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Zambia Air Force pallbearers carry the casket for the late Paramount Chief Mpezeni's wife Rozinyanga Jere at Lusaka city airport
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Chipata airport to receive
the body of Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s wife Rozinyanga Mazyopa Jere, who died at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka Tuesday.
The late Nkhosikazi, as she is traditionally called, is survived by a daughter and a husband, the Paramount chief Mpezeni.
She is said to have fallen ill early last week when she complained of stiffness in the neck and suffered a stroke shortly afterwards on Thursday.
“Her condition worsened and she was evacuated to UTH on Saturday 4th April 2009.
“Her conditioned improved slightly on Sunday and arrangements were being made to evacuate her to South Africa before she died,” he said.She had turned 43 on April 5.
The body, which was accompanied by the widower, Paramount chief Mpezeni, chief Madzimawe, Sports Deputy Minister, Angela Cifire and some family members, arrived in Chipata around 13:30 hours yesterday.
Senior chief Nzamane, chief Chinyaku, chief Kapatamoyo, Eastern Province Minster, Isaac Banda, Chipata Central Member of Parliament, Lameck Mangani, Provincial Permanent Secretary, Eularia Siyamujaye and several other government officials and family members were among the mourners who received the body.
The body of the deceased was taken to Feni village which is the original village of Paramount chief Mpezeni where the funeral is being held.
The burial program of the deceased has not yet been announced.
GOVERNMENT has awarded a Chinese construction company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company (AFECC), a contract to rehabilitate Independence and Maramba Stadiums in Lusaka and Livingstone respectively.
AFECC will construct the ultra modern stadium in Ndola.
Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development Kenneth Chipungu, announced the development during the official welcome of the eight AFECC engineers at Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka yesterday.
Chipungu said his ministry had embarked on a vigorous campaign to construct and rehabilitate sports infrastructure in the country, hence the awarding of the contracts to the Chinese company.
He said government awarded AFECC the contract to rehabilitate the two stadiums because it is competent, efficient and its costings are also reasonable.
“We have made progress in this regard and the National Procurement Authority has given us authority to single source Anhui International Construction company for the rehabilitation of both the Lusaka Independence Stadium and the Maramba Stadium in Livingstone,” Chipungu said.
The minister said the Ministry of Works and Supply would supervise the rehabilitation of the two stadiums.
On the Ndola Stadium, Chipungu said the dream to have an ultra modern stadium in Zambia was unfolding well.
He said AFECC was a reputable company with a track record of excellence in construction of ultra modern stadiums and sports complexes in Africa and world over.
“As such I have no doubt that the Ndola stadium will be a masterpiece of modern architecture that will enhance Ndola City’s beauty and host various local and international sports events,” Chipungu said.
He said once completed, the three stadiums would attract foreign teams that would qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa to come and set their training bases in Zambia.
Chipungu said government would ensure it meets its obligations as indicated in the contract.
He said there was need to have sports stadiums that conform to international standards especially in Livingstone, the tourist capital and Lusaka, the capital city adding that the three projects should finish before 2010.
And AFECC vice president Hua Cheng Long said his company was credited for doing quality works world over.
Hua said the construction of the Ndola stadium would offer his company an opportunity to work in Zambia for the first time.
He said he satisfied with the cooperation his company was getting from the Zambian government.
“We will try our level best to ensure the projects finish in time. We have been to Independence Stadium several times and we will be making a trip to Livingstone to assess Maramba Stadium,” Hua said.
Chief government spokesperson, Ronnie ShikapwashaTHE Government has told Zambian Airways directors and
other interested parties not to give ultimatums to investigative wings probing the financial irregularities into the operations of the airline.
Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said it was absurd that directors and interested parties were calling for the speedy completion of investigations of financial irregularities in the operation of the airline which suspended operations in January.
He said it was imperative that people exercised patience with the investigative wings because there were many cases being investigated and no similar demands had been made.
“Many people in this country are investigated for whatever they have done and there has been nobody giving an ultimatum as to when the investigations should be concluded.
“Similarly, the investigations regarding Zambian Airways are being handled by the investigative wings and they should be allowed to do their job without any deadlines,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services minister, advised the directors of Zambian Airways to be patient with the investigative wings, especially that they considered themselves to be innocent.
“If they are innocent, they should wait until the investigations are over because there is no investigative wing that will be given an ultimatum.
‘‘Investigative wings have their own rules and time table to follow and all those giving an ultimatum are doing so out of ignorance,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
The Zambia police, Drug Enforcement Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission instituted joint investigations into the financial irregularities of Zambian Airways.
