DC accuses Mazabuka council of being an
ti-govt
By Lemmy Likando in Mazabuka
Fri 24 May 2013, 14:00 CAT
MAZABUKA district commissioner Eugene Munyama has accused authorities at the municipal council of continuously frustrating government efforts aimed at uplifting people's living standards.
And the Patriotic Front in Mazabuka district says the municipal council in the area is not supporting the PF agenda aimed at delivering development to the people but was instead working against the ruling party and the government as a whole.
Munyama lamented that his office had noted with sadness the council's lack of communication with the government on how they were utilising funds released to them by the Treasury.
He charged that Mazabuka Municipal Council was at the moment working in isolation and was sidelining government departments, including his office, in as far as implementing government developmental projects in the district is concerned.
Munyama was speaking at his office on Wednesday when local government and housing deputy minister John Kufuna paid a courtesy call on him during his tour of government developmental projects in the district.
He observed that the council was currently operating in a vacuum and keeping secret public funds that the government was allocating to it, saying there was no transparency and accountability in the disbursement of such funds on the part of the local authority.
"This council is denying us an opportunity to know and follow closely on how the funds that are released by government and aimed at implementing various developmental projects in the area are being utilised because our friends from the council are failing to avail both government and other stakeholders such information," Munyama said in reference to the K2.8 billion (KR2.8 million) given to the council for the maintenance of township and feeder roads in the area.
The council has also been given K500 million (KR500,000) to put up streetlights in the country's biggest sugar producer.
Munyama also accused the local authority of coming up with a scheme within its ranks where all those that are seen to be aligning themselves with the ruling party had been recommended for transfers out of the council.
"We note with regret that our colleagues in the council have already kicked off the campaigns and are de-campaigning the party in government by making sure that officers that are aligning themselves to the ruling party are being recommended for transfers by senior management," he charged.
Munyama has since appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to consider dissolving the entire Mazabuka Municipal Council, saying the move would restore sanity and help the government deliver development in the district.
And Mazabuka district PF chairperson Gift Hanziba charged that the behavior by Mazabuka Municipal Council management clearly demonstrated that they were working for the opposition to frustrate any efforts that the government was putting in place to develop the area.
Hanziba, who accompanied the deputy minister on the tour of projects, asked the government to seriously reflect on the operations of the local authority.
"Honorable Deputy Minister, we have nothing against officials from the council but all we want is to see to it that money that is being released by government is put to good use. As a party, we realise that if things such as roads are not properly worked on despite releasing huge sums of money for such projects, our colleagues from the opposition will use such as a weapon to de-campaign us, a thing we won't tolerate," said Hanziba.
And Kufuna, who toured a stretch of the streetlighting project on the Great North Road, disclosed that his office would seriously consider the views expressed by Munyama and Hanziba.
Kufuna said the government would not tolerate individuals and organisations that deliberately want to frustrate its development agenda.
Acting Mazabuka town clerk Sampa Chiyengi earlier briefed Kufuna that the council was facing serious financial challenges resulting from a poor revenue base.
And in responding to concerns on the council's operations raised by Munyama and Hanziba, Chiyengi said the alleged lack of communication could have arisen from the absence of a public relations department, which had now been established at the council.
Labels: EUGENE MUNYAMA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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Hunger looms in Mazabuka wards
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 05 Mar. 2012, 11:57 CAT
HUNGER is looming in Kasengo and Chitete wards of Mazabuka following a dry spell experienced by farmers in the two areas. But Mazabuka district commissioner Eugine Munyama says the government is aware of the poor harvest in some areas and has since sent officers to conduct a crop assessment.
He said all areas facing a looming hunger situation will be visited by officers from the Ministry of Agriculture but added that Mugoto is one area whose assessment report has been completed.
Munyama said the officers recommended that relief food supplies be sent to the affected community.
Both Kasengo ward councillor Shephard Mweene and his Chitete counterpart, Shizwell Mainza said the situation in the two wards was desperate and calls for urgent government intervention because no farmer will record a good harvest.
The duo said the government would be required to send relief food supplies to the two areas until the next farming season because people have no means to sustain their families.
They commended the government for promptly providing farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme.
Meanwhile, the two civic leaders have also praised the government for sending veterinary officers to vaccinate their animals currently dying from corridor related diseases.
The councillors said quick government intervention on the matter has cheered cattle farmers whom they said had no capacity to protect their animals.
They stated that before government intervention, cattle farmers were selling animals as low as K200,000 in order for them not to completely lose out.
Two weeks ago, Mazabuka mayor Lloyd Buumba also called on the government to intervene and assist poor farmers in protecting their animals against livestock diseases.
Buumba said farmers had no capacity to buy veterinary drugs to treat their animals because they spent all their moneys on agricultural inputs for this farming season.
The cattle population in Mazabuka has been decimated by corridor diseases and previous attempts by the government to restock the cattle population have yielded negative results because of endemic livestock diseases.
Vaccination of cattle by cattle farmers has equally proved to be a problem as farmers have not appreciated cattle farming as a business.
Labels: HUNGER, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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Mazabuka realignment Demonstrations
By The Post
Thu 23 Feb. 2012, 12:00 CAT
IT is not right, and there is no need, for the police to stop demonstrations in Mazabuka against the removal of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi districts from Southern Province. And one doesn't need to belong to a registered organisation to enjoy freedom of expression, the right to protest government decisions or actions.
There is no need to cancel these demonstrations. Let them demonstrate and say all that they want to say. What the police need to do is simply police or manage the process so that it is peaceful and arrest those, and only those, who become violent and destructive. Cancelling demonstrations is not something that will lead to peace, law and order.
It is something that will lead to lawlessness and breakdown in order because those whose fundamental rights of freedom of expression have been violated should not be expected to react politely. You are taking away their fundamental rights, their humanity and you expect them to react politely.
When they explode, you want them to explode politely! Why? We can only say this is not the right way to deal with the Zambian of today - you are dealing with a wrong Zambian at the wrong time in the wrong way.
