Government has confirmed that Vice President Inonge Wina is in India.

This follows revelations by Lusaka Times quoting highly placed government sources that Mrs Wina left Zambia on Friday for a scheduled medical review in India.

But Zambian Mission in India says Mrs Wina is in that country to promote foreign investment into Zambia.

According to a statement issued by First Secretary Press and Tourism at the Zambian Mission in India Bangwe Naviley, Mrs Wina commended the Mission for working hard to reach out to potential investors in India and countries of extra accreditation.

“I therefore urge Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and other stakeholders to actively pursue all pending proposals,” Mrs. Wina said.

She said Zambia was a democratic country enjoying cordial relations with all the eight neighbouring countries and beyond.

“The country has a strong legal framework that protects private sector investment coupled with progressive banking systems,” the Republican Vice President said.

She was speaking when she held talks with Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga in Indore, in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh.

And Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga said high level visits would complement the Mission’s efforts to attract investors to Zambia.

“President Edgar Lungu’s State Visit to India from August 20th to 22nd, 2019 followed by your visit as a Republican Vice President will undoubtedly attract credible investors,” Mrs. Kapijimpanga said.

According to a programme made available by Zambia High Commission in India, the Vice President would meet a company in Indore specialised in securing public infrastructure, address top businessmen in Indore and visit a factory.

The Zambian government has approved 156 dual citizenship applications as a move to support and encourage Zambians living in the diaspora.

Government says the diaspora are a great partner in economic development whose relocation from Zambia should cease to be seen as a brain drain or loss.

Zambia’s ambassador to the USA, Dr Ngosa Simbyakula was speaking in Dallas Texas at the 10 th anniversary of the USA based Zambia Blog Talk Radio(ZBTR).

Dr Simbyakula said Zambians living abroad can still contribute effectively to the Zambian economy without having to leave their foreign adopted countries

“The focus now is to work and develop modalities on how this engagement can be actualized” he added.

Dr Simbyakula pointed out that government’s shifted it’s thinking after realizing that Zambians abroad can help Zambia immensely while living abroad.

He appealed to all Zambians who lost their citizenship before dual citizenship was introduced to apply for reinstatement.

He said countries such as China, India, Israel and Japan have strong bonds with their diaspora citizens who contribute a lot to their economic development.

Reiterating ZBTR’s message, Dallas based pastor, Nathan Nkhama pledged to continue on the path to disseminate balanced news to listeners.

He said his team will push hard to find the news and disseminate it.

Pastor Nathan, a founding member of ZBTR established 10 years ago, stressed that getting news from the right source demands hard work.

The well attended event was graced by, among others, Zambian diaspora association heads in America, Zambian clergy in the diaspora, Zambians and friends of Zambia.

The delegates travelled from many different states of America , Canada and the United Kingdom.

By Pezzy Kudakwashe

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has noted a statement being circulated by GEARS Executive Director MacDonald Chpenzi, allegedly issued by a group of boys, led by Wilfred Chilufya and some Chibomba, purporting to be members of the Young African Leaders Initiative in Zambia.

In the statement, they strongly suggest in the first paragraph that there was a drug-related case in the United States of America involving the head of State. This statement is irresponsible and part of the continued scheme by those who are laboring to link the Head of State to some imaginary drug-related cases in the US.

We want to be clear that the issuance of such a statement under the Young African Leaders Initiative by those boys is criminal as the Registrar made it clear during a meeting attended by ourselves and those boys that the Zambian laws only recognize one Young African Leaders Initiative led by Mr. Ntewewe and its membership is well defined.

We, therefore, find the conduct of those boys criminal in trying to illegally operate in Zambia or anywhere in SADC without official recognition. We shall rake up this matter with the Registrar at PACRA and the Minister of Home Affairs.

However, what concerns us is that these boys are now being used to try and make suggestions of an imaginary drug-related case but also making the reference of the same to the Head of State.

Again, we restate our position that YALI believes the dangerous politics where people with business interests are using an opposition leader to paint the Head of State in imaginary drug-related matters is lacking patriotism and act of opportunism.

Issued by

Isaac Mwanza
Governance and Legal Advisor
Young African Leaders Initiative

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has declared the prevailing hunger situation in the country a national disaster.

Mr Hichilema has since called on well wishers to donate food items towards the cause.

He has since appealed to President Edgar Lungu to emulate the declaration to further allow the international community to unlock its emergency funds.

“Let me use this opportunity to declare an emergency and a disaster with regards to hunger in this country. I will not wait for Lungu (President Edgar Lungu) and the PF to dictate how we help our people. We shall not allow the situation to continue unabated”, said Mr Hichilema.

He said he hoped that President Lungu would follow his lead and allow the flow of humanitarian aid to affected areas as both the party and his individual assistance is not enough to avert the crisis which he said has reached endemic levels.

President Hichilema who was speaking during a press briefing this morning said it was wrong for the government to refuse to declare a national disaster.

“It is wrong for Lungu to refuse to declare the hunger situation in the country a national disaster when the majority of our people have resorted to eating unripe wild fruits. Just in Chibombo and Rufunsa districts, our people don’t have access to clean drinking water, health services and food,” said Mr. Hichilema.

He said it was wrong for President Lungu to refuse to declare the hunger as a national disaster when bigger economies such as Brazil have done so and were receiving aid from the United States of America.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hichilema has described as mediocre President Lungu’s State of the Nation Address last Friday.

He said it is clear to see that Zambia’s fate has now been relegated to climate change.

Mr. Hichilema said the current hunger situation should not be blamed on climate change but the poor leadership style of the PF.

He said it was unfortunate that the government failed to utilize the normal to above normal rainfall received in the Northern half of the country to grow more maize which would have averted the food insecurity adding that the continued export of maize despite warnings of an impending El Niño is a sign of failed leadership.

Mr. Hichilema said it was unfortunate that the PF is blaming Climate Change when other countries had managed to weave their way through the problem by coming up with sound solutions to combat the problem.

He has since vowed to continue with his community visitations including Chawama and Gwembe, distributing mealie-meal to the needy as the Republican Constitution guarantees him freedom of movement.

Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has directed all UPND Members of Parliament to vote against the Constitution amendment bill number 10 when it comes up for deliberation before parliament.

Mr. Hichilema emphasized that all opposition members of parliament should walk away in protest of the bill for it has nothing good to benefit Zambians.

Mr. Hichilema said that the decision was arrived at after members of the Central committee deliberated on the matter.

Mr Hichilema said this during a media briefing held at the party Secretariat in Lusaka.

But Parliamentary Chief Whip, Brian Mundubile has described Mr Hichilema ‘s instructions to the MPs as unfortunate.

Mr. Mundubile has since urged Mr. Hichilema to rescind his position by allowing UPND MPs to interrogate bill number ten on the basis of its merits.

He said there is a need to put aside partisan interests when addressing matters of the constitution.

Mr. Mundibile has since called for unity of purpose in responding to the ongoing constitutional amendment process.

Meanwhile, the PF has advised its PF Members of Parliament and independent MPs to support the comprehensive Nuclear bill in Parliament.

PF Media Director Sunday Chanda says there is a need to support the government in meeting its international atomic energy agency standards through ratification of relevant treaties.

Mr. Chanda says the decision to embrace nuclear energy will help the country in achieving the Seventh National Development Plan-7NDP and the vision 2030.

Mr. Chanda was speaking to ZNBC News in an interview in Lusaka.

And Mr. Chanda further said that nuclear power has very low lifetime greenhouse gas emissions which makes it a climate change mitigation option.

He said climate change is real hence the need to work together in helping the government mitigate the effects.