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The National AIDS Council says it is developing strategies that will increase access to treatment for gays and lesbians that are living with HIV in Zambia.
NAC Director of Programmes Harold Witola said the Council has since applied for funds from the Global Fund to ensure that gays and lesbians in Zambia have access to medical services.
In an interview, NAC Director of Programmes Harold Witola said health care providers will undergo re-training on how to administer health services to people of different sexual orientation.
‘If we are fortunate that we get the support that we have applied for from the Global Funds, we should be seeing a bit of activity going into next year in terms of agreeing with service providers, retraining our service providers because it is this notion that these people don’t exist or they are a figment of peoples imagination and that some health workers are really not prepared when they finally meet these people,’ Dr Witola said.
He added, ‘We really need to retrain and reorient our health care providers so that they alert that these people do exist and that they have challenges and that their needs are slightly different from the needs of the general population and even the way we approach them is slightly different but the bottom line is that it is a human being life just like any other human being.’
Dr. Witola has stressed that the provision of health services is not meant to promote homosexuality but to provide quality health services irrespective of one’s sexual orientation.
‘One thing i should emphasise is that as NAC, we don’t promote the lifestyle, or for instance gayism, lesbianism or whatever it is that is not our business, we don’t promote the lifestyle but we promote public health approach and you know public health is a human right,’ he said.
Dr Witola said, ‘Everyone has the right to quality health care services, it doesn’t matter who they are, do for us, that is our concern that we will not let people be ravaged by infection because we are differently oriented and we bury our heads in the sand and pretend that nothing is happening, suppose you discover that it is your son, suppose it is your daughter getting married to such a one.’
As Zambians fight themselves politically in the naivety of being political die hards,the real economic enemy only grows stronger
Its shameful to keep seeing so called political party die hards support their political parties like soccer teams defying all reasonable logic when the reality is that politicians are not the main problem. The real Problem is the developed world that pushes African nations to stay under developed through organizations like the IMF. That is the real enemy, and as long as we stay divided on political lines, they are happy, they will keep looting our resources.
The real reason we privatised the mines is because the IMF told us to, or else, they cut “funding”. The International community gave us conditions for HIPC completion point that has played into their favour in the long run. The International community told us to create tax free conditions to allow their Coperations to loot our resources with no returns, our minds have been conditioned to behave like leaches and suck on the so called donor “aid”. When in reality we suck on poison that plunges us deeper in trouble.
We have changed presidents in the passed, and we will keep changing them, but nothing has changed much over the years, and nothing much will change, because all we do is change the face of the puppet we choose to see whilst the problem remains the same.
We have changed presidents in the passed, and we will keep changing them, but nothing has changed much over the years, and nothing much will change, because all we do is change the face of the puppet we choose to see whilst the problem remains the same.
The enemy at hand is very big, and for us to get better, it would have to get worse, an example would be what happened to Zimbabwe before their road to recovery now, or China nearly a century ago. But maybe thats what our politicians are not prepared to do because they are worried about political correctness and about how much backlash they will get from us citizens who are so focused only on what is in front of our eyes as opposed to what is behind them.
We as Zambians need to start uniting against the real enemy, because this unproductive energy people put in politics only benefits the real enemy and leads us deeper and deeper down the dungeon of economic colonisation.
A PUNCH-UP almost erupted on Monday between two United Party for National Development (UPND) councillors during a full Choma Municipal Council (CMC) meeting over a piece of land one councillor has obtained.
The altercation started when Kulundana ward councillor Jonas Munkombwe asked whether Jackson Makwamba, as chairperson of the real estate development committee, was in order not to declare interest in the debate of a piece of land he has acquired on Choma-Livingstone road.
This angered Mr Makwamba, who told Mr Munkombwe not to start “witch-hunting” because he would “soon” get what he is looking for.
The visibly annoyed Mr Makwamba, however, left the room and only returned after the full council meeting had finished analysing the progress of his committee.
The councillors were reviewing progress for various committees of the local authority.
“Honourable Munkombwe, let me warn you that witch-hunting is not a solution and it will not take you anywhere because I am not the only councillor who has acquired a plot,” Mr Makwamba said.
He returned after the meeting had started discussing the audit committee and upon his arrival, Mr Munkombwe rose on a point of order to find out if his colleague was in order to take his seat without apologising for issuing threats against another councillor.
“Your worship, I would like to find out if my colleague has something to say over the earlier statements he issued. Something like an apology,” he said.
