Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
THE Zambia Police has warned that the law will take its course and visit all churches using their church buildings for campaigns to push for the release of the first draft Constitution.
Police spokesperson Charity Munganga said in an interview yesterday that police would not sit idle and allow churches to go against the Public Order Act (POA) by engaging in meetings and campaigns other than the purpose for which they were intended.
She said a church was a place of worship and those who want to use it for other intentions should follow the provisions of the POA.
“If they do not use the Church for its intended purpose, then it becomes any other building and if it is used for anything else, the public order act should be followed,” she said.
Ms Chanda has since appealed to the Church to avoid being used for other motives apart from their intended purposes as places of worship.
“Those who will use the church for other purposes other than worship will be breaking the law. Churches are excluded from adhering to the POA when being used for their intended purposes otherwise they will be breaking the law,” she said.
Ms Chanda’s warning comes in the wake of an announcement by some Civil Society Organisations to take the Constitution campaigns to push for the release of the draft Constitution to churches.
A grand Coalition provincial campaign by some CSOs and some sections of the church has since been launched to demand for the immediate release of a people-driven Constitution.
THREE Zambian suspected poachers have been killed in Zimbabwe after an exchange of gun fire with authorities in that country.
The incident is said to have occurred on March 5.
The three were among 11 other Zambians who were allegedly caught poaching in Hwange National Park by the Zimbabwe Parks Authority (Zim Parks).
They have been named as Lisulo Mweemba, Dan Kongo and the third identified only as Chikoti. They have reportedly been buried by their colleagues in that country.
Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) spokesperson Mwila Muliyunda said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that information received indicates that the 14 Zambians were confronted by Zim Parks officials and a shoot-out ensued resulting in the death of three of the suspects and the wounding of others.
She said Zim Parks officials are said to have recovered a pair of ivory and 14 rounds of ammunition.
“ZAWA Investigations unit has contacted Zim Parks to establish circumstances in which the suspects were shot,” Ms Muliyunda said.
She said one of the wounded suspects, Lindunda Walubita is still in a hospital in Bulawayo under the custody of the authorities.
Ms Muliyunda added that another suspect only identified as John made it back to Zambia and is reportedly nursing gunshot wounds at Mandea village in Kazungula.
In another incident, ZAWA is investigating a case in which six Zambians were allegedly arrested by Namibian authorities at Katima Mulilo border post for allegedly being in possession of six ivory tusks.
Four Botswana citizens have also been arrested in connection with the case.
ZAMBIAN Breweries (ZB) Plc has increased prices of clear beer and other alcoholic beverages with effect from yesterday.
ZB announced increases ranging from 3.6 per cent to 19 per cent in recommended retail prices on clear beer and other alcoholic beverages on its Non-Returnable Bottle (NRB) packs and the sorghum based Eagle Lager.
According to a statement issued by corporate affairs director Luke Njovu, the increases were a combined result of inflation and the 50 per cent increase in excise duty on clear beer from 40 per cent to 60 per cent that the Government implemented as part of the 2014 National Budget.
ZB has until now absorbed the excise duty increase on its non-returnable packs in order to mitigate smuggling that would have resulted from having higher beer prices relative to regional peers.
Mr Njovu said the company has however noted that the increased excise duty has been an added direct cost to the NRB product types and has detrimentally affected company profitability.
ZB managing director, Anele Malumo, said, “In January, we decided to hold prices on our non-returnable packs in order to forestall the smuggling effect that would have resulted from the price increase.
“However, the business impact of that measure has meant that it is no longer viable. We therefore have to pass on this consumer tax that we collect on behalf of Government and also make adjustments occasioned by inflation.”
Employing over 1,000 staff, Zambian Breweries Plc. is the largest beverage company in the country and is a major contributor to economic development and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth through tax remittances and employment creation in its value chain.
Since March 31, 2008, the company has made a total capital investment of $382 million in its operations.
Following its recent US$98 million investment in building a new brewery in Ndola, the company was investing a further US$32.6 million in a Maltings plant in the Lusaka South Economic Multi-facility Zone (MFEZ) as part of its local sourcing barley programme in support of Zambia’s agricultural development.
