Mr Hichilema said in a statement yesterday that each citizen must be given the opportunity to participate in the economy and improve his or her situation in life as a way of closing up the gap.

He said it was the responsibility of the government to ensure that the benefits of growth were shared.

Mr Hichilema said it was for this reason that UPND’s 10 Point Plan has a big focus on reducing inequality.

He said his government is going to tackle inequality by supporting the vulnerable and disadvantaged that were struggling to find jobs and access services such as education and healthcare.

“We will support youths through training initiatives and working with employers to open up apprenticeships and skills transfer opportunities,”he said.

Mr Hicilema said UPND is going to ensure access to education was equal for the girl and boy child.

He said this would ensure that the government tackles the issues that mean girl child school attendance remains lower such as child marriage, teenage pregnancies and expensive fees.

He said his government is going to lower food prices by increasing the productivity of our farmers.

He said corruption sees a huge percentage of the country’s wealth end up in the pockets of a few but there would be no sacred cows in the UPND government.

He said Zambia’s resources were for Zambians not a few select individuals.

“These are just some of the things we will do. To those who ask why previous governments have failed to eradicate poverty, we say it is because of a lack of political will and corruption,”he said.

Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has today filled in her nomination papers to contest for position of Lusaka Executive Mayor on the UPND ticket.

Dr Mwanawasa was accompanied to the civic centre by a group of supporters that included Former Vice President Guy Scott, Former MPs Sylvia Masebo and Obvious Mwaliteta.

And addressing her supporters, Dr Mwanawasa pledged to transform the city of Lusaka if elected into office.

She said top of her agenda will be to tackle the perennial cholera outbreaks and water shortages are addressed.

“The last few years, the councils are like a pit where all the money from the treasury geos for salaries, our new approach among others will be creating a city council that will be able to engage into capital projects for the councils,” Dr Mwanawasa said.

She said she wants to see a Lusaka City Council in the next five years that will be able to contribute to the treasury in form of tax contribution.

“We want to have a council that will be financially viable and be able to pay its own salaries and have a good capital base to enable it borrow and invest in infrastructure development,” she said.

She added, “The role of the Mayor this time is executive and one has to be elected into office and for us as UPND, we want to make this office of Mayor to be about the people of Lusaka. We want to see change in the provision of water, the quality of roads and electricity provision and this will entail restructuring Lusaka and not displacing the people entirely as we have seen.

Others you filed in their nomination papers include Wilson Kalumba for PF and Reverand Alfred Sakala of UNIP while Fisho Mwale and Elias Mpondela filed in as Independent candidates.

President Lungu also says he will prioritise the education sector in his second term in government

The head of state has further disclosed that government is considering reviewing the High Education Act of 2013.

President Lungu said this in a speech read on his behalf by Minister of Gender Nkandu Luo during the Golden Jubilee celebrations at the University of Zambia, Great East Road Main Campus.

The President said amending the current legislation will ensure effective management of both public and private universities.

And President Lungu has urged students at UNZA to reflect on the reason why they are at the institution.

Mr Lungu said students must engage in dialogue with authorities when they have grievances instead of resorting to disruptive behaviour.

President Lungu also thanked UNZA management for approving the construction of the 40 million kwacha multipurpose learning centre.

Earlier, First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda challenged UNZA management to be innovative and return the institution to its glorious past.

At the same occasion UNZA Chancellor Jacob Mwanza said the institution is faced with various challenges such as a high debt that is hindering the smooth operation of the university.

And visiting academic, Silas Lwakabamba from the University of Kibungo in Rwanda bemoaned the high levels of unemployment among graduates, which he said is a global challenge.

Professor Lwakabamba urged students to embrace entrepreneur skills after graduating from tertiary schools.

BongoHive, Zambia’s first and largest innovation and technology hub, launched a series of startup and SME Masterclasses today. Known for successfully incubating Zambian businesses such as talent and entertainment management company, Street Culture and natural hair care brand ZedHair. BongoHive are now making their knowledge even more accessible by offering short and highly focused masterclasses. Lasting between half-a-day to a week and costing between K25 to K500, the premise is simple: to give Zambian entrepreneurs the tools they need to grow their businesses.

