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Real name Aaron Blackson Daka aka A’Pee, was born on the 24th October 1993 in a small town in Eastern province of Zambia called Sinda,he then moved to Lusaka with his family.He started singing and writing music at an early age. The name A’Pee came from his first name Aaron then Pee means Pimp .
Apee’s music career has been inspired by a lot of great musicians around the globe and the world at large,his main influences to mention a few are, Fally ipupa, 2 face and popcaan. A’Pee always had a dream to take his music to the global market , he then moved to South Africa in 2013 where he is currently based and currently working on his DEBUT album due for release in 2017. The global music Apee is currently working on is afro pop which has an international appeal and yet has a lot of the afro flavour that comes along with it .This was something he did on purpose so that no-matter which corner of the globe his music reaches it will still resonate the Afro sound which is easily distinguishable.
The first single off his debut album titled ‘Matero’ is due for release audio and video in early October. The video is in editing stages and was shot by Pilot films in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Matero is a popular neighborhood in Zambia that has produced a number of good artists including Apee who happens to have grown up in that rough neighborhood . He experienced so much and grew up tougher as a result of being exposed to that kind of lifestyle , so he decided to record the 1st single and create a dance behind Matero as a tribute to the neighborhood he grew up in .
The single is a very upbeat pure afro dance single which is sure to get you dancing for the rest of the summer season. The video will be released soon so keep an eye out for that.
All the 58 Members of Parliament from the opposition UPND have stayed away from the ceremonial state opening of Parliament.
President Edgar Lungu who arrived at 10:25 Hours is due to give a state of the nation address to mark the first session of the 12th National Assembly.
Only PF MPs, one from FDD and those from the Independent Parliamentary were present in the House.
The Zambian Parliament has 167 members.
29 female MPs and 138 males and the PF dominates the house with 88 MPs and there are 14 Independents with one FDD MP.
After it became visible that the UPND MPs would not attend the session, some PF MPs moved from their traditional right to occupy the seats on the left which were to be held by UPND MPs.
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini made one announcement before commencement of the session that President Lungu had appointed Richard Musukwa as Government Chief whip while Roan MP Steven Chungu is the Deputy Chief whip.
In his speech, President Lungu is expected to spell out his vision for Zambia for the next five years and observers are keen to see details of his economic recovery plan after the domestic revenue slumped to 3 percent, the lowest in over a decade.
Winners of the different categories at the Google Science Fair (Zambian ,Mphatso, on the far right)
The Google Science Fair is a global online science and technology competition open to individuals and teams from ages 13 to 18.
Mphatso Simbao took part in the National Geographic Explorer category .
The National Geographic Explorer Award honors an outstanding project with an experimental approach to answering some of the greatest questions in our natural world.
“I want to be an inventor, an inventor, I just want to be an inventor now”
I’ve gone through many phases over what I want to do with my life. From being a Pastor, to Pro Gamer and even making money as a jack of all trades because I loved knowing various things and talents.
I have not had much experience with science fairs but have always been interested in poverty in Zambia. For my ninth grade Geography project I researched it and it was detailed and unique and as few youth had gone into the low income areas. Further, I am interested because my father is a politician who tries to help the country despite the people that hurt him and I get to talk to his colleagues about Zambia’s situation.
I want to use my knowledge to make cheap inventions that help low income African homes. In the 2013 November national fair I attended I worked on a really cheap piezoelectric transducer using wood that won second place. Thanks to school I also made a patent pending lamp that uses wood gasification to provide reading light for rural students at night but need to make it safer. I am inspired by Thomas Edison and Nichola Tesla who used science to commercialise electricity to develop their state
Mphatso being presented with the award
Below is a summary of his project:
Keeping Farms Alive on a Budget
In Lusaka, Zambia, family involvement in local politics has made Mphatso (18) keenly interested in reducing poverty in his community. As Southern Africa struggles to recover from its worst drought in decades, farmers are seeing their crops destroyed due to El Nino weather changes, leading to famine for millions. Without crops, farmers can’t make a living, making it harder than ever for them to pay for the farming supplies they need to keep their farms fertile and their families thriving. To help local farmers find low-cost, affordable solutions for pesticides and fertilizers, Mphatso investigated alternative ways of generating the supplies farmers need. He created a simple, portable production station that requires basic cooking materials like charcoal and local plant leaves from the ground. Based on his methods, Mphatso believes farmers can save hundreds of British Pounds in costs, saving ~50% on fertilizers and ~80% on pesticides to help them produce better, more abundant crops.
