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RB condemns tribal rivalry

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President Banda

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has called for a ceasefire to tribal wrangles between Luvales and Lundas in Zambezi in North-Western Province, saying they are unnecessary.

President Banda said in Mwinilunga yesterday after gracing the Chisemwa Chalunda traditional ceremony that the two tribes should be at peace with each other.

“They are brothers, after all they come from the same place, there is no need for petty squabbles. Zambians do not like this,” he said.

President Banda said Government was working flat out to find a solution to the tribal wrangles in Zambezi.

Encouraging peace through out the province, the president said he was happy to see that the Chisemwa Chalunda ceremony had drawn various chiefs from around the North-Western Province.

Mr Banda said with Zambia being a multi-ethnic society that should live above tribal differences, culture should be a unifying factor.

He assured the traditional leaders who included Senior Chief Mujima Nzovu of the Kaonde in Solwezi, Senior Chief Kasempa of the Kaonde in Kasempa, Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvale in Zambezi and Chief Chizera of the Kaonde in Mufumbwe that his Government was committed to working with them in uplifting the lives of the people in the province.

President Banda who was accompanied by among others senior Government officials, the Minister of Local Government and Housing Eustarkzio Kazonga and Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu said Government was committed to continue working on the T5 Road, the Solwezi-Mwinilunga Road, to ensure it was in good condition.

Mr Banda reiterated that three more contractors had been given works to speed up the tarring of the Mutanda-Chavuma Road.

He said Government would continue providing basic education to all Zambians as it had realised education was the pillar to national development.

Mr Banda said Government was working hard to improve educational infrastructure in the province and countrywide, revealing that K9.4 billion had been set aside to complete works at Mwinilunga Trades Training Institute.

North-Western Province Minister Daniel Kalenga said the people of North-Western were happy with Government development programmes and that US$3.6m mining investment by the Chinese would trigger economic activities in Mwinilunga.

The Lunda Cultural Association of Zambia chairperson Elijah Kalemba called for lasting peace in Zambezi between Lundas and Luvales and thanked Mr Banda being the first Republican president to attend the Chisemwa Chalunda ceremony.

Mabenga’s daughter found dead, husband in police custody

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MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga addresses journalists at the party secretariat in Lusaka
MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga

MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga’s daughter Maketo Chitika was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police in Lusaka have arrested the husband of the late Mrs Chitika, in connection with the death of his wife.

Both Mr Mabenga and police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana confirmed the death of Mrs Chitika aged 35 of Lusaka’s Chilenje Township in separate interviews.

Mr Mabenga who is Lands Deputy Minister was unable to give details of what led to the death and only said the funeral of his daughter was being held at his residence in Lusaka.

He also said his son-in-law Chansa Chitika, was in police custody.

“I am also shocked, I just arrived back home this morning, so I do not have the full details. All I can say is that the funeral is at my house because the police have arrested the husband,” Mr Mabenga said.

And Ms Siamana confirmed the death of Mrs Chipika and said Mr Chitika was arrested yesterday to assist the police with investigations into the death of his wife.

“Yes I can confirm that we arrested Mr Chitika of Chilenje Township in Lusaka and he is currently under police custody, to assist us with investigations, we have enough evidence to suspect foul play in the death of Mrs Chitika,” she said.

Ms Siamana said the police were waiting to get results from a postmortem which she said would be carried out today.

Meanwhile, a family member who sought anonymity said Mrs Chitika was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning, in her bathroom.

“She was just discovered dead in her bathroom by some family members, we suspect that she could have been beaten by her husband,” she said.

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Vocational Training Deputy Minister Chrispin Mushosha’s wife Felista who died in a road accident on Thursday last week will be put to rest today.

Family representative Samuel Bwalya said yesterday that Mrs Musosha will be burried at Leopards Hill memorial park after the Church service to be held at the University of Zambia(UNZA) Seventh Day Adventist(SDA) Church at 10:00 hours.

Mr Bwalya said Mrs Musosha’s one-year-old grandson Emmanuel Chongo who died at Mansa General hospital following the same accident, will also be burried at Leopards Hill memorial park today.

