The $400 million the government seeks to earn via a new windfall tax from copper exports this year will not benefit miners unless the government slashes the 35 percent personal income tax, unions said on Monday.

The Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MuZ) and National Union of Mining and Allied Workers (Numaw) said the proposed tax would not directly benefit the workers because the funds would be spent on national projects.

President Levy Mwanawasa said on Friday that Zambia would introduce a mining tax in 2008 that should earn $400 million in revenue and effectively increase mining taxes to 47 percent from 31.7 percent.

Head of the MuZ Rayford Mbulu said his union would propose a cut in the 35 percent personal income tax miners in the copper and cobalt mines pay because the funds to be raised from windfall mining tax would cover loss of revenue by the Treasury.

“We now want the government to reduce personal income tax which is 35 percent of gross pay, including allowances so that the workers can benefit directly from the money the government will raise. The government should cushion the impact of high tax,” Mbulu told Reuters.

Numaw general secretary Albert Mando said miners were going to benefit only if the bulk of the revenue the government would collect was spent on improving facilities in mining areas.

“We pay too much tax as people who produce the copper and we require some kind of cushion on tax, we want the government to address this in the budget this year. We would be glad if most of the money was spent on improving mine townships,” Mando added.

Mbulu said the workers were “paying too much” in personal income tax while the owners of the Zambia’s vast copper and cobalt mines paid less tax to the Treasury.

Government data shows that Zambia in 2007 collected $142 million in mineral royalty and company tax from earnings of $4.7 billion in copper and cobalt exports by foreign owners of the copper and cobalt mines, which employ over 50,000 workers.

The government has been pressured by unions over the past few years to spread the gains of its copper wealth to workers in the vital industry, the backbone of Zambia’s economy.

Mwanawasa said the hike in taxes sought to address those concerns as the government planned to spend the additional resources on sectors such as education and health.

A Catholic priest in Luapula Province has been implicated in a case of deflowering a 15-year-old school girl while he served at Samfya’s Twingi Parish.

And the uncle to the girl has vowed to take the involved priest to court for failing to settle K3
million outside court settlement for the deflowering case.

Mr Eric Sinyangwe, a teacher at Twingi High school, told ZANIS in interview today that he intends to take Father Bwalya Kanakwenda to court over the K3 million he agreed to pay for deflowering the virginity of his niece.

Mr Sinyangwe said last year in October Fr Kanakwenda allegedly detained his in niece at Twingi parish and repeatedly had sex with her.

He said he discovered that her niece aged 15 years was not in school but allegedly staying with Fr Kanakwenda at the parish house after pupils at Twingi high school protested over the behaviour of the priest.

Mr Sinyangwe said he had wanted to report the matter to police for defilement but the Parish Council at Twingi pleaded with him to settle the matter outside court.

He said the matter was then reported to the Mansa Diocese Vicar General a Father Mpansa who arranged for a settlement outside court.

He said at a meeting held at his home in the presence of the Vicar, the Parish Council Chairman for Twingi and then Twingi High school deputy headmaster, Fr Kanakwenda allegedly accepted the case and agreed to pay K3 million as settlement.

According to Mr Sinyangwe the priest even paid K100,000 as payment accepting the case and was
supposed to make the initial instalment on the K3 million in November.

However, he said the priest who has since been transferred has allegedly failed to make any payment towards the K3 million.

He complained that efforts for the Bishop’s office in Mansa to establish the whereabouts of Fr Kanakwenda has proved futile.

Mr Sinyangwe said he is now very bitter and he has no option but to sue Fr Kanakwenda so that
the priest can be fished from his hiding and made to pay the K3 million settlement for deflowering a
15-year-old girl’s virginity.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has advised Zambians to vote for a credible leader in 2011 who will stir the country’s development forward.

UPND National Chairperson for Women Affairs Masela Sekeseke-Chinyama said at a card renewal exercise in Livingstone yesterday that Zambians had to pay through the nose for health and education facilities because of the mismanagement of the Zambian economy under the Chiluba regime.

