Zambia Police Reports that: “Police in Lusaka received a report of Aggravated Robbery and Murder which occurred today 24th May 2020 at around 12:00 hours in Makeni.

Initially, a report of fire incident was received from a member of the public to the effect that Warehouses belonging to Chinese Nationals were on fire.

Police rushed to the scene together with the Fire Brigade and whilst there, it was discovered that owners of the warehouses were not at the scene of the fire and a further inquiry led to a search of their houses located behind the warehouses.

Police spotted bloodstains on the floor right from the entrance and a machete with blood stains was also found inside the house on the floor near the bed.

With the help of members of the public, one suspect whose name we have withheld aged 22 of Garden House area was apprehended.

A burnt body of a female Chinese national namely Hu New Cao aged 52 has been retrieved from the inferno. A search for the other two remaining Chinese Nationals has continued.
A Docket has been opened and one arrest has been made. Investigations have continued.”

NITROGEN Chemicals of Zambia in Kafue has started delivering Fertilizer for the 2020/2021 farming season to district where it has been contracted by government to distribute farming input.

On Friday morning, the giant Fertilizer manufacturing company kick-started the delivery of basal dressing fertilizer to Chongwe district where it delivered 90 tons of Compound D which will be distributed to farmers soon.

Speaking during the launch of the Chongwe depot, NCZ Sales and Marketing Manager Cleopatra Chanda disclosed that government has this year contracted the giant fertilizer manufacturing company to produce and distribute 10,000 metric tons of D Compound for the 2020/2021 farming season in Lusaka Province.

Chanda commended government for awarding Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia a total of 10,000 metric tons of Compound D fertilizer for distribution in Lusaka Province.

She said Agriculture is the main driver of attaining the vision 2030, saying government’s commitment to the Agriculture sector was evident enough to the realization of the vison 2030 which places Agriculture sector as a priority sector towards the social economic transformation of the country.

“As Nitrogen chemicals of Zambia, we are thankful to the government under the able leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu for recognizing NCZ as a strategic partner in fostering agriculture development in the country” Chanda said

And officiating at the launch, Chongwe District Commissioner Robster Mwanza disclosed that NCZ has been contracted to distribute 350 tons of D compound fertilizer for the 2020/2021 to the district.

Mwanza commended NCZ for it’s pro-activeness by ensuring that the fertilizer was delivered in good time to Chongwe district.
He said his office will ensure that inputs for the 2020/2021 farming season are distributed to the intended farmers in the district in order to enhance agricultural production in Chongwe.

“I want to take this opportunity to instruct leaders of Cooperatives in Chongwe to ensure that only eligible farmers benefit from the inputs so that government’s vision of ensuring food security both at household and National levels is achieved” Mwanza stated.

He urged beneficiary farmers of inputs of the 2020/2021 farming

By Miles Sampa

Disturbing now proven occurences at the Chinese owned and managed Simona cement plant. This morning we got a text from a brave whistleblower a Zambian worker from the plant. Him and other over 100 Black workers have been held hostage inside the factory and not allowed to go home because they can bring back Coronavirus. They have been threatened with getting fired if they ever left the plant.

Our fact-finding mission later in the afternoon proved that indeed it’s the factual position. Both the Zambian workers we spoke to and the Chinese supervisor we spoke to via a Zambian interpreter confirmed that Covid19 is the reason they have not been allowed to go home for about 8 weeks (2 to 3 months).

We told the Chinese supervisor that this is slavery reloaded. Black Zambians did not originate Coronavirus. It originated in China and first imported into Zambia via France .

The Chinese management and Executives in the meantime are allowed to go home every night and come back next morning.

I ordered them to release the workers tonight and allow them to go and see their wives and children.

Over 60% of labour workforce at this plant are from our City and the rest from Chongwe and Kafue Districts.

I will cascade this anomaly to my Ministers for further indulgence and reprimand if possible.

Overwhelmed with this particular complaint of workers locked in for months by various Chinese owned companies.

Meantime, I am off to another whistleblower with an exact complaint along Airport road.

The government has said that there is a need for all truck drivers entering and leaving the country to adhere to all the COVID-19 guidelines as provided by President Edgar Lungu.

