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FLASHBACK: The arrival of the first train to Chipata carrying ballast stones on Mchinji rail.
THE long-awaited Chipata-Mchinji rail line is set for launch today amid high hopes that it would spur economic development to the higher pedestal.
And President Rupiah Banda has said First Lady Thandiwe Banda is not campaigning and distributing resources to Mpulungu to campaign for the ruling MMD ahead of the parliamentary by-election.
President Banda described the rail line as critical to the economy as would reduce the cost importing goods from the Far East.
Mr Banda said the long term plan was to connect the Chipata-Mchinji rail line to the Tanzania Zambia Railway in Central Province to transit to Tanzania.
“It is such an important thing for us to have another rail line. Also the distance from Nacala to Chipata has been cut by 800 kilometers and also from Chipata to Lusaka, it is just about 500 kilometers. It will be of great economic value. That is not the end we hope to build the rail to join Tazara.
The president said this on departure for Chipata at City Airport that the rail line would be used to transport agriculture produce.
Mr Banda said it was important that the country should have another rail link especially that it would join the Nacala rail line which links Malawi and Mozambique.
He said the start of another rail line would cut the distance to Mozambique and Malawi by 800 kilometers and would become the shortest route to the sea.
“It makes it cheaper for us to bring in goods from Asia. It is the shortest route to the sea. I hope the Government can find resources to build a dry port,” Mr Banda said.
He also announced that Mozambican President Armando Guebuza would attend the launch of the rail line.
And Mr Banda said political leaders accusing the first lady of campaigning in Mpulungu did not have any programme and spent time on petty things.
Mr Banda said the first lady had been to Isoka, Mbala, Mpulungu and other parts of Northern Province where there are no by-elections.
He said she could not deny an opportunity to meet the people of Mpulungu because of a by-election and that she did not have money to distribute to the people of Mpulungu.
“At first the argument was that she was giving things in Mpulungu. Why deny Mpulungu just because there is a by-election. They want to look for faults. Where would she get the cash from,” Mr Banda said.
He said the first lady was in Northern Province to help the needy with materials and cannot segregate on the basis of a by election.
President Rupiah Banda has disclosed that the Zambian government paid a total of 8 million pounds to a named British law firm which was pursuing a case of corruption involving second republican president Dr. Frederick Chiluba.
President Banda said government further paid another substantial US$ 2 million over the same case.
Speaking to Journalists shortly before departure for Chipata, Eastern province, yesterday afternoon, President Banda said colossal sums of money were paid to Taskforce lawyers.
He advised the nation to forge ahead with other development projects as opposed to concentrating on the Chiluba case which he said was adequately dealt with by the courts.
Mr. Banda said a lot of eminent Zambians including former Commanders of the Defense forces have been tried in courts in Zambia with some acquitted but wondered why the same Zambians were mute on the matter.
He was commenting on the Law Association of Zambia which is aggrieved by the decision by Lusaka High Court Judge Evans Hamaundu reject an application to have the London Court judgment case involving second republican president Frederick Chiluba registered in Zambia.
And President Banda has challenged the British Government to release Dr. Chiluba’s co-accused Attan Shansonga to be tried here in Zambia.
Mr. Banda said despite the Zambian government writing a correspondences many years ago asking the British Government to release Mr. Shasonga, the British government has remind reluctant to release him.
On the forth-coming 2010 tripartite election, President Banda urged the British government to respect the Zambian laws because the Zambian courts have tried alot of eminent people including former commanders.
He further urged the British government against interfering with the Zambian law and to leave Zambia alone because she is a sovereign state capable of governing herself.
He took a swipe at some foreign diplomats accredited to Zambia against issuing statements as if they are opposition political parties.
On his trip to Chipata, President Banda said the commissioning of the Chipata/Mchinji railway line would help open up eastern province to the neigbouring Malawi and Mozambique and the entire region in terms of transporting goods and services.
Mr. Banda said the railway line could cut the distance from Chipata and Nacala in Mozambiaque by 800 km and another 500km from Chipata to Malawi.
