Government has assured the nation that contents of the Freedom of Information Dill (FoB) will be made transparent during its enactment process.

In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today Information and Broadcasting minister Mike Mulongoti said re-tabling of the bill will be a culmination of consultations both local and abroad.

Mr. Mulongoti, who is also chief government spokesperson, said consultations at home have been based on the earlier draft, which had more input from stakeholders and little from the affected public bodies especially government.

He added that consultations abroad were aimed at gaining from the experiences of countries that have the freedom of information acts in place and were specifically in areas of implementation and creation of institutions for management of records and release of information.

Mr. Mulongoti said as a result of these consultations government has realized that there has to be a separation of the types of information of general activities by public bodies from personal and that involving state security and the process of arriving at government decisions.

Mr. Mulongoti said government will also take measures to prepare public bodies by training officers who will handle records and release information.

He added that it will be convenient for government to have such officers acquainted and trained on the types of information they will have to release to the public.

The chief government spokesperson has further assured the nation that government will at an appropriate time make the bill public and expect submissions to the relevant parliamentary committee.

This follows concerns and calls by United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota for government to disclose the contents of the bill following President Mwanawasa’s pronouncement about re-tabling the freedom of information bill during his opening address to parliament recently.

A senior Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) official in Kafue, Lusaka Province has warned of disciplinary action against district party officials found campaigning for MMD presidential aspirants before the final whistle is blown.

MMD Kafue District Chairman Goodson Sansankuwa sounded the warning in an interview with ZANIS today saying he was aware that despite the president’s advice notto start presidential campaigns, some self proclaimed presidents were busy introducing themselves in some wards of the district.

Mr Sansakuwa who could not disclose the names of presidential hopefuls noted that the MMD succession should be left to the president alone.

He said all aspiring presidential candidates have been advised to stop declaring their interest before the party shortlists its own preferences and adopts the right candidate who will be floated for the 2011 elections.

And Mr Sansakuwa has disclosed that preparations for this year’s branch and ward elections in Kafue are progressing well and all contestants are ready.

Mr Sansakuwa said elections at the lower party structures in the district have reached an advanced stage with a lot of highly educated people showing interest to contest various positions as per announcement recently made by the party’s national executive committee.

Mr Sansakuwa who is also Kafue District Council Chairman and Kasenji MMD ward councillor said that he was happy with the calibre of people who are showing interest in contesting the elections at branch level because educated people previously used to shun politics as they thought it was meant for thugs.

He said intellectuals should realise that they can also contribute to national development by participating in party elections such as those MMD will hold.

Mr Sansakuwa has also advised those with intentions of joining the MMD to get familiar with the party’s regulations and manifesto

He warned that MMD in Kafue will not support any imposter not conversant with party regulations and procedures to avoid misleading members.

Mr Sansakuwa said he will defend his position as District Party Chairman when district elections are held. He boasted of being a NEC material and capable of taking the party to greater heights.

Meanwhile, Acting United Liberal Party (ULP) Secretary General Sikwindi Sitwala and the entire Mumbwa ULP constituency executive has with immediate effect resigned from ULP to join the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Mr. Sitwala together with over 5 000 party cadres announced their resignation at a media briefing in Lusaka today.

Mr. Sitwala explained that his exit from ULP has been necessitated by dictatorial tendencies exhibited by ULP leader Sakwiba Sikota.

He cited the nomination of people to sit on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) as one such issue where the ULP leader allegedly single-handedly chose people to sit on the NCC without the input of other party members.

Mr. Sitwala said the decision to join UPND was based on the fact the UPND is democratic and has an able leadership.

The MMD in Southern province has reacted sharply to opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) president, Hakainde Hachilema in which he has accused government of failing to assist flood victims.

The ruling party has also asked the UPND leader to apologise to the people of Zambia for insulting and using derogatory remarks against President Mwanawasa and his ministers.

Provincial Secretary, Emmanuel Siamwela said the attacks on government are baseless and done ignorantly because government through the office of the Vice President responded in barely two days after the flood struck Mazabuka, Monze, Namwala and other districts.

Mr Siamwela said Mr Hachilema should have consulted the office of the Vice President before rushing to the press because flood victims have been assisted with Tents, Mealie meal, Kapenta and Beans to the victims.

He advised Mr Hichilema to desist from politicising the flood situation but assist government find ways of mitigating the effects of the floods.

Mr Siamwela said the MMD will not tolerate politicians inciting flood victims to rise against government when they failed to provide humanitarian assistance.

The party provincial secretary was reacting to a story in today’s Post newspaper, headlined MMD’s service delivery is below par.

Mr Siamwela also accused Mr Hchilema of concentrating on attcking government because his mother’s village was swept away by floods.

