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Govt. releases K1bn for infrastructure development in Chongwe

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Government has released K1 billion for the construction of infrastructure in the health, education and local government, works and supply and housing sectors in Chongwe district.

Chongwe District Commissioner Conrad Tembo disclosed this in Chongwe today when the Publicity Sub-Committee of the Lusaka Province Development and Co-coordinating Committee (PDCC) led by Lusaka Province Information Officer Eness Likwabila, paid a courtesy call on him at his Office.

Mr. Tembo commended government for releasing the funds which are aimed at developing the district.

He expressed happiness that the funds are being utilised fully and for the purpose it was budgeted for in this year’s budget.

Mr. Tembo said Chongwe district was facing serious shortage of staff accommodation, dilapidated roads, and shortage of classrooms among other challenges.

He ordered controlling officers to effectively supervise the construction works being undertaken in their respective departments saying failure to implement government projects was a serious offence.

He regretted that some departments delayed in accessing their budgetary allocation until funds were on the verge of being remitted to the national treasury.

Mr. Tembo was however was quick to point out that such a thing would not happen this year.

The Publicity Sub-Committee inspected staff houses at Chongwe clinic, Chongwe district council fire station, rehabilitated the Kanakatapa/Chongwe road, feeder roads and classrooms and teachers’ staff houses that are under construction at Chongwe Basic School among other capital projects.

Mrs. Likwabila was accompanied to Chongwe by Publicity Sub-Committee of the Lusaka Province Development and Co-ordinating Committee Secretary Lorraine Lupupa, Chongwe District Planning Officer Carol Chiyangi and other education and health officials.

And speaking earlier, Lusaka Province Publicity Sub-Committee of the Provincial Development and Co-ordinating Committee Chairperson Eness Likwabila said the committee’s visit was to monitor developmental projects embarked by government.

Mealie Meal shortage on the C/Belt due to smuggling-MMD

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MMD Youths on the Copperbelt have maintained that the shortage of mealie meal on the Copperbelt was being caused by smuggling of the commodity outside the country.

Copperbelt MMD provincial youth chairman Nicolas Nzunda says load shedding by ZESCO cannot affect the production of mealie meal in milling companies on the Copperbelt.

Mr Nzunda told ZANIS in Kitwe today that there was overwhelming evidence that unscrupulous businessmen were smuggling mealie meal to a neighbouring country hence the shortage.

Mr Nzunda was reacting to Millers Association of Zambia, MAZ, Vice President Peter Cottan who is reported to have attributed the shortage of mealie meal on the Copperbelt to Zesco power outages millers were experiencing.

The provincial MMD youth chairman also accused some millers in the province of hoarding the commodity in anticipation for an increase in the price of the staple food, a charge MAZ vice president Peter Cottan dismissed yesterday.

YWCA dismisses calls to legalise commercial sex

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The Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) has dismissed calls by a gender activist in Eastern province that commercial sex should be legalised.

YWCA Copperbelt Regional Coordinator Jurita Mutale says legalising commercial sex would fuel the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

She said in Kitwe today that Zambia as a christian nation cannot legalise prostitution.

Mrs Mutale was reacting to a statement attributed to a gender activist based in Eastern province Ms Emelda Banda who said legalising commercial sex would empower sex workers to negotiate for safer sex and help slow down the spread of HIV.

Mrs Mutale added that it was disheartening to see young girls, some below 16 years, turning to sex work a situation which ngo’s and government were fighting hard to control.

She strongly urged the law enforcement agencies to continue arresting commercial sex workers as it would deter them from actively being involved in the illegal trade.

Mbula lures South African investors

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Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Leslie Mbula has challenged the South African business community to take advantage of Zambia’s conducive environment and invest in the country.

Mr. Mbula said the recent creation of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) was testimony that the Zambian government attached great importance to the issue of foreign investment, especially where foreign investors partnered with Zambians to develop the country.