Mr Makwamba was, however, not amused with Mr Munkombwe’s remarks saying he could not apologise.
“I cannot apologise. Honourable Munkombwe has started a war which will never end. The war has just started,” he said.
Mr Makwamba said many names of councillors are appearing on the list of people who have acquired land in Choma and he wonders why Mr Munkombwe has decided to pick on him.
“You and I shall face each other very soon. If you want let’s go outside and fight,” he said.
Mr Munkombwe, took up the challenge, got off his seat and made for the exit in readiness for a fight, but mayor Professor Mwaanga intervened in the matter and told Mr Munkombwe to take his seat.
Mr Mwaanga said there is no need to fight because the councillors belong to the same council.
“There is no need for us to start fighting. If we are to develop Choma, we need to be united because we are indeed one,” he said.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish production
GOVERNMENT has given the Inyambo Community Development Trust a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish production at the Mwandi Integrated Fish Farm project in Western Province.
The cheque was sourced from loads and investments division of the Ministry of Ministry and it will be repayable in 15 years’ time with a grace period of two years and the first repayment will be made in 2017.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda and Induna Amukuteile of Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta of Mwandi District in Western Province signed the loan agreement of K3, 341, 007.00 on Monday for the project.
Mr Chikwandai said the project was part of the transformative agenda supported by the the Patriotic Front (PF) Government as the whole needed fish for their proteins.
He said the world population by 2050 would be more than 10 billion people and they would need to eat cereals, proteins, beans, fish and dairy products among others.
“Fish is an important protein for the world community. At the moment, there is a big scandal which we have allowed.
“Zambia is importing maybe up to about 50, 000 tonnes of fish from dirty waters of China and Thailand. They have so many people there and their water is severely polluted and we are eating fish from waters which are not as clean as ours and we are loosing a lot of foreign exchange and no wonder this country runs out of foreign exchange and the Kwacha begins to drop very fast in relation to the dollar because even the things we can produce locally like fish we are importing. We should be exporting fish to Thailand and China so this is very important,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He noted that Zambia had attacked poverty from very lost platforms and long speeches instead of using better methods.
“Poverty does not respond to slogans and this is a practical ways. We are here as part of the development agenda of the PF.
“Inyambo Community Development Trust is a very good initiative. In Zambia and elsewhere in the world, development is hampered by delivery vehicles for ideas,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda urged the People of Mwandi to embrace the project and later flood Western Province and other parts of Zambia with finger limbs.
“Let us grow the fish and that way we will be widening the franchise of unity of Zambia. Fish grows very fast.
“We are being very selfish and eating fish which is supposed to grow fish on a large scale. We must think of future generations,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said PF was promoting development whether people voted for it or not saying the development agenda would continue.
And Induna Amukuteile said the Mwandi Integrated Fish Farm was created with the objectives of reducing fishing pressure and restocking water channels on the Zambezi River.
He said the Farm was also set up to provide an alternative source of protein to the diet of local people in the face of ever dwindling fish stocks in Zambezi River.
Further, the Farm was set to serve as a training centre for those intending to undertake aquaculture and fish farming as well as to serve as a catalyst for the roil out of fish farming project in the chiefdom.
“After the creation of the Farm, Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta approached the Ministry of Finance to request the Government to support the Farm.
“I want to pay tribute to Mr Chikwanda for recognising Mwandi Integrated Fish Farm in playing a pivotal role of alleviating poverty in our chiefdom and in contributing to the economy of the country,” he said.
Induna Amukuteile said the loan facility would be utilised to meet the objectives of the Farm and other projects.
Mwandi District Commissioner Precious Muyenga said her District was a place of fish in the past but fish stocks had declined lately.
Ms Muyenga thanked the Government and President Edgar Lungu for rolling out development projects in Mwandi area.
“Senior Chief Inyambo working closely with African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) formed a trust known as Inyambo Community Development Trust to spearhead development projects in the chiefdom especially the fish project.
“The fish project started in 2009 with the help of AWF. The Trust managed to secure a grant from European Union to secure 20 fish ponds, an office block, a hatchery room, poultry house, water reserve, pump house among others,” Ms Muyenga said.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish productionFinance Minister Alexander Chikwanda at Inyambo Community Development Trust where he gave them a loan of K3, 3 million to boost fish production
Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila
ABOUT US$600,000 (K6,379,590) from various immigration permits at Immigration Department offices at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) has gone missing.
This came to light yesterday when Minister of Home Affairs Davies Mwila toured the Immigration offices in Lusaka.
According to the officer in charge at Immigration office at KKIA, Pelekelo Lungu, who was briefing Mr Mwila yesterday, an internal audit revealed that the money went missing between March and October 2014.
Mr Mwila, speaking during the tour, directed immigration officers to promptly bank monies they collect.
“The officer collected money in 2014 but failed to deposit the money in the bank. I have given a directive to the permanent secretary to take disciplinary action against this officer and an effective audit is going to be conducted to find out the misappropriation of the collected revenue,” he said.
Mr Mwila said the officer will not only be disciplined, but prosecuted, too, when investigations are concluded.
And the minister directed the Immigration Department to stop the influx of immigrants who are working without work permits.
Mr Mwila said it is unacceptable for companies to bring in foreigners with readily available skills such as plumbing or bricklaying.
“How can you approve permits for people with such qualifications? How do you give a work permit to someone who comes to work at a massage parlour?
“My office has information that most foreigners are getting spouse permits and when they stay in Zambia for years, they are leaving without their local wives,” Mr Mwila said.
He directed Immigration Department director general Moola Milomo to work effectively in ensuring that the department fulfils its mandate.
THE Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in Mwandi District of Western Province has appealed to the Government to quickly commence the rehabilitation works for the Kazungula to Sesheke Road to stimulate trade and investments.
Induna Amukuteile of Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta said there was need for the Government to urgently upgrade the road from Mambova to Sesheke to facilitate the easy movement of goods and services.
He said the road was a Southern African Development Community (SADC) highway which needed to be brought to very high standard.
Induna Amukuteile was speaking in Mwandi on Monday when Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda handed over a cheque of K3, 341, 007.00 loan to Inyambo Community Development Trust for the Mwandi Integrated Fish Farm project.
“We have seen increased traffic on this road with the Walvis Bay in Namibia increasing becoming the Port of choice for exports and importers from Zambia and other countries.
“Through Katima Mulilo Border control, a good road infrastructure is a catalyst for accelerated development,” he said.
Induna Amukuteile said the production and marketing of fish from the Fish Farm would need to be supplemented with better roads.
“As BRE, we encourage our people to increase crop production through conservation farming systems and cattle ranching and the development of tourism potential through the Simalaha Wildlife Conservation Area and the proposed Mwandi Cultural Village,” he said.
And in response, Mr Chikwanda said roads formed a very important part of the Patriotic Front (PF) development agenda.
He noted that the movement of goods and people would not take place without the road infrastructure.
“This is part of the PF development agenda and we will mend this road to the highest standard level.
“Under the able leadership of Minister for the Province Poniso Njeulu and the entire Western Province administration, the road will be done.
I hope they will attend to the road and other infrastructural needs in the area,” Mr Chikwanda said.
First Lady Esther Lungu unveils a plaque at Nabona farm, the farm that will be used as a collection point for farm produce from villagers. Nabona farm in partnership with KCM will help find the market and sell the farm produce on behalf the villagers.
FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has unveiled a plaque for the construction of Nabona Business Park in Chingola at a cost of over US$2 million.
The project is expected to create over 500 jobs after its completion.
A Chingola based company, Nabona Group, will build the business park, which will be a collection centre for farm produce and is expected to cater for over 500 small-scale farmers in Chingola and other districts.
Mrs Lungu unveiled the plaque on the construction site in Chingola’s Hellen area on the Chingola-Chililabombwe road.
She called for diversification into agriculture to create more jobs for the local people.
Mrs Lungu said small-scale farmers should be supported in their quest to expand their activities so that they can generate more income.
KCM has given out 22 hectares of land for the construction of Nabona Business Park whose construction works are expected to start soon.
Mrs Lungu commended KCM for supporting sustainable projects such as the first ever agricultural produce collection centre.
And Nabona Group managing director David Naude said the construction of phase one will cost US$300,000.
Mr Naude said the project is expected to be completed at a cost of between US$2 million and US$3 million.
“The project will be done in stages and is expected to be completed in a few years to come,” he said without stating the exact period for the completion of the project.
“In phase one over 50 jobs will be created. This is a sustainable livelihood project for small-scale farmers in Shimulala area,” he said.
And speaking at Shumulala’s Sustainable Livelihood Project, Mrs Lungu said KCM is doing a commendable job in uplifting the lives of the vulnerable in society through pass-on-a-cow programme.
