DRIVING THE COUNTRY FORWARD: President Sata goes behind the wheel of an earth-moving equipment during the launch of the 45.5km Chingola-Kitwe dual carriage way in Kitwe recently. – Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA.

From CLAVER MUTINTA in Shangombo
CHIEF Government spokesperson Mwansa Kapeya has advised Zambians to make use of President Sata to foster development because he has a heart for people in rural areas.
Mr Kapeya said President Sata is committed to developing rural areas, which have been undeveloped for more than four decades.
Mr Kapeya was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Shangombo district council secretary Milton Sakala yesterday.
“It is up to us Zambians. We have a chance that God has given us, and we have a man who has a passion to develop these rural areas. Let’s make use of him, we should not misuse this chance,” he said.
Mr Kapeya said this is a good opportunity for Zambians to see development and they must rally behind President Sata.
The minister said President Sata is committed to development and wants rural areas to be as developed as urban areas.
“Although Shangombo was declared a district a few years ago, the pace of development is not admirable,” he said.
Mr Kapeya said once Shangombo is developed, there will be a lot of things that are going to positively change.
He said, however, that Shangombo has a vibrant member of Parliament in Poniso Njeulu, who wants to drive Government’s development agenda.
He said Shangombo district council should channel the challenges that it faces to Western Province permanent secretary Amos Malupenga so that they can be addressed by relevant authorities.
And Mr Sakala said Shangombo lacks manpower in key sectors such as health, education and transport.
He said the district also faces challenges in accessing internet services and has implored Government to encourage service provides to improve service delivery in the area.
He appealed to Government to construct a secondary school in the district.
The nearest secondary school is in neighbouring Sioma district.

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KACHUNSHI was assured of a delicious meal, but so was the crocodile.

By CHAPADONGO LUNGU and BRIAN MALAMA
A MIDDLE-AGED man of Mukonchi in Kapiri Mposhi recently survived a crocodile attack on Lunsemfwa River, where he had gone on a routine fishing expedition.
With five breams in the basket and increasing prospects for more in the whispering waters of the river, Moses Kachunsi was assured of a delicious meal, but so was the crocodile.
Sun-basking on the rocks a few metres away, the reptile stealthily moved towards Mr Kachunsi, whom it swatted with its tail and dragged him into the river.
With his head in its mouth, Mr Kachunsi, 20, guided by survival instinct, refused to give up on life as he fought back in all forms of defence.
“I punched it, kicked it and shouted,” he said.  “It threw me deep into the water and brought me to the surface. It did that three times but I never stopped beating it.”
“The next thing I remember is that it threw me back to the edge of the river and I was bleeding all over.  Up to now, I don’t know how I survived … it was just God’s intervention. God wanted me to celebrate this year’s Christmas. I am sure He has a purpose for my life in 2014,” Mr Kachunsi said.
Naomi Millburn, an expert on reptiles, says crocodiles are no jokes when it comes to jaw power.
“Their bite force has been confirmed at 3,700 pounds per square inch. You might think of tigers and lions as being equally formidable predators, but their bite forces are significantly less impressive – think roughly 1,000 psi.
“Bite force in humans usually tops out at about 200 psi. Saltwater crocodiles not only have the most powerful bites in the crocodile world, they’re also the biggest of them all,” she says.
Mr Kachunsi was rushed to Mukonchi Hospital, where he was treated for wounds he sustained. He had lacerations in the neck which required stitching.
An Anglican, Mr Kachunsi is now a devout Christian and leader of the choir group. He was reluctant to confirm that he has a fiancée he hopes to marry soon.
Lunsemfwa River is infested with crocodiles which usually prey on livestock and people. An eight-year-old boy was killed up the river at Mita Hills dam.
Two Zambia Wildlife Authority officers were early this week deployed in the area to assess the situation.
Crocodiles are not the only predators. A 12-year-old boy was recently attacked by a python while herding cattle on the banks of the river.
Chibale Musonda was captured and shouted for help, narrated his father, Godfrey.
“I ran to the scene and wrestled with the python. The boy was almost suffocating and I was equally tired. After about 40 minutes, a neighbour came with a hoe and cut the python’s tail. That’s how it let go and that’s how my boy survived,” said Godfrey.

