Beloved figure in the Archdiocese of Zaragoza, Spain, Father Javier Sánchez tragically passed away from severe burns sustained during the Easter Vigil.
Reports from El Heraldo de Aragón reveal that Father Sánchez valiantly attempted to shield nuns from a sudden blaze sparked by a liturgical candle.
The incident occurred within the confines of the Santa Isabel neighbourhood’s convent, where Father Sánchez, aged 60, served as a parish priest at St. Gregory Church.
“The priest tried to protect the nuns of the convent when embers lit up in the basin that was used [for the fire] and that ultimately caused his death. Apparently a flammable substance had been used to start the fire. [The Easter Vigil] was held inside the convent,” said the source cited by the Spanish newspaper.
He was also deeply involved in counselling the Brotherhood of Humility and was the chaplain of the Franciscan Conceptionists in the area.
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During the customary blessing of the Easter fire, an unforeseen ignition led to the priest’s vestments catching fire, causing significant burns to 50% of his body.
Despite immediate medical attention at Miguel Servet Hospital, Father Sánchez succumbed to his injuries, leaving a profound void in the community.
The Archdiocese of Zaragoza has announced a funeral Mass on April 5, presided over by Archbishop Carlos Escribano, followed by a farewell ceremony at the parish.
The Brotherhood of Humility has also expressed its grief and solidarity on social media, highlighting Father Sánchez’s dedication and legacy.
“Deepest condolences and support to his entire family” and announced the celebration today of a Mass for his eternal rest. “May the humility of God and the sweetness of Mary shelter you in heaven. Rest in peace. We will never forget you, Javi. Care for us in glory,” the brotherhood wrote.
Beyond his spiritual contributions, Father Sánchez was known for his passion for music, earning the moniker of a “rocker priest.”
He leaves behind a musical legacy, having recorded albums and performed concerts both locally and internationally.
The United Nations court will start hearings on Monday in a case that wants Germany to stop giving military and other help to Israel. The case says Germany is helping in acts of genocide and breaking international laws in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Israel says that its military actions do not break the Genocide Convention.
Nicaragua’s case is mainly about Germany, but it also criticizes Israel’s military actions in Gaza after the deadly Oct. incident. In 2007, Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, and about 1,200 people were killed. Over 33,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The toll doesn’t care if someone is a civilian or a fighter, but it has been reported that most of the people who have died are women and children.
“We are peaceful and we will explain our side in court,” said Sebastian Fischer, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, before the hearings.
“We do not agree with Nicaragua’s accusations,” Fischer told reporters in Berlin on Friday. Germany did not break the rules about genocide or international humanitarian law, and we will explain this in detail at the International Court of Justice.
Nicaragua asked the court to order Germany to stop giving military aid to Israel because it may be used to violate international law.
The court will probably need a few weeks to make its first decision, and Nicaragua’s case could take many years to be resolved.
On Monday, there was a meeting at the world court about the need for countries to stop giving weapons to Israel. This is because Israel has been attacking Gaza for six months and causing a lot of damage.
The attack has forced most people in Gaza to leave their homes. There is not enough food, the UN says that a famine is coming, and only a few Palestinians have been able to leave the area that is surrounded by enemies.
Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at the University of Notre Dame thinks that the upcoming court case in The Hague will probably make more people against giving any support to Israel.
On Friday, the highest group that looks after people’s rights at the United Nations asked countries to stop sending weapons to Israel. The United States and Germany were against the resolution.
Many British legal experts, including three former Supreme Court judges, want their government to stop selling weapons to Israel after three U. KPeople from World Central Kitchen charity were killed in Israeli strikes, along with other aid workers. Israel said that they attacked the aid workers by accident because they thought they were someone else.
For many years, Germany has strongly supported Israel. Days after October. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that because of Germany’s history and responsibility from the Holocaust, they will always support and protect the state of Israel’s security.
Berlin changed its opinion because many innocent people in Gaza have been hurt. They are now very concerned about the people in Gaza and are against a military attack in Rafah.
Nicaragua’s government has connections to Palestinian groups since the 1979 Sandinista revolution. UN experts accused the government of committing serious human rights abuses this year, but President Daniel Ortega denied the allegations.
In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything it can to stop people from dying, things from being destroyed, and genocide from happening in Gaza. South Africa filed a case accusing Israel of breaking the Genocide Convention.
Last week, the court told Israel to do more to help the people in Gaza. They need more ways to get food, water, fuel, and other things they need.
On Friday, Israel announced that it is opening a border crossing into northern Gaza to help get more aid to the people living there.
Nicaragua is saying that by helping Israel with political, financial and military support and by stopping funding for the United Nations aid agency for Palestinians, UNWRA, Germany is making it easier for genocide to happen. And Germany has not done enough to stop it.
Israel says it’s not committing genocide, they are just defending themselves. In January, Israeli legal advisor Tal Becker told judges that the country is fighting a war that they did not begin or want.
Leaders from other countries are upset with Ecuador because the police in the capital city entered the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former vice president who had been given permission to stay there for political reasons.
The raid on Friday made the Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and his government break off relations with Ecuador. They also plan to challenge the move at the World Court in The Hague.
The police forced their way into the embassy in Quito to arrest Jorge Glas, who had been living there since December. He asked for protection because he was accused of doing something wrong, and he got it a few hours ago.
Many people were very upset about the break-in.
The Organization of American States told its members not to use their own country’s laws as an excuse to not follow their international duties. This applies to countries like Ecuador and Mexico.
The Spanish government said on Sunday that breaking into the Mexican Embassy in Quito is against the rules for diplomatic relations. We want Mexico and Ecuador to follow international laws and get along with each other. They are like brothers to Spain and are part of the Ibero-American community.
Matthew Miller, who speaks for the US State Department, said that the United States doesn’t like it when the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is broken. It’s important for countries to follow the law and not interfere with diplomatic missions. He wants both countries to figure out their problems.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said the raid was a very bad thing for the world. It broke the rules of Mexico and international law because it didn’t respect the right to asylum.
Embassies are like another country and the police of the host country can’t go in without the ambassador’s permission. People who need help and protection have stayed at embassies in different countries for different lengths of time. For example, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, lived at the embassy of Ecuador in London for seven years because British police couldn’t arrest him there.
Alicia Bárcena, who works for Mexico’s government, wrote on the app X that some diplomats got hurt during the break-in.
Bárcena said Mexico will go to the International Court of Justice to show that Ecuador broke international laws. She also called back Mexican diplomats.
“Glas goes to jail. ”
On Saturday, Glas was moved from the attorney general’s office in Quito to a high-security prison in the port city of Guayaquil, where he will stay in custody. The crowd cheered “strength” as the prosecutor left with police and military cars.
Sonia Vera, a lawyer for Glas, said that the police entered his room and he fought back when they tried to make him put his hands behind his back. She said the police pushed him down and kicked him in different parts of his body, and when he couldn’t walk, they dragged him away.
Vera said the defense team couldn’t talk to Glas when he was at the prosecutor’s office, and now they are trying to file a petition to have him released.
Officials are looking into Glas for possible problems during his handling of rebuilding efforts after a big earthquake in 2016 that caused the deaths of many people. He was found guilty of taking bribes and being dishonest in other situations.
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, said on Saturday that President Daniel Noboa decided to go into the embassy because they thought Vice President Glas might try to run away, and they had already tried talking with Mexico a lot.
Mexico said yes to letting Glas stay there to be safe, just hours before the raid happened. Sommerfeld said that people who have been found guilty of regular crimes and by a proper court cannot be given asylum.
NoBoa is running for re-election.
Noboa became the president of Ecuador last year while the country was dealing with a lot of crime connected to drugs. He said the country was in a war in January and called 20 drug gangs terrorist groups. He authorized the military to stop them according to international laws.
Will Freeman, who knows a lot about Latin American studies, said sending police to Mexico’s embassy makes people worried about what Noboa is willing to do to get elected again. His time in office will finish in 2025 because he was chosen to complete the term of former President Guillermo Lasso.
“I hope Noboa doesn’t start to act like Bukele,” Freeman said. Bukele, the president of El Salvador, has been criticized for his strict crime policies by human rights groups. “In other words, he is willing to break the rules to become more popular before the election. ”
Freeman said that if Glas was using diplomatic protection incorrectly, it’s a different problem from sending police to the embassy.
“He said we often see politicians in Latin America using embassies and foreign countries to avoid being held accountable, instead of running away from being prosecuted. ”
The police are protecting the Mexican Embassy in Quito because there has been a lot of tension between Mexico and Ecuador.
Vera’s lawyer, Glasâ, said she’s worried something bad might happen to him in jail because lots of people have died in riots there. Some people who were in jail have died, including some people who are suspected of killing a candidate for president last year.
“Vera said that in Ecuador, going to jail is like being sentenced to death. ” “We believe that President Daniel Noboa Azín is responsible for the safety and well-being of Jorge Glas. “
Mr Mulambo Haimbe, the Minister of Justice and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs is accused of being at the centre or triggered the gruesome murder of Ms Valerie Franco and the subsequent suicide of her husband Mr Mike Ilishebo.
A very tragic occurrence that shook the city of Lusaka and the entire nation of Zambia at large.
Shockingly, immediately after the report of this grisly murder and suicide incident, audios in which Mr Ilishebo confronted Mr Haimbe over his alleged inappropriate love affair with his wife, Ms Franco emerged and went viral on various social media platforms.
In the audios, the discernably disheartened and helpless Mr Ilishebo is heard inviting Mr Haimbe for a “man- to- man talk” to discuss his alleged mischief with his wife. An invitation which Mr Haimbe calmly welcomed with a noticeable tone and temperament signaling that he was familiar with the matter at hand.
We may not be preview to the inner happenings in the home of this now deceased young couple. But certainly, their death and the manner in which they both died coupled with Mr Haimbe’s alleged involvement in this horrific end of their lives is extremely painful and disturbing especially to the families of the deceased persons.
Indeed, the law enforcement agencies are probing this horror-like occurrence. But whilst the investigation is taking place, it is evidently important that Mr Haimbe resigns. We are not imputing that Mr Haimbe is guilty of the murder or any of that sort of crimes, no! But at this stage, this matter is not all about legality but morality too. And one ought to satisfy both the legal and moral dimensions of the matter in order for them to remain without stain. And going by what happened so far, Mr Haimbe’s suitability to continue holding office in the wake of this alleged scandal and the inappropriateness of his conduct is not attainable.
This is not to say Mr Haimbe should be an angel or a saint, no! We are merely illustrating the gravity of the situation before him, how hugely problematic his continued stay in office will be, and how unbearable it will be to have a person with such allegations and perceptions about their character and morality at the helm of our justice system and our international relations and cooperation. And trying to conceal or disguise this incident by handling or representing it misleadingly or keeping quiet on it won’t work.
Clearly, Mr Haimbe is no longer an asset to this government. He is actually a liability and the earlier, Mr Hakainde Hichilema accepted this fact, the better for our country and its image. This is not a matter Mr Hichilema can simply be glossed over like he has done before because it is humiliating the country and also it will haunt him permanently if he has any conscience.
Mr Haimbe must go. He is unfit to hold office. He must resign!
We wish to sincerely thank the Catholic Church in Ndola in particular and all Catholics in general for embracing all citizens in praising the Lord, God almighty. This we professed when we joined fellow Christians at St Joseph Cupertino Catholic Church of Ndola today.
We are also greatly indebted to the Parish Priest of St Joseph of Cupertino Catholic Church in Ndola, Fr. Andrew Chewe Mukosa for according us an opportunity to join our brothers and sisters in thanking God for the gift of life. We are so greatly honoured and profoundly appreciative by this gesture.
The Body of Christ is one and as God’s creation, we must always strive to work together including preaching the word of God to the outermost parts of the earth. That’s a fundamental principle of Christianity that we were all commanded to carry out by our Lord.
