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Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo is not happy with the state of sanitation at the Copperbelt University in Kitwe.
Speaking after she visited the campus unannounced Professor Luo said she is disappointed to find the university in a deplorable state.
She said the Copperbelt University was closed because of poor sanitation and there is need for stakeholders to work hard and create a clean environment.
And Copperbelt University Registrar Hellen Mukumba promised to supervise the cleaning company.
Ms Mukumba said recently the university contracted a new company to clean the institution and she hopes they will do a good job.
Meanwhile, at the Zambia Institute of Business Studies and Industrial Practice -ZIBSIP, Professor Luo was disappointed to find water running in ablution blocks and dirty cooking elements in the students’ hostels.
She also toured classrooms where she found students had been in a lecture room from 07:00 to 10:30 without the lecturer.
Professor Luo later went to the lecturer’s office which she found locked.
The Minister later ordered ZIBSIP management to ensure the lecturer travels to Lusaka to her office to explain why he abandoned the students.
Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya has appealed to cooperating partners to reintroduce the basket fund for financial services in the health sector.
The Minister noted that the reintroduction of the basket fund will help in financing other aspects of health programmes.
He assured the cooperating partners that the resources placed in the health sector will be prudently utilised adding that, his Ministry is targeting zero queries at both international and national level.
Dr. Chilufya said this in Lusaka today at the Annual Consultative Meeting (ACM) held at Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
And the Minister of Health has called on cooperating partners to work with government by providing expertise in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Bill.
The Minister said among other areas of focus in health service delivery, government is prioritising health care financing to ensure that no one is left behind in the universal health coverage.
Additionally, the Minister of Health has indicated that Zambia is on the right track in achieving the set goals for health in the 2017- 2021 National Strategic Plan with consistence support from cooperating partners.
He said the year 2017 has clearly shown evidence in the country’s meeting the legacy goals looking at the successes that have been recorded in health service delivery.
Meanwhile, Cooperating partners have pledged their continued support in working with government to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving universal health care.
Representing the cooperating partners, World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Nathan Bakyaita, has however, urged government to also ensure that there is an improvement in drug debt in the supply chain.
The Annual Consultative Meeting was held to provide a platform for the Minister of Health to meet Heads of Missions and Ambassadors of countries accredited to Zambia which support health including other country representatives of international and local NGOS in the health sector.
The meeting focused on reviewing the health sector performance during the year 2017 and the required support towards the Medium- Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Patriotic Front has said that it will not be part of a dialogue process spearheaded by the Commonwealth.
PF Secretary General Davies said that there are a lot of countries in Africa that require the attention of the Commonwealth and not Zambia.
Mr Mwila was speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Friday.
At the same occasion PF National Women’s Chairperson Jean Kapata said the party will not accept outsiders to chair the dialogue process amongst political parties and other civil society organisations.
Ms Kapata said Zambia is a sovereign state with structures that can chair the dialogue process.
She said Zambia is not at war that it can fail to organize a dialogue process within the country through the Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue.
And the New Congress Party has supported calls for the Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue -ZCID- to spearhead the proposed dialogue process between the ruling PF and opposition political parties.
Party President Peter Chanda has wondered why the opposition UPND is not keen to have the local body lead the dialogue process when it is a board member of the ZCID.
Pastor Chanda said Zambia is a sovereign nation that is capable of handling its internal politics without resorting to outsiders.
He has urged the UPND to emulate the opposition in Kenya which has reconciled with the ruling party in the aftermath of last year’s general election.
