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.
-ends-

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.
Ends

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.

Ends.

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.
Ends

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).

Ends

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

Ends.

Judgment to either send Frederick Chiluba to jail or set him free deferred to next Monday, August 17.

By John Chola - 14/08/09
Judgment to either jail or set Zambia's former President Frederick Chiluba to freedom has been deferred to next week Monday, August 17.

Former President of Zambia Frederick Chiluba was this morning supposed to receive judgment in a case he is accused of stealing public funds amounting to US$ 500,000.

Seven years ago Chiluba's successor late President Levy Mwanawasa asked Parliament to remove his immunity for him to be prosecuted on corruption allegations while he served as republican President.

Chiluba ruled Zambia from 1991 to 2001.

Chiluba was forced to leave office in 2001 after a failed attempt to rule for a third five-year term of office.

The Constitution of Zambia only allows a president to rule for a maximum of two five-year terms of office.

Chiluba’s theft and corruption cases have dragged on for years because of his poor health.

Chiluba has been frequenting South Africa for medication because of a heart problem.

Chiluba is jointly charged with two directors of a defunct privately owned financial services company for theft of public funds amounting to US$500,000.

Chiluba is facing counts of theft by public servant, contrary to Sections 272 and 277 of the penal code, Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

In his defense before a High Court registrar Chiluba argues that the National Assembly was clear when it stated that he would only be amenable to the court’s jurisdiction in respect of acts done in his personal capacity while he held presidential office.

Chiluba states that the charges brought against him for acts or offenses allegedly committed while acting in his official capacity are legally incompetent as he is not amenable to criminal jurisdiction of any court in Zambia.

He states that Zambia prides herself in upholding the old tenets of justise and that this is one of the cases where the prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Chiluba did file the submission and it now remains to be seen whether his defence has satisfied the court or not for him to either walk out as a free man or go to prison as a convict.

Ends.

Zimbabwe must re-enter the Commonwealth family demands Kaunda and Malcolm Fraser.

By John Chola - 13/08/09

Former President of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda and former Prime Minster of Australia Malcolm Fraser wants Zimbabwe welcomed back into the Commonwealth family.

The two former leaders have urged the Commonwealth to engage proactively with the new Zimbabwean government.

The two were speaking at a Commonwealth summit in Lusaka.

Fraser has described Zimbabwe as one of the Commonwealth’s greatest successes as well as its greatest failures.

Dr. Kaunda said that the road to recovery that the world is now witnessing in Zimbabwe shows that she belongs to the Commonwealth.

Kaunda and Fraser have told the Royal Commonwealth Society that the Commonwealth can achieve great things if only leaders can make better use of it and take it seriously as a forum to enact change.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) took place in Lusaka 30 years ago this week in August 1979.

The Summit paved the way for Rhodesian independence.

The Summit is viewed as a turning point in the history of southern Africa and a defining moment in the life of the Commonwealth.

It was after a two day retreat at the historic meeting that leaders emerged with a commitment to genuine majority rule in Rhodesia and a promise from British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, to hold a London conference – Lancaster House – that led to Zimbabwean independence in 1980.

The Lusaka Declaration on Racism and Racial Prejudice was a clarion call to equality, and remains a fundamental Commonwealth document today.

Fraser was Prime Minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983.

Dr. Kaunda was President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991.

Ends.

UN wants more women police into its peacekeeping operations

By John Chola - 12/08/09

The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations is launching a global effort to recruit more women police into its peacekeeping operations.

The move is part of the campaign launched in May 2009 entitled “Power to Empower” that aims to move the ranks of the world body towards gender equity.

According to Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Director the recruitment push was centered on increasing the representation of female police officers in peacekeeping operations, while at the same time encouraging national training programmes to support women to join national police services.

Ms. Petrus-Barry said the goal was to have UN Member States raise the number of female police officers serving in peacekeeping missions to 20 per cent by 2014, up from its current number of eight per cent.

