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The Week/end in Pictures
Five people die in car crash
Five people died on the spot in MUNGWI district, Northern Province after being hit by a motor vehicle on saturday.
An unregistered TOYOTA Nadir lost control and hit 26 people killing five on the spot.
Northern Province Police Commanding Officer CHARLES LUNGU told ZNBC news that 21 people are admitted in KASAMA General Hospital.
Mr LUNGU said the driver of the vehicle is being held by Police and has been charged with careless driving.
Mr. LUNGU said the fifth person who died was a passenger in the vehicle which was involved in the accident.
He said upon seeing what the driver had done the passenger got off the vehicle in a state of confusion and started running.
The passenger was however run over by the vehicle he was in as the driver tried to run away from the scene of the accident.
The accident happened on SATURDAY 10th April.
ZNBC
RB mourns Mwale
President Rupiah Banda was this afternoon among several mourners who attended a church funeral service for the late former Works and Supply Minister Hazwell Mwale at Lusaka’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Mr Banda was joined by former Presidents Kenneth kaunda and Fredrick Chiluba who also attended the church service.
Earlier, Dr Kaunda described Mr Mwale as a man who stood for unity and peace.
He said Mr Mwale contributed immensely to Zambia and its neighbours during the liberation struggle.
Government has accorded Mr Mwale a State funeral.
Mr. Mwale who is survived by two children will be put to rest at the New Leopards Hill memorial Park in Lusaka this afternoon.
In 1964 Mr Mwale served as Chama MP while between 1969 to 1988 he was Lumezi MP.
Mr. Mwale died at the age of 79 in Lusaka on Thursday last week.
President Banda has also declared Monday April 12th, 2010 a day of national mourning in honour of the late former Minister of works and supply Hazwell Mwale.
ZNBC
Government working on providing safe water transport
Communications and Transport Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa has said government is working on improving safety of inland water transport to mitigate water accidents in the country.
Responding to the recent deaths of people on Lake Tanganyika and Kafue River after their wooden boats capsized while trying to cross on water, Professor Lungwangwa said government has already started putting up measures to mitigate the impact.
He said government is currently rehabilitating the post boat on Lake Bangweulu to serve people’s need of inland water transport.
Prof. Lungwangwa disclosed that government is also procuring a boat on Lake Bangweulu in an effort to boost inland water transport.
He said government would rehabilitate another post boat in Mongu to be used to serve people on the Zambezi River.
Meanwhile, the Minister described the accidents as unfortunate and untimely adding government could not do anything to prevent them.
He said government would work hard to ensure that there were no accidents of such nature.
QFM
RB declares day of national mourning for former minister
Republican President Rupiah Banda has declared today, Monday April 12th, 2010 a day of national mourning in honour of the late former Minister of works and supply Haswel Mwale.
In a statement released to MUVI TV News, Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja stated that the national mourning begins from 6 am to 6 pm.
Dr. Kanganja says all radio and television stations should play solemn music during the period of national mourning.
A funeral church service is scheduled to be held today at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Thereafter burial will take place at the Old Leopards Hill in Lusaka.
Mr. Mwale died on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
[MUVI TV]
Parents of Zambian student killed in Russia feel sidelined
The parents of the Zambian student who died in Russia have accused the Zambian and Russian governments of unfair treatment in the investigations of circumstances that led to his death.
The family has wondered why the investigative wings are carrying out an identification process without their involvement. They said that they felt unfairly treated especially that they are poor.
19 year old Lance Mate went missing on November 6, 2009 after a quarrel with some Russians and his body was last week retrieved from Kazanka River in Kazan City.
Mrs. Juliet Mate, the mother to the deceased, also expressed disappointment at what she described as a a bad picture being painted of her late son. She said he was a decent child who performed very well at school.
The Zambian Government has remained tight-lipped over the killing while Russian Ambassador to Zambia Boris Malakhov regretted Mate’s death.
[MUVI TV]
Only foreign investors show interest in Public Private Partnership projects.
