The government has disclosed that 57 Zambian students in Ukraine have safely crossed the border into Poland following Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.

Speaking today during a joint media briefing, Minister of Foreigner Affairs and International Cooperation, Stanley Kakubo said at the Polish border, Zambian staff at the Embassy in Berlin, Germany, and the Honorary Council to Poland have secured buses for Zambian nationals to be ferried as they arrive into Poland.

He also disclosed that one Zambian student has safely arrived in Hungary as he was directed by his parents to travel to that country.

Mr. Kakubo assured that a facility has been organized by the Polish authority to save as a transit point for the Zambians before being transported to Warsaw the capital of that country where the Zambian government is providing accommodation that is conducive and meals for the students.

‘’Further our students who are gathered in Lviv as guided by the government were transported by bus closer to the border within a period of three hours and facilitation has been done for them to cross the border.

The government is therefore encouraging those students who are still in transit to ensure that they proceed to the reservoirs in Lviv for easier movement and processing to the border,’’ he said.

Mr Kakubo said out of the 141 known Zambians in Ukraine, there are indications that 27 of them are predominantly former students and have opted to remain in that country having been integrated in Ukrainian society over a number of years.

‘’And 14 are still in Sumir, it is important to note that movement around this city have been curtailed, in this regard the Zambian embassy together with the SADC group in Moscow are engaging the Russian government to create a safe passage in Sumir through Russia and provide water and food for them.

Three students are still in Kyiv and 21 students in Lviv awaiting movement to the broader aboard transport being provided by the Zambian government and 18 of our students are still in transit toward the Polish border,’’ he assured.

Mr Kakubo further thanked the Zambian diaspora for the support to facilitate easy communication and movement of the Zambian students to be evacuated safely.

The Lusaka woman who was in April 2020 reported to have died in a priest’s house died of natural causes after suffering breathing challenges, a coroner has said.

Monica Mutale Mulenga, a member of the Womens’ Catholic League, died in April 2020, from the Parish Priests’ residence at Kaunda Square Catholic Church, while visiting Father Ringford Abel Mwelwa.

Following her demise, Fr. Mwelwa was suspended and an inquest was later instituted before the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court.

Lusaka Magistrate Judith Chiyayika, sitting as a coroner, passed a closed verdict stating that 42-year-old Monica Mulenga died of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Delivering her verdict in the inquest, Monday, Coroner Chiyayika said from the evidence of the witnesses and State Pathologist Luchenga Muchelenganga, found that the deceased died of natural causes.

“From the evidence before me, it is my finding that the woman died of cardiac arrest whose origin is not known. The State pathologist gave a detailed explanation. From the findings she died of natural causes. I therefore, enter closed verdict,” said Coroner Chiyayika

During the inquest hearing, Dr. Mcheleng’anga, a State pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Ms Mulenga told the court that he established that the woman died of sudden cardiac arrest.

Dr Mcheleng’anga told the coroner that Mulenga of Lusaka West may have died of sudden cardiac arrest but he did not know its origin.

He said Mulengas’ sudden death on April 8, 2020 may have been due to sudden cardiac arrest.

“So all in all, I conducted a postmortem on a 42-year-old woman who died in a home setting after taking tea and complaining of excessive sweating,” he said.

Dr Muchelenganga said during the postmortem, he did an internal examination, examining all the organs of the deceased.

“Of no significance, the deceased had a big uterus that was deformed by fibroids. Because I didn’t see anything remarkable and unusually abnormal on everything I observed, I obtained samples from the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs so that I could examine them further through the microscope. Further examination under the microscope revealed that she suffered high blood pressure based on evidence from the kidneys and an infection in her kidneys – chronic nephritis,” he said.

Dr Muchelenganga said he authored a report from the office of the State forensic pathologist which he signed and date stamped.

“When I completed conducting this postmortem, I collected blood and sent it for toxicology examination to the Food and Drugs Laboratory so that they look for any common poison to see if there was anything. The laboratory sent me the results and the report indicated that they had not found any toxic substances in her blood,” he said.

He said the postmortem revealed an adult woman with no injuries.

“Further examination of samples collected revealed that the deceased may have suffered from high blood pressure and uterus fibroids,” he said.

“Examination of the blood for toxic substances was negative from the Food and Drugs Laboratory so given these circumstances, postmortem findings and findings on auxiliary studies, microscope examination and blood that was tested for toxicology, it is logical that the death may have occured due to a sudden cardiac arrest, the origin of which I don’t know why she suffered sudden cardiac death,” he said.

And a police officer, detective Barbara Chiyanda 46, of Chelstone Police Station, stated that on April 9, 2020, she opened an inquiry into the death of Mulenga who died at 22:00 hours on her way to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital on April 8, 2020.

She said Mulenga died at the Priests house who had invited her and actually picked her up from Lusaka West.

Meanwhile, Fr Mwelwa, 45, of Lusaka West, said he was a Catholic Priest and was suspended after the death of Mulenga.

“Arising from the death of Monica, I am on suspension. I am a Catholic Priest at the Parish at Kaunda Square. On 8th April 2020, I made a call to Monica asking her for a meeting and since she had no car, we arranged to have dinner at my home and around 16:00 hours, I phoned her to ask if her car was back from service but she said her brother had not yet returned it. I linked up with her at 19:45 hours and we arrived home at about 20:30. I wanted to prepare dinner but she said she will just have tea.

After finishing our tea with Marie biscuits, she said that she was feeling too hot and breathless, so I got a fan and switched it on, later I got a bottle of water and poured on her but she continued complaining about not feeling well, I told my assistant that the visitor was feeling sick, we needed to take her to Levy of which when we got there, the doctor told me that they couldn’t pump oxygen as she had fluids in her lungs and that she had died,” Fr Mwelwa said.

He said Mulenga was a member of St Maurice Parish in Lusaka West.

When prosecutor Dennis Manda asked Mwelwa why he invited Mulenga for dinner, Fr Mwelwa said a Priest was not prohibited to have a member of the church visit for dinner.

“A Priest is not prohibited to have a visitor who comes to stay there for a day or week for a holiday. Just like any other visitor. Gender is not a factor in terms of who can visit or not visit, ladies are welcome to visit and priests also are not prohibited to visit any parishioner,” he said.

Fix: Fr Mwelwa(far right) conversing with his lawyer Petronela Kafumbe at the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court today.

Auditor General Dick Sichembe has stressed that there is no country that can record meaningful development with weak public financial management system.

Dr. Sichembe explained that this is why government has prioritised the need for prudent management of public resources by ensuring that public bodies procure goods, services and works at the right price, right quality and delivered at the right time.

Speaking when a delegation from the visiting Members of Parliament and other officials from Tanzania, called on him at his office in Lusaka today, Dr. Sichembe noted that to this effect his office will ensure that all forms of mismanagement of public resources are exposed and dealt with accordingly.

“As we may all know, there is no country that can develop with weak public financial management system and practices. It is for this reason that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr Hakainde Hichilema has prioritized the need for prudent management of public resources to ensure that public bodies procure goods, services and work at the right price, right quality and delivered at a right time,” he said.

He said to achieve this, his office has partnered with other investigation agencies to ensure that people involved in abusing public resources, as cited in the reports of the Auditor General are followed up and prosecuted.

Dr. Sichembe also applauded the cordial bilateral relationship that exists between Zambia and Tanzania, adding that it is important for the two countries to engage in exchange visits to share innovative ideas that can help in building mutually beneficial national ties.

He said this is why the visit by the MPs and other officials will enhance the two countries relations in the prudent management of public resources and the provision of oversight function of ensuring there is transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

“I note that we have similar arrangements in terms of parliamentary committees providing oversight on the accounts of public institution in our two countries. This fact will be of great advantage during this visit as it will help us learn from each other regarding how our parliamentary committees conduct their business in providing oversight on public resources,” he noted.

