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Dr. Pius Kasolo during a panel discussion
Mining conglomerate ZCCM IH posted an after tax loss of K696.5 million in the second half of 2015.
The Group attributed the loss to the fall in copper prices which had reduced to US$4,970 per ton as at 30 September 2015 compared to US$6,748 per ton as at 30th September 2014 representing a 26% decrease.
It also said that the Group’s operating profit of K51.7 million was lower than the K59 million achieved during the same period in 2014.
It also recorded a turnover of K208.4 million for the six-month period ended 30th September 2015, 10% above the turnover of K188.6 million achieved during the six months to 30th September 2014.
The increase in Group turnover was mainly as a result of an increase in turnover for Ndola Lime Company by 21% from K96.3 million to K116.5 million for the six months ended 30th September 2015.
The Group however saw its dividends earnings decrease by 56% to K11.9 million for the period ended 30th September 2015 compared to K27.1 million recorded in September 2014.
This is according to the Group’s unaudited financial statement for the six-month period ended 30th September 2015.
It said this was due to the depreciation of the kwacha from K7.6250/$ at the start of April 2015 to K12.3815/$ as at the end of September 2015.
The Group said dividends were earned from Kansanshi Mining Plc. at K11.9 million.
“Interest earned from placements and fixed deposits amounted to K24.9 million. Other income was K4.8 million. This was mainly composed of Management fees amounting to K4.3 million.”
“Overall the performance of the Associate companies was weak during the period. The significant share of losses of associate companies were recorded from Kansanshi Mining Plc at K871.9 million, Konkola Copper Mine Plc at K546.42 million and Copperbelt Energy at K133.36 million,” it said.
And ZCC-IH says the Maamba Collieries Thermal Power Plant Project in which it has invested attained Financial Closure on 28 July 2015.
The project, which has already achieved about 80 percent completion, consists of the redevelopment of the existing coal mine and the construction of a 300 MW coal fired thermal power station and related infrastructure near the town of Maamba.
The 300-megawatt coal fired power project, fully integrated with captive coal mining, is estimated to cost about USD 830 million.
The project is being funded on a debt equity ratio of 70:30.
The long-term loans are being advanced by a consortium of lenders comprising large international commercial banks together with development financial institutions on a limited recourse project finance basis.
Maamba Collieries Limited signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to supply 100% of the power plant’s output to Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation.
The project is scheduled for commissioning by mid-2016 where after Nava Bharat will be responsible.
President Lungu”s daughter Tasila Lungu(l) talks to Mumbi Phiri(r) during the Presidential Nominations at Mulungushi conference center
The ruling PF says it cannot stop its female supporters from wearing sexy regalia as campaigns for this August’s election hots up.
PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri said Zambia does not have a prescribed dress code and it would be unfair to ask the PF women to stop wearing their sexy regalia.
Mrs Phiri said everyone in Zambia is free to wear whatever he or she feels like because Zambia is a free country.
She was responding to attacks that the PF has continued using women as sexy symbols by asking them to wear revealing clothing with PF symbols splashed on them.
But Mrs Phiri said even the UPND women are also wearing sexy regalia such as leggings and body tops.
She said it is unfair for some members of the public to attack the PF over the sexualisation of its campaigns saying there is nothing wrong with women appearing sexy as they campaign. Ladies showing off their PF regalia
WE ARE THE ONES WE ARE WAITING FOR: DEMOCRACY, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND THE RULE OF LAW IN ZAMBIA BY LINDA KASONDE
Several months ago I wrote an article entitled, ‘Just Another African Country: The Challenge of Leadership in Zambia and the Poverty of Ambition’. The article had arisen out of a conversation I had had with a South African friend of mine, Ntombenhle, during the initial parliamentary debates over the Nkandla scandal in South Africa about the excessive expenditure on President Jacob Zuma’s residence. She had remarked to me that “we’re becoming just another African country”, somehow implying that they had been superior to that previously. So in my article I thought about what it meant to be “just another African country” and the words impoverished, disease-ridden and corrupt came to mind. My article had traced the history of some of the most prominent leaders in Zambia since Independence and concluded that we are only doomed to be “just another African country” if we the citizens of this country do not hold our leaders to account for ensuring adherence to democracy, the rule of law, good governance and development for our people.