GOVERNMENT is concerned that only foreign investors, especially South African companies, are keen in applying for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects.
Director of the PPP Unit at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning David Ndopu said Government is concerned that not many Zambians are coming forward to partner with it in PPP projects.
He said this on Friday night during an Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ)-Southern Region business discussion at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka.
Mr Ndopu said engineers can play a pivotal role in creating opportunities for Zambians to participate in PPP projects.
“There is limited local capacity to undertake and finance PPP projects. Post HIPC conditionalities could also have been contributing factors,” Mr Ndopu said.
Mr Ndopu who was presenting a paper on ‘PPP policy, strategy, implementation and opportunities’ urged the engineers in Zambia to take up the challenge and partner with Government on various PPP projects.
He said government has been doing its best to advertise the projects so that Zambians could actively participate in the projects.
Mr Ndopu said the projects that government is undertaking through PPPs are more of public interest than for generating excessive profits.
“Government would have to ensure that the returns are not excessive. Projects must be in line with government intentions,” he said.
He said another challenge for the government and local investors is a lot of protectionism in view of the requirement that government must provide a guarantee so that the country does not slide back into debt.
Mr Ndopu also said that many Zambians are highly expectant of the PPPs because they think that these will sort out all problems in Zambia.
“People think that PPP has come to sort out all the problems that the country has. But PPP is not a panacea for our problems,” Mr Ndopu said.
He said government has advertised various projects under the PPP. These include the Lusaka International Airport development, Nansanga Farm hydro-power generation and irrigation project in Serenje, and the refurbishment of the Kazungula and Kasumbalesa border posts.
EIZ President Mr Henry Musonda said while it is the responsibility of the private sector to provide government with high quality partnership, it remains government’s responsibility to provide infrastructure.
He said government’s decision to waive tax for some sectors has also been a challenge to investors working on certain projects.
Mr Musonda suggested that donors should help local investors who may have interest in PPP projects but lack capacity to do.
He said government must consider working closely with EIZ because engineers can play a significant role in helping Zambia achieve its Vision 2030 plans.
An investment banking consultant, Mr Siyanga Malumo, said in his presentation on “ Resource Mobilisation for PPP projects and investment financing’ that PPP investors should not work in isolation if they want to successfully implement their projects.
He said investors should engage others experts to do certain jobs, such as project proposals.
Speaking at the same function, National Council for Construction chairman Francis Ndilila said lack of capacity for Zambians to actively participate in the PPP programmes is a creation of Zambians and not foreigners.
Dr Ndilila, who is also a consultant, said Zambians can succeed if they partner with foreign investors who have the technical and financial muscle.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Daka questions GBM’s boasting over FRA debt
THE Government has questioned the calibre of opposition leaders like Lusaka business executive Geoffrey Mwamba seeking to be in Government when he has failed to settle a K2.4 billion debt to the Food Reserve Agency that takes care of peasant farmers.
Minister of Agriculture Peter Daka wondered yesterday why Mr Mwamba had failed to settle a 1998 loan from FRA which he now was claiming was petty cash to him when the same money works as a revolving fund to pay poor peasant farmers.
Mr Mwamba at a Press briefing yesterday boasted that he would today settle the debt to enable him recover the seized building seized by the FRA last week.
He said he would today instruct his junior accountant to pay the FRA debt so that he reclaims the seized building.
The seized building in Lusaka also houses the central secretariat for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), a party to which Mr Mwamba belongs and is a Member of Parliament.
Mr Mwamba, flanked by PF spokesperson Given Lubinda accused the Government of ‘squeezing’ him and mixing his business with politics, and that he was not a finished business person as some people were saying.
But Mr Daka said it was surprising that Mr Mwamba could drag the Government into an issue that was purely commercial between his business and the FRA.
He said the FRA was an independent institution operating through an Act of Parliament and there was no way the Government could interfere in its operations.
