Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Vice President George Kunda says illegal exploitation of natural resources has contributed to prolonged wars in the Great Lakes region.
Mr. Kunda said the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region -ICGLR- has observed the illegal development hence the need to take urgent action.
The Vice President said dialogue and consultations for harmonization of police and strategies among member’s countries in the region are welcome.
Mr. Kunda was speaking when he officially opened the regional inter-ministerial meeting of the ICGLR in Lusaka.
He said that the ICGLR protocol against illegal exploitation of natural resources forms part of the pact which was signed by the eleven Heads of state on 15th December 2006.
And German Ambassador to Zambia Frank Meyake said German has allocated Seven Million Euros to the ICGLR, which will cover capacity building as well as hardware in the field of certification and traceability.
Meanwhile ICGLR Executive Secretary Ambassador Liberata Mulamula urged the Ministers to ensure that the aims of member states are achieved.
The ICGLR Heads of States summit will take place in Lusaka on Wednesday December 15th.
About Eleven Heads of States are expected to attend the summit.
The Police discharged a man who was arrested on suspicion of witchcraft when he was found naked in a backyard at one of the houses in Livingstone’s Dambwa Central Compound last week. Eyewitnesses said the man who happened to be a stranger was discovered nude in the early hours of the morning at a certain House in the DB Section of the compound. Some Dambwa residents eventually started beating up the man while others demanded that he gets burnt with a tyre around his neck.
The residents claimed that the man was coming from Mulobezi using superstitious powers to fly all the way and consequently crash-landed. The uncompromising residents where positive that the man has been flying using a ‘juju’ Plane and eventually ran out of fuel commonly understood to be human blood. The elderly man, in his early sixties, was briefly manhandled by a multitude of residents before he was rushed to Dambwa Police Station.
A crew of scribes that rushed to the Police Post only found a crowd of people gathered outside the station mumbling among themselves as to why the Police released the man believed to be a wizard. Dambwa Central Police Officer-In-Charge, Gregory Sibajene could not comment whether the man was still in custody as his office was locked and his Phone was off but a source close to the Police Station confirmed that the man was detained for almost an hour and released later.
The source further disclosed that when questioned by Police, the man could not utter sensible words except that he stays in Mulobezi. The Police failed to figure out what his mission was in Livingstone as he said incoherent. Southern Province Commanding Officer, Lemmy Kajoba said the man was released on grounds of mental illness. Mr.Kajoba said many details could not be extracted from him since he was ill and had no case to answer.
Zambia may have been long gone and ejected from the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup last week at the quarterfinal stage but there was at least something for one player to smile about on Sunday.
Felix Sunzu was awarded the top scorers award in absentia after his five goal feat at this year’s tournament that came to an end in Tanzania on Sunday that the hosts won 1-0 after beating Cote d’Ivoire in the final in Dar-es-Salaam.
Sunzu scored four goals alone in Zambia’s 6-0 demolition of Somalia in their final Group A match on December 3 before getting Chipolopolo’s consolation goal in the teams 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Ethiopia on December 7.
The award however does not carry any cash prize.
Meanwhile in other news, former Zambia coach Herve Renard is reported to have finally secured a deal in Egypt but not with Al Ahly.
According to Ahram Online, Renard is set to have signed a six-month with Egyptian mid-table side Masry starting January 1.
Faz Super Division
12/12/2010
Week 29
Choma Eagles 1(Fabrice Kanda 23″ og)- Zanaco 0
Power Dynamos 4(Kennedy Mudenda 30″ 70″, Simon Bwalya 56″, Luka Lungu 74″)- Nkwazi 0
10/12/2010
Week 21
Zanaco 1(Mathews Macha 74″)- Red Arrows 0
08/12/2010
Week 19
Zanaco 1 (Mathew Macha goal 72″)- Green Buffaloes 0
File:Women crowding over a bore-hole to draw water
Germany Government has expressed satisfaction on Zambia’s progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the water development and tourism sector by 2015.
Germany Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel said his Government looks forward to enhance its bilateral relationship with the Zambian Government to foster development in the country.
Mr.Niebel, who visited some of the water development and wildlife conservation projects that are funded by Germany disclosed this in Livingstone over the weekend before departure back home.
Currently Germany has helped to finance the Water Kiosk in Ngwenya Compound at the cost of 80 Euros (K42Million).
Mr.Niebel has officially commissioned the Ngwenya Water kiosk, which is in operation and is servicing 200 households within the compound.
Germany’s grant to the water sector so far amounts to 30million Euros(K180million).
