Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Justice Minister Given LubindaGovernment says the outcome of the political dialogue process will determine when the Constitution Amendment bill will be published.
Minister of Justice Given Lubinda said the directive by President Edgar Lungu to suspend the constitution amendment process is meant to create room for political players to deliberate on provisions in the Constitution so that their submissions and recommendations can be taken on board.
“President Lungu has been magnanimous and Government has been open and does not want to fall into the trap of living anyone behind. We want all those who have views on the constitution to bring them on board, but if you ask me when the constitution amendment bill will be published, I don’t know and only the dialogue process will determine the way forward,” Mr Lubinda said.
The Minister also said the dialogue process will also decide whether to open the constitution making process to further submissions from other stakeholders outside political parties or not.
He said Government had however intended to publish the Constitution Amendment bill in May but did not do so considering that some stakeholders such as political parties had not actively participated in the process.
The Minister said this in Ethiopia when he transited to Rome to attend the pallium ceremony for Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lusaka Bishop Rev. Dr Alick Banda.
The Pallium ceremony is a ceremony where the Pope officially gives authority to newly installed Archbishops.
Mr. Lubinda is also expected to meet with the Holy see on Wednesday as arranged by the Nuncio in Zambia.
President Edgar Lungu reads the engravings on a plaque when he commissioned the Katamanda Village –Off Grid Solar Power Project in Chipangali
2.
Jiangsu Etern Company Limited Vice President, Song Deming, explains to President Edgar Lungu, when the President inspected the Katamanda village-Off Grid Solar Power Plant in Chipangali
3.
Jiangsu Etern Company Limited Vice President, Song Deming, shows President Edgar Lungu, solar equipment shortly before the President commissioned Katamanda Village –Off Grid Solar Power Project in Chipangali
4.
President Edgar Lungu commissioned Chipata District Hospital during his three day tour of Eastern Province
5.
President Edgar Lungu commissioned Chipata District Hospital during his three day tour of Eastern Province
6.
President Edgar Lungu commissioned Chipata District Hospital during his three day tour of Eastern Province
7.
The newly commissioned Chipata District Hospital is the state of the art and Will be offering high technology medical services to the district.
8.
The newly commissioned Chipata District Hospital is the state of the art and Will be offering high technology medical services to the district.
9.
Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kasolo welcomes President Edgar Lungu at Chipata Airport upon his arrival in the province.
10.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni Thanks President Edgar Lungu after handing over the New Palace Ephendukeni
11.
Paramount Chief Mpezeni Thanks President Edgar Lungu after handing over the New Palace Ephendukeni
12.
President Edgar Lungu hands over to Paramount Chief Mpezeni New Palace Ephendukeni
13.
President Edgar Lungu hands over to Paramount Chief Mpezeni New Palace Ephendukeni
14.
President Edgar Lungu, chats with his step mother, Ekelesi Nkhoma Lungu, at Mzabwera Farm in Chief Kalindawalo’s area in Petauke
15.
President Edgar Lungu’s siblings pose for a photograph at their Mzabwera farm in Chief Kalindawalo’s area in Petauke
16.
Edgar Lungu, greets children when he visited his family at Mzabwera farm in Chief Kalindawalo’s area
17.
Edgar Lungu’s younger brother, Fashion, explains to him as the other brother, Ariel, listens. This was when the President visited his family at Mzabwera farm in Chief Kalindawalo’s area
18.
President Edgar Lungu with Mother Ekelesi Nkhoma Lungu at Muzabwela farm, Lima section in Chief Kalindawalo s village
Governance and Legal activist has written to the Zambia’s Chief Justice, Irene Mambilima to immediately set up a Local Government Elections Tribunal that will adjudicate in legal challenges on nominations of mayors and councillors set for today, 26th June 2018
In a letter dated 25th June 2018, copied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia Chief Electoral Officer, Isaac Mwanza, has argued that elections of mayors and Council Chairperson do not require the minimum of 15 supporters as advertised by the Electoral Commission of Zambia but instead the law only require 9 supporters as per Section 33(1) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016.
Mr. Mwanza has stated that the Elections Tribunal and the courts will need to adjudicate on whether mayors and council chairpersons who are not resident in their districts are also eligible to be nominated as candidates considering that the office of the mayor falls vacant when the mayor as a councillor ceases to be a resident in the district.
