Government is happy with opposition Patriotic Front, PF, Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili, for helping explain the reduction on perks in the emolument bills passed in Parliament for Constitutional office bearers.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha, said government is happy with Mr Kambwili’s honesty that he voted for the increment in emoluments because the current perks were inadequate.

Leutenant General Shikapwasha, told ZANIS in a statement that Mr Kambwili should be commended for boldly helping PF leader Micheal Sata to understand that the passing of the emolument bills were justified as the perks were a reduction on the earlier ones which had been passed but which President Banda refused to sign.

“Government wishes to commend Patriotic Front Roan Member of Parliament, Chishimba Kambwili for his honesty in shedding more light on the emoluments recently passed by parliament,” read Ge. Shikapwasha’s statement.

“Iam pleasedb that the Roan MP who is considered a confidante of Mr Sata has boldly and honestly informed his boss that he voted for the increment in emoluments because as an MP he deserved them, describing the current emoluments as “a joke”

He described as falsehood remarks by PF Mandevu MP Jean Kapata that the opposition MPs were misled and lacked guidance from party Vice President Guy Scott and Chief Whip Yamfwa Mukanga on the voting system.

He said Ms Kapata was being dishonorable by blindly following orders by PF leader to mislead the public that the opposition MPs were misled hence their voting for the passing of emoluments.

ZANIS/ENDS/SJK

Dear bloggers,

My name is Jabulani Ntazana Dhlakama. I was born in Zambia on the 9th of june 1987 under the name Ntazana Nchinga to my mother Martha Chitundu Bowa and the father I never knew, Richard Nchinga. He worked in lusaka at that period as an accountant but never married my mother.

Once seperated, my mother married a Zimbabwean, Dumisani Dhlakama who adopted me as his son and moved us to Zimbabwe. Please help me look for my father, brothers and sisters.

Yours Jabulani

by Mingeli Palata

Even as you start to read this article, President Banda may be seated in his office gazing at Zambia’s hottest bill, wondering whether to append his signature to it or not. How I wish he could take time to learn what his masters/employers feel about the proposed 15% salary increment to constitutional office bearers. More so because the laws of this land have it that public office bearers are servants of the people, yes, us the people, you reading this article and me. As such, we the people naturally should have a say when our servants or workers seek a pay rise, not so?

We have taken time to listen to your argument for the pay rise and we see little sense in it. This so because of a number of reasons – the first being that we have given you a job, but you failed lamentably even after saving your necks from job losses the last three times we reviewed your performance.We had hoped that you would improve, but you have let us down. We have given you the opportunity, the resources and we have even volunteered to help you make ours a better country, but you have failed us dearly for 17 years. We, in fact, find it rather provocative that you have the audacity to ask us your employers for a pay rise when you have failed to deliver.

More than 70% percent of Zambians are living in abject poverty. Poverty according to the United Nations is living under a dollar a day. A dollar is about K4000 and is nothing near what we need to feed our families. A Pamela (rationed mealie meal), which we survive on used to be K500.00 a few months ago about is now K1, 200.00. We need at least two of these to survive. The cost of food is going up with each new day. The clinics are far off, are too few and don’t even have the staff and medicines needed to help our ailing children, brothers and sisters. We all can’t afford private clinics and the mere thought of Morningside Clinic is too far fetched.

You have also failed us on the educational bit, dear sirs and madams, 44 years after independence our beloved country only has two universities. Not enough to carter for the huge demand out here. Year after year, we are producing legions of ill prepared school leavers into mass unemployment. Higher education is only available for the elite few, whereas the vast majority cannot afford the expenses that come with private and other public colleges. Our smaller children sit on bricks and their teachers have no chalk. The teachers are unmotivated and our children are uninspired. No hope for a good future; just shattered dreams.

Ours is a country where its better to be foreign than to be Zambian.The laws, attitudes and culture favors others. The best deals in government are given to foreigners, the best resources, the best land, the tax system and the work culture favors others apart from our the children of this land.

We have no ownership of this country. How many Zambians own a building along ‘Freedomway’ Road? How many Zambians own a mine? Why is it that tax cuts are only given to foreigners and not us?

You have failed us. You don’t need an increase. If anything you need a decrease. You need to be fired.

It is strange that when the rest of the world is in an economic crisis, when copper prices are low, when farmers can’t afford farming implements, when mealie meal prices are at their highest, when UNZA students don’t know whether they will complete this semester or not… You come and say you want a pay rise. Ironic!

Kindly rescind your intentions, dear sirs and madams, unless the pay rise will be across board; policemen, teachers, nurses, doctors, carpenters, plumbers, traders, marketers, marketers, the army, servicemen and women. Only then can you justify your pay rise.Otherwise your pay rise will be an act of gross injustice, irresponsibility and selfishness.

Besides, President Banda stands to gain a lot of mileage if he chooses not to assent to the bill; he needs some good PR right now. Don’t you think?

