Advertisement Banner
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 5545

Zambia’s reserves hit $1.1bn.

editor
-
19

Zambia has this year accumulated an unprecedented US$1.1 billion in international reserves, the highest ever such figure in the country’s history.

The reserves have risen from US$706 million in 2006.

Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor, Caleb Fundanga, announced at the bank’s end of year media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that Zambia’s balance of payment (BOP) support had significantly dropped to US$204.9 million from US$783.0 million in 2006.

“Zambia has continued to record favourable external sector performance resulting in an accumulation of gross international reserves to US$1.1 billion in December 2007 from US$706 million at the end of December 2006,” Dr Fundanga said. “This is the highest the country has ever accumulated.”

Trade surplus in 2007 narrowed to US$589.4 million from US$1,041.3 million mainly as a result of a sharp rise in merchandise imports, which outweighed the increase in exports.

Merchandise imports increased by about 36.1 per cent to around US$3,641.5 million during the course of this year following an upswing in imports of goods such as iron and steel, industrial boilers and equipment, including petroleum products.

Other imports were electrical equipment, motor vehicles, plastic and rubber products.

“I should emphasise here that this is a good reflection because most of these have not yet been put in production. Once they are, there will be increased production,” he said.

He said the country’s total export earnings increased by about 12 per cent to US$3,933.4 million. This reflected both higher metal and non-traditional exports.

Metal export earnings rose by nine per cent to US$3,091.8 million. The earnings were mainly from higher copper and cobalt exports. Copper exports increased by about six per cent to US$2,868.3 million. This was as a result of high copper prices on the international market.

Cobalt earnings went up by 68.8 per cent to US$223.5 million largely due to higher prices.

Dr Fundanga also said in 2007, commercial banks’ lending rates continued to go down, falling to 24.3 per cent in November from 27.9 per cent in December 2006.

The average savings rate for amounts above K100,000 and 30-day deposit rate fell to 4.8 per cent and 4.9 per cent from 6.1 per cent and 8.4 per cent, respectively.

The Kwacha strengthened against major currencies in 2007 on account of the steady supply of foreign exchange that arose from improved external sector performance coupled with strong macro-economic fundamentals.

There was also an increase in domestic credits due to the 45.6 per cent expansion in private sector credit although Government borrowing declined by 35.8 per cent.

He said on a sectoral basis, the agricultural sector continued to dominate the distribution of credit and accounted for 21.4 per cent in November 2007.

And Dr Fundanga said the central bank had continued to implement its “clean note policy” and had, by November 2007, withdrawn a total of K455.9 billion (64.3 million pieces) of unfit paper and polymer bank notes from circulation.

Mutilated polymer bank notes that were withdrawn from circulation accounted for 19.8 million pieces valued at K15.3 billion.

“However, there is still a prevalence of unfit bank notes in circulation. In this regard, we continue to urge the public to exchange all unfit notes for fit ones either through the Bank of Zambia or any commercial bank,” Dr Fundanga said.

He said customers had the right to exchange mutilated notes with new ones at any commercial bank where they could also request for either high or low value bank notes.

Daily-Mail

Bhutto buried as Pakistan grieves

editor
-
0

 

(CNN) — Assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was laid to rest alongside her father in her ancestral home of Garhi-Khuda Baksh after a chaotic funeral procession and scenes of violence in Pakistan on Friday.

art.bhutto.coffin.gi.jpg

Bhutto’s casket is carried out of Rawalpindi General Hospital by her supporters.

 Hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding streets almost brought the procession to a standstill before it finally reached the mausoleum.

The throngs of her grieving supporters crushed up against the flag-draped coffin, while minor scuffles also broke out.

Violence had earlier erupted in Pakistan in the hours before Bhutto’s funeral started, with at least nine people reported killed and banks, train stations and cars torched.

It was initially reported that Bhutto, 54, was killed on Thursday after a public rally in Rawalpindi by the bullets of an assassin who blew himself up after firing the shots.

But the surgeon who operated on her, Dr Mussadiq Khan, told the Associated Press on Friday that Bhutto was killed by shrapnel from the blast — from which at least 28 more people died and at least 100 were wounded. Khan said “no bullet was found in her body.”

Her father and former prime minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was hanged in the same northern city in 1979.

Bhutto’s body arrived in the hours before dawn at Garhi-Khuda Baksh after a long journey by plane, helicopter and ambulance.

