First Lady, Esther Lungu has arrived in Los Angeles USA for programs aimed at cementing the relationship between Lusaka and the City of Los Angeles as twin Cities.
The first Lady is in California under the Umbrella of the Esther Lungu Foundation to launch the beginning of collaboration between the Los Angeles City Fire Department and the Zambia Fire and Rescue Service.
Mrs Lungu said the move to solicit support in fire-fighting mechanism from the Los Angeles – Lusaka Sister City Committee, a relationship of more than 50 years, has been necessitated by inadequate fire-apparatus in the country.
The first lady said it is disheartening to see women and other vulnerable groups in trading places such as markets lose their livelihood through infernos that have been sweeping trading places in Lusaka and other parts of the country.
Mrs Lungu noted that women and vulnerable groups are at the core of her organization’s existence and that marginalized groups deserve the support of all well-meaning people to sustain their livelihood.
ZANIS reports that while in Los Angeles, the first Lady is expected to receive a donation of four fire-fighting apparatus from the Los Angles – Lusaka Sister City Committee worth 4 million US Dollars about K47.6 Million which includes shipping and other requirement to deliver the equipment to Zambia.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Los Angeles – Lusaka Sister City Committee, Ernestine Robertson, said her committee is looking forward to enhanced relations between the two Cities aimed at improving fire-fighting apparatus in Zambia to enhance confidence for both local and foreign investment.
Dr. Robertson said the Los-Angeles-Lusaka Sister City Committee, which operates under the office of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, is also working on escalating support for vulnerable groups in Zambia through Micro finance projects and provision of clean water for another 50 years.
And Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Local government, Amos Malupenga, praised first Lady, Esther Lungu, for her relentless efforts to have the fire apparatus come to Zambia.
Mr Malupenga noted that the institutional linkage of the Zambia Fire services with the Los Angeles fire department, which is the premier fire department in the world, will facilitate the flow of operational and technological knowledge between the two fire institutions.
The Los Angeles – Lusaka Sister City Committee was established in 1967 and reaffirmed in 1979 when the former Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, the late Tom Bradley, met Zambia’s founding father Dr. Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka.
The organization has been supplementing government efforts in uplifting the living standards of vulnerable groups through Microfinance programs and clean water supply projects in Lusaka and selected parts of the country.
So she went with her 25 people? Why is GRZ funding her foundation?
Those 4 useless wheel barrows should have been received upon landing in Lusaka or at least at a port eg Durban. Where is the logic of traveling all the way to US?
That’s because there is no separation between Ester Foundation and tax payers money….this is why First ladies should be banned from created such organisations as they are channels to launder money.
Bloggers in the US …please fill us in who is this , Los Angeles -Lusaka Sister City Committee? And how does one charity donate to another charity which is linked to a political party….you are better off sending a rep to Zambia to donate to the Mayors since you have already paid shipping. Is this committee not just a proxy of PF cadres…
Hello! A few weeks ago miles Sampa twined lusaka with some China city then he went to salt city to learn about sewerage and signed some development understanding,, now our mulamu ba Esther get LA link in the mix,, PF and lungu are signing lusaka and zambia away
Amos was saying fire-things was donation to Ester Foundation. Wonder what’s going to burn this time so Ester Foundation can be called to rescue.
Now LA city saying Fire trucks are for their sister-city run by Miles Sampa.
If I may jog your memory ..Miles Sampa and one Ms. Tasila Lungu were in the US just a few weeks back…am sure if you dig deeper here you will find a link somewhere….something does not add up!!
And imagine LT chooses to ignore that controversy in this report. Yet they carried stories of Miti protesting this trip apart from the fact that this has provoked numerous comments from their readers. What kind of journalism is this?
Did she need to travel for this? Just a sheer waste of our meager resources. “Inadequate fire-apparatus in the country..” Hmm…She needs to tell the people of LA about her husband’s spending $42m on useless fire trucks. Can’t wait for her corrupt, incompetent lazy husband to be voted out in 2021, so we can save Zambia from further damage.
Enjoy your short lived experience mwe bapompwe. Payback time is coming very Very soon
This what happens when you put morons married to Grade 12s in State House …the old Chawama Hen Ester has no shame at all representing a charity and she is staying in a 5 star hotel and she has a bed attendant and a waiter, security detail.
