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Minister of Health, Hon Dr Chitalu ChilufyaThe Ministry of Health says they have continued to record a marked reduction in the number of new Cholera cases following the robust interventions put in place.
In today’s Cholera update, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said in the last 24 hours, they had 29 cases compared to the 68 cases recorded over the same period.
Dr. Chilufya said of the new cases three were recorded at Chipata, 11 at Kanyama, Zero at Bauleni, four at Chawama, one at Matero, one at Chelstone and nine at Heroes cholera hospital noting that, no deaths has been recorded in the last 24 hours.
He said nine cases were reported from Heroes Cholera Hospital, three are from Chipata Sub –district, four from Matero Sub-district and two from Kanyama sub-district.
Dr. Chilufya said Lusaka district has reported 92 cases in total under treatment and 64 discharges in the last 24 hours.
He said a total of eight new suspected cases have been recorded in other districts in the last 24 hours, four in Mazabuka, three in Chikankata and one in Chongwe.
Dr. Chilufya said countrywide there has been a cumulative total of 3260 cases and 74 deaths; of these Lusaka recorded 3,089 cases, 2,913 of which were successfully treated and discharged as at 06 hours today.
He said cumulative death toll in Lusaka stands at 68 and in other districts a total of 171 cases were reported out of which 149 have been treated and discharged and six deaths have been recorded cumulatively to date.
Dr. Chilufya added that the Oral Cholera Vaccine campaign has had overwhelming response from the public.
He said as of day five of the campaign, Chawama had recorded 162,742 total vaccinations, Kanyama stood at 217,378 total vaccinated, Matero recorded a total of 195,007 while Chipata had 320,746.
Dr. Chilufya said overall, a total of 895, 873, and 73 percent of the targeted headcount population has been vaccinated.
He said despite scaling down risk levels, government is not going to slow down its response efforts but multiply until they arrest the outbreak.
Dr. Chilufya said they are going to maintain the trend and ensure that the public health rules are adhered to avoid sliding back and loose what they have gained so far.
Zambia’s ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita
Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita has hailed Germany’s political breakthrough to form a new coalition government after months of negotiations.
Mr. Mukwita said the breakthrough offers inspirational lessons to the World on harnessing and promoting democratic processes.
In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary for Press at the embassy of Zambia in Berlin Kellys Kaunda, Mr Mukwita said he is happy Europe’s largest economy has reached consensus and ended a political standoff that spread political uncertainty in the EU.
“It is great for us as diplomats hosted by this great country to watch them agree to disagree and then eventually agree to find a long-term solution to move this great European nation by simply sitting around the table and talking until a decision is finally reached…it’s a great mark of leadership on the part of Chancellor Angela Merkel and all involved or party to the progressive discussion,” observed
Ambassador Mukwita said Zambia can learn a lot from the German experience especially that Zambia is seen as a budding democracy and beacon of peace and stability in Africa.
Last Friday, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she had reached a breakthrough agreement with Germany’s second-biggest party during talks aimed at forming a new coalition government.
The agreement comes after months of uncertainty and political paralysis according to local German media reports.
Chancellor Merkel’s Conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), her Bavarian-based allies the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) produced a document outlining positions on a range of issues including migration, the Eurozone and taxes in order to agree to work together.
The draft pact will form the basis of formal talks aimed at creating a new coalition government, which the CDU/CSU and SPD hope to form by April after months of protracted discussions since the polls last September that failed to give Merkel a clear majority.
Michael ZuluZambia Associations of Musicians Former President Michael Zulu has called on government to device strong measures that will help curb piracy in the country.
Michael Zulu said music is an expensive art, stating that it requires a lot of creativity for it to be pursued.
He told ZANIS today that some people are duplicating and selling songs at a very low price, a thing he described as a draw back to the prosperity of the industry.
“It is not fair for people to sell a song at three kwacha when, the composer put in a lot of money to have it produced. People don’t understand the value of music and what it does to the economic life of people involved,” stated Mr. Zulu.