He said the Chipata-Mchinji railway line was of economic value and hoped that government would source some funds to construct a dry port to accelerate economical development for the good of the peoples in the three countries.
He indicated that his Malawian counterpart Bingu Wa-Mtharika would attend the commissioning of the railway line but the Mozambiqican President Armando Emilio Guebuza is not coming to witness the commissioning of the railway because he is committed to other important national duties in his country.
President Banda, however, said President Guebuza has sent a representative to witness the commissioning of the railway line.
The Chipata-Mchinji Railway line was initiated in the late 1970s by the governments of Zambia and Malawi but was only completed under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.
Meanwhile, President Banda has said First Lady Thandiwe has the right to empower women because she is the mother of the nation.
Commenting on opposition PF leader Michal Sata’s claims that the First Lady is ‘dishing out’ moneys to Mpulungu electorates, President Banda advised Mr. Sata and the civil society organsiations chief executive officers to desist from ‘finding faults’ but instead concentrate on development matters affecting the nation.
Mr. Banda is accompanied to Eastern Province by MMD Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga, Community Development Minister Michael Kaingu, Education Minister Dora Siliya and Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane among others
The President was seen off at the Lusaka ZAF City airport by Defense Chiefs, Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Fashion Phiri and other senior government and MMD officials.
Haras El Hodoud coach Tarek El Ashry has said the Egyptian team were targeting their first away points in the Confederation Cup when they face Zanaco away in Lusaka on Saturday at Sunset stadium on match day two in Group B.
El Ashry said in Lusaka after arrival from Egypt that Haras knew Zanaco would be difficult to beat at home but the time for the Egyptians to break their away jinx had arrived.
“We are making our fourth consecutive appearance in the competition,” Al Ashry said.
“They (Zanaco) have scored good results in both the Champions League and Confederations Cup that off course includes elimination of Enyimba who are two times African champions.
“I am hoping this time we will utilize our chances and break the jinx of always losing away games.”
Haras are joint second in Group B together with Confederation Cup two-time champions SC Sfaxien of Tunisia whom they drew 0-0 with on August 14 at home in Alexandria.
Zanaco are bottom with no point after losing 1-0 away to FUS de Rabat of Morocco on August 14.
Dario Bonetti has called up six home-based players to the Zambia national team for the side 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifier against Comoros Island.
Zambia will face the Comoros on September 4 at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka in the two teams opening Group C match.
Three of the six players are all from Zesco United while power Dynamos have two and the remainder from Red Arrows.
Zesco defenders Billy Mwanza and Nyambe Mulenga include their team mate and goalkeeper Jacob Banda are in the team.
Mwanza and Nyambe return to the team after featuring in Bonetti’s first match in charge in a friendly away to Uganda that finished 1-1 on August 11.
Also in the team is the Power duo of midfielders Simon Bwalya and Kennedy Mudenda while midfielder Jimmy Chisenga completes the six local players summoned by Bonetti for the game against Comoros.
The six will be joined by the 20-man team wholly comprising of foreign-based players named a week ago by Bonetti.
Missing will be striker Jacob Mulenga of FC Utrecht of Holland who has been ruled out of action for three weeks due to an hamstring injury.
The team goes into camp in Lusaka on Monday, August 30.
Group C comprises of Libya, Mozambique, Comoros and Zambia.
