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President Edgar Lungu
President Edgar Lungu says Zambia regrets the outbreak of Xenophobic violence in some parts of South Africa.
The Head of State however said he is hopeful that the leadership of his counterpart, Jacob Zuma will speedily address the problem.
He said Zambia and other regional leaders are working with South Africa to speedily resolve the problem.
The Head of State said this in Lusaka today when he received letters of credence from Abdullah Alowaifeer of Saudi Arabia as Ambassador Designate to Zambia and Lebonaamang Mokalake of Botswana and Sikosi Ntombazana Mji of South Africa as High Commissioners designate to Zambia.
President Lungu said the relations between Zambia and South Africa have steadily increased with bilateral cooperation in various fields of mutual interest in the quest to improve the quality of life for both people.
He said he appreciates the historical ties between the two countries and government looks forward to enhanced cooperation at both bilateral and multi-lateral levels.
Meanwhile President Lungu says Zambia appreciates the development
assistance received over the years from Saudi Arabia.
He said he is hopeful that the launch of the inaugural session of interaction between technocrats of the two countries shall result in an increase of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
President Lungu said Zambia and Botswana have maintained very close and active relations owing to the strong political foundations between our two countries.
He said the two countries have continued to consistently uphold the principles of democracy and good governance.
The Head of State further said that the economic cooperation between
the two countries has also remained viable and strong under the Zambia/Botswana Joint Permanent Commission (JPC).
The opposition MMD has observed that the media in Zambia is contributing to divisions in the country.MMD Spokesman Raphael Nakacinda said the media is now so polarized and dividing the nation.
Mr Nakacinda explained that all the four daily newspapers have decided to align themselves politically and sidelined the truth.He was speaking on Joy FM Radio’s Platform programme this morning which was discussing the 50 years of Zambian media.
Mr Nakacinda said the people are yearning for the Post Newspapers of the Old days which stood for the truth.He appealed to all media institutions to restore professionalism in Journalism.
‘Let’s engage in pubic matters with conviction, with all our hearts such that after you have done your race, you can pride yourself,’ Mr Nakacinda said.
‘It is now sad that the Daily Nation which people thought could stand for them has a soft spot for the PF, the Post Newspaper is now Rainbow, the Daily Mail and Times have traditionally been pro-establishment and that has continued,’ he said.
He continued, ‘in the online media, it is only Lusaka Times that is neutral and hopeful they will remain neutral.’
A 39-year-old man of Nakatindi compound in Sesheke district of the Western province has committed suicide after defiling his 12-year-old step daughter.
Western province Police Commissioner Standwell Lungu identified the man as Mukole Malumo aged 39 -years of Matale village, Chief Sifuwe in Mulobezi district.
Mr Lungu disclosed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Sesheke today adding that Malumo took his life by hanging himself with his shirt while in police custody in the early hours of Monday,20th April 2015.
Mr Lungu explained that on Sunday the 18th of April, 2015 Mukole Malumo took advantage of his wife who had gone to the neighbours where she was watching television and defiled his step daughter.He said when his wife went back home at around 21:00 hours, she caught Malumo him red handed defiling the 12- year- old girl.
It was then that the wife decided to call their neighbours to come and see what her husband was doing and in this process Malumo fled.Mr Lungu said Malumo had been on the run for a day and through the help of the neighbourhood watch he was caught on the 20th of April and brought back home to discuss the matter.
When asked as to why he decided to have canal knowledge with a minor, Malumo disclosed to the members of the community that it was because his wife denied having sex with him and she had always been putting on skin tight clothes when sleeping.
Malumo pleaded to his wife and the community to solve the mater at their home but his wife and the community refused and took him to the police where he was detained for defilement.
The 12- year old minor disclosed that her step father has been sleeping with her for about 2 years now,she said he threatened to kill her if she disclosed to anyone.
The juvenile has since been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.The body of the 39-year-old Malumo is lying in Yeta district hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem and burial.
The Zambia Medical Association has announced that Zambia has been selected to host the World Medical Association Council meeting in 2017, becoming only the second African country after South Africa to do so.
Zambia was voted during the just ended World Medical Association, WMA Council meeting that took place in Oslo, Norway, last weekend.
The World Medical Association is an international organization representing physicians.It was founded on 17 September 1947, when physicians from 27 different countries met at the First General Assembly of the WMA in Paris.
Zambia Medical Association President Aaron Mujajati announced in a statement that an estimated 600 delegates, media personnel and their spouses are expected to come to Livingstone where the meetings will be held in April 2017.
