Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Government has with immediate effect indefinitely closed the Natural Resources Development College in Lusaka.
This was after students protested over a new progression system introduced by the college management which prevents students from progressing if they fail one course.
The students fought with Police Officers deployed to restore order at the institution demanding that the decision be reversed with immediate effect.
Zambia National Students Union President Misheck Kakonde confirmed the development saying that the new system entails that students who fail in one course will not be allowed to proceed to the next level of the course.
Government is yet to issue a statement on the matter.
The closure of the College comes barely two weeks after the University of Zambia students rioted over unpaid allowances leaving one student dead.
Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo says government has not issued a ban on the exportation of maize and mealie – meal but only an administrative restrictive measures have been put in place.
Speaking in Parliament during question for oral answer, Mr Katambo says there can only be a ban on the exportation of maize only if government issues a Statutory Instrument.
The Minister says these temporal measures that have been put in place are meant to safeguard the national food basket until government reaches the 500, 000metric tones targeted amount of maize as the 500,000 tones is only restricted to the budgetary allocation.
He says so far government has only managed to buying 167,000 metric tones of maize out of the 500,000 tones.
And when asked by Roan Member of Parliament how the country will sustain its self from the 167,000 metric tones of maize when government has failed to reach the 500,000 tones maize target the Minister has assured the nation that the country the national food basket is safe as the Food Reserve Agency stores maize in the specific reserves that will run the country for three to fours years.
Mr Katambo adds that once the target is met, farmers will be allowed to sale their maize beyond borders but for now they are only free to sale locally and at a price that suits their needs as the maize market is liberalized.
The Minister has indicated that in making sure that the country maintains the available maize stocks, Security Wings have been put at designated areas to make sure that no amount of maize is being exported.
Mr Katambo has also clarified on the issue of why some depots for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) are closed and he says this is because there are no farmers to sale their maize.
In conclusion Mr Katambo has indicated that farmers can still sale their maize to FRA within two weeks and has made an assurance that farmers will be paid their money once the treasury releases funds.
By Nnamdi Oranye
Fintech Author and International Remittances Lead at Standard Bank Group
African economies are well positioned to benefit from rapidly accelerating technological change if they can harness the current open landscape for innovation.
East Africa is already a global leader in mobile payments, while mobile money accounts in sub-Saharan Africa are on an upward charge. Apart from being able to leapfrog the limitations and costs of physical infrastructure, the continent stands to benefit from having the youngest, tech-savvy workforce in the world in the next decade.
Africa’s working age population is expected to grow by 450 million people by 2035, according to the World Bank and the continent is projected to have the largest working population of 1.1 billion by 2034, notes the World Economic Forum on Africa. Recent GSMA data shows that mobile money accounts in sub-Saharan Africa are up 18.4% between 2016-17 to 33.8m registered accounts.
Residents transfer money using the M-Pesa banking service at a store in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday, April 14, 2013. In the six years since Kenya’s M-Pesa brought banking-by-phone to Africa, the service has grown from a novelty to a bona fide payment network. Photographer: Trevor Snapp/Bloomberg via Getty Images
However, we cannot wait 12-15 years before adequate job creating initiatives and policies are unlocked. The answer lies in harnessing the power of the digital economy today to create African solutions for African problems. An important part of this will require promoting and partnering with African innovators to unlock sustainable growth.
We are already witnessing the significant potential of digital innovation in the remittance and mobile wallet space. Penetration of smart phones is expected to hit at least the 50% mark in 2020 from only 2% in 2010, according to the World Economic Forum, offering the continent a clean canvas for tech-based innovation. It is an opportunity we must not miss. These are exciting times and are forcing us to think differently to come up with true Pan African innovation and development.
MFS Africa is a good example of how carefully harnessed and supported technological innovation can have ripple effects through the continent. It now operates the largest digital payments network in Africa and connects over 170m mobile wallets through 100+ partners, including Airtel, Ecobank, MTN, Orange and Vodafone across 55 markets. It has about 15% of the African population connected to a platform.