Fuenral gathering is at house number 36K, Sable Road in Kabulonga

[Times of Zambia]

Geoffrey Mwamba booed in Kasama

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Several Kasama residents on Saturday booed Patriotic Front (PF) Kasama Central member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Mwamba at Shoprite Checker’s outlet in Kasama.

This happened when Mr Mwamba who was in a hired taxi on his way to the Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena traditional ceremony.

Mr Mwamba was booed by onlookers when he passed near Shoprite with a fleet of hired taxis with drivers honking.

“He should be ashamed of his action, he is even raising his fist without shame,” one woman shouted.
Another woman said “There goes the MP who batters his wife why has he even come to Kasama when he has not sorted out his mess in Lusaka”.

And people talked to in Kasama central said they will wait for their MP to call for a meeting to discuss his problems.

“Since he has come to consult us, we shall wait for that meeting to be held otherwise we are disappointed with him as people who voted for him,” Mr Bernard Chanda said.

Mr Mwamba hired taxis to escort him from Kasama town to Mungwi to attend the Ukusefya Pa Ng’wena traditional ceremony.

And Mr Mwamba yesterday assured his constituents that he will continue to be their representative and carry on with development projects. This was during a meeting at Chambishi market in Kasama.

The electorate welcomed his decision not to resign his parliamentary seat. They also pledged to support him. And United Church of Zambia (UCZ) has advised Zambians not to vote for leaders who batter their wives because such individuals cannot be entrusted with the leadership of the nation.

UCZ Copperbelt Presbytery Bishop Sydney Sichilima said this during a blousing ceremony of 276 women Christian fellowship members in Ndola yesterday.

“Society should condemn leaders who batter their family members, particularly their wives. Let us not vote for such leaders because if they fail to lead their homes, they cannot lead the nation,” Bishop Sichilima said.

He said it is unfortunate that some political leaders and other leaders in society engage in shameful behaviour like wife battering.
Bishop Sichilima said it makes sad reading that a political leader battered his wife.

“Civic leaders and other leaders should be contributing to the integrity of women and not otherwise,” he said.

Bishop Sichilima said Zambia should fight any form of gender discrimination and that boys and girls should be raised in the same manner.
Bishop Sichilima was proud that the UCZ has been trying to take the lead in preaching gender sensitivity.

“Not only do women preach and give Holy Communion, I am proud to say that for the first time, a woman Reverend, Peggy Kabonde was this weekend elected as General Secretary of the UCZ synod for the first time in history,” Bishop Sichilima said.

He said it is unfortunate that some sections of society are trying to destroy the integrity of women.
Bishop Sichilima said it is sad that some young women are being displayed half naked in the print media.
He encouraged the women Christian fellowship members who were bloused to first seek the kingdom of God above material things.

“The blousing ceremony is a time of commissioning your work with God. This is the time that women decide to offer themselves to the ministry of women in the UCZ,” Bishop Sichilima said.

He said women all over the world play a significant role in building society and that they should not be looked down upon.

Bishop Sichilima said the church has for a long time now played a vital role in raising the status of women.
The 276 women Christian fellowship members were drawn from the Ndola north, Ndola south and Luanshya Consistories

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Pande’s daughter survives accident in Lubande Game area

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Foreign Affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande’s daughter Nosiku and her husband Chido Magata yesterday survived a road accident when their vehicle lost control in Lubande Game area 100 kilometers from Mumbwa District.

The Vehicle was part of the Ministers entourage to Kasempa when the accident happened.

The couple survived the accident when their vehicle lost control and bashed into an ant-hill.

The couple who are resident in United Kingdom are visiting Zambia to check on the developmental projects being undertaken by the Member of Parliament in Kasempa Constituency.

The accident happened yesterday and the vehicle a Toyota Surf Registration number ABF 864 has been extensively damaged.

The vehicle was only pulled with effort from supporting staff on the Minister’s entourage and has since been packed at Lubande game reserve site.

