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The Mayor of Lusaka, His Worship Wilson Kalumba puts up the first poster to launch the Zambian Breweries’ new “18Plus SAY NO TO UNDERAGE DRINKING” campaign, accompanied by Zambian Breweries Country Director Jose Daniel Moran.Lusaka residents have applauded republican President Edgar Lungu for stepping in to help clean Lusaka .
The residents say the move to bring back sanity to the Lusaka central business district is welcome and long overdue , most residents spoken to have thanked the president for stepping in to provide solutions which are working and producing results .
“We are very thankful to His Excellency the President Mr Edgar Lungu for stepping in and bringing sanity back to the Lusaka central business district , he has shown us that he is a leader who means well for all of us , this place (CBD) was very dirty , the council despite getting levy every day failed to clean it , it had to take the president to step in and help bring sanity back , awe twa Tasha sana Bakateka besu”
The residents have also expressed total disappointment in the Lusaka mayor and local council for failing to keep Lusaka clean
“The Lusaka mayor needs to wake up , he is not doing what he is in that office for , surely does it have to take the presidency to come in and provide solutions of how to keep the city clean ? Then what is the mayor getting paid for , what is he doing in that office , what is the council doing , they need to wake up and do what is right , the council in kitwe has been doing a good job to keep kitwe clean even without the President intervening that shows that the mayor knows what he is there for , our mayor needs to wake up now ” some Lusaka residents spoken to have said .
Last week , President Lungu ordered the army to help contain Lusaka cholera outbreak a move which has seen most parks of Lusaka central business district cleaned up .
The Kabompo district stakeholders association has urged local people to prevent their livestock from roaming freely in the township thereby conflicting with human habitation.
Association chairperson Rodgers Chinyemba said although goats, pigs and cattle are a source of income for the people in the area, the animals should not be left roaming around the township as they may pose a danger to both humans and crops around.
Mr. Chinyemba said this in response to one of the residents who wanted to know how the district will control the livestock roaming in the township.
This was during the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) review meeting held today.
He said a special meeting was held in the district with farmers and other animal owners where various submissions were made to resolve the matter.
And speaking at the same meeting, Kabompo town council secretary Wamulume Aongola said according to public health regulations, animals are not allowed to roam freely around people for fear of spreading certain diseases to humans.
Mr. Aongola said the previous stakeholders’ meeting on livestock and human being conflict resolved that goats should be caged while cattle should always be tied to a rope with someone looking after them.
He said a two weeks ultimatum was given to animal owners to adhere to the resolutions that were passed in the meeting.
MSL Managing Director, Mr. Chikuta Mbewe and UNDP Country Director, Ms. Mandisa Mashologu at the signing ceremony
Medical Stores Limited (MSL) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a cost sharing agreement (CSA) worth USD 4,9 Million covering the next step of the expansion of the MSL Central Warehouse in Lusaka. This CSA will enable UNDP Zambia to implement the phase 2 of the construction of MSL Central warehouse according to international standards for the pharmaceutical supply chain. The works under this agreement are expected to commence mid of Jan 2018.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, MSL Managing Director, Mr. Chikuta Mbewe said that this grant agreement marked another major milestone for the institution and that MSL is looking forward to have this project start in the coming weeks. Mr. Mbewe thanked UNDP Zambia on behalf of Management and Staff at Medical Stores Limited (MSL) for the good partnership and support which has been enjoyed over the years. He stated that this grant agreement is an investment that belongs to the people of Zambia while contributing towards the national development of the Country. From her side the UNDP Country Director, Ms. Mandisa Mashologu, expressed happiness to partner with MSL on this venture which will further improve supply chain services to the public health sector throughout the country once the construction completed. She situated the investment within the three of the sustainable development goals: nr. 3 good health and well-being, nr. 7 affordable and clean energy and nr. 17 partnership for the goals.