”We have now learnt a lesson that come 2011, we want to put an honest person who is not going to put money into their pockets,” she said.

And Ms Chinyama said the UPND will strive to stand for unity and will not allow any discrimination because it wants to attract other provinces to the party.

She said so far, the party had managed to capture Eastern province and was currently working towards attracting Northern and Luapula provinces.

Ms Chinyama also noted that whilst other political parties were busy fighting for positions and money, UPND wants to remain united adding that without unity, it would be difficult to develop the country.

She said there was need for people to rally behind UPND president Hakainde Hichilema as he was not only educated but honest and loving as well.

Ms Chinyama noted that once UPND came into power, no resident would be able to rent houses as all people will be able to live in their own houses. She also observed that the UPND once in power would build all people above eighteen years their own homes so that they do not keep their children within their parent’s homes.

Speaking earlier, UPND Provincial Chairman for Southern Province Gideon Shakalima said there was need to maintain the popularity of the party so that more votes could be amassed in 2011.

At the same function, former MMD Member Fred Chunga who has since defected to the UPND thanked the UPND district committee for co-opting him into the committee and pledged to work hard in the party.

Among those who defected to UPND were former United Liberal Party constituency chairperson Gloria Shamate and Mr Bowas Maseka.

Government has said it has put in place specific measures that will ensure that over enrolment in government schools is reduced.

Education Minster Geoffrey Lungwagwa said this yesterday when he carried out an inspection tour of the Ndola Girls Technical High School in Ndola yesterday.

Professor Lungwangwa explained that government had plans of building similar Technical Girls high schools in all the provincial towns in the country.

He explained that the gesture was aimed at decongesting government schools as well as empowering the girl child to enable her to contribute to the development of the country.

“It is one of the steps that government has put in place to reduce congestion and also to meet part of the gender balancing requirements for the country,” he said.

He further said that it was the wish of the government to ensure that it had a knowledge driven economy to which the female folk would play a major role.

And Copperbelt Provincial Education Officer (PEO) Muyambo Kamutumwa said most works at the Ndola Girls Technical High School were completed and that only finishing touches were remaining.

Mr Kamutumwa said teachers for earmarked subjects at the school had already been identified but that the head teacher had not yet been identified as the Provincial Permanent Secretary Mrs Jennifer Musonda had advised that a Catholic nun be identified because most nuns made very good administrators.

The PEO however said the school had not yet been electrified despite paying ZESCO in September last year.

The School, the first of its kind in the country, is set to open later this year and will house about 650 boarders.

Science Technology and Vocational Training Permanent Secretary, Buleti Nsemukila has denied the report in today’s Post Newspaper alleging that he harassed a male nurse at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) over admission fees.

Dr Nsemukila said he is shocked at the nurse (Yandikani Miti) malicious report to the management of UTH which he leaked to the post newspaper in order to distort his image.

He noted that although he expressed anger at the conduct of the male nurse who refused to treat his daughter, Wezi until payment was made, he denies verbally or physically harassing the nurse.

In a statement made available to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today, Dr Nsemukila noted that as a medical demographer, he has spent half of his career working with nurses and other medical staff adding that he could not have exhibited himself in the manner he was described by the nurse.

“I have written books together with medical personnel on various medical conditions affecting Zambians and I can not believe that a clinical personnel could describe my character the way he did” Dr Nsemukila said.

Dr Nsemukila explained that on the day of the incident, he personally requested to speak to Mr. Miti in his office accompanied by his fellow nurses in order to avoid the misrepresentation that Mr. Miti has given his management adding that his fellow nurses can testify to the fact that he was never harassed.

He observed that Mr. Miti fabricated the story in his defence after he learnt that UTH management was investigating him for the misconduct.

Dr Nsemukila further denies reports that he used abusive language towards the UTH Managing Director, Peter Mwaba.

He said Dr Mwaba is an old friend of his and has been their family doctor for a long time adding that he would never use abusive language against him.

