Vice President Inonge Wina says Zambia should pick a leaf from the peaceful transition of power in Nigeria ahead of the 2016 General Elections..

The Vice President who attended the inauguration ceremony of Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Nigeria says the peaceful manner in which power has been exchanged in Nigeria is a sign that democracy is maturing in Africa.

ZANIS staffer Mathews Musukwa reports from Abuja, Nigeria that Mrs. Wina stressed that as Zambia goes to the polls in 2016, politicians and citizens should conduct themselves peacefully to ensure peaceful election as always.

She said the peaceful transition of power from President Goodluck Jonathan to his successor Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria is a good lesson to the entire continent of Africa to ensure that transition of power is conducted peacefully without either of the parties involved fighting or disagreeing to hand over power.

“This is really an encouragement to the African continent and its governments. I think the whole world is delight that the transition of power has been conducted peacefully and these are signs that Africa is maturing in entrenching democracy on the continent because you remember in the past it was always a challenge whenever the new government took over the reins of power,” Mrs. Wina remarked.

The Vice President said this shortly after witnessing the swearing in of Muhammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria and his Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo who is his running mate.

She commended the outgoing president for participating in all the activities at the inauguration ceremony and for handing over the instruments of power to his successor peacefully.

She expressed confidence that the newly inaugurated President will address challenges such as youth unemployment and killings by Boko Haram among others which the people of Nigeria are facing.

And President Muhammadu Buhari said that his government would ensure that the violent religious sect, Boko Haram is totally defeated, while also acknowledging the helping hands offered the country by neighbouring countries such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.

President Buhari noted, shortly after his swearing in at the Eagle Square on Friday , that while progress has been made by security forces in the fight against the insurgent group in recent weeks, the fight was far from being over noting much need to be done.

He explained that victory cannot be attained by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja directing that the command Centre would be relocated to Maiduguri and remain there until Boko Haram is completely subdued.

The newly sworn in President further pledged his commitment to rescuing the Chibok Girls who were kidnapped on April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram.

“We cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents. Government will do all it can to rescue them alive,” Buhari remarked.

Buhari described Boko Haram as a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of and stated that at the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued his government would commission a sociological study to determine its origins, its sponsors, remote and immediate causes of the movement plus the international connections in order to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a recurrence of the insurgence.

Government  says it will introduce amendments to the constitution in the next sitting of parliament scheduled to open to resume sitting in  June.

Justice Deputy Minister Keith Mukata says pertinent issue in the draft constitution such as the proposed presidential running mate and the election date are among others  that cannot wait for a referendum.

Mr Mukata said  this  when he paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Salome Mwanashiku on the sidelines of the United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of offenders Conference.

He  said government settled for a piecemeal amendment of the constitution before the 2016 general elections because it is impossible to have a new constitution through a referendum given the huge cost involved.

He said holding a referendum will also require that the country conducts a census to meet the constitutional requirement of the minimum threshold of the people to participate in it.

This is contained in a statement released to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press in Malawi Chansa Kabwela.

And High Commissioner Mwanashiku said Zambia’s relations with Malawi remained cordial and the mission will continue to work for the betterment of the people.

The Commissioner underscored the need for peace, tolerance and unity in Zambia without which it will be impossible to steer the country to greater prosperity.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has deferred the commencement of the voter registration exercise.

The voter registration exercise which should have commenced on 17th August, 2015 will now commence on 14th September, 2015.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Crispin Akufuna, in a press release availed to ZANIS, today, disclosed that the postponement of the exercise was due to delays in the procurement of equipment and materials for the exercise.

Mr Akufuna said Mobile Voter Registration at registration centres will now close on 11 November 2015, while voter registration at civic centres in all districts will end on 31st March 2016.

He said the ECZ has met all registered political parties to inform them about the rescheduled dates.

Government says it will introduce amendments to the constitution in the next sitting of parliament scheduled to open to resume sitting in June.

Justice Deputy Minister Keith Mukata says pertinent issue in the draft constitution such as the proposed presidential running mate and the election date are among others that cannot wait for a referendum.

Mr Mukata said this when he paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Salome Mwanashiku on the sidelines of the United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of offenders Conference.

He said government settled for a piecemeal amendment of the constitution before the 2016 general elections because it is impossible to have a new constitution through a referendum given the huge cost involved.

He said holding a referendum will also require that the country conducts a census to meet the constitutional requirement of the minimum threshold of the people to participate in it.

This is contained in a statement released to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press in Malawi Chansa Kabwela.

And High Commissioner Mwanashiku said Zambia’s relations with Malawi remained cordial and the mission will continue to work for the betterment of the people.

The Commissioner underscored the need for peace, tolerance and unity in Zambia without which it will be impossible to steer the country to greater prosperity.

THE Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) says permission to hunt lions and leopards in Zambia will not contribute to the extinction of the animal population.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, ZAWA public relations officer Sakabilo Kalembwe said there was nowhere in the world where legal hunting has contributed to the extinction of lion population.

“Guidelines regulating hunting have been developed. The guidelines prescribe hunting of male lions aged six years and above,” he said.

Mr Kalembwe said the lions being hunted are old and are no longer breeding, thus have a diminished biological function.

He further said since these lions have been pushed out of the prides and have difficulties to hunt wild prey, they pose a danger to human life and domestic animals which usually become easy prey, especially in rural areas.

Mr Kalembwe said it makes conservation and economic sense to harvest such lions so that rural communities living with the wildlife also benefit from these resources.

He said that at the same time, the rural communities need to raise funds to finance conservation programmes.

“It is regrettable that certain sections of the public endeavour to deprive poor local communities of benefitting from wildlife by advocating the ban on trade in trophies.

“Such calls can also frustrate conservation efforts and programmes that seek to protect the very wildlife resources they claim to care about,” Mr Kalembwe said.

He said hunting of big cats contributes to the local and the national economy through tourism, while income that is generated contributes significantly to wildlife conservation.

Mr Kalembwe said ZAWA is working in consultation with local and international experts in monitoring the big cat population and hunting.