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THE number of accidents which have been recorded over the Christmas holiday is very worrying and alarming.
There have been many campaigns to sensitise motorist and the general public that they should obey traffic rules to avoid accidents.
But instead of reducing, the number of accidents is actually on the increase when compared against statistics police gave last year.
The 2013 Christmas holiday has recorded an increase in the number of road traffic accidents growing to 166 compared to 111 last year.
One hundred and sixty-six accidents within two to three days is too much and is a sign of recklessness among some motorists.
This is a sad reality because people died, others have been maimed and property damaged.
And eight people died during the Christmas holiday countrywide with Lusaka recording the highest at 99.
Copperbelt had 34, Central nine, Western six while Southern, Eastern and North-Western had five each. Luapula recorded two and Northern had the lowest with one accident.
We are saddened that despite repeated warnings against dangerous and drunk driving, some motorists have no regard for other road users.
According to police spokesperson Charity Munganga Chanda, the 2013 Christmas holiday had 166 accidents, higher than those recorded in 2012.
“Lusaka had the highest number of accidents reported totaling 99, Copperbelt 34, Central nine, Western six while Southern, Eastern and North-Western had five each. Luapula recorded two and Northern had the lowest with one accident,” Ms Chanda said.
Eight people have needlessly lost their lives while twenty four were seriously injured, with 62 others slightly injured.
Last year, 12 people lost their lives during the same period and we hope that people will refrain from being reckless as we approach New Year.
It is, therefore, important that as we approach New Year’s eve, people avoid getting over-excited so that we can reduce on accidents or avoid them altogether to prevent deaths and needless injuries that come with dangerous driving.
We hope that police and Road Traffic and Safety Agency will be on the look-out so that they can control the situation given that accidents are actually increasing instead of reducing.
It would be good to remind all motorists that they should not over-speed but follow traffic rules and have respect for other road users.
It has become common that whenever there are holidays some drivers engage in mischief, which leads to fatal accidents.
During the four-day holiday in August this year, police recorded a total number of 216 road traffic accidents throughout the country compared to 119 accidents recorded last year during the same period.
Out of the 216 cases, 16 were fatal in which 20 people lost their lives.
This can be avoided and we hope that police and RATSA will be extra-vigilant to avoid many accidents.
With the increased number of motor vehicles in the country and congestion on the roads, it becomes a challenge for police to patrol all the roads but the authorities can pick out strategic places where they can even mount road-blocks.

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…only President Sata can fire me, says ex-Defence chief
By ALVIN CHIINGA
FORMER Defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba yesterday scuppered mounting speculation that his days in the ruling party were numbered by publicly announcing that he is in the PF for a long haul and no-one will make him quit the party he helped found.
Mr Mwamba made one exception nevertheless – President Sata – whom he singled as the only one who can make the decision on whether he continues serving the party in any capacity or not.
He made his announcement in fashion, too – on his widely-followed personality Facebook page that has a following of more than 12,000 Zambians, local and foreign, who frequent his page daily.
“To paid-up calls for my resignation from the Patriotic Front (PF),” Mr Mwamba, known by his moniker of GBM, announced, “I will wait for President Michael Sata to ask me to leave the party. I am not going to be moved by those paid to call for my resignation from PF. I am not going anywhere…”
Mr Mwamba added: “The same way the President has kept Kabimba [Minister of Justice, whom he recently made up with], that is how he is going to keep me. I have not done any wrong in the party unless a resignation from a Ministerial position is now wrong-doing in the PF.”
Mr Mwamba maintained that he would not be separated from his family.
“I recall once when the late President Mwanawasa had a problem with me when I invited President Sata, then in the opposition, to the wedding of my daughter,” said Mr Mwamba.
He said when he was asked why he had invited President Sata, he responded that “blood is thicker than water”.
He said that if God so wishes him to be President of Zambia one day, that wish would come true and if God on the other hand does not wish him to become President, it will not happen.
The former Defence Minister said he had a clear idea regarding who could be paying people to criticise him for resigning his position as one of the most powerful ministers in Cabinet and he is watching the situation but singled no names.
Mr Mwamba initially said he may seek traditional leadership counsel to see whether he must retain his parliamentary seat under PF or not but that appears to have changed with the latest pronouncements of remaining a PF member no matter what.
President Sata has replaced Mr Mwamba with lawyer-turned-politician Edgar Lungu, who moved a notch up over the weekend to become the second Minister of Defence under the Sata government.
Mr Lungu told the Saturday Mail that he would not betray the confidence President Sata had shown in him and shall serve the party to the best of his ability.
He said poverty reduction through job creation is one thing he would focus on together with his party colleagues in the PF as per campaign promises.
Mr Lungu joined the PF in 2001 and first contested the Chawama seat – which he finally won in 2011 – in 2002 while he also heads the PF’s disciplinary committee.
He was Minister of Home Affairs before President Sata moved him to the Ministry of Defence.
And Patriotic Front Matero member of Parliament Miles Sampa says he is in full support of the decision taken by Mr Mwamba to resign from his position because it is his democratic right.
Mr Sampa, who described Mr Mwamba as a strong man, advised PF members to stop admonishing him saying he has a right to exercise his democratic rights.
“I fully support the decision that was taken by Mr Mwamba. He is a strong man because he came out frank on this matter. He didn’t pretend that things were okay.
“Even President Sata himself fully supports party members or ministers who have divergent views to leave the party. He encourages that. So, I commend Mr Mwamba for the step he took,” he said.
Another member of the PF central committee, Jean Kapata, said those with grievances against Mr Mwamba should put them in writing.

