Advertisement Banner
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Subscribe
Advertisement Banner
Home Blog Page 1360

Phase one of the Consolidated Gold Company Limited in Rufunsa has commenced-ZCCM-IH

Chief Editor
-
8
Phase one of the Consolidated Gold Company Limited in Rufunsa has commenced-ZCCM-IH

The ZCCM-IH Investment Holdings says phase one of the Consolidated Gold Company Limited, gold processing project in Rufunsa has commenced.

ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer Mabvuto Chipata says the phase involves ten gold milling plants with a processing capacity of 30 tonnes of ore per day, and a targeted average of 7.5 kilograms gold production per month.

Mr Chipata said the next stage of the phase is also underway which involves the setting up of the gold vat leaching plant in Rufunsa.

He said the plant is aimed at chemically processing the gold stock piles from two old gold mines, and concentrates from the gold milling plants.

Mr Chipata said the vat leaching plant which is scheduled to be completed by June 2020 will have a processing capacity of 8, 000 tons ore material per leach, and a targeted gold production of 17.5 kilograms per month.

He said the total targeted gold production envisaged is 25 kilograms per month from both the milling and the vat leaching plants.

Mr Chipata said a total of approximately $3.15 million has been injected in these two production lines, following the successful completion and launch of a gold laboratory set at a total cost of $250, 000 in Lusaka in March 2020.

He said a total of approximately $3.5 million will be spent on the Rufunsa project.

Mr Chipata undertook a site visit in the first week of May 2020 to check on the progress of the project, and expressed happiness that the project was on course, despite a few delays in bringing in the required equipment from manufacturers outside the country due to the covid-19 pandemic.

He said that ZCCM-IH looks to officially launching the project by July 2020 once a few gold ore bars are produced.

CGCZ Chief Executive Officer Faisal Keer who accompanied Mr Chipata stated that the business model involves working with various artisanal and small scale gold miners in providing access to the milling plants, with the view to increase the gold production.

He added that CGCZ is also helping licensed small scale gold miners with mining technical expertise and safety, and also providing access to earth moving machinery in order to increase gold ore production that is subsequently processed using the milling plants.

Phase two of the project which will involve setting-up the same model in Mumbwa District is expected to start before the end of the year.

CGCZ is a gold processing and trading Joint Venture partnership between Karma Mining Services and Rural Development (55%) and ZCCM-IH (45%).

7 people arrested after being found in possession of Six bags of Gold Samples

Chief Editor
-
15
7 people arrested after being found in possession of Six bags of Gold Samples

Police in Mwinilunga District in North Western Province have arrested Seven people who were found in possession of Six bags of Gold Samples, weighing 220 Kgs with an estimated value of K60, 000.

Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo says on 10th May, 2020 between 01 00 hours and 0200 hours, Police carried out an operation at Kasenseli Gold Mining where they impounded a Toyota Fortuner Registration number DBC 78, white in colour, with Seven people on board.

Mrs Katongo says the seven had in their possession Six bags of Gold Samples and 2 Metal detector machines.

She explained that the seven have been jointly charged for the offence of theft and appeared in court on 12 May where they pleaded not guilty.

Mrs Katongo said the seven have since been granted bail.

President Edgar Lungu recently terminated the contract of Commissioner of Police at the Zambia Police Headquarters, Hudson Namachila who was moved from Northwestern Province as Police Commissioner for his failure to secure gold.

His dismissal came after the Head of State expressed disappointment and said it was justifiably so, that the police command in North-Western Province had failed to secure gold reserves.

President Lungu said it was regrettable that people have continued to mine precious minerals such as Gold illegally despite the minerals being strategic to national development.

Civil Servants retire at 60 years – Attorney General (updated)

editor
-
21
Civil Servants retire at 60 years – Attorney General (updated)

Zambia’s Attorney General has clarified that the retirement age for public service workers remain 60 years with an exercisable option of retiring early at 55 years while late retirement can be had at 65 subject to the consent of the employer.

In an advisory to the public service, Likando Kalaluka stated that the recent Konkola Copper Mines PLC case decided by the Court of Appeal in 2018 must be understood within the context in which it was litigated as it involved an issue of parties who had signed a contract of employment which provided for retirement age.

The Attorney General said employees in the public service do not sign any contract that contain a clause on the retirement age and that retirement age is regulated by statute.

In summary, the Konkola Copper Mines case does not apply to employees who have not signed contracts with retrenched or retirement age of 55 years. Public service employees’ retirement age has always been set by statute and will continue to be set by Statute as and when amended.

In a commentary on this position, legal commentator Isaac Mwanza said what would be relevant to consider when dealing with the statute’s application is which date should be considered, whether the date of employment or termination of employment. If it’s the latter, then there is no retrospective effect since the law to be applied will be that existing at the time of termination.

