Government has called on Business houses to supplement its efforts in the rehabilitation of police stations in various parts of the country.

Vice President Rupiah Banda made the call in Luanshya when he toured the Luanshya
Central police station on Friday last week.

Mr Banda said police stations were doing a lot in providing security in their
respective locations and needed the support of the business community.

He said companies should respond to the challenge of helping in the rehabilitation
of police infrastructure because the presence of police in their respective
locations provided a favourable environment for them to conduct their business
without fear.

The vice president commended the police service for the good it was doing work
under difficult conditions.

He said the police service have exhibited a lot of professionalism in carrying out
their duties.

Mr Banda added that a good working environment would boost the morale of the police
officers to work even harder.

nspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has reiterated his commitment to fighting crime in the country.

Mr mateyo says crime was a hindrance to development and should be fought by all
means in order to have a stable environment for investment.

The police chief said the police service was prepared to deal with any form of
crime to make Zambia the prime destination for investment.

He said statistics in the past 18 months have shown that the crime rate in the
country has greatly reduced.

Mr. Mateyo commended Luanshya Mines Plc for helping Luanshya police station with
resources to rehabilitate the station through painting and other works.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson, Given Lubinda, says the party has already identified six of its members to sit on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), in the hope that consensus on the outstanding issues in the NCC Act will be reached before participants start sitting.

Early this month, the PF held a central committee meeting in Lusaka at which it resolved to boycott the NCC and did not nominate any members for appointment to sit on the NCC.

Mr Lubinda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the party had also allowed its councillors to identify potential representatives to the conference.

He said PF attached great importance to the Constitution-making process and that it was therefore still willing to dialogue.

“The party has already identified the six representatives at national party level to sit on the NCC.

We have also allowed our councillors to identify potential representatives because we believe, and we have high expectation that our views will be heard and addressed before the conference,” Mr Lubinda said.

He said the party believed that the Constitution-making process was a serious matter and that in the name of building consensus, Government would sooner rather than later agree to sit down with those who oppose some sections of the NCC Act.

Mr Lubinda said it was important for stakeholders to agree on the NCC Act as they all hoped to reap benefits from the gathering by coming up with a constitution that would stand the test of time.

He said the party would not lose hope even after the statement by acting Chief Government Spokesperson, George Mpombo, last week in which Government ruled out any amendments to the NCC Act.

Mr Lubinda said in the name of building consensus, President Mwanawasa should consider the concerns being raised on the contents of the NCC Act.

Government has refuted claims by opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president, Michael Sata that 80,000 Chinese nationals in Zambia have been issued with permits.

Minister of Home Affairs Ronnie Shikapwasha parried Mr. Sata’s assertions today
saying only 2,340 Chinese nationals have been given permits since 2004.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha explained that of the 2,340 permits issued to Chinese
nationals, 2,057 were for employment, 176 for self-employment while 107 were entry
permits.

Lt. General Shikapwasha said in a statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka today that
Government had issued permits to 80,000 Chinese was an overstatement by Mr. Sata.

“There have been some employment permit applications for some Chinese nationals that
have been turned down for failure to meet the required academic and professional
requirements,” he said.

He further said some investors that have failed to put up meaningful investment have
had their permits revoked and consequently removed from Zambia.

“Even if permit holders are allowed to reside in the country with their spouses and
children, this would bring the total to less than ten thousand Chinese nationals on
permits,” he explained.

Lt. General Shikapwasha explained that Zambia would not ignore China because her
economic development plans could not exclude other international players.

He said Chinese investments and projects in Zambia were helping improve the
standards of living of Zambian people.

The minister said the Immigration Department under his ministry did not discriminate
in awarding employment permits and visas.

“Everything is done strictly on merit, in a transparent and professional manner and
in the best interest of the people of Zambia and the nation as a whole,” he said.

THE Lusaka Magistrates Court yesterday heard that there is allegedly no evidence suggesting that former President Frederick Chiluba’s wife, Regina, received stolen State funds in her personal account.

Standing witness, Bank of Zambia manager for security, Moola Nayoto, told Principal Resident Magistrate, Charles Kafunda, that he did not have any evidence showing that Regina received stolen money through her personal account.

Mr Nayoto said although Regina’s account was active, he could not state that some of the money received was stolen.

This is in the case in which Regina is charged with six counts of failing to account for property believed to have been stolen or obtained unlawfully.

In the first count, she is alleged to have, between January 1997 and September 30, 2002, in Ndola, failed to account for possession of property on stand number NDO/14 purchased at US$80,000.