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By CHARLES CHISALA
ON New Year’s Eve President Sata addressed the nation via a statement issued in Lusaka by his special assistant for press and public relations, George Chellah, in which he made several policy pronouncements ranging from development to governance.
But to me the most striking part of the message was his pledge to intensify his fight against corruption.
The President wished citizens a happy New Year. But I do not think the goodwill message was extended to the greedy and corrupt at whatever level they are. I am, therefore, warning them that they should expect a sorrowful 2014 unless they reform now and start leading a life guided by honesty, hard work and service to others.
If they don’t take President Sata’s words seriously they should not blame anyone when the full weight of the law crashes down on them like a multi-million tonne avalanche. Did they read the President’s statement or the lead story on the front page of the Wednesday edition of the Daily Mail, by the way?
“The fight against corruption remains one of the top priorities of my government’s good governance agenda for next year [this year] and beyond,” the President declared.
He couldn’t have been any clearer. Anyone who will have the temerity to doubt his resolve to crush the head and limbs of corruption will be doing so at their own peril. Corruption is evil! It should have no place in a decent society.
Of course, to the innocent President Sata’s statement was a mere reminder that they must continue upholding the godly virtues of honesty, hard work and compassion for the poor. But it surely must have ruffled the dirty feathers of the wicked and corrupt-hearted, although some of them must have coiled in fear like frightened centipedes [ifiyongoli or vichongololo]. The earlier they stop their dirty activities and repent the better.
Both the corrupt and the ‘clean’ must have by now realise that the man occupying the nation’s highest office is not a ‘man of words’ but a ‘man of action’ who takes no pride in mere rhetoric.
They have seen for themselves. In the last few months his hatchet has been looming high and ominous, ready to fall on the neck of anyone who has turned corruption – instead of honest work – into a hobby and their source of livelihood.
I personally haven’t seen any sacred cows or bulls. Where members of his government or party, the Patriotic Front, have attracted allegations of engaging in ‘unclean’ or ‘dishonest’ activities that have the potential to taint the image of his administration, Mr Sata has not hesitated to show them the door to give them a chance to defend themselves.
Some of such people are already appearing in courts of law on allegations of corrupt practices while others are under active investigations by security wings of the government for similar reasons. Such is the President’s level of commitment to the fight against the scourge.
He has put national interests before personal relationships, although he is fully aware that those decisions are likely to cost him a few friends. For who wants to lose a position of influence in the government or ruling party, and subsequently shed the trappings of power that accompany such positions?
But didn’t the President swear to defend the interests of the people of Zambia, even at the risk of losing friends? The fight against corruption in Zambia requires the kind of courage President Sata demonstrated in 2013. But he will need even more support from everyone this year as he battles to cleanse this nation of corrupt elements.
The author is Zambia Daily Mail editorial editor.

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From CHAMBO NG’UNI in Serenje
A STRANGE marriage between a man and his biological younger sister in Serenje has shocked many people with Chief Kabamba describing the incestuous union as a taboo.
Mukuwa Nicholas Bulya, 38, and Bertha Chipapuka, 35, got married in 1999 – after the demise of their parents – according to Central Province police commissioner Standwell Lungu.
Chief Kabamba said in an interview yesterday that he is shocked by the marriage of the siblings.
“This is something that has come with shock to us because this is a taboo according to our tradition. Such things should not be allowed to happen,” he said.
Chief Kabamba said that it is good that the ‘marriage’ has been exposed and that his two subjects are now in police custody.
He said the matter was “complicated” but the intervention of the police will put the matter to rest.
Police sources in Serenje yesterday told the Daily Mail that some years back, when the incestuous couple had their first child, the matter was reported to the police but the family withdrew the case, saying it wanted to resolve it among themselves.
The family resolved that the two be separated and Mr Bulya relocated to Chalilo in Chief Chitambo’s realm.
He, however, returned to his ‘wife’ and they now have five children.
Their children are aged 13, 10, 8, 6 and 11 months.
Their first child is in grade seven, the second is in grade three and the third born in grade two.
Mr Bulya, who is in police custody in Serenje, denies being the father of Chipapuka’s children but preliminary police investigations have revealed that they are his.
The source said relatives have confessed to the police that the five children belong to the siblings.
Their elder sister who lives on the Copperbelt informed the police on December 31 last year about their incestuous marriage.
The source also said when the police went to Bulya village to investigate the matter around 02:00 hours, they found the two sleeping on the same bed.
Serenje district commissioner Charles Mwelwa said: “This is a bad thing, and it is against the law and the biblical teachings.”
Mr Mwelwa said the “couple’s” family should have reported the matter to the police earlier, unlike now when they even have five children.
Several Serenje residents are also shocked that Mr Bulya ‘married’ his own sister and has fathered the children she has.
One resident asked: “Where was the family when the two were having children?”
“I know them and I am shocked by what has happened. I used to sing with them in the choir at church,” he said.
The two were expected to appear before the Serenje Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
They will, however, appear in court today, Mr Lungu said yesterday.

