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PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has warned that there will be chaos in the country if judges try to emulate the Kenyan courts and stop his third term bid in 2021.
Speaking on arrival in Solwezi yesterday afternoon, President Lungu warned against emulating the Kenyan courts on whether or not he was eligible to contest the 2021 election.
He said he had the right to contest the presidency in 2021 if the Patriotic Front adopts him.
“To my colleagues in the Judiciary, my message is just do your work, interpret the law without fear or favour and look at the best interest of this country. Don’t become a copycat and think that you are a hero if you plunge this country into chaos. I want to close by saying that those people who don’t like peace and freedom will say ‘President Lungu is intimidating the courts of law’, I am not intimidating the judiciary, I am just warning you because I have information that some of you want to be adventurous, your adventure should not plunge us into chaos please!” President Lungu exclaimed.
“In English there is a saying, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. We don’t want to plunge this country into chaos because we are trying to imitate what’s happening elsewhere. We are a beckon of peace and freedom, let us keep it that way. I was on the ballot paper as candidate and I assured that I would protect Zambia and that I will do. God bless you.”
And President Lungu insisted that there were people with an agenda to get his government out of power.
“There are people outside Africa and some of them within Africa who want to bring confusion in Africa. They have picked on South Africa, Zambia and Kenya for a regime change. I said we should look out…..there are people out there who just want power change, they want to take over the country from us and manage us in the manner they did during colonial days, that I will not allow. So to my colleagues in the judiciary, my message is that do your work, interpret the law without fear or favour, look at the interests of this Country Zambia. Don’t try to become a copycat and think that you will be a hero, you will plunge this country into chaos,” President Lungu said.
He, however, claimed that his statement was not meant to intimidate the courts.
“I want to conclude by saying those people who don’t love peace and freedom will say President Lungu is intimidating the Courts of Law; I am not intimidating you my colleagues in the judiciary, I am just warning you that I have information that some of you want to be adventurous, your adventure should not plunge us into chaos please. There is an old English quote which says ‘forewarned is forearmed.’ We don’t want to plunge this country into chaos because of trying to imitate what is happening elsewhere, we have been a beacon of peace, freedom, justice and liberty, let us keep it that way,”
The Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts for the year 2016 shows that misapplication of funds has increased from about 28 million Kwacha in 2015 to about 162- Million Kwacha in 2016.
The report has further revealed that unaccounted for Revenue has increased from about 500 000 in 2015 to about 3.7 million Kwacha in 2016.
The Auditor General’s report has also shown that unaccounted for Funds has increased from about 190 000 Kwacha in 2015 to about 380 000 in 2016.
According to a statement issued to media by Head Public Relations in the Office of the Auditor General, Ellen Chikale, unretired Accountable Imprest also increased from about 12- Million Kwacha in 2015 to over 17-Million Kwacha in 2016.
Ms Chikale has observed that although unvouched Expenditure have reduced from about 3-hundred 50 Million kwacha in 2015 to about 1-hundred and 70 Million Kwacha in 2016, it is still the highest ranking irregularity for the period under review and continues to be an area of high concern for the Office.
She said there was more collaboration between the Office of the Auditor General and Controlling Officers.
Ms. Chikale said a lot of issues were resolved during the audit process and because of this a number of Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agencies (MPSA) have not been cited in the Report.
The Report contains ninety (90) paragraphs consisting of seventy four (74) paragraphs on audit matters whilst sixteen (16) paragraphs are on other matters which remained unresolved as at 30th September 2017.
AUSTINE Obosele, a Nigerian pastor who was arrested on Tuesday by a joint operation of immigration and police officers in Lusaka for refusing deportation, says he is being targeted as known government officials have been asking for a K30,000 bribe from him to facilitate his stay.
And government will not renew the employment permit of Pastor Augustine Oso Ebosele of Omega Fire Ministries because his conduct has divided the congregation into two parties, says Government spokesperson Kampamba Mulenga.
Pastor Obosele said that he had presented tangible evidence of corruption to both the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Religious and National Guidance but that it was largely ignored.