Lukonga Lindunda, co-founder and executive director of BongoHive said “Whether it be building your first company website, developing your app idea, building and managing your social media presence, we have you covered. Our leadership position in the African tech community has enabled us to develop cutting edge programming and our business model has made it incredibly affordable.”

In addition to the suite of technology related workshops, BongoHive is also offering a number of widely applicable non-tech related workshops that include accounting, business speaking and generating impact through the power of business. Mr. Lindunda explained BongoHive has achieved this by collaborating with other regional thought leaders and organisations to pull together such powerful and cutting edge content.

Mr Lindunda said “There are so many reasons we’re excited about today’s launch; we’re finally able to fill a longstanding hole in the Zambian business ecosystem and get in the driver’s seat of building a more robust entrepreneurial community.”

Bayo Akindeinde PEPZ (Private Enterprise Programme Zambia) Team leader said “The objectives of BongoHive and that of PEPZ are closely aligned, our goal is to help build and strengthen the capacity of local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to create jobs and contribute to the diversification and growth of the economy. This partnership is essential to achieve greater impact. These masterclasses will enable entrepreneurs to add new skills to grow their businesses and ultimately thrive.”

“We have been working with Bayo Akindeinde and his team for over a year now and I feel that the entrepreneurial and business community is stronger because of that,” said Mr. Lindunda.

“We’re really proud to be doing this because it shows how different organisations can collaborate to achieve the common objective of paving the way for Zambia’s rise to become Africa’s next powerhouse of business,”Mr. Lindunda continued.
BongoHive Masterclasses commence on June 6^th and you can sign up through the website www.bongohive.co.zm/masterclasses.

The masterclasses and workshops include:

Masterclass 1 – Plan & Building your First Company Website

Masterclass 2A – Social Media – Facebook for Startups

Masterclass 2B – Social Media – Twitter for Startups

Masterclass 2C – Social Media – LinkedIn for Startups

Masterclass 2D – Social Media – Google+ for Startups

Masterclass 2E – Social Media – Instagram for Startups

Masterclass 2F – Social Media – Pinterest for Startups

Masterclass 3 – Digital Marketing Strategy and Analytics for Startups

Masterclass 4 – UX Design for Startups

Masterclass 5 – How to Build an App for your Startups

Non-Technical Workshop 1 – SpeechCraft for Business

Non-Technical Workshop 2 – Starting & Operating an Impactful Business

Financial Workshop 1 – Building & Understanding your Financial Accounts

And Dr Banda says he is hopeful that Hakainde Hichilema will not pick a wrong person to be his running mate.

Featuring on Muvi TV’s The Assignment program on Sunday Dr Banda said he does not feel overshadowed by newcomers because he knows those who are new have a point to prove.

He said he joined UPND when the party was not attractive and that his stay in the party was not conditional.

“Ten yeas ago, I spoke to HH. I was the Ministry of Health spokesperson then. I didn’t see ethnicity, I saw talent. One thing God has blessed me with Costa is to see talent. I saw this educated, young, articulate man” he explained. “I can’t defect now, I joined UPND at a time it was much smaller. If there is a loyal person in UPND, that person is me, I am passionate about the party” he said

And Mr Banda said the UPND leader needs a royal person as his running mate saying he needs a person who will help him achieve his vision for a better Zambia.

He said it would be a good story to write if Mr Hichilema picked him as his running mate.

“God forbid HH should not pick a wrong person as his running mate because the wrath of God will be on him,” responded Dr Banda when pressed to comment what will happen if he is left out.

He refused to comment on the suitability of his counterpart Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba for the running mate position.

“I wish GBM well, all I can say is I wish him well” Dr Banda answered after being asked whether he feels GBM stands a better chance. “I recruited Geoffrey. Hakainde, me and the team, we recruited GBM. He must go out there and explain to the people what UPND want to do,” he said.

On the choice of the running mate, Dr Banda said; It’s the prerogative of the President to appoint who he feels is capable and trusted to deputise him.

