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All Luapula Province PF structures on Friday marched in solidarity with President Edgar Lungu and called for the expulsion of former Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba from the party.
About 700 PF cadres from the 12 constituencies in Luapula province petitioned Provincial Minister Nixon Chilangwa demanding expulsion of Mr Kalaba who is also Bahati Member of Parliament.
The cadres mostly the youths and women marched from Chilyapa market to the provincial administration office and demanded that Mr. Kalaba leaves the PF as he could not continue serving as MP in a party he has labeled corrupt.
Luapula Province PF secretary Francis Musunga, who led the march, challenged Mr. Kalaba to resign as member of parliament.
“What you are seeing here today are members from all structures in the province. There are about 700 people here and we have we marched to send a message of support President Edgar Lungu who is also the president of our party PF,”he said.
“We also petitioned that Honorable Kalaba has resigned as Foreign Affairs Minister and he is actually saying he cannot work with people who are corrupt. But it is us as PF who put him in that position as member of parliament. Why should he keep his position? So we are challenging him to resign or else we have submitted the matter before the central committee who are going to decide the issue. What we are pushing for is that he be removed as member of parliament for Bahati,” Mr. Musunga narrated.
More Anti Kalaba postersPF Luapula cadres holding placardsPF Luapula cadres marching against Mr Kalaba
Sports Minister Moses Mawere flanked by FAZ tresurer Rix Mweemba and FAZ President Andrew Kamanga delivering his speech.
Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development Moses Mawere has with immediate effect suspended all sport activities in the cholera prone areas due to the cholera epidemic.
Mr. Mawere says the suspension will continue until the relevant public health authorities advise the country to go back to their normal sporting programming.
This is contained in a press statement made available to ZANIS by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development Moses Mawere.
Mr. Mawere said different measures are being put in place to control the situation to avoid spreading the disease and its complete eradication as guided by government.
He urged members of the public to seriously observe personal and public cleanliness everywhere at all costs and avoid handshakes.
Mr. Mawere also encouraged people to thoroughly wash hands after using a toilet, drink clean water and clean food and also avoid buying food from the streets.
He further urged the members of the public to adhere to the National Public Guidance and share the information with members of the Associations accordingly.
Three more outlets have been closed in Lusaka after samples from their premises tested positive for the Cholera bacterium, Vibrio cholera.
These include a restaurant and bakery in Matero and the Pick ‘n’ Pay Woodlands bakery section.
Others are Deboniars Levy, Pizza Hut, Mika Hotel and some parts of Bauleni compound.
This is according to a statement issued by Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya Friday morning.
One hundred more cases of Cholera have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale has disclosed that no vendors will be allowed back on the streets after the containment of the Cholera outbreak .
Mr. Mwale said traders and vendors will be allocated trading space in two designated sites that will have an estimated 22,000 trading spaces.
He was speaking Friday morning when he featured on Let the People Talk program on Radio Phoenix.
And all sporting activities have been suspended in the wake of the Cholera outbreak.
This is according to Minister of Youth and Sport Moses Mawere.
Mr. Mawere said this in a statement issued today citing fears that such gatherings maybe an opportunity for the spread of Cholera.
The People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) President Andyford Banda has written to the ZAFFICO Chairman Professor Jacob Mwitwa copied to Minister of Lands seeking further clarification on aspects which he says “remain unexplained concerning the export of illegally harvested confiscated Mukula logs.
The letter which was this morning delivered to ZAFFICO Head Office in Ndola reads in part: “Whilst we are mindful of your responsibility to the appointing authorities, we wish to remind you of your greater moral responsibility and accountability to the people of Zambia who are the owners of the Mukula logs and have set you as a steward on their behalf. It is in this regard that we have been compelled by the Zambian citizenry to request your office for additional information to the statement you issued”.
Mr. Banda has requested for a copy of the Letter of instructions or Statutory Instrument (SI) to give authority to ZAFFICO from Ministry of Lands to export the Mukula logs as well as the documentation that has been used to record all logs confiscated including Police records which he says should correspond with logs exported less logs in stock.
The PAC leader has further asked for copies of Auction Policy and Procedure that was laid down to auction the illegally harvested confiscated Mukula logs as well as proof of that the auction was advertised including proof of auction including date as well as details of all individuals or companies that were present during the auction.
