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Kapiri Glass Products re-opens next year

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THE Kapiri Glass Products (KGP) will be in operation next year, Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Dora Siliya said in a Parliament yesterday.

Ms Siliya said this in response to Roan member of Parliament (MP) Chishimba Kambwili (PF) who wanted to know why the new owner of the company, Chimsoro Milling, was not opening the company.

She said after a German company that bought it earlier failed to open it, the company was sold to Chimsoro Milling who commissioned a feasibility study to determine the viability of the firm.

She said US$13 million was required to restart the company and that the owner of the company had identified technical partners while Zambian companies had shown willingness to assist with funds.

“There are no plans to revoke the sale because Chimsoro Milling has assured Government that by next year it will open the glass manufacturing company,” she said.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati said Chimsoro Milling, a Zambian company, should be given credit for its efforts to re-open the company when German investors failed.

Mines Deputy Minister Maxwell Mwale told Parliament that Government would earn an estimated K2.4 trillion from Chibuluma Mine, Nchanga Open Pit and Mindolo Shaft by the time copper deposits would be finished.

Mr Mwale said the three mines shared 64.7 million tonnes of copper with Chibuluma having an eight-year life-span, Nchanga 14 years and Mindolo 17 years.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande said the Government would this year open a mission in Malaysia in an effort to enhance economic interaction, especially that the same country was also planning to establish a Multi-Facility Zone in Zambia.

Mr Pande said his ministry was also planning to open up a national secretariat for the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) for it to oversee the implementation of programmes.

Pemba MP David Matongo (UPND) advised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should explain to critics that the new mining tax regime would not affect Zambia’s international relations.

And Defence Deputy Minister Mwendoi Akakandelwa told the House that 22 Zambian soldiers died on duty while on peacekeeping missions from 2002 to 2007 and US$50,000 was paid by the United Nations as compensation to their families.

[Times of Zambia]

Three miners injured at Chinese coal Mine

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Three people have been injured at the Chinese Collum coal mine when the rocks under the ground fell on them in Sinazeze in Southern Province.

One of the injured workers, Jerical Siankuku told ZANIS at his bed side in Maamba Hospital that the rocks fell on them as they were trying to drill underground to extract coal.

Siankuku said the rock fell on his back borne and the legs.
He named the other injured workers as Syndicate Ijeki who was injured on the collar borne while Member Chifwela sustained bruises on his head and the collar borne.

Siankuku noted that the safety at the mine was inadequate as several accidents occur at the mine without being reported and the victims were not even compensated.

“Right now if my backborne won’t be healed I am doomed for life because several of my friends who are crippled have not been compensated,” Siankuku bemoaned.

Nkandabbwe ward Councillor Patson Mangunje confirmed the development that it was unfortunate that the Chinese coal Collum mine were failing to observe safety measures to protect miners underground.

He reaffirmed that the Chinese were failing to compensate the injured workers adding that the mine has not paid the three miners who were crippled last year as result of the underground accidents.
Mr. Mangunje condemned the Mine Safety Inspectors for failing to conduct proper inspection at the Chinese mine because two days after their inspections the accident occurred on Monday.
He alleged that the inspectors only visits management and fail to talk to workers who were the most affected when accidents occur.
[ZANIS]

PF takes back Kanyama

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The Patriotic Front (PF) has scooped the Kanyama by- election.

PF candidate Gerry Chanda beat seven other contenders in a closely fought election.

Col. Chanda polled 3,834 followed by Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Mwalimu Simfukwe with 3,393.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Harrison Mukupa got 2,807, United Liberal Party (ULP) Elizabeth Phiri got 533 votes.

Others are United National Independence Party (UNIP)Hursty Mwachilele who got 373, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Davis Kasanga had 122, All People’s Congress Party, president Kenny Ngondo managed 128 votes.

The New Generation PArty (NGP) candidate got 32 votes.

Total number of votes cast were 12502, 178 were rejected.

