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President Lungu at the ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction works on the Chiansi irrigation project in Chanyanya
President Edgar Lungu has assured Zambians that government is closely monitoring the mealie meal prices and will not condone anyone, whether trader or miller, to take advantage of the anticipated food security threats by exploiting Zambians through unwarranted hiking of mealie meal prices.
And President Lungu has called on all the farmers to sell their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in order for government to beef up its national strategic reserves.
The Head of State has emphasised that the country has sufficient maize stocks to meet both industrial and human consumption.
Speaking when he officiated at the ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction works on the Chiansi irrigation project in Chanyanya, Kafue district, Tuesday, the Head of State said the irrigation project could not have come at a more appropriate time than now.
“We can not take climate change lightly as it is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and national food security and ultimately, the growth of the agriculture sector.
“Therefore, my government’s decision to introduce irrigation schemes across the country would boost productivity in the agriculture sector thereby enhancing food security at household and national levels.
“In the 2018/2019 agriculture season, the country experienced prolonged dry spells especially in the southern half of the country. This affected the production of most crops and livestock. All this is due to climate change which requires concerted efforts to combat,” said President Lungu.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has assured the Southern and Western parts of the country which are the most affected by the shortfall in maize supply that government is doing everything possible to address the situation.
“My government will not allow a situation where the affected people have no access to maize and mealie meal supply. As such, we are currently distributing relief food to the affected hunger stricken areas.”
President Lungu says it is misplaced to politicize the issue of mealie meal prices as the matter affects every Zambian regardless of their political affiliation.
Meanwhile, the Head of State has announced that the Chiansi Irrigation Infrastructure Development Project has potential to irrigate up to 1,800 hectares of land and will benefit up to 1,000 households.
And President Lungu has expressed gratitude to the Royal Netherlands Government and the British Government for providing financial support for the Chiansi project.
“In addition to this, the private sector has made a commitment to invest in the expansion of this irrigation scheme to grow up to 8,000 hectares of sugar Cane and create at least 400 jobs.
“This development is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when there is close collaboration between government, cooperating partners and the private sector,” said the President.
President Lungu at the ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction works on the Chiansi irrigation project in ChanyanyaPresident Lungu at the ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction works on the Chiansi irrigation project in Chanyanya
Do you wonder when you will use the knowledge from your Geography lessons about Canada, its prairies and it’s Great Lakes?
Do you wonder just when you will use the bulk of knowledge of irrelevant matters in courses you memorised, learnt and passed?
And your wonderful numeracy and literacy skills appear to be of no broader use to the practicality of our daily lives ?
Why are we churning out graduates year-in- year-out, trained, skilled, and prepared for jobs that barely exist in our economy?
Do you wonder why we have so many educated, skilled young people who don’t have jobs?
Dont you wonder how our education system is praised abroad that it is quality and produces skilled staff…Our engineers, architects, medical doctors, bankers and accountants are thriving in Australia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada and the USA but some are virtually unemployed in our own economy?
THE STATS ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT
We have a population of about 9 million people eligible for work but only 1.3 million are employed in the formal sector.
According to Central Statistics Office 2017 Labour Force Survey, the working age population (15 years or older) was estimated at 9,056,840.
The labour force population was 3,398,294 and the youth labour force accounted 1,886,645.
The employed persons accounted for 2,971,170.
The number of employed persons in the formal sector was 1,357,186.
The informal and household sectors employed 922,476 and 691,508 persons, respectively.
The number of formally employed persons was 1,096,832 while that of informally employed persons was 1,874,337.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
Two things are to blame.
1. Our education system designed to produce workers. (It also promotes white collar jobs and denigrates blue collar ones.)
2. Does not produce graduates that respond to the current structure of our economy.
OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM
It’s called a factory education or factory schools.
This education system as we know it is about 200 years old.
Before that, formal education was mostly reserved for the elite.
But as industrialization in Europe changed the way we work, it created the need for universal schooling.
