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The Maize Research Institute (MRI) has expressed displeasure at the rising number of illegal seed dealers who are supplying fake seeds to farmers in Southern Province.
MRI Mazabuka distributor Gilbert Vlahakis took a swipe at the illegal seed dealers who have invaded Southern Province.
Mr. Vlahakis was speaking during a sensitization meeting for this season’s farmer input support programme (FISP) attended by senior agricultural officers and district agriculture committee chairpersons in the province at Munzhi Lodge in Choma.
He said that 18 cases of fake seed dealers in the province have so far been identified, from whom two to three metric tonnes of fake seeds have been confiscated.
Mr. Vlahakis further said Southern Province has been targeted by brief case seed dealers who are taking advantage of the fact that region has the highest users of high breed seeds.
He cited the indent in Chikankanta area where farmers were swindled by briefcase dealers who sold them 83 bags of fake seeds purported to have been supplied by MRI.
Mr. Vlahakis warned that the problem of illegal seed suppliers will soon reach alarming levels if left unchecked.
He urged senior agricultural officers in the province to work closely with seed companies and Seed Control and Certification Institutes to arrest the situation.
Mr. Vlahakis explained that fake seed dealers have become sophisticated as they are using bags, labels and chemicals also used by licensed seed companies when marketing their fake seeds.
He expressed sadness to note that 9 cases of illegal seed dealers who were arrested by the police in the province last season were not taken to court despite overwhelming evidence being available.
The senior agricultural officers endorsed a decision to have fake seed dealers prosecuted, by invoking the seed control and certification Act.
They unanimously resolved to take punitive action against illegal seed dealers through the courts of law, to ensure that the vice is addressed.
THE current fuel shortage should be addressed quickly to avoid jolting the country’s economy, Bank of Zambia (BoZ) governor, Caleb Fundanga has said.
Dr Fundanga said on Radio Phoenix monitored in Lusaka yesterday that the fuel shortage may lead to a rise in the cost of production and derail the revised inflation target of 12 per cent set for the end of this year.
“Authorities should actualise the measures taken so that the situation is normalised, otherwise this will have a devastating impact on the economy,” Dr Fundanga said.
Apart from the inflation target of 12 per cent, the Government also projected to achieve year-end economic growth of 4.3 per cent in 2009.
Meanwhile, Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musotwane has said the Government would this week sign a statutory instrument to waive import duty on fuel to allow oil marketing companies (OMCs) source finished petroleum products at affordable prices.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Musokotwane said once the statutory instrument was signed, it would allow the OMCs to bring in petroleum products and help avert the fuel shortage.
He said the decision to suspend the 25 per cent duty on imported fuel was done in good faith and that the decision should be supported by all Zambians interested in seeing the situation normalise.
Dr Musokotwane said the decision to waive duty on fuel should not be politicised and reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring that fuel supply was normalised to enhance productivity.
“The recently suspended 25 per cent import duty on fuel will be implemented before the end of the week and we feel this should not be politicised,” he said.
Energy Minister, Kenneth Konga said the Government had decided to waive duty during the period of the shutdown of Indeni oil refinery.
The refinery was closed for maintenance on Thursday last week and will reopen during the first week of November.
Meanwhile, the shortage of petrol in Lusaka and other parts of the country has persisted with most filling stations being besieged by motorists.
[Times of Zambia]
THE Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited has finally restored water supply to all Police Camps in the Province.
This follows a part payment of about K149 million towards the outstanding water bills for Police amounting to about K327 million by government.
Managing Director Alfred Masupha said in a press statement release to ZANIS in Choma, that water supply has since been restored to all Police Camps in Southern Province.
The commercial water utility company disconnected water supply to all police camps in August this year in a bid to recover outstanding debts in unsettled water bills.
“The outstanding amount for all Police camps in the province was about K327 million as at September 30, 2009 and the payment made leaves the police with an outstanding balance of about K178 Million,” Mr Masupha said.