He however, urged the Ant-piracy wing of the Zambia Police Service and other Agencies who help fight piracy to enforce the law in order to combat the scourge.
Mr. Zulu who is also a musician stated that it is high time musicians began to educate the society on the importance of music to the community.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zulu has further urged government to put in long lasting measures that will help end piracy in the country.
A 1×3 classroom block at Musangila Basic School in Chief Kanongesha’s area of Mwinilunga District in North Western province has been blown off by heavy storm.
Musangila Basic School Head Teacher Jonathan Manjomba who confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Mwinilunga today, said the incident happened last week and left a trail of destruction to the school infrastructure and property.
He said 80 iron sheets including 60 grade one reading books, some desks, three bags of curl-peas and 6×50 kilogram bags of maize meant for the school feeding program have been destroyed.
Mr Manjomba said the development will pose a big challenge to the pupils as schools open next week adding that only three classrooms have been left to cater for over 500 pupils from grade one to Nine.
He has since appealed to government through the Disaster Management And Mitigation Unity (DMMU)to quickly come to the aid of the learning institution.
The Veterinary Department in Kabompo District in North Western Province has commenced sensitization of farmers on the prevention of African swine fever.
District Veterinary Officer, Gershom Chungu said sensitizing of farmers by the department on disease control have continued though no report of the disease has been recorded in the district so far.
Dr.Chungu told ZANIS in Kabompo today that the emphasize is on the need to confine the pigs as one of the ways of preventing the disease from spreading further.
He said farmers need to be careful especially when restocking as the pigs acquired from other areas might have the disease.
Dr Chungu urged farmers in the District to inform the veterinary department whenever they got pigs from other areas so that precaution can be made in case of any case of the swine fever.
He added that livestock and pigs should not be allowed to roam freely but should be confined securely.
The disease was first reported in Chinsali in May 2017 and was recently reported to have spread to four other districts that include Isoka, Shiwang’andu, Mpika and Chama.
Dr Chungu said African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of swine that could record 100% mortality.
Meanwhile, Chieftainess Sikute of the Toka-Leya speaking people of Kazungula District in Southern Province has re-iterated calls to the Department of National Parks and Wild-Life in Livingstone to send officers in her Chiefdom to gun down stray elephants, Hippos and Crocodiles which has continued killing her subjects.
The traditional leaders said the animals have continued killing people in some of villages in her Chiefdom despite several appeals to the Department to crop the animals.
She said this in an interview with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chikankata district in Southern province today.
The Traditional leader said that just few days ago, another life was lost when a boy was trampled upon by the lone lion in the area.
Chieftainess Sikute said some lone elephants, crocodiles and Hippos have continued causing havoc in her Chiefdom by killing people as well as eating peoples maize crops, even during day light.
She added that if nothing is done urgently, her Chiefdom will suffer starvation during the 2017-2018 crop marketing season.
And Ministry of Tourism Spokesperson Sakabilo Kalembwe called on the local people in Sekute’s Chiefdom to work hand in hand with the Wild Life officers in their quest to gun down all stray animals in the Chiefdom.
Mr. Kalembwe said the Ministry regrets the loss of life due to Wild Life animals which are just moving anyhow when they are supposed to be in protected premises to avoid animal –human conflict.
Mental patients being bathed and clothed by Nurses and student nurses from Livingstone General Hospital at the Livingstone Civic Centre in LivingstoneThe Ministry of Health says it has completed drafting the Mental Health Bill and is awaiting presentation to parliament.
Ministry of Health Mental Officer John Mayeya said his office has submitted the Bill to the Ministry of Justice for presentation to parliament.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Mr. Mayeya said the Ministry of Health has completed evaluating the merits and demerits of the proposed bill.
The Mental Health Bill is a Bill that covers issues of dignity for persons with mental disabilities to more human based status.
And when asked to comment on discrimination against people with mental illnesses, Mr. Mayeya said people with mental illness should be accepted and considered as members of society.
Meanwhile, Mental Health Users Network of Zambia (MHUNZA) Chief Executive officer Sylvester Katonka said Mental illness is an illness like any other sickness and should be treated like one.
Mr. Katonka said people with mental issues should not be looked at as hopeless, useless and unproductive but should be involved in areas of education, work and being part of the community.
He said people with such an illness should not be stigmatized as this pushes them to the edge were they suffer more to a point of not seeing any hope in life.
Mr. Katonka has further advised that people with Mental Health should be taken to Chainama Hospital to receive treatment, recover and get back to society.
He called on the media to come onboard and highlight issues on mental Health in order to help fight discrimination against persons with mental illness.
Lusaka Mayor His Worship Wilson Kalumba
Lusaka City Council Mayor Wilson Kalumba has urged squatting City Market Street Vendors to be patient with the allocation of trading space.
The Mayor said that the street vendors who were removed from the streets should wait on government to allocate them trading space as it is a challenging time for the nation.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Mr. Kalumba said that four thousand trading spaces will be allocated to the street vendors who have no trading space.
He said government has put in place measures to ensure that the street vendors who have no trading space at city market get trading space at BH Soweto by the end of this month.
Mr. Kalumba said government is working on finishing the new Simon Mwewa Market which is likely to be completed in the range of four months and will accommodate a good number of street vendors.
Recently, street vendors have been worried about where they are going to be trading from since the cleaning campaign started in the country.
Meanwhile, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) says plans to put up a temporal structure for fruits and vegetables on a wholesale have advanced.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today ZNFU Committee Chairperson for Fruits and Vegetables Maria Zaloumis said farmers will start trading at the temporal site in the next two weeks, until the cholera epidemic is contained.
Ms. Zaloumis said a temporal shelter near Tokyo way and Shoprite wholesale area has been identified as a suitable place for trading.
She said the Committee is working closely with the Lusaka City Council and the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to see to it that the place is fit for trading.
Ms. Zaloumis said paving of the area has already started so as to ensure that the farmers are not inconvenienced once they start operating.
She said issues of hygiene have also been looked into, adding that toilets have been secured, and running water will also be put in place.
Ms. Zaloumis said the market will only be opened once all the necessary sanitary requirements are looked into.
She said there has been huge quantities of fresh produce going to waste due to lack of alternative markets where they could offload their commodities.
Ms. Zaloumis who called on farmers to exercise patience also thanked government for responding swiftly to the concerns raised by the agro farmers.
Last week the ZNFU told government that there has been huge quantities of fresh produce going to waste due to lack of alternative markets where they could offload their commodities in the wake Cholera.
Wedson Nyirenda has lamented the gamble of going to the 2018 CHAN without any serious friendly’s but is hugely relieved that Zambia still showed character on Sunday against a stubborn Uganda.
Zambia toiled to a 3-1 win over Uganda in their opening Group B match in Marrakech.
The match against Uganda was the Zambian player’s first match since November after spending a month in camp.
Zambia were left to play two training games one against a division two team in Lusaka and the last on January 10 against an Orlando Pirates B team whom they beat 3-1 in Johannesburg in transit to Morocco during a one day stopover in South Africa.
Zambia’s late departure for CHAN also saw their friendly against Cameroon scheduled for early last week in Morocco cancelled.
Uganda on the other hand played two friendlies in Rabat after drawing 1-1 with Guinea and losing 1-0 to Congo-Brazzaville after arriving week earlier in Morocco straight from their domestic league campaign that is currently at the midway point.
“It is not easy for any player or team to come into this competition without playing any competitive match. This is what has really shown for our team,” Nyirenda said.
“Going into other tournaments, this is a good lesson for us when we say we need test matches. They should be done.
“I have always believed in what I say, you plan and program and when the preparations come, follow the program. The program is held by the plan.
“If you don’t follow those things and you lose, at the end of the day the coach will be the one to blame.”