He also challenged Mr Hichilema why he decided to visit a few selected villages in Mazabuka and Monze instead of the extending his tour to other districts such as Kazungula, Sinazongwe and Siavonga districts.

Mr Siamwela has commended the Catholic church, Redcross, World Vision Zambia and Albidon Zambia limited for donating food aid to the flood victims of Mazabuka.

Meanwhile, President Levy Mwanawasa is tomorrow expected in Mazabuka district in Southern province to tour flood ravaged areas.

The President is also expected to visit Monze and Namwala districts which have equally been hit by floods.

This is according to a programme released to ZANIS in Mazabuka by District Commissioner, Misheck Chiinda this morning.

Mr Chiinda said Dr Mwanawasa will depart Lusaka at 09:30 hours by Chopper and will land at Mbiya Basic School where he would visit over 40 families affected by floods and are temporarily accommodated in tents by Government.

He said the President will also conduct an aerial view of Itebe area in Chief Mwanachingwala which has remained inaccessible since the district was hit by floods three weeks ago.

According to the programme, Mr Chiinda said Dr Mwanawasa is expected to arrive in Monze district at 11:20 hours and depart for Namwala at 13:00 hours where he is also expected to tour flood affected areas before winding up his schedule.

And Magoye UPND Member of parliament, Ben Mweemba says President Mwanawasa’s visit to Mazabuka to check on the flood victims is significant for the people of Mazabuka.

Mr Mweemba told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, that the visit will bring to light the hardships the flood victims are going through and how government can expedite the distribution of humanitarian assistance to the victims.

He said President Mwanawasa deserves to be commended for fulfilling his promise to visit the people affected by floods.

” I personally spoke to the President and he assured me he would visit my constituency, am excited with the visit,” said Mweemba.

Magoye constituency, which covers Chiefs Mwanachingwala and Hanjalika, have been severely hit by floods that have caused havoc on crops, livestock and left scores of families homeless.

Government through the office of the Vice president has responded quickly and dispatched tents, Mealie meal, Beans and Kapenta in all the centres opened to provide temporal accommodation to victims.

Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice president, Friday Malwa physically donated the food stuffs to the victims two weeks ago.

Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa informed parliament that relevant authorities were already pondering on what course of action should be taken against Roan Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) Chishimba Kambwili’s interjections on President Levy Mwanawasa’s speech to parliament last week.

This followed a point of order raised by Deputy Minister for Local Government and Housing Ben Tetamashimba, who asked whether Mr. Kambwili was in order to keep passing running commentaries when President Mwanawasa was addressing parliament last Friday.

Mr. Tetamashimba asked whether Mr. Kambwili was in order to shout ‘questionable’, when there were clear guidelines from parliamentary chief whip, Mike Mulongoti, that the presidential speech should be listened to in silence because his address was a solemn occasion.

Mr. Kambwili is chief whip for the opposition Patriotic Front in parliament.

Mr. Kambwili was last Friday heard interjecting by shouting ‘questionable!, questionable!, while President Mwanawasa was addressing the National Assembly.

Speaker Mwanamwambwa said in his ruling on the point of order that the matter was already being looked into by relevant authorities.

He said the chairperson of the committee looking into the matter would decide on what course of action should be taken against Mr. Kambwili depending on the findings of the relevant authority.

Meanwhile, Members of Parliament (MPs) started debating President Levy Mwanawasa’s speech to parliament last week, with many of them accusing ministers of misleading the president.

The MPs also said Dr. Mwanawasa’s speech was very good and inspiring but noted that a ‘good speech was nothing if it was not implemented’.

Monze United Party for National Development (UPND) MP, Jack Mwiimbu said every year, the President has been presenting very good and promising speeches to parliament but there has been poor implementation by government.

Mr. Mwiimbu said in some instances, opposition MPs have been moving motions aimed at improving the economic status of the country, which were however rejected by the ruling party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) MPs.

He claimed that government has downplayed the flood situation in Southern province, particularly in Bweengwa constituency, where, he said, about 5000 people have been left homeless and had no food.

He has since appealed to government to move in and address the flood situation in the area.

Bangweulu Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, Joseph Kasongo said President Mwanawasa has had good intensions of improving the country’s economy but he has not been receiving support from his cabinet ministers.

In contributing to debate Pemba UPND MP, David Matongo said Dr. Mwanawasa’s speech was very good and non-partisan.

Mr. Matongo said the speech encouraged all Zambians to work in unison to move the country forward.

Roan PF MP Chishimba Kambwili also observed that the speech was very good and brilliant but pointed out that pronouncements contained in the speech should be implemented.

He appealed to the ministers not to mislead the President but to tell the truth and work towards improving the welfare of Zambians.

