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Tinofara is the newest offering from Zambian born, British bred, singer/songwriter, Katongo aka Miss KT. The new single was produced by Gabonese producer Heaven Boy and features Zambian Hip Hop star Slap Dee.
Tinofara is an infusion of Katongo’s favourite music genres; Afropop and R&B. In Katongo’s own words, ‘Tinofara is about lost love and unresolved feelings. The song was written from a personal experience and it’s title, Tinofara, is the name of an ex love.’Katongo’s soothing vocals and honest lyrics, coupled with Slap Dee’s heartfelt rap, make this songa very enjoyable and refreshing listen; the collaboration is a perfect match.
Katongo has previously released popular songs such as ‘Joy, Joy’ with Zambian legend JK, ‘Kiss of Life’ with Reggae artist Cactus Agony and last year ‘All Over Me’ with Congolese star BM. With a growing fan base and growing demand for her music, Katongo has started working on her debut album which is set to release it later this year.
Tinofara certainly wets our appetites for more of what the songstress has to offer.
President Edgar Lungu and President of Turkey Recep Erdogan with thier delegations at State house during the official talks
By Herryman Moono
A.Introduction:
There have been alarming articles, interviews, opinions and statements following the statement attributed to His Excellency the President of the Sovereign Republic of Zambia, the President of this Great Nation, HE. Edgar Chagwa Lungu where he, during his hosting of his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, made reference to the interest of a Turkish private firm to refinance Zambia’s $750 million Eurobond contracted in 2012. In addition to the $750 million Eurobond, Zambia also contracted $ 1 Billion and $ 1.25 Billion Eurobonds between 2014 and 2015.
The plea to have a private Turkish firm refinance the $750 million bond has raised serious dust and debate, with varying views on how best Zambia could finance its debt. Much of this debate, however, has been devoid of a deep understanding of government fiscal policy. While many views have been expressed, not many, if any, offer a succinct appreciation of the role of government in the economy, and how debt financing is linked to overall economic policy, and its depth intertwined with the politics of a democratic country like Zambia.
This article is aimed at providing, at the bare minimum, a premise on which debate could ensue by making non economists appreciate the Principals of Public Finance, and the role of debt in an economy like ours. I share this with the humility of knowledge in public sector economics.
B.The Basics of Public Finance: Provision of Public Goods and Services:
The key role of government is the provision of Public Goods and Services. By Public Goods and Services we refer to those commodities or services that are provided to ALL members of the public, by government a profit on the part of the provider, the government. In strict economic terms, by virtue of these services being ‘public’, they have the qualities of non-excludability and non-rivalry in consumption. What this means is that the consumption or use of Public Goods by one individual does not in any way reduce the amount of the good available for another person. Furthermore, the consumption of the Public Good does by one individual does not exclude others from the consumption of the same.
If we look around us, every day we use public goods and services, among these, such as: The services of the Police, the Army, the Airforce, ZNS or we drive on government built roads and attend public schools, or, when we get sick we go to public hospitals and clinics to be attended to, usually for free or at highly subsidized rates. So think about it, ALL Zambians who own a car can drive along Independence Avenue in Lusaka and enjoy the lighting of the city without having to pay at all. A PF cadre’s use Independence Avenue does not stop a UPND Cadre’s use of the same road. UPND and PF Cadres both board their busses to their respective villages from Intercity Bus Terminus, without any discrimination. All Zambians are protected – in land and on the borders – by the police, army e.tc. without any discrimination. These are Public Goods and Services.
In our daily lives, we call these public goods and services “Va Boma” – “For the Government”. We say so because we don’t really pay for them when we use, and when they break down, we don’t pay for their repair – that is why we have many pot holes on our roads, “Niva Boma!”. But have you ever wondered who pays for them? How they are paid for? Where the money comes from? That is where the role of government comes in.
To provide the public goods and services that our country needs, the government in power, guided by its party manifesto, will articulate its Fiscal Policy agenda. Fiscal policy is merely government’s Revenue Generation and Expenditure Plan: Where will money come from? How much will be raised? Where will the money be used? What will be the effects of these on society (Lower Taxes? More Jobs? More Money in People’s Pockets?). What perhaps you may not have noticed is that the campaign promises of all the parties we have in Zambia are all centred on Public Finance. The PF’s “Lower Taxes, More Jobs and More Money in Your Pockets” message epitomizes and succinctly summarizes the role of Public Finance. The UPND have their 10 Point Plan which I am yet to memorize (It is too long!), but it too is around Public Finance.
In all, the role of government is to provide public goods and services to the public. To provide for these, however, government needs to raise the money. Where does the money come from?
C.Financing Public Goods and Services: Government Revenue Generation:
Now that we know the role of government, how does the government generate money to finance its operations in the provision of public goods and services?
