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A 72-year-old woman has died after a man torched the house of his in-laws in an attempt to kill his estranged wife and three children.
Six other people, including three children, managed to escape unhurt from the burning grass thatched house.
The 35-year-old man identified as Phenias Bwalya Mwele later committed suicide after setting the house ablaze.
The incident happened over the weekend in Mtima Village in Chief Chimese’s area of Mansa District.
Mable Mwenda who is the sister to the deceased, and Stanley Mwele the elder brother to the late Phenias both confirmed the tragic incident.
Ms Mwenda named her deceased sister as Emily Chibale.
Narrating the incident, Ms Mwenda said she and her husband saw a bright light in one of the rooms to their grass thatched house.
She said when they woke up to investigate the glowing light they discovered that the roof of the house was on fire.
She said when they tried to open the door to the house they failed to do so as it appears someone had tied it from outside.
She said they later woke up their three grandchildren and managed to get them out of the house through a small window.
Ms Mwenda said she, her husband and their daughter who was Phenias’ wife also managed to escape from the gutted house through the small window.
However, she narrated her deceased sister got stuck in the small window due to her big body size and was engulfed by the fire as they watched helplessly.
Ms Mwenda said her son-in-law Phenias Mwele had left a note in which he indicated that he was going to burn their house because his wife, who is her daughter, had refused to reconcile with him.
According to Ms Mwenda, her daughter Florence had separated from the husband Phenias due to physical abuse.
She said her son-in-law had visited them to try and reconcile with Florence who refused.
She said Phenias then threatened to deal with his wife once and for all.
Phenias’s brother Stanley Mwele also confirmed finding the letter left by his late young brother in which he notified them about his intentions.
He said his young brother had differences with his wife but he did not know Phenias had any intention to commit arson and later kill himself.
Mr. Mwele said that Phenias took vegetables from his garden and cycled into town to supply them to marketeers.
In the evening Phenias is said to have phoned his cousin to inform him that he had set the house of his in-laws on fire.
Mr. Mwele said Phenias also informed his cousin that he was also going to commit suicide because the police were now after him.
He said Phenias was found dead in his aunt’s house after taking suspected poison.
SOLWEZI Town Clerk Jim Zya says the construction of the new Solwezi town has commenced, with South Africa’s construction company Africana expected to build 500 houses, shops and schools.
MrZya said in an interview in Solwezi on April 5 that the new Solwezi town will be located between the turn-off in Chief Kapijimpanga’s area and the old Chingola road, about three kilometres from Solwezi.
Mr Zya said Africana will construct high quality houses and highrise flats, a replica of some apartments in South Africa.
He also disclosed that apart from Africana constructing houses for the new Solwezi town, the commissioner of lands has also reserved land for the construction of satellite towns.
He said the National Housing Authority and NAPSA will each construct 100 houses, while another 8,000 houses will be built in satellite towns under the Private Public Partnership (PPP).
“We have also reserved land for the council to construct 100 houses to be rented out to the public,” he said.
Mr Zya said the new Solwezi town is expected to be completed by 2015.
He also said the construction of the first shopping mall in the province will commence as soon as the council completes relocating the old show ground to a new site.
HE HAD no office, but used a truck he had bought from his earnings as an office. It was from this ‘office’ that Joseph Neene Nakaanga sold his charcoal and mushrooms.
But today, he smiles as he manages his three companies from the comfort of a spacious and air-conditioned office in Lusaka.
He minded less about people’s comments then that he was driving aimlessly in the streets with a second- hand truck. This perception gave him confidence and was a stepping stone to success.
Nakaanga says it sounds easy today that he is running three companies namely Citimop Limited, Kaleya Trade Limited and Safer Foods Traders with his siblings whom he teamed up with to fight the pitfalls of life by simply working hard and ensuring their dreams were not shot down by failure.