Mr. Banda’s letter to the ZAFFICO Chairman further request for details and proof or source relating to the pricing standard that was adopted to auction the Mukula logs in this regard.
He also calls for documentation relating to contracts between the buyers and ZAFFICO as well as Proof of payment.
“As with all international transaction we request proof of payment for all the auctioned illegally harvested confiscated Mukula logs. It’s only logical that the Mukula was paid for before it was released by ZAFFICO for shipping to its destination” the letter says.
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The PAC leader has also called for copies of all documents pertaining to the shipping of Mukula and the individuals or organisation that participated in the auction and won the bids as well as documentary proof of the fate of funds derived from the transaction.
The PAC leader has given the ZAFFICO Chairman seven days in which to clarify the foregoing or face mass demonstrations at ZAFFICO Offices in Ndola in addition to legal recourse to stop the exportation of Mukula logs by the Parastatal.
“We hope to get feedback from you within the next seven days failure to which we will have no option but to go ahead with citizens mass requests to register their displeasure by mobilising the general public and our members on the Copperbelt to demonstrate against corruption at your offices and to also request the courts to compel ZAFFICO to stop exporting Mukula until these questions have been answered” his letter concludes.
University of Zambia Registrar Sitali Wamundila has announced the indefinite closure of the institution owing to the cholera outbreak.
In a statement today, Wamundila stated that UNZA would provide transport to all 10 provinces for those without means of getting home.
“Meanwhile, for those who may not have means for returning back to their homes, they are directed to get in touch with the Office of the Dean of Students for details on free transport that has been arranged to take students to all the 10 provincial headquarters,” Mr Wamundila said.
He said all students at both campuses are being directed to leave with immediate effect while staff of the University are being guided to continue operating normally.
Meanwhile, six more outlets including Pizza Hut, Debonair Pick N Pay (bakery) Woodlands, Mika Hotel restaurant and a bakery in Matero have been shut down after food samples collected showed presence of Cholera germs.
THE Department of Veterinary services in Muchinga Province says it has with immediate effect banned pig movements from the province. The department has also banned selling of all pork products in and outside the province.
This is in the wake of an outbreak of African swine fever affecting 5 Districts of Muchinga province which include Chinsali, Isoka, Chama, Shiwang’andu and Mpika Districts, respectively.
The highly contagious viral disease has so far claimed 10,600 pigs in the five districts of Muchinga Province adding that the disease has affected 2,700 households.
ZANIS reports that Provincial Veterinary Officer Dr. Wilson Katumbi said in an interview, today , everyone in the province is expected to comply with the ban or risk being prosecuted, accordingly.
Dr. Katumbi said dealers in pork products will not be allowed to sale pork products during the period of the ban.
Yesterday the department of Veterinary services called for an urgent stakeholders meeting to discuss the outbreak of the African swine fever.
The stakeholders’ meeting that was attended by ward councilors, heads of government departments, butchery owners, senior chief Nkula, among others, also resolved to intensify the sensitization campaign on the disease outbreak in order to contain it.
African swine fever is a viral disease with no vaccine or treatment and it is highly contagious with 100 percent death rate.
African swine fever was first reported in some parts of Chinsali in 2010.
Opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that he had intended to visit some Cholera affected citizens to see how they are coping with the outbreak.
Mr Hichilema says he has however been advised by state health professionals from doing so.
He said the health officials advised that the presence of the UPND team may lead to an escalation in the spread of the disease as members of the public may flock in numbers and possibly with the view of hearing from the UPND on its long term solution to this perennial problem.
In a statement, Mr Hichilema said the UPND intended to visit some of the areas affected by the cholera outbreak around Lusaka and visit those who have been abruptly been removed from the streets so that the UPND officials can have a feel of how they are coping.
“In the same vein, we also wish to sadly announce the postponement of our planned Eastern Province card renewal exercise and party mobilisation activities which were scheduled to take place tomorrow in Chipata City,” Mr Hichilema said.
He said the party has been advised that the cholera outbreak is still being assessed countrywide and that the gathering may equally escalate the spread.
“As leaders who listen and take professional advice, we have a duty to abide and heed so as to save lives. However, within our small ways, we have made readily available some health requirements to some of the affected areas,” Mr Hichilema said.
