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Zambia’s human development has stagnated for over twenty years.
This is as a result of inappropriate macro-economic policies implemented in the 1970s and 1980s, which caused a decline in economic growth.
This has been revealed in the latest United Nations Development Programme-UNDP Report on Human Development.
The report states that the structural adjustment programmes sharply increased unemployment, reduced real wages and significantly increased the incidence of extreme poverty.
The Report says the positive economic growth which the country has experienced in recent years, is not enough to fully redress the decline in people’s standards of living.
Zambia’s human development index value for 2010 was 0.395 putting the country in the low human development category.
The Auditor General’s report for the year 2009 has revealed glaring irregularities in various parastatals.
Irregularities that have been cited include unretired imprest amounting to K1.4 Billion , 14 Billion Kwacha in unsupported payments and irregular payments totalling K 4 Billion.
Parastal bodies that have been found wanting include ZESCO, the Road Transport and Safety Agency -RTSA- and the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission -CEEC.
Others in the report include ZSIC, Judiciary headquarters, the State Lotteries Board and NATSAVE.
Other irregularities pertain to fuel amounting to 2 billion Kwacha.
The report also sites 1 Billion Kwacha which is unaccounted for and 10- Billion Kwacha of irregular procurements.
This is according to a statement released to ZNBC news on Thursday by Ellen Chikale the spokesperson in the office of the Auditor General.
President Michael Sata has castigated two clergy men who plan to hold a briefing to denounce him over the constitution making process.
Mr. Sata has said that Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia Executive Director Reverend Pukuta Mwanza and Bishop Simon Chihana intend to hold a press briefing to denounce the head of state.
President Sata said that the two supported the MMD before the elections and they have should not question his appointments.
And President Sata has reiterated his message that traditional rulers inciting people to rise against the PF- government were peddling lies about the Patriotic Front, in the runner up to the September 20 polls.
The President repeated the warning that any political or traditional leader in the North Western province inciting instability will be visited by the law.
President Sata said that it is disappointing that the traditional rulers inciting people to rise against government were lying to the people that if he wins the September 20 elections, he would send all people in the region to Angola.
President Sata said this when he swore in two members of the technical committee on the Constitution and the Permanent secretary for the ministry of commerce trade and industry on Thursday.
Those sworn in are Patricia Jere and Reuben Lifuka for the constitution technical committee and Stephen Mwansa as permanent secretary in the Ministry of commerce trade and industry.
THE district administration in Choma has identified an area where the provincial capital of Southern Province will be set up, Choma District Commissioner, Nkolola Hazemba, has said.
Mr Hazemba has urged investors to consider setting up more agricultural processing industries in Choma to add value to local produce.
He said in Choma yesterday that a piece of land had been identified where the capital of Southern Province would be located.
He said there were proposals to extend the current Boma premises where the district administration offices are situated to create room for the headquarters.
“We are proposing that the current Boma be expended while we are still identifying more land and the direction of growth for the town.
“In terms of water facilities, we have suggested other sources of water in addition to the current ones. We are hoping to be through with the identification of land by next week and then hand over the report to the provincial administration in Livingstone,” he said.
Mr Hazemba said the surveying of land would be done by the provincial administration in Livingstone once the proposals were approved.
He said Choma was expected to be expanded depending on residential and business areas which would be set up.
“We are cautious on relocation because Choma town is blended together and the cost won’t be too much if we just expand the current structures.
“If a new area was considered, that would entail putting up several new facilities, thereby pushing up the cost,” he said.
He said many people in Choma were happy about the Government’s decision to relocate the provincial capital from Livingstone to Choma.
Meanwhile, Mr Hazemba has urged investors to consider setting up more agricultural processing industries in Choma to add value to local produce.
He said since Choma was an agricultural town, the district administration would welcome more investors, especially in agricultural processing.
“So far, there are so many inquiries on investors wishing to come to Choma to set up their operations but I can’t give you further details until all procedures are finalised,” he said.
[Times of Zambia]
THE Supreme Court sitting in Ndola has upheld the death sentence of a 59-year-old village headman who was convicted of murder and aggravated robbery by the Kabwe High Court.
