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Targeting Zambians in Tourism

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By Wesley Ngwenya

Last week, I happen to go on a working trip to Livingstone. The purpose of the trip was to bring awareness of the new product we were launching at work as well as solicit business in the Southern Province. I stayed at a fairly nice lodge within the downtown area of the city. The lodge is a very quite place surrounded by a beautiful forest making it look very natural.

Tourism in Zambia continues to grow substantially and is a major contributor to our national GDP. One can see from the endless hotel structures being erected all over Livingstone. I asked one hotel owner how they are able to stay in business with such competition emerging every day. He clearly stated that business was becoming cutthroat and not very easy.

During my working trip, last week, my target market was specifically the hospitality industry. I talked with hotel owners as well as managers working the industry. What shocked me is how these businesspeople were not putting the Zambian people in the equation. They were talking about advertising in South Africa, their rates were in dollars, and were quick to jump to their feet at the sight of a white face.

There is no doubt that the many foreigners, who visit the country, bring some substantial revenue to the tourism industry and the country at large. However, I find it rather appalling that the industry has overlooked the spending power of Zambians. Zambia has a growing middle class that is earning anywhere between $1,500 to $3,000 a month. This group can potentially spend a good portion of their income on a good local holiday. Unfortunately, I know many friends and family members who are right now on holiday in Cape Town, Australia or the United Kingdom. Why can’t these people spend a good vacation in Livingstone? Because the industry has completely ignored them.

What Livingstone and the tourism industry need to do is design local vacation packages that are Zambian tailored. Packages that specifically target the local market. There is plenty of money within Zambia that could be spent within the borders. A business that will stand out and target this group, in the next few years, will certainly have a first-mover advantage. Its revenue will increase and it can cut its advertising costs by placing local ads instead of using foreign media. In fact, here in Zambia, the advertising medium is plenty and very cheap.

Zambians also need to start looking and exploring the various vacation destinations within the country. Even Rupiah needs to stop going to Mfuwe and look at checking out places like Mongu, Mwinilunga or Kasaba Bay for a holiday. Let him lead by example. Spending holidays in Zambia does not only help our economy but it is also cheap and less headache.

Supporting industries such as airlines also need to target the Zambian middle class in order to support the industry. It will be great if in the next twelve months we see the airwaves showing adverts of a Zambian family taking a vacation in Livingstone, doing Banji Jumping, taking a helicopter ride above the falls or rafting the rough waters. What a perfect Zambia that would be.

Grandfather 65, nabbed for defiling granddaughter

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Police in Serenje have apprehended a 65 year old man for allegedly defiling his 14 year old granddaughter.

Serenje District Police officer commanding Daniel Mseteka confirmed the incident to ZANIS.

Mr. Mseteka said the man was caught defiling his granddaughter in the house by his wife.
He said the girl was found with injuries on her private parts and is undergoing intensive medical check up.

Mr. Mseteka said it is suspected that the man started having sex with the girl long before being caught red handed. The man will appeal in court soon.

And District Commissioner Stanley Chibwana has expressed sadness over the incident noting that people should stop abusing young children especially the old who are supposed to be role models.

Mr. Chibwana noted that only a mad person could defile a young girl of such an age.

He said the law should take its course and deal with perpetrators with severe punishment in accordance with the law.

“It is a very, very sad situation to see that defilement cases are going up because it shows deteriorating morals in the community and national at large.” He said.

ZANIS

Two Chongwe men committed to High Court for goat theft

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A Chongwe magistrate has committed to the Lusaka High Court for sentencing two men of Chikwela village in the district for stealing two goats valued at K240, 000.

Magistrate Moses Phiri committed Gift Mumba 27 and Given Lupenga 26 to the High Court after convicting them of the offence of stock theft.

Magistrate Phiri told the duo that he was referring them to the high court for sentencing because stock theft attracts a minimum sentence of 5 years which his court can not give.

Facts before the court were that on December 15 last year the duo jointly stole two male goats belonging to a Mr. Bernard Kolala of the same village which were later recovered by Chongwe police.

Earlier, the same court slapped two 12 months sentences on the duo to run consecutively for two counts of burglary and theft with effect from December 16 last year when they were arrested.

The court established that on December 2 and 5 last year, the duo jointly broke into two taverns belonging to Ernest Tembo and Chrispin Njovu of Chikwela village.

From Tembo’s tavern, the duo stole an umbrella and a home theatre valued at K1.2 million while from Njovu’s tavern the duo stole 30 packets of Shake Shake beer and a refrigerator worth K1.4 million.