Dr Mujajati said the competitive bid was unanimously given to Zambia after a rigorous bidding process.
‘This award is subjected to strict guidelines that include security, appropriate infrastructure and ease of access to the country. To be picked as host under such strict conditions is a huge credit to the government and peoples of Zambia who collectively have made this country attractive to the international community,’ Dr Mujajati said.
He said the association is looking forward to the multiple benefits the country stands to reap as a result of hosting a meeting of such magnitude.
‘We wish to take this opportunity to thank the Zambian government through the Minister of Health Dr. Joseph Kasonde who featured in our promotional video as he invited the world to come to Zambia. We also wish to thank the Tourism Board for availing ZMA with the video footage and magazines on Zambia that we used as part of our bid process.
He added, ‘As ZMA, we are happy to have served as the country’s ambassadors and the resultant revenue that the various providers of tourism products and services will access. We wish to call upon other professional bodies and civil society organizations to attract international conferences to the country and thereby contribute to the development of the tourism sector.’
Dr Mujajati said as medical practitioners, the successful bid is an affirmation of the quality of medical doctors in Zambia some of whom are and have been plying their trade with distinction for decades in different parts of the world.
An elephant attacked and severely injured a 17 year old boy of Muchila area of Chief Muchila’s area.
The elephant got aggrieved as the young man named Paul Munamunungu was trying to catch a glimpse of the wild animal in labour.
Muchila ward councilor Joseph Galaba confirmed the incident to ZANIS in an interview saying that the incident happened on Monday 21st April 2015 around 10.00hrs.
According to some sources the victim Munamunungu was attacked when he tried to see the wild animal in labour.Chief Muchila has however appealed to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to kill the beast before lives are lost.The chief further stated that such wild animals need to be secluded in game parks before the endanger human life.
State House deputy minister and son of the Late President Michael Sata is in the midst of a corruption scandal
We are appalled at the current revelations of corruption by senior staff of President Edgar Lungu at State House and other government ministries. In particular, we are concerned about allegations of corruption against Deputy Minister at State House Mulenga Sata, Special Assistant to the President Kaizer Zulu, Permanent Secretary Chilubanama, as well as the Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda and his son, Bweembya. These senior officials are facing serious allegations of corruption which are denting the image of State House. Corruption allegations at these high offices only breed further contempt of the office of the President if no action is taken. We have seen so often that despite these allegations being made, very few cases end up before the courts of law.
Secondly, we wonder why the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) are not pouncing on individuals who obtain great wealth in a short period of time and are unable to account as to how they accumulated such money. The ACC Act is very clear. Anybody who accumulates wealth which is disproportionate to his/her past and present levels of official income should be investigated for corruption. A case in point is Mulenga Sata who, as everyone in Lusaka knows, lived a simple life in a small rented accommodation on Roan Road, Kabulonga, in Lusaka. Within a few years, after his father became President, he now owns a mansion which he bought from Mr. Guy Phiri in the posh area of Sunningdale, on Nyimba Road, Lusaka. He also has several expensive vehicles. Could he have possibly acquired these properties from his income as a councilor at Lusaka City Council? How is that possible? Is ZRA not interested to know? Is ACC not interested to know how he accumulated this wealth? If ZRA and ACC are not interested to know, we in the UPND and the general public are very much interested.
President Lungu must also make it clear as to what is going on with the contract for the new airport terminal at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA). Where did the Zambian Government’s counter-part funding for the project go? This project is riddled with high level corruption. The high levels of corruption have turned State House into a den of thieves.
What is now important is for President Lungu to ask these senior public office holders to resign immediately and for him to publicly call for investigations by the ACC and ZRA. As UPND, we demand action on corruption by President Lungu. His silence on corruption is worrying and breeding more corruption in government.
Charles Kakoma
Chairman for Information and Publicity and Party Spokesperson,
UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND)
President Edgar Lungu is expected to commission Mukuba Shopping Mall in Kitwe.
Heriot Properties Investment Limited, a South African company, spent US$50 million on the construction of the Mukuba shopping mall.
The mall was built at the former Kitwe Zoo on Chiwala Road. The mall will host major South African retailers such as Shoprite, Pick ‘n’ Pay, Mr Price, Jets, Spar Truworth and Edgars, among others.
The Mall is set to create one thousand local jobs.Mukuba mall, becomes the second mega shopping facility in Kitwe.
