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The Ministry of Finance has released K77.2 billion to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing out of the budgeted K150 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for 2012.
The money is meant to cater for further disbursements for the first to third quarters of this year while the last quarter will have its share next month.
In a statement made available to the media in Lusaka yesterday, Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta said that the balance of K72.8 billion is scheduled for release in two instalments saying the first being in September 2012 and the final one will be in October of this year.
Mr Kandeta is confident that through such timely releases the Constituency Development programmes will be moving in tandem with and will be complimentary to other national developmental programmes.
He said government through this is thereby determined to see massive creation of jobs for the Zambians, expansion of economic opportunities for self-reliance and alleviating poverty.
The Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer noted that government has taken the opportunity to support the call for all stakeholders, in consultation with respective members of parliament to familiarise themselves with new guidelines on the management of CDF as stipulated in the circular letters issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
The Zambia Under-20 team has been beefed up by two foreign-based players.
Sweden based youngster Peter Mulenga and his DR Congo counterpart Simon Kapengwe have joined camp in Kitwe ahead of Saturday’s 2013 African Youth Championship qualifier against Mali.
Coach Keagan Mumba revealed that Mulenga of Swedish side BK Hacken and Kapengwe from TP Mazembe joined camp on Sunday and took part in the Monday work out at Kitwe’s Arthur Davies Stadium the venue for the crucial qualifier.
“The players arrived yesterday (Sunday),Simon Kapengwe from TP Mazembe and Peter Mulenga of BK Hacken in Sweden and today they are part of training,” Mumba said.
Mumba disclosed that he has dropped Suwilanji Mwabala of Danish side Kolding FC.
“We have released Suwilanji. He needs more time, he is a good player,” he added.
Mumba declared the Junior Chipolopolo injury free ahead of the second round, first leg match.
“We are lucky that we don’t have injuries. Lubambo Musonda of National Assembly who had a calf injuy is back in training.”
Nkana coach Zeddy Saileti has set a top six target at the end of the season.
This follows Sundays 2-1 win over Green eagles that saw the record 11-time league champions enter the top 8 bracket of the 2012 Faz Super Division for the first time this season.
“We have to finish in the top six,” Saileti said.
“The way we are playing we have improved so much and now deserve to be in the top six.”
Nkana have never failed to finish inside the top 7 since returning to the Super Division in 2010.
Since Saileti’s predecessor and close friend Linos Makwaza was fired after losing 3-1 to Red Arrows on July 21, Nkana have lost just once with two draws and five wins and are now unbeaten in two games.
Nkana’s form is in total contrast to period between April 14 and July 21 when they could only muster nine draws and three losses that led to Makwaza’s departure.
“It is big surprise but being in a coach in football you have to go through many things and I think that was just a passing phase but when we got the winning formula everything has been going well,” Saileti said.
President Michael Sata, today met 15 chiefs from Southern Province. This is according to a press statement made available to the media by State House.
The chiefs who held a closed-door meeting with the Head of State at State House include chief Mukuni, chief Nyama, chief Chikanta, chief Simwatachela, chief Singani, chief Macha, chief Sinazongwe, chief Chipepo, senior chief Monze, chief Hamusonde, chief Mwanachingwala, chief Simamba, senior chief Nalubamba, chief Shimbizi and chief Kaingu.
During the meeting the traditional leaders, who spoke through chief Chikanta thanked the President for the opportunity to engage him on several matters affecting the country.
“We would like to congratulate you Your Excellency for winning the 2011 tripartite elections and thank you most sincerely for what we consider as positive developments that your Government have effected in the last one year,” chief Chikanta said.
“We the 15 chiefs of Southern Province gathered here and on behalf of other chiefs in Southern Province do hereby state that we will work with the Government of the day and other stakeholders in promoting development and good governance in the country.”
The chiefs submitted that among the positive developments recorded during President Sata’s one year in office are:
(1) The streamlining of agriculture inputs and supplies to improve distribution to deserving small scale farmers.
(2) Creation of the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.
(3) Increasing of chiefs subsidies [from K1 million – K4 million] as well as retainers wages.
