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Former Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor Caleb Fundanga has observed that continuous change of policies is the worst form of instability in an economy.
Dr. Fundanga said that if policies are changed every time and then, it creates instability in the economy which in turn sends a signal to prospective investors to hold back their investments into the economy.
Dr. Fundanga said this was why he is not of the idea of the reintroducing windfall taxes in the Mining industry.
The former Central Bank chief has observed that if the country is able to monitor, using the existing framework, how much is produced in the Mining Industry and how much taxes are due, the government could be able to extract something from the mining companies.
He said that if this measure is not enough, the country can look at other strategies of benefiting from the mining industry without taxing them.
Dr. Fundanga has advised that one way of benefiting from the mining industry is for the country to increase domestic content of copper production by ensuring that inputs that are used in copper production are produced locally as opposed to importing them.
He said this measure in turn can create employment in the country.
He has also suggested that the other alternative that the country can do is to ask the Mining companies to train local people in technical skills to avoid a situation where experts are brought from outside the country to work in the mines.
The former BoZ governor was speaking in an interview with Qfm news.
Alliance for Better Zambia president Father Frank Bwalya blows a whistle against the government’s refusal to release the Zambian draft constitution
The Opposition Alliance has challenged President Michael Sata to sack Ministers in his government whom he has been referring to as being useless.
Alliance coordinator and spokesperson Frank Bwalya says this is because Zambians are sick and tired of hearing President Sata allegedly crying like a baby over his alleged useless Members of parliament (MPs) and Cabinet ministers.
Fr. Bwalya has told Qfm news that if President Sata maintains his alleged useless under performing Ministers it will be concluded that he sees nothing wrong with them being useless despite them being paid huge salaries and accruing allowances and benefits at the expense of the taxpayers.
Fr. Bwalya, who is also Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) leader, says if President Sata maintains his alleged useless under performing Ministers in his government it will further be an act of omission that would portray the Head of State as a very irresponsible leader.
The Opposition Alliance coordinator notes that President Sata should also know that it is a form of corruption for anyone to continue getting a salary for a job they have failed to perform.
He has explained it is against this background that the Opposition Alliance is calling upon the President to stop belaboring the alleged uselessness of his ministers and MPs.
The opposition leader has stated that failure to fire the alleged useless Ministers will be a confirmation Head of State doesn’t realize that to guarantee development he needs men and women of high caliber and reliability.
He however notes that the Opposition Alliance still maintains that President Sata should not publicly embarrass his useless MPs and ministers.
Meanwhile, Political activist Nason Msoni has observed that President Michael Sata’s continued humiliating of Ministers in public is eroding public confidence in the Patriotic Front (PF) government.
President Sata has been recently quoted as describing his Ministers as useless as they have allegedly failed to do their jobs.
But Mr. Msoni says no one is going to trust and respect Minister in the PF government because of how President Sata is continued humiliating them in public.
Mr. Msoni has told Qfm news that the President has impunity to put things right dissolving his Cabinet and appoint a new Cabinet as no one if forcing him to keep underperforming Ministers.
The political activist says it is wrong for the Head of State to continue denouncing his Ministers in Public.
“It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”
(Isaiah 10:27, NKJV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
I read something interesting about a spider. We’ve all seen how a spider spins a web in order to catch an insect. That web is filled with a sticky substance so that when an insect comes in contact with it, it not only gets tangled in the web, but it actually gets stuck. Have you ever thought about how the spider that’s spinning the web can walk across it and not get stuck? It seems like he would get trapped in his own web. But God made the spider so that its body releases a special oil that flows down to its legs. That way, it can just slide across the web. You could say the spider doesn’t get stuck because of the anointing that’s on its life!
In the same way, God has put an anointing on your life. It’s like oil that causes things not to stick. When you walk in His anointing, the things that should bring you down won’t be able to. Bitterness won’t be able to stick to you. Envy and strife will slide right off of you. The traps of the enemy won’t even faze you! You are protected, and you won’t get stuck because you are covered in Him!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, thank You for Your anointing that covers me and destroys every yoke of bondage off of my life. You are my protector; You are my Provider, and I bless and praise You for Your faithfulness all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen!
MMD President Nevers Mumba has urged African Government to prioritize education for the continent to develop.
Dr Mumba said Africa must consider introducing compulsory education for all Citizens adding that the continent must make it illegal to keep a child away from school.
He charged that it will take an educated citizenry to defend democracy and freedoms. Education brings dignity and courage to make progressive decisions.
Dr Mumba also stated the prospect of sustainable development in Africa is threatened by the neglect by people of morality to engage in politics.
He was speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday when he made a key note address at the Global Business Roundtable convention.
Below is Dr Mumba’s full speech
Vision for a New Africa: Focusing on the character of a leader.
By Dr Nevers Mumba, Former Vice President of Zambia
One evening in July 1994, I walked off the stage after preaching to several thousands in Amsterdam. That night we experienced amazing miracles of many sick people being healed. Drenched in sweat I entered my Hotel room and switched on television. What I saw gripped my attention for at least an hour. I found myself crying uncontrollably.
It was the Rwanda genocide. The pictures on television showed the slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of people across all ages. The one picture which broke my heart, was a child of about 6 years sitting on top of his mother’s dead body and asking his mother to wake up. The camera zoomed in on his terrified face, and the television commentator broke it down by saying, this child will be dead before the end of day!
This singular event changed my life forever. It dawned on me that such incidences in Africa are considered normal political consequences. It became clear to me that unless Africa resolves the issue of the quality of political leadership such happenings will continue to delay the development we all yearn for.
My belief is that, “The equitable delivery of goods and services to any people depends on the morality and integrity of its leaders.” The bible explains it in a clearer way, “when the righteous rule, people rejoice. But when the unrighteousness rule, people mourn.”
It was at this point that I responded to the call to politics, with a view of introducing morality and integrity in politics.
The prospect of sustainable development in Africa is threatened by the neglect by people of morality to engage in politics. Edmund Burke said, “Evil only thrives when good people do nothing.”
This vacuum has been filled by ungodly and sometimes heartless dictators. As African nations we must start to insist on the character and values of those who seek high office. This is not an option but an immediate need if we shall start seeing sustainable peace and security on the continent.
The next demand we must place on ourselves is to insist on establishing and protecting institutions that will act as watchdogs against unruly political leaders. There is a school of thought that believes that what Africa needs are not good leaders but strong institutions.
My view is that we need both. On a balance of scale, I would still say the search for moral leaders is even more urgent than that of institutions.
Our goal should be to strengthen the freedoms of all citizens. This freedom will be anchored on a society which is just and observes the rule of law. Freedom breeds innovation and heightened productivity. This freedom shall protect individual liberties and private property ownership.
In order to achieve this, we must consider introducing compulsory education for all Citizens. We must make it illegal to keep a child away from school. It will take an educated citizenry to defend democracy and Freedoms. Education brings dignity and courage to make progressive decisions.
For the many youth who have been thrown out of the education ring and now roam the streets, we need to provide opportunities for them to go back to school and introduce skills training programs for that sector of society. This program could be spear headed by the private sector.
Private Companies could be encouraged through tax breaks to set up skills training schools in line with their core business to train the youth in skills like, carpentry, plumbing, bricklaying, painting, electrical/electronics etc. for uneducated senior citizens, opportunities should be created for them to improve themselves by making education in various fields accessible to them.
Our vision should be to attain a 98% literacy rate, across the continent. An educated man cannot be bullied to sell his birthright for a morsel of bread.
Nelson Mandela grew up in a rural setting in Qunu, but because of education and training as a lawyer, he refused to submit to the inhuman apartheid system of government. Education is the first step out of poverty and oppression by the powerful.