M-Pesa, launched in Kenya in 2007, is an often-touted example of African technology making waves even outside its own borders. After capturing the local market for cash transfers it has spread to three continents and 10 countries
MicroEnsure, meanwhile continues on the path of developing pioneering insurance solutions for low-income people like micro-health, crop and mobile insurance. These are solutions directly aimed at emerging customers and it is little surprise the company continues new customers by cleverly partnering with telcos.
Access.mobile is another major success story, testing and growing its health innovation offerings for seven years in East Africa. The company works with health systems to hone their communications with patients in lower-income but also in growing areas and it hopped the pond in the opposite direction from most smaller startups and landed one of its first American clients. Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital, a Los Angeles facility that works largely with lower-income Hispanics, was looking for ways to use health data to achieve better outcomes within its population.
These are examples of the role models that will inspire our next generation of innovators. We need more and tech-savvy banks need to continue supporting them as they grasp future opportunities.
Just consider that Findex data shows that sub-Saharan Africa is home to all eight economies where 20 percent or more of adults use only a mobile money account: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Opportunities therefore abound to increase account ownership: up to 95 million unbanked adults in the region receive cash payments for agricultural products, and roughly 65 million save using semiformal methods.
Standard Bank, as Africa’s largest bank by assets, hopes to support even more start-up and tech initiatives across the continent to ensure these opportunities are not lost. We are therefore innovating ourselves at a rapid pace to harness the benefits of the digital age to drive financial services inclusion. Mobile payment solutions like Snapscan is now available at over 25,000 merchants and a vast user network across South Africa. We are setting a new standard in digital payments with the launch of Africa’s first prepaid virtual cards ecosystem, among many other digital innovations.
The future will be about solving genuine customer problems rather than putting a band aid on them. One area in urgent need of change, for instance, is remittances, where Africa is still one of the costliest places in the world to remit payments – fees as high as 10% to 20% are still endured. We need to harness technology to genuinely solve this problem.
Sometimes when we talk about banking in cashless society we look too far out – but we don’t have luxury of time. Knowing your customer (KYC) is about understanding what they need today based on their culture and context and then unlocking the already available data to provide the solution.
Technology, for instance, can solve the unbanked problem on the continent. However, this does not mean you can “plug and play” by taking something that works in one country and expecting it to work in another. Success will increasingly be centred on having a Pan African view of the problem, but local implementation.
The future is certainly bright for Africa as exponential innovation continues to drive change across the continent we call home, disrupts industries and replace legacy technology. It is now time to grasp this opportunity with both hands before the innovation wave passes us by.
Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. The nationwide market for cannabis opened on Wednesday at midnight amid lingering questions about the impact on health, the law and public safety.
The sale of legal recreational marijuana has begun in Canada, making it the second country with a nationwide legal pot market.
The Associated Press reported late Tuesday that retail marijuana sales had begun in Newfoundland, the country’s easternmost province, shortly after midnight local time.
Canadian lawmakers voted in June to approve legal recreational marijuana. The vote ended a 95-year-ban on the substance.
The AP reported that more than 100 legal pot shops are expected to open on Wednesday. Provinces are handling their own regulations for sale, growth and taxation of recreational marijuana, though there will be a nationwide minimum age of at least 18 years old.
Under the new law, Canadians can also order marijuana through the mail.
Some provinces may opt to set the age limit at 19.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada for nearly 20 years.
Canadian officials are also expected to announce their plan to pardon citizens with marijuana possession convictions for 30 grams or less
President Edgar Lungu take the official photo with Economics Association of Zambia Members shortly after the courtesy call at State HouseThe Economics Association of Zambia has denied advocating for a law that bars citizens from commenting on economic issues.
National Secretary Mutisunge Zulu said the Association refutes all accusations, misquotes and exaggerations circulating in the media.
Mr. Zulu said the EAZs mandate is sound economic policy advocacy and as such has proposed for a legislative framework similar to other professions such as law and accounting that will instil discipline and regulate sanity in the faculty.