“We wish to once more call on all citizens to join hands in ensuring that we adhere to the professional advice in combating this cholera epidemic ravaging our country. Ours is a healthier Zambia, and once more we offer sincere condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their beloved ones and we also offer prayers and wish a quick recovery to those of our citizens affected.”
He added, “Once again, we salute our men and women in uniform (Zambia Army, Zambia National Service, Zambia Air Force and Zambia Police) for the great job they are doing in combating this epidemic. We equally thank the health professionals who are at the centre of handling this delicate and challenging task as they are risking their lives in serving their fellow citizens under very difficult conditions.”
I am fed up with corruption allegations against me, so let the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) investigate me, says Lands and Natural Resources Minister Jean Kapata.
Ms. Kapata said she was ready to be investigated and if found wanting, the law must take its course.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Ms Kapata said it was unfair that so many people had accused President Edgar Lungu, his ministers and government officials of corruption without proving their allegations.
She said she was ready for the probe to clear her name.
Ms Kapata also called on former and current ministers as well as other Government officials to open their doors to the ACC and allow the commission to investigate them for the sake of peace and unity.
Ms Kapata said corruption allegations were being used against ministers to brainwash the public and create a perception that the Patriotic Front Government was corrupt.
Ms Kapata called on all financial institutions to institute investigations into allegations that she had a bank account in China.
“I am ready to be probed starting from my account, as purported in some social media sections that I have an account in China. Once the findings are made, they should be made public because I have never been to China since 2013.
She said, she would not allow people to continue issuing defamatory statements because her name had already been tarnished.
Ms Kapata however appealed to PF members to continue delivering to people’s expectation and not to be derailed by people who were against development.
She has challenged people alleging to have evidence such as expelled PF Roan lawmaker, Chishimba Kambwili to render assistance to the ACC by providing evidence against her.
She has also challenged all former ministers to help the ACC arrest the people they accuse of corruption in government.
Mazuba Kapambwe is a freelance writer, blogger and host of ‘The Fest Gurus’.
The Fest Gurus is a travel show that follows four young Africans who are on a mission to explore Africa through its festivals. There are hundreds of festivals on the continent, but they don’t get much global recognition, so the show aims to change that. In the show, Mazuba and her team attend various festivals and interview some of the artists and attendees. “We also explore cool places and things to do in the cities that the festivals are held in. So for instance, with the pilot episode that aired on Zambezi Magic in December 2017, we visited two festivals: Felabration in Lagos, Nigeria and The Windhoek Jazz Festival.
In Lagos, we tasted the famous ‘jollof rice’ and used one of the local mode of transport which is a ‘tuk tuk’, then we interviewed Sauti Sol, a Kenyan afropop band. In Windhoek, we had a workout session at the Nambia Botanical Gardens, attended the Windhoek Fashion Week and interviewed Micasa (South African House music group), Suzy Eises (Namibia’s female saxophonist), Lize Ehlers(Namibian hiphop and Jazz musician) and David Tlale (South African Fashion designer).”
Fest Guru hosts Mazuba Kapambwe and Lorraine Bgoya with Micasa
Mazuba explained that the Fest Gurus was born from endless hours of watching the Travel Channel and realizing that at the time there were no female hosts or even black hosts. She thought it was interesting that there are so many female travelers who aren’t being reflected on television, so she wanted to change that. Mazuba had also always wanted to go to festivals when she lived in the United States, so she tweeted about how she’d love to get paid to travel to festivals. That tweet caught the attention of Lorraine Bgoya, a cultural producer based in Harare, Zimbabwe and she reached out to Mazuba.
That conversation became an invitation to shoot a pilot for a travel show revolving around exploring African festivals at the 2013 edition of the Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA). They teamed up with Ngonizashe Chinara and Gwinyayi Mabika of Crafted Media productions and that’s how the show (Fest Gurus’) was born. After HIFA, they attended festivals in Malawi (Lake of Stars), Zambia (Barefeet Festival), Zanzibar (Sauti Za Busara), Swaziland (Bushfire). They also attended Shoko Hip Hop Festival and the Vic Falls Carnival in Zimbabwe.
