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“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)”
(II Corinthians 3:17, AMP).
Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria
When you make Jesus the Lord of your of life, something supernatural takes place on the inside of you. The Spirit of God actually makes His home in your heart. And the Bible tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! When you allow that truth to sink into your mind and heart, when you get into agreement with God and begin to declare that you are free, then you will see that freedom manifest in every area of your life.
God will begin to turn around situations that you’ve been praying about for years. He’ll restore relationships that you thought were impossible. He’ll bring health and wholeness back into your body. Those dreams, those promises that are on the inside of you, they may look too big, but God will set you free to pursue those dreams. He’ll set you up to overcome every obstacle. He’ll empower you to defeat every enemy so that you can move forward in freedom and victory in every area of your life!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Spirit that lives inside me and gives me life. Help me to know You and Your power so that I can live in the freedom You have for me. In Jesus’ Name.
It was bad day for Buffaloes who did not only lost to Forest Rangers at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka to hand the visitors their first away win of the season but also saw all three of their coaches sent to the stands for different reasons.
Stand-in head coach Bilton Musonda and assistant Alfred Lupiya were both ejected from the bench for not having in their possession their Zambia Football Coaches Association cards for this season.
Another assistant coach, Justin Chinama, was sent off for dissent.
Coach George Lwandamina is away with Zambia in Egypt where the former plays the latter in a World/Africa Cup Group C qualifier.
Meanwhile, Forest collected their 3 points through an Alex Mwiche goal in the 55th minute.
Zamtel 1- City of Lusaka 2
City of Lusaka won their first match of the season after a 2-1 away win over promoted Zamtel at Musa Kasonka Stadium in Ndola today.
Ackson Phiri and Kennedy Chola were on target for City while Zamtel, without a win this season from three matches, scored through Sydney Mwewa.
Kabwe Warriors 0 -Zesco United 1
Ex-Kabwe Warriors midfielder Siloni Jere headed in the ball in the 70th minute from a corner to give Zesco their second successive win while the hosts are still searching for the first win of the season under Chabby Chabala.
Konkola Blades 1- Roan United 0
Konkola Blades returned to winning ways after last weekends 2-0 away defeat at Forest.
Visto Mulundu’s 70th minute goal handed Peter Kaumba’s side the 3 points at home in Chililabombwe at Konkola Stadium.
Power Dynamos 1- Chambishi 1
Chambishi ended Power Dynamos two-match winning streak but the hosts rallied to survive defeat to earn a late equalizer and share the points.
Edward Sinkala put Chambishi ahead in the 35th minute that saw the visitors enjoy the lead well into the 90th minute.
However, midfielder Luka Lungu saved the home sides blushes with the equalizer at the end of three minutes of time added on after the 90 minutes had elapsed.
Chambishi were playing their first game since Faz lifted their match freeze for their part in the Nchanga Rangers demotion saga.
Power stay top of the table but just narrowly on 7 points and still unbeaten after three games played in the league.
Young Arrows 2- Nakambala Leopards 1
Kruger Mwansa and Lemmy Tembo were on target for Young Arrows as to confine promoted Nakambala to their second successive league defeat.
Lusaka Dynamos 0- Zanaco 5
Zanaco recorded their biggest result of the season from three league games so far into the new season after an emphatic 5-0 hammering of Lusaka Dynamos away at Queensmead Stadium in Lusaka.
Dynamos, like Chambishi, were also playing their first league game of the season also due to Ranger demotion case.
On-loan signing from Nkana, striker Patrick Kabamba, opened his account for the season with Zanaco with a hat trick.
Postponed:
Choma Eagles-Red Arrows
Match postponed as Red Arrows prepare for their trip on Tuesday to Nigeria to face Ocean Boys in a Caf Confederations Cup 1st round, return leg.
Construction of the K1 trillion Zambia Sugar expansion project is nearing completion.
Speaking during the tour of the state of the art project, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati said the project will enable Zambia to start exporting huge amounts of sugar to the European market without any restrictions on quotas.
He said the project is a result of the facilitation of government in ensuring that the benefits of investments trickle down to all Zambians.
He said the project will also enable 10,000 jobs adding that the newly expanded factory will result in 100 percent production increase.