[pullquote]“If he is calling K2.4 billion petty cash why did it take him long to service the loan?” he asked.[/pullquote]
He said the FRA had its own mandate and through its board of directors made all its decisions and decided whom to do business with.
“The issue is between GBM and FRA and it is purely commercial without any political connotations,” he said.
Mr Daka said it was also shocking that Mr Mwamba and Mr Lubinda who were once political rivals when they battled for the Kabwata Constituency seat in 2006 were now friends who teamed up to denounce the Government based on false allegations.
He said as minister he could not understand why Mr Mwamba could boast about having a lot of money through a Press conference when he had neglected to service his indebtedness since 1998.
“If he is calling K2.4 billion petty cash why did it take him long to service the loan?” he asked.
Mr Daka said it was unfortunate that most farmers across Zambia remained poor when people like Mr Mwamba were not paying the FRA.
He said Government remained selfless and committed to the development of the agriculture sector through support to the farmers.
“That money is a lot to pay farmers across the country and he is not giving FRA,” he said.
He said the matter was decided by the courts that Mr Mwamba should pay the FRA and the Government.
And the FRA has confirmed that the Supreme Court passed a judgment in1998 against GBM Trucking and GBM Milling
FRA legal counsel, Chola Kafwabulula said in a statement yesterday that the court judgment was delivered in January.
He said the deal between the FRA and GBM was purely commercial and there where no politics involved.
He said GBM willingly offered collateral in form of a building in Villa Elizabetha and that was not done under any duress.
The Supreme Court upheld an earlier High Court decision in favour of FRA after GBM appealed to the higher court.
On April 7, the FRA seized a property belonging to GBM Trucking to recover more than K2.4 billion it was owed.
[Times of Zambia]
President Rupiah Banda wants work on key roads completed this year
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has directed the minister of Finance and National Planning to immediately mobilise additional funds for the construction of main roads throughout the country this year.
The president called for the acceleration of road construction works in all the provinces following the end of the rainy season.
He said in a statement released by special assistant to the president for Press and public Relations Dickson Jere yesterday that the cost of repairing the roads had gone up because of the delays in completing the works.
Mr Banda said he wanted to specifically see the completion of the construction of the Mutanda-Chavuma Road in North-Western Province, Choma-Chitongo-Namwala Road in Southern Province, and the Kasama-Luwingu Road in Northern Province.
“A number of key roads have been under construction for many years without being completed due to inadequate funds.
“The delays in completing road construction have led to the escalation of costs over the years, compounding the problem of inadequate resources,” the president said.
He also directed the minister of Works and Supply to mobilise contractors to ensure that the specified roads are completed this year.
The president, however, said his directive to accelerate the road works should not in any way be used as an excuse to compromise the quality of works by contractors engaged by Government.
“In this regard, Road Development Agency officials and consulting engineers engaged to supervise these road works are directed to ensure that each and every road constructed meets the highest standards of quality and durability,” he said.
Mr Banda said apart from the specified roads that should be completed this year, works should commence on a number of other economically-strategic roads throughout the country.
He directed the minister of Finance and National Planning to mobilise extra funds from the bilateral and multilateral institutions specifically for the roads sector.
“My Government is committed to improving growth-enhancing infrastructure in the country. My Government is also calling upon the private sector to work closely with the Government and participate in infrastructure development through public private partnerships (PPP),” the president said.
A number of projects had been advertised under the PPP framework to enable the private sector participate in infrastructure development.
A legal and regulatory framework was already in place through the enactment of the PPP Act of 2009 which provided a conducive environment for private sector participationt.
“I, therefore, wish to appeal to the private sector to rise to the occasion and hasten to bring development and prosperity of our people as quickly as possible,” President Banda said.
He said the Government would continue prioritising the construction of schools, trades and training institutions, hospitals, clinics and health posts in every province of Zambia.
[Times of Zambia]
Ndola hospital sued for negligence
A NDOLA man has sued Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) and the attorney general for compensation and damages caused by the alleged negligence caused by NCH staff who swapped his baby with another after the man’s wife gave birth in January this year.
