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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.
Zambia are tied on points with their 2019 AFCON Group K penultimate round qualifier hosts Mozambique who lost away today in Namibia.
Mozambique lost 1-0 in Windhoek to suffer back-to-back defeats to Namibia in Group K heading into the critical penultimate stage games on November 16.
Namibia earlier beat Mozambique 2-1 away in Maputo on October 13.
Peter Shalulile scored in the 78th minute winner to put Namibia one match away from the 10 point threshold needed to secure qualification for next year final with a match to spare.
Namibia are second only on goal difference to leaders Guinea Bissau whom they hosts next month in a top two clash in Windhoek tied on 7 points.
Mozambique is third on 4 points, level with bottom placed Zambia.
The maths is now simple for Zambia who must win away in Maputo and at home against Namibia on March 22 to stand a chance of finishing in the top two to qualify for the finals in Cameroon next June.
Next years AFCON has been expanded from a sixteen to a 24 team tournament that will see the top two from each of the eleven groups qualify to the finals.
So far, Madagascar, Egypt and Tunisia had by press time qualified with two matches to spare.
A trade expert has called on African countries to expedite and conclude modalities on negotiations for the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Trade Law Centre (TRALAC) Executive Director Trudi Hartzeberg says the ratification of the AfCFTA is paramount in boosting trade and regional integration among African countries.
Ms.Hartzeberg expressed concern that intra African exports account for only 17 percent of the total Africa exports, adding that the situation has limited the capacity to grow their trade volumes within the continent.
Ms Hartzeberg said this in an interview with ZANIS in Capetown today on the sidelines of a two day media training workshop on trade and integration reporting.
She noted that currently, countries on the African continent work in segmentation by belonging to different regional trade blocks and custom unions without harmonizing their trading system.
“We just have so many trade blocks and custom union with different trade tariffs, and some of these tariffs are high in countries that do not belong to one economic community,” she explained.
She stated that the situation has also resulted in many trade barriers as each block and custom union has its on tariffs and rules according to country of origin.
The TRALAC Executive Director added that this is why it is important for African countries to work towards harmonising and addressing all barriers that affect the smooth facilitation of trade among countries by ratifying the AfCFTA agreement.
Ms.Hartzeberg cited delays at border points, different tariffs on goods such as import duty as some of the challengers that affect intra trade in Africa.
She explained that addressing these challengers will go a long way in improving border standards therefore making the continent attractive and competitive to the world market, adding that this will enhance investment potential.
And TRALAC Associate Gerhard Erasmus stressed that they was a desperate need for intra African trade, by advancing the procedures used, to boost trade among countries.
Professor Erasmus pointed out that good trade governance is key in increasing trade volumes in intra trade.
“Intra trade is an important route to creating employment and advancing development but it is not easy to achieve this as there is need to not only reduce tariffs but also do alot of trade facilitation, improved customs procedure among others,” he said.
He added that better transport and transparent laws must be a comprehensive procedure for better trade governance.
AfCFTA is an integration initiatives aimed at creating a single continental market for goods and services in Africa, with free movement of business persons and investments.
Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya says government is happy with strides made towards the reduction of new HIV infections.
Dr. Chilufya said this in Lusaka today during the Zambia’s 8th Health Research three day Conference under the theme “Breaking new ground in health research: moving from results to implementation-without leaving anyone behind”.
Dr. Chilufya said government with collaboration from other stakeholders remains committed towards ensuring that HIV cases drop drastically.
He said the cases are reducing because of the positive political will and environment which has changed the way people look at the epidemic.
Dr. Chilufya said the ministry has made progress in ensuring that many people are tested and treated, should they be found positive.
He said statistics of those being tested has increased from 70 percent to the current 86 percent.
Dr. Chilufya said government has also made strides in the reduction of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTC) from 15 percent to 6 percent.
He said the ministry’s goal is also to ensure that they eliminate Syphilis and HIV in new borns, in order to reduce the level of transmission.
Dr. Chilufya further said all these interventions will be achieved through the effective use of the community health approach.
Speaking earlier UNAids Representative Kenneth Mwansa says Aids is not over in Zambia but that it can be controlled.
Dr. Mwansa said this is one of the biggest gathering on HIV in Zambia, bringing together government departments as well as civil society organisations.
He said nearly nine hundred thousand people in Zambia are on ART treatment while three hundred thousand are still waiting to be put on treatment.
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has directed all outdoor advertising agents in the city to take down all politically branded billboards by October 26th, 2018.
The authority has raised concern with the number of outdoor advertising agents who still have politically branded advertisements displayed, years after the country last held its elections, contrary to the Electoral Code of Conduct (2016) under Regulation 4(1) (g).
This is according to a press statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Lusaka City Council (LCC) Public Relations Manager George Sichimba.
Mr. Sichimba said the council has also directed outdoor advertising agents to label all their billboards for easy identification by the planning authority.
He noted that the local authority has observed with great concern the increased number of political billboards within the city despite several reminders to agents about the need to have their billboards labelled.
Mr. Sichimba explained that the situation has made it difficult for the council to execute its duties as identifying owners of these billboards is a challenge.
He stated that the LCC has equally given a deadline of October 26, 2018 for all affected agents to label their billboards with company names and billboard identification numbers.
Mr. Sichimba warned that failure to comply with the detective will result in the removal of billboards as provided for in Condition (iii) of the notification of approval.
He added that after the deadline, the council will embark on a massive removal of illegal billboards and unlabeled ones will be deemed as such.
The Zambian central bank said on Oct. 12 that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin aren’t legal tender, cautioning that those transacting in such will have no one to blame in the event of market failure.
It appears that the bank issued the decree because, as a traditional issuer of the depreciating local fiat unit, the kwacha, it has a responsibility to promote its own currency.
The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) understands that it neither has the power nor the legal backing to shut down the nascent cryptocurrency market in the southern African country. It would need parliament to amend the law that enabled its establishment for BoZ to be able to claim any authority over cryptocurrency investments or trading.
“The bank has no legal provision for regulation of the (digital currency) market,” Chibamba Kanyama, a Zambian economist, told news.Bitcoin.com. Kanyama said: “The crypto market developed well after the BoZ Act was instituted and there has been no effort on the part of government to revise it. Even if the act was revised, the bank would end up being publicly liable for something that is outside its domain. This means the BoZ is in order to provide this disclaimer and guidance to the Zambian market.”
On Friday, the Zambian central bank issued a statement warning people using or trading cryptocurrency that they were doing so at their own risk and would have no recourse to any regulatory authority in the event of theft or fraud. It said that though bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies retained “some monetary characteristics, such as, being used as a means of payment on a person to person basis, cryptocurrencies are not legal tender in Zambia.”
On its charge sheet, the Zambian financial regulator accused virtual currencies of increasing the risk of “money laundering, financing activities of terrorism and general consumer protection risks such as fraud and hacking.” These claims are based on the actions of regulators from elsewhere, and not the bank’s own investigations.
Citing a section of the BoZ Act which “vests the right to issue notes and coins exclusively” to it, the bank said it “does not oversee, supervise nor regulate the cryptocurrency landscape. Consequently, any and all activities related to the buying, trading or usage of cryptocurrencies are performed at owner’s risk.”
Desperate Zambians Look for Safe Haven
The Zambian crypto market is only just starting to take off and there is no known digital currency exchange operating inside the country. Most Zambians buy their digitals coins peer-to-peer or from online exchanges domiciled elsewhere around the world, using globally accepted bank cards. The country’s Securities and Exchange Commission has said virtual currency could neither be classified as a security nor commodity according to existing national laws. It warned people against dealing with self-proclaimed cryptocurrency educators and advisors.
