The Livingstone City Council (LCC) has demolished structures at the Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society despite an injunction being issued by High Court Judge Elizabeth Muyovwe to restrain the local authority from destroying the premises.

And Legal Counsel for the Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society has made an application in the Livingstone High Court to institute contempt proceedings against Southern Province Police Commanding Officer Lemmy Kajoba, Livingstone Mayor Grace Shafik and Acting Town Clerk Clement Chisanga among others, for willfully disobeying an injunction issued by the High Court.

LCC Acting Town Clerk Clement Chisanga has however, defended the action to demolish the co-operative and denied being served with the interim injunction saying the document was served at the Livingstone Central Police.

Mr. Chisanga told ZANIS in Livingstone today that LCC in collaboration with police went ahead to demolish the allegedly illegal structures because there was no document to protect marketeers trading from the co-operative popularly known as Potters market.

The Acting Town Clerk said ample time was given to traders at the market to relocate to Libuyu Market as recommended by the Council, but they opted to disregard the notice given by the local authority.

He said the traders could not be allowed to continue trading from Potters Market because they had not applied for change of use and ownership to the council to enable them legalize their trade at the same premises.

Mr. Chisanga said no effort had been made by the Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society to approach the Livingstone City Council to outline their long term plans since the land in question was still officially part of a farm bloc.

But Board Chairman for the Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society Joseph Musole said efforts to serve the interim injunction on the Acting Town Clerk failed because the council had engaged police officers to prevent access to the council premises.

Mr. Musole accused the council and police officers of harassing them and refusing to accept the injunction when efforts were made to serve it on Mr. Chisanga.

He also revealed that all applications made by the co-operative to change ownership and use of their property had been rejected by the council for no good reason.

Meanwhile, John Kapepe Junior of Mak Partners, the legal counsel for Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society, said an application had been made in the Livingstone High Court to institute contempt proceedings against Southern Province Police Commanding Officer Lemmy Kajoba, Livingstone Mayor Grace Shafik and Acting Town Clerk Clement Chisanga among others, for willfully disobeying a court injunction.

Mr. Kapepe said the named officers had willfully disobeyed an interim injunction from the High Court and Justice Elizabeth Muyovwe was expected to make a ruling on whether leave would be granted for commencement of contempt proceedings.

He also said the inter-party hearing of application of injunction for the Council and Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society had been adjourned to next week Friday because the legal representative for the local authority failed to come.

Traders at the Tandabale Marketeers Co-operative Society have refused to relocate to Libuyu Market saying it was not conducive for business.

And some councilors have condemned the actions of the council saying matters concerning the Potters Market have never been brought before a full council meeting despite numerous applications made to the city’s mayor.

Akapelwa Ward Councillor Agreyprey Brill said it was an insult to ordinary people for the council to demolish Potters Market on grounds that it was illegal when Libuyu extension market where they were suppose to relocate to was also illegal.

ZANIS/AMM/ENDS/MM

Government has set aside K7.5 billion for the creation of the new tourism zone in Livingstone in Southern province.

Vice President George Kunda disclosed this in Livingstone today saying this is in an effort to diversify the country’s economy in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Mr. Kunda said this shortly after his arrival in Livingstone where he is to officiate at the Africa Mining Congress today.

He noted that the creation of the tourism zone in the tourism capital will help diversify the economy in the country.

He also said once the Zimba-Livingstone road is completely rehabilitated, tourism activities would be enhanced in the city.

Government has since set aside K99 billion in this year’s budget for the same road.

And Mr. Kunda has restated President Rupiah Banda’s call on Zambians to produce more food in order to promote domestic food security and encourage exports of the Zambian produced agricultural products.

He said it was important for Zambia to strengthen its agriculture sector, adding that it is government’s policy to diversify this sector.

He said government was confident that the people of Southern province will rise to the challenge of growing more food.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kunda said civil servants were critical in promoting good governance in the country and has since urged them to continue maintaining discipline in order to help implement government’s developmental agenda.

He urged the civil servants in the province to cut down on unnecessary expenditure and warned that government will not tolerate any wastage of public funds.

He said Zambia has continued with its good governance records which have continued to attract donor and investor confidence.

The Vice President said government, under President Banda’s leadership, will continue fighting corruption, which he said is one way through which Zambia can counter effects of the global financial crisis.

Furthermore, Mr. Kunda has urged the MMD in Southern province to unite and recruit more members to make the party even stronger.

He said there is need to further strengthen the party in the province despite the challenges that the province is dominated by an opposition political party.

He however commended the people of Livingstone for voting for President Banda in the October 30th 2008 election.

He urged them not to be complacent because the party needed to be more organised for the 2011 presidential and parliamentary election.

And speaking earlier, Southern province MMD chairperson, Solomon Muzyamba appealed to government to provide more agriculture extension services in the province.

Mr. Muzyamba said agriculture extension services will help people of Southern province to grow more food and contribute to the nation’s food basket.

He has since assured Mr. Kunda that the party in the province and Livingstone has remained stable.

He is accompanied by the Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala and Commerce deputy Minister, Richard Taima.

The Vice President was welcomed at Livingstone International Airport by Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale, Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Darius Hakayobe and senior MMD party officials.

ZANIS/CM/KSH/ENDS

Kawambwa Tea Company (KTC)has acquired a K6 billion boost from a loan from the Zambia National Commercial Bank PLC for recapitalization and to settle outstanding debts the firm owes including various government institutions.

This brings a total of K 8 Billion the firm owes the local bank from the K 2 billion loan the Tea company had acquired from the bank.

The firm which had ceased its operations for about a year due to non remittance of dues towards debts, recently resumed operations following the cash injection from the bank.

