Last Weekend Football in Pictures
Zesco hold first training session in Pretoria
Zesco United rolled into Pretoria on Wednesday and quickly settled down to prepare for Saturday’s big 2016 CAF Champions League semifinal final leg date against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Zesco flew out from Ndola on Wednesday afternoon for Johannesburg.
They later took a drive up to Pretoria where Saturday’s match will be play in a 19h00 kickoff at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
“We have to go there with a winning mentally and we are going there for a win,” Zesco midfielder Kondwani Mtonga said prior to departure in Ndola on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Zesco held its first training session on Wednesday evening for one hour at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Zesco enjoy a 2-1 first leg lead over Sundowns and need a draw this weekend to qualify for next month’s two-legged finals against either Zamalek of Egypt or Wydad Casablanca from Morocco.
Zamalek head into the final leg away to Wydad on the same date in a 22h00 kickoff in Rabat enjoying a comfortable 4-0 home win they recorded on September 16.
President Edgar Lungu pays tribute to Zambians for promoting a free and fair election
President Edgar Lungu has paid tribute to Zambians and the international community for promoting a free and fair election.
The President says the just ended general election was a test for Zambia’s long standing democratic process.
President Lungu said this in his addressed to the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ans President Lungu has addressed the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York with a commitment to promoting democracy and the rule of law.
And President Lungu has paid tribute to Zambians and the international community for promoting a free and fair election.
The President says the just ended general election was a test for Zambia’s long standing democratic process.
ZNBC’s Bangwe Naviley reports from New York that President Lungu said he is working hard to fulfill the aspirations of Zambians through the diversification of the economy.
He says Government is looking forward to investors in the energy sector who will help in the diversification drive from hydro to other power options such as solar.
The President however bemoaned the absence of Africa on the UN Security Council.
National AIDS Council calls for scaling up of HIV Testing
Western Province Provincial AIDS Coordination Advisor Rosemary Masaku said to achieve the 90 percent treatment threshold there is need to equally scale-up the HIV testing target to 90 percent by 2020.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ orientation workshop organised by NAC in Nkeyema district yesterday, Ms Masaku said and if this is attained 73 percent of people with HIV worldwide will have viral suppression.
Ms Masaku said that it is important to sustain treatment for those who will test positive during the scale-up period so that the majority of people living with HIV can ultimately have a reduced viral load by 2020.
She said that with the suppressed viral load, people living with HIV will therefore not be able to transmit the virus as this has been proven by biomedical evidence and it has led to some people appearing to test negative because of their reduced viral load.
Ms Masaku said it is cardinal for people who are found to be HIV positive to start treatment early regardless of their CD4 count and urged couples not to divorce just because one has tested HIV positive.
She said even if one of the partners has tested positive they can still leave as discordant couples and they will not infect each other with HIV as long as the virus is remains suppressed through anti-retroviral medication.
Ms Masaku said that stigmatisation causes people who are HIV positive to hide their medicines in office drawers and all such places and it this that which ultimately causes them to become defaulters as they can only access their medication during working hours.
And Provincial AIDS Coordination Advisor has urged the District AIDS Task Force (DATF) in Nkeyema to form strategic partnerships and participate in resource mobilisation for HIV/AIDS programmes in the locality.
Ms Masaku said that the Nkeyema DATF should align their programmes to the district HIV/AIDS strategic and operational plan and they should proactively share information about organisations involved in HIV/AIDS interventions in the district.
She said the NAC has signed memoranda with a number of statutory bodies such as ZEMA and RDA which require that capital projects should have an HIV component which should be given to DATF and the Task Force has a duty to identify them.
Action Aid prods Government to collect more tax
Action-Aid Zambia, an organization that advocates for equal tax justice has implored Government and parliament to introduce stringent measures that would ensure effective collection of adequate tax revenue for national development.
Action-Aid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba stressed that local and foreign companies must be made to pay taxes as long as they are operating in Zambia.
Ms. Ziba urged President Lungu to ensure that government introduces measures that enables the collection of more tax revenues so that they can be ploughed into the social sectors of the economy.