The mining firm has so far distributed 596 animals in Chingola, Chililabombwe and Nampundwe to 26 self-help groups.
Meanwhile, Mrs Lungu has commended Government for empowering women through the interest-free loan scheme being accessed by marketeers on the Copperbelt.
And KCM has pledged its continued commitment to supporting and empowering women in various professional jobs.
Recently, President Lungu said Government has allocated K1.6 million for women empowerment schemes on the Copperbelt to be accessible before the end of this year
First Lady Esther Lungu unveils a plaque at Nabona farm, the farm that will be used as a collection point for farm produce from villagers. Nabona farm in partnership with KCM will help find the market and sell the farm produce on behalf the villagers.
Confusion reigns outside Breeze FM studios as suspected PF cadres throw storms at the studio
THE Patriotic Front(PF) leadership in Eastern Province has apologised over an incident where cadres stormed Breeze FM station to interrupt a live Political Hour Programme featuring Rainbow Party leader Wynter Kabimba.
Speaking when a delegation of the provincial PF party leadership visited Breeze FM Managing Director and Station Owner, Michael Daka on Monday, PF Provincial Chairperson Andrew Lubusha regretted the incident.
Mr Lubusha said that the PF was currently investigating the matter as cadres suspected to have been involved were refusing having taken part in the attack.
He said that the action taken by the cadres was not sanctioned by anyone from the party leadership or government.
Mr Lubusha revealed that there were some former PF provincial leaders that are trying to discredit his leadership by encouraging cadres to engage in violence.
He stated that his leadership would not tolerate such behaviour adding that anyone found to have been involved in the attack will be reported to police for appropriate action.
During the attack, the unruly cadres stoned the security guard who was manning the station and damaged a company vehicle and the door to the station in their bid to get hold of Mr Kabimba whom they wanted to beat up.
And Mr Daka expressed his deep disappointment over the action taken by the cadres stating that management and staff of Breeze FM feel threatened from what happened.
Mr Daka revealed that the station had made a decision to stop airing and running political stories and programmes, except those involving the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) until further notice because what happened should not be tolerated.
“The the radio station will only resume covering politics and politicians when it is felt that the station and the staff are safe enough to carry out normal duties,”he said.
Mr Daka explained that Breeze FM has operated professionally since inception giving political parties a platform to debate issues while providing useful information to people of Eastern Province.
Mr Lubusha was accompanied by PF Provincial Secretary Eddie Kapalu and PF Chipata District Secretary Joseph Kolosa.
Zambia coach George Lwandamina is mystified by the Under-23 national teams’ poor performance at the ongoing CAF Under-23 Cup in Senegal.
The Zambia under-23 made a miserable debut at the 8-team tournament that also acts at the Africa zone’s Olympic Games qualifiers where the top three advance to the Olympiads.
Zambia lost all three of their Group A matches going down 2-1 to Tunisia, then later squandered a 1-0 halftime lead against South Africa to fall 3-2 before hosts Senegal put them out of their misery with a 2-0 result in their final game.
Lwandamina, who was the technical adviser to the Under-23 team in Senegal, said the teams flop was not a sign of things to come.
“It is difficult to say what really happened, maybe it’s the attitude of the boys they went into the tournament with the thought they had already qualified to Rio,” Lwandamina said upon arrival from Dakar with the team.
The top three teams in the knockout stage qualify to the Olympics that will be held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next Summer.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) this afternoon requested for the postponement of the debate on the constitution to tomorrow following concerns raised by some Members of Parliament through points of order that some of them had just seen the document today, and needed time to go through it.
UPND parliamentary Whip Garry Nkombo requested that debate be deferred to tomorrow to allow Members of Parliament some of whom had just seen the document today after returning from their various constituencies, time to go through the document.
Mr Nkombo said while he was communicated to by the Clerk of the National Assembly about the amendments in the bill, communication was only made on Friday evening making it difficult to get hold of his fellow UPND Members of Parliament most of whom had already travelled to their respective constituencies by then.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mkhondo Lungu who was presiding over the proceedings allowed the deferment of the debate tomorrow after consultations.
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Zambians Duped by the PF Government in the Constitution-Making Process
Lusaka, 8th December 2015
The Grand Coalition (GC) has noted with sadness the manoeuvres by the PF Government to adulterate the contents of the Constitution Bill by removing certain clauses which include but are not limited to the following:
1. That the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP) electoral system which is a combination of the First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) systems be rejected by Parliament. Among the advantages of this system that the PF has schemed to REJECT using MPs are:
a) More representation in Parliament of marginalised groups such as women, youth, and Persons Living with Disabilities;
b) No By-Elections which have in the recent past cost Zambia colossal sums of money.
c) Curtailing the MPs crossing the floor.
