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File:And the NEW Champion of The World!!!! Catherine Phiri from Lusaka, Zambia!!
Former World Boxing Council Champion Catherine Phiri will face Ghanaian Boxer Yarkor Annan in a non-title Super Bantamweight international bout to be held at the Government Complex on October 19th, 2019.
And Africa Boxing Union Flyweight Champion Alfred Muwowo is set to defend his title against Mushin Kizota of Tanzania in an eight Round Bantamweight fight.
Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions Manager Christopher Malunga announced this at a media briefing in Lusaka today saying Muwowo’s and Phiri’s fights are important as they will be used in preparing for upcoming international bouts.
Malunga said the international Boxing tournament will have six bouts, with four being local while two will be international fights.
He said Catherine’s fight is set to keep her in shape as she awaits the winner between Kenya’s Fatuma Zarika and Mexican Yamileth Mercado for the WBC Super Bantamweight title fight.
And Catherine has told ZNBC Sports in an interview that she will beat her Ghanaian opponent.
She also disclosed that she wants Zarika to win the fight against Mercado so that she gets her most desired rematch.
Muwowo said he is ready to defend his title and promised to put up a good fight.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba and Chinese Ambassador to the African Union Mr. Liu Yuxi pose for a picture
Zambia will always express gratitude for the cooperation and support it receives from the People’s Republic of China.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, who is also Permanent Representative to the African Union(AU), His Excellency Emmanuel Mwamba said China provided help for the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Line(TAZARA) to enable Zambia access the seaport for imports and exports.
He said at the time, Zambia’s access to a seaport through Lobito Bay in Angola, Beira in Mozambique and Durban were shut because of sanctions against the Ian Smith government in Southern Rhodesia and the colonial governments in Angola and Mozambique.
He said the magnitude of the Tazara project was that it was the largest construction project in the world at the time, and China helped build it at the time(1970-1975) that government didn’t not have adequate resources as is now.
He said China has always been keen to support infrastructure development in Africa to help the continent achieve its development goals.
And Chinese Ambassador to the African Union, His Excellency Mr. Liu Yuxi said China the Tazara project is taught in schools in China and is held as a proud symbol of China-Africa relations.
He said China will support Africa’s quest to be included at the highest decision making level of the United Nations.
He also stated that China will support Africa on the initiative for Africa to resolve its own issues and conflict affecting the continent in an African way.
China supported the construction of the African Union Commission Headquarters and is currently funding the establishment of a specialised disease centre to combat disease epidemic on the Continent.
The two were speaking at a bilateral meeting held in Addis Ababa
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba and Chinese Ambassador to the African Union Mr. Liu Yuxi pose for a picture
Triplets, (left to right) Aricardo, Kanaila and Kalinangila in new clothes at their home with the mother in Mantapala Refugee. UNHCR/ Bruce Mulenga
By Bruce Mulenga
It is now 20 months since Kaimba Kazi (36) and her five days old triplets arrived in Zambia’s Kenani transit centre in Nchelenge District, Luapula province after fleeing war from Moba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where she lived with her family and husband before getting divorced while pregnant.
Following her divorce, she migrated from Moba to Mwomboshi village, about 300 kilometres, in the outskirt of Pweto town. When her time came to give birth, she was told by doctors at Pweto General Hospital that she was carrying triplets who were soon to be born. While in hospital giving birth, heavy fighting between rebels and government soldiers erupted in Pweto. She could not go back home with the newly born triplets.
“I could not go home because the whole town and my village were engulfed in violence. I could not stay in the hospital because medical workers told us it was not safe for everyone to stay. I was aided by people I did not know to flee the hospital to Zambia through Chiengi border point using a motorbike,” said Kaimba Kazi. “When I arrived at Nchelenge, in Zambia, I stayed at Kenani reception centre where I reunited with my four other children who fled while I was in hospital.” Kaimba, as a single mother, struggled to construct her shelter and feed her family of seven at Kenani reception centre and even when she relocated to Mantapala settlement. Her triplets, the youngest members of the family, had insufficient food, clothing, and limited access to medical services.
