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The Department of fisheries and the police in Itezhi-tezhi district have confiscated 607kgs of fresh fish and arrested three prominent businessmen for contravening the fish ban Itezhi-tezhi district.
The Itezhi-tezhi police have impounded two trucks that were carrying the fresh fish.
According to police officers at Itezhi-tezhi police station where the fish was displayed, the three business men were arrested after two trucks loaded with fish were intercepted at dam 6 around 06:00 hours.
The police said that the fish was packed in plastic containers used to carry fuel.
“The fish was packed in fuel containers; they were caught at dam 6 around 06:00 hours enroute to Lusaka” said the police.
Magistrate Munalula is scheduled to dispose of the fish this afternoon.
The three businessmen will appear before the magistrates court soon.
Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama denied Zambia a fairy tale semifinal spot follow a dramatic quarterfinal post-match penalty shootout in Lubango on Monday. Zambia bowed out of the Africa Cup on 5-4 on post-match penalties after holding Nigeria 0-0 after 120 minutes of action.
Noah Chibvuta, Christoper Katongo, Emmanuel Mayuka and goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene all successfully took their penalties.
However, newcomer Thomas Nyirenda from Zanaco who has had an outstanding Africa Cup debut saw his penalty kick saved by Enyeama in between Mayuka and Mweene’s successfully taken spot kicks.
Nigeria advance to face Ghana in the semifinals on Thursday in Luanda. Meanwhile Nigeria were the stronger side in a first half. Nigeria pressured and dominated led by Osaze Odemwingie and midfielder Mikel Obi while defender Daniel Shittu too had a go.
Zambia had two chances the first Katongo’s header sailed wide in the 32nd minute and James Chamanga’s back flick from a Mbola cross flashed wide of goal two minutes from halftime. Zambia were the better side after the break Katongo and Mayuka harassing Nigeria who at times looked static in attack apart from Odemwingie all through until after extra time.
First Lady Thandiwe Banda has appealed to the people of the United States of America to take advantage of Zambia’s conducive political and business environment to invest in the country. Mrs. Banda has also reiterated that Zambians consider peace as an essential ingredient for current and future development initiatives hence they promote it.
She was speaking in Beverly Hills at the Fox Entertainment Studios in Los Angeles, USA, last night at a cocktail party held in her honour by the Fox Entertainment Group.Mrs. Banda, who is here at the invitation of a not-for profit organization, Prevent Hate, is accompanied by 13 Zambian businesswomen who were today scheduled to attend an entrepreneurial workshop.
The workshop is aimed at fostering business linkages between Zambians and their Los Angeles counterparts.
At the cocktail party that was attended by an array of Hollywood stars and business persons, Mrs. Banda said Zambia was an ideal investment destination because of its political stability, abundant natural resources and enabling business atmosphere.
She emphasized that it was important that Zambians and the business persons of Los Angeles took advantage of the twin-city relationship that has existed between Los Angeles and Lusaka since 1968. And Fox Entertainment Group senior vice-president Mitsy Wilson said her organization was honoured to host Mrs. Banda who was accompanied by Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala.
And in an interview with Fox News, Mrs. Banda said peace was an asset that Zambians could not afford to lose as there were many lessons from many African countries about what would happen in the event of turmoil.
Mrs. Banda told anchor Susan Hirasuna that Zambian people were determined to preserve their peace, which was why she would keep on being a crusader of peace initiatives, hence her acceptance to Prevent Hate’s invitation.
While here, Mrs. Banda has visited the Jenesse Centre for Domestic Violence, a modern shelter for victims of violence where they receive comprehensive services such as job training, counseling and legal help. The first lady’s delegation has also toured the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust with the aim of creating an understanding between Zambians and the Los Angeles Jewish community.
Mrs. Banda, who arrived here last Thursday, also spent time with Zambians living in California at social evening hosted at the residence of Mr. Kalima Chimpampwe where Zambian athlete Prince Mumba was among the guests. Mrs. Banda urged the Zambians here to invest their earnings in Zambia so as to contribute to the country’s development.
And president of the Association of Zambians in California, Mwelwa Mulenga, appealed for the establishment of a consular in California, saying the state had a population of over 4,000 Zambians.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Banda yesterday attended church service at the West Angeles Cathedral at the invitation of Bishop Charles E Blake. Mrs. Banda was given time to address the congregants and in her speech, she thanked Bishop Blake for supporting African children through his charity, Save Africa’s Children.
