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Government has expressed satisfaction at the pace at which the K29bn boarding Secondary School project in Kaputa district is progressing.
Speaking when he inspected the school project, Northern Province Permanent Secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe said he was happy with the work done so far by a Chinese contractor.
The PS also addressed pupils at Kaputa High School and appealed to parents to stop the practice of marrying off their girl children at a tender age.
Mr Simfukwe noted that the number of girls in school was not encouraging and urged parents to accord equal education opportunities to both girls and boys.
He further advised the girls to resist attempts by their parents to force them into early marriage as this would ruin their future.
He said such parents who force their children into early marriages should be reported to relevant authorities.
Mr. Simfukwe said Government was putting up such education infrastructure because it realizes that education is key to national development.
The PS said the Boarding school project, which will take over three years to complete, would accord an opportunity to pupils in far flung places of the district to complete their secondary school education.
He said government was concerned that some pupils from far places were renting houses in shanty compounds because the district had no boarding facilities.
Like the owner of this car lets abandon old systems that are not functional and a drain on our national coffers By C.K. Chanda
Since independence on October 24th, 1964, Zambia cannot boast of having created a wholly owned political and economic system. A system which embraces the values, traditions, and aspirations of its people.
The country has lagged behind in most sectors largely because of trying to adopt and adapt to foreign systems. In the process, Zambians have been left bewildered about what it is that we truly stand for as a nation. Successive leaders have failed to provide meaningful direction in developing a system which is easily adaptable, manageable, and workable in the context of our circumstances.
Decades have passed us by with no meaningful progress toward a well designed, less complex, and user-friendly system. This lack of a home-bred system has placed serious constraints on efforts to alleviate poverty in the country. A typical example is our government structure. This remains largely a creation of the at-independence constitution, some 45 odd years ago. And instead of creating multi-pronged institutions and empowering them to perform independently, we have only succeeded in creating more institutions which simply duplicate the works of older ones, which in turn puts economic pressure on our government to fund them and pay employee benefits.
This trend has resulted in more bureaucracy with little forward progress on the ideals they were established for. The existence of some of these structures has led to massive abuse of public resources by those with the consent to govern, at the expense of the humble and patriotic members of our society. It is right to point out that, any attempt to adapt to a foreign or alien ideal spells disaster because different regions, countries, and their people have differing and divergent needs, wants, resources, and experiences.
Having highlighted some major barriers to our progress, it is only prudent to propose some policy shifts in the creation and execution of a Zambian system.
Firstly, the structure of government. It is a well known fact that the size of our government is too large for a country which does not generate enough domestic resources. It would be a wise move to do away with positions such as Deputy Minister, Provincial Minister, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Deputy Director, and perhaps, Deputy high Commissioner. These positions have no relevance in our government system and only serve to compete for resources with more functional positions. Not only that, these positions simply create a lazy atmosphere as work for one person is being split between two. The amount of resources expended on these ceremonial positions could rightly be channeled to more important sectors of the economy.
Secondly, it is time that Zambia reviewed its need to have so many embassies around the world. The review should include the roles that these establishments have played in enhancing political, economic, and social progress for our people. Again, it is not necessary to have embassies scattered around the globe which do not live up to their or the government’s international mission statement. The question I beg to ask is, Is it really necessary to maintain embassies in countries within the same region? For instance, why should we have an embassy in Namibia and one in Zimbabwe as well? Why can’t we as a country establish embassies based on regions? We can have an embassy in Namibia which will cater for countries surrounding it. This is a computer age and so much can and has been accomplished via the internet. Does this sound like a cost saving measure? Sure it does.
Thirdly, Zambia can consolidate the operations of the DEC and ACC. Create separate units under one umbrella, empower them financially, and leave them to do their jobs independent of political manipulation and abuse. Do we really need to have these two institutions operating independently? I am sure that this can be done if we have the right mindset, priorities, and the will to do it. Mahatma Ghandi once said, “If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning”. So all we need as Zambians is to have the belief that we can change our way of running government if only we believe.