There are a number of sources of government revenues and I list the key ones below:
1. Taxes – as administered by ZRA
2. Borrowing – both local and international borrowing
3. User Fees – such as toll gates, hospital fees, fees to access national parks etc.
Of these three, taxes are the key sources of government revenue. With that, we can therefore say that government fiscal policy will be tax policy on one side, and then link the revenues raised from these taxes to expenditure on the other end. What government spends on will be a reflection of the party in power’s priorities. Since 2011, the PF government’s priorities have been in infrastructure development. We have seen the beautification and expansion of our road network. We have seen the construction of many health centres and hospitals and schools throughout the country. All these are the ‘Public Goods and Services’ that I introduced in section B above.
The financing of these public goods is costly, however, and general tax revenues may not be sufficient to generate the necessary revenues. A government can increase the tax rates in the country so that it raises more money. However, this may not be politically sexy. In any case, you cannot tax your citizens beyond a certain limit before they revolt! In an economy such as Zambia where the informal sector accounts for over 80% of the economy, economy wide taxation is hard, and thus the burden of taxes falls on the small formal sector. However, philosophically this should make sense: Those who earn more should pay more because they have a higher ability to pay. Furthermore, those who earn more have a higher likelihood to demand for more public goods and services from government, hence they should also pay according to the benefits they receive from public goods and services.
Borrowing comes in as the next to look to option so that people can be saved from the heavy burden of taxation. The government can borrow locally or internationally. When the government borrows locally, it does so by issuing Treasury Bills and Bonds on the local financial market. To attract buyers (banks, private firms and individuals), the government has to offer a high rate of return on these debt instruments (Treasury Bills and Bonds). The rate of return which the government offers is called the Risk Free Rate – government is a ‘safe investment’. The higher the demand for money by the government to finance its operations, the higher the rate it must offer. However, given the low risk and high rate, local financial institutions (banks) will tend to direct a large part of their resources to government bonds, leaving very little money to lend to the public. For the little funds that are left, these are only available at very high interest rates, and thus takes away opportunity for the private sector to borrow to start or grow their businesses. This is the phenomenon called “Crowding Out”. By borrowing heavily from the local financial market, government not only raises the cost of borrowing and thus the cost of doing business, but also reduces the amount of credit available to the private sector. In the streets, we usually here statements like: Ndala kulibe mu circulation – Chayuma. This, colleagues, is bad for our economy.
To avoid crowding out the private sector, government can look to international financial markets and issue Eurobonds. By issuing Eurobonds, government can give ‘relief’ to the local citizens since the revenues that would have had to be raised through high taxes are now raised through international bonds. Furthermore, by issuing these bonds, the local interest rates would be lower and more credit would be available, hence fueling private sector growth. What is also key to note is that with the Eurobonds, the repayment period is longer and has a lower interest rate than locally contracted debt.
The big question many have asked is:
How does government pay back its debts?
The answer is quite simple:
Through tax generated revenues!
As I stated at the start of this section, tax is the single important source of revenues for government to finance its operations. There have been arguments that government should have invested the money from the Eurobonds in ‘income generating activities’ so that the bond can pay itself back. Colleagues, I hope by now you appreciate that this doesn’t make sense given the nature of the goods and services that government creates and provides. Public goods and services, as seen earlier, have no immediate return to the service provider – government. Think about it, when you neighhour’s house is protected by Armcor security and thieves break into your house, do you Armcor to come and protect you or do you call Zambia Police Flying Squad? Flying Squad of course! And when the Flying squad comes to your rescue, do you get a bill at the end of the operation? No! Why? Because it is a Public Good!
Since government is solely concerned with the provision of Public Goods, any money that the government borrows will be invested in the procurement and provision of public goods! However, given the Non – Excludability and Non – Rivalry in Consumption nature of public goods, their return on investment are low, and can in fact be negative such that they would fail a private sector assessment on investment. In addition, the return to these public investments take time to manifest. For example, when you build a school from the Eurobond in Dundumwezi, it will take you a minimum of 12 years for the first crop of the schools’ students to leave high school and another 4 years for them to finish college or university before they are decently employable and can start paying taxes to government. That is a total of 16 years, yet, the Eurobond’s maturity period is only 10 years, and in between these years, government will have to be servicing the debt by paying annual interest payments on the debt.
So where does the money come from?
Taxes!
When the government borrows for infrastructure development, such as roads, the benefits of this are not immediate, and in the absence of toll gates, are intangible. So how will government benefit from the road construction? It’s easy:
By reducing tear and wear and travel time that road users face in bad roads, the cost of doing business is reduced. As the cost of doing business is reduced, firms make more profits, and the higher the profits the firms make, the more tax the government will collect to service the road and pay the Eurobond. Furthermore, as firms becomes more profitable due to good infrastructure, they employ more people who in turn pay tax through PAYE. This, colleagues, is what we call the ‘Transmission Mechanism’ of public sector investments.