Mr. Mwanza noted that in the case to do with terminating an employment by giving a reason involving Spectra Oil Zambia Limited case decided in 2018, the Court of Appeal used the date of termination despite the employee having been employed in 2012.

“These is no authoritative date to pick in determining this matter and that is why the Supreme Court needs to clean up the Konkola Copper Mines case. Relying on the obiter dictum by the Court of Appeal that the amendment had retrospective effect is problematic on its own.”

Mr. Mwanza said if the consideration is about the date of termination, the issue of retrospectivity does not arise. It is simply the issue of applying the existing law. The effect of this would entail that Konkola was wrongly decided as it was based on the date of the contract as opposed to the date of termination when the law on retirement age had since changed.

A mother’s appeal: Please DO NOT open schools in June

editor
-
13
A mother’s appeal: Please DO NOT open schools in June

I am a mother to two grade 12s. I would like to appeal on the recent announcement to open exam classes in June.

The Minister of Health announced yesterday that Zambia will experience a surge in COVID-19 cases and we have not even reached the peak yet. With this in mind , we would like to appeal to the President, to rescind this decision until further notice for the following reasons :

1. We are worried that in the surge that will continue to occur , opening schools now will only increase contamination; the movement of children and teachers will increase contamination;

2. Children in boarding schools will definitely be a challenge to handle as they have learners from all over Zambia and also have day scholars and commuting teachers , not to mention sharing the ablutions , desks and chairs , cutlery in the dining halls etc . Just imagine the level of contamination that will happen;

please let us not experiment on our children

3. In the case of one child or teacher being found COVID-19 positive , will the entire school shut down and all pupils and teachers quarantined ?

4. In my case, one son is in boarding in on the Copperbelt , if for instance , one pupil or teacher has COVID 19, will everyone in school be shipped off to the isolation Centre and me as a mother continue safe-keeping myself in Lusaka while my son and entire school are in quarantine in another province? As it is now , none of the parents I know are willing to allow their children to go back to school in June , which is even the coldest month of the year, meaning more respiratory illnesses ;

5. What would be wrong with examining pupils with what the syllabus has covered thus far. Education is not limited in itself. This can be done when they NEED to open after the peak of the corona virus in Zambia . At this point I do not even mind my children repeating a grade if it will save their lives.

6. The need to reopen is in itself a necessity but then the risk to health on learners and teachers far out weighs the need to reopen schools.

7. Will anyone penalise Zambia if our exam body set exams for content covered to date and allow for revision for the rest of the period? Further, the calendar can even be adjusted to have them write exams later;

8. The cost and impact of one case in a school can be terrible. The new normal can only be embraced if there were at least measures like in HIV: we have ARVS; Malaria : we have malaria medicine and TB: we have TB medicine . All these illnesses can be managed because they have medicines but please let us not experiment on our children .

We beg you to rescind this decision .
Thank you

Zambia May Have Borrowed Too Much to Tap IMF Coronavirus Funds

editor
-
41
Zambia May Have Borrowed Too Much to Tap IMF Coronavirus Funds

Zambia’s request for emergency coronavirus funding from the International Monetary Fund may be scuppered because of the southern African nation’s growing debt burden.

The Washington-based lender last year cautioned that the nation’s borrowing was on an unsustainable path.

And now, even as the fund makes as much as $100 billion available to member countries, the IMF warned it won’t lend money to governments if it’s not sure it will be repaid.

“In cases where the debt is unsustainable, the member must take steps to restore debt sustainability in order to access fund financing,” the IMF said in response to questions about whether Zambia’s levels of borrowing could hinder its access.

“This could require the government to strike a balance of fiscal adjustment that protects critical social spending and debt relief.”

The global economic crisis the pandemic has caused is exacerbating existing economic risks in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer.

Foreign-exchange reserves were at a record low in January, already below levels to cover external debt servicing this year. Government debt will reach 110% of gross domestic product in 2020, and the economy will shrink by 3.5%, according to the IMF.

Zambia has already started the process to hire financial advisers for a liability-management exercise of its foreign debt, which rose to $11.2 billion by December from $4.8 billion five years earlier.

The government is shortlisting bidders after it issued a tender in March.

Talks with the IMF over an emergency loan are ongoing, Chileshe Kandeta, a spokesman for the finance ministry, said by text message in response to questions about the emergency virus funds.

Strained Relations

The nation’s Eurobonds have plunged this year on concerns about the ability to repay the debt, with yields on securities due in 2024 more than doubling this year to 41%.

Zambia could qualify for as much as $1.3 billion in relief to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak that has infected 441 people and closed borders with neighbors.

Relations between the government and the IMF have been strained in the past, with the lender yet to replace its resident representative after Zambia asked the last one to leave the country nearly two years ago.

Starting debt restructuring negotiations may be enough to convince the IMF to allow the country to access emergency funds.