With the exercise-induced increase in prices on its RGBs, ZB has since January 2014 witnessed a decrease in monthly beer sales volumes from prior levels due to consumer price elasticity.
Consequently, the company anticipates that its total tax remittances to Government would decrease in tandem compared to what it would have paid had the excise rate remained unchanged.
Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has described the policies of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) government as dinosaur policies that do not work in modern society anymore.
Speaking in an interview Mr Hichilema said the PF should not be re introducing failed policies of the 1960s as they are no longer relevant to modern society.
He said the revocation of the statutory instruments 33 and 55 has vindicated him as he had predicted that the introduction of the 2 SIs would negatively affect both the country’s currency as well as the economy.
“What you have is dinosaur policies of the 60s and 70s they don’t work anymore, this is an advanced society with different ways of doing things”.
Mr Hichilema said.
He urged the PF to learn to listen to advise as they have proved that they don’t know how to run the country’s economy and that their arrogance is costing the nation.
“I hope PF will learn to take advise. Because Mr Sata does not understand these issues, therefore, he should learn to take advise”. Said the opposition leader.
Mr Hichilema further noted that the two statutory instruments should not have been introduced as there introduction has caused extensive damage to the country’s economy.
He further attributed the current economy mess in the country to poor leadership in the ruling PF saying:” we are now paying for putting wrong people in government who do not understand and know anything about governing the nation”.
“This is the price we pay of having poor leadership, there is no leadership in the PF”. Mr Hichilema said.
Mr Hichilema’s comments comes 4days after finance minister Alexander Chikwanda revoked statutory instruments 33 and 55 in a bid to arrest the kwacha’s free fall against major foreign currencies.
MMD president Nevers Mumba says his is ready to take on any one willing to stand against him in an election for party presidency.
Speaking in an interview Dr Mumba said he is president of MMD because he was elected and will be available in the next set of elections to defend his position as party president.
He said the constitution of the party protects the actions taken by the members hence no one should feel threatened due to statements they have made as they are at liberty to express themselves.
He said the value and bedrock of the MMD as the most democratic party in the country is that it gives members the freedom to express themselves as long as they do not go against the constitution therefore the calls by members are granted in the constitution of the party.
He said calls for the convention are welcome saying:”The convention is in the constitution, politics is a competitive game and any time an election comes, I went to an election to win this presidency, when the next set of elections comes I will make myself available and that’s just the way MMD goes”.
Dr Mumba was responding to calls from NEC members who are calling for renewal of the party’s leadership due to what they are terming failure by the current leaders.
Earlier in the morning vice president administration Dr Brian Chituwo, speaking at a media briefing said members across the country were calling for new leadership in the party.
He said the leadership should accept that it has failed and that ignoring the calls for new leaders to takeover the party would allow the party to die.
File: Brian Chituwo and Dora Siliya (l) after receiving gifts from the Chinese embassy in Lusaka, Zambia
Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) National Executive Committee (NEC) members have called for an extra ordinary convention to elect new party leadership.
Speaking during a media briefing at MMD secretariat today, MMD Vice President for Administration Dr. Brian Chituwo said continuing with the same leadership would be doing a dis-service not only to members of the party across the country but the public at large who believe that MMD is the only alternative to the current leadership in government.
Dr. Chituwo said failure to admit that the MMD is dying a slow and painful death will be gross injustice to many Zambians who regard the MMD as the only political home to participate in the governance of the nation.
He said the party administration had no choice but to listen to the concerns of the members who are calling for new leadership starting with the president himself.
He explained that according to the constitution of the party ” if three provinces have petitioned to have an extra ordinary convention, upon receipt of three thirds of the provincial petition, the party should go for a convention within thirty days”.
He said the party is still waiting for petitions from provinces and upon receipt of the petitions, the party will have no choice but to go for an extra ordinary convention.
He noted that since the general elections of September 2011, the MMD has continued losing membership to other political parties and has reached a stage where it is irresponsible of any one of the party leadership to continue ignoring what is happening in the party.
He said several provincial executive committees are in the process of petitioning the chairman of the party with a view of re-invigorating the party leadership in order to retain party membership.
