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The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has observed that though the bumper harvest the country has recorded has brought excitement to the government, it has brought its own challenges to the farmers.
CSPR Executive Director Patrick Mucheleka said it is disturbing to see farmers countrywide still not paid for the maize they supplied to the Food Reserve Agency.
Mr. Mucheleka wondered how poverty levels in the country could be reduced if the farmers do not get the benefits of their hard work.
He added that it is important that farmers are paid for their hard work to make the bumper harvest meaningful.
Speaking to QFM in an interview, Mr. Mucheleka further stated that government should have planned well for the bumper harvest to record total success.
[ QFM ]
A man searching for cellphone reception by hanging his phone under a tree in Nantanga area in Itezhi-Tezhi District
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First republican president Kenneth Kaunda dancing with a woman from the Zambia national dance troupe
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A 2010 Census enumerator doing her work in Sinazongwe district
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A Family in a remote village in rural Zambia
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A machine clearing the drainage in Lusaka's Kamwala area. Kamwala area is one of the townships which is flooded during the rainy season
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Vice president George Kunda inspects drainage rehabilitation works in Lusaka
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Some Chiefs pose for a photograph before a workshop in Lusaka
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ZESCO LTD engineers inspecting power pylons at Kafue Gorge station
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A woman with disabilities shows how to make hand made products in Lusaka
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Boys waiting to be circumcised at Itezhi -Tezhi district hospital
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Some mothers waiting for their children to be circumcised at Itezhi-Tezhi District Hospital
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A hot spring in the Kafue flood plains in Southern Province
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The Kafue river
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An view of Cairo road in Lusaka captured from the Bank of Zambia building.
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Some Lusaka residents going about their business along Cairo road
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Bank of Zambia Governor Caleb Fundanga and head of public relations Kanguya Mayondi during the central bank's quarterly media briefing
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Livestock Minister Bradford Machila (r) toasts with Angolan Ambassador Pedro De Marias Neto during Angola's national day in Lusaka
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Vice President George Kunda shakes hands with Africa Peer Review Mechanism lead panelist for Zambia, Professor Amos Sawyer during a courtesy call at his office in Lusaka
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Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma unveils a plaque at the Cavendish University ground breaking ceremony in Kafue
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Chibolya compound women residents gathered at the borehole to find solution to the water problem that has hit Itezhi-Tezhi district
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Water problems affecting Itezhi-Tezhi district. Chibolya compound residents are crowding one borehole to draw water
Government has distributed 168 cattle to 28 farmer groups in Central province under the cattle restocking program to alleviate poverty among the people.
Central province Permanent Secretary Denny Lumbama who disclosed this in Kabwe yesterday also said 663 goats under the poverty reduction program (PRP) are yet to be distributed to 35 farmer groups in the province.
Speaking when he officially opened a two day livestock management program under PRP spearheaded by the department of community development and social services (CDSS) Mr. Lumbama said the program would gobble a total sum of K650 million.
All the 14 constituencies received six heifers each which would be passed on to others as they multiply. The program is being conducted by the veterinary department is to orient the farmer groups how to keep goats.
This is part government’s continued efforts to reduce poverty through supporting Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP ) such as pass-on-projects in the rural areas.
The Permanent Secretary has challenged small scale farmers in the province to be committed by participating actively in all activities that aimed at empowering them economically and socially.
” The objectives of such important programs were to improve nutrition status through milk and goat meat, increase household income through sell of goat milk and meat and many others, ” he said.
He reminded them that the goats they were going to receive was an additional venture to the various income generating activities that they were already doing and therefore there was need to ensure they activities became viable for them to benefit from such programs.
Mr. Lumbama urged the participants to ensure they passed-on the goats in transparent manner by inviting government officials during the pass-on celebrations.
The beneficiaries of the distribution includes farming clubs and area associations from Mumbwa, Serenje, Mkushi, Chibombo, Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi Districts, respectively.
The Zambia Premier League (ZPL) has said it is willing to end its match boycott if Faz meets three conditions.