President Edgar Lungu with United Nations Coordinator in Zambia who is also United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Ms Janet Rogan when she paid a courtesy call on the Head of State at State HousePresident Edgar Lungu with United Nations Coordinator in Zambia who is also United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Ms Janet Rogan when she paid a courtesy call on the Head of State at State HouseMinister Alexander Chiteme -second right – at Structured Dialogue with Africa in MaliHon. Chiteme speaking at Structured Dialogue with Africa in MaliMalian Environment Minister -right-listens to Minister ChitemeHon. Alexander Chiteme at Climate resilience ministerial roundtableFirst Lady Esther Lungu when Turkish Ambassador to Zambia, Her Excellency Sebnem Incesu paid a courtesy call on her at State HouseMTN Zambia CEO Charles Molapisi says the company has declared 2018 as ‘Year of the Customer’. Photo courtesy of KPR ConsultingWestern Province Minister Richard Kapita (r) urging Sesheke District Civil Servants to be non-political partisan but to focus on delivering to the people they are serving during his visit in the districtWestern Province Minister Richard Kapita (c) flanked by his Permanent Secretary Sibanze Simuchoba (r) and Mwandi District Commissioner Precious Muyenga (l) paying homage before meeting Senior Chief Nyambo Yeta of Mwandi, Sesheke and Mulobezi Districts during his tour of duty of paying courtesy on Chiefs in Western ProvinceNalolo District Commissioner Teddy Chibinde (r) and Induna Imonga (l) briefing Western Province Minister Richard Kapita (c) about the dos and don’ts before meeting Chieftainess Mbuyu Imwiko Litunga La Mboela during his tour of duty of paying courtesy on Chiefs in Western ProvinceWestern Province Minister Richard Kapita (r) arrives at Chieftainess Mbuyu Imwiko Litunga La Mboela’s Winter Palace in the flood plains in Nalolo District during his tour of duty of paying courtesy on Chiefs in Western ProvinceWestern Province Minister Richard Kapita (r) confers with Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) Ngambela (Prime Minister) Mwenda Nyambe (l) when being ushered to meet Litunga Imwiko Lubosi II in Limulunga District during his tour of duty of paying courtesy on Chiefs in Western Province
Zambia-born and Australia-based rapper Sampa The Great, demonstrates the global power of Black Girl Magic with her similarly named song and its accompanying music video.
“I’ve been Black since ‘93. But I understand that it’s not just about me. Understand that there’s a spirit underneath this skin. Understand that there’s a soul that lives within. Soul, glow, from dusk ‘til dawn, from the beginning where we all come from. So, somebody tell me why we can’t get along. I wrote this psychosis for sisters like me, with skin as dark as the night that shines so effortlessly. I wrote this for my sister, who looks in the mirror and calls out to beauty, who can no longer see her. “
Sampa the Great stated that she wrote the song for her younger sister, Mwanje, who also appears in the video. “I often wondered what Mwanje saw when she looked back at herself in the mirror,” she explained. “We’re surrounded by beauty standards that we cannot fulfill as they’re not made with us in mind. In this video I wanted to depict something beautiful, strong, and royal—all that she embodies.”
Graffiti artists celebrate World Water Day by painting Zambian Breweries’ water reservoir.
Zambian Breweries commemorated World Water Day by offering talented graffiti artists the blank canvas of water tanks at its Mungwi Road Plant so that they could leave behind their mark.
As well as hoping that they could draw plenty of inspiration from the project, the firm was also looking for them to paint a picture of just how important water is in our lives.
Zambian Breweries’ Brewery Operations Director Franz Schepping sketched out the details: “World Water Day is a very important day for Zambian Breweries. Water is a scarce resource around the globe and no more so than in Zambia. And nearly all our products are made from water, from soft drinks to alcoholic beverages.
“World Water Day means a lot to us and sending the message about its importance can give us a thrilling idea of how we can conserve and use it in a proper manner.”
For this year’s World Water Day, which is held every March 22, the theme was ‘Nature for Water’ which explored how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st Century.
Mr Schepping was impressed by the work the graffiti artists left behind: “This is a magnificent piece of art which is meant to remind people about the importance of water and why we need to always preserve it and use it in a proper way.”
Art is a very important tool in every society, as it attracts and helps people understand messages in a creative simple manner.
Graffiti artists celebrate World Water Day by painting Zambian Breweries’ water reservoir.
“At Zambian Breweries, we appreciate art and we want our local artists to be appreciated and exposed through sending educational messages to the community as graffiti artists do everywhere,” Mr Schepping added.
“The graffiti art work is the best, colourful thing around our plant and we are happy it could give the artists a bigger platform for their work and exposure.”
Zambian Breweries appreciates and supports various art forms around the country and is very impressed with how much talent Zambia has.
