National Housing Authority has apologised to Vice President Dr Guy Scott for being locked up in the elevators for close to 30 Minutes on Sunday.

The vice president found himself locked up in a lift after featuring on the Radio Phoenix programme.

NHA Chief Executive Officer Elias Mpondela said that the firm has since placed orders for new elevators to replace old ones.

Mr Mpondela said that old elevators at Lusaka’s ZIMCO, Indeco, Findeco and Kulima Tower buildings will be replaced.

Mr. Mpondela has however not stated how much has been set aside for buying new lifts. He has told ZNBC News by telephone that NHA usually maintains its elevators through ZAL Elevators and that the lifts are old and sometimes things go wrong.

He said that investigations have been launched to establish what could have caused the lift to jam because they were maintained recently.

But tenants say they have on many occasions been subjected to use the staircase on their way to their offices because of faulty elevators.

They said that the lifts were only fixed this week because the Vice President was going to Radio Phoenix for a programme

On Sunday afternoon, Vice President Guy Scott was stuck in a lift for about 30 minutes at Lusaka’s ZIMCO House. Dr Scott who had just come from Radio Phoenix on the 12th floor where he featured on a live programme got stuck in the lift after it abruptly stopped on the 8th floor.

[pullquote]NHA Chief Executive Officer Elias Mpondela said that the firm has since placed orders for new elevators to replace old ones.[/pullquote]

The Vice President’s security had to break the grill door to rescue Dr Scott from the faulty lift. Dr Scott who appeared composed during the dramatic lock up, was made to use a different lift on his way to the ground floor.

The Vice President was stuck together with his security and a crew from ZNBC. Radio Phoenix General Manager Elizabeth Mwale Pemba who was visibly upset about the incident made several calls requesting for help from the firm that repairs elevators.

ZNBC

DR DAMBISA MOYO

As Zambia celebrates her 47^th independence ,we put a spotlight on a woman who is making her country proud and is an inspiration to many .

Dr Dambisa Moyo is an international economist who comments on the macro economy and global affairs.

She is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How there is a Better Way for Africa(2009) and How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly and the Stark Choices Ahead(2011).

 Moyo is also a regular contributor to financial journals such as The Economist and Financial Times and has appeared as a guest on networks such as CNN, CNBC , BBC , and FOX Business.

BACKGROUND

• Dr Dambisa Moyo was born (in 1969) and raised in Zambia.
•  In 1997, Moyo earned a Master of public administration (MPA) from Harvard University’s Kennedy school of Government.
•  She earned a Master of Business administration (MBA) in Finance and Bachelor of science (BS) in Chemistry from American University in Washington D.C.
•  She holds a Doctorate (DPhil –Doctor of Philosophy) in Economics from St.Antony’s College ,Oxford University; her 2002 dissertation is titled “Essays on the determinants of the components of savings in developing countries“

HER WORK

In her 2009 book Dead Aid , she discusses foreign aid and why African countries should not rely wholly on it for development. She is brutally honest about how “charity” is actually killing her country Zambia and other African countries.

Moyo explains that Aid is actually worsening the levels of poverty .Countries that were receiving the most amounts of Aid actually had very low average annual growth rates of -0.2%! In the last 30 years when the amount of Aid flowing into Africa were at its peak, poverty levels rose from 11% to un astounding 66%!

“Transferring large amounts of money from one government to another encourages corruption, creates Aid dependency, kills off exports and disenfranchises Africans,” says Moyo. The main problem is that, according to Moyo , “Many Africans are now addicted to Aid.”Foreign aid, in a way, brings up corrupt governments by providing them with freely usable cash. These corrupt governments interfere with the rule of law, the establishment of transparent civil institutions and the protection of civil liberties, making both domestic and foreign investment in poor countries unattractive. With fewer investments there is limited economic growth, which leads to fewer job opportunities and increasing poverty levels. In response to growing poverty, donors give more aid, which continues the cycle.