According the official website, Mphatso received the following as a prize:
$15,000 educational scholarship.
A year-long mentorship.
The winner, along with a parent or guardian, will also travel on a 10-day National Geographic Expedition to the Galápagos Archipelago, “Darwin’s living laboratory” and home to an abundance of wildlife. Isolated from the mainland for millions of years, these unique islands offer the opportunity to walk among animals unfazed by your presence.
Traveling in a Category 2 cabin aboard the National Geographic Endeavour, the winner (and a parent or guardian) will have exciting, up-close encounters with species such as domed giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and flightless cormorants. You’ll go kayaking in secluded coves, where sea lions frolic in the shallows; snorkel amid shimmering fish, sea turtles, penguins, and playful sea lions; and cruise to pristine islands to walk among colonies of animals and birds that have no instinctive fear of humans. Explore with a diverse team of experts—from naturalists to regional specialists—who will share their knowledge and insights on the wildlife, landscapes, and local culture. All in all, a once in a lifetime trip for nature lovers.
President Lungu being Sworn in by Chief Justice Irene Mambilima
The inauguration of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu as Zambia’s sixth president by Chief Justice Mambilima left HH, GBM, the UPND and their opposition allies like my fellow Pastor Nevers Mumba dreadfully puzzled. Although it is within their constitutional rights to verbally reject Lungu as their president, the existential reality remains; Lungu is their president until 2021. It is also illogical to claim that Lungu is not their president while sitting UPND MPs in Parliament. By sitting in Parliament, UPND has legitimately acknowledged Lungu as Zambia’s president—common sense is not always that common.
Long before the ruling, I told one of my UPND friends that HH made a big mistake of taking the case to the ConCourt. This is because no Zambian presidential election has ever been overturned by our cadre-driven courts. This does not mean it will never happen, but the truth is our courts seem to have power over Parliamentary elections but never on presidential elections. KK tried it under Chiluba—the only thing he got was a very big legal bill and sometime at Mukobeko maximum prison!
[pullquote]no Zambian presidential election has ever been overturned by our cadre-driven courts[/pullquote]
The UPND should have claimed victory mentally. Politically, this would have had a positive psychological bearing on the electorate. HH and GBM would have had social capital to their claim—the election was stolen from us—we meet again in 2021. This claim could have been employed as an organizing tool. But once the ConCourt and Supreme Court made their rulings, Lungu and the PF have this mental capital—they defeated HH on polls and in two courts—the ConCourt and the Supreme Court. To use soccer language, the referee produced the red card. You can complain as much as possible, but the ruling stands – you are out of the game!
HH and GBM can take their case back to court—but it is a waste of time. Legal avenues maybe limitless, and lawyers are always looking for money from desperate clients – just ask our founding president KK. Unlike KK, however, HH and GBM have limitless resources; hence many lawyers and desperate politicians are lining up for a good taking. Yet promising to reverse Lungu’s victory through the courts is illogical – it is like promising to kill an elephant with a stick.
Regardless of what various “experts” want us to believe, HH and GBM lost the petition on technical grounds. I sympathize with HH and his allies. Nonetheless, they must understand that under the current Constitution, the ruling of the ConCourt cannot be challenged. Pastor Nevers Mumba’s letter of desperation to President Lungu, employing him to ask the ConCourt to hear the petition is inviting the president to commit a constitutional crime. It is also interfering with the judiciary. As President, he cannot undo the Constitution he pledged to defend—in fact, he can be impeached for the same. In short, this is a constitutional matter that would demand Constitutional amendment. Until then, the case is closed!