The opposition leader’s family — her husband Asif Ali Zardari and three children — accompanied the body aboard a Pakistani Air Force C-130 transport plane to Sukkor but traveled by bus from there to Larkana and on to Garhi-Khuda Baksh.

In Washington, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Bhutto’s family had requested a private funeral.

Another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, told CNN on Friday that he had planned to attend Bhutto’s funeral, but was advised not to by Zardari, who cited security concerns.

“He said that we must not come today in view of these inadequate security arrangements,” Sharif said. “The security arrangements are far from satisfactory.”

In the aftermath of the assassination, the prime minister’s office has launched a judicial inquiry and the Ministry of the Interior is setting up a police inquiry, according to Information Minister Nisar Memon.

Memon said no decision had been made to postpone parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8.

“We remain on course,” he said.

Sharif, who visited the hospital to pay his respects to Bhutto, later announced that he and his party would boycott the elections.

Bhutto, who was campaigning for the elections, had completed an election rally minutes earlier and was leaving the rally site, Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh Park, at the time of the attack.

As a shocked Pakistan absorbed the news of Bhutto’s death, authorities called for calm and asked residents to stay inside.

Many obliged, shuttering shops or rushing home from work and surrendering the streets to protesters who set fire to banks, shops and gas stations, blocked roads and pelted police with rocks, Pakistani media reported.

At least five people were killed in Karachi in the violence, GEO-TV reported, and dozens more were wounded. Police in Khairpur fired on an angry mob, killing two people, the station reported, and two more people were killed in Larkana.

“It’s all mayhem everywhere,” Shehryar Ahmad, an investment banker in Karachi, told CNN by telephone. “There’s absolutely no order of any kind. No army on the streets. No curfew.”

Ahmad said that as he drove back from work, he counted the burned-out shells of dozens of cars. A one-mile strip leading to Bhutto’s Karachi house was a “ghost town,” he said.

“A lot of government buildings and many vehicles have been burned by the angry protesters,” said Majid Siddiqui of GEO-TV.

In Sindh province, where Karachi is located, police said demonstrators had burned a dozen banks, set two train stations on fire, along with three trains. Since Thursday, 240 vehicles have been burned.

Because of the violence, paramilitary forces in Sindh were told to “shoot on sight” anyone causing civil disturbances, a spokesman for the Pakistan Rangers said.

Local media reported that in some areas, police were on the streets but were avoiding direct confrontation with the mobs, not wanting to inflame an already tense situation.

But by Friday morning, Pakistani media reported that an uneasy calm had spread across the shaken country, now marking a three-day period of mourning declared by President Pervez Musharraf.

Bhutto’s coffin was removed from Rawalpindi General Hospital late on Thursday — carried above a crowd of grieving supporters.

Bhutto spent her final moments giving a stirring address to thousands of supporters at a park in Rawalpindi, a city of roughly 1.5 million that is 14 km (9 miles) south of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

She climbed into a white Land Rover and stood through the sunroof to wave to crowds after the speech.

It was then that someone fired two shots, and Bhutto slumped back into the vehicle, said John Moore, a news photographer with Getty Images who saw what happened.

Seconds later an explosion rocked the park, sending orange flames into the throng of Bhutto supporters and littering the park with twisted metal and chunks of rubble. The carnage was everywhere, he said.

The assassination happened in Liaquat Bagh Park, named for Pakistan’s first prime minister — Liaquat Ali Khan — who was assassinated in the same location in 1951.

The attack came just hours after four supporters of Sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the Islamabad airport on Thursday, Pakistan police said.

Bhutto led Pakistan from 1988-1990 and 1993-96, but both times the sitting president dismissed her amid corruption allegations. She was the first female prime minister of any Islamic nation.

A terror attack targeting her motorcade in Karachi in October killed 136 people on the day she returned to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile.

[CNN]

Bhutto had been critical of what she believed was a lack of effort by President Musharraf‘s government to protect he

Heavy rains cut off Sinazongwe people

editor
-
0

Boy 14 wrestles with a crocodile

editor
-
8

 By Tovin  Ngombe

A 14 year old boy is battling for his life at Maamba hospital when he survived after wrestling with a crocodile in Sinazongwe district. Speaking at the bed side in Maamba Hospital the boy’s uncle Robby Sikabele said the reptile broke the boys arm, bite him in the chest, and bruised his collar bone.   He explained that the incident happened on Wednesday when the boy went to head the cattle with his friends across Lulwengwe stream near Maamba coal mine. 