In mitigation the duo pleaded for lenience form the Court stressing that they have orphans to look after.

Magistrate Phiri, however, said he was sending them to jail because of the gravity of the offences they committed and to deter would-be offenders.

ZANIS

VEEP commends India for its technical assistance to Zambia

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VP George Kunda

Vice President George Kunda says the Indian Government has been very supportive to Zambia through technical assistance in various fields that have benefited the country.

Mr. Kunda said that India has been helpful to Zambia in many areas including the provision of flood relief and food aid, irrigation schemes for the development of small scale farms, scholarships and training in various fields among others.

He was happy to note that there are still many other opportunities that the Indian government has offered to participating African counties under the India-Africa partnership forum for Zambia to tap into.

The Vice President said this in Lusaka this evening at the Intercontinental Hotel during a dinner hosted in honour of visiting Indian Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari.

Mr. Ansari is in Zambia for a two day visit. He ‘s accompanied by his wife Salma and at the same time heading a 50 man delegation comprising business persons and Parliamentarians.

Mr Kunda said that the Zambian Government will remain an active participant of India- Africa forum to strengthen the Zambian economy.

” May I commended the Indian government for partnering with African countries under the landmark initiative of the Africa-India partnership forum,” he said.

The Vice President further noted that India, which is an emerging super power, has proved itself worth emulating in many areas due to its economic growth and technological progress.

He prticulary said India’s innovations and ingenuity especially in the information communications and technology (ICT) sector have been outstanding and rewarding.

He said at political level, India has been a beacon of democracy as it is a thriving multi-party system which allows political parties to compete favourably.

Mr Kunda said Zambia is proud to be associated with India which he said has achieved so much over the years and earned herself a well deserved title of the largest democracy in the world.

He noted that the two countries have maintained close relations over the years that are underpinned by both countries’ Commonwealth ties and shared membership.

He said the two countries have maintained joint cooperation under the Zambia/India joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPC) in a number of mutually agreed areas including transport, agriculture, infrastructure development and many more.

The Zambian Vice President further noted that it was impressive that the Indian businesses continue to find Zambia an attractive and viable destination for their investment owing to the large number of Indian investors in the country.

Meanwhile, Indian Vice President Mr Ansari says his government has great admiration for Zambia for being the leading example of how people can live in peace and harmony.

He noted that India and Zambia have for a long time been strong allies in the fight colonialism and other social – economic vices including current concerns of climate change.

Mr Ansari noted that bilateral relations between his country and Zambia have continued to develop in economy, technology adding that there is need to develop the cooperation even further in power, medium and small industries including education and telecommunication.

He pledged that his government would continue to extend its lines of cooperation investment covering many sectors in need.

The Indian Vice President who arrived in the country today , accompanied by his wife and other government officials, will be in the country until Thursday and will among other things hold discussions and loan signing agreements before departure.

During his two day visit, the Indian vice president will also call on president Banda as well as hold discussions with his Zambian counterpart on bilateral, international and issues of Mutual interest.

He will lead a 55 strong delegation which will include Members of Parliament and Business personal.

ZANIS

UNZA student nabbed for cocaine trafficking

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A fourth year female student at the University of Zambia has been arrested for trafficking in 129 sachets of pure grade cocaine.

Twenty -six year old, Theresa Luhila, a development studies student was arrested by the DEC at Lusaka’s Down Town shopping mall when she attempted to sale the drug to some people.

DEC Public Relations Manager, John Nyawali, says Theresa was arrested together with two members of one family Orient and Harriet Chikaina.

He told ZNBC that the three are in police custody and will appear in court soon.

Mr. Nyawali also said 52 people have been arrested countrywide in the past six days for trafficking in various quantities of cannabis.

[ZNBC]

Police have not received complaints about PF cadres in Mazabuka-Kapeso

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Zambia police commissioner Graphael Musamba and spokesperson Bonnie Kapeso addressing journalists on the arrests the ministry of health

The Police Service says it has not received any complaint to start investigations into the harassment of Journalists by suspected PF cadres at Mazabuka radio station.

Spokesperson, Bonny Kapeso, told ZNBC that there has been no formal complaint against the cadres so far.

He however said police can only open an inquiry file to find out what really transpired at the radio station.

On Saturday, PF cadres stormed Mazabuka community radio station and ordered staff in the newsroom to immediately suspend a live phone in programme.