“Factory schools,” as they are now called, originated in early 19th-century in Prussia.
For the first time, education was provided by the state and learning was regimented.
Dozens of students at a time were placed in grades according to their age, and moved through successive grades as they mastered the curriculum.
This took an industrialized approach to education which made it impersonal, but efficient, and standardized.
But character development, creativity, innovation an, entrepreneurship is missing.
Our schools were designed to produce the workforce required by 19th-century factories.
The desired product was workers who would sit silently at their benches all day, behaving identically, to produce identical products, submitting to punishment if they failed to achieve the requisite standards or marks.
Collaboration and critical thinking were just what the factory owners wished to discourage.
As far as relevance and utility are concerned our schools teach skills that are not only redundant to the information age but is counter-productive..
THE ECONOMY
Our economy is highly informal, agrarian with a narrow base of formal employment.
The informal economy with a wide informal sector of the economy, or grey economy is the part of an economy that is neither taxed or difficult to tax, measure and hard to monitor by government.
The informal economy is also the diversified set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers that are not regulated or protected. It has been expanded to include wage employment in unprotected jobs.
Although the informal sector makes up a significant portion of the economies in developing countries, it is often stigmatized as troublesome or unmanageable.
You have probably heard from various experts that the size of Zambia’s economy(GDP) is far bigger than the $26.5billion.
Infact both the IMF and World Bank have since advised government to rebase the size of its economy to reflect the true activities in the economy.
But Zambia’s education curriculum produces graduates fit for a knowledge economy and not the informal economy.
It is for this reason that our graduates can thrive anywhere in the Western World but be stuck in our economy.
A knowledge economy on the other hand is an economy directly based on production, distribution and utilization of knowledge and information as fundamental enablers of growth, wealth creation and employment.
Take for example the case of the Zambia Center for Accountancy Studies College(ZCAS).
Zambia had such a critical shortage of qualified accountants, bankers and IT specialists that government partnering with the industry and cooperating partners created the College in the ZCAS 1988 Act of Parliament.
Before that such high skills could only be obtained abroad.
ZCAS is a leading and worldclass provider of tuition courses in Accountancy, Business and Information Technology programmes in the Southern African region.
Almost 30 years later, Zambia is probably the only place in Africa where you can find a highly qualified accountant or banker unemployed…we have created a saturation.
These graduates pursue careers elsewhere or abandon the expensively obtained skills and do something else.
CONCLUSION
We need to match the graduates to suit the current structure of our economy.
Probably we need a focused approach and fundamentally change our school curriculum and invest more in technical, vocational and entrepreneurial education, that promotes innovation, creates graduates that will employ themselves and employ others…graduates with skills to create jobs and wealth.
Patrick Nshindano is its new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has finally announced that former Civil Society for Poverty Reduction Executive Director Patrick Nshindano is its new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
In a statement, ECZ Public Relations Manager Margaret Chimanse said Commission Chairperson Esau Chulu wished Mr. Nshindano the best in his new role.
“On behalf of the Commission, I would like to offer you my sincere congratulations upon your assumption of new responsibilities. We, at the Commission, pledge our support and look forward to working with you. We are confident that under your leadership as Chief Electoral Officer, the Commission will strive to greater heights and achievements,” Ms. Chimanse quoted Justice Chulu as saying.
Mr. Nshindano holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Development Studies from the University of Zambia and Master of Business Administration from the Copperbelt University.
Mr. Nshindano takes over from Chomba Chella who separated from the Commission on personal grounds on 31st July, 2019.
Republican President of Zambia, His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu laying the foundation stone for construction of the landmark 800 bed capacity ultra morden state of the art Bangweulu Regional Hospital. The President is flanked by Health Minister of the Republic of Zambia, Hon. Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, Housing and Infrastructure Minister, Hon. Vincent Mwale, Northern Province Minister Hon. Lazarus Chungu and Kasama Central Lawmaker Hon. Kelvin Sampa. Photo Credit : Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health has reiterated that the cost for the construction of the Bangweulu Regional Hospital in Northern Province is K154, 174, 340.72.
