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Cut off Sinazongwe opens up to the rest of the Zambia

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Sinazongwe District which was cut off from the rest of the country following the floods has opened up.

Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Laiven Apuleni confirmed the development to ZANIS that construction of the collapsed culvert at Muziyo along the Maamba/Batooka road was completed on Thursday.

Mr. Apuleni said the Road Construction Company (RCC) working on the Bottom Road from Sinazeze to Chaboboma in Gwembe was contracted to repair the washed away culverts.

He said RCC was currently working on the collapsed culvert at Mweezya.

The DC thanked Sinazongwe people for their patience and understanding during the floods that affected them.

“It has been a difficult time for the people of Sinazongwe and as government we are grateful to people for their understanding and we have also managed to address the problem within the shortest possible time,” Mr Apuleni said.

Mr. Apuleni said the repaired culverts would help to address the problems of transport movements that resulted into high prices on essential food stuffs owing to the low supply.

He also thanked the RCC for diverting their manpower to attend to an emergency that affected the district.

The DC disclosed that Malima and Chiyabi people were still cut off because of the floods that washed away several culverts along the Bottom road from Sinazeze to Chiyabi.

Mr. Apuleni said the health workers were unable to Transport drugs to Chiyabi clinic because of the impassable road.

Nangombe Ward Councilor Fisher Zimana said people in his area have run out of mealie Meal, cooking oil and other essential commodities.

Mr. Zimana who is also Sinazongwe District Council Vice Chairperson noted that the bridge along Nangombe stream which is the biggest in the area was washed away and the people in his area were unable to access basic food stuff.

“Please let government come to our aid people will die of hunger and we have completely run out of mealie-meal and cooking oil here,” Mr Zimana said.

However, Mr. Apuleni disclosed that a team of officers from the office of the Vice President under the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) would visit the district to assess the damage.
[ZANIS]

Chinese hospital urged to employ Zambian doctors

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Government has appealed to management at the Chinese owned Sinozam Friendship Hospital in Kitwe to consider employing Zambian Doctors to promote private Public partnership and enhance service delivery at the institution.

ZANIS Kitwe Reports that Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima said there was need for management at the hospital to employ local Zambian Doctors to promote the spirit of Private Public Partnership.

He said this will also help integrate the delivery of health care to the local community by the four Chinese Doctors currently working at the hospital with their Zambian Counterparts.

Mr Mbulakulima who was accompanied by the Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Jenipher Musonda said this in Kitwe today when he toured Sinozam Friendship Hospital and the Kitwe Central Hospital Eye department.

He said despite the hospital having latest modern medical equipment the facilities were under utilised due to lack of local medical personnel working at the institution.

He added that the hospital has no Zambian Doctors, a situation, he said, has made most of the residents to shun the institution.

The hospital has a workforce of 84 members of staff, 34 of whom were nurses, support staff, one Indian Doctor and three Chinese Doctors.

He said there was also need for Government medical Hospitals to access the medical facilities at Sinozam to ensure that they were utilised fully.

And Sinozam Friendship Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr Qia Sheng said the Hospital will spend over US$350,000 on the rehabilitation of infrastructure at the Hospital.

Dr Sheng said management at the institution has decided to give a new face to the hospital by replacing the ceiling and the floors and also procure new equipment to enhance service delivery.

He also disclosed that the Hospital would consider employing a qualified Zambian Doctor as directed by Government.

Others who accompanied the minister include Kitwe DC MacDonald Mtine, Provincial Health Director Dr Chandwe Ngambi and Kitwe Central Hospital Director Dr John Mwewa.

Mufulira water contamination victims in stable condition

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Several people who were admitted after consuming contaminated water yesterday in Mufuira are said to be in a stable condition.

Mufulira District Commissioner Dyford Muulwa confirmed to ZANIS that four out of five people who were admitted at Malcolm Watson hospital were discharged today.

Malcolm hospital has only one person still admitted while at Ronald Ross hospital the number of admissions has gone up from 10 to 15.

