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By NATION REPORTER 

GOVERNMENT has rubbished claims by Fred M’membe that the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) work in Zimbabwe was under foreign influence and intended to undermine the sovereignty of that country.

The government says it is crucial to recognize that the SDAC Electoral Observation Mission operated as an autonomous entity and meticulously crafted to function with independence and unwavering commitment to integrity. 

Stanley Kakubo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told Dr M’membe that President Hakainde Hichilema, as Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation did not in any way influence the day-to-day activities of SEOM.

Mr Kakubo said in a statement yesterday that Dr. Nevers Mumba, as leader of the Observer Mission, held a crucial role, and that solely attributing the report’s findings to him personally was attempting to oversimplify a complex electoral process in Zimbabwe. 

“It is important to understand that SEOMs, following established protocol, are headed by distinguished persons, often former Presidents or Vice-Presidents, who are thoughtfully appointed by the Chairperson of the Organ. It is crucial to note that SEOM is not influenced in its day-to-day activities by President Hichilema, in his capacity as Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, or by any other member of the Troika, for that matter,” Mr Kakubo said.

Dr M’membe, the leader of the Socialist Party has claimed that the SEOM preliminary report was foreign influenced and accused President Hichilema of attempting to undermine the sovereignty of Zimbabwe.

But Mr Kakubo stated that assertions that the SEOM lacked the mandate to consider relevant Zimbabwean laws before Parliament was a misrepresentation of the Observer Mission scope.

He said the Zambian government, in its capacity as Chair of the SADC Organ, and the united Troika would continue to demonstrate patience and wait for a comprehensive briefing from SEOM before arriving at any definitive conclusion.

“Casting assertions that President Hichilema or any other person could have influenced the outcome document of the recently concluded election is a misguided notion. Such claims lack a substantiated foundation and detract from the impartial nature of SEOM’s efforts.”

“Given Dr. M’membe’s background as a qualified lawyer, it is presumed that he is well-aware of the fundamental principle that serious allegations, such as the ones he made, suggesting external foundation sponsorship of various leaders, must be underpinned by concrete and verifiable evidence,” Mr Kakubo said.

Mr Kakubo stated that the Zambian government remained resolute in adhering to the fundamental principles enshrined within the United Nations (UN) Charter of upholding the sacred principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign nations.

 It is essential, therefore, to refrain from engaging in personal attacks directly or overtly targeting individuals associated with the vital work of SEOM, as such actions prove counterproductive. 

It should be noted that President Hakainde Hichilema, as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation, is yet to receive the comprehensive SEOM report on Zimbabwe’s elections,” Mr Kakubo said.

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FORUM for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has been charged and arrested for the offence of abduction. In a statement, police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale confirmed the arrest of Ms Nawakwi 63. “Police in Lusaka have formally charged and arrested Edith Nawakwi aged 63 of Roma Township in Lusaka for the offence of […]

IN A surprising twist, Citizens First party leader Harry Kalaba has revealed new details surrounding the day he was captured under claims of attempting to acquire a gold-plated ‘iPhone 15’. Mr Kalaba now asserts that on that fateful day, he had actually been led to believe he was meeting a pastor. The opposition leader has […]

Yango, an international platform for ordering rides online, is fully committed to ensuring a safe experience for all users and partner’s drivers and has developed and continues to develop protective safety features. Reference is made to the police report issued on 28 August 2023 about the unfortunate and untimely death of Mr. Nicholas Chishimba in […]

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU

NEGOTIATIONS with private creditors, once concluded, will assist the country to expand its resource envelope which has been constrained as a result of servicing debt, says Access Bank Zambia Limited, Chief Executive Officer, Lishala Situmbeko.

Mr Situmbeko said these negotiations, coupled with broadening the tax base, would expand Zambia’s resource envelope.

Secretary to the Treasury, Felix Nkulukusa, during a Town Hall meeting last Tuesday, indicated that Government had scheduled several meetings next month to advance discussions on a comparable debt treatment to private creditors.

Commenting on this development, Mr Situmbeko in an interview pointed out that these conversations were important and needed to be concluded quickly.

“I look at debt restructuring as a foundation similar to when one builds a house. So, to contextualise, we are still building the foundation of our economy. 

The US$6.3 billion restructuring agreement is only part of the story. There is a real side of the story that has to be dealt with now, which is that of the private creditors.”

“Government has already commenced work on the conversations with the private creditors and is it important that these are concluded expeditiously for them to have a positive effect on the economy,” he said.

Mr Situmbeko pointed out that debt servicing constrained resources available for development in sectors such as health and education and that is why it is important to broaden the tax base.

Mr Situmbeko said this was the way to go as the country was in-need of revenue for development. He, however, admitted that broadening the tax base was one of the toughest elements to execute in an economy.

