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A POLICE investigator yesterday told a Lusaka Magistrate’s Court inquest that former Ministry of Health permanent secretary Gavin Silwamba died as a result of drowning.
Assistant superintendent Gift Mweendo said when the matter came up for continued hearing before magistrate Bartholomew Kaongo there was no foul play in Dr Silwamba’s death but the former permanent secretary drowned.
Mr Mweendo, 52 said according to his investigations, Dr Silwamba’s death was caused by an accident which happened when the dugout canoe he was in capsized.
This is in a matter in which Dr Silwamba’s family had requested the State to hold an inquest to ascertain the cause of the former Ministry of Heath permanent secretary.
Dr Silwamba died last year in Lusaka’s Blue Lagoon game management area during hunting expedition with his friend Yuyi Lishomwa.
He said the postmortem report prepared by late Zambia police forensic pathologist Joseph Banda indicated that Dr Silwamba died from drowning.
Mr Mweendo said he had been a detective for more than 23 years and Dr Silwamba’s death was not his first inquest assignment.
Another witness, Max Hamukale said Dr Silwamba was not forced to go on a hunting trip with Mr Lishomwa.
Mr Hamukale, 40, a Spectra Oil financial controller said he was in Mr Lishomwa’s office when Dr Silwamba entered and persuaded Mr Lishomwa to go hunting.
[Times of Zambia]
File picture for Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane
FINANCE and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has said Zamtel was sold at an excellent and fair price.
Dr Musokotwane said in an interview yesterday that the US$257million that the company was sold at was the best price and the company was not undervalued.
He said the Government decided to sell the company because it had become a drain on the treasury as it was making huge losses, citing the $2 million loss last year.
Government at the weekend concluded a $257 million sale of 75 per cent shares of Zamtel to Libya’s LAP Green Network.
And Dr Musokotwane has cautioned Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata against making wild statements challenging him to report the corruption in the sale of Zamtel to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The Finance minister said in an interview yesterday that Zamtel had gotten to a point were it was failing to pay salaries for employees.
The sale of Zamtel would make it more competitive, which he said was good for the Zambian consumers.
Dr Musokotwane maintained that those who would lose their jobs would be paid their redundancy packages immediately.
The sale of Zamtel was in the best interest of the company and Zambia and was done in accordance with the privatisation regulations in the Zambia Development Agency Act.
The minister’s statement comes in the wake of Mr Sata’s statement that the Zamtel sale amounts to plunder.
Meanwhile, the Finance minister has said Government has not failed to pay civil servants as suggested by some opposition parties.
“The money is there, the problem has been with the Public Service Management Division (PSMD) who have been computerising the system,” he said.
MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya yesterday said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema benefited from the privatisation of parastatal companies although he is now condemning the policy.
Ms Siliya said records at the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Ministry of Finance show the UPND leader participated and benefited from the privatisation programme.
She urged Mr Hichilema to reconcile his sentiments on Radio Phoenix’s ‘Let the People Talk’ programme with the history of privatisation in the country and confirm that records available indicate that he was an active participant in the sale of companies.
In an interview from Johannesburg, Ms Siliya said Mr Hichilema sat and led some teams that were tasked with the privatisation of companies, including sitting on committees that spearheaded the process.
Ms Siliya, who is minister of education, said the UPND leader must show maturity in his politics rather than pour scorn on a process he knows too well and collected commissions and other fees amounting to US$12 million.
She said the Government had details about the privatisation process at the ZDA and the Ministry of Finance which were available and warned Mr Hichilema to avoid cheap politics.
[pullquote]Ms Siliya, who is minister of education, said the UPND leader must show maturity in his politics rather than pour scorn on a process he knows too well and collected commissions and other fees amounting to US$12 million.[/pullquote]
She described Mr Hichilema as immature and driven by political vindictiveness owing to his crude language against other political actors.
She advised Mr Hichilema to respect court verdicts that cleared her of allegations of impropriety while she was minister of Communications and Transport.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix’s ‘Let the People Talk’ programme, Mr Hichilema said 51 per cent shares in Zamtel should have been sold to Zambians and that Libya’s Lap GreenN should have bought a 49 per cent stake in Zamtel.