This is according to a writ of claim filed on Thursday in the Ndola High Court by Kennedy Kazeza of Broadway in Ndola, who has sued NCH as the first defendant and the attorney general as the second defendant for compensation after his baby was swapped by hospital staff.
Mr Kazeza has said in his claim that he wants compensation for damages caused by negligence.
He wants refund in the estimated sum of K22,155,000 and interest as well as costs and any other relief the court may deem fit.
The statement of claim reads that Mr Kazeza is the biological father of the baby swapped with another baby after his wife gave birth at the hospital on January 19 to a baby boy.
Mr Kazeza said due to the negligence of the NCH staff on duty, they gave a wrong child to his wife while his was given to another woman.
He said the hospital had up to now refused to disclose the name or names of the members of staff that handed over a wrong child.
Mr Kazeza said while he and his wife were HIV negative, their baby had tested positive for the antibodies of HIV as a result of having breastfed from an HIV-positive woman, the same named woman.
[Times of Zambia]
Zanaco Win, Zesco Utd Stutter
Zanaco made a bright start to their Super Division title defence thanks to a 2-0 home win over Lusaka Dynamos at Sunset stadium in Lusaka today.
However, it was not the same at Kafubu stadium in Luanshya today where Zesco United first win of the season continues to elude them.
Striker Venacious Mapande scored his first goal for Zanaco since joining from Chambishi this season in the 30th minute.
Winston Kalengo made sure of the points in the 81st minutes.
Meanwhile, in Luanshya, Zesco squandered a 1-0 lead to finish 1-1 at their adopted home in Luanshya against Kabwe Warriors.
Kangwa Chileshe put Zesco ahead in the 23rd minute and it looked like the home side was heading for their first league win of the season but Maonga Kabuku equalized for the share of the points in the 61st minute.
Zesco are still without a league win from three games played with three successive draws.
[standings league_id=15 template=extend logo=false]
Indeni shut temporarily amid State assurance
INDENI Petroleum Refinery in Ndola yesterday closed down temporarily for six days, with an assurance from Government that this will not create a shortage of petroleum products.
And Government says it has made progress in rehabilitating strategic reserve tanks in some parts of the district to ensure a smooth supply of fuel to consumers across the country.
Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga said the six-day shutdown was prompted by the need to create operational storage space for petroleum products at the refinery, as at the moment the facility is filled to capacity.
Mr Konga, who announced this in a statement read by his deputy Lubinda Imasiku in Ndola yesterday, said the country will have more than adequate stocks of petroleum products during the shutdown.
“The shutdown will not compromise the availability of petroleum products,” Mr Konga said.
Mr Konga said due to a continuous build-up of stocks through local production and imports, there will also be sufficient fuel during the 2010 periodic maintenance refinery shutdown from September 1 to October 15, 2010.
He said the six-day shutdown will create enough operational storage to enable resumption of operations on April 16, 2010.
Mr Konga said the refinery cannot continue operating without adequate storage space as this results in re-circulation of processed products to the feedstock storage facilities which is an additional cost to the refining process.
“The refinery has currently run out of operational storage space due to depressed demand for petroleum products which is characteristic of rainy seasons when open pit mining activities and road construction significantly reduce,” he said.
Mr Konga said stock levels of petroleum products at the fuel terminal and Indeni Petroluem Refinery are 54,643,000 litres for diesel, which is sufficient for 50 days of national consumption at current daily consumption.
There are 10,425,000 litres of low sulphur diesel, which is enough for 70 days of national consumption at daily consumption.
He said the terminus has 13,717,000 litres of petrol which is equivalent for 20 days of national consumption at current daily consumption.
There is 3,672,000 litres of Jet A1 which is enough to last 25 days and kerosene supplies are at 2,029,000 litres to last 41 days.
