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Q-FM apologises to President Banda

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Q-FM Radio stations Management says the station is saddened and regret’s the damages caused on President Banda during a recent Q-Fm radio progarmmme were they featured Kafulafuta Member of Parliament (MP) George Mpombo. On the said Programme, Mr. Mpombo alleged that President Banda stopped over in South Africa to watch the World Cup finals on his way to Turkey when the allegations were not true.

Q-FM Managing Director Moses Nyama said the station is saddened by such an event and noted that the whole issue was regrettable. He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka on Thursday that the Station regrets that Mr. Mpombo used the station to mudsling others instead of speaking the truth.

Mr. Nyama noted that Q-FM is a media institution that wants to highlight facts on issues that promote national development.

He has since urged all politicians in the country not to use the media to mudsling others but to bring about issues that are of national interest.

Mr. Nyama said politicians like Mr. Mpombo will not be tolerated at the station adding that the station will regard them as enemies who are not credible sources for the radio station.

He urged Mr. Mpombo to show remorse and apologize over the misleading statement he made recently which he said was bent on tarnishing the name of President Banda.

And Forum for Progressive Politics (FPP) has appealed to the media fraternity to be factual when reporting on issues of national interest.

FPP Secretary General Charles Kafumbo said the media should stop misleading the nation by always distorting facts particularly on the head of state’s visit and many other development programmes in the nation.

Mr Kafumbo said private media houses should revisit their ethical and professional standards because they have become leaders in peddling lies. He also urged former Government leaders like former Defence Minister George Mpombo to stop speculating and spreading lies saying doing so compromised their integrity.

Mr Kafumbo said in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka Friday that the public expected former Government leaders to conduct themselves exemplary.

Meanwhile, Mr Kafumbo has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to remove the 90 days voter registration period tag if the commission was to be to capture its targeted more than two million new voters.

He said the 90 days period tag would only result in failure to capture the intended new voters. “The exercise is mobile, most constituencies like Chawama have only one at Katwishi grounds whereas most would be voters are flocking to polling districts expecting to find registration officers”, Mr Kafumbo observed.

The FPP Secretary General appealed to ECZ to revisit its contractual obligation with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) to carry out mobile publicity of the exercise

ZANIS

Nathaniel Tumbwe pleads guilty to rape and second charge of transmitting HIV – Dallas Texas

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A man who calls himself "Dr. Rev. Prince" Nathaniel Tumbwe pleads guilty to rape and second charge of transmitting HIV for having unprotected sex with women in Dallas County without telling them he was HIV positive.

A man who raped a woman when he had advanced AIDS pleaded guilty Thursday in the middle of his trial, just as Dallas County prosecutors were wrapping up their case against him.

Nathaniel Tumbwe – who refers to himself as a doctor, a reverend and a Zambian prince – also pleaded guilty to a pending case for transmitting HIV to another woman during consensual sex while in a relationship.

Tumbwe, 47, also gave the virus to another woman, prosecutors said. None of the women knew he was HIV-positive when they had sex with him.

Tumbwe and prosecutors agreed to a 15-year sentence on each charge, with the terms to be served concurrently. He will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence. Authorities will deport Tumbwe to Zambia when he is released.

Carolyn Hudson, 60, the woman Tumbwe raped, said in an interview after the trial that she agreed to the plea deal because he admitted his guilt in both cases, and because the other women were reluctant to testify if the trial reached the punishment phase.

“It sounded good,” Hudson said about the plea deal. “I knew that the other women did not want to testify even though they would have.”

Hudson said she hasn’t met the other women, who also approved of the deal.

“I would like to,” she said. “I would like to pray with her.”

The Dallas Morning News does not typically name victims of sex crimes, but Hudson asked that her name be published because she wants to show that she is not ashamed of what happened and wants to represent all his victims.

Hudson has not tested positive for HIV. She must be tested once a year for 10 years.

Tumbwe sexually assaulted Hudson in October 2008 at her Cedar Hill home when she invited him to dinner to discuss a ministry he wanted to begin. He had repeatedly asked her to marry him and for sex, but she had declined multiple times.

Hudson testified that she had been celibate in the 12 years since her divorce until the sexual assault. Hudson and Tumbwe were two of about 600 elders at Potter’s House, the megachurch in Dallas.

Tumbwe had faced up to 20 years in prison on the charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for raping Hudson. He could have been sentenced to life in prison on the other charge, aggravated assault that caused serious bodily injury.

Prosecutors Josh Healy and Kate Pfeifle said the deadly weapon was Tumbwe’s penis and bodily fluid containing HIV.

Before Tumbwe pleaded guilty, he tried to persuade State District Judge Andy Chatham not to require him to verbally agree that he was pleading guilty.

“I can just lift up my hand,” he said to his defense attorneys, Michael Levin and Omar Nawaz. He also objected to a news camera recording his guilty plea.

Tumbwe’s reasoning? “I’m a prince in the country where I grew up,” he claimed. “Because of my royalty.”

But Chatham said Tumbwe had to answer verbally, and he allowed the camera in the courtroom.

“I’m not going to fudge it and say ‘close enough,’ ” the judge said.

Tumbwe eventually agreed to speak.

“Yes, your honor,” Tumbwe responded when Chatham asked if Tumbwe’s guilty plea was made freely.

After Tumbwe pleaded, Hudson took the witness stand to address Tumbwe in a victim impact statement. She wrote down what she wanted to tell him in advance, but ended up speaking without looking at her notebook.

“Mr. Tumbwe, not Rev. Dr. Tumbwe, not Rev. Dr. Prince Tumbwe,” she began. “Nathaniel Tumbwe, how dare you think you can take advantage of a woman, especially a Christian woman?”

Hudson repeatedly asked “how dare you?” and her voice grew louder and she spoke.

“You caused me considerable damage and pain,” she said. “Every Sunday, it’s in my mind. You caused me to question the church and the faith community.

By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

Corn linked with global spread of HIV – UAB research assist

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Corn - spreading HIV Andrew Butko. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ab_food_06.jpg
Jonathan Williams of the University’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Griffin Campus led a multidisciplinary study of HIV spread in association with the University’s College of Public Health Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham’s College of Public Health, the University of Ghana, Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health and Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine that has determined two naturally occurring toxins in corn are in part responsible for the international spread of HIV.

The progression of HIV has now been shown to be related to two toxins within corn: aflatoxin and fumonisin, both of which are in much of the corn consumed in Africa.

HIV infection combined with high concentrations of the aflatoxin-albumin adduct biomarker have been associated with a decreased potential for antibody responses, decreased immune cytotoxic activity and decreased numbers of regulatory T cells, which may result in hyperactivation of the immune system. Thus, dietary sources of aflatoxin are a potential factor in the HIV epidemic.

The corn grown in the United States could contain the toxins but good farming practices in the United States reduce toxin levels.

Williams estimates that simple changes to farming practices in Africa alone could prevent one million infections per year.

That reduction in HIV infections reduces suffering and death as well as reducing the costs to governments particularly the United States that funds a vast majority of the HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Africa.

This research is the strongest correlation found to date between a common food and the worldwide spread of disease.

The research paper was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on June 30, 2010.

[Birmingham Science News Examiner]

Zambian Airways probe partially concluded

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INVESTIGATIONS into the operation of the defunct Zambian Airways have partially been completed in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Richard Taima said this in Parliament yesterday.

He also said authority has been granted for security personnel to travel to South Africa for further investigations now that the FIFA World Cup is over.

Mr Taima said investigations have delayed to be conducted in South Africa because most of the officers who were expected to assist were involved in World Cup special duties.

He said investigations are expected to be completed as soon as possible.

“The delay to conclude investigations has been due to challenges in accessing information in foreign countries where the airline used to operate,” he said.

Mr Taima said the responses to applications for mutual legal assistance from the Zambian Attorney General to the attorneys general of other countries took time but that they have been positive.

He said a total of K139,328,800 has been spent on investigations as at March 31, 2010.

