The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia has announced that it is launching a pilot project focusing on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones for environmental monitoring in ZamThe project is aimed at enabling the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) attain aerial superiority for increased efficiency in detecting and responding to poaching and other threats in the country’s protected areas.

WWF Zambia Head of Communications and Marketing Eneya Phiri said in a statement that the project was conceived following Government’s produced guidelines on the use of UAVs in June 2016.

“The publication of these guidelines provided an opportunity for the Zambian Conservation sector to take advantage of recent advances in drone technology as cost effective and more efficient tools for surveillance, poaching threat detection and wildlife research applications.” Mr. Phiri said.

“At WWF, we view this landmark development as a great opportunity to equip DNPW and its partners with cutting edge technology that will revolutionize surveillance, research and wildlife monitoring for conservation which has been a severely underfunded sector in Zambia. This technology will go a long way in complementing the efforts of the hard-working men and women who strive every day, risking their lives to protect our country’s iconic wildlife species. It is the way conservation for sustainable development is being conducted in the 21st century and we are proud to be pioneering these efforts in Zambia.” Mr. Phiri said.

The pilot project will target DNPW and six of its partners working in five flagship national parks across the country.

The drones will be used for surveillance of poaching threats, wildlife surveys and monitoring as well as mitigation of human wildlife conflicts.

At the end of the project, the officers involved will be trained and certified to fly UAVs for a wide range of conservation operations such as anti-poaching, wildlife aerial surveys, habitat monitoring and human wildlife conflict mitigation.

The implementation of the project will involve DNPW, the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA), the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) among other strategic partners.

Training for drones’ usage will start on 14th of February 2018.

If successful, this project will lead to full-scale, game-changing innovative surveillance for protecting Zambia’s iconic species.

Government has allocated 72 Solar Milling plants to three districts in Southern Province.

Choma District Commissioner (DC) Sheena Muleya said government is targeting to install 2,000 milling plants country-wide in maize producing districts of which 40 have been allocated to Choma, 16 to Gwembe and another 16 to Pemba district.

She disclosed this during the close of a three day solar milling plant operations training workshop for selected cooperatives from the three districts held at Kalungula lodge in Choma today.

ZANIS reports that Ms. Muleya said it is the government’s dream to see to it that mealie meal prices are reduced and made affordable to every Zambian.

She said that it is government’s expectations that the mills will be used to manufacture mealie meal which will be made readily available in shops in Choma and other districts.

She further noted that the development has resulted in the creation of jobs for the youth especially in rural areas.

“Note that a lot of money has been spent in procuring these solar milling plants which is the first of its kind in Zambia and possibly Africa. Therefore, I cannot emphasize the need to take good care and maintain the milling plants,” she said.

The DC added that the mills have been given as a loan that was facilitated through the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) and that the cooperatives receiving them will need to pay back in accordance with the lease agreement.

Meanwhile, Ms. Muleya has made a request to the department of cooperatives under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the District Cooperative Union to see to it that other forms of cooperatives are formed so that employment is created to carter for the many youths who are currently unemployed.

And in a vote of thanks group Representative Gerald Hamuchenje thanked government for the initiative noting that it has helped empower youths in rural areas.

THE Human Rights Commission (HRC) has bemoaned of the escalating rate on the abrogation of citizens’ rights in the country despite its existence to curb the vice in the country.

Commission chairperson, Mudford Mwandenga says it was saddening to note that people’s rights were still being violated in the country despite the existence of the HRC mandated to guard citizens from any of deprivation of their fundamental entitlements.

Mr. Mwandenga lamented that despite the commission having been mandated to fight human rights abuses under the 1996 Act 39, the entity has still been perceived to be ‘toothless’ to deal with such violations.

He has called for improvement of strides that would guarantee the fundamental freedoms and rights of people in the country.

The human rights chief said abrogation of children’s rights especially on early child marriages among girls was still rampant coupled with political violence, the application of the Public Order Act (POA), labour related incidents and deplorable police cells and prisons, a scenario he described that it leaves much to be desired.

He said the commission is saddened over the failure to incorporate the social, economic and cultural aspects in the bill of rights in 2016.

Mr. Mwandenga made the observations when he paid a courtesy call on Kalomo district commissioner, Cosmas Chiiba yesterday in the company of his director, Florence Chibwesha who are on a familiarization tour of Southern province to enhance and strengthen linkages with its various stakeholders in upholding citizens’ rights in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human rights.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chiiba has called on the commission to consider establishing its offices in districts as opposed being in provincial centres to effectively address the challenges of human rights violations. The commission is currently having offices in six provinces in the country.