Mr Hichilema also denied having participated in the sale of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation as the company was only sold to Binani Group of Companies between 1997 and 1998 and he was never part of the process that led to its sale.
He denied having received the $12 million and challenged Government to check his books of accounts at Barclays Bank where his money has been deposited for 27 years.
Mr Hichilema also called for a system that would allow Zambians access investment licences, which they should use as contributions towards the formation of joint ventures with foreign nationals wishing to invest in Zambia.
[pullquote]He denied having received the $12 million and challenged Government to check his books of accounts at Barclays Bank where his money has been deposited for 27 years.[/pullquote]
But Ms Siliya said Mr Hichilema lacked the political acumen to allow him to lead Zambia and his ideas showed he was merely a comedian who was about to enter a pact without a future.
She dismissed Mr Hichilema’s sentiments that the ruling party was jittery following the launch of the pact and assured Zambians that the MMD would roll to victory in next year’s elections.
Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema has said candidacy for the pact remains an open contest between him and Patriotic Front president Michael Sata because the two leaders hold equal power and chances in the alliance.
One of the Agents involved in a scam in which former finance Minister Ng’andu Magande allegedly duped a Tanzanian National of over 200 bags of rice worth K200 million has been arrested.
Dickson Silondwa who was in the company of Chris Gona another agent suspected to be Magande’s cousin was arrested yesterday evening and detained for questioning at COMESA police post.
The charges against Silondwa are that while acting together with Gona allegedly hired transporters to transport 40 tonnes of rice from Mbala to Lusaka without later paying the transporters their dues.
The arrest is in connection with an incident where a Tanzanian national has accused Chilanga Member of Parliament Ng’andu Magande of allegedly swindling him of 200 million Kwacha.
Soul Hilal Rashid a Tanzanian resident of Sibuwanga told journalists recently that Magande had neglected to pay for a total of supply of 5,000 by 100kg bags of rice despite the consignment having been delivered to him as per agreement of 7th April 2010.
According to the agreement the parliamentarian who is also former finance Minister was suppose to pay half the amount to Rashid a week after the collection of the consignment at Mbala which was the agreed destination .
MR Magande who is alleged to have been liaising with Rashid through his cousin Chris Gona and Dickson Silondwe was also suppose to pay his accommodation and meals whilst in Zambia.
And Rashid who runs an export business says that he is stranded because Mr Magande has refused to call him.
The Zambia Water and Sanitation Engineering and Allied workers’ union has given government a 48 hour ultimatum to withdraw the circular directing salary increments of up to 5% for all workers in the water and sanitation sector.
Union president, Joseph Musapa said government’s decision to sanction a 5% salary increment for workers in the water sector when other civil servants where given a 15% increment is unjustified and an infringement on the worker’ rights.
Mr Musapa revealed that managements in water utilities have become skeptical in implementing the agreement entered into for a higher percent owing to the fact that the local government permanent secretary had issued a preceding circular of 5% increments.
He said his union has, therefore, decided to give government a 48 hour ultimatum to withdraw the circular, failure to which workers would resolved to go on a sitting in protest throughout the country.
Mr Musapa added that government should stop using the excuse that water utilities have been reluctant in remitting to NAPSA as a scape-goat and pay the over K50 billion it owes them.
[ QFM ]
By Rodger Chali
Imagine Lusaka was a brother and the eight other provinces were his siblings. Brother Lusaka is blessed to have his own children called government ministries, 22 of them.
The peculiar phenomena in this relationship is either brother Lusaka is a very kind person or the eight brothers and sisters are very lazy. Brother Lusaka may also be very greedy, being the managing Director of company called Zambia, he has directed his siblings who runs his subsidiaries to send all the profits to him and he alone and his children decides who gets what. It does not matter if sister Copperbelt has been making loses or not.
Brother Lusaka has gone to an extent of telling his siblings he will make education decisions for his brothers and sisters through his son ministry of Education. If you obtain land from Western you may need to travel to Lusaka to obtain the title deeds from nephew Lands and natural resources.
Lusaka understands the pain brother and sister NorthWestern and Copperbelt respectively are going through to produce the copper in terms of road destruction by the heavy trucks which uses those roads. While he has his own road problems were he lives, he has assured all of us nephew works and supply has everything under control.
