The United Party for National Development(UPND) has called on government to halt the rampant abuse of public funds in the country.

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said the revelations by the Auditor General’s office on the abuse of public funds amounting to K14.2 trillion was unacceptable and must be stopped immediately.

Mr. Hichilema who read out a report from the Auditor General’s office said the fight against corruption will not be contained at the rate at which public funds were being abused.

The UPND president was speaking at a Press briefing in Lusaka today.

A report from the Auditor General’s report indicated that between the 2001 and 2005, about K27 billion was misappropriated and K54 billion was misapplied while K119 billion imprest was not retired.

The report further revealed that about K48 billion was not banked on time and there was an over payment of over K14 billion.

Mr. Hichilema said with such levels of abuse of public resources, 90 percent of Zambia’s poor risked remaining in poverty all their lives.

The UPND president observed that Zambia is not a poor country saying the main problem was poor management of resources especially by people in public offices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hichilema has appealed to government to re-open Evelyn Hone College.

He pointed out that there was need to address the root cause of the problem at higher institutions of learning before closing them.

Acting Chief Government Spokesperson, George Mpombo has described as unfortunate misrepresentation accusations by Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) president Bishop Paul Mususu that President Levy Mwanawasa and his Government were dictatorial.

Mr. Mpombo said contrary to Bishop Mususu’s accusations,President Mwanawasa and his administration have been open to dialogue and consultation when dealing with national issues.

In a statement issued to ZANIS today, Mr Mpombo said even the National Constitutinal Conference (NCC) Act demonstrated that President Mwanawasa and his government had been open to dialogue and were extremely compromising.

Mr. Mpombo, who is also Minister of Defence, said it was ungodly for Bishop Mususu who represents the body of Christ to go on an open forum to pretend that there were no positive developments towards good governance when a lot had been done.

Bishop Mususu was speaking on the Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix yesterday where he is alleged to have said that President Levy Mwanawasa and his Administration were not a listening Government and had dictatorial tendencies.

Mr Mpombo also said it was unfortunate that the man of God failed to appreciate what his collegues listed as positive developments in good governance in the fields of politics, economics and social services.

He further said the Bishop was more interested in demonstrating his hatred for President Mwanawasa and his administration and using the forum to praise the opposition, especially Patriotic Front.

“Bishop Mususu fails to see the dictatorial tendencies in Mr. Michael Sata, PF President who would run the country as if it were his personal farm but attacks Mr. Mwanawasa who tolerates vicious and in some cases unreasonable criticism and who has taken on board suggestions from the opposition and civil societies in the running of state affairs.” Said the Defence minister.

Mr. Mpombo reminded Zambians that it is only under President Mwanawasa’s administration that the people are consulted in national matters like the fifth national development plan, the annual budgets and adoption of the new constitution.

Vice President Rupiah Banda says Zambia has managed to maintain food security because of the good agricultural polices that the New Deal Government has put in place.

Mr Banda said since taking over power in 2001, the new deal government has implementated agriculture policies that have seen the country achieving food security and producing more crops for exports.

He said Government has been supporting small scale farmers through the Fertliser Support Programmes (FSP) which has not only benefitted farmers but also the country as a whole.

The Vice President however stated that the food insufficiency being faced in some parts of the country was due to floods that hit the nation in the last farming season.

He said his office has through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU)spent over K110 billion on the provision of relief food to about 47 districts in the country that were severely affected by the floods.

He said his office has since asked for supplementary funds to continue assisting people that are in dare need of food .

The Vice President was speaking to Zambian Journalists in Armsterdam , Nertherlands enroute to Italy,Rome where he is going to attend the 34th Confrence of the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

Mr. Banda however said the country would achieve the Millenuim Development Goals (MDG) of halving extreme poverty by the year 2015.

He said government views the agriculture sector as an important sector in poverty reduction hence the allocation of more funds to the ministry of Agriculture.

“The Agricultural sector is vital to economic development , we agreed during the last cabinet meeting to allocate about K54 billion to the ministry so that it can continue to support our farmers,” Said the Vice president.

The Recent World Development Report has warned that the MDGs would not be attained unless the agriculture sector becomes the center stage for economic development and more investment flow.

The Vice president however stated that Africa has in the past not been spending more resources on the sector as compared to the Asian countries hence the reason for the continent not producing more food.

And Vice President Rupiah Banda has arrived in Italy, Rome for the 34th FAO conference scheduled to start today to November 24, 2007.

The Vice President who is accompained by his wife Thandiwe , Foreigh Affairs deputy minister Fashion Phiri and Economical Advisor to the President Dr. Situmebeko Musokotwane was recieved by Zambia’s ambassandor to Italy Lucy Mugoma .

