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An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck the southern area of Lake Tanganyika early today, the US Geological Survey said.
The epicenter of the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.1, was in a national park area in northern Zambia close to Lake Tanganyika.
The quake, which struck at 02:32 am, could be felt across the lake in Tanzania and to the north in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the USGS said.
It was very shallow, at a depth of only 10km, which would have magnified its effect, but a magnitude 5.7 quake is considered moderate.
Super producer Chase Iyan teams up with XYZ Artist B’ Mak and fellow producer/ Musician named MadFox to release this mellow sweet dance song called “Down For You”. This song is going to mean a lot in the clubs, the bouncy track showcases Chase Iyan’s ability to create an infectious hook that is bound to resonate with fans. This Afro blend of drums with R&B vocals and a mix of hard hitting synths is set to get your mood right.
Mizinga Melu
Prominent banker Mizinga Melu has appointed Barclays Bank Zambia Managing Director.
This is according to a letter from the Bank of Zambia granting conditional approval to Barclays Bank Zambia to hire Mrs Melu.
She has been based in Johannesburg, South Africa after being appointed on 1st October 2014 where she was responsible for the group’s businesses outside of South Africa.
Country Managing Directors of all Barclays Africa’s businesses outside South Africa were report to Mrs Melu.
Before that she ran Standard Chartered Bank Zambia before heading trekking to Tanzania as Managing Director for the National Bank of Commerce (NBC).
PepsiCo’s bottler Varun Beverages has hiked stake in its Zambia subsidiary, Varun Beverages (Zambia) Ltd, to 90 percent.
Varun Beverages is one of the largest franchisee in the world of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and non-carbonated beverages (NCBs) sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo.
The company operates a franchisee for Pepsico beverages across 17 States and two Union Territories in India, and across territories of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Mozambique and Zambia.
It has 16 production facilities across India and 5 production facilities in their international licensed territories.
VBL has been successfully running the Zambia operations since its acquisition in 2016,” the company said in a statement.
It, however, did not give details on the financial transaction and valuation.
It further said: “The increase in stake reflects the company’s confidence in the future growth prospects of the subsidiary and will be an effective catalyst to drive further business growth in a fast-growing emerging market.”
Commenting on the development, Varun Beverages Chairman Ravi Jaipuria said: “…the stake increase in our Zambia subsidiary is in line with our philosophy of consolidating our presence in fast growing emerging markets beyond India. We have recorded healthy volumes in our first year of operations and are highly profitable already with strong free cash flow generation.”
Jaipuria said Zambia continues to be an under-penetrated market and offers significant upside potential.
The company had recorded sales volumes of 10.7 million cases in 2016 in Zambia.
A woman leaves Shoprite Manda HillZambia’s inflation slowed to 6.8 percent year-on-year in February from 7.0 percent in January, the statistics office said on Thursday.
The monthly inflation rate rose to 1.0 percent from 0.9 percent in the previous month, the Central Statistics Office said.
“The decrease in the year-on-year inflation rate is mainly attributed to the price changes of non-food items,” Central Statistical Office director John Kalumbi said in a statement.
Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama has turned his office into a political party arena for receiving stage managed defectors to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Party.
Receiving defectors who claimed to have joined the PF using a public office at the district Administration, Mr Kanyama welcomed them for declaring their support to work with the PF government.
Even when reminded if it was the PF’s policy to receive defectors in public offices, Kanyama claimed he received them because they have pledged to work with the ruling party to bring development to the district.
Among the defectors included the Oliver Muuka who is one of the people who stood as Independent candidate for the position of council chairperson in the last year’s general elections.
The others are Macklon Sialanga from MMD, Donald Hamoonga from UPND, and Michael Hamakole who said is not from any political party.
Mr Kanyama told the defectors that they are free to come to his office anytime and no one will harass them.
He said Siavonga people should not doubt because government is working to develop the district and the entire Southern Province.
However, the senior PF leadership in the district has distanced themselves from the defectors to the ruling party arguing that it was not the duty of the DC to receive people willing to join PF but the party leaders.