 Mr. Sikabele named the boy as Obbrein Siankwede of Siakalonzo village who is in grade three at Maamba Community School.The boy who was able to utter some words said the crocodile clobbered him as he was crossing the stream, it swallowed his right arm and tried to dip him into the water but he resisted.Siankwede said he inserted his left arm into the crocodile’s mouth and abandoned him but as he tried to cross to the shore it followed him but the friends threw stones on it and it left him.“I felt as though it was plucking my eyes, but I resisted, I also bite it with my teeth, and it released me after I disturbed it.” Siankwede said. The boy’s uncle Sikabele said he would be referred to Choma Hospital for medication on Friday.Last week the boy’s father Partrick Mabole broke his jaws when he collided with another cyclist and he is admitted in Choma hospital.And last month Headman Mwela also survived when a crocodile caught him along kanzize stream in Maamba Township.  Maamba Ward Councilor Peter Siavulwe said heavy rains being experienced in the district have increased crocodiles in most of the streams. Mr. Siavuulwe said people who have their fields across the streams feared to go and cultivate a situation which would increase hunger next year. He has called on the Zambia World Life Authority (ZAWA) to crop the reptiles which have become a menace to people’s lives.    

ZAMBIA LOSE 4-1 IN ANDALUSIA

editor
-
60

The Zambia national team on Thursday night lost 4-1 to the Andalusia Regional national team in Jerez, Spain.

Andalusia, missing big name La Liga players like Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and Valencia striker Joaquin and Sevilla attacker Jesus Nava, took a 2-1 lead into the break after Christopher Katongo had given Zambia the lead in the 9th minute.

Arzu leveled scores before Barral gave Andalusia the lead via a penalty.

Del Moral made it 3-1 after the restart before Gallardo completed the host’s day with the fourth.

Zambia face Tunisia in their next friendly match on January 6 in Tunisia then wrap-up against Morocco also away on the 12th before heading to Ghana ahead of their Opening Africa Cup Group C match against Sudan on the 22nd in Kumasi.

Ben Bamfuchile is dead

editor
-
77

Bamfuchile, 47, died in Kitwe last night after a long illness at 22:15 at Poly Clinic in Nkana West Township where he had been admitted for over a fortnight.

Bamfuchile is one of Zambia’s highly respected coaches having coached Zambia, Namibia, Power Dynamos and Nkana FC.

Bamfuchile had until the time of his death just resigned as head coach of Namibia national soccer team whom he had just guided to their second ever qualification to the Africa Cup finals since 1998.

The late Bamfuchile started his football career as a player at 11-time league champions Nkana in 1977 and was assistant-coach and player from the late 1980’s to 1993 when he took over fulltime at the time.

Later in his career, Bamfuchile oversaw the development at Power of midfielder Isaac Chansa, former Under-23 defender Steven Kunda and striker and Francis Kombe.

While Bamfuchile did not win the league with Power, he brought the team two Mosi cup titles in 2001 and 2003 and the Arthur Davies club was runners up in the same tournament in 2002.

Bamfuchile also won the BP Top 8 crown in 2001 including the clubs only ever Coca Cola Cup triumph in 2003.

His other coaching adventures after an initial turbulent two seasons at Nkana starting from 1993 when he took over from the late legendary trainer Moses Simwala saw him take up coaching stints in Swaziland and South Africa.

Bamfuchile was also assistant Zambia coach to the late Ian Porterfield at the 1994 Africa Cup finals in Tunisia where the team won silver after losing 2-1 to Nigeria in the finals.

He also won the Swaziland league and cup titles with 11-Men in 1996 and after a couple of season a period he describes as unforgettable.

Bamfuchile then briefly spent six months South Africa top-flight club Amazulu before returning home for his first of two spells at Power.

He also guided the Zambia Under-23 national team to a silver medal in the football tournament behind winners Cameroon at the 1999 ALL Africa Games held in South Africa.

Then the Zambia job became available in the run-up to the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations after the departure of German-born coach Bukhard Ziese.

With Zambia, Bamfuchile oversaw one of the squads most successfully qualifying run ever.
Zambia were undefeated in all their six Group Six qualifying games under Bamfuchile before it all came unstuck at 2000 Nigeria/Ghana Africa Cup 2000.