Chibamba Kanyama, the Zambian economist, said there is a sense of desperation fueled by worsening economic conditions, which is pushing people towards safe havens like cryptocurrency. “Zambians have been desperate on profitable investment vehicles for lack of a liquid stock market,” he explained.
“Others are seeking for high interest or high yield investment vehicles from across the country such as offshore accounts. This is because interest rates on savings from commercial banks are below the inflation rate. The crypto market is the latest one and seems to have attracted a number of investors, some of them civil servants and retirees seeking to reinvest their pensions,” Kanyama added.
A Central Bank Seeking Relevance
The Bank of Zambia, which joins a long list of African central banks to warn against crypto, said it felt compelled to speak because of observable rising public interest in virtual money. It also intended “to safeguard the interests of members of the public and to maintain the integrity of the financial system.”
Bitcoin’s often wild swings have not endeared it to global financial gurus steeped in tradition. But it was largely a measured and cautious statement by the BoZ, a central bank keen on reasserting its relevance in an economy battered by high foreign debt and a declining local fiat currency.
The Kwacha, recalibrated in 2012 with the removal of three zeroes, has been in free-fall over the past few months. In September, the currency nearly touched a three-year low when it traded at 11.025 against the United States dollar, in a development that induced panic in local markets.
“Regulation should not constrain but enable innovation,” said the BoZ, clearly wishing to avoid the examples of neighboring Zimbabwe and Namibia, which have altogether banned cryptocurrency. “[We] will continue to actively monitor all developments [in the crypto markets],” it said.
First Lady Esther Lungu greets residents in Pambashe Constituency in Kawambwa District
First Lady Esther Lungu says she has passion to uplift the living standards of women in the country.
Mrs. Lungu said this has prompted her not to stay in State House but go round the countryside to interact and appreciate the living conditions of marginalized people especially women and the young girls.
Addressing women clubs at Chitotela village in Kabanse ward of Pambashe constituency in Kawambwa district this afternoon, Mrs. Lungu said she wants to see that women are empowered to stand on their own.
She has encouraged women to work hard and become self-reliant than just depend on their husbands and handouts for survival.
Mrs. Lungu who was accompanied by Pambashe area Member of Parliament, Ronald Chitotela also donated cash and food stuffs, text books and health materials to women clubs, schools and rural health centres respectively.
The first Lady also urged parents and guardians not to force their girl children into early marriages but allow them go to school.
She noted that the future development of the country lies in the youth.
And area Member of Parliament Ronald Chitotela has assured President Edgar Lungu of maximum support from the people in his constituency.
Mr Chitotela who is also Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister says the people of Pambashe were totally behind the leadership of President Lungu because of the many development projects he has initiated in the constituency.
Mrs. Lungu was showered with gifts and a bull by the people of Pambashe in appreciation for the good work she was doing and as the first sitting First Lady to visit the area.
President Edgar Lungu has assured investors and the business community that Zambia is always ready to receive investors from any part of the world.
And the President Lungu has implored the business community, diplomatic corps and all Zambians in general to ignore the heightened campaign which has been calculated to undermine the economy.
President Lungu said his government’s resolve is to overcome the lies that have been expressly designed to hurt the Zambian economy.
He stated that government’s management of the economy and public finances is based on laid down systems and guided by sound fundamentals.
“We shall see off all these lies and innuendos. Our management of the economy and public finances is based on laid down systems and guided by sound fundamentals. Let me take this opportunity to assure all other investors that Zambia is open, safe and ready to receive any investor from any part of the world,” the President emphasized.
The Head of State was speaking in Lusaka today during the official opening of TOTAL Zambia’s new headquarters in Northmead.
The President said his government has no reason to doubt the intentions of the French multi-national company, TOTAL Zambia, because of its global sound reputation.
He said the country is grateful that TOTAL has continued to invest in Zambia where it occupies a commanding height in the energy sector.
