President Edgar Lungu says he will not succumb to un-substantiated calls from members of the general public who are calling on him to act on alleged non-performing senior government officials.

And President Lungu has clarified that he did not go to Mfuwe for a holiday to conspire against any Minister or any senior government official as speculated on social media that he would make changes to his government upon arrival from his holiday.

The President said he is in charge of government and that he would only take action against any erring government official based on the truth and not on rumors or speculation from the media or people.

President Lungu said no amount of pressure from members of the opposition or of ruling PF party would force him to act against any government official saying some people were doing everything possible to pull others down.

He said that there was too much falsehood in both the opposition and the ruling political parties which he said if not taken carefully, can lead him to making wrong actions against innocent officials.

He said those that have evidence to prove that one of his cabinet members has done wrong should present it to him so that he can take action as opposed to speculating without proof.

And President Lungu has clarified that he did not go to Mfuwe for a holiday to conspire against any Minister or any senior government official as speculated on social media that he would make changes to his government upon arrival from his holiday.

“I didn’t go for a holiday to conspire against people whom you think have done wrong but if anyone has done wrong bring the evidence to me quietly and I will follow it up. But if it is in the public domain, take it to the agencies of the state, the police, ACC and whosoever but if it is political bring it to me and I will look at it and I have always done that,” President Lungu stated.

President Lungu has therefore warned that those in his administration who are not willing to support his vision because they want him to fail will be pushed out.

He noted that he expect all civil servants to share his vision which he spelled out when he addressed parliament last week saying those that are not willing to do so will be removed.

He said as President of the country he is the vision carrier which should be supported by all public servants if he is to serve Zambians to their expectations.

The President was speaking to journalists at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport upon arrival from New York in America where he went to attend the 72nd United Nations General Assembly.

The President arrived back home this afternoon at about 16:00 hours local time and was received by Vice President Inonge Wina who led cabinet Minister and other senior government and party officials.

United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema this morning visited Mr. and Mrs. Ndhlovu, the alleged victims of the Patriotic Front (PF) supporters’ brutality in Lusaka.

In a statement to the media, Mr. Hichilema who was accompanied by Party Secretary General Stephen Katuka and Party National Chairperson Ms. Mutale Nalumango expressed sadness and sympathized with the victims who are UPND Chilanga constituency members.

And Mr. Hichilema has condemned the violence and reiterated his calls for peace and unity based on respect for the rule of law and order, as well as respect for human rights and freedoms, adding that citizens must only differ on principle as opposed to resorting to violent.

The UPND leader has since called for the arrest of what he termed as the known perpetrators of violence who are being reported in some parts of the country.

Mr. Hichilema said without arresting the perpetrators of violence, citizens may resort to act in self defence, a situation that would bring anarchy in the country.

Mr. Hichilema also reiterated his stance on the need for dialogue in the country as a way to bring normalcy and freedoms based on good Governance.

“Citizens must only differ on principle as opposed to resorting to violent” Mr. Hichilema said

Zambia has called on African countries to decolonise their current education system for Africa to achieve economic prosperity.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba says the current education systems that African countries have embraced glorifies white-collar jobs which are scarce to create.

He said Africa’s biggest economy and potential was in its vast natural resources which demands for skills and trades education.

Mr. Mwamba said the despising of trades and skills education in Africa has worked against the continent as it has missed the right education to bring about economic independence.

He was speaking as Guest of Honour at the Global Summit held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa which had over 11 countries and governments participating including South Africa represented by that Countries Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu and Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

He said Africa was the richest continent on earth owing to its natural resource endowment and demographic dividends which countries should efficiently make use off to economically empower their citizens.

Mr. Mwamba mentioned that Africa’s worst enemy was the current education system which prevented Africa’s potential to generate wealth through entrepreneurship.

He further urged African countries to unite and increase volumes trade among its people to ensure that the wealth that Africa was generating remained on the continent

By Press time, Managing Director of Barclays Bank Zambia Mizinga Melu was scheduled to deliver her speech.

Meanwhile, Summit Convenor President Zienzi Dillon said Africa was poised to become an economic giant of the world as she has woken up from slumber.

She observed that African countries were accelerating their speed to catch up and over take developing countries as leaders have now become aware of what needs to be done to become economically independent .

