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Stanbic Bank Zambia Chief Executive Charles Mudiwa, right, and Head of Personal and Business Banking Mukandi Chibesakunda, second right, with draw winners at the Stanbic travel expo.
Bank urges customers to make full use of its services during the holiday season
Stanbic Bank Zambia joined forces with leading tourism and travel companies last week to offer its premium customers an exclusive insight into the latest domestic and international holiday options for this season.
“Our clients have a particular lifestyle and as a bank we endeavour to provide convenient and dependable banking that allows them to can carry on with their other activities without having to worry about their banking as well,” said Stanbic Head Personal and Business Banking Mukwandi Chibeskunda.
Mrs Chibeskunda was speaking at the Stanbic Travel Indaba and Wine Tasting held at the bank’s head office, where some of its top clientele got to sample some of Zambia’s best holiday destinations as well as network.
The expo and cocktail organised in collaboration with Voyagers Zambia brought together customers and suppliers from the tourism sector and also saw some lucky ones walk away with two return air tickets to Mauritius and Mfuwe courtesy of Air Mauritius and Proflight Zambia as well as two nights at Chichele Presidential Lodge and Flatdogs Camp courtesy of Sanctuary Retreats and Flatdogs Camp respectively. Other prizes included wine and wine coolers from The Wine Guys and Delta as well as a coffee table book on Zambia from The Bush Camp.
“We hope to add value by providing comprehensive and more meaningful financial services to our customers in partnership with relevant stakeholders – because we strongly believe in partnerships. This travel indaba has been an opportunity to network as well as get feedback and we hope to create more of such in the future,” added Mr Chibesakunda
Stanbic Bank Zambia Chief Executive Charles Mudiwa, centre, and Head of Personal and Business Banking Mukandi Chibesakunda, second left, with Chichele Presidential Lodge prize winner Rodney Sikumba, Voyagers Manager Molly Care, Stanbic Public Relations and Communications Manager Chanda Chime-Katongo, right.
This week’s recipe is this simple and delicious sausage casserole. I’ve always enjoyed sausages, they are perfect when barbecued or roasted with potatoes and vegetable; they are even perfect for breakfast. Whatever the dish, and whatever the time of day, Sausages are the perfect go to food. Remember that you can use any good quality sausages for this dish so enjoy.
Ingredients
4 large potatoes
4 carrots
8 good-quality sausages
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp paprika
400g can chopped tomatoes
400ml vegetable stock
Method
Turn on the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots.
Prick the sausages all over with a fork (to help the fat run out of the sausages, so that they don’t split open as they cook).
Heat the olive oil in a deep oven proof pot or casserole dish and fry the sausages, turning often, until lightly golden all over, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and put them on a plate.
Add the chopped onion to the casserole and continue to cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the garlic and paprika and cook for another minute.
Now add the chopped potatoes and carrots and stir everything well so that the vegetables are coated with the oil. Add the tomatoes and stock (to measure the stock, you can use the empty tomato can – filled up, it will hold 400ml of stock) Simmer and return the sausages to the casserole.
Using your oven gloves carefully put the casserole into the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through, and serve.
Serving
Serve hot with your choice of beverage.
Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.
You can find her work onwww.kantakakes.com. Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.
GONOW Zambia Limited is expected to start the construction of a US$175 million motor vehicle-assembling plant after the approval by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) in September.
Last year, Gonow motor vehicle, a Chinese brand in Zambia, had submitted an environmental impact assessment for review to ZEMA for the proposed construction of a motor vehicle-assembling plant at Lusaka South multi-facility economic zone (LS-MFEZ).
The last major motor vehicle manufacturing plant Zambia had was Livingstone Motor Assembly, which closed in 1992.
In an interview on Friday, Gonow Zambia Limited director Gerald Makungu said the plant, which will sit on 2.5 hectares, is expected to open up many opportunities including business and partnership prospects, job creation and will further improve the livelihood of the populace.
Mr Makungu is optimistic that the construction of the plant will help spearhead industrialisation in Zambia, improve competition and wealth creation.