D.Debt Repayment Options: More Tax or More Negotiated Debt
In the event that the productivity of the nation has not increased rapidly to generate sufficient sectoral growth for an increased tax base, the government has two options:
1. Raise additional taxes by increasing the tax rates or increasing the range of taxes.
2. Secure new debt to pay off the existing debt.
We have now found ourselves at a point where the nation has to make serious decisions on debt. It is clear that we have not increased our productivity enough, and that since most of the Eurobond money has gone into Public Sector Investments whose returns are low and have a longer time horizon, we have not, expectedly, raised sufficient revenues to pay off the principal of the Eurobond when it is due.
This is where debt refinancing comes in. It is normal practice in the world as well as in the private financial sector to package debt and sell it. This offers you immediate relief on the pressure to paying back as well as gives you breathing space to readjust your economy to enhance its productivity to be able to pay back. This, colleagues, is what his Excellency the President had in mind when he made those remarks to his Turkish counterpart recently in Lusaka.
There have been concerns and alarming statements that the Turkey debt financiers are from the private sector. Okay? So? Aren’t the Eurobonds from the private sector? Oh I see, you think Eurobonds are issued by the continent called Europe? No, on the contrary, these loans are issued by a multitude of private investors whose interest is profit making, just like the Turkish firm.
So there you have it folks, I hope we are now on the same page. If by the time you finish reading this article you haven’t understood Public Sector Economics/Public Finance, ninhsi iwe anakulowa anafa kudala!
Remember: If we don’t want to borrow, we can just increase our taxes and within a short time we can pay back these loans!
Herryman Moono is a Lusaka based Economist with interest in Public Economic Policy, Health Care Financing in Resource Constrained Economies & Industrial Policy. He was educated at Oxford, Sheffield and YUNZA.
PF National Chairperson for Women Affairs Jean Kapata says the PF and UPND must jointly visit their strongholds in all provinces, to take the message of peace to their supporters.
Ms Kapata says it is important that the peace talks start now ahead of the 2021 General elections.
Ms Kapata who is also Minister of Lands noted that youths and women should embrace the One Zambia, One nation motto to enhance peace and Co-existence.
She was speaking when PF youths visited the UPND Secretariat to cement the peace pact.
And, UPND Deputy Secretary General Patrick Mucheleka says the initiative of the peace pact is commendable because it focuses on building the country.
Mr. Mucheleka said UPND President Hakainde Hichilema supports the process and initiative between the youths.
Earlier, PF National Youth Chairperson Stephen Kampyongo said the meeting does not only look at elections but the welfare between the PF and UPND as well.
Mr. Kampyongo explained that the President Edgar Lungu is supportive of the initiative between the two parties.
Meanwhile, UPND Deputy National Youth Chairman Munji Habeenzu says youths from the two political parties should build a cordial relationship that will foster peace despite having different ideologies.
Muteteka at PF UPND peace meeting at UPND HeadquartersKApata at the PF UPND peace meeting at UPND HeadquartersPF UPND peace meeting at UPND HeadquartersPF Youth Cghairperson Stephen Kampyongo at the PF UNPD peace meeting
The Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- has set Thursday, September 6 2018, as date for the Kasenegwa parliamentary by-election.
ECZ Public Relations Manager Margaret Chimanse also says the ECZ will conduct local government by-elections in Kamalamba, Liyovu, Mabili, Nkenyauna and Shikombwe wards.
Ms. Chimanse has advised aspiring candidates to lodge in completed nomination papers on Thursday, August 9th, 2018.
She has also disclosed that only five senior officials of participating political parties will be allowed to accompany aspiring candidates into the nomination centre during the filing of nominations, while the rest of supporters will remain outside the four hundred parameters from the centre.
The by election in Kasenengwa has been necessitated by the death of area MP Victoria Kalima on 15th June 2018, while the vacancies in the wards are as a result of resignation of councilors.
MINISTER of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba
Government says it is in active discussions with China railways,a parastatal, on the possibility to concession the Tanzania Zambia Railways (TAZARA).
Minister of Transport and Communications, Brian Mushimba says concession period being considered is 20 years and that the level of investment per year will be agreed on.
Mr. Mushimba has explained that this is one of Government’s plan to revamp TAZARA and the objective is to have an improved and modern railway at the end of the concession period.
The Transport and Communications Minister has told ZNBC News in an interview in Lusaka today that discussions of the concession frameworks include ensuring protection of employment of the locals and also the efficiency that Government requires in a railway Company is achieved.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mushimba says studies have been concluded on the possibility of setting up a mass transit train in Lusaka.