More than 17,000 cancer cases have been diagnosed and treated at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka since it was established 10 years ago, raising hope for Zambia’s fight against the menacing disease.
The first and only cancer treatment centre offering radiation therapy in Zambia, the Cancer Diseases Hospital, has scored numerous successes in the use of nuclear technology to diagnose or treat cancer, the hospital’s Chief Medical Physicist, Ms Mulape Kanduza, said.
Ms Kanduza said before 2007 patients had to pay lot of money travelling to other countries such as South Africa and India for treatment, which few people could afford, as it was very expensive.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) played a key role in the establishment of the hospital, training for medical professionals, and in the establishment of radiation protection measures for both patients and staff.
“Now people in Zambia can access treatment locally for a fraction of the cost they would pay by travelling outside the country. More than 17,000 new cases of cancer have been diagnosed and treated over the last 10 years,” said Ms Kanduza.
“Access to treatment is one gratifying aspect of the whole fight against cancer. Access to radiotherapy means the Ministry of Health has provided a centre that can successfully treat patients. We are linked to all major provincial hospitals in the country who can refer patients directly to us.”
Ms Kanduza said since the hospital opened, it has seen a surge in the number of cancer cases being diagnosed, the majority being among women.
“The most common type of cancer we are treating is cervical cancer. But there’s also a high incidence of prostate cancer and other types such as Kaposi’s sarcoma,” she said. “With increasing awareness, people are more aware of cancer and if it’s diagnosed early patients’ lives are being prolonged. Diagnosis has gone hand in hand with the treatment as more people become aware of the disease.”
Ms Kanduza said despite some limitations, the Cancer Diseases Hospital was succeeding in the fight against cancer.
“We started off with four pieces of equipment but we can now boast of 10 different types of equipment which enables us to provide services close to what developed countries are offering…. We have equipment that can provide cancer treatment that you can get anywhere in the world. It’s good that we have a home solution for our patients,” she said.
“The limitation we have is that we are the only Centre in the country, so it’ll be very good to have more than one Centre outside Lusaka for more people to access treatment.”
The hospital uses radiation medicine as a vital component of cancer control. It uses procedures such as X-rays, CT scans and mammograms for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment. Radiotherapy can treat and manage the disease and provide substantial pain relief for patients when cure is not possible.
“Radiation therapy, which is nuclear technology, has been proven over the last 100 years to provide effective diagnosis and cure for cancer. There’s a lot of fear regarding the use of radioactive substances as people believe that it is dangerous. But I’d like to rest people’s anxieties by saying that if somebody has been trained on how to use radioactive substances on aa patient or in industry, it is safely done,” said Ms Kanduza.
“Nuclear technology in medicine is very beneficial. It is the only way you can see the inside of the body without opening up the patient. It’s the eyes the doctor uses to see inside the body of a patient.”
Going forward, the Cancer Diseases Hospital hopes to expand its capacities for both personnel and technology, as well as venturing into research.
“The hospital is expanding. Ten years is good experience to go into research and training. We have the capability to conduct locally designed training and to conduct research in collaboration with centres outside Zambia,” Ms Kanduza said. “We also plan to go into other nuclear techniques such as nuclear medicine and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan, a more advanced technology which allows medical personnel to pinpoint the exact location of the cancer.”
The hospital is now able to offer training locally for radiation therapists out of which two intakes have since graduated. The hospital plans to begin local training for other specialties such as radiation oncologists and medical physicists.
Ms Kanduza added that the anticipated Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, which has been proposed by Russian firm nuclear firm Rosatom in collaboration with the Government of Zambia, will go a long way in advancing nuclear in medicine in Zambia by providing training and research as well as production of radiation sources that are required in the treatment of cancer.
In June, Rosatom signed a project development agreement with the government, paving the way for the establishment of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology as well as   preliminary feasibility studies into the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant.
Viktor Polikarpov, Rosatom Regional Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “Rosatom indeed focuses on the global advancement of nuclear medicine. In cooperation with the leading manufacturers in the industry, we are creating the entire medical production complex, from isotopes manufacturing to providing medical care using high-tech equipment.  In 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Rosatom signed an agreement on extra-budgetary contributions to the implementation of a cancer treatment program that will benefit many countries.”

Iconic R&B musicians Boyz II Men have arrived in Zambia for the 2017 Stanbic Music Festival and have promised an exhilarating and memorable concert.
The trio, comprising Sean Stockman, Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris, landed in Lusaka on Thursday afternoon ahead of their double bill performance on Friday and Saturday.

