Zambia Weekly - Week 34, Volume 1, Issue 20, 27 August 2010

8/9/2019 Zambia Weekly - Week 34, Volume 1, Issue 20, 27 August 2010

1/7

De lement cases in Zambia do not seem to wane probably because the conviction rates are extremely low.

At a workshop or judges o the Supreme Court andthe Industrial Relations Court, chie justice ErnestSakala explained that despite deterrent sentences thereappears to be little progress made in curbing de le-ment. Tis is a most incomprehensible and ba ingstate o a airs, he said (Daily Mail 17).

As a result the judges debated a review o the leg-islation. Lusaka high court judge Patrick Matibiniexplained that the legal impediment lies in section122 o the Juvenile Act Chapter 53 which states that a juveniles account must be con rmed by independentevidence.

It is a requirement o law that evidence by children, initsel , by i sel , cannot by law secure a conviction. (...) I we proceeded in the direction o re orming this provi-sion as other countries have done, it will be a majorstride in addressing the problem, Matibini said ( imes21).

Te problem is that most de lement o ences are committed in private without witnesses which makes independent evidence hard to obtain at least as long as Zambia does not havethe capacity to per orm DNA testing. Te judges would there ore like to see the governmentbuild a DNA laboratory at the University eaching Hospital. As the conviction rates are ex-tremely low there is a need to re-think the question o orensic investigations, said Matibini.

Last week, president Rupiah Banda expressed his concern over the increase in cases o child

abuse - especially considering that 68 percent o the population consists o children and youths ( imes 17).

In thIs Issue

W k 34, Vol m 1, I 20, 27 A g 2010Zambia W klyDe lement: Change the law?

De lement: Change the law?

Media regulation: Te battle continues

Te road sector is being unded again

With a railway to the sea!

Quotes

Another parastatal scam?

FRA: On target but short o cash

Chilubas court case: o appeal or not?

Konkola stops outsourcing

M N goes social with Facebook

Advert: Colour your li e

Disease, death and crime

1

1

2

2

2

3

3

4

5

5

6

7

Tis week one could meet our president onthe Choma-Namwala Road in the south-ern province. Banda drove rom Choma toNamwala to inspect the newly tarred roadbecause as he said I was almost beginningto believe those who are going round ped-

dling lies and saying that this governmentis doing nothing. According to the imes,the Choma-Namwala Road has been onthe work programme o all administra-tions since independence, so it was certainly overdue. Accordingly praise should begiven where praise is due to Banda andhis Movement or Multiparty Democracy (MMD). But the question remains why ittook so long or the road to be completed?A ter all, the MMD has been in power

or close to 20 years. From the sounds o things this is another one o the many roadsthat becomes a political pawn in timeso elections. In the run-up to an electioneveryone rom both the ruling party and itsopposition counterparts promise the world which normally include the rehabilitationo a ew important roads in the area. Im-mediately the election is over, however, allo these important projects are unceremoni-ously abandoned. Tis could obviously notcontinue in the case o the Choma-Namwa-la Road as it is an important road. No doubtthe 5,000 people o Namwala town (they are not completely cut o rom the worldin Namwala as this gure comes rom their

own website) must be happy as they now have easier access to goods and services.

edi or o

I i i

1t b of Zambia m dia

Te Media Liaison Committee has postponed the proposed launch o the Zambia MediaCouncil (ZAMEC) to pave way or urther dialogue with government about the deadlock onthe proposed media sel -regulatory mechanism (Daily Mail 20). Tis is the second time thelaunch o ZAMEC has been postponed.

MLC Chairman Joseph Mkandawire said the postponement is due to the request or urtherdialogue by Minister o In ormation and Broadcasting Services, Ronnie Shikapwasha al-though Shikapwasha describes ZAMEC as a raud ( imes 20).

In February 2010, the media decided to establish a new sel -regulation body, ZAMEC, toreplace the moribund Media Council o Zambia. But the government maintains it will notaccept a media sel -regulatory mechanism spearheaded by ZAMEC. Instead it wants themedia not the government to dra t a bill or statutory regulation.

