Afrophobia in Zambia

Foreign nationals, among them Zimbabweans, were forced to seek refuge at police stations in parts of the Zambian capital Lusaka following what was seen as an outbreak of afrophobic attacks on foreigners.

The attacks were sparked by reports that foreigners had been arrested in connection with alleged ritual killings.

Zimbabwean nationals resident in Lusaka sent distress calls to relatives back home saying they had sought refuge at various police posts in western parts of Lusaka.

Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Embassy in Zambia to establish the extent to which Zimbabwean nationals were affected were fruitless last night.

Zambia: Civil Servants, Soldiers, Not Yet Paid.

Civil Servants, soldiers and police officers have not yet been paid for November. These government workers are normally paid between 18th and 20th each month. But the Watchdog has been informed that the president, ministers, permanent secretaries and other senior government officials who have other sources of income and other huge allowances received their salaries last Friday.

Teachers sit in bank to wait for October salaries

Zambia confirms the death of President Michael Sata

The Zambian government has confirmed that President Michael Sata has died after an illness.

Roland Msiska, secretary to the Zambian Cabinet, said in a statement Wednesday that Sata died late Tuesday in London, where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness.

Msiska says Sata's wife, Christine Kaseba, and other family members were with the 77-year-old president when he died.

Private Muzi television station and the Zambia Reports and Zambian Watchdog websites said the southern African nation's cabinet was about to meet.

Michael Chilufya Sata was born in 1937 in Mpika, in the Northern Province of Zambia.

He came to power in September 2011 and became Zambia’s fifth President after the country gained independence in 1964.

Before independence he was a police officer, railway man and trade unionist.

Under the leadership of Zambia’s first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda, Sata became the governor of the capital city, Lusaka.

During the campaign for the return to multi-party elections in 1991, he left the ruling Party UNIP to join the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy MMD under the leadership of Frederick Chiluba.

When the MMD won the 1991 elections, he served in the ministries of local government, labour and health.

He was later appointed minister without portfolio.

In 2001, Sata left the MMD when the then President Chiluba opted to appoint Levy Mwanawasa as the Party’s flag-bearer as opposed to himself.

He then formed the Patriotic Front, which contested and lost elections in 2001, 2006 and in 2008.

Sata then ran for the Presidency for a fourth time in September 2011 and won forty three percent of the vote.

Son's Suicide Shocks Dad

THE father of a 15-year-old boy in Ndola who committed suicide on Wednesday has said he is shocked at the death of his son because he did not know why he killed himself.

Boniface Chimbala said in an interview yesterday that the family was still searching for answers to why his young son decided to take his life.

"He was too young to live with unbearable burdens. I am the father who should have burdens too hard to carry, not a 15-year-old boy," Mr Chimbala said.

Peter Chimbala, of 1321 Kapata Road in Kawama Township, who was a Grade Seven pupil at Intulo Primary School, hanged himself to a mango tree with a nylon rope around 09:00 hours.

Mr Chimbala said before the incident happened, he had a warm conversation with his son in the morning.

He said he even saw his son talking normally to his friends on the roadside.

Mr Chimbala said even his younger siblings said he behaved normally.

Peter was found by his mother hanging from the tree.

Mr Chimbala said he was shocked to be told that his son had committed suicide when he was on his way to Kitwe.

Burial for Peter, who was the sixth child out of 10, is scheduled for today at Kawama Cemetery.

TAZARA

Tanzania Zambia Railway (Tazara)

Unregistered SIM cards will be de-activated in Zambia

Zambia Information and Communication Authority has said all unregistered SIM cards will not be able to send out short message services effective January 1 2014 and the rest of the facilities will be de-activated. 

Zambia threatens to shut shoprite after dismissal of 300 workers

Labour minister Fackson Shamenda told owners of shoprite on Thursday after the South African retailer fired 3000 workers who went on strike that they would cancel their trading licence if they continue with the dismissal.  they were given 10 days to negotiate and resolve the problem.

workers went on strike to demand higher pay and improved working conditions.

Zambia is the second largest shoprite outside South Africa.