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Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has clarified that the mobile issuance of National Registration Cards has been phased due to a lack of resources to undertake the exercise at once across the country.
Mr. Kampyongo said the exercised has been phased to make sure that the process is managed properly matching the available resources.
He said the exercise starting soon will begin with North Western, Luapula and Northern Provinces were the last provinces to benefit in the last exercise.
Mr. Kampyongo accused those alleging that the exercise is currently taking place in PF strongholds of being naïve and warned against the registration of underage children when the exercise commences.
He reiterated that no exercise is currently happening in the PF strongholds for election purposes and called for calm among stakeholders saying all the provinces will be covered.
The Christian Churches Monitoring Group recently wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting information and clarification on the mobile issuance of National Registration Cards and is yet to receive a response.
The CCMG expressed concern with reports of mobile issuance of National Registration Cards exercises currently taking place in some parts of Eastern, Northern, Luapula, North-Western and Muchinga Provinces.
It demanded that the Ministry release to stakeholders and the general public all the information about mobile issuance of NRCs, including the deployment schedule, Ministry’s plans for the extension of the exercise to all provinces, and the Ministry’s intended stakeholder consultations on the issue.
Further, CCMG has demanded that the Ministry immediately halts the process until such a time when there is a clear roadmap or deployment schedule, adequate publicity, publicly available targeted populations, and engagement with stakeholders.
Just to put some clarity to it, Ambassador Daniel Foote’s exit may be a small victory to those who peddle illegality under the guise of new age false religious fundamentalism; but the majority of ordinary Zambians may have a huge price to pay because for the Patriotic Front (PF), this was never a question of our collective morality, but an opportunity to entrench a growing Kleptocracy that only works for them and them only.
Forget democracy, because now what we have is a fully fledged organized, legitimized criminal cartel that has hijicked the hopes and dreams of an entire country for its own benefit. For the avoidance of any doubt, a Kleptocracy is a government with corrupt leaders that wield political power to exploit the people and natural resources of their own countries in order to extend their personal wealth and political powers. Typically, this system involves embezzlement of funds at the expense of the wider population.
This is what typifies life under the Patriotic Front (PF). If squandering $42 million on Firetenders that should have cost nearly $30 million less is not organised crime, then what is it? No inquiry has been held to hold to account known government officials over this fraud. And what about the over $1.5 billion of Mukula revenue estimated to have been stolen with not a single Kwacha or Ngwee to have gone to productive sectors of the economy? We know this because between 2014 and 2016, around $204 million of Mukula revenue went undeclared ( Center for International Forestry Research, Issue 211 of 2018), with a further $180 million blatantly squandered under the watch of this PF government between 2017 and 2018 alone!
It is not unimaginable to contemplate that over the past 8 years this government has been in power, at least $1 billion dollars worth of Mukula revenue has been pocketed by government officials at the expense of the long suffering Zambian people.
We also know that government officials under the PF regime, have been sharing close to $40 million in Mukula trade related bribes over the past 8 years. All this information is available and easy to verify from the most recent undercover criminal investigation carried out by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) which estimates annual bribes to politicians at $7.5 million.
The Financial Intelligence Center, our own financial transaction watchdog has provided evidence of the PF party superstructure, receiving close to $1 million in bribes and kickbacks for the award of public contracts. This is in the FIC report of 2018.
And today, it should be a very sad day in the history of the Republic of Zambia. The nation has chiefly remained silent, save for bits of underground commentary, as a foreign diplomat has been hounded out of his position by a government that has become increasingly self-absorbed and power hungry while the rest of the nation scrounges in squalor.
The exit of Ambassador Daniel Foote of the United States of America, over scathing comments he had made, standing up to the rancid corruption and irregularly application of the rule of law by the visibly and undoubtedly corrupt Patriotic Front (PF) regime, is an ominous indication that wolves occupying government are nowhere near done raping our country red – they are barely just getting started.
This is the same government that has plunged 1.6 million more people into abject poverty since the ascention to power of President Edgar Lungu in 2015 owing to poor public project investments underpinned by grand political corruption.
How can a government that has been squandering all these billions of dollars, never mind aid money, fail to repay $1.4 million in interest on facilities to the African Development Bank, threatening close to $1 billion worth of assistance the bank continues to provide to this country and it’s people?