Zambia crushed out losing 2-0 to Egypt, finishing 1-1 with Burkina Faso after taking the early lead.

In their final match against Senegal, Kalusha Bwalya saved the sides blushes with a rebounding header from a late penalty to draw 2-2.

Bamfuchile leaves behind a wife Tina and six children.

His funeral is being held at his Nkana East home and burial arrangements will be announced later.

Benazir Bhutto killed in attack

editor
-
35

Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has died after a suicide bombing that killed at least 14 of her supporters, ex-government spokesman Tariq Azim Khan and Pakistan’s primary television networks said.

art.bhutto.jpg

Bhutto is helped from her vehicle following the October 18 suicide attack on her motorcade.

 Bhutto suffered bullet wounds in the aftermath of the bomb attack, TV networks report.

Video of the scene just moments before the explosion showed Bhutto stepping into a heavily-guarded vehicle to leave the rally.

Khan said while it appeared Bhutto was shot, it was unclear if her bullet wounds were caused by a shooting or shrapnel from the bomb.

The suicide attack left at least 14 dead and 40 injured, Khan told CNN in a telephone interview.

The attacker is said to have detonated a bomb as he tried to enter the rally where thousands of people gathered to hear Bhutto speak, police said.

Video from the scene of the blast broadcast from Geo TV showed wounded people being loaded into ambulances.

Up to 20 people are dead, the report said.

Earlier, four supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the Islamabad airport Friday, local police said.

Several other members of Sharif’s party were wounded, police added.

While President Pervez Musharraf has promised free and fair parliamentary elections next month, continued instability in the tribal areas and the threat of attack on large crowds has kept people from attending political rallies and dampened the country’s political process.

Campaigners from various political groups say fewer people are coming out to show their support due to government crackdowns and the threat of violence.

At least 136 people were killed and more than 387 wounded on October 18 when a suicide bomber attacked Bhutto’s slow-moving motorcade. The former PM returned to the country after eight years of self-imposed exile to a massive show of support in the southern port city of Karachi.

Bhutto called it “an attack on democracy” and vowed it would not deter her political campaign.

Thursday’s violence come less than two weeks ahead of January parliamentary elections and as many days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency he said was necessary to ensure the country’s stability.

Critics said Musharraf’s political maneuvering was meant to stifle the country’s judiciary as well as curb the media and opposition groups to secure more power.

CNN’s Mohsin Naqvi contributes to this report

Video from the scene of the blast broadcast from Geo TV showed wounded people being loaded into ambulances.

Up to 20 people are dead, the report said.

Earlier, four supporters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the Islamabad airport Friday, local police said.

Several other members of Sharif’s party were wounded, police added.

While President Pervez Musharraf has promised free and fair parliamentary elections next month, continued instability in the tribal areas and the threat of attack on large crowds has kept people from attending political rallies and dampened the country’s political process.

Campaigners from various political groups say fewer people are coming out to show their support due to government crackdowns and the threat of violence.

At least 136 people were killed and more than 387 wounded on October 18 when a suicide bomber attacked Bhutto’s slow-moving motorcade. The former PM returned to the country after eight years of self-imposed exile to a massive show of support in the southern port city of Karachi.

Bhutto called it “an attack on democracy” and vowed it would not deter her political campaign.

Today’s violence come less than two weeks ahead of January parliamentary elections and as many days after President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency he said was necessary to ensure the country’s stability.

Critics said Musharraf’s political maneuvering was meant to stifle the country’s judiciary as well as curb the media and opposition groups to secure more power

[CNN]