Lately, Lusaka has been enjoying a spate of music shows by international musicians. Most of them have been musicians who play the pub popular types of dance music. Scantily dressed young women, gyrating waists and behinds, and open belly wriggling flash in your minds. Pictures you would not want your children to be in. The music is high volume and fast paced. I guess we Africans are physical and even in the churches; we have thrown away the Latin and Germanic hymns for the modern Afro-rhumba and Euro-pop gospel. Probably sex is on our minds not much different from our ancestors vigorously raking out a foot behind and imitating the mating moves of a rooster during those bright moon nights. That was music and dances when a Mbalule (lead) drum would sharply portray what is done in the dark. That Afro traditional rhythmic beat has cropped up into modern music. I watched a surprising European type of ballet in Niamey by a Maghreb dance troupe at one time and could swear that the drumming was Nsenga from the eastern province of Zambia. A Ghanaian friend explained that the drumming was common with Bantus on the Eastern side of Ghana and West of Niger. The ballet style was copied though from the French. [pullquote]I guess we Africans are physical and even in the churches; we have thrown away the Latin and Germanic hymns for the modern Afro-rhumba and Euro-pop gospel. Probably sex is on our minds not much different from our ancestors vigorously raking out a foot behind and imitating the mating moves of a rooster during those bright moon nights[/pullquote]
Could it also be that the stresses of trying to cross into another day, for most of us in Zambia or Africa, probably justify our listening and dancing to music that we shake, gyrate, wriggle and sweat to, to wriggle out the stresses?
Gerritz Restaurant lunch recital
The subdued genres of music concentrating on dynamics of sounds, harmony and melody may therefore, generally, not appeal to most of us.
Therefore, it was a rare treat for those who love baroque and classical music to be entertained by the Pegasos Ensemble. This is a group of four accomplished musicians led by Theo Bross who plays the violoncello (cello). The others are Jennie McMullen who plays piano and is a soprano singer. Julia Galic is a violinist. Christa Jardine plays the viola. The violin, viola, cello, double bass and Octobass belong to the violin family (the viola da braccio family) of musical instruments. These are played using a bow drawn over the strings. A finger of the free hand plucks and hammers on the strings to produce a range of pitches.
The ensemble was formed in 1991. They performed at Gerritz Restaurant in Rhodes Park on Sunday 15th August. It was their second time in Zambia. They were in Zambia thanks to the Goethe Institute and German Embassy.
The ensemble showed their mastery of musical instruments; Jennie’s magic fingers on the piano, sweet fiddling Julia and Christa and audience humoring Theo on their string instruments. Their repertoire was rich and conveyed in me flashes of colours and scenes of 1500s to 2000s. I was ported through the ensemble’s musical window into enchanted castles of big banquets and bejeweled and overdressed royalty, snow blanketed villages, mushroom littered forests and rivers of mermaids of old Europe. The wonderful pieces of Jean Marie Lecrair, Franz Shubert and Antonio Vivaldi were played so marvelously that old Europe came alive in the yard of Gerritz.
In my mind eyes I galloped through the palaces of Victorian families of Europe through Slavic states, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Spain. I saw and heard Gypsy fanfare and horseplay come galloping through Gerritz Restaurant as the ensemble played Czardas by Vittorio Monti. I saw Blondie hair flying low in a three star Germanic coupe on an American highway as Leonard Bernstein’s pieces were tweaked and sprayed into the air. I stopped in Spain to see slender and tall women in long skirts dance and see bull fights as I stepped out of the musical window of the ensemble as Manuel de Falla’s pieces came alive. Though missing Andalusian flamenco guitars, the string instruments brought the dances of Spain into Rhodes Park.
One wished the recital could go on and on. However, all things good have an end. We can only wish that the ensemble will return again to Lusaka one day. I also wish that some of our own from the Lusaka Music Society would enchant us as well during the next visit of the ensemble.
FLASHBACK: Engineers inspecting Lusaka roads workFOR many years, the small and medium local contractors have been at the helm of Government’s league chart for their continued failure to implement projects awarded to them.
This is mainly due to inadequate skills, capacity, finance or capital and lack of machinery for them to perform satisfactorily. As a result, the Government has recorded huge losses in infrastructure investments owing to shoddy works or run away contractors.
But local contractors have argued that the blame should be shared equally between the Government engineers and themselves because the engineers are responsible for issuing contracts.
Chikapusa Phiri, falling under the small and medium contractors, said it was saddening to note that the Government has continued to come down on the contractors for failing to execute their work when this could have been afforded if the engineers had done their job correctly before contracts are granted.
The engineers have a duty to protect tax payer’s money by suspending any project which is of substandard.
“The problem we have is that the people assigned to do their jobs are not doing so… and now the blame is being lumped on the small contractors, when the situation could be dealt with before the projects commerce,” Mr Phiri said.
