Luapula Province Minister, Chrispin Musosha, has said the construction of Chembe Bridge will provide a lasting solution to many problems in the province.
Mr Musosha said in an interview from Mansa that Chembe Bridge construction was on course, saying the development had created excitement among the people in the province.
He said the bridge would provide the shortest route from the Copperbelt Province to Luapula Province, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to the East Africa.
It would also open up doors to many investors that were willing to invest in the province.
Mr Musosha said Luapula had many copper deposits, which he said, would easily be exploited once the bridge was completed.
He said that Mwense district would have the biggest mine because it had a bigger portion, which of copper which stretched from the district right through Kasuba and Chief Mwenda’s areas.
Mr Musosha also said Kaputa district had various mineral deposits, which would easily be transported to the line of rail for export.
He said the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development, Kalombo Mwansa, had meetings with prospecting companies that had expressed interest to invest in the area.
Mr Musosha said the ministry of Mines was still evaluating as who would be the right investors to take development to Luapula.
He said that there was need to have the right investors that would be in a position to provide economic benefits to the people in the area.
The Government, through the Vice-President’s office had sent a team of officers from the Roads Development Agency (RDA) to recheck the effects of floods on the roads in many parts of the province.
He said most of the roads were found to have been affected by floods in the last rain season.
Most of the areas in which roads had become impassable were active in agriculture and needed good road network to enable farmers transport their produce to the market.
Chembe Bridge will help solve Luapula problems, says minister
Sub-Saharan shows little progress towards MDGs
SUB Saharan African countries have shown very little progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reviews the MDGs 2007 report launched this week by the United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.
Mr Ki-moon addressing a high level segment of economic and social council in New York said a strong and sustained effort towards MDGs could mean the difference between the success and failure of the grand endeavour.
He however pointed out that the main message from the report remained encouraging as the MDGs remained achievable in most countries, but only if political leaders took urgent and concerted action.
He added that countries in Africa and elsewhere were demonstrating that rapid and large scale progress on the MDGS being possible.
Mr Ki-moon said experience had also shown that successful development strategies must be aligned with MDGS through internal effort not imposed from outside.
He stated that such strategies should be coupled with a broad-based and balanced macroeconomic policy that fostered growth and employment creation.
“Decent Jobs, especially for women and youth, provide the strongest link between economic growth and poverty reduction.
Their generation must become a higher national policy priority, along with related efforts to enhance productive capacity and improve access to markets,†he said.
Mr Ki-moon urged developed nations to keep their promises of meeting the 0.7 per cent official development assistance target.
“Today, I urge donors to issue timelines for scaling up aid to reach their target commitments by 2010 and 2015,†he said.
He also called on developing countries to address the disparities in the global trade regime, which handcuff many developing countries.
He added that the world desperately needed a successful conclusion to the Doha trade negotiations citing existing trade barriers, agricultural subsidies and restrictive rules on intellectual property rights that reinforced global inequities.
Mr Ki-moon said these made a mockery on UN tall claims to eliminate hunger and poverty from the world.
“The time to convert existing promises into actual progress is now. We must convert the global partnership for development into more than a catchy slogan and turn it into fact, so as to address the most pressing development issues of our day, from climate change to trade and aid,†he said.
Mwanawasa mourns N’guni
President Mwanawasa yesterday joined several mourners at the funeral house of the late Lusaka Province commanding officer, Wasakaza Ng’uni, who died in a car accident on Tuesday night.
Mr Mwanawasa, who was accompanied by the First Lady, Maureen, was met on arrival at the funeral house at about 14:40 hours by several Cabinet ministers, Service Chiefs, senior Government and MMD party officials before he was led into the house by Inspector General of Police, Ephraim Mateyo.
The solemn looking President stayed at the funeral for almost an hour and did not address the Press after his visit.
The First Lady remained in the house for over 30 minutes, consoling the widow, Hilda Ng’uni.
