By BENEDICT TEMBO

THE German government has given Zambia €3 million for technical assistance and capacity building to become better prepared to engage in carbon transactions that achieve both meaningful mitigation outcomes and sustainable development co-benefits.
The €3 million is a German cooperation programme dubbed “Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPARC6C) that aims to support Zambia in its efforts to contribute global climate protection.

During the launch of SPARC6C in Lusaka today, Germany Ambassador to Zambia Anne Wagner-Mitchell said the programme will help to realise investment projects both by the government, but especially also by the private sector, in national climate projects.

Ambassador Wagner-Mitchell said projects fostered by the SPARC6C will not only benefit climate protection, but can also contribute to a variety of other Sustainable Development Goals.

She said among projects expected to benefit from SPARC6C include new renewable energy projects which can help to improve and stabilise energy supply, which in turn has positive effects on economic growth and the creation of jobs and employment.

“Projects in the waste sector, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions, also make an important contribution to the sustainable development of cities and municipalities and to responsible consumption and production. A circular economy which reuses materials and which reduces waste that pollutes water resources and soil, has positive impacts on the health and well-being of the population, ” Ambassador Wagner-Mitchell said.

And minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu said the key objective of SPARC6C is supporting all required activities that contribute to establish Article 6 transactions and the preparation of up to three ambitious greenhouse gas reduction projects or programmes by 2027.

Mr Nzovu said the priority of the SPARC6C project is to help Zambia establish a national registry for all Article 6 projects and transactions in order for us to measure success.

“Additionally, the programme will support Zambia in establishing the necessary policy and regulatory framework for accessing the global carbon market, and in developing and implementing carbon financed programs and projects over a period of five years,” he said

Mr Nzovu said SPARC6C provides a unique opportunity for Zambia to become one of the global front-runners with regard to getting access to a new global financing mechanism provided by the Paris Agreement supporting preparedness for Article 6 cooperation which allows for investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, both by the government and the private sector.

“Most importantly however, such carbon financed programmes and projects will not only support the country in achieving its ndc and in increasing its ambition, they will also contribute to the achievement of Zambia’s Sustainable Development agenda, allow for technology transfer, protect the environment whilest fostering economic growth, create new job opportunities and improve the livelihoods of Zambia’s population, especially in rural areas,” he said

Northern Province Permanent Secretary Bernard Mpundu has challenged teachers in the province to put more effort in the teaching of mathematics and science subjects.

Mr. Mpundu observed that pupils in the province are not performing well in mathematics and sciences. The permanent secretary has since urged teachers to work hard and help improve the status quo.

“We need to pull up our socks first as educators and our learners will buy into our activities. Let’s try by all means to let these guys do well, ” said Mr. Mpundu.

He added “School is not difficult, but what is difficult is for you to find time to study. When you don’t understand what the teacher means, you ask,” said Mr. Mpundu

The permanent secretary said this at Finkokoto Primary School when he visited the school and interacted with pupils.

During his interaction with pupils, Mr. Mpundu learned that the pupils with the highest marks in mathematics among the grade nines got about 55 percent, while the highest in science got 70 percent.

He also encouraged learners to pay attention to what they learn during classes and find time to study.

“We want you to become leaders. One of you can become a DC, one of you can become a teacher, and one can be Permanent Secretary, minister and even President. What is important is for you to pay attention to what they are teaching you and be able to find time to study and, again to revise” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mpundu commended World Vision Zambia in Luwingu for supporting the development of reading camps in the district.

He said the camps are helping children to know how to read and write at a tender age, which is contributing towards the attainment of high literacy levels.

“This is an important project, particularly for Northern Province where we see most of our children are lagging behind in terms of literacy, so when there is such an initiative, I think we need to support it,” said Mr. Mpundu.

And World Vision Development Facilitator for Luwingu District, Enzo Mpundu said the organization has supported the establishment of several reading camps in the district to help children know how to read and write.

He said the camps which are set up in villages are providing a platform for children to learn how to read and write outside the school environment.

Mr Mpundu explained that the camps are targeting children both in and outside school to equip them with reading and writing skills.

“Our target is for children between grades one to four but others are still not yet in school. Most of the children pick it up from here even if they don’t get into school, but through interaction with other children and reading camp facilitators, they tend to know most of the things and most of them would even know how to read and write”, he said.

And Sylvester Kamfwa a community member from Kalende Village said parents have supported the initiative as it is improving their children.

Mr Kamfwa said people understand the role of education in the development of their communities and the nation.

By BENEDICT TEMBO

ABSA Bank Zambia managing director Mizinga Melu has said whilst milestones have been achieved towards the drive for women’s equality, questions should be asked whether enough has been and if not, what else must be done to increase their participation at economic level.

During the Women in Business Breakfast meeting Absa Bank hosted partnership with The Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP) in Lusaka on Monday whose theme was Digitisation in Agricultural Value Chains, Ms Melu said during this month of March, there have been a number of activities across the country and globally, that are showcasing the drive on equality as we continue to seek our seats at the table.