“We are very happy that we will soon start the construction of the plant immediately after the ground-breaking ceremony anytime soon… Our partners, Forland from China, are currently in the country to witness the ground-breaking ceremony.
“We are confident that the creation of the plant will help steer the economic growth. We have already engaged a contractor, Wah Kong Enterprises Limited, which is expected to employ about 70 locals in the construction phase and building will take about six month,” he said.
It is anticipated that the company will assemble 20 vehicles a day for distribution within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mr Makungu is encouraged that Government is facilitating and promoting the growth of the private sector.
He said the establishment of the plant is a milestone in the development of the motor industry in Zambia, and in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, SADC and the East African Community.
Government is concerned with the increased rates of defaulters among the beneficiaries of the village banking soft loan program in Kapiri Mposhi District.
The village banking program which is aimed at empowering women economically through soft loans is being implemented by the Department of Community Development in the district with about 200 beneficiaries since it was launched in 2014.
The soft loans are aimed at boosting business activities and empowering the vulnerable women engaged in Small Medium Enterprises -SME- in the area.
District Community Development Officer, Priscilla Mangowanyi, is disappointed that some beneficiary women are not paying back the money.
Ms. Mangowanyi said the trend has negatively impacted the program as other women were denied accessing the money to engage in entrepreneurial activities to improve their living standards.
She said this during the 2016 fourth Quarterly District Development Coordinating Committee Meeting.
Ms. Mangowanyi urged the beneficiary women to pay back the money to enable others access the facility.
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has called on the Patriotic Front government to promote and protect the universally recognized rights of freedom of expression and association, enshrined in the Bill of Rights in the Zambian Republican Constitution.
In a statement, FODEP Executive Director Chimfwembe Mweenge said the ability to exercise the said rights, free of intimidation and penalty, is critical in enabling the Zambian people to hold government officials accountable as well as political players to organize and communicate with the public.
Mr Mweenge expressed concern at what termed as “a systematic growing trend of curtailing freedom of expression especially those with divergent views.”
“We note with great concern that there appears to be a systemic growing trend of curtailing freedom of expression particularly divergent views – be it on online media, TV and Radio, Newspaper . Political and civil rights should not be curtailed under the pretext of maintaining law and order.
“Political players have a constitutional right to interact with their supporters share their ideologies and indeed express divergent views on the government that is how democracy operates. Article 60 of the amended Republican Constitution guarantees this right,” he said.
Mr Mweenge who was commenting on the recent detention of a Muvi TV reporter who was covering the UPND leaders when police blocked them from appearing on radio Mano in Kasama, explained that the country cannot agree on everything but that divergent views will make the country’s democracy healthy.
“It is not expected that we shall always agree on national matters but the difference in ideologies and opinions is what makes a healthy democracy. Zambians remain opposed to the one party dominion and monopoly over the governance system thus it becomes vital to secure the right of opposition political parties to share their views and contribute to the provision of checks and balances on the government.
“The continued use of Zambia police officers to unlawfully break up meetings of rival political parties as was witnessed yesterday in Kasama when police ordered Radio Mano to cease the broadcasting of a live paid for meeting of the UPND is a national embarrassment on our democratic credentials. And should be stopped forthwith,” he said.
He added “FODEP calls on the ruling PF government and State functionaries such as the Zambia Police to allow all Zambian citizens to enjoy their constitutional fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression. We demand an enabling environment for public participation in governance of the nation by all even when their views may not be liked by those in the ruling party.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It also underpins most other rights and allows them to flourish. The right to speak your mind freely on important issues in society, access information and hold the powers that be to account, plays a vital role in the healthy development process of any society.”
President Lungu (Right) greets opposition members of Parliament after addressing the Fifth Session of the Eleventh National Assembly in Lusaka on Friday, 18th September 2015. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSEThe Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) says austerity measures should be extended to Members of Parliament’s sitting allowances.
YALI Isaac Mwanza called on President Lungu to direct his Minister of Finance to stop paying sitting allowances to Members of Parliament who are already on full time salary and gratuity as part of the austerity measures to cut down on government expenditure.
Mr Mwanza said his organization finds justification for MPs to continue getting sitting allowances when they are on full time monthly salaries and will also get hefty gratuity.
