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Proflight Zambia: Providing a friendly service to Kalabo
Proflight Zambia has launched a new service direct from Lusaka to Kalabo in Western Province, only 70km’s from Mongu.
Commencing on March 15, 2017, the new route Lusaka-Kalabo-Lusaka will be operated twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday mornings by a Cessna Caravan with a capacity of eight passengers.
“Kalabo can be used as a gateway to the Western Province for both business and leisure. It is also ideal for accessing Liuwa Plains, the upper Zambezi and surrounding areas in Mongu,” said Proflight Director of Government and Industry Affairs Captain Philip Lemba.
“The flight schedule will operate between March to June and October to December to begin with; these dates coincide with the preferred times to visit Liuwa Plains for the wildebeest migration,” he added.
Flights will depart from Lusaka at 08:15hrs on Wednesdays and Saturdays to arrive in Kalabo at 10:45hrs, and return from Kalabo at 11:05hrs, to arrive in Lusaka at 13:35hrs providing connections onto Livingstone, Lusaka and Mfuwe tourism connections, Ndola and Solwezi business connections, and international connections including Proflight to Lilongwe, and flights operated by South African Airways, Kenya Airways and Emirates Airlines.
“It was with great disappointment that Proflight cancelled schedule services to Western Province in 2014 but the demand on the Lusaka/ Mongu route was very low and we were unable to sustain the route. We are very pleased to announce that we are now going back into the Western Province by offering a Lusaka/ Kalabo schedule flight,” said Capt. Lemba,
“With the increased tourism demand in Liuwa Plains National Park and a new lodge opening in April 2017 the support of the international tourism market allows us to combine the two markets. To compensate for the travel distance between Kalabo and Mongu we will have reduced fares for the local business market and hope that with these fares we are able to build up this route over time.”
Fares can be viewed and booked on the airline’s website at www.flyzambia.comor by calling the reservations team on 0211 252452/476; 0977335563; email: [email protected]. Payments can be made online with credit or debit cards or PayPal, at Proflight offices, Shoprite stores countrywide, Airtel Money and MTN Mobile Money.
Proflight Zambia: Providing a friendly service to Kalabo
Part of the tared Chirundu-Lusaka road under construction by China Henan in Chirundu District
Government has assured all contractors that it will pay and settle all debts owed to them in the next two weeks.
Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Minister Chitotela made the assurance when he toured Chanida One Border Post over the weekend.
Mr Chitotela said his ministry has already given out K130 million from the K190 million the ministry received so that contractors complete the projects.
He said Government wants to build similar border posts at Mwami, Mokambo and Kipushi adding that contractors who would not move to sites to start works after being paid the money would do that at their own peril.
The minister also assured the people of Vubwi, Chadiza and Katete districts that Government would complete all uncompleted projects in the area.
Speaking when he joined a team led by Housing and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Charles Mushota in Vubwi, the minister said his ministry would take full control of all projects after the transition period was over by December.
Meanwhile road contractors hired to construct roads have been asked to be honest and transparent after receiving money to complete the projects.
Mr Mushota said this when he met a team of contractors from China Jiangxi in Vubwi district.
Mr Mushota said Government would start publishing names of the companies that would receive money to complete the projects.
He said once the companies receive the monies, the work that they would do should be in conformity to their standard.
Mr Mushota warned that companies, which would start delaying completing the works would have only themselves to blame if Government takes serious action against them.
Finance Minister,Felix Mutati arrives at the parliament building for the presentation of 2017 budget in Lusaka.
President Edgar Lungu’s Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said that Felix Mutati the was the most competent and qualified person to fill the post of Minister of Finance because he understands and shares the vision President Lungu has.
Speaking when he featured on a ZNBC TV program Sunday Interview, to address the numerous issues in public domain, Mr Chanda said the President has appointed a competent and qualified Minister of Finance who understands and shares into the overall vision of the President.
He explained that the issues of both Micro and Macro economic challenges are at the heart of the President and his Minister of Felix Mutati.
He added that the President will not keep any Cabinet Ministers who will not perform their duties.
“The President will not keep any Cabinet Ministers who will wake up in the morning, go to the office and do nothing. We are with the Minister of Health Dr Chilufya on a trip to Tanzania but even while there, he is deeply concerned about the health situation in the country because of the onset of rains. That is the spirit the President wants and not excuses from Ministers,” he said.