Transport and Communications Minister Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya says the country should avoid what happened at Nakonde Border Post in Muchinga Province where cases of Coronavirus have risen.

The Transport and Communications Minister said on Saturday afternoon at Kasumbalesa Border Post on the Copperbelt after checking on the compliance levels by truck drivers on measures put in place to avoid the further spread of the deadly bug.

Hon Kafwaya encouraged cross border drivers to ensure that they utilize the facilities such as hand washing, hand sanitizers and others each time they are at border entry points.

“I have been directed by Her Honor the Vice President Madam Inonge Mutukwa Wina, who is the Chairperson for the Ministerial Committee on COVID-19, to come and check on the compliance levels by both our institutions and our truck drivers. His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu permitted me to come here, as you know this is a busy border Post, bordering between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, so we saw it fit to come and appreciate the measures and check on the compliance levels,” he said.

He added that he was pleased that Kasumbalesa Border Post had all the needed facilities to help prevent the spread of the virus saying drivers should comply and follow the guidelines and avoid contracting the virus.

And Kasumbalesa Border Post Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Assistant Manager – Customs Donald Simbwalanga said the authority at the border have put in place measures aimed at stopping the spread of the virus.

Mr. Simbwalanga said drivers entering and leaving the country are expected to wear a face mask, wash hands before entering the offices to be attended to, as well as being screened by health workers.

He said so far so good in terms of compliance by the drivers.

Hon Kafwaya is accompanied by Mafinga Member of Parliament Hon Jacob Siwale.

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) commends President Edgar Lungu for pardoning 2,984 inmates and granting of unconditional bail to 2,719 remandees.

The pardoning of 2,829 male and 155 female inmates on the eve of Africa Freedom Day is commendable as their right to liberty has been restored. The combined 5,703 number of inmates and remandees that was released yesterday is extremely significant because it will contribute to family and social stability.

The granting of unconditional bail to 2,719 remandees is commendable. The Commission has always been advocating for granting of bail to suspects facing bailable offenses and misdemeanors as has been done by the President. It is hoped that a sustainable and predictable mechanism will be put in place to prescribe bail as a right in order to enhance the rights to liberty and the presumption of innocence until proven or pleaded guilty.

The pardoning of inmates is commendable because in addition to reducing congestion, it will also contribute to social cohesion, reduction of crime and national productivity. The pardoning has provided an opportunity to ex-inmates to utilize their entrepreneurship skills they ex-inmates were learning in the Correctional Facilities and this has potential to contribute to reducing household poverty and hunger as well as a national food.

It should be noted that the conviction of individuals, particularly breadwinners, contributes to family disintegration and contributes to a wide range of social ills such as juvenile delinquency, sexual abuse and other forms of crime by some family members as a coping mechanism in the absence of a breadwinner.

It is also worth noting that the decision by the President under the prerogative of mercy as provided for under Article 97 of the Constitution of Zambia [Amendment] Act No. 2 of 2016 is especially significant during this period when the country is preventing, managing and controlling coronavirus.

The decongestion of Correctional Facilities means that the risk of contracting and spreading the virus in those facilities has been reduced, and that is a commendable executive decision in the fight against COVID 19.

The Commission wishes to also appeal to family members and society at large to accept, welcome and embrace the pardoned inmates because in the first place such inmates came from those families and society and they are back as law-abiding citizens after going through the criminal justice system.

It should be appreciated that released inmates are going to inevitably face serious emotional, psychological and socio-economic challenges during their family and community re-entry and they will need multi-sectoral and specialized counseling and support to help them cope up.

The Commission is aware that the Zambia Correctional Services has been conducting Pre-Relief Counselling to the pardoned inmates to make them aware of the adverse challenges that may face after being released in order to create resilience in them. However, families and society at large have a primary responsibility to accept, welcome and support the pardoned inmates to fully reintegrate and contribute to public safety and the well-being of society at large.

Further, the pardoned inmates must not betray the President’s compassion by reoffending society. Equally, those granted unconditional bail must remain law abiding citizens during the period of being on bail and ensure that they are available at the time they may be required to appear before the court of law.

