Wednesday, November 27, 2024
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ZAMBIA NATIONAL TEAM WEDNESDAY UPDATE

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Zambia national team arrived on the Copperbelt at midday, today from Lusaka as the countdown begins to Saturday’s 2008 Africa Cup qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville at Konkola stadium in Chililabombwe.

Nine out of the ten foreign-based players are in camp with the exception of striker Collins Mbseuma.

The striker from Maritimo in Portugal is due in tomorrow morning and will fly directly to Ndola before driving up to Chililabombwe to join the rest of the squad.

Attacking midfielder Christopher Katongo is the latest foreign-based player to arrive after landing on Tuesday in Ndola.

The team will spend the day in Kitwe today before leaving for Chililabombwe at 08:00 hrs tomorrow morning.

Defender Joseph Musonda has been ruled out of Saturday’s game due to a stomach aliment he suffered last week and has been give a weeks off to rest.

And Congo are due in on Thursday on a charter flight but no time has been furnished to Faz as to when they will arrive at Ndola Airport.

Arriving on the same day will be the Zambia Under 23’s Olympic Games football tournament Group B qualifier opponents Cote d’Ivoire who will also land at Ndola Airport.

The two sides’ face-off at Nchanga stadium in Chingola on Sunday, June 3.

TEAM:

GOALKEEPERS: George Kolala (Zanaco), Charles Chileshe (Nchanga Rangers), Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars, South Africa).

DEFENDERS: Clive Hachilensa (Free State Stars, South Africa), Patrick Masosa (Green Buffaloes), Billy Mwanza (Lamoteville Golden Arrows, South Africa), Kennedy Nkthani (Both Zanaco), Mark Sinyangwe (Nkana FC), Elijah Tana (Al Jezzera, UAE).

MIDFIELDERS: James Chamanga (SuperSport United, South Africa), Rainford Kalaba (Zesco United), Felix Katongo (Clube Desportivo 1º de Agosto, Angola), Noel Mwandila (Green Buffaloes).

FORWARDS: Songwe Chalwe (Moroka Swallows, South Africa), Christopher Katongo (Brondby, Denmark), Ignatius Lwipa (Zanaco), Collins Mbesuma (Maritimo, Portugal), Jacob Mulenga (Chateauroux, France), Enoch Sakala, Jonah Sakuwaha (Both Zesco United).

HIV/AIDS claims 135 teachers in Kasama

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About 135 teachers in Kasama District are reported  to have died from HIV/AIDS related ailments from 1998 to date.

Kasama District Education Board Secretary Savior Mutila disclosed this today when
the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology paid a courtesy
call on him.

Mr. Mutila told the Parliamentary Committee led by Mazabuka Member of Parliament
Gary Nkombo that the district had not been spared from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He, however, said the situation was slowly changing for the better as most teachers
and their families were now willing to be put on Anti Retroviral Therapy.

Mr. Mutila disclosed that as a result of this positive change of attitude towards
ARVs, the district has only lost two teachers this year due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the District Education board Secretary has bemoaned the dwindling grants
channeled  to the district saying this was affecting the implementation of the free
Education policy in the district.

Mr. Mutila told the committee that the declining levels of funding had been
compounded by the late release of the funds.

He also disclosed that his office was unable to monitor the use of grants in far
flung schools because of lack of reliable transport.

Other members of the parliamentary committee are Mporokoso Member of Parliament
Maynard Misapa, Chimbamilonga  lawmaker Brian Sikazwe, Chilubi Member of Parliament
Obby Chisala and Emmanuel Munaile of Malole.

Prostitution curtailed in Mongu

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The local authority in Mungu has reduced levels of prostitution in the district.

Mongu Mayor Charles Akende says the council managed to reduce prostitution levels by
strictly regulating the operations of bars and night spots in the district.

Mr. Akende said prostitution levels which were on the increase last year have since
declined due to stringent measures put in place by the council.

He explained that the council has managed to scale down the levels of prostitution in the area by working with the police and other stakeholders.

Mr. Akende said the adherence by some bar and night club owners to the terms of operation has seen less people engage in the vice.

Meanwhile, Mr. Akende has appealed to the Constructor who is to work on the
Mongu-Kalabo road to consider employing the youths in the district.

Mr. Akende said the move would deter many youths from engaging in bad vices such as
beer drinking, smoking and prostitution.