Pastor Obosele explained he had been trying to renew his immigration documentation but that a named senior official from the Ministry of Religious National Guidance had vowed to see to it that the pastor was deported, upon him refusing to give him K30, 000 which he had demanded.
He said that some expelled members of the church had teamed up with the government officials so that they could take over the church, money in the church account and properties after his deportation.
Pastor Obosele said that some suspended members of the church had reported falsehoods about him to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and National Guidance, which they investigated but did not find any fault.
“I got a call from one man from Religious Affairs. This man can call thirty times in one minute, I don’t know how much they gave him. I went to the office to see him at his office, there he accused me of a lot and lots of things.
“From there he told me that I needed to cooperate with him because my deportation order is already on his table. He said if I don’t cooperate he would have me deported and I should give him K30, 000, to which I questioned whether it was his ministry that deported people,” he explained.
Pastor Obosele said that when his documents were up for renewal, he submitted to the Immigration but that he had found it difficult as was promised to get his papers cleared.
Omega Fire Ministries administrator, Lackson Mwanza also confirmed this information to the Daily Nation and said that the pastor was still in police custody.
And Ms Mulenga who issued the statement in Lusaka yesterday said the State through the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs would not renew the work permit of pastor Ebosele as his conduct was likely to divide the congregation.
Ms Mulenga who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting said it was feared that the pastor’s continued stay in Zambia and the acrimony in Omega Fire Minsietries could result into the breakdown of law and order.
The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has started electrification of 500 grass thatched houses in Indeco Compound of Kabompo district in the Northwestern Province.
North-Western Province ZESCO Regional Manager Alex Mbumba said ZESCO is electrifying the Indeco Compound under its social responsibility programme, and the 500 households to benefit will not be required to pay anything towards electricity connections.
He said so far the power utility company has completed erecting the main-stem for medium voltage line and 63 households have been connected to power.
He said the whole idea of the project is to put into practice the ZESCO mission of making people’s lives easier through connecting them to electricity regardless of their status.
“This is an area in Kabompo which is mostly a village set up with quite a number of thatched houses. In there we decided to put our mission into practice as ZESCO, which is “Making People’s Lives Easier”, and so we looked at the status which is normally overlooked that is more of low class,” he said.
The Manager said the electrification of Indeco Compound is a pilot phase and the project is expected to be rolled out to other districts in the province.
He said 63 households that are connected are already using electricity for lighting for studying, watching television and refrigeration.
“We feel that this is how we will impact in terms of this type of class. Of course with Northwestern, this is the first project and we are hoping that in the long term if we learn from this project we can begin to roll out to other districts,” Mr Mbumba said.
The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has been sued by a Lusaka entrepreneur Golden Malama for failing to give him a frequency after successfully applying for a license to broadcast ACTS Television, a Christian channel in Lusaka’s Matero Township.
In a Writ of Summons unveiled to Pan African Radio today dated 1st November, 2017, Malama of House Number 23/29C, Matero, Lusaka, has sued IBA together with two other communication regulatory companies, the Zambia Information Technology Authority (ZICTA) and Top Star Communication Company Limited in the High Court of Zambia, for not effecting specific performance on agreement that Acts Television starts broadcasting.
The Plaintiff said Acts Television was supposed to start broadcasting on 1st January, 2017 but surprisingly that Top Star Communication Company Limited, the signal carrier, notified him later via mobile phone short message (SMS) that it shall refund him the total sum of K22, 500 he paid.
“I have sued IBA together with two other communication regulatory companies, the Zambia Information Technology Authority (ZICTA) and Top Star Communication Company Limited in the High Court of Zambia, for not effecting specific performance on agreement that Acts Television starts broadcasting” Malama revealed
Malama is demanding interest of the K22, 500 signal charge from the 2nd Defendant Top Star Communication Company Limited and K23, 000 borrowed money he used to procure equipment and set up the studio.
Fackson Kapumbu is honoured to see his exploits for both club and country recognized following his nomination for both 2017 CAF Players Awards.
The Zesco United and Chipolopolo defender is the only Zambian to have made this year’s provisional shortlist for both the 2017 CAF Africa Player of the Year and 2017 CAF African-Based Player of the Year awards.
