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Chief Mweemba (r) and Chief Sinazongwe joyfully welcomes President edgar Lungu at Chief Sinazongwe Palace in Southern Province 21-04-2017. Picture by ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS
Chief Siachitema of Kalomo district in Southern province has condemned the setting ablaze of Senior Chief Mweemba’s palace of Sinazongwe district by unknown people recently.
Chief Siachitema said the barbaric act should condemned by all well-meaning Zambians and urged the Zambia Police Service to investigate the matter fully and bring perpetrators to book.
The traditional leader who spoke through his spokesperson Johns Chiboola said it is unfortunate that people can start attacking traditional leaders in this era.
He told ZANIS in an interview today Chikankata that there is need for police to thoroughly investigate the matter and let the culprits face justice.
Recently, Senior Chief Mweemba of Sinazongwe District sustained severe burns after his palace was set ablaze by unknown people around 03:00 hours.
Southern Province Commissioner of Police Bonny Kapeso identified other victims who were burnt along as Clement Hantoboolo 37, Paul Sinakatonga 48 and Mubita Mubita 19 who sustained severe burns all over their bodies and property whose value is yet to be ascertained was destroyed.
The victims were rushed to Maamba General Hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.
Ministry of Education permanent secretary Henry Tukombe
The Ministry of General Education has refuted media reports that its Permanent Secretary Henry Tukombe has been suspended.
Ministry Spokesperson Nondo Chilonga says in the statement to ZANIS today that Mr. Tukombe is still working for the Ministry and is even out of the country on official duties.
Ms. Chilonga noted that the ministry is also aware of the contents of the report of the auditor general on the accounts for the year 2016 and will be responding as appropriate within the established channel.
She explained that the ministry’s management team has also made it clear that social media will not at any time serve as its official communication model and that in the future they may not strain themselves to respond to any social media related information.
Meanwhile, a senior government official in Rufunsa has called for the localization of teacher’s selection if districts and provinces are to maintain quality and dedicated teachers who are ready to deliver in the education sector.
District Commissioner, Judith Chama says her office is not happy with the way the selection of teachers was done especially for Rufunsa and called on the unions to intervene in such issues if quality education is to be enhanced in rural areas.
ZANIS reports that the commissioner made the remarks yesterday during the handover of building materials by Zambia National Teachers Union (ZNUT), towards the construction of the district education board secretary (DEBS) office in Rufunsa.
She said the newly created district of Rufunsa has a number of schools and most of these are manned by trained teachers who are not on payroll and are working on voluntary basis.
Mrs. Chama said it was disappointing that out of the 408 applicants who are currently working as volunteers, and submitted their application letters through the DEBS office, only seven were picked out of the 21 that have been selected for the district.
Mrs. Chama appealed for the localization of the selections in the Ministry of Education so that people who are working on voluntary basis are given first priority when it comes to employment.
And ZNUT officials said the union will continue advocating for the localization of the selection of teachers as this will enable districts have teachers who are dedicated and committed to work as they already know the challenges in the areas.
Director Organization, Samuel Nyirenda and Public Relations Officer, Joe Kasaka said the Union has been equally concerned at the selection of teachers when it comes to recruitment as most of the people picked to serve in some areas do not stay there hence depriving the children access to education.
Rufunsa District which has 24 primary schools and seven secondary schools has been given 21 teachers from the recent selection.
Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma
Malole Constituency Member of Parliament Christopher Yaluma has cautioned people against concealing information on Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases that happen within their respective communities.
ZANIS reports that Mr Yaluma, who is also Minister of Mines, said in an interview that people need to realize that lives can be saved once cases of GBV are reported to relevant authorities.
He said it is unfortunate that information on gender based violence related incidences go unreported in some communities even when neighbours, family and friends are aware of the happenings.
Mr Yaluma stated that the fight against GBV is everyone’s responsibility hence the need for all citizens to unite in eliminating the vice.
He urged his constituents to work hand in hand with leaders within their communities such as village headmen, councillors and church leaders in addressing incidences of Gender Based Violence.
The Malole Lawmaker has since called for sensitization in rural areas on the vice by key stakeholders.
He was commenting on the commemoration of the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence.
Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of Zambia Edgar Lungu. (photo credit-Israeli Government Press Office)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has failed to confirm whether Zambia will host the Africa-Israel summit.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, told the Zambian state-owned television station, “For whatever reason, we have been given the mandate to host this summit which will bring its own benefits to Zambia.”