I leave the rest to my fellow patriotic Zambians to magnify and ponder. Any progressive ideas that anyone else may have, for or against, will certainly enhance the possibilities of creating a system which will work for us and make us better off tomorrow. I salute you my fellow Zambians.
President Rupiah Banda, Tanzanian Jakaya Kikwete and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema at the Lwiindi Gonde traditional ceremony in Monze.The Government has refuted reports that President Rupiah
Banda is unwell and failed to address MMD cadres at Livingstone International Airport before his return to Lusaka on Wednesday.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda was in good health and that his recent knee operation in South Africa was healing well.[quote]
Answering questions from journalists during a tour of media institutions, Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said it was unfair for some people to continue politicising Mr Banda’s health when he was fine.
“President Banda is very fine and he is not sick. He is able to walk and his knee operation is healing well, it is sad that some people are trying to politicise his health,” he said.
He was clarifying media reports that President Banda was unwell and failed to address cadres at Livingstone International Airport.
Gen Shikapwasha said if Mr Banda was unwell, he could not have managed to attend the recent Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) on the Copperbelt and Lwiindi traditional ceremony in Monze.
He said Mr Banda further attended the Lwiindi Kuzyola Mukuni Ng’ombe traditional ceremony of the Toka-Leya people of Livingstone and Kazungula on Tuesday with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
“This shows that our president is fine. You can see that he walked on these occasions implying that he is in very good health,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
He, however, said it was normal for President Banda to get sick once in a while because he was also a human being like any other person who could get ill at any time.
He urged all Christians to continue praying for President Banda to enable him recover fully from the knee operation and continue to carry out his national duties.
Gen Shikapwasha said it was necessary to pray for whoever was sick in the Government to enable them rule and continue to foster peace in the country.
He said the peace that currently prevailed should be treasured as some countries did not have it because of continued conflicts and wars.
[Times of Zambia]
THE Government has said that the five per cent pay rise ceiling for University of Zambia (UNZA) workers is justified because their current salaries are higher than the public service workers who were given 15 per cent.
Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane said in an interview in Lusaka that the gap between the workers at UNZA and other public service workers was still wide and it was unjustified to expect similar increases.
“I think it is unfair for the workers at UNZA to compare themselves with the public service workers who were recently awarded 15 per cent because even if we had to increase their salaries again the gap is still wide,” he said.
Dr Muskotwane said the Government was unable to meet all demands of the workers because of the global financial crunch which had affected not only Zambia but also the world as a whole.
The university council yesterday appealed to the workers who are on go-slow at the higher institution of learning to immediately resume work to avoid premature closures.
Council chairperson, Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula, warned that keeping students for a long time without learning could agitate them and disrupt the academic calendar.
She said in the event of students getting agitated, the university council would have no option but to consider closing the institution to protect life and property.
“In the event of a closure, the university council would suffer serious financial constraints which could significantly jeopardise the operations of the university even after the impasse, ” Dr Kankasa-Mabula said.
But University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) president, Euston Chiputa said separately that for as long as their demands were not met, calling off the go-slow would not be possible.
At a Press briefing, Dr Chiputa said that the lecturers and researchers would not return to work for as long as their demands were not addressed.
Among the demands, Dr Chiputa said, were unpaid retirement benefits, baggage and passage allowances, unpaid pension subscription, unpaid contractual gratuity and unpaid leave.
He said that most lecturers and researchers experienced problems of accommodation and were denied loans.
He said members of UNZALARU did not take pleasure in disturbances that led to the closure of the university. It was for this reason that they had been calling for dialogue with the Government.
Dr Chiputa said it was regrettable that several attempts by UNZALARU to meet Secretary to the Cabinet, Joshua Kanganja, to discuss the plight of lecturers and researchers had failed.
He alleged that it was frustrating for Dr Kanganja to demand that UNZARALU should instead meet the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).
University of Zambian Students Union (UNZASU) president, Duncan Nyirongo, said although the students had so far gone for two weeks without learning, UNZASU would still ensure that peace and calm at the institution prevailed.