[pullquote]“Many people think that it is money that will make them rich but it is the idea that you need to create wealth in life. I had an idea which I sold to my brothers and we started our first company, Citimop Limited in 1999,”[/pullquote]
He never thought that one day he and his siblings would run businesses but one thing he was certain of, was that poverty should not be allowed to be ‘a guest’ in their family. He comes from a humble Christian family which values hard work.
He says for one to be successful in business, he or she does not need to have a lot of money but bankable ideas coupled with good values that can propel their business aspirations.
Nakaanga, who was born on September 14, 1964, explained that attaining his dream to be a business man did not come easily.
He says it was not how much money he invested in the businesses but how many bankable ideas and what he invested in them that mattered.
“Many people think that it is money that will make them rich but it is the idea that you need to create wealth in life. I had an idea which I sold to my brothers and we started our first company, Citimop Limited in 1999,”
He said he bought a second-hand small truck after getting his US$3,200 (K10 million then) retirement package from Galaun Holdings Limited in 1992. He did not directly manage the company but his brothers did.
Nakaanga earlier on graduated from the Copperbelt University in 1988 and got his first job as a graduate assistant accountant at Galaun Holdings Limited where he worked for four years.
In 1992, he joined Horizon Communication Systems Limited where he worked for five years with his last appointment being finance and administration manager.
He left Horizon Communication Systems and joined the hospitality industry in 1997 when Lake Hotels Limited hired him as its chief accountant and company secretary but he did not stay there long.
In the same year, Nakaanga went back to Galaun Group of Companies where he worked as management chief accountant until 2005 when he resigned to focus on his company, Citimop Limited.
“In April 2005, I decided to concentrate on my private business, Citimop, a company I founded as managing director and chairman in 1999,” he says.
He said establishing the company was not easy, especially that at first its offices were a second-hand truck where mushroom and charcoal were sold from.
The mushroom and charcoal business was not viable, so the company went into waste management, a service sector where Nakaanga had never ventured before although his passion to live a better life compelled him to try a new business venture.
“Citimop emerged from the inability of the Lusaka City Council (LCC) to service the entire city adequately. This created a gap which needed to be filled,” he says.
He recalls that a number of small companies sprung up in a bid to meet waste management needs in the city but some failed because of various reasons, including inadequate and inappropriate transportation systems.
His company was also dogged with its challenges such as the demotivated staff that had to work from a truck with less pay but he used to tell his workers one day the company would grow big. But did the firm grow?
[pullquote]“Citimop emerged from the inability of the Lusaka City Council (LCC) to service the entire city adequately. This created a gap which needed to be filled,” he says.[/pullquote]
“Doubt not, today, Citimop employs 36 staff servicing about 2000 households and 400 corporate clients within Lusaka city,” he says.
Nakaanga says in 2003, LCC with the support of the Danish government decided to introduce a waste management system under the Lusaka Solid Waste Management System Unit (LSWMU).
The aim of the LSWMU was to empower private solid waste enterprises to manage the waste throughout Lusaka urban.
As opposed to watching from the terraces, Nakaanga sensed the opportunity and started providing the waste management services to the city populace.
“Our vision is to be a leading integrated waste management company in Zambia, pioneering environment-friendly waste management processes in order to deliver sustainable waste solutions for our client,” he says.
He explains that the company’s integrated approach to waste management endeavours to deal with a complete spectrum of issues affecting clients such as commercial waste being generated by shopping centres and office blocks.
Nakaanga says he has a dedicated team he groomed as he believes that for every business to grow, different skills are needed to enhance the vision and the objectives of the company.
“Citimop is run by a board which is chaired by me as the chief executive officer. The composition of the board is indicative of the company’s ambition to be the leading waste management company in Zambia,” he says.
He says as the company was growing, he decided with his siblings to start two more companies Kaleya Trade Limited and Safer Foods Traders in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Talking about his family and poverty, he remembers the hurdles his family went through when he was a toddler. Poverty visited and forcibly entered the home of his parents, who were devoted Salvation Army church officers.
