The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has said that it is doubtful of the sincerity and feasibility of the teacher recruitment exercise.

In a Press Statement released yesterday, NAQEZ Executive Director, Aaron Chansa, said that the loud silence by Government on this important national matter was troubling, unhealthy, torturous to all the applicants and injurious to the Education Sector.

“While we have honestly trusted and supported this exercise, it is now extremely difficult for us to believe in it. The last bit of faith we had in the exercise is slowly but surely waning away,” said Chansa.

During his presentation of the 2022 national budget on Friday, 29th October 2021, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, informed the nation that the Government had secured funds to recruit 30,000 teachers.

In January 2022, the Minister of Education, Hon. Douglas Siakalima, announced that the 30,000 teachers would be in schools in May, 2022. Against this assurance, the process has dragged up to now without a clear explanation from the Teaching Service Commission, the Ministry of Education or the Government Spokesperson.

NAQEZ said that it finds this loud silence by Government on this important national matter troubling, unhealthy, torturous to all the applicants and injurious to the Education Sector adding that while they have honestly trusted and supported this exercise, it is now extremely difficult for them to believe in it.

“The last bit of faith we had in the exercise is slowly but surely waining away, he said.

NAQEZ said that in the initial stage, the exercise had a very clear road map and all Zambians trusted the process and that if the process is to regain the confidence of the citizens, Government will have to immediately publish the list of successful candidates.

This publishing is long overdue. Like many others, and because of the critical shortages of teachers in Zambia, NAQEZ said that they cannot overemphasize the need to have the 30,000 new teachers employed and posted to schools.

NAQEZ further said that in case the Government has encountered serious challenges over this matter, it is important for the government leaders to communicate to the people, adding that keeping mute is damaging the good name of Government as it is breeding unnecessary and toxic speculations and rumours every day.

“Government owes an explanation to the more than 100,000 unemployed teachers, their families, educational stakeholders and the entire population. If the process has collapsed, as some quarters are suggesting, it is necessary for the Government to communicate to its people.” concluded the statement.

And NAQEZ has also charged that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is yet to have an impact on the education sector and that the organisation is organization is aware of some vulnerable students in boarding schools that have not received any support from the fund.

Mr. Chansa said that the impact so far is minimal as some schools are yet to benefit from the fund adding that no attention has been given to them and there is a need to ensure effective devolution of the administration of the CDF if the entire education like many others is to benefit from it.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, unemployed health workers and teachers revealed that they had notified Police of their intention to hold a joint protest march to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education respectively if Government fails to publish the list of successful candidates by Friday as promised.

Chairperson for unemployed Doctors, Dr Wallace Ndumba, told KBN TV in a telephone interview that a joint committee for both unemployed health workers and teachers has since notified the Police of their intention to protest.

“Kindly take note we are basing our demand on the secular that was last communicated by both the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Health, indicating that the lists will be published between the 20th to 24th June 2022,” Dr. Ndumba said.

The opposition Patriotic Front has demanded that the Minister of Foreign Affairs should be rendering a report in Parliament every time President Hakainde Hichilema undertakes an international trip.

Speaking when he and other PF MPs addressed the media today, Hon Brian Mundubile said the report should outline the possible benefits of the trips the Head of State undertakes.

Leader of the opposition in Parliament added that the Minsiter should also disclose the size of the entourage the President goes with.
“And further, we would also love to know the size of the entourage that the President goes with and who exactly was in his entourage. I want to tell you that just two days ago I received a call from a colleague who was concerned,” he said.

“He happened to be on the plane with the First Lady. And his concern was the size of the entourage and yet the new dawn government had informed us that the President travels with a lean team. That may not be true.”

Hon Mundubile said Zambians need to evaluate so that maybe the money spent on trips can be added to the price of maize so that it moves from K160 to K250 per bag.

“Ours is to provide checks and balances. If we think the President is spending so much on Presidential trips that may not be exactly beneficial to this country we will raise the red flag, like we are doing now. so that we can evaluate if the money can be used to add on the maize price so that the price goes to K250 or it can be used for medical supplies,” he said.

Parliament has unanimously ratified the presidential appointments of Lawyers Musa Mwenye and Gilbert Phiri as Chairperson and Director General respectively of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

Others whose appointments have been ratified are retired Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe and Chad Muleza to serve as members of the judicial complaints commission (JCC),Irene Musonda Chongo Lamba,Dr Henry Bwanga Mbushi, and Dr O’brien Kaaba to serve as Chairperson and members of the Anti Corruption Commission board.

The house has also ratified the presidential appointments of Dr Pamela Towela Sambo,Reverend Emmanule Chikoya,Tom Shamakamba,Laura Miti and Christine Chama to serve as vice chairperson and commissioners of the Human Rights Commission respectively.

Contributing to debate on the ratifications, opposition members of parliament led by party Whip Stephen Kampyongo expressed reservations on the appointments of Mr Gilbert Phiri,Mr Chad Muleza and Dr Henry Mbushi who they said were known UPND members.

But Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo defended the appointments of the duo as deserved.

Government has implored the private sector to lead in providing reliable markets for locally goods and services.

Mr Mwanakampwe says government has observed that some private sector players in the agriculture sector especially tend to undervalue local products.

The Permanent Secretary says it is government’s desire to see the full participation of the private sector in the provision of profitable markets and quality agriculture inputs for farmers in the country.

Mr Mwanakampwe said this in a speech read for him by Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Francis Hasalama to grace the District 2022 Agriculture and Commercial Show under the theme: “Innovation through Technology”.

And government has challenged farmers to consider adopting climate smart and nutrition sensitive agriculture practices in view of the low agricultural productivity and food shortages due to climate change.

Mr Mwanakampwe has further urged farmers to undertake non-traditional agri-business initiatives such as fish farming, mushrooms and honey production to diversify their sources of incomes.

” The agriculture sector is grappling with low levels of productivity due to climate change it is important that producers adopt technologies that are more efficient to enhance sustainability that respond to climate change and current global food crisis and for farmers to take farming as a business,” Mr Mwanakampwe said.

Meanwhile, Kapiri Mposhi has recorded another bumper harvest despite the dry spells experienced in the 2021/2022 farming season.

According to the 2021/2022 Crop Forecast, Kapiri Mposhi District ranks second in Central Province and sixth in the country overall, with an expected harvest of 104,123 metric tons of maize this season.

Mr Mwanakampwe who disclosed this today has since urged farmers in the area to prevent post-harvest loses as well as manage the produce for commercial and household consumption.

Meanwhile, Kapiri Mposhi District Agriculture and Commercial Show Society Chairperson, David Mshanga has called on government to increase the number of beneficiaries of the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) in Kapiri Mposhi District.

Out of over 51,000 smallholder farmers registered only about 25,000 are currently benefiting from FISP in the district.

” We want to commend government for various policies supporting the agriculture sector but we still want to appeal that more farmers can be included on FISP next season considering the number of registered farmers in the district,” Mr Mshanga said.

And Kapiri Mposhi Town Council Chairman Brilliant Munyeke has urged farmers to form cooperatives for them to access funding through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Mr Munyeke explained that through the expanded funding scope of the CDF, farmers can now access up to K 200,000 in form of empowerment grants.

From these grants, farmers could then procure machinery to start adding value to their crops for them to earn more.

” The New Dawn government increased CDF to expand the focus so that even farmers through cooperatives are able to access this money to help them diversify and start making finished products from the various crops they are producing unlike selling these crops at low prices,” Mr Munyeke said.

Mr Munyeke noted that valued addition will also prevent loses due to low shelf life of some crops such as tomatoes which easily go to waste.