Zesco hikes tariffs

editor
-
28

 THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has approved new Zesco electricity tariff increases on condition that the power utility meets set performance benchmarks.
Announcing the new tariffs to be effected on January 1, 2008, ERB board chairman, Sikota Wina, said the increase in tariffs, fees, penalties and other charges in 2009 and 2010 was on condition that the power utility improves its operations.
Mr Wina said for residential charges the increment would be 26.8 per cent in 2008, 16.6 per cent in 2009, 11.9 per cent in 2010 while for commercial consumers the increment would be 1.3 per cent in 2008, 0.3 per cent in 2009 and 0.3 per cent in 2010.
For power consumers under class MD1 and MD2 the increment would be 16.2 per cent in 2008, 5.5 per cent in 2009, 4.5 per cent in 2010 while large power consumers under class MD3 and MD4 would be 27.5 per cent in 2008, 16.6 per cent in 2009 and 2.2 per cent in 2010.
Charges for other services would rise to 6.8 per cent in 2008, 1.9 per cent in 2009 and 1.9 per cent in 2010.
“Zesco will only access or enjoy indicative tariffs for the years 2009 and 2010 if it meets or exceeds the performance benchmarks. The tariff awards for the years 2009 and 2010 are therefore conditional,” he said.
He said because of the need to protect consumers the approval was on condition that Zesco directed adequate resources to the maintenance of plant and equipment to improve quality of power supply.
The company should monitor and comply with performance benchmarks such as metering customers, reducing system losses, reduce staff costs and reduce waiting time for applicants of new service connection.
“Zesco should furnish ERB within 60 days with a comprehensive plan of how it intends to contain staff costs from the current 49 per cent on the operating budget to 30 per cent by 2010,” he said.
The board also asked Zesco to provide the public with timely notice on its load shedding plans and also abolish staff tariff and apply approved residential tariffs for its members of staff effective January 1, 2008.
On other charges, fees and penalties residential security deposit would increase from K20,000 to K150,000 while for commercial consumers it would be K450,000 from K50,000.
Reconnection fee for residential consumers would now attract a K60,000 fee, commercial clients K150,000 while penalties for illegal re-connection would be K500,000 and K1.5 million for residential and commercial clients respectively.
He said this year’s tariff review had been unique because it was the first multi-year system and had come at a time when there was a looming power deficit in Zambia and the region as whole.
“This year’s review has attracted more stakeholder interest than any other in the past. A total of 60 submissions were presented to the ERB,” he said.
Mr Wina said Zesco stated in its application that for the year 2007/2008 it would require a revenue of K1.6 trillion of which K695 billion would be used for capital investment.
He said although consumers conceded that there was a genuine need for Zesco to vary its tariffs they were alarmed by the proposed increase which in most cases was over 200 per cent.
Consumers further argued that the bulk of the new demand for electricity was being driven by mines and therefore they should meet the envisaged new generating plants while large power users lamented that an upward variation of the tariffs would increase their production costs.
He said ERB was following with keen interest the renegotiations between Zesco and Copperbelt Energy Corporation because 70 per cent of electricity was sold to the mines although they paid low tariffs.
He added that the national energy policy provided that there should be no cross-subsidisation between different consumer groups and each group should pay the actual cost incurred by the supplier.
Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga said the ERB should justify its approval by ensuring that Zesco adhered to all the conditions set unlike in the past when these were over-looked. [Times of Zambia]

Drug reactions ‘kill thousands’

editor
-
0

 

pills

Some reactions are avoidable

Almost 3,000 people have died in the past three years after suffering serious side-effects or allergies to their medicines, say official figures.More than 13,000 others in the same period had an “adverse drug reaction”, but survived with hospital treatment.

The statistics, obtained by the Liberal Democrats, include damage caused by “over the counter” drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Experts said that medicines could not be blamed for all the reported cases.

This is a dangerously escalating problem, which is putting lives at risk and placing a big cost burden on the NHS

Norman Lamb MP
Liberal Democrats

The figures are drawn from “yellow card” scheme, run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) to gather reports of all adverse reactions from both clinicians and patients.

Last year, there were reports of 964 patients in the UK who died as a result of an adverse reaction, compared with more than 1,000 the previous year, and 861 in 2004.

However, there is evidence that the vast majority of adverse drug reactions are never reported to the MHRA.

Bigger problem

A study published last year suggested that 6.5% of all patients admitted to hospital had experienced a reaction, and that in four out of five cases, the medicines they were taking were to blame.

This adds up to as much as 250,000 cases a year – and an annual cost of £466 million to the NHS.

The MHRA has urged patients to join doctors in reporting drug reactions to them via the NHS Direct phone line.

While in some cases a deadly side-effect or allergy could not have been predicted, Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has conceded that some cases should have been avoided.

“We have to become better at learning from these mistakes,” he told a conference last month.

However, the Liberal Democrats are calling for a “full investigation” into the issue.

MP Norman Lamb said: “This is a dangerously escalating problem, which is putting lives at risk and placing a big cost burden on the NHS.”

