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President Edgar Lungu receives an affidavit of Oath from newly appointed North-Western Province minister Dawson Kafwaya who is also UPND Solwezi member of parliament during the Swearing-in-Ceremony at State House on January 26,2015 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
Solwezi Central Member of Parliament Dawson Kafwaya has challenged his suspension from the UPND in the Lusaka High court.
Mr. Kafwaya who is also North Western Province Minister has since sued UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka over the suspension and further sought an interim injunction to restrain the opposition party from expelling him.
Mr. Katuka in a letter dated August 5th, 2015, suspended Mr. Kafwaya for alleged gross misconduct and actions in breach of the UPND constitution.
But in his statement of claim, Mr. Kafwaya wants the court to order that he was duty bound to accept the Presidential appointment as Provincial Minister.
He contends that the republican constitution does not oblige him to consult his party before accepting the presidential appointment as Provincial minister.
The matter comes up for inter party hearing on August 28th before Justice Anna Sitali.
THOUSANDS of UPND supporters attending the rally at Kaunda square ground in Chiwempala Township in ChingolaUNITED Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has promised the people of Chingola that he will bring back Anglo American to replace KCM if voted into power by 2016 general elections.
Mr Hichilema said this when he addressed thousands of people at the rally during the weekend held at Kaunda square ground in Chiwempala Township in Chingola.
Mr Hichilema who was accompanied by his newly vice president Geoffrey Mwamba commonly known as GBM was received by thousands of supporters at a fully parked rally singing at a high notch slogan “FORWARD, FORWARD”
He said the mining giant run by KCM has not been doing well to alleviate poverty, adding that contractors are paying its employees amounting to K250 and K300 as a monthly salary which is an insult to Zambian people.
“I’m an economist both local and international hence to bring back viable international mining company which will give opportunities to local contractors to do business with mines that can create more jobs to Zambian people”, Mr. Hichilema said.
He also promised Jerabos those who does illegal mining activist that his Government will give them licenses to regarlise mining activities so that Zambians can run own mining industries which will employee many Zambians.
Mr Hichilema said his Government will also offer free education starting grade one to universities to the orphans and to the children whose parents are unable to pay for school fees.
He said since he is a good Sheppard who has been looking after a large number of vulnerable and he shall not fail to care for every Zambian.
“Statements raised by Patriotic Front (PF) members are unbearable, saying Hichilema want to sale the country, where do you find the market where they sale countries”, Mr Hichilema asked?
Mr Hichilema said the failure of PF Government to run the country has intensively trickled down the economy and made the country to be on deficit in electricity shortages, fuel shortages and high prices of malie meal.
However, Mr Hichilema said PF Government is planning to demolish houses in Chingola which are not well built, now UPND will not demolish any house for a poor Zambian, but will help them to build good houses and negotiate with land owners to give them plots.
Mr Hichilema assured women in markets that will have access to loans to do businesses while tax drivers will have RTSA fees reduced and PSV drivers who renewed licenses after a year will be extended to five years.
And UPND vice president Geoffrey Mwamba said PF has lost grip on the copperbelt province adding that miners have been neglected and youths have no jobs.
Mr Mwamba said President Edgar Lungu has no vision which late President Michael Chilufya Sata has to take the country forward and to stabilize the economy.
“I’m a founder member of PF party and worked together with late president Sata with vision to develop the country but Lungu neglected us and brought in new people to work with”, Mr Mwamba said.
“I’m urging you Chingola residents to vote Hichilema for president come 2016 general elections to create more jobs for the youths”, Mr Mwamba said.
Earlier Major Kachingwe said he was optimistic that Hichilema will governor well the country because he is a good Sheppard who has a lot of cattle.
Mr Kachingwe said a good Sheppard don’t lost any cattle, if he lost one he goes out look for it till he find it, so he will look for the Zambian people well.
“Don’t be cheated by Lungu who don’t have a vision to rule the country, my slogan when I say Lungu you all say “Lungu alungusha chalo” meaning Lungu has burnt the country.
Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which alters their physical form in shocking ways. The four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy
PROS
Interesting story line
Good acting by the whole cast
Toby Kebbell did an excellent job with his portrayal of Dr Doom
CONS
The “final battle” should have been done better , it was over too quickly and seemed too easy .
FAVORITE QUOTES
Victor Domashev: You’ve opened a door you don’t know how to close. You don’t know anything about what’s coming.
Reed Richards: What is coming?
Victor Domashev: Doom!
Harvey Elder: You’re counting on these guys? A guy who can stretch, a girl I can’t see, a human torch…
[looks at Ben]
Harvey Elder: I don’t even know what he is.
CONCLUSION
I was originally skeptical about watching this movie because of it being a reboot of the Fantastic 4 movie franchise . This one comes with a new younger cast . I was pleasantly surprised at how good a movie this was . The story line felt fresh and exciting . It is a nice origin story about how they become super heroes but I feel they could have done more with the story by adding some twists and turns and putting the heroes in more jeopardy .
Saluting Chinese food..An unidentified Chinese man expresses his satisfaction for Chinese food in Lusaka
Second-Prize Essay of “Zambia Through Chinese Eyes” Competition: Back to Zambia, Fifteen Years Later
by Liu Jiahong, International Settlement Processing Center, Bank of China
When referring to remote Africa, people carry the impression of poverty, backwardness, diseases, and chaos. Seventeen years ago, as a spouse of a Chinese company employee in Zambia, I experienced seventeen painful months of life in this country. Fear, anxiety, robbery, and the great scarcity of food were all around me and my associates. But we took care of each other, helped each other, sought joy amidst the sorrow, and forged a profound friendship during that time. Now, seventeen years later, at the end of July, 2014, those same friends brought our children along and went back to Africa to collect the moments of our youthful days.
I remember October of 1997, the first time I set foot on the land of Africa. For the first time I saw flowers growing on the tops of trees. The brilliant greens of plants and bright rays of the sun excited me. However, the endless disappointment and intolerable loneliness that were to come greatly diminished my initial excitement.
