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Lawyer Kelvin Fube Bwalya has revealed his ambitions to challenge President Edgar Lungu as PF Presidential candidate for the 2021 General elections at the Party’s convention next year.
Mr. Fube has maintained that the PF Government under the current leadership has turned away from the principals of Party Founder late President Michael Sata such as lower taxes and putting more money in people’s pockets.
He said this has resulted in more suffering and increased poverty especially in rural areas which he intends to correct.
Speaking to Radio Phoenix in Mansa, Mr. Fube said Zambia is a Democratic Country and no one should be demonized for aspiring to become President.
“We must be careful even as you say KBF is an enemy, an enemy for what? Having an ambition does not make me an enemy”, He said.
Meanwhile, Confusion has continued to characterize the Patriotic Front intraparty elections on the Copperbelt.
Two weeks ago the elections in Kitwe saw an exchange of punches. Later the confusion surfaced in Ndola Central Constituency Twapia ward.
Kansenshi ward Chairperson Collins Kamala said it is unfortunate that the people that worked hard for the party for so long were sidelined.
He claimed that people from the UPND have been allowed to invade the party.
According to Mr Kalala, the ongoing intraparty elections had been hatched as a scheme to bar anyone from contesting claiming they are not loyal members.
He maintains that there is no way, the old members can be kicked out.
And the members said some officials banned because they have moved from Kansenshi ward.
They have since given a timely warning to the party leadership that they would opt to vote of other party’s if they continued to sideline them.
Recently Copperbelt Province PF Chairman Stephen Kainga said intra-party elections should not divide the ruling party.
There was another near punch up in Chingola yesterday during the ward elections which some officials have charged that the registered has been manipulated.
Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe has said that engagement between Government and the IMF have continued through staff visits, with one upcoming in the 1st week of November 2018 for a possibility of an IMF Supported Programme.
Mrs Mwanakatwe noted that Government has continued its engagement with other multilateral organisations such as the African Development Bank and World Bank in their support to private sector development.
And Mrs. Mwanakatwe said that Government is committed to enhancing economic governance through prudent financial management noting that that No Public Funds, whether donor or Government, will be allowed to be misused.
The Minister also said Government is in full control of its debt and is addressing vulnerabilities of its debt profile through taking several measures that include the reduction of non-concessional financing and renegotiating of some loans on its portfolio.
The annual Inflation rate for the month of October has increased to 8.3 percent from 7.9 percent recorded in September 2018.
Acting Director of Census and Statistics Goodson Sinyenga explained that the increased inflation rate entails that prices for goods and services increased by 8.3 percent between October 2017 to October 2018.
Mr Sinyengasays the increase in inflation is mainly attributed to the purchase of vehicles, fuels, lubricants and passenger transportation by air.
He said Lusaka has recorded the highest provincial contribution of 2.6 percentage points to the overall inflation rate of 8.3 percent recorded in October 2018.
Mr Sinyenga further noted that the price movements in Lusaka province had the greatest influence on the overall annual rate of inflation.
He also disclosed that the Copperbelt province had the second highest at 1.5 percent while Luapula and North Western provinces had the lowest at 0.3 percent.
He said this at a media briefing on the CSO monthly bulletin in Lusaka.
Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Kampamba Mulenga says Zambia is producing in excess of 500 metric tonnes of honey per year.
Mrs. Mulenga says her Ministry is to this effect aggressively expanding access to markets in her sector.
She said Zambia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China to supply organic honey to that Country.
She said the market penetration will have a multiplier effect that will result in economic empowerment among Zambians especially in rural areas with emphasis on women and youth empowerment.
She further says China has been given organic honey for further testing in readiness for export.
Speaking on arrival in India, Mrs. Mulenga said she is in the Asian sub-continent to attend the International Agro Trade and Technology Fair to expand the markets.
Mrs. Mulenga said farmers in Zambia and across the world are producing enough but have not had maximum access to quality markets.
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga says India has a lot to offer in terms of markets, mechanization as well as research and development.
Mrs. Kapijimpanga said the Zambian Mission in India is happy that a cabinet minister has visited India as it can help in pushing for an MoU with India on agricultural mechanization.
