Zambia President, Edgar Lungu under fire for sacking Central Bank Chief

The Zambian president has come under fire for the abrupt sacking of the central bank governor in the midst of a debt crisis in the southern African nation whose resolution hinges on bailout talks with the IMF.

Denny Kalyalya was fired with immediate effect by Edgar Lungu on Saturday without an official reason being given, at a critical juncture for Africa’s second-biggest copper producer which is struggling to repay more than $11bn of government debts. He was replaced with Christopher Mvunga, a former deputy finance minister and banker.

In a statement on the sacking, the IMF on Monday said that “the macroeconomic stability that most developing countries have enjoyed in recent years has greatly relied on the much-improved effectiveness and increased independence of central banks”.

“It is imperative that central banks’ operational independence and credibility is maintained, particularly at this critical time when economic stability is threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic,” the IMF added.

The independence of African central banks has come under the spotlight as the pandemic threatens to push many of the continent’s economies into their biggest downturns in decades and governments face funding pressures.

Access to the fund’s loans is widely seen as Zambia’s main route to avoiding default on its debts, which were borrowed to finance an infrastructure boom and large shares of which are owed to Chinese creditors and private bondholders.

Police Shoot 19-Year-Old Boy For Impregnating His Girlfriend

Unless three different surgeries are urgently conducted on the left leg of Ledesi Kote, a 19-year-old boy who was shot by a police officer for impregnating a girl, according to doctors ,the young man may lose the leg to amputation.

According to Kote, the father of the victim, He was in his compound in K. Dere community in Gokana local government area of Rivers State on Friday, August 21, 2020, around 7 am, when a Sienna drove into his compound with about four armed police men.

“They went straight to my son’s room door and were banging and cocking guns. I approached them to inquire from them what my son did wrong that they were looking for him, but none of them answered me. It was one of them who angrily told me that my son impregnated a girl.”.

According to the victim’s father, the next thing he heard from the backyard of his house was a gunshot.

He said one of the officers shot his son on the leg simply because he impregnated a girl and went away with him, while he was bleeding profusely and hid him in a private hospital.

Comrade Karl Uchegbu, South-South Zonal Chairman of Civil Liberties Organizations quoted an unnamed human rights activist in the area as stating that, he and other lovers of justice took the father to the Rivers State Police Command headquarters on Moscow road in Port Harcourt, where an official complaint was laid down about what their officers did to an innocent boy, whose only crime was because he impregnated a girl.

Our Correspondent learnt that arrangements were made for the immediate transfer of the victim from the village to a better government owned hospital in Port Harcourt.

Another activist who witnessed the incident regretted that,

”until now, the officer who did this is yet to take full responsibility of the medications. The doctor said the victim will have to undergo three different surgeries or else he might be amputated. We want justice for this boy. It could be me or you tomorrow”.

At the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command headquarters is yet to react to the incident, especially the allegation that a Police Officer shot a boy.

Grezelder Jeffrey fired from DPP

Politician Grezelder Jeffrey has been fired as Secretary General of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with immediate effect.

The development comes barely hours after Jeffrey wa Jeffrey publicly said the party will soon go to convention to elected its torchbearer of the 2025 Presidential polls to replace immediate past President Peter Mutharika.

Jeffrey confirmed of the development in an interview with the press.

“I am not worried…actually this is good for me. I will be going home in Nkhotakhota,” she said.

Some top officials in DPP led by regional governor for the North Christopher Mzomera Ngwira wants Mutharika to retire from frontline politics.

Man commits suicide after taking poison food

In Phalombe, a 27-year-old man identified as James Kumwamba has committed suicide after taking poisoned food.

The district’s police station public relations officer, Sergeant Innocent Moses has confirmed of the incident and said this happened on 25th August, 2020 around 1400 hours, in Mpheni village in traditional authority Mkhumba in the district

“Facts are that the deceased used to do piece works at Phalombe trading center. For the past three days, he has been complaining that his brain has not been working after he lost his mobile phone. Consequently, his mother has found him dead in his house on 25th August 2020, ” Moses explained.

