Fourth Republican President Rupiah Banda has commended government for its fight against cancer.

Mr. Banda says government has invested in many cancer detection equipment, a move that will save a lot of lives.

Due to globalisation and a change in lifestyle in Africa, there is a rise in non communicable diseases which includes cancers.Worldwide there are 14 million new cases of cancer.57% of these are in developing countries. It is projected that by 2030 there will be 21 million new cancer cases.(Globocan 2012)

A disproportionate number of cancers in Africa are caused by infectious diseases. 56% of cancers in Africa affect women.

In light of this Former President Rupiah Banda has urged women and men to go for early cancer screening because the disease is life changing and requires a lot of resources.

The former President says it is important that men also take up the screening and not only women.The Former President was speaking when he appeared on a ZNBC TV programme Sunday Interview.October is breast Cancer awareness month.

Droves of fashion enthusiasts thronged to New Government Complex for the premier fashion event, Zambia Fashion Week 2017. The three day event started on Thursday 19th October and had its finale on the 21st.

The Zambian Fashion week is a tremendous help to the countries fashion industry as it highlights the best of the best and give a chance for the upcoming designers showcase their work to the masses. This years event was a huge success with more than 30 talented local designers getting the opportunity to showcase their collections. This years theme was “Beyond Reality”.

The main sponsors of the event were Vodafone and Fortress media. Other sponsors included Zanaco, Mahogany air, Soft n free, National Arts council, National milling, Alliance Francaise, Post.Net, Super Java, among others.

Every year, the Zambia Fashion week invites an established designer from the region to experience the Zambian fashion scene first hand and also impart some knowledge on upcoming Zambian designers. This years’ guest designer was Khosi Nkosi. 

Khosi Nkosi is a fashion brand which was established in 2008. The brands customers are described as a “strong modern, worldly, nubile woman that loves and respects herself and pays attention to detail. Renowned actress,  Jessica Nkosi is the brand ambassador. She was also in attendance at the Zambian Fashion week and modeled an outfit by Zambian designer Chisoma Lombe (Chizo Designs).  Khosi Nkosi’s collection had beautiful models in all shapes and sizes most to the delight of the audience.

I had the pleasure of attending the main event of the 2017 edition of Zambia fashion week. A good number of Zambia’s top talented local designers showcased their unique, creative collections. All the designer brought out their best ,but the top 3, in my opinion, were : Lusungu Mudondo (Miss Lu) , Vonneta Simpamba (House of Vo) and Mweene Kalipinde (Mweene Fashion House)

Lusungu Mudundo was seemingly the crowds favorite as her collection got the loudest applause of the night. She also won Vodafone Challenge. Which pitted the local designers against each other to come up with the most creative outfit using only the official Vodafone colors ,red and White.

Mweene Kalipinde was also impressive. Her theme ‘Joseph and his coat of many colors’ wowed the crowd.

The Chinese embassy displayed some contemporary Chinese designs too. The embassy also sponsored 8 local models to attend next years Chinese new year fashion show.

Other designers of the night were: Kabaso Nkanda (Nkanda Yatu), Chisoma Lombe (Chizo Designs), Nada (Nada Fashions), Charity Nyirongo (Mo Creations & Couture), Nelly Chama (House of Ynell), Towani Clarke (Kutowa), Kasonde Nkole (Kasslita designs), Thandiwe Alifo, Petros Giannakakos , Varinder Virdy (Kaur Fashion).

Super Java had a competition for upcoming designers. The winners were Duncan Kanyembo (Blink Designs), Kabaso Nkanda (Nkanda Yatu), Yve katongo.

A glimpse at some of the outfits showcased by the designers :

Collection By Mweene Kalipinde (Mweene fashion house)

Collection By Vonnetta Simpamba (House of Vo)

Collection by Khosi Nkosi

Collection By Lusungu Mudondo (Miss Lu)

Collection By Thandiwe Alifo

Collection By Nada

Collection By Teta Vundamina

Collection By Sarah Manjungu

Collection By Petros Giannakakis

Collection By Yve Katongo

This year event was a immensely successful.

