Zambia will receive a US$10 million cash injection from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to be used for improving water and sanitation challenges for refugees fleeing conflicts from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, said Ambassador Anthony Mukwita.

Mr. Mukwita was speaking shortly after meeting top officials from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development led by Mr. Alois Schneider when they paid a courtesy call on him at the Zambian mission in Berlin on Wednesday.

This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations Kellys Kaunda who described the meeting that covered various socio-economic and diplomatic issues as successful.

“This was the first time Ambassador Mukwita was officially engaging the Federal Ministry in charge of Economic Cooperation and Development since he assumed office in 2017 and in our view lots of ground was covered,” read the statement in part.

Ambassador Mukwita said the financial resources from the Economic Cooperation Ministry also known by its German acronym BMZ, “shall go a long way in alleviating the poverty status of refugees in Zambia following a call for international help by President Edgar Lungu earlier in the year when the country received a sudden influx of 10,000 refugees most of them women and Children.”

The Zambian envoy said, “it is our understanding that this generous gift from the Federal government shall be channeled through UNICEF, the United Nations Fund for children and we would be right to call it a God-sent from Germany.”

The German delegation to the Zambian Embassy, at the behest of Ambassador Mukwita, was led by the Head of Division Southern Africa: South Africa, Mr. Alois Schneider, Ms. Heike Porksen and Senior Policy Officer Christoph Ritz.

“The money should be released for refugee support purposes to Zambia through UNICEF before the end of the year,” Ms. Porksen said, “the beneficiaries will not only be refugees but people in the areas that host refugees and this is a very important fact to bear in mind. The clean water shall be shared equally between refugees and the local community.”

President Lungu and First Lady Esther Lungu have personally made persistent calls to the international community to help lift up the adverse livelihoods of refugees fleeing conflicts in their countries and finding refuge in Zambia.

In 2015, Germany received global plaudits by responding to a refugee crisis in Europe by accepting some 1 million refugees when other European countries shunned them, a move the Zambian diplomat hailed as generous and outstanding.

Zambia has enjoyed relations with Germany both politically and diplomatically for over four decades now and Ambassador Mukwita said he intends to escalate and grow this relationship in order to make it beneficial for Zambia.

This is not the first time Germany is being generous to Zambia, as earlier in the year the largest economy in Europe donated more than 600,000 euros at the height of the conflict in Congo.

The Integrated Community Anti-Litter Initiative ICALI has advised political parties taking part in the Lusaka Mayoral by election to adopt candidates who will contribute to the modernization of Lusaka into a smart city.

Mr Chikumbi says the association wants to see a candidate who will deliver on the foundation laid by government of promoting the make Zambia clean, green and healthy.

He appealed to political parties to scrutinize respective candidates trying to occupy the position of Lusaka Mayor.

Mr Chikumbi said the incoming Mayor should demonstrate capacity and ability to coordinate with all councilors in order to actualise the make Zambia clean, green and healthy campaign.

He noted that currently Luska is battling with indiscriminate disposal of solid waste.

He noted that the position of Mayor is key in coordinating programmes aimed at beautifying the city.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia set Tuesday 26th July as the date for the mayoral elections in Lusaka and Council Chairpersons elections in Chasefu, Chipangali, Kasenegwa, Lumezi, Lusangazi and Chifunabuli district.

The mayoral elections in Lusaka were necessitated following the death of former mayor Wilson Chisala Kalumba.

Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Dr. Buleti Nsemukila says the integrated approach which has been adopted in settling refugees at Matapala Settlement camp will promote co-existence between the host community and refugees.

Dr. Nsemukila points out that government is making sure that the host community is not disadvantaged in anyway even as it hosts refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Speaking when a team from the Zambia Human Rights Commission paid a courtesy call on him, The Permanent Secretary explained that facilities like clinics and schools which are been put up at the settlement camp will cater for both the local community and refugees.

He indicated that government wants to see to it that there is equality among the host community and the Asylum seekers by making sure that they both have access to social services and other human needs.

