President Edgar Lungu has directed that the Zambia Correctional Services Headquarters be relocated from Lusaka to Kabwe by 1st January, 2019.
This is in accordance with Article 92 sub section 1 of the constitution of Zambia.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo who announced the development at a media briefing said the President has found it necessary to relocate the Headquarters to ensure optimal utilisation of facilities already established in Kabwe and avoid a drain on national treasury by commencing the construction of new facilities in Lusaka.
Mr. Kampyongo said there is viable infrastructure in Kabwe which can be exploited to the full which include office infrastructure, Kalonga Milling plant, a well equipped garage and newly constructed 246 housing units among others.
He said Kabwe is strategically located in relation to the large scale agriculture projects being undertaken by the Zambia Correctional Service such as the Nansanga Farm in Serene, Chitwi Farm in Luanshya, Lubambala farm in Mpika and other farms across the country.
Mr. Kampyongo added that the presence of the Zambia Correctional Service Headquarters in Kabwe will contribute to the growth of the economy and the correctional service is poised to participate in the agriculture and industrial activities as directed by President Edgar Lungu.
He said the relocation of the Headquarters from Kabwe to Lusaka deprived the people of Kabwe and the province as a whole an institution critical to driving the economic activities of the country.
Mr. Kampyongo said the relocation of the Headquarters should therefore help foster economic activities of Kabwe and Central Province as a whole as the increased economic activities in the Service should impact positively in the lives of the people.
He said it is government’s desire that the Service is re positioned for successful involvement in industrial and agriculture production to contribute positively to the economy of the country.
Mr. Kampyongo said the Ministry of Home Affairs welcomes the relocation of the Zambia Correctional Service Headquarters back to Kabwe describing it as timely gesture which is a priceless Christmas and New year gift to the people of Kabwe and the Correctional Service Command.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2015 relocated the headquarters of the Zambia Prisons Service from Kabwe to Lusaka.
THE Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has approved 22 cassava value chain projects worth K3 million for financing in four provinces of the country.
CEEC public relations and communications manager Mercy Khozi-Mwila said the projects, which form part of Government’s Industrialization and Job Creation Strstegy, included the production of cassava flour, paper glue, gari, cosmetics, stock feed, charcoal briquettes and marketing of cassava.
Ms Khozi-Mwila said the three provinces included Copperbelt, Lusaka, Northern and North-Western.
This is contained in a statement released in Lusaka.
“The commission has approved 22 cassava value chain projects worth K3 million for financing.
“The projects, which form part of Government’s Industrialization and Job Creation Strategy, include the production of cassava flour, paper glue, gari, cosmetics, stock feed, charcoal briquettes and marketing of cassava,” she said.
Ms Khozi-Mwila said of the 22 projects, 41 per cent belonged to women while 38 per cent were for youths and 21per cent were for men.
She said these projects fell under the Cassava Commercialisation component of the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Project Supporting Women and Youths (SDEP-SWY), which was financed by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to implement the commercialization of cassava at a cost of US$6 million.
The AfDB supported Project, SDEP-SWY, has a total of US$30 Million, which also targets to construct 10 Industrial Yards and provide support to Cassava Value Chain development in target districts of Mansa in Luapula Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Solwezi in Northwestern Province, with market development interventions extending to Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces as well.
Police in Ndola district on the Copperbelt Province have impounded four trucks ladden with over one thousand bags of mealie meal in Kawama
Township, intended to be smuggled into the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
And an unknown quantity of mealie-meal bags have been confiscated from unregistered traders at Kawama market, who were trading as early as 01:00 hours in the morning.
Meanwhile residents ran amok and started throwing stones at police officers who were in a truck laden with mealie meal causing damage to the windscreen, in protest of the decision to confiscate the commodity, but the police officers managed to calm the situation.
And Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga has said police are not going to relent but will ensure that the scourge is paralysed.
ZANIS reports that Ms. Katanga said her officers will continue doing patrols and anyone found smuggling will not be dealt with by the law, adding that it is saddening to see smuggling of the country’s staple food becoming rampant in the district.
She further called on members of the general public to come forth with any information on anyone involved in the vice.
The Copperbelt Police Commissioner has also appealed to the Ndola City Council to ensure that only those with mealie-meal trading licenses are allowed to sell the commodity.
She said the situation should not be left unchecked as it is likely to disadvantage innocent people in an event that prices of mealie meal skyrocket and create an artificial shortage.