“It’s the prerogative of the President to appoint his vice and President Hakainde is taking his time. You know Costa, timing is everything in politics” Dr Banda explained, “President Hakainde Hichilema is God fearing man and its fundamentally important that he appoint a God fearing person as a running mate. Somebody who respects the people and a leader who understand the diverse of Zambia’s ethnic groupings but understands the unity in purpose, that’s the running mate that President Hakainde needs,” he said

On being bankrupt, Dr Banda said he is from a humble background such that he sold cigarettes in Mandevu but rose to what he has become.

“I was born in Mandevu from a poor background. I used to be mishanga saler but became a speech writer for head of states. You can beat poverty, I built a house for my mother just after I graduated, I built another house for my wife and I am now building a house for my children. I am a builder. I am building Hichilema”

On the economy, Dr Banda said UPND will execute and deliver its Ten point plan within five years in power.

 Sandi Chimpala is a tech blogger for popular site techtrends.co.zm . Earlier this year she was awarded Digital Woman of the Year at the Zambian Woman of the Year Awards .

KAPA187: Briefly tell us about yourself.

Sandi Chimpala: I’m 25 years old, I love eyeliner, I love to write, I love to read, I  love to watch random non-Box Office movies, I have no particular fashion sense, I love box braids, and I have God to thank that my weight isn’t a reflection of how much I eat!

Professionally, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from UNZA and I have spent almost 3 years as tech blogger and analyst, as well as a lot of content curation for online platforms like social media.

KAPA187: What inspired you to start blogging/writing about technology.

Sandi Chimpala: I was called to become a part of Techtrends out of the blue by one of the founders who’d served in so many tech companies it was ridiculous he’d consider me to write for his blog. I had no idea what I was doing but then people liked the fact that the tech stories were so raw and relatable, covering questions they’d like to know that were relevant to Zambia and so I continued being a part of that sphere. There was also a lack of a worthy news source on local tech. All the ‘tech’ news you’d ever see in media were the press releases that telecoms companies sent out to journalists after treating them to a nice little breakfast at their headquarters. Did I want to be a techblogger when I grew up? No, but I love every second of it!

KAPA187: Techtrends is a news blog that focuses on technology. What is the main aim of the blog?

Sandi Chimpala: Techtrends is a news blog focusing on technology, based and focused on Zambia. What is technology? To us at Techtrends, it is the progression of ideas and the evolution of solutions.

Our mandate is to teach, educate and inform our readership. This is from the noobs to the geeks, smartphone gurus to gamers, hobbyists to field experts and tomorrows adults.

KAPA187: Would you consider Zambians as being ‘tech-savvy’?

Sandi Chimpala: We’re halfway there. I would like to call Zambia a “tech-curious” country, judging from the many questions people ask about how certain technologies work. The only limitation to being savvy about it is the high cost of devices and internet connectivity for many people, as well a lack of information sharing by device retailers on what their gadgets can really do e.g. they’ll tell you a phone has a great camera, but did they tell you about the other modes like low-lit areas, how to focus in daylight, how to take a panoramic shot, etc.? Most of the stuff we know about our devices is self-educated, through trial and error, without ever knowing the full potential of it. (Thank the Google gods!)

KAPA187:  Internet penetration in Zambia is still quite low. Having high speed internet access is seen as a luxury whereas it is the norm in other countries. Do you think we will see a change in this in the near future?

Sandi Chimpala: Yes it will have to. More and more people are becoming data reliant and consuming higher amounts of it. Even mobile operators are pushing for more data consumption by charging low prices on high data bundles, but limiting validity to a day (which sucks) but that’s a step towards getting people to do more with the internet. ISPs are trying to make internet access packages that cater to both the low-income and high income and still offer unlimited connectivity. The only limitation here is most of it rides on fibre optic cable backbones which are not yet installed in every community. As for speeds, I personally would like to see consistency in it as most have it really fast one day and almost non-existent the next day. It should be even at all times, Africa or not.

KAPA187: Many Local companies and institutions are seemingly not fully utilizing the internet. In what way would you say they have fallen short?

