The mines ministry says the latest move is aimed at increasing transparency in Africa’s top copper producer.

Mines Permanent secretary Godwin Beene in a document dated 4th October said all the current permits issued by his ministry are immediately suspended pending issuance of new guidelines by the government.

The new procedures are to be in place by October. 16, according to the document addressed to the heads of mines operating in the country, which include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals, London-listed Vedanta Resources , Glencore International AG and Metorex of South Africa.

Both KCM and Glencore said they would cooperate with the government, but declined to comment further.

Copper accounts for three-quarters of Zambia’s export earnings, but the mining industry contributes only about 10 percent of its tax revenue.

Party deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has told Qfm that President Sata took the oath to protect the Zambian citizenry regardless of religious or political affiliation and that this should bear fruits.

Mr. Nyangu says it is unfortunate that some perceived political opponents are being subjected to public ridicule, a situation he says should not manifest in Zambia’s democratic dispensation.

He says President Sata should govern the country under the umbrella of one Zambia one nation as he is a leader for the whole country.

Mr. Nyangu has since charged that members of the former ruling party are living in fear following recent attacks by suspected PF cadres and further calls on the PF government to unite the country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Qfm, ambassador Sadek said the increase will be attributed to the conducive environment that government has created for foreign investment.

He has further explained that the stance taken by the Patriotic front government in tackling the escalating levels of corruption as built confidence in the Zambian business arena for foreign investors.

Ambassador Sadek has stated that despite his country slowly recovering from the recent revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, the business community in his country is eyeing Zambia as an investment destination.

He has also hailed Zambians for preserving peace and stability stating that stability is a pre-requisite for any country to attract investors.

Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwin Zumbunu says government will only give One thousand hectares of land to the investor who wanted land for game ranching.

Mr. Zumbunu has told ZANIS in Kabwe that government could not give a huge chunk of land amounting to 20-thosand hectares to one person.

Jan Wessy Jacob Boatha, an investor is allegedly to have been given 20-thousand hectares of land by Chief Kaindu of Mumbwa district in Central province at a cost of 5-hundred Million kwacha for game ranching.

But Mr Zumbunu says out of the 20-thousand hectares the investor required, only 1,000 hectares will be offered to him while 19, 000 hectares will be given back to the people in the area.

Meanwhile Chief Kaindu has denied receiving 50-Million kwacha as down payment from the 5-hundred Million kwacha cost of the land allegedly sold to Mr Boatha.

Chief Kaindu told ZANIS that the matter was exaggerated by a Ward Councilor in his chiefdom who allegedly instigated villagers to protest and petition government through the then Mumbwa District Commissioner Lemmy Chibuye.

The girl, identified as Brilliant Muyuwa, is alleged to have been defiled and strangled around 02:00 hours on Saturday by Kelvin Musopela.

The man allegedly “sneaked” into the house as the girl’s parents and other members of the family were attending a funeral within Chibombo District.

Musopela allegedly defiled the girl repeatedly and later strangled her as she struggled in vain to get out of his grip. He later got the body and dumped it 10 metres from the house.

Central Province commissioner of police Solomon Jere confirmed the incident which occurred at Musopela Village in Keembe Constituency.

Dr Jere said Musopela was apprehended before he could flee and handed over to the police, who have since detained him.

In Mumbwa, a 51-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband after she refused to get back to the matrimonial home following their separation.

Dr Jere said police investigations revealed that the woman, identified as Leya Banda, left the matrimonial home some months ago after differences with her husband, Kelinson Maambo in Chief Shakumbila’s area.

He said Mr Maambo on Saturday followed his wife who was at the time busy in her cotton field.

He asked her to get back home but she refused and this incensed him.

He allegedly produced a knife and stabbed her several times in her chest and other parts of the body, killing her instantly.

Villagers who heard a woman cry for help rushed to the scene only to find her lying in a pool of blood.

Some villagers attempted to give chase but failed to get hold of Mr Maambo.

They later spotted him taking a quick bath at a nearby stream but after seeing that he was being followed, he ran away leaving his clothes behind.

Police have since launched a manhunt.

QFM’s Namasiku Njovu reports from Msanzala that Colonel Lungu beat three other candidates to retain the seat which he previously held as an independent.

Results from all the 43 polling stations in the constituency gave Colonel Lungu 7,172 votes, while MMD’s Peter Daka trailed him in second position with 4,065 votes.

Independent candidate Usuman Maumba came third with 355 votes, with UNIP’s Shadrick Banda coming last with 201 votes.

Two hundred and one votes were rejected.

Returning officer Magdalene Mutinta declared Colonel Joseph Lungu as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Msanzala at about 09:45 hours.