A few weeks ago I had another discussion with my South African friend Ntombenhle. It was several months after the initial debate over the Nkandla scandal had began and she now expressed confidence in the strength of South African institutions such as the judiciary and the office of the Public Protector that had held President Zuma to account. I had expressed some cynicism at her positive outlook and told her, “just wait, people retire and contracts expire and the same politicians who are now being held to account will have to fill those vacancies”. A couple of weeks later, I changed my mind. I wrote to Ntombenhle and told her that I really hoped that she was right because I believe that it is only through strong institutions that we shall see our countries rise out of poverty and corruption. Strong institutions guarantee greater accountability and subsequently more prudent use of public resources. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, strong institutions on their own are not enough. We also need to see an active and vigilant citizenry who elect the right people into office, who ensure that their doing their job whilst in office or remove them if they are found wanting.
From a legal perspective, a strong judiciary is imperative to ensuring that constitutionalism, the rule of law and good governance are adhered to. We have many competent and courageous judges in the judiciary in Zambia. But unfortunately, we have also seen some instances of judges being intimidated by the party in power at different times in our history, instances of courts being unwilling to exercise judicial activism in upholding the rights of Zambians, and of course our judiciary is not financially autonomous. To have enhanced access to justice and delivery of justice, we need to see a fully independent judiciary that is impartial and progressive to get the kind of legal reform that we want in our country. But courts do not move themselves, we need to see bold and proactive lawyers take up challenging cases that touch on issues of the rule of law, constitutionalism and good governance. Indeed, we also need courageous citizens to give the lawyers instructions to take up these cases.
On democracy and an active citizenry, I have said on several occasions that our people do not know their own power. As the poet June Jordan put it, “we are the ones we have been waiting for”. In other words, if we do not effect the change we want to see, no one else will. For example, it would have been great to see more Zambians actively involved in the advocacy for a new people-driven constitution. It is not enough to identify a problem; we must be a part of the solution. Zambians do have a good history of effecting peaceful change through the ballot box. We can also be proud of the role we played in stopping President Chiluba from amending the Constitution to provide for a third term. But there are still numerous challenges, particularly those posed by the 2016 amendments to the Constitution. We must remain vigilant.
I watched President Barack Obama give a commencement speech to the 2016 graduating students of Howard University. In that speech he said many things about living in a democracy that are applicable to the Zambian situation:
“…democracy requires compromise, even when you are 100 percent right. This is hard to explain sometimes. You can be completely right, and you still are going to have to engage folks who disagree with you. If you think that the only way forward is to be as uncompromising as possible, you will feel good about yourself, you will enjoy a certain moral purity, but you’re not going to get what you want. And if you don’t get what you want long enough, you will eventually think the whole system is rigged. And that will lead to more cynicism, and less participation, and a downward spiral of more injustice and more anger and more despair. And that’s never been the source of our progress. That’s how we cheat ourselves of progress”.
“[However], that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t challenge [people with dissenting views]. Have the confidence to challenge them, the confidence in the rightness of your position. There will be times when you shouldn’t compromise your core values, your integrity, and you will have the responsibility to speak up in the face of injustice. But listen. Engage. If the other side has a point, learn from them. If they’re wrong, rebut them. Teach them. Beat them on the battlefield of ideas. And you might as well start practicing now, because one thing I can guarantee you – you will have to deal with ignorance, hatred, racism, foolishness, trifling folks. I promise you, you will have to deal with all that at every stage of your life. That may not seem fair, but life has never been completely fair. Nobody promised you a crystal stair. And if you want to make life fair, then you’ve got to start with the world as it is”.
So my challenge to all of us is: do not wait for democracy, the rule of law or good governance to happen; make it happen. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, “do what you can, with what you have where you are”.
The author is the President of the Law Association of Zambia
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has called upon all stakeholders to embark on educating Zambian citizens on its contents in readiness for the referendum to be held on 11th August 2016.
In a statement released to the media, TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu noted that that the provisions of the Bill of Rights among others will help in making the State to be accountable to the citizens and that stakeholders will only waste time at this hour if they concentrate on debating the process.
Below is the full statement
TIZ PLEASED WITH PROGRESSIVE BILL OF RIGHTS RELEASED
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) is pleased that the just released Bill of Rights is progressive and would like to urge all stakeholders to embark on educating Zambian citizens on its contents in readiness for the referendum to be held on 11th August 2016. We have noted that in the past, stakeholders have spent a lot of time debating the process of enacting the Constitution thereby denying citizens an opportunity to be educated on the contents.
TIZ notes that the provisions of the Bill of Rights among others will help in making the State to be accountable to the citizens. Some of the key progressive elements of the Bill are that it will guarantee the rights of freedom of expression, assembly, association, access to information (which has been a long cry and demand by most governance CSOs), equality before the law, youths and children’s rights, social, political, legal, economic and cultural rights of citizens.
