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Zambians in the Diaspora urged to invest in tourism

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Tourism minister Catherine Namugala inspects stacks of confiscated ivory at Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) ofices in Chilanga
Tourism minister Catherine Namugala inspects stacks of confiscated ivory at Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) ofices

Government has challenged Zambians living in the Diaspora to take advantage of investment opportunities back home and contribute to the development of the country.

Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (TENR) Minister, Catherine Namugala said that in the face of the current global economic crunch, investment in tourism presents immense opportunities for addressing the economic melt-down and has asked Zambians working and living abroad to consider investing in the sector.

The Minister said this in statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday, by Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Public Relations Officer, Bwalya Nondo.

Ms. Namugala said investment in the tourism industry was not the preserve of foreigners alone adding that Zambians should take interest in the sector.

She added that the sector has potential to contribute to the growth of the economy which can further reduce the country’s  dependence on mining that is the mainstay of the economy.

The Minister has also  urged Zambians’ living abroad to create business alliances to invest in the tourism ventures in order to contribute to the economic development of the country.

The Minister also pointed out that government under the leadership of President Rupiah  Banda was working hard to ensure that an appropriate environment with attractive incentives was created for the tourism industry .

Ms. Namugala also reiterated that efforts where under way to opening up the Northern Circuit through infrastructure development as a catalyst for stimulating tourism growth in the region.

She added that this was an example of how government was  creating an enabling environment to attract tourists and investors in the country.

ZANIS

Rethinking the food situation in Zambia

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cooked cassava
cooked cassava

By Mingeli Palata

It’s only natural that the issue of food is on top of the mind for most people and certainly for me. I fail to perform to expected levels when my stomach is not tightly gripped. I choose to believe that most of you share this view. You many not really understand the food crisis in this country until like me you meet the likes of Justin Mwemba, a taxi driver in Lusaka whom I met the previous week. Aside from struggling to make  his cashing markup, I got to learn that Justin is also a father to two and a husband of one wife who lives with his family in Bauleni compound. The man vividly put the deteriorating hunger situation in the country, describing the cost of living and the price of mealie meal in particular as unattainable for most average Zambians.

True to the word, in the past year, the issue of mealie meal prices has been one of great interest to most Zambians and it was only a few weeks ago when we were told that Zambia will experience a poor harvest this year, alarming isn’t it? Yet this is the order of the day- year after year. The price of mealie meal is negatively affected by mismanagement of food administration and low agriculture output, as much as it is affected by weather patterns.

I need not overstate the fact that Zambia has a special God-given capacity to feed itself and its neighbors.Despite countless efforts made to urge government to put agriculture in the center stage of their undertakings for both internal food security and foreign exchange purposes, there has been little done in this area. Today agricultural news is still rocked by unattainable fertilizer prices and maize grain price scandals. It is obvious that the system being used to make these much needed agricultural inputs available is not working.  This is not only embarrassing but detrimental to aspirations of ensuring sustainable food security and making Zambia the ultimate food basket in Africa.
Firstly there is a lot of mismanagement, low innovation and lack of priority that characterizes operations at the FRA. In frantic efforts to know what the problem is, I was shocked to learn that both commercial and subsistence farmers find it more profitable to sell the maize to opaque beer brewers or foreign nations rather than the government simply because alcohol brewers for instance offer to buy the grain at double the price. Why can’t government rectify this anomaly? I suggest that deliberate regulation be effected to woo farmers to vend the grain to the FRA by offering attractive prices and terms.Smart economic measures such as high taxation and regulation should be effected to discourage farmers from selling their maize to ‘opaque beer brewers’.

Secondly, Government needs to take a more deliberate action other than relying on selfish private commercial farmers, who would rather sell their maize grain to the Congo than the FRA. I suggest that the state identify key farmers so as to equip and position them in strategic locations for the sole purpose of achieving food security in our beloved country. These strategic state aided farms should be equipped with state of the art farming equipments, inputs, an all season irrigation system that enables winter farming (tapped from the numerous mighty rivers we are endowed with) and objective government supervision to ensure that food shortages and crazy mealie meal prices are a the thing of the past.