It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily prove that it was caused by the drug

Dr June Raine
MHRA

While many of the cases involve drugs commonly prescribed by GPs and in hospitals, such as the blood-thinning drug warfarin and diuretics, a list of common culprits includes some which can be bought without prescription in any high street chemist.

These include aspirin, and the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, both of which can cause gastric bleeding if taken in high doses over longer periods.

Dr June Raine, the Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines at the MHRA said that every medicine carried some risk of side-effects.

“Our role is to ensure that the benefits of medication outweigh the risks. “It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily prove that it was caused by the drug.

“Other factors such as underlying disease or other medicines may contribute to suspected adverse reactions.”


[BBC]

Calm down, Chieftainess Mweenda advised

editor
-
0

Mazabuka town clerk, Ekan Chingangu has advised chieftainess Mwenda to calm down and rescind her decision to expel seven village headmen from chief Hanjalika believed to have encroached in her chiefdom because the disputed Mabwetuba ward belongs to her.

Mr Chingangu told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that claims by chief Hanjalika that Mabwetuba area belongs to him should not be taken serious.

He said this is because chief Hanjalika only visits the when he is sensitising people on the dangers of contracting the deadly HIV/AIDS.

Mr Chingangu said records at both Mazabuka municipal council and ministry of Lands indicate that Mabwetuba belongs to chieftainess Mwenda and not Hanjalika.

But chief Hanjalika has warned the town clerk to stop inciting chiefs to fight over land.

Chief Hanjalika said Mr Chingangu is not competent to comment on chiefs’ boundaries.

He also denied claims that he has been visiting Mabwetuba to sensitise people on HIV/AIDS.

Chief Hanjanlika said contrary to the town clerks assertions, he has been visiting the area as part of his chiefdom.

Three weeks ago, chieftainess Mwenda banned her counterpart from addressing meetings in Mabwetuba area.

The chieftainess complained to ZANIS in Mazabuka, donors and other non governmental organisations implementing developmental projects in the area ended up paying courtesy calls and consulting chief Hanjalika instead of herself whose land in question is in her chiefdom.

The traditional ruler also asked donors and non governmental organisations funding projects in Mabwetuba not to consult chief Hanjalika but herself because she is better placed to advise the problems her subjects were facing.

Schools, health centres benefit from CDF in Mazabuka

editor
-
1

Several schools and rural health centres in Mazabuka’s Magoye constituency have benefitted from the K200 million constituency development fund (CDF) released by government to the district recently.

Magoye UPND member of parliament, Ben Mweemba told ZANIS in Mazabuka that priority has been given to schools and rural health centres because of the poor state of infrastructure.

Mr Mweemba said time was long gone when the CDF was abused by party cadres.

He said while he is aware that the move he has taken may make him unpopular especially among Women clubs and youth organisations, it is important to improve the status of schools and clinics to enhance service provision.

Mr Mweemba said Nkonkola high school has been given K20 million while the controversial Itebe Basic school has been given K30 Million.

Magoye and St. Michael Basic schools received K20 million.

The rural health centres that have received the CDF are Mweemba K3.5 million and Itebe K1.9 million.

Munjile rural health centre got K 1.3 million for the purchase of a solar panel.

And commenting on the disbursements of the funds, Mazabuka District Commissioner, Misheck Chiinda, commended Magoye constituency leadership for allocating huge resources to the schools and clinics.

The DC said he will scrutinise how CDF funds have been utilised by all the three constituencies.

National Milling spends K500 million on social responsibility programme

editor
-
3

National Milling Company has disclosed that it has spent about K500 million on its Social Corporate Responsibility (SCR) programme on various interventions.

National Milling Managing Director Peter Cottan said the interventions include the feeding programmes for the vulnerable children at SOS village in Lusaka and Kitwe, World Life preservation and sports activities sch as boxing and football.

He said his company has this year ploughed more in society as compared to previous years because of the value it attaches to communities it serves.

Mr. Cottan made the remarks when his organization donated 43 by 10 kg bags of breakfast mealie meal valued over K700, 000 to KAZA Children home of Lusaka.

Former Miss Zambia Precious Mumbi commended organisations that are looking after the vulnerable in society.

Centre President Jessy Bwalya said her organization does not force children that are constantly sick to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) without their consent.

She said her organization through intensive counseling has managed to rehabilitate children that are abused .

The centre that is supporting about 43 children, was opened about 10 months ago.