The UNIC Director said currently, there were 11,000 UN police officers working in 17 peacekeeping missions around the world instead of 15,000 the Organization was mandated to have.

“We need more female police as soon as we can get them,” said Andrew Hughes, the UN Police Adviser.
“There has been some progress when I commenced in this role in 2007, 6 per cent of the 8,000 police deployed were women, but this progress is not enough, we must accelerate this upward trend,” added Hughes.

UN police perform a vital role in creating trust and upholding law and order.
The UN police help civil societies in countries of operation rebuild following conflicts and they also play an essential role of training and coaching national police services in these situations.

In addition to regular policing duties, female officers bring a much-needed, extra dimension to the role.

“By having more women officers deployed in peacekeeping missions, they inspire more women to join their local police services, and this in turn will in the future give contributing countries a larger base from which to recruit officers,” said Ann-Marie Orler, the UN Deputy Police Adviser.

She added that frequently women and children were more comfortable reporting their experiences to female officers, and the fact that a woman is the authority could be empowering to women and girls.

Mr. Hughes. Said: “When the shooting stops, law and order is what brings security back to civilians, and often the most traumatized in a post-conflict society are women and children. Greater representation of women creates trust and boosts confidence for communities recovering from conflict, and helps the UN police to take into account all the needs of those societies.”

Women serving in UN peace operations were represented at every level, and deployed in whole units for example, in Liberia there is an all-female Formed Police Unit or individually.

Mr. Hughes stresses that the UN was committed to increasing the number of women and would actively seek to recruit female police officers, particularly at a senior level, in order to address the gender disparity.

He said the UN strongly encourages countries which contributes police to the UN also known as police-contributing countries, or PCCs to establish a policy that sets the percentage of their contribution of female police officers at par with their national police gender ratio.

The countries were also encouraged to review their recruitment requirements and procedures for international deployment to ensure that female candidates are not restricted from applying.

Contributing countries are also asked to consider providing incentives for officers who serve in peacekeeping missions.

Ends.

Summit on insecurity in DRC coming.

By John Chola – 11/08/09

Leaders from the Great Lakes region will soon hold a special summit on fostering peace in DRC.

The special summit will also provide an opportunity to United Nations envoys former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanja and former president of Tanzania Benjemin Mkapa can brief the leaders on the security situation in the war-torn country.

This is according to a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day summit in Lusaka last evening.

The leaders have also supported the efforts made by General Obasanja and Mr. Mkapa.

The special summit, which will be held in the DRC will also discuss joint military operations against the LRA, by the Central African Republic, DRC, Sudan and Uganda.

The just ended Summit in Lusaka was attended by presidents Rupiah Banda, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Yoweri Museveni of Tanzania among others.

The Heads of state have supported calls made by General Obasanjo and Mr Mkapa for donors to hold a pledging conference on security sector reform in the DRC.

Some of the leaders who attended the Lusaka summit were Burundi’s vice-president, Yves Sahinguvu, Central African Republic Prime Minister, Faustin Toundera and ministers from Angola, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Sudan.

The regional leaders have bemoaned that the FDLR, Interahamwe and LRA remain the root cause of insecurity in eastern DRC, Central African Republic, Rwanda Sudan, Uganda and the region.

Meanwhile, donors have pledged support for well-designed programmes and focused proposals aimed at fighting the illegal mineral trade, gender-based violence and the region.

Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia, Harry Molenaar said during the opening of the summit that his country and other friends of the Great Lakes region are ready to help the region get back on the path to development.

At the same occasion, European Commission (EC) head of delegation, Derek Fee said the bloc will support efforts aimed at eliminating the illegal exploitation of resources in central Africa.

Ends.

Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki appeals to the world to help stop fighting in Somali and piracy.

By John Chola – 11/08/09

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has made a passionate appeal to the international community to get more involved in stopping the fighting in Somalia.