President Edgar Lungu, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week at the re-inauguration ceremonies for Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, told ZNBC that “For whatever reason, we have been given the mandate to host this summit which will bring its own benefits to Zambia.”
President Lungu said Prime Minister Netanyahu had asked Zambia to host an Africa-Israel summit that was originally scheduled for Togo in September.
President Lungu said that one of the reasons he went to Kenyatta’s swearing-in ceremony was because Netanyahu wanted to meet him, and that “it was during his bilateral engagement with Prime Minister Netanyahu that the Israeli PM revealed his desire to see Zambia host the summit instead of Togo as it was earlier planned
The summit in Togo last September was expected to draw the leaders of between 20 to 25 African states to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and was cancelled at the last minute because of domestic problems in that West African state.
But information emerging from Israel indicate that there were discussions in Jerusalem about holding a similar summit there instead.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not confirm on Sunday that a summit would be held in Zambia, with a spokesman saying only that the ministry was “looking into” President Lungu’s comments.
President Lungu visited the country in February, along with a large delegation of government ministers. After the trip, he told Zambian media that Zambia stands to reap substantial benefits from the visit.
“Israel is a pacesetter in survival instinct because it has a desert; but they have a thriving education, agriculture and information and
communication technology sectors and we can explore and learn from them. A lot of benefits are expected out of this trip,” he said.
Zambia is one of the few African countries with a military attaché in Israel. It opened an embassy there in 2015
Israel does not have an embassy in Zambia.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, after meeting President Lungu, that Israel hopes to “deepen its cooperation with the country, which I think is important for both our countries and both our peoples. I know that you’re opening a Jewish history museum in Zambia and soon a synagogue in the capital city. I hope one day I have the opportunity to visit those institutions and to visit Zambia.”
At the Jewish community in Zambia’s peak, some 1,000 Jews lived in the country, though that number has dwindled to about 30 today.
The opposition FDD has charged that Finance Minister Felix Mutati has not been honest with regards to the debt situation Zambia is currently in.
FDD Deputy National Secretary Antonio Mwanza said contrary to the lies that Mr. Mutati has been feeding the nation about the IMF deal, the truth is that the IMF has suspended talks with Zambia on the IMF loan because they do not agree with the Goverment’s unsustainable borrowing.
Mr Mwanza said the IMF has further revealed that Zambia has the highest debt in the Sub-Saharan region.
“The sad truth is that while our debt has been rising, our economy has been shrinking with growth slumping from 7% to 3.5%. Now that the IMF deal has collapsed, what next for Mutati and his PF Government? The open market? At what interest rate?”
Mr Mwanza added, “Where has the money they got from kaloba gone because there’s literally no production in our economy? What happened to the debt money.”
I just returned from my travels in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a great trip and I must stay that, out of all of the Turkish food that I sampled, Baklava was my absolute favourite. Maybe it’s because I have a sweet tooth, but this pastry dish is simply fabulous. Crunchy, syrupy and full of texture, Baklava is a must have. So what is Baklava? It is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made up of layers of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. Now, I realise that it may be a bit difficult to buy Baklava in some countries such as Zambia, hence I decided to share this recipe for home made Baklava which tops any store bought Baklava. So if you are feeling a bit exotic, grab your apron and try this out. It will go down a treat with the kids, trust me.
Ingredients
450g of filo pastry (store bought); defrost it according to the package instructions
280g of melted unsalted butter
450g of walnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
225g of granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
177ml of water
118ml of honey or syrup
Melted chocolate chips & extra chopped walnuts to garnish (optional)
Method
If you need to defrost the filo pastry, do so according to the instructions on the packaging (You can do this overnight in the fridge, then remove it from the fridge for one hour before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).
Prepare your baking dish, and cut the pastry to fit it. Once trimmed accordingly cover the pastry sheets with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Butter the bottom and the sides of your baking dish.
Now, in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, honey/syrup, lemon juice, and water. Bring them to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, then reduce the heat to a medium/low and boil for an extra 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and let the honey/syrup mixture cool while preparing the Baklava.
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C. Finely chop the walnuts, or use a food processor until they are finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts and cinnamon.
