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Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili
Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has said that Minister of Local Government and Housing Stephen Kampyongo did not direct the council to demolish people’s houses.
Commenting on the houses demolished, the minister said that Government was saddened by the demolition of houses in Kitwe’s Mufuchani area by the Kitwe City Council.
“It must be noted that at no point did the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing direct the council to demolish people’s houses but to stop any further construction of structures in the area,”he said.
“What is even more regrettable is that the council took this action in the middle of the rainy season.This action is not only unacceptable but inhuman and demeaning to the affected families,”he said.
He said Government was aware of the rampant illegal land allocation by some council officials at Kitwe City Council and will not allow such desperate attempts to cover-up their illegal dealings.
Mr Kambwili said that during his visit to the City, Local Government and Housing Minister Stephen Kampyongo discovered that the council had been allocating land in the area illegally.
He said Government directive to the Kitwe City Council to immediately find accommodation for the affected families as the local authority looks for alternative land for the people.
Lake Kariba
EIGHT Zambian fishermen have been sentenced to two-year imprisonment with hard labour by a Zimbabwean Court for fishing illegally in that country’s water.
The fishermen, from Siavonga District, were on January 4, this year, arrested by the Zimbabwean authorities for allegedly fishing illegally on that country’s side of Lake Kariba.
Southern Province Police Chief Goldwin Phiri was however unreachable for a comment by press time.
But Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama yesterday confirmed the sentencing of the fishermen in an interview.
Mr Kanyama said the fishermen appeared in a Zimbabwean Court on Monday, this week, and were sentenced to two-year imprisonment with hard labour.
Two boats that the fishermen were using to catch Kapenta were confiscated and forfeited to the Zimbabwean government.
“My appeal to the Zimbabwean government is to have mercy to the youths (fishermen) by allowing them to pay a fine to the offence which they committed, “he said.
Mr Kanyama however clarified that allowing the convicts to pay a fine each was not one way of encouraging illegal fishing.
He said Zambia and Zimbabwe had a long historical and cordial bilateral relationship which could be utilised to resolve certain matters.
A few months ago, more than 100 Zambian fishermen were arrested by Congolese marines on Lake Tanganyika in Northern Province for fishing illegally in that country’s waters.
About eight boats and fishing equipment were seized by the Congolese authorities.
President Eedgar Lungu Cuts the ribbon whilst Vice President Inonge Wine Looks on during the Launch of the Perfromance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government Complex
The Law Association of Zambia has commended the move by the Government to launch the new public service performance-based system for permanent secretaries.
LAZ President George Chisanga said the initiative, if implemented correctly, has the potential to transform public service delivery to all Zambians in all sectors of the economy by creating greater accountability of public officers.
Mr Chisanga however cautioned that more important than the strength of an individual’s performance is the strength of the institutions of the public service.
He said Public service institutions should be run professionally as much as possible, free from political interference, to ensure that the governance structures of the country are robust irrespective of which political party is in government.
“LAZ is of the view that such an excellent initiative should extend to all employees of the civil service. Indeed, section 173 of the new Constitution Amendment Act No. 2 of 2016 provides principles and values that should guide employees of the civil service in the conduct of their duties.
He proposed that, where possible, government collaborates with the private sector to share ideas on how the economy and governance can be improved for the benefit of all Zambians.
“LAZ, like many other stakeholders, looks forward to seeing an increasingly efficient and service delivery oriented civil service.”
The Board of Directors of the Institute of Directors of Zambia has announced the appointment of Mr. Eddie Musonda Chunga as Executive Director.
IoD President Sherry Thole said the appointment is with effect from 4th January, 2016.
Mr Chunga takes over from Mrs Sabina Mubanga Luputa who has left to pursue other interests.
Mr. Chunga holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Land Economy and a Master of Business Administration. He also holds Certificates in Diplomatic Practice, Protocol and Public Relations, and Stock Brokers and Investment Advisory
Mr Chunga brings to the Institute over 14 years experience in Strategic management, business development and entrepreneurship, people management and public relations.