UNHRC Protection Assistant,Musenge Makashi presents clothes for Kaimba Kazi’s triplets at her home in Mantapala UNHRC/Bruce Mulenga
As months passed by and the need to support the triplets grew, a mother of a child herself, Ms. Thithi Kuhlase-Maseko, who lives in the neighboring country of Zimbabwe, was compelled to act after seeing the images, on UNHCR Zambia facebook, of moderately malnourished triplets of Kaimba in ragged clothes in Mantapala settlement.
“When I saw the pictures of the triplets in Mantapala settlement on UNHCR Zambia facebook, I didn’t just see little kids face-down. I saw what could have been my children with little clothing, hungry and malnourished. I was moved to share a few clothes with them,” said Ms. Kuhlase-Maseko. She adds that her gesture could compel more well-wishers to extend their support to refugees in dire need of decent shelter, water and sanitation, and livelihoods in the settlement.On receiving the clothes, Kaimba expressed gratitude and reiterated that her triplets will now have clothes for winter. “Because of this gift, my children now have clothes for winter, and I am so grateful for the donation,” said Kaimba Kazi.
Kaimba’s dream is to see her children grow healthy and become doctors. However, her fear, like many other refugees in Mantapala settlement, is that her children are exposed to cold, dust, and dangerous crawling reptiles because she lives in temporally plastic shelter with no light. Like many other single mothers, she fears that she is not able to fend for her children adequately because there are limited livelihood opportunities in Mantapala settlement.
Kaimba and many other refugees believe that Mantapala settlement is a better place to rebuild their hopes and become productive, but only when access to livelihoods, decent shelter, water and sanitation are improved.
Currently, over 14,790 refugees are living in Mantapala settlement and about 79 percent are women and children with limited access to livelihoods, decent shelter and sanitation. The government, UNHCR, other UN agencies and NGOs are committed to ensure that refugees in Mantapala settlement have adequate protection facilities and services.
First Lady Esther Lungu talks to Diana Zulu who has Burkitts Lymphoma on arrival in Petauke on Monday, August 5,2019 in Eastern Province.The First Lady is in Petauke for a three day working visit -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
First lady Esther Lungu says she is indebted to various cooperating partners who are helping government in providing services to people.
The First Lady was speaking at Chimwemwe Lodge when she met heads of government departments in Petauke, ahead of the commissioning of the newly built school and a health centre in Kaumbwe Constituency.
The school, the health centre and another newly constructed clinic in Chief Mwanjabanthu’s area is an initiative of the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust with support from MGC Power Corporation.
Meanwhile, the First Lady says there is need to continue fighting early marriages.
And speaking earlier, Eastern Province permanent Secretary, Buleti Nsemukila says Kaumbwe Constituency was the best choice for the projects as it the most deprived area in terms of social amenities.
A number of international human rights organizations have issued a joint statement warning that the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment Bill in Zambia may threaten the independence of the judiciary.
The organizations are the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, the International Commission of Jurists, Judges for Judges, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada and the Southern African Litigation Centre.
In a statement, the organizations have spoken on the potential impact of the proposed Constitution Amendment Bill on the judiciary.
The organizations have since called on the Zambian government to respect the independence of the judiciary and the democratic principle of the separation of powers.
Below is the full statement
We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the impact the Zambian Constitutional Amendment Bill 2019 (the ‘Amendment Bill’) may have on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, if adopted. Of particular concern are the amendments made to the disciplinary proceedings against judges and the composition of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts.
International and regional standards establish that individual judges ‘may be dismissed only on serious grounds of misconduct or incompetence, in accordance with fair procedures ensuring objectivity and impartiality set out in the constitution or the law’, including ‘incapacity or behaviour that renders them unfit to discharge their duties’ and ‘physical or mental incapacity that prevents them from undertaking their judicial duties.’ To ensure the independence of the judiciary, such disciplinary proceedings must be held by an institution independent of the Executive.
Article 143 (a) of the Zambia Constitution currently provides that ‘a judge shall be removed from office on the following grounds: (a) a mental or physical disability that makes the judge incapable of performing judicial functions; (b) incompetence; (c) gross misconduct; or (d) bankruptcy.’ The Amendment Bill replaces ‘mental or physical disability that makes the judge incapable of performing judicial functions’, with ‘legally disqualified from performing judicial functions.’ The Bill does not set out the circumstances or specific infractions that could lead to a judge being legally disqualified as required by United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms, and thus violates the principle of legal certainty.