Zamtel CEO Mr Sydney Mupeta shakes hands with ZRA Commissioner General Mr Kingsley Chanda during a joint news briefing.
State owned telecommunications company Zamtel in partnership with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has announced the launch of a mobile tax payment system using Zamtel Kwacha.
The move will see Zamtel customers remit all their domestic taxes such as Turnover Tax, Base Tax, Income Tax, VAT, Withholding Tax and Pay As You Earn via the Zamtel Kwacha platform.
Other tax types covered under this innovation include Property Transfer Tax, Mineral Royalty, medical Levy Tax, Presumptive Tax and Insurance Premium Levy.
All taxpayers will be required to use the Zamtel Kwacha short code *344# and insert their TPIN.For each successful transaction, customers will receive a notification.
The mobile tax payment platform will also be used to capture millions of informal sector players such as Marketeers and Small Scale Traders by the Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) who have been engaged by the ZRA to act as a tax agent in the collection of base tax.
The appointment of ZANAMACA as a sole tax agent is in line with a Statutory Instrument issued on 15th June 2018 by the Ministry of Finance on the collection of base tax in the informal sector.
Announcing the partnership, Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Sydney Mupeta stated that the new tax electronic payment system which will go live in the next few days will enhance customer convenience and promote tax compliance by a vast majority of taxpayers.
“We are excited about this partnership with ZRA as it again demonstrates that Zamtel has the capacity and necessary platforms that can drive economic transformation. We are confident that our customers will enjoy paying their taxes as this will now be done conveniently from their devices using Zamtel Kwacha,” Mr. Mupeta stressed.
“Our Zamtel Kwacha platform is a rapidly growing channel which many of our customers are now using to make payments for services and utilities and being able to remit base tax through this unique platform will surely be a game changer,” he added.
And ZRA Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda revealed that the partnership is expected to capture millions of taxpayers.
Mr. Chanda said the move further demonstrates ZRA’s resolve to fully adopt the use of latest technology in tax administration.
“We are happy to partner with Zamtel on this initiative which will go a long way in boosting revenue collection. We are in the process of announcing similar initiatives with other market players in order to strengthen efforts to improve tax compliance and collection,” Mr. Chanda said.
This is according to a joint statement issued by Zamtel and ZRA.
High level Captains of industry, investors, and business entities have gathered at the Protea Wanderers in Illovo in Johannesburg under the auspices of the Zambia-South Africa Business Forum.
The event is being held to woo multi sectoral investors to Zambia.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba said he is pleased with the huge turn-out by credible investors.
Mr. Mwamba said President of the World Farmers Organisation, Dr. Theo De Yager is leading a group of commercial investors in the agriculture sector.
Also, present is Zambia’s Northern Province Administration led by Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga who are using the opportunity to market the upcoming expo for the province.
Mr. Mwamba who said the forum is a 3rd Invest in Zambia series is excited with the number investments being directed to Zambia as a result of the event.
And Mark Gobie, Managing Director of Liberty Life Insurance Zambia said Zambia is one of the best countries to invest in.
He stated that his company has made the best decision to invest in Zambia as the climate, the rule of law and investment eco-system is one of the best in the world.
Meanwhile, Northern Province Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga has appealed to South African Investors especially in Agriculture, Tourism and Harbour facilities to take advantage of the excellent Investment climate in Zambia particularly Northern Province in particular.
He told the meeting that the Northern Province has a unique Investment Profile with a combination of excellent resource endowment for Agriculture and Agro-processing, tourism and an energy mix comprising, hydro, Solar and wind energy generation.
File:President Edgar Lungu, Chilanga Constituency PF Candidate Maria Langa and General kanene during a rally at Chinjanja Primary School to campaign for PF candidate Maria Langa in Chilanga Constituency 02-06-2018. Picture by ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS
Police in Lusaka have detained musician Clifford Dimba popularly known as general Kanene for alleged indecent Assault.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo who confirmed the development said Kanene 32 is alleged to have repeatedly touched the victims’ breasts against her will as she was waiting for her food.
Mrs. Katongo said the victim is a 26 year old female of old Kanyama Compound in Lusaka and the incident is reported to have happened at a bar in Makeni Villa on 16th October, 2018 around 20:00 hours.