The programme featured Opper Hamiyanze, who claims to be Southern Province PF chairperson.

On the live programme, Mr Hamiyanze called for a PF national convension before the 2011 general elections, but this angered party cadres in the area.

Media Bodies have called on the police to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the violence against journalists at Mazabuka radio station last Saturday.

[ZNBC]

Man electrocuted in Kalomo

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A man in his 40s was on Monday morning found electrocuted to death at the Zesco transformer after attempting to steal oil from the device near the Kalomo Food Reserve Agency sheds in Kalomo.

Police sources in Kalomo confirmed the incident to ZANIS, but said the deceased, whose body is now lying in the district hospital mortuary, has not been yet identified.

The sources, however, suspect that the deceased was an ex-convict from Choma who also attempted to climb on a speeding vehicle along the great north road and sustained severe body injuries after crashing on the tarmac on the New Year eve.

After sustaining the injuries, the man was admitted to Kalomo District Hospital but later in the week escaped from the ward after several attempts by police to get his details and the motive against his attempt to climb on a speeding vehicle proved futile.

The deceased was found dead at the Zesco transformer with burns and the same injuries on Monday morning by security guards manning the sheds who later informed police over the incident.

ZANIS

Teams start arriving in Angola for 2010 AFCON

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Angola 2010 AFCON
Angola 2010 AFCON
Soccer fever has gripped the African continent, as participating teams in the 2010 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) have started to arrive at their respective host cities in Angola for the continental soccer showpiece.

The AFCON 2010 is scheduled to kick off on Sunday in the Angolan capital, Luanda, with host Angola, affectionately known as ” Palancas Negras “, taking on Mali at Luanda’s 50,000 capacity stadium.

The opening and the closing ceremonies of the AFCON will also be hosted at the Luanda stadium that is situated in Camama, 17 kilometres from the capital and 10 km from Luanda Sul on a new dual carriage way.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reported on its web site Sunday that Burkina Faso was the first nation to reach its venue in Cabinda since 31 December.

The hosting side “Palancas Negras” left Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday, following a five-week training camp there.

The next team expected in Angola on Wednesday is Nigeria’s “Super Eagles”, flying from South Africa where they have been camping at the coastal town of Durban that will also be their host during the 2010 World Cup billed for later this year.

The flights carrying the national teams from Ghana and Algeria will land on Thursday respectively from South Africa and Marseilles in France, the continental soccer body web site said.

The last confirmed arrival on 11 January is that of Cameroun’s ‘Indomitable Lions’, coming from a training camp in Nairobi, Kenya.

ZANIS

Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari arrives in Zambia

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India's Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari
India's Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari has finally arrived in Zambia.

The plane carrying the Indian vice President touched down at Lusaka international Air port at exactly 16:30 Hours .

Vice President Goerge Kunda was at Hand to receive his Indian counterpart. Others included Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa, Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Chelishe Kapwepwe and other senior government officials.

During his visit, the Indian vice president will also call on president Banda and hold discussions with his Zambian counterpart George Kunda on bilateral, international and issues of Mutual interest.

Vice president George Kunda will this evening host an official Dinner in honour of Mr Ansari.

According to the programme obtained by ZANIS , Mr. Ansari, who will be accompanied by his wife Salma, will also pay a courtesy call on President Rupiah Banda.

He will lead a 55 strong delegation which will include Members of Parliament and Business personal.

ZANIS

Government disburses K3 trillion to 67 councils across the country

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Local Government and Housing Minister Estarckio Kazonga (far L)

Government has released over K3 trillion budgetary allocation to 67 city and district councils in the country for their 2010 budget expenditure.

Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarckio Kazonga disclosed at a press briefing in Lusaka today that five councils will not benefit because they failed to submit their 2009 budget expenditure reports to the ministry.

Dr. Kazonga named the five district councils as Livingstone, Sinazongwe, Mungwi, Mansa and Mwense district councils respectively.

He urged the councils that have not submitted their 2009 expenditure to do so before the end of March 2010 to enable the ministry evaluate their spending.

And Dr Kazonga has announced an increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K600 million to K666 million per constituency.

He said his ministry has finalized the process of transferring CDF and grants which include recurrent and restructuring to constituencies and councils’ bank accounts.

Dr Kazonga has since directed all town clerks and council secretaries for city, municipal and district councils to check for the funds in their accounts in various commercial banks countrywide.

He said the funds should be utilized for the intended purposes and applied to the deserving projects, programmes and activities in compliance with the local authorities’ regulations.