And speaking at the same briefing Dora Siliya, who is also a NEC Member said the party should not ignore the fact that it is dying and that the current party leadership has failed party members hence the need to go for an extra ordinary convention.
She said it would be irresponsible for her to keep quiet just because she is one of the people who voted for Dr Nevers Mumba and watch the party die.
“If we are going to ignore that the party is dying we might as well go home and forget about these politics because there will be no MMD if the current situation is not resolved”. Ms Siliya said.
And Lucky Mulusa, who is also a NEC Member, said there is no need to doubt that the party is currently facing a lot of challenges at leadership level which needs to be ironed out with boldness.
He said people should not be afraid to talk about the current leadership because keeping quiet will not help the party in any way.
Meanwhile party vice president political Michael Kaingu said there is nothing sinister about party members interacting with PF members.
He said the MMD hates what the PF is doing to the country but that does not mean that members of the two camps can not have innocent conversations with each other because of the different opinion between the two camps.
He also said that the issue of people trying to block the bembas from standing for president is neither here nor there as the calls to have an over haul in leadership within the party is due to the failed leadership which is currently being provided.
He said people should not make the tribal issue big as it is not in the MMD.
He said among other issues that has lead the current leadership to fail is the lack of discipline in the party citing the continued existence of the MMD die hard youth wing which he said continues to operate without the blessings of some members in the party.
File:PF cadres wielding their party symbol outside the Lusaka magistrate court
25 Patriotic Front (PF) youths in Choma District have graduated after undergoing a six-months training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with a pledge to help Government in fostering national development.
The youths were sponsored by PF’s National Project for Poverty Reduction (NPPR) created in 2012 to provide various training and empowerment skills to youths.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the weekend, NPPR chairperson Ngosa Simbyakula said the PF was committed to empowering youths with various life training skills.
Dr Simbyakula who is also Home Affairs Minister said Government was fighting poverty through various programmes and that skills development was one of the many ways to reduce youth unemployment.
“The battle for fighting youth unemployment cannot be won by Government alone. That is why Government attaches great importance to programmes that are aimed at complementing its efforts in devising interventions that will contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs for the youths,” he said.
The PF youths in Choma were trained at St Mary’s Training Institute. So far, 80 youths in Lusaka and Central provinces have graduated while 35 in Muchinga, 50 in Northern and 35 from Luapula provinces would be graduating next month.
Dr Simbyakula said the PF would embrace initiatives designed to provide skills training programmes in line with Government’s national development agenda.
He said education was a journey of life and that the certificates the youths had acquired, should not end in themselves but are meant for economic development.
NPPR director Anthon Kasandwe said the project was created to help reduce poverty and unemployment levels among youths through skills training programmes.
He said, through NPPR many youths across the country would continue to have more money in their pockets.
St Mary Training Institute representative Joseph Bwalya commended Government for its efforts to economically uplift the welfare of youths.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating youths, Joel Kamoko commended PF through its NPPR project for training them free of charge and assured of using the acquired skills to develop the country.
FILE: Chief Ishindi of the Lunda people in Zambezi district making history by becoming the first sitting traditional leader to graduate from the University of Zambia (UNZA)
By Hjoe Moono
The role of Zambia’s intelligentsia
There is always a huge role to be played by academics in our society beyond teaching and consultancies in their comfort zones at colleges and universities. To play a critical role in national matters should indeed be one of academics’ roles, especially that we still have a limited number of top tier universities in the country. This role can be played in so many ways, among them being critical advice on specific matters e.g. economic and constitutional matters to government and the contribution of critical opinions when national policies are off what academics predicts and are bound to have negative consequences. These should be done at every process of governance.
Preference for expatriates
There is a strange phenomenon happening in Zambia which had seen a huge influx of ‘advisors’, ‘expatriates’, sponsored by foreign governments to come and ‘advise’ Zambia on how to live a better life. Advice is being given from the health sector (HIV/AIDS is the hot cake), economic policy and all the way to water and sanitation. Most times, this advice, say, on how to improve water and sanitation and reduce poverty in Kanyama Compound or Shangombo is given through ‘workshops’ at Hotel Intercontinental or some five star resort far off the realms of poverty, the very cause of the advice.