(4) Banning of tujijili and enforcing of laws regulating beer drinking.
(5) Relocating of Southern Province headquarters from Livingstone to Choma and the creation of four (4) new districts namely: Chirundu, Chikankata, Pemba, Zimba and many others in the country.
(6) Making Livingstone a tourist capital.
(7) Creation of Muchinga Province.
(8) Intention to construct chiefs’ palaces throughout the country and providing mobile phone towers in all chiefdoms.
(9) Economic empowerment to all chiefdoms by giving contracts such as bush clearing along power lines by Zesco among others.”
In response, President Sata, who was flanked by justice minister Hon. Wynter Kabimba, chiefs and traditional affairs minister Prof. Nkandu Luo and deputy minister in the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health Hon. Jean Kapata, assured the chiefs of his Government’s commitment in ensuring that development is taken to Southern Province.
“During the campaigns I promised the people of Southern Province that I will give them the Bottom Road immediately I am elected. Obviously, you have seen that works on the Bottom Road are moving very fast. Shortly, we will be moving to the Monze – Namwala Road once we organise resources,” the Head of State said.
“My Government is committed to address the problems facing our traditional leadership countrywide no wonder we resolved to give you a specific ministry [Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs] within our establishment.”
President Sata agreed with the chiefs’ concern on the need to have more interactions between the Government and the traditional leadership.
The President stressed that chiefs were a vital component in the governance of the country.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has condemned government’s decision to borrow USD 750 million Eurobond.
Mr. Hichilema stated that there is nothing for the PF government to be excited about following the successful issuance of the bond.
He said Zambia does not need to borrow from private lenders adding that the PF government could have generated more than USD 1 billion from the mining windfall tax in two fiscal years.
“In one fiscal year, Mwanawasa raised over USD 400 million, with today’s copper price, Zambia could raise over USD 600 million from the windfall and the increased mineral loyalty taxes and that is close to the USD 750 million they are singing about,” Mr. Hichilema said. [pullquote]“In one fiscal year, Mwanawasa raised over USD 400 million, with today’s copper price, Zambia could raise over USD 600 million from the windfall and the increased mineral loyalty taxes and that is close to the USD 750 million they are singing about,” Mr. Hichilema said.[/pullquote]
Mr. Hichilema advised the government to explore other prudent ways of mobilizing capital for infrastructural projects than rushing to the Euro market.
He warned that Zambia will quickly get into a debt trap which will negate all the gains the country has made following the HIPC debt relief.
Mr. Hichilema also cautioned PF leaders against reckless borrowing and mortgaging the future of the country.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president for administration Richard Kapita has also disclosed to the media that the Zambia Police Service has once again denied the UPND a permit to hold a rally in Mongu district this week.
This is the fourth time the Zambia police service is denying the UPND a permit to hold a public rally after the canceled Kanyama and Chawama rallies in Lusaka.
Mr. Kapita has noted that the security concerns being raised by the police have nothing to do with the UPND planned rally.
He has appealed to Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba to intervene in the matter. Mr. Kapita said that the UPND will not allow the Zambia Police Service to continue denying them an opportunity to interact with the people at grassroots level.
Meanwhile,GET Involved Zambia Executive Director Father Frank Bwalya has said that he was saddened the actions of police who had continued to deny the United Party for National Development (UPND) a permit to hold its public rallies in Lusaka.
Fr Bwalya said it was unconstitutional for the police to deny UPND with permits adding that the denial could create a bad image of all good developments that PF was achieving.
“It’s sad my heart bleeds to see police denying UPND with a permit. PF is doing a lot of good things for the country but the issue of trying
to block UPND from holding its rallies is not good,” Father Bwalya said
Bishop John Mambo has charged that the ruling Patriotic Front is slowly losing popularity.
Bishop Mambo has noted that the PF government seems to have departed from the promises made during campaigns.
He says it is important that the Michael Sata led government begin to live up to the promises it made to the Zambian people in run-up to last year’s elections.
He says if the Patriotic Front government is not careful, the Zambian people might decide to vote them out of office in the next elections.