It is however unfortunate and regrettable that the Police who we are very much aware are being abused by those that have no value for human rights, freedoms and other liberties, attempted to stop us from attending mass and even throw us out of Church on grounds that we did not have a permit to attend a church service.
This is not only fundamentally wrong but it does not also please the Lord, God almighty and must be stopped immediately. We are however thankful to the Church leaders at St Joseph Cupertino for accepting that our rights were being infringed upon by the Police who themselves are abused.
When our time to be in government comes, which is soon, we will not be inconveniencing the church and citizens by such draconian rules that are not only against the rules of natural justice and other civil liberties but against the supreme laws of God Almighty.
We must unite as a people and remember that there is a God above in heaven watching over every human activity, and like Father Mukosa said, let’s not feel shy to talk about bad things happening in our country, because failing to do so would be allowing bad governance, thuggery and corruption to thrive without challenge.
For us, Zambia shall remain a Christian Nation not only in word but in deed too.
May God bless our country!.
Hakainde Hichilema UPND PRESIDENT.
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema shares a light moment with Fr. Andrew Chewe Mukosabat St. Joseph Cupertino Catholic Church in Ndola
CHURCH LEADERS SHOULD BE FREE TO SPEAK ON ANY ISSUE AND NOT ALL ARRESTS ARE SANCTIONED BY THE PRESIDENCY
Dr Nevers Mumba
Following our earlier counsel regarding the Police callout made out to Father Andrew Chewe Mukosa a Catholic Priest of Lufwanyama, who made some statements about the challenges being faced by Zambians. I wish to make the following statements.
To begin with, our position on what the priest said from the pulpit is that a church leader should be free to speak on any issue that affects his congregants. It may favor a government in place or it could be opposed to government’s view. The Bible covers both spiritual and socio economic issues. The only time a church leader should be apprehended is when he offends the law in either his conduct or speech.
Having said that, I now wish to address the next issue of the Police response to the to the catholic Priest’s statement.
I wish to give my opinion on the insinuation we are getting from several submissions is that President Hichilema is the one who directed the police to send out a call out to the Catholic priest for the statement he made in Church. This view represents how polarized and toxic our politics has become. The police are an independent service. They make both good and bad judgement. Thats why we have a court system which sorts out the good from the bad intentions.
As far as we know, The Presidency is a powerful institution by constitution, but the assumption that the president directly controls all institutions of state is a misguided view.
President Hichilema, like all of us will be interested to know why the police have taken this move. Until the priest is interviewed, we don’t know whether he has been called to explain his statement or there is another matter he has been called for. To assume that President Hichilema sent the police is malicious. This view of the presidency comes from an old time perception that presidents since independence are so powerful that they direct law enforcement wings to persecute political opponents. While this could be true in certain cases it’s not true in all cases.
WHAT ROLE DID M’MEMBE PLAY IN INVESTRUST,DBZ, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS, FINANCE BANK,NAPSA AND ZRA?
Authored By Mupishi Jones
On Thursday ,13 Sep 2012 the Daily Nation headline ” Nchito, M’membe dispute $4m debt” carried out an article on how Fred M’membe was involved in the financial transactions and subsequent debts of Finance Bank,DBZ, Zambian Airways and ZRA. The Daily Nation went further to state how the Nchito brothers and Fred M’membe had disputed the US $4 million debt claimed by Finance Bank and were now demanding for better particulars to enable them respond to the claim that had been logged in the Lusaka High Court. Finance Bank was demanding $4 Million from Fred M’membe, editor of the Post Newspaper, and Mutembo Nchito then Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Nchima Nchito, a Lusaka Lawyer, which money the bank claimed was obtained by fraudulent misrepresentation.
The three were Directors of the defunct Zambian Airways and were now being held personally liable for the money because according to Finance Bank,they fraudulently obtained the money when they knew that the company had no ability to pay back.
In a statement of claim before the court, Finance Bank, then represented by Sunday Nkonde noted that Mutembo Nchito and Fred M’membe through false misrepresentation obtained the money knowing that there was no way that Zambian Airways would pay back.
The amount included overdrafts and interests on it. The claim further asserted that Fred M’membe as a defendant had no genuine belief that the Post Newspaper through whose name the money was borrowed would pay the money within two days after demand in light of the fact that the Post newspaper had huge outstanding statutory liabilities with the Zambia Revenue Authority which it had not paid.
On 16 November 2016, Zambian Report published an article headlined
“End of an era.. The Post is being buried in broad daylight as Investrust Bank appoints Receiver”.
The publication went further to state how Fred M’membe’s Post Newspaper was suffocated by huge debts and that Investrust Bank appointed the Receiver to recover debts owed to it by the Post Newspaper.Investrust Bank Plc had appointed Kaongo Musonda as Receiver of the defunct Post Newspaper Ltd of Lusaka.This followed the winding up petition filed in High Court by five former Post Newspaper (in liquidation) employees,Andrew Chiwenda,Roy Habaalu, Bonaventure Bwalya,Mwendalubi Mweene and Abel Mboozi. In a list of updated claimants released by the Provisional Liquidator Mr Lewis Mosho dated, Sunday 6 November 2016,it was observed that the Post Newspaper Ltd owed various institutions K187 million (K187 billion unrebased) as follows;
(1) Investrust Bank was owed K7,952015.79 in loans and overdrafts,
(2) Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA)was owed K79,569,974.21 in unremitted taxes
(3) Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) was owed K97,248,505.13 ,a Zambian Airways loan it guaranteed,
(4) NAPSA was owed K3,087,308.05 in unremitted employees pension contributions.
Earlier on 9 April 2015,it was also reported that a defunct Zambian Airways, the airline that was owned by Mutembo Nchito and Fred M’membe, the owner of the Post Newspaper was one of the beneficiaries from the Zambia Security Intelligence Service (ZSIS) ZAMTROP account when it received a payment of $50,000 through Access Financial services allegedly at the instructions of the then ZSIS Director General.Civil Rights Activist Brebner Changala was quoted as having demanded an explanation as to what services Zambian Airways could have provided to the country’s intelligence system to deserve such a payment.Mr Brebner Changala is still alive and kicking,he can testify to this.
In all these transactions,Mr M’membe is quoted as having denied ever owning money from any institution.Probably on the basis of his companies being seperate legal entities, that it was the institutions that were borrowing and not him as an individual.However, lifting the veil,Mr M’membe was at the helm of both the Post Newspaper Ltd and Zambian Airways.
Mr Fred M’membe founded the Post in 1991 as a weekly Lusaka newspaper, along with three co-founders Mike Hall,John Mukela and Matsautso Phiri.By 1996,it started publishing Monday to Friday.By 2000, the newspaper was publishing daily and had become the most politically outspoken newspaper. Despite both companies the Post Newspaper Ltd and Zambian Airways being heavily indebted, the Daily Nation of 7 March,2021 on it’s front page headlined “How M’membe and Nchito looted Post, airline” went on to report how these two individuals of Zambian Airways and The Post Newspaper offered themselves high paying jobs where they were all Directors. Information that emerged then revealed that a contract of employment signed by Mr M’membe offered his friend, Mutembo Nchito SC employment as Chief Executive Officer for the now defunct Zambian Airways on 11th December, 2006 at a whooping US $20,000 monthly salary among other hefty allowances. And Mr Nchito as company secretary for the Post Newspaper designed the work contract for Mr M’membe as CEO and Managing Director with a net monthly pay of US $100,000 almost K1 billion (old currency)salary.
The two had a long history of friendship as manifested in the two legal work contracts signed, sealed and delivered to each other.
Mr M’membe in his contract was entitled to fire himself should he be dishonest or be caught up in any misconduct as CEO and managing director of the Post Newspaper. In the contract, his sister Likezo Kayongo signed as Post Newspaper board member to be witness for her brother, Mr M’membe.
Among other emoluments in his contract included five percent net profit for each year completed including holiday allowance of US $10,000 as well as 35 percent gratuity paid to him.
The Post was placed under liquidation following its failure to settle millions of debts from various banks in unpaid loans, workers salary arrears and huge backlog of unpaid taxes to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) among others.
Mr M’membe continued to pay himself hefty salaries for the last six years of the Post operations while the company waded in neck deep in debts from all sectors.
Mr Fred M’membe is seeking votes from all of us citizens of Zambia to elect him as our Republican President.It is therefore, imperative that he retraces his roots and clear all lingering questions from the citizens in his journey to state house. We therefore, demand a convincing,objective rational and detailed explanation on the above transactions. I submit
April 7th (SUSSEX)- The United Party for National Development (UPND) stands as a formidable opposition within itself. It’s internal discord remains a looming threat that cannot be ignored, while the principal turns a blind eye, State House descends into chaos.
Some Ministers running amok and immorality plaguing (Buchilende nabucilamo) in the corridors of power, corruption and nepotism have become the norm, tarnishing the fabric of governance.
Under the leadership of Ba Musamba, the police force finds itself in conflict not only with citizens but also with the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, certain religious institutions stray from their Christ-like principles, and civil society remains lukewarm in its response to the growing crisis. Those who dare to sound the alarm are met with hostility from praise singers who shield the powers that be from criticism.
Amidst this turmoil, there are few voices of reason (Like Chilufya Tayali). While some may suggest direct action, the root of the problem lies deeper. It is imperative that reshuffles occur within the government soon, as the success of the nation depends on effective leadership.
The return of Bashi Tasi and his associates would only exacerbate Zambia’s woes, pushing the country further into ruin.
While President ECL may be perceived as amiable, his leadership style has left Zambia financially depleted. The other crop of opposition leaders fares no better, with uninspiring leaders who lack legitimacy to critique the government.
The cycle of political turmoil continues as leaders vie for power without considering the needs of the citizens they claim to represent.
In such a precarious economic climate, change must be approached with caution. Zambia cannot afford the instability that comes with frequent regime changes. Consistency is key to fostering meaningful progress and restoring the nation’s prosperity. As the country grapples with its challenges, it is essential to remember the words:
“Ala muka twibukisha, you’ll remember us.” Only by facing the harsh realities of the present can Zambia pave the way for a brighter future. Will government heed to this? Well, I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The ultimate culprit in this matter is not the Inspector General of Police Raphael Musamba, however deplorable his professional conduct has been since he was appointed to the role in April 2023. It is President Hichilema.
If the IG was doing what Hichilema does not approve, the president would have long removed him from that position. In fact, Hichilema has previously and publicly praised the conduct of the same IG being condemned, stating that he wishes he had appointed him earlier! There is a wider point to be made here about the police under Hichilema: that the conduct of the police on this case is not an isolated incident, but part of a wider pattern, one that many have overlooked because those affected are largely opposition members. What we are witnessing today, as it was under Edgar Lungu, is the institutional deterioration, loss of autonomy and politicisation of the police.
In addition to their constitutionally prescribed mandate of protecting human rights, the core operational duties of a professional police service is to maintain law and order, protect members of the public and their property, prevent the commission of offences and to bring the offenders to justice. To effectively execute these responsibilities, the police must possess the authority, widely recognised by the public, as the lawful and rightful body to enforce them and to do so in a professional and impartial manner that builds public confidence in the institution and helps improve the quality of life for all citizens. It is precisely this authority that has deserted the police in Zambia today, as was the case under the PF.
The public, rather than viewing it as an apolitical and professional body that is out to protect individual liberties of all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation, now regards the police as nothing more than hired agents of the ruling party. This is because the executive branch of government has corrupted the police, as it has done to other state institutions, to primarily function as a sword for the political elites in power and their supporters.