He also said the President means business when it comes to the pronouncement of tightening belts.
“The President is serious on tightening our belts and there will be no wastage at any point, and our Ministers have equally been warned against wastage. The President wants even Permanent Secretaries to know this to the core, it’s not always that Ministers should travel, even the PS can travel on behalf of the ministry.
“Time will come when the Vice President will travel on behalf of the President. Right now the President is making strategic trips for strategic reasons I can’t mention here. But we will see the benefits soon, there is no need for the President to maintain a hostile relationship with his counterparts just because of tightening our belts, that has far reaching consequences that end up hurting our trade balance,” he said.
There is a nexus and energy is at the centre of it!
Energy drives the economy. Where there is abundant affordable energy there is economic boom. Wherever you take energy to, economic activities spring up. Energy spurs up activities that absorb that energy. An active economic hub will need energy. Energy can activate an economic hub; take energy in the middle of nowhere and suddenly you have all manner of economic activity lucrative enough to support that energy service and the resident social services.
When the availability of energy stimulates economic activities that lead to job creation, revenue creation and living comforts & conveniences, etc., then the social benefits are seen to accrue. Socially tendered to masses are content. Content masses are generally productive leading to heightened economic performance and a resultant increased contribution to national coffers. With more government revenue, service delivery improves; Social upliftment ensues that leads to political stability.
Political stability creates a conducive environment for social investment, economic investment as well as further investments in the energy sector by confident and ascertained investors. A well invested politically stable energy environment breeds further economic activities that require energy as the society become more productive with the assurance of a return on their investment.
Confident Investment in the energy sector ensures the availability of a ready to deploy energy resource. The economic – energy – sociopolitical nexus then goes it’s full circle to not ever stop but continually fueling off each element of the nexus.
ENERGY remains at the centre of this narrative!
B Flow has been selected to represent the entire African music industry in Hollywood as part of a worldwide movement called Keep The Promise by AIDS Healthcare Foundation . B Flow will be working with some of America’s most celebrated individuals like Common, Patti LaBelle, Jojo and more. The KTP free music concert will take place on 30th November at The Dolby Theatre and will honor Harry Belafonte.
The Dolby Theatre is a live-performance auditorium in the Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, the 2nd largest city and most populous county in the United States
The event is proudly brought to you by American organisation AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to commemorate World AIDS day .
IRATE miners pointing and shouting at their union leaders
It’s been exactly one year since Miners were retrenched from various Mining Companies in Zambia.
A close look at how the miners have been surviving after being laid off with no meaningful packages to sustain their livelihoods.
When news broke out that Mining Companies were going to cut down on their work force due to Global Economic Recessions that saw a decline in Copper Prices on the London Metal Exchange, there was panic among the stakeholders in Zambia.
Mine Unions and other stakeholders held various consultative meetings to understand the intentions of Mining Companies. Meetings were held, decisions were made but not to the satisfaction of the Unions.
Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu developed interest and shifted to Kitwe to hold consultative meetings with the Mining Investors to see how best the issues of cutting down employment would be addressed considering economic hardships that had hit the nation.
President Edgar Lungu had shifted to the Kitwe Presidential Guest house and for over a week, the Head of State met various stakeholders, among them Chief Executive Officers of various Mining Companies and Union Leaders to find a solution to the looming job losses then in the mining industry.
Now, after all consultations were held, decisions were made and the disturbing news was broken out. Thousands of miners had already received redundancy letters and a package of K 18,000 was already waiting to see them off the mines.
Mining Companies on the Copperbelt and North Western Province had effected the Job Cuts.
The Mine Unions in Zambia negotiated for K 18,000 ex-gratia package for each of the retrenched miner, which they asked to be a stand-alone payment apart from the pension money pay by the number of years of service.
Some relief reached the ears of those who had interest to get into the Agriculture Sector as Republican President Edgar Lungu directed that all Ex Miners be allocated with farm land to help them sustain their living standards after being retrenched.
The News was received with mixed feelings with others excited while others objected the move and called it political considering that General Elections were just 9 months away.
Meetings were held among the stakeholders with an Association that was formed to oversee the welfare of Ex Miners.
Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Reverend Howard Sikwela called for a meeting with all Town Clerks and District Commissioners to ascertain how much farm land was available in the Province to implement President Edgar Lungu’s directive.