Mr Ng’uni died in a road traffic accident on Tuesday night after his vehicle lost control and rolled several times and died on arrival at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
On Wednesday morning, Vice-President, Rupiah Banda, described the death of Mr Ng’uni as a great loss to the nation and called for thorough investigations to establish what led to the accidentMr Banda, who openly wept when he visited the funeral house in Kabulonga, described Mr Ng’uni as a selfless and gallant officer, who dedicated his life to ensuring that law and order was maintained during his tour of duty.
Zambia’s ambassador to Switzerland, Love Mtesa, sent a message of condolences to President Mwanawasa, the police service and the family on the demise of Mr Ng’uni.
“On behalf of the Zambian community in Switzerland and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to convey to the family of the late Mr Ng’uni, President Mwanawasa, Mr Mateyo and through him to the entire police service our heart felt condolences,†he said.
Mr Mtesa said Mr Ng’uni would be remembered as a very dedicated police officer, whose qualities needed to be emulated by all those that wished to succeed in the police service.
United Party for National Development (UPND) president, Hakainde Hichilema, said his party learnt with deep sorrow and disbelief the sudden and untimely death of Mr Ng’uni.
He said his death was not only a blow to the Zambia Police Service but the entire nation.
“As a party we admire him for being brave, professional and dedication to duty. His conduct during the 2006 general elections was exemplary as he, under very difficult circumstances, administered the Public Order Act to give equal access for political parties to address campaign meetings.
“It is also undisputed that crime levels in the city and the province in general had reduced considerably during his reign,†Mr Hichilema said.
Burial of the late Mr Ng’uni would take place in Chama district in Eastern Province on Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha announced yesterday.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said the decision to bury in Chama arose from a request from the family members and that the body would be flown to Lundazi district after a church services today en-route Chama.
According to the programme released by the police service, mourners would depart the funeral house for St-Anne around 09:00 hours after a church service to be held at United Church of Zambia (UCZ)’s St. Pauls in Kabwata.
The body is expected to depart for Lundazi by air at about 12:30 hours.
Ex-minister pleads innocent
Former minister of Lands, Reverend Gladys Nyirongo, yesterday pleaded not guilty to two counts of corruption.
She was recently arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and made her first appearance before a Lusaka Magistrate Court yesterday.
In the first count, it is alleged that Rev Nyirongo, between January 1 and February 22 this year, being a person, employed in the public service, as minister of Lands, did direct a lands officer to generate offer letters of land in Lusaka’s Foxdale and Chamba Valley to 10 people.
In the second count, it is alleged that between October 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007, Rev Nyirongo, as minister of Lands abused her position by directing a junior technical officer in the ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to sub-divide a former Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM), farm number F/309a in contravention of the land alienation procedures and created property number L/1943/M which she later obtained as her own.
Magistrate Sharon Newa, adjourned the matter to July 19, 2007 for possible start of the trial.
Rev Nyirongo is on a K10 million bond signed in her own recognisance.
President Mwanawasa fired her in March this year for allocating eight pieces of land to herself, husband, son and daughters.
Her husband and other sympathisers accompanied Rev Nyirongo to the court.
40, 000 children targeted for measles vaccination in Mansa
The ministry of health in Mansa district targets to immunize 40, 000 children against measles in the campaign that begins on Monday next week.
District Director of Health, Delia Kanguma, said the 40, 000 children would also be
given Vitamin A supplementation, and de-worming tablets during the integrated
measles campaign slated for July 9 to 14.
She said the District Health Management Team, DHMT, has already received vaccines
and other logistics to be used during the campaign.
Ms. Kanguma was speaking during a measles preparatory meeting held with stakeholders
at the Boma Conference room.
She explained that the DHMT had already started distributing the vaccines and other
logistics to all the 26 health centers in the district.
She said the distribution of the vaccines and logistics would be completed by
Saturday this week before the commencement of the Six-day immunization exercise.
FIFA UNDER 20 WORLD CUP GROUP B RESULTS
FIFA UNDER-20 WORLD CUP.