I mean what bed is the attendant going to attend to in the presidential suite of the Beverly Hills Marriott..when these rooms have a Butler…they are all going shopping.
It’s beginning to smell, sound and look like a family affair. Check the links, you will find brothers, sisters, in-laws name it. Nepotism here I come for shopping, what did you discuss can’t remember, what did you see cars and shoes are very expensive where ever we went.
With her 25 specimen delegation, LT don’t omit the 25 people delegation in your headline or is Amos Chanda your editor
They have omitted all this ba LT. Yet they carried stories of Miti protesting this trip apart from the fact that this has provoked numerous comments from their readers. What kind of journalism is this?
Didn’t know Lusaka and LA were twin cities. If any Lusaka residents wish to apply for a Visa to visit or work in LA would they be especially welcomed?
LA AND LUSAKA? HAHAHA….
Whats visas got to do with twining? Visas are done on a case by case basis…moreover Zambian authority only look at twining for charity and handouts I mean $4million in technical skills assistance to LCC and ZP would have been worthwhile.
Lusaka was twined in china by miles sampa, if you are talking about American visa you are welcome to call trump and ask
Ndobo you are crazy kkkkkkkkkkk call who? ala wamjipaya
They are twins from a long time ago. Sadam hussein Boulevard in lusaka had to be changed to Los Angeles drive fimofimo because of this relationship
They have been twin cities for a long time, at least that part of the report is accurate
Lileni kwena nga pali ifyakulila …
25 people fly to USA plus ambassador stuff maybe the number goes up to over 30 fully grown humans to go and meet one white woman who is not even in a position of power,, this is really shocking,
And by the way that whitelady makes them receive the fire machines in USA knowing that they will pay for transportation through their nose, and what you pay for transportation would be the same amount you pay for new fire trucks delivered in zambia
ndobo – most of these chaps have never seen an American Firetruck its got the chasis of a big bus and dwarfs those Scanias in Europe and Africa…never mind shipping come servicing after 1000 miles it will be economically impossible to afford clutch plate or engine block gasket…it will be just parked and rot away.
THIS IS VERY GOOD MADAM FIRST LADY. YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER THE VULNERABLE IN ALL YOUR ENDEAVOURS. OUR CITY SURELY NEEDS MORE FIRE ENGINES.
You are truly a fooooool…you spent 42 million dollars on 42 trucks when you could have got three times that but due to corruption…you are here singing praises!!
@ Chisenga Her housemate promised these vulnerables with 1 million jobs. I thought the best is to provide those jobs than keeping people dependant
“she is expected to receive Fire trucks donated to the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust by the Los Angeles-Lusaka Sister City Committee”
Who are these dull Zambians in this Lusaka Sister City Committee in LA? How do you donate four US firetrucks worth $4million when they are not even required …what is wrong with these morons. Why donate to Ester when you could have donated straight to Ministry of Local Govt or LCC.
LT trying hard to cover up that fact she will spend millions of tax payers money for 2nd hand LHD fire trucks.
Just the jet alone that took her and her 25 man team is total waiste.
Meanwhile the husband has been out of the country for more than 8 days….
But that man doesn’t live in Lusaka for 8 days
Spaka
Where have you been?The husband visited us on Friday and flew away on Saturday,am sure he is still out,and when he does come visiting am sure he will go to commission something in the bundus before going to witness the swearing in of new DRC president…
PF government is misusing a lot of tax money for poor people of Zambians.i have no intrest to stay in Zambia until life changes .25 people in 1 trip is it a national team?
This is good. We need more fire trucks.
You need fire trucks for what? Did you not spend 42 million to procure 42 trucks at $1million each when they cost $250K which they are insured for?
This is a long term campaign. The aim is to have 1 fire truck per district in Zambia. Whether they come by donation or by buying. We have more than 70 districts.
broken hill man up from his slumber
Your dull leader keeps creating districts uncontrollably its no wonder GRZ can not buy council workers on time..really laughable..no wonder some DCs in some of these places want to use Firetrucks for personal errands.
You had $42million you could have got 80 trucks even 100 from Iveco or straight from Scania Trucks but due to corruption you are here responding without shame…shame on you!!
*…pay council workers
Trying to hoodwink us, do they really think we’re that st.upid?