The Kanya,a seat fell vacant last year following the death of its Member of Parliament – Henry Mtonga

Unites States of Africa is possible

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Former President, Kenneth Kaunda says the continent is on the move to realise the dream of a United States of Africa.

Dr. Kaunda said regional groupings like COMESA, SADC and Economic Community for West African States are working towards achieving this goal.

He said although he would like to see the dream achieved quickly there are a lot of things involved and that it takes a lot of time to achieve that goal.

Dr. Kaunda appealed to Africans to be patient as African leaders are determined to achieve the one Africa dream.

He said for a long time women have been marginalised all over the world and that slave trade negatively affected black Americans in the United States of America.

This is why he was happy that two people coming from two different marginalised groups are running for President in the USA.

He said it was pleasing to see that Barack Obama a Black American and Hillary Clinton a woman are running for the Presidency.

Thursday Zambian Football Round-Up

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Former Zambia international midfielder Gift Kampamba has rejoined promoted Nkana seven years after he left the club to play abroad.

Kampamba has began training with the team with Nkana officials confirming that the midfield will be registered for the 2008 campaign.

He was influential in Nkana’s two league title wins in 1999 before signing with Sundown’s in mid 2000 after some an impressive performance against the Pretoria club in the Caf Africa Champions League.

The midfielder left Nkana in 2000 on a journey that took him to South Africa where he played for Mamelodi Sundowns for three seasons before moving to Russian club Rostov.

He had a brief stint in Malaysia in 2005 before moving back to South Africa where he played for City Pillars.

Kampamba played for the Zambia national team from 2000 to 2005.

In other news, striker Elson Mkandawire set to miss Saturdays Charity Shield semifinal match against Kabwe Warriors due to injury.

Mkandawire is a subject of a dispute between Zesco and his club Power Dynamos whom he left in the off-season for the defending league champions.

He has received temporal clearance from Power to play in Zesco’s Caf Africa Champions League games while the Kitwe club and Zesco resolve their impasse over his transfer.

Mkandawire scored on his debut for Zesco last Saturday against Uganda Revenue Authority in their first leg, preliminary round meeting in the Caf Africa Champions League game played in Kampala.

Zesco won the game 2-0 and will host URA in Ndola next Saturday in the final return leg.

Zambia to Erect Dry Port at Walvis Bay

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The Zambian Government is in the process of constructing a dry port at Walvis Bay port on a piece of land offered by the Namibian government, parliament heard yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, Fashion Phiri, said yesterday that Namibia had offered Zambia a piece of land on which to construct a dry port for the benefit of Zambia’s importers and exporters.

He said in response to a question by Bweengwa MP, Highvie Hamududu, who wanted to know whether Government had started constructing a dry port at Walvis Bay. Prof Phiri said initially, the piece of land was offered for free in principle but later, there was change that the same land would be acquired at a cost.

He, however, said that the two governments last year signed a memorandum of understanding on an agreement that Namibia offered the land and facilitated the construction of the dry port. Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, assured Mr Hamududu that Government was interested in the dry port and had this year allocated some funds towards the project.

And Kabwata MP, Given Lubinda, (PF), urged the executive to adequately fund the commission of investigations for it to attain millennium development goals and improve good governance.

Mr Lubinda said the public should also know the location of the commission and that staffing levels should also be increased.

Zambia Ranked as the World’s Most Improved Economy

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The ranking of Zambia as number one among the ten most improved economies in the world by the Global Economic Weekly has cheered the Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ)

EAZ President Mwilola Imakando told ZANIS in an interview today that the report by the Global Economic Weekly represents a fair and objective view of Zambia’s economic growth.

Mr. Imakando said the country deserves the rank because all productive sectors of the economy have continued to register considerable growth of about five percent.

He, however, called on government to ensure that the agricultural sector is improved in order to register a growth of more than five to six percent.

Mr. Imakando added that government should effectively facilitate the private sector for it to take the lead in economic development.