How can a government under whose watch at least $11 million is stolen annually in ONE province alone (Copperbelt) in fraudulent public sector payroll accounting fail to discharge $107,692 per month per council in Local Government Equalisation Fund, condemning our council workers to 3 months of non payment of salaries?
This has got to be unacceptable and only Zambians can liberate themselves.
When foreign diplomats speak, they are accused of interfering in the internal affairs of our country while when we speak, we are labeled bitter and antagonistic. None of this matters anymore because if we allow this kind and level of open, unhindered plunder of national wealth by a small group of politicians under the Patriotic Front, there might be no Zambia in a few years because the level of unwarranted poverty and inequality we are occasioning will be enough to spur an open rebellion by the people themselves.
It does not have to end that way….
10.7 million Zambians living on less than a $1.25 a day and the President buys himself a $100 million super Jet…. Are these the Christian values over which Am
UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has described the current fuel hike as a Christmas gift from the Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Condemning the over 100% hike in power tariffs effective 1st January 2020 and hike in fuel prices blamed on the depreciating Kwacha and increase in prices of crude oil, Mr Hichilema said typical of thieves, they strike in the night.
Petrol prices rose effective midnight 26th December 2019 from K15.98 to K17.62, Diesel from K14.23 to K15.59, Kerosene from K13.02 to K15.39 while Low Sulphur Gas rose from K16.52 to K K17.88.
Mr Hichilema said this is a clear indication that the current Government is incompetent and has said that another gift awaits on January 1, 2020.
And All peoples Congress Leader Nason Msoni has predicted further hardships for Zambians in 2020 following the upwards adjustment in fuel pump prices and power tariffs.
Mr Msoni accused the PF government of squeezing Zambians because they are broke to pay back the many loans they have acquired.
He described the adjustments as evil and will create misery among Zambians adding that the PF does not consider the plight of the citizens.
ELECTRICITY tariffs have been increased for domestic and commercial consumers by about 200 percent and 49 percent, respectively to help Zesco, the supplier, operate efficiently and viably.
And pump prices for fuel have been increased, with the cost of petrol going up by K1.64 per litre. Energy Regulation Board (ERB) board chairman Raymond Mpundu announced these adjustments last night with the new electricity tariffs coming into effect on January 1, 2020. The new fuel prices took effect at midnight.
Mr Mpundu said the hiked tariffs will be used to improve operations at ZESCO which is said to be technically insolvent.
Zambia’s energy utility company charges one of the lowest tariffs in Southern Africa which has made energy investments very unattractive.
Hiking electricity tariffs comes at a time when fuel prices have been hiked by around 10% compounding Zambia’s economic challenges.
Power Dynamos striker Dave Daka says the Kitwe Derby is now water under the bridge and they have fully turned their attention on another critical home date this weekend against Napsa Stars at Arthur Davies Stadium.
Power head into their second straight home league match exactly seven days after they clobbered Nkana 3-0 in the first instalment of this seasons Kitwe derby.
Daka scored one of the goals that saw Power continue their gradual recovery following a bad start to the 2019/20 campaign.
Power have since October risen from second from bottom on the FAZ Super Division log to seventh on 20 points from thirteen games and are now eleven points behind second positioned Napsa who are tied on 31 points with leaders Zesco United.
“Derbies are unpredictable games but we thank God for everything and the good work from the guys. This is now water under the bridge,” Daka said.
“The focus has now shifted to Napsa and if we apply what the coach has told us then everything will be fine.”
Meanwhile, Napsa have dominated Power in their last four league meetings with three draws and a win.
Power last tasted victory against Napsa in August 2017 when they won 3-2 away in Lusaka.
ZCCM Investment Holdings plans to open a company that will supervise the mining of gold across the country.
ZCCM IH Chief Executive Officer Mabvuto Chipata says the move will ensure the country benefits from gold deposits dotted in over 21 districts, so far identified.
Addressing the media in Lusaka, Mr. Chipata also revealed that ZCCM IH will also partner with another company in gold processing, in which 45-million Kwacha is being injected in the setting up of a processing plant in Rufunsa.
He also revealed that the mining conglomerate has undertaken initial exploration works in Mwinilunga’s Kasenseli area and results of the soil and rock samples will be ready in 15 days.