Mr Taima was responding to a question from Kanchibiya MP Davies Mwango (PF) who wanted to know when investigations into operations of the defunct airline by security agencies will be completed, what the delay in the completion has been and how much money has been spent on investigations.

Three government investigative wings are investigating alleged financial irregularities at the defunct Zambian Airways to establish if there are some criminal elements in the matter.

The Zambia Police Service wrote to foreign governments requesting for clearance to enable it investigate certain institutions in connection with operations of Zambian Airways.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Reject visionless parties — FJT

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Dr Fredrick Chiluba

SECOND Republican president, Frederick Chiluba has advised Zambians against voting for political parties without manifestos as doing so will only allow such leaders to manipulate them without initiating any development in the country.

And Dr Chiluba said the Patriotic Front (PF)-United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact had failed to hold because it was just a marriage of convenience between the two leaders.

Dr Chiluba said a manifesto was the only social contract between the voters and a political party upon which leaders should be held accountable for failure to fulfil their pre-election campaign.

Speaking in an exclusive interview in Ndola yesterday, Dr Chiluba advised voters in Chifubu Constituency to desist from voting for a political party without a manifesto in place.

He said Zambians should be alert and should not cast their votes anyhow.

“As the country heads towards elections, I would want to advise Zambians against voting for political parties without manifestos. Zambians should be alert, know the position of the political party they are voting for.

‘‘They should make sure they ask for the manifesto because it is only the contents of the manifesto which will enable them to hold politicians accountable once they depart from their pre-election campaign.

“I Know Zambians are so mature, especially that they have been in this for a long time and would not want to make a mistake. Leaders must be reminded that manifestos are social contracts which should not be departed from,” Dr Chiluba said.

He said political parties such as the opposition PF would not lead anybody without a manifesto in place.

“Voting for political parties without manifestos in place is what has caused the sufferings in most parts of the country where people were promised to have the economy improved within 90 days. They are now suffering because they cannot fall back on the manifesto to hold accountable those that issued such pre-election campaigns,” he said.

He said as the country headed towards elections, Zambians should follow a political party such as the ruling MMD which he said had a track record in the political, social and economic sectors.

Dr Chiluba said naturally when the country was headed towards an election, there were always people that took pride in distorting the situation but responsible citizens should ensure they followed the MMD because it was the only political party with a good track record.

Dr Chiluba commended President Rupiah Banda’s Government for the efforts it had made in improving the country’s economy.

He said the Zambian economy had been going through difficult times, especially after the global economic recession but it was impressive that the Government was doing everything possible to have it resuscitated.

He said following the improved economy, most Zambians, especially the youth, were now running businesses and there was customer sovereignty where people were able to choose a variety of goods.

The liberalised transport system which was introduced by the MMD Government, Dr Chiluba said, had given Zambians a wider choice of transport to use.

“Where we as Zambians are just looking forward is for the new mine owners to pay attention to the improvement of the environment in their areas of investment. They should take care of the infrastructure which has been dilapidated,” he said.

He condemned the culture of insults which some politicians had resorted to, in the name of freedom of speech.

The former president said the PF-UPND Pact had failed to hold because it was a marriage of convenience between the two leaders.

He said it was an understatement to say there were cracks in the pact because the truth of the matter was that there were major holes in the pact which no amount of soil would be able to fill.

“I knew the pact will never hold, it is even an understatement to state that there are cracks in the pact because what is there are major holes which no amount of soil will be able to fill. I personally did not even think this pact existed,” he said.

He said there were a lot of drainages in the pact because the two political parties had different ideological standings where the PF believed in a strategy of one party arrangement where elections were totally alien while running of the economy depended on the party’s decision with no clear direction.

[Times of Zambia]

QFM Radio asks Mpombo to apologise

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QFM Radio in Lusaka has said MMD Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo should apologise to President Rupiah Banda for claiming that the head of State went to South Africa to watch the World Cup final or risk becoming an enemy of the station.

Speaking in Lusaka yesterday, QFM Radio managing director, Asan Nyama said since it was clear that Mr Banda did not travel to South Africa, Mr Mpombo should apologise to the president and the entire nation.