He has served in various senior positions in both public and private sectors.
“On behalf of the IODZ Board and its Membership, I would like to welcome Mr Chunga and look forward to his positive contribution towards the spread of Good Corporate Governance Practices in Zambia and beyond. I also wish to thank Mrs Luputa for her selfless service and wish her well in her future endeavours,” Ms Thole said.
Edith Nawakwi
FDD President Edith Nawakwi says the office of the Deputy Minister became null and void the moment President Lungu assented to the Constitution Bill.
Speaking when she featured on Hot FM radio on Thursday, Ms Nawakwi said Deputy Ministers should vacate their offices because all officers but Deputy Ministers are provided for in the amended constitution.
“The Deputy Minister is effectively not provided for in this constitution, they are seating in our offices illegally. All the the other offices are provided for except that of the Deputy Minister. By virtue of the President signing the new Constitution, their offices became null and void, so what are they doing flying our flags and walking around as Deputy Ministers? These are some of the lacunas and problems that are sitting in a corner as if you are doing a grade 12 exam and you don’t want your friend to copy. This is public office stopping hiding things from the people,” she said.
She accused the PF of not being open about the constitution making process saying President Lungu had refused to meet stakeholders to discuss some of the clauses which have since been left out.
She said the PF had started behaving as if they are the people who started the process when it is the people of Zambia who wanted some rights to be included in the supreme law of the land.
“This is the President who vehemently refused to have any meetings or interactions whether with the church or people like me who wanted to engage them on issues of mutual interest.
“My disappointment is that my President has completely paid a blind eye to the fact that the genesis of this work was about the rights of individuals and especially the youth and women so for him to stand up and say there is no money for them to be MPs I find that totally unacceptable and completely alien to his profession as a lawyer,” she said.
She said with open consultation and dialogue some of the issues being talked about after the constitution has already been signed would not have arisen.
And Ms. Nawakwi has reiterated that the country is economically in a mess because the people entrusted with managing the country are clueless.
She said the PF have no idea on how to run a country hence the economic quagmire the country is facing adding that a government with a clue on what is needed to be done to turn the country around would not continue spending money on things which would not help bring in income.
She further wondered how a normal government would be dormant when there are some signs of drought in number of places in the country.
She said instead of waiting for the disaster government should be making preparatory works to avoid any calamities in places which will be affected by the foreseen drought.
On the Public Order Act Ms Nawakwi said police should stop inconveniencing the opposition because the new Constitution provides for parties to have preliminarily elections before the general elections.
She added that the police should not be selective in the way the apply the law adding that the PF started campaigning the day Edgar Lungu was announced as President because there are cars branded PF and Edgar Lungu for President 2016 all over the country.
PRESIDENT Zuma with President Lungu’s Special Envoy, Minister Siliya, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba at Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President’s Official Residence) in Pretoria
ENERGY and Water Development Minister, Ms. Dora Siliya, as Special Envoy of President Edgar Lungu, this morning held a meeting with South Africa’s President, Mr. Jacob Zuma during which she delivered a special message from the Zambian head of state.
Speaking after the meeting which lasted over 40 minutes and held at Mahlamba Ndlopfu in Pretoria, Ms. Siliya said she expressed Zambia’s desire to import 300 megawatts of power from South Africa.
Mahlamba Ndlopfu is the official residence for the President of the Republic of South African.
“After I presented the letter containing the special message from President Lungu to his brother, President Zuma, I spoke of our interest to import about 300 megawatts of power from South Africa,” Ms. Siliya said.
The Minister pointed out that President Zuma indicated that it was important for “neighbours to help one another in times of difficulties.”
She said President Zuma later instructed his Minister of Energy Ms. Tina Joemat-Pettersson to hold a separate meeting with her at Mahlamba Ndlopfu.
The Minister later held other meetings with South Africa’s International Relations Minister, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and her counterpart in charge of Water and Sanitation, Ms. Nomvula Mokonyane.
