Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo has dismissed allegations of bribe saying that a TFM letter that has made rounds on social media implicating her office in alleged attempted bribery is not true.

Reacting to a question by Diamond Media Ms Masebo who could not comment further said that she will at an appropriate time issue a comprehensive statement on the matter.

On Monday, Social Media was awash with a letter dated May 15, 2022 bearing details of a reply by a South African-based company called TFM alleging the Minister’s representatives approached the firm to facilitate fees and a motor vehicle for her.

It’s alleged the matter is in connection with the Tender for the proposed construction and equipping of seven by 150-bed capacity infectious diseases isolation hospitals in Zambia.

A South African company, TFM Holdings (pty) Ltd revealed that a Cabinet Minister had been soliciting for a bribe before it could get favourable consideration.

TFM Industries (pty) Ltd chairman Mcebisi Nlozi revealed that the named Minister had been soliciting bribes from the company in form of facilitation fees and a luxury motor vehicle after it had been awarded a US$100 million contract to construct pre-fabricated hospitals in Southern, Western and North-Western Provinces.

In a letter to a local business executive dated 15th May 2022, Mr Nlozi claimed his company had been approached by representatives of the said Minister to arrange facilitation fees and a vehicle for the government official.

He had instead requested a local business executive to place the soliciting of the facilitations fees and a motor vehicle for the named Minister on record in Zambia.

“We write to you to place on record that we have been approached by representatives of the Minister of Health to arrange facilitation fees and a vehicle for her. We are, for obvious reasons very uncomfortable with this and wish to ask you to place this on record in Zambia, the letter reads.

Southern Province Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa has implored professional secretaries in Government and other public institutions to help fight corruption by reporting suspicious transactions that pass through their hands to relevant authorities.

Mr Mweetwa observed that secretaries due to the nature of their job come across sensitive information some of which may involve dubious and corrupt activities perpetrated by their supervisors.

He said it is such information that government would want secretaries to take note and report to law enforcement agencies.

The Provincial Minister said once secretaries get involved in the fight against corruption, audit queries in the Auditors report will reduce drastically.

Mr Mweetwa was speaking in Livingston today when he graced a three days Professional Secretaries Association of Zambia annual convention.

And speaking earlier, Association President, Christabel Musefwe thanked Government for supporting the Association’s efforts in enacting a Professional Secretaries Bill.

Mrs Musefwe informed the gathering that the UPND being a listening Government, the bill was tabled before Parliament and has since entered it’s second reading.

The Association President further cautioned secretaries to uphold high levels of transparency and confidentiality in executing their duties.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Garry Nkombo, has thanked the government of Japan for supporting Zambia in many areas, including the management of solid waste in Lusaka city.

Mr Nkombo said JICA has supported the Lusaka clean city project which aims at achieving a sustainable solid waste management system.

He said this at the JICA solid waste management seminar dubbed Lusaka Clean City Project held in Lusaka today.

Mr Nkombo noted that the culture of indiscriminate dumping of waste has resulted in the rapid deterioration of the environment.

He expressed sadness that some manufacturers and consumers are lacking appropriate means of disposing of such plastics.

“As a country aspires to live in a clean and healthy environment through Vision 2030, it is regrettable that the situation of garbage collection and the general cleanliness of premises and community surrounding have remained a source of problems which has resulted in public places becoming dirty and unacceptable to the health and wellbeing of the residents and visitors,” he stated.

The minister added that most local authorities are unable to deliver satisfactory services with limited participation of the private sector.

He said there is a need to pull resources together and ensure that there is clean surroundings in the city of Lusaka and elsewhere.

And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia, Ryta Miuzuuchi, said solid waste is one of the major projects that JICA is implementing in Zambia.

Ambassador Miuzuuchi said the Japanese government is looking forward to seeing Lusaka develop into a clean and green city and becoming a model of all African countries.

And Lusaka City Mayor, Chilando Chitangala, has urged all community-based enterprises (CBEs) contracted to collect solid waste management to up their game in their business.

Ms Chitangala revealed that the population of Lusaka is estimated to be more than three million and the city generates more than 1,500 tonnes of garbage per day.

In agreement with the government’s transformation agenda, the Cabinet has reviewed and approved policies, recommendations, models and reports for publication and introduction in Parliament in order to facilitate service delivery to Zambians.

Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda stated that Cabinet has approved the Mineral Resources Development Policy and Implementation Plan for 2022 to 2026, Cabinet has observed that the Mineral Resources Development Policy of 2013 is inadequate in dealing with the many new issues taking place both locally and internationally in the mining industry.

