The Drug Enforcement Commission DEC, has arrested three government employees and a private economist for money laundering activities involving K 400 million.

Sampa Besa Makala and Bwalya Nga’ndu Selemani who are an Assistant Procurement Officer at the Legal Aid Board and an Economist, respectively were arrested last week for money launmdering.

Also arrested is Cyprian Sichone, a Government Valuation Officer.

The trio connived to inflate the cost of property no.93/20 situated in Kabwe District of Central Province from the initial K180 million to K 580 million.

DEC public Relations Manager John Nywali told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka on Friday.

Mr Nyawli said the property in question was in the process of being purchased by the Legal Aid Board.

Meanwhile, the Commission has also arrested two Zimbabwean businesswomen for being in possession of implements and chemicals used for manufacturing counterfeit notes.

Auxilia Zembela, 38, and Mary Ndembera, 39, both residents of West Gate in Harare were arrested from Budget Motel in Lusaka.

He said the duo was also found with US$400 counterfeit notes in $100 bills.

Also arrested in connection with possession of counterfeit notes is Jonas Mtonga, 39, a resident of Misisi compound who was found with the counterfeit US $1000.

And 52 people were in the last seven days arrested for trafficking in various quantities of cannabis with a total weight of 438 kilograms.

Among those arrested are three inmates of Mpima State Prison in Kabwe and a 23 year old housewife of Nakonde who was found with 23 bundles of Mirra.

ZANIS

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) plc has recorded a month-long, without experiencing injuries among its employees in January this year , the first-time that such a feat has been achieved in a company which employs 20 000 workers including over 9 000 contracted labour.

KCM management said in a press statement that the record was impressive considering that 70 percent of its workforce is involved in underground operations where the risk factor is high.

However, employees have ridiculed the impressive performance claiming that management was failing to address their affairs and improving the standard of the mine.

The mine is among the largest private-sector employer in Zambia, is owned by London-listed FTSE 100 mining and metals major Vedanta Resources, with operations in Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe.

A state-of-the-art smelter, two concentrators, refinery and tailings leach plant (TLP) are among its major assets, along with the multi-million dollar Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) currently under development in Chililabombwe.

The statement says that the company-wide January safety record comes on the back of two recent impressive departmental performances.

It stated that last year, the 3 500 staff at the Nchanga Under-Ground (NUG) went on a six-month run without a lost-time injury while the Konkola underground team of 6 170, has just gone four months without lost time.

KCM recently became the first mining operation in Africa to be awarded three stars under the British Safety Council’s Five-Star rating system. It was the company’s first attempt at the rating which is one step away from the Sword of Honour, the ultimate accolade in global safety standards.

The statement reaffirmed that in 2009; the company was awarded the International Safety Award by the BSC and won the Zambia Federation of Employers’ top award for the Best Safety and Occupational Health Policy in Zambia.

The company also holds OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety and ISO 14001 for environmental management while the recently-commissioned Nchanga smelter was recently awarded ISO 9001-2008 certification at the first attempt.

But, despite the improvement in safety management, the scenario on the ground is different as Lusakatimes investigations at the mine revealed that the workforce was dissatisfied with the way management was handling the workers affairs.

The workers talked to revealed that the standards at the mine have drastically gone down as compared to the days when Anglo-America was still in operation.

They said management has only concentrated on the smelter, two concentrators and has foregone all the major activities that could ensure the smooth running of the mine.

The workers noted that Chingola town is now dirt and have dilapidated roads despite the huge profits that KCM is reaping and the company was failing to maintain the roads that even leads to its own mining plant.

Lusakatimes, have discovered that management especially those from the Indian origin built themselves a complex where they live while the Zambian workers were left to look for their own accommodation.

The workers disclosed that KCM top management also frustrated Augustine Seyuba who was the Corporate Affairs manager and resulted in his resignation a situation that saddened most employees who were happy with his management skills.

“The impression the outsiders get is that KCM is performing well when in fact performance have gone down. Yes they are making huge but management is not replacing any damaged equipment and relies on what it found,” they said.

MORE than 70 flood-affected families in Lusaka have been relocated to the temporary site near Independence Stadium, Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) public relations manager James Zulu has said.

Over 150 families in Lusaka’s flood-affected townships such as Kuomboka, Kuku, Chawama, Kanyama had registered for the relocation process to that location.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Zulu said as of yesterday, 73 families who represented a total population of 430 had safely relocated to that temporary site provided with tents and other facilities.

“I can confirm 73 flood-affected families who represent a total population of 430 have been relocated to the temporary site and have safely settled,” Mr Zulu said.

A TIMES check at the site yesterday found a combined team of defence personnel erecting more tents and putting water tanks.

Several families talked to thanked the Government for its swift action to relocate them saying had it delayed, many lives would have been lost because the floods became unbearable in their localities.

Amos Daka and his wife Alice said they enjoyed staying at that site, especially that the Government also provided them with foodstuff like mealie-meal, beans and Kapenta.

