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Angry villagers set ablaze houses in a compound alleged to be home for suspected ‘Satanists’ in Kanakantapa area in Chongwe District, an incident in which three members of a named church at the heart of the controversy, were seriously injured.
The houses were allegedly set ablaze yesterday around 11:00 hours, following allegations that the members of the religious group practiced Satanism and were terrorizing the villagers in the surrounding areas.
Some of the buildings that were destroyed in the inferno included a community school, a church and about 20 houses.
Chongwe District Commissioner Japhen Mwakalombe confirmed the incident to ZANIS in an interview yesterday and said that all the members of the religious group were left homeless.
Mr. Mwakalombe condemned the outrageous villagers who took the law into their own hands and called on the police to arrest the culprits responsible for the destructive action.
Mr. Mwakalombe said, although the members of the named religious group were being accused of practicing Satanism, they did not deserve the punishment they were subjected to.
He also called on the leader of the named religious group, to live in peace with the people in the neighboring villages and cooperate with government in implementing the various development programs being undertaken in the area.
Mr. Mwakalombe said, the religious group allegedly refused to be counted during the recent national census exercise and did not want to seek medical attention when they fell sick, in accordance with their hard-line religious beliefs and practices.
Mulungushi University Vice-Chancellor Oliver Saasa (L)
The Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) has disassociated itself from people calling for the succession of the Western Province from the rest of Zambia.
BRE Spokesperson Oliver Saasa says the establishment is not in support of the succession.
Professor Saasa has also condemned people that have resorted to violence, to champion their cause.
Professor Saasa who is also Induna Kaluwe says the BRE is also not part of a group calling itself “Concerned citizens” who are planning to have a public meeting on January 14 in Limulunga.
He says the group is distributing flyers ordering non Lozi speaking people to leave the province by January 14, and is planning to dethrone the Litunga.
Professor Saasa was speaking at press briefing in Lusaka today.
And Professor Saasa says the establishment’s national governing council is preparing a meeting on the way forward in addressing issues raised in the Barotse Agreement.
He says the meeting will come up with a roadmap on how best to resolve issues with the government.
Professor Saasa however maintained that the issue of succession will not be on the agenda of the meeting.
He says the BRE will not support any cause that can endanger the peace of the country.
Local government minister Brian Chituwo said the constituency Development Fund (CDF ) is not a replacement of the normal government funding of projects but an empowerment of ordinary citizens.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Mumbwa today Dr Chituwo, who is also Mumbwa member of parliament, said that it was unfortunate that some members of the opposition have deliberately missed the point on why government initiated CDF.
The Minister who is in his constituency to inspect developmental projects said Zambians are happy especially that CDF has been increased from k 665million to k 720 million in 2011.
Dr Chituwo explained that the idea of DCF is to fused it with Area Developmental Fund [ ADF] especially now that the government is in the process decentralised so that the community themselves can identify which project needed funding .
The Minister added that people appreciate CDF because it cuts on the long procedure and the money can be accessed with minimum delays as guild lines are already there on how to disburse it.
Last week, the minister announced the increase CDF from k665 million in 2010 to K 720 million in 2011.
Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary Daniel Bowasi has pledged to involve all traditional leaders in the initial formation of a Provincial budget.
Mr Bowasi said he will ensure that he consults traditional leaders in the province on which priority projects they would want to be funded in their chiefdoms before the actual budget for the province is made.
He said this in Solwezi today when he called on Chief Mumena of the Kaonde speaking people at his palace.
Mr Bowasi said it is important to involve people at grass root levels in planning for developmental projects that needs to be funded than to decide for them.
“I being conversant with planning, I know that real needs of people in communities come from people themselves,”he noted.
Mr Bowasi said he wants to build an administration that is efficient and based on implementing government developmental agenda effectively, adding that this can only be done if stakeholders like traditional leaders are involved at the initial stage of budgeting.
Chief Mumena has welcomed the pledge by the Permanent Secretary of involving traditional leaders in budgeting for the province, saying meaningful development in the region can only be achieved if all stakeholders are incorporated in planning at initial stages.
He said there was need to strengthen the partnership between government and traditional leaders in ensuring that development is taken to rural parts of the country.