Dr Dambisa Moyo does not just criticize foreign aid ,she also highlights alternative sources of revenue for developing countries, such as ;

• private capital markets,
• foreign direct investment,
• trade,
• micro-enterprise lending
• remittances and private savings

That does not mean that Governments would stop being corrupt, but the corruption would be reduced due to the fact that there would less “free” money to throw around. People are more likely to be careful with money they have worked hard for as opposed to money they have been given.

Thus, in Moyo’s view, the starting point of helping Third World countries is to stop pretending that the Aid-based development model currently in place will generate sustained economic growth in the world’s poorest countries. She suggests telling Third World countries that the financial flow will end in five years. Other than temporary disaster relief, there will then be no more Western cash to underwrite African failure.

You may or may not agree with her views , but she does bring about some good points in her book . Our leaders should take time to read it.

Many people has good things to say about her work . She was invited to Rwanda by President Kagame to discuss her thesis and the President bought copies of the book for his entire. He says that “Dead Aid has given us an accurate evaluation of the aid culture today”.

ACHIEMENTS

• In 2009, Moyo was honored by the World Economic Forum as one of its Young Global Leaders .
• In May 2009, TIME Magazine named Moyo as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
•  In September 2009 Moyo was featured in Oprah Winfrey ‘s power list of 20 remarkable visionaries.
•  On March 14, 2011, Moyo spoke at the annual Observance ceremony marking Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey. She spoke on “Women as Agents of Change” in the presence of the Queen Elizabeth II , British Prime Minister David Cameroon and 2000 guests.
• In the same month The Daily Beat  also selected Moyo as one of “150 Extraordinary Women Who Shake The World” along with Hilary Clinton, Madeleine Albright  and others.

She is an inspiration to all Zambians especially women.

BY KAPA187

A 10-MONTH-OLD baby girl was shot in the arm in Ndola’s Twapia township on Saturday as baby-snatchers struggled with her parents. And police in Ndola have launched a manhunt for the three armed thieves who shot the baby.

Copperbelt acting commanding officer Milner Muyambango said the shooting happened around 22:00 hours. “Police have since launched a man hunt for a group of three people that were putting on black attire and masks, who confronted a couple and tried to snatch a baby from them around 22:00 hours in Twapia,” he said.

Mr Muyambango said after failing to grab the child from its courageous parents, one of the suspected bandits shot the baby in the arm. He named the baby as Queen Mwelwa, who is currently admitted to Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital.

A check at the health institution by a Mail team found the baby in a hospital bed. The baby had a bandage on her right hand, but was playing normally under the watchful eye of her mother, who was standing by the bedside.

Lucy Mwelwa, the mother of the baby, said she and her husband were going to visit a sick relative when the bandits attacked them. Mrs Mwelwa, who was in company of her husband at the hospital, said three people confronted them and tried to snatch the baby. She said the couple struggled with the suspected thieves and after the assailants failed to grab the baby, two of them ran away.

Mrs Mwelwa said the bandit who remained shot the baby’s arm. “I heard the gun shot, but I only noticed when the Chitenge material became wet because of the blood from the baby after she started crying,” she said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

LEADER of the opposition in the National Assembly Felix Mutati says political parties will work as a united force to offer constructive criticism to ensure the commitments made by the government are implemented.

Mr Mutati said the opposition will not work to frustrate the Patriotic Front government’s policies as alleged by some sections of the media. “The opposition is going to be positive in dealing with issues coming up in Parliament… our principal agenda is to deliver development to the people of Zambia,” Mr Mutati said.
He was speaking in an interview yesterday.

Mr Mutati, who is MMD Lunte member of Parliament, said the main item on the agenda of the opposition is to ensure Zambians benefit from the much-needed development.
He said the opposition will render support through constructive criticism to the government.

Mr Mutati, who is also former minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said President Sata’s speech to Parliament was development centred. He said the opposition will remind Government to implement the commitments it made for the people of Zambia.

