President Edgar Lungu has expressed happiness with progress made with the construction of the Kazungula Bridge, saying he is optimistic that the project will be completed on schedule.

President Lungu is also hopeful that once completed, the project will facilitate increased trade activity, and improve the integration of the Zambia and Botswana economies, as well as enhance intra-regional trade within the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and beyond.

The Head of State has also assured that government will be fulfilling all financial obligations made with the contractor.

ZANIS reports that after attending the Kasane Elephant Summit in Botswana on Tuesday, President Lungu and regional leaders took the long trip to inspect progress on the multi-million-dollar Kazungula Bridge in Kasane.

The Kazungula Bridge project is a multi-national project in the North-South Corridor and is part of an infrastructure improvement programme that covers the whole corridor.

Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu says the prospect of an-ever increasing impact of human–elephant conflicts, remains a source of concern for respective governments in the elephant populated Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier (KAZA) region .

President Lungu has also urged KAZA member states to explore solutions to minimise the prospects of such occurrences and incentives for communities to have increased tolerance for animals.

He however noted that many communities across various wildlife sanctuaries are benefiting from community involvement in wildlife conservation.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu said this during the Kasane Elephant Summit held under the theme “Towards a common vision for managing Africa’s elephants” in Botswana on Tuesday.

President Lungu further urged the delegates to aspire for a thriving environment where community livelihoods, survival of elephants and connectivity of habitats are secured for the benefit of the people in the region.

He explained that local communities and various cooperating partners have invested heavily in workable conservation policies, strategies and laws, in order to ensure that the region maintains its place on the great tourism and conservation maps of the world.

“I therefore, reassure you all of my unwavering commitment to this undertaking, because this is where the economic, social and environmental dimensions or the three pillars of sustainable development meet”, President Lungu said.

President Lungu informed the delegates that the region is meeting at a time when the Southern African region is poised for another monumental development (Kazungula Bridge) which is expected to greatly improve accessibility to the region and its surrounding wildlife sanctuary.

“The Monumental Kazungula bridge development and its one-stop border facilities will change the place of this part of our region and improved business facilitation and quick transit”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Elephant Summit has proposed elephant management measures which include, ensuring that management of elephants is adaptive, regularly provide information on elephant numbers and ensuring that there is a continuous assessment of the elephant’s impact in relation to settlement developments.

And President of the Republic of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi whose country is largely affected by human-elephant conflict, called for the speedy implementation of the summit’s resolutions.

Dr Masisi, noted that for conservation efforts to bear fruits, there is need to agree on International engagement frameworks.

He complained that it is evident that arguments for sustainable utilization of wildlife resources which the region has in abundance, are being countered on multiple fronts.

The Summit was attended by four KAZA Heads of State, who include President Lungu, President Masisi as a host and Chairman of the summit, Namibia’s Head of State and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Chairman Hage Geingob and Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.

Others were Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Wildlife Conservation Agencies, the international press and African elephant specialist groups.

It is estimated that Africa has over 500 000 elephants, with Botswana alone housing over 200, 000, making it the biggest home to elephants in Southern Africa.

The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier (KAZA) supports the largest surviving Elephant populations on the continent, currently estimated to exceed 300, 000.

The Ministry of General Education has directed all public schools to refer the newly revised user fees as schools reopen on Monday May 13, 2019.

General Education Minister David Mabumba says he expects all public schools to abide by the revised fees as announced by government.

Speaking during a press briefing held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mabumba reiterated that pupils in boarding schools will be required to pay K1,000 as boarding fees with an additional k150 to K200, as user fees depending on the category or status of the school.

He clarified that for boarding schools defined as being in remote areas, pupils will be required to pay K150 as user fees while boarding schools categorised to be in urban areas, pupils will pay K200 as user fees per term.

While pupils schooling in remote day schools will pay K150 as user fees.

The Minister further explained that the Ministry of General Education has given authority to provinces, to determine whether a school is in the urban or remote area.

Mr Mabumba said provinces will determine the category of the schools in liaison with the District Education Board (DEBS) office.

For primary schools, the Minister stated that no user fees will be required to be paid by parents.

Meanwhile government has also revised fees for public colleges of education.

Mr Mabumba announced that the new fees will be implemented in the second term.

He revealed that students in boarding school will be required to pay K1000 per term as boarding fee.

While day schools will be required to pay K800 as general purpose fund.

President Edgar Lungu says government remains resolute to the attainment of universal health coverage.

President Lungu said this can be done through health promotion, easy access to medical services and insuring that people eat healthy local foods.

The Head of State said this in Lusaka today when he officially launched this year’s National Health week held under the theme “Promoting Health and Wellbeing towards Universal Health Coverage, My Responsibility”.

President Lungu said the National Health week is designed to safeguard the lives of people from communicable diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).

He said the ripple effects of not leading a healthy lifestyle is immense and can lead to early deaths and the spread of NCDs.

President Lungu added that government remains committed to ensuring that the nation attains a middle income, prosperous and healthy nation by 2030.

The Head of State further said the fight against NCDs is a collective goal which requires a multi-sectoral approach in order to achieve intended results.

“Promoting good health, preventing disease and entrenching wellness in our day to day lives should not be left entirely to health workers, clinics and hospitals. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that healthy lifestyles are adopted at all levels,” said the Head of State.

President Lungu however said it is saddening to see many people die prematurely from non-communicable diseases when the solution is simply adopting a healthy lifestyle.

President Lungu said the major objective of the week is to improve wellness and to prevent ill-health by stimulating individuals, families and communities to take responsibility for their health and to strengthen partnerships.

He said this initiative is designed to foster and entrench wellness and protection from communicable and non-communicable diseases, water borne and vaccine preventable diseases.