This came to light during a fact finding tour of the company at its Kawambwa estate by State House Chief Analyst for Policy implementation and monitoring (PIM) Tobias Mulimbika.

He was accompanied by Kawambwa District Commissioner Wilbroad Mumba and other officials,during a tour of the company yesterday.

The Kumar Holdings owned Kawambwa Tea Company (KTC) owes Zanaco K2 billion in arrears from a loan earlier obtained from the bank to help settle its previous Africa Development Bank (ADB) debts.

Management at the factory which was at pains to explain why the firm had stalled operations for over a year and had outstanding salary arrears for its 800workers earning between K210, 000 and K 370,000 respectively, explained that owing to its debts, the firm had struggled to cope with operational costs.

They said the bank sent a team of experts to assess the company’s viability before approving the loan and were satisfied with its potential.

But when further queried whether tea had no market and was not profitable, management said produced commodity had readily available market and was sold through legal channels refuting claims that the firm was selling on the black market.

They said the recovery plan was the best alternative for the company to sustain operations given the previous lack of ploughing back of proceeds for recapitalization and operational costs.

“We have been legally conducting our business despite owing various organizations because in the case of exports to neighboring DRC we raised export documents through Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) which is legal documentation, so this is against allegations that we have been trading on the black market,” said one of the Zambian KTC factory management staff.

Management at the factory said following the resuscitation of operations the company had projected a recovery plan which included an operational cost of K3bn which would generate an estimated K8bn from its 412 cultivated hectares of tea targeted to produce 900,000tonnes of processed tea.

They said the tea had readily available market from the local and international markets, such as the DRC and Kenya’s Anjeli Tea Auction floors, where it used to fair very well.

Kawambwa Tea Company has an estate covering over 2000hactares which has never experienced expansion of the cultivated hacterage.

The firm also owed other firms such as ZESCO K127million,NAPSA K255million,ZRA K598Million and accrued terminal benefits of K560million to its employees.

However, management said the company had started settling the debts after negotiating with the various creditors on repayment plans.

They said the firm was paying ZESCO K25million per two weeks and recently paid the electricity firm a K30million bringing the balance to about K60million and had settled outstanding council levy dues it had with the Kawambwa Local Authority.

Management also revealed that the company was paying NAPSA K50million per month under the arrangement while it was also committed to also pay ZRA K50million on a monthly basis to offset the accrued tax dues.

They said workers at the factory had started receiving their regular salaries which were being paid together with one month’s accrued salary arrears from the 11months dues the company owed them.

“Workers have started receiving their dues and what is happening is that a months pay is being given at the same time with an accrued salary from arrears as a way of knocking of outstanding salaries at the company,” said the management staff.

They also said the company had procured fertilizers for enhancing the yield of tea and protection gear for some workers which was yet to be given to all the sections.

And addressing the management at the Factory Mr. Mulimbika said Government was concerned with the problems that the company has faced for a long timedespite its potential to be sustainable and vibrant.

ZANIS/DN/ENDS/MM

Expired and cheap liquor rescued from the dumping site has continued to be in circulation in Livingstone, posing a health risk to unsuspecting consumers.

Livingstone City Council Chief Health Inspector Paul Mukuka has observed that the recent disposal of expired liquor was scavenged from the dumping site and has found itself on the shelves.

The observation came after watching ZNBC news recently that revealed that council officials disposing of expired liquor earlier confiscated by the Zambia Revenue Authority from cross border traders.

Mr. Mukuka said there is need for proper destruction of all goods that need disposing of, to stop people from scavenging on the dumping site.

He bemoaned lack of cooperation from security wings such as the Zambia Police and the officers from the Office of the President to ensure the dumping site is sealed to allow proper destruction of condemned goods.

“There is need for partnership and concerted efforts from all security wings to ensure a successful raid and destruction of goods,” he said adding that council police is under staffed.

Expired beer was scavenged and from the dumping site and is back on shelves for customers.

ZANIS/MM/ENDS/MM

The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction, CSPR, says is concerned with the alleged misappropriation of public funds, mostly those meant for Poverty Reduction Programmes, PRPs.

CSPR Acting Executive Director, Saul Banda, expressed sadness by the weaknesses in the implementation of PRPs as cited in the 2007 Auditor General’s Report specifically in the Education and Health sectors, Public Welfare Assistance Scheme (PWAS), Street Kids Funds and Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP) among others.

Mr. Banda said in light of the announced 2009 budget, the increased allocations of funds to the social sector should be met by stern measures to ensure protection of such funds from abuse.

He has since called on government to seriously consider ring-fencing PRP funds in the national budget, saying the measure ould help ensure the utilisation of funds to the intended purpose.

Mr Banda told ZANIS in a statement that the CSPR is happy for the work of the of he Auditor Genera in highlighting the misappropriating public funds.

Mr. Banda, however, said the reports will only yield positive results if punitive measures are taken promptly on the erring officers, especially with regards to misappropriation of funds.

He said CSPR expects and challenges government as the primary duty bearers to the poor to take action as laws are already in place to deal with such acts of indiscipline.

He cited the 1,500 bags of fertilizer that was unaccounted for in Chipata valued at over K65 million and the untraced revenue from Kapiri Mposhi and Chipata amounting to over K90 million as some of the most disturbing cases.

“These are programs that directly benefit the vulnerable people, yet they seem to be treated with little care. It is sad that duty bearers charged with the responsibility of making the lives of the vulnerable better are actually taking advantage of the situation to enrich themselves,” he said.

He said the findings of the AG’s report solidify CSPR’s findings indicating that the implementation some PRP programmes have had insignificant impact on the economic and social livelihood of beneficiary communities.

ZANIS/PM/ENDS/SJK