The incident was reported to police where Officers from Phalombe accompanied by medical practitioner from Phalombe Heath Center rushed to the scene.

Medical practitioner examined the body and confirmed that death was due to suffocation secondary to food poisoning.

Most wanted armed robber arrested after 20 years of terror in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s most wanted armed robber, Musa Taj Abdul has been arrested after 20 years of terror.

The suspect has been on the run for over two decades and was arrested while in the company of six other accomplices in the border town of Beitbridge on Monday night.

Abdul who has been on the police wanted list since 1999, was linked to the robbery attack on December 2019 at Wessel Shop in Msasa, Harare, It was alleged that his gang disarmed a security guard and stole a special Amadeo Rossi revolver, $160 000 and an Isuzu KB240 single cab vehicle.

On February 5 this year, the gang went to Makoni Shopping Centre, Chitungwiza, armed with pistols, an AK47 rifle and robbed unsuspecting complainants of US$19 000, $30 000, cellphones and a Toyota Allion vehicle, which was later found abandoned in Glen View.

On February 26, the gang robbed another person in Harare of US$40 000, jewelry, several pairs of shoes, a laptop, cellphones, a star pistol, and a Hyundai vehicle. The gang proceeded to the victim’s workplace and robbed him of US$227 250 and R28 000 with only US$10 000 being recovered by the police.

Abdul is also known for evading police arrests and escaping shootouts which has led to the death of some of his gang members.

Namadingo Hits k3 Million as He pose as statue in Blantyre

Musician Patience Namadingo has managed to raise over K3 million for fellow musician William Kachigamba, who was diagnosed with cancer.

The musician needs K3 million to travel to Zambia for medical attention. This prompted Namadingo to pose like a statue on the Mahatma Ghandi statue in Blantyre to raise the K3 million on Tuesday.

He stayed there from 12pm without eating but was drinking water until around past 6pm before his manager Peter Mazunda received a message from President Lazarus Chakwera that he should go home as he would settle the balance.

Namadingo was determined to spend a night until he managed to raise the K3 million.

Times 360

WHO declares Africa polio-free after four years without recorded cases

Polio is officially declared eradicated from the African continent by the World Health Organization.

This comes after four consecutive years without a reported case and massive efforts to immunize children.

Following the announcement on Tuesday, the WHO chief,Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, held vitual meeting with the Nigerian philanthropist Aliko Dangote and American billionaire, Bill Gates.

“It is a tremendous victory, a deliverance,” Tunji Funsho of the Nigeria Polio Committee of Rotary International told AFP. “It’s been more than 30 years since we launched this challenge. To say that I am happy is an understatement,” said the Nigerian doctor.

It takes three years without a reported case to obtain WHO approval, but the UN organization preferred to wait four years, “to be 100% sure the disease is completely eradicated.

Polio is a, infectious disease that mainly affects children, attacking the spinal cord and potentially causing irreversible paralysis.

It was endemic disease throughout the world until a vaccine was discovered in the 1950s.

AFP

Campaigning begins for Tanzanian elections

Campaigning begins in Tanzania on Wednesday ahead of a general election due at the end of October.

President John Magufuli, who is seeking re-election, faces 14 challengers.

The ruling CCM party has dominated Tanzania’s politics for decades.

A united opposition during the last election gave the party the strongest challenge yet.

But the crowded race this time could give the president greater advantage.

Mr Magufuli was widely praised as a reformist when he took office five years ago but has since been accused of stifling dissent.

In June he controversially declared that the coronavirus had been defeated in Tanzania through the power of prayer.

Most Tanzanians have since resumed normal business in spite of concerns raised by critics at home and abroad.

This year’s election is expected to be the most challenging yet as the government continues to clamp down on dissent.

Malawi records few Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours`

Malawi has only registered 4 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
Taking the tally of total confirmed cases in Malawi to 5,423.
It has recorded one new death in the past 24 hours.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 170 Covid-19 deaths.
7 new recoveries have been recorded also taking the tally of total recoveries to 3,066.
Currently, Malawi has 2,187 active Covid-19 cases and it has also conducted 42,902 tests since the outbreak of the pandemic in Malawi.