The Managing Director thanked Government for intervening saying the move has greatly helped both the Police in the province and the Company.
He noted that the payment made would assist Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited continue providing a sustainable service to its consumers in the Province and meet its obligations with suppliers and service providers while at the same time, the restoration of water supply to Police Camps would help prevent outbreaks of diseases especially that the rainy season was just around the corner.
Mr. Masupha reiterated that it was not the desire of Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited to withdraw water supply from its customers but that this was only done when all other available options proved futile.
He encouraged the Police to ensure that the outstanding bill of about K178 Million was quickly paid to avoid being disconnected again and also to ensure that the bill did not accrue to levels that would be difficult to manage by the Police in the Province.
Meanwhile Southern Water and Sewerage Company Limited has received and installed a new coupling that had broken down on one of the pumps at the raw water intake in Livingstone causing a strain on the smooth water supply regime in the Tourist capital in the last fortnight.
The installation of the third pump at the Zambezi Raw Water Intake is meant to help normalise the water supply regime in the City of Livingstone.
Seventeen pupils in Kabompo District in North Western Province are protesting this year’s grade 12 final examinations because their names have been omitted from the examination register that had come from the examination council of Zambia.
This was brought to light when some of the pupils stormed ZANIS offices to air their grievances in Kabompo today.
The pupils displayed a list of names and examination numbers omitted from the examination register from examination council of Zambia.
They lamented that they were forced to write biology and home economics practicals on an uncertain promise that the school authorities would inform the Examination Council of Zambia about the matter.
When contacted a close source at Kabompo High school confirmed the development to ZANIS saying the school authorities had been told to submit names and examination numbers of all the affected pupils.
The source said the school head teacher Mr. Moses Kawiza who could not be reached by press time was following up the matter with the examination council of Zambia, because the number of the affected pupils had risen to 37.
He said that the affected pupils were those from Pokola open high school, Kayombo and Kabompo high schools.
Pupils from Pokola open and Kayombo high schools sit for their examinations at Kabompo High school because they have not been given examination center numbers by the examination council of Zambia.
And district education board secretary Felix Ngoma said he was not in a position to give information on the matter until he had discussed the matter with the school authorities.
Government has opened discussions with TOTAL to take over the company’s shares in Indeni.
This follows the decision by TOTAL to pull out of the country’s only oil refinery.
Mr MUMBA said the pull out of TOTAL from Indeni is not new because government was aware of the decision.
Mr MUMBA said TOTAL had stopped supplying crude to Indeni two years ago and informed government of its intention to sale the 50 per cent shares held in Indeni.
He, however, said the pull out of Total from Indeni has nothing to do with the current petrol shortage being experienced in the country.
Government and TOTAL both hold 50 percent shares in Indeni.
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it will continue demolishing illegal structures in the city.
Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Habeenzu Mulunda says this is because of the rampant proliferation of such structures in Lusaka.
Mr. Mulunda told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that it is unfortunate that some people have continued to perpetuate the act knowing fully well that it is against the law.
The Council Assistant Public Relations Manager said Lusaka City had continued looking untidy most because of some of the illegal structures.
Mr. Mulunda said the Council would ensure that only legal structures remain to avoid situations where people put up buildings on top of water service pipe lines and electricity cables.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mulunda has called on members of the general public to report any suspected illegal structures in the city.
He said once the Council receives reports of any illegal structure the local authority would not hesitate to swing into action to demolish.
He said members of the general public have not been helpful in reporting such matters and appealed to them to be proactive.
Mr. Mulunda said this is important because it is not possible for the council alone to monitor the activities of people around the city.
He appealed to all Lusaka residents to consult the council and follow the right channel of obtaining land to avoid inconveniences.
Mr. Mulunda warned that said the council would not compensate owners of illegal structure once they are demolished.
Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions (OQBP) says it will continue securing credible opponents for local boxers to uplift boxing standards in the country.