MINISTER of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba
The Zambia Information and Communication Technology College (ZICTC) and the University of Zambia (UNZA) have yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing the college to roll out degree programmes.
The ZICTC degree programmes will be underwritten by the University of Zambia.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Ndola yesterday, Minister of Communications and Transport Brian Mushimba said government was cognizant of the global evolution brought about by the advancement of science and technology.
Mr. Mushimba said in a speech read on his behalf by Director of Communications in the Ministry Yesi Bwalya, that training providers in the country have the responsibility to provide a pool of highly trained human resource.
He said the trained human resource should be ready and capable of delivering the promise of the fourth industrial revolution.
He said government has provided an enabling environment which the public and private sector can use to become innovative.
Mr. Mushimba added that it was government’s desire to see more institutions of higher learning coming up with innovative ideas to exploit the potential in the ICT and e-learning facilities.
Speaking earlier, ICT Executive Director Betty Bweupe said one of the institution’s goals was to provide excellence in academic through strategic partnerships with other institutions.
Ms. Bweupe said the partnership with UNZA raises the bar for her college even higher.
And UNZA Vice Chancellor Luke Mumba said the facilities, human resource and curriculum available at ICT were what prompted UNZA to add the college to its list of affiliates.
The Energy Regulations Board has determined that there will be no adjustment of fuel prices in December 2018.
ERB Board Chairperson Raymond Mpundu said the pump prices per litre for petroleum products will remain at K16, 06 per liter for petrol, K14, 65 per liter for Diesel, K11, 34 per liter for Kerosene and K16.94 per liter for Low Sulphur Gas.
Mr. Mpundu said Fuel prices in Zambia are largely determined on the basis of two factors namely international oil prices and the exchange rate of the Zambian Kwacha against the United States Dollar.
He said in Zambia, the Energy Regulation Board uses the Cost-Plus Model to determine wholesale and pump prices and these prices are reviewed only after each importation has been fully consumed.
“In November 2018, the Government of the Republic of Zambia imported 100,000 metric tons of petroleum feedstock cargo, at a total cost of US$74.40 million. In addition, Government imported finished petroleum products amounting to 29,569.69 metric tons and diesel amounting to 71,461.48 metric tons, at a total cost of US$77.88 million”, He said.
He said during the period of importation, in mid-November 2018, the Kwacha was still depreciating while international oil prices were still relatively high.
Mr. Mpundu however said beyond the period of importation, there was a slight appreciation of the Kwacha and a notable drop in international oil prices that they had and no fuel was imported.
He said the general fall in international oil prices in the period under review was mainly attributed to the excess oil supply and high oil inventories.
Mr. Mpundu said oil prices have however remained unpredictable and are on the upward trend.
“Since the importation was done at the time when the two fundamentals that determine fuel pricing were still unfavourable, the notable improvement, thereafter, could not influence a price reduction.
Beston Chambeshi says Nkana is a very big team to be scared of high-scoring Simba SC of Tanzania whom they host on Saturday in a 2018/2019 CAF Champions League pre-group stage first leg match at Nkana Stadium in Kitwe.
Simba date Nkana after an 8-1 aggregate win over Mbabane Swallows of eSwatini that saw Chipolopolo midfielder score once goal in the 4-1 home and a brace in the final leg in Manzini.
Nkana too are unbeaten in the early stages of the campaign following a 2-1 away and 1-0 home win over UD Songo of Mozambique.
“I am not worried that they scored eight goals but they didn’t qualify to the group stage. You can score one goal and go to the group stage; so what we need is a plan for our team, we don’t fear that margin they scored,” Chambeshi said.
“We are at home, so we won’t sit back and let them score, it will be punch-for -punch and for sure I have the confidence in the team, in the strikers that we have and in the whole team.”
Nkana have eliminated Simba in all their last three meetings although both sides have gone on to win their respective home ties.
And Chambeshi added that he was not having sleepless nights over midfielder Chama’s presence in the Simba team.
“Chama is a good player and one good thing he is from Zambia, so I don’t think he has changed his type of play,” Chambeshi said.
“He is a Zambian player, so all that we need to do is play our cards right and we won’t say that we will assign anyone to mark him but play our system.”