But the media will not accept statutory regulation: o the best o our abilities and expertise within MLC and with broad consultation, we eel we have come up with a sustainable sel -regulation mechanism that must be given a chance to succeed or ail be ore anyone can pass judgment in avour or against it, Mkandawire said (Post Online 20).

Te launch has also been postponed on the request o the Society or Senior Zambian Jour-nalists to hold an indaba where they have asked the ministry and the MLC to discuss thedeadlock on media regulation (Sunday Post).

Media regula on: The ba le con nues

ickr.com/photos/21949386@N07/2251740873


2/7

2

n w : tra porZambia W kly

t b of Zambia m dia

C il ba Q o

t r ar mor impor a i g o doa p r i g ca a d d rmi

work of j diciary.

Government chie spokesperson, RonnieShikapwasha (Post 20).

W w lcom i j dg m . (...) Wf l vi dica d b ca w ad op-po d d ci io by gov r m otake its own ci zens to a foreign court.

Former president Chiluba (Sunday Mail).

Law, yo k ow, i o a xac prof -io w r all lawy r will agr o ow

law o ld b i rpr d. (...) A dit is part of our democra c dispensa on

o r p c ac o r vi w .

MMD parliamentary chie whip, Ver-non Mwaanga (Sunday Post).

The road sector is being funded againIt looks like works in the road sector is moving again. Te Development Bank o South A rica(DBSA) has just approved a loan o 300 million US dollars (about 1.5 trillion kwacha), tobe used to complete roads in north-western and western provinces as well as the northernroad to Mumbwa. President Rupiah Banda said the stalled road works had brought about toomuch talk a ter donors led by the European Union (EU) roze unding to the road sector dueto nancial irregularities at the Road Development Agency. He said the government wouldcontinue to get loans or critical development initiatives ( imes/Daily Mail 21). But thedonors are also coming back. Te EU has signed a 70 million euro (about 445 billion kwacha)agreement or the periodic maintenance o trunk and main roads and the Danish Embassy has approved phase two o the DANIDA road sector programme 2007-12 amounting to 400million Danish kroner (about 340 billion kwacha) - Daily Mail 26.

With a railway to the sea!Zambia is exploring shorter ways to the sea to promote international trade. Te Chipata-Mchinji railway which has been more than 25 years in the making was ofcially openedon 27 August with a ceremony graced by the heads o state rom Zambia, Malawi and Mo-zambique. Te 27-kilometre railway line was launched in 1982 as part o the Nacala Corridorto connect Zambia via Malawi to the port o Nacala in Mozambique (with the option to beextended to ete). Te project was however abandoned by the Zambian government due tolack o unds and was only revitalised in 2006. Te Nacala Corridor is the shortest sea route

or eastern Zambia. For most o Zambia, however, the shortest sea route is through the porto Beira, also in Mozambique. Following president Rupiah Bandas visit to Mozambique last

week, he said we really want to expand our business and Beira is our key to all this. Te gov-ernment is there ore contemplating building a rail line rom Ka ue to Lions Den in Zimba-bwe to ease access to Beira ( imes 20/21/26, Daily Mail 21/26).

More roadblocks on the CopperbeltRoadblocks on the Copperbelt are about to be intensi ed to curb the t o copper. Copperbeltpolice commanding ofcer Martin Malama said a new system will be put in place to strength-en roadblocks rom Kasumbalesa border post in Chililabombwe to Kapiri Mposhi. He warnedthat police will deal with any police ofcer who indulges in illegal activities (Daily Mail 24).

One step closer to road tolling Te National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has completed the nal easibility study on tollingo roads and bridges in Zambia. A South A rican rm, Aurecon, has carried out the easibility study. NRFA spokesperson Alphonsius Hamachila said the agency is considering implement-ing road tolling as a widely accepted approach or levying charges directly rom road users orthe provision, maintenance and operation o a speci c section o the road. He said there is aheavy backlog o road maintenance, adding that toll gates are not taxes, but the price or a service. Te agency will hold a stakeholders workshop to look at the nal report (Daily Mail 24).

