Government has disclosed that 26 wildlife officers were killed during the course of duty in 2022.

Rodney Sikumba says the officers have passed away owing to various reasons that include being killed by poachers and dangerous animals, diseases and of natural courses like illness due to change of environment.

Speaking in a speech read for him at the International World Rangers day in Lusaka by Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary Evans Muhanga, Mr Sikumba said among the 26 was the death of a Wildlife police officer Cosmas Ng’andwe who died from injuries sustained from gunshots after being bedridden for two years.

The Minister said many more officers have sustained injuries in the line of duty.

Meanwhile Mr Sikumba noted that the manpower of people taking care of unprotected areas is low but emphasized that the government is working to address the issue with cooperating partners.

Department and National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) Acting Director Andrew Chomba said 150 rangers are killed globally on the line of duty every year.

The theme for this year’s International World Rangers day is “30 by 30” emanating from the requirement set by the United Nations that 30 percent of the planet is effectively conserved and managed by 2030.

The search for the deceased 45 year old illegal miner who died in Zimba district has entered day three.

Mwangala Mwakoi died in Mapatizya area on July 27 around 03:00 hours after being buried alive, following the collapse of a pit under which he was allegedly digging amethyst.

Zimba District Commissioner Robson Mulamfu who visited the scene, where the accident took place, regretted the development.

“It is sad that life has been lost. I am here in Mapatizya to witness the excavator toe exhume Mwakoi’s body from the earth arising from the soil that buried him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Southern Region Mines and Minerals Development Officer Dickson Banda, has called on people living in mining areas to desist from illegal mining activities.

Mr. Banda says all those who want to engage in mining, need to formalize processes and ensure safety is upheld.

The excavator is still searching for the victim’s body.

Family members, senior government officials and villagers are on site, waiting to witness the possible retrieval of the body of the deceased man.

Free Press Initiative – FPI says Cabinet’s approval for the introduction of the Access to Information (ATI) Bill in the National Assembly following the 12th Cabinet Meeting at State House on 27th July 2023 should lead to enactment of the law.

FPI Founder and Executive Director Joan Chirwa said her organization is part of the ATI Coalition that has been calling for the enactment of the ATI law as a matter of right.

She said the FPI hopes provisions of the Bill which will be tabled in the National Assembly remain progressive and to the benefit of the citizens under whose watch effective implementation of democratic principles rests.

Chirwa further said the decision has come at the right time because the need for information among Zambian citizens is high.

She said there has been a lot of disinformation of which the ATI would be a landmark platform for Government to be open enough in providing information around implementation of numerous projects that are of interest to the citizens.

The FPI Founder said journalists have also been having trouble with Access to Information because certain critical information has been denied to them.

“When we talk of a fight against corruption both in Government and the private sector, this cannot be done effectively when critical laws such as Access to Information are missing. Hopefully, we will see this ATI Bill being tabled in the National Assembly, being deliberated upon and going through all stages for eventual assent into law by the Head of State,” she said.

Ms Chirwa, however, said this is not the first time the country has reached the current stage because the MMD Administration once introduced the Bill in the National Assembly but was shot down in the first stage of it being in the House.

“We hope this is not what is going to happen. Therefore, there is quite a lot that needs to be done by members of parliament, especially those from the United Party for National Development, to ensure that when this Bill is taken to the House, it sees the light and not shot down because some people may think it is not going to serve their interests. At times, we see people getting worried about Access to Information. Only scared humans who know have a lot to hide can be worried about the access to information law,” she said. “What the current government must realize is that passing the ATI Bill into law is something that will also work in their favour because it will ensure that what they are trying to do now, such as fighting corruption and speedy delivery of government services to the people that voted them into power, does actually happen. People will now say ‘yes this was promised and it has been done’ because there is someone who is keeping an eye on what is going on on a daily basis.”

Ms Chirwa said the ATI is a progressive law that must be supported fully by both the ruling and opposition MPs.

“There has to be that realization that Access to Information is something that everybody needs. Everyone should ensure that they work together to pass this Bill into Law because it will benefit everyone. Yes, the UPND has taken a good step in the right direction in ensuring that this is pushed to where it is now but that is not an end in itself because there are other major processes ahead that will have to be put in place to ensure that they truly live by their campaign promises,” she said.