OQBP Director of Operations Chris Malunga says the local boxing standards can improve if boxing promoters could lure internationally acclaimed boxers to fight the local boxers.
Malunga said doing so could also help in exposing local boxers to competitive international boxing standards as opposed to securing weaker opponents for the local boxers.
He revealed to ZANIS sports in an interview in Lusaka, today, that the Boxing Board of Control(BBC) voted his stables as the best boxing promoters in Africa. He said for this reason the OQB stables would continue staging quality bouts to give Zambian boxing fans value for their money.[quote]
The local stable at the weekend held a successful African Boxing Union (ABU) Cruiser weight title bout between Fraisal Arrami of Tunisia and Charles ‘Wasaja’ Chisanga. Arrami defeated Chisanga in a technical knockout in the tenth round to win the belt.
The Zambian fighter who quit the sport with the defeat also faced another tragedy after his wife Lillian collapsed watching her husband being pummeled by the Tunisian. She however recovered in a local hospital.
Meanwhile, Malunga has expressed no regret at Chisamba’s loss to the Tunisian saying the local boxer fought very well but only lost to a good boxer.
He however said Chisamba’s decision to retire soon after the fight was made out of frustration because of the loss.He said his stables will sit down with the boxer to over his fight with the Tunisian.
The Anti Voter Apathy Project has called upon political parties not to impose candidates on the people in the Solwezi Central Constituency parliamentary by-election.
AVAP Executive Director Bonnie Tembo says the last two by-elections held in Chitambo and Kasama serve as bitter lessons for political parties that ignore the will of the people.
Mr. Tembo says the adoption process for candidates should be in line with democratic principles that allow party members to have a say in selection process.
Mr. Tembo was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He said imposing candidates on the people would make it difficult for political parties to sell candidates hence denying themselves victory.
Mr. Tembo said his organisation will conduct voter education in all 5 wards covering 30 polling stations of Solwezi Central Constituency.
Meanwhile, AVAP has called upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to create voting streams in big polling stations to speed smooth voting.
Mr. Tembo regrets that the Solwezi Central voter’s register which has 34,633 registered voters of which factors such as death, transfers, relocation and loss of NRC and voters cards have distorted the total number of registered voters.
He has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to immediately undertake voter registration and put mechanisms to ensure continued updating.
“ECZ from the onset should make it clear whether lost replaced voters cards will be used in Solwezi Central which where a source of problems in Kasama,” he said.
AVAP has also called upon political parties to concentrate on issue based campaigns as opposed to personal attacks.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Qiangmin shows a plaque to President Banda after commissioning the CCS plant.
President Rupiah Banda says Government is appreciative of the unique economic support the nation continues to receive from China.
President Banda says during the global financial crunch, the Chinese Government did not down-size or close its companies in the country but instead increased its investment.
The President said the common history between Zambia and China has many remarkable landmarks in which Zambia has ended up with major infrastructure such as the Tanzania-Zambia Mafuta Oil Pipeline among others.
Mr. Banda said this in Chambishi today when he officially launched the Chambishi Copper Smelter on the Copperbelt Province.
He said the Copper Smelter has been setup within the Chambishi Multi-Facility Zone, whose concept is to attract manufacturing companies, in both domestic and export based categories.
He said the smelter is a major step towards the sort of economic progress that Government anticipates within the zone.
“I am glad to note that the company has already made fruitful arrangements to process copper concentrates from the recently opened Lumwana Copper Mine in North-Western Province. The Smelter is also receiving concentrates from Chambishi NFCA, Chibuluma and Kansanshi Mines. This is healthy development in the nation”, he said.
The President cited another investment by Chambishi Copper Smelter as the construction of an Electricity Power Substation that was constructed to supply power to the company at a cost of approximately US $2.8 million in which China Non Ferrous Metal Mining Group Limited Holds 60 percent shares while ZESCO Limited has 40 percent shares.