He observed that unemployment forced some youths in the district to engage in bad
vices such as prostitution.

And Mr. Akende has assured Mongu residents that the local authority was working
tirelessly to address the many land wrangles being faced in the area.

He announced that the Council has embarked on a programme to recruit qualified land
surveyors and staff.

Mr. Akende however maintained that the council would not rescind its decision of
charging K10,000 per month on every undeveloped plot in the district.

He said the move was aimed at encouraging people to develop their land.

Mr. Akende said it was unfortunate that some people were acquiring plots which they
failed to develop.

Government to enact new constitution through legitimate body – Mulongoti

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Chief Government Spokesperson Mike Mulongoti says government prefers to enact the new Constitution through a legitimate body like Parliament and not the Constituent assembly which had a lot of impediments.

Mr. Mulongoti, who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister, said it would take
87 weeks for the government to enact the new Constitution through Parliament which
was cheaper and a less time-consuming road map unlike the Constituent Assembly that
some people and stakeholders were advocating for which could even take five years.

He further said government preferred to tackle certain clauses in the constitution
that could be amended through an indaba without incurring the wrath of article 79 to
ensure that the new Constitution was enacted by Parliament and not the Constituent
Assembly.

The government has already set aside K200 Billion for all the process to ensure that the Zambian people enacted the Constitution in a more decent and somber manner.

Mr. Mulongoti said this in Kitwe today during a live radio programme on the government Constitution review process carried by the Catholic owned Radio
Ichengelo.

He said there were a lot of problems in following the enactment of the Constitution
through a Constituent Assembly to the latter as it had a lot of impediments which
most of the Zambia people did not understand.

The minister noted that the majority of the Zambian people did not know the implications of adopting the Constitution through a Constituent Assembly and that
the advocates of this process were not helping Zambians as they were not telling the
truth.

He further said if the referendum failed to identify eligible voters by 50 per cent,
then the entire process would be thrown in disarray and chaos which would be a waste
of national resources and time.

The minister also wondered what would happen to the entire process if parliament
refused to accept the document and recommendations by the Constituent Assembly.

Mr. Mulongoti added that there was need for government to give direction to the
nation by allowing parliament to operate normally and enact the Constitution as
required by law to avoid the nation being thrown into chaos.

He said government was more than ready with various stakeholders and to amend
certain articles in the Constitution to ensure that the nation moved forward and
adopted a new constitution within the desirable time frame.

And speaking later in an interview with some members of press Chembe Member of
Parliament, Mwansa Mbulakulima, said the enactment of the Constitution through a
Constituent Assembly meant that Zambian’s had passed a vote of no confidence in
their members of parliament.

Mr. Mbulakulima wondered how the same people who had voted for them as their sole
representatives could today turn around and render them irrelevant.

He said the people who would sit on the Constituent Assembly would not have the
authority and legality that was given to the members of parliament.

He appealed to Zambians to trend carefully and ensure that the constitution was
enacted by Parliament.

PRO’S HIT LIST

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DENAMRK.

Striker Christopher Katongo scored Brondby’s second goal in the 52nd minute on Sunday in the 6th placed clubs 2-0 home win over 10th positioned AC Horsens.

Katongo played the full 90 minutes.

FRANCE.

Striker Jacob Mulenga did not play in Chateauroux’s final Ligue 2 game of the season when they lost 2-1 away to relegated Tours on Saturday.

Chateauroux finished 7th on the table.

SWEDEN.

LJUNGSKILE: Defender Edwin Phiri played the 90 minutes for 11th placed Ljungskile in their scoreless home draw with number 6 Mjallby on Sunday.

ORGRYTE: Striker Boyd Mwila started for Orgryte on Thursday before being substituted in the 64th minute in the 3rd from top placed clubs 1-1 home draw with BK Hacken who are just a slot above tem on the table.

Mwila was not on target.