Man Jailed 15 Years for Producing and Circulating Porn ‘Katundu Very Nice’

The Chipata High Court in Zambia has sentenced a man who was behind the production and circulation of the video in which he was seen fondling privates of unconscious woman while calling upon others to join him.

The infamous video was dubbed ‘Katundu very nice’ as how the culprit described the private parts of the woman in the 2018 incident.

Rodgers Mwanza was sentenced to nine months each in count two and count three where he was charged with production and circulation of obscene materials by the Petauke Magistrate Court last year.

Resident Magistrate Ackson Mumba ruled that the sentences would run concurrently before committing Mwanza for sentencing in count 1 where he was convicted for the offence of indecent assault on a female.

On Monday, The Lusaka judge Getrude Chawatama jailed Mwanza 15 years for the offence of indecent assault on a female and that the sentence would run concurrently with the previous sentences, making it 15 years.

Judge Chawatama said she considered the mitigation that Mwanza was the first offender but also noted that the offence that he committed was serious.

Nigeria Prostitutes Beat Pastor To Coma For Preaching In Their Brothel

A group of prostitutes have pounced on an Evangelist identified simply as Matthew, beating him to coma for daring to preach in front of their premises in Lagos.

Mathew who preaches in a popular church in Ejigbo, Lagos, had gone to carry out his Evangelical duties, by preaching to the lost flock. Little did he know that he would receive the beating of his life on the fateful day.

The incident happened on Friday, August 14, would remain evergreen in his memory.

According to an eyewitness identified as Theresa Okwudili, trouble started for the 36-year-old man of God when he stood at a close range to Golden hotel, Ejigbo, and began preaching to the women of easy virtues and their male clients to forsake their sinful ways and turn to God for deliverance and salvation.

Reports had it that, the pastor’s constant decrying of their flesh-trade, irked the commercial sex workers who weren’t finding it funny.

However, when it seemed to them that the preacher was not in hurry to end his sermon, Hannah, said to be one of the most notorious members of the ‘sex workers’ decided to take the bull by the horns.

“She angrily brought out a bucket of water and poured the man of God. As he was still trying to figure out what was going on, another prostitute advanced towards him and started pushing him away. He was almost pushed to the gutter but for timely intervention of passers-by,” Theresa said.

Another eyewitness who gave his name as Uchenna Kingsley said;

“That was not the first day he was preaching at that place. But he didn’t use to get so close to the brothel premises as he did on this occasion. To me, I believe he overstepped his boundary because he knew the place was an unholy zone; he should have treaded more carefully.”

According to Kingsley, most times, if not all the time, he uses the Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20 which talks about fleeing from fornication

“He uses that verse interchangeably with Proverb 6 verse 32, which also revolves around fornication and adultery,” Kingsley said.

All efforts to reach the Evangelist proved abortive. But it was gathered that he did not make any attempt to fight back the ladies, he described as “daughters of Jezebel”.

I want to get married but i don’t know why men are scared to talk to me – Nigerian Lady Narrates

A Nigerian lady identified as Suraya has said that she wants to get married but does not know why men are scared to talk to her.

According to her, guys have been running away from her, and she doesn’t know why they are scared to approach her

 .

She wrote: “Am not getting any younger. I think, I need to get married, but I don’t know why guys are scared to talk to me. Am I not beautiful?”

Is She Not Beautiful? Someone Should Go Talk With Her Abeg!

‘My father and I woke up nak_ed in bed with our housegirl after she did this…She’s now pregnant’- girl narrates

We had a housegirl in our house who used to stay overnight. One day my mother went to her father’s house.

There was only me, my father and the housegirl in our house. After dinner we asked the

 housegirl 

to bring water. She did and after drinking water I and my father fell asleep in different beds.

When I woke up it was 10am in the morning. I saw the three of us i.e. dad, me and our housegirl lying on the same bed fully

 nak_ed.

