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The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has presented resolutions of the National Democracy Stakeholders Summit (NDSS) to the three main Church Mother Bodies which among them advised that the Church be part of the National Dialogue to lead Reconciliation amongest political leaders.
ZCID met with the three Church Mother bodies on Monday afternoon.
In a statement issued by ZCID Spokesperson, Jackson Silavwe, the board met the three Church Mother Bodies namely, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and Zambia Council of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) to see how they can be involved in the dialogue process.
He explained that the Centre shared the resolutions and defined the parameters according to the submissions from the NDSS.
“ZCID met the three Church mother bodies which includes ZCCB, EFZ and CCZ and presented their resolutions and made a request to the church to come on board in as far as national dialogue is concerned. We defined the parameters according to the submissions by the National Democracy Stakeholders Summit on how we can involve the church in the dialogue process,” he said.
Mr. Silavwe noted the Three Church Mother Bodies have since promised the Centre that they will discuss the way forward amongst themselves before committing to the submissions from the NDSS.
“The Church listened but promised to get back to us on our request as soon as possible to give their position as to their involvement in the process,” he said.
ZCID has endeavoured to be inclusive in its process of the national dialogue by meeting a number of strategic stakeholders and eminent persons in the country.
Before Monday’s meeting the Centre held a National Democracy Stakeholders Summit (NDSS) were civil society organisations, faith based organisations, academia, intelligensia and political parties deliberated on four thematic areas which should form the basis in the dialogue process.
The four thematic areas are Constitutional and Institutional Reforms, Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence, Tolerance, Freedom of Assembly and Civility in Politics and Electoral Reforms and Integrity of Processes.
The Centre further engaged political parties outside parliament and is expected to hold a secretary general’s meeting were they are expected to endorse the submissions from the NDSS in readiness for the Summit of Presidents.
Silavwe named those in attendance as CCZ President Alfred Kalembo who Chaired the meeting, CCZ Secretary General Emmanuel Chikoya, EFZ’s Bishop Paul Mususu and Rev Pukuta Mwanza and ZCCB’s Cleophus Lungu.
The Green Party is alarmed by escalating delinquency on finance control and management regulations by Government.
Reacting to a press query to comment on the latest exposé of the sale of Kalingalinga Police Station, the Greens leader Peter Sinkamba said time is running out for President Edgar Lungu to get on top of things as the Head of State to arrest the situation.
“Our country has laws and regulations intended to curb financial delinquency in government. In particular, we have the Public Finance Management Act of 2018. We also have Finance (Control and Management) (Public Stores) Regulations. The two laws set the legislative requirements to provide for the control and management of the public finances of the Republic of Zambia. Sections 42 to 47 of the Public Finance Management Act and Regulations 104 and 105 of Finance (Control and Management) (Public Stores) Regulations provide the framework for disposal of Government assets by government agencies which must be comply with, including treasury Instructions. As Head of State, President Lungu should be on top of things and bring the delinquency into control because time is running out for him,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
“Going by the recent disposal of Government assets such as NRDC, Chimbokaila Prison and Jacaranda Basic School, Kalingalinga Police Station, and several others which the public is not privy to, it is abundantly clear that the sale of these assets is not being carried out in accordance with the said laws. Furthermore, they are not being accrued out with an outcome of achieving the best net return when selling. Disposal dealings are not being undertaken in an efficient, fair, transparent and accountable manner prescribed by law. Put simply, the sales can be summed up as acute financial delinquency,” he added.
He said accounting procedures when disposing Government assets must be carried out in accordance with the statutes and treasury Instructions and added that disposal recommendations, with reasons for disposal, must be documented.
“It appears there is no documented policy which Government is following. Proper record keeping is also questionable. Policy and proper record keeping not only does assist for auditing and other examinations purposes, but also highlights successes and issues for future references. However, our colleagues in PF Government do not respect these transparency and coherence processes hence all transactions of assets reviewed so far are unfair, obscure, and done in an unaccountable manner,” he said.
He said assets to be disposed via sale must be based on reserve value that reflects fair market value for each item.
“The sale price established should be based on the condition of the goods or assets and their current market value. Assets must be disposed at the best available net value. Officers need to ensure that disposal of assets is undertaken with probity: that is, ethically, honestly and with fairness to all participants; and to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. However, this is a pipe-dream in PF Government,” he added.
He said asset disposal should be conducted in an efficient and accountable manner.
“Valuation plays an important part in the effective and efficient disposal of goods. It provides an important reference point which assists in the recommendation as well the approval of the most appropriate disposal option.