You have experts on Zambian poverty who only know the Kenneth Kaunda Airport, driven in luxury cars to Pamodzi Hotel and then straight to State House where advice is given on how to improve the road network and reduce poverty in Kalabo, a place the ‘expert’ has no idea of, and probably briefly read about Zambia while on the long trans-Atlantic flight to Zambia. These ‘experts’ have for long helped ‘shape’ policy in Zambia, and in other countries too. But one would ask, how have we performed with this multitude of ‘expert’ advice? The impact, beyond consultancy ‘advice’ reports has been negligible, yet, they continue to come and are the heavily sought after in our nation.
While we cannot blame these ‘experts’ on Zambia, who actually do not know the detailed intricacies and difficulties of our country, we should ask our government why they seem to have shunned our local academics.
Where are our Dons?
Perhaps not blaming our governments, let us ask where our local academics, the ‘Don’ are? Where are they when you have foreign ‘experts’ giving ‘advice’ on governance, something they are expected to be specialists in? Where is the local content in national advisory and opinion formulation? Surely, mines are owned by foreign companies. Shops in Kamwala by nationals of foreign origin. Construction companies are owned by the Chinese. Chain stores by South Africans. Manufacturing companies, most of them by foreign nationals. Should academic knowledge on Zambia also be externally sourced? What is it then that we could claim and have complete command over? Do we need a foreign expert to tell us that a pit latrine is not a good sanitation measure and may cause cholera when rains come? Don’t we know this already?
[pullquote]Our African (local) experts are not sufficiently assertive-they have lacked self-confidence in themselves[/pullquote]
What has happened to the role of our academics in being the source of solutions to our troubled economy? During the currency depreciation, where are the academic policy experts from our universities in these matters to help guide the nation on what is happening? I feel our academics, our Dons have neglected their role in national policy making and opinion guiding. Consequently, professional advice is now being externally sourced, or left to amateurs, yet its effects affects us all.
But then, we have a situation where the leadership has either resorted to amateurish advice or rushed to foreigners for advice, probably realising the little value our local academics may be perceived to be yielding. This ought not to be the case.
Benjamine Mkapa, the former president of Tanzania and one of the commissioners on the Growth Commission Report once said: “Our African (local) experts are not sufficiently assertive-They have lacked self-confidence in themselves. However, they have the right to demand of their leaders that their knowledge and experience ought to be used.
You get fellows from the IMF and the World Bank who have never run a corner store(-and yet come to give you advice on how to effectively run the store!), are greatly received at State House for hours and hours giving ‘advice’ when you have professors in your own country. I would say to leaders to wake up and realise the wealth they have in the backyard in the form of its academics and business people.”
A call to assertiveness
I think this is key, and every governance system should not only seek advice from its admirers or cadres, but from key stake holders with immense experience in the underlining details of our country. Opposing opinions based on sound academic foundations or experience should not be perceived to be coming from ‘bitter’ individuals. Here the academics are better placed. However, there is also a serious need for our local academics to look beyond just teaching and consulting and taking the easy life of a closed door lucrative life punctuated by strikes for salary increases and threats of university or college closures, we need to be assertive in our chosen career and live beyond hoping to be appointed to a higher government office once some government official is fired or when governments change.
Be assertive!
PS: The author hopes to be an academic at Paul Mushindo University, Muchinga Province.
Non-Governmental Coordinating Council (NGOCC) board secretary Grace Manyonga says stakeholders are panicking with the continued existence of the technical committee which was appointed to draft the country’s constitution.
Ms Manyonga questioned the technical committee’s continued existence when they have completed their work.
She explained that the terms of reference were that once they completed with drafting the constitution they hand over the document to both the president and the public but wondered why they have continued to exist when their job is done.
She said the committee should hand over the document to the executive and the public and be disbanded as their continued existence is a cost to the tax payers and that their work was completed 4 months ago.
“We are panicking because immediately the technical committee completed its work of drafting the constitution it should have been released to all of us so why are they keeping it for 4 months? This is were the panic is “.
“Our fear is, are they doctoring it? Because this document we all subscribe to it through the various process so yes we are panicking and we are fearful”.