His father, Shaderick Nakaanga, and his mother, Daka Nakaanga, cherished hard work and honesty but poverty did not spare them despite being Christians.
“At a tender age, I used to sell munkoyo – a local refreshing drink – and fish in the street with my eight siblings. After selling, I remember we could give all the money to my mother,” he says.
Nakaanga says his parents disliked poverty but they cherished honesty and hard work in life and these values were passed on to all the children.
“My father, despite being a Salvation Army officer, was a welder who worked with his hands but I did not want to be like him. I wanted to be in an office when I finished school,” he reflects.
He says his father left him with nothing but these words, “We never see each other (Nakaanga) but I will give you something no-one will take away from you. I will give you education.”
He recalls that when his father died in 1987, their relatives grabbed property leaving them without anything and heart-broken. But he soldiered on and got the necessary education to improve not only his status but his family as well.
He says life is full of ups and downs but what keeps the people especially those in the business fraternity moving, is the will to triumph over poverty and failure.
Nakaanga said education is not a substitute to success and encourages everyone to continue improving thier lives.
To this effect, he is a proud man who, in addition to his bachelor’s degree in accountancy and finance he got from Copperbelt University this year, is completing his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Mancosa in South Africa.
He says he does not only manage businesses and study but also offers his expertise as a licentiate member to Zambia Institute of Certified Accountants (ZICA) and has membership with the Zambia Institute of Directors as well.
Nakaanga says he is also the current president of the Solid Waste Association of Zambia, an association which is dealing with the country’s waste management.
He says any person who wants to succeed in life should not abandon education because of poverty but they instead should cherish books to be winners in life.
The 2010 Barclays Cup final will finally take place this weekend after a seven-month delay due to upheavals at Faz.
Two-time winners Zesco united and Zanaco, who will be playing in their first Barclays Cup final, will clash at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka this Saturday.
Record Barclays Cup champions Zesco will be aiming for third title.
Zesco ousted 2009 champions Power Dynamos in the 2010 semifinals last October to secure their final berth while Zanaco beat promoted Lime Hotspurs 5-4 on post-match penalties after a scoreless draw to reach their first Barclays Cup final.
QUICKSILVER TAKES CHARGE AT POWER.
Beston ‘Quicksilver’ Chambeshi has been appointed as Power Dynamos head coach.
Chambeshi was until his appointment assistant to Fordson Kabole.
Kabole, who previously coach Nchanga Rangers and Dynamos of Zimbabwe and Konkola Blades, will now take up his new role as technical advisor.
The former Nkana coach began his first day on the job last Sunday with a 2-1 home win over promoted Green Eagles at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
CHILEMBI TRAINING WITH CHINGALIKA
Staying with Power, Nchanga theme, former Zambia, Nchanga and Power defender Laughter Chilembi is training with Faz Division 1 North club Kitwe United.
Chilembi attended his first training session at Garden Park on Tuesday.
The defender was released by Power last year after three seasons at Arthur Davies.
Meanwhile, United have appointed former Nkana assistant coach Fred ‘Schemer’ Siame as acting coach.
This follows the suspension of Lawrence ‘Big Jim’ Mweemba together with his assistant Wisdom Kaira for alleged gross insubordination.
Mweemba and Kaira are still awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing over their fate but confusion reigns as to why United are operating with two team managers in the wake of the suspensions after long serving team manager Fred Zimba was recalled after being cleared in the same case.
WEEKEND SCORECARD
Forest Rangers 1(Malar Besa 30″)-Roan United 2(Graven Chitalu 27″, Lyson Sikaonga 70″)
Postponed:
Zesco United-Kabwe Warriors
Nchanga Rangers-Zanaco
2012 Olympic Games Football Tournament Qualifiers First Round, Second Leg
03/04/2011
Kigali
Rwanda 0- Zambia 1(Felix Nyaende 77″)*
Zambia advance 3-0 on agg
03/04/2011
Orange CAF Confederation Cup First Round, Return Leg
President Rupiah Banda has gone through unopposed as MMD party president, while the position of Party Vice President has been scrapped off.
