Catholic Diocese of Ndola Bishop Benjamin Phiri has warned men in the habit of sexually abusing children under their custody, especially in homes to stop.

Bishop Phiri said it is shameