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The Drug Enforcement Commission has arrested four people including three professed cadres of a named political party and one Lusaka based business woman in Central Province for trafficking in Cannabis weighing 133.69 Kilograms, contrary to Chapter 96 of the Laws of Zambia.
These are identified as Harriet Mwape, 51, a businesswoman of John Laing Compound in Lusaka and three other cadres of which two females are also peasant farmers in Serenje district of Central Province Identified as Beatrice Mofya, 51, and Jacqueline Mofya, 20, while the man has been identified as Honest Chintu, aged 30 of Nakalengule village in Chitambo District of Central Province.
DEC officers intercepted and apprehended Harriet Mwape, 51 who was about to transport to Lusaka the contraband which had 63.17 kilograms of loose cannabis concealed in 50kg sack bags of fresh potatoes.
After an interrogation, Harriet later led the officers to Beatrice Mofya, 51, who concealed 43.29 kilograms of loose cannabis in Two (2) polythene sacks containing fresh potatoes and Jacqueline Mofya, 20, who concealed 15.81 kilograms of loose cannabis in a 50Kg polythene sack containing dry cassava.
Meanwhile Honest Chintu 30, was picked after a tip off from the members of the general public that he was exchanging salaula clothes in a batter system with loose cannabis in Nakalengule village of Chitambo District in Central Province.
The suspect who was found with 11.42 kilograms of loose cannabis further confirmed ownership of the abandoned cannabis that were picked up by officers in 2018 and 2019.
All the four suspects are in police custody and expected to appear in court soon.
This is according to a statement issued by Mr Mwenge Mulenga, the Deputy Public Relations Officer.
The Bank of Zambia has announced that it has established a Targeted Medium-Term Refinancing Facility with an initial amount of K10 billion to provide medium term liquidity in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.
In a statement, Bank of Zambia Governor Denny Kalyalya said the K10 billion is part of a comprehensive list of measures that the central bank is taking to respond to the Covid-19 crisis.
Dr Kalyalya said although the full impact of the Covid-19 shock on public health and the economy cannot be determined at the moment, indications are that it will be unprecedented.
He explained that this is a three to five years Facility that will be available to eligible Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to enable them restructure or refinance qualifying facilities or on-lend to eligible clients and that the amount will be reviewed as conditions warrant.
Dr Kalyalya said detailed implementation guidelines will be rolled out as soon as the on-going discussions with the Bankers Association of Zambia are concluded.
He said other measures include scaled up open market operations to provide short-term liquidity support to commercial banks on more flexible terms than those obtaining before the outbreak of COVID-19.
Other measures are revised rules governing the operations of the interbank foreign exchange market to support its smooth functioning, strengthen market discipline and provide a mechanism for addressing heightened volatility in the exchange rate in periods of stress.
Dr Kalyalya said the central bank has revised loan classification and provisioning rules through the issuance of new Directives as the replacement to Statutory Instrument No. 142 of 1996, which is in the process of being revoked.
“This will allow FSPs to better accommodate lending, refinancing, and restructuring of facilities to critical sectors. Extended the transitional arrangement provided for under CB Circular No. 11/2017, wherein FSPs were granted a 3-year transitional period from 2018 to 2020 to amortise the ‘Day 1 Impact of the IFRS 9’ for capital adequacy purposes, for a further two-year period up to 31st December 2022 on account of COVID- 19,” he said.
He said the central bank has allowed eligible non-bank financial institutions to henceforth partially use capital instruments that would not ordinarily qualify as common equity Tier I and Tier 2 capital, for purposes of computing regulatory capital.
“Stepped up sensitization and is encouraging the use of digital channels and contactless mobile payment mechanisms aimed at preventing the spread of the disease by minimizing person-to-person contact, decongesting banks and other financial institutions premises and reduced use of cash by Adjusting downwards the Zambia Interbank Payment and Settlement System (ZIPSS) processing fees to increase the use of the Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS).”
“Increasing transaction and wallet limits for individuals, small-scale farmers and enterprises as well as removing these limits for agents and corporates and waiving charges for person-to-person e-money transaction values of up to K 150 by all electronic money issuers, which will be reviewed at end April 2020,” he said.