A fundamental part of corruption is corrupting the system, including the police, the judiciary, and other supposedly independent state institutions in order to serve the interests of those in power. This is precisely what Hichilema and the UPND have done in order to entrench their grip on power. Think of the police guarding an illegal assembly of Miles Sampa rather than stopping it! Think of the police effectively banning public rallies by opposition parties since the election of Hichilema in 2021. Think of the police… This is not to defend the IG; it is to say that we should stop shielding Hichilema from blame. Yes, the police is today led by a top command that epitomises its professional decay, lack of autonomy, and partisanship.
In fact, I would say that there is a curious way in which the true character of the President of Zambia, especially in relation to their attitude towards power, the rule of law and their commitment to entrenching civil liberties and safeguarding the independence and integrity of state institutions, is partly revealed or expressed by his or her choice of appointment to the positions of Inspector General of Police. Superlatives cannot adequately capture the unprofessionalism that has marked the tenure of Musamba as Inspector General of Police.
Musamba embodies all that is wrong with the police service today: partisan, unprofessional, and out to do the bidding of the ruling elites. His occupancy of the office of Inspector General of Police has left its reputation in tatters. But the point is that Musamba did not appoint himself to that position. He was put there and has been maintained by President Hichilema. That is the official we must ultimately condemn or hold to account.
It is easy to go for the small fish, but we harm public interest and even those we are supporting when we shield them from legitimate criticism. Many Zambians have complained against the conduct of both the police and Musamba himself especially in relation to protecting democratic rights. Has this troubled Hichilema? Why? It is probably because Musamba is Hichilema’s chief enforcer, the person who does the dirty work the boss does not want to be seen to be doing or sanctioning; the Thabo Kawana of the police – someone working for a boss whose curated image would suffer for his direct association with their dishonorable and nefarious acts. The result of a police service led by Musamba is what we have today: an institution so bereft of public respect that it is largely a matter of discretion to refer to it as a service.
A two-tier system of policing has continued to exist in Zambia: one for UPND leaders and supporters who are at liberty to do as they please, and another for the rest of us who are denied their rights to assemble and whose individual liberties are constantly tramped upon at will. In this climate, Musamba cannot be expected to be professional when he is simply an extension of the cadrisation of the police.
It is a shame to have individuals with no sense of doing the right thing according to our laws in the service of the Zambian people at the helm of such an important organ of our security services. One glimmer of hope is that ordinary police officers, majority of whom are young, professional, and principled, have a dim view of their IG and not all of them display the same levels of partisanship and lack of respect for human rights.
ANOTHER PRIEST RAISES CONCERN ON HARDSHIP, POVERTY,
Fr Patrick Mupula, the Vocations Director for the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Zambia based at St Joseph’s Mission – Franciscan Formation in Kalumbwa, Kalulushi district has raised concern over the current hardship and suffering of the masses.
Fr Mupula has also wondered why the authorities were so keen on intimidating the priests whenever they voice out regarding the suffering of the people.
“Abantu monse umo bapitila baleilishanya ukweba atishani ati imikalile yakosa. So kulingile kwaba umusango umuno uwakwafwilishamo pakweba ati ifintu fyaba bwino. Nomba nga twalandako ati imwe mulelanda fye pali Bible nokuya ku mulu,” Fr Mupula said. “…pa ng’anda umwana nga lila wemufyashi uli ngile wakuti. Waumfwa nechilelenga ukuti aleilishanya. Nomba nga kwaba ifi kwaba ukulatintana, bushe mukekata banga?”
Fr Mupula said Christian faithfuls could not preoccupy themselves and wait for heaven whilst enduring suffering on earth because heaven must begin on earth – in people’s homes.
Fr Mupula is right. There is so much suffering and hardship in the country right now. And it will not be in the interest of masses if those God charged with the responsibility to shepherd his children- priests, reverends, pastors etc- kept quiet about the situation and the dangers it poses to society.
Our religious and traditional leaders deserve to have a voice in the affairs of the country and the people. The cowardice of using law enforcement especially the police in intimidating and arresting of those criticizing the current political order will not work.
This country is miserable and bleeding from hardship. And naturally, the people need to vent their pain, frustration and anger at what they are seeing and going through. So as long as the hardship continues, public disapproval and dissent will continue.
The UPND must be willing to lock up the entire population for speaking the truth, if they’re to silence everyone.
Insala naichilamo elo kabili teti musunge abantu abali ne nsala mu busha! It’s impossible!
We paid a courtesy call on Chief Namakaya of Sikongo District in Western Province. Everything that our elder said touched our hearts deeply. The aim of our visit was to look into the concerns that the Chief had.While political leaders and their parties come and go, our Chiefs and Church Leaders will remain the authentic leaders of our people. So why leave them out of the governance structures?
Chief Namakaya bemoaned the lack of support from government saying that government has abandoned him and his people. He lamented how his palace is in a dilapidated state, saying:-
“In my entire life, I have never seen a president visit me officially in my palace but today you have come to visit; I hope you are going to perform efficiently. To me, your visit is more like a miracle. With what has happened, I pray you perform nicely. Previously, Chiefs were being paid and were well taken care of but right now, they have literary become like villagers. Even if you look at my feet, you can tell that we aren’t living well, we aren’t honoured as chiefs. We are literary neglected”.
“We always wish that the those who want to rule us should look at our plight. If you look at the chairs you are seated on; these aren’t chairs that a chief should have. But all those who rule don’t consider our plight, this is my misfortune. So, I’m grateful to you because you are still contesting to stand and I’m sure we are going to unity. As time goes, we are going to see how you will perform. I’m wishing you all the best luck from God that he should be with you and you go through”.
In my response to the Chief, I pointed that changing of government without changing the way to govern will not build the country.
If you our Chiefs fail to rule our lands, can a politician on his own can manage? No, the politician will fail, even though he has a good heart, he/she will fail.
Let’s start afresh, we need to change not only changing the new regime no but what’s important is to change the way of governing.
If you change only the government and not the way of governing, we won’t go anywhere. Even me if you decide to put me in power in 2026 and if I don’t work with you then there is nothing that will be done.
We told the Chief that we haven’t come to lie to him that we will have the power to change the way that they are living. But changing the way we live is in our hands.
A day before Zimbabwe introduced a new currency last Thursday known as Zimbabwe Currency (ZiG) the central bank announced that has the equivalent of 2.5 tons of gold reserves.
Speaking in Harare after seeing the assets of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, John Mushayavanhu, the new bank’s governor, told President Emmerson Mnangagwa – whom he addressed as H.E., for his excellency – that the bank’s balance sheet was healthy, with reserves of gold and other minerals worth $175 million.
“I have taken over the control of the central bank,” Mushayavanhu said, “and one of the things I had to do upon taking over was to verify the assets that the central bank holds. And this morning I showed H.E. the gold that is in the vaults, and I can confirm that we have in the vaults at the central bank 1.1 tons of gold.
“We also have other minerals – diamonds and so forth. If converted to gold, [they would] be equal to 0.4 ton of gold. We have other gold which is held offshore. It is worth 1 ton of gold.”
On Friday, Mushayavanhu announced the introduction of a gold-backed currency to replace the worthless local dollar, which is currently trading at around 30,000 to one U.S. dollar and, unlike the South African rand, does not circulate in neighboring countries.
This was the first time in recent memory that the central bank gave an accounting of its gold and mineral assets. Mnangagwa said he was happy to physically see the assets that outgoing Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya handed over to Mushayavanhu.
Responding to a question from journalists about whether the country had enough gold to back its anticipated new currency, Mnangagwa said, “Let me assure you that my government does not work on rumors. We work on facts. Rumors can continue flying, but you have been able to come here and see facts for yourselves. So you should compare the facts you see today and the rumors you hear in the streets.”
The press conference generated much debate on social media, with some saying the country’s gold reserves were being looted. One businessman allied with the ruling Zanu-PF party, Pedzisayi Sakupwanya, said he delivered 13 tons of gold to the central bank last year.
Zimbabwe has introduced and abandoned at least five currencies since independence in 1980, all of which lost value to become almost worthless. It remains to be seen how well the new gold-backed currency is accepted by the public, and how it trades against the dollar and the South African rand.- voa
The UPND government is clearly on a self-ruinous path and President Hakainde Hichilema is determined to make enemies, out of key and well-meaning stakeholders.
They have called “Lucifer”, the foremost leader of the Catholic Church in Zambia.
UPND Secretary General, Batuke Imenda, called the Archbishop of Lusaka, the Most Reverend, Archbishop Dr.Alick Banda, a Lucifer!
And using State House rogue media, proceeded to publish scurilous and vile attacks against Archbishop Banda.
What is surprising is the failure by President Hichilema to distance himself or the Party from those derogatory and insulting remarks, or let alone apologise as a leader.
In its pastoral letter issued in November,2023, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), in bemoaning the shrinking democratic space and the rise of an autocratic and dictatorship government, called, among other things, for President Hichilema to apologize to the Church for Imenda’s vile remarks against Archbishop Banda.
The Conference also called on President Hichilema to close his rogue social-media sites.
Hichilema’s rogue and guerilla media could have been useful whilst or could be excused when he was in Opposition but is clearly unacceptable now as he is President of the Republic of Zambia who had sworn to protect and uphold the Constitution and seek to prevent the abuse of citizens by state institutions or his party’s or personal infrastructure.
He has refused to apologise or take action against Imenda’s insults against the Church, and he has instead put, on steroid, his rogue media against his critics and his perceived political enemies.
Also added on to this are the attacks, especially from President Hichilema’s social-media “praise singers”, on Men of God such as Emeritus Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu. The social-media attacks have been escalated without reprimand or guidance from President Hichilema to his followers.
This shows that he approves or is personally sheperding this kind of dirty and divisive politics.
The recent police call-out issued to a catholic priest from the Order of Friars Minor, or the Franciscans, Fr. Andrew Chewe Mukosa, is a clear abuse of law enforcement agencies to intimidate, cause fear and instil self-censorship on members of the Clergy that are speaking for the poor, the marginalised and those speaking truth to power.
Fr. Mukosa merely spoke against ZESCO’s crippling load-shedding, youth unemployment, and the high prevalent of poverty. Fr Mukosa also called on political leaders to fulfill their campaign promises.
What wrong has the priest done by this action or remarks?
We also note earlier threats and acts of intimidation that were issued against Fr. Anthony Kapambwe Salangeta of Chawama Parish, the very attacks that caused Archbishop Banda to defend his priest.
MY PERSONAL EXPEREINCE WITH THE CHURCH
Let me give two examples I encountered with the Church and what we did to help resolve them.
When I was transferred to Eastern Province as Permanent Secretary in November 2013, I was confronted with a serious matter raised by the Catholic Church.
Usually when I arrived in a new station, I engaged stakeholders in the area; the traditional authorities, communities, civil society and the Church in all its forms.
Concerns from the catholic church was the issue of the distribution of farming inputs under the FISP and the recent deportation of a Lundazi Catholic Parish Priest, a rwandese native, Fr Viateur Banyangandora.
In August 2013, the Immigration Department deported Fr Banyangandora for allegedly inciting the community in Lundazi to allegedly rise against the Zambian Government.
On 7th August 2013, a special pastoral Statement to Catholics on the deportation, by the Zambian Government, of Fr. Viateur Banyangandora to Rwanda, was issued.
When I checked the facts, Fr. Banyangandora’s deporteation was clearly an abuse of power as he was merely voicing out, in his sermons, concerns on the need for development in the area, the poor state of trunk roads to Isoka and Chipata, lack of bridges and the failure to distribute, timely, farming inputs.
It was clear that Fr. Banyangandora was merely exercising his prophetic role and ministry as any Catholic priest would.
I engaged, relentlessly, both the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Edgar Lungu and President Michael Sata on this matter.
I must hasten that the Zambia Episcopal Conference and Chipata Diocese were actively on the case.