Mr. Kibaki has also urged the international community to help fight the problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Mr. Kibaki said in Lusaka yesterday that a serious security situation still prevail in Somalia and related to it is the piracy problem.

Mr. Kibaki says the fighting in Somali and the problem of piracy are a matter of international concern and have continued to impact negatively on the regional and international trade.

He says the insecurity problem in the horn of Africa possess a great danger to the environment.

Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled to 240 from 114 during the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2008.

This is according to a report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) released in July.

Mr. Kibaki says a look at the human development shows a region faced with the most serious challenges of poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation.

He says almost all the problems faced by the horn of Africa are as a result of conflicts.

Mr. Kibaki was in Zambia to attend the third summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

Ends.

Summit on insecurity in the Great Lakes Region has opened in Lusaka today ,,,. as leaders hope for long lasting solutions

By John Chola – 10/08/09
Leaders of countries making up the Great Lakes Region are optimistic that the Third Summit of heads of state and government which has opened in Zambia today will find a solution to the political instability in their area.

About 20 leaders including those from Congo DR, Central African Republic, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are in Zambia for the Third Summit.

Former Nigerian President and now UN Secretary General special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo and his counterpart former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa are also attending the summit.

Mr Obasanjo and Mr Mkapa will present their report on the situation between DRC and Rwanda and the entire Eastern DRC.

The leaders say they hope to use the third Summit in Lusaka to resolve security and other development issues in the area.

The leaders say the summit is an important forum for leaders to discuss security and development related matters affecting the region.

Central African Republic Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touader has told this Journalist – Zambia Blog in Zambia that as leaders of the Great Lakes Region they are worried at the insecurity in the area.

Ends.

20 African Leaders meet in Zambia over the political instability in the great lakes region.

By John Chola – 05/08/09
About 20 African heads of State will meet in Zambia over the political instability in the great lakes region.

The third summit of the international conference on the Great Lakes Region takes place on August 10, 2009.

The heads of State will also review the status of the implementation of the pact on peace, security, stability and development in the region.

The pact was signed in Nairobi in December 2006 by the heads of State and government of the core members and special fund for reconstruction and development (SFRD).

The great Lakes Region comprises 11 core countries being Angola, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.

Others are Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia.

The countries share lakes Kivu, Albert, Edward, Victoria, Mweru and Tanganyika.

Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia and Zimbabwe the other countries that have been co-opted into the region due to conflicts and political instabilities experienced in most of core countries.

The summit will also domesticate what the heads of State and government agreed upon at two previous summits.

The leaders will launch Zambia as a regional centre for the promotion of good governance, human rights and civic education.

Ends.

Over 100 million people at risk of infection with river blindness in Zambia and other African countries

……as new drug that could dramatically speed up the elimination the disease begins clinical trial.

By John Chola -1 July, 2009:
Over 100 million people are at risk of infection with river blindness or onchocerciasis in Africa and a few small areas in the Americas and Yemen.

And a clinical trial is being launched in three African countries of a drug that could eliminate river blindness.

Onchocerciasis or river blindness is currently one of the leading infectious causes of blindness in Zambia and across Africa.

The drug, moxidectin, is being investigated for its potential to kill or sterilize the adult worms of Onchocerca volvulus, which cause onchocerciasis.

Director of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) Dr Uche Amazigo says river blindness is a devastating illness that has plagued Zambia and other 29 African countries for centuries.

Dr Uche Amazigo says populations in the most remote areas are the most affected.

Dr Amazigo explains that Onchocerciasis is also called river blindness because the blackfly which transmits the disease breeds in fast flowing rivers, and blindness is the most incapacitating symptom of the disease which also causes debilitating skin disease.

