No361 K10 www.diggers.news Thursday January 31, 2019 ZULU SUSPENDED FROM PF - MWILA ...and I have no apologies to Prime TV By Thomas Mulenga supporting Democratic Party leader Harry Kalaba’s final PF Secretary General Davies Mwila says Luangeni PF presidential bid, are cowards. Mwila, who is former Home Affairs Minister, told News member of parliament Charles Zulu’s suspension stands Meanwhile, Mwila says he will not apologise to Prime TV Diggers! in an interview, Wednesday, that the ruling Patriotic even though it was executed by the grassroots. for chasing away two of its journalists who went to cover his Front appreciated media houses which cover its activities, And Mwila says all PF members of parliament who are press briefing last Saturday, insisting that his decision was even if they were doing so negatively. To page 5 ACC nabs Corruption L/stone MP, perception Jere, for index will corruption see donors By Sipilisiwe Ncube The Anti-Corruption re-think aid Commission (ACC) has arrested Livingstone UPND to Zambia member of parliament Mathews Jere for abuse of authority of office. - Kambwili ACC spokesperson Timothy By Mirriam Chabala Moono revealed in a NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili says donors will have statement that Jere, between to rethink their aid to Zambia, 1st August, 2013 and 31st given the country’s poor October, 2014, whilst serving ranking in the Transparency as a councilor, illegally International’s Corruption allocated plots to himself and THANK YOU CALL AGAIN: A National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) officer leaves his booth to aid a stranded driver push Perceptions Index (CPI) 2018 his friends. To page 7 away his truck, which failed to start after he paid toll fees at Kafulafuta Toll Plaza - Picture by Mukosha Funga Report. To page 5 Witness turns against Police fight If anyone looted during running privatisation of mines, State in Chabi’s case battles in By Zindiwe Mbewe told the Mansa Magistrates’ Court that he doesn’t it’s MMD not HH - Belemu By Mirriam Chabala The key state witness in the case in which Chipili want anything to do with the matter, adding Zambezi Mbabala UPND member of parliament Ephraim Belemu says if anyone Independent member of parliament Jewis Chabi that the case should have been closed after he looted during the privatization process, it was those who were in the is charged with malicious damage to property has reconciled with the accused. To page 7 after death Movement for Multiparty Democracy, and not Hakainde Hichilema. Recently, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo charged that there of suspect were looters in the opposition who were waiting to get into government Public has no confidence in ACC - To pageWK 4 Story page 6 to steal the way they did during privatization. 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Local News www.diggers.news Thursday January 31, 2019 Konkola Copper Mines won’t cut jobs, assures Acting CEO By Stuart Lisulo increase in mineral royalty on a sustained basis.” Konkola Copper Mines rates by 1.5 percentage points And Giridhar emphasised (KCM) has announced that at all levels of the sliding scale. that KCM was renewing its the 2019 mining fiscal regime It also introduced import focus on Konkola Deep Mine will not lead to any job losses duties of five per cent on in Chililabombwe and would at any of its operations. copper and cobalt, while ensure further investment in In a statement jointly-issued also hiking export duty the short to medium-term, by Ministry of Finance on precious stones and according to the statement. spokesperson Chileshe gemstones to a rate of 15 “…Our actions are designed Kandeta and KCM’s general per cent, a situation that to sustain and create jobs, manager for corporate affairs had prompted mining grow the economy, and Eugene Chungu, Tuesday, companies to threaten job contribute more to the KCM announced no job cuts cuts, while compelling KCM country’s treasury while would happen following the to downsize its Nchanga effectively implementing 2019 mining fiscal regime. Smelter operations due to low our asset and liability PF Secretary General Davies Mwila with Cuban Ambassador to Zambia Francisco The 2019 mining fiscal availability of concentrates. management programme,” Javier Viamontes Correa at the Cuban embassy yesterday when the ruling party CEO regime, which took effect But KCM acting chief read the statement. paid a courtesy call on him January 1, 2019, has seen an executive officer Venkatesan Meanwhile, Finance Minister Giridhar informed a high- Margaret Mwanakatwe level government delegation hailed KCM for choosing during a consultative meeting the path of dialogue and in Lusaka, which included for the proactive approach Goverment has only paid K23m out of Ministry of Finance, Mines in reviewing mine and