The court also confirmed a 35-year sentence of a 47-year-old peasant farmer of Luangwa District who was convicted of defiling a five-year-old girl.
Supreme Court justices Philip Musonda and Gregory Phiri ruled that the court could not interfere in the sentence as there were no mitigating circumstances in both the murder and robbery charges.
This was when they delivered judgment yesterday in the appeal case of headman Patson Hin’gandu of Chief Liteta’s area in Chibomba District, who murdered Kina Kayanda on October 7, 2006.
Hing’andu had appealed to the Supreme Court on both his conviction and sentence by the High Court.
In count one, he murdered Mr Kayanda while in the second count he robbed Mr Kayanda of a solar inventor and K5 million cash.
Facts of the case were that Mr Kayanda was attacked at his house where he was sleeping with his younger brother around 01:00 hours on the material date.
Hing’andu with other unknown people broke the door to the house and Mr Kayanda was dragged outside the house where he was shot. His brother managed to run away.
Hing’andu was identified by Mr Kayanda’s brother and other neighbours who managed to see him as he was leaving the house of the deceased armed with a gun.
And Joseph Mumba had his 35-year sentence for defilement confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Mumba, a peasant farmer, had appealed against the sentence by the Lusaka High Court, which he argued was harsh.
He was convicted of defiling a five-year-old girl on April 4, 2006 but he readily admitted the offence and was committed to the High Court where he was slapped with the 35-year sentence.
But the court ruled that the fact that Mumba was a first offender could not persuade it to be lenient on him.
The judges said Mumba did not miss the fact that the victim was a child of tender age when he committed the offence.
In the same court, a marketeer who abducted a 13-year-old girl and kept her locked up in his house for 10 months where he repeatedly defiled her until she became pregnant had his 15-year sentence substituted with a 20-year sentence.
Godfrey Siakangila, 34, of Miinga Farm in Kafue had appealed against his sentence by the Lusaka High Court.The court ruled that in its view, that was an aggravating circumstance which called for a higher sentence than the 15-year sentence meted out by the high court.
[Times of Zambia]
COMMITTEE of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire
CONFUSION surrounded the appearance of Committee of Citizens executive director, Gregory Chifire before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) yesterday with reporters from various media houses left speculating about the whereabouts of the man.
The reporters who had gathered outside the DEC offices after word went round that Mr Chifire would appear before the investigative agency, gave up and dispersed after they learnt that the outspoken NGO leader had actually presented himself and inconspicuously left the premises.
Earlier, Mr Chifire gave contradictory statements when he told the Times that he would not appear before DEC officers.
DEC spokesperson, Samuel Silomba, later confirmed that Mr Chifire was at the commission offices.
Mr Chifire later confirmed that he was questioned by officers from DEC for close to two hours over his allegations that President Sata’s son, Mulenga, recently acquired two luxury vehicles worth K1.8 billion.
“So you mean you did not see when I was leaving DEC. Sorry about that,” Mr Chifire said.
Reporters from Times and Zambia Daily Mail had camped outside the DEC offices from about 15: 30 hours to 19:00 hours.
Mr Silomba had, earlier in the afternoon, informed the media that Mr Chifire, the whistle blower, had presented himself to the DEC after being summoned.
By press time, Mr Silomba could not be reached for further comments on the matter as his mobile phone was off.
The DEC already interviewed Mr Sata (Mulenga) over the matter after he presented himself soon after the investigative wing sent out a call-out notice.
JUSTICE Minister, Sebastian Zulu has disclosed that his ministry has finished drafting the Cabinet Memorandum on the “irregular and corrupt” privatisation of Zamtel to Lap Green of Libya by the MMD government.
Mr Zulu said in Lusaka yesterday that he was just waiting for Cabinet to set a date on which the Cabinet memorandum would be tabled.
“We have implemented the President’s directive and we have finished drafting the Cabinet memorandum and I am just waiting for Cabinet to set a date,” he said.
The MMD government sold 75 per cent shares in Zamtel to Lap Green for US$257 million.
