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By ZamChro Correspondent

Nineteen people died while 33 others sustained severe injuries yesterday after a road accident on the Great North Road in Chinsali.

Eighteen of them died on the spot after the bus in which they were travelling collided with a fuel tanker.

Police Service spokesperson Bonny Kapeso confirmed the accident which happened between 04:00 hours and 05:00 hours yesterday.

The bodies of the deceased are lying in Chinsali District Hospital Mortuary, while the injured are admitted to the same hospital.

Mr Kapeso said a Scania Marcopolo bus was travelling from Kitwe when it collided with a fuel tanker which was coming from Nakonde.

He said the incident happened at Chisunsa Village in Matumbo.

Some surviving passengers admitted to hospital said they suspected something wrong in the driving when the first driver handed over the vehicle to a colleague.

And Chinsali Hospital acting director of medical services Kamina Kabongo described the condition of the admitted as stable.

Dr Kabungo, however, did not rule out changes in the condition of the surviving accident victims. One of the survivors was pronounced dead at 15:00 hours.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Bank of Zambia says Zambia’s international reserves, now standing at US$ 1.7 billion, are the highest attained in the last 38 years.

Bank of Zambia Governor Caleb Fundanga said international reserves are expected to rise to about five months of import cover by the end of 2009. Dr Fundanga said this in Lusaka yesterday.

He said international reserves stood at US$1.4 billion before Zambia was hit by the global financial crisis.

“Having adequate reserves is important because if there is any external shock, the reserves can help to stabilise the Kwacha and cover up imports,” he said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

The Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) has welcomed Government’s intention to float its newly acquired 50 percent Total International shares in Indeni Petroleum Refinery to a private equity partner.

EAZ president Mwilola Imakando said yesterday that Government should withdraw from doing business and concentrate on regulation, monitoring and policy formulation.

“Government should not be in business; it should only step in when there are problems to try and resolve any impasse,” he said.

Dr Imakando said Government should now find a strategic partner to buy the 50 percent shares.

He said Government’s withdrawal from public business should be in line with the privatisation programme.

Dr Imakando said it is pointless to own a company that will only result in carrying on liabilities.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

President Rupiah Banda has complained that the continued attacks on him by some sections of the private media were unfair.

Speaking on a live programme on Radio Chikaya in Lundazi yesterday, Mr Banda said most of the times, he was unfairly covered by some private media and had chosen to remain quiet so that the people of Zambia could decide for themselves who was telling the truth.

The president was responding to a question from the presenter who wanted to know how he felt about the continued media attacks on him.

“I think the continued media attacks on me by the private media are unfair, I am a human being, I feel the continued attacks on me by The Post and other private media are very unfair. I have enough powers to shutdown any media organisation by removing their license but I do not want to do that,” he said.

Mr Banda said the continued attacks on him by the private media would not destruct him in anyway because the same media also attacked his predecessor.

He said the late president Mwanawasa was also attacked and at one time he was even called a cabbage.  

However, the president commended Radio Chikaya for their noble cause in ensuring that the community was always informed.

He said as long as the radio station was not being used as a political tool, the Government would always support its noble cause.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

People should reduce their expenditure during the upcoming festive season as excessive expenditure may affect the attainment of the targeted 10 per cent inflation rate, Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor Dr Caleb Fundanga advised yesterday.

During the BoZ third quarter media briefing, Dr Fundanga said inflation pressures in the country were expected to come from beef products and increase from manufactured goods as a result of increase in electricity tariffs.

However, he said stable mealie-meal and vegetable prices coupled with serenity in the foreign exchange market was expected to mitigate the inflationary pressures.

“If we buy more sugar, more bread during the upcoming festive season, this is going to have an effect on inflation, so that is one thing we should be mindful about,” Dr Fundanga said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

12 Lusaka-based soccer fans stormed Football House yesterday to express their displeasure with national team coach Herve Renard’s decision to drop midfielders Andrew Sinkala and Isaac Chansa from the squad that faces Rwanda in this Saturday’s 2010 Africa Cup qualifier.

The soccer fans, who arrived at Football House at 11:00 hours in a Toyota Hiace minibus, demanded to talk to Renard who was at that time with the national team at Independence Stadium.

