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SADC approves a US$49m budget

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The SADC Council of Minister has approved the estimates of revenue and expenditure of over US$49 million for the 2008/2009 financial year.

This is compared to the US$45, 349, 000 which was allocated for the 2007/2008 financial year.

Chairperson for the SADC Council of Minister Kabinga Pande announced this at a press briefing in Lusaka today.

Mr. Pande said member states will contribute US$24, 770, 000 while international cooperating partners will contribute US$24, 434, 000 and US$680,000 will be generated from grants.

Mr. Pande, who is also Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, explained that the slight increase in the budget emanates from the increased activities in the process of regional economic integration activities.

He further revealed that the Council also looked at previous decisions such as the SADC international conference on poverty and development scheduled for mid March this year.

Mr. Pande said the Council also looked at the report on the SADC/EU economic partnership agreement processes and general other social reports.

Under the report, the SADC Council of Ministers Chairperson revealed that long-term projects would be implemented between 2008 and 2025 amounting to power generation of 44,000 megawatts at the cost of US$4.5 billion.

Mr. Pande said the SADC is committed to addressing the power shortages in the region by rehabilitating existing generating units in Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

And on the upcoming elections in the SADC region, Mr. Pande SADC stands with one resolve to ensure that all the electoral processes take place within the auspices of SADC guidelines of democratic, sustained peace, stability and security.

Misappropriation of public funds is on the decline – Noyoo

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Senanga District Commissioner Ikanuke Noyoo says government institutions have exercised prudence in the use of public resources under President Mwanawasa’s administration.

Speaking when Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Eduard Middeldorp paid a courtesy call on him, Mr. Noyoo said the culture of misappropriating public funds was on the decline in most government spending agencies.

He said people were slowly becoming responsible when dealing with public funds mainly due to President Mwanawasa’s stance on abuse of public resources.

And Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Edward Middeldorp said the donor community is impressed with government’s developmental agenda.

Mr. Middeldorp said government’s putting up of the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) was consistent with development and that it was only important to ensure resources trickle down to districts.

He is in Senanga to check on some projects and verify whether resources were filtering down to the lowest government functionaries at district level in some priority sectors.

Thursday Zambian Football Round-up

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MUNAILE TO CONTEST FAZ VP POST

Ex-Zanaco, Zambia international winger and former Faz spokesman Emmanuel Munaile has announced his intention to stand for the associations vice presidency.

Munaile declared his candidacy on the final day of filing in of nominations and just 24 hours after incumbent Faz president Teddy Mulonga confirmed he would recontest his position for a third term.

The former Zambia international will vie for the Faz vice presidency along side his fellow former spokesman Joseph Nkole and Simataa Simataa.

Munaile earlier served as a Faz executive committee member from 2000 to 2004 under the administration of Evaristo Kasunga.

And filing in of nominations will close at 17:00 today, Thursday February 28.

Voting for a new Faz executive committee to run Zambian football for the next four years will be held on March 29 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

CHIPUKIZI ARRIVE

Chipukizi today completed one of the longest road trips made this year to fulfill a Caf club competition fixture after ending a four-day trip from Zanzibar to Lusaka.

Green Buffaloes opponents in this weekend’s Caf Confederations Cup preliminary round match arrived in Lusaka at 04:00 Thursday after a four-day overland and ferry trip from Pemba Island.

Chipukizi have just a day to prepare themselves after their grueling road trip before facing Buffaloes on Saturday at Nkoloma Stadium in the return leg tie final match.

The visitors trail 5-0 from the first leg played on February 16 in Zanzibar.

Depo-Provera administering still on hold

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GOVERNMENT has not started re-administering Depo-Provera, an injectable contraceptive, in public health institutions until a report from manufacturers is received from the United States.

Women who started flocking to health centres after Health Minister, Brian Chituwo announced in Parliament that the contraceptive was safe, were being turned away.

Health ministry spokesperson, Canisius Banda, said in an interview yesterday that advice would soon be given to the recipients of Depo-Provera immediately a report from the manufacturers was received.

Dr Banda said in the meantime, clients were advised to consult the health care providers on what family planning options were freely available in public health facilities.

