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Vice President Inonge Wina (c) during the ground breaking ceremony for the proposed construction site of Lealui Mini Hospital in Mongu
Over 60 clinics have been opened in Western Province in the last four years and over 5, 000 health personnel have been recruited and deployed to run the health facilities in the last two years.
Lewanika General Hospital has also improved its quality of health care by expanding its operations coupled with the availability of specialist doctors while student doctors and other medical personnel are also being trained at the hospital.
This was disclosed this morning at Lealui Royal village in Mongu District when Vice President Inonge Wina officially launched the ground breaking ceremony of the Lealui Mini Hospital Project.
Lealui Mini Hospital is one of the hospitals out of the 108 mini hospitals and three First level hospitals that will be constructed countrywide at a total cost of 300 million United States dollars.
The Vice President said the mini hospital will serve a catchment population of over 10, 000 people and will also operate as a zonal referral centre for Tapo, Kamal, Ndau and Lulambo health posts.
Mrs. Wina further commended the Litunga of Western Province Lubosi Imwiko the second and his Indunas, for allocating land and has since appealed to the Barotse Royal Establishment to attract more investments in housing, tourism and education in order to make Lealui Royal village a mini city.
And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said government is committed to ensuring that there is equity distribution of development across the country so as to ensure that development especially in the health sector is taken closer to the people.
Meanwhile, the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) has disclosed through its Ngambela Nyambe Mwenda that the establishment has allocated more land for the construction of housing facilities for the workers of the Lealui Mini Hospital as the construction site is not big enough to accommodate the hospital and the workers houses.
The staff houses will be constructed at Lwatile area which is a few meters from the area where the hospital will be constructed.
Lealui Mini Hospital will be constructed by NMS infrastructure Limited from the United Kingdom government.
Vice President Inonge Wina (c) receives a shovel to do the ground breaking as Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Ngambela (Prime Minister) Mwenda Nyambe (r) looks on during the ground breaking ceremony for the proposed construction site of Lealui Mini Hospital in MonguVice President Inonge Wina (c) unveils the Foundation Lay Stone as Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya (r), Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Ngambela (Prime Minister) Mwenda Nyambe (l) and Western Province Minister Richard Kapita (far left) look on during the ground breaking ceremony for the proposed construction site of Lealui Mini Hospital in Mongu
The police service in the newly created Chifunabuli District have refused NDC Consultant Chishimba Kambwili from holding a public meeting in the area.
This is ahead of this Thursdays Council chairperson local government elections.
Police have told Mr. Kambwili that they have received specific instructions to bar him from interacting with the electorate in Chifunabuli.
There was a near riot in the newly created district as residents refused to be dispersed by police at the venue for the rally ground.
Hundreds of Chifunabuli residents had initially given the NDC leader a thunderous welcome as he entered the area.
Given Chola is the NDC candidate in this Thursdays polls.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu will today be in Luapula Province for a one day working visit.
Luapula Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa has confirmed that President Lungu is expected to touch down at Mansa Airport at about 08:30 hours.
The Head of State will later proceed to the newly created Chifunabuli district after addressing Mansa residents who will be at the airport to welcome him.
While in Chifunabuli, President Lungu will interact with PF officials before addressing a rally in Mwewa to drum up support for PF candidate in the forthcoming Chifunabuli Council Chairperson’s elections.
The President will later depart for Lubwe where he will pay a courtesy call at Their Royal Highnesses, the Chiefs before proceeding to Mashitolo where he is scheduled to address a public rally.
President Lungu will leave Mashitolo back to Lubwe enroute to Mansa.
“His Excellency, the President will leave Mansa for Lusaka later the afternoon after his tour of duty. I wish to invite all Mansa residents to join us as we welcome our Republican President. Luapula will forever remain grateful to President Lungu for having placed a high premium on the development of this Province, ” Mr. Chilangwa said.
Police ensuring that the NDC meeting does not take offPolice trying to reason with NDC officialsPolice trying to reason with NDC officials
Hounour JanzaHonour Janza’s days as Red Arrows coach are looking very bleak after the club announced on Monday that they had sidelined him.
The ex-Zambia coach has been sent on leave together with two of his assistants.
The 2004 champions have struggled again this term with just six wins and are slumped in 13th place with 27 points from 25 games played and fourteen games left to play.
Six points also separate them from Kabwe Youth Soccer Academy who occupy the top section of the last four drop zone.
“Red Arrows Football Club has sent head coach Honour Janza and two of his assistants Joel Bwalya and Nchimunya Mweetwa on administrative leave with immediate effect in order for the trio to reflect on the performance of the team,” Arrows stated.
