Several government properties were yesterday destroyed in Mongu following the fracas that broke out between Police Officers and activists of the Barotse agreement of 1964.

A check this morning found that council offices and vehicles were destroyed by the violent riotous youth, who went ahead removing flags on several government offices in the district.

Meanwhile, Western Province Police Commanding Officer Peacewel Mweemba has dismissed speculations that Police shot dead eight youths during yesterdays’ fracas.

Mr. Mweemba added that apart from the two who were reported dead, one unidentified man was found lying dead by police along Limulunga road around 19:30hours.

The Police Chief said the man was who killed by unknown people sustained a deep cut on the left side of his ribs with his hands crossed on the chest.

Mr. Mweemba said the deceased is believed to have been stabbed with a knife adding that his body is currently lying in Lewanika General Hospital Mortuary awaiting identification, postmortem and burial.

AND Mr. Mweemba has described the current situation in the district as peaceful and calm. He said things were back to normal adding that both shops and markets are open while people are moving freely on the streets.

A group of the Barotse activists yesterday rioted after government cancelled their meeting of the Barotse Agreement of 1964 which was scheduled to take place yesterday 14th January 2011.

The Church is disturbed by the death of two people in Mongu, Western province of Zambia and the unrest unfolding over the Barotse Agreement of 1964.

Evangelical Fellowship of ZAMBIA-EFZ Executive Director Pukuta Mwanza says the church is saddened that the actions of a group of people calling itself the ‘Black Bulls’ over the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement has now resulted in loss of life.

Rev. Mwanza says the disturbances and the subsequent loss of two lives are unfortunate and regrettable.

Rev. Mwanza has further supported government position not to entertain calls for secession of the province.

In a statement to ZNBC in Lusaka on Saturday, Rev. Mwanza says Zambia is a unitary state and should be allowed to remain so.

And the Christian Coalition of Zambia says it is saddened by the unfortunate turn of events in Mongu and Limulunga.

Coalition President Bishop Godwin Musonda has asked the media not to sensationalise events in the Western Province.

Speaking with ZNBC News on Saturday in Lusaka, the Bishop has also asked the church in the area to be magnanimous in their message for peace and unity in the area.

Two people died in Mongu on Friday, among them a child, after a group of people ran amok over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

Police shot dead one man as attempts to stop him from setting ablaze a filling station failed.

Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu says the consequences would have been much grave had the man succeeded with his intentions of arson.

Mr Lungu says the child died after he was hit by a stone, as a stone-throwing group went on rampage in Mongu.

Mr. Lungu says Government however regrets the loss of life.

[ZNBC]

The Fifth Session of the Tenth National Assembly which adjourned Sine Die on November 26 last year will resume sitting on February 22 this year.

This is according to a statement released by Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwiinga, Friday Evening in Lusaka to ZNBC News.

In the previous session, considerable business was transacted during the sittings of the House, which lasted for 41 days.

The House debated President Rupiah Banda’s Speech for the official opening of Parliament and the National Budget, which was approved.

Over 195 questions and 17 Government Bills were presented and considered by the House.

Parliament also saw 19 Ministerial Statements presented and extensively discussed by the House.

The House however resumes sitting without Mporokoso Member of Parliament Maynard Misapa who resigned from the ruling MMD to join opposition Patriotic Front-PF.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set March 3 as the date for the Mporokoso by-election.

[ZNBC]

MINISTER of Local Government and Housing Brian Chituwo says it is unacceptable for Lusaka councillors to allocate themselves over 80 plots at the Lilayi Housing Development project.

Dr Chituwo has since directed the Lusaka town clerk to avail his office with minutes of the meeting where this decision was made. Lusaka City Council is dominated by Patriotic Front (PF) councillors.

“I was actually shocked when I heard about this matter. It is totally unacceptable for the councillors to allocate themselves those plots,” he said.

Dr Chituwo has also directed the town clerk to give him the justification for such allocations.

“That is selfish behaviour for civic leaders. For now, I take it as a rumour until we confirm this,” he said.

He said once it is confirmed that these plots have been given out, his ministry will ensure that it corrects the matter.

Dr Chituwo said the procedure that needs to be followed is for councils to advertise for land and applicants are supposed to attend interviews before selections are done.

“What criteria did they use to allocate themselves this land? Even if they say they applied, it is not possible that they were more successful than other members of the public,” he said.

[pullquote]“What criteria did they use to allocate themselves this land? Even if they say they applied, it is not possible that they were more successful than other members of the public,” he said.[/pullquote]

Dr Chituwo said everybody, including civic leaders, should be treated equally.

And the Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) has called on the Ministries of Lands and Local Government and Housing to investigate the reports of councillors allocating themselves plots.

ZLA executive director Henry Machina said it is unacceptable for the councillors to give themselves over 80 plots and leave a few for members of the public.

He said the Ministry of Lands should intervene in this matter and ensure that the plots are advertised so that members of the public can have access to the land in question.

“This is a very unfortunate situation which should not be allowed to continue as this will perpetuate the marginalisation of the poor and other citizens who are not privy to the activities of authorities charged with the responsibility of land allocation,” he said.

He said it is important to have a well articulated land policy to act as a guide to ensure efficient and transparent land administration.

Mr Machina said lack of effective mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in most local authorities can cause problems.

