OC released a music video for his song “Malaika”
Government bans foreigners from practising human resource functions
Government has directed that non-Zambians immediately cease to perform human resource functions.Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda made the announcement during a media briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr Shamenda said he has also observed with concern that non-members of the Zambia Institute of Human resource management are performing human resource functions in various companies across the country.
Mr. Shamenda stated that after numerous interactions with various companies,it has come to the attention of the ministry that most companies with foreign human resource personnel do not understand the labour laws of the country.
He has also disclosed that his ministry has in the recent past received several complaints from employees engaged in various undertakings operating in the country concerning the use of abusive language, ill-treatment and verbal abuse, discrimination and racial remarks by managers, supervisors and employers.
Mr. Shamenda has since warned that government will not hesitate to act decisively in situations where persons are found guilty of bad practices.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shamenda has stated that while majority of companies are complying with the revised minimum wage, his ministry is aware that some few companies are not yet complying with the Statutory Instrument.
Mr. Shamenda has since called on companies that may not have the ability to pay to approach his ministry for determination of their capabilities.
[QFM]
Deregistration of 1,500 companies may affect economy-Economist
A Lusaka based economist Trevor Simumba has said the deregistration of 1, 500 companies by the Patent and Companies Registration Authority (PACRA) will impact negatively on the growth of the private sector in the country.
He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that government should renegotiate tax incentives but never consider cancelling the bilateral tax treaties even in their attempt to safeguard the country’s tax revenues.Mr. Simumba also said government should review the entire tax structure to make it easier for companies to comply with tax regulations.He said it was imperative that the country’s tax system was clear, progressive and less costly as opposed to imposing undue restrictions on investors.
He said if the country’s tax system was not attractive, Zambia will not have a foreign direct investment that will generate the much needed resources for the country.Mr. Simumba urged government to introduce a flat tax system which he said was less cumbersome and cheaper to administer.He said if the country does not carefully manage the tax system, investors may run away and invest in other countries that have attractive tax regulations in place.
The economist further pointed out that government should be careful that it does not over regulate the economy because doing so would stifle the vibrant economic environment that has been created so far.He said it was important that the private sector was allowed to freely operate for them to create the much needed employment and generate wealth for the country.
And Mr. Simumba has said the deregistration of companies by the Patents and Company Registration Authority (PACRA) may damage the growth of the private sector.
He said the deregistration of 1,500 companies will have a negative impact on the level of economic activity, generation of government revenue and creation of employment in the country.
[ZANIS]
ZESCO black-outs causing mealie-meal shortage
The provincial administration in Eastern province has attributed the shortage of mealie-meal in the region to the constant power black-outs by ZESCO which affect production. Provincial deputy permanent secretary, Zachariah Luhanga said the region has enough maize to feed the people but was having challenges because there was only one milling company in the entire province to produce and supply the commodity.
Mr. Luhanga noted that the milling company only had a few hours of milling the commodity due to electricity blackouts hence the shortage which was being experienced.
He was speaking when British High Commissioner to Zambia, James Thornton, paid a courtesy call on him in Chipata today.Earlier, Mr. Thornton asked whether the province was also experiencing a shortage of mealie-meal.
“As a province we only have one milling company and the rest are hammer mills. One milling company cannot manage to feed the entire province, especially when it has few hours of production,’’ Mr. Luhanga said.
[pullquote]Mr. Luhanga said the provincial administration was relating well with opposition political parties. He said politically, the region was stable, unlike in other provinces where there were squabbles[/pullquote]
He said people were taking advantage of the shortage and increased the price, adding that, that was not accepted by government because there was a Presidential directive that the commodity should not be sold at more than K 50.00 per 25 kilogram bag.
And Chipata district commissioner Kalunga Zulu, who flanked Mr. Luhanga, said anything above K 50.00 as a price for mealie-meal was exploitation because government knew the production cost and what income the millers were making.
