MULUNGUSHI University is off to a good start and its vision is to be a centre of academic excellence and a leading institution of higher learning in Africa, Professor Vernon Chinene has said.

Prof. Chinene who is the Vice Chancellor of the institution said this in Kabwe today when he addressed students of the newly opened university.

“The mission of Mulungushi University is to provide high quality education and generate knowledge and technological innovations relevant to national and regional development goals,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor said that Mulungushi University would make every effort to provide quality education which would empower students to be competitive in any given field of specialisation.

He urged the students to rise up to the challenge and get as much out of their lectures as possible and exhibit high performance standards in their academic endeavours.

“In April 2008, we expect to admit the first students to undertake diploma programmes of the university. This will be followed in September by the admission of first undergraduate students of the university” Prof Chinene said.

He added that the advertisement of undergraduate programmes was expected to be launched in June, 2008 or earlier, depending on the preparatory arrangements which were currently going on.

The Vice Chancellor said other planned academic programmes would be developed during the course of the development of the university and that the certificate courses would be beefed up in their syllabus and courses extended from six months to one year.

“With regard to the future of certificate courses, let me take the opportunity to reaffirm that Mulungushi University plans to continue offering them by virtue of it being a multi-level curriculum university,” he said.

Prof Chinene told the students that 30 per cent of the places in the academic programmes would be reserved for women while the remaining 70 per cent would be competed for equally between male and female applicants.

He said Mulungushi University had been established on the understanding that it would be a 100 per cent fee paying university which would be expected to be self sustaining financially.

And in a vote of thanks, IMIS Diploma student, Sylvester Hakalaki said that it was a honour to have a third university which would offer higher education as the other two were not sufficient to cater for the whole population.

Hakalaki quoted Psalms 127 which stresses that unless God builds, the builder builds in vain.

A Police Officer in Livingstone has committed suicide following his arrest by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) for corrupt practices by a public officer involving K100,000.

ACC Public relations manager, Timothy Moono confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Mr. Moono said Detective Sergent Nawa Ngela of Linda Police Station was on February 8, 2008 arrested and charged for one count of corrupt practices by public officer contrary to section 29 (1) and 41 of the ACC act no.42 of 1996.

Mr. Moono said Sergent Ngela was arrested following a surveillance operation that was conducted after the commission received information that he was soliciting for K100,000 from a named person.

He added that Ngela received the said money as an inducement or reward for him to drop a case of theft by agent, which he was investigating.

He said Ngela was later detained in Police custody at Livingstone Central police to facilitate for further investigations.

Mr. Moono added that the following day, on Saturday, February 9, the commission was informed that Ngela had taken poison and was rushed to Livingstone Central Hospital where he died the following day.

He added that the ACC Director General Nixion Banda has expressed sadness at Ngela’s death.

Mr. Banda has since appealed to citizens to live with integrity to avoid such painful encounters in life.

Over 70,400 pupils who wrote the grade nine examinations last year have been selected to grade 10, out of a total number of 189,599 candidates who sat for the examinations last year.

This was out of total number of 218,736 candidates who entered for the examination in 2007, compared to the 195,243 in 2006 representing an increase of 7.57 per cent of the number of puils that entered for the examinations.

Minister of Education, Geoffrey Lungwangwa announced the results in a ministerial statement in parliament today, saying this year’s results indicate a progression rate of 37.15 per cent as compared to 37.9 percent in 2006.

Professor Lungwangwa explained that out of the 70,442 pupils that have been selected, 37,108 are boys, while 33,334 are girls.

He said out of the actual number of 189,599 pupils who wrote the examinations, 102,534 were boys while 87,065 were girls.

Out of the 189,599 who sat for the examinations, 96,024, of which 57,037 were boys and 38,986 were girls, obtained full certificates.

He told the House that another notable feature of this year’s results is that all the female candidates who obtained full grade 9 certificates in Northern, North western and Western provinces were selected into grade 10,” he said.

Professor Lungwangwa said Luapula province had the highest pass percentage at 58.48 per cent, indicating 62.59 per cent boys and 52.03 per cent girls.

The minister also told parliament that 129 pupils with special education needs were selected to grade ten from the 2007 grade nine examinations out of the 167 candidates who sat for examination.

This gives a 77.2 per cent passing percentage.

He said the number of candidates that had entered for the examinations but were absent during examinations has increased to 29,116 in 2007 from 18,980 in 2006. This indicates an increase in absenteeism from 9.72 per cent in 2006 to 13.32 per cent in 2007.

“Of these, 13,961 were boys while 15,155 were girls. Northern Province had the lowest rate of absenteeism at 9.22 per cent. Eastern province had the highest absenteeism rate at 15.54 per cent followed by Copperbelt province at 14.39 per cent,” he said.

He attributed this development to economic reasons deaths of parents and guardians where by children had to relocate to different places.

Early marriages, pregnancies, deaths and loss of interest in schooling are other reasons cited for absenteeism.

Professor Lungwangwa said to reduce the absenteeism from examinations, his ministry has started offering bursaries for vulnerable pupils and introduced a school feeding programme to children in some schools.