If the Constitution is not ironed out, we are headed for another drama in 2021. Here is another scenario. Assume the PF loses the 2021 elections to UPND, and takes the case to the ConCourt. The UPND can easily waste time by ensuring that petition proceedings are slowed down until the 14 days are over — winning the case on technical grounds. Across the globe and in Zambia, criminals have been acquitted on technical grounds. Usually lawyers go after loopholes in the law to win cases—this is the difference between a smart and a dismal lawyer. But this does not mean a crime was not committed. On the contrary, lawyers took advantage of some legal loopholes to win their case.
My plea to the UPND leadership is reorganize and start preparing for the 2021 elections if they love Mother Zambia–which I believe they do. Nonetheless, telling cadres that Lungu will be pushed out of office before 2021 is mere propaganda. Such paranoia will negatively project HH as a desperate power-hungry individual — something the PF controlled media will keep on saying—thus enforcing a deleterious perception of HH in the electorate.
If I am HH, I would ignore the Zambian Watchdog’s and other “legal experts’” guidance, and start my campaign for 2021. For a person with a dream, 2021 is not too far. I pray HH will heed.
Drimz is back! And that’s not to say he ever left. His chart-topping songs ‘Ireen Mambilima’ and the club bangers ‘Hakuna Kulala’, ‘Lolo Lolo’ and ‘No Title’ have kept his fans entertained.
But now the people’s favorite has dropped his new single ‘Mwiloba’ and its music video is premiering on Zambezi Magic TV. The simple but eye-catching music video promises an entertaining story line.
Speaking of the inspiration behind the song, Drimz says he believes a good artist draws inspiration from life and aims to make music that inspires people to grow.
“Mwiloba’ is a love song that talks about being committed to someone and just safeguarding their love and commitment regardless of all the pressure and challenges that come with being in love. Being in a relationship isn’t all rosy , sometimes you go through crazy moments, so appreciate what you have and nurture It to grow the way you want it to.” he says.
The music video to ‘Mwiloba’ features Kantu, who plays Drimz love interest in the visual. Drimz says working with Kantu was fun as she is down to earth.
“Kantu is a very open-minded and Jovial. I actually proposed to my Team that I just needed Kantu for my video no one else. We had so much fun working on the video because she blended in so well and she brought more than I expected… everything was coming out natural and I remember Lloydee saying ‘Drimz you knew why you needed kantu huh’. Otherwise am grateful to her for finding time to come thru for the shoot because she is a busy individual.”
Drimz recently celebrated his 2nd wedding anniversary and he says he tries by all means to make sure his music is an extension of his real life.
“I am married to a very wonderful and supportive individual in the name of Chrisencia… part of my inspiration to do such songs come from my marriage and I understand to say there a lot of people out there that are probably listening to my Music and get inspired so I try to blend in different and neutral ideas so that I don’t limit my listening audience.”
The idea behind the Mwiloba music video is to show how couples should live together every day and Drimz credits Lloydee for helping him tell the story.
“Loydee Mr Kabovelo is a genius trust me. This guy has got a lot of potential. When we sat down to write the script for the video I actually proposed to him to say I needed it to be simple but creative. The bigger the simplicity the better and he actually came up all the ideas and I loved it in an instant. We didn’t want to exaggerate things… We wanted a real picture of how we Zambians handle our love affairs and I think it worked.”
Drimz is working on a number of songs before he releases his yet-to-be titled album soon.
Luapula Province Minister Nixon Chilangwa has demonstrated his seriousness on the value he places on time for official meetings by sending away two institutions that were invited for the first meeting for Heads of Government Departments in the Province.
Mr. Chilangwa sent away a representative from KFM Radio and the Judiciary who showed up after 30 minutes when the meeting had commenced.
The Provincial Minister said coming late for official meetings is a bad habit and shows lack of seriousness to duty because late comers for meetings are never themselves and do not contribute meaningful to the deliberations due to lack of confidence on the issues being discussed.
He said it takes a lot of time for such late comers to meetings to find themselves and settle in their minds for a valuable input.
The Minister also expressed concern at the absence of the head of the Zambia Revenue Authority in the province in the meeting because he had observed that Government was not collecting enough tax revenue from Districts and wanted some explanations on the matter.
Mr. Chilangwa also observed that the Road Development Agency Regional Engineer was conspicuously missing in the meeting when a good road network in the Province is a critical catalyst for economic development.