Meanwhile, Mr. Luhanga has asked the British High Commission to support Eastern province in the tourism industry. He said the region had two Paramount Chiefs with rich cultures and that the two major traditional ceremonies Nc’wala of the Ngoni people and Kulamba of the Chewa people attracted a lot of tourists.
And Mr. Luhanga said the provincial administration was relating well with opposition political parties. He said politically, the region was stable, unlike in other provinces where there were squabbles.
Mr. Luhanga was responding to a question from British High Commissioner, James Thornton, who wanted to find out if there was a good transition when the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy ( MMD) handed power to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
He said the provincial administration was relating well with opposition political parties because the development that was going on in the province did not look at political inclinations.
‘ The President appointed three opposition political party Members of Parliament in the province to Ministerial positions and since their appointments, there has been cooperation because they speak for the development of the people,’ Mr. Luhanga said.
The British High Commissioner is in Chipata to hold a series of meetings with different stakeholders.
[ZANIS]
Ministry of Home Affairs has 3 deputy ministers -YALI appeals for a reduced cabinet
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has appealed to the government to reduce the number of deputy ministers in ministries in order to cut down on expenses.
YALI Executive Board Secretary Mundia Hakoola said this in a telephone interview with ZANIS today that reduction in the number of deputy ministers would enhance the development of the country.
Mr Hakoola said having more than one deputy minister in one ministry will only hinder the country’s development as it will expose the government to unnecessary expenditures that can improve the lives of many Zambians.
Mr Hakoola added that instead of having three deputy ministers like it is in the Home Affairs Ministry, government should reduce the number and take into consideration the welfare of the people who are suffering.
He said many people in the country are suffering and if government will not take into account cutting down on the number of deputy ministers people will continue to suffer as is the case in sinazongwe were they are subjected to eating grass because of poverty.
Mr Hakoola however congratulated the PF government for considering young people in the cabinet and advised the government to continue with such appointments to enhance youth leadership.
He said it is good that the President is appointing young people to fill positions at deputy minister level thereby providing them an opportunity to exhibit their leadership skills at national level.
Zambia Government Ministers List
The full list of ministers in the current PF administration.
President – Mr. Michael Sata
Vice President – Dr. Guy Scott.
President – Mr. Michael Sata
Vice President – Dr. Guy Scott
Cabinet Ministers (20)
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock – Mr. Robert Sichinga
Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs- Professor Nkandu Luo
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Mr. Emmanuel Chenda
Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health – Dr. Katema
Minister of Defence – Mr. Geoffery Mwamba
Minister of Education, Science, Vocational and Early Education – Dr. John Phiri
Minister of Finance – Mr. Alexander Bwalya Chikwanda
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Dr. Lungu
Minister of Gender and Child Development – Mrs. Inonge Wina
Minister of Health – Dr. Kasonde
Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Chief Whip Mr. E.C. Lungu
Minister of Information and Broadcasting – Mr. Sakeni
Minister of Justice – Mr. Winter Kabimba
Minister of Labour and Social Security – Mr. Fackson Shamenda
Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environment – Mr. Wilbur Simuusa
Minister of Local Government and Housing – Mrs Emmerine Kabanshi
Minister of Mines, Energy and Water and Chief Whip Mr. Yamfwa Mukanga
Minister of Tourism and Arts – Sylvia Masebo
Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication – Mr. Yaluma
Minister of Youth and Sport – Mr. Chishimba Kambwili
Attorney-General: Mumba Malila
Deputy Minister (37)
Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office – Mr. Harry Kalaba
Deputy Minister in the Vice President’s Office – Mr. Mwango
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock – Mr. Greyford Monde
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock – Mr. Mwewa
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock – Mr. Lackson Kazabu
Deputy Minister of Chiefs Affairs – Mrs Kawandami
Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Mr. Richard Taima
Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Mr. Keith Mukata
Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother & Child Health – Ms. Kazunga
Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother & Child Health – Ms. Jean Kapata
Deputy Minister of Defence – Mr. Mwila
Deputy Minister of Defence – Col. J. Lungu
Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational and Education – Professor Willombe
Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational and Education – Mr. Mabumba
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs – Vacant (till next week)
Deputy Minister of Gender and Child Development – Mrs Banda
Deputy Minister of Finance – Mr. Miles Sampa
Deputy Minister of Health – Dr. Chikusu
Deputy Minister of Health – Mr. C. Mulenga
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs – Mrs Mwamba
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs – Mr. Kampyongo
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs – Mr. Chilangwa
Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting – Mr. Kapeya
Deputy Minister of Justice – Dr. Simbyakula
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security – Mr. Mbulu
Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security – Mr. Chitotela
Deputy Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental – Mr. Chingimbu
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing – Mr. Tembo
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing – Mr. Kufuna
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing – Mr. N. Banda
Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development – Mr. Musukwa
Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development – Mr. C.S. Zulu
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Arts – Mr. D. Phiri
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Arts – Mr. P. Ngoma
Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication – Dr. Mwali
Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication – Col. Kaunda
Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication –Mr. Mwimba H. Malama
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport – Mr. Masumba
Deputy Ministers for Provinces (10)
Central Province – Kosamu
Copperbelt Province – Mr. Mwenya
Eastern Province – Mr. Sichone
Luapula Province – Brigadier General Kapaya
Lusaka Province – Mr. Sikazwe
Muchinga Province – Mr. C. Banda
Northern Province – Col Chanda
North-Western Province – Mr. Mubukwanu
Southern Province – Ms. Limata
Western Province – Mr. Mwaliteta
[Source of list Zambian Economist]
Severe food shortages looming this year – Kakoma
in Chipata on Monday, following the mealie meal shortage in the District
Zambezi West UPND Member of Parliament Charles Kakoma says the writings on the wall are clear that the country will experience severe food shortage this year.Mr. Kakoma said what the PF government should be looking at now, is for the importation of maize because it is too late to set records straight this farming season.
Speaking to QFM News, Mr. Kakoma said the looming hunger in the country can mainly be attributed to the poor management of the agriculture sector by government.He stated that the other factor that will contribute to poor maize yields is the heavy rain that hit most parts of the country, including his constituency.Mr. Kakoma said the only solution to addressing the situation is by putting in place good agriculture policies.
[pullquote]As Government we are treating the mealie-meal shortage as artificial because local milling does not have adequate power to produce enough because of the power outages[/pullquote]
A critical shortage of mealie meal hit most districts of Eastern Province last week.Chipata, Petuake and Lundazi Districts, are some of the districts that have been hit by the shortage of the commodity.A checkby ZANIS in Petauke found that most of the shops did not have the commodity while the only shop that was selling mealie meal was selling a 25kilogram bag of breakfast meal at KR58.IN Lundazi only one shop, Nayonayo investment had the commodity selling at KR65.
Meanwhile government has described the shortage of mealie-meal in Eastern Province as artificial.Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone said yesterday that the mealie-meal shortage was artificial because the local milling did not have adequate electricity power to produce mealie at full capacity.
“As Government we are treating the mealie-meal shortage as artificial because local milling does not have adequate power to produce enough because of the power outages,” he said.
Mr Sichone attributed the shortage due to some buyers taking advantage of the situation by buying the commodity in bulk which was later resold at higher prices.He said some people bought the mealie-meal in bulk and stored in readiness for the shortage so that they could hike prices.
Mr Sichone also challenged local millers to be producing enough mealie meal to meet demand especially in the more populated of Chipata
district.The minister also urged investors to take advantage of the liberalisation of economy by setting up milling plants in the
province.
Earlier this week Agriculture and Livestock Minister Robert Sichinga apologized to the farming community and the entire nation for the late delivery of inputs in the 2012/2013 farming season.
Venezuela mourns as President Hugo Chavez dies
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez has died after a two-year battle with cancer, ending 14 years of rule that saw him win as much hatred as support.
