The Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) has approved the Chalimbana Eco- Estate and Golf Club to be set up by Safari International limited.

In a statement, ECZ Acting Senior Communications Officer Chama Nyendwa stated that the proposed development will entail the construction and the operation of 150-room boutique hotel, a primary school, an office complex and other club houses that will accommodate administrative functions.

She stated that in accordance with the Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) regulation statutory instrument No.28 of 1997, ECZ has approved the proposal in relation to the construction of 150-room boutique hotel,18- hole golf course, a multi purpose recreation dam and an integrated animal sanctuary.

The Safari International Zambia Ltd shall implement the project only upon submission and approval of the final Environment Impact Statement(EIS) incorporating ECZ comments earlier communicated, including submission of a detailed site plan(EMP).

Ensure that all natural environmental flows of existing streams shall be maintained following the construction of the dam, to avoid disturbing eco-systems.

She further stated that Safari International Zambia Limited should enter into a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Forest Department for purposes of jointly managing the Forest Reserve bordering the project site.

She stated that the project would ensure noise levels during construction are maintained within acceptable levels by minimizing the number of construction equipment on site and restricting all works to normal working hours.

She pointed out that ECZ has however, rejected the Primary School, Office Park and Theme Park because the project area is too small to accommodate facilities which are also likely to disturb the ecological balance of the area.

Ms. Nyendwa said the other reason is that the primary school, office park are likely to increase pressure on the ecological system of the site and the bordering reserve especially that the project site is an ecological sensitive area.

She said facilities are likely to lead to an increase in population, thereby increasing the risk of possible environmental degradation and loss of tranquility befitting the natural environment.

ZANIS/WM/MKM/ENDS

Stanbic Bank Zambia has entered into partnership of mobile top up with two mobile phone service providers, MTN and ZAIN Zambia limited.

Stanbic Marketing Manager, Irene Musonda, said the services only favoured the Stanbic Bank account holders.

Ms. Musonda disclosed this today when her bank demonstrated to the journalists how people can top up their mobile phones without going to a shop to buy mobile top up.

She said the new service will enable MTN and ZAIN Zambia mobile subscribers to top up their phone accounts through the auto banks.

This initiative since been appreciated by most of the Stanbic Bank account holders because it is convenient to use and the service is available 24 hours a day through out the week.

Customers will be recharging their mobile phone accounts by inserting an ATM card into the auto bank, following the on screen prompts and selecting the desired amount from their network provider.

“After following those instructions, you take your voucher as confirmation of your transaction. Use the voucher to manually top up your mobile phone as you would normally,” she said.

Ms. Musonda further said the service was available at all Stanbic branches throughout the country.

ZANIS/WM/KSH/ENDS.

Serenje District Commissioner, Stanley Chibwana, has said Nansanga farming block in the district has not been opened up because it was not yet ready for occupation.

Speaking when American Ambassador to Zambia, Donald Booth, paid a courtesy call on him on Friday last week, Mr. Chibwana said a lot of work was yet to be done at the farming block.

He said government was eager and committed to ensure that all necessary works in the farming block were done.

He said the 155,000 hectares farming block was not yet fully demarcated, noting that only 30 farms had been demarcated, which represents a small fraction of the whole block.

Mr. Chibwana said the farms will be between 250 hectares to 10,000 hectares.

He explained that once opened, the area would attract investors that would contribute to the improvement of lives of local people that would be employed to work in the farms.

He told Mr. Booth that government appreciated the assistance from the American government.

Mr. Chibwana has since paid tribute to the American government for funding projects that are aimed at assisting HIV/AIDS people.

He said care givers were finding it difficult to ensure that their clients quickly got to the hospital when need arose due to inadequate transport.

Mr. Chibwana hoped that the projects could be given reliable ambulances to enable them attend to their clients effectively.

And Mr. Booth, who was accompanied by USAID Mission director, Mellissa Williams, said he was impressed with the dedication by care givers to the HIV/AIDS infected people.

Mr. Booth said the care givers were doing a tremendous job to help people living with HIV/AIDS.

ZANIS/KC/KSH/ENDS

Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia, NCZ, workers in Kafue have rejected government’s intended move to recapitalize the firm.

The workers, who have continued their sit-in-protest and are now assembling at the office of the district commissioner in Kafue, say the time for recapitalization is long gone and all they want is their terminal benefits so that they do other things in life.

Addressing workers this morning union chairman Robert Munsanje said a ministerial committee appointed by President Rupiah Banda to look into the problems of NCZ yesterday informed the union leaders who traveled to Lusaka that government had resolved to release K4.8 billion for rehabilitation of the plant and K8.6 billon for paying retirees.

Mr. Munsanje said this was not welcomed by the union as the union is of the view that the funds allocated were inadequate.
He said workers would have been comfortable if government had allocated K150 billion for recapitalization as such an amount would have gone a long way in rejuvenating the company.

Mr. Munsanje said the workers feel paying them their terminal benefits is the best option so that government can do whatever it wants with the plant.

He said since government is comfortable with the private sector supplying fertilizer in the country, it would be a great relief for workers to pay them their benefits so that they can begin looking for work elsewhere.

The workers have vowed not report for work and said they would continue assembling at the District Commissioner’s office until government pays them their terminal benefits.
ENDS/BS/AM/ZANIS