ZPL chairman Kephas Katongo has said the Super Division clubs, who are boycotting league games against the Kalusha Bwalya-led Faz executive which they term as illegal after four executive members quit on October 1, are willing to resume action on November 17.
“We wish to state that in the national interest the Super league clubs are prepared to resume the playing of matches, league and cup effective Wednesday, 17 November under the following conditions: 1. That we revert to the status quo with regard to the league standings prior to the boycott which commenced on 10 November, 2010 involving the rescheduled match Zanaco versus Green Buffaloes,” Katongo said in a statement.
Katongo added that Faz should nullify all disciplinary matters and that those pending be stopped and should also unconditionally allow all Super Division teams to fulfill their league and cup obligations.
“All disciplinary matters heard should be nullified and all impending disciplinary matters in relation to the boycott should be stopped henceforth,” Katongo said
“…that all Super Division team must be allowed unconditionally to fulfill their remaining league fixtures.
“The decision to resume the league has been taken in the spirit of give and take and we trust that the Football Association of Zambia will respond in the same spirit.”
The Super Division boycotted Week 29 games and a rescheduled Week 20 game involving Zanaco and Buffaloes that has seen all teams that failed to travel or host or both staying away docked points.
The teams were due to play their final round of Week 30 games this weekend.
Is something burning, or are you just computing again? New research published in the medial journal Fertility and Sterility (Nov 2010) reveals that laptop computers can roast a man’s testicles to the point where sperm production (and quality) starts to drop.
To conduct the study, researchers placed temperature sensors on the scrotums of 29 men, then asked those men to use laptop computers on their laps. It didn’t take long before scrotum temperatures rose to levels known to damage sperm production — just 10 to 15 minutes of computing time.
Staying cool means staying fertile
Testicles are supposed to stay cool. And I don’t mean “wow, that’s cool” but rather that they are supposed to remain a degree or two below body temperature in order to maximize sperm production. When the testes get too hot — even with as little as a one degree Centigrade rise in temperature — sperm production starts to fall. Using a laptop computer on your lap can cause temperatures to rise by 2.5 C in one hour, according to this research.
And the men in the study didn’t even notice the rise in temperature, by the way. Probably because they were too busy updating their Facebook pages with comments like, “Check it out, I’m actually getting paid to roast my nuts for the advancement of science!”
In the world of temperature-sensitive sperm production, 2.5 C is equivalent to a scrotum barbeque cook-off. And all it takes is a little laptop computing to send temperatures soaring.
Cooling pads didn’t help
Surprisingly, even using a laptop cooling pad didn’t help, researchers reported. Scrotum temperatures still rose just the same.
Reuters reported that Belkin International, Inc., makers of laptop computer cooling pads, “…did not wish to comment on the new findings.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS…)
No surprise there. This is dangerous territory for marketers. After all, there’s really no way to spin this story in a positive direction. Even if Belkin unleashed ads such as, “Feeling the heat? We keep your scrotum cool,” they would be hit with complaints about lewd marketing tactics.
It turns out the biggest determining factor of whether a laptop computer heats up your testicles is your leg position while computing. I’m not making this up: Researchers found the best position was to spread your legs wide while computing in order to dissipate heat and cool your man-crotch.
Stay cool, dude
The bottom line in all this, guys, is that when it comes to your testes, hot is bad, cool is good. Keep things “breezy” down there, in other words, and you just might have children one day.
And for all the women reading this who have men you’re trying to conceive with, you might explain to them that in addition to fried foods and pharmaceuticals damaging sperm quality, now they have to worry about where they’re holding their laptop computers, too. If you catch your man with a computer on his lap, shove some ice packs down the front of his shorts until he gets the message. I guarantee you this will get his attention.
Because men who can’t keep their junk cool are actually practicing a form of laptop birth control. Although the drop in sperm quality from laptop heat isn’t considered permanent, it’s technically a form of short-term sperm suppression. Sort of like soaking your sack in a hot tub for twenty minutes (hopefully with the rest of your body along with it).