[pullquote]“The refinery has currently run out of operational storage space due to depressed demand for petroleum products which is characteristic of rainy seasons when open pit mining activities and road construction significantly reduce,” he said.[/pullquote]
Heavy fuel oils stocks are at 29,109 metric tonnes which is sufficient for 162 days.
And responding to questions from journalists, Mr Imasiku said that Government will soon award contracts for the rehabilitation of reserve tanks and that the job should be completed in September this year.
He said a reserve tank that was recently rehabilitated at Tazama terminal will increase the storage capacity of petroleum products.
He said Government under President Banda’s leadership has done well in stabilising fuel stocks and supplies.
He said the flow of imported fuel was coming in as scheduled and the first consignment to be shipped by Glencore Company limited, a company that has been contracted to import crude, is expected to dock in Dar es Salaam on April 22, 2010.
And Mr Imasiku said Government is holding discussions with Indeni on a US$16.7 million foreign debt that was incurred jointly by Government and Total El-finale International, the former investor in the country’s sole refinery.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
First Lady urges women to upgrade business skills
FIRST Lady Thandiwe Banda has appealed to women in Zambia to keep on updating their entrepreneurial and business management skills to effectively contribute to the development of the country.
Mrs Banda said by improving their skills women will make themselves available for influential positions not because men sympathise with gender but because they deserve the positions they aspire for.
“When you want something said, you ask a man and he will say it so convincingly and when you want something done, you ask a woman, and she does it so effectively,” she said.
Mrs Banda said this confirms women’s central position in national development in all African countries.
She was speaking at a Women’s Investment Portfolio Holdings (WIPHOLD) Gala dinner held at Hotel Inter-Continental in Lusaka on Friday night.
Mrs Banda said Zambia’s long-term development objective is to become a prosperous middle-income country by 2030.
She said this aspiration, as detailed in the national Vision 2030 document, will be attained through concerted and targeted interventions aimed at increasing growth, reducing poverty and improving the living standards of Zambians.
[pullquote]“When you want something said, you ask a man and he will say it so convincingly and when you want something done, you ask a woman, and she does it so effectively,” she said.[/pullquote]
She said it is not an exaggeration to state that women are indispensable players in the development of any country because of their God-given patience.
Mrs Banda urged women to work together towards Zambia’s economic development, as WIPHOLD continues to establish itself as a leading investment-holding and financial services group engaging women on pertinent issues.
At the same function, South African deputy high commissioner to Zambia Lukas Makwane said gender equality and women’s empowerment is central to achieving the millennium development goals, although there are still many areas of concern regarding economic empowerment.
Mr Makwena said women should be provided with access to credit so that they can build and own their businesses.
“Our Government recognises the importance of women to the development of the country and the region and has been putting relevant policies in place to support their participation in national building,” he said.
Mr Makwane said since 1994, South Africa has had great numbers of women’s group involved in various development activities such as construction, hospitality, retail, finance, mining and transport.
He said that Zambia is a very important partner for South Africa both politically and economically.
Mr Makwane said South Africa is trading more with Zambia than other countries in the Southern African Development Community.
He said his country has also a commitment of over US$700 million in terms of investment since 1994 and is likely to increase in light of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Co-operation by the two Governments.
Mr Makwane said South Africa will support any initiative that provides an avenue for women to achieve financial independence.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Felix Mutati said women can make a great change to the economic empowerment of the country as 80 percent of people involved in business are women.
Minister of Education Dora Siliya said this is the time for women to be rebranded through education for more national development.
Ms Siliya said there are many women in the country who have the potential help enhance economic development.
“When you empower a woman, the economy is truly revived in a woman,” she said.
WIPHOLD chief executive officer Louisa Mojela said women should not be left out of development programmes because they are drivers of such projects.
Ms Mojela said WIPHOLD has come to Zambia because the country has sound Government policies on development that support entrepreneurial and business management for women.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Sata’s vehicle was just scratched by a woman trying to reverse her car, Mangani
HOME Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has urged Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to play sober politics and desist from making bad jokes on alleged threats on his life.