He said the project which is expected to be operational on April 1 has also enabled the transfer of knowledge and skills during the construction period because many Zambians have learnt skills from foreign expatriates.
And speaking after the tour, Zambia Sugar Company Managing Director Paul DeRobillard attributed the success of the project to the support of good partnership between his company and government.
Mr. DeRobillard said his company is now targeting to produce 14,000 tonnes of sugar per week.
He also disclosed that phase 2 of the expansion project will commence next week.
The ruling MMD in Mpulungu has with immediate effect suspended its constituency youth chairman Boas Lumbwe from his position for alleged indiscipline.
In an interview, MMD Provincial Vice Secretary ,Jairas Simunyola said the decision to suspend Lumbwe was reached yesterday during an emergency meeting held by district and constituency officials in Mpulungu.
Simunyola who had traveled from Kasama for the meeting added that Lumbwe had since been given 10 days in which to exculpate himself.
He said lumbwe has been charged with squandering K450 000, money meant for party operations in Mpulungu which the party at the province entrusted in him recently.
Simunyola said lumbwe also allegedly insulted chief Zombe of Mbala district who was in Mpulungu recently whilst in a drunken stupor, an action that landed him in police cells.
He said the party will not condone such levels of indiscipline among its members especially that the alleged utterances were directed towards a respected traditional leader adding it’s such behavior that has the potential to taint the name of the party if left unchecked.
He said by his behavior, Lumbwe has disgraced himself and brought the party’s name in public ridicule and scandal.
Meanwhile Simunyola has asked party members in Mpulungu to unite and start organizing for the 2011 general elections.
Simunyola who was flanked by district chairman Edward Chelleh said the party has a lot of ground work to cover in Mpulungu before the 2011 elections.
He urged party members to bury their differences, unite and forge ahead in selling the MMD manifesto to the Mpulungu electorates.
Simunyola warned erring members that the party’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) will not hesitate to institute disciplinary action on any member found wanting and contravening the party rules and regulations.
He revealed that he, together with his team, were sent to Mpulungu by provincial chairman Griver Sikasote to quench the ‘Fire that has been raging’ in the party in Mpulungu.
Government says infrastructural development plays a critical role in national development.
Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said this last evening in Lusaka when he officiated at a cocktail hosted by the Association of Consulting Engineers of Zambia (ACEZ) .
Mr. Mulongoti said despite the country having a few consultancy engineers in the industry, government is confident that they can do a good job in infrastructural development because the engineers in Zambia are among the most qualified in the world.
And ACEZ outgoing Chairperson, Henry Musonda said the engineering sector has continued to face a number of challenges, among them being financial constraints which make it difficult for engineers to meet the high expectations of the public.
“On March 26, the Japanese government offered the Zambian government a loan worth US $274 million for the implementation of the Increased Access to Electricity Services Project to cover five areas in the country”, observes Tina Nanyangwe-Moyo, Coordinator of the JCTR’s Debt, Aid and Trade Programme. “According to the Japanese official, at the signing ceremony” Moyo continues, “Japan had resumed her Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans to Zambia which she relinquished in 1992 due to Zambia’s heavy external debt burden before the attainment of 2005 Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC) Completion Point”.
“As an institution that played a key role in the success of the HIPC Completion Point through the Jubilee-Zambia debt cancellation campaign”, Moyo continues, “we urge creditor countries not to take advantage of Zambia’s favourable fiscal space to lend irresponsibly. Just a few weeks ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) offered the Government a loan worth US $200 million to boost national reserves. The Japan and IMF loans are just two loans among several loans that the government has signed since the beginning of this year”. Moyo observes that Japan as a member of the Paris Club should show great commitment to the five good practise principles of the Paris Declaration if their ODA flows to Zambia are to yield positive results.
Commenting on the same matter, Privilege Haang’andu, JCTR’s Programme Officer for Debt and Public Resource Monitoring warns that unless Zambia works on a more transparent debt management strategy, it shall perpetually be prey to floating loans from developed countries and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs). “It is crucial”, Haang’andu cautions, “that Government realises that every single loan contraction commits the country’s future taxes to debt servicing at the expense of national development. It is for this reason we have tirelessly implored Government to urgently work on a loan contraction framework that involves parliament in setting annual ceilings of what can be borrowed in a given financial year”.