[O]ne has no ced poli cians that havenothing to do with legal ma ers occupy -i g c r ag i r po di g o i o b alf of gov r m . tques on one would like to ask: have theminister of jus ce and the A orney Gen -eral abdicated their o cial func ons?

State Counsel and ormer minister o justice, Roger Chongwe (Post 23).

Accordi g o Lo do j dgm ,w ic C il ba did o app al (...) forr a o b k ow o im lf, C il bawill go dow i i ory of Zambia athe rst president to have stolen publicf d .

PF Secretary General, Wynter Kabimba(Post 20).

[I]t is highly un-Chris an and grosslyun-patrio c not to pursue this money!A er all, we are talking about over 45millio us dollar .

Peter Henriot, director o the Jesuit Cen-tre or Teological Re ection (Post 24).

t gov r m do o i rf r wi j diciary. (...) a d a i w y, ma y

mes, the rulings have gone against usa d w av acc p d m.

President Rupiah Banda ( imes 24).

W y o ld y ow ay a adecided not to appeal? We are the state,

we want an appeal!PF President Michael Sata (Post 24).

See articles page 4.

No fuelling with passengers on board!

Te Road ransport and Sa ety Agency (R SA) and the Energy Regulation Board have cau-tioned lling station operators and drivers o public service vehicles (PSVs) such as minibussesagainst re uelling with passengers on board. In a joint statement the duo said there has beenlaxity in complying with this requirement under the Road rafc Act. R SA warned it willprosecute o enders and lling stations could have their licences revoked (Daily Mail 23).

ickr.com/photos/aleutia/373250289


3/7

3

Zambia W kly

t b of Zambia m dia

n w

Co r ca i bri f

As o 30 July 2010, the Electoral Commission o Zambiahad registered 380,781 new voters since the mobile voterregistration exercise began on 21 June 2010.

Te mobile registration will end on 18 September 2010, a -ter which voter registration will continue at district councilofces until December, a ter which voter registration willcontinue by other means.

Te ECZ is targeting to register 2.5 million new voters

be ore the 2011 general elections ( imes 21).

This weeks gures

Te Drug En orcement Commission (DEC) yesterday re-arrested MP Mark Mushili (Patriotic Front) shortly a ter theNdola magistrates court discharged him o 10 counts o obtain-ing money by alse pretences and money laundering activities. Te case was scheduled or commencement o trial but Ndolachie resident magistrate Kelvin Limbani said the state hadentered a nolle prosequi. DEC public relations ofcer JohnNyawali said in an interview that the state entered a nolle prose-qui to acilitate joint charges or Mushili and his son, Sydney,

or obtaining money by alse pretences, raudulently removingproperty, money laundering and the t (Post/ imes/Daily Mail24). Last month the DEC decided to appeal against Mushilissuspended sentence in another case in the Lusaka magistratescourt, where he was sentenced to six months imprisonment withhard labour suspended or one year or attempting to swindlethe government o 360 million kwacha.

M ili r -arr d

Te ormer chairman o Finance Bank, Rajan Mahtani, haspetitioned the Lusaka High Court to suspend the prosecutiono criminal charges against him. Tis is in a matter where theDrug En orcement Commission (DEC) arrested and chargedMahtani with two counts o criminal o ences or money laundering and being in control o more than 25 percent o voting shares in Finance Bank. Te DEC also seized Mahtanispassport and monies in accounts o Finsbury InvestmentsLimited, a subsidiary o the Mahtani group. Te petitioners,Mahtani together with Finsbury and Leasing Finance Company Limited, stated that the investigations and arrest o Mahtanihad distressed him and his amily, he has been shunned by mosto his international business riends, he is unable to raise undsinternationally to support any o his business interests in Zam-bia and some o the senior ofcers in companies associated withhim have resigned. Mahtani also asked to have his passport and

unds in the bank accounts returned. Te matter comes up on 6September 2010 (Post 20/25).