The Bill further guarantees the freedom and independence of the media in article 23 (1). The key elements noted are as follows;
11. (1) The Bill of Rights, as provided for in this Part, is fundamental to democracy and constitutionalism and shall be the basis of Zambia’s social, political, legal, economic and cultural policies and State action.
Recognition of role of civil society
12. The State shall recognize the role of civil society in the promotion and protection of the Bill of Rights.
Access to Information
22 (1). A person has the right of access to information held by the State or another person which is lawfully required for the exercise or protection of a right or freedom.
Enforcement of Bill of Rights
57 (1). A person who alleges that a provision of the Bill of Rights has been or is being contravened, in relation to the person, may apply for redress to the Constitutional Court or to another court which that person has immediate access to.
58. The President shall, each year, when addressing the National Assembly, report on the measures taken by the state in the realization of the Bill of Rights.
In December 2015, TIZ through our Vice President Mr. Joseph Kalungu Sampa, recommended that in moving forward, stakeholders needed to focus on ensuring that we have a campaign that will ensure that the 2016 National Referendum adopted the remaining progressive articles. TIZ wishes to reiterate its consistent position that stakeholders will only waste time at this hour if they concentrate on debating the process.
In its view, now is the time to educate the public on the contents of the Bill of Rights. TIZ shall disseminate the Bill of Rights, mainstream and educate the citizens on its contents countrywide, using all its platforms that will include, workshops, radio and TV programmes and its website and Facebook page. For avoidance of Doubt, we have herewith attached the said Bill of Rights
Goodwell Lungu
Executive Director
Transparency International Zambia
Ministry of Health in partnership with Orbis under the sponsorship of Standard Chartered Bank has embarked on eye mass drug administration to eliminate trachoma in Kasempa. Above, a nurse Sarah Kantolomba (second right ) giving out an eye drug to Sipo Kalwendo (l) at Mukinge mission hospital in Kasempa on Friday as her counterpart Dorica Mwale (r ) looks on
Namwala District has commenced the second round of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for Trachoma , a leading blindness causing disease.
The MDA which started on 6th June to 10th June 2016 is being conducted by government through the Ministry of health in partnership with Sight savers.
Speaking at the official launch of the trachoma drug in Namwala District ,today, District Commissioner Mary Sakala said that the government of Zambia in partnership with sight savers is committed to eliminate blindness with the Strategy Antibiotic Facial cleanliness and Environmental manipulation (SAFE).
She added that the SAFE strategy is aimed at ensuring that all organisms that causes trachoma may be eradicated hence elimination of blinding trachoma.
And speaking at the same function Namwala District Medical officer Davy Kaile appealed to people to take the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) seriously, because prevention is better than cure.
Dr Kaile said that last MDA the district managed to achieve 93.7% and that this year the district is targeting 100%.
A 64-year-old man of Mpatamato Township in Luanshya district yesterday axed his son to death for allegedly damaging a television set.
Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga identified the deceased as Henry Chirwa of house number 382/ 24 in Mpatamato Township.
Ms. Katanga said the matter was reported to the police by the brother to the deceased, Stephen Chirwa 36, who alleged that his elder brother had been murdered by his father Jaston Chirwa of the same address, using an axe.
She explained that the deceased sustained deep wounds on the neck, ribs and left leg.
The deceased’s body is lying in Roan general hospital.
The Copperbelt Police commander added that Jaston Chirwa has since been arrested and police have instituted investigations into the
Opposition party leaders: Cosmo Mumba and Mike Mulongoti!
National Revolution Party (NRP) President Cosmo Mumba says he will on friday the 10th June,2016 publicize the list of former parliamentarians that have performed to the expectation of the electorate in their respective constituencies.
In an interview, Dr. Mumba reveals to Pan African Radio reporter Hermit Hachilonde that some of the adopted PF MPs that have lamentably underperformed and did not deserve readoption.
Dr Mumba said although he has already thrown his weight behind President Lungu in the forthcoming general elections, not all adopted parliamentary candidates that previously served in his Government deserved to be readopted based on their performance.
The outspoken opposition leader also pledged that he will this Friday unveil the candidates that deserved to be reelected on 11th August, 2016 on PF ticket.
“Although I have already endorsed president Lungu, I did not endorse all his parliamentary candidates and I therefore on Friday give a list of MPs that deserved to be readopted” he said
Crop production in Lundazi district of Eastern province has dropped to 130,954 metric tonnes this year from the 154,188 metric tonnes of maize that was produced during 2014/2015 farming season.