In addition to compulsory education, we must insist on morality and integrity to be necessary partners in development. Churches and religious institutions should be encouraged to set up educational facilities where Christian values are taught.
Public schools, should introduce religious and moral lesson classes which are meant to produce a new generation of leaders of morality and integrity.
This is because of our firm belief that as important as education is, if it lacks personal morality and godly integrity, education can be abused to advance heinous evils in society. An educated immoral criminal is more dangerous than an illiterate criminal.
So, while education is the first step out of poverty, morality and integrity are the engines which make education worthwhile.
It is precisely for this reason that the Church and other morally upright people are served with a guilty verdict for shying away from politics.
Development in Africa will remain a far-fetched dream until we start to take interest in the moral character of our leaders, and the Church remains one of the sources of such leadership.
Africa may never change until and unless we deliberately encourage, sponsor men and women of faith to contest and win elections across the continent. Then shall we confidently say, Africa shall be saved.
Nevers Mumba sitting next to former Mozambican President Joachim Chisano
FILE: Kafue District commissioner Grace Ngulube inspecting the damaged roof at Kasenje Basic School that was blown off by heavy rainfall
United Party for National Development UPND women have accused Kafue District Commissioner Grace Ngulube of blocking them from carrying out some community services at the District hospital.
UPND Lusaka province chair lady Wendy Mulenga said women from the opposition party wanted to clean the wards and the hospital surroundings as well as make a donation to the hospital but the DC has blocked them.
She appealed to Ms Ngulube to allow the women help out at the hospital saying: ” we see no reason why we should be blocked when we just want to help alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters because we have seen that the PF government has failed in the health sector.”
She appealed to the DC to think about the suffering of the people in the district and allow the opposition party women to help them.
“We have seen the suffering that people are going through and we are simply trying to help by doing some community work at the hospital so we are appealing to Mrs Ngulube to please such your soul and think about the suffering of your people,” Ms Mulenga said.
She further claimed that plain clothed police officers have been deployed in the district to watch the movement of the UPND and are turning away members from Lusaka district who are part of group who are suppose to do community work at the hospital.
Ms Mulenga said this in a phone interview from Kafue.
The opposition United Party for National Development has called on republican President Michael Sata to urgently address the Constitution Instability that has characterized the Country since Independence.
UPND Deputy Spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo observed that there are many unresolved questions of interest to the public that remain hanging which the current Executive needs to resolve concerning the constitution.
The UPND Assistant Spokesperson says the Nation deserves to be informed to avoid unhealthy speculations and rumors thereby noting that it is unfortunate that the Patriotic Front PF Government has departed and relaxed on its commitment to uphold the fundamental tenants of democracy, good governance and the rule of law.
He further stated that the current government promised the people of Zambia a number of things prior to the 2011 General Elections among them stabilizing the Constitution instability which he said has characterized the Country since Independence.
And Mr. Lifwekelo urged the Zambia Police Service to accord equal opportunities to the opposition and Civil Society Organizations to conduct their activities peacefully.
Mr. Lifwekelo says the unfair restrictions of people’s liberties using the Public Order Act are a breeding dangerous discontent.
He further observed that the Public Order Act is both repressive and anachronistic in interpretation by the Police and must be repealed as Zambians get an impression that they were used like toilet issue by the PF Government.
Taurus Musik ,the Kenya based music label which Zone fam and CQ are under ,has signed yet another amazingly talented artist from Zambia, ER
Born,Patterson Chibela Chikesenge on 21st June 1987. ER‘ started rapping in April 2011 and is arapper/ singer and performing artist as well as a music producer and Song writer.
Taurus Musik presents new smashing single, Picture Perfect in which ER is both the rapper and brains behind the production. The song has a catchy afro pop feel to it and as the name of the song suggests, it is a love song and features Lizwe another Zambian artist.ER tells how the lady in question is what he wants in a woman and how their love is perfect.