Buying food was inconvenient. Back then there were only two decent supermarkets in Lusaka, Zambia, Shoprite and Castle. Those two supermarkets sold mainly local food, and most local people carried big bags of melie-meals to make Nshima, the food eaten widely across the country. Vegetables and fruits were limited and there was no seafood. The available meat was limited to pork, beef, and chicken, which had been frozen longer than we could imagine. Going to the supermarkets meant standing in long queues and holding our breaths because of the mixed unpleasant odors of those frozen meat.
The Castle Market was the preferable market for us Chinese. There were imported foods, including some Chinese cuisine. Too bad that the date of production told us that the food items were vintage, and had spent a long time at sea before arriving at the supermarket. Chinese fine dried noodles were our favorite as they gave us a taste of home. The fresh local vegetables could only be purchased at the local market due to the high prices and the buyers were mostly foreigners, especially Chinese. Among the sellers was a young, thick lipped Zambian man. He impressed me with how he knew to say the vegetable names in Chinese, and he gave customers warm and thoughtful service. Buying vegetables from him was a fun. However, the assortment of vegetables was few. If we wanted a certain type of Chinese vegetable, we had to grow them ourselves. So we did. At harvest time, picking vegetables, exchanging them with friends, and sharing the joy of harvest brought happiness into our humdrum lives.
[pullquote]To our surprise, the chinese self-employed small business owners had become bosses with enormous assets. The Chinese businessmen managed projects now occupying a sizable market share[/pullquote]
Back then, the number of Chinese people in Lusaka was only about four hundred. Most of the Chinese were self-employed business people. They ran small business like restaurants and shops, however, the Chinese chefs’ cooking was plain, and products in the Chinese stores were overstocked and almost unsaleable. Other Chinese people rarely came to buy them.
The most unbearable thing about living in Lusaka was the poor road conditions. During the dry season, the pot-holed roads raised suffocating dust. In the rainy season, cars splashed meters of mud as they traveled the bumpy and pitted roads. We became accustomed to seeing shabby, rusted shuttle buses fully loaded with people, obsolete Chinese BJ212 Jeeps running on the rutted roads, and stalled cars, the people in the car resigned to pushing it off the road.
Security was tenuous. Stealing and robbery occurred frequently. Gunshots could be heard occasionally. After eight o’clock in the evening, when it got dark, we dared not go out. Our leisure activity was to go to the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office of the Chinese Embassy on weekends. We would spend time singing, playing pool or playing mahjong with friends. Sometimes we’d pamper ourselves and go to the outskirts of Lusaka to have a wonderful meal with friends. I still remember the relaxing time we spent at the beautiful Lilayi Lodge and the feeling of walking barefoot on the Zebra skin rug inside the lobby.
Livingstone was our favorite place to visit. We would drive to Livingstone whenever there were three or four days of holiday. Hours of driving tired us, but when we visited Victoria Falls we had to stay alert to keep our bags from being stolen. Our desires as tourists could not be perfectly satisfied as there were only a few activities in Livingstone: Whitewater rafting, a Zambezi river sunset cruise, and a daring bungee jump from a bridge several hundred feet above the river gorge.
After seventeen months of a bittersweet life, my friends and I returned to China one after another. We yearned to revel again in rich Chinese cuisine and a comfortable life.
Regardless, the days my friends and I shared together in Zambia are etched into our hearts. The years have passed quickly, and recollecting the traces of our youth it has become our common dream to return. We could not wait to go back to Africa, return to Zambia, and recall the spring time of our life!
“Zambia! Lusaka! Here we come!”
We reunited in Africa fifteen years after we left Zambia. We came back accompanied by our children, the flowers and future of our own country. We came back, curious to see the changes and potential future of Zambia. To our surprise, the self-employed small business owners had become bosses with enormous assets. The Chinese businessmen managed projects now occupying a sizable market share. The small Bank of China (Zambia) Limited was now a two-story building. Cars fill up the space in front of the building and customers line up in the lobby. The scope of service provided by Bank of China (Zambia) Limited has become much more diverse. Among the vigorous differences with the old days, only the smile of our old colleague and friend, Phiri, was still the same.
In Lusaka, more and larger supermarkets and shopping malls have been built; a wide variety of goods dazzled me! Upscale hotels and restaurants are open to the public. Pamodzi Hotel has opened an exclusive store selling its delicious pork-rib grill. The Chinese managed Golden Peacock Hotel is elegantly decorated, not only with modern facilities, but also with genuine and flavorful dishes. The local waiters and waitresses dress in Chinese costume. It is clever of them to speak their shaky Chinese while serving our meal. Sitting at the top floor of Mike’s Kitchen, tasting the classic savor of the steak, we can appreciate the bustling city night life. The fresh seafood from Ocean Basket restaurant left us supremely satiated. The natural organic and nutritious cooking foods cleansed our stomachs.
The advancement of civilization in Zambia was beyond my expectations. What surprised me most was the road conditions. They had been greatly improved. The roads had been widened and broken-down cars had mostly disappeared. High-rise buildings sprang up from the ground, commercial real estate buildings lined the streets with distinctive villa styles, and for a moment I felt as if I were in a European town! My favorite Lilayi Lodge had obtained a fine wine cellar and created luxurious guest rooms, and their menu offered prime cut steaks. The attentive service made us linger longer than intended.
Livingstone, the city that had created such good memories, the dramatic changes astound me. The city now is bristled with blazing lights, high grade hotels, and people of different ethnicities from all around the world. It is now permeated with the atmosphere of being an international tourism capital. At Victoria Falls, tourists get wet by the grand mist of the falls, laughter and the roar of the waterfall blending, creating a harmonious connection with nature. Rainbows shimmer over the rocks, the fog wells up like a phantom, and the fat baboons block the pathway, daring the visitors. The view, the sound, everything there remains enchanting, beautiful and thrilling. We could not help to praise the work done for the natural environmental preservation by the local government.
More tourism projects have been created to attract an international interest. For example, there is now a Zambezi Sunset Luxury Cruise, a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, and lunch catered in the Devil’s Pool. All activities stimulate the visitors’ need for adventure. Placed in a unique geographical location, Zambezi Sun Hotel grants guests access to the waterfall. The water from the falls cascades in a roar, cleansing the air as well as the visitors’ heart. The sun rises from the east, sets in the west, giving the waterfall a spectacular image, no matter what the angle or time of day!
