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Lusaka mealie meal traders have complied with President Michael Sata’s directive for them to sell the commodity at not more than K50 rebased.
A random check by ZANIS in Lusaka today revealed that traders are selling a 25 kilogramme bag of breakfast mealie meal at KR50 and the same quantity of roller at KR38.
And Lusaka District Commissioner has he would next week dispatch a team of inspectors to go round the city and ensure that all retailers adhere to President Sata’s directive to reduce mealie meal prices.
Ashel Kampengele said all of mealie meal traders in Lusaka should follow President Sata’s directive.
Mr. Kampengele said the Patriotic Front (PF) government was committed to ensuring that both traders and consumers in the country had a fair deal in all sectors of the economy.
He said all retailers who will be found selling mealie meal at over KR50 risk being asked to leave Lusaka to go and do their business somewhere else
And Mealie Meal prices in Kasama district has been reduced following the directive from Northern province Minister Gerry Chanda.
A survey conducted by ZANIS in Kasama today found that most mealie meal dealers have reduced the prices up to KR12 in some cases.
Kasama Milling Operations Manager Ronald Sunga said the company has reduced the prices of the commodity in all the depots of the company.
Mr Sunga revealed that a 25Kg bag of breakfast meal has been reduced from KR58 wholesale to KR48 while retail prices have been reduced from KR62 to K50 respectively.
Mr Sunga said the prices apply to all the 12 depots that the company has in Muchinga, Northern and Luapula provinces.
And Kasama residents have praised government for responding quickly to the cries of people in the province.
The residents talked to said mealie meal is an important commodity and people should not suffer for it.
On Tuesday last week, Northern Province Minister Col. Gerry Chanda gave millers and mealie meal dealers an ultimatum of up to Saturday January 19, to reduce the prices of mealie meal or risk having their licenses revoked.
Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda’s case has been deffered to February 23 after the party failed to look at the matter due to a busy agenda.
PF Deputy Secretary-General said in an interview today that Mr Lubinda’s disciplinary case could not take-off because of other commitments on the PF’s agenda such as preparations for the forthcoming by-elections for Livingstone and Mpongwe Constituencies.
“We had a busy schedule and the matter could not be looked at. We have by-elections coming and we have received new adoptions for these by-elections so the matter has been postponed,” she said.
Mr Lubinda is accused of collaborating with the opposition United Party for National Development and the MMD.
The Foreign Affairs Minister is also accused of leaking party information to the Zambian Watchdog, an online publication and the Daily Nation newspaper.
And MMD Muchinga Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Namugala has been expelled from the party. Ms Namugala has been expelled along with MMD Lusaka Province chairperson Mary Tembo, party vice president for politics Michael Kaingu has announced.
The decision to expel the two members was arrived at following an MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday evening, which cited the two for being inimical to the fundamental values of the MMD.
Ms Namugala has since been replaced by former Patriotic Front (PF) Matero MP Faustina Sinyangwe.
Dr Kaingu who is Mwandi MP announced the expulsions at a media briefing in Lusaka today.
“Yesterday NEC met at Chrismar Hotel where we discussed several important issues being raised in the media concerning our party. We made a resolution as NEC that Ms Namugala and Ms Tembo be expelled from the party with immediate effect.
“The NEC decided to expel the two party members for being inimical to the core values of the party. Ms Namugala’s position has been given to Ms Sinyangwe with immediate effect,” Dr Kaingu said.
Catherine Namugala at the media briefing
He said acting MMD national chairperson Kabinga Pande and party chairperson for elections Kenneth Chipungu who is Rufunsa MP were confirmed in their positions while acting party national secretary Kapembwa Simbao had also been confirmed as a NEC member.
Ms Namugala and ousted party national secretary, Richard Kachingwe on Tuesday formed a parallel structure announcing a new secretariat and denouncing party leader Nevers Mumba.
Dr Kaingu termed the action by the two as unlawful and that law enforcement wings should probe the two for forming an illegal structure.
Major Kachingwe announced that a national convention would be held in May this year, to usher-in new office bearers.
But Dr Kaingu said the faction formed by Ms Namugala and Maj Kachingwe was illegal because records at the Registrar of Societies office showed that there was one MMD structure whose secretariat was located on Addis Ababa Drive.
“If you go to the Registrar of Society, the only MMD address you will find is this one where we are and not that illegal structure along Bwinjimfumu Road. Those who want to leave can call themselves any names like puppies… we don’t care about those leaving or have left us because we have our elected party president Nevers Mumba,” he said.
Dr Kaingu said Dr Mumba would soon embark on countrywide meetings to prepare for 2016 tripartite elections adding that the MMD would participate in all by-elections.