He said the exploration works will continue at Kasenseli with preparatory works to start mining within the first quarter of next year.
Mr. Chipata also noted that the investments company will be setting up buying points for gold from small-scale miners after their formalization which is underway as part of curbing smuggling.
He said ZCCM IH has also procured an artisanal gold washing plant and a smelting kit worth one million Kwacha meant to improve production as part of building capacity among small scale producers, whom it will buy gold from.
And the same briefing Ministry of Mines Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga said government has put in place security measures at various sites with gold deposits.
These include Mumbwa, Kasenseli, Rufunsa and Luano among others while arrangements for formal operations are being put in place.
Mr. Mulenga said government has declared gold a strategic mineral in order to provide a well-coordinated mechanism of exploiting the resource.
Mr. Mulenga has since appealed to Zambians to take interest in investing in gold mines.
When a compromised media house teams up with a politically charged church or clergy’s men, the results are either a civil war or genocide. Examples are abounding to support this line of thought, Rwanda and Congo hit the note right, very close to home.
The description of our country, the government, and its citizens as *“Government (country) of thieves, by thieves (people) and for thieves (people)* by former Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu is the highest order of disrespect and insult (to yourself too) you can shower a country of which you are part of.
What our honorable archbishop should remember is that, in the same way, we chose our political leaders from within ourselves, it is the same way we chose our religious leaders including himself, so we are therefor one and the same people. It was unwise for the honorable archbishop to classify the entire citizenry as thieves.
Its is also of grave concern to us and sad to note that in the past year or so our honorable archbishop has been issuing a dangerous political statement which have the potential to send this country into war.
Inciting the citizens to rise against a democratically elected government is evil, especially by the church and its religious leaders and must be condemned by all well-meaning citizens. It would be a sad situation if the government where to charge our honorable archbishop with treason.
Least we forgot, the Rwanda genocide was started in the same way. In Zambia, we risk this happening if Media houses like News Diggers give their platform or go into prostitution partnership with compromised Clergy’s men, whose only intention is to fuel tension and support regime change.
As citizens we are also interested in knowing if what the honorable archbishop said when he appeared on Prime TV’s Oxygen of Democracy program last Monday represents the position of the church as we quote his words below: –
My Church’s opinion; we have talked about this time and time and time again. This country is plagued with unbridled corruption and this has permeated on all the facets of our life,
The honorable archbishop further claimed that,
“The political atmosphere will become more and more toxic! Very toxic atmosphere; when we have very toxic atmosphere, an explosion can occur! You see, the government has not been forthcoming out there; they have not been sincere. And if people are not sincere, it is difficult to work with them”.
In-fact, these are the kind of politically charged statements we are referring to and they should not be coming from the church or their Clergy’s men, this in actual senses borders on inciting the citizens against their own government. The honorable archbishop would be wise enough to engage government at any level and am sure he would have be accorded the audience he deserves.
The honorable archbishop must understand that Religions is powerfully motivating and belligerent humans fight over it and it has also been a major feature in some historical conflicts and the most recent wave of modern terrorism.
Religion has taken on extra significance today because globalization is challenging and changing everything. Religious identity not only survives but can take on heightened significance when national and political alliances break apart, *as happened in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, when Serbs, Croats and Bosniacs were divided along Catholic and Orthodox fault lines.*
In the same line and thought of thinking, the honorable archbishop must understand that his personal political statement may be misunderstood to mean the position of the catholic church in Zambia, a situation that may fuel serious tension from household level into all spheres of our life due to our different religions, which we would bring radical behavior if we carried them onto our political preference.
Lastly, the honorable archbishop must remember that our memory is still fresh about the role the Catholic played during the Rwanda genocide.
Not too long ago, the Catholic church in Rwanda apologised on the church’s role in the 1994 genocide, saying it regretted the actions of those who participated in the massacres.
Below is the apology
“We apologize for all the wrongs the church committed. We apologize on behalf of all Christians for all forms of wrongs we committed. We regret that church members violated [their] oath of allegiance to God’s commandments,”.
The apology was made through a statement by the Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was read out in parishes across the country then.
The statement acknowledged that church members planned, aided and carried out the genocide, in which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists.