Mozambique was able to access emergency IMF funding after suffering two powerful tropical cyclone strikes last year, despite it being in default and with a higher debt-to-GDP ratio than Zambia.

That Mozambique was in advanced restructuring talks with Eurobond holders, and the promise of future massive natural gas revenues were enough for the multilateral lender to approve assistance.

“If a country’s debt is unsustainable, the fund can only lend if it has adequate assurances that the member is on track to restore sustainability,” the IMF said. “If such steps involve a debt restructuring operation, we take into account its prospects for success in restoring sustainability.”

Zambia had already requested an economic package from the fund in December, before the virus relief request.

The response prompted Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu to complain about being told to first deal with the debt trajectory.

“When you say that we can only have a program after you have exhibited debt sustainability, it’s like you are only given an umbrella after the rains,” he told reporters in February.

[Bloomberg]

Chansa Gives Solution to Ending AFCON Drought

sports
-
13

2012 AFCON winning midfielder Isaac Chansa says there is one simple solution to ending Zambia’s four -year absence from the AFCON.

Zambia has failed to qualify for the last two AFCON’s in 2017 and 2019 and has already made a bad start on the third attempt where they are rock bottom of Group H on zero points after two games played.

“It is a simple one, consistency. I think we have lacked consistency and obviously on the two editions we missed on qualification, we have had different coaches,” Chansa said on Sun FM.

“We bring in this coach, and give him a year, and he is gone, so let’s give a coach like the one we have more time to do his thing.

“That is when we will have a backbone whereby if that coach is given time, he will know which players to use and which ones deserve to be at the national team.

“If you see the last three years, this coach comes and brings in new players but when we qualified, we had a team for four years and the progress could be seen from as far back as 2008, 2010 and 2012 with the Under-20 and Under-23 teams then.”

Chipolopolo has four games in which to save their souls starting with a Group H doubleheader against Botswana that was postponed in March due to the Coronavirus.

Zambia will in their penultimate Group H qualifier hosts leaders and AFCON holders Algeria who beat them 5-0 away on November 14 and later visit Zimbabwe who beat them 2-1 a week later on match-day-two in Lusaka.

“The chances are still there, we just have to win the remaining games and we are home and dry,” Chansa said.

Dr Chilufya is Mismanaging COVID-19 fight, He must go back to his Ministerial Duties-Dr Kasese-Bota

Chief Editor
-
47
Dr Chilufya is Mismanaging COVID-19 fight, He must go back to his Ministerial Duties-Dr Kasese-Bota

A senior Medical Practitioner has pushed holes in Zambia’s response to Covid-19 stating that the response is characterized by confusion.

Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota, a Public Health Expert and Epidemiologist who is currently undertaking a Harvard University Advanced Leadership programme in the U.S.A says the Zambian Cabinet is in a dichotomous state of affairs with a fairly sized lacuna in the middle.

Dr Kasese-Bota has lumped the blame squarely on Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya stating that the Minister is making statements which are re-interpreted in less than 24-hour period by rank and file without the science and the political economy astuteness.

She also accused Dr Chilufya of mismanaging the experienced human resource available that the Ministry.

“The Ministry of Health is one ministry that has had a rich investment in the skills of the administrators and the health workers albeit inadequate resources for tools of the practice (technology, drugs, PPE). The Directorate experts including those in Public Health and Zambia National Public Health Institute are seasoned technocrats who have prevailed over various epidemics including HIV par excellence as the case could be, given our environment and circumstances. What is it that is making them fail to come to the grade expectation of their potential with Covid19? Why are they failing to provide the necessary advice worth the science so akin to them?”

She added, “In 2017 alone, the Directorate of Public Health had 4 directors changed one after the other. Furthermore, the roles of the directorates and those of the PS seem to fuse into the Minister’s job.”

Dr Kasese-Bota who also served as Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations under late President Michael Sata stated that Zambia is downplaying the seriousness of Covid-19.

“In Zambia, I see a tendency to minimize the seriousness of covid19 and always bring in another disease as being responsible for consequences including death. The press statements on mortality are relegating Covid19 and giving a sense of affected people as in a moribund state and covid19 being incidental finding.”

Dr. Kasese-Bota received her medical training at the University of Zambia, and earned her Master of Public Health, with an epidemiology major focused on HIV research, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States.

Below is her full statement

DR. CHITALU CHILUFYA MUST GO BACK TO HIS MINISTERIAL DUTIES

By Amb. Dr. Kasese Botha, Medical Doctor and Epidemiologist

My 2 cents worth No 2: May 10, 2020

DIAGNOSIS: MISDIAGNOSIS OF ZAMBIA RESPONSE TO COVID 19.

It is interesting to see ourselves as a country in such a frenzy of short shifting decisions and pronouncements over Covid19 leaving people of Zambia in a memory hole including my 13 year old daughter who has been asking such pertinent questions around decisions made on covid19, which remind me of the Emperor’s new clothes.