This agreement follows the approval by the EU of a 4.822 Million Euro grant in support of the MSL Masterplan for the supply chain infrastructure that is funding the cost of the phase 2 works in Medical Stores Limited within the framework of the HSSP program of the EU supporting the health sector. The works under this grant at MSL are expected to be completed and the new storage and handling facilities operational by 2019.
MSL Managing Director, Mr. Chikuta Mbewe and UNDP Country Director, Ms. Mandisa Mashologu at the signing ceremonyMSL Managing Director, Mr. Chikuta Mbewe and UNDP Country Director, Ms. Mandisa Mashologu at the signing ceremony
About 5 671 pigs in Chinsali district have died of African Swine Fever while the movement of pigs and products has been banned.
Muchinga Province Provincial Veterinary Officer, Dr. Wilson Katumbi, has disclosed during a stakeholders meeting held, today, in Chinsali that 766 households have directly been affected by the loss of the pigs.
Dr. Katumbi revealed that the loss of 5 671 pigs was from a total pig population of 8 259 in Chinsali adding that the mortality could be greater in view of cases that had not been reported to his office.
Katumbi lamented the high mortality rate of pigs in Chinsali district and he described the loss as a huge economic setback to the 766 affected households.
Katumbi said the disease was first reported in Chinsali in May 2017 and has since spread to four other districts that include: Isoka, Shiwang’andu, Mpika and Chama.
He explained that African swine fever was a highly contagious viral disease of swine that could record 100% mortality adding that the disease had no cure or vaccine to prevent it.
Dr. Katumbi further explained that the control policy of African Swine Fever is by slaughtering and destroying all pigs once the disease was detected in one or more pigs within a piggery unit.
He added that there was no scientific evidence of the disease spreading to human beings and other animal species but he, however, said his office was against people consuming products from diseased animals.
Katumbi reiterated that the ban on the movement of pigs and their products covered all the five affected districts in Muchinga that include: Chinsali, Isoka, Shiwang’andu, Mpika and Chama.
Meanwhile the stakeholders resolved that pig owners should be cautioned to observe good pig management practices that include confinement in housing structures as opposed to straying around on free range. They resolved that every straying and unconfined pig should be killed.
The stakeholders meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock of Muchinga Province and attended by Senior Chief Nkula, Village Headmen, Councillors, Church representatives and the media, all of Chinsali district.
The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has fined 23 companies and sternly warned one for breach of License conditions.
This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday by ERB Acting Director for Consumer and Public Affairs Fred Hang’andu.
Mr. Hang’andu said the fines range from K9, 000 to K24, 000 which are to be paid by the affected companies within the month of January 2018.
He said the decision to fine the companies was made at the third (3rd) Regulatory Board of Meeting held on 19th December 2017.
Mr. Hang’andu said this was after all the companies had been given an opportunity to respond to the findings, between September and November 2017.
He said for instance Kessy Energy Zambia Limited was fined the sum of K24, 000 for implementing a charge that had not been approved by the ERB when it sold Diesel at K11.90 instead of the approved K11.09 per litre at its Chinsali Service Station at the time.
Mr. Hang’andu said of the 32 licenses, 24 companies were each fined the sum of K9, 000 for breaching license condition 2.4.1 when they failed to submit monthly petroleum industry statistics as required by the ERB.
He named the affected 24 companies as Reba Industrial Corporation Limited, Pes Enterprises Zambia Limited, Enigma Petroleum Limited, Flexus Petroleum Limited, Guul Petroleum Company limited, Kaso Investments Limited.
Mr. Hang’andu named others as Aaran Construction and Transport, Keren Motors Limited, AGS Trading Limited, Allan S. Energy Corporation Limited, Beaver Sales Limited and Mina Petroleum and Tankers Limited among others.
Mr. Hang’andu has also reminded all energy enterprises that it shall continue to steadfastly monitor adherence to license conditions and take enforcement action where breaches are observed
He said this is in order to assure the public of the highest quality of energy products and services on the Zambian market.