He was speaking when he addressed a Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce (CRCC) business forum at Cape Chamber Conference Hall in Cape Town under the theme ‘Business and Investment Opportunities in Zambia’.

Mr. Mbula said that as part of its effort to lure investors, the Zambian government had put in place many incentives in the various sectors of the economy notably agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and energy.

“Your investment in Zambia will be protected by Law. We are looking forward to a situation where South African investors will partner with Zambians for the benefit of the two friendly countries,” Mr Mbula noted.

And speaking at the same function, Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce President, Dr Gerald Wolman said his organisation had a lot of confidence in the Zambian economy.

Mr Wolman said the fact that Zambia had managed to bring down the exchange rate to about K3, 500 to a US Dollar and reduce inflation rate to a single digit was a testimony to the fact that the government was determined to strengthen its economy.

Dr Wolman has since urged other countries in the SADC region to learn from Zambia’s experience.

Meanwhile, Mr Mbula has appealed to financial institutions and other stakeholders in Zambia to help retirees’ access funds to enable them engage in serious agriculture so that they do not become destitutes after retirement.

Speaking when a nine member Zambian delegation paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Pretoria, Mr Mbula said there were many retirees’ he knew who had acquired pieces of land in various parts of the country who were just dozing at their houses because they did not have any source of income to develop the land.

He said such retirees included former senior civil servants, military officers an parastatal executives who had been able to manage human resource with distinction during their working lives.

The delegation consisted senior personnel from the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), Madison Investment Company Limited, the Netherlands Embassy and Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Association (ZCMBA).

This is contained in a statement released to ZANIS by Second Secretary for Press Philip Chirwa at the Zambian Embassy in South Africa.

Buy Zambia Campaign should be driven by quality

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Government has challenged manufacturers and producers of goods and services to strive to produce high quality goods and services if the ‘Buy Zambia Campaign’ is to succeed.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Acting Permanent Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge says the campaign can only succeed if complemented by the production of high quality goods.

Mr. Siakalenge was speaking in Lusaka today at the sensitization workshop of the dairy sector.

He said government is concerned about the inability for goods produced locally to compete favorably abroad.

Mr. Siakalenge said goods produced within the country should compete with goods imported from outside Zambia both in terms of pricing, quality and delivery time.

He said there is need for the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and other stakeholders to change the negative perception people have about goods produced in Zambia.

Mr. Siakalenge said locally produced goods should be able to penetrate the international market if high quality is emphasized.

He said it is in this regard that government continues to promote production of quality goods.

Mpulungu council to open public internet cafe

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Mpulungu district council would soon open an internet cafe to offer internet services to the residents in the district.

District planning officer Jonathan Simbeya confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS.

Mr. Simbeya said the council has applied to coppernet solutions of Lusaka to install a satellite dish in a programme that would provide internet services to council staff and the public.

He said installation works on the programme would start in the next two weeks, adding that three computers have so far been acquired for the internet services.

He said the internet service shall be the first of its kind to open to the public in Mpulungu.

He said once fully installed, the members of the public would freely to surf the internet and send e-mail messages.

Mr. Simbeya said the internet service programme was made possible with the Joster Kommune, of Norway.

He said this would ease communication in the district which has faced a lot of communication problems in the past.

Mpulungu district council has partnered with Joster Kommune district of Norway and the two have pledged to assist each other in various fields such as culture, information technology and governance among other areas.

NCC resumes sitting, members urged to work hard

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The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) has resumed sitting in Lusaka today with its chairperson, Chifumu Banda, calling on all members to fully apply themselves during deliberations of this session because they had a ‘heavy’ programme of activities.

And the NCC delegates today observed a minute of silence in honour of three deceased members who died between January 11th and April 21st this year when the conference was on recess.

Mr. Banda informed NCC members that they had all been placed in various committees of the conference that would deliberate specific tasks assigned to them.

He said members have been placed into their committees according to their preferences.