Labour officials, that operations and sustaining the Vedanta-owned mining job creation, among others. K101m debt to lecturers – UNZALARU firm will not be effecting She also insisted that the any job cuts at any of its impending Sales Tax will soon By Thomas Mulenga only K23 million has been released. the 2019 budget, there is only K69 operations on the Copperbelt. come into effect as planned. University of Zambia Lecturers and And they have not explained where the million, so we don’t understand how “I wish to confirm, therefore, “Let us walk the journey Researchers Union (UNZALARU) rest of the money which they budgeted government is going to liquidate that THERE WILL BE NO together so that by April secretary general Dr Kelvin Mambwe for has gone. That has caused serious the debt owed to our members.” LOSS OF JOBS AT OUR 1, 2019, we can implement says government only paid K23 anxieties amongst our members and He said this would continue being SITES as a result of the new tax the Goods and Services Tax million out of the K101 million has potential for continued industrial a recipe for strikes by lecturers. regime,” Giridhar announced, (GST),” stated Mwanakatwe, that was budgeted for in the 2018 disputes, we will, however, go ahead “In fact, I would say that there is when he presented a paper on adding that the GST national budget to settle pension with work as schools open. We are no commitment on the part of the impact of the 2019 mining will be a hybrid of Value and gratuities debt owed to lecturers supposed to meet the Permanent government. Because if on one hand fiscal regime on KCM mining Added Tax and Sales Tax, and researchers at the institution. Secretary this coming month in order they say they are going to give K500 operations and its future with all the attendant In an interview, Dr Mambwe to understand why government only million, but what comes in the budget undertakings at the Ministry incentives and exemptions said government was not released K23 million out of the K101 is less than that, then where is the of Finance in Lusaka. for manufacturers, committed to liquidating the million that was budgeted for in last commitment? In fact, that in itself is “As KCM, we undertake to exporters, and other eligible debt that it owed to lecturers. year’s budget,” Dr Mambwe said. a recipe for continued strikes at the constructively engage key sectors of the economy. “There is no big problem with salaries “Also if you look at this year’s (2019) University of Zambia. So, you will still stakeholders, such as the Other pressing matters at the moment, the main issue is budget, we were told that Cabinet see some serious challenges as the year government, trade unions, covered in the consultative concerning pensions and gratuities. had approved a financing strategy begins, such as work stoppages and the media, local communities, and information exchange Last year, government had budgeted that required that this year’s budget the like, not until government comes and our shareholders, in a meeting were KCM smelter about K101 million for the University reflects about K500 million, but to terms with their commitment,” respectful manner to ensure business strategy, the deficit of Zambia, but out of that amount, if you look at the actual figures in cautioned Dr Mambwe. that we contribute to the of concentrates in the growth of the economy country, among others. By Mirriam Chabala Mbabala UPND member of parliament Ephraim Privatisation looting wrongly pinned on Belemu says if anyone looted during the privatization process, it was those who were in the Movement for HH, ask those who were in MMD - Belemu Multiparty Democracy. Recently, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo up looting, its them actually work, to go on radio just charged that there were looters who should be accountable. to malign a private citizen in the opposition who were And most of the people who and say something, which waiting to get into government were in MMD are not dead, is not factual,” Belemu said. to steal the way they did during so it’s them to tell us exactly “In a civilized government, the privatization process. what transpired,” Belemu said. when a minister speaks, it’s But in an interview, He said Lusambo was being policy and it’s also informed Belemu said if anyone mischievous and untruthful, by a research and facts. Just stole during privatisation, arguing that government misinforming, lying or not it was MMD members would have already taken telling the truth calls for because they were in power. legal action against the resignation of a minister or “Mr Bowman Lusambo, not UPND leader if he really indeed that government. So, too long ago, he was in MMD stole anything in the 1990s. they cannot continue to use where he was a ‘die hard’ and “Those are just last kicks of a false statements as government.