ZANIS
PF Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili (L)
Police have recorded a warn and caution statement from opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambili for allegedly threatening violence on members of staff of Muvi television station last week.
Police recorded the statement from Mr. Kambwili at Woodland Police Station in Lusaka today.
Mr. Kambwili and some of the suspected PF cadres are alleged to have on January 19, 2010, and his sympathizers stormed Muvi TV premises at night during a live programme and threatened violence to the guests on the programme and some journalists.
After the warn and caution statement, Mr. Kambwili told his sympathizers that he was not worried about the Muvi TV issue.
He said the PF was not party.
Mr. Kambwili said police will inform the nation about his fate once investigations over the matter are completed.
He was accompanied to Woodlands Police Station by Mandevu Member of Parliament Jean Kapata, Munali MP Mumbi Phiri and other PF members.
Face of Africa finalists Lukando Nalungwe (l) and Angela Mulenga in Lusaka
2.
Ma Afrika showcasing a Pantsula dance in Lusaka
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Ma Afrika band members performing live on stage in Lusaka
4.
Angela Cifire, deputy minister of information and her permanent secretary Ngosa Chisupa at the official launch of TV II at the Mass Media
5.
MKV entering the at mass Media Complex in Lusaka
6.
Northern Province Permanent Secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe talks to Chief Munkonge when he presented the traditional leader with a Presidential portrait during a courtesy call at the chief's palace
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President of the Lions Club of Roma, Lion Stephen Kamuhuza and Treasurer, Lion Gilbert Maimbo planting trees at Hyden Basic School in Lusaka
8.
A cyclist with the Queen's relay Baton in Lusaka
9.
Members of the Zambia Police brass band pose for photograph with the Queen's relay Baton in Lusaka
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Children from various schools wait for their turn to touch the Queen's relay Baton in Lusaka
11.
Shivansh Bhadnagar carries the Queen's relay Baton before presenting it to vice President George Kunda in Lusaka.
The Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Leonard Hikaumba
The Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has advised government to seriously sensitise Zambians on the introduction of the carbon emission tax.
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba said government should also come up with inclusive programmes that will clearly outline how the moneys from the tax will be used.
Mr. Hikaumba told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the public’s resistance to pay tax was mainly because of lack of detailed information about the same carbon emissions tax.
He said there was need for detailed awareness campaigns for people to fully understand and cooperate in paying the carbon emission tax.
Mr. Hikaumba, who however supported the introduction of the tax and described it as a good move, said the tax would only be accepted when it is fully understood.
He said government should have consulted widely before introducing the tax saying this was going to make it easy for the public to cooperate and pay the carbon emissions tax.
He said the tax would help in mitigation the effects of climate change which are caused by carbon emissions.
Mr. Hikaumba has meanwhile disclosed that ZCTU would soon hold a meeting with stakeholders to brainstorm on issues of climate change and its impact to the country.
He said ZCTU recognizes the serious consequences climate change could cause to the atmosphere and wants to help government in mitigating its effects.
He said climate change has already caused a number of problems to the atmosphere citing the change in the rainfall pattern which is being experienced in most parts of the country.
Former President Frederick Chiluba says he stopped being in active politics immediately he left State House in 2001.
Dr. Chiluba told ZANIS through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba that he should not be perceived as an active politician simply because he is supporting President Rupiah Banda’s government.
He explained that by virtue of vacating State House and the presidency nine years ago, he ceased to be in active politics.
He dismissed assertions that he was slowly getting back into active politics as alleged by opposition Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Wynter Kabimba, who also threaten to seek court intervention on the matter.
Mr. Kabimba recently claimed that Dr. Chiluba was engaged in active politics and said the PF would seek the courts intervention to stop the former President from accessing his terminal benefits.
Dr. Chiluba described Mr. Kabimba’s claims as baseless and unfounded.
He said he had the right to rallying behind President Banda or any candidate of his choice in the country.
Dr. Chiluba was also accused of campaigning for the ruling MMD in the Copperbelt province last week.
Police in Mazabuka have arrested and detained two suspected notorious criminals in connection with the spate of house breaking that has rocked most townships and church organisations in the district.
Southern Province Regional Police Commanding officer, Lemmy Kajoba, confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mazabuka today, said police have also recovered several household goods that include television sets, Hifi systems, fridges, car radios, kitchen utencils and other properties.
Mr Kajoba said the duo were arrested on Saturday after a victim of the theft identified his car radio in one of the taxis and informed police who immediately picked the taxi driver to help with investigations.