File:Captain Mwale receives a kiss from his wife Golezya when he arrived from Sudan on a United Nations peace-keeping mission
Think you know a thing or two about kissing? You probably do. But the facts below are so off the beaten path, we’ll bet you don’t know them all — and they could come in handy. Not only could they provide some steamy “Did you know…?” small talk, but they’ll help you see all the benefits a satisfying liplock can bring into your life. Happy smooching!
Please note that not all points may be true for our Zambian culture.
1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.
2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that’s a rigorous workout!
3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.
4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.
5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing.
6. Ever wonder how an “X” came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.
7. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.
8. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married.
9. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t.
10. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you’ve beaten that record, it’s time to celebrate!
The world football governing body FIFA has disagreed with the findings of the National Sports Council of Zambia into the investigations carried out by the sub-committee appointed to look into the dispute surrounding the legality of the FAZ executive led by Kalusha Bawalya.
In a letter addressed to National Sports Council of Zambia Chairman Chifumu Banda dated 10th November, 2010, in response to a letter by the NSCZ dated 26th October 2010 on the situation at FAZ, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said for FIFA, the replacement of the four FAZ executive committee members who resigned has been done in compliance with the FAZ statues.
He explained that the purpose to have provisions with regard to an emergency committee in member associations statutes is meant to allow them function and take urgent decisions, in this case the co-option of the new executive committee members to fill the vacancies.
Valcke said while FIFA understands that some FAZ members might not be happy, the FAZ constitution gives the possibility to FAZ to convene an extraordinary council should two thirds of its members request so. He said in the present situation, FIFA feels that there is no reason for it to intervene.
Valcke in his letter obtained by QFM however said FIFA is following closely the current situation and are in regular contact with the FAZ leadership in order to make sure that procedures are properly applied.
The NSCZ had requested FIFA to intervene in the FAZ impasse.
A JOINT operation team of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and Zambia Police Service has arrested a New Apostolic Church priest in Lukulu District for drug trafficking.
DEC public relations manager, John Nyawali said in Lusaka yesterday that Godfrey Chifunda, 37, a priest at Kangoi Congregation, was arrested after he was found with four bags of dry cannabis weighing more than 80 kilogrammes.
“Priest Chifunda becomes the second clergyman from New Apostolic Church to be arrested for drug trafficking in the last 12 months after another one was on Christmas Eve last year arrested for cultivating about a tonne of cannabis near the church premises,” Mr Nyawali said.
He said Mr Kangoi was in police custody and would appear in court soon.
Mr Nyawali said the commission was saddened with the increasing number of clerics arrested for flouting the law and appealed to the Church mother bodies to closely monitor activities of the men and women of God in order to restore the public’s confidence in them.
Meanwhile, 52 people were arrested countrywide in the last five days for trafficking in various quantities of cocaine and cannabis with a total weight of 248 kilogrammes.
Those arrested included a 20-year-old Grade Nine pupil of Mweke Basic School in Mongu who was found selling 20 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Another one was Jeff Hamuwele, a resident of Chamba Valley in Lusaka who was arrested in Chelston residential area where he was found with three sachets of cocaine which he wanted to sell.
FLASHBACK: President Rupiah Banda shakes hands with Namibian President Ipukefinye Pohamba
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is today expected to travel to Namibia on the invitation of that country’s President Hifikepunya Pohamba for the commissioning of a power line that will connect the two countries.
The president travels to Katima Mulilo town in Namibia near the border with Zambia where he would officially commission the Caprivi link inter-connector, which would link the electricity transmission lines between the State-run power utility companies of Zambia and Namibia.
The two companies are NAMPOWER of Namibia and Zesco of Zambia. This is according to a media release by special assistant to the president for Press and public relations, Dickson Jere.
“This line will facilitate exchanges of power between the two utilities for trade purposes as well as during emergencies where there are deficits on either side,” President Banda said.
The transmission line to be launched on Saturday has an optic fibre installed on it, which would enhance the availability of broadband communication of Internet and data services for the two countries.
President Banda would be accompanied to Namibia by Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga and other senior Government officials. He returns home after the ceremony.
