Malaila traditional ceremony in pictures
President Edgar Lungu commissions the construction works of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway
No way MTN is pulling out from Zambian football – Molapisi
MTN Zambia will continue its long-standing support of Zambian football, recently announcing its unwavering sponsorship deal to Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) for the MTN/FAZ Super League and National Football Team.
In the last seven years, MTN Zambia directly injected a hefty amount of money into the sport, during which Zambia has won the senior Africa Cup of Nations, U20 Africa Cup of Nations and seen the Super League grow in popularity both locally and on the African continent.
Speaking to journalists after the Zanaco and Zesco Football Club match at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka at the weekend, Charles Molapisi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for MTN Zambia, said following a positive impact as witnessed by the company on Zambian football, MTN Zambia has been encouraged to continuously invest in Zambian football.
“There is no possibility of pulling out from the FAZ sponsorship deal. We will be in the next round of contractual discussions to renew contacts with FAZ.
“We are committed to the growth of football in Zambia and we have seen it working for us and the nation during the past seven years we have been at the forefront of supporting the sport.
“Hence we will continue doing so with absolute confidence that the sport is improving.”
Molapisi said, “If you look at the successes of Zambia at the Nations Cup, the Under 20 and World Cup qualifiers, MTN has always been supportive. As a company we want to be part of the success and we have spent a lot of time building and cultivating the relationship.”
On possibilities of increasing sponsorship support, he said he would leave that to the discussions between FAZ and MTN and would not want to pre-empt on what will happen.
“Remember, we have a common vision of shaping football in this nation with a common interest of taking football forward and with this common interest we will continue working together to find a mid-point to complement each other.”
Meanwhile, the statement comes at a time when Vodafone has been challenging MTN Zambia over branding rights at the now deserted Woodlands Stadium. Vodafone is reportedly said to having been orchestrating a plan to lure FAZ to accept its proposal to sponsor the country’s topflight football league in the forthcoming soccer season.
On resolve the matter, MTN said, “We are guided by FAZ, they are the custodians of the game in the country, we get instructions on how we proceed from them. And we will continue to seek wisdom from them on the way forward. Our interest is to make sure that we deliver the support so that Zambian football moves forward.”
Harvard undergrad Sela Kasepa mentors inaugural Zambian robotics team
Sela Kasepa first heard about the Pan-African Robotics Challenge while channel surfing in her living room in Kitwe, Zambia. The program enthralled her. Kasepa thought a robotics competition could inspire her fellow Zambians to take an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, fueling technical advancement in the developing Central African nation.
Fast-forward a few years and Kasepa was a Harvard freshman taking “Computer-Aided Machine Design” (ES 51) at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences when that fascination was rekindled. Watching the robot she built maneuver around a competition course, she felt empowered.
“Many people would say robotics is a far-fetched idea, but there is so much more involved than building a robot,” said Kasepa, who is now a sophomore. “You think, ‘I have made this with my own hands, and I could make more things.’ Robotics can drive a change in mind-set. If we can help young people have that feeling, that can drive technological advancement.”
Kasepa began looking for a robotics competition Zambian youth could join, and found FIRST Global, an annual student robotics Olympiad founded by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. Zambia was not among the 162 countries participating, so she asked about future contests. Organizers urged her to launch a team for 2017, even though other nations had already begun raising money and training students.
“It felt like such an outside idea. I wondered if it was even possible,” she said. “I decided to take up the challenge. If you never dare to start, you probably will never end up starting at all.”
Kasepa called her mentor, Peter Lungu, director of the Zambian Institute for Sustainable Development (ZISD), a nongovernmental educational outreach organization that had awarded her a scholarship, setting her on a path toward Harvard. Lungu agreed to help recruit students and mentor the team in Zambia, since Kasepa was now deep into her college coursework.
They enlisted seven students, set up a robotics shop at ZISD headquarters, and ordered the FIRST Robotics kit of materials to build the machine and basic construction guides.