For more photos and videos from Zambia Fashion Week 2017, follow Fortress Media and Zambia Fashion Week on Facebook.

BY KAPA187

Mr Simumba said there is need for government to carry out a detailed expenditure review and impose strict value for money test criteria before making any large expenditure.

“When I first raised the debt issue in June many so called experts doubted my assertions and now the IMF has indicated even much higher debt at 60% of GDP,” Mr Simumba stated.

“We are in a debt crisis and with continued stagnation 2018 will be a real struggle. The Minister has been told in no uncertain terms that he must revise the 2018 budget,” he said.

He added, “during the ZICA budget analysis, I stated to the Minister that the most glaring missing piece was some level of expenditure control and his response was so defensive rather than acknowledging that our problem in the first place stems from poor fiscal management.”

He said, “There is need for Government to carry out a detailed expenditure review and impose strict value for money test criteria before making any large expenditure. Government must also rationalise it’s spending and reduce on costs like travel, procurement and plug all revenue leaks in the system.”

“There is also need to maximise revenue collection from the mining industry. And more importantly privatise or commercialise many of these loss making parastatals that suck money from the treasury.”

Airtel TRACE Music Star winner, Tiwah Hillz, is set to perform at the Misty Summer Experience pre-independence day concert on 23rd October, which will be headlined by Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa. 

Speaking of the event Tiwah expressed her pleasure of the opportunity to perform at the pre independence day concert with an international artiste of Fally Ipupa’s caliber . Apart from sining the national anthem she will also perform her hit single “Beautiful” that features US artiste Keri Hilson. This will be the first time for many local fans to see her perform the song live.

“Beautiful”, is about women seeing past their imperfections and loving the skin they’re in. Hilson, who’s become something of an inspiration and mentor to the competition winner, wrote the single. “My experience of working with her was something one can only dream of. The delivery that was put into the song was outstanding; it all turned out beautiful – just like the song title,” Tiwah Hillz says.

Born in Lusaka, Zambia in 1992, Tiwah Hillz, as she’s now known, was already composing her own songs at the tender age of 13. She continued to pursue her passion as she grew, ultimately entering a music competition that would push her into the spotlight and onto our television screens.

With over 2.7 million registered calls last year, Airtel TRACE Music Star proved to be the biggest competition in Africa. The finale that occurred in Lagos, Nigeria, was a star-studded affair, which saw Tiwah Hillz being crowned the continent’s next top talent by industry heavyweights that included the DRC’s Fally Ipupa. “My journey after winning the competition has been amazing. This experience has opened so many doors for me. I thank TRACE Music Stars for helping me make all my dreams come true,”  said Tiwah Hillz.

Other local artists at the event include Danny, Afunika among others. For more information about the Misty summer Experience concert visit the Misty Jazz restaurant and cafe official Facebook page.

BY KAPA187

Today’s Scripture

“Two are better than one…if either of them falls down, one can help the other up…”
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NIV)

Push People Up

We all need somebody to believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. We all need people who will push us up, so to speak. After all, there are enough people trying to push us down in life. There are enough people telling us what we can’t become and how we don’t have what it takes.

I know in my own life, I wouldn’t be half of who I am if it were not for Victoria. She has spoken so much faith into me. She has called out the potential on the inside.

I believe we all have the responsibility to do this for others. Let’s push people up. Let’s look with our eyes of faith and see their potential and tell them what they can become. If you will be that person for somebody else, God will make sure somebody will be that person for you.

Friend, every person has seeds of greatness on the inside. You can cause your children to rise to a new level. You can be the catalyst for your family to do things they never thought possible. Your words have creative power. When you speak vision, that can be the seed God uses to thrust them to a new level.

A Prayer for Today

“Father, today I commit to push people up. I choose to speak life and call forth the seeds of greatness within. Thank You for using me to help others fulfill their destiny in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

By Kalima Nkonde

There is widespread expectation by most copper industry experts and commodity investors that the electric car and the renewable energy technology revolution, which was given impetus by 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, is set to spur copper prices through the roof from now on through out the next 20 years and more.