Minister of Health Hon. Chitalu Chilufya , Minister of Local Government and Housing Hon. Vincent Mwale, Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Brian Mushimba and Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Hon. Sylvia Chalikosa with Zambian Breweries corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele and company representatives as they donate to help in the fight against cholera.
Zambian Breweries has donated over K2.5 million of a wide range of items in support of Government’s efforts to contain the outbreak of cholera.
A total of K1 million was spent on cleaning materials, clinical equipment, office furniture and assorted nutritional and carbonated soft drinks. The balance of K1.5 million will go towards the construction of water boreholes in two townships of Lusaka.
Part of the support to the Government taskforce on cholera included a water bowser, which has been released by the company to help in the provision of good quality water during the short and medium term. The company has also allocated funds to construct water boreholes in the most affected areas that include Matero and Kanyama.
National Breweries Plc., the Chibuku manufacturing company, partnered with Zambian Breweries and contributed K250,000 to the fight against cholera.
This action by Zambian Breweries is in line with the company’s shared dream to energise everyone to work in the same direction and bring people together for a better world.
The donated items were sourced from a range of local suppliers, or provided directly by Zambian Breweries and n this case included 5,000 cases of Maheunutritional drink and over 6,000 cases of carbonated soft drinks.
The goods were delivered to the Ministry of Health today (January 15, 2018) and were presented to the Government Taskforce team on cholera by Zambian Breweries corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele.
The handover was attended by Minister of Health Hon. Chitalu Chilufya , Minister of Local Government and Housing Hon. Vincent Mwale, Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Brian Mushimba and Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Hon. Sylvia Chalikosa
“Our dream of bringing people together for a better world motivates us to work towards creating a cleaner world, a healthier world and a growing world. Our donation is a demonstration of our continued commitment in supporting the local communities in which we live and operate,” said Mr Sekele.
Speaking on behalf of the company, Mr Sekele expressed condolences to the families of those who have since died following the outbreak of the disease.
“Our thoughts and prayers are to the families of our brothers, sisters and children who have died following the outbreak of the epidemic. We join the rest of the nation in mourning and to ask for God’s strength and protection. At the same time we endeavour to do all that we can to assist towards efforts meant to create cleaner and healthier environments.”
During the handover Mr Sekele also spoke about the Manja Pamodzi project initiated by Zambian Breweries Plc.
“To this end, we have worked with a number of stakeholders such as the Millennium Challenge Account – MCA – in starting a recycling industry in Lusaka which has close to 500 small micro businesses operating. Not only has this resulted in cleaner environments in those areas where the project has been set but it has also empowered the local communities in earning incomes and looking after their families.” said Mr Sekele.
Manja Pamodzi was launched in August 2015 and is a post-consumer waste clean-up project aimed at creating a clean environment and empowering communities.
It is co-funded by Zambian Breweries and the Millennium Challenge Account Zambia and is supported by Lusaka City Council and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA). To date, Zambian Breweries together with MCA have spent over K 15 million in setting up the project in Lusaka.
Manja Pamodzi has been launched in 10 districts: Ngombe, Matero, Chawama, George/Lilanda, Kamwala, Mtendere, Kalikiliki, Kalale Chunga and Chibolya and works with more than 500 collectors to gather packaging waste that it’s the recycled.
Goods worth K1 million donated by Zambian Breweries for the fight against cholera.
Marketeers scampering for safety after teargas was discharged by police
Police in Lusaka have used teargas to disperse Marketeers who staged a riot to protest the inadequate trading places.
The Marketeers who are mostly women initially planned to march to State House but were blocked by riot police.
A similar riot ensured on Friday in Kanyama and some parts of the Central Business District.
This morning, the Marketeers wanted to seek audience with President Edgar Lungu over the continue closure of their businesses in the wake of the Cholera outbreak.
Confused erupted this morning when the vendors who were recently evicted from the streets were today allowed to trade from the gutted City Market thereby displacing the Marketeers who were initially trading from the Market before it was gutted.