The Minister said he will not condone a culture of pending files in Offices because there is no need of keeping files in the pending tray if development is the focus for the Province.
He called on the civil service to account for their time that they spend in Offices and examine themselves whether they were delivering on their mandates for the improvements of the living conditions for the people of Luapula.
This was the first meeting for familiarization with Captains of development in the province following his appointment as Provincial Minister.
The meeting was held in the Conference Room at Provincial Administration in Mansa.
Director Central Statistical Office Mr. John Kalumbi
Zambia’s annual rate of inflation for the month of September 2016, as measured by the all items Consumer Price Index (CPI) has dropped by 0.7 percent to 18.9 percent.
This is from the 19.6 percent recorded in the month of August.
Central Statistical Office (CSO) Director John Kalumbi explains that this means that on average, prices increased by 18.9 percent between September 2015 and September this year.
Mr. Kalumbi says the decrease in the annual rate of inflation this month is attributed to decreases in prices for both food and non-food items.
Speaking this morning at the monthly media briefing in Lusaka, Mr. Kalumbi says the annual food inflation rate for September 2016 was recorded at 23.4 percent compared to 24.1 percent in August.
Mr. Kalumbi says this represents a decrease of 0.7 percentage points.
And Mr. Kalumbi has also disclosed that Zambia recorded a trade deficit in August 2016 valued at K708.7 Million from the K476.1 Million recorded in July.
He says this represents a 48.9 percent increase.
The Small Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) has appealed to the private sector to scale up support for small scale farmers in the country.
SAFADA Director Boyd Moobwe said the poor agriculture performance in the country was largely due to less support to small scale farmers by the private sector.
Mr Moobwe said small scale farmers contribute over 80% to the country’s food basket hence the need to support their agricultural activities.
Mr. Moobwe said this during an Agricultural development and investment promotion sensitization meeting at Mpelekese in chief Chamuka area in Chisamba District yesterday.
Mr. Moobwe however commended government’s effort in reaching out to the small scale farmers through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and other subsidies.
He noted that the private sector should also join in the implementation of government’s support to farmers in order to achieve food security in the country.
Mr. Moobwe explained that SAFADA in collaboration with other stakeholders such as Export Trading Group have introduced a new agricultural approach to support small scale farmer’s development.
He said the objective is to introduce an Economic Partnership Agreement between the private sector and the small scale farmers.
Mr. Moobwe stated that SAFADA is providing farm inputs and equipment to support local farmers to address challenges small scale farmers face in the country in order to attain sustainable agricultural investment in the country.
Raphael NakacindaMMD National Secretary Rapheal Nakacinda has welcomed the announcement by fellow opposition party Forum for Democracy and Development FDD that it will hold a national convention in December this year.
And Mr Nakacinda says the hounding out of former UPND Vice President Dr Canisius Banda from the party was the last nail in the casket of the party’s image as a tribal cult.
Commenting on the announcement that FDD will hold a convention in December Mr Nakacinda said MMD welcomes parties that have drawn inspiration from the mother of democracy in holding conventions as regular as possible in a bid to practice intra party democracy.
“As MMD we welcome all political parties that have drawn inspiration from the mother of democracy in the need to practice intra party democracy by regularly holding conventions or elections for members to be accorded an opportunity to participate in the affaires of their respective political parties by way of aspiring to whatever positions without their Democratic right being stifled.
“We are happy to hear that FDD has called for a convention, we are happy that NAREP has indicated that they will hold a convention this year and we call upon other political parties to emulate their friends by ensuring that they give chance to their members to participate in the affaires of their respective Parties,” he said.
And Mr Nakacinda said the UPND have demonstrated in their conduct that their Party is turning in a political cult as seen from the treatment of Dr Banda who has been harassed for merely commenting on the need for them to have a convention.
He noted that UPND is turning into a political party that disadvantages others while promoting the interest of an individual’s interests.
“The UPND have demonstrated in their conduct of harassing Dr Canisius Banda for merely commenting on the need for the UPND to go for a convention. This development only goes to validate that the UPND is turning into a tribal cult that has interest of advance for those with the appetite to advance tribal politics in this country,” he said.