Dr Amazigo says the development of moxidectin for onchocerciasis is being conducted through a collaboration of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, which is executed by the World Health Organization (WHO/TDR), and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

The work ranges from the development of a formulation for human use and initial studies in healthy volunteers, to clinical studies and community studies in Africa.
WHO/TDR, working in partnership with African investigators and institutions, is building the capacity and managing the conduct of the clinical trials conducted in Africa.

If the development is successful and results in a positive scientific opinion from the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, Wyeth, with the assistance of WHO, will request approval by national regulatory authorities in the countries such as Zambia where onchocerciasis is endemic.

Dr Henrietta Ukwu, Vice President, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, said his company is committed to improving access to innovative drugs and biologics around the globe including in the developing world.

Dr Ukwu said the moxidectin data have been promising so far, and as the programme moves into larger phase III (3) studies, they are hopeful that moxidectin will constitute a significant advance against this devastating disease.

In conducting this trial, TDR will be working with African investigators and institutions.

Fifteen hundred people at 4 sites in Ghana, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will be enrolled in the study.

Preparation has been ongoing since 2007, and included building a clinical research centre in Lofa County, Liberia, and in North-Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Buildings not used since the war in Ituri, DRC, have been renovated while all centers have been provided with necessary equipment and the research teams trained on how to conduct the trial according to international standards.

The trial will take place over the next two and a half years.

Currently, the disease is controlled by ivermectin, which has been donated for more than 20 years by the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., for use in onchocerciasis endemic countries.

Treatment with ivermectin has enabled significant progress in the control of onchocerciasis, and currently reaches more than 60 million people in Africa annually.

However, ivermectin kills the O. volvulus larvae but not the adult worms.

This makes annual treatments for an extended period of time of between 11 to 14 years are required to ensure disease control.

If moxidectin kills not only the larvae but also sterilizes or kills the adult worms, it has the potential to interrupt the disease transmission cycle within around 6 annual rounds of treatment.

The drug could be distributed through the community-directed mechanisms set up in collaboration among APOC, African control programmes, and NGOs for the distribution of ivermectin.

Ends.

The 2009 Zambia Tourism Awards up for grabs ... as time ticks for recognition of excellence in tourism.

By John Chola -30/06/09

An initiative designed to promote and reward excellence in tourism operations has been launched in Zambia.

The initiative is also aimed at being recognised as a prestigious event hence attracting both public and industry-wide support and extensive media coverage.

Launching the initiative on Tuesday at Lusaka’s Southern Sun Ridgeway, the hotel’s general manager Adrian Penny said the initiative presented a high profile opportunity to showcase the best tourism operators in Zambia

Mr Penny said the Zambia Tourism Awards would motivate stakeholders to continue upgrading services in order to become globally competitive, inspire stakeholders to contribute to the development of the tourism industry in Zambia and help promote Zambian tourism to domestic and international markets.

He said that the initiative would recognise and ward categories such as best safari accommodation, best hotel, best guesthouse, best lodge and best back packer facilities.

Operators offering camping site and Caravan Park, heritage and culture tourism sports, clean and green as well as community tourism would be awarded accordingly.

“Other award categories included the best travel and tour operator, the best restaurant or catering service, the best tourism transport award, the best in tourism promotion and the guide of the year Award,” said Penny adding: “we also have awards for the best in adventure tourism, best entrepreneur award, tourism facilitation and the Zambia tourism special”.

The awards would be open to all Zambia-based tourism operators and application had been restricted to online participants.

Mr Penny encouraged businesses and the public to take part through a website www.thebestofzambia.com.
“Just visit www.thebestofzambia.com and click the Tourism Awards button on the top of the page between 1st July 2009 and 15th August 2009 to participate,” Mr Penny said.

There would be site visits commence in September and October 2009 while winners would be announced at the high profile awards night slated for November 2009 in Livingstone.

Mr Penny said that the 2009 Zambia Tourism Awards were a public-private sector partnership initiated by the public sector through the SEED Project under the Ministry of Tourism, Environment & Natural Resources and co-organised with the
Tourism Council of Zambia.