She said the suspect was arrested yesterday and is detained in Police custody.
President Edgar Lungu in July 2015 pardoned Kanene, who was convicted in 2014 for defiling a 14 year old girl and sentenced to serve 18 years.
He was pardoned after serving one year and was appointed as ambassador in the fight against gender-based violence in Zambia by the Head of State.
However, a week after his release from prison and despite his new role as ambassador against gender violence, Kanene was charged with assaulting his wife.
Photographs of the woman’s swollen face and fractured hand were published in the media and her efforts to have him sent back to jail proved futile as he was released by Police at Kabwata Police Station in Lusaka.
In October, Dimba was again arrested and charged for assaulting another woman in a pub and was released on bail.
1.Minister of Defence Davies Chama Hoisting the Zambian Flag at Lusaka Show Grounds during the hoisting of the flag ceremony
2.Minister of Defence Davies Chama Hoisting the Zambian Flag at Lusaka Show Grounds during the hoisting of the flag ceremony
3.Minister of Defence Davies Chama observe the moment silent shortly after Hoisting the Zambian Flag at Lusaka Show Grounds during the hoisting of the flag ceremony
4.Minister of Defence Davies Chama observe the moment silent shortly after Hoisting the Zambian Flag at Lusaka Show Grounds during the hoisting of the flag ceremony
5.President of Zimbabwe,Emmerson Mnangagwa is welcomed by Lusaka Mayor.Miles Sampa at freedom statue for wreath laying ceremony in Lusaka.
6.President Edgar Lungu and his counterpart,President of Zimbabwe,Emmerson Mnangagwa at freedom statue for wreath laying ceremony in Lusaka.
7.President of Zimbabwe,Emmerson Mnangagwa after laying the wreath at freedom statue in Lusaka.
8.President of Zimbabwe,Emmerson Mnangagwa is welcomed by former fourth President of Zambia,Rupiah Banda at freedom statue for wreath laying ceremony in Lusaka.
9.President Edgar Lungu and his counterpart,President of Zimbabwe,Emmerson Mnangagwa at freedom statue for wreath laying ceremony in Lusaka.
10.President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe cuts the independence cake with President Edgar Lungu
11.President Edgar Lungu serves Dr Kenneth David Kaunda the Independence cake on the occasion of the 54th Zambia Independence Day Anniversary Celebrations.
12.President Edgar Lungu decorates Christopher Kajimbala with The Order of Distinguished service first division to be Grand Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service during the Investiture ceremony on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018
13.President Edgar Lungu decorates Prof Dickson Mwansa with The Order of Distinguished Service first division to be Grand Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service during the Investiture ceremony on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza
14.President Edgar Lungu decorates Michael Kelly with The Order of Distinguished Service, first division to be Grand Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service during the Investiture ceremony at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018
15.President Edgar Lungu bestows The President Insignia of Honour on Jere Ntembeni Madzimawe (Chief Madzimawe) on the occasion to mark Zambia’s 54th Independence anniversary at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/State House
16.President Edgar Lungu bestows The President Insignia of Honour on Sister Celestine Daly on the occasion to mark Zambia’s 54th Independence anniversary at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/State House
17.President Edgar Lungu bestows The President Insignia of Mercy on Augustine Mwila on the occasion to mark Zambia’s 54th Independence anniversary at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/State House
18.President Edgar Lungu pose for an official photograph with recipients of Honours and Awards on the occasion to mark Zambia’s 54th Independence anniversary at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/State House
19.The Seventh Day Adventist Choir perfoms on the occasion to mark Zambia’s 54th Independence anniversary at State House on Wednesday, 24th October, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza/State House
20.Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata (l) share a light moment with Western Province PF Vice Chairperson David Muzhinga (r) during Zambia’s 54th Independence Celebration in Mongu, Western Province.
21.Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata (l) share a light moment with Western Province PF Vice Chairperson David Muzhinga (r) during Zambia’s 54th Independence Celebration in Mongu, Western Province.
22.A guard of honour to Commemorate Zambia’s 54th Independence Anniversary in Mongu, Western Province
23.Mbunga Music Singer Kas Nalu entertains the crowd during Zambia’s 54th Independence Celebration in Mongu, Western Province.