He further thanked the delegation for undertaking the visit to interact with his office on matters pertaining to proper management of public resources, accountability and transparency.

And Tanzania delegation leader Naghenjwa Kaboyoka has praised the Zambian system for effectively holding government responsible and accountable in the utilisation of public funds.

Ms. Kaboyoka who is also the Chairperson of the Tanzanian Public Accounts Committee said Zambia is advanced in the manner it is handling issues concerning the management of public resources as it can be seen from the way the Auditor General reports on mismanagement of public resources.

“All I can say it that Zambia is advanced on how you are able to hold government responsible on how they account for the public funds as can be seen from your reports, that’s is why we are here to learn how you go about providing supervisory role on management of public funds, the challenges and overall oversight functions” she said.

She added that there is need for the two countries to further strengthen their bilateral relationship that has existed for a long time by including exchange knowledge on prudent management of public resources.

Ndola District Commissioner Joseph Phiri is displeased with the habit of throwing garbage in drainages by residents of Ndola’s Kanyanje and Minsundu areas.

Mr Phiri made the observation when he inspected selected drainages that have been reported to be full of garbage and causing an overflow of water onto to the roads.

“What is happening in most of these drainages in Nkwazi area is that people are throwing garbage in the drainages which is causing a buildup of water and overflowing of water onto the roads. Once there is a buildup of water, due to pressure, the water is going down the road to Kanyanje area with a lot of force where it is breaking wall fences for people’s houses in that area,” he said.

Mr Phiri has since advised residents to desist from throwing garbage in the drainages and to unblock blocked drainages around their houses.

And Area Councillor Fewdays Lumbwe explained that the heavy downpour of rains in the district is affecting Kanyanje area badly because the area is located on a lower level as compared to other areas that are on the upper land in the district.

Meanwhile Ndola City Council Director of Engineering Elias Mwalaba said the council is aware of the situation is assess the best way to rectify the problem.

Mr Mwalaba however noted that the current problem is partly self-inflicted as its main cause is throwing of garbage in the drainages, further advising the public against throwing garbage in drainages.

“We are causing this problem ourselves, let us stop throwing garbage in the drainages. What is happening is drainages are blocked, so water is collecting and due to pressure it’s going down Kanyanje area with a lot of force breaking wall fences in that area. As you have seen, that area is on a lower level. So people in Nkwazi should stop throwing garbage in the drainages,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the affected residents, Felix Simwanza, whose wall fence collapsed, advised that there is need for the local authority to carry out a massive sensitization of resident against blocking drainages with garbage.

The Department of Veterinary Services in Kabwe District has seized four carcasses of cattle for violation of the Animal Health Act number 27 of 2010.

Kabwe District Veterinary Officer (DVO), Kenneth Chawinga, said the law provides for issuance of permit for the movements of live animals and carcasses and this is what is used as a tool for livestock disease control.

Dr Chawinga noted that most of the livestock diseases such as east coast fever, foot and mouth are transmitted because of illegal movement of livestock.

He said the carcasses were found on two different trucks from Chisamba enroute to Kabwe along Mulungushi road near Kamakuti clinic during an operation around 15: 00 hours yesterday.

Dr Chawinga told ZANIS that the carcasses will be disposed off after getting a court order.

He said government has released a lot of money to control foot and mouth disease, and to supplement government’s efforts, the veterinary services department has been conducting vaccinations and mounting random checkpoints.

He warned that just a movement of one infected animal is capable of causing a nationwide outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Dr Chawinga observed that the department is at pains to destroy livestock because it’s a source income for many farmers but urged farmers to operate within the law to avoid punitive measures.

Meanwhile, Vice Senior Village Headperson Chipembe, Mathews Kambonje said people are aware that movements of livestock require certification.

The village headman, whose carcasses was part of the contraband that was confiscated, urged veterinary officers to continue working within the provisions of the law and help farmers to fight livestock diseases.