He explained that this proposal was necessitated by the rise in uninformed pronouncements by individuals purporting to be economists on various platforms especially at a fragile time as this when the nation is weathering an economic storm.
“Misinformation could also have adverse effects that could cause investor panic and nervousness to ultimately hurt the economy of which we are all a part of. However, the Association wishes to clarify that it has never at any instance barred or has plans to bar citizens from commenting on economic issues as one does not need to be an economist to comment on issues in line with freedom of speech”. He said.
Mr. Zulu has urged media houses to consult professionals from institutions such as the Economics Association of Zambia, Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research to clarify on economic and business related issues.
“This is what is pertaining in other professions such as medicine, accounting, engineering and law. Responsible reporting and pronouncements backed by facts, theory or evidence are welcome as EAZ advocates healthy debates as opposed to malicious utterances”. Mr. Zulu added.
He said as stated in its constitution, the EAZ will restrict itself to dealing with business and economic issues by providing independent and impartial advisory to both the state and the nation as a whole.
Chingola Bread of life Church Elder Charles Kalombo will face two counts in his video-cam pornographic scandal.
State Prosecutor Catherine Mubita today October 16, 2018 applied for substitution of the indictment so that Charles Kalombo can now face two counts.
In count one Kalombo would face the offence of making of obscene cinematography film contrary to Laws of Zambia.
In count two, he would face circulating of the same obscene cinematography film with intent to corrupt public morals.
Chingola Resident Magistrate Peggy Banda said the substitution of the indictment is subject to approval by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Banda has given the state 30 days in which to return an approved indictment before court so that trial can commence.
Particulars of the offence are that Kalombo 44, of 54 A Kapele Street had between September 1 and October 4, made and produced an obscene material intending to corrupt public morals.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The matter has been adjourned to November 30 for returning of an approved indictment.
Agriculture Minister Hon. Michael Katambo discusses cassava with Zambian Breweries director of corporate affairs Ezekiel Sekele. Picture by Alex Mukuka.
Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo says government has put an administrative measure on the export of maize outside the country.
Mr. Katambo says the restrictive measure is not a ban but a temporal measure to ensure food security in the nation.
He attributed administrative restriction as due to Food Reserve Agency (FRA) not reaching the strategic national reserve of purchasing 500,000 metric tonnes of maize.
Mr. Katambo noted that Zambia is practising a liberalized market economy to allow the private sector to participate in the purchase of the grain.
Mr. Katambo said government is monitoring the transportation of maize and mealie-meal in the country.
The parliamentarians in the house however received the restrictive measure as a ‘ban’ effected by government.
The Minister was responding to a question raised by UPND Kalomo Central Member of Parliament Harry Kamboni who wanted to find out how many metric tonnes of maize were purchased by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), and whether the agency will meet its target to ensure food security in the country.
And Mr Katambo further urged farmers in the country not to offload the maize on the market unnecessarily.
Meanwhile, Mr. Katambo has disclosed that FRA has so far bought 166, 831 MT as at 11th October, 2018.
The Minister said this translates into 33.4 percent of FRA’s mandate.
Four candidates have successfully filed in their nominations for the Mangango parliamentary by-election set for November 20th.
The candidates are PF’s Goodwin Putu, UPND’s Akakendelwa Mwendoi, Singumbe Kabindama of the United Prosperous and Peaceful ZAMBIA-UPPZ- and National Democratic Congress -NDC’s Yuvwenu Kashandola.
Returning Officer Musangu Chipango declared that the four had filed in proper documentation for the election.
Meanwhile Patriotic Front -PF- Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri is impressed with the unity that has been exhibited by supporters and those that aspired to contest the seat on the PF ticket.
And UPND Campaign Manager Brigadier General Morgan Sitwala said his party will fight to retain the seat.
Meanwhile, all the Candidates have expressed confidence of scooping the seat.
The seat fell vacant following the death of late UPND MP Naluwa Mweene
President Edgar Lungu Praying at the National day of Prayers at Nkana in Kitwe
Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska has once again called upon the nation to observe the National Day of Prayer.
