The Patriotic Front (PF) in Mwansaboambwe constituency in Kawambwa has denied reports that some of its councillors in the area have resigned to join the ruling MMD.

Consituency chairman, Fewdays Mwape says the reports are false.

Mr. Mwape who was flanked by Mununshi ward councillor, John Nsompa was speaking to
ZANIS in an interview in Kawambwa yesterday.

He said it is unfortunate that the former councillor, a Mr Mumba announced that
other PF councillors had also resigned from the party to join the MMD.

Mr. Mwape said challenged Mr. Mumba to come out in the open and disclose the names
of the PF councillors that have resigned to rejoin the MMD.

He said all PF councillors in the area are intact and have no plans of resigning
from PF to join the MMD.

Mr Mwape notes that no other councillor has resigned from the PF in the apart from
Mr Mumba and Phillip Chama of Lufubu ward.

Mwansabombwe constituency has one MMD councillor and five PF councillors.

Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue, ZCID, board member Langton Sichone has commended the Patriotic Front, PF, for declaring that it will participate in the National Constitutional Conference, NCC after all.

Mr Sichone told ZANIS in Kafue that the decision by the PF is a manifestation of
maturity in dealing with the all important issue of constitution making in Zambia.

He stated that it is important to appreciate the fact the NCC has been accepted by
the majority of Zambians and its outcome will be welcomed by all stakeholders.

Mr Sichone said now is the time for all stakeholders to march together in writing a
constitution that will be nationally acceptable and stand the test of time.

Mr Sichone also noted that government has shown political goodwill and that the
church should now start praying for the success of the constitutional process.

He advised church to be wary of some sections of society who want to use them to
oppose government for selfish interest.

Mr Sichone appealed to the all the stakeholders participating in NCC to develop a
culture of nationalism and patriotism by not joining the NCC with ill motives in
order to frustrate the process.

A Vedanta Resources-owned copper mining company is selling Zambia short while generating huge profits from the country’s finite natural resource, according to evidence in a report published today. It calls on Vedanta and its major UK investors to rectify the situation before current contract re-negotiations with Zambia are concluded.

The joint report, Undermining Development? Copper Mining in Zambia, by three international development organisations, SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund), Christian Aid, and ACTSA, examines the record of Zambia’s largest copper producer, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).

The report calls on the UK government to make amendments to the Companies Act 2006 to ensure that UK businesses are held to account for the social and environmental impact of their activities in vulnerable developing countries.

KCM is majority-owned by Vedanta Resources – a UK-based FTSE 100 company backed by household names such as Standard Life, HBOS, and Barclays. Such investors ‘talk the talk’ on corporate social responsibility but during the research period held major stakes in a company with a questionable record on sharing the benefits of its operations with the host country, the environment, and its impact on local communities.

The report authors say KCM is ‘short changing’ Zambia with royalty fees of just 0.6 per cent instead of the 5 to 10 per cent industry average in developing countries. Whilst legal, this rate of royalty implies that, in 2006/07, the Zambian government would have received mineral royalties of only US$6.1 million from KCM, while the company extracted copper ore worth over US$1 billion.

Zambia’s copper generates 75 per cent of the country’s foreign export earnings but according to the report the government is not receiving its fair share of the income generated at a time when life expectancy in the country is 37 years, one in three children do not go to school, and 68 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty. Last year KCM made a net profit of US$310 million which is more than Zambia spent on healthcare. If the country continues to receive such a raw deal, it is likely to remain the ninth poorest country in the world according to UN rankings.

The international development organisations are calling on major investors in Vedanta/KCM to put pressure on the companies during the current negotiations. Specifically, they argue, Vedanta/KCM should:

* pay 30 per cent of profits in income tax (up from 25 per cent);
* pay mineral royalties of at least 3 per cent, up from 0.6 per cent;
* pay the Zambian government a larger share of the difference between the actual copper price and the trigger copper price in the price participation scheme.

According to the Zambian finance minister at the time, the government was put under considerable pressure from the World Bank, IMF and other donors to privatise its copper mining industry in the 1990s; privatisation was a condition for debt relief. This contributed to the Zambian government having a weakened bargaining position during negotiations with the private mining companies.

SCIAF Policy Analyst Abi Dymond is the principal author of the report and states that whilst private companies in developing countries are there to make a profit and do provide social benefits such as employment, Zambia is not receiving a fair proportion of the money raised by its copper resources.

“Evidence suggests that Zambia is drowning in poverty whilst a rich mining company is running away with its greatest natural resource. It is vital that Zambia is given a fairer share of the profits from its natural assets to help combat crippling poverty in the country. SCIAF, Christian Aid, and ACTSA are now calling for Vedanta/KCM management and UK investors to use their influence to make sure Zambia gets a fairer deal. This is a great opportunity for Vedanta and the big UK-based investors to put their much-vaunted corporate social responsibility policies into practice, and we look forward to their support.”

Joyce Nonde, President of the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) said: “We endorse this report and are encouraged by the international pressure being applied on the company (KCM) and the support for Zambian Civil Society calls for improved development agreements, labour rights and environmental protection. It is time that companies operating in Zambia started paying fair taxes and mineral royalties and commit to assist the development of our country rather than undermine it.”