His first single Aka Red Naka Black feat Chef187 was received with love and was on heavy rotation and the same is expected by Picture perfect as the song is bound to get all lovers nostalgic and dancing to this new hot single. The song is in English and has definitely not lost the Zambian touch as ER’ raps in Bemba and Nyanja.
Listen, enjoy and share the newest hot single Picture Perfect with all the Music lovers out there!!!
President Micheal sata Cabinet and PF Central Committe meeting at Statehouse
The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD)has said that President Michael Sata’s public admission that all his Ministers are useless and are not doing their job for which they are being paid hefty salaries and allowances is an indictment on the President himself and calls for the immediate dissolution of his government.
FDD Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said that as taxpayers, people cannot be financing a bunch of useless individuals masquerading as leaders when the majority of the youths, mothers and fathers are drowning in poverty, unemployment, disease and destitution.
Mr Mwanza said that President Sata should not blame his failed policies on his ministers.
[pullquote]“…You are all not doing your jobs; you are useless. All of you ministers are just useless,” President Sata said[/pullquote]
He added that the President is the one who appointed these ministers and thus cannot run away from his failures.
Mr. Mwanza further stated that President Sata should simply dissolve his government and call for fresh elections stressing that the people of Zambia deserve better.
During the week after the photo session at state house, President Sata remarked that his ministers were useless because they were not doing their job.
“…You are all not doing your jobs; you are useless. All of you ministers are just useless,” President Sata said, gesturing to community development deputy minister Dorothy Kazunga.
Former Finance Minister Katele Kalumba has observed that the decision by government to revoke Statutory Instruments 33 of 2012 and 55 of 2013 creates a short term confidence in the country’s economy.
Dr. Kalumba’s observation follows the Kwacha’s continued depreciation after its minimal gain against cumulative currencies preceded by the revocation of the two Statutory Instruments.
He says the positive economic sentiment that was created in the economy by the revocation of the two regulations is what the market was responding to as the move was perceived as a sign that government was listening to the concerns over the two legislations.
Dr. Kalumba has told Qfm news in an interview that it is however important that this positive economic sentiment is sustained.
He says this can be done by ensuring that there is a clear line of action on budgetary issues with respect to understanding the underlying economic aggregates that are pushing the economy in terms of the nature and magnitude of its reaction, and where government ought to act to fulfill its broader economic goals without creating a crisis in the financial market particularly through borrowing.
Dr Kalumba has also advised that in view of the fears created on budget deficits owing to major capital projects being undertaken, there is need for government to assure the market that there is capacity to act on the economic aggregates in the way that it will be able to pay back the loans that are emerging.
And Dr Kalumba further observes that there is also a role that the Central Bank can and must play in close collaboration with the Minister of Finance to create a broader confidence in the economy by setting up some behind the scene consultative groups with key stakeholders.
He recalls that this is the same scenario he found in July 1999 when he was the country’s Finance Minister when it was decided to restructure the national budget on short term to have a positive out turn at a time economic indicators were showing negative potential out turn as it was in 1998.
Dr. Kalumba explains that by restructuring the national budget on short term, government can create certain positive sentiments by addressing the areas where the business community feels government is over stretching in terms of public expenditure.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has reveled that it has spent in excess K70million on the by 20 elections since the september 2011 general elections.
Speaking at a media luncheon hosted at Mulungushi international conference centre today ECZ deputy director elections Chomba Chella said the commission is spending K3.5 million per by election on average and that the country has had 20 by elections so far while 8 will be held once courts conclude with them.
Mr Chella added that money is not only spent on parliamentary by elections but the ward elections in various districts of the country.
Meanwhile the commission is process of undertaking a delimitation exercise in some parts of the country.
ECZ deputy director IT Brown Kasaro said the exercise has been necessitated by the creation of new districts, the need to reduce the distance covered by voters to polling stations as well as ensuring that polling stations are located at premises with adequate infrastructure which is suitable for elections.