He cited the textile industry as one of the sectors that need more of government’s attention to bring out its potential.

Recently, the Global Economic Weekly ranked Zambia number one among the ten most improved economies in the world based on macroeconomic, political, technological and human capital factors.

Zambia was one of the four African countries out of the ten most improved countries assessed based on growth environment scores.

Levy treatment takes K6b

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Only K6 billion has been allocated to President Mwanawasa in this year’s budget towards his general treatment abroad and medical fees.

This is against the K48 billion which has been suggested as having been allocated, by the Patriotic Front.

Chief government spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti said this in a statement to ZNBC News.

Mr. Mulongoti said he does not understand how the PF leader arrived at the figure when the total allocation to state house is only K21 billion.

He said it is illogical for any one to make statements before getting facts right.

Mr. Sata is quoted as having said that government has allocated K48 billion towards President Mwanawasa’s medical expenses.

Classroom block collapses as pupils go for break

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Dozens of pupils escaped death when a one by three community school block collapsed in Mwinilunga district shortly after the pupils went for break in Chief Chibwika’s area.

Comfirming the sad development to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in an interview, Chibwika UPND ward councillor, Fordwell Chikondu, said no one was hurt when Muwozi community school collapsed due to the heavy rains experienced in the area.

“ Muwozi community school has collapsed in my ward due to the heavy rains we experienced in the area,” he said.

Councillor Chikondu explained to ZANIS that the pupils have been left in the cold and without a school.

However, the councillor said arrangements have been made for the pupils to start learning in a near by church building.

Councillor Chikondu has appealed for assistance from the Ministry of Education to assist by rebuilding the community school soon.

He noted that at the moment the community has no financial strength to build a new community school without the assistance of the government.

The councillor said the community school in question has played a major role in breaking illiteracy levels among the pupils in the area.

Meanwhile Councillor Chikondu has appealed to the World Food Programe (WFP) to consider allocating relief aid to Chibwika ward.

Councillor Chikondu explained that families have been hit with hunger following last year’s floods that affected the area.

“In my ward people are suffering because of last year’s floods. We need to be assisted with relief aid,” he said.

The councillor maintained that the relief aid will assist to cushion the hunger situation in the area.

He said some families are walking long distances in the quest to source food from the chief’s palaces.

“Some families are walking long distances just to look for food from the chiefs’ palaces. The situation is bad,” he noted.

Levy warns Kanyama residents to be wary of selfish opposition leaders

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President Levy Mwanawasa has warned the people of Zambia to be wary of people who were determined to mislead them for the sake of getting into power.

Dr. Mwanawasa also asked Zambians to think about what his government has done to better their living standards in the last six years he has been in power.

He was speaking today in Kanyama constituency when he addressed a campaign rally to drum up support for the MMD candidate in tomorrow’s by-election, Mwalimu Simfukwe.

Dr. Mwanawasa said a named political party leader has alleged that government had allocated State House K48 billion in this year’s budget for his treatment abroad.

He said this was not true and that the statement was made by Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata in an effort to gain political mileage.

He regretted that some people were abusing the freedom of expression by misleading the public and insulting the president.

Dr. Mwanawasa, however, said freedom of expression was good because it exposed liars to the public to judge and understand them.

He said leaders aiming at misleading the public in order to discredit others should not be allowed to rule the country.

He said fears by Mr. Sata that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) might introduce a law that would bar him from standing for presidency in 2011 on account of age were baseless.

“Let Sata stand, if you bar him, you will be making a name for him. In fact make it 140 years,” he said as people applauded.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mwanawasa has reiterated that the electricity power outages and load shedding being experienced in the country was a sad development for it is affecting, not only the economy but lives of people at domestic level.

He said ZESCO should quickly find a solution to the problem but warned Zambians against putting the blame on the electricity generating company alone.

He said the problem was being experienced through out the Southern African region due to an increase in industries and other activities, which use electricity.