“At a time when fuels, electricity and fertiliser subsidies have been removed and ordinary citizens expected to sacrifice during this path towards economic recovery, YALI finds no justification to allow Members of Parliament continue to get sitting allowances when they are on full time monthly salaries and also obtain hefty gratuity at the end of their tenure in office.
“We expect President Lungu to take leadership role and show that his administration is committed to standing by its people in bearing the same pain they will face when removal of subsidies on fuels have triggered an increase in prices of essential commodities,” he said.
He further called on the President to direct government departments through Ministers to stop the reckless spending by reducing on unnecessary expenditure.
“Government is known to be spending so much money on sitting allowances for MPs, foreign travel in business classes for government officials and the public service is known to be spending collosal amounts of monies holding workshops and seminars in expensive hotels when all ministries have board rooms available. We also hope government can look into the collosal amounts of monies being spent on giving ministers free fuel while the majority of Zambians have to buy fuel at an expensive price.
“We believe President Lungu’s administration has a lot to show that it is ready to cut down on expenditure and bear the same burden as the people during this time when citizens are being asked to temporary bear the pain of increased prices of commodities and farming inputs. We believe the measure taken on councillors to remain on the sitting allowances as opposed to giving them salaries must be extended to office holders such as MPs who get both the sitting allowances and salaries when they could just get salaries only,” he said.
Nkana have dedicated Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Zesco United in a FAZ Super Division match played at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium to supporters.
This was Nkana’s first victory over Zesco since 2004 when the Ndola club won promotion to the Super Division.
Nkana assistant coach Zeddy Saileti said supporters had endured several years to see their side overcome Zesco.
“I dedicate this win to our fans. They have been waiting for this result for a long time. I am happy for our supporters let them celebrate,” Saileti said.
Saileti saluted his players’ mental strength and character in this Week 32 match.
“The boys played well and did what we were doing in training. My boys were tactically disciplined. The boys believed in themselves,” he said.
“We worked on the mental strength. You know people have been saying you can’t beat Zesco but in football nothing is permanent,” Saileti said.
The win helped Nkana to cut Zanaco’s lead at the top of the table to two points.
Second placed Nkana have 66 points from 32 matches played.
FILE: An amatuer video producer takes time to smoke marijuana during the Bob Marley Memorial concert in Lusaka west.
By David Julian Wightman
When David Livingstone explored these lands in 1855 he recorded that cannabis was used by local peoples to increase work efficiency, as a sexual stimulant, and for bravery in battle.
Within a century, however, cannabis was transformed on a global scale, from a benign plant used as medicine and for fibre into an international outlaw, the “demon weed”, surrounded by ignorance and fear.
The crop, traditionally grown as Livingstone found, is now a leading cause of arrest and incarceration in Zambia, despite the fact that it had been used in this country and throughout southern Africa for generations before it was banned by colonial rulers.
Today’s renewed persecution of pot in Zambia comes at a time when increasing numbers of countries and states are legalizing or decriminalizing cannabis for medical benefits and also recreational use.
Currently, medicinal marijuana is legal or decriminalized in 30 countries while recreational use is legal in 5 countries and decriminalized in at least 20 countries. According to the UN, cannabis has become the world’s most popular illicit substance, used by as many as 225 million people globally.
The plant has been cultivated and used by humans for at least 8000 years. It was distributed along the Silk Road and traded as a commodity alongside salt and tea. Eventually it reached Africa, probably brought by Arab traders bringing seed more than 1000 years ago. In the 1500s Portuguese explorers described cannabis cultivation throughout southern Africa.
Before the 20th Century cannabis was legal and widely used for medicine and fibre. The first edition of the King James Bible, in 1611, was printed on paper made from hemp, the non-psychoactive variety of cannabis. By the mid-1700s most of the American colonies had laws that compelled farmers to grow cannabis or risk imprisonment. George Washington grew it, while fellow president Thomas Jefferson obtained potent strains from China.