Chávez’s rule won him passionate support among the poor but hatred from business leaders and wealthy Venezuelans.
The flamboyant 58-year-old had undergone four operations in Cuba for a cancer that was first detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011.
He vanished from public view after December 11 surgery that resulted in complications and respiratory infections.
“It’s a moment of deep pain,” said Vice-President Nicolas Maduro, choking up during a national address. “Commander, thank you so much, on behalf of these people whom you protected.”
Military chiefs pledged loyalty to Maduro, who will be caretaker leader until elections are called within 30 days.
Weeping Chávez supporters poured onto the streets, chanting “Chávez lives! The revolution continues!” and “We are Chávez!” “Don’t let anyone try to convince you Chávez has gone … He will always be with us,” said congress head Diosdado Cabello.
The president’s death was announced by Maduro, flanked by cabinet ministers, less than an hour after he passed away.
State TV broadcast Chávez’s emotional last speech from December, shops in Caracas locked up for fear of looting, and condolences came from around the world, including messages from filmmaker Oliver Stone and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Chavez easily won a new six-year term at an election in October and his death is devastating for millions of supporters who adored his charismatic style, anti-U.S. rhetoric and oil-financed policies that brought subsidized food and free health clinics to long-neglected slums.
Detractors, however, saw his one-man style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of opponents as traits of an egotistical dictator whose misplaced statist economics wasted a historic bonanza of oil revenues.
Chavez’s corpse will lie in state at a Caracas military academy until a formal funeral ceremony on Friday, and seven days of mourning will be observed, officials said.
“The funeral of Chavez is going to rival Eva Peron’s in Argentina,” said Daniel Hellinger, a Venezuela expert in the United States, referring to the beloved former first lady of Argentina who died at the height of her popularity in 1952.
High Court dismisses Major Kachingwe case against MMD with costs
The Lusaka High Court has dismissed with costs, an application by expelled MMD National Secretary Richard Kachingwe to stay its earlier ruling that he had no authority to remove MMD president Nevers Mumba from the helm of the party.
High Court Judge in-charge Jane Kabuka said in her ruling yesterday that in the absence of a decision on the issue of whether or not Major Kachingwe was properly expelled from the party, there was nothing to be executed and consequently, there was also nothing to be stayed by the court.
This is in a matter in which Maj Kachingwe had asked the court to stay the ruling against him that he has no powers to expel Dr Mumba pending his appeal to the Supreme Court.
Ms Justice Kabuka on January 28, 2013 dismissed the application by Maj Kachingwe to remove Dr Mumba as MMD president saying he had no powers to do so as he had already been expelled from the party.
Maj Kachingwe has since appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling but had in the meantime, asked Ms Justice Kabuka to stay her ruling pending the determination.
He had contended that the High Court’s earlier ruling had prejudiced him as he was not free to associate with MMD members.
But Ms Justice Kabuka yesterday said the court was not invited to decide on the merits or demerits of his expulsion and that the court did not make a decision touching on his membership status in the MMD.
She said the application by Major Kachingwe for stay of execution was launched on a misconception that the court had made a decision touching on his membership status when infact the court made no such decision.
“I find the application for stay premised on that misconception as unsustainable, as in the absence of a decision on the issue of whether or not an application was properly expelled, there is nothing to be executed in that regard. Consequently, there is also nothing to be stayed” Ms Justice Kabuka said.
She said Maj Kachingwe’s initial relief from the court was for an order of the court to declare that his decision made to nullify the election of Dr Mumba to the position of party president was valid which her court refused.
She said she made it clear in the January 28, 2013 ruling that Maj Kachingwe’s expulsion was made by his own party and what her court did was to merely make an observation based on the affidavit evidence before her.
“The position remains that Rules of Supreme Court O, 14A(2) under which the preliminary issue was brought gives the court power on determination of a point of law to dispose of the whole matter summarily at a preliminary stage and without trial, when the issue raised goes to the root of the case,” she said.