The Minister further warned that government will not condone misuse of these funds saying the law will visit anyone found wanting.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kazonga revealed that government also released the remaining K110 billion that was approved by parliament in the 2009 national budget for grants to councils from his ministry.

He said the disbursement of government grants to councils, statutory and other institutions under his ministry increased significantly in 2009 as compared to previous years.

He said this was the first time all the approved budgeted grants to councils have been released in full by government through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to his ministry.

Dr. Kazonga said it was encouraging that this was done despite the global meltdown which did not spare the country.

He explained that government’s support to councils is meant to strengthening their capacities to provide services to local communities and to supplement their locally generated incomes in meeting their recurrent operational costs.

He further said government would soon release an additional K21.4 billion to 18 selected councils in the country as capital grants.

ZANIS

Dog attacks man by private parts

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A 26-year-old man is battling for his life in Maamba Hospital after a dog sliced his private parts while another 68-year-old man has been injured in an illegal coal mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.

Belt Sinamba of Zubadenda village in Chief Sinazongwe’s area told ZANIS from his hospital bed that the dog grabbed him at night near Thomazine Fishing camp as he was going to his home.

The man, who is in grade nine at Nkandabbawe Basic School, said the strange dog charged at him and grabbed him from his private parts and threw him to the ground.

Mr Sinamba said he cried for help but there was no one to rescue him from the fierce dog which abandoned him after damage had been done.

In another incident a 68-year-old man has sustained four broken ribs as he was illegally digging coal at the Nkandabbawe mine area in a trench.

A medical officer on duty, who did not want to be named, said the earth from the trench fell on the old man who was in the company of his workers.

A check at the Maamba Hospital by ZANIS found that the man was in a critical condition as he was unable to talk.

ZANIS

Durban to Host Zambia-Nigeria Friendly on Wednesday

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The Super Eagles Nigeria and Zambia’s friendly match will be played tomorrow in Durban.

Faz communications manager Erick Mwanza said the match will be played at ABSA Stadium and will kick off at 16:00.

However, the match is not open to the public and will be played behind closed doors.

Both sides are using the match as part of their 2010 Africa Cup preparations ahead of the tournament that kicks off on Sunday in Angola.

Meanwhile, Zambia will face South Korea in Johannesburg this Saturday in their third and final warm-up match before heading to Angola on Sunday.

Zambia beat Mozambique 1-0 in their first friendly match in Johannesburg where they are camped on December 28 courtesy of a Collins Mbesuma goal.

Political Party Conventions in Zambia are overrated and a mockery of democracy

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Police officers block suspected MMD cadres from accessing the Lusaka magistrate court where they wanted to go and clash with their PF counterparts.

By Chanda Phiri (Ex-LT Microblogger)
It is amazing how the calls by the so called democratic masses to all
political party in Zambia to hold convention are intensifying. The ruling MMD earlier last year showed signs of not holding the convention and all sorts of mud was thrown at them. Now that the MMD has decided to hold the convention, after succumbing to public pressure, it looks like they are now treated as the most democratic party. How ridiculous!

The MMD, particularly its leadership, has even the audacity of calling on other political parties to hold a convention. They feel more holy. They feel more democratic. But really is the MMD democratic? Does the mere holding of a convention make a party democratic? How can those calling for convention sink so low as to think this public spectacle is democracy?[quote]

Anyway let me unpack the convention process of ALL political parties, in case some of you don’t know.

The Problem

First note that the president of any political party in Zambia is the most important person in that party and is above reproach.
The way a party runs the so called national convention is to first select people that will attend the convention.

Not just any Jim and Jack attends these political national conventions. The selection of these delegates is not a democratic process, but a corrupt process otherwise known as “bootlicking”. Seats at the conventions are limited and those who make it as delegates are those who are perceived to be aligned or have consistently boot licked the president and his cohorts of supporters.

So the delegates that get to attend these conventions are already hand picked by the incumbent party president’s machinery. Only Chief Bootlickers make the cut.So, the convention is just a mirage and a total public spectacle meant to just make a joke of real democracy. And this applies to ALL political parties in Zambia today.

So the election of party presidency is truly not democratic in all the political parties in Zambia today. The conventions are just an expensive way to endorse the incumbent president and I would bet my house with anyone that RB and Sata will emerge as leaders at their conventions, fraught with corruption.

Maybe and a big Maybe for that matter: the only truly democratically elected officials are those who hold other useless portfolios in the party.