He explained that if UPND was a democratic political party then Dr Banda would have been a hero in the party as opposed to the ill treatment he has received from his President and Party.
He wondered how the party will do their postmortem of the just ended elections so as to know were they lost when they start chasing the very members who helped the Party.
He further called on UPND leaders to stop tarnishing Tongas, Lozis and other tribes where they enjoy massive support by pitting them against other tribes for their selfish gains.
Mr Nakacinda who is a Tonga himself, said without the contribution great men from these tribes the country would not have attained Independence nor the democracy which they are abusing by using innocent people through their affairs.
He said the only way for a person to become President in Zambia is through the polls and that instead of using tribe the UPND leader should convince Zambians that he is qualified to be in that office.
He said what makes a President in Zambia is the ballot and not the tribe which one may have come from.
LIVINGSTONE Town Clerk Vivian Chikoti has urged the public to desist
the habit of harassing public health practitioners during
inspections to control the illegal sale of liquor in undesignated
places.
Ms Chikoti said it was a challenge to deliver public health services
in Livingstone especially during inspections to control the illegal
sale of liquor in undesignated places as officers were usually
harassed.
She has appealed to residents to consider public health practitioners as
their partners in promoting the wellbeing of the community.
Ms Chikoti said in a speech read for her behalf by
Livingstone City Council director of planning Jamie Mukwato during the
World Environmental Health commemoration ceremony held under the theme
“Tobacco Control – A Response to the Global Tobacco Pandemic”.
“The delivery of environmental health services in our City has not
been without challenges.
“Our professionals have faced numerous challenges including harassment
by the public and lack of appropriate measuring instruments for some
health related hazards such as excessive sound,” she said.
Ms Chikoti also bemoaned the inertia by members of the community to
embrace hygienic practices.
She said the delivery of quality and adequate environmental health
services was a cost effective and efficient way to promote public
health in the City.
Ms Chikoti also urged on various premises in the City to display ‘No
Smoking Symbol’ as tobacco smoking was dangerous to health.
Speaking at the same meeting, acting Livingstone District Commissioner
Harriet Kawina said smoking and the use of tobacco was the primary cause
of preventable illness and deaths.
In a speech read for her by Livingstone District Agricultural
Coordinator Jackson Soko, Ms Kawina said six million people die
globally because of tobacco intake every year.
“My office will support any resolution by the council to enforce the
“No Public Smoking Law” and therefore I urge all premises to comply
with Statutory Instrument Number 39 and cooperate with law enforcement
agencies as they carry out their duties,” Ms Kawina said.
NGANDU Villagers of Chief Mukuni in Southern Province have appealed to
the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) and contractors working on various
projects in the area to recruit local people to reduce unemployment
levels in the area.
ZRA is planning to construct a dam for the 2, 400 Megawatts (MW)
Batoka Hydro-Electric Scheme (HES) at Batoka Gorge on the downstream
of Victoria Falls along Zambezi River while contractors are currently
upgrading an access road passing through Ngandu Village to the Gorge.
Ngandu Village Headman Peter Sitali said there is need for ZRA and
contractors working on various projects in the area to employ local
people especially youths to mitigate unemployment levels.
Mr Sitali disclosed in an interview today in Ngandu Village
where local people were compensated for allowing some of their maize
fields to be destroyed to pave way for the construction of an access
road to Batoka Gorge.
“The villagers here are happy with the current developments taking
place in the area especially that we now have a better road.
“We are looking forward to the area being electrified but most
importantly we want job creation for most youths who are not doing
anything,” Mr Sitali said.
He noted that people whose fields were affected during the construction of
the access roads were paid according to the damage caused on the
field.
Other residents of Ngandu village namely Reymond Siamapepe and Peter
Kamwanga also urged ZRA and the contractors in the area to ensure that
locals benefited from the projects through employment creation.
“The road and the power station have made us happy as they are meant
to develop the rural communities here. We had problems before but we are
happy now. We hope more jobs canbe given especially during the construction
of the dam,” they said.
Currently, preparatory works are progressing well on the planned
construction of the power plants at Batoka Gorge.
ZRA has been mandated by the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe to
facilitate the implementation of the project, which was approved in
2012, in close consultations with ZESCO and Zimbabwe Power Company
(ZPC).