MMD Convention Electoral Commission Chairperson Christopher Mundia announced the development at the convention this evening.
Mr Mundia has also announced that six National Executive Committee members have gone through unopposed.
These are Commerce Trade and Industry Chairperson – Felix Mutati, Finance and Economics – Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu and National Vice Chairperson Kabinga Pande.
Others are Party Chairman Michael Mabenga and National Youth Treasurer Evans Chibanda.
And Aspiring candidate for the MMD National Youth chairman Kelvin Sampa has been disqualified for not being in good standing with the party.
Meanwhile the delegates erupted with joy as the Chairperson announced the election of President Banda as party president.
The Convention has also upheld the expulsions of former Members of parliament Ngandu Magande for Chilanga, George Mpombo for Kafulafuta and Jonas Shakafuswa for Katuba and former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti who was nominated by the president at the time of his tenure in parliament and cabinet minister.
MMD vice National Secretary Chembe Nyangu announced this when he presented the joint Chairman and National secretary report to the convention.
The filling in of nominations for national executive committee positions closed at 13 hours.
Meanwhile the delegates attending the second MMD extra ordinary convention have amended the party constitution.
This means that in future filing in of nominations will be done ten days before the day of the elections.
Previously the MMD party constitution allowed those intending to contest for National Executive Committee positions to file in their nominations 24 hours before the day.
The delegates have also resolved that the National Executive Committee-NEC be given powers to expel members who have passed through a disciplinary process.
Voting for NEC positions takes place on Wednesday.
Mufumbwe Member of Parliament Elliot Kamondo has filed in his appeal in the Supreme Court against the nullification of his election by the Lusaka High Court.
This comes after the recent consent judgment by the Supreme Court to allow Mr Kamondo to file the records of appeal.
The court had earlier restored the High Court’s verdict to nullify the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election results following an application by the petitioner Mulondwe Muzungu.
Mr Muzungu had asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Mr Kamondo’s appeal contending that he had not adduced before the court that his appeal would succeed.
He also stated that the appeal was not meritorious.
Mr Muzungu also contended that Mr Kamondo had not filed the records of appeal on time.
However the Supreme Court gave leave to Mr Kamondo to re-apply for the stay of the High Court’s verdict on his parliamentary by-election results.
The court directed that the fresh application should be made before the full bench of the Supreme Court judges.
Mr Muzungu of the MMD lost to Mr Kamondo of UPND during the Mufumbwe Parliamentary by-election last year.
The Lusaka High Court nullified the election results on December 15, 2010 after a protracted hearing of the petitions by Mr Muzungu.
The petition was premised on the pretext that the by-election was marred with unprecedented violence.
President Rupiah Banda officially opened the MMD National convention at the Mulungushi Rock of Authority, in Kabwe today, with a call to members to demonstrate the party’s democracy and unity.
The official opening which was characterised by colorful dances from various artists was attended by former presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba among other several invited delegates.
The president called on the delegates to elect credible people to the Party’s national executive committee.
The president said the elections should be held in a peaceful and dignified manner.
The president said that the country goes to the polls this year and the MMD as a democratic party should hold its internal elections in a transparent and fair manner.
Meanwhile, President Banda has warned that the party will not hesitate to disqualify or discipline any party member who will misbehave by not following party regulations.
The president has reiterated his call for none violence. He said the party will deal sternly with any party member who will be found advocating violence.
President Banda called on MMD members to take the lead in conducting peaceful campaigns ahead of this year’s tripartite elections.
Mr Banda said that party members should not engage in violent activities as the country goes to the polls later this year. Mr Banda said that MMD members should ensure that economic gains recorded over the years are not lost.