President Lungu also expressed gratitude that the company decided to keep their operations intact in Zambia while other major international oil marketing companies decided to move to other regions few years ago.
The President is pleased that TOTAL Zambia has invested over 30 million United States dollars in the last three years to expand and modernise its facilities such as the fuel depots in Lusaka, and service stations across the country in order to meet the increasing energy demand, as well as enhance service delivery to customers.
And TOTAL Zambia Chairman Pierre Yves-Sachet said his company is proud to be part of the developmental agenda of Zambia.
Mr. Yves-Sachet said the investments that his company has made in Zambia are a positive contribution to economic activities and the development of the country.
“As TOTAL we fully appreciate that energy is a key driver in the economic development of the country and our commitment remains to make energy available and accessible industry and as many people as possible and this is central to our core business, said Mr Yves-Sachet.
The TOTAL Zambia Chairperson also disclosed that in response to the call for diversification in the energy sector, his company has embarked on the construction of the first ever solar powered service station and is also involved in scaling up of solar projects in the country.
He said his company is working on the first ever wind farm in Pensulo, Northern Zambia which is expected to produce 130 megawatts at a cost of 250 million United States dollars.
The proposed hippo cull in Zambia’s world-renowned Luangwa Valley has a dodgy tender process at its core and appears to be an attempt by Zambian Government to cover up a contract-gone-wrong.
This is according to a source close to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), saying the Department was sued by Mabwe Adventures Limited, the hunting company contracted to execute the cull. A recent court ruling in Mabwe’s favour fueled the Department’s sudden backtracking on its 2016 anti-cull decision in order to avoid paying compensation, the source says.
Zambian Minister of Tourism and Arts Charles Banda confirmed that a contract entered into with Mabwe Adventures in 2015 was still valid, even though operations of the then Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) were taken over by the DNPW under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts.
The contract was awarded to Mabwe under suspicious circumstances. Zambia’s 2017 Parastatal Report notes not only an irregularity with the Mabwe tender, but also confirms that a sum of 81 108 Kwacha (about R110 000) was paid to ZAWA by Mabwe.
The report instructed ZAWA, now the DNPW, “to desist from willfully disregarding Government procedures [and] to submit the report of the hippo culling exercise indicating the number of hippos culled as well as the supporting documentation showing the amounts paid to ZAWA for audit verification, after which the matter is recommended for closure.”
The local Luangwa Safari Association (LSA) also raised concern over the suspicious tender in a letter to the Ministry of Tourism and Arts last year, saying local safari authorities and associations weren’t “aware of any public Tender Advertisement for culling of hippos”. According to the DNPW source, local wildlife authorities within the Luangwa region are still working to void the culling contract for not following the legal channels, and for not considering any scientific of conservation management research.
The decision to cull will effectively allow South African trophy hunters into the world famous Luangwa Valley to hunt at least 1250 animals – 250 hippos annually for the next five years until 2022.
According to Banda, the “reason for [the] culling of hippos is to control the hippo population on the Luangwa River so as to maintain a suitable habitat for other aquatic species and wildlife in general.” An outbreak of anthrax, combined with low rainfall, also contributed to the DNPW’s decision to cull.
Scientists including those from Zambia’s own Wildlife Authority disagree.
A paper published in the International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation in 2013 by Dr Chansa Chomba, who headed up the Department of Research, Planning, Information and Veterinary Services for ZAWA at the time, concluded that culls are ineffective in controlling hippo populations. In fact, the research found that culling rather stimulated the population growth in Luangwa.
“The act of culling removes excess males and frees resources for the remaining females, leading to increased births […] rather than suppressing population growth rate”, the scientific and peer-reviewed research states.
The claim of an ‘anthrax threat’ also falls short. Local conservation groups say “there is little evidence that culling will have any effect on a seasonal resurgence of anthrax. In a year when rainfall levels and vegetation growth have been normal, there is no proof that a cull of healthy animals would prevent any future anthrax outbreaks.”
