In random interviews in selected towns of Ndola, Chingola, Mufulira and Chililabombwe, the residents feared that Copperbelt might face mealie meal shortages if smuggling is not curtailed.

Evaristo Mbewe, 51, a resident of Chingola said he has never experienced the scale of smuggling of mealie meal than what is currently happening.

Mr Mbewe, a small scale miner said the Provincial Administration led by Minister Japhen Mwakalombe and Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe have lamentably failed to control smuggling.

“I have lived here for more than 42 years. Yes, even under Kaunda we had smuggling but what I am seeing today is something I have never seen before. Bags of mealie meal are leaving this Province in the night and in the day using illegal paths on bicycles, wheelbarrows and trucks. The situation is totally out of control,” Mr Mbewe said.

And Mary Nondo of Ndola wondered why it had to take Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo to come and summon Millers on the Copperbelt over the smuggling issue.

“This goes to show that the people we have here on the Copperbelt are sleeping. Why does it have to take Mr Kampyongo to take steps to arrest the situation? Where was the P.S all this time when mealie meal was flying out of the Province?” she questioned.

Ms. Nondo further claimed that some leaders in the Patriotic Front on the Copperbelt could be benefitting from the smuggling cartels.
“They are failing to act before they are benefiting but is not fair but it is us the ordinary people suffering. The prices have gone up too much because of this same smuggling.”

Meanwhile, a youth of Mufulira has suggested that the Zambian government and their DRC counterpart should enter into a formalized government to government deal over mealie meal exports.

“We saw this happen when Bowman Lusambo was Minister for Copperbelt, he negotiated with the Ministry of Agriculture and the regional government in Katanga and Zambian millers started exporting legally into the Congo and that brought down the level of smuggling, we even saw then Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya touring Kasumbalesa in the company of Mr Lusambo to ensure that the exports were moving smoothly,” said Peter Chipulu.

He added, “without a formal export deal, we are afraid all the mealie meal here will be wiped out. Threats on Millers by Mr Kampyongo will not work.”

Chipulu also blamed the Provincial leadership for failing to protect the interest of the people of the Copperbelt.

“They are in those office but they are clueless on what needs to be done. Both the Minister and the P.S have just been watching this situation escalate, they cannot even do night patrols the way Bowman Lusambo and P.S Sikwela used to do. I remember in their efforts to control smuggling, Bowman Lusambo and his P.S were caught up in gun fire around 01: Hours at the boarder, that is the commitment we are looking for on this issue and not just sitting in those comfortable offices drinking coffee.”

Zambians were assured by the PF government that they had taken measures two years ago to reduce the price of mealie meal through the acquisition of solar-driven hammer mills. We were assured at the time that the price of a twenty-five-kilogram bag of roller meal wouldn’t be more than K40. Nothing of the aforementioned happened. The price of staple food has skyrocketed to levels that are not affordable to an ordinary Zambian.

The PF government through the minister of information has woken up from slumber and issued a very depressing and uninspiring statement on the escalating mealie meal prices. It’s important to note that we as UPND have been advising and warning the government over the catastrophic situation we shall face as a result of the poor agricultural policies.

The situation is being aggravated by the failure of FRA to purchase enough maize to meet the national strategic reserve of 500, 000 metric tonnes. The aforesaid failure by the FRA has made the nation to be food insecure. As a result of the escalating mealie meal prices, the hunger situation has entered the bedroom of the urban dwellers.

It, therefore, follows that the government has to put urgent measures to address this unfortunate situation. We await to see how this flip flop government shall address this disaster taking into account the severe financial distress facing the country as a result of the poor governance by the PF.

Today’s Scripture

“He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].”
(Isaiah 40:29, AMPC)

He Increases Your Strength

In the Scripture, Joseph went through seasons of difficulty. He was rejected by his family, sold into slavery, lied about, mistreated, abandoned, falsely accused of a crime and thrown in prison. But through it all, Joseph never gave up. He kept pressing through and doing the right thing even though the wrong thing kept happening. Psalm 105:18 tells us that as Joseph lay in prison in those chains of iron, his soul entered into that iron. In that prison, Joseph developed supernatural strength, perseverance that no one could take away. There are some lessons you can only learn in the dark places.

If you are going through difficulty today, God wants to increase your strength. He wants to increase your power to overcome. He wants to make your inner man as strong as steel. When you keep standing, keep believing and keep doing the right thing, you are opening yourself to God’s supernatural strength. That’s when you know you are growing in Him. Be strong today. Keep pressing forward because God is at work increasing strength in you so that you can live in victory in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today

“Father in heaven, today I surrender every difficulty to You. I release the questions, hurts, and frustrations. I choose to trust You and do the right thing. Increase Your strength in me so that I can live in the victory You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

President Edgar Lungu is today expected to leave the country to attend this year’s Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Tokyo, which is aimed at Enhanced Trade and Development between Africa and Japanese leaders.