Arrows assistant coach Chisi Mbewe has been placed in interim charge of affairs and he will be assisted by the ex-Zambia duo of goalkeeper Kalililo Kakonje and striker Songwe Chalwe.
His last game in charge came last Saturday at home when Arrows lost 1-0 at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka to Nakambala Leopards who are just bellow them at number 14 and separated only on goal difference.
This is Janza’s second season at the Lusaka club whom he guided to a 10th place finish in 2017.
Expectations were high this season after the club held a pre-season camp in Spain but have failed to match that experience with results on the pitch.
FILE: President Lungu Signs a Visitors Book at ZESCO Lunzua Power Plant
The Republican President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu has signed a statutory instrument effecting the declaration of Thursday, July 26 2018, as a public holiday.
This is according to a press statement released to ZANIS news by the Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Roland Msiska.
The President made the declaration in exercise of the powers contained in Section 3 of the Public Holidays Act.
The declaration is due to the Mayoral and Ward by-elections that will take place on the said date.
In view of the public holiday on July 26, government is urging all registered voters in the affected areas to exercise their constitutional right to vote by turning out in large numbers.
Government has further urged both public and private institutions that offer essential services to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid disruption in the operations as the country observes the public holiday.
Zambia National Soccer team Coach Sven VandebroeckSven Vandenbroek has set his minimum benchmarks he will assess his local call-ups during Chipolopolo’s month-long, weekly three-day training camps that started today in Lusaka.
Vandenbroek has also named his first 23 domestic call-ups for his initial get together.
“It is not a definitive list because I will have more than one camp I will take in a pool of 30 -35 players and from there on come down to a pool of 23 players later on,” Vandenbroek said.
“What is the focus of this camp? It is to know each other; it won’t be a physical camp. There is no use because in three days you cannot improve their physical state.
“I want to see their intelligence their awareness of space and awareness of skill.
“The list I made is also based on technical skills and dominance
in a game. I don’t like players who wait in their positions; they have to show me dominance.”
Vandenbroek’s list includes six new faces.
They are Nkwazi goalkeeper Charles Muntanga, defenders Gideon Sichone of Green Buffaloes, Nkana’s Gift Zulu and Laison Thole of Kabwe Warriors.
Power Dynamos midfielder Linos Makwaza Jnr, Fellon Sitonya of Buffaloes and James Chibwe from Kabwe Warriors are the other new call-ups.
However, Vandenbroek has left out all the Zesco players who will be away this week in Angola to play Primeiro de Agosto in a 2018 CAF Champions’ League Group D tie on July 27 in Luanda.
Midfielder Cletus Chama is not on the list following his recent move from Lusaka Dynamos to Tanzanian club SC Simba.
GOALKEEPERS:Charles Muntanga (Nkwazi), Lawrence Mulenga (Power Dynamos), Mangani Banda (Zanaco)
DEFENDERS:Gideon Sichone(Green Buffaloes), Gift Zulu (Nkana), Allan Kamwanga, Benson Sakala(both Power Dynamos), Isaac Shamujompa, lawrence Chungu (both Buildcon), Laison Thole (Kabwe Warriors),Mwila Phiri (Lusaka Dynamos)
MIDFIELDERS:Linos Makwaza Jnr,Larry Bwalya (both Power Dynamos), Fellon Sitonya, Mike Katiba, Jack Chirwa (all Green Buffaloes), Jacob Ngulube, Kelvin Mubanga (both Nkana), Charles Zulu (Zanaco), James Chibwe (Kabwe Warriors), Collins Sikombe(Lusaka Dynamos)
STRIKERS:Alex Ngonga (Power Dynamos), Brian Mwila (Buildcon)
Marketers at Rufunsa Market in Rufunsa district woke up to a rude shock when they found their makeshift market gutted to ashes this morning.
Rufunsa Council Chairman, Bartholomew Kalambalala and Council Secretary, Bwanga Kapumpa who rushed to the scene this morning, condemned the act and called on the residents to help identify any suspects.
Mr. Kalambalala said it was sad that the burning of public institutions has now extended to rural areas and said people should desist from destroying public property as government was committed to improving the livelihood of its people.
He said destroying public property retards developmental progress and this should come to an end as it affects a lot of people.
The Council Chairman however assured the marketers that the authority will in the next two weeks put up a permanent structure for them to conduct business.
The fire which is suspected to have started in the early mornings of today has gutted the makeshift market to ashes forcing the marketers to operate in the cold.