On accusations by Ms Namugala that Dr Mumba was an invalid MMD leader since records at the Registrar of Societies indicated that he was still president of the Reform Party, Dr Kaingu said, the registration and processing of the party leader was still in the process.
On the forthcoming by-elections in Mpongwe, he said the MMD would scoop the seat and was confident in the candidature of Miniva Mtesa and that the party’s candidate for the Livingstone by-election would be announced soon.
Zambia has been fined US$3000 while Ethiopia goalkeeper Bushura Tasew is banned by the CAF disciplinary committee.
And Ethiopia have also been slapped a US$ 10,000 fine on top of the player suspension.
CAF has fined Zambia after four of its players were yellow carded in the 1-1 draw against Ethiopia.
The players on cards are Collins Mbesuma, Joseph Musonda, Stopilla Sunzu and Chisamba Lungu.
Meanwhile, Tasew has been handed a two-match ban after his rough tackle on Chisamba that led to hiss 32nd minute expulsion on Monday.
The CAF disciplinary committee has fined Ethiopia for the crowd trouble that led to a five minute stoppage when Ethiopia fans threw bottles and Vuvuzela’s on the pitch at Mbombela Stadium after Tasew was sent off.
Zambia wrapped up the final day of their public practice session before Fridays showdown against Nigeria with news of an injury blow.
Chisamba Lungu is likely to miss Zambia’s penultimate Group C game against Nigeria due to a left foot injury he sustained after a crude tackle on him from suspended Ethiopia goalkeeper Bushura Tasew.
The Russian-based midfielder from FC Ural who limped out of Mbombela Stadium on Monday night sat out training on Wednesday.
Zambia team doctor Joseph Kabungo said Chisamba would undergo a late fitness test on Thursday.
And striker Collins Mbesuma pulled out of training in the last 20 minutes but Kabungo said it was nothing serious and that the striker was ok.
Zambia will hold their final training session on Thursday in camera at Ka Nyamazane Stadium.
Angry farmers this morning besieged the office of the District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO) in Choma protesting against failure to access subsidized fertiliser.
The irate farmers who vowed not to leave the DACO’s office until they were given a satisfactory answer as to why they cannot be given fertiliser, only reluctantly dispersed after being addressed by District Commissioner Golden Nyambe.
The famers complained to Mr Nyambe that they have suffered a great deal as they have been spending nights in the cold waiting to receive fertiliser from Omnia Fertiliser Company but to no avail.
Speaking on behalf of the angry farmers, Stanley Moyo lamented that life has become so unbearable for the farmers as many of them are going without meals because they have run out of money for both
lodging and food.
Mr Moyo told the District Commissioner that farmers have been subjected to inhuman treatment by Omnia Fertiliser Company which they accused of failing to provide any answer as to why they cannot get the commodity.
But Mr Nyambe assured the angry farmers that they will receive their fertiliser by Friday.
Mr Nyambe blamed the situation on Omnia Fertiliser Company which he said has lamentably failed to meet its contractual obligation.
Farmers in Chadiza district have complained over the underweight bags of fertilizer that is being supplied by Omnia in the area.
And Chadiza District Commissioner Paul Phiri who visited some farmers said government’s policy of eliminating hunger among the vulnerable farmers is being defeated by people who are supplying underweight bags of fertilizer.
Farmers of Ambidzi cooperative have since complained to government over the underweight bags of Basal dressing fertilizer that has been supplied to their area by Omnia Company.
Ambidzi Ward Councillor Ponsiano Phiri and Village headman Kabuula Weakman Banda both complained of the underweight bags of fertilizer that farmers have received in the area.
“We were only told that fertilizer has come and when we went to share it we discovered that the bags have been pierced with some sharp objects like a knife and the fertilizer has been drained out of the bags there by making them under weights,” Phiri said.
He said that when they asked the Cooperative Vice Chairperson who went to collect the consignment he responded that all the bags in the Omnia warehouse were underweight and that there was nothing he could have done to refuse the commodity after spending two weeks just to collect the fertilizer from the boma.
And Chadiza District Commissioner Paul Phiri who visited the farmers in the area said the situation was very bad because government was spending a lot of money in order to see that farmers received full bags of the commodity in order to alleviate hunger in their households.
Mr Phiri said the purpose of eliminating hunger at house hold level was being defeated because the fertilizer that farmers were receiving was not the right quantity.
He expressed sadness that some farmers were receiving a bag each while others were receiving two bags which were also under weights instead of the normal full four bags per pack.
