The pastor at the centre of controversy, Apostle Anthony Musuku, commands a big following with the population of his congregation which is situated in Buchi-Kamitondo believed to be well over 1, 000 people and is known to posses healing powers.

But a mob of unruly residents yesterday in the morning around 10:00 hours stormed the church building with the view to lynching the pastor who they said had turned into a snake.

Confusion reigned as Police who moved in a bid to prevent the residents from razing the church building structure encountered opposition from the residents with the two sides engaging in running battles.

A Times reporter that rushed to the scene around 11:00 found the situations around Kamitondo tense with anti-riot Police firing teargas canisters while the residents reiterated with stones.

The residents placed stones and burning logs on the main road blocking flow of traffic from Buchi-Kamitondo to other areas.

Police reinforcement from stations around the district was called in to help quell the riots which had since escalated covering the whole Kamitondo even extending to the nearby Bulangililo Township.

The residents finally managed to raze the building and to set it ablaze around 14:00 hours after a long struggle with the police.

The church building structure, which was constructed using plunks and iron sheets was completely gutted by the inferno that also spread to the nearby auto garage belong to Everisto Kalenga where four vehicles parked there for repair, were burnt to ashes.

Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Joyce Kasosa who confirmed the razing and burning of the church building structure dismissed the basis of the residents’ action as mere fabrication.

Ms Kasosa said the residents acted out of superstition and condemned their action.

She said the Police managed to apprehend three people in connection with the fracas and were charged with riotous behaviour.

Janet Chitumbo, an eye witness who was at the church when the fracas erupted said she was with her daughter in one of the rooms at the church for prayers when a mob stormed the premises around 10:00 hours and started throwing stones and other missiles claiming that Apostle Musuku had turned into a snake inside the church while praying for patients.

Ms Chitumbo whose daughter was critically ill and unable to walk, said she struggled but managed to flee using a wheelchair fortransportation of the patient to the nearby shop where she sought refuge.

Some elders from the church told the Times that the story of their pastor turning into a snake was fabricated by people who were jealous of the success made by the congregation.

Elder Samule Mvula who was flanked by pastor Judix Nkandu said the people behind the fabrication of the story hired a mob which went and burnt the church building.

“The story of pastor Apostle Musuku having turned into a snake is fabrication because the pastor in the first place was not even at church when this mob came to cause havoc,” Mr Mvula said.

VICE President Inonge Wina has bemoaned the low turnout of people obtaining voters’ cards in the ongoing mobile voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Ms Wina said the number of people that obtained voters cards between September 14 and 27 this year, indicate a lower than expected turnout.

Based on projections of would be 18 year olds’ next year by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), ECZ has targeted to register 1.7 million new voters and as at September 27, only 301,103 people countrywide had obtained voters cards.

Ms Wina said, after presenting a ministerial statement to Parliament on the status of the exercise, that she was particularly worried with the low turnout of the female folk in the process.

She was responding to Nchanga Member of Parliament (MP) Wylbur Simuusa who had asked a follow-up question on Government’s position regarding the worrisome figures.

“There is apparent apathy from the community and this could be attributed to the reason that maybe our people are losing interest in politicians.

“But let me state that it is the duty of MPs to sensitise the people, particularly youths, on the need to possess a national registration and voters card,” she said.

Ms Wina disclosed that K124 million had so far been disbursed for the exercise which is expected to gobble up K475 million.

She said K315 million would be spent the current exercise ending next month while K160 would be used on the exercise which will last a fortnight in March next year.

Meanwhile, the House heard that some people masquerading as patriotic front (PF) cadres were illegally grabbling land from innocent citizens to tarnish the image of the ruling Party.

Chief Government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili said it had been established that these were the same people illegally demarcating land under the guise of being PF cadres.

Mr Kambwili was responding to Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala who alleged that PF cadres were behind the rampant cases of illegal land allocation in Lusaka.

Ms Namugala had asked a follow up question to the Ministry of Lands after Mazabuka Central MP Garry Nkombo queried if the Government was aware of a citizen who lost their life while battling for his land from suspected party cadres in Lusaka West.

In another development, Health deputy minister Chitalu Chilufya said the Government was investigating the presence of an insect that is allegedly terrorising human and animal life along the Great East road.

Dr Chilufya was responding to Chipata Central MP Reuben Mtolo who asked whether Government was aware of the deadly insect which transmits a disease.

“We have a team of experts including etymologists assessing the severity of this situation and once available, the outcome of the investigations will be made public,” Dr Chilufya said.

SECRETARY to Cabinet Rowland Msiska has directed that all bars and other public places of entertainment should remain closed between 06:00 hours and 18:00 hours during the Day of prayer and fasting on October 18.

Dr Msiska said clergymen should lead their congregations in prayer for the nation and called on all citizens to spend time in prayer and fasting at their places of worship and churches.

“All forms of entertainment nature shall be suspended during the period when Zambians dedicate the day as a solemn fast in response to the social and economic challenges,” he said.

