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Dispatching teams to conduct re-assessments unnecessary, Choma DC

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Choma District Commissioner, Laiven Apuleni, is disappointed with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, DMMU, for the alleged lack of confidence in reports submitted by district authorities over the extent of hunger in the area.

Mr Apuleni said he expercted DMMU to rely on available data compiled by relevant government structures put in place at grass root level in order to urgently respond to the current food crisis that has hit the district.

He regretted that DMMU was dispatching teams to conduct re-assessments of the hunger situation instead of considering assisting the affected families with relied food.

Mr Apuleni was speaking in Choma today when he met officials from DMMU Lusaka, who are in the district to conduct an assessment of the food situation.

He said it was regrettable that DMMU was sending officers to verify reports of food insecurity, when the food situation was worsening and required immediate measures to save lives of people in the area.

Mr Apuleni said the district administration and other ministries were adequate to provide reliable information which DMMU could use in responding to the crisis.

He argued that the current assessment would only serve to buy time when the situation has gone out of hand.

“These offices are adequate to provide you with information upon which you can base your action. It is disappointing that you have no faith in local structures put in place by government to collect information and give it to you,” he told the DMMU officials. “The ministry of agriculture has capacity to provide details on the food situation.”

He said while all the 26 wards have been severely hit by hunger, DMMU has only adopted 12 wards to benefit from relief food, a situation that creates a serious problem for the district.

One child has since died, while two others are battling for their lives in Choma general hospital after eating suspected poisonous roots due to lack of food.

Ends/CM/ZANIS/SJK

Mulungushi Textiles could re-open by next year

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Negotiations between the Chinese and Zambian government for the re-opening Mulungushi Textiles Company in Kabwe have reached an advanced stage.

Central Province Permanent Secretary Danny Lumbama confirmed to ZANIS in Kabwe today.

Mr. Lumbama said the clothing company which closed early this year could resume operations in the first quarter of 2009.

He expressed hope that when the textile factory resumes its operations it would bring a spiral effect on other industries such the agro and transport industry in the province.

Meanwhile, Kabwe Municipal Council has put in place a deliberate rehabilitation programme of all play parks in the town.

Mr. Lumbama said so far one of the council’s cooperating partners, ZCCM-IH, has given an undisclosed sum of money towards the rehabilitation of the parks.

He said the council has already rehabilitated one of the parks in the town center.

He said the move would help the council raise revenue.

ENDS/MM/AM/ZANIS

Hunger bites as child dies after consuming poisonous wild roots

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ONE child has died, while two others are battling for their lives in Choma general hospital after eating suspected poisonous wild roots.

District commissioner, Laiven Apuleni, who confirmed this to ZANIS in Choma today has, however, described the condition of the two minors admitted to hospital as stable.

Mr Apuleni said all the three minors of chief Singani’s area in the dsitrict are from one family. He could not, however, indicate the ages of the victims.

He explained that the incident occured when the mother, who had been boiling the wild roots, left the children to go and fetch water.

He said the roots in question are extremely poisonous and need to be boiled for at least 12 hours and allowed to cool before consumption.

He said people from chief Singani’s area yesterday stormed his office demanding that government intervenes following the death of the minor.

He said the hunger situation in the area has gone out of hand as people have now resorted to eating wild roots and fruits, some of them dangerous.

The district commissioner said his office is under serious pressure from villagers, who are demanding relief food.

ZANIS/ENDS/CM/SJK

Govt urges Zambians to grow more food

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Government has challenged Zambians to rise to the challenge of growing more staple food with a view to answering to the challenges poised by the soaring food prices.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande says there is need for the Zambian people to actively engage themselves into serious farming in order to answer to the challenges of rising food prices and help the country to maintain its food security.

Mr. Pande was speaking when Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Country Representative Noreddin Mona paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Lusaka today.

He said the global soaring in food prices and other communities were the major challenges that the global world was experiencing and which needed concerted efforts from all stakeholders in addressing the challenges.

Meanwhile, Government has advised opposition political parties that are allegedly inciting people to demonstrate over the soaring food prices to re-dedicate their energies in encouraging people to grow more staple food in order to enhance food security in the country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande says opposition political parties should not mislead people that government was contributing to the escalating prices of food commodities but instead encourage people to grow more staple food.

He said Zambia was endowed with a plenty arable land and water, hence the need for Zambians to take advantage and grow more food in a bid to enhance food security in the country.

Mr. Pande further advised opposition political parties to offer solutions in order to help the country answer to the challenges of the rising food prices.

And Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) will this month hold a high level ministerial conference on water in Libya.

FAO country representative Noreddin Mona, who confirmed the development when he paid a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Minister, said the conference will start on December 15 and end on December 17, respectively.

The conference will among other important things focus on water and climate change.