Dr. Mwanawasa, who is also Chairman for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said to this end, he has called for a meeting of chief executives of electricity generating companies, ministers of energy and ministers of foreign affairs to discuss how the problem could be solved.

Earlier, Kanyama by-election campaign manager for the MMD, Brian Chituwo told the rally that there was no allocation of K48 billion in the budget for President Mwanawasa’s treatment abroad this year.

Brandishing a budget book, commonly known as a “yellow book” in his hands, Dr. Chituwo said there was only K6.2 billion set aside this year for specialized treatment abroad for all people holding constitutional offices in the country.

He said the K6.2 billion covered both the president and other people that would need specialized treatment outside Zambia.

Last year, government had allocated K4.3 billion for the same purpose.

“Alleging that government has allocated K48 billion for President Mwanawasa’s medical expenses abroad is a total lie. This is a true fabrication and we must dismiss it with contempt it deserves,” Dr. Chituwo, who is also Minister of health said.

The Kanyama by-election takes place tomorrow.

The Kanyama constituency, which fell vacant in December last year after the death of area MP, Henry Mtonga, is being contested by seven political parties.

The opposition Patriotic Front is fielding Gerry Chanda, the United Party for National Development is fielding Harrison Mukupa while David Kasanga has stood on the Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) ticket.

Others contesting the seat are hasty Mwachilele of the former ruling party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenny Ngondo for All People’s Congress (APC), Elizabeth Phiri for United Liberal Party (ULP) and New Generation Party’s (NGP) Chushi Mwewa.

Meanwhile, about 100 members mainly from the UPND, PF and FDD have defected to the MMD.

A Representative of defectors, Edify Shanambe, who was UPND deputy provincial youth chairman, said the MMD was the only party that meant well in the country.

Mr. Shanambe has since pledged support to the ruling party.

New copper deposits found

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New copper deposits have been discovered in Masaiti and Mpongwe on the copperbelt.

Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Jennifer Musonda disclosed this in Ndola.

Mrs. Musonda said there are currently increasing explorations and mineral surveys in all the towns in the province.

She said this when Science and Technology Permanent Secretary, Bullet Nsemukila who is on a tour of learning institutuions under his ministry, called on her.

Mrs. Musonda said the economy on the copperbelt looks set for growth following enhanced diversification programmes.

Power outages compromising security, Muntemba

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Central Province police commanding officer Brenda Muntemba has complained that ZESCO power outages are adversely affecting the operations of the police service and compromising security.

Ms. Muntemba made the complaint at the meeting of provincial heads of governement departments addressed by permanent secretary Mr. Denny Lumbama in the boma conference hall in Kabwe today.

She said police radio communication facilities depend on power supply from ZESCO and that when there was a power outage there was disruption in the oepration be it during the day or night.

She also complaiend of poor water reticulation system in police camps such as Chowa, Kasanda and Milika Tembo saying this was not encouraging to the officers in these camps.

Her complaint on ZESCO power outage was echoed by the provincial director of health Dr. Dickson Suya who said the power outages were making medicines/vaccines stored in fridges to go bad.

And addressing the provincial heads, Mr. Lumbama who was flanked by his acting deputy permanent secretary Mr. Luke Mankapi announced that governemnt would this year construct four boarding high schools in the province at a cost of K24 billon.

He urged them to concentrate on implementing government development programmes so that people could see what government was doing.

Mr. Lumbama was informed that the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) had impounded 25 pirates taxis in Kabwe some of which were owned by governemnt workers.

Race to Football House Official On

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The race to Football House is now officially on with Faz today announcing that filing in of nomination papers by candidates for the March 29 elections was now open.

Faz spokesperson Joseph Nkole said today that candidates wishing to stand for next months executive committee elections during its annual general meeting should file starting today until February 28l

Nkole said that all nomination papers should be filed in during business hours at Football House between 09:00 and 17:00 the 28th.

“The process leading to the FAZ elections has commenced with today’s (Wednesday) announcement,” Nkole said during Faz’s Wednesdays weekly press briefing.

