Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Augustine Kasongo has said access to water and sanitation services by all segments of the population is a key component of all aspects of sustainable development.

Mr. Kasongo said there is a need to enhance access to clean water and sanitation services for people in rural and urban areas as it would help to promote hygiene in communities.

He said poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are the main causes of infections such as cholera and diarrhea and that it continued to be the leading cause of death in children under the age of five in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Kasongo said this when he officially opened the planning and review meeting on the implementation of WASH activities for Copperbelt province in Ndola on Thursday.

“Access to water and sanitation services by all segments of the population is a key component of all aspects of sustainable development and this challenge becomes more important when the population growth by 2030 is factored in. In 2015 only 40 percent of households in Zambia had access to improved sources of sanitation. Additionally, 27 percent of people in the urban areas and 85percent in rural areas had no access to improved sources of sanitation. The proportion of households accessing improved sources of drinking water increased from 63percent in 2010 to 67.7 percent in 2015. Households in urban areas had more access to improved sources of drinking water at 89.2 percent compared to households in rural areas in 2015. Poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene (wash) are the main causes of infections like cholera and diarrhea and inadequate wash continues to be the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 in sub-saharan Africa. There is a need to increase levels of access to clean and safe water and sanitation services for people in rural and urban areas. Low cost, high impact wash interventions which promote hygiene and sanitation in our communities would greatly help,” he said.

“In line with the government’s eighth national development plan, vision 2030 and the sustainable development goals the government will prioritize investments in schools, health facilities and public places like markets and bus stations by ensuring that these places have improved access to adequate sanitation facilities. Resources will be harnessed through the development of climate change resilient infrastructure in order to ensure that water security is assured. The ministry of water development and sanitation is the lead agency for the water and sanitation sector at the national level and is responsible for sector oversight and policy development. The ministry is also in charge of strategy development, resource mobilization, consolidation of monitoring and evaluation and reporting for the water sector as a whole. The ministry of local government is also an important part of the sanitation sector in Zambia as it is responsible for ensuring service provision. The 1991 local government act cap 281 0f the laws of Zambia confers the responsibility for sanitation provision to the local authorities. the law states that government shall make specific grants from the national fiscus to the local authorities for the discharge of its functions among them water supply and sanitation to the area falling under its jurisdiction, except in any area where a person provides such services solely for that persons own benefit or a utility or a service provider is providing such services. At district level, the responsibility for implementation and monitoring of sanitation and hygiene rests with the district councils,” Mr. Kasongo said.

Mr. Kasongo explained that in 2015, about 40 percent of households in Zambia had access to improved sources of water and sanitation and that 27 percent of people in urban areas and 85 percent in rural areas had no access to improved sources of sanitation.

He however said the proportion of households accessing improved sources of drinking water increased from 63 percent in 2010 to 67.7 percent in 2015.

Mr. Kasongo further said in 2015 households in urban areas had more access to improved sources of drinking water at 89.2 percent compared to households in rural areas.

“The Ministry of Water Development and sanitation (mwds) through the department of water supply and sanitation is implementing the nrwssp phase2 through you the local authority and to some extent the commercial utility(cu) as the main implementing agencies. In the rural areas the (cu) shall assume responsibilities for the rehabilitation of growth centers that have piped schemes. in public institutions such as schools and health facilities, water supply and sanitation shall be the responsibility of the respective institution. The commercial utilities could have been mandated to extend service provision under the newly developed framework in order to support sustainability of services in rural areas. The regulation of service provision for rural water supply and sanitation will ensure that an adequate and affordable water supply of good quality, as well as safe sanitation is accessible to the population of Zambia. The national rural water supply and sanitation program has four main objectives which are, firstly, to increase and improve the number of functioning water supply facilities in rural areas through systematic investments in new water supply facilities, rehabilitations, proper operations and maintenance of existing facilities,” he said.

Mr. Kasongo continued:”secondly to increase access to adequate and appropriate environmentally friendly sanitation facilities by 90% by the year 2030 at both household level and public institutions in rural areas through hygiene promotion, sanitation marketing, construction of facilities and legal enforcement. To strengthen systems for enhanced service delivery in the water and sanitation subsector. Lastly to improve the performance of rural water supply and sanitation sub- sector in planning implementation and management of rwss services through effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The president of the republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema last year directed the ministry of local government and rural development to do away with pit latrine in schools in the next 3 to 5 years.”