He said the lack of adequate supervisory and monitoring support to agents of the Ministry of Lands—local authorities and traditional leaders, compounds the situation.

Mr Machina has called on the Ministry of Lands to put in place a comprehensive land policy to guide land administration in Zambia.

He urged the Commissioner of Lands to reverse the unjust land allocations.

[Zambia Daily mail]

The Vice President said Government has already spent K1.2 billion on the project which commenced in 2005 but had not been completed to date.

ZANIS reports that Vice President Kunda said the Ministry of Health must quickly mobilise the K800 million needed to complete the project which includes among other facilities a new maternity wing and a theatre.

He was speaking when he toured the hospital expansion works in the company of Provincial Minister Elijah Muchima and Kalomo central UPND Member of Parliament Request Muntanga.

The Vice President assured medical personnel at the hospital that Government would do everything possible to see to it that the project is concluded this year.

He said he had seen for himself the congestion in the hospital wards because of limited space while lack of facilities such as the theatre had affected the institution’s operations.

Speaking during the same tour, district medical officer Dr Cephas Sialubanje said the institution was facing the challenge of inadequate space and lack of a theatre.

Dr. Sialubanje said this had forced the institution to refer patients to distant health facilities outside the district.

He told the Vice President that as a result of the long distances, some referral patients ended up dying on the way.

[ ZANIS ]

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda has requested the Post Newspaper to publish the violent pictures of the Chawama hacking which depicts violence allegedly perpetrated by Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata.

Mr Kunda said during a public rally at the Maamba stadium that when Mr Sata was Minister Without Portfolio in 2001, he gathered youths who went on rampage hacking the innocent people, preventing them from casting their vote in the Chawama by-election.

He said empirical evidence is there for everyone to see. He said the Post Newspaper, which seems to be doing so much to portray Mr Sata as a good leader, should also focus on Mr Sata’s alleged violent past.

According to a story in the Post newspaper of 19 July, 2001 headlined: ‘FDD will privately prosecute Sata’, the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD) vowed to mount a private prosecution against Mr Sata for instigating violence in the Chawama parliamentary by-election.

The story quoted FDD chairman Simon Zukas saying his party had gathered enough evidence to commence private prosecution proceedings against Mr Sata, who was also MMD national secretary at the time.

He said the PF/UPND pact is not making progress because the two leaders who engineered it are at crossroads and they don’t know what to tell the sponsors who have been funding them.

At the same rally, defectors swarmed the dais where the Vice-President was speaking from and were immediately wrapped in MMD campaign chitenge material.

Mr Kunda said Livingstone is being upgraded into a world class tourism destination by expanding the international airport and other amenities. He said the province also boasts of being one of the country’s most productive agriculture areas which contributes to reducing poverty.

Mr Kunda directed Southern Province Minister Elijah Muchima to make sure that Sinazongwe gets a modern high school possibly this year as the one in existence is unable to cater for the growing number of pupils.

Mr Kunda, who met with traditional leaders, said the meeting was development- oriented and he greatly appreciated the advice he got from them.

Mr Kunda said the completion of works at Kariba North Bank, Kafue and Itezhi tezhi will position Zambia as a major electricity exporter in the sub-region.

“All these are as a result of the Banda administration. The benefits are immense from these investments. In the past 40 years, there has never been any investment into the energy sector like we have done now. Southern Province stands to benefit greatly as the entire lake shore on Lake Kariba will be lit and this will promote tourism,” he said.

He said the Banda administration is accountable and believes in providing development to the entire country and fighting corruption.

Speaking at the same function, Mr Muchima expressed concern at the absence of member of Parliament Raphael Muyanda from the Vice president’s arrival.

He urged the people of Sinazongwe to think twice and make sure that during the 2011 tripartite elections, they elect a person who will always be available for them and that can only be an MMD MP.

“I expected to see your member of Parliament but he is not here and only one councillor came to receive the Vice President,” he said.

Former PF secretary General Edward Mumbi, who was at the vice-president’s rally, denied allegations by Mr Sata that he had leaked state secrets on the Barotseland Agreement.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

PRESIDENT Banda is today expected to travel to Luapula and Northern provinces on a two-day working visit during which he will also officially open MMD provincial conferences in Mansa and Kasama.

This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the President for press and public relations Dickson Jere.

The President will today travel to Mansa where he will officially open the MMD provincial conference tomorrow which is expected to elect a new party leadership in Luapula ahead of the national convention.

After opening the Luapula conference, President Banda and his delegation will proceed to Northern Province where he will open another conference in Kasama on January 17.

The MMD has so far successfully held five provincial conferences in Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, North-Western and Western provinces.

President Banda will be accompanied to Luapula and Northern provinces by MMD national chairman and Deputy Minister of Lands Michael Mabenga, MMD chairman for elections and Minister of Works and Supply Mike Mulongoti, Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga and other senior Government officials.

The President and his delegation are expected to return to Lusaka after completing the scheduled business in the two provinces.

Meanwhile, President Banda has expressed grief at the death of the mother to senior private secretary Rapson Chilufya, Elina Fulenge, who was 79. She died on January 14 at Ibenga Hospital. President Banda implored the bereaved family not to lose hope during the time of bereavement.

This is according to a statement issued by the press and public relations unit at State House. Mrs Fulenge is survived by six children and grandchildren.

[Zambia Daily Mail]