Ms. Siliya was accompanied to the meetings by Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba, directors in her Ministry, Mr. Oscar Kalumiana for energy, and Ms. Viola Mtamila for Planning, and Zesco director of transmission Mr. Webster Musonda.
PRESIDENT Zuma with President Lungu’s Special Envoy, Minister Siliya at Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President’s Official Residence) in PretoriaPRESIDENT Zuma with President Lungu’s Special Envoy, Minister Siliya at at Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President’s Official Residence) in PretoriaPRESIDENT Zuma receives President Lungu’s Special Envoy, Minister Siliya when the minister arrived at Mahlamba Ndlopfu (President’s Official Residence) in Pretoria
Hon. Miles Sampa
MATERO member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa says he will not resign from the Patriotic Front (PF) without consulting his relatives countrywide because he is a founder member of the ruling party.
And PF secretary-general Davies Chama has appealed to members to avoid acting on rumours and speculation created by individuals bent on destabilising the party.
Mr Sampa said individuals who are demanding his resignation from PF do not know the history of the party.
Speaking when he addressed his supporters and reopened his office at Central Park in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Sampa said he is a member of the central committee (MCC) and only reports and talks to President Lungu or Mr Chama if there is an issue.
“They are calling for my resignation because they do not know the history of the PF. They were not there when we suffered with President Michael Sata to build the party. I, therefore, cannot resign without consultation from my relatives countrywide,” he said.
Mr Sampa said the 24-hour ultimatum given to him to resign is unattainable.
He requested members asking him to resign to give him a month to go on a countrywide tour to seek advice from his relatives in all the provinces.
He said the protesters should not speak on behalf of the entire Matero constituency but should instead maintain peace and never attempt to close his office again.
“The office has been opened and it will never be closed again because I signed a one-year contract to operate from here. This is not a public property and that is why I am bringing in tight security to protect myself,” Mr Sampa said.
And Mr Chama said it is not the policy of the PF to speak on behalf of others, especially asking any member to resign without basis.
“Rumour-mongering and speculation only brings confusion to the party. We should not allow stories from people and media houses that only want to see confusion in the party to distract us,” he said.
And Mr Chama said Mr Sampa should not be asked to leave the party but should be left to decide the path he wants to take for himself.
He said his mandate as PF secretary-general is to mobilise the party and to ensure that structures and members remain intact and not to chase people.
Mr Chama said he talked to Mr Sampa after he relinquished his position as deputy minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and that he pledged loyalty to President Lungu and the party.
He said Mr Sampa said at a joint press briefing that the only thing that would make him leave PF is death, and that stories of him wanting to leave or form his own political party are mere speculation.
Mr Chama said Mr Sampa remains a PF member.
He, however, advised Mr Sampa not to “burn bridges” if he plans to leave.
Some PF members in Matero constituency on Tuesday dared Mr Sampa to resign and prove his popularity claim.
Zambia President Edgar Chagwa Lungu signed a new Constitution at the Lusaka Heroes Stadium
By Wynter M Kabimba ODS, SC General Secretary, Rainbow Party
The Constitution (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, came into effect on Tuesday 05th January, 2016, when His Excellency President Edgar Lungu assented to it at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. The day of assent was also declared a half working day by the government. This political gesture was intended to lend credence to the importance of the assenting process itself and also what the PF wanted to show to the public as a major historic achievement in the constitutional-making process which had polarised the country in recent years.
In order to put in context the Constitution (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, it is necessary to delve into the history of the past constitutional review commissions since the Chona Commission of 1972, which ushered in the One-party state. Against the over-whelming submissions by the general public that they did not want a one-party state of government, UNIP went ahead to declare Zambia a one-party state through legislation (Article 4 in the constitution).
In 1990, President Kaunda appointed the Mvunga Constitutional Review Commission but the commission did not complete its work due to the wind of change sweeping across Eastern Europe and elsewhere demanding for multipartyism after the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Article 4 in the then Republican Constitution was removed and Zambia reverted to plural politics.