The Fest Gurus TV show debuted on DSTV’s Zambezi Magic in December 2017. Asked how it felt to watch her very own show on TV she said; “I was proud! It felt great because having the show air on a channel was the initial goal when we started filming in 2013 and it has been such a journey getting to this point. We had stopped travelling and filming from 2015 because we didn’t have funding, (we used all our own money for all the online episodes except The Fest Gurus X Lake of Stars) and we weren’t having much success with other interested parties in terms of channels. Finally, Zambezi Magic reached out to us to shoot a pilot in 2016 and we shot in late 2017.”
Mazuba went on to say that they have had great responses from the public about the show. “People sent us whats app messages, tweeted us and told us in person how much they enjoyed the show because it educated them on festivals they hadn’t known about previously.” She mentioned that they also received constructive feedback regarding a few technical issues such as sound, which is an area they will improve on for further episodes if they get picked up.
In regards to a full season of Fest Guru’s Mazuba mentioned that they have to wait and hear back from Zambezi regarding ratings and hopefully if it’s done as well as they hope, they’ll get a whole season. “We’re waiting and hoping it works out.”
Fest Guru’s at Malawi’s Lake of Stars festival
What first got you interested in attending festivals?
“I previously resided in the United States and so did my co-host Lorraine and one of the things we regret not doing when we lived there was that we didn’t get to attend festivals like Coachella and the other major ones. We’d see these articles on what people wore at the festivals, watch videos of performances etc. We discovered that there were many amazing festivals in Africa after reading an article by Okay Africa that complied a list of festivals to attend, so that became our guide. Also, I have a background in Africana Studies, which I pursued in university, so I am interested in how we preserve our culture through festivals. My co-host Lorraine is an intellectual property expert and cultural producer of a creative hub in Harare, so both our backgrounds inspired our interest.”
Coachella music and arts festival is arguably the most popular and most profitable annual music festival in the world. Is there an African equivalent ?
“All festivals are different, so it’s hard to say that there is an equivalent of Coachella on the continent. In simple terms, Coachella is a festival that takes place in a desert, so in terms of space, I would say its like Festival Sur Le Desert in Mali. However, the biggest festival markets in Africa are Morocco and South Africa. For instance, Morocco has the Mawazine festival which is attended by over 2 million people and South Africa has festivals like Cape Town Jazz Festival, Oppikoppi and has seen established global festivals like Ultra, Essence and Afropunk hold their festivals there.”
What is the festival culture like in Zambia, how does it compare to the rest of Africa?
“The festival culture has grown exponentially in the last 5 years. In 2013, there was only Siavonga Music Festival (which has since stopped) and Oktoberfest. Last year, there were two Oktoberfests’, Zamfest Stanbic Music Festival, Colorfest, Barefeet and more. So the increase in festivals means that Zambians are appreciating such events. However, the festival market is still in its infancy as there is a lack of understanding among some festival organizers about the difference between a festival and a concert. A festival should be able to tell outsiders more about the country, so the lineup should reflect that. Personally, I think a festival should be about more than just the music. It should be an experience.”
David Tlale (left) Mazuba Kapambwe (right)
You recently wrote a thread on social media (on her twitter account @theafrosocialite) on how to get booked to perform at a music festival as a Zambian artist. Would you like to reiterate that?
“I would love to see more Zambian artists being included on festival lineups around the continent and I shared some tips; the most important one being to research different festivals to figure out which ones would be the best to perform at and then pay attention to artist calls, which is when festivals invite artists to apply to perform. I think sometimes artists wait to be contacted to perform at festivals instead of being more proactive. Only the artists that are known globally (like Wizkid, Black Coffee etc) get asked to perform at festivals without applying.”
Tell us about your best festival experience.
“Sauti Za Busara in Stone town, Zanzibar which we attended in 2014. The setting of the festival was in an old fort near the water and right outside the fort, there was an open market where you could buy all kinds of sea food. Outside of the actual festival, there were art exhibitions, henna ceremonies and networking events. It’s definitely a festival worth visiting.”
Apart from working on Fest Guru, you are also an avid blogger. What are some of the topics you blog about?
“I have two blogs: one is iamthezuba.wordpress.com which is a travel blog. My second blog TheKapambwes.wordpress.com is a lifestyle blog inspired by my family, food and fun. The blog is meant to encourage people to support local.”
Any last words…
“Please make an effort to attend a festival or two this year and help support the creative economy. When you attend a festival, you’re supporting more than just the artists; you’re supporting the people who work backstage in production, the ticket sellers, the cleaners, the food vendors etc.
