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Raubex has taken steps to reduce the risk from its R1.2 billion greenfields road construction contract in Zambia.
The listed road construction and rehabilitation company reported yesterday that trade and other receivables increased by 23.9% to R1.51bn in the six months to August from R1.2bn in the previous corresponding period.
This was partly because of payments due from the Zambia Road Development Agency on the Link 8000 contracts awarded to Raubex.
These two contracts in the North-eastern part of Zambia involve the construction of 200km of new roads.
Rudolf Fourie, the chief executive of Raubex, said yesterday that the “good news” was that the Zambia Road Development Agency had made two “quite substantial” payments after the end of the reporting period.
Fourie said the agency still owed Raubex 37 million Zambian kwacha (R40m) but had assured Raubex in meetings that it would continue paying.
He said Raubex was managing its exposure and had told the agency that if it skipped payment it would terminate the contract.
Raubex warned last month that the significant devaluation of the Zambian kwacha would impact on the future profitability of these contracts if the currency remained at current levels and was negotiating measures with the agency to mitigate the exchange rate risk and support the successful completion of the contracts.
Fourie said there was a built-in 30 percent escalation formula for inflation in the contract, which had been agreed with the agency, and Raubex had been able to “pull back a lot of the exchange rate loss”.
“That means we will be able to complete the contract profitably. We have given the market guidance of a 15 percent margin and we should be able to attain that.”
Fourie said Raubex had also proposed that the contract be converted to rand because “we are uncomfortable with what the currency (kwacha) is doing at the moment”.
He said the agency had made a recommendation to the Treasury in this regard and was waiting for a response.
Fourie confirmed the contract still had two years to run and Raubex was on schedule to complete it on time.
He confirmed Raubex continued to look for acquisitions in the materials sector in both South Africa and southern Africa, noting it was considering a number of acquisitions and one small acquisition in the Western Cape was imminent.
Raubex yesterday reported a 5.3 percent increase in headline earnings a share to 107.0c in the six months to August.
Revenue rose by 4.3 percent to R3.89bn from R3.73bn.
Operating profit improved by 9.5 percent to R329.3m from R300.8m.
An interim dividend of 36c a share was declared, which was 2.8 percent higher than the 35c dividend declared in the prior period. The order book grew 9.3 percent to R8.24bn from R7.54bn.
Fourie said the first half of the year was marked by another consistent performance from the group under challenging industry conditions and in spite of unplanned refinery shutdowns that affected local asphalt operations.
He said the materials division continued to perform strongly during the period and Raubex had established a presence from which to grow in Botswana through the acquisition of Belabela Quarries.
“Our order book is solid and we anticipate an improved performance in the second half of the year supported by the materials division, a stabilised asphalt production environment and the execution of various solar projects in progress,” he said.
Shares in Raubex rose 2.37 percent to close at R16, which valued the road construction and rehabilitation company company at R3.1bn.
By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology
Since the British colonized the then Northern Rhodesia now independent Zambia in late 1800s, we have been made to believe that English is the only, best, and superior language to express thought. We have English as the official language which we use in education from the first grade all the way to secondary school and university. Since Zambia’s independence about 50 years ago, with Zambia now having over 17 universities, we have never really seriously questioned or even explored whether English is the only and best way to express sophisticated thought. What about our 17 major Zambian languages which include Nyanja, Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, Kaonde, and dozens of others? Can they be used to convey sophisticated thought?
Communicating in a Zambian Language Video Clip
I have always known that our indigenous Zambian languages may be best for communicating, exploring, and even for research and development, technical inventions and innovations which we have been erroneously made to believe are only possible using English only. There is a 2.12 minute video clip that has been viewed more than 56,000 times that clearly confirms that we can use our Zambian languages to explain basic principles of electricity as one example. The language the boy used to explain his ideas is Lusaka Nyanja which is the lingua franca of the Capital City of Lusaka. In the video clip, a poor boy from Misisi compound in Lusaka holds a model he had built from discarded material himself to explain basic principles of electricity.
