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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.

Constructor’s body bemoans halt to advance payments

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The National Council for Construction (NCC) says the move by government to stop advance payment to contractors will have an adverse effect on the industry.

Briefing the press in Lusaka today, NCC Executive Director Dr. Sylvester Mashamba said this is because most contractors will fall into debt to meet contractual obligations.

He said advance payment is important because it enables the contractor to buy materials and mobilise his plant equipment and begin works.

Dr. Mashamba has further bemoaned government’s blacklisting of 42 major contractors in the country.

He said the blacklisting of 42 major contractors in the country will result in few works being done as the number of contractors has drastically reduced.

Meanwhile, government is owes construction consultants and contractors an estimated K380 billion which has culminated over the years.

NCC Executive Director Dr. Sylvester Mashamba has since urged government to settle the outstanding amount.

Zambia faces serious shortage of soft drinks

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Zambia may face a shortage of soft drinks in the next few days because Zambia Breweries Company, the manufacturer of soft drinks, is facing a critical shortage of specialty sugar.

The specialty sugar is used to manufacture soft drinks such as coca cola, fanta and sprite.

Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Siakalenge Siazongo, disclose this development to ZANIS in Lusaka today but asked members of the public not to panic about the imminent shortage of soft drinks.

“Zambia Breweries is facing a critical shortage of specialty sugar, which is the sugar used to manufacture soft drinks. As a result, this may affect the supply of soft drinks in the next few days,” he said.

Mr. Siazongo explained that as a result of the shortage of the specialty sugar, Zambia Breweries lost 36 hours of production of soft drinks last week and only operated half day yesterday.

He said today, the company did not produce any soft drinks at all.

He said this specialty sugar has to be imported from Durban, South Africa or Malawi through the Zambia Sugar Company.

Mr. Siazongo however said a truck load of specialty sugar is on the way and would arrive in the country in the next three days.

“During this period, Zambia may face a shortage of soft drinks,” he said.

He said Zambia Breweries was however contemplating importing drinks from Zimbabwe or South Africa to cushion the shortage during the period it will not be manufacturing the drinks.

Levy urges Zambians to be Patient with ZESCO

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President Levy Mwanawasa has appealed to Zambians to be patient over the load shedding going on in the country and give ZESCO a chance to carry out the necessary rehabilitation works on power installations.

President Mwanawasa said the power shortages were not being experienced by Zambia alone but the southern African region at large.

Dr Mwanawasa said ZESCO has assured that they will complete the rehabilitation works next year upon which time the problem of load shedding currently being experienced will be a thing of the past.

He said the power shortage currently being experienced experienced was as a result of increase in heavy duty investments that have put a lot of pressure on ZESCO in terms of power demand.

Meanwhile, President Levy Mwanawasa headed home after attending a SADC summit on poverty and development which ended in Mauritius yesterday.

President Mwanawasa’s Challenger jet took off from the Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam International airport at 12:00 hours, about 10:00 hrs Zambian time.

He was seen off by foreign affairs minister, Kabinga Pande, commerce minister, Felix Mutati, Labour minister, Ronald Mukuma and his agriculture counterpart, Sara Saifwanda.

Zambia’s ambassader to Mozambique who is also accredited to Mauritius, George Chulumanda and other senior government officials were also at the airport to see off the president.

Zambia is lagging behind in ICT

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Zambia and the African continent as a whole is lagging behind in the development of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).

Deputy Minister in the ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Lucy Changwe attributed the widening divide to insufficient human and financial resources.

Ms Changwe said the training of human resource and the reduction of cost of ICTs products is one of the ways to enable the country reduce the cost of doing business.

She noted that the use of optic fibre in the ICT networks is one way of reducing the cost and application of ICT adding that this will also benefit rural communities and eliminate the rural-urban digital divide.

Ms Changwe said this in Lusaka today when she officiated at a regional training course for developers of ICT materials at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR).

She said there was need for African countries to start developing their own programmes and materials for ICT’s in order to compete with the western world and make communication on the continent cheaper and easier.

Ms Changwe observed that the training course was critical as it is meant to equip professionals from various fields in Africa with tools that are used in the development of ICT materials.

And NISIR Executive Director, Mwananyanda Mbikusita Lewanika, said the Africa is facing a critical shortage of qualified scientists and technicians.

Dr Mbikusita Lewanika said there was need for policy makers to provide a conducive environment at work places and be supportive to new ideas and initiatives of scientists.

The one week course is been attended by participants from the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger and Nigeria.

Others are Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

Retirement age for scientists under scrutiny

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Government has revealed that it is considering reversing the retirement age of scientists in the country in order to make it responsive to the needs of the scientific world.

Chief Science and Technology Officer in the ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Dorothy Mulenga says the current retirement age of 55 years old is of grave concern to government.