Lastly, Zambia also suffers from a self inflicted addiction to maize- somehow we believe that the only thing worth being called food is maize meal- nshima. This should notbe the case.There are other foodstuffs like rice, cassava, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, that can supplement maize as the staple food. Government needs to take deliberate action to fight this stereotype and promote other foodstuff to combat hunger in this country. I will give you an example of Cassava, a crop I am most familiar with because my grand mother in Kapompo grows the crop. Cassava is cheap and convenient to grow; it is rich in carbohydrates and will not let you down should your basal metabolic rate be higher than the average Zambian. Yet it is very drought resistant, doesn’t need fertilizer and can grow in various soils with minimum supervision. The advantages that Cassava has over maize are immense and I see no reason why it should not be promoted as a staple food of choice.

We need to see more inspiring deliberate action and more government innovative regulation to ensure that the country has maximum food security so that Justin Mweemba and his family are well fed. This in my view is the government’s primary responsibility and there is no room for excuses.

Zambia Cecafa Cup Update

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It is rest period for Zambia until Thursday at the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Uganda.

Injuries and suspensions have taken their toll after three grueling matches in a space of five days.

William Njobvu is set to return from suspension after accumulating two yellow cards and should start in Thursdays crucial must-win Group B match against Sudan.

However, midfielder Kebby Hachipuka will miss the match due to suspension after his red card on Sunday in the 1-1 draw against Burundi.

Defender Elijah Tana is one match away from suspension and is on one yellow card.

Coach Herve Renard will be without Kabwe Warriors midfielder Maunga Kabuku who is out for the next five weeks due to a broken bone in his left foot now cast in a plaster of Paris.

Striker Roger Kola and midfielder Kennedy Mudenda are on the mend with the former making his comeback on Sunday when he came off the bench to score the opener in the match against Burundi.

With these development, coach Herve Renard has called in two reinforcements from home in midfielder Henry Banda and striker Nicholas Zulu from Zanaco and Zesco United respectively.

The duo is set to leave on the Monday’s midnight flight from Lusaka to Nairobi before connecting to Entebbe.

Meanwhile, while Zambia are taking some time to regroup and plan, Sudan are in action against Burundi 15:00 tomorrow in a match either side will be looking for the three points on Tuesday.

Victory for Burundi would push them into first place on 7 points so too would Sudan should they win who will go to six points ahead of Zambia who are on five points.

Kenya, on two points from as many Group B games, face bottom placed Djibouti in the earlier kickoff at 12:30 on Tuesday.

Govt owes water utility company half a billion kwacha

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Government owes the Western Water and Sewerage Company (WWSC) about half a billion in unsettled water bills.

Company Managing Director, Akamana Mulemwa, told ZANIS in an interview today in Mongu that government has not settled the K500 million owed to the company by October last year.

Mr. Mulemwa said the non settlement of the bill has greatly affected the operations of the company.

He has since urged government to consider settling the bills which it owes the company for effective service delivery to its clients .

Meanwhile, Mr. Mulemwa has assured the people of Western Province that the company will this year improve the water supply .

He said Katima Mulilo in Sesheke will have piped water by March this year adding that the company would also set up a water scheme project in shangombo district.

.”Shangombo is the only district without piped water in the province and the company will soon set up a water scheme,” He said.

Mr. Mulemwa further disclosed that his company will embark on an exercise of putting meters so that the residents can be metered according to their usage of water.

Meanwhile a civic leader in Shangombo district has called on Road Development Agency (RDA) to be serious in the manner they are attending to roads works in the country.

Simu ward councilor, Dominic Shomeno complained that RDA has not worked on the roads which it promised to attend to in spite of many assurances.

Mr. Shomeno further stated that government was taking long in attending to challenges such as roads and the hospital.

And Women’s Lobby Chairperson, Collete Lubinda Mulope has called on government to quickly rehabilitate Shangombo road which is in a deplorable state

Mrs. Mulope stressed that poverty levels in Shangombo were still very high , coupled with severe hunger which has heavily affected women and children.