President Edgar Lungu declared 18th October of every year as a public holiday to be observed as a Day of National Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation.
The President made the declaration in Exercise of the powers contained in section 3 of the Public Holidays Act.
The 2018 National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation will therefore be observed as a public holiday this week on Thursday 18th October under the theme “facing the future as a Reconciled, United and Prosperous Nation under God’s Guidance”.
The theme scriptures are 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 19-21 and John Chapter 3 verse 2.
The Nation will observe this important Day on the calendar by participating in the various inter-denominational Prayers organized by the Church at large at Provincial and District levels from 06:00 hours to 18:00 hours to seek the face of God for the Nation.
At the National level, President Lungu will officiate at this year’s commemoration in Kabwe at the Railways Stadium from 09:00 hours to 18:00 hours.
In view of the Public Holiday on 18th October, government is urging all public and private institutions that offer essential services to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid any disruption in the operations.
Furthermore, all activities of entertainment nature should be postponed while bars and food outlets should remain closed between 06:00hours and 18:00hours in order to observe the National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation.
And A Clergyman in Kalulushi has urged political parties in the district not to dress up in political regalia on the day of National Prayer to be held this Thursday.
Kalulushi Ministers Fellowship District Prayer Coordinator Clinton Longwani said this in a statement availed to ZANIS in Kalulushi.
Apostle Longwani said dressing in political regalia can misinterpret the value and importance of the event.
The Apostle, who is also Kingdom Family Ministries Overseer, said the National Day of Prayer is meant to reflect on unity, reconciliation and repentance, hence the need for every participant to be in plain clothes.
He emphasized that praying, fasting and reconciliation goes beyond political and religious boundaries.
The Apostle observed that the country can only achieve meaningful development
and peaceful leadership if its citizenry have strong Christian values.
He further, commended the Head of State for having declared this important day, that since the declaration, the church has witnessed unprecedented unity and reconciliation among politicians and the general public.
Meanwhile, Apostle Longwani has appealed to the general public to turn up in large numbers and attend this important day of national prayer, fasting, repentance and reconciliation.
The organizing committee has since made progress in organizing the event which falls on October 18.
District Commisssioner Ken Siachisumo urged the people in the district to turn out in large numbers to attend and participate in the national prayers.
Mr Siachisumo advised people going for prayers to remain peaceful.
And Nakonde District Commissioner (DC), Field Simwinga has called on people to turn up in large numbers ahead of the National Day of Prayer.
The DC made this call in an interview with ZANIS in Nakonde yesterday.
Mr Simwinga said the District Administration has intensified preparations in conjunction with the Pastors fellowship group.
He further, appealed to political parties not to politicize the day but to be united and pray for our nation.
The DC has called on all political parties not to come in political regalia as everyone should be united and worship as one.
Mr Simwinga has since reminded civil servants to turn up in large numbers and support the President on the day that he set to pray for the nation.
The Republican President has set October 18, as a day of national prayer.
Lusaka Mayor, Miles Sampa helping with works in Lusaka
Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa says the Council has intensified sensitization and awareness in ensuring that Cholera outbreak does not occur in Lusaka upon the first rains.
Mr Sampa said Council Officials are busy passing door to door to verify if everyone has registered for garbage collection and those found in breach will be penalized.
The civic leader disclosed this to ZANIS in an interview yesterday.
Mr Sampa said that in order to fight cholera, the council is on the ground ensuring that all residents in the city have clean drinking water and have chlorine in all public toilets used in bus stations, bars and markets to enhance acceptable health standards for trading places.
“We have been around in all the epicenters such as Kanyama, Mtendere, Misisi and Chipata compounds to remind people not to drink water from shallow wells and if they use water from these wells they should boil it before drinking,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mayor reiterated the desire to decongest the traffic in the city by introduction of communal buses.