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By NANCY MWAPE
ZAMBIA has recorded unprecedented increase in air traffic with Kenneth Kaunda International Airport recording one million passengers for the first time in history.
This is the first time that KKIA is recording a million passengers since establishment in 1967.
According to a statement issued by National Airports Corporation Limited (NACL) communications and branding manager Sally Namutowe the airport recorded 997,000 passengers during the same period last year.
“The overall traffic outlook for 2013 has been encouraging and is expected to be above that of the Africa region and the world,” she said.
Ms Namutowe said all airports recorded positive growth in the domestic sector, except for Mfuwe while KKIA and Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport registered the highest growth of 28.42 percent and 33.62 percent respectively.
She attributed the high passenger growth rate to increase in frequency of flights by the various airlines operating in Zambia.
During the period under review, a total of 1,400,490 general passenger movements from January to November 2013 were recorded compared to 1,362,113 in 2012.
She said the high growth rate had been precipitated by various factors such as increase in frequencies by South African Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.
Other factors included the introduction of flights to Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport by Ethiopian Airlines, introduction of flights by Kenya Airways between Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport and Nairobi and introduction of regional flights and the B737 by Proflight.
Ms Namutowe said the landscape has continued to look positive with airlines such as South African Airlines intending to increase their frequencies into KKIA and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airports beginning of this year.
“Talks with two more regional airlines are at an advanced stage and it is expected that we will see fruition in the nearest future,” she said.
Commenting on the performance of the cargo traffic, Ms Namutowe said a total of 19,725 metric tonnes of cargo was transported between January and October 2013 compared to 11,578 during the same period in 2012.
“This was a 70 percent growth stemming from increased shipments of grown flowers and other perishables; importation of mining equipment and increased capacity due to additional cargo flights operated by Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates Airlines,” she said.
She, however, said there was a decline in the aircraft movement with 61,291 aircraft movements recorded between January and November 2013, compared to 2012 when 64,476 aircraft movements were registered.

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By BARBARA CHANDA
THE three-year-old boy of Lusaka who was severely beaten by his grandmother is still critically ill in University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
UTH spokesperson Mwenya Mulenga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Obert Nasilele was so badly beaten by his grandmother on December 31, 2013 that he had to be admitted for treatment.
Nasilele is admitted in the main Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward and still in a very bad condition.
“Our nurses and doctors are doing everything possible to ensure that the boy’s condition is stabilised, hoping he recovers as soon as possible,” he said.
He said Nasilele was rushed to hospital on New Year’s Day by relatives.
Police spokesperson Charity Chanda said that the police have instituted investigations into the matter.
“We are still investigating the issue and looking for this grandmother that badly beat her grandchild. Once the investigations are done, we will make the information available to the public,” she said.

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MOVIE REVIEW with SHUPE SAKALA
Title: Foolish me
Genre: Drama,
Written: Mingeli Palata
Producer: Malcolm Pamutumwa
Director: Richard Msimuko
Time: 1 hour 32mins
WHAT do you do when love steps in the way of fun? This is the question Luka fails to answer in the local production Foolish Me.
Zambia is fast following in the footsteps of Nigeria’s film industry with improved local movies featuring local artists and scenery that catapult you into a familiar world with common problems.
Isaac Chaamba is Luka, a young man who is forced to make a decision between sticking by his pregnant girlfriend or enjoying his new, found success with a string of beautiful ladies who are suddenly all over him. Bupe (Catherine Soko) is the unfortunate girlfriend who first gets kicked out of her parents’ home and then gets driven to the edge of desperation by Luka’s behaviour.
Foolish Me is showing on Freshview screens at Manda Hill and Levy Mall  and catch Luka’s transformation from an upstanding young man to trickster.
****
Dwayne Johnson aka WWE’s The Rock, has firmly established himself as a box office actor and his latest flick Empire State sees him play James Ransone, a veteran New York Police Department detective hot on their trail of Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth), a security guard and Eddie (Michael Angarano) after a robbery of an armoured truck.
You can’t help but cheer on the bad guys as they try to get away with the crime of a lifetime.
There are lessons to be learned from these movies.
Enjoy what remains of the festive period and go to the movies.
For comments write to ssakala@daily-mail.co.zm

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VICE President Guy Scott (left) comforts Foreign Affairs deputy Minister Gabriel Namulambe during the funeral church service for his Daughter Rose Namulambe, grandchildren Jenifer and Jane Chikunta at Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka yesterday. – Picture by ANGELA MWENDA.

