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Matero MP Mr Miles Sampa cutoff the ribbon during the handing over of industrial block making machine to the Youths in matero
MATERO member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa has called for more unity in the Patriotic Front (PF) as the ruling party prepares for 2016 presidential and general elections.
Mr Sampa said everyone in the PF is a factor, hence the need to embrace them.
“As long as you call yourself a PF member, we need to unite with all other members,” he said.
Mr Sampa, who recently pledged to support President Lungu in the 2016 elections, said the PF should work together because there is strength in unity.
Meanwhile, Mr Sampa has handed over a brick-making machine worth K120,000 to the youth of Matero.
Mr Sampa said: “The machine is electrical, it can make over 100 bricks within a few minutes.
“The brick-making machine is not a donation, you are expected to utilise it and pay back the money because the money I used to purchase the machine is a K150,000 loan from Indo-Zambia Bank,’’ he said.
Mr Sampa said he has acted as collateral for the bank to give them the loan and that if the youth fail to pay back, he will be forced to use his gratuity to pay back.
Mr Sampa said brick-making is a lucrative business that is being prioritised.
He said 50 youths of Matero have united to take charge of the brick-making project.
Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda (c) flanked by Western Province Permanent Secretary Mwangala Liomba (l) and Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Bernard Chomba (r) during the 51st Independence Anniversary celebrations at Mongu Sports StadiumMINISTER of Labour and Social Security Fackson Shamenda says Government will soon recruit labour attachés in selected Zambian missions abroad.
Mr Shamenda said Government will soon open offices for labour attachés at some selected missions abroad starting with Geneva, Switzerland.
He said in Parliament on Wednesday evening that Cabinet had approved the opening of labour offices at some selected missions.
Mr Shamenda said the labour officers to be recruited by the government will be tasked to educate or inform investors intending to invest in Zambia about the country’s labour laws.
“We will soon be recruiting labour officers in some selected missions abroad and I am happy to inform the House that the ministry is just waiting for authority to employ from the Public Service Management Division.
“Once we are given the authority, we will employ starting with Geneva and these officers will be tasked to co-ordinate labour matters,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said Government is working hard to ensure that all the investors adhere to the country’s labour laws.
the labour attachés will be tasked to educate investors on labour matters so that when they come to Zambia, they follow the standards of employment as well as protect the interests of workers.
Mr Shamenda said Government is concerned about some investors that are abrogating the country’s labour laws.
He also said Government will launch the revised National Employment and Labour Market Policy before the end of this year.
Mr Shamenda said the policy is aimed at building an effective labour administration system, adding that his ministry will also launch the 2014 Labour Force Survey by the end of this month.
Government has reaffirmed its commitment to creating more than 500, 000 jobs by 2016 through the industrialization and value addition strategies.
Republican Vice President Inonge Wina says in order to achieve this, government is open to ideas and best practices of incentivizing the upcoming women and youth entrepreneurs so that government can create more jobs and wealth and consequently deliver on the promise to the people as outlined in the Patriotic Front Manifesto.
Speaking during the opening of the 2015 Zambia Entrepreneurship Summit organized by Women’s Entrepreneurship Center of Resources, Education, Access and Training for Economic Empowerment (WECREATE) dubbed Accessing Good Ideas, Accessing Financing, Ms. Wina says she is delighted to see various financing options that are directed at accelerating Business Development for Entrepreneurs.
in a speech read on her behalf by commerce, trade and industry minister margret mwanakatwe, Ms. Wina says government is committed to supporting innovative businesses and social solutions, especially in priotize areas and social-economic growth such as agriculture, tourism, Education, Health, Infrastructure Development among other things.
She says there is need to lay a strong foundation in innovation and entrepreneurship development to take Zambia to a developed country by 2064.
Ms. Wina has disclosed that government is considering re-looking at the whole approach to empowerment funds being administered by the ministries of commerce, Trade and Industry, Gender, Agriculture Youth, Sport and Child Development and Community Development and Social Welfare, with the view of harmonization and more importantly, up scaling and redefining training for applicants.