Mr. Mwanza said the Tribunal and the Courts will also be necessary to hear the right to vote for those who have attained the age of 18. He said Section 7 of the electoral law mandates the Commission to conduct continuous voter registration exercise and if ECZ implemented what the law required, those who turned 18 years should be allowed to vote and not disfranchised.
Below is the full letter
Your Ladyship,
RE: Appointment of ad hoc Local Government Elections Tribunals: Mayoral, Council Chairperson and Ward By-Elections (June 26 to July 26, 2018)
The above captioned matter refers.
My lady, I write to request your kind and urgent consideration in appointing ad hoc Local Government Elections tribunals pursuant to Article 159(1) of the Constitution of Zambia, Chapter 1 of the Laws of Zambia and Rule 1 of Local Government Elections Tribunal Rules, 2016, issued under Statutory Instrument No. 60 of 2016 (hereinafter referred to as “S. I No. 60 of 2016”).
This request is made based on the following matters of fact and law.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia, in the attached press release dated 8th June, 2018, issued a notice to the effect that it had prescribed Thursday 26th July, 2018 as the date on which to hold the local government by-elections in 6 districts and 6 other separate wards. The Commission also notified the public that aspiring candidates in the Mayoral and Council Chairpersons’ elections should lodge completed and attested statutory declaration and nomination forms on Tuesday 26th June, 2018, which you will note is exactly 30 days from the election date.
Article 52(4) of the Constitution provides for the challenging, before a tribunal, of the nomination of a candidate within seven (7) days of the close of nomination and the hearing of the case within twenty-one days of its lodgement. This in effect requires 28 clear days for any challenge to nominations against any candidate, to be heard before the election, in conformity with the principle of electoral process in Article 45(2)(e) which requires timely resolution of electoral disputes.
As per Rule 4 of the Local Government Election Tribunal Rules issued under SI no. 60 of 2016, one of the functions of the Tribunal, which I note, only Your Ladyship has power to appoint, is to hear and determine whether a person has been validly nominated as a candidate for election as a councillor (which includes Mayor and Council Chairperson), or the rejection of any nomination by the Commission. As stated earlier, should any challenge be brought forth, this must process must take place and be concluded within a period of 28 days.
Your Ladyship, may I humbly bring to your attention, the following as potential areas of conflict in the forthcoming local government by-elections:
Eligibility: Article 157(2)(a) provides that a vacancy in the office of a councillor occurs if a councillor ceases to be a resident of the district.
In view of the fact that mayors and council chairpersons are councillors, the question may arise as to whether a person who is not resident in the district is eligible to be nominated considering that the seat would fall vacant upon the person not hailing from the district contested winning elections.
Nominations and supporters: The Electoral Commission, in its announcement, stated that “aspiring candidates for the Lusaka District Mayoral elections and those for the office of Council Chairperson inChasefu, Chipangali, Kasenengwa, Lumezi, Lusangazi and Chifunabuli districts, should take along with them fifteen (15) supporters who must be registered voters in the respective districts.”
It is my humble observation that this requirement is erroneously based on Article 71 of the Constitution which is not a requirement for district council elections as these elections for Mayor and Council Chairpersons are held exclusively based on Section 33 of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 and Article 70 of the Constitution, and not Article 71. It is my humble view that the correct position of the law therefore is that any mayoral or council chairperson candidate who takes along nine (9) supporters, is validly nominated.
Section 33 (1) makes provision for the nomination of both district and ward councillors. Article 71 of the Constitution makes provision for the nomination of members of the National Assembly. Although Section 33 must be read together with Article 70 of the Constitution such that members of the National Assembly and Mayors or Council Chairpersons have the same qualifications, there is no requirement that they are to be nominated in the same manner stipulated in Article 71 because there is no express application of Article 71 to Mayors or Council Chairpersons. Section 33 (1) sufficiently makes provision for the nomination of district councillors which includes Mayors and Council Chairpersons.
The requirement for fifteen (15) supporters as announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, in respect of district council elections, is thus erroneous and should be corrected or would be subject to a legal challenge.
Post-election petition on the right to vote: The Tribunal and the courts may have to deal with the right of franchise in Article 46 of the Constitution for persons who have attained the age of 18 at the time of these elections but disenfranchised due to failure by the Commission to conduct continuous registration of voters in breach of Section 7 and Article 229(2)(a)(c) of the Constitution.