He has explained that Government has been executing a Memorandum of Understanding with a Chinese Company for the last 3 years to study the mass transit train option.
Mr. Mushimba has noted that having a fast train to ferry people from the peripheral to the central business district would be an efficient way of decongesting traffic on the roads in Lusaka.
Bank of Zambia Governor, Dr Denny Kalyalya addressing the media and the Monetary Policy Committee members on the quarterly monetary report at BOZ office.
The Bank of Zambia will be issuing into circulation banknotes that have been upgraded with new security features.
The new security features have been included in order to strengthen the security of the banknotes against counterfeiting and for easy verification by members of the public.
Bank of Zambia Governor Dr. Denny Kalyalya has told Journalists in Lusaka ahead of this year’s Agricultural and Commercial Show that the Bank therefore will always take measures that ensures the Zambian banknotes are adequately protected from counterfeiting.
Dr. Kalyalya says this includes continually adopting more advanced security features that safeguard the integrity of the national currency.
He says the same time, the authenticity of the banknotes must be easy to verify.
Dr. Kalyalya has advised that the Bank will start circulating the upgraded banknotes in a phased manner, starting the with K2 and K5 denominations in August 2018.
He says the Bank will not withdraw the existing banknotes until the end of their circulation life.
The Central Bank Governor states that this means that the existing banknotes will co-circulate with the upgraded series and will continue to be honored at full value.
The Bank has upgraded the Zambian banknotes as follows:
I. K 20, K 50 and K 100 denominations
a) A new security feature called SPARKLIVE has been incorporated in the figure on the lower right hand side to further shield these banknotes from being counterfeited. This security feature will exhibit three overt visual characteristics i.e. color- shift properties, optical brightness and dynamic light effects.
b) A 5 mm optically visible four window security thread with micro optical dynamic effects has replaced the hologram on the three denominations.
c) The ‘birds in flight’ feature has shifted from the right edge of the back of the banknote to the left edge
d) “The tactile mark” for the visually impaired have now been put on both edges of the banknotes to enhance tactility or the feel effect.
II. K 10 denomination
a) A new four-window security thread will replace the hologram on the front of the banknote.
b) Tactile marks for the visually impaired have been put on both edges of the banknote to enhance tactility.
III. K 2 and K 5 denominations
a) Different images (dove, text K2 and K5) appear as a new glossy varnish with a blind embossing for ease of identification.
b) Tactile marks for the visually impaired have been put on both edges of the banknotes to enhance tactility.
Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has reported President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on allegations involving money laundering activities and the Presidential Empowerment Fund.
The Roan MP says this follows the extravagant and opulent nature of campaigns launched by the ruling party on the just ended by-elections in some parts of the country.
The NDC consultant has become third among those who have castigated the ruling party, for the money it has spent on campaigns.
Mr. Kambwili has further squashed defence by the party that campaign funding has been coming from well wishers , stating that he had been a senior member of the ruling party, and membership monthly contributions cannot amount to the resources the party used during campaigns.
He accuses the ruling party of receiving money from Chinese companies which have contracts with government, a move he says is illegal and should be investigated.
Further, the Roan MP has requested DEC to investigate the Presidential empowerment fund, which he describes as President Lungu’s Slush fund akin to one maintained by former president Frederick Chiluba during his reign.
Mr. Kambwili claims that the huge sums of money under this fund are not provided for by any legal authority.
The Roan MP arrived at the DEC officers around 14 hrs this afternoon, and submitted his report to the Dec commissioner.
Meanwhile the Patriotic Front says it is not shaken by Mr. Mr. Kambwili’s report, saying he should be the least to talk about money laundering as he is a potential jail bed following his corruption cases that are currently in court.
Party Media director Sunday Chanda, tells Q News that it is because of well wishers and innovative undertakings that the party is where it is today and not Mr. Kambwili’s alleged money laundering activities.
He says the NDC consultant should stop wasting the commissions’ time and resources over petty matters.
He says it is not the PF’s fault that Mr. Kambwili has failed to fundraise and manage the NDC.
Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) Director, Fr. Emmanuel Mumba has expressed concern at the rate at which Zambia’s debt has been accumulating under the Patriotic Front government.
Speaking during the launch of the study report of the research that reviewed the IMF/World Bank debt sustainability analysis framework, Fr. Mumba notes that the recent rapid and high debt contraction by government is happening at the time when the country is already grappling with rapid waste of public finances as revealed by the auditor general’s reports.
He says the centre hopes that the findings of the report will help the country improve finance management.
Fr. Mumba says the recent austerity measures announced by government are a clear indication that the country is faced with economic hardships.
He adds that the request by President Lungu for the Turkish government to help pay the interest of the Eurobonds when they become due is also an acknowledgement that the country is in a difficult situation.
