RB and Mkapa confer on peace in the Great Lakes Region.

By John Chola – 16/12/09

Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa is holding talks with Zambia’s Rupiah Banda in Lusaka on the political and security situation in the great lakes Region.
Mkapa is one of the mediators in the Great Lakes Region.

President Banda is the current Chairman of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

Mkapa is in Lusaka to brief President Banda on the Political and Security situation in the region.

The meeting is being held ahead of next month’s African Union Heads of State and Government summit to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mkapa has informed Banda that the political and security situation in the great lakes region has normalized in some of the countries.

He however says that there are still many challenges which need to be addressed in order to have absolute peace and stability in the entire region.

Benjamin Mkapa and Former Nigerian President General Olusegun Obasanjo are the two mediators appointed to spearhead the peace process in the region.
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High poverty and unemployment levels make Zambians give in to human traffickers

By John Chola – Lusaka, 29th September, 2009

A recent study conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) on Zambia has shown that fast spreading poverty and unemployment are responsible for many victims being deceived by human traffickers.

Hundreds of Zambians are now accepting to be trafficked after being duped into believing that they are going abroad to lead a better life.

Victims of child trafficking in Zambia are very often those from poor households who are trafficked internationally for cheap domestic labor, farm work or commercial sex exploitation.

Zambia’s Minister of Home Affairs Lameck Mangani says trafficking in humans, especially women and children, is worsening in the country.

Mangani says because of the fast spreading human trafficking problem the Zambian government will now enforce aggressively the Anti Human Trafficking Law enacted last year.

The Zambian government has also adopted a National Policy on Human Trafficking to help tackle the problem.

Mangani says the enactment of the law domesticates the 2000 Palemo Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish traffickers.

He says government will now deal ruthlessly with human traffickers because the act has become a serious violation of human rights.

Mangani says human trafficking will now attract heavy punishment of perpetrators because the scourge is a modern day slave trade.

The European Union is giving financial support to the government of Zambia to help address increasing human trafficking problem.
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Fire gut Zambia’s major power plant and plunges the country into darkness.

By John Chola -21/09/09
Most parts of Zambia have been plunged into darkness following a fire that swept through the country’s major hydro power station.
The fire which gutted Kariba power station destroyed two huge generators and other equipment belonging to the country’s power utility, ZESCO Limited.
Two people died in the fire while several others sustained serious burns and are admitted to a hospital.
Kariba power station generation capacity has since been reduced from 1,460 megawatts to 900 megawatts only.
This is the second time within a period of less than six months for ZESCO Limited to lose power generation generators.
Zambia Police have since launched an investigation into the cause of the fire which has destroyed the under-rehabilitation power plant.
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Zambia invites bids for the sale of 75 % shares in its national telecommunications company.

By John Chola – 16/09/09

Zambia has invited international bidds for the purchase of 75 per cent shares in its national telecommunications company (Zamtel).

The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has announced the development in Lusaka.

The ZDA said that to prequalify prospective bidders must have a minimum of five years of licensed operations in the telecommunications industry.

The bidding companies are also required to have more than three million active attributable subscribers on fixed, mobile and fixed wireless networks.

Biding private entities companies would be required to pay a minimum of US$ 250 million shareholders’ equity while a minimum market capital of US$500 million is required for publicly listed entities.

The Zambia development Agency has asked bidding companies to pay a non refundable fee of US$20,000 prior to their submission of the prequalification application forms.

According to the statement bids for the purchase of the 75 per cent shares should be submitted to Zambia development Agency electronically in PDF format or in hard copy before five PM Zambian time on Friday 16th October 2009.

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Wife of Zambia’s late President Maureen Mwanawasa to stand for republican President.

By John Chola – 04/09/09
The wife of Zambia’s late President Levy Mwanawasa Maureen has declared that she will run for the country’s presidency.
Maureen Mwanawasa has told the government controlled Times of Zambia that she is now ripe to take up the presidency of Zambia, exactly one year after her husband was buried.
However, Maureen Mwanawasa can only contest the presidency of Zambia in the 2016 elections.
This is because her party, the ruling MMD has already settled for current President Rupiah Banda as its sole candidate for the party in the 2011 poll.
Mwanawasa has urged those who doubt her capacities to give her a try.
She has vowed that Zambia is now ready for a female president.
Mwanawasa says she has a great passion to lead Zambia.
The ruling MMD has welcomed Mwanawasa’s intentions to stand for Presidency.
MMD spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said that Maureen was free to stand for President because the MMD was a democratic party.
For Africa now I am John Chola in Lusaka.
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Post Newspapers Editor Fred M'membe faces arrest

By John Chola - 02/09/09

A magistrate court in Lusaka has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Fred M’membe who is Editor in chief of Zambia's leading Post Newspapers.

The warrant of arrest against M’membe follows his failure to appear before the court this morning.

Two days ago a Magistrate summoned the entire editorial staff of the Post Newspaper and a Professor of Law based in United States to appear before him for contempt of court.

The Professor (Muna Ndulo) authored an article in the Post last week which the court deemed contemptuous.

However the court heard that M’membe could not appear before it because he has been on study leave for two to three months now pursuing his masters degree.

The Post Newspaper team was lead by acting editor-in-chief (Sam Mujuda).

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Acquitted Chiluba demand his immunity

By John Chola - 19/08/09

Acquitted former president of Zambia Fredrick Chiluba is demanding for a special session of parliament to be convened to restore his immunity.

Chiluba’s lawyers yesterday wrote to Speaker of the national assembly stating that

Chiluba’s immunity is not infinity.

Chiluba’s is contending that the stripping of the immunity was just to enable investigation and prosecution into the allegations of plunder as laid down by late President of Zambia Levy Mwanawasa.

He says that since the courts have cleared Chiluba, the same parliament which stripped him should now cover him with legal protection.

Chiluba is afraid that he remains without immunity any aggrieved person can sue him in his personal capacity for wrongs he may have committed during his 10-year rule.

But MPs from two major opposition political parties say they will resist the restoration of Chiluba’s immunity.

Some opposition MPs say Chiluba does not deserve to be protected by parliament.

The MPs say it will be a direct insult on late Levy Mwanawasa for them to go and try to protect Chiluba from alleged crimes.

A Lusaka magistrate on Monday acquitted Chiluba of allegations that he stole US$500,000 public funds while serving as Zambia’s President............

Meanwhile the Task Force on corruption which took former president of Zambia Fredrick Chiluba to court says it will not hand back his shoes and suits which they grabbed from him.

The Task Force grabbed Chiluba;s shoes and designer suits when it just started probing him for alleged stealing of public money.

Chiluba was acquitted of all charges on Monday.

The chairperson of the Task Force has said that they will hold on to Chiluba’s personal clothes and restrict his other properties despite the judgment that cleared him.

The task force will only decide whether to give back or not Chiluba’s clothes after the registration of the London Judgment that find Chiluba liable.

Chiluba is currently fighting that the Zambian High court should not recognise the London judgment.

He says the London judgment encroaches on the independence of the Zambian judiciary.

Meanwhile the Task Force is still consulting its lawyers on whether to appeal against the judgment that cleared Chiluba

Chiluba owned more than 100 pairs of size 6 shoes, many affixed with his initials in brass.

Each pair has heels close to two inches high

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