“Since it has come out that President Banda did not go to South Africa, we expect Mr Mpombo to go a step further and show remorse that what he did was wrong.

‘‘As a station, we want to be professional and everybody should be factual,” Mr Nyama said.

As a medium of communication, he said QFM was saddened by the turn of events and, therefore, asked Mr Mpombo to apologise.

If Mr Mpombo does not say sorry, the station would consider him as an unreliable source, and the former Defence minister should be shunned by all media institutions.

“We are saddened by the events and urge him to come and apologise. We regret that he came and said those things. If Mr Mpombo does not give us accurate information, then he becomes an enemy of QFM and will not be regarded as a reliable source,” Mr Nyama said.

[pullquote]If Mr Mpombo does not say sorry, the station would consider him as an unreliable source, and the former Defence minister should be shunned by all media institutions.[/pullquote]

Mr Nyama said QFM Radio was ready to give Mr Mpombo airspace to apologise to the president and the people of Zambia for the wrong impression he created by claiming that Mr Banda had travelled to South Africa to watch the World Cup final match between Spain and the Netherlands.

Mr Nyama said politicians should not engage in peddling lies about one another.

But Mr Mpombo said when he addressed a Press briefing in Ndola yesterday he would not retract his statement.

He said he had no intention of withdrawing the statement because it was a QFM reporter who called him and solicited for his comment on the basis that President Banda had stopped over in South Africa on his way to Turkey.

“The reporter asked if I did not think that President Banda had gone to watch the World Cup final since he had stopped over in South Africa on his way to Turkey.

“Considering that the president is an ardent soccer fan and one who likes to travel, I concluded he had gone to watch the soccer match,” Mr Mpombo said.

He said QFM Radio was making it look as though he had featured on their programme when he was in fact at his farm in Kafulafuta.

Mr Mpombo challenged the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Zambia chapter) and the Press Association of Zambia to retrieve the conversation he had with the reporter so that they could guide the radio station adequately.

He accused Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director Pukuta Mwanza, Independent Churches of Zambia president David Masupa and House of Chiefs chairperson Chief Mazimawe of speaking on issues they did not understand.

K200bn pumped into Health Ministry

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FINANCE and National Planning Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe has told Parliament that the Government provided K200 billion from domestic revenue to the Ministry of Health to cushion the withdrawal of funding by the donors to the ministry.

And Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa told the House that the Government would promote a stable and predictable tax regime that would promote growth not only in the mining sector but others as well.

Contributing to the debate on the report of the committee on estimates on Wednesday evening, Ms Kapwepwe told the House that the Government provided the money to mitigate the impact of the donor funding withdrawal.

Donors recently withdrew some funding to the Ministry of Health following revelations of misapplication and misappropriation of funds.

She welcomed the committee’s recommendation for the Government to increase funding to the Ministry of Health.

Earlier debating the motion, Roan Member of Parliament (MP) Chishimba Kambwili (PF) urged the Government to re-introduce the windfall tax.

Sinazongwe MP Raphael Muyanda (UPND) urged the Government to re-introduce the windfall tax, as this would help the Government collect more revenue that could be used for infrastructure development.

But Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale said the Government had to withdraw the windfall tax to make the mining companies more competitive because Zambia was operating in a global market.

[Times of Zambia]

Fake cash claims irk ECZ chief

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THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has uncovered a scam in which some district registration officers are making false claims on activities not related to the on-going voter registration exercise and warned that it will not entertain such officials.

ECZ director Dan Kalale said he had received reports of abuse of resources by district registration officers, some of whom were making claims for business unrelated to the voter registration exercise.

Mr Kalale said, in a letter of July 12, 2010 addressed to all town clerks, council secretaries, city, municipal and district councils, that the commission would only process claims from officers travelling to Lusaka specifically on ECZ business.

The ECZ would also impound any motor vehicle found on non-ECZ assignments.

The warning follows reports of claims ECZ received for subsistence and fuel expenses from some district registration officers travelling to Lusaka on assignments not related to ECZ.