Mr. Muulwa said the other five people were admitted last night and the condition of all the people at the hospital is stable.

About 582 people yesterday were attended to at various health institutions in Mufulira after drinking contaminated water from Mopani Copper Mine Mufulira’s underground water.

The people complained of severe abdominal pains, general body pains, vomiting and other ailments.

And Mopani Copper Mine (MCM) says the spillage of the Pennant Liquor Solution (PLS) in the leaching section at Mufulira Mine caused the contamination of domestic underground water.

MCM has also said it has regretted the spillage of the acid solution in to the underground water supply system that supplies domestic water to residents in the former mine township areas.

MCM acting Chief executive officer Emmanuel Mutati said the amount of acid that leaked in to the domestic water supply that was consumed by most people was negligible to cause intoxication to human life.

PLS in an acidic solution that is used in the leaching process at the plant.

Mr. Mutati regretted that the spillage of the PLS in the main domestic water system was avoidable had precautionary measures been taken by the monitors within the operation section immediately when the pump failed.

The pump at 520 meter level that pumps the acidic solution into industrial water from the underground failed on Monday this week resulting in the solution to accumulate in the storage chambers and subsequently contaminated domestic water.

Mr. Mutati was briefing a team that was constituted by Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima to establish what led to the contamination of water in Mufulira.

The team comprised of the District Commissioner, Dyford Muulwa, Town Clerk, Charles Mwandila, Mulenga Water and Sewerage Company, Environmental Council of Zambia, and the Mine Safety department.

Mulonga water and Sewerage Company managing director Manuel Mutale said his company has been flushing out contaminated water from the pipes since yesterday after the pumps were shut down and will resume supply as soon as the acidity levels in the water stabilizes.

Residents in Butondo, Kankoyo, Kantanshi and part of Fairview in the town centre have had no water supply since yesterday.
Mr. Mutati said Mopani will install a back up pump at 520 meter level as a as a medium term solution to avoid future spillages.

The mine also intends to put an alarm system at 430 meter level, which will enable the monitors raise alarm when acidic levels are above normal.

Probe housig allowance payments

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The Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia, CSAWUZ, in Mazabuka has called on the government to institute a taskforce to probe the abuse of funds released for payment of housing allowance by the district health office in the district.

CSAWUZ Mazabuka district vice chairperson Violet Phiri made the call in a statement to ZANIS in Mazabuka today.

Ms Phiri said unless a taskforce is appointed to clear suspicions of alleged financial abuse, the current strike by health personnel in the district will continue.

Ms Phiri said most health workers eligible for house allowance were being forced to sign for the money which they were not given.

She claimed that the district health office was instead paying landlords in a suspicious manner.

Ms Phiri said the current abnormal deductions were meant to confuse the workers because none of them is aware of the amount owed to the government.

And Ms Phiri has called on the government to explain why todate clinical officers, nurses and other para-medical officers were still staying in a compound declared unfit for human habitation by the ministry of works.

Acting district director of health, Mr Ellias Hamatanga refused to comment on the allegations by union leaders.

FAO/Italy disburse USD 1million for cassava project

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Italian government have given Zambia 1,081,000 United States dollars for the cassava commercialization project.

National Cassava Commercialization project Coordinator Alick Daka disclosed this in Samfya when he begun a seven day stakeholder sensitization tour of the integrated production and processing of cassava in the area.

Mr Daka said the two year project will be carried out in Samfya, Mansa and Serenje districts.

He said FAO has contributed USD 331,000 while the Italian government has provided USD 750,000 towards the cassava commercialization project.

He said the USD331,000 given by FAO will be spent on increasing the quality of cassava production and value added activities in Samfya, Serenje and Mansa districts.

Mr Daka said on the other hand the USD750,000 from the Italian government will be used to develop market linkages for the crop for local and foreign consumers.