“We are happy to be here. It’s so nice to get so much love from a place we’ve never been before. Being our 26th year it’s nice to know that people from around the world, specifically here (in Zambia) still appreciate what we do,” said Sean at a press briefing,
“We promise to offer 100 per cent like we always do. We promise you a great show. … We’ve performed in many places around the world and there are places like Zambia that wanted to see us. We are also happy and excited to see new people.”
He said concert goers could expect a mix of old classics that made the band popular in the 1990s as well as songs from some latest albums, which he said had evolved in of lyrics and style.
“The old classics is what people know us for, the songs that made us famous, the songs that all of you fell in love with. That element of our DNA is still part of us and will never go away. But as human beings and as artistes we are affected by times and generations changing and the world changing,” he said.
Sean added: “Anyone that doesn’t evolve is not a human being. We all change, we all evolve. That’s the meaning behind Boyz II Men; it’s growth, to be able to go from here to there and to progress naturally. Music changes, whether it’s style or lyrics and we hope people are receptive to the change and go on along the journey with us.”
And Wanya said the group would perform some of the songs that made the group popular.

“We just want to make sure the feel-good element is in the mix. We’ll make sure we give you the songs that you fell in love with. We know what got us where we are and the songs that people can rock to,” he said.
And tracing the group’s 26-year history, Nathan said the love for music had kept the group together for that long.
“Before we became friends we enjoyed signing together…So, I’s say our love for music has kept us together for all these years,” he said.
Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) president Njoya Tembo said the association was delighted to have the legendary music group in Zambia and praised Stanbic Bank and other partners for sponsoring the country’s largest
“Being the fourth year of the Stanbic Music festival, ZAM is excited that we are consolidating our music industry and in collaboration with Stanbic Bank to support our local music,” he said. “We’d like to share our experiences with international artistes. Our interest is to see how we can network and share experiences.”
Tembo also invited Boyz II Men to consider investing in a record label in Zambia.
In attendance at the press briefing were some of the local musicians who make part of the line-up for the music festival. The entire list comprises Afro soul singer Wezi, traditional folk singer Mumba Yachi, Hip-hop sensation Chef 187 and Gospel sensation Abel Chungu Musuka, Zambian R&B singer K’millian, singer and guitarist James Sakala, as well as electric violinist Caitlin DeVille.
Gates for the show open on Friday at 16:00 hours.

The Government needs more than 600 million kwacha for it to fully equip 220 schools which were recently upgraded from basic to secondary level, with fully-fledged laboratories, General Education Minister Dennis Wanchinga has said.

JCTR recently conducted media site visits in Mongu Western Province.

The team visited Kanyonyo secondary school which is grappling with inadequate computer laboratory space and equipment for Grade 12 exam and learning purposes as the existing mobile facility, taking 35 students at a specific time.

Kanyonyo Secondary School in Kapulanga Community has had no ablution block for over three years now.

Lack of sanitation is contributing to poor quality education and a learning environment considering that for now a makeshift ablution is built with reed mats.

JCTR says it hopes that once government secures the funds, Kanyonyo school will not be left out among the 220 school.

In picture below is the school’s mobile laboratory and makeshifts ablution used by pupils.

Jesuit Center for Theological Reflections (JCTR) says government was able to stick to fulfillment of its objectives for the 2017 fiscal year which have translated in improved fiscal and economic growth.

JCTR Social Economic Programme Officer, Innocent Ndashe says that macroeconomic indicators like the single digit inflation rate and the continued stability of the Zambian kwacha on international markets are an indication of economic growth for the country.

He has also commended government on the various incentives aimed at promoting transparency in the use of public funding.

Mr. Ndashe has since called on relevant authorities to take action in ensuring individuals who abuse public funds are prosecuted.

He added that so far, not much has been done in prosecuting offenders hence the continued practice of misappropriation of funds in some government departments.

He has consequently advised government to consider developing the national planning and Budgetary Act saying it will necessitate for full participation of citizens in the budgetary process.

He added that this will allow for strengthened credibility in resource utilization on monies allocated towards government programmes.

And Civil Society for poverty Reduction (CSPR) has commended government on its efforts to promote sustainable economic and social development through its various programming.

CSPR Resource and Governance Coordinator, Tommy Singongi says through various policy formulations like the seventh national development plan, government has continued to provide an efficient road map in alleviating poverty among disadvantaged groupings nationwide.

Mr. Singongi has also commended government on its efforts to reduce external borrowing from international lending institutions by relieving financial deficits with focus on increasing domestic borrowing as indicated during the 2017 budget presentations, last year.

He has however called on government to look into mitigating some of the implications the policy would pose on the growth of Small and medium enterprises (SME’S).

Mr. Singongi added that though the targeted threshold was set at six billion kwacha, the debt stock has increased to ten billion, a figure he says would affect capital flows within the private sector.

He further stated that domestic cash flows are necessary in accelerating growth investments which culminate in social benefits such as job creation and growth of Gross Domestic product (GDP).

The CSPR Resource and Governance Coordinator has since called on government to set the 2018 budgetary lines to focus on actuating investment growth in keys sectors with growth potential to drive economic growth.