Our journey of tracing the old days was a short five days. But it fulfilled our dream of many years. We were amazed to see Zambia’s marvel in development and its vigorous prospects for the future. The everlasting friendship between China and Zambia grants Zambia a solid foundation of development. I sincerely hope China’s reform and open-up policy, as well as the industriousness and intelligence of the Chinese people will bring continued opportunity and mutual victory to the two countries, especially to Zambia. This is truly a flourishing African land.
Some officials from UNICEF inspect houses that were flooded in Lusaka
Vaccines get all the glory, but most plumbers will tell you that it was water infrastructure – sewage systems and clean water – that eradicated disease, and they’re right.
Disease Before Plumbing
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europeans despised all things Roman, including bathing. There was a widespread belief that getting wet caused illness. This contempt and fear of bathing persisted through the Dark Ages.
Some Europeans defied local customs by bathing, but this was usually done over great protest. When Queen Elizabeth bathed, her servants panicked, fearing she would become ill and die.
[pullquote]
While the medical professionals and the pharmaceutical companies are quick to take credit for our increased life expectancy, in truth, they are not the heroes
[/pullquote]
How Plumbing Eradicated Disease
Before plumbing was widely used, indoor facilities consisted of a washstand and a washbowl, a pitcher, and a chamber pot or commode. Human waste was thrown into the street or anywhere convenient.
This total lack of sanitation in urban areas filled with rats and other vermin provided the perfect environment to spread disease. The Black Plague alone killed 75 million – 200 million people – including 1/3 of Europe’s population. Though this disease is not entirely eradicated, human infection has become a rare occurrence. The last plague epidemic in America was in the early 1900’s.
Polio and Plumbing
Polio thrives in fecal matter and is easily transmitted through human waste. Plumbing and water sanitation in India is way behind the rest of the industrialized world. In areas where sanitation and hygiene are good, polio is rare. In areas where sanitation and hygiene are poor, the disease can spread rapidly.
Immunization efforts have received a lot of publicity and have garnered most of the credit for India being declared “polio free” by the World Health Organization. As recently as 2009, India reported 762 cases of polio, and at that time, these numbers made India the polio capital of the world. In 2014, there are currently no “official” documented cases of polio, but without proper sanitation there is no way this can last.
A Polio Breeding Ground
India is the second most populous nation in the world, with an estimated population of 1.2 billion. Currently, 780 million Indians do not have a toilet; 96 million Indians do not have access to clean drinking water. In rural areas, open defecation is still more common than attempting to dispose of human waste in a more sanitary fashion, such as burying it.
There have been some efforts to improve sanitation, but they pale in comparison to the extensive efforts to vaccinate Indians. Over 9 billion has been spent in this vaccination public health campaign. In some parts of India, children have received as many as 30 doses of the oral polio vaccine before their fifth birthday. Bill Gates, the World Health Organization, and GAVI have ardently been pushing vaccines on people who still don’t have access to clean drinking water or the sanitary means to dispose of human waste.
They Say Tomato, I say Tomatoe
The current polio vaccine campaign in India is highly controversial due to the high rate of vaccine injury and death. There were 53,000 cases of NPAFP, a non-polio acute flaccid paralysis, among those vaccinated. NPAFP is a disease that is clinically indistinguishable from polio and twice as deadly that is caused by the live, weakened, polio viruses in the vaccine. Incidences of the disease rose and fell with the number of doses of the vaccine administered. To call this disease anything other than polio is semantic subterfuge, a whitewash for Big Pharma’s image.
In the past 13 months, India has reported 53,563 cases of NPAFP at a national rate of 12 per 100,000 children—way above the global benchmark set by WHO of 2 per 100,000.” – Jan, 13 2014 quote from LiveMint Newpaper, the second largest business newspaper in India.
It would be less expensive in human cost and far more effective to improve India’s water infrastructure, improving India’s sanitation and hygiene.
London England and Cholera
In the 1800’s the European infant mortality rate was very high, from 25% to 70%. In the early-to-mid 1800s, London had little in the way of water infrastructure. The majority of people used town pumps and communal wells to get their drinking water. Waste disposal was far from adequate. Most Londoners dumped raw sewage and animal wastes into open pits known as “cesspools” or directly into the Thames River. Unfortunately, the Thames River was also the source of drinking water for many Londoners.
Cholera spreads easily through contaminated water and food and kills very quickly; it often proves fatal within hours of the first symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea.
In 1854, yet another outbreak struck London, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of Europeans. In Soho, a suburb of London, there were more than 500 fatal cases of cholera in ten days.
Dr. John Snow, who lived near Soho, was able to directly investigate what was causing the outbreak. Five years earlier, Dr. Snow had written an article about what he believed caused cholera. It was in the water, he argued. This idea flew in the face of the “wisdom” of his time. In the 1850s, doctors believed that bad vapors, or a “miasma in the atmosphere” caused disease. Dr. Snow dared to believe something different, to try something different, believing he might see different results.
Dr. John Snow Traced Cholera To Its Source
Dr. Snow traced the cholera outbreak to the Broad Street pump. He persuaded the town officials to remove the pump handle, and the cholera outbreak abruptly ended. Some time later, the outbreak was traced back to a woman cleaning a dirty diaper in the well.
Though it took some time, Dr. Snow convinced the authorities that fecal matter was contaminating the water supply. Today Dr. John Snow is widely regarded as the father of epidemiology.
Refugee Camps, Dysentery Epidemic, and Poor Sanitation
The Rwandan refugee camps set up in Zaire in 1994 struggled with outbreaks of dysentery. Sanitation was poor; the refugees defecated openly in common areas. Human waste built up in the same areas where the refugees drew water that was used for cooking and drinking. Heavy rain flooded the area and dysentery became epidemic, at its peak it was killing 2,000 people a day.
Refugee camps have always been a haven for diseases related to poor sanitation. Once U.S. and UN officials brought in purified water and encouraged people to use outhouses and latrines for defecation, the incidences of dysentery fell.