04/07/2007
Group B
Zambia 1 (William Njovu 74″) -Spain 2(Mario Suraz 30″ pen, Juan Mata 40″)
Uruguay 1 (Cavani Edinson 40″) Jordan 0
1 Spain 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
2 Uruguay 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
3 Zambia 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
4 Jordan 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
1000 people tested for HIV/AIDS in Sinazongwe
By Tovin Ngombe:-
Sinazongwe District HIV/AIDS Task Force (DATF) Coordinator has said about 1000 people were tested for HIV/AIDS during the Voluntary, Counseling and Testing (VCT) conducted last Friday.
Mr. Lester Nambale said in an interview that the tests were conducted in the 11 centres that were chosen in Sinazongwe district.
He said the response from the public was overwhelming as compared to last year were only 450 people were tested for HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Nambale said the 100 people were only tested in a day adding that the VCT day was changed from Saturday to Friday since most people were Seventh Day Adventists (ASD) and many people would have gone to enjoy their long holiday outside the district.
The DATF coordinator said that at some centres the councilors run out of the reagents because of the huge gathering that had flocked to be tested.
He disclosed that Sinazeze recorded the highest number people who were tested and 300 of them were tested as compared to last year were only 150 people were tested.
Mr. Nambale said results for the people who were found to be positive and negative have not yet been published.
Damaged Maamba-Batooka road to be repaired
By Tovin Ngombe
Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Laiven Apuleni has disclosed that the contractor to repair the damaged Maamba-Batooka road is already on the site.
Mr. Apuleni said government has contracted GM International to repair on areas that were extensively damaged during the rain season.
He said the contractor has started doing deviation works to control traffic while they would be working on the damaged sites.
The DC noted that the Maamba-Batooka has economic potential to Sinazongwe district because it was used by heavy duty trucks carrying coal from Maamba Mine and from the Chinese Culumn coal mine in Sinazeze.
He said they are also heavy trucks ferry meat from Sinazongwe ZAMBEEF, cotton from Great lakes Ginnery factory and crocodile meat from a prominent Investor in Siansowa.
“The contractor must do a good work because the road was of economic value to Sinazongwe district,†Mr Apuleni said.
He bemoaned that the previous contractor tasked to do the same work on Maamba-Batooka road did a shoddy work because before the year ended the repaired culverts collapsed and posed a danger to motorist.
Mr. Apuleni said the new contractor assured him that they would repair it according to the specifications given.
In February, the Road Development Agency (RDA) Head of Public Relations Loyce Saili told ZANIS in a telephone interview that the entire road would not be rehabilitated because there was no allocation for Maamba-Batooka road in this year’s budget.
Ms Saili disclosed that 88 billion would be required to rehabilitate the entire Maamba-Batooka which was in a deplorable state.
She said the RDA would only repair the mostly damaged parts of the road from the three billion Kwacha meant for emergency in this year’s budget.
“We hope that we will be able to do some work on the Maamba-Batooka from the three billion set aside for emergencies,†Ms Saili noted.
Zambia’s trade surplus to reach $1.2 billion
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati has said Zambia’s trade surplus is this year expected to reach over US$1.2billion
The country last year recorded a trade surplus of US$1,178.4 million from US$34.6 million 2005.
“Zambia’s trade surplus will this year hit over US$1.2 billion,†Mr Mutati said in an interview in Lusaka
Mr Mutati said the growth would be fuelled by the favourable macroeconomic environment which has seen the local economy strengthening, with lower inflation rates and real gross domestic growth projected at seven per cent.
He said the increase in copper production, which was expected to reach more than 600, 000 tonnes this year compared to 500,000 last year coupled with increasing production in the non-tradition export category, would drive the growth.
Last year’s, Zambia trade surplus was because of increased merchandise exports earnings.
This was on account of an increase in the international price of copper to record levels coupled with the buoyant growth in copper exports volumes.
And Mr Mutati said the weak infrastructural capacity in the country was hindering further growth in the country’s economy.