“In fact, technical experts selected as the member of the Board of Survey should have or obtain sufficient technical knowledge to place a value on items identified for disposal. The most accurate determination of value is always what the competitive market is prepared to pay. In addition to this, there must be a number of agents, usually external),who identify, mark, and record all Government property promptly upon receipt, except as may be exempted by statute, and should remain so identified so long as they remain in the custody, possession, or control of Board of Survey. Assigned Government property identification numbers must be recorded on all applicable receiving documents, disposal documents, and any other documents pertaining to the property control system. Such markings should only be removed or obliterated from the property involved after disposal,” he said.
He said upon submission and consideration of the recommendations of the Board of Survey Report, the Permanent Secretary for Finance or Secretary to the Treasury may authorize the Permanent Secretary of that ministry or department to dispose of that asset by sale or exchange or transfer to any other agency, state institution or whatever the case may be.
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“Where the assets are found to be obsolete or redundant, the Permanent Secretary for Finance or Secretary to Treasury may direct a sale. However, the sale of any government asset ought to be by auction or public tender. This is not the case,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
Chief Muyombe of the Tumbuka people of Mafinga district in Muchinga Province has also added his voice in giving of land to President Edgar Lungu by King Mswati of eSwatini.
Chief Muyombe told ZANIS in Mafinga that there is nothing wrong with President Lungu being given land by King Mswati.
The traditional leader said that the issue should not be politicized.
He said that as traditional leaders they are free to give gifts to any person adding that the gesture by King Muswati to give land to President Lungu was done in good faith.
Meanwhile, Chief Mwenechifungwe said President Lungu has not committed any offence by being given land in eSwatini by King Muswati.
He said that there is nothing wrong in King Muswati giving a piece of land to a fellow head of state.
Chief Mwenechifungwe said it is normal for presidents to be given pieces of land in a foreign country adding that even First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda has land in South Africa which was given to him.
He said that as traditional leaders they do not choose when giving gifts such as pieces of land and if he wishes he could also give land to President Lungu in his chiefdom.
Reuters reports that China’s debt crackdown is a key risk to the country’s economic growth and will have significant knock-on effects for the global economy, particularly emerging markets with high commodity dependence or close Chinese trade links, Fitch Ratings said.
Beijing’s campaign to put a lid on debt could also lead to a sharp slowdown in business investment, Fitch said late on Sunday, forecasting that growth in the world’s second-biggest economy would slow to around 4.5 percent over the medium term.
Fitch said the implications of this scenario for the global economy would be significant but not dramatic, unlike a full-scale hard landing.
One of the most significant effects would be on commodity prices, with Fitch expecting oil and metal prices to fall 5 to 10 percent from its baseline scenario, reflecting China’s large role as a commodity consumer.
In April, a Reuters poll of 72 institutions showed economists expected China’s economic growth to slow to 6.5 percent this year and 6.3 percent next year as Beijing extends its crackdown on riskier lending practices.
Gross domestic product in 2017 expanded 6.9 percent in real terms and 11.2 percent in nominal terms.
Beijing’s financial crackdown, now in its third year, has slowly pushed up borrowing costs and is choking off alternative, murkier funding sources for companies such as shadow banking.
The ratio of Chinese corporate debt to GDP is already very high by international standards – at 168 percent in 2017 – and is expected to start rising again as nominal GDP growth declines towards 8 percent from the unusually high rate of more than 11 percent in 2017, Fitch said.
If the government aims to stabilise its corporate debt ratio by 2022, Fitch said China’s nominal economic growth rate could fall by 1 percentage point a year over the medium term while business investment growth would drop 5 percentage points per year.
Net global commodity exporters would be affected through a decline in direct exports to China and weaker terms of trade, Fitch said.
The rating agency’s model suggests a particularly strong impact on Chile while direct exposure is lower in Latin America’s other major economies that are generally less dependent on Chinese demand.
Exporters of energy products and metals, such as Zambia, could also be hurt as China’s role as a source of financing sub-Saharan Africa has increased considerably in recent years.
Fitch singled out Mongolia as the most vulnerable of Asia’s net commodity exporters as China accounts for all of its coal and iron ore exports.
A bigger impact on the global economy would result if the Chinese currency were to depreciate significantly in the slower growth scenario, Fitch said.
“It is hard to put a precise time frame on when China will start to see the deleveraging of the real economy, but at some point it looks inevitable,” said Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch.
