The proposed salary and allowance increments for ministers and constitutional office holders is in line with public service workers collective bargaining.

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says when public service workers get a salary increment, ministers and constitutional office holders also benefit.

ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba told ZNBC news that this practice is old.

He said there is no problem if ministers and constitutional office holders are awarded a 15 percent increment, as this is what public service workers got this year.

However Mr. Hikaumba said people should only worry if what ministers and constitutional office holders got, is more than 15 percent.

And the Anti Voter Apathy (AVAP) has strongly condemned Cabinet’s approval of salary and allowance increments for constitutional office holders.

AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo said that it was sad that cabinet took advantage of President Mwanawasa’s absence who was strongly opposed to the increment.

He urged the ministers to focus on praying for president Mwanawasa’s speedy recovery and studying the national economy rather than awarding themselves hefty salaries at the expense of national development.

Mr. Tembo said the ministers should also consider the high poverty levels in the country before awarding themselves more money which should be channeled to addressing poverty.

Mr. Tembo has since called on the Vice President, Rupiah Banda, to reconsider and withdraw the cabinet’s approval of salary and allowance increment.

“We condemn cabinet for awarding itself the increments especially that we should not be celebrating over the wealth which has come before us but it’s the time that we should be praying and fasting for the recovery of the President who was instrumental to the creation of this wealth,” Mr. Tembo said.

He said that if there were extra funds government needed to first consider increasing salaries for civil servants or take it to poverty reduction initiatives to improve the general welfare of the people.

Mr. Tembo said this during the AVAP Advocacy Session on Constituency Development Funds (ASCDF) in Mansa yesterday.

ZANIS/CB/CMM/ENDS/EB

The law does not bar an acting President from approving salary increments to ministers and holders of constitutional offices.

Chief government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said this is why there should be no uproar, just because President Mwanawasa did not approve the salary increment for ministers.

He told ZNBC news that the approval of the 15 percent pay rise corresponds with the percentage that has been offered to civil servants.

Meanwhile MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba believes the recently reported pay rise has come after a long process of consultations.

Dr. Kalumba urged government and the treasury to collectively explain to the people details culminating into the reported pay rise

VICE-President Rupiah Banda says parliament is yet to approve the proposed salary increaments for cabinet and senior government officers.

Speaking to journalists at Livingstone International Airport before departure for Lusaka on Tuesday, Mr Banda said the matter had to be tabled before parliament first adding that no one had so far received the proposed salary adjustments.

”No salary adjustment has been effected. I have not received that money yet. The matter has to go to parliament and we have not announced anything yet,” he said.

And Mr Banda has said government will find a lasting solution to problems that have continued to rock the University of Zambia Great East Road Campus.

Meanwhile Mr Banda has urged the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in Livingstone to remain united and focussed.

”You must remain united. We have talked about this many times but the moment I go, people turn their backs and do something else. We have lost elections in this province before. Please work together and organise our party,” he said.

The Vice-President who was addressing the new executive committee of the party at Livingstone International Airport said party work was voluntary adding that it was not a job where members should expect to be paid.

He said the party had the huge responsibility of looking after the country in the absence of Dr Levy Mwanawasa so that when he comes he should find the party intact to move the country’s development agenda forward.

The Vice President was in Livingstone to officiate at the Lwiindi traditional ceremony of the Toka-Leya people of Kazungula district.

He was accompanied by his wife,Thandiwe, Presidential Affairs Minister Cecil Homes, Community Development Minister Catherine Namugala, Finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa and othet senior government officials.

ZANIS/ENDS/FM/MM

Parliament resumes its sittings Tuesday after having adjourned sine die on March 20th.Before the start of business, Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa is expected to call for a moment of silence.

This will be in honour of the late Kanchibiya Patriotic Front Member of Parliament Albert Kanyanyamina who died on July 18, after an illness.

Newly elected MilanziI Member of Parliament, Reuben Banda is expected to take up his seat, replacing UNIP’s Chosani Njovu who died on March 19, in Slovenia.