However, after assuming power shortly after the September 20 elections, President Michael Sata established a commission of inquiry into the sale of the parastatal company. Mr Zulu headed the tribunal.
The Sebastian Zulu-headed commission has since submitted its findings, which include an observation that the sale was irregular and enmeshed in corruption.
President Sata then directed the minister of Justice to draft a Cabinet memorandum so that a decision on the future of Zamtel could be made.
(The author is a research scholar at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, USA)
Good scholarship is a great thing. Half-baked scholarship is dangerous, sometimes fatal. The one unmistakable identifying feature of true scholarship is that it knows no ceiling. The learning process continues especially after graduating out of the factories of formal education. And true scholars know that you cannot put down Wikipedia as a reference. I have your attention? Good, then try this for size:
Locus standi is:
A part of your body you never talk about in the presence of children
A Latin word your drunkard lawyer uncle uses at least once every 3 minutes after clocking 4 Mosis
Another name for Ground – Zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack
A legal term of Latin origin denoting legal standing before a court
A village in Armenia
Given that the University of Zambia (UNZA) was about 6 weeks ago ranked 69th in the African universities league table, that the Great East Road Campus of UNZA and Evelyn Hone College are persistently rocked by demonstrating students and NRDC is closed indefinitely, there are some of you, dear readers, who may be wondering what I have been smoking.
I take some comfort in that my above stated vision is not as wild as the Wright brothers’ dream to fly was at the beginning of the 19th century. Their idea did and continues to literally fly – no, soar in the face of grinning skeptics. But flying is getting old hat and we have been to the moon. Three weeks ago a very smart robot left earth heading for the planet Mars. This robot is very likely the final prep of a manned Mars mission. The astronauts for that mission were about two month ago released from an 18 month period of isolation equivalent to the duration of time that mission will take. For those who have been smoking something stronger than I have, the first point is that the initial idea, the dream stepped on the shoulders of another dream and viewed the promised land. The second point awaits you in the next paragraph.
When the first manned moon landing was televised worldwide on the 20th of July 1969, it did not matter whether it was the Russians or the Rwandans who got there first. It did not matter what nationality you where. Tribe was even more irrelevant on that momentous day. The point that mattered is that WE, COLLECTIVELY as an intelligent species had managed to travel to and from another astronomic body.
A single day does not pass by that tribalism (real or imagined) is evoked by a Zambian on several of our most frequented web sites. The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate that genuine education, true scholarship, is a better remedy for the divisions (real and imagined) that are with increasing frequency being given voice to on the Zambian landscape. Some of those who point the finger of tribalism are perhaps sore losers in the September election (they also have a rabid fixation on something about 90 days – the PF are human and will only fulfill some of their 90 day promises – just get on with your own life if you have one). Please be reminded that democracy is by implication the oppression of the minority – so deal with the loss of your cherished expectations constructively (even if this process already involves the police). It is a little too early to pass judgment of a new leadership and we thankfully have a listening government who will tell you why a particular target has delayed. One day we will long for pragmatic leadership such as we have today, leadership that is thirsty and hungry to set matters right in the shortest possible time. The measure of true leadership must be performance, not how few Tongas where appointed into government positions.
In keeping with good scholarship, I would like the record to show that I have no hidden agendas, conflicting interests and am not looking for a job. I may change my mind about the job if your offer betters my current circumstances. The only plea I wish to submit is this – we have tried the apparently normal and it didn’t work; seems to me the season is ripe to try the allegedly abnormal.
To rub salt into the wound, we the people of Zambia collectively dared to renew our subscription to our dream for a better life when we elected a new party into leadership. The founders of our nation can tell you of the good not so old colonial days when it was impossible for a native Northern Rhodesian to enter a shop and all black people could only buy goods from a small window at the back of the shop. The times when our parents and grand-parents were mere labourers in the country that was their own. The last managers of the company called Zambia treated it like a loss making company in rapid liquidation. And we the share holders were treated like imbeciles who could be bribed with what in the first place belonged to us. I can understand the frustration and apparent lack of diplomacy of the new managers to set things straight after prolonged and very unnecessary suffering.