The Mansa Mining Bureau has observed that Luapula Province has the potential to be a major supplier of Manganese in the southern African region.
Mansa Mining Bureau Surveyor Winter Nkhata says the province has rich deposits of Manganese and all that it needs is to find investors who will conduct large scale exploration and consequently mining on a large scale.
In an interview with ZANIS in Mansa Mr. Nkhata says currently the province only has investors with short term mining licences the situation he said makes it difficult to fully invest in manganese Mining.
“ What the province needs now is to have investors who will be able to set up their companies permanently for a long period saying that is the only way the province will fully benefit from the mining sector in many deferent ways, “ he said.
Mr. Nkhata observed that the mining sector in the province has the potential to contribute to the economy of the province and the country if fully utilised.
He adds that if more investors come and set up their companies, local people can be assured of employment and more business opportunities.
Mr. Nkhata further says at the moment only few locals are benefiting as most investors are involved in small scale mining thereby engaging a limited number of workers.
The surveyor has since appealed to chiefs and the local people in the province to work together with investors who are already in the province and those yet to come if they are to benefit from the mineral resources in the province.
Mr. Nkhata has since reminded the people not to be cheated when obtaining mining licences saying the only Ministry that mandated to issues mining licences is the Ministry of Mines.
Mumbwa District Council has demolished all illegal trading structure in town and street vendors have been told to vacate from the streets of Mumbwa.
Street Vendors today woke up to a rude shock to find their makeshift stores being demolished by the council as the police manned the street to deal with any resistance from vendors.
Council Chairman Gracious Hamatala also led a team of public service officers from the district administration in conducting the cleaning exercise in the streets of Mumbwa in order to avoid the cholera outbreak in the district.
The Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officers later joined the cleaning exercise as the affected vendors and marketeers watched helplessly as their structures were being demolished and later burnt.
Some affected traders were not happy with the move saying that it should have been done at a time when they were allocated an alternative trading area.
Other residents commended the authority for being proactive in dealing with cholera which has hit Lusaka.
One of the affected traders Bridget Chimbofwe, said that the move has crippled her only source of income but was quick to mention that the town looks much cleaner and healthy without makeshift stalls and vendors.
She said as much as the move is painful to all traders, it was necessary for the sake of saving lives.
And another trader Edna Mabika appealed to government to quickly find an alternative trading place for all the people who have been displaced from the streets.
The Zambia Revenue Authority has intercepted a total of 22 Mukula trucks worth 6.6 Million Kwacha.
Among them 3 trucks were intercepted in South Africa at Beit Bridge and are being brought back into Lusaka.
The Elite ZRA Anti-Smuggling Squad has been working with various security wings of government to make sure the contraband is brought back to Zambia.
Corporate Communications ManagerTopsy Sikalinda said the Authority has memorandum of understanding with Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and the South African Revenue Services (SARS).
Mr Sikalinda said the Authority wishes to thank all the security wings for the help rendered to ZRA during this sophisticated assignment.
“As an Authority we wish to make it very clear that we shall not tolerate any smuggling into Zambia and out of Zambia. ZRA has since forfeited these trucks to the state with immediate effect and the Commissioner General will soon be donating this Mukula Consignment to the state through ZAFFICO,” he said.
FDD President Edith Nawakwi has challenged the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Authority to tell the public the truth about the status of their water with regards to the ongoing Cholera epidemic.
Speaking when she featured on The Burning Issue radio program on 5FM on Thursday morning, Nawakwi said the government was finding it hard to contain the disease because “people are eating and drinking their own faecal matter” and that the authorities should quickly find a way of putting an end to that.
Nawakwi the only female President of a political party in the country observed that permanent solutions should be found to the challenges being faced by the country and not cosmetic ones as in the case of street vendors who were allowed to operate in town without toilets and clean water.
She said leaders should stop making populist decisions which are injurious to the nations’ well being and look at the bigger picture.