By VIOLET MENGO
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says he has had enough of visiting hospitals, funeral homes, graveyards and accident scenes because of road mishaps.
Dr Scott says Zambia has unacceptably high levels of road carnage compared to other countries.
He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross during a funeral church service for Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabriel Namulambe’s daughter and two granddaughters who died in a road traffic accident.
Mr Namulambe’s daughter, Rosemary, was a grade 11 pupil at Mpongwe Secondary School, travelling from Chirundu in the company of her elder sister, Angela.  Angela’s five-year-old daughter Jane Chigunta and a niece Jenipher Chigunta also died in the accident.
“We can’t continue to waste children’s lives like this.  Even adults we cannot waste ourselves like this,” Dr Scott said.
The Vice-President called on Mr Namulambe to join in reviving the committee he formed when he entered office two years ago on addressing road accidents for him to keep the memory of his departed.
The committee formed then comprised the Zambia Police, Road Transport and Safety Agency and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“When you are ready, let us try and give everything we have to try and bring the numbers of road deaths down,” Dr Scott said.
Mr Namulambe described the death of his daughter and granddaughters as the hardest moment of his life.
“I have been disappointed and have passed through some of the difficult times of my life, but the death of my daughter and the granddaughters is the hardest moment I have ever experienced,” Mr Namulambe said.
Mr Namulambe, who broke down and wept while making his remarks, thanked the Church and Government for the support and encouragement that has helped his family cope with the grief.
He appealed to unbelievers to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, because he has found comfort in Him.
The three died in a road accident on Kafue road near Chilanga on Monday.

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FLORENCE Sikende (centre) wails uncontrollably at the sight of charred bodies of her seven children in Shamakamba village on Sunday afternoon. Her late estranged husband committed a bizarre suicide mission by locking up all his children in the house and subsequently setting it on fire, in Shibuyunji District. – Picture by BRIAN MALAMA.

By CLAVER MUTINTA
THE bodies of nine people who died in a house fire in Nampundwe have been buried.
Paul Phiri, aged between 45 and 50, is said to have torched the house with petrol after failing to reconcile with his wife, Florence Sinkende, with whom he had been on separation for some time.
With seven children, a grandchild and himself in the house, Mr Phiri fastened the door with a chain, doused the house with 10 litres of petrol and set it alight.
The family of Shimakamba village in Nampundwe, about 25kms west of Lusaka, all died in the blaze as the rest of the community was celebrating the dawn of 2014.
Shibuyunji district commissioner Fanuel Mweemba said in an interview yesterday that the bodies were buried at Shamakamba cemetery on Wednesday afternoon.
“They were buried yesterday [Wednesday] between 15:00 and 16:00 hours in the same area,” he said. “The situation is calm and people don’t suspect any foul play.”
A relative, Bonnwell Lubole, said Ms Sinkende has since been taken to Maamba by her relatives to help her recover from shock of loss of her children.
“She [Florence] has gone to Maamba with relatives for a while. She left after the burial on Wednesday and she will come back after some time,” he said.
A psychiatrist at Chainama Hills College Hospital has said he cannot rule out depression and psychiatric conditions in the man.
Mr William Phiri, who is principal psychiatric clinical officer at the hospital, said there are a number of psychological issues, including the loss of a lover, that precipitate suicide.
“He might have been depressed for a long time…since he has been trying to reconcile with the wife. We cannot rule out depression. Perhaps his wife told him that she is getting married and maybe that was too much for him to bear and he had no way out,” he said.
Mr Phiri said the deceased could have felt defeated by the rejection of his former wife to reconcile with him and decided to kill all the children and himself.
He also said Mr Phiri could have had psychiatric conditions, which were not known to his family members and his friends.
Mr Phiri said that if he was talked to, he could not have committed suicide and killed innocent people.
“I can assure you the frustration was too much. Of course psychiatric conditions could have been there, which is depression, and depression is one of the many causes of suicide,” he said.
Mr Phiri said when someone is sad, feels rejected and a feeling of emptiness takes control, the person begins to generate suicidal ideas.
He said there could have been other issues surrounding the man’s life which could be established if a full case history was carried out.
“Maybe there has been a history of suicide in the family….as you interact with his relatives, they may tell you that a close relative committed suicide and sometimes, these genes run in a family,” he said.

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PRESIDENT Sata receives an affidavit of oath from Justice Lloyd Siame (right) during the swearing-in ceremony at State House yesterday. Justice Siame was sworn in as a member of the tribunal to probe Ndola High Court judges Timothy Katanekwa and Emelia Phiri-Sunkutu. – Picture by THOMAS NSAMA.