Meanwhile Rufunsa District Commissioner, Judith Chama has expressed sadness over the burning of the market as it was the source of income for most women in the district.
Speaking in a telephone interview with ZANIS, Mrs. Chama said it was unfortunate that some people have started destroying public property and called on the police to investigate the cause of the fire and bring the perpetrators to book.
Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary (PS), Bright Nundwe says government will not leave Chiwala Technical Secondary School in Masaiti district to ruins but will step in to improve the infrastructure.
Mr. Nundwe said Chiwala Boys Technical School is a pride of the Copperbelt province as it is the only boys Technical School in the region.
ZANIS reports that the PS said this when he interacted with teachers and pupils at the School.
Mr. Nundwe was however, surprised that the school infrastructure has run down yet it is sitting in the midst of reputable companies like Lafarge, Zambezi Portland and Neelknath who can consider ploughing back to improve the state of structures at the institution.
Meanwhile, School Head Teacher Chipasha Chileshe said the school administration does not want to beg for help but has this year resorted to mobilize resources to work on some dormitories and the dining hall which have become inhabitable.
Mr. Chileshe explained to Mr. Nundwe that the school needs to complete a library building, rehabilitate all dormitories, ablution blocks, the Kitchen and classrooms if the learning environment has to improve at the school.
He said Chiwala Boys Technical Secondary School requires Five Million Kwacha to overhaul its infrastructure and improve the learning environment at the school.
The school which was built in 1963 needs a facelift on its infrastructure which has run down due to lack of maintenance
The situation at the school has also affected the enrollment rate which has dropped from 2000 pupils to 700 in the last few years.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services Emerine Kabanshi
Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Honorable Emerine Kabanshi has expressed the need for Zambians to participate in voluntary work.
The Minister was on a learning visit in Ireland from 16th to 21st July, 2018 where she had various meetings with stakeholders on Social Protection facilitated by the Embassy of Ireland in Lusaka. She is currently in London to attend a summit on disability and will later travel to Scotland for official business.
The minister had a meeting with the University College of Cork (UCC) President, Professor Patrick G. O’Shea and senior officials of the university to exploring the linkages between the academia, social welfare and community development training.
During the meeting, the minister said that Zambians should draw lessons from Ireland’s commitment to do voluntary work as this is one way patriotic citizens could give back to their country and contribute to the wellbeing of society.
She said there is need for volunteerism to be encouraged among all citizens especially young people to prepare them for practical work experience and also give them a sense of pride and belonging.
Honurable Kabanshi was delighted to learn that in Ireland, volunteerism was done by all age groups and different professionals who give their time to better their communities and the country at large.
She informed the meeting that the information on volunteerism would be used as a resource in the formulation of the Volunteer Policy which the Zambian Government was in the process of formulating.
The Honorable Minister noted that the University being a centre for generation of knowledge, provided a platform through which research on issues affecting communities were investigated in order to provide answers to the questions and challenges faced by the communities.
The Minister was informed that volunteerism in Ireland was an important aspect through which students participated in community work.
The outcome of the meeting at the University College Cork included collaboration in the area of exchange visits with lecturers from both countries with a focus on volunteerism and community development; opening up more scholarship spaces to cover both graduate and under graduate students; and Capacity development in the area of volunteerism and tailor made short courses based on the country context and requirements.
The Minister also had a meeting with the Irish Minister of Employment and Social Protection, Regina Doherty. The discussions during the meeting were centered on social inclusion, support for disadvantaged households, family income supplements, education and training initiatives (especially for girls who may have dropped out of school due to early pregnancy) volunteerism and how organisations in the voluntary sector were linked to services provision.
The meeting agreed that there is going to be continued collaboration between the two Ministries (Community Development and Social Services in Zambia and Employment and Social Protection in Ireland) in the area of Social Protection.
And Zambia Postal Services Corporation’s Post Master General, Mr. McPherson Chanda held bilateral talks with the Irish Post Group Chief Executive Officer, David McRedmond and senior staff in Information Technology and Operations Departments to assess the technologies used by the Irish Post as part of the Management Information System (MIS).
Mr Chanda is part of the delegation from the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services led by Honorable Emerine Kabanshi.
The talks were held in order to benchmark the Payment System of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) Programme in Zambia. The Post Master General draw lessons from Ireland’s long standing payment system of social transfers in a bid to improve the payment system for SCT by Zampost.
Irish Post office has been paying SCTs in that country for the past 25years and the visit by the Zambian delegation was expected to yield lessons on the effective and efficient payment systems of social protection programmes especially the Social Cash Transfer Scheme.