24.First Quantum miners marching along the Independence Highway during the commemoration of 54th Zambia’s Independence anniversary in Solwezi
25.North-Western province minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu (l) is welcomed by regional clinical care specialist Jonathan Ncheengamwa at Solwezi stadium during the 54th Zambia’s Independence anniversary commemoration in Solwezi
26.Part of the crowd that thronged Solwezi Stadium to attended 54th Zambia’s Independence anniversary commemoration in Solwezi on Wednesday.
27.Pupils from Cheshire homes school dancing to a Luvale song called Linga Linga during the 54th Zambia’s Independence anniversary commemoration at Solwezi Stadium
The Lusaka Fast Track Court on Traffic Offences has convicted a Lusaka man for being in possession of equipment used in the production of counterfeit Driver Licenses, contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Magistrate Amy Masoja convicted Christopher Sinyangwe to three years imprisonment with hard labor and has also fined, Mr. Sinyangwe K5, 000 each for two counts of unlawful imitation of Driving License contrary to Section 217 of the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002.
Particulars of the offence are that, Mr. Sinyangwe on unknown dates but between 1st and 24th September 2018, without lawful authority did imitate and produced a Driver’s License in the name of Chrispin Tembo, deemed to have been issued under the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002.
In the second count, Mr. Sinyangwe without lawful authority imitated a Driver’s License in the name of John Mudenda, which was deemed to have been issued under the Road Traffic Act number 11 of 2002.
In the third count, Mr. Sinyangwe while knowingly, had in his custody an HP Central Processing Unit, a Gateway monitor and a printer HP desk jet 2130, instruments used for producing imitated counterfeit Driver’s Licenses.
In passing judgement, Magistrate Masoja said she was sentencing Mr. Sinyangwe in order to stop acts of forgery in society and deter would-be offenders.
The court last week convicted and sentenced two Lusaka residents, Emmanuel Sichilima and Gibbon Lungu to eight months imprisonment with hard labour for attempting to obtain a Driver’s License by false pretence contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Road Transport and Safety Agency Head of Public Relations Fredrick Mubanga said the Agency is elated with the Courts’ judgement as it would serve as a deterrent measure to would be culprits.
On October 20th 2018, Showgrounds main arena was the premier destination for over 10,000 Gospel music-lovers seeking an unforgettable worship experience led by American based Gospel Mega star, Pastor William Mcdowell. The event which was dubbed FREE to Worship also featured chart-topping local gospel acts such as Pompi, Christine, Esther Chungu, MC Wabwino, Rachael and James Sakala among others.
Pastor William led the masses in an unforgettable praise and worship experience with songs like ‘I belong to you’, ‘I surrender all to you’, and ‘I give myself away’ among other powerful songs. He ended his set with an altar call where about 300 people came in response.
William McdowellGospel music-loversMc WabwinoJames SakalaEsther Chungu
About Unstoppable Praise
Unstoppable Praise is an Interdenominational Gospel concert that features some of the best-known musical talents of our time. First setting the bar with American Gospel Artist, Donnie McClurkin, the event is rapidly gaining momentum. The second edition of the event was fittingly themed ‘Free to Worship’ with Pastor William Mcdowell and pulled a crowd of 10,000 worshippers from all over the nation.
Unstoppable Praise, a vision of Pastor Bruce Msidi from Mount Zion Christian Center, is a statement of intent and purpose to show that our praise and worship is unconditional and cannot be hindered by anything or anyone.
The Teaching Service Commission learnt with sadness the leaking of the final examination papers and has commended the Minister of General Education David Mabumba for the quick intervention in the postponement of examinations.
Teaching Service Commission spokesperson Jane Mbambara said examination malpractices compromise the quality of education which in turn would hinder the country’s social and economic development.
Ms. Mbambara has since called for thorough investigations so that perpetrators are brought to book as soon as possible.
She further appealed to teachers who may have any information regarding the leaked examination papers to help the investigative wings in order to continue upholding the values and principles of a teacher as enshrined in part 1 of the Code of Ethics for Teachers.
General Education Minister David Mabumba indefinitely suspended all the 2018, Grade Seven, Nine and 12 examinations following the malpractices.
Mr. Mabumba announced that investigations have also been instituted to ascertain the extent of the alleged malpractice.
The 8th edition of the Zambia Fashion Week was held over three days from 18th to 20th October at New Government Complex.
The Zambian Fashion week has a tremendous help to the countries fashion industry as it highlights the best of the best and give a chance for the upcoming designers to showcase their work to the masses. This years event was a huge success with more than 30 talented local designers getting the opportunity to showcase their collections. The event also had a number of international designers from South Africa , Botswana , Swaziland.
The main sponsors of the event were Amarula, Fortress Media, Rwanda Air, AHF Zambia , Mahogany Air . Other sponsors included Kwatu Kuno Alliance Francaise, Super Java, among others.
This years guest designer was Ituen Bassey from Nigeria. Her Label Ituen Basi pioneers as an iconic expression of enduring sophistication. Her brand is a stylish combination of timeless elegance with a contemporary twist, synonymous with cutting edge design aesthetic.
Among the designers were Emily Mbewe from Swaziland, Blink Designs by Duncan, Kasilitas designs by Kasonde Nkole , Miss Lu designs by Lusungu , Stella Yobe Designs by Stella Yobe Shapi , Moon set by Tamiwe Mugala , Kutowa designs by Towani Clarke , Rency & Mwila Collection , Akazima designs by Agness , Interfashion by Juliet Jacobs , Nkandu Yatu , Nada , from Botswana Thabiso , Rachel from South Africa , Charity Nyirongo of Mo Creations and Couture , Temba , Thandi Alifo and many others.
A glimpse at some of the outfits showcased by the designers :
By Herryman Moono, MSc(Oxford); MSc(Sheffield); BA(UNZA); FRSA; RES; AEA.
The past few days, social media has been buzzing with the news that Oxford University has reclassified all Zambian Universities as well as those of other African countries to college status for the purpose of admission into its Postgraduate programmes. This means that, for one from a Zambian university (both public – like UNZA and Paul Mushindo and private like – like UNILUS and Copperstone) to qualify for Postgraduate studies in a top UK university, they must have a Minimum of a Masters Degree.
A check at Leeds University Business School admission for Postgraduate programmes revealed that while a graduate from a University in Zimbabwe could enter with only a Bachelor’s Degree with an average of 65%, an applicant from a Zambian University must have a Minimum of a Masters’ Degree with an average of 70% on all courses!
This revelation has outraged many Zambians that have criticized UK universities’ strict entry rules. Arguments have ranged from absurd outbursts blaming colonialism to an attack on how ‘weak’ UK education is compared to Zambian education. Some arguments have been on the rather subjective nature of world university rankings which are biased against developing country universities.
I would like to contribute to this debate by highlighting some of the measures that make some universities great and others mediocre when assessed at the world stage. This is not an exhaustive list, and can be subjected to debate.
1. Research Output: A University, beyond learning, should be a source of innovation and inventions. Such can only come from deep academic research by both lecturers and students. The higher the research output, the higher the university rank. However, it isn’t just about the quantity of research, its quality and impact in both academia and the world outside academics matters. For example, with the annual cholera ritual in Zambia in compounds like Kalingalinga, research at the nearby university could have developed a vaccine or any innovative method to prevent the occurrence of this disease. Such research could then be commercialized to raise money for the university and the nation at large. Universities are supposed to be the hub of research and development.
2. Patents: Out of research comes possibly commercially viable projects or innovations which ought to be patented. The higher the number of patents applied for and patents granted the higher the ‘university power’ and the higher its rank. However, as stated, patents are a product of research. Patents can be sold or, with funding, trials of the patented idea can be started to exploit commercial viability.
3. University linked Start-Ups: The Silicon Valley in the USA which is the home of technological innovation is centered around Stanford university not by accident, no, but because graduates from this university set up companies whose success depends on knowledge from the university. Lecturers or students from university can start companies that use the research knowledge from the university. This is what we economists call ‘Knowledge Spill-Over’. The higher the research power of the university, the more start-ups linked to the university will be, and the higher will be its university rankings.