“I must hasten to add that all committees are important and that we should apply ourselves to the tasks before us. Needless to stress that the people are looking forward to us to carryout our functions and duties with necessary speed,” he said.

He also announced that during the recess, executive members and the secretariat of the NCC undertook tours to selected provinces to sensitise members of the general public on the work of the constitution conference.

Mr. Banda said the tours revealed that there was a serious lack of knowledge and information about the NCC by the members of the public.

He has therefore urged members of the NCC to work hard and share their knowledge about the NCC with the organisations, groups and the constituencies they represent.

“These tours, to a large extent revealed a dearth of knowledge and information about the National Constitutional Conference (NCC),” he said.

The NCC chairperson also appealed to the members to familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations set to guide the deliberations of the conference.

Meanwhile, the NCC observed a minute of silence for Mr. Sylvester Tembo, Dr. Chosani Njobvu and Dr. Cornelius Matandiko who died on February 26th, March 19th and April 2nd respectively when the conference was on recess.

The conference adjourned on January 11th 2008.

Mr. Tembo was representing the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Dr. Njobvu was Milanzi Member of Parliament in Eastern province while Dr. Matandiko was representing the Seventh Day Adventist Church in NCC.

Mr. Banda also welcomed 12 new members to the NCC and asked them to work hard towards coming up with a constitution that would stand the test of time.

The NCC has been tasked to debate the draft constitution which was prepared by the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission, render a report and then adopt the final constitution.

The adopted constitution would then be submitted to parliament for enactment.

The NCC would sit up to May 14th during which period the committees would be approved, with chairpersons and their deputies elected and general orientation of the members carried out.

Other activities during the sitting would be orientation of the committee chairpersons and vice chairpersons.

“After these activities, we are proposing to adjourn the conference so that we give chance to the committees to commence their detailed work to consider matters before them,” he said.

DEC officers nabbed for soliciting a bribe

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Two Drug Enforcement Officers on the Copperbelt have been arrested for corrupt activities.

The duo has been nabbed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for corrupt activities involving K10 million.

ACC Public Relations Manager Chiko Halwiindi confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Ms Halwiindi named the duo as Nawa Mabenga and Kelvin Nyumbu who both work in the money laundering unit of the DEC in Kitwe.

She said the two are alleged to have solicited for K10 million from a named staff officer at Mopani Copper Mines as an inducement for the two officers not to arrest the named staff officer for an alleged offence of money laundering.

Ms Halwiindi said Nawa has been charged with one count of corrupt practices by public officer contrary to section 29 (1) and 41 of the ACC Act number 42 of 1996.

He has since been remanded in police custody.

She said his co-accused Kelvin is still being interviewed adding that he is likely to be charged with the same offence.

The duo would appear in court soon.

Are Young Arrows The Real Deal?

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Faz Premier League leaders Young Arrows staying power at the top of the table will be tested further on Wednesday when they host Zanaco in their delayed Week 2 match at Nkoloma Stadium.

This match has been postponed twice already over the last 30 days.

The first time was on March 21 due to Green Buffaloes Caf Confederations Cup commitments and just last Wednesday, called off in unexplained circumstances.

Young Arrows enjoy a 2 point lead at the top of the table with 10 points from 4 games and will be hoping to stretch that to 13 in secure of a prospective win over Zanaco.

The leaders are also unbeaten from 4 league games going into their midweek match against a Zanaco team still trying to find its rhythm after Power Dynamos humiliated them 5-0 at home in Lusaka.

Young Arrows are also hoping to maintain the momentum at the summit in the month-old league season that has seen the lead change hands four times since campaign kicked off on March 15.

A win over Zanaco will be essential for Young Arrows to help keep the chasing pack at arms-length and in particular Zesco United who could join them on 10 points should the latter win away at Kabwe Warriors on the same date in a delayed Week 4 game.