“Approving the use of K8.0 million from interest earned on Mobile Money Trust accounts to support the provision of sanitisers at mobile money operator booths. Additional support will be provided to promote awareness amongst the public and mobile money service users; and urging commercial banks to remove transfer fees on the bank account to electronic wallet transactions for an initial period of three months and to reduce the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR).”
Dr Kalyalya said the central bank has implemented Business Continuity protocols that will ensure that systemically important payment systems and financial market infrastructures remain available.
“Other monetary policy tools available will remain options that may be deployed should conditions so warrant, consistent with the Bank of Zambia forward-looking monetary policy framework. The Bank will continue to monitor the situation and take any additional measures it deems appropriate to safeguard financial system stability.”
The government has suspended mining activities at the Roan Basin CNMC-Luanshya Copper Mines PLC. Mines Minister Richard Musukwa says this is because the firm has not met all the conditions of approval of the project.
Mr. Musukwa says it is sad that the firm had started to carry out some activities even before the project is fully approved. To this effect, Mr. Musukwa says appropriate sanctions will be meted out on the mining company by Government.
In a statement to media yesterday, The Minister said with total disregard of the conditions, management started clearing the site for the roan basin open pit and in the process disturbed some surface infrastructure such as the cricket club and the basketball court.
However, management’s explanation for the action is that the firm wanted to clear the surface area and not to start mining operations.
According to the production projections submitted to the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development, Mining of the Roan Basin is scheduled to start towards the end of the Muliashi Project in 2025
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has conducted the first unique by-election during the period the country is experiencing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The uniqueness of this election is that no rallies were allowed and the election took place at a time when every person has been experiencing social distancing. So what does the result reflect?
The myth and positive about by-elections
There is a long held myth about by-elections favouring a ruling party in Zambia because the entire government machinery is applied in campaigning and that the President, ministers, party officials all focus on winning a by-election. But there have been several occasions when a ruling party would not win a by election as was the case in Katuba, Sesheke and Roan Constituencies among others.
The winning of a local government by-election in Nangula Ward by the Patriotic Front (PF) makes 4 wards lostby the United Party for National Development (UPND, in Western Province in the past 4 months and by considerable margins. But what is interesting in Nangula is that no one was allowed to campaign by visiting people’s homes was discouraged, for fear of spreading the COVID-19 or Coronavirus disease was real.
So it can safely be said that the potential 2,214 voters from Nangula Ward did not experience the considerable pressure exerted by campaigning political parties to vote for any one candidate based on incentives and motivations which normally exist in such by-elections. But the Nangula Ward by elections presents some additional interesting insights.
The UPND which participated in the Nangula ward by-election is leading an Opposition Alliance of political parties which includes the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) led by Mr. Charles Milupi. The interesting aspect is that in the 2016 local government elections for the same Nangula ward, the ADD put up their own candidate, who four years later, has switched to and stood on the PF ticket.
In 2016, the UPND candidate polled 776 votes while the ADD candidate polled 185 votes. Therefore, in this 2020 ward by-election, the UPND had a healthy start with a combined total of 961 presumed votes under their alliance with the ADD, while the PF went into this same by-election with the 283 votes presumed votes which they got in 2016. The UPND had won this seat with 57.74 percent as the turnout in 2016 for Nangula stood at 61% for the local government election.
Fast forward to 2020, the preliminary results showed the PF won the seat with a total of 868 votes, against its 283 votes in 2016 while the UPND, in 2020, polled 341 votes against its earlier 776 final vote for 2016. The PF gained 585 new voters while UPND lost its own 435 voters from 2016 as well as the 185 ADD voters who, under the alliance, would have been presumed to support the UPND candidate. A total of 620 presumptive UPND voters, did not in fact renew their support for the opposition and 585 of these 620 can be said to have switched their support from the opposition to the ruling PF.
Lessons from Nangula Ward
While social media is awash with elite analysts projecting that the PF is losing popularity because of Zambia’s economic downturn and with the Kwacha having lost some of its valued against the US dollar because of so many factors, the Nangula ward experience must remind politicians to conduct some self-introspection on what really motivates the voters to vote for any party.
