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Chingola cops nab man over incest

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POLICE in Chingola have arrested a 63-year-old man of Nchanga North for allegedly having sex with his 20-year-old biological daughter for the past three years.

Copperbelt police chief, Antoneill Mutentwa, confirmed the arrest of the man, who had been having sex with the daughter since 2005 with her consent. The man will appear in court today.

The mother of the daughter left home three years ago because she was embarrassed about the incest, which had been going on for a long time.

Mr Mutentwa said the man, who is an ex-miner, had allegedly been sleeping with his biological daughter while another one left after he made sexual advances.

Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) had been impressing upon police to arrest the man for some time, but the daughter and some family members had not been cooperating.

Police and other organisations had been facing difficulties to handle the matter because the girl was protecting her father as the sexual encounters were with her full consent.

Mr Mutentwa said the girl, who is a Grade 12 school pupil, had since been forced to leave the family home to live with relatives who were concerned about the incest.

He said he directed officers at Chingola Central police station where the assailant had been detained not to release him on police bond.

Mr Mutentwa said although the accused was entitled to police bond, he did not want the old man to be released, as he would interfere with investigations.

He called on the YWCA and members of the public to quickly inform police where such vices were detected.

“Police cannot guess. We, therefore, need the help of the community. Often times close relatives tend to withdraw charges in cases of incest and defilement because of the repercussions, but we all need to be safe.

‘‘Police would ensure that one’s home is the safest place to live in by arresting all perpetrators of sexual crimes,” Mr Mutentwa said.

And Chingola YWCA chairperson, Gertrude Mudenda, said in fact the old man had initially made advances towards another daughter who refused and left home immediately.

Mrs Mudende said her organisation had faced problems in handling the matter because relatives had not been cooperating.

Neighbours and other people became suspicious when the man’s wife left him and another daughter, who had refused several advances, also left to live with relatives.

The man and his daughter then remained in the house where they were co-habiting until people got suspicious and reported the matter to the YWCA.

[Times of Zambia]

Woman narrates rape ordeal in court

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A trader, 36, yesterday tearfuly narrated in a Ndola magistrate’s court how a peasant farmer of the same age allegedly raped her while she was on her way home from the market in Tug Argan area.

The woman told magistrate Iduma Ikechukwu that on March 1, around midnight while in the company of a security guard from the market, a man accosted her for no apparent reason.

This is in a case involving Terry Sinkonde, 36, of Munkulungwe near Tug Argan area who is alleged to have raped the woman on March 1.

In her testimony, the woman told the magistrate amid sobs that Sinkonde was trailing her and after a while, he by-passed her while she was in the company of a security guard identified as Jordan Changwe.

Sinkonde stood in front and questioned Mr Changwe why he was escorting the woman and threatened to hit him with a metal rod if he did not leave immediately.

The woman said Sinkonde dragged her into the nearby bush where he squeezed her throat before tearing off her clothes including the underwear.

She said Sinkonde threatened to insert the metal rod in her private parts if she continued to struggle. The man then forced himself on her as she lay on the ground helplessly.

She said after being raped, she walked to Sinkonde’s parents’ home to report what he had done and spent the rest of the night there.

She then reported the matter to Indeni Police Post the following morning.
In cross examination, Sinkonde asked the woman what made her sure that it was him she saw when they did not meet each other that day.

The woman told the court that she could not mistake Sinkonde for another person because she ha known him for a long time.

And Mr Changwe, 43, said in his testimony that he was escorting the woman home from the market because she was afraid to move alone at night.

Mr Changwe told the court that the two recognised Sinkonde who ordered him not to escort the woman any further and threatened to beat him.
Officers from Tug-Argan Barracks apprehended Sinkonde on March 2.

A medical report indicated that the woman sustained a swollen forehead, red eye, bruises on neck and thigh and had spermatozoa on her private parts.

Meanwhile, a nine-year-old boy yesterday narrated in a Kitwe magistrate’s court how a 28-year-old man had unnatural sex with him.

The boy told the court that the man told him that it was possible for two men to have sex just as having sex with a person of the opposite sex.

This was in a case in which Kenneth Phiri is charged with sodomy, which he is alleged to have committed in January.

The boy testified before acting principal resident magistrate Charles Zulu that in January, he was watching football at a ground in Kawama township when Phiri asked him to escort him.

The court heard that the boy agreed to escort Phiri to take a car battery to the owner, but on their way back, he asked the boy if he would accept what he was going to ask him.

The boy told the court that Phiri asked him if he knew that men could have sex with each other but that he refused.