My lady, you will note that the issues raised above require the Commission to allow the processes of challenges to nominations or rejection of nominations, to be dealt with by the Tribunals and our courts within 28 to 30 days, and for the Commission to have sufficient time to conduct the forthcoming by-elections. If the constitutional right to challenge the acceptance or rejection of a nomination is respected, it may thus prevent the holding of elections in the districts as the hearing will have to run concurrently with the prescribed period for nominations by ECZ
Your Ladyship, I therefore request that you exercise the power vested in your office, to set up the Tribunals so that they could be ready to perform their task when a petition is lodged before them.
Nominations for aspiring candidates for Lusaka mayoral elections will take place today at Lusaka’s Nakatindi Hall at the Civics Centre.
Elections are expected to take place on 26th July, 2018.
According to the Electoral Commission of Zambia notice, aspiring candidates for the Lusaka District Mayoral election will be required to pay K7,500 non-refundable nomination fee.
The Candidates must also present certified copies of their grade 12 certificates or equivalent or higher qualification, which must be verified by the Examinations Council of Zambia or the Zambia Qualifications Authority respectively.
The ECZ says failure to comply with these requirements shall render the nomination papers null and void.
And the country’s oldest existing political party UNIP has fielded its Secretary General Reverend Alfred Banda as its candidate for the Lusaka Mayoral election.
Reverend Banda confirmed that the party has adopted him to stand as the UNIP mayoral candidate, in the forth coming Mayoral Elections in Lusaka District.
And NAREP has settled for NAREP have selected for its Spokesman Dennis Bwalya Nondo as its candidate for the Mayoral election.
NAREP said Mr Nonde is a Member of the Central Committee, a long-standing Party member and active supporter who has been a member of the NAREP since inception in 2010.
Education is very important for our country and our people. If we want to develop our economy to overcome poverty, we have to improve the skills and capacity of our people. A free education policy is necessary to ensure access for all despite a citizen’s wealth. Without a free admissions and school fees policy, equal access is not possible.
Today we have increasing number of young people from poor families who are not attending school at all levels because they are not able to pay school fees. No young person should be excluded from attending school because they cannot afford to pay school fees.
No one should be sent home from school or refused results of tests or exams if fees have not been paid. All our young people must be entitled to a free, quality education.
When any young person fails to acquire the basic skills needed to function as a productive, responsible member of society, society as a whole – not to mention the individual young person – loses. The cost of educating our young people is far outweighed by the cost of not educating them. Adults who lack basic skills have greater difficulty finding well-paying jobs and escaping poverty. Education for girls has particularly striking social benefits: incomes are higher and maternal and infant mortality rates are lower for educated women, who also have more personal freedom in choices.
Even the International Monetary Fund in its report of 2004 – Educating Children in Poor Countries – concluded, “User payments for basic education should never be more than a temporary solution: the ideal arrangement and the appropriate goal of education policy remain universal education financed by government out of public revenues. User payments are undesirable because they are a regressive tax when school attendance is compulsory. Voluntary user payments are undesirable because children are excluded from schooling if their parents are unable or unwilling to pay school fees.”
And why should the burden of educating our young people be solely left on the already overburdened shoulders of the parents? Do these parents, in the true sense of the word, really “own” these children for them to alone bear the burden of their education? What one truly owns one can easily sale. Can these parents sale “their” children without risking going to jail? Why should we jail them for selling that which is theirs? The truth is that these children don’t belong to the parents – they are collectively our children. But how can we have rights to these children without the duties of educating them, feeding them and so on and so forth? There can be no rights without duties. It is, therefore, our collective duty as a nation to educate these children of ours.
Education is the cornerstone of economic and social development. This is why we socialists argue in favour of free, decent education for everyone – so that individuals and society as a whole can maximise the potential for improving our lives through innovation, efficiency and imagination.
In a period of capitalist upswing, capitalism can afford to grant reforms such as free education. In fact during such a period it is profitable for the capitalist state to invest in education as a way of developing the forces of economic production. But capitalism requires constant expansion into new markets in order to survive. Thanks to globalisation capitalism has few foreign markets left to penetrate, so the capitalists must look to areas of the domestic market previously untouched by private capital – areas such as education – to quench their thirst for profit. Thus we have generally seen incremental increases in tuition fees over the last decade or so – a reflection of the marketisation of education.
