Vice President Inonge Wina says she looks forward to participating in the 30th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit.

The Vice President observes that the Africa Union has continued to promote its programmes such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, Peace and Security including issues on gender.

Mrs. Wina, was speaking last night in an interview with ZANIS when she arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at Bole International airport at about 20:50 hours, local time.

The summit is scheduled to take place from 28th to 29th January, 2018.

“You are aware that his Excellency the President delegated this responsibility to me as Vice president to attend this summit and we look forward to Zambia’s participation in this summit”, she added.

The Vice President who took recognition of the African Union member states’ commitment to fight corruption said this was a positive step in the right direction as the continent would be able to achieve its developmental goals.

She explained that corruption has the capacity to erode the gains that most African countries have achieved over the past years.

Mrs Wina further added that in order for African countries to transform the continent, there is need to fight corruption both at national and international level.

She noted that corruption is a cancer that affects and destroys the fabrics of society.

This year’s theme is dubbed “Winning to Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.”

And when asked on Zambia’s experiences and challenges pertaining to the fight against corruption, the Vice President explained that the country has put in place measures through the creation of structural institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC, Drug Enforcement Commission, DEC, and the Public Accounts Committee whose aim is to ensure that the problem of corruption is curbed.

On Zambia’s representation at the United Nations Security Council, the Vice President noted that although the continent had not been given a place yet, the demand to have representation by the African Union has continued.

She observed that Africa forms a large part of the membership of the United Nations and therefore, if the continent is not represented, the situation will continue to create an imbalance.

Africa is determined to ensure that the representation is effected as soon as possible so that the African voice can be heard at the Security Council.

Meanwhile, the Vice President met with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta at Bole International Airport shortly after the East African leader’s arrival.

The two leaders shared a light moment as Zambia’s foreign affairs minister Joseph Malanji looked on.

In October 2017, Mr Kenyatta was declared winner of the repeated Presidential elections in Kenya after winning the second polls of which he received 7.5 million votes.

Government will soon launch a social protection programme aimed at removing street kids from the streets by empowering their parents and guardians.

The new social protection programme will target street kids in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces where streetism is rife.

Community Development and Social Services Minister Emerine Kabanshi said the programme is designed to alleviate poverty in the families so that children do not go on the streets to beg.

Mrs. Kabanshi said the programme will be launched in Mufulira on the Copperbelt as a pilot project and later be rolled out to all parts of the country where streetism is endemic.

The Minister was speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II in Chongwe District after officiating a Decentralization workshop for her Ministry staff.

Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport recently discovered that most of the street kids begging on the streets have families but have been forced on the roads due to poverty.

The traditional leader said government should work with traditional leaderships in the country to address challenges that affect people.

She said traditional leaders are a better link between the people and the government hence the need to utilize them to reach the people on various programmes.

POLICE have dismissed claims by embattled Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili that one of the victims who got injured during a fracas that ensued near Lusaka Division has died.

Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said police have consulted with both UTH management as well as parents of 22 year old Sibeso Kufekisa, and noted that he was alive and discharged from UTH on Wednesday.

Officer Katongo warned the over zealous politician who is currently facing charges of forgery, giving false information and altering documentation to be truthful and avoid misleading the public with his constant false alarms.

Officer Katongo also appealed to all politicians to desist from misleading the public.

Over 60 percent of pupils in grade one to grade four are unable to read and write in Kitwe district, Copperbelt Province Education Officer (PEO) Felix Ngoma has disclosed.

Mr. Ngoma said there was therefore urgent need to uplift literate levels in schools because the lower primary level is the foundation of education that has great impact on the performance of the pupils at secondary school level.

He said the provincial office has since devised a strategic plan to address illiteracy levels in schools.

He said the strategy is aimed at ensuring that grade one pupils know how to read and write properly before they go into grade two.

Mr. Ngoma, who was speaking at the teachers’ stakeholders meeting, stated that the programme will be extended to grade two classes.

He explained that the programme will involve training of grade one and two teachers so that they apply the teaching strategy that has been devised to ensure that pupils in the first grade know how to read before they go into grade two.

And Mr. Ngoma has disclosed that the provincial education office has set performance standards that teachers should observe to ensure that all schools begin to register a 100 per cent pass rate by the year 2021.

He said among the interventions put to achieve this include the requirement for teachers to conduct tests every month, the requirement for head teachers and their deputies to have classes, re-training of grade one teachers as well as training teachers in leadership and management skills among others.

And Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Binwell Mpundu, who also attended the teachers’ stakeholders meeting, said his office will be conducting tours to schools to monitor teachers’ performance so that the general performance of pupils is improved in the district.

Mr. Mpundu also pledged to sponsor pupils with outstanding performance in selected schools in order to motivate them to work extra hard.