Mr Nyirongo said the students did not want to be blamed for causing disturbances.
Kalulushi District Movement for Multi Party Democracy Chairperson Francis Mubanga told ZANIS in an interview in Kalulushi today that it was advisable for the MMD to remain silent and await Mr Mpombo to tell the nation the real reason for his recent decision to step down as cabinet minister.
He added that there was a lot of wisdom in keeping silent than exchanging words as that would not help solve the problem.
“If something happens amongest our selves in the party, let us call ourselves, discuss it over as a party as we are like a family. Let us not rush to the media,” said Mr. Mubanga.
Mr. Mubanga further said that if President Rupiah Banda had seen anything wrong in Mr. Mpombo’s work when he just came in, he would have removed him from his position, even though the man who appointed him had died.
Mr.Mubanga urged the party membership to continue working hard, despite former Defence Minister George Mpombo resignation from the ruling party.
Mr. Mubanga said the MMD in the Country should not give up its hard work to develop the country.
He said that though Mr. Mpombo’s resignation had come as a surprise to the party and the country as a whole, it was the former minister’s own right to have come up with such a decision.
He said it was a pity for the ruling party to lose such a senior member like Mr Mpombo at the time the country needed experienced leaders to help the nation to go through the current global economic melt down.
And Mr. Mubanga has appealed to the MMD Provincial Committee to help them find some spares for the district vehicle which has been down for some time now.
He said that the MMD in the district has had a lot of programmes in its sixteen wards, but that had been abandoned due to the unavailability of resources.
Zesco United suffered a rare defeat this year after losing to visiting New Soger of DR Congo today in an international club friendly.
Fighton Simukonda’s side lost 1-0 to New Soger at Kafubu Stadium in Luanshya.
The two sides were scoreless in the first half before Ziki Folozi headed in the winner for the visitors in the 69th minute.
Zesco were using the match as part of their Caf African Champions League Group A build-up ahead of next Saturdays opening tie against Kano Pillars of Nigeria in Chililabombwe.
Meanwhile, Zesco’s preparations have suffered a further setback after the 4-club Edwin Mbaso memorial football tournament they were expected to take part in this weekend at Musa Kasonka Stadium in Ndola was cancelled due to logistical reasons.
The tournament was due to attract four Ndola-based clubs namely Forest Rangers, Zamtel and Ndola United including Zesco.
Zesco shift camp to Chililabombwe on Monday ahead of their Group A match against Pillars to be played at Konkola Stadium on July 18.
And Pillars are expected in the country on Monday and are due to fly in from Nigeria via Lusaka en route to the Copperbelt.
Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, is hopeful that the media in the country will be ready to digitalize by 2015 to meet the global broadcasting technological transfer from analogue to digital.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha has since urged the media industry to expeditiously put in place programmes that will avert possible collapse of the system in view of the switch from analogue to digital by 2015.
Lt Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Chief Government spokesperson, said this in Lusaka today during his continued familiarisation tour of private radio stations.
He also called on media owners to improve the conditions of service and offer better remuneration for their workers in order for the industry to progress and retain skillful personnel.
Lt Gen. Shikapwasha bemoaned the current conditions of service being offered by both the public and private media saying there is need to change the obtaining scenario if media personnel are to be motivated.
And Radio Yatsani Director, Edwin Mumba, appealed to government to consider assisting community radio stations in acquiring modern equipment in line with the global trend of digitalizing the media.
Father Mumba said the media is crucial in entrenching the tenets of democracy and good governance in the nation.
Earlier, Radio Yatsani Senior Technician, John Mulenga , asked government to put in place stringent measures in a bid to protect community radio stations from being exploited by bogus businessmen dealing in technical equipment.
Mr. Mulenga said lack of government protection will leave the media houses at the mercy of businessmen who may supply them with counterfeit equipments.
Lt Gen. Shikapwasha toured Radio Yatsani, Hone radio and television station and Radio Phoenix.