He does this in such a surprisingly articulate way, that even I, as a grown man who has a Ph. D but not in electrical engineering, could instantly grasp the principles of electricity from the Kariba Hydroelectric Dam to my own domestic use may be in Lusaka or Kitwe, or Luanshya. Some have suggested that Zesco should have used this boy to explain power shading to the public.
Recommendations
The vast majority of viewers of the video clip comment that Zesco should sponsor the boy, government should sponsor the boy, and some even have said they could individually volunteer to sponsor the boy to get an education. He is clearly a boy who lives in poverty right now. My own reaction is that large institutions like Zesco and especially the Zambian government may already be preoccupied. Samson Phiri who made the video can track down the boy. He can start a fund drive that will first and foremost educate the boy. I would start by donating a hundred dollars myself toward the fund. If there is more money, he can start a program that will educate all the boys and girls who have been found to be as intellectually creative as that boy. There are thousands of talented boys and girls in Zambia who are like the boy in the video. But because of poverty and lack of opportunity, the boys and girls cannot use their creative talents for themselves as well as for the whole nation.
First and foremost, we have to make sure that corruption is completely removed. If the 56,000 viewers of the video clip each donate just 5 dollars or K65.00, a total of 280,000 dollars or K3.6 million would be raised. If we can keep all the corruption out of this, this would be enough money to educate the boy, but may be hundreds of other boys and girls who have similar creative talent but live in poverty. If we harness this boy’s creative talents, there are also other benefits for you and me and the whole country. There are many possible benefits but I identify the possible two.
Teaching Pedagogy
What the boy is illustrating in the video clip is what is called teaching pedagogy in sophisticated lingo. The boy clearly illustrates teaching methods or how we should teach from the first grade, all through secondary school, up to higher education in colleges and universities. His methodology and simplicity should be incorporated into teaching which may involve bilingualism. This means teaching both in indigenous Zambian languages and English language in order to maximize clarity when explaining a complex subject to anyone especially students in a classroom and even the public. All my fellow teachers from grade one to college lecturers should take note of the basic fundamental principles of this video clip.
Construction of Models
The simple hand held but quite sophisticated model illustrating basic principles of electricity and the power grid can be manufactured on a large scale by Zesco and other manufacturers in Zambia. These models can be of so many different types of sciences which could be sold to thousands of schools. The models could be in biology, physics, chemistry, geography, astronomy, botany, medicine, anatomy, physiology, computers, engineering, and many others. The simple but cheap models could be exported to neighboring and other countries in the world which could also use them in schools, colleges and university. That could create both jobs in the country and exports. Instead of waiting for hard to convince foreign investors, Zambian entrepreneurs, companies, educators, individuals and others could easily join in this very exciting possible profitable venture that could help enhance education.
Creative Talents in Zambia
There are thousands of young boys and girls in Zambia who have creative talents but live in poverty. One such boy is my own nephew Abiuldi Banda who lives in poverty with his parents, his brothers and sisters in Lundazi. But the boy had incredible creative talents, curiosity and was always experimenting building and testing different models of science from when he was a small boy. Once he completed Grade 12 in 2012, he was admitted to UNZA. But his parents did not have money and the government bursary was not available to him. He is now languishing with wasted talent that he and the nation could benefit from. There are thousands such boys and girls in Zambia. As a nation we just need to harness these talents for the benefit of both the individual boys and girls but also for the entire nation of 13 million people. Mr. Samson Phiri could start the ball rolling without waiting for the government, Zesco, or someone else to start what would be the best project for the nation ever.
