Zambia fires Food Reserve Agency Chief.

By John Chola - 23/08/12 Zambia's Food Reserve Agancy (FRA) has fired its Chief Executive Officer, David Matongo (left).

Matongo a former law maker was appointed FRA CEO by President Michael Sata only last years to take over from Dr Anthony Mwanaumo who too was fired. Mwanaumo also took over from former CEO Fridah Luhila after she lost her job in a similar manner. During Matongo's tenure as FRA CEO the Agency had been faced with challenges in securing Maize and other grains going by the huge amount of the crop grain that had gone to waste. Two days ago Zambia's Agriculture Minister Emmanuel Chenda on his visit to Eastern Province was shocked to discover that the Agency still had not disposed of rotten maize which some unscrupulous persons were now repackaging for resale to FRA. Several agriculture experts believe that FRA lacked a sound strategy to secure the country's staple food. FRA still has stocks of grain from the last two seasons which is still lying uncollected in insecure satellite depots. Lots of uncollected maize had been socked this month following the off season rains the country had been experiencing. FRA is one of Zambia's most prioritised Agencies that receive huge amouts of budgetory allocations in time to enable it collect and secure the grain. The Ministry of Finance announced Thursday that it had disbursed about 49 per cent of the 2012 national budget totaling US$ 5 billion. Experts have observed that the FRA had taken up a huge chunk of this year's total disbursement between January 2012 to July 2012. End.

Another African leader, Ethiopian Prime Minister Zenawi, dies 57.

By John Chola – 21/08/2012

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has died in hospital abroad, the government said Tuesday. This is after weeks of speculation about his health. He was admitted to hospital in July and since then the nature of his condition has not been made public. "Prime Minister Meles Zenawi passed away yesterday evening at around midnight," spokesman, Bereket Simon said, adding that the 57-year-old "was abroad" when he died, without giving further details. Meles had not been seen in public for two months, and had been reported to have been sick in a hospital in Brussels, although Bereket gave no details of the illness. "He had been recuperating well, but suddenly something happened and he had to be rushed to the ICU (intensive care unit) and they couldn't keep him alive." According to Ethiopia's constitution, Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is to "act on behalf of the Prime Minister in his absence". • Mels Zenawi Asresnhas been Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 1995. He was President of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995. • Born: May 8, 1955 (age 57), Adwa • Party: Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front • Education: Addis Ababa University (1974), Erasmus University, Open University Analysts say it has not been clear how the government has been run since Meles was reported to have fallen sick in June. The position of president is largely honorific and Meles, a former rebel fighter who came to power in 1991 after toppling the bloody dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam, held the real political power. Just about a month ago on July 24, 2012 Ghana's President John Atta Mills died suddenly.

Barrick Gold explores sale of 74 per cent Africa shares.

By Editor – 20/08/12 Owners of Zambia's Lumwana Mine Barrick Gold, the Canadian mining group, confirmed last week Thursday it is in discussions to sell a 74 per cent stake in African Barrick Gold to a Chinese company. Toronto-based Barrick said talks were under way with China National Gold Group Corporation, a Beijing based mining group, but that they were at a preliminary stage. However, one person with knowledge of the discussions has told the Financial Times that Zijin Mining Group, the Chinese copper and gold miner, had also indicated a preliminary interest in African Barrick. According to people familiar with the matter, Barrick has been working with UBS to consider its options for African Barrick, which the Canadian miner, the largest gold producer globally, partially floated in 2010. China Gold, which has subsidiaries listed in Hong Kong and Toronto and on Beijing’s A share market, is the biggest producer of gold in China and in 2007 set a target to quadruple assets and revenues within four years. African Barrick, Tanzania’s largest gold producer, has performed poorly since being spun off from its Canadian parent in 2010, with its shares slumping about 30 per cent since listing. An offer for Barrick’s stake in African Barrick could trigger an offer for the whole of the London-listed company, people familiar with the matter said, putting the onus on its independent directors to safeguard minority owners’ interests. The UK-listed miner’s shares surged more than 11 per cent to 437.6p in early trading on Thursday. The Financial Times says Barrick Gold recently signalled it was reining in its expansion plans and introducing a renewed focus on disciplined spending, as it announced a big cost over-run at its key development project in South America. Jamie Sokalsky, the new Barrick chief executive, pledged that “returns will drive production; production will not drive returns” as he unveiled a review of the miner’s sprawling portfolio of assets. The Chinese group has, thus far, had a limited profile on the world stage. In August, Zijin said it had bought more than 50 per cent of Norton Gold Fields, an Australian company, calling the move “the first successful example for Chinese enterprise to take over large-sized gold mine in production”….FT

Global Peace and Justice blamed President Zuma, ANC for massacre of 34 workers at Lonmin mine in Marikana.

By John Chola -18/08/12 Global Peace and Justice Auckland (GPJA) of New Zealand has blamed President Jacob Zuma and the ANC-led government for a shootout at the Lonmin mine in Marikana, in the North West, that left 34 workers dead. (GPJA) spokesperson John Minto has said in an open letter to President Zuma that the government had "blood on their hands". "Just as we held the apartheid regime responsible for the massacres in the 70's and 80's, we now hold the ANC government responsible for the massacre of striking mineworkers," Minto said. He stated in a letter to Zuma that members of GPJA have watched with growing alarm at the direction the ANC leadership has taken South Africa since the first democratic election in 1994. "Under the ANC we have seen South Africa change seamlessly from race-based apartheid to economic apartheid," he regretted. He said the strike came as a result of the ANC's choice to follow free-market economic policies. "Such policies had always transferred wealth from the poor to the rich and stripped hope from the majority" he said. Minto said the struggle for liberation is not aimed at placing a few black faces at the top table in South Africa. South African Press Agency has learnt that New Zealand-based media outlet 3 News reported today that GPJA protesters attacked the South African consulate building in Auckland in response to the shooting. They used red paint bombs to splatter the walls and windows and stuck the open letter on the door. A total of 34 people were killed in a shootout that erupted near the mine on Thursday when police tried to disperse striking miners. More than 78 people were injured while another 10 people had been killed in the violent protests at the mine over the past week. President Jacob Zuma visited Lonmin yesterday where he condemned the violence. He called for an inquiry into the incident. Ends...///

Rhumba star Koffi Olomide indicted.

By John Chola 17/08/12 Democratic Republic of Congo renowned Rhumba star Koffi Olomide has been indicted for assault and battery.

Should journalists convey emotion when covering crisis events – like police teargasing supporters of opposition UPND Hakainde Hichilema at Lusaka Central Police?

By JCN’s/IJNet In the aftermath of the recent teargasing of supporters of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and the earthquake in China, many radio reports coming out of Sichuan province and Lusaka respectively featured journalists who were outwardly distraught and emotional; National Public Radio reporters Robert Siegel and Melissa Block, from the U.S., admitted they got “choked up” and even cried on air, which they said made their coverage of the devastation more real. A young female radio journalist covering the event at Lusaka Central Police admitted too she got “chocked” and even cried on air. Should journalists convey emotion when covering crisis events?