During the run up to the October, 1991 presidential and general elections which MMD won with a landslide, they promised to repeal the constitution and enact in its place a constitution which would sustain and advance democratic institutions of governance and human rights. This under-taking was followed by the appointment of the Mwanakatwe Constitutional Review Commission (1995).
Apart from the preamble which declared Zambia a Christian nation, MMD did not materially change or repeal the constitution. Instead, the constitution was only amended through the Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1996. The government white paper had rejected most of the submissions (demands by the general public).
In 2002, President Mwanawasa in another attempt to resolve the constitutional question appointed the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission. The government also enacted the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) Act which set out the road map for the constitutional review process. Failure by the MMD to marshal the two-thirds majority in parliament collapsed the whole process. It is important to make mention here that PF boycotted the NCC, arguing that the outcome was skewed to favour MMD which was represented by its MPs and civil servants in larger numbers than other groups of stakeholders. PF members of parliament who attended the NCC were subsequently expelled from the party.
During the 2011 presidential and general elections campaign and in line with its manifesto, PF promised the electorate a repeal of the constitution if elected into government. It also promised to have the constitution adopted through a national referendum without any White Paper while parliament’s role would be to enact the constitution only in accordance with the will of the people as represented in the national referendum. In order to show commitment to his promise, President Sata immediately after taking office in September, 2011, went ahead to appoint the Silungwe Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution in October 2011.
The Silungwe Technical Committee was not supposed to under-take another constitutional review exercise at all. Its original policy mandate was to review the chronology of the recommendations of all previous constitutional review commissions and condense the common demands of the Zambian people since the Chona Commission and prepare a constitutional bill which captured the will and aspirations of the people. It was the view of PF that the people’s common constitutional demands were all already in the public domain.
Conscious about the growing culture of patronage on the part of the president and in order to save costs, the people had always demanded for a small cabinet with a strong parliament which would play an effective oversight role over the executive.
The voice of the Zambian people in all constitutional review commissions was loud and clear and, therefore, unequivocal. They demanded for active participation in governance matters and they abhorred the government practice of releasing a White Paper which substituted the views of those in power for their own. The demand for democracy was, therefore, a common thread.
From their experience under the one-party state, they wanted to see the president’s powers curtailed and hence control the abuse of power by one person. Conscious about the growing culture of patronage on the part of the president and in order to save costs, the people had always demanded for a small cabinet with a strong parliament which would play an effective oversight role over the executive. They also demanded for an accountable government with equality of rights of citizens to participate in its affairs without any form of discrimination. Overall, they wanted to be the source of political power and its legitimacy. PF had canvassed all these demands during election campaigns and promised to right all past wrongs when it assumes state power.
During his visit to Mansa in 2013 while featuring on a community radio programme, President Sata made a statement that the country did not need a new constitution because it had a functioning one already in place. This was Sata’s first public statement on the constitutional making process as president. However, after assuming office in January 2015, President Edgar Lungu made a public statement that the government was still committed to delivering a people driven constitution.
The statement brought great relief to the civil society movement and the general public. The civil society wanted to engage the new government on the roadmap which the remaining process would take after the release of the Technical Committee’s report. As a show of progress, the government produced the constitution (Amendment) Bill which was submitted to parliament for debate. The Amendment Bill was passed after a vote with amendments raised on the floor of the House.
On 06th January, 2016, one of the daily tabloids screamed a headline “Lungu makes history.” This was the day following the president’s assent to the Constitution (Amendment) Act No.2of 2016. Let me in the rest of this paper examine and outline the nature of President Lungu’s proclaimed history making. What has Edgar Lungu achieved which other presidents before him failed to achieve? Does his alleged achievement settle the constitutional question for Zambia?
In Article 8 of the Constitutional (Amendment) Act No.2 of 2016 (which I shall henceforth refer to as the “Amendment Act”), there is provided National Values and Principles which inter alia are: morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non- discrimination, good governance and integrity and sustainable development ( emphasis mine).