The return leg is set for December 22 in Dar es Salaam and the winner over both legs will qualify to the group stage of the competition that kicks off in January while the loser will be relegated to next months pre-group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
ZAMBIAN CLUBS CAF INTER CLUB FIXTURES
2018/2019 CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1ST LEG PRE GROUP STAGE
15/12/2018
Nkana Stadium, Kitwe
15h00: Nkana- Simba SC (Tanzania) 16/12/2018
Lubumbashi, DR Congo
15h30:TP Mazembe-Zesco United
-2018/2019 CAF CONFEDERATION CUP 1ST LEG SECOND ROUND 15/12/2018
Nkoloma Stadium, Lusaka
15h00:Green Eagles-NASR Hussein Dey (Algeria)
Sfax,Tunisia
19h30:CS Sfaxien-Green Buffaloes
This follows agreements signed between Turkish President Recep Edorgan and President Edgar Lungu during the former’s visit to Zambia in July.
Zambian government has assured Turkish Airlines of all necessary support to its operations.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says government is providing airlines establishing new routes with incentives.
Mr. Mushimba noted that Turkish Airlines’ inaugural flight to Zambia will help the country attain its vision of being the hub of Southern Africa.
He said the direct flights give an opportunity for Zambia to export horticultural products into Europe, enhance trade and tourism while promoting inflow of Foreign Direct Investments.
Mr. Mushimba has since advised the Zambia Tourism Agency to tell the world the truth that the Victoria Falls which is a key tourism attraction is in Zambia.
The Minister said this in a speech read for him by his Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport after witnessing the arrival of the First Flight.
And Turkish Ambassador to Zambia, Sebnem Incesu said the launch of the flight is a culmination of the support and cordial relations between Presidents of the two countries.
She said Zambia will soon see concrete contributions of the direct flights toward linking it to the west and promoting cultural and tourism of Zambia to Europe.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines Vice President for Sales Kerem Sarp said Zambia becomes 55th African destination of the 36 African countries the airline flies to.
He said the airline flies to 309 destinations across the world and will be flying into Zambia twice a week.
The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) has reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for a better business environment and enhancement of private sector dialogue in national development planning.
ZACCI President Michael Nyirenda said his institution will continue to play its role in ensuring that business environment remains conducive for both government and private sector players through enhanced dialogue.
Mr. Nyirenda noted that the cost of doing business relatively remains high hence his institution has this year been engaging government on numerous critical issues that are affecting the business community.
He cited the introduction of Statutory Instrument number 34, accountancy fees as having substantially increased the cost of audit services and consequently the cost of doing business in the country.
He said in order to address such challenges, ZACCI used its channels of dialogue to bring the parties to find an amicable solution that were in the interest of free market operations and standard international audit practice.
The ZACCI President was speaking when he awarded Zambia Breweries Plc for improving the lives of Zambians through their corporate social responsibility programmes.
Mr. Nyirence presented three awards to Zambian Breweries that include an award as Business Leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, an award in Water Stewardship and a recognition award for exemplary support to ZACCI.
He noted that Zambian Breweries plc is committed to improving the lives of Zambians besides making profit.
Mr. Nyirenda implored other captains of industries to emulate Zambia Breweries Plc in their corporate social responsibility.
And Zambia Breweries Plc Corporate Affairs Director Ezekiel Sekele thanked the Chamber of Commerce for recognizing the efforts of his company in improving the lives of people in the community where it operates.
Mr. Sekele said his company has carried out water projects in Lusaka and Ndola where the company operates in order to plough back to the community.
He said Zambia Breweries realizes that it has a responsibility to help the community by making their lives better in order for the company to stay afloat.
He said the survival of the company is dependent on the wellbeing of the people in which the company does business.
Mr. Sekele has since commended government for approving the alcohol policy which he said is helping to regulate the standards among players in the sector.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says Zampost is viable and will continue providing services to the nation.
And Mr. Mushimba says Zampost requires K50 Million to revive its revenue streams which were suspended due to mismanagement of funds.
He told Parliament this morning that Zampost is facing financial challenges because most of its revenue streams have been suspended.
Mr. Mushimba explained that the state-owned enterprise was earning about K11 Million from the fees it was collecting on behalf of Multi Choice and Road Transport and Safety Agency but the services have since been suspended.
He added that the financial challenges at the company have worsened due to the failure to recover the K20 Million debt owed by government and private sector.
Mr. Mushimba said the company will be able to pay salaries to the workers once the revenue streams that have been closed are opened.