Ms Chirwa said it becomes difficult to make informed decisions where Access to Information is restricted.

“Let our MPs move together to ensure that Zambia is one of the countries that are making progressive steps toward ensuring that citizens are not denied Access to Information because that is their right,” she said.

he Teaching Service Commission has embarked on a qualification audit for all teachers in all schools across the country  beginning with Lusaka Province ahead of the planned placement of teachers according to their qualifications.

And the Teaching Service Commission Chairperson Daphine Chimuka has disclosed that Lusaka district is over staffed by 937 teachers who need to be moved to other schools in the Province which are facing a critical shortage of teachers.

The Teaching Service Commission Chairperson, accompanied by 3 commissioners and the Commission  Secretary, Lynette Walubita, said this when she paid a courtesy call on Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Robert Kamalata at his office today.

Ms. Chimuka said a number of teachers in various schools  have been misplaced with secondary school teachers finding themselves in primary schools while those who are supposed to teach in primary schools, are teaching in secondary schools.

She said her Commission will from tomorrow July 28, embark on a country-wide qualification audit starting with the Zambia Institute of Special Education (ZAMISE)  in lusaka.

Ms. Chimuka said all officers involved in the qualification audit exercise will be available at (ZAMISE) so that everyone is familiar with the process and what is required to be done before it is rolled out to the rest of the country.

“We are commencing the qualification audit for all teachers in the country and we are starting this exercise with Lusaka Province tomorrow,” said Ms. Chimuka.

Ms. Chimuka said that after this qualification audit exercise is over, the next move would be to place each teacher according to the qualification.

She said over time, there has been an increase in teachers placed in various positions that are not in line with their qualifications.

The Teaching Service Commission Chairperson, further, said that her Commission is in the process of gazetting some schools established in the recent past so that they have their right establishments.

Meanwhile, the Teaching Service Commission Chairperson  says  there is an urgent need to  build teacher’s houses in various schools across the country especially in rural areas.

She said that with the massive recruitment of the teachers last year, the biggest challenge being faced in most of the schools now is lack of accommodation.

Ms. Chimuka said teachers can only be encouraged and motivated to serve  in rural areas if there is good and decent accommodation for them.

“We have employed many teachers in most of the rural areas in the country but the biggest problem we have now is lack of accommodation for these teachers,” said Ms. Chimuka.

And Ms Chimuka says recruitment of the planned  4,500 teachers will be done before the end of this year.

She said the commission will engage provincial offices and ensure that they are involved in the recruitment exercise.

“We are involving the provincial administration in the forth coming recruitment of 4,500 New teachers,” said Ms. Chimuka.

And Lusaka Permanent Secretary, Robert Kamalata, said the recruitment of teachers was very low in lusaka during the last recruitment exercise.

He said the lusaka province had only 800 teachers out of over Thirty thousand recruited teachers last year.

Permanent secretary added that rural areas are still experiencing a shortage of teachers in several schools.

Mr Kamalata appealed to the Teaching Service Commission to involve the provincial administration  in the recruitment of teachers so that they can present the needed numbers of new teachers and where such teachers should be posted.

Mr. Kamalata also appealed to the Teaching Service Commission to ensure serving teachers are upgraded in both status and salaries.

” The cries of most of our teachers especially in rural areas is the need to upgrade them both in status and salaries,” said Mr Kamalata.

He also appealed to the teachers to seriously consider  upgrading their qualifications as it will enable them to reach greater heights.

And Mr. Kamalata says there is huge demand to construct more class rooms following the introduction of free education that has seen an increase in school enrolment in various schools.

“For Lusaka district we are trying to propose if the K1 million per constituency allocated towards the construction of Chief’s palaces, could be channeled towards the construction of class room blocks since we are not constructing any palace in any of the 7 constituencies in Lusaka district,” said Mr. Kamalata.

Commissioners who accompanied the Teaching Service Commission Chairperson included Regina Musokotwane, Fridah Lukwesa and Clement Sinyinda.