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Government says it is concerned about the high number of out of school children in the country.
Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Bernard Chomba says according to the 2016 Educational Statistical Bulletin (ESB), over 800, 000 children across the country are out of school.
Mr Chomba said the situation is worrisome to the government especially that Zambia is a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the right to education.
The Permanent Secretary was speaking during the ground breaking ceremony for a one by three classroom Block funded at the total cost of K463, 750 by the Irish Aid at Mukululu Community School in Kabwe today.
He paid gratitude to the Irish Government for supporting the education sector in the country through the Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) Project.
Through Irish Aid, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) countrywide have over the years benefited from, bursary support, teaching and learning materials among other incentives.
Meanwhile, Irish Deputy Ambassador to Zambia, Fiona Quinn, said the people of Zambia and Kabwe in particular recognize what it means to have an education.
Ms Quinn who is also Head of Development and Staff said this realization must be valued for the country to foster social and economic development.
And Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) Deputy Executive Director, Cleopatra Muma, has thanked the Irish Embassy for supporting community schools across the country especially Makululu Community School.
Speaking during the same occasion, Central Province Principal Education Standards Officer (PESO), Kelly Mwale, urged pupils, teachers and parents to ensure the sustenance of the existing infrastructure.
Mr Mwale who spoke on behalf of the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), Jennifer Banda, said it has been a challenge in Zambia to sustain the existing infrastructure.
The Football Association of Zambia has decided to endorse Andrew Kamanga for the post of CAF Executive Committee Member.
This was after the FAZ Ethics Committee decided to subject Mr Kamanga and Kalusha Bwalya to an Integrity Test.
The Ethics Committee recommended that Mr. Andrew Kamanga be processed for the candidature after passing the Integrity Test after Kalusha declined to undergo the requisite test that was prescribed under Article 60 of the FAZ Constitution.
“The conduct of the committee under Article 7 of the FAZ Constitution obliges the committee to observe the statutes, regulations, directives, decisions and codes of Ethics of FIFA, CAF and FAZ,” reads the report signed by committee members Kephas Katongo, Freddie Chalenga and Kizzy Moonga.
The Integrity Test is embedded in the FIFA Governance Regulations (FGR), Article 4, “Eligibility Checks, all members of the council (including the president) of the standing committees, of the independent committees as well as General Secretary shall be required to fulfil eligibility checks in accordance with Annex 1 of the FGR prior to their (re-) election or (re-) appointment. Annex 1, Clause 2 of the FGR requires that all candidates to be subjected to the Eligibility Test provide written consent of their willingness to undergo the Eligibility Test. “
The Committee reports that Kalusha declined to undergo the Integrity Test on account that he is an immediate past CAF executive member and that he had served out his ban by FIFA which was reduced (commuted).
“Mr. Bwalya’s objection to undergo the Eligibility Test is against the FIFA Governance Regulations,” reads the report.
The Committee stated that Mr. Kamanga underwent the test and was given the go-ahead to seek office.
“It is the Ethics Committee’s considered opinion that, given the fact that, given the fact the Eligibility Test was only administered on one candidate who possesses the ability to be nominated for the CAF Executive Committee position, the Ethics Committee has got no objection to nominate the candidate who was subjected to and met the Eligibility,” states the report.
Nominations for the elections that will held in July close on May 31, 2019.
This is according to a statement issued by FAZ Communications Officer Mwazi Chanda.
The UPND has welcomed Government’s realisation that Zambia has fallen on very tough times that require urgent policy actions and strong political will.
Party President Hakainde Hichilema however says the measures being proposed in the statement issued by Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe are the same ones from former Finance Minister Felix Mutati’s Economic Stabilization and Growth Programme.
“Why the Government departed from Zambia Plus in the first place remains a wonder. We can only pray that these Cabinet decisions are not too little too late given the current economic deterioration and that this time around, the Zambia Plus measures will be actioned with seriousness”, Mr. Hichilema observed.
Below is a full statement…
Our advice to PF over the Special Cabinet Meeting of Monday, 27th May, 2019 on the current state of economy
By Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President and Economist
On 28th May 2019, the Minister of Finance released a statement on the Outcome of the 11th (Special) Cabinet Meeting on the State of the Economy, Held at State House on Monday, 27th May, 2019.