In the previous sitting, the House approved this year’s K13.7 Trillion National budget and also passed several Bills and motions.

Notable among them was the Income Tax Amendment Bill which introduced and graduated Windfall Tax on base metals and precious metals.

The Road Traffic amendment Bill Act of 2002 was considered to revise the taxes payable per annum in respect of motor vehicles and trailer licenses.

[ZNBC]

The Minister for local government says nepotism and tribalism are vices which have contributed to the poor performance in local authorities.Sylvia Masebo says this has led to misapplication of government grants to councils.

She said this is despite a sharp rise in government grants to local authorities over the last four years.

Ms. Masebo also noted that most of the councils have employed ill qualified staff.

The Minister was speaking when she addressed Town Clerks, Mayors, Districts Administrative officers and council secretaries from 70 districts.

This was at a consultative meeting on the re-establishment of the local government service commission.

The local government service commission will oversee the employment of workers in councils to ensure qualified people are recruited.

And the National Housing Authority (NHA) may be forced to scale down the construction of houses in Lusaka due to lack of land.

Public Relations Manager, Tamika Mulenga told ZNBC news that the Authority has already exhausted the land in the capital city.

Mrs. Mulenga said the Housing Authority will now concentrate on building houses in other parts of the country.

This will also include the 300 housing units in Solwezi scheduled to take off early next year.

[ZNBC]

Chief Government Spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti, says there is need for the nation to continue praying for President Mwanawasa’s quick and full recovery so that he can return home and continue with his normal duties.

Mr. Mulongoti says the Zambian people should remain united and ask for God’s intervention to quickly heal Dr Mwanawasa whom he said has brought honesty and integrity to the nation.

Mr. Mulongoti said this in Lusaka today at a church service organized by the Living Water Global Churches to pray for President Mwanawasa’s quick and full recovery.

He said President Mwanawasa has demonstrated good political leadership qualities that are helping the country to recover from its economic doldrums and stump out corruption in the country.

Mr. Mulongoti has, however, said that President Mwanawasa’s illness has brought a lot of challenges to the nation.

He said although the national governance was running smoothly, the nation needed President Mwanawasa whom he said used to comfort the nation while in his good health.

Mr. Mulongoti urged the Zambian people to focus on the Ezekiel scripture which he quoted in the Bible which says God never fails and and called the people to have more faith in God.

Mr. Mulongoti, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, further appealed to the Zambian people to ignore politicians who are politicking President Mwanawasa’s illness.

And earlier, Living Waters Global Churches Pastor, Chrispin Chipampe, urged the Christian community and the Zambian people to continue praying for the President’s quick and full recovery.

Pastor Chipampe said it was incumbent upon all Christians to ensure that they always remembered President Mwanawasa in their prayers.

The clergyman further commended government for the fiscal measures that it has put in place aimed at improving the country’s national development.

Pastor Chipampe said the national economy had grown in the past ten years because of God’s intervention.

And a Lusaka-based clergyman has described as immoral and unethical for some sections of the society’s calls to publish President Mwanawasa’s pictures while admitted in a Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France.

Christian Faith Mission Centre (CFMC) Pastor-in-Charge, Peter Chanda, says his church is concerned with calls coming from some sections of the society demanding the publication of President Mwanawasa’s pictures when the nation needed to remain strong and united in prayer for the President’s quick recovery.

Pastor Chanda told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that people who are calling for the publication of President Mwanawasa’s pictures while admitted in a French Hospital were just trying to gain political mileage.

He said the calls to publish President Mwanawasa’s pictures just showed the negative agenda that some people have towards Dr Mwanawasa.

Pastor Chanda called on people to stop politicizing President Mwanawasa’s sickness, saying there is need for the nation to remain united and continue praying for the President so that the he can return in good health and continue with his normal duties.

The CFMC Pastor has since advised the people of Zambia to be wary of some people who are negatively commenting on President Mwanawasa’s illness.

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