Efforts to get a comment from Inspector General of police, Francis Kabonde failed as he was reportedly out of the country.
University Teaching Hospital (UTH) management says it would not hesitate to take punitive measures on any of its nurses that mistreat patients at the the country’s largest hospital.
Making the warning in an interview with ZANIS, today, UTH spokesperson Pauline Mbangweta said any of its nursing staff member risk being dealt with once found wanting.
Ms Mbangweta also advised the general public not to have bad attitudes towards the nurses whenever they take sick relatives for medical attention at the hospital as they equally risk being dealt with.
She said that society and nurses need to have a good attitude towards one another for proper health services to be provided.
She said that some members of the community some times do have bad attitudes when they take their patients at UTH adding that this should not be the case.
Ms Mbangweta also urged nurses at the institute to always listen to whatever the general public community and patients want when they go there at UTH.
The UTH Public Relations Manager added that it was wrong for nurses to have bad attitude towards members of the community when they take their patients at UTH.
She said it was important that patients were always well looked after and cared for by nurses.
Mrs. Mbangweta however expressed happiness that the hospital has not recorded any reports of nurses mistreating patients.
She said the hospital management has put in place measures aimed at changing the bad attitude of some of its nursing staff towards patients.
To this effect, the hospital has put posters at the hospital that indicate what sort of disciplinary actions is taken on offenders and would be offenders.
Ms Mbangweta added that the hospital has been having workshops on how nurses should attend to members of the community and patients in good manner.
She pointed that UTH has in the past not been hesitating to deal with nurses that mistreat patients or members of the community when such reports are received.
She noted that with such measures the hospital has put in place were meant to deter would be offenders.
Ms. Mbangweta added that once such nurses are reported disciplinary action or dismissal is taken immediately.
Kalulushi District Commissioner Joshua Mutisa says Tuberculosis (TB) notification of in the district stands at 316 in 2008, out of which 113 are sputum positive as compared to 369 cases in 2007 and 127 sputum positive cases.
Mr Mutisa said there has been a steady decline in the number of TB cases, but stated that the numbers were still quite high.
Mr Mutisa said that the disease had continued to be a major public health problem not only in Zambia, but globally and was among the leading causes of illness and deaths in the community.
He said in the year 2006 Zambia notified 52,179 patients of all forms of TB, with the majority of cases appearing in young adult population groups aged 15 to 45 years and the same age group were affected by HIV and AIDS as they were also economically productive.
In his speech read for him by Kalulushi District Administrative Officer, Jacob Musukwa last evening during the commemoration of World TB held in Chambishi, Mr Mutisa said health facilities were much more than bricks and mortar.
Mr Mutisa said that keeping of health facilities safe from disasters was one way of reducing risks and saving lives of people from TB.
He, however, said partnerships were needed among all actors to ensure appropriate investment, sharing of information and best practices and relevant support for making health facilities safe and able to function in emergency situations.
He said this years World TB Day theme, ‘I am stopping TB,’ places emphasis on the fact that everyone needed to play a part in the fight against TB.
He added that the day was important in that it helped to raise awareness about TB in the communities and also in mobilising resources and support towards the fight against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mr Mutisa has said that the success of TB programmes lied in mobilising all stakeholders involved in the TB programmes such as TB patients, former TB patients, treatment supporters and home based care groups.
He said other stakeholders that were to be involved in the success of the TB programme were Faith Based Organisations (FBA), families, health workers, government and private sector.
Government has allocated K127 billion for road infrastructure development for North western Province in this year’s budget.
Vice president George Kunda said part of this money would be spent on the Mutanda Chavuma (M8) road project which has now reached Mufumbwe district.
Mr. Kunda who is on a tour of North Western Province to among others, assessed flood situation in the province disclosed this when he addressed the public in Mufumbwe today.
He further said government also distributed earth moving equipment to all provinces for rehabilitation of feeder roads.
Mr Kunda said government will deliver hundred metric tones of relief food to Mufumbwe district to cushion people affected by floods this season.
The vice president who is accompanied by local government minister Benny Tetamashimba, Gender Minister Sarah Sayifwanda, MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande, Provincial minister Joseph Mulyata and Mufumbwe Member of Parliament Misheck Bonshe assured government’s continued support in mitigating effects of floods endured by some people in the province and other areas.
Meanwhile, Vice President George Kunda says there is need to attract foreign direct investment to Kabompo District.
Mr. Kunda said foreign direct investment is needed in Kabompo because the district has abundant natural resources.
The Vice President said this when he addressed several Kabompo residents at Kabompo freedom square grounds, today.
