OUTSPOKEN Patriotic Front (PF) presidential hopeful, Chishimba Kambwili has been arrested and charged with unlawful assembly.

He has jointly been charged with Charles Kakula, who led a protest march to Mr Kambwili’s house on January 26th, this year.

The PF presidential hopeful earlier availed himself to police this morning after being summoned.

Mr Kambwili who was accompanied by PF member and presidential aspirant Emmanuel Mwamba.

And addressing journalists, Mr Kambwili said before his arrest that police surrounded his premises at 05:00 hours.

“They wanted to create a scenario that I am a fugitive who wanted to run away from police. But my lawyer and I wrote to police that I will avail myself on Monday and here I am,” he said.

An Police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale also confirmed that Mr Kambwili has been detained for the offence of Unlawful Assembly contrary to section  74 read together with section 75 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

“He has been jointly charged with Charles Kakula who is already in Police custody facing the same offence.It is alleged that the two whilst acting together with other unknown persons did Unlawfully assemble causing other persons to reasonably fear for the breach of public peace,” he said.

(Mwebantu, Monday, 6th Februray, 2023)

FORMER Zambia Air Force commander Eric Chimese and businessman James Chungu have been found with a case to answer in a matter they are facing money laundering allegations.

The Lusaka Magistrates Court has since placed them on their defence.

In 2019, Lt Gen Chimese was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for allegedly engaging in activities such as possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Chimese, who has been arrested together with Chita Lodges Limited director James Chungu, is accused of concealing property, among them fully furnished luxury flats which are suspected to be proceeds of crime.

(Mwebantu, Monday, 6th Februray, 2023)

MINISTER of Energy Peter  Kapala has announced that government will next week release USD$24 million to ZESCO to pay Mozambique, which is owed for the previous import of power into Zambia.

Mr Kapala said the move is aimed at ensuring that Mozambique continues to supply Zambia with power and help cushion effects of load management.

And the Minister said loadshedding schedule has been reduced to fours hours a day, which means that households will be loadsheded only once a day.

Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka, Mr Kapala said there has been an improvement in the flow of water into the major hydro power reservoirs, which has resulted in increased power generation at Kariba.

“I am delighted to announce that this improvement in the water inflows has resulted in increased power generation at Kariba North Bank Power Station, Kafue Gorge Power Station, Kafue Gorge Lower Power station. Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station and Victoria falls Power Station. With this improvement, total electricity generation has now increased by 305 Megawatts, bringing the total national generation to 2,215 Megawatts. This increased generation is against the current power demand of 2,380 Megawatts resulting in a reduced power deficit from 470 Megawatts to 165 Megawatts,” he said.

The Energy Minister said the load-sheding duration has since been reviewed and revised downwards from eight hours to four hours.

He said customers will now be load-shed once in a day for four hours only, adding that with the adjustment, customers will have power for a total of 20 hours in a day as opposed to the previous 16 hours of power supply.

Mr Kapala assured the general public and the business community that government is doing everything possible to normalize the situation.

“Some of the planned interventions by government include importation of 100 to 200 Megawatts of power from EDM of Mozambique which will further reduce the Power deficit,” he said.

(Mwebantu, Friday, 3rd Februray, 2023)