Mahtani pe on money laundering case

Another parastatal scam? Te National Housing Authority (NHA) is not being straight. On 23August, NHA executive director Elias Mpondela disputed allegationsthat 3.5 billion kwacha realised rom the sale o properties seized by the ask Force on Corruption had been or eited to Ecobank, arguing

that the money could be made available at the call o government.NHA was appointed the custodian o the 3.5 billion kwacha, which was to be used or, among other activities, construction o maternity wards in the country. However, NHA used the 3.5 billion kwacha assecurity or an 8.5 billion kwacha overdra t at Ecobank, according tocorrespondence obtained by the Post dated 25 June 2010 rom NHAmanagement to Ecobank. Te remainder o the overdra t o about 5million kwacha would be converted into a loan according to the letter.Mpondela, however, said the 3.5 billion kwacha was still intact butadmitted that NHA had a 8.5 billion kwacha exposure to Ecobank, which had been converted into a loan rom an overdra t. He said themoney was used or operations (Post 26).

Chiefs: keep track of your lineage!Government has urged traditional leaders to improve their record-keeping to avoid succession wrangles that have become common inmany chie doms in Zambia. Minister o Luapula Province, Boni aceKawimbe, said succession wrangles were hindering development inrural areas and called on chie doms to keep accounts o their am-ily trees. Kawimbe was speaking at the installation o Chie tainessMwenda o the Chishinga people o Luapula Province in MwenseDistrict. Te Mwenda chie taincy has remained vacant since thedeath o the last chie in 2002. A ter eight years o internal stri e and

solution-seeking, it was established that Sophia Chibaye, 74, was theright ul heir to the throne ( imes 23).

FRA: on target but short of cash Te Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has so ar

received 229,000 tonnes o maize valued at298 billion kwacha, while the governmenthas only disbursed 100 billion kwacha or thepayment o armers. Te huge outstandingbalance should not cause panic, said FRApublic relations ofcer Mwamba Siame, asFRA is working with the ministries o agri-culture as well as nance and national plan-ning on a loan o 700 billion kwacha. She saidmost armers would be paid by 27 August(Sunday Mail). Te FRA has committed itsel to buying at least 300,000 tonnes o this yearsalleged bumper harvest o 2.8 million tonnes.

Zambia short of two million housesZambia aces a housing de cit o about two million units due togrowing demand. Minister o Local Government and Housing,Eustarckio Kazonga, said any upswing in the construction industry would have a multiplier e ect on the orward and backward linkageson other sectors o the economy such as the cement, timber and steelindustry (Daily Mail 26).

ickr.com/photos/cordery/1392772856


4/7

It has been a long time since an issue hasreceived so much attention as Lusaka HighCourt judge Evans Hamaundus ruling on

ormer president Frederick Chiluba.

Last week Hamaundu ruled the state cannotregister the London High Court judgement which ound Chiluba and seven others liable

or the t o about USD 46 million o publicunds. He stated there was no reciprocal ar-

rangement between Zambia and the UnitedKingdom to acilitate the registration. I the ruling did not attract its air share o criticism, the governments decision not to appeal (Daily Mail 20)certainly did.

Te United States questioned Zambias ght against corruption. Re-covering the money would have sent a strong message about Zambiascommitment to good governance or the bene t o investors, US taxpayers and other countries that provide assistance to Zambia, saidUS embassy public a airs ofcer, Priscilla Hernandez ( imes 20).

Hamaundus interpretation o the Foreign Judgments (ReciprocalEn orcement) Act Chapter 76 got scrutinised in great detail. TeSouthern A rican Centre or the Constructive Resolution o Dis-putes, ransparency International Zambia, the Law Association o Zambia (LAZ) and two prominent lawyers, Muna Ndulo and RogerChongwe, believed that Hamaundu had erred in his judgement (Post20/21/23). But some legal experts and a quick count among legalpractitioners showed others agreed with Hamaundu ( imes 21/23).

LAZ demanded or an appeal. A decision o this magnitude must,or the sake o the development o jurisprudence on the issue, be

le t to the Supreme Court to ultimately make, it stated. Committeeo Citizens declared that LAZ had exhibited dangerous traits by abandoning its statutory role and having joined civil society organisa-

tions whose preoccupation is to underminedemocratic institutions (Daily Mail 23).