He stated that government was ready to commence oil exploration in Chavuma, Kabompo and surrounding areas which have shown signs of oil deposits.
Mr. Kunda said government’s oil exploration is in line with diversification programme which it has initiated to enable the country survive the global financial crisis.
He said also urged Kabompo residents to come up with innovative ideas and projects that can be funded under the Citizen Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF).
He added that government has in the 2009 national budget allocated K10 billion for various developmental project in each province around the country.
He said 40 percent of the K600 million Constituency Development Funds (CDF) will be targeted towards women and other vulnerable groups as a measure to empower households.
Mr. Kunda has however warned against misappropriation of public funds adding that the newly enacted Anti- Corruption Act has been formulated to curb graft.
He urged public workers to prudently look after public funds in order to successfully implement government’s developmental projects.
The Vice President has further urged the workers to support government to ensure that development trickles down to the grassroots.
And earlier, Gender and Development Minister, Sarah Salifwanda called on women in to unity in order to fight and poverty.
Ms. Salifwanda said the various measures taken by women are aimed at ensuring household food security because women are key in planning.
She has since urged women in North Western Province to form cooperatives in order to access the Citizen Economic Empowerment Funds.
Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga
Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga says government is committed to ensuring that electricity tariffs meet the cost reflective level to attract investors in the energy sector.
Mr Konga said today that there is need for Zambia to adjust its electricity tariffs if it is to record substantial investment in the energy sector.
Mr. Konga was speaking when he made a submission on the status of electricity in Zambia at the on going tripartite high level conference on the North – South corridor in Lusaka, today.
He explained that Zambia just like many African countries lacks proper investment in the energy sector due to low tariffs levels.
” There is need for all countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Developing Communities (SADC) and the Eastern African Communities (EAC) regions, who form the corridor, to adjust their energy tariffs,” said the minister.
The Minister said the sector can contribute positively to the economic growth of developmental activities within the three regions if it is properly utilized.
Mr. Konga further called for private sector participation in developing the energy infrastructure in the corridor adding that developed energy infrastructure also plays an important role in attracting investor’s confidence.
He added stakeholders should come on board and ensure that all energy developmental projects are adequately funded.
Meanwhile Mr. Konga has maintained that electricity tariffs in Zambia will continue to be adjusted upwards until the cost reflective level is met, adding that this is expected only after all power rehabilitation projects in the country are completed.
He has however called on members of the public to support government’s initiative of adjusting power tariffs upwards if the cost reflective level is to be achieved.
And speaking earlier Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) Cordination centre Manager Lawrence Musaba has disclosed that US$ over 4.7 billion is required to improve the current power generation capacity.
Mr. Musaba explained that the current capacity of power in the Southern region is far below the required installed capacity of 55 Mega Watts (MW).
He noted that out of the required installed capacity of 55 MW, only about 46 MW is available to service all the economic growth taking place in the countries, saying this has resulted in power shortfalls causing massive loading shedding.
He pointed out this also has affected the level of investment by both local and foreign investor in SADC countries.
He added that there is need to come up with infrastructure development such as least cost generating facilities that will improve the quality of energy been generated in the region.
Mr. Musaba cited that on -going major power rehabilitation projects in Zambia and Zimbabwe as having contributed to the power deficit in the region.
He further added that there is also need for SADC member states to devise measures that will ensure successful implementation of the cost reflective and time use tariffs within their countries that will provide incentives in the energy sector for both local and for foreign investors.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has pledged over US$700,000 million worth of support to SAPP for improvement of the power generation capacity.
The three year support will be used towards financing various energy developmental projects such as the Zambia- Tanzania-Kenya and the Burundi-Democratic Republic of Congo interconnectors among others.
The interconnectors which are expected to be commissioned by 2013 will generate an additional of more than 1Mega Watts’s power capacity.
Zesco United failed to join Zanaco at the top of the Faz Premier Divsion table today after drawing in their Ndola derby against Zamtel in the two sides delayed Week 1 fixture played at Musa Kasonka Stadium.
The game ended 0-0 with Zamtel the biggest gainers after the draw that sees them rise out of the relegation zone from 14th to 12th on the table with 2 points from four games played.
It was another positive result for new coach Linos Makwaza in his second match in charge of the promoted side ahead of another big test for him this Saturday when Zamtel hosts fellow winless side Kabwe Warriors.
Zesco meanwhile are 4th on 7 points after the scoreless draw, two points behind leaders Zanaco.
And at Queensmead Stadium in Lusaka, Lusaka Dynamos remained rooted second from bottom in 15th place after losing 1-0 to visiting Roan United.
Striker Derrick Kabwe scored the games only goal after the break to see Roan shift one place up the table from 10th to 9th place on the Faz Premier Division table.