Passionate graffiti artists from around Lusaka came together to create the work, which expressed different styles of art.
Graffiti artists celebrate World Water Day by painting Zambian Breweries’ water reservoir.
One, Joseph Mvula, said: “We are privileged that Zambian Breweries invited us to come and express our artistic creativity on their water reservoirs. We had such a wonderful time and we hope our work can inspire people in many good ways.”
Another artist, Morris Fenete, added: “I love graffiti because I can express myself. I can tell a bit more about myself and elaborate more with my pieces. Zambian Breweries has been more than generous by providing these water towers on which we put the graffiti.”
After the Zambian Breweries project, the artists are looking forward to working together to portray Lusaka in a better light through the Manja Pamodzi project and also to raise awareness of responsible alcohol consumption..
They hope they can achieve much more collectively by working together rather than as individuals.
The National Heritage Conservation Commission and National Arts Council also commended the artists for putting together such a magnificent show.
Zambian Breweries country director Jose Moran, operations director Franz Schepping and corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele join staff and graffiti artists in celebrating World Water Day at their Mungwi Road plant.
President Edgar Lungu at the Agritech Expo, KSB stad in 2017
President Edgar Lungu will attend the official opening of the Agritech Expo Zambia outdoor farming exhibition that returns for the fifth time to Chisamba from 12-14 April.
The event is expected to attract more than 22,000 visitors this year and will feature some 270 local and international agri equipment and services suppliers.
The theme of the President’s address during the opening ceremony on Friday, 13 April, will be: “Resilience part of Zambian nature: Applauding every step forward towards the modernisation of Zambian agriculture”.
President Lungu will be joined by Fisheries and Livestock Minister Kampamba Mulenga and Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo.
Meanwhile, Mr Jervis Zimba, President of the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and the owners of Agritech Expo Zambia, says while farmers have been through a difficult period recently “it is time to put the challenges behind us and have a fresh start.”
He adds: “the ZNFU is in the process of producing a Marshall Plan for short term, medium term and long term agricultural plans that, if adopted, could help propel the sector to a whole new level. As ZNFU, we have an open-door policy and are open to discussions. We would like to share our ideas and plans with government and other stakeholders, and hence platforms like Agritech Expo.”
Mr. Zimba says farmers have already set the tone for the approach in agriculture development “with many taking the diversification case very religiously. We are seeing a shift in the way farmers are conducting business. Many are venturing into fruits and vegetables. There are some farmers that have started growing blueberries, macadamia nuts and such other cash crops. These need support by giving them incentives that would yield growth. They could be helped in the form of tax incentives. And look, the blueberry producer is expected to create 6000 jobs. Such developments need incentivising.”
He continues: “we have to grow agriculture. This year’s Agritech Expo would avail the latest technologies and agro innovations and machinery that would help the farmer pick up the pieces and start on a fresh agro-trajectory.”
Jubilee Metals Group has announced that the mining license for the Kabwe project in Zambia has been reinstated with immediate effect by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development.
In a previous announcement BMR Group (BMR) reported that they received a letter from the Mining and Cadastre Department of Zambia terminating, with immediate effect, the aforementioned mining right in respect of BMR’s Kabwe operation.
BMR also stated that the letter received on 7 February 2018 indicated that BMR has 30 days to exercise its right of appeal.
This reinstatement of the mining licences therefore paves the way for Jubilee in partnership with BMR to commence with the joint execution of the project.
“We welcome this decision by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development of Zambia which, recognises the work already performed on the project and the advanced state of the project’s execution readiness,” comments chief executive Leon Coetzer.
“The execution of the project which includes a lead, zinc and vanadium recovery circuit will be placed on an accelerated programme.
“Our project team continued working unabatedly on the execution of the Kabwe project and we are confident that the time lines specified under the reinstatement conditions of the licence can be met.”
The Kabwe project mining licence 7081-HQ-SML was reinstated with immediate effect, subject to conditions specified by the Minister of Mines and Mineral Development.
These conditions were set to ensure the execution of the project is advanced without delay.
Conditions include that plant construction commence within three months of the reinstatement of the licence with commissioning commencing by 30 September 2018 and the first production due by 30 December 2018.