We maintain that freedom of expression is the mark of humanity. Freedom of expression is a precious thing, and the inalienable birthright of all who travel this earth. And freedom of expression doesn't exist so that we can freely praise and agree with our public officials, with our President. It exists so that we can freely criticise them, disagree with their decisions and actions.
Freedom of expression is about tolerance - to believe, speak, congregate and lobby as you see fit, while allowing others to do likewise, even people whose expressions you find abhorrent.
Tolerance for demonstrations, protests is the touchstone for democratic societies. Liberty of expression benefits more than the protestor, the demonstrator. We all suffer the violation of our liberties if they are denied the right to express themselves, to protest the President's realignment of some districts in Southern Province.
It seems our politicians and our police officers never learn that suppressing expression can be worse than the underlying conduct. In our popular discussions, unwise ideas must have a hearing as well as wise ones, dangerous ideas as well as safe, unpatriotic as well as patriotic. The need to protect what we detest is the reason freedom of the mind both exists and remains under siege. Liberty is one thing no person can have unless he grants it to others.
And we don't believe any tyrant, any totalitarian regime ever succeeded in imposing a moratorium on thought, on expression.
And men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely. It is easy to embrace freedom of expression for ideas we accept. But the essence of freedom of expression is that we must protect the ideas we hate, we disagree with.
The freedom of expression must be fought for and won over and over again. The first step in this battle is to understand the threats we face. It is the fervent of ideas, the clash of disagreeing judgments, the privilege of the individual to develop his own thought and shape his own character that makes progress possible.
We all know that the impulse to restrict individual rights is as ancient as the very history of mankind. We are better than that impulse. What we have to do is to find ways to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.
In a democracy, the freedom of discussion and the freedom of expression are of the highest value. Without them, democracy turns into a caricature.
It may be argued by the police and their political masters that it's necessary to stop these protests. But we have heard this before. This was the argument in the Mongu protests that led to the deaths and maiming of so many innocent people. Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants.
We think the greatest thing about freedom of expression is that it extends to everyone, the wise and the foolish. Some of the arguments coming out of those opposed to Michael Sata's realignment of districts are really foolish. But they have the right to be foolish and say whatever they want to say.
Every person should have an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he or she pleases before the public; to forbid this, to stop this, is to destroy the freedom of expression. Of course, appreciating the fact that the right to express oneself in any form does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.
You cannot have a democracy and you cannot have a community if you do not have a way to share ideas. Only a strong and secure democracy can guarantee the fullest and freest exchange of ideas, no matter how much those ideas hurt or incite.
It is not right to stop people from protesting the decisions and actions of their president. The decision by the police to stop protests in Mazabuka is wrong and should be opposed. We have to stand for what is right and not worry about what is politically feasible. Freedom is never given; it is won. And all freedom springs from necessity.
We can disagree or agree with the realignment of districts. There is nothing wrong with that. But we cannot afford to disagree in defending freedom of expression. We should all defend the rights of those people in Mazabuka who want to protest the realignment of districts. In our view, our sincere view, they are wrong in their opposition to the realignment of districts. They are opposing something that is right, just and legal. Their arguments are very poor and jaundiced in many aspects.
But they are right in protesting these realignments. It is within their constitutional rights to do so. And let's all come together - whether we agree or don't agree with them on realignment of districts - and defend their rights to freedom of expression, their rights to protest government decisions and actions. On this we should all agree to disagree with our government's decision to stop their protest.
Some people erroneously believe that having freedom of expression is a natural phenomenon. It is not. It is the result of intense care and vigilance. And if there is any principle of our Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment more than any other, it is the principle of free thought and expression - not free for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought we hate.
We must suppress our emotions on this issue. The idea of diversity becomes our strength, sacred to us - the range broadening, the potential becoming a way and a song. Many have fought this reality. We know the wounds. To hear one voice clearly, we must have the freedom to hear them all.
The right of peaceable assembly and of protest is the constitutional substitute for a revolution. To silence criticism is to silence freedom. And while enjoying your freedom of expression, it is wise to remember that the toes you step on today may be connected to the rump that you must kiss tomorrow.
We shouldn't forget that the suppression of any individual or group of people for opinion's sake has rarely had any other effect than to fix those opinions deeper and render them more important than they should be. And freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent, protest and debate.
The arguments of those opposed to the realignment of districts have little, or no, merit. But there is merit in their right to protest what is being done by their government.
And those in government have a duty to explain what they are doing and why they are doing it; and they should never get tired of explaining and of seeking support for their decisions and actions. But there is laziness and arrogance on the part of those in government.
They think they can do as they please since they are the government and no one has the right to question what they are doing as long as they are acting within their constitutional authority. Life is not like that. To govern is to continually communicate with the people.
And instead of trying to suppress their protests, allow them to do so and after they have do so, go there and hold your own meeting and explain what you are doing to the people.
If you fail to convince them, think twice about what you are doing and probably go back to the drawing board.
Labels: DEMONSTRATION, DISTRICTS, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, PROVINCES, SOUTHERN PROVINCE
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Anti-realignment activists flood Mazabuka with fliers
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka and Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Thu 23 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
A youth group calling itself "Mazabuka Youth Entrepreneurs" opposed to President Michael Sata's realignment of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi districts yesterday distributed over 3,000 fliers in strategic places in readiness for today's demonstration which has been cancelled by police.
Mazabuka Police has cancelled the demonstration on grounds that the organisation the youths are purported to be representing is fake and not registered.
Mazabuka district officer commanding Lizzy Machina warned the demonstrators against breaking the law but instead follow procedure to avoid prosecution.
But youth coordinator, Grovies Mushibwe and his group distributed the fliers carrying messages which stated: "Say no to dictatorship" and "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmarks".
The youths through the fliers have also warned that not even an inch of the land belonging to Southern Province would be removed by the head of state.
And Mushibwe said police yesterday summoned him to explain why the permit was not granted, but was however quick to point out that his group was advised to re-apply and a fresh application was re-submitted the same day (yesterday).