Chicago’s Population Grew from 350 in 1835 to More than 60,000 by 1850
The industrial revolution drove rapid population growth. Chicago’s water infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle such a rapid rise in population. Chicago was dealing with many different diseases, but it had especially high rates of typhoid fever. The source of the rapid increase in disease was traced to the city’s water and sanitation.
The majority of the city’s sewage was directed to the Chicago River, which flowed right back into Lake Michigan, which provided the city’s drinking water. This, of course, contaminated Chicago’s drinking water and created a cycle of disease.
It took many years to solve the problem, but in the early 1900s Chicago modernized their water infrastructure. They reversed the flow of several rivers and streams, and as a result, typhoid fever and all other infectious diseases plummeted.
Conclusion
Sanitation prevents disease by removing the cause of disease transmission, but this is not new information. Moses taught sanitation. He made many rules for encampments. The Greeks and the Romans created elaborate systems of aqueducts, baths, and drainage. When the Roman Empire crumbled, sanitation became a lost art. Civilization paid the price: plague after plague struck areas of dense population.
Smallpox continued to infect Europe’s population until plumbing infrastructure became commonplace. Although, sanitation ended this disease, the smallpox vaccine takes the credit.
When most of us think of a conscientious objector, we think of someone who refused military service for moral or religious reasons. In the 1800s, the term came into use for someone who refused vaccinations for their children. There was a great deal of resistance to the smallpox vaccine. Some statistics placed fatalities from the vaccine as high as 1 in 200
In modern times, objections to vaccines are mounting. Refusing to vaccinate is as controversial today as it was when the first vaccines were forced on British citizens almost 200 years ago.
Vaccines often contain toxins like aluminum and mercury, and many vaccines contain aborted fetal tissues. The reality of vaccine injury and death is making the news, though the propaganda and out and out lies from pharmaceutical companies cause a polarized division between those who are pro vaccine and those who are against.
If you are reading this, you probably have access to running water and a working toilet. If you choose to forego vaccines for yourself or your children, bear in mind that you will need additional protection to avoid contracting illnesses. Exercise, sleep, stress management, and a truly healthy diet are all essential for an immune system to work at optimal efficiency.
While the medical professionals and the pharmaceutical companies are quick to take credit for our increased life expectancy, in truth, they are not the heroes. Have you thanked a plumber lately?
I write to petition the Local Government Minister Hon. Phiri and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Hon. Kambwili (as Government Spokesman) over noise pollution from Bars and Taverns in our locality in Kabwe town.
This is in particular reference to bars and taverns, at the junction of Nalikwanda and Mole Kombe streets, and near the junction of Nalikwanda and Lungwebungu streets, and along Mole Kombe street. This is in eastern High Ridge area. There are also smelly bar pit latrines along Mole Kombe street with residences on the windward side just across the street.
The bars and taverns blast loud music into High Ridge residential area. These bars and taverns are just across the streets bordering High Ridge residential area and Katondo Shanty Township. Does the law governing the proximity of bars to residences not qualify these bars and taverns as illegal?
The worst affected are our colleagues in residences along Mole Kombe street where bar music noise is the loudest. Here bars and taverns mostly close beyond the stipulated time. Kabwe Municipal Council has been approached several times over the issue but the noise is still there and the bars still close beyond the stipulated time.
Sometimes the Council gives permits to these bars to hold overnight music sessions even though they do not have facilities for such. Bar men simply put powerful HiFi equipment outside and blast loud music into High Ridge residential area just across the street.
You come from work tired and want to rest but you can not sleep due to the loud bar music. And because most of the time they close beyond the stipulated time, you can not get enough sleep for days on end.
The law governing the proximity of bars and taverns to residential areas is very clear. Also the regulatory rules about bar music are very clear. Why should residences not enjoy peace and quiet? I have high regard for the two Ministers petitioned and I know they will sort out the problem.
You will also discover that this bar music pollution problem is common in many areas in Zambia. Why not end the problem once and for all?
Of course the Councils are to blame for non regulation but believe me, in the end, the blame goes to Government and the PF.
FDD President Edith Nawakwi
FDD President Edith Nawakwi has offered to give her time and expertise for free to the PF Government to help sort out the energy crisis the country is facing.
And the opposition leader says increasing electricity tariffs is not the solution to the current Energy challenges the country is facing.
Ms. Nawakwi says she is willing to do pro-borno work for the Government of the Republic of Zambia and help relieve the pressure on Republican President Edgar Lungu by coordinating the work required to sort out the challenges in the Energy Sector.
She explained that she does not need to be paid, love the President or be friends with him for her to help the country.
“This is were I say that if the President could just listen and not think that everybody must love him, he should just pick up a phone and call me and say my sister can we sit down and talk about how we can help each other in solving these challenges.
These are issues were I can relieve the pressure off the President and coordinate the work in Energy Sector pro-borno, I don’t need to be paid, I don’t need to love the President, I don’t need to be his friend to be able to help my country,” she said.
She added that if given the mandate she would sit down with ZESCO, CEEC and other players in the sector and ensure that solutions were found to the challenges as opposed to comparing the current Energy crisis to other countries in the region.
” I would sit down with ZESCO, CEEC and other players in the sector and help them address the root causes of the problems and map out both the short term and long term solutions. We have to see when we can for instance get a solar project coming on stream because you can build a solar plant within 9 months. We should be saying ZESCO has signed a power purchase agreement with such and such a company and will be coming on a solar stream in 9 months. It is the fastest way to supplying power to this country.
I head the President talking to Zambians living in Bostwana, he says South Africa is load shedding, Bostwana is load shedding, Tanzania is load shedding what is wrong with Zambia load shedding? There is no ambition! Now South Africa has announced that they are putting on stream 800 mega watts so his comparison of South Africa is behind current affairs. I want to know what’s the way out.
I don’t want to hear that because my neighbor has no food so it is OK even for me and my children to suffer. What kind of a father is that? Your friend has no uniform so its fine even you should not have a uniform, if you shift into a house which is leaking you say its fine because it has always been leaking, that is the behavior of the PF,” Ms. Nawakwi observed.