Place ten sheets of filo pastry into your baking dish one at a time, and brush each sheet with butter before adding the next. Make sure to keep the remaining pastry covered with a damp towel at all times. Lastly, spread about ? of the walnut mixture over the sheets in the baking dish. Repeat the process, this time adding only five sheets of filo pastry, making sure to butter each sheet before adding the next; and then add another layer of nuts. Repeat the process of adding five sheets of pastry and walnuts, four more times. Finish off with a final ten layers of buttered filo pastry sheets; and brush the very top layer with butter.
Cut the Baklava into squares or rectangles (whatever you prefer) and place it in the oven to bake at 160 degrees C, for 1.15 hours or until the tops are golden brown.
Once cooked, remove the Baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the cooled syrup mixture over the hot Baklava. Let the Baklava cool completely, by leaving it uncovered, at room temp. For best results, let the Baklava sit for 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature; so that the syrup penetrates and softens the layers. You may garnish it with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temperature, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.
Serving
Serve cool, as a dessert or snack. Enjoy!
Kanta Temba is a Cake maker and decorator|Lusaka Times Food columnist|TV show host
A forensic pathologist from Police headquarters Masakhanov Tajimura has rubbished a postmortem report done by ballistic experts on Namakambwa Kwenda, the security guard UPND Chilanga Member of Parliament Keith Mukata is accused of killing at his law firm.
When the matter came up for continued defence before high court judge Susan Wanjelani, Dr. Tajimura told the court that he received an order from the MAGISTRATE TO conduct postmortem on the deceased, and discovered that he was shot from close range.
In his defence last week Mr. Mukata testified that he fired some gun shots in the air to scare away intruders after realizing that his security guard’s life was in danger.
Dr Tajimura who told the court that he has been practicing for 45 years and has been in Zambia since 1995, said the security guard was shot from close range because of the existence of flame burns on the bullet wound which was on the neck.
He explained that if the security guard was shot from a distance, there would not have flame burns on the bullet wound.
Dr Tajimura has also disclosed that he did not find the bullet in the deceased’s body when he conducted postmortem
Asked to explain why the measurements in terms of diameter and depth of the wound differed between those on his report and that of the ballistic experts, Dr. Tajimura explained that he has been a pathologist for over 45 five years, and at no point in his career has seen ballistic experts conduct postmortem, a job he said is supposed to be done by pathologists.
He has since described the report from the ballistic experts as ‘rubbish’.
The matter has since been adjourned to 5th December, 2017, for continued defence.
Central Province has embarked on seven major projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
This came to light during an awareness meeting organized by PPU officers from Lusaka in conjunction with the Provincial Planning Unit.
The projects, some of which are at concept stage, are dotted in Kabwe, Itezhitezhi, Chisamba and Mumbwa districts, respect.
They include construction of a cargo and logistics airport in Mpima area, construction of an office park, construction of a modern transit bus station and a multi facility zone all in Kabwe district.
Others are the construction of an airport in Itezhitezhi, Greenfield Housing Project in Chisamba and a shopping mall in Mumbwa, all worth millions of dollars.
And speaking during his presentation, Senior Project Appraisal Officer, Edmond Soko, advised companies in Central province not to restrict themselves to their core mandates but to engage into other ventures to widen revenue base and attract PPP investments.
Mr Solo cited the National Housing Authority as an example that has embarked on several construction ventures in order to raise more financial resource and to attract PPP investments.
He advised Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company to diversify and venture into asset base state of the art construction so that the water utility firm does not only rely on revenue from water bills but would also collect more money from such infrastructure to easily attract PPP.
The Ministry of Finance has completed the process of printing Unified Visa for foreign visitors to Zambia and Zimbabwe, commonly known as KAZA Visa.
Commenting on the development in Lusaka this morning, Minister of Finance Felix Mutati expressed confidence that the completion of the printing process and subsequent issuance, the KAZA Visa will have exponential benefits to the Zambian tourism industry.
Mr. Mutati said with the relatively stable exchange rate coupled with low inflation at 6.3 percent, the issuance of KAZA Visas from our side will result in increased tourist inflows.
He added that stable macroeconomic fundamentals are critical to investment planning, including planning for festive holidays by both domestic and foreign tourists.
KAZA Visa is a practical example of the government’s efforts to reduce the cost of doing business in the country, he said.
The Visa will be available through the Zambia Immigration Department, to citizens of 65 countries which coincides with those who are eligible to receive Visas on arrival in both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Eligible visitors under the initiative will only be issued on Visa, stocked by both Zambia and Zimbabwe, to enable them enter both countries.