PF won’t punish anyone over NCC but…’

editor
-
22


By REBECCA CHILESHEPATRIOTIC Front (PF) president, Michael Sata, says the party will not punish any of its 27 members of Parliament for participating in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) but those who have committed other offences will face penalties.

Mr Sata said in an interview on Monday that the PF was not worried about members who had defied instructions to shun the NCC because the party had more important issues than the NCC.

“As far as the PF is concerned, the NCC is a dead issue.

The party is not worried about our colleagues who are defying their own decisions by taking part in the conference,” Mr Sata said.

He said only those MPs who knew they had gone against the PF constitution should be worried about what would happen to them.

He said the MPs should not panic but just go ahead and “enjoy” the allowances from the NCC.

He said the MPs should not even have bothered to go to court over the NCC because the court was not a disciplinary committee of the PF.

He said by taking part in the conference, the MPs were merely giving the party a chance to re-organise itself and to bring in more competent people.

Mr Sata said he regretted having embraced Luapula MP, Peter Machungwa and Bangweulu MP, Joseph Kasongo, who he said had brought confusion in the party.

He alleged that Dr Machungwa, who came from the Party for Unity Democracy and Development (PUDD), was instrumental in destabilising the PF, even before he joined it.

“We are actually reaping where we sowed.

We did not listen when people warned us about the characters of some of these people,” Mr Sata said.

We knew that some of the people who were joining us from PUDD and Forum for Democracy and Development such as Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka and Major Celestino Chibamba did not mean well.”

He said the party had difficulties selling Mrs Chitika-Mulobeka, Major Chibamba and Ernest Mwansa to the people in their respective constituencies during last year’s general elections.

Mr Sata said he had to plead with chiefs and the people to accept some of the candidates the PF fielded.

He said the party’s NEC would soon meet to find a new chairperson for elections to replace Mr Mwansa who was removed from his position last week.

Mr Sata said once a replacement for Mr Mwansa was found, that person would draw up a programme for elections to usher in new leaders.

The PF president said he was pleased that the party was now going to get better leaders because it had “more intelligent and loyal leaders” than the 27 MPs combined.

He said it was just as well the PF did not form government because some of the MPs who had “betrayed” the party would have been ministers.

He said people in the provinces had already started campaigning for new leaders to take over the various positions that have fallen vacant.

But Dr Machungwa, the spokesperson for the 27 MPs, said he would not comment on the allegations made against him by his party president.

Dr Machungwa also advised PF spokesperson, Given Lubinda, not to be personal when dealing with party issues.

He said Mr Lubinda was behaving as though he was “more PF” than other members yet he was also just appointed by Mr Sata.

He was reacting to a statement by Mr Lubinda that Dr Machungwa must produce minutes of the meeting where party leaders resolved to incite party cadres to rise against the 27 MPs.
[Zambia Daily Mail]

Zambia depart …as Elijah Tana misses flight

editor
-
35

A CONFIDENT Zambia soccer team yesterday left for Spain to begin the last leg of preparations for the 2008 MTN Africa Cup of Nations without defence kingpin, Elijah Tana, who missed the flight.
Speaking shortly before departure at the Lusaka International airport yesterday, coach, Patrick Phiri, said Tana who left camp on Saturday travelled to the Copperbelt and did not return on Monday as scheduled but assured that he would be in before the team’s departure for Spain.
“We don’t know what’s happening to Tana,” Phiri said.
Phiri who could not state whether the defence kingpin would join the squad or not said all the other players were okay and that the Europe-based quartet of Collins Mbesuma, Jacob Mulenga, Andrew Sinkala and Moses Sichone were also doubtful for the Spain friendly.
He said Mbesuma of Turkish side Bursaspor and Mulenga of French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg were scheduled to join the squad later this week while the Germany-based duo of Sichone and Sinkala were still recovering and would go for review next week before joining their colleagues.
Skipper, Chris Katongo, called on his teammates to work hard and repay the faith 12 million Zambians had bestowed on the 23 men that will represent Zambia in Ghana and stressed that team spirit would be cardinal.
Katongo said football had shown in the past that it was a game of surprises some of which come when giants like England falter and fail to qualify for Euro 2008 from a group they were tipped as favourites.
South Africa-based defender, Billy Mwanza, said he could not wait to frustrate Cameroun star striker, Samuel Eto’o, as football was not about names but commitment and determination on the day.
Ian Bakala, Felix Katongo and Adubelo Phiri all of whom ply their trade in the Angolan Gira Bola league want to show Zambians who are not privy to their league games that there was still a lot of football in them
Zanaco defender, Kennedy Nketani, is optimistic the Chipolopolo would perform well despite being grouped alongside champions Egypt, former holders Cameroon and the resurgent Sudan, recently crowned CECAFA champions.
Nketani said all the players needed to put in above 100 per cent commitment in order to overcome the giants of the continent, saying treating Zambia as an underdog would prove costly for her opponents at the tournament.
Debutant, William Njobvu, 20, said for him it was an honour to make the squad for such an important tournament like the Africa Cup and that his aim was to prove that he is worthy of his place in the team.
The Lusaka Dynamos midfielder, who together with Emmanuel Mayuka have been elevated from the under-20 squad, said the coaching staff had seen the importance of blending young talent and the experienced old guards for continuity.
Another first timer William Chinyama is hoping to help the squad win games adding that the biennial championship would be the best stage for him to net his first goal for both club and country.
Chinyama who plays for FAZ/KCM league champions, Zesco United said every player in the squad was aware of the task that lay ahead and the reaction the players expected from the fans should Zambia fair badly in Ghana.
His defence partner Hichani Himoonde said the defence that has been selected was rock solid enough to stop even the top strikers in the business and that the fact that all the players were the most instrumental at their respective clubs was an added bonus.  [Times of Zambia]