The vagueness of the provision increases the risk of judges being removed on politically motivated grounds and threatens the rule of law and separation of powers.
This development comes in combination with a proposed amendment to Article 144, transferring the ultimate decision to remove a judge from the Judicial Complaints Commission to a Tribunal appointed by the President of the Republic (New Article 144 (3)).
The Amendment Bill provides that ‘the Tribunal is composed of a Chairperson and at least two members, who all hold or have held the office of judge’ (New Art. 144 (4)). The Bill does not specify the current position of any former judge on the Tribunal. This opens up the possibility of the Tribunal being composed of members of the executive and or legislature, which would be incompatible with the principle of the independence of the judiciary.
To comply with international standards, the authorities must ensure that this tribunal is primarily composed of judges, that none of the members are from the legislative or executive branches of the State, and that decisions in disciplinary, suspension or removal proceedings should be subject to an independent review.
Regarding the Constitutional Court, we are concerned about the proposed removal of the positions of the President and Deputy President of the Constitutional Court, without clearly specifying where the powers of the two are to vest in their absence. In addition, the requirement for a sitting bench of at least 11 judges on the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court is replaced with the significantly vaguer notion of simply requiring ‘an uneven number of judges, as prescribed’.
The IBA Minimum Standards of Judicial Independence provides that the number of the members of the highest court should ‘be rigid and should not be subject to change except by legislation’.
We therefore call upon the President of Zambia and the legislature to ensure that the proposed Constitutional changes are in line with international human rights standards on the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers.
The Signatories
Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)
Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA)
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Judges for Judges (J4J)
Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC)
New signing Saviour Nkonkola is one of four continental debutants in Zesco United’s travelling party for this weekend’s 2019/2020 CAF Champions League preliminary round, first leg away date against eSwatini champions Black Mamba.
Nkonkola joined Zesco in the off- season from demoted Prison Leopards and caught the attention of the champions after he struck a brace against them in a 5-2 away league loss in Ndola last May.
Uganda striker Umaru Kasumba, who also arrived in the off-season, and Japanese midfielder Kosuke Nakamachi, who joined last term, are also in Zesco’s 23-member travelling party to Manzini.
Zimbabwe midfielder Thabani Kamusoko, who joined Zesco from Tanzanian giants Simba SC in this off-season, has also made the team.
GOALKEEPERS: Jacob Banda, Dieudonne Ntibahezwa, Samson Banda
DEFENDERS: Simon Silwimba, Shemmy Mayembe, Solomon Sakala, David Owino, Marcel Kalonda, Mwila Phiri, Clement Mulenga
MIDFIELDERS: Kondwani Mtonga, Misheck Chaila, John Chingandu, Edward Tembo,Kosuke Nakamachi, Thabani Kamusoko, Mwape Mwelwa
South Africa’s Hyprop Investments, the owner of Hyde Park Corner, The Mall of Rosebank and Canal Walk, is making progress exiting Africa so it can focus on better growth markets in Eastern Europe.
The company is selling its interest in Zambia’s Manda Hill shopping centre. Hyprop owns a number of shopping centres either outright or through join ventures in the rest of Africa.These malls have underperformed and Hyprop had to impair this business by R1.07bn earlier in 2019.On Monday, Hyprop Investments and AttAfrica concluded an agreement to dispose of their interests in the Manda Hill shopping centre to Growthpoint Investec African Properties.
The shopping centre was owned by Hyprop Investment’s 37.5 percent-held Mauritius subsidiary. Hyprop’s share of the disposal proceeds will be used to settle a portion of its dollar denominated debt.
Hyprop is grappling with a debt burden that ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service says is too high.The company has taken a hit on its investment in the rest of Africa, having impaired that business by R1.1 billion earlier in 2019.
Hyprop is also in discussions with several parties regarding the disposal of the remaining African shopping malls in which it has an interest. Growthpoint Investec African Properties’ purchase of Manda Hill shopping centre follows its recent acquisition of a 97.5 percent stake in Achimota Retail Centre, a prime shopping centre in Accra, Ghana.
Buildcon’s enigmatic relationship with coaches has continued.