Mushibwe, who is also MMD Mazabuka constituency youth chairman, is organising the demonstration with his UPND counterpart Mwendabai Pelekelo and nine others, some believed to be Tonga fundamentalists.
Citizens Forum Mazabuka chairperson, Mussolini Buumba, who is the elder brother of Mazabuka Mayor Lloyd Buumba is among the organisers.
The youths had invited MMD presidential aspirant, Nevers Mumba and UPND Mazabuka member of parliament, Garry Nkombo to take part in the demonstrations and according to organisers, the two leaders were just waiting for confirmation with regards to police granting the youths a permit.
According to the organisers of the demonstrations, youths from other districts would join the other demonstrations set for February 29.
But Mazabuka District Commissioner Eugine Munyama warned the demonstrators not to test the wrath of the law.
He said the demonstration was illegal because Mazabuka was not Chirundu or Itezhi-tezhi.
"Yes, I can confirm receipt of the letter from the youths informing me of the demonstration to be held today. However, I will not involve myself in illegal activities aimed at frustrating government efforts," said Munyama.
Munyama wondered why the MMD and UPND were inciting youths to demonstrate when people in the affected districts were quiet and happy with the realignment of the districts by the head of state.
He wondered why politicians found pleasure in creating disturbances in Mazabuka when people in other districts were going about their economic activities despite the pronouncements.
And Southern Province members of parliament, chiefs, councillors, women and youth groupings will meet in Choma on March 12 to come up with a common resolve over Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi.
In an interview yesterday, Chief Mukuni said the Choma meetings would be held at three different venues with each group meeting separately so that no group influences the other.
"We have resolved as chiefs that we hold a meeting on March 12 at Mahogany while the other stakeholders such as the area members of parliament in the province, councilors, women and youth groupings will hold theirs at separate venues. However, we shall all gather later at the Central Sports Club to have the resolutions of all the groups integrated into one," he said.
Chief Mukuni said the meetings had been organised as a reaction to the government request through Southern Province minister Miles Sampa who on February 17 wrote to chief Mukuni requesting that stakeholders meetings be held and resolutions be given to him for onward transformation to President Sata.
Chief Mukuni, who is also chairperson of the Southern Royal Foundation, said he was opposed to the realigning of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi because it takes away human cultural identity of the people of the two districts.
Chief Mukuni said he was opposed to the realigning on grounds that the move would now entail the teaching of Nyanja and Bemba to school children as is the case in Central and Lusaka provinces.
"The best way to destroy a human being is to destroy his identity, make him feel ashamed of his new identity," he said.
Chief Mukuni said Southern Province chiefs felt short changed over the creation of Muchinga Province when they had also proposed to State House under former president Rupiah Banda to have Southern Province divided into two provinces namely Southern and Zambezi Valley.
"We feel it is difficult for us to believe that the alienation of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi is based on developmental issues as the office of district commissioners have gone back to politicians," he said.
Chief Mukuni accused the PF government of taking away Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi in light of decentralisation so as to take away the high revenues being earned and the anticipated revenue from the Kafue Hydro Power Station in Itezhi-tezhi.
Labels: CHIEF MUKUNI, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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Mazabuka council managers disappoint Sampa
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Tue 07 Feb. 2012, 12:59 CAT
SOUTHERN Province minister Miles Sampa has demanded seriousness and change in the work culture by top management at Mazabuka Municipal Council for residents to appreciate services being provided by the government.
Sampa said the government was disappointed that managers at Mazabuka Municipal Council had abandoned their offices to travel to Choma for an Electoral Commission of Zambia workshop.
He said the negative work culture at the local authority should immediately change because residents could not continue being denied required services if government workers who are charged with a responsibility to implement its policies were not interested in staying in office in preference to workshops where they are paid allowances.
Sampa said the PF government was in a hurry to deliver development to the people and that it would not tolerate such negative attitude by government workers.
He said issues of allowances should not be allowed to hinder progress because residents desperately want to see the change they voted for during last September's general elections.
Sampa said this when he inspected a government funded road project.
And Sampa directed acting town clerk Erof Hangoma to submit a detailed report to his office stating why rehabilitation works on Cha Cha Cha Road in Namulonga had not been completed despite government providing funding to the project nearly every year.
He said Mazabuka residents petitioned his office to intervene because of the suspicious manner in which the road project was being implemented.
Sampa said residents have a right to complain when government projects were not done on time.
And Mazabuka district commissioner Eugine Munyama urged the government to ensure the council was completely detached from handling elections.
Munyama said the ECZ should be allowed to operate independently without the involvement of council officers.
Labels: MAZABUKA DISTRICT, MILES SAMPA, WORK ETHIC, WORKSHOPS
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Mazabuka PF vows not to accept donations from corrupt business houses
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 12 Jan. 2012, 13:48 CAT
WE will not accept donations from corrupt business houses that funded the MMD's electoral campaigns, says a PF official in Southern Province.
Patriotic Front Mazabuka district chairman Sylvester Simayaba said the party would not be compromised by the Mazabuka District Association that allegedly mobilised the business community to fund the MMD.
He said the party had started raising funds on its own and writing project proposals in order to remain independent.
"The moment we go into these people's pockets, it means we are done. Most business people donated to MMD and were given contracts to supply to Zambia Sugar Company PLC…like in Mazabuka, yes we are willing to work with the business community but as long as they want to help us with motives, we're not willing to work with them," said Simayaba in an interview.
"Those who are genuine and as a way of trying to help the community it's fine, not people coming to us wanting protection, wanting help from us we are not ready to do that."
He said the party had refused to accept donations and contributions from some prominent Mazabuka businessmen who were funding the MMD's party activities.
"…We saw how MMD members in Mazabuka were compromised. Anything that these businessmen say, they would run to them," he said.
Simayaba said at some point, instructions were given from State House that the buying office at Zambia Sugar should shift from Mazabuka to Lusaka because party sympathisers were not given business.