“Just last evening (13th January, 2008), I was the guest of honor to a wedding of Dr Mwaba’s nephew, Fred Nghandwe, so how could I have done that,” Dr Nsemulika said.

A story in today’s post newspapers states that Dr Nsemukila last Tuesday verbally and physically harassed a UTH male nurse over a dispute on admission fees.

The incident occurred at the UTH’s paramedic section when Dr Nsemukila’s wife took their daughter, Wezi, to the hospital for treatment on January 8th. 2008.

President Levy Mwanawasa has called for the disciplining of police officers who are allegedly inciting the public to rebel against public order so as to disadvantage his administration and instead, advance the cause of some opposition political parties.

And Dr. Mwanawasa has implored the Zambia Police Service to work towards ensuring that there was peace and security in the country all the time if the country was to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Dr. Mwanawasa said he was aware that some police officers were campaigning for some political parties when they were supposed to be loyal to the government of the day.

He said some people, including some police officers, have been tempted to think that they would be better off under a different administration other than the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

The President was speaking last night at the delayed 2007 Zambia Police Superior Officers’ Annual Ball held at Lilayi Superior Officers’ Mess. The theme of the annual ball was “Policing toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Zambia”.

“I have heard and seen officers who deliberately incite the people to rebel against public order so as to disadvantage this administration. I do hope, Mr. Inspector General, that a few of our officers who are turning the name of the police service in this way will either reform for better or be kicked out of the service,” he said.

Dr. Mwanawasa further said his government’s efforts and achievements in improving Zambia’s economy have not been appreciated by some people because the problems were numerous at the time his administration took over power in 2002.

“In fact, I can say that when we came into power more than six years ago, the country was at its knees and poverty was choking the majority of our people. What we have done is merely to scratch the problem, and there is great temptation for our people in whatever status they occupy, to think that their lives will be better under a different administration,” he said.

He added, “…and so some of our unfortunate compatriots easily get swayed in fighting the government of the day in the hope that they will be receiving manna from heaven when this administration is removed from power”.

Dr. Mwanawasa pointed out that it was unfortunate that the police service was not spared from “this fantasy”.

He said government deploys police officers during elections to ensure smooth, free and fair elections but some officers have taken advantage of such an opportunity to decampaign the government in power.

“Unfortunately, the few bad eggs use this occasion as an ideal opportunity for them to campaign for one opposition party or another,” he said.

He said his administration was working hard to improve the living standards of people despite several challenges.

“The truth is that campaigning against the ruling administration in this fashion can throw the police service from a room of white ants to one of red ants,” he said.

And Dr. Mwanawasa has said his government’s efforts towards achieving the MDGs by 2015 would prove futile if the country was not enjoying peace and security.

He said being a government wing that should guarantee security, the police service should step up their role of keeping law and order in the country for it to have a conducive developmental environment.

“Therefore, the police service has a unique but vital role to ensure that the nation continues to be in a state of peace and security. For it is only in such an environment that a truly healthy and prosperous nation could emerge,” he said.

The superior police officers are those from the rank of Assistant Superintendent through to the Inspector General of Police.

Dr. Mwanawasa said for Zambia to attain the MDGs by 2015, it was important to revisit the MDGs in order to examine the role of the police service in assisting government to reach the goals for the betterment of the country.

The President has since directed the police service to establish a unit within the police service which would deal with vices of child defilement and rape in the country.

He said he was deeply concerned about the safety of children in the country, especially that there were a lot of rapists in communities these days.

He observed that the vice was rampant because there was no department or unit that dealt with matters of crimes against children.

“I therefore direct that a special unit within the police service be created to undertake such duties. The unit should be user-friendly to the child by providing an environment where the child will feel safe and protected,” he said.

Dr. Mwanawasa hoped the unit would be operational before the end of this year.

He said defilers and rapists were derailing government’s fight against HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa said he would like to see all police officers accommodated before he leaves office in 2011.

He said it was for this reason that government would this year, construct 1,500 housing units for the police service.

Earlier, Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo said the police service would this year employ 1,500 police officers, 300 of whom would have trade and professional certificates.