He said in order to help the company move forward, government is restructuring management at the company which has also provided a strategic plan on how it will revamp its operation.
Mr. Mushimba says it is the hope of government that Zampost will in future clean up its books so that it is listed on the Lusaka Stock Exchange because that is the only way that the company will attract capital.
He was responding to a question from Mumbwa Member of Parliament Credo Nanjuwa who wanted to find out the cause of work stoppages at Zampost which started on December 12, 2018.
Zampost Workers across the country have staged a protest demanding for 5 months’ salary arrears.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has commended government for sound policies it has introduced to grow the agriculture sector.
FAO Country Representative George Okechi cited the e-voucher system as one of the best schemes that can promote the growth of the agriculture industry.
Dr.Okechi said e-voucher programme should be embraced as it promotes agriculture diversification from maize growing to Livestock and Fish farming.
ZANIS reports that Dr.Okechi said this during the Open Day for the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) in Lusaka today.
He said FAO fully supports government in the implementation of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) both conventional and e-voucher systems of distributing inputs especially to Small Scale Farmers.
Mr Okechi, stated that FAO is delighted to see tremendous progress that government has scored in the diversification of the agriculture sector.
He further noted that other segments such as Fish farming in particular will contribute positively to the country’s economy development.
And IAPRI Executive Officer Chance Kabaghe said the collaboration of IAPRI and government has led to great achievements in the operations of the institution.
Mr. Kabaghe said IAPRI used the Investment Expositions in Central and Northern Provinces to empower over 88 youths with knowledge on how they can contribute to the national development through farming.
He further said IAPRI hosted the Nutrition and Hunger Symposium as well as Fisheries and Livestock conferences whose recommendations were forwarded to line Ministries.
Police in Ndola fought running battles with residents of Kawama Compound after officers impounded trucks carrying over one thousand bags of mealie meal destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner, Charity Katanga told ZNBC News that Police stormed a shop which was illegally selling mealie meal at 01:00 hours on Friday morning.
Ms Katanga said when the residents saw Police presence in the area they decided to ran amok.
She disclosed that four trucks laden with mealie meal where in the process impounded and are currently parked at Ndola Central Police Station.
Calm has since returned to the area and Riot Police have since been withdrawn from the compound
HH accompanied by GBM, Mr Kambwili and the UPND legal team arriving at Solomon Mwansa Kapwepwe in Ndola this morning
The Luanshya magistrate court has adjourned to January 14, 2019, the case in which New Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili and 11 others are charged with unlawful assembly.
This is in a matter in which the Roan Member of Parliament (MP) is jointly charged with 11 AVIC International workers.
The twelve appeared before court for mention this morning.
Luanshya Resident Magistrate Kalutwe Chiluba, who was sitting in for Principal Resident Magistrate Obster Musukwa of Ndola, adjourned the matter to January 14, 2019 for mention.
Magistrate Chiluba, who extended bail for the accused persons, further set February 11, 2019 as the date for commencement of trial in the case of unlawful assembly.
Earlier, the magistrate court granted the accused persons a K30, 000 bail in their own recognisance respectively.
Dr. Kambwili was arrested for unlawful assembly on November 30, 2018, a few days after a group of angry protesting workers from AVIC International in Luanshya went to his residence to express their grievances on alleged appalling working conditions.
Meanwhile, chaos almost erupted outside the Luanshya magistrate court when Dr. Kambwili tried to address his 11 co-accused persons, their families and his sympathizers after appearing in court.
However, police stopped Dr. Kambwili from addressing the crowd, a move that incensed him.
He complained that his rights were being infringed upon as a human being.
He dared police to arrest him again for the same charge as he was going to address his co-accused at his residence.
File:Luanshya residents demonstrating against police intimidation
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself – President Franklin Roosevolt
DEFINITION
Fear has been described as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger or pain, whether the threat may be real or imagined” or it could be “the anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur”.
According to Psychology Today, fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger and if we did not feel it, we could not protect ourselves from legitimate threats. However, we often fear situations that are far removed from life and thus hold back for no good reason.
Theo Tsaousides says fear is partly imagined and that it is this anticipatory anxiety which makes us scared because of what we imagine could happen. This imagined threat causes paralysis.
There are basically three triggers of fear ( Bodhisattya’s “Way of Life”):
external – caused by negative experiences
internal – associated with low level of self-confidence
subconscious – recognized beliefs that limit your potential or question your capacity to achieve something.