The major boast for the ruling PF has been the developmental agenda President Lungu has continued to spread to the remotest rural parts of Zambia. Yes, people can’t eat good roads but with a good road network, farmers engaged in commerce can, in real time, move their goods from place of production, to market. Our grandmothers and fathers, brothers and sisters have far different needs for which they show their appreciation at the ballot, when the government delivers on their needs.
We may not want Think Township roads are that important, but think of the Limulunga resident who wants to rush to Kalomo to buy rice to take to market. Previously, the boat was the only means of going from Limulunga to Kalomo at this time of the year, and the trip took all day. Today, the Kalomo – Mongu highway is a short 2 hour drive across the flood plain, and the trader can put 30 X 90kg bags of rice on a truck and have them back in Mongu the same day.
No, we can’t eat roads but they do mean the difference between efficiency in commerce and if a patient on West Bank of the Zambezi needs hospitalisation in Mongu, they can be transported in 1 hour by ambulance. That is what a good road means to those who need it.
The second lesson is that the UPND alliance with smaller parties, which are largely regional, such ADD do not bring any value to the UPND numbers. This point cannot be overstretched.
The third lesson is that the same candidate who has won the Nangula By election in 2020 on the PF ticket, is the same candidate who lost the election on the ADD ticket in 2016. This points to fact that the victory obtained in Nangula is not about candidates but about political parties. It can safely be said that the PF is becoming attractive to voters in Western Province.
The final lesson to learn is that the closer margin in overall results between the ruling PF and opposition UPND has always been attributed to the highest voter turnout the UPND has in UPND strongholds. In 2016, the national turnout for presidential elections stood at 56.45%. As an example, the voter turnout in Southern Province stood at 72.26% against the voter turnout in Eastern Province of 50.74% or the turnout in North-Western 61.28% against the turnout in Northern Province at 53.61%.
Therein lies the lesson. The 2021 electoral battle will be about each party convincing its potential supporters in strongholds to turn out and vote. These issues of performance of kwacha or debt may be issues for the elites in Lusaka but not the ordinary urban or rural voter, as can be seen from Nangula where, despite the circumstances, turnout was quite decent and, one suspects, would have been even higher in normal circumstances.
If the PF manages to retain the strongholds and manages to persuade even 60 percent of its potential voters to turn out and vote, the PF stands to win 2021 with a wider margin than in 2016, but if the UPND continues to have the best voter turnout in its strongholds against the PF, then the PF will struggle.
Conclusion
The Nangula Ward by-election won by the PF may be a good boost to the Patriotic Front and a blow to the UPND but neither of them must fold their gloves. The big task ahead is for parties to continue convincing the real voters on the ground. The PF penetration into Western Province speaks volumes as Western Province is dynamic province from the time of MMD to date. It is not a province tilted towards tribal lines. The stay in power by the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) was propelled by Western Province but the same province did not help the PF in 2011 and 2016 to consolidate its win. So the gain in Western Province by the PF is good for them but it needs to be consolidated if it has to mean anything.
The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG) has plans of distributing 2 million (2,000,000) home-made masks over a period of 5 months to bus crews and passengers at bus stations and markets around Lusaka as a way of halting the spread of the corona virus around the city.
The project dubbed “Pushing Corona Out of Lusaka” is expected to cost USD 60, 120 and will involve the hiring of tailors and volunteer road safety and health experts to distribute these masks and sensitize passengers and bus crews to wear masks at all times while in the bus or in public.
The goal of the Pushing Corona Virus Out (PCO) Project is to halt the spread of the coronavirus in Lusaka among its 2.6 million inhabitants by providing home-made face masks to bus crews, motorists, street kids, and passengers.
The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group is aware that bus stations and markets are a hive of activity and therefore are a potential epicenter at the spread of the coronavirus in Lusaka. The Group is also aware that the virus does not move on its own but is moved through human to human interactions through the public transport system which in Lusaka comprises of poorly ventilated Minibuses that have for a long time been squeezing five passengers per seat (known as five –five) instead of 3 passengers per seat. This means passengers are in close proximity and contact of one another and breathe in the same corrupt air. If one sick passenger sneezes in the bus, the chances of the entire bus getting the virus are very high.