“The elections like in previous years will be conducted by the National Sports Council of Zambia….Electoral rules and regulations will apply.

“All persons intending to stand for elections should familiarize themselves with the FAZ constitution and the electoral rules and regulations.

Nkole said all clubs and associations affiliated to FAZ must make sure they pay their registration and affiliation fees before taking part in the electoral process.

So far, three people have confirmed they will be vying for the FAZ presidency while the list for for vying for the five committee membership positions is growing rapidly.

Those eying the Faz top job include Lusaka Dynamos supremo Hanif Adams, Anthony Kasolo and association vice president Kalusha Bwalya.

FAZ president Teddy Mulonga has yet to issue any official statement as to whether he will re-contest his post.

Zambia Football Coaches Association general secretary Simataa Simataa is seeking the Faz vice presidency.

And Nkole also revealed that Faz will tomorrow Thursday hold another press briefing that will deal with matters relating to the FAZ elections to be held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre at the end of March.

“I can certainly confirm that FAZ will tomorrow (Thursday) hold a press briefing at 11:00 relating to matters regarding the elections,” the FAZ spokesman said.

Ndola earmarked for another vehicle assembly plant

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A JOINT Japanese and Zimbabwean business delegation is on a two-day visit to Zambia to look at possibilities of establishing a motor vehicle assembly and service plant in Ndola.
The six man delegation led by Japan’s Itochu Corporation automobile business expert, Hitoshi Nakajima and Zimbabwe’s Motec Holdings, group managing director, Benjamin Khumalo, will study the existing motor business opportunities in Zambia.
Yesterday the delegation paid a courtesy call on Ndola mayor, Anthony Katongo.
“We cannot state the exact amount of money we hope to invest in Zambia but all I can say as at now is that we are here in Ndola looking for opportunities in the motor industry and we are working in collaboration with Pilatus Engineering Company,” Mr Khumalo said.
Mr Khumalo said the delegation would visit some of the country’s motor vehicle assembly plants such as those once owned by Leyland Motors and Rover Zambia in Ndola.
The two plants have been non-operational for more than a decade.
He said the group would like to set up a Mazda assembly plant and also offer motor vehicle service and dealership facilities for various Japanese made cars and trucks.
The delegation, which consists of motor industry and business experts has targeted the fast growing motor trade in Zambian.
Mr Khumalo said the delegation was visiting Ndola because it was the country’s major industrial centre.
He said once the plant was established, his company would study the prospects of servicing the lucrative Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
And welcoming the delegation to Ndola, Mr Katongo said the Copperbelt offered a wide market to any business initiatives.
Mr Katongo said Ndola, which was the country’s industrial centre, was now recovering from economic recession.
He said some companies that had left the town like Tata Zambia had returned and reopened the bus and truck assembly plant.
The mayor said Ndola was well placed to house vehicle assembly plants because it had an internationally acclaimed training centre, the Nothern Technical College (NORTEC).

[Times of Zambia]

Away from home 2

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Dear Womba,

It was really nice to hear from you. My family and I are fine. I’m so sorry you are having a hard time adjusting to life abroad.These things take time. Just love your husband and stroke his EGO every so often. Whether you married a muzungu, mwenye or Zambian, you would still have problems.

My twin sister Sara is really having a tough time in her marriage. Her husband Oscar is drinking beer like it will be outlawed tomorrow. He comes home no earlier than midnight most days. Sara comes to me for money for food. Their son was admitted at UTH for malnutrition. Can you believe it! You wouldn’t recognize Oscar if you met him now. When he enters a room its his pot belly that enters first followed by him. We even suspect he is sleeping around. Honestly in this day and age how can an educated man sink so low. Just because anti retrovirals are now available in the country should we throw caution to the wind? I want my sister to leave him but where will she and her 3 malnourished kids go?

So my friend when life seems bad just be grateful for the blessings you have because there are people out there who are worse of than you.

yours forever,

Jelita