Traders who were chatting “Njala, Njala, Njala” said in interviews that late President Michael Sata allowed street vending because he had a heart it the common person.
They mobilized themselves around 10:00 Hours and headed to State House via Independence Avenue to talk to President Lungu before police and Zambia Army officers intercepted them in Kamwala area near the UBA branch.
Police officers pushed back the traders but the determined protestors responded by sitting on the road and blocked off the road.
Police officers quickly resorted to discharging teargas after they failed to negotiations with the traders to vacate the road which saw the trades scamper in all directions.
The situation caused panic around Kamwala area and businesses quickly closed off all the shops.
Marketeers mobilizing to match to State House in protest
The Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has said Street Vending phenomenon that Zambia has can be traced largely to a mismanaged privatization of the country’s companies, including ZCCM, the country’s largest mining conglomerate and major foreign exchange earner at the time.
In a statement made available to the media, the PF SG said that there was no debate that privatization created massive unemployment and poverty among Zambians, especially on the Copperbelt Province, without providing mitigation measures to address the unemployment and poverty that would immediately result in its aftermath.
“But let us not forget that the root cause was a privatization exercise that had no human face – it produced a few millionaires and millions of poor people. Today, some from the few millionaires it produced want to lecture us on the rights of the street vendors?,” Mr Mwila asked.
Mr Mwila went on to to say that the few individuals who were active privatization participants and beneficiaries had retained no moral right to talk about the rights of the street vendors because they benefitted from privatization and became millionaires when millions of Zambians became poorer , and today must not pretend to be champions of street vendor’s rights
Below is the full statement
STATEMENT BY HON DAVIES MWILA, PATRIOTIC FRONT SECRETARY GENERAL
15TH JANUARY 2018
On 10th January 2018, I issued a directive to the Provincial leadership in Central Province to discipline PF Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Hon Tutwa Ngulube over what was becoming an unacceptable trend to attack the Party and Government.
This became an issue because all Party officials, including anyone elected on the Patriotic Front ticket and those nominated by the Republican President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who also is our Party President, have a duty to protect the image and integrity of the Party at all times.
The Patriotic Front has sufficient space within its internal structures for members to express themselves, including putting any grievance before the relevant organ for appropriate action or response. This space is for robust engagement and expression of oneself without restraint. It however becomes a problem when Party officials, members, including elected and nominated Members of Parliament to bring the name of the Party into disrepute in public and especially using hostile media. That level of indiscipline shall not be tolerated by the Party. We are demanding for maximum discipline in 2018 building up to 2021.
Considering the above, the Hon Member for Kabwe Central wrote a letter of apology to the Party over his conduct. A meeting was convened, and his apology was accepted by the Party. We therefore look forward to a new beginning with Hon Ngulube, putting all actions of the past in the past. We are a listening Party and always ready to nurture leadership as it emerges. In the spirit of building Hon Ngulube and the Party in Kabwe, we have resolved to lift the sanctions imposed on him by the Provincial leadership with immediate effect.
Let me make it very clear that the Party leadership supported the decision that had been taken by the Provincial leadership and would have called for stiffer sanctions. We look forward to a new and healthy working relationship between Hon Ngulube and the Party in the Province and at National level as well as cooperating more with his fellow Patriotic Front Parliamentarians in the House in driving the Party agenda.
Let me turn to another issue which remains of great importance to the Patriotic Front – Street vending. Today, Zambia has a phenomenon called street vending and this can be traced largely to a mismanaged privatization of the country’s companies, including ZCCM, the country’s largest mining conglomerate and major foreign exchange earner at the time. There is no debate that privatization created massive unemployment and poverty among our people, especially on the Copperbelt Province. Privatization had no mitigation measures to address the unemployment and poverty that would immediately result in its aftermath. We witnessed hundreds of our citizens moving from Copperbelt Province to Lusaka in search of new economic opportunities over 20 years ago. Majority of these found themselves on the streets of Lusaka selling merchandize as street vendors. This is not a new phenomenon for Zambia, its been building up over the years. But let us not forget that the root cause was a privatization exercise that had no human face – it produced a few millionaires and millions of poor people. Today, some from the few millionaires it produced want to lecture us on the rights of the street vendors? These are individuals who were active privatization participants and beneficiaries and they retain no moral right to talk about the rights of the street vendors. Those who benefitted from privatization and became millionaires when millions of Zambians became poorer must not pretend to be champions of street vendor’s rights!