In the second count she faces a charge of failing to account for stand number KIT/643 bought at US$48,000 cash, using money suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

In the third count, she faces a charge of failing to account for stand number KIT/645 purchased at US$60,000 cash.

In the fourth count, she is alleged to have failed to account for a motor vehicle, an Isuzu KB registration number AAT 2603 suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

In the fifth count, she is alleged to have received from Dr Chiluba, a 61-inch Toshiba colour television set, serial number 69140018 model number PJ 98 B with knowledge that the same had been stolen.

In the sixth count, she faces a charge of failing to account for possession of K474 million cash suspected to have been stolen.

Mr Nayoto, who was being cross-examined by defence lawyer Robert Simeza, told the court that Regina did not personally own Lilo Investment Limited on stand number NDO 14 on President Avenue in Ndola.

He told the court that the title deed was in the company’s name and not Regina even if she was a director and shareholder in the same company.

Mr Nayoto said his investigations revealed that Lilo Investment bought the property from ADDO House through Barclays Bank.

He told the court that he was satisfied with the transactions of the property by the bank.

“I am aware of her involvement in Lilo Investment under which there was also Mimi’s Boutique and Beauty Parlour,” Mr Nayoto said.

He told the court that Regina had catering contracts with the Bank of Zambia, Zamtel, Zampost, Indeni, Contract Haulage and TAZAMA Pipeline, among other companies.

Mr Nayoto said several deposit slips revealed that Lilo Investment received payments for the catering services it offered to such companies.

“When I was investigating, I did not go to Contract Haulage because it was closed at the time. For TAZAMA, I did not go there because it was not in the period we were looking at,” he said.

Mr Nayoto said he had no idea how much Regina earned from TAZAMA Pipeline between 1994 and 1999 when she had the contract.

He told the court that Regina was free to use the money she earned from the services she offered in any way she wanted.

Mr Nayoto also told the court that he was aware of numerous importations of goods Regina made for her boutique and salon.

He, however, said he did not know how much turnover she was making from the boutique and salon because he had no records at the time of his investigations.

Mr Nayoto, however, told the court that he was not satisfied that the money Regina used to buy her properties came from her businesses because there were no financial statements to support the transactions.

He said he was only able to get one statement for 2000 without a list of buildings and that Regina told him that she only engaged the auditors for that year.

Mr Nayoto told the court that he wanted the financial statements for the entire years that Lilo Investment Limited was in business.

On the allegation that National Democratic Focus (NDF) president Ben Mwila gave Regina a loan to buy one of her properties, Mr Nayoto said to date he had never spoken to Mr Mwila to verify the claim.Trial Continues.

President Levy Mwanawasa says he is happy that his administration has revamped the mining industry which had collapsed during the previous Government.

Dr Mwanawasa however said government still faces challenges to fully revamp the
mining sector so that it contributes to improved economy of the country.

Dr Mwanawasa said this in a speech read for him by Vice President Rupiah Banda
during the Ground Breaking ceremony of Mulianshi open pit copper mine in Luanshya
today.

The President revealed that  his government has so far paid 33 Million us dollars to
former mine workers who were retrenched during privatization by the previous
government.

He added that a lot of jobs have been created for following revamping of old mines
and opening up of new ones on the copperbelt and in North-western provinces.

However Dr Mwanawasa said the government still has a lot of challenges to satisfy
the demands of the mining sector and citizen.

He said apart from more jobs to be created the sector needs to empower Citizens of
Luanshya and Zambia at large economically.

The President thanked Luanshya Copper mine PLC for empowering former Miners by
leasing out the stone crusher to them which they are using to crush stones for
commercial sale to the mine and general public.

Dr Mwanawasa vowed that his government will always encourage a risk-free investment
policy and legal frame work that allows exploitation of Zambia’s mineral resources.

Speaking earlier, Mines and Minerals Minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa said the copperbelt
province has become an attraction of investment due to increased mining activities.

Dr Mwansa attributed the resurgence of the mining sector to good government
policies, increased market prices of minerals and discoveries of more minerals
through prospecting of other mine areas.

Tourism and Environment Minister Michael Kaingu has requested councils to secure copies of the National Constitution Conference (NCC) Act for circulation to all councillors and management for them to fully understand its contents.

The Minister said this at the installation ceremoney of Lukulu District Council
Chairman and his deputy last Tuesday.