The President was also hopeful that opposition political parties will encourage their members to advocate peaceful campaigns.
And President Band said that government is keen to create more employment for Zambians. He also emphasized that government is concerned about the welfare of women and will ensure their representation in leadership is increased.
Mr Banda explained that Zambia would have had 30 more women parliamentarians had the constitution Bill passed successfully in parliament.
Earlier, MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga called on party members to use the convention to re-energise the ruling party ahead of this year’s tripartite elections.
File:The RUINS-University of Zambia student residence
University of Zambia Vice Chancellor Stephen Simukanga has appealed for support towards the institution in order for it to stand as a centre of excellence in higher education.
Professor Simukanga said UNZA needs support in a number of areas, such as rehabilitation of laboratories and lecture rooms.
He said the university also needs support in staff development through scholarships.
Professor Simukanga said the university library is also an area of concern, apart from staff exchange programmes.
Professor Simukanga was speaking when United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -UNESCO-Director General Irina Bokova toured UNZA Monday afternoon.
And Ms Bokova says she is impressed with facilities at the institution, and stands ready to assist in any way possible.
The facilities on her familiarization tour included the Centre for Information and Communication Technology, as well as the University library.
As the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) national convention gets underway at Mulungushi Rock of authority in Kabwe today, former Republican Vice president Enock Kavindele will not attend the conference.
Mr. Kavindele recently expressed interest in contesting for the position of party vice presidency which has been frozen for years now.
The former vice president has confirmed to QFM in Lusaka today that he has withdrawn from the MMD vice presidency race but has declined to disclose the reason for his move.
He has in the recent past faced criticism from the party leadership who have referred to him as a member not in good standing to contest for any top position.
Republican Vice President George Kunda and former Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Patrick Musonda have successfully filed in their nominations for the position.
The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) says it has contributed over K670 billion to the Treasury in the last five years in revenue collection.
RTSA Deputy Director Robert Mtonga says RTSA’s contributions have been increasing yearly due to its timely and consistent collection of revenue from clients.
Mr. Mtonga said this in Lusaka yesterday when parliamentarians sitting on the Parliamentary select Committee on Communication, Transport, Works and Supply toured the institution to familiarize themselves with its operations.
RTSA in collaboration with the Zambia Police Service (ZPS) Traffic unit has in recent years put in measures to ensure safety on roads in the country with offenders being punished by having their vehicles impounded for failure to follow traffick rules.
Various penalty fees are charged on the impounded vehicles before they are released to their various owners.
Meanwhile Mr. Mtonga has stated that RTSA is faced with numerous challenges in its efforts to deliver desired results to the public.
He cited the challenge of seconded police officers at the institution who normally connive with members of the public to defraud the institution of viable resources.
Mr. Mtonga explained that it is difficult to discipline police officers at the institution claiming that they don’t report to RTSA but to the police command.
He has since appealed to the parliamentarians to help harmonize the impasse that has rocked the institution and seconded police officers at the institution.
And Parliamentary select Committee on Communication, Transport, Works and Supply Chairman, Batuke Imenda assured RTSA management that it will table their concerns when parliament resumes.
Mr. Imenda said RTSA is a very strategic institution to the country’s social and economic development.
The parliamentarian has since called on RTSA to computerize most of their systems if they are to avoid lose of time and revenue through manual operations.
World Soccer governing Body- FIFA has warned that the Football Association of Zambia FAZ April 30 Annual General Meeting should not fail to take place again.
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke says should the 30th April AGM fail, the case will immediately be referred to the FIFA Emergency Committee for appropriate sanctions.
This is according to a letter addressed to FAZ President Kalusha Bwalya and obtained by ZNBC Sport in Lusaka on Monday.
Valcke hopes FAZ will overcome the present difficulties and fully focus on the development of football in the country.