“It is not easy to broaden a tax base as this would entail putting in place, measures that facilitate collection of dues from those in the informal sector with a view to having them contribute to the revenue pool for the country, which is never an easy thing to do, but is the direction we have to go, and we must. 

We really need to double our efforts in that direction. We need to get more individuals, more small and medium businesses to contribute their fair share for the benefit of our country,” Mr Situmbeko said.

He said in broadening the tax base, principles of tax equity must always prevail.

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Losing the activity of a key ion channel in the brain may contribute to the buildup of a devastating and toxic protein responsible for the clumps of plaque that accumulate in Alzheimer’s disease, a team of neurobiologists in China has found.

By ROGERS KALERO 

THE UPND has no solution to the problems and challenges facing Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) as evidenced by its silence over finding an equity partner for the two giant mines, Kasonde Mwenda has said.

 Mr Mwenda, the president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says after making several unfulfilled promises and assurances that it would find equity partners for the two giant mining companies, the UPND government had since ran out of lies, hence the silence on the matter.

Mr Mwenda said after making a lot of unfulfilled promises and assurances over the issues of MCM and KCM, the new dawn administration of President Hakainde Hichilema had suddenly gone quiet because it had realized that it had failed to find solutions to the problems. 

He said during the press briefing at Parklands Lodge in Kitwe yesterday that government had lamentably failed to find solutions to the challenges facing the two copper mines that    the pledge of finding new investors had turned out to be yet another unfulfilled promise.

‘It is now two years since the UPND formed government but no solution has been found regarding MCM and KCM. After making a lot of unfulfilled promises and assurances regarding finding equity partners, the new dawn administration has now gone quiet because it has no solutions.” 

“No one, no government official including the republican President is talking about which way forward regarding the two giant mines. They were speaking with a lot of confidence that they will find a solutions to the problems at the two giant mines , but they are now quiet and cannot even tell the nation how far they have gone,’’ Mr Mwenda said

Mr Mwenda said the unresolved issues surrounding KCM and MCM had only served to compound the struggles faced by citizens and businesses on the Copperbelt where the two mining companies had been contributing monumentally to the economy of the province

He said the decline in economic activity in the region had torn through crucial aspects of the society, shaking the Chisokone market in Kitwe to its core.

Mr Mwenda stated that the absence of a vibrant mining sector on the Copperbelt had fueled a cycle of non-payment, escalating levels of poverty, and limited economic opportunities that continue to suffocate the communities

“The consequences of such mining sector and economic mismanagement go beyond mere numbers on balance sheet. They have birthed a wave of crime and poverty, ruthless, ruthlessly intensifying the hardships already endured by our citizens”

“As the backbone of our nation’s economy, the mining sector should be a beacon of prosperity and stability, not a vortex of turmoil that suffocates the hopes and dreams of our people,’’ Mr Mwenda said

Mr Mwenda said the EFF was condemning in the strongest terms the mismanagement of the mining sector, for it had ushered in a dark era of economic decline

“Since our arrival on the Copperbelt, our eyes have been opened wide to witness the detrimental effects of non-payment of suppliers or limited activity for contractors in the mining sector. It has caused a never-ending torrent of economic hardships for suppliers and contractors alike,’’ he said

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AN ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Court has heard how former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Affairs Hibeene Mwiinga’s son Hakaantu bought a house worth US$50,000 in Silverest. This is in a case Mr Mwiinga, his wife Mercy Munsanje, and their son, Hakaantu are facing 72 corruption-related charges. The trio is jointly charged with […]

By NATION REPORTER 

THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has fined seventeen energy companies a total of K585, 000.00 for breaching licence conditions 

ERB acting public relations manager Chibulu Musonda says the seventeen companies had beached the license condition by failing to submit financial returns for the period 2018 to date and operating a service station without a license.

Mr Musonda said the entities had fined K30, 000 each for failure to submit financial returns.

Mr Musonda said the companies that have been punished included Karan Investments, Ndola Lime Company Limited, Simba Energy Limited, Alpha Enterprises Limited and Gold Mobil Limited, among others Mr Musonda stated Uno Energies had been fined K45, 000 for variation of site layout without authority from the ERB while Lushomo Service Station Limited had been fined K75,000 for operating a service station without a Licence .

He has since directed all licensed companies operating in the energy sector to ensure they adhere to their licence conditions as well as set standards in order to ensure that they remain compliant at all times

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POLICE have confirmed that it has summoned FDD leader Edith Nawakwi. In a statement, police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale said Ms Nawakwi was summoned to report to the Police last week but her Lawyer requested to reschedule to, August 29, 2023 at 14:30 hours. “Police received information that she was unwell and that the lawyer […]