And Ms. Nawakwi has noted that Increasing electricity tariffs is not the solution to the challenges in the power sector and that doing so is a recipe for creating other problems.
“The Minister is trying to justify tariff increments because he wants to squeeze the small group who are hooked to the electricity grid not knowing that the more he increases the more deforestation takes root so he is not solving anything but creating other problems in the same sector.
Frankly speaking I don’t expect Zambian households to pay as much as they are paying in DRC where there are no generation stations but I expect the mining sector to pay a parity price. Not only do we have plenty of water” continued Ms. Nawakwi, “but we also have huge potential for generation of clean energy such as solar energy among others.
She added ” I expect this Government to use ZESCO as a platform for diversifying our interest in the mining sector and turning them to earning money from power generation. DRC tariffs are 40cents per kilowatt while Zambia is at 11….doesn’t it not interest our friends in Government that they can do a contract with DRC come back to Zambia and offer a private developer a contract even at 25cents who would then use the contract with Government to lend money from banks for the development of a power station? This is a simple mathematical theory of trade economics.”
She also disputed the Minister’s assertions that private players were shunning the Energy sector because of the low tariffs saying it is the attitude of Government officials which is hindering the private sector from partaking in the development of the power sector because the sector has been politicized.
The opposition leader was commenting on Energy Minister Christopher Yaluma’s claims that the solution to the challenges in the Energy Sector are as a result of low tariffs which has hindered significant investment as Government has been subsidizing the production of power.
The Minister also claimed that private investors have shunned investing in the Energy Sector because of the low tariffs. He said this when he featured on a live program on ZNBC dubbed the Sunday Interview.
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has condemned in the strongest terms the continued release and pardoning of convicted Former Ministers from Zambian prisons. In a statement released to the media by the Executive Direct Goodwell Lungu, TIZ said that the Release of Hon Austin Liato Former Labour Minister yet again has not come as a surprise but has been received with great dismay.
” As far as TIZ is concerned, this is not a right trend, we are opposed to it and it must be stopped immediately as it is detrimental to the fight against corruption and undermines the doctrine of separation of powers which is the bedrock for promotion of good governance, ” read the statement
Below is the full statement
———————————————————————————————– TIZ CONDEMS THE PARDONING OF CONVICTED FORMER MINISTER AUSTIN LIATO AS IT UNDERMINES THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
———————————————————————————————–
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) condemns in the strongest terms the continued release and pardoning of convicted Former Ministers from Zambian prisons. The Release of Hon Austin Liato Former Labour Minister yet again has not come as a surprise but has been received with great dismay. We view the government tendency to pardon convicted former Ministers serving prison sentences on the pretext of being sick as a form of political manipulation and a travesty of justice.
TIZ is deeply disappointed that these former Ministers continue to serve only a short period of time in prison and are released on the so called medical grounds when there are so many prisoners in Zambia who have much more serious health conditions and yet have received a blind eye from authorities.
As far as TIZ is concerned, this is not a right trend, we are opposed to it and it must be stopped immediately as it is detrimental to the fight against corruption and undermines the doctrine of separation of powers which is the bedrock for promotion of good governance. The pardons being made amount to abuse of authority and the Executive must realize that it is eroding the very foundation of fairness and good order in our society. It is sending a message that criminality and corruption pays as long as one can render political support to the ruling party.
This is a dangerous path because “criminals” will take over Zambia and hold the state captive.
Going by recent events, one can conclude that there is selective justice that only favours political friends to the government and the rich, while the poor and wrongly accused persons endure maximum sentences and some die in prisons despite being sick. As such we feel this is immoral because we believe that these convicted leaders should serve their sentences as a deterrent mechanism to other leaders to desist from engaging in similar behavior but lead by example.
These recent trends have brought serious questions on whether the current Patriotic Front government value the fight again corruption because these events have greatly compromised the fight against corruption in the country and slowly hindering whistle blowers.
If unchecked, this is setting a very bad precedence for our current and future political leaders. This is because they will be using this precedence to engage in criminal activities by finding ways of securing pardons from Presidents and Authorities at the beginning of serving their prison terms.
We therefore appeal to government and all law enforcers to exercise great caution and put national interest instead of selectively applying the law to prop up sectarian political interests. It is unfair and unwarranted to take such a route if we have to hold society accountable for their actions especially convicted political leaders.
Mike Mulongoti addressing the media at the conference
Opposition People’s Party leader Mike Mulongoti has warned that the decision by the PF Central Committee to adopt President Edgar Lungu as its candidate for 2016 will backfire.
Mr. Mulongoti said in an interview announcing Mr. Lungu’s sole candidature early on will only go to frustrate other presidential hopefuls.
He said the PF should have allowed all those that wanted to contest the top post to do so without any hindrance.
Mr. Mulongoti said those that will be frustrated will resort to decampaiging the party ahead of the 2016 general elections.
He said the fact that the PF has already announced that it will not adopt 70 percent of its current Members of Parliament will only frustrate the majority of party members further.
Mr. Mulongoti said the latest announcement about Mr. Lungu’s sole candidature will only bring about acrimony in the party.
He said handing Mr. Lungu’s ticket with elections almost 12 months away will only diminish his chances of re-elections.
Mr. Mulongoti observed that Mr. Lungu will be easily targeted by his opponents and damage him before the 2016 general elections.
Zambia National Soccer team Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene
Collins Mbesuma and Kennedy Mweene meet this evening at Mbombela in the third round of the 2015/2016 South Africa PSL season.
Zambia coach George Lwandamina will be following his call-ups for the September 6 clash away to Kenya closely who are both enjoying good starts to their respective 2015/2016 campaigns.
Mbesuma has played two games for Aces although he has yet to find the target for the third placed club.
Mweene too has been number one choice for second placed Sundowns heading into their away game tied on 4 points with their guests and leaders Kaizer Chiefs.
Meanwhile in Sunday’s action, striker Mwape Musonda played the full 90 minutes of promoted Golden Arrows’ 0-0 away draw in their all-promotion clash against Jomo Cosmos.