Ms Justice Kabuka said her finding that Maj Kachingwe did not have authority to pursue the matter in a representative capacity was one which merited to the root of the matter and determined the whole case.
She said for this reason, she was not satisfied that there were any prospects in Maj Kachingwe’s appeal.
ECZ cautions PF and MMD for campaiging in Livingstone
THE Livingstone District Conflict Management Committee has cautioned MMD suspended Nansanzu Ward councilor Frank Kalindima and PF district youth information and publicity secretary Dennis Shawa for violating the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Both Mr Kalindima and Mr Shawa have been found wanting for violating the Electoral Code of conduct and they were cautioned.
Mr Kalindima was caught campaigning indirectly by buying beer to supporters. On the other hand, Mr Shawa had effected a citizen’s arrest on Mr Kalindima whose car he even drove without permission, to go to the police to report the matter.
District Electoral Officer Vivian Chikoti said the District Conflict Management Committee met Mr Kalindima and Mr Shawa on Monday and both were cautioned over the matter.
Ms Chikoti, who is Livingstone Town Clerk, said in an interview that the two parties were educated on the recent Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) press release over the banning of campaigns in the city and the need to observe the Electoral Code of Conduct.
“I wish to reiterate what ECZ has already said that there should be no campaigns in Livingstone and whoever engages in such acts will be held accountable.
“We should also uphold the Electoral Code of Conduct. Any form of campaigns including door-to-door have been banned,” Ms Chikoti said.
Auditor Generals’ report should be acted upon-NGOCC
The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has called on relevant authorities to ensure that all public officers involved in the financial irregularities mentioned in the Auditor General’s report are pursued.
And the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has urged civil society organisations to unite and demand that law enforcement agencies act on the Auditor General’s report.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview, NGOCC Board Chairperson, Beatrice Grillo called for the police to visit all erring officers because this was the only way of bringing accountability in the way public resources were managed.
Ms. Grillo expressed concern at the continued revelations of discrepancies in the management of public funds, a situation she said has become a trend.
She said it was unfortunate that in past years, revelations of the Auditor General’s report have not been taken seriously by law enforcement agencies thereby making the report ineffective.
Ms. Grillo said the country cannot afford to continue losing huge sums of money at the hands of a few public officers when many citizens were still living in abject poverty.
She has since called on law enforcement agencies to investigate the revelations and act accordingly.
And speaking in a separate interview, CSPR Executive Director, Mwila Mulumbi said civil society organisations play a huge role in determining how cases in the Auditor General’s report are handled.
Ms. Mulumbi explained that the report will remain ineffective unless it was acted upon.
She has therefore implored other civil society organisations to keep pushing for action against erring officers.
She said there was also need for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take keen interest in the revelations in the Auditor General’s report and take necessary action.
Ms. Mulumbi said the law should be able to take its course equally on all public officers regardless of what office they hold.
ZANIS
Neither KK nor the American Ambassador persuaded me to concede defeat-RB
Former Republican President Rupiah Banda has refuted assertions that American Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella and first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda persuaded him to concede defeat when he lost the 2011 presidential elections.
Mr Banda told Radio Phoenix in an interview from Kenya monitored in Lusaka yesterday that contrary to reports, at no time did Mr Storella nor Dr Kaunda persuade him to concede defeat.
“I have never had a visit from Dr Kaunda…I haven’t seen him other than at the funeral of our late mother, his dear wife. As for the American Ambassador, he is there in Lusaka, you can check,” he said.
Mr Banda said fortunately both Mr Storella and Dr Kaunda were in Zambia and was hopeful that they would one day come out in the open and tell the people the truth.
He said it had dawned on him that he was losing the elections just after midnight on the day of counting, and yet there were still some flock of people peddling falsehoods that it was not his intention to accept defeat.
“Of course it was my idea to concede defeat in the election results. Nobody could have forced me to do otherwise,” he said.