Zambian Languages and Sophisticated Idea
If you are still skeptical that Zambian languages can be used to express sophisticated ideas that can only be expressed in English, I believe in practice. I wrote an academic article in English a few years ago. I translated the abstract into Tumbuka and Nyanja languages. You can try also to translate the abstract into Lozi, Kaonde, Tonga or Bemba Zambian languages. There is a link to the complete academic article in English. The title of the article is: “Eurocentric Destruction of Indigenous Conceptions: the Secret Rediscovery of the Beautiful Woman in African Societies.”
My son Sekani Tembo who was a Third year computer major in at an American College showing his cousins, Abiudi and Nina, a lap top computer behind the Castle Hotel in Lundazi in 2009Abiudi Banda in Grade 9 when he was 15 years showing one of his projects in Entomology. He had made an insecticide from natural products; tobacco and 3 other ingredients from the bush.Abiudi Banda in Grade 9 when he was 15 years showing one of his projects in Entomology. He had made an insecticide from natural products; tobacco and 3 other ingredients from the bush.Abiudi Banda showing me a plastic container which can heat water by inserting electrodes in the container.Abiudi Banda showing me a plastic container which can heat water by inserting electrodes in the container.
The Zambian Kwacha has lost its value to unprecedented levels ever witnessed in this country. The swift and violent loss of value has brought about untold misery to both businesses as well as consumers.
Hot on its heels is inflation which has soured to 14.3% from 7.7%, a feat which was expected anyway. At the time of putting ink to paper, the exchange rate between the local currency and the US Dollar is K13.80 having traded earlier in the day at K13.10 to a dollar. Who knows, by the time the ink dries up, further devaluation could take place. This hair spinning state of affairs sends cold chills in the spines of business decision makers making it impossible for them to plan, and as you and I know, failing to plan is planning to fail.
In this discourse, I will bring to fore some of the proactive measures that business people and consumers at large may employ to avoid loss or erosion of their hard earned resources through depreciation of the Kwacha. I will explore the efficacy of the use of one of the financial instruments which businesses can use to plan. While Zambian companies may not be able to stop the volatility in the short-term, they are at least able to hedge using over the counter forward exchange contracts or indeed exchange traded currency contracts.
Forward exchange contracts (FEC) hedge against exposure by allowing the importer or exporter to arrange for a bank to sell or buy quantity of Dollars, Pounds or Rand at a future date, at a rate of exchange determined when the forward contract is made. The customer will know in advance either how much Kwacha he will receive (if he is selling US Dollars, British pounds or SA Rand to the bank) or how much Kwacha he must pay (if he is buying dollars, pounds or rand from the bank) to their suppliers.
FECs enable companies to fix in advance future exchange rates on an agreed quantity of foreign currency for delivery or purchase on an agreed date. These are generally set up via banks and are non-negotiable, and are legally binding contracts. The advantage of these FECs is that they can be tailor made with respect to maturity and size in order to meet the requirements of the company. A FEC is an immediate firm and binding contract, between a customer and a bank, for the purchase or sale of a specified quantity of a stated dollar, Pound and Rand foreign currency, at a rate of exchange fixed at the time the contract is made. It is entered into for performance (delivery of the dollar, pound or rand and payment for it) at a future time which is agreed when making the contract.
FECs allow you to buy and sell currencies at a fixed exchange rate for a specified time period. They are a straightforward way to protect against adverse fluctuations in exchange rates and guarantee the value of future transactions. Their benefits include budget for large cash outflow projects with more financial security, the business knows exactly what the costs or income will be and can be arranged in most major currencies.
Further, since the rate of exchange is fixed on foreign currency transactions for a specified date or time period of your choice, they enable the customer or importer/exporter to have peace of mind and concentrate on strategies on expanding the business. You pay the foreign exchange rate which is based on the spot rate on the day of the deal. FECs are binding and will have to be cancelled if you do not use them. This may result in a profit or loss depending on the exchange rate on the day of cancellation.
In the next article, I will endeavor to explain another form of foreign currency hedging that businesses and individuals can use to protect their financial assets in this volatile financial environment.