“Any city in the world that is thriving do have communal buses which are time bound. You know it’s going to leave Kalingalinga at 10:10 and arrive in town at 10:20 with or without passengers it moves to follow time” he said.
Mr Sampa explained that people can leave their cars home because there is a
reliable bus, that won’t come to replace anybody it’s an open market and we still need the minibuses.
The civic leader disclosed that his Council is in the process of formulating a bus company owned by the council.
He revealed that the Council will procure 70 buses, ten for each constituency in the city.
Mr Sampa said this move will ease the transportation blues in Lusaka.
Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba KambwiliLusaka Magistrate Nsunge Chanda has warned NDC Consultant Chishimba Kambwili that she will not allow herself to be fooled by the accused lawyers in the case in which Kambwili is accused of contempt of court proceedings.
Kambwili is in this case accused of tampering with the evidence in the case in which he is charged with forgery, giving false information to a public officer and uttering false documents.
Magistrate Chanda says her Court should not be used as a circus where lawyers are freely adjourning cases.
The Magistrate said this when the prosecution led by Zacks Yuma informed the court that the case will not take off because the defense have filed a notice of adjournment and an affidavit to the effect that one of the defense lawyers Christopher Mundiya was unwell and on five days bed rest.
Mr Yuma has informed the court that to that effect the prosecution and the defense have agreed that the matter come up on November 20 for mention and December 10 and 16 for continuation of trial.
But in her ruling Ms Chanda says she is disappointed that Kambwili’s lawyers would choose to respect matters before the High Court and fail to represent Kambwili when he is also a client.
She says if the lawyers if they have a lot of cases and are failing to save other clients it is in the best interest of justice for them to handover other matters to other lawyers in accordance with the law practitioners Act.
Magistrate Chanda says cases should not suffer because lawyers gave other matters to attend to because all clients must be treated fairly.
She says she will not put on her record the proposed trial dates not until all lawyers meet on November 20 when the accused is supposed to appear for a mention so that concrete dates can be set up and make sure that the defense come to court on those dates.
” you inform the defense that the December dates will not be put on record, I want all your lawyers to be here on November 20 without fail so that they set the dates for continued trial and no excuses will be accepted”, She has said.
” accused you paid those lawyers to represent the you and if your lawyers are not serious you find other lawyers”, Ms Chanda has said.
Magistrate Chanda however says she has given the defense a benefit of doubt only because of an affidavit from one of the lawyers who is unwell but in the next sitting if they fail to appear the accused will represent himself.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia says it is satisfied with the preparations for the Sipuma local government by-elections which are due next month.
Beatrice Mwala who is Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Master Trainer said ECZ’s role was to adequately prepare for nominations and training of poll staff in the district.
The Trainer said poll staff have since been trained and the best is expected in the field.
Ms Mwala further said the aspiring candidates for the Sipuma Ward Local government by-elections have also been briefed awaiting nomination on 16th October.
She revealed that only two parties, PF and UPND are standing in the forthcoming Sipuma ward local government by-election.
Ms Mwala was speaking during the Stakeholders Nomination Briefing held at Sipuma Nomination Center in Shang’ombo district.
And speaking at the same event District Election Officer, Kamwata Pongo urged stakeholders not to depart from what has been taught.
He said stakeholders must ensure they comply with the guidelines because everything has rules and regulations.
The District Election Officer thanked the Electoral Commission of Zambia staff for the support.
Western Province Permanent Secretary Sibanze Simuchoba (l) with Provincial Forestry Officer Innocent Liswani (c) observing the uprooting of the site during the launch of a Large Scale Commercial Cashew Plantation Establishment (25400 hectors) by Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) through ZAFFICO Limited in Looma Ward in Likonge Nobala Local Forest in Mongu
Western Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Sibanze Simuchoba has called on business houses in Western and North-Western Provinces to team up and explore the abundant trade and investment opportunities in Moxico Province, Angola.
Mr. Simuchoba said Western and North-Western provinces are well positioned to advance business with Moxico in Angola because they share common borders with that province.
He said government in Western province has already mobilized a contractor to work on the Kalabo – Sikongo border town road which when done, will ease transportation of merchandise between Moxico and Western provinces.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Simuchoba said there is also a water canal project being undertaken to facilitate water transport to Angola through Western province.
He also disclosed that government has undertaken a US$50 million cashew nut African Development Bank funded project which will see about six million new cashew nut plants planted in the next five years.
He said cashew nuts are very profitable because one tonne of the produce fetches more money than one tonne of copper.
Mr. Simuchoba said this in Mongu yesterday, when North-Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Douglas Ngimbu and his delegation of business entrepreneurs and Angolan officials paid a courtesy call on him on their way back from the Moxico Province Expo in Angola.
Mr. Ngimbu told the PS that the Moxico provincial administration is very expectant to see Zambians engage themselves in potential trade and investment opportunities in various sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, energy, tourism and others.
Speaking at the same meeting, Angolan Consul General to North-Western Province, Antonio Alberto said the Moxico provincial administration is highly looking forward to see Zambians participate in investments in the province.
Mr. Alberto said Zambians are highly preferred because of the good relationship between the two countries and the vast experiences they have in agriculture, livestock and many other sectors.
Mr Muki Phiri, First Secretary for Legal at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations (UN) delivering Zambia’s statement on Universal Jurisdiction in New York.
Zambia has raised a red flag at the United Nations (UN) against the inconsistent and unpredictable manner in which Universal Jurisdiction is being applied which is causing friction among several Member States.
Zambia has said it is concerned with the application of Universal Jurisdiction especially when such a jurisdiction would appear to be motivated by political considerations.
Muki Phiri, Zambia First Secretary for Legal Affairs to the United Nations said Zambia’s concern is that there seem to be acts of abuse of the international legal process in which some countries have become the target of Universal Jurisdiction.
Mr Phiri has cautioned that the continuous selective prosecution of individuals for alleged Universal Jurisdiction crimes could be globally counter-productive with a potential to undermine the overall fight against impunity.
He told the UN that the question of whether sitting Heads of State and Government or high level officials should be subject to prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) or special tribunals of other territories has remained unresolved partly due to the unpredictable manner the Universal Jurisdiction is being applied.
Delivering Zambia’s statement at the ongoing 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the Scope and Application of the Principle of Universal Jurisdiction, Mr Phiri stated the need to clearly establish the relationship between the Rome Statute and the application Universal Jurisdiction to escape abuse of the international law.
“The continuous selective prosecution of individuals for alleged Universal Jurisdiction crimes may prove counter-productive and has the potential to undermine the overall fight against impunity.
The question of whether sitting Heads of State and Government and high level officials may be subject to prosecution in the International Criminal Court (ICC) or special tribunals of other countries even when a country is not a State Party to the Rome Statute remain unresolved.
Zambia therefore is concerned with the inconsistent and unpredictable manner in which the Universal Jurisdiction has been applied which has caused friction among Member States,” Mr Phiri said.
Mr noted that it is universally agreed that, where specific criteria are satisfied in the application of Universal Jurisdiction, serious crimes clearly prohibited by international law should attract Universal Jurisdiction under customary international law.
He explained that Universal Jurisdiction seeks to promote global accountability by bringing perpetrators to justice as nations are under obligation to punish or repress serious violations to avoid respective territories from being used as de facto safe havens for perpetrators of crimes.
Mr Phri observed that Zambia is conscious that the international community cannot rely on mere goodwill of States to guarantee the prosecution of perpetrators of crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity hence the need for the universal application of international law.
He stated that crimes such as genocide, slavery and torture are of exceptional gravity and required appropriate legal framework that would compel Member States to either extradite or prosecute.
Mr Phiri said it should therefore not be mandatory that Member State should ensure the domestication of relevant treaties or enactment to the expansion of Universal Jurisdiction statutes.
He told the UN that Zambia has ratified and domesticated a number of Treaties such as the SADC Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance, the SADC Treaty of Extradition and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crimes among others.