And Human Rights Commission Chairperson Mudford Mwandenga says the Commission is impressed with how government is handling the refugees at Matapala resettlement.

He explains that from the tour of Matapala resettlement which the commission had, it is clear that the process of resettling the refugees is progressing well.

Mr. Mwandenga has however appealed to government to ensure that the local people are not displaced even as it is settling the asylum seekers.

Copperbelt University (CBU) Vice Chancellor Naison Ngoma has disclosed that the University will soon be opening a school of Engineering at the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) in Mpika, Muchinga Province.

TAZARA Mpika workshops built in 1975 is the biggest in Central and Southern Africa occupying a total distance of 1.3 kilometre and has machinery capable of making various products and tools such as hammer mills, bicycles, wheel barrows, bolts and nuts as well as mill balls used by mining companies in the mining of minerals, among many other products.

Professor Ngoma says the opening of the CBU school of Engineering at TAZARA Mpika workshops follows the successful signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between The CBU and TAZARA management.

Professor Ngoma said a CBU lecturer has since been stationed at Mpika to kick start the programme adding that students in their second and third year of study will be learning and doing their practical work at TAZARA Mpika workshops.

The CBU Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that that many other courses such as Human Resource Development, accounts and many others, will also be introduced at the CBU Mpika Campus in due course.

Professor Ngoma added that the TAZARA Mpika workshop is the biggest workshop on the African continent, and that the university’s intention is to fully utilize the facility by training a cadre of engineers capable of contributing to the economic growth of the country.

Professor Ngoma was speaking in Chinsali recently when Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone called on him at Kapasa Makasa University.

And Muchinga Province Minister Malozo Sichone has commended the CBU management for the initiative of opening up a school of Engineering at TAZARA Mpika workshops.

Mr. Sichone says operationalizing of the TAZARA Mpika workshops will enhance revenue base for the railway company which has been struggling with finances.

Mr. Sichone said TAZARA workshop has capacity to repair vehicles adding that personal and government vehicles can be repaired from the TAZARA Mpika workshop and what is only required is to put things in order.

Mr. Sichone further disclosed that the TAZARA Mpika workshop also has capacity even to make bicycles, slushers, hoes, and hammer mills, among others products.

Mr. Sichone also suggested to the CBU management to consider offering mechanical engineering course so as to fully utilize the facilities available at the workshop and enable them use the same facility to repair various types of vehicles and heavy machinery in collaboration with TAZARA.

He said that the workshop can be used to service even government vehicles saying currently government is spending huge sums of money through servicing of vehicles which is usually done in Lusaka and the Copper belt.

The Ndola City Council has contracted the Polytechnic Construction Company to carry out maintenance works on the damaged road on the Ndeke fly over bridge, which has been in a deplorable state for some time now.

The project which is under the 55 million United States dollar Poly-Technologies road project, will see a 43 kilometre stretch of roads being upgraded to bituminous standards.

The project is aimed at decongesting the Central Business district and also intends to link many townships within the vicinity while providing job opportunities for the youth.

Ndola Central Member of parliament Emmanuel Mulenga who was accompanied by the City Mayor Amon Chisenga and NCC Acting Town Clerk Wisdom Bwalya revealed this information to ZANIS in an interview in Ndola when he inspected the damaged stretch.

Mr Mulenga explained that after consultative meetings, it was agreed that one kilometer of the road works under polytechnic be channeled to doing the damaged Ndeke fly over bridge in order to maintain a good road network in the city.

Mr Mulenga added that the road works will commence soon and has since called on road users to bear with the council as they will be inconvenienced, but assured members of the public that works that will be done will stand a taste of time.

He further appealed to traffic police officers not to mount road blocks on the affected road in order to avoid congestion.

And Mr Bwalya said members of the public are being notified that effective Wednesday the Ndeke fly over bridge road will be closed to allow for maintenance works to commence.

Government says it remains committed to implementation of the decentralization policy.