Jubilee Zambia has bemoaned the rate at which indecent dressing is becoming common-place in society.
Jubilee Zambia member Ray Mwape told Zanis in Ndola today how demoralizing and pathetic today’s dressing is.
He said the younger generation need a dress code to promote decent dressing, especially among women.
He said churches should play a leading role in bringing about positive change in how human beings should dress in society, adding that provocative dressing has not spared some of the older people.
Mr. Mwape said the indecent exposure of certain body parts on women does not set a good example to youths, because women are generally regarded as mothers of the human race.
He called on the church to do more, through its various programmes, in promoting decent dressing among women and the younger generation.
He also advised the electronic and print media to avoid displaying indecent adverts which send wrong messages to the public in a bid to make huge profits.
He said Jubilee Zambia wanted to promote a society where there was fairness, justice and respect for human rights.
ZANIS
Logistical challenges ahead await the successful staging of Zambia‘s training camp programme next month in Europe .
A sizeable number of Zambia’s starting line-up is scattered in foreign leagues from Holland, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, Israel, North Africa to France whose clubs resume their 2009/2010 campaigns campaigns in the first and second weeks of August.
Herve Renard’s side is set to set up camp in Holland on August 17 ahead of Zambia’s 2010 World/Africa Cup Group C qualifier away to Algeria on September 6 in Algiers.
Clubs are only obliged to release players for international matches at least five days before the match date thus putting the two week camp in bit of a quandary.
Furthermore, it has in the past been easier for most key home-based players to be in camp but Zesco United have made it known that they will only release their players five days before the Algeria game.
Zesco have a tight August with three Caf African Champions League Group A engagements to take care of.
That could leave Renard with less than a starting 11 available from a local contingent for the Holland camp.
It will not also make any economic sense for Renard to take a squad stacked with fringe home-based players
to Europe whom he knows will not make the final cut for the game against Algeria.
Meanwhile, Zambia has a August 12 friendly date with a yet to be named opponent.
The venue of the game will be another important factor as Faz tries have its strongest side available and
that will be easier to mobilize within the mandatory 48 hours before a friendly international.
A European venue for the friendly will be ideal especially that half of the regular starters are based there.
Michael Mabenga The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has
welcomed the resignation of former Defence Minister and the Party Chairman for Energy, George Mpombo.
Addressing Journalists in Lusaka today, MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga charged that MMD has accepted the resignation of Mr. Mpombo as he was not an important asset in the party.[quote]
He said the Party was not moved by the resignation of former Defence Minister and the Party Chairman for Energy, George Mpombo, because he had no bearing in the ruling MMD Party.
He said the MMD would not regret Mr. Mpombo’s resignation from his positions as it was looking for his suitable replacement, whom he said would deliver according to the Party’s expectations.
Mr. Mabenga further advised the MMD party members not to worry about Mr. Mpombo’s resignation saying that the Party was still strong and intact despite the resignation of Mr. Mpombo.
MMD National Chairman has since urged Party members to remain united and to continue working hard with a view to helping the Party to continue ascending to power even after the 2011 general elections.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mabenga has said that the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) will allow Party members with Presidential ambitions to contest the Party Presidency at a national convention.
Mr. Mabenga said the move to allow Party members to contest the Party Presidency position was aimed at promoting democracy and transparency in the Party.
He, however, said that the NEC will rally and support the current Party President, President Rupiah Banda, whom he said has been adopted by the MMD Party Members with over 90 percent vote.
Mr Mabenga explained that the NEC officials have reached a decision to support President Banda because he has been accepted by people from all parts of the country.
He however said the Party is not going to allow Professor Clive Chirwa to contest the MMD Party Presidency because he was not a member of the Party.
Mr. Mabenga challenged Professor Chirwa to come-up with evidence that will indicate that he is a member of the MMD.
“NEC will allow anybody with Presidential ambitions to contest the Party Presidency at a convention but will not allow non-Party members like Professor Clive Chirwa to contest.” Mr Mabenga said.