Council Secretary Mwiya Mwiya confirmed to ZANIS that Shangombo road was tendered but the tender was higher than what government could pay.

ZANIS/BPM/MKM/ENDS

ZCC nods government duty hike on fuel

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The Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) has welcomed government decision to hike duty on fuel from five percent to 25 percent.

ZCC Executive Director Thula Kaira said the move is necessary in protecting the energy sector which is key for the development of the country.

He explained that government should always be there to protect the local industries if the nation is to see growth in different sectors of the economy.

Mr. Kaira told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that Indeni oil Refinery Company and TAZAMA pipeline Limited are capable of producing enough fuel to supply the local market demand.

“Indeni is very capable of supplying oil that can be enough for the local market.” he said.

He explained that there is no need for Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) to import fuel when there are companies within the country that produces the some commodity.

He noted that OMCs can only import fuel when there are not enough stocks to meet the local demand.

“OMC should only think of buying fuel abroad when Indeni and TAZAMA do not have sufficient stocks.” he said.

He said Indeni and TAZAMA plays an important role towards the development of the energy sector, hence the need to promote the companies by buying all the oil products in the country.

The ZCC Executive Director pointed out that people in the energy sector should develop the mentality of ensuring that they utilize what is in the refinery reservoirs before thinking of importing it from some way else.

Mr. Kaira observed that government has been facing a lot of challenges in producing fuels that ends up in reservoirs and does not save its intended purpose.

He has further challenged OMC in the country to embrace the decision and help government develop the energy sector.

Last week Government increased duty on fuel from five percent to 25 percent saying the decision is aimed at discouraging dealers from importing finished petroleum products but buy fuel from TAZAMA and Indeni and prevent them from collapsing.

ZANIS/MM/MKM/ENDS……

Government prepared to deal with floods

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Government says it is ready to deal with floods and droughts that may affect the country during 2008/2009 rain season.

Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice President Gastone Sichilima said government has developed a contingency plan that is aimed at outlining the measures that need to be undertaken before, during and after the floods or drought.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Sichilima disclosed that the plan provides a framework which will show the preparedness, response and early recovery that are being undertaken.

Mr. Sichilima noted that food and non-food items have been stocked to enhance timely interventions to the affected areas.

He assured that government will be able to assist any section that gets affected by the floods or droughts adding that there is need for such a section to have an established objective assessment.

He added that his office has put in place interventions following reports of general food insecurity in the country.

The Deputy Minister also noted that the number of districts that needs relief food has increased from 21 to 29.

Mr. Sichilima said currently government is supplying a total number of about 10 thousand Metric Tonnes (MT) of relief food in 21 districts adding that there is an addition of about 5 thousand MT to cater for the other 8 districts.

He pointed out that Food Reserve Agency will offload maize on the open markets in districts that need market interventions.

He further cautioned that government’s relief food programme is only meant for vulnerable communities that are identified through technical assessments.

He said the 80 percent of every tonnage of relief food sent to any district is meant to be food for work, where as the 20 percent is meant to be given freely to old members, child headed households and the terminally ill in communities.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sichilima said government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has continued to monitor the situation in areas that where hit by floods last rain season.

He thanked the opposition Members of Parliament (MP) for taking a lead in carrying out the necessary preparedness measures for Lusaka floods response activities.

He further appealed to cooperating partners to supplement government’s efforts in mitigating the impact of floods and droughts in the country.

ZANIS/MM/MC/AM/ENDS

National Milling reduces mealie-meal prices

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National Milling Corporation managing director Peter Cottan talking to journalists in Lusaka
National Milling Corporation managing director Peter Cottan talking to journalists in Lusaka

National Milling Company has announced a major reduction in mealie-meal prices across the country.

Company Managing Director, Peter Cottan, says the new prices with a minimum of eight thousand kwacha reduction, will be effected on wednesday.