Some of the report key findings in the report are that the model used by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to analyze and determine debt sustainability for low income countries contains gaps and risks.
The study has further established that although the IMF and World Bank have made strides in improving the design of the Debt Sustainability Analysis framework and methodology, there is still need to further refine it because most low income countries are failing to exit permanently from their debt problems.
And presenting the findings of the report, Consultant Charity Musamba has recommended the need for a national wide movement on public debt and public accountability in Zambia.
Dr. Musamba says there is also need to galvanize national interest on debt and loan contraction through civil society organizations, the media and other groupings.
The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has urged Lusaka residents not forget what to expect from the Patriotic Front (PF) winning candidate Miles Sampa in the just ended mayoral elections.
In a statement released to the media addressing a number of issues, CiSCA said that Lusaka residents and the media must ensure that the Mr Sampa is hel accountable and that his promises must be fulfilled in 100 days,, by the 5th November 2018.
During the elections, Mr promised to to establish a 24/7 toll free call centre, decongest traffic on Lusaka roads, introduce free WI-FI in bus stops, public places, airports and train stations, introduce town hall meetings, provide title deeds to all house owners in Lusaka, provide conducive markets and trading spaces and make the local authority financially viable.
Below is the full statement
Introduction
Fellow patriots,
The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has called this press briefing to share our reflections on the state of the nation with fellow citizens and those charged with the responsibility to promote citizens’ wellbeing.
It goes without saying that when citizens relent in their civic and constitutional duty of holding those in power accountable, then the sovereignty that lies in and with the people as enshrined in our supreme law – the Constitution – is rendered useless. It is for this reason that we continue to call upon citizens not to get fatigued or despair in actively participating in public affairs including providing constructive criticism to those in power.
When it comes to accountability, citizens must not forget the campaign promises made by those aspiring to public office as these constitute a social contract between citizens and elected leaders. We wish to encourage the media to also help the general public to reflect on the campaign promises made by various political parties in order to inform public opinion. For instance, in the just ended mayoral by-election in Lusaka, residents of the seven constituencies under the Lusaka municipality cast their vote on the basis of promises from all the candidates.
While congratulating all the political parties and candidates that participated in this election for expressing their aspirations to make Lusaka a habitable and better place for all, and the PF in particular for emerging victorious, Lusaka residents should not forget what to expect from the winning Mayor in the first 100 days of being in power as promised. We take this opportunity to encourage Lusaka residents not to relent in reminding the mayor to:
i. Establish a 24/7 toll free call centre;
ii. Decongest traffic on Lusaka roads;
iii. Introduce free WI-FI in bus stops, public places, airports and train stations;
iv. Introduce town hall meetings;
v. Provide title deeds to all house owners in Lusaka;
vi. Provide conducive markets and trading spaces;
vii. Make the local authority financially viable;
All these promises must be fulfilled in 100 days, that is, by the 5th November 2018.
By-elections
While CiSCA shares the common belief that democracy is an expensive undertaking, it is our view that this does entail that it must be a wasteful project. It is important that as a nation, we save as much resources as possible whenever we can in order to increase our level of investment in the delivery of social services for improved quality of life of our citizens. In our view, cutting off by-elections could free up significant amounts of financial resources that could be channelled towards improving social service delivery. We cannot afford the luxury of by-elections when majority of citizens do not have basic things such as clean and safe drinking water which they are entitled to have as part of their rights.
It is sad that as a country we missed an opportunity to address the issue of by-elections during the last constitution review process when the process was hijacked by the PF partisan interests.
The mischief of by-elections could have been and indeed can be cured by adopting a proportional representation system for the positions of Member of Parliament as well as in the local government system. As CiSCA, we hold the view that such a system would not only significantly reduce resource wastage but would also promote national unity. It would allow respective political parties to fill any position which becomes vacant by a person from within their own rank and file using their own internal systems whenever and wherever such a vacancy occurs without having to hold a costly by- election as the case is today.
The current system opens a way to a number of mischiefs including abuse of public resources by those in power as seen when ministers go to campaign using government vehicles, by-elections in our country where the police service is impotent against criminal elements in political party colours are also a source of political violence and loss of productive time as the case was with a holiday declared during the mayoral election. The less than 16% voter turnout in the just ended Lusaka Mayoral election clearly shows the citizens are getting fatigued by these by-elections. We therefore propose that the proposed constitution review process must take into account the need to put to an end by-election for MPs and officials in the local government system just like it was done for the Presidency in the current constitution.
Constitutional Gaps – Mayor
The just ended mayoral election has once again exposed the limitations and weaknesses inherent in our constitution which was hurriedly enacted to the exclusion of the many progressive issues submitted to the various constitutional review commissions by Zambian citizens. It does not make sense to have a full time Mayor or Council Chairperson as the case is in the current constitution without matching the position with executive power to run a municipality.