Ms Kasanda added that there is need to address these new challenges that have emerged in the industry such as low investment in mineral exploration and mining, low participation of Zambians in the mineral value chain, inadequate growth coupled with the informality of the artisanal and small-scale mining sub sector, and to operationalize the new Government ambitions to ramp up Copper production to three million metric tons per annum by 2031.

Ms Kasanda explained during the 24th Cabinet Meeting held at State House that Cabinet has approved some recommendations from the 2022 findings of the Mining Cadaster Audit Report based on the key findings and recommendations from the Audit of the Mining Cadaster System for Mining and Non-Mining Rights, and the approved recommendations include re-opening the Mining Cadaster Department following the completion of the audit exercise, floating of the bids for the blocked mining rights to companies which are wholly or partly owned by Zambians, restricting the number of mining rights an entity or company or related companies should have to only five, ensuring that foreign entities, wishing to acquire mining rights, partner with Zambians or companies owned by Zambians, and utilization of ICT in the conduct of business to avoid human interaction.

“Cabinet further agreed to address the issues which have compromised the issuance and management of Mining Rights, implement decisive measures to unlock investment in the mining industry, and enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability in the administration of mining rights,” she said

During the same meeting Ms Kasanda said that Cabinet also approved the Integrated Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining and Marketing Development Model, which will be used to develop the Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining sub sector, identification or appointment of a Government entity as the Gold Aggregator, establishment and formalisation of the gold marketing centers, establishment of a Gold Refinery and value addition centers through Private Public Partnerships (PPPs), establishment and operationalisation of the Minerals Regulatory Commission, and provision of State Security in all gold mining areas and improve security in trading areas for gold miners and traders.

She noted that Cabinet has recognised that there has been a proliferation of informal artisanal gold mining activities in many parts of the country involving multitudes of youths, therefore, this in itself is testimony that, if well-managed, the sub-sector has the potential to absorb many youths in the much-needed job and wealth generation activities considering that these youths are attached to families.

“Cabinet is convinced that artisanal gold mining is one avenue through which the Government can fight extreme poverty, especially in the rural areas and consequently, lead to development in line with the Eighth National Development Plan,” she noted

Ms Kasanda who is also the Minister of Information and Media cited that Cabinet also approved the Fourth Cycle National Report on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) so that the Report can be submitted to the Human Rights Council as per the Human Rights Council resolution 16/21 adopted on 25th March, 2011, and decision 17/119 pertaining to the review of the Council, the second and subsequent cycles, which provides that Universal Periodic Review (UPR) should focus on, among other things, the implementation of the accepted recommendations and developments of the human rights situations in the State under review.

“Every United Nations (UN) Member State is required to prepare and submit a Fourth Cycle National Report on the Universal Periodic Review and Zambia, being a UN Member State, is among the group of States to be reviewed by the Universal Periodic Review Working Group during the January-February, 2023 Calendar reviews,” she cited

By SOLWEZI TODAY REPORTER

First Quantum Minerals (FQM) is committed to environmental protection in partnership with other interest groups.

FQM Zambia Government Relations Specialist Dr Godwin Beene said this in a speech read on his behalf by FQM Trident Environmental Manager Kachiwala Sapalo during the 2022 Environmental Protection Dialogue (EPD) forum organized by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) in Lusaka.

Addressing the forum held under the theme Strong Actions for Environmental Sustainability, Dr Beene said FQM is committed to mitigating environmental degradation by using sustainable strategic mechanisms which are economically viable, technically appropriate, socially responsible and environmentally sound.

Dr Beene said as Zambia’s largest mining company operating in Solwezi and Kalumbila districts, FQM operations were aligned towards environmental protection management. “Protection and conservation of the environment takes centre stage in our two mines and metal production processes.”

FQM appreciated that it was not the only organization dealing with issues of the environment but other stakeholders like traditional and church leaders.

“It is gratifying to see cooperating partners stand with the public sector to find common solutions in respect of a number of burning issues affecting the environment and communities, and how best we can remedy the situation,” Dr Beene said.

FQM further appreciated that Government was making efforts to safeguard natural resources and raise awareness about sustaining them.

FQM used various mining technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

“This includes the trolley assist technology, electric mining fleet combined with pit crushing and conveying. The FQM group supports the transition to a low carbon economy by mining the metals required to deliver this global initiative responsibly and has committed to reduce absolute Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 30 per cent by the year 2025.”