Covid19 has demonstrated the uniqueness of the globalized community and interconnectivity as well as interdependence of human race on each other including the whole environment as a place of commons in spite of the artificial borders and boundaries. With the world so globalized today, one wonders why Real time communication of events could not have helped us to prepare a better and well-coordinated response to Covid19.

Stately seems to be making statements which are re-interpreted in less than 24 hour period by rank and file without the science and the political economy astuteness.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS No 1:

Mismanagement of Human Resources at MOH.

The Ministry of Health is one ministry that has had a rich investment in the skills of the administrators and the health workers albeit inadequate resources for tools of the practice (technology, drugs, PPE). The Directorate experts including those in Public Health and Zambia National Public Health Institute are seasoned technocrats who have prevailed over various epidemics including HIV par excellence as the case could be, given our environment and circumstances. What is it that is making them fail to come to the grade expectation of their potential with Covid19? Why are they failing to provide the necessary advise worth the science so akin with them?

MOH has had 3 incidences in its journals where doctors have lost jobs enmass: The First one was under President Kaunda and the second one was under President Chiluba with Prof Nkandu Luo as Minister. In both instances, the doctors had declared a labour dispute boycotting delivery of health services over a period of time. One can argue the pros and cons of both actions but that is not in point at this juncture. The third round is under Minister Chitalu Chilufya where doctors have been fired, retired, demoted, and relegated to the observer positions except in the wards, without any industrial dispute or any documented stimulus framework requiring such action. In 2017 alone, the Directorate of Public Health had 4 directors changed one after the other. Furthermore, the roles of the directorates and those of the PS seem to fuse into the minister’s job.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS no 2; Mis-quantification of morbidity and mortality.

Covid19 is a new disease that has a whole array of symptoms and signs with the list evolving every week. Top-class scientists are locked down in labs to try and understand what the new disease is about and what it is doing to the human body. I was talking to a colleague whose perfectly healthy young brother suffered Covid19 and has sequalae of myocarditis post Covid19. The other suffered a blood clot etc…These cases are outside Zambia.

In Zambia, I see a tendency to minimize the seriousness of covid19 and always bring in another disease as being responsible for consequences including death. The press statements on mortality are relegating Covid19 and giving a sense of affected people as in a moribund state and covid19 being incidental finding. Having a quality and productive life with chronic morbidities is very normal in our environment ( as many people are from the 4th decade of life). Death due to covid19 is a preventable death even in one with comorbidities. The cause of death on the death certificate should be what transpired in the last minute of life and include as a consequence of Covid19 on existing conditions e.t.c. asthma if any. Briefing communication will give Covid19 as the cause and nothing less nothing more.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS No 3: Mismatched balance of Social and Economic Covid19 Response

It’s common knowledge that Zambia is in a difficult position for economic buoyancy. BOZ and the Minister of Finance have both given the difficult position that the country finds itself in. WHO has also given the position of covid19. Furthermore, Zambia itself has tested the effects of covid19 with significant disruption in health services even with such small numbers of confirmed cases. While covid19 has brought so much panic and fear for the disease by its very nature of infectivity and the severity of the disease in both wellness and existing morbidity state in people including the Minister of Health, the cabinet is equally panicky over covids19 effects on the economy. We saw one minister completely overlooking his public service role to inciting the union to rise against an employer. We saw Government detain a foreign national investor, grabbing his phones and stopping him from leaving the country until he reversed his company’s covid19 response which was not anyway different from what others were doing the world over. It would seem to me that Cabinet is in a dichotomous state of affairs with a fairly sized lacuna in the middle.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS No 4: Misdirection of Science in Policy Statements:

Zambians both young, old and all walks of life have received covid19 policies with some disquieting enthusiasm due to disconnect in policy with the Covid19 issues.  We now have the policy of the New Normal which is likely to drive down the efforts of fighting covid19. Globally accepted and agreed principles of disease epidemiology define a new normal as an endemic state. Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease in a population. Hence Inference of a new normal for Covid19 entails endemicity with covid19

MANAGEMENT: Is as per the differentials…

  1. Stabilization of MOH.. the minister to go back to his job of policy guidance, PS to take over the realms of controlling officer and Directors to be themselves as Technocrats and advisors who discharge their professional services without fear or favour.
  2. Cabinet to possibly move from the fences and fill the space of the lacuna in the middle. That’s where the political economic solutions balance is.

Amb Dr. Mwaba Kasese-Bota
Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow 2020

Ambassador Representative to the United Nations 2012-2017

Medical Doctor/Epidemiologist
Political/International Relations/Public Health/ Sustainable Development Consultant

Coronavirus: Zambian Student found dead in UK flat after complaining of fever, trouble breathing

Chief Editor
-
41
Coronavirus: Zambian Student found dead in UK flat after complaining of fever, trouble breathing

A 22-year-old business university student was found dead in his flat after contracting coronavirus.