ZAMWA gives motherly hand to rural AIDS fight

SINCE the advent of HIV/AIDS, war has been waged against the eradication of the disease by several countries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and to some extent, individuals.
And on NGOs that have taken a unique approach towards the fight against HIV/AIDS, is the Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA) targeting the rural populace.
ZAMWA undertook a project in four rural communities to build capacities within the communities where women bear the brunt of the HIV/AIDS because they are mothers, care givers and wives who also have to look for food and feed families.
According to ZAMWA chairperson Margaret Chimanse, the objective of the project was to mobilise the remote rural communities, and create a critical mass, in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The other objective was to work with remote rural communities in order to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, and enable them to identify and analyse HIV/AIDS issues.
To advocate for pro-poor and HIV/AIDS sensitive policies and practices, strengthen the capacity of community media in addressing issues of HIV/AIDS and to network with the community health neighborhoods and the home based care in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Other objectives included identifying community-based programmes that would address the problems of those that have been affected by HIV/AIDS and to lobby Government institutions, churches, and non-governmental organisations so that they would get involved in the community based programmes.
Ms Chimanse added that the project high came on December 1, “World Aids Day,” when she published stories in the print and electronic media of the struggles of rural women and their basic needs to continue the fight; these were stories of brave women who put in their time voluntarily with no resources to help those who were sick in their communities.
Ms Chimanse said apart from reporting on the HIV/AIDS issues, ZAMWA carried out education campaigns in the communities, and encouraged them to intensify the fight against HIV/AIDS.
She said ZAMWA also felt that while reporting and educating people on HIV/AIDS, the media could, together with other organisations, participate in research, advocacy and lobbying. Further, the media would be able to influence policy changes in the interest of fighting the disease.
Ms Chimanse explained that in Lufwanyama, one of the communities that were visited, was women home based care givers that were crying for a CD 4 count machine.
“The stories were similar in Monze, Kapiri Mposhi and the outskirts of Chipata were women here asking for support from the Government, NGOs and the donor community,” she said.
While poverty may be seen to have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the rural areas, Ms Chimanse said that the opposite is also true.
She added that HIV/AIDS has contributed to the high poverty levels in the villages. And many people who are infected and eventually die from AIDS are those who are in the physically active group of people.
“As livelihood in the rural areas largely depends on hard work on the land, a number of breadwinners have died, leaving untold misery to their children and aged parents,” Ms Chimanse said.
And former Health Minister Angela Cifire commended ZAMWA for the fight against HIV AIDS saying it was gratifying to see the stance women in the media were taking.
Ms Cifire urged ZAMWA to double its efforts in the fight against the disease in the rural areas because of the vulnerability found there.
She, however, noted with pleasure the increased participation of female journalists in the fight against HIV/AIDS through their various skills.
“There has been an increase in the participation and I would like to see more coverage on sensitising the women in the rural areas on the disease, from women in the media,” she said.
In many instances even those who are in urban areas are taken to their villages once they are terminally ill, and once they die, it is their aged parents that are left to look after their grandchildren. As a result there are so many households where orphans are being taken care of by aged grand parents.
The poverty levels of such households are also high because the aged no longer have enough energy to be able to work on the land and take care of their grandchildren.
Consequently, these children are not able to attend school, resulting in an increase in illiteracy levels in the villages.
According to ‘The Initiative’ magazine, a publication of the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative July to September 2006 edition on women economic empowerment, this is crucial to a country like Zambia where women face a lot of disadvantages due to cultural and educational barriers.
MMCI has in the past five years endeavored to reach as many women as possible throughout Zambia and the strategy has yielded many positive results enabling women to put food on the table and send children back to school and pay for medical facilities.
Empowerment projects have also benefited families that have either been directly or indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS.
About 52 per cent of the Zambian population comprises women. Women contribute a lot to the economic development of the country at both household and national levels.

 In rural areas they participate greatly in agricultural production for domestic consumption, as well as in other labour intensive tasks essential for household survival, such as fetching water and firewood.

They have a primary responsibility of ensuring household food security, health and nutrition of their families.
Despite women being central to the promotion of health, their position in the rural society is not fully appreciated. Men due to traditional and cultural beliefs sometimes subject them to exploitation.
With the advent of HIV/AIDS, women and girl children are the most affected groups of the population. Mothers and daughters workload has increased drastically since they are the ones providing nursing care to the families that have been affected.

Sometimes they are forced to change their lifestyles and abandon what is dear to their lives such as employment just in order to take care of the terminally ill.

Girls who are attending school are also subjected to the same, to the extent of abandoning school.
All this is because people who are suffering from AIDS need continuous care by someone. It is the mothers and the girl children who have to walk long distances to fetch the water and perform other domestic chores that are necessary for the sick as well as the rest of the family.
The challenges of poverty are huge and special attention needs to be given to poverty that is brought about by the disease and to the women who have no means to fight this social ill.