“It is just down to my hard work and I thank Zanaco and Zesco for this nomination,” Kapumbu said.
Kapumbu joined 2016 league runners-up Zesco from 2016 league champions Zambia in January.
“I cannot afford to relax because of the nomination and I must just work harder after this,” Kapumbu said.
And Kapumbu added that it will be a tough battle to make the last three shortlists in both categories for the January 4 awards gala in Accra, Ghana but the recognition was one a big boost for his CV.
Kapumbu has made the left-back position with Zambia his own since Wedson Nyirenda was appointed Chipolopolo coach in September 2016 and has scored one goal for the team.
He was also part of the Zesco side that reached the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals where they were eliminated by 2017 finalists SuperSport United.
Patrick MutimushiZambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) Director General Patrick Mutimushi has said the intrusion of privacy by Airtel Networks in the country borders on criminality and not a regulatory issue.
Responding to Mr. Thomas Allan Zgambo of Lusaka Province who complained against Airtel Networks-Zambia on interception of data messages.
In a meeting with the Authority staff on October 25, 2017, Mutimushi advised Mr. Zgambo to pursue the matter with the Zambia Police Service.
He said this according to the Consumer Protection Guidelines which mandates the authority to refer any complaints to suitable bodies for recommendations, affirming that the matter has been referred to Zambia Police Service through the Office of the inspector General of Police.
And Mr. Mutimushi said the authority will not give any comment regarding Mr. Zgambo’s complaint until the matter is adjudicated upon by the High Court as he believes this matter is now subject to jurisdiction of the High Court.
FILE: Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa greets President Sata and First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba (far left) and Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba (left) during the Independence Day celebrations at State House
LATE republican President Michael Sata’s death was very suspicious and it is imperative that government sets up a public inquiry to probe it, former UPND presidential spokesperson Edward Mumbi has said.
And Mr Mumbi said there was need for the government to extend a public inquiry to probe the deaths of both President Michael Sata and Levy Mwanawasa.
He was reacting to former republican vice-president, Enock Kavindele’s demand that government must set up a public inquiry to probe the deaths of presidents Michael Sata and Levy Mwanawasa, who both died while in office.
Last week, Mr Kavindele demanded that government should immediately come up with a commission of inquiry under “Public Inquiries Act” to investigate the circumstances that led to Mr Sata’s death.
Mr Kavindele said when President Sata fell ill many stories had been told and was flown to so many cities all over the world to seek medical attention.
He reiterated that since Mr Sata was not an ordinary person but an elected and sitting head of State and Zambians needed to know what happened to their leader.
Mr Kavindele justified his demand by stating that even President Trump had opened to the public the findings of the inquiry on what led to the death of J.F Kennedy.
Meanwhile, Mr Mumbi has backed calls for government to set up a public inquiry to probe the death of Mr Sata saying the move was long overdue.
Mr Mumbi said there were a lot of speculations concerning the death of Mr Sata and Mr Mwanawasa, adding it was incumbent upon the government to help respond to these speculations.
Mr Mumbi further said there have been a lot of unspoken suspicions surrounding the death of Mr Sata, saying that a probe was a must. “It will be very important for the government to set up a public inquiry to probe the deaths of our late republican Presidents, in that their deaths were not completely viewed as natural deaths,” Mr Mumbi said.
He said it was sad that the mystery behind the death of such a towering personality has not been reviewed yet.
He said that Zambians would be interested in knowing the circumstances that led to the deaths of the late Presidents.
Constitutional Court JudgesIt is a serious misapprehension of the law to suggest that there is an appeal against the decision by the Constitutional Court to dismiss the 2016 presidential election petition, said Lusaka lawyer Hobday Kabwe.
Mr Kabwe said it was mere figment of imagination suggest that there was a presidential petition before the courts which had the potential to nullify President Edgar Lungu’s election as the winner of the 2016 general election.
He said the Constitutional Court was the highest court in Zambia and there was no legal action that could overturn their decision.
He said it would be criminal to suggest that there was no Head of State, which could just be an instance for the promotion of lawlessness that would not be without consequences.
“This is a serious apprehension of the law and it is not something that can be looked at reasonably by any Zambian.
