Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has commended the National Constitution Conference (NCC) for timely hand over of the draft constitution to Government.

And FODEP has challenged Government to also ensure that it tables the Bill before Parliament within the stipulated timeframe that is in the NCC Act.

ZANIS reports that FODEP Information Officer MacDonald Chipenzi told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that there was need for Government to quickly present the draft to Parliament so that contentious issues are debated upon within 30 days.

Mr. Chipenzi noted that by taking the bill to Parliament on time members of the public would also be comforted that next year’s elections would be governed by the new constitution.

He said there was need to ensure that the timeframe was properly utilised if controversial articles such as the 50+1 and others were to be given adequate attention before they are implemented for the benefit of the people in the country.

Mr. Chipenzi said quick implementation of the agreed articles by the NCC would also go a long way in enhancing national democracy.

He observed that Zambia was a growing democracy that needed to embrace all tenets aimed at promoting national development through a transparent democratic system.

He further disclosed that his organisation wants to ensure that next’s general elections were held under new electoral laws to avoid disputes that always arose every post election.

The National Constitution Conference yesterday officially handed over the draft Constitution Bill and final report to Government for onward tabling in Parliament for enactment.

And Vice President George Kunda who is also Justice Minister assured that Government will begin legislative processes which precede the submission of a bill to Parliament to alter the republican Constitution.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chipenzi has also appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to seriously accommodate public submissions made on the revision of the electoral code of conduct.

The ECZ is currently holding public discussions for people to make submissions on the revision of the electoral code of conduct before next year’s general elections.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has left for the Kingdom of Swaziland to attend the 14th COMESA Summit.

The President left this morning aboard the Presidential challenger.

President Banda is expected to join other heads of state and government at the two-day summit whose theme is “Harnessing Science and Technology for Development”.

The two- day summit, will be held at Lozitha Palace where his Majesty King Mswati the third, of the Kingdom of Swaziland will officially take over the Chairmanship of COMESA from Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

President Banda was seen off this morning by Vice President George Kunda, Secretary to Cabinet Joshua Kanganja, Lands Minister Gladys Lundwe and Transport Minister Geoffery Lungwangwa.

Others where, Commerce Deputy Minister, Dr Lwipa Puma and Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa.

The President’s delegation to the COMESA summit includes Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Commerce Minister Felix Mutati, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Fashion Phiri and other senior government officials.

President Banda is expected to return home on Wednesday, immediately after the summit.

Zambia currently hosts the secretariat of COMESA.

[ZANIS]

Ms Siliya said a good reading culture among citizens in the nation was vital to unlocking the key to economic prosperity for the country as knowledge was power.

The Minister observed that Zambia has a poor reading culture, a situation which she said needed to be reversed as it was inhibiting the country’s economic development.

Ms Siliya said research has shown that no country with high illiteracy levels has ever developed, adding that Government wants to cut illiteracy levels so that the country could go beyond where it is now economically.

She said this in a speech read for her by Director of Standards and Curriculum at the Ministry of Education during celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of Room to Read, an international Non-governmental Organisation that builds education infrastructure and supports girl child education.

Room to Read has been in Zambia for three years now and it has so far constructed 100 libraries in several basic schools in Eastern and Lusaka provinces and will construct another 95 more schools in other localities by the end of this year.

It is also sponsoring 186 secondary school girls in Chongwe district, Lusaka Province under its Girl Education Project (GEP) in its attempt to foster girl child education which was facing a lot of hurdles.

The Minister said Government wants to have a cadre of highly educated Zambians who are able to critically analyse and understand critical issues in the nation.

She said this could only be attained by first improving the literacy levels which still remains a challenge owing to the poor reading culture among the Zambian people.

Ms Siliya said equipping libraries with learning materials was critical to uplifting the country’s educational standards.

She said it was important to inculcate a good reading culture in children early in their lives so they grow up with the interest of reading.

She commended Room to Read for supplementing Government’s efforts in providing quality education for children in the country.

Ms Siliya hoped the partnership between Government and Room to Read continues until educational standards for children are uplifted to their full potential.

And Room to Read Founder John Wood was proud with the success that his organisation has achieved in the ten years it has been in existence.

Mr Wood said his dream of bringing the power of education to millions of the poorest children in different parts of the world is being realised.

He said the goal of reaching 10 million children by the year 2020 was now visible owing to the success that has been scored so far.

[ ZANIS ]

UTH Public Relations Manager Pauline Mbangweta confirmed this to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

Ms Mbangweta said UTH recorded 91 road traffick accidents and two cases resulting from gun shots.

She explained that 23 cases were recorded due to burns and an additional 174 cases were recorded due to other forms of injuries.

Ms Mbangweta said a further 28 cases due to accidental falls were recorded during the course of the week which brought the total number of casualty cases recorded at the UTH to 318.

The Public Relations Manager has also disclosed that the institution recorded 22 defilement and 19 measles cases during the same week.

She added that cases of measles have continued to drop as compared to last week when the institution recorded 27 cases.

[ ZANIS ]

Zambia’s Scholarship Fund at USU, a club only a month old and ten members strong, is hoping to raise money that helps students and teachers in Zambia.

“In Zambia, the government only pays for free education through seventh grade,” Jeff Merrell, the club’s president, said. Merrell is a sophomore in business administration and political science.