Down in the National First Division, striker Bornwell Mwape led demoted Amazulu to a 1-0 win over Witbank Aces scoring the games only goal.
Collins Mbesuma (l) is challenged for the ball by Lesotho captain Moitheri Ntobo on June 8 in 2014 World Cup qualifier while Zambia midfielder Noah Chivuta (background) looks on. Zambia beat Lesotho 4-0.
Somone is the third release since the announcement of Slap’s forthcoming album ‘BW2?. He brings the folk music genius ‘Mumba Yachi‘ on board as well as Muzo AKA Alphonso
President Lungu Inaugural Address at Heroes Stadium
By Kalima Nkonde
President Lungu recently complained that he receives a lot of criticism and not credited with any achievements. As an economic and finance commentator, I have never found anything compelling from the economic point of view, which i can support with numbers, to praise the President for as most of the economic indicators that I outlined in my last article “ Is the economy stupid, Mr. President,” are all bad. However, I thought he had a point. I remembered a philosophy saying which states that a human being cannot always be wrong because even a watch or clock which does not work is right twice in 24hours!
On the basis that President Lungu has been criticized left, right and centre, I decided to write this article as objectively as possible to outline some of his major achievements today, the 25th August,2015, which marks his seven months in office and share my thoughts with bloggers.
My analysis will be based on the state of things before he took over and how they are now. The comparison with the late President Sata is inevitable. I hope there will no people who will say that you do not talk about the dead! Unfortunately, when you decide to hold public office, you will be talked about positively or negatively even after your are dead! I personally think that most of the President’s achievements are more political than economic, qualitative rather than quantitative. I know some members of the Opposition and their supporters may disagree with my views and they are at liberty to do so as we are living in a democracy and people are entitled to their own opinions.
As Zambians, we have to learn to disagree without necessarily being disagreeable. Insulting when you disagree with somebody belongs to the jungle and is lack of intellect! Civil debate is what intellect, maturity and civilisation is all about! I believe I have the credibility and integrity to outline the President’s achievements since I have been very critical of the PF Government’s performance on the economy although I have always suggested solutions to them. I am not an arm chair critic but a rational, objective and empathetic commentator and I hope people see me in that light and notice the difference.
I would like to state that, in all fairness to President Lungu as an individual, and not the PF as a Party, most of the damage to the PF brand was done because of the decisions that were made under the Presidency of the late Michael Chilufya Sata. Although Zambians have got short memories, we were warned by two past Presidents, who knew candidate Michael Chilufya Sata well – Presidents Kaunda and Chiluba. They are both on record as having said that Mr. Sata was not Presidential material and he worked best under supervision. In my view, they were vindicated in the three years that he presided on the affairs of our nation! His three year rule was an economic, diplomatic and political disaster!
Relative freedom
Zambians under President Lungu are enjoying relative freedom than under President Sata. In his speech in 1941, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt popularly known as FDR, said the word freedom means more than elections. Democracy should be based on four essential freedoms- Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. It is my view that President Sata’s leadership denied Zambians, to a large extent freedom of speech and freedom from fear! As Dorah Siliya correctly observed during her press conference , “ Never before, at least in my adult life, have I seen people’s liberties being infringed upon as in the last three years. The panga carrying xenophobic attacks in South Africa shock us, but they remind us of the path our country almost took, with panga carrying cadres on the street of Lusaka and in various bye elections!” I would challenge the current cabinet ministers including the President himself and other government officials to raise their hands if they never lived in fear! They all feared something and President Sata ! If truth be told, we were under a budding dictatorship and fear did start to grip our nation slowly.
President Edgar Lungu has changed that. The opposition are campaigning freely now and the public order act is not being abused to deny them permits! This commentator was not posting any critical economic analysis under President Sata’s presidency for fear of being hunted down like the Bangladesh bloggers who have been killed for their views. This writer lived under President Kaunda’s socialist one party state dictatorship in the 1970s and 80s – which people like Davies Chama inexplicably misses and would like to reintroduce in Zambia, God forbid! We know how the Special Branch – State intelligence service, Office of the President, Kamucheka, shushus, call them what you want, infiltrated work places, secondary schools, colleges, churches, seminaries etc to spy on innocent citizens who were critical of President Kaunda and his UNIP regime! Zambia was slowly drifting to those bad old days! Zimbabweans are living under such a regime right now and it is neither funny nor amusing!
Composition of the Cabinet
The composition of the Cabinet is another plus for President Edgar Lungu. Zambia was a polarized country before President Lungu took over as some provinces felt left out by not being represented in Cabinet. The political temperature prior to the 20th January,2015 elections was very high and the country was very divided ; mostly on tribal and regional lines. This is not the case now. I personally believe that President Lungu is not a tribalist and before the Chama fiasco and his “slip of the tongue” comment of “Wako ni Wako” in the Eastern province bye election, which slightly damaged his credentials as a non tribal leader; his stock was rising as a unifier! In general, any body who grew up on the Copperbelt like President Lungu never turned out to be tribalist as nobody really cared where one came from as they all spoke the same language, went to the same schools, went to same warefare halls, supported football teams of their choice and selection for scholarships ,jobs and in sport was purely one merit.
Zambia’s standing in foreign countries
Zambia’s standing in foreign countries has tremendously improved under President Lungu. A number of Presidents including President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, President Mutharika of Malawi, President Kikwete of Tanzania, President Mugabe of Zimbabwe have visited our country within the first seven months of his Presidency! He has also visited a number of countries including almost all SADC countries. This has lifted Zambia’s standing in international circles. It was not the same under President Sata. Do we remember how President Sata embarrassed President George W. Bush of the USA by incorrectly accusing his ancestors as being imperialist/ colonialist! Also, how he mocked President Zuma’s bald head at the OUA summit? Do we remember how he insulted Batswana of having few small malls and how he refused to eat at a State banquet? There were many more diplomatic goofs that he committed that dented Zambia’s image! Zambia was a pariah nation and other countries avoided coming to Zambia and President Lungu has changed all that!