“We also want to see a place in the budget for the pronouncement made on infrastructure development. We shall push them to work,” he said. Mr Mutati said the PF, being a new government, is bound to make mistakes, but that the opposition will not dramatise its errors.

“As they work they will make mistakes, but as a united opposition will not going to dramatise that,” he said. He said the opposition will offer checks and balances on a continuous basis on the commitments made on development.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

PRESIDENT Sata says his government will remain resolute on the fight against corruption to help put Zambia back on the path of social and sustainable economic development.
Mr Sata said corruption is a cancer which derails national development, and that meaningful sustainable development can only be achieved if the vice is wiped out of the country.

President Sata said this in his address to the nation last evening ahead of today’s Zambia’s 47th independence anniversary, whose theme is, Rejuvenating our Prosperity, Patriotism through the Fight against Corruption.

He said the Patriotic Front (PF) government has declared a zero tolerance to corruption because Zambia is in a hurry to develop and improve the lives of its citizens.
“Corruption is a cancer which delays and derails national development by fattening the pockets of a few selfish individuals at the expense of the majority.

“It is for this reason that the PF government intends to rejuvenate the fight against corruption and greed so that we may achieve prosperity and patriotism,” President Sata said.

He said the government will remain resolute to improving the lives of its people because of the overwhelming mandate that the Zambian people have given it to fulfill the promises made during the election campaigns and subsequent pronouncements.

President Sata said the Zambian people have lost their dignity in their own country because they have been deliberately impoverished through theft and plunder by the people in whom they entrusted their well-being.

President Sata said Zambia is in a hurry to move forward and hungry for development. The PF government has, therefore, declared zero tolerance on corruption to help build a better and prosperous nation.

“By putting us in office, your message was loud and clear. You wanted a better Zambia, a Zambia in which corruption, poverty, injustice and indignity are no more.
“A Zambia of equal opportunities for all, a Zambia where hard work, honesty, integrity and patriotism are not options but hallmarks of citizens’ commitment to the national cause,” he said.

President Sata said the PF government will remain firm on fulfilling all its election promises in realising its vision for a better Zambia. He said using the overwhelming mandate the people gave to the party, Government intends to ensure that it does all it can to uplift the living standards of the people.

“Today, the 24th October, 2011, we celebrate our 47th independence anniversary. It is a time when Zambians should have great joy and pride in themselves and their country.
“We celebrate our liberty and freedom from the shackles of colonialism, freedom from indignity and oppression that we suffered at the hands of our colonial masters. Indeed, freedom to govern and determine our own future, our destiny in building our own nation,” President Sata said.

He said even as the country celebrates 47 years of independence, Zambians should not trust in the arm of man, but thank God for his mercies for giving the people peace and unity despite the country facing many failures and challenges.

President Sata said Zambians should thank God for guiding the country peacefully through the September 20 tripartite elections as well as bringing the people together.
He said elections are now over and that the will of the majority has spoken, hence the need for all Zambians to pull together and put aside partisan interests and contribute effectively to national development.

President Sata called on all Zambians to join hands in working for a better Zambia for all.

“Let us spend our time as productively as possible while your government puts in motion policies and programmes that will trigger the creation of jobs, wealth and more money into people’s pockets.

“The independence we celebrate today was attained at a great cost. Our founding fathers and mothers spared nothing in freeing us from the yoke of colonialism. No pain was too hard for them to bear, no load was too heavy to carry, no life was too precious to lose for the cause of freedom, prosperity and dignity for mother Zambia,” he said.

President Sata said the independence anniversary is a time to renew people’s individual and collective commitment to building a better and more prosperous Zambia as envisioned by the country’s founding fathers and mothers.

He said the freedom is meaningless if it is not translated into better living standards through more jobs for the people.

President Sata called on all Zambians to renew their commitment to and patriotism in building a Zambia where every youth, every mother, every father, uncle and aunt will find a job, decent shelter, clothing and food.

[Zambia Daily Mail]