He said currently the available infrastructure had not marched with the continued pressure put on it by the country’s growing economy.
“Obviously, the area of infrastructure needs to be looked at.
Infrastructure, telecommunication, transport, electricity hasn’t improved to march the economic growth,†he added.
State cautions correspondents not to write lies about Zambia
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Mike Mulongoti has urged contributors to foreign publications to refrain from writing falsehoods about Zambia just to make money.
Mr Mulongoti was reacting to two articles in the Germany media, one by a named Zambian doctor saying operating theatres had leaking roofs and that flies flew around during surgery, and another by a Germany celebrity who alleged that Zambians were so overwhelmed by the AIDS pandemic that people were unable to think about the next day.
“It is not right for anyone to print falsehoods about Zambia.
They are damaging our reputation all because they want to be given money.
Such people are unpatriotic and their behaviour is bad,†he said.
Muvi TV managing director Steve Nyirenda made the articles available to the parliamentary committee on information and broadcasting last Friday.
Mr Nyirenda told the committee that such negative reports were damaging the country’s bid to attract foreign investors and tourists.
The German celebrity said there was “too much HIV/AIDS in Zambia for people to even think about the next day.â€
Mr Mulongoti, who is also chief government spokesperson, said false reports about any country were unpatriotic and bordered on the morality and integrity of the authors.
He said Zambia had achieved a lot in the health sector for anyone to begin making such falsehoods, which were “selfish†and aimed at painting a bad picture of the country.
People were free to contribute to foreign publications but that they must ensure they gathered their facts instead of writing damaging reports based on falsehoods.
He said there was no country in the world that had been spared by HIV/AIDS but the context in which the Germany report was put was aimed at lowering the integrity of the Zambian people.
He said the fact that there were no restrictions as to what foreign correspondents could publish did not mean they should base their reports on falsehoods.
He said even if a story were negative it would still be respected if it represented the real picture on the ground.
Tough Wazakaza mourned
Government  has mourned the death of Lusaka Province police commanding officer Wasakaza Ng’uni and issued strict instructions to the police command to “leave no stones unturned†in the investigations into the cause of his death in a tragic road accident on Tuesday night in Lusaka.
Speaking to journalists at the late Mr Nguni’s funeral house in Kabulonga’s Twin Palm Road, Vice-President Rupiah Banda said police should thoroughly investigate the accident to find out exactly what led to the death of the popular and tough top cop.
Mr Nguni 57, died around 20:00 hours on Tuesday in Lusaka’s Kabangwe area on the Great North Road when his Toyota Mark II overturned as returned from his farm in Ngwerere where he had gone to collect a cell phone he had earlier forgotten there.
“This is a great loss to the nation and I speak for many Zambians.
It is important to investigate deeper, the cause of the accident in order to establish exactly what happened.
It will be sad for the President to arrive to such devastating news,†Vice-President Banda said.
“We used to sleep peacefully knowing that Mr Nguni was in-charge,†a visibly shaken Vice-President said.
He described the death of Mr Nguni as upsetting, sad and that the nation was faced with an early death of a selfless and gallant police officer.
The late police commander was a dedicated worker and a great role model to the younger and aspiring police officers.
“On behalf of Government we would like to send our condolences to the family and to the (Zambia) Police Service,†he said.
And Inspector General Ephraim Mateyo said although preliminary findings indicated it was a normal accident, the police command did not completely rule out foul play.
Mr Mateyo, who broke down in between his speech when he spoke to journalists at the funeral house, said the death of Mr Nguni had taken him several miles backwards in police operations.
He described the late Mr Nguni as a gallant officer with whom he had made a great team because they shared a common vision.
“Immediately the police high command was informed of the accident, we sent officers from the Scenes of Crime Section to go to the accident scene and right now we are still examining the vehicle.
As at now it’s too early to speculate,â€he said before breaking down.
Police would try to ensure that the peace that the nation was enjoying under Mr Ng’uni continued.