“This is just a mere figment of imagination that there is no head of state. Pronouncement was made by the Electoral Commission of Zambia who they had declared as winner under the various articles in the electoral act, and after that it permits for people to appeal and when they appeal the decision of the Constitutional Court becomes final,” he said.
He said it was not acceptable to suggest there was no president in Zambia when the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land, already discharged the presidential petition.
He said any litigation had a sense of endless, where cases should be concluded within the shortest possible time, despite the direction of the decision of the court, for or against.
He charged that whatever the dissatisfaction arising from the decision, it was sheer misapprehension of the position of the court, and there was no recourse to that.
Government says it will soon pass a policy to compel mining firms to engage importers of their copper to set up processing plants for finished products in Zambia.
Minister of Mines Christopher Yaluma says it is unacceptable that Zambia continues importing finished products of copper mined in Zambia instead of manufacturing them from within the country.
Addressing a business delegation from South Africa’s Gauteng Province at his office today, Mr. Yaluma said adding value to copper will create a lot of jobs and contribute to revenue earnings.
He said exporting copper blisters denies Zambia revenue because it contains a lot of minerals which are disintegrated in the foreign processing plants.
The Minister adds that most small-scale miners are exploited by large firms who buy them off at low prices because they lack machinery for mining.
He is however delighted that the South African delegation which includes SA Capital Equipment is looking at Zambia as a potential market.
Mr. Yaluma notes that collaborations with equipment suppliers and small scale miners and farmers would help in growing the industries.
And delegation leader Lebogang Mallo who is from the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development said the province is looking at forging partnerships with neighboring countries in rolling investments.
Mr. Mallo said he wants to see Zambian companies setting base in South Africa while companies from that country also coming to Zambia to set up base as part of regional integration.
He said the visit is also part of laying ground for the Gauteng Premier’s visit to Zambia next year.
Meanwhile, SA Capital Equipment Chief Executive Officer Eric Bruggeman said Zambia has plenty of water and aqua culture his firm is interested in.
He has revealed plans of setting of setting up a hub on the Copper belt Province to encourage manufacturing of products locally by South African firms.
he Drug Enforcement Commission has arrested a driver of Lusaka for trafficking in compressed cannabis.
In a statement, DEC Deputy Public Relations Officer Kamufisa Manchishi said Shawn Chiyonkoma, 47, a driver of Plot number 274 Kabwata Site and Service in Lusaka District, has been arrested for trafficking in compressed cannabis weighing 120 Kg.
Manchishi said the contraband was destined for the United Kingdom and was intercepted at an international courier service in Lusaka.
“We have arrested a driver of Lusaka for trafficking in compressed cannabis” Manchishi said
Manchishi noted the Commission in Lusaka Province has also arrested Kruger Clinton Ray, 24, of farm Plot number 2/9/873 in Zingalume area for trafficking in nine sachets of heroin.
Manchishi stated that the suspect was arrested in George Compound as he was about to transact and both suspects will appear in Court soon.
And Manchishi has said the Commission has arrested a Malawian national, Manness Lucy Chaseta, 37, a student at a named technical college in Lilongwe, Malawi, for trafficking in 22.89Kg of Ephedrine, a drug commonly abused for its stimulant effects.
He said the suspect, who was intercepted at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on arrival from India, in transit to Malawi has since appeared in court for plea while trial is set for 9th November, 2017.
“Both suspects will appear in Court soon” Manchishi said
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has charged the reported suspension of Choma Town Clerk Timothy Mambalakata by Southern Province Dr. Edify Hamukale is unconstitutional, illegal, invalid, null and void.
Speaking in Kitwe this morning, the Green Partyleader said that Article 152(2) of the Constitution of Zambia provides that the national Government and the provincial administration shall not interfere with or compromise a local authority’s ability or right to perform its functions.
He added that the role of a Provincial Minister as provided under Article 117(3) is to ensure that national policies are implemented in all districts in the Province and that the concurrent functions of the Province and the exclusive functions of the local authorities are performed in accordance with the Constitution and other laws.