“Although HIPC is often used as a basis for providing external financial support,” observes Haang’andu, “Zambians have not yet experienced the benefits of HIPC and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) even after bearing the austere conditions of processes. The majority of Zambians still live in poverty despite the gains from the debt write-off”. “Therefore”, concludes Haang’andu, “much as we support external borrowing, responsible financing and borrowing should be at the core of such financial support”.
I have been happily married for 5 years.We have a two kids, one 3 years and the other just born 3weeks ago. I had a difficult pregnancy with my last child. I had to be admitted in hospital for the last two months of my pregnancy.Thank God everything went well and I delivered a bouncy baby girl though premature.
Now, the time I was in hospital I got my young sister to live with us so she could take care of my older child and generally look after the house.
When I came back home I noticed my sister was vomiting alot and spitting alot. I told her to go to the hospital and she came and told me it was just malaria.I wondered how a person can have malaria with no fever.It then clicked to me that she was pregnant. I confronted her and she started crying.I was not prepared for what she then revealed.She said my husband was responsible!I slapped her and said a lot of things to her and chased her from my home.
When my husband came home from work I confronted him and he reacted with anger towards me.He said had it not been for our premature baby he would have chased me from home!
I could not believe this was happening. I am so hurt.My husband did appologise later for saying the things he did.But he has neither confirmed nor denied that he made my sister pregnant whilst I was in hospital. My relatives are furious and they want to bring my sister to my house saying he(my husband) is responsible for her now.I am stuck in the middle.Should I leave or stay.What kind of a household will we have with my sister living with us? On the other hand the area and house we stay in is ideal for my prem baby. I do not want to move her around as yet. I am so confused.
Mwinilunga District Commissioner (DC), Webster Samakesa has recommended United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) for the support rendered in re-opening Kaleni School of Nursing in Mwinilunga district.
Speaking when UNFPA country representative paid a courtesy on him, Mr. Samakesa said government appreciated the support given by UNFPA, adding that the support would help in producing quality health trained personal at the institution.
He said the environment at Kaleni School of Nursing is very conducive for training health workers. Mr. Samakesa implored UNFPA country representative to continue supporting the nursing school so as to improve the delivery of quality health service in the country.
UNFPA country representative, Dauh Owususarfu, assured the district commissioner that UNFPA will continue supporting the newly opened kaleni school of nursing.
Mr. Owususarfu urged the district health management team to initiate incentives that will attract graduating nurses to serve in the district.
He said without giving incentives to the nurses, it will result in them shunning work in the district as they will go else were in search of greener pastures.
Mr. Owususarfu said he was pleased to learn that the child mortality rate has reduced in Mwinilunga district.
He said much effort should be put in to ensure that the child mortality further reduce from the current rate.
Mr. Owususarfu said every mother and child deserve to live hence the need to invest in the lives of women.
He said very little has been invested in women adding that pregnancy is not a disease hence the need to serve every mother and child during pregnancy delivery.
Three Brethren in Christ Church in Choma has advised villagers in chiefs Macha and Mapanza in the district to exercise patience and await government’s announcement of this year’s maize floor price to avoid being duped by unscrupulous grain buyers.
Church secretary general, Robert Mudaala, said it would be folly of peasant farmers to rush into selling off their maize before government announces the floor price.
He said farmers stood to lose out if they do not wait for the government pronouncement on the floor price. Mr. Mudaala said this when he addressed scores of villagers at Hamubbwatu in Chief Mapanza’s area in Choma where the church is implementing an area development project under sponsorship of the Americans.
He said the church is aware that some desperate farmers are considering selling a 50 kilogramme bag of maize for as cheaply as K25,000.
He warned that such desperate efforts would defeat plans to ensure food security at both household and district level. Mr. Mudaala said with the favorable rainfall pattern experienced this farming season, it is important to take good care of the harvested crop to avoid hunger.
Mr. Mudaala also cautioned villagers who have benefited from the project against selling animals acquired on loan saying doing so would perpetuate their poverty situation. He urged them to stick to the agreed upon dipping schedule so as to avoid tick-borne disease.
Mr. Mudaala also implored the beneficiaries to seek government veterinary services whenever necessary than resorting to traditional remedies to treat their sick animals.
A retired Professional designer has called on the NCC to consider upholding the constitutional clause that provides for expelled members of parliament to maintain their parliamentary seats as independents unless they join another political party.
Mr George Daka, who is partially blind now, told ZANIS that when a political party decides to expel a member of parliament, it should not affect such a member’s status in parliament unless he decides to switch to another political party.
He said the clause would help in saving financial and material resources that were spent on by-elections to be used for developmental purposes and programmes.
Mr Daka said though elections were one avenue through which political party cadres make money during the process of electioneering and political party campaigns, the exercise of such resource draining activities should remain predictable and well planned for.
He observed that by-elections should be constitutionally forbidden unless in circumstances where a member of parliament chooses to cross the floor which should also be deliberately made unpopular because there was no way a normal person would agree with a political party values at election time and two or three years later change his mind.
Mr Daka sid political party ideologies must be clear in conviction and practice so that there should be no one behaving like a chameleon at election time and once in parliament elects to behave differently.
He said political party leaders and members should emulate the example of Dr Kenneth Kaunda who has remained with UNIP in both good and bad times because of his belief in the values and convictions on which the party was founded.
He said in many cases, by-elections were caused by what he termed as ‘political opportunists’ who were unprincipled and in search of a parliamentary seat at all cost regardless of what was on the way.
The designer called for principled politicians to take up parliamentary challenges at election time so that government did not waste developmental resources on unplanned for elections before they were due.
Mr Daka said the constitutional provision was a progressive one and should help the country to have clearly planned election times which should help people to compete on a favourable platform.
He further proposed that in an event of the death of a member of parliament, a sending political party should choose one among themselves who should replace a member because the party ideology and beliefs should be the same.
Rupiah Banda chats with new diplomats Nevers Mumba (l) and Cecil Holmes (c) at State House
President Rupiah Banda has urged the newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to provide leadership to Zambians living abroad.
Mr Banda said many Ambassadors and High Commissioners had failed to work because they allowed disharmony to prevail above their leadership and were recalled.
He said Zambians living abroad looked up to diplomats’ leadership and care just like those back home did to the head of State in times of trouble.
“We expect that you will be the leaders and fathers of those families out there. You should ensure the welfare of those Zambians ahead of your personal interests. Disharmony prevails where there is bad leadership,” he said.
Mr Banda said this at State House yesterday when he swore-in six new Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Inspector-General of Police Francis Kabonde, Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development, Allan Mbewe and his counterpart at the Ministry of Science and Technology, Lubinda Imasiku.
The appointed diplomats include former Vice-President Nevers Mumba who goes to Canada, former Inspector-General of Police Ephraim Mateyo (Germany) and former Ministry of Finance and National Planning permanent secretary Mbikusita Wamundila Lewanika who is new Ambassador to Japan.
Others are former Minister for Presidential Affairs Cecil Homes (Ghana), former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Sipula Kabanje (Zimbabwe) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs chief of protocol Darius Bubala who is going to Tanzania as High Commissioner.
Mr Banda cautioned the envoys against going to countries they had been sent to for holidays, and neglecting their families and Zambians living there.
“I would like to give free advice to my colleagues going into the foreign service. This is truly from the bottom of my heart. You are going there first and foremost to represent Zambians through the President,” he said.
Mr Banda also warned against selfishness where diplomats’ wives wanted everything for themselves or where Ambassadors thought embassies were theirs and neglected staff and Zambians living in those countries.
He said although Government expected families to enjoy their spouses’ diplomatic service, they should not run parallel embassies or missions.
Mr Banda said when Government officials visited foreign missions, the first thing they did was to ask about the welfare of Zambians living there and what they said about their diplomats.
“I am not encouraging them (Zambians abroad) to be disobedient or insolent towards you because they, too, can be dealt with if they do not give respect to diplomats,” he said.
Mr Banda said discipline in the way diplomats spent public funds and kept property at embassies was cardinal.
He said money used by embassies belonged to Zambians who needed it for other important things, but it was sent for use abroad on the realisation that embassies were important.
“I ask you to please look after the property and make sure that you become the envy of embassies from other countries,” he said.
Mr Banda said as their appointing authority, he did not think he had made a mistake to send them to work abroad.