Mr Phiri has since directed the farmers not to apply the underweight bags of fertilizer until he confirms with Omnia and also the transporter who was engaged in transporting the commodity to the area.
And in a related development a man of Tando Village in Chief Zingalume’s area is nursing multiple injuries after a stack of fertilizer collapsed on him at the Omnia shed.
Alumankio Ngombe who is complaining of multiple body pains and external injuries was trying to pull a bag of fertilizer from a stack at the Omnia shed when the whole stack of more than 50 bags buried him alive.
Ngombe was only rescued when some farmers realized that one of their colleague was missing and started searching from the collapsed bags before they discovered him underneath a pile of bags.
Ngombe was quickly rushed to Chadiza clinic where he received treatment and was later discharged and taken to his village where he is nursing the injuries.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Amos Malupenga
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr. Amos Malupenga has challenged the Zambian mainstream media to update their websites daily to avoid creating a vacuum which the social media are filling with lies and half truths.
In a statement released to the media by Chansa Kabwela, the First Secretary for press at the Zambian Embassy in Malawi, Mr. Malupenga said the traditional media houses have a duty to timely provide their audiences with news and information.
Mr. Malupenga made the remarks when he and his delegation paid a courtesy call on Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi His Excellency Billy Munyumbwe on Tuesday.
The team is in Malawi to attend a meeting with the Copyright Association of Malawi and senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture today (Wednesday).
Mr. Malupenga said the provision of information timely is even more critical for Zambians living abroad who are thirsty for news and information about their country.
He said he had observed with sadness each time he travels out of Zambia that it is always a nightmare to access latest news and information from traditional media outlets’ websites such as the Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and sometimes The Post.
“I know how you are feeling especially you colleagues in the Foreign Service because I have experienced it before. It’s actually not only frustrating but it is also annoying. When people are thirsty for water and all they can see is dirty water, they will be forced to drink that dirty water. This is what is happening with some of these websites whose names are not worth mentioning. People are looking for credible news and information but when they visit the websites with such news all they find is stale news and information. In frustration they end up visiting those websites carrying dirty water. I have brought this to the attention of media heads but I have also observed that their reaction has been slow,” Mr. Malupenga said.
However, Mr. Malupenga said Government was keen to promote professional journalism in Zambia.
He urged Zambians in the diaspora to ignore the websites that are in the habit of peddling lies and maligning people because their agenda is against those in government.
“Freedom of expression does not entitle people to defame others. But we in the government will not pay attention to such websites because we will be giving them unnecessary credibility. We are comforted by the fact that genuine Zambians know the difference between constructive criticism and malicious propaganda,” Mr. Malupenga said.
Mr. Malupenga said the delegation was in Malawi to learn how the country implemented the hologram, a security feature that is put on all audio-visual products to fight piracy, a programme which Zambia is set to roll out in March.
He said the team had gone to Kenya where it had successful meetings with the Copyright Board of Kenya to share experiences and ensure that the programme is well executed in Zambia.
Mr. Malupenga said the Zambian musicians have been losing income due to piracy which is being perpetuated in unscrupulous people’s backyards and the Government has been concerned.
“For the last one year we have been working on this programme and the security feature has already been manufactured by a company in the UK and in the next one week or so we will be traveling there just to formalize.
Within the course of March the Security feature will be in the country. Before we implement it we are going to countries that have implemented the hologram to learn from their experiences and avoid the obvious mistakes,” he said.
Mr. Malupenga also said Zambia was privileged to co-host with Zimbabwe the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Congress this year and foreign Missions have a duty to showcase the country’s tourism potential and investment opportunities to the outside world.
And High Commissioner Munyumbwe said the media had a duty to provide accurate and objective information to the public for key decision making.
He said there was need for the media to aspire to provide information in a timely manner unlike the current scenario where the traditional Zambian media do not regularly update their websites.
High Commissioner Munyumbwe also said the relations between Zambia and Malawi are good and the Mission is committed to selling the country’s enormous potential
Secretary General of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Wynter Kabimba
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is calling upon the Attorney General and the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to help Government interpret provisions of the ZAWA Act No. 12 of 1998 in the way and capacities members of the ZAWA Board are appointed, as this borders on the government’s ability to uphold the law.
YALI is not surprised that Mr. Kabimba tasked his party functionary responsible for Media and Publicity to clarify matters that boarder on operations of his Ministry.Most of these cadres do not need to take time to read the law before issuing statements that ordinarily would not be issued by qualified personnel from the Ministry.
The Attorney General and other professionals from the Ministry are better placed to give advice and discuss the current appointment of Mr. Kabimba to the ZAWA Board if that appointment is indeed for the representation of any member from his Ministry.