During my courtesy call on Rt. Rev. George Cosmas Zumaile Lungu, Bishop of Chipata Diocese, expressed concern about this matter.
The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) had already confronted President Sata against this unfair deportation.
In this matter I joined the Church leadership in voicing out the concerns on the deplorable action by my own government.
We received good news. The deportation was revoked and Fr Viateur Banyangandora was allowed to return home to his parish in Lundazi after four months of being away. He was received in Chipata on 12th January 2013.
When I was transfered to Western Province,as usual, I embarked on stakeholder engagement including the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) and the Church.
Catholic Bishop Evans Chinyama Chinyemba of Mongu Diocese had issued a statement of concern on barotse youths agitating for restoration of the Barosteland Agreement, who were allegedly beaten, tortured and detained. He also stated that some youths were feared missing.
This matter was so serious that I sought an appointment with Bishop Chinyemba.
I went to the meeting with the entire Provincial Joint Operations Committee (PJOC), heads of defence and security at provincial level.
The PJOC also brought along an official list of all persons that were arrested or detained.
This action brought immense relief to the Church and the families affected.
Further the PJOC pledged that in future actions, any stakeholder including the church, could simply approach them on any person of concern or interest who they suspected was detained in connection with this highly sensitive matter.
CONCLUSION The Church has an established ecclesiastical calling and prophetic role it plays in the governance of our country.
In the case of the Catholic Church and its Social Teachings, it will fight that people live a meaningful life and are fulfilled in their community and family. The Church has stated that it has a responsibility to participate in society and to promote the common good, and will defend especially the poor, the marginalised and vulnerable.
Government must therefore treat the Church as its partner in development, and desist in regarding it as a hostile political enemy.
If President Hichilema continues on this hostile path against the Church and other stakeholders in governance issues, it is only his downfall we shall wait and witness.
YOUR VISIT TO MY CHIEFDOM IS A MIRACLE, SIKONGO CHIEF TELLS M’MEMBE
…..says, government has abandoned him
SIKONGO… Sunday, April 7, 2024
Chief Namakaya of Sikongo district in Western Province bemoaned the lack of support from government saying that government has abandoned him and his chiefdom.
Speaking when Sociality party president Dr Fred M’membe paid him a courtesy call, Saturday, Chief Namakaya lamented how his palace is in a dilapidated state.
“In my entire life, I have never seen a president visit me officially in my palace but today you have come to visit; I hope you are going to perform efficiently. To me, your visit is more like a miracle. With what has happened, I pray you perform nicely. Previously, chiefs were being paid and were well taken care of but right now, they have literary become like villagers. Even if you look at my feet, you can tell that we aren’t living well, we aren’t honoured as chiefs. We are literary neglected,” he said.
“We always wish that the those who want to rule us should look at our plight. If you look at the chairs you are seated on; these aren’t chairs that a chief should have. But all those who rule don’t consider our plight, this is my misfortune. So, I’m grateful to you because you are still contesting to stand and I’m sure we are going to unity. As time goes, we are going to see how you will perform. I’m wishing you all the best luck from God that he should be with you and you go through”.
Meanwhile, Dr M’membe says changing of government without changing the way to govern will not build the country.
“If you our chiefs fail to rule your lands, you thing a politician on his own can manage? No, he will fail, even though he has a good heart, he will fail. Let’s start afresh, we need to change not only changing the new regime no but whats important is to change the way of governing,” he said.
“If you change only the government and not the way of governing, we won’t go anywhere. Even me if you decide to vote for me in 2026 and if I don’t work with you then there is nothing have done. We haven’t come to lie to you that we will have the power to change the way you are living, changing the way you live is in your hands”.
Dr M’membe further urged the chief to learn the art of doing not being too over dependent on government in order for their lives to be better
“My elder, we are grateful for welcoming us. Everything you have said has touched our hearts. The aim of our visit is to look into the concerns you have raised. You have been lied to for a long time, today someone will come and lie to you, you with be them. Tomorrow another one will come to lie to you, you will be with them and again someone will come, lie to you and you will be with,” said Dr M’membe.
“But when it’s time for them to work for you, they run away. Again when another comes, they run away. Will you send another one again? No, it’s to go there on our own and do what must be done. You are our chiefs who were ruling this land before whites come”.
SUMMONING OF FATHER CHEWE MUKOSA MAKES VERY SAD READING AND HIGHLY REGRETTABLE
We wish to place on record that summoning of Father Chewe Mukosa by the Zambia Police is not the way to go and therefore totally uncalled for.
We are aware that the Church is the conscience of the nation. In a nation said to be Christian, his is not going to be the mode of engaging those with divergent views especially the church. We rather expect more dialogue and collaboration between the Church and the Executive and not fear tactics because they do not work at all.
Priests like all other clergy are called to speak for the underprivileged in society and even when the Executive does not like what is being said, wisdom demands that they listen and engage. Any believer in the gospel of social Justice will side with Father Chewe Mukosa.
Sadly it is this type of zeal that’s brought down many African governments and no one seems to learn. To the Police – from one regime to the next, there always seems to be a huge need to appease those holding office at any given time. Sadly that has never worked. Therefore this kind of excitement is uncalled for and extremely careless. Learn from the past including those who have gone before you and become wiser.
On this score, we wish to advise His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema not to allow such acts from law enforcement agencies. Zambia ought to be a thriving democracy, otherwise how many priests or members of the clergy is the Police going summon and how does that add to our democratic credentials?
It’s a no brainer that on this matter the court of public opinion will side with the Priest for he spoke on behalf of his congregation and committed no offence at all. If Government does not agree with the issues he raised, it can always clarify any perceived misinformation and Zambians will be willing to listen. We have real criminals the Zambian Police must be pursuing and not the clergy.
Sixty (60) years after Independence such items must not even grace the headlines of our print and electronic media outlets at all.
We cannot build a society allergic to criticism including checks and balances by the Church.
POLICE SUMMONING OF FR MUKOSA OVER HIS EASTER HOMILY
Lufwanyama’s St Joseph’s Mission priest in charge, Fr Chewe Mukosa, has been summoned by the police for questioning on Tuesday following his homily on Easter Sunday. As far as I can remember, it is probably the first time in the history of this country that a priest has been summoned by police over his homily, his words in church. To borrow from Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s vocabulary, this is “First Time Ever” !
If a priest is preaching the Word of God, would you agree that he should be free in this country to say what needs to be said in order to apply that Word of God to the circumstances of our times?
The Second Vatican Council defended the freedom of the preacher in these words in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World: “…At all times and in all places, the Church should have the true freedom to teach the faith, to proclaim its teaching about society, to carry out its task among men without hindrance, and to pass moral judgment even in matters relating to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it” (GS 76). Now, bishops and priests are intimidated about preaching about politics.
Freedom of speech is a bedrock of our Republic. It takes on an even greater dimension when considered in the context of churches. Those who preach and teach the Word of God are carrying out a mission not given to them by an earthly authority, but rather entrusted to them by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The content of a sermon or religious teaching, therefore, has to be protected in order to insure that religion can be freely and properly exercised, that the preacher can fulfill the sacred duties to which he is solemnly committed, and that the congregation can receive the clear and robust teaching of their religion, free of distortion, dilution, or apology.
That’s why each of us should say No to this intimidation and offer solidarity to Fr Mukosa. Those who can make it should turn up at Copperbelt Division Headquarters Building in Ndola at 10:00 hours on Tuesday April 9, 2024.
Again, we advise Mr Hakainde Hichilema that his exercise of power must be a constant practice of self limitation and modesty.
The preamble is that Fr. Augustine Mwewa, a Copperbelt-based Catholic Priest, urged Government not to perceive those with different views as enemies. He emphasizes that the New Dawn Government of President Hakainde Hichilema should embrace divergent views rather than dismissing them.
Fr. Mwewa’s perspective highlights the importance of considering ‘alternative’ viewpoints in governance and decision-making.
In a similar vein, Fr. Anthony Salangeta of Chawama Catholic Church criticized President Hichilema for using a graph to show growth trends in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 1973 to 2023.
Fr. Salangeta emphasized that people are more interested in issues directly affecting them, such as the availability of mealie meal, rather than abstract economic data.
It is essential to recognize that diverse perspectives contribute to a robust and well-informed society.
While disagreements may arise, engaging with alternative viewpoints fosters dialogue, critical thinking, and ultimately better decision-making.
Fr. Salangeta’s call for addressing the needs of those at the periphery of society reflects a commitment to inclusivity and social justice.
Political correctness involves respecting differing opinions, even when they challenge the status quo.
The UPND administration should consider these alternative views as valuable contributions to the national discourse.
Hakainde Hichilema (HH), the President of Zambia, has made a significant statement by asserting that criticism will not lead to arrests during his administration.
This commitment to free expression and open dialogue is crucial for a healthy democracy.
It allows citizens to voice their opinions, hold leaders accountable, and contribute to the nation’s progress.
In a political landscape, where dissenting voices can face repercussions, this assurance from President Hichilema is noteworthy.
It reflects a willingness to engage with differing viewpoints and uphold democratic values. As citizens, we should continue to exercise our right to express opinions, challenge policies, and actively participate in shaping our country’s future.
Let us hope that this commitment to openness and tolerance remains steadfast throughout President Hichilema’s tenure.
UNIVERSITY OF KABWE TO START OPERATION THIS APRIL – PROF. NGAMBI
Professor Ngambi, the Vice Chancellor of University of Kabwe, announces the university will officially open on April 29 with Open Distance Learning (ODL) residential classes. However, an online alternative is also available for students who are not able to attend the physical classes.
During her appearance on the WEEKEND BREAKFAST show at Spice FM Radio, Professor Ngambi expressed her concerns about universities only focusing on producing graduates and monetary gain, rather than providing the requisite competencies necessary for students to secure the jobs required by industries and organizations. She criticized that some institutions do not check for the skills, competencies, and values required to meet industry standards.
“We are equipping people with the requisite skills that would be needed in industry, out there when they go out there, be it government, whatever it is they are going to work,” said the Vice-Chancellor, emphasizing the importance of training students to become industry-ready and adding value to their respective organizations.
She added that graduates can struggle when they realize that the job opportunities in their area are limited, and many students end up taking positions outside their field of study without the necessary competencies to add value to their new organization.
The full-time classes at the University of Kabwe will begin on May 13th, signaling a new era for university students in Zambia.
Professor Ngambi, adds that the university’s curriculum is anchored on appropriate values. In this regard, the university will offer courses on sustainable behavior and ethics to all students. Furthermore, a course on entrepreneurship will be taught to all students, regardless of their chosen discipline.
The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that a course on project management will be available as the university takes a keen interest in managing its own business. Ultimately, the vision for the University of Kabwe is to foster a community that produces professionals with core values and ethics that will extend beyond the boundaries of their professional lives. The courses offered by the university aim to provide their graduates with the most comprehensive skill sets that will enable them to excel in any field they choose. With the university’s commitment to maintaining appropriate values and ethics, it is expected that the future graduates from the institution will be well-rounded individuals equipped with the skills needed to add value to society.
…..as Miyanda sees nothing wrong with the Priest’s preaching because it is a true reflection of what’s obtaining on the ground
Lusaka…Sunday, April 7, 2024 (SMART EAGLES)
The summoning of Lufwanyama based Catholic Priest, Father Andrew Chewe Mukosa by Copperbelt Police for preaching against high cost of living, high levels of unemployment and load shedding in the country is unacceptable, says Governance Expert and Human Rights Advocate Wesley Miyanda.
The Catholic Priest has been asked to report himself to Copperbelt Police Headquarters for questioning and possible arrest over the preaching he had during Easter weekend where he highlighted a number of issues affecting citizens in the country.
Mr Miyanda said he sees nothing wrong with the Priest’s preaching because it is a true reflection of what’s obtaining on the ground.