Let me assure our street vendors and traders that the Patriotic Front has workable and sustainable plans for them. We are working on creating permanent and clean alternative places for them to trade. Patriotic Front, through the Ministry of Local Government has announced immediate to long term plans in this regard and these are workable. We shall not leave our traders behind. They are a critical component of why Patriotic Front exists as a pro-poor Party.
Let me conclude by emphasizing that we are ready to grow the informal sector, which includes street vendors and traders, create economic opportunities for our people and therefore a wider tax base – wider tax base with lowered taxes is our commitment to the Zambian people. Zambia is a land with promise, purpose and destiny and Patriotic Front can assure Zambians in the informal sector, the street vendors and traders, that they are crucial partners on this journey of hope for a better Zambia, without leaving anyone behind.
Thank you
SIGNED BY: HON DAVIES MWILA – SECRETARY GENERAL PATRIOTIC FRONT
A mock operation by doctors from the University Teaching Hospital
Dr ‘Satisfactory’ M.D—An impostor in the system
The Zambian education system like any other system in the world has limits. Usually, the results obtained in high school by a student in any country go a long way in reflecting the comprehension abilities of those that the results belong to. Although a good number of people have gone on to do the impossible even after not doing so well at high school level, high school results still form a cardinal basis through which students are picked to choose the careers they will be able to manage and venture into in future. Imagine having a child you know is not good in Math at all, then because you as a parent believe they can do it you force them to do a course that is keen on Math. By doing this, in so much as you want the best for your child, when you choose to ignore however what their report cards constantly tell you, you might actually be doing the child a disservice.
In the recent number of years, Zambia has seen a great increase in the number of Medical doctors been trained both in Zambia and abroad. This spike in the so much needed health personnel is very good for the country on one hand and something that many have been looking for for a very long time so that the large doctor to patient ratio in the country is reduced. The mushrooming number of Medical Universities or Universities offering Medicine in Zambia coupled with the opening up of Chinese universities and/Russian, Ukraine universities to accepting hundreds of Zambians to study medicine in their countries has created an exponential increase in the number of doctors the country will have in the near future–A positive projection for the health sector of the country; but is it?
Those graduating with MBBS (MBBS: Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery) degrees are doing so in hundreds today due to the many Zambian universities now operating and many also from Chin, Russia etc. Chinese Universities for example accept hundreds of Zambian students in every intake. Currently, it is not strange at all to find over one hundred Zambian students pursing medicine at a single university in China today. Statistics reveal that there are over one to three thousand Zambians pursuing their studies in China currently and most likely over 60 percent of them are studying medicine, the statistics are about the same even higher for Russia.
For a long time, doing medicine in Zambia has been seen as a preserve for the most elite. It is only the most intelligent of minds that go through the University of Zambia and make their way to the prestigious University of Zambia’s Ridge-way campus– the incubator of the most brilliant of minds that are conferred with the title of ‘Doctor’ at the end of a rigorous seven year training period.
In Zambia, a person with an average of 11 points and above at grade 12 level stands very little chance of entering into medical school especially at the competitive University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University. Anything above the 10 points mark reduces the chances of one doing medicine by great margins. It is no wonder that if one were to go to the University of Zambia Ridge-Way campus or the Copperbelt University today to check on the results of those doing medicine, they would find that almost everyone had done extremely well in high school and their comprehension abilities were very high. As a result of this long tradition, the Zambian medical personnel has for a long time been a respected lot.