File:Communications and Transport Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda mounted a Road Block at Prospect police Camp near Kabwe where he Impouded a number of Vehicles which had faults .In the picture, Mr Kaunda inspects the fire Extinguisher from a Rosa Bus while the Driver of a Bus looks on
The Patriotic Front Government has been advised to stop governing the country by decree.
Former Communication and Transport Minister William Harrington is concerned that governance by decree under the PF government is now reaching extremes where Deputy Ministers’ verbal pronouncements are allegedly becoming law.
Mr. Harrington referred to the recent ban on the use of light trucks to transport people by Home Affairs Deputy Minister Panji Kaunda as one such pronouncement that is being implemented as law.
He told Qfm News that such pronouncements that do not have legal backing will invariably face challenges in terms of enforcement.
Mr. Harrington said that a typical example is the recent decree banning the importation of edible oils which he says the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) failed to enforce in the absence of a Statutory Instrument.
He stated that much as the ban on the use of light trucks to carry people may be well intended, it is on the other hand totally inappropriate and untenable in an economy such as that of Zambia which does not have a well-developed transport system.
Mr. Harrington advised that the PF government should be alive and sensitive to the fact that the vast majority of citizens especially in rural areas where registered public transport is non-existent rely heavily on open vehicles as a means of transportation.
Veteran coach and ex-Zambia international Fredrick Kashimoto says the country has many qualified coaches who can manage Chipolopolo.
FAZ is currently searching for a foreign coach after revealing that it is not going to offer interim Zambia trainer Honour Janza a permanent deal.
In an interview with Lusaka Times in Mufulira, Kashimoto said local coaches have the potential to excel at the helm of the Chipolopolo technical bench.
“The issue of employing a coach is handled by FAZ but I can tell you that we have many local coaches who can handle our national team,” Kashimoto said.
The ex-Mufulira Wanderers coach and player cited George Lwandamina of Zesco United and Nchanga Rangers trainer Fighton Simukonda as some of the local coaches capable of handling the national team.
Kashimoto suggested that FAZ constitutes a panel of at least four local coaches to drill Chipolopolo.
“We can look for at least four coaches to handle the national team. Lwandamina is there, Simukonda, Beston Chambeshi even young Tennant Chilumba. These coaches can do a good job,” he said.
Kashimoto added:”Local coaches are better because they know and understand our players better than foreigners.”
In the past, more foreign coaches have coached Chipolopolo compared to local ones.
FAZ president and soccer icon Kalusha Bwalya has paid tribute to former Bafana Bafana captain John “Shoes” Moshoeu who died on Tuesday.
Shoes died at the age of 49 after battling stomach cancer.
The ex-Kaiser Chiefs and Fenerbahce midfielder is remembered for starring in South Africa’s 1996 Africa Cup-winning team.
“Really sad to hear the passing on of John “Shoes” Moshoeu, a true legend. My colleague and my team-mate,” Kalusha stated.
Ex-Zambia international Wedson Nyirenda who shared the same dressing-room with Shoes at Chiefs in the early 1990’s described the deceased as a soccer icon.
“We have lost yet another soccer icon in South Africa. When I came at to Kaiser Chiefs you received me. A very down to earth gentleman with great skills,” Nyirenda wrote on his facebook page.
Striker Collins Mbesuma played with Shoes at Chiefs from 2004 to 2005.
“My heart is shattered by his death. We have lost a legend among legends. When I first arrived at Chiefs John Shoes Moshoeu welcomed me with much respect,” Mbesuma said.
Moshoeu won 73 caps before retiring at the age of 42.
Shouting “abahambe, badayisa ama’drugs,” translated they must go, they sell drugs .Courtesy ENCA
By Kalima Nkonde
Are South Africans blacks xenophobic or do African Leaders share the blame for the scourge and need to learn lessons?
The Xenophobia or more appropriately Afrophobic attacks in South Africa have been widely condemned and rightly so but there has been a superficial outlook at the problem.
The South African blacks have been roundly condemned but my take, as a person who lived in a number of foreign countries including South Africa and has a hands on experience and a helicopter view of the problem is rather a bit more objective. I would like to share my broader view of problem while outlining the root causes of the xenophobic attacks through a holistically approach because the causes are both internal and external.
It is important to point out that African countries leaders and their economic mismanagement is partly to blame.
To start with, my experience and most African people in South Africa is that a substantial number of South African blacks have two major psychological problems that are a direct result of the hundreds of years of apartheid and racial description..