By YANDE SYAMPEYO
THE tribunal appointed to probe Ndola High Court judges Timothy Katanekwa and Emelia Phiri has pledged to be impartial and come up with a fair recommendation.
One of the members, Justice Lloyd Siame, said the two tribunals chaired by retired former Chief Justice Mathew Ngulube and Judge Frederick Chomba will carry out its functions professionally.
Justice Siame, who is a member of both tribunals, said this in an interview with journalists at State House yesterday shortly after being sworn in by President Sata.
“We will out-rightly do our best and swear to come up with a fair recommendation,” Justice Siame said.
In September last year, President Sata suspended the two Ndola High Court judges and appointed two tribunals to probe them.
The tribunal to probe Justice Katanekwa will be chaired by Judge Chomba while the tribunal to probe Justice Phiri will be headed by Judge Ngulube.
The President also appointed justices Sylvester Simachela and Bobby Bwalya as members of the tribunals with Chilombo Phiri as the secretary of the two tribunals.
Mr Sata said Zambians should know the truth about the two judges and expressed confidence that the tribunals will effectively carry out their functions.

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…lights up Kitwe skies on New Year’s Eve
By NKOMBO KACHEMBA
STEPHEN Masumba, the exuberant Mufumbwe lawmaker, showed for the umpteenth time that there is a bottom to the well from which he draws his controversial inspiration.
In a typical ‘wild wild west’ style, Mr Masumba allegedly illegally opened  fire and sent various Kitwe residents scampering for cover on New Year’s eve at a nightclub as he entered 2014.
Alert police have arrested the embattled MP and slapped him with unlawful discharge of a firearm charge but he has been granted police bond.
Trouble for Mr Masumba started on Tuesday night – News Year’s eve – when he allegedly fired shots in the air while at a nightclub as part of celebrations to mark the transition into 2014 and lit up the skies in fashion while others used conventional fireworks.
Mr Masumba has admitted firing the shots in the air but denied that the shots were fired as a show of celebration. He said he fired the shots in order to ‘scare away’ unknown people he suspected were after his life as they trailed him from Mufulira.
Copperbelt Province acting commissioner of police Joyce Kasosa has confirmed the drama in an interview.
“On Tuesday, we arrested Mr Masumba at a named nightclub in Kitwe. He must have fired two or three shots in the air and this caused alarm among members of the public who informed the police about the incident,” Ms Kasosa said.
She said police are still investigating the matter before it is handed to the court.
Police have confiscated the firearm Mr Masumba used to establish its legality.
But Mr Masumba said he only fired one shot in the air to protect his life from unknown people that were trailing him as he drove from Mufulira.
“I was in Mufulira on Tuesday where I had gone to see a sick relative who is admitted at Ronald Ross Hospital. I only left Mufulira around 22:00 hours and on my way to Kitwe, there was a white Corolla trailing my vehicle and even flashing headlamps,” he said.
Mr Masumba, who was driving a Land Rover, said the Toyota Corolla trailed him up to Kitwe and he decided to park at a crowded place.
He said the Toyota Corolla, which had no number plates, blocked his vehicle and two ‘thugs’ emerged and advanced towards him and this forced him to draw his gun and fire in the air.
Mr Masumba said it was then that some police officers apprehended him and took him to the police station where he gave a report of the whole episode.
He admitted police having confiscated his gun.
Asked whether he was at a nightclub, Mr Masumba said he was not familiar with Kitwe and, therefore, he could not identify most of the places and whether they were pubs or not.
He said the two men that were trailing him ran away and he suspects they were either after his life or the vehicle which he claimed is so far the only one of its type in Zambia.
Mr Masumba is not a stranger to controversy having recently been convicted of tampering with a college diploma and stealing headlines for his remarkable dancing skills that often found themselves on newspaper front pages.
His parliamentary seat currently hangs in the balance as he battles with the courts so that he can stay out of jail before adding to the New Year’s Eve  gun ‘fireworks’ incident.

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THE barbaric killing of eight children, including a grandchild in Nampundwe calls for much more than sympathy for the victims and condemnation of the culprit.
Society needs to also know just what drives anyone into committing such a heinous crime.
The man, who killed his children and grandchild by burning them alive and took his life, too, was clearly evil in committing the crime. Such wickedness must have a background to it.
He surely just did not wake up that day and decided to take the lives of his children whom he must have been proud of for many years.
Something must have snapped in him and he lost logical thinking.
This is where psychologists come in.  They need to help that Nampundwe community understand why anyone should get so mad as to plan and actually execute mass murder.
Zambia does not have a shortage of such experts who would dissect one’s reasoning and get to know why they do the unimaginable.
Such information is obviously too late for the eight children but you never know how useful it could be in preventing similar crimes.
For the culprit, this was an act of suicide. Psychologists know the signs that point to those likely to take their own lives and possibly the lives of others too.
These are the signs the general public need to know. For instance, it is generally known that those that suddenly tend to be withdrawn are suicide risks.
If more people know about this, they would take corrective measures. They would help the depressed person overcome his or her challenges and accept that they are more useful alive than lifeless.
Let this Nampundwe incident be a constant reminder to all of us that any member of our families or society is a potential threat to their own lives and to those of others.
Anyone can be driven to the edge of depression and rage. Let us guard against these extremes by being accommodative of each other, helpful and loving. Let’s also be observant of each other’s moods and learn to ask the pertinent questions that would get our friends and relatives talk about their problems.
The widow will need a lot of counselling for her to overcome this sudden loss of so many loved ones. She will need spiritual and physical support.  Words alone will not be enough.
We do, however, sympathise with the families of the departed and pray that God consoles them.