Current business reforms being undertaken by the Zambian Government have led to attraction of investment inflows amounting to US$3.4 billion from January to October 2010, exceeding the targeted US$3 billion for the whole year.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati said the $3.4 billion worth of investments in various sectors of the economy has come because of the improved investment climate and stability in major macroeconomic indicators arising from prudent economic management and business reforms.
Last year, Zambia recorded in excess of US$1.8 billion worth of investments with the manufacturing sector leading in terms of investment recorded which exceeded $580 million.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mutati said in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) for the period under review, Zambia registered $3 billion.
Mr Mutati said about 25,704 jobs were created between January and October 2010 from sectors such as agriculture, construction, education, energy, engineering, financial institutions, health, Information Technology Communication (ICT), manufacturing, mining, tourism, real estate, service and transport.
He said the manufacturing sector attracted investment worth $1.2 billion with 13,786 jobs being created.
“This Government of Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda shall continue providing a favourable investment environment by continuing to reduce the cost of doing business in order to attract additional domestic and foreign investment for wealth and job creation that will lead to the attainment of the Vision 2030 of transforming our country into a prosperous middle-income country,” Mr Mutati said.
Zambia’s incentive package was among the best in the region, if not the entire Africa.
Investment opportunities remain untapped in the manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, energy and mining sectors.
Mr Mutati said recently, the Government developed and approved the Commercial Trade and Industrial (CTI) Policy for the period 2010 to 2014.
The vision of the Government under the industrial sector in the CTI policy was to develop a competitive, export-led manufacturing sector that would contribute 20 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2015.
Mr Mutati said regarding the performance of the manufacturing sector during the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) period, the sector had continued to grow at an average annual growth rate of 3.25 per cent.
Its contribution to the GDP during the same period averaged at 10.2 per cent.
The major challenge in the sector remained the high cost of doing business, which the Government was addressing as evidenced by the 10 places improvement on the World Bank Doing Business Rankings.
“Our target in the next three years is to move up by 40 places. This indeed shall be accomplished taking into account the vigorous business and licensing reforms being undertaken by my ministry to further reduce the cost of doing business,’’ he said.
Mr Mutati said transformation of the industrial sector and sustaining its competitiveness was one of the major factors in determining the pace of economic activity in Zambia.
Despite the challenges in the manufacturing sector, new companies have set up base in Zambia, which include Varun Beverages, Universal Mining and Chemical Industries Limited, MM Mobile, El Sewedy Limited and MM Integrated Steel Mills Limited.
Zambia Livingstone Coordinator for justice John Mwewa has appealed to President Rupiah Banda to intervene in the suspension of the Livingstone Council.
In an interview with ZANIS in Livingstone Mr. Mwewa said that since the Minister of local government and member of parliament for Livingstone Sakwiba Sikota have not done much in sorting out the suspension of the council there is need for the President to intervene in the matter.
Mr. Mwewa said that integrity and morality is very important in the conduct of civic leaders for development to be attained.
He said that the electorate should look at people’s character when electing its civic leaders to prevent what had transpired at the Livingstone city council.
The Caritas official said that the continued suspension of the council has broken the bridge between people and councilors who are the drivers for development at the wards and constituency level.
He said that a report should be published of the findings of the cause to the suspension of the council because not all councilors were wrong and have continued to be dented by there suspension.
Mr. Mwewa also challenged the Council management in Livingstone to come up with a modern market and intercity bus terminus.
He said that he has observed that some former councilors have big pieces of land which was not supposed to be disposed off to individuals but was supposed to be reserved for markets and bus stations which were going to benefit the Livingstone community.
Mr. Mwewa also observed that the current Constituency office for Kazungula which is at the border is far from the reach of people hence need to reallocate it to a central position so that it carters adequately for people of the constituency.
[ ZANIS ]
Should Collins Mbesuma search for redemption see him swallow his pride and return to his roots?
According to Kick.com, the fallen star striker is officially off the market and currently keeping fit at a football academy in Durban under the watchful eye of physical trainers from rugby giants Natal Sharks.
Mbesuma has failed to find a club since Moroka Swallows fired him in July for indiscipline.