The boy told the court that Phiri later told him that he wanted to have sex with him and he would show him how men had sex with each other. The court further heard that Phiri grabbed the boy and took him to his house in the toilet where he sodomised him.

Phiri gave the boy K2,000 and threatened that he would be killed if he told anyone about what happened.

The trial continues on April 15.

[Times of Zambia]

Levy Directs MMD NEC to Discipline Shakafuswa

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President Levy Mwanawasa has directed the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) to put up stern action against Finance Deputy Minister Jonas Shakafuswa for his misconduct.

MMD National Secretary, Jeff Kande said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that the President was only waiting for National assembly to do their work on the matter adding that Dr. Mwanawasa did not want to prejudice the case.

Mr. Kande said the deputy Minister of Finance’s time for discipline will soon come saying that the matter is in parliament and that if it was outside the National Assembly, the NEC would have taken action a long time ago.

He added that NEC was just waiting for parliament to do its work and then it will take action.

Meanwhile, NEC has suspended Christine Moonga, a nominated committee member for accusing President Mwanawasa of being a tribalist.

The suspension is with immediate effect.

Mr. Kanda said the MMD does not condone indiscipline from anybody in the party adding that this will not be entertained at all costs.

He said what Mrs. Moonga said in the Post of April 2, 2008 was senseless and malicious.

He further said to accuse the President that he practices tribalism was very much unfair.

Mr. Kanda said Mrs. Moonga has been given ten days to exculpate herself failure to which her case will be taken to NEC.

He added that Mrs. Moonga brought the MMD into ridicule, and contempt.

Water Aid doubts Zambia’s efforts for clean sanitation

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A Water Aid official has observed that Zambia would not attain the Millennium Development Goal to halve the population of people who have no access to basic sanitation in the country if efforts towards this goal remained slow.

Water Aid country Representative Maheshi Mishra said there was therefore need to urgently address sanitary conditions under which thousands of Zambians were living.

Mr. Mishra was speaking during the commemoration of the world water day which
officially fell on 22nd March but was held yesterday in Chipembele ward of Monze district in Southern province.

He said it was evident that without safe water, sanitation and improved hygiene practices among Zambians, poverty reduction efforts would continue being undermined thereby impeding efforts towards the attainment of the MDGs.

Mr. Mishra said that MDGs relating to sanitation would only be achieved in Zambia if extraordinary efforts to reverse the current situation were applied.

He said that Water Aid had been supporting district efforts to realise the MDG relating to water supply and sanitation.

Mr. Mishra said since last year, his organisation invested more than K1 billion in delivering water supply and sanitation in needy areas around the country.

He said that there was still a lot that needed to be done in Monze and other areas of the country to improve sanitation.

He said that with commitment shown by the leadership in Monze, the district had the potential to become a model for the whole country.

He said Water Aid and its partners have demonstrated their effort to reverse the problem of providing clean water and sanitation as a basic human right.

Mr. Mishra said intensive efforts and targeted investment would enable the country to rapidly scale up sanitation.

He said that if efforts shown at the district level by Water Aid partners such as Monze District Council, Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) and others were to continue, sanitation coverage would be enhance in the district in the next four years.

He said Chipembele ward was an example of how government, non-governmental organisations, local authorities, traditional leaders and local communities could work together to ensure that rural communities acquired access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

Mr. Mishra expressed gratitude that a number of villages in Chipembele ward
in Monze district had attained almost 100 per cent basic sanitation requirements.

He said that this meant that each household had a latrine, a hand washing facility close to the latrine, a bath shelter, a dish rack, refuse pit and a clean homestead surrounding.

The Water Aid country representative further called upon the leadership in Monze district
to formulate a district wide water and sanitation plan with a clear focus on addressing sanitation gaps by having a goal aimed at bringing sanitation coverage rate at par with coverage rate for water supply.

He said that there was need to also involve traditional leaders to motivate communities on the importance of sanitation.

Mr. Mishra said formation of the district sanitation task force to spear head the scaling up of sanitation the district by involving various stakeholders that had properly defined coordinating mechanisms would be another strategy.

And Monze District Commissioner Joyce Nondo said at the same function that government’s commitment towards improving sanitation in both urban and rural areas had been unwavering in the district.

Mrs. Nondo said that efforts to this effect could be seen from the progress made
by the water sector in the district.

She thanked Water Aid World Bank and UNICEF for their efforts towards achieving a satisfactory water and sanitation development in Monze district.

