UP, UP GO FUEL PRICES!

A fuel vendor at Engen filling station in Lusaka posting tags for new fuel prices that the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has announced.
President Mwanawasa has said Zambians should expected price hikes for commodities because Zambia has no control over the worldwide increases.
The government has cut some taxes on fuel importation to cushion the fuel price hikes.

FUEL PRICE TAGS

REVEREND DAN PULE IN MARITAL IMBROGLIO

Dunamis Christian Centre and Trinity Broadcasting Corporation (TBN) Zambia chapter founder Rev Dan pule has dominated the local press once again.
This time around again, it is for some wrong reason, a marital problems! Well, someone had called it a sex related problem.
Dr Pule has been summoned to a police station in Lusaka to answer to charges related to bigamy.
He is alleged to have married a second wife before divorcing the previous woman, 27 year old Leah Mulemba.
Dr Pule 52, did not show up at Lusaka central police station on Monday but decided to talk to journalists at the TBN offices where he talked about his troubled marital life of late.
Dr Pule was initially married to an American Janet for 23 years before the couple divorced in 2007.
Dr Pule once said that his children with the American woman could never take up leadership positions such as the presidency in Zambia because of the foreign blood. Therefore, he was desirous to have children with an indigenous Zambian woman.
Well, shortly after, Dr Pule shocked the nation when he appeared in the local media during a colourful wedding ceremony with 26 year old leah.
He was suspended from the church but that marriage was reliquished shortly after. We are told Leah has a four month old baby and Dr Pule is said to be the father, although he has demanded for a DNA test.
Last weekend, Dr Pule held a private wedding where pictures were not allowed but he was shocked to find himself on the front page of a local tabloid. He was clad in a white suit marrying again! This caused him problems with the lawkeepers.
He was marrying 43 year old widow Tamara Mwape.
It seems Dr Pule and Tamara have been seeing each other for some time now because the preacher man was praying for Tamara's husband before his demise in hospital.
What has perplexed many people is that Dr Pule would impatiently ask Tamara if her husband has past on yet each time the couple communicated.
During the press conference, Dr Pule said this was his last marriage.

Rev Dr Dan Pule

Rev Dr Dan Pule stressing point during a press conference at the Trinity Broadcasting Corporation (TBN) offices in Lusaka.

ZIMBABWE IS AN EMBARASSMENT TO AFRICA

President Mwanawasa is worried about neighbouring Zimbabwe where the opposition MDC has pulled out of the June 27 polls. Mr Mwanawasa listens to journalists during a press conference at State House.

Dr Mwanawasa said Zimbabwe is a gross embarassment to the SADC region and Africa at large. Dr Mwanawasa in the past also described Zimbabwe as a sinking titanic. Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga last week said Zimbabwe was an eyesore on the African continent.
During the presse conference at State House, Dr Mwanawasa indicated that the SADC was divided on Zimbabwe. He also expressed idssapointment at Zimbabwe mediator and South African President Tabo Mbeki's failure to avail him with information about his assignment on Zimbabwe.
"I have been relying on intelligence information and media reports," Dr Mwanawasa said.
Dr Mwanawasa called for the postponement of the election re-run because the environment fell short of minimum standards to hold such crucial polls.

Mwanawasa on Zimbabwe

President Mwanawasa listening to questions from journalists during the press conference on Zimbabwe at State House on Sunday afternon.

DOWN AND OUT

Osbourne Machimane lays on the base after he was sent to the canvas by Chingangu.


ZAMBIA’S JOSEPH ‘No Pressure’ Chingangu, the 43-year-old stopped South Africa’s Osborne Machimane in the seventh round to retain the Africa Boxing Union (ABU) heavyweight title in Lusaka at the weekend.
Chingangu took Machimane on the canvas four times. Three times on the trot in the fifth, sixth and the seventh round before Tanzanian referee, Charles Chagu stopped the fight.
Chingangu overpowered Machimane, who received forceful jabs all over his face in the first round but managed to beat the count and continued where he had left receiving more punches from the champion.
In the second round, both fighters exhibited an equal amount of strengthbut Chingangu almost committed a foul after he hit his opponent when the bell rang.
Chingangu sent Machimane back to the canvas in a short time in round five and six and the South African barely beat the count on those occasions.
By the time they returned for the seventh round, it was clear that was going to chuck out.
“The ref was going to get you killed for not stopping the fight earlier,” Chingangu told his opponent as sports deputy minister was assisting him to adorn his ABU belt while jubilant fans broke into song.
Machimane accused the referee of bias saying “This is the worst kind of refereeing I have ever seen. I want a rematch from South Africa” Machimane said.