He said in improving the quality of cassava production, technical support will be directed at developing cost effective multiplication and distribution of improved cassava varieties.

“USD 10,000 , about K36 million will be invested in the expansion of two hectares of cassava cuttings nurseries at Mansa Agriculture Research Institute for multiplication of improved cassava varieties,” Mr Daka said.

He said to enhance processing of the cassava, small scale processing technologies will be developed, while new products that will allow blending with cassava will also be enhanced.

He disclosed that Tiger Feeds had already developed a stock feed that is blended with cassava and will be buying 1000 tonnes every month from the farmers in the project area.

Mr. Daka added that said a cassava processing plant is being installed in Mansa to be producing Vitamin ‘A’ fortified cassava meal that will be supplied to refugee camps under a United Nations Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) offer.

CELTEL apologises

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CELTEL Zambia has apologized to its subscribers for the network interruption that resulted into clients failing to make calls on New Years Eve.

CETEL Acting Public Relations Manager Patricia Litiya said the network jam was caused by a micro link failure in Mbabala in Choma and equipment failure on one of its switches in Lusaka on Monday, 31st December, 2007.

She told ZANIS in a statement today that the equipment failure started around 19:00 hours and was rectified at 11:00hrs on January 1, 2008.

She explained that company engineers could not access the affected site due to heavy rains hence the delay in rectifying the problem.

Ms. Litiya said the micro link failure affected the entire Southern province and Western Province.

In Lusaka, She said Celtel experienced equipment failure on one of its switches and this resulted in bad network performance in Lusaka, Central and Eastern provinces.

This occurred on Monday, 31st December 2007 and was rectified at 16:00 hrs the following day.

She said Celtel Zambia did everything possible to ensure the network was restored on time.

“In this regard, capacity was adequate to cater for the expected traffic during the festive season and generally calls and SMS were sustained until yesterday when we experienced equipment failure ,” she said.

NCC to resume sittings next week

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The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) sittings will resume on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

NCC spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis, who announced this in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said members coming from outside Lusaka should arrive on Monday, January 7, 2008 in readiness for the Conference the following day.

Ms. Zaloumis said all the necessary documents will be ready for collection on Monday, January7, 2008 from 14:30 hours to 17:00 hours at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

The NCC sittings adjourned on Friday, December 21, 2007.

Copperbelt MMD PEC advises Findley to take leave

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The MMD Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) on the Copperbelt has advised party Provincial Chairman, Terence Findley to step aside as PEC Chairman due to allegations of rape that have been labbled against him.

According to a letter dated December 29, 2007, which was signed and made available to ZANIS by the Provincial Secretary, Mr Tryson Simukoko, the PEC decided to communicate to Mr Findley and put on record the resolutions of a meeting that was held in Kalulushi on September 22, 2007 advising him to step aside.

“We write to communicate and put on record though belatedly the PEC meeting resolution of 22/09/07 in Kalulushi advising you to step aside as PEC chairman due to the serious allegations of the rape case leveled against you,” the letter read in part.

The letter, which has been copied to party President Dr Levy Mwanawasa, the national secretariat in Lusaka and the Provincial Permanent Secretary (PS) Mrs Jennifer Musonda, explained that the decision by the PEC was significantly to avoid and forestall any real and perceived embarrassment and loss of credibility to the party and its leadership including Mr Findley if he was seen at public gatherings.

The PEC has further advised Mr Findley to take ‘leave’ of his duties until his alleged rape case is cleared in the courts of law.

The PEC has since advised the Provincial PS to direct all correspondence to the party’s provincial Vice Chairman.

Mr Findley is currently facing charges of rape, assault, causing bodily harm and distribution of obscene material in the Ndola Magistrate Courts.

According to evidence that has been given in the Ndola Magistrate Court, Mr Findley is said to have had, on unknown dates but between June 2, 2007 and June 12, 2007, carnal knowledge of a named juvenile of 16 years old who is a grade ten pupil at one of the leading Secondary Schools in Ndola.