Others however called on the Government to find a permanent solution for the flood problem and not a temporary one because floods were not new in prone townships.

And some school-going children at that site wondered how they could get to their schools because of long distance from their new location to schools such as those in Chawama.

Kizito Mbewe, a grade three pupil at Chawama’s Twatasha Basic School, said his parents could not afford to pay for his daily bus fares hence he would briefly stop school.

Some parents appealed to the Government to provide a special truck that could ferry their children to respective schools daily since they (pupils) went to schools located in one township like Chawama.

[Times of Zambia]

HOME Affairs Deputy Minister Misheck Bonshe has died. Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani, who confirmed the death of Mr Bonshe in an interview, said Mr Bonshe, who was Mufumbwe Member of Parliament, died in Nigeria yesterday.

Mr Mangani described the death of Mr Bonshe as shocking and that his contribution and service to the nation would be missed.

He said the Government was making arrangements to bring the body back home, and that the nation would be informed once the arrangements had been finalised.

Mr Bonshe left for Nigeria last week on Tuesday after he asked for permission to travel to that country for prayers.

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said the death of Mr Bonshe was sad and that he would be missed by the party, Parliament and his constituency.

[Times of Zambia]

VICE-President George Kunda has assured that the MMD government will continue to give due respect to traditional leaders in Zambia.

He said institutional chieftainship is part of the cultural heritage which Government will continue to safeguard and preserve.

Mr Kunda was speaking during the Nc’wala traditional ceremony of the Ngoni people at Mutenguleni in Chipata yesterday.

“As Government, we value the role that chiefs and other traditional rulers play in safeguarding our cultural heritage, customs and values. It is these cultural norms and practices which define our identity as a people,” he said.

Mr Kunda said the Nc’wala ceremony plays an important role in preserving the country’s heritage and identity.

“The ceremony offers an opportunity for all of us to appreciate the values, origins and the way of life of our people. Cultural events such as this one are also occasions for teaching our children and youths about our traditions,” he said.

Mr Kunda observed that languages and oral traditions are under threat because parents are failing to teach them to their children, especially in light of new technologies such as television and the internet.

“As parents, we must ensure that television, the internet and other media teach our children our traditions, culture and heritage. If we fail to do so, we may be producing a nation of alienated citizens,” he said.

Mr Kunda said Government is ready to support efforts aimed at strengthening avenues that grow the economy and help to reduce poverty and suffering among the people.

He said Government is determined to work with traditional leaders and the people in addressing the economic and social challenges that they face.

Mr Kunda said small-scale farmers will continue to benefit from Government fertiliser subsidies and improved agricultural extension services.

He said Government recognises that the agricultural sector offers the greatest opportunity for improving food security, employment and increased earnings, especially for people in rural areas.

Mr Kunda said it is one of the key sectors through which Government will diversify the economy.

He said the Minister of Community Development and Social Services has embarked on the implementation of a food security programme in the province.
He said the programme will further help reduce poverty.

Mr Kunda said the Food Reserve Agency will this year continue to play a role in the marketing of agricultural produce.

Mr Kunda, however, said the marketing of agricultural produce will continue to be streamlined so as to bring the market closer to the small-scale farmers.

Mr Kunda said he was pleased that maize and other crops in Eastern Province are growing well.

“If this weather continues up to mid-March, the province is expected to have a bumper harvest,” he said.

Mr Kunda also said the government will develop the livestock and fisheries sector because there is potential for the country to export beef and fish products.

He said Government will continue to promote increased access to hydro-power in Eastern Province under the Rural Electrification Programme because energy is an important catalyst and incentive for promoting socio-economic activities in rural areas.

Mr Kunda said Government will also continue with the facilitation of art and cultural activities so that tradition and customs continue to flourish.

He said Government has started working on feeder and township roads using the earth-moving equipment acquired from China.

He said the Chipata-Mchinji railway line is complete and will soon be commissioned.

Mr Kunda said Government is committed to the development of road infrastructure not only in Eastern Province but countrywide.

He said Government is also building high schools, basic schools, health centres, hospitals and support infrastructure for tourism and agriculture countrywide.

Meanwhile, Mr Kunda has said Government will soon open more farm blocks in Eastern Province to boost the agricultural sector.

Mr Kunda said this yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people at Laweni traditional dormitory in Kampala village in Mutenguleni.

This was shortly before the N’cwala ceremony of the Ngoni people.

Mr Kunda said he is happy with the number of development projects taking place in the province.

“Eastern Province is an agro-based province and one of the fastest-growing provinces in Zambia,” he said.
He said Government is happy with the opening of ginneries in the province.

Mr Kunda said Zambia’s economy is bright under the leadership of President Banda.

He also said traditional ceremonies play an important role in unifying the country.

“I am happy that both former presidents are attending the N’cwala ceremony,” he said.

The Vice-President was accompanied by Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu and his Home Affairs counterpart Lameck Mangani.

Former presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba also separately paid courtesy calls on the chief.