This statement was released to the media by Mrs Abigail Chaponda First Secretary for Press and Public Relations Zambia High Commission in the United Kingdom.
Laura MitiSeven Civil Society Organizations claim to have evidence of vote buying the ruling Patriotic ahead of this Thursday’s mayoral and council Chairpersons by-elections.
These include Action Aid Zambia, Governance, Elections, Advocacy and Research Services (GEARS) Initiative, Alliance for Community Action Zambia (AAZ), Caritas Zambia, NGOCC, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ), and the Zambia Council for Social Development.
Reading a statement on behalf of the CSOs during a media briefing in Lusaka, AAZ Executive Director, Laura Miti said the distribution of chickens, sugar, shirts, money and other goods have reached unprecedented levels.
Ms Miti has also called on the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja to reflect on whether he has the ability to oversee a professional police service that serves the people of Zambia without fear or favor.
She says the CSOs feel the Police Chief will do well to resign saying he has lamentably failed to deal with perpetrators of political violence.
Ms Miti further states that the civil society is concern that the public are increasingly losing confidence and trust in the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s capacity to oversee and deliver a credible election.
Ms Miti says the CSOs therefore called on the ECZ to investigate cases of vote buying and use the law to show that voter manipulation is unacceptable.
Speaking at the same briefing, NGOCC Executive Director, Engwase Mwale observed the need to intensify sensitization efforts against voter apathy.
Hakainde HichilemaUnited Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has demanded that the Government should immediately increase the 2018 maize price to not less than K90 per 50KG bag.
The UPND leader states that other crop prices should also be increased accordingly as opposed to their usual trickery of offering better crop prices during an election year.
Mr. Hichilema has since described the recently announced Food Reserve Agency (FRA) maize price as a mockery.
The UPND leader says the farmers deserve better prices not this mockery maize price.
Mr. Hichilema says the much anticipated maize price for this year is once again too low, unprofitable and will condemn farmers into deeper poverty and misery.
Mr. Hichilema says it is also a clear indication that the PF leadership has just been playing politics when it comes to issues of economic diversification into Agriculture, Tourism and many other fields that would grow the economy.
He says his party has been very categorical and consistent that the only way to address massive poverty and hunger in the country is by improving the farming sector which constitutes a large part of the population, especially rural households.
He says he knows such lame arguments that the announced price is just ‘indicative’ and that farmers are free to sell at whatever prices they wish, yet in reality it’s very difficult for anyone to sell higher than what is being offered by the government.
Mr Lusambo addressing the civil servants who came late for work shortly before chasing them away.
Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo this morning sent away around 45 civil servants at the Lusaka Provincial administration for reporting late for work.
Mr Lusambo said he will not tolerate a culture of late coming among civil servants at his office.
“I personally closed the main gate exactly 08:00 Hrs and chased every one who reported after that.
“Since I was transferred to Lusaka from Ndola, I have observed a bad culture of reporting late for work among the civil servants at my office.” The minister said.
He said Civil service guidelines stipulate that work starts at 08:00 Hrs but it was worrying that some civil servants report for work as late around 09:00 Hours.
“…which frustrates the delivery of public services to our people and for me this is tantamount to stealing public funds.
“I will now write to the Ministry of Finance to dock a day’s wage from the salaries of the 45 public service workers whom I sent home today.” Lusambo said.
“As long as I remain Minister, I will ensure that civil servants deliver for the work they are paid for. His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the great leader has demonstrated hard work as he reports for work way before 08:00 Hrs and as such, we should emulate his example,” he said.
Mr Lusambo addressing the civil servants who came late for work shortly before chasing them away.Mr Lusambo walks away from a group of civil servants who came late for work after chasing them away.The civil servants take their walk of shame after they were told to leave the premises for coming late.Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo manning the main entrance to his office to monitor late coming by civil servants.
Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has revealed that government has already exceeded its budget for the first half of 2018 by K5 billion owing to huge interest payments and capital expenditure.
In her mid-year economic performance briefing on Thursday, Mrs. Mwanakatwe said the total expenditure, including amortization, for the first half of 2018 amounted to K39.6 billion, against the budgeted K34.19 billion.
“Total expenditure (including amortization) for the first half of 2018 amounted to K39.6 billion, against the budgeted K34.19 billion. The major components, which were above target, were interest payments by 43.2 per cent and capital expenditure by 65 per cent,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said.
She said going forward, expenditure control will be at the core to achieve fiscal adjustment given the tight financing conditions and higher deficit.