Dr Msiska said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that President Edgar Lungu had stated that as a Christian Nation, Zambians were reminded of what God had promised in His words.

“On this basis, the President has called upon all Zambians to, with a deep sense of shame, repentant sorrow, and deep reverence; unite in humbling ourselves before the most high God, in confessing our individual and national sins.

“Ask Him to remove from our hearts that pride of opinion which would compel us to continue in the wrong for the sake of consistency and desire to be applauded by men rather than God,” he said.

The Head of State has also called on Zambians to restore the friendship and goodwill which prevailed in former days among the people of all provinces and tribes in the country.

“Let our fervent prayers rise to His throne that He would remember us in this hour, as he did our fathers in time past and preserve our peace, freedom and unity, and bless the works of ours hands for generations to come,” Dr Msiska said.

THE High Commission of Zambia to South Africa wishes to advise Zambians travelling between Zambia and South Africa to take note of the new South African immigration laws which came into effect following the recent amendment of South Africa’s Immigration Act.

South Africa recently amended its Immigration Act which was subsequently signed into law by President Jacob Zuma on 16th May, 2014.

The advisory follows an incident in which seven members of the Zambia Under 20 Women National Soccer team were prevented from proceeding beyond the immigration check point at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The seven who had arrived with other team members on the 9:20 hours flight from Lusaka, were allowed to proceed six hours later after the High Commission had engaged the South African Home Affairs authorities.

The seven are Ngambo Musole, Melan Mulenga, Rodah Chileshe, Barbara Banda, Martha Tembo, Hellen Chanda and Penelope Mulumbwa. They could not be allowed to proceed after they were found to be below 18 years.

The 18 players and eight officials are in South Africa for a return leg of the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Zambia’s High Commissioner – Designate to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba advised that all those intending to travel should take time to consult extensively on the new immigration laws.

“Let’s devote a bit more time to learn what these laws require of us before we set off on our journey. People can even contact us at the Mission so that we can help translate the meaning of these laws,” Mr. Mwamba said.

As of 1st October, 2014, parents or any adult travelling with children under the age of 18 years are required to produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child. Provision is also made for one parent travelling with a child and where one parent or both parents are deceased or the child is travelling with a relative or another person. Certified copies of unabridged birth certificates and parental consent, where applicable, will be acceptable when travelling with children.

South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs officially disclosed the new laws to the diplomatic corps at a briefing held on 9th July, 2014 in Pretoria. The Amended Immigration Amendment Acts of 2007 and 2011 came into effect on 26th May, 2014.

Under the new law, Zambia’s exemption from the Visa requirement list has continued and as such nationals travelling to South Africa would be granted a visitors permit at the port of entry for a maximum period of 90 days per annum as has been the case in the past.

Further, under the new law, Visa status application period was changed from 30 to 60 days before the expiry of the current visa. One cannot change from a visitor’s Visa to a different type of Visa or Permit without first exiting South Africa. Applications for change of conditions or long stay Permits other than visitors’ are now made at a South African Mission abroad – i.e. South African High Commission or Consulate.

Previously, nationals could apply for a Temporary Residence Permit whilst using a Visitor’s Visa but the amended law now prohibits foreigners from applying for a Temporary Residence Permit while still in South Africa.

As for Business Visa requirements, applicants are now required to get a letter of recommendation from the Department of Trade and Industry, confirmation from a Chartered Accountant on either capacity to pay pledged capital or actual contribution of capital into a business.

The new law also requires that a foreign applicant makes an undertaking to employ 60 percent of South African nationals in the business once in operation. The Business Visas will only be granted for a renewable three-year period.

The Quota and Exceptional Skills Work Permits have been replaced with the Critical Skills Permit which were expected to provide a more rigorous process of proving that only critical skills qualify for work permits in South Africa. Organisations have to provide proof that all necessary measures were taken in recruitment including evidence of a published national media advert seeking the required skills among the South African nationals. This would be used as part of the proof in showing that all necessary effort was applied in justifying the use of foreign skills.

This change in the Skills Visa requirement would, however, not apply to Diplomats and foreign missions in their employment of personal servants from their countries as their applications will be expressly processed through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The employee applying for an Inter-Company Visa, that is working for a company with branches abroad, needs to be employed with the foreign office for not less than six months before being eligible for transfer to South Africa. The Visa is now available for four years after which the foreign national will have to exit the country.

The new law also came with steep increases in administrative fines that are imposed on those who overstay and any other persons in contravention of the new Immigration Act.
When one’s Visa has expired, they are labelled “Undesirable Persons” before facing a limited ban from re-entering South Africa for periods of one, two or five years. Immigration officers at ports of entry or exit have now been empowered to ban foreigners on grounds of over-staying even for a mere two days.

Those found to have over-stayed by two to five days will be declared “Undesirable Persons” for one year. Those over-staying up to 30 days will be banned for 24 months.
The South African Government has justified the new measures as being informed by the need for the country’s laws to be in line with international immigration standards, improve national security and to curb the high incidences of abuse of the previous Immigration Act.