He is reported to have come close to securing a deal in Israel but that fell through.
This is after Zesco United are alleged to have earlier offered him sanctuary while he searched for a permanent deal abroad but decided instead to go to Israel.
Mbesuma’s best shot at finding a club in South Africa looks bleak as we head towards Christmas and by a long shot likely coming in the New Year.
However if that doesn’t work out, should he follow his compatriots Billy Mwanza and Sashi Chalwe and the much-traveled Linos Chalwe to earning his income back at home if the price is right?
The petitioners calling for the dissolution of the Kalusha Bwalya executive committee have said they will hold a parallel emergency council meeting (ECM) in Lusaka on the eve of the one announced yesterday by Faz to be held in Kabwe on November 27.
Pettioner Simataa Simataa told ZNBC sports news this evening that, as far as the pressure group is concerned, there is no Faz executive after four executive committee members quit on October 1.
Simataa said the petitioners had garnered the required two-third majority with 147 signatures out of the 209 affiliates and will disregard association general secretary George Kasengele’s announcement on November 10 that an ECM will be held in a fortnight’s time in Kabwe.
“We are all aware that there is no (Faz) executive committee since it dissolved itself on 1st October,” Simataa told ZNBC Sports.
Simataa said the parallel ECM will be held on November 26 at Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
“That is why the members have taken up the right and the opportunity to call for this meeting. So from where we stand-and I stand- is that this is not tit-for-tat. No. The two thirds have called a meeting. It’s on a Friday 26t November,(at) Intercontinental, (at) 09:00 Hrs,” Simataa said.
However, Faz has said in reaction after receiving the petition from the pressure group today that the parallel ECM is illegal and all affiliates should disregard it.
According to information obtained, the agenda for the 26th will have three three items that will see the confirmation of the dissolution of the Faz executive committee, the election of a chairperson for the ECM and the election of a new executive committee.
The ECM on the 27th to be chaired by Kalusha in Kabwe will have two items; to debate the legality of his regime and his speech.
File: Peasant farmers selling their part of their maize harvest
KAZUNGULA District Commissioner, Albert Chifita has appealed to farmers who recently got paid by Food Reserve Agency (FRA) for the crop purchasing exercise to re-invest their money in agriculture rather than squander it on beer and women.
Mr.Chifita who thanked the farmers in the area for contributing 4500 bags of maize towards food security said the Government spent about K24bn on crop purchasing exercise in the district.
And Mr.Chifita said that Government has been allocating fertilizer to farmers for the 2010/2011 farming season.
He said farmers should not panic as Government has enough fertilizer in store for all of them to benefit.
Mr.Chifita said some farmers are fond of spending their money on illicit alcohol and other money wasting activities.
He advised them to use their money to buy farm equipments such as tractors and irrigators if they are to succeed in their farming
career.
Mr.Chifita further assured farmers that Government is committed to empower people in rural areas through farming.
Meanwhile Mr.Chifita who addressed a gathering at Syakalima Basic School in Kazungula’s Musokotwane area advised parents to avoid
engaging their children in early marriages.
The District Commissioner said parents should look at educating their children rather than engage them in marriage.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema
United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says the projected end year inflation of around 6.6 percent is unrealistic.
THE Bank of Zambia (BoZ) has projected that Zambia’s inflation rate will further fall to just above six percent at the end of 2010.
During the same period, the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by more than six per cent.
BoZ Governor Caleb Fundanga is on record as saying that Zambia will be able to achieve a low inflation rate because of sound policies and the impressive economic indicators being recorded.
But Mr. Hichilema said Zambia should project the inflation rate at 10 percent stating that the 6 percent projection is unrealistic.
The UPND leader added that the creation of jobs and improvement of the economy cannot also be achieved at the government projected rate.
Meanwhile Mr Hichilema said there is a great need for the PF/UPND pact to address the challenges it is facing.
Mr. Hichilema said the pact should address all the challenges it is facing before the 2011 elections to avoid divisions.
He was speaking on national television last evening on Frank Mutubila’s Frank talk.
[ QFM ]