In the years since the genocide – which was sparked by a contentious plane crash that killed the president, Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu – the local church had resisted efforts by the government and groups of survivors to acknowledge the church’s complicity in mass murder, saying those church officials who committed crimes acted individually.
Many of the victims died at the hands of priests, clergymen and nuns, according to some accounts by survivors, and the Rwandan government said many died in the churches where they sought refuge.
If there is one sober lesson Zambians should be taking out of Africa’s past civil and religious wars, it’s the folly of a nation allowing itself to be dragged into the war in the first place by either their political and religious leaders or otherwise. It will be impossible to repair the damage that will be caused.
Dr. Joze Manda is a Political Analyst based in Lusaka
Patriotic Front (PF) Founding Member Edwin Lifwekelo has said that the Party is extremely shocked by what they described as a staged and malicious reporting to the Anti-Corruption Commission of Nkoloma Ward Councillor and President Edgar Lungu’s Daughter, Ms. Tasila Lungu, by Lt Col. Panji Kaunda.
In a statement released to the media, Mr. Lifwekelo said that the party is aware that Lt. Col Kaunda has resolved to fight President Lungu because he feels sidelined.
There are reports that Lt. Col Kaunda, who is the first born son of first republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, reported the shielding of Edgar Lungu’s daughter, Tasila, over the alleged fencing of gazetted Forest Number 70 by Lands minister Jean Kapata and her permanent secretary Ndashe Yumba to the ACC.
According to the letter dated December 17, 2019, addressed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director-General and filed with the Commission’s offices in Chipata, the allegations are that approximately 3 790 hectares of Forest P70, also known as Chimutengo Forest in Sinda District, was being fenced off by a private farm allegedly owned by Miss Tasila Lungu, and gates had been erected at the entrances of both the private land and the main gate of the forest,
Col Panji stated that efforts to get Lands and Environmental Protection Minister Kapata and her Permanent Secretary Yumba to act on the matter had proved futile, despite meeting and formally complaining to them.
Col Panji said all the possible avenues to get clarification on the matter had been unsuccessful, hence the decision to write to the Commission.
“It is an offence for anyone to enter a forest without authority or permit according to the forestry act, and that anyone found breaking this law is bound to be punished,” Col Panji stated. “The fence did not come up overnight it took months to finish and everyone who has driven past the forest including the local community should have seen it, including the officers from the forestry department.”
Col Panji wondered why the project was allowed to continue to its completion when no authority was given.
Below if PF’s Lufwekelo full response on the matter
PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, 25th December 2019
PANJI’S STAGED REPORTING OF MS TASILA LUNGU TO ACC: WE KNOW ALL ABOUT HIS DARK CORNER MEETINGS WITH THE OPPOSITION – HE MUST DO THE HONOURABLE THING AND LEAVE THE PARTY AS OPPOSED TO MASQUERADING AS PF
By Edwin Lifwekelo
From the outset it is important to establish that we would like to hold Lt. Col. Panji Kaunda in high esteem, as we acknowledge his contribution to the Patriotic Front (PF).
Lt. Col Kaunda is former President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s first born son, and it’s common sense that he has not lived up to the expected standards of how a responsible son should take care of his father and family. Lt. Col Kaunda knows too well the extent to which President Edgar Lungu has taken care of the old man and the Kaunda family at large. But we are aware that Lt. Col Kaunda has resolved to fight President Lungu because he feels sidelined despite all that he is doing for the Kaunda family.
This is particularly why we are extremely shocked by the staged and malicious “reporting” to the ACC of Nkoloma Ward Councillor Ms. Tasila Lungu by Lt Col. Kaunda.
What we find even more outrageous, is the betrayal not only to the Patriotic Front and the majority of Zambians, but more significantly Panji’s treachery to President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and the first family.
We are at pains to engage him in this manner, also because of the immense respect we hold for his father and Zambia’s founding President Kenneth David Kaunda, who surely does not deserve any stress from an inconsiderate son.
Panji Kaunda knows how it is to be betrayed. He knows fully well the witchhunt that saw his father being falsely accused and detained on trumped up charges on that fateful Christmas day of 1997.
And now twenty two years later, Panji wants to use the Christmas season to launch an un-substantiated witch-hunt on a member of the first family. This is supposed to be the season of “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all men”; but Panji has no good will for His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and Patriotic Front. What he has is ill-will and Judas mischief.
