Forum for Leadership Search Zambia has welcomed the proposed NGO bill in parliament by government.

In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today Forum for Leadership Search Zambia Executive Director, Edwin Lifwekelo, said the bill will bring sanity to the
operations of NGOs.

Mr. Lifwekelo also noted that the bill will instill levels of responsibilities and
accountability in the operations of NGOs in Zambia.

He accused some NGOs of  behaving like political parties, adding that although a lot
of money is donated to them, it is not used for the intended purpose.

Mr. Lifwekelo said his organisation suspects that the recent beating of  innocent
citizens by suspected criminals in some parts of Lusaka could be sponsored by people
who allegedly intend to cause political anarchy by justifying that it was wrong for
government to remove street vendors from the streets.

He warned that if laws to restrict movement of colossal sums of  money in the
country are not strengthened the security of the country risks being endangered.

He said that this  can be observed by how some groups of people want to disrupt the
SADC summit scheduled for this month.

Mr. Lifwekelo further noted that there is need to improve  public confidence in the
activities of  civil societies by ensuring that this integral part of  public policy
is not abused.

He however said that the introduction of a mechanism to review the operations of
NGOs will serve citizens interests if government does not abuse the piece of
legislation.

Long queues of Zimbabweans have been piling up at the Victoria Falls Border Post in Livingstone as they await to be cleared.

A check at the border yesterday found a long queue of Zimbabweans still waiting to be cleared so that they could enter into Livingstone with their merchandise.

By 15 hours, one of the affected Zimbabwean talked said she had been in the queue
from 10 hours and that they were still waiting to be cleared.

The Zimbabwean  national who could not disclose her name said she buys subsidised
goods from Zimbabwe and sells them to Zambia in order to earn a living.

She however complained that her country had banned them from buying goods at a
subsidised rate and
selling them off to Zambia.

A check revealed that only Zimbabweans who were using passports were being allowed
to enter the country while it was unclear whether those with border passes would be
allowed into the country.

One of the sources within the immigration department spoken to said those with
border passes were not being allowed to enter because the stipulated stay in the
country on the border passes was only one day.

”These are some of the people who enter and then what next because the border pass
only stipulates one day and time has already run out for them to go and do business
in Zambia and then come back,” he said.

ZANIS

Government has warned that it will not tolerate Road Contractors in the habit of doing shoddy work when awarded contracts.

Ndola District Commissioner (DC), Gladys Kristafor said this when she conducted an
on-the-spot-check of road projects in Ndola yesterday.

Mrs Kristafor expressed disappointment with works put up by Turner Contractors on
nine roads that it was tendered to work on..

The District Commissioner said it was wrong for contractors to waste Governments’
time and money and threatened that legal action could be taken against the company
adding that such operations amounted to breach of contracts.

The visibly disappointed DC said Turner Contractors had been offered a contract of
over K6 billion and that it was supposed to have been executed from May to
September this year.

She said rehabilitation works on Kalewa road had delayed and wondered why  the
project had taken long taken. 

And Turner Contractor site agent, Terry Chileshe told the DC that the lack of cement
in the district had slowed the works.

Mr Chileshe promised the DC, that in a week’s time some change would be made.

Among the roads that are supposed to be worked on are Matelo road, Livingstone
road, Vitanda road, Makoli road, Macha.

President Mwanawasa says he is not happy with pace at which FRA is buying maize from farmers.

Mr Mwanawasa says there is a lot of maize around the country which needs to be
bought by the agency.

The 81st Zambia Agriculture Commercial Show (ZACS) has opened its doors to the public.

Speaking when he toured exhibition stands at this year’s Zambia Agriculture and
Commercial show in Lusaka today, Mr Mr Mwanawasa however commended farmers for increased food productin.

Mr. Mwanawasa was flanked by Commerce and Industry Minister Felix Mutati, Lusaka
Province Minister Charles Shawa and ZACS Officials during his conducted tour of the
exhibition stands.

On energy, the President hoped that the Zambia Electricity supply corporation
(ZESCO) wil live up to the people’s  expectations to alleviate the power deficit the
country is current experiencing.

Mr. Mwanasawa noted that while the power company was faced with many challenges, it
was important that measures are taken to forestall a serious power deficit in the
country.

He hoped ZESCO could export power to the region next year without any problems.

The President toured 20 stands among them the  Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC;
Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Poultry Association of Zambia, the
University Teaching Hospital (UTH), FRA and ZESCO.

Visiting Botswana President Festus Mogae also toured stands at the show.

Mr Mogae is this afternoon expected to officially open the 81st Zambia Agriculture
and Commercial Show.

The theme for this year’s show is ‘Economic Empowerment.’

The visiting President is expected to depart home, Botswana soon after opening the
Show.

President Mwanawasa has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences of 97 prisoners who were on death row.

And President Mwanawasa has also released 823  prisoners serving various sentences for various offences across the country.

The prisoners are being released on condition that they do not commit similar
offences during the period up to the respective dates when they would have completed
serving their sentences.

If they should so commit any such offence, then they shall in addition to the
sentence imposed for such offence serve the sentence which is unexpired on the date
of the order of release.

This is according to a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today signed by
President Mwanawasa’s Special Assistant for Legal Affiars Darlington Mwape.

President Mwanawasa said in the statement that he had been concerned about the
congestion and the bad state of detention facilities in the country.

He said his government was actively considering ways of making conditions of
detention in prisons humane and bearable.

Mr Mwanawasa  added that the commutation was without prejudice to the right of the
prisoners to appeal for further clemency.

The President  further said government will continue reviewing cases with the view
of recommending them for presidential pardon as a way decongesting detention
facilities in the country.

President Mwanawasa recently asked the Zambia Prison Authorities for a list of
prisoners that he would consider for pardon in line with the provisions of the
republican constitution.