Hon. Chiteme speaking at Structured Dialogue with Africa in Mali
Minister of National Development Planning Alexander Chiteme says the Green Climate Fund support to Zambia’s agriculture and renewable energy sectors will contribute to accelerating the country’s development.
According to a statement released to the media by Mr Chibaula Silwamba, the Ministry’s Spokesperson, the Minister said the 19th Board meeting of the GCF in February this year approved two projects for Zambia in the agriculture and energy sectors, which are within the priority sectors of the Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP).
“The Board approved US 32 million on ‘Strengthening climate resilience of agricultural livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia’,” Mr. Chiteme. “and, ‘the Zambia Renewable Energy Financing Framework Programme under the African Development Bank (AfDB) is worth US154 million, of which GCF contributed US 52.5million, is a project whose objective is to catalyze private sector investment in renewable energy sector, and accelerate the achievement of our electricity generation targets and the diversification of energy mix.”
The Minister expressed optimism that the Strengthening climate resilience of agricultural livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II will help support Zambia’s adaptation efforts.
He said the aim of the project was to increase resilience of small holder farmers against impacts of climate change and variability by providing climate change information on time, to enable farmers plan appropriately.
“The project will support farmers to develop measures to switch to draught resistant crops and reduce their vulnerability due to climate change,” Mr. Chiteme said. “With regard to the agriculture project, the sector is the most vulnerable to climate change and provides livelihood for the most vulnerable people in our country. Despite the sector being a major contributor to food crop production such as corn at over 80% of total country production farmers remain predominantly reliant on rainfed means of producing their crops and any disruption in weather patterns significantly affects their well- being.”
He told the on-going Green Climate Fund (GCF) organised Structured Dialogue with Africa meeting in Bamako, Mali on Tuesday that Zambia settled on the two projects because they are within the priority sectors of the Seventh National Development Plan.
“In Zambia, the dominance of hydropower generation is at 84.5 per cent and this puts the country at risk due to changes in climatic conditions such as global warming leading to insufficient rainfall and drought,” the Minister said. “These challenges pose a risk of inadequate water resources available for hydropower generation and unfortunately, this risk graduated into reality in 2016 as the consequence of insufficient water resources manifested in load-shedding averaging eight (8) hours a day and increased power imports by 178.26 percent.”
Mr. Chiteme said there was need to invest more in renewable energy both on and off-grid to boost production and improve livelihoods.
“Currently, power connectivity in the rural areas is at 4 per cent and this increases poverty levels and affects mainly women and children,” the national development planning Minister said. “Children are at times pulled out of school to attend to household chores such as water and firewood gathering while the multiple burden of women as food producers and homemakers increases.”
The Structured Dialogue with Africa has attracted National Designated Authorities and focal points from all 54 African countries, accredited entities and other stakeholders to share views and experiences of their countries on paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient sustainable development among other objective.
SERIES 5: IMPEACHMENT MOTION – How should voting be done on the impeachment motion?
By Isaac Mwanza
Introduction
When the motion to impeach the President of the Republic of Zambia was submitted to Parliament, a demand was also made, by the petitioners, to the effect that the vote for the motion requesting the Chief Justice to establish a Tribunal to investigate the allegations against the President and his Cabinet, should be conducted by secret ballot.
It should be noted that for the motion to pass, a majority of two-thirds of members of Parliament, must vote in support of the motion.
On the other hand, this demand has also given rise to allegations that the United Party for National Development (UPND) who are the movers of the motion are paying large sums of money to Members of Parliament from both the governing party and Independents to support the impeachment motion. Some online media have given what they claim to be details of the alleged vote – buying meetings by opposition party leaders.
It is common knowledge that the movers of the motion, led by their party president Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, are asking for a secret ballot in the first round of voting on the impeachment motion, even though the Constitution does not provide for a secret ballot in the first round. This is only permitted in the second round. The demand for a secret ballot is therefore being viewed both as a method to protect members of parliament from the ruling party who may vote in support of the motion, that is, who may vote to impeach their own president or as a way to protect those who have allegedly received some payments.