The Ministry says the figure is contrary to assertions by some section of society that have quoted the cost in United States Dollars.
It says the equivalent of the K154, 174, 340.72 is US$11,859,564.67.
The Ministry of Health further states that the statement made by President Edgar Lungu during the laying of the foundation stone was clear as it indicated K154, 174 340.72 and not the exaggerated figure in Dollars.
“The President’s speech circulated to the media that covered the event can attest to this fact. The construction of the Hospital is a welcome development to the people of Bangweulu and surrounding areas who previously trekked long distances in search of medical services,” says Abel Kabalo, Ministry of Health Spokesman.
Dr Kabalo said Bangweulu Regional Hospital will be an 800 bed capacity ultra-modern medical facility which once completed, will provide specialist referral services to the northern region of Zambia.
“In addition, Bangweulu Hospital will be a center of medical excellence in the region housing consultants in various medical disciplines,” he said.
He said the Hospital will also provide training of various health personnel including specialisation under the auspices of the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University to enhance human capital development in the health sector.
Dr Kabalo stayed that the contract to construct the hospital was awarded in December 2017 and all relevant procurement procedures were followed before arriving at the contractor from more than 10 bidders that responded to the open tender by the Ministry.
MUYA and Company Legal Practitioners, the law firm representing Moxico Resources Zambia Limited has written to the Ministry of Mines urging them to stop contemptiously undermining the judgment of the Supreme Court of Zambia concerning the matter of Kalengwa Mine as disposed off in favor of EuroAfrica and Mexico Resources.
The letter has further exposed the contemptuous and illegal actions the Ministry of Mines in favoring the loser(Shawi Fawaz) of the case which is contrary to the ruling and resolutions of claims by the Supreme Court.
The illegal actions have raised serious suspicions of corruption involving senior ministry officials as a ruling from the Supreme Court is often the final legal action as it is the highest court in the land.
In a letter directed to the director of mines at the Ministry of Mines the law firm said the Supreme Courts had not only ruled in favor of their clients but had further directed that Shawi Fawaz and his associate companies should not have anything to do with Kalengwa Mine.
The firm said it was however suprised to note that the Ministry had not only cancelled the licence but offered to the same people which the Supreme Court had explicitly directed not to have anything to do with the mine a decision the firm describes as contemptuous of the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court had ruled under cause SCZ/8/237/2012 and the above cause that immediate possession of the mining tenement in issue be granted to EUROAFRICA and that Shawi Fawaz and his Associate companies should not have anything to do with Kalengwa mine.
“According to the decisions the two causes, the decisions of the committee (Ministry of Mines) to cancel EUROAFRICA licence and issue it to another company was in contemptuous disregard of the judgement of the Supreme Court,” reads part the letter which was also copied to the minister.
The firm has since advised the director to refrain from engaging in any acts regarding Kalengwa mine pending a resolution from the supreme.
“Our client acted on the representation that the ministry was agreeable to their investiment in the Kalengwa mine.
“We kindly advise that you and your office should refrain from engaging in any acts regarding the Kalengwa mine pending the resolution of the of the claims by Moxico’s subsidiary EUROAFRICA Kalengwa mine,” the letter further reads.
Moxico Resources trading as EUROAFRICA Kalengwa Mine took over Kalengwa mine in Mufumbwe District but has been unable to commence operations due to an on going court battle which was since closed by the Supreme Court. But since the case was closed the Ministry of Mines colluding with Shawi Fawaz has refused to obey the instructions of the court defying the position of the court.
We are yet to see how government in itself can begin to circumvent a court ruling protecting losers for reasons. Questions arising further from these revelations are that in whose interests are the Ministry officials acting if not to safeguard justice and preserve the rule of law.