Mr. Kaingu urged the council to send a suitable councillor to represent Lukulu
council on matters of local government to be enshrined in the constitution.

And Mr. Kaingu has called on local authorities to impose penalties on citizens who
perpetrate acts of uncleanliness in communities and towns.

He urged Lukulu District Council to speahead the implementation of Keep Zambia Clean
and Healthy programme in order to promote general cleanliness and protection of the
environment.

The minister, who also paid a courtesy call on the District Commissioner, Edwin
Kasempa, promised that government will soon send relief food to Lukulu East and West
constituencies and that people should not panic as there was plenty of maize stocks
in the country.

Government says it will not subject the National Constitutional Conference Act to further amendments because the Act, in its present form, has the support of majority stakeholders in the Constitution review process.

Acting Chief Government Spokesperson, George Mpombo, told ZANIS in a statement that
there is no basis for delaying the implementation of the NCC Act, on the basis of
allowing wishes of a few stakeholders to prevail over the majority.

“I stand by my statement yesterday that there is no basis for delaying the
implementation of the NCC Act. Those who had objections to certain provisions of the
NCC Act had enough time and opportunities to say so before enactment,” added the
statement.

He said government accommodated many amendments to the NCC Bill before enactment,
adding that no more delay in the implementation of the Act would be allowed on the
basis of amendments.

Mr. Mpombo said the swift enactment of the NCC Act in Parliament is clear testimony
that the Act has the support of majority stakeholders.

“Further the Act has the support of the majority of stakeholders from Political
parties, trade unions, churches, professional bodies and civil societies. Its easy
passage in Parliament demonstrated the wide support it enjoyed from the parties
represented in the House,” read part of the statement.

Mr. Mpombo was reacting to a statement by the Zambia Episcopal Conference, ZEC, that
Parliament could suspend Standing Orders to allow for further amendments to the NCC
Act.

He said National Assembly Standing Order Number 104 does not allow any Bill of same
substance to be reintroduced to the same session of Parliament.

“When a bill has been passed or rejected, no bill of the same substance shall be
introduced again during the same session,” read the statement in part.

Happy independence Day to all Zambians! To some of you that statement is meaningless, after all, you feel like economic refugees in the countries you are now abiding. Your Zambian passport affords you stringent airport security checks, lots of hassles getting visas to visit certain countires and not forgeting the numerous medical tests you have to be subjected to like HIV/Aid tests, Tb tests etc.

On the bright side Zambia  is the country you call home. Its the place with fond childhood memories. Its that peaceful country we were blessed to be born in. Yes if you were born in some place like Sudan or Liberia, war would have been a prominent word in your vocabulary.

So on this Independence Day we salute our forefathers for freeing us from colonial powers 43 years ago. Even as we enjoy and get prosperous in the diaspora lets not forget our motherland.Support whatever good cause  your heavy wallets can afford, like schools and hospitals.

Shall we rise and sing the Zambian National Anthem!

1.Stand and sing of Zambia, proud and free

Land of work and joy in unity

Victors in the struggle for their right

We have won freedom’s fight

All one, strong and free

2.Africa is our own motherland

Fashioned and blessed by God’s good hand

Let us all her people join as one

Brothers under the sun

All one, strong and free

3.One Land and one nation is our cry

Dignity and peace beneath Zambia’s sky

Like our noble eagle in its flight

Zambia, praise to thee

All one strong and free

Chorus

Praise be to God

Praise be, praise be, praise be

Bless our great nation

Zambia, Zambia, Zambia

Free men we stand

Under the flag of our land

Zambia, praise to thee

All one strong and free

United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has called on the media in Zambia to be issue-based in their reporting.

Mr. Hichilema says it is regrettable that the media has sometimes not highlighted
pertinent issues and has instead concentrated on personalities.   

He said this scenario has denied some quarters of society accurate information on
which sound decision could have been made about national development and governance.

Mr. Hichilema said journalists should conduct themselves professionally and should
not be cowed to conduct themselves in a biased manner.

He pointed out that as the nation commemorates 43 years of political independence,
many freedom fighters who should have been highlighted by the media for their
sacrifice have been relegated into oblivion.

Mr. Hichilema said celebrating independence is less meaningful when people are in
the dark about the significance of the day.

He was speaking in Lusaka today when he donated 50 x 25kgs of mealie-meal worth K2
million to Mazyopa residents whose houses were recently demolished by the Lusaka
City Council.

The opposition leader also visited a funeral house of one of the bereaved family in
Mazyopa..