I called my father who was fast asleep to wake up and we both wore our clothes. Then we covered the housegirl with blanket then woke her up.

She then told us that she had done all this by mixing sleeping pills in our water. She also said she took me and dad to dad’s room and made us both

 nak_ed and had se-xual intercourse 

with us. We then kicked her out of the house.

One month after that, she called us to inform that she was preg_nant with either my or father’s child.

Now my questions are:

1. Does this child really belong to us?

2. Should we repent and confess in church as we had

 se_x 

unknowingly?

3. Should we accept the child?

4. Between me and dad, who could have impreg_nated her?

5. Do I have to marry her?

Trump’s media adviser Kellyanne resigns over daughter’s viral tweet about her job

Kellyanne Conway, 53 announcement that she will step down to focus on her family just hours after her daughter, Claudia, 15, tweeted about the mental impact of her mother’s job.

The long-serving advisor to President Donald made the announcement on Sunday citing that it is time to focus on her family.

The Republican strategist who managed Trump’s campaign in 2016 said she would step down by the end of the month and she is still scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday.

According to BBC report, Mrs Conway’s daughters, Claudia, whose tweet went viral wrote “My mother’s job ruined my life to begin with. heartbreaking that she continues to go down that path after years of watching her children suffer. selfish. it’s all about money and fame, ladies and gentlemen”.

Her mother tweeted a statement less than 24 hours later that she closed by saying: “For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama”.

She added that the resignation is completely her choice and voice and together with her husband, they will be making some changes.

Despite her cardinal job in the white house, Mrs Conway’s eminent husband George Conway, Washington lawyer, has remained one of Trump’s most prolific critics often spotted questioning the president’s mental fitness for office.

Mr Conway has publicly disparaged the president, describing him as “incompetent” which the president responded by calling him a “stone cold LOSER”.

Kellyanne Conway disclosed that she will announce future plans in days to come.

Mchinji District Council threatens to ban local drinking joints

Mchinji District Council Chairperson Yona Mtanga has threatened to shut down all local drinking joints situated in non designated areas as one way of improving vicinity and sanity of Mchinji District.

The chairperson’s remarks came in after concerned community members of Kanyama Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Zulu in the district, expressed concern over an increase of illegal beer kiosks.

The community members said these beer kiosks are risking lives of young people and social economic development of the area.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Thursday, Mtanga said apart from Kanyama residential area which is at the boma, the council would also evict all bottle stores and beer taverns established in areas which are not designated for the particular businesses

“All beer- bars situated at Kanyama, Nyamawende, and Robert among other locations are operating illegally and they have no license from council.

“We cannot license them because the areas are not designed for the beer business and we are going to close them immediately,” Mtanga advised.

He added that with the closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic, youths are at risk of indulging themselves into immoral behaviour such as drinking alcohol especially with the proliferation of the beer joints.

In a separate interview one of the bar owners Paulo Five refuted the allegations of operating his business without license from the council saying those were petty jealousies.

Five who owns New Big Five Bar at Kanyama area said he had been renewing his business license and was ready to renew it again this financial year which runs from 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021.

“These are petty jealousies. Some people only hate me because of how fast my business is growing. For your information I have last year’s licence and I am ready renew it this year," he said.

He said his bar premises has all requirements and he does not allow youths of under recommended age and he challenged authorities to visit his bar to verify.

One of the concerned residents of Kanyama Village, Tafatatha Banda said the community members are against bars because they are in residential area instead of establishing them at designated places.

“The bars are threatening lives of young boys and girls because they are tempted to indulge into immoral behaviours such as prostitution and drinking beer. The immoral behaviour of the youths is on climax and I can equate Kanyama Village to Sodom and Gomorrah,” he said.

He appealed to Mchinji District Council to intervene as soon as possible because the practise has also put them at risk in terms of security.

Man Caught Defiling 8-Year-Old Pastor’s Daughter

A security man has been caught defiling an 8-year-old daughter of a Pastor in Nigeria.