[pullquote]The second psychological problem they have is a misplaced superiority complex towards their African brothers and sisters.[/pullquote]
The first problem is that they have an inferiority complex towards whites and an intense hatred for whites to an extent that had it not been for “ Saint” Nelson’s reconciliation policy, they could avenged the hundreds of years of injustice in a negative way thereby destroyed their sophisticated economy. The second psychological problem they have is a misplaced superiority complex towards their African brothers and sisters.
This superiority complex is premised on the fact that South Africa is the most industrialised country in Sub Saharan Africa with first world infrastructure. The blacks feel they are superior than other africans because they effectively live in “ Europe” but they do not recognize the fact that the infrastructure was built by the white man and they should just be “grateful” beneficiaries! You will hear some black South Africans telling fellow Africans viz: “which part of Africa are you from?”.
They somehow do not feel they are part of Africa! They also just do not accept that Black Africans can be better than them because of having been independent much earlier than them and therefore had better and superior education and had been exposed to more advanced western education in Europe and America.
They are in denial of this fact until when the fellow African proves otherwise. When they do, they become jealous. This mindset cuts across all social strata of South African blacks whether educated or uneducated apart from those who have been exposed and have lived abroad before and after independence.
It is when a fellow African proves to be smarter than a South African blacks because of his education , experience and exposure that xenophobic mentality sets in. In high density areas with high poverty and unemployment levels, it manifests itself in the violence that we are seeing from time to time.
The level of ignorance by South African blacks about Africa especially and their lack of exposure is part of the problem that is the route cause of Afrophobia. If you went to any high density area in South Africa, you will be lucky to get a person with a passport who has travelled to any of the neighbouring countries.
There are Batswana speaking South Africans in the North West towns like Rustenburg who have never travelled to their tribes mate in Botswana which is just two hours away! You would not say the same about Mozambicans, Zimbabweans ,Botswana , Zimbabwe and Zambia where even semi illitrates have gone across borders! These guys just do not travel outside South Africa and the old proverb of my mother language, Bemba says : Umwana ashenda, atashishe Nyina ukunaya ubwali “ (WHICH MEANS A CHILD WHO NEVER TRAVELS WILL ALWAYS BOAST AND THINK THAT HIS MOTHER IS A BEST COOK UNTIL THEY FIND ANOTHER MOTHER WHO COOKS BETTER).
There is no doubt that the major causes of the Xenophobic attacks is the high level of poverty due to high unemployment but foreigners are not the cause of this.
South Africa’s unemployment rate is above 25% which is very high for an advanced economy like South Africa. The black foreigners, however, cannot dent this unemployment rate even if they were all to be sent home. The impact of foreign blacks on unemployment in South Africa is negligible and exaggerated and impirical evidence support this.
The foreigner are just being used as a scapegoat for the deep seated problems of the South African society and economy which the ANC has not fully addressed. The ANC government shoulders the bulk of the problem that South Africa faces, apartheid not withstanding.
The Government has failed to deliver services and jobs to the black majority and the reasons are various but corruption is one of the major reasons.
The Government has failed to deliver services like water, electricity, sanitation, housing, health to the most disadvantaged communities. The areas where Xenophobic attacks are happening are the most affected by lack of services and the affected foreigners live in those communities.
There is no Xenophobia in suburbs and that is why Zambians , Batswana, Namibians, Tanzanians, Kenyans and others are not caught up there because the bulk of the immigrants from these countries are skilled and they live in the leafy and green suburbs of Durban, CapeTown, Johannesburg etc which are metropolitan in nature.
The lack of services is largely due to the ANC’s deploying incompetent cadres in Councils at the expense of skilled whites and giving contracts to cadres who are not able to deliver. The frustration of non delivery of services and unemployment has been passed on to the unfortunate foreigners who are living within those communities and are viewed as having been the beneficiaries of the freedom struggle.
[pullquote]There is no Xenophobia in Suburbs and that is why Zambians , Batswana, Namibians, Tanzanians, Kenyans and others are not caught up [/pullquote]
It very important to also note that one of the major causes of the xenophobic attacks is the liberal immigration policy towards refugees by the South African Government.
The South African Government unlike many others in the world, naively adopted a policy of letting refugees to integrate in the various communities rather than being confined to camps like Zambia and many other countries did.
It is not surprising that the foreigners who went into the high density areas found a way of survival and saw opportunities for setting up small businesses. They did not necessary get jobs from South Africans but created their own jobs through setting up small businesses .The foreigners went on and out competed the locals in small businesses as well jobs and accepted lower wages.