Pro-poor policies should be developed to help and sustain those who are less privileged. It calls for communities to come together, the Government, civil society and the private sector to develop solutions to this ill.
“ Women are working together and collaborating with each other to ensure that they get a stake in the development agenda and participate effectively.”
“This is largely because of the tireless efforts of women NGOs who have helped sensitise the women and communities on various spheres of community and civic participation and these NGOs have built capacities in women that help them analyse issues and understand that without women’s enhanced participation there can be no real development,” Ms Chimanse said.
She commented that the real issue was not bridging the gap between men and women but to ensure there was equal access to resources, education, training and governance to ensure that women also enjoyed their human rights because women’s rights are human rights.

State clarifies concerns on Constitution

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GOVERNMENT has said not all recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) will enable Zambia have a Constitution that the citizens desire.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Mike Mulongoti said this at Civil Society Elections Network (CSEN) workshop to conduct a postmortem of the 2006 elections in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Mulongoti’s remarks followed concerns from Zambia Democratic Conference (ZADECO) national chairperson, Langton Sichone, who said Government’s stance on the Constitution was divisive to the nation.
Civil society organisations and political party leaders who included United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema attended the workshop.
Mr Mulongoti said as a result of the realisation that the recommendations of the CRC would not enable Zambia have a Constitution that is desired, the Government had for sometime now been agitating that some parts of the Constitution be amended without necessarily amending other clauses.

He said the Constitution had clauses that could be amended without referring to Articles 79 and 62. For instance, he said, to include the 50 plus one vote clause did not require amending Article 79.
If the stakeholders had agreed to amend such clauses, the Constitution making process could have reached an advanced stage.
Mr Mulongoti who is also Chief Government spokesperson, said the Government like civil society organisations and other political parties was concerned with the constitution making process.
He said the Government had discovered that most opposition leaders were emotional when it came to the issue of adopting the Constitution.
And when opening the workshop, Mr Mulongoti commended the initiative by civil society organisations and political parties saying such gatherings were a move in the right direction.
He said there were several issues facing the nation that required the attention and engagement of all stakeholders.
Civil society had managed to conduct a number of activities on the Zambian electoral process and the need to contribute to the sustainability of the democratic governance.
Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director, Lee Habasonda, said such discussions would help resolve most of the problems that Zambia was facing.
He said it was important for stakeholders to know where they went wrong and what should be done particularly in the electoral process.
He, however, said Zambia’s electoral process had its own merits and demerits, which he said should be resolved.
He advised the media to give equal coverage to all political parties during the run up periods to elections.
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) regional director Kaitira Kandjii said electoral laws in Africa did not recognise the role that the media could play in the electoral process.
“Media should be catered for as an important player in the electoral law. It plays an important role in the electoral process,” Mr Kandjii said.

Schoolgirl (18) gives birth in class

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AN 18-year-old grade nine pupil at Kikombe Middle Basic school in Solwezi yesterday gave birth to a baby boy in a classroom.
The pupil was helped to deliver by female teachers around 09:00hours, the period meant for geography lessons.
School manager, Jersey Liswaniso, who confirmed the incident, said the girl started bleeding during class and the class teacher asked the rest of the pupils to go out and called for female teachers.
After the bleeding persisted, Mrs Liswaniso was called in, who after interviewing the girl with other female teachers helped in the delivery.
Mrs Liswaniso said the school authorities were not aware that the girl was pregnant.
She always wore a jersey to conceal her pregnancy but teachers thought she was doing it to beat the cold.
“A member of staff here rushed the pupil and her baby to hospital, while her parents were notified. This has never happened at this school before,” she said.
Solwezi General Hospital authorities could not state the condition of the girl and the baby, referring all queries to the ministry of Health spokesperson, Canisuis Banda in Lusaka.

Govt prefers Parliament to Constituent Assembly over Constitution…Mulongoti

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Chief Government Spokesperson Mike Mulongoti says  Government prefers to enact the new Constitution through a legitimate body like Parliament and not the Constituent assembly which had a lot of impediments.

Mr Mulongoti who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister said  it would take
87 weeks for the Government to enact the new Constitution through Parliament which
was cheaper and a less time consuming road map unlike the Constituent Assembly that
some people and stakeholders  were advocating for which could even take five years.

He further said Government preferred to tackle certain clauses in the constitution
that could be amended through an indaba without incurring the wrath of article 79 to
ensure that the new Constitution was enacted by Parliament and not the constituent
assembly.