She has since challenged WECREATE Zambia Centre and the United States Embassy in Zambia to forge Links with all stakeholders both from the public and private sectors in the National Entrepreneurial ecosystem and structure a permanent national platform of the Zambia entrepreneurship summit which will be part of the Zambia’s calendar in the Celebration of the global entrepreneurship week which runs every week in November.
And speaking earlier US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Shultz says Zambia has great economic potential which young entrepreneurs should tap.
Mr. Shultz says entrepreneurs will lead Zambia from reliance on aid to prosperity through business and trade.
He says he has been impressed and energized by the young Zambian entrepreneurs he meets and urges them to continue.
And WECREATE Executive Director Nambula Kachumi has called on government to address the factors which will accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship and consequently impact on the much desired transformation of Zambia into developed country.
FILE: INFORMATION and Broadcasting Minister Chishimba Kambwili (r) and Choma Central Member of Parliament Conelius Mweetwa stand together as matchers (not in picture) pass. This was during the Youth Day celebrations at Choma stadium
UPND Members of Parliament for the second time today stayed away from Parliamentary proceedings in protest to what they are calling continued mutilation of Zambians rights.
The UPND MPs have vowed to continue walking out from Parliament until the rights of the citizens stop being infringed upon by the Zambia Police.
The MPs say they are determined to carry on signaling to the PF government on behalf of the Zambian people that things are not ok in the Country.
Speaking on behalf the protesting MPs shortly after walking out from the proceedings, UPND Choma Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa says his fellow MPs will not stop boycotting proceedings in spite of the Speaker asking the Minister of Home Affairs to issue a ministerial statement early next week over the attacks on UPND president Hakainde Hichilema on the Copperbelt.
Mr. Mweetwa who is also UPND party deputy spokesperson states that his fellow MPs suspect that the Zambia Police is being used by President Edgar Lungu to preserve himself in power.
He has told journalists that UPND thinks that President Lungu is allegedly desperate to stay in State House.
Mr. Mweetwa notes that the UPND MPs will not however pretend as if things are well when in fact not.
He says the UPND is also left to wonder how possibly the PF government can continue preaching reconciliation when on the other hand people’s rights of movement are being infringed upon.
Mr. Mweetwa says his fellow MPs can only conclude that President Lungu and his government are proclaiming reconciliation to allegedly hoodwink the people that things are ok in the Country.
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says tax revenue collections have in the last three years performed favorably against parliament target averaging at 4.2%.
In a presentation at a media training workshop organized by Actionaid Zambia in Lusaka today, ZRA senior economist for policy and coordination research and planning department Yenda Shamabobo says over the last three years, tax revenue to the gross domestic ratio has averaged at 16.2%.
Mr. Shamabobo says tax revenue has continued to be the major source of revenue averaging at 68.4% of the total budget during the last three years citing that between 2013 and 2014 government funding as a percent of revenue collected declined by 0.3%.
He adds that in 2014, mining tax revenue made up 11.8% of the total tax revenue collection adding that during the last 3 years, mining tax revenue has contributed an average of 14.6% to total tax revenue.
He further states that despite Tax revenues nominally growing over the recent past 3 years, exceeding there is still room for enhancing tax collections through broadening the tax net to capture even more entities especially those in the Informal Sector.
And ActionAid Zambia country director Pamela Chisanga says Zambia should position to itself to be a region of ending tax avoidance.
Ms. Chisanga says the country is not doing enough to plug the loopholes in tax collections adding that this is why it is the only country which has clear examples of tax avoidance and hence the need to change things around and be a pioneer of curbing tax avoidance.
She adds that the country is losing resources through tax avoidance stressing that these resources can be channeled to delivering services to the people of Zambia.
She has further urged investors to have the interest of the country at heart and pay fair taxes so that the country can benefit.