The United Nations Charter on Human Rights is unequivocally clear on the rights of children to education. The current government has shifted priorities for the better. Literacy rates during the MMD tenure of office increased only marginally, female literacy lagging behind (http://www.indexmundi.com/zambia/literacy-rates-of-15-24-years-old.html). There is a higher budget allocation for the education sector compared to previous priorities, but sustained advocacy targeting female education must be heard, seen and demonstrated. There is a relationship between the community levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and female literacy rates; please do not look in Wikipedia for this one – just listen to “Single ladies” by Beyonce.
The leadership of the flagship of Zambian education (the University of Zambia) has traditionally been left to political abuse with previous presidential office bearers being so bold as to allocate themselves land on “sacred” university grounds. There is urgent need to break away from this tradition and allow the institution intellectual and economic independence. The two aspects are easily achievable by selecting a Chancellor on merit (and a proven track record) who can turn around the battered institution with once only seed money (and generate subsequent or future funding from research grants) and a stiff time frame. The UNZA Medical School should be financially detached as soon as possible from Great East Road administration and be given the resources it produces to improve itself, and attract and retain world class medical educators.
The urgency of turning around the University of Zambia lies in that it is the most likely candidate institution to provide standards, checks and balances to all the other institutions that are ear marked to be upgraded to university or other higher level. My argument being, how do you expect to run other universities when you are failing to run the one that has been in existence longest? It will require a pathologic obsession with high standards to break away from the current epidemic of intellectual stagnation. This is not a task for party cadres, however glorified because it will invariably generate conflict with old habits.
A street in Lusaka
An expanding population of children and young adults left out in the intellectual gap are already knocking on our doors demanding a world class education that will allow them to proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the best students anywhere in the world. Numerous ill-equipped and badly regulated schools, colleges and universities have sprung roots over rocky ground and these need to be closely monitored. Private nursing schools that admit unqualified students to make a quick buck never-mind-the-patients-they-will-be-looking-after have sprouted all over Lusaka. The pattern holds true for all other educational areas catering for essential skilled and semi-skilled categories. High standards must be set and the only prevailing standard right now is unfortunately how much the student can pay to gain entry.
In conclusion, the education of our children reflects directly on who we are, what we aspire to as individual family units, as a community and as a nation. We cannot ignore the fractures within the fabric of our society and the deepening polarization of the country that resulted from the Mongu shootings and too many other matters of justice delayed; justice demands that those responsible come clean – silence is not an option. Our claim to be a Christian nation is held in question by those whose lives were lost due to excessive use of force and live ammunition. Education starting with an honest acknowledgement of our state of ignorance and the pain and suffering that this ignorance inflicts on others is the best remedy for the real, apparent and superficial divisions amongst us (such as tribal background). Education is a priority that we ignore at our own peril.
The opposition must continue to demand high standards of the party in power and provide constructive criticism. The fight against corruption may have been initially started as a reaction by corrupt politicians to save their own skins, but the standard has been raised higher by a man who will not tolerate corruption within the ranks of the first family itself, is happy to pay his own hotel bill and can jump on a mini-bus like the rest of us out of consideration that government costs can easily be minimized to pull the poor amongst us a little higher (hallmarks of someone who had an NDE); we owe this man our respect and support regardless of how we voted – if he makes a mistake (as we all do), point it out respectfully. Let us give him the time to perform the task given to him and judge him based on the performance of the team he has surrounded himself with. To achieve the vision of “One Zambia, one nation” will require the union of mind and spirit. We may have stumbled along the way, but our feet are stronger and sturdier, our intellects wiser from the lessons learnt.
By way of diversion, Lusaka is too small a city (population 1.3M) to have the work force stuck in traffic for hours on end. Replacement of traffic lights at key junctions with round-abouts (allowing traffic to regulate itself as opposed to load insensitive traffic lights) and a flat out commitment to complete a ring road (6 months max) are not farfetched. Oh, and while we are at it, can someone tell me why we are even paying carbon tax when the air quality in Lusaka is actually getting worse? The Road Traffic people may improve Lusaka air quality by simply making it mandatory to have all cars fitted with approved catalytic converters and have regular inspection and certification to see that emissions from each car are within the required limits. Measurement of air quality is fairly standard protocol and any self-respecting meteorological unit can easily purchase the equipment on the likes of e-bay.