In confronting fear it is important to understand what makes us afraid or scares us otherwise we would not be able to do anything about it.Julia Layton puts it this way,
“developing an understanding of what you are afraid of goes a long way towards erasing that fear.”
Although fear or being afraid is a normal brain function, it is necessary to confront fear because “fear obscures reason, intensifies emotions and makes it easier for demagogic politicians to mobilize the public on behalf of the policies they want to pursue” ( Terrorised by War on Terror – Zbigniew Brzezinski).
The Bible encourages us not to fear or be afraid.
In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul states that God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self discipline. In Joshua 1:6-9 the Bible exalts us to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged for the Lord our God is with us where ever we go.
Being courageous should not be confused with denial or recklessness.
Nelson Mandela in his “Long Walk To Freedom” said courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he, who does not feel afraid but one who conquers that fear.
Feeling fear or being afraid should not be seen as a sign of weakness but it is how we react to this emotion that is important. The paralysis that arises from fear results in inaction and acceptance of the status quo.Henry Ford said,
“one of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do”
and Roseanne Cash sums it by stating that the key to change is to let go of fear.
How is fear manifested in our society and how can we confront it?
The world renowned Chinese general and military strategist Sun Tsu observed that the apex of achievement is to win without fighting.Through the use of coercive psychological warfare the opponent is made to surrender or otherwise abandon a fight by controlling his thinking, emotions and/or will and persuading him that resistance is futile. Coercive psychological warfare may be implemented through displays of capabilities to intimidate real or potential opponents.
In the biblical story of David and Goliath we are told that Goliath, possibly a descendant of a tribe of giants, with his impressive body armour and weapons made him look invincible.He taunted King Saul’s army and the Israelites for forty days! The Bible says King Saul and the Israelites were terrified and deeply shaken.They were truly very scared and when David offered to confront Goliath they told him not to be ridiculous because they thought there was no way he could defeat the Philistine giant.David however had a different perspective of the situation. He instead saw what was perceived to be an impossible situation from God’s point of view. David knew he had to take action dispite the display of Goliath’s strength which had intimidated the king and the people.
In the world we are often intimidated into submission by the display of power by those who want to suppress others. People are afraid of reporting criminals within their communities for fear of reprisals, female employees endure abuse for fear of losing their jobs or receiving negative publicity or ridicule and spouses live in abusive relationships for fear of losing their livelihood.
States have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force but they do not have the right to use unlimited physical force as this is restricted by universally recognized human rights and could constitute crimes against humanity ( Cassese 2003,64).
It is however not uncommon that states resort to coercion and police brutality when other tactics to prevent dissenting voices and opinions from being heard fail.Coercion or inhuman treatment, torture or extrajudicial killings can extend to the whole population resulting in a state of fear where people are afraid and look behind their shoulders before saying anything that may be construed as critical.
This “politics of fear”(Frank Furedi) makes people lose faith in themselves and are afraid to express themselves. Too often fear is used to incite more fear as a means of negative control of others for the benefit of a few ( Paul Keller – What’s going on? ).
Some of the subtle psychological techniques used to undermine the opponent’s will to fight (Dr Amina) are:
spread of misinformation and information dominance
attempt to humiliate
impressive sounding rhetoric and
fake sincerity
fear mongering.
1.Misinformation and information dominance is an age tried method perfected in the modern world by social media and cyber warfare. Adolf Hitler was in no small measure helped to maintain his Nazi regime by the relentless manipulation of information by Hermann Goring and Dr Goebbels. Information or lack of it has the power to constrain or alter people’s emotions and habits. Dean Chang,Senior Research Fellow Asian Studies Centre in Winning Without Fighting – The Chinese Psychological Warfare Challenge, says that influencing and altering an opponent’s unconscious, implicit views enables them to become more susceptible to coercion.
Misinformation and information dominance through subtle censorship or overt or covert intimidation of the media also seeks to cut off the opponents from support of the people or to alienate them. In the modern internet age, it has become very easy to send erroneous messages to discredit an opponent.
The United States is still investigation the depth of such misinformation in the 2016 election.
By employing various strategic communication including diplomatic efforts such as foreign trips, one hopes to foster a positive national image and increase foreign sympathy and support for one’s own policies and goals and at the same time seek to isolate opponents by portraying them as unpatriotic or ill-intentioned. Recent diplomatic activity and labelling political opponents traveling abroad as unpatriotic have to be understood in this light.
