Government has dismissed a media statement attributed to Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata accusing it of scheming to get kickbacks from LITASSO a Russian oil firm as a lie.

Reacting to media reports by PF Leader Michael Sata that government was maneuvering to manipulate the tender process in the supply and delivery of crude oil for the 2010-2012 period in favour of Russia’s LITASCO which energy Minister Kenneth Konga is alleged to have negotiated with, Chief Government spokesperson Lt Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha said the opposition leader’s statement reveals how ignorant and uninformed Mr. Sata is about the major players in the oil industry.

Lt.Gen Shikapwasha explained that LITASCO, the company that Mr. Sata made reference to, is a reputable company, contrary to his claims that it is a “conman company”.

He said if Mr. Sata cared to tell the nation the truth, he would have taken time to visit the website for LITASCO before commenting.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said it is very disheartening to have leaders who are so poor in accessing free information on the internet.

He said everybody knows that Russia supplies oil and gas to most of West European countries and it is not true that Russia does not have enough oil for itself.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister assured the nation that none of the companies being considered to supply oil to Zambia is a “conman company”.[quote]

He further said that the people of Zambia should know that government is looking for better and greater opportunities for Zambia to have the best and stable supplies of oil products.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha added that it is against this background that all the companies that bid to supply oil are being considered by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) professionally.

The Chief Government Spokesperson said government is convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that ZPPA will choose the best bidder, in the interest of Zambia.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha further said government believes that Energy Minister Kenneth Konga is on course and must be supported by all well meaning Zambians to ensure success in the commodity provision in the country.

He said government is aware that the only reason why Mr. Sata sees corruption in everything that the government is doing is because he would induce corruption in such transactions if he were to run government.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha reminded the PF Leader that his past is well recorded and known by most Zambians.

Meanwhile Lt. Gen Shikapwasha has charged that government takes strong exception to Forum Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi’s Comments on corruption.

He said the perception that Zambia is a corrupt nation started with the infamous Carlington Maize deal, which Ms. Nawakwi knows better and the role she played in the deal.

ZANIS

Government has refuted allegations that it recieved 20 million Euros from the European Union to undertake the issuance of National Registration Cards.

Home Affairs Minister, Lameck Mangani, says the mobile registration exercise is fully funded by the government.

Mr. Mangani told journalists in Lusaka that claims by Patriotic leader, Michael Sata, that the EU gave government 20 millions Euros for the exercise were misleading.

He said government has released extra funds amounting to K22 billion for the second phase of the Mobile issuance of NRCs in Southern,Central and Northern Provinces.

And 165,000 National Registration Cards were issued in Eastern Province under the first phase of the on going mobile registration exercise.

Mr. Mangani said 85,000 NRCs were issued in North-western Province while 80,000 were issued in Western Province.

He said Zambians should not panic because even after the mobile exercise people can still get their NRCs from registration centres.

Mr Mangani said government has no intentions of defranchising Zambians by denying them NRCs.

[ZNBC]

ZAMBIA’s cooperating partners have implored the Government to devise mechanisms that will curb the abuse of public funds and called for enhanced accountability so that the resources can benefit Zambian citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the country’s cooperating partners, European Union (EU) head of delegation to Zambia, Derek Fee said that if the Government was to make meaningful progress in reducing poverty, there was need for enhanced accountability mechanism in public finances.

Dr Fee was speaking during the EU end of year media briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He said cooperating partners were disappointed that some colossal sums of public resources could be misappropriated, particularly in the Ministry of Health.

He said such a development was detrimental to the well being of the citizenry.
“To be honest it is not fair that one person can misappropriate huge sums of money. There is need for the Government to devise strategies to curb abuse of public resources,” Dr Fee said.

Dr Fee explained that it was disgusting to the cooperating partners that a few individuals, particularly in Government institutions, could be living luxurious lives at the expense of critical needs for the nation among them, the health and education sectors.

But Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said he would only issue a comprehensive statement after talking to Dr Fee.

“I cannot comment immediately until I get a full report from Dr Fee,” Gen Shikapwasha said.[quote]

However, Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Marie Anderson de Frutos said the media was an important instrument in the governance of the nation.

She said the media was critical as it ensured that there were checks and balances and eventually, accountability in the utilisation of public resources.

Ms de Frutos said that the media should be free and allowed to operate without any interference for it to make a meaningful contribution towards the governance of the country.

And EU Head of Operations Eric Beaume said that the Government and the EU were working on a new programme for 2010, which would be complementary to the national budget.

[Times of Zambia]

First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda has commended President Rupiah Banda and his government for holding the first ever National AIDS convention to focusing attention on prevention of infections.

Dr Kaunda said the initiative, intention and purposes of the convention were an indication that the matter of HIV/AIDS is being taken seriously in the campaign against the pandemic.

He said that even though the country is taking a right step in the fight against the pandemic there should be no room for complacency.

Dr Kaunda said this when he graced this year’s world AIDS day at Manyama in Solwezi’s Lumwana area today.

He said there was need for collective action from all stakeholders against this global threatening situation as numbers of people living with the pandemic has reached an alarming stage.

Dr Kaunda said it was extremely urgent to take necessary measures to promote universal access to treatment, adding that it is the best available tool to help reverse and ultimately halt the spread of HIV/AIDS as called for in the Millennium Declaration of the United National (UN) adopted in 2000.

He called for intensified campaign through various programs especially work place programs on HIV/AIDS by government and parastatal companies in order to impart knowledge to the workforce on prevention as well as the need to discuss openly issues relating to this disease.

Speaking earliar Lumwana Mine Managing Director Adam Wright said the first prevalence survey of 2007 has helped the mine with information for planning and responding to challenges of HIV at Manyama.

Mr Wright said information has enabled the company to develop a Social Sustainability Management Plan (SSMP) focused on areas such as potential increase in HIV infection.

He reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the fight in order to control the spread over areas with rapid population growth like Manyama which are likely to become centers of prevalence.

ZANIS

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Election monitors during October 15 Kasama Central by-election have complained of non-payment of their allowances.

This came to light when the irate monitors stormed ZANIS offices in Kasama today to register their displeasure over the matter.

One of the aggrieved, Jean Mulolwa charged that from the time the Kasama Central by-election was held, FODEP has done little in fulfilling its promise of paying the hired staff their dues.

Mrs. Mulolwa said it was disappointing for a big organization like FODEP to fail to pay its election monitors despite them doing their job.

She urged FODEP to emulate Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) in paying hired personnel immediately after an election was conducted.

Mrs. Mulolwa lamented that the allowances that were due to the election monitors were merger and wondered why the organization was reluctant to pay to the affected people.

She said it was unfair for FODEP to engage people as monitors for an election and later fail to pay their dues.

Mrs. Mulolwa warned that if the trend continued people would be discouraged from participating in monitoring future elections on behalf of the organization.

And when reached for a comment, FODEP Kasama District chairman Milton Mwanabamba confirmed that his organization has not yet paid the election monitors who took part in the Kasama Central by-election.

Mr. Mwanabamba revealed that the 14 FODEP monitors are owed K1.9 million in unpaid allowances while a further K1.8 million is owed to a local transporter who provided a service during the by-election.

He said he was currently unable to move freely in the streets due to fear of being beaten by the aggrieved election monitors who are crying for money from him.

Mr. Mwanabamba has since appealed to FODEP national leadership to quickly disburse the election funds so that the affected monitors could be paid their dues without any further delay.

ZANIS