“The scenario analysis we have undertaken suggests that, when it does occur, it will be a process that will be a significant drag on growth.”
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has denied accusations that it has introduced new polling streams for tomorrow’s by elections in an attempt to rig the poll in favour of the ruling PF.
Commission Spokesperson Margaret Chimanse said the 2016 Registered Voters per Polling District/Station listing is still valid and in use.
In view of the Press Release issued on 2nd June, “2018, the Commission would like to correct the perception created of new polling stations streams having been introduced for the 5thJune 2018 By-Elections. ECZ has not created any new polling streams. The 2016 Registered Voters per Polling District/Station listing is still valid and in use,” Mrs Chimanse said.
She said the Commission has in the past downscaled on the use of polling streams for By-Elections due to the low voter turnout trends.
“However, lessons have been drawn from the recent past By-elections of 24th April, 2018 and the following will be implemented (as stated in the Press Release of 2 June 2018),” she said.
Mrs Chimanse said the Commission will deploy Officers at stream- level in Chilanga and Chienge Districts (having met the threshold) adding that other districts do not meet the threshold.
“In Chienge, Mununga Ward with a total of five (5) Polling Stations, two (2) stations namely Mununga Primary School and Kabwe Primary School will have two (2) voting streams each, with a total of 1,318 and 1,130 registered voters respectively.”
Two Zambia students on a on the Zambia /Algeria Government Scholarships on Sunday, June the 3rd, drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the statement released to the media by Head of Public relations at the Ministry of Health Stanslous Ngosa, Minister of Health Hon Dr Chitalu Chilufya, who is Acting Minister of Higher Education, confirmed the incident today in Lusaka and identified the deceased as Kelvin Musanda, 19 and Innocent Kawilo Kangwa, 20.
Kelvin was a first year student in Material Science while Innocent was a first year student in Electrical Engineering.
The deceased met their fate while in the company of a Zambian Community and other foreign students, based in Tlemcem, Algeria who had gone to the Beach to celebrate the completion of the French Language instruction by the first year students.
A strong wind swept Kelvin and in a bid to rescue him by Innocent, was also taken by the wave resulting in both students drowning.
They were both retrieved from the Sea but pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The Government, through the Zambian Embassy in Cairo, responsible for Algeria is doing everything possible to repatriate the remains of our students back to Zambia. The Education Attaché is being sent to Algeria to coordinate the process.
“As a caring Government, we are profoundly saddened by this tragic loss of vibrant young Zambians. We request the rest of the Nation to put the families of the deceased Zambian students in their prayers, ” concluded the statement
Zambia’s external debt may grow by more than 40 percent to $13 billion next year as the cost of planned projects are added to the total, and debt-servicing charges could double, according to former finance minister Alexander Chikwanda.
The government of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer could face debt-servicing costs of $1 billion next year, from $500 million to $600 million this year, due to new loans, Mr. Chikwanda said Sunday in comments broadcast on state-owned ZNBC television.
“If we are to be honest, there are also pipeline items. So by the time we go into next year, our external debt would rise to as much as $13 billion, at which point debt servicing will become quite critical,” said Mr. Chikwanda, who served as finance minister from 2011 until 2016. “It’s going to be a challenge to service the external debt.”
His statement could fuel concerns about the sustainability of Zambia’s foreign debt levels, which has helped make the country’s Eurobonds the world’s worst performing this year.
Already, external loans ballooned from $2 billion when Chikwanda took over as finance minister to $9.1 billion at the end of February, and the International Monetary Fund said the country is at a high risk of debt distress.
Some investors are worried Zambia’s debt levels may be higher than the official number, but government says its totals are accurate.
Finance Ministry officials didn’t immediately respond to text messages seeking comment.
The country will probably have to refinance its $3 billion in Eurobonds, the first $750 million of which falls due in 2022, and investors will be “very happy to,” because of the attractive interest rate, Mr. Chikwanda said.
With yields on Zambia’s $1 billion Eurobonds due 2024 at 10.8 percent, that could be costly for the government.
The southern African nation will need to re-negotiate some of the loans it got from Chinese lenders, he said, echoing statements from current Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe.
Some of the projects they financed were too expensive and Zambia can rely on its good relations with China to get more sustainable loan terms, said Chikwanda, who serves on the ruling Patriotic Front’s central committee.
NATIONAL RESTORATION PARTY PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 4 JUNE 2018
“Foxes in the chicken pen”
Good morning ladies and gentlemen; fellow citizens.