Te Forum or Progressive Politics said theBritish government must apologise to theZambian people or sponsoring a de ectiveand highly malicious anti-corruption cam-paign ( imes 24). While Citizens Forumbacked calls by the red-card waving Frank Bwalya, executive director o Change Li eZambia, to hold peace ul demonstrations topress government to appeal (Post 25).

Te ping-pong debate stopped temporar-ily when the Attorney General Abyudi Shonga stated that he wouldnot appeal. He explained that he ollowed the wish o his client thegovernment (Daily Mail 25).

He also rejected Hamaundus alternative: to en orce the London

High Court judgement by recourse to common law. What wouldin practice happen, he said, is that a resh civil action would haveto be brought out against the de endants and the de endants wouldhave the right to challenge the entry o such judgement or avoidancedoubt.

According to Shonga matters are complicated by the act that theLondon High Court judgement already has been success ully ap-pealed against in the UK Courts o Appeals by one o Chilubasco-de endants, a partner in the law rm Meer Care & Desai ( imes23). Maybe, said the Post, but Meer Care & Desai was reprieved as it was uncertain whether they as lawyers knew what Chiluba and others were involved in - Chiluba wasnt (Post Editorial 25).

Shonga assured that the London High Court judgement remains valid and that government will continue to en orce it albeit abroad to recover assets owned by the de endants ( imes 25).

4

Zambia W kly

t b of Zambia m dia

t i w k co rov r y

Chilubas court case: to appeal or not?

Tere are signs o a clear conspiracy to bring into disreputethe clean standing o our almost awless judiciary, whichtoo o ten is being maligned and accused o immodesty by an organised clique o people whose preoccupation is toattack any judgment that does not go their way. Te way this scheme has been hatched is such that networks withsome shadowy non-governmental organisations have beencreated, and systematically, they have been issuing state-ments rom time to time to slowly erode the con dencethe public has in the judiciary. Tis is a well-thought-outplot that will (...) give credence to ill-conceived plans by brain-washing people to question any high pro le case which the courts may handle. Te 2011 poll results, itseems, is the nal target.

C il ba accordi g o di orial

We have care ully looked at the statements attributed tothe Attorney General and it makes very sad reading. Why should other jurisdictions entertain Zambias attempts toen orce a judgment that its own courts have re used toen orce? It is important to understand the implications o en orcing the London High Court judgment against Chi-luba. I that judgment is en orced, Chiluba would have toleave his Kabulonga home which was bought with stolenmoney. It was clearly shown that the house where Chilubatoday stays was bought with money stolen rom theZambian people. Te legal explanations rom the Attorney General are nothing but a smokescreen or Rupiahs deci-sion to protect his criminal riend rom losing his houseand his loot and consequently his in uence, politically andotherwise. Te Post dedicated all its seven editorialsthis week to Chilubas case!

t Po edi orial 26 A g :Daily Mail edi orial 21 A g :


5/7

5

Zambia W kly

t b of Zambia m dia

B i

Konkola stops outsourcingKonkola Copper Mines (KCM) has agreed to suspend the contentiousoutsourcing o units at the mining giant. Tis is the result o a meet-ing between the government, KCM and the two mineworkers unions:Mineworkers Union o Zambia (MUZ) and National Union or Miners

and Allied Workers. Te two unions have also suspended their plannedpeace ul demonstration although they almost abolished the meetingbeing ed up with waiting or more than one hour or the governmentdelegation. KCM had argued that the outsourcing was a survival measureand that it was not outsourcing labour but key operational activities. ButMUZ said the explanation did not make sense as every activity requireslabour to be per ormed. MUZ president Ray ord Mbulu alleged that

rom the time when Kishor Kumar took over as KCM chie executive o -cer in November 2008, he had made it a point to reduce labour costs at

KCM which stood at 30 percent o total costs ( imes 23, Post 24/26).

n w i bri f

One ull page in ull colour or extra impact.

Only one advertiser per week.

Contact the editor or more details.

