Former Zambia Security Intelligence Services – ZSIS- Director General Xavier Chungu has been ordered to pay 500 million kwacha for breaching his bail conditions when he fled the Country four years ago.

Mr. Chungu has been ordered to pay 500 million Kwacha within 14 days or face a 6 months imprisonment.

Ndola High Court Registrar, Jones Chinyama made the ruling in Lusaka on Tuesday.

This was despite Mr. Chungu’s explanation that he fled the Country because his life was in danger.

He informed Mr. Chinyama that he was tipped off and advised by his colleagues in the intelligence to flee as his life was in danger.

Mr. Chungu said he returned from his self imposed exile to clear the charges leveled against him as he felt his life is no longer in danger.

Earlier Chungu asked Mr. Chinyama to exercise his discretion to reduce the 500 million Kwacha bail saying his properties had been seized by the state and that government had not yet paid him his terminal benefits.

But Mr. Chinyama refused to reduce the bail saying he does not have such discretionary powers.

Chungu fled the country while on bail four years ago.

FORMER president, Frederick Chiluba needs more medical tests and has extended his stay in South Africa.

This came to light yesterday before a Lusaka magistrate’s court adjourned the case involving Chiluba and two others, to January 13 next year.

High Court registrar, Jones Chinyama, sitting in the magistrate’s court, adjourned the case after Chiluba’s lawyers applied for an adjournment because their client needed to undergo further medical tests in South Africa, which might take long.

Defence lawyer, Robert Simeza informed the court that Chiluba required to do more tests and therefore it was inevitable that he extended his stay in South Africa for another week and the Government had approved his stay.

This is in the case in which Chiluba is charged with Access Financial Services Limited directors, Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu of theft of public funds from the ZAMTROP intelligence account.

Chiluba and his co-accused were scheduled to continue with their defence this week.

Chungu and Kabwe were present in court.

Opposition Front Party member in Mufulira has advised government not to condone the request by the National Constitution Conference (NCC) to extend it mandate for 12 months.

Kantanshi constituency secretary Dunacan Mubanga told ZANIS that the NCC is mandated to conclude its deliberations by 2009 and asking for an extension is not justifiable but costly.

Mubanga said holding of the conference has been expensive for the country and this has affected the implementation of developmental programmes such as health sectors during its tenure.

He said the ministry of finance and national planning should not allocate money for the NCC extension at the expense of other national programmes such as health and education.

He advised government not to condone the request by NCC to sit beyond the acceptable period of time as doing so will hurt a lot of people who have sacrificed to have the new constitution.

The opposition official was reacting to the NCC’s request to government to have its mandate extended for 12 months which will mean that its mandate will end in 2010.

The initial mandate is due to end next year in September.

And a civic leader in Mufulira has appealed to the national constitution conference (NCC) committee on local governance to amend the local government act to enable councilors eligible for emoluments at the end of their term of office.

Kafue ward councilor Kenneth Mubanga said since councilors are elected office bearers like members of parliament (MP) and go through the same electoral process they should be considered for gratuity as a token of appreciation for their work.

He said this can only be done if the local government act is reviewed and amended by the democratic governance and local government committee of the NCC.

Councilor Mubanga said was speaking to ZANIS in an interview today.

The Civic leader suggested that the new constitution should also stipulate the conditions of service for councilors.

Councilor Mubanga asked MPs sitting on the local governance committee to support the suggestion by councilors which he said is aimed at ensuring that elected leaders are accorded appreciation for the service rendered to the public and the nation.

He said councilors become destitute after leaving the office despite working hard for the people and the only way to help them leave honorably after is by rewarding them in the same way as MPs.

He noted that councilors do more work in wards than MPs yet they their contribution is not recognized by government because of lack of conditions of service to cater for their retirement.

ZANIS/PS/PK/ENDS

The MMD in Kasama District has strongly condemned the opposition Patriotic Front for threatening violence in the District.

The ruling party made the condemnation following threats by some PF members that they would cause destruction to a local Radio Station if it continues to broadcast materials involving Kasama Central Member of Parliament Saviour Chishimba.

MMD Kasama Central Constituency Chairperson Nathan Ilunga said it is illegal for anybody, irrespective of their status in society, to take the law into their own hands.