In a statement issued to media in Lusaka yesterday, Ms. Ziba proposed that the loan which the Zambian government intends to procure should be channelled to key areas of the economy such as agriculture, education, and creation of new employment opportunities especially for the youths.
“It is imperative that with or without a new IMF loan, government charts a new path that will ensure that both the economy recovers and benefits are shared among the people,” she said.
Ms. Ziba called for massive investment in entrepreneurship skills in an effort to encourage effective participation of local enterprises in order to boost economic activities.
She noted that in the inaugural speech, President Lungu emphasized the need to promote local investment but she regretted that over the years, very little has been done to improve the status of the local Zambian entrepreneur especially among the youths .
Ms Ziba further urged Government to ensure that spending and revenues measures are focused on supporting an inclusive and diversified economic.
She called on government to focus and broaden the Agriculture sector beyond the Farmer Input Support Programme and also invest in crop diversification and marketing of crops by Food Reserve Agency beyond Maize.
On women empowerment, Ms. Ziba further called for women’s equal opportunities and full and effective participation in leadership and all levels of decision-making.
She called upon government to undertake reforms that will give women equal rights to economic resources as well as access to ownership and control over land, property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources in order to bridge the gaps between their male counterparts.
“Action Aid therefore calls for adoption and strengthening of sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girl at all levels. These policies should include fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality,” she said.
Newly appointed Finance Minister Felix Mutati is next month expected to present the national budget to the National Assembly.
President Lungu is scheduled to officially open parliament on September 30, 2016.
Luapula PS directs Water Company to disconnect both Government and Private unsettled accounts
Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Boniface Chimbwali has directed Luapula Water and Sewerage Company to disconnect Accounts of all owing entities from both public and private sectors in the province.
Mr. Chimbwali says he is sadly concerned at the high levels of failure to settle water and sewerage bills by the consumers of the services in the province which has resulted in serious operational problems for the Water Company.
He added that the only Institutions which should be exempted from closing of the water Accounts are the Hospital and Prisons because of the nature of their business in the province.
The Permanent Secretary suggested that the Water Company management must execute the directive without any delays unless in situations where the affected Institutions enter into a reasonable payment agreement which must be agreed by themselves for a consideration.
Mr. Chimbwali also directed all Heads of Government Institutions to ensure that they prioritise settling water and sewerage bills promptly in order to prevent disruption of the smooth running of their Institutions as water is critical to human life.
Lafarge Zambia hands over 5 fully stocked container Shops worth K250, 000 each
Lafarge Zambia under the Kumanga Franchise successfully handed over 5 fully stocked container Shops worth K250, 000 each, in the just ended Win a Container Shop Campaign in the Copperbelt. The Win a Container Shop promotion ran from 1st June-30th July 2016. To win customers had to buy 10 bags of mphamvu cement to receive an entry form into the draw.
The ceremony was held today 21st September 2016 at Itawa, Ndola and was officiated by the Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Rev Howard Sikwela, Commercial Director Kaziwe Kaulule and Human Resources Director Thecra Milambo.
Speaking at the event Lafarge Zambia’s Commercial Director Mr Kaziwe Kaulule said that the Kumanga Franchise was about creating a new business for our customers, and allowing Lafarge products to be close to the customers while creating a consistent retail experience. He further said that the franchise would stock Lafarge cement brands and other building materials such as brick force wire and tile fix which are often required by home builders.
Meanwhile the Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Rev Howard Sikwela congratulated the 5 winners, and urged them to guard their businesses jealously as such opportunities didn’t come around too often.
Rev Sikwela commended the Kumanga Franchise whose main focus is on entrepreneurship as he said that over three quarters of the youth in Zambia can be empowered through this initiative. He further encouraged women to venture in all domains more especially in the construction industry as they too can be retailers by selling construction materials through the container shops.
The lucky winners of the fully furnished container shop with 300 bags of cement and building materials such as tile fix, steel rods and brick force were David Kalunga Musonda in Ndola, Silver Chilumba Kabwiku also in Ndola, Gift Kasongo in Luanshya, D. Mwanza in Mufulira and Amozi Mukupa in Kalulushi.