Adver se in Zambia Weekly

A 42-year-old Zambian woman rom Lusaka has died ina hospital in Pakistan o suspected drug poisoning. DrugEn orcement Commission public relations manager JohnNyawali said the woman, whose identi y has been con-cealed, collapsed at a Pakistani airport as she was return-ing to Zambia a ter being coerced to swallow narcotics toconceal them. Te narcotics are suspected to have causedher death. Te woman was recruited in South A ricaby a drug cartel run by West A ricans. Te tactics thecartel is using to lure its victims are promises o good andhigh-paying jobs in South A rica but end up using themas drug couriers through coercion and death threats. Tiscartel is targeting emale Zambians (...) and quite a goodnumber o Zambians have already become victims o itsantics, Nyawali said (Post 25).

Drug cartel targe ng Zambian women

Government will construct a mausoleum at Embassy Park to remember and honour late president Levy Mwanawasa.Vice-president George Kunda said this at the secondmemorial service or Mwanawasa at the Cathedral o theHoly Cross in Lusaka. And in her speech, ormer rst lady Maureen shared what her husband had recorded as hislast message to the nation as part o his will. In the mes-sage, which was recorded on 23 March 2005, Mwanawasaregretted that he had lost close riends because o his ghtagainst corruption. I believed that national developmentcould only be sustained i good governance, respect or therule o law and democracy were encouraged and not taken

or granted. o spur these virtues, the ght against cor-ruption had to be waged relentlessly and without treating

anybody as a sacred cow, the message read in part. Mwa-nawasa died on 19 August 2008 in France where he hadbeen evacuated a ter su ering a stroke while attending anA rican Union summit in Egypt (Daily Mail 20/Post 21).

Mwa awa a co d m morial

MTN goes social with Facebook

M N Zambia has launched a new mobile Facebook site (0. acebook.com) to enable its subscribers browse the popular social network site without incurring any charges. M N public relations manager BanjiLu ungulo disclosed that the new site is a aster, lightweight version o Facebooks mobile site m. acebook.com. Te site does not have graphicsor photos, and 0. acebook.coms pages have been designed or per or-mance on M Ns network. Customers who will want to view photos willbe navigated to the standard Facebook site where standard data charges will apply. We are delighted to partner with Facebook. As an organisa-tion, you know that your customers will experience the best o the best when you partner with the worlds largest social network, with over 400million users, Lu ungulo stated (Post 24).

Lower capital entry in MFEZsZambia Development Agency (ZDA) says it is considering lowering thecapital threshold o 500,000 US dollars or investing in Multi-Facility Economic Zones (MFEZs) ollowing concerns raised by stakeholders.ZDA manager or MFEZs, Robert Banda, said that although the lowestcapital outlay was not strictly based on cash but could also include loans

rom banks and assets such as machinery, the ZDA would reconsiderthe requirements to allow more Zambian Small and Medium-sizedEnterprises (SMEs) to participate. He did point out, however, that only manu acturing companies that employ people would be considered. ZDAis also considering launching more MFEZs in Kasumbalesa and Chembe which will bring the total number o zones to six a ter Chambishi, Lu-saka South, Lusaka West including two industrial parks in Roma, Lusaka

and Sub Sahara Gemstone Exchange in Ndola (Sunday Post).

A city of billboardsLusaka together with other major cities has in recent years recorded arise in the number o outdoor advertising billboards. Billboards o allsizes, shapes and colours are joined by advertisements painted on pe-rimeter walls as well as posters on streetlight poles. Concerns have beenraised that these billboards are making the city untidy. Although theLusaka City Council (LCC) set standards or the type, size and quality o billboards, it is evident that not everyone is ollowing these guidelines. Te LCC is there ore considering halting the erection o more billboards,said LCC public relations manager Chanda Makanta. She said the local

authority does not however have the nancial resources to bring downthe illegal billboards (Sunday Mail).

Zambia W kly


6/7

Zambia W kly Adv r


7/7

7

Di a , D a a d CrimZambia W kly

t b of Zambia m dia

ti bi n w

Zambia Weekly is a free e-zine that extracts the news you really need to know about. It provides ane ortless way of keeping up-to-date with current a airs in Zambia. Zambia Weekly is being distrib -uted by email every Friday. If you wish to adver se in Zambia Weekly please contact the editor. Feelfree to share Zambia Weekly with colleagues and friends. Comments, cri cisms or sugges ons arealways welcome!