There is no amount of politics that can hide the fact that we are facing a serious economic debacle as a country. What makes it worse however, is how the head of state is responding to challenges we face as a country.
Firstly the president seems to have shut his ears to sound advice the way RB did and that cost him an election. It is evident from his appointments that the head of state is determined to push ahead with his wishes despite a divergent public perception. It is clear that many Zambians do not support the appointment of Dora Siliya and Bishop Chomba as Minister and permanent Secretary respectively,to the most sensitive ministry this year. But the head of state is determined to push foward anyway.
Bishop Edward Chomba Permanent Secretary Water Development Ministry of Energy and Water Development
Secondly, the president seems to be more concerned about politics, than he is about development, he seems to be doing more party work than government work. The PF government seems to be in full throttle campaign mode at the expense of governments responsibility.
Further, the president seems to have sidelined original founder PF members, like Miles Sampa, who supposedly carried with them, the vision of the patriotic front and has chosen to surround himself with a lot of individuals Zambians have rejected. It is the same way RB chose to do away with Mwanawasa’s MMD, and he faced the consequences.
Today, every single person in Zambia is complaining about commodity prices, but the head of state hasn’t taken any decisive action or given a roadmap on how the government intends to arrest the situation. There are problems every where you look, but all we hear is politicking.
As a former Secretary General of the Copperbelt institutions team, it saddens me to note, what has become of a party we struggled so hard to put in power under the leadership of The late Michael Sata. We hope the head of state takes some time to listen to us the ordinary citizens, because we have suffered alot. He is doing the exact same things that cost RB an election, and if he does not change course, the same fate awaits him.
A taste of home – Nshima, Kapenta, Roasted Chicken and Cabbage
There is not much that I can say about Nshima, it is not my favourite meal, and there’s not a lot that can be done with it; it’s hardly a chef’s dream. However, like many Zambians, it was a large part of my life growing up.
Some of you might be wondering why I dislike nshima so much? There is no traumatic life experience that made me hate nshima; but making a child eat it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, can have a bad effect…okay slight exaggeration…maybe not for breakfast, but you get my point. I hated it so much that I only started eating it again in my 20’s when I learnt how to cook it. Much to my mother’s dismay, it was actually my father who finally taught me how to cook nshima. It was like that “Come to Jesus” moment when everything finally clicks. Before that, cooking nshima just felt like a long and drawn process that involved burning your hand and exercising your biceps to the point of no return, it was a tedious and painful experience; made worse by those that showed off and made it look so easy.
In my time as a food columnist I have come to notice that some of my readers insist that I only write about meals that include Nshima. Honestly I struggle to find words to describe it; I would hardly call it delicious or tantalizing to the taste buds. Let’s face it nshima is a little lacklustre and uninspiring. However, it is cost effective, especially now – with the current state of the Zambian economy; furthermore it can be eaten with almost everything and anything, it is filling and does offer some satisfaction and comfort in a time when not everyone can afford fancy ingredients. Having said this I wanted to challenge all of you avid nshima fans; since you love to complain and feel that I should write about nshima all day, every day, why don’t you help me out?
Now without further ado here’s your monthly dose of Nshima and ‘relish’.
Preparation & cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: More than 4 people
Ingredients
For the nshima
1 pack of maize meal or mealie meal
1 pack of cassava meal (optional)
For the chicken
1 whole chicken
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
Vegetable oil
For the cabbage
Cabbage, sliced
1 tin of tomato OR 2 fresh medium tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the Kapenta
Kapenta, washed thoroughly in warm water
1 tin of tomato
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt
Pepper, optional
Hot Chilli flakes, optional
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
First prepare your chicken and kapenta.
Preheat the oven to 200 ? C. Marinate your whole chicken with enough paprika, garlic, salt and pepper; rub in the seasoning then pour a bit of vegetable oil over the chicken and rub it all over. Place the chicken on a baking tray and into the oven; cook for 1 ½ hours; turning it every 30 minutes or so to ensure that all the sides cook.