He said that the initiative was also supported by private sector agencies such as The Best of Zambia, Capacity Building for Private Sector Development, Southern Sun Ridgeway and Radio Phoenix

The initiators of the Zambia Tourism Awards encouraged more support from the private sector towards sponsorship of different awards, marketing and promotion of the event.

Meanwhile, one of the initiators Joseph Brown said that in order to encourage Zambians to sample the country’s tourism most operators had introduced special rates.

Mr Brown said Zambians visiting tourist resorts around the country would be charged a special rate different from those paid by foreign tourists.

Ends.

Zambia extends period for investors to bid for oil exploration

By John Chola – 11/08/09

Zambia has extended the period for interested local and international investors to bid for petroleum exploration from this August to November.

A Ministerial Petroleum Committee said that the extension of the bidding process had been necessitated by requests by some international investors interested in petroleum exploration in the country.

The deadline to bid for petroleum exploration had been extended to Friday, November 6, 2009.

Petroleum companies who had already submitted their bids were being allowed to retrieve and refine their documents without incurring any extra costs.

The Ministerial Committee chaired by Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Maxwell Mwale said investors that wanted to submit bids can obtain document from the office of the permanent secretary in his ministry.

Investors can also purchase the data package relating to the bidding process from the Geological Survey Department.
Other details of the bidding process can be accessed by visiting Zambia’s Geological Survey department website.

The results of laboratory analyses from Germany had indicated that there was potential for oil and gas in Zambia’s North Western, Western and Eastern Provinces.

The deadline for bidding process was supposed to expire on 7th August 2009.

Ends.,,,,,


On June 25th 2009 Zambia invited bids from local and international companies for petroleum exploration licensing round for 23 blocks existing in three provinces.

Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development requested bidders to demonstrate a proven ability to raise the necessary funds, assets and machinery.

The bidding companies were also expected to have appropriate equipment, tools and technical expertise to explore, produce, sale and dispose of petroleum in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Zambia demanded that bidding companies purchase a complete data package in English and pay a non-refundable application fee of ten thousand US dollars or Zambian kwacha equivalent per block.

Interested investors had been encouraged to purchase some of the data by email through Zambia’s Geological Survey Department. gsd@zamnet.zm, seismic@coppernet.zm.

Interested investors had initially until 14:30 hours of Friday, 7th August 2009 to purchase and submit their bids to the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development in Zambia.

Ends…///

Zambian President rejects calls for him to resign.

By John Chola - 25/06/09

Zambia's President Rupiah Banda has rejected wide calls by opposition politicians, civil society and other interest groups for him to resign.

Banda says those calling for his resignation are just wasting their time and cheating themselves as he will never bow down to their demands.

Banda says opposition politicians, civil society groups, striking civil servants and others calling for his resignation are unnecessarily inciting the nation.

He has described as untrue pronouncements by some media, politicians, striking civil servants and others that majority Zambians have lost confidence in his leadership.

Banda says he is well informed that majority of Zambia’s over 12 million people believe in his leadership and only want him to deliver by improving their welfare.

Recently many of Zambia’s over 30 opposition leaders have teamed up against Banda asking him to resign and allow new Presidential elections.

Banda has been accused of abrogating the Republican constitution by re-appointing a Minister recently found guilty of breaching the supreme law of the land by a judicial tribunal.

The Zambian President is also accused of being insensitive to the plight of thousands of government workers who receive meager salaries.

Banda administration has refused to award government workers have been demanding improved saralies and other conditions of service.

Ends…///

South Africa's Eskom expected to set up a 400 megawatt power generating plant in Zambia.

By John Chola -23/06/09

South Africa’s energy company Eskom is expected to set up a 400 megawatt electricity generating plant in Zambia.

The 400 megawatt plant is expected to be established at Maamba which hosts Zambia’s Maamba Collieries Limiteds, a coal mining company.

