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Chiefs in Mazabuka happy with appointment of Munkombwe as minister

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Chiefs in Mazabuka have welcomed the appointment of Veteran politician Daniel Munkombwe as new Southern province Minister.

The chiefs say the appointment is long over due as they have been lobbying for the appointment of a local person since the inception of the new deal government.

Speaking on behalf of others, Chief Mwanachingwala said, traditional rulers are now happy that President, Dr Mwanawasa has finally answered their concerns.

Chief Mwanachingwala said the previous appointments of non Tonga speaking leaders had seriously affected traditional and political implications on the ruling MMD in the area.

He said all the Chiefs in the rea will now rally and support Mr Munkombwe to foster development in their respective chiefdoms.

Chief Mwanachingwala said the appointment is a demonstration that President Mwanawasa listens to the concerns of ordinary people including Chiefs.

Meanwhile, the ruling MMD in Mazabuka has come out in full support of Mr Munkombwe as Provincial minister.

MMD District chairlady, Jane Shimbama said all cadres are happy with the appointment because it will help improve the image of both government and the party.

Meanwhile, the MMD in Sinazongwe has thanked President Mwanawasa for appointing Southern province MMD chairman Daniel Munkombwe as provincial minister for the area.

MMD constituency chairman Simon Chali told ZANIS in Choma today that the ruling party in Sinazongwe warmly welcomes the appointment of Mr Munkombwe as provincial minister.

Mr Chali said Mr Munkombwe will be able to discharge his duties effectively and efficiently because he knows and understands the province and its people very well.

He said Dr Mwanawasa deserves commendation for making a wise decision in appointing the former provincial party chief to head government in the province.

Mr Chali urged all the people in the province to support Mr Munkombwe as he begins to discharge his functions.

He also called for unity among all MMD officials in the province so as to help foster development.

President Mwanawasa last Friday appointed the veteran politician as provincial minister, replacing Mr Joseph Mulyata who was fired following his arrest by the Anti Corruption Commission over corruption for abuse of office.

Govt targets second bank for $1.2b crude oil deal

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The government is set to select another financier for its $1.2 billion crude oil purchases if current talks with a unit of a South African bank collapse, President Levy Mwanawasa said on Friday.

Mwanawasa said he was waiting for a report from officials currently in talks with Stanbic Bank Zambia, a unit of South Africa’s Standard Bank , before he could authorise separate negotiations with another financier.

A senior goverment official said the talks were likely to be ‘inconclusive’ because of the conditions set by Stanbic Bank, which was selected by the government to finance purchases of nearly 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil over two years.

“The talks are headed for collapse unless the bank relents on its conditions which include demand for collateral from the government before it can release the funds. This stance has displeased the government and it’s a matter of days before these talks collpase,” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Last week, the permanent secretary for energy Peter Mumba told journalists that negotiations with Stanbic had ‘proved difficult.’

“I am yet to receive a formal report but if talks indeed collapse, there are a lot of (banks) that applied and we will choose one of them,” Mwanawasa said.

He added that the government had worked out some contingency plans to avert a fuel crisis in case it did not conclude the financing negotiations in time.

“At the moment, we have enough (crude oil) stocks and we have contingency measures to make sure there is no fuel shortage,” Mwanawasa told a news conference.

Zambia selected Kuwait’s International Petroleum Group (IPG) last November to procure crude oil for it for two years.

The first 90,000 tonnes shipment of crude oil worth $75 million was financed by the PTA Bank due to delays in concluding negotiations with Stanbic Bank.

In October 2007, Zambia — which uses huge amounts of diesel to run its vast copper mines, the country’s economic lifeblood, and other industries — faced severe fuel shortages after French oil major, Total stopped crude oil imports for the country over a pricing dispute.

C/belt mines still have much ore

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Parliament heard Thursday that about 67.7 million tonnes of copper ore is still reserved in Chibuluma, Nchanga open pit and Mindolo shaft mines on the Copperbelt.

Mines Deputy Minister, Maxwell Mwale told the House that Chibuluma mine still has about 5.5 millon tonnes ore, while Nchanga open pit and Mindolo shaft mine still hold 33.2 million and 26 million tonnes.

Mr Mwale was responding to a question by Chipili Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Davies Mwila who wanted to know the life span of the Chibuluma, Nchanga open pit and Mindolo shaft.

He also wanted to know how much revenue government is likely to colect from the mines.