Mr Phiri acknowledged that most local contractors were unable to buy construction equipment due to lack of financing or sustainable financing methods hence hindering the growth of the sector.
He suggested that financial institutions including the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) should arrange for financing credits that are tailored to empower contractors to obtain earthmoving equipment.
For example, in an economy where construction and other national infrastructure developments are doing well, the financial sector has to carry out some extensive research to find niche products and services that can be produced and offered to the local contractors in a bid to make them become major players in the construction value chain.
[pullquote]“The local contractors have an obligation to the public to implement the projects awarded to them and it is not easy for the Government to be following them except that once they get the contract they must be able to deliver because my ministry will not tolerate any shoddy and unfinished works,” Mr Mulongoti said[/pullquote]
Similar options can also be developed by the National Council for Construction (NCC) to equip local contractors in effective management.
To address the issues of shoddy works, Works and Supply Minister, Mike Mulongoti says Government is not only concerned with the delivery of viable construction projects that will benefit the Zambians but equally concerned with empowering the local construction industry with all the necessary business requisites that would ensure quality infrastructure projects and value for money to the clients and Zambians.
Mr Mulongoti said the Government had established a training school for contractors at the National Council for Construction to help the local contractors upgrade their standards in service delivery.
“The local contractors have an obligation to the public to implement the projects awarded to them and it is not easy for the Government to be following them except that once they get the contract they must be able to deliver because my ministry will not tolerate any shoddy and unfinished works,” Mr Mulongoti said.
“I also implore the Zambian construction industry to ensure they begin to appreciate the value of time management, cost control and quality management coupled with the desire to save this country’s hard earned foreign exchange by using modern and proven construction management methods and equipment.
The ministry has placed emphasis on infrastructure rehabilitation as one way of ensuring sustainable national development and eradication of poverty through the use of local based labour construction methods and associated economic multiplier effects.
It is sad to hear most Zambian contractors complaining that most contracts are being awarded to foreign contractors and yet these local contractors have systematically failed to perform.
However, the Zambian construction industry has in the last 10 years recorded double growth figures, averaging to 17.5 per cent during the period.
In 2009, the industry registered a 15.5 per cent annual growth rate despite the global financial meltdown.
The local contractors deserve to be given a second look in respect to facilitation and promotion.
PM construction company managing director Paul Mwanza said it was unfair to label all local contractors as non performers based on a few selfish ones.
NCC should therefore blacklist such individual companies which are denting the image of the contractors in Zambia as this was working against national economic development.
[pullquote]“We have resorted in patching up and paving parking areas for offices and residential areas. We have high – tech equipment which can patch potholes, pavers as well as sprayers but we are not getting any construction work…..it is a sad development.[/pullquote]
Mr Mwanza believes that the work of the contractors has been brought into question making it difficult to get local tenders.
His company has invested more than US$ 60,000 to procure the construction equipment from the US to make it possible for the implementation of the projects.
Unfortunately, Mr Mwanza’s company has been unsuccessful to reach agreement with Lusaka City Council (LCC) for the patching of potholes and paving of roads consequently making it hard to survive.
“We have resorted in patching up and paving parking areas for offices and residential areas. We have high – tech equipment which can patch potholes, pavers as well as sprayers but we are not getting any construction work…..it is a sad development.
“The business environment in relation to the construction of roads is not favourable and I would like to urge the regulators to deal with issues that are constantly dragging the small and medium contractors into confrontation with the Government regarding shoddy works,” he said.
Another contractor Tony Anuluoha observed that the problems surrounding shoddy works are as a result of lack of machinery and once this was resolved the playing field will be even.
Dr Anuluoha said issues of interest rates need to be considered when borrowing finances from commercial banks and he questioned a Chinese firm Twapalwa which recently launched a construction equipment based company in Zambia if they had brought on board Exim Bank of China so that they can provide lower interest rate loans.
“We appreciate Government’s effort to bring in a Chinese firm to provide equipment for hire, purchase, leasing and or servicing construction equipment but we would like to know if they have arranged with Exim Bank of China to give credit at affordable rates,” he said.