Mr. Banda called on Mining Companies operating on the Copperbelt and North-Western Province to utilize the smelter whose construction has adhered to international standards.
President Banda commissioning the electricity substation in Chambishi constructed at a cost of $28 m to power the economic zone.
He said Chambishi Copper Smelter was strategically located in the heart of the Copperbelt and was in close proximity to major concentrators at the large scale mines in Zambia.
President Banda was pleased to note that more than 600 jobs have been created and that the local people in the area could now be able to access meaningful employment.
He said Government was evidently succeeding in attracting foreign direct investment resulting in the creation of jobs for the people in the country.
Mr. Banda further expressed delight that Zambians and Chinese workers had combined and integrated as one people.
He said that was proof of the friendliness and good understanding adding that that was the best way in which foreign direct investment should take root and bear fruit in the country.
The President noted that foreign investors are an important part of the struggle to improve the quality of life for the Zambian people.
He appealed to members of Civil Society Organizations to interpret Government actions positively as the country makes an effort to bring in foreign investment.
“ Where there are ideas on how to further improve or enhance Zambia’s relationship with Foreign investors and make them more profitable to the Zambian populace, those ideas are always welcome”, he said.
And Mr. Banda says Government pursues optimum benefits for workers injured, disabled or disposed at places of work, saying certain jobs were by nature hazardous and exposed workers to long-term health risks or sudden loss of limb or life through accidents.
He cautioned authorities at the Copper Smelter to ensure that the health and safety of the employees is central.
Mr. Banda said employees are the ones that generate revenues for the company and are also the ones on whom the progress and well-being of families depend.
The President further urged the mining sector to work within the confines of the Zambian law and cooperate with the regulatory bodies such as the Zambia Safety Department and the Environmental Council of Zambia to ensure compliance with various provisions of the law.
Lufwanyama District Commissioner, Evans Pwele, has warned teachers and pupils against engaging in examinations malpractices.
Mr Pwele has also urged management at the District Education Office to strictly safe-guard the storage rooms for examination materials to protect them from unscrupulous teachers and pupils who might want to tamper with the materials.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lufwanyama, Mr Pwele warned teachers to desist from any form of examination malpractices so that pupils obtain genuine school results that will reflect their academic capabilities and help them chose professions that they can successfully pursue in life.
“This will help improve the education standards in the country and subsequently the pupils’ contribution to national development when they leave school,’ he said.
Mr Pwele warned that teachers and pupils who would be engaged in examination malpractices would be punished severely.
He said he wanted his district to have clean examinations that would be free of leakages so that the pupils will have genuine results and be able excel at college and university levels.
He said Lufwanyama had in the past been facing problems of exam malpractices induced by unscrupulous teachers and pupils.
Mr Pwele, however, said the district examinations security committee had already put measures to prevent exam malpractices this year.
Foundation for Democratic Process FODEP says the just ended Kasama Central Parliamentary By-elections were characterized with violence, electoral malpractices and breaches of the Code of conduct by political players.
FODEP Information Officer McDonald Chipenzi says his organization observed that the elections were characterized by malpractices which included vote buying.
He said that the campaigns were also marred with tribalism, racism, and pulling down of the candidates’ portraits which is contrary to the provisions of code of conduct and the Constitution.
Mr. Chipenzi, however, said FODEP is happy that the poll day was peaceful and the casting of votes proceeded without any major disruptions.
He said the election results were accepted by all participating parties despite the numerous malpractices that characterized the pre-election period.
Mr. Chipenzi disclosed that the losing candidates accepted defeat and congratulated UPND-PF pact for retaining the seat in Kasama adding that this is a good sign of maturity and can enhance Zambia’s democratic tenets.
He said FODEP is hopeful that the newly elected Member of Parliament will serve the people of Kasama Central and contribute effectively to the development of the constituency.
He noted that there was need for the new MP to promote unity and reconciliation among his electorates.
