A nationwide power blackout on Friday forced copper mines in Zambia, Africa’s top producer of the metal, to halt output, but the country’s energy minister said electricity supply could resume later in the day.

A fault at a hydro power station triggered the first national blackout to engulf the southern African nation since June 2009, which cost copper producers millions of dollars in lost revenue and dented their copper output. [ID:nLG31563]

Power blackouts are frequent in Zambia, and have been a big concern for the chamber of mines and for foreign mining companies who own most of the key mines in the country’s copperbelt province.

“Power has been restored in Lusaka and we are now moving on to restore power on the Copperbelt,” Energy Minister Kenneth Konga told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear how much production was affected. Maxwell Mwale, Zambia’s mines minister, said he would give a detailed comment on the power blackout’s impact later.

“Production at the mines is affected …I am yet to receive a full report from the minister of energy,” Mwale told Reuters.

An official at Zambia’s biggest copper producer, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) — majority owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L: Quote) — said its operations had been affected, but the group would issue a detailed statement later in the day.

Sydney Chileya, a spokesman for the Luanshya Copper Mines, owned by China Non-Ferrous Metals Corp. (CNMC), said only limited power supply was available.

Frequent power stoppages are likely to affect Zambia’s plans to increase its copper production to 1 million tonnes next year, from just below 700,000 tonnes in 2009, analysts said.

The country has been trying to entice new investors to the sector as demand for the metal increases.

“It also sends wrong signals to investors on availability of energy despite assurances by the government,” Chibamba Kanyama, a member of country’s main economic think-tank, the Economics Association of Zambia, said.

Foreign mining companies operating in Zambia include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO: Quote), London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L: Quote), Equinox Minerals EQN.TO)(EQN.AX: Quote), Glencore International AG [GLEN.UL] of Switzerland and Metorex (MTXJ.J: Quote) of South Africa.

PRICES

Copper prices appeared unaffected by news of the blackout, remaining at a one-week low on Friday as investors overlooked increased risk appetite in the wider markets and remained concerned about demand prospects after weak data from the U.S., the world’s largest economy. [ID:nLDE6370XM]

Lucy Zimba, a spokeswoman for electricity utility Zesco, said the cause was due to a fault on a circuit breaker at the country’s Kariba North Bank hydro station, which set off a chain reaction that led to the countrywide blackout.

Zimba said power supply had been restored to parts of the capital Lusaka, and supply to copper mines would follow.

“The blackout was caused by a fault on a circuit breaker at Kariba North Bank (hydro power plant). We are working on the problem to restore power in Lusaka, after which we will try to switch on the Copperbelt lines,” Zimba told Reuters.

The Copperbelt Energy Corp. (CEC), which buys the electricity from Zesco to supply Zambia’s copper mines, said it would try to provide power to the mines for emergency operations through imports from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Zesco has said it needs higher tariffs and additional funds to invest in new generating and transmission infrastructure, and the country has said it plans to invest about $6 billion in the next five years to meet its projected energy needs. (Writing by James Macharia; editing by Sue Thomas)
[Reuters]

State advocate Dennis Simwinga told judge Evans Hamaundu sitting with judges Eddie Sikazwe and Catherine Makungu the only evidence the State had was that the property in question was addressed to State House.

This is in a case in which Regina has appealed against conviction and sentence slapped on her by a magistrate’s court on five counts of failing to explain possession of property suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

On the television set that was suspected to have been stolen, Mr Simwinga said it was proved that it belonged to the State because it was addressed to Dr Chiluba on a State House address as head of State.

When asked by Judge Makungu if there was any other proof to show it was State property, he said there was no such evidence except that it was consigned to State House.

When the matter came up yesterday, Mr Simwinga told the court that Regina had given several statements on how she acquired the properties in question.

But the court objected when Mr Simwinga said that Regina had told investigators that she used the money given to her as gifts by Dr Chiluba when buying the properties in question.

At this point Judge Hamaundu questioned Mr Simwinga whether what he was saying was part of the case record in the magistrate’s court to which he denied and only said it was Regina who told the investigators.

“That is hear-say unless that was part of the case record. You can only proceed in that manner if what you are saying was admitted in the trial,” he said.

Mr Simwinga dropped his line of submission and went on to say Regina’s explanation on her possession of the properties did not satisfy the investigators.

But Judge Hamaundu questioned how Regina could be asked to account for the properties to investigating officers instead of the court.

The judge wondered how the prosecution could take Regina to court on the charge of failing to account for property but Mr Simwinga explained that the drafting of the charges was based on a Supreme Court ruling, which said a charge should be properly formatted.

Mr Simwinga, however, said the trial court was on firm ground to hold that Regina’s explanation was not satisfactory because she had given three different versions on how she came in possession of the properties.

He said while Regina had said she got a US$60,000 loan, Nchelenge MP Ben Mwila said that he lent her US$100,000.

He also denied there was duplicity of charges that were slapped on Regina and that after amendments were made, the defence did not object.

Deputy State Chief Advocate Rose Nkhuzwayo said there was no way Regina could have raised more than K1 billion from her businesses to enable her buy the properties.

Ms Nkhuzwayo said there was no evidence to prove Regina was a top businessperson on the Copperbelt and that the trial court was in order to convict her.

She said the State would leave the issue of sentencing to the court.