And speaking earlier, Kitwe District Education Officer (DEO) Allan Kaoma said his office has put improvement of literacy levels a priority.

Mr. Kaoma said the importance of literacy cannot be over-emphasized as it greatly contributes to the social and economic development of a country.

He pledged that by the end of the current term, 90 per cent of pupils in grade one will be able to read after the implementation of the newly devised strategy to improve literacy levels.

Meanwhile Parklands, Chibote and St. Francis Secondary Schools have won awards for outstanding results in the 2017 examinations.

The Ndola City Council has appealed to street vendors to adhere to its directives not to trade from the central business district in order to keep the city clean and prevent outbreaks diseases such as cholera.

Council Public Relations Manager Tilyenji Mwanza said the local authority was aware that some street vendors have developed a habit of going back to the streets between 16:00 and 17:00 hours.

Ms. Mwanza said the council, in conjunction with Zambia National Service and the Zambia police, have started apprehending street vendors who sell their merchandise on the streets around that time.

She added that the mandate of the council was to ensure that all street vendors who were removed from the streets are given trading spaces at designated markets.

She has since advised traders to trade from designated areas in order to prevent the outbreak of water borne diseases such as cholera.

Ms. Mwanza said this would make it easy for the local authority to collect garbage and clean the market surroundings.

Meanwhile, Ms. Mwanza has advised Ndola residents to report council officers are allegedly involved in giving out vending spaces in town to the local authority or nearest police station.

And Christopher Chileshe, a trader at Gabon Masala market, has called on the local authority to put up stringent measures that would deter vendors from slowly going back to the streets.

Lusaka Mayor Wilson Kalumba says the Lusaka City Council (LCC) and Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) is working on a project under which garbage fees will be collected through buying airtime credits from mobile network service providers in Lusaka.

In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka this week , the mayor stated that the project is in process though still waiting for authority from the Business Regulatory Agency (BRA) in order to start running.

Mr. Kalumba noted that individuals will be required to pay a K10 per month regardless of how many simcards an individual has in order to sustain the project.

He added that Lusaka is the first target before the long term project of cleaning and picking garbage spreads to other parts of the country.

The mayor further stated that the project will however, involve people disposing garbage in designated places.

And The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has disclosed that its project of installing solar panels for street lighting has progressed.

LCC Public Relations Officer George Sichimba said solar panels have been installed in some parts of Lusaka city adding that the installation programme is ongoing in selected areas.

Mr. Sichimba told ZANIS in Lusaka this week that putting up solar panels will help save 50 percent of the K60, 000 paid to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) for electricity units annually.

He said the installation of solar panels is categorized in two parts namely L400 phase two which is under the Road Development Agency (RDA).

Mr. Sichimba added that the installation of solar panels will not only be an advantage to the council but will also reduce the pressure on national electricity grid.

Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo says Zambia’s commitment and participation towards the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns by 2020 is bearing fruit despite challenges surrounding the process.

Mr. Kampyongo observed that although Zambia is grappling with the issues of displaced persons from other countries, it is determined to ensure that peace and security prevails at all cost.

The Minister disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday.

He explained that Zambia remains committed by demonstrating its desire through the use of the slot that it has on peace and security including its membership on the Southern African Development Community Troika (SADC) on Politics, Peace and Security.

“We see how we can fully participate in achieving this goal”, he emphasised.

Mr. Kampyongo pointed out that the hotspots within the Great Lakes Region remain a concern in terms of conflicts considering that arms, among other weaponry tools are not managed and regulated.

According to the Home Affairs Minister, with such developments in place, it is therefore, crucial to ensure that member states are encouraged to take stock of the arms by controlling the situation.

On the free movement of people, Mr. Kampyongo reiterated that Zambia supports the spirit of people moving freely across the continent.

He, quickly, however, contended that the practice should not be done at the expense of internal sovereignty security that countries are striving so hard to promote.

“It is important that we do not lose sight since there are issues of terrorism and criminal activities, and that is Zambia’s participation on the Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns is critical”, he noted.

He added that opening the borders to other countries demands that stringent measures are taken into account and adhered to for the safety of the citizenry and peace and security in the region thereby taking root.

And commenting on this year’s theme for the 30th ordinary session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government Summit dubbed, “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation,” Mr. Kampyongo observed that when corruption takes root, peace and security of member states is also compromised.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kampyongo has commended President Edgar Lungu for his unwavering leadership demonstrated towards addressing the refugee situation in the country.

The Home Affairs Minister stated that President Lungu has been at the core to ensure peace prevails in the region.

He added that the current influx of refugees from the DRC which stands at over 14, 000, is overwhelming in terms of Government’s provision of social services to the displaced including the citizenry.

