Save the Children-Zambia has launched the Baseline Study Report on the National Child Protection System in Zambia.

The Report which was released in Lusaka today under the theme: ‘Protecting Children in Zambia from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation,’ revealed that many Zambian children have continued to face multiple protection problems.

Speaking during the launch, Sport, Youth and Child Development Minister, Kenneth Chipungu said Zambian children have continued to face challenges of alcohol and drug abuse, inadequate access to quality health, education and impact of disease.

Mr. Chipungu said these challenges have posed a great concern to the country and was limiting young people from realising their potential.

He called for more investment in child survival, protection and development for the attainment of national development.

Mr. Chipungu said this in a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy, Mundia Ndalamei.

He however, stated that Government had remained fully committed to the improvement of children’s welfare in the country.

He said Government had included a chapter on children and youths in the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) and was also reviewing legislation pertaining to children to ensure maximum sentence for perpetrators of child violence.

Mr. Chipungu added that Cabinet had also approved the establishment of Zambia Council for the Child which he said would strengthen coordination and regulatory framework.

And speaking earlier, Save the Children Deputy Country Director, Petronella Mayeya bemoaned lack of specific child protection policies in the country.

Ms. Mayeya said although the country had ratified many key international instruments on child protection and human rights, there were still gaps as these instruments have not been domesticated or turned into law.

“Although Zambia has ratified many of the key internationals instruments related to child protection and human rights, there are gaps in the domestication of this into national law. There are a number of pieces of legislation that cover matters related to children, yet currently no single legislation exists that harmonizes approaches and clearly outlines roles and responsibility,” she said.

She cited other problems as the conflict in laws between customary and the statutory law on issues like early marriages.

He said more needed to be done to address this especially that children made about 54 percent of the country’s population.

The study was also conducted in two other countries in the region; South Africa and Swaziland.

[ZANIS]

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter has submitted that a different procedure from that of removing judges from office be provided for when removing members serving on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson, Daniel Sikazwe said the procedure must be different as ECZ was not part of the judiciary and its members did not carry judicial functions.

Mr. Sikazwe said this in his submissions to Parliament on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill 2010 to a Parliamentary Select Committee Chaired by Parliamentary Chief Whip, Vernon Mwaanga in Lusaka today.

The MISA Chief further submitted that Article 193 (2) did not make any provision of what happens in the event that names submitted by the Select Committee were not ratified by the National Assembly.

Mr. Sikazwe said to avoid a lacuna, there was need to provide for such as provision in the constitution.

And on registration of voters, Mr. Sikazwe observed that there was general apathy of voters’ registration saying the exercise was only done in anticipation of elections.

He said this was contrary to what was provided under the current laws that provided for continuous voter registration.

On funding of political parties, MISA Zambia submitted that the funds should only be used to financially assist political parties and urged recipients not to view it as a business venture.

He said the money must be used by political parties and the money be made available at all times.

And Parliamentary Select Committee members, Katombola Member of Parliament Regina Musokotwane and her Sinda counterpart, Levy Ngoma also contributed on the submission.

And receiving the submissions, Parliamentary Select Committee chairperson, Vernon Mwaanga, assured MISA Zambia Chapter that the committee would incorporate all issues raised in its final report to Parliament.

Mr. Mwaanga thanked MISA Zambia Chapter for appearing before the Committee to submit towards the constitutional making process.

[ZANIS]

Workers at Livingstone City Council will not go back to work until their demands are met by the government.

Zambia Union of Local Authority and Allied Workers Union-ZULAWU Livingstone Branch Vice Chairperson Kaluba Masese says workers will continue their strike until re-instated Town Clerk Dras Neves is removed.

And ZULAWU Chairman Geofrey Thole says the workers do not want Ms NEVES because of her dictatorial style of administration.

Mr. Thole says Ms Neves has not embraced everyone since her appointment as Town Clerk.

Efforts to get a comment from Ms Neves on Monday proved futile.

Meanwhile the Livingstone City Council on Monday called for another emergency full council meeting to discuss the way forward for Livingstone Town Clerk Dras Neves.

The council dismissed Ms Neves last week but its decision was overturned by Local Government Minister Brian Chituwo.

Livingstone Mayor Aggrey Njekwa says the council wants to follow the right procedure when dealing with Ms Neves issue, hence the need to call for another full council meeting.

Mr Njekwa told ZNBC news that the Council has adhered to the minister’s directive to put in place corrective measures regarding the fate of Ms Neves.

He said the Council has also availed Dr. Chituwo with the minutes of last council meeting which was held last Thursday.

Mr. Njekwa said the Council will deliberate effectively on the demands of the workers and make recommendations to the Local Government Service Commission.

[ZNBC]

THE church has vowed to campaign against Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata for advocating gay rights.

And Chief Government spokesperson Lieutenant-General Ronnie Shikapwasha said what Mr Sata is advocating is an abomination and the church must rise against such leaders.

“Churches that believe in Jesus Christ should condemn Mr Sata’s statement because the bible condemns it as an abomination,” he said.

