The Lusaka High Court yesterday allowed the production of a machete grabbed from a United Party for National Development (UPND) cadre as part of evidence in the ongoing Mufumbwe Parliamentary by-election petition.

Lusaka High Court Judge Philip Musonda in his ruling after the respondents objected to the production of the exhibit said the court would allow the machete to be produced as part of evidence before the court because it was relevant to the matter.

The respondent’s lawyer Bonnaventure Mutale had raised objections to the production of the machete by a standing witness Richard Kafololo, 45, claiming that the said machete had no specific identification and that it appeared as if it had been bought from an ordinary shop.

“The witness has not adduced enough distinctive evidence, there is no basis for distinguishing it in order to completely rule out the suspecting of it being purchased. It would be safe for it not to be produced in this court,” Mr Mutale said.

In response, the petitioner’s lawyer Eric Silwamba said the witness had testified that he wrestled it from the UPND cadre and later deposited it with Chief Munyambala.
[pullquote]“The witness has not adduced enough distinctive evidence, there is no basis for distinguishing it in order to completely rule out the suspecting of it being purchased. It would be safe for it not to be produced in this court,” Mr Mutale said.
[/pullquote]
He said the said machete was in the custody of the chief until the time when the witness was required to testify.
Mr Silwamba said the fear of buying it from an ordinary shop should be ruled out, and on the grounds of relevance, he urged the court to exercise discretion and allow the production of the machete.

In his testimony, Kafololo, an MMD member, told the court that on April 29 this year, on his way back from voting, he found his friend John Sulako arguing with a UPND cadre who said MMD was a finished party and in the process a fight erupted.

He then saw a UPND cadre brandishing a machete with intentions of stabbing Mr Sulako in his head, but Mr Kafololo quickly threw himself in between and wrestled with him until he managed to grab the machete.

In cross-examination, the witness told the court that although he had never seen a machete in his life before, he was convinced that the one before court was the same one he had deposited with the chief due to certain features he identified.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]

PRESIDENT Banda is today expected to leave for Uganda to attend the African Union (AU) 15th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government that is expected to tackle maternal and child mortality in Africa.

The Uganda AU summit will be held on the theme: “Maternal, infant and child health and development in Africa.”

While at the summit, African leaders are expected to discuss various challenges facing the continent in reducing maternal, new born and child mortality rates.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the President for press and public relations Dickson Jere.

And President Banda has said Zambia has made progress in reducing maternal and child health through measures Government has put in place, such as allowing midwives to administer life-saving interventions.

“It is our collective duty as nations and Governments to tackle deaths during child birth so that the right to life is not terminated in the very circumstances where life should be brought into the world,” Mr Banda said ahead of the summit.

On June 12 this year, President Banda launched the Zambian version of the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa, aimed at speeding up implementation of strategies of reducing maternal mortality.

Mr Banda said Zambia has maintained high levels of immunisation coverage over the years through routine and supplementary immunisation activities, which has helped in reducing vaccine-preventable diseases.
He said Zambia has, for instance, managed to eliminate neonatal tetanus and polio since 2003.

The President will be accompanied to Uganda by Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kabinga Pande, Ministry of Health permanent secretary Peter Mwaba and other senior Government officials.
He is expected to return home after the summit.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

President Banda says he has the mandate of the Zambian people to attract investment as opposed to accusations by some sections of society that he is involved in shady deals.

Mr Banda said some people have accused him of involving himself in questionable business transactions for his personal gain, which he said is far from the truth.

He said this yesterday when he officially opened Pick n Pay store in Lusaka’s Woodlands area.
“As President, I am proud that I do deals for the people of Zambia to better their lives,” he said.
Mr Banda said he has the people’s mandate to attract investment into the country.

He said he is not ashamed to say he met with Pick n Pay management in May 2009, in South Africa, when he went to attend the inauguration of Mr Jaboc Zuma as that country’s President.

Mr Banda said he is pleased that Pick n Pay is making use of local suppliers for commodities that can be obtained within the country.

He said he is also pleased that the outlet charges favourable prices and hoped they can be maintained.

Mr Banda pledged that government will continue to work hard to ensure that Zambian produce has access to the regional and international market and challenged local suppliers to ensure that their produce meets international standards.

“I am particularly heartened that Pick n Pay has kept its promise of ensuring that it sources some of its agriculture produce from our local producers,” he said.

Mr Banda said he is happy that the company has opened up its central distribution system to producers from Zambia.

He said if the quality and pricing of Zambian agriculture products is ideal, they will not only be bought by Pick n Pay Zambia but will be distributed and sold in any of the more than 800 Pick n Pay stores in South Africa and other countries.
Mr Banda said it is encouraging that management is working closely with the Ministry of Labour to set out conditions of service for employees.