The news for high copper prices cannot be exciting news to most Zambians except for a few beneficiaries as the last copper boom from 2003 to 2013 with its high GDP growth rates never trickled down and reduced poverty. Copper price increases are considered as a curse by most enlightened Zambians due to the country’s poor leadership.

Electric car revolution

The expected number one driver of the copper prices boom is the electric car. According to the International Copper Association (ICA), electric vehicles use a substantial amount of copper in their batteries and in the windings and copper rotors used in electric motors. A single car can have up to six kilometers of copper wiring.

While cars using internal combustion engines require up to 23 kg of copper each, the ICA report found that a hybrid electric vehicle uses nearly double that amount at 40 kg of copper, and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle uses 60 kg. Depending on the size of battery, an electric bus can use between 224 kg and 369 kg of copper.

“Without copper you wouldn’t be able to run electric vehicles, it’s that simple,” John Fennell, CEO of the Australian branch of the International Copper Association, was quoted as saying by ABC News.

According to the report by consultancy IDTechEx, commissioned by the International Copper Association, demand for electric cars and buses are expected to reach 27 million by 2027, the bulk of them coming from China.

“Demand for electric vehicles is forecast to increase significantly over the next ten years as technology improves, the price gap with petrol cars is closed and more electric chargers are deployed,” IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Franco Gonzalez said in the report.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), on the other hand, estimates that the demand for electric vehicles globally could reach between 9 million and 20 million by 2020 and between 40 million and 70 million by 2025.

“Without copper you wouldn’t be able to run electric vehicles, it’s that simple,” John Fennell, CEO of the Australian branch of the International Copper Association, was quoted as saying by ABC News.

The Chinese, strategic and visionary as usual, have become the World’s biggest supporter of electric cars. According to the New York Times article of 10 October, 2017, “Already the world’s largest maker and buyer of electric cars, China is forcing the rest of the auto industry toward a battery-powered future. There is a powerful reason that automakers worldwide are speeding up their efforts to develop electric vehicles — and that reason is China.”

“The world’s major car manufacturers like General Motors, Ford, Volvo, Volkswagen and others have all joined the bandwagon of adding electric cars to their lines and are also moving much of their research, development and production of electric cars to China. China in turn is pressuring them to share that technology with their Chinese partners to their lines fearing that they may be left behind “, the New York Times reported.

In the light of the expected booming prices of copper which currently stands at around $7,100 as at 16 October, 2017, having increased by about 19% this year alone, according to the London Financial Times, copper investors are scrambling to buy shares in mining houses

“But rather than just buy shares in big miners, where copper is often part of a wider portfolio of commodities, they are also backing small companies who offer more leverage to the copper price, albeit with much higher risks,” the paper said.

According to the paper, there are some analysts who believe that the take-up of electric vehicles will be so quick that it will require the mined copper supply base for the whole world — currently 20m tonnes — to double over the next 20 years and this substantial increase in copper supply cannot be met by simply expanding existing mines.

The Financial Times goes on to state that in the light of the expected boom in copper prices, small mining companies like SoldGold in Ecuador, Ivanhoe Mines, Atalaya Mining, Georgia Mining and others are attracting investor’ attention. SoldGold which is mapping its copper and gold deposits in Ecuador has had its shares surging by 900% in past one year despite that production is about ten years away.

“Ivanhoe mines are also developing the Kakula and Kamoa copper deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo with China’s Zijin Mining. The company says its discovery in DRC is the largest copper discovery ever made in Africa and the fifth largest copper deposit in the world, with indicated resources at more than 30m tonnes of copper. Shares in the company have risen by more than 300 per cent over the past year. It is now valued at $3bn,” the paper added.

In Australia, the huge mining house, BHP Billiton in the past year announced to spend $600 million upgrading and expanding the mine and its infrastructure, with its eye firmly on growing demand and price for copper.

Renewable energy effect on copper prices

Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural processes like sunlight, geothermal, wind, water etc and is the alternatives to using fossil fuels. Copper conductors are used in major electrical renewable energy components, such as turbines, generators, transformers, inverters, electrical cables, power electronics, and information cable.