On the Side-lines of the conference, Zambia and Japan are expected to sign two memoranda of cooperation.

Special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Mr. Isaac Chipampe has told journalists that the two countries will on the 26th of August 2019 sign a memorandum of Cooperation on Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative, for the Japanese government and its private sector to intensify cooperation in Zambia’s health sector.

Mr. Chipampe also indicated that Japan is further expected to give Zambia a $3million grant meant for health care kits and essential drugs.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is a conference held regularly with the objective “to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners and Japan is a co-host of these conferences.

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has dismissed claims by United Party for National Development UPND Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mwetwa alleging that he has received 10 herds of cattle from the Zambia Correction service.

Speaking in an interview at the Mukambo border in Mufulira Copperbelt province, Hon Kampyongo said that it was unfortunate that a seemingly seasoned and schooled Parliamentarian would go to such lengths in propelling lies.

“It is shocking that someone would go to the extent of claiming to have seen me receiving cattle which they cannot even produce as evidence to the people,” Mr Kampyongo wondered, before adding that the Zambia Correctional Service Commissioner-General Dr. Chisela Chileshe only made a Public pledge in a jest that 10 animals would be given to him minus even indicating what kind of animals they would be.

“Even when the Commissioner General made the pledge, I responded in a jest making it clear that government works as a team of course led by His Excellency the President, not me alone as a Minister”

Hon. Kampyongo has since Challenged the UPND Parliamentarian to show the nation the 10 animals that he had received and where the said animals are being kept.

“As leaders, we should endeavor to give factual information to the people and focus on things that are significant to the development of our nation unlike focussing on destruction,” the Minister said.

Hon. Kampyongo said that unlike Cornelius Mwetwa, he is well aware of and abides by the requirement by law that every Member of Parliament should declare his assets through Parliament to the judiciary every year.

The Minister said that the only payback he expects from the men and women in uniform whose accommodation plight government is seriously looking into by building them modern houses across the country is a dedication to duty, Professionalism, and loyalty to the president and his government.

“I have been in Parliament for over 7 years now serving the people of Shiwangundu and at the same time in have been in cabinet long enough to clearly understands and be well vest with the cabinet handbook and what it says about Ministers and public servants receiving gifts, unlike Cornelius Mwetwa who is ignorant and has no idea what it means to be a member of the cabinet and what is required of such a one who is a member,” the Minister said.

And Hon. Kampyongo further said that the issue has since been handled administratively by Home Affairs Permanent secretary and ZCS Commissioner-General.

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini has refused to respond to United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hichilema’s letter regarding the Constitution (Amendment) Bill Number 10 of 2019 because the opposition leader is not one of the petitioners.

In a letter addressed to Mr Hichilema by Clerk of National Assembly Cecilia Sikatele, Dr Matibini said he was constrained to respond because correspondence in the matter was restricted as it was the prerogative of the parties to the petition.

Dr Matibini questioned in which capacity Mr Hichilema was acting regarding the petition to halt the amendment bill. Mr Hichilema on Thursday challenged Dr Matibini to state what clause he had used in the Constitution to reject the request by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) that he halt the Constitution (Amendment) Bill.

Mr Hichilema said in his letter to Dr Matibini that a proposed law could be challenged at any stage of its development, even before it reached Parliament.

He said citizens had rights to challenge any bill before Parliament before it became a law.

Meanwhile, former United Party for Nation Development (UPND) vice president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has charged that Mr Hichilema should shut up because he does not know how Parliament operates.

Mr Mwamba said Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini acted in accordance with the Constitution and law that protect Parliament.

Mr Mwamba said Mr Hichilema had never been a Member of Parliament and therefore had little knowledge on how Parliament operates.

He said it was prudent that outsiders stayed away from the operations of Parliament because they did not know its jurisdiction.

He was reacting to Mr Hichilema’s move to challenge Dr Matibini to state what clause from the Constitution he used to reject the request by Law Association of Zambia to halt the Constitution Amendment Bill process.

Mr Hichilema said in a letter to Dr Matibini that a proposed law could be challenged at any stage of its development.

He said citizens had rights to challenge any Bill before it became a law.

Mr Mwamba said Dr Matibini was right in the way he reacted to the request by LAZ because Parliament was a supreme organ that was mandated to enact laws in the country.

He said no citizen had the right to stop Parliament from exercising its constitutional rights. “Mr Hichilema has no idea about what he is talking about, he has never even been a ward chairman or parliamentarian.

“So he doesn’t understand what the Speaker was talking about. Parliament is a supreme organ, so what the Speaker said was in line with the laws that protect Parliament and there is nothing sinister about it. He said it was important that people who do not understand how Parliament operates seek advice from those who know for them to understand its jurisdiction,” Mr Mwamba said.