Hunting authorities in the region are concerned, saying the “so-called cull is in direct contrast with all safari hunting concessions along the Luangwa Valley.” According to the Safari Hunting Concession agreement, stakeholders are not legally allowed to invite external parties into their territories for commercial hunting.
Mabwe Adventures founder and owner Leon Joubert states, however, that the hunting of the hippo would effectively be taking place in the river, which isn’t within the boundaries of the National Park or hunting concessions. He states that “if the National Parks want to hunt in the National Park, they can hunt in the river.”
The precedent set by this mass-slaughter in a supposedly protected National Park will blur the boundaries of conservation efforts in the National Parks of not only Zambia, but the rest of Africa. “The negative consequences for thousands of hippo and Zambia’s reputation as a wildlife tourism destination cannot be underestimated,” Born Free warns.
Marcel Arzner, a frequent and long-term photographic safari client who has spent thousands over the past three years on trips to the region, cancelled his upcoming visit due to the cull. “My cancelation will be followed by many others. The negative impact on Zambia’s tourism industry will be disastrous”.
Hippos are currently listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Umlilo Safaris, a South African hunting company, is currently advertising the hunt to clients on behalf of Mabwe Adventures, Joubert confirms. The company boasts how clients can shoot five hippos per trip and keep the animals’ tusks. Each hunter will be charged up to $14 000 for five hippos, according to their Facebook site.
Banda and the Zambian Tourism Ministry has provided no adequate justification for the cull, spuriously condemning conservation NGO’s for not opposing the actions during a previous hunting spree from 2011 to 2016.
All Peoples Congress APC President Nason Msoni has accused Republican President Edgar Lungu of having betrayed and neglected Zambians.
Msoni said people had hope and trust in President Lungu hence wholeheartedly gave him an opportunity to govern this country, which has proved negative due to his failure to govern.
“The catalogue of willful wrongdoing and crimes committed by this President against the people of Zambia is too voluminous to singularly itemise them all. It’s simply not working for the overwhelming majority of our people. Poverty has skyrocketed to very unprecedented levels.”
Msoni pointes at the increasing debt levels, crumbling economy among other economic challenges as evidence of failure by Republican President Lungu and his government under the Patriotic Front.
“Our Country is bleeding and its bludgeoned economy is hemorrhaging at a very fast rate. Indebtedness has overwhelmingly crippled our capacity to pay back loans, recklessly contracted and pedaled by unbridled greed for personal gain. An economic disaster is clearly looming and hovering on the horizon,” he adds.
The APC leader further stated that this is not what Zambians need for themselves and children.
“The lack and deficit of leadership in the nation are too apparent to be ignored by its citizenry,” he claims.
Msoni has since asked Zambians to consider giving him an opportunity to govern this country in the fourth coming 2021 elections.
“Countrymen and women I am running for the office of President of the Republic of Zambia recognising the urgency and the need for disciplined and credible leaders desperately needed to fill up the credibility gap,” he said.
Christian Coalition Secretary General Dr. Paul Mbulo says they will not participate in the day of National Prayer and Fasting which will be held on 18th October.
Dr Mbulo said this is because the event is more political and has failed to meet the aspirations of Ephesians 4:3 on making every effort to keep the unity of the Nation through the bond of peace.
He said it’s time Zambia learnt from the United States how to mark this important event.
He said in the US where the National Day of Prayer started in 1952, it has helped build bridges between opposing persons and political parties.
Dr Mbulo noted that prayer can bring unity in Zambia if only the day of National Prayer, fasting and reconciliation is held after political leaders have reconciled and they all participate in this important event.
Dr. Mbulo added that Government should allow the Church to take the lead and invite Christians and not cabinet office.
He said his organisation has since directed their members to use this day to educate Christians within their constituencies on the importance of voting in 2021.