The crisis suffered by capitalism a decade ago brought the capitalists an opportunity to intensify the process of tearing open education and subjecting it to exploitation by capital. This intensification has also been motivated by the extremely unstable economic climate which drives individual capitalists to be even more brutally competitive than they were in the previous period.
Crucially, this crisis is not a cyclical crisis but an organic crisis of overproduction – a crisis of the system as a whole. The only way the capitalists can get out of such a crisis is by destroying the forces of production through austerity, attacks on working conditions and casualisation of labour. At a time when they are so intent on destroying the excess productive capacity in the system, the last thing they want to do is invest in the education of young people which would result in an increase in productive capacity.
This is the context in which the working class and its allies must wage the struggle for free education. What should be immediately obvious is that capitalism cannot afford free education. This is not an ideological question – governments of all shades across the world are faced with the same task of cutting back the forces of production and implementing privatisation programmes in order to keep capitalism afloat. The point is that this isn’t a case of badly managed capitalism, it’s a product of the inherent contradictions of capitalism that require the pursuit of profit at all costs and precipitate economic crises of overproduction.
This gloomy future is all that capitalism can offer: a world in which the increased marketisation of education is inevitable as the capitalists constantly seeks new avenues of profit in the midst of a globally stagnant economy. There is no going back to the golden age of the post-war boom when it was possible to win reforms under capitalism.
This is why we socialists are fighting for an alternative to capitalism in the form of a democratic, socialist plan of production. We argue that free education can be won and safeguarded to serve the needs of everyone, not just those with the money. We understand that education and research have to be funded.
We are not short of money to fund education.
And moreover, the children of the well-to-do have free education – paid for by these same humble workers whose children can’t go to school because of fees. And we shouldn’t forget that all the money in government coffers and in private enterprises is generated by the workers!
There’s a lot of workers’ money – NAPSA and other pension funds – sitting in banks and being misused to build shopping malls and other unnecessary things of no or little benefit to the workers. Instead of leaving it up to individual profit-seeking capitalists and their agents in government to decide how this money should be invested, the working class should decide on a democratic basis where the wealth produced by them is invested – without a doubt there would be reasonable amounts available for investment in free education at every level.
The working class needs to take the economy and political power into its own hands in order to provide decent education, public services and standards of living for all – a society in which the full benefits of economic development can be enjoyed by all. Capitalism, by its very nature, cannot provide this; it is only a socialist transformation of society that holds a brighter future for our people
The Author is a Zambia’s Socialist Party Presidential Candidate for the 2021 Elections
THE Zambia Parliamentary Conservation Caucus (ZPCC) has expressed happiness with the conservation model done by the African Parks (AP) in the Bangweulu and Liuwa Plain National Parks.
Speaking at the end of the three-day tour to the Liuwa yesterday, Bangweulu Constituency Member of Parliament Anthony Kasandwe who led a delegation of nine Members of Parliament said the model is good for its benefits to the communities.
The Law Maker said tourism could only best be actualized if the local people are involved in activities and realize the benefits.
He said the Zambian people are the best to be the first tourists of any tourism attraction in the country.
The MP said he would be happy if the AP model can be extended to the parks across the country.
And Kalabo Central MP, Chinga Miyutu said he would support the idea that model be extended to Zambia’s biggest National Park, the Kafue.
He said the people around the Kafue National Park (KNP) would also benefit like those around the Liuwa.
Mr. Miyutu said this would help with improving animal population in the park.
Meanwhile AP Director of Conservation Development, James Milanzi said his organization took the MPs to Liuwa so that they could appreciate and actualize the different types of conservation models.
Mr. Milanzi appreciated that all the Members participated actively and now plan to move a motion in Parliament to support the AP model for KNP.
The Parliamentarians included; Anthony Malama of Nchelenge, Anthony Kasandwe of Bangweulu, Boyd Hamusonde of Nangoma, Chinga Miyutu of Kalabo Central, Howard Kunda of Muchinga, Maxas Ngo’nga of Kaputa, Mbololwa Subulwa of Sioma and Mwansa Mbulakulima of Milenge Constituency.
