Prince Ndoyi has called on stakeholders and the public at large to critically interrogate the principle behind the appointment of Simon Miti to two government positions as Secretary to Cabinet while working at STATE HOUSE.

The young politician has come to the defence of President LUNGU’s decision to appoint Simon Miti to two senior government portiflolios, whereas he has described the decision as a killing two birds with one stone.

Ndoyi who commended the News Diggers editorial team for being fearless and a voice of reason, observed that the issue regarding Dr Miti’s appointment raises eyebrows on face value but that it is one that benefits both the Presidency and Cabinet.

He said before the two positions were separated it used to be one which he said only goes to straighten the argument that the current scenario is better than appointment of two different individuals.

“The News Diggers Editorial was insightful and thought provoking and it’s good to question some of these decisions especially that these are senior positions in governmeht. However, the principle issue is whether there is any oversight or breach of the Constitution in doing so? Is there any incompliance to rules within the civil service regulations for one to hold two positions that are appointive in nature? The answer is a BIG NO.

“As a matter of fact, the two roles used to be one back in the days until they were separated. If we listened attentively, President Lungu when swearing Dr Simon Miti at State House he made it categorical that he will be working from State House more often. That meant to signify that he holds the view that one person who works in his office daily best understands his position on matters and his vision overall would best serve as head of the civil service that merely implements his vision.

“This current scenario works better because the Secretary to Cabinet is yet the same person whose the Presidency’s Principal Secretary meaning there won’t be two versions of one story.”

He noted that there is need to narrow the gap with bureaucracy and that having Dr Miti doubling on two positions helps the civil service and the presidency work hand-in-hand.

“This way the civil service and Presidency now work hand in hand. He is more at an advantage to advise appropriately because he well understands the position of the President on matters as well as the position on the ground in terms of the public service. You will be killing two birds with one stone. We must narrow the gap or bridge the gap with bereaucracy. It all depends with the thinking of the Presidency with what works well. It’s his prerogative, other Presidents in future may see it differently and may apply different wisdom but I agree totally with the wisdom behind maintaining Dr Miti in these two responsibilities.”

Ndoyi further noted that it is not the first time an appointed government official has held two positions citing Gorge Kunda who worked as Vice President of the Republic as well as Justice Minister in the MMD government among others.

He said the position of Secretary to Cabinet has more than 6 positions who are equivalent to deputies hence the question of efficiency does not arise.

“Also note that this is not the only position and scenario where one office bearer has two functions including one function junior to the other, remember the late George Kundu SC among others. He was Vice President and Minister of Justice.

“Secretary to the cabinet has more than one deputy in fact his job’s functions are equally devolved into several other roles that are at level of his deputy. The Secretary to the Cabinet basically has over 6 individuals to the equivalent of his deputies that have his devolved and separate functions to play.”

The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has followed with keen interest the events unfolding in relation to the intended Kangaluwi Copper Mining Project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

The Kangaluwi Project is an initiative of Mwembeshi Resources Limited, which was granted a large-scale mining license for a period of 25 years in March of 2011.

The site of the intended mining activities is the Kangaluwi area situated in the Lower Zambezi National Park, which covers about 977 km (roughly 25 percent of the national park).

However, the open-pit mining activities will likely occupy a larger area to accommodate employees, storage equipment and piling of tailings or the earth in order to reach copper ore.

Environmental and mining experts predict that full-scale mining activities could cover up to 50 percent of the Lower Zambezi National Park, which is an ecologically sensitive area. As an extractive industry, mining activities will inevitably cause severe damage to the environment and disrupt the ecosystem of the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Lower Zambezi National Park is a priority tourist destination with its abundance of wildlife species and vegetation as well as conservation value being that it is considered to be the western arm of the East African Rift Valley.

Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Zambian economy and vital to the government’s economic diversification policy.

CTPD Executive Director Isaac Mwaipopo is concerned about the intended mining activities and urged the government to cancel or revoke all pending and existing licenses in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Mr. Mwaipopo says CTPD is encouraged by the statement that was issued by the Minister of Tourism and Arts, Ronald Chitotela to the effect that the mining operations by Mwembeshi Resources were still subject to an environmental impact assessment report and that no mining activities were currently permitted.

“CTPD has however taken note of the sentiments expressed by Senior Chief Mburuma of the Nsenga-Luzi people. Chief Mburuma urged the government to allow the mining activities in order to create jobs and secure livelihoods for his people. As an organization focused on the development of pro-poor trade and development policies, CTPD is concerned primarily with the well-being of the communities and the impact that various policies and government decisions have on the day to day lives of Zambians, “Mr. Mwaipopo said.