ZANIS/TK/AM/ENDS

Kola Joins CHAN Team

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-Striker Roger Kola has joined the Zambia national team in Kitwe where they are in training camp preparing for their CHAN final leg qualifier against Angola this Saturday at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe.

The Zanaco striker joined training camp on Monday after a 3 week-long trial spell in Sweden at Helsingborgs.

However, coach Herve Renard has said Kola is not assured of making the final 18 for Saturdays game until his fitness is ascertained.

Meanwhile Renard is still hoping Lusaka Dynamos defender Hichani Himoonde who has been sidelined with an knee injury he sustained last Saturday in a Barclays Cup 2nd and 3rd playoff match against Green Buffaloes at Woodlands Stadium will be fit for the CHAN game against Angola.

And Angola are due in on Thursday in Ndola from Launda ahead of their final leg clash this weekend.

Zambia lead Angola 1-0 from the first leg played on November 30 in Luanda and need just a draw to qualify for the inaugural tournament to be hosted by Ivory Coast from February 22 to March 8.

CHAN is a new Caf tournament for national teams comprising wholly of home-based players.

LUSAKA DYNAMOS MIDWEEK FIXTURE POSTPONED

-Lusaka Dynamos’ delayed Week 25 game against Zesco United rescheduled for Wednesday has yet again been postponed.

Dynamos have over five players away with both the senior and junior teams on CHAN qualifiers and SADC Games duty.

However, Dynamos will play demoted Green Eagles this weekend in their final Week 30 match away in Kabwe before facing Zesco next weekend.

Dynamos are currently in 10th place on the table with 37 points from 28 matches with two league games in hand and need just a draw in their final match matches to avoid demotion.

Chungu ordered to pay K 500 million

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Chungu leaving the magistrate court in Lusaka
Chungu leaving the magistrate court in Lusaka

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.

State police to be used to get rid of vendors

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The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide State Police to help the council get rid of vendors.

LCC Public Relations Manager Chanda Makanta told ZANIS that State Police are required to rid Lusaka streets of vendors as council police were inadequate.

Mrs. Makanta said cases of cholera being recorded in some parts of the country have compelled the local authority to act.

She said the threat of cholera is growing in the country largely due to vendors who are not observing any sanitary standards.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Makanta has appealed to the shop owners not to allow street vendors to sell on their shop corridors.

She said the trend was encouraging vendors to leave designated trading places to sell on the streets.

Mrs. Makanta further said called on general public refrain from buying from vendors, particularly in light of Cholera.

She pointed out that vendors were taking away business from traders who are in designated market.

Hunger continues to bite in rural areas

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THE disaster Management and Mitigation Unit vulnerability assessment committee has embarked on an exercise to assess the hunger situation in Monze.

This came to light when a team of DMMU vulnerability assessment committee, VAC, visited the district to verify reports by the district disaster management committee that the hunger situation in the area is deteriorating.

VAC officials said in an extra ordinary meeting with the district disaster management committee held at the conference unit yesterday that they would conduct assessments at district and community levels in order to come up with recommendations to DMMU.

They said the recent VAC report released by DMMU had been rendered useless because many districts had indicated that hunger was becoming a serious problem that needed to be addressed as soon as possible as it was reported that people in some cases resorted to eating wild fruits.

They told the Monze district disaster management committee that in the assessment, VAC team would establish the best way of approaching the problem, the number of households affected and other relevant matters.

Meanwhile Chilubi Member of Parliament Obby Chisala has appealed to government to urgently send relief food to the area to avert starvation due to a food deficit caused by floods experienced in the area last year.

The lawmaker said the floods washed away crops in 30 wards of the area leading to the existing food deficit in the area.

Mr. Chisala told ZANIS that government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit should act with a sense of urgency to avert starvation.

He further said government should also assist the affected families with maize seeds to ensure food security next year.

Mr. Chisala has commended government for the timely delivery of farming inputs to Chilubi.

He said farmers have since started tending to their fields.

Zambia to get $50m loan for rural electrification

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GOVERNMENT will soon conclude an agreement with the Japanese government under which a US$50 million credit line will be provided to support identified projects in the rural electrification master plan.

Energy and Water Development Minister, Kenneth Konga said the long-awaited rural electrification master plan had been completed and would be launched soon.

Mr Konga said officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) arrived in the country yesterday to appraise the project.

The minister was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he officiated at the inauguration of the second board of directors for the Rural Electrification Authority (REA).

Mr Konga said the Government was also expected to sign a grant agreement with the Swedish government under which that country would provide more than US$30 million to the rural electrification fund to support rural electrification projects over the next five years.

He said the development of mini hydro power stations in areas where the potential exists had been identified as one of the methods of rural electrification.

Mr Konga urged REA to seek alternative sources of energy supply for rural electrification.
“In the current environment of a power deficit situation, we need to look at all the available renewable energy sources and utilise them to the fullest to meet the electricity needs of our rural population,” he said.