He said the prices of essential commodities such as fuel, mealie meal and many others are ever going high and load shedding, due to low water levels in Kariba dam, has also become the order of the day.
“Infact, load shedding, though not necessarily blamed on the government, has really affected most businesses such as Barbershops, Butcheries, Bakeries,Shops Saloons, Carpentry and several others which are supposed to contribute to the national Economy,” he said.
“As for high levels of unemployment, we wish to remind our citizens that the UPND led Government has done and is still doing a commendable job by conducting the first ever massive recruitments in public service such as Health Teaching and all security wings within few years of being in power. Nonetheless, the Catholic Priest, just like any other citizen of this country, has the constitutional rights to speak on issues affecting Zambians.”
He reminded the police not to be overzealous to summon people unnecessarily for investigations and arrests because of expressing their opinions on issues affecting Citizens.
“JUST LEAVE FATHER ANDREW CHEWE MUKOSA ALONE AND CONTINUE DEALING WITH REAL CRIMINALS,” he concluded.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the Russian defense minister’s remarks about Ukraine and France being involved in the deadly concert hall attack in Moscow last month are not sensible.
Macron talked about this a day after the French and Russian defense ministers had a rare phone call. The media said different things about the call.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that Sergei Shoigu told the French Defense Minister that the Kyiv government does everything with approval from the West. He also said he hopes that the French special services were not involved in the Moscow attack.
Macron told reporters that the comments were complicated and scary, but not surprising. He was speaking at the opening of a new swimming pool for the Paris Olympics.
“Simply put, it’s silly,” Macron said.
“He said that saying France or Ukraine could be responsible for the Moscow attack doesn’t make sense and doesn’t match with reality. ” “But it’s a way of tricking people with false information, and it’s something Russia uses in its wars. ”
The defense ministry of France said that their minister, Sebastien Lecornu, strongly spoke out against the March 22 attack on a concert hall in Moscow. The attack killed 145 people, making it the worst assault on Russian soil in many years.
Lecornu said that France does not have any evidence connecting this attack to Ukraine.
He also criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine and said France will keep helping Kyiv as much as necessary, according to the French defense ministry.
The Russian summary said Shoigu told France to not send soldiers to Ukraine in the future. Macron has not decided if he will do this or not.
The call was the first time the Russian and French defense ministers talked since October 2022.
Macron said on Thursday that France is ready to share important information about the Moscow attack to help others affected by terrorism.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officials are blaming Ukraine and the West for the attack, even though Ukraine strongly denies it. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, and the US warned Russia in advance about it.
The Peruvian President Dina Boluarte spent five hours on Friday answering questions from lawyers.They are looking into whether she got a lot of money, expensive watches, and jewelry in a way that was against the law.
The law is examining the unpopular leader for acquiring money through illegal means and for failing to report all their possessions. After she spoke in court, Boluarte left in a car with dark windows, with police and security around her. Neither Boluarte nor the prosecutors explained what was discussed in the meeting.
The scandal is the newest problem in Peru’s government in the last few years. Earlier today, there were fights between protesters who don’t agree with each other. They were near a building, waiting for Boluarte to come out.
Many people went to support the president at the palace. They had a sign that said “Dina resist. ” But, there were also people nearby who were angry at the president. They had brooms and yelled “get them all out. ” The police used tear gas to make them leave.
The investigation started in the middle of March after a news show called La Encerrona showed Boluarte wearing an expensive Rolex watch in Peru. Other TV shows said that the leader was seen wearing at least two more expensive watches and a fancy bracelet worth over $54,000.
The issue was called “Rolexgate” on social media right away.
Peruvian law says that officials must report jewelry worth more than US$2,791, but it’s not known where the expensive watches and large amounts of money sent to bank accounts came from.
Boluarte didn’t give much information about the weird money movements and jewelry that she didn’t tell the authorities about. But she said that the Rolex watch in the pictures was something she earned from working since she was 18.
The disagreement will make things even harder for Boluarte, who is not well-liked by 86 percent of people in Peru, according to a survey from March by the Institute of Peruvian Studies.
“Alonso Cárdenas, a political science professor at Peru’s Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University, said that she does not have good leadership, most people do not support her, and her issues with the people are very serious. ”
On Friday night, the police forcefully opened Boluarte’s front door and went inside to look for the watches. They looked for them but couldn’t find them, so they went to the presidential palace, but they weren’t there either.
Juan Villena, the top prosecutor, said on Tuesday that his office is broadening the investigation because they think Boluarte has more secret money and possessions than they thought at first.
The office thinks her jewelry, like the Cartier bracelet and watches, could be worth up to $500,000. They also said she got over $400,000 in deposits into her bank account that they don’t know where it came from.
61-year-old Boluarte was a lawyer and district official. Then he became the vice president and social inclusion minister in President Pedro Castillo’s government. He started in July 2021 and made $8,136 per month. She became president in December 2022, after Parliament fired Castillo, and she gets paid $4,200 every month. Soon after that, she started wearing the watches when she went out in public.
The raid on Friday was the first time ever in Peru’s history that police went into the home of a president without permission. Boluarte asked for more time to answer a court order to testify about the case, but the lead prosecutor said no and emphasized that Boluarte has to cooperate with the investigation.
The Andean country often experiences political unrest. In the past six years, Peru has had six different presidents because there have been a lot of political problems. This doesn’t mean Boluarte will be kicked out of the presidency soon. Experts told The Associated Press that she probably won’t face any serious problems, at least for now. The current president of Peru cannot be accused of crimes while in office, and Congress is unlikely to start the process of removal from office.
Boluarte made friends with a group of politicians, so she will probably keep her job until 2026, according to Will Freeman, who knows a lot about Latin America. Freeman believes Boluarte is controlled by others and is helping politicians pass laws that are hurting democracy, so they can keep their jobs.
Peru’s lawmakers voted no to remove Boluarte from his job.
Russian officials said on Friday that they believe the attack on a concert hall in Moscow is connected to Ukraine. They found photos on a suspect’s phone showing soldiers in Ukrainian uniforms.
After the shooting and fire at the Crocus City Hall concert venue on March 22 that killed 145 people, Russian officials have been trying to say Ukraine is responsible, even though Ukraine says they didn’t do it and a group related to the Islamic State said they did it.
Officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have not shown any proof for the connection as they tried to change the story from the security services’ inability to stop the attack.
Russia’s main law enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee, announced on Friday that they found pictures on one of the suspects’ phones showing people in Ukrainian flag uniforms and destroyed houses in the background.
The phone had a picture of a Ukrainian stamp with a rude message on it, the committee said. It did not show the picture, but it might be about a famous stamp from Kyiv that remembers when Ukrainian soldiers swore at a Russian warship during the 2022 invasion.
The committee also said that one of the suspects sent pictures of the roads and entrances to the concert hall to their boss on February. 24 – two years since Russia attacked Ukraine.
The committee said that the findings may show a connection between the terrorist attack and the special military operation, using the Kremlin’s term for the war. The agency’s statements could not be checked by a different source.
The day after the attack, officials said they caught four men in the Bryansk area next to Ukraine and accused them of doing the shootings. Putin and other officials say the four people were going to Ukraine.
Four people from Tajikistan went to a court in Moscow because they were accused of terrorism. They had signs of being severely beaten. Several people have been arrested as helpers in different parts of Russia, and some people possibly connected to the attackers were also taken into custody in Tajikistan.
The attack happened two weeks after the US Embassy in Russia said there might be an attack in Moscow at a big event. The US State Department told Russian officials about the threat.
This week, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Putin, did not give a response to a report in The Washington Post. The report said that US officials had identified Crocus City Hall as a potential target. Peskov said that this is a matter for the security services.
The attack showed that Putin, who has been in power for 24 years, had a big security problem. He became president by being tough on terrorists from Chechnya.
Many people are wondering how gunmen were able to kill so many people at a large event. Critics think that Russia’s security forces are more concerned with stopping political opposition than dealing with real dangers to the public.
A Russian city has declared a state of emergency because of dangerous nuclear pollution. The Russian government has not said why there is so much radiation in Khabarovsk.
A mysterious radiation source was taken out and put in a safe container. Then it was taken to a special place for radioactive waste in the city, which is the biggest in Russia’s far east and near the border with China.
There will be a state of emergency in the Industrial district of the city for at least three more days while the police investigate the source of the leak.
It seems like it took a week for the authorities to do something.
A person wearing a special mask to protect against radiation is walking in a dark area. A device he is holding shows that the radiation levels are increasing as he walks over a place where waste is dumped.
His device beeped at a radiation level of 0.45 microsieverts, and the highest level on the screen was 5.9
But in the video, the man says that the reading was 20, which could increase the risk of cancer, harm DNA, cause harm to unborn babies, and hurt the health of children.
Surprisingly, the dangerous radiation leak in Khabarovsk was known for about a week before anything was done about it or the public was told, according to reports.
A young person noticed something unusual on 28 March and told the Russian special services, but it wasn’t until today that a state of emergency was declared.
Andrey Kolchin, who is in charge of civil defense in the city, said: “We found a place where radiation levels are higher than usual. we put a barrier around the area. ”
“It was decided to declare a state of emergency in Khabarovsk in order to get things done more quickly. ”
The officials said that there is no danger to people’s lives.
“The radiation source was taken out and put in a safe container, then taken to a place to store radioactive waste,” a person at Radon nuclear agency said.
‘There is no pollution in the environment and society is not in danger. ‘
Khabarovsk is a city with 630,000 people and it is situated along the Amur River.
A woman was sentenced to 11 years in prison for causing the death of a couple who were dancing in the back of her car during a crash.
The 23-year-old woman named Adele Ojokie Aidonojie was drinking alcohol and driving very fast when she crashed her Mini Cooper in Battersea, South London.
The car flipped over, and Rida Boutjettif, 24, and Mary Macharia, 23 were thrown out of the car and died from severe head injuries.
Another person, Ben Sidibe, got hurt in the accident and his arm is broken. People thought he was wearing his seatbelt when it happened.
Mr Sidibe told the police that the group was listening to Jamaican music when the crash happened. He also said that the two passengers were standing and dancing in the back while he was recording them.
Ojokie-Aidonojie told someone not to call the police or ambulance at the scene. I will be taken to jail.
Then she told the police that the incident was a hit and run.
After a trial at the Old Bailey, student Okojie-Aidonojie from Bromley was found guilty of two charges of causing death by driving dangerously and one charge of causing injury by driving dangerously.
The court was told that the person’s car was going at least 62mph in a 30mph zone before it crashed at 3:42am on July 16 2022.
The judge said Okojie-Aidonojie’s behavior was like crazy, especially because her passengers had been standing up and dancing right before the crash.
She was also found to have hurt Mr Sidibe badly by driving dangerously.
“I am sorry for the loss of Mary and Rida. ” She wrote this in a letter to the court.
I’m very sorry that they died early and it’s my fault.
I really miss both of them a lot. I think about them every single day.
She said sorry to her ex-boyfriend Mr Sidibe and hoped he could get over it. She added, “I never meant to hurt any of you. ”
After the decision, the families of the victims were mad and sad about what the defendant did.
Ms Macharia’s mother said she had a close connection with her daughter who was very special and unique.
She disagreed with the defendant’s claim that they were ‘best friends’ and said they had only met once before.
Mr Boutjettif’s family said that when his father died, he was 16 years old. He went to college and learned how to become a gas engineer.
“They said he cared about everyone he met and loved them. “
Soon after Mr. Nakachinda was appointed as Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General by then Vice President of the party Mr. Given Lubinda, the two hatched up a Lungu agenda named “alebwelelapo” meant to prop up political fortunes of the beleaguered former president Lungu which continued to plummet at an alarming rate. Later, in an interview with the News Diggers and carried in its paper of 22nd September 2023, Mr. Nakachinda alleged that the “alebwelelapo” agenda did not come from him or PF but from the people of Zambia and that the PF was just backing it. It is therefore at this moment not wrong to assume that the duo did present this agenda to Mr. Lungu and judging from his rhetoric and relentless rantings of late, he must have welcomed the agenda.