“Whilst milestones have been achieved, we must still ask ourselves the question whether we have done enough and if not, what else must we do to increase our participation at economic level?,” she asked.

Being to be part of a distinguished audience of women who are making strides to change the narrative of what women are able to achieve as a collective, Ms Melu said it delights her because it is a clear demonstration that if they have to be at the fore, then they cannot escape the need for innovation and technology as enablers for the growth of their businesses.

She said sustainable food security remains critical for any productive country.

“However, there is a dire need for us to explore sustainable ways of increasing nutritious food production whilst addressing challenges such as limited agricultural land accessibility, depletion of natural resources as well as the effects of climate change which we continue to witness right across the globe,” Ms Melu said.

She said digitisation plays a crucial role in transforming food production through cost effective and efficient ways that allow more throughput of commodities in the market.

“Within the banking sector, digitisation has significantly helped to bridge the access to finance gap as we are able to offer our clients across the country digital platforms that allow them to conveniently transact through platforms such as mobile and online banking. At Absa Zambia we understand that running a business requires dedicated time and that is why we deliberately make business banking less time consuming, safer and more convenient through our digital channels,” she said.

Ms Melu said Absa has been availed K300 million available for lending to SME including women-led business under United States Development Finance Corporation (DFC) through the USAID EDGE programme and USAID Alternative to Charcoal Project.

“As part of our efforts to provide affordable financing to SMEs, we have put in place partnerships such as the Develop Financing Corporation (DFC) agreement through the USAID, which helps us to extend cost effective pricing. You will agree with me that the issue of affordable pricing has remained a topical matter and at Absa, we remain committed to finding ways to help unlock the potential of every woman led business,” she said.

Ms Melu said through the bank’s four pillars – access to finance, access to trade markets, access to business development skills and access to business information, they strongly believe that they are able to play a meaningful role in bridging the financial divide and support Government’s efforts to extend innovative and affordable financial solutions to SMEs across the country.

“The SME sector remains a big driver of our economy and providing adequate support towards the growth of this sector cannot be overemphasised. This is why collaborative efforts such as the one we see this morning are important towards driving productivity and sustainable economic growth,” she said

Ms Melu paid tribute to Absa partners, TechnoServe and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Access Centre (WEAC) for joining hands with the bank in supporting the growth of women enterprises focused on nutritious food processing.

“Our combined role is to ensure that we support government’s efforts in building the capacity of businesses, help them unleash their true potential and ultimately, elevate their great,” she said.

Former Lusaka Province Bowman Lusambo has advised US Vice President Kamala Harris to desist from promoting gay rights when she visits Zambia this week.

Mr. Lusambo said Mrs Harris risks being arrested if she promotes gay rights in Zambia as the act is a criminal offence.

In a statement welcoming Mrs Harris to Zambia, Mr. Lusambo said the US Vice President should respect Zambia’s stance on the issue.

He has also challenged President Hakainde Hichilema to use Mrs Harris’s visit to Zambia to assert the new deal government’s stance on gay rights.

“ We further wish to challenge President Hichilema as he holds talks with Vice President Harris at State House to look her in the eye and without any hesitation, tell her to her face that Zambia will never accept same sex relationships. That is the greatest leadership test we are throwing at President Hichilema and if he fails this test, he would failed the current and future generations of Zambians,” part of the statement read.

Below is Mr Lusambo’s full statement

Kamala Harris welcome but…

In our African culture, we are taught to welcome all visitors. It is from this premise that we welcome the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to Zambia. We hope her handlers have included a brief stop in Livingstone for her to see our beautiful Mosi-O-Tunya Falls and a drive through Mpongwe, our home village to show her how our hard working people growth our food.

We also wish to use this opportunity to raise a few concerns over the new tide that Washington-Lusaka relations are taking. Under President Hichilema, it is clear to see that Zambia is on a crusade to over-please the West at the expense of other nations with whom we have a long standing relations.

Zambia now finds itself in a very precarious position in the geopolitical landscape which has now affected relations with other countries and the all important debt restructuring programme.

As Vice President Harris visits Lusaka, we wish to remind her and her host President Hichilema that Zambia shall at all times maintain its non aligned position on key global issues. Since 1964, we have ostensibly implemented this policy position and has served the country well. The mistake that President Hichilema and his Foreign Affairs Minister Stanley Kakubo made when they voted to condemn Russia at the UN summit shall never be repeated. It was foolhardy and should never happen again. Zambia has always been a friend of all nations including China and just for Mrs Harris’s own information, the modern airport she will land was built by the Chinese, the good road network she will be driven on from the airport to her hotel room was constructed by China and the conference room she will speak from was a gift from China.

We wish to also explicitly tell Vice President Harris that Zambia shall not be a pawn in the US’s fights with China and Russia. We will at all times protect our sovereign interests as a nation and as a people.