President Rupiah Banda has assured that the Eastern Province Movement for Multiparty Democracy Provincial conference will be held in a free and non violent atmosphere.
The President said this at the City Airport, shortly before his departure to Eastern Province for a three day working visit onboard a Zambia Air force plane in Lusaka today.
President Banda who looked jovial said, he did not expect any violence at the provincial conference, since the MMD was not a violent party and that the delegates to the convention would without doubt choose leaders of their choice without causing confusion.
He said, the conference will be held in a conducive and non violent manner like was the case on the Copper-Belt, Western and Central Province conferences which he said were devoid of violent activities.
And President Banda has chided Colonel Panji Kaunda for the comments attributed to him as quoted in some cross section of the media that this year’s elections would be the bloodiest in the history of the country.
“What gives some people such courage to issue such alarming statements?, asked Mr. Banda. “Zambia will continue enjoying peace, as Zambians are loving people”, said Mr. Banda.
President Banda said, Government had done a lot for the people of Zambia, especially in the agricultural sector where he said government had managed to pay all the farmers who supplied their maize to the Food Reserve Agency to the tune of over 1.3 trillion Kwacha across the country.
He added that, just in Eastern Province alone, Government bought maize worth 233 billion Kwacha, saying the trend was similar in all the nine provinces in the country.
The President has been scheduled to be in the Eastern Province for three days, where he is expected to hold private talks with some stakeholders, before proceeding to Chipata, to officially open the Eastern Province MMD provincial conference.
He is accompanied by the Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga, MMD National Chairperson, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Lands Michael Mabenga and Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala and other Senior Government officials.
The President and his entourage was seen off at about 14:40 hours by Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa, Information Minister Ronny Shikapwasha and Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Joshua Kanganja.
The others present to see off the Head of State were the Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Defence Chiefs and other Senior government officials.
And in Chipata, the president said the MMD government will not be swayed by media innuendos aimed at destabilizing the ruling party which stands for unity of the entire country.
Speaking on arrival at Chipata airport amid jubilant MMD cadres, President Banda said the MMD will not be twisted by sentiments aimed at destabilising the party’s focus on unifying the people of Zambia and fostering development.
President Banda, who spoke in Ngoni as he was addressing slogan chanting MMD cadres, said he was happy that people in eastern province have continued to be united despite negative media sentiments against the ruling party and the government.
Chief government spokesperson Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha featuring on during Radio Phoniex Programme LET THE PEOPLE TALK
Government says Col Panji Kaunda’s statement that this year’s tripartite elections would be the bloodiest was very devastating for most people in the country.
And Government has stressed that it does not harbor any hatred against the Post Newspapers and its owner Fred Mmembe.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix Let the People Talk programme in Lusaka today, Chief Government Spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said Col Panji would have done well to consult government on measures put in place to ensure the elections are violent free than for him to make such a statement.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said most people especially women kept calling him asking if it was true that the 2011 general elections were indeed going to be the bloodiest.
The Chief Government Spokesperson who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister explained that the statement ignited a lot of fear in people and is likely to create voter apathy as most people will be scared to participate in the electoral process.
He said government is working around the clock to ensure that the 2011 elections are as violent free as possible, saying the police have been beefed up and defense forces are on hand to assist conduct violent free elections.
And Lt Gen Shikapwasha has stressed that Government does not harbor any hatred against the Post Newspapers and its owner Fred Mmembe.
He said what government hates is for the paper to continue peddling lies that are aimed at discrediting the government of the day.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said many people have been hurt because of the unsubstantiated lies that the paper has peddled.
“One Chieftainess from North-Western Province, Chieftainess Nyakulenga came crying to me that the Post Newspapers had misquoted her and that when she went to see the reporter who had written the incorrect story, the young man insulted her”, he said.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Shikapwasha has said the public media in the country operates independently and free from government interference.
He said the public media have boards and management that are professional enough to make their own decisions, adding that government does not prevail over headlines they make.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha also stated that the public media is open for all citizens to access and air their views concerning what is happening in the country unlike certain private medias that have shut out certain individuals.
“ZNBC, Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail are available for all our citizens to access. It’s up to the people themselves to decide whether they want to use the public media or not”, the Minister said.