The Zambian Roads and Highway Safety Group is also aware that most of these buses are often cleaned using water drawn from all sorts of sources including ponds and streams around Lusaka. Their levels of hygiene are very low as compared to the acceptable standards and requirements of cleanliness to prevent and defeat the corona virus.
The Project draws lessons from Countries like Czech Republic and others that have rolled out the use of home-made face masks and have recorded less infections significantly slowing down the spread of the corona virus in public places as those that are infected cannot spread it and those that don’t have it cannot inhale infected droplets because of face masks.
“We invite embassies and donor agencies that have funds for fighting the corona virus to partner with us in making this project a success and sure that this virus is stopped from spreading in our markets and bus stations through the provision of these vital face masks,” says Group Admin Mthoniswa Banda.
“Our fear is that there is a passenger or bus crew member currently with the corona virus still in its incubation stage and they are spreading it every day unknowingly in these buses and markets,” says Group Admin Mthoniswa Banda
The Luanshya Municipal Council says it wants a win-win outcome from any development taking place in the district.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda says any investment done in the district should not be at the expense of the community.
This follows reports that Luanshya Mines has started digging up for Copper near Roan Sports Club.
The Sports Club consists of Rugby, Cricket, Swimming, Tennis and Squash including Basketball and football facilities.
“Whatever investment, it should not be at the expense of the community members and the environment. We want a win-win outcome from any development taking place in the district,” said Mr. Chanda.
He also advised regulatory bodies to be open and engaging whenever dealing with any issues in his district.
Mr. Chanda said regulatory authorities like ZEMA should not be coming in the district without informing the local authority or the district administration because they represent the people.
“So before any approvals are done the locals must know.”
“Let me warn these regulatory bodies that they need to be informing the council. They can’t just come in the district do whatever they want and go without informing the council. The council has a mayor as a representative of the people. We also have the MPs and the office of the District Commissioner, so whoever wants to come and do their assessment studies, they should inform the leadership who have the master plan for the district,” said Mr. Chanda.
He demanded that the Council be given the documentation and establishment of the process at hand before any operations could go on.
“It is not right to just drive in and do whatever they want to do. That is why we have leadership that also wants to report back to the people. We have engaged the Ministry of Mines over this matter and also the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development because of the sports facilities at hand” Mr. Chanda said.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda with officials from the Council visiting the site where Luanshya Mine has started constructing a new open pit mine near Roan Sports Field.
Luanshya Copper Mines Public Relations Manager Sydney Chileya confirmed that the company has the right to mine in the area because the mining licence covers that area.
Mr. Chileya said the the initial earth works of course will not affect the Sport complex but just the boundary of the cricket club and tennis club and other clubs will remain intact.
“When a company is given a license by the ministry of Mines, they have a right to mine within the license area, and in accordance with the law and for this reason we will comply with the law. The ore body which was going to be mined there ends at the boundary of the cricket and tennis club and there was no way the mine could go beyond that,” he said
Meanwhile, sources within have revealed that what has prompted LCM to move on site is the new investor that is claiming of acquiring a mining licences over the same land.
However, Mr. Chanda who was accompanied by some Directors from the Council when he visited the site is concerned with what will happen to the youths and the community surrounding the area.
“The youths and other community members have for many years being working from the same area and we want to see how they will be taken care of.”
Mr Chanda said that the Council has enjoyed a good working relationship with the Mine and it would be good that a win win situation is reached to benefit the community and the investor. Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda with officials from the Council visiting the site where Luanshya Mine has started constructing a new open pit mine near Roan Sports Field.
The PF government has finally admitted that land on which Kamwala Remand Prison and Lusaka Central Prison commonly known as Chimbokaila has been sold.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo disclosed that the two parcels of land have been sold to private investors in a Public Private Partnership deal.
Mr Kampyongo further revealed that one of the partners, Mukuyu Ventures who have bought the land on which the Kamwala Remand Prison sits has already started constructing a new and modern correctional facility in Mwembeshi where the inmates will be transferred.