President Edgar Lungu has said that the Patriotic Front government should not be held accountable if the constitutional amendment bill is not passed in parliament.
President Lungu said that he has received reports that some opposition Members of Parliament want to shoot down the bill which contains clauses that most Zambians have asked for.
President Lungu said that if the motion is not passed in parliament then Zambians must judge who means well for the country in 2016.
He was speaking upon arrival at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International airport in Livingstone on Thursday.
The Head of State said he had done his part as President to cut down on costs by taking non contentious clauses to Parliament for an amendment but he had information currently indicating that some MPs and some leaders of the opposition wanted to kill all the efforts of the Zambian people.
“I am pleading that you (Zambians) to tell your MPs and Ministers to support the constitution amendment bill.
“If they don’t support it, I will keep away from it and I won’t touch it in future. We have wasted too much money on this constitution making process from the day of late President Mwanawasa up to now on allowances for Commissions and so on,” Mr Lungu said.
He said Zambians wanted certain changes to be done in the constitution as they had cried for dual citizenship, 50 + 1 system of electing the President and running mate system of electing the Vice President among others.
“If they don’t support it, I will keep away from it and I won’t touch it in future. We have wasted too much money on this constitution making process from the day of late President Mwanawasa up to now on allowances for Commissions and so on,” Mr Lungu said.
Mr Lungu said some people did not want to listen to the voice of the Zambian people and they want to kill the Bill in Parliament.
“If Parliament fails to amend the constitution next week or in the near future, then I will wash my hands from this process. From time of late Mwanawasa, there was a cry to change the constitution and I thought that half a loaf of bread is better than nothing.
“So I want to wash off my hands and say I will not be responsible if the efforts being made by PF are going to be killed in Parliament and the motion is lost. Zambians should judge for themselves who means well for them,” Mr Lungu said.
He said that the PF government means well for Zambians and is doing everything possible to cut down on the cost of living.
Sunday Chanda
PF Media and Publicity Committee Vice Chairman Sunday Chanda has challenged UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to take responsibility for the violence that occurred on the Copperbelt.
Mr. Chanda says it is disappointing that Mr. Hichilema who is aspiring for the presidency does not respect the advice that was granted to his party by the police not to hold political meetings on the Copperbelt.
He said this in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka.
Mr. Chanda also urged the opposition leader to condemn the recent attack by UPND cadres on local musician Wesley Chibambo commonly known as Dandy Crazy in Mazabuka where he was scheduled to perform.
And MMD National Youth Chairperson Bowman Lusambo has urged the opposition UPND to condemn the recent violence in which a woman was manhandled for wearing another party’s regalia.
HH addressing some supporters outside UPND offices in Luanshya before police dispersed the gathering
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that he has decided to temporarily halt his campaigns on the Copperbelt because it does not want to put the lives of UPND supporters at risk.
In a statement, Mr Hichilema said the UPND has decided to temporarily stop the campaigns in the region because it is a responsible and peace loving party.
He said the UPND does not want its supporters to be shot at, injured, and arrested by trigger happy police officers.
Below is Mr Hichilema’s full statement
Dear colleagues in the Copperbelt
Firstly we would like to wholeheartedly thank you for the wonderful reception and the massive support accorded to our team despite the numerous challenges.
Today we had planned to visit our colleagues who were injured and are in hospitals, and also those who were arrested.
We also planned to meet our teams and other key stakeholders in Mufurila, Kalulushi, Masaiti, Lufwanyama, Mpongwe, Chambeshi and some traditional leadership.
But as a responsible political party and peace loving Zambian citizens, we have decided to temporarily halt our programmes as we do not want our people to be shot at, injured, and arrested by trigger happy police officers being commanded by our political competitors in the ruling PF.
What we experienced in Kitwe and Luanshya yesterday were basically Crimes Against Humanity akin to a war zone. Those who witnessed it would not believe we are now 51 years independent.