Constitutional Lawyer John Sangwa stresses a point at a recent public discussion on the Constitutional Amendment Bill
The Young African Leaders Initiative has alleged that some civil society interest groups and persons such as Muna Ndulo and John Sangwa have been recruited on an attempt to undermine the refinement of the Constitution which would have allowed the alteration it to become consistent with the people’s aspiration, enhance democracy and meet international standards for a durable constitution that could stand the test of time.
Addressing a media briefing this morning in Kitwe at Crossroads Lodges, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe, said it was unacceptable for Mr Sangwa, while playing his politics, to call people elected to the office of the President who presided over a period when the Zambian people expressed intention to change the constitution as criminals.
“The question is how can a man who himself had been in court and accused of forgery and yet no one called him a criminal call Kenneth Kaunda, Fredrick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda, Michael Chilufya Sata, and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu as criminals merely because these honourable men presided over the constitution reform processes? This is very saddening and not inspiring at all,” said Mr. Ntewewe
Mr. Ntewewe said contrary to what Professor Muna Ndulo and Bokelo Beyani had earlier proposed that all future reviews of the Constitution should be done by 7 people, the National Dialogue Forum was constituted by over 350 persons of various background who included respected constitutional lawyers and professional draftspersons whose daily duties are to draft the laws of Zambia.
The YALI boss cited 4 provisions which included entrenchment of Christianity and Respect for Other Religions, enhancement of Security of tenure for Judges as progressive while dispelling the propaganda that the Bill seeks to abolish the Financial Intelligence Centre which is a creature of an Act of Parliament and not the Constitution. He has since challenged the House of Chiefs, Drug Enforcement Commissions, Bank of Zambia and Electoral Commission of Zambia to explain to the Zambian public on how the progressive proposals they made found their way and were accepted by the National Dialogue Forum.
“The right to belong to any religion or faith-based organisations is not protected by the preamble of our constitution but is entrenched in Article 19 of the Bills of Rights. This article, like many other articles, were not altered at all. We want to reiterate that the Zambian Constitution, even with the proposed deletion of multi-religious and firm declaration that this country remains a Christian Nation, shall continue to recognise the rights of other persons to practice their faith or leave their religions to join other religions,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr. Ntewewe has defended the removal of provisions for the maximum number of MPs in the National Assembly is in tandem with best international practice that have seen Constitutions like that of the United States of America standing the test of time by avoiding amendments to the Constitution every time the number of constituencies are increased through delimitation.
“It is merely propaganda that the PF administration has been wanting to create more seats for itself in their stronghold. The amendment to the Zambian Constitution will allow room for growth without the need to be amending the Constitution all the time we want to increase the number of seats,” said Mr. Ntewewe.
Buildcon coach Tenant Chembo insists they are not out of contention to reach the first round of the 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup despite losing their preliminary round, first leg home match on August 10 in Ndola.
The continental debutants lost 1-0 to Young Buffaloes of eSwatini at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
It was a game of two halves that Young Buffaloes dominated the first half but Buildcon returned from the break stronger but were repelled by visitors’ goalkeeper Bongani Gwembu.
“Overall, I thought the guys did well although in the first half we went to bed. We gave them too much respect instead of applying ourselves well,” Chembo said.
“Second half was evident; we showed we can do better otherwise it is a learning curve from our players point of view.
“There is hope at the end of the tunnel and it (Young Buffaloes) is a beatable team.
“Definitely there is life at the end of the tunnel, and yes, we are going to do it.”
A draw will see Buildcon eliminated but a 2-0 or 2-1 away win will see them advance to the penultimate knockout stage of the competition.
Zesco United coach George Lwandamina says it is too soon to make an early assessment of his new signings performances following last Saturdays 2019/2020 CAF Champions League date against Green Mamba.
Three players made their competitive debut for Zesco in a 2-0 away win over Green Mamba in eSwatini in a CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg away fixture in Manzini.
“It is too early for me to start talking about individuals but there was cohesion as a team,” Lwandamina said.
