TEDDY KUYELA, Lusaka
GOVERNMENT has castigated Non-Governmental Coordinating Committee (NGOCC) chairperson Sarah Longwe for trivialising President Lungu’s illness.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Chishimba Kambwili told a media briefing yesterday that it is absurd for Ms Longwe to question the sincerity of statements from State House pertaining to Mr Lungu’s illness.
Mr Kambwili, who is Chief Government spokesperson, said it is disappointing that Mrs Longwe went the whole hog to deriving joy in the  President’s ailment and bringing into the picture the demise of late President Sata instead of sympathising with him.
“Government further finds as highly unprofessional, unethical, and evil the conduct of Post Newspaper owner Fred Mmembe, who true to his behaviour, on Sunday derived fun from the incidence at the National Heroes Stadium and led with an immature story with debased headline.
“We wonder who Ms Longwe represents if she could derive pleasure from the illness of a person, interrogate the ailment and liken it to the death of our dear President,” he said.
Mr Kambwili advised Mr M’membe to report responsibly.
Five die in bus collision
FIVE people have died on the spot while four others sustained injuries after a bus they were travelling in collided with another bus on the Solwezi-Mwinilunga road.
North-Western Province commissioner of police Grace Chipalila told the Zambia News and Information Services that the accident happened on Sunday around 19:00 hours at Jiwundi junction, about 3 kilometres from Kalumbila Mine.
Ms Chipalila named the driver of the bus as Moses Lukonde, an employee of Nemchem, who allegedly failed to keep to his lane and collided with an oncoming Tata bus.
Mr Lukonde and his colleague identified as Margaret Mulenga, 28, also died in the accident.
Others who died in the accident are three-year-old Billy Lukonde, Christabel Musele, 21, of Kisasa area and Golden Kapindula, 28, of Lumwana East.
Ms Chipalila named the injured, who were on the Tata bus as Goodson Katimbe, 46, the driver, Angela Banda, 15, Mirriam Kabwe and another unidentified man aged between 30 and 35.
She said two of the injured are admitted to Mary Begg Hospital in Kalumbila, Mr Katimbe is at Mukinge Mission Hospital while the unidentified man is at Solwezi General Hospital.
The bodies are at Solwezi General Hospital.- ZANIS