I know we are not before a court of law, but this is my locus standi. What’s yours? I sincerely hope it is not one of a sore loser or a tribalist and that you have enough to do in your own life to not get fixated on someone else’s 90 day commitment which will clearly not be fulfilled to the letter.
Successful publisher Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quit a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. And the entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived. When Will investigates the tragedy, his only lead comes from Ann Paterson (Naomi Watts), a neighbor who was close to the family that died. As Will and Ann piece together the disturbing puzzle, they discover that the story of the last man to leave Will’s dream house will be just as horrifying to the one who came next.
PRO’S
An entertaining movie with a good story line.
Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz had good chemistry.
CON’S
The movie has a slow start and takes some time to gain momentum.
After the twist is reviled the movie starts to drag and appears to be going in no particular direction , you will be thinking “..ok now what..”
It is a predictable movie.
FAVORITE QUOTE’S
Trish: Everybody who lives in this house gets killed.
Libby Atenton(Racheal Weisz): How could the neighbors not have said anything to us?
CONCLUSION
The bad thing about this movie is the whole plot including the twist is given away in the trailer , so you will already know what is going to happen. Its not very scary as far as horrors go, but it is enjoyable . I honestly expected more from Daniel Craig , this was not one of his best movies.
Jonas Sakuwaha has been ruled out of local Zambia training camp for two weeks due to injury.
The news means that the striker from 2011 Sudan league champions El Merreikh will miss Zambia’s friendly away to Angola on December 18 in Doudo.
Zambia team doctor Joseph Kabungo said Sakuwaha has an injured on his left knee.
Dr Kabungo said Sakuwaha arrived in camp with the injury that he sustained while in action at El Merreikh.
The Doctor said a scan will be carried out on the striker’s knee on Thursday following a preliminary examination today.
Sakuwaha did not even train with the rest of his team mates on Wednesday at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Meanwhile, Konkola Blades defender Thomas Nyirenda has been certified fit.
Dr Kabungo said Nyirenda had recovered from his knee injury sustained before Zambia’s November 15 friendly away to Nigeria.
Lusaka based FIFA referee, Wilson Mpanisi has retired at the age of 45.
Mpanisi announced his retirement in an exclusive interview with LT
Sports in Kitwe, after officiating Saturday’s Barclays Cup Final
between Power Dynamos and Konkola Blades.
He stated that he has quit refereeing in order to give opportunities
to upcoming match officials in the country and described his
refereeing career as a success.
Mpanisi has since urged upcoming referees to be disciplined.
“I think have done what I am supposed to do. I have been in this
business of refereeing for the past 28 years and I think after
refereeing there is more I can do in football,” he said.
“I have done my part let the younger ones pick it up from where I
have left and I am happy my last game has been a cup final,” Mpanisi
added.
File:Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu doing a sack race during the launch of the (SADC) and Integrated Campaign on Malaria, Maternal, Newborn Child Health Nutrition week at Mongu Independence Stadium in Mongu
Government has dismissed rumors circulating suggesting that there is tension between the Patriotic Front government and the Litunga also that a team of paramilitary was sent to Barotseland.
He told a media briefing in Mongu that the PF government has not sent any paramilitary officers in the district since it came to power.
The Minister said the only security officers he recalls coming to Mongu was a brass band that came to play during this year’s Independence Day celebrations at the stadium.
“I remember Luena Barracks brass band having come to Mongu during this year’s Independence Day celebrations specifically to play music for us and not to be sent to Barotseland as claimed by some people,” he added.
Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu said BRE has welcomed the PF government at different government forums and has already made it clear that the establishment is committed to work with the government of the day.
Mr. Mubukwanu who is also ruling PF’s Mongu Central Member of Parliament described as cheap propaganda rumours that government has tension with the Litunga adding that it was just mere internet gossip.
“This is what crazy people are busy putting on the internet, the BRE has welcomed our government with two hands, I mean you yourselves as JournalistS have seen them attend and participate in many government programmes since we came into power not so?” Mubukwanu said.