Mr. Mateyo said the police is targeting to employ, among other professions, brick layers, nurses, and medical doctors.

He said the brick layers would help construct hundreds of housing units for police officers in the country while nurses and doctors would work in the police hospital which would be opened soon in Sikanze camp.

And Mr. Mateyo said police was an important wing in driving the country towards achieving MDGs by 2015.

He said the police would put in place effective and efficient policing methods that would create an enabling environment for economic development.

“Otherwise, the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals will be a pipe dream. In a nutshell, economic growth and effective community policing are interrelated for it is impossible to record success in a crime-prone country or region,” he said.

He thanked government for the support the service received last year, saying without such support, the police would not have achieved the goals it had set for itself.

The Auditor General, Anna Chifungula, has released her interim report on Tomorrow Investment to President Levy Mwanawasa according to the presidential directive.

Public Relations Officer in the office of the Auditor Genral, Ellen Chikale, told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the report was submitted last Friday to the President for his scrutiniy and further action. Copies of the report were also released to other investigative wings of government for their perusal.

As a result of findings on Tomorrow Investment, the Auditor General has also extended investigations to other firms that have been awarded government contracts in the country.

A sample of other contracts awarded to other firms by government also revealed poor performance and other anomalies.

“In my view, I feel the investigations have to be on all firms that have been receiving government contracts. For instance, one wonders why in one place a contract is terminated due to poor performance in one province, and in another, a contract is awarded to the same firm to carry out works in a different province.

“These involve billionsof Kwacha that are being awarded to firms despite them being cited as having performed poorly,” the Auditor Genral observed.

In her report, Ms Chifungula adds, “These and many more issues are what we feel we should dwell into and exhaust all investigations of other firms being awarded contracts by government in the country.”

The office of the Auditor General will keep the public informed of its findings once the reports are tabled in parliament.

Last week, President Levy Mwanawasa directed the office of the Auditor General to institute investigations on Tomorrow Investment, a local construction firm, for allegedly performing poor work in several parts of the country while continuouly being awarded government contracts.

Meanwhile,

Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo has said the Police Service last year arrested a total of 202 suspected copper thieves and recovered stolen copper valued at K1.5 billion.

Mr. Mateyo said this was as a result of the creation of a special police wing aimed at curbing rampant copper thefts on the Copperbelt Province.

He said the wing was created to prevent, investigate and institute arrests of suspected copper thieves following rampant copper thefts in the province.

He said out of the 202 arrests of suspected copper thefts, 71 people were convicted, 51 were still pending, and 10 were acquitted while three cases were withdrawn from court.

Mr. Mateyo was speaking at Lilayi Superior Officers’ Mess during the 2007 delayed Superior Officers’ Annual Ball, which was graced by President Levy Mwanawasa.

Mr. Mateyo also disclosed that during 2007, the police service scored several achievements, one of which was the retraining of 300 middle management police officer.

He said these officers in turn transmitted the knowledge they acquired to their subordinate officers.

“This programme will continue and will be extended to sergeants, sub-inspectors and eventually to top management” he said.

He said some officers were performing poorly in their duties because of lack of in-service training in the police service, hence the introduction of the retraining programme.

He added that 19 police officers from the Southern African Community Development (SADC) member countries were also trained in November last year.

Mr. Mateyo also said police officers serving in peace keeping missions abroad were performing well.

He said the service would continue providing officers for such missions once called upon.

The Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament participating in the National Constitution Conference (NCC) have distanced themselves from allegations that they are plotting to oust party president, Michael Sata and replace him with Second Republican President, Dr Frederick Chiluba.

And the PF MPs participating in the NCC have accused Patriotic Front Spokesperson Given Lubinda of creating a wedge between the PF members of Parliaments for participating in the NCC, their Constituents and PF supporters.

Addressing Journalists in Lusaka today, group spokesperson Dr Peter Machungwa who refuted claims made by the PF top leadership that the PF members participating in the NCC want to form a splinter group, said the party is desperately trying to create a pretext or grounds to level new charges on them.