Zesco’s match is one of three delayed midweek matches with the third being the Power Dynamos-Green Buffaloes match-up at Arthur Davies in Kitwe-another unplayed fixture from Week 4.

Warriors and Zesco come into this match bruised after losing 3-0 and 1-0 away to Young Arrows and Power respectively last Saturday.

The pressure is on Warriors who need to reassure their fans at home that their emphatic defeat in Lusaka at the hands of Young Arrows was a minor blip on the radar.

Power on the other hand are looking forward to record another win after ending their 2-match losing streak while their ailing guests Buffaloes know they must find a solution for their 3-match run of defeats.

Buffaloes have played 4 league games but have collected just 3 points after suffering as many successive defeats coming into their match away to Power.

The arm side can trace their last win in the league to March 15 away at Konkola Blades whom they beat 2-1 in Chililabombwe.

Faz Premier League Delayed Fixtures

23/04/08

Week 2

Young Arrows-Zanaco

Week 4

Kabwe Warriors-Zesco Utd

Power Dynamos -Green Buffaloes

MMD suspends Chuumbwe

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The MMD has suspended Lusaka Provincial Chairman Geoffrey Chuumbwe for stating that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should be removed from leadership by force.

The suspension of Mr. chuumbwe was arrived at after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met today to consider the matter.

Acting National Secretary Geoffrey Kande announced the suspension of Mr. Chuumbwe in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Kaande said the MMD cannot and will not encourage any change of leadership by force in any country.

He said the MMD found the statement attributed to Mr. Chuumbwe to be highly inimical as it would restrain relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mr. Kaande said the ruling party regrets the irresponsible statement issued by Mr. Chuumbwe.

He said the statement was not sanctioned by the party and was an act of an undisciplined individual.

Mr. Kaande has since said the statement must not be attributed or viewed as an official position of the MMD.

ENDS/VP/AM/ZANIS

Stray bullet hits girl 14

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A 14-year-old girl from Chipata, Eastern Province is battling for her life in the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after being hit by a stray bullet.

UTH Public Relations Manager, Pauling Mbangweta said Ruth Kamanga who was referred from Chipata district hospital still has a bullet lodged in her neck.

Ms. Mbangweta said doctors are still ascertaining the extent of the neck injuries before they operate on her.

She said Kamanga was in pain and her condition was critical.

Kamanga's guardian Ruth Mtonga said the girl was plaiting her hair around 15:00 hours when a neighbour only indetified as a Mr. Nyondo fired his gun and a the stray bullet hit her.
[ZNBC]

‘Chumbwe irresponsible’

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PRESIDENT Mwanawasa has said it is irresponsible for Lusaka provincial MMD chairman, Geoffrey Chumbwe to issue a statement that Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe should be removed by force.
Mr Mwanawasa said the statement embarrassed him because Mr Chumbwe is not the ruling party or Government spokesperson.
Dr Mwanawasa was answering questions from journalists shortly after arrival from Mauritius where he was attending the Southern African Development Community (SADC) conference on poverty reduction.
He said the statement had effects of souring the relationship with Zimbabwe but hoped the Zimbabweans would appreciate that Mr Chumbwe had no authority to speak for the party.
“The statement is highly irresponsible which has been condemned by the party. Mr Chumbwe is so junior in the party’s hierarchy. In fact I was personally embarrassed when I heard the statement, ” Dr Mwanawasa who is SADC chairperson said.
He said that the Zimbabwean issue was being handled well by SADC.
Mr Chumbwe on Saturday last week told journalists at Lusaka International Airport shortly after the President left for Mauritus that SADC leaders should consider removing Mr Mugabe by force.
And when contacted for a comment Mr Chumbwe said he maintains his statement over Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, all is set for the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to be held at State House today.