We welcome the Government’s realisation that Zambia has fallen on very tough times that require urgent policy actions and strong political will. The measures being proposed in the statement are the same ones from former Finance Minister Felix Mutati’s Economic Stabilization and Growth Programme (Zambia Plus), which we even alluded to a few days ago in our advisory on fiscal consolidation. Why the Government departed from Zambia Plus in the first place remains a wonder. We can only pray that these Cabinet decisions are not too little too late given the current economic deterioration and that this time around, the Zambia Plus measures will be actioned with seriousness.
A few things are worrying regarding the text of the Statement. For one, in part, it reads: “Cabinet deliberated on the growth prospects… in 2019 and over the medium term… Cabinet noted the negative impact of climate change that has affected agriculture and electricity production and the tight liquidity conditions… [and] the impact of the trade war and uncertainty around BREXIT…”.
We strongly believe that critical self-reflection and honesty are key for solving economic problems. The Minister’s statement is however far short on both self-reflection and honesty. If climate change related agriculture and electricity production are the core problems, why did Cabinet fail to propose structural reforms such as investments in climate-smart agriculture (e.g., solar-power groundwater irrigation projects instead of urban roads projects) and energy projects (solar, biofuels, etc. projects instead of expansion of rain-dependent hydro power installations)? More so the tariff structure for independent power producers has not attracted investment in this sector, because Government has not been willing to negotiate a cost reflective tariff.
Why did Cabinet fail to acknowledge that the adverse liquidity conditions are a result of poor fiscal management, specifically the high borrowing without spending plans and the resultant poor quality of public investment, especially infrastructure spending? Why is Cabinet failing to commit to curbing the excessive infrastructure project spending with the same strictness imposed on Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agents? The claim that “projects that are of an economic nature will not be cancelled… [to spur a] resumption of growth” is a sham. Analysis shows that despite the Government’s excessive spending since 2012, Zambia’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio has deteriorated continuously, showing increased inefficiencies or poor investment quality during the PF era. The PF Government simply needs political will to stop its obsessive and gluttonous infrastructure spending habit and to stop the high levels of corruption never seen before in the history of our country.
Bank of Zambia (BOZ) has recently analysed Zambia’s potential output and has found potential real GDP growth has fallen from 7-8% per year in 2008-2010 to about 4% per year currently, meaning that the economy can no longer grow at more than 4% per year. Also noteworthy is that the IMF has recently revised the growth rate estimate to 3.1%. The quality of spending, which focuses only on infrastructure and neglects private sector development is the main reason for this productivity and output decline. But rather than undertaking reforms to support private sector re-energization and development, PF is fixated on roads.
While we would hope that the Zambia Plus policy measures that Cabinet has reiterated will now be implemented with seriousness and commitment, we cannot help but worry about the low levels of political will in the PF administration. Austerity was repeatedly announced in 2016, 2017 and 2018, but with no serious intent to change policy behaviour. Here we are again with the Cabinet making the same old announcements.
But we are not the only ones who are worried about the PF’s lack of seriousness. Last week, International credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded Zambia’s credit rating and revised its outlook to negative. In parallel, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a statement saying: “However, the latest borrowing plans provided by the authorities [Zambian] continue to compromise the country’s debt sustainability and risk undermining its macroeconomic stability and, ultimately, living standards of its people.” The IMF said this, going on record that the PF Government is undermining the living standards of its people!!! Most likely, the PF will soon say: “unpatriotic HH has told Moody’s and the IMF lies, now they are saying these bad things against the PF Government and spreading fake news”.
One true hallmark of great leadership is the ability to admit mistakes instead of always trying to find scapegoats. Another is genuinely listening to advice. In this regard, we would like to offer three pieces of advice to the PF Government again:
a) Own up to your past mistake so you can genuinely learn from them, and maybe we can then all move past them toward sincere and serious problem solving together;
b) Take our advice in good faith as it is offered in good faith; institute the well-rounded set of corrective policy and structural reform measures we have been advocating for so long now. Draw on our expertise, strategic thinking and advice; it will help this country and our people.
c) The need to stop the rampant theft of people’s resources by fighting corruption meaningfully/ significantly and not the
current symbolic/half hearted way which smacks of complicity by those in authority.
We are not doing this for political mileage but out of genuine care for this country’s citizens, now and in the future. We stand ready for the economic Indaba we proposed previously.
Former Zambia’s Vice president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to deregister his political party, the Heritage Party.
The Leaders of both the Alliance for a Better Zambia and the Heritage Party requested the Registrar of Societies to cancel the registration of their political parties.
Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, was the president of the Heritage Party and the Alliance for a Better Zambia was under the Leadership of Father Frank Bwalya, who now is Zambia’s Ambassador to Australia.
