Mr. Chama said PF has adequately sold its campaign message to the electorates and is confident that its candidate Kapembwa Simbao will emerge victorious in the poll.

He praised PF officials in Senga for a well-coordinated campaign trail ahead of the parliamentary by-election on Tuesday April 14, this year.

The Senga Hill parliamentary seat is being contested by PF’s Kapembwa Simbao and UPND’s Giles Yambayamba.

And Mr. Chama has disclosed that PF Central Committee will soon announce the names of people to oversee the party activities in Northern Province on an interim basis.

The PF Secretary General said the ruling party needs dedicated people who are willing to serve the interests of the party.

He said the decision to dissolve the party’s provincial executive committee was aimed at re-organizing the party in the area.

Mr. Chama expressed optimism that the ruling party will continue to maintain its popularity in Northern Province.

Commercial Sex Workers working with THASINTA in Mkushi and Luano Districts are shunning skills related jobs in preference to the sex industry.

The sex workers are said to be showing no desire to abandon their sex trade saying it gives them quick money to sustain their welfare as opposed to skills such as tailoring which take long for them to earn money.

THASINTA Coordinator for Mkushi and Luano Districts Agness Ng’andu disclosed the development to ZANIS in an interview in Mkushi District.

Mrs Nkandu said her organisation has in the last 12 months encountered setbacks in its efforts to facilitate and provide alternative livelihood to Sex Workers.

She charged that the development if left unchecked and resolved will affect the reform programme and jeopardise efforts made in combating HIV and AIDS.

Mrs Ng’andu explained that her organisation had invested heavily in procuring several sewing machines which are presently not being utilised.

THASINTA has been working with a group of 38 sex workers in the two districts to reform them and engage them in alternative decent sources of income generation.

Mrs Ng’andu said the sex workers justified their return to their trade claiming that the industry is lucrative and a money spinner.

She however, expressed optimism that the sex workers will return to the programme and help add impetus to combating HIV and AIDS.

Mrs Ng’andu has since called for concerted and extensive efforts of sensitizing sex workers to abandon the industry and reduce the threat and spread of HIV and AIDS in communities.

Federal Republic of Germany’s Minister of Food and Agriculture Christian Schmidt is this week expected to arrive in Zambia for a three- day working visit.

Mr Schmidt is scheduled to arrive in country on Wednesday, April 15, at 2015, at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport.

This is according to a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the Zambian Embassy in Germany, Yvonne Shibemba .

Mr Schmidt is expected to officially open the Agriculture Training and Knowledge Centre at the Golden Valley Research Trust (GART) in Chisamba on Friday April 17, 2015.

This was contained in a statement released in Lusaka by the
The inauguration of the centre is aimed at promoting sustainable and modern agriculture in the country through enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Schmidt will be accompanied by three members of parliament, eight officials from the federal ministry of Food and Agriculture and representatives from 12 German companies engaged in the project.

During his visit, the federal minister will also visit some small holder farmers in Livingstone and Chibombo.

Mr Schmidt will also hold discussions with his Zambian counterpart Given Lubinda before departing for Germany on Friday, April 17 2015.

And Zambia’s ambassador to Germany, Bwalya Chiti expressed happiness that the project will soon be inaugurated.

Ambassador Chiti said that there is need to strengthen bilateral cooperation through joint agricultural projects in order to improve agricultural productivity.

Vice president Inonge Wina says society needs to appreciate the indispensable role that women play.

Ms Wina said there is no mystery in women seeking equal opportunities and wanting to be part of the decision making process at all levels of human endeavour.

The Vice president said this last night in a speech read for her by Lands deputy minister Susan Kawandami at the Zambian Women of the year Awards aimed at awarding exemplary and unsung heroines.

Ms Wina observed that almost all women in Zambia are multi-tasking and as such their efforts should be recognised and appreciated.

She said events like the women awards should aim at taking a different view in a woman’s life and begin to focus on women’s positives and achievements and not negatives.

‘A woman who wakes up at 3am every morning and walks 15km to buy vegetables to sell so that her children can have an education and food on the table should be appreciated’ said Ms Wina.

The Vice President stressed that government has since placed gender equality high on its development agenda.

And Director for Gender Rights Protection at Ministry of Gender and Child Development Pumulo Mutale noted that gender inequalities are still very high in Zambia.

Ms Pumulo added that government is aware of the disparities and recognises the significance of the need for equal participation of both men and women in the development process of the country.

And Zambian Women Awards of the year organising committee Chairperson Chilufya Phiri said women should be celebrated every day.

Government has completed renovating the Kenneth Kaunda (KK) detention house in Kabompo District in North-western province at a cost of K70, 000.

Acting Kabompo District Commissioner Hendrix Solochi said the funds were released by government through the National Heritage and Conservation Commission (NHCC).

Mr Solochi said only water and electricity are yet to be connected to the house adding that applications to relevant utilities to have power and water connected have already been made.

And North-Western Province minister Dawson Kafwaya who inspected the house expressed happiness with the quality of works on the renovated KK house.

Mr Kafwaya said the house is an important historical site because it is where Zambia’s first President was detained by the colonial administration.

He said the site has potential to attract tourists if well marketed and appealed to the media to help publicize the KK detention house in Kabompo to the outside world.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda was detained in the Kabompo house by the colonial government from March to July 1959 during the liberation struggle.