Splinter Catholic Church launched

editor
-
61

 A SPLINTER Catholic Church called the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Zambia has been launched with Archbishop-elect, Luciano Mbewe, calling for more priests to join the church and fulfill their God-given role by marrying.
Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) spokesperson, Paul Samasumo, said in reaction that he did not have much information about the newly formed church but was aware that the Catholic bishops in Zambia would preside over the matter next month.
Father Samasumo said in an interview in Lusaka that the newly formed church had created parallel structures in the Roman Catholic Church and could not claim to be part of the Church.
Archbishop Mbewe said during the launch of the new church which has strong links with excommunicated prelate Emmanuel Milingo that the hour had come for priests in the Roman Catholic Church to start marrying and taking care of their forsaken children.
Archbishop Mbewe who is also the apostolic administrator of the new church said over the years most priests had laboured quietly and prudently to advocate for the restoration of married priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
Archbishop Mbewe said during the ceremony held at Peace Embassy that there were moments that the priests hoped the restoration of married priests would be made
possible.
Other church leaders who had since been co-opted in the church attended the lunch.
“We feel duty bound now to found our own Catholic church, an independent Catholic church where we can truly enjoy the freedom enjoyed by children of God. It should surprise no one to hear of yet another Catholic church,” he said.
Archbishop Mbewe said there were other independent churches that came into existence especially in the 1870 AD when some bishops broke away from Rome over the issue of Papal infallibility.
He said freedom of worship as enshrined in the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) charters stipulated that it was an inalienable right to found churches and worship God without any interference from any quarter.
Archbishop Mbewe who served as a Roman Catholic priest for over 17 years said the problem of mandatory and compulsory celibacy for priests in the Roman Catholic Church was crucial.
He said profound pain and suffering had been caused to priests as a result of celibacy and that most of this pain and suffering was uncalled for.
He said the celibacy found in the Bible was not compulsory but optional. Archbishop Mbewe said Jesus Christ refused to make celibacy compulsory but left it optional.
“The majority of these priests and bishops do not have this gift, they are like the majority of humanity and they deserve to marry and still continue to minister to God’s people,” he said.
Archbishop Mbewe said it was a known fact that nearly all the apostles to Jesus and the first Pope, Peter were married and so were the other 28 Popes as the Holy Bible stated that being accompanied by a wife in the ministry was not a minus but a great asset.
He said celibacy was made compulsory in the 12th Century for dubious reasons but it was never accepted in practice.
He said the priests and bishops resisted the man-made law and they appeared celibate in public yet privately they were going out with women, a scenario, which he said even prevailed today.
Archbishop Mbewe said the celibacy issue had led to some priests contracting HIV/AIDs.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Mbewe said the church should work with the Government of the day. He said days are gone when the Church was the enemy of the State.

[Times of Zambia]

1...5,5445,5455,546...5,655Page 5,545 of 5,655

Company

Trending

Categories

© Lusaka Times