Kato Lambrechts, Christian Aid’s Senior Policy Officer for Africa added: “This report challenges mining companies operating in Zambia to clean up their business, pay living wages, adhere to Zambian environmental laws, and pay a fair share of their profits to the Zambian government. The revenues collected from the production and profits of mining companies, especially in view of skyrocketing international copper prices, could help Zambians improve their lives, boost economic development, and bring greater independence from international donors.”

Simon Chase, Campaigns Officer at ACTSA commented: “Corporate accountability and social responsibility in the Zambian Copperbelt are being badly ignored as the evidence shows in the report. Zambian people are suffering at the hands of companies like Vedanta and this is their opportunity to implement real and positive change.”

The report also focuses on the welfare of those who work at the KCM mines. Some sub-contracted skilled labourers claim that they are paid as little as £37 per month when it is estimated that the average Zambian family needs at least £151 a month to meet their basic needs. Concerns over the pollution arising from KCM’s activities, and its effect on local communities are also highlighted. An investigation by The Environmental Council of Zambia found the ‘grossly negligent’ behaviour of ‘KCM management’ resulted in rivers used by local communities for drinking water being ‘significantly polluted’.

A Corporate Accountability Group headed by Anne Moffat MP is currently investigating the implications of the Companies Act 2006 and how it is applied by British companies abroad. Vedanta’s operations will be assessed as a case study of the group.

Source: Christian AID
Full Report:http://www.christianaid.org.uk/Images/Mining%20Report_final_tcm15-27834.pdf

The Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia (THPAZ) has joined the long list of organisations and stakeholders that have declared their willingness to participate in the National Constitutional Conference, NCC.

THPAZ president Rodwell Vongo says his organisatiuon has chosen representatives to
sit on the NCC.

Dr Vongo said this during a public health awareness meeting held at Nchelenge high
school on preventing and mitigating HI/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections in the
 community.

He said THPAZ has decided to participate in the NCC to ensure that issues of
interest to the organisation are taken care of in the supreme law of the land.

Meanwhile, THPAZ has called for close working relations between conventional and
traditional health practitioners.

Dr Vongo says the two modes of medicines are complimenatry in the provision of
quality health care to the people.

And Nchelenge District THPAZ chairman Joseph Mutwaleni appealed to THPAZ national
leadership to intervene in numerous problems that have rocked the organisation in
the district.

The meeting which was attended by 50 traditional healers, 15 headmen and some heads
of government departments, also looked at safety and HIV/AIDS in traditional
medicine.

Government has called on Business houses to supplement its efforts in the rehabilitation of police stations in various parts of the country.

Vice President Rupiah Banda made the call in Luanshya when he toured the Luanshya
Central police station on Friday last week.

Mr Banda said police stations were doing a lot in providing security in their
respective locations and needed the support of the business community.

He said companies should respond to the challenge of helping in the rehabilitation
of police infrastructure because the presence of police in their respective
locations provided a favourable environment for them to conduct their business
without fear.

The vice president commended the police service for the good it was doing work
under difficult conditions.

He said the police service have exhibited a lot of professionalism in carrying out
their duties.

Mr Banda added that a good working environment would boost the morale of the police
officers to work even harder.

nspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has reiterated his commitment to fighting crime in the country.

Mr mateyo says crime was a hindrance to development and should be fought by all
means in order to have a stable environment for investment.

The police chief said the police service was prepared to deal with any form of
crime to make Zambia the prime destination for investment.

He said statistics in the past 18 months have shown that the crime rate in the
country has greatly reduced.

Mr. Mateyo commended Luanshya Mines Plc for helping Luanshya police station with
resources to rehabilitate the station through painting and other works.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson, Given Lubinda, says the party has already identified six of its members to sit on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), in the hope that consensus on the outstanding issues in the NCC Act will be reached before participants start sitting.

Early this month, the PF held a central committee meeting in Lusaka at which it resolved to boycott the NCC and did not nominate any members for appointment to sit on the NCC.

Mr Lubinda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the party had also allowed its councillors to identify potential representatives to the conference.

He said PF attached great importance to the Constitution-making process and that it was therefore still willing to dialogue.

“The party has already identified the six representatives at national party level to sit on the NCC.

We have also allowed our councillors to identify potential representatives because we believe, and we have high expectation that our views will be heard and addressed before the conference,” Mr Lubinda said.

He said the party believed that the Constitution-making process was a serious matter and that in the name of building consensus, Government would sooner rather than later agree to sit down with those who oppose some sections of the NCC Act.

Mr Lubinda said it was important for stakeholders to agree on the NCC Act as they all hoped to reap benefits from the gathering by coming up with a constitution that would stand the test of time.

He said the party would not lose hope even after the statement by acting Chief Government Spokesperson, George Mpombo, last week in which Government ruled out any amendments to the NCC Act.

Mr Lubinda said in the name of building consensus, President Mwanawasa should consider the concerns being raised on the contents of the NCC Act.