In Zambia, this would be implemented through the development of solar and wind projects in Solwezi and Serenje respectively.

Kansanshi Mining Plc and FQM Trident environmental managers Arnold Malambo and Kachiwala Sapalo were part of a high delegation comprising traditional leaders, heads of the diplomatic corps and the civil society. Story courtesy of Suma Systems.

Lusaka Province Minister, Sheal Mulyata says police officers must be motivated by way of providing descent accommodation for them as they play a significant role in the country’s development.

Ms Mulyata says government is working towards ensuring that public service workers including security officers like police officers, own houses, land, and vehicles through various empowerment schemes.

She said having a motivated public service workforce will result in improved work performance as they will put in their best and execute their duties diligently with the highest sense of responsibility and professionalism.

The Provincial Minister said that the new dawn administration desires to motivate all public service workers in the light of decentralisation which has taken effect and is being strengthened.

“Some of our police officers, like in Rufunsa, do not have good houses and we need to do something to improve their accommodation so as to motivate them to work hard, ” said Mrs Mulyata.

She was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when Zambia Police Service Commission Chairperson Peter Machungwa paid a courtesy call on her.

Meanwhile, Zambia Police Service Commission Chairperson, Peter Machungwa says police officers who engage themselves in corrupt practices and do not change, will face disciplinary measures.

Dr Muchungwa said police officers should not involve themselves in partisan politics and that those who wish to join politics should resign from the police service.

He has urged police officers to maintain law and order as it is important for peace and prosperity of the country.

Dr Muchungwa said the commission will sensitise officers on decentralisation saying the Commission is the processing of establishing Human Resource Management Committees in all provinces as a way of empowering province and districts to be making their own decisions in both management and human resource matters.

“We are transforming the Police Service Commission and ensure that matters concerning our officers are quickly addressed and this is why we are forming Human Resources Management Committees to look at staff matters of our police officers at the lowest level instead of referring everything to the Commission in Lusaka, ” Dr Machungwa.

And Dr Machungwa has appealed to the members of the public to continue working with the Zambia Police officers in order to have peace and security in the country.

He also commended members of the public for the role they played in giving information to the Police on the abduction case involving Pamela Chisumpa and others which made police officers to close into the matter.

Chongwe District commissioner, Evans Lupiya has called on residents in the area to adopt good nutrition practices by including local indigenous foods in their diet in order to live healthier lives.

Dr Lupiya said local indigenous foods contain high nutritional values which have the ability to improve nutrition levels in the area.

He stated that people should not neglect traditional ways of cooking food such as combining different types of food as such cooking methods make food more nutritious thereby curbing malnutrition at household level.

Dr Lupiya was speaking when he officiated at the World Food Day under the theme ‘Leave no one behind’ in Kanakantapa ward.

He said government and various stakeholders have been encouraging people to take up farming methods which respond to the prevailing climate change.

“It is a well known fact that dependence on rain fed agriculture and climate has greatly contributed lack of food availability for most families. This is why we have been working hard as a district to navigate effective interventions to address these challenges,” Dr Lupiya said

Dr Lupiya also encouraged residents in Chongwe to have a home state kitchen garden at their households which they can maintain using grey water to have access to various types of vegetables.

He urged everyone in the area to plant fruit trees at their residences and preserve seasonal foods which they can eat out of season.

Speaking during the same event, a representative from HIVOS in Zambia, Tambudzai Matenga says this year’s theme resonates with the voices for just climate project currently being implemented in the district aimed at giving residents an opportunity to tailor local solutions to counter effects of climate change such as food insecurity.

“Most farmers in Chongwe are affected by climate change and under the voices for just climate project, we want to learn how farmers are copying with climate change and what food people are growing under the current climatic conditions,” Ms Matenga said.

She called on everyone to take up locally tailored solutions to promote nutrition and food security despite the adverse effects of climate change which have negatively affected the farming area.

Meanwhile, National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) District coordinator Prudence Bwalya said the commission said the commission has been making strides in the fight against malnutrition by promoting the uptake of diverse foods among residents in Chongwe.

Ms. Bwalya said the commission has taken a multi sectorial approach to reach more households to encourage people to adopt good nutritional practices.

“The fight against malnutrition is everyone’s fight and this is why we are working with various stakeholders in the district to ensure that we successfully promote the uptake of nutritious local foods among residents,” Ms. Bwalya said.

She implored all stakeholders at community level to continue working with the commission by adhering to the nutritional practices that the organisation and various stakeholders have been promoting to enhance nutrition levels in the area.