Reacting to Mr Sata’s alleged attempt on his life in Milanzi parliamentary constituency during the filing in of nominations, Mr Mangani said the PF president was only joking, but unfortunately such jokes could mislead his followers.
He said neither he nor President Banda could plot to eliminate Mr Sata and if anything they wish him long life.
“I know that deep down his heart, Mr Sata is joking. He knows that the President cannot plan to have him killed, even I cannot do it. But these are bad jokes because his followers may take them differently,” Mr Mangani said.
He said though unfortunate, the Milanzi incident where a woman who was trying to reverse her vehicle, caused a minor scratch on Mr Sata’s parked vehicle cannot be said to be an attempt on his life.
Mr Mangani said Mr Sata should be careful with the way he plays the traditional cousinship with him, because allegations of attempts on one’s life could be dangerous.
Meanwhile, the MMD in the Eastern Province has dismissed allegations of threats on Mr Sata’s life in an incident that happened in full view of the people during the filing in of nominations for the Milanzi seat.
[pullquote]He said though unfortunate, the Milanzi incident where a woman who was trying to reverse her vehicle, caused a minor scratch on Mr Sata’s parked vehicle cannot be said to be an attempt on his life.[/pullquote]
MMD Eastern Province chairperson Kennedy Zulu has advised the PF leader to leave President Banda out of the Milanzi incident involving their vehicle that was carrying their candidate Whiteson Banda and that of Mr Sata which was being driven by his driver.
He said Mr Sata was in a tent at the venue of nominations and only came out when the two parties clashed.
Mr Zulu said as commotion built up, a PF cadre allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot at MMD cadres.
He said the MMD camp has reported the matter to the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the police for investigations.
Mr Zulu said allegations by Mr Sata that the MMD national executive committee (NEC) officials deliberately stayed away from the alleged attempt on his life were untrue.
The provincial chairman, who is a NEC member, together with deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu were there when the incident happened. Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarckio Kazonga, who is the campaign manager, was also present.
Mr Zulu said Mr Sata is just jittery because of the evident massive support for the MMD in Milanzi in particular and Eastern Province as a whole.
He said the MMD in Milanzi is certain of a landside victory.
Mr Zulu said development projects that the MMD government has initiated in the province such as construction of schools, rural health centres and grading of feeder roads are enough campaign for them.
He said Mr Sata saw for himself that the MMD is a crowd-puller in the province. Mr Zulu charged that the graphical crowds that Mr Sata is said to have attracted in Milanzi by some sections of the media was wishful thinking.
He said the PF leader did not address any rally in Milanzi and his attempt to do so at the venue of nominations was unsuccessful.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Zambia might not reach the objectives of the new Budget cycle
A parliamentarian has projected that Zambia will fail to meet the objectives of the new National budget cycle because government has been reckless in handling national matters.
Independent luena Member of Parliament, Charles Milupi told Qfm in an interview that the possibility of the new budget cycle becoming a major success as earlier projected, was very small because government has not given the necessary attention to the critical issues that need to be addressed in implementing the strategy.
Mr Milupi said that government has not invested enough time and seriousness in the implementation of the budget cycle but has focused its energies on mere politicking at the expense of the poor Zambians who are yearning for a change.
Mr.Milupi said the government has failed to meet the inflation targets and very little has been invested in trying to make frantic efforts to change the economical situation in the country.
Meanwhile economist Bob Sichinga observed that no major change will be attained if government does not reconsider the reporting dates, as the new budget cycle is implemented.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Sichinga said there is still a huge delay in release of the required information on the performance of the new cycle due to the fact that the reporting dates have remained stagnant.
He said that there is need to also look into what dates the government updates the people on the various performance reports as the new budget cycle undergoes scrutiny.
Mr. Sichinga said unless these necessary changes are made in the reporting process of the budget performance, there will be very little to attain from the new budget cycle.
He noted that it will be very useless for government if this new plan does not meet their objectives in national development.
[QFM]