The malice, ill-will and ridiculous persecution of Ms Lungu is a manifestation of Panji Kaunda’s sour grapes against a man who has gone out of his way to take care of his old man.
Nothing under the sun is hidden. We already know that Panji Kaunda is in an unholy alliance with Hakainde Hichilema on one hand to mobilise for UPND in Eastern Province while at the same time working with former Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili and using a named Lusaka-based self-acclaimed “media guru”. We have all details of their meetings and schemes. He has been planted to fight PF from within and when time is “ripe”, he will jump ship to join UPND.
We challenge Lt Col. (Rtd) Panji Kaunda to do the honourable thing and leave the Party as opposed to masquerading as PF, when he and a few other sour grapes are bitter against President Lungu.
Given the integrity of his father’s legacy, and the goodwill and integrity of President Edgar Lungu and the First Family, Panji should be the last person to play dirty.
Edwin Lifwekelo Founding Patriotic Secretary General & Former UPND Deputy Spokesperson
Fuelled by the rapid increase of global prices of mineral commodities, illegal mining has
recently come into light as a major environmental and social concern.
For instance, the use of mercury and other toxins in Gold mining continues to pose serious
dangers to human health. Illegal mining in the next years to come will be seen as one of the biggest global challenges that will lead to environmental degradation of ecologically
sensitive land.
Illegal mining is carried out without state permission and it is because of this reason that
unscrupulous firms operating in mineral-rich areas do not pay taxes. This robs the country
of the much-desired revenue thus undermining economic growth. Not only does illegal
mining lead to loss of revenue, but also leads to the loss of employment opportunities,
capital expenditure, exports and foreign exchange earnings.
To limit revenue losses, the government can take a strategic step in establishing a revenue task force aimed at maximizing the collection of revenue in mining areas. Spurred by widespread poverty and lack of alternative earning opportunities, illegal mining is a common phenomenon on the African continent.
For instance, a rapid increase in illegal mining activities in Zambia can also be attributed to
the fact that mining is seen as a source of livelihood for many citizens who cannot be
employed by the formal sector. Poor regulation of the artisanal and small scale mining
sector can also be seen as a reason that continues to birth illegal mining activities
Formalization of this sector will at least help limit the spread of illegal mining. Being
cognizant of the fact that illegal mining cannot be completely eliminated, the Centre for
Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) wishes to urge the government to undertake some of
the following strategic steps to limit its expansion.
Undertake social control by creating alternative employment opportunities
Strengthen regional bureaus with the needed expertise so as to elevate their supervisory role
Provide platforms making it easy for miners to form cooperatives.
Formalize, monitor and regulate the artisanal and small scale mining sector
Establish a task force to crack down illegal mining activities
Dialogue with mining companies to establish satellite-based surveillance systems to
monitor illegal mining within their mining license areas.
Issued by Webby Banda CTPD Researcher (Extractives)
President Edgar Lungu has said that the $250,000 cannabis license fee which has been widely reported on social media and other media is fake news aimed at misleading the public.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Christmas Eve, President Lungu said that the aforementioned $250,000 license fee, which has been widely reported on social and other media, is only fake news, which is aimed at misleading the general public.
The President further said that his detractors are deliberately distorting facts and fabricating falsehoods in an effort to thwart future health and economic benefits which shall accrue to Zambia from the new policy decision on Cannabis cultivation, following Government’s recent decision to legalize the medical use of cannabis, based on scientific evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others.
The President said that through official channels, the Government will soon communicate the applicable license fees and other additional regulations concerning the medical use of cannabis and urged the nation to totally disregard any news which does not come from official Government channels because, those are only speculations and fake news by the cynics with the aim of misleading, creating confusion, misinforming and creating a distasteful caricature of his Government
The President appealed to Zambians to do their part to stamp out fabrications and fake news from the Zambian society by ignoring it.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the registration of Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) shares.
The Initial Public Offer (IPO), opened on 11th December 2019 will involve offering ordinary shares in ZAFFICO to Zambian individuals and institutions.
The IPO is scheduled close on 21 January 2020.