He said it was in view of the foregoing that he felt that he was in a better position to advise whoever would lose in the Kenyan elections to concede defeat.
Mr Banda said unlike in Zambia, the Kenyan press and the people from that country had rejected hatred as a way of campaigning and was hopeful that Zambia could learn something from that.
Meanwhile, Mr Banda is happy with the resilient spirit exhibited by the Kenyan people in that country’s general elections.
This was according to a statement released by the Office of the Fourth Republican President’s deputy administrative assistant Kennedy Limwanya.
Mr Banda felt the Kenyan elections which took place on Monday had proved that Kenyans were ready to move forward and close the sad chapter of the 2007 elections.
Mr Banda who is in Kenya under the auspices of the Carter Centre International Elections Observer Mission said this when he visited the Elections Observation Group (ELOG) offices where the Mission was shown how the parallel voter tabulation was conducted.
The Carter Centre team also paid a courtesy call on Kenya’s Inspector General of police David Kimaiyo who assured that his officers were ready for any eventuality that might arise after the announcement of the final results.
ACC refutes media reports that Silvia Masebo tore the ACC report on ZAWA
The Anti-Corruption Commission has described an article which was published by one of Zambia’s online publications the Zambian Watchdog on 26th February, 2013 titled “Masebo Tears ACC Report on Cancellation of Safari Hunting” is false.
In a press statement released to the media and signed by the Acting Spokesperson , Queen Chibwe, the Commission stated that the investigations into alleged corrupt practices at the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) in the manner the tender for Safari Hunting Licences was processed are still on-going and the Commission has not submitted any report to the Minister of Tourism and Arts Honorable Sylvia Masebo, or to any other person or authority.
“In view of the above, the story attributed to claimed ACC sources is not only malicious but a total fabrication intended to deceive the public, ” concluded the statement.
Meanwhile, Chieftainess Chiawa of the Goba speaking people in Kafue district has appealed to government direct Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to intensify patrols in her chiefdom to control the number of animals that are allegedly on the ‘loose’.
Chieftainess Chiawa says elephants, hippos and crocodiles are terrorizing the innocent people in her chiefdom by either killing them or eating up their crops such as cassava, maize, millet and sweet potatoes grown in their fields.
Speaking with ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, the traditional leader expressed worry that the number of people in her area will be wiped out in the near future hence the need for ZAWA to became proactive and crop the mammals and reptiles in the Lower Zambezi National Park and Zambezi River in her area.
The traditional leader further lamented that some villagers have shifted from their fields for fear of being attacked and killed by the said wild animals.
Chieftainess Chiawa said government should find a lasting solution to the animal/human conflict that has been going on for sometime now.
She cited that a man of Mungwerumeno was a fortnight ago trampled to death by a lonely elephant and this is not the first time that a mammal has terrorized her subjects in her chiefdom.
“I’m calling on ZAWA to intensify patrols to protect my subjects from being terrorized unnecessarily but the ZAWA Scout officers were not doing so,” Chieftainess Chiawa lamented.
She disclosed that she had had an audience with both government and ZAWA officials over the matter but seemed the authorities were taking long to address the matter.
Efforts to get a comment from ZAWA authorities proved futile by press time.
ZANIS
Harry Milanzi: I Have Worked Hard at Napsa Stars
Napsa Stars’ veteran striker Harry Milanzi says he is not shocked by the club’s decision to retain him ahead of the 2013 FAZ Super Division campaign.
Napsa recently offloaded seven senior players namely the Chalwe brothers Linos and Songwe, midfielder Perry Mutapa, goalkeeper Mufwaya Makasa and John Mulombwa.
In an interview, Milanzi said he deserved to be maintained after his inspiring performance last season.
“They have seen that I have made a great contribution to the team since I signed a two year contract last season,” the ex-Chipolopolo forward said.
“For them to terminate the contract for others they based the decision on the players’ performance last season,” Milanzi stated.