She further wondered were government officials had seen certain closes in the draft constitution which they have been commenting on when the document has not been released yet.
“We are hearing conflicting statements from the party in government that they don’t want certain things that are contained in the draft constitution which makes one wonder if the have received the document”.
Meanwhile Ms Manyonga called on the public to take keen interest in the affairs of the country and ensure that people running the country account for their actions.
She said people should not only vote and forget about providing the necessary checks and balances to the party in office.
“It is not enough for people to just vote every 5 years and forget about their responsibility of ensuring that the people they put in office account for their decisions and promises, there is need for everyone of us to ensure that these people deliver on their promises, its our social responsibility”. Ms Manyonga said
She further reiterated that stakeholders will use every channel and platform available to demand for the constitution as long as they will not be causing anarchy.
And political activist Dante Saunders said the fight for the release of the constitution is for everyone in the country.
He said Civil Society Organizations, Churches and other stakeholders can only help in directing how the public should go about the process of demanding for the constitution but the fight was for every Zambian to participate in as the document belongs to them.
He said waiting for document to be released by government is a waste of time as the PF are determined to continue ignoring the demands of the people as can be concluded from the statements that senior party and government officials have been making.
“We call on everyone to participate in this crusade because without people’s participation Dante Saunders, the NGOs, the Churches, we are wasting our time” Mr Saunders said.
And Mr Saunders said he will never see eye to eye with republican president Michael Sata due to the many broken promises that the president made to the people.
He said he campaigned for president Sata during the 2011 election campaigns because he believed that president Sata would give the people the constitution once elected into office but like many others was deceived.
Mr Saunders further advised the PF not to be delusional in thinking that the people are not ready to have their constitution.
He said people do not need the PF to give them their constitution because they don’t need permission from anyone to give themselves a document that will ensure that everyone is protected.
The duo said this when they featured on Muvi TV’s the Assignment program on Sunday.
GOVERNMENT has dispelled reports that there is a shortage of Anti-Retroviral Drugs in the country.
Health deputy minister Chitalu Chilufya has dismissed the claims of a shortage as reported by some sections of the media.
Dr Chilufya said the country had no shortage of ARVs but that Government was currently regulating the dispensation of another drug on the ARVs combination, AZT.
AZT was one of the drugs administered to HIV postive people especially pregnant mothers.
Dr Chilufya noted that the ministry had changed the treatment for HIV pregnant women and switched to Option B+.
“Option B+ is the new treatment where if a pregnant woman is found to be positive, she would be immediately introduced to the full ART treatment which would be administered to her for life,” he said.
Dr Chilufya also said the current taskforce constituted to monitor the pilfering of drugs from Government hospitals had helped reduce the vices.
He said so far 15 cases involving some health workers and supporting staff who were arrested for drug pilferage in different health post were being prosecuted in the courts of law at different levels.
“We have strengthened the surveillance controls by the taskforce as well as strengthened internal controls in the health facilities to avoid drug pilferages in health facilities,” he said.
He also confirmed that Government had opened the Chipata and Choma medical stores provincial hub in an effort to decentralise the distribution of drugs.
He said the Provincial medical hubs would make it easy for distribution of drugs to respective districts in the provinces and make easy for health centres to easily access these drugs. Government was working on opening other hubs Mongu Solwezi and other provinces.
These hubs would be equipped with transport for easy delivery of these products to districts where hospitals can access them.
And Ministry of Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has attributed the current shortage of Septrine in health facilities around the country to delays in the shipment of the drugs by the suppliers.
Dr Mbewe said stop gap measures have been put in place to address the shortage of the drug in health facilities in the country.
Septrine is an antibiotic drug that is administered together with Anti-retroviral Drugs (ARVs) to prevent HIV Positive people from opportunistic infections that might affect their CD4 count to result in a fully blown AIDS disease.
“To address the shortage we have allowed each district to use four percent of their grant to buy the Septrine, while other stop gap measures are being put in place as we wait for the shipment,” Dr Mbewe said.
BIBLE Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA), Bishop Peter Ndhlovu has condemned the decision by some section of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to take the campaigns for the pushing of the release of draft constitution to churches.