Kabimba misinterpreted ZAWA Act
YALI maintains that the ZAWA Act does not provide for appointment of proxy members such as the Ministry of Justice as an institution to the ZAWA Board.
The powers vested in the Minister of Tourism under Part 1 of the Schedule, Section 1(1) must be read together with provisions of Section 3(2) on how the office of a ZAWA Board member becomes vacant.
There is no doubt that the Ministry of Justice as an institution cannot die, cannot be adjudged bankrupt, cannot mentally or physically become incapable of performing duties nor can the Ministry be convicted of an offence.[pullquote]
we remain totally opposed to Ministers and Members of Parliament being appointed to statutory bodies such as ZAWA, National Sports Council of Zambia, Zamtel, ERB
[/pullquote]In effect, Ms. Masebo seemed to have been on firm grounds that she appointed Mr. Wynter Kabimba, the PF Secretary General “as a member to represent the party in order to influence the PF vision in ZAWA as he is a lawyer in wildlife policy and law.”
We wish to remind the PF Media and Publicity Director of provisions of Section 4(1) of the Schedule for a nominated member, in this case Hon. Kabimba, to nominate another person from the Ministry when he is unavailable to represent him in his stead as a member and not necessarily the Ministry of Justice to attend the meeting of the Authority.
Section 4(1) of the Act provides reads: “Where a member if for any reasonable cause unable to attend any meeting of the Authority (ZAWA Board), the member may, in writing, nominate another person from the same organization to attend such meeting in that member’s stead and such person shall be deemed to be a member for the purpose of such meeting”
Notwithstanding provisions of Section 4(1), the ZAWA Board can, by provisions of Section 5 of the Schedule invite or appoint any persons who are or are not members of the Board to perform functions it deems fit whenever a certain level of expertise and input is needed.
YALI therefore maintains that it is Mr. Kabimba who has been appointed to the ZAWA Board with an ability to contest the Vice-Chairmanship at ZAWA in line with the ZAWA Act and to also nominate another person from the Ministry of Justice to attend the meeting when he is unavailable.
If indeed the position of the PF Media and Publicity Director Chanda Mfula remains the position of Government, then YALI wonders why President Sata must retain Ms. Masebo as his Minister when she could lie to the nation about this appointment. President Sata must be worried that either Ms. Masebo or Mr. Kabimba is lying about the appointment of the Justice Minister to the ZAWA Board who, as a matter of hierarchy, is able superior to the Tourism Minister.
We wish to clearly state that as an organization we remain totally opposed to Ministers and Members of Parliament being appointed to statutory bodies such as ZAWA, National Sports Council of Zambia, Zamtel, ERB, etc as these ministers and MPs will have conflict of interest when Cabinet and Parliament are to supervise, scrutinize and debate operations of these bodies. We believe President Sata has the capacity to turn the tide around where MPs and Ministers are being appointed to various bodies.
FILE: A class meets under a tree in Mwalubemba village, Zambia
By Field Ruwe
Zambia’s reading culture
If you want to hide something from a Zambian put it in a book. Unless they are to be tested, Zambians don’t read. They don’t read at home, on the bus, or on the plane. They suffer from bibiliophobia—a fear for books. Books remind them of the dreaded composition and comprehension. They remind them of math, physics and chemistry.
[pullquote]We are not curious enough and yet curiosity is an important trait of genius.[/pullquote]
The sight of books depresses them and yet reading is the bedrock of our intelligence; it improves memory, increases creativity, reasoning skills, and builds self-esteem. It provides a glimpse into other cultures and places. Reading boosts one’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
It is fair to say that it is the lack of reading that has contributed to Zambia’s low IQ. In Zambia today, only a handful know and understand what is going on around the world. Many, some with college degrees, cannot write a simple statement on their daily life.
The lowest IQ on the planet
Our IQ as Zambians is among the lowest of the human species, says disreputable race and intelligence British psychologist Richard Lynn a man described by many as a white supremacist and an eccentric eugenicist.
According to Lynn, Africans have an average IQ of about 70 compared to whites with 100. He claims to have conducted the study in sub-Sahara Africa and concludes that the 70 IQ was the reason for the low level of economic development in black Africa.
Back in 1916, inventor of the Stanford-Binet IQ test, American psychologist Lewis Madison Terman proposed the scale for classifying IQ scores: Genius or near genius (over 140); Very superior intelligence (120-140); Superior intelligence (110-119); Normal or average intelligence (90-109); Dullness (80-89); Borderline deficiency (70-79); and Definite feeble-mindedness (under 70).