Meanwhile, the Andrew Kamanga led FAZ Executive on Monday said ignoring its existence by the Kalusha Bwalya led committee would only undermine all efforts aimed at resolving the crisis at Football House.
The Interim Committee has observed that the attitude by the Kalusha Bwalya led executive to ignore its existence will only work against the spirit of unity and harmony in the game of football.
This is according to a statement released by Interim Committee Press and Liaison Officer Lwanga Mwilu in Lusaka on Monday.
Mwilu said the interim committee finds it unfortunate for FAZ Vice President Boniface Mwamelo’s sentiments expressing that the Interim Committee does not exist.
US President and Mrs Barack Obama with Zambian Ambassador to the USA, Mrs. Sheila Siwela
By Ben Kangwa
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was enacted by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on 18th May, 2000 as a component of the Trade and Development Act 2000.
The Act seeks to enhance trade and investment between the United States and Africa by providing for one way trade preferences to products originating from eligible AGOA countries.
AGOA builds on the existing Generalized System of Preferences program to allow eligible AGOA countries to export over 6,000 eligible products to the United States of America duty-free, with a special focus on value-added and non-traditional products.
As a result of this initiative, the volume of trade between the United States and Sub Saharan African countries has increased, with notable successes in the oil, clothing, footwear, textiles and agro-processing sectors creating over 400,000 jobs and supporting millions of poor and vulnerable communities across the continent engaged in exporting industries.
Initially, AGOA was set to expire in 2008. In 2004, the United States Congress passed the AGOA Acceleration Act which extended AGOA to 2015.
There are currently ongoing consultations in the US Congress and among the African Diplomatic Corps in Washington DC. regarding reforms to trade preferences and as to what happens to AGOA after 2015.
Some of the trade preference reforms that the African Diplomatic Corps are currently pursuing with the US Congress include extending AGOA on a long term and sustainable basis, making the third fabric rule permanent, granting duty free and quota free access for all agricultural products from AGOA eligible countries except for sugar, to provide trade development assistance and capacity building and revise the AGOA rule of origin for canned tuna.
In 2010, as Zambia took over the Chairmanship of AGOA , the Zambian Ambassador to the United States of America, Mrs. Sheila Siwela was appointed Co-Chair of the Economic Development Committee of the African Diplomatic Corps in Washington DC. teaming up with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Ambassador David Rantekoa as the other co-chair
With added and unwavering support from her economic and trade officers at the Zambia Embassy in Washington DC, one of her current major responsibilities and ongoing efforts are to engage the US government and Congress on the improvement and review of AGOA trade preferences on behalf of and for the benefit of all AGOA eligible countries.
Zambia will become the fifth African country to host the AGOA conference after Kenya, Ghana, Senegal and Mauritius from 6th – 8th June, 2011
The 2011 AGOA theme is loud and clear, “Enhanced Trade Through Competiveness, Value Addition And Deep Regional Integration”
The AGOA Forum is held annually bringing together several government leaders and private sector stakeholders from Africa and the United States. It is held interchangeably between Washington DC and in an AGOA eligible African country.
“The choice for Zambia to host the AGOA Forum has come at the right time considering that the country’s economic performance and governance record have been on the positive in the past three years,” says Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Her Excellency Mrs. Sheila Siwela.
She observes that Financial institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) are agreed that Zambia is on the right footing.
Additionally, she further notes that top US international Credit Rating agencies Fitch and Standard and Poor have, in the recent one month, independently given Zambia a “B plus” rating, a sign that Zambia is a good destination for foreign direct investment and that the country could be eligible to access funding from international bond markets.
Early in March, Zambia was rated B+ for long-term foreign and local currency issuer Default Ratings by Fitch Ratings, placing the country in the same league as Ghana, Kenya and Angola.
Against this background, Ambassador Siwela adds that Zambia should not miss this opportunity of showcasing her potential as the next best destination in investment at this Forum considering that the country is enjoying increased construction and rising copper prices, a rebound in tourism, improved agricultural performance and most of all the peace and political stability that the country has enjoyed since independence.