The Question of the Law
With regards to the voting system pertaining to the motion of impeachment, the Constitution of Zambia, provides as follows:
“Article 108(3)(b) Where a motion, moved in accordance with clause (1), is supported, in the National Assembly, by a resolution of two-thirds of the Members of Parliament the Chief Justice shall immediately inform the President of the resolution, whereupon the President shall cease to perform the executive functions and the Vice- President shall perform the executive functions, except the power to make an appointment; or dissolve the National Assembly”
“Article 108 (8)(a) Where the tribunal reports that the particulars of an allegation against the President is not substantiated, the National Assembly shall, on a motion supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the Members of Parliament, taken by secret ballot, resolve that the President did not commit the violations specified in the motion; and further proceedings shall not be taken with respect to the allegation.”
The Standing Orders of the National Assembly, 2016 provide for two types of voting procedures: the Manual system and the Division
“Order 65 (5) Unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker, voting in the Assembly shall be done electronically.
“Order 67 When a Division is demanded, the Division bells shall be rung for four minutes. At the end of a further period of one minute, the Speaker shall direct the Bar to be closed and doors locked, and a member shall not, thereafter, enter or leave the Chamber until after the division has been taken.
“Order 68. (1) When the Bar is closed, the Speaker shall again put the question and shall appoint two tellers for the ‘Ayes’ and two tellers for the ‘Noes’ whose names shall be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. The tellers shall record the names of the members voting, sign their division lists and hand them to the Speaker, who shall declare the numbers and the result of the division to the House.
In the face of the law as cited above, the UPND Members of Parliament through Mazabuka Constituency lawmaker, Hon. Garry Nkombo, have demanded a secret ballot in the first round, claiming that a secret ballot will allow the governing Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament, to freely vote their conscience in the first round.
According to the governing PF, this demand is nothing more than a thinly veiled cover to facilitate a fraudulent vote obtained through bribery and corruption of its members. According to the PF, its own private investigation has uncovered a plot whereby the opposition UPND are paying ruling party and independent MPs to vote in favour of the motion. But, let us focus on the law.
Section 22(1) of National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act, Chapter 12 of the Laws of Zambia makes it a criminal offence for any person to offer to any member of Parliament any bribe, fee, compensation, gift or reward in order influence such member of Parliament in his conduct as such. A member of the Assembly who accepts in any form, gratification in respect of the promotion of or opposition to any Bill, resolution, matter, rule or thing submitted to, or intended to be submitted to, the Assembly, shall be guilty of an offence. The person who offers such, is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred penalty units or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.
OPEN VOTING v. SECRET BALLOT
The bigger question is; why did the Constitution of Zambia not provide for secret ballot in the first round of the impeachment motion but provided for secret voting in the second round? The answer partly lies in the current allegations of the alleged bribery of Members of Parliament and in enhancing transparency and accountability of elected officials.
From the onset, the motion of impeachment submitted in Parliament require ascertaining that one-third members duly appended their signatures to the motion in order for it to be valid. The law further require that two-thirds of all members of parliament vote in favour of the motion to authorise the Chief Justice to establish an independent Tribunal to conduct an investigation to ascertain whether or not the President violated the constitution or other law, committed a crime under international law or grossly misconducted himself. In both these stages, the Constitution envisages an open and transparent process.
In that instance, an MP moving the motion cannot claim that the requirement for one-third members have been complied with but that they do not want their names to be known. Equally, members of Parliament who believe that a sitting President should be impeached, must not seek to have their vote in secrecy unless they do not believe in what they are voting. The electorate whom the Members of Parliament represent must, as a matter of fact, know how their MPs are voting on a particular matter, whether it represents their desires and desires or not. Therefore, voting for the process to authorise that a Tribunal must conduct an investigation, should not be a big deal, since the goal is to establish the facts on which the impeachment may move forward or, to the contrary, fail.
On the other hand, voting to remove a sitting President in the second ballot is a big deal, and requires clear minds, unfettered by fear of consequences in case the motion fails.
It may be pertinent, at this juncture, to call the attention of our lawmakers that are demanding a secret ballot in the first round, to the decision of the South African Constitutional Court in the similar case of United Democratic Movement (UDM) Vs. Speaker of the National Assembly and Others [2017] ZACC 21.
