A Forty Five (45) year old man of Siavonga district has been murdered by a friend after the two picked up a quarrel during a drinking spree.

Police sources at Siavonga police station told ZANIS in an interview today that Simon Kaponda of Hazela village in Chief Sinadambwe’s area was murdered by Voster
Hakaba of the same village.

The sources disclosed that the murder case that was only reported to the police over
the weekend by uncle to the deceased, Allan Mweemba occurred on the May, 5 th 2007.

Police said Kaponda and Hakaba left home together in the company of other friends to
go and drink illicit brewed beer commonly known as Solopi in one of the surrounding
villages.

During their outing , a serious quarrel ensued between the deceased and Hakaba
leading to the accused picking up a big log which he used to hit Kaponda on the
chest.

Police said according to the narration by the deceased’s uncle, Kaponda died the
same day in the evenings around 21:00 hours after the fight that occurred around
15:00 hours.

The suspect fled the village and has not yet been apprehended.

Police further said a manhunt has been launched for the suspected murderer adding
that the body of the deceased which villagers buried without conducting a postmortem
will be exhumed this week so that a postmortem can be conducted to determine the
actual cause of death.

In another development,a crocodile in Lake Kariba has yet again killed a thirteen
(13) year old girl of Siavonga district bringing the total number of small girls
that have been killed by crocodiles in Gwena area to three within a space of two
months.

And District Commissioner Emily Striedl who confirmed the death of the girl in an
interview with ZANIS in Siavonga today called on ZAWA to quickly intervene and kill
the lonely crocodile.

She said there is no reason for ZAWA to relax over the matter and watch the reptile
continue claiming innocent souls when they can easily crop the animal.

Striedl named the deceased girl who was attacked by the reptile over the weekend
when she went to draw water from the lake as Linea Sinachikuyu of Gwena village.

Striedl disclosed that the infant, a pupil at Siamatika basic school was mauled by
the reptile and her body dragged into the deep waters.

She said some fishermen conducting their fishing business on the lake however
recovered the body that sustained multiple injuries after it was abandoned by the
crocodile some meters from the lake shore.

The body of the girl has since been buried.

The visibly disturbed D.C charged that ZAWA should consider setting up a camp along
the lake shore just like they did along the lower Zambezi River in Sub centre area
if they are to save the lives of people living along the lake shore.

She said while government appreciates the importance of preserving wildlife,
measures should equally be put in place to ensure that the lives of human beings are
also protected from animal related attacks.

Government has been called upon to improve the salaries and conditions of service for nurses in the country to curb their exodus for greener pasture outside the country.

The call is from the Zambia Naurses Association, ZNA.

ZNA Lundazi district chairperson Goldern Mtonga made the call during the commemoration of this year’s World Nurses Day in Lundazi yesterday.

Mr. Mtonga  said government should motivate nurses as they play a pivotal role in
the provision of  quality health care to patients.

He said constant harassment of nurses, meagre salaries, poor working environment and
lack of medical equipment, especially in rural areas, demoralizes the nurses thereby
weakening  the country’s health care system.

Mr. Mtonga however said despite the challenges,  his association will not tolerate
indiscipline, illegal strikes and other unprofessional conduct among  nurses.

He said nursing is a noble career which requires obedience, dedication and kindness.

Mr Mtonga  also said nurses are obliged to uphold international code of enthics to
respect a patient’s’ confidentiality, care for the sick and to refrain from any
action that might endanger patient’s life.

And Lundazi District Commissioner Masauso Banda commended nurses for their
dedication to duty.

Mr. Banda said nurses in Lundazi have strived to work hard to save patients lives,
despite working under difficult conditions.

The DC  assured the nurses that government was doing everything possible to improve
the working conditions of nurses in rural areas.

By Tovin Ngombe
Maamba mine retirees have appealed to President Levy Mwanawasa to assist them in getting their retirement money.

The Chairperson for retirees Douglas Siakalonga told ZANIS in an interview that despite the court ordering Maamba mine management to pay them their retirement money in four installments last year they have failed to respect the judgment.

“It seems now that Maamba mine management was more superior than our courts were can we turn to when courts decisions are not being honoured, can some one help us be it a Minister or whatever,” Siakalonga said.

He said that the current scenario seems that President Mwanawasa was not aware of what was obtaining on the ground at Maamba mine.

Siakalonga has since castigated Zambia Consolidated Copper Mine (ZCCM) Investment Holding for paying free salaries to Maamba miners who were not producing any coal.