Meanwhile prepare and cook your kapenta. The amount that you have to wash your kapenta depends on where it is from. Siavonga Kapenta has no sand; so you only have to wash it once in warm water. However Mpulungu Kapenta usually has a lot of sand; and needs to be washed thoroughly even up to 3 or 4 times. Heat your vegetable oil in a pan; then add your kapenta, season it with salt, pepper, or chilli flakes, and fry it until cooked. Now add your chopped onions and fry it for a further minute or 2. Lastly add your tomato; continue cooking. To make a gravy add water to the kapenta and allow it to thicken to the desired consistency; remove it from the heat and place it in a heat proof container or Pyrex dish.
Now prepare your cabbage. In a saucepan heat up vegetable oil, add your onions and fry for about 2 minutes. Then pour in your tinned tomato and fry for 3 minutes. Lastly add you cabbage and some salt to taste; stir well and allow it to cook for a further 6 minutes.
Finally cook your nshima. Boil water in a kettle. Pour about a cup of mealie meal into a large pot; add cold water to make it into a thick paste. Turn the stove onto high heat and add all of your boiling water, to make a runny porridge. Place the lid over the pot and allow the porridge to cook for 10 – 15 minutes. The porridge should now have thickened, somewhat. Stir it using a large wooden spoon; add about a 1/4 cup of mealie meal at a time, all the while stirring vigorously and continuously, to remove lumps. To make sure that the maize meal is cooked, cook for about 20 minutes. Finally add cassava meal and mix vigorously once more, until thick enough to eat with your hands and there is no water remaining. It should be about the consistency of soft Play-Doh but stickier. Cover the pot and leave it to stand for 5 minutes. Then remove from the heat and serve.
Serving
Wet a serving spoon, scoop out the nshima in fist-sized lumps and enjoy with your relish. Serve hot, and use your hands to eat. Enjoy!!
Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.
You can find her work onwww.kantakakes.com. Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.
FILE: Masebo arriving at the Supreme Court for the tribunal hearingsCHONGWE member of Parliament (MP) Sylvia Masebo will now be tried in the case of abuse of authority of office following the High Court’s decision to dismiss her application for judicial review.
Ms Masebo sought judicial review against acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lilian Siyunyi’s decision to prosecute her on charges of abuse of authority of office.
High Court judge Petronella Ngulube refused to grant the application to Ms Masebo on grounds that the DPP has power to undertake criminal proceedings against anyone before any court regarding any case.
Mrs Justice Ngulube said the DPP cannot be directed by any person in the discharge of her functions except in cases which involve consideration of public policy.
“Article 53 (3) of the Constitution provides that the DPP shall have power in any case which he considers desireable to do so,” she said.
The court noted that the DPP cannot be subjected to the direct control of any other person or authority.
Mrs Justice Ngulube said Ms Masebo did not show how Ms Siyunyi’s decision to prosecute her had contravened or exceeded the terms of the law, which authorised the making of that decision, and that the application would require the court to exercise its discretion in her favour.
She said Ms Masebo’s case is not a proper case in which leave for judicial review should be granted and that the material availed to the court did not present an arguable case meriting the granting of leave.
Mrs Justice Ngulube said Ms Masebo had not raised any matters which, on face value, present impropriety on the part of the State, in particular the DPP.
“I am of the view that the applicant [Masebo] has not satisfied this court that there is a case fit for further investigation at a full inter parte hearing. This application fails and is dismissed,” she said.
PF Deputy General Mumbi Phiri makes her point during a PF Youth Rally at Freedom Park
Ruling PF Deputy General Secretary Mumbi Phiri has issued a stern warning to those pushing for renewed calls to have a convention to choose a candidate for the 2016 general elections.
Mrs Phiri said the party will deal ruthlessly with those that are behind so calls because President Edgar Lungu has a five year mandate which he was given at the last convention in Kabwe.