If you’d like to know more about The Fest Gurus, follow us on our social media. We’re on facebook, instagram and twitter with the username The Fest Gurus. Personally, I’m on twitter @theafrosocialite and Instagram: theafrosocialite”
FILE: MTN Zambia Chief Technical Officer Thomas Motlepa, Power Dynamos striker Patson Daka, National Sport Council of Zambia Chairman Mwama Kalenga during during a cheque prize presentation of the “2016 FAZ/ MTN league Young Player of the year” to the winner. Football Association of Zambia ( FAZ ) president Andrew Kamanga has congratulated national team striker Patson Daka for emerging winner of the 2017 Confederations of African Football (CAF) Youth Player of Year Award.
“On behalf of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Executive and the entire football family, I would like to congratulate national team striker Patson Daka for winning the 2017 Confederations of African Football (CAF) Youth Player of Year Award, “ he said.
Kamanga says he is extremely pleased with striker Daka’s achievements both at domestic and International level it is for this reason that the player has thus far been a great ambassador and role model for the Zambian game and the entire nation.
He said the rewards Daka was reaping today are the fruits of yesterday’s struggles but advised the player to also be mindful that fame comes with great responsibilities.
“It is also worth acknowledging that you have set a high bar for yourself and many young people who are looking up to you.
“Therefore, as you celebrate your achievements, may I urge you to remain disciplined and steadfast,” said Kamanga
The FAZ president further wished the 2017 Confederations of African Football (CAF) Youth Player of Year God’s guidance in all his future endeavors.
This is contained in a statement obtained by ZANIS sports signed by FAZ Communications manager Desmond Katongo.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Jean Kapata has with immediate effect suspended the Principal – Agency relationship for Chongwe District Council as created under Paragraph 3 of land circular No 1 of 1985.
In a statement made available to the media, the Minister said that the council in Chongwe has been allocationg land without following any laid down procedure.
“I have noted that your council has continued allocating land known as Quarantine land in Chongwe without following any laid down procedure and contrary to the consent judgement” stated the letter in part.
The Statement further said that the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources was concerned with Local Authorities who have continued to allocate land in their respective areas without following the laid down procedures. This situation has resulted in bringing the office of Commissioner of Lands in disrepute and rendering it ineffective.
The suspension is with immediate effect. In the meantime the Minister expects the Chongwe District Council to hand over all applications for land to the office of the Commissioner of Lands.
The Minister has added that during this period of the suspension, all fresh applications should be directed to the Commissioner of Lands.
Patson Daka has dedicated his 2017 CAF Young Player of the Year to his late Zambia Under-17 teammate Changwe Chalale.
Zambia national team player Patson Daka
Patson and Kalale were part of the first Zambian team to qualify for the CAF U17 Cup although the latter did not go to the 2015 Niger finals after he was left paralyzed following a road traffic accident in December 2014.
Kalale died last December 17 on his birthday following a short illness in Lusaka.
“I want to take this opportunity to dedicate this award to my late friend and Brother Changwe Kalale and the people of Zambia and my club RB Salzburg and everyone who has supported me to achieve this award,” Patson said.
“And to my fellow young players I want to encourage you that this is the beginning of better things to come.
“Let us change the face of African football for we are the future of African football.”
Patson becomes the second Zambian player to win the accolade after Clifford Mulenga did so in 2007.
He beat off competition for the award from Krepin Diatta of Senegal and Salam Giddou from Mali.
Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe has written to the Commissioner of Lands to consider revoking the title deed for a private citizen who has bought an island on Lake Tanganyika.
Mr. Sikazwe says the over one thousand people that live on the Island were not aware that their village has been given out to an individual.
He told ZNBC news that the community only discovered the island belonged to an individual when a contractor engaged by government to build a school was turned away by the owner of the land.
Mr. Sikazwe who is Mpulungu Member of Parliament said the community has now petitioned him demanding answers on how a title deed was given to an individual without the knowledge of the villagers.
He said what is comforting is that the Ministry of Lands has assured him that something will be done to address the problem.
Mr. Sikazwe said the island on Lake Tanganyika should be for every Zambian and not individuals because they are part of national heritage.
