Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe has urged security personnel in the province manning border points not to resort to instantly shooting smugglers.

Speaking when he addressed the Media in Ndola today, Mr. Nundwe said officers patrolling crossing points should resolve issues amicably and avoid taking people’s lives inaccurately.

He says the government is always disheartened whenever a life is lost in any circumstance, adding that every persons’ life is essential and that there must always be a lawful way of handling lawbreakers.

Recently, a man of Chililabombwe, on the Copperbelt, was allegedly shot on his private parts by the Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers for trying to smuggle mealie- meal into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kapembwa Kashimoto, 39, is currently battling for his life at Kitwe Teaching Hospital.

In another development, Mr. Nundwe has disclosed that the construction of the new Copperbelt International Airport will be completed by April next year.

He said the construction works have reached 81 percent with minor work such as the construction of a filling station, access roads and few things.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Nakonde District in Muchinga Province has committed to Prison a fake teacher for failing to pay K60 000 ordered by the Nakonde Magistrate Court in February 2020.

Anti-Corruption Commission Public Relations Manager Timothy Moono named the convict as Catherine Nakamba aged 30 of Muzabwela Village in Nakonde District.

In a statement with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Moono stated that the Commission in 2018 arrested Nakamba and charged her with one count of uttering a false document contrary to section 352 and 347 and one count of obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretenses contrary to section 309 (a) respectively of the penal code chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.

He said the particulars of the offense is that in count one Nakamba on dates unknown but between January,1,2012 and January,31,2012 being a public officer employed in the Ministry of Education did knowingly and fraudulently utter a false document a teacher’s Certificate no.14288 to the District Education Board Secretary purporting that the said document was genuine when not.

He further said in count two the convict dishonestly and with false pretenses purport to have a Primary Teacher’s Certificate in order to be employed by the District Education Board Secretary under the Ministry of Education and by virtue was employed adding that she obtained a pecuniary advantage in form of salaries amounting to a total sum of K184,084.70.

Mr. Moono has further stated that Nakamba who was convicted to 12 months suspended sentence and ordered to pay K60, 000 fine within six months’ failure to which she was going to serve six months imprisonment has been committed to the Nakonde Correctional Facility.

This is contained in a statement sent to ZANIS by Anti-Corruption Commission Public Relations Manager Timothy Moono.

Chisengu Day Secondary School appealed to well-wishers and the Government to help it cushion the infrastructure challenges the institution is facing.

Chisengu Day Secondary Headteacher Sarah Chisha said the school has a total capacity of 244 pupils , but is lacking its own classrooms and pupils are taking shelter in the primary school infrastructure, while other learners are using a thatched shelter and a poultry building belonging to Chisengu Multi- purpose Cooperative.

Ms Chisha disclosed that through the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), construction of a 1 x 3 classroom block was initiated, however, it has only reached at window level and stalled due to lack of finances.

“We are lobbying from well-wishers and you the first lady to assist us finish constructing the pending classroom blocks and also construct staff houses and dormitories for our pupils,” she told the First Lady Esther Lungu who was at the school to make a donation under Esther Lungu Foundation Trust.

Ms Chisha said the school is facing a serious housing accommodation crisis and as a result, most teachers commute from Mfuwe which is about 63km away from Chisengu on a daily basis.

She added that due to lack of enough infrastructure, the school came up with a weekly boarding initiative to help about 82 pupils that come from distant places that require some of them to cross rivers to get to school.

The Head Teacher further told the First Lady the lack of teaching and learning materials is as another great challenge the school is facing.

“The school only has four outdated computers and this makes it difficult to teach our pupils computer studies and help them move at the same pace with the rest of the world as it advances technologically,” Chisha noted.

Ms Chisha further said that the school wishes to engage in aquaculture and to help it achieve that, there is need for government and other stakeholders to help drill a borehole at the site so that the school can be self-sustaining.

And in response to the challenges presented, the First Lady who is in Mambwe District for her outreach programmes donated 10 computers, 12 desks, 230 pieces of washable sanitary towels, study text books, 20 buckets of rice and 192 tablets of soap among other items to Chisengu Day Secondary School and Chisengu Primary School.

And Chisengu Health Post also a medicine trolley, 250 surgical gloves, 20 sets of solar lights, 2 bicycles, 3 lab coats, an examination bed and 29 packets of food hampers among other items to Chisengu Health Post.

Earlier Chisengu Health Post Sister-In-Charge Violet Zulu appealed for the construction of a maternity annex at the health facility.

According to Ms Zulu, the absence of a maternity ward makes it difficult for expectant mothers when the time for delivery arrives as their privacy is also compromised especially during day time.

She added that the health facility does not have a mother’s shelter too which has led to many women delivering from home and endangering their lives and that of new born babies.

While in Chisengu, the First Lady continued to express her sadness over reports of escalating cases of child marriages and early pregnancies in the district.

Mrs Lungu insisted on the need for parents to appreciate the education of the girl child which enables them to realise full potential to earn a living and benefit their families and the whole community.

The First Lady, quoting Nelson Mandela that “education is the most powerful weapon in the world”, said educating children is key in the uplifting of the community.

“Gone are the days when a male child was encouraged to advance in school while the female child was told to do household chores. Allow girl children to get educated instead of marrying them off to men old enough to be their grandfathers,” she urged.

The Office of the Public Protector has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) to create and enhance maladministration awareness in the provision of public services.

The MoU will see the Office of the Public Protector and TIZ jointly conduct strategies that will improve ability of people to monitor progress on public services and demand corrective action in pursuit of a transparent public service delivery system.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka on Wednesday, Office of the Public Protector Commission Secretary, Kebby Hakalima said the partnership will result in more people being sensitised on maladministration and encourage community action in demanding transparency and accountability from public institutions by people reporting grievances and seeking redress from the Office of the Public Protector.

Mr. Hakalima observes that public institutions need to genuinely be accessible to all citizens seeking public services at all times and officials need to conduct themselves with the utmost decorum and ensure legality, efficiency and relevance of public interest in the execution of their duties.

Mr. Hakalima noted that his Office is determined to exercise civil control over public authorities, regulate public administration and prevent maladministration in public institutions, which if not dealt with leads to corruption and injustice.

Speaking at the same event, TIZ Executive Director Maurice Nyambe said his organisation was delighted to work with the Office of the Public Protector as it is a key component within the country’s governance structure.

Mr. Nyambe said the Office of the Public Protector plays a pivotal role in enhancing transparency, accountability and integrity in governance processes and the delivery of public services, values which are also shared by TIZ.

Mr. Nyambe also reiterated his organization’s commitment to work with oversight institutions such as the Office of the Public Protector in addressing challenges and gaps in the governance sector for the benefit of the country.