The Kumanga Franchise is a Lafarge initiative which allows customers to become a Lafarge sole distributer by owning a container shop which sales cement and other Building materials. The customer is provided with a fully furnished container shop and they are only required to provide land and an initial capital.
PEPFAR Awards K1.6 Million to Community-Based Organisations to Fight AIDS
On Wednesday September 21, 2016, the United States government through the PEPFAR once again supplemented the Zambian government’s efforts to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS in Zambia by providing community based grants totaling US$10, 000 to support sustainable programmes in HIV prevention, orphans and governance issues pertaining to HIV and AIDS. The American Embassy in Zambia issued the following statement soon after the event:
The United States government, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in collaboration with the National AIDS Council (NAC), announced 16 awardees of the 2016 PEPFAR Small Grants Programme. PEPFAR’s small grants programme provides one-time grants for up to ZMW100, 000 ($10,000) to support community-led sustainable programmes in HIV prevention; orphans and vulnerable children and their households; and democracy and governance related to Zambia’s HIV response.
PEPFAR, with the support of the American people, will award a total of over 1.6 million Kwacha, or $160,000, to 16 community- and faith-based non-governmental organisations in Zambia. Of the 16 organizations—selected from more than 160 applicants—six will work in HIV prevention, nine to support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers, and one to promote democracy and governance related to Zambia’s HIV response.
“We are here today because of the essential three-way partnership among the U.S. government, the Government of the Republic of Zambia through the National AIDS Council, and civil society, represented by these organisations,” said U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz.
Dr. Jabbin Mulwanda, National AIDS Council Director General, was also a keynote speaker at the event.
This year, the PEPAR Small Grants Programme added democracy and governance related to Zambia’s HIV response to the program areas. Organisations are building awareness around the community’s responsibility to protect orphans and vulnerable children, and engaging governments to increase and improve support for persons affected by HIV.
“The addition of democracy and governance as a programme area presents an exciting opportunity for civil society to help shape Zambia’s HIV response,” said Bethany Baxter, acting PEPFAR Zambia country coordinator. “Advocacy is a key component to ensuring a sustainable HIV response in Zambia.”
The PEPFAR Small Grants Programme awardees are addressing HIV prevention, challenges for orphans and vulnerable children in their communities, and promoting democracy and governance in innovative ways this year: through early childhood activities to ensure improved learning and health outcomes and involving men to promote mother-to-child transmission of HIV, sensitising communities about condom use in market places, and engaging the government to address child protection policies. A common theme among all of the awardees is community involvement and dedication.
Well, we can only thank the American government in general and PEPFAR in particular for this gesture and hope that other partners can come on board and help in mitigating the effects of HIV and AIDS in Zambia. Thanks also to the National AIDS Council for being the custodians of the recipient organisations to ensure that the funds will be utilised according to the terms of reference.
2016 FIFA World Club Cup draw motivation for Zesco United
The 2016 CAF Champions League winners will play J-League champions or a New Zealand side in the quarterfinals following draws made on Wednesday of the 2016 FIFA World Cup Cup to be held in Japan from December 8-18.
Zesco United, Mamelodi Sundowns, Wydad Casablanca and Zamalek are currently engaged in last leg semifinal ties this weekend in a battle for the African crown to be contested for in October and ultimately for that ticket to Japan.
The African champions await the preliminary round playoff J-League champions and Oceania champions Auckland City of New Zealand who meet on December 8.
Winner will face the CAF champions on December 11 in Osaka.
Victor from that quarterfinal tie will play South American Champions Club Atletico Nacional of Colombia in the semifinals on December 14 in Osaka.
The final will be played on December 18 in Yokohama while the third and fourth playoff will be a curtain-raiser earlier at the same venue.
Real Madrid will enter the fray at the semifinals where they await winner of the quarterfinal match involving Clube America of Mexico and Asian Champions who are yet to be decided.