Uganda striker Umaru Kasumba played the full 90 minutes scoring the opening goal in the 7th minute and creating the second from John Chingandu in the 53rd minute.
Zimbabwe midfielder Thabani Kamusoko also played the full 90 minutes for the defending FAZ Super Division champions.
Striker Saviour Nkonkola, who joined Zesco from demoted Prison Leopards, came on in the 73rd minute for Jesse Were.
Meanwhile, Zesco hosts Green Mamba in the final leg on August 24 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola needing only a draw to advance to next month’s pre-group stage.
The Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) says six thousand job opportunities have been created under the Presidential Solar Milling Plant Initiative which was rolled out in 2015.
ZCF Director-General James Chirwa said more youths will be employed as the installation of the milling plants progresses.
Mr. Chirwa told ZANIS in an interview today that the project is meeting its intended purpose of providing cheaper mealie-meal and creating employment to the citizenry.
He disclosed that the federation has so far installed 1,600 milling plants countrywide out of the required 2,000.
Mr. Chirwa said ZCF is aware of some milling plants that are not functioning well saying they are working round the clock to resuscitate them.
A first-year Catholic University student has been gang raped and left for dead by unknown people in Kalulushi district on the Copperbelt.
Copperbelt Police Chief Charity Katanga says police have since launched a manhunt for the three suspects who are believed to have raped the student.
Ms Katanga said the incident happened on Monday along JVC road in Kalulushi’s North Kalengwa area.
She disclosed in an interview with ZANIS that the incidence happened around 23 hours after the victim whose name has been withheld was on her way home after an evening out with her boyfriend.
Ms Katanga said some unknown people who were driving an unregistered silver Toyota corolla offered a lift to them, but later the three occupants forced the boyfriend out of the car and drove off to JVC where they parked and forcefully took turns raping her.
The men later dropped her near the Catholic university premises.
She said the victim was only picked and taken to hospital by well-wishers after they found her lying on the ground while crying for help alongside the road.
Ms Katanga said investigations into the matter have since intensified.
Government will not continue to pump money in state-owned enterprises that do not provide value to the public.
Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu says state-owned enterprises that fail to perform will face sanctions depending on the failure.
Dr. Ng’andu said that Government investments in state-owned enterprises are aimed at getting a reasonable return to allow the country raise finances to meet other developmental objectives.
He noted that it is necessary that state-owned enterprises update their business plans which should be launched with the support of the Ministry of Finance.
The Finance Minister said this when he officiated at the launch of the Zambia National Building Society 2019 to 2023 Corporate Strategic Plan in Lusaka today.
And Zambia National Building Society declared a K1.5 million dividend to Government.
Dr. Ng’andu said the Government’s recapitalization of the Zambia National Building Society has resulted in the Society sustaining itself and enabled it to declare dividends three times in a roll.
And Zambia National Building Society Board Chairperson David Nama said Zambia National Building Society scored several successes in the previous strategic plan which includes signing of an MOU with the Public Service Management Division for special concessionary loans for public service employees to access affordable credit.
Dr. Nama said that the new strategic plan will be used as an instrument for guidance and direction in meeting customer expectations.
Meanwhile, Zambia National Building Society Managing Director Joseph Chikolwa explained that the new plan is aimed at ensuring the organization is sustainable and continues to declare dividends to the shareholder.
[ZNBC]
Former FAZ Vice-President Emmanuel Munaile has announced he will run for football’s top office at the elective annual general meeting next year.
This is according to an online video released Monday evening.
Munaile says he had gathered enough experience both as a player, coach and administrator to help revamp the dwindled fortunes of Zambian football.
The former Mufulira Wanderers defensive midfielder who also captained the Chipolopolo is confident his expertise will help change course in the administration of the country’s most popular sport.
“Our football has not been the same. It needs serious strategizing and planning if we have to get back to our old winning ways,” he says.
“After serving first as a player, committee member and vice president I am concerned, like everyone else, with the state of affairs of our number one sport.