“I urge you to look after our Zambian employees well and give them opportunities within your company…you will prosper in Zambia,” he said.

He said Zambia offers opportunities for investors that are willing to work with the nation on a fair and equal basis, adding that the nation has abundant skill and a disciplined and hard working population.

The President thanked investors that are already in Zambia saying they have contributed to the economy over the years.

Mr Banda said the fact that Pick n Pay has come to Zambia just when the world economic recession is ending is a vote of confidence in the country.

“It proves that we are still an attractive investment destination. I am happy to say while our expectations were that economic growth will decline due to the recession, it declined by much less than was anticipated,” he said.
Mr Banda said positive economic growth over the last two financial years of economic crisis has been due to prudent management of the economy.

He said efforts to strengthen reserves have continued and that they stand at US$2 billion and about four months of import cover.
The President said the country has moved from a maize deficit to a surplus.
Mr Banda later toured the store and bought a few groceries before going outside to greet people who were waiting to do some shopping.

And Pick n Pay group enterprises director Dallas Langman said the company will work closely with the community.
He paid gratitude to the employees for the support and loyalty to ensure that the store opens.
Mr Langman said the company will eventually spread to other parts of the country.

And Zambia Association of Manufacturers board member Chibamba Kanyama said the opening of the store indicates that the income circulation in the country is growing.

He described as a myth, the belief that income circulation is only among the 400,000 people in formal employment.

Mr Kanyama said the more trade outlets the country has, the more potential Zambian products will have to reach various destinations.

Private Sector Development Association chairperson Yusuf Dodia said the development is positive.
Mr Dodia said competition that the outlet will create will benefit consumers as prices of commodities will drop.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]

Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has assured farmers in Mkushi that it will seriously champion their grievances on matters related to crop marketing and security.

Speaking during the tour of Mkushi farm block, ZNFU President Jarvis Zimba said that farmers in the district have persistently brought out issues of crop marketing and security.

He said that his tour of the farm block was essentially a response towards mitigating concerns raised by farmers and incorporate their contributions in addressing the problem.

Mr. Zimba observed that the farmer’s quest for favorable marketing policies was cardinal to ensuring the growth of agriculture as a viable commercial activity.

He said the ZNFU national secretariat was committed to incorporating views from farmers during dialogue with the central government.

Mr. Zimba said that farmers played a critical role in the national economy and that agriculture products added a significant dimension to wealth generated from within the country as well as from the exports.

He said that Mkushi had become one of the leading agricultural districts in the country with consistent bumper harvest of maize, soya beans, tobacco and wheat standing out as major crop products.

Mr. Zimba however said he was saddened to learn that in the farm block had been experiencing crop thefts, a situation which could have negative impact on the gross produce from the farms.

He said that amongst the efforts aimed at addressing crop theft, the ZNFU would soon donate vehicles to Lubuto Police Post located in the farm block to help boost police patrols in the area.

In a related interview, Central Province Police Commanding (CO) Simon Mphande acknowledged the frequency occurrence of crop thefts in the farm block areas.

Mr. Mphande said that crop thefts had for long posed great worry to the district police command, and that lack of transport logistics in farm blocks was a major hindrance for prompt response towards reported crimes as well as routine patrol exercises.

More than 35 commercial farmers in Mkushi District are located in Mkushi farm block area, encompassing the chiefdoms of Chitina, Shaibila and Mulungwe.

ZANIS

ZAMBIA Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Chriticles Mwansa told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday that he does not condone violence and disturbances at the place of work.

Mr Mwansa said that is why he got concerned when it was reported to him that two senior ZRA officers had engaged in a fight within ZRA premises.

This is in a case in which dismissed ZRA assistant commissioner George Siame is facing one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to section 248 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

It is alleged that on November 30 last year, Siame assaulted ZRA director of human resources Roselyn Kaeli at Revenue House in Lusaka.

“I rushed to Victoria Hospital from my home during lunch time to check on the condition of Ms Kaeli. I went to the hospital in my capacity as ZRA chief executive officer after receiving information about the fight,” Mwansa said.

He told magistrate William Banda that he found Ms Kaeli’s face swollen and took pictures of her as part of evidence.

Mwansa said he was not bothered to check on Siame because he was reported not to be in danger.

He said he has much interest in the matter because it involves two senior officers at ZRA.

He said it was the first time a fight involving senior management officers had been reported in the institution.

Mwansa told the court that Siame was given an opportunity to exculpate himself against the charge.

And during cross-examination, Mwansa said as chairperson of the ZRA appeals committee, he had not been biased towards Ms Kaeli in handling the matter.
Mwansa said he signed Siame’s dismissal letter to confirm management’s decision that he had been relieved of his duties.

[Zambia Daily Mail]