Mistakenly, Mr. Lungu now thinks he is popular because he has heard the “alebwelelapo” agenda mainly from his surrogates, carefully planted across the country to sing this song. He has also forgotten that this same “alebwelelapo” song was in top gear and part of his campaign strategy in 2021 elections but the same did not save him from the humiliating defeat that befell him. But he is consoled by the fact that he still has the “kasaka ka ndalama” that he obtained when he was Republican President but blinded by the fact that those promoting the “alebwelelapo” agenda are his surrogates who may have benefitted from him through handouts or through errands to do the unimaginable during his rule as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. They know he has the “kasama ka ndalama” and for some time now they have not received handouts and hence quickly welcomed his coming back to active politics so that handouts can find their way to their pockets and homes. They have joined the chorus sorely for the purpose of sharing the “kasaka ka ndalama”
Unfortunately, the man is so unpopular that he cannot even manage to successfully contest an election at presidential level against the incumbent, President Hakainde Hichilema. Mr. Hichilema is now reported to be 10 times more popular than the miserable and shameless Mr. Lungu despite the economic and financial traps that he left behind for Mr. Hichilema to get trapped.
It is now clear that he is very unpopular and cannot win an election against President Hichilema. He can therefore save face and try at a lower level against me for a seat in the National Assembly. I hereby challenge him to an election duel with me in Chawama Constituency just to prove a point that he is very unpopular and cannot “bwelelapo” even ku Chawama.
To pave way for the contest, and if he is not scared, I ask him to ask his daughter Tasila to resign as MP so that a by-election is held ASAP if he is man enough. I want to waya him very badly so that he goes into political oblivion once and for all. Making headlines in the print and mainstream electronic media outlets and social media will not save him from a humiliating election armageddon to come.
He has never apologized to the people of Zambia and he has been a political nuisance and very nauseating of late. His rule was a reign of terror, highly corrupt, and there was a breakdown of law and order (total anarchy) where we saw PF cadres becoming more powerful than the law enforcement officers. Aikona man. I think the man has gone bananas.
As legal proceedings resume for the alleged assault against his ex-girlfriend, Jerome Boateng’s mother has made startling claims, asserting that her son “has been abusing women for years.”
This revelation surfaced in an email sent to a Berlin lawyer on March 25, 2021.
The statement follows the tragic death of Kasia Lenhardt, Boateng’s former girlfriend, who took her own life on February 9, 2021, in Berlin.
According to the German publication Spiegel, Boateng’s mother claimed: “My son has been mentally and physically abusing women for years, now Kasia Lenhardt has taken her own life and he still doesn’t want to face the consequences of his behaviour.”
Spiegel’s investigation into Kasia Lenhardt’s death has unearthed compelling evidence supporting allegations of violence within her relationship with Jerome Boateng.
Forensic analysis of Lenhardt’s iPhone and extensive audio messages reportedly corroborate her accounts of abuse.
Additionally, it has emerged that Lenhardt allegedly intended to file a complaint against Boateng for bodily harm shortly before her untimely death.
Chat messages retrieved from Lenhardt’s communications paint a disturbing picture of the alleged abuse she endured.
As early as October 2019, Lenhardt documented instances of Boateng’s purported violence, detailing injuries such as broken thumbs and hematomas inflicted by him.
Speaking to Spiegel, Boateng’s lawyer explained: “Due to ongoing proceedings, it is currently not possible for our client to respond to your questions in detail. Therefore, fundamentally: You are simply misinformed to a large extent; In addition, they are apparently only provided with selective information. He never physically attacked.”
In 2021, Boateng was convicted of assaulting and insulting his former partner during a holiday in the Caribbean five years prior. A district court upheld the ruling in November 2022 but reduced the original fine from €1.8 million to €1.2 million.
However, last September, the Bavarian Supreme Court overturned Boateng’s conviction for physical assault due to procedural errors. Now, Bild reports that a new trial is scheduled to begin on June 14 in a Munich regional court.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that he is sure Russia will try to cause trouble at the Paris Olympics this summer. This shows that the games are taking place in a tense global situation.
Macron said he has no doubt, even about information, when asked if he thinks Russia will try to target the Olympics.
The Russian embassy in Paris didn’t reply right away to a request for comment.
Macron spoke at an event in Paris for the opening of the new Olympics swimming center and said that he is now more aware of foreign dangers that could affect the security and organization of the games.
The big event is happening while there are many problems in the world, like Russia fighting in Ukraine and Israel having a conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This makes it hard to keep the Olympics safe.
A person who works for Macron said they can’t say if the President was talking about specific information that shows Russia might try to interfere in the future.
Instead, she said: “Russia has been getting tougher, and we’ve been noticing it for a few months. ”
Macron is now being more firm with Russia and said that he is determined to beat them. He also mentioned that European soldiers might go to Ukraine in the future. But he made it clear that France does not want to start a fight with Russia.
His government has also started to take a harder stance against what they believe are false information campaigns from Russia in Europe.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Minister of France, Stephane Sejourne, said that France will suggest that all countries in the European Union should put sanctions on people who are spreading false information. This is because France thinks that Russia is trying to make the European Union weaker.
Russia and the International Olympic Committee
Russia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are not getting along well before the Paris Olympics. Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete without their flags and anthems, and they won’t be in the opening parade.
At first, they were not allowed to compete in other countries because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia announced last year that it wants to bring back the ‘Friendship Games’ in 2024. The International Olympic Committee is not happy about it and sees it as a political move.
Dmitry Peskov, who speaks for the Kremlin, said this week that the IOC’s treatment of Russia’s plans to host sports events for the world was not okay. He also said that the IOC is harming the Olympics by not staying away from politics.
British politicians who might have been tricked into sending sexual messages were told on Friday to report it to the police. This came after a senior Conservative member admitted giving some colleagues’ phone numbers to someone who had embarrassing information about him.
William Wragg, who leads a government committee, gave his phone numbers to a man he met on a dating app for gay people. This happened after he sent private pictures of himself.
Wragg, 36, said to The Times that the man had bad stuff on him and he was frightened and tricked into giving his colleagues’ numbers to the person he met on Grindr.
“I gave them a few numbers, but not all of them,” he said. “I talked to a guy on an app and we shared photos. ” We were supposed to meet for drinks, but we didn’t. Then he began asking how many people there were. I was scared because he had information about me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, but it doesn’t work anymore. I have made people sad because I was not strong. I was very afraid. I am very embarrassed.
Treasury minister Gareth Davies advised people who were affected to report to the police.
“Will Wragg apologized for what he did, and I think it’s clear that people react differently in different situations,” he told Sky News.
The honeytrap sexting scam is a type of cyber-attack that targets specific groups, and it’s called “spear phishing. ” Scammers pretend to be someone you trust in order to steal important information.
Wragg’s big discovery came after people had been wondering for days, sparked by an article in Politico. It said that some current and former members of parliament had been messaged on WhatsApp by an unknown number. The messages talked about past meetings with politicians and asked for personal or secret information. The report said that some people were sent pictures of naked bodies. At least two of them then sent pictures of themselves back.
“If you ever feel like you’re in a bad situation or being threatened, go to the police right away. It’s very serious,” Davies said.
Police in Leicestershire, England are looking into messages sent to a local politician that were mean and unwanted.
Many Haitians are trying to leave the country because there is still no plan for a new government or international troops to help restore order.
Dangerous gangs now control most of the city, causing a lot of deaths and leaving many people without enough food to eat.
“Pierre Joseph, a 34-year-old Save the Children worker, said that every day is very important and can be life or death,” the charity stated. It said he had to leave two different homes with his wife and six-month-old baby, and was having a hard time finding things they needed.
“He said that the government is not working for the first time and things like food and power are no longer available. ” “Everyone is scared and going to another country. ”
The airport and seaports in Port-au-Prince have been closed for a month because of gangs, but the airport in Cap-Haitien started flights to Miami last week. This has made many people want to leave if they can.
Other countries near Haiti are making their borders stronger. The Dominican Republic, the only country that shares a land border with Haiti, is not allowing refugee camps and has sent many people back to Haiti.
The Dominican government said that the Foreign Minister, Roberto Alvarez, told the media that they had sent 10,000 soldiers to their 250-mile border. This is costing a lot of money and causing problems for trade between the two countries.
Haiti doesn’t have any leaders that were chosen by the people, and the capital city is controlled mostly by gangs, leading to chaos and lawlessness.
Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he’s quitting on March 11 because of the growing violence and he can’t come back from another country. A new group of leaders from the region will choose the next prime minister.
In 2022, Henry asked for help from other countries to make the police keep things calm, but it’s taking a long time and is being stopped until a new group takes over.
Soldiers from the Bahamas and Belize went to Jamaica last month for training by a Canadian group to help Caribbean troops go to Haiti.
Jamaican Defense Force Lieutenant Colonel Kevron Henry said in an interview that this is another step to make sure that regional forces are well-trained, work together, and prepared for any unexpected situations in the area.
Alvarez said that the military intelligence showed that a lot of people join gangs because they feel like they have no other choice due to their financial situation and because they are scared of violence.
The new temporary council will need to find actual money to pay for police intelligence and equipment in Haiti, he said.
“I didn’t say it would be easy, but I think it can still be done. The national police is still around,” he said.
Even though many countries promised to give a lot of money to the U.N, only a little has actually been given. The security mission trust fund is committed to keeping things safe. Gangs make money by threatening people and getting paid to release them. They also get support from powerful people, which helps them collect weapons.
Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has denied allegations that his decision to relocate the Spanish Supercopa to Saudi Arabia was influenced by his personal business interests.
Rubiales was detained and briefly questioned by police upon his arrival in Madrid from the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
He is under investigation as part of a corruption probe related to a lucrative three-year deal made by the RFEF with the Saudi sports authority in 2019 to host the competition in Saudi Arabia.
“I have never had business in Saudi Arabia,” Rubiales told La Sexta TV prior to his return to Spain. “It’s a lie that I have land to build hotels in Saudi Arabia, which is what is being reported.”
Rubiales further refuted allegations of receiving illegal commissions during his tenure as the head of the Spanish Football Federation (FA).
The corruption and money laundering investigation also encompasses contracts signed by the Spanish FA for the renovation of Seville’s La Cartuja stadium. This stadium is set to host Saturday’s Copa del Rey final and serves as the venue for various other international games.
“Never [received payments],” Rubiales said. “The money in my accounts is the product of my work and my savings.”
Former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué’s sports entertainment company, Kosmos, was involved in the deal with the federation and Saudi Arabia.
“It was Kosmos that brought Saudi Arabia [offer],” Rubiales said. “We chose the better offer.
“The Qatar option was never an offer. I have not received a bribe from Piqué. He has neither offered me anything nor have I taken anything.”
In 2022, prosecutors initiated an investigation into the deal following leaked audio conversations between Rubiales and Piqué regarding potential commissions.
Recently, Spanish police conducted raids on a property owned by Rubiales in Granada, as well as the offices of the RFEF in Madrid, while Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic.
Seven individuals were arrested and subsequently released, with Rubiales identified as one of five additional individuals under investigation.
Additionally, Rubiales is facing a separate legal case. Prosecutors are seeking a 2-1/2-year jail term for Rubiales for an incident involving an unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
Rubiales, who was forced to resign in September following the scandal, has denied any wrongdoing.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he was desperate to sign current Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard when he was a teenager.