However, while as a citizen you are guaranteed equality and non-discrimination you are in the same Amendment Act disqualified to stand as president, MP or councillor unless you are in possession of a Grade 12 certificate of education or its equivalent (Articles 70 and 100). You also are disqualified to stand as president if you have dual citizenship (Article 100).For our traditional rulers (Chiefs), they are not qualified to stand as president or MP unless they abdicate the throne but they qualify to stand as councillors in a local authority (Article 168).
Democracy and constitutionalism have been imported into the Amendment Act as central to good governance. But they are immediately diluted and defeated by Article 81 which vests powers in the president to dissolve parliament which has a guaranteed term of five years if parliament does not objectively and reasonably carry out its functions. The president would easily do this with the support of the judges of the Constitutional Court whom he appoints. The principle of ratification of appointees by parliament in a democracy is intended to act as a screening process to protect public interest.
It is also one of the pillars of good governance. Under the Amendment Act, if the president’s nominee’s name submitted to parliament for ratification is rejected three times, the appointment shall nonetheless stand against the will of the people’s representatives (Article 95). Against the same values and principles of social justice and equity, opposition political parties can only access public media facilities during the time of elections (Article 50).
Whereas under the List System, the electorates vote for a party, candidates under the First-past the post system are elected directly. They derive their mandate directly from the people and such an MP is accountable to them. Under Article 72 of the Amendment Act, a member of parliament can after a successful action against his political party in the Constitutional Court regarding his membership decide to remain in the party as a member or resign but continue to sit in parliament as an independent MP.
Although the Amendment Act guarantees a citizen to exercise his /her political rights (Article 45), this is caveated by Article 51 which prevents such a citizen from standing in an election as an independent candidate unless one has not been a member of a political party for a period of at least two months preceding the date of the election. If one is a public officer he is disqualified from standing as MP if such officer had been removed from office for gross misconduct in the period of five years preceding the election. The removal from office may take the form of perceived political partisanship not favourable to the ruling party since it does not arise from a judgment of a competent tribunal or court of law (Article 70), and the president under Article 185 has powers to terminate the employment of a public officer.
Although the Speaker of the National Assembly is elected by MPs it is provided that a person shall not qualify to be elected as such if he carries dual citizenship (Article 82). But the Speaker may also be removed from office on a motion moved by one member of parliament and supported by only one third of the members. A subsequent resolution of two thirds of the members of parliament shall result in the suspension of the Speaker from office (Article 83). The Amendment Act does not provide for specific instances of gross misconduct. The ambiguity which goes with this provision greatly compromises the authority of the office of the Speaker in a democracy.
The battle-cry by all Zambians from the beginning of the constitutional making process which has culminated into the Amendment Act was that they wanted a people driven process and full ownership of the ultimate product. Public debates of this process took the form of district and provincial conventions and finally the national convention which was convened in Lusaka in April 2014. The Technical Committee accommodated the national convention although it was outside its terms of reference just to satisfy the public demand for a people driven constitutional making process.
It is, therefore, inconceivable that the people’s desire and good faith manifested through their active participation can be a product fraught with discriminatory and obnoxious clauses against the people themselves. That the people who have over the years decried excessive power held by the president can now decide to vest powers in the same individual to the extent that they can allow him to dissolve the National Assembly at will or appoint his cronys against their will to satisfy his personal ambition and interest for self-preservation.
If lessons could be drawn from history, we have seen how patronage both within the ruling party and more so in the opposition political parties can undermine democracy and the loyalty of individuals through appointments to government positions. A situation where most if not all opposition political party MPs evolve to become independent members of parliament in theory while in practice aligned to and voting with the ruling party in the House is a practical reality.
In this regard a one-party state flying through the back door of parliament with the ruling Party as its architect is not a bridge too far. Once again, like in all previous constitutional review commissions the PF approach confirms and highlights the class structure in our society between those who wield state power and have always used it for self interest and self-preservation against the poor and under privileged who in this case do not have the required minimum academic qualifications to participate in national affairs as citizens through no faulty of theirs but who constitute larger demographic figures of citizens than the ruling class. The Amendment Act in both letter and spirit is intended to entrench PF in power and ultimately undermine the tenets of democracy and the entire good governance polity.