Through the Germany Development Cooperation (GDC), the Deutsch Government aided the construction of a new water treatment plant at Southern Water And Sewerage Company (SWASCO) Southern Regional Office in Livingstone and aided the baseline finance of the Kasavango-Zambezi Trans frontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) project site.
The KAZA-TFCA project is an initiative aimed at reducing barriers on the movement of tourists across the borders and removing the animal boundary in wildlife conservation areas among the five member countries (Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana) commonly those lying between the Kavango and Zambezi rivers.
Shortly after the tour, Minister Niebel, who was accompanied by 40 delegates consisting of Parliamentarians and Business people said his team is happy with the progress done on the projects and said the country has shown positive strides in the MDGs on water.
He said Zambia is a growing giant that has gained recognition from super powers because of its notably growing economy.
And SWASCO Board Chairperson, Solomon Muzyamba said Germany has helped the water utility company to improve its performance.
He said SWASCO was in a state of dilapidation before the Germany Government decided to salvage the situation.
Mr.Muzyamba said recently National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) ranked SWASCO best performing water utility company for 2010.
He thanked the Government of Germany for its continued cooperation to the sector.
Zambia requires about 90million Euros (K4.5Bn) to be pumped into the water sector annually in order to attain the MDGs on water in which 80
per cent of people are targeted to have access to clean water.
File: Science and Technology minister Peter Daka and education minister Dora Siliya
Science and Technology Minister, Peter Daka says government is finalising a document that will align and interlink academic programmes under his ministry to the University of Zambia.
This will enable applicants from colleges under the Ministry of Science and Technology to be exempted from taking on some courses at the University of Zambia.
Speaking to ZNBC in an interview in Petauke, Mr Daka said his ministry has been working closely with the Ministry of Education in drafting the document, dubbed Zero Entropy.
And Mr. Daka has disclosed that plans are underway to convert the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka into a public university.
He said a number of diploma programmes at Evelyn Hone College college need to be upgraded to degree level.
The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has called on Lusaka residents living in flood prone areas such as Misisi, Chawama and Kuku compounds to consider evacuating to safe places before the rains become tense.
DMMU National Coordinator Domiciano Mulenga said although mitigation measures have been put in place by his office, people should not feel comfortable to live in such places as they cannot fully determine the amount of rainfall expected this rainy season.
Mr. Mulenga said DMMU and other stakeholders such as political players have played their role in disaster mitigation and called on people to heed to their advice of evacuating to places that are not prone to floods.
He explained that government has inadequate resources to embark on a repatriation exercise hence the need for residents to help government by moving to safer places before the rains become torrential.
Mr. Mulenga told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that government is aware that most houses in flood prone areas are rented houses adding that people can rent elsewhere than sticking in the same places.
Mr. Mulenga has meanwhile thanked the Road Development Agency (RDA), Rural Road Unit (RRU) the Zambia Army and the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company among other stakeholders for their corporation and support to calamities.
He said it is only through concerted efforts by various players that issues to do with calamities can be won in the country.
Last week the DMMU disclosed that they have put in place various mitigation measures to curb floods not only in Lusaka but the country as a whole.
Last year government evacuated about 177 flood affected families to the independence stadium following torrential rains that hit the country.
Some Lusaka residents brave the rains to witness the opening of the new Soweto market in Lusaka
2.
President Rupiah Banda receives okra from a merketeer during the opening of the new Soweto market
3.
President Banda and European Union delegation leader Derek Fee cut a ribbon to open the new Soweto market in Lusaka
4.
Marketeers brave the rain to go and witness the opening of Soweto market in Lusaka
5.
Marketeers brave the rain to go and witness the opening of Soweto market in Lusaka.
6.
Marketeers and other Lusaka residents captured under a downpour at Soweto market in Lusaka
7.
Motorists drive through potholes and flooded roads in Makeni
8.
The driver of a light truck ponders his move in flooded roads in Libala township
9.
Cars parked in the submerged car park at Down Town shopping centre in Lusaka
10.
A youthful dance troupe perform at the Mulungushi International conference centre in Lusaka
11.
Willaim Banda dancing with MMD cadres during a party meeting in Lusaka's Mutendere township
12.
Willaim Banda addressing MMD cadres during a party meeting in Lusaka's Mutendere township
13.
Vice president George Kunda about to get into his official government vehicle
14.
President Banda with Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe (l) Vatican Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girassoli (M) and Arerican Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storrela(R) at State House
15.
President Banda ushers Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe and Vatican Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girassoli at State House
16.
Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe (r) and Vatican Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girassoli before meeting First Lady Thandiwe Banda at State House
17.
First Lady Thandiwe Banda presents a bouquet to Cardinal Mazombwe at State House
18.
First Lady Thandiwe Banda's clenched hands
19.
Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe and Vatican Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girassoli leave State House after meeting First Lady Thandiwe Banda
20.
Vatican Ambassador to Zambia Nicola Girassoli about to get in his affocial vehicle after meeting First Lady Thandiwe Banda
21.
Some journalists leave State House after a press event
22.
Former AFRONET Executive director Ngande Mwanajiti stresses a point during a press briefing at his residence in Lusaka
23.
Delegates at the Roll Back Malaria conference in Lusaka
24.
Commerce Minister Felix Mutati listens to COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya in Lusaka
Power Dynamos returned to league action for the first time since the three-week boycott ended on December with a resounding home win over Nkwazi at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Power thumped Nkwazi 4-0 in their week 29 match sanctioned by the Andrew Kamanga executive to defy Football House’s warning that the fixtures were illegal.
A Kennedy Mudenda brace and a goal each by Simon Bwalya and Luka Lungu handed Power their win.
Meanwhile in Maamba, Zanaco suffered their first defeat in two matches since the league resumed on Wednesday.
Zanaco went down 1-0 away to Choma Eagles thanks to a Fabrice Kanda own-goal in the 35th minute.
Zanaco came into the match on the back of similar 1-0 wins over Green Buffaloes and Red Arrows on Wednesday and Friday respectively.
The two games were the only Week 29 games that were played this weekend.
The world Soccer Governing body FIFA has said it has only invited the Government delegation and the Kalusha Bwalya led FAZ leadership to the meeting it has called in Zurich surrounding the state of football affairs in Zambia.
Responding to an electronic mail sent by QFM on 4th December, 2010, seeking clarification on whether the Andrew Kamanga led faction had also been invited to the meeting in Zurich set for December 21st, FIFA’s Media Department said the planned meeting is for the Zambian Government delegation and the FAZ leadership.
Recent reports in some local media have indicated that FIFA has summoned a Government delegation and the two factions of the FAZ executives.
Zambian football has been thrown into further disarray following the emerging of a faction FAZ Executive led by Andrew Kamanga.
This follows the holding of an emergency council meeting on November 26, 2010 in Lusaka by the two thirds FAZ petitioners.
FLASHBACK: Northern province Minister John Chinyanta dancing with women during the World Tourism day in Kasama
Government has assured Chiefs in the country, who have not yet been given their utility vehicles, that they will soon receive them.
Northern Province minister made the assurance recently when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Shi-Bwalya Kapila of Bemba speaking people in Mporokoso District.
Mr. Chinyanta said government has procured a new fleet of vehicles to be distributed to traditional rulers’ who did not benefited from the first consignment.
He appealed to the traditional rulers to be patient as they will soon receive their vehicles to enable them to monitor various developmental projects taking place in their chiefdoms.
Mr. Chinyanta explained that President Rupiah Banda’s administration wanted to uplift the welfare of chiefs in the country by making transport readily accessible to them.
He urged Chiefs to look after the vehicles, which government is buying at great cost, properly.
The Minister further stated that Government is addressing the challenges that have laid to delays in paying Chiefs’ their monthly dues.
And speaking earlier, Chief Shi-Bwalya Kapila appealed to government to speed up the process of procuring his vehicle, which he said has taken long.
The traditional ruler said while other Chiefs in the country have received their utility vehicles, he has not yet received his from government.
Vice president George Kunda and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema shake hands. This is the second time the two leaders are shaking hands and meeting this year, the first being at the Chakwela Makumbi ceremony
By Daimone Siulapwa
SO, the United Party for National Development (UPND) is willing to go to bed with the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD). Interesting!
Just for the record, the UPND is in a Pact with the Patriotic Front (PF). Some analysts believe the only way the MMD can be defeated is for the opposition to go as a united front. So far, that strategy seems to be working, at least in so far as the by-elections are concerned. Where the opposition has been able to field one candidate, they seem to perform much better than was the case when they used to stand against each other.
What is not working though is the way forward going into next year’s general elections. While the choice of candidates to field in the Parliamentary elections may be easy for them to sort-out, the one bigger one to do with the President seems to be a tough one to crack.
Some believe that people holding the notion of waiting until the end is a better option, are misplaced and that option is likely to cause splits at the last minute. You do not want to lose focus and be embroiled in chaos at a time when you should really be set. Therefore, the earlier these guys sort that one out, the better for all of them, for they will be able to explain the decision to their members, who by the time it is election time, would have gotten used to the choice of the candidate picked.
But as we all seem to know, the two are not willing to cede their positions. On their part, the PF believes they have the right to the Presidency of the pact because they are the biggest party, based on the election results of 2006 and 2008. On the other hand, the UPND thinking seems to be that it is time for a Southerner to be President. But also, there are some elements in the UPND who do not like PF leader Michael Sata’s management style and they loath at the idea of him leading them.
