FPI Slams Police for Harassing Journalists at Press Briefing

 FPI Slams Police for Harassing Journalists at Press Briefing

The Zambia Free Press Initiative (FPI) has expressed worry at an incident that unfolded at Parklands Lodge in Kitwe during a press briefing held by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Kasonde Mwenda where police harassed journalists.

Police officers, in an attempt to intimidate journalists, ordered them to cease recording and demanded the deletion of any footage, pictures, or recordings captured during the event.

FPI founder Joan Chirwa says such actions not only violate press freedom guaranteed by Zambia's Constitution but also undermine the essential role journalists play in a functional democracy.

“The incident exposes the urgent need for the government to repeal and replace the Public Order Act, as its existence allows for such harassment to persist. Failure to address this issue promptly will only confirm suspicions of a deliberate attempt to maintain a draconian environment, perpetuating harassment of journalists by police,” Chirwa said.

“It is crucial for the Zambia Police to change their culture and recognize journalists as partners in disseminating information. By working together, they can ensure the safety of journalists and uphold the principles of a democratic society. This reform is especially important now, with the upcoming 2026 elections on the horizon, as it will prevent further mistreatment of journalists in the name of disrupting illegal assemblies.”

Mweetwa denies affair with musician’s wife after being named in su!c!de note

 Mweetwa denies affair with musician’s wife after being named in su!c!de note

MUSICIAN Nathan Mithi yesterday committed su!c!de after leaving a lengthy note explaining that he made that decision because his wife, Sabby Phiri, had been unfaithful throughout their marriage and he could no longer bear it.

Mithi, a member of Ghetto Link, left a list of 15 men whom he accused his wife of sleeping with and first on that list was Chief Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa.

But Mweetwa has denied the allegations, saying he was hearing the woman’s name for the first time and further accusing some critics of fabricating the story.

Meanwhile, Phiri says she has never met Mweetwa, but she had only sent him a message on behalf of her relative.

In his note, to which he attached a Google Drive link which he said contained evidence of his wife’s affairs like videos of her confessing and some pictures she had exchanged with some of the men, Mithi also admitted that after catching her cheating on him a few times.

By Angela Muchinshi

Credit: News Diggers

This decision comes as a response to the rising operational costs and the depreciation of the Kwacha.

 This decision comes as a response to the rising operational costs and the depreciation of the Kwacha.

More taxes to be collected in 2024 from taxpayers.

 More taxes to be collected in 2024 from taxpayers.

By Daily News Reporter

The Zambia Revenue Authority -ZRA- has projected to collect 125.3-billion kwacha through taxpayers next year.

This represents a 21.5-percent growth from ZRA's contribution to the current national budget of over 103-billion kwacha.

ZRA Commissioner General DINGANI BANDA said that next year's tax collection target amounts to 19.5 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product -GDP.

Speaking during a media conference in Lusaka, Mr. BANDA said the main growth drivers for 2024 are projected to be mining, Information Communication Technology -ICT, Agriculture, manufacturing, transport, tourism and Finance and Insurance.ambia

he has further warned landlords in a habit of evading rental taxes as the authority disclose that there are only 7,000 registered houses in Lusaka.

The ZRA database shows a total number of 13,900 taxpayers, a situation which is worrying as many are reported to be avoiding paying taxes.

He also said that ZRA and Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis (ZIPA) carried out details that will help the authority to make sure that every landlord and tenants account for the houses they occupy.

He added that they will go further by making sure that landlords issue receipts to tenants so that there can be proof of payment to each and every tenant.

"A lot of citizens are evading rental taxes both in residential and low residential areas willfully, a situation that will soon be dealt with aggressively to make sure that every citizen pays tax," he emphasized.

And Mr Banda Noted that there is a decline in the mining and querying which has declined from 39.3 in 2022 to 31.4 in 2023 which translates to a 7.9 percent decline in the year under review.

Mr. Banda wondered why there are only 888 accounts for tax while 520,387 are active taxpayers at the end of 2023 contributing 80 percent of the gross revenue collected during the nine months.

Meanwhile, ZRA Commissioner Direct Taxes Mr. Joseph Nonde expressed commitment in making sure that all citizens and companies comply with the tax payment as that will help the authority to operate perfectly without going through the challenges that they are currently having right now.

THE CDF GRADER KILLED A CHILD, THE CDF TIPPER OVERTURNED AND NOW THE POLICE CDF VEHICLES HAS CRASHED!

 THE CDF GRADER KILLED A CHILD, THE CDF TIPPER OVERTURNED AND NOW THE POLICE CDF VEHICLES HAS CRASHED!

...and driver assigned to use the CDF monitoring vehicle has died...

Malambo MP Peter Phiri writes

It is my displeasure to see how the worst things are happening in the constituency especially concerning the way/speed we have lost lives and the rate at which CDF procured machinery is getting destroyed.

In shortest possible time we lost the soul of a council worker in a terrible accident involving the CDF tipper. Not long enough, we lost a driver of the council who was assigned to drive the CDF monitoring vehicle, shortly after, our grader whilst on duty on road maintenance works killed an individual in Masumba area, as if that is not enough, our newly procured CDF Police Land Cruiser has been involved in a Road Traffic Accident and the extent of damage is something unexplainable.

How do we explain this to our citizens of the Constituency? What really is happening in the Constituency? What is it we should do? Are our Ancestors not happy that we want to develop the constituency?

Help us understand please. It is a very difficult situation we have gone through with a lot of questions left unanswered.

We seriously need a quick solution to all these challenges we're facing. God needs to intervene and we need prayers on a serious note.

LCC EMBARKS ON CONSTRUCTING MODERN GARBAGE BAYS AT NEW SOWETO AND MOBILE MARKETS

 LCC EMBARKS ON CONSTRUCTING MODERN GARBAGE BAYS AT NEW SOWETO AND MOBILE MARKETS

The Lusaka City Council - LCC has embarked on a project to construct modern garbage bays at New Soweto and Mobile Markets, in its quest to improve waste management systems at the two markets.

The project, which is funded by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), aims to improve sanitation and hygiene in our markets.

The Local Authority has contracted Shungu Construction Limited to undertake the works at the site, and the company has since commenced some excavation works.

The project, which is being funded at a total contract sum of K 180,000 for each garbage bay, commenced on 13th November 2023 and is expected to be completed and commissioned by 13th January 2024.

The initiative will benefit the traders in both markets and customers by providing them with a clean and safe environment for their business.

The project will also reduce the risk of diseases and pests that are associated with poor waste management and further improve the aesthetic appeal and the image of the markets, which will attract more customers and boost the income of the traders.

The council will continue to strive to contribute to the national goal of achieving a clean, green, and healthy Zambia by coming up with such waste management initiative.

 

NPA SECURES FORFEITURE OF K2.1 MILLION

Through another consent judgment, the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has secured forfeiture of K2.1 million belonging to a Lusaka businessman, Shadreck Zulu, following a questionable transaction from Cayman Islands.

Using a forged national registration card (NRC), Zulu opened a personal bank account at one of the local financial institutions before K2,120,104.21 was electronically transferred to the new account, thereby raising suspicion.

Last month, NPA facilitated seizure of money, an estate and vehicles with an estimated combined value of K46 million through consent judgments.

The money forfeited was K36.5 million which sat in various bank accounts belonging to Nigerian national Jeffrey Nnaoma Michaels, upmarket flats in Jesmondine in Lusaka and four Toyota Land Cruisers, property of The Big Tree Investment Limited.