According to the report, the man was caught in the act with the young girl inside an uncompleted building not far from the Pastor’s house where he served as a security man.

See below disturbing photos of the victim and the culprit.

The security man was apprehended by residents who noted that he has been seen numbers of time with the young girl entering into the uncompleted structure but were unsure of what he does with the girl until he was traced.

However, it was gathered that the father of the victim said he is not pressing a charge on the rape case as he would not want the child to be traumatized.

Ronaldinho Released After Five Months Detention Over A Forged Passport

Brazilian football legend, Ronaldinho was released on Monday, August 24, by a Paraguayan judge after spending five months in detention over a forged passport.

Judge Gustavo Amarilla also released Ronaldinho’s brother Roberto de Assis Moreira, who was held for a month in jail and another four months under house arrest for the same charge.

The 40-year-old former World Cup winner “is free to travel to whatever country in the world he wants but he must inform us if he changes his permanent residence” for a period of one year, the judge said.

“He has no restrictions except for the fulfilment of reparations for damage to society.”

Ronaldinho accepted the terms of his release, which include payment of $90,000 in damages. His brother, who is also Ronaldinho’s business manager, must pay $110,000.

The judge explained that he was not issuing a “definitive dismissal” of the case but rather that Ronaldinho was benefitting from a “conditional suspension of the procedure.”

His brother was also given a two-year suspended sentence.

Prosecutors believe Ronaldinho had no idea about the fake Paraguayan passports but they said de Assis Moreira was likely aware that the passports were false.

Before Monday’s trial the public prosecutor said that Ronaldinho displayed no “personal characteristics or criminal behavior that … would put society at risk.

“They flagrantly used a public document containing false content,” said Marcelo Pecci, one of the public prosecutors, who said it was a “very serious” offense.

De Assis Moreira must appear before a judge in Brazil every four months for two years and will have a criminal record.

“Ronaldinho’s situation is not the same as Roberto’s. He has no obligation to appear before any Brazilian judicial authority. He must only report a change of address,” said Amarilla, who accepted a recommendation by four prosecutors to avoid the need for an oral trial.

The former footballer and his brother were arrested in March after passports were found bearing their names with Paraguayan nationality.

The pair later ended up in a Paraguay prison before they were released on house arrest after serving just 32 days behind bars.

18 people were also arrested in connection with the case, most of them immigration officials or police officers.

Pastor, Church Members Fight Landlord During Church Service

A video has emerged on social media in which some church members could be seen engaging in a physical fight with their landlord.

The incident happened on Sunday, August 23, at Grace and Truth Arena Church located in Asaba, Delta state.

It should be noted that church activities around the country have begun despite Nigeria’s fight against coronavirus.

Safety measure are, however, in place in order to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

But in the video of the fight making the rounds on social media, there is disregard for social distancing.

Watch Video Via The Link>>>https://www.instagram.com/p/CEOnUp5D8nX/

One Dies In Motorcycle Accident

 A 28-year- old Dennis Mulungu died on August 23,2020 at round 10PM after being hit by a motorcycle along Chitipa-MRA road.
Mulungu hailed from Kapenda village in the area of Traditional Authority Mwaulambia in Chitipa district.
Police in the district have advised motorists to always report road accidents whenever they are involved.

Malawi has registered five new COVID-19 cases, 47 new recoveries, and one new death

In the past 24 hours, Malawi has registered five new COVID-19 cases, 47 new recoveries, and one new death.
The new death sadly is a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Blantyre and was admitted at QECH.
All new cases are locally transmitted infections: four are from Blantyre and one from Lilongwe.

Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 5,419 cases including 169 deaths. Of these cases, 1,094 are imported infections and 4,325 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 3,059 cases have now recovered bringing the total number of active cases to 2,191.
The average age of the cases is 36.6 years, the youngest case being aged 1 month, the oldest being 98 years old and 68% are male.
The country has so far conducted 42,821 COVID-19 tests in 45 COVID-19 testing sites of which 214 tests have been done in the past 24 hours.