Without taking action, You are toothless bully dogs
City of Los Angeles should refuse the bonds of this corrupt twin city. Lusaka needs to consult Kigali on how to stay cleanest,orderly and Los Angels should only consult on town planning & sanitation instead of this unwise program that promotes begging and dependency.
Lazy Lungu has no time, or common sense, to ask Kagame how to keep a city clean. His solution is just to stay away from filthy Lusaka. That’s why he’s always looking for his next trip out of Lusaka. There’s no hope for Zambia getting clean any time soon, until after lazy Lungu and his minions are voted out in 2021.
Jay Gay my renowned trib.al, these donated fire trucks cost $4million landed in Zambia ans you have not questioned that. The 42 fire trucks also cost $42million landed. Simple logic confirms that the fire tenders in each case actually cost $1million each, therefore we should close the trib.al noises over the 42 trucks.
I thought that you Jay Gay, even as a trib.al, would link the two numbers but you are silent. Surely even trib.als can reason sometimes, no?
I take it you have never seen an American Truck hence the reason you ignorantly pose that question…so there is no point even urging with you just stick to regional by-election debates.
Ba cader,
Sunday chanda tells you from his a.ss that those LHD second-hand fire trucks cost $1 million and you belive him ?
Zambia has f.o.o.l.s
Tribalism can indeed cause foolishness.
Excellent, and good visibility.
…as usual, wasting tax payers money. Thats the ONLY thing Lungu is good at.
He will flying to DRC within ten days time..the month of January sorted for him 8 days in RSA 3 days in Madagascar ..that’s how he likes it feet in the sky like a Swallow. Meanwhile his juniors are drinking whiskey like there will no no alcohol tomorrow and driving GRZ vehicles like lunatics.
The operative words are; Fire Trucks to put out Opposition fires in market places, working on escalating support for Vulnerable Groups in Zambia through Micro Finance projects and provision of Clean Water for another 50 years. Los Angeles fire dept experience exchange. This all good folks…
Imagine if one of those pictures here showed First Lady carrying her own luggage on her head wearing a torn Chitenge with dry Ashy Feet in open toe Sandles! The snobs on this site would be making a demand she ups her game and get a bed chamber maid, wardrobe mistress, butler etc. etc. You can’t win with political grumblers! Thank you First Lady for bringing the bacon home.
Thank you people of Los Angeles sisterhood twin towns. Come and visit us soon.
hope the fire trucks will not be as useless as the mobile health trucks that are packed and a huge liability to Government. Lupiya made a mistake to authorise the purchase. The amount used to buy those trucks would have been used to construct health facilities. Trucks were purchased but are saving no purpose apart from occupy land
Two years ago, Zambia Sister City in Albuquerque provided one “retired” fire truck and Zambia paid the shipping expenses..
New Mexico cities make donations to African sister cities
By: Chelo Rivera
Posted: Jan 26, 2017 07:30 AM MST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Two New Mexico cities are donating emergency response equipment to their sister cities in Africa.
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry says New Mexico’s largest city will be donating firefighting gear along with a retired fire truck to the community of Lusaka in Zambia.
In 2014, Lusaka became Albuquerque’s 10th sister city and first on the African continent. With only two fire stations covering an area with more than 2 million people, the mayor says the much-needed donation will be immediately put to use saving lives…
What is this sudden obsession with Fire trucks, or “Fire Tenders” about. Why can’t you source for example medical equipment for hospitals, which would be much more beneficial to the country at large, and would cut down on costly evacuations for the selected few?
THEY STARTED THE FIRES TO JUSTIFY THE FIRE TRUCKS ORDER.
When was she appounted mayor ?Look at the luggage that will be checked in, in Dubai and follow up what goes there.
The mayor should have done that, one does not understand her role in this issue.wasting our meagre resources.balefwala namatoloshi nomba ! elyo lwanya.
MAYOR IS BUSY WITH WI-FI WHILE CABBAGE PILES UP, HE DOESN’T KNOW HIS PRIORITIES.
I am wondering why this idea of first ladies foundation schemes in zambia has continued despite cries from mainstream zambian community????? Are first ladies part of the government delivery processes or are acting in their own personal capacities??? We had Vera Chiluba, Maureen Mwanawasa, RB’s wife, late Sata’s wife and now Esther Lungu’s foundation!!!! can someone explain why this practice has continued and the source of finances to sustain their unjustified programs which usually come to a complete halt when their hubbies leave office??