He said a thorough research by the ministry of Health found Depo-Provera safe and directives to resume the provision of the contraceptive was awaiting the report by the manufacturers.

The ministry of Health had earlier withdrawn Depo-Provera on suspicion that the drug contained traces of the HIV virus.

But Dr Chituwo had reassured the nation that scientific investigations had not shown any traces of the virus.

He emphasised that Depo-Provera was withdrawn from health institutions and quarantined pending the completion of scientific investigations and a report from the suppliers of the product.

Some women on Depo- Provera contraceptive in Ndola expressed unhappiness that they were being turned away at health care centres due to the unavailability of the contraceptive.

Some women spoken to said the health care providers told them that Depo-Provera was currently unavailable and they were being encouraged to use other contraceptives.

They said they did not understand why the contraceptive was unavailable and wondered whether its unavailability confirmed earlier suspicions that it was not safe.

Most women said they preferred Depo-Provera as a method of family planning because it was an injectible contraceptive as the other available contraceptives were orally taken.

Ndola District Health Management Team director, Kakungo Simpungwe, confirmed that the contraceptive was currently not available at the health care centres.

Dr Simpungwe said the health care providers were not turning the women away but were offering them alternative contraceptives.

She said her office was not aware of any complaints by the public but still urged the clients to take the available contraceptives in order not to disturb their family planning until Depo-Provera was available.
[Times of Zambia]

Chimumbwa has case to answer

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Former Nchanga Member of Parliament, Charles Chimumbwa, who is appearing in court for obtaining money by false pretences has been found with a case to answer.

Mr. Chimumbwa is accused of obtaining $35,000 from a Chinese national by false pretences.

Lusaka Resident Magistrate, Arida Chuulu, ruled in that the prosecution team has adduced sufficient evidence to put Mr. Chimumbwa on his defence.

On unknown dates but between September 2005 and January 2006, Mr. Chimumbwa the money from a named Chinese national by pretending he would supply him with Copper Cathodes.

Defence starts on April 10.

Mr. Chimumbwa was Nchanga Member of Parliament for the Patriotic Front (PF).

He later resigned to join the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) but failed to defend the seat in a by-election.

[ZNBC]

wrangles erupt between Gemstone Union, Chinese Coal mine management

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Confrontation of words erupted between Gemstone and Allied Workers Union President Sifuniso Nyumbu and the Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) Management in Sinazeze in Sinazongwe district over the workers representation.

The Chinese nationals openly rejected Mr. Nyumbu as the representative of the workers and accused him to have ordered the workers to stone them when one miner died on Monday.

“This guy is not good he is not our friend, we will not have allowed him to enter our premises if he had not come with the area Councilor Patson Mangunje, the workers also do not want him,” says CCM Shaft two Director Xu Zian Qun.

Mr. Qun said h e does not want the mine to have two unions representing the workers.

“It has never happened, we can not accept that,” Mr. Qun said while waving his hand in the air and looking at Mr Nyumbu with a wrinkled face.

However, Mr. Nyumbu said there were a lot of wrongs obtaining at the Chinese coal mine were the lowest worker was getting a K104 per day which is below the minimum wage under the Zambian labour laws.
He said despite entering into an agreement with Management to have the lowest worker getting K600, 000 per month by September last year they have failed to honour it.

Mr. Nyumbu accused Management to have hidden the three names of some workers who also injured under ground.
He said through three his investigations and verification at the Maamba Hospital he found that three workers were attended to but their names were not included in their report.
Mr. Nyumbu named the three injured workers in the presence of the Chinese management as Brian Siakalintini, Tano Siamwando, and Lewis Sinamugulu,

He said Mr. Sinamugulu took himself to Maamba Hospital without the help of Management and the xlay showed that he had four broken toes.

Senior Inspector of mines Under the Ministry of Mines Lubinda Kamutumwa told management that it was wrong for them to let the workers to go to the hospital alone after an accident.
Mr. Kamutumwa said the doctor from a hospital should examine the injured workers not their doctor who is not recognized under the Zambian laws.

Mr. Qun said their doctor told Mr Sinamugulu to rest for five days to allow his broken toes to heal.
[ZANIS]

Mining firms still fighting new tax

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Mining firms are still adamant about paying the new taxes proposed by government.

