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An international group of researchers led by Monash University, Australia, supports clinical guideline recommendations for relaxed glycemic targets in older type 2 diabetes patients with results from a large cohort study. The research paper, “Dementia Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes,” published in JAMA Neurology, looked for a cumulative association between older patients with type 2 diabetes, glycemic control maintenance and dementia.

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

Police are holding a 44-year-old man identified as Kachimbe Japeni for the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. 

Japeni is alleged to have assaulted Muza FC goalkeeper Moonga Ndala aged 29 and Ernest Malambo aged 52 respectively during Saturday’s Super League fixture which was abandoned at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

According to a statement issued by Danny Mwale, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, the victims from Mazabuka are alleged to have been attacked by Japeni as they were coming from the dressing room to prepare for the second half of the match which had ended 1-1 at halftime.

“It is alleged that one of the security personnel for Red Arrows Football Club identified as Kachimbe Japeni attacked the goalkeeper of the visiting team by beating and pouring an unknown substance on his face. The suspect is also alleged to have beaten the visiting team coach.

“The victims sustained general body pains and medical report forms were issued for them to seek medical attention,” Mwale said.

“The container with some remains of the unknown substance was picked by Police to help with investigations.”

Meanwhile, Red Arrows has refuted and distanced itself from allegations by FC Muza and other media that the club was responsible for the abandonment of the match, when in fact, it was the visiting team that walked out of the pitch before the start of the second half.

Red Arrows Media Liaison and Public Relations Officer Misheck Kalembwe said the Airmen are disappointed that the match was prematurely abandoned on the advice of the Match Commissioner and his officiating team. 

Kalembwe said the club is yet to be furnished with a detailed report as to why the match officials decided to call off the game despite having passed all checklists to sanction the hosting of the said match. He also noted that the club learnt through social media that FC Musa reported a case of assault to the Police.

“As RAFC, we shall respectfully cooperate with the Police during investigations into the alleged assault. Nevertheless, we find the allegations and subsequent report made at the Police Station by FC Muza as an act of cheap desperation to attract public sympathy because Police Officers assigned to manage the game on the ground did not record and arrest anyone for assault,” the statement said.

By Lt Col Helen Chota

The Zambia Air Force Commander, Lt Gen Colin Barry visited to the United Nations Department Peace Operations (UNDPO) Headquarters and represented the interests of the Zambia Defence Force at several meetings with United Nations officials. 

The Air Force Commander held a meeting with the UN Office of Military Affairs (OMA) Military Advisor, General Birame Diop on 18 April 2023.

During the meeting, General Diop said he values Zambia’s participation in regional military peace operations which he said contributed to the attainment of world peace. He recognized that Zambia contributes 19% of women in peace operations which is much higher than the World average which is at 8%.  He also noted that the Zambia Army Female Engagement Team in the Central African Republic (CAR) had raised Zambia’s profile because the team had proved very effective in the handling cases of sexual exploitation and violence. 

General Diop observed that Zambia’s record in UN Peacekeeping Operations was exemplary and that Zambia was ranked the 20th World’s largest contributor of troops and equipment. He also said there were no reports of disciplinary cases and that Zambian troops and Military Observers (MILOBs) were well accepted in the mission area because of their good conduct and disposition.  Meanwhile, Lt Gen Barry reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment towards supporting the peacekeeping efforts and said the President Hakainde Hichilema was resolved to safeguarding regional peace.  

“The ultimate success of peacekeeping efforts depends largely on the active and sustainable political will and processes. The President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Force of Zambia, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has demonstrated his commitment to supporting peacekeeping efforts in the region through the continued contribution of troops and Military Observers to various United Nations Peace Operations and more recently by dedicating resources to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM),” Lt Gen Barry said.

Lt Gen Barry said the invitation to discuss Zambia’s pledges to UN Peace Operations had come at short notice but was accepted because Zambia is committed to fulfilling the pledges. 

“We are well prepared in terms of pre-deployment training and equipment and have experience from the SAMIM and other UN Peace Operations, to undertake peacekeeping operations. A lot of work has gone into the preparations following the United Nations Assessment Advisory Visit (AAV) and the Pre-deployment Visit (PDV),” Lt Gen Barry said. Both parties agreed that it was time to elevate Zambia’s pledges of a Medium Utility Helicopter (MUH), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), an infantry Battalion and a Level II and Level IV Hospital.  

On 19 April 2023, the Lt Gen Barry met with the Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix. 

Lt Gen Barry assured the Under-Secretary General that President Hakainde was interested in increasing Zambia’s troop presence in peacekeeping operations in support of the UN’s efforts to maintain peace and security the world over. 

“Zambia has pledged more assets in the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness Systems (PCRS) because it is important to provide African solutions to Africa’s problems as home-grown solutions are often holistic in nature,” Lt Gen Barry said. 

And Mr. Lacroix thanked Zambia for being professional in peacekeeping operations. He said Zambian troops exhibit excellent and good levels of discipline which his office is notified about. 