She explained that it was not only those in high density areas who were eating and drinking their own faecal matter but that even those in low density areas because of the boreholes which are shallow and next to septic tanks.
“…Tell the families we are eating our own faeces, in Chalala, in Meanwood where we have allowed these boreholes to come up like mushrooms. The sooner we educate our people the better. This issue could have been resolved a long time ago but because Government has no plan and no policy hence nothing going on other than actions meant to deal with symptoms instead of dealing with causes”
On the much talked about latest money spinner the Mukula tree, the former Minister in a number of Ministries during the Chiluba government said the Mukula was a variable national asset which was being exported in the form of “fire wood” instead of ensuring value addition before exportations.
She called on the government to immediately cancel all the licences given to people to harvest the Mukula and ensure that the country starts exporting processed products of the tree.
She wondered how government can create employment for the youths if such opportunities are passed by.
“…this is not the function of the Minister of Home Affairs, it is the function for the Minister of Environment (Lands)and Natural Resources and the spokesperson for that department is the Director of Forestry. I want to know from him how many how many licences for Mukula he has issued, to who and where they are and they must be cancelled because we don’t want to see any more fire wood being exported to China.”
On the challenges in the agriculture sector Nawakwi said the solution was to dismantle Mulungushi house and ensure that it is decentralised.
She said government should stop paying lip service to the sector as its viability can drive the country’s economy.
“We need to tackle issues which are outstanding in agriculture because this year and next year we are going to have hunger. This is a sector which can drive our economy, lets stop paying lip service, let us decentralise and dismantle Mulungushi House. This is a job for people who were born to wear boots not for the faint hearted,” she said.
The Iron Lady of Zambian politics further said her party will talk to the people in power because there are pending issues regarding the electoral system which needs to be resolved before the next elections.
She said those who are refusing to talk should come out in public and tell the nation that they are comfortable with the current electoral system.
“We need to talk to those in power, specifically the presidency because as FDD we want to know type of electoral system we are going to go into 2021 with because there are pending issues at ECZ which Chairman Chulu openly said tilibe tanwi bana banga lets go through this tizavichita sort out gati tasiliza those things are still on the shelf and we cannot say we cannot talk to each other unless we are accepting now and we should make public statements on the current electoral system,” she said.
On the repayment of the monies owed by those who illegally remained in office the opposition leader told Zambians to take to task the Secretary to Treasury and Secretary to Cabinet and get answers as to why they are not implementing the Courts’ decision.
“Its not for the Ministers and MPs to pay back. It is for the Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary to Cabinet to implement the courts decision. There is a court decision, they just need to go to there payrolls and start deducting so when you are saying that the ministers are not paying back, they are not suppose to be getting the money in their accounts but they are suppose to be direct deductions. They should be deducted at source so the people to take task is Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary to Cabinet, why are they not implementing the court decision.”
The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has welcome government’s decision not to allow schools and tertiary education institutions to open this month to prevent the spread of cholera.
NAQEZ Executive Director Aron Chansa said opening of schools now would expose the learners and teachers to the cholera epidemic as most schools in Zambia are extremely congested.
Mr. Chansa said opening of schools would also trigger a rapid spread of the epidemic to all parts of the country and make it even more difficult to control.
He however noted that the move will disturb the school academic calendars and the performance of learners especially those in examination classes.
He nevertheless stated that the lives of the learners and teachers were more important than losing out on education.
Mr. Chansa has meanwhile urged learners to continue studying from home so that their performance is not disturbed.
In a related development, Ndola residents have commended the Ministry of Health and the Ministries of General and of Higher Education for deferring the opening of schools and tertiary education countrywide institutions until after a review of the cholera situation on January 30, 2018.
The residents talked to by ZANIS Ndola this morning said the decision taken by the concerned ministries was in the best interest of the public.
Mrs. Elizabeth Kayumba observed that the cholera bacteria was very dangerous hence the relevant authorities should take all possible measures to ensure that cholera was put under control.
