Lusaka

Zambian church groups said on Friday they had started collecting signatures to petition the government to withdraw Big Brother Africa, a reality TV show, from state television because it promotes ”immorality”.

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has threatened to paralyse the government if it cuts or freezes wages for public service workers and civil servants, state media reported on Wednesday.

Zambia’s opposition has collected the 53 lawmakers’ signatures needed to begin an impeachment process to remove President Levy Mwanawasa from office for allegedly breaching the constitution, an official said.

Zambian police on Wednesday summoned a newspaper editor for questioning on falsehoods about President Levy Mwanawasa published in his newspaper, a police source said on Wednesday.

The embattled former president of Zambia, Frederick Chiluba, faces a second arrest for a new round of charges after evidence of his possible involvement in a multimillion dollar case of theft from the government surfaced on Friday, police said.

Zambia’s opposition National Citizens Coalition (NCC) and its charismatic leader Nevers Mumba have joined the ruling party saying they want to help President Levy Mwanawasa fight graft, an official said on Wednesday.

Zambia’s ruling party has suspended eight of its senior officials, including party chairman Chitalu Sampa, for alleged indiscipline, a party spokesperson said on Friday.

Zambian villagers living along the Angolan border have been bartering goats and chickens in exchange for AK-47 rifles from their hungry Angolan neighbours, police reported on Tuesday.

In a second attempt to have his trial for theft heard in a higher court, former Zambian president, Frederick Chiluba filed an appeal on Thursday in the country’s Supreme Court.

Two Zambian Air Force colonels were charged with stealing state funds, their lawyer said on Monday, and a Cabinet minister, in court fighting fraud charges, was fired as an anti-corruption campaign gains steam.

Zambian police on Wednesday barred supporters of former president Frederick Chiluba from holding a protest against his successor, President Levy Mwanawasa, whom they accuse of bias in his fight against corruption.

Newly appointed Commerce Minister Dipak Patel and three other deputy ministers from the opposition have been expelled from their parties for accepting ministerial posts in defiance of the party line, officials said on Monday.

Zambia plans to spend more than -million on cleaning up contaminated lead and copper mine sites, a lawmaker announced on Wednesday.

Zambia’s former president Frederick Chiluba, who has been accused of corruption, was on Monday interrogated at a police station for the second time in less than a week.

Zambian security agents on Thursday began questioning former president Frederick Chiluba over charges that he looted the nation’s coffers, while thousands of curious people gathered outside the police station.

Zambian Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out an appeal by ex-president Frederick Chiluba against a parliamentary decision to lift his immunity so that he can face prosecution for corruption.

The US government on Thursday donated 30 000 tons of non-genetically modified sorghum and bulgur wheat to Zambia, struggling to cope with widespread food shortages.

An estimated 6 000 Zambian villagers overpowered an armed policeman and looted food aid consisting largely of maize rejected by the government because it was genetically modified, police said on Tuesday.

After a nearly three month manhunt, Zambian police finally caught up with a former top Cabinet minister wanted on charges of stealing millions of dollars from government coffers, officials said on Wednesday.

Police in Zambia have arrested seven prominent figures linked to former president Frederick Chiluba on corruption charges, police said on Thursday.

Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda hit out on Wednesday at ”globalisation with slave trade”, accusing western financial institutions of exploiting Africa.

Zambia’s former foreign minister shot himself dead on Tuesday shortly after the country’s parliament lifted ex-president Frederick Chiluba’s immunity from prosecution, state radio said.

A warehouse storing sacks of genetically modified maize was raided in southern Zambia on Monday, highlighting tensions between the government’s policy not to distribute the food.

ZAMBIA’S police service was on Friday slammed for its human rights record and the government accused of hiding police brutality in a report by a national human rights watch dog.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Zambian capital Lusaka in support of a new anti-corruption drive announced in parliament by President Levy Mwanawasa.

Zambia’s government will not allow the World Food Programme (WFP) to feed over 130 000 refugees in the country with genetically modified food.

The Zambian government has rejected donations of genetically modified maize from the United States, even though a massive food shortage threatens nearly 2,3-million of its people with starvation.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has suspended the national secretary of his ruling party for insubordination, state radio said on Wednesday.