Speaking at on the same programme, Economic and Political consultant Bob Sichinga commended the MMD for holding ward and provincial conventions to elect party officials. He said this was a manifestation of what true democracy is.
Mr Sichinga stated that all political parties in the county should emulate the move by the ruling MMD and hold party conventions for the sake of enhancing democracy in the country.
He proposed that a law be enacted to compel all political parties to hold elections to select their representatives.
Two pronounced murder cases in Livingstone were among the felonies heard shortly after the opening of the Livingstone High Court this week.
One case involved the murder of a tenant by a landlord.
This was in matter in which Mate Katufi, 34 together with his brother Friday Katufi, were accused of gruesomely murdering Veronica Mase who happened to be Katufi’s tenant in Livingstone’s Kashitu area at the time of her death.
Facts before the court are that the accused persons Friday Katufi and Mate Katufi while acting together stabbed Mase to death contrary to Section 247 of the Penal Code for allegedly failing to settle rentals.
The brother is alleged to have pinned down the deceased while Mate Katufi stabbed the widowed lady.
The other case involved a 24 year old self-claimed prophetess who is allegedly to have caused the death of a man in mysterious circumstances.
This is in the case of Florida Kalembe versus The people.
Facts before the court are that on January 17,2010 the ‘Prophetess ’Kalembe together with two others conspired to cause the death Godfey Kayowana contrary to Section 200 of the Penal Code.
In the matter Kalembe is believed to have approached Kayowana asking him to give her K15million,the money she was later going to multiply into Billions of Kwacha using her magical powers.
However the money was never multiplied and when Kayowana demanded his money back from the Prophetess, she told Kayowana to meet her at Fairmount
Hotel around 23hrs on the fateful night.
The following day,Kayowana was found strangled and dead in the Musi-o-tunya National Park.
A man-hunt was mounted by Police and three suspects,the Prophetess Kalembe being one of them,where picked in connection with the murder of Kayowana.
High Court Judge Ernest Mukulamutiyo adjourned the two cases to January 17 for continuation of trial.
Former Republican President Chiluba speaking during a press briefing at his Kabulonga residence when Captain Solo paid a courtesy call on him.
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Dr. Chiluba shaking hands with Steven Lungu alas Capt Solo during the press briefing at the former president's Kabulonga residence on Tuesday
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Steven Lungu aka Captain Solo praying after Former president Dr Chiluba accepted his apology when visited the former president at his Kabulonga residence on tuesday.
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Former president Chiluba with wife Regina holding hands with Captain Solo after the press briefing
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The Zambia Army, Lusaka City Council and Disaster management Mitigation Unit have joined hands to sort out drainage problem in Lusaka.Here an officer is drilling through Limestone
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Journalists from different media houses toured Bombe Drainage in Lusaka's Kamwala area to see the progress by disaster management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) which is working on the drainage system in whole City
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Mr. Tembo of John Laing Compound makes more than K70 000 a day in selling plastic bags
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A young man with his mother waiting for customers along Lusaka's Lumumba road .Most youths in Lusaka are in the trading business to earn a living.
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Kitwe back in the days -Edinburgh Road now known as Independence avenue(Sent by David Kabwe)
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Kitwe shopping centre between 1937-1967(Sent by David Kabwe)
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FDD president Edith Nawakwi with husband Geoffrey Hambulo touring their piggery- Musanza Farm during Pigs Field Day organised by Zambia National Farmers Union
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FDD president Edith Nawakwi admring her pigs during a tour of her farm during Pigs field Day Organised by Zambia National Farmers Union
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National Milling managing director Peter Cotton dancing with Boxer Esther Phiri and her trainer Anthony Mwamba after the welcome breakfast meeting held at Pamodzi Hotel
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Boxer Esther Phiri with Sports minister Kenneth Chipungu shadow boxing after the welcome breakfast meeting for her at Pamodzi Hotel
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Zambians making a difference-Former NASA DEVELOP intern Dr. Emmanuel Makasa, an orthopaedic surgeon from Zambia, served in the DEVELOP program through Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) . Upon returning to Zambia, Dr. Makasa has been actively involved in public health outreach activities as co-founder of the non-profit organization Doctors Outreach Care International (DOC). DOC volunteers travel to remote and under-served populations to provide medical care via mobile clinics.