He said at a press briefing in Lusaka that a 25 Kilogramme bag of breakfast mealie meal will now be selling at K45,000 while roller meal will be selling at K35,000.

Mr. Cottan said on the copperbelt breakfast mealie-meal will be selling at K49,500.

Roller meal will be sold at thirty nine thousand kwacha per twenty-five kilogram bag.

Mr. Cottan said in the other outlying areas breakfast will be selling at K52,500 while roller meal will be selling at K42,500.

He attributed the variation in prices to transport costs.

Mr. Cottan said the company has reduced the prices of the staple food following governments agreement to subsidise maize by 100 percent.

PF in Kasama rejects truce with Chisimba

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KASAMA central Member of Parliament Saviour Chishimba
KASAMA central Member of Parliament Saviour Chishimba

Patriotic Front (PF) officials and cadres in Kasama have rejected the reconciliation between party leader, Michael Sata, and Kasama Central Member of Parliament, Saviour Chishimba.

The PF officials and cadres resolved during a heated meeting called on Saturday that they will not recognize the reconciliation.

Northern Province PF chairman, Frederick Chisanga, said the truce is between the two leaders and the party has nothing to do with it.

Mr. Chisanga said as far as PF members in Kasama were concerned, Dr. Chishimba is expelled from the Patriotic Front.

He said Mr. Sata should have consulted the grassroots before deciding to pardon the rebel MP.

And Kasama District PF chairman, Evaristo Bwalya, said the people of Kasama will not forgot the abusive language that Dr. Chishimba used against them in the recent past.

[ ZNBC]

More districts run out of food

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The number of districts faced with hunger has increased from 21 to 29.

And government will now need to distribute additional relief food between January and Match to cover all areas affected by hunger.

This is according to the latest assessment conducted by the Zambia Vulnerability Assessment Committee, under the Vice President’s Office.

The government had estimated to distribute about 11,110 metric tonnes of food during the same period.

Deputy Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Guston Sichilima, said at a press briefing that government is determined to provide adequate relief food to all hunger stricken areas.

Several parts of Zambia, especially rural areas, are facing food shortages as a result of floods during the last rainy season.

The floods destroyed crops and infrastructure.

[ZNBC]

RB dates Northern Province

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President Rupiah Banda is expected in Kasama tomorrow for a four-day official visit during which he will, among others, inspect the abandoned tourism infrastructure at Kasaba Bay in Mpulungu District.

Acting Northern Province Permanent Secretary Gabriel Kaunda confirmed the development to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Kasama today.

Mr. Kaunda said the President is expected to touch down at Kasama Airport at 16:30 hours tomorrow before proceeding to Kasama Lodge where he will have a meeting with MMD party officials.

He said on Wednesday morning President Banda leaves for Chitimukulu in Mungwi district to pay a courtesy call on the paramount chief.

Mr. Kaunda said Mr. Banda will later return to Kasama to officially open the Provincial Auditor General’s office in the afternoon.

He said in the evening, the President will have a meeting with church leaders at Kasama lodge.

Mr. Kaunda further said the President will leave for Kasaba Bay on Thursday morning to inspect infrastructure and return to Kasama for a night stop.

President Banda will on Friday morning inspect works on the Kasama-Luwingu and Kasama-Mporokoso road projects before flying back to Lusaka in the afternoon.

The acting PS has since appealed to Kasama residents to give President Banda a thunderous welcome by turning up in numbers to welcome him when he arrives tomorrow.

ENDS/HM/AM/ZANIS

Siavonga Police arrests five accident looters

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Police in Siavonga have arrested and detained five men for allegedly looting valuables and other items from an international police (Interpol) car involved in an accident that killed a police officer.

Siavonga police station officer in charge Charles Saimba confirmed the incident to ZANIS and identified the Interpol officer as Macko Wayanda based at Kariba Border post in Siavonga.

Mr Saimba said officer Wayanda died on the spot on New Year’s Eve when a car he was driving got involved in a traffic road accident.