Today, private universities, China etc however have changed the game— The mushrooming number of doctors despite it being good on one hand has also to a great degree resulted in the quality and tradition that has been followed in Zambia for a long time of selecting the cream of the cream to do medicine being compromised highly. It is no-longer odd to find a person who had very bad grade 12 results being ‘ordained’ as a doctor from some university somewhere. The new crop of doctors has a number of people with compromised grade 12 results which for a long time has formed a basis in the country for understanding the basic reasoning and comprehension abilities of students. The writer has come across student’s papers whose results have a credit as the highest mark while the majority of their grades are just ‘satisfactorys’ doing medicine today.
BREAKDOWN OF THE ZAMBIAN FINAL EXAMINATION GRADING SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS
Percentage
Grading
Reflected
75
Distinction
1
70-74
Distinction
2
65 to 69
Merit
3
60-64
Merit
4
55- 58
Credit
5
50-54
Credit
6
45- 49
Satisfactory
7
40- 44
Satisfactory
8
0-39
Unsatisfactory
9
The highest number and best points a person can get is 6 points, that is an equivalent to six first distinctions in all 6 subjects. The average number of subject combination used in entering universities is a six subjects combination. Those that get these would have worked very hard and proved to be able to cope and do very well in almost every one of the six subjects they took.
At the university of Zambia in particular, a person who obtains points that are above 10 points will find it very hard to first of all even make it into the stream of those that would go on to stand a chance of entering medical school as the system first requires people to do a year of A- levels from which the very best are selected.
Today, with it not being odd to find a doctor who definitively stood no chance of entering the University of Zambia with a subject combination that would be largely made up of anything above fives etc being admitted and presenting medical school qualifications, it must raise a lot of questions if indeed grade 12 results are a true reflection of one’s comprehension abilities and whether or not a doctor with bad grade twelve results should really be questioned on how they made it into medical school despite the high school results showing an ‘orange’ light. The bulk of those students with papers coming from overseas now sometimes present with very bad high school results on one hand then excellent university results on the other. In terms of them being able to execute their job as medical personnel however, for some or a good number of them, the quality is very questionable and least to say years behind that of the crop trained locally.
There is certainly goodness in the increase in number of doctors but the sad part is that a good number of these students have high school qualifications that reflect low comprehension skills at grade 12 level and making it worse, prove to most times still have challenges in basic comprehension at senior level even when they are health personnel. Such trends in people joining a noble profession such as medicine with results at high school level that are extremely bad, then presenting medical papers that are unrealistically good which is a good thing for them in itself but then coupled with very low abilities to execute the duties of a doctor or even understand very fast with the excellence and nobility that the profession demands raise ‘eye brows’.
It is therefore important for the authorities to create systems that will really assess students not just based on the qualifications they present with but also their ability to execute their job because it is evident that some systems that governed quality have a ‘fault’. If it be that a six month to one year compulsory preparatory period of indeed a much more comprehensive exam is established for ‘quality control’ of our future doctors is established, we will as a nation then go a step further in raising a generation of doctors proud of their profession and able to pass on this pride and nobility to the next generation.
SOME AMONG US ARE NOT OF US, THEY ARE IN FOR THE MONEY AND NOT THE SERVICE TO WHICH WE SWEAR. SOME AMONG US ARE NOT OF US, THEY BOUGHT PAPERS AND DID NOT EARN THEM. SOME AMONG US ARE NOT OF US, THEY SIMPLY DO NOT REPRESENT AND HAVE THAT LOVE FOR MEDICINE.
There are impostors in the system. A possible break in the nobility and excellence medicine demands.
Zitukule Consortium, a civil society organization, says the call for national prayers by the Zambian government in the wake of the cholera outbreak is a total mockery to God and the Zambian citizens.
Zitukule Consortium Executive Director Nicholas Phiri says the outbreak of cholera in Zambia has completely nothing to do with religion or God but that it is a manmade disaster emanating from lacking of robust planning, bad governance and politics of popularlism by those in power.