No political party like the Rainbow Party which stands for the interest of the workers, peasants, students and other progressive intellectuals would herald the Amendment Act as a historic and progressive piece of legislation and render it its support.
In the words of the literary Nigerian writer “The Beautiful Ones are Not Yet Born”.
Chishimba Kambwili stresses a point on Sunday Interview
Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili says his statement on on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview did not refer to any specific political party or region as being tribal and wonders why it’s only the UPND that has reacted to his statement.
Mr. Kambwili told ZNBC News in a telephone interview in Livingstone that he merely said that there are certain areas where tribalism was so rife and should be stopped.
He said his statement has been deliberately misunderstood by the UPND.
And Mr. Kambwili has wondered why it has to take the UPND to defend veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga on his rigging allegations.
He said private citizens have reported Mr. Mwaanga to the police and government did not want to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile Mr. Kambwili has accused the UPND of hypocrisy over the minimum Grade 12 constitutional requirement for one to stand as a ward Councillor or Member of Parliament.
Mr. Kambwili says it was UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema who asked his MPs not to debate any clause in the draft constitution and that it should be passed as it was submitted by the Technical Committee.
He said this was despite the government calling for the constitutional bill to be debated in parliament to identify such clauses and amend them.
Mr. Kambwili said that the government is still open and ready to amend clauses which are discriminatory.
The Lusaka High Court is tomorrow expected to preside an interparte hearing in the matter in which opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has sued Times of Zambia Newspaper for defamation.
The court has also set January 25, 2016 for interparte hearing in a matter where Mr. Hichilema has sued Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper for defamation.
Mr. Hichilema has sued Times of Zambia, over articles published on December 28, 2015.
He also filed a suit against Times of Zambia based on another article published in the Sunday Times of Zambia on December 27, 2015.
Mr. Hichilema has also sued the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper citing articles published on December 27, 2015.
He was accused of having blasted Chieftainess Mwenda of Chikankata District of Southern Province for welcoming Patriotic Front-PF Secretary General Davies Chama.
Mr. Hichilema has contended that the damage he stands to suffer owing to the articles cannot be redressed, if he was to lose the 2016 General Election.
This is contained in statements of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) says it will not appeal against the acquittal over former Republican President Rupiah Banda.
ACC Public Relations Manager, Timothy Moono says this follows advice from the National Prosecution Authority.
The former President was in June 2015, acquitted of the charge of abuse of authority of office in an oil deal involving a Nigerian company.
It is alleged that between May 1, 2008 and September 24, 2011, Mr. Banda abused the authority of his office by allegedly procuring a Nigerian government-to-government oil contract in the name of the Republic of Zambia but did not benefit the Zambian people.
But in his Judgement, Principal Magistrate Joshua Banda adopted the submission by the defence of no case to answer, a verdict the ACC sought to appeal against.
And Mr. Moono says the ACC has closed the case involving Mpundu Trust, a real estate company owned by Former First Lady, Thandiwe Banda.
He has attributed the closure of the court case to difficulties in obtaining information from international boundaries.
Mr. Moono disclosed this during the Commission’s 2015 End of year Media briefing in Lusaka today.
He also announced that ACC has commenced new corruption investigations at the Football Association of Zambia -FAZ-.
Mr. Moono said the commission has also concluded investigations into a case involving FAZ president, Kalusha Bwalya and that it is now making follow-ups with international bodies on the matter.
Meanwhile Mr. Moono said the commission has described the year 2015 as a good year in the fight against corruption but noted that more needs to be done in 2016.
Zambia on Thursday afternoon arrived in Rwanda for the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals that kicks off on January 16 and will run until February 7.
George Lwandamina’s side touched down at Kigali International Airport slightly after midday.
The team flew from Johannesburg after a five-day training camp.
Zambia will be based in Rubavu together with its Group D rivals Zimbabwe, Mali and Uganda.