The competition theme was clean drinking water, and robots were designed to collect and sort color-coded bowls signifying clean and contaminated water. Kasepa coached the team via Skype and recorded demos of fabrication techniques on YouTube.
Passionate and dedicated, the students worked from sunrise to sunset as they caught up with their international competitors. Kasepa’s long-distance encouragement boosted team members when they hit roadblocks, like when parts broke and they lost valuable time waiting for replacements to pass through customs.
“With every building process, just when you think it works, technical or design faults always develop,” she said. “The robot had to be rebuilt a number of times.”
But as the robot came together, a new worry emerged — how to fund the journey from Zambia to the international competition in Washington, D.C., in July.
Kasepa began making cold calls, but couldn’t get a response. Then she shared her frustrations during a casual conversation with Evelyn Hu, the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering. Hu offered to help, and secured a grant from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research that would cover travel expenses for the three team members required to qualify. Using Lungu’s contacts at an Ethiopian airline, they negotiated sharply discounted airfare and were able to pay for all seven teammates to attend. Kasepa was elated, but lacking funding for her own travel, she would have to watch the competition streamed live online.
The first match ended early for the Zambian team; one of the robot’s chains was displaced and they were unable to fix it before time ran out. Devastated, the students worked into the night making repairs.
On the second and final day of competition, Kasepa tuned in, leaning close to the computer screen as the day’s frenzied contests began. The Zambian robot ran seamlessly. When the dust settled, her team had earned 32nd place out of 163 national teams.
“I am extremely proud of them,” she said. “I hope they learned that they are more than capable of being innovative and creating something. As a nation, Zambia needs to drive toward innovation, and these students can be leaders in that arena.”
Kasepa, who also organized a robotics showcase for Zambian children during a school holiday, wants the country’s participation in FIRST Global to continue. She hopes that with the support of mentors and the excitement of the young students who saw their country compete on a global stage, they will be able to sustain the program.
“It is now clear to me that a country’s greatest resource is its people,” she said. “If you have people who are willing to work toward something, I definitely think a country’s future can be bright. The minerals or raw materials in the earth are not as valuable as the ideas that people step up to achieve together.”
SOURCE: news.harvard.edu
Mumba Yachi – A victim of the Lenshina Ghost?
By Dickson Jere
I am an ardent fan of Mumba Yachi’s music and have all his albums. His Afro-beat is clearly in his own class and league only comparable to the likes of the legend Fela Kuti.
Not until his recent incarceration, I never thought he had issues with his citizenship. But what struck me was his passion and well-informed lyrics on the now infamous “Lumpa Church” or “Ba Lenshina” and the connection to Mokambo in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. So, his predicament made me go on a soul-searching through various literature in order to understand this Lenshina stuff, whose history remains buried and told in a bias way. We grew up to believe that the Lenshina followers drunk urine and believed they had a passport to heaven. They were evil doers.
However, yesterday, as part of the literary week, I stumbled on an interesting book titled “A Time to Mourn” that provides a good and unbiased read on this obscure history of Alice Lenshina. Authored by John Hudson, a former District Commissioner of Isoka, the book is an eye witness’ personal account of the 1964 Lumpa Church Revolt in Zambia.
It gives his personal experiences of the Rise and Fall of Alice Lenshina Mulenga who formed the Lumpa church in Chinsali even though it spread to other parts of the country. The book is descriptive and for all intend and purposes, what transpired to the Lumpa followers could be best described as “genocide”. The author places the blame on the authorities at that time who mishandled the conflict between the Lumpa Church and UNIP supporters which led to thousands of people to be massacred in cold-blood.
Official statistics show that the Lumpa church had the biggest following than any other church in Chinsali, Kasama, Mpika, Isoka and Lundazi and their biggest crime was to refuse to join UNIP or participate in politics at crucial time of independence struggle.