“I can confirm the arrest of the two suspects we are keeping in our custody. These suspects have been behind a spate of thefts since September last year,” said Kajoba.
He explained that the taxi driver cooperated and led police to the suspects’ home where they were apprehended and several goods recovered.
And Mr Kajoba explained that the suspects led police in the bush where they had buried a fridge believed to have been stolen from a named church organisation in the district.
He said the recoveries were made from Kabobola, Zambia Compound, Show grounds, Stage II, Kaleya Smallholders and Nakambala markets.
ZANIS
The Mweemba Area Development Association (MADA) has distanced itself from its Chairperson’s allegations that government has ignored the succession disputes to Senior Chief Mweemba who died in 2007.
MADA Coordinator Vickson Syankondo told ZANIS in Sinazongwe that their Chairperson Edson Sikalango issued the statement in his personal capacity as the association did not sit to discuss such matters.
Mr Syankondo said MADA was a development association and as such was not mandated to involve itself in Chiefdom wrangles as such matters were a preserve of the royal family.
He said it was dangerous for the association to take sides in the chiefdom wrangles because it would fail to address developmental issues in Senior Chief Mweemba’s area.
Mr Syankondo said Mr Sikalongo should not make government think that the association has abandoned its development agenda to entangle itself in chiefdom disputes.
He said it was wrong for the Association to fight government over matters that were for the royal family to sort out.
Last week Mr Sikalongo said government should intervene in the Mweemba Chiefdom wrangles before people start attacking each other.
He said government was pretending as though there was nothing happening when two people have declared themselves as Acting Senior Chief Mweemba.
The two, Ephraim Siatambika and Lason Siasokwe are claiming to have been declared as acting Senior Chief Mweemba by their royal families and have since both mounted flags at their homes.
ZANIS
FDD President Edith Nawakwi campaigning for RB in 2008 elections
By Madame Musonda
As a Zambian woman I was greatly appalled to have read in your paper about an MMD youth Chairperson Chris Chalwe threatening to rape Edith Nawakwi.I guess he planned to recruit a gang of MMD cadres to carry this out.I have been waiting for our President or MMD senior officials to condemn this primitive and diabolical threat but alas it seems our President, Senior MMD members and the Inspector General Francis Kabonde have given it a thumbs up!
This is greatly distressing and a sad day for all Zambian women.The Zambian leadership obviously have no regard for Women or their rights.
It was only recently that President Banda and the police harassed Mrs Chansa Kabwela when they called for her arrest.All she was trying to do was to bring to the attention of our leaders the deplorable plight of Zambian women at the largest health institution of the land. In this case, all focus was shifted from the poor health facilities availed to Zambian women in child birth.This would have been a great opportunity to highlight the poor antenatal case facilities in the country instead it become an international fiasco which showed how our “learned President” was victimising an innocent Zambian woman over the definition of “pornography”.
It is increasingly becoming obvious that The Zambian leadership has no regard for Zambian Women or issues affecting them.Who will Zambian women turn to? We can not even turn to the Police because apparently the Police chief did not find anything wrong in Mr Chalwe’s terrorist threat. Terrorism is defined as the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear) .
Mr Kabonde, I guess implies that terrorism is not an offense in Zambia.Are the police waiting for bodily harm to come to Mrs Nawakwi before they act?
As a man thinketh so is he. Mr Chalwe is obviously a rapist and has probably done this act before for him to so boldly utter it. In this day of HIV/AIDS such a threat can be likened to the threat of Murder.But once again since it involves a woman, no one really cares.
Are the true colors of MMD finally coming out? I shudder to think that the murderous MMD youth- the future of MMD could one day rule Zambia.In light of this I urge all Zambian women not to vote for MMD as our safety is at stake.If they can not guarantee our safety in Zambia they do not deserve to enter State house.Mr.President, you are either For or Against Mr.Chalwe, as Zambian women we want to know where you stand.
The NCC has passed a resolution that the next republican constitution should require that for a person to be eligible to stand for the position of Republican President he must have attained the minimum academic qualification of a degree.
I wish to argue in this article that this provision makes no practical sense and is a disservice to a pragmatic understanding of what Zambia truly needs in a leader.
First, this requirement out rightly reduces the pool from which Zambians could freely pick their president. With just 2 state universities for decades in Zambia, graduates from these institutions may be qualified, but are just too few to form the primary pool for presidency.
Those educated from outside Zambia are even fewer.