Nephew Ministry Finance has failed to come up with a system of collecting taxes from the informal sector and has opted the easier way of finding money for the Uncles, borrow from the donors.
His intentions and of his children are good but he is clearly overwhelmed and in some cases his children have become abusive to Uncles and Aunties, getting a passport is a nightmare, the Uncles have to pay double the official price.
Lusaka’s siblings have full potential to develop their own areas, but he has assured everyone he is capable of taking care of us. The end result after 45 years only brother Lusaka and his children are fat and all other eight brothers and sisters except Copperbelt province live without intensive care units in their provincial hospitals. By the way if he gets a flu or his children sneeze, they have an option to go to South Africa.
The Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) has expressed disappointment over government’s failure to
pay its teacher members their May 2010 salaries on time.
SESTUZ General Secretary Emmanuel Zulu said government assured the union that their salaries will be in teacher’s bank accounts by mid-week last week but expressed sadness that government has not honored its promise.
Mr. Zulu disclosed this in a statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka today that it is even more disappointing to note that only a few teachers from Luapula and Western provinces have been reported to have gotten their salaries by last week.
He said following government’s failure to pay them their salaries teachers can hardly afford a meal a day adding that they are constantly being threatened with evictions by their landlords who are demanding payments rentals.
Mr. Zulu has since called on government to immediately find a lasting solution and provide them with an explanation to why they have not been paid their dues up to now.
But Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kannganja has announced that Government employees who do not receive their salaries through the Direct and Cedit Clearing (DDACC) system will receive the same within this week.
Government employees already on the district Debit and Credit Clearing system started receiving their salaries last week.
The Secretary to the Cabinet has apologised to affected government employees for the inconvenience and hardship caused by the late payment of salaries.
He has however assured the affected workers that the administrative /Technical challenges that led to the recent late payment of salaries have been identified and appropriate remedial measures have been put to avoid delayed payment of salaries in future.
Zambia Police says investigations into the shooting incident involving Health Deputy Minister Solomon Musonda are progressing well.
Zambia Police Spokesperson Bonny Kapeso told QFM in an interview this morning that investigations are still on course.
He appeals to Zambians to remain calm and patient as police do their job professionally on the matter.
Health Deputy Minister Dr. Solomon Musonda on Tuesday last week shot and wounded an opposition Patriotic Front cadre, Jackson Musaka on his forehead in Serenje district.
The incident happened around 17:50 hours in an area called Lubembe within Serenje district.
Police have since recorded a warn and caution statement from Dr. Musonda for attempted murder.
The University of Zambia (UNZA) has handed over the site to a developer for the construction of a business park, which will
house shops, students hostels and staff houses, among others.
The 13 hectare piece of land will be used to develop a business park to comprise a three start hotel, and office blocks, a 50 by 3 storey students’ hostels and 100 housing units for staffs.
Speaking at the handover of the site at UNZA in Lusaka today UNZA Council Chairperson, Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula said the construction is a mile stone in the development of the university.
Dr. Mabula said the project will be developed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) which the country is promoting.
She said it was pleasing that a Zambian company has been considered for such a big projects which will also set precedent for the development of other projects of such magnitude.
She has she this was also part of the citizen empowerment and urged the developer to an excellent job so that others Zambians companies might also be considered for future projects by others.
Dr. Mabula has since called on the developer to do a world class jobs which others should emulate.
And Graduare Property Development Representative Collins Sitali says the project which started with a plan five years ago will finally take off.
Mr. Sitali said the constructions which will start in the next six months will take three years to be completed.
He said the project which will be the first PPP project will be done with much cautiousness and exemplary for others to follow.
He said his firm had taken insights from the meetings held with both local and foreign stakeholders on how best to handle the project.
Under this project the developer will construct and manage the infrastructure for 30 years before giving it the UNZA.
The Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has called on all political parties to mobilize their members to register as voters during the continuous voter registration exercise slated to commence on June 21, 2010.
This follows the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in Lusaka that the exercise would begin on June 21 for an initial period of 90 days.
AVAP Executive Director Bonny Tembo said all political parties should undertake a vigorous mobilization exercise and sensitize their members to register as voters in order to abate voter apathy in the 2011 tripartite
elections.