“Therefore, the mwds shall only construct waterborne sanitation facilities in order to improve access to basic sanitation going forward. The government has demonstrated a serious commitment towards improving access to safe and clean water by increasing budgetary allocation to this sector. It is essential that this level of commitment is sustained to ensure that targets in the vision 2030 are met.I want to implore the local authorities, the water utilities and the cooperating partners present here to prioritize ‘no regrets’ interventions in improving water supply, sanitation and hygiene in your areas of operation. Investing in water, sanitation and hygiene is the necessary foundation for a healthy and productive population. Investments in wash are what we call a no regrets investment, which supports human rights and saves lives.”

“The economic benefits of sanitation are about five times the cost and improving hand hygiene can generate savings in health expenditure of up to fifteen times the cost. For that reason, investing in wash is critical to preventing both pandemics and local outbreaks. As we already know, WASH is the first line of defense against Covid 19 and so many other diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea to mention just a few. Provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is crucial to human health and well-being. Safe wash is not only a prerequisite to health but contributes to livelihoods, school attendance, and dignity and helps to create resilient communities living in healthy environments. Safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic use, food production or recreational purposes. Improved water supply and sanitation can boost countries’ economic growth and can contribute greatly to poverty reduction,” Mr. Kasongo concluded.

The Zambia China – Mulungushi Textiles Cotton Out grower Scheme has collapsed.

The Joint Venture General Manager, Colonel Canisius Chola, says due to failure to reach an agreement that could have culminated into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the scheme has been suspended.

Col. Chola, in an interview on Friday explained that the scheme , established in late 2019 lacked an MOU, budget plan and finances to sustain the undertaking.

“ The scheme from the inception was marred with a lot of anomalies in relation to the manner the scheme was initiated.

“ The project has taken root in Mumbwa under China Africa with over 1, 000 seeds distributed to farmers, Joint Venture pulled out because the scheme was not realistic, “ he said.

The Joint Venture General Manager reasoned that going into an agreement without an MOU was detrimental to the textile company, especially in an event that the other partner sells everything because of legal implications.

Col. Chola said the scheme has, therefore, been suspended until further notice because Textile Company is not ready to enter into unsustainable partnerships that might put its operations at risk.

Government is looking for better ways to revamp the textile industry by coming up with innovative and sustainable ways that will improve the country’s economic status.

Already plans are underway to produce garments for the Military departments but that all this hinge on predictable and robust out-grower scheme.

Col. Chola further said the province and the country as a whole, has shown great potential to produce garments using fiber, silk and recycled materials but this requires adequate expertise and technology.

“ The country could equally venture into exchange programmes with other countries to further capacitate the employees to be abreast with modern ways of garment manufacturing, “ he added.

Col. Chola has urged for partnerships with countries that are doing better in the textile industry like Tanzania and Kenya which are using sisal and Banana to ignite growth and expansion.

The Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors has welcomed the pronouncement by President Hakainde Hichilema that government is still working on the process of unlocking Mopani Copper Mine and Konkola Copper Mines.

Speaking in an interview with the media in Kitwe today, association President, Coster Mwaba, however said the mine suppliers and contractors still insist that government recapitalises the two mines while working on the process of unlocking them.

Mr Mwaba said recapitalising the mines will make them operate at a level that will enable them to support suppliers and sustain salaries and other operational costs.

He stated that currently, the two mines were struggling to pay suppliers and contractors, which he said was making life hard for people in the Copperbelt Province as most businesses rely on the mines.

He also noted that it will be difficult to find equity partners or investors for the two mining companies if they accumulate more debts and their assets depreciate.

Mr Mwaba observed that it would be more costly for the new investor to recapitalise the two mines later if they are left in their current state.

“Our position has always been that whilst we agree with the roadmap the government is taking in resolving the issues at both Mopani and KCM, they need finance or allow the current structure to raise the finance and operate the assets up to the time when the negotiations will be concluded. The longer the government is taking, the more the mines are going under,” he said.

And a Kitwe based Mining Researcher, James Musonda, said President Hichilema emphasised private ownership of mines by Zambians and not public ownership.

Dr. Musonda said increased public ownership of the mines will help address the problem of inequalities in the distribution of resources in the country.

“If one man owns a mine in Zambia, it is a good idea but does that address the inequality in the distribution of wealth? Because that man will be accumulating wealth while the rest of the people will remain poor, so we must strive for a better life where everyone will have a livelihood,” he said.

He said government should improve its performance in the mining sector which he said is the mainstay of the Zambian economy.

At the end of year press conference on Tuesday this week, President Hichilema announced future investments in new mines in the Copperbelt Province and also assured the nation that his government was still working on the process to unlock KCM and Mopani Copper Mines.

The President attributed the delay in the process of unlocking the two mines to the huge damage that was created when the investors left the companies.

Over 80 miners in North-Western Province are expected to be discharged from work on medical grounds after suffering from backache because of operating the big machines.