He is further alleged on the said dates to have burnt the juvenile on the buttock with a cigarette lighter and also availed her with a disc containing pornographic material.

The case comes up for continued hearing on January 25, 2008.

Financial viability is key to the success of Market Boards – Masebo

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Government has clarified that not all markets and bus stations qualify to be run by boards in accordance with the new market and bus station Act number seven of 2007.

Local Government and Housing Minister, Sylvia Masebo says councils should hence evaluate the markets and bus stations under their jurisdiction and produce management plans which will categorize the markets and bus stations into commercially viable venture.

Ms Masebo observed that although under the new market and bus station Act No 7 of 2007 councils are allowed to form market management boards, not all of them qualify to be managed by a market board.

She said this in Lusaka today when she opened a two-day workshop for local authorities and stakeholders on the urban markets development programme.

Ms Masebo charged that one crucial element in establishing market boards will be the financial viability of the market.

She said that it would be pointless to introduce a board in a market which can not generate enough income to pay for the needed basic services of a market such as clean toilets and water, proper sanitation and stalls adding that lack of this would result in frustrated marketers and shoppers.

Ms Masebo said market boards should benefit marketers by providing them with well constructed shops, clean surroundings among others things adding that once services are of good quality regularly, marketers will pay for their upkeep.

She said urban market management is about creating a safe sanitary environment for traders, clients, products and produce.

Zambia National Team Raze Jerez-Select 11-1

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Zambia completed their week-long training camp in Spain on Wednesday evening with a 11-1 win over a Jerez select-side.

Phiri said he was satisfied with Zambia’s emphatic win over a Jerez select-team on Wednesday evening.

“They did well against Jerez with no professionals and most of the players are from the Spanish lower league, he said.

“Jerez is a weaker team to Andalusia who have players like Antonio Reyes in the team.

Zambia secured their win over Jerez thanks to three braces from Dube Phiri, Jacob Mulenga and Rainford Kalaba.

James Chamanga, Emmanuel Mayuka, Felix Katongo, Ian Bakala, Adubelo Phiri and Clifford Mulenga all chipped in with a goal each.

And Zambia was expected to depart Spain at 07:30 Friday morning for Tunisia via France.

Phiri said the team will be joined in Paris by Turkish based striker Collins Mbesuma of Bursaspor en route to Tunisia was they will be camped until January 10.

Zambia will play Tunisia this Sunday in an international friendly before playing a local league team there on January 8.

Phiri said Zambia will depart Tunisia on January 10 for Morocco where they will face the Atlas Lions in another friendly match two days later.

The Zambia coach said Zambia will later leave Morocco on January 13 and fly directly to Ghana ahead of their opening Africa Cup finals Group C game against Sudan on January 22 in Kumasi.

Zambia will face four-time winners Cameroon and defending champions and record 5-time victors Egypt in their subsequent Group C matches on the 26th and 30th respectively

Utilise funds properly,public workers told

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Acting Northern Province Permanent Secretary Gabriel Kaunda has called for prudent ultilisation of public resources if the province is to attain meaningful development.

Mr. Kaunda made the call when he closed the fourth quarter Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting over the weekend.

The meeting was also attended by Provincial Minister Lameck Chibombamilimo and six other Members of Parliament.

Mr. Kaunda observed that the province had a lot of potential to attain high levels of development adding that this would only be possible if public officers responsible of managing public resources utilize them prudently.

He said the culture where officers drew public resources without corresponding output should come to an end as he would not tolerate such acts in the New Year.

Mr. Kaunda who was flanked by the acting deputy Permanent Secretary Micah Zyambo added that government was in a hurry to develop the province and urged all public workers to rise to the occasion and ensure that they effectively implemented government policies.

He observed that there was no province which was so much endowed with abundant natural resources like Northern Province.

Earlier, Mr. Kaunda told the meeting that the province has changed its budgetary focus for 2008 from rehabilitation of Social infrastructure to the rehabilitation and support to economic infrastructure.