The Minister who is also Kasempa Member of Parliament is expected to have a six days tour of his area.

He is also expected to have a high level delegation meeting and also meet party leaders in the area.

ZANIS

Zesco United Oust Rangers From Top Spot

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Zesco United have replaced Nchanga Rangers at the top of the Super Division table today after beating Kabwe Warriors away in Kabwe in a rescheduled Week 20 game.

Both Zesco and Rangers are on 43 points but the Ndola side lead on goal difference.

Fighton Simukonda’s side beat Warriors who are struggling in the relegation zone via a second half goal scored by ex-Ndola United striker Humphrey Luputa in the 59th minute.

Luputa headed in the winner from a Maybin Mwaba corner to hand Zesco the three points and score his second successive goal for his new club.

Warriors are stuck in 13th place with just five league wins all season as new Coach Manfred Chabinga struggles to find consistency at the club since joining them in mid July with just one win to his credit from six games which include three defeats.

[standings league_id=15 template=extend logo=false]

PACT is stronger- Lubinda

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The opposition Patriotic Front says that it will not succumb to the pressures of those who have found joy in the various challenges that the PF-UPND pact is dealing with.

PF spokes person, Given Lubinda told radio QFM in an interview that those willing to celebrate some of the challenges that the Pact could be going through can go ahead.

Mr. Lubinda said that a lot of people especially those from the ruling party have found a lot of joy ever since the pact experienced a mix up in ward electoral candidates.
He said that the MMD has constantly found pleasure in criticizing the Pact on every opportunity it gets even when it is not necessary.

Mr. Lubinda however maintained that the Pact will not waste its time paying attention to those that find pride in pin pointing its mistakes.

He noted that it is not how one falls that counts but how one rises and adds that the Pact will give the ruling party a rude shock in next years tripartite election.

[QFM]

Chituwo says MMD govt deserves commendation

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Science minister and technology Brian Chituwo

Science, Technology and Vocational Training Minister Brian Chituwo has said the MMD Government deserves to be commended for living up to its promises, as has been demonstrated time and again, from the time it ascended to power.

Dr. Chituwo said this in Kasama yesterday, when he handed over ten (10) flat-screened computers to Lukashya Trades Training Institute. The computers were purchased by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training at a total cost of K49 million.

Dr. Chituwo further gave the institution a grant worth K42 million to help in the smooth running of the institution.

The donations were made after Dr.Chituwo undertook a conducted familiarization tour of the 68 year old training institution led by its Principal, Anderson Mtonga.

Dr. Chituwo further promised that his Ministry would release another K12 million to help the carpentry students at the training institution produce up to 50 classroom desks.

Speaking during the Minister’s tour, a carpentry student Gabriel Maluba appealed to government to assist students like him set up business for others to learn from.

ZANIS

Govt seriously addressing matters contributing to delayed payments by FRA

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President Rupiah Banda
President Rupiah Banda says Government is seriously addressing matters that contribute to delayed payments by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), to encourage farmers to grow more crops and ensure food security in the nation.

The President was speaking today when he graced this year’s Ukusefya Pang’wena traditional ceremony of the Bemba speaking people which took place at Mungwi, east of the Boma of Kasama.

The President however commended the farming community in Northern Province for making progress in maize production, resulting in the province selling K100 billion worth of maize to the Food Reserve Agency, as compared to K72 billion sold last year, representing an increase of close to K30 billion.

President Banda further said that, in the 2010 budget, Northern Province was given the second largest allocation in the entire nation, for use in priority areas, such as the construction of the Kasama/Mbala/Mpulungu Road on which government put aside K123 billion.

The President said government released another K192 billion for use in the upgrading of the Kasama/Luwingu Road which was nearing completion, adding that government was also working on the Mbala/Nakonde Road and building a bridge at Mbesuma across the Chambeshi River.

The President further told the gathering that government would expand the runway at Kasaba Bay airport at a cost of K102 million, with a view to attract more tourists to the area and create more jobs for the local people.