And Minister of Labour and Social Security Brenda Tambatamba said the growth and technological advancement of industrial activities come with its own hazards which lead to occupational injuries and diseases.

Zambia National Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Vice President Joseph Chewe confirms that in the last one year, about 80 miners have been put on pending medical discharge due to occupational accidents.

Speaking during the opening of the Occupational Safety and Health Institute (OHSI) centre in Solwezi on Thursday, Mr. Chewe appealed to the Occupational Safety and Health Institute (OHSI) and government agencies to thoroughly to establish why many miners are being declared medically unfit for duty.

“There is a report which has reached the union that over 80 miners are on pending medical discharge because of backaches in North-Western Province and these are the operators who work on those big machines.

“Why is this happening and what are the causes because workers cannot be let go from work place because of the backaches and so we need the doctors to tell us because we are going to lose more workers,” Mr Chewe said.

Mr. Chewe, who is also Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) President, further appealed to the OHSI to intervene because workers have a right to enjoy good health even after leaving employment.

And Minister of Labour and Social Security Brenda Tambatamba said the growth and technological advancement of industrial activities come with its own hazards which lead to occupational injuries and diseases.

Ms. Tambatama called upon the institute to devise innovative ways of improving service delivery in occupation health and safety to enhance productivity.

“It is therefore undisputable fact that the location of OHSI office in Solwezi is timely as it will guarantee safety and health of employees at work places,” Ms Tambatamba said.

The ministry is currently working towards the amendment of the Occupational Health and Safety Act number 36 of 2010 to ensure that the health and safety of workers in all industries are covered to contribute to improved productivity.

“Additionally, my ministry is in the process of formulating regulations under the Act for effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act for the very first time since its enactment in 2010,” Ms Tambatamba said.

Earlier, OHSI director Martha Chakulimba said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has recognized occupational health and safety services as the fundamental of the workers which should be an objective of every employer to achieve a productive workforce.

Ms. Chakulimba said the institute is critical to the development of the country not only to the mining sector because of the silicosis services but to all sectors of the economy.

And OHSI board chairperson Grace Chibwa said opening of the Solwezi centre is a step in the right direction and will contribute to the economic growth.

She said the Centre in the provincial capital is part of her board’s projects to open up more centres in various parts of the country.

Ms. Chibwa said the institute has so far trained 44 local doctors from various districts and 49 doctors from Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho have also been trained at the centre of excellence in occupational health service in the country.

Solwezi General Hospital Medical Superintendent, Kitanda Sondashi, says the health institution is unable to deliver some services paid for by the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) because of lack of essential medical equipment.

Dr. Sondashi said the hospital has no computerised telescope scanning (CT) machine, x-ray machine and other essential equipment.

He said this when Labour and Social Security Minister, Brenda Tambatamba, whose ministry is also in charge of NHIMA, visited Solwezi general hospital.

Dr. Sondashi said many NHIMA members are complaining that the same services they get when they are out in other provinces are not available at Solwezi general hospital because of the  lack of medical equipment.

“Many NHIMA members are avoiding coming here. They prefer going to private health facilities that are accredited to NHIMA where they have equipment,” he said.

He further explained that, “Here the machines are old and often break down…the last time we were lucky that Occupational Health and Safety Institute assisted us with an X-ray machine but they got it back again”.

He said Solwezi general hospital often refers patients to other health institutions such as Maryberg with which it has partnered.

Dr. Sondashi has since appealed to NHIMA management to consider investing in medical equipment and assist Solwezi general hospital.

And responding to the concern, National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) Board Chairperson, Richard Mwiinga, said the authority is already working on equipment investment policy which he said has reached an advanced stage.

Dr Mwiinga said the equipment investment policy will strategically target mainly provincial hospitals.

“As you have indicated in your presentation, there is equipment that has already been bought using NHIMA resources, but as you rightly put it in terms of some equipment like X-ray, CT-Scan and big equipment, I think as a board what we are working on is an equipment investment policy which has already reached an advanced stage,” he said.

He said some provincial centres have CT scan which are, however , not working.

Dr Mwiinga said Northwestern Province is one of the provinces that have no CT-scan.

He said the issue of lack of equipment was receiving urgent attention, adding that the Minister of Labour and Social Security will next month launch a strategic plan which will have issues to do with medical equipment in hospitals.

“We are very alive to that fact and we have just come up with the strategic plan that will be launched by the Minister next month and in that strategic plan, we have got an issue to do with medical equipment,” he said.

Meanwhile Dr Mwiinga said NHIMA is working with the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) on acquiring equipment.

He said NHIMA is working with ZAMSA and the Ministry of Health to identify the equipment that is required in all the centres within the country.