Mr. Phiri is advising the PF government and leadership to desist from consciously orchestrated manipulation of serious situations and focus on addressing the root and underlying causes of challenges facing the nation today.
He says political leaders take pride in calling Zambia as a Christian nation, not because they are, but because it nourishes their political expedience.
And Economic and Equity Party (EEP) Leader Chilufya Tayali says it is very clear that the PF Government is still experimenting on many governance matters.
Mr. Tayali has told QTV News that the decision by Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili to call for a week long prayer and fasting for Cholera and rains is one that is confusing to Zambians.
Religious and Guidance Minister Reverend Godfridah Sumaili has announced that Zambia will pray and fast from Monday, 15th January, 2018 to 21st January, 2018 for rains and against cholera outbreak.
Rev. Sumaili has since called upon every Zambian to offer 30 Minutes of Prayer for seven days as the church joins the war against the Cholera outbreak.
But Mr. Tayali argues that last week the same government banned church gatherings in view of the outbreak of Cholera and yet now they have called for prayers wondering how people will meet to pray.
He says this is what he calls ‘Chipantepante’ because the PF policies are inconsistent.
Impounded trucks loaded with Mukula logsThe Consumer Unit Trust Society (CUTS) International Zambia has expressed concern that despite the ban on the harvest, transportation and exportation of Mukula tree, there is a lot of illegal trading.
CUTS International Zambia Country Coordinator Chenai Mukumba says this is the more reason why her organization feels that the government lifts the ban as it works out on measures of properly managing the Mukula tree.
Ms Mukumba says there is need for the government to see to it that the Mukula specie is properly managed and that the citizens benefit from this species.
And the Timber Producers Association of Zambia (TPAZ) has maintained that there is need for the government to remove all tedious procedures in timber licensing.
TPAZ Vice President Charles Masange says the association has been advocating for the promotion of timber exportation in a bid to strengthen the country’s foreign earnings.
Mr. Masange says it is clear that the dependence on copper for foreign exchange earnings is not working well for the nation thus the need to try other sources.
He says it is unacceptable for the nation to be poor when it is endowed with natural resources which if prudently utilized can help improve the lives of the people.
FILE: PRESIDENT Lungu with government chief whip Richard Musukwa (right) and Kabwe Central member of Parliament Tutwa Ngulube (centre) after a meeting with parliamentarians at Parliament Building yesterday. PICTURE: COLLINS PHIRI
Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Tutwa Ngulube has unreservedly apologised to President Edgar Lungu for the harsh comments he has been uttering in the media.
Mr. Ngulube has also apologised to all PF Members he might have offended by his utterances, as well as his move to take the party to court.
He has told ZNBC News that the party is bigger than any individual hence the need to promote peace and reconciliation.
Mr. Ngulube says what the party needs now is unity and not divisions.
He further says he will withdraw the court case against the PF when the matter comes up on Wednesday for the interparty hearing in Kabwe.
Last week , the Kabwe lawmaker sued the party for trying to violate his rights as an MP and party member. Speaking to journalists shortly after filing in an injunction at the Kabwe High Court, Mr Ngulube also asked the court for an injunction restraining the PF from expelling him as doing so would affect his rights as MP and as a member of the party.
“Today, the 11th of January, 2018, I have decided to sue the PF and asked the court for an injunction restraining them from victimising me because what they are trying to do is going to affect my rights as MP and as a member of the party,” said Mr Ngulube.
Mr Ngulube confirmed that the matter of expelling him from the party has now been launched and becomes a court case, adding that what remained was to serve the party in the province with the documents so that the legal battle can begin.
Mr Ngulube said as far as he was concerned, the issue of trying to expel him from the party was a serious matter because the people who are trying to do so have no authority under the PF constitution to expel an MP.
He added that the person who appointed them to push for his expulsion, also do not have the powers to appoint them.
“As far as I am concerned, this is not a matter we should even be joking about because the people who want to deal with me do not have the powers under the PF constitution to deal with the MP,” said Mr Ngulube.