Despite the country’s early acceptance and reliance on cannabis, America was largely responsible for criminalising its cultivation and use. The first anti-cannabis laws originated in the United States in 1913, and it seems that this was largely due to anti-Mexican prejudice. The Mexican word for cannabis, marihuana, was used by opponents to demonise the drug. This prejudice led to an environment of racism, ignorance, and corporate and political manipulation regarding the plant.
By the 1920s many states had enacted anti-cannabis laws, which mainly targeted the Latino and African-American populations. The criminalization of cannabis became caught up in the notorious American era of alcohol prohibition—which also saw the emergence of organized crime. In 1930 the emergence of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was created out of the ashes of Prohibition.
A former assistant prohibition commissioner, Harry J. Anslinger, became head of the FBN. The ambitious and ruthless Anslinger used cannabis prohibition to build the FBN and his personal career by employing racism and yellow journalism to further his cause. In this he was supported by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who openly hated Mexicans.
Hearst published sensational stories about Hispanics to sell his newspapers, and approved of suppressing cannabis in order to maintain his business interests in newsprint paper (it is alleged that he feared competition from hemp paper). Other industrialists, including the Du Pont chemical company, were eager to suppress cannabis as competition for their synthetic nylon, as well as other products including oil, cotton, alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs.
The final straw was the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, drafted in secret by Anslinger and colleagues, which made cannabis illegal in the US. The Act was passed against the advice of the American Medical Association and without public discussion. As a direct result of that piece of legislation, more than 20 million Americans—most of them poor people of colour—have since been arrested and imprisoned for marijuana-related offences.
Many societies around the globe either chose or were pressured into following suit and criminalising cannabis. Zambia is among those countries. The anti-cannabis laws in this country were inherited from colonial law, and they have not been revisited since Independence. As such, Zambia is a signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) and the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988).
The cost of prohibition in Zambia has been colossal. Accurate statistics are not available to indicate how many Zambians are currently in prison or are awaiting trial on cannabis-related charges, but reliable estimates are that 1 in 4 inmates in Zambia’s prisons are being held for cannabis.
Between 2014 and 2015, DEC arrested more than 11,200 people on drug charges, the majority of them for cannabis. In 2016 alone, DEC is on track to cage as many as 6000 people for drug offenses, an average of 15 people every single day.
The law denies bail to cannabis offenders, while those charged with violent crimes are not denied bail. The result, on those figures alone, amounts to a mass caging of Zambians, most of whom are peasant farmers or unemployed people, including women and children as young as 11 years old.
The result? This mass jailing of cannabis offenders is causing Zambia to have some of the most overcrowded prisons in the world. At last count in April 2015 there were 18,500 inmates, 40% of them on remand, adding up to an over-capacity rate of close to 300%. Our prison population is reaching record levels of overcrowding, driven by the so-called War on Drugs and the desire of DEC to gain “positive” statistics. This is neither sustainable nor justifiable.
The situation is made sinister by the DEC tactic of encouraging citizens to report on their neighbours. This policy (made clear by the link to “Reporting a Case” on its website main page) is especially troubling since it consumes huge resources, breeds false witness, and turns everyone into potential suspects. Rather than good policy and practice it resembles witch-hunting.
The current global push to re-examine cannabis prohibition rests on increased recognition of the drug’s potential health benefits. According to Dr Lester Grinspoon, Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, cannabis “will one day be seen as a wonder drug, as was penicillin in the 1940s. Like penicillin, herbal marijuana is remarkably non-toxic, has a wide range of therapeutic applications and would be inexpensive if it were legal.”
A similar sentiment comes from the conservative magazine, The Economist: “If cannabis [was] unknown, and bioprospectors were suddenly to find it in some remote mountain crevice, its discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise its potential for treating everything from pain to cancer, and marvel at its rich pharmacopoeia—many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body.”
Cannabis has been used for medical benefits in different cultures for thousands of years. In recent years multiple studies have produced evidence that marijuana has medical properties capable of treating at least 250 ailments, among them HIV/AIDS, sugar diabetes, epilepsy, glaucoma, alcohol dependence, chronic pain and even impotence.
Contrary to myth, marijuana does not cause lung damage, nor does it cause long-term cognitive impairment of the brain. Neither does cannabis cause cancer; in fact, a number of recent studies suggest that cannabis can actually reduce tumor growth in cancer patients.
