Former Special Assistant to the President for press and public relations Amos Chanda says Zambia has potential and good stories to tell about itself which has not been the case, unfortunately.

Mr Chanda who is also a communications consultant was speaking at the ongoing World Communication Forum Africa when he made a presentation on territorial and country branding as a driver of development-“branding strategies to put your country on the map”.

He compared Zambia to other countries that used a negative story and turned it into a positive one while doing everything possible to maintain, defend and protect their country’s interests and integrity.

“Rwanda for example has emerged as a preeminent example of national branding despite significant fault lines within its society. Not even the 1994 genocide has stood in their way, they have instead used the genocide as the starting point to showcase the rebirth of a new Rwanda” Mr. Chanda observed.

On the other hand, Mr. Chanda expressed worry that Zambia, with more comparative advantages than most African countries, has not done much to exploit its massive selling points due to lack of effective communication.

“Much of what we sell to the world has not been done with dedicated unconscious effort. We can be more proud. Zambia in the Sun, Zambia the Real Africa, our unique values, embedded in diversity, our tourism, Zambia the beacon of peace in a rather troubled neighbourhood, our copper, among other positive attributes” he observed.

He further observed that Zambia’s communication strategy is sometimes incoherent and the mixed messaging especially in the face of falsehoods on the digital platforms does not Brand Zambia but disadvantages it from getting on the world map.

Mr. Chanda said to confront this problem, Zambia must get into all these blind spots, the often large swathes of ungoverned spaces where “Brand Zambia” suffers incredible damage.

HOME Affairs Minister Hon Stephen Kampyongo has expressed displeasure with the rate at which some leaders are going about giving false and misleading information to the Public.

Speaking when he featured on the Red Hot Breakfast Show on Hot FM radio in Lusaka today, Hon Kampyongo said that it is unfortunate that a traditional leader of Chief Mukuni’s standard would issue alarming and misleading statements to the public.

He was responding to a question based on Chief Mukuni’s Media statement yesterday alleging that the Government had closed down all national registration offices in the southern province indefinitely.

“Colleagues I think that there must come a time when we as leaders have to be responsible in the manner we issue certain statements or make comments on certain issues of National Interest otherwise if we issue statements without obtaining facts on the ground then we don’t deserve the responsibility of leadership that our people bestow on us” Hon Kampyongo said.

Hon Kampyongo who is also Shiwan’gandu Constituency Member of Parliament said that being a traditional leader does not warrant one to go about making false claims about national programmes such as National Registration.

Hon Kampyongo disclosed that contrary to the falsehoods peddled yesterday, the Government had only closed down southern province offices for one day so as to facilitate for an internal audit of registration materials and equipment.

Meanwhile, Hon Kampyongo has wondered why issues of violence seem to excite Chief Mukuni who should be in the forefront discouraging the promotion of it.

Hon Kampyongo said that if turmoil was to erupt in Zambia it wouldn’t spare Mukuni’s palace and entire Chiefdom which would render him as homeless as many other Zambians who would be caught up in the web of violence.

Hon Kampyongo further stated that Mukuni’s obsession with him and the Ministry of Home Affairs is quite buffling as yesterday was not the first time he issued a recklessly alarming statement.

“This is the same Chief who not long ago challenged me to go and spend a night at the graveyard like he does himself, now it must be known to him that I don’t need to spend my night at the graveyard to be a national leader and be able to perform my sworn duties as Minister of Home Affairs” Hon Kampyongo Charged.

The first ever World Communication Forum for Africa that begun yesterday has closed today with stakeholders calling for positive branding of countries.

And Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya has urged the media in the country to embrace positive branding of Zambia through their reporting and programming.

Ms Siliya explained that journalists and other communicators are champions of investments in any given country hence the need for them to project a positive picture of the nation.

Speaking at the closing in ceremony of the World Communication Forum for Africa in Chongwe’s Bonanza Resort area, Ms Siliya said bad branding of the country breeds economic stagnation.

“Journalists and other communicators are ambassadors of any country’s economy and therefore should brand the country positively. I urge all communicators in Zambia to brand the country positively and explain to the people what developmental activities government is implementing and all communicators should not follow the agendas of other communicators from other countries as they have serious impacts on the economy,” she stressed.

The Chief Government spokesperson pointed out that the country does not get tangible investments as a result of negative reporting.

She indicated that government is doing everything possible to deliver social and other basic services to the general citizenry.

She cited the 234 people that apply for power connection from the electricity company ZESCO on a weekly basis as among the pointers of the growth of the economy in the housing and infrastructure sector.

Ms Siliya stated that the country will soon have sustainable power supply when the Kafue George power station is commissioned.

And Zambian Ambassador to Ethopia Emmanuel Mwamba echoed that the World Communication Forum was a reset button for the development of the country.

Mr Mwamba was optimistic that the country will have a positive brand within and outside Africa due to the detailed discussions that took place.

He was quick to mention that every Zambian home and abroad should embrace the national values and national icons as they are key pillars to positive branding of the country.

“This forum has helped Zambia to have once again the positive image in and outside Africa. As communicators and envoys of this country, we have a huge task to carry forward this reset button of our nation and I am sure that maximum development will be attracted soon,” he stressed.

Mr Mwamba urged the general citizenry to embrace social media as a tool to development as has no physical barriers.

Republican Vice President Inonge Wina yesterday opened the forum with a call for countries to come up with strategies that will address the negative branding on various economies by the digital era.