Speaking earlier Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said that promoting good health and preventing diseases was important in growing the local communities and the country at large.

Dr. Chilufya also emphasized the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment as a way of preventing diseases.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the United Nations in Zambia, the WHO Representative Nathan Bachaita said the he is happy that the UN family in Zambia has embraced the national health week and applauded the timeliness of the intervention.

Mr Bachaita emphasized the need for communication of information on disease prevention to the community and encouraged everyone to access the services which are being provided.

He underscored that ignorance should not be an excuse for not preventing diseases particularly at individual and family levels.

The Lusaka City Council has commenced outdoor spraying against adult mosquitoes in eight wards which have become a nuisance in the targeted wards.

The operations which commenced today will end on 10th June, 2019 and will be conducted from 16:00 hours to 20:00 hours every day of the assigned period.

The targeted wards are Independence Ward 14 in Lusaka Central Constituency, Ngwerere Ward 19, Mulungushi Ward 18 and Roma Ward 17 all of Mandevu Constituency.

Others are Kapwepwe Ward 25, Muchinga Ward 26, Matero Ward 28 all in Matero Constituency and Chakunkula Ward 32 in Munali Constituency.

LCC Public Relations Manager George Sichimba said these wards have been targeted because of high prevalence of mosquitoes which have become a serious nuisance on residents of the wards.

He said for Ngwerere, Mulungushi and Roma wards, the programme will run from 8th to 15th May, 2019 targeting Garden sewer ponds, Ngwerere drain, Mutandwa drain and Ng’ombe drain.

Mr. Sichimba said in Independence Ward, the exercise will be conducted from 16th to 27th May, 2019 targeting trees along the roads and other hiding places in Long Acres.

He said the team will then move to Kapwepwe, Muchinga and Matero wards from 28th to 5th June, 2019 with target areas being Chunga sewer ponds, Mushitu drain, Kankolomwene drain and Kamutiti drain.

Mr. Sichimba said Chakunkula ward will be handled last from 6th to 10th June, 2019 targeting Chelstone sewer ponds.

He said while the chemical used in thermal fogging may be harmless to human beings, it is advisable that children are not allowed to play in the fog during the implementation of the programme.

Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe says he will seek legal advice on whether to appear before the National Dialogue Forum (NDF) Standing Committee or not.

Mr Kang’ombe told journalists in Lusaka that he was served with the letter to appear before the NDF today at 14:08 hours.

He explained that he first saw the directive circulating on social media and waited for the official letter from the NDF which has only be served today.

Mr Kang’ombe added that he could not appear today because the letter said the committee needed him at 09:45 hours but it was only delivered to him at 14:08 hours this afternoon.

On Tuesday this week Luangeni Area Member of Parliament Charles Zulu raised a point of order that Mr Kang’ombe was not in order to take matters of the forum to the public.

Mr Zulu, who also laid before the forum an edition of the Times of Zambia newspaper and asked the National Dialogue Forum Chairperson, Professor Muyunda Mwanalushi to render a serious ruling.

Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita has called on the international media to live up to the same standards as they prescribe for local media in executing their duties of informing, entertaining and educating their audiences.

Mr. Mukwita says international media must feel free to cover Zambia on any issue in the best interest of their audiences as long as basic rules of fairness and objectivity are followed.

The German Ambassador made the remarks in a letter addressed to the Head of DW, a German International public broadcaster that broadcasts in 60 languages and is estimated to reach about 160 million people worldwide on a weekly basis.

Mr Mukwita was reacting to a recent television story by DW that alleged misconduct on the part of the Zambian government regarding the digital migration program and the relationship between Star Times of China and the state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, ZNBC.

The investigative piece, without any official comment from the Zambian government nor the embassy in Berlin, alleged that the Zambian government had sold the state broadcaster to China when no such sale has been done as a matter of verifiable fact.

Mr Mukwita said DW must have included an official comment from the government of Zambia in order to balance the story.

“The government of President Edgar Lungu is committed to transparency and never shun the media when they seek public information”, he said.

DW is also the fourth largest single most news outlet globally, after CNN, BBC and Sky News among others, in terms of reach and influence.

This is according to a press statement made available to ZANIS by Zambian First Secretary Press and Public Relations in Berlin Kellys Kaunda.

Son to late veteran political leader Anderson Mazoka, Lundu Mazoka has died.

Lundu died last night in Durban.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa His Excellency Emmanuel Mwamba confirmed the development.

He said the High Commission received the report last night that Lundu had apparently choked to death at his house in Morningside in Durban.

He said the reports indicated that he was eating something while lying down in his bed and began to choke and he was heard trying to cough.

Apparently the food could not be dislodged from his windpipe and he died.

Mr. Mwamba said the death was tragic as there were no earlier reports of Lundu being sick.

He said Lundu is reported to have had a fruitful day.

He said other details regarding the funeral will be released later after consultation with the family.

This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambia High Commission In Pretoria Naomi Nyawali.

South Africans have gone to the polls to elect provincial and national leaders.

The Southern African Development Community Electoral Observer Mission led by Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji observed the process from Hartfield Polling Station in Pretoria.

Polling stations opened at 07 hours country-wide and are expected to close at 21 hours.

And Mr. Malanji has commended the people of South Africa for carrying out peaceful campaigns without reports of incidences of violence or intimidation.

Mr. Malanji has also commended the South African government and the Independent Electoral Commission for preparing adequately and for ensuring that the process went on smoothly.

He cited the case of the political rallies that were held on Sunday at Ellis Park and Orlando Stadiums.

Although the stadiums are in a radius of 15 kilometres and drew thousands of supporters, there were no reports of violence between competing members of the parties.

The polls have attracted 48 political parties with the leading contenders being the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters.

This is according to a statement issued by Naomi Nyawali, the First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa.