Kabushi Member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo says he is highly disappointed with the pace at which works under the Kafubu Sustainable Water and Sanitation Improvement Project are moving.
The project is funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) in partnership with the Zambian government at a total cost of K104 million.

The project was commenced in 2016 and is supposed to be completed this year.

But Mr. Lusambo who is also Lusaka Province Minister says the Kafubu Water and sewerage company has failed to work according to expectations of government.

He says the K104 million project which is supposed to address water and sanitation challenges affecting the people of Kabushi is way behind schedule.

Mr Lusambo charged that Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company has failed to execute the project as expected.

The Kabushi lawmaker has since resolved to engage the permanent secretary for water and sanitation and the Director at Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company to get to the bottom of the issue.

“We need to understand why Kafubu is failing to execute this project. The financing for this project has been secured and a contractor was engaged. When President Lungu toured this project earlier in the year, he was assured that the pipes will be connected the following week but up to now, nothing is happening and the contractor is not even on site,” Mr Lusambo complained.

He added, “It appears Kafubu has capacity issues which we need to address if this project is to move. It is worrying because the same Kafubu is in charge of another even bigger project, the Kafulafuta dam project and I wonder if they will manage.”

Mr Lusambo has since suggested that government immediately undertakes a thorough inspection of the Kafulafuta dam project to avoid similar delays.
He said with the rainy season fast approaching, it is critical that Kafubu Water expedites works on the project and ensure that water and sanitation situation improves in Kabushi

Zambian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Emmanuel Chenda says Zambia remains hopeful that Zimbabwe will begin a new era after decades of political and economic paralysis.

Mr. Chenda, says Zambia will always cherish the cordial and long standing relations that the two countries have enjoyed over the years.

The Zambian Envoy was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Harare, Zimbabwe yesterday.

Mr Chenda added that Zambia, like any other country, is anxiously waiting to witness the outcome of the current political situation in that country, and is confident that it will be beneficial to the people of Zimbabwe.

He stressed that it was cardinal for the people of Zimbabwe to agree on a new trajectory of moving forward in unity, in order to create a new Zimbabwe.

This follows the postponement of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration as Zimbabwe’s President, after the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) filed a legal challenge to the results of last month’s election.

The ZANU-PF won the July election, with Mr Mnangagwa receiving 50.8 percent of the votes, while Nelson Chamisa polled 44.3 percent.

Petauke Central Member of Parliament Dora Siliya has announced that government will in September engage contractors to rehabilitate the Kaulu and the Mumbi-Mwanjabanthu roads that have remained in a deplorable state in Petauke Central Constituency.

Ms. Siliya revealed this when she called on Senior Chief Kalindawalo and Chief Mumbi and later addressed village headmen in the two chiefdoms

She said that government is aware of the many challenges that people face due to the poor state of road infrastructure in the area.

She added that the poor state of the road network was limiting access to some essential facilities such as health and education, and hampering the transportation of agricultural produce to nearby markets.

Ms Siliya also observed that four bridges on the Kasonde-Minga road had collapsed and needed urgent rehabilitation to ease access to Minga Mission hospital which is the biggest health facility in the area.

And Ms. Siliya has assured the traditional leadership and the people in the two chiefdoms that she has since engaged the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure on the need to rehabilitate the infrastructure which becomes impassable in the rainy season.

She said government is determined to ensure that it uplifts the social economic status of the people by improving road infrastructure, access to water and sanitation, schools and promoting agricultural productivity among other economic areas.

Meanwhile, Ms. Siliya has assured farmers in the Kalindawalo and Mumbi chiefdoms that government will not engage banks that did not perform well in the distribution of farming inputs last year, in order to ensure that farmers do not face challenges in accessing inputs as they prepare for the 2018/19 farming season.

Ms. Siliya assured them that the authority will work with cooperatives and banks to ensure that E-voucher cards are activated and that beneficiary farmers are able to access their inputs in good time.

She also advised farmers to seriously consider diversifying their agriculture production in order to earn more incomes.

The Petauke Central parliamentarian also donated K30, 000 seed money to women groups to enable them engage in village banking, in order to improve their economic status.

Meanwhile, chief Mumbi revealed that there is urgent need to rehabilitate the road linking his chiefdom to the Great East Road which he said has remained un-attended to for a long time.

The traditional leader said the road needs to be rehabilitated before the onset of the rains, adding that the people in his area may be cut off from the rest of the district.
Chief Mumbi also expressed concern over delays to complete the construction of Mumbi Day secondary school saying works have stalled for over seven years.

And senior chief Kalindawalo appealed to government to construct dams to assist farmers in his area engage in irrigation and diversify farming methods.

Senior chief Kalindawalo added that it is difficult for farmers in the area to improve and diversify because the area does not have dams to support livestock and irrigation farming.

Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili says President Edgar Lungu remains committed to supporting the church.

Reverend Sumaili said this is evidenced by the creation of her ministry which looks into the welfare of all religious groupings in the country.

Reverend Sumaili was speaking in Lusaka today during a church dedication ceremony of the Nkoloma Seventh Day Adventist church.

And the Minister added that her ministry is also mandated to pay particular attention to the preservation of the national values and principles fostering growth and development in the country.

She said the church being dedicated could not have come at a better time than this when government is trying to bring people together, from all walks of life regardless of religious or political affiliation.

Reverend Sumaili stated that government acknowledges the continued support from the SDA church during national events such as the day of prayer and fasting where they have relentlessly supported the government.

She has since applauded the SDA Church for the continued prayers for all leaders in the nation.

Speaking earlier Northern Zambia Union Executive Secretary Tommy Namitondo said the church should continue uplifting Gods name through its ministry.

Dr. Namitondo said the dedication of the house of God is a clear sign that the congregants are willing to spread the word of God.

He added that Christians should however not forgot to glorify God who has given them the strength and opportunity to live a life of peace and unity.

Laura Miti, one of the NGO leaders, has called on the United States Government to impose a travel ban on the holders of a diplomatic Zambian Passport, instead of cutting Aid to Zambia.

In a posting on her facebook page, Ms Miti said that cutting Aid would only hurt innocent poor people and the lawless ones won’t feel an aid ban as they will continue to live the good life.

Below is the full post

Dear America, Please Use a Targeted Missile

Dear America,

We hear you are planning to punish Zambia for its recent act of lawlessness. You were surprised that our government defied a court order

Hehehe, but they do that all the time. We are still waiting for Ministers to pay back money, as ordered by the courts.

Anyhow, I am writing you to forward a request. It is that if you are going to punish Zambia for lawlessness, please don’t touch aid. Don’t touch ARVs.

That will only hurt innocent poor people. The lawless ones won’t feel an aid ban. They will continue to live the good life. I suggest you just institute a travel ban on everyone with a diplomatic passport. Now, that would be squeezing them! You have no idea how they love the airport, these lawless ones.

If you take Washington, New York, and especially the UN annual jamboree – where they go for boat cruises using our money – away from them, I swear they will cry. You can even send all their children back to Zambian Universities – even for just one academic year.

I am sure their Mums and Dads would then throw a few millions to higher education to save their beloved children from catching cholera and brain death. When you are done, ask your cousins in England to do the same. Don’t worry about China. They don’t want to go to Beijing.

They only go there to sell our country. New York, London and Paris is where they come to blow the proceeds of auctioning Zambia. Our fire truck, medicine, toll-gate money – all comes there.

So you can save us lots of money by sending them “back to sender” like they did Biti. Please, please America, punish but don’t punish our poor. Use a targeted missile.

By Laura Miti

Government has called for national unity and love among the general citizenry ahead of the inter-party dialogue.

Speaking during the Golden Jubilee mass for the Zambia National Council for the Catholic Laity (ZNCCL) held under the theme “Together we can achieve”, Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili said fostering national unity is cardinal for a healthy nation.

“In all that we do, the master key is love. Let us love one another because national unity will only be there if we love one another,” she said.

And Reverend Sumaili, commended the Catholic Church for the decades of hard work it has undertaken in various sectors of the country’s economy.

“Your theme of celebrating of 50 years of laity in the service of the church especially when you say, ‘Together We Can Achieve’ is very challenging to each one of us in that unless you work in unity with others, you cannot achieve much. A house that is divided cannot stand,” she said.

Reverend Sumaili further advised ZNCCL to be innovative and begin to explore ways on how to serve the dynamic church in a better and improved manner.

“As we watch from afar, we admire the Catholic church for its works, for it has put the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ in action. This has been made possible because the lay people [ZNCCL] have given themselves to the service of the church,” she said.

And speaking earlier, ZNCCL Director Clement Mulenga called on Zambians, to always endeavor to work together regardless of ones tribal background, adding that it is important that the country maintains the One Zambia One Nation motto at all times.

Bishop Mulenga encouraged fellow Christians top always work together and help foster development in the country, regardless of one’s political affiliation.

Meanwhile, ZNCCL Chairman Saxon Simachembele commended members of his institution for effectively helping the growth of the Catholic Church in Zambia.