Blades reclaim FAZ Division 1 Zone 2 Top spot
Konkola Blades are back at the top of the FAZ Division One Zone Two standings after beating Indeni 3-2 in a midweek rescheduled match played in Chililabombwe.
Isaac Ngoma and Kilo Mwepu scored for Konkola in this delayed Week 24 tie at Konkola Stadium before Indeni scored an own goal.
Later in the game Indeni striker Cephas Handavu scored a brace but his goals were insufficient to help the Ndola club salvage anything from the border town.
This win has pushed Konkola to 48 points, two above second placed Kitwe United, after 24 matches played.
Kitwe were on top prior to Konkola’s match against Indeni.
Third placed Roan United have 44 points.
Meanwhile, Konkola’s next fixture is against struggling Mining Rangers away in Kitwe on Sunday.
Tasila Lungu adamant about standing; NGOCC comes out in support of her decision
PF Nkoloma ward one Councillor Tasila Lungu has insisted that she will contest as Lusaka Deputy Mayor despite the party’s decision to endorse Christopher Shakafuswa.
Ms Lungu says she is going ahead to contest the position as it is her democratic right.
She said in an interview that her mind is made up and that she will not change her mind at this point.
Tasila announced her candidature for the position of Lusaka Deputy Mayor on Monday breaking ranks with the party which had decided to back Mr Shakafuswa.
She said she is qualified for the position of Deputy Mayor having worked for various service organisations.
Tasila also cited the need to have gender equality in running the Lusaka City Council.
Meanwhile, the NGOCC has backed Tasila’s interest to contest the position of Lusaka Deputy Mayor.
NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale said in a statement today that it is high time more women are promoted in decision – making positions.
“At a time we as a country need more women participation in decision making at various levels, we are dismayed at the alleged PF’s reaction to Ms Lungu expression of interest and intension to contest the position of Lusaka deputy mayor, “she said.
Ms Mwale said the reaction of the ruling party is an infringement on Ms Lungu’s democratic right both as a woman and a citizen of Zambia.
“Ms Lungu is a young councillor whose election to the local government should cheer all well-meaning citizens who want to see the youth and women in key positions of decision making become a reality,” she said.
Ms Mwale said the PF manifesto is clear on the party championing gender equality and equity.
She appealed to all political parties to endeavour to create an enabling environment on all regardless of gender especially the PF being the party in government.
Below is the full statement from NGOCC, courtesy of Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.
No tax, please – we’re Irish!
Ireland shuns €13 bn tax bonanza in favour of growth and employment
At a time when Zambia, and many other countries, are trying to maximise tax revenue from big foreign companies, Ireland is doing the exact opposite.
That’s according to an in-depth article this week on the website Mining For Zambia.com.
As a result of its low corporation tax rate of only 12.5%, the article says, many multinationals have relocated to Ireland, creating around 20% of all private-sector employment – around 300 000 jobs.
So earlier this month, when the European Commission ordered Ireland to collect €13 billion in disputed back-taxes from tech giant Apple, which has operations there, politicians and ordinary citizens reacted with fury.
“We will fight it at home and abroad and in the courts,” said the country’s Finance Minister, Michael Noonan. And significantly, a poll showed that 76% of Irish people support this view.
A 2014 report by Ireland’s Department of Finance, Economic Impact Assessment of Ireland’s Corporation Tax Policy, says: “The headline rate of corporation tax is very important for FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] decisions. If Ireland were to increase the 12.5 percent corporation tax rate, it would significantly reduce FDI flows into the country.”
The report adds that lower tax means higher economic growth: “Evidence based on a wide number of countries indicates that a 10 percent reduction in corporation tax could have anywhere between a 0.6% and 1.8% effect on economic growth rates.”
Figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show that from 1998, when Ireland started to phase in the 12.5% corporation tax rate, and 2014, total tax revenues have more than doubled, from €24.8 billion to €55.4 billion.
Ireland’s stance on taxation stands in sharp contrast not only to Zambia’s, but that of many other countries, including Britain, France and the United States.
There is presently a widespread distrust of multinationals in other parts of the developed world. It translates into very high corporate tax rates, which is precisely why so many multinationals have relocated to Ireland.