Once again we are meeting to address the nation on yet another set of issues centering on corruption. At a time when so many people are struggling to put food on their tables or wondering how they will make income for their ongoing obligations towards rentals, school and tuition fees, transport, food and social responsibilities like weddings and funerals, we are hit with more news about scandals and cover ups relating to the wanton plunder of our national resources.
The publication last week of the 2017 Financial Intelligence Centre Report makes sad and unacceptable reading. We want to highlight a few things following the release of this report and to put the Patriotic Front administration on notice about the responsibility they bear in ensuring that appropriate action is taken to bring to book the culprits that are implicated in the findings by the Financial Intelligence Centre.
It can no longer be right or in any way acceptable that revelations of plunder, money-laundering, tax evasion, fraud, abuse of office and corruption are simply ignored while the perpetrators and their politically-connected allies in public office snub their noses at any person that challenges them. It is irresponsible for any person in a public office with the power to act against the violation of our laws to stay silent in the face of such overwhelming evidence of systematic plunder of our national wealth, even more so, at a time when we are deeply indebted to the Chinese, Eurobond investors, multilateral lenders, private organisations and local lenders and suppliers. Much of our debt obligation is procured quietly and with questionable individuals and companies that have no proven track record of delivery in the particular area of financing required or have questionable backgrounds.
All this is coming at a time when our youth and our women have been kicked off the streets without and alternative avenue to ply their trades; when we have over 1,000 young people entering the job market every day; when over 75% of our national revenue is applied towards paying civil service salaries leaving only 23% of our income to address out healthcare, infrastructure, education and social development demands. It is no wonder that teenage pregnancies are so high; that young girls are entering into commercial sex work at the age of 12; that defilement cases are not dropping but rising; that gender-based violence is gaining momentum rather than dwindling. We have a society that has been abandoned by its leaders who have opted to live the life of luxury at the expense of the suffering masses and determined that they will do all they can to stay in power using their ill-gotten wealth. Sadly, we have a case of the fox in the chicken pen. Rather than regulate and deter plunder, the 2017 Financial Intelligence Centre report has shown very clearly that the last thing the PF administration is interested in doing is deterring any form of corruption.
Corruption is sadly a part of us
The PF is not, never has been and probably never will be interested in fighting corruption. We have seen time and time again how they have not only stayed silent in the face of corruption, but they have glaringly promoted it on several occasions. We don’t need to look back too far to recollect the directive given by the current PF Party Secretary General to PF counselors in Kabwe, asking them to retain plots for themselves while leaving a balance for the general public. To date, none of his senior colleagues have challenged him or asked that he retract the statement. This is because this has been common practice throughout councils in the country and has been going on for years.
The sad reality is that people no longer think corruption is a serious challenge as long as the leaders don’t steal everything and leave something on the table for the ordinary citizen. They recognize that corruption is hard to eradicate. However, they have begun to realise that when faced with such crushing economic hardship, corruption has only made their condition worse. The PF did not invent corruption – not at all. They have simply become experts at perfecting it and making it all seem normal. They were originally voted into office on a pro-poor agenda but they have become the enemy of the poor, plundering the national coffers at will and making a mockery of our hard fought democracy. They have used their position of power to entrench the idea that politics in Africa is about acquiring and distributing ill-gotten wealth. They have imdeed become the foxes that are guarding the chicken pen. Nothing good can come out of this equation – only more regular and more frequent destruction of the very chickens they were hired to guard.
So how do we change all this? How do we inspire the right response in our people? The answer lies partly in taking the information that has been provided by the Financial Intelligence Centre and demanding answers from our political and law enforcement leaders.
The FIC Report
It is abundantly clear from the FIC report in their presentation of Case Study 1 that there is a clear and compelling case of corruption involving high-ranking government officials and known businessmen and professional firms. The role of the FIC includes notifying the relevant enforcement agencies and tasking them with the responsibility of prosecuting the cases based on the evidence of fraud, money-laundering, corruption, theft and abuse of office. This information will have been made available to the republican president, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Zambia Revenue Authority and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, among others.
The questions we now have to ask as journalists, members of civil society, politicians, ordinary citizens: youth, women and men that are being deprived of their livelihoods are these:
Why has President Lungu remained silent in the face of such clear evidence of crime by his very own officials?
Why are the law enforcement agencies not doing their job and prosecuting the crimes that have been identified in the FIC Report?
Why are we citizens not rising up and demanding action against the officials that were elected and appointed to regulate the plunder of our resources?
It is these questions that we must answer if we are to find any way forward in delivering on the development expectations of our nation.