Mr. Kaunda noted that the budget focus for 2008 was to support development of infrastructure which will increase economic activities as compared to the previous year when the emphasis was on rehabilitation and construction of health infrastructure and provision of school requisites such as desks and table.

The acting PS further said the province has set aside funds for the revival of Mbesuma ranch, Mpika diary farm, rehabilitation of furrows and weirs, construction of an industrial development centre and construction of warehouses for the marketing of tradition crops such finger millet.

Last year, the Province allocated over two K2bn to rehabilitation and construction of health and education infrastructure in the province.

Meanwhile Members of Parliament in Northern Province have appealed to government to consider allocating more resources to the Province for development in this year’s National budget.

The MPs’ made the call during the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting in Kasama over the weekend.

The MPs said despite the Province being the biggest in the country, it usually received low funding for developmental activities resulting in the low investment levels in the region.

The MPs who included Mpulungu MP, who is also Provincial Minister, Lameck Chibombamilimo, Isoka West MP, Paul Sichamba, Lubanseshi MP, Lazarous Chota, and Lukashya MP, Alfridah Mwamba, called for fair distribution of national resources to all Provinces in order to stimulate economic development.

And Mr. Chibombamilimo said this year’s budget ceiling allocated to the province which stood at K29 billion was not adequate to cater for both Personal emoluments and developmental programmes.

He noted that the increment of K3 billion from last year’s K26 billion budget ceiling casts doubt on the prospects of the Province attaining meaningful development this year.

Mr. Chibombamilimo explained that Northern Province has abundant natural resources that needed to be exploited fully to boost economic activities in the area.

The Minister has since appealed to President Levy Mwanawasa to intervene in the matter saying it was unfair for the Province to continue crying out for more budgetary allocations every year.

Members of Parliament in the Province have also expressed concern with the continued inadequate funding towards the construction of high schools in the area.

The MPs said last year, the Ministry of Education only allocated funds for construction of one high school in Chilubi, when in fact the Province had 12 districts that also needed school infrastructure.

They observed that Northern Province deserved to have a university in order to cater for the growing populations and called on government to consider establishing one using the already existing infrastructure at Lukashya Trades Training Institute in Kasama town.

The MPs further appealed to minister of education, Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa to consider allocating more resources to school infrastructure in the Province this year in order to enhance the standard of education among the local people.

MCM acid spillage polutes Mufulira’s domestic water supply

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Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) in Mufulira has disclosed that part of its under ground water table has been contaminated following an acid spillage in to the main water supply domestic system that pumps water to households in former mine townships.

And several people have been admitted to various hospitals in Mufulira district after they complained of abdominal pains, vomiting and other aliments upon consuming the contaminated water.

The water is usually supplied to the residents living in former Zambia Consolidated Copper Mine (ZCCM) houses by Mulenga Water and Sewerage Company which has since disconnected supply to its affected consumers.

MCM Mufulira division acting Mine manager Aldo De La Cruz informed Mufulira District Commissioner Dyford Muulwa who rushed to the mine that the water table was polluted yesterday.

Mr. Cruz explained that the water could have been polluted following a crack at one of the pumps taking acid from the leach plant to the under ground.

The acting mine manager who was at grave pains to explain the cause of the latest pollution to a team of government and security officers added that the mining firm was doing every thing possible to rectify the problem.

Mr. Cruz could also not inform the government officials at the exact amount of acid that was in the water and what remedial measures the mine had put into place to curb the pollution.

Several residents became suspicious after they noticed that the water which was supplied to them today had a different colour as it looked sky blue and immediately turned black after adding chlorine to it.

And there was panic and uncertainty in Mufulira after word went round that the water being supplied to residents was contaminated.

Scores of people living in ex mine townships immediately rushed to nearest health centres and hospitals demanding to be examined by medical personnel.

The residents who were almost unruly blocked the entrance to the offices of Mulonga Water firm in the city centre and Mulonga offices situated in the mine area which were deserted.