The lesson from Ireland, the article says, is the importance of a low tax rate to attract foreign investment, which drives economic growth.
“Take North-Western province: in the space of barely 10 years, it has gone from a poor, rural region devoid of any notable economic activity, into a thriving mining province whose three new mines – Kansanshi, Barrick Lumwana and Sentinel – now produce more than half of Zambia’s copper,” the article says.
“Employment has grown, businesses have been created and economic development has been rapid – chaotic in the case of Solwezi, and far more planned in the case of Kalumbila – all as a result of billions of dollars of investment at a time when mining tax rates were lower than they are now.”
Zambia Chamber of Mines president, Nathan Chishimba, is quoted in the article as saying: “As a nation, we are inclined to view economic development and the eradication of poverty through the narrow prism of tax receipts and government expenditure… rather than through the wider perspective of economic growth and employment.”
“It’s not wrong to want to maximise tax revenues – after all, they fund the essential operations of government. [But] hitting current taxpayers hard discourages economic activity and new investment, and ultimately stunts future tax revenues.”
Chishimba also emphasises the importance of the Zambian tax authorities being able to monitor and collect all taxes owed.
“This is why we in the mining industry are now strongly supporting programmes designed to build institutional capacity and increase information transparency, such as the EU-funded Mineral Production Monitoring Support Project.”
Countries should focus their efforts on long-term economic growth, rather than short-term tax revenues, the article concludes.
Rejuvenated Napsa target Tigers kill
The Napsa Stars technical bench is impressed with the team’s recent form going into Saturday’s FAZ Super Division tie against Lusaka Tigers at Sunset Stadium.
Napsa are unbeaten in their last six games in which they have recorded three wins and three draws.
The Lusaka club has since moved from the bottom four to 10th place on the table with 29 points from 25 matches played.
“I think credit should go to the boys. They have now understood the coach’s philosophy. The players are working for one another,” club assistant coach Linos Makwaza said.
Napsa spent the first half of the season wallowing in the bottom six.
“The future for the club looks bright,” Makwaza added.
Makwaza is serving as Tenant Chilumba’s assistant at Napsa.
Lusaka City Council threatens to sue political parties over campaign posters
Lusaka City Council has threatened legal action against political parties if they fail to remove political campaign posters stuck across the capital city despite elections having being held over a month ago .
LCC Public Relations Officer Brenda Katongola charged that it is not the mandate of the local authority to remove campaign posters after elections.
The Capital city’s streets and buildings are heavily littered with political campaign posters and materials despite elections having taken place over a month ago.
ZANIS reports that political parties have however maintained that it is the duty of the Lusaka City Council to remove the posters and other campaign materials.
Patriotic Front (PF) Information Committee Vice Chairperson Charity Banda stated that political parties pay a fee before putting up campaign posters.
Ms. Banda said it is only right, fair and up to the council to take down the posters.
United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General, Steven Katuka stressed that it is not the duty of his party to remove the posters after elections.
The opposition leader however said it is willing to cooperate with the council to ensure that the posters are removed.
And FDD Spokesperson, Antonio Mwanza said his party will cooperate with the Electoral Commission of Zambia directive to have campaign posters removed.
Mr. Mwanza said though it is the responsibility of the council to take out the posters his party is willing to give a helping hand to the local authority.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia recently reminded political parties to remove all campaign posters since elections are over.
Queen Elizabeth congratulates President Lungu
QUEEN Elizabeth ll of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland has said she looks forward to the continuation of the warm relationship and close ties between Zambia and Britain during President Edgar Lungu’s term of office.
Queen Elizabeth wished President Lungu and the people of Zambia a peaceful and prosperous future.
According to a statement issued by Chief Analyst for Press and Public Relations Cecilia Mulenga yesterday, the Queen said this in a congratulatory message to President Lungu, conveyed by British High Commissioner to Zambia Fergus Cochrane-Dyet.
‘’I send my warm congratulations as you embark upon your second term as President of the Republic of Zambia,” Queen Elizabeth II said.