“ Nowhere is it provided that the Provincial Minister has power to suspend a local government official, not even in the Local Government Act Cap 281 of the Laws of Zambia. So, where did Honorable Hamukale draw the powers from to suspend a Town Clerk, or indeed any council official?” Sinkamba asked.
“If anything, Article 147 of the Constitution provides that management and administration of the political, social, legal and economic affairs of the State shall be devolved from the national government level to the local government level and that different levels of government shall observe and adhere to principles of good governance, through democratic, effective and coherent governance systems and institutions,” Sinkamba said.
He added that there must berespect for the constitutional jurisdiction of each level of government and autonomy of the sub-structures, among other principles.
“Put simply, the action by the Provincial Minister is unconstitutional, illegal, invalid, null and void,” he charged.
The Green Party leader advised President Edgar Lungu to mentor his Minister on the need to respect and uphold constitutional imperatives to avoid a situation where executive lawlessness becomes the order of the day in the country.
He said it does not auger well if executive officials, if the President will entertain a situation where his subordinates breach the Constitution and other laws of the country with impunity.
He challenged President Lungu to promptly state his position on this issue, which clearly is “unconstitutional, illegal, invalid, null and void”,
A Zambian student studying at Wiley College, in the U.S., has joined a team building a new mobile application for the iPhone – Android called Tell Em’. Michael Sakala, 25 together with Wiley College graduate Felix Ekwueme, 25 (founder), officially launched a new mobile application that aims to get users out in the world, sharing memorable experiences with family and friends.
Mr. Sakala was tapped to join the team to provide his financial and business skills, as the Marketing Manager, to help position the Social Experience company globally, as they prepare to partner with businesses in Africa.
According to a statement on The Marshall News Messenger, Mr. Sakala said the team chose to return to their alma mater for the launch to celebrate with the East Texas community. “This is a great way to show what Wiley College students and graduates are capable of doing,” he said. “The potential here, if we market this app in the right way, we can turn this into something big.”
And speaking in an interview, Mr. Sakala thanked the Zambian Embassy in Washington D.C for recognizing his achievement that puts Zambia on the world map in technological innovation and advancement.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ekwueme, who formerly worked for IBM, has a background heavy in software engineering and product management. He aims to position Tell Em’ to fill the social divide found in today’s society, by empowering people to share more and explore in-person experiences like concerts, football, and parties.
At the launch, Mr. Ekwueme noted that the Tell Em’ team all come from diverse backgrounds overseas, with Sakala coming to the U.S. from Zambia, Mr. Jones from Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Inyanza from Kenya and Mr. Ekwueme from Nigeria. They all met and formed a quick and strong friendship while attending Wiley College.
Mr. Ekwueme said the app’s target audience is 13- to 35-year-old social media users and university students. He said they also expect the app to be popular among businesses, media organizations, and local city governments, who would now be able to measure and provide targeted content to their local and global audience. The team is currently raising the seed funds needed to fuel initial growth.
Tell Em’ retains social features, like messaging, and could be a strong competitor for apps like Snapchat, and Facebook, as users are rewarded for sharing videos on the app. The app enables users to swipe up while watching a friend’s video at an event, to purchase tickets to join them but also rewards users when people swipe up on their videos. A full description of the app with demonstrations on how to download and use it can be found at the app’s website, www.wetellem.com.
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has demanded for answers from Government in respect of mineral concessions, land and other assets held by ZIZA and Pan African Minerals Development Company in South Africa (PAMDC), the two companies which are co-owned by Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). ZIZA is an acronym for Zimbabwe-Zambia Limited.
“I have several questions to ask Government for and for which I demand answers in respect of PAMC and ZIZA,” the Green Party leader said in Kitwe this morning.
“How much is Zambia Railways net worth in ZIZA? How much is Zambia Railways net worth in PMDC? When did the ZIZA and PAMDC ever declare a dividend to Zambia Railways, let alone the Zambian Government? Why is it that ZIZA and PAMDC assets are not on Zambia Railways Limited assets register? Why is it that ZIZA and PAMDC are not listed in the Zambia Railways 2014-2018 Strategic Plan? Why is it that operations of ZIZA and PAMDC not part of the Ministry of Finance budgeting regime? Why is Zambia not exploring its mineral assets in South Africa?” Sinkamba demanded to know.
