THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) plans to engage the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Zambian government to discuss and look at ways to unlock barriers that restrict Kenya from exporting milk and milk products to Zambia due to a conflict over standards.

Zambia has rejected Kenya’s milk, saying it has a high level of bacteria that is beyond the country’s required standards, which allows total bacteria count (TBC) of 200 000 while Kenya follows the international benchmark of 1 million TBC.

COMESA director for trade customs and monetary affairs Francis Mangeni said experts from FAO the ministries of Commerce, Trade and Industry, and also Agriculture are expected to meet to sort out the issue.

Dr Mangeni told journalists on Friday during the fourth CCC regional sensitisation workshop for business reporters’on provisions and application on COMESA competition regulations and trade developments within the common market.

“It’s about time the issue was finally resolved as it has been on-going for the past 13 years.

“Out of 200 bilateral conflicts under the Free Trade Area agreement that COMESA has been handling, only four have not been resolved of which the Kenya and Zambia issue is among them. As COMESA, we plan to engage international experts to meet with the Zambian government to find possible ways to resolve the conflicts that blocked Kenya export milk and milk products to Zambia,” he said.

Dr Mangeni urged the Zambian government to request for a safeguard if the country wants to protect the local milk industry.

Under Article 61 of the COMESA Treaty, safeguard measures can be taken for domestic industries to protect them against international competition until they become mature and stable.

He said there is also need to extremely assess some of the bilateral agreements before putting them into effect, as they are a threat to local industries, thereby affecting revenue collection and job creation.

“If Zambia does not want to import milk and milk products from Kenya, the Zambian government is free to ask for a safeguard from COMESA to protect and limit the importation of the commodities to ensure that the local milk producers and suppliers are not suppressed,” Dr Mangeni said.

The Director of Public Prosecution has entered a nolle prosequi in the case involving UPND President Hakainde Hichilema’s Deputy Press Secretary Brian Mwiinga and 9 others.

And Magistrate Fides Hamaundu has since discontinued the matter in which the 10 were arrested for allegedly obstructing the police from arresting the UPND president on 10th April, 2017.

The matter which was due to commence for trial this morning could not do so following fresh instructions in accordance with section 81 of the CPC.

Magistrate Faidess Hamaundu has since discontinued the matter and has set the accused free.

But Magistrate Fides Hamaundu has directed that the accused be given back all their items which police confiscated from them during the arrest at Mr Hichilema’s residence.

She directed that if state police will not do so, the accused must begin criminal proceedings against individual officers.

Brian Mwiinga, William Banda, Gilbert Liswaniso, Dean Mweetwa, Jed Kaliminwa, David Mwanza, John Zulu, Rashid Masumba, John Lungu, and Michael Tembo were arrested have all been set free.

Ntimbwe Mpamba is an HIV/AIDS activist who has lived with the virus for 34 years. He was born with HIV but was only diagnosed in 2005. (Read more Ntimbwe’s story HERE). He publicly disclosed his status in 2010.

“I first disclosed my status publicly whilst I was attending a group session which had more 100 attendants. I was asked to set the record straight of “Always being the ever happy and joyful young man”. Standing in front of 100+people with all eyes and ears on me was scary because I felt like a thief standing on trial for a crime.

After learning more about the HIV virus and how it works, I got to understand the value of one day and what it meant to live a life on borrowed time. My eyes, mind, body and soul had to learn how to utilize each day as though it was the last day on earth. That has opened my life to a point where I always enjoy sharing my HIV remarkable story wherever and whenever I get the opportunity to do so.”

What made you want to become an AIDS activist?

“ From the time I was diagnosed in 2005 having to go through challenges and hurdles that were so severe that nearly took to the grave, made realize that my reason for being alive was bigger than myself. When I sat and thought hard about how and why I was still alive, it made me want to stand up for those that needed a leader or a soldier who would tell the story of hope and assurance because he was living proof of the story that he got to tell and is telling even until today. The message I forever spread is that the HIV Virus is not a death sentence and is manageable because I am living of that and still going at 34 years and still as healthy as an OX”

 Zambia recently introduced mandatory HIV testing in all health centers in response to Government’s aim of ending HIV by 2030. President Lungu made the landmark announcement at the inaugural HIV Testing Counseling and Treatment Day commemoration under the theme “Test and Treat: Towards Ending AIDS”

“Honestly, I was excited on the move done by the Zambian Government. I am 100% behind the idea. Someone once told me that “what I didn’t know wouldn’t kill me”. After finding out that I was born with HIV, it made me understand that what you do not know WILL indeed kill you! Knowing your status is not crime and living with HIV is not a jail sentence. Here I am at 34 years approaching 35 and believe me I am living a great life. Zambia has managed to curb the malaria through mandatory testing so why not HIV?”

Stigmatization of people living with HIV is still a big problem in Zambia, which prevents people from sharing their HIV status with their partners.

“Stigma is something that I cannot shy away from, I went through it first hand and the only way I had to rise above it was to understand the fact I had to stand up and accept my status and believe that I had a reason to live. I understood that I would have to deal with the HIV virus on a daily-basis and stigma would become something irrelevant knowing that that I had bigger things to deal with than receiving negative vibes from those who saw my HIV status as taboo or a death sentence.”

Ntimbwe was asked what he sees as crucial to overcoming HIV/AIDS in the future and if it possible to get to zero new infections in Africa?

“There are millions of people living with HIV and most of them lack the proper knowledge of HIV and the treatment, thus, tend to live with the DDS Syndrome (DISCLOSURE, DENIAL and STIGMA syndrome) which affects the majority of those living with HIV.

Those living with HIV in whichever sector of life should realize that being HIV positive doesn’t end or begin with them but they are a generation that has to create better life for the upcoming generation. The ARV’s only responds to the HIV and have no ties with the immune system. Healthy food, exercise and positive attitude towards life are what build the immune system. Most are given the medication and given instructions on how to take them and are told that ARVs are given to do one job, that is to stop the HIV cells from multiplying or duplicating themselves hence stopping it from inviting optimistic diseases.

Possibility of Zero new infections in Africa will only be made possible if all the Stakeholders came together and realized that HEALTH SHOULD COME BEFORE WEALTH. More effort is needed by the infected and the affected in order to achieve the HIV free generation goal that has been set.”

Ntimbwe concluded by saying that he would love to encourage others not to spend their time trying to live someone else’s dream but to focus on their own.He went on to add that most say that the sky is the limit but in actual sense, it is only beginning. “If one man could step foot on the moon, who are you not to do the same?”

“I have shared my story on various platforms; radio, television, magazines, newspapers, social media etc., however, I can do a lot more. People always want to see the evidence of what they have been told, have read and heard respectively. As the saying goes ‘seeing is believing’.

I have always dreamt of working with an organization that would assist me and allow me to achieve more in telling my remarkable HIV story and leaving a legacy that change many lives and assist in overcoming the stigma that affects many.”

Interact with Ntimbwe on social media:

Facebook: Ntimbwe Mpamba

Twitter: @ntimbwe_mpamba

BY KAPA187

MMD Die Hard Youths Coordinator Gerald Chiluba has advised the PF to stop arm twisting the Republican President Edgar Lungu with their demands to have Finance Minister Felix Mutati dropped.

Mr Chiluba who was speaking when featured on MUVI TV’s breakfast show said the President has been on record telling the nation that PF is working with MMD hence the demands by the PF would only make the President contradict himself.

He said PF Secretary General Davies Mwila should not have used such strong language but instead should havel engaged his counter part from MMD.

“As MMD Die Hard Youth wing we want to urge our alliance partners to stop arm twisting President Edgar Lungu as there is no concrete reason to protest against Hon. Felix Mutati.

“There was no need for the PF Secretary General to use such strong language when he could easily have engaged his counter part from our party especially that the president has on several occasions mentioned that the MMD are in a working relationship with the PF.

“Just recently in Mansa there was a defection ceremony led by the deputy Secretary General of PF where 70 people defected to PF and among them were members from the MMD. As MMD we did not say anything but when it is vice versa people decide to talk which is unfair,” he said.

He further called on the PF not feel threatened by the fact that MMD is mobilising itself but instead concentrate on their mobilisation.

“Our alliance partners should never feel threatened by the fact that the MMD is mobilising itself neither should MMD feel the same because every political party as the moral obligation to mobilise and install competent structures that will help the party to thrive and this is simply what MMD is doing.

“We also want to take this opportunity to appeal to His Excellence the President of the republic of Zambia to intervene in this misunderstanding and categorically explain the spirit of the alliance between the two parties so as to sustainably settle the dust,” he said.