“Please be advised that only claims from officers who have specifically travelled to Lusaka on Electoral Commission of Zambia business will be processed and the ECZ Land Cruisers allocated to the districts will only be used for ECZ assignments.

“Any vehicle that will be found in Lusaka on non-ECZ business will be impounded,” Mr Kalale said.

He said officers should be aware of the budget constraints for the continuous voter registration exercise, and that it was incumbent upon all officers to ensure they were as prudent as possible in expenditure.

The voter registration would initially be for a period of 90 days and each district has a registration deployment plan and timetable for its respective constituencies.

The registration officers are stationed at each registration centre in every constituency for a period of 12 days and voters would be able to register at any centre in the constituencies as long as they indicate their preferred polling stations.

Meanwhile, the commission has expressed disappointment at the continued low turnout of people to register as voters in Livingstone under the on-going voter registration exercise.

More than 1,800 people have so far been registered in Livingstone District since the exercise started on June 21 this year.

Livingstone ECZ assistant registration officer, Nelson Sakala said the commission was also disappointed by some Livingstone residents who had continued to tear down voter registration campaign posters, adding that such behaviour was affecting public sensitisation on the programme.

Mr Sakala was speaking on a live-phone in programme on Zambezi FM.

[Times of Zambia]

Expose the 2011 candidate, UPND/PF pact urged.

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Citizens Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda

Two civil society organizations have called on the Patriotic Pront (PF and the United Party for National Development (UPND) pact to expose the leader who will be contesting the 2011 elections.

Southern African center for constructive resolution of disputes SACCORD information officer Obby Chibuluma says that once the leaders is exposed, the cracks reported in the pact will be addressed.

He said that the pact risks losing its value if such issues are not addressed by the two leaders, Hakainde Hichilema and Michael sata.

Mr. Chibuluma said that the pact should solve its issues because Zambia needs a stronger opposition for the benefit of checks and balances.

He noted that if the opposition is weak, then government would have its own way in leading the nation.

Mr Chibuluma said it is important that the deadlock in the PF/UPND pact is resolved to ensure that the Zambia political atmosphere is balanced.

Mr. Chibuluma was speaking last evening on Public’s Last Say.

And speaking on the same programme, Citizens Forum executive Secretary Simon Kabanda said what is happening in the pact is disappointing to the people.

He observed that that the pact belongs tof Zambians, and the obtaining scenario is a great disappointment.

Mr. Kabanda has maintained that the only people that can solve the current challenges are the two leaders.
[ QFM ]

Care-Zambia launches an Anti Retroviral Therapy pilot

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Care-Zambia has launched an Anti Retroviral Therapy pilot project aimed at providing food and cash to people living with HIV and AIDS in Katete district in eastern province.

District Commissioner Elemani Mwanza said Care-Zambia and other cooperating partners want to improve nutrition ART clients in an effort to improve adherence to drugs..

He was speaking at the Launch of Katete ART Pilot Project held at Mphangwe Motel in Katete today.

The DC said the project has been designed to improve the nutritional status of ART clients and their families with the intention of increasing adherence and the effectiveness of the Anti Retroviral treatment.

Mr Mwanza stated that the project will cover the whole district but will specifically benefit 600 ART clients and families who would be receiving nutritional support on a monthly basis in form of food or cash.

“On the targeted 600 beneficiaries, 300 will be on food while the other 300 will be receiving cash which the clients can spend according to their requirements,” he added.

He has since urged Katete residents to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) so that those found positive can not only access Anti Retroviral drugs (ARVs) but also the nutritional support to be provided under the ART pilot project.

He said VCT still remains the entry point for diagnosis management and treatment of HIV infection through provision of ART services to those that are infected hence the need to go for VCT.

Mr Mwanza expressed happiness that the project would greatly assist to increase the uptake of VCT services in the district as the project offers an additional incentive for people to get tested.

He has however appealed to the organizations and individuals who will be directly involved in the implementation of the project to work extra hard to ensure the success of the pilot project.