According to the 2016 World Copper Association, in setting up a 15-year Copper Technology Roadmap for Asia, it stated “Along with electric vehicles, the major trends were in areas like renewable energy, There’s four times as much copper used in renewable energy generation than there is in traditional coal-fired power generation”, It said. “And the general trend to less pollution means more efficient appliances, which translates to using more copper, because it reduces electrical and heat energy losses in the system and is cleaner to run.”

Magufuli Mining reforms warning to Zambian Mining houses

There is no doubt that Zambia will benefit very little just like in the past if the status quo continues. Mining houses need to be engaged and warned that if there are uncooperative and not ready to accept win- win reforms, others can come and take their place or legislation will be passed to revise all development agreements.

Zambia’s neighbour in the north, Tanzania, is an example of what happens when mining houses take their hosts for granted and takes exploitation to the extreme. President John Pombe “ Bull dozer” Magufuli has introduced draconian reforms in the mining industry.

“We must benefit from our God-given minerals and that is why we must safeguard our natural resource wealth to ensure we do not end up with empty mining pits,” Magufuli

When the country’s biggest Gold Mining house, Acacia Mining, was caught red handed with10 times more gold in its export containers than the company had declared, as well as undeclared minerals such as iron and sulphur, the president instituted wide ranging reforms for the mining industry. Magufuli instituted an audit of Acacia which resulted in the imposition of a tax bill on the a company of $190billion for back taxes and penalties. This monster tax bill for all intents and purposes may have been deliberate and intended to either chase them and look for another investor or was a basis for negotiation but it was dire warning to other mining tax evaders and a deterrent.

“We must benefit from our God-given minerals and that is why we must safeguard our natural resource wealth to ensure we do not end up with empty mining pits,” Magufuli told a rally in his home village in Chato district, northwestern Tanzania, he was quoted by one of the local papers.

The Tanzanian government has passed laws which require government to own 16% stake in mines. The other laws require Mining companies to train Tanzanians, give preference to local suppliers and to source from joint ventures between domestic and foreign firms if domestic suppliers cannot be found. The new mining laws also raised royalty tax for gold, copper, silver and platinum exports to six per cent from four per cent. They also give the government the right to tear up and renegotiate contracts for natural resources like gas or minerals, and remove the right to international arbitration.

On 19th October,2017, the Tanzania government settled its longstanding dispute with Barrick Gold’s Acacia Mines. Barrick gold gave Tanzania 16% stake in three gold mines, 50% share in revenue of mines(like Botswana does with De Beers) and a one off payment of $300 million to resolve the dispute which followed the banning of export of unprocessed minerals and the $190 billion tax bill.

President Magufuli was happy with settlement adding, “ Now that we are shareholders, we can sit down over a cup of coffee and amicably resolve any outstanding issues”.

How can Zambia benefit from the expected Boom?

In the light of the high level of debt that Zambia has accrued partly due to mines not contributing their fare of taxes, this should be sufficient incentive by the Zambian government to make brave and bold decisions as President Lungu has alluded to in his past speeches. Unfortunately, so far the government has just shown boldness with regard to decisions affecting Zambians like the removal of subsidies on electricity,fuel and reducing prices paid by Food Reserve Agency to farmers by 29% to K60, increasing taxes and levies affecting Zambians.

It is time they showed the same zeal towards the Mines.

In his address to Parliament on September 15,2017, President Lungu said, “Mining recovered from a growth rate of 0.2 percent in 2015 to 7 percent in 2016 but the recovery was not accompanied by job creation as the sector laid off an average of 10, 576 workers in 2016.”

Mining justified the 2015 and 2016 retrenchments on the low prices of copper miners but now that prices have increased, nobody in government or the Opposition is putting pressure on the mines to re-hire the workers as the reason for their retrenchment is no longer valid. Is it because it is not an election year?

This apparent favoritism of mines by government in comparison with Zambian citizens and the fact that Zambians are not benefiting from their resources will sooner or later have political consequences especially if our leaders are perceived as the only ones benefiting.