Spokesperson Stevenson Chungu said they wanted to talk to Renard to find out why he has dropped Sinkala and Chansa at a time when the team has a crucial game.

 “We went to Football House this morning to have an audience with the coach over his decision to drop Sinkala and Chansa from the team at a time we have a crucial match,” Chungu said.

He said since they were unable to meet Renard, they decided to seek audience with FAZ communications officer Erick Mwanza.

Chungu said Mwanza explained to them that the coach and not the FAZ executive solely selects players.

Chungu said they also wanted to find out from Renard what transpired between him and Sinkala before the game against Egypt.

FAZ communications officer Mwanza said he met the group’s representatives to hear their complaints.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

The Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ) has called for transparency in the management of the energy sector.

EIZ president Henry Musonda has said the government must clean up the energy sector as it was important for the country’s continued economic growth.

“The way forward in managing the energy sector is to be more transparent and reduce on the involvement of politicians in this sector,” he said.

Musonda said there was also need to put in place a communication system that would allow the public to correct information on what was happening in the sector, instead of having anybody issuing statements about the fuel crisis in the country.

“We cannot have such a vital sector run in the manner in which we experienced over the past one month,” he said.

Energy minister Kenneth Konga earlier said Indeni Oil Refinery, the country’s sole oil refiner, would continue to limp until government made a decision to find an equity partner.

Konga also called on stakeholders interested in setting up a second refinery to do so since the government had liberalised the economy to allow for participation from the private sector. 

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Labour Minster Austin Liato has said a technical committee has been put in place to review the minimum wage which currently stands at K268, 000.

Liato said the committee which comprised stakeholders from trade unions, Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) and government officials from the Ministry of Labour were expected to conclude discussions by the end of this year.

“Reviewing the current minimum wage is something we have taken seriously, genuine and close to our heart as government and we thought that we could not wait any longer but move forward,” he said.

Liato assured that conditions for the lowest paid workers would change by next year owing to the planned revision of the minimum wage.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane has said Government has been discussing with donors who have indicated that they will next month make their position known on funding the budget. He added that Government was optimistic that the donor community will meet its obligation of providing funding to the 2010 national budget.

Dr Musokotwane said this in Lusaka yesterday when he and other officials from his ministry appeared before the Parliamentary Expanded Committee on Estimates, chaired by Bweengwa MP Highvie Hamududu.

Among those who accompanied Dr Musokotwane were Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei and Zambia Revenue Authority commissioner general Chriticles Mwansa.

Dr Musokotwane said chances are that donors will provide Government with the money towards the implementation of the 2010 national budget.

He said this in response to a question from Kabwata MP Given Lubinda (PF), who wanted to know whether there is a guarantee that donors will provide the 30 per cent budgetary support to the 2010 national budget.

Dr Musokotwane said the only sector to which donors are withholding funding is the Ministry of Health.

He said the withholding of funding to the Ministry of Health was as a result of criminality by some civil servants and not bad governance.

“We have had a good record of governance as a country and you will agree with me that the happenings in the Ministry of Health have nothing to do with governance. Rather it is due to criminality by some individuals.

“As Government, we cannot guarantee but we are hopeful that money for budget support will be forthcoming but ultimately, it is up to the donors to decide on that matter,” he said.

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By ZamChro Correspondent

The Judiciary will constitute a panel of three High Court judges to hear the appeal case of former President Frederick Chiluba’s wife, Regina.

This is in a case where Mrs Chiluba has appealed against a three-year and six-month sentence slapped on her in March this year by chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda.

Mr Kafunda jailed Mrs Chiluba after finding her guilty on five counts of failing to account for properties suspected or reasonably believed to have been stolen or illegally acquired.

When the matter came up for hearing of the appeal in the Lusaka High Court yesterday, Judge Evans Hamaundu informed the parties that it has been decided that the three-judge panel will hear the appeal.

Mr Justice Hamaundu said after the panel is constituted the court will inform the parties on the dates of hearing the appeal.

He adjourned the case until the panel is constituted.

Mr Kafunda convicted her on five counts but acquitted her on one count of failing to account for a motor vehicle suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, but the court also ordered the forfeiture of properties, mostly on the Copperbelt, and the Toshiba television set to the State.

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