The leaders who did not want to be named said the purported defectors were fake and it was also wrong for Mr Kanyama to receive them in a public office.
ZESCO Spokesperson Henry Kapata (L)ZESCO Limited has extended broadband internet services under its subsidiary, Fibrecom network to North-Western Province to enhance services following the connection of the province to the national electricity grid.
The Fibrecom network will improve several services provided on the network by the company’s partner internet service providers (ISP), mobile service providers and government entities.
Zesco public relations officer Henry Kapata said in an interview on Monday that mobile service providers are expected to have cost-effective, dependable and robust backbone communication carrier.
He said this will allow service providers to deploy latest mobile telephone services such as high quality uninterrupted voice calling, high speed broadband 3G internet and data.
Mr Kapata said the service will enable internet service companies to establish fast and reliable internet distribution in North-Western Province to allow people and commercial entities to access communication services.
“The province is now connected to fast broadband internet from anywhere in the country and the world through direct international links, via one of the many Fibrecom international gateway interconnection points at Katima Mulilo (Namibia), Kazungula (Botswana) and Nakonde (Tanzania).
“The network expansion also allows Zesco to provide improved services to customers, by connecting directly to the Zesco BIS [Business Information System] network, allowing superfast electricity purchases and real-time synchronisation of new customer service applications,” Mr Kapata said.
The Fibrecom arrangement will further enable institutions such as the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) in the province to issue motor vehicle road tax and fitness certificates promptly at the provincial offices.
Mr Kapata said this is because the provincial offices will be synchronised online with the Lusaka headquarters which houses the main computer systems.
“The extension of the network also brings a technical advantage to Fibrecom, by creating network rings that will allow redundancy to be achieved, further enhancing the availability and uptime of services across the whole Zesco Fibrecom network.
“As fibrecom continues to enlarge its footprint across the country as shown in the Zesco optic network 2016 schematic, it will bring with it technological benefits and enhancements to citizens that will be paramount in developing the country and enhancing information communication technologies development,” he said.
PF Supporters in SolweziLUANSHYA member of Parliament Steven Chungu says the Patriotic Front (PF) is committed to fulfilling the campaign promises it made to the people of Zambia during the August 11, 2016 general campaigns.
Speaking in an interview recently, Mr Chungu said the PF government had so far recorded a lot of success in infrastructure development in the health and education sectors.
He said President Lungu had the passion for the welfare of the people of Zambia.
Mr Chungu was speaking after touring a number of projects being undertaken by Government in Luanshya.
He said the government was working hard to improve peoples’ lives.
Mr Chungu said the clinic which was under construction in Kapululu area would serve about 2,000 people once completed.
“I am hopeful that within 30 days the clinic should be operational,” he said.
Mr Chungu said the clinic would also have a maternity wing and an outpatient wing.
He commended the corporate world for contributing towards the construction of the clinic.
Mr Chungu said in the past the people of Kapupulu area were travelling long distances to access medical services in Luanshya’s New township but that the situation would improve.
He said Government was also putting up a mortuary at Fisenge Clinic.
Mr Chungu said Government had so far done about 80 percent work towards the completion of the ablution block at Fisenge Secondary School.
He said the school was also covering Baluba and Kasongo areas.
ZESCO Muzuma substation being upgraded to KV 330 (from KV 220) in order to be connected to the national grid as soon as the Maamba coal plant station is commissionedSMALL-SCALE businesses can now connect to the Zesco national grid at almost threefold reduction in an effort to provide access to power for all.
In an interview on Monday, Zesco Limited public relations officer Henry Kapata said the power utility has reduced the connection fee for small-scale businesses from K2,404 to K769 under the commercial tariff category.
“This is in a bid to encourage entrepreneurship and ensure increased access to electricity for small-scale businesses and low-income groups,” Mr Kapata said.
He said Zesco is targeting at least 5,000 small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in peri-urban communities.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Zesco Limited with support from the World Bank.
“Our target is to bring on board 5,000 SMEs on board because low-income citizens in most urban and peri-urban communities face a number of challenges to sustain their lives, especially households headed by women and young people are most affected with the challenges.
“We are doing this in partnership with the World Bank whose duration is only up to June 30 this year,” he said.
The Zambia Humanitarian Actors Platform (ZHAP), a loose alliance of local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the humanitarian sector, has noted with concern the impact of heavy rains that the country is receiving particularly with regard to flash flooding in the urban areas.
ZHAP Interim Chairperson Stephen Nyirenda Janet said while the rains come as a blessing after consecutive poor rain seasons, the poor state of drainage infrastructure in the cities and towns is causing losses to home owners and small businesses especially in peri-urban areas.
Mr Nyirenda said the major flooding within Lusaka City itself has been observed and affecting residential areas.
He noted that a significant contributor to this circumstance lies in the fact that several major outfall drains are filled with garbage, while others are completely blocked by illegal developments in densely populated areas such as Mtendere, Kaunda Square, Mandevu, Garden, and Kalikiliki where disturbance on the drainage system is rampant.
As reported in the media, several homes have collapsed and household goods have been damaged by the floods.
Mr Nyirenda said many families have also abandoned the flooded houses in the above mentioned residential areas of Lusaka.
“ Bearing in mind the warning from the metrological department that more heavy rains are still expected in the coming few days, there is a possibility of water logging in fields in rural areas which could adversely affect small scale farmers, and this year’s crop production,” Mr Nyirenda pointed out.
He said the situation could also have an impact on the livelihoods of people and their assets.
The interim Chairperson has called for an immediate rapid assessment to help determine the extent of damage and losses incurred.
The platform has further called on private business firms, donor community, and general public to support and supplement government and local authority efforts in responding to the immediate and long term needs of individuals and communities who may have been affected in one way or another across the country.
FNB Makeni Branch in ZambiaFIRST National Bank (FNB) Zambia Limited has complemented the central bank’s move to reduce monetary policy rate by also cutting the interest rate by 1.5 percent effective next month to pass on the benefits to customers.
On Wednesday, the Bank of Zambia’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) reduced the monetary policy rate from 15.5 percent to 14 percent.
When the central bank changes its official interest rate known as bank rate, it is attempting to influence the overall level of activity in the economy to keep the demand for, and supply of, goods and services roughly in balance.
FNB, whose interest rates range between 44 – 48 percent, says the customer facilities vary depending on their credit profile.
“FNB hereby notifies all our esteemed customers that current Kwacha borrowings that are linked to the MPC rate will decrease by 1.5 percent effective March 1, 2017,” it said in its daily newsletter.
The bank notes that the move will immediately pass on the benefit of the reduction in interest rates to customers and lower the cost of credit, hence increased economic activity in the productive sectors of the economy.
“From the monetary policy actions taken by the central bank it is clear to see that the MPC feels the local economy is set for a turnaround. Inflation has come off and looks to remain stable. The exchange rate has also been stable and has recently outperformed most expectations, with the help of flows earmarked for the bond tender,” FNB says.
It also notes that to further increase money supply, the Statutory Reserve Ratio, which is the minimum amounts certain institutions, such as financial entities and insurers, must maintain as liquid funds to avoid insolvency and are used to influence liquidity and interest rates, was also reduced from 18 percent to 15.5 percent.
FNB says the measures are aimed at increasing access to credit.
Meanwhile, Commercial banks have been challenged to reconsider their lending conditions in order to increase financial inclusion and contribute to growing the economic.
MTN Chief Executive Officer, Charles Molapisi said that unless leading rates are lowered and conditions relaxed, the economy will not be growing at its full potential.
Mr. Molapisi said this was why MTN has introduced Kongola which allows subscribers to borrow up to K750 at lending rates of between 12 and 14 percent.
Mr. Molapisi said that in the last six months MTN has lent out 56 million Kwacha to people using Kongola under mobile money, a money transfer and payment platform.
Mr Molapisi said that the repayment rate is at 98 percent with repeat borrowing hitting over 60 percent.
Energy Regulations Board (ERB) offices
The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has warned filling stations charging motorists to use toilets.
In a statement, ERB Director Consumer and Public Relations Agness Phiri says license conditions clearly stipulate that convenience services must be provided to the pubic free of charge.
Mrs Phiri says filling station owners are required to provide ancillary services such as a functioning toilet, compressed air, tyre inflator and pressure gauge in accordance with ERB license conditions.
She has reminded Oil Marketing Companies that the conditions attached to each and every license endorsed by the ERB are not a mere formality and must be executed without fail.
Mrs Phiri states that failure to comply with license conditions will attract enforcement action which includes fines and reduced grading of the affected sites.
She advised member of the public to demand for a receipt whenever they are charged so that proof of payment can be used to facilitate enforcement action against an erring licensee.
Mrs Phiri has futher advised members of the public to report energy related complaints to the ERB consumer toll free line 8484.
Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa
Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa this afternoon raised a point of order demanding an answer from the government on its silence over the much talked about Zambia -Malawi maize deal.
And in his ruling, Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini directed Mr. Mweetwa to formulate some questions to be forwarded to the Executive regarding the Malawi – Zambia maize scandal.
Dr. Matibini said this is because the point of order raised relates to a national matter.
In his point of order, Mr. Mweetwa contended that the committee that found the Minister of Agriculture in Malawi Dr George Chaponda guilty of wrong doing also cited Ms Siliya to have aided him in the fraudulent activities.
The Choma Central Lawmaker wondered why the government was quiet despite the Malawian government taking action and finding Ms Siliya wanting over the same scandal.
The committee which was tasked to investigate the importation of maize by the Malawi government from Zambia found that in his wrongful endeavor, Dr. Chaponda was aided by the Zambian Minister of Agriculture who instructed her Permanent Secretary to issue Trans Globe with a maize export permit for 50, 000 metric tonnes when Trans globe did not legally qualify for one on account of not being a registered taxpayer in Zambia.
Agriculture Minister Dora SiliyaAgriculture Minister Dora Siliya says the army worm pest that invaded maize fields in most parts of the country has been contained, but not completely eradicated.
Ms Siliya has told parliament in a ministerial statement that government will therefore continue with surveillance programs up to the harvest time.
She has urged farmers to continue scouting their fields for the pest and spraying until after harvest time as the worm may even attack maize crops.
Ms Siliya told the house that as at 16th February,2017, a total of 234,147 farmers and a total area of 191,930 hectares of land had been affected by the outbreak of the army worm in the country.
And Ms Siliya says the survey on the invasion of fields by the Red Locust by the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Eastern and Southern Africa has revealed that a totalm of 82,000 hectares has been affected by the Red Locust.
She says to date only 2,000 hectares of farmers fields especially maize has been affected by the African migratory locust in Namwala and Itezhi tezhi including the neighboring areas.
The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) has said that it has observed high concentrations of molasses from unknown sources on the Kafue River which is giving a brown colour to the water after the treatment process.
In a satetement released to the media today , the the company said that its water surveillance unit has established that there was a high concentration of molasses that was being discharged into the Kafue River, hence polluting the water.
The firm said that a team has since been dispatched upstream to further investigate the source of this molasses contamination.
“The company would like to take this opportunity to assure its customers that the water is safe for consumption despite the color. Efforts are being made to ensure the color of the water is within acceptable limits”, read the statement.
The company further said that it has engaged Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and the Zambia Environmental Management Authority, (ZEMA) so that they can come on board to help investigate this matter.
The company also commended its team which undertakes water quality surveillance on a daily basis and quality control to ensure that the water supplied meets the quality standards required.
“LWSC is guided by the Zambia Bureau of Standards guidelines to produce and supply quality drinking water to its customers. In that regard, the water supplied by the utility company goes through a standard treatment process before it is supplied to the customers”, concluded the statement.