The Full list of de-registered political parties are the People’s Redemption Party, National Alliance Party, National Democratic Focus, United Nationalist Party, Party for Unity Democracy and Development, Zambia Conservative Party, Zambia United Development Party and the Zambia Development Conference including the Democratic Assembly.
Congratulations to government for announcing austerity measures to help restore Zambia’s growing fiscal deficit.
The effective treatment of every problem first calls for admission that such a problem exists.
I do not think Zambians, with a few exceptions, are hellbent on seeking to destroy their own country. For a while now, the message has been that all talk about Zambia’s economy was premised on negative sentiment.
This has been the creation of a few people making a living out of seeking to blind government about the realities of the economy. The truth is that investors are rational beings who seek to make decisions based on data and will hardly sway away from an economic opportunity on account of rumours.
Even where such fake news exists, the truth usually emerges and it is this economic data released by government regularly (Ministry of Finance, Bank of Zambia, ZIPAR) which helps investors make financial decisions.
I should actually congratulate the Minister of Finance Margaret Margaret for having been very upfront and liberal on releasing economic data and regularly updating the nation on how we have performed. This has been the missing link for a while and it became the reason for speculative economic sentiment.
This fresh admission that the economy is in dire traits and that urgent action should be taken is another positive step towards restoring economic confidence in Zambia.
The only advice I give is to urge the Government to align the austerity measures towards a possible IMF programme.
As things stand today, it is very hard for government to manage its own austerity as it’s like asking a patient with a foot problem to amputate self. You can only cut that far and will stop when pain is unendurable.
The IMF program is very painful medicine and some of those countries that took it never fully recovered because they failed to complete the dosage or economic diagnosis was erroneous.
In the case of Zambia, our able economists in government have done pretty well understanding the problem and have somewhat applied the Zambia Plus Economic Stabilisation Programme but only in part.
An IMF programme does not only come with the discipline of implementation of austerity but a financial redemption package too, something we desperately need. There is also potential to unlock additional concessional packages as a result of IMF involvement.
In any case, the decision made by cabinet yesterday is closely watched by the IMF and it may just be that step that brings government and the IMF to the negotiation table.
File picture:First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba tours the Tazama Pipeline (Tanzania Zambia Mafuta Pipeline) in Dar es Salaam on December 7,2012. Dr Kaseba was in Tanzania for the GAVI Alliance Partner’s forum
Tanzania and Zambia plan to build a refined products pipeline to transport petroleum between the two countries at a cost of $1.5 billion, Tanzania’s Energy minister said on Tuesday.
Zambia, Africa’s top copper producer, imports most of its petroleum requirements, mainly from the Middle East, through the port of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania.
Medard Kalemani said in a presentation of his ministry’s 2019/20 (July-June) budget that the pipeline would run from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam to Zambia’s mining city of Ndola, some 1,349 km away.
Kalemani, speaking in Tanzania’s administrative capital Dodoma, did not give a time frame for when the project would kick off, but said that in the coming fiscal year, they planned to complete a feasibility study.
He also gave no details on how it would be financed.
“The project will reduce challenges in transporting petroleum products in the countries that use our ports to import fuel and open up business opportunities …” he said.
“The project will be implemented jointly by Zambia and Tanzania.”
Kalemani said the pipeline would also have take-off points at Morogoro, Iringa, Njombe, Mbeya and Songwe regions on the Tanzanian side.
Tanzania and Zambia already have a crude oil pipeline between them transporting oil to Zambia, where it is refined in Ndola for local use.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya
Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya says Zambia’s economic challenges are being exaggerated by people who do not mean well for the country.
Ms. Siliya says while it is indisputable that the country is currently going through some economic turbulence due to various factors, the situation is being blown out of proportion by some people.
Ms Siliya said Zambia remains a preferred destination for business and investment as evidenced by the continued high traffic of people flying in and out of the country.
She says Government is neither afraid nor opposed to criticism but that people should criticise in a constructive manner to move the country forward.
Ms Siliya who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister says negative sentiments have the potential to harm the reputation of the country and it is the duty of every citizen to guard the country’s image jealously.
The Minister said this at her office in Lusaka on Tuesday when Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) President Dr Lubinda Haabazoka, accompanied by EAZ board member Mr Lubinda Sinyani, paid a courtesy call on her.
And Dr Haabazoka said EAZ is deeply concerned about the negativity being peddled by some people on the country’s economy.
He said the association does not want to join a bandwagon of armchair critics who criticise without solutions.