Mr Kasaro explained that section 38 of the Electoral Act No 12 of 2006 outlines the factors for delimitation which includes availability of suitable venue for a polling station, the number and distribution of eligible, availability of transport, geographical or physical features that may impede its accessibility among other considerations.
He added that the consultations with stakeholders will start in July 2014 and is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
He further explained that the new maps of electoral boundaries will only be effected in the 2016 general elections.
Delimitation is the process of drawing up voting areas for purposes of assigning voters to polling stations as well as drawing up ward or constituency boundaries for election of the district council or the national assembly respectively.
Bag of Mealie meal
Government has seized and disposed-off 582 by 25 Kg bags of expired mealie meal and 77 by 25 Kg bags of bread flour from Olympic Milling outlet in Kapiri Mposhi district.
District Environmental Health Officer, Simeon Sikwiya says this was after alert Public Health Inspectors from Kapiri Mposhi District Health Office (DMO) stormed a named milling company premises after a tip off.
Mr. Sikwiya told ZANIS in an interview in Kapiri Mposhi yesterday that that the commodity was seized and consequently disposed off because they expired over a month ago and did not meet the standards for consumption as stipulated in the Food and Drugs Act CAP 303, regulation 214 of the laws of Zambia.
Mr. Sikwiya said the named Miller had stocked and sold the mealie meal and flour to unsuspecting customers despite noticing that it had expired.
“It is surprising that the trader continued to stock the same products even when customers returned them back and despite knowing that the products had gone bad,” Mr. Sikwiya said.
Kapiri Mposhi District Magistrate court issued the disposal order yesterday of the seized products that included 556 bags of Olympic Breakfast Meal, 26 bags of Olympic Roller Meal and 77 bags of bread flour.
The company’s management refused to comment on the matter by broadcast time.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it still holds the position that the 2011 general elections were free and fair despite the many nullification of Parliamentary seats that have arisen from the polls.
ECZ Chairperson Irene Mambilima says for an election to be judged free and fair, one need to look at the full cycle of an election process that includes having a credible voters’ register, people conducting campaign freely and electorates going out to vote without being intimidated to vote in a certain way.
Justice Mambilima this is why as far as other stakeholders that monitored the general election were concerned, the 2011 polls were free and fair as the commission believes it had a credible voters’ register, people were free to campaign and that people came out in great numbers to vote their minds.
Speaking at media luncheon in Lusaka this afternoon, Justice Mambilima has also stated that the nullification of elections results of some Parliamentary seats that have come after the 2011 general election is not the Commission’s concern.
She says this is because in most of the cases the grounds of nullification bordered mostly on corrupt activities and vote buying vices which she says are beyond the commission.
And Justice Mambilima has disclosed that preparations for the 2016 general elections are on course.
She says besides conducting voter education across the country, the commission has also already prepared a report to propose to political parties on how it will go about the elections in the event that constituencies are increase from the current 150 seats before the 2016 polls.
Justice Mambilima has also maintained if the government printers or any other printing company does not meet the standards required to print ballot papers locally by 2016, the ECZ will have no choice but to print the ballot papers outside the country.
FILE: President Michael Sata with Malawian High Court Judge Lovemore Chikopa (second l), Justice Naboth Mwanza (r) rand Justice Thomas Ndhlovu (far l) after a swearing-in at State House.
Government has said opposition UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema remarks over Judge Lovemore Chikopa are regrettable.Chief government spokesperson Joseph Katema said Judge Chikopa is back in his home country Malawi as the Tribunal he is supposed to chair is still a subject of legal contentions in the courts of law.