‘You know, in our Bemba language there is a saying that when greedy people sell fish, they don’t look beyond their noses, you know when President Sata died, some of us tried to talk to our fellow members led by Hon. Guy Scott who were calling for a convention at Mulungushi Conference Centre that let us go to the Central Committee which is the largest decision making body, they refused,’ Mrs Phiri said.
‘The Guy Scott group paid for the venue of the Convention which was in Kabwe and we went there and elected a President through a congress as by our constitution and President Edgar Lungu had a clear win and since he was elected by the congress, it means he has a five year mandate,’ she said.
She added, ‘Those who were not seeing beyond their noses didn’t realise that we had given President Edgar Lungu a five year mandate and what are they now talking about?
‘Let me warm them, we are not going to tolerate any useless means of trying to divide the party, what we went through last year when our President died was not easy and for me, i call it that it was God who was trying to cleanse the bad elements we had with bad intentions in our party,’ she said.
Mrs Phiri continued, ‘Let me tell them, we are not going to allow them and we know some of those people want to form a political party, me as a founder of the Patriotic Front we are here to defend our party and our constitution.
MMD Vice presidential candidate Bowman Lusambo says he will allow the developmental projects he has initiated in Kabushi constituency in Ndola to speak for him ahead of the 2016 general elections.
Addressing scores of Kabushi residents that attended the inaugural Bowman Lusambo Football tournament at Milemu grounds in Ndola on Sunday, Mr Lusambo said he will not respond to those opposed to his developmental projects.
He told the cheering crowd that no amount of opposition will stop him from serving the people of Kabushi.
‘What is wrong with assisting with the unblocking of the drainage system? What is wrong with putting up boreholes in Kabushi, people tell me what is wrong with improvements to Main Masala market so that our women could be trading in better conditions?’ Mr Lusambo asked.
‘For me, my heart is in Kabushi and i will work for you people, forget about those that don’t want us to work with you. The works will speak for themselves.’
He also announced that he will soon launch a Women’s Economic Empowerment Fund targeted at assisting marketeers with soft loans.
‘For our women here, please don’t feel left out, we have something coming for you. We will soon launch a project to start dispersing grants to women running small businesses in our markets in order to end the exploitation that our women suffer at the hands of micro finance institutions,’ he said.
And Lubuto Stars were crowned champions of the first ever Bowman Lusambo Football tournament after beating Lubuto Gunners 1-0.
The tightly contested match was watched by an impressive crowd of mostly local people who cheered on their teams.
Lubuto Stars walked away with K 15,000 cash prize while the second runners up Lubuto Gunners received K 10,000 with Masala Police receiving 7.5000 as third place finishers.
The fourth finisher was Tintinamumfu and pocketed K5, 500.
Rapheal Mwaanga emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with four goals while Charles Marvellous was voted as the man of the match in the final game.
Cellphones
CHADIZA Boarding Secondary School management has confiscated over 60 cell phones that were used illegally by pupils in the school.
Speaking during this year’s Parent Teachers Association (PTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) Headteacher Rose Miyombo said the school does not allow the use of cell phones in the school.
Ms Miyombo urged parents to stop giving cell phones to their children when going to school.
She said that 95 percent of phone use by pupils was wrong as most of them use phones to communicate with their boyfriends and girlfriends in and outside the school.
“All the confiscated cell phones will be auctioned and the money remitted to the school account,” he said.
Ms Miyombo revealed that the other big problem which the school was facing regarding discipline was beer drinking.
She said that some pupils especially boys drink beer carelessly adding that 17 pupils were sent on forced transfers this year due to indiscipline.
And commenting on the matter District Education Standards Officer Ben Ngoma said children must be disciplined in all aspects of their lives.
Mr Ngoma said that schools that have allowed the use of phones by pupils have struggled in obtaining good academic results because pupils spend a lot of time on the phone than studying.