The background to this story is that Zambia, through Zambia Railways Limited has mining concessions exploited through PAMDC. PAMDC was created in 2007 to take over exploitation of the mining rights partly owned by Zambia and Zimbabwe through the then Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. During the Federation from 1953 to 1963, Zambia and Zimbabwe owned mining rights through ZIZA.
PAMDC essentially came into being to incorporate the Government of South Africa into the ownership arrangement of the entity after the South African government laid claim to ZIZA’s concessions under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (of 2004), which vests all mineral rights with the state. That is how the Government of South Africa also became a shareholder of PAMDC.
The mining claims are for manganese, and limestone. PAMDC is supposed to prospect for a variety of minerals, including gold, coal, diamonds and platinum.
“In terms of assets outside the country, ZRL only has mineral rights of manganese and limestone in South Africa. The national railway company jointly owns these mineral rights with South Africa and Zimbabwe,” said the Green Party leader.
It is not known whether or not the South African Government paid for the rights when it took over the rights from ZIZA.
“However, we are aware that when the Zambian Government took over the mineral rights in Zambia in 1964, millions of pounds were paid by the Zambian Government to BSA Company. When the South African Government took over the mining rights from the Bafokeng in Rusternburg in 2004, billions of Rands were paid by the South African to the Bafokeng Royal Establishment. But with regard to the acquisition of the ZIZA mining rights, we are not aware of such compensation being reported when the take-over took place but must worth billions of Rands, hence the need for a serious forensic audit,” Sinkamba said.
According to the scheme of arrangement on the mineral claims, Pan-African Mining Development Corporation has taken charge of the mineral programme in South Africa, where it is expected to manage concessions in excess of 1.7 million hectares.
The plan was that the mineral prospecting firm is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange before subsequent listing on the Zimbabwe and Zambia Stock Exchanges as part of its capital raising efforts. It is not clear if any listing has since taken place on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
“However, we are 150% sure that no such listing has taken place on the Zimbabwe and Zambia Stock Exchange,” Sinkamba said.
The Green Party leader also wants to know why ZCCM-IH went to invest and run mines in Botswana instead of exploiting Zambia’s claims in South Africa.
“Here in Zambia we are told that ZCCM-IH is not a mining company but an investment company. But next door in Botswana ZCCM-IH is involved in fully-fledged mining. So, who is fooling who? Why hasn’t ZCCM-IH invested funds in the exploiting our mining claims in South Africa?” Sinkamba asked.
The Green Party leader bemoaned that Zambia Railways is currently struggling due to lack of capital and dilapidated infrastructure and equipment. He said that if the company is properly capitalized according to its 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, its performance could have wider ramifications in terms of reducing operational costs for other economic players such as manufacturing, mining and agriculture.
“However, due to under-capitalization, most of its clients have shifted bulk business haulage to trucks which is more costly to the nation on road maintenance,” he added.
He said it was not worth borrowing from the Eurobonds to recapitalize Zambia Railways. He said that instead the best option would have been to transfer Zambia Railways shares in ZIZA and PAMDC to ZCCM-IH.
“We would then have gotten ZCCM-IH to pay Zambia Railways for the shares, which funds could be used for recapitalization of the Railway Company and repayment of the Eurobond portion,” he said.
“Thereafter, ZCCM-IH, being a miner and investor, could then embark on serious exploitation of the Zambia’s claims in PAMDC. Otherwise it is just as well we sale-off our interests in ZIZA and PAMDC altogether and invest the revenue into modernizing Zambia Railways,” the Green Party leader concluded.
The Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADH) is one of its kinds in Zambia. It is the only third level health institution offering specialised healthcare services to children in the country. The League ex-servicemen donated land through Mr. Arthur Davison at a place where his castle stood, later a children’s hospital was founded there in 1963 but service provision at the health institution only started in 1966.
With time, the hospital has evolved regarding infrastructure needs and service provision. Since inception, ADH has had a 250 bed capacity against the ever increasing population and demand for the healthcare services in the country.