[pullquote]Many of our current leaders are entrapped in unintelligent, level 64, destructive and retrogressive politics of tyranny, tribalism, nepotism, apathy, greed, and corruption.[/pullquote]
People with a borderline deficiency will function at an equivalent age of a young teenager. They are ignorant and are easily susceptible to addictions, Attention Deficit-hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), promiscuity, and mood disorders. This is the category in which Lynn has put us. He actually gets as low as 67 to definite feeble-mindedness (retardation).
The danger is that Lynn’s study is referenced by many psychologists around the world who treat him as an authority in the science of intelligence. His credentials allow him to sit on several editorial boards including that of the journals Intelligence and Personality and Individual Differences.
In Lynn’s book Race Differences in Intelligence: An Evolutionary Analysis the average IQ of Zambian adults is at 64! According to the book 152 Zambian adults participated in the test. Some tests were visual, some verbal. Examiners concentrated on reading, vocabulary, general knowledge and arithmetic. A score of 64 means the average Zambian is in the definite feeble-mindedness category.
Out of sheer curiosity, can any Zambian who took part in any IQ test between 1970 and 2000 please come forward. We would like to know what tests they took, where and when. Was it done with the authority of our government—the Ministry of Education? Did the president know about it? Was the National Scientific Research made aware?
I have never heard of Richard Lynn or other IQ examiners come to Zambia to do their dirty work. In actual fact many researchers have repudiated Lynn’s findings in sub-Sahara Africa, and accused him of intentionally ignoring Africans with high score by using selective data. The general conclusion is that his findings are distorted and greatly flawed.
What makes people treat us like retards
The question is; what makes people like Richard Lynn treat us like we have nothing between our ears? Like we are retards on two legs? There are numerous reasons. Of course one such is that the findings are used to perpetuate racial stereotypes. They are used to justify superiority of the white race over us, black people. Many euro-centric researchers wish to maintain the IQ as the fulcrum of white supremacy.
[pullquote]The way we live, behave, interact, talk, and think; the buildings we live in, the roads we walk on, and the jobs we do; the things we like and dislike; places we visit; the way we treat one another, the way politicians treat us, and most of all our sour relationship with knowledge.[/pullquote]
Another reason, and perhaps the most important, is that we are ourselves to blame. The way we live, behave, interact, talk, and think; the buildings we live in, the roads we walk on, and the jobs we do; the things we like and dislike; places we visit; the way we treat one another, the way politicians treat us, and most of all our sour relationship with knowledge.
IQ is based on knowledge. Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something. It includes facts, information, descriptions, and skills most of which is attained through reading; the more we read, the more knowledgeable we become, the more intelligent, and the better the IQ.
It is the lack of reading that has left us ignorant at best. Ignorance is everywhere. Even those in the corridors of power are motivated by ignorance. They embrace ignorance and proudly take it to be knowledge. In parliament for instance, many law makers stick to their narrow impressions and views of various aspects of life even when it is clear they lack the knowledge of information in domestic and foreign affairs.
Ignorance
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action,” dramatist and poet Johann Wolfgang once wrote. And writer Elbert Hubbard added: “The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.”
Ignorance exhibited by our leaders filters down to us and prevents us from progressing towards a society of thought. Many of our current leaders are entrapped in unintelligent, level 64, destructive and retrogressive politics of tyranny, tribalism, nepotism, apathy, greed, and corruption. They have no clue how to treat us as humans, and how to take advantage of our human capital—INTELLIGENCE.
We are all intelligent Zambians, each one of us. We have the ability to reason, plan, and solve problems that concern our wellbeing. The problem is that most of us don’t think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience.
We are not curious enough and yet curiosity is an important trait of genius. Because we don’t read, we don’t ask questions and search for answers. We do not appreciate new ideas, examine them and use them to our benefit. As a result we progress at a snail’s pace and our surroundings hardly change.
[pullquote]We are all intelligent Zambians, each one of us.The problem is that most of us don’t think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience.[/pullquote]
Lynn and others know this. They have seen the way we live. Our pastime is beer-drinking, dancing, watching soccer, roasting and eating meat, gossiping, and belittling others. Our surroundings are unkempt and our buildings shabby.
Lynn and his cohorts claim that the genetic and environmental conditions contribute to our low IQ. Could it be possible, therefore, that they draw some of their conclusions from what they see when they come in contact with us?
What they see when they come to Zambia
Copperbelt minister Mwenya Musenge toured Chisokone market and ordered Kitwe City Council to clean up the trading place and stop illegal construction of shops
Let’s imagine for a moment Lynn travels to Zambia. He hires a car and drives to Chibolya. What would his impression be upon seeing sick-looking alcoholics drinking Kachasu (local illicit gin) and smoking marijuana outside dilapidated colonial structures some still featuring bucket toilets?