Meanwhile FODEP has advised all political parties taking part in the forthcoming Solwezi Central parliamentary by –elections to desist from politics of violence, insults,mudslinging and false promises.
Mr. Chipenzi said there is need for the participating political parties to base their campaigns on issues affecting the people in Solwezi central.
He noted that all parties should address the issues of unplanned settlement and increasing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, road infrastructure and how to utilize agriculture potential in the area.
“FODEP feels that such issues should be discussed by all political parties taking part in the area in other fora as opposed to waiting for by-elections,” said Mr. Chipenzi.
He said FODEP expects all political players to co-exist regardless of their political, religious and tribal inclinations.
ZANIS
The Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) has suspended embattled former defense Minister George Mpombo from the Party with immediate effect.
Copperbelt Provincial MMD Chairman Joseph Chilabwe confirmed the development in an Interview with ZANIS in Kitwe today.
Mr. Chilabwe said Mr. Mpombo who is also a former National Executive Committee member will receive his suspension letter soon.
He said the Party has decided to suspend Mr Mpombo because he had brought the name of the ruling party in disrepute and his actions and utterances on various national and party issues boarder on treason.
He said Mr. Mpombo has continued to defy his oath of allegiance to the President and nation at large and gone out of his way to destroy the Party.
He added that the MMD was aware that Mr Mpombo had joined the Patriotic Front and United Party for National Development Pact.
Mr. Chilabwe alleged that the MMD was aware that Mr. Mpombo was being used to destroy the Party and was only clinging to the ruling Party because of the gratuity.
He added that the former defense Minister was attacking President Banda viciously because he had failed to impress the President with his bootlicking character.
Mr. Chilabwe further said the Party will not allow him to insult the President and destroy the Party from inside.
He also said the Party will proceed to lay grounds for the expulsion and will not allow him to exculpate himself because his actions were clear.
President Rupiah Banda has arrived on the Copper belt to officially open the Chambishi Copper Smelter which is expected to employ over 600 Zambians.
The Zambia Air force Plane carrying the President touched down at Kalulushi South Down Airport at exactly 09:20 hours.
The President was accompanied by Acting Minister of Mines and Mineral Development Peter Daka, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga, his special assistant for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere and other senior Government Officials.
On hand to receive the President was Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima his Permanent Secretary Villie Lombanya, Movement for Multi Party Democracy Copper belt (MMD) Provincial Chairman Joseph Chilabwe and all copper belt based District Commissioners.
The President immediately proceeded to Chambeshi to officially open the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group Limited, Smelter which has the capacity to produce 150 000 copper blister per year
Mr. Banda will return to Lusaka immediately after the official opening of the Smelter.
Bank of Zambia (BOZ) Governor Caleb Fundanga says the global financial crisis is a clear demonstration that there are still critical deficiencies in risk management systems.
Dr. Fundanga cites the identification of key risks both within and across borders, the assessment of risks, including stress testing and macro-prudential analysis to determine the impact on the financial system as some of the areas requiring enhancements.
He said other areas in need of enhancements include monitoring, developing coordination protocols, reviewing the regulatory frameworks, adopting appropriate risk management frameworks and adopting international accounting standards.
Dr. Fundanga was speaking in Lusaka today when he officially opened a one-day regional seminar on Consolidated Supervision jointly organized by the Financial Sector Management Programme of the Macro-Economic and Financial Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) and the Financial Stability Institute of the Bank for International Settlements.
The BOZ Governor said while the structural deficiencies were not new, the current crisis had brought them to the fore.
He said the speed at which the crisis has spread across the globe indicates that the development of coherent and rigorous frameworks for maintaining financial stability came too late for several countries, adding that this has lead to unplanned and inconsistent policy responses.
Dr. Fundanga said over the years, there has been a process of change that has allowed many financial organizations worldwide to adopt more flexible structures where they have established a wide range of subsidiaries and affiliates that are engaged in business lines different from the core business of the parent financial institution.