Understandable, for the UPND, at least under Anderson Mazoka, he was believed t have brought an efficient management style to the political front. Anyhow, with Sata seemingly being favoured as the Pact presidency by PF vice president Guy Scot, and a leading tabloid, the UPND seems to be re-strategizing. Talk therefore of them being in discussions for some form of alliance with the MMD is not far-fetched.
For those that have been watching the political platform for a long-time, these revelations should not come as complete surprise. Vernon Mwaanga, like him or hate him but nonetheless canny politician did some time back claim that the people of southern province prefer an alliance between the MMD and the UPND than that of the PF and the latter. At this point, and if Vernon Mwaanga has to be believed, the discussions are really at grassroots, and if that be indeed the case, then the PF and indeed the UPND top leadership should take note.
One of the weak points of the PF-UPND Pact is that it lacked the backing of the general membership. It was simply imposed on the membership, the reason why the likes of Robbie Chizyuka, the UPND Namwala member of Parliament, are on a different wavelength.
Still, UPND Mps have been quick to deny that the party has opened discussions with the MMD to explore possibilities of an alliance ahead of the 2011 elections. In a joint statement, the MPs said the story is untrue and malicious. Kalomo MP Request Muntanga, instead accused The Post of being instrumental in advising the PF that it does not need an alliance with the UPND. Well, that is a story on its own, and perhaps a digression.
What Mr Muntanga and his colleagues do not realize is that it is not everyone in the UPND who favours an alliance with the PF. There maybe many Robbie Chizyukas but are only too afraid to come out in the open for fear of victmisation. Now these are the people that could possibly be talking to the MMD for a possible alliance.
This alliance may not need the support of the UPND high command. Their strategy would be to resign en mass and surprise the UPND leadership possibly with weeks or months to go before the election. Already, it is known that some PF MPs led by Dr Peter Machungwa will do so.
If that was to happen, and if these people have been having discussions at grassroots level, then the likes of Mr Muntanga should not dismiss the story as highly malicious. If anything, it is time for them to get back to work, and by that, it means they need to go and ask their general membership on the way forward. What is it that the membership want, an alliance with the PF or the MMD? That should not be difficult to do at a convention.
Well, everyone knows that the PF and UPND are really like cat and mouse in their manifestos. The PF seems to favour a more socialist approach to the economic management of the country while the UPND is more pro-business. The UPND also appears to be more robust and efficient in general management than the PF.
On the other hand, the MMD is more closer to the UPND in management style and also economic policy. It is against that background that the likes of VJ seem to be saying an alliance between the UPND and the MMD is more natural. In fact, a lot of people agree but do not want to admit it.
Anyhow, should the UPND and MMD enter into an alliance, it is almost certain to win. That will almost mean continuity with only a few changes to accommodate the UPND wishes.
Now that is not important as the question, is that what the country really needs? The stage is set for rational debate!
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
(Psalm 90:12, NIV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Sometimes our days can be so full and busy that we forget how fragile life really is. It’s easy to allow little things to creep in and steal our peace and joy. Maybe something doesn’t go our way or someone says something upsetting. Even traffic can cause us to lose focus if we let it. We have to remember that each day is a gift. If we choose to focus on what’s wrong, we’ll miss the beauty that each day has to offer.
I encourage you today; don’t let the precious moments of life pass you by. Don’t wait for holidays and birthdays to show people that you care. Remember, each day is unique and irreplaceable. You have been given time that can be invested or wasted; hours that can be used or misused. That’s why the psalmist prayed to God, “Teach us to number our days.” He was saying, “Teach us to value every moment we’ve been given.” As you daily keep a proper perspective, you’ll gain a heart of wisdom. You’ll draw closer to God and experience the full blessing that He has for you each and every day!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of today. I choose to focus on the blessing of each moment instead of allowing the little things to steal my joy. Keep me close to You always as I submit every area of my heart and mind to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FirstRand LTDFirstRand Ltd., South Africa’s second-largest financial-services group, has been contracted by the Central Bank of Zambia to run Finance Bank Zambia Ltd., central bank spokesman Kanguya Mayondi said today.
“FirstRand of South Africa will manage the day-to-day affairs of Finance Bank on behalf of the Central Bank of Zambia,” Mayondi said in a Lusaka phone interview without saying how much the South African bank will be paid or how long the contract will last.
Finance Bank, Zambia’s largest privately owned lender, is currently under central bank supervision. Finance Bank is partially owned by Credit Suisse Group AG.