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From CHOMBA MUSIKA in Livingstone
LIVINGSTONE mayor Aggrey Njekwa unhappy with the levels of revenue collection at the Livingstone City Council (LCC) and has called for an improvement.
Speaking during the LCC end-of-year party on Friday, Mr Njekwa observed that last year had seen stagnation in the collection of revenue, a situation he said needed to change for the better.
“I demand that revenue collectors do more in terms of revenue collection. Revenue collectors from buses and markets are not doing so well. Let’s improve,” the mayor said.
He directed management to ensure that tax collectors are frequently swapped so that they “don’t manipulate the system” and “anyone dealing with cash shouldn’t be kept at the same place for more than six months”.
“You (management) have to change tax collectors who have been at a certain station for a very long time,  A tax collector shouldn’t be working from the same area for 10 years,” Mr Njekwa said.
He said the local authority needs to have an effective revenue collection mechanism because “we need to have more resources so that all systems can function well and we can in turn deliver services to the people”.
And the mayor implored the workers to be disciplined, dedicated to duty and continue delivering the much needed development to the residents.
“I urge you to do the rightful things in 2014; reporting for work on time and doing the right things and we must work according to conditions of service
“This council had been labelled as perpetrators of strikes but this has to change,” he said.
Mr Njekwa also urged council workers to upgrade their academic qualifications and prepare themselves to be “future town clerks and directors for this council”.
He said he was proud to be in a city that won accolades after successfully hosting the 2013 prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly, urging the workers to continue working hard.
Earlier, Livingstone Town clerk Vivian Chikoti praised the workers for being dedicated to duty last year and urged them to continue working extra hard and ensure the tourist capital is kept clean.

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BETTER Finance Company managing director Noel Nkoma (left) with Kobs Transporters Limited director Kombe Kalonga at Farmers House yesterday. – Picture by MACKSON WASAMUNU.

By TEDDY KUYELA
BETTER NOW Finance Company (BFC) has disbursed K56 million in loans and other structured facilities to various small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) since its inception in 2012.
BFC managing director and chief executive officer Noel Nkoma said the disbursement of K56 million has been done through order financing, bills discounting, working capital support and equity release.
Mr Nkoma said this in Lusaka yesterday when he handed over a Marcopolo bus, which is a loan facility, to a Zambian-owned company Kobs Transporters Limited.
“Today [yesterday], we are proud to have provided bridging finance to Kobs Transporters Limited towards the acquisition of a new Marcopolo bus to increase their fleet to 13 buses.
“The bus, which is being handed over today, was supplied by Hazida Motors and is valued at K1,920,000,” he said.
Mr Nkoma said his company has a clear vision to provide tailor-made and structured financial products and services that create real value to the customers.
He said he is happy that Kobs Transporters Limited has also diversified its business by entering into farming, ranching, security services and construction.
And Kobs Transporters Limited director Kombe Kalonga commended BFC for providing the company with a loan for the purchase of a Marcopolo bus.
Mr Kalonga urged other transporters in the country to take advantage of the services that BFC is providing to improve their businesses.
BFC is a registered financial institution, which has been operating in the country since April 1, 2012 and is a Zambian wholly-owned company.

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By TEDDY KUYELA
CHIKONDI Foundation president John Mambo has urged Government to immediately ban the sale of uniforms in Government schools.
Bishop Mambo says the sale of uniforms in Government schools is disadvantaging pupils from poor families.
He said Lusaka yesterday that sadly that some head teachers have made it mandatory for parents to buy uniforms from schools at inflated prices.
“It is sad that some schools are exploiting pupils through unscrupulous demands such as the sale of school uniforms at exorbitant prices.
“This should stop because some pupils from poor families are failing to buy the same uniforms because they cannot negotiate the price,” Bishop Mambo said.
He said Government should also stop tolerating teachers that are abusing parents who are struggling to even provide food for their families.
Bishop Mambo said Government should not allow the trend to continue and called on teachers to stop demanding payments from pupils seeking admission in their schools.
He also called on Government to thoroughly audit and take disciplinary action taken against erring school authorities.
Bishop Mambo also urged teachers to stop examination malpractices because doing so compromises education standards in the country.
“It is disappointing that a lot of teachers and pupils were caught last year with (exam) leakages,” the bishop said.