Other notables who visited the funeral house were: Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Kalombo Mwansa, deputy minister of Home Affairs, Grace Njapau and permanent secretary Peter Mumba.
Others were permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Supply Bizwayo Nkunika and his counterpart from Lusaka Province Susan Sikaneta and the entire police high command.
Meanwhile, former president Kenneth Kaunda who broke down after being informed of Mr Nguni’s death said the passing of the man was a great loss to the family and the entire nation.
“It’s sad… condolences to the family and the police service. It’s a great loss,â€Dr Kaunda said amid tears.
Heroes and Unity Holiday Weekend Scorecard
FAZ PREMIER LEAGUE WEEK 19.
02/07/2007
Kabwe Warriors 0- Zesco United 2(Nicholas Zulu 52″ 87″)
Zamtel 0- Red Arrows 0
Young Arrows 0- Roan United 1(Kelvin Mumba 33″)
Forest Rangers 0- Nchanga Rangers 1(Boyd Chanda 33″)
Konkola Blades 4(Moses Phiri 9″ 13″, Arnold Malisawa 47″, Willie Chimpinde 59″)- Nakambala Leopards 0
Zanaco 0- Power Dynamos 0
Green Buffaloes 3(Noel Mwandila 3″, Newa Mwewa 42″, Maxwell Mulenga 62″ pen)- National Assembly 0
City of Lusaka 1(Derrick Mulenga 13″)- Lusaka Dynamos 1(Derrick Mumba 17″)
TOP SCORERS (02/07/07).
Rainford Kalaba (Zesco United): 14.
Mumamba Numba (Zanaco): 10.
Enoch Sakala (Zesco United) 10.
Lyson Sikaonga (Nchanga Rangers): 9.
Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors): 8.
Felix Nsunzu Jr (Konkola Blades):8.
Mazuba Mukandawire (City of Lusaka): 7.
Lottie Phiri (Young Arrows): 7.
Sebastian Mwansa (Green Buffaloes): 6.
Simon Luipya (Red Arrows):6.
Noel Mwandila (Green Buffaloes): 5.
Nicholas Zulu (Zesco United): 5.
Siloni Jere (Kabwe Warriors): 5.
Winstone Kalengo(Zanaco): 5.
Maonga Kabuku (Kabwe Warriors): 5.
Ben Mwanza (Roan United): 5
Kelvin Mumba (Roan United) 4.
Lopser Muma (Roan United): 4.
Kruger Mwansa (Young Arrows): 4
Precious Mpondela (Konkola Blades): 4
Isaac Lungu (Power Dynamos): 4.
Sam Gondwe (Young Arrows): 4.
Josphet Nkhoma (Lusaka Dynamos): 4.
Lameck Banda (Lusaka Dynamos): 4.
Ken Mwaba (Nakambala Leopards):4.
Kelvin Kaindu (Zanaco): 4.
FAZ DIVISION 1.
WEEK 20.
01/07/2007
NORTH
Mufulira Wanderers 1- Prison Leopards 1
Muchindu 1- Mufulira Blackpool 2
Afrisports 1- Chambishi 2
Medical Stars 3- Police Blue Eagles 1
Nkana 0- Ndola United 0
Lime Hotspurs 0- Kitwe United 1
Chindwin Sentries 0- INDENI 3
Kalewa 1- Konkola Mine POlice 0
SOUTH
Communite 0- Riflemen 1
Kalomo Jetters 0- Livingstone Pirates 0
Nampundwe 0- Lusaka Tigers 0
Lusaka City Council 1- Builders Brigade 1
Lusaka Celtic 2- Nkwazi 1
Young Buffaloes 1- Profund Warriors 1
Zamcoal Diggers 0- Chilanga Heroes 0
Kambuku Warriors 0- ZNS Green Eagles 3
WEEK 21
03/07/2007
NORTH
Prison Leopards 5- Muchindu 0
Chambishi 1- Mufulira Wanderers 0
Mufulira Blackpool 2- Medical Stars 1
Ndola United 0- Afrisports 0
Police Blue Eagles 0- Lime Hotpsurs 1
INDENI 0- Nkana 1
Kitwe United 4- Kalewa 1
Konkola Mine Police 2- Chindwin 2
SOUTH.