[pullquote]“We appreciate Government’s effort to bring in a Chinese firm to provide equipment for hire, purchase, leasing and or servicing construction equipment but we would like to know if they have arranged with Exim Bank of China to give credit at affordable rates,” he said.[/pullquote]
NCC executive director Sylvester Mashamba urged the contractors not to negotiate with commercial banks or the EXim Bank of China on an individual level but engage the bank as member associations on the best financing methods and interest rate matters.
It is important for all players to give chance to the small and medium local contractors in order to create a vibrant and sustainable Zambian construction industry.
Zambia’s annual inflation rate for the month of August has reduced from 8.4 percent in July to 8.2 percent, according to the Central Statistical Office.
The decrease for this month’s inflation rate has been attributed to the decline in the food prices. The Central Statistical Office this morning announced that between July 2010, and August 2010, annual inflation rates increased for clothing and footwear, household fuel and lighting, furniture and household goods, medical care, and other goods and services.
The annual inflation rates reduced for beverages and tobacco, transport and communication, and recreation and education. Of the total 8.2 percent, annual inflation in August 2010, food products in the consumer price index accounted for 1.4 percent points, while non-food products accounted for 6.8 percent.
The annual food inflation rate was recorded at 2.9 percent in August 2010 with the decrease being from 4.1 percent in July, 2010. Non food inflation rate was recorded at 13.4 percent in August 2010, with the increase from 12.6 percent in July 2010.
Acting CSO director, John Kalumbi, further revealed that a comparison of retail prices between July 2010 and August 2010 shows that the national average price of a 25 kg bag of white roller meal reduced by 7.1 percent, from k 37, 809 to k 35,137.
The average price of white breakfast meal also reduced by 2.7 percent, from k59,306 to 57,690. Mr. Kalumbi also adds that the national average price of a 20 litre tin of Maize grain increased by 2.5 percent, from 18,567 to k19, 031.
The CSO acting director says that the national price of 1kg of tomatoes reduced by 11.3 percent, from 3,607 to 3,201. He added that the national average price of 1kg of dried kapenta also reduced by 2.1 percent, from k 53,748 to k52,621.
THE Lusaka Boma Local Court has dismissed a case in which Munali member of Parliament Mumbi Phiri sued Lusaka Province MMD chairman William Banda for defamation.
Senior magistrate Iñutu Mulenga sitting with senior magistrates Beatrice Nasilele and Sharon Sichone said in her judgement that Mumbi failed to produce evidence despite being given adequate time and notice to do so.
The particulars of the case was that Banda accused Ms Mumbi of stealing Constituency Development Fund (CDF) meant for the community in Lusaka’s Chainda township.
Ms Mulenga said Mumbi claimed that when Banda addressed residents of Chainda, he accused her of diverting CDF funds.
She said apart from producing audio tapes, Mumbi did not have witnesses to testify to that effect.
Ms Mulenga said in her submission, Mumbi told the court that the only witnesses she had were the audio tapes.
And magistrate Mulenga said Banda denied accusing Mumbi of diverting CDF funds.
Ms Mulenga said Banda produced documents to support his statement.
She said the documents produced by Banda contained complaints from the community in Chainda on the lack of social services in the area.
Ms Mulenga said the complaints were addressed to Ministry of Local Government and Housing and not Ms Mumbi.
To this effect, Ms Mulenga dismissed the case for lack of evidence by the plaintiff.
She advised Mumbi to appeal within 30 days if she was displeased with the judgement.
THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has described as misleading a statement by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema alleging that the recently constructed Choma-Namwala road is of sub-standard.
Mr Hichilema claimed during the Radio Phoenix ‘Let the people talk’ programme on Tuesday that the road is of low quality although colossal sums of money were spent on it.
But RDA head of public relations Loyce Saili said it is unfortunate that some politicians are assuming the role of road experts.
She said in an interview yesterday that the statement by Mr Hichilema and other sections of the public is misleading and lacks merit.