The new club has ties to a charity founded in northern Utah, Zambia’s Scholarship Fund, which is a registered charity with the IRS, and has 501(c) status, he said.

Merrell and Carlee Berry, senior in speech language pathology, went to high school together, and were the presidents of the National Honor Society. As part of the organization in high school, Berry said the two of them were told about the charity and put on a benefit concert.

“When we were in high school not a lot of people knew about the event. We are from a small town,” Berry said. “We want to do more.”

The conditions in Zambia can’t be called good, as Amanda Brough, junior in social work, can attest.

Brough has been to Zambia to do humanitarian work, and said the country is poor, and doesn’t have the ability to export anything to other countries.

“Zambia is the world’s pauper,” she said.

When Merrell came back from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he and Berry decided to begin a club

at USU together to help those in Zambia.

“The literacy rate is falling, and so is the life expectancy. What the fund does is make it so people can sponsor a student for a year in Zambia,” he said.

When these sponsored students graduate from high school, the fund hires them to be teachers in other villages, Merrell said.

“We’re not asking USU students to sponsor kids in Zambia, but we’d like to get the word out, maybe get some people from Cache Valley to sponsor them,” he said.

Not only does the fund sponsor students to go through high school, but it also has other projects to help teachers and students Zambia. Merrell said in Zambia, it can sometimes take a teacher days to walk to get their paycheck and days to walk back.

“We’d like to help by maybe paying for bicycles so teachers don’t have to cancel school for a week at a time,” Merrell said.

The fund at USU is planning two main events to raise funds, Berry said. A 5K race in September and a benefit concert in April.

Berry said the 5K will be held on Sept. 25. Registration will open at 7:30 a.m. and the race will begin at 8 a.m.

“It’s 5 dollars, and all the money we raise goes to the fund,” she said.

The benefit concert, called Zambia Fest, will be held April 30, called Zambia Fest, is shaping up to be a big event, according to both Berry and Merrell.

“We’re going to have Keith Stubbs, from (radio station) 101.5 The Eagle, be our MC, and he said he was excited to help,” Berry said.

Stubbs has won awards for being the best talk show host on the radio, and Berry said he owns Wiseguy Comedy Club in Ogden, UT.

Merrell said the club is growing, and he hopes it continues to do so.

“We’re looking for help, to give people opportunities,” he said.

To get more information on events and the scholarship fund, you can visit www.Zambiasscholarshipfund.org or email them at [email protected].

ñ[email protected]

[www.usustatesman.com]

Africa Institute for Democracy and Good Governance (AIDGG) spokesperson Thabo Kawana has urged Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata and sections of society to stop linking the first lady Thandiwe Banda’s charitable works to corruption and political campaigns.

Mr. Kawana has in an interview with ZANIS in Kapiri Mponshi today, observed that Mr. Sata’s and some politician’s comments in the media linking the first lady to politics and corruption are irresponsible and politically aimed at tarnishing her image.

The AIDGG spokesperson said Mrs. Banda’s activities across the country should be supported as they are aimed at strengthening women and improve their welfare.

He said the first lady is going across the country to support women clubs which consisted women from various political parties and hence accusing her of campaigning for the ruling MMD through this activity is baseless.

Mr. Kawana noted that the first lady had resolved not to form her own Non Governmental Organization (NGO) like her predecessors to help women but opted to work with existing ones a move which is commended.

He said the move was a clear indication that Mrs. Banda wanted to support and work with all individual women and women clubs in the country regardless of political affiliation.

He said the first lady needs to be supported and not disturbed for her activities therefore it is regrettable that some politicians and critics want to destroy her good name and works.

Mr. Kawana has since urged Mrs. Banda not to relent or be disturbed by these politicians and critics of her works but be focused to helping the needy in society.

Meaniwhile, First Lady Thandiwe Banda has commended the women of Chiengi District in Luapula Province for taking farming seriously in the Chiefdom.

The first Lady said this today in Chiengi when she donated 40 by 50 kg bags of fertiliser, 20 bags of maize and sunflower, sewing machines and a hummer Mill to Women Clubs in the area.

ZANIS reports that Mrs Banda also promised the Women that she would request the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to teach them how to apply the fertilisers using new farming methods.

She thanked the people in the area for voting for President Banda during the 2008 presidential by elections. And speaking during the same occassion, Chief District Association Chairperson Alice Mtine said Women were part and parcel of all Government programmes in the district adding that they played a significant role in national development.

Mrs. Mtine said some of the challenges women Clubs faced included lack of access to equipment such as hummer mills and sowing machines adding that the donation the first lady rendered to the organisation would go a long way in mitigating some of the problems they were facing.

Meanwhile, the First Lady paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Puta’s wife Agnes in Chiengi district who thanked Mrs Banda for visiting the area for the first time.

The traditional Leader’s wife further appealed to Government through the First Lady to adequately empower women in the area to enable them look after the
vulnerable in society and fight against the HIV and Aids respectively. The First Lady is in Chiengi District for a one week tour of Luapula Province.

She is accompanied by Mrs. Edina Mukuma, Wife of Presidential Affairs Minister at State house Rolnald Mukuma, Mrs. Felisty Mushosha, Mrs. Agnes Chinyanta and Mrs. Gloria Sichilima.

ZANIS