ZAMBIA’s cooperating partners have implored the Government to devise mechanisms that will curb the abuse of public funds and called for enhanced accountability so that the resources can benefit Zambian citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the country’s cooperating partners, European Union (EU) head of delegation to Zambia, Derek Fee said that if the Government was to make meaningful progress in reducing poverty, there was need for enhanced accountability mechanism in public finances.

Dr Fee was speaking during the EU end of year media briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
He said cooperating partners were disappointed that some colossal sums of public resources could be misappropriated, particularly in the Ministry of Health.

He said such a development was detrimental to the well being of the citizenry.
“To be honest it is not fair that one person can misappropriate huge sums of money. There is need for the Government to devise strategies to curb abuse of public resources,” Dr Fee said.

Dr Fee explained that it was disgusting to the cooperating partners that a few individuals, particularly in Government institutions, could be living luxurious lives at the expense of critical needs for the nation among them, the health and education sectors.

But Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said he would only issue a comprehensive statement after talking to Dr Fee.

“I cannot comment immediately until I get a full report from Dr Fee,” Gen Shikapwasha said.[quote]

However, Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Marie Anderson de Frutos said the media was an important instrument in the governance of the nation.

She said the media was critical as it ensured that there were checks and balances and eventually, accountability in the utilisation of public resources.

Ms de Frutos said that the media should be free and allowed to operate without any interference for it to make a meaningful contribution towards the governance of the country.

And EU Head of Operations Eric Beaume said that the Government and the EU were working on a new programme for 2010, which would be complementary to the national budget.

[Times of Zambia]

First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda has commended President Rupiah Banda and his government for holding the first ever National AIDS convention to focusing attention on prevention of infections.

Dr Kaunda said the initiative, intention and purposes of the convention were an indication that the matter of HIV/AIDS is being taken seriously in the campaign against the pandemic.

He said that even though the country is taking a right step in the fight against the pandemic there should be no room for complacency.

Dr Kaunda said this when he graced this year’s world AIDS day at Manyama in Solwezi’s Lumwana area today.

He said there was need for collective action from all stakeholders against this global threatening situation as numbers of people living with the pandemic has reached an alarming stage.

Dr Kaunda said it was extremely urgent to take necessary measures to promote universal access to treatment, adding that it is the best available tool to help reverse and ultimately halt the spread of HIV/AIDS as called for in the Millennium Declaration of the United National (UN) adopted in 2000.

He called for intensified campaign through various programs especially work place programs on HIV/AIDS by government and parastatal companies in order to impart knowledge to the workforce on prevention as well as the need to discuss openly issues relating to this disease.

Speaking earliar Lumwana Mine Managing Director Adam Wright said the first prevalence survey of 2007 has helped the mine with information for planning and responding to challenges of HIV at Manyama.

Mr Wright said information has enabled the company to develop a Social Sustainability Management Plan (SSMP) focused on areas such as potential increase in HIV infection.

He reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the fight in order to control the spread over areas with rapid population growth like Manyama which are likely to become centers of prevalence.

ZANIS

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Election monitors during October 15 Kasama Central by-election have complained of non-payment of their allowances.

This came to light when the irate monitors stormed ZANIS offices in Kasama today to register their displeasure over the matter.

One of the aggrieved, Jean Mulolwa charged that from the time the Kasama Central by-election was held, FODEP has done little in fulfilling its promise of paying the hired staff their dues.

Mrs. Mulolwa said it was disappointing for a big organization like FODEP to fail to pay its election monitors despite them doing their job.

She urged FODEP to emulate Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) in paying hired personnel immediately after an election was conducted.

Mrs. Mulolwa lamented that the allowances that were due to the election monitors were merger and wondered why the organization was reluctant to pay to the affected people.

She said it was unfair for FODEP to engage people as monitors for an election and later fail to pay their dues.

Mrs. Mulolwa warned that if the trend continued people would be discouraged from participating in monitoring future elections on behalf of the organization.

And when reached for a comment, FODEP Kasama District chairman Milton Mwanabamba confirmed that his organization has not yet paid the election monitors who took part in the Kasama Central by-election.

Mr. Mwanabamba revealed that the 14 FODEP monitors are owed K1.9 million in unpaid allowances while a further K1.8 million is owed to a local transporter who provided a service during the by-election.

He said he was currently unable to move freely in the streets due to fear of being beaten by the aggrieved election monitors who are crying for money from him.

Mr. Mwanabamba has since appealed to FODEP national leadership to quickly disburse the election funds so that the affected monitors could be paid their dues without any further delay.

ZANIS

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has been summoned to appear before the Bemba Royal Council to exculpate himself of derogatory remarks attributed to him in the media against Paramount Chief Chitimukulu.

The council that convened last Friday resolved that Mr Sata should appear before it on December 29.
The council has also summoned Chief Chimbuka.

The chief’s advisors, popularly known as Ba Shilubemba, observed with dismay the alleged continuous attacks on the Chitimukulu by the PF leader.

The chief’s spokesperson Bwalya Chiti confirmed that Mr Sata has been summoned by the council.
And referring to an article in a daily tabloid during their meeting, the Ba Shilubemba were concerned about utterances attributed to Chief Chimbuka towards the Chitimukulu.