He said instead of rescuing the interpol officer, the ‘ looters ‘, went on rampage to remove two car cassettes, a passport, a wallet with undisclosed sums of money and other valuables belonging to the Interpol officer.

The suspects, who included two taxi drivers, a mini bus driver and a bus conductor,are alleged to have been the first people to arrive at the accident scene and took turns in removing the cassettes and went on to search the police officer who was gasping for his last breath.

According to police, Assistant Superintendent Macko Wayanda died in the early hours of Thursday morning after he rammed into a stationery trailer truck belonging to Coca cola Company limited that had been abandoned on one side of the road.

Wayanda who was driving the latest VW golf car that had not yet been registered is said to have been coming from a named night spot around 04: 00 hours where he had gone to celebrate his Eve from and was on his way home to New site and service.

Saimba who also confirmed the death of the Interpol officer said the accident occurred along the Kariba – Siavonga road near Matinangala junction.

Saimba who could not give further details into the matter however said that Wayanda who was alone in the car could have lost control of the car forcing it to hit and go under the truck trailer.

However a cross section of Siavonga motorists blamed traffic police officers for failing to ensure that they removed the trailer on the road despite it being there for the whole day.

They also castigated police traffic officers for failing to instruct the owner of the truck (Coca-Cola) to mount triangles that would reflect to other motorists using the road that there was an obstacle in front.

“The death of Wayanda could have easily been avoided if traffic police officers removed the trailer from the road because it had been left there since morning (Wednesday) and no reflectors on put to signal other motorists “lamented a named taxi driver.

A check by ZANIS at Siavonga police station where the vehicle had been toed to found the car extensively damaged with the entire roof ripped off.

His body lay in the district hospital mortuary before being transported to Lusaka on Saturday evening where a postmortem would be conducted before being buried.

ZANIS/ENDS/LL/ENDS/MM.

24 year-old woman suspected of murder

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POLICE in Choma have picked up and detained a 24 year-old woman to help them with investigations into the suspected murder of another woman.

Police officer-in-Charge Victor Mateyo who confirmed this to ZANIS in Choma today said the named woman of Overspill compound was apprehended last evening.

Mr. Mateyo explained that the move follows the death of a woman who was six months pregnant in Choma general hospital from suspected injuries inflicted on her by the suspect during a fight that took place two weeks ago.

He explained that the deceased is suspected to have suffered injuries which forced her to go into early labour in which the still fetus was also found with bruises and was blood stained.

Mr. Mateyo said the husband to deceased told the police that his pregnant wife had complained of abdominal pains before being rushed to hospital.

He said the suspect is alleged to have picked a quarrel with the deceased over an issue in which their children had fought.

Mr. Mateyo said a scuffle ensued in which the suspect is said to have assaulted the deceased by repeatedly hitting her in the stomach despite her state of pregnancy.

Mr. Mateyo revealed that the suspect is a neighbour to the deceased woman.
ENDS/CM/AM/ZANIS

Two children die after eating suspected poisonous mushrooms

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Two children are reported to have died in Shangombo District after eating suspected poisonous mushrooms.

Shangombo Council Secretary Mwiya Mwiya confirmed the death of the minors to ZANIS in Shangombo today.

Mr. Mwiya said three children from Likomeno village in Silowana area in Shangombo district were left at home by their parents who had gone to the fields.

He explained that while the parents were away the children went to the cattle kraal and collected some mushrooms which they cooked and ate.

Mr. Mwiya said two of the three children later died after eating the mushrooms while one survived after having vomited.

Police Commanding Officer Vael Muzwenga could not confirm the matter.

ENDS/SM/AM/ZANIS

ZDA to pick bidder for Njanji Cummuter

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THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has completed evaluation of two firms short listed to undertake the concession of Njanji Commuter Railway Services and is expected to make a decision soon.

ZDA communications manager, Margaret Chimanse, said the board was currently reviewing a report submitted by the technical committee which evaluated the bids.

Ms Chimanse said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the board was still looking into the matter and was expected to make a decision anytime soon.

“The board is reviewing the situation and looking into it. It has not yet decided but will do that once it sits next time,” she said.