Kapalu Musenyesa, a Zambian student studying at Middlesex University, died in his North London flat on April 20, The Sun reports.

His devastated family were understood to have flown from Zambia for their son’s funeral on Monday.

Friends said Kapalu, who was known as Kaps, was found dead in his flat on Monday, April 20.

A fundraising page set up in his memory raised more than £6000 ($A11,300) towards funeral costs.

Kapalu, who is from Ndola in Zambia and attended Chengelo School, was studying business at Middlesex University.

Friend Agnes Mutale wrote on the fundraising page: “Kapalu was found dead in his room.

“He was studying business studies at Middlesex University here in the UK. COVID-19 claimed his life. “Please help us with the donations which will go towards funeral arrangements and processions.

“This will also cater for sending Kapalu’s remains to Zambia where his parents are. We are so humbled with the overwhelming support we are getting through from friends and relatives.”

Pal Chabala Kakungu wrote on Facebook: “I never pictured myself wearing a mask but after COVID-19 took my brother Kapalu Kaps Musenyesa (rest in peace young king) I think it’s time we took this whole thing seriously.

“Stay home or wear a mask to step out. And make sure you wash your hands every chance you get!”

Lily Mutamz wrote on Facebook: “COVID-19 has claimed a fourth Zambian in the UK. Kapalu, a student at Middlesex university, died in his flat in London. He had fever and difficulty breathing (hours before his death).”

The Middlesex University’s family flew over from southern Africa on Monday for his funeral, with the support of a £6,000 fundraising page in his memory.

Mr Musenyesa is reported to be the fourth Zambian national to die in the UK. Three others are said to be in intensive care units.

Sun Online have contacted Middlesex University for a response.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urged to launch an independent public inquiry into the disproportionate impact coronavirus is having on the UK’s black and minority ethnic communities.

Analysis by the Office for National Statistics found black men and women are more than four times more likely to suffer a coronavirus-related death than white people.

European Union extends K241.2 million support as its immediate-term contribution to the Covid-19 response in Zambia

Chief Editor
-
17
European Union extends K241.2 million support as its immediate-term contribution to the Covid-19 response in Zambia

The European Union has extended EUR 12 million or K241.2 million support as its immediate-term contribution to the Covid-19 response in Zambia.

According to a letter received by Finance Minister Dr BWALYA NG’ANDU from the European Union Head of Delegation to Zambia Dr JACEK JANKOWSKI, the EU’s planned immediate contribution to the Covid-19 response in Zambia consists EUR 2 million grant under the EU Global initiative for Covid-19. The funds are for the procurement of essential medicines and related commodities. The second component is a EUR 10 million grant mobilised by reprogramming the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). These funds will be channelled towards stregthening health systems and addressing the social and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Zambia.

Future additional support expected from the EU, includes:

  1. EUR 96 million or K1.93 billion blend facility from the European Development Fund (EDF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to facilitate increased access to finance by private sector players in the agriculture and renewable energy sectors;
  2. EUR 6.3 million or K126.6 million grant for eligible Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, for children and youth protection programmes; and,
  3. EUR 20 million or K402 million projected grants fom EU member states through new allocations and reprogramming of existing allocations for the benefit of water and sanitation service programmes; and, strengthening prevention, health, and social protection systems.

Dr NG’ANDU welcomed the sincere counsel rendered by Dr JACEK JANKOWSKI that the success of the reforms that Zambia has embarked on to ensure debt sustainability and restore the viability of key sectors such as energy, is crucial in unlocking direct foreign investment and expanding opportunities for the country to benefit from international financial assistance.

In response to a proposal by the EU Head of Delegation, Dr NG’ANDU has pledged that, together with his senior management team and the rest of the staff, the Ministry of Finance is ready to engage the EU in exploring ways in which Zambia can further access support using the options already available under the on-going EU-funded programmes or through other possible facilities and means.

Dr JANKOWSKI called on the Government to uphold the rights of citizens and exhibit the highest standards of accountability in implementing the Covid-19 response. He also advised the Government to pursue the reforms in a coherent and consistent manner, a matter which the Minister has also agreed to in the affirmative.

“While recognising the additional challenges linked to the present crisis, I would like to encourage the Government of Zambia to pursue these reforms in a coherent and consistent manner,” wrote Dr. JANKOWSKI.

Dr Ng’andu also accepted the advice of the EU for the Zambian Government to make the most of potential new multilateral emergency support as well as the recent G20 initiative on debt relief.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Government has scaled-up resources under the current Sweden-Zambia Development Cooperation with a grant of USD12.4 million/K230 million. The funds are for equitable health, social cash transfer, nutritional programmes and sexual and reproductive health programmes.