Mr Mwanza named the organization as Care Zambia, Ministry of Health, National Food and Nutrition Commission, University of Zambia of Free State, Mobile Transactions Zambia Limited and Saint Francis Hospital.

The DC said government remains committed to work with dedicated stakeholders who are working towards improving people’s lives regardless of their status in society.

And speaking at the same occasion, Cara Zambia Regional Director Petros Banda noted that the Launch of the project by his organization and its partners is aimed at complementing governments National AIDS Council Strategy.

Mr Banda stated that the project is in line with the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) 2006 to 2010.

He noted the Research pilot project was initially started in 2008 but could not take off due to inadequate funds adding that Care did not relent but went ahead and mobilized more funds and brought on board extra partners to redesign.

Mr Banda said his organization was also implementing the Integrated Tuberculosis and AIDS Program (ITAP) in the district with the financial assistance from the American government.

He said the program is contributing to government’s efforts in combating the spread of TB and HIV and AIDS in the district.

Care Zambia and DFID have also partnered with government to implement other poverty intervention projects in Katete such as Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme which is helping the poorest and the aged.

“There program started with 4711 people on the programme when it was initiated in 2007.” He said.

ZANIS

This year’s CDF has not yet been released-Muteteka

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The Ministry of Local and Housing has disclosed that this year’s Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has not yet been released by the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

Local Government Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka said his ministry was waiting for the release of the funds from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning for developmental projects in all the constituencies in the country.

Mr. Muteteka told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that Ministry of Finance was making every effort to release the funds to local authorities countrywide.

“Parliament approved the CDF for various constituencies when the budget for this year was passed in October last year. So now it is only a matter of time before the funds are released,” Mr. Muteteka said.

And on the opening of the new Soweto market, Mr. Muteteka disclosed that his ministry has received an evaluation report on the status of the market from the Lusaka City Council (LCC).

The deputy minister said what remained was the official opening of the market by President Rupiah Banda.

He noted that the official opening of the new market would enable government show its appreciation to its cooperating partners like the EU for their continued support.

ZANIS

Chris Katongo Moves To Greece

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Christopher Katongo has left Germany side Arminia Bielefeld to join Greek Greek A Ethniki side Xanthi.

Bielefeld official website confirmed Katongo’s departure to Xanthi  today day  but did not disclose the transfer fee.

The Zambia national team captains new deal The contract is reportedly for one year with Xanthi who survived demotion the 2009/2011 campaign when they finished 13th in the 16-team Greek A Ethniki.

Katongo had been at Bielefeld after two seasons with the 2.Bundeslioga side whom he joined from Brondby of Denmark in 2008 who signed him from South African club Jomo Cosmos.

Zambia plans to boost DRC exports to $2bn-Mutati

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Commerce Minister Felix Mutati

Zambia plans to boost its exports to the Democratic Republic of Congo to more than $2 billion this year from $1.2 billion in 2009, taking advantage of the flexible trade terms, Trade Minister Felix Mutati said on Thursday.

Mutati said exports to the DRC, Zambia’s largest trading partner in the African trading bloc COMESA, had continued to increase because there were no restrictions on goods it could export to its neighbour.

“The advantage of the DR Congo is that the range of exports is from agricultural products through to processed items, machinery and literally anything we can produce in Zambia,” Mutati said at a media briefing.

“All those complicated things which make it difficult to trade, particularly with Europe, do not apply with our neighbours and you could literally take live chickens across borders and they will buy,” Mutati said.

Mutati said Zambia had started building a one-stop border at Kasumbalesa on the border with DRC to facilitate trade and speed up clearance procedures.

[pullquote]”All those complicated things which make it difficult to trade, particularly with Europe, do not apply with our neighbours and you could literally take live chickens across borders and they will buy,” Mutati said.[/pullquote]

“We expect the buildings and related infrastructure to be completed by the end of this year because our colleagues in the DRC have already completed their structures,” he said.

A report by the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa in November showed service costs were high in sub-Saharan Africa due to poor roads, water and power networks and the region needed to double its infrastructure spending to $93 billion a year to effect improvements.