The ambitious Ndola side will head into their 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup debut without Srdjan Zivojnov who steered them to their first continental qualification in his seven months with the club during the 2019 FAZ transitional season.
“First I want to explain, when I arrived in January, I had only a contract for four months for this short season,” Zivojnov said.
“So after that, my contract finished. I came back here to confirm the new contract with Buildcon but I didn’t sign.
“So the point is, I came to confirm the new contract.
“But when I sat down with the club president and officials, the club has one view, one philosophy and I have a different philosophy.
“So after we sat and talked on how we can solve this problem, we made a friendly decision and at the moment I can’t sign a new contract because we have different views and different philosophies for the future of the club.”
Zivonjov is Buildcon’s third foreign coach after Hachim Jardine who was in charge in their debut campaign in 2017 but his contract was not renewed at the end of the season before Italian Gugulielmo Arena’s brief reign in 2018.
Buildcon will now fall back on assistant Tenant Chembo who was demoted when Zivojnov he was hired.
Chembo arrived at Buildcon in April, 2018 from Zesco whom he had just led to the 2017 league title.
He steered Buildcon from bottom of the log where they sat on zero points in their opening four games of the 2018 season under Arena and led them to an eighth place finish.
Chembo’s first match back in full charge will be a home date against Young Buffaloes of eSwatini on August 10 in their CAF Confederation Cup at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Stephen Katuka
The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has refuted allegations that the party is threatening its Members of Parliament that are in support of some provisions of the Constitution Amendment Bill 2019.
In an interview yesterday, UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka said that the party leadership believes that UPND MPs are mature enough to make the independent decision of whether to support the the the bill based on the resolutions from the National Dialogue Forum (NDF) or not.
Mr. Katuka said the PArty has not punished any MP who attended the NDF and this explains why none of them that attended the NDF have faced any consequences for going against the party position.
Mr. Katuka was, however, quick to disclose that the adoption of who contests in the 2021 general elections will depend on how each individual UPND MP has performed in the last five years.
Mr. Katuka said the party leadership has always been monitoring how each one of them has been performing both in Parliament and in their constituencies, stating that the UPND adoption process for the 2021 general elections will therefore not be reliant on whether an MP attended the NDF or not.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has warned foreign truck drivers to stop inciting others to down tools stating that the law will catch up with them.
Mr. Kampyongo said that he expected the foreign truck drivers to respect the law of the Land, adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs is closely monitoring the activities of the drivers and will not allow illegal strikes.
Mr. Kampyongo said that, in as much as Government wants to promote international trade, it will not allow foreigners to champion illegal strikes within Zambia.
Mr. Kampyongo told Journalists that the drivers should follow the laid down procedures in airing their concerns and not resort to strikes.
The Minister said government is interested in the welfare of the truck drivers and will ensure their concerns are addressed.
Yesterday Transport and Communications Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya urged the truck drivers to remain calm and be Patriotic as government is engaging their employers and other stakeholders.
According to reports, some foreign truck drivers have been inciting the locals to down tools and demand for better conditions of services.
Bank of ZambiaTHE Bank of Zambia (BoZ) expects all commercial banks to finalise the adjustment of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMS) by end of this month to ensure that they are able to take in new notes once customers deposit.
BoZ director of banking, currency and payment systems, Lazarus Kamanga, said it was the expectation of the central bank that all deposit taking ATMs could be sued to deposit new notes.
Mr Kamanga said during a media tour of the BoZ stand at the just ended 93rd Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show that five of the banks had however adjusted their deposit taking ATMs.
“The latest information we have is that there are five banks with ATMs that are accepting deposits of new notes and some of the machines have started operating.
“We do not expect us to go beyond this month, we expect all ATMs that are deposit taking to start accepting new notes,” Mr Kamanga said.
In September last year, the BoZ upgraded the Kwacha with new security features to distinguish a genuine from a counterfeit note.
One of the introduced security features called Sparklive was incorporated in the figure on the lower right hand side to further shield the banknotes from being counterfeited.
Meanwhile, BoZ deputy Governor, Francis Chipimo, said the central bank would this year launch its Primary Dealership initiative meant to boost investment in Government securities.
Dr Chipimo said BoZ had engaged commercial banks on the planning of the initiative.
“We have done a lot in terms of moving to a primary dealership, we were meant to launch mid this year. That programme is still there in terms of us wanting to launch.