The USD2.1 million/K38.8 million facility received from Sweden is targetted at increased and equitable access to health and nutrition services for women, young people and children. It will also go towards supporting sexual and reproductive health programmes.

Through the World Bank, Sweden has also upscaled its social cash transfer contribution USD 6.1 million/K112.8 million. And through UNICEF, USD1.1 million / K20.4 million has already been disbursed by Sweden for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, Sweden has also extended direct support to Zambia’s Covid-19 multi sectoral plan with support amounting to USD 3.1 million/ K57.4 million.

Summing-up remarks on the gestures of strong cooperation demonstrated by the EU and Sweden, Dr NG’ANDU took the opportunity to appeal to recipient Ministries, Provinces and Agencies to ensure that the friendship and support demonstrated by the EU, Sweden and other partners is not betrayed by failure to conform to the tenets of good financial governance and accountability.

Dr Ng’andu singled-out directorates of finance and audit units in all Ministries, Provinces and Agencies as being principal custodians of rules and regulations as contained in the Public Financial Management Act.

“Should there be any wanton shortcomings, directorates of finance and audit units will be held accountable,” warned the Minister.

The EU and Sweden have today joined the group of cooperating partners that have extended support to Zambia’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and other associated programmes. The commitments by the EU and Sweden bring the total support from development partners in the last one month to K3.5 billion. The other cooperating partners who have contributed so far are Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, African Development Bank, and the World Bank.

President Lungu’s Opening of Victoria Falls in Pictures

Chief Editor
-
20
President Lungu’s Opening of Victoria Falls in Pictures
The Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls
President Lungu and his team Touring the Victoria Falls

President Lungu and his team having lunch at Chrisma hotel
President Lungu and his team having lunch at Chrisma hotel
President Lungu and his team having lunch at Chrisma hotel
President Lungu and his team having lunch at Chrisma hotel

Zambian youths need Change; not a ‘FIX’

Chief Editor
-
9
Zambian youths need Change; not a ‘FIX’

By Christine Musole

When you fix something it breaks, you fix again, again, again and again and it still breaks. A broken system can’t be fixed and is not sustainable. And that is what capitalism and capitalist oriented parties have been doing to our country, and this has lead us nowhere but to deep poverty, hopelessness, and never-ending human suffering. But what we the youth in Zambia want is change, and true change and transformation in its real tangible sense, not a ‘Fix’.

The Zambia the youth want, desire, dream of, long for, can not be attained through fixing. The Zambia the youth deserve needs committed leadership grounded in the people’s ideology that serves the struggling masses; that struggles for a better transformed Zambia and tomorrow. We also need a leadership that truly involves the youth, that is true to our realities; a leadership with a vision to change and transform the education system, our universities, the agriculture sector, the health sector, mining, and create more jobs for us. Today, despite the degrees and diplomas to our names, a number of us continue to languish on the streets.

The Socialist Party brings to the table, a leadership with a wealth of experience, with a vision and knowledge to truly transform and change, and redirect this country and give us back the pride and smile we once had.

The game of fixing, the promises of fixing things will take this country nowhere. It will be the same circle of capitalist oriented approaches that yeild similar results we have seen before i.e. only uplifting a few bwanas here and there, and leaving the rest of us behind; the majority of us wondering what happened; and back again to the same circle of poverty, hunger and frustration. We need to truly look to alternatives!

The Socialist Party is clear about the change it proposes under the humble leadership of Dr. Fred M’membe. The SP is putting forward a vision to qualitatively change this country and move it back on track. Our change agenda (also detailed in our soon coming manifesto) speaks to how we will ensure free health care, free education, transformation of peasant agriculture, new approaches to mining and the mining sector that takes a diversified approach, and in all these sectors creating multiple jobs for many Zambians.

We invite the youth, including young women to join the revolutionary movement with a change agenda!

The Author is a Socialist Party Youth in charge of political education. The Socialist Party is led by Fred M’membe and Cosmas Musumali

CEC, Zesco Opt for Arbitration

Chief Editor
-
6
CEC, Zesco Opt for Arbitration

The end of the bitter war over the future of the Bulk Supply Agreement which expired last month, Zesco and Copperbelt Energy Corporation have commenced the process of arbitration with the hope of settling their deep-rooted differences.

At the end of March, Zesco proceeded to terminate its Bulk Supply Agreement with CEC over a tariff dispute, effectively ending a 20-year business relationship.

But in a notice to Shareholders, CEC says arbitration matter with Zesco is in process and remains under adjudication.

“Shareholders are referred to the cautionary announcement, dated 27th September 2019, issued by the Board of Directors of CEC informing the market that CEC was in receipt of a notice of intention to arbitrate from Zesco Limited, pursuant to the Bulk Supply Agreement and Article 3 of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules 1976, resulting from ZESCO’s claim that CEC has failed to pay money due to them for electricity supplied under the BSA,” the notice read.