President Banda said, government spent more than K40 billion in constructing health facilities nearer to people’s homes within the last three years in Northern Province, where he said 51 Doctors have been posted, including more nurses and clinical officers.
He added that government had furthermore spent a mammoth K168 billion on the construction and rehabilitation of schools in Northern Province to create more classroom space.

The President described this year’s Kusefya Pang’wena as better organized than last year’s. He wished continued good health to Paramount Chief Chitimukulu and all their royal highnesses present.

Meanwhile President Banda pledged to donate K5 million to Malole Brass Band, who he said impressed him so much with their performance.

And speaking earlier on behalf of Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, Chairman of the Kusefya Pang’wena National Committee, Bwalya Chiti thanked President Banda and his administration for their continued support towards his medical treatment, which he described as a sign of mutual love and friendship between them.

The traditional leader hailed President Banda for his mature leadership, describing him as a true pan Africanist who had contributed to conflict resolution on the continent. He thanked President Banda and his administration for the many developmental projects implemented and being implemented in Northern Province.

The traditional leader however, appealed to government to rehabilitate the hospital in Mungwi and speed up mineral exploration and the eventual actual mining activities in the region to create more jobs for the local people.

Present during the celebration of this year’s Kusefya Pang’wena ceremony were Northern Province Minister John Chinyanta, Luapula Province Minister Boniface Kawimbe, Local Government Minister Dr Eustacio Kazongo, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Brian Chituwo and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Guston Sichilima, and other senior government officials.

ZANIS

Forget What Lies Behind

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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind straining toward what is ahead”
(Philippians 3:13, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Are you determined to forget what lies behind? I know many people don’t fully understand what it means to forget the past. They wonder, “How can I forget something that’s happened to me?” But one definition of the word forget is to disregard intentionally or to overlook. See, you have to intentionally disregard your past so that it doesn’t keep you from moving forward. That means the good and the bad. Sometimes our past victories keep us from rising higher as much as past failures. If we don’t let go of the old, we’ll never be able to embrace the new.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what’s happened in your history, it’s time to forget what lies behind. Make the choice today to press forward. Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you intentionally disregard what lies behind and press forward, I believe God will pour out His favor, grace and blessing upon you and lead you into the abundance He has prepared for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I choose to forget the past today. I don’t want anything to hold me back from the future You have prepared for me. I choose forgiveness and ask that You help me, by Your Spirit, to press forward in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

– Joel & Victoria Osteen

The Moral Decay of our Leaders

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Some people of Milanzi wait for politicians to address them at a public meeting

By Daimone Siulapwa

IT seems in Zambia, politicians are almost law unto themselves. And if you happen to belong to the ruling party, then you are immune to prosecution until such a time that you leave them or differ.

Otherwise, our politicians are a big let down. They are always in the news for the wrong reasons. If you are looking for role model, please stay clear of politicians. You will hardly find any among our local politicians, academic, yes no doubt about that.

If our politicians are not bouncing cheques or shooting at unarmed citizens, then they are beating their wives, or they are grabbing other people’s wives, impregnating our 18-year old sisters and children or turning National Assembly Motel into a brothel.

Oh, and that is not all.

They are also driving under the influence of alcohol, they are conning possible foreign investors, they organize thugs to beat innocent people and remove their eyes and ears during campaigns or they are involved in money laundering.

It is a complete mess.

We also have the chief justice showing his political inclination by refusing to shake hands with the leader of the largest opposition political party at a funeral for that matter, Church Fathers are throwing away their robs in favour of war with the government through the Red card Campaign propaganda and so on and so forth? What happened to “forgive them father for they do not know what they are doing”

Each of these cases listed above has a name tagged alongside it. That, I can assure you.

But one wonders whether the police are professionally doing their work or are they compromised by an upper hand. And if they are being shielded, the question is why. And which upper hand is this anyway?

If by any chance, the Patriotic Front (PF) was to win next year’s general elections and form government, I can guarantee you that they will spend the first term of their five-year mandate settling political scores.