Similarly, following the close of the IPO and subject to meeting the minimum listing requirements, the Lusaka Securities Exchange Plc (LuSE or Exchange) has approved the listing of those ordinary shares on the Exchange.
The IPO and subsequent listing of ZAFFICO on the LuSE will accord Zambian individuals and institutions an opportunity to participate in the potential growth and strategic direction of the company which is involved in the establishment, management and sale of exotic wood species.
Announcing the development, Mrs. Anne Doma Gray-Kunda, the ZAFFICO Board Chairperson said through the offer of shares to the public in the company, ZAFFICO has taken the first and important step toward increasing public ownership of the company while at the same time raising capital to provide the company support for its forest plantation expansion programme.
“It gives me great pleasure to confirm that the IPO and official listing of ZAFFICO shares on the exchange was approved by the SEC and LuSE, respectively. The IPO opened on 11 December 2019 and will close on 21 January 2020. This is also a positive step toward further building the equity capital market in Zambia. The offer of shares is restricted to Zambian individuals and institutions only,” she said.
“We appreciate the support we continue to receive from the Government of the Republic of Zambia, regulators, and our stakeholders. I would like to particularly thank the staff and management of ZAFFICO who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible. We are delighted to extend this opportunity to members of the public to own shares in this Zambian-owned institution,” she added.
The Samuel Matete Athletics Academy of Kitwe has received a donation of sports kit from US based business executive David Long.
The donation of kit comprising of shirts, shorts and sports shoes was facilitated by former runner Reuben Silwimba, who is based in the US.
Silwimba on Tuesday handed over the kit to Samuel Matete, the academy owner and coach, during a ceremony at Kitwe Playing Fields.
“I have a friend David Long in USA who has been very helpful to us. I asked him to support the kids at the Samuel Matete Academy so he bought pairs of shoes and the uniform which have delivered here,” Silwimba said.
“I appreciate the works Big Sam (Matete) is doing for the kids here. This is just the beginning more will come,” he said.
Matete, the 1996 Olympics Silver-medallist, is cheered by the donation to the academy that host slightly over 20 teenagers.
“This is a wonderful Christmas present. We are very excited and the kids are happy and looking forward to competing in the 2020 season,” Matete said.
“Our very own Reuben Silwimba has done a good by remembering where he is coming from. He has brought all this equipment for our academy,” he added.
And some young athletes interviewed expressed their excitement.
“We are just happy because we have never received things like this. Some of us have been running barefooted,” said 17-year-old Ruth Mutale – who finished seventh in the 2019 National Championships.
Cambridge University Press has released the Dedicated Teacher Awards shortlist for 2020, featuring Tiffany Cavanagh from Trident College Solwezi, Zambia. The full shortlist is made up of 50 teachers from across the world, who have been celebrated for the vital role they play in the lives of their students.
Between 1 October and 29 November 2019, over 6,000 nominations from 97 different countries poured into the Press, each detailing an inspiring story about a current primary or secondary teacher and the hard work they do every day. These entries were analysed using competition criteria to select the 50 strong shortlist, including whether teachers prepared students for their futures beyond school and ‘made the ordinary, extraordinary.’
From this shortlist, a panel of expert judges will now choose six top finalists. The public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite story when the finalists are announced via Cambridge University Press Education social media channels on 20 January 2020. The Press will announce the overall winner on 3 February 2020.
The finalists will feature on a thank you page at the front of every new Cambridge University Press Education textbook from May 2020 and win a host of prizes, including class sets of books or digital resources.
They will also get an invitation to the Cambridge Panel, an online community of teachers and researchers that help to shape the Press’s education publishing.
‘Teachers say and do life-changing things every day – often without realising it,’ explained Michael McGarvey, Director, Education, Cambridge University Press. ‘This could be something as simple as a kind word at a difficult time, or explaining a concept in a way that suddenly makes everything click into place for the student. For that, we’d like to join with people around the world to say thank you together.’
Last year, the 2019 Dedicated Teacher Awards saw maths and accounting teacher Ahmed Saya from Cordoba School for A-Level in Karachi, announced the winner from just under 4,000 nominations from 75 countries around the world.
Hon. Rapheal Nakachinda chairing a sitting of the parliamentary select committee on the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The Opposition New Hope Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in North Western province have warned PF Nominated Member of Parliament Raphael Nakachinda to stop impersonating as MMD National Secretary.
