Northern Province Minister Charles Shawa has advised Zambians to give President Rupiah Banda and his administration ample time to address the challenges facing the country.

Mr. Shawa made the call in an interview with ZANIS in Kasama yesterday.

He said it was totally unfair for some people to heap the blame on the government for the current problems that have hit various sectors of the country’s economy.

Mr. Shawa said the fact that some mining companies on Copperbelt province were laying off workers did not mean government was sitting idle over the matter.

He has since urged Zambians to rally behind President Banda’s administration in order to collectively overcome the hardships facing general citizenry.

He further said government was fully committed to addressing the social ills such as poverty and disease facing the country so that its citizens could live better lives.

ZANIS/WS/KSH/ENDS

The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has called upon government to quickly intervene in matter of bus operators in Lusaka who have refused to reduce bus fares despite fuel prices being reduced.

ZACA Executive Secretary Muyunda Ililonga says the decision by bus operators not to lower fares is aimed at exploiting consumers who have continued to pay exorbitant fares for both intra city and long distance routes.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that operators should not cite the depreciation of the local currency as the reason why there will not reduce fares adding that bus fares reduction is determined by the reduction in fuel prices.

“Lusaka bus operators are just displaying their selfishness to say they will not reduce fares because the kwacha has depreciated that is not true, fares are reduced when there is a reduction in fuel prices.” he said.

Mr. Ililonga explained that operators do not buy buses on a daily basis to this effect he has cautioned them to find other means of creating abnormal profit and not by exploiting people who use public transport.

He however, said the there is also need for government through the Ministry of Transport and Communication to put up a deliberate policy of blacklisting operators who do not comply to the laid down procedure of increasing and reducing transport fares.

Mr. Ililonga note that through government’s intervention, consumers can be assured that they are protected in all areas of development in the country.

He point out that though it is a liberalized economy consumer must be protected from all manner of exploitation in the hands of service providers.

“Government should now put in place a deliberate policy and ensure that all those that fail to comply to rules are black listed so that consumers are protected for the development of the country,” he added.

Mr. Ililonga further appealed to government to seriously regulate the transport sector to ensure that both consumers and transport operators benefit from the recent fuel price reductions.

He was reacting to a decision by Lusaka Bus Operators committee that they may not reduce bus fares because the Kwacha has depreciated.

ENDS/MM/AM/ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda  said he was happy with the status of wildlife in the South Luangwa National Park adding that more foreign and local tourists should be encouraged to visit the park and other game parks in the country.

Mr. Banda, who is in Mfuwe on a working holiday, said more effort would be channeled at encouraging investments in areas surrounding national parks as a measure of increasing foreign exchange earnings from the wildlife industry.

Mr. Banda was speaking in an interview with ZANIS when he viewed game in the South Luangwa National Park yesterday.

The President viewed the wildlife in the accompany of his wife Thandiwe, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Li Qiangmin, Tourism Minister Catherine Namugala and Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Director General Lewis Saiwama.

President Rupiah Banda, said his administration is working hard to enhance the tourism policy framework in an effort to promote growth of the industry.

President Banda said the policy would be enhanced to facilitate the effective management of wildlife as part of the effort in  developing the sector.

He said government was would not re-invent the strategy that other countries had successfully applied of using wildlife as a driver to tourism growth and overall economic development.

ZANIS

President, Rupiah Banda, says his administration is working hard to enhance the tourism policy framework in an effort to promote growth of the industry.

President Banda said the policy would be enhanced to facilitate the effective management of wildlife as part of efforts of developing the sector.

Mr. Banda was speaking in an interview with ZANIS when he viewed game in South Luangwa National Park yesterday.

Chinese Ambassador Mr Li, who arrived in Mfuwe yesterday to deliver Chrismas greetings to the President, offered to conduct more promotions to encourage Chinese tourists to visit Zambian destinations.

Mr. Li said he was impressed with the way Zambia has managed the wildlife sector as it is significant to the conservation of the environment in the wake of rising concerns of climate change and global warming.

Meanwhile, President Banda today took time off his holiday, to pay courtesy on traditional leaders of Mambwe district.

Among the six chiefs were Senior Chief Nsefu, Chiefs Msoro, Malama, Mnkhanya, Jumbe and Kakumbi all of the Kunda people of Malambo district.

The President held private talks with the traditional leaders.

President Banda started his 10-day holiday on December 23.

Among other prominent people who have so far visited President Banda at Chichele Lodge to deliver Christmas greetings are Bank of Zambia former Governor, Jacob Mwanza, and UNZA former Vice Chancelor Professor Robert Serpell.

ENDS/SJK/AM/ZANIS

A Clergyman has called on the church not to shy away from speaking out on national issues.

Anglican Diocese Central Zambia (ADCZ) Bishop Derek Kamukwamba says participating in national issues would help government perform better.

Bishop Kamukwamba says the church and government should be partners in national development.

He said this at the induction ceremony of Bishop Lackson Chibuye at Lusaka’s Saint Paul’s United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Kabwata today.

Bishop Kamukwamba also challenged the church to get involved in matters of the environment.

He said the church should be in the forefront to talk on environmental issues such as preserving forests.

And newly inducted Bishop Lackson Chibuye thanked members of the UCZ for bestowing him with the title of bishop.

The Mazabuka District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) has ordered the immediate closure of Ndeke Market and all taverns in Ndeke Township as a measure of controlling Cholera which broke out in the district four days ago.

The DDMC has also instructed Mazabuka Municipal Council and health authorities to ensure all the 57 shallow Wells where residents fetch water for drinking and other domestic chores are buried within 48 hours.

Mazabuka District Commissioner Tyson Hamaamba, who chaired an urgent DDMC meeting, also directed the council to immediately unblock the drainages in the township to allow water to flow.

Mr. Hamaamba said government spent a lot of money in buying the light trucks for the Keep Mazabuka Clean Campaign and therefore would not entertain any negative attitude towards the programme.

He said the outbreak could have been avoided if preventive measures were put in place by the local authority prior to the rain season.

And Mr. Hamaamba urged State and Council police to monitor residents failing to adhere to the burying of Wells and throwing of litter in the refuse bins and take necessary action.

Meanwhile, Health authorities have described the Cholera situation in Ndeke as bad.

Briefing an emergency district disaster management committee meeting, Acting District Director of Health, Ellias Hamatanga called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in dealing with the outbreak of the Cholera.

Yesterday Mazabuka District in Southern Province recorded nine new cases of Cholera bringing the total number of patients admitted to Ndeke Cholera centre to 21.

Health staff at the Cholera centre told ZANIS in Mazabuka that the situation is getting worse despite the discharge of 13 patients.

The health staff at the Cholera centre called on the district health management team to urgently beef up personnel at the centre.

They also complained that no doctor has been to the centre to assess patients except for clinical officers and nurses since the disease broke out.

A team from the Provincial Health Office in Livingstone which is in the district to assess the situation advised Acting District Director of Health, Ellias Hamatanga to quickly recruit more staff for the Cholera centre.

The team which is led by Provincial Clinical Care Specialist Dr Simon Mutembo also brought logistics to the district health management team for Cholera prevention and treatment.

ENDS/HC/AM/ZANIS