Advertisement Banner
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 5496

Zambian girl abused in America

editor
-
66

A seven year old girl, who was taken for specialized surgical operation in the United States of America, is said to have suffered abuse and is now living in a deprived state, her foster parents have revealed.

The foster parents, Rodgers and Sandra Wykelund, revealed this to Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Jennipher Musonda, when she visited Emmas Kids Orphanage in Mufulira on a fact finding mission.

The Wykelunds told Ms Musonda that the named girl has been denied her return to Zambia by an American couple who claim to have adopted her after her successful surgeries.

According to the Wykelunds, the girlis being abused by the couple and she is living in a deprived state as they (Wykelunds) have no contact with her as foster parents for two years now.

It is alleged that Beatrice has been turned into a media show piece in American by the couple where over 200 pictures of her before surgery have been reportedly taken and being used to raise money for the same couple.

Ms Wykelund who returned from America last week said efforts to get girl from the couple, which she did not name, has became difficult because the couple claim they have adopted her legally under the American law and the matter is before the courts in that country.

The girl’s stay in America was based on the premise that she undergoes a surgical operation to rectify her facial deformity and thereafter return home.

The foster parents are now seeking the intervention of the Zambian government to have the girl return home.

The Wykelunds are running Emmas Kids Orphanage in Mufulira with over 200 children, mostly former street children.

And Ms Musonda said her office will compile a report on the matter to government through the Ministry of Community Development and social wServices to enable the girl return home.

The PS stressed that the girl is Zambian and it is not possible for a foreign family to take advantage of the situation to adopt her without the consent of government.

American national deported

editor
-
13

The Immigration Department has deported a 27 year old American national after serving his jail sentence for trafficking in psychotropic substances.

Immigration Public Relations Officer Mulako Mbagweta told ZANIS in Lusaka today that Kimmel Daron Vincent who served as a peace corps was deported via the Lusaka international airport on an Ethiopian airline to his country of origin.

She added that earlier Mr. Vincent had been convicted by the Mpika Magistrate Court for trafficking in psychotropic substances contrary to section 6 of Cap 96 of the laws of Zambia.

Ms. Mbagweta explained that after serving the sentence for an undisclosed period of time Mr. Vincent was them handed over to the immigration department for deportation.

She has since urged security wings to continue submitting details of arrested foreign nationals to the department to enable it facilitate their deportation upon serving their sentence or any other punitive actions against.

Meanwhile the immigration department public relations officer has disclosed that the 26 Onshore construction workers who are Indian nationals who protested against their employers for poor working conditions are this afternoon expected to be sent back to their country of origin.

She said the 26 will be deported via the international airport on an Ethiopian airline adding that they only had temporal permits to work and stay in the country before they protested against poor working and living conditions from their employers.

On Monday over 360 Onshore construction workers protested and opted for an industrial strike to force management to succumb to their demands for better conditions of service.

However management has refused to succumb to their demands adding that the company had signed agreements with each employee on the conditions of service before coming into the country.

One of the employees Subhas Mallick is reported in one of the daily newspapers as having said 70 percent of the workers have opted to be dispatched back to India their country of origin.

Lusaka Car dealers protest

editor
-
19

A group of car dealers today stormed the Lusaka City Council (LCC) offices at civics center to complain about the council’s announcement to remove them from the central business district.

LCC Public Relations Manager Chanda Makanta confirmed the move by the automobile dealers to ZANIS in Lusaka adding that the dealers also demanded further clarification on the matter.

Mrs. Makanta said the LCC is concerned with the congestion being caused by the car dealers who usually park their vehicles meant for sale for a long time inconveniencing other motorists wanting to conduct business in the central district.

She said LCC through its city planning department is currently considering finding an open place where the car dealers can park their vehicles for sale to the public.

Mrs. Makanta however explained that the council can only allow the dealers in the central business district for a limited time to maintain consistent traffic flow and parking space for other motorists.

She commended the car dealers for seeking clarification on the matter in a peaceful and mature manner without resorting to violence.

But Katunjila Car Dealers Association committee member Martin Mpundu accused foreign investors dealing in car sales as having incited the council to remove them from town adding that their business has been competitive.

Mr. Mpundu said association members had been paying the council levy for selling cars in the central business district but were surprised at the council’s decision to stop collecting the levy and later giving them an ultimatum to vacate the central business district.

He said the automobile traders should not be looked down upon in preference to bigger and organized dealers as they also contribute to the country’s revenue through the payment of taxes at the border when importing the vehicles into the country.