Bishop Mambo however noted that the PF government has a strong team that is capable of delivering to the expectations of the people of Zambia.
Bishop Mambo has also advised politicians in the country to stop insulting each other using the media.
He has questioned what type of message politicians are sending to voters by openly insulting each other.
Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC) is targeting to employ about 700 new workers by next year.
ZNBC Director General Chibamba Kanyama says the national broadcaster is currently working on means of diversifying its broadcast content to meet the viewers’ needs.
He said ZNBC will ensure that it keeps itself away from being seen as perpetrators of propaganda but working to state facts as they come from its sources.
He said he is happy to hear of the positive responses from some opposition leaders who have so far appreciated the change in the way the institution was operating.
Mr. Kanyama told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that it is one of his major goals to ensure that he builds a professional media in ZNBC that will strike a balance in its content away from the bad image that the audience aligned the institution to.
He also stated that ZNBC was currently working with local film production houses to ensure that local content takes a led.
He disclosed that ZNBC has in the recent past been signing contracts with media institutions so that it can enhance its production and quality of programming on its channels.
He assured people in areas where the ZNBC signal is weak that will soon see a change as the institution slow moves into digital broadcast which he said will strengthen the reception of the signal in all parts of the country.
Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina talking to people in her constituency encouraging them to form business groups in order to enable them access grants and farming equipment from government.
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Inonge Wina talking to people in her constituency
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina addressing women and children in her constituency
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Inonge Wina tours the classroom currently being used by grade eight pupils of Mwandi basic School in Nalolo Constituency in Senanga district, Western Province.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina expresses disappointment at the kind of chalk board at Mwandi Basic School in her constituency.
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Pieces of black board in the classroom currently being used by grade eight pupils of Mwandi basic School in Nalolo Constituency in Senanga district, Western Province.
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A classroom at Mwandi basic School in Nalolo Constituency in Senanga district, Western Province.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina inspected school infrastructure and staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina inspects school infrastructure and staff accommodation during her visit to her constituency
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina inspects the staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina visits her constituency and inspects school infrastructure and staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina visits her constituency and inspects the staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina inspects the staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina inspects school infrastructure and staff accommodation.
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina came across this staff accommodation in her constituency during her tour
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina talks to patients at Sichli Rural Health Centre when she toured her constituency
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina talks to patients at Sichli Rural Health Centre when she toured her constituency
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Nalolo Member of Parliament Inonge Wina attempts to make a fire
President Michael Sata this morning stunned Chiefs from Southern Province after he ordered them to remove their hats before commencing a meeting at State House.
President Sata was meeting 15 Chiefs drawn from various districts in Southern Province at State House for a consultative meeting.
The agenda of the meeting which is now underway has not been revealed but State House insiders say the recent realignment of Chirundu and Itezhi Tezhi districts will be discussed.
The Chiefs are also expected to express their resentment over the purported tribal grouping known as Tongas under Oath.
President Sata who kept the traditional leaders waiting in the conference room from 08:30 Hours only emerged around 10 Hours and immediately started ordering the Chiefs to take off their hats.
President Sata also ordered some of the Chiefs who had taken the back row to move in front “so that everyone can see you.”
“Why are you hiding behind? Do you want to appear as if you are the Secretary of your Chiefs here? Come in front so that we all could see you,” President Sata ordered.
By the time of publishing, President Sata was having a closed door meeting with the Chiefs.
FORMER Minister of Finance and National Planning Ng’andu Magande
FORMER Finance minister Ng’andu Magande says he agrees with a Southern African Development Community (SADC) technical report that railway concessions in the region have generally been characterised by declining performance.
The report further states that the concessions of the railway in the region had led to the deteriorating state of infrastructure as well as massive retrenchments and reduced business cooperation amongst railways in certain areas.
Mr Magande said the cancellation of a concession agreement with Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) by the Government was a welcome move as it was in line with the concerns raised in the 2009 SADC Technical Report on Railway Concessions in the Region.