The World Communication Forum that ran from 24th to 25th November was held at Bonanza Resort under the theme ‘Communication in a Changing World: Challenges and chances’ and was attended virtually by the World Communication Forum Association President Maxima Behar.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga has called on the media fraternity to prioritize their reporting on science and technology topics.

Mr. Malupenga observed that the media has concentrated their reporting on politics at the expense of various developmental programmes.

Speaking when Russian Delegates to the Communication Conference visited the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Cancer Diseases, Children’s Wing, Mr. Malupenga explained that the media should be able to bring out both successful and challenging stories that may spark support from stakeholders.

The Permanent Secretary stated that UTH Cancer Diseases Hospital has achieved a lot of successes that needs to be brought to the attention of the Public to attract support so that they keep moving.

“We want to challenge all the communicators to prioritize science and technology reporting because everything hinges around the subject,” The Permanent Secretary indicated.

He commended Unity Foundation, a Russian Non-governmental Organization for introducing the dreamer space for art project, saying that it will help relieve the pressure among children suffering from cancer.

He stated that it will also give hope to the children who have spent most of their time in the hospital that they too are capable of doing great things in life.

And Russia Unity Foundation Founder Alena Kuzmenko disclosed that the aim of the project is to ensure that children suffering from diseases such cancer, too see their dreams through painting.

Ms. Kuzmenko explained that the project involves children around the world who paint their dreams and their paintings are exhibited on a spacesuit used by those who go to space using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

She noted that the project is an inspiration to children with serious diseases to divert their attention towards art so that it helps them forget about the diseases they are suffering from even just for a little while.

She revealed the foundation was working with seven countries across the world making Zambia the Eighth and first in Africa.

“Currently we are working on a Dreamer Spacesuit which will fly to space in February 2021 and has already been painted in seven countries and 14 cities. Lusaka will be the 15th city and Zambia the 8th country. And the dreams of the kids from Zambia will see the stars very soon and we believe that when we are dreaming together we create new reality,” Ms. Kuzmenko explained.

Meanwhile, parents to the children could hide their joy towards the development.

A parent, Loveness Banda expressed gratitude to government for offering educational classes for children battling cancer, indicating that it helps them with learning even when in hospital.

Ms. Banda noted that the project will further give an opportunity to her sick child to experience something extraordinary because her painting will reach space, something that she has never thought of.

“I am very happy that my child will be having the experience of a lifetime. We are heavily burdened here in the hospital because all my child thinks of is the cancer that she is battling with, but with this project, she will for once focus on something that makes her feel good,” a joyous Ms. Banda narrated.

Unity Foundation (Russia) and Space for Art Foundation (USA) have introduced the Space Suit Art Project in Zambia.

The main idea of the project is that pediatric oncology patients paint their dreams on a space suit together and send the collaborative work of art to the International Space Station.

Five suits have been made so far with the names Hope, Courage, Unity, Victory and Exploration and three of them were at the International Space Station.

North Western Province Permanent Secretary Willies Mangimela says government wants to change the negative perception of the civil service by the public through the work of the National School of Government (NSG) draft bill of 2020.

Speaking in a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Chihili when a team from the office of the Vice President held a consultative Stakeholders meeting in Solwezi today on the National School of Government (NSG) Layman’s draft bill 2020, Mr Mangimela called all civil servants to embrace the work of the bill for improved performance in the Public service.

Mr. Mangimela revealed that in 2021 and beyond, the National School of Government will have to consider subjecting public service workers to examinations having gone through the induction and in-service training which will act as a prerequisite for vertical progression among civil servants.

He said Government is committed to ensuring that it has a public service that is appreciated by the general public by efficiently and effectively providing various services.

Mr. Mangimela said it is expected that the National School of Government will address the factors that are affecting the public service delivery such as poor work culture, inefficiency, lack of integrity, non-appreciation of the practices and procedures in government.

“I am excited to have this opportunity to offer comments on the National School of Government (NSG) which is a vehicle of Public Service transformation through improved professionalism, efficiency and integrity,” he said.

Mr. Mangimela said in 1962 government created National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) to function as a civil service training college but later in 1998 an act of parliament was passed that led to the commercialization of the institute which resulted into NIPA concentrated on the academic courses with reduced attention to the matters of civil service induction.

He said after observing that NIPA had moved from its original mandate of training civil servants,government established the National School of Government (NSG) through Gazette Notice No. 836 of 2016, as a Statutory Body under the office of the Vice President.

” Having observed that the National Institute of Public Administration NIPA had moved from the Original Mandate, and that meant there was a gap in terms of induction of Public Service workers,” he added.

He said the NSG will transform the public service through improved professionalism, efficiency and integrity.

Mr. Mangimela said National School of Government has already developed the curriculum to facilitate the commencement and rolling-out of the public service induction in 2021.

He said the office of the Vice President intend to push the bill in parliament in the first quarter of 2021 with the hope that the debate can be completed and the bill enacted by may 2021.

“These consultations are very important as they will give an opportunity to critic the layman’s bill which will greatly help to refine the documents when drafters of the bill are contracted,” he said.

He said the induction is supposed to be done in all ministries, provinces and other spending agencies of government.

Speaking during the same function, National School of Government Director Arthur Choobe said the purpose of their visit was to get views from the stakeholders on National School of Government.

Mr. Choobe said it is envisaged that by 12 December this year all the consultations will be done.

Mr. Choobe said the goal of the National School of Government is to improve the performance of the public service to deliver quality service to the expectations of the Zambian People.