Govt. refutes reports of stalled works at the Independence staduim

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Government has refuted media reports that rehabilitation works at the Independence Staduim have stalled.

ZANIS sports reports Sports , Youth and Child Development Deputy Minister Richard Taima saying contrary to media reports, the rehabilitation works at the country’s biggest stadium have continued.

Taima said it was because some contractors at the site had slackened in their works that made the media to conclude that the rehabilitation works had stalled.

He said works aty the staduim had continued the pulling down of the old grand stand.

The minister explained that after the grand stand is brkought down, the next phase would be to engage another contracter to do the general rehabilitation at the stadium.

He said the rehabilitation works are made possible by Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) in-conjunction with the government.

Taima said any slowing down was due to the little problems that the ministry faced with the Ministry of works and Supply as they had to put in place a few measures to make the works easy.

He said he hopes that most of the rehabilitation works would have been completed by the year 2010 just in good time for the world’s soccer show piece to be hosted by South Africa.

Help reduce mealie meal prices, ZACA urges Govt

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The Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) says it is saddened with the recent hike in mealie meal prices in various parts of the country.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe today, ZACA Executive Secretary, Muyunda Ililonga, said government should intervene and halt the hiking of prices of mealie meal.

Mr. Ililonga said the recent hike in mealie prices was an exploitation of the consumers.

He said that maize meal was a staple food in Zambia and therefore, it would be unfortunate to let some milling companies to exploit consumers in the name of a liberalised market.

Mr. Ililonga said consumers in Zambia should not be taken for granted and demanded governments’ action on this matter.

Zambia Caf Club Football Updates

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-Rainford Kalaba has been ruled out of Zesco United’s Caf Africa Champions League clash against Al Hilal to be played this Saturday at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola due to injury.

The midfielder has failed to recover from an ankle injury that has plagued him for the last one and a half months.

Kalaba has struggled for fitness since playing for Zesco in the preliminary round of the competition against URA of Uganda in a 2-0 win over the latter on February 16 in Kampala.

The influential midfielder subsequently limped off in Zesco’s next two competitive matches and has been out of action ever since.

Kalaba also failed to make the Under-23 team’s Caf Africa Nations Championship game against Swaziland last weekend due to the same injury.

Meanwhile, Al Hilal arrived in Ndola via charter flight on Tuesday night.

The Sudanese league champions who lead Zesco 2-0 from the first leg played a fortnight ago are training from Wanderers club in Ndola ahead of this weekends crucial clash.

-Green Buffaloes this afternoon left for politically tense Zimbabwe ahead of this Sunday Caf Confederations cup match against Highlanders ion Bulawayo.

Buffaloes have declared they are going to play football and not politics in Zimbabwe that is in the midst of political uncertainty due to a protracted delay in releasing of the full general election results in that country.

Highlanders and Buffaloes are level on 1-1 from the first leg played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on March 22 going into this weekends first round, final leg clash.

However, Buffaloes will travel to Bulawayo minus first choice goalkeeper Mike Poto who has a family bereavement.

Taking Poto’s place will be Brian Mulenga while Dave Kaumbwa will be first choice in the Zambia international absence.

Exploitative cellular service providers to be exposed

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The Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) has warned that it will come up with a ‘shame list’ that will expose the shortcomings of the cellular service providers

Communications Authority Chief Executive Officer Shuller Habeenzu says this is because the three cellular service providers in the country are performing below the required standards.

Mr. Habeenzu said the service providers namely CELTEL, MTN and CELL-Z were exploiting consumers because they are paying for a service which they are not getting.

He said the Authority has since embarked on an exercise to work with other stakeholders to come up with legislation that would empower the Authority to impose stiffer penalties on cellular service providers that provide a poor service.

Mr. Habeenzu was speaking in Lusaka today at a press briefing on the preliminary monitoring programme of the mobile operators in Zambia.

Govt puts border security on alert over Zim elections

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Government said Wednesday it had put its security forces along the border with Zimbabwe on alert as the delayed announcement of results from Zimbabwe’s elections rattled nerves internationally.

The state of alert was a precautionary measure in case tensions caused by the four-day long wait for the election results erupted into violence and an influx of refugees into Zambia, Defence Minister George Mpombo said.

‘I hope our brothers in Zimbabwe will handle the situation without compromising the security of their country,’ he said. ‘We pray that the whole issue will be handled peacefully.’

The alert related to the border towns of Chirundu, Livingstone, Siavonga and other southern border areas, Mpombo said.

Livingstone tourist resort is just across the border from the Zimbabwean resort of Victoria Falls.