Judgment has been set for August 30 this year.
[ Times of Zambia ]

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested opposition Patriotic Front Ndola Central Member of Parliament Mark Mushili for alleged money laundering involving over six billion Kwacha.

DEC Spokesperson John Nyawali, who confirmed the arrest of Mr. Mushili, said the parliamentarian aged 61, a resident of Doctor Damme Street, kansenshi in Ndola, was arrested for siphoning fuel worth two billion Kwacha from TAZAMA Pipeline Limited by false pretences using Anegi Oils Limited.

Mr. Nyawali said the parliamentarian has been arrested for fraudulent activities in Anegi Oils involving four billion kwacha and theft of twenty million kwacha from Anegi Oils Limited.

The opposition Member of Parliament has received his arrest as political persecution.

Speaking to his PF sympathizers a minute after he was ordered to remove shoes and switch off his mobile phone at Ndola Central Police, Mr. Mushili cautioned all opposition politicians to be wary of political persecution.
[ MUv TV ]

Father Miha said such acts are proving that the police service which is supposed to be protecting people has been turned into a militia.

He said the police has become an MMD militia wing instead of serving the interests of the Zambians.

Father Miha observed that the police service has ceased to be a serious and professional service under the leadership of Mr Kabonde.

He added that the directive by Mr Kabonde requesting for numbers of journalists from Zain should be treated as a criminal case because it demands striping the subscribers of Zain their privacy.

He expressed sadness that the relevant authorities have remained quiet over the matter.
Father Miha said this in a telephone interview with Qfm.

Father Miha also said Government has no choice but to release the Valuation report of ZAMTEL by RP Capital.

He said ZAMTEL is a public entity that requires people to know the transactions involved.

He said Zambians have a right to be suspicious of the 75 percent sale of ZAMTEL shares as long as Government continues to refuse to make the Valuation report public.
[ QFM ]

President Banda said the police should immediately devise an effective and efficient law enforcement mechanism to arrest and prosecute all those that have acquired land illegally from lawful owners, especially in Lusaka.

Special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere said yesterday in a statement the police should further investigate the people and their ring-leaders involved in land grabbing and bring them to book without fail.

He said the president had received numerous representations from a number of people concerning the conduct of criminals purporting to be political party cadres grabbing land from lawful owners.

The president directed that all those occupying land illegally should be removed forthwith and land should be given back to the rightful owners who had title deeds.

“Police officers should protect all legitimate owners of land from harassment and victimisation from the illegal land grabbers regardless of their political affiliation. The police should ensure those threatening violence are brought to book without fail,” he said.

The president has also directed the minister of Lands, minister of Local Government and Housing and minister of Home Affairs to immediately form a committee to follow up on all complaints concerning land, which has been illegally acquired and allocated.

The president said all unplanned settlements should be stopped.

“The Ministry of Lands through the office of the commissioner of lands should conduct the audit of undeveloped land, especially in Lusaka and appropriate action taken in accordance with the law,” he said.

The president has directed local and other planning authorities to take charge by stopping any illegal construction of buildings.

“All buildings under construction should have legitimate planning permission as prescribed by law. Public officers involved in the illegal acquisition of land should also be dealt with and appropriate action taken against them,” he said.

The president has also directed all public officers entrusted with the responsibility of administering land to be above board and avoid involving themselves in illegal transactions.

“It is the wish of the president to see to it that there is order and tranquility in land acquisition in Zambia. There are laws in Zambia which govern land acquisition, which must be respected at all times,” he said.

[ Times of Zambia ]

A Lawyer representing former president Fredrick Chiluba’s wife Regina has told the Lusaka High Court that the magistrate’s court erred in passing a custodial sentence on his client because the charges she faced were misdemeanours.

This is in a matter in which Regina has appealed against her three- and -half-year imprisonment by Lusaka chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda who convicted her on five counts of being in possession of property suspected to have been stolen.

Regina’s lawyer Robert Simeza said the court erred to passing a custodial sentence on charges that were misdemeanours and also another custodial sentence of three-and -half years on a felony relating to a television set that was valued at about US$3,700 and was non-functional at the time of the case.

Mr Simeza said although the television set charge fell under section 318 of the Penal Code and was a felony, Regina was a first offender that should not have been handed a custodial sentence.

He also said magistrate Kafunda also erred when he imposed a custodial sentence of two and half years in respect of counts under section 319 (a) relating to three properties.

Mr Simeza said that the question of Regina not being married to Dr Chiluba at the time she received a television set through State House was not sufficient ground to jail her to three and half years.

Regina, whose appeal is being heard by High Court judges, Evans Hamaundu, Eddie Sikazwe and Catherine Makungu, was convicted for failing to account for properties in her possession, which were allegedly stolen or unlawfully obtained.

Regina argued through her lawyer, Simeza, that magistrate Kafunda should not have dismissed her explanation over the Toshiba television set and convicting her for the felony just because she was not married to then president Chiluba at the time she got the television set through State House.

Simeza said he had no contention on the aspect of Regina having possessed the said television set, which she said was personally bought by her using money received as a gift from Chiluba while he was president.

Mr Simeza said magistrate Kafunda’s holding was that Regina was a private person who should not have been in possession of Government property.

He said that since the prosecution wanted to convict Regina at all cost they failed to call evidence from the person who sold her the television set in London.

He said this was highly improper because this information was within the prosecution’s province and that the person who sold Regina the television resided in both England and Zambia. Hearing continues today.
[Times of Zambia ]