Last year ZDA was evaluating bids from two companies that showed interest to undertake the concession of Njanji Commuter Service (NCS) assets.

The assets are mainly the railway line within Lusaka covering a distance of 13.5 kilometers.

The two bids evaluated were one from a consortium of Lusaka Metro Limited with Circle Capital Global a South African company and City Rail Limited of Lusaka.

If the technical committee appointed to evaluate the bids failed to select a final bidder from the two submitted, the concession would have to be re-advertised.

The ZDA board is expected to approve selection of the final bidder to carry out a concession of NCS.
The concession period is for 15 years renewable based on performance.

According to the agency, bidders were free to propose the development and restoration of the original NCS railway line from Chilenje to George townships.

The technical proposals were to address possible re modeling and rehabilitation and investment methods such as Build and Operate and Transfer and variants of BOTs schemes.

The agency says the operator would be expected to invest in rolling stock and rehabilitation of the rail track.

Recently, two firms expressed interest to undertake the concession of NCS assets after ZDA invited qualified operators to undertake the concession.
The NCS has been dormant for 11 years after it ceased operation in 1996.

Government has also noted encroachments on the railway track route through the residential areas east of the city center.

At the peak of its operations, the commuter served the needs of thousands of passengers who found it cheaper than buses.

Zambia Daily Mail

National Olympic Committee lose funds

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By Edgar Musonda

While the government is trying hard to fight corruption, sports organizations such as the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) still have an enormous task of fighting corruption ahead of them. For a long time now, reports have indicated that some NOCZ members have been found wanting and they have been left without external investigation from bodies such as the Anti Corruption Commission of Zambia.

The allegation story of NOCZ committee member Chenda Chilufya’s involvement in misapplying of funds during the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games shows how a “game of chance” is played at the NOCZ. This is not the first time Zambians are hearing stories of theft at the NOCZ office. There is strong evidence that in the past, some NOCZ members misappropriated funds and have never been jailed or questioned. Some members have also allegedly taken their wives, children and family members at the expense of athletes during Olympic Games since the 1980s. Their cases just went quiet.

We can not allow a situation where local and foreign based athletes are treated with no respect at the expense of traveling family members. As Zambians we need to fight for people like Amon Simutowe, the Nachula sisters and Easter Phiri, who are working so hard to be where they are now. Mirriam Moyo, the NOCZ president, who has been given the mandate to help develop sport in Zambia should understand the challenges all sports associations are going through now.

She must know very well how tough 2008 was for Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) to hold the zone 6 club championship. ZBA had to pay for a playing surface from Zimbabwe due to a poor playing surface at the National Sports Development Centre (NASDEC). The Football Association of Zambia sent a team by bus to Namibia. The boys slept in the bus when they arrived in Windhoek. The Netball Association of Zambia has been struggling for more than ten years now to organize a proper league and to send a team to any major competition compared to the consistent Malawi national netball team which did very well at the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. There are many examples I can give but my point is that such funds could help struggling sports associations or help prepare athletes before they are sent to compete.

We can not remain quiet for a long time and watch our sports structures go down and then blame the government. We all know how such actions have lead to the collapse of national sports associations and yet we still want to hold the 2011 All Africa Games, and we still want to send athletes for major international competitions. We want to hold you (Mirriam Moyo) accountable when you send athletes and assure the nation that our athletes are well prepared and that medals will be won. We can not continue blaming associations when athletes are knocked out in the first round of the competition when you have not set up a minimum qualification standard for each sports code before they are allowed to travel.

For your own information Moyo, the IOC president, Jacques Rogge’s past speeches call for transparency, clean procedures, fair play and honest leadership from all its members. Chilufya must not just be dropped without explaining to the nation why he has been dropped when allegations of mismanagement of funds have been raised. Is this going to be another “NOCZ cold case”? You must by all means begin to put Chilufya on criminal defense. The NOCZ must also explain how they used funds (US$ 100, 0000) allocated to train athletes in 2006 for Delhi games.

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