Dr Habaazok said EAZ has since decided to hold a national economic summit in July this year in Livingstone to brainstorm solutions to the country’s economic challenges as well as showcase the country’s vast investment potential.
He said over 500 local and foreign delegates among them former heads of state, economists, academicians, researchers and the business community are earmarked to attend the two day summit in the tourist capital.
“We believe that the solutions to economic challenges the country is faced with are resident in us its citizens. As such, we will take deliberate steps through brainstorming sessions during the summit to address them,” said Dr Haabazoka.
A South African court has sentenced a Zambian national to seven years imprisonment for being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Chilala Muhyila, aged 47 was sentenced by a Laphalale Magistrate court in Limpompo province and taken to Modimolle Correctional facility where he will serve his sentence.
Mr. Muhyila, a businessman based in Livingstone, was arrested when he tried to cross Martin drift border into Botswana on his way to Zambia.
The court established that he was guilty of being in possession of a stolen motor vehicle, identified as a Ford Ranger
Mr. Muhyila once lived in Kempton Park, Johannesburg before relocating to Livingstone with his family sometime last year.
And Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa Maynard Misapa who is also Deputy High Commissioner has urged Zambian car dealers to engage in clean businesses.
He noted the need for car dealers to ensure that the vehicles they are buying from South Africa are cleared by local authorities.
Mr. Misapa said the imprisonment of Mr. Muhyila is unfortunate.
This is contained in a statement issued to the media by First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Naomi Nyawali.
Malawi will face Zambia in the 2019 COSAFA Cup quarterfinals on June 2 in Durban.
The Flames secured their last eight qualification with a match to spare in Group B following a come-from-behind 2-1 win over 2015 champions Namibia on Tuesday evening in Durban.
Malawi have 6 points from two games armed with a better goal difference and head-to-head against Namibia who are second on 3 points.
Mozambique and Seychelles have a point each heading into their final formality games on May 30.
Meanwhile Malawi was down as early as the 16th minute when Charles Hambira put Namibia ahead.
But a Gabadinho Mhango 34th minute equalizer and a Gerald Phiri penalty in the 48th minute completed Malawi’s comeback in what is their best run at the COSAFA Cup since 2015.
Coincidentally, 2015 was the last time Malawi also faced Zambia at the COSAFA Cup when they beat Chipolopolo 1-0 in the Plate final.
Winner between Zambia and Malawi will in the June 4 semifinals play victor between defending champions Zimbabwe or Group A winner.
eSwatini lead Group A on 2 points while Comoros and Mauritius are deadlocked on a point with the latter two meeting today to decide who goes through to face the record six-time COSAFA Cup champions on June 1.
Group A has three teams following the late withdraw of Angola who decided to skip the COSAFA Cup to focus on preparing for their 2019 AFCON outing in Egypt.
Zesco United are officially writing to the Football Association of Zambia to have the 2019 FAZ Super Division championship playoff date rescheduled from June 8 to a later date.
The defending FAZ Super Division champions are scheduled to play Green Eagles in a fortnight’s time for the league title at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
Zesco have six players all away on international duty between now and mid-July.
Three are all away on pre-2019 AFCON selection camp duty ahead of the tournament Egypt is hosting from June 21 to July 19 and could be absent until at least mid-July should their respective national teams advance the knockout round that commences on July 5.
The other three call-ups are all on 2019 COSAFA Cup assignment at the tournament South Africa is hosting from May 25 to June 8.
“We have spoken to them (FAZ) and we are now writing to them,” Zesco CEO Richard Mulenga told LT Sports.
“It is not making any sense that we play on June 8 when we have over six of our players away in international duty.
“And what do the rules say when you have over five players away on international duty?
“And these are not just players who sit on our bench but are our dependable players in the starting XI.
“In the spirit of fairness, and in order to fairly decide who should be champions, I think we all have an obligation to field our best players.”
Thoseon AFCON duty include midfielder Enock Sabumukama is away with Burundi who are making their tournament debut.
Kenya, who return to the AFCON for the first time since 2004, have defender David Owino and midfielder Anthony Akumu heading to Egypt.
Striker Jesse Were was not selected by the Harambee Stars for AFCON duty.
The Zambian contingent away on COSAFA Cup duty in South Africa is striker Lazarus Kambole plus defenders Clement Mwape and Mwila Phiri.
Zambia will cancel or delay more approved project loans in a bid to reduce its fiscal deficit and reign in debt service payments, Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said on Tuesday.