On 6 April 2017 the UDM wrote a letter to the Speaker. She was asked to prescribe a secret ballot as the voting procedure for the scheduled motion of no confidence in the President. In substantiation, the UDM cited what it termed the obvious importance of the matter, the public interest imperative that a truly democratic outcome be guaranteed and the high likelihood that the vote would otherwise be tainted by the perceived fear of adverse and career-limiting consequences, instead of being the free will of Members. The oath or affirmation taken by Members and considerations of accountability were added in support of a secret ballot as the preferred voting procedure. While admitting that the Rules of the National Assembly do not make express provision for a secret ballot in that motion, the UDM contended that some direction could be found in sections 57 and 86(2) of the South African Constitution, read with item 6(a), Part A of Schedule 3 to the Constitution and rule 2 of the Rules of the National Assembly.
The Speaker said voting procedures in the Assembly are determined by the Constitution and the Rules of the National Assembly and that none of them provides for a vote on a motion of no confidence to be conducted by a secret ballot.
The Speaker placed reliance on the case of Tlouamma v Speaker of the National Assembly [2015] ZAWCHC 140; 2016 (1) SA 534 (WCC), a decision of the High Court in the Western Cape dismissed an application for an order to compel the National Assembly to vote on a motion of no confidence by secret ballot where the Court said held that there was no implied or express constitutional requirement for voting by secret ballot on a motion of no confidence in the President.
In the South African case, the Constitutional Court was asked to rule on the question of whether or not the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, was within the law when she refused to permit a secret vote in respect of a motion brought by one of the political parties represented in the parliament, to impeach the President of the Republic of South Africa who, at the time, was Mr. Jacob G. Zuma. On 22nd June, 2017, the Speaker ruled that the vote could not be held by secret ballot and that she had no power to change the rule.
The South African Constitutional Court, even as it stated that a secret ballot would be permissible in a vote on a motion of no confidence against former President Jacob Zuma, did not make such an order‚ given the clear allocation of power by the South African Constitutional itself and the separation of powers doctrine. The Court noted that regarding the removal from office either through an impeachment49 or a motion of no confidence, the Constitution is silent on the procedure (This is a fundamental difference from the Zambian Constitution that provides for procedure).
The South African Constitutional Court, in its ruling, noted that the constitution placed the power over all parliamentary procedures and processes, squarely in the hands of the Speaker of the National Assembly. It was entirely up to the Speaker, under the relevant law and the constitution, to decide the method of voting. Subsequent words as to what might be desirable given the circumstances, do not constitute part of the ruling as they are unsupported by the constitution or the law, and amount to the judge’s personal views.
In the case of our own parliamentary processes in Zambia, the decision will squarely be in the hands of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Patrick Matibini.
Naturally, the doctrine of separation of powers requires that one arm of government do not encroach on matters which ought to be decided by another arm of government. Let us assume that the Speaker respects the Constitution, which requires that the processes leading to Parliament authorising an investigation, must be done through the transparent process and not a process shrouded in secrecy, can a Court in Zambia order the Speaker to do otherwise? The answer is in Section 34 of CAP 12, which states that the Speaker shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise of any power conferred on the Speaker or such officer by or under the Constitution, the Standing Orders and this Act.
CONCLUSION
At a time when the allegations are becoming more pronounced that some Members of Parliament are being paid to influence how they should vote on this particular matter, the wisdom is to allow Members of Parliament to vote using the transparent system of voting as provided in the relevant statutes and rules, for it is only then that lawmakers who believe an investigation must be conducted by the Speaker, can openly do what they believe is right.
Our system of voting in the National Assembly also helps to add legitimacy to the standing of the National Assembly so that it will not be accused of either authorising or failing to authorise an investigation by manipulating the result because of some alleged underhand compensation. An open voting system also helps the electorate to hold their MPs accountable or at best to understand how they got represented in making of the decision. On the other hand, allowing a secret ballot reinforces the idea that some MPs that are said to have been offered the alleged underhand compensation or bribes and will only make a decision based on the alleged rewards and not what they believed in.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, will embark on a three-nation state visit to the African countries of Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia from April 7 to 12.