“The cholera bacteria is very contagious and it kills in a short period of time. That is why it is good that the ministries have taken up that measure,” she said.
Mrs. Kayumba has since urged Ndola residents to religiously follow what the government has told people to do to prevent cholera.
Another resident, Mercy Moyo, suggested that the banning of public gatherings should be extended to workplaces because there are people from different areas who meet at work.
“For an area like Lusaka where deaths have been recorded, even people in a working environment should be asked to stay away or work in shifts because these are people coming from different areas therefore it is easy for the disease to spread to areas that have no cases,” she said.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Ministry of General Education and the Ministry of Higher Education deferred the opening of schools and tertiary institutions until after a review is conducted on January 30, 2018.
Chargé d’ Affaires of Zambia in Turkey, Bwalya Nondo (right) during a meeting with Turkey’s Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) Director-General Dr Mehmet Gulluoglu in Ankara –Picture by JERRY MUNTHALI
The Disaster and Emergency of Turkey, has expressed willingness to provide technical assistance in the area of disaster Management Authority (AFAD) under the office of the Prime Minister management to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
The pronouncement was made when Charge d’ Affairs of Zambia in Turkey, Bwalya Nondo conferred with AFAD Director-General, Dr. Mehmet Gulluoglu.
This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary for Press at the Embassy of Zambia in Ankara, Turkey Jerry Munthali.
Mr. Nondo who expressed gratitude for the pledge, said Zambia was currently grappling with an influx of refugees from the neighborhood and would be grateful to have any assistance rendered to ease the burden.
He said President Edgar Lungu recently launched an international appeal for the global community to provide assistance and treat the refugee situation in Zambia as an emergency.
“Our government has been working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to mobilise aid to be able to respond to this emergency and at the same time, the appeal that our President has made to the global community is to ensure that all efforts are garnered to be able to prevent a further humanitarian disaster,” Mr. Nondo said.
Mr. Nondo added that the Phenomenon of climate change was cross-cutting and of global concern.
He said climate change required concerted efforts regionally and internationally to respond to its large scale impact which affected agriculture, health and other areas.
Mr. Nondo said disasters such as floods and drought either way impacted negatively on the country and called for measures to address the effects.
He further noted that epidemics arising from environmental perspective were also a great source of concern to the government.
Mr. Nondo said effective response to emergencies and disasters called for a sense of preparedness, which entailed availability of resources, technical know-how and early warning systems.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gulluoglu has urged Zambia to share ongoing humanitarian response plans with his authority to enable AFAD render technical aid and cooperation in the area of disaster management, including the refugee crisis in Zambia
“We are open to that kind of relationship and we are aware that the instability in some of your neighboring countries is exerting a lot of pressure on your country,” Dr. Gulluoglu said.
According to the UNHCR, Turkey is host to over three million Syrian Refugees.
Foreign Affairs Minister Harry KalabaThe Patriotic Front in Mansa District says it is intact despite former Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba ‘s resignation.
Mansa District Patriotic Front Chairman Febian Chibela says the party in the district is aware that Mr. Kalaba, who is also Bahati Member of Parliament, has been slippery and working in isolation for a long time.
Mr Chibela alleged that the district is aware that Mr Kalaba has been having dark corner meetings with unknown people and that his resignation is welcome.
ZANIS in Mansa reports that speaking in an interview yesterday, Mr Chibela said the party in the district will remain strong in ensuring that they deliver development in the district as they promised the people.
He however, expressed concern that the resignation of Mr Kalaba as a cabinet minister will delay development especially in Bahati constituency.
He says the people of Bahati would love to have another Member of Parliament saying the current situation will not move development smoothly in the constituency.
The Patriotic Front Mansa District Chairman has since called on party members in the district to continue respecting the party hierarchy.
He added that the party in the district is not shaken and that the decision that Mr Kalaba has taken is a personal decision which everyone has the right to.