And if from there Lynn drove on Kafue Road into George Compound, John Lang, Chawama on a rainy day and saw damaged homes, flooded alleys and septic tanks sipping with excrement, what would he record in his diary?
What would he record if he drove on Cairo Road, ChaChaCha, Freedomway, and Lumumba Road and ended up in Matero, Lilanda, and Desai Compound, and on his way back drove through Mandevu, Marapodi and Chaisa?
And if from there he drove to Mungule village on his way to Mpika and Nakonde. Surely, wouldn’t he fly back to the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland where he teaches such garbage and tell the world he is right?
He would say what he has always said, that we have the lowest of the IQs. He would say that we live the life of a white person of 1950. It was in the 1950s that some houses in the Western world had outside toilets and bathrooms like we still have in Chilenje, Chiwempala, Wusakile, Twapia, and Matero. It was then that many, like most of the current middle-class Zambians, did not have fridges, washing machines, and hot water.
[pullquote]There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action[/pullquote]
Actually, some researchers say that we live worse than the European of the ‘30s and ‘40s. It was during this period that Americans and Europeans experienced high levels of unemployment, poverty and sickness just like we do today. Major industries and mines collapsed just like ours and unemployment shot to the roof.
It was in the 1930s-40s that dictatorship became rampant because leaders like Benito Mussolini (Italy), Adolf Hitler (Germany), Joseph Stalin (USSR), and Hideki Tojo (Japan) had no democratic experience and had severe economic problems. They saw dictatorship as the only solution to prevent their fall.
How Sata is making a bad situation even worse
Let’s admit it. Lynn is right to a large extent. We indeed are a people at the totem pole—at the bottom of humanity and our political leaders from the president down have no clue how to get us out. They do not know how to fight Lynn and prove him wrong.
I know many of my critics will say it is a personal responsibility of every Zambian to be intelligent. While I concur, I put the blame squarely on the president. More than a year in office, he is not propelling us to an intelligent nation. He is not utilizing our greatest asset—the human brain by shaping how we think and feel about issues that matter.
Presidents play an inestimable role in changing the thinking of a people. Kaunda coined “One Zambia One Nation” and we bonded as a nation. As for Sata, he doesn’t know where to start. He does not have the intellectual acumen and the inspiration to lift us out of the nadir and turn us into an intelligent society that can face and respond to the challenges of a technological world.
[pullquote]some researchers say that we live worse than the European of the ‘30s and ‘40s.[/pullquote]
President Michael Chilufya Sata does not know how to optimize the intelligence of Zambians—period. He does not know that if he unlocks our intelligence he will be reducing poverty, hunger, and disease.
If he truly is committed to our advancement, he must change our country from a drinking nation to a reading one. This might be impossible for him to contemplate, but the secret of finding out what is at the top of the mountain is to climb it.
We must, individually and as a people, choose between fixing our IQ and being treated like unintelligent genera.
A 26 -year-old peasant farmer yesterday walked to freedom after he was acquitted by the Kitwe High Court for allegedly murdering a 13-year-old girl and chopping her to pieces.
And a sombre mood characterised the packed courtroom when Harrison Chombaomba of house number 52, Chiwempala in Chingola, who was accused of murdering Abigail Namwinga, was set free by the court.
Chombaomba was accused of murdering the girl between November 5, and November 11, 2011 after she was reported missing on November 5, the same year 2011.
The body was found in Mutimpa area in a decomposed state and chopped into two pieces with the head wrapped in a chitenge material.
High Court Judge Isaac Kamwendo acquitted Chombaomba due to insufficient evidence against him.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kamwendo said from the evidence before him, no one saw the accused person commit the offence.
[pullquote]“I find that the prosecution has not proved the case of murder and I hereby set him at liberty,” said the Judge.[/pullquote]
He said it would not be safe to convict the accused person as there were some doubts in the evidence.
“I find that the prosecution has not proved the case of murder and I hereby set him at liberty,” said the Judge.
Mr Justice Kamwendo said there was no evidence of the instrument which might have been used to cause injuries to the victim.
The girl’s mother Florence Nambela, 43, had testified that on November 5, 2011 around 06:00 hours, her daughter, a grade nine pupil then, went to collect wild fruits, commonly known as masuku in the bush.
She said the girl never returned home and was found dead and decomposed in the bush.
Another witness Kelvin Mwape said he saw Chombaomba with the girl.
But Chombaomba denied murdering the girl and stated that he did not know her and did not know the people that testified against him.