Mrs. Mwanakatwe told a media briefing today that increased debt service payments were having an adverse impact on the budget and there was a need to reduce debts to sustainable levels.
A cabinet meeting held on Monday took note of the high levels of debt service costs over the next three years compared with last year, Mrs. Mwanakatwe said.
She said she would present a list of project loans in the next cabinet meeting to be considered for slowing down, postponing and cancellation.
Mrs Mwanakatwe didn’t identify any of the lenders or projects likely to be affected.
“In doing so, projects that are of an economic nature will not be cancelled as resumption of growth is important to address the economic challenges,” Mrs. Mwanakatwe said.
She said Zambia would also urgently complete energy reforms and renegotiate unsustainable power purchase agreements so the sector does not become a liability.
Zambia’s external debt had increased to $10.178 billion at the end of the first quarter of this year from $10.05 billion at the end of 2018, Mwanakatwe said earlier this month.
The country’s 2018 fiscal deficit stood at 7.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), higher than an earlier government projection of around 7%.
Following the latest rankings from African Business Magazine, Trade Kings Group – Zambia’s largest FMCG manufacturer – has gone one better for 2019 ranking among Africa’s Top 10 Most Admired Brands following a survey which saw more than 2,200 brands competing for the top 100 spots.
Trade Kings was the only Zambian brand to make the Top 10 Most Admired Brands sitting with brands like Dangote, MTN, DSTV and Shoprite among others.
Trade Kings has appeared in the Top 10 Most Admired Brands for the second year running having gained 10 ranking points that comfortably puts the Zambian conglomerate in the Top 10 Most Admired African Brands and second only to Dangote in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) category.
The key attributes taken into account include innovation in view of Trade Kings’ huge investments in modern machinery and technology, the quality of products and quality of management.
For a company like Trade Kings which is just over 20 years old, it is no mean achievement to find themselves among the top 50 most admired brands in Africa competing with the likes of international megabrands that include Nike, Apple and Samsung while ranking in the top 10 with African giants like Dangote, MTN, Anbessa Shoes, Econet, Safaricom, Shoprite, Glo and Tusker.
Trade Kings Zambia is an indigenous African company that has been in existence since 1995 and has grown into a conglomerate; a group of companies namely Bigtree Beverages, Dairy Gold, Swissbake, Yoyo Foods, Royal Oak and Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited (Kafue Steel).
From humble beginnings, the company has grown into a colossus that has spread its tentacles across the southern region of Africa.
Trade Kings Group General Manager Lux Subramanium in an interview added, “We are proud to be a Zambian and African company that is locally grown to contribute and provide solutions for the Zambia and the region as a whole. All thanks go to the people of Zambia and Africa as a whole for putting us where we are today”.
With a vast product range extending from confectionary and detergents to beverages and dairy products, Trade Kings Group is not content in its growth and looks to continue improving lives through innovative products that are of the highest quality, affordable and available to the vast majority of low income households in Zambia and across Africa.
Former Solicitor General and Attorney General Musa Mwenye has supported calls for the introduction of lifestyle audits for officials holding senior government position.
Mr. Mwenye who served under the late President Michael Sata said those holding or have held senior positions should not fear undergoing a lifestyle audit.
Some organizations including Transparency International Zambia has demanded that government introduces lifestyle audits for all its senior official in a bid to curtail the accumulation of illicit wealth.
“All of us who have held or hold public office must be subjected to lifestyle audits. We should be asked what wealth we had before we were appointed to these public offices? What did we acquire during our time in public office and how did we acquire it?”
“If we claim we earned the money or acquired the wealth legitimately through our businesses, then we must show the taxes we paid or tax returns we filed. This is because if you sale goods or provide services legitimately, you have to pay taxes and/or file tax returns.”
Mr Mwenye said it is immoral for some public officials to live a lavish lifestyle when they are working for poor people.
“It is immoral for public officials to live lavish lives when they should be serving poor people. It is extremely worrying when a lot of the luxury cars on the roads are driven by those in public office and when public officials are the biggest ‘buyers’ in most night clubs.”
He stressed, “Public service is service, not an avenue to become millionaires.”
Mr Mwenye stated that he spoke against corruption even during the time of late President Sata’s administration.
“Some of us spoke and spoke very loudly internally but we just didn’t come on to Facebook to do it. In fact if you analyze, although mistakes were made under President Michael Sata MHSIP, there are no major financial scandals in those three years we served.”
“It’s because we fought corruption internally. During that period no less than 3 Ministers were prosecuted and fired for corruption and one Minister was actually convicted,” he recounted.