Zambia Police Helicopter
POLICE in Southern Province have intercepted a truck carrying more than 30 illegal immigrants who were heading to South Africa in a suspected case of human trafficking.
The Benz truck registration number YPN 871GP, was impounded in Choma on Sunday around 14:30 hours after the alert officers discovered that it was loaded with foreign nationals.
The illegal immigrants, who started their journey on September 26, 2015, in Somalia, were found crammed in a containerised goods truck and have since been arrested.
Southern Province Police Commissioner Godwin Phiri said that, one of the foreigners was found in a condition of extremely dehydrated and was rushed to Choma General Hospital for treatment.
Mr Phiri said in an interview yesterday that police arrested a total of 39 illegal immigrants.
He said, among the foreigners, 35 are Ethiopians, three are Somalians and one who was a Malawian national, was driving the truck.
“The 39 were intercepted and arrested in Choma and they are all in police custody,” Mr Phiri said.
Mr Phiri said police have since launched investigations and that the arrested foreigners are expected to appear in court soon.
The Choma incident comes barely a few months after police in Central Province intercepted a truck carrying more than 100 Ethiopians heading to South Africa in a suspected case of human trafficking.
The illegal immigrants were arrested aboard a containerised goods truck.
Villagers who stay along Kasempa / Kalulushi road are cutting down trees in order to harvest caterpillars,the wrong method might result in deforestation and consequently,there will be no caterpillars
Several school going children in Mungwi District have stopped attending classes in preference for caterpillar collection.
School authorities have complained that the on-set of the caterpillar collection season has resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of pupils reporting for class.
This came to light when Mungwi District Commissioner Kaniki Bwalya visited some selected schools in Iyaya, Kalungu and Chamfubu wards.
Chanda Weyaya Primary School Head teacher Moses Mulenga told Mr Bwalya only 52 pupils attended classes against a total of 702 pupils.
At Mwangata Primary school, head teacher Ernest Chisha revealed that school which has 425 pupils only 19 pupils were in classes by 09:30Hours.
The school head teachers disclosed that efforts to engage the community on the issue have failed as some parents are reportedly encouraging their children to go for caterpillar collection and earn some money.
And Mr. Bwalya, who described that the scenario as lamentable has since directed school authorities to come up with strategies to mitigate the situation.
He said there is need to formulate a mechanism that will deter parents and guardians from taking their children away from school.
Mr Bwalya added that his office and that of the District Education Board Secretary will also consult traditional leaders on how to resolve the matter.
President Edgar Lungu Meets Archbishop of Lusaka Telephone Mpundu at State house in Lusaka on Monday 9th November 2015- Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza./State house.
Authentic Advocates for Justice and Democracy (AAJD) says The Post should not blame President Lungu for failing to meet its tax obligations when the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) demands payments.
AAJD executive director John Mulenga said it is criminal for any organisation operating in the country to knowingly evade tax because it feels it is ‘untouchable’.
Mr Mulenga said in an interview yesterday that those who are not paying tax knowingly are robbing Zambians of the economic benefits that they are supposed to enjoy.
He wondered how The Post expects Government to operate when it is failing to meet its tax obligations.
Mr Mulenga said failure to pay taxes sends wrong signals to foreign investors who might think it is the right thing to do in Zambia.
“If we do not pay tax, then what kind of picture are we painting to those that are coming to invest in Zambia,” Mr Mulenga said.
He said Government depends on the revenue it collects through ZRA and if certain companies or individuals opt not to pay tax, then what they are doing is a disservice to the country.
Mr Mulenga urged individuals supporting erring companies in terms of tax compliance to be sincere with themselves and the country.
He said some individuals, especially some politicians, should be principled not to talk ill of some policies simply because they don’t suit them at any given time.
On Sunday, State House said it is unreasonable, preposterous and outrageous in the extreme for the Post Newspaper to claim that demands for full settlement of tax obligations is a move to close it down.
