Posts in category: Uncategorized

 FORMER Minister of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba has denied failing to declare interest and engaging in illicit activities when he served as minister, adding that his companies have been genuinely doing business contrary to claims. Mr Mwamba has testified that his business dealings are genuine, hence it is unfair to accuse him of engaging in unlawful […]

 A PHARMACY technologist has been arrested in Solwezi for allegedly stealing 14 boxes of gloves from a Government health center within the district. Police arrested Edmond Mundanya after being found in possession of  the gloves valued at K21,000 in his drugstore. This came to light as officers from the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) were […]

 FOUR suspected prohibited immigrants have been apprehended in Mpika by officers who were on their way to Lusaka from Mbala on presidential duties. Also apprehended is a 28-year-old Zambian suspected to have been facilitating the safe passage of the illegal immigrants. Muchinga province commanding officer Kaunda Mubanga said the immigrants were apprehended yesterday at 17:00 […]

Scientists believe the findings of the research will open up possibilities to prevent or cure anaphylactic shock.

By NATION REPORTER
BRIAN Mundubile has called for cancelation of the Democracy Summit Zambia is expected to co-host with the United States as well as the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Republic of Korea on grounds that Zambia’s record on human rights under the UPND has been dented by human rights violations.
Mr. Mundubile, the Leader of the Opposition Patriotic Front said while government was preparing to host the Democracy Summit, Zambia was experiencing serious human rights violeation with the arrest of 22 peaceful protesters who were airing their views on a range of national issues. 
Mr Mundubile said until and unless the UPND government improved its human rights record and stopped the arbitrary arrests and dentation of citizens for political reasons, Zambia was not ready to host the Democracy Summit
He said a number of journalists had recently been detentions without being charged after they were arrested for performing their duties.
Mr. Mundubile said President Hakainde Hichilema while on the Copperbelt issued derogatory remarks and investctives against his predecessor, former President Edgar Lungu apart from threatening the former head of State with arrest.
Mr Mundubile said President Hichilema was threatening Mr Lungu for only going to church for worshipping, stating that it was undemocratic for the head of State to threaten to curtail the rights and freedoms of his predecessor.
He said the human rights violation in the country were not what the international community was expecting of a Constitutional Democracy such as Zambia.
“We are a Constitutional Democracy. One eminent writer has penned thus; “The greatness of any nation lies in the fidelity to the constitution.” what we are seeing today is a violation of the Constitution in many aspects. Zambians are no longer free to assemble and associate. We had 22 Zambians who were recently arrested for merely attempting to assemble and express themselves over a range of national matters they were aggrieved with. We must not just be preaching democracy, we must indeed be seen to be practising it and our governance should be based on the rule of law and not at the whims of those in leadership,” Mr Mundubile said. 
Mr. Mundubile said the country had seen a shrinking media and civic space under UPND and that it was feared that the UPND could turn out to be the most oppressive government ever.
“To host a Democracy Summit at a time like this will be very difficult. It shall be difficult in the sense that you cannot be sitting in a room discussing democracy when you have your citizens being opressed,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile wondered what the UPND administration would present at the Summit given the many examples of violation of Human Rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. 
“We want to see what kind of poetry government officials are going to present at the Summit given that they have not acted democratically in many instances,” Mr Mundubile said. 

 THE Lusaka High Court has granted an application restraining Scottish premiership side Rangers Football Club player, Fashion Sakala from invading the privacy of a woman who has sued him. Judge Milimo Salasini has granted Linnety Kaoma an ex-parte order of interim injunction restraining Mr Sakala and his agents or servants from further evading the plaintiff’s […]

By NOEL IYOMBWA
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa’s defence of President Hakainde Hichilema’s personal attacks on his predecessor, Edgar Lungu amounts to moral and political bankruptcy, former Defence Minister George Mpombo has said.
And Dr Mpombo says President Hichilema’s assault on the integrity of Mr Lungu was uncalled for and beyond justification politically or morally.
Reacting to a statement by Mr Mweetwa that opposition political parties had taken the use of the Bemba word “Ukutumpa “out of context and that former President Levy Mwanawasa once used the word on the late Michael Sata, Dr Mpombo stated that despite being provoked, Mr Mwanawasa never harboured any hard feelings.
He said Mr Mwanawasa never used to hold grudges against his political opponents as he used to chat with Mr Sata over the phone in his presence.
Dr Mpombo added that President Mwanawasa’s leadership was praised by the nation when he authorised Mr Sata’s evacuation to South Africa for medical treatment.
He noted that what Mr Mwanawasa purportedly said to Mr Sata faded into insignificance as compared to the words uttered by President Hichilema in Kitwe considering the Head of State’s body language and tone of his voice.
He said the public and the church should have admonished President Mwanawasa if the comments were perceived as a threat on the late Mr Sata.
“In short, Mr Mweetwa’s assertions in Livingstone were morally and politically bankrupt and had loopholes through which a herd of elephants would be driven through” Dr Mpombo said.
Mr Mweetwa, who is also Southern Province Minister has expressed concern over the continued abuse of President Hichilema’s use of the term “Kutumpa Uko” during his recent public address on the Copperbelt Province.
Mr Mweetwa said opposition political parties had taken the statement out of context.
He said the cliché “Kutumpa” was a common saying, which was widely used in the Zambian vocabulary when referring to something, which is not acceptable.
Mr Mweetwa said Mr Mwanawasa and Mr Lungu used that cliché during their reign.
“President Mwanawasa did at one point use the term in reference to the leading opposition party leader then Michael Sata, ‘Nga watumpa; fyala kubipila,’ and also President Edgar Lungu once he took over the reins of leadership of this country did address union leaders who then had indicated that he had failed to provide leadership of this country by saying ‘Kutumpa for the union leaders to say I have failed’,” Mr Mweetwa explained.

 AN 80-year-old ‘Nguzu’ of Mafinga district in Muchinga has been hacked to death with a matchete by unknown people under unclear circumstances. Layton Musachi is believed to have after finishing his supper and having washed his hands proceeded outside his third wife’s house to wash his feet so that he could retire to bed, but […]

A cancer-causing chemical that is widely used to degrease aviation components and heavy machinery could also be linked to Parkinson’s disease, according to a new research paper that recommends increased scrutiny of areas long contaminated by the compound.

THE privilege Zambia has to co-host the Democracy Summit is a sign of the confidence that the international community has in the country’s democratic credentials, Minister of Information and Media Chushi Kasanda has said.

Ms. Kasanda said Zambia would co-host the summit on democracy against a backdrop of significant democratic achievements in deepening the country’s egalitarianism.

She said the democratic achievements included the ongoing legal and constitutional reforms, among them review of the Public Order Act, abolishment of the death penalty, removal of the defamation of the president clause from the country’s statutes, as well as the ongoing process to enact the access to information bill.

 “One of the key pillars of democracy, premised on the fact that as a servant of the people, government is a mere custodian of information. Its true owner are the people,” Ms Kasanda said.

Ms. Kasanda said this when she officially opened the media orientation workshop for the Democracy Summit Zambia is slated to co-host later this month.

She said government had also restored the editorial independence of the media to see their own agenda without instruction or interference from anyone.

Ms. Kasanda said since the UPND came into office over a year ago, no media house has been closed, as was common during the previous administration, claiming the media was now free as were the citizens.