“It’s for this reason that am offering myself to contest as president of the Football Association of Zambia at the next elective annual general meeting.”
FAZ goes to the poll in March 2020 when councillors will decide the composition of the full committee committe with only three positions to be contested at the national meeting.
Positions of committee members will be decided at provincial assemblies preceding the elective AGMs.
Munaile, a committee member under Evaristo Kasunga between 2000 and 2004, becomes the third candidate to publicly announce their intentions to challenge incumbent Andrew Kamanga.
The former Zanaco executive served as FAZ vice-president to Kalusha Bwalya in 2008 before he quit midway through citing mal-administration.
Others in the race to Football House are Chingola-based duo Blackwell Siwale and Gideon Mwenya.
Striker Bornwell Mwape has made his Napsa Stars stay permanent.
Mwape has spent the last two seasons at Napsa on loan from Nkana where he struggled to hold down a first team place since joining them in 2016.
Napsa media officer Gwen Chipasula said Mwape has signed a two-year deal with the Lusaka club.
Chipasula also revealed that they have signed strikers Kapembwa Musonda and Mambote Assis from Lumwana Radiants and DR Congo club Nyuki respectively on permanent deals.
Green Eagles striker Isaac Simbuwa has also joined the club on a season-long loan deal.
She also disclosed that defender Shawn Oduro, striker Geoffrey Sserunkuma and defender Eric Kabulo had all left the club.
National Democratic Congress Leader Chishimba Kambwili has been told to stop spreading lies about the amount that will be spend on the construction of the landmark 800 bed capacity ultra modern state of the art Bangweulu Regional Hospital.
Youth Federation for World Peace Country Coodinator Mr Joshua Ndjovu has expressed shock at what he has described as dangerous levels of desperation exhibited by former Minister of Information and Broadcasting services, Mr Chishimba Kambwili of misinforming the Public on serious matters that have the potential to cause anarchy.
Ndjovu said he is deeply saddened that Mr Kambwili can deliberately mislead the public about the cost of the Bangweulu Regional Hospital which is under construction in Luwingu district of Northern Province.
He stated that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu had given the figure in the speech he delivered during the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the regional facility and it was K154, 174 340.72 which translates into *US$11 million and not $154,174 340.72* as alleged by Kambwili.
“The President was very clear in his speech. He said K154, 174 340.72 and not $154,174 340.72. The K154, 174 340.72 translates into $11 million. To prove to you that am not speaking from without, let me quote from the Presidents Speech,”
President Lungu said, ” My Government has placed high premium on having a healthy and productive population to spur Socio -Economic development. This is as outlined in the 7th National Development Plan, the PF Manifesto and the National Health Strategic Plan 2017-2021. Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to lay the foundation stone to commence the construction of an Ultra Modern Hospital which will be constructed at the cost of *K154, 174 340.72,”* he said.
Mr Kambwili is quoted in the media as wondering how the cost of a hospital of the same design and shape could rise from $34 million to $154 million.
“In this country we need to say enough is enough of the stealing by this government. It is becoming too much,” Kambwili said.
He called for action from citizens saying they should not be laughing while President Lungu and his government were visibly amassing wealth under the pretext of working.
He alleged that President Lungu had interest in the Luwingu hospital.
“Look, President Edgar Lungu over the weekend went to Luwingu to go and do a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a hospital which they are calling Bangweulu Regional Hospital, but the regional hospital that he went to inaugurate, three of them are being built…one here in Lusaka, same design, it’s near the airport, it is called a specialised hospital. This Lusaka specialised hospital is going to cost $34 million together with all the equipment and training of personnel for six months and another will be built in Chief Kalindawalo’s Kingdom in Petauke and will also cost $34 million with all the equipment and training of personnel for six months and another one will be built in Chinsali, same structure and model,” Kambwili said. “But the only difference is that the one which is going to be built in Luwingu, the tender and everything was done within the Ministry of Health while these other three hospitals, the tender was done by the housing and infrastructure ministry. But listen to this; the ones that were done by the housing and infrastructure ministry were all costing $34 million but this one which was done by Ministry of Health under [health minister Dr Chitalu] Chilufya and his girlfriend who is the PS (permanent secretary) and chairman of the tender committee, the same hospital is going to cost government $154 million.