Lufwanyama had the biggest chunk of farm land to a tune of 20,000 hectares along the Lusuwishi River; Chingola had 4,000 Hectares in Mutimpi area while Kitwe offered Residential plots across the Kafue River.
The National Ex Miners and Allied Workers Union of Zambia was formed and registered to help capture and identify Ex Miners in all the affected towns.
Association President Taulo Chewe said that there are about 11,000 ex miners that have been captured so far.
However, the issue of farm land is still a burning issue to the Ex Miners as no single person on the Copperbelt has been allocated with land one year after the promise was made.
“We have been cheated for too long, they are just playing politics and trying to portray a wrong picture to the nation that we are well taken care of when the opposite is the fact. They don’t seem to care and we have come to a realisation that we are dealing with people that are not serious” one of the ex miners Donald Kabashila said.
“Life has been hard you can’t imagine it, some of us had acquired loans from various Banks and the K 18,000 package made no meaningful impact as am telling you some of us are in serious debts and we have no idea of how we are going to survive with the current hardships” another Ex Miners lamented.
National Ex Miners and Allied Workers Union said “On farm land on the Copperbelt people should get accurate information from us as an Association and the office of the District Commissioner, No single person has been allocated with farm land on the Copperbelt but I can confirm that the surveys are on the ground, people must understand that surveying and demarcating over 20,000 hectares cannot be done in an overnight. For Lufwanyama there is a lot of work you know that is virgin land and it is almost a forest, ZNS is opening up roads, so our members must understand the cost implications for they may not understand the challenges the surveyors are facing” he explained.
“Our job as an Association is to continue pushing so that Ex Miners can start cultivating, there is need for resources, enough man power and this is being financed by central government, those we have taken on the ground to see what is happening, they are appreciating. In Solwezi over 50 have been given farm land and like in next week we will soon start showing some members pieces of land Solwezi.
“Chingola is next, about the 300 Ex Miners may be shown plots. We are waiting for a report from the surveyors”
“102 ex miners who opted to apply for residential plots in Kitwe have been allocated with plots and have started developing. The issue of residential plots is quicker because it was done at the local level as compared to the farm land that has to be handled under the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit in Lusaka” The Association President Mr Taulo Chewe gave an update.
Mr Chewe has assured the Ex Miners not to lose hope as efforts are being made to ensure that all ex miners are empowered with land.
A Mining Expert Joseph Mwale said it was wrong for government to keep people waiting especially after assuring them that their Jobs were secure after the Head of state visited the Copperbelt.
“On the issue of them suffering, I think it’s a lesson to those still working that it is important to invest while work, most those were living luxury lives and forgot that one day they will lose employment, it’s not mockery but people must be responsible with their earnings, you find people getting loans to buy cars, that is not investment, had they invested most of the would be stable by now”. Definitely they can’t lose hope let them keep knocking on the doors of government and see if the promise made by the president can be fulfilled” he added.
President Llungu chats with vice-president-Inonge Wina upon arrival
The Lusaka High Court has disjoined or removed President Edgar Lungu and Vice President Inonge Wina as 1st and 2nd respondents in a presidential petition filled by UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his Vice Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.
The court has also removed the electoral commission of zambia, Chief Justice, her Deputy and the Constitution Court who will now be represented by the Attorney General Likando Kalaluka.
The court ruled that the Republican President and Vice President cannot be party to these proceedings as they are protected by the immunity clause in the constitution
This in a case in which the UPND wanted the court to hear their petition against the election of President Edgar Lungu.
The UPND wanted the court to determine whether the Chief justice and her Deputy violated the constitution by swearing in the President and the vice president.
However, High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo ruled that following the immunity of the president, there is nothing that stops the court from hearing a matter bordering on Human rights.
He further said if the petition were to succeed, then all parties must adhere to the decision of the court.
The Court ruled that citing of Edgar C Lungu, Inonge Wina, Chief Justice and Deputy and Constitutional Court has no legal foundation and ought to be removed from these proceedings as they are ably represented by the Attorney General.
The ruling also means that the matter will proceed to the hearing in a case where Hakainde Hichilema and Godfrey Mwamba allege that Article 18 of the Constitution has been violated by the failure of the Concourt to respect the right to fair hearing by an impartial tribunal.