Mr. Banda said the conference is significant to all member countries as it affords members an opportunity to share expriences and challanges they face in addressing issues of food and agriculture.

The Vice president will on Tuesday present a paper on behalf of President Levy Mwanawasa on the Financing of Agriculture during a special high level session.

The Conference which is held every after two years is expected to discuss the state of food and agriculture , aid for trade , food and forestry and the role of aquaculture in sustainable development.

During the 33rd Conference in 2005, member countries committed themeselves to promote activities aimed at halving poverty by the year 2015.

They also committed themselves to promote adequate investment in agriculture , fisheries , forestry and other renewable natural resources.

The Zambia Police Service has denied media reports that it misappropriated funds amounting to K167.6 Billion in 2005.

Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo dismissed reports in yesterday’s edition
of one of the private tabloids which indicated that the Auditor General’s report
for the year ended December 31st 2005 given to Parliament this week, that the Zambia
Police misappropriated K167.6 Billion.

Mr Mateyo denied the claims in statement made available to the Zambia News and
Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today.

He explained that the estimates of revenue and expenditure for two financial years
ending 31st December, 2005 and 2006, a total provision of K2,797,098,981 was made
for the appropriation-in-aid for the Zambia Police service.

Mr Mateyo added that a total of K4, 456, 441,794 was spent during the period under
the review of the audit report of May 2006 resulting in spending K1, 659,342,813
above the amount approved as appropriation-in-aid.

He said that consequently, K1, 036,268,815 was spent on activities such as
procurement of air tickets, motor vehicles repairs, house rentals and other related
activities.

Mr Mateyo noted that a supplementary provision warrant was done to cover for the
over expenditure.

He said that hence the impression created by the named paper is not only misleading
but also a false representation of the figures and facts as indicated in the copy of
the audit report of May, 2006.

Mr Mateyo said that he has since instructed the Commissioner of Police in charge of
criminal investigations to open a docket so that whoever is responsible for the
false publication can be brought to book and help the police with further
investigations on the report.

Meanwhile, Crops worth millions of kwacha have been
destroyed by a hailstorm that swept through the farms in Mufulira’s Murundu farming
block yesterday.

The storm that lasted two hours ripped off vegetable and tree leaves while grass and
other plants were submerged in water.

Mufulira District Commissioner Dyford Muulwa toured the affected farms yesterday.

Mr. Muulwa said his office will submit a report to the Disaster Management and
Mitigation unit under the office of the vice president to seek mitigatory support
for the affected farmers.

Area councillor Robinson Museya said over 250 families were affected by the storm in
the area.

Councillor Muzeya however said the exact cost of the damaged fields has not yet been
established.

One of the affected farmers Sundie Silwizya said most farmers in the area depend on
farming for their livelihood hence their earnest appeal to government for assistance
to enable them afresh.

District agriculture coordinator Dr. Webster Kabanda said the damage to the farms
will have a negative effect on the vegetable market in the district as most prices
will go up.

Murundu farming bloc is a major producer and supplier of vegetables such as tomatoes
cabbage, egg plants and rape in the district and other Copperbelt towns.

Government has employed a total of 15, 485 teachers out of the 19, 519 who graduated from teacher training colleges between 2003 and 2006.

Education deputy minister Clement Sinyinda told Parliament today that of the 19,
519, 15, 803 teachers graduated from government schools while 3, 716 graduated from
private teachers’ colleges from 2003 to 2006.

Mr Sinyinda who is also Senanga MMD member of Parliament noted that 2003 recorded
the highest number of teachers graduating of about 4,741 from government colleges
while the private colleges recorded the highest number of graduates in 2006 of about
1, 104 teachers.

He further explained that of the 19, 519, 10, 467 were female and 9, 052 were male.

Mr Sinyinda was responding to a question from Opposition United Party for National
Development, UPND, Katombola member of Parliament, Regina Musokotwane who wanted to
know how many teachers graduated from teachers colleges between 2003 and 2006
countrywide.

And Mr Sinyinda said 15, 485 teachers were employed by government during the stated
years.

He however said no teacher was employed in 2003 due to government’s commitment to
reach the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, HIPC, completion point.

He also explained that his ministry expected all the teachers employed during the
stated period to have reported for work saying his ministry was however waiting for
a verification report.

And Parliament today heard that construction works on the D499 road in Gwembe valley
in southern province popularly known as the ‘Bottom’ road has started.

Works and Supply minister Kapembwa Simbao said the company contracted to work on the
741 kilometre road is already on site saying 97 kilometres from Chabbobboma to
Sinazeze would be worked on for a start.

Mr Simbao said Zambians should appreciate that work on the road has started after
over 20 years of lip service.

He advised Zambians to be positive in approaching matters of national development.