents in Luapula Province have started working on the Kawambwa – Mulwe road using hoes and machetes

This follows the poor state of the road barely 6 months since it was last worked on by Sable Construction Company.

And a check by ZANIS yesterday (Tuesday)found a group of people filling potholes with burnt bricks and charging motorists K5 000 for using the road.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Davis Kabila told ZANIS in an interview that the residents took the initiative as patriotic Zambians who wanted to complement Government’s efforts in ensuring good road networks.

Mr Kabila complained that potholes had become big forcing motorists and pedestrians to create alternative roads.

He warned that if the road was not urgently worked on it would become impassable.

He appealed to the Road Development Agency (RDA) to consider renegotiating with Sable and claimed that the company did absolutely nothing.

He said though they were unqualified, they were in a position to see how deplorable the road had become and called for immediate Government intervention.

Mr. Kabila said they took the initiative as patriotic Zambians who wanted to complement government’s efforts to ensure good road networks.

Asked if they were not worsening the state of the road, Mr. Kabila said his group was doing a perfect work although they lacked bigger equipment.

And Mr. Kabila expressed fear that unless Government worked on the feeder roads in Kawambwa, the distribution and marketing of agricultural products this farming season would suffer a serious setback.

Efforts to get a comment from district director of works proved futile as he was reported to have travelled to Lusaka.

ZANIS/ENDS/LC/CLM

Two people of Chief Mwata Kazembe’s area have been sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour in a Kawambwa magistrates court in Luapula Province for unlawful possession of fish.

And a 31-year old woman of the same area has been fined K100, 000 in default four months imprisonment with simple labour for being found in possession of 180 kilogrammes (Kg)of fish.

Magistrate Felix Kaoma slapped the sentence on Martin Muyunda, 27 and Moses Mukaate, 29 for being found with fishing nets during the fish ban contrary to section 18 of the fish ban Act cap 200 of the laws of Zambia.

In mitigation, Muyunda said he was a double orphan and had two children whom he was supporting while Mukaate told the court that he was looking after his mother, four children and two orphans.

The duo asked for leniency saying they had people they were taking care of.

But Mr. Kaoma rejected their pleas saying the convicts were found in the fish camp when the ban was still in effect.

The Magistrate added that they defied the fish ban and that if the fish became extinct, people would suffer.

Meanwhile, in the same court, Dorothy Kafuti who was found with 180 Kg of fish has been fined K100, 000 in default four months imprisonment with simple labour.

ZANIS/ENDS/LC/CLM

-Sixteen (16) herds of cattle in Isoka district in Northern Province have died from unknown disease.

All the dead animals are from Chintenga, Mukangala and Langamisya villages of Kantenshya ward in chief Kafwimbi’s area.

According to the Agricultural Camp Extension Officer, Bernard Kashiwa, village head persons in the area have since resolved not to consume the meat from the dead animals as they do not know the actual disease that is affecting the livestock as it could be deadly to human beings as well.

Mr. Kashiwa said the affected animals produced stool with blood and were losing weight within a short period of time adding that the concerned farmers have not yet officially reported the disease outbreak to his office.

Mr. Kashiwa however, said he was happy that head persons in the area have resolved not to consume the meat from animals suspected to have died from the unknown disease saying the move was in line with the health regulations.

“All animal diseases and deaths should be reported to the relevant authorities because consuming meat from such animals was not only a health hazard but it is also against some religious ethics,” Said Mr. Kashiwa.

But when contacted for a comment, acting District Agricultural Coordinator Clive Matengu said his office has not yet received any report concerning a mysterious disease that has broken out in Kantenshya ward and wondered why such a sensitive issue has not been reported to his office.

But Mr. Matengu cautioned people in the affected area against consuming meat from animals suspected to have died from any disease as they would jeopardize their health.

He appealed to the cattle farmers to take the livestock industry very serious.

“Keeping cattle is a profitable enterprise if managed well and farmers should take the enterprise seriously and fully exploit the livestock industry,” Mr. Matengu said.

ZANIS/ENDS/ JM/ HM/CLM