But the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) says there are no legal provisions in the Zambian laws which provide for gay rights.

LAZ president Stephen Lungu said he has never come across any law that supports the rights of lesbians and homosexuals.

He said this on ZNBC news last night.

[pullquote]LAZ president Stephen Lungu said he has never come across any law that supports the rights of lesbians and homosexuals.[/pullquote]

Commenting on reports that Mr Sata supports gay rights, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director PukutaMwanza said the church will campaign against political parties and their leaders engaged in advocating unChristian activities such as homosexuality and abortion.

“We are disappointed with news that the PF is supporting same sex marriages. This is alien to Zambia’s traditional values. This is a Christian nation, so it is unthinkable that any leader can promote such things,” he said.

Rev Mwanza said the fact that homosexuality is being promoted and practised elsewhere does not mean it should be permitted in Zambia. He said the church will ensure that gay rights are not enshrined in the republican Constitution.

And Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) overseer Bishop Peter Ndhlovu also said his church will go flat out to campaign against the PF and any other political party promoting gay rights.

“Mr Sata has run out of ideas. If he and the Danish want to propagate gay rights, it will not work in Zambia. The church will not allow the moral fibre of the country to be compromised,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) and Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) failed.
ZEC spokesperson Paul Samasumo referred the matter to the general secretary CleophasLungu who threw it back to Father Samasumo.

And CCZ secretary general Suzanne Matale said the church is not ready to respond.

“We will respond when there is something to respond to,” she said.

Meanwhile, some civil society organisations have released copies of CDs containing a clip of a recorded interview of Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata with some Danish officials in which he supported homosexuality.

[pullquote]“Mr Sata has run out of ideas. If he and the Danish want to propagate gay rights, it will not work in Zambia. The church will not allow the moral fibre of the country to be compromised,” he said.[/pullquote]

Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire has challenged church mother bodies, and particularly the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), to state their positions on revelations that Mr Sata has promised to enhance gay rights in Zambia.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka on March 14, Mr Chifire said his organisation and the Forum for Leadership Search (FLS) have reproduced CDs they intend to circulate to the church, donors and members of the public.

According to a recorded interview which was played to journalists, Mr Sata stated that the laws of Zambia recognise gays and lesbians.  “The laws are there, all we need is to implement them,” Mr Sata states.

Mr Chifire described Mr Sata as a person who should not be given a chance to rule Zambia.     “This man is not worthy of anyone’s vote,” he said.

Mr Chifire challenged Mr Sata to tell the nation which part of the Constitution has provisions which promote homosexuality. He said Zambia is a Christian nation and it is the duty of every leader to uphold Christian principles, values and cultures.

Mr Chifire said Mr Sata is embracing gay rights to get funding from certain western countries pushing for constitutional recognition of gay rights in African countries.

He said the latest casualty in this scheme is Kenya where some donors used key political elements to sneak gay rights into the constitution.

“We defeated these Western countries at the National Constitution Conference when they wanted to bring these rights through the back door and they will be defeated again by rejecting Mr Sata in the voting booth. Voting for Mr Sata would mean endorsing gay rights in Zambia,” he said.

“We would like to hear what the church, especially the Catholic Church where Mr Sata belongs, have to say about this since it does not support such alien things. We want to know what disciplinary measures will be taken against Mr Sata for issuing these statements in support of homosexuality,” he said.

Mr Chifire said while admonishing Mr Sata, the clergy should give a categorical statement on the dangers of Zambia accepting gay rights which can destroy the moral fibre.

And FLS executive director Edwin Lifwekelo challenged Mr Sata to come out in the open and deny that the voice in the recording is not his.

[pullquote]“All I said is that there are laws restricting people from illicit acts. The laws are adequate to deal with that issue. And in any case, those are trivial issues that should not even arise,” Mr Sata  said.[/pullquote]

Mr Lifwekelo also condemned Mr Sata’s support for homosexuality which is a shame for someone aspiring for the highest office in the land.

He said the people of Zambia should not make a mistake of electing Mr Sata.

“We cannot have a comedian in State House. We need a focused person like President Banda who has performed beyond expectations in two years,” he said.

But Mr Sata said contrary to what is being said about his meeting with the Danish officials, he said there are adequate laws in the country to protect the Zambian people against illicit activities.

“All I said is that there are laws restricting people from illicit acts. The laws are adequate to deal with that issue. And in any case, those are trivial issues that should not even arise,” Mr Sata  said.

Meanwhile, CHARLES MUSONDA reports that the Islamic Supreme Council of Zambia (ISCZ) says it is unacceptable for anyone to embrace sin just for the sake of assuming power.

ISCZ president Suzyo Zimba said in an interview in Lusaka that both the Bible and the Koran do not give homosexuals rights in any society.

“God expects believers to live in a certain way and that is why he has given us laws so that we know what is good and what is bad. If God has not given homosexuals rights, who are we to embrace them? Sin is sin and you can’t embrace it just because you want power,” Mr Zimba said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]