“In this regard, measures on enhancing payroll management, expenditure cuts in areas such as use of goods and services, progressing on procurement reforms and debt reprioritization will be the focus for the rest of the year. This is meant to create a lower spending base as we get into the 2019 financial year,” Mrs. Mwanakatwe said.
NAREP has said Zambia could become a food basket for the region because of its agricultural potential and have reminded the PF government time and time again that if they were a caring government this could be accomplished.
This is according to a press statement released to the media.
NAREP says the government has no good plan to support good agriculture policies starting from lowering the cost of inputs.
This can they say can be seen by the offer the government has given to farmers to sell their 50 KG bag of maize from the previous K60 to K65 which is a mockery to the farmers.
[pullquote]Farmers this coming season not to grow maize but try other crops that may bring some profit[/pullquote]
The cost of input including transport and fuel has escalated but government has continued suppressing the market price for the commodity. NAREP therefore asks farmers not to sell maize at K65 to FRA as they will make losses. Let them hold on to the maize or find ways to export and sell to governments that are serious than ours. We expected the bag to fetch over K80 and government must increase the flow price to K85 for a 50Kg bag.
Government should realise that farming is a business and what they are doing to farmers is unacceptable. NAREP also urges our farmers this coming season not to grow maize but try other crops that may bring some profit to them and send their children to school.
Growing maize in Zambia should only be for consumption and once we have a crisis and shortage of commodity that’s when it will fetch for a high price. Farmers need to teach this government a lesson as they don’t care about them.
If we had a proper rewarding agriculture policy, many youths today would have gone back to the land to go and grow many other crops apart from just maize.
Meanwhile the Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) says now that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has announced the maize prices, the millers will go in full force to purchase the crops.
MAZ Chairman Andrew Chintala told QTV News via telephone that the millers are already on the market buying the maize but that some farmers were hesitant to sell their produce as they were waiting for the FRA price.
Mr. Chitantala has also commended the government through the FRA for increasing the price of the crops saying last year the farmers complained of the price.
He said the association is glad that they were consulted by the FRA in deciding how the market should be managed.
International Trade Consultant Trevor Simumba has charged that President Edgar Lungu has no idea about the true extent of the country’s debt crisis.
Mr Simumba charged that people working with President Lungu are lying to him over the debt situation.
He lamented that those like him who have spoken out about the country’s debt position have been labelled as not being genuine.
“The stock of external debt as at end of first quarter = US $9.37 billion. Total guaranteed debt = US$2.7 billion. The stock of domestic debt as at end June 2018 was K51.86 billion = $5.2 billion.
Domestic arrears in the first quarter 2018 increased to K13.91billion = $1.39 billion. Add it all up equals to: $18.59 billion is owed by the Government of the Republic of Zambia in a country with a current GDP of $25.5 billion,” he stated.
“If this is not a debt trap then I think it’s best to remain quiet and let the big brains figure this out. What a tragedy for Zambia. May God help us,” he said.
He added, “We just have to ensure in 2021 we take back our country. Just today a public servant was calling me not genuine because I highlight the truth. The truth is our country is in a deep economic crisis and sadly the President has no clue. They are lying to him and telling him its not bad it’s just people against progress. It is so tragic.”
President Edgar Lungu with other Heads of State after the official opening of the 20th Summit of the Comesa Heads of State and Government
The Burundian government boycotted the 20th summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) that took place last week Lusaka, calling it “illegal”.
Deputy-spokesman of the Burundian President Alain Diomede Nzeyimana was quoted on Radio Isanganiro as saying that the COMESA summit was relocated to Lusaka from Burundian capital Bujumbura without sound reasons.
“The relocation should have been decided by three presidents of Burundi, Ethiopia and Madagascar, members of the Bureau of the COMESA heads of state summit, but it had not been the case,” he said.
Mr. Nzeyimana underlined that participants in the two-day summit went to Lusaka for their “personal” interests as COMESA gets over 50 percent of its funding from the European Union (EU).
The Burundian government has written to the COMESA secretariat, requesting a refund of the money used for preparing to host the summit and compensation, he said.
Burundi will “not acknowledge” conclusions and resolutions from the Lusaka summit, he added.
In May, Comesa secretariat decided to relocate its 20th summit that had been planned to take place in Burundi earlier in June.
The Burundian government said the decision to relocate the venue of the Comesa summit was a “lack of respect” to a sovereign state.
The Comesa secretariat later relocated the summit to Lusaka, where its headquartered.