Nevertheless, some authorities remain unconvinced of the value of cannabis and the need for legalization or decriminalization. And there are many nations such as Vietnam, Russia, and Saudi Arabia that are unlikely to ever change their hardline policies on cannabis.
Some critics of legalization worry that not enough research has been done on the psychological and behavioural problems associated with cannabis. Even proponents of the drug admit that it should not be consumed by minors (unless in the case of non-psychoactive strains like Charlotte’s Web, currently being used to treat epilepsy in children). Cannabis can also be habit-forming and cause dependence among heavy users.
However, in the mass of new research available, there is simply no evidence to justify the fear and hysteria surrounding cannabis. It is not addictive, nor is it toxic, and it will not make you lazy, crazy, or want to kill someone. No doubt more research is needed, and more medical applications will undoubtedly be found. Some critics and nation states will simply never be swayed by the science, however we should not turn a blind eye to the evidence to spite ourselves.
Those who argue for the legalisation of industrial hemp and marijuana offer an economic argument as well as health benefits. Although the idea in practice needs more research and consideration, legalization could likely create thousands of jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, research and development, security, transportation and logistics, not to mention taxation.
What is obvious is that Zambia’s continuing criminalization of marijuana is causing the loss of unknown millions in legal and correctional costs, the misery of untold thousands of poor and vulnerable prisoners and their families, and potentially billions of kwacha in revenue and many thousands of jobs.
Consider Zambia’s urgent need of agricultural reform. This sector desperately needs diversification, and there are few crops that could revolutionise agriculture in this country like industrial hemp. It is an excellent source of paper, in fact no plant or tree can provide more paper per acre planted.
And compared to cotton, hemp is 10 times stronger, mildew-resistant, and requires less water, no fertilizer, and almost no labour between sowing and harvesting. Imagine the benefits of hemp manufacture. We could re-tool Mulungushi Textiles to produce hemp chitenges that would last 10 times longer than the ones we currently import from Nigeria or China.
At present, no other country in the region is growing hemp. It may seem unlikely right now, but hemp is arguably the perfect cash crop for Zambia.
In his inauguration address, President Lungu called for the development of “homegrown industries” that can fuel economic growth. Surely we can see that cannabis is one such example of an industry that has been “homegrown” in Zambia for hundreds of years.
Legalization of cannabis can help us transform our agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and social welfare. Continuing the current policy of prohibition and persecution will only lead to more misery and imprisonment for untold thousands of poor and vulnerable Zambians. For the greater good of our country, it is time to legalize cannabis.
President Edgar Lungu with Former President Rupah Banda and African union peace and Security Council Meeting in LusakaPresident Edgar Lungu has called for the participation of more women in the fight against conflict and crime in the African region.
President Lungu charged that it was evident that women had the virtues that could engender peace and bring about reconciliation among warring countries in the region.
The Head of State added that the region cannot achieve the desired peace and security without the key participation of women, hence the declaration on Gender Equality in Africa adopted in 2004 which calls for the full and effective participation and representation of women in peace processes.
He was speaking when he officiated at the opening of the three day African Union (AU) peace retreat summit held under the theme “Practical steps to silence the guns in Africa by the year 2020”.
And President Lungu has reiterated his call for Zambia’s continued commitment towards the fight against conflicts and violence in the region.
He also called on participating member States not to relent in finding solutions to the current unstable peace and security in the African region, which he described as unacceptable.
Meanwhile speaking earlier AU Chairperson of the Retreat of the Peace and Security Council Osman Camara commended the participating member states for their participation and dedication towards achieving a conflict free continent.
Dr Camara added that he was confident that through the deliberations from the meeting, and the open mindedness from fellow members, the region will mark its turning point towards peace and prosperity.
Some of the participating member states include Zambia, Kenya, Congo DR, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Chad, among others.
The AU summit will officially come to an end on Wednesday November 9, 2016.
President Edgar Lungu with African union peace and Security Council Meeting in LusakaAU Peace SummitPresident Edgar Lungu at Mulungushi Conference Centre
United Party for National Development (UPND) Youth Affairs National Coordinator Kenny Ng’ona has branded as mere political rhetoric the statement by President Edgar Lungu that his ministers are corrupt, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.