He said his association is however willing to relocate to any appropriate area where the LCC would want to relocate the automobile dealers and pay the necessary levys and taxes.

Meanwhile, the LCC public relations manager has described as unfortunate the gradual return of street vendors on the city’s main streets.

Mrs. Makanta attributed the trend to lack of man power among the council police who have been deployed in the city center.

She however appealed to the Zambia Police Service to compliment LCC police efforts to ensure that street vendors are brought to book.

Mrs. Makanta has also urged members of the public to desist from buying merchandise from street vendors adding that the practice encourages the vendors to continue trading in undesignated places.

Govt. to swiftly fight crime in SADC

editor
-
2

Government says it will swiftly respond towards addressing escalating criminal activities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Home Affairs deputy minister Misheck Bonshe says there was urgent need for police in the region to take action and stop the crime.

Mr. Bonshe said police officers must formulate strategies that would help governments in the SADC region to fight crime in a better and coordinated manner.

He was speaking today when he officially opened the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) meeting at Chrismar hotel in Livingstone.

He said police must devise strategies of combating regional criminal syndicates, noting that this would reduce crime in the region.

He said members of the public needed to feel secure hence the need for the police to double their efforts in the fighting crime.

And speaking earlier, Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo, said his command would ensure that thieves in Zambia were not allowed to move freely.

Mr. Mateyo said the police have a duty to ensure that criminals were not going about conducting business.

He said the meeting was timely as it was important for the police in the region to plan together and map up strategies on how to fight crime.

He said it was only peaceful environments that would attract investor confidence in the region, thereby boosting economies of SADC countries.

”Let us not allow criminals to take over us. Let us try and suppress them. Our duty is to ensure that the rule of law prevails in our countries,” he said.

Head of Interpol at the SARPCCO secretariat, Villio Hifindaka, said it was important for the police to let criminals know that there would be no comfort for them in the SADC region.

ZANIS/FM/KSH/ENDS.

MMD not Opposed to 50% plus one Threshold, Mulongoti

editor
-
47

Government has dismissed claims that the ruling party MMD, was not in favour of the proposed 50 per cent plus one threshold to win a presidential election.

Chief Government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said this in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mulongoti said the MMD was not scared of the proposed provision of the 50 plus one threshold.

He said, in fact, only the MMD has sufficient national support to score a 50 plus one threshold to win presidential elections in Zambia.

Mr. Mulongoti said Government further advises Zambians to read the situation in other countries where this is applicable as it is dangerous to ignore the political developments in those countries.

He said President Mwanawasa would not derive any personal gain from opposing the proposed threshold as he was serving his last term of office.

Mr. Mulongoti also said complaints by some opposition political parties that it had excluded some stakeholders from attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC) were baseless.

He said government has strove to be all-inclusive in constituting the composition of the NCC and therefore insinuations that some key stakeholder have been left out were unjustified.

He said those who chose not to be on the NCC, such as the three church mother bodies and the Non-governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC), have only themselves to blame.

Opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata is quoted to have recently said that it would not do for Zambians to have a constitution without addressing the issue of majority vote for a presidential candidate.

And United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Richard Kapita is alleged to have stated that President Mwanawasa was instilling fear in the MMD members sitting on the NCC.

Mr. Kapita is said to have alleged that it would be difficult for the conference to come up with a formidable constitution because of the same threats.

Young Arrows Open Five Point Lead

editor
-
5

Young Arrows opened up a 5 point lead at the summit of the FAZ Premier League table today after a 1-0 win over Zanaco at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka.
Although Young Arrows dominated Zanaco throughout, it wasn’t a pretty game and the leaders showed little to suggest they were the real thing despite securing their 4th win over the season and maintain their 1000 per cent record since the season started.
Striker Judge Mkandawire secured Young Arrows 3 points from the spot in the 48th min after Zanaco defender Michael Bwalya handled the ball in the area.

Young Arrows are on 13 points, five ahead of 2nd placed Zesco United whose away game at Kabwe Warriors this afternoon ended in deadlock.

Zesco moved to 2nd after a scoreless draw away at 4th placed Warriors with both teams on 8 points.

Fodson Kabole future at Power is in doubt after Power Dynamos lost their 4th game of the season after going down 3-0 at Arthur Davies to Green Buffaloes.

Brian Chilando scored one in the 66th after Reuben Tembo shipped in a brace with goals in the 2nd and 28th minutes to hand Buffaloes their first league win after three successive defeats.