He also said even though he was apprehended at a bar, he does not take alcohol.
Government has unveiled its 2011-2015 Strategic Plan with key emphasis on creation of industrial clusters in districts and multi-facility economic zones in all provinces in the country.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Bob Sichinga, said this will have promoted value addition on various local products.
Mr Sichinga was speaking when he addressed over 280 Choma-based businessmen and women today.
He affirmed the benefits of the clusters and zones, saying they will promote specialisation and quality in local products.
Mr Sichinga added that the clusters would also seek to exploit all available natural resources to empower people at district level with skills and employment.
He said this was key in uplifting the living conditions of people in the districts.
Mr Sichinga explained that the PF government had campaigned on the platform of job creation, lower taxes and more money in people’s pockets of which it was on track in implementing.
He said the government understood the needs of the people of Choma and that is why he would set up offices for Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and PACRA in the district.
Speaking at the same business meeting, CEEC Director General, Likando Mukumbuta, said an excess of KR1 million will be disbursed under the empowerment fund annually with 90 per cent going to rural areas.
Mr Mukumbuta explained that 40 per cent is targeted at youths, 30 per cent at women, 20 per cent for the physically challenged and 10 per cent for the rest, adding that the funds will create about 43,000 industry-related jobs in four years.
The CEEC Director General revealed that the Commission fought to give priority to the marginalised group in order to promote equity and equal distribution of the funds which he said had in the past benefited only men.
Mr Mukumbuta disclosed that the CEEC will be updating the public on successful applications of the funds through quarterly briefings and advertisements to promote transparency and accountability.
He added that disbursement of the CEE funds will begin on February 6, 2013.
The Minister was in a company of officials PACRA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Bwembya, the Multi-facility Economic Zones Manager, Robert Banda, and ZDA official, Windu Matoka and other government officials.
THE Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has seized property worth K 5.4billion (KR5.4million) from defaulters.
Speaking to journalists, shortly after a site tour of two of the seized properties in Lusaka yesterday, CEEC communications and public relations manager Glenda Masebe said the commission was pursuing 17 cases involving defaulters who had failed to honour their loan repayments.
“Out of the 17 cases that the courts have ruled in our favour, we have been granted writ of possession of seven properties and we expect to recover a total of K5.4 billion (KR5.4 million) and this figure includes the accrued interest to date. The initial amount disbursed by the commission to the seven entities is about K4.2 billion,” she said.
She named some of the properties seized in Lusaka as Emmams Motel in Kafue district, belonging to Emmanuel Munthali .
Ms Masebe disclosed that Emmams Motel who got a loan facility of K1.940 billion, only paid three part installments amounting to K58.2 million, with outstanding arrears of about K2.3 billion, with interest.
She said Emmams who received their loan from the commission in 2009, have defaulted in payments since 2010.
“The loan given was for tenure of five years and was due for completion of payment in November 2014,” she said.
She named the other facility re-possessed as One Africa Enterprise, who have only paid K5 million from the initial K250 million they received from CEEC in April 2010.
Ms Masebe said One Africa Enterprise received the loan meant for improvement of their operations, and that this loan was for a period of three years.
One Africa owes the commission a total of K297 million arrears for both principal and interest.
The commission has since sounded a warning to other property owners who have not yet paid their arrears to do so before measures such as those taken on these entities were extended to them.
Ms Masebe said the commission had embarked on a mission to ensure that their debt recovery system was enhanced.
“Two months ago we repossessed a farm in Ndola, and I mentioned that the commission has embarked on a serious mission to ensure that debt recovery is enhanced. We were initially at about 42 per cent loan recovery, which is not very good for us, and now we are at about 44 per cent, but our target is 100 per cent because we want to ensure that government funds are got from every corner of this country,” she said.
Other properties repossessed included an abattoir in Itezhi Tezhi and some property in Solwezi.
Ms Masebe said the re-possession exercise would be extended countrywide.
Retailers in Kasama are still selling mealie meal above the K50000, KR50 agreed upon by Government and Millers. Kasama milling 25kg bag of breakfast is selling at K65000, KR65 while roller meal is selling at K46000, KR 46
The Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) says claims by some millers that reducing mealie meal prices would mean they have to cut down on their work force is unfounded.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview yesterday, ZACA Executive Director, Muyunda Ililonga, said millers have no reason to complain as they benefit the most from the maize produce each year.
Mr Ililonga stated that millers have for a long time now exploited farmers by making abnormal profits.
He held that it is unfair for any miller to present the above argument, saying farmers were the ones who had reason to complain about how much they benefit from the maize produce.