President Lungu said, “Mining recovered from a growth rate of 0.2 percent in 2015 to 7 percent in 2016 but the recovery was not accompanied by job creation as the sector laid off an average of 10, 576 workers in 2016.”

In the current scenario, Zambia is not benefitting much from employment and neither is country benefiting much in terms of taxes. In addition ,unlike the old private sector mining owners Roan Consolidated Copper Mines and Nchanga Consolidated copper mines before nationalization, who helped the mining and local communities with sports facilities, housing, hospitals, craft colleges, roads and all sorts sponsorship, the current ones are just interested in digging holes on our land and have very low Corporate responsibility budgets.

So the question is:whose interests are mining houses saving in Zambia? What is the costs benefit analysis of having these investors?

It is incumbent upon strategic thinkers in both government and the Opposition to consider this issue seriously and do something about it as Mining houses will not make moves on their own. They are not here to do us favours but maximize profits thereby increase their companies’ share prices.

In order for Zambia to benefit from the expected mining boom, the government should not wait but consider the following actions:

1. Bring back and renegotiate the windfall tax and involve people likes former Finance Minister Ngandu Magande and others who negotiated and implemented it under Mwanawasa. The major justification by the mines for its removal after intense lobbying of the Rupiah Banda administration was mainly due to 2008/9 financial crisis which is no longer valid

2. Consider revising development agreements including the unfair retention of 60% of foreign exchange from copper exports by mines abroad with only 40% coming back to Zambia.

3. Pump money to combat tax evasion and illicit financial flows by recruiting international Accountants, lawyers and Tax experts experienced in mining issues

4. Shop around for investors in car electric batteries to locate to Zambia as raw materials are in abundance for value addition. Encourage and give incentives to companies like ZAMEFA so that industries related to copper can spring up in mining towns and other parts of Zambia

5. Compel mines to instruct their captive foreign suppliers to re-locate to mining towns so as to create employment and transfer technology given that mines themselves are no longer creating many jobs due to automation

Tax avoidance, Tax evasion and illicit financial flows

The Mining houses should stop denying that they have been involved tax avoidance, tax evasion and illicit financial flows and it would have been better for them to keep quiet. The rebuttal to my last article on Lusaka Times on tax evasion and illicit financial flows in which the Chamber of Mines demanded evidence, was offensive to most Zambians to say the least as demonstrated by angry comments from readers.

The Chamber of Mines was effectively saying the individuals and institutions that I attributed comments to were all lying: The UN Secretary General, the Former South African President Tambo Mbeki, African Development bank, the OECD, Global financial integrity the African Union, Panama papers disclosures, the former Zambia Minister of finance, Mr. Alexander Chikwanda and his deputy and the ZRA audits by independent professional Accountants.

There is no doubt that common sense mining reforms- resulting in win-win situation- and not necessarily to the same extent as those in Tanzania can be achieved. Zambia and the mines need to cooperate and mines should desist from being too greedy as that constitutes a short term strategy and will back fire sooner or later.

The key for Zambia is to constitute a crack team of negotiators regardless of their political affiliation. There is a big pool of Zambians with expertise and who have served previous administrations whose skills should be drawn on. They should be head hunted locally and in the diaspora. This should not be a partisan issue. It is a nationalistic issue and for the benefit of our children and their children.

In the absence of Zambia making attempts to milk sufficient milk from our cash cow, the Mines, one cannot see how we will get out the debt trap that we are in now. Also, any reluctance to act with boldness will give credence to critics who are claiming that there is a lot of graft in the current administration.

The populist approach to mining is the way forward as it is the most politically and economically smart thing to do in the current environment to appeal to Zambians. It is time that the government called the mines’ threat bluff as they will not leave given the fact that the red metal is the mineral of the future. The handling of the inter- related issues of copper, debt and corruption may well determine who wins the 2021 elections.

The writer is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a financial management expert. He is a retired, independent and non partisan commentator/analyst. He has lived in the diaspora in England, South Africa and Botswana for over 25 years .