This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Ministry of Finance Public Relations Manager Chileshe Kandeta.
Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Amos Chanda has stated that Zambia has a solid democratic standing as evidenced by the freedom of some people to speak what he termed as nonsense.
Responding to a question on allegations of corruption on the President and government from Mr Kambwili when he featured on COSTA, a talk show hosted by Costa Mwansa on Diamond TV last evening, Mr Chanda stated that proof of democracy was everywhere for all to see in the nation because, if there had been no tolerance, some of the nonsense that was being said by People such as Kambwili wouldn’t have been said.
“Some of the nonsense, I should call it, that we are hearing today, in a state that is led by an intolerant government, an intolerant President, some of that rubbish, you cannot hear it. So, that is an expression of an existing democratic space available to even those that want to exercise their right to talk nonsense. That is the measure of freedom. Freedom of expression. You have got the right to say what you are saying. I will defend your right to say what you are saying even if I don’t believe in what you are saying. Even if I don’t like what you are saying. “he said.
“Even those Copper thieves have ascended in life and acquired something. But we are not going to descend to the level of how they went there. We will simply say that social mobility entails that you must give citizens an opportunity.” He said
Mr Chanda stated that those in government were charged with a high responsibility of ensuring that there was social cohesion, unity of purpose and tolerance of one another unlike people like Mr Kambwili who had no responsibility to put society together thereby could go about ranting in the manner he was doing.
“Those who have no responsibility like him, to put society together, can go about ranting in the manner he has done. And you will not expect the President to descend to that level for you to say that he is not corrupt. I can tell you, that an allegation of corruption, if you say Costa, you are corrupt, you must state if its a building, you must say this building, buildings have title numbers, have street numbers. You must say were US $10 Million has been stolen and from whom and state were it has gone. Just to go and band around figures, accusations, its the benefit of an irresponsible opposition. But a responsible government, no matter what, you cannot win a race to the bottom. That is a race to the bottom.” He said.
Mr Chanda acknowledged that there was concern that the quality of democracy was being degraded by reckless people but was confident that in the final analysis good would definitely overwhelm and triumph over evil.
He expressed shock that Mr Kambwili was going round saying of him that he had stolen money because he grew up in Chiwempala on the Copperbelt and now lived in Kabulonga.
“Yes I grew up in Chiwempala and did my Primary School there. I came to Lusaka for my college and University education. I now work at State House. State House is in Kabulonga and I work in State House . I can’t live in Chiwempala and work at State House. Certainly, I also lived in another township in Chingola, but should I be coming everyday from Chingola to work at Statehouse? Are those the allegations of corruption you can even pay attention to ?” He asked.
“But because of the abundance of freedom to communicate, saying whatever nonsense they wish, well, they can choose what to say.” he said
“You, Costa, are coming from Evelyn Hone College. I would be stupid to say I saw Costa in a Benz that you drive. That is utter rubbish. That is the lowest a person looking to assume the highest office of President can descend to . That whatever acquisition you see from someone who has gone through Primary School, Secondary School, College, University and Masters, that they must acquire nothing, he said before adding that the difference between success and failure was social mobility.
“Social mobility comes about when you empower somebody with education and you expect them to acquire certain skills and knowledge to create wealth. Am not here to defend anything but state that education is the best equalizer. That is why the PF government under president Lungu and even under president Sata then, invested heavily in health infrastructure, in education infrastructure, schools. To empower the population to create this space for social mobility,” He said.
Mr Chanda stated that it was interesting that those that used to be copper thieves now wanted to be at the same level as those that went to University .
“Even those Copper thieves have ascended in life and acquired something. But we are not going to descend to the level of how they went there. We will simply say that social mobility entails that you must give citizens an opportunity.” He said
Vice President Inonge WinaVice President, Inonge Wina has expressed sadness at the suspected arson case on Senior Chief Mweemba’s house in Sinazongwe district.
Speaking when she visited Chief Mweemba at the Livingstone Central Hospital, Mrs. Wina said it is regrettable that a life has been lost when suspected arsonists set ablaze the chief’s house.
The Vice President has assured Chief Mweemba of government support.
Mrs. Wina said the government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit – DMMU – will assess the situation and see how best the Chief can be helped.