He stressed that the concerns raised by the traditional authorities are valid in the wake of the decline in the country’s economic growth which between 2016 and 2018 averaged 3.5 percent per year compared to 7.4 percent between 2004 and 2014.

“According to the World Bank, Zambia has one of the highest inequality gaps in the world such that the economic growth has characteristically benefitted a small segment of the urban population,” Mr. Mwaipopo said.

Mr. Mwaipopo noted that Rural communities remain largely marginalized, bearing the brunt of the unemployment rate currently at 7,15 percent and susceptible to promises from unqualified investors, issues which must be addressed.

He said that whilst CTPD maintains its stance against mining activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park, all stakeholders, and interested parties should continue to engage in dialogue and reach a mutually beneficial consensus.

“CTPD concurs that whilst tourism should be the primary economic driver in relation to the Lower Zambezi and other national parks, efforts should be made by the government to ensure that the industry is driven by Zambians and in so doing guarantee a trickledown effect to the local communities,” He added.

Mr. Mwaipopo also observed that the National parks in Zambia are spotted with secluded luxury camps managed by foreign multinationals and private individuals.

“The luxury resorts and camps cost upwards of USD 500 a night on average, making the facilities largely inaccessible to the majority of Zambians and hindering local tourism. This is itself an impediment to the growth of the industry and a loss of revenue and potential employment creation”, he noted.

Mr. Mwaipopo strongly urges the government to firstly continue engaging with traditional authorities and develop effective strategies that strike a balance between sound investment and opportunities for rural communities.

“In addition, there is a need (through consultation and dialogue) to develop interventions aimed at increasing local participation in the tourism sector”, he said.

Police in Lusaka have opened a docket in a case where President Edgar Lungu’s Political Advisor Kaizer Zulu caused an accident in Ibex Hill and beat up the driver of the School Bus he hit into.

Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo has confirmed that Mr Zulu reported himself to Simon Mwana Kapwepwe Police under which the area where the accident happened falls.

Mrs Katongo said the matter is however being handled by Woodlands Police who went to the scene first and Mr Zulu is expected to report himself to Woodlands Police where the docket is.

Mr Zulu was on 19th November involved in a traffic accident which occurred along 1st street road in Ibex Hill.

Involved in the accident was Denis Musopelo of Mtendere East aged 35 who was driving a Toyota Hiace mini bus registration number BAF 9274 whose damages are right front door and right side door.

The accident happened when Mr Zulu who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser registration number AJD 8961 was over taking improperly and hit into a Toyota Hiace which was turning right and the Land Cruiser fell in a drainage.

Vice President Inonge Wina says the government has blocked the November 2019 salaries for employees not eligible for government salaries.

Mrs Wina says the government has also suspended and revoked logging credentials for all payroll end-users’ countrywide in order to avoid paying ghost workers.

The Vice President was responding to Lubansenshi Member of Parliament George Mwamba during the Vice president’s question time who wanted to know what measures government was taking over the 4000 ghost workers who are drawing salaries.

She said 779 Public service employees were found to be unknown as they have been dismissed, died or resigned and 3969 appearing on the September payroll were not found during the headcount on the Copperbelt Province.

Mrs Wina said those found to have breached the government regulations in the management of payroll systems are being handed over to law enforcement agencies.

A recent government payroll clean-up exercise on the Copperbelt established that 4,000 civil servants are unaccounted for while K60 million is lost monthly through fraudulent management of the payroll.

Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Simon Miti said the payroll clean-up exercise was done last month by the Public Service Management Division, Accountant General’s office, service commissions and Smart Zambia Institute.

Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu has attributed the depreciation of the Kwacha against the US dollar and other major convertible currencies to low reserves caused by debt servicing and low production and supply in the mining sector.

Dr Ng’andu says the local currency has depreciated by 5.6 percent in November 2019 and by 17 percent on a year on year basis.

He said a sustained depreciation of the currency can lead to inflationary pressure, affect the economic growth of the country, increase the cost of servicing debt and raise the cost of doing business for companies.

Dr Ng’andu said the government has put measures in place both long and medium-term among them tightening the Monetary Policy Rate to help manage the depreciation of the currency.

He also noted the need to increase exports particularly the private sector in order to bring in more foreign exchange which is key in building the reserves.

Dr Ng’andu noted that being an import driven economy, the depreciation of the local currency is expected.

The Finance Minister was responding to Kapiri Mposhi UPND Member of Parliament Stanley Kakubo who asked him what the cause of the rapid depreciation of the Kwacha during the month of November, 2019, is and what urgent measures the Government is taking to stabilize the performance of the Kwacha against other currencies.

Mr Kakubo also asked the Minister what effects the depreciation of the Kwacha has on the economy and what measures the Government is taking to mitigate the adverse effects.