Mr Tembo has however cautioned politicians against ferrying potential voters to registration centres, saying the trend was illegal and was tantamount to flouting electoral procedures.
He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that eligible voters should register as voters on their own free will and not be coerced to do so.
The AVAP Executive Director also urged the media to partner with the ECZ for them to fully understand the voter registration exercise for them to report professionally on the exercise.
He said since the media plays a vital role in the electoral processes, it should therefore have detailed information about the exercise in order to be able to enlighten society on the importance of the exercise.
Mr Tembo also urged the ECZ not to be selective in its media campaign butto work with all media house regardless of their status to capture a wide variety of potential voters.
shikapwasha Chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha visits the PF cadre who was shot by health Deputy minister Solomon MusondaChief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has said the police are not playing double standards on calls to arrest Deputy Minister of Health Solomon Musonda who allegedly shot and wounded a suspected PF cadre in Serenje last week.
Gen. Shikapwasha said the police should be left to do their work especially that they have already recorded a warn-and-caution statement from Dr Musonda and are still processing the case.
He said Government will not put undue pressure on the police but will leave them to do professional investigations into Dr Musonda’s case.
Gen. Shikapwasha said people who are calling for the resignation of Dr Musonda to pave way for investigations should leave the matter to him.
[pullquote]He said Government will not put undue pressure on the police but will leave them to do professional investigations into Dr Musonda’s case.[/pullquote]
He said once the case is clear, President Banda will be able to do what he sees fit to ensure that the due process of the law takes its course.
And University Teaching Hospital spokesperson Pauline Mbangweta has described as stable the condition of Patriotic Front (PF) cadre Jackson Musaka, who was shot in the forehead allegedly by Dr Musonda.
Ms Mbangweta said Mr Musaka is recovering from the bullet wound he suffered after being shot in the forehead.
She said Mr Musata is now eating and responding well to treatment.
[pullquote]“I am confirming that I visited Mr Musaka this morning (yesterday) and the doctors attending to him have said that he is out of danger and that he is quickly responding to treatment, he is talking now and eating,” Ms Mbangweta said.[/pullquote]
Ms Mbangweta said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the UTH management is happy that Mr Musaka is responding well to treatment and that all the necessary interventions are being worked out by doctors at the institution to ensure his quick recovery.
“I am confirming that I visited Mr Musaka this morning (yesterday) and the doctors attending to him have said that he is out of danger and that he is quickly responding to treatment, he is talking now and eating,” Ms Mbangweta said.
She urged the Zambian people to continue praying for the quick recovery of Mr Musaka.
THE Government has announced that public service employees who do not receive their salaries through the Direct Debit and Credit Clearing (DDACC) system would receive their pay this week.
According to a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja, Government employees already on the DDACC system started receiving their salaries last week.
He apologised to the affected Government employees for the inconvenience and hardships caused by the dalayed salaries.
“We apologise to the affected Government employees for the inconvenience and hardship caused by the late payments of salaries,” he said.
Dr Kanganja has, however, assured the affected workers that the administrative and technical challenges that led to the recent delayed payment of salaries have been identified, and that appropriate measures had been instituted to avoid similar occurrences in the future.
“The administrative/ technical challenges that led to the recent late payment of salaries have been identified and appropriate remedial measures have been put in place to avoid delayed payment of salaries in the future,” Dr Kanganja said.
GOVERNMENT says it is disappointed with United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema and his Patriotic Front counterpart Michael Sata for allegedly politicising the conviction of The Post editor-in-chief Fred M’membe by a Lusaka Magistrate Court.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said opposition leaders should learn to respect the decisions of the Judiciary.
He said in Lusaka yesterday that he is disappointed that Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata are ignorantly accusing Government of having influenced the conviction of M’membe on contempt charges.
[pullquote]Gen. Shikapwasha said the same courts that acquitted The Post news editor Chansa Kabwela convicted M’membe and wondered why Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata did not accuse Government of influencing the case.[/pullquote]
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said the Judiciary is independent and Government has nothing to do with the conviction and sentencing of M’membe to four months imprisonment with hard labour.Monday, June 7, 2010
“I am really disappointed with the ignorance of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, Mr Sata and other opposition leaders because they should know that the work of the Judiciary is independent from Government,” he said.
Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said the process and outcome of the contempt of court offence that was committed by M’membe was done according to the law.
“So, Government has got nothing to do with him (M’membe) committing an offence. We should allow for the process of the law to take its course,” he said.
Gen. Shikapwasha said the same courts that acquitted The Post news editor Chansa Kabwela convicted M’membe and wondered why Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata did not accuse Government of influencing the case.
The minister said the judiciary is independent and made the decision to acquit Ms Kabwela just like it did with the conviction and subsequent sentencing of M’membe.
[pullquote]
Gen. Shikapwasha also said the international media cannot order the courts of law on how they should make decisions especially that they do not belong to Zambia.[/pullquote]
“So, let us leave the Judiciary to do its own work. People should not politicise operations of the Judiciary,” he said.
Gen. Shikapwasha also said the international media cannot order the courts of law on how they should make decisions especially that they do not belong to Zambia.
The minister said the international media should respect the laws of Zambia because they do not segregate and that any citizen who commits a crime is liable to face the law and M’membe is no exception.
He said those exhibiting ignorance about the conviction of M’membe should take time to study the judgement for them to understand and stop commenting on the matter ignorantly.
Citizens Forum executive director Simon Kabanda talking about the arrest and detention of controversial catholic priest Frank Bwalya
The Citizen’s forum has called for the reviewing of laws surrounding the contempt of court in Zambia.
Citizen’s forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda says that lots of innocent Zambians have continued to be unfairly convicted because of this law.
Mr. Kabanda cited the media as one of the many victims that suffer at the hands of the Zambian contempt of court law. He said that the media in Zambia operate under very difficult conditions which if certain laws are not reviewed will make them go to prison on a daily basis.
He said certain laws need to be reviewed to favor the operation of the media unlike what is happening at the moment.
Mr. Kabanda has also added to calls for the President to have his powers reviewed in order to reduce the interference in the judiciary.
He was speaking last evening on Monday Nite live
And Mr. Kabanda says that it will be impossible for the Electoral commission of Zambia to achieve its number of 2.5 million voters as registered voters without addressing challenging issues.
Commenting on the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s announcement that the voter registration exercise will commence on the 21st of June 2010, Mr. Kabanda stated that the poor road network will be one of the major challenges that will hinder the progress of the voter registration exercise.
CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema to first reverse the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation (RAMCOZ) before he can start talking about the sale of 75 percent Zamtel shares to Lap Green Networks of Libya.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, told journalists at Lusaka City Airport yesterday that Mr Hichilema’s plans to reverse the privatisation of Zamtel and Zanaco if he is elected as President are uncalled for.
“I want to challenge him first of all even before people consider him; let him reverse the process of privatisation and liquidation that he did at RAMCOZ and many other companies including Lima Bank,” he said.
Lt.Gen. Shikapwasha said as a result of the privatisation and liquidation of RAMCOZ, the people of Luanshya have suffered a lot.
Lt.Gen Shikapwasha assured the nation that the security of the country will not be jeopardised following the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel to a foreign firm.
He said all security issues were looked into before a decision was made to sale majority shares in the company to a foreign company.
“Zambians must not worry that the sell of Zamtel will prove to be a security risk. All these issues were looked into and all those who use the facility, including the defence forces, will still be able to operate normally without any fear of any privileged information ending up elsewhere,” Lt.Gen Shikapwasha said.
Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei said the sale of Zamtel will continue to benefit Zambians both in dividends and taxes.
He said being a parastatal, the company was not remitting any taxes but that the new owners will begin doing so as soon as they begin to make profits.
“I cannot tell how much money we will collect from the new investors but when they start operating, we will look at the profits; then we will start taxing them,” he said.
And Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) president Mwilola Imakando says the sale of Zamtel makes economic sense and that the company must now be ready to compete with other players in the sector.
Dr Imakando said in a separate interview that Zamtel has been sold at a late hour when it is unable to offer services efficiently.
He said the major concern before was the moratorium of not allowing new companies to come on the scene.
He said, however, the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel will allow the company to build up muscle and make it ready to compete effectively.
He said having a competitor will improve the operations of the company, which has been unable to make any returns on the investment that has been built over the years.
Government has sold 75 percent shares to Libya’s Lap Green Networks.