"The coming of corporate affairs manager Lovemore Sievu changed things, he cut them. They just outsourced the buying office and this really put Sievu's life at risk. They feel Sievu has stepped on their toes because he wants to empower local entrepreneurs," he said.
Simayaba said the PF would not interfere in the operations of the company.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, PF
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Mazabuka health board suspends 3 over pilfered ARVs
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Fri 30 Dec. 2011, 13:35 CAT
THE Mazabuka Health Management board has suspended two pharmacy technologists and a classified daily employee at the district hospital over the theft of 200 bottles of Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs).
The drugs were allegedly sold to some Zimbabwean nationals last week. Some Zimbabwean nationals living positively are reportedly buying ARVs in Zambia from some state-run health institutions.
District Pharmacist Alfred Sichali said the suspension was meant to facilitate investigations.
Sichali said a forensic audit revealed rife theft of ARVs at the health institution.
He said some members of staff had been stealing ARVs, particularly ALLUVIR, a drug which was being sold at between K450,000 and K550,000 per bottle.
He said the district health management team surrendered the suspects to Mazabuka police in order to teach other pharmacists a lesson that stealing drugs meant to prolong people's lives was wrong.
Sichali also revealed that police had on many occasions caught one of the suspects with ARVs but that no arrest was made.
Police have opened a docket against the three suspects who have been operating from Mazabuka district hospital and Kaonga clinic.
Police sources said the three were interviewed and statements recorded from them.
Mazabuka district HIV/AIDs taskforce chairperson Bernard Uteka urged the police to arrest the culprits.
Uteka, who condemned the theft as devilish, urged the Ministry of Health to put in place watertight measures to stop pilfering of ARVs in the district.
Labels: ARVs, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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PF challenges Rupiah on development in Mazabuka
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Tue 19 Apr. 2011, 03:59 CAT
PF Southern Province youth chairperson Brave Mweetwa has challenged President Rupiah Banda to cite any development he has initiated for the people of Mazabuka since he was elected as President. Mweetwa observed that President Banda had done nothing to develop Mazabuka apart from issuing empty political statements.
“We know that he is also being misled by chief Mwanachingwala, whom we know is unpopular among his subjects. Let Rupiah continue being misled by the chief and he will have himself to blame when he loses this year’s elections,” said Mweetwa.
He said all the school and health projects in the area were initiated by the late Levy Mwanawasa.
He further said Mazabuka residents were grateful to Zambia Sugar company for building a maternity ward at the hospital and also for improving the water reticulation system.
Mweetwa said the Catholic Church also deserved to be commended for constructing a modern laboratory at Mazabuka hospital.
He said without the assistance of the two institutions, Mazabuka hospital would
have been operating like a clinic.
“Mazabuka residents will only remember Rupiah for sending riot police officers to kill residents who were protesting against the tear-gassing of their friends who were watching a live English Premier League football match,” said Mweetwa.
Labels: DEVELOPMENT, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, PF, RUPIAH BANDA
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We must stop police killings
By The Post
Mon 07 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT [37 Reads, 0 Comment(s)]
The two youths in Mazabuka did not deserve to die from police bullets. Similarly, the two young people who died in Mongu the other month did not deserve to die from police gunshots.
But it seems something is seriously wrong with our police and its general orientation. It is said that it’s better for a hundred criminals to go scot-free than for one innocent person to be killed.
For this reason, it was shocking to hear George Kunda attempt to justify police killings in Mongu.
And it was even more sad to hear the Human Rights Commission chairperson Pixie Yangailo attacking the victims of police brutality in Mongu and defending the criminal and barbaric acts of the killers in uniform.
We wondered and questioned what things had come to when those who were supposed to be defending human rights were now defending the criminal acts of the agents of those in power.
Our police service was not established for the purpose of killing citizens.
Our police officers were supposed to be trained in shooting to disable their human targets, not to kill.
They need to be trained or retrained in how to disable and not to kill.
Using arms and live ammunition on unarmed citizens as a method of keeping them in line with the law needs to be properly looked at again by the government.
The use of live ammunition by police is not and cannot be the dominant method of dealing with lawlessness by unarmed citizens.
From all indications, it seems this method is increasingly becoming the only approach to policing to which Zambians are exposed.
The use of live ammunition against unarmed persons cannot be acceptable or justified in any civilised society.
Lawless citizens are human beings whose lives deserve protection and respect; they are not wild animals which deserve to be killed if they run amok.
Police officers are paid to protect life and not to destroy it.
Even an invading foreign army, by all standards of military ethics and rules of engagement, will not fire live ammunition at unarmed Zambians in a war situation.
There is urgent need for us as a nation to put an end to these police killings and all other forms of brutality.
We need to reorient the psyche of our police officers to put an all-time stop to these killings.
Innocent young lives are being cruelly terminated.
The use of lethal methods in checking unarmed lawlessness is totally barbaric and unacceptable in a country that calls itself a Christian nation.
Live ammunition in the context of limited force is applicable in uncontrollable riot situations where the rioting persons are themselves armed and engaged in indiscriminate shooting.
The police should only use live ammunition in encounters with armed robbers and not on unarmed lawless citizens.
This over-dependence on live ammunition is alienating the police from our people because of the unnecessary deaths that accompany it.
And in this way, our police officers are increasingly being seen as being anti-people.
Our police service is not expected to be an anti-people institution that interacts routinely by violence with the people.
This psychology needs a total change. Well-trained police officers should be able to maintain law and order among unarmed people without the use of lethal ammunition.
We need to review and re-design the training programme for our police officers.
The psychology of the colonial anti-people police whereby the people were seen as unruly gangs of anti-government rioters, should by now be confined to the dustbin of colonial history, which ended over 46 years ago.
The duty of our police officers is to stop citizens from committing crimes and arrest them so that they are prosecuted for the crimes they have committed and not thoughtless decimation of the lawless citizen.
Thugs, people with no or low sense of humanity, should not be recruited and trained as police officers.