Mr Magande, who was reacting to Government’s decision to revoke the concession agreement of the RSZ, said in an interview that the 2009 SADC Technical Report covers all railway concessions in the region and such agreements seemed to have failed.
He said the report might have been submitted to former president Rupiah Banda’s administration and no action was taken.
“I hope that this report and another SADC ones are the basis of the action by the Sata Administration as it (the report) clearly indicates the failures of the RSZ agreement,” Mr Magande said.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda last week announced that Cabinet had compulsorily acquired the concession rights that were granted to RSZ and that the management of the railway network had been reverted to Zambia Railways Limited for the first time since 2003.
Mr Chikwanda said the move had been done in accordance with Cabinet’s mandate to safeguard the interests of the people of Zambia.
He said this measure was necessary because any additional delays would have resulted in further destruction of the railway assets, thereby making it more expensive for the planned upgrade of the railway necessary for it to meet regional and international standards.
He Chikwanda charged that RSZ had “blatantly” disregarded the provisions of the concession agreement signed in 2003.
Mr Magande said he started discussing the issue of RSZ agreement in 2003 when he joined the late Levy Mwanawasa’s administration.
“Being at the centre of Zambia’s development, I realised that a weak railway system would frustrate the country’s development.
“Through SADC Ministers’ meetings and in my earlier life I had become aware that other regional countries had cancelled railway concessions for non-performance,” Mr Magande said.
According to a technical report on the review of the effectiveness of railway concessions in the SADC region for the year 2009, a number of challenges seemed to have emerged following the concessioning of some railways in Southern Africa.
Some of the challenges include declining performance in certain areas, declining state of infrastructure, massive retrenchments, reduced business cooperation amongst railways in certain areas and reduced frequencies of passenger services.
However, the States subsidies to railways had been eliminated, thereby bringing about fiscal relief to the States concerned.
“As a result of the reduced capacity of such railways, some traditional rail traffic has since moved on to the road, causing immense damage to road pavements.
“The concessioned railways in the SADC region were each evaluated to determine if performance, both operational and financial, had improved since concessioning. Reasons for failure to achieve expectations were also examined,” the report states.
It states that several common causes were found in those concessions believed to be most lacking in performance.
“Failure to enact enabling legislation and to establish a railway regulator prior to concession. This was found to be the case in Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.
“To a lesser extent the same was true in Zimbabwe, but that concession is unique in its concession process,” the report states.
The other problem examined was failure to have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the concessionaire and Government as relates to infrastructure rehabilitation and investment.
This was found to be the case in Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.
“In the absence of enabling legislation and regulator, several concessions depended upon contract language to govern concession obligations. In most cases the contract language did not anticipate every circumstance and eventuality that might,” the report states.
File picture:Senior chief Kanongesha being carried on his traditional chair during the Chisemwa cha Lunda traditional ceremony in Mwinilunga
VICE-PRESIDENT, Guy Scott says the North-Western Province is a very important economic region and no longer a ‘Cinderella province’.
The Vice-President made these remarks when he officiated at this year’s Chisemwa Cha lunda traditional ceremony at Senior Chief Kanongwesha’s palace in Mwinilunga yesterday.
Dr Scott who made his fourth trip to the province in two months disclosed that President Sata had delegated him to frequently visit the province.
Dr Scott said apart from huge economic potential, North-Western was also culturally very rich and that he was very proud to be given the responsibility to visit the area regularly.
The Vice-President said there were a number of projects taking place in the province less than one year since the Patriotic Front (PF) government took over.
He said government had created Ikelenge district and several other districts would come in future.
“I want to assure you that we are committed to the development of the province, the district and the chiefdoms. We’ll never let you down as a government,” Dr Scott said.
Meanwhile, there was near confusion when alert security men briefly manhandled young submissional soldiers who surged forward towards the Vice-President as he was completing his official opening speech.
The youths who had small axes had moved forward to go and give Dr Scott the axes as a token of appreciation.
It was later explained by an official from the chiefdom that the gesture was the Lunda way of showing appreciation.