ZANIS Kitwe reports that Government had already set aside K200 Billion for the
process to ensure that the Zambian people enacted the Constitution in a more decent
and sombre manner.

Mr Mulongoti  said this in Kitwe today during a live radio programme on the Government Constitution review process on the Catholic owned Radio Ichengelo.

The minister noted that the majority of the Zambian people did not know the implications of adopting the Constitution through a constituent assembly and that
the advocates of this process were not helping Zambians as they were not telling the
truth.

He further said if the referendum failed to identify eligible voters by 50 percent then the entire process would be thrown in disarray and chaos which would be a waste of national resources and time.

The minister also wondered what would happen to the entire process, if Parliament
refused to accept the document and recommendations by the Constituent Assembly.

Mr Mulongoti added that there was need for Government to give direction to the
nation by allowing Parliament operate normally and enact the Constitution as required by Law to avoid the nation being thrown into chaos.

He said Government was more than ready to sit down with various Stakeholders and
amend certain articles in the Constitution to ensure that the nation moved forward and adopted a new constitution within the desirable time frame.

And speaking later, in an interview with some members of the press Chembe member of
Parliament Mwansa Mbulakulima said the enactment of the Constitution through a
Constituent assembly meant that Zambians had passed a vote of no confidence in their
members of Parliament.

Mr Mbulakulima wondered how the same people who had voted for them as their sole
representatives could today turn around and render them irrelevant.

He said the people who would sit on the Constituent Assembly would not have the
authority and legality that was given to the members of Parliament.

He appealed to Zambians to tread carefully and ensure that the constitution was enacted by Parliament.

TUESDAY ZAMBIA FOOTBALL REPORT

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The Zambia national team has been boosted with the arrival of 6 foreign-based players ahead of Saturday 2008 Africa Cup, Group 11 qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville at Konkola stadium in Chililabombwe.

Striker Jacob Mulenga of French Ligue 2 club Chateauroux, James Chamanga of SuperSport United in South Africa and Angolan based midfielder Felix Katongo have all gathered on the Copperbelt.

Defender Elijah Tana of Al Jazeera in the UAE has also arrived and all the players were by press time expected to join up with the team in Ndola en route to Chililabombwe this evening.

Still being awaited is Collins Mbesuma of Maritimo in Portugal is due to land in Ndola this evening from Europe.

Christopher Katongo of Danish club Brondby is expected tomorrow, Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Zambia returned home from Namibia Monday night where they beat their hosts 2-1 on Saturday in an international friendly.

“Our match against Congo is a do-or-die game that we must win or we are out,” Phiri said just after landing at Lusaka International Airport.

“We had a very good game (Against Namibia) and we have two to three days to fine-tune our team before our game against Congo.”

Phiri meanwhile cautioned against putting too much pressure on Zesco United striker Enoch Sakala who scored a brace on his debut for Zambia this weekend in the match against Namibia.

“We must not put too much pressure on him and must be very patient with him and give him enough outings that he can handle,” Phiri cautioned.

Sakala has scored 7 goals in the league apart from 13 games with Zesco apart from the two he recorded against Namibia bringing his total tally of the season to 9.

And in the Zambia Under 23 camp, winger Clifford Mulenga and defender Davies Nkausu of South African 2nd division club Pretoria University have joined the team in Kitwe.

The duo complete the quartet Peter Kaumba called-up for the team’s Olympic Games football tournament Group B qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire on June 3 at Nchanga stadium in Chingola

MMD wrangles in Northern Province get worse

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The MMD in Northern Province has appealed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) to immediately intervene in the internal wrangles which have rocked the ruling party in the province.

MMD Acting Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary Chrispin Mulenga told
ZANIS in Kasama that the squabbles among top MMD leadership were affecting party
activities in the province.

Mr. Mulenga said only NEC, which is the highest decision making organ of the party,
could halt the current leadership wrangles and also serve the party from self-destruction in the area.

He explained that the in-fighting was being perpetrated by two senior party officials  who had allegedly ganged up to destabilize  the party in the province.

Mr. Mulenga  also accused two the officials of allegedly inciting party members to
rebell against Provincial Minister Lameck Chibombamilimo and other top officials in
the province.

He  further accused the same party officials of being bias when handling disciplinary party matters, thereby weakening the party further.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mulenga has appealed to the party’s National Executive Committee
(NEC) to consider revoking the suspensions slapped on party members in Mpulungu
district.