The Chamber of Mines has strongly argued that the new tax regime will undermine operations and sustainability of the mining industry.

Chamber of Mines General Manager, Frederick Bantubonse, made these remarks when his delegation appeared before the parliamentary estimates committee in Lusaka.

The mining investors have proposed an urgent meeting with government to review the levels of taxation before effecting the new tax.

Mr. Bantubonse and his team argued that the tax regime agreed upon through constructive dialogue will serve the interests of Zambians and the mining industry.

However, committee members led by Lusaka Central Patriotic Front Member of Parliament, Guy Scott critised the investors' delegation whom they accused of having returned to the committee in a very aggressive and confrontational manner.

The committee members were concerned that the mining investors had not made any proposals on the levels of taxation on their second return to the committee.

This prompted committee Chairperson, Godfrey Beene to direct the delegation to go back and consolidate their proposals on the tax regime to be resubmitted by Saturday.

The committte is expected to table its report on the proposed tax regime next Tuesday.

The mining firms that were represented include Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), First Quantum Minerals and Chambeshi NFC among others.

[ZNBC]

Chinese mine operates with no safety measures

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Safety Inspectors from the Ministry of mines have found that the Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) which has experienced three accidents within a week is operating without an ambulance, first Aid kit, and stretchers to attend to injured workers.

Senior Inspector of mines Lubinda Kamutumwa has told the Chinese Management to provide an ambulance, the first Aid kit, and stretchers before they resumed operation following the death of one miner under the ground.

Mr. Kamutumwa said when he visited the CCM to ascertain the death of Trywell Siapaka also failed to visit the accident scene owing to the absence of witnesses who were around when it occurred.

The Inspectors, together with, the area councilor Patson Mangunje, and the President for Germstone and Allied Workers Union Sifuniso Nyumbe found all the workers have deserted the mine to go and bury their dead colleague.

Mr. Kamutumwa has given management 10 days to buy a new ambulance for use in case of an accident.
He said safety was first thing to consider before embarking on mining any activity to prevent accidents that could in the long run affect production.

CCM Shaft two Director Xu Zian Qun said he would ensure that the ambulance was provided and in the meantime the mine has turned one of their vehicles into an ambulance.

Mr. Qun said the workers became unruly when their colleague died, they threw stones, broke the windows of vehicle, and threatened violence.

He said Sinazeze Police officers who came to pick up the body failed to control the situation and they were meant to hide the Chinese buildings.

Mr. Qun also complained that he was having problems with the local people who were cultivating within the mining area where they were cracks being formed as a result of underground mining.

He said the villagers were chasing his workers who wanted back fill the cracks to prevent water from the surface sip into the tunnels under ground.

The Senior Inspector said that it was illegal for villagers to have fields within the mining area and he has urged management to ensure that the cracks were filled to prevent further accidents underground.
[ZANIS]

Teddy Mulonga States His Intent

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Every aspirant has an equal chance in their bid to be president of the Football Association of Zambia (Faz) , incumbent Teddy Mulenga said.

 

Mulonga said this late Wednesday afternoon, February 27 at Football House during a press briefing where he announced his bid for a third term as Faz president.

 

“I think any of the aspirants has an equal chance and I respect their great attributes,” Mulonga said.

 

Mulonga said he was standing for re-election on the platform of continued development of football in Zambia adding that he was confident of his track record in the midst of difficult moments at Faz during his last four years in power.

 

“I am therefore offering myself for re-election as president of the Football Association of Zambia in order to provide for continuity and realization of Zambia’s dream.

 

Challenging Mulonga for the Faz top job are Lusaka Dynamos supremo Hanif Adams, Anthony Kasolo and current Faz vice president Kalusha Bwalya.

 

“They are all formidable opponents,” Muleonga added.

 

“But I fancy my chances but that doesn’t mean I underrates their attributes.”

 

With Mulonga’s announcement, the race to Football House is well and truly on.

 

Elections for a Faz executive will be held on March 29 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre during the association’s annual general meeting.

 

Mulonga, who was president from 1998 to 2000 before bouncing back in 2004 to date, is the fifth member of the current Faz executive to announce his candidature for reelection.