Communication and Transport Minister Brian Mushimba announcing the cabinet approval of a new national airline during a “Team building” cocktail at Lusaka Intercontinental Hotel on Monday, 18 December 2017. Picture By Jean Mandela
TRANSPORT and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba says Government was able to achieve most of its set objectives in 2017 in the transport and communication sectors.
Mr. Mushimba says the Ministry recorded its greatest accomplishment of the year after Cabinet approved the reintroduction of Zambia Airways (2014) Limited in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines which will gobble an investment outlay of US$30 million in the first year of its operations.
In the year under review, construction of the US$60 million Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport was completed and the facility is operational.
Works on Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) had reached an advanced stage with 65 per cent of the works completed.
“Volumes of the works completed on site at present stands at 65 per cent which is on good schedule for timely completion as planned in 2019,” Mr. Mushimba says.
He says for the third time in a row Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) handed over another dividend cheque worth K5 miliion to the treasury.
The Ministry has also started implementing the transformation plan for Zambia Air Services Training Institute (ZASTI) aimed at contributing to human capacitation and its growth.
On the back of several intervention due to poor road safety, the Government signed Statutory Instruments (SI’s) which saw road traffic accidents in 2017 going down to 1,391 from 1,740 the previous year, representing a 20 per cent reduction.
During the year under review, the Ministry drafted the National Transport Policy and developed the Transport Master Plan which is slated for dissemination this year.
Railway Sector
Mr. Mushimba says headways were made in the railway industry with feasibility study and engineering designs completed for Greenfield Nseluka- Mpulungu to be developed at a total cost of US$990 million.
This project will be undertaken under Public Private Partnership Agreement (PPP).
In the year under review, the feasibility study report for the brownfield projects of revamping Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) and Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA) were completed.
From the above feasibility study two sections of Mulobezi to Kafue and Kafue to Chililabombwe were completed and approved at an estimated cost of US$2 billion.
Statutory Instrument (SI) to shift 30 per cent of bulk cargo from road to rail was drafted and Mr. Mushimba says his Ministry has since engaged the Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA) to ascertain the regulatory impact of the SI on business.
During the year, Cabinet approved the proposal for Government to acquire 30 per cent shares in North-Western Railway Company which will formally commence the construction of Chingola – Jimbe Railway project under PPP arrangement.
Information Communication Technology (ICT)
In the year under review, following Cabinet’s approval the Ministry signed four SI’s that effectively introduced a new licensing regime for existing and prospective operators in the ICT sector.
The new licensing framework ushered in further liberalisation in the telecommunication market, which is poised to see a new entrant of a Mobile Network Operator in Zambia.
The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) floated a request to tender for issuance of a national and international license to a fourth mobile service provider. ZICTA has smoothly migrated all the existing licensing holders to the new licensing framework.
“The enhancement in the policy and legal framework for the country also encouraged existing operators in the communication sector to invest in infrastructure and service upgrades. This has seen the price of internet data bundles starting to drop promoting competition led by market forces,” Mr. Mushimba says.
The Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, ZICTA and other stakeholders is concluding the drafting and transcribing of Cyber Security and Cybercrime Bill, the Data Protection Bill, the e-Transactions and e-Commerce Bill which will be presented to Cabinet at the beginning of the first quarter of 2018.
Amongst other things the Bills will propose the establishment of the Zambia National Cyber Security Agency that will coordinate all cyber security related matters in the country promotional social and economic growth in the face of technological advancements.
The Ministry also in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice will be presenting the Information Communication and Technology Society of Zambia (ICTSZ) Bill to Parliament in 2018.
The Bill is meant to provide a legal framework for the regulation of ICT professionals and organisation and further promote the development and use of ICT in the country.
In the year under review, His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu President of the Republic of Zambia witnessed the signing of US$280 million financing framework agreement with the People’s Republic of China for the Supply, Delivery, Installation and Commissioning of Communication Towers under phase 2.
This will see a total of 1,009 communication towers to be constructed and upgraded across the country in the unserved and underserved areas.
As at December 2017, a total 88 towers have since been constructed across the country and various modernization works have been done on the existing ZAMTEL platforms to enhance the company’s ability to compete favorably in the wake of new technologies and services.
The Ministry has also partnered with Ministry of Higher Education to develop a Cyber City which shall be done with full private sector participation and is intended to attract investments in technological research and development and practical skills development that would enhance our local human and corporate ICT capabilities for private and public entities.