Mr Ililonga said it is unfortunate that farmers do not get much money from the maize when they are the ones who do the tedious work as compared to the millers.
He claimed that the current situation where millers make huge profits while farmers get very little will discourage young people who would want to venture into farming.
Mr Ililonga said no claims made by any miller as to why they cannot reduce mealie meal prices can be justified as those who seek reasons to do so are only acting on selfish ambitions.
Many millers countrywide have reduced mealie meal prices following President Sata’s directive that no one should trade a 25 kg bag of mealie meal at more than KR50 while others have been reluctant to effect the reduction.
Two Lusaka magistrates have recused themselves from handling the case involving former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Ronnie Shikapwasha, his former Permanent Secretary, Samson Phiri and Journalist, Chanda Chiimba III.
Yesterday when the matter came up for reallocation after a meeting in chambers between Lusaka magistrate, Mwaka Mikalile, who handled the matter first, magistrate Mikalile recused herself and decided that the matter be sent back to the Chief Resident Magistrate for a reallocation.
And Chief Resident Magistrate, Joshua Banda, reallocated the matter to Magistrate Aridah Chuulu who also recused herself on moral grounds, saying she was handling another case where the third accused person, Samson Phiri, was appearing on similar charges.
Magistrate Chuulu asked the Anti Corruption Commission Prosecutor, Silumesi Muchula, if he informed the Chief Resident Magistrate on the coincidence, adding that in the interest of justice and fairness it was not possible for her to handle two cases involving the same accused person.
Magistrate Chuulu further said the situation could only be possible if there was only one magistrate, adding that such is not the case and therefore decide to send back the case to the Chief Resident Magistrate for relocation.
However, responding to the magistrate’s decision, defence lawyer, Hobday Kabwe, said he was also wondering why the magistrate had to allocate this matter to Ms Chuulu’s court knowing that there was another similar case his client was answering too.
But Anti Corruption Commission Prosecutor, Zenzo Zaza, told the court that it was possible that the Chief Resident Magistrate was not aware of the coincidence as he could have not allocated the matter to Ms Chuulu.
And Chief Resident Magistrate, Joshua Banda decided that the matter comes up for possible plea yesterday at 14:30 hours.
On Monday when the matter came up for plea, the matter could not take off as the prosecution team from the Anti Corruption Commission came late.
Mr Shikapwasha, Dr Phiri and Chiimba III are facing charges of abuse of office authority, unlawful printing and publication and being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
A non-governmental organisation called Zambian Voice has challenged the ruling PF to clearly state the nature of the offences that Kabwata MP Given Lubinda has been found guilty of.
Zambian Voice Executive Director Chilufya Tayali made the call in a news statement adding that the PF should come out in the open and state exactly what wrong Mr. Lubinda has committed.
“We understand the PF Central Committee is meeting this Wednesday, our appeal is that the men and women in the Central Committee will seek to protect democracy and avoid an unnecessary bye election,” Mr. Tayali said.
He said, “One of the allegations against Mr. Lubinda is that he leaked confidential party information to some media house. Since the said leaked articles were probably published, the nation is obviously anxious to know which articles in particular contained confidential information that Mr. Lubinda caused to be published by having them leaked to the media.”
Mr. Tayali challenged the PF to release this information as it starts its Wednesday meeting if the party believes in natural justice.
“As an organisation, we find it obnoxious and unfair that the Central Committee, a team of 52 men and women could decide the fate of a man who received 29,744 votes, representing 74% of the total votes cast less than two years ago without giving an opportunity to the thousands that voted for him in the 2011 elections to understand what offence their MP committed against the party.”
He added, “The PF should not take the people of Kabwata for granted. If Mr. Lubinda indeed erred, we believe the PF should come out clean and state exactly what wrong he did so that the people of Kabwata in particular and Zambians in general can also form their own opinion about the man they overwhelmingly voted for in three consecutive elections.”
“Without taking away from the PF’s right to discipline its erring members, we believe the case of Mr. Lubinda and his impending expulsion goes beyond the party’s narrow interests but speaks to the core of how political parties in Zambia administer their internal politics,” Mr. Tayali said.
The Zambian Voice Executive Director said his organisation believes that Mr. Lubinda is a victim of international petty jealousy in a raging succession battle.
He said, “The PF Central Committee has a moral duty to save Zambia, the PF Central Committee has a sacred duty to defend democracy and the PF Central Committee has an obligation to protect natural justice.”
The PF Central Committee, the party’s highest decision making organ is this Wednesday scheduled to have an all-important meeting which is expected to seal the fate of Mr. Lubinda and other party officials facing disciplinary charges.