They said the utterances were demeaning and damaging to the Bemba Royal Establishment.
Meanwhile, the Chitimukulu says he supports the decision of the council to summon Mr Sata to iron out perceived differences amicably.
[ZNBC]

One of Zambia’s most famous singers has revealed how she was badly beaten by her husband. She now hopes to lift the lid on the country’s ingrained acceptance of domestic violence.

“My husband will kill me,” giggles Saboi Imboela nervously. “But, yes, he once beat me up so badly I reported him to the police.”

The 32-year old is one of Zambia’s top vocalists. Her husband is a popular actor, Owas Ray Mwape. This is the first time she has spoken publicly about the beating she received at his hands, and she wriggles uncomfortably at the memory.

The majority of women enjoy a beating, because they are made to believe it is part of our tradition

“It was the police who begged me not to take it further,” she recalls, revealing some of the engrained attitudes she is now taking on.

“They told me: ‘We know how you women are. We’ll lock him up and in a minute or two, you’ll change your mind and want him released.'”

Her doctor also dissuaded her from reporting the assault, as did some of her friends.

Campaigners believe more than half of Zambian women have suffered domestic abuse but cases rarely come to light because of the stigma attached to speaking out.

Young women are taught by their elders to accept punishment from their husbands when they are disobedient. Even cooking a bad meal warrants a smack.

Many women fear divorce would leave them in penury.”That’s how you grow up in Africa,” explains Mr Mwape.

“To be a man, you need to discipline a woman, give her a slap or two. You know, in our culture, it’s OK because that’s how we feel we love our women.”

It is a message driven home at boys’ initiation ceremonies – chastisement is a sign of affection and a woman never achieves the status of an adult. Like a child she needs to be “trained” to behave well.

In some parts of the country tradition allows a man to beat his wife if he survives a crocodile attack.

In others, a wife’s infidelity is revealed when her newborn baby coughs. She must take the consequences.

“Tradition is used as a cover for domestic violence,” complains Johnson Tembo.

As chairman of the Men’s Network, he tries to persuade his peers to alter their behaviour.

But he believes women’s attitudes need to change too.

“Some women are foolish enough to think that if they are not beaten by their husbands, they’re not loved,” he says.

ZANIS

THREE major economic stakeholders have expressed satisfaction at the manner the Zambian economy has fared this year and predicted that the country would record more positive economic performance in 2010.

The Zambia Chamber of Commercie and Industry (ZACCI), the Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) and the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Association (ZCSMBA) were optimistic the Zambian economy will attain the projected gross domestic product (GDP) of more than six per cent.

ZACCI vice-president North Eddie Kapungulya said yesterday his organisation was happy that as a nation, Zambia had managed to weather last year’s devastating effects of the global economic downturn.

Mr Kapungulya said the macro-economic key performance indicators showed that exchange rates had been stable so far. He said inflation was going down and the GDP may attain the projected revised rate of more than six per cent.

He said the price of copper and other base metals were going up and that the price of fuel had been stable generally. Such incentives may stimulate the economic activities next year.

“We are happy that as a nation, we weathered through the devastating effects of last year’s global economic downturn,” he said.

He said if maintained and the inflation reduced to a single digit, it would set a stage for next year’s improved economic activities.

Mr Kapungulya advised the private sector in the country to look forward to improved economic activities and diversify to enter into export markets.
Indigenous Zambians should venture into mining and attract direct foreign investment (DFI).

He also said the private sector should partner with small Zambian companies to ably compete with foreign companies.

Mr Kapungulya said Zambians should also take advantage of the value-addition to raw materials such as copper for it to be exported as a finished product instead of exporting products in a raw form.

He said value-addition in agro process should also be considered so that they could export mealie meal instead of maize or cooking oil instead of groundnuts.

Mr Kapungulya said there was need for banks to lower the lending rates so that capital could cheaply be available and that the medium for long financing should be made readily available. The Bank of Zambia (BOZ) should ensure that the gains made in terms of macro-economic fundamental were sustained.

The EAZ said Zambia would record more positive economic performance by the end of 2009 than earlier anticipated and paid tribute to Government for mitigating the effects of the global economic crisis.

Association president Mwilola Imakando said in an interview yesterday that the national economy was showing resilience and would perform better than earlier anticipated.

Dr Imakando said the country would register a higher GDP growth rate than anticipated while there were signs that the inflation rate would continue coming down.

“It looks like the economy will end stronger than was anticipated. From our point of view we are headed for a better economy than was anticipated,” he said.

He attributed the splendid economic performance to Government’s adherence to sound policies, which helped to reduce the impact of the global economic crisis on the local economy.

“All the achievements were recorded amid the effects of the global credit crunch,” Dr Imakando said.

He said other contributing factors to the bright economic outlook were the impressive performance by the mines, which at one time recorded a slump, and the construction industry where massive resources had been invested.

Dr Imakando was happy that the tourism sector had also started posting growth and would greatly contribute to the national aggregate growth.

ZCSMBA executive secretary Maxwell Sichula described 2009 as having been a year of challenges but noted that all the economic institutions remained strong despite the negative effects.

Mr Sichula said it was impressive to note that no Zambian financial institution was closed down as a result of the effects of global economic crunch while key industries continued operating.

He said the small and medium scale entrepreneurs who were the most affected by the effects had weathered the storm mainly due to the quick recovery recorded as a result of the measures the Government had put in place.

[Times of Zambia]