Mukuyu Ventures, which is a subsidiary company of Green Capital Holdings, a company based in Nairobi, Kenya which is building Africa’s tallest building in Nairobi.
The Home Affairs Minister was speaking Friday morning when he featured on Hot FM’s Red Hot Breakfast Show.
“I am not sure the name of the other investor. You can check with the PPP Unit for details but I know they have taken up the construction of a second facility, it is also within Mwembeshi,” Mr Kampyongo said.
But a source within the Ministry of Home Affairs have disclosed that the second investor is known as Saltech Enterprises.
The developers have earmarked to construct financial and commercial complex at both locations.
Mr Kampyongo said the new correctional facilities will include a school, enough space for outdoor activities and a bigger health facility to provide medical care.
Chipata Mayor Sinoya Mwale has warned sex workers in the area to stop parading themselves on the streets in the wake of the threat posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Zambia.
Meanwhile, some sex workers in Chipata district have appealed to government to work towards containing COVID-19 soon because it has affected their business.
Mr. Mwale said the Chipata City Council (CCC) has intensified preventive measures against the disease hence sex workers that will be found in the streets will be arrested.
He said the council and Zambia Police are working together to enforce President Edgar Lungu’s directives on enhancing measures that will curb the spread of COVID-19.
He said the local authority is abiding by President Lungu’s directive of ensuring that all basic preventive measures against COVID-19 are adhered to.
“This is a very serious virus we are dealing with and we will not let anyone or any group of people frustrate our efforts to prevent COVID-19,” Mr. Mwale said.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old sex worker said the outbreak of COVID-19 has negatively affected her business of prostitution from which she earns between K4, 000 and K5,000 per month.
The sex worker, who patronises Chipata’s Church road in Moth area, told ZANIS that the coronavirus has adversely affected her earnings to the extent that she is now struggling to support her child, siblings and parents.
“I am not the only one who has lost out because of the disease. Most of my friends are also complaining because our clients are now confined to their homes. It is really hard because bars are closed and this is the place where we get most clients,” she said.
She said most of her prominent clients have gone quiet on her.
In response to the call for the sex workers to stop going to the streets, she said the prostitutes were still working but are alert not to be found by the police.
“We are on alert because if police find us, we may go to jail. Government is very serious about preventing this disease but we also need money to feed our families and this is our only work,” she said.
From the time government issued a directive to close bars and ask people to stay at home, she has only managed to have six clients which according to her, is a serious drop.
“We are in a very desperate situation because just for us to survive during this period we may end up dropping our charges to even K20 or K50 just to have clients,” she said.
And another sex worker, who conducts her business in Kalongwezi and Magazine areas, said nothing has changed for her because her clients still contact her through phone calls.
The middle-aged sex-worker said most of her clients are in formal employment in Chipata hence she has continued to cash in.
“My business is intact because I have a good business relationship with my clients and I cannot complain. I know about the virus and I hope the cure will be found so that things can get back to normal,” she said.
A drive through Chipata city around 19:00 hours yesterday revealed that only a few sex workers were still lining-up in the streets.
Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that the Minister of Finance Dr. Bwalya Ngandu was under quarantine but has tested negative to COVID-19.
Minister of Health, Dr.Chitalu Chilufya announced at today’s briefing, where he also mentioned that Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kapmyongo was also under quarantine and had too tested negative.
Dr. Chilufya emphasized the need to respect the privacy of individuals when it comes to disclosure of their Coronavirus cases and test results.
“We will be transparent with the matter but we will respect the privacy of patients,” he said as he also announced that the Finance Minister consented to have his COVID-19 results made public after he was quarantined.
Dr. Chilufya said that he was happy with the positive response that the Ministry of Health has continued to receive from people who notice some symptoms that are related to those of COVID-19.
He cited Minister of Finance Bwalya N’gandu and his Home Affairs counterpart Stephen Kamyongo as being among many other people that had volunteered to undergo self-quarantine after visiting COVID high risk country.
At the same briefing, Dr Chilufya announced that two out of the 38 coronavirus patients, who are admitted to isolation centers in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces, have tested negative for the virus and will be discharged tomorrow.
