Police in Isoka district in Muchinga Province have arrested two people in connection with the vandalism of Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) installations in the area.

Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police, Lizzy Machina, has confirmed the development to ZANIS today and identified the suspects as Ernest Mubanga and Moses Simwinga both aged 35 years and of Katonga village in chief Kafwimbi’s area.

Ms. Machina explained that the duo were arrested after a tip off from the community that there were people tampering with ZESCO cables.

She disclosed that 60 metres of service cables valued at K3, 262 were stolen from three separate houses in Katonga village.

Ms. Machina stated after visiting the scene of crime, police recovered 37 meters of copper cables whose insulation was removed and a wooden ladder.

She said a docket has since been opened adding that the suspects will be charged accordingly.

Meanwhile, Ms. Machina has since thanked Isoka residents for a tip-off saying everyone should be on guard to protect public property.

In the recent months, ZESCO has suffered constant thefts of its copper cables from its installations.

-Government has released 20Million Kwacha to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to pay Chiefs and their Retainers.

Minister of Chiefs and Traditional affairs, Lawrence Sichalwe, says the subsidies and wages were for four unfunded months in the period between 2016 and 2019.

ZANIS reports that Mr Sichalwe disclosed this during a media briefing in Lusaka today, adding that the funds were released to the Ministry after approval of the supplementary budget by parliament in the current session.

“In this regard, my ministry has engaged the respective royal establishments through the relevant provincial administration to ensure necessary documents are submitted to facilitate payments’’, said Mr Sichalwe.

Mr Sichalwe explained that the Ministry has paid outstanding claims amounting to over 1.4 Million kwacha to Chief’s Retainers for various cases.

“These are travel benefits, leave, long service bonus and terminal leave benefits to Retainers who have been retired, dismissed or terminated from their employment in all the ten provinces of the country, Mr Sichalwe stated.

Mr Sichalwe who is also Chawama Law Maker, has however, appealed to traditional leaders to be non-partisan ahead of the August 12, 2021, general elections.

“Chiefs are responsible for promoting unity among subjects as opposed to being biased towards political party interests,” Mr Sichalwe advised.

He stressed that if traditional leaders take a partisan stance, they may threaten the peace among their subjects in their respective chiefdoms.

“For instance if a Chief takes a partisan position, this means that he will compromise the reconciliation process over his subjects who belong to different political parties in his chiefdom,” he lamented.

The Minister added that traditional rulers must not be tempted to engage in politics, but must embrace all courtesy calls due to them.

“They will certainly receive various political leaders in their chiefdoms as they try to sell their parties to citizens,” he said.

Luano District Agriculture Coordinating Officer (DACO), Roy Kalipenta has projected a bumper harvest for the 2020/2021 farming season.

Mr. Kalipenta said the district is expecting at least 48,000 tonnes of maize to be produced from about 14,679 hectares cultivated.

He stated that the output represents a significant increase from the previous season, as the district had experienced attacks on maize fields by Fall Army Worms late last year.

Mr. Kalipeta further said the soy beans production is expected to be at least 20,045 tonnes from the 8,083 hectares area of cultivation.

He added that groundnut production is expected to be at least 1,765 tonenes, with sweet potato production being pegged at 7,050 tonnes.

Mr Kalipeta said sorghum is expected to be 216 tonnes, mixed beans at 275 tonnes, whilst sunflower would be at least 605 tonnes.

The statistics are based on the 8,874 small scale farmers who are beneficiaries of the government subsidized Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Minister for National Development and Planning, Alexander Chiteme says government attaches great importance to Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue Sub Basin (SCRICA) projects.

Mr Chiteme said this is because the climate resilience projects have a direct bearing on improving the livelihoods of the vulnerable.

She said it is the desire of President Edgar Lungu’s administration to see that the vulnerable people in society benefited from pro-poor programmes.

Mr Chiteme said he was in Chibombo district to see how vegetables grown by communities in the area could be aggregated to ensure that they do not go to waste.

He further observed that government intends to partner with MKP, an organisation that intends to aggregate vegetables for farmers so that they do not go to waste.

ZANIS reports that Mr Chiteme was speaking in Chibombo during a joint ministerial tour of SCRICA projects, with Central Province Minister, Sydney Mushanga.

And Mr Mushanga has disclosed that over 36,000 households have benefited from SCRICA projects in Chibombo district, Central Province.

He said a total of 21,075 females and 15,814 males in the district had benefited from 75 community boreholes, 15 community goat kraals, 21 community chicken run and two banana irrigation infrastructure.

Mr Mushanga disclosed that through the SCRICA project, farmers in the district have also been trained in conservation farming as well as management of soil moisture and fertility.

He noted that the sub-projects have helped in supporting communities to adopt practices that enable them protect existing livelihood systems and achieve food security through increased agricultural productivity.

Mr Mushanga further observed that SCRICA has enabled farmers to generate income by linking them to markets for the sale of their value added products.

Mr Mushanga said the province has benefited K25 million from the SCRICA project of which K7 million had been directed towards the implementation of climate resilient projects in Chikobo, Chitanda and Katuba wards in the district.

He has since urged beneficiaries of the sub-projects to ensure that SCRICA project leaves indelible marks on their economic activities.

‘’We need to ensure that lessons learnt from SCRICA are not only sustainable, but also shared with future generations in order to cushion the adverse effects of climate change,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Chibombo District Commissioner (DC), Catherine Chilonda said the district is in collaboration with a local partner, MKP farms who had benefited from the SCRIKA project under the matching grant category.

Ms Chilonda said the farm will act as an aggregator of most agricultural produce coming from community beneficiary groups and also link community groups to the market.

She said the district has since lobbied for gravel and culverts to be used for gravelling of the road leading to MKP farms for easy accessibility.

Ms Chilonda also disclosed that MKP has also conducted specialized trainings with community groups that were into gardening.

Senior Chief Kanong’esha of the Lunda speaking people in Mwinilunga district, Northwestern Province has called on the Bank of Zambia to start sensitizing people on the use of mobile money platforms in his chiefdom.

Senior Chief Kanong’esha said people in his chiefdom, women especially lack basic information on the safe usage of mobile money platforms.

Chief Kanong’esha said this when Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor in charge of operations, Francis Chipimo paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Mwinilunga.

He said it is important that his subjects understand safe ways of using electronic transactions as it is the most efficient way of carrying out financial transactions.

” I am calling on you the Bank of Zambia to come and educate our women and youths to have knowledge on mobile money transactions. We are now in the new world of technology which needs everyone to understand how to use mobile money,” he said.

Senior Chief Kanong’esha said the establishment of technological infrastructure by government is a good move which shows that it has taken a lead in providing safe and easy financial transaction means for its citizens.

The Traditional leader further appealed to the Bank of Zambia to increase sensitization efforts aimed at teaching people on how to differentiate fake and real bank notes.

And Dr Chipimo said it is important that people are made aware of the need to transact using new technologies as they are safe and convenient.

Dr Chipimo said the Bank of Zambia will further continue engaging stakeholders on the safe usage of mobile money platforms.

“Your Royal Highness, we shall work together with chiefdoms and educate people on the importance of new technology platforms for financial transactions, that will help citizens to have more knowledge on mobile money transactions,” he said.