Copperbelt University Professor John Lungu has urged Zambians to stop worrying about the decline in copper prices because it is a passing phase.

Speaking during an Economics Association of Zambia public discussion in Kitwe on Monday evening, Prof Lungu said Zambians should not worry because economies of India and China were growing.

Prof Lungu said it was important that Zambia handled the copper sector with care because the country’s economy was largely dependant on it.

MUZ president, Rayford Mbulu said 286 miners at Bwana Mkubwa Mine had lost their jobs and were due to get their terminal benefits today, while 50 other miners at Kansanshi were likely to lose their jobs. He said 26 other workers at Chambishi Metals slag dump had been sent on forced leave, but that reasons given for the job cuts were not justifiable.

Mr Mbulu wondered why mines should retrench workers when the current copper prices were more than double what they used to be in the past.

He said mines must remember that when copper prices were fetching US$10,000, they did very little for the communities in which they operated.

Mr Mbulu said there was no justification for mines to retrench miners because they had already made huge profits.

Mr Mbulu said there was need for the Government’s intervention in the matter as the union believed that the situation needed political will.

Mines Minister, Maxwell Mwale, says the job cuts at Bwana Mkubwa mine are not related to the fall in copper prices caused by the global financial crisis.

Mr. Mwale says Bwana Mkubwa mine has been experiencing operational challenges because it no longer processes copper ore from the Democractic Republic of Congo which has banned copper ore exports.

He said this in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka.

Mr. Mwale has appealed to mine investors not to send the industry into panic because copper prices are still favourable.

Universty of Zambia (UNZA) head of mining engineering, Mathias Mpande has also called on mining companies not to retrench workers on the basis of falling copper prices or the global economic recession.

Dr Mpande said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that there was no need for retrenchments because mining companies in Zambia would continue operating profitably despite the falling copper prices and global economic recession.

Dr Mpande said by the time most of the firms came to invest into the country, prices of copper were very high and, as such, the companies made huge profits to warrant them to continue their operations.

“The mines are going to still remain profitable. Mopani, for example, has made large investments. By the time they were investing everything was on their side and they have made profits to continue operating even in the face of global economic crisis.

“I cannot see any mine closing down because there is enough copper. A mine can only close if there is no copper or it is not happy with the prevailing Government policies but not because of the global economic recession,” Dr Mpande said.

He said if any mining company in the country were to close, it would do so because it wanted to and not that it was not profitable to remain in existence owing to the global economic crunch.

With the case of Zambia, he said, possibilities of mines closing owing to the economic crunch were minimal because Chinese and Indian investors whose countries were not adversely affected by the global economic recession mostly owned them.

“India and China are not going to go under and so most of the mines on the Copperbelt will still be profitable,” Dr Mpande said.

He, however, advised the Government to come to the aid of mining companies by offering them some incentives.

He said, Government could, for example, exempt some mining firms from paying certain taxes until such a time that copper prices and the global economy stabilised.

Dr Mpande said the trend the world over had been that governments assisted the running of mining firms by offering them tax exemptions.

He said with Chinese and Indian economies remaining buoyant, the Government could enter into an agreement to directly export copper concentrates to the two countries to secure jobs for citizens working in the mines.

Dr Mpande said it was not too late for the Government to start negotiating with its counterparts in the two countries so that direct export of copper concentrates to China and India could start.

Times of Zambia/ZNBC

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

[TABLE=19]

[TABLE=20]

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

[TABLE=23]

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.