The visit has been confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India.
The Ministry said the visit would help to further deepen the relations between the three African countries.
President Kovind would arrive in Lusaka in Zambia on April 10 where he would be received by his Zambian counterpart Edgar Chagwa Lungu and would be accorded a ceremonial welcome.
President Kovind would also hold talks with President Lungu.
His programme includes a meeting with Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, a state banquet would be hosted in honour of President Kovind, interaction with the Indian community and addressing a business event jointly, with President Lungu.
The bilateral trade between India and Zambia reached USD 1 billion in 2016-17 and India imports copper from the African country.
The Indian investment in Zambia is nearly USD 5 billion, mostly in the mining sector.
India has given lines of credit to Zambia in the areas of power, agriculture and health.
New Delhi has also trained nearly 40 per cent of the Zambian armed forces.
Almost the entire Air Force of Zambia has been trained by India, the Ministry said.
After assuming the presidency on July 25 last year, Kovind has visited five countries – all of them in the African continent.
India has intensified its cooperation with the continent witnessing an increasing in influence of China.
Promoted side Trident F.C of Kalumbila are looking forward to making their debut appearance in FAZ Division One Zone 2.
Division One games starts on April 8 with Trident hosting FQMO Roads in the North Western Province derby.
Trident coach Kaluba Musongo is upbeat ahead of the new campaign.
“It is good we won promotion but we need to work hard in Division One this year. We need to work hard,” Musongo said.
He is expecting stiff competition in Zone 2 where Trident will be competing against old guards such as Roan United, Mufulira Wanderers, Konkola Blades and Ndola United.
“I know it will be really tough to play in Zone 2. We have big teams like Mufulira Wanderers from my home town; there is also Kansanshi who just missed promotion last season. We will have stiff competition,” Musongo said.
Trident won promotion from Division Two without losing a match in the 2017 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Division One season will start with Week 2 matches after being delayed by a week.
Chief Justice Irene Mambilima says the amended Zambian Constitution creates the necessary framework to secure or guarantee the functional and financial independence of the judiciary.
Justice Mambilima said while a legal and institutional framework to regulate the conduct and performance of judges and magistrates do exist in the country, each individual judge and magistrate must be accountable for his or her conduct and performance.
Officiating today at the 7th annual law conference being held at Avani Victorial Falls Resort Hotel in Livingstone, Justice Mambilima said the individual judge or magistrate should not report late for work or adjourn cases unnecessarily.
She said no judge or magistrate should tolerate or be receptive to improper influence, inducements, pressure, threats, or interference, whether direct or indirect because each of these vices serves to subvert or negate the independence, integrity and accountability which are so critical to the role of a judge or magistrate.
“Those of us who are privileged to manage the judiciary must be accountable for its performance as an institution. Our expectation as an institution is that, as appropriately intended by the framers of the amended constitution, the judiciary must practically enjoy the ability to exercise control over its own funds and apply these funds in accordance with its own priorities for the better administration of justice,” Justice Mambilima said.
She mentioned that a lot of planning goes into an efficient justice delivery system adding that the judiciary is best left to direct such planning and to set its priorities.
The people expect the judiciary to discharge its functions to the best possible standard adding that the judiciary also believe that nothing should be allowed to stand in the way of its desire to fulfill the expectations of the people from whom it derive its authority.
And in her welcoming remarks at the event, Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) President Linda Kasonde said lawyers in the 21st century need to be courageous, innovative, informed and prepared to make sacrifices.
Ms. Kasonde said the judiciary has a duty to serve the people of Zambia diligently by upholding the law regardless of the personalities or subject matter involved.
“We hold this conference under the theme “Power, Privilege and the Pursuit of Justice: Legal Challenges in Precarious Times”. This a very relevant theme at a time when the country is going through challenging times both economically and politically,” Ms. Kasonde said.
Ms. Kasonde expressed hope that by the end of the conference, meaningful resolutions will be arrived at in order to help in addressing some of the developmental and rule of law challenges the country face whilst at the same time enhancing legal knowledge and skills.