We are putting the Anti-Corruption Commission on notice that we are writing to them to provide and answer as to why they have not taken action to prosecute those behind the Case Study 1 revealed in the 2017 FIC Report. Similar letters will be sent to the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, the Zambia Revenue Authority, the Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, our republican president. We want to know why no prosecutions have been instituted. The trail is very clear and the flow of funds and people involved easy to trace and identify, including the particular government ministries; the senior government official in the ministry that awarded the tender; the broadcasting house referred to which received K5 million; the hotel that was purchased and for which there was a payment of K17 million; the truck that was purchased and given to a relative of a politically connected person. Not acting on these very serious allegations of plunder of our national resources is tantamount to a dereliction of duty and is a terminable offence.
Starting today, we are embarking on a nation-wide campaign to collect as many signatures as possible to follow the letters that we will be sending to the law enforcement officials and politicians to convey the message that the people of Zambia have had enough of these stories of plunder and misuse of our resources; enough of the lack of action to recover what is rightfully ours; enough of the continued distribution of our land to foreign owners behind closed doors; enough of the impunity that is surrounding the leaders who should be in the forefront of fighting the deep corruption in our midst. I invite civil society, Opposition political parties, citizens, activists and stakeholders in Zambia to join us by signing the petition to return our money and give it to the people of Zambia. WE pledge that every penny that will be recovered will be paid to every family in the country that is made up of citizens of this nation. We will start with the 4.5 billion that has been identified in the 2017 FIC Report.
Finally, it should be noted that the work the Financial Intelligence Centre has done is highly commendable. If it was in our power, we would bestow on that organization and its Director-General, the highest award for bravery and commitment to national duty for fearlessly exposing the detail behind the corruption we have suspected and quietly known about for many, many years.
Let’s stop turning a blind eye to corruption, fraud, theft and plunder and let’s start acting as a people that care about our future.
Elias C. Chipimo
President
National Restoration Party (NAREP)
Veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga has denied claims by President Edgar Lungu that an opposition leader plans to use him as an emissary to arrange for meeting with him at night to discuss pressing national issues.
Over the weekend during campaigns in Chilanga, President Lungu claimed that Dr. Mwaanga has been asked to arrange a Kenya style meeting with unnamed opposition politician strongly believed to be Hakainde Hichilema.
But in a statement, Dr Mwaanga said he no one has apprehend me to arrange a meeting with President Lungu.
“My attention has been drawn to remarks made yesterday at a PF campaign rally in Chilanga by President Edgar C Lungu, to the effect that i had been approached by an unnamed opposition party leader, to arrange a night meeting with him at State House. I wish to category state that no opposition party leader has ever approached me to arrange a meeting with President Lungu at night or at any other time of da,” Dr Mwaanga said.
“It has been my wish, which i expressed directly to President Lungu when, i met him last year to appeal to him to release UPND President, Hakainde Hichilema from prison and have dialogue, that the two men should have dialogue, without pre-conditions by both sides,” he said.
“My colleagues in the MMD will vouch for me that I have always been a passionate advocate of dialogue since 1990, because it is better than confrontation,” he said.
“I issued a public statement a few days ago praising the Kenyan Leaders President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga for embracing the spirit of dialogue and putting the interests of their country and people first. I expressed the hope that our leaders would take a leaf from those wise and mature Kenyan politicians and do the same.”
He said, “ Iam totally unapologetic about this, because i believe deep down in my heart and soul, that it is the right thing to do. The truth benders who are enemies of peace and progress, have yet again misinformed the President.”
Dr Mwaanga said it is disappointing that some of the President’s informants do not understand the value of political dialogue in the 21st century and the salutary effects it brings to countries and the world.
“If this is the way they treat dialogue, then i fear that our politics have not yet reached the level of Kenya and it may be helpful for them to take a few more lessons from President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga. In the name of God, please stop misinforming the President of our country.”
Minister of Local Government Hon Vincent Mwale
Government has sold Kalingalinga Police Post in Lusaka to a private developer who will construct a shopping mall.
Local Government and Housing Minister Vincent Mwale has confirmed on Twitter.
The confirmation comes after some citizens raised serious reservations on Twitter about the transaction following a Tweet by Lusaka resident Sipho Phiri who said he has been making improvements to the infrastructure for the past year thinking it was a long term community benefit.
Mr. Phiri expressed shock that selling the police post will mean thousands of people will be without a police station.
He then demanded for an explanation from government which he said should be ashamed of itself.