He said as a result of the unnecessary suspensions of party members, the MMD was now
losing popularity in the area.

Mr. Mulenga has since called for an immediate end to all illegal suspension of party
members in order to strengthen the party structures in the Province.

WEEKEND SCORECARD AND TABLE STANDING

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INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY.

26/05/2007.

Windhoek.

Namibia 1(Lete Shatimuene 89″)- Zambia 2 (Enoch Sakala 25″ 78″).

FAZ PREMIER LEAGUE.

25/05/2007.

WEEK 9.

Green Buffaloes 0- Zamtel FC 0.
WEEK 15.

26/05/2007.

Kabwe Warriors 2(Siloni Jere 26′, Maunga Kabuku 38′)-Konkola Blades 0.

Power Dynamos 1(Elson Mukandawire 35′)- Nchanga Rangers 2 (George Chilufya  34″, Chijoka Nyirenda    73″).

Lusaka Dynamos 2(Nasha Kaya 49″, Lombe Kaluba 61″ og)- Red Arrows 1 (Dubelo Phiri 78″).

Roan United 1(Losper Muma 38″)- Zanaco 1 (Evans Chisulo 68″).

Nakambala Leopards 0- Forest Rangers 1 (Mala Besa 20″).

27/05/2007.

National Assembly 0- Zamtel FC 0.

Postponed:

Young Arrows- Green Buffaloes.
Zesco United- City of Lusaka.

[TABLE=2]

TOP SCORERS (28/05/07).

Rainford Kalaba (Zesco United): 11.

Mumamba Numba (Zanaco): 10.

Enoch Sakala (Zesco United) 9.

Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors): 8.
Lyson Sikaonga (Nchanga Rangers): 8.
Felix Nsunzu Jr (Konkola Blades):8.

Lottie Phiri (Young Arrows): 7.

Sebastian Mwansa (Green Buffaloes): 6.
Simon Luipya (Red Arrows):6.

Winstone Kalengo(Zanaco): 5.
Mazuba Mukandawire (City of Lusaka): 5.

Maonga Kabuku (Kabwe Warriors): 4.
Ben Mwanza (Roan United): 4
Josphet Nkhoma (Lusaka Dynamos): 4.
Lameck Banda (Lusaka Dynamos): 4.
Ken Mwaba (Nakambala Leopards):4.
Kelvin Kaindu (Zanaco): 4.


FAZ DIVISION 1 WEEK 14.

25/05/2007.

NORTH.

Chindwin 0- Prison Leopards 0

Konkola Mine Police 0- Kitwe United 1

Nkana 0- Kalewa 1*

*Match abandoned after Nkana fans invaded the pitch
INDENI 4- Police Blue Eagles 1

Afrisports Lime 0- Lime Hotspurs 0

Ndola United 2-  Mufulira Blackpool 1

Chambishi 2- Muchindu 1.

SOUTH

Young Buffaloes 0- Riflemen 1

Chilanga 1- Nkwazi 0

Lusaka City Council-Zamcoal Diggers (PP).

Profund Warriors 0- Lusaka Tigers 1

Kambuku Warriors- Lusaka Celtic (PP)

Builders Brigade 1- Livingstone Pirates 1

Communite 0- Nampundwe 2

Green Eagles 2- Kalomo Jetters 0.

WEEK 15.

28/05/2007.

NORTH.

Prison Leopards 1- Kitwe United 0.

Chindwin 1- Nkana 1.

Police Blue Eagles 0- Konkola Mine Police 0.

Kalewa 0- Afrisports  0.

Mufulira Blackpool 0- INDENI 1.

Lime Hotspurs 2- Mufulira Wanderers 0.

Muchindu 0- Ndola United 1- Chambishi 1.

SOUTH.

Lusaka Celtic 6- Communite 0.

Riflemen 0- Nkwazi 0.

Young Buffaloes 1- Lusaka City Council 2.

Livingstone Pirates 0- Profund Warriors 0.

Kalomo Jetters 1- Builders Bridage 2.

Nampundwe 0- ZNS Green Eagles 3.

Lusaka Tigers 0- Chilanga Heroes 0.

Zamcoal Diggers- Kambuku Warriors (PP).