Thirty women clubs of Kapiri Mposhi District in Central province have received egg incubators and K2,000 each as start-up capital from the Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund.
Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund, National Coordinator ,Clement Tembo handed over the incubators at a ceremony held behind Katambala market in Kapiri Mposhi yesterday.
Mr. Tembo announced that besides the incubators, all the beneficiary groups will be given start-up capital amounting to K2,000 adding that they will receive training from Lusaka on how to operator the equipment.
He stated that President Edgar Lungu’s desire is to see that all marginalized Zambians regardless of their political affiliations are being empowered.
Mr. Tembo said all Zambians have one President whose vision is to empower his people with some sort of capital to ensure that they become self-reliant in future.
He further said the Presidential Empowerment Programme is non-partisan and encouraged all Zambians to take part saying he is happy to see women groups from opposition political parties also receiving the incubators.
Mr. Tembo called on all Zambians to embrace each other under the ‘One Zambia, one Nation’ motto which President Lungu has been preaching about.
And Kapiri Mposhi Council Chairman, Obby Kabasa said empowerment of citizens should not be based on political affiliation hence applauded the President for the initiative which has finally touched the lives of the people in the district.
Meanwhile, one of the recipient women group representative, Mary Mushipe thanked the President for coming up with an empowerment initiative meant to uplift the lives of vulnerable people.
.
Mrs. Mushipe, an elderly woman confessed that she never believed that her group would receive an incubator because she only heard of such empowerments from other people.
The Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund, a brain child of President Lungu has been empowering Zambians mostly women marketeers and other marginalized people.
Zesco United have stated that it will be difficult to unseat them at the summit of the 2018 FAZ Super Division table.
The defending champions on Friday beat Green Eagles 3-1 at home in Ndola to open a seven-point lead for 24 hours before Green Buffaloes cut it back to four following their 2-1 home win over Kabwe Youth Soccer Academy on Saturday in Lusaka.
“We are on top, we can never look back, we need to retain our title and no one is going to remove us from here,” Zesco assistant coach Alfred Lupiya said, who has been handling press duties as Lwandamina continues to maintain his media silence.
“We will double our efforts in the second round, we have the depth, and we will never look back.
“We have set goals. Our goals are to win the league and any other silverware. We are not here to participate; we are here to compete for honours.”
The defending champions, who lead on 45 points at the half-way point of the 2018 season, are unbeaten in their last nine matches with seven wins and two draws.
Zesco trace their last defeat to May 20 when Buffaloes beat them 1-0 in Lusaka.
Meanwhile, Zesco are back in action on Wednesday when they hosts 10th placed Lusaka Dynamos who are fresh from a 2-0 away win over Nkana on Saturday in Kitwe.
Beleaguered FAZ Super Division side Napsa Stars are under their third coach in six months in the 2018 season following the hiring of Mohammed Fathy on Monday.
The Egyptian-born coach replaces Elijah Chikwanda who was fired last week after an uneventful 13 games in charge.
Fathy has been handed a short-term deal to try and save second from bottom Napsa from demotion.
Napsa have just one win and 10 points after 19 games played at the half-way point of the 2018 season.
“We have played 19 games and only got 10 points that is obviously not a good performance,” Napsa club board chairperson Zingani Phiri said.
“The major thing we have told the new coach is to convert whatever situation we are in into positives so that we avoid relegation.”
Chikwanda was fired after picking one win and four draws since he replaced Linos Makwaza in early April.
Makwaza collected just a point from Napsa’s first five matches of the 2018 campaign.