Children needing specialised healthcare rely on ADH for medical relief yet the institution is experiencing challenges common to most public health facilities in the country.
Although government intends to expand the hospital structures and increase the bed capacity to 1, 500, private sector participation in the day to day running of the children’s hospital is still crucial.
As the health institution expands, the need for complimentary support such as the provision of equipment equally becomes critical.
The private sector and the community can support the health institution and ensure a further reduction of avoidable mortality at all ages through donating equipment and other necessary supplies.
Individuals that are influential can also supplement government efforts in addressing the challenges which the hospital is facing.
That is why in its effort to enhance private and community participation, the ADH management holds an open day every year.
True to this concept, the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust, non-governmental organisation (NGO) was among the institutions that responded to the call for assistance.
The foundation rekindled the hope of ADH at this year’s open day. The mere gesture of accepting to be part of the event, First Lady Esther Lungu made an impact on the outcome of the open day.
Children were moved by her passion to be with them and sent good will messages through poems, songs and cultural performances to the Mrs. Lungu who is the patron of the foundation.
The Esther Lungu Foundation Trust from its humble beginning to where it is today has steadily earned a reputation locally and internationally through its various charitable activities. It is well known for creating partnerships with vulnerable groups in communities in the country. It also strives to facilitate an enabling environment where aspirations of the needy in society can be realised.
This year, the foundation has imperiously registered its presence with ADH just like many others who are partnering with the institution to see to it that Zambian children receive befitting healthcare whenever they are ill.
The private sector in the Copperbelt Province and the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust joined hands during the open day event to raise funds, source and secure equipment and building materials, which made part of their contribution towards enhancing the quality of healthcare services at the children’s hospital.
Therefore, the foundation donated 10 plasma television sets, 130 blankets and linen, cooking oil, bags of mealie meal and other necessities to alleviate the shortfalls at the hospital. The items may seem little to others but to the children, the step taken by the foundation will greatly cushion their challenges.
In handing over the donation, Mrs. Lungu said, “improving quality of care and patient safety are therefore critical if we are to accelerate reductions in child mortality. This calls for team work, partnership and person-centred patient care.”
According to Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent Jonathan Mwansa, some of the challenges which the hospital is facing are lack of specialised equipment such as the computerized tomography (CT) scan and a bronchoscope.
A bronchoscope is an equipment which helps Doctors remove a foreign body from the airway system of a child. For instance, when a child swallows a coin, the medical personnel will have to use a bronchoscope to locate where the foreign body (coin) is lodged in the airway system.
ADH has been in dire need of a bronchoscope machine, a 4-D ultra sound scanner and an incubator resuscitator. But in collaboration with the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust, the equipment was mobilized by Dalbit Petroleum Zambia, an international petroleum products provider presented the a bronchoscope and other pieces of equipment to the hospital as a way of complementing the efforts of central government to improving the delivery of healthcare to the people.
And Company Director Margaret Mbaka called for the collaboration to develop lasting relationships to solve huge challenges facing families in Africa.
And Dr. Mwan?sa noted that, “we wholeheartedly believe that the Arthur Davison Children’s hospital we dream of, will be achieved through our collective efforts. This gesture by Dalbit Petroleum is a testimony of their belief that we can secure a better future for all by joining hands to bring world class medical care closer to the communities.”
Other donations that have been mobilised came from Bayport Financial Services which include various building materials while Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company offered K15, 000 cash and Standard Chartered Bank gave out K70, 000. Absolute Gentleman, an organisation well known for its consistent support to ADH, also donated four wheel chairs to the children with walking difficulties.
The involvement in the activities of the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust at ADH is no doubt a testimony that healthcare provision is everyone’s responsibility.
“Issues of health deserve sympathy. In my last visit to the United States of America, my foundation managed to establish international collaboration and sustainable partnerships with the Colorado Children’s Hospital and UTH children’s hospital. I wish to state that we shall look for such partnerships for this hospital as well,” Mrs. Lungu said.
It is a well-known fact that what is sustainable is normally what is owned and driven by the communities themselves, the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust is just one of the institutions taking a lead to ensure partnerships are effective, scalable and sustainable in improving the lives of the vulnerable people in society.