Police had to be called in to keep vigil at the premises of both the mine plant and water firm including health centres were the irate residents had gathered.

The town centre was also sealed off by state police clad in riot gear.

And Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company branch manager Chris Chilekwa noted that the results from the collected water samples from various affected locations indicate that the PH level (acid) in the water from the mines was above normal.

Both Mulonga Water and Mopani management have not yet established the exact level of acidity which has been released into the water.

And five people in the border town have been admitted at Malcolm Watson hospital after consuming the contaminated water.

Malcolm Watson deputy superintendent Remmy Cheelo confirmed the development to Mufulira district commission Dyford Muulwa who visited the hospital.

Dr. Cheelo disclosed that 40 people had been seen by health personnel at the hospital after they complained of abdominal pains and vomiting.

And Mr. Muulwa told ZANIS in an interview that several other residents have been admitted at Ronald Rose hospital following the latest incident.

Ronald Ross executive director Makasa Sichela told ZANIS in an interview that they were no deaths after the pollution as earlier perceived by some section of the community.

And the Mufulira DC Mr. Muulwa has described the latest pollution as a scandal and totally unfortunate.

Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima has expressed regret at the latest water contamination by Mopani Copper Mine in Mufulira district.

He hoped the latest incident will not affect supply of water to residents in the border town.

And Mufulira District Commissioner (DC) Dyford Muulwa has told the Copperbelt Provincial Minister that one person was currently lying unconscious at Ronald Ross hospital after allegedly consuming the contaminated water.

Mr. Muulwa said this in his office today when he briefed the provincial minister about the latest acid pollution incident.

Earlier, the Copperbelt minister who was accompanied by permanent secretary Jennipher Musonda added that he was relieved that no lives have been lost as a result of the contamination of the water.

And Mufulira Town Clerk Charles Mwandila said 70 percent of residents will be affected as a result of the shut down of the Mulonga water plant following the pollution incident.

Mr. Mwandila informed the minister that he had sent health inspectors from the local authority to ascertain the exact amount of acid currently present in the water.

He added that he had been briefed by Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) management that corrective measures had been put in place to avert the situation.

And two opposition Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament in Mufulira district have described the latest water contamination caused by Mopani Copper (MCM) Mines as an act of sabotage.

And the two law makers have meanwhile expressed fear that the entire Copperbelt region risked being affected by the pollution caused by Mopani.

The two MPs are Yamfwa Mukanga for Kantanshi constituency and Percy Chanda for Kankoyo.

In an interview with ZANIS in Mufulira today, the MPs noted that effluents from the mine were usually disposed into the Mufulira stream which was a tributary of the Kafue River and as such, the whole province was at risk.

And the two MPs have vowed that they will take the mine to the courts of law over the latest scandal.

They added that the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) should quickly move in and surcharge Mopani which they said had unfortunately abrogated existing laws for too long.

They added that today’s water contamination could have been corrected if MCM had put in place monitoring mechanisms that would have avoided the problem.

They charged that it was unfortunate that Mopani had no regard for the health and lives of the community of Mufulira as they had done nothing to avert pollution despite several appeals to the the firm.

The two parliamentarians were part of a team that visited the mine plant to have a meeting with mine management but were unsatisfied with reasons advanced to them by Mopani management over the pollution.

Sinkala Out of Africa Cup

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Zambia national team midfielder Andrew Sinkala has ruled himself out of 2008 Africa Cup finals.

The midfielder from 2.Bundesliga team Paderborn confirmed from Cologne, Germany where he is admitted in hospital that he would not be available for the Africa Cup.

Sinkala revealed that he did not think that he would recover in time from his chest infection to feature for Zambia in Ghana.

Zambia national team coach Patrick Phiri said the news was a blow to his plans ahead of the Africa Cup that kickoff in a fortnight time in Ghana on January 20.