The fact is that the businesses that these foreigners are running can be done by South Africans and this where Government policy could be found wanting. The question is that does South Africa need an Ethiopian, Pakistan, Somali, to run a grocery store in Soweto, Guguletu or sell Bananas and apples on the street of the Central Business district of Cape town, Johannesburg or Durban? The Answer is no! It is any government’s duty to take care of its citizens.
It is in this respect that the reservation policy where foreigners cannot engage in some of this simple and mundane activities that citizens can do should seriously be looked at. The reservation policy is one way that South African Government can reduce the influx of unskilled foreigners setting up small businesses that South Africans can do.
The other African Countries including Zambia should consider the same. The reality is foreigners will always do better than locals in most economic activities the World over but locals will not complain if the activities that foreigners engage in are those they have no competence in.
There is an issue that all Africans citizens and their Governments are not talking about and taking responsibility for! We should be honest that we have swamped South Africa with illegal immigrants especially like late British Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher complained about Britain in the 1980s.
The numbers of African immigrants in South Africa especially the unskilled ones is unacceptably high for any country! It is my view that it is the high numbers of immigrants- legal and illegal – who have settled in high density areas that are the major cause of the problem of xenophobia today. Why should a Zambian or Zimbabwean, Somali go and settle in a shanty compound in South Africa? What value are they adding to the Country.
The cause of all this is the failure of leadership and a classic case is Zimbabwe with one of the largest immigrant population in South Africa. Zimbabweans started to go to South Africa after the meltdown of the economy after the grabbing of white farms.
It is not rocket science to discern that the failure of leadership in terms of economic management is the route cause of the uncontrolled immigration into South Africa! Let us bite the bullet and admit that our African leaders have failed us in the management of our economies and we better address this before blaming South Africa entirely.
[pullquote]The numbers of African immigrants in South Africa especially the unskilled ones is unacceptably high for any country![/pullquote]
The only problem with the South Africans involved in xenophobic attacks is the violent methodology of their protest about being swamped! You do not have to kill in order to put your grievances across.
I would want to suggest to African Governments including my Government in Zambia to consider and implement the following policies that will mitigate against the risk of their citizens being victims of xenophobia as well reduce the incentive for citizens rising against foreign nationals:
African Countries should ensure that positive immigration policies are put in place where only qualified and experienced foreigners are able to get work permits. No unskilled foreigners should allowed and citizens should be sensitized to the same. All Countries should only attract the best foreigners so that they can pass on skills to locals . In Zambia, the Zambianisation policy under Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s UNIP of the 1970s and 1980s worked very well until the 1990s under Chiluba’s MMD. Currently,the empowerment of Zambians is no longer pronounced and does not seem to be a priority for the Government! We seem to have gone backwards where even in the mines where we had skilled manpower who were trained abroad at great expense in some of the best universities are now unemployed because the mine owners bring their own people! This is how xenophobia starts! The owners of the Country cannot be spectators in the economic success of the Country.
Ensure that a reservation policy for certain business activities are put in place. We have to identify activities which can only be done by locals and no foreigner should be allowed .
Ensure that progressive policies for employment creation are put in place and where possible labour intensive industries especially in agriculture and manufacturing are encouraged with incentives including tax incentives are put in place for labour intensive industries
Ensure foreign investors are required to employ locals and there should be tax incentives given to those employing more locals.
The National Savings and Credit Bank has signed a 27,000 US dollar kit sponsorship deal with premier league side Mufulira Wanderers.
NATSAVE Managing Director Cephas Chabu unveiled the new Umbro kit on Wednesday evening at a cocktail party.
Chabu said NATSAVE decided to partner with Mufulira Wanders because of its rich football history and its exceptional contribution to soccer development in the country.
He said the success of Zambia’s football is incomplete without mentioning Mufulira Wanderers and that the team has a large national following.
‘This partnership will be long standing, in that in addition to the sponsorship of jerseys, the bank shall also embark on sensitising the players about the importance of saving and further accessing various NATSAVE products,’ he said.
And officiating at the event, Sports Minister Vincent Mwale commended NATSAVE for the gesture saying it is a motivation to the club and will no doubt significantly contribute to quality of soccer standards in the country.
Mwale said the sponsorship is timely as it comes at a time when the team has been promoted from Division One to MTN/FAZ premier league.
Meanwhile, Mufulira Wanderers legend Kalusha Bwalya who is also FAZ President thanked NATSAVE for the sponsorship saying football has the power to unify communities.