Meanwhile, Fathy has previously coached Kabwe Warriors,Power Dynamos and National Assembly.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION
WEEK 19
22/06/2018
Lumwana Radiants 1(Obed Masumbuko 20′)-Nchanga Rangers 0
2018 TOP SCORERS
LEAGUE
24/06/2018
Chris Mugalu(Lusaka Dynamos):9
Idris Mbombo(Nkana):9
Rahim Osmanu(Buildcon):8
Tapson Kaseba(Eagles):7
Jesse Were (Zesco):7
Emmanuel Okutu(Warriors):7
Lazarus Kambole(Zesco):7
George Chaloba(Assembly):5
Rogers Mukenge (Kitwe):5
Diamond Chikwekwe(Buffaloes):5
Joseph Phiri(Arrows):5
Sebastian Mwansa (Nkwazi):5
Kobe Chipeta (Forest):4
Patrick Kasongo(KYSA):4
Alex Ngonga(Power Dynamos):4
John Chingandu(Zesco):4
Spencer Sautu (Eagles):4
Nelson Maziwisa (Warriors):4
Peter Mwangani(National Assembly):4
John Makwatta(Buildcon):4
Ronald Kampamba(Nkana):4
Alex Mwamba (Napsa):4
Hereitier Nkonko(Kabwe Warriors):4
Emmanuel Chabula(Kitwe):3
Gerald Chisha(Forest):3
Obed Masumbuko(Lumwana):3
Lameck Kafwaya(Power):3
Ernest Mbewe (Zanaco):3
Rogers Kola (Zanaco):3
Youremember Banda(Buffaloes):3
Austin Muwowo (Kitwe United):3
Walter Bwalya(Nkana):3
Damiano Kola (Forest):3
Peter Chinyama (KYSA):3
Joseph Ochaya(Dynamos):3
Kelvin Mubanga (Power Dynamos):3
Luka Lungu (Napsa):3
Larry Bwalya(Power Dynamos):3
Lottie Nyimbili(Nakambala Leopards):2
Maybin Kalengo(Zesco):2
Charles Zulu(Zanaco):2
Martin Phiri (Zanaco):2
Bornwell Mwape(Nkana):2
Lawrence Chungu(Buildcon):2
Brian Mwila (Buildcon):2
Allan Kapila(Lumwana):2
Clifford Saidi(KYSA):2
Amity Shamende(Assembly):2
Justin Zulu(Arrows):2
Moses Silwimba(Lumwana):2
Emmanuel Banda(Nakambala):2
Patrick Musonda(Nkwazi):2
Victor Mubanga(Lumwana):2
Godfrey Ngwenya(Power):2
Joseph Mwindilila(Swallows):2
Taonga Bwembya (Zanaco):2
Felix Nyaende(Zanaco):2
William Njobvu(Assembly):2
Tchite Mweshi (Assembly):2
Gampani Lungu(Power):2
Laurent Muma(Forest):2
Steward Chikandiwa (Nkwazi):2
Maisha Chavda(Zanaco):2
Friday Samu (Buffaloes):2
Patrick Ilongo (Forest):2
Nasha Kaya(Nchanga):2
Jonathan Manongo (Eagles):2
Fackson Kapumbu (Zesco):2
Simon Nkhata(Napsa):2
Wilbroad Mutale(Monze):2
Reagan Nkuyi(Power Dynamos):2
Aubrey Chellah(Buffaloes):2
Josphat Kasusu (Arrows):2
Peter Zulu(Nchanga):2
Collins Sikombe(Dynamos):2
Rupert Musonda(Kitwe United):2
Derrick Mwansa (Arrows):2
Shadreck Musonda(Nkana):2
Anos Tembo(Green Eagles):2
Fredrick Mwimanzi(KYSA):2*
*Denotes one own goal
File:Divine Link Constructors workers on site doing the 10 medium cost houses in Liliachi area
The International Labour Organisation(ILO) has urged all workers in the country to observe the four fundamental human rights if issues pertaining to labour are to be achieved.
ILO Chief Fundamental Principals and Rights at Work Branch, Beate Andrees says the fundamental human rights include workers not being discriminated regardless of their gender, the right to organize and having a voice at a place of work.
Mrs. Andrees further said no worker should be forced to work when it is not conducive for them adding that ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is working towards eliminating child labour at community level.
She was speaking at Namaloba Primary School in Kaoma district when she met members of the ARISE Zambia project and Community Child labour Committee.
Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Labour and Social Security Commissioner, Chanda Kaziya, urged the committee in Namaloba to work with the District Child Labour Committee in ensuring that all children are protected from child labour and enrolled in school.
And the CCLM Chairperson, Pythious Miyo, stated that before the ARISE Project was introduced in the area, most children where engaged in fishing, hunting, mushroom plucking among other activities.
Mr. Miyo however, noted that most of the children are back in school after carrying out mass sensitization campaigns, while those whose parents have failed to withdraw them from child labour activities have opted to shift to other communities.
He commended ILO, Japan Tobacco International Company, Jesus Cares Ministries, and WINROCK for their support and called for more resources so that more children are captured under the project.