4. Research Income/Endowments: This is linked to 1 – 3 above. Universities with high financial endowments also rank highly. This is no coincidence: Either high funding leads to better research of better research yields high returns from innovations or both. Students from great universities who have ‘made it in life’ usually give back to the university in form of scholarships or research grants. Cecil John Rhodes set up the Rhodes scholarship tenable at Oxford. In 2013, a former Oxford student and Rhodes Scholar donated £75 million to the Rhodes Trust in to continue the scholarship at Oxford University. Such endowments enable universities to develop further and thus rank highly.
5. Quality of Leaning Environment; The learning environment of the university has an impact on its overall ranking. For example, a university with over 5000 students yet has library capacity for less than 3000 students will be ranked low compared to one that has the capacity that meets its students. In the words of Thomas Malthus, this refers to ‘carrying capacity’ – if you have more students than you can attend to, then the quality of their learning will be low. Just like in population studies, when a nation has a larger population than its resources can sustain, the quality of life of such a population deteriorates. If students have to sit on the floor during lectures or that they have to fight for a chair during library hours, then the university’s carrying capacity has been exceeded, and such a university needs further reinvestments or needs to make strict entry requirements to ration its capacity, failure to which it will produce students of low academic and labour market quality.
6. Quality of Lecturers/Teaching Staff; The quality of any output is as good as the inputs. Therefore, the higher the quality of lecturers, the higher the quality of graduates. The quality of lecturers is gauged by their level of education as well as their academic research prowess. A university with lecturers with low levels of education and a low publication record will be ranked poorly than one with the lecturers trained at higher levels and have high impact publication records.
7. Quantity of Lecturers/Teaching Staff; Like quality, the number of teaching staff at a university is key as this has a bearing on how much time they devote to students. Just as worry about teacher pupil ration in primary and secondary school, we also worry about lecturer student ratio in higher education. Universities that have few lecturers for a large number of students are usually ranked low. The argument here is that lecturers tend to be stressed and would not have enough time for student engagement to enhance the learning outcomes of students. Furthermore, with more students across different courses, such a scenario robs lecturers to be specialists as they will have to teach a range of courses, leaving little room for research and innovation.
8. Employability after graduation: This is a very important consideration for many students. The higher the labour market returns to university education, the higher the rank of universities. The performance in the labour market reflects post-graduation can be linked to the quality of education one has, especially in the engineering disciplines where output is more easily ‘visible’. I think even locally in Zambia, there are institutions that will only hire graduates from the University of Zambia and not others. Such practice makes the University of Zambia be highly ranked than others, and by continuously to do so, sustains its high rank.
9. Student Experiences/Disruption of Academic Calendars: This is quite obvious – a university that has few or now disruptions to its academic calendar will be ranked higher than one with persistent closures which affects the length of stay of students at university. Student experiences are also key – are students happy being at university? Are they safe? Does the university offer sufficient counselling and career guidance? What is the status of sports and other extracurricular activities?
10. International students/lecturers attraction: A great university will attract international students and lecturers. The higher your reputation as a university, the more international students and lecturers you will attract. A university that cannot attract international students can safely be deemed not to offer an internationally recognized education, and also loses from the opportunity of learning from others who would work or study there.
There are certainly many other measures one can look at, but just by looking at the above 10, we can see why some universities rank poorly than others. What we also need to appreciate is that these measures are concerned with ‘International Ranking’, rather than local in-country ranking. A university can be the top university in Zambia but would be No. 50 in Africa and No. 5578 in the world. This does not mean that it is not the best, for best, like beauty, is relative.
The Teaching Service Commission has learnt with sadness the leaking of the final examination papers and has commended the Minister of General Education David Mabumba for the quick intervention in the postponement of examinations.
Teaching Service Commission spokesperson Jane Mbambara says examination malpractices compromise the quality of education which in turn would hinder the country’s social and economic development.
Ms. Mbambara has since called for thorough investigations so that perpetrators are brought to book as soon as possible.
She has further appealed to teachers who may have any information regarding the leaked examination papers to help the investigative wings in order to continue upholding the values and principles of a teacher as enshrined in part 1 of the Code of Ethics for Teachers.