The Arsenal captain was one of football’s emerging stars as a teenager, and several clubs clamoured for his services, including Arsenal, but Spanish club Real Madrid ultimately got him.
When Martin Odegaard made his debut at the very young age of just 15 years for the Norwegian club Stromgodset, it didn’t take long for the European powerhouses to notice his talent.
Arsene Wenger, who has an eye for young talent revealed that he ‘fought like mad’ to sign him for Arsenal, but he ultimately lost out as the youngster moved to Real Madrid.
Before Martin Odegaard signed for Real Madrid, he had trained with the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Arsenal, however, the temptation to play under Zinedine Zidane, who was Real Madrid’s manager at the time, was why the other clubs lost out on his signature.
It didn’t really go well for Martin Odegaard at Real Madrid as he could not establish himself as a starter at the Bernabeu, leading to several loan spells to Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad, to keep him going.
At Real Sociedad, one of the clubs where he was shipped out on loan, he began to show glimpses of the player he could become.
He would, in 2021, join Arsenal on loan, albeit at a time when Arsene Wenger was no longer at the club.
Speaking to Freddie Ljungberg, Arsene Wenger outlined how he was so desperate to sign the 25-year-old for Arsenal when he was still a teenager.
“Yes, I remember him (Odegaard) very well,” Arsene Wenger said.
“We did fight like mad to get him. I got him in a training session and I remember Steve Morrow brought him into training with his father.”
“He reminded me of Fabregas, good vision, good technical quality, easy with professional players in the first team.”
“You could see something special there but in the end, he has chosen to go to Real Madrid,” Arsene Wenger said.
After initially joining Arsenal on loan in 2021, Martin Odegaard made a permanent switch to the London club. Since then, the Norway captain has established himself as one of the Gunners’ best players, culminating in a captaincy role at Emirates Stadium.
Last year, Martin Odegaard committed to Arsenal when he signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2027.
Speaking after signing his new contract last year, Martin Odegaard said it was not too difficult for him to make the decision to commit his future to Arsenal.
“Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons,” he said.
To him, there was something special brewing at the club, something he wanted to be part of.
“Mainly what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that. I’m really excited for what’s to come here. I’ve found a place where I can be really settled and call my home.”
“My story is a bit different maybe, as I moved around different clubs since I was 16. At Arsenal, since the first day, I’ve felt great and this is definitely my home now.”
“I just want to say thanks to everyone working at the club and of course, our fantastic supporters. I will continue to give everything to bring success to this club in the years to come,” Martin Odegaard said.
With how well things are going for Martin Odegaard at Arsenal at the moment, it is not difficult to see why Arsene Wenger ‘fought like mad’ to sign him for the club when he was in charge.
Arsene Wenger, who managed Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, currently serves as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development.
Manchester City manager, Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala, has admitted to feeling uneasy as the EPL title race heats up, with his side sitting third in the table, level on point with Liverpool who have a game in hand. City are just a point behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Three teams are in the hunt for the 2023/24 EPL title–Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Champions, Manchester City, who swept everyone aside last season, are facing a tough battle this season to retain their title, and have been playing catch-up this season.
After the 4-1 victory against Aston Villa on Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola admitted to the fact that the EPL title race this season is a tough one, saying that his side are only third favourites for the title this season.
According to him, he is not feeling easy about it but insists his side will be in the hunt for a fourth successive EPL title, although he expects it to go down to the wire if they win all their remaining games.
“If we win all our games it will go until the last day because they are not five, six, seven points in front,” Pep Guardiola said in reaction to the EPL title race this season.
“It will not be easy,” he added. “The feeling I have is not easy. I see Liverpool and Arsenal playing, they don’t drop points, it will not be easy.”
To ensure they go all the way, Guardiola said that they need to focus on their job and not look at what the other teams in the title race are doing.
“But we have to do our job and don’t regret, ‘Oh, we should have won that game because they lost after’. We cannot do anything, we do not play against them any more so we don’t control what Liverpool and Arsenal do. All we can do is win our games,” the City manager said.
Manchester City were dominant, as usual, on Wednesday night, against Aston Villa, winning 4-1, even though Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland got benched.
The dominant performance against Aston Villa had people asking if the club are finally hitting form, given the criticisms the club faced after that goalless draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
In reaction to those questions, Pep Guardiola said; “We were out of the title race three or four days ago and not playing good, the team was not playing like we did the last six seasons. Now we are in the best form in the league? Come on, guys…”
According to him, it was just quality defending from the Gunners and his boys’ inability to take their chances, that worked against them in the game against Arsenal, but every other thing was taken care of.
“We’ve won a lot of the last games. I cannot say in the game against Arsenal I didn’t recognise my team. We were there all the time, we didn’t create chances because of the quality of defence and because we missed some presence in the box, but the rest, I recognise completely my team.”
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager said he and his charges are calm and will remain so and hope others lose points as the EPL title race heats up, and going right down to the wire this season.
“That’s why we are calm. As I said, it’s tight, it’s not seven or eight points. It’s close. We have to wait. They have to lose points, otherwise, it will not be possible, but again the team has been exceptional this season, exceptional,” Pep Guardiola said.
Liverpool could open a three-point gap between them and Manchester City if they win their game against Sheffield United on Thursday night.
TRUE STORY: MARRIED IN APRIL, KILLED IN APRIL, THE CASE OF FRANKO
By Koswe Editors
So, in April 2023, Franko got married to Ilishebo and in April, 2024, Franko is killed by her husband after a marital dispute.
Ilishebo was working at ZANACO as Chief Security officer and in early 2023 he divorced his first wife who blessed him with 6 children. Clearly, the first wife was praying day and night.
Before Franko met Ilishebo, she was seeing another man and Franko had told the man that she had found another Ilishebo to marry her since the man was not ready to leave his wife.
The man who had been with Franko for years gave her room but as the adage goes: Munda wakale suvuta kulima, Franko started talking to the same man she had ditched for the new man who married her in April.
But what led to late Ilishebo getting divorced? Well, Ilishebo used to take Franko and other girls to his house and he would make his first wife sleep in the children’s bedroom while him and imported girls, they would take turns the blessed matrimonial bed and do all things and all night while the first wife sleeps in tears. This went on for as long as the first wife pleaded with the dead man but Franko and other girls had won the heart of Ilishebo.
Even as these things were happening, Franko’s heart, mind and soul were for the other married man and she kept enticing him till a child was granted by God.
So, Ilishebo knew that there was this man before him and Franko knew that Ilishebo was married and so was the other man but both enjoyed this chain anyway.
Ilishebo’s first wife whom he got a divorce from is still alive and Ilishebo only had a children with his first wife and Franko had two children from another man and therefore the newly born and 7 months old baby-boy was going to be the only child between Ilishebo and Franko but now that child belongs to the rightful father who is yet to be legally, thoroughly and morally identified.
We now put it to you: Who should be blamed between Ilishebo and Franko? Who should be blamed between Ilishebo and his first wife? Who should be blamed between Franko and the baby-daddy of the surviving 7 months old boy?
These are the relationship triangles 🔺️ currently engulfing Lusaka and men with good standing in society are finding themselves in such entanglements.
Next part, we will inform you how and why Ilishebo first wife ran away after the husband took a woman to their matrimonial home and chased her out.
Koswe: Investigations only! Silelo tayamba!
If you have not read it on Koswe then it’s FAKE News.
LUSAKA HUBBY MÛRDERED WIFE AFTER BEING CONFRONTED OVER HIS SECRET HIV STATUS, FRIENDS REVEAL
CLOSE friends to Valerie Franco, a woman brutally killed by her husband have revealed that the couple’s tragic dispute arose after she confronted him for hiding his HIV positive status and serial womanizing.
They have however disclosed that there had been a relationship between justice minister Mulambo Haimbe and Valerie, but that it ended three years ago, contradicting rumours suggesting the relationship caused Valerie’s husband, Mike Ilishebo to strangle and stab her to death in the matrimonial home.
One friend shared, “What I know as her friend from way back is that after the death of her (Valerie’s) first husband, she took time before she started dating anyone seriously.”
The friend explained that Valerie and Haimbe began their relationship in 2018 but things soured in late 2020 and throughout 2021, leading to their eventual breakup.
“Valerie and Mike (late husband) got involved around Nov/Dec 2022 and quickly got married in March 2023. By then she was already pregnant. No wonder the baby is eight months old in a one year marriage.”
They further told Kalemba that Valerie other relationships before marrying her late husband, Ilishebo, in March 2023.
It was revealed that from the start of their marriage, the couple faced challenges, with reports of infidelity and abuse.
“Problems started from the word go. She found out he had many girlfriends and he started sleeping out. He would beat her (yes beating a pregnant woman) when she challenged his behaviour to the extent that she reported him for assault at least twice, but each time they would reconcile,” the sources revealed.
Sources told Kalemba that Valerie even reported her husband for assault multiple times, but they often reconciled.
The situation escalated, particularly after Valerie discovered her husband was hiding his HIV status and confronted him about it.
According to the late Valerie’s friends, they believe the latest fight was brewing from the time she got back with him after a time on separation.
They reconciled in March but tensions remained high leading to the couple’s death.
“She confided in me that she had learned that her husband had lost his job at Zanaco and that he had been hiding his HIV status from her and she had decided to confront him.”
“It seems a lot of issues came up resulting in a violent fight and these tragic deaths.”.
Police justifies why Solochi’s sexual abuse allegation case is being handled in Kabwe
Following the Zambia police service revelations that they have taken interest in socialite Florence Solochi’s sextual assault case which is being handled in Kabwe of Central Province, Central province police has revealed that most of the people implicated in Solochi’s case are Kabwe based.
Recently the Zambia Police public relations officer Rae Hamoonga revealed that police had taken interest in a matter that was circulated on social media involving allegations of sexual assault by socialite Florence Solochi.
Hammonga also revealed that on April 2, 2024 Florence Solochi was summoned in Kabwe for an interview relating to the revelations she made during in a Facebook live video.
However this raised a lot of questions among members of the public on why Solochi was summoned in Kabwe when she lives in Lusaka.
But in response to Zambian Business Times -ZBT, central province commissioner Charity Munganga justified that one of the reasons the inquiry on the allegations made by Florence is being handled by officers in Kabwe is because most of the people she mentioned in the same case are based in Kabwe.
Munganga said that the other reason is because Florence Solochi is from Kabwe including both of her parents.
She said that the other reason the inquiry is being done in Kabwe is because a formal report of the case was never made in either r Lusaka or Ndola.
She noted that the other reason the inquiry is being done in Kabwe is because inquiry’s are easier to handle in a place where the victim and most witnesses are domiciled.
She further revealed that currently, solochi is under the care and custody of her parents in Kabwe.
“The inquiry about the allegations made by Florence is being handled by officers in Kabwe because of the following reasons: Florence Solochi is from Kabwe as both her parents are in Kabwe. Currently, she is under the care and custody of her parents here in Kabwe,” she said. “Most of the people who are mentioned in the same case are Kabwe based. A formal report of the same was never made in neither Lusaka nor Ndola as it were. Any inquiry often is easier to handle in a place where the victim and most witnesses are… https://zambianbusinesstimes.com/most-people-implicated-in-solochis-sextual-assault-case-domiciled-in-kabwe-police
ZAMBIA HAS MORE LAZY AND HUNGRY INDIVIDUALS MASQUERADING TO BE POLITICIANS
We have no opposition leaders who genuinely want to liberate our struggling economy. When I look at the crop of our politicians in the opposition, all I see are individuals either unhappy or simply wanting to assume national duties to liberate themselves from poverty.
All you can see on their faces is a desire for power for personal benefits. This is why when you ask them about their manifestos, they have nothing convincing to offer. This appetite for public money is what led to thugs assuming power under the PF. Those thugs in bus stations could walk away with a minimum of K20,000 from a pirate bus station like Kamwala every Friday without working for it in the name of commandos and party cadres.