It does no good for our country and our people for those who are required to prevent and control crime to be no different from the criminals.
We need emotionally stable and psychologically balanced citizens to become police officers.
And only those who continue to be emotionally stable and psychologically balanced should remain in our police service.
Any signs of emotional or psychological imbalance should move the authorities to exclude such officers from our police service.
Those who have acquired emotional instability or psychological disruption should be routinely weeded out of the police service.
The lethal weapons and ammunition given to our police officers are never meant to be turned on unarmed citizens.
Such lethal weapons and ammunition are meant for armed criminals who cannot be easily incapacitated so that they are arrested and prosecuted.
Our police officers should not, and are not, trained to kill. But they are killing, killing our young men and women.
And we must stop them. These killings can’t go on forever.
And the only way to stop them is to stop the political practices that allow them to kill.
The police killed in Mongu, used live bullets and excessive force on unarmed citizens because the political authorities wanted them to behave in that way; they encouraged this criminal behaviour.
And this can be seen in the way Rupiah Banda and his government have been defending and justifying the killings in Mongu.
This can also be seen by the criminal complicity of the Human Rights Commission in justifying the Mongu killings.
There was political interest that allowed those young people to be killed with impunity in Mongu.
Look at the difference in treatment over the police officers who killed young people in Mazabuka.
And because there is no strong political interest in the Mazabuka unrest, police officers who were involved in these deaths are said to be facing disciplinary action or have been arrested to be prosecuted.
And even the Human Rights Commission are coming out strongly to condemn the behaviour of the police in Mazabuka, a thing they had serious difficulties doing in Mongu.
The use of live ammunition in checking minor infractions or unarmed protests is totally barbaric and in violation of human rights.
Labels: LAZ, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, POLICE BRUTALITY
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LAZ deems Mazabuka killings criminal
By Bright Mukwasa
Mon 07 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT
THE shooting of Mazabuka residents is criminal and borders on recklessness, according to the Law Association of Zambia. In a statement, association convenor of the human rights committee Bob Musenga condemned the use of live ammunition.
“The continued use of live ammunition on unarmed members of the public is a very worrisome development and we call upon the political leadership to unequivocally condemn the continued loss of lives at the hands of the police service whose constitutional mandate is to protect the same lives,” Musenga said.
LAZ recommended that the government must ensure that all police officers undergo training in human rights.
Musenga said the government must also ensure that the law took its course on erring officers.
“We therefore urge the government to immediately take corrective measures and ensure that the police operate within the law so as to restore the confidence of the public and international community,” Musenga said.
Labels: LAZ, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, POLICE BRUTALITY
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‘Govt should not override the needs of Zambians’
By Kombe Chimpinde in Mazabuka
Sat 22 Jan. 2011, 03:59 CAT
SOME Mazabuka residents say the Mung’omba draft report is the only legitimate document that should be adopted as the constitution of Zambia.
During a meeting convened by Citizens Forum at Mazabuka’s Nchete House, the residents said
the current NCC draft constitution did not reflect their wishes that they submitted in the Mung’omba draft report during the review of the Constitution in 2003.
Addressing residents, area development committee chairman Amos Chombege warned that the government would not be allowed to override the needs of Zambians.
“They should not take Zambians for granted. You saw what happened in Tunisia. The President and ministers must bear in mind that they are servants of the people. They are there because of our votes and taxpayers money and so they must listen to our demands when we say we want a new constitution that reflects the wishes of Zambia,” he said.
Chombege listed the social, cultural and economic rights, the 50 per cent plus one, appointment of cabinet ministers from outside the party and swearing of a presidential candidate after 90 days as some of the laws recommended in the Mung’omba draft but scrapped off in the NCC draft report.
He said that the government would only be compelled to serious provision of social and economic rights and proper governance of Zambians if they were enshrined in the constitution.
“This government has said that it is not possible to enshrine a law to provide social rights to all Zambians. But look at how money is spent when there are by-elections.
The reason is simple; by-elections are provided for in the constitution and it is mandatory for the government to look for funds to hold an election. So if these social rights are included, government will be mandated to provide social services to all Zambians,” he said.
Chombege called on Zambians to remain steadfast in their demands for a new constitution and not be hoodwinked by the government.
And Citizens Forum Mazabuka chapter coordinator Joseph Mfula said a people-anchored constitution was imperative as it was a guiding principle of any nation.
“When you talk about the governance of the country you need to have proper guidelines enshrined in the constitution. Zambia’s governance system is flawed because there was lack of proper guidelines in the Constitution that suits the wishes of the MMD and not the people who form the government,” said Mfula.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, MUNG'OMBA DRAFT CONSTITUTION, NCC
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Mazabuka council unveils K37bn 3-year budget
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 27 Dec. 2010, 04:00 CAT
MAZABUKA municipal council has unveiled a K37 billion budget to begin next year covering three years. Mayor Davis Katowa, who disclosed this during a full council meeting held in the Mazabuka council chamber, said the budget would be implemented under a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Katowa explained that in next year's budget, the council estimated to spend K11.8 billion and would concentrate its expenditure on road rehabilitation, solid waste management system, capacity building, health education and inspection among other programmes.
He added that in 2012, the council would spend another K11 billion while in 2013, K13 billion would be utilised.
He also informed the meeting that the Ministry of Local and Government Housing had directed the local authority to adjust upward by 10 per cent salary and other conditions of service for council workers.
Katowa said in view of the directives to improve conditions of service for council workers, subsistence allowance for the town clerk had been increased from K350,000 to K500,000, directors and their deputies would now receive K450,000 from the previous K 320,000.
Lunch allowance for management staff has been increased from K100,000 to K150,000 for work performed outside the district while that of unionised workers has been pegged at K100,000 from K70,000.
Meanwhile, the local authority is expected to rehabilitate and maintain over 10 roads of economic development to the district next year at the cost of K698,452,004.
Enforcement and maintenance of law and order has been allocated K6.1 million. The budget for personal emoluments is K3.7 billion.