The recent announcement by the Zambian Minister of Higher Education, Professor Nkandu Luo that Zambian Universities should begin thinking of conducting research within the areas of witchcraft and wizardry should not be taken lightly or as a joke, let alone be something that she should get insulted for. The Zambian public need to understand that these are not personal thoughts from the Minister, but simply delving into an agenda that is already being championed collectively far and beyond the Zambian borders. You might like to know that, in a similar manner, her counterpart, the Minister of Higher Education in South Africa equally announced that their country is on the verge of introducing degree programmes within Witchcraft and Wizardry in their Universities countrywide. So, the question is, why this coincidence and why now? Africa has in some ways awakened from the colonial indoctrination and wants to chart its own destiny by consciously decolonising the African minds. However, this can only be achieved by having knowledge that is produced by Africans and able to accommodate thought from the African viewpoint of understanding physical and social phenomenon operating in its` midst. Science whether social or natural as we know it today, is a creation of Western modernity and has absolutely no room for progressive African ideas. Thus, this timely battle to include pure African Sciences in the formal knowledge systems of the global society.

In Zambia, the announcement has attracted a number of negative reactions from all corners of society and different walks of life. Social media has naturally led the battle against Luo`s way of thinking, with some people even going as far as suggesting that she relinquishes her ministerial position because she has sold Zambia to the underworld, viz a viz the Devil. However, I want to challenge the Zambian public that research on witchcraft and wizardry is needed now more than ever before. Firstly, witchcraft and wizardry has never been officially proved if it really exists among us, it could just be another myth. Thus, research into this school of thought is needed in order for society to know if it genuinely occurs in real time and indeed in our physical space. Secondly, if it does exist, what lessons can we learn from it? Can it completely be against development in our physical society, what if it has pockets of positivity and progressive aspects within it? Could we then change our approach towards it? These questions are so difficult to answer for as long as this is practised (if at all it is practised) in secrecy and outside common discourse. Against this background, there is a serious need to explore it academically so that it can be explained in the mainstream public discourse and conventional educational processes. Although the Zambian society is so jittery about the proposed research, it could simply mean a study of a natural order of morality in which the existence of witchcraft and wizardry with its actions and effects are defined and/or substantiated. This is because, seemingly at the moment, this phenomenon is largely presupposed than substantiated, simply put, a myth that still has matters of detail to discuss openly.

What society needs to understand is that the wider global society is changing as there are now more questions than answers. What if the science behind witchcraft and wizardry has just been suppressed and demonised by the Western discourse in order to protect its interests in Africa. Do you realise that even a cell phone is technically witchcraft and wizardry? How does a voice get transmitted into thin air across continents cordlessly? Do you know that even the latest sex doll is witchcraft and wizardry? How does a lifeless doll perform sexual responsibilities just like a human being? We need to ask ourselves these important questions. Otherwise, the difference between African witchcraft and Western witchcraft is that the experts behind Western witchcraft have been given an opportunity to explain what really goes on in a cell phone or the sex doll, thus we are comfortable with these gadgets through Western marketing and promotion. On the other hand, the experts behind African witchcraft have not been given the opportunity to explain what really goes on in their business. This is because theirs have seemingly been demonised and negatively branded without really understanding their side of the story. Thus, it is all wrapped in secrecy as its` possibility of being a genuine occurrence in the physical world remains in the doldrums of public sense.

Of course, the biggest criticism (could be a myth) about African witchcraft and wizardry is that it is fuelled by human blood and body parts, this could be true, and could be false as well. Therefore, that is the reason for a consideration to allow its` manifestation in the mainstream education discourse so that people can prove whether this is what really goes on. Consequently, if it really does use human blood and body parts, can the experts through research find alternatives that do not claim people’s lives then? The cell phone within the Western witchcraft discourse equally had blood on its hands because of the lives that have been lost in the Congo as a result of mining Coltan, the mineral that is vital to its` production, thankfully, alternatives were found through research, and the killings in the Congo related to the mineral have greatly been minimised. Thus, the biggest problem we have in Africa, Zambia in particular is that we fear the unknown, we are too afraid to explore certain realities of our own society, even when we see these as problems that need aggressive attention for solutions.

If witchcraft and wizardry exists in our society, then we must not wait for the West to come and find out about its` truth and legitimacy, we need to do it ourselves and find out its implications on our society, positive or negative. For example, if what we hear is true, that in Mununga District of Luapula Province one can buy lightning and thunder at the market, then Zesco could be the biggest beneficiary, because lightning produces masses of megawatts and the now traditional and wretched load shedding will be a thing of the past. In addition, we have also heard that in Kalabo District of Western Province, it is possible to put a head of 37 cattle on a handkerchief, put it in the pocket, and jump on a public bus to Lusaka for sale. If that is also true, then transport costs for livestock could be drastically cut down and have a directly positive impact on the country’s economy. I believe that this unmapped part of science has to be allowed room for unmasking, and if found to be too negative, then be completely erased from society like Europe did about 500 years ago. If it is only partially positive, then alternatives to the gaps should equally be found and a way forward charted. Bravo Nkandu Luo, I salute your courage to add your voice to this controversy at a time when people with such divergent views are being labelled as Satanists.