Mr. Kampyongo noted that Zambia’s peace and security should be embraced by everyone for sustainable economic growth and development.

He has thanked the various local and international institutions that are supporting Government in providing for the displaced persons in Zambia as the development requires concerted efforts.

“We are grateful to the various institutions such as the UN agencies, Red cross, among other stakeholders for the hand they have extended to Government,” he applauded.

And according to the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, in his 2018 New Year message to Africa, restated that the African Union remains committed to working with Member States to deliver on the ambitious Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns by 2020.

Patriotic Front Members of Parliament on the Copperbelt have called for the arrest of Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili for defamation of the President.

Speaking on behalf of the other MPs at a press briefing held in Kitwe yesterday, Mufulira Central Member of Parliament Evans Chibanda said Mr. Kambwili should not continue insulting President Edgar Lungu and making statements that amounted to defamation of the President.

Dr. Chibanda has urged law enforcement agencies to protect the office of the president by professionally executing their duties based on their evaluations of media statements made by politicians.

He stated that it was high time they put an end to Mr. Kambwili’s unwarranted attacks on the head of state.

Dr. Chibanda has challenged the Roan Member of Parliament to bring up imperial evidence on the corruption allegations that he is levelling against President Lungu.

He stated that Mr. Kambwili was trying to destroy the image of the President instead of explaining to the people how he was going to change the lives of Zambians with his political party.

Kabwe Mayor Prince Chileshe has said President Edgar Lungu wants decentralisation to be fully actualised and implemented because it will help government provide projects that will be appreciated to people.

Mr. Chileshe said decentralisation means giving power to the people to drive the implementation of projects and the government agenda.

ZANIS in Kabwe reports that Mr. Chileshe said this when he officially handed over 36 bicycles to Ward Development Committees (WDCs) in 27 wards of Kabwe Central and Bwacha constituencies yesterday.

He said the WDCs are not political entities but agents of development adding that whatever they would be doing should be in line with the seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) and the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.

He has since called for team work and discipline at various levels of the governance structures in order to command respect among the member of the public.

Mr. Chileshe further advised the WDCs to engage the local authority on best practices to improve service delivery in the municipality.

He also encouraged the structures to identify fundable projects in the area of water and sanitation, security, health and education sectors for possible funding from the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

And Mr. Chileshe has said there was need to orient all the Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to harmonise the working relationship with councillors.

He observed that the working relationship between WDCs and councillors was in some instances strained thus retrogressive to development.

He explained that WDCs are there to help implement government projects and programmes saying it would be folly for these structures and the councillors to be at loggerheads.

Mr. Chileshe was however optimistic that orientations will address the friction between the two parties thereby creating a conducive environment for development.

Speaking earlier, Kabwe Town Clerk (TC), Ronald Daka, said the embedding of the decentralisation policy in the national constitution has paved way for the actualization of decentralisation.

Mr. Daka said devolved governance presents the country with a unique opportunity to foster people driven sustainable development.

He said although the council was expected to do a lot, it cannot achieve much without engaging the people of Kabwe.

“I believe that once we and the people of Kabwe start moving together, we will achieve a lot in terms of development,” he said.

Mr. Daka said Ward Development Committees are the best tools of development and improving living standards of people.

“If we empower the WDCs, we will be making a lot of strides in stirring development and improving the living standards of the people,” he observed.

Meanwhile, Chalilalila Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairperson, Leonard Tembo, said the donation of bicycles will help his governance structure to address the problems of land audit and illegal land allocations.

Mr. Tembo has since pledged partnership with the local authority in implementing the developmental projects in the municipality.

Transport and Communications Minister Brain Mushimba has clarified and reassured the public that government will not shut down social media but regulate its use.

Mr. Mushimba said he will be taking three bills to parliament that supports productive use of internet and social media.

He said the bills will be cyber security and cyber-crime bill, e-commerce bill and data protection bill.

He said government was concerned with the ongoing abuse of the internet which manifested in cyber bullying, posting of fake news, fraud and the creation of fake accounts on social media.

The minister pointed out that the growth of many economies depends on how people make use of the internet because of the importance of technology in advancing and supporting economic activities.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Mushimba said this when he addressed journalists in Lusaka during a conference on the 30 percent heavy bulk cargo from roads to railways.

Mr. Mushimba said people should stop bullying and threatening others but use the internet to promote social integration and development.

He explained that social media has power to ruin an individual’s life hence it was important to protect the affected people.

The Minister has since tasked agencies such as the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the Zambia police (ZP) to ensure that existing laws regulating social media are not being broken.

Mr. Mushimba further stated that government was planning to increase efficiency in government service provision using the internet.

He said this will be done in an information technology (IT) environment which is regulated.

He explained that it was the responsibility of government to protect consumers and to make sure every citizen is not exposed to danger.