Dr Machungwa described Mr Lubinda’s allegations as very serious and libelous, adding that Mr Lubinda’s allegations are meant to be sued as a basis for the expulsion of the PF members participating in the NCC.

He said their participation in the NCC is aimed at making an input in the constitution process and ensure that the NCC comes up with the provisions that will answer and safeguard the interests of the Zambian people.

Dr Machungwa said it is unfortunate for the PF top leadership to allege that the NCC participants will put into the Constitution a provision that would bar PF President Michael Sata from contesting the Presidential race because of his age.

He further noted that their participation into the NCC was aimed at ensuring that discriminatory clauses that do not benefit the people of Zambia are not part of the Constitution.

And Dr Machungwa has cautioned MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba not to gain political mileage and cause confusion out of the current difference in the PF over participation in the NCC.

Dr Machungwa further cautioned Mr Tetamashimba not to be a political propagandist predicting doom for all opposition political parties, especially the PF.

He dispelled allegations made by Mr Tetamashimba that PF members attending the NCC are about to form a new political party together with some MMD members.

Dr Machungwa explained that if there is a group in the PF planning to form a political party with MMD or any other group, then it is not from the PF members participating in the NCC as PF members participating in the NCC were still party members.

He said it was sad and extremely unfortunate that the Second Republican President has been drawn into the party’s internal differences.

Dr Machungwa further said the fact that the former President Chiluba has stated that participating in the on-going constitutional making process is important and desirable should not suddenly turn him into an enemy of the PF leadership.

And Chifunabuli PF member of parliament, Ernest Mwansa, said there was nothing wrong for PF members to participate in the NCC as the party had started participating in the NCC since its inception.

The Patriotic Front (PF) has accused some of its Members of Parliament of plotting to oust Party President, Michael Sata and replace him with Second Republican President Dr Frederick Chiluba who they would float for the State Presidency in the 2011 elections.

Serenje district council yesterday took to task a branch MMD official who has allegedly been giving plots illegally to people at a fee at TAZARA compound.

And Council Chairman, Cletus Malupanga, has blamed council management for failure to carry out council decisions such as demolishing illegal structures at TAZARA compound.

Mr. Tunnel Mambwe admitted having given out 22 plots illegally at between K200,000 and K250,000 to people who have built grass thatched houses.

A team of council officials comprising of Mr. Malupanga, council secretary, Yaphet Simpamba and director of works Vincent Phiri, yesterday meet Mr. Mambwe over the matter.

The officials intended to have Mr. Mambwe arrested for illegal distribution of plots without the knowledge of the council but said they were still contemplating the way forward.

Mr. Simpamba explained that Mr. Mambwe had earlier told the team that he was given authority by agricultural officials to demarcate the land that was near the farmers training centre.

When District Agricultural Coordinator (DACO) Kennedy Mulenga was called in to explain, he denied the matter.

Council chairman, Mr. Malupanga said it was sad that the council failed to arrest the situation because the management failed to implement the decision made in the last full council meting where it was resolved that illegal structures be demolished.

Mr. Malupanga who said this had been going on since 2002, pointed out that although the decision to demolish the structures was not carried out accordingly, his council would sit to ensure that the decision was implemented.

‘’These are the results of failing to implement what you decide to do. Because of the delay to implement the decision, Mr. Mambwe took it that he was doing the right thing and went on unchecked,’’ he said.

Mr. Mambwe pleaded with the council officials not to have him locked up saying he had orphans to look after who would suffer if he was locked up.

When asked where he took the money he raised from the sale of the plots, Mr. Mambwe said some of it went towards the repair of the bridge that links Zambia compound to TAZARA compound while some of it was squandered.

And District Commissioner, Musonda Chunga, said it was unfortunate that some people took the law into their own hands even when they knew that the council was the custodian of the land in the township.

He said it was important that there was sanity in land distribution through the council.

Meanwhile, Serenje Central Constituency acting MMD chairman, Kennedy Kango said the party did not support in any way Mr. Mambwe in his illegal deeds.