By Kabanda Mwansa

The author is a Zambian social commentator and a PhD research fellow at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Austrian based firm Kapsch TrafficCom has officially taken over road traffic management functions in Zambia.

In September last year, the Zambian government announced that Kapsch TrafficCom’s joint venture with Zambia’s Lamise Trading Limited had been awarded a nation-wide concession contract by the Zambian Government for the design, installation and operation of systems and solutions for traffic surveillance, vehicle speed enforcement, vehicle inspection and vehicle registration.

Transport Minister Brian Mushimba on Wednesday officially launched the Road Safety Management System at a ceremony in Lusaka saying the PF Government is aggressively implementing interventions that will use a combination of law enforcement, road safety education and intelligent traffic solutions to raise our road safety profile.

This scope of service will be realized in a phased approach over a 17-year contract.

For this project, Kapsch TrafficCom has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Lamise Trading.

Expected revenues in the first three years of operation are projected to be in the range of 90 million to 110 million Euros.

“By installing and operating Kapsch TrafficCom’s leading edge equipment and systems the joint venture will create some five hundred jobs, provide a boost to the economy in Zambia through improved road transport, and reduce the number of traffic accidents and their impact”, said Walid El Nahas, Chairman of Lamise Trading.

André Laux, COO of Kapsch TrafficCom, said “We feel honored with our partners Lamise Trading to be entrusted by the Zambian Government to help improve traffic safety in the country.”

Kapsch TrafficCom is an internationally renowned provider of intelligent transportation systems and has delivered road traffic management systems in more than 50 countries around the globe.

It’s a family-owned company headquartered in Vienna, Austria and in 2017 celebrated 125 years of successfully developing and implementing new technologies for the benefit of its customers.

As part of the Kapsch Group, Kapsch TrafficCom has subsidiaries and branches in more than 30 countries.

A statement from RTSA confirmed that a Public Private Partnership (PPP) structure has been established between the agency representing Government, and Intelligent Mobility Solutions (IMS) as private sector partner.

The Kapsch Group established Intelligent Mobility Solutions as a Zambian-based company to provide investment and international experience in transport technologies.

The Road Safety Management System is projected to create over 1500 direct jobs and 4500 indirect jobs for the Zambian people.

It is hoped that this will also broaden RTSA’s presence with the establishment of over 30 additional RTSA outlets which will be fitted with mechanised motor vehicle inspection equipment and enhance road traffic enforcement.

Zindaba Soko, CEO of RTSA, said, “The Road Safety Management System follows an integrated road safety strategy which includes vehicle registration and secure number plates, vehicle testing to ensure that all vehicles comply with safety requirements and overload control and weigh-in-motion to prevent damage to roads.

Mr Soko also said that other pillars include cross-border traffic management to manage in particular all the freight vehicles that transit through Zambia from their origin to destinations elsewhere and law enforcement to ensure that all the rules of the road are abided and a Traffic Management Centre to manage the overall process and to facilitate post-crash response where crashes do occur.

A statement from RTSA emphasised that the Road Safety Management System is completely self-sustainable and will not require funding from Government and that the project does not involve any disposal of state assets and will be implemented on a ‘Build Operate and Transfer’ basis.

It says at the end of the concession term of 17 years, all the assets under the project will vest in the Zambian state.
On the Traffic Management Control Centre, RTSA says the entire programme will be managed and coordinated by a central Traffic Management Control Centre and all the tools mobilised through this Public Private Partnership will be managed from the Control Centre to reduce congestion on roads, improve traffic flow, direct road safety law enforcement, manage vehicle testing and licensing, mitigate damage caused by overloaded cross border trucks and facilitate post-crash response.

On Road Safety Law Enforcement, the new system will support Traffic Officers to patrol the roads and take action on a range of moving violations and conduct road-side inspections ranging from unsafe and reckless driving behaviour and to spot checks for road-worthiness and overloading.

RTSA also states that Vehicle Inspection Centres will assist drivers to ensure that their vehicles are not killing machines while Electronic Vehicle Registration will inform the agency exactly how many vehicles there are on the roads, the categories and ages of these vehicles, and whether these vehicles are properly registered to be legally driving on the roads.

It also promises to update the e-Zamtis vehicle database and verify the data and keep it updated through secure number plates while cross-Border Traffic Management will ensure that trucks passing through Zambia for commercial purposes contribute towards the cost of building and maintaining the roads from which they benefit.