“$154 million… Do you know what $154 million can build? It’s a building bigger than UTH. This thing they are building will be called a general hospital, a general hospital to cost $154 million while three general hospitals in Lusaka, Kalindawalo’s kingdom and in Chinsali are costing $34 million each with all the equipment elo imwe muletamba ati ba President balebomba but umunenu alepoketa (but you are watching saying the President is working while he pockets money).”
Kambwili wondered how President Lungu could allow a minister and the PS to control the tender.
“And by the way just to build a hospital do you need the President to go and ground break? Ba DC bakulacita inshi, ba Mayor bakulahita inshi…(What will the district commissioner be doing? What will the mayor be doing?) It’s because the man has got an interest in that tender which cost five times more than actual cost,” he said. “Bakabwalala imwe muleipaya abantu (You thieves are killing people). I am calling upon the Anti-Corruption Commission, DEC to investigate who tendered for the hospital, how it was awarded and by the way, the contractor is Sunshare and you know that Sunshare there is an allegation that they are building flats for Chitalu Chilufya, the Minister of Health, you know that Sunshare has been sponsoring Chitalu Chilufya’s projects in the constituency…? Ba Kaunda ruled this country for 27 years and the time he was leaving office, to check his account they found that he had only $8,000 equal to about K8 million. For 27 years but Lungu rules this country for one year he leaps from K1 million to K23 million! I am telling you they will finish this country from stealing its resources while you watch but when we talk you think we are joking.”
Kambwili said he had been in government and had experience.
“And I know how these people are stealing. And we are allowing Lungu, two years before elections, today is the 12th of August, a very special day…it simply means, because our Constitution says elections shall be held on the 12th kwashala (remaining) two solid years but Lungu has started campaigning so ifi alepitana na tu Mukupa, Mumbi Phiri ni campaign ilya balecita, balemishinga butter pa menso uku baleiba balebika mumatumba yabo (They are smearing butter on your face, one hand they are stealing, putting money in their pockets while campaigning),” said Kambwili. “Say no to these thieves otherwise mukatampa ukulya abana benu (you will start eating your children). Tell us how the cost has escalated from $34 million to $154 million, do you know what $154 million can do? … They are saying you must respect the President…President who cannot put one plus one together, that it’s equal to two, he goes to ground break a hospital which is costing $34 million in other areas but is costing $154 million and he says ‘respect me’.”
Constitutional Lawyer John Sangwa stresses a point at a recent public discussion on the Constitutional Amendment Bill
The Law Association of Zambia has petitioned the President of Zambia, the Attorney General and the Assembly over the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 10.
Law Association of Zambia is being represented by top Constitutional lawyers from Sangwa Associates.
Sangwa and Associates have since notified Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini of the Court action.
In a letter to Dr Matibini, the law firm is urging the Speaker not to bring the Bill onto the floor as it is now in Court.
Simeza and Associates served the petition and the affidavit verifying fact this morning.
“Mr Speaker, it has always been tradition of the National Assembly not to debate or discuss matters that are before the courts of law. Since the subject of the said petition is the constitutionality of the decision by the respondents to amend the Constitution of Zambia in the manner set out in the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019, is the Honourable Speaker in a position to undertake in lieu of the Petitioner moving to the Constitutional Court for the interim order restraining the National Assembly from considering the said Bill, that the National Assembly will not, whilst this matter is pending before the Constitutional Court, continue with the legislative process to enact the said Bill into law?”
“Mr Speaker, we will be grateful to receive a response to these representatiions within 7 days from the date of the letter”, read the statement from Simeza Sangwa Associates acting on behalf of LAZ.