2. That the Provincial Assemblies be rejected by Parliament, despite the fact that they were unanimously agreed to with the aim of providing a platform and enhance citizens’ participation in the governance of the country at their local levels.
3. That Parliament must reject the Appointment of Cabinet from Outside Parliament, the clause that aims at enhancing the doctrine of Separation of Powers.
4. That Parliament rejects the clause that provides for the Vice President to be a Running Mate to the President. They are insisting that the President should fire the Vice President. It is clear that the PF wants a continuation of costly Presidential Elections in the unlikely event of the serving Head of State passing on.
It is also clear that the Government does not want the Bill of Rights to be adopted. Their argument that the country does not have adequate resources to support the Bill or Rights is baseless as rights can be progressively realised. Their real fear is that if they spend a lot of money on the citizens of this country they will have little left for themselves.
PF Government fears that these provisions once adopted will empower Zambians to hve a better say on how they are governed. The PF Government wants to continue with the situation where the Executive controls the other wings of Government and institutions – a matter that has escalated corruption and other ills in government. It has become evidently clear that the PF regime is not interested in the will and aspirations of the citizens going by how they handled this Constitution making process from the time the Technical Committee released the Final Draft Constitution.
The Grand Coalition saw these schemes and manipulations from a distance, because there was no legal framework to guide the constitution making process, and no political will to complete the process legitimately.
As the GC we are appealing to the Members of Parliament to summon their conscience and redeem this situation. It is not too late. The MPs must reject the process of piecemeal amendment by reminding the PF what is contained in their 2011 – 2016 Manifesto and send the document back to the people for adoption wholesomely through a popular mode: the Referendum.
The MPs must realize that the same people whose document they are being asked to mutilate by the PF regime are the same people they will need for their vote in a few months time.
The good Final Draft Constitution that is being mutilated by the uncaring PF regime is the same constitution that will protect them when they are not adopted and eventually join the majority of Zambians as ordinary citizens. To our MPs we say: Stand up and refuse to be used. Be on the side of the people and you will always be a victor. Do not allow to fight your conscience in future. Zambia is bigger than the PF, and all of us. The people are supreme. Let the people determine Zambia’s destiny.
It is our conviction that regardless of the schemes by the PF or any other person(s) that the will of the people of Zambia will ultimately prevail.
Issued by: Fr. Leonard Chiti Chairperson – Grand Coalition on the campaign for a people-driven constitution
Hakainde Hichilema
The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) says President Lungu is bound to fail if he continues to be surrounded by incompetent people.
UPND Chairman for Rural Reconstruction and Development Moono Mapani says President Lungu should realize that most of the things that are not working out for him are as a result of him being surrounded by people who are not adding value to the governance system of the nation.
Mr. Mapani says it is very clear that the people President Lungu opted to work with are bent on seeing him fail.
And Mr. Mapani says President Lungu should not blame the opposition that they are scaring investors by their statements on the state of country’s economy, stating that it is a known fact that Zambia’s economy is not doing well.
He states that the Head of State has an obligation to lure investors to invest in the country even during this trying moment.
Mr. Mapani adds that the blame game will not work for him as most people are expecting to see results.
Meanwhile, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says it is an insult for President Edgar Lungu to tell retrenched miners to venture into farming.
Mr. Hichilema has wondered how the former miners would go into agriculture when they have no knowledge about farming.
He says this only shows that the PF government does not care about the welfare of the miners.
Mr Hichilema has also observed that the benefits the miners are being given are not enough considering the high cost of leaving in the country.
US Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson
US Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson will visit Zambia on a week-long trip to the continent at the end of December.
Dr. Carson announced on Monday that he will also visit Nigeria and Kenya.
He told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he will visit Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia, in part because of the strategic importance of these regions and because of his own family ancestry.
Dr. Carson said his future policy is going to affect Africa, particularly the three countries because his ancestors are from the Kenya-Tanzania region, the Turkana tribe.
The retired surgeon added that he will visit Zambia to check in on two former patients — twins who were conjoined at the head before he helped separate them.
He says the twins were joined at the top of the head facing in opposite directions almost 18 years ago, and that this is the year they graduate from high school.