” The amounts outstanding relate to the supply of power by CEC to Konkola Copper Mines Plc. Zesco’s other cited ground is its disagreement with a statement in CEC’s 2018 annual report relating to the contingent liability arising from the 2014 Energy Regulation Board electricity tariff increase specific to the mining companies, which the mining customers have legally contested and were granted a Court injunction, pending the determination of the matter by the High Court for Zambia.”

Why a Marshall Plan for Africa might be Dead Aid too

Chief Editor
-
14
Why a Marshall Plan for Africa might be Dead Aid too

By Caesar Cheelo, Senior Researcher-Macroeconomics at ZIPAR

Recently, world-renowned author and Zambian economist Dambisa Felicia Moyo wrote an article in the Economist on a “Marshall Plan” for Africa, where, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, she U-turned from her acclaimed book on Dead Aid.

Dambisa’s change of heart was somewhat unexpected given her strong critique of foreign aid over a decade ago. Nonetheless, her new arguments are quite intriguing, enlightening and provocative. She now propositions the proverbial West – mainly America and Europe – to provide greater aid to Africa, including direct cash transfers to African households to alleviate the COVID-19 crisis. She covers several key issues that Africa and indeed the world should take time to reflect on and debate.

When I read Dambisa’s well-articulated article, my first reaction was: wait a moment, other than the COVID-19 outbreak, what has changed in Africa? Has the corruption and political elite State capture of yesteryear in many African countries now been sufficiently resolved to assure prudent use of aid resources? Operationally, how would the West pull off direct cash transfers to households while sidestepping Governments? How should the West handle the real economic diplomacy risks of being seen to undermine the sovereignty of State and polity? These questions remain…

Dambisa motivates the Marshall Plan for Africa on three counts, morality, migration and influence.

Regarding the morality argument, I quite agree that to save African lives, particularly given the persistently high levels of poverty, inequality and vulnerability, much more health support from the international community will be needed. However, Dambisa estimates that US$135 billion would be too little and US$1 trillion would be more in line with the scale of the problem, albeit on the ambitious side. She further reports estimates that 1.2 billion people in Africa (virtually everyone) will get inflected with COVID-19 by end-2020 and 3.3 million possibly dying from the pandemic. In contrast, as of 6th May 2020, Zambia had recorded a cumulative total of 146 COVID-19 cases, with 4 deaths (3% of total compared to a world average of 7% deaths), 101 recoveries (69% compared to 33% globally) and only 41 active cases (28% compared to 60% globally). The remarkable recovery rate over a relatively short 48-day period since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed on 18th March highlights strong possibility of considerably lower health burdens in some African countries than the world average. The point here is that we must be careful to estimate the scale of the COVID-19 problem in Africa as accurately as possible based on data.

The second motivation is that migration is potentially a big Africa-wide risk for the West in the event of inaction. This idea seems to perceive Africa in a rather monolithic – one size fits all – manner. For instance, given the barrier of geography, it is hard to imagine that much of Southern Africa can embark on a great migration that poses a major migration problem for the West…

The third reason for the Marshall Plan, influence, is a big and controversial issue. The influence argument encourages Western aid actions towards counteracting the growing geopolitical influence and footprint of China in Africa. Essentially the argument is that: “America needs to lead” and “The economic harm of doing nothing may be costlier than intervening”. This is worth some reflection.

To start, Dambisa rightly pointed out the trade, investment and aid relations that China is using to woo Africa. She gives some striking statistics of Chinese exports to Africa reaching US$90 billion in 2018 and foreign investment inflows from China into Africa averaging about US$5.4 billion. One curiously missing statistical insight relates to Africa’s indebtedness to China. The recent China-Africa Research Initiative (CARI) dataset (http://www.sais-cari.org/data) suggests that over 2010-2017 Africa borrowed US$14.9 billion per year on average from China. Surely, with this dispensation, large chunks of Western aid assistance to Africa would be lost as African debt service payments to China. Granted, the IMF and World Bank have orchestrated a debt service moratorium (standstill) by the G20 countries, China included, for the rest of 2020. However with this debt relief being a fleeting interim measure by nature, the West would be ill-advised to marshal a Marshall Plan for Africa.