Kazungula district’s Mandia Basic School headmaster, Joseph Hichaaba, has expressed disappointment at the increase in the number of girls getting married at a tender age in his area.
Mr Hichaaba said young girls in the area have put marriage first instead of school, a situation he described as unfortunate.
In an interview with ZANIS in Mandia yesterday, Mr. Hichaaba complained that pupils at his school do not heed their teachers’ advice of putting education first but instead rush into early marriages.
He disclosed that last year alone 14 pupils from his school, some of them in their fourth grade, fell pregnant.
He said the school authorities have done a lot of sensitization talks on the importance of education and on HIV and AIDS related issues but pupils have not accepted the education from the learning institution.
Mr. Hichaaba blamed the parents for allowing their children to leave school for marriage, adding that parents who marry off their children at a tender age commit a serious offence and can be arrested for that.
He appealed to the parents of the children who had dropped out for whatever reason to send them back to school so that they could be educated.
Meanwhile, Southern Province Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) Regional Coordinator, Dorothy Velemu, was in Mandia yesterday on her continued sensitization programme on human rights in Kazungula District.
Mrs Velemu revealed that her organisation has also received reports of early marriages being practiced in the area, a situation she described as shameful.
She said early marriages should not be entertained because young girls are not in a position to look after their homes properly and that they are too young to carry babies and such a situation is likely to lead to complications that can result in death.
Mrs Velemu said education is a basic human right and children should not be denied the chance to go to school in order for them to have a bright future.
The Medical Council of Zambia (MCZ) says a large number of medical practitioners and institutions are operating illegally.
MCZ Registrar Mary Zulu said, during a media briefing, that the council is not impressed that a large number of Health practitioners throughout the country have not come forward to renew their practicing licenses.
Dr. Zulu noted that only 34 percent of the health practitioners in Zambia are registered with the council. Out of a total of 8,770 health practitioners only 2,948 have renewed their practicing licenses.
She further said non renewal of certificate licenses is against the Medical and Allied professions Act, chapter 297 of the laws of Zambia and that the Medical Council Act also demands that health institutions in the country be registered with the MCZ annually.
Dr. Zulu warned that MCZ would de-register all health practitioners and institutions that have not renewed their licences. She appealed to some of the health practitioners running health facilities under the MCZ to ensure that they update their licenses allowing them to provide health services.
Government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha says government would go ahead and implement national indaba recommendations despite their financial implications to curb the effects of the global financial crisis.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka, today, that despite parliament having had already approved the 2009 national budget, government would follow a financial law which would enable it to make adjustments to the approved budget in case of an emergency.
Gen.Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting minister, said the indaba recommendation were important but with financial implications to be taken into consideration.
He said that government, in cases where more funding was needed to deal with an emergency had a right by law to go back to parliament and solicit for supplementary expenditure.
Gen.Shikapwasha said the national budget was flexible enough to accommodate urgent needs that could arise adding that the law also allowed government to divert money allocated in budget to other urgent matters that may need to be addressed.
The spokesperson added that some opposition parties that had shunned the just-ended Indaba citing the budget approval as one of the reasons for their boycott were just narrow minded.
He has however thanked all the stakeholders that participated saying that they should not always wait for the government to call for a big national forum such as the just-ended Indaba but instead should engage in dialogue even at smaller stages.
Gen.Shikapwasha said President Rupiah Banda and other government departments were ready for dialogue in order to advance national development whenever need arose.
Meanwhile, government has urged all those calling for the release of the findings in the investigation of the Zambian Airways alleged mismanagement of funds to be patient.
General Shikapwasha said it would be known once the investigations are completed on whether the Management at Zambian Airways would be found with a case to answer or not.
A middle-aged woman of Chirundu township has died after being mauled by a crocodile on the Zambezi river.
Esther Chabu was caught and eaten by a crocodile over the weekend when she and others went to the Zambezi River to buy some fish.
Chirundu MMD ward councillor, Gift Chanda, disclosed to ZANIS in an interview that Ms Chabu met her fate after she had already bought the fish.
“ I visited the funeral house where I was informed that after buying the fish, the deceased, Esther, decided to wash a sack along the shores of the river and while in the process, the friends she was with just heard a voice shouting for help and then she disappeared,” Chanda stated.
Mr Chanda confirmed that family members later reported the matter to both Chirundu police and ZAWA officers who went to the river to conduct a search for the missing body.
He said that after a thorough search, the officers only managed to recovered the head of the deceased, which has since been buried.