And so, the long and the short of it is that the Lumpa supporters were attacked, raped, maimed and made to surrender including their leader Alice Lenshina. But a group of faithfuls refused to submit to UNIP’s threats and consequently fled to the neighboring Zaire now DRC where they established themselves especially in Mokambo in Lubumbashi on the border with Mufulira.
Hudson writes: “in all, nineteen thousand Lumpas went to the Congo between 1964 and 1968. Efforts were made to induce them to return after an amnesty declared in 1968 but only three thousand did so.”
I am told that among those who fled and refused to return was Mumba Yachi’s grandmother hence his birth and upbringing in Mokambo, a border town which features prominently in his songs. And he sings proudly about it!
So the Lenshina migration is believed to be the first known, after Zambia’s independence, where Zambians fled their country to seek refuge elsewhere.
“It was estimated in 1993 that there were up to fifteen thousand followers of the church in the Congo. Up to September 1994, only one thousand, six hundred had arrived in Zambia,” Hudson writes.
“The majority remained in the Congo; if they see that those who have come back do not encounter any hostility, more can be expected to return,” Hudson writes on page 63 of his Book.
How then do you treat these Zambians and their offsprings?
That’s a question!
I end here!
It is upto President Lungu or Felix Mutati to decide on the Mutati Petitions-Davies Mwila
Mr. Mwila says the PF members are petitioning that Mr. Mutati who is also MMD president should choose whether to continue as Minister of finance or remain as MMD president.
He says the positions are from Eastern, Central and Northwestern Provinces.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mwila said in Ndola in an interview that his office submitted the petitions to President Edgar Lungu who is the appointing authority on Friday adding that it is up to Mr. Mutati or the appointing authority to decide on the matter.
MMD and the PF entered into an alliance during the August 2016 General elections.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwila has appealed to both UPND and PF cadres to refrain from all acts of violence in the ongoing campaigns for council chairpersons in Lavushi Manda, Kanchibiya, Itezhi-Tezhi and Lunte district.
He said Zambia has always been a peaceful country stressing that the PF wants to see the continuation of peace which the country has enjoyed for the past 53 years.
Mr. Mwila, however, condemned the acts of violence where the UPND and PF cadres clashed in Chilanga district saying the move was unfortunate.
HH needs to practice mature politics and not dent the image of Zambia-Mwakalombe
Lusaka Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe has advised opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Leader Hakainde Hichilema to practice mature politics and not dent the image of the country.
Speaking during the weekly PF Media Interactive Forum, Mr. Mwakalombe said that it was really unfortunate that the opposition leader made false statements about the country’s parliament and judicial processes during his visit to South Africa.
Mr. Mwakalombe said that it was disappointing that Mr Hichilema has allowed politics to create hatred and division despite it being a service to Zambians.
He says it is unfortunate that the same person who was recently released from incarceration did not take time to start reorganising his party but rushed to misinform his funders on various issues pertaining to the country’s executive.
Mr. Mwakalombe says it is important for the opposition leader to be objective in giving his checks and balances to government and not always discredit what is done to benefit the Zambians.
Mr. Mwakalombe said that the opposition leader does not care about the country’s well being because if he did, he could have protected the image of the country he has been campaigning to rule.
Mr. Mwakalombe said that after failure of several elections, the opposition should learn to live an exemplary life, than trying at all possible costs to ruin the country’s reputation.
Mr. Mwakalombe added that government has been working tirelessly to attract foreign direct investment, but wonders why a presidential aspirant would draw government efforts backwards by altering remarks with the potential to the country’s investment opportunities in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwakalombe has stated that the Patriotic Front will not divert from its pro-poor mandate. Mr. Mwakalombe said that government will therefore not remove any vendors from the streets of Lusaka, but find interventions that will maintain the cleanliness of the city without necessarily affecting their daily operations.
Mr. Mwakalombe said that his ministry has been in talks with companies that have conducted feasibility studies, to put up a power plant to generate electricity from waste.