On the other hand, their top leaders continued sharing contracts, and some were supplying gas despite their companies being awarded down payments before even being formed. Today, some publicly owned institutions are closing, and when you do your research, you will discover that some of our politicians are the ones who borrowed money and failed to pay because they thought they would be in power forever. In the case of the former government, they borrowed from various institutions, including private sectors, and they were untouchable because of their positions.
This is the main driving force that pushes them back into active politics so that they can continue exploiting our nation. I feel bad for some of my youths who support these folks without critically analyzing their motives. They acquired wealth that they cannot even explain how they obtained, and these are the leaders we think can develop Zambia. Those who have not tasted power yet are also eager to come in and eat.
Our nation is now a source of income for lazy citizens because they know that joining politics is the easiest way to get rich overnight. We are doomed if we do not think critically as a nation. We are being robbed each day by some of these politicians. This is why you see some of them trotting from one government to another without shame. Ask them what they have significantly done for our nation from the time they joined UNIP to the current UPND government, and they will show you nothing. They’re in the game to eat and amass wealth.
They are individuals who cannot even operate a small genuine business. Without political handouts, they cannot survive. Youths, be extra careful about the people you entrust your nation to.
55 CITIZENS FIRST MEMBERS DEFECT TO SOCIALIST PARTY
…there are neither new nor old members in the SP, assures Dr Musumali in welcoming the defectors
MONGU… Friday, April 5, 2024
Citizens First (CF) Chairperson for Western Province Chrispine Manyando and 54 others have defected to the Socialist party.
Speaking in Lozi during the defection in Mongu, Manyando, who is also aspiring Member of Parliament for Mongu Central said he defected to Socialist party because he has come to a realization that under capitalism – the rich only become richer and the poor, poorer.
“But the main reason why I left this party is that I came to realize that the capitalist, capitalism you will find that those people who are rich becomes more richer like these other parties. When you are poor, you become more poorer. And with the society party, they share, the one who has shares wit the other doesn’t have anything. Therefore, today the 5th of April I officially, not photocopy, originally do away with anything to do with Citizen first here in Western province and the country at large. Everything I will do is socialist,” said Manyando.
“A few reasons again that has added more to my departure from the former party is because the party I was with doesn’t care about people and I personally I have come to realize that it can’t rule the country. Because I was one of the senior members of this party. Today, makes the end of me to associate myself with Citizens First party”.
And in welcoming the defectors, Socialist Party General Secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali said there are no new or old members in the party.
“Again you are family, the socialist party is about family, the socialist party is about friendship, the socialist party is about hope. Giving hope to Zambia. 2026 is yours. In the socialist party, we don’t believe in new and old members. The minute you become a member of the socialist party, you are just a member,” said Dr Musumali.
“You have equal rights and privileges like those who joined six years ago. So please, this is your new home don’t say I’m a new member don’t even mention I’m former this and that that former has expired it’s gone forget about it. Everywhere you will go just say you are socialist”.
MILITARY CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE MÛRDERED IN APOLLO MILITARY CAMP
In a shocking turn of events, Marcopolo Police Post received a distress call early this morning, reporting a tragic homicide within the confines of Apollo Military Camp. The victim, identified as Mr. Winston Mulenga Kabaso, aged 48, a civilian employee residing at house number LCC 58, was found deceased under suspicious circumstances.
The report was filed by Mr. Martin Daka, aged 50, a Zambia Army Provost Officer residing at house number MC 2B 346, within the same military camp. According to Mr. Daka’s account, Staff Sergeant Chipili Musonda Saviour, aged 45, residing at house LCC 376, alerted him to the discovery of a deceased male along the road leading to the old camp.
Upon immediate investigation, the body was confirmed to be that of Mr. Winston Kabaso Mulenga. Police scenes of crime officers arrived at the scene and confirmed the murder case. The victim exhibited severe injuries, including a cut on the right side of the face, a depressed forehead, and swelling on the back of the head, indicating a violent altercation.
Further examination of the scene revealed blood droplets leading from the site to the victim’s residence. Inside the premises, officers discovered blood stains on various surfaces, including the passage door frame and the kitchen door mat, which was inexplicably found on the roof. Additionally, a pounding stick with blood stains was recovered, further corroborating the violent nature of the incident.
A crucial breakthrough in the investigation came from a juvenile, aged 6, the son of the deceased couple. The child provided vital information indicating that his parents were engaged in a violent altercation the previous night, shedding light on the events leading up to the tragic outcome.
As a result of the gathered evidence and testimonies, Mrs. Agness Mulebi, the wife of the deceased, have been detained in police lawful custody on suspicion of murder. The investigation into this distressing incident is ongoing, with the Zambia Police Service assuring the public that every effort will be made to bring those responsible to justice.
This tragic event has sent shockwaves through the Apollo Military Camp community, prompting concerns about safety and security within the premises. Residents are urged to cooperate fully with authorities as they work tirelessly to uncover the truth behind this heinous crime.
This is according to a press statement by Rae Hamoonga Police Public Relations Officer.
FM
BELOW IS THE INITIAL POLICE STATEMENT:
April 5, 2024 – At 0500 hours today, Marcopolo Police Post received a distressing report regarding a homicide case involving the tragic death of Mr. Winston Mulenga Kabaso, aged 48, a civilian employee residing at house number LCC 58, Apollo Military Camp.
The report was filed by Mr. Martin Daka, aged 50, a Zambia Army Provost Officer residing at house number MC 2B 346, Apollo Military Camp.
According to Mr. Daka’s account, he was informed by Staff Sergeant Chipili Musonda Saviour, aged 45, residing at house LCC 376, Apollo Military Camp, about the discovery of a deceased male along the road leading to the old camp. Upon immediate investigation, the body was identified as that of Mr. Winston Kabaso Mulenga. Subsequently, Mr. Daka reported the incident to Marcopolo Police Post.
Upon arrival at the scene, police scenes of crime officers confirmed the murder case. The body of Mr. Kabaso Mulenga exhibited injuries including a cut on the right side of the face, a depressed forehead, and swelling on the back of the head, indicating a violent altercation.
Further examination revealed evidence suggesting the body had been dumped at the location, with blood droplets leading from the scene to the victim’s residence. Upon searching the premises, officers discovered blood stains on the passage door frame, the kitchen door mat (which was found on the roof), and a pounding stick with blood stains.
Additionally, during the investigation, a juvenile, aged 6 and the son of the deceased couple, provided crucial information indicating that his parents were engaged in a violent altercation the previous night.
As a result of the gathered evidence and testimonies, Mrs. Agness Mulebi, the wife of the deceased, has been detained in police lawful custody on suspicion of murder.
The investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing, and the Zambia Police Service would like to assure the public that every effort will be made to bring those responsible to justice.
FIRST LADY MRS MUTINTA HICHILEMA SHOULD RETURN THE K100,000 DONATION THAT SHE RECEIVED FROM INVESTRUST BANK SHORTLY BEFORE THE BANK COLLAPSED
Liberty House, Lusaka
5th April 2024
1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we would like to urge the First Lady Mrs Mutinta Hichilema to immediately return the K100,000 donation that she received from the now collapsed Investrust Bank PLC on 15th December 2023, on both moral and legal grounds.
2. We have no doubt in our minds that by the time that Mrs Hichilema received the K100,000 donation about 3 months ago, the bank was already experiencing liquidity problems. Therefore, it was irresponsible, immoral and illegal for the Investrust Bank PLC Managing Director Mr. Simangolwa Shakalima to give out a donation of K100,000 to Mrs Mutinta Hichilema, just like it is irresponsible, immoral and illegal for the First Lady to keep the donation, now that the bank has collapsed, and depositors are unable to retrieve their money.
3. The K100,000 donation that the Investrust Bank Managing Director, Mr. Simangolwa Shakalima made to the First Lady, at a time when the bank had liquidity challenges, amounted to asset stripping and is criminalized under section 176 of the Corporate Insolvency Act No. 9 of 2017.
4. Based on previous cases where the Bank of Zambia (BOZ) has taken possession of a collapsed bank including Inter-Market Banking Corporation, Development Bank of Zambia etcetera, depositors are often given only a fraction of their deposits that is usually less than 30 percent. In other words, depositors always lose their money whenever a commercial bank collapses and is taken over by the Bank of Zambia.
5. In the premises above, if the First Lady Mrs Mutinta Hichilema insisted on keeping the K100,000 donation that she illegally received from Investrust Bank PLC, she would be benefitting from the misery of depositors who have lost money from the collapse of the Bank. She would also be exposing herself to possible future criminal prosecution for being an accessory to the Bank’s asset stripping, in contravention of section 176 of the Corporate Insolvency Act No 9 of 2017 of the Laws of Zambia. While the choice of what step to take next is entirely hers, we urge her to make the right decision.
ISSUED BY:
SEAN E. TEMBO (SET) PARTY PRESIDENT PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP) LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
BwinjiMfumu, Katima Mulilo are Soli names-Uncle Sam
Zambian history in a minute – things they don’t teach you in school
By Uncle Sam
Where Northmead stands today was a big Soli village called Bwinjimfumu derived from the phrase, ” Bwinjimfumu bwakashimisha mulilo”!
This community had its graveyard on the hill where Parliament building and Mandahill shopping centre are, today hence the name Manda hill. Today you hear people talk about Bwinjimfumu but do not know where the name came from.
There was a time when Lozis attacked Solis and went away with their women and daughters, and soli youths pursued the Lozis and caught up with them at Mwembeshi river and managed to get back their women after Lozi’s got tired and hungry. Behind, a group of old head men who remained in the village waiting for the warriors to come back did not collect enough firewood to keep the fire burning, as you know those days there were no matches, fire was kept burning by adding firewood. When the youths came back with their women and daughters, they found that the village had no fire. They realised that the reason why fire went off was due to the group of old headmen who could not go in the bush to fetch fire wood hence the place was named, “BWINJIMFUMU BWAKASHIMYA MULILO”, meaning too many leaders led to the extinguishing of fire. Years down the line different ethnic groups started to come and settled around this area.
Tongas from south discovered iron across one big river which was too wide to cross.
Fortunately, they discovered a skeleton of a big elephant which they used as a boat to cross this river and named this point Kafuwa meaning a bone. However, David Livingstone mispronounced it as Kafue.
However, it is also believed that the name Kafue derives from Ila term ” kafuwa” meaning pastoral farming. All the same Munali as David Livingstone, was called, mispronounced it. Trying to have a better view of Kafue river Livingstone climbed hills which is called kunanalika in Ila, hence he was named Munali.
Later, one white settler by the name of Marapod settled around this Soli village specialising in gardening. However, he shifted northwards because the area where he had settled was rocky therefore named the place KAMWALA and where he went to settle as marapod and the area where he was doing his gardens and since most of his garden workers were easterners, their residential area was called Chipata compound.
With the increase in the number of white farmers and settlement, an area east of Garden was reserved for cattle grazing and later called Ng’ombe.
Then during the federal govt, a lot of south Rhodesians came to settle in this fast growing town near marapod and chipata in order to do business with these people. Due to their culture of keeping long beards, their area was called MANDEVU. During that time, lenje natives were pushed far east and this is the area where Lenje was spoken the area was called Ulenje but later changed to Chilenge.
A number of prominent settlers from South Africa increased in number and a place west of the settlement was reserved for an abattoir and butcheries, this is where meat was sold and the place was called Kanyama.
Later a wife of one of the Boers established some business near Kamwala and employed a lot of natives wives and they named the place Misisi.
Matero derived it’s name from its sloppy landscape Matelo in Lenje.
Chaisa was an area for freedom fighters and militants who were beating up sellouts and puppets, chaisa means beat hard.
