The ongoing National Mobile Registration Exercise in Lusaka has gained momentum.
Lusaka District Commissioner David Silubanje has advised parents and guardians to utilize the 40 days mobile national registration exercise to obtain the national identity cards for the children.

Mr Silubanje said the exercise accords Lusaka residents a rare opportunity to obtain the NRCs closer to their doorsteps unlike the ones offered at static offices at the Lusaka Boma, Chelstone, Matero and Chilenje, which are usually congested.
The Lusaka District Commissioner said this when he toured Chawama constituency where the department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship is currently conducting a week long issuance of the NRCs.

“I want to warn parents and guardians not to be tempted in bringing children below the prescribed age as doing so will result in serious consequences,” he warned.

“Again, I advise parents and guardians with children above the recommended age to come to the Boma offices so that they can be interviewed why their overage children didn’t get the cards at the right age before they are issued the cards.

Mr Silubanje further warned foreigners not to take advantage of the exercise in tempting them to get the cards saying doing so is a serious criminal offense.

He explained that the current exercise is targeting Zambian citizens who have reached 16 years hence foreigners should not think of attempting of getting the cards.

“The General National Registration Card is a preserve of Zambian citizens only and those with intentions of illegally getting one will be punished. Generally, am happy at the pace at which our officers are working and may l commend Lusaka residents are at the orderly manner in which they are conducting themselves. I want to implore you to be patient with the officers as they discharge their work and every eligible child will be issued with the card,” he said.

And some of the children that were issued with the cards have commended the government for the mobile national registration exercise which has brought the service closer to the people.

Faith Tembo, 17, is happy to have successfully obtained the card after failed attempts to get one from Lusaka’s Boma Office due to overcrowding.

“Am very excited because this year l will be completing my senior secondary school education and l intends to apply for tertiary education next year,” she said.

Two youths have died in Mpima area of Kabwe District after the land caved in and buried them as they were mining stones.

Central Province Commissioner of Police, Chola Katanga, has confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Kabwe.

Mr Katanga identified the victims as Evans Kanta and Godfrey Simfukwe aged 19 and 18 respectively all of Mpima area.

“Kabwe police received a report of sudden and unnatural death in which two people namely Evans Kant aged 19 and Godfrey Simfukwe aged 18 both of Mpima area died while they were mining stones,” Mr Katanga said.

He said the incident happened yesterday around 12: 45 hours when the two went into the quarry to mine stones but the earth caved in killing them in the process.

Commissioner Katanga said police together with the fire brigade have visited the scene and have since retrieved the two bodies.

He said the corpses have been deposited at Kabwe Central Hospital mortuary and that the next of kin have been informed.

The police chief observed that a lot of people in the area where indulging in stone mining but could not ascertain whether it was the main source of livelihood.

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in Monze District has warned the opposition United Party for National Development(UPND) cadres against booing and jeering President Edgar Lungu as he tours the District on an official engagement tomorrow.

District Youth Chairperson Titus Chiluba said the party would not tolerate any barbaric behavior aimed at embarrassing the Head of State who will be on official duty in Southern Province.

A few months ago some alleged unruly UPND cadres booed and jeered the head of state when he came to officially hand over housing units for men and women in uniform, an action that was widely condemned.

In a press statement made available to ZANIS today, Mr. Chiluba said just like other citizens, the UPND is expected to give the Head of State due respect especially when he is in the area to attend to matters of development.

President Lungu is expected in Monze to meet Chiefs following their call for the President’s call to declare a new District east of Monze.

The chiefs want the new district to be named after the late Freedom fighter Mainza Chona who hailed from the same area.

“As PF we want to sound a strong and timely warning to the opposition UPND to desist from any kind of barbaric behavior which they exhibited last time by booing and jeering the Head of State. The UPND must know that just like any citizen in this country, we expect them to give respect to the Head of State who is on a mission to steer development for the benefit of the people of Monze,” said Mr. Chiluba.

Mr. Chiluba however, said the UPND has already started provoking the peaceful atmosphere in Monze ahead of the President’s visit by hoisting party flags all over the town.

And in a separate interview, UPND Monze District Chairperson Michelo Kasauta has assured the PF members and President Lungu of a peaceful reception during the entire visit to the District.

Mr. Kasauta said he has engaged UPND supporters throughout the district to refrain from any activities which might undermine the Head of State.

But Mr. Kasauta who is also Bweengwa Member of Parliament advised the PF in the District to desist from threatening the opposition as the President is coming for national duties and not political activities.

The Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC) has observed that the country needs to plan for the 2021 National Budget in such a way that it continues to shield the economy in an event that the negative effects of COVID-19 are still prevalent by next year.

PMRC Executive Director Bernadette Zulu said key sectors that have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic must be prioritized in the 2021 National Budget to spur economic recovery.

Mrs Zulu explained that there is an urgent need to factor in alternative financing in the 2021 national budget for infrastructure projects in the road, transport and infrastructure sectors especially the roads and airports that are currently being constructed.

In the statement availed to the media in Lusaka today, the PMR Executive Director pointed out that Zambia should begin to position itself by developing a National Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) implementation plan that prepares the country for industries and businesses to participate effectively in the CFTA.

“Industrialization remains very critical and Zambia must review the performance of Industrial Yards and Multi-Facility Economic Zones to establish lessons that can be learnt and then set out a next phase of strategically developing industrial yards across the nations. PMRC also submits that the National Local Content Strategy should also be emphasized across all manufacturing lines,” the statement read in part.

On domestic resource mobilization, PMRC called for the government to accelerate the implementation of the Land Titling Programme, which will significantly contribute to the generation of Government revenues.

She was quick to state that government should provide an update on the operations of the development funds such as the Fisheries Development Fund, Youth Development Fund, Skills Development Fund and the Tourism Development Fund and the progress made towards achieving their intended goals as they are key in the implementation of government programmes.

In the Mining Sector, the policy think tank urged the government to put in place a fiscal regime that will attract the necessary investment, so that the mining sector can make a quick recovery as was the case in 2009.

To further enhance the agriculture sector, PMRC proposes that Government prioritizes upfront funding to the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) focusing on the Electronic-FISP as opposed to Direct Input Supply (DIS) as it is cost-effective.

Minister of Finance Dr Bwalya Ng’andu is tomorrow, September 25th expected to present the 2021 proposed national budget at the National Assembly.

A civic leader of Mufulira District says the continued sulphur dioxide pollution from Mopani Copper Mine has damaged most roofs in Kankoyo Township.

Kwacha Ward Councilor Sofa Mwanza said most of their roofs in Kankoyo have corroded and are leaking badly which he said may expose people to rains if left unattended to.

“During the rainy season, people in my ward cannot sleep but stay up all night holding buckets under the leaking parts of the roofs to prevent their homes from flooding,” she said.

She said it has been costly for people to keep changing their roofing sheets as they still get damaged within a short period of time due to the strong emissions.

“My ward is very close to the mine plant and a lot of houses have been affected by these sulphur emissions such that people stay up all night in the rainy season with buckets on their heads just to protect their houses from flooding,” she said.

She said as the rain season draws close, the people of Kwacha Ward in Kankoyo are living in fear, adding that there is need to find a quick solution to the problem.

“My appeal to all stakeholders is that let whatever can be done to help these people be done quickly because they are really suffering, these people are not living well,” she said.