Source of data for the tables include- Times of Zambia,Daily Mail and Parliamentary Bill Memo

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Assuming all allowances are collected ,the total income per annum  based on exchange rate of $1 = K 4600 and R1 = K460

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NATIONAL Democratic Focus (NDF) president, Ben Mwila yesterday told a Lusaka magistrate’s court that he gave second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s wife, Regina, US$100,000 for her business.

Mr Mwila told Principal Resident Magistrate, Charles Kafunda that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money for her business to buy property.

He was testifying in the case in which Mrs Chiluba has been charged for being in possession of property suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully acquired.

Mr Mwila told the court that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money without security and that there was no agreement signed.

He testified that it was not the first time he was lending out money to individuals and informed the court that he also had dealings with the late Baldwin Nkumbula, among others.

In cross-examination by state prosecutor Dennis Simwinga, Mr Mwila admitted that he wanted the court to believe that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money without any security.

He said it was not his business to know the property that Mrs Chiluba wanted to acquire and that they agreed that he would take security once the property was registered.

Mr Mwila said he knew Mrs Chiluba in the political arena and that she was one of the most dependable political cadres and that was how they built a relationship.

He admitted that he would regret it if she was sent to jail and that nobody would be happy with that.

The defence has since closed its case and judgment in the matter has been set for March 3 next year.

[Times of Zambia]

Government says economic hardships coupled with unclean environment are among the causes that contribute to high disease prevalence among children in the country.

Central Province Permanent Secretary, Danny Lumbama, said government is concerned with the serious threat that diseases in infants have to national economic development, hence its tireless efforts in the provision of health services targeting under five children at health centers across the country.

He was speaking at the launch of the Child Health Week campaign in Kabwe today.

He government through child health week, campaigns have managed to scale down infant mortality rate and improved the health of children in the country.

Mr  Lumbama, however, indicated that government has implemented various strategies in collaboration with partners to ensure the continued survival of the Zambian child.

Speaking, earlier Acting District Director of health, Beatrice Kafulubiti, noted that child health week is a very important week for all children.

Dr Kafulubiti said during child health week, children under the age of five, will receive deworming medication, Vitamin A supplementation and have the growth monitored.

She explained that children from the age of Six months to 59 months will be given Vitamin A supplements and those from 12 months to 59 months will be given De-worming medication

Community development minister Michael kaingu was conferred the Degree of a Masters of Business administration MBA, Tourism Development and management with distinctions in accounting for Decision making managerial finance.

The Management College of South Africa (MANCOSA) graduation ceremony was held at intercontinental hotel in Lusaka, Sunday.

MANCOSA managing Director Professor  Hussen Rasool  said lack of control in management levels has caused the  global financial Crisis hence the challenge is to  remain contributing to the economic development.

Professor Rasool noted that risk management polices in the banking system are responsible for the  currentfinancial global crisis and has also created the in balances in the countries in African.

Speaking at the ceremony Education minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa says tertiary education plays an important role in the development of the nation.

Professor Lungwangwa said  the education level enables students to to be in outreach programmes that help develop the country.

Prof. Lungwangwa said there is need therefore to invest more in education in order for the country to achieve the vision 2030 adding that it was through education that the country can truly reduce poverty.

The minister noted that there was also need to re-orient the values and attitudes for students that will effectively educate them on apprenticeship that will help create jobs and wealth creation in the country.

The Media in Zambia has strongly rejected calls by some Members of Parliament to regulate the media by a statutory code.

The Five media bodies have since called upon government and progressive Members of Parliament to condemn and reject the call for the media to be regulated by a statutory code.

In a joint communiqué delivered in Lusaka today, the Media Institute of Southern Africa-MISA Zambia Chapter, the Press Association of Zambia-PAZA, Zambia Union of Journalists-ZUJ, the Media Council of Zambia-MECOZ and the Press Freedom Committee of the Post Newspapers said calls to regulate the media by a statutory code were made with emotions and should not be accepted.

Reading the Communique at a Press briefing MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson Henry Kabwe advised the Parliamentarians to allow the media regulate itself through MECOZ saying emotions should not be allowed to wash down the democracy that the country is enjoying.

Mr. Kabwe called upon the Parliamentarians to focus their attention on the Freedom of Information Bill and the Zambia National Broadcasting Act.

Speaking earlier, Transparency International Zambia -TIZ Executive Officer Goodwell Lungu said calls to regulate the media through a statutory code are highly misplaced and should be withdrawn.

Mr. Lungu noted that it is unwarranted for Parliamentarians to start calling for media regulation at a time the people needed information for development.

Meanwhile, Forum for Democratic Process-FODEP President Stanley Mhango said the media has been a significant contributor to Zambia’s electoral process.

In a speech read on his behalf by FODEP Information Officer Macdonald Chipenzi, Mr. Mhango said a free media was vital in the promotion of democratic tenets.

And MECOZ Chairperson Sister Rose Nyondo noted that none of the media could however stand head high to claim they performed professionally during the just ended Presidential elections.