In a media statement, Mr. Ng’ona stated that he had given the President a 48hours ultimatum to fire all corrupt Government officials.
He expressed worry that the President has taken long to dismiss the purported already known corrupt Government officials according to his sentiment despite assuring the nation.
Mr. Ng’ona said the President have powers to dismiss anyone found wanting and it was imperative for him to immediately fire the people involved in corrupt activities since the people are already known according to his recent pronouncement.
He stated that the president’s delay in taking action on corrupt Government officials who are already known is a clear in indication that his sentiments were merely pronounced and he will not dismissed any one for corruption anytime soon under his administration.
Mr. Ng’ona added President Lungu’s failure to act on one thing simply means he will never act on anything where corruption is concerned as evidenced in the manner he is handling the issue of corrupt ministers and other Senior Government officials.
He further noted that the failure to fire fraudulent ministers immediately despite him having powers right in his hands it may cause some interested stakeholders to raise eye-brows with a lot of unanswered questions and some people may conclude that even the President is also swimming in the same waters with the corrupt individuals in public offices.
“It’s a lie that Edgar Lungu will fire his ministers that are corrupt, he said he knows them and will fire them soon. I gave the president 48 hours to see if at all he really wanted to do away with the conmen and crooks he was referring to be so corrupt in his government”
“What is making Edgar Lungu fail to do away with these crooks in his government? He told us that he knows them. Why keep corrupt people in your team? What will make us not judge you to be like them? Failure to fire them means that you are swimming in the same waters with them” Mr. Ng’ona said
FILE: Ambassordor Frank Mutubila presents his credentials to the President of Italy Giogio NapolitanoThe Lusaka High Court has granted former Zambian Ambassador to Italy, Frank Mutubila divorce from his wife, Evelyn.
The decision will however be enforced, if there are no issues or objections raised by each party of the couple or any other person in three weeks time.
In this matter, Mr. Mutubila had asked the court to dissolve his marriage on account of his wife, Evelyn’s alleged unreasonable behaviour.
Mr Mutubila said while he served as Ambassador in Italy, the respondent did not play her role as a wife of an envoy, as she was usually away pursuing her studies.
He also says while in Holland, his wife notified him that she was pregnant after undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation -IVF- procedure, which he however disowned because he was not consulted by his wife over the procedure.
Mr Mutubila has also told the court that he doubts if his wife conceived using the IVF procedure, as it could not be done without his consent.
But in his judgment, Judge, Mwiinde Siavwapa has observed that the differences between Mr Mutubila and his wife are irreconcilable, adding that their marriage has broken down irretrievably.
Judge Siavwapa has said he is satisfied that no right thinking person, who knows what Evelyn did would expect Mr Mutubila to continue living with her.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brain Mushimba and Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited (UMCIL) Kafue Steel Executive Technical Director Julius Kaoma tours the Kafue Steel PlantGovernment has urged construction companies in Zambia to consider buying their steel from the Kafue Steel plant.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says buying steel from Kafue Steel plant is one way of supporting local industries in the country.
Mr. Mushimba says the Kafue Steel plant produces good quality steel which competes well on both local and international markets.
He said this during a tour of the Kafue Steel plant to check on how the company is operating and to see how government can help in creating an enabling environment for the industry to succeed.
The Minister said government was committed to making Kafue town an iron and steel economic zone.
He added that government was in a hurry to support local industries in order to promote diversification in the country.
Meanwhile, Kafue Steel Plant Executive Technical Director Julius Kaoma expressed gratitude that government is eager to support the company.
Mr. Kaoma said the company is fully Zambian financed, operated and owned.
He said Kafue Steel plant produces good quality steel as certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
Kafue Steel plant produces about 10,000 tonnes of steel per month although it is greatly affected by intermittent electricity supply like many other Zambians.
Workers at Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited (UMCIL) Kafue Steel Plant working as usual in the steel plantWorkers at Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited (UMCIL) Kafue Steel Plant working as usual in the steel plant
Furnmart , the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed company which also trades in Zambia as Home Corp has announced that it is closing its loss making businesses in Zambia, a move that will see around 350 Zambians losing their jobs.