Our experience yet again revealed the urgent need for a new people driven constitution that will guarantee people’s liberties, enshrine respect for human rights and good governance, and foster economic development.
For now we call on all our supporters across the country to arm themselves with the mighty defensive weapons at their disposal which are NRCs and voters cards, while our colleagues in the PF are arming themselves with pangas, guns, machetes, and other dangerous weapons.
We all have to stand up and defend our democratic ideals and institutions in order to secure and protect our freedoms of speech and association.
We remain fully focused on our mission to help drive the economic development of our country through a robust diversification programme
Once more many thanks to the massive support from our Copperbelt residents and we promise we shall come back again soon.
Teargas fired at UPND offices in LuanshyaSmoke engulfs UPND offices in Luanshya after police fired tear gasInjured UPND supporterA female UPND supporters who was caught up in the fracas
A Chinese woman yesterday testified before the Kitwe High Court how a police officer and two other men allegedly robbed her of cash and property worth K73,350 at gunpoint.
She was giving evidence as a state witness during the trial of Billy Mfula, a Kitwe-based police officer, John Chishala and Joseph Bwembya, all of Kitwe who are facing three counts of aggravated robbery.
In the first count, it is alleged that the three robbed Huang Jianlan of K31,000 and US$3,800 cash, one handbag, a gold ring and one flash disc altogether valued at K73,350 while armed with guns in Kitwe on November 8, 2013.
In the second count they allegedly stole one Ipad, a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, one flash disc, three passports, one handbag and K1,000 cash all valued at K10,200 from Li Shuping on the same day while armed with guns.
They are, in the third count, alleged to have robbed Xiong Ming of K101,000 cash on December 26, 2013 while armed with guns.
Ms Huang testified before Mr Justice Isaac Kamwendo that on the fateful night around 24:00 hours she was at Edinburgh Casino in the company of her four friends.
She said they decided to go home around 01:00 hours and that when they arrived at the house of one of her friends, she heard a voice harshly ordering them not to move.
“I heard a gunshot and saw a crack on the windscreen of our vehicle.
They immediately broke the window using a gun and took my handbag.
They opened the back door of the vehicle and asked me to come out,” Ms Huang narrated.
She reported the robbery to the police, who later apprehended the suspects.
Li also testified on the robbery before Mr Justice Kamwendo, who adjourned the matter for continued trial.
Construction of Robert Makasa University in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province is nearing completion. In the picture, workers working on final touches of the structures. The facility which will be offering Mathematics and Sciences opens its doors to the public next year
Government has tasked the University of Zambia(UNZA) to manage the newly built Robert Makasa University in Chinsali District.
And the Ministry of Higher Education has since handed over the Robert Makasa University to UNZA.
Director for Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training in the Ministry of Higher Education, Alex Simumba says the Ministry resolved that UNZA is best suited to run the new University.
ZNBC’s Yotam Mugara reports that Mr. Simumba disclosed this development when a team from schools of Medicine and Education inspected infrastructure at the new University in Chinsali District.
And UNZA delegation leader, Christine Kanyengo said her institution is ready to open Robert Makasa University once all formalities with government are concluded.
And Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary, Bright Nundwe has appealed to UNZA to quickly open the University.
Mr. Nundwe said the University will not only decongest the current Universities but also bring development to the province.
FILE: Masebo arriving at the Supreme Court for the tribunal hearings
Former Tourism Minister Sylvia Masebo has pleaded not guilty to the charge of unlawful assembly.
Ms Masebo took plea along with four others who equally pleaded their innocence.
Ms Masebo and four other took plea this morning before Lusaka Resident Magistrate Prince Mwinga.
Ms Masebo’s co- accused are Benson Mbewe, Joyce Sakala, Kennedy Kabunda and Emmanuel Chabo.
Magistrate Mwiinga has set December 3rd for mention and setting of trial dates.
Ms Masebo and her co-accused allegedly committed the offence of unlawful assembly on September 15, 2015 in Lusaka on Nationalist Road and Independence Avenue.