Dr Mulenga explained in an interview that government is spending colossal sums of money to send scientists for specialist training who are made to retire early without fully utilizing their knowledge.

She added that Zambia and Africa as a whole is faced with a critical shortage of scientists adding that retiring scientists at 55 years is worsening the situation because most of them retire with knowledge which they can use to educate the younger generation.

Dr Mulenga observed that the western countries do not usually have challenges of human resource because most of their scientists retire above the age of 70 years.

She said government is however currently tapping the knowledge of retired scientists by giving them contractual jobs after retirement.

Woman resurrects in Sinazongwe

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People in Senior Chief Mweemba area in Sinazongwe district wake up to a rude shock when the body of a woman they buried a month ago resurrected.
Headman Simankawa told a ZANIS reporter who rushed to the area that NJikile Muleya who died a month ago resurfaced.
The headman said the villagers saw Ms. Muleya in full view but they were afraid to touch her.
He said she used to come from the direction where she was buried at 05:00 to 07:30 and from 17:00 to 19:00, thereafter, she disappears.

Headman Simankawa said Ms Muleya who was from Simankawa village was seen for four days and the villagers assembled to have a glimpse of her though they could not communicate with her because she was not answering back.

“When you call her she will just look at you and turns back, people were afraid to touch her and when you come closer to her she starts walking away,” the Headman narrated.

She said Ms Muleya was seen while she was well dressed.

The headman said the incident has never occurred adding that the whole village was amazed.

He said Maamba police were called to get the picture of the woman but when they arrived she started walking away and disappeared in the bush near the village.
[ZANIS]

Rising food prices begin to hurt

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The global trend of rising food prices may not be very far from hurting Zambia after the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) increased the price of fuel.
A check by ZNBC news at Soweto market in Lusaka showed that the price of most commodities are on the rise.
There has already been a marked increase in the price of fish and beans.
A marketeer, Miyomba Nchimunya told ZNBC News that the price of fish has more than doubled forcing most fish traders to stop selling the commodity.
He said the rising cost of fuel is pushing food prices up because food items have to be moved from far flung areas like Mongu in Western Province.
Meanwhile, the price of vegetables have remained stable largely because green vegetables are sourced within Lusaka.

[ZANIS]

Chipata rail ready by June

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The construction of the Chipata-Mchinji Railway line in Eastern Province is likely to be completed before June.
Eastern Province Minister, Charles Shawa said government has released K10 billion towards the construction of the railway line.
Mr. Shawa explained that the project, which was supposed to be completed this month, was delayed due to the power outages and the shortage of cement.
The Minister was speaking in an interview with ZNBC news.
Once completed, the railway line will promote trade between Zambia and Malawi and ease transportation of goods and services.
The Chipata-Mchinji Railway line was intially started in 1982 but later abandoned in 1992 and only revived in 2006.
The railway line is touted as an important alternative link to the Nacala sea port in Mozambique and will later be linked to the Tazara Railway line
{ZNBC]

Increase Police presence to curb defilement cases,Govt told

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-The National Initiative for Citizen Awareness (NICA) has called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to increase Police presence in the country to effectively combat defilement cases.

NICA President Kelvin Sampa said in a Press Statement to ZANIS today that the Victim Support Unit in the Police Service should be adequately equipped with transport and other logistics in order to track down sexual abuse cases.

Mr. Sampa said there are only 133 police stations in the country’s 72 districts which makes it difficult for the law enforcement officers to follow up cases committed in distant places.

He said despite civil society’s efforts in the fight against defilement, the cases have continued to escalate in Lusaka and other parts of the country.

He expressed concern that out of the 865 defilement cases as at 2006, only 238 were convicted and the remaining were withdrawn.

Mr. Sampa urged the legislature and the national constitution conference to enact laws that will provide for the arrest of people who withdraw defilement cases.

He also appealed to the community, government and civil society to be involved in the fight against defilement.

Albidon mine sets April 28 for testing machines

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Albidon Mine Zambia limited in Mazabuka says it has mined 40,000 metric tonnes of Nickle ore in readiness for testing the Mill, Crusher and Concentrator which has been set for April 28.

General Manager for Corporate affairs, Sixtus Mulenga however told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that the April 28, event does not mark the official production day but will provide an avenue on which the testing of the production process will be done in readiness for the official launch mid this year.

Dr Mulenga said the 40,000 metric tonnes have already been mined and stock pilled on the surface within the mine premises.

He said the remarkable progress at Munali mine is as a result of the commitment by all staff.

Dr Mulenga also disclosed that the life span of the mine is likely to increase from the projected 10 years following the positive explorations results.

Currently the initial Nickle production stands at 900,000 metric tonnes per annum although the mine has projected a further increase of 1.2 Metric tonnes per annum.