Media reports in Zambia today indicate that Eskom will want to utilize the low grade coal of Maamba Collieries Limited which is ideal for the venture.

A Manager at Zambia’s Maamba Collieries Limited (a mine based in the Southern part of the country) has told a government ran media that Eskom is willing to buy and utilize the low grade coal reported to be lying idle at the mine.

There is currently 60, 000 metric tones of already mined coal begging for a market at Maamba Collieries Limited.

A total of 78.2 million tonnes of coal reserves is estimated available in the Maamba Collieries assigned area.

Over 60.2 million tonnes of coal is proven and 18 million tonnes is probable.
Further exploration and reserve development is in order as the underground potential may well be greater than known today.

There are two open cast mines operating at Maamba in the Kanzize and Izuma basins with an annual capacity to produce between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes of saleable coal, depending on demand and other constraints.

The Zambian government says reserves in the Maamba assigned area can last for at least ninety seven (97) years assuming that the mine is operating at full capacity and producing 800,000 metric tonnes of coal per annum.

There is a Coal Preparation Plant (CPP) with a rated capacity to wash about 700,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes of coal per year.

The existing ropeway has the capacity to transport between 600,000 to 700,000 metric tonnes to Masuku Railway Terminal per annum.

A company called Scrirocca Limited was last April awarded a contract to mine Maamba coal.

Scrirocca Limited has invested US$ 7 million in Maamba.

The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), through the Zambia Privatisation Agency (ZPA) has put up Maamba Collieries Limited for privatisation through an acquisition of a controlling stake by suitably qualified private sector investors.

The government approved the sale of at least 70% shares by competitive tender.

Government says it is open to considering various innovative arrangements, as may be proposed by the potential investor that would result in control of mine moving to the private sector and result in the recapitalisation of Zambia's major coal producer.

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Zambia Police to circumcise all male recruits

By John Chola - 20/06/09

The Zambia Police Service is introducing a mandatory circumcision policy for all male recruits.

A Police training school commanding Officer (Malcom Mulenga) says male circumcision will help prevent HIV and AIDS cases in the Police service.

The decision follows evidence that Zambia Police Service has been losing a lot of qualified manpower as a result of HIV/AIDS.

And Zambia’s Home Affairs Ministry has welcomed plans by the Zambia Police Service to circumcise male recruits.

Police recruits will undergo circumcision at Zambia’s major hospital University Teaching Hospital, district hospitals and other police health centres being built with support from the United States at a cost of ZAR 2.5 million (1.5 billion Kwacha).

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100 million girls are involved in child labour, and many are exposed to some of its worst forms - ILO.

By John Chola - 19/06/09

The International Labour Organisations says most recent global estimate indicate that more than 100 million girls are involved in child labour, and many are exposed to some of its worst forms.

Meanwhile the prevailing global financial crisis will push more children, particularly girls, into child labour.

This is according to a new report issued by the International Labour Office (ILO) marking the World Day against Child Labour which fell on June 12.

The ILO report, entitled Give Girls a Chance: Tackling child labour, a key to the future notes that while recent global estimates indicate the number of children involved in child labour has been falling, the financial crisis threatens to erode this progress.

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia says in the report that there has been some real progress in reducing child labour in the recent past.

Somavia says the policies chosen in the present crisis will be a test of national and global commitment to take the child labour fight forward.

Somavia he says bemoaned that in many countries families still give preference to boys when making decisions on education of children.

He says because of the increase in poverty as result of the crisis poor families with a number of children are likely to make choices as to which children stay in school.

Somavia says that in cultures in which a higher value is placed on education of male children, girls risk being taken out of school, and are then likely to enter the workforce at an early age.

Somavia says anticipated cuts in national education budgets and a decline in remittances of migrant workers which help to keep children in school are other factors to push up the numbers in child labour.

169 member states have ratified the ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

Fourteen member states are yet to ratify the convention in order to make it a universal ratification.