And Milanzi hoped that Napsa will challenge for the 2013 league title and successfully defend the Barclays Cup.
“We have been reinforced by a couple of new players so we will form a competitive team,” Milanzi said.
“If all goes well, we are going to win the league and retain the Barclays Cup.”
Meanwhile, Napsa has recruited striker Francis Kasonde and Robby Musosha from National Assembly, Congolese-born Peter Olanga and Scot Ngokene from City of Lusaka.
Peter Kaumba’s side began the 2013 season with a 4-2 defeat to Zanaco in the Charity Shield semifinals on February 23.
Kalusha Pleased With CAS Verdict
FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya says it was important for Zambia to now settle down to their 2014 qualifiers now that their three points off Sudan are confirmed.
CAS on Monday announced that Zambia were duly awarded the three points by the FIFA disciplinary committee last October after Sudan fielded an ineligible player in their June 2, 2012 qualifier that the latter won 2-0 in Khartoum.
Group D leaders Zambia now on six points face bottom placed Lesotho on March 24 in Maseru in the round of games in the 2014 qualifiers.
Sudan drop to third on one point from four while Ghana are second on three points.
“With 20 days before Zambia match in Lesotho, we need to remain focused at the job at hand,” Kalusha said.
“Yes, we have taken note of the decision by FIFA and CAS, but I know that the World Cup qualifiers are always going to be tough.
“There is still a lot of Football yet to be played. I hope our team can hit an excellent level going into the next matches to consolidate our position on top of the group. Bearing in mind that only one team will go through from each of the 10 groups at this stage. ”
Winner from each of the 10 groups in the Africa Zone qualifiers will advance to the final super 10 qualifying round this November where the teams will be paired on home and away basis.
The five winners from that final round will qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Brazil from June 12 to July 13.
Government apologizes to farmers and the entire nation for the late delivery of inputs
Government has apologized to the farming community and the entire nation for the late delivery of inputs in the 2012/2013 farming season.
Farmers in the country have expressed disappointment over the late delivery of inputs in the 2012/2013 farming season, which is feared will lead to low yields.
In a ministerial statement to parliament today, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Robert Sichinga said there were serious problems on both the government and suppliers side which impeded the early and successful implementation of the 2012/2013 FISP.
He said on government’s side, the delays to make the final decision on whether to pilot the E-Voucher system or not was the main reason, thereby delaying the launch of the procurement process.
Mr Sichinga stressed that there should be no doubt in any farming group’s mind of the commitment of the PF government to supporting agriculture programmes especially for the vulnerable section of the population.
Mr Sichinga said that the ministry of Agriculture and Livestock under the PF government has unreservedly resolved to supporting agriculture in significant and practical ways by improving the implementation of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), as well as in diversifying of crops beyond the challenges of 2012/2013 agriculture season especially in relation to maize.
He told the house that distribution of the 2012/2013 is closes on the 7th of March 2013, adding that as of 27th February, 2013, a total of 180,944 metric tonnes of both compound D and Urea fertilizers, out of a total contracted quantity of 183,634 metric tons had been delivered to all districts across the country.
He added that 179,166 metric tonnes of both sets of fertilizers had been paid for and collected by beneficiary farmers across the country, representing 97.5 percent of the total fertilizer tonnage which had been for distribution.
Mr Sichinga said that the distribution of inputs to farmers for the 2013/2014 farming season will be completed by October 2013.
And Parliament heard today that government spent K25 billion (KR25 million) to rehabilitate the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ).
Mr Sichinga said an additional K250 billion (KR250 million) making a total of KR275 million was channeled towards rehabilitating the Ammonia plant.
Mr Sichinga who is nominated Member of Parliament said in parliament today that government wants the plant to be producing ammonium and urea fertilizers to cushion the demand of fertilizers by the farmers.
The Minister was responding to a question raised by MMD Mwandi MP Michael Kaingu who wanted to find out how much funds was used to rehabilitate the NCZ.
ZANIS