While the constitution provides for the full-time mayor and council chairperson, the executive functions of municipalities remain with the Town Clerk and Council Secretaries as the case may be. It was clear even from the mayoral candidates’ manifestoes that it was very difficult for them to clearly outline what they could realistically do and deliver once elected because in as far as the law is concerned; the duties and powers of the Mayor and Council Chairpersons are more political and ceremonial than executive. It is our view that unless the office of the Mayor is given executive powers, the principles of devolved local governance system as provided for in Article 147 of our Constitution cannot be attained. It is also our view that an Executive Mayor would be made to account deliverable of a local government system as provided in article 151 and 152 of the 2016 amended constitution. As it is today, the objects of the local government system as outlined in the constitution are progressive however; the realisation of the same in reality is unattainable as no one can be held accountable for the same. This explains why we still have a situation where spaces for commerce including markets, bus stations and boards are filled with carders and sympathizers of the party in power at any given time against the spirit of the constitution.
Voter apathy
CiSCA is concerned with the decline in the number of citizens who turn up to vote both in national and local elections. The less than 16% voter turnout as witnessed in the by-elections held on 26th July 2018 must be a source of concern to all political parties as without citizen participation in elections, democracy is a mockery. There are many things we can say about low voter turnout but what is clear is that citizens are slowly losing confidence both in the electoral process as well as in the political leadership. At the rate things are going, we may wake up one day and find that there is 10% voter turnout. Although a winner will be declared, he/she would lack the legitimacy that comes from voters’ endorsement through voting.
This situation calls for reflection among the political leadership to ensure that citizens are incentivized and energized to participate in choosing their proffered leaders by way of voting. The mismatch between the improvement in the well-being of voters and those voted into public office, poor public service delivery and political violence are some of the issues that deter citizens from freely and willingly participation in elections.
Accountability of the three arms of government
Ladies and gentlemen, as CiSCA we believe that there are attempts by some arms of government and state institutions to create an environment in the country where citizens are afraid to question the omissions and commissions of state institutions and officers. This situation is dictatorship in a democratic state because it means that state institutions would not be accountable to anyone but themselves. This is unacceptable. As a matter of principle and constitutionality, all state institutions derive their mandate from the people of Zambia and the people of Zambia have constitutional right hold state institutions to account. This is expressly provided for in Article 5 of the 2016 Zambian amended constitution. This principle applies to all state institutions without exception.
We wish to call upon officers in state institutions to ensure that their conduct is above board and question especially when dealing with issues that border on citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms such as free speech, right to assembly and association. We would have wanted to address this issue in detail but we are also aware that some of the issues we would have loved to speak to are before the courts of law.
Chali Chilombo, Nchanga MP, cuts the ribbon for the new 1×3 classroom block at Soweto Primary School
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) in Chingola has expressed willingness to resettle 86 families whose houses have developed cracks due to blasting from its Nchanga open pit says Nchanga Member of Parliament (MP) Chali Chilombo.
ZANIS reports that Mr Chilombo said KCMs’ gesture to resettle the affected families is on humanitarian grounds as the problem was inherited from the previous mine investor, Anglo American.
This situation affecting the families in Nyanji Township in Nchanga constituency has dragged for the last 15 years.
The Nchanga law maker explained that the mine has since written to Chingola Municipal council (CMC) requesting for allocating land where the houses units will be built.
He added that costing of each housing unit had been concluded but a detailed account of the report had not yet been submitted to his office.
He has since appealed to residents to exercise patience with the process and assured residents that they will be relocated.
T
he affected houses where sold off to sitting tenants after the privatization of Nchanga mine.
However, over a period of time the structures have experienced damages due to mining activities among them blasting and ground movement.
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
Health Profession Council of Zambia ( HPCZ) chief executive director Aaron Mujajati says the decentralization process has started bearing fruit with a number of significant successes so far recorded.
Dr Mujajati says through the decentralization process, HPCZ is in a process of opening an office in kasama, Chipata and other region in order to effectively handle concerns from health practitioners.
The HPCZ , he noted . has already opened an office in Ndola to deal with health registration and disciplinary related cases for health practitioners in the region.
ZANIS reports that this came to light when he paid courtesy call on Luwingu district commissioner Patrick Chanda, today.
Dr. Mujajati told the district commissioner that the council has since named Mr. Boniface Bwalya as an assistant registrar for northern region.
He explained that the Mr. Bwalya will be in charge of Luapula, Muchinga and Northern provinces adding that kasama district will be the headquarters.
And Luwingu District Commissioner Chanda said the government has constructed three (3) health posts from the 9 which were allocated to the district under construction of 650 health posts countrywide.