Sandi Chimpala: I can’t renew my ID online in 2016! There seems to still be a dependence on files and books in many institutions that really could be done away with and create more space, literally, for other things. There’s options of having systems installed on PCs that could store all the information that a company needs without having to use and waste paper. If they’re scared of the system crashing, there’s cloud servers for that that they can SECURELY back up all their data to. Let’s save trees, guys!

KAPA187: In the recent past we have seen an increase in E-business; do you think we are doing enough to promote it?

Sandi Chimpala: No because payment gateways are still a problem for many e-commerce sites to integrate into their platforms. Even if they are successful at carrying out a cash on delivery system, there is still so much more that people don’t understand about shopping online for items from their phones. Having worked for one major global e-commerce site, I often came across a lot of people who’d ‘rather walk to the shop’.

KAPA187: In regards to mobile applications. We have a number of local mobile apps available .Techtrends showcases some of them on ‘Local App Friday’ .What do you think the developers need to do in order to promote the use of these apps and even make a living off them?

Sandi Chimpala: Talk about them more. Techtrends is only one outlet for such apps, but they need to push more for the installs themselves. Developers need to fully explain over and over again why and how their apps work. Right now many apps are created and abandoned so locals think Zambian apps are not worth the download. That makes it hard for new developers to even charge a minimal fee to make money off downloads. Because there is a general prejudice that our own apps are crap, to be honest. Some are great, but need much more than one blog to show just how amazing they are.

KAPA187: Are we seeing enough innovation among our tech developers or are they simply following trends?

Sandi Chimpala: A lot of the innovation is a copy and paste idea from something already existing without even considering how it fits into the Zambian scene. I’d like to see more apps that are absolutely relevant for Zambians by Zambians.

KAPA187: Social media is a powerful tool that goes beyond posting selfies .Some people are able to earn a living solely on their social media activities. Here in Zambia do you feel it is being fully utilized.

Sandi Chimpala: I agree. In many countries, brand influencers work entirely on social media, urging the masses to buy into a product or service, In Zambia, that’s still a new concept. I’ve seen and been part of a few social media campaigns that use influencers to sell a business, and pay them for using their followers as a target audience. Now you understand why celebrities are selling teeth whitening kits on Instagram right? Lol.

KAPA187: In the next 10 years do you see Zambia still being on the consumer side of technology or moving towards innovation and production?

Sandi Chimpala: Towards the latter, because problems are increasing and solutions are being sought in technology. There is no way we’ll avoid innovation. The only limitation will be how fast we can adopt it.

KAPA187: At this year’s Zambian Woman of the Year Awards you were honored as Digital Woman of the Year. How did receiving this award make you feel? And what does it mean to you?

Sandi Chimpala: To be honest I thought they were kidding me when I was called about the nomination. I thought some other woman would get it while I would be I don’t know, second runner up! It was so exciting, I made a short stuttered speech appreciating that my work didn’t go unnoticed. It means everything to me. I look at the gold statue every day and smile, because I know someone out there need me to wear my tech cape and save the ICT world that day, one blog at a time.  I hope to see more girls in tech and ICT, whatever they do in it, given an audience as well for the next awards.

KAPA187: What is your word of advice to young women who want to venture into IT related careers?

Sandi Chimpala: for it! I wish I hadn’t focused on what others said about certain courses but done what I wanted to do. Nothing is for boys anymore 🙂

KAPA187: Apart from your work with Techtrends, what else are you involved in?

Sandi Chimpala: I am currently handling all social media and online content for the BBC Media Action’s projects in its Zambia office, as well as mentoring some of its partners on the use of social media effectively.

KAPA187: Any last words?

Sandi Chimpala: Can I be a cliché techie and end with a quote from Steve Jobs? Yeah? Ok.

“We are here to put a dent in the universe, otherwise why else would we be here?”

I just hope everyone is hitting hard enough to make a mark.

 Follow Sandi on social media ;

Twitter: @sandichimpala

Follow her work on techtrends:  techtrends.co.zm

BY KAPA187