Sata challenged over FJT bills

66

sata.jpgPATRIOTIC Front president, Michael Sata, has been challenged to prove that Government has refused to honour former President, Frederick Chiluba’s medical bills at University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Mr Sata was quoted by the press yesterday accusing Government of refusing to pay for Dr Chiluba’s medical tests at UTH.

On Thursday, Dr Chiluba collapsed at his Kabulonga home and is currently admitted to UTH where doctors have conducted various medical tests.

Chief Government spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government has never issued such orders or directives on the settling of medical bills for the former President.

“Government has never said that, because this is a delicate matter that should be handled with care and morality.

This matter borders on morality, because Dr Chiluba is still in hospital. For him to hear about such talks that have been attributed to the Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata, what is he going to think? I also got shocked when I heard Mr Sata’s attacks on Government that it has refused to pay Dr Chiluba’s hospital bills.

I am challenging Mr Sata to tell the nation where I said that Government would not pay Dr Chiluba’s bills.

The story is a total fabrication,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said the doctors at UTH were competent enough to advise Government on Dr Chiluba’s health.

He said Government would not take Mr Sata’s advice on Dr Chiluba’s health status.

“What this Government is saying is that it will follow what the medical experts attending to Dr Chiluba at UTH will advise,” he said.

The minister wondered how Government could have problems in clearing Dr Chiluba’s bills at UTH when in the past it had been paying for him whenever he attended treatment in South Africa.

He said President Mwanawasa’s Government was of laws and would not refuse to settle bills for the former President.

“Under the Zambian constitution, there is a provision for the former President’s entitlement and Dr Chiluba’s benefits are intact,” Mr Mulongoti said.

Dr Chiluba’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Mwamba, declined to comment on Mr Sata’s statement.

“I just heard from Mr Sata that there is something like Government not paying the bill so I can’t comment on the matter because we don’t know the official position of Government and I can’t act on rumours,” he said.

Mr Mwamba said Dr Chiluba was still in the admission ward and would continue receiving medication.

On whether Dr Chiluba would appear before a doctors’ ad hoc committee today to determine his fitness to stand trial as ordered by the Lusaka magistrates court, Mr Mwamba said UTH would advise accordingly.

Dr Chiluba is scheduled to appear before a team of medical experts that recommended for his evacuation to South Africa for the treatment of his heart condition last year in March.

Mansa Municipal council shuts down illegal drinking places

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Mansa Municipal Council has embarked on shutting  ungazetted bars and liquor outlets in all markets in the district.

Over the weekend, the local authority law enforcers  went round the district, closing all bars and liquor outlets in markets and ungazetted areas in line with the keep Zambia Clean Campaign.

Mansa Municipal Council Acting Spokesperson Christopher Mumba told ZANIS that the
local authority would not relent to rid disorderliness in the markets.

He said the bars and liquor outlets were illegal and lacked of toilet facilities while playing loud music which became a nuisance to the public.

Mr. Mumba said liquor trading was not allowed in market places as it brought disturbances to surrounding residential areas and affect sanitation in the markets.

He added  that  many bars in markets posed a health hazard as diarrhoeal diseases,
such as cholera and dysentery, were imminent.

Mr Mummba said before moving in the council wrote to bar owners and warned them on
the impending move to   shut the illegal drinking places and beer outlets.

And Mumba has since warned of prosecution against liquor traders found wanting.

HIV/AIDS is major killer in Kalabo – Sakala

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Kalabo District Health Director Dr. Jacob Sakala says HIV/AIDS  is the  leading cause of death in the area.

Dr. Sakala said malaria was initially the leading cause of death in the district from 2001 to 2005, adding that from 2006 to the first quarter of 2007, HIV/AIDS is the number one cause of deaths in the district.

He disclosed that currently 1,185 people in the district are on Anti Retro Viral (ARV)drugs   treatment out of which 423 are male, 38 are children while 724 are female, representing 60 per cent of people on  treatment.

Dr. Sakala told ZANIS in Kalabo that there is limited access of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services by the people in the district.

The District Direcor of Health saying only two hospitals and two health centres in the district are offering VCT services. VCT services are provided at  Yuka Mission Hospital, Kalabo Distrit Hospital, Sihole and Lukona Rural Health Centres.

He however  said his department will soon extend the services to Sikongo Rural Health Centre in two weeks time, adding that members of staff have already been trained.

Dr.  Sakala attributed  the poor health services provided to the shortage of health staff in the district, adding that the situation also  limits the scaling up VCT services to other rural health  centres in the area.