Mr. Chanda said all the facilities are manned by qualified personnel including those previously manned by cleaners such as Ndoki, Joko, shimumbi, Nsombo, Katuta and Chungu rural health centers.
One of the health posts was commissioned by the Vice President Inonge Wina two years ago.
The Ministry of Works and Supply in Western Province says there is an improvement of compliance from the use of government vehicles on the road.
In an interview with ZANIS, Acting Provincial Inspector of government Transport Vusi Ziba said general drivers as well as senior managers have shown commitment in observing the law from the time the Minister, Felix Mutati announced stiffened penalties against misuse of government vehicles.
Mr. Vusi said since the time the changes were made, the province impounded 25 vehicles belonging to various government departments.
He urged officers to ensure the availability of a competence certificate, a weekend pass when driving government vehicles on weekends and committing to carry only authorized cargo.
The Inspector said users should comply with the laid down regulations on the proper utilization of the vehicles adding that government was losing a lot of money due to repairing and servicing of abused government transport.
The department was currently conducting mobile spots checks, mounting of road blocks and will soon collaborate with Police traffick and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) in inspecting public vehicles against abuse and misuse.
From (right) Central province Minister Sydney Mushanga, Kabwe DC Dominic Mulenga and Kabwe mayor Prince Chileshe flagging of this year’s independence celebrations in Kabwe
Kabwe Municipal Council has thanked government for its decision to return of the land agency to the municipality.
Following the development , Kabwe Mayor, Prince Chileshe has since pledged that the council is going to be transparent as possible as far as land administration is concerned.
Speaking when he opened an Ordinary Full Council Meeting today, Mr Chileshe said the suspension of land agency by the central government had kept the council in a very awkward position, financially.
“ The council makes a lot of money from land administration but the suspension of the agency had compromised its revenue collection, “ he said.
He added that the move by government to return the land agency after extensive consultations with ministries of local government and lands will greatly help the council and the people of Kabwe.
The Mayor has since urged all Councilors, the District Commissioner and the two Members of Parliament in Kabwe to work together to foster the much needed development.
Government some time last year suspended the land agency at municipality amid alleged illegal land allocations.
However, government in May this year gave back the agency to the council after extensive consultations with the Ministries of Local Government and Lands.
Meanwhile, the mayor also used the occasion to congratulate newly elected civic leaders on the Patriotic Front ticket in the just ended mayoral, chairpersons and councilors elections across the country.
He noted that it is good to receive new members of the family but reminded the new civic leaders to honour their campaign promises on which people voted them.
The two Zesco United Chipolopolo call-ups have joined Sven Vandenbroek’s training camp in Lusaka.
Striker Lazarus Kambole and defender Fackson Kapumbu missed Monday’s training following their arrival on Sunday from 2018 CAF Champions League duty in Angola where Zesco lost 2-1 away to Primeiro de Agsoto on Friday evening in Luanda.
Zesco United Media confirmed that the duo joined the Chipolopolo camp on Monday.
It will be the first time Vandenbroek will have Zesco players during his weekly get-together of his four-session domestic player’s camp that began a week ago in Lusaka after excusing them to take care of their continental obligations.
This weeks’ camp ends on Wednesday but Zambia will regroup next Tuesday after the clubs’ attend to their Farmers Day Holiday weekend league assignments.