The Deputy Minister told the House that at the current copper prices and the new fiscal regime, government is expected to collect K432 billion from Chibuluma, K1.3 trillion from Nchanga open pit and K691 billion from Mindolo shaft mines.

Mr Mwale said the life span of Mindolo Shaft mine is 17 to 25 years, Nchanga open pit mine is 14 to 22 years and Chibuluma mines eight to 16 years.

He explained that it is estimated that government will collect more taxes once the new tax regime for the mines comes into effect on April 1.

And Mnies Minister, Kalombo Mwansa said the government wants to ensure revenue collected from the mines is used to creat more industries in the mining sector.

Levy Promotes Dora Siliya to a Full Cabinet Minister

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President Mwanawasa has elevated Commerce Deputy Minister, Dora Siliya to a Cabinet Minister at the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

Mrs. Siliya replaces former Transport and Communications Minister, Sara Sayifwanda who has moved to the Ministry of Agriculture in the same capacity.

Dr Mwanawasa said Mrs. Sayifwanda will be working along side with, Ben Kapita who is still recuperating from sickness.

He was speaking during a press briefing at State house.

Dr Mwanawasa said he cannot retire Mr. Kapita because he is one of his best minister and will give him chance to recuperate.

He also said Mr. Kapita’s sickness is not beyond redemption.

And Dr. Mwanawasa has also appointed Veteran politician, Daniel Munkombwe as Southern Province Minister.

The President has also nominated Mr. Munkombwe as a member of parliament.

Mr. Munkombwe replaces former Provincial Minister, Joseph Mulyata was.

Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa has congratulated the Patriotic Front (PF) for scooping the Kanyama seat.

The President said the people of Kanyama had made their choice.

He was responding to a question from a journalist during the press briefing at State House.

The PF’s Gerry Chanda scooped the seat beating seven other contenders.

Zesco, Warriors Clash in Charity Shield Semifinals

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Zesco United begin their 2008 local campaign on Saturday when they face Kabwe Warriors with the defence of the season-opening Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu Charity Shield semifinals at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.

The second semifinal on the same date at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka will see 2007 top-flight runners-up Green Buffaloes take on last years Mosi Cup champions Red Arrows.

Zesco’s clash against 2007 BP Top 8 champions Warriors is a repeat of last years Charity Shield final played at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka that the former won the match 5-3 on post-match penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The champions welcome the news that influential midfielder Rainford Kalaba is fit after recovering from an injury.

Kalaba sustained the injury last weekend in Zesco’s 2-0 win in a CAF Africa Champions League preliminary round first leg match against Uganda Revenue Authority in Kampala.

Last years joint top scorer with Kalaba, Enoch Sakala, is available too and should start in attack together with Nicholas Zulu while new boy Elson Mkandawire will miss the game due to injury.

Warriors on the other hand face Zesco without striker Emmanuel Mayuka who has just completed a loan move to Buffaloes in a match that will mark Egyptian born-trainer Mohamed Fathy competitive debut with the Kabwe team since his appointment in January.

Fathy inherits a team depleted of influential young talent of not only Mayuka but two other Zambia Under-20 starlets in midfielder Henry Banda and goalkeeper Kelvin Musonda.

Banda and Musonda recently joined Zanaco in the off-season

And in the other semifinal, Buffaloes will be aiming to qualify for the Charity Shield final this time around after losing 2-1 to Zesco in last years semifinal.

Coach George Lwandamina said he is looking forward to a good game against Arrows ahead of next Saturday CAF Confederations Cup return leg match against Chipukizi of Zanzibar in Lusaka.

Mayuka, Reuben Tembo and Morgan Hanjeema are all available for the match against Arrows.

Winners from the two semifinals will meet in the final tentatively set for Nkoloma on March 9.

Mines to be restructured

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The government intends to restructure the Ministry of Mines this year.

Mines Minister, Kalombo Mwansa said this will be done to respond to the needs of the mining industry.

Dr. Mwansa said his office will carry forward the work started in 2007.

He said last year, the Ministry completed the performance audit of the Ministry as a first step to updating the strategic plan and restructuring process.

Dr. Mwansa said the restructuring of the ministry will see the creation of a planning and information department to collect and analyse statistics about the mining industry.

And Dr. Mwansa also announced that government has proposed a K200 million in this years budget to forumlate a policy on safety, health and environment so as to address safety in the mines.

[ZNBC]

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.

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