The Commission is hopeful that the Zambia Correctional Services through its Correctional and Extensional Services will be adequately supported to play their family tracing and tie up, community re-entry and victim-offender mediation and reconciliation services to sustain the positive impact of the measure undertaken by the President.

Constitutional Lawyers says he maintains that the six Constitutional Court Judges are not qualified to hold the positions they do.

In a press statement, published in News diggers newspaper, Sangwa said he has enormous respect for the judges.

“I have accepted the appointment of constitutional court judges and respect their authority,” he declared.

Mr Sangwa also dismissed assertions that he is an expert in constitutional matters.

“I have never claimed expertise in constitutional matters..I am just a keen follower of constitutional development in Zambia,” he said.

Below is Mr. Sangwa’s full statement

STATEMENT BY JOHN SANGWA S.C.

On 10th March 2020, a story was published in the Diggers Newspaper titled “Lungu Dribbled Citizens – Sangwa by appointing unqualified ConCourt Judges”. The story generated debate on the competence and qualifications of Judges of the Constitutional Court. Since then a number of other stories, mostly false, linked to me have been published in some newspapers and other media. I have never had, and I do not have presence on any social media platform, yet a number of Facebook pages, and recently Twitter accounts, have been created in my name which publish and republish false statements.

I recognise and regret the fact that some statements attributed to me in the publication of 10th March 2020, and in other stories, have caused considerable embarrassment and distress to the Judges of the Constitutional Court.

Admittedly, I have interacted with the reporters from the Diggers Newspapers, mostly when they have sought my explanation on certain constitutional issues. I have also, at times, shared my views on the implications of certain constitutional issues and developments. The most recent and possibly very important contact was in the context of the debate on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019. I collaborated with them to inform the country why, in my opinion, it was vital to ensure that the Bill did not become law and most crucially why the Constitution, as it stands today, must be protected at all cost.

Whilst I do not have and I have never had control or a say over the editorial content of the Diggers Newspaper I do, however, have a duty both legal and moral to clarify and provide context to some of the statements attributed to me, for the benefit of the Judges of the Constitutional Court and Zambians committed to constitutional rule.

I have never claimed expertise in constitutional matters, but I have been a keen follower of constitutional developments in Zambia for more than thirty years. I was, therefore, elated on 5th January 2016, when President Lungu signed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill into law.
I never thought there would be a day, in my lifetime, when a sitting President would reduce his own powers and grant the Judiciary, the National Assembly and the people oversight over the office of President. Most notably, see a Constitution that would vest the right in and impose the duty on every citizen to protect and defend the Constitution.

The Constitution, as amended, was immediately tested when it was time to appoint Judges of the Constitutional Court. I was interested in how all those involved in this process would live true to the ideals contained in the Constitution, since it “binds all persons in Zambia, State Organs and State institutions.”

When the names of the six nominees to the Constitutional Court were announced, in line with my oath of office as a lawyer and right and duty as a citizen to protect and defend the Constitution, I evaluated the qualifications of each nominee based on the documents submitted in support of their respective nominations against the relevant provisions of the Constitution.

It was my opinion that none of the nominees qualified for appointment to the office of Judge of the Constitutional Court. I detailed the basis of my conclusion in a brief attached to my letter to the President dated 13th March 2016, which was copied to the Chief Justice, the nominees, the Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Law Association of Zambia.

What is contained in the brief is and remains my opinion, given as part of the vetting process of the Judges of the Constitutional Court. My opinion was not accepted. The President did not rescind the nominations, the nominees did not withdraw their names for consideration for appointment to the Constitutional Court, the National Assembly confirmed the nominations and the nominees subsequently took the oath of office.

The process was completed and the Judges have been exercising the powers vested in the Constitutional Court by hearing and deciding cases. I have accepted the outcome of the constitutional process. Defending and protecting the Constitution is not just about ensuring that it is not violated. It is also about respecting the processes established by the Constitution and accepting the outcome.

I have accepted the appointment of the Judges of the Constitutional Court and recognise and respect their authority. Consequently, since the Constitutional Court was constituted, I have, most likely, filed and argued more cases before that Court than any other lawyer in Zambia.