GOALKEEPERS:Toaster Nsabata,Mangani Banda (both Zanaco), Lawrence Mulenga (Power Dynamos)
DEFENDERS:Allan Kamwanga (Power Dynamos), Gift Zulu (Nkana), Jimmy Chisenga (Red Arrows) Isaac Shamujompa,Lawrence Chungu (both Buildcon), Luka Banda (Napsa Stars) Mwila Phiri (Lusaka Dynamos), Fackson Kapumbu (Zesco United)
MIDFIELDERS: George Simbayambaya (Red Arrows), Fellon Sitonya, Jackson Chirwa (both Green Buffalos), Clement Mundia (Kabwe Warriors FC), Webster Muzaza (Forest Rangers ), George Chaloba (National Assembly ), Ernest Mbewe Charles Zulu (both Zanaco), Kelvin Kampamba (Nkana), Lameck Silwaba (Buildcon)
STRIKER: Lazarous Kambole (Zesco United FC), Joseph Phiri (Red Arrows)
WEEKEND SCORECARD
FAZ SUPER DIVISION
WEEK 26
28/07/2018
Kabwe Warriors 0-Forest Rangers
Assembly 3(Laurent Muma 6′, Damiano Kola 63′, Webster Muzaza 84′)
Nakambala Leopards 1(Jacob Mupeta)-Nkwazi 0
Kitwe United 1(Emmanuel Chabula 8′)-Nchanga Rangers 0
New Monze Swallows 0-Buildcon 2(Lawrence Chungu 20’pen, Rahim Osumanu 25′)
Napsa Stars 0-National Assembly 0
Zanaco 2(Boyd Musonda 36′, Roger Kola 47′)-Nkana 4(Harrison Chisala 21′, Festus Mbewe 43′,Walter Bwalya 60′, Idris Mbombo 79’pen)
GROUP D
27/07/2018
Luanda
Primeiro de Agosto 2(Gerlado 84′,Bobo Unge 90’+7- Zesco United 1(John Chingandu 67′)
Sousse
Etoile du Sahel 2(Maher Hannachi 21′, Slim Ben Belgacem 89′)-Mbabane Swallows 0
2018 TOP SCORERS
LEAGUE
29/07/2018
Idris Mbombo(Nkana):14
Jesse Were (Zesco):12
Rahim Osmanu(Buildcon):11
Tapson Kaseba(Eagles):10
Anos Tembo(Green Eagles):9
Lazarus Kambole(Zesco):9
Chris Mugalu(Lusaka Dynamos):9
Emmanuel Chabula(Kitwe):8
Alex Ngonga(Power Dynamos):8
Emmanuel Okutu(Warriors):8
Diamond Chikwekwe(Buffaloes):7
Ronald Kampamba(Nkana):7
Joseph Phiri(Arrows):6
George Chaloba(Assembly):6
Peter Mwangani(National Assembly):6
Spencer Sautu (Eagles):6
Damiano Kola (Forest):5
Walter Bwalya(Nkana):5
Lameck Kafwaya(Power):5
Heritier Nkonko(Kabwe Warriors):5
John Chingandu(Zesco):5
Martin Phiri (Zanaco):5
Ernest Mbewe (Zanaco):5
Rogers Mukenge (Kitwe):5
Sebastian Mwansa (Nkwazi):5
Rogers Kola (Zanaco):4
Clifford Saidi(KYSA):4
Bornwell Mwape(Napsa/Nkana):4
Amity Shamende(Assembly):4
Larry Bwalya(Power Dynamos):4
Cletus Chama(Dynamos):4
Obed Masumbuko(Lumwana):4
Gerald Chisha(Forest):4
Youremember Banda(Buffaloes):4
Kobe Chipeta (Forest):4
Patrick Kasongo(KYSA):4
Nelson Maziwisa (Warriors):4
John Makwatta(Buildcon):4
Alex Mwamba (Napsa):4
Festus Mbewe (Nkana):3
Stephen Kabamba(Buffaloes): 3
Lawrence Chungu(Buildcon):3
Laurent Muma(Forest):3
Tchite Mweshi (Assembly):3
Charles Zulu(Zanaco):3
Brian Mwila (Buildcon):3
Fahad Bayo(Buildcon): 3
Progress Kalenga (Eagles):3
Conlyde Luchanga(Dynamos):3
Steward Chikandiwa (Nkwazi):3
Godfrey Ngwenya(Power):3
Hosea Silwimba(Lumwana):3
Austin Muwowo (Kitwe United):3
Peter Chinyama (KYSA):3
Joseph Ochaya(Dynamos):3
Kelvin Mubanga (Power Dynamos):3
Luka Lungu (Napsa):3
CONTINENTAL
28/07/2018
Adams Zikiru (Zesco): 4
Lazarus Kambole (Zesco):3
Martin Phiri (Zanaco):3
John Chingandu (Zesco):1
David Owino (Zesco):1
George Chilufya (Zanaco):1
Ernest Mbewe (Zanaco):1
Fackson Kapumbu(Zesco):1
Dieugo Apanene(Nkana):1
Winston Kalengo (Zesco):1
Lameck Banda(Zesco): 1
Mike Katiba (Green Buffaloes):1
Stephen Kabamba(Green Buffaloes):1
Ziyo Tembo(Zanaco): 1
Maisha Chavda (Zanaco):1
Solomon Sakala(Zesco):1*
*Own goal
A teenage housewife of Kyawama compound in Solwezi district in Northwestern province has been stabbed to death by her husband after a marital dispute.
The incident happened between 27th July around 23:40 hours and 02:30 hours on 28 July 2018 .
Northwestern province Commissioner of Police Hudson Namachila, who confirmed the incident, has identified the deceased as Hellen Shikishi aged 16 and the suspect as Gilbert Mofya of unknown age.
Mr Namachila said Shikishi was stabbed with a knife on the right side of the neck at her parents’ house where she ran to after a marital dispute four days earlier.He said Shikishi was rushed to Solwezi general hospital where she late died .
The body is in the mortuary awaiting post-mortem while a manhunt has been launched for the suspect who is currently on the run.