The patients initially tested positive for the disease and have been in the isolation centres where their condition was being monitored for more than 14 days.
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the two patients’ symptoms have since disappeared hence they tested negative.
Dr. Chilufya informed the nation during the COVID-19 update in Lusaka today that in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health followed up 266 new alerts who all proved to be non-cases of coronavirus.
This therefore means that the country has in the last 24 hours not recorded any new cases of COVID-19 and the number of patients remains at 38.
Dr. Chilufya described the condition of the 38 patients currently in isolation centers as stable.
“In the last 24 hours, we have no new cases of COVID-19, and the number still stands at 39 with one death and all our 38 patients are still in various isolation facilities, two on the Copperbelt while the rest are in Lusaka and are all stable under the care of our specialized team,” he said.
Dr. Chilufya disclosed that over 5,600 specimens were collected from different people who visited coronavirus high-risk countries.
Out of this number, less than 1,400 are under quarantine for 14 days and are still under high health surveillance system.
And Dr. Chilufya has disclosed that Zambia and Malawi, which announced its first three COVID-19 patients yesterday, are working on a bilateral measure aimed at eliminating the spread of the disease across the two countries.
He explained that surveillance has being heightened in all border areas, entry and exist points for the two countries to ensure that trade and commerce is not disrupted for the economy to continue operating.
“We have Presidential directives to ensure that essential services continue through the multi sectorial approach but only make sure that there is proper management of cargo and that people should only travel when it is necessary,” he said.
Home Affairs counterpart Stephen Kamyongo
And Mr. Kampyongo, who announced that he underwent a COVID-19 test with his wife and tested negative, has reiterated that the media should refrain from invading people’s privacy in their quest to get information.
He explained that only the Ministry of Health, Chief Government Spokesperson and the Head of State have the authority to share information about someone’s health with consent from the person involved.
“My appeal to the media is that you need to understand that respecting the privacy of an individual is law and one can be punished for not abiding by that. Anyone can get infected but there is a need to follow guidelines in accessing the information by ensuring that we respect people’s private space,” he stressed.
He also disclosed that the Ministry of Home Affairs will ensure that all the measures put in place to address the spread of COVID-19 are enforced in order to protect lives.
And Mr. Kampyongo has disclosed that the Zambia Correctional Services has reduced visitation to correctional facilities by members of the public to avoid any spread of the COVID-19 adding that an isolation center has also been identified for suspected patients.
He acknowledged that there is inadequate space in most facilities.
Currently, there are over 23,000 inmates against the holding capacity of 8,000 countrywide.
Busy places such as markets and bus station have been identified as areas with a high risk of transmitting the coronavirus due to the traffic of people that they handle.
Minister of Local Government Charles Banda said tomorrow, all bus stations and markets will be partially closed for about two hours to allow for thorough cleaning and disinfecting.
“We are not closing the markets but we just want to ensure that they are kept clean so that we trade in a clean environment and safe guard our lives,” he said.
Dr. Banda has meanwhile advised traders to reduce the trading hours as a way of lessening their exposure to the coronavirus pandemic.
And various stakeholders have also continued to make monetary and material donations to the Ministry of Health to be used in fighting the coronavirus.
World Vision Zambia has pledged to spend over K5 million on various medical supplies and hygiene measures to supplement government effort in combating the COVID-19 in the country.
World Vision Zambia National Director John Hasse noted that his organization has also partnered with UNICEF to strengthen infection, prevention and control measures in all the isolation centres by providing online chlorinators, hygiene supplies and clean safe water.
Zambia and Nkwazi striker Emmanuel Chabula says he is not rushing into making a move abroad.
Chabula has been linked with a move to a number of clubs among them French side AS Saint-Etienne.
Media reports this week suggested that St Etienne wants to take Chabula to Europe before the delayed African Nations Championship (CHAN) is played.
‘I won’t say much on the issue of being linked to clubs outside the country. I will leave it to my manager and agent to handle those issues,’ Chabula said.
He emerged Chipolopolo top scorer in 2019 with six goals.
‘I am not in a hurry to move, I want to be more patient and at last make a good move. If there will be anything in those lines I will let you know,’ he said.