Secondly, this requirement wrongly places academic qualifications as a test of good leadership.
Africa should be careful here that we do not adopt western styled education as the only measure of wisdom. There are some who are saying that the need for a degree is because we need a leader who would be able to speak well at international fora.
I would rather have a president who genuinely cares for Zambians, and signs bills that are helpful to her people than one who can speak all the languages of the civilized world and yet cares less.
Qualities such as caring, honest, hardworking are some qualities we need to see in a leader. While education is important, it does not guarantee those qualities.
Thirdly, this requirement is a raw deal for women. Women are the most academically disadvantaged community in our country.
Even if they make up about 51% of our population a very small percentage of them reach grade nine. The NCC adoption of this clause disadvantages women from ascending to the presidency in Zambia.
Four male presidents have destroyed our country and it may be time for us to look to our womenfolk for the next president; but with this clause in place very few of our women would even be considered to stand for president.
Fourthly, this requirement may be an attempt to try and sideline Sata. This is déjà vu for us. In 1996 Chiluba’s government forced through some clauses in the constitution that were aimed at barring both Kaunda (the parental clause) and Mung’omba (the 20 year domicile clause).
From experience such maneuvers never work. I personally do have serious misgivings about having Sata for a president, but at the same time I think it is not right for the whole NCC with the support of the MMD government to try and deliberately sneak in a clause that would disadvantage his aspiration for the high office—especially if the Zambian people want him to stand.
In the end, it should be up to the Zambian people to decide whether they so feel that Sata should rule.
Fifthly, this provision confuses more than it clarifies. So what are we going to say is a university degree? Which field and which discipline, and from which school? President Banda holds a degree which he acquired at least half a century ago. Should that qualify him for president?
This provision is precursor of confusion. And it will not be long before we hear an appeal lodged in the High Court for interpretation.
Sixthly, the NCC desire for a well educated president should be appreciated, but at whose expense? It is the people of Zambia to choose who among them should rule them.
It is the people of Zambia to choose whether one has a degree or not. If the constitutional principle of our democracy is one man one vote then there should be no restriction why such a man should not even be eligible to stand unless he has a university degree.
If the NCC genuinely feels that only university graduates should rule Zambia, they should then begin by making primary education, secondary education, and college education freely accessible to all.
Without free access to education, we may find that we will need to ask Her Majesty in Britain to send us a President, because from the kind of mismanagement we are having at the hand of both degree holders and non-degree holders, universities in Zambia would fail to graduate anyone.
A little glimpse of the future? All the universities are closed, because the only pool of future presidents were busy rioting and burning cars on Buteko and Addis Ababa Drive, so much for who should be the next president!
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is targeting to register 2.5 million new voters to add to the 3.9 million currently on the 2006 register to bring the voter’s roll to about 6.4 million.
ECZ deputy director in charge of Information Technology Brown Kasaro said this in Lusaka on Wednesday when he presented a paper on the Implementation of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) at a stakeholders meeting.
Mr Kasaro said the commission’s projections are based on the Central Statistics Office (CSO) data which estimates that there are currently 6.4 million Zambians eligible to vote.
The CSO projects that there are 659,033 people in Central Province who are over 18 while Copperbelt has 1,033,211 with Eastern Province having 839,691.
Luapula residents who are over the age of 18 are estimated at 536,443, while in Lusaka the number is 927,841 with Northern Province having 801,224.
Those over 18 in North-Western Province are estimated at 372,372 while in Southern Province the number is 777,362 with Western Province having 487,095.
Zambia’s current estimated population stands at more than 12 million.
In 2000, the CSO announced Zambia’s population at 10,618,500.
The ECZ will in June this year embark on a continuous mobile voter registration exercise to last until September.
Mr Kasaro said the registration will commence with an initial 90-day mobile campaign in each of the 150 constituencies.
He said a minimum of six registration officers will be deployed in each constituency.
Mr Kasaro said the CVR will entail the continuous updating of the existing voters’ register through the registration of eligible citizens.
He said the exercise will also entail the replacement of voters’ cards in cases of loss or damage, change of details and transfer of voters from one polling district to another.
The exercise will provide for the removal of the deceased from the voters’ register and amendment of other details by registered voters.
Mr Kasaro said those who registered in 2005 do not need to register again but verify their details.
Government has this year allocated K70 billion for the CVR.
ECZ chairperson Florence Mumba said at the stakeholders meeting that the Commission would only be able to conduct its first phase of the continuous mobile voter registration because of insufficient funds.