Speaking in Ndola, Local Government Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga said the Ministry of Local Government had noted a measure of resistance in some institutions.

Mr. Malupenga said the Ministry of Local Government was passionate in pushing forward the agenda and ensuring that nothing stood in the way of the implementation process.

The PS emphasized that the decentralization policy was a constitutional matter and the ministry was bound to ensure that it was realized.

He disclosed that despite the policy not having been fully implemented, the exercise has recorded unprecedented progress where it has been implemented.

And Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Bright Nundwe said the issue of the decentralization process should not be taken lightly.

Mr. Nundwe said for the country to develop, there was need for the system to tap into ideas from the ordinary citizenry.

He emphasized that the Ministry of Local Government was critical in driving the policy as it will facilitate the developmental agenda of the country.

Four students from Chipata Trades Training Institute have been arrested in connection with the riot that took place at the learning institution in the early hours of Monday this week.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, Eastern Province Commissioner of Police Luckson Sakala said the students who include the Union President were arrested yesterday.

Mr. Sakala could however not disclose the names of the suspects for fear of jeopardizing investigations.

He said the students who are currently in police custody are cooperating with police and more arrests are expected to be made.

The Police Commissioner stated that the suspects will be charged today and subsequently appear in court soon.

Mr Sakala disclosed that the value of the damaged property is over K200 000.

Meanwhile, Provincial Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo said all full time students at the institution will be required to re-apply and explain why they involved themselves in such a conduct.

He pointed out that once accepted the students will have to pay for the damages caused.

Mr. Kasolo said government will not condone lawlessness among students in the province.

Fred M’membe and Socialist Party general secretary Cosmas Musumali have sued Rainbow Party general secretary Wynter Kabimba in the Lusaka High Court for defamation of character and they are seeking an injunction to restrain him from issuing homosexual remarks against them.

Dr M’membe, the Socialist Party’s 2021 presidential candidate and Dr Musumali have also cited Daily Nation Newspaper Limited and Millennium Radio station manager Patricia Chibiliti.

According to a statement of claim filed in court, Dr M’membe and Dr Musumali are seeking damages for defamation of character following homosexual remarks the defendants issued and published against them.

The plaintiffs stated that on or about April 3 this year, the defendants jointly and severally published or caused to be published during a radio interview and live Facebook false and malicious words concerning the plaintiffs.

It was stated that Kabimba while laughing and giggling the false and malicious words of or concerning the plaintiffs, before the volume was cut off of the live feed stated that; “You want me to be a homosexual in order to run a political party? With so many women in Lusaka, Why?”

Kabimba had also alleged that the financiers of the Socialist Party had objectionable sexual orientation.

The defendants jointly and severally published an article headlined, “Kabimba Spills Beans”, where he said the Socialist Party leaders broke away from Rainbow Party because they disagreed with their views on sexual orientation and radical approach against prayers.

It is alleged that Kabimba repeated the defamatory contents with intent to damage the reputation of the plaintiffs as persons aspiring to form government in Zambia.

Dr M’membe and Dr Musumali said the words complained of in their natural and ordinary meaning meant and were understood to mean that the plaintiffs were dishonest and lacked integrity thus not fit to hold public office as leaders of a political party.

The plaintiffs further stated that the accusations also meant that the Socialist Party was founded on immoral principles and values and that they got funding from immoral people and thus did not meet the ethical and integrity standards of a political party.

Dr M’membe and Dr Musumali contended that on April 4, the defendants and each of them refused to correct, retract and or tender an apology notwithstanding the written demand to do so and also did not bother to verify the truth of the wild and false statements before publishing them.
“The first defendant published the words complained of with intent to damage the reputation of the defendants as persons aspiring to form government in Zambia,” the plaintiffs stated.

They added that unless restrained by the court, the defendants and each of them would continue to publish or cause to be published the said or similar words defamatory to the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs are therefore, claiming damages for defamation, exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain the defendants, their agents or servants from further publication of any defamatory articles about the plaintiffs.