“In addition, the ministry has intensified the sensitization campaign against girls’ absenteeism through the programme called “Go Girls, secure the Future” and through counseling by guidance teachers,” he said.

The minister further told parliament that only 24 candidates were involved in examination malpractices such as leakages, during the 2007 examinations.

He said the number had reduced due to stringent measures his ministry had introduced to curb examination malpractices.

Professor Lungwangwa said the selected grade 10 pupils were expected to report in their respective schools on February 18th, up to March 3, this year.

“Pupils who fail to report at their respective schools by the end of the grace period will lose their places,” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Lungwangwa announced that the first ever Technical Girls’ High School has been constructed in Ndola and would open in May this year with 150 grade 10 girls.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary, Jennipher Musonda, has called on Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to find a permanent solution to the problem of slurry pipes that keep bursting and posing a danger to the lives of the people and the environment.

Speaking after inspecting T 3 road, an international route to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the North Western Province where a slury pipe burst and caused damage to part of the road, Mrs. Musonda observed that it is the second time the burst has occurred at the same spot.

The first burst, which happened in 2006, also polluted water after spilling some poisonous chemicals into the Chingola stream and Kafue River.

And KCM spokesperson, Sam Equammo said the pipe failed due to pressure, but that the company will work hand in hand with Chingola Municipal Council and the Road Development Agency (RDA) to replace the pipe .

By yesterday afternoon, police had already taken control of guiding motorists to use one way while the company had already strated its works.

Government has released an undisclosed amount of money to pay Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ)workers for their four months salary arrears.

Acting Minister of AGriculture and Cooperatives, Brian Chituwo, assured NCZ workers that they will start getting their four months salary arrears anytime from Wednesday this week.

Dr. Chituwo, who is also Health Minister, disclosed this in Kafue yesterday when he addressed NCZ workers who have been protesting over their unpaid four months salary arrears at the District Commissioner’s office.

Dr. Chituwo revealed that government has set out a plan in which it will resolve the problems of NCZ in three parts, the first of which will be to address the problem of salaries which are expected to be paid anytime this week.

He said the second part is the issue of fertilizer support Programme (FSP, with the third as the recapitalization of the company.

Dr.Chituwo, who was accompanied by Agriculture Permanent Secretary Dr. Sam Mundia, stated that government has heard the cry of NCZ workers and is committed to addressing their problems step by step.

He said once government pays them their four months salary areas, it will also clear the balance of K13 billion for the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP) where government last year ordered for additional fertilizer.

He also stated that although the K58.8 billion for recapitalization of NCZ is not appearing in this year’s budget yellow book, cabinet has already approved some money and the figure will be known when it goes before parliament.

Dr. Chituwo explained that the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Ng’andu Magande, has been re-engaged to look into the matter so that the parastatal company can be assisted.

He said government will continue to dialogue with NCZ union officials for the betterment of the Comapny.

The Minister however noted that although K58.3 billion may not be enough for recapitalization it is as a sign of commitment by government to sustain NCZ.

And speaking earlier, National Union of Commercial and Industrial Allied Workers Zambia (NUCIAW) president, Seth Paradza, said that workers had entered their seventh day of protests demading to be paid their four months salary arrears because they had no other option of dialoguing with government.

Mr. Paradza expressed happiness that government was finally responding to the problems of the company and reasured that the union will do everything in its power to harmonize relationship of the workers with the state.

Zambia is among four countries selected from Southern African countries to benefit from the US$89 million sought by the International Humanitarian Community to respond to the floods that have hit these countries.

The other three countries are Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

According to an announcement by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OHCA) made yesterday in Geneva, the money would help address the devastation caused by floods on homes and crops of about 449,000 people who are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance.

The funds would also be used to prepare for a possible deterioration of the floods situation and effects in light of predictions continued rains, which could lead to even worse flooding, a development that would put another 805,000 people at risk.

A statement released to ZANIS by First Secretary at the Zambian Mission to the United Nations Moses Walubita, which quoted UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, stated that Zambia would get about US$18.5 million as response to the need of about 225,000 people that have already been affected or are at immediate risk.

Mr. Holmes said the most critical interventions include the pre-positioning of food and supplies, tents, water and sanitation items and medical provisions.

The statement indicated that Mozambique required US$37 million of the US$89 million to address the plight of the over 680,000 people are currently affected or are at immediate risk of being affected by the floods.

About 90,000 hectares of crops in Mozambique have been swamped, a situation that has destroyed livelihood of many subsistence farming families.

“The funds would be used to support the relief effort being led by the government of Mozambique by providing vital food, water and sanitation supplies, shelter, family kits, medicines and education materials,” Mr. Holmes said.

In Malawi, about US$17 million is required for the 15, out of 28 districts that have been affected by floods and 220,000 people affected, among which 700 cholera cases have been reported already.

The Malawian government asked for international assistance to bolster its own efforts to develop emergency preparedness, response and recovery measures.

Zimbabwe would get the least amount at US$15.8 million for 94,000 people who include those already affected and those at risk.

“Despite the scale of these floods, the governments and the international humanitarian community have so far prevented this crisis from becoming a catastrophe. Without addition funds, we might not be able to cope if the situation does get worse-and that would leave large numbers of people at greater risk,” Mr. Holmes said.