Bank of Zambia
The appointment of Dr. Danny Kalyalya and the bringing back Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu to the Central Bank was a laudable decision. The Central bank is an institution that you do not play around with and deploy cadres otherwise you end up destroying the economy as the monetary policy will be compromised. The Governor of the Central has to understand macro economics to the hilt. He has to be respected by his peers, the financial community and the Bretton woods institution like the IMF and World bank. Under President Sata, the Central bank lost credibility after the departure of Dr Caleb Fundanga and Dr Bwalya Ngandu and their replacements did not measure up to the same level of expertise and they did not instill confidence in the financial markets. In my books, the above appointments were smart and a big plus to President Lungu.
Infrastructure
Although the building of some of the infrastructure projects are to a large extent politically motivated and populist in nature and without discernible economic value, the fact remains that infrastructure projects in totality, have changed the faces of cities, townships and rural areas. Needless to say that infrastructure projects will come at a great cost to all Zambians in the next few years and to future generations when the negative impact of excessive public debt which has funded them starts to be felt. I will demonstrate the impact of excessive debt in my future articles. I would have given President Lungu and the PF full marks and more credit if the infrastructure development projects were done sequentially, prioritized, properly costed and not rushed for political expediency. In addition, I would have given them a lot of credit if the projects were funded by tax revenues from the Mines like Botswana and Namibia instead of the easy borrowings from the international World debt(bond) market through Eurobonds. I nevertheless give President Lungu some credit for the appointment of Lucky Mulusa to help monitor and evaluate the implementation of infrastructure projects. This was an excellent decision.
The Judiciary
The Zambian judiciary’s credibility in the eyes of the public has been very poor. It has been perceived as inefficient and corrupt. The appointment of Mrs Ireen Mambilima, the well respected Judge and former Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Zambia as the Chief justice marked the beginning of the cleaning up of the name of this important arm of government. This is closely connected with the rule of law. In my view, President Lungu has slowly started bringing back the rule of law rather than the rule of the jungle. Zambia was slowly becoming a lawless society. I give the President credit, for example, the non tolerance of cadres grabbing land and building on other people’s land illegally. During President Lungu’s presidency, there have been so many demolitions of illegal structures and this has sent a clear message to cadres that you do not just build on somebody’s land on basis that you belong to the ruling Party! It may have looked inhuman to demolish houses but we will never develop if we are not going to be a country of laws. I also believe that President Lungu has not been interfering in the legal processes and court cases like his predecessor . Judges are not in fear of being fired or transferred if they rule against the government or the Party or their supporter. The suspension of Judges and the establishment of the infamous Chikopa tribunal under President Sata is a case in point with regard to interfering with the judiciary.
Political Violence
Political violence during elections has also gone down substantially though it has not been eliminated completely under President Lungu. The President needs to come out very strongly on this issue as he did when HH was attacked on the Copperbelt. There are some sections of society who still believe that the President deep down tolerates political violence committed by PF cadres. The basis of this perception is his statement in Kapiri Mposhi during the Presidential bye lection compaign in January,2015 where, Candidate Lungu said PF had the numbers and could wipe out UPND in a physical fight! This statement does not stand him in good stead and so he needs to do more to remove this perception. He cannot expect the Opposition to correct the violence! He is the one in charge and has the instruments of power. The Police should be instructed to arrest those involved in violence. He should also warn his Party leaders, who are the political violence War lords because they sponsor the youths that they will not be protected by him and the party.
The Constitution
The Constitution making process has moved tremendously under his watch compared to the situation when President Sata and Wynter Kabimba was Justice minister. If stakeholders were to be objective, President Lungu has done quite well on this score and the donor community including the American embassy and the British High Commission are in support of his approach of passing all amendments to the constitution except the bill of rights, which will be subject to the referendum in 2016. It is the most practical and cost effective approach and one hopes it will not be abused by PF Members of Parliament under instructions from the Party bosses. We, the independents, are giving the President the benefit of the doubt with regard to his sincerity on the constitution process. In my view, a smart person will ensure that the Constitution passes may be with minor amendments because it will leave a long lasting legacy and President Lungu will make a name for himself as posterity will judge him generously hundreds of years to come. It will be on record that the PF under President Lungu were the ones who passed a people driven constitution which all other parties failed to do for 50 years ! This legacy is better than the superficial infrastructure projects which are short term and people will soon forget! Who remembers KK’s infrastructure projects! Most intellectuals remember him as a dictactor who ruined the economy and whose overstay resulted in Zambia having mediocre Presidents thereafter apart from President Mwanawasa unlike Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia.
The royalty tax and VAT Rule 18
One other achievement is that the President resolved the royalty tax and VAT rule 18 impasse with the mines which saved over 5,000 jobs. I personally feel a better deal would have been negotiated with the mines so that the tax legislation was not reversed almost in its entirety without the mines meeting government half way. How do you move from 20% to 9% and 6% respectively! This was poor negotiation skills. Zambia never got anything in return for the reversal. In my view, as part of the negotiations, we should have given the mines some non tax conditions before reducing the royalty tax. We should have had a give and take situation but the mines got what they wanted 100% and we got nothing! The Government should have asked the mines, for example, to ask their suppliers abroad to set up shop in Zambia and partner with Zambians so that industries that are dependent on the mines could be set up in Solwezi and Kalumbila and create jobs there. Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has done that by facilitating the formation of ZINPRO Zambia Limited a joint venture between Shawonga Enterprises Limited of Zambia and ZINPRO Engineering of South Africa who have partnered to specialise in shaft and structural steel rehabilitation works. ZINPRO Zambia has been engaged by MCM to undertake massive refurbishment of the shaft infrastructure.
In conclusion, I think I have outlined the major achievements that President Lungu has made during his seven months of being in charge. But like I have said before, he needs to laser focus on the economy. I have given him and his government some advise in my previous postings on the social media. I, however, have not talked about the perception that he tolerates corruption as he hardly talks about it. We never hear a word of it from him and yet the PF campaigned on the platform of getting rid of corruption! Or was it just President Sata’s agenda and it died with him! It is my hope that the President is not copying from President Banda ‘s play book who was reported by Wikileaks of 5 October,2009 to have postponed tackling corruption until after he won the next five year term which he never did! According to wikeleaks, when President Banda was asked by the Vice President of the World bank in New York why he appeared to be tolerant of corruption and did not take a robust anti corruption stance, he is said to have answered that “ he had multiple constituencies to satisfy and he is being pulled in different directions” and he would do something about corruption after winning the five year mandate in 2011.