I can’t end this rant of mine without therefore suggesting a truly democratic way of electing party presidents.

The Solution

First problem to fix is to make parties organised around a powerful committee, like a board and not around an incumbent powerful party president. The committee’s duty should be to fairly conduct the electoral process for the leader or the CEO of their party.

Once the committee is in place its mandate will be to conduct elections across the country in all constituencies and allow only those voter’s card carrying members of the public to vote in these elections. I repeat: These elections should be open to all members of the public as long as they have voters card, regardless of which party they belong to. The candidate who amasses the most votes
across all the constituencies should be the one to lead the party as president into a general election. Only after a tie which is most unlikely, should then corrupted party delegates be brought in to decide.

Yes, this process will be expensive. But who said democracy is cheap? If you think democracy is expensive, try dictatorship? Evidence abound on how dictatorship has impoverished the masses and robbed people of any dignity to live decent lives.

Well as long as this process I have outlined above is not followed, all parties in Zambia will remain corrupt, undemocratic and just built around an individual. We shall happily vote them in power only for them to turn around and rape us the way the MMD has done since it came into power.

Lastly I call upon all Zambians to really see what a joke these current
conventions are and demand for a party with truly democratically elected leadership.
Not what is being imposed on us by the corrupt delegates in all parties

Let the debate begin. Let the search for a truly democratic party begin. Let the search for a truly elected democratic president begin. Aren’t you tired of all these self styled dictators imposed on as as democratically elected leaders?

Sylvia catering to attend world food meet

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Sylvia Professional Catering managing director Mrs Sylvia Banda
Sylvia Professional Catering managing director Mrs Sylvia Banda

The Wallace Centre at Winrock International and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) in the United States of America (USA) have invited Sylvia Professional Catering to speak as part of a panel for the study involving 24 locally-owned food businesses worldwide.
The study would draw on detailed analyses of 12 US and 12 international community food enterprises (CFEs), which include food-related producers, processors, grocers, restaurants, training programmes and other businesses

Sylvia Group of Companies executive chairperson, Hector Banda said in Lusaka that the meeting would take place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the US on January 28.

He said CFEs involved firms poised for sustainable growth and competitiveness both locally and globally.
The study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Kellogg Foundation, and features Sylva Professional Catering Services as a case study of a successful and cutting edge community food enterprise.

Mr Banda and managing director, Sylvia Banda have been invited to make a presentation on their business in Zambia.
The case studies show how community food enterprises have transformed factors that once stymied their performance and profitability from smaller scale, modest ambition, limited local ownership, and high social standards into powerful competitive advantages in comparison with multi-national food businesses.
“We have identified several critical ways CFEs provide invaluable tools for economic development and anti-poverty efforts worldwide,” says Michael Shuman, lead author of the study.

Wallace Centre at Winrock International supports entrepreneurs and communities as they build a new food system that is healthier for people, the environment and the economy.
The centre builds and strengthens links in the emerging chain of businesses and civic efforts focused on making healthy, green, fair and affordable food.

BALLE is North America’s fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, composed of more than 80 community networks that represent more than 21,000 independent business members across the US and Canada.
Founded in 2001, BALLE works to foster vibrant communities, a healthy natural environment and prosperity for all.

[Times of Zambia]

Tourism Council happy with the tarring of Chipata-Mfuwe road

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The Tourism Council of Zambia has commended government for funding the tarring of the 104 kilometre Chipata-Mfuwe road.

Tourism Council of Zambia Chairperson Marc O’Donnell told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that the council was happy that government has invested in infrastructure development in the country.

Mr. O’Donnell said infrastructure development was one way of attracting both local and foreign tourists and investors in the country.

He said the tarring of the Chipata-Mfuwe road would enhance the tourism sector in the country, which faced a number of setbacks because of poor road infrastructure.

Mr. O’Donnell said the council was happy that government was determined to implement measures that would improve the tourism sector.

He explained that Mfuwe has potential for tourism because of its proximity to the South Luangwa National Park, which is well known for its walking safaris.

He added that the other national parks namely North Luangwa, Luambe, and Lukusuzi National Parks would also benefit from the tarring of this road.

Mr. O’Donnell said the upgrading of the road would significantly help improve the lives of people through easy transportation of people, goods, and services.

Sable Construction Company has been engaged to tar the road, which started on December 18th 2009 at an estimated cost of K290 billion. The project is expected to be completed by April this year.

ZANIS

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