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, a delegation of ZRA Board members
and journalists from Zambia and Zimbabwe visited the sites for the
proposed power plants in the two countries.
ZRA Chief Executive Munyaradzi Munodawafa said preparatory works were
progressing well from the time the project was approved in 2012.
“We have done almost 98 per cent of updating engineering
feasibility studies while the final report of the Environmental and
Social Impact Assessment will be released by the end of November
2016
“In December 2016, we will have a Council of Ministers meeting where a
fully-fledged feasibility study and other reports will be presented and
discussed,” he said.
He was hopeful that funding for the project would be mobilised
before 2018 after which procurement and tendering processes would
start in readiness for the construction which is expected to be
concluded by 2024.
Zambia is experiencing the worst economic crisis since the 2008 global financial crisis. The strong economic growth trajectory the country has been experiencing has taken a nose dive and all macroeconomic fundamentals are in disarray.
Our productive capacity as a nation has been constrained by electricity supply deficit threatening hundreds of jobs of our people especially in the mines. While inflation and exchange rates have stabilized, they have remained high making it difficult for ordinary people to afford cost of living. Our revenues and expenditures as a nation are not in balance with the country recording all time high budget deficit of over 8% of GDP.
These are hard times and they call for radical measures. The new Minister of Finance has openly warned the nation that we have to make difficult decisions going ahead that call for tightening of our belts.
We want to remind the Minister of Finance and the Government at large that tightening our belts must not only be expected from ordinary people but government as well. Stringent measures must be put in place in order to increase revenue and cut down unnecessary expenditure. It is thus shocking that a government that is in the process of addressing its deficit and expenditure wants to create more Ministries.
The President’s creation of the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs at a time of economic hardship for example, important as religious issues may be, will unnecessarily stretch the already scarce resources of the Treasury which must be targeted at high growth sectors and reduction of poverty.
The formulation of this ministry comes at a time when Zambia is looking for a possible loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that must be used sustainably looking at the many expenditure saving conditions that are likely to be implemented along with it. JCTR views this ministry as an increase of expenditure that could be directed at economic sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing and therefore appeals to the President to reconsider the ministry whose duties could be performed by an already existing ministry and officers.
Further, no clear justification has been given for this Ministry especially taking into consideration that a ministry will need to have structures up to ward level. JCTR questions the mandate for this ministry as it may also duplicate the work done by church mother bodies such as ZEC, CCZ and EFZ. We urge IMF that one of the conditionalities for the loan that the Government wants to get should be non-creation of new Ministries and not removal of subsidies.
In line with this, the constitutional court ruling made for ministers to vacate office during the campaign process and refund state salaries and allowances over the period must be commended and acted upon by the Minister of Finance.
The court ruling made on this matter of public revenue must be a priority before the Minister of Finance presents the Budget for 2017 if his message of reversing economic woes is to be taken seriously. In ensuring we curb corruption, instill a sense on fiscal discipline and place our nation’s economy back to a growth trajectory, JCTR appeals to the Constitutional Court to make the necessary issuance of the ruling that includes the amounts owing for each Minister and a relevant date of repayment before they begin the parliamentary sessions.
JCTR also appeals to the President and the Treasury not to create a new ministry and prioritize funds directed to growing and diversifying the economy as well as putting in place targets for poverty reduction for the remaining 2016 fiscal year and 2017 budget. The Spiritual welfare of the nation is already taken care of, what people want are sustainable jobs, reduction of poverty and inequality which will not be addressed by creating a new Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Wedson Nyirenda has released all his Zesco United call-ups for Barclays Cup duty this weekend.
The eight players were released on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s quarterfinal clash against Konkola Blades at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Nyirenda also revealed that Zambia will not break camp and that he will cut his 24-member home-based players to half on Sunday when the nine foreign-based callups report for camp.
Zambia will train on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Meanwhile, Zambia played a training match on Thursday afternoon at Levy Stadium when beat Division 1 side Gomes FC.
Nkwazi striker Justin Shonga put Zambia ahead in the 24th minute.
The Zanaco duo of midfielder Roderick Kabwe and defender Ziyo Tembo found the target in the 41st and 44th minutes.