All those that have bounced cheques and have not been brought to book, will be brought to book, all those that shoot people and are still walking free, they will be jailed, all those that have companies that have benefited from government tenders and have political connections, they will be brought to book. Such is the simple mentality of our politicians.

Meanwhile, they would have conveniently forgotten about their campaign promises of putting more money in people’s pockets and reducing taxes.

Even Levy Mwnanwasa was not immune. It was part of his legacy.

How many of our generals did he send to jail for speculated crimes? Why didn’t he just strip them of their properties and retire them? That to me would have been the best punishment; so that we could see them live poor like us and probably die from frustrations like most of our honest hard working fathers and mothers who were not involved in corruption and served their country respectively? Where are they now? Most of them are dead, those that are living have nothing to show for having lived on this earth for more than 70 year or so and having worked for over 50 years of their lives?

Still, it is only in this country where we put the security of the nation at such a greater risk by jailing security chiefs including the spy chief. Do you have an idea how much some countries would pay for the information these people have?

What we really need in this country is a flexible leadership code not necessarily on the lines of the one we had during the UNIP times. If we were to retain that in its entirety, the results may be disastrous.

We may either kill the entrepreneurship skills of our leaders resulting in a situation where after retirement, they become destitute. We saw this with many former UNIP leaders after they lost the 1991 elections.

Or we may start using the leadership code to sort out our perceived enemies as was the case with former home affairs minister Aaron Milner during the Kaunda era where he lost his properties and ended-up a destitute in Zimbabwe. One of our great Independence struggle heroes if I may state..

Anyhow, the bottom is line is that we deserve better than we are currently getting from our politicians. That is the challenge our politicians have.

What are we going to leave for our children? The choice is ours and we must decide now.

Ghana U17 Knockout Zambia

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Ghana Under-17 have eliminated their Zambian counterparts from the 2011 CAF Africa Under-17 Cup qualifiers.

Ghana beat Zambia 2-0 at the Ohene Djan stadium in Accra on Saturday to advance to the final qualifying phase 3-2 on aggregate.

The Black Starlets had lost 2-1 in eth first leg played in Lusaka a fortnight ago.

John Nyamkeye and Nasiru Mohamed scored the goals for Ghana who only needed a 1-0 win to advance against 10-man Zambia who had captain and defender Chishimba Changala sent off for a second yellow card just before halftime.

Nyamkeye scored Ghana’s first goal in the 4th minute while Mohamed stretched the hosts lead from a penalty in the 42nd minute after Changala had fouled Samuel Asamoah before the Zambian player was sent off.

Zambia’s elimination ends their brief return to the qualifiers for the Rwanda finals after Uganda, who ejected them in the preliminary stage qualifiers, were disqualified for fielding overage players.

President Banda expected at the Chisemwa Cha Lunda ceremony

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President Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in Mwinilunga district North Western Province to grace this years Chisemwa Cha Lunda traditional ceremony of the Lunda people.

According to a programme from the District Commissioners office made available to ZANIS today, President Banda while there is expected to pay a courtesy call on Senior Chief Kanongesha of the Lunda people before gracing the traditional ceremony.

President Banda will become the first Head of State to attend and officiate at the Chisemwa Cha Lunda traditional ceremony.

This year’s ceremony has attracted more than 40 chiefs from Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.

[[ ZANIS ]

Zanaco Beat Sfaxien To Record First Group B Win

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Zanaco Wedson Nyirenda has said his sides Group B victory over CS Sfaxien at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka today has kept his sides dreeams of alive of reaching the Confederation Cup semifinals in October.

A 31st minute goal from Zanaco striker and captain Winstone Kalengo handed the Zambian club its first three points to go level on points with the 2007 and 2008 Confederations Cup champions.

“Beating Sfaxien has sharpened our destiny in  our quest to qualify to the next  level,” Nyirenda said.

Zanaco dominated for most of the first half with Allen Mukuka hitting near upright on 18 minutes while Kalengo failed to converted at point blank range shortly there after before making no mistake a minute after the half hour mark.

Sfaxien dominated play in the second half with midfielder Ibrahima Toure and captain Bargawi Chaker coming close with fantastic chances in the 47th and 83rd minutes respectively.