“The budget has provided K70 billion towards the implementation of continuous voter registration.
With this level of funding, it is surely not possible to decentralise the continuous voter registration as earlier planned. Therefore, the commission has undertaken to commence the registration through periodic mobile registration campaigns,” Mrs Mumba said.
She said funds permitting, the exercise may continue later in the year.
Mrs Mumba said during the periodic continuous mobile voter registration exercise, mobile teams equipped with digital mobile registration kits will be deployed in each of the 72 districts of the country.
She said each registration centre under the exercise will be open for 12 days.
Mrs Mumba said continuous mobile voter registration will include periodic closures to allow the commission to update the voters’ register.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Mwense Member of Parliament Jacob Chongo has differed with party secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s claims that second Republican president Frederick Chiluba is engaging in active politics.
Mr Kabimba recently claimed that Dr Chiluba was engaging in active politics and the PF would seek the court’s intervention to stop the former president from accessing his terminal benefits.
But speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chongo argued that by Dr Chiluba mingling with taxi drivers and vendors on the Copperbelt, he was not in anyway involving himself in active politics.
As former president, Dr Chiluba was at liberty to comment on economic, political and social issues affecting the nation.
“I wish to disagree with the secretary general of the PF who is saying that Dr Chiluba is engaging in active politics and therefore he does not deserve his benefits, that is a lie.
Dr Chiluba is not involving himself in active politics but is it because of some good things that he did when he was president that people on the Copperbelt are following him?” Mr Chongo said.
Mr Chongo argued that in the 10 years that Dr Chiluba served as Republican president, not everything that he did was bad and it was out of the good things that he did that people on the Copperbelt and Luapula provinces were flocking to him each time he visited the two areas.
He said that it was important that Mr Kabimba and others desisted from exhibiting personal hatred against Dr Chiluba.
Mr Chongo said that it was because of the hatred for Dr Chiluba that the PF leadership was talking of seeking court redress over a straightforward issue.
“I urge the people of Zambia including Mr Kabimba to desist from hating Dr Chiluba. Some politicians have a natural hatred for this man. As much as people think that there were negative things that he did when he was in power, there were other positive things that he did and so on the Copperbelt and in Luapula, people are going to be following him,” Mr Chongo said.[quote]
He said that, in fact, Dr Chiluba was at liberty to support a party of his choice but that such did not constitute engaging himself in active politics.
During the campaigns for the 2006 elections, he said Dr Chiluba came out in the open and declared that he was supporting the PF but the leadership did not complain that the former president was engaging himself in active politics.
“Can Mr Kabimba explain what Dr Chiluba was doing in 2006 when he declared his support for the PF and why didn’t the PF condemn Dr Chiluba at that time? This is serious hypocrisy that we should not allow in politics,” Mr Chongo said.
He said the PF was worried that it was losing its popularity on the Copperbelt and Luapula provinces owing to Dr Chiluba’s seemingly soft spot for the MMD.
Chief Mwanachingwala and the Catholic church in Mazabuka have welcomed the decision by the Human rights commission to institute investigations into how the 46 women who participated in the Microbicide Gel clinical trial contracted the HIV virus.
Chief Mwanachingwala told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, that the probe is welcome as it will expose a lot of information the organisation has been hiding from members of the public.
Chief Mwanachingwala alleged that all the women who participated in the clinical trial have been banned from sharing their experience with outsiders especially the press.
He said only the human rights commission will rescue the affected women from the psychological problems they are going through since none of them has been briefed on the outcome of the trials.
Chief Mwanachingwala alleged that two days ago, a team of medical doctors who only identified themselves as researchers from the University of Zambia pleaded with him not to issue negative statements on the failed clinical trials when they visited him at the palace.
He however, said, he would not be silenced because the organisation is not sincere on the matter.
And Catholic Priest in Charge, Father John Mansaya told ZANIS in Mazabuka, the intervention by the human rights commission is a relief to the church.
He said the church is saddened at the negative development that led to the failed efficacy of the drug which was meant to help women in blocking the transmission of the HIV.
Fr. Mansaya complained that at the inception of the clinical trials, the church objected to the testing of the drug on human beings.
He said MDP officials maintained the drug was effective and was the quickest remedy to HIV/AIDS.
Fr. Mansaya, however, regretted that MDP has not taken trouble to brief the church on the outcome of the results.
Efforts by ZANIS to get a comment from MDP Community Liason Officer, Kennedy Mundia failed as his mobile phone was switched off.