Katowa said the council estimates to spend K120,755,000 for capacity building and another K814,928,892 for solid waste management while health education and inspection will gobble K90,145,000.
He said the resources for the MTEF would be realised from local tax, national support, fees and charges.
He observed that under national support, the council would only receive a total of K1,565,383,686. Local tax will contribute K4,505,050,412 while K1, 508,067,420 and another K1,296,500,000 will be raised from charges.
Katowa said the budget, which had since been approved by a full council meeting, was a milestone for the local authority particularly that workers' conditions of service would be improved.
Labels: MAZABUKA DISTRICT, MTEF
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'Mazabuka MMD members bitter with Rupiah over corruption fight'
By Charles Banda
Thu 08 July 2010, 04:01 CAT
MMD Mazabuka district vice-chairman Takawira Mahere says party members in the district are bitter with President Rupiah Banda for failing to fight corruption. Mahere yesterday said MMD officials at district and constituency levels in the 11 districts were bitter with President Banda for embracing and worshiping corrupt leaders who had been rejected by society.
“Rupiah and his MMD team must be replaced and we challenge him that he lied to the nation that he will rule for the remaining three years but what we are seeing is that he wants to re-contest the forthcoming general elections. The man has now teamed up with the people the late president did not want to associate with and have managed to brainwash him as evidenced by his failure to uphold the legacy of the late President,’’ he said.
Mahere said the intolerance to divergent views and irresponsible statements coming from the executive due to bad governance by the President was disappointing and an embarrassment to the country.
Mahere said the mood among party officials in Monze, Sinazongwe, Choma, Mazabuka, Siavonga and the remaining districts was bad because they had forthwith stopped campaigning for President Banda.
He said the party cadres were also bitter with President Banda for his refusal to address them whenever he visited the Province.
“Our observation is that President Rupiah Banda finds it normal to address and interact with party cadres in Eastern and Copperbelt provinces while those in Southern are ignored despite repeated appeals to discuss with him issues affecting the growth of the party. In fact, what is happening now is that party cadres only regroup each time the President is visiting the district in order to eat and extort money from his entourage,’’ said Mahere.
Mahere said President Banda should not cheat himself or accept to be cheated by provincial minister, Daniel Munkombwe and district commissioners that the MMD had gained ground because the party was completely dead.
He said only Munkombwe and his close relatives particularly some district commissioners would campaign for him and not the cadres.
‘’We are not happy that the appointment of district commissioners and permanent secretaries has now become a preserve of Munkombwe’s relatives while people who have suffered for the party are not recognized,’’ complained Mahere.
Mahere urged President Banda to visit the province and prove for himself if the MMD is active in the districts.
Labels: MAZABUKA DISTRICT, TAKAWIRA MAHERE
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Mwanachingwala threatens to burn Zambia Sugar fields
By Staff Reporters
Tue 25 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
CHIEF Mwanachingwala of Mazabuka says he will ask his subjects to set fire to sugarcane fields if Zambia Sugar Company management does not rescind its decision to conduct business with the Mazabuka District Business Association.
And Mazabuka Contractors and Suppliers interim chairperson Brave Mweetwa on Sunday briefly confiscated a recorder belonging to Mazabuka Community Radio station reporter, Joe Kandwe as he recorded the speech by the chief.
Addressing a meeting of contractors and suppliers opposed to the Zambia Sugar Company’s decision to conduct business with the Mazabuka District Business Association, at Mazabuka Golf Club, chief Mwanachingwala warned that he would order his subjects to burn the cane as a way of forcing the company to revert to the old system of awarding contracts to individuals.
‘’I will order my subjects to burn the cane fields if the company does not change its controversial one vendor number policy for the local entrepreneurs. I know my image is dented but I will not stop speaking for the business persons who have rebelled against the association,’’ declared chief Mwanachingwala.
The chief, who was supposed to co-chair the meeting with district commissioner Tyson Hamaamba, bragged of having support from government and also threatened to sort out company corporate affairs manager, Lovemore Sievu until he was removed from his position.
Hamaamba failed to show up despite contractors waiting for him.
Chief Mwanachingwala denounced Sievu, who was not part of the meeting and charged that he would continue lobbying government until Sievu was fired because of his alleged favouratism in the awarding of contracts to foreign companies.
Chief Mwanachingwala said three weeks ago, he under took a trip to South Africa to probe whether the new measures of conducting business had the blessings of Illovo but the investigations proved that it was done by Zambia Sugar Company management.
He also encouraged the contractors and suppliers of goods and services to petition the company and demand the rejection of the company’s decision to conduct business with the Mazabuka District Business Association.
Chief Mwanachingwala also instructed the traders to demand 70 per cent business with the company and that contracts be awarded to individual local traders.
He also telephoned Zambia Sugar Company human resource director, Doreen Kabunda and a marketing director to find out why management was failing to deal with Sievu although the discussion was not shared to the meeting.
Chief Mwanachingwala also warned the reporters from Mazabuka Community Radio station against writing negative stories about the meeting because proceedings were not meant for the consumption of the community.
He openly declared his hatred for the radio station and said he would be comfortable issuing press statements to Chikuni Radio Station to air his grievances about Zambia Sugar Company.
Zambia Sugar Company has maintained that it would only conduct business with Mazabuka District Business Association because the old system was rotten as it was prone to corruption and nepotism particularly that it has been infiltrated by some company officials working in league with the traders to loot the company of its resources.
Dubious cartels have been established at Zambia Sugar where some company employees award contracts to traders after which they are paid huge kick backs for facilitating the contracts.
Company corporate affairs manager, Lovemore Sievu said management would only comment upon studying the chief’s speech but he however maintained the decision by management to conduct business with the association was final and not reversible.
Labels: CHIEF MWANACHINGWALA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, ZAMBIA SUGAR COMPANY
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Mazabuka maize farmers reject floor price
By Staff Reporter
Mon 03 May 2010, 03:50 CAT
FARMERS in Mazabuka’s maize productive areas have rejected the floor price announced by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) on grounds that it is too little considering the high cost of production.