Chingangu and Osborne

Police officers warn a member of Machimane's side who was caught off-side.

Down but not out yet

Osborne Machimane leans against the ropes after he was hammered by Chingangu.

Osborne Machimane down

Osborne Machimane before the bout.

ALBINOS FORM RIGHTS GROUP IN ZAMBIA

A group of albinos in Zambia have formed an association that would help them address issues affecting them.
The headquarters for the foundation are situated in the suburbs of Chilenje Township of Lusaka.
It is believed that albino and new kid on the musical block John Chiti is a mastermind of this development.
In Zambia, albinos experience harsh stigma. Some people say albinos dont die, they just disappear when the get older.
Some people refuse to mingle or interact with albinos becaue they say albinos are not human beings.
A particular instance is John Chiti himself, whose father disowned him at a very tender age.
John Chiti's father alleged that John was a curse to the family, hence the banishment from the family.
In Tanzania, albinos used to have whether factors such as the rays of the sun as their sole enemy. But now, the have new enemies-human beings.
The albinos are killed in Tanzania for ritual purposes.

Albino Foundation

Albino foundation headquarters.

WATER AND SANITATION IN LUSAKA TOWNSHIPS

The state of water and sanitation in Townships of Lusaka has remained poor. Last week, I visited Chipata, Chaisa, Kanyama and John Laing settlements.
Most households have no toilets while most of the toilet infrastructure available in a deplorable state.
In fact, most of the toilets are not permenent structures. They are makeshift arrangements, wrapped in an assortment of skins such as empty mealie-meal bags, cement bags, old corragated roofing sheets and such materials.
The pits under the toilets are also very shallow and are contaminating the water in the wells, since there is inadequate supply of piped water.
There is need for the authorities, communities and all stakeholders to galvanise efforts aimed at improving the water and sanitation state in the Townnhips.
Most of the Townships in Zambia are hit by water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentry especially during the rainy season. This is largely because there is no safe water and sanitation.
The time is now to plan ahead and avert all the disease outbreaks that affect the Townships before and during the on-set of the rains.
There is need to erect more toilets, dig drainage systems and build better housing structures. There is also need to pump a sense of responsibility in the the residents there that they must care and maintain the infrastructure because it belongs to nobody else other than themselves.
It is barely six months after most most of the Townships were submerged in floods during the previous rainy season. The effects are known. If what I have discussed was taken into consideration, then we would have been talking differently.
The time to act was yesterday. Today, we have to make and because it is too late. But, it is better late than never!

Public showers

A public toilet in Chipata Township. This infrastrcture has helped improve water and sanitation in the settlement. Many people are able to access the facility after working at the market for showers before proceeding home. They people can also use the toilet facility at a small fee.

Sweet potatoes

AN old woman selling sweet potatoes in Chipata Township at an open air market.

Scavengers

Scavengers

CHildren scavenging at a maiden bin in Chipata Township. The shildren are a high risk of contracting diseases from the waste.
Solid waste management in Chipata Township is a nightmare. The authorities responsible for its management have not done a good job. Residents have been dumping solid waste around the maiden bins placed at strategic points.

Solid waste management?

These two women belong to a ward development committee (WDC) in Chaisa Township. The WDC collects solid waste from the homes at a fee. This has contributed to the improvement of sanitation in the Township. However, the WDC faces many challenges such as the failure by some households to pay the levies.
Issues of accountability among the WDC members responsible for collecting and keeping the money is another obstacle that they face.

Toilets

A sarp contrast of toilets or pitlatrine. A better structure on this end and a totally opposite situation on the far end.