Mr. Lacroix is expected in Zambia in a few weeks’ time and he said he was looking forward to the visit.  

During his visit Lt Gen Barry also paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, Dr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations at the Mission in New York. The two discussed various issues, among them the programme to enhance Zambia’s contribution to global peace and security through peace keeping missions. The Zambia Air Force Commander was accompanied by senior Defence and Security officers from the Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force and Zambia Police Service.

BY BUUMBA CHIMBULU

The National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) partial withdrawal programme will have a positive impact on the economy as it will inject funds into circulation, says First National Bank (FNB) Zambia.

MARY Chirwa says she is still the Director General of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) contrary to reports that President Hakainde Hichilema has removed her from the Commission and appointed her High Commissioner designate to Mozambique.

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU

The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has clarified that it has not confiscated any mealie meal or products which may contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) this year.

Zumani Zimba has disclosed that former President Edgar Lungu was more devastated by the brutal murder of former North-Western Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson Jackson Kungo then his electoral defeat to President Hakainde Hichilema.

Dr Zimba, the former Presidential Political Advisor to Mr Lungu says the killing of Mr Kungo by known UPND cadres on August 12, 2021 (election day) has largely been ignored while that of Lawrence Banda, the UPND cadre had remained a point of reference at every forum a by the governing party and its leadership.

Speaking to Afro Democracy Journal (ADJ), Dr. Zimba urged President Hichilema and former President Lungu to hold talks for genuine political reconciliation. 

“I would like to share some moment of reflection with regards to the 2021 August Presidential and General Elections in Zambia. It is important to note that the 2021 Presidential and General Elections were historical in nature in many ways. There are certain perspectives and experiences at Presidential level from the point of State House that sometimes are only privy to some of us in terms of knowing what happened and how the President reacted and managed different situations which many people are not aware of,” Dr Zimba said.

Dr. Zimba said the same zeal being exhibited to fight for Banda’s justice should be equally be extended to Kungo even in his death, because it was too heavy and heartbreaking to President Lungu then as it is now. 

“The fact is that the death of PF North Western provincial chairperson Jackson Kungo was devastating news to President Lungu. A lot of people do not know that he was more depressed and more devastated by the death of Kungo than his own political defeat to President Hichilema. On that material day on 12th August, 2021, it was a very busy and fast day because everyone was voting country wide.”

President Lungu, myself and the First Lady, woke up very early and went to vote in Chawama where I escorted him because I was registered at the same polling station. When we came back to State House, he was at Nkwazi House, he needed now to reflect and just receive reports on voter turnout and later on, the results,” Dr Zimba said.

Dr. Zimba said he had a deeper conversation with Late Kungo, two hours before he was murdered in Solwezi District, North Western Province. 

“We needed to be on top of the game as State House and on my side as Presidential Political Advisor, I was busy calling different Parliamentary Candidates in various Constituencies. I was calling Provincial Chairpersons to know what was happening in their Provinces, Districts and Constituencies. Kungo was one of the people I called that morning, two hours before his death. 

Dr. Zimba says he was disappointed that PF polling agents were being chased, intimidated and beaten at polling stations in UPND strongholds in full view of state police. 

“We spoke at length. He explained the challenges for North-Western Province because many election agents for PF were either being intimidated, harassed or beaten at polling stations. I did report and confirm the situation to the President regarding the situation in North-Western, Southern and Western Provinces that PF polling agents were fighting running battles in polling stations from the three strongholds of the UPND,” he said. 

Dr. Zimba said the reports he got of beating PF members in UPND strongholds was authenticated by videos that emerged showing the brutal murder of Kungo in full view of Law Enforcement Agencies. 

“Around lunch time, videos started circulating showing how Jackson Kungo was strangled, moved up, stoned and brutally murdered at a polling station by UPND cadres. It was unbelievable and looked like it was not happening. Later on, official information reached the President. He watched the videos on how Kungo was murdered by a mob of the UPND cadres in full view of the police and army officers watching. I can assure you that that news was very devastating to President Lungu,” Dr Zimba narrates. 

Dr. Zimba said the strangling to death of Kungo created pressure from PF members that wanted the election to be petitioned but that President Lungu did not want to see more Zambians murdered like Kungo.

“I could see the pain which he expressed and showed openly. When election results started emerging at a later point, it became very tricky because Kungo’s death was the main issue at the bottom of the heart of President Lungu. He is a very responsible leader to me because he repeatedly said we needed to respect Kungo in death. So, he traveled to Solwezi with myself, State House Staff and party officials. He mourned Kungo and physically buried him in Solwezi, we escorted the President.

 THREE men aged between 21 and 23, have been arrested for taking turns in sexually abusing a juvenile in Ndola’s Kabushi area. The trio, who took turns in sexually abusing the victim for about six hours, has been arrested together with a 15-year-old girl who lured the victim into the trap. It is alleged that […]

New research indicates that for patients with advanced skin cancer, it may be important to maintain normal vitamin D levels when receiving immunotherapy medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.