2.Humiliation of an opponent is a common phenomenon, especially in warfare.
The United Nations has recognized that in some war situations, rape is used as a weapon to humiliate the population. In poltical rivalry, female opponents have also been threatened with rape in an attempt to humiliate them.
When the late Prime Minister of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba was arrested on the orders of General Mobutu, he was tied and bound like a common or dangerous criminal and thrown about in a vehicle. He was put on display in the back of a truck and crowds invited to taunt him. His subsequent assassination and that that of some of his allies was even more gruesome.
According to the Daily Maverick of 22 January 2016, Lumumba, then only 36 years old, together with Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito were executed by a firing squad in a forest in Katanga and their bodies were hacked to pieces and dissolved in sulphuric acid.
Many other African politicians have been humiliated in various ways to show the perceived invincibility of those in power.Dean Chang says such strategies aim to generate confusion, doubt, anxiety, fear, terror, regret and exhaustion in an opponent. They also seek to sow a sense of hopelessness.
In the struggle for Zambia’s independence it was common for the colonial government to detain political leader in various places, usually away from their home districts often without notification to their families in order to break their morale.
3.Impressive sounding rhetoric goes hand in hand with fake sincerity.
Those who have fallen victim to conmen will testify to how impressive the conman presented his case. I have been a victim myself.As a lover of dogs I was taken in by somebody who promised me choice breed puppies but for logistical reasons I had to pay upfront which I did. A year later the puppies have not materialized!
How often have people been mesmerised by impressive rhetoric and fake sincerity at election time but such promises remained unfulfilled. Perhaps one of the worst example of impressive rhetoric and fake sincerity in African politics is the story of the late Pierre Mulele who was a Minister of Education in Patrice Lumumba’s cabinet. After the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Mulele fled the country and eventually set base in Congo Brazaville where he launched a rebel Simba movement. In 1968 Mobutu lured him out of exile by promising him amnesty. Mulele believed Mobutu’s fake sincerity and returned to Kinshasha.
Instead of amnesty he was arrested, publicly tortured and executed, his eyes pulled from their sockets, his genitals ripped off and limbs amputated one by one, all while he was alive (Wikipedia 1 October 2017).
3.Fear mongering is one of the strategies used to weaken an opponent.
One often hears statements made during election campaigns how an opponent if elected would bring disaster to the country or the community. There are stories of the selfish motives of the opponent to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses or to sell out to foreign or business interests.
The Secretary General of ANC in South Africa recently claimed that some of the people vying to replace President Zuma had the sole desire to have access to the country’s resources for personal gain. This is in the midst of the “state capture” debate. Some political opponents are labeled tribalists or having dictatorial tendencies. Support for these strategies is sometimes sought from elements within the opponent’s camp against the leadership or support for surrogate parties which align themselves to the ruling elite. This fear conditioning is a strategy to undermine the opponent’s leadership and isolate it from its base.
Why we should not fear
In order to confront fear it is imperative as Sun Tsu says:
“to know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat.If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy (Dale Carnegie)!
According to Eric Hoffer,you can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you. Is it misinformation or information dominance?
Endeavour to get the correct information. Is he attempting to humiliate you? Refuse to be intimidated by humiliation. Is it impressive rhetoric or fake sincerity? Seek the truth. Is it fear mongering? Have the moral courage to act rightly in the face of opposition, ridicule,discouragement or personal loss.Indeed there is freedom when fear is gone because as Henry Ford put it, we then find that we can do what we were afraid we could not do. The great Evangelist Billy Graham said courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.
In Isaiah 43:1-2 the Bible teaches us not to be afraid for God Himself has ransomed us. When we go through rivers of difficulty and fires of oppression we shall not drown or be burnt up by the flames but only if we do not go in our own strength. If we seek the Lord’s protection, all will be well.
Matthew 10:28-31 tells us not to be afraid of those who want to kill the body for they cannot destroy the soul. We should only fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. In Jesus there is hope and promise. The Apostle Peter in his letter of encouragement to suffering Christians (1 Peter 3:14) says it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong.
We may not be able to stop people from slandering us, trying to intimidate or humiliate us but we can deny the success in their evil ways by doing what is right.
Take that step of courage today and you will be amazed what change it will bring to you and the community.