The two  teams meet in teh return leg in a fortnights time in Sfax on September 17.

Konga dismisses fuel shortage alarms

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People waiting for fuel during the 2009 fuel shortage in Lusaka

Energy and water development Minister Kenneth Konga has dismissed reports that the country might experience a fuel shortage beginning this month end.

Mr. Konga told radio QFM in an interview that the country has adequate stocks of fuel at Indeni oil refinery in Ndola to last the country three months.

He says during the 40 days period Indeni oil refinery will be shut down for routine maintenance, the country will not be affected because there are enough stocks of fuel.

Mr. Konga has since assured the general public not to panic by what he terms as misleading reports of a looming fuel shortage in the country.

Zambia’s sole oil refinery, Indeni, is scheduled to close this month for routine maintenance.

The four-week closure will enable the replacement of old machinery at the state-owned refinery to make it more reliable.

The 23,750 barrels-a-day refinery is the main supplier of fuel to Zambia’s copper and cobalt mines on the Copperbelt and North Western provinces.

Esther Phiri: Zambia’s ‘Million Dollar Baby’

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Esther Phiri (l) and Duda Yankovich squaring each other during the WIBA fight in Lusaka

Esther Phiri grew up helping her grandmother sell vegetables in a poor township in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

Today she is a world boxing champion and a household name in Zambia. She lives in a house given to her by her country’s former president Levy Mwanawasa and owns a small property empire bought with her prize money.

It is a rags-to-riches tale reminiscent of the Hollywood film Million Dollar Baby, but transported to a country where the average life expectancy is 38 — the second lowest in the world, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Phiri, 23, began her boxing career seven years ago and still trains at the gym where she started.

A biography of Phiri on the Women’s Boxing Archive Network describes how she dropped out of school and became a single mother at the age of 16 after her family fell on hard times.

It said she took up boxing as part of an HIV-awareness sport program run by an international NGO. She was the only girl on the program.

Phiri’s trainer Anthony Mwamba told CNN that when he first met Phiri, she was renting a one-room house, sleeping on the bare floor with her daughter.

“I wanted to cry. There was no food and I had no money either,” he said.

But Mwamba continued to invest in the fledgling boxer, even though his motives came under suspicion in a country where female boxers are not the norm.

Mwamba said: “At first when Esther came onto the scene everyone was saying, ‘No, no, he’s just spoiling her or maybe he’s sleeping with Esther.’ That’s what people were saying including the officials. But to me, I always had the vision, they didn’t know it, but I saw a champion the first time I saw Esther.”

Despite the rumors, the pair continued to train together and soon they were vindicated when Phiri won the Women’s International Boxing Federation’s Intercontinental Junior Lightweight title in 2006.

“Wow, I was so happy, I can’t even explain. It was a turning point for my life,” she said, showing off her title belts,” she said.

“I even promised my late president, he said ‘Esther, you’re not supposed to lose, you need to bring more belts’, and I’ve done it, I’ve done it.”

Today, despite having all the wealth and trappings of an international sports star, Phiri still lives in the community where she grew up and remains friends with the people she knew when she was selling vegetables in the market.

“This is my home township, it’s very close. I’ve got so many friends,” Phiri told CNN as passers-by call out to her in the street.

Phiri is currently Women’s International Boxing Association Light Welterweight World Champion. Her next fight is in January.

She has worked hard to gain her titles and isn’t about to rest on her laurels.

“I’ve got that courage to push myself, to say ‘let’s go Esther,’ because I don’t want to embarrass myself,” Phiri said.

Mwamba added: “Some boxers, you can tell them to wake up early and run for 20 km, and some refuse to do it. But Esther Phiri, she has the heart. She will run those 20 km, even 30 and finish. She has the heart to do it.

“In a fight, women go for two minutes, but I give her three minutes, just like a man. I treat her just like a man. It’s to her advantage.”

She can now drive in her car to the gym, a journey that used to take her four bus rides.

[CNN International]

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