 

Others are current Faz spokesman Joseph Nkole who is expected to stand as vice president, technical committee chairman Henschel Chitembeya and Treasurer Rix Mweemba including vice president Bwalya

Wednesday Zambian Football Briefs

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Teddy Will Run

Faz president Teddy Mulonga has confirmed he will contest a third term as Zambia football chief.

Mulonga is expected later today to issue a comprehensive statement on his manifesto for a third term as he embarks on a second successive tenure as Faz boss.

His announcement today will bring to four the number of Faz presidecial candidates who currently include Lusaka Dynamos boss Hanif Adams, Anthony Kasolo and current Faz vice president Kalusha Bwalya.

Zambia International Defender Dies

Zambia national team defender Lloyd Mumba is dead.

Mumba, 26, died today February 27 in Lusaka after a short llness at his parent’s home in Chilenje South Township.

The player has been in Zambia since December 2 from his Hungarian second division club Papa Lombard.

Mumba’s last international call-up was in September 2006 for Zambia’s 2008 Africa Cup Group 11 qualifier against South Africa played in Lusaka on October 7.

His previous European team was German Bundesliga side Stuttgart whom he joined from Dynamos in 2002 and also had a brief spell in South Africa with Golden Arrows before heading to Hungary.

Zesco United Brief

CAF has given the go ahead to Zesco United to play their Caf Africa Champions League preliminary round return leg match URA of Uganda at Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola on March 1.

Zesco has been working around the clock since last December to get their home ground ready for certification by Caf to host their African club competition games.

Had the certification not come through, Zesco would have hosted URA at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.

This will be the first time Zesco will play an Africa cup competition game in Ndola after playing their 2006 Confederations Cup games at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.

And Zambia international midfielder Rainford Kalaba has signed a 12 month extension to his loan deal with Zesco from Division 1 north club Afrisports.

Kalaba has been at Zesco since July 2005 after a season with French Ligue 1 club Nice.

The 2007 Faz Footballer of The Year was also influential in Zesco’s debut Super Division title win.

Kalaba finished as Zesco’s joint top scorer at the club with 13 league goals along side striker Enoch Sakala.

Herbalist gets 18 years for defilement

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THE Kitwe High Court yesterday sentenced a traditional healer to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling an 11-year-old girl.

Judge Evans Hamaundu jailed Fredrick Chinyimba, 32 of New Kawama township after he was convicted of the offence by a magistrate’s court.

Chinyimba was referred to the High Court for sentencing after he was found guilty of the offence.

Facts of the case were that on June 14 last year, the girl was sleeping in the house, which her family was sharing with Chinyimba.

While in bed, the girl noticed that a man had sneaked in the room and forced himself on her.

She realised that it was Chinyimba who immediately threatened her and ordered not to raise alarm as he defiled her.

The following day in the morning the girl told her sister about what had happened after her brother-in-law and Chinyimba had gone out.

When her brother-in-law came back, the girl’s sister explained what had happened. The family then resolved to wait for Chinyimba to get back home so that they could question him.

And when Chinyimba returned later in the day, he admitted to have had sex with the girl and the relatives of the girl apprehended him and took him to the police.

The girl told the court that she was shouted at by her sister after she told her that she had taken a bath after the ordeal.

She was, however, taken to the hospital where it was discovered that her hymen was broken.

In defence, Chinyimba told the court that he knew nothing about the defilement and that the girl was tutored to lie in court.

And in mitigation he pleaded for leniency saying he was a first offender who required leniency

[Times of Zambia]

Judiciary delinked from the Executive

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The Ministry of Justice has concluded the process of de-linking the Judiciary from the Executive arm of government.

This means that the Judiciary will now operate autonomously and determine its own conditions of service.

Justice Minister, George Kunda said an autonomous judiciary will provide an efficient and effective administration of justice.

He was speaking in parliament, when he presented a statement on the estimates of revenue and expenditure for the judiciary this year.

Mr. Kunda however said the judiciary will still be linked to government through the Ministry of Justice.

He said government will continue funding the judiciary through the Ministry of Finance.