FILE: President Edgar Lungu welcomes Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Dr. Shinichi Kitaoka during the courtesy call at State House
President Edgar Lungu will this weekend travel to Japan on a three day Official Working visit.
The visit will run from December 17 to December 20.
During his stay in Japan, President Lungu will make a State Call on His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
He will also meet and hold talks with Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Shinzo Abe will who will host a dinner in his honor.
In a statement, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Government of Japan sincerely welcomes President Lungu and hopes that his visit will further strengthen the partnership between Japan and the Republic of Zambia, including collaboration for the success of the TICAD VII, which will be held in August 2019.
This will be President Lung’s first visit to Japan as President and this will be the first meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Lungu.
The Zambia-Japan relations date far back as October 1964 when Zambia became independent.
There are 269 Japanese nationals residing in Zambia as of December 2017.
Zambia exported 2,680 million Yen worth of goods such as cobalt, tobacco and leather to Japan.
Zambia on the other hand imported 5,220 million Yen worth of goods from Japan in items such as automobile, car parts, general machinery.
Japan’s Economic Cooperation with Zambia as of 2015 was standing at 57,885 million Yen in Loans and 112,154 million Yen in Grants with 60,354 million Yen in Technical cooperation.
Founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda was the first Head of State to visit Japan in 1990 and late President Frederick Chiluba also visited the country in 2000.
In 2003, late President Levy Mwanawasa attended the (TICAD III) and in 2005, visited the country on a working visit and later followed up the visit with another in 2008 at the (TICAD IV).
Late President Michael Sata visited Japan in 2012 and attended the (TICAD V) in 2013.
A photo released by the election commission shows vehicles damaged by the fire
Nearly 80 percent of the equipment for staging the December 23 election in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, was destroyed when a fire ripped through a warehouse, as violence flared just 10 days before the vote.
The blaze, which officials blamed on arson, was the latest drama of an increasingly tense election campaign ahead of the December 23 election when the country will choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila.
The campaign to elect a successor to President Joseph Kabila on 23 December has been marred by deadly clashes.The president’s mandate ended in 2016, but elections have been repeatedly delayed.
Dozens of opposition supporters have been killed in protests demanding that he step down.
Also Thursday, a teenager was shot dead in the central Kasai region as party faithful gathered ahead of a rally by Felix Tshisekedi of the UDPS, one of the leading opposition candidates.
At stake in the election is the political stewardship of a mineral-rich country that has never known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.
The shooting comes after a bloody week in which five other opposition supporters were shot dead as they gathered to welcome rival opposition candidate Martin Fayulu as he campaigned in the southeast.
“A young man of 17 who was singing with UDPS party activists was killed this morning by a policeman who fired at him,” Denis Kalombo, a senior official in Tshisekedi’s party, told AFP.
The incident occurred in the country’s third city Mbuji-Mayi in the violence-hit Kasai province — one of Tshisekedi’s main areas of support
Why tensions are high
By Louise Dewast, BBC News, Kinshasa
Black smoke could be seen rising from the electoral commission depot in Gombe, a secure neighbourhood housing an army base. The fire follows a series of worrying clashes between police and opposition supporters, mainly in the east of the country. Injuries and deaths have been reported in the violence.
There are at least two reasons why tensions are particularly high before this election. Firstly, President Kabila is due to step down after 17 years in power – in what could become the country’s first orderly transfer of power via the ballot box. Secondly, the electoral commission is planning to use electronic voting machines, despite many expressing concerns that they could be used to rig the vote.
The machines will be used to print ballots at polling stations. The number of ballots issued at each polling station will then be cross-checked against a final manual tally.
In the case of any discrepancy, the manual tally is expected to prevail. Despite the tensions, the majority of Congolese do not want further delays to the election.
An electoral commission official said the blaze had destroyed about 8,000 electronic voting machines, representing two-thirds of the total required for Kinshasa. The capital of four million people is home to some 15% of the electorate.
The official described the fire as a major setback, but said efforts were being made to ensure the election went ahead as planned.
Spare voting machines would be retrieved from other parts of the country to make up the shortfall in the capital, he said.
The government has accused supporters of an opposition candidate, business tycoon Martin Fayulu, of instigating the election violence. Mr Fayulu’s campaign has rejected the charge.
Mr Kabila is backing his former Interior Minister, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, in the election.
The vote is expected to be a tight contest between him, Mr Fayulu, and opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi.