Mrs Saili challenged Mr Hichilema and others to disclose the standards used to arrive at their judgement.
“The problem we have is that everyone wants to become an expert. As RDA, we are democrats and so we wouldn’t want to dwell much on attacks from politicians but I wonder what measure was used by those claiming that the road is of low quality?
“Are they saying that the gravel road, which was there before, is better than the surfacing we have done? Of course the construction and surfacing of roads vary from one road to the other but what I can say is that the work we have done on the Choma-Namwala road is excellent,” Mrs Saili said.
She said the agency is satisfied with works carried out on the road and is confident that the contractor delivered a good product.
Mrs Saili said when the road was in its bad state, it used to take three to four hours to travel through it.
She said motorists will now be taking an hour after the completion of works.
“Those who have been to this particular road can attest that it is a good product which, as RDA, we are proud of. In the past, people used to face a number of difficulties to travel using the road but it is easier now,” she said.
Mrs Saili said the people of Southern Province are happy with the road and wondered why some people have decided to politicise the issue.
On Monday, President Banda commissioned the Choma-Namwala road.
Mr Banda said he was proud to witness the completion of the road whose construction had turned into a political song as people cried out to have it completed.
“The road to Namwala has been a song, a prayer of the people of Southern Province. We have fixed it just like the Lusaka-to-Livingstone road. We are happy that we have done it. We don’t just talk. We do not just promise, but fulfill them,” he said.
President Banda said his government has continued to invest in infrastructure development such as roads, schools and hospitals.
He said this development is not only being implemented in areas where he received a lot of votes but all the parts of the country.
Mr Banda said as a national leader, he is president of all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation.
CHIEF Kasoma Lwela of the Ushi people in Mansa has started dissolving child marriages in his chiefdom and called for strengthening of legislation on child-related affairs.
The traditional ruler said under-age marriages were counter-productive to the development of the country.
“I have decided to dissolve all marriages involving under-age girls in my chiefdom and so far I have dissolved eight this year,” Chief Kasoma told delegates at the opening of a Plan International workshop on gender-based violence and child protection held at Mansa Hotel.
He said under-age marriages were rife in his area and were affecting the education of girl-children apart from exposing them to HIV/AIDS at a tender age.
The traditional ruler said early marriages were also exposing young girls to labour complications, resulting in increased maternal and infant mortality.
Chief Kasoma said that to deter would-be offenders, he had introduced severe punishment for all parents involved in marrying off girls.
“Parents who promote or even encourage teenage marriages upon conviction can be taken to Umulima Chipuba (the chief’s communal field) for severe punishment or expel them from my chiefdom,” he said.
He said there was need for the Government to strengthen laws on child protection.
Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development, child development officer Cosmas Banda said the Government had stepped up sensitisation campaigns on child welfare and formed a child protection committee comprising various institutions in Mansa.
“In the Sixth National Development Plan, we have included such aspects as raising more public awareness on all issues of child protection.
“Our committee has non-governmental organisations, police, Anti-Corruption Commission and many others so that whatever case we come across, we are able to easily hand it over to the responsible wing,” Mr Banda said.
And Plan International community development co-ordinator for Mansa District, Grace Mwendapole said early marriages were affecting enrolment levels in primary schools and could undermine Zambia’s attainment of the Education for All MDG goal.
SIEMENS International has partnered with a Zambian firm and invested more than K12 billion in establishing a plant that would allow Zambians get hands-on training in sophisticated computer operations to meet the increased demand in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Siemens business development manager Africa Douglas said in Kitwe yesterday his company had joined hands with Intelligent Systems Limited (ISL), a Zambian firm, to train Zambians after realising a gap in ITC competence in Zambia.
Mr Douglas said Siemens had a lot of automated machines control centres in Zambia especially with the mines and not enough Zambian technicians were trained to operate the sophisticated machines.
The machines are the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA), a large computer that controls all machines on the mines from underground to on-surface plants like crasher, concentrator and smelter.
Large mines in Zambia like Lumwana, KCM and Mopani heavily depended on Siemens’ TIA and yet few Zambians had the required expertise to handle such machines, which had resulted in people being sent outside the country for expensive training.
