Zambian philanthropist, Justina Mutale, Founder and President of the Justina Mutale Foundation has been named in the 2019 List of 100 Most Reputable People on Earth.

The List, released by Leading reputation management consultancy firm, Reputation Poll International recognises and honours individuals, organisations and brands who consistently impact lives positively around the world.

The 2019 List features renowned individuals from across the globe involved in diverse sectors such as entertainment, politics, religion, education, philanthropy, and business among others.

Notable individuals on the list include Queen Elizabeth II, 92, who is the oldest person on the list, and the youngest person is girl education activist, Malala Yousafzai, aged 21.

Several Heads of State and Government are featured on the list including Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Maktoum, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, who is also Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Sahle-Work Zewde, female President of Ethiopia; Jacinda Ardern, female Prime Minister of New Zealand and Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.

Entrepreneurs featured on the list include Jack Ma, Warren Buffet and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple while those from the Entertainment industry include John Legend and Oprah Winfrey. Motivational speakers include Les Brown and Tony Robbins.

Ms. Mutale has been globally acclaimed as one of the 21st century new leaders and influencers of our time, who are challenging what we have known for ages, challenging the stereotypes, challenging the norms and creating their own reality, which resonates with the needs of people around them, leaders who lead by maximising resources around them to create powerful ripple effects that are changing lives around the world, using the power of her gifting, vision and creativity.

Winner of numerous other Awards, Honours and Accolades around the world, Ms. Mutale has previously been featured as a Hero in the Capital Finance International Journal, which brings coverage and analysis of the drivers behind change by combining the views of leading multilateral and national organizations with thought leadership from some of the world’s top minds.

President Edgar Lungu has urged lawyers to be the watch dogs that ensures that the rule of law thrives.

President Lungu said lawyers must keep in check the executive, judicial and legislative arms of governance in an effort to ensure all are alert and adhere to the tenets of the law.

President Lungu was speaking on Tuesday when he officially opened this year’s Commonwealth Law Conference in Livingstone.

He said Zambia is indeed honoured to have won the bid to host the prestigious conference.

Let us work together as we continue reforming our laws for the better. It’s a promise my Government is committed to keep.

“Our legal fraternity has indeed placed Zambia where it must be in the Commonwealth community of nations and beyond. We shall always endeavor to be a Country of laws,” President Lungu wrote on Facebook.

“As I officiated at the 21st Commonwealth Law Conference in our beautiful tourist capital, Livingstone under the theme “The rule of law in retreat? Challenges for the modern Commonwealth”, I did so with a lot of pride that our visitors will help tell a story of the Zambia they experienced,” he wrote.

“As a Latin maxim goes: “Fiat justitia ruat caelum” which means, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall”, I urge practitioners to take up the mantle, to be the watch dog that ensures that the rule of law thrives. They must keep in check the executive, judicial and legislative arms of governance in an effort to ensure all are alert and adhere to the tenets of the law,” he prodded.

Women organizations and some opposition political parties have taken to social media to congratulate Lusaka Lawyer Linda Kasonde on her election as Vice President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

During the ongoing Commonwealth Law Conference in Livingstone, Ms. Kasonde who is also Former LAZ President was elected as Vice President for Africa of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association

Women for Change said Ms. Kasonde’s election is a milestone.

“Hearty congratulates Ms. Linda Kasonde, former Law Association of Zambia President on her election as Vice President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association for Africa. This indeed is a milestone for the women’s movement not only in Zambia but Africa as whole.

And the Zambia National Women’s League has also congratulated Ms. Kasonde on her election.

Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema also took to Twitter to pass his congratulated message to Ms. Kasonde.

Congratulations @kalushk for being elected Vice-president for Africa of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association! We are very proud of you. Continue flying the Zambian flag high!

NAREP wrote, “President Elias and the entire NAREP membership extend heartfelt congratulations to former Law Association of Zambia President, Linda Kasonde on her election as Vice President for Africa of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

Civil rights activist Laura Miti also Twitter, “Congratulations Linda on your election as Vice-President for Africa of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. I am so very proud of you.”

President Edgar Lungu who officiated opened the Law conference yesterday in Livingstone and the entire PF Media Team have conspicuously failed to send any congratulatory message to Ms. Kasonde.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has notified the Registrar of Companies that imposters have been sponsored by a known Zambia politician working and civil society activists to generate confusion in an attempt to legitimise a body that is not legally recognised by Zambian laws.