The farmers from Chikankata, Malabo, Upper Kaleya and Chivuna areas charged that the K65,000 was too little considering the high cost of inputs and the recent hike in the price of fuel which they said would disadvantage them.
“Farmers won’t get any profit because the price of fertiliser and seed were too high last farming season. Farmers had to buy expensive fertiliser from shops because the government sponsored Farmer Input and Support Programme reduced the number of bags given to beneficiary farmers.
So the government and other stakeholders could have put such factors into consideration,” one farmer complained.
Another farmer, John Mweemba from Chikankata accused the government of killing the agriculture sector by what he termed as imposing lower market prices that were only there to disadvantage them.
Mweemba said farmers were frustrated by the floor price announced by the FRA and would not offload their commodity to the FRA.
“It does not make economic sense for the government to maintain last year’s maize marketing price when farmers paid more for the fertiliser, seed and now the recent hiked fuel prices.
Government should realise that once farmers are frustrated, the development poses a serious danger to national food security,” said Mweemba.
Another farmer, who only identified himself as Moonga, advised the government to stop politicising the agriculture sector because doing so would plunge the country into food insecurity.
Moonga said the opening of the maize marketing season was political and would have adverse implications because the moisture content in the grains was still high.
He warned that should the government start buying the commodity now, the maize could go to waste.
Moonga advised the ministry of agriculture to stop Mazabuka district commissioner Tyson Hamaamba from interfering in the running of the district agriculture committee because that was a fertile ground for office abuse.
The government launched the crop marketing season last week and pegged the floor price of maize at K65,000.
Labels: JOHN MWEEMBA, MAIZE, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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Mazabuka councillors explain why they shunned Rupiah’s visit
By Justine Kawisha in Mazabuka
Wed 24 Feb. 2010, 03:10 CAT
COUNCILLORS in Mazabuka have said it would have been madness for them to attend President Rupiah Banda’s visit at chief Mwanachingwala’s palace because it was purely political.
And the councillors have refuted media reports that there was a directive from the UPND party secretariat to bar them from attending the presidential meeting at the palace.
Speaking after a joint meeting at the civic centre yesterday, the councilors who included deputy mayor Richard Malambo of Mwanachingwala ward, Davis Katowa of Upper Kaleya ward, Savior Kaile of Konkola ward, Enock Hachiwa of Munjile ward, Voice Malambo of Itebe and the mayor Shadrick Mwiinga of Nakambala ward said they shunned the meeting because it was political and not developmental.
The councillors said no one stopped them to attend the meeting but that they decided to shun it on their own because the agenda was not availed.
They said chief Mwanachingwala was issuing damaging sentiments to the pact few days before the presidential visit and that it would have been abnormal for them to attend the political gathering and listen to the pact’s condemnation by the MMD cadres.
“We never wanted to attend that meeting because we would have fired back at the negative sentiments about the pact by the MMD cadres. The president visited Zambia Sugar two months ago and we all went to support the visit because it was developmental but the recent one was totally political and we couldn’t attend,” they said in a statement.
The councillors also refuted earlier media reports that they had complained against a directive from the party secretariat to bar them from attending the presidential meeting.
The civic leaders who described the media reports as an insult said there was no directive from the party leadership to stop them from attending the presidential visit at chief Mwanachingwala’s palace.
“We never received any circular from our secretariat to stop us from attending the meeting and we never complained to anyone and we don’t regret our move, probably it was the MMD councillor who complained but not us, those are lies,” they explained.
And the councillors have described chief Mwanachingwala as a lightweight political cadre who had no following in his area.
They challenged chief Mwanachingwala to resign from the thrown and contest either as a councillor or a member of parliament if he was a heavyweight politician.
The councilors were reacting to some media reports from some government media that reported that councillors in Mazabuka were complaining against their party leadership for stopping them to attend the presidential visit at chief Mwanachingwala’s palace a fortnight ago.
Labels: CHIEF MWANACHINGWALA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, RUPIAH BANDA
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Mazabuka councillors differ over grading of chief’s road
By Justine Kawisha and George Zulu in Mazabuka
Sun 14 Feb. 2010, 04:10 CAT
COUNCILLORS in Mazabuka have differed over the grading of the road leading to chief Mwanachingwala’s palace in readiness for President Rupiah Banda’s visit to the chief today.
In an interview, Mazabuka central ward councillor Lloyd Buumba said it was wrong for the council to grade the road to chief Mwanachingwala’s palace because of the President’s one-hour visit while there were many other roads in the district that had remained impassable for many years.
Buumba said the attitude of repairing roads when there was a presidential visit was wrong because it was meant to cheat the visiting head of state who would think that all was well in the district.
He said instead of cheating the President by grading the roads at night, leaders should take the President’s visit as an opportunity to reveal the problems that the district was facing.
Buumba, who is also Mazabuka district UPND chairman said the council should no longer give excuses that it doesn’t have money to grade the roads in other townships because it was always able to find money to repair the roads during presidential visits.
“Each time we request the council to grade our roads, they say the council has no money but where does the money come from when the President is visiting the district because roads have to be graded even at night,” he said.
He wondered why the road to the palace should be graded when many roads in the district had not been graded and alleged that money for Mazabuka-Chikankata Road was diverted to Mfuwe.
He said the syndrome of pretending that all was well when there was a visitor was long gone because it was not a good culture.
Buumba also appealed to chief Mwanachingwala to jump of the political stage before he is embarrassed by the PF-UPND pact members that he had been attacking.
But Nakambala ward councillor Shadrick Mwiinga defended the grading of the road to the palace.
He said it was a normal practice that should happen whenever there was a presidential visit.
Mwiinga, who is also Mazabuka Town Clerk, said it was always an African practice to prepare for a guest and that it was not evil for the council and its stakeholders to use other means to prepare for the presidential visit.
He said there was no cheating in preparing for the President’s visit, saying even the Zambian custom permitted the hosting persons to reserve the best for the guest.