This was after Senior Chief Mweemba appealed to the government to build him a palace and a police post to improve security in the area.
And Livingstone Central Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent, John Kachimba, has described the condition of the Chief and the two others admitted to the hospital as being stable.
Hosts Zambia’s defence of the COSAFA U20 Cup has been given a massive lift with the inclusion of 2017 U20 AFCON winner Edward Chilufya.
The 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup quarterfinalist is the only member of the class of 2016 that won both the African and regional titles back in the team.
Chilufya, of Swedish club Djurgardens, replaces midfielder Niza Simutenda who withdrew from the team due to injury.
The 18-year old joined camp in Kitwe on Sunday when the team arrived from Lusaka where they had held a three-week training camp.
“He is the only player still eligible to play in the next U20 AFCON qualifiers so he is part of this team,” Zambia U20 coach Mumamba Numba said after Monday morning training in Kitwe.
“We thought that since he was in the country, and we had an injury, we needed to replace someone that is why we brought him to join his colleagues.”
And Chilufya said he was very excited to be back helping the junior cause.
“We are ready, we have prepared well for the tournament and we need to win our opening game because the result will set the tone and determine whether we will reach the final and retain our title,”Chilfuya said.
Zambia are in Group A with Uganda, Malawi and Swaziland.
Numba’s side will face Uganda in their opening Group A match on December 6 in a 17h30 kickoff at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Kitwe will host all the group and semifinal matches at both Nkana and Arthur Davies Stadiums.
The 2017 COSAFA U20 Cup final and bronze medal match will be played on December 16 in Ndola at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Finance Permanent Secretary Mukuli Chikuba has revealed that Zambia will begin refinancing Eurobonds worth $2.8 billion in 2019.
Mr. Chikuba said the financing of the Eurobonds was expected reduce the cost of debt servicing for the country.
Debt refinancing involves a process where a country or an organisation reorganizes its debt by replacing or restricting its existing debts using funds raised by issuing fresh debts.
He said Zambia’s debt rose from 35 percent of GDP to 60 percent between 2015 and 2016 partly due to the Eurobonds, which were issued from 2012 to 2015.
“We are remaining with just a few more years before the first Eurobond is due. By 2019 or so we will start the refinancing,” Mr. Chikuba said.
He said Zambia would either buy back the debt in Zambia’s name or find other investors to do so over a longer period.
Mr. Chikuba who was speaking during the IMF Sub-Saharan Economic Outlook-Fall 2017 presentation the Zambian said government has embarked on a robust economic reforms to transform the country.
And International Monetary Fund has advised the Zambia government send a revised programme for the 1.3 million package bailout.
IMF Resident Representative Dr Alfredo Baldini said the Fund is still concerned that government has not tackled most of the major issues such the increased domestic and external borrowing.
He said the negotiations between the IMF Board and the Zambian government will continue until the government meets the set out goals by the Fund.
Dr Baldini said the Zambian government should hasten the pace at which it is making economic reforms.
Zambia and the IMF agreed in October to chart a new path towards debt sustainability after the IMF delayed the conclusion of talks with Zambia saying it was at high risk of debt distress.
Last Thursday, IMF Director of Communications Gerry Rice told a media briefing in Washington D.C that the Fund put the negotiations for a Zambia bailout package have been put on hold due to Zambia’s high borrowing plans.
Leading whisky brand Chivas Regal treated some of Zambia’s top and upcoming names from various industry sectors to a Chivas Extraordinary Experience to mark the entry of its new product in the Zambian market.
Chivas Regal Extra, which has been launched to satisfy the market’s demand for something more… something extra … sought to celebrate the success of a new generation of consumers by treating them to a unique brand experience.
Celebrities, artists and professionals from the financial, fashion, communications and information technology, and agribusiness sectors, as well as entrepreneurs turned up for the glittery evening at the Jaguar Land Rover showrooms in Great East Road.
Among the high-profile VIP gents who were invited by Chivas were media personalities Tivo Shikapwasha with wife, singer, Salma, and DJ Roxy from Radio Phoenix, who were treated to a Land Rover Chauffer ride to the function, where they were joined by celebrities including Macky II and Franklin Tembo Jr.
Chivas sought to explain the brand’s ethos to the selection gathering, which reaches out to those with a generous spirit, drawing parallels between the generous spirit in the bottle and the gents who drink it, emphasising the fact that one is not successful without sharing what you own or what you have achieved. True African Spirit, meanwhile, is about the lifestyle and nature/spirit of an African man.