Power Dynamos striker Patson Daka scored the final goal in the 52nd minute.
HH and GBM in KitwePolice on the Copperbelt have summoned UPND President Hakainde Hichilema and his deputy Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba for allegedly addressing an illegal meeting.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga said the duo will appear before the police in Luanshya next Wednesday after having convened an illegal meeting in Mpongwe.
Hichilema and Mwamba have had a bad run on their Copperbelt trip having been turned away at Kamfinsa Prison where they were due to meet their members incarcerated in the post election period.
Among the detained are UPND Copperbelt chairperson Elisha Matambo who is facing a charge of armed robbery.
Initially Hichilema was due to appear before the police on Friday but his lawyers said he would only be available next Wednesday.
The Zambia Tax Platform notes that Zambia’s fiscal deficit has expanded from 5.5% of GDP to 8.1% of GDP in 2015 which has caused negative economic effects as seen from the double digit inflation and high interest rates. The need for fiscal consolidation is therefore, paramount. The Zambia Tax Platform further notes that government is already engaging the IMF and has requested for support. The platform would however, like to caution government that while the IMF support is an opportunity to allow for economic recovery government needs to design and negotiate a reform package that will bring positive economic growth in an attempt to achieve macroeconomic stability. ZTP calls on government to immediately institute measures to address the fiscal deficit and some of the measures that can be instituted are as follows:
Revenue Generating Measures:
There is potential to increase local revenue streams that need to be unlocked in the country. Austerity measures tend to focus on regressive taxes for example, consumption taxes such as an upward adjustment of Value Added Tax (VAT) as opposed to progressive taxes. These progressive taxes include taxes on property, luxury goods and corporate income. More effort can be applied to tackle tax avoidance and illicit financial flows which could increase our revenue base. We are therefore urging government to negotiate tax reforms that respond to reducing harmful tax incentives, renegotiating harmful, restrictive tax treaties and minimizing Private Public Partnership programs that maximize the potential for fiscal risks. This is the time to address the corporate tax gaps estimated at $2billion annually to lessen increasing the tax burden on the poor.
Expenditure Cuts:
The highly inflated public wage bill needs to be strategically cut or capped as the government currently has high employment costs of about K1 billion. Zambia can also cut its spending on energy by increasing private investments in the sector and thus increasing tariffs. This can save Zambia up to an estimated $26million a month according to the World Bank putting less pressure on the budget.
In the face of austerity measures the Zambia tax platform recommends creation of fiscal space for public spending to keep our domestic economy running. Expenditure cuts need to happen in a way that will still allow for GDP growth which will consequently, also help reduce the budget deficit. Expenditure cuts should not dramatically shrink domestic demand so as to facilitate continued productivity in the economy. Subsidies meant for consumption should be scrapped off and subsidies meant for production should be maintained.
Therefore, there is need to prioritize protecting fuel subsidies as this will avoid drastic inflationary pressure which would reduce disposable incomes and consequently consumption in the economy contributing to high poverty. This would additionally make us less attractive for investments. Subsidy cuts in other sectors such as the Agriculture sector needs to be well thought through and implementation spread over a reasonable period of time to minimize the negative social impacts of removing subsidies.
ZTP recommends maintaining the use of E voucher which has proven to be effective. Social protection measures need to be considered and to be enhanced but in the face of austerity we would recommend cutting off the Social Cash Transfer programme as it only benefits 10% of the population compared to the 48% living in poverty. Lastly, in terms of expenditure we wish to state that education is a key driver for poverty reduction and economic development and therefore spending should be prioritized in this sector. Government needs to be cautionary when cutting expenditure as it can lead to not only increased poverty but also lower GDP growth and consequently failure to reducing the debt to GDP ratio.
ZTP reiterates calls to cut unnecessary expenditure related to travel, creation of new ministries or districts until such a time when current fiscal challenges are resolved. Finally, ZTP calls on government to openly and honestly engage citizens as these measures will have an impact on all citizens who need to be made aware and to be prepared for any negative impacts of these measures. ZTP also appeals to the Government to ensure involvement of all stakeholders in the formulation process of the IMF programme including civil society, Parliament and the private sector.