The High Court Hearing of the matter will commence on 15th December 2016 at 09 Hours to 20th December 2016.
Highlights Barclay’s Bank Cup 2016 Edition Quarter Final: Kabwe Soccer Youth Academy vs Nkana at Nkoloma stadium on Saturday, 17th September 2016.
The Nkana Supporters Trust has criticized the decision by FAZ to allow Zesco United and Zanaco play rescheduled matches after the Super Division season officially ends.
The league officially ends on December 3 with week 34 matches on the menu but Zesco United and Zanaco are set to play their respective rescheduled matches a week later.
On December 10, Zesco will face Lumwana Radiants away in Lumwana in a Week 18 match with Nkwazi hosting Zanaco in a Week 32 tie at Edwin Imboela Stadium.
Trust secretary Davies Kasengele believes FAZ should let Zesco and Zanaco play rescheduled matches before the league closes.
“It is very disappointing that FAZ wants to allow some teams to continue playing games after the league has ended,” Kasengele said.
Nkana and Zesco are fighting for second position on the table.
“The possibility of fixing games will be high. That will encourage match fixing.
“This is not fair play and it is unprecedented. We need order in the manner games are played,” he said.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION FIXTURES
*Wednesday, 30th November 2016*
15:00 Zesco United vs Napsa Stars – Levy Mwanawasa Stadium (Week 19)
15:00 Zanaco vs Lumwana Radiants – Sunset Stadium (Week 27)
15:00 Kabwe Warriors Vs Power Dynamos – Godfrey Chitalu Stadium (Week 32)
*Week 34 – Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th December 2016*
(Kick-off Times and Venues To Be Advised)
Lusaka Tigers vs Power Dynamos
Napsa Stars vs Lumwana Radiants
Kabwe Warriors vs Nchanga Rangers –
Zesco United vs Nakambala Leopards
Mufulira Blackpool vs Zanaco
Red Arrows vs Mufulira Wanderers
Green Eagles vs Lusaka Dynamos
Forest Rangers vs Nkana
*Saturday, 10th December 2016*
15:00 Lumwana Radiants vs Zesco United – Lumwana Ground (Week 18)
15:00 Nkwazi vs Zanaco – Edwin Imboela Stadium (Week 32)
President Lungu talking to journalists upon arrival from Tanzania
President Edgar Lungu says the judiciary like any other arm of government is susceptible to criticism.
And President Lungu has requested ZNBC to re-broadcast the interview in which State House Spokesman Amos Chanda is said to have attacked the judiciary.
President Lungu said the judiciary like all other arms of government are prone to criticism and all them should be criticised.
President Lungu was speaking to Journalist at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka upon arrival from Tanzania.
“But what we need to know is that all of us are prone to criticism one way or the other, the executive, judiciary and the legislature we cannot say the legislature cannot be criticised or judiciary or the executive,” President Lungu said.
“All of us the executive should be criticised, the judiciary should be criticised and the legislature but within the modicum of respect and decency of their roles that we do.”
President Lungu re-emphasised that he has respected the judiciary and his actions in the past had shown that.
“I respect the judiciary, if I did not I would not have sat down in State House and wait for them to adjudicate after elections. I didn’t and I do not think Amos would go and do different because Amos is my Spokesperson and he understands my sentiments about the judiciary,” President Lungu stated.
President Lungu however noted that that criticism of the judiciary needed to be made with a degree of decency and respect of their office and also separation of power.
And President Lungu has asked ZNBC to air the Sunday Interview which featured Mr Chanda saying critics are twisting and politicising Mr Chanda’s statement.
I have heard Amos, Amos, and I was talking to him and he says he did not say anything to warrant that so if you tell me what exactly he said then I can answer, what did he say that offended the judges,” President Lungu said.
“But what I have done is, I will ask ZNBC to air the interview on Thursday after news so that we can all hear for ourselves what he said then I will comment if there will be need, “he said.
“Probably we just want to politicise whatever he said. So I say let’s tune in on Thursday after the news and we listen to what he said then we debate. You know why I am saying this, Zambians depend on hearsay, opinion and want to run with what others think so I am saying let’s listen to what Amos said then we can debate.”
President Lungu demanded for evidence against Mr Chanda doubting his aide would speak a different tone from him.