And with Sinakla’s withdrawal from the team, Phiri is now sweating on the recovery of another 2.Bundesliga player in the form of defender Moses Sichone of Kickers Offenbach.

Sichone is currently nursing a rib injury and Phiri has given himself until the CAF January 10 final team list submission deadline before making a final decision whether to drop him.

And Zambia’s departure from Spain to Tunisia has been rescheduled from today to tomorrow team a manger Solly Pandor confirmed today from Jerez.

He said Zambia will this evening, Wednesday play a training game against a local league team before wrapping up their week-long training camp in Spain.

Meanwhile, it is still not certain as to when defender Elijah Tana of El Merriekh in Sudan would join the team in North Africa.

Tana is still in Zambia but has said today that he was still awaiting instructions from Faz on when and where he will join the team.

The defender has been conspicuously missing from Zambia’s local training camp since he arrived in the country just days before the team departed for Spain after being excused to attend to a family problem.

He even missed the team’s flight to Spain on December 25 and subsequently failed to even board a flight booked for him three days later.

Zambia on Friday head out to Tunisia where they play the latter in a friendly international this Sunday, January 6.

The team will be joined in Paris, France by striker Collins Mbesuma of Bursaspor in Turkey on the teams way to North Africa.

Following the Tunisia match, Zambia will travel to Morocco where they will take on the Atlas Lions in another warm-up January 12.

Another friendly match against Nigeria en route to the Ghana Africa Cup finals that kickoff on January 20.

Floods leave more than 200 people homeless in Sinazongwe

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Floods have left more than 200 hundred people homeless in Sinazongwe district.

Maamba Coal Mine Township special disaster Management team said at a meeting in Maamba that 108 houses have collapsed in Maamba alone.

The team that comprised of Maamba coal Mine Management, government officer, the Community, Maamba Zambia Red Cross, and the business community, said the affected people would be sheltered temporarily at Maamba High School.

The team that was chaired by Maamba Mine Acting Mine Manager Coin Siakachoma have promised to solicit for help for the affected people.

In Simankawa village in Chief Mweemba Collins Siankwazi told ZANIS that 62 houses have collapsed and water have swept away people’s fields.

Mr. Siankwazi said the affected areas included Sowoto, Sigombela, Mugonko, and Siapolo.
Abel Mununka a resident in Siansowa Township where there is the biggest crocodile farm in the country said 20 houses have collapsed.

Mr. Mununka said people were starving as they could not go out to buy food and business people are unable to deliver food owing to the impassable roads.

Sinazongwe District Council Vice Chairperson Fisher Zimana said 13 houses and several of them have collapsed in Malima and Bulya malima.

Mr. Zimana said communication problems and impassable roads were hindering people in getting the exact number of houses that have collapsed.

He said the people were also suffering because they have no access to mealie- meal and basic food stuffs.
Maamba Ward Councilor Peter Siavuulwe said heavy rains in the district have affected people’s business of selling goats and trading in various commodities.

He said most of the sub-standard structures including toilets have collapsed resulting into the high demand for shelter and mealie-meal.

He said the water born diseases such as Cholera were also expected any time since most of the toilets have collapsed.

The councillor said government should speed up its assurance of repairing the damaged road to save many lives that were already in danger.
[ZANIS]

Mealie-meal shortage hit Sinazongwe District

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Mealie-meal shortages and other essential food commodities have continued to be out of stock in Sinazongwe as result of floods that have cut off the entire district from the rest of the country.

Sinazongwe District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni said at the moment an aeroplane would be required to air lift the mealie-meal which is Zambia’s Stepple food to distribute it in areas that were completely impassable if the damaged road was not worked on time.

“Completely there is no mealie- meal in the shop, and Sugar has also run out in most shosp,” the DC said.
A Check in the Shops on Wednesday found that there was no meali-meal in all the shops.

Sinazongwe District Assistant Social welfare officer said the situation so bad that if it continued people would die of hunger in the district.
[ZANIS]

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