THE number of children in Zambia dying before their fifth birthday has declined by 57 percent since 1990, from 193 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births, to 83 in 2011.
World-wide, the number of children dying has nearly halved from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011.
This is according to new figures released by UNICEF which show that during the last two decades, the world has made huge strides in reducing child deaths through new vaccines, better health care, investments in education and strong commitments from governments.
Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Joseph Katema said the report made news that Zambia should be proud of.
“The story of child survival in the past two decades is one of striking success and unfinished business. Country after country has shown that prioritising and investing in child survival and improving children’s early years mean fewer deaths, better lives and long-term benefits for societies as a whole,” Dr Katema said.
The release by UNICEF and its partners, however, states that despite this progress, about 150-200 Zambian children still die every day from preventable causes.
The report also indicates that South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa carry the highest burden of child mortality and further tells that children from poor rural areas are more likely to die before their fifth birthday than those in urban areas.
In realisation of this, Dr Katema said a concerted push is needed to ensure that all children, no matter where and to whom they are born, survive and thrive.
“The good news is that we collectively have the knowledge, tools, treatments, and technology to save millions of lives every year” he shared.
“We know that the biggest killers of young children here in Zambia are pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, HIV and AIDS, and neonatal conditions – all causes that can be prevented or diseases that can be treated at a relatively low cost.”
The report also shows that inexpensive solutions such as vaccines against measles, polio and mother-to-child transmission of HIV, oral-rehydration salts and zinc to treating diarrhoea and antibiotics for pneumonia, lie within reach.
In addition, UNICEF studies show that when women receive proper prenatal care, and have access to skilled birth attendants and to emergency obstetric care, the benefits for mothers and their babies are enormous.
“But let me emphasise this: Saving lives is not only about health interventions. Access to improved water and sanitation, hand washing with soap, exclusive breastfeeding, and better nutrition for mothers and babies is crucial if we want to prevent the needless deaths of countless women and children,” maintained Dr Katema.
“Education is another part of the equation. A child born to a woman who can read is much more likely to live past his or her fifth year birthday than one born to an illiterate mother. Every extra year of a mother’s schooling reduces the probability of an infant dying by up to 10 per cent.”
The message is unequivocal said Dr Katema, adding that child deaths could radically be reduced in Zambia and the world over.
He said sound strategies, scale-up of known and effective interventions, adequate resources and above all, political will were imperative.
Under the banner of Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed, UNICEF and partners are inviting governments, civil society, faith based organisations and private sector to unite around the clear and compelling goal: to give every last child the best possible start in life.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Amos Malupenga
GOVERNMENT is taken aback by the civil society task force on freedom of information for accusing it of not being transparent.
Ministry of Information permanent secretary Amos Malupenga said if Government had not been transparent on the draft of the Access to Information (ATI) bill, it would not have constituted a task force.
“We came up with a taskforce in the name of transparency as Government and we put a team of civil society organisations to avoid suspicion,” Mr Malupenga said.
Mr Malupenga said in an interview yesterday that it was surprising that the same taskforce which he gave the freedom to choose a spokesperson and chose him (Mr Malupenga) has today gone to the press accusing Government of not being transparent.
Mr Malupenga said Government is committed to ensuring the ATI bill is launched for public scrutiny, debate and input.
He said before the end of this year, Government will launch the AIT bill as the Attorney General (AG) has finished going through the draft.
Mr Malupenga explained that the AIT bill would have been launched by now but was waiting for the input from the AG who has informed his ministry that few amendments need to be made to the draft bill.
He said: “The AG has perused the ATI draft bill and minor adjustments based on modern law are supposed to be done and this will be done this week.”
Mr Malupenga said the civil society task force should be sincere because the Patriotic Front (PF) government has made its stand clear concerning the Freedom of Information Bill and Independent Broadcasting Act (IBA).
He said his ministry has developed an open door policy and is ready for dialogue.
Mr Malupenga said on Friday, he met Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) officials who went to discuss with him on University of Zambia radio station.
He said after the discussion, he met MISA representatives and discussed the IBA and the Freedom of Information Bill.