Moreover, before COVID-19, China may already have been too far ahead in the game for America and friends to make any meaningful geopolitical counter-plays during COVID-19. As Forbes magazine (https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2020/02/28/how-beijing-is-losing-support-for-its-belt-and-road-initiative/#7f8b61112199) puts it: “The [Chinese] Belt and Road is a $900 million/$1 trillion/$5 trillion dollar initiative spanning 65 countries, 60% of the world’s population, 75% of energy resources, and 30% of GDP”. Arguably, the West can surmise that it already lost the current round of the geopolitical battle for the world, Africa included, before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Interestingly, the advocacy for the Marshall Plan for Africa is premised on quite a few phrases like “the West may prevent Africa from pivoting further towards China”, “A Western aid project would be a counterweight to China’s influence and may pay itself back in… the West’s interests” and “the risks of inaction are great, too: … [including] pushing the continent closer to China”. Simply put, the West is Africa’s savior and China the villain. Treading carefully given that the West is by no means a homogenous group, Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao’s strong views on France’s relations with its former colonies in Africa come to mind. In one of her most poignant statements, on YouTube

She argues that, economically, France still controls 14 of its former African colonies through a document signed at independence, so-called the Pact for the Continuation of Colonization. This pact, according to Dr. Quao, mandates the former French African colonies to remit 50-60% of their bank reserves to the Central Bank of France. The francophone African countries can apparently apply to borrow 20% of their own reserves at commercial interest rates. Meanwhile, France invests the bulk of the proceeds – reportedly approximately US$500 million per year – in the French stock market. And for every US$14 billion that France extracts and invests in this way, it realizes returns upwards of US$300 billion. Assuming this is true or at least partially true, subject to confirmation of the reported formal arrangements and the numbers, is it China or France that is the greater evil for Africa?

While it is desirable that the international community rallies together to save lives in African, the COVID-19 crisis must not be the blackmail letter attempting to coerce the West into increasing aid to rebuild the African economy. Rebuilding Africa should be Africa’s job. Thus, perhaps COVID-19 is an opportunity, not for more economic aid, but for leaving Africa alone for a moment so that, if necessary, she can go into incentive care on the economic front. Maybe it is only after experiencing the full devastation of economic mismanagement, corruption and other vices perpetrated by our political leaders that Africa’s citizens will finally hear the wakeup call that pushes us into making radically different political and economic choices, which break the continent from the past. This, and not more aid or more debt accumulation will save Africa.

Ultimately, a Marshall Plan for Africa is quite possibly dead aid, just like other forms of aid.

174 new COVID-19 Cases Recorded in Zambia, bringing the total to 441

Chief Editor
-
40
174 new COVID-19 Cases Recorded in Zambia, bringing the total to 441

Zambia has recorded 174 new COVID-19 cases, the highest since the outbreak, over a period of 72 hours after test results from Nakonde come in, bringing the new cumulative total to 441.

Speaking at the latest media briefing today, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya said the new cases are from tests conducted on May 9th and 10th include 126 recorded in Nakonde and 29 on the Copper belt Province, among others. The Minister said that the numbers include truck drivers, the staff at points of entry and health workers.

Dr. Chilufya further said that of the new cases 66 are truck drivers, hence the movement of trucks being considered as a key factor, fueling the spread of the virus and noted the need to ensure stringent measures in managing the movement of trucks in the country.

Dr. Chilufya, however, stated that Lusaka has not recorded any case from the over 300 tests done and no discharges have been recorded, but said that all patients quarantined are in stable condition and none of them, is on a ventilator.

The Minister also observed that some of Zambia’s neighbours are influencing the pandemic like the DRC and Tanzania having high numbers recorded so far, and called for re-looking at cross border collaboration between Zambia and its neighbours.

Dr. Chilufya also advised citizens to stay home and observe the health guidelines given as part of avoiding the further spread of the virus following many districts across the country recording cases.

Dr. Chilufya said positive Covid-19 cases are expected to peak in about three months adding that Africa’s mortality rate from the pandemic has not reached its peak.

The latest numbers also include 5 cases in North-Western and 14 in Central Province.

Zambia has so far done over 10 600 tests with 7 deaths recorded and 117 recoveries and discharges.

President Lungu Opens Victoria Falls

Chief Editor
-
46
President Lungu Opens Victoria Falls

President EDGAR LUNGU has opened the Victoria falls to the public which was closed due to the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic.

President LUNGU says he wants key sectors of the economy running whilst observing the new normal of following Covid 19 health guidelines.

The President also said government will give incentives to sectors such as tourism in order to help it grow and sustain the available jobs.

He said the minister of finance will be briefed on which reliefs to give to the tourism sector.

President LUNGU also toured some hotels in Livingstone in order to appreciated the challenges faced by the sector.

The head of state was briefed that hotels in Livingstone were incurring losses because there are no tourists to book rooms and other facilities.

Later the head of state had his lunch at Chrisma Hotel restaurant where social-distancing was observed.

President LUNGU said he decided to have lunch at a restaurant in oder to show his support to the hospitality industry which has been hardly hit by the pandemic.

And tourism minister Ronald Chitotela says the President’s decision to open up the sector will help save many jobs.

Mr Chitotela assured President Lungu that the sector will adhere to the new normal.

Meanwhile Livingstone tourism Council representative Rodney Sikumba says the council is grateful to government for responding to their request of opening up the tourism sector.

1...1,3591,3601,361...5,642Page 1,360 of 5,642

Company

Trending

Categories

© Lusaka Times