Meanwhile, two other Chirundu residents are battling for their lives at Mtendere Mission Hospital after surviving crocodile attacks on the Zambezi river.
Ward councillor, Gift Chanda, disclosed that Evans Hanchebani, 26, and Harriet Malambo, 28, are admitted to the missing hospital, nursing serious wounds after being attacked by the reptile.
Mr Chanda has since expressed concern over the number of crocodile attack cases that have continued to be recorded in the area, and has since called on ZAWA to move in and help control the reptiles.
He attributed the attacks on the residents to the erratic water supply currently experienced in most parts of Chirundu township, a situation that has led people to resort to drawing water directly from the crocodile-infested Zambezi river.
He has since appealed to Sothern Water and Sewerage Company to urgently work on the damaged pipe line in order to avoid further loss of lives.
President Robert Mugabe says Zimbabwe stands ready to work with South Africa in rebuilding its economy.
Speaking to journalists soon after meeting a visiting South African business delegation at Zimbabwe House in Harare, President Mugabe said South Africa was indeed a true friend of Zimbabwe and it was not surprising to see its business community offering a helping hand to the new government to address its challenges.
“We are very pleased with the visit,” Mugabe said. “It’s very enchanting, it boosts us up and shows the confidence that South Africa has in us.”
The leader of the delegation from Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), Patrice Motsepe, said Zimbabwe was a safe place for foreign investment and the country was likely to receive numerous investments in the next two years.
“I have confidence that anyone who commits resources to Zimbabwe will see that the country is a good place to do business in,” said Motsepe, one of South Africa’s richest persons and owner of the South African Premier League soccer club Mamelodi Sundowns.
Motsepe said the South African business community was willing to come and invest in Zimbabwe, adding that doing so was part of paying back to Zimbabwe for its contribution to South Africa’s economy.
He expressed satisfaction at the progress being made by the new government in attracting investors as well as creating a conducive environment for business.
The high-powered delegation arrived in the country on Monday morning and held meetings with Finance Minister Tendai Biti and the local business community.
Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa Simon Khaya-Moyo accompanied the 22-member delegation, which included Rev. Frank Chikane, a senior official in the Office of the President of South Africa.
Other members were drawn from SA’s various economic sectors such as mining, agriculture and construction. BUSA is South Africa’s biggest business group that incorporates the Black Business Council and Business SA.
ZANIS/NNN-NEW ZIANA/ENDS/MM
The National Technical Committee (NTC) on food security pack has urged government to revise the Food Support Programme (FSP) to make it more viable in responding to the needs of the vulnerable farmers in the country.
Committee Secretary Paul Kapotwe says the revision of the FSP would also help the country to unlock growth in the agriculture sector as many vulnerable farmers will benefit from programme.
Mr. Kapotwe was speaking in Katete, Eastern province where he is leading a delegation from the church and key heads of government departments to monitor activities under the FSP programme during the 2007-2008, and the 2008-2009 farming season.
He said the current FSP policy is weak and that many farmers were not benefiting from the programme.
Mr. Kapotwe, who is also Programme Against Malnutrition (PAM) Executive Director, further urged government to revise the food security pack programme (FSPP) to make it effective enough to reach all parts of the country.
He said although the current FSPP was capable of responding to the various needs of vulnerable people in society, it is not effective enough to reach out to the less privileged.
Meanwhile, Mr.Kapotwe has called on farmers in the country to embark on crop diversification to enhance food security.
He said there is need for framers to engage in crop densification in order to enable Zambia respond effectively to various challenges associated with the global economic crunch.
He said as the global economic meltdown continues to hit economies in the world, farmers should seriously embark on crop diversification which he said would go a long way in helping the country become a food basket in the region.
Mr. Kapotwe said Zambian farmers should take advantage of the land and water that the country has in abundance, to grow more food to feed the people and also export to other countries in the region.
The target groups under the food security pack programme are the aged, orphans and vulnerable people.
The National Technical Committee on food security pack is comprised of stakeholders from Caritas Zambia under the Zambia Episcopal Conference, Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS), Ministry of community Development and Social Services and the Programme Against Malnutrition.
The Zambia Wild Life Authority (ZAWA) says the auction sale of wild animals by the authority expected soon would attract both local and international buyers.
ZAWA spokesperson Wilfred Moonga said the authority was still finalizing how the whole exercise would be carried out.
Mr. Moonga told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, that the ZAWA auction sale was not the first one as a similar auction took place last year.
He added that this year’s would be better.
He mentioned that the auction sale of wild animals is supposed to place, annually.
The spokesperson added that there has been growing interest from different individuals concerning the auction sale of animals.
He said the auction was meant for those with game ranches.