She adds, ”The bottom line is that Zambia is now ready for business. The AGOA Forum will be a great opportunity for business people from Africa and the USA to interact for the sole purpose of creating partnerships and opening up new businesses in both continents.
Zambia’s exports to the US markets under AGOA Act initiative have rebound to $1.4 million in 2010 representing a year on year increase of 1,093 percent.
Exports to the USA market increased to US$1.4 million from a major decline with paltry export figures around US$121,000 in 2009.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Hon. Felix Mutati was recently quoted in the media as saying that Zambia’s export figures to the USA including the General System of Preferences (GSP) provisions of the AGOA Act had risen steadily to US$10.9 million in 2008 from US$361,000 in 2006.
He however said the decline in exports posted in 2009 of US$33.7 billion is consistent with a decline from US$66.2 billion worth of exports from all AGOA eligible sub-Saharan African countries in 2008 due to the global financial crisis.
He said currently, 90 percent of all AGOA exports to the USA are energy related exports. Other notable products are textiles and garments, automobiles. Processed agricultutral products, leather products, machine parts, metals, gemstones and handicrafts.
Mr. Mutati said this in a speech read for him by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Davis Sampa at a breakfast meeting for Ambassadors accredited to Zambia from AGOA eligible countries in Lusaka on March 23.
And according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington DC, for the period 2009,Zambia’s main exports to the US included base metal (cobalt), precious stones (emeralds), spices, coffee, tea and metal ores.
Zambia’s major imports from the US in the same year were machinery, rubber, organic chemicals and aircrafts.
The USTR states that Zambia was the 167th largest goods trading partner of the USA with $67 million in total (two way) goods trade during 2009.
According to the USTR website, the USA exported $59 million worth of goods to Zambia and that in return Zambia exported a total of $9 million of goods to the USA making the US goods trade surplus with Zambia at $50 million in 2009
Zambia is yet to take advantage of AGOA and translate its benefits through to increased non-traditional exports (NTEs).
At present, most of Zambia’s AGOA exports are dominated by the mining sector, unlike its neighbours such as Malawi and Mozambique which have managed to export agricultural products to the US.
Within the Sub –Saharan region, countries that have fared significantly well under AGOA include Angola, Nigeria and South Africa whose collective exports for the year 2010 were valued at over US3 billion according to official statistics from the US Department of Commerce.
Exports from the three top AGOA countries include sectors such as energy, mining and agriculture. Other countries such as Lesotho and Kenya have also done well under the textile and apparel sectors.
Expected to be attended by 37 African countries and the US, the 2011 AGOA Forum will attract between 1,500 and 2,000 delegates
The countries to attend are Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and of-course Zambia.
Other delegates will include businessmen, international organizations and many private sector and civil society organizations
By hosting the AGOA Forum, Zambia will be at the centre stage of the global trade and investment arena.
The Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) also supports the hosting of the 2011 AGOA Forum conference at it will help Zambian entrepreneurs to understand how to penetrate the US market.
ZACCI President Geoffrey Sakulanda says the benefits from AGOA would be clear for all to see because Zambian entrepreneurs would have an opportunity to discuss partnership arrangements with their US counterparts which would enable them to export high quality products into the American market
Mr. Sakulanda was also of the belief that the AGOA Forum in Lusaka would give local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) an opportunity to exhibit their products and at the same time make business linkages with international SMEs
As time ticks closer to June 2011, it is important to ask a question, “ How can Zambia best benefit in the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA)?
There is need to take stock of the current industry infrastructure, the role of modern technology, the quality of Zambian products in order to fully exploit the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) provisions.
Zambia needs to use the position as current Chair of AGOA to lobby for fair trade between Zambia and the USA considering that the initiative’s lifespan is ending in 2015.