And Mines Minister Kalombo Mwansa who toured the mine last Friday to familiase himself with the progress recorded since the ground breaking ceremony which was launched by President Mwanawasa last year expressed happiness at the remarkable progress recorded so far.

”It is unbelievable that you can complete ahead of schedule even with the shortage of Cement that has hit the country, I cannot even remember where we stood during ground breaking ceremony because it was all bush” said Dr Mwansa.

Dr Mwansa also commended the staff at Albidon mine for their commitment and dedication to work.

Southern MMD members told to embark on vigorous campaign

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MMD Southern Province Chairman, Solomon Muzyamba has called on MMD members in Mazabuka district to embark on a vigorous recruitment membership drive to overturn the political landscape in the area.

Mr. Muzyamba challenged party officials to sacrifice their resources despite transport problems dogging the ruling party by embarking on a door to door campaign and to woo more members for the party.

He said the MMD under the leadership of President Mwanawasa has done alot as evidenced by the booming economy.

Mr Muzyamba urged party officials to explain the achievements of the rulling party especially in Southern Province where mines are being opened up.

He cited the openning up of Albidon mine and the Sugarcane expansion programme at Zambia Sugar Company in Mazabuka as some of the developments taking place in the district that can help sell the MMD.

Mr Muzyamba was speaking in Mazabuka when he recieved several opposition party members who resigned from the opposition to join the ruling party.

He said the resignation of senior UNIP and UPND officials meant people in the province were begining to appreciate the MMD.

Those that resigned include Enock Ntobolo, former UPND district trustee and UNIP’s district secretary.

Govt disassociates it self from Chuumbwe’s remarks

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Government has disassociated itself from the statement made by MMD Lusaka Province Chairman Geoffrey Chuumbwe that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should be removed by force.

Government says while it appreciates and acknowledges freedom of speech, Mr Chuumbwe’s position is not the way to go about when resolving the problem in Zimbabwe.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti said this in a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka this evening.

Mr Mulongoti was reacting to Mr Chumbwe’s statement made at the Lusaka International Airport shortly after President Mwanawasa left for Mauritius today.

Mr Mulongoti said Mr Chuumbwe’s statement is neither the party’s nor government’s position.

He stated that the Zambian government does not encourage change of regime through forced means adding that there is a better way of handling problems being faced in Zimbabwe.

He added that the solution to the problems in Zimbabwe lie in Zimbabweans themselves.

Mr Mulongoti has since cautioned party members against making alarming statements that relate to internal matters of sovereign countries.

Unbeaten Young Arrows Go Top

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Young Arrows are the only unbeaten side at the end of Week 6 of the Faz Premier League today that saw Kabwe Warriors tumble at Nkoloma Stadium when they visited the new top-flight leaders this afternoon in Lusaka.

Warriors, without influential striker Emmanuel Mayuka who left for trials Portugal this morning, lost 3-0 away to see Young Arrows shift 2 points ahead of the chasing pack on 10 points from their four games played this season.

Young Arrows, promoted to the top-flight just two seasons ago in 2006, secured their 4th win of the season with goals from Chomba Ngandu, Shaft Katuka and Judge Mkandawire.

Nchanga Rangers stayed 2nd on 8 points after Tom Bakala’s goal ensured they drew 1-1 at home against visiting Nkwazi who are 3rd on the same number of points as their hosts.

Nkana are 4th after also drawing 1-1 away at bottom of the table and fellow promoted side Green Eagles in Kabwe.

However, Zesco United’s brief stay at the top of the table ended today when they lost 1-0 away at Arthur Davies in Kitwe where Power Dynamos recorded their second win of the season-and first home victory- after a litany of three straight defeats.

Francis Kombe’s 37th minute goal handed Power the 3 points and a breather for coach Fodson Kabole who would have certainly felt the wrath of the home fans had his men lost at home this afternoon.

City of Lusaka also drew 1-1 at Woodlands where they hosted Konkola Blades in Week 6’s fourth draw of the day.

Chambishi meanwhile record their first win of the season via a 1-0 home win over Red Arrows.

Aggret Chiyangi’s team winning goal came from midfielder Preston Musumali-son of one former Mufulira Wanderers and Power midfielder Nelson Musumali.

Lusaka Dynamos too recorded their first win of the season after dispatching Green Buffaloes to their third successive league defeat of the season.

Dynamos got their victory thanks to a 33rd minute William Njobvu goal that he scored from a corner kick that Buffaloes goalkeeper bundled Dave Kaumbwa bundled into his own net.

Zanaco’s brief flirt with good form ended at Kafubu Stadium in Luanshya where Roan United shocked them with a 1-0 home win thanks to a Ken Mumba goal there to see the hosts get the 3 points.

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