Editor: Camilla Hebo Buus, [email protected], mobile 0977 461 877

W k 34, Vol m 1, I 20, 27 A g 2010

Zambia W kly

Police in Chingola are holding a 57- year-old woman or almost cutting o her 12-year-old grandsons ear using arazorblade. Te woman o Kalukungusettlement in Mutende area had al-legedly tired o the boys troublesomebehaviour and decided to cut o his earsso that he can start listening to advice. Te boy is an orphan. When the neigh-bours heard his screams and rushedto help, they ound the boy in a poolo blood with one o his ears almostcut o . It was later sutured back at theNchanga North Hospital in Chingola.

Te woman has been charged withcausing grievous bodily harm and willappear in court soon (Daily Mail 24).

Woman cuts o boys ear

More measles cases Te number o measles cases has continued to rise with more than 1,000 new cases recorded

rom the beginning o August. Ministry o Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe said thatas o 15 August 2010 the total number o cases since the epidemic started in April stoodat 7,333 cases. Te number o cases in Lusaka had risen to 5,738 with 120 deaths. Mbewedismissed assertions that the epidemic is caused by the alleged ine ective child health week vaccination campaigns, saying that the gures were cumulative, and that the gures weredecreasing steadily ( imes 21).

Police in Ka ue are holding a man o Mungu area a ter he shot dead RachelNgandu, 20, a grade 11 pupil o thelocal Naboye High School. Accordingto the man, Robert Chipeta, who turnedhimsel in to the police, the incident

happened with an air gun. When hetried to shake hands with the girl, heaccidently pulled the trigger and shot herstraight in the chest at close range. Tegirl immediately ell to the ground anddied. Mungu Ward Councillor, Obvi-ous Mwaliteta, described the incident asun ortunate and called on community members to handle rearms properly (ZANIS in imes/Daily Mail 24).

Ma oo girl accid ally

Two men to hang Te Chipata High Court has sentenced two Petauke men to hang by the neck until pro-nounced dead or two separate murders. Lusaka judge Charles Kajimanga passed the judge-ments as part o mobile High Court sessions in Chipata. Michael Njobvu was convictedo murdering Pangula Banda, whom he hit with a slasher when he mistook him or a thie attempting to steal his chickens. In mitigation, Legal Aid counsel Kims Banda said Njobvu was very remorse ul over what happened, but Kajimanga said murder carries a maximumsentence o death and my hands are tied. Levison Zimba was convicted o causing the deatho John Banda, whom he hit with a whip and st at a Nyau shrine, and later with a stick, andthe deceased died three weeks a ter the incident (Post 25).

Police shoots three bandits Tree suspected dangerous criminals were shot dead by police in Lusaka on 20 August. Tebandits had earlier shot and wounded Patricia Kambuku, the proprietor o Kambuku Guest-house opposite Matero Police Camp. Te bandits were killed ollowing a shootout betweenthe police and the suspected criminals. Te police recovered an AK-47 ri e and several roundso ammunition in the operation (Sunday imes).

Police o cer commits suicideA police ofcer committed suicide on 23 August a ter shooting himsel in the head at hishome at Chipatas Msekera area. Te ofcer identi ed as Augustine Mulenga, died instantly.According to sources, the body was in a horri c state. Te police said Mulengas death wasstill being investigated as there was no note or explanation to why the police ofcer took hisli e (Post 25).

Te Chipata High Court last week granted a 10-year-old boy rom Kateteconstitutional bail a ter having spentnine months in prison in connection with the murder o his ather. Te boy was charged together with his motherVeronica Banda who was discharged when the court entered a nolle prosequi . Te case was adjourned to the next highcourt session in October (Post 26).

10-y ar-old i pri o

Man killed by lionA resident o Petaukes Sandwe area has been killed by a lion. Te deceased, identi ed only asMataka, was caught in Mtipwa area in the Sandwe Game Management Area on 16 August.Mataka was with two others who escaped unhurt (Sunday Post).

Documents

Zambia Weekly - Week 34, Volume 1, Issue 20, 27 August 2010