Simona Cement Manufacturing Company which is being constructed in Chongwe will start producing electricity from the waste generated from production of cement when it starts operating.
Mr Mwakalombe said that the construction of the Chinese cement production plant is 85 percent complete and that what has remained is the installation of equipment.
“There is an extension of the plant, it will be making pan bricks other than generating electricity from the waste produced from cement production. This project has already been approved but what is being awaited is an environmental impact assessment,” Mr Mwakalombe said
North- MP’s pledge to work closely with media houses
Parliamentarians in Northern Province have resolved to work closely with the media in order to enhance the flow of information on various developmental projects taking place in the region.
This came to light during the first ever provincial parliamentary media forum held in Kasama yesterday.
And Northern Province minister Brian Mundubile, who graced the event, said the media plays a critical role in shaping the developmental agenda of any community, hence the partnership between the parliamentarians and journalists in information dissemination.
Mr Mundubile said Northern Province wants to move in tandem with other regions, in implementing the seventh National Development Plan and this cannot be achieved if lawmakers work in isolation.
The Minister also revealed that the province has started preparing for the Northern Province Tourism and Investment Expo, and has since encouraged more stakeholders to come on board and take part in the process.
The Provincial Minister further announced that the process of turning Kasama into a City council is underway.
Mr Mundubile, who is also Mporokoso MP, said this development will result in massive job creation for the local people, adding that investors have already shown interest in bringing growth to the area.
Meanwhile, Mr Mundubile has disclosed that Members of Parliament from Northern Province are more united than ever before in ensuring that key development projects were given priority in terms of implementation, regardless of the constituencies where they belong.
Several MPs including the Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili attended the first-ever provincial parliamentary media forum.
Among them were Lunte MP Mutotwe Kafwaya, Lopososhi MP Bwalya Chungu, Mpulungu MP Freedom Sikazwe, Chimbamilonga MP Hastings Chansa, Lubansenshi MP George Mwamba and Kasama Central MP Kelvin Sampa respectively.
Media practitioners from both private and public institutions also attended the event.
Buffaloes back at 2nd to put pressure on Zanaco….Napsa end winless run
Green Buffaloes on Sunday moved back into 2nd place on the FAZ Super Division table after a 1-0 away win over bottom place City of Lusaka at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Buffaloes’ victory in this Lusaka derby saw them exchange places with Power Dynamos who drop to 3rd on 50 and 47 points respectively.
Jack Chirwa converted the game’s lone goal from the penalty spot after John Kiaku fouled striker Happy Kaunda.
Buffaloes join leaders Zanaco at the top of the table and whom they face this weekend in a top two Lusaka derby showdown.
Meanwhile in the lunchtime kickoff at the same venue, Napsa Stars beat Forest Rangers to record their first league win in nine games.
Youremember Banda scored Napsa’s first goal in the 28th minute,Chitiya Mususu added a brace in the 49th and 70th minutes while Austin Banda scored the decider directly from a corner kick in the 76th minute.
Forest were on target thanks to a Kobe Chipeta brace in the 47th and 68th but they were reduced to ten men in-between the goals when Webster Muzaza received his second booking in the 50th minute.
Ilunga Kaketa scored Forest’s final goal in the 77th minute.
Napsa rise from 9th to 7th on 40 points, ten points behind leaders Zanaco.
Forest stay put in 10th place on 37 points.
Fake teacher qualifications shocking-ZANEC
The Zambia National Education Coalition says it is shocked by the revelations that over 500 teachers across the country have alleged forged academic qualifications.
ZANEC Executive Director Grace Sinkamba is now calling for an urgent and extensive investigation in the matter to ascertain the exact magnitude of the problem.
Mrs Sinkamba said the provision of quality education is one of the cornerstones of the education sector and having teachers possessing credentials that lacked credibility should not be tolerated.
She emphasized the need for having constant and tight quality controls in the delivery of education both at primary and tertiary level.