Bishop Ndhlovu said CSOs, politicians, churches and all other people concerned must go for dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the problem.
He said in an interview yesterday that churches were supposed to be used for worshiping and promotion of peace and not to antagonize each other.
Bishop Ndhlovu said that 2014 was a year of jubilee which churches should use to preach freedom, peace and recovery because the country did not want to see conflicts generating into war.
He said that his church would not take part in such activities but would stand ready to seek dialogue with Government and other people concerned.
“What the CSOs, Government and other people involved should do is to create dialogue through a round table meeting because the church can not be used for antagonizing others. It has a mandate to people and sovereignty of this country” Bishop Njovu said.
Bishop Ndhlovu further urged churches not to take sides and not to be used by any politician because its role was to promote peace, love and unity.
He said that it was the role of the church to play leadership role where there was perceived failure of leadership through prayer saying a country could only have one President at a given time.
“As a church we are not supposed to preach hate or conflict equally Civil society and Government must reach dialogue. Government should open up for dialogue while civil society must also accept to dialogue” he said.
The CSOs had resolved to push for the release of the draft Constitution using the church platform.
Coach Masauso Mwale says he regrets that Nkana squandered several chances in Saturday’s 2014 CAF Champions League match against Egyptian side Zamalek that finished goalless in Kitwe.
Mwale, however, believes that Nkana can upset Zamalek in Cairo in the return leg of the second round in Cairo next Sunday.
“We put up a good game but missed some chances that we created. But all is well with us. We only need to work hard, we can put up a splendid fight when we go to Egypt.”
He added:”It is regretable that we missed chances, we could have scored from those chances we created but that is how the game is some times you miss chances.”
And Zamalek coach Ahmed Mido Hossam was content with the scoreless away draw.
“It is a positive result for us that’s what we came for.
At the end we wanted to try and get a goal to make the second leg more easy.”
Mido said:”But we have done very well you will see how we can play football in the second leg. I thank my players. I thought they did well.”
-Ends-
Zesco have been handed an uphill battle after losing 2-0 away today in Sekondi to their Ghanaian host Medeama in Sekondi.
Goals in each half from Nathaniel Asamoah and Michael Helegene gave Medeama a significant win in an action packed 90 minutes.
Asamoah put Medeama ahead in the 9th minute with a fine curling shot to beat Lameck Nyangu in goal for Zesco a first half the Ghanaians dominated.
Zesco on the other hand misfired in attack throughout without Jackson Mwanza and Winston Kalengo struggling despite benefitting from the vision of an industrious Justin Zulu in midfield.
Godbless Asamoah and Kwame Boahene tormented Zesco’s defence and the visitors had Nyangu to thank who kept the score line respectable with at least three fine saves.
Zesco best chance to get on the score sheet came in the 47th minute when substitute Kabwe Chileshe shot on the near post was saved on the line by Tagoe Munthari.
Medeama made sure of the home win in the 81st minute when Belegene converted a penalty after Ghana’s 2014 CHAN star Theo Anoboah tumbled inside the box after squeezing through Bernard Mapili and Bornwell Silengo.
Zescvo must beat Medeama 3-0 on Sunday at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola to ensure their passage to the pre-group stage of the competition.
Nchanga Rangers beat Green Buffaloes 2-1 in a delayed FAZ Super League match in Chingola on Sunday to join Power Dynamos and Napsa Stars at the top of the table.
This was Nchanga’s second straight win having beaten Roan Unitd 2-0 in their opener.
Nchanga were up three minutes into the game when striker Bornwell Mwape converted a penalty awarded by referee Jani Sikazwe after Gift Wamundila hacked Larry Bwalya in the box.
Two minutes later, Nchanga missed a chance to double the lead when Patson Daka hit the post.
Buffaloes equalised on 24 minutes when Nchanga keeper Toaster Nsabata misjudged Allan Mukuka’s long range shot as the two teams went to the break with a 1-1 scoreline.
Three minutes after the restart Nchanga were back in front as Nawa Nawa tapped in from close range to send the home crowd into celebrations.
However, Nawa never lasted on the pitch after his team mates bruised his left eye during celebrations forcing coach Fighton Simukonda to replace him with Emmanuel Mwape.