“Clearly the economy has been through some challenges this past period and so what of the things we are doing is to make sure that the necessary things to launch the initiative is done,” Dr Chipimo said.
The initiative, Dr Chipimo said, would boost the financial sector and encourage people to trade government securities on a secondary market.
Dr Chipimo said, “We have engaged the bank, some of them have come on board and we have discussed the planning we need to have the primary dealership. But we still going to launch it this year but it will be subject to conditions generally on the market.”
Power Dynamos are looking forward to Tuesday’s pre-season friendly match against Tanzanian side Simba Sports set for the National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam.
Power have set up a five-day training camp in Tanzania after arriving there on Sunday.
Team Manager Lombe Chipupu said Power are treating the friendly against Simba seriously.
“We are taking this game very seriously,” Chipupu said from Tanzania on Monday.
“We haven’t come here for holiday. This is good preparation for the new Zambian season,” he said.
Coach Fordson Kabole is expected to test newly acquired players in the Simba friendly.
Power have signed striker Jacob Phiri from Kabwe Warriors, Congolese striker Judo Bolondia of Roan United and defender Raphael Makubali from Nchanga Rangers.
Commerce Minister Christopher Yaluma introduces Vice-President Inonge Wina to exhibitors. – Picture courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.
By Derrick Silimina
Vice-President Inonge Wina says Government has opened up market linkages in China in a bid to stimulate local manufacturing industries.
Speaking on the side-lines of the 93rd Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka under the theme Embracing Industrial Development, Ms Wina said creating market linkages through activities such as the annual show was vital to help grow the local industries.
It was for this reason Government was creating an environment conducive to the emergence of small sector producers, manufacturers and industrialists.
“We have opened up market linkages in China to scale up local producers in the areas of farming such as those involved in producing cooking oil, edible oils find markets not only in Zambia but also into the surrounding countries.”
The vice-president also stressed that value addition among small farmers was key to enhance industrialisation in the country in order to spur economic development, adding that local manufacturing industries ought to actualise the potential existing in the country.
“We have the potential but we have to actualise this potential as Zambians because we can’t have to talk about this potential year in year out. I hope this exchange of knowledge and ideas will help us understand the dimensions of industrial development.”
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo echoed the vice-president’s remarks and stated that Smart Agriculture and value addition are components that farmers ought to be empowered with through affordable mechanism.
“Value addition and Smart Agriculture are the key components that our farmers are supposed to be empowered with through mechanised equipment that are affordable.”
Mr Katambo said to enhance production and productivity, farmers needed proper equipment to become part of industrialisation.
“This theme suits us very well because if our farmers are adding value to the crop commodities or even to livestock or fisheries, then we will be creating employment and uplifting livelihoods of our people and then our citizens will be generating income out of the whole process of value addition,” he said. – Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.
The Vice president arrives for the official opening of the show. – Picture courtesy of Suma Systems.
Some foreign exhibitors at this year’s Agriculture and Commercial Show have described business as slow.
Those talked to by ZNBC news say the number of people that turned up to buy their goods was low.
And Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has urged local businesses to use platforms such as the Agriculture and Commercial show to create linkages with their colleagues from other countries to explore possibilities of exporting their goods.
Mr. Lusambo observes that local businesspersons can thrive by creating partnerships with foreign businesses.
He was speaking in an interview at the just ended Agriculture and Commercial show in Lusaka.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya says her ministry is formulating legislation that will guide and harmonize policies in the film industry.
Ms Siliya says in the next few weeks, the ministry will be calling for meetings with stakeholders to make suggestions on what areas require government legislation in the film industry.
She was speaking in a speech read for her by Ministry of Information Acting Director Press and Media Development Modern Mayembe during the film and Television Market fair at the 93rd Agriculture and Commercial show.
Ms Siliya explained that Government is prioritising the film industry because it has potential to contribute to the country’s economy through job creation.
And Ms Siliya stated that Government has also invested in Digital migration which is also benefiting filmmakers.
And Multi Choice Zambia Telecast Academic Director Berry Lwando said it is critical for local film makers to improve content so that they can compete on the international market.
Meanwhile, a visiting film producer from the United States of America Christian Epps said Africa has potential to grow the industry.