Somavia says protecting children from child labour calls for integrated responses that include jobs for parents, and social protection measures that help them to keep both girls and boys in school.

The ILO chief says girls around the globe face a number of particular problems that justify special attention.

The problems including much work being undertaken by girls is hidden from public view, which creates particular dangers.

Somavia says girls make up the overwhelming number of children in domestic work in third party households and there are regular reports of the abuse of child domestic workers.

In their own homes, Somavia notes, girls take on household chores to a much greater extent than boys.

He says combined with economic activity outside the household, this imposes a “double burden” that increases the risk of girls dropping out of school.

The ILO chief bemoans that in many societies girls are still in an inferior and vulnerable position and are more likely to lack basic education a situation that seriously restricts their future opportunities.

The ILO report has underscored the importance of investing in the education of girls as an effective way of tackling poverty.

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Zambian women falling prey to human and drug trafficking.

By John Chola - 15/06/09

Zambian women are easily giving in to human traffickers who are using them to traffic drugs.

The Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission is warning Zambian women to be wary of human and drug traffickers frequenting the country to recruit unsuspecting victims.

Over ten Zambian women have been arrested and detained in various countries for drug trafficking.

The Drug Enforcement Commission says it has discovered that Zambian women are being trafficked to other countries where they are sold to drug traffickers who use them to carry drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Commission says currently there are two Zambians being held in South Africa after being used in drug trafficking syndicates.

More Zambian women have recently been arrested in Tanzania, Kenya, Pakistan and China.

In China the courts have sentenced a Zambian woman to death by firing squared for drug trafficking.

The Zambian government has since stepped in to try and appeal to the Chinese government to allow the female Zambian serve a sentence at home.

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Amnesty International says Zimbabwe has continued human rights violations

By John Chola - 18/06/09

Amnesty International says Zimbabwe is suffering 'persistent and serious' human rights violations despite the formation of a unity government four months ago.

Amnesty International's secretary-general Irene Khan said in Harare today that there are still serious violation of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Khan was speaking to reporters in Harare where she is on a special mission.
She says the socio-economic conditions are desperate for the vast majority of Zimbabweans.

Khan says the inclusive government has failed to reform the police, army and security forces or address impunity.

Khan cites the lack of clear commitment of some parts of government as real obstacles that need to be confronted by the top leadership of Zimbabwe.

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Over 300 African children trafficked and sold into modern-day slavery.

By John Chola -18/06/09

Three hundred and thirty children from Africa have been trafficked to Britain over the past year.

The children are exploited as domestic slaves, forced to work for hours, cleaning, cooking and looking after other younger children, or put to work in restaurants and shops.

This is according to recent figures released by the Cameroon government’s child exploitation and online protection centre.

The Centre says a lot of African children are now being sold into modern-day slavery in Africa and European countries.

The Centre has also bemoaned the slack of access to clean water and the ravaging malaria, victims of HIV/AIDS, education, malnutrition and child labour which still continues haunt the African child inspite of sensitisations.

The centre says young girls who suffer from sexual abuse get pregnant and they end up committing abortion.

It says a lot more young African girls today give birth and abandon the children or throw them in dustbins or pit toilets.

And child rights activists in Cameroon have said the development and growth of children in Africa is faced with obstacles such as poverty.

They have lamented the ravaging HIV/AIDS, malaria, exploitation, negligence and abandonment of African children by family members.

The activists have urged African governments to act urgently to put in place policies and strategies to better the African child.

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Copper mines in Zambia start normalizing operations after hours of countrywide power blackout.

By John Chola - 17/06/09

Copper mines in Zambia are resuming normal operations after they suspended production for hours following a countrywide power blackout which also affected the neighbopuring Zimbabwe.

On Monday Zambia’s electricity firm ZESCO made frantic efforts for two hours in the night to restore power after a transformer at its 330 kilovolts power station went up in frames.