Buffaloes moved from 14th to 10th on 6 points after today’s win while Power is just above them in 9th position.

Malaria deserves more attention – Maureen

editor
-
58

First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa says Malaria should be given the same attention as HIV and AIDS.

Mrs. Mwanawasa says Malaria like HIV and AIDS requires the concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

Speaking when she unveiled the Billboard on Malaria and HIV and flagging off of the “Race against malaria in commemoration of the World Malaria Day, Mrs. Mwanawasa said people have taken Malaria for granted.

Mrs. Mwanawasa said the prevalence of Malaria has increased the Mother-to-child transmission of HIV and AIDS.

And speaking at the same function, Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani said government will not rest until malaria is completely eradicated in the country.

He observed that Malaria has since reduced because of interventions that the Ministry of Health through National Malaria Control Centre (NMCC) has put in place.

Meanwhile, Special World Health Organisation (WHO) envoy on Malaria Princess Astrid of Belgium has arrived in Zambia.

The Princes on arrival called on Africa to continue investing in awareness programmes on Malaria.

She said there is need to combat Malaria, which is claiming millions of lives in Africa.

Princess Astrid of Belgium was speaking shortly after arriving at Livingstone Airport.

The princess is accompanied by Africa’s Ambassor on Malaria, Yvonne Chaka Chaka of South Africa.

Chaka Chaka said Africa needs to step up the efforts to eradicate Malaria.

The two were received by Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Darius Hakayobe, Livingstone Mayor, Grace Shafik and other senior Government officials.

Roll Back Malaria Executive Director, Awa Marie Coll-Seck said it is important to eradicate malaria as it accounts of 90 percent of the deaths in Africa.

Measles breaks out in Kitwe; 41 cases recorded

editor
-
2

Measles has broken out in Kitwe district of Copperbelt province and 41 cases have already been recorded.

Kitwe District Director of Health, Chikafuna Banda confirmed the outbreak of the disease today and named the most affected areas as Mulenga and Malembeka compounds.

Dr. Banda told the district development coordinating committee meeting in Kitwe today that ministry of Health officials were already on the ground immunizing the affected children.

Dr Banda said the disease has broken out in the district because some people shunned the national measles immunization exercise.

He also blamed the outbreak on some church organisations that were discouraging their members from having their children vaccinated against measles because of their religious beliefs.

He expressed great concern at the poor state of the communal toilets in Wusakili township, which he said were posing a health hazard to the residents.

He said the water in the township was highly contaminated because the water pipes were close to the communal toilets.

And Kitwe District Commissioner Macdonald Mtine said the toilets in this township were pathetic and unhygienic.

Mr. Mtine has since urged council and health workers to ensure that the toilets were disinfected through fumigation and chlorination.

Meanwhile, Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Jennifer Musonda has urged District Commissioners in the province to mobilise and encourage people in the communities to take their children to health centres for vaccinations against various diseases.

ZANIS reports that Mrs. Musonda said government had provided immunisation antigens to clinics and hospitals.

She however said the province had failed to reach the 80% coverage target.

Mrs. Musonda said this in a speech read on her behalf by Assistant Secretary, Elli Mulemwa, during the official opening of the Provincial Epidemic Preparedness Meeting at Savoy Hotel yesterday.

“Government has provided all kinds of immunisation antigens to our hospitals and clinics, we have unfortunately failed to reach 80% coverage,” she said.

She explained that the 80% target was meant to fully protect children from childhood diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, hepatitis B and others.

Mrs. Musonda said it was the duty of leaders in the province to mobilise people in their communities to take their children to health centres for immunisation.

The Permanent Secretary further appealed to district commissioners and Town Clerks to step up sensitisation campaigns on the need for every household in the province to be sprayed against mosquitoes.

Mrs. Musonda, who said that government’s vision was to ensure that malaria was eradicated in the communities, warned that government would not tolerate poor cooperation exhibited by some households who refuse to permit spraying of their houses against mosquitoes.

She stressed that there was need for the sensitisation exercise to start so that people were psychologically prepared for the exercise.

Govt. releases K1bn for infrastructure development in Chongwe

editor
-
4

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

editor
-
16

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

editor
-
109

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

editor
-
20

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

editor
-
8

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

editor
-
25

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

editor
-
12

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.

1...5,4955,4965,497...5,658Page 5,496 of 5,658

Company

Trending

Categories

© Lusaka Times