DEC Acting Public Relations Officer Samuel Silomba tells QFM that Jay Ernest Chisanga, 40, of Woodlands Extension in Lusaka was arrested and jointly charged with Enock Rakim Kapusa, 37, of Farm No. CC1140 Ngwerere in Lusaka, and Chipo Hachitapika, 32, of Plot No. 194/25 Olympia Extension in Lusaka, for money laundering related offences involving over K 800 million.

Mr Silomba says it is alleged that Jay Ernest Chisanga, Director of Hemens Import & Export, Enock Rakim Kapusa an Accountant in Government Ministry, and Chiko Hachitapika a Banker at a named Bank, did steal over K800million property of the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

He says they did this by forging and uttering accountable documents, namely Electronic Funds Transfer Advice (EFTA) and backing sheet from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry where they purported that Hemens Import & Export was the beneficiary of the said funds, when in fact not.

Mr Silomba further states that the trio further engaged into money laundering by importing various goods through Hemens Import & Export from different countries using the said proceeds of crime.

In another development, the Commission has arrested and jointly charged two persons for issuing a cheque on an insufficiently funded account.

Kunda Newton Silwenga, 37, of Plot No. 24392A, Libala South in Lusaka was arrested and jointly charged with Thomas Mwansa Mushibwe, 39, of 750 Avondale Lusaka, for issuing four (04) post-dated cheques amounting to over K23million on an insufficiently funded account.

The suspects have since been released on bond and will appear in court soon.

Republican President Michael Sata recently re-aligned Chirundu and Itezhi Tezhi districts from Southern Province to Lusaka and Central provinces respectively.

But during a purported meeting of all chiefs in the province which Chief Mwanachingwala has however denied attending held last week, the traditional leaders vowed to oppose government’s move to re-align the two districts.

In an interview with Qfm, Mr. Chibuluma says there is need to negotiate and find a solution to the controversy surrounding the two districts

Mr. Chibuluma explains that settling the matter in the media is not a good way of resolving issues of national interest.

He has therefore suggested that government should hold a stakeholders’ meeting involving all concerned parties in the districts that have been re-aligned so far to discuss issues of boundaries and the way forward.

This comes after the signing of an agreement between a Zambian firm, Sub-Saharan Gemstone Exchange Industrial Park (SGE) of Ndola and Maysen & Borowski Group of Australia to construct the refinery and pipeline.

Zambia’s second refinery and the new pipeline running from Dar-es-Salaam to Ndola will see increased fuel production by an additional five million litres of fuel per day which it is projected would lead to a reduction of fuel prices in Zambia by 30 per cent. The new refinery will be using natural crude in its production process.

SGE and Maysen & Borowski Group of Australia signed the agreement in Ndola yesterday in the presence of Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Robert Sichinga.

Maysen & Borowski Group Manager for Finance and Corporate Services, Mathew Borowski who signed on behalf of his company, said the idea to invest in Zambia was mooted in October last year when Vice-President, Guy Scott and Mr Sichinga were in Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit.

The Group comprises five companies, dealing in corporate risk solutions and investment.

It operates in Australia, United States of America, Canada and Africa and is headquartered in Perth, Australia. The company’s establishment in Zambia is expected complement Indeni Petroleum Refinery output.

Mr Borowski said the project would create 13,000 jobs during construction and 5,000 jobs when the entire project, which will include a dry-port, warehouse and houses, was completed.

He said although Zambia was landlocked it was strategically located for investment and trade. Zambia has easy access to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).

“The project will increase fuel production by five times and we also want to open up the Congo DR market,” he said.

He said the success of the petroleum refinery project would also create opportunities for other companies.

Mr Borowski said his company was also involved in tourism and would look at constructing mini hydro-power stations.

Zambia’s national consumption for diesel is pegged at more than one million litres while petrol stands at about 750 litres pay day.

SGE chairperson, Phesto Musonda said the refinery would be built at a cost of US$1.7 billion while the pipeline from Tanzania to Ndola would gobble up US $1.6 billion.

Mr Musonda said Zambia consumed 1.5 million litres of fuel per day and that the new refinery would be producing five million litres per day.

He said SGE was happy to partner with Maysen & Borowski Group because the petroleum refinery would come with a number of benefits besides the creation of thousands of jobs.

And Mr Sichinga said that the Government was mobilising investors and encouraging Public Private Partnerships (PPP).

He said he was impressed with the rate at which the plans for the refinery and pipeline project had progressed because it was only in October last year when the idea was discussed and already experts had assessed its viability.

The minister said foreign investors alone could not develop the country and that this was the reason the Government was encouraging Zambians to engage in partnerships.

He said that the liberalisation of the economy in the 1990’s cost Zambians a lot but that the country would re-look at what went wrong  to create an impetus for economic growth.

A feasibility study would immediately start before construction commences at the former Ndola Copper Refinery in the industrial park of the industrial area.