Earlier, Namaloba Primary School Head Teacher, Mumbula Namakando, said high poverty levels in the community have hindered the withdrawal of some children from child labour as they opt to work in order to earn a living than being in school.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour Commissioner, Chanda Kaziya, castigated Baux Haulage a contractor engaged by First Quantum Minerals to construct the Kasempa-Kaoma Road for allowing his employees to work without safety attire.
Baux Haulage Site Manager, Cephas Tembo who was at pains to explain, stated that he was waiting for a labour officer from Kaoma district to go on site to address them on safety matters.
HH smiles during the handover of Nchole community school in Namwala
Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema today handed over a community school he constructed in Namwala.
Mr Hichilema handed over Nchole community school which caters for Grades One to Seven pupils.
The hand over of the school was witnessed by During the hand over by party National Chairperson, Mrs Mutale Nalumango, Chiefs Mukobela and Mungaila and the entire community.
Mr Hichilema stated that education is the best equaliser and that we value it.
“We have today commissioned and handed over a community school we built in Namwala District of Southern Zambia to the Government. The school is currently accommodating children from Grades one (1) to Seven (7). Nchole community school project is among the several other infrastructures we are putting up in our country,” Mr Hichilema said.
He said so far, the school has five government teachers and three community teachers.
Pupils take time to pray during the handover ceremonyHH speaking during the handover of Nchole community school in NamwalaNchole community school in Namwala constructed by HHNchole community school in Namwala constructed by HHPupils take time to pray during the handover ceremonyHH performs a traditional dance during the hand over ceremonyHH waves to the pupils during the handover of Nchole community school in NamwalaHH signs the visitors register at Nchole community school in Namwala
FILE: An amatuer video producer takes time to smoke marijuana during the Bob Marley Memorial concert in Lusaka west.
Ministry of Health says tobacco is one of the greatest public health threats that the world is facing and Zambia is not an exception.
Permanent Secretary for Administration, Kennedy Malama says about seven million people are killed by tobacco use worldwide every year.
Dr. Malama was speaking during the presentation of findings and recommendations of Joint Needs Assessment report on Tobacco use in Lusaka today.
He stated that nearly all tobacco use begins in childhood and adolescence adding that tobacco trends are rising among the youths.
Dr. Malama said there is need to significantly reduce tobacco use in the country to achieve Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) number 3 which urges member countries to accelerate implementation of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco control (WHO-FCTC).
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation(WHO) Country representative, Nathan Kakyaita said tobacco is one of the eight leading causes of death each year.
Dr. Bakyaita explained that tobacco related deaths are more than any other causes of deaths worldwide.
He has urged the Zambian government to put in place measures such as the Tobacco taxation system, increase public awareness and introduce alternative frameworks of farming in line with the WHO- FCTC protocol which Zambia is a signatory.
Miles Sampa who has been adopted to stand as Lusaka Mayor on the PF ticket has promised to introduce high rise grave yards as a way of addressing the shortage of burial sites in Lusaka.
In an interview on his key priorities if elected Mayor, Mr Sampa who is also a Former Member of Parliament for Matero said resolving the issue of inadequate burial places in Lusaka will be top of his agenda.
He said the city needs to find a lasting solution to the grave yard crisis currently facing residents of Lusaka.
Mr Sampa said his proposal to create high rise burial sites will free up a lot of space in Lusaka.
“Other countries bury their dead on top of already existing graves and as Lusaka Mayor, this will be my main priority when I am elected Mayor. We need to find a sustainable solution this problem and as a City Father, that would be my main task,” Mr Sampa said.
He said, “We also need to find way of expanding the Leopards Hill Cemetery because the current boundary is almost exhausted. Our people surely deserve to bury their dead with dignity.”
Mr Sampa added, “We have to come up with a way of say, after five or ten years when the body decomposes, it’s lofted into a smaller coffin and reburied on top of another as a way of mitigating against this serious problem.”
Mr Sampa who also served as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and Finance and also as Southern Province Minister was over the weekend adopted by the PF Central Committee as its candidate for the position of Lusaka Mayor.
He faces strong competition from UPND’s Pastor Kangwa Chileshe with some Lusaka residents saying the city requires fresh leadership and new ideas to respond to the many challenges.