General Education Minister David Mabumba indefinitely suspended all the 2018, Grade Seven, Nine and 12 examinations following malpractices.
Mr. Mabumba announced that investigations have also been instituted to ascertain the extent of the alleged malpractice.
However, Socialist Party General Secretary Cosmas Musumali has described as shocking government’s decision to indefinitely suspend the writing of the 2018 exams for grades 7, 9 and 12.
Dr. Musumali has also wondered why such postponed of wring of Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) exams does not happen often.
In a statement to media Dr. Musumali said that as far as he can remember, there has not been a single year that can be described as smooth and fair for over 20 years now during these exams, adding that the problem to the Country’s education system goes beyond leakage of exams papers.
Dr. Musumali said that there is more cheating through unauthorized assistance to candidates during exams which he said was likely involving invigilators and fake candidates hired to write for those able to pay.
Dr. Musumali added that the rampant smuggling of notes, answers, charts and other materials by exam candidates is what further makes a mockery of the entire exam exercise, adding that a political system that encourages and fosters greed and corruption is however what is to blame.
Dr. Musumali said that such a system is unable to manage public pressure for good school results and does not have the inbuilt incentive for adequate investments in education for its citizens and that what Zambia needs is a well-funded public education system based on equity and fairness
Health Professions Council of Zambia Chief Executive Officer Dr. Aaron Mujajati delivering the speech whilst Health Professions Council of Zambia Chief operations Officer Kolala Mulenga (l) and Assistant Registrar-Registration Health Professions Council of Zambia Bwembya Bwalya (r) listens during Health Professions Council of Zambia press briefing at there offices
The Health Professions Council of Zambia has cited and closed down five health facilities in Luanshya, Kitwe and Ndola on the Copperbelt Province for various violations, contrary to the laws of Zambia.
The facilities closed include Section 5 Mine Clinic and Baluba Shaft Mine Clinic both located in Luanshya.
Others are Copperbelt University Clinic in Kitwe, Sinozam Friendship Hospital also in Kitwe and Hilltop Hospital located in Ndola.
The closures come following ongoing inspections by HPCZ officers on the Copperbelt Province who identified a number of violations.
Section 5 Mine Clinic in Luanshya, was discovered stocking and dispensing expired drugs and medical supplies – operating under poor state of infrastructure as well as lack of clinical supervision and had inadequate essential equipment.
Baluba Shaft Mine Clinic – was found to be stocking and dispensing expired drugs and medical supplies, contrary to section 60 sub section 1 of the Medicine and Allied Substances Act number 3 of 2013 of the Laws of Zambia – the facility had poor storage of medicines including mixing food items with medicines in a fridge, HPCZ inspectors further noticed lack of clinical supervision at Baluba Shaft Mine Clinic.
And the clinic has been running an unlicensed ambulance, contrary to section 36 of the Health Professions Act number 24 of 2009.
And Copperbelt University Clinic has been cited for stocking and using/dispensing various expired medical supplies and drugs at multiple points of care including the emergency tray which violates the Medicine and Allied Substances Act.
Sinozam Friendship Hospital was also found to be stocking and dispensing various expired medical supplies and drugs at multiple points of care i.e Outpatient Department treatment room, Emergency room, laboratory, Theatre, labour ward, medical ward and stores, thereby contravening section 60 subsection 1 of the Medicine and Allied Substances Act number 3 of 2013 of the Laws of Zambia. The facility has been offering unlicensed ambulance services, contrary to the Health Professions Act number 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia.
It was further discovered that Sinozam Hospital has been offering unaccredited Anti-retro Viral Treatment services, against provisions of section 36 of the Health Professions Act while Hilltop Hospital’s major violation was stocking and dispensing expired drugs and medical supplies.
Dr. Aaron Mujajati, the Council Registrar said all the five facilities have been closed pursuant to section 50 (1) (a) of the Health Professions Act number 24 of 2009 of the Laws of Zambia which provides that the Council may order closure of a health facility where- “the health facility is violating licence requirements in a manner that presents danger of imminent harm to patients.
He said the health facilities will be charged accordingly for breaching the Health Professions Act and will only be allowed to reopen after the Council is satisfied that corrective measures have been taken to address the violations identified.