Furnmart has decided to close down its operations in Zambia following poor performance in that country.
The Zambian economy has been under duress following the fall in commodity prices, which affected the price of copper, its principal export.
The decision by management of Furnmart to close down the Zambian operations comes as little surprise as the Botswana based company has had concerns about its future in Zambia.
“Management would like to bring to the attention of shareholders that the publication of abridged audited consolidated financial statements will be delayed in view of the decision to wind up operations in Zambia which is having an impact on the finalisation of the results. The Company commenced the winding up of the Zambian operations on the 1st November 2016.
Management is confident that this will have a positive impact on future profitability,” said Tobias Louis John Mynhardt, the group’s deputy chairman and also the Managing Director of Cash Bazaar Holdings.
Furthermore, the group’s performance for the financial year ended 31 July 2015 recorded profit before tax which was 18.6% lower than the prior year mainly as a result of lower gross profit margins and higher operating expenses.
“The difficult trading conditions in the region and the currency fluctuations have had an impact on these results. However, management believes that the fundamentals of our respective business units are sound and that these businesses are well positioned to take advantage of future economic improvement. The Zambian business unit remains a challenge. The Group’s Home Corp model in South Africa also requires refinement,” the group said in a management analysis accompanying the interim results.
Furnmart Limited retails domestic furniture and electrical appliances through its network of stores in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia.
And some of the workers interviewed have expressed concern that management at the entities have not given them any guarantee of receiving their terminal benefits.
One of the affected employees complained that the company has since engaged external security at the premises at Manda Hill and the sister company Furnmart operating as Home Corps in other towns across the country.
“They have said they will give us our terminal benefits by November month end, but our fear is that Home Corp have already put external security at their premises including the warehouse, which means they could be leaving anytime, maybe even before they pay us our dues,” he said.
He said the company management have complained of high rentals paid in US dollars which have become too high for the business with the soaring exchange rate against the Kwacha.
George Lwandamina has resigned as Zesco United coach after three years at the helm of the five-time champions.
Lwandamina handed in his resignation on Monday morning.
The news comes just 24 hours after Zesco were beaten 3-2 at home by Nkana to suffer their first defeat against the Kitwe side since they were promoted in 2004.
“Zesco United Football Club would like to announce that Head Coach George Lwandamina this morning tendered in his resignation from his position with immediate effect,” Zesco CEO Justin Mumba said.
“The club has accepted his resignation and would like to thank him for the work and contribution during his stay.”
Lwandamina leaves Zesco after leading them to back-to-back FAZ Super Division titles in 2014, during his first year in charge, and 2015.
He also won the Barclays Cup in 2014 just a year after leading Red Arrows to victory in the same competition before moving to Zesco in February, 2014.
Lwandamina’s biggest feat at Zesco came in 2016 when the team became the first Zambian club to reach the CAF Champions League semifinals where they were eliminated by Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa on October 24.
However, things have not gone according to plan for Zesco since that semifinal exit winning just two out of their last six league games and have picked up just two points from four matches prior to his departure.
Zesco are currently 4th on 51 points with four games in hand and seventeen points behind leaders Zanaco who have one match in hand.
AN ANTHRAX infection which had been broken out in Chama District in
Muchinga province has so far been contained, District Commissioner
Josphat Lombe confirmed in Chipata.
Mr Lombe said the disease broke out because of the people who were eating
hippos believed to have been infected with anthrax.
He explained that people shared the carcasses of the dead hippo
which resulted into the break out of anthrax in
Chama District.
.
Mr Lombe said residents have since been sensitized about the danger of
eating hippo meat suspected to have died from anthrax.
Mr Lombe also disclosed that a Chinese company has commenced the construction of Matumbo Bridge across
Luangwa River.
He said the construction of the bridge would provide a shorter route
between the people of Chama and other surrounding districts in
Muchinga province.
He explained that Government has so far provided a belly bridge to
enable people cross on Luangwa River as the construction of Matumbo
bridge was on course.