The writer is a product of the early 1980s University of Zambia- Ndola Campus called UNZANDO then (now Copperbelt University ) and he is a financial management expert and a Chartered Accountant by profession. He returned back home two years ago with a hope of contributing in a small way to the country through rational economic debate based on his exposure and by using his entrepreneurial skills to invest in Zambia. He has lived in the diaspora in England, South Africa and Botswana for over 25 years and most of that time as an investor. He is an independent and non partisan commentator.
Former president Rupiah Banda
THE Supreme Court has ordered the withdrawal of the matter in which the State had appealed against the ruling by the Lusaka High Court to grant former President Rupiah Banda judicial review in his immunity case.
The judicial review was granted to Mr Banda who was seeking the court’s interpretation on the removal of his immunity from prosecution.
This follows a consent order entered in the Supreme Court by the State and Mr Banda’s lawyers to have ?the matter withdrawn.
“By consent of both parties, each through their respective counsel, it is ordered that this appeal be and is hereby withdrawn,” read the consent order signed by deputy chief justice Mervin Mwanamwambwa, Justice Hildah Chibomba and Justice Gregory Phiri.
While the State had appealed, Mr Banda had also filed a cross appeal challenging Lusaka High Judge, Annie Sitali’s decision not to allow the judicial review she granted him to operate as a stay of the National Assembly’s decision to strip him of his immunity.
Justice Sitali granted Mr Banda a judicial review which however, did not stop the removal of former president’s immunity.
Mr Banda asked the court to rule that the executive could not lay before the National Assembly and debate grounds or charges for lifting his immunity without giving him an opportunity to be heard.
The attorney generals chambers appealed to the Supreme Court against Justice Sitali’s decision to grant Mr Banda judicial review to start proceedings to challenge the removal of his immunity.
Mr Banda filed a cross appeal because he was not happy with the decision by Justice Sitali for the judicial review not to operate as a stay.
But the State in its response to Mr Banda’s cross appeal argued that Justice Sitali did not err in her ruling as regards the non-grant of a stay in the matter.
It argued that it was misleading to argue that an order of stay in judicial review proceedings was ancillary to the order granting leave to move for judicial review.
A panel of three Supreme Court judges was scheduled to hear the matter in October this year.
However, the State and Mr Banda s lawyers on Thursday entered a consent order to withdraw the matter.
VICE President Inonge Wina has challenged Livingstone residents to take advantage of increased conferences and meetings in Zambia’s tourist capital by hosting tourists in their homes and townships to enable visitors explore real authentic Zambian dishes and culture among others at a fee.
Ms Wina has also urged women to apply for funding from the Citizens Economic Empowerment (CEEC) and set up guest houses townships as part of tourism circuits.
She said there was need for Livingstone residents to be innovative and ensure that tourists start visiting townships away from the town centre such as Linda, Libuyu, Dambwa and Maramba to sample real authentic Zambian dishes and culture.
She was speaking in Livingstone at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport yesterday upon her arrival ahead of today’s official opening for the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Ministers of Justice and Experts Meeting on Legal Harmonisation of the ICGLR Protocols.
Ms Wina, whose Zambia Airforce (ZAF) plane touched down around 14:56 hours, was received by Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu, provincial permanent secretary Sibanze Simuchoba, Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Josephs Akafumba, Livingstone Mayor Milford Maambo, some District Commissioners in Southern Province, defence and security chiefs, senior Government officials and Patriotic Front (PF) supporters.
“As I come here in Livingstone, I want to remind you the people of Livingstone that Government is busy encouraging institutions, organisations and business executives to come to Livingstone for their meetings and conferences.
“That is why you see us here every so often. Here comes an opportunity for you people of Livingstone. Tourism in Livingstone does not only mean visiting Victoria Falls, or Museum. We want to see tourists coming to Linda, Libuyu, Dambwa and Maramba to visit you,” Ms Wina said.
She noted that some tourists and other visitors wanted to understand how a Zambian lives as well as to sample real authentic Zambian dishes as they could not find such things in hotels and lodges.
“Open your homes to visitors for a fee and this is what is known as cultural tourism or artistic tourism.
“South Africa is a model for this. When tourists come to Johannesburg, they cannot go away without visiting Soweto township because that is where they meet as South Africans. Let’s make it a point also that tourists should not go back without visiting Dambwa or Linda so that they have something to talk about at home,” Ms Wina said.
She said the Government looked upon the local government and provincial administration to encourage local people to open up their homes to tourism.
On the recent appointment of Sinazongwe Member of Parliament Rich well Siamunene as Defence Minister, Ms Wina said the appointment demonstrated the One Zambia One Nation slogan.
“The appointments in Cabinet and other higher Government offices by His Excellence the President of the Republic of Zambia Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu is clearly a demonstration of a one Zambia One Nation.
“Further, the appointment of Mr Siamunene is an expression of what it means to be be practical about unity and peace in our country,” she said.
Ms Wina said all Zambians needed to share the same cake and that God placed the people of Southern Province in the Southern region for purpose.
“God did not make a mistake to put the Southerners here. He knew that we needed to co-exist and live together to promote development in the country,” Ms Wina said.
Speaking earlier at the airport, Mr Mubukwanu said the province was peaceful since the last time she visited the area as Government programmes were running smoothly.
Mr Mubukwanu said the appointment of Sinazongwe Member of Parliament Richwell Siamunene had elated the people of Southern Province.
He said the local people in the province appreciated President Edgar Lungu as an inclusive leader following the appointment of Mr Siamunene.
“We appreciate the move by the President which clearly demonstrates his desire to be an inclusive leader who brings all regions together regardless of the outcome of the January 2015 presidential by-election.
“The President wants every region of the country to participate in the governance of the country at the highest level,” he said.