Security operations would continue as normal for the moment in those areas but would be strengthened if the situation escalated in order to protect Zambians living in border areas, he said.

Four days after Zimbabwe’s elections, in which President Robert Mugabe is seeking to extend his 28-year grip on power, no official results from the presidential elections have been released.

Partial results from the concomitant parliamentary vote show the opposition with a slight lead in the House of Assembly vote.

State to ban mandatory HIV tests

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LABOUR and Social Security Minister, Ronald Mukuma, has said that the Government is saddened at reports of people being denied employment because of their HIV/AIDS status and it will introduce a law to ban mandatory tests.

Mr Mukuma said yesterday that the Government was changing the Employment Act to stop employers from discriminating against prospective employees perceived to be HIV positive.

“Government wants a just and fair labour market where no employee or prospective employee is discriminated against on account of real or perceived HIV/AIDS positive status in relation to recruitment, remuneration, promotion, performance, job classification transfer or training,” he said.

The minister said yesterday when he launched the York Farm HIV/AIDS work-place policy that the law would ensure that employers did not ask the HIV status of their prospective employees.

He said the proposed legislation was intended to ensure that all employers did not tolerate the practice, adding that such discriminatory behaviour should be fought whenever it showed its ugly face.

“No employer shall require, whether directly or indirectly any person to undergo any form of testing for HIV/AIDS as a precondition for employment or for continuity of employment,” he said.

He said it was good that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was engaged as lead partner in formulating the York Farm policy because HIV/AIDS brought together the Government, employers and the workers.

He said the York Farm policy was commendable and should be emulated by other companies because the Government wanted to have a healthy productive workforce.

York Farm managing director, Nigel Pollard, said the policy showed management’s commitment to HIV/AIDS as it explained the role each stakeholder would undertake in the cause.

Mr Poillard said the policy was encouraging prevention by changing workers’ behaviour and that the farm would work with the Government and co-operating partners in encouraging its workers to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing.

ILO country director, Gerry Finnegan, said HIV/AIDS was a workplace issue and that his office was working with the ministry of Labour and Social Security to fight the scourge.

Mr Finnegan said that the Italian government funded the formulation of the policy and training of 104 peer educators, saying a survey conducted last year revealed that the farm needed an HIV policy.

He said the ILO ensured that the policy met international standards because it would not only serve employees but customers that dealt with the farm even at international level.

[Times of Zambia]

Govt happy with oil and gas findings in Chavuma

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Government says the discovery of oil and natural gas in Northwestern province will create more job opportunities for people.

Provincial Minister Kenneth Chipungu said this when he addressed a public meeting at Chiyeke basic school, Monday, in Chavuma district during his inspection tour of poverty reduction projects(PRP).

Mr. chipungu explained that once the gas and oil mines were in fully operational, a number of local people would be employed and there by sustain their livelihood.

He has since called upon the people of chavuma to be united and work as a team to develop the district.

Mr. Chipungu, pointed out that days of politicking were over and that people should now concentrate on development of the area.

The minister said rumor mongering, name calling and finger pointing amongst themselves should be discouraged because such vices retard development of the area.

Meanwhile residents at Chingi border post in Chavuma are drinking untreated water because the area lacks piped water.

This came to light when Mr Chipungu and other Provincial heads visited the area.

The officers who took the Minister and his team round showing them the only contaminated water well situated near pit latrines lamented that they felt they were neglected and that they were not in Zambia.

They said since the water pump broke down in 1995 no one has ever thought of replacing a new one there.

The officers also complained that they were living in dilapidated houses which were on the verge of collapse.

And Mr. chipungu has since instructed the department of water affairs to improve the water situation at chingi boarder post where Police, Zambia Revenue Authority, health, Education and Immigration officers are living.

Kafue Steel Plant announces measures to regulate pollution

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The Kafue Integrated Iron and Steel Plant (KIISP) has assured local residents that there will be no pollution contaminating the environment arising from the operations of the plant.

Project Manager Julius Kaoma says communities in Kafue should not be worried about pollution because the firm has put in place measures to detect and control pollution levels at the plant.

Dr. Kaoma was speaking when Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Elijah Chisanga toured the plant in Kafue.

He said the plant would be only emitting less than 15 milligrams of effluents which are harmless.

Dr. Kaoma said the water in the Kafue River would be used to cool the machines arising from the gases and carbon-dioxide during the combustion process.

He said the Plant will immensely contribute to national growth and local people will benefit through jobs opportunities.