Zambia Daily nation is reported that Mr.Hichilema said President Michael Sata should be held accountable for having allowed Judge Chikopa to continue drawing allowances for his discredited tribunal that had failed to commence sittings because of serious legal challenges it faced from inception.Mr.Hichilema wondered why Judge Chikopa was still in Zambia when his tribunal had become a failed project against Supreme Court Judge Philip Musonda and two High Court Judges, Charles Kajimanga and Nigel Mutuna.Hichilema claimed that Judge Chikopa was a relative of President Sata through his former wife and that was why he had been allowed him to continue staying in the country and enjoying public funds for malingering.He said Zambia had yet again ran out of antiretroviral drugs, the life-saving drugs and yet President Sata had found it prudent to continue spending money on the Malawian Judge.
“Judge Lovemore Chikopa has continued to stay in Zambia malingering while Zambians have continued paying him. What is going on with this Malawian Judge and his tribunal? Please, go back to your country because you cannot continue enjoying our tax payers’ money for malingering in our country. We have run out of ARVs again and yet President Sata finds it prudent to continue paying his relative for doing nothing,” Hichilema said.
Below is the Full Press statement
Accusations from opposition UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema over Judge Lovemore Chikopa are regrettable.
Mr Hichilema is challenged to have his facts right before issuing statements that are misleading and misguided.
Contrary to Mr Hichilema’s allegations, as reported in today’s Daily Nation, Judge Chikopa is back in his home country Malawi as the Tribunal he is supposed to chair is still a subject of legal contentions in the courts of law.
Instead of calling for the arrest of Judge Chikopa, it is Mr Hichilema who should be cited for contempt of court by commenting on matters that he knows very well are before the courts of law.
This Government is a firm believer in the independence of the Judiciary and will not allow the likes of Mr Hichilema to interfere with the operations of this important organ of the state for their political expediency.
Let me also take this opportunity to give a friendly advice to political groupings that in choosing leaders for themselves, they should go for people with experience in leadership at grassroot level so as to avoid embarrassments such as this one.
The nation expects national leaders to address them on national issues from a well informed and researched position.
Hon. Dr Joseph Katema, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
A one month old baby boy was discovered in the early hours of this morning in a pit latrine in Kyawama Township in Solwezi.The baby, which was wrapped in a chitenge material, was covered with human waste and maggots all over its body. The baby boy was discovered by the owners of the pit latrine after one of them went to answer the call of nature in the morning.
Asah Kaputula said she went to answer the call of nature when she heard a baby crying from the pit latrine.
Ms Kaputula said she informed other members of the house and with the help of neigbours, mobilised themselves and demolished the structure.
She said the baby was rushed to the hospital after retrieving it from the pit latrine.The mother of the baby is unknown.
Solwezi General Hospital Public relations officer Levy Muna confirmed the admission of the baby at the hospital.
Mr Muna said the baby was being treated for hypothermia as he was exposed to cold temperatures for a long time.
Mr Muna said the baby was being kept in an incubator and described his condition as stable.He said it was shocking and unfortunate that one would dump a baby when others were longing to have one.
The National AIDS Council (NAC) has expressed worry that the downward trend in the number of new HIV infections which Zambia was recording in the past few years was now changing to the opposite.
Programmes Director Harold Witola has said there was still a lot of work to be carried out to fight HIV/AIDS despite Zambia making significant strides in reducing new HIV infections in the past few years.
Dr. Witola however noted that there has been a rise in new HIV infections particularly in urban areas as compared to rural areas.
He attributed the rising number of new HIV infections in urban areas to the emerging economic and social activities.
Dr. Witola said this at the on-going National Aids Council (NAC) and United National Development Programme (UNDP) joint media symposium in Chisamba district in Central Province.
The NAC and UNDP media symposium is being held under the theme “Unlocking the potential of the media to play a positive role in responding to HIV and AIDS”.
Dr. Witola said there was need for all key stakeholders to work together and educate people particularly in the high risky areas to adopt best practices aimed at reducing new HIV infections.
He named some of the best practices as the consistence condom use, voluntary male circumcision and voluntary counseling and testing among others.