“The Zambia Cyber City will be a business innovation hub, comprising workspaces, light manufacturing facilities, data canter to catalyse educational research and innovation for small and medium enterprises; condominiums for knowledge workers and executives; and a commercial canter for technology retailers and much more,” he says.
Water Transport Sub-Sector
In the year under review, the water Transport sub-sector continued to record steady progress across the country following an increased demand for marine infrastructure support services. The Ministry procured and delivered one 24 seater passenger vessel on Lake Bangweulu in Samfya District.
Further, two 120 seater passenger vessels are expected to be deployed in the first quarter of this year on Lake Mweru and Bangweulu.
The Ministry also distributed five dredgers across the country with a view to ensuring that waterways remain navigable throughout the year.
The Ministry commenced the rehabilitation of seven traditional canals in the Barotse Plains of Western Province at the cost of US$36 million aimed at ensuring the canals remain navigable throughout the year.
Mr. Mushimba says that the Government started revising the Inland waters Shipping Act Cap 466 and the Provisional Merchant Shipping Act Cap 468 of the laws of Zambia so that the water transport sector remains responsive to the global maritime trend.
He says his Ministry has started the process of creating the Zambia Maritime and Inland Waterways Authority which will promote and regulate water transportation and bring efficiency in the maritime subsectors of our country.
In 2017, the Ministry continued with the modernization of the Mpulungu Port and to that effect a feasibility Study to develop Detailed Engineering Designs are underway and shall conclude second quarter of 2018.
The study is being financed by African Development Bank (AfDB) at the cost US$1.4788 million.
Metrological Services
In 2017, Cabinet approved the Meteorological Bill aimed at partial commercialisation of meteorological services as well as strengthening and streamlining the mandate of the department
The Ministry strengthened its early warming systems to help farmers prevent and mitigate against climate related hazards such as floods, extreme temperatures and prolonged dry spell.
The Ministry also started the development of a strategic plan for improvement and sustainability of meteorological service provision in Zambia with the support of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
During the year under review, the 2017/2018 Rain Season forecast was produced in September and disseminated across the country which gave an outlook of the overall performance of rainfall for the 2017/2018 rainfall season.
Weather and climate are the most important factors that determine the distribution and abundance of crop insect pests and parasites of animals. Weather controls the development rate, survival and activity of insects, the phenology, distribution size, and growth rate of insect populations, migration and establishment and the initiation of insect outbreaks.
“My Ministry with the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders worked together to predict the occurrence of armyworms during the 2017/2018 rainy season. We also worked together to disseminate weather, climate and agricultural information to rural farmers,” Mr. Mushimba says.
Therefore, 2017 was a successful year for the Ministry as it was able to achieve most of its set deliverables, setting a strong foundation for 2018. We thank Members of Staff for their dedication and commitment and various stakeholders for their contribution towards the Ministry’s success.
Economic analyst Chibamba Kanyama has warned that the cholera outbreak should be treated as a real crisis that may result in an economic catastrophe
Mr Kanyama said Cholera is no longer just a disease associated with high density communities of large cities but has also spread to the suburbs.
“For the first time since cases of cholera affected the country in past decades, there are now mentions of actual sources of the problem of which ‘upmarket’ takeaway food outlets such as Wimpy and Hungry Lion have contributed,” Mr Kanyama said.
He said Soweto Market, Zambia’s leading Farm-produce distribution center has been shut, with the Zambia National Farmers Union already lamenting about the huge losses that the farmers are incurring.
“Very soon, the limiting of public gatherings will be extended to supermarkets whose daily sales are in hundreds of millions of Kwacha. Should this happen, the impact on VAT collections by Zambia Revenue Authority will be lowest this month of January,” he warned.
Mr Kanyama said this is the time Government has to divert financial resources from other planned projects to contain cholera.
“This is certainly not a small matter that has in the past been about statistics of how many new cases and deaths. It is affecting the country, including the once safe and unaffected Upmarket Communities, kuma Yadi! It is a matter that requires urgent, effective, collective and vigorous national response and it’s a cause some of us are willing to contribute to,” he said.
“Even a K1 makes a difference because it is our problem and not for taxpayers in America. We can talk about the US $285,000 ambulances later; not now!”