Lundazi District Commissioner (DC) Janet Palukani has attributed this reduction to the poor rainfall recorded during the 2015/2016 farming season in the district.
Ms. Palukani said farmers in the district should therefor embark on crop diversification and conservation farming in order to overcome the negative effects of climate change such droughts.
She observed that crop diversification and conservation farming will enable farmers to grow different types of crops that are drought resistant and subsequently improve household food security.
ZANIS in Lundazi reports that Ms. Palukani said this in a speech read on her behalf by Lundazi District Administrative Officer (DAO) Mukule Banda during this year’s district agricultural and commercial show.
The show was held over the weekend under theme was “managing the environment for growth”.
She further disclosed that government, through Ministry of Agricultural and Livestock, has since embarked on rehabilitating twelve cattle dip tanks in the district.
Ms. Palukani said the rehabilitation will cost K1.2 million adding that once completed, livestock production will increase thereby contributing to poverty reduction in the district.
And speaking at the same function, chief Mphamba of the Tumbuka people advised cooperatives in the district not only to become active during Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) activities to benefit from fertilizers but should be pro-active throughout the year.
The traditional leader said cooperatives should be always be busy and active with different income generating ventures.
Vodafone Group Plc will expand into Zambia by offering high-speed mobile-data and Internet services in the country through its partnership with Afrimax, one of the largest 4G wireless voice and data communications providers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
England-based Vodafone said in an e-mailed statement on Monday that the two companies will offer customers 4G data services using the Vodafone Zambia brand, Newbury.
The deal includes the opening of Vodafone-branded stores and providing services to businesses in the southern African nation.
Vodafone has stakes in Johannesburg-based Vodacom Group Ltd., Safaricom Ltd. of Kenya as well as operations in Ghana.
African phone companies are broadening their Internet offering to help offset declining voice sales as consumers leapfrog fixed-line technology in favor of smartphone devices.
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema and his entourage continued on the campaign trail in Copperbelt rural, where he has promised to intensify the electrification of rural areas in Zambia
Speaking at a public rally this afternoon at Mutaba grounds, in Kafulafuta Constituency of Copperbelt rural, UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema disclosed that once elected President he will intensify the electrification of rural areas in the country as a means to boost economic activities. The UPND leader said access to electricity will help create jobs for people in rural areas by empowering small businesses such as hair salons.
Meanwhile, the UPND President has reiterated his desire to transform the economy through diversification programmes that will focus on value addition industries, and his commitment to revamping the agriculture sector by focusing on lowering the cost of inputs.
The UPND leader said his government will promote cattle rearing in rural areas with the objective of increasing farming, milk and beef production, which can then be exported to earn the country income.
UPND Copperbelt Province Chairperson Elisha Matambo also addressed the audience, saying that under the PF, the agriculture and education sectors have been neglected, hence the unprecedented levels of poverty in rural areas.
Mr. Matambo called on the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema, once given a mandate to run the affairs of the country, to pay particular attention to rural areas, especially given that he was also raised in the village.
Speaking at a public rally held at Mishikishi ground in Masaiti later this afternoon, Mr. Hichilema assured people of quality jobs once elected President.
The UPND President said this cannot be realised under the PF leadership however, due to lack of economic understanding and misplaced priorities.
He says his government will industrialise Masaiti District so that local people can have jobs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hichilema says he will be a listening President, and that through the UPND 10 Point Plan, he will ensure that quality healthcare is taken closer to the people.
Also speaking in Masaiti the former Minister of Lands Gladys Lundwe said that Copperbelt rural is underdeveloped because of a lack of quality leadership and concerned President.
Ms. Lundwe appealed to the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema to ensure that the challenges facing residents in Copperbelt’s rural areas are attended with urgency once he is elected into office.
HH and Team Campaign in Copperbelt RuralUPND Copperbelt Province Chairperson Elisha MatamboHH and Team Campaign in Copperbelt RuralFormer Minister of Lands Gladys LundwePart of the crowd that attended HH’s RallyPart of the crowd that attended HH’s RallyPart of the crowd that attended HH’s RallyPart of the crowd that attended HH’s RallyHH and Team Campaign in Copperbelt Rural
Zambia will face Namibia in a friendly this Sunday.
The match against the defending Cosafa Cup champions will be played in Lusaka.
FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said the match will be part of Zambia’s preparations for their 2016 Cosafa Cup outing that Namibia will host from June 11-25 in Windhoek.
” In our quest to prepare the team we have secured a friendly with Namibia to played on Sunday in Lusaka, we want to prepare the team and the team by giving them friendly matches, Kamanga said.