Tunisia has assured the Zambian government of its support for Zambia’s candidate for the position of African Union (AU) chairperson.

Receiving Dr Levy Mwanawasa’s message from his special envoy Mbita Chitala, Tunisia’s Foreign Affairs Abelouahab Abdalla said his government supports Zambia’s candidate Dr Inonge Mbikushia-Lewanika for the AU top post.

Mr. Adalla also assured the Zambian envoy that President Mwanawasa’s special message will be duly conveyed to the Tunisian President, Zine Abidine Ben Ali.

Ambassador Chitala has since proceeded to Mauritania on a similar mission.

Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika is currently Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States of America.

Before this appointment, she was Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Second Republican President during his term as Chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity.

Dr. Mbikusita-Lewanika was a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 2001 and served on the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee.

The SADC region is also behind the Zambian candidate with Swaziland having withdrawn its candidate for the same post and declaring its support for Dr. Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika.

Others contesting the AU top post include, Antoinette Batumubwira of Burundi,
Abdulai Osman Conteh of Sierra Leone, Jean Ping of Gabon and Cassam Uteem of Mauritius.

The Patriotic Front (PF) has announced that it will on January 18, 2008 hold an inter-Party hearing in a bid to resolve the wrangles that have rocked the party.

And the PF has still maintained that there some PF Members of Parliaments, among those participating in the National Constitution Conference (NCC), who are bent on forming a break-away party dubbed the Reformist Party.

PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda says the Party has decided to hold an inter-party hearing in order to devise a mechanism that would help resolve the wrangles that have rocked the party.

Mr. Lubinda, who was reacting to the calls by the PF members of Parliament attending the NCC that there is need for the PF top leadership to dialogue with them in a manner that would preserve party unity, Mr. Lubinda said the party is ready to meet and dialogue with MPs attending the NCC in a manner that will preserve the party unity.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the PF top leadership is not planning to expel the MPs attending the NCC as they have obtained a court injunction restraining the party from expelling them from the party for attending the NCC.

Mr. Lubinda said the MPs attending the NCC are bonifide members of the PF party adding that the party will respond to some of their grievances in the courts of Law.

He however maintained that there some PF Members of Parliaments who are participating in the National Constitution Conference who want to form a Reformist Party.

Mr. Lubinda said the party has received information that there some MPs participating in the NCC and other people who want to form a Reformist Party.

He said it was unfortunate for the MPs attending the NCC to be accusing him of being the cause of the problems because of his personal ambitions to take over as party president.

Mr. Lubinda warned that the PF party will not tolerate squabbles in the party as it was focusing its efforts on organization the party for the 2011 general elections.

He cautioned the people calling themselves reformists to refrain from making unnecessary statements aimed at destabilizing the party.

Mr. Lubinda has since urged PF members intending to form another party to go ahead and stop attacking the PF top leadership.

The PF members attending the NCC have accused the PF top leadership of inciting revolts, destabilizing, intimidating and organizing attacks on its MPs participating in the NCC deliberations thereby weakening the party.

The MPs have also accused Patriotic Front Spokesperson Given Lubinda of being the cause of the internal wrangles because of his personal ambitions to take over as PF party president.

Some party members on the Copperbelt have threatened to resign from the party if a national convention is not called immediately.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Front (PF) in Mufulira district on the Copperbelt has suspended two of its Members of Parliament (MPs) for amongst other things failing to deliver their campaign promises to the electorates in the border town.

The two MPs that have been suspended forthwith are: Marjory Masiye for Mufulira Central and Percy Chanda for Kankoyo.

PF Mufulira District Chairman John Katati announced the suspension of the duo in an interview with ZANIS in Mufulira today.

Mr. Katati said the district PF leadership has since written to the party secretariat informing the PF National Executive Committee (NEC) about the development.

He added that the two MPs made a lot of promises to their constituents in Mufulira prior to the September 28th 2006 tripartite polls but that they had allegedly failed to honour their pledges which included amongst other things finding jobs for their supporters.

Mr. Katati was however quick to point out that the latest suspensions had nothing to do with the duo’s decision to sit on the National Constitution Conference (N.C.C)

He added that the electorate in Mufulira were allegedly apprehensive about the conduct of the two MPs who had not brought any thing tangible to Mufulira following their election to the National Assembly.

But when reached for a comment, the two MPs said in separate interviews that they were not aware about their suspension from the party.

Ms. Masiye noted that apart from not receiving a letter of suspension from the district officials in question, she was fully aware that they were planning to get rid of her because of her decision to sit on the NCC

In another interview, Mr. Chanda told ZANIS that he shall not be moved by his suspension from the party as it was not only baseless but also lacked merit.

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.