Riflemen 0- Kalomo Jetters 0
ZNS Green Eagles 2- Communite 1
Builders Brigade 2-Kambuku 1
Lusaka Tigers 1- Lusaka Celtic 1
Profund Warriors 3- Lusaka City Council 2
Nkwazi 4- Zamcoal Diggers 1
Chilanga Heroes 1- Young BUffaloes 1
Leaders form AU committee
African Union leaders have resolved to set up a committee of ministers to recommend the way forward in realising the proposed Africa Union Government.
The 52 heads of state and governments who included President Levy Mwanawasa, renewed their desire for a United Africa as envisioned by Ghana’s first President Nkwame Nkrumah.
A report from ZANIS who is in Ghana, Betniko Kayaya reports that the leaders have been meeting to discuss the proposed AU government as put forward by Libyan President, Muamar Ghadafi.
The summit officially closed, Tuesday.
Closing the summit, host President and AU chairman, John Kuffour, said the committee of ministers will be given 6 months in which to come up with recommendations for consideration by the AU leaders at their next summit in January in 2008.
Mr. Kuffour said among other things, the committee will be tasked to come up with a clear road map and time table for implementing the continental government.
The decision, announced close to midnight on Tuesday, followed three days of often heated debate at an African Union summit in the Ghanaian capital Accra that overran its scheduled closing time by half a day.
It represented a face-saving compromise between some leaders who wanted to set up a continental African government immediately, and others who favoured a more gradual, step-by-step approach.
“Clearly, we’re not there yet. it’s a step forward but we’re still a long way off,” Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf told reporters.
The decision to take six more months to study the implications and timing of the proposed creation of a federated African state stretching from the Cape to Cairo was a setback for at least two leaders, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
Arguing that Africa, the world’s poorest continent, needed to speak and act as one in a globalised world, they had publicly advocated the immediate formation of a continental government.
They did this in the face of the more gradualist approach of presidents from southern and east Africa.
DIVISIONS
The summit host, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, sought to play down the divisions that had emerged at the meeting.
“The debate has not been about winners and losers, a majority or a minority, the ‘instantists’ or the ‘gradualists’,” he said in his closing remarks.
“We emerge with a common vision in principle for the realisation of a union government. We all have a shared vision of a united, vibrant continental union,” said Kufuor.
Gaddafi and Wade were not in their seats in the conference hall when the closing Accra Declaration was read to reporters.
While affirming the need to accelerate economic and political integration, the document said a committee of AU ministers would study how a continental union under a single government would affect national sovereignties and existing regional economic blocs.
The committee would also consider a “road map” and timeframe for the construction of a United States of Africa that would be included in its report to be presented to the next summit of the 53-nation AU in January.
The decision for more study reflected the cautious position of leaders like South African President Thabo Mbeki, who had recommended strengthening existing regional economic communities before any setting up of a continental union and government.
“Excellent, I’m very happy,” Mbeki said when asked how he viewed the result of the summit.
Kufuor testily rebuffed reporters’ questions about how long it could take before a United States of Africa was formed and what kind of government it would have.
“It is not something we can tell beforehand. Africa shall evolve,” he said, adding this would be the subject of the study.
But Kufuor said Africa in its drive for continental unity would not strive to copy the models of the United States of America or the European Union.
“We want to do a custom-made thing, something to suit the unique attributes of our continent,” he said.
MONDAY FAZ PREMIER LEAGUE WEEK 19 WRAPUP
Zesco United returned to winning ways today and stayed 4 points ahead of the chasing pack after beating Kabwe Warriors away in Kabwe while Green Buffaloes are the new team in second place.
