President Levy Mwanawasa has instructed the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development Dr Kalombo Mwansa to terminate mining rights of investors who were not using their Licences..

President Mwanawasa said nearly the whole country was under large scale prospecting
licences that have either been idle for many years or covering very large tracks of
land.

The President said Government was currently  deliberately  promoting ownership of
large scale mines by Zambians on their own or in partnership with foreign investors
to boost wealth creation and citizen’s empowerment.

He said the action to terminate idle prospecting licences would free areas for
allocation to new investors .

The President said government was in a hurry to develop the country, hence he would
not accept a situation where some people hold on to mineral areas without
undertaking the expected economic actitivities.

He said this in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President, Rupiah Banda, during
the official opening of the 50th Copperbelt Mining and Agriculture Show.

He added that he was instructing the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development to
ensure that holders of prospecting Licincences utilise them within the time space
provided by Law to avoid situations whereby licences were withdrawn through
inactivity.

”I m therefore instructing the minister of Mines and Mineral Development to
strictly implement the policy of “use it or lose it” said Mr Mwanawasa.

And speaking earlier at the same function Show Society Chairman Bill Orsborne called
on the government to come up with a programme that would promote a gradual increase
in Mineral Royalties over a period of five years  to allow the mining companies get
a return from their investment in infrastructure.

Mr Osborne said the increase in Mineral Royalty from 0.06 per ccent  to O.3 per cent
would have serious unwanted effects on the mining sector.

He said this would also make the investors in the mining sector to lose confidence
in the government hence the need to trend carefully.

He said there was need for the government to dialogue with affected stakeholders in
the mining sector instead of making premature pronouncements which had a potential
to sway away investors.

And Mr Osborne has called on the Government to address the looming power shortage in the energy sector.

He said the pending energy  shortage in Southern Africa had come at a time when the
country was in need of more electricity following development in the agriculture and
mining sectors.

He added that if the situation was not tackled properly it could have negative
effectives on the growth of the economy.

Mr Osborne observed  that if there was no enough energy in the country, the
strengthening Zambian economy would be weak hence lose out of exports.

The show was also graced by First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

ZANIS

British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has described the Zamtrop and BK conspiracy judgement by the London High Court as a historic victory for the people of Zambia.

Mr Blair said the judgement against former president, Frederick Chiluba, and others, was a great victory for Zambians and showed Government’s commitment to making those who stole from the State account for their actions.

Special assistant to the President for press and public relations, John Musukuma, announced Mr Blair’s congratulatory message to President Mwanawasa and Zambians in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday.

“This is an historic victory for the people of Zambia and it shows both their, and your commitment to bringing those who steal from the state to account, whatever their nationality no matter how powerful they are,” Mr Blair said.

He added: “I am glad that the money that was plundered can now be returned to the Zambian people.”

Mr Blair’s congratulatory message to President Mwanawasa and the people of Zambia came barely two weeks after six European governments and the United States of America welcomed the London High Court judgement against Dr Chiluba and others as a historic victory for Zambians.

The Western countries said it was courageous for the Zambian government to have pursued the case, especially that a former head of state had been held accountable for corrupt practices.

This is in a civil case in which Judge Peter Smith found Dr Chiluba and others liable for fraud and abuse of office in which US$46 million was stolen from State coffers.

Judge Smith ordered the defendants to pay back the Zambian government 85 per cent of the stolen money within 14 days.

Two of the six Zambian defendants, Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu, have since appealed against the judgment while Dr Chiluba refuses to recognise the judgement, calling it a political conspiracy against him.

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has declared that second Republican President, Frederick Chiluba, has been judged enough and cautioned politicians and members of the civil society to desist from commenting further on Dr. Chiluba’s health at the expense of development.

ZCTU Vice President Sam Phiri warned that the issue of the fomer president should be
left to the court and the medical doctors handling the matter.

Mr. Phiri, who is Acting ZCTU President, said there should be a ‘cease fire’ on the health of Dr. Chiuluba, advising technocrats, politicians and patriotic Zambians to channel their energies on developing the nation.

Mr. Phiri was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

He also accused the media of exarbating to the problem and appealed to the media
houses to highlight real issues of development to allow Dr. Chiluba have enough
rest.

”There should be some cease fire on the health of Dr. Chiluba. Let the nation put their energies on developmental issues than dwell so much on one thing. Dr. Chiluba has been judged enough and let the Court and Doctors charged with the responsibility of handle the matter adequately. He should have peaceful rest ahead of his corruption case,” Mr. Phiri said.

Dr. Chiluba and 19 others were found liable by the London High Court and were
ordered to pay back 85 per cent to the Zambian government of what he stole.

ZANIS

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested suspended Commissioner of Lands, Frighton Sichone.

According to a Press Statement released to Zambia News and Information Services –
ZANIS – by the ACC Public Relations Manager, Timothy Moono, the Joint Investigations
Team on the Ministry of Lands Inquiry has arrested Mr Sichone for Abuse of Authority
of Office.

Mr Sichone was arrested today, May 31, 2007 and charged with four counts of Abuse of
Authority of Office, contrary to section 37 (2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission
Act Number 42 of 1996.

Details of the first count are that on April 6 this year at Lusaka, Sichone did abuse the authority of his office by allocating property number LUS/35210, Mass Media on title number 49502 to Mizumbi farms limited, a company in which he is a co-director and majority shareholder without following procedure, thereby obtaining advantage.

On the second count, Sichone did abuse the authority of his office on April 21, 2006
at Lusaka by allocating property number LUS/35211, Mass Media on title number 50036 to Mizumbi Farms limited, a company in which he is co-director and majority
shareholder without following procedure, thereby obtaing advantage.

Particulars of the third count are that on January 20, 2006 at Lusaka, Sichone did
abuse authority of his office by allocating himself property number LUS/35178 Mass
Media on title number 57822 without following procedure.

Sichone has been released on police bond and will appear in court on June 1, this year.

Meanwhile, investigations into other cases involving Sichne and other officials at the Ministry of Lands have reached an advanced stage and some more arrests may be
effected soon.

The commission has so far restricted one hundred and fourteen (114) properties and
the process of ascertaining their value and how they were acquired is still continuing.

The Commission has also urged members of the public with information on the
malpractices at the Ministry of Lands to report to the ACC to help the team conclude
the investigations promptly.

ZANIS

Magistrate Jones Chinyama has today, Thursday, ordered former President Frederick Chiluba to stand trial on corruption charges, rejecting his lawyers’ arguments that he was too ill to be prosecuted.

“I am of the view that we should proceed with this matter to help all the other parties involved and also considering the period of time it has taken since the matter was last heard,” Magistrate Chinyama said in a ruling issued in Lusaka.

Chiluba , 64, who suffers from a heart condition, is accused of stealing state funds while in office. His trial has been stalled since May 2006 due to concerns about his health.

Magistrate Chinyama said Chiluba’s trial should go ahead after receiving a recommendation from doctors who evaluated him after he was admitted to a Lusaka hospital last week. Chiluba, who had collapsed at home, was discharged on Tuesday.

Doctors have advised Chiluba to return to hospital for treatment as well as travel to South Africa for a medical review within the next month.

Chiluba has been receiving treatment at a Johannesburg clinic since last year.

The charges against him stem from an anti-corruption campaign launched by his successor, President Levy Mwanawasa. Chiluba has described case against him as a political witchhunt.