The plant is expected to be operational by June this year and it will produce 280,000 Metric Tones of Steel to be supplied to the manufacturing industries in the country.

And Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Elijah Chisanga said government has set a good precedent of conducting manufacturing and fabrication of metal which the private sector should take advantage of.

Mr. Chisanga further advised the Plant Management to abide by the Zambian labour laws.

The Kafue Integrated Iron and Steel Plant was officially launched by President Levy Mwanawasa on November 30 last year.

FRA official swindles farmers

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A named FRA Depot Manager employed by the Copperbelt Co-operative Union (CCU) has been arrested after swindling farmers out of K289 million.

Mpongwe Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe who confirmed the development to ZANIS said the suspect is currently in police custody at Mpongwe Police Station.

Mr. Namulambe said the suspect was issuing fake receipts to the farmers in his scheme to swindle farmers.

The lawmaker, who is also Sport, Youth and Child Development Minister said while government is trying to stamp out corruption, the efforts are being frustrated by a few individuals.

He said government is committed to promoting the agriculture sector hence reports of fraud in the sector are not welcome.

Meanwhile, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has disclosed that it will construct 12 grain storage facilities with the total capacity of 71 metric tonnes throughout the country.

FRA Public Relations Manager Mwamba Siame says works for the construction of new grain facilities countrywide will commence in August 2008.

Mrs. Siame, who has confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said the aim of constructing new grain facilities by the agency is for the proper storing of grain that the agency will be buying from farmers countrywide.

Mrs. Siame said following the US$11.6 million that the Food Reserve Agency signed with the CAMCO company of China, the agency would embark on the construction of 12 storage sheds with the total capacity of 71 metric tonnes across the country.

She cited Kapiri-Mposhi, Chambishi, Chisamba, Serenje, Petauke, Mbala, Mufumbwe and Kalomo districts as some of the districts to benefit from the programme.

Mrs. Siame further said that the lowest grain storage sheds would range from 4,9780 metric tonnes to the highest 19, 370 metric tonnes.

She said the agency would not rest but ensure that frantic efforts are put in place aimed at securing maize from farmers countrywide.

Local publishers welcome the zero rating of books

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A local book publisher says local book publishers have the capacity to supply books to the nation without the aid of imported books.

SOBI Managing Director Gheewala Ismail says government should hence be commended for zero rating taxation on all books.

Mr. Ismail told ZANIS in an interview that the move would protect the local publishers by restricting the entry of imported books into the country.

He said this would help the local publishers make more money from their sales, adding that the public will also benefit from the rich locally produced literature.

Mr. Ismail explained that with the zero taxation on all books, customers would buy the products at a lower price as compared to the previous years.

He observed that book publishers were not getting expected profit before government introduced the zero taxation on books.

Mr. Ismail further added that publishers have since expanded their sales capacity in the last few months.

He has since called upon the public to take advantage of the initiative and buy locally manufactured books.

Govt Acknowledges Corruption in its Public Procurement System

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Government says it acknowledges high level of corruption in its public procurement systems.

Choma District Commissioner Mongoni Simulilika says expenditure on public procurements makes the process vulnerable to corrupt practices.

Mr Simulilika says the vulnerability of public officers to the vice is on suppliers of goods, public services and works.

He says corrupt practices affect public officers who carry out the procurement function on the other.

He said because the large amounts of money used in the process, officers entrusted on procurement of goods and services, are vulnerable to corrupt practices.

Mr Simulilika was speaking in Choma, Tuesday, when he opened a managerial accountability workshop for the Ministry of Education procurement staff and District Education Board Secretaries ( DEBS )from all districts in the province at Riverside Lodge.

He said it is a well known fact that government spends a lot of money in the procurement of goods, services and works annually and that the amounts spent are in trillions of Kwacha.

He said the people of Zambia expected quality services from public institutions like the education ministry as it has received a lion’s share of financial resources from government.

Mr Simulilika commended the Anti Corruption Commission ( ACC ) for conducting the workshop for the ministry to help address corruption in public sector procurement.

The DC said this will enhance the quality of goods, services and works which public officers are required to provide to the people.

He urge the workshop participants to fully take advantage of the workshop and discover points which are weak and open to exploitation for corrupt ends by public officers.

Mr Simulilika noted that prevention of corruption is less costly thatn dealing with deep rooted corruption, urging ACC to extend the workshop to all government ministries and departments.

Speaking earlier, ACC director for prevention and community education Kayobo Ng’andu said it is only through proper utilization of government resources that education quality can be enhanced.

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