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.
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya says operation of the newly established Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, will start in the first quarter of 2019.
Dr. Chilufya says the University which is also the country’s first ever specialized University for health studies has an enrolment capacity of 3-thousand students.
The Minister of Health says works at the public training institution are at 95-percent complete.
Dr. Chilufya said this when he conducted a joint tour of the institution with Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe.
And Mr. Sikazwe said Government is pleased with the construction progress of the 1-hundred and 80 million Kwacha University.
Mr. Sikazwe said the project which started 4-years ago has been fully funded by the Zambian Treasury and is testament of Governments’ prudent use of public finances.
Health Authorities in Chipata have expressed concern with the high number of teenage pregnancies being recorded in the district.
Reacting to recent statistics indicating that over 5,000 teenage pregnancies were recorded from January-September 2018, acting Chipata District Health Director (DHD), Charles Fanaka said the problem is as a result of the rampant increase in child marriages.
He said the current statistics are from three districts namely, Chipangali, Kasenengwa and Chipata and is yet to be disaggregated.
Dr Fanaka, who described the situation as alarming, said his office is greatly concerned because statistics reveal that 31 percent of the cases account for girls below the age of 20.
He has since called for a multi-sectorial approach aimed at finding a lasting solutions to the problem.
Meanwhile, Dr Fanaka has appealed to women to delay child birth adding that, this will put them in a better position to effectively contribute to the development of the country.
He is saddened that currently, most women in the province are married at the age of 17.
Dr Fanaka further stated that the office of District Commissioner in Chipata is working with various stakeholders in ensuring that the scourge is addressed.
Athletics icon Samuel Matete is relishing his new role as Zambia national team assistant coach and Northern Region technical director.
Zambia’s most successful sports man Matete has taken up the two roles after his recent reconciliation with the Elias Mpondela led Zambia Athletics Association executive committee.
Matete says he was utilising his role as coach to help revamp athletics and ensure that Zambia return to glory days on the international front.
“It is always a great opportunity for me to give back to my country. I was champion because my talent was identified and nurtured in this country. We want to spread athletics,” the former 400 meters hurdles World champion said.
“I am looking forward to adding more value to athletics in Zambia. Now I understand how to identify and nurture talent. I am very much determined to ensure that we go to schools and communities to unearth athletics as you know we have Olympics and Commonwealth Games coming up,” Matete said.
The 1996 Olympics Silver-medallist has since organised the first ever track and field event at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola aimed at assessing the quality of runners in the Northern Region to be staged on December 15.
Matete added:”It is good that now athletics has access to Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. We need to use that stadium for athletics as well. It is a great infrastructure for the sport.”
Eastern Province has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of cooperation in agriculture, tourism and commerce with the Shandong Province of China.
The MOU which twins the two provinces, is expected to enhance Chinese investments in value addition in Eastern Province and the exchange of notes on best practices to grow the two economies for mutual benefits.
Acting Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Royd Tembo signed on behalf of the province while Director General of Shandong Provincial Foreign Affairs, Xue Qinggu signed on behalf of the Shandong Province at a ceremony witnessed by Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu and Shandong Vice Governor Ren Airong in Mambwe district yesterday.
Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu said the document is expected to see the two regions partnering in social and economic spheres to enhance growth.
Mr Zulu noted that the region has vast economic potential in agriculture and tourism which can be of benefit if it taps into the wealth of the Chinese province, to open up industries in value addition.
And Mr Zulu said the region is Zambia’s largest producer of cotton, tobacco, maize, groundnuts and soya beans, adding that the establishment of processing plants will therefore improve employment levels and grow the economy of the region.
He observed that both Eastern and Shandong Provinces are highly dependent on agriculture, saying Eastern Province can take some lessons on how Shandong which has a GDP of over USD 1 trillion managed to grow its economy.
Mr Zulu stated that the MOU also includes the exchange of notes in education and health.
He also noted that the province is a house to one of the world’s best wildlife sanctuaries in the SADC region and that there is need to take advantage of the Chinese population as it provides a huge market for the tourism sector.
The Provincial Minister however said there is need for more investments in lodges and hotels as the province does not have adequate accommodation to for the many international tourists who may wish to visit at the region.
And Shandong Province vice governor Ren Airong said matchmaking of Shandong and Eastern Province was ideal to meet the demands of investors in Shandong and the potential that lies in Eastern province of Zambia.
Ms Ren said her province has a number of industries that are involved in value addition and that could invest in the country’s agricultural sector.
She noted that Shandong is a powerhouse of education with 145 higher learning facilities and more than 200 vocational schools saying it has professionals who have the capacity to help improve the sectors of education and tourism in Eastern Zambia.
She added that Shandong Province already has a solid foundation with Eastern Province as a Chinese firm was established, and specialised in the processing of cotton in Chipata district.
Ms Ren said China Africa cotton is evidence of the Chinese investment in the region.
The Governance, Elections, Advocacy Research Services (GEARS)s Initiative has called for the promotion of the freedom of Journalists if freedom of expression is to be enhanced in the country.
GEARS Initiative Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said press freedom was the prime base on which sound democracy is anchored in any given nation.
Mr. Chipenzi has since suggested amendments to certain laws that hinder the growth of press freedom if the local media was to enjoy the freedom of expression.
He noted that media freedom was a key driver towards the development of the country’s democracy.
He said this during a focus group discussion on governance and election meeting in Mongu yesterday.
Earlier, a Journalist from Lyambai Community Radio Station, Dannis Muyunda, bemoaned the alleged increase in harassing private media institutions in the country.