Mr. Ilunga said if the PF members have any complaints against the operations Radio Mano, they should follow the right channel instead of threatening violence. He urged the police to deal firmly with the PF members who would be found wanting.

Recently, some PF cadres accused Radio Mano Community Station in Kasama of allegedly provoking the party by broadcasting interviews featuring the embattled MP.

The cadres claimed that the MP was allegedly fond of using abusive language while on Radio, thereby injuring the emotions of the listeners.

One of the senior PF officials even went the extent of warning the Radio station to stop quoting Dr. Chishimba as MP for Kasama Central, saying he usually gets offended when the MP is referred to as such.

Last week, PF officials and cadres alike, rejected the reconciliation of their party leader Michael Sata and Kasama Central MP Saviour Chishimba, saying the matter was purely personal and had nothing to do with them.

Among the senior party officials that rejected the reconciliation of the two leaders were Fedilis Kapoka, a PF Member of the Central Committee, Fredrick Chisanga, who is PF provincial chairperson and Kasama District party chairperson Evaristo Bwalya respectively.

Ends/WS/ZANIS/KSM

The Nigerian government has given Zambia $250,000 for mitigating the effects of floods that hit the country early this year.

Nigeria has also donated mealie meal, cooking oil and blankets to flood victims, worth more than K200 million.

That country’s minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bagudu Hirse, says his country is concerned with the frequent occurrence of floods in Zambia.

Speaking when he presented the donation to Vice President, George Kunda, in Lusaka Mr. Hirse observed that the floods have had devastating impact on infrastructure, crops and people.

He said natural disasters are a set back as scarce resources are directed at addressing effects of the

calamities.

And Mr. Kunda paid tribute to Nigeria for supporting Zambia in various fields.

Mr. KUNDA said it is gratifying that Nigeria is concerned with the challenges facing Zambia.

Meanwhile, hunger is looming in Makungwa Ward in Kasenengwa Constituency.

Makungwa Ward Chairperson, Luckson Zulu, said people in the area were now surviving on mangoes and are wondering what else they will be eating when mangoes become off season.

Mr. Zulu called on government to immediately send relief food to the area, adding that, during the previous farming season, most of the farmers did not do well because of the late delivery of farming inputs.

He further appealed to government to sink boreholes in the area. Mr. Zulu said out of 180 villages in Chief Madzimawe’s area, 115 did not have safe and clean drinking water as they lacked boreholes.

He said being a leader in the Ward, people were looking to him as a mouth piece to speak on their behalf to government about the problems they were facing.

Mr. Zulu said the Ward Councilor, Festus Miti, does not know the problems people in Makungwa Ward are facing because he lives far away in Mchini Compound in Chipata and did not often visit his Ward.

And the Office of the Vice President has dispatched a team of officers to assess the hunger situation in areas hit by floods during the last rainy season.

This will enable government ascertain the amount of relief food required for people in the affected areas.

Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Guston Sichilima, says the officials have also been tasked to assess the damage caused by the recent rains.

He told journalists in Lusaka that the officials left for their assignment over the weekend while others left on Monday morning.

Floods destroyed crops and infrastructure in a various parts of the country during the last rainy season.

Over the weekend, some members of parliament told ZNBC news that their areas are facing food shortages.

They appealed to government to send relief food to the affected constituencies to prevent loss of lives.

ENDS/SM/PK/ZANIS.

Opposition United National Independence Party (UNIP) Women’s League has pledged support to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

UNIP National Women Secretary, Beatrice Kayuni, says the NCC provides an opportunity for the country to fashion a constitution that will stand the test of time.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mrs. Kayuni said the NCC Act number 19 of 2007 should be supported by all well meaning Zambians because it will particularly give chance for the Bill of Rights to be enshrined in the constitution.

She said such a piece of legislation needs to be enshrined in the republican constitution because it will guarantee the rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children.

Mrs. Kayuni said women and their rights advocates should seize the opportunity and fully participate in the formulation of the new constitution to champion the rights of vulnerable groups.

She pointed out that participation in the NCC was all inclusive as members of the public, who are not sitting on the conference, are still allowed to contribute as galleries have been provided for

Mrs. Kayuni has since called on all well-meaning Zambians to support the NCC.

ENDS/AM/KSH/ZANIS