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Chief government spokesperson Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha featuring on the Radio Phoenix Programme LET THE PEOPLE TALK
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Chief government spokesperson Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha with Radio Phoenix owner Errol Hickey after he was featured on the Radio Phoenix Programme LET THE PEOPLE TALK
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Children in Sinakoba area showing off frogs they captured for a meal- in Tonga they are called Mangande
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Children in Lumwana Solwezi district posing for a picture
Lucky Msiska said he will decide tomorrow on whether to start Swiss-based striker Fwayo Tembo who is en route to Lusaka for the All-Africa Games qualifier against Zimbabwe Under-23.
Zambia and Zimbabwe Under-23 sides clash at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka in a preliminary round first leg qualifier.
Msiska said Fwayo of FC Basel was currently in transit to Lusaka and expected to arrive at 21:00 Friday evening.
“I will personally go to the airport to pick him up and we will then assess tomorrow morning whether he will start or not but I can assure you he is coming and on the way,” Msiska said today.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe coach Friday Phiri is set to join his charges in Zambia today after staying behind to sort out his travel documentation in Harare.
They were fears that Phiri might not travel because of a pass port delay but the coach has now secured his travel document.
Zambia:
Goalkeepers: Fred Swilamba (Nchanga Rangers), Allan Chibwe (Konkola Blades), Joshua Titima (Zanaco)
An angry mob has set ablaze a compound for a named religious community leaving three people seriously injured in Kanakantapa area in Chongwe District.
The irate mob set ablaze the village today at around 11: 00 hours, after an alleged suspicions claimed that the sect practices Satanism and terrorizes villagers.
20 Houses and other infrastructures, among them a community school and a church building , worth millions of Kwacha, have been destroyed in the inferno.
Chongwe District commissioner Japhen Mwakalombe confirmed the incident to ZANIS, today, adding that the entire membership of the sect has been left homeless.
Mr. Mwakalombe has ,howeve,r condemned culprits for taking the law into their own hands and has since called on police to arrest the offenders.
The DC said although members of the sect are accused of practicing Satanism, they do not deserve the punishment they have been subjected to.
He has also called on the leader of the named religious group to be living in peace with neighbouring villages and cooperating with government in various development programs.
Mr. Mwakalombe said the religious group refused to be counted during the last national census and also refused to pick up medical attention when they fall sick
A 26 year old clinical officer at Solwezi General Hospital has been arrested by Police for allegedly causing the death of his 19 year old female patient after an illegal abortion.
Northwestern province police chief Charles Lungu confirmed the arrest of Muyutwa Muyutwa to ZANIS in Solwezi today but declined to identify the deceased.
Mr. Lungu said Muyutwa was trying to perform an abortion on the named 19 year old female of Kandundu area in Solwezi district on the 3rd of January,2011.
He said after the unsuccessful abortion was performed the patient in process became unconscious and later died in the Doctor’s rest room.
Mr. Lungu said the matter was brought to the attention of the police by alert members of the public and that Muyutwa was arrested yesterday.
A blood stained pant of the deceased, gloves and beddings were found in the doctor’s rest room together with the dead body.
He said according to Muyutwa, he was approached by the deceased in October last year to assist with the abortion but the operation was only done this year on the 3rd of January.
The Police chief added that the body of the deceased is lying in Solwezi General Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.
Police in Kapiri Mposhi, Central Province have unearthed a scam in which fake fertiliser is allegedly being manufactured and sold to unsuspecting farmers in the area.
The dealers are making fake D-Compound and Urea fertilizer which is being re-packaged in sacks bearing names of genuine fertilizer producing companies.
Central Province Police Commanding Officer, Stella Libongani said three people have been arrested in connection with the scam.
She named those arrested as Boniface Muma, 42, Miso Nyondo, 31 and William Mutale.
The trio was arrested after they were found with sacks of the counterfeit fertilizer in their shops at Kapiri Mposhi’s old market.
Police raided the shops after a tip off and complaints from farmers who had bought the fertilizer.