Mr. Kalaba resigned as Foreign Affairs minister yesterday for personal reasons and has since written to a letter to President Edgar Lungu about his move.
A 42-year-old woman has been assaulted in a Gender Based Violence (GBV) case that occurred at Dangote Compound in Ndola recently.
Margress Banda of Luangeni Village in Chief Mpenzeni of Chipata District in Eastern Province who was allegedly battered by her former husband and his new wife , in the process sustained a fractured right arm.
Ms Banda who was later left for dead says her ex-husband, Amos Muchimba and his new wife of house number 15 Dangote Compound took turns in assaulting her before running away.
ZANIS in Kabwe reports that Banda said that her former husband together with his new wife pounced on her merely for having gone to his matrimonial home over the none payment of the child maintenance charges awarded by the court.
According to a report dated December 27, 2017 issued by Ndola Police Banda ‘s ex-husband used a pounding stick to hit her and consequently sustained a swollen right arm.
Ms Banda who disclosed that she is on ART ( Anti-Retro Viral ) treatment says her former husband divorced her in the Chipata Local Court in 2016 after 28 years of marriage and have five children with him.
She said she was divorced because tasking the lifesaving drugs.
She has appealed to the police in the area to arrest her ex-husband so that he faces the long arm of the law for not only assaulting her but also for his failure to support the children he had with her in marriage.
Mr Muchimba who is reportedly on the run after the incident, was working as a Security Guard for Dangote Group of Companies in Ndola until recently when his services were allegedly terminated.
Police in Lusaka have arrested a 24 year old man for defrauding Zambian women who exchanged nude pictures with him.
Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said Joel Sikaneta of Chowa Township in Kabwe was arrested for extortion and being in possession of obscene materials.
Ms Katongo said the suspect is believed to have between June and December, 2017 swindled seven (07) females using nine fake Facebook accounts opened in different names.
The suspect is believed to have between June and December, 2017 swindled seven females using nine fake facebook accounts opened in different names.
The accused person would pretend to be a white man, initiate an intimate relationship with unsuspecting females on Facebook after befriending them and promise to send them money in dollars and buy them cars.
He would begin by sending nude pictures for a white man on pretext that they were his and would later entice women to also send their nude pictures to him.
He would thereafter use another account purporting to be a wife to the white man claiming to have discovered conversations and nude pictures in her husband’s Facebook account.
The suspect would then begin demanding for money from victims and threatening to publish nude pictures if they did not comply.
When the victims plead for leniency, the purported wife would link them to either her brother or spiritual father here in Zambia who would give them an account number in which to deposit the money.
Several women including married women fell victim and ended up depositing money for fear of being embarrassed.
The suspect is currently detained in police custody and will appear in court soon.
The Football Association of Zambia has made a bold move by launching an in-house kit that will be worn by Zambia at the 2018CHAN finals that kick off on January 12 in Morocco.
Zambia has struggled to secure a long-term major kit deal after parting ways with Nike over two years ago.
“Following the Executive Committee meeting of October 2017, the decision to create an independent sports brand, wholly owned by FAZ, was made in line with the objective of increased revenue generation and full control of the value chain,” FAZ spokesperson Desmond Katongo said.
“This is the first step by the Association to grow its commercial arm and to create additional, profitable revenue streams.
“The brand, named KoPa, represents the best of Zambian football and the new Zambia kit is a true reflection of all the positive attributes in the Zambian game.
“The new kit will be unveiled at the CHAN tournament in Morocco and the distribution of replica jerseys will begin shortly after.
“The KoPa brand will be manufactured to international standard, will be available to FAZ members, other sporting associations and institutions and the general public, at affordable prices to meet the needs of the market.
“The growth opportunities for the brand stretch beyond Zambia’s borders and an international variant of the brand will be available to clients in overseas markets.”
Zambia had until December 31 worn Mafro but that long-term deal was terminated after the Asian sports kit maker failed to meet its contractual obligations.
