President Mwanawasa says the West should stop treating African nations as infants who cannot make decisions on their own.

Mr. Mwanawasa said African governments and Zambia in particular are capable of making decisions that are good for their people.

The President also condemned the decision by some opposition parties to champion the cause for Western countries against Chinese investment in Zambia.

He said Europe and the United States import from China and have trade relation with it.

Mr. Mwanawasa said some European countries like the United Kingdom even exceeded their import quotas from China last year.

The President wondered why Chinese investment in Africa was of so much concern to Western Countries.

He was speaking on arrival at Ndola international Airport ahead of his tour of NCF Mine projects in Chambishi.

Deutsche Welle, DW,  a German National Broadcaster has called on  radio stations in Zambia to produce quality audio sound and contents to the audience.

DW Project Manager, Uwe Rob observed that in the current revolution of digital
technology, most radio stations have lagged behind in giving clients quality
broadcasting adding that the focus is mainly on handling the equipment at the
expense of producing quality sound.

Mr Rob emphasised the need to improve digital equipment to ensure that quality sound
is produced.

He said this in Lusaka today at the closure of a two-week audio recording and
editing course for journalsists from 12 radio stations across the country.

Speaking at the same function, ZAMCOM Director, Daniel Nkalamo, commended DW for
hosting the workshop at the institution adding that it is first of its kind.

Mr Nkalamo was hopeful that the participants have adopted the required knowledge and
skills that will help them produce quality radio broadcasting.

Speaking Earlier, German Ambassador to Zambia, Irene Hinrichsen, noted  that
continous training for journalists and media technical personnel is key to quality
broadcasting.

President Levy Mwanawasa has advised opposition political parties not to join people who were criticising  Chinese investment in Zambia
without merit.

ZANIS reports that President Mwanawasa said this today at Ndola International
Airport when he addressed heads of Government departments and party leaders before
going to Chambishi by road.

The President said he was reading a report which stated that some people in
Chambishi were planning to stage a demonstration to stop  Chinese investors from
using a piece of land for a smelter plant.

President Mwanawasa said the people concerned should remember that the Chinese
people had options to go to any other country  and invest there because they did
not owe Zambians anything.

He commended the Chinese investment in the country and said the investment was
creating jobs for the locals and should be appreciated.

The President also advised those who wanted to preserve the piece of land where
China wanted to put up a smelter to go to the village where there was plenty of
land for growing maize and groundnuts.

He said Government will not allow people to frustrate its efforts when investors
were ready to create jobs for the locals.

President Levy Mwanawasa has hailed Chinese investment in Zambia and called on Zambians to appreciate what China was doing in the country.

Mr Mwanawasa said the Chinese have set a good example in their country and they believed in workable investments which cannot be compared to countries that were speaking against China.

President Mwanawasa was speaking this morning at Ndola International Airport enroute
to Chambeshi Mine in Kalulushi by road.

ZANIS reports that the President said the Chinese investment was compared to non
except Japan and that no one should demean China.

He said he wished Zambia could come to a level of even one of what Chinese achieved
in economic development.

The President said he wondered why the western countries were making an issue of
China’s development and wanting to treat African countries like adulterers to
receive instructions from them.

He said governments of Africa were mature enough to choose what was good to its people.

He said United Kingdom was a good example that imported a lot from China in the past
quarter last year.

Vice President Rupiah Banda today led hundreds of mourners in paying their last respects to the late Lusaka Division Police Commanding Officer,Wasakaza Ng’uni.

Speaking during the church service of the late Ng’uni at St.  Paul’s United Church
of Zambia in Lusaka, Mr. Banda said it was unfortunate that some suspected criminals
were allegedly celebrating Mr. Ng’uni’s death.

He said the deceased was a patriotic serviceman, whose death should sadden every
peace loving Zambian.

And Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo, has warned criminals against taking
advantage of Mr. Ng’uni’s death, saying the Police Service was still remain intact
and alert.

And in a sermon, Reverand Mpanji Silungwe said that Zambia needed selfless leaders
of the calibre of the late Ng’uni.

Among the hundreds of people that attended the church service were former republican
Vice Presidents Lupando Mwape and Nevers Mumba, former Inspectors General of Police
Zunga Siakalima and Silas Ngangula.

Several Cabinet ministers, Government and Defence officials, MMD and opposition
political party officials were also present.

Mr. Ng’uni, 57, died on Tuesday in a road traffic accident in Lusaka’s Kabangwe area
on Great North Road.

Meanwhile, the late Mr. Ng’uni’s body has been flown to Lundazi district in Eastern
Province in readiness for burial in Chama district tomorrow.

The Police brass band sang solemn music at the airport.

The Vice President, Senior Defence force Officers and scores of sympathisers
proceeded to City Airport where the body was flown by a Zambia Air Force (ZAF)
plane.

Government has with immediate effect dissolved the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) and the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Board for ineficiency and lack of focus.

Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga has since advised ERB Executive Director Sylvester Hibajane and ZESCO Managing Director Rodney Sisala to report to
the Energy Permanent Secretary for further guidance.

Mr Konga disclosed the dissolution of the two Boards at a press briefing in Lusaka
today.

Mr Konga said Government will soon appoint new Boards  using power vested in him to
do so.

The Minister who condemned poor Governance by the two Boards observed that owing to
the looming power deficit and fuel shortages in the country,  the National
Developnment Economic indicators shows that Zambia would be affected.

And Mr. Konga has disclosed that Government is pondering on finding another
strategic partner to work with Indeni Petroluem Refinery in Ndola on the Copperbelt
on addressing the fuel situation in the country.

He said at the moment Indeni has four million litres of diesel, 30 days stocks of
Petrol, 26 days jet fuel and 30 days stocks of Kerosine.

The Energy Minister also disclosed that Government through the Office of
Proportional Private Power Investment, OPPI, is working closely to generate and
export surplus power to other countries in the region.

The Minister explained that under the OPPI, Government is investing power at Kafue
lower, Kabompo falls, Itezhi-tezhi to generate sufficient hydro electricity for
Zambia as well as trade with SADC countries in the energy sector. 

President Mwanawasa yesterday joined several mourners at the funeral house of the late Lusaka Province commanding officer, Wasakaza Ng’uni, who died in a car accident on Tuesday night.
Mr Mwanawasa, who was accompanied by the First Lady, Maureen, was met on arrival at the funeral house at about 14:40 hours by several Cabinet ministers, Service Chiefs, senior Government and MMD party officials before he was led into the house by Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo.
The solemn looking President stayed at the funeral for almost an hour and did not address the Press after his visit.
The First Lady remained in the house for over 30 minutes, consoling the widow, Hilda Ng’uni.
Mr Ng’uni died in a road traffic accident on Tuesday night after his vehicle lost control and rolled several times and died on arrival at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
On Wednesday morning, Vice-President, Rupiah Banda, described the death of Mr Ng’uni as a great loss to the nation and called for thorough investigations to establish what led to the accidentMr Banda, who openly wept when he visited the funeral house in Kabulonga, described Mr Ng’uni as a selfless and gallant officer, who dedicated his life to ensuring that law and order was maintained during his tour of duty.
Zambia’s ambassador to Switzerland, Love Mtesa, sent a message of condolences to President Mwanawasa, the police service and the family on the demise of Mr Ng’uni.
“On behalf of the Zambian community in Switzerland and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to convey to the family of the late Mr Ng’uni, President Mwanawasa, Mr Mateyo and through him to the entire police service our heart felt condolences,” he said.
Mr Mtesa said Mr Ng’uni would be remembered as a very dedicated police officer, whose qualities needed to be emulated by all those that wished to succeed in the police service.
United Party for National Development (UPND) president, Hakainde Hichilema, said his party learnt with deep sorrow and disbelief the sudden and untimely death of Mr Ng’uni.
He said his death was not only a blow to the Zambia Police Service but the entire nation.
“As a party we admire him for being brave, professional and dedication to duty. His conduct during the 2006 general elections was exemplary as he, under very difficult circumstances, administered the Public Order Act to give equal access for political parties to address campaign meetings.
“It is also undisputed that crime levels in the city and the province in general had reduced considerably during his reign,” Mr Hichilema said.
Burial of the late Mr Ng’uni would take place in Chama district in Eastern Province on Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha announced yesterday.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said the decision to bury in Chama arose from a request from the family members and that the body would be flown to Lundazi district after a church services today en-route Chama.
According to the programme released by the police service, mourners would depart the funeral house for St-Anne around 09:00 hours after a church service to be held at United Church of Zambia (UCZ)’s St. Pauls in Kabwata.
The body is expected to depart for Lundazi by air at about 12:30 hours.

Former minister of Lands, Reverend Gladys Nyirongo, yesterday pleaded not guilty to two counts of corruption.
She was recently arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and made her first appearance before a Lusaka Magistrate Court yesterday.
In the first count, it is alleged that Rev Nyirongo, between January 1 and February 22 this year, being a person, employed in the public service, as minister of Lands, did direct a lands officer to generate offer letters of land in Lusaka’s Foxdale and Chamba Valley to 10 people.
In the second count, it is alleged that between October 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007, Rev Nyirongo, as minister of Lands abused her position by directing a junior technical officer in the ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to sub-divide a former Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), farm number F/309a in contravention of the land alienation procedures and created property number L/1943/M which she later obtained as her own.
Magistrate Sharon Newa, adjourned the matter to July 19, 2007 for possible start of the trial.
Rev Nyirongo is on a K10 million bond signed in her own recognisance.
President Mwanawasa fired her in March this year for allocating eight pieces of land to herself, husband, son and daughters.
Her husband and other sympathisers accompanied Rev Nyirongo to the court.