Zambia begins its campaign on January 19 when they face Zimbabwe in a Group D opening match.
Zambia will face Uganda and Mali on January 23 and 27 respectively.
GOVERNMENT reiterates its directive to school authorities in Government boarding schools countrywide to reduce boarding fees with immediate effect as directed recently.
Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili said in a statement yesterday that education was a basic right and school fees should not be an inhibition factor for children to access it.
Mr Kambwili who Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services said the Government, calls on parents countrywide to report head teachers who may be dragging their feet to effect the directive as no child should pay more than the prescribed fees.
“Government is concerned that fees charged in Government schools are beyond the reach of the poor and rural based learners.
This is unacceptable hence Government’s directive to have the fees reduced with immediate effect,” he said.
Below is the full statement
STATEMENT BY HON. CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, MP, MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THE DIRECTIVE TO REDUCE BOARDING FEES IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
Government reiterates its directive to school authorities in Government boarding schools countrywide to reduce boarding fees with immediate effect as directed recently.
Education is a basic right and school fees should not be an inhibition factor for children to access it.
Government, therefore, calls on parents countrywide to report head teachers who may be dragging their feet to effect the directive as no child should pay more than the prescribed fees.
Government is concerned that fees charged in Government schools are beyond the reach of the poor and rural based learners. This is unacceptable hence Government’s directive to have the fees reduced with immediate effect.
Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, MP MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
Deputy Inspector General of police in charge of Administration Eugene Sibote says the continued development of the country dependant on the equipping of young people with life skills.
Speaking at the 1st graduation ceremony of 87 youths from Lusaka Police camp at Lusaka Both Development centre Mr . Sibote said youths can only stop engaging in negative vices when they are productive.
He said the police has realized that it is counter productive for young people to be idle in police camps as that would increase the chances of them engaging in bad vices.
The initiative to engage the young people from our camps was necessitated by the need to ensure that our children are able to acquire skills that can make them compete favourably on the job market. Further it is our realisation that leaving the young people idling in our camps was counter productive because due to boredom, the probability of them engaging in negative vices would be too high.
It is also the understanding of police command that the continued development of this country will be most assured when young people are equipped with life skills that can enable them meaningful contributions to their nation.
Mr. Sibote further called the well meaning individuals in society to help youths realise their full potential as opposed to using them as tools not violence. He urged the graduates to avoid involving themselves in illicit activities as the consequences will be to ghastly to contemplate when found wanting.
And speaking at the same function Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth,Sport and Child Development Alfonso Banda called on the public to embrace ITC as it one the tools which is used in all spheres of life.
The Matero Local Court has heard how a 28-year-old woman deserted her matrimonial home after her husband found a sex conversation coupled with naked pictures in her phone.
This was in case in which Jack Chanda, 37, sued Precious Tembo, 28, for divorce.
Chanda also shocked a fully-packed Matero Local Court when he told the court that his wife sleeps with a jean skirt in bed.
Facts before the court were that Chanda married Tembo in 2004 and have no children together.
Chanda said problems in their marriage started shortly after he married Tembo and decided to send her to school.
“Shortly after I sent my wife to the University of Zambia, I started noticing some funny behaviour in our house. She started coming late and spending sleepless night texting on WhatsApp,” he said.
The plaintiff told the court that his wife had started telling him that he would one day compensate him for taking her to university in order to avoid him boasting of educating her.
“My wife is also in the habit of packing her belongings when we have an argument,” he said.
Chanda complained that his wife had been accusing him of being dull and incapable of impregnating her.
“She tells me that I add no value to her life because there is nothing meaningful I do to help her, not even advising her,” Chanda said.
Chanda said his wife denies him conjugal rights by reading the Bible the whole night.
But Tembo said her husband is a jealous man who does not want to see her interacting with other men and that on several occasions he has accused her of being a prostitute.
She has accused Chanda of having a girlfriend who is responsible for his decision to opt for divorce.
Tembo told the court that she is tired of having a man who demands for sex every time they are in bed.
Magistrate Lewis Mumba granted the couple divorce.