Mr. Raphael Nakachinda last week held a presser where he impersonated himself as the MMD National Secretary and trashed the High Court ruling that recognized Dr. Nevers Mumba as Party President.
The members through their Provincial Chairperson Mr. Geoffrey Chikote said that they were not moved by Nakachinda’s statement.
“As members of the New Hope MMD in North Western Province, we are not moved by the Press briefing by Embattled Patriotic Front (PF) Nominated Member of Parliament Raphael Nakachinda. Mr. Nakachinda is not a Member of our Party and Judge Newa’s judgment of November 5 clearly pointed out that Nakachinda was not an MMD bonafide member. Furthermore, he is not qualified to speak on behalf of the general membership especially party members from North Western Province”, Mr. Chikote said.
Mr. Chikote called upon Nakachinda to respect the judiciary as he is part of the Legislature.
“We were further disappointed with Mr. Nakachinda for attacking the Judgement of Hon. Judge Sharon Newa that recognized Dr. Mumba as Party President. Mr. Nakachinda should bear in mind that his attacks on Judge Newa was a direct assault on the integrity of the Judiciary. As a Member of Parliament, Nakachinda should know that an assault on the Judiciary is also an assault on the Executive and the Legislature which he is part of”, Mr. Chikote said.
Mr. Chikote further warned Nakachinda to stop attacking Dr. Mumba.
“We pledge our total loyalty to our Party President, Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba and his Executive. We shall give Dr. Mumba a thunderous welcome when he travels to the our province”, Mr. Chikote said.
“As the MMD in North Western, we would like to warn Nakachinda that we will not sit by and watch him insult our Party President. We call upon the Police to arrest Mr. Nakachinda for his continued misconduct”, Mr. Chikote said.
The Old Thatched School that Pupils have been using
Sinazongwe Town Council has continued to spread it’s development across the district as council management tries to ensure that development is distributed equally in the area.
The latest project has seen the construction of a 1 by 2 classroom block at Siankuku using the 2017 Constituency Development Funds which has since been completed and will be ready for usage as schools open next year.
The local authority has already completed six of the seven 2017 Constituency Development funded projects which included the Radio station in Sinazongwe, a 1 by 3 classroom block in N’agombe ward in Sinazongwe at Mwalede Primary School, procurement of Radio equipment for Kanzize Radio station in Maamba, Mweemba chiefdom, a 1 by 2 classroom block at Makuti Primary School in Muchekwa ward, Mweemba chiefdom, a 1 by 2 classroom block at Namafulo Primary school in Mweemba ward Mweemba chiefdom and a staff house with a VIP latrine at Siansalama community school in Mabinga ward in Mweemba chiefdom.
The school project was requested by the community and approved by the Constituency Development Committee following the numerous concerns from the stakeholders that pupils were learning in grass thatched classrooms which was not a conducive environment.
The Council through the same committee responded promptly due to the high value it attaches to education.
Speaking when he led a delegation which toured the Siankuku school project Sinazongwe Town Council Secretary Everty Ng’andu said the local authority was proud to work on projects that added value to the communities in the district.
He explained that the school project was the first of its kind in Siankuku community and that the school project was an investment in the future as the children will now learn in a conducive environment which will not only motivate the pupils but the teachers as well.
The New School built using Constituency Development Funds for use in 2020 school year
The community of the said village had their children learn from grass thatched classrooms where when it rained, the children were unable to learn because of no protection on the same structures.
“Children are the future of any community, therefore, the only way to ensure that the future of the community is brighter is by investing in their education and as a council we are proud to be associated with such projects. As it is commonly said “education is the best equalizer between the children of the rich and the poor’’
He added “domestic animals such as pigs, goats and cows never spared the children’s learning as they also walked around the learning place freely,” he said.
And Mr. Ng’andu encouraged the beneficiaries of the school to guard the infrastructure jealously as it had been built at a great cost.
He further thanked all stakeholders who worked tirelessly with the local authority to ensure that the project was complete.
He said the community around the school should ensure that the school stands the test of time so that as many children as possible can attend the educational facility in the area.
And Cathrine Mweemba and other members of the same village appreciated the Council for the good job it has done for the community and that it will motivate pupils to attend classes.
