Leading Financial technology (Fintech) company, ProBASE ltd took time to spread some christmas cheer by donating various items to Jedidiah leaning steps community School in Lusaka’s Makeni Konga area. The items donated included 30 class room desks , text books for both primary and secondary grades.

Jedidiah learning steps is a non – profit making school. It was founded in 2008 by Sifelani Mwanza who saw a need for educating children whose parents could not afford to send them to school. She opened up the doors and started to educate the children at no fee at all. The school started with only 25 learners on its first day and grew to 168 pupils by 2010. It later closed down that same year due to infrastructure setbacks. Thankfully the school was later reopened in 2014 and has since grown to more than 300 learners in 2017.

Speaking at the occasion ProBASE Chief Operations Officer, Mr Chola Bwalya thanked Jedidiah leaning steps director Mrs Sifelani Mwanza and the teachers for the work they are doing to educate the children in the community. He said as ProBASE they were happy to contribute where they can. As the saying goes it takes a village to bring up a child, so everybody must play their part in what ever way the can. He assured Mrs Mwanza and her team that this is only the beginning and that ProBASE will continue to provide support in the future. Echoing the sentiments, ProBASE Chief Executive Officer, Mr Roy Muyelu,  mentioned that everyone can contribute in a little way to lift up the welfare of the children. He went on to say that children are the future he hope to see amongst the group future managers, engineers , entrepreneurs. Founder and director of Jedidiah leaning steps, said she was overwhelmed with the gesture. She thanked ProBASE for the gesture, mentioning that the children love their new desks and cant wait for the new school year (2018) to use them. She went on to say that the donation will go a long way in providing quality eduction to the children in the community.

ProBASE staff and management took time to interact with the energetic children, singing songs , reciting bible verses ,and playing various games and later sharing a meal with the excited children.

PICTURES FROM THE EVENT

A GREAT ZAMBIA AND AFRICA BEGINS WITH YOUR DECISION TO PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING OTHERS NO MATTER HOW SMALL YOUR HELP IS.

ABOUT PROBASE

ProBASE Limited is a Value Added Services Delivery and Solutions Company involved in creating innovative business solutions for a varied clientele base. We have a diverse team of individuals and consultants who can be utilized as resources to deliver cutting edge and customized solutions that address your business and technical requirements – both at present and in future projects.

BY KAPA KAUMBA

The justices are rewriting the law, making a presumption on the wishes of the parliament or establishing some strange interchangeability with parliament. In my humble view, this is impropriety and illegitimacy.

The decisions of the constitutional court should be legally and morally unassailable-regrettably not so the case.

By Alexander Bwalya Chikwanda

8th December 2017

The judiciary in Zambia has been a big plus for the country and a credible institution on the wider governance horizon. The judiciary comprises of men and women who naturally have their share of human frailties so there are instances of a few rogues but very much more the exception other than the rule. It is therefore an inescapable imperative that all stakeholders in and out of the judiciary take stock and indulge in deep and honest introspection to ensure that slippages in the adminstration of justice are arrested at the earliest opportunity.

Let me, without hesitation; address the particular draconian ruling by the constitutional court on Ministers vacating office. In section 116 of the constitution of Zambia (amendment) act number 2 of 2016, the cases for office of the Ministers becoming vacant are clearly set leaving no room or leeway for speculation, supposition, inference, or indeed extrapolation.

Section 116(3) of the constitution states:

The office of the Minister becomes vacant if-

(a) the Minister is removed from the office by the president;
(b) the Minister resigns, by notice in writing to the president;
(c) in the case of a nominated member of parliament, the nomination is revoked;
(d) the Minister dies;
(e) another person assumes office of the president;
Or
(f) the Minister has a mental or physical disability that makes the Minister incapable of performing the functions of that office

The inference that Ministers are members of parliament and when parliament is dissolved, Ministers must ipso facto vacate their offices may be not too illogical a projection but that is not stated in the pertinent section of the law which is totally without ambiguity. The justices are rewriting the law, making a presumption on the wishes of the parliament or establishing some strange interchangeability with parliament. In my humble view, this is impropriety and illegitimacy.

There are profound lessons about constitution making in Zambia. The powers that be stall when there is ample time to consult and dialogue; then with the passage of time inordinate pressures pile up and matters are rushed to parliament with rather indecent haste ending up with outcomes that constitute monstrosities in the process, not pondering the severe cost implications.

Any further amendments to the constitution should be anchored on deeper reflection apart from more honest elaborate consultation. Constitution making in Zambia from the inception, when some of us were in the unip government, has been a big disaster. There is some ingrained bad habit passed to subsequent administrations. This is that various stakeholders in the government in power, opposition political parties when they have existed, civil society and all, we have shown the inclination to write our short-term interest in the constitution. In the process, we have not come up with realistic constitutions that can stand the litmus test of time by addressing the subtle interests of generations to come, also known as posterity.

Expeditious dispensation of justice will increasingly be hampered by inadequate space and infrastructure, even at the lofty levels of high  and supreme courts. Going forward, we must pay urgent attention to remedying this situation. There will be a compelling need to avoid proliferation of courts. With hindsight, constitutional issues are a rarity; the best and most cost effective action would have been to constitute constitutional court sessions from the supreme court where you have experience, maturity and track records. We cannot ordain wisdom and requisite experience by bureaucratic fiats, no matter how elaborate myth making may be.

We need deep thinking in the nation. The justices have the highest levels of intellect shrouded in the ingrained habits to search widely so that they do not interchange facts with value judgements and opinions – this is why they are called learned. Respectability of the judiciary must be anchored on propriety and decisions which are totally above board and beyond reproach.

It is my considered hope and prayer that at all levels of justice, decisions which are emotion and sentiment- driven can be avoided for these decisions inevitably have little or no rationality content. The erosion of confidence and trust resultant from these slippages are inexorable and irreversible.

The Author is Zambia’s Former Minister of Finance, and current Chairperson for Finance Committee in the ruling PF Central Committee

Patriotic Front Secretary General Davies Mwila says the opposition UPND should start preparing for another humiliating defeat in the 2021 General Elections.

The PF Chief Executive Officer said this when he received over 320 defectors from the opposition UPND in Chavuma District of North Western Province among them ten Head men.

Mr. Mwila said the ruling party will not abandon its developmental agenda including in areas where the ruling party received low votes.

He also said the PF was still popular because of its developmental agenda of transforming the nation. He further said the Party was the only democratic political organization as evidenced by the space it accords it’s membership to express views and opinions.

He said as witnessed by Chavuma residents being connected to national grid as well as upgrading some schools into secondary schools.

Speaking at the same event, North Western Province Chairman Jackson Kungo says the party in the province is behind the PF Secretary General because he has done so much in terms of uniting and mobilizing the party.

Mr. Kungo said it was because of the current Party leadership under His Excellency President Edgar Lungu that the party was able to win off members from the UPND.

And UPND Chavuma District Chairman Nelson Kainga, who led the defectors, said he had been in the UPND for over 15 years and he has seen that the UPND lacks vision and that was why they have decided to join the ruling PF

Mr. Kainga said he had seen the massive development the PF government had taken to the district since assuming office in 2011 saying the people in the area made a mistake to give massive votes to the opposition UPND.

And PF Member of the Central Committee Kebby Mbewe said the ruling party has made steady progress in penetrating into Southern Province which was perceived to be a strong hold of the opposition UPND.

Mr. Mbewe, who is based in Choma District of Southern Province, said this was because the PF Government had done so much in Southern Province despite receiving low votes as compared to the votes received by the opposition UPND.

He said this will make it difficult for the opposition UPND to campaign in 2021 because the PF Governments has developed the province.

Mr. Mbewe said contrary to claims by the opposition, the PF government has done a remarkable thing of transforming the province.

Mr. Mbewe said under the 650 health posts, the province has received a reasonable number of the posts.

The PF Central Committee Member was confident that the PF will get more votes in 2021 because of it’s developmental agenda.

Vice President Inonge Wina has disclosed that Government has not seen the judgement from the Constitutional Court ordering Ministers to pay back money they received during their illegal stay in office.

Mrs. Wina told Parliament this morning during the Vice President’s Question and Answer session that the Constitutional Court is yet to serve the judgement on the Attorney General.She said Government is still waiting to the Constitutional Court to serve the document on the Attorney General’s Chambers to decide the next course of action.

On the issue of whether government will pay the money on behalf of the affected individuals, Mrs. Wina said the judgement affects more than 60 former Ministries and their Deputies and that statements issued by one person affected by the judgement cannot represent the entire group.

She said government will not base its decision on one statement issued by one of the affected individuals.Mrs. Wina said once received, the judgement will be subjected to further consultations within the ranks of Ministries.

Last month, the Constitutional Court maintained that the 64 ministers who stayed on in office after the dissolution of Parliament in 2016 must pay back the money they received during the period they illegally occupied their positions.

The court also dismissed Attorney General Likando Kalaluka’s application in which he wanted the court to revisit it’s ruling that the former PF ministers must pay back the money they obtained during the time they were found to have occupied their offices illegally.

But the ministers, through Attorney General Kalaluka, applied to re-open and review the judgment, and vacate the portion where it directed that they refund the emoluments they got.

A panel of five Constitutional Court Judges made the ruling which was delivered by Judge Margaret Munalula and dismissed Kalaluka’s application saying it was against public interest that he was seeking to represent the ministers.

The court said the status had changed after it was found that the ministers occupied their offices illegally and therefore, Kalaluka could not represent them as it was now a private matter.

In this matter, the Law Association of Zambia and the opposition UPND sued former Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and 63 others for illegally serving in the government after Parliament was dissolved.

The Constitutional Court on August 8th 2016 declared that Ministers occupied their positions illegally after Parliament was dissolved and ordered them to pay back the money and vacate their positions immediately.

Tim, formerly known as Thugga from Zone Fam releases his first single as a solo Christian Hip Hop act featuring well renowned Zambian Gospel musician, Pompi, This is the first single off Tim‘s debut album ‘TIM (This Is Music)‘.

The track is entitled “Heartbeat” and is produced by Mag44. Video directed by Qbick and Lawdak. D.O.P by Jamiel Banda.

Tim also pays tribute to late graphic designer, JackPott (1989-2017), who worked on the Motion Graphics alongside Prosam Graphix.

BY KAPA187