Police confiscated 212 by 50 Kilogram bags of counterfeit D-compound fertilizer and 119 bags of counterfeit Ammonium Nitrate which the dealers are alleged to have repacked for selling as Urea.
[ ZNBC ]
Government has warned that anybody agitating for succession of Western province from the rest of Zambia risk being arrested for treason.
Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu has said the law will not spare the agitators of seccession. Mr Lungu has reiterated that government will not tolerate attempts to delink Western province from the rest of Zambia as this is a recipe for instability in the country. He was speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr Lungu has also disclosed that government is aware of the meeting planned by those advocating for the implementation of the Barotse Agreement. Mr Lungu says the meeting is scheduled for January 14th, but emphasises that police will not give a permit to the organisers.
And Mr Lungu said yesterday’s Meeting between the Litunga and Vice President George Kunda went well. He said the meeting was called to discuss the recent disturbances that have rocked Western province. He said President Rupiah Banda delegated the Vice President to meet the Litunga.
However, Mr Lungu could not disclose the details of the meeting because Mr Kunda was expected to brief president Banda before issuing statements.
Meanwhile Mr Lungu has counseled politicians to conduct peaceful campaigns in the run up to the 2011 general elections. Mr Lungu said politicians should not conduct their campaigns in a manner that could promote anarchy and violence. He has also called on various stakeholders in the nation to preach peace ahead of the elections.
Mr Lungu has further appealed to the media not to disseminate information that might cause anxiety in the nation. The Minister was responding to journalists at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
And Mr Lungu has also added his voice to people that have condemned colonel Panji Kaunda over his recent statement that the 2011 general elections will be the bloodiest.
Home affairs Minister Mkondo Lungu
Home affairs minister Mkondo Lungu says he expects political gatherings to be violence free as the country goes to the 2011 elections.
Mr. Lungu said political leaders should ensure they conduct their campaigns and package their messages in a manner that would not be suggestive of any form of anarchy or agitate aggression among their supporters.
He said when aggrieved, leaders of civil society originations, political parties, non-governmental organizations, churches, and the media are encouraged to seek amicable means or follow procedures.
Speaking during a press briefing this morning, Mr. Lungu noted that 2011 presents an opportunity for the Zambians to exercise their democratic right of voting for leaders of their choice at local, parliamentary, and presidential levels.
He said 2011 presents a unique challenge to his ministry especially in the maintenance of law and order.
And Mr. Lungu said it is unfair to state that the security wings in the country are compromised.
He called on the police to apprehend the two Chinese nationals who have jumped bail and are on the run.
Police in Southern Province have intensified the manhunt for Collum Coal Mine managers Xiao Li Shan, 48, and Wu Jiu Hua, 46 who failed to show up at the Choma magistrate court.
The two Chinese nationals have been charged with 12 counts of attempted murder after shooting 12 miners over a pay dispute.
Mr. Lungu said the two should quickly be apprehended so that they could face the law.
[ QFM ]
The Ministry of Home Affairs has disclosed that it successfully repatriated about 9,000 Congolese refugees back to their country last year.
Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ndiyoyi Mutiti said the repatriation exercise is one of the major achievements that Government through her ministry scored.
Ms. Mutiti attributed the achievement to good relations Government has had with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other UN support agencies, the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) and the Congolese government .
She told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that the success of the exercise also led to the closure of two refugee camps at Kala and Mwange in Luapula and Northern provinces respectively.
Ms Mutiti said the two camps had been in existence for a long time and played a critical role in hosting many refugees in the country.
“ I think it is important for all the refugees to realise that it is better for them to return to their country when facilities are still available with the support of the UNHCR ,” she said.
She urged all refugees in the country to take advantage of the peaceful environment in their countries to return.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mutiti has disclosed that Government will this year engage and work with the Angolan government to find ways of ensuring that the programme to repatriate Angolan refugees succeeds.
The Permanent Secretary said circumstances and the environment in Angola was now conducive for the refugees to return to their native country.
Ms. Mutiti disclosed that Government held a few meetings with the Angolan government last year and was looking forward to holding another meeting early this year to plan for the repatriation of Angolan refugees who are still in Zambia.
She said the Angolan government was keen to have the Angolan refugees return to their home country and that that it was ready to receive them.