At the same event, Mufulira Wanderers Supporters Society unveiled a new club logo and called for more support from the corporate world to the club.
Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba
Green Party of Zambia has advised President Edgar Lungu to urgently appoint more members to the Mutembo Nchito tribunal.
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba said Mr Nchito could ground to halt the Tribunal proceedings, if he decides to seek a judicial review over Justice Ernest Sakala and Justice Mathew Ngulube membership to the tribunal.
Mr Sinkamba said since the Tribunal at the moment comprises only three members, if two members are removed, then only one member remains making the Tribunal incompetent to proceed.
He said President Lungu can prempty this move by appointing at least two more Tribunal members so that the Tribunal consists of five members.
‘If the President did so, he will be acting within his Constitutional powers in that the Constitution only provides for minimum number of members. It does not limit maximum number of members. Even if two members are removed or declared interested parties, the decision of the Tribunal will still be binding and regarded as a majority decision,’ Mr Sinkamba said.
He added, ‘I say so based on the decision of the court in the matter of Motor Holdings (Z) Ltd v. Raj Raman, SCZ Judgment No. 17 of 2001 (unreported). The judgment is a ruling on a motion moved by the respondent and denied by the court. A panel of three judges heard the appeal in the case, but one judge died before judgment was delivered.’
‘The respondent sought a rehearing of the case under rule 78 alleging unspecified accidental slips or omissions. At the hearing he abandoned that line of argument arguing that the two judges remaining on the case lacked the necessary quorum and jurisdiction to render a judgment by majority.’
He continued, ‘The court ruled that in the event of the death of a judge who was one of the three members of an appellate court which heard a case, a rehearing must take place only if the remaining two do not agree and hence there is a deadlock. If the remaining two agree, they constitute the majority and their decision is the decision of the quorum.’
A conference that brings together influential and senior experts in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry from within and outside the SADC region kicked on Wednesday in Windhoek, Namibia.
The three-day-conference is an annual event with the main objective to prepare and approve the projects, programmes and budget for the new financial year of the Southern African Telecommunications Association (SATA).
In her official opening speech of the 35th SATA annual conference, Telecom Namibia Board member, Feitjie Veldskoen applauded SATA members and their Secretariat for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is interconnected and also connected to the rest of the world.
“Today, all our citizens in the SADC region are using ICT in different facets of their lives. Furthermore, the ICT sector employs an enormous number of people and is the greatest contributor of our gross domestic product. In the last decade, mobile penetration for the region grew from an average of 2 per cent in 2000 to more than 95 per cent by the end of 2014, and continues to grow,” Veldskoen said.
She noted that several SADC countries now have mobile penetration levels that exceed the 100 per cent mark, with others catching up fast, adding that their biggest challenge, however, is still the development of infrastructure and access to rural communities.
“Telecommunications and ICT sectors in the SADC region continue to grow and play a vital role as catalysts for sustainable economic development and growth, she said.
Veldskoen expressed happiness to learn that SADC-member States through SATA and other organisations are making changes within their own countries to include the integration of ICT in the transformation and growth of their respective economies.
“ICT has a huge and positive impact on economic growth as it has the potential to make supply chains more efficient, offer richer collaboration, make financial transactions faster, and more dynamic pricing and transparent processes. ICT can accelerate the flow of goods and services across SADC national borders, underpinned by effective competition; ICT stimulates and improves trade by connecting people and places previously not connected,” she told the meeting.
She also seriously warned SATA members of cybercriminals who are becoming more sophisticated and pose great risks to any country or government in the SADC region.
“Steps must be taken to improve our capacity in dealing with cyber threats and cybercriminals or else they will cause irreparable damage to our economies and countries. We need to step up our capacity building to ensure that our governments and law-enforcement officials remain ahead of existing cyber threats and on the pulse of emerging ones,” urged Veldskoen.
She then strongly appealed to SATA members that the general public and future generations need to be educated to use ICT in a safe and responsible manner.
“We have seen how societal values are sometimes negatively impacted due to the rapid advancement of ICT. Indecency and anarchy can seep in to any environment if not anchored on ethical value. In this regard, our cultural and societal values can come into play. I strongly believe in embracing developments in ICT but that it is also important to not forget our cultural roots and values. We should never, in the name of development, compromise on our values,” stressed Veldskoen.
The conference that runs under the theme: ‘ICT for the Benefit of All: Transforming our Society through Broadband and ICT Development’ ends on Friday.
Participants are from host Namibia and other SADC member States including Angola, Zambia, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa.