“Even in our culture, you prepare a chicken for the visitor and that does not mean that you always eat chicken, unless you call that cheating,” Mwiinga said.
He said people should be happy that the President’s visit would leave a road graded for the general public’s use and explained that the road would only be graded up to Mbiya Basic School from the main road.
President Banda is today expected to visit chief Mwanachingwala at his palace but the purpose of the visit is not explained.
The programme states that the President will depart Lusaka by air at 09:00 hours and is expected to arrive at chief Mwanachingwala's palace by 10:00 hours and would be received by provincial minister, Daniel Munkombwe, permanent secretary, Darius Hakaayobe, opposition Mazabuka members of parliament and chief Mwanachingwala's subjects.
The President will then pay a courtesy call on the chiefs, after which he is expected to interact with the community.
Chief Mwanachingwala has disclosed that all the four chiefs in the district and two from Monze district will attend the meeting with President Banda.
He named the Mazabuka chiefs as Hanjalika, Naluama, Mwenda and those from the Monze.
Chief Mwanachingwala said the visit by the head of state at his palace clearly shows how President Banda attaches a lot of importance to the role traditional rulers play in national development.
He said he would discuss important issues with the President affecting both his subjects and the nation.
Labels: CHIEF MWANACHINGWALA, CHIEFS, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, ROADS
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Mazabuka businessmen to petition Rupiah over Zambia Sugar contracts
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Tue 09 Feb. 2010, 09:00 CAT
MAZABUKA District Business Association (MDBA) says it will take advantage of President Rupiah Banda's visit to the district this Saturday to help block attempts by some senior managers at Zambia Sugar Company to deny the association contracts.
Association chairperson,
John Kasonde told ZANIS in Mazabuka yesterday that the association was deeply disappointed with
a cartel of senior managers who had vowed not to allow his members benefit from the contracts.
Kasonde said the visit by President Banda, who has been instrumental in ensuring that small-scale contractors equally benefit from the contracts and supply of goods and services, had brought relief especially that serious differences had erupted among senior managers at Zambia Sugar following management’s decision to award contracts to the association.
He said his executive was worried because the managers were now threatening violence against the company corporate affairs manager, Lovemore Sievu whom they had accused of having proposed the blacklisting of certain business tycoons from being awarded contracts.
Why should people threaten to kill Sievu? Sievu is not Zambia Sugar Company. Why can’t they approach the MD because Sievu is just an employee who receives directives from the MD. But I can assure you we are not going to rest until we benefit from the cake which was a preserve of the people in the district, said he.
Kasonde said only President Banda could help resolve the problems at Zambia Sugar Company because people with financial muscles had vowed to deal ruthlessly with anyone hindering their progress.
But Sievu refused to comment on threats on his life by some named businesspersons not happy with the change in the procurement system.
Labels: MAZABUKA DISTRICT, SUGAR, ZAMBIA SUGAR COMPANY
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Chief vows not to protect Cannabis growers
Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 14:57
Chief Hanjalika of the Tonga people in Mazabuka district has expressed worry at the high number of people engaged in commercial cannabis cultivation in his chiefdom.
The chief said in the recent past, the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested a number of people in connection with the commercial cultivation of cannabis in his chiefdom among them village headmen.
He told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that the increased number of people growing the illicit drug has dented the image of the chiefdom.
He has since vowed not to protect anyone, including his village headmen, and warned that they will be arrested for growing cannabis because they have embarrassed him and put the name of his chiefdom into disrepute.
Chief Hanjalika said it was saddening that hardly a day passes without reading in the media about people being arrested for drug related offences.
He further lamented that the Mazabuka magistrate court has been flooded with cases of illegal cultivation of drugs from his area.
Chief Hanjalika has since urged the DEC to comb his chiefdom and bring to book all perpetrators of the vice in order to promote sanity in the area.
Meanwhile, Mazabuka District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba has urged the Drug Enforcement Commission to seriously commence sensitisation meetings in chief Hanjalika’s area to educate people on the dangers of growing cannabis.
Mr. Hamaamba said the sensitisation would help change the belief of some villagers who think growing cannabis was as normal as growing maize.
ZANIS
Labels: CANNABIS, CHIEF HANJALIKA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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Zambia: Don’t direct energies on removing MMD, Milupi challenges opposition
Sunday, December 27, 2009, 17:26
Luena Independent Member of Parliament, Charles Milupi has challenged opposition political parties not to direct their energies on removing the MMD from power but offer practical solutions that will improve the economy of the country.
And Mr. Milupi has said politics of insults being perpetuated by some political leaders is not helping the country to move forward. He says politicians aspiring to lead the country should convince the voters by defining their plans to move the country economically as well as programmes aimed at reducing poverty.
Mr. Milupi who was speaking in Mazabuka when he featured on radio Mazabuka’s Live Wire programme yesterday said it is disappointing to note that politicians are instead engaged in trading insults without offering solutions on how they are going to revive the economy once voted into office.
He said he had a discussion with the PF-UPND leadership but declined to join the pact because of the different visions for the economic development of the country. Mr. Milupi explained that until the agenda for the pact is reviewed, he would not join the PF-UPND pact.
He said among the issues he raised were that he would only join a political party with national wide support and that gives confidence to the people.
Mr. Milupi urged Zambians to be careful with some political leaders engaged in trading insults at the expense of defining what they are capable of doing to improve the economy.
He warned that while some political parties have huge support, Zambians should not experiment leadership because some leaders may plunge the country into serious economic problems which will be difficult to handle.
Mr. Milupi who openly declared that he is capable of running the affairs of the country, however said, a new political grouping to be launched soon is an alternative to ending the high poverty levels and under development in the country.
Meanwhile, a named senior provincial PF leader and an MMD party official were spotted at radio Mazabuka and offered a lift by Mr. Milupi to a secret place where they had lunch together.
The PF official had difficulties to accept that he was a PF provincial executive committee member when asked by the presenter of the of the programme.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
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