[Times of Zambia]

Villagers beat up two ZAWA officers

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TWO Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officers in Petauke have been admitted to Petauke Hospital after they were allegedly beaten up while two Nyalowa villagers in Chief Nyamphande’s area have been arrested by police officers to help with investigations in the matter.
The ZAWA officers were conducting a routine check in the village and started confiscating game meat that was found within the village.
Eastern Province police chief, Emlyn Mushondwa, said in Chipata that the incident happened yesterday morning.
Mr Mushondwa condemned the beating of ZAWA officers by villagers and said the police did not condone such behaviour.
“It is not good to beat security men who are conducting route checks at the village, and as police we will not condone the beating of ZAWA officers because of late, we have noticed that the beating of ZAWA officers is on increase in the province,” he said.
Mr Mushondwa advised the people to stop attacking law-enforcers as it was portraying a bad picture as security men had a role to play in society.
And a 12-year-old girl of Kapata township in Chipata district, who was shot by a stray bullet and later admitted at Chipata General Hospital on Sunday, has been evacuated to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka for specialist treatment.
Mr Mushondwa said Ruth Kamanga was shot by a stray bullet when her neighbour, only identified as Mr Nyondo, was trying to kill a wild cat in his yard.
He said the incident happened around 14:30 hours. Police officers have picked Mr Nyondo for investigations to establish what exactly transpired.
[Times of Zambia]

Levy glad SA & MOZ refused to offload ZIM Firearms

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President Mwanawasa said he is glad that South Africa and Mozambique have refused to offload firearms from China which were ordered by neighbouring Zimbabwe.

President Mwanawasa was speaking at Lusaka International Airport today when he arrived from Mauritius where he was attending the SADC Heads of State Summit on poverty.

He noted that there was no need to escalate the conflicts being experienced in Zimbabwe use of firearms, saying dialogue was the only solution.

He said the issue of Zimbabwe was being well handled by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has not announced the March 29, 2008 elections results, causing anxiety, suspicion and concern among Zimbabweans, regional bodies and other countries around the world.

And President Levy Mwanawasa has described as highly irresponsible, the statement by Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Lusaka Province Chairman Geoffrey Chuumbwe who suggested that Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, should be forced out of power.

President Mwanawasa said the statement has an effect on the relation between Zambia and Zimbabwe but hoped that the leadership and people of Zimbabwe would understand Mr. Chuumbwe had not authority to say that.

He said Mr. Chuumbwe could not have any authority to speak on behalf of the party or government and therefore, his statement asking concerned authorities to remove Mr. Mugabe by force were irresponsible.

Dr. Mwanawasa noted that Mr. Chuumbwe was neither party spokesperson nor government spokesperson but a junior person in the hierarchy of the ruling party.

He said he felt embarrassed when he received news about Mr. Chuumbwe’s statement, adding that the statement has strongly been condemned by the ruling party.

NCC resumes sittings tomorrow

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The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) will tomorrow at 14:00 hours resume sitting at Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC).

NCC Spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis announced this at a press briefing in Lusaka today.

Mrs. Zaloumis said the NCC would among other things approve the authority to recruit experts from outside the conference to educate members on the constitutional making process.

She said the 11 various committees that were constituted by the NCC would each be given an expert, who would be recruited from within and outside Zambia, for specific expertise to the delegates.

She told journalists that on Thursday, the NCC members would undergo orientation on what the constitution is and the types of the constitutions that exist in Africa.

Mrs. Zaloumis further said the members would also be taught the doctrine of separation of powers by experts to ensure that they understood the constitution as they settle down into serious deliberations.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Zaloumis disclosed that the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) church has been asked to choose another member to replace the late Cornelius Matandiko, who died about a month ago.

She said other institutions whose delegates died would be required to provide replacements.

And Mrs. Zaloumis has disclosed that about 12 more delegates would be sworn in at 11:00 hours tomorrow to join the conference.

She said these would replace the deceased delegates and those that did not take up their appointments.

Meanwhile, a check by ZANIS at the Mulungushi International Conference centre found scores of NCC delegates collecting documents in readiness for the resumption of sittings tomorrow.

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