The President also cautioned diplomats against abandoning their families as a result of enjoyment when they got to their missions.
“I have been Ambassador before and I know this. Many Ambassadors and High Commissioners have been recalled because when they get out there, they abandon their families and enjoy themselves,” he said.
Mr Banda said there was a lot of excitement among some of the diplomats who felt they were cut off from Zambia upon arrival at embassies and thought nobody would know what they were doing.
President Banda said diplomats should bear in mind that wherever they went, ‘walls have ears’.
Mr Banda said the diplomats’ worst enemy was to always get in touch with people home for idle talk, including politics.
“If you fall prey to that, sooner than later, you will come back and you will be very frustrated. Whoever will be misusing facilities and playing politics on phone will find himself or herself in problems,” he said.
Mr Banda said diplomats went to represent all Zambians and should not accept divisive advice, adding that they would be judged by the amount of work they put in for the benefit of Zambians.
And the President said some of the diplomats who had been replaced had complained.
Mr Banda said he should not be blamed for recalling them because some of them had just been rejected by the countries they worked in, while others had worked their full terms.
The Zambian government has signed a three-year Zambia/Ireland Teacher Education Project Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irish government that seeks to strengthen the pedagogical skills of teachers, improve management and supervision at tertiary level of the education systems between the two countries.
The project will be implemented at two colleges in Zambia, namely Charles Lwanga and Kitwe colleges of Education.
Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, Lillian Kapulu, who represented Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa, signed on behalf of the Zambian government, while Gerry Cunninghum signed on behalf of the Irish government.
Mr Lungwangwa said the project is unique in that it seeks to address capacity building by updating pedagogical skills, knowledge and competences among the teachers in the country.
Mr Lungwangwa underscored the importance of the project in the provision of quality teachers for the Ministry of Education to attainment of Education for All and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at all levels of the education system.
The Minister thanked the Irish government for the un-wavering support that it has continued to offer to the Ministry of Education.
He said it is imperative that both countries strive towards providing quality education, adding that the project will be scaled up to all the colleges in the country.
And speaking earlier, Irish Government Head of Development Co-operation at the Ireland Embassy in Lusaka, Gerry Cunninghum said there is need to invest in teachers’ education sector.
Mr Cunninghum emphasized the need for partnerships, saying it has a positive contribution on the quality of teachers as it has a direct bearing on the quality of learners at learning institutions.
He reiterated his government’s commitment to assisting the Zambian government in terms of personnel and technical support to uplifting the education system in the country.
Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa has admitted that mathematics is difficult to pass.
The Minister observed that 40 per cent of the Grade 9s and 12s pupils who sat last year’s school certificate examinations failed in mathematics.
Prof Lungwangwa says the overall performance of pupils in mathematics, science and technology has been very poor in the recent years.
The minister said this in a speech ready for him by Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Lillian Kapulu.
This was during the launch of the Zambia/Ireland Teacher Education Partnership three-year project held at the Ministry education Headquarters.
Prof Lungwangwa regretted that the nation was lagging behind in the three subjects.
He, however, said Government cannot sit idle but to reverse the trend as mathematics, science and technology are cardinal to national development.
He said teachers should pay particular attention when teaching mathematics, science and technology subjects to the learners (pupils).
He said there is need for his ministry to come up with strategies that will address poor performance in these three subjects.
He explained that improved pedagogical skills of teachers is vital to the quality of teachers trained at colleges as this leads to performance of pupils at lower levels.
“As a nation we cannot lag behind in mathematics, science and technology because these subjects are cardinal to national development. Sadly, statistics indicate that 40 per cent of children who sat for last year’s school certificate examination failed mathematics. It is incumbent on the colleges as well as the entire ministry to come up with strategies that will address poor performances in the three subjects,” Mr Lungwangwa lamented.
The project seeks to adopt reflective methods and focuses on the provision of quality teachers updating their pedagogical skills, knowledge and competences.
In Zambia the project will be implemented at two colleges namely, Charles Lwanga and Kitwe colleges of Education but it will be scaled up to all the colleges upon successful completion of phase one.
The project streamlines ways of identifying, documenting and implementing good practices between Zambia and Ireland’s education systems.
The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has called on government to review its minimum wage policy which was last revised in 2006.