Chivas Extra is positioned within the super-premium range, sitting in between Chivas Regal 12-Year-Old and Chivas Regal 18-Year-Old whisky. Chivas Extra will be the first of several new variants that will be coming to the Zambian market.
Paying homage to the art of blending that was pioneered by the Chivas brothers, Chivas Regal’s Master Blender, Colin Scott, has produced a very generous and tasteful blended Scotch whisky. Chivas Regal Extra has been created to deliver the Chivas quality, with a little Extra.
Chivas Extra is layered with rich flavours; the Nose is fruity sweet with notes of ripe pears and melon, creamy toffee, milk chocolate, cinnamon and a hint of ginger; the Taste Sweet ripe pears in syrup, vanilla caramel, cinnamon sweets and almonds in the background; resulting in a very nice, long-lasting feel in the mouth. The secret to its taste lies in the use of whiskies matured in Olorosso sherry casks along with rare malts.
“Chivas Regal is an institution celebrated for its rich and generous blended whiskies and Chivas Extra contains all the makings of a fine Chivas whiskey. Chivas Extra is a little more robust than the Chivas 12 Year Old yet more subtle than the 18 Year Old and will definitely appeal and be enjoyed by those who are looking for a next-level taste experience,” says Mr Mandla Mthombeni, Marketing Manager for South Central Africa.
In true Chivas fashion, Chivas Extra will have its own range of cocktails. Six cocktails have been developed by Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas, Max Warner, all with Chivas Extra at its heart to echo the richness and flavour of the Sherry casks.
The event was toped off by performances by Wilz and Macky 2
PICTURES FROM THE EVENT
Macky 2 on stageKuni performaingPerformance by WilzPerformance by Wilz
The General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) has closed down five training institutions of nursing for failing to meet minimum standards of training in 2017 alone.
And St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission Colleges of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing in Rufunsa District of Lusaka Province has introduced the first ever educational tool called the “Decentralised Practical Training Model (DPTM) aimed at enhancing the training of more nurses.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, said the model has come at a time when government is encouraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the training of public health workers in line with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s transforming agenda.
General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) Content Development Expert, David Mbewe, said the closure of the five training institutions that include three Universities and two colleges is aimed at enforcing compliance levels to set standards of training.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mbewe warned that the council shall not hesitate to shut down any school of nursing and midwifery for failing to abide to the set standards of nursing and midwifery education and training.
This came to light when St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing unveiled its innovative educational tool “DPTM” at an event dubbed: “The Knowledge Sharing Day” over the weekend.
Mr. Mbewe who however declined to name the affected schools emphasized that there shall be no compromise in the enforcement of the set nursing and midwifery education if the citizens are to be protected from unscrupulous people.
“I must reiterate that GNC’s desire to achieve 100 % compliance to set nursing and midwifery standards is paying dividends,” he said.
“I wish to inform to the nation that GNC has so far closed down five schools of nursing and midwifery following our intensified inspections of training institutions across the country”.
And St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing Principal Toddy Sinkamba said the institution is pioneering the “Decentralised Practical Training Model (DPTM) aimed at enhancing the training of nurses and output of graduates.
Mr. Sinkamba added that during implementation of the model, the college intends to address some of the teething problems that hinder the training of quality nurses in the country.
“Some components in the model will enable us start the 2018 direct registered midwifery programme that is replacing the current in-service one,” he disclosed.
“Indeed the launch of this model has come at a time when there’s great demand for innovative knowledge in Zambia, and the nursing profession, in particular.”
And speaking at the same function, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya implored both new and existing colleges of nursing to emulate St. Lukes if they are not remain relevant to the needs of the profession.
Dr. Chilufya who spoke through a representative, Dr. Lonia Mwape explained that the model pioneered by the nursing school, is tailored on recommendations made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Global Health Policy for human resource and Retention for health which Zambia is a part to.
“The public health care system is still grappling with the low staffing levels despite huge efforts from both public and private training schools churning out graduates,” he noted.
“Time has come for university nursing colleges and other training provides to introduce innovations that are in line with MoH’s National Health Strategic Plan aimed at increasing the number of graduates annually”.
Rufunsa District Commissioner Judith Chama also attended the event that attracted principal tutors and instructors from all the 69 nursing colleges across the country.