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By JIMMY CHIBUYE
MINISTER of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma has directed relevant authorities to vigilantly guard against exportation of copper concentrates because Zambia has enough smelters to process the copper ore.
Mr Yaluma said in an interview yesterday that no mining company will be permitted to transport copper ore to other countries because Zambia has a lot of underutilised smelters that can adequately process the concentrates.
“I have instructed that no one should transport copper ore outside Zambia because we have adequate smelters which can process these concentrates.
“So if the mining companies are stockpiling the ore, it is their choice because we will not allow the export of copper concentrates,” he said.
Mr Yaluma said the copper concentrate contains different minerals which can be of use to Zambia if processed locally.
And Mr Yaluma has described the performance of the mining sector last year as “very good” despite some challenges.
He, however, said Zambians have not fully benefited from the mines and this is why Government has revised the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2008 and the Mining Policy of 1995.
Mr Yaluma said the revision of the Act will enable Government to assist individuals engaged in mining to partner with mining firms if they meet the criteria.
“Putting in place the policy and the Act will surely change the way the mines are being managed and will allow our people to benefit not only through employment but also partnering with the mining companies in various positions,” he said.
Mr Yaluma further said Government targets to reach 1.5 million tonnes of copper output in the next two years, adding that for the first time, mineral output is likely hit 800,000 tonnes per annum.
He said the mining industry has continued to steadily contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 5.9 percent in 2012 and Government projects to reach between eight percent and10 percent this year.
Mr Yaluma said in the previous year, Government issued nine licences for the exploration of oil in Zambia and he is confident that one of the companies given the licence will succeed in striking oil.
He also said Government has been marketing the mining industry to international firms and a huge Australian mining firm, Fortescue Metals Group Limited, will soon be coming to Zambia to invest.

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By KALONDE NYATI
AN AUSTRALIAN mining giant, Fortescue Mining Group (FMG), is soon expected to start explorations for various minerals in the country, Government has disclosed.
Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma said FMG, which is part of the six Australian firms that expressed interest to invest in Zambia, is today expected in the country to finalise the process.
“FMG is willing to invest in the country. Its board has accepted that the company invests in Zambia and has gone through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development,” he said.
Mr Yaluma said in an interview that Government will soon issue prospecting licences for the firm to begin explorations.
Last year, Mr Yaluma went to Australia to woo investors in the mining and energy industries and six mining firms have so far expressed interest to invest in Zambia.
He said the amount the firm will inject in Zambia will be determined by the mineral resource base.
Mr Yaluma also said a number of Canadian and British firms have also expressed interest to invest in the country due to the continued promotion of Zambia as a preferred investment destination.
“We have continued to promote Zambia and maintained a conducive environment that is attracting investors. We have seen investors from countries such as China, Canada and the United Kingdom coming to Zambia,” he said.
He said as part of Government’s commitment to attract more investment, it is in the process of modernising the licensing system to ensure transparency.
“There have been complaints by some stakeholders on the lack of transparency in the licensing system and we are committed to uphold transparency and this will be done through the modernising of the system,” he said.

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By CHOMBA MUSIKA
A 27-YEAR-OLD woman of Kazungula has pleaded guilty to being in possession of 17kgs of duiker and impala meat without a certificate from the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).
When asked where she got the 7kgs of duiker meat, Charity Lungu told the court that she bought it from a ZAWA officer.
This is in a matter in which Lungu, of house number C127, Linda township in Livingstone, is facing two counts of unlawful possession of government trophies.
The offence is contrary to Section 100(1) of the ZAWA Act number 12 of 1998 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars in count one are that on December 21 last year, Lungu, while in Livingstone, had in her possession government trophies, namely 7kgs of duiker meat, without a certificate of ownership from the ZAWA director general.
Asked whether or not she understood the charge, Lungu, who appeared before Livingstone resident magistrate Chinkashi Chilingala on Wednesday, replied in the affirmative and admitted having committed the offence.
And when asked where she got the meat from and what she wanted to do with it, Lungu said: “The meat was for consumption and I bought it from Mr John Kizito, a ZAWA officer, who operates from Ngwezi station.”
Asked if she had a certificate allowing her to possess the meat, Lungu replied in the negative.
Particulars in the second count alleged that Lungu, on December 21 last year, while in Livingstone, had in her possession government trophies, namely 10 kilogrammes of impala meat without a certificate of ownership from the ZAWA director general.
Asked whether or not she understood the charge, Lungu replied in the affirmative and admitted having committed the offence.
The court set January 8 this year for written facts.
Lungu’s police bond was extended.

482 total views, 408 views today