[REUTERS]

ZNAN Disburses K20.4 bn to NGOs

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United Nations special envoy on AIDS Elizabeth Mataka cools off after making a presenting on AIDS in Lusaka

The Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) has since January 2010 to June 2010 disbursed about K20.4 billion to 140 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), support groups of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and to private sector health facilities.

ZNAN Executive Director, Elizabeth Mataka announced the development in a Press Statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka on Wednesday.

Mrs. Mataka said the disbursed funds were from rounds 4,7 and 8 of the Global Funds meant to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Mrs. Mataka stated that out of the total amount disbursed, about K17.7 billion was from the Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) while K2.6 billion was received from the bilateral donors.

She explained that her organization has also disbursed about K979 million of global fund round 7 to 29 organisations implementing TB programmes.

She added that following the signing of the Global Fund Round 8 phase 1 which she said runs from October 2009 to November 2011, ZNAN has disbursed about K9.2 billion to six Lead Agencies for further disbursement to smaller NGOs, CBOs, support groups of PLWHA and private sector organisations for implementation, prevention, care and support programmes and to strengthen the health system.

ZANIS

President Banda winds up Turkish tour of duty

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Zambian President Rupiah Bwezani Banda (C) addresses the participants at a Turkey-Zambia Trade and Investment Forum in ?stanbul.-Picture by Today's ZAMNA

President Rupiah Banda has ended his three-day official visit to Turkey where he held meetings with Government officials and wooed some key investors, including Turkish Airlines, which will soon launch a flight into Lusaka.

President Banda who was in Turkey at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, said the visit was successful and hoped that Turkish businessmen that have shown interest in Zambia would soon start investing in the country.

Mr. Banda said Turkey was a strategic country as one of the emerging market economies, which was rated among the top 15 in the world and the sixth largest in Europe .

This according to a media statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today, by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

During the three-day visit, President Banda held official talks with Mr. Gul in Ankara before flying to Istanbul where meetings with the Turkish Business forum were held.

The focus of the visit was to capitalise on the warm relations between Zambia and Turkey in order to establish conditions for development of economic ties through bilateral cooperation and the promotion of trade and investment in the two countries.
President Banda said he was happy that during his visit to Turkey , the two governments signed key agreements which will be followed up by others in areas of mutual interest in the near future.

A bilateral agreement on Air Services was signed, followed by two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of Foreign Service Training and on Political Consultation between the two governments.

Mr. Banda said “The Air Services Agreement” would among other things; provide for Turkish Airline flights into Zambia and similarly Zambian airline companies will fly to Turkey . The MoU on Political Consultation provided for consultation between the Governments (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on bilateral and international issues.

And the one on Diplomatic Training provided for cooperation between Zambia and Turkey in the field of diplomatic training as well as for cooperation between the respective diplomatic training institutions.

President Banda said he was also happy to have officiated at the first-ever Turkey-Zambia Trade and Investment Forum, which was held in Istanbul on 14th July 14, 2010 at which 11 Zambian business executives were present. The Forum resulted in the establishment of business contacts for future collaboration and was also attended by several Turkish businessmen and women who showed interest in investing in Zambia .

Mr. Banda assured the investors that their investment would be protected in Zambia and announced immigration measures, which would allow Turkish investors and tourists to obtain visas at the point of entry in Zambia as opposed to applying through Zambian embassies which he said was cumbersome.

The President said he would like to see more Turkish tourists coming to Zambia following the soon-to–be launched direct flight from Istanbul to Lusaka .

Turkey has the World’s 15th largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP)- Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and 17th largest Nominal GDP.The World Bank classifies Turkey as an upper-middle-income country in terms of the country’s per capital GDP in 2007 and is a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G20 major economies.

President Banda said his focus was to attract investors from country’s like Turkey and Brazil as leading emerging market economies in the World.

The President was accompanied to Turkey by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peter Daka and Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice-President Guston Sichilima.

President Banda who left Turkey this morning is expected back in the country today.

ZANIS

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