Mr. Mubukwanu said both BRE and the PF government are responsible citizens whose main objective is to ensure that Western Province is developed and has since advised all not to listen to people whose intentions are to mislead the nation with lies.
He emphasized that the Patriotic Front government is in good books with the Litunga and the Barotse Royal Establishment as a whole.
President Michael Sata has warned that the law will be fully applied on politicians who are mobilising and inciting chiefs and people in North-Western Province to revolt against the Patriotic Front (PF) which was duly elected government.
This is contained in a press statement released to the media by special assistant to the president for Press and public relations George Chellah.
According to the statement, the President has been briefed on the subversive activities by some known opposition politicians inciting their royal highnesses in the region to make demands that are tantamount to black-mailing government on some issues including public service appointments pertaining to the provincial administration of North-Western Province.
At a Provincial Council of Chiefs Meeting held on 3rd December 2011 in Kabompo, chiefs presented two documents that contained demands that are identical to the ones being championed by a group seeking to undermine the PF government so that on-going corruption investigations against them could be stopped.
The President warns that no citizen, regardless of their status in society must abuse the freedom of speech and association to engage in activities promoting a revolt against a democratically elected government.
“My government was elected with a clear mandate to steer the affairs of state for the next five years and those with grievances have an option to seek legal recourse but not to mobilise any section of society into a revolt or any other subversive activities. This borders on treasonable acts and the law will take its course,” President Sata says.
“Whilst acknowledging that some regions of the country did not vote for us and that does not mean we have no jurisdiction over those areas. And that does not mean we are sidelining any region. We are doing our very best to allocate resources and appointments equitably.”
The President notes the order of an electoral democracy is such that those who lose elections are expected to remain loyal to the fundamental legitimacy of the state by accepting the will of the people expressed through the ballot. Whilst legitimate opposition is to be tolerated, the President does not accept that some people must take advantage of the broad freedoms government has provided to undermine the basic foundations upon which the unity of the state is built.
“Zambia is a unitary state derived from the constitution as the supreme law of the land and it shall remain as such. Our government will always remain open to genuine dialogue on national issues but will not be blackmailed,” President Sata says.
“On that basis, as Commander-in-Chief, I have instructed the security wings to deal with anybody inciting any form of instability. No one must use this transition period to destabilize the country. We have just come from the polls and people expressed their free will and no one has a right to frustrate that collective resolve.”
Meanwhile the President has advised some elements seeking to cause confusion over the ongoing process to resolve the problems in Western Province to keep away from such activities.
Sports minister Fackson Shamenda has told Faz to shape-up before heading to the Africa Cup in January.
Shamenda said this at the Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka on Wednesday morning that Government has no problems supporting sports associations as long as they had good administrators.
“We shall give all the necessary support to the players and to the team. All we are saying is the administrators, if they are doing the wrong things, honestly I would rather not go the Africa Cup than go with an undisciplined bunch of persons because our performance cannot be guaranteed success there,” Shamenda said.
Shamenda has been critical in the manner in which ex-Zambia coach Dario Bonetti was fired and later the hiring of Herve Renard, the latter whom Government says it will not foot his salary.
“Government has always been funding these (National team) programs all we are asking for is for sanity to prevail,” he said.
“Even if they (FAZ) have the money it is important to consult, this is sport. Football is like a religion in our country so it’s important for all us. We need to listen to everybody football is not about football administrators and the players.”
Reports that Zamtel management is resisting to be audited by the Auditor General Anna Chifungula have shocked Transparency International Zambia -TIZ-.
TIZ President Reuben Lifuka says it is unfortunate that Zamtel is not opening its doors to the auditor general, despite the 25% stake that Zambia holds in the telecommunications company.
Mr. Lifuka was speaking on Tuesday in an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka.
Media reports emerged recently that Zamtel is resisting to be audited by the Auditor General.
Auditor General Chifungula said Zamtel was resisting because the government was a minority shareholder.
The auditor general has since written to Attorney General Mumba Malila seeking legal opinion on the Zamtel audit.
[ZNBC]