PF Kitwe District Spokesperson Christopher Kang’ombe
The ruling PF in Kitwe has refuted claims that their members yesterday in the district destroyed the UPND office which led to some youths injured and admitted to hospital.
PF Kitwe District Spokesperson Christopher Kang’ombe tells QFM News that the PF does not believe in politics of intimidation.
Mr. Kang’ombe says the PF believes that listening to divergent views and therefore promote responsible freedom of expression by either individuals or members of opposition political parties in Zambia.
He has explained that whoever participated in the reported violent incident did not represent the PF and therefore the party condemns any act of violence by both the youths masquerading as PF members and those from the UPND.
Mr. Kang’ombe says their preliminary investigations indicate that youths from both groups were armed with stones and has since urged the police in Kitwe to thoroughly establish more facts as to why Kitwe should become a battlefield for the youths.
He adds that the PF believes that young people must be productive, go oriented and well utilized in sectors of the economy that will propel Zambia to greatness.
The PF Kitwe District Spokesperson says the activities of yesterday fall short of even the basic minimum standards they expect from the current crop of youths adding that it is extremely regrettable that violence occurred.
Mr Hichilema addressing UPND supporters who were injured in Kitwe
The opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has accused the PF government of forsaking the people of Zambia and its mandate to govern and improve the lives of people.
The UPND Leader has told QFM News in a statement that instead of addressing issues affecting the people, the PF government has gone astray, and made the lives of Zambians worse off than they were before.
Mr. Hichilema says Zambians must face the truth that the current economic problems were not visited on this country by some cruel act of God or forced onto the nation by nature but that these are man-made problems created by the PF.
Mr. Hichilema recalls that just a few weeks ago, President Edgar Lungu chartered a private Jet from Lusaka to the USA at a colossal sum of $300,000 saying they wasted money on lavish things instead of pumping it in the country’s development.
And the UPND Leader has noted that the PF government has borrowed and continues to borrow too much money, at exorbitantly high costs.
He claims that borrowing too much is the cause of Zambia’s problems, not the solution.
He says the PF will leave the country with the worst debt crisis in the history of Zambia saying all the damage has been done in a space of less than three years.
Mr. Hichilema says already the Zambian currency, the Kwacha, has become the most worthless currency on the face of the earth in just a few years of PF’s being in power.
FILE: Then Deputy Minister of Commerce and Trade Miles Sampa finally unveils the new Zambia Bureau of Standards logo just after cutting the ribbon
The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has stepped up used motor vehicle inspections from 4, 322 in the second quarter of 2015 to 4,724 in the third quarter.
This is in a bid to promote public safety and to monitor compliance with the Zambian standard relating to used motor vehicles, which is Zambian Standard – ZS560 a code of practice for the inspection and testing of used motor vehicles for roadworthiness that was was declared compulsory by the Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry through Statutory Instrument number 120 of 2006.
Of the 4,724 used motor vehicles that were inspected by the Bureau in the period under review 2,664 vehicles were issued with Road Worthiness Inspection (RWI) certificates whereas 2,064 vehicles paid penalties due to the failure by the importers to comply with this very importance pre-shipment requirement.
1, 612 vehicles were inspected in July, 1,512 in August and 1,602 used motor vehicles were inspected in September 2015.
ZABS is not happy that some vehicle importers have continued to evade road worthiness inspections at the point of origin and warns that such importers should know that they are in violation of the standards act Cap 416 of the laws of Zambia and risk the lives of road users.
‘ZABS would also like to advise importers of used motor vehicles to ensure that they subject their vehicles to road worthiness inspections at the point of origin to avoid bringing in un-roadworthy vehicles into the country.’
Pre-shipment inspection of goods in general is a standard international practice which helps countries control the influx of sub-standard products from entering their markets. The greatest advantage of this practice is that the sub-standard products are detected at source and prevented from being shipped to importing countries.