A Nicholas Zulu brace in the 52nd and five minutes before the close of the game ensured Zesco stayed in the lead from 37 to 40 points to recover from the 1-0 away loss they suffered at the hands of Konkola Blades last Wednesday in a delayed week 17 game.
Warriors slip to 3rd after Mondays defeat on 33 points.
Buffaloes meanwhile moved into 2nd place after thumping 4th from bottom National Assembly 3-0 at Independence stadium thanks to goals from Noel Mwandila, Newa Mwewa and Geoffrey Nsama to help the Army side go to 36 points.
Lusaka Dynamos are 4th after drawing 1-1 away to City of Lusaka while defending league champions Zanaco are 5th following their scoreless home draw against Power Dynamos.
The biggest winners on the day were Konkola Blades who beat Nakambala Leopards 4-0 to send their guests drop from 15th to 16th on the log exchanging places with Zamtel who leave the last spot for the first time in two months.
Zamtel drew 0-0 at home with Red Arrows to record their 7th successive draw since Levy Chabala took over last month.
Elsewhere, Nchanga Rangers beat Forest Rangers 1-0 away in Ndola with Boyd Chanda scoring the lone goal in that match while Roan United’s chances of survival continue to brighten and they were 1-0 winners at home over Young Arrows.
Fierce unity debate grips African summit
African leaders argued fiercely on Monday over whether to rapidly create a single state stretching from the Cape to Cairo, with one small group threatening to break away and forge ahead with the project.
Delegates said the atmosphere in an African Union (AU) summit was charged as a group of states led by Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Senegal’s Abdoulaye Wade argued with a more gradualist majority led by South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki.
“I think everybody is a little bit tense, because they know how serious this is,” Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio said.
“It is getting heated between Gaddafi and the southern Africans,” said one delegate, who did not want to be identified.
While almost all the 53 member nations agree with the goal of African integration and eventual unity, most of the summit leaders want this to be a gradual process.
Gadio held out the prospect that a small group of states committed to creating a United States of Africa could push forward without the others and sign up to federation, ironically splitting the AU over the idea of unity.
“If Senegal wants to build this union with two, three, four more countries, there is not a country in this room that has enough power to tell Senegal you cannot do it,” he said.
Kwamena Bartels, information minister of host nation Ghana, attacked such a strategy.
“It would be useful to all of us that there is no such breakaway group. Africa could do with a united front,” he said.
“Setting up breakaway groups is not really the answer,” Bartels added, saying only Libya and Senegal had so far openly backed an immediate federal government.
These two, apparently backed by about three or more states, want a unity government as the only way to fight poverty and other challenges facing Africa, including globalisation.
MATTER OF SURVIVAL
“Some of us think that Africa’s unity has become a matter of survival … my president is here with his pen ready to sign,” Gadio told reporters.
“Some will start and the others will follow. … Now, who is ready to start? Senegal is ready.”
Gaddafi, known for his impassioned rhetoric, was more restrained on Monday despite a speech on the summit’s eve invoking the spirit of pan-African icon Kwame Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence 50 years ago, to support his vision of a United States of Africa.
Asked by a crush of journalists during a summit recess whether he was optimistic about unity, Gaddafi, wearing dark glasses and a black cap, declared: “I am always optimistic.”
The Libyan leader, describing himself as a soldier for Africa, is impatient with the slow pace of integration. He did not attend the summit’s opening session on Sunday and believes the decision over unity must be made by Africa’s masses and not leaders closeted in a conference hall.
The summit leaders have come under criticism for largely ignoring pressing issues such as Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe at this meeting to concentrate on unifying the continent.
Many Africans regard this as an unrealistic, if noble, dream. Sceptics point to decades of wars, coups and massacres that often sprang from ethnic and religious fault lines on a continent artificially carved up by former colonial rulers.
The summit continued into the evening on Monday and Bartels said the debate was unlikely to be “crystallised” until midday on Tuesday, the meeting’s final day. (Additional reporting by Orla Ryan and Salah Sarrar)