{ZNBC]

0ver 300 workers left jobless

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About 320 workers have been left jobless following the closure of a mining company in Chingola on the copperbelt.

JES mining Limited, which specialised in the extraction copper ore, has been closed because of financial problems.

The mining company has been operating for the last three years.

The company, which is owned by three partners from Zimbabwe is now under liquidation.

Labour Minister, Ronald Mukuma disclosed this in Parliament.

Mr Mukuma said the workers will be paid their terminal benefits.

[ZNBC]

East Africans Make Contrasting Journeys to Face Zed Opponents

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Zesco United and Green Buffaloes’ Africa club championships opponents from East Africa are traveling to Zambia this week in dramatic fashion.

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for one, arrived this morning from Kampala without head coach Frank “Video” Anyau ahead of Saturday Caf Africa Champions League preliminary round, final return leg match in Ndola.

Anyau was fired last night on the eve of their departure from Kampala.

This follows a three-match winless streak coming on the back of their 2-0 defeat against Zesco in the first leg played on February 16.

Also missing from the 23-member traveling party is URA top striker Ismail Kigoz who is serving an indefinite suspension for insulting a club official after URA’s loss in Zesco a fortnight ago.

URA will for this Saturday’s game against Zesco be under the temporal charge of their Uganda international goalkeeper Ibrahim Mugisha.

The team that arrived at Lusaka International Airport mid-morning today later traveled to Ndola by road.

Meanwhile Green Buffaloes Caf Confederations Cup opponents Chipukizi of Zanzibar will not fly to Lusaka for this weekend’s engagement.

Chipukizi however, has embarked on a grueling thousand mile transcontinental journey from Pemba Island to Lusaka.

They began their long overland journey from Zanzibar by ferry to the Tanzanian mainland before taking the long road trip down to the Great North Road to Lusaka.

Buffaloes lead the first leg 5-0 and are set to wrap-up their 1st round qualification this weekend where they are likely to face Highlanders of Zimbabwe.

Highlanders host Clube Ferroviário de Nampula of Mozambique whom they lead 3-0 from the 1st leg played a fortnight ago.

ZESCO seeks $600 million for upgrades

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ZESCO is talking to financiers from Japan, India and western countries about a $600 million financing package needed to boost power output, a senior industry official said on Tuesday.

Monica Chisela, ZESCO senior manager for marketing and public relations, said the $600 million would be initial funding for power projects which are anticipated to cost a total $2 billion to raise power output to 2,500 megawatts.

Chisela said ZESCO was negotiating with export credit agencies, the World Bank and other financiers.

“ZESCO is sourcing funds from Development Financial Institutions like the African Development Bank, World Bank . . . export credit agencies like India Exim (and) Japan Exim,” Chisela told Reuters.

Chisela said ZESCO planned to raise power generation to fix a deficit which has forced industry to reduce output.

“In the short to medium term, about $600 million capital investment is required by ZESCO and over $2 billion capital investment is required in the long term,” Chisela said.

Chisela said infrastructure expansion was already in progress and that it was being done under a government-driven power rehabilitation project (PRP).

She said the country’s largest power project would be the Kafue Gorge Lower, which is estimated to cost $1 billion. The government has engaged the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, to undertake a feasibility study.

“It is anticipated that, under the current cost estimates, it will cost about $1 billion to construct Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station,” Chisela said.

Chisela said expansions and upgrades at the other two power stations, the Kafue Gorge and Kariba North Bank were expected to be completed in December 2008.

“It has been estimated that developing the Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station will cost $230 million and construction works will commence before the end of 2008,” Chisela said of the project awarded to Tata Group of South Africa and targeted to be completed by 2012.

Zambia, like many other southern African countries, has been hit by power outages which have forced copper and cobalt mines to scale down production.

Officials say the country cannot meet demand from the mining and agriculture sectors, where expansion in the last couple of years has not been matched by investments in power generation.

ZESCO data shows that 772 megawatts is currently generated from a capacity of 1,300 megawatts, while total Zambia power demand is 1,600 megawatts.

“The current maximum demand is 1,600 megawatts and it is anticipated to reach 2,500 megawatts in the next five years,” Chisela said.

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