For the two hours ZESCO tried to rectify the problem Zambia remained under darkness.

During the two hours of blackout some mines suspended operations owing to inadequate and unreliable supply of electricity by ZESCO.

Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), a company that distributes power to the mines, was compelled to import about 180 megawatts of power from DRC which was supplemented by power generated from its diesel generators.

ZESCO needs US $4 million to replace the damaged generator and other related equipment.

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42 million victims of conflict and persecution worldwide are living as refugees or uprooted within their own countries - UNHCR

By John Chola -- 17/06/09

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres says there are currently 42 million victims of conflict and persecution worldwide living as refugees or uprooted within their own countries.

Among them are nearly 6 million refugees who have been in exile – mostly in camps – for five years or longer in protracted refugee situations.

In a statement released to Kaya FM ahead the June 20 World Refugee Day, António Guterres says 42 million refugees do not include the millions more uprooted people who are displaced within their own countries and who far outnumber the world’s refugees.

The UNHRC Commissioner says many of the victims have been unable to return home for decades.

António Guterres says both refugees and the internally displaced need food, shelter, medical care, sanitation, security, schools for their children and other essentials.

He laments that unfortunately many of the victims are not getting what they need.

UNHCR, which is almost totally dependent on voluntary funding, recently conducted a survey that showed alarming gaps in meeting even basic requirements.

June 20 is World Refugee Day earmarked to remember the 42 million uprooted people around the world who are still waiting to go home.

António Guterres says the 42 million uprooted people around the world are among the most vulnerable people on Earth who must be a priority.

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Fifth UN World Bank organized Africa-Asia Business Forum opens in Kampala.

By John Chola

15/06/09

The fifth Africa-Asia Business Forum (AABF V) aimed at attracting more Asian investments for the promotion of tourism on the African continent has commenced in Kampala, Uganda today.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says 250 participants from more than 30 countries in Africa and Asia are attending the Forum.

The Forum is being held under the theme Forging Business Linkages for Sustainable Tourism Development in Africa.

The Forum will examine strategic directions to foster partnership building and technology transfer in tourism-related industries.

It will also come up with strategies on attracting more Asian tourists to Africa, and generate a boost in investments for the promotion of tourism on the continent.

The Forum is organized by the Government of Japan, World Bank and United Nations agencies.

It is a follow-up to the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in May 2008 in Yokohama.

In 2001 the Forum was held in Durban, South Africa.

The Forum has since generated business prospects worth US $300 billion.

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Rupiah Banda is ruling MMD candidate for Zambia poll.

By John Chola

The ruling party in Zambia has endorsed President Rupiah Banda as its candidate in the 2011 elections despite his earlier pledge to rule the Southern African country for only three years.

After a meeting held yesterday the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says it has resolved that Banda be its sole candidate for the 2011 elections.

Meanwhile Banda says he is ready to contest the presidency on the MMD ticket because the nation wants him to do so.

The spokesperson for the MMD (Benny Tetamashimba) says Banda is no longer viewed as an outsider for he is now recognised by the National Executive Committee (NEC) as the party president.

The 72 years old Banda emerged winner after elections last October following the death of former president Levy Mwanawasa.

Tetamashimba says all NEC members and general party members including those who stood against Banda when the MMD was selecting a candidate to lead the party into the elections last year have supported his candidature.

While Mwanawasa was president he offered Banda the vice presidency.

Banda who served in first President Kenneth Kaunda’s government had retired and concentrated on farming in the Eastern part of Zambia.

Banda has been accused by opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front of wining last year's polls fraudulently.

Although Banda has been endorsed by the MMD, he currently faces sharp criticism for failing to uphold the pledge to continue Mwanawasa’s hate for corruption.

Some critical private media and the opposition politicians are challenging him to step down saying he has failed to rule the country.

Zambia is currently experiencing widespread strikes by health workers and civil servants.

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