“Siemens motto in Zambia is uplifting technical competence and as a result we have invested $2.5 million in setting up a plant that would see Zambians trained to the level of the most competent person in Europe,” Mr Douglas said.
The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has commended National Milling Corporation (NMC) for further reducing the price of mealie meal saying the move is a step in the right direction and will immensely benefit consumers in the country.
ZACA Acting Executive Director Samuel Simutunda said NMC has truly taken a leading role in passing on the benefits of the favorable economic activities currently prevailing in the nation such as the bumper harvest and the lower cost of maize to pass on the benefit to ordinary people in communities.
Mr Simutunda told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that though the reduction of K2000 in the price of a 25 kg bag of breakfast mealie meal may seem minimal, it was of great economic value to consumers in the country.
He said his association had expected a substantial reduction in mealie meal prices but that the hike in electricity tariffs and the increases in the price of fuel earlier in the year have justified the small reduction.
The ZACA chief has however expressed disappointment at some milling companies that have remained adamant and do not want to reduce the price of the commodity despite obtaining maize grain at lower costs.
Mr. Simutunda said it was unfortunate that some millers do not want to pass on the benefit of the bumper harvest to persons on the ground saying this was not only unfair but was tantamount to duping ordinary citizens.
He said as much as the country was operating in a liberalized economy where business firms would not be dictated on the pricing of goods and services they render to the public, they should not take advantage of that privilege to disadvantage consumers.
Mr. Simutunda has since urged millers that have not tried to reduce mealie meal prices to emulate the gesture by NMC and slash the price of the commodity in order to benefit consumers.
NMC has announced a further reduction in the price of breakfast mealie meal by K2, 000 per 25 kilogramme bag with effect from yesterday. The country’s largest milling company early in the year reduced prices on the staple food by K 2000 on its breakfast and Roller meal brands, a move that made other milling company’s to follow suit.
The Milling Company has today effected the reduction in the price of breakfast mealie meal by K2, 000 in all Shoprite, Spar and Pick n Pay supermarkets.
NMC Managing Director Peter Cottan said yesterday that the price reduction has also been effected in all the 60 NMC depots around the country.
PF Leader Michael Sata
Patriotic Front (PF) leader, Michael Sata, has declined to comment on insinuations from some sections of society that he will not need UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema, in the 2011 tripartite elections.
Mr Sata who refused to give his position on the matter said in an interview that the issue is too petty for him to comment.
He said he could not involve himself in dealing with such petty political matters which are better placed to be dealt with by his juniors in the party.
Mr Sata said he could not comment because he is too senior to deal with such a matter.
The PF leader said also said he is too senior to comment on delay by Police to deal with a case involving Gender Deputy Minister, Lucy Changwe, in which she is being investigated for bouncing a K10 million cheque.
[QFM ]
UPND Cadres
The United Party for National Development, UPND, has dared expelled Namwala Member of Parliament (MP), Robbie Chizyuka, to join the ruling MMD and re-contest his seat on the ruling party ticket if he is popular as he claims.
UPND Secretary General, Winstone Chibwe, said Major Chizyuka would be defeated resoundingly if he choose to re-contest on the MMD ticket.
And Mr Chibwe said if Major Chizyuka decides join the MMD he would not be resigning from the UPND because he was expelled a long time ago from the party.
[pullquote]Mr Chibwe maintained that Major Chizyuka is a finished politician who destroyed his political career the moment he chose not to adhere to party regulations.[/pullquote]
He noted that the outspoken Namwala MP would merely be joining the ruling MMD, adding that his joining of the MMD means nothing to the party.
Mr Chibwe said there are many instances where an MP has resigned from the UPND to stand to join the ruling MMD and re-contested the same seat and have ended up losing.
He cautioned Major Chizyuka that he is destined for the same situation since he has shown high interest of joining the ruling MMD.
Mr Chibwe maintained that Major Chizyuka is a finished politician who destroyed his political career the moment he chose not to adhere to party regulations.