Mr. Mabenga further said that plans were underway for the Party to hold a convention but could however not disclose when the Party will hold its national convention.
On Monday, Former Defence Minister and MMD Chairman for Energy, George Mpombo resigned from his positions citing personal reasons.
health centreGovernment says the recent withdrawal of funding by
donors to the Health sector has affected many health developmental projects in the country.
Health Minster Kapembwa Simbao says the Ministry has failed to implement all its activities due to lack of adequate funding.
Mr. Simbao said in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today that the Ministry is currently depending on funding from the Ministry of Finance to carry out all its programmes.
He cited the construction of new health centers across the country as one of the big projects that the ministry has failed to realize as there is no money allocated for them in this year’s budget.
Mr. Simbao explained that the funding from the Ministry of Finance is not enough to carter for all the activities that the health sector has embarked on.
He further expressed concern saying the situation has paralyzed the operations of the sector.
Recently some donors withdrew funding to the Ministry of Health following the revelation of K27 billion embezzlement of the funds by officers at the Ministry.
And the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Zambia Police have since launched investigations and over 10 people have been arrested in connection with the some scam.
Government is constructing a mourners shelter in Kapiri-mposhi district at a cost of K80 million at Shibwelelo Main Cemetery.
Kapiri-mposhi Member of Parliament Friday Malwa confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
Mr. Malwa, who expressed gratitude to the government for releasing the funds, said Shibwelelo Main Cemetery is near completion and would be operational by next month.
He said Shibwelelo Main Cemetery which was established 30 years ago in 1979 would help mourners bury their dead in a decent and honorable manner.
Mr. Malwa said the construction of the shelter is being supervised by the Kapiri-mposhi District Council.
He appealed to the Shibwelelo community against vandalizing the facility.
Mr. Malwa, who is also Community Development and Social Services Deputy Minister, said government is determined to develop not only Kapiri-mposhi district but the country as a whole.
The Japanese government has approved a project to finance the drilling of 45 boreholes in Kawambwa district.
About 25 of the 45 boreholes have already been drilled under the National Rural Water and Supply program (NRWSP) with support from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Kawambwa District Council Director of Works, Frank Mupesha, confirmed the development to ZANIS in Kawambwa yesterday saying the project, once completed would help address water shortages in the area.
Mr Mupesha says the local authority requested for 70 boreholes but JICA will only sink 45 that have been approved by the Japanese
government.
He says 22 boreholes will be drilled in Pambashe constituency, three in Mwansabombwe and 20 in Kawambwa constituencies.
Mr Mupesha added that the project which started in June is expected to be completed in August this year.
He further said about 11,000 people in the affected areas will benefit from the borehole projects.
Meanwhile, Mr Mupesha has explained that the District Water Sanitation Hygiene and Education (D-WASHE) will intensify training of sub-district staff on the WASHE concept.
He said the move will enable them raise some money for maintenance of the boreholes.
Phase One of the construction of low cost houses for law enforcement officers, at a total cost of K6.7 Billion, has been completed in Nakonde district.
Nakonde District Commissioner (DC) Edwin Sinyinza confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Nakonde today.
Mr. Sinyinza said the 28 houses have been successfully completed and that the Chinese contractor JIZAN Company was currently making final touches on the surroundings of all the structures.
The DC said the 28 low cost houses will be allocated to junior officers under the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), Immigration and the Drug Enforcement Commissioner (DEC).
Mr. Sinyinza said construction of high cost houses for the middle managers will commence soon.
He commended government for releasing funds for the construction of houses for the law enforcement officers operating at the border.
Mr. Sinyinza said the construction of houses will ease the problem of accommodation for the officers in Nakonde.
Meanwhile, construction of a one-stop-border at the cost of K31 Billion in Nakonde district is progressing well.
Mr. Sinyinza said the constructor engaged to do the works,China Jiangxi is progressing well with the construction works.
The one-stop-border at the Zambia-Tanzania border is expected to improve efficiency once completed.
Construction works commenced in April this year.
ZANIS