In a letter dated Monday, 08 April 2019, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe stated that some imposters whose intention is to conduct anti-government operations in Zambia while running unregistered entity not recognised by the law have been sponsored to destabilise the operations of the Young African Leaders Initiative which was duly registered on 6th January, 2011 under the laws of Zambia.

YALI was formed in Zambia in November, 2010 following attendance of the President’s Forum for Young African Leaders (PFYAL) held in the US and officially registered in 2011. For any organisation to operate in Zambia, it must be legally registered by either the Registrar of societies, companies or NGOs. YALI has received funding from the US Government and other foreign Governments from 2011. In 2017 YALI received funding in excess of K1 million to conduct the TechCamp in 2017 in Lusaka involving youth leaders from Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and other countries outside the region.

Mr. Ntewewe has stated that the directors of Young African Leaders Initiative have no desire whatsoever to effect any change of name to allow an illegal entity not recognised by law to champion an anti-governmental agenda. Mr. Ntewewe said these plans to destabilise YALI by placing various imposters have existed for a while

YALI has since instructed its lawyers to prosecute any individual found breaching Zambia’s corporate laws in its name. A Mr. Wilfred Chilufya has purported to have been elected as Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Centre South Africa (YALI RLCSA) Zambian Chapter, an organisation that is not recognised by law in Zambia and is operating illegally.

UNICEF says 377,482 children in Zambia, around 73.9 per cent of Grade 1 entrants-started school without any pre-school experience in 2017.

This has coincided with a new report released on Tuesday in which UNICEF warns that 175 million children of pre-primary age are not enrolled globally. 
 
The report notes that countries with high numbers of children not in pre-primary education are missing a critical investment opportunity and are at risk of suffering deep inequalities from the start.

In low-income countries, only 1 in 5 young children are enrolled in pre-primary education.
 
“Pre-primary schooling is our children’s educational foundation – every stage of education that follows relies on its success,” said UNICEF Zambia Country Representative, Noala Skinner.

“Yet, too many children around the world are denied this opportunity. This increases their risk of repeating grades or dropping out of school altogether and relegates them to the shadows of their more fortunate peers.”
 
A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education – UNICEF’s first ever global report on pre-primary education – reveals that children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school, less likely to repeat grades or drop out of school, and therefore more able to contribute to peaceful and prosperous societies and economies when they reach adulthood.
 
Children in pre-primary education are more than twice as likely to be on track in early literacy and numeracy skills than children missing out on early learning. In countries where more children attend pre-primary programmes, significantly more children complete primary school and attain minimum competencies in both reading and math by the time they finish primary school.
 
Globally, the report notes that household wealth, mothers’ education level and geographical location are among the key determinants for pre-primary attendance.

However, poverty is the single largest determining factor.

Some key findings are that across 64 countries, the poorest children are seven times less likely than children from the wealthiest families to attend early childhood education programmes. For some countries, the rich-poor divide is even more apparent.
Other factors include the Impact of conflicts as more than two thirds of pre-primary-age children living in 33 countries affected by conflict or disaster are not enrolled in early childhood education programmes.

Yet, these are the children for whom pre-primary education has some of the greatest benefits. Pre-primary education helps young children affected by crises overcome the traumas they have experienced by giving them a structure, a safe place to learn and play, and an outlet to express their emotions.

Cycle of educational achievement is another key factors and across countries with available data, children born to mothers who have completed secondary education and above are nearly five times more likely to attend an early childhood education programme than children whose mothers have completed only primary education or have no formal education.

In 2017 an average of 6.6 per cent of domestic education budgets globally are dedicated to pre-primary education, with nearly 40 per cent of countries with data allocating less than 2 per cent of their education budgets to this sub-sector. Across the Eastern and Southern Africa region (ESAR), governments on average dedicate 1.8 per cent of their education budgets to pre-primary education.
 
“If today’s governments want their workforce to be competitive in tomorrow’s economy, they need to start with early education,” said UNICEF Zambia Representative, Noala Skinner.

“If we are to give our children the best shot in life to succeed in a globalized economy, leaders must prioritize, and properly resource, pre-primary education.”
 
UNICEF is urging governments to make at least one year of quality pre-primary education universal and a routine part of every child’s education, especially the most vulnerable and excluded children.

To make this a reality, UNICEF urges governments to commit at least 10 per cent of their national education budgets to scale up early childhood education and invest in teachers, quality standards, and equitable expansion.