“I have heard Amos, Amos, and I was talking to him and he says he did not say anything to warrant that so if you tell me what exactly he said then I can answer, what did he say that offended the judges,” he said.
“The Courts are sensitive I know but we need to give them space but at the same time they are prone to criticism as well like everyone else within the modicum of decency and respect of their office and also separation of power.”
He added that he respected the nullifications done by the courts so far because they were merely doing their job.
“They are doing their job and I think in the context of what Mr Chanda might have said we respect the judiciary, take a cue from me, I was in State House glued, I didn’t speak or do anything I was waiting on the court to do their job,” said President Lungu.
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Chanda Chimba III, the producer of the infamous television documentary, dubbed “Stand up Zambia”
Freelance Journalist Chanda Chimba III has been sentenced to two years in prison for producing the controversial Stand up for Zambia series on ZNBC.
Mr. Chimba has also being fined 500 Kwacha each in default 6 months for count 3 and 4 in which he has been convicted for not registering his business and failure to register his publication at the National Archives.
He has also been convicted for disposing off property reasonably suspected to have been obtained from unlawful sources.
In his mitigation, Mr. Chimba asked the court to exercise maximum leniency as he was the 1st offender and was remorseful for his involvement in the saga.
He asked the court to take into consideration that he has a very serious illness which is stage 4 prostate cancer that is in its highest level entailing that he has to go to the Cancer Diseases Hospital for medication.
Mr. Chimba through his lawyer further asked the court to take into account that he is a family man, married with 5 children, two are in university while the other three are in primary school.
He also told the court that he is also a breadwinner taking care of his ailing mother.
But Ndola Principal Resident Magistrate Obbyster Musukwa sitting in Lusaka however said he took note of his mitigation for the court to consider his illness but that Mr. Chimba failed to present his medical report before the court.
Yesterday, Lusaka Magistrate Court acquitted Former Minister of Information Ronnie Shikapwasha.
Shikapwasha was charged together with freelance Chanda Chimba and former Permanent Secretary, Dr Sam Phiri.
The trio were found with a case to answer in June 2016 on charges of abuse of authority, unlawful publication and possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Third placed Zesco United hope to move within four points of second positioned Nkana in their battle for a top two finish when they hosts Napsa Stars at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Wednesday.
The former champions must win all their last four games to keep their hopes of continental football in 2017 alive following a successful 2016 that saw them reach the CAF Champions League semifinals.
A second place finish will see them usurp Nkana for next years CAF Confederation Cup.
Nkana have one game left to play and an away win at Forest Rangers this Saturday in Ndola will see them finish on 70 points.
Zesco can attain 72 points should they win their outstanding four games.
And Zesco are unbeaten against 10th placed Napsa since the visitors were promoted in 2012 and beat the latter 2-0 away in Lusaka on April 27.
Zesco enjoy seven wins and two draw against Napsa.
Meanwhile in Wednesday’s other games, newly crowned champions Zanaco host 14th placed Lumwana Radiants.
And at Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu Stadium in Kabwe, fourth placed Power Dynamos visit sixth positioned Kabwe Warriors.
Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Brian Mushimba makes the first call to launch the second phase of the Universal Access Programme, paving the way for every citizen in the country to have access to a mobile phone signal.
Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Brian Mushimba has made the symbolic first call to launch the second phase of the Communication Towers Project, paving the way for every citizen in the country to have access to a mobile phone signal.
Leading global information communications technology (ICT) solutions provider Huawei Technologies Zambia will build telecommunication towers in remote areas across the country under the project, which will see Zambia leapfrog its neighbours in terms of mobile phone coverage.
The Minister of Transport and Communications was joined representatives of the Barotse Royal Establishment, ZICTA representatives and other dignitaries at Nanjucha in Western Province to launch the Phase II of the Communication Towers Project.
“The Patriotic Front Government under the able leadership of H.E. the President Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu is committed to ensuring that the Government takes the lead in embracing innovative ICTs for efficient, effective and transparent service delivery to the people of Zambia,” said Mr Mushimba.
“The launch of the communication tower in Nalolo District signifies government’s commitment and resolve to promoting access to and use of information communications technologies by all citizens regardless of their geographical location,” he added.
Under Phase II of the project, Huawei Technologies will connect rural communities to a mobile phone network through the building of 808 communication towers that will help to promote economic prosperity, cultural development and quality of life in outlying regions.
“This project will improve communication and help stimulate economic activities in these rural areas. I must mention that without the support from other stakeholders, this would not have been possible for us. We have been working closely with the Zambian government and we want to thank the government for providing support, guidance and the right policies under which we have been operating as a company,” said Huawei Technologies Zambia country director Emilion Ming.
Huawei is the world’s largest telecommunication and Information Communication Technologies (ICT) solutions provider, serving 45 of world’s top 50 telecom operators. Its products and solutions are benefiting one third of the world’s population.
“This project’s aim is to bring total connectivity to Zambia, and it further demonstrates our efforts as a responsible company committed to integrating local people into the global community. This initiative will contribute a lot to helping improve lives in rural areas,” said Mr Ming.
The towers will be operated by Zamtel and are designed to be scaled up to meet future needs, accompanied by guaranteed quality. Huawei has also made sure the project is economically and financially viable in order to provide a long-term sustainable solution to removing the digital divide. The system will also strengthen Zamtel’s delivery capability and enable the government to communicate more efficiently with all its citizens, while keeping pace with market demand for data and calls.
Zambia’s rapid growth has meant that communications services have not always kept pace, and growth in mobile phone coverage has been lagging behind many other countries in the region. The current project is expected to enable Zambia to leapfrog that gap.
With the joint effort of more than 170,000 employees in more than 170 countries, Huawei is ranked 129th of the Fortune 500 companies. It has 16 R&D centres, 36 joint innovation centres and 45 training centres worldwide, creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services.
Huawei Technologies, in collaboration with Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA), launched phase I of the communication network coverage project in 2014 with an aim of installing 204 telecom towers in rural areas across the country’s ten provinces.
“Huawei Technologies Zambia has been working with the Zambian government on the communication tower project which has brought 200,000 people from Zambian rural areas to the connected world,” added Mr Ming.
The launch coincided with the start of Huawei’s flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, Seeds for the Future, under which ten Zambian students are travelling to China for a two-week training programme at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, where they will learn about the latest technology advances.
Business needs a change of mindset on online data: from left, ParatusTelecom Country Manager Marius van Vuuren, Paratus sales executive Andrew Shaw, NetOne Chief Executive Officer Bejoy Nettikadan and Paratus sales executive Janet Mwanza.
Business must change the way it deals with its data connectivity in order to benefit from latest technology, leading internet service provider Paratus Telecom Zambia has urged.
As the data connectivity landscape has evolved in Zambia, businesses need to switch to thinking about their online requirements in terms of bandwidth rather than the bundle-based approach used by consumers.
“It’s important that business houses should change their mindset and seek appropriate internet connectivity to support business performance and customer service,” said Paratus sales executive Andrew Shaw in a presentation to the British Chamber of Commerce Zambia.
Mr Shaw told business executives: ”Most businesses depend on a fast, reliable internet connection for all aspects of their business. Fewer of them understand what separates bundle-based consumer products from the enterprise solutions that provide efficient and robust systems and professional support to enable them to move to the next level and benefit from MPLS (office to office connectivity), secure data storage and hosted servers and services.”The meeting, dubbed “Internet Data: Why Business Needs a Change in Mindset”, was held at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka and attracted businesses, individuals and members of the British Chamber of Commerce Zambia.
Paratus emphasised the importance of keeping data safe. No company can survive if all its data is lost such as accounting information, customer accounts or stock inventory, said Mr Shaw, who emphasised the need for companies to ensure data is backed up securely and safely. It was also crucial that businesses realised that this facility was available at low cost, now, in Zambia.
Speaking at the same function, NetOne Chief Executive Officer Bejoy Nettikadan explained that with institutional data constantly growing it was critical that organisations considered the dependencies on their data and how the business will plan for consistent access to this data at an optimal cost. Organisations are looking more closeely at how to ensure business continuity in the event of system failures and how companies can ensure the lowest recovery times possible in the event of such failures. With the volume of data residing in institutions today, businesses look to ensure more of their data is localised, reducing costs of international internet traffic.
“Several of the country’s top companies are taking business continuity very seriously. However more has to be done to educate businesses that this can be achieved in Zambia in a very cost effective way.” Mr Nettikadan added.