AVAP executive director Bonnie Tembo said the current minimum wage policy which stood at K268,000 was to too low as the cost of living kept going up in the country.
Mr. Tembo said AVAP had since suggested that the minimum wage be increased to about K500, 000 or above.
He added that there was also need for the Department of Labour to establish more Labour offices across the country as there were only 22 Labour offices which had to deal with Labour cases from all the 72 districts.
Mr. Tembo further said the Labour offices that were already in existence were not running
effectively because they lacked proper equipment such as vehicles.
Mr. Tembo was speaking at the minimum wage survey launch in Lusaka today.
He said AVAP had decided to partner with the labour movement as it had most of the
voters that needed to have their concerns addressed hence preventing voter apathy.
Mr. Tembo said AVAP would also embark on the sensitization of labour laws and
the minimum wage policy to the labour movement .
Meanwhile a survey conducted by AVAP has revealed that only about 38 per cent of the workers knew about the laws and policies pertaining to the Labour sector.
Government has charged that former Deputy Minister and MMD MP for Nchanga constituency, Richard Kazala, has exhibited the worst type of ignorance on how government operates.
Chief government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha , further charged the former minister does not understand how government operates in the use of tax money and implementation of economic policies.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services, said the government uses the same taxes to develop infrastructure such as schools, bridges, roads and salaries among many government programmes.
He said this in a statement released to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka yesterday.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said since winning the last year’s Presidential elections, President Rupiah Banda has been magnanimous and not shield away from informing the public the challenges his administration is facing.
He said this can be seen in the way the president outlined them in the speech to parliament and at the official opening of the Third Session of the Tenth National Assembly and has continued to do so whenever this needs to do so.
The Chief Government Spokesperson was reacting to sentiments by Mr Kazala in yesterday’s Post Newspaper that quoted him. Mr Kazala told the Post Newspaper that Zambians do not have any hope in President Rupiah Banda and the only hope for them is to wait for 2011 in order to change the government.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha reiterated government’s commitment including Zambians of good will in the national search for solutions to the impact of that the global financial crisis has had on the economy.
He stressed that president Banda as a listening and accommodative leader as evident by his call for a National Indaba to held on the 4th and 5th of april,2009 in Lusaka that will accord Zambians from all walks of life an opportunity to offer solutions on how to solve problems the country is facing.
He further stressed that the Banda’s administration is concerned about the effects of the economic crisis on employment and the general well being of the people.
The Chief Government Spokesperson noted that it is unfair to judge president Banda by the policies and programmes of the late President Mwanawasa especially under the current conditions.
Lt Gen Shikapwahsa advised Mr Kazala that if he does not see what the government was doing which was appreciated by people who understand the economic conditions, he should not tell lies that people have no confidence in the economic management of the government of President Banda.
He said government has acted firmly and effectively to ensure that there is enough maize and that prices are reasonable and affordable and blamed unscrupulous milling companies for hoarding maize and selling it above recommended prices.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said there were a lot of programs that government was undertaking which are part of the diversification from copper mining, including the establishment of economic multi-facility zones, investments in new manufacturing activities and agricultural programs..
The chief Government sporksperson reminded Mr Kazala that the fact that mining companies have been shaken due to fall in prices demands government channels some of its resources to other areas such as tourism and agriculture, which have potential job creating factors.
He said as a former minister, Mr Kazala should know better that it is not government’s policy to nationalise mining and that government has no capacity to take over or run them, adding that government was seriously looking for investors to partner with in these ventures.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha advised Mr Kazala not to be scared of disciplinary action against him by the MMD if he means well in his criticism of the government which his own party helped form.
He further refuted allegations that media was his only channel to criticise his leaders or offer suggestions, saying he could use other channels like the office of the district commissioner or the provincial minister in Ndola.
He said Mr Kazala was being malicious to claim that President Banda had abandoned his electorate and left them ignorant of the problems this country is facing, adding that Mr Kazala cannot be ignorant of the government interventions in mining to save jobs, agriculture to produce food security, tourism and other industries to create jobs and procurement of maize to ensure that the staple food is available at affordable prices.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha reminded Mr Kazala that President Banda has been to many areas that need his urgent attention such as Luanshya, where the closure of the mine has caused untold misery to the people.