The former Kitwe United was instrumental in propelling Zambia to the 2020 CHAN qualification.
And Chabula says he is striving to maintain his fitness following the halting of both the league and club training due to the coronavirus pandemic.
‘I am training alone just to keep fit. I am doing jogging and some abdominal excises just to keep myself in shape. This is a very difficulty period for us footballers,’ he said.
Kitwe football administrator Sydney Chalawila has warned that the tendency by some candidates to campaign in groups ahead of the delayed FAZ elections was a catalyst for confusion in the local football governing body.
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed the elective FAZ annual general meeting that was set for March 28 in Livingstone.
Chalawila, the former Mining Rangers secretary, said it was unfortunate that wrangles among administrators have continued to engulf FAZ.
He said FAZ councilors must learn to elect candidates on merit.
‘There are some councilors who are campaigning in groups. I mean that is a source of confusion,’ Chalawila said.
‘Imagine that candidates from different camps are elected into FAZ positions, can they work together? I believe this is a source of division,’ he said.
‘Leaders should be chosen on merit not on the basis of belonging to a group. I am not going to come out and say I am supporting this one or that one,’ Chalawila said.
Chalawila was a losing candidate in the FAZ Copperbelt elections where Nkana’s Patrick Ndhlovu emerged Provincial Chairman.
Ndhlovu defeated Chalawila together with Bosco John Chilando and Alfred Mwape in the battle for the Kopala football top post.
Some Africans on social media have expressed their dissatisfaction on a viral video suggesting that Africa should be the first place where coronavirus treatments be tested.
Jean-Paul Mira, head of intensive care at Cochin hospital in Paris, and Camille Locht, head of research at the Inserm health research group, both said on French TV that there was a case for testing out the vaccines in African countries.
“If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we be doing this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation?” Dr Mira said on TV channel LCI.
“A bit like as it is done elsewhere for some studies on Aids. In prostitutes, we try things because we know that they are highly exposed and that they do not protect themselves.”
“You are right,” Dr Locht responded.
“We are in the process of thinking about a study in parallel in Africa.”
The comments received an angry response on social media, including from former footballers Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.
“I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racist words,” Drogba tweeted.
“Do not take African people as human guinea pigs! It’s absolutely disgusting,” he added.
Another twitter user said “It’s 2020 in France & we still see people from Africa as subjects for experimentation.This is what normalized racism looks like.AFAIK,nobody jumped in to counter the arguments, both doctors agreed. Same, the way sex-workers are considered: like objects that can be used for tests.”
“If only Africa would choose better leaders, we would not even need to worry about this happening,” another responded.
The information has emerged that the Chinese investor in Luanshya operating Luanshya Mines has started digging up for Copper at Roan Sports Club.
The Sports Club consists of Rugby, Cricket, Swimming, Tennis and Squash including Basketball and football facilities.
Investigations have revealed that the Roan Cricket Club will be the first to go as it sits right within the licence area given to the Chinese investor.
Luanshya Copper Mines Public Relations Manager Sydney Chileya confirmed that the company has the right to mine in the area because the mining licence covers that area.
Mr Chileya said the the initial earth works of course will affect the boundary of the cricket club and tennis club but these clubs will remain intact.
“When a company is given a license by the ministry of Mines,they have a right to mine within the license area, it is law. The ore body being mined there ends at the boundary of the cricket and tennis club.
Roan Member of Parliament Joseph Chishala also confirmed that the construction of an open pit mine will go ahead but that Roan Sports Field will be preserved.
But aspiring MP for Roan Eleni Grigoraki has condemned the action of the mine company.
“ LCM are wantonly and callously demolishing our ZCCM Sports Amenities. Yesterday I physically visited the site in question, and indeed the reports are very true that earth-works have been done at the Cricket Club.
She added, “The Cricket Club Information building has already been razed-down and so is the Basketball Court.”
“I then called the Minister of Mines, who expressed great dissapointment with this destructive behaviour, and he assured me that he would be calling CLM, the China Mine to try to resolve things.”