Mr Konga also said the financing instruments that were being arranged by the Government were in addition to the electricity levy and other financing mechanisms provided for by the Rural Electrification Act of 2003.

At the same meeting, newly-elected REA board chairperson, Patrick Wanjelani said the authority would work towards achieving its objectives as provided for in the Act.

Mr Wanjelani said there was need for various stakeholders such as the Government and cooperating partners to cooperate if the REA projects were to be successful.

In October, the Government signed an agreement with the World Bank under which a US$ 33 million credit line would be availed to support electrification programme in Zambia.

About US$19 million of the credit will go towards supporting rural electrification projects which will include grid extensions, installation of solar photovoltaic systems and construction of mini-hydros.

Another 10 million euros grant from the European Union will also be availed to support rural electrification projects.

[Times of Zambia]

Church condemns calls for compulsory testing for HIV/AIDS

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THE Church has condemned calls by Health Minister, Kapembwa Simbao to introduce compulsory testing for HIV/AIDS saying the move is an infringement on the rights of the citizens.

Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary, Suzanne Matale and International Fellowship of Christian Churches (IFCC) president, Simon Chihana said in separate interviews that introducing mandatory tests would be against people’s rights.

Reverend Matale said that as much as there was need for concerted efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, people should be at liberty to either test or not to.

She said that the Government, Church and civil society organisations should join hands in fighting the AIDS scourge and not to introduce mandatory tests.

“It is much profitable and workable for people to go when they are emotionally prepared. People must be counselled before going so that their minds are prepared. They should not be policed,” Rev Matale said.

She said what was needed was an aggressive sensitisation campaign on the need to go for voluntary testing.

Bishop Chihana said it would not be appropriate to introduce mandatory testing as issues to do with health were personal.

He said that what the Government could do was to encourage as many people as possible to undergo voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) as opposed to mandatory testing.

He said that before somebody could undergo a test, such an individual should be mentally prepared.
Bishop Chihana said that it was up to an individual to decide whether to go for a test or not and the Government should not infringe on the rights of citizens by introducing mandatory tests for HIV.

“Mandatory testing will be an infringement on people’s rights because everybody is a private citizen and therefore has the right to health status which he can decide to keep as confidential.

“What the Government should do is to sensitise people on the dangers of AIDS and it should be up to people to decide just like I cannot say you should stop drinking beer but I can only preach about the consequences of drinking,” Bishop Chihana said.

He expressed hope that the Government would think twice and allow citizens to voluntarily undergo the tests.

[Times of Zambia]

FTJ needs more medical tests, court told

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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.

PF member opposes mandate extension for NCC

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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

Portray women as contributors to national development, media urged.

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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has called on media practitioners and society to portray women in their right perspective as contributors to national development.

Press and Public Relations Director in the Ministry of Information Juliana Mwila said it is unfortunate that women especially house wives are still stereotyped despite their significant contribution towards the wellbeing of families and the country as a whole.

Mrs. Mwila called on the media to intensively highlight gender-based ills going on in communities so that both men and women can be protected. She said there is now a lot of importance attached to gender hence the need for those in the information dissemination field to understand new concepts and to enable them inform and educate society.

Mrs. Mwila was speaking in Lusaka today when she officially opened a Gender Mainstreaming workshop for Ministry of Information members of staff. She said the workshop is the first of its kind and will enable Ministry of Information employees understand gender issues.

Mrs. Mwila said empowering Information dissemination with new concepts and trends surrounding gender issues will enable them report accurately and effectively.

And in his presentation, Ministry of Gender and Development Division- GIDD Acting Permanent Secretary, Joe Kapembwa said gender affirmative actions should look at who is affected negatively.

Mr. Kapembwa who is also Director of Economics and Finance in the Ministry said government or law enforcers can not tackle gender based violence without the involvement of the people themselves.

He said the best weapon against gender based violence are the people themselves saying there should be zero tolerance to gender based violence whether done in private or public

PF condemned in Kasama

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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

Nigeria donates to Zambia

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Nigerian minister of state and foreign affairs Bagudu Airse presents a US$250, 000 donation to vice president George Kunda
Nigerian minister of state and foreign affairs Bagudu Airse presents a US$250, 000 donation to vice president George Kunda

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

VICE president George Kunda arrives at the disaster management and mitigation unit to receive relief donations from the Nigerian government
VICE president George Kunda arrives at the disaster management and mitigation unit to receive relief donations from the Nigerian government

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.

VICE president George Kunda and Ngerian minister of state and foreign affairs Bagudu Airse (left) inspect a truck of mealie-meal donated to Zambia by the Nigerian government
VICE president George Kunda and Ngerian minister of state and foreign affairs Bagudu Airse (left) inspect a truck of mealie-meal donated to Zambia by the Nigerian government

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.

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