“The revelation by the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ) should not just be a matter of dismissal from employment on the affected teachers,” Mrs Sinkamba said.
“The revelation should also be a good opportunity for relevant authorities to put in place tangible mechanism that will prevent unqualified people from entering the teaching profession. The proposed mechanism should be able to detect forged results at the point of entry into Teacher Training Colleges.”
She said it is equally regrettable that some teachers had worked for many years before their alleged forged qualifications could be detected.
“While condemning any vices of illegalities, we also hope that the TCZ will accord the affected teachers an opportunity to be heard before striking any disciplinary measure on them,” she said.
“We don’t want to have a country whose education quality is compromised and doubted. The introduction of authorities such as the TCZ has been supported by ZANEC from inception and such revelations on the existence of over 500 teachers with forged qualifications indicate a positive work that the body is doing.”
“We urge the Government through the Ministry of General Education and the Ministry of Higher Education to give full support to the TCZ if its functions of ensuring quality education provision was to be realized and subsequently sustained.”
She said, “As an organisation equally charged with a responsibility of capacity building of member organisations, we encourage teachers to study hard and obtain their qualifications legitimately instead of using illegal means.”
Mrs Sinkamba said the consequences of obtaining forged academic or professional qualifications are grave and paint a bad image on the affected individuals and indeed the education system in Zambia.
“We should all strive for quality to achieve excellence. Once more, we thank the TCZ for bringing out such unfortunate discoveries and revelations in our education sector.”Fake teacher qualifications shocking-ZANEC
The Zambia National Education Coalition says it is shocked by the revelations that over 500 teachers across the country have alleged forged academic qualifications.
ZANEC Executive Director Grace Sinkamba is now calling for an urgent and extensive investigation in the matter to ascertain the exact magnitude of the problem.
Mrs Sinkamba said the provision of quality education is one of the cornerstones of the education sector and having teachers possessing credentials that lacked credibility should not be tolerated.
She emphasized the need for having constant and tight quality controls in the delivery of education both at primary and tertiary level.
“The revelation by the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ) should not just be a matter of dismissal from employment on the affected teachers,” Mrs Sinkamba said.
“The revelation should also be a good opportunity for relevant authorities to put in place tangible mechanism that will prevent unqualified people from entering the teaching profession. The proposed mechanism should be able to detect forged results at the point of entry into Teacher Training Colleges.”
She said it is equally regrettable that some teachers had worked for many years before their alleged forged qualifications could be detected.
“While condemning any vices of illegalities, we also hope that the TCZ will accord the affected teachers an opportunity to be heard before striking any disciplinary measure on them,” she said.
“We don’t want to have a country whose education quality is compromised and doubted. The introduction of authorities such as the TCZ has been supported by ZANEC from inception and such revelations on the existence of over 500 teachers with forged qualifications indicate a positive work that the body is doing.”
“We urge the Government through the Ministry of General Education and the Ministry of Higher Education to give full support to the TCZ if its functions of ensuring quality education provision was to be realized and subsequently sustained.”
She said, “As an organisation equally charged with a responsibility of capacity building of member organisations, we encourage teachers to study hard and obtain their qualifications legitimately instead of using illegal means.”
Mrs Sinkamba said the consequences of obtaining forged academic or professional qualifications are grave and paint a bad image on the affected individuals and indeed the education system in Zambia.
“We should all strive for quality to achieve excellence. Once more, we thank the TCZ for bringing out such unfortunate discoveries and revelations in our education sector.”
Zambia targets 5% GDP growth rate , Fiscal Deficit of no more than 3% of GDP by 2020
Zambia has targeted an average annual real Growth Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of at least 5 percent by the year 2020.
In a green paper released to the media today by Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba, Government said that its specific broad socio-economic objectives during the 2018-2020 will include, maintaining single digit inflation in the range of 6-8 percent; Accelerating the diversification of the economy, particularly towards agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and energy, through among others, the enhanced use of Information Communication and Technology, in accordance with the Seventh National Development Plan; Increasing international reserves to at least 4 months of import cover; Increasing domestic revenue mobilization to not less than 18 percent of GDP by 2020; Reducing the fiscal deficit to no more than 3 percent of GDP by 2020; Prioritising the dismantling of arrears and curtail further accumulation; and finally Decelerating the contraction of new debt to ensure debt sustainability.
Below is the full statement and you can download a Detailed Report on the Link Below
THE 2018-2020 MEDIUM TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORK & THE 2018 BUDGET DOWNLOAD
THE 2018-2020 MEDIUM TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORK & THE 2018 BUDGET
I am pleased to present the 2018 – 2020 “Green Paper” which is aimed at linking Government’s medium term development goals, as tabulated in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP), to their budgetary implications within the current fiscal environment. In over seven [7] years, this is the first time that a green paper is being availed to the public for scrutiny, commentary, and refinement.
Following the implementation of Zambia Plus – The Economic Stabilization and Growth Program (ESGP), a number of positive developments have been attained in 2017. These include the reduction in the inflation rate from a high of around 23 percent in February, 2016 to 6.3 percent in August this year, the appreciation of the Kwacha against major currencies and higher growth projections for 2017 at 4.3 percent compared to the initial forecast of 3.4 percent Nonetheless, challenges still exist on the fiscal front. These include, but are not limited to, the large stock of arrears, for which the Government has designed a medium-term-time-specific-arrears-dismantling-strategy so as to significantly reduce the stock over the medium term.
The 2018 – 2020 Green Paper focuses on sustaining economic growth and development through the continued implementation of the ESGP. The programme is aimed at restoring fiscal fitness and overall macroeconomic stability as a basis for setting a platform for higher inclusive growth, employment and wealth creation in the medium to long-term. In this regard, Government over the medium term plans to prioritize agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism as the strategic sectors for the creation of decent employment opportunities and inclusive development.
All stakeholders are therefore implored to scrutinize the 2018 – 2020 “Green Paper” and make constructive recommendations that will enable the finalization of the nation’s objectives over the next medium term period.
In line with the theme of the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) which focuses on an integrated multi-sectoral development approach of “accelerating development efforts towards Vision 2030 without leaving anyone behind”, the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) reflects Government’s commitment to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared equitably by all citizens. Therefore, Government will work on creating a diversified and resilient economy for sustained growth and socio-economic transformation driven, by among others, the agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and mining sectors.
The MTEF will focus on restoring fiscal fitness for sustained inclusive growth and development. This will be done by realigning spending and enhancing domestic resource mobilisation. Administrative measures are being put in place to strengthen efforts of improving domestic revenue mobilisation so as to meet the medium term revenue targets. This will be through the full implementation of various measures already commenced upon, such as installation of fiscal registers in the retail and wholesale sector and the forensic audit of VAT refund claims to reduce cheating and revenue leakages. Tax payer education campaigns will also be enhanced to encourage compliance, while the introduction and roll out of electronic payments will be followed through in order to limit cash transactions and enhance audit trails.
To complement the various efforts on mobilising revenues, the Government will also continue to engage with Cooperating Partners to increase the level of assistance from 2018 and beyond.
Monetary policy will remain focused on maintaining price stability to support sustenance of macroeconomic stability and thereby aid fiscal fitness, as a basis for higher growth and development.
Maintenance of debt sustainability will remain pivotal in the rebalancing of the Zambian economy. Government’s borrowing over the medium term, therefore, will be guided by the Medium Term Debt Strategy, soon to be published, so as to ensure that the country remains within sustainable debt levels. It is envisaged that the fiscal deficit will be reduced to no more than 3 percent of GDP by 2020.
Further, the Government will continue with the dismantling of arrears owed to suppliers of goods and services, as well as contractors so as to unlock economic activity. The Government has designed a medium-term-time-specific-arrears-dismantling-strategy which will see arrears being gradually cleared, over the medium term, through the use of budgetary provisions and restructuring of some of the components into longer term debt instruments.
In order to support the development trajectory set out for the 2018 – 2020 medium term, the institutional framework needs to be right. As such the Government will continue to follow through with the necessary structural reforms so as to ensure that the medium term Budgets deliver the expected development. This will include the operationalisation of the Project Appraisal System and e-Procurement as well as the revision and enactment of public financial management legislation to ensure effective and efficient use of public resources, improved credibility of the budget and enhanced Parliamentary oversight over debt contraction.
Over the medium term, the Government is also expected to fully phase out electricity subsidies, with the migration to cost reflective tariffs once the Cost of Service Study, which is currently underway, is completed. Mining houses and other bulk power consumers have already been engaged on the need for all to migrate to cost reflective tariffs.
To lessen the impact of the Economic Stabilisation and Growth Programme (ESGP) measures on the vulnerable, the Government will continue to implement social safety nets for the most vulnerable. The Social Cash Transfer Scheme which has proved to be most effective in addressing vulnerabilities will, in terms of both coverage and support be scaled up.
Fredson Yamba
SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY
THE 2018-2020 MEDIUM TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORK & THE 2018 BUDGET DOWNLOAD
PF government owe the Zambian people an explanation
I think the Pf government owe the Zambian people an explanation
“President Lungu commissioned the US$1.2 billion construction of the 321km Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway” Daily Mail.
The usual old story “you can’t compare America and Zambia,” will not cut it. You need to give us some facts or this project should not go ahead. Yes , I do understand we need that road, but we can do it much cheaper than that. Unless corruption is involved and you are telling us to look the other way.
By R.Makolonyi
[Facebook Post]
Former Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa Dies
Former Lusaka Provincial Minister Charles Shawa has died
Mr. Shawa who was also Kanakantapa resident passed at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) early on Saturday night.
Mr. Shawa served as Minister in the MMD Government of President Levy Mwanawasa and President Rupiah Banda.
He also served as HeadTeacher at Munali Secondary School before launching a political career.
He was also a Member of Parliament for Luangwa constituency at the time.
The funeral is at his farm in Kanakantapa, Chongwe.
Power Tools bus deteriorating safety record is a concern-RTSA
In a statement to the media yesterday afternoon, Mr. Mubanga expressed concern with the deteriorating safety record for Power Tools bus services company following yesterday’ fatal accident on Great North Road, affirming that the accident was avoidable.
Mr. Mubanga noted with regret that the same company recorded a fatal crash in September 2016 were 22 people died in Serenje.
He added that in March this year another bus from the same company was involved in a crash on Lusaka – Kabwe road although there were no fatalities recorded.
Mr. Mubanga has since said accident happened around 06:30 hours along Great North road about 25 kilometres east of Mkushi, when Alex Chapel driving a Power Tools Scania bus ABM 6626 collided with a Tanzanian truck T236BTC.
Mr. Mubanga revealed that both drivers died on the spot and two passengers from the bus, a male and female and all bodies are in Mkushi hospital mortuary whilst 67 passengers who sustained various injuries are being attended to at Mkushi and Kapiri district hospitals.
“The accident happened after the driver of the bus which was coming from the eastern direction decided to drive on the opposite lane after finding out that vehicles had stopped following a broken down bus belonging to CV Transport company had closed one lane”
“The driver of the Power Tools bus carelessly overtook the other vehicles and as a result the bus collided with the truck which was coming from the Western direction”
“As an Agency charged with the responsibility of ensuring road safety, we appeal to Power Tools bus services management to come up with proactive strategies to ensure their fleet abides to all road rules and regulations” Mubanga said
Meanwhile Mr. Mubanga has called on all motorists to exercise maximum patience on the road to avoid such accidents.