Wynter Kabimba
Rainbow Party leader Wynter Kabimba has made a passionate appeal to Zambians from all walks of life to dip in their pockets and help save the Post Newspapers.
Mr Kabimba alleged that it is now clear that President Edgar Lungu is bent on closing down the newspaper using state agencies such as the Zambia Revenue Authority.
He feared that the closure of the Post would mark a sad picture in the development of Zambia’s democracy.
‘Ultimately the real losers would be the poor Zambians, whom the Post speaks for,’ Mr Kabimba said.
‘As poor as we are, let us dip in our pockets and contribute whatever we can to help the Post clear its tax arrears.’
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Kabimba said the amount of money the ZRA is demanding that the Post Newspapers pays within 10 days is too high for a newspaper to manage given the short period of time.
‘The Post has stood behind poor Zambians throughout its over twenty year history and it is now time for Zambians to stand by the newspaper,’ he said.
He added, ‘Closing down the Post will see those officials in government go on a wanton plunder of resources which should be avoided at all costs.’
Mr Kabimba claimed that President Lungu is using the ZRA to see to it that the Post Newspaper becomes extinct.
‘Unfortunately this President is so scared that he has now targeted critical media such as the Post as his next target for harassment but in this case he is now going to outright closure, he wants to see the Post closed.’
Zambia coach George Lwandamina has named his final 24-member team for Wednesday’s away 2018 World Cup qualifying clash against Sudan in Karima.
The traveling party will be without one high profile member in the form of midfielder Chisamba Lungu of Russian club FK Ural who has asked to be excused from the first leg meeting due to personal reasons.
Chisamba is however, expected to join the team for the final leg decider on November 15 in Ndola.
Lwandamina has also made a surprise recall with the return to the fold of forgotten defender Kabaso Chongo of TP Mazembe in DR Congo.
But Lwandamina has axed ten-home-based players who include the Zesco United influential duo of Clatous Chama and Mwape Mwelwa.
Power Dynamos midfielder Benson Sakala too has been dropped together with the Zanaco duo of Salulani Phiri and Charles Zulu.
Nkana’s bench-warming defender Kapota Kayawe has also not made the cut but Red Arrows Benedict Chepeshi has survived the axe and will travel with the team.
Team:
Goalkeepers:Kennedy Mweene (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jacob Banda (Zesco United),Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco)
The Lusaka High Court has reserved ruling to Tuesday in the matter where the Post Newspapers has applied for a stay of execution to restrain the Zambia Revenue Authority -ZRA- from closing the firm over failure to pay tax.
Judge Mwiinde Siavwapa scheduled Tuesday for ruling in the matter after hearing submission from lawyers representing the Post Newspaper and Zambia Revenue Authority-ZRA.
The Post Newspaper owes government over 26 million Kwacha in tax inclusive of penalties and liabilities.
The firm had earlier applied for Judicial Review in the Lusaka High Court following the ZRA’s rejection of its proposal to pay the tax liability in full.
But on October 30,2015 Judge Siavwapa quashed the Post Newspaper’s application for Judicial Review.
Judge Siavwapa ruled that the ZRA Commissioner General’s refusal of the Post Newspaper’s proposal to off-load the tax liabilities in installments did not defy logic nor accepted moral standards..
He ruled that the decision was in tandem with the right step a person charged with the responsibility of collecting tax on behalf of government, would make.
Judge Siavwapa added that the Income Tax Act clothes the ZRA-Commissioner General with enormous power to receive and collect tax on behalf of government.
He however noted that in doing so ZRA-Commissioner General must not abuse his powers.
On Friday, the Post Newspapers applied for a stay of execution restraining the Zambia Revenue Authority -ZRA- from closing their paper over nonpayment of Tax.
ZRA Corporate Communications Manager, Mumbuna Kufekisa said that the lawyers for the Post Newspapers delivered the court notices on Friday.