The new agreement also states that High-speed Weigh-in-Motion and Overload Control will be introduced because overloaded trucks cause disproportionate damages to the roads adding that it is only fair that those truck owners and hauler companies which overload, should pay for damage to the roads caused by overloading.

The number of vehicles on Zambia’s roads increased by 280% to 700,000 in the ten years to 2016 and road fatalities increased from 10 per hundred thousand inhabitants to 13.8 per hundred thousand in the same period.

In 2016 alone, 2,206 people died in traffic related accidents.

And Charge d’ Affaires at the Zambia High Commission in London Mrs. Patricia Sikaala Chanda has said road accidents devastate lives and deferral the economic and social development of a nation.

The Deputy Head of Mission echoed President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s words saying “Our President, His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu and the Zambian Government are committed to investing in road safety to reduce the number of accidents and enhance the country’s socio-economic development”.

She said it was important for all Zambians to safeguard the lives of all road users and commended Alfred Chipembele for taking on a marathon challenge to cycle 490 kilometers from Lusaka to the Livingston in an effort to sensitize people on preventable road deaths.

Alfred Chipembele has signed up to a global effort to prevent road deaths by taking part in the Transaid’s Cycle Zambia 2018 in September. Transaid aims to change lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport, empowering people to build the skills they need to transform their own lives.

This will see him cycle 490 kilometers from Lusaka to Livingstone with the goal of contributing £3,650 to charity’s work in Africa.

In an interview Mr. Chipembele said he joined the campaign mission to create road safety awareness in an effort to reduce road traffic accidents in Zambia and Africa in general.

“In March 2008 my elder brother Millios Tembo, and his friend lost their lives at a Zebra crossing after being hit by a minibus driver in Lusaka. It is for this reasons and in memory of all those loved ones who have lost their lives as a result of reckless driving and defective vehicles that I have decided to be part of the Cycle Zambia challenge.” He said.

Transaid has partnered with the Industrial Training Centre Trust (ITC) to build the Zambia Professional Driver Training initiative, which has been expanded into Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi.

Industrial Training Centre Trust ITC is a Grade One institution registered with TEVETA. It is legally constituted as a Management Board under the Ministry of Higher Education and is supervised by Board members appointed by the Minister. In 2008 with the aim of enhancing training capacity, ITC partnered with an international development NGO Transaid that seeks to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life within Africa and across the developing world. Transaid strives to make transport more efficient, effective and safe.

PF Southern Province Information and Publicity Secretary Trymore Mwenda also says partisan attacks on President Edgar Lungu over the sluggish rainfall pattern are laughable.

Mr. Mwenda has told ZNBC news that President Lungu has acknowledged the challenges in the e-voucher system and has pledged a better service in the next farming season.

He further states that the coming of the e-voucher system has broadened farmers choice, unlike where farmers were restricted to only growing maize.

He says it is disappointing that people who wish to lead the country can go to an extent of calling for a national disaster where there is no need to do so.

Mr. Mwenda said President Lungu deserves the support of all well-meaning people because he is working round the clock to take development to all corners of the country.

His comments come in the wake of remarks attributed to the UPND leader when he recently visited some farming communities in central province.

And New Generation Party leader Humphrey Siulapwa has advised United Party for National Development – UPND- leader, Hakainde Hichilema to refrain from disrespecting the Head of State.

Speaking to journalists during a media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday, Mr. Siulapwa said Mr. Hichilema should stop accusing the head of state of being corrupt as he has no evidence to that effect.

He has also challenged the UPND leader to go to court if he has evidence of corruption.

Mr. Siulapwa notes that Mr. Hichilema should spend more time telling the Zambian people what he will do for them if ever he gets elected into office.

He has further warned that if Mr. Hichilema does not stop disrespecting the President, the New Generation Party will de-campaign the UPND and request for a Commission of inquiry over the Opposition leader’s alleged involvement in the privatisation of Zambian companies.

Mr. Siulapwa has observed that Mr. Hichilema’s assertion that the recent political occurrences in Zimbabwe could also occur in Zambia is irresponsible and tantamount to advocating for anarchy.

Patriotic Front Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri has advised former Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo to stop misleading the nation on key national issues.

Mrs. Phiri says the PF is focused on developing Zambia and will not be destructed by politicians pursuing selfish political interests at the expense of national development.

She was reacting to reports attributed to Ms Masebo suggesting that there will be NO elections in 2021 without the planned dialogue.

Mrs. Phiri said the PF is ready to dialogue with anyone but will not seat and dialogue with people who have continued disrespecting the Head of State.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Phiri is saddened with reports from Lusaka’s Mtendere Township where about 20 pupils have been sent home for failure to pay school fees.

She said it is sad that some people are tarnishing government’s image and efforts towards having an educated citizenry.

Among the schools she visited this morning was Chitukuko Basic School where about 20 grade 9 pupils were sent home over unpaid school fees.