Zambia enjoy a preliminary bye from the tournament and will enter the competition at the quarter-final round on June 18.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION
Week 14
04/06/2016
Nakambala Leopards 1(Ignatius Lwipa ?’)- Power Dynamos 0
Roderick Kabwe (Zanaco):4
Jacob Ngulube(Nkana)4
Martin Phiri(Power Dynamos):4
Fashion Sakala(Zanaco):4
Ronald Chibwe (Forest):4
Brian Mwila(Green Buffaloes):3
Fwayo Tembo(Power Dynamos):3
Isaac Chansa (Zanaco): 3
Felix Nyaende (Forest Rangers): 3
Edward Mwamba (Nkwazi):3
Mathews Macha(Napsa Stars):3
Jack Chirwa(Green Buffaloes):3
Spencer Sautu(Green Eagles):3
Guily Manziba (Nkana):3
Kalaba Chikwanda (Nkwazi):3
Venecious Mapande (Nakambala):3
-2017 Africa Cup Group E Qualifier
04/06/2016
-Bissau
Guinea Bissau 3(Zezinho 15′ pen, Arnaud Mendy 35′, Toni Silva 90′)-Zambia 2 (Collins Mbesuma 26, Christopher Katongo 52′)
05/06/2016
Nairobi
Kenya 2(Timbe Masika 24′, Eric Johanna 67′)-Congo Brazzaville 1(Prince Oniangue 19′ pen)
INTERNATIONALS
04/06/2016
Winston Kalengo (AC Leopards):2
Christopher Katongo (Green Buffaloes): 2
Collins Mbesuma (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
Isaac Chansa (Zanaco): 1
Cletus Chama (Zesco United):1
Mwila Phiri (Green Eagles): 1
MULTICHOICE Africa will be paying tribute to the great sporting legend Muhammad Ali with a special pop-up channel on DStv channel 199 and GOtv channel 29. The channels will pop up today and run until next week Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 11:30am CAT.
The tribute channel will broadcast the legend’s greatest fights, interviews and documentaries about his life.
DStv subscribers on the English packages: Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access plus the Portuguese bouquets on Bue, Grande and Facil will be able to tune in. All GOtv subscribers on GOtv Lite, Value and Plus will also be able to celebrate the boxing legend’s life
Felix Mutati
MMD President Felix Mutati says the partnership between his party and the ruling PF is meant to help steer the country away from the economic challenges the nation is currently facing.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Mutati said the push for the alliance was based on 4 key principles which he named as democracy, transparency, the rule of law and predictable governance.
He said the MMD was bringing to the table the experience, knowledge and the lessons they learnt from the mistakes they made during their time in office.
“What we bring to the table is experience, knowledge and lessons that we learnt from the mistakes we made. Our push in the alliance will be to tackle the challenges that are faced by Zambians in the area of debt management, in the area of energy crisis but much more important is that we will bring our experience to bear on how to tackle the challenges of unemployment particularly unemployment on the Copperbelt.
“One of the elements that we must not always forget is that politicians don’t create jobs, politicians only create the environment within which jobs can be created. The ones that create jobs are the private sector. In creating jobs we must address some of the ethos and challenges that the private sector actually faces particularly on the Copperbelt,” he said.
He explained the need for mining companies to extend business opportunities to the private sector so as to create jobs in the Copperbelt Province.
“Most of the private sector on the Copperbelt depend on the mining industry but what has basically happened is that they are being suffocated in terms of access to business in the sector so we need to have what you may call a bottle engagement with the mining sector to address the extension of business opportunities to the private sector,” he said.
He also said the country should address issues affecting SMEs who are the biggest employers.
“Today the financial sector is dry, it has no liquidity, how then does the private sector begin to create opportunity if they can’t borrow and if they are able to borrow it is at 40% interest rate but much more difficult is when you deal with SMEs who are the biggest employers across Zambia.
“SMEs tend to have from the micro finance and when they borrow from micro finance it’s at 60% so our experience as MMD is that if you pursue a monitory policy that is too tight like is being pursued today focusing on eliminating liquidity you are actually affecting the survival of the private sector so it’s those kinds of experiences that we want to bring to bear,” he said.
He further noted the need for sub contractors to equitably benefit from the infrastructure development taking place in the country.
“There is a lot infrastructure development taking place but our own people are not being equitably empowered because at the sub contractor level they are being under priced and consequently most of them are failing to deliver so we need to create an opportunity that these sub contractors who are predominantly Zambians can be able to survive,” he said.