Information has also informed that the residents will have to instead use Mtendere police post.
Shortly afterwards, Mr. Mwale confirmed that indeed the Police station has been sold to pave way for a shopping mall.
“There is a developer who will construct a shopping mall where Mayela is but since the place is small, he has taken up surrounding Mayela (nightclub) including the police post, he will rebuild a better police post at a nearby place. The old one will not be demolished until a new one is in place,” Mr. Mwale Tweeted.
He further explained that Kalingalinga is an unplanned settlement and as the place gets upgraded, developers and residents will have to shuffle things around in order to accommodate new developments.
Mr. Mwale stressed that nothing belonging to the community should be lost.
“Mayela is a private property, it was/is not owned by government, the developer who bought Mayela and other surrounding properties is the one who will rearrange the place and building a new and better police post as I understand,” said in a further Tweet.
The PF government has come under heavy criticism in the recent past for its selling spree of strategic public assets such as the NRDC, Chimbokaila Prison and Jacaranda Basic School.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu with management and staff at First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila, along with dignitaries including Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Hon. Richard Musukwa (left), and FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli (second right) and Sentinel Mine General Manager Morris Rowe.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu visited First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila this week to see for himself the challenges faced in operating one of the nation’s most strategically important assets.
President Lungu inspected Sentinel’s main pit and processing plant and met with Zambian management and staff before touring Kalumbila town, a 1,300-house town built by First Quantum at a cost of US$74 million.
“We came to see the challenges they are facing so we partner them well, and partner them with knowledge. It’s remarkable. But they have to tell us the challenges otherwise we won’t dream in Lusaka.” said Mr Lungu,.
The Head of State observed first-hand the company’s US$2.3 billion investment and how that has translated into 2,800 direct jobs and a further 2,500 indirect jobs, and significant royalties paid to the government, with major economic and social development in the communities surrounding the mine.
He was also appraised of the challenges of mining a low-grade ore body, which yields just 0.5 percent copper compared with an industry average on the Copperbelt of around 2 percent.
The mine moves a massive 450,000 tonnes of material a day to recover around 150,000 tonnes of low-grade copper ore; this operation costs in excess of US$50 million a month to run, consuming over 270,000 litres of gasoil a day and spending around US$4 million on steel mill balls per month.
The stability of electricity supply and competitive tarrifs are extremely important, First Quantum Zambia Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli told the President. Moreover, the company continues to work hard in partnering with ZESCO to energise a second power line that will further-stabilise electricity supply to the whole Zambian mining sector as well as domestic consumers. This, along with a reliable supply of very high quality gasoil required to operate the mine’s state-of-the-art equipment, remain critical factors for Sentinel’s continued success, added General Chinkuli.
Hiring sufficient numbers of skilled Zambians to operate the mine efficiently is also a challenge, given the narrow margins and high-tech nature of the mine, said General Chinkuli, who emphasised the importance the company places on the up-skilling and training of Zambian artisans; and he welcomed reassurances of support from the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development in this respect.
The President also held discussions with mine management over the status of the approval of the Kalumbila Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ), which will diversify the district’s economic base and ensure its sustainability beyond the life of the mine.
Speaking on the side-lines of the visit, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Hon. Richard Musukwa assured mine managers of his ministry’s continued commitment to support First Quantum’s Zambia operations and help to address any challenges.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu holds a bay while chatting with a family in one of the houses in FQM’s Kalumbila town.President Edgar Chagwa Lungu inspects the processing plant at First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila.
Former MMD National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe has released a book that details UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s 127 day in prison on treason charges.
The book titled Making of a “President, Destined to Rule”, Mr Kachingwe makes a bold projection that Mr Hichilema will one day rule Zambia.
The book also highlights some of the major events which took place during the UPND leader’s time in prison following his treason charge.
It delves into Mr. Hichilema’s life experience in prison from April II when he was brutally arrested from his New Kasama residence to the time he was taken to Mukobeko Maximum Prison and eventually released from prison through a Nolle Prosequi on Wednesday, August 16, 2017.
The book also covers both inclusive and exclusive interviews from critics of his arrest who tirelessly offered support and solidarity within and outside Zambia’s boundaries. Enjoy the book by buying a copy.
The book also contains the cross examination in court by Mr. Hichilema’s defence team comprising Keith Mweemba, Gilbert Phiri and other senior state counsels like Vincent Malambo, Martha Mushipe and Jack Mwiimbu.
The book titled Making of a “President, Destined to Rule”