“But what surprises me even more is the fact Luanshya Municipality, and the District Administration, actually had the full knowledge of this, but they elected not report the matter to their designated Superiors, at Lusaka
Chinese Luanshya Copper Mines undertaking earth works on the Cricket Club as construction of an open pit mine starts
COPPERBELT Minister Japhen Mwakalombe, Zambia Police and the Ndola City Council (NCC) have unearthed a scam in which some unscrupulous people have been working with millers and buying mealie meal in bulk and smuggling to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The smuggling of mealie meal has led to an artificial shortage of the commodity and a hike in prices in Ndola and around the Copperbelt.
During the operation about 1000 bags of mealie meal were seized in bordering township Kawama with the aid of residents who became whistle blowers.
Hundreds of bags where found in tightly locked up stores and others hidden in homes, under beds, fridges and tall grass.
It was also discovered that most are smuggling the mealie meal using bicycles. A couple of bicycles were found in the shops with bags of mealie strapped around them in disguise.
The mealie was hidden in cement bags, chitenge wrappers and so on and forth.
At border Maria Chimona smugglers were also using bicycles with National Registration cards which belong to other people to smuggle the commodity into DRC.
Copperbelt Minister Mr Mwakalombe flanked by Copperbelt Police Commsioner Charity Katanga, NCC Town clerk Wisdom Bwalya , District Commsioner Anthony Katongo and other officials fumed at the situation.
When queried on the huge stocks of mealie meal being piled the smugglers claimed to be traders.
But when asked why their shops were locked tight when there is a demand for the commodity even around the area all remained mute.
And after asking why some bags where wrapped in disguise all traders claimed the bags were not theirs and did not know what the bags were doing in their shop.
Police henceforth picked up two smugglers and arrested them, the two have also been reported of terrorizing the community and using weapons such as guns.
And when further pushed for answers the traders revealed they sale the commodity at K500 and K600 in DRC.
Further, the Ndola City Council queried the shop owners as to how they were trading but yet have no trading permits or health certificates.
Health experts also said the mealie was being kept in unsafe ways that risk the product being contaminated as most places had people sleeping in the same room and even to top of the bags.
Mr Mwakalombe said the mealie meal shortage was an artificial one caused by such ‘selfish’ individuals.
Hon Mwakalombe said Government, NCC and Zambia police will not rest and will ensure all mazie found illegallg is retrieved and all millers who are culprits will be brought to book.
He clarified that Zambia signed mou with DRC to supply 600 tonnes of mealie meal a legal trade which would benefit all Zambians.
Copperbelt Minister Mr Mwakalombe flanked by Copperbelt Police Commsioner Charity Katanga, NCC Town clerk Wisdom Bwalya , District Commsioner Anthony Katongo and other officialsMealie Meal for Smuggling
The Independent Broadcasting Authority has expressed concern with the manner in which some broadcasting houses are pursuing suspected COVID 19 patients in their line of work.
IBA Director General Josephine Mapoma said Journalism Ethics demand that the public’s right to information should not outweigh the right of victims or suspected patients of COVID 19, to privacy confidentiality and dignity.
Ms Mapoma has guided all broadcasting stations to exercise maximum professionalism and observe ethics in reporting about the patients and suspected persons of the COVID 19 pandemic.
“Furthermore, the IBA is calling on all broadcasters to adhere to Section Eight (8) of the IBA Standard Operating Procedures for Broadcasting in Zambia on Privacy, provides that Information which discloses the location of a person’s home or family must not be revealed without permission”, she said
She said similarly, ambushing suspected patients can expose them to stigmatization and violent reactions from the public.
Ms Mapoma said broadcasters must also note that if an individual or organization’s privacy is being infringed, and they ask that the filming, recording or live broadcast be stopped, the Licensee must do so.
She said people that might be suffering from COVID 19 maybe in a state of distress, therefore must not be put under pressure to take part in an interview or any form of programming.
Ms Mapoma has since cautioned media personnel to desist from following persons that are suspected to be suffering from COVID 19 as doing so puts their own lives in danger of contracting the virus.
She said broadcasting houses must heed the call by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya and the Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya to be professional and avoid violating the suspected patient’s right to privacy.