He said ZCCM Investment holding should also look into there plight as they also contributed to the wellbeing of the mine despite its current state.

Maamba miners have been getting salaries despite their failing to improve production of coal which was due to the dilapidated equipment that has stayed for over 20 years without being replaced.

The retirees Chairperson who retired in 2003 disclosed that Maamba Mine Management has been giving them small amounts of money which they could not buy anything from it and the last meager amount was paid in October 2005.

“What is disturbing was that our children were being chased at the mine School when they owe us huge sums of money, we have been turned into destitutes,” Mr Siakalonga said.
However, on Thursday bailiffs seized some mine properties but because the Mine Management was tipped off of their coming they hide some of their valuable assets such as vehicles and locked up their offices.

One miner who refused to be named told ZANIS that bailiffs seized a motor vehicle that was on its way to Lake Kariba along Maamba Batoka road and they preceded to the mine area where they found most of the vehicles were hidden and offices locked.

Bailiffs have continued to haunt the mine, two weeks ago they pounced on them and seized vehicles, houses, and the Izuma lodge.

Mine Manager Coin Siakachoma said the situation was contained when ZCCM Investment holdings through their lawyer intervened.
The retirees’ chairperson said people should not think they were being cruel by sending bailiffs because that was the only way to get their money.
“Maamba position is bad but we need to survive as well because nothing tangible is coming from the mine management and do they expect us to take the law into our own hand?,” Mr. Siakalonga said
Most of workers at Maamba mine said the situation at the mine was pathetic because most of the coal that has already been exposed was not being picked inlarge quantities because the mine has no equipment.
“It is equipment that his hindering production here otherwise we are sitting on money let ZCCM Investment holdings bring equipment if they are serious about mining.” One worker said.

TN/END

By Tovin Ngombe
The bodies for the two missing people that drowned on Lake Kariba in Sinazongwe district have been retrieved.

A combined team of police officers, Fisheries officers, and private individuals retrieved the bodies of members for Sinazongwe Youth Alive drama group on Saturday.

The two bodies were identified as James Sikalumba and Preacher Lizinga who Ms Violet Mukubu one of the survivors said they jumped out the boat when waves hit it on the fateful day.

The two bodies were buried on Sunday.

Mr. Sikalumba and Lizinga died when the boat they were in capsized on Lake Kariba in Sinazongwe district on Thursday.

Eight people from Sinazongwe youth Alive were on the boat belonging to Sinazongwe Health Centre but six were rescued by the Fishermen.

Shedrick Sinazeze one of the survivor said only four people had life saving jackets while the other four had nothing.

Sinazeze explained that the two people who died had not put on the life saving Jackets.

He also said the two ladies on the crew survived because they had put on the Life saving Jackets.

The eight people from Sinazongwe youth Alive went for HIV/AIDS sensitisation campaign at Simuzila Village and had the accident after they completed their mission. .

Sinazongwe police Inspector Mwausi Akebu and the district government controller of transport kebby Balandawu were among the six survivors.

On Tuesday during the Labour Day celebration the same screw from Sinazongwe Youth Alive charmed the audience with their wit performance.

By Tovin Ngombe
Rabies has broken out in Sinazongwe district.
Sinazongwe District Veterinary officer Dr Ernest Ndalama said one of the two samples that were taken for testing to the Central Veterinary Research Institute in Lusaka on 24th April tested positive.
Dr Ndalama said one sample was taken from Sinazongwe Zambeef where a dog was reported to have indiscriminately beaten up other dogs while the other sample was taken from the fisheries residential camp.

He disclosed that the sample from the fisheries residential camp tested positive while the other one from Zambeef was negative.

The doctor said there has been an increase in the number of suspected rabies cases reported in the district from the health centres.

Dr Ndalama noted that there was a high number of dog population in the district adding that by law no person was allowed to keep more than three dogs.

He said that his office hopes to embark on vaccination programme and cropping of the dogs.

“The dog population is supposed to be controlled, one household is not supposed to have more than three dogs,” Dr Ndalama said.

The doctor explained that people owning dogs in the township were supposed to register them with the Local Authority and that a three months old dog was supposed to be taken for vaccination.

He reaffirmed that rabies affect both human beings and animals and the patient could die if not vaccinated on time.

“It is a disease of public concern, there is no treatment for it the only prevention is to vaccinate the affected person or animal on time and to quickly clean the wound if one has been beaten.
Dr Ndalama said human vaccination was expensive as it ranges from K300, 000 to K400, 000 while the animal vaccine was cheaper and it costs only K10, 000.