Mr. Muyunda complained that some local radio stations were receiving little support from host communities due to alleged influence from certain political parties in the region.
He said community radio stations play a critical role in informing and educating the general publics on national matters.
He has since stressed the need for support from all political players if the local media are to survive.
National Planning and Development Minister Alexander Chiteme inspects a cashew unit field looks in western province
Shang’ombo District Commissioner Lawrence Nyambe has called on residents in the area to embrace the US$2 million matching grant meant to add value to the cashew project in the district.
In an interview with ZANIS, Captain Nyambe expressed happiness that the Ministry of Agriculture partnered with the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) to provide matching grants to entrepreneurs wishing to invest in cashew plantations, storage, nurseries and processing plants.
He said with the matching grant available, there is need for farmers in the district to realise that cashew farming can reduce poverty.
Meanwhile, Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission Senior Credit Officer Victor Manda said 10 districts of Western Province, including Shang’ombo are to benefit from the cashew matching grant.
Mr. Manda has therefore appealed to farmers in the district to benefit from the matching grant as it is a valuable commodity that fetches more money per ton than copper on the international market.
He said government’s vision is to promote agriculture diversification and improve people’s standards of living.
He was speaking at a sensitisation workshop for cashew matching grant facility held Shang’ombo.
The workshop, which is meant to sensitise Shang’ombo residents about the US$2 million matching grant facility is being undertaken between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with support from the African Development Bank.
Farmers in Mkushi district in Central Province have expressed happiness with the pace at which the distribution of farming inputs through the electronic voucher system is being undertaken.
Speaking to ZANIS this afternoon, Mukula Simambwe a small scale farmer said he was excited that he has received his farming inputs in good time ahead of the farming season.
Mr. Simambwe said unlike politicising the e-voucher system, people should embrace it and be thankful that government has come to the aid of many farmers who otherwise could not afford to by the farming inputs.
He explained that instead of wasting time in criticising government, farmers should concentrate on farming activities in order to harvest good yields as a compliment towards government’s efforts to empower them.
And Howard Musanza another small scale farmer said he has realised a lot of progress in the e-voucher system from the time it was initiated to-date, adding that he has confident that the system will keep improving and the challenges it may have yesterday will be a thing of the past.
And Mkushi District Agriculture Coordinating Officer, Reuben Kabiti confirmed to ZANIS that farmers started redeeming their inputs on December 7th, 2018.
He said over 13,000 farmers from the initial targeted 17,094 farmers, were able to make deposits and that over 3,000 farmers have already redeemed their inputs.
However, Mr. Kabiti said there have been reports of agro-dealers refusing to release inputs to farmers until they receive payment from government.
“This is an illegal practice which can attract a penalty as they risk being de-registered”, he said.
Mr. Kabiti explained that the exercise was moving smoothly despite the mentioned challenge.
FILE: President Edgar Lungu with Vice President Mrs Inonge Wina and UNIP SG Jekwa Anamela at Intercontinal Hotel during the Electroral Commission of Zambia briefing of 2016 elections meeting for Aspiring Candidates and other agents on 28th May 2016- Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza/Statehouse.
Calls for President Edgar Lungu to be Patriotic Front (PF) s sole candidate for the 2021 general elections have continued to grow, despite the party’s constitution having a provision that allows any member to challenge the incumbent at the party convention to be held before the general elections.
In the latest support for this call, PF youths in Northern Province have unanimously endorsed the candidature of President Edgar Lungu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2021 general elections.
This came to light when scores of Patriotic Front (PF) youths staged a solidarity march in support of President Lungu in Kasama yesterday.
Speaking on behalf of the jubilant youths, Malamba Sichilima said PF youth members in the district are in total support of President Lungu’s candidature in the next presidential election as upheld by the Constitutional Court.
He observed that the Head of State’s leadership qualities and approach to national development has been exceptional and that Northern Province has benefited from the equitable distribution of the national wealth.
Mr. Sichilima added that the party President has continued to adhere to his developmental agenda for the country and as such deserves another term of office in 2021, in order to continue fostering development in the various sectors of the economy.
He charged that the unprecedented infrastructure development such as the construction of the Youth Skills Training centres taking in the province will empower many young people to acquire survival skills.
Mr. Sichilima further said the ongoing construction of schools and health posts by government has helped to create job opportunities for youths in the Province.
Meanwhile, PF Lunte district Youth Chairperson Charles Kapembwa praised President Lungu for running an inclusive government.
He said as a result many PF members and Zambians in general were impressed with his leadership style.
Mr. Sichilima has since called on ruling party members in Northern Province to continue rallying behind the PF top leadership in order to foster unity of purpose in the party.
And Muchinga Province PF Women’s Chairperson Mary Chifuna said that the decision by the Constitutional Court to declare President Lungu eligible to stand in the General Elections in 2021 is a victory for all party members.
Ms Chifuna said the court ruling is good for the party to continue preparing for the 2021 general elections.
She stated that the party in the province has already adopted President Lungu as its sole candidate in the 2021 general elections.
Ms Chifuna added that the ConCourt ruling has just consolidated the party’s resolve and decision to have President Lungu as its candidate in the 2021 General Elections.
She observed that President Lungu is very popular and people’s best preferred choice for presidency hence the fever and panic in some opposition political parties .
Ms. Chifuna said the party is strong in the province and has continued to mobilise itself in readiness for the 2021 general elections.
The ConCourt yesterday ruled that President Lungu is eligible to contest the 2021 General Elections.