On the issue of propagating same sex relationships under the guise of human rights promotion, we wish to refer her to our Republican Constitution which clearly stipulates that we are a Christian nation and Christian principles abhors such acts. Vice President Harris must be reminded that same sex relationships might be accepted in the US but in Zambia, such acts will never be allowed. As dynamic as culture can be, there are some boundaries that cannot be crossed. We have accepted a lot of US influences such as language, fashion, music and democracy over the years but we will never adopt same sex relationships. We wish to ask her to accept our position the same way the US has been forced to accept the recent decision by the Ugandan Parliament over same sex relations. Further, Vice President Harris should be informed that she risks being arrested if she promotes gay rights whilst in Zambia like she did in Ghana as it is a criminal offence to promote unnatural acts in our beautiful nation.

We further wish to challenge President Hichilema as he holds talks with Vice President Harris at State House to look her in the eye and without any hesitation, tell her to her face that Zambia will never accept same sex relationships. That is the greatest leadership test we are throwing at President Hichilema and if he fails this test, he would failed the current and future generations of Zambians.

Zambia Air Force Commander, Colin Barry, has called on men and women in uniform to desist from involving themselves in gender based violence (GBV). Lieutenant General Barry said it is worrying that some men and women in uniform were involving themselves in GBV cases.

He described this act as unacceptable, adding that his command will not tolerate such indiscipline. He noted that GBV was a disturbance to the community and the country as a whole.

Lt. Gen. Barry said this during the official handover of the ZAF Twin Palm station administration office blocks in Lusaka yesterday.

“Let me take this opportunity and urge you men and women in uniform to stop involving yourselves in GBV cases. This is sad and lately I have been seeing reports of you. If it is not a woman being involved in GBV cases, then it is a man in uniform. This has to stop,” he said.

He pointed out that the men and women in uniform are supposed to be advocates of good morals and values and law breakers.

Lt. Gen. Barry has since reminded the military personnel that their foundations are rooted in discipline, military etiquette and customs.

“This uniform we wear comes not only with great authority but great responsibility. For this reason, I urge personnel to exhibit high levels of discipline on and off duty. At all times bear in mind that it is a privilege to wear this uniform and serve the people of Zambia,” he said.

The ZAF Commander also urged the men and women in uniform to remain professional and accountable in the discharge of their duties.

He said service men and women should discharge their duties diligently by observing standard operating procedures, adhering to procurement procedures and abiding by financial regulations.

Lt. Gen. Barry said in the same vain, accountability calls for integrity in work places.

Experts and officials from African countries recently gathered in Moscow for the Africa Russia Parliamentary conference, which was held as part of the Russia Africa Summit. The conference was attended by representatives from almost all African countries, and the main message was about creating an Africa that is free from neocolonialism and creating win-win economic relationships between Africa and Russia, without any interference from the West.

Dr Lubinda Haabazoka, an economic expert who attended the conference, said, “The message at the conference was clear. Creating an Africa free from neocolonialism. Creating win-win economic relationships between African and Russia without western interference.”

During the conference, Russia was very clear that it had no problem with Africa dealing with anyone, and condemned others for dictating to Africa who its friends should be. Speaking at the conference, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said, “We consider that African countries are already capable of resolving their problems by themselves. And the era of the Western world dictating everything to Africa should be long gone.”

Most African countries, including Uganda and Kenya, thanked Russia for its role in the liberation struggle. South African Senate speaker, Amos Masondo, who took center stage at the conference, said, “We are grateful for the support of the Soviet Union in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and the fact that the friendship between Africa and Russia is now being reinforced and being strengthened.”

The conference resolved to create a multipolar world where no one power had a monopoly over other nations. Dr Haabazoka said, “Africa and Russia resolved to create a multipolar world where no one power had monopoly over other nations. The conference condemned the pushing of non-traditional values on African countries as part of an aid package.”

The conference concluded with an address from President Putin, who pledged to work with African partners and take a leading role in ensuring economic sovereignty for Africa. President Putin also pledged to provide free fertiliser to African countries, including Zambia, with Malawi and Zimbabwe already receiving the same. Russia also pledged to provide cheap fuel to Africa in order to reduce energy costs.

President Putin said, “We stand for the development of mutually beneficial relations with all African countries. Our relations with Africa are not a product of geopolitical considerations or any selfish economic interest. We believe that Africa is a promising and long-term partner.”

President Xi Jinping of China also joined Russia during the second day of the conference, and it was clear that a new system is about to be launched where Visa, Swift, and Mastercard will no longer be effective tools for economic sanctions. Dr Haabazoka said, “What is clear from the two powers is that a new system is about to be launched where Visa, Swift, and Mastercard will no longer be effective tools for economic sanctions. Countries like Zimbabwe, which other African countries have failed to economically liberate from sanctions, will now be able to trade efficiently under the BRICS umbrella.”

Dr Haabazoka also urged countries like Zambia to deal with both sides and remain non-aligned to get the best from both sides. Unfortunately, Zambia was not represented at the parliamentary level at the conference.

In conclusion, the Africa Russia Parliamentary conference was an important platform for African countries and Russia to discuss and strengthen their economic ties. With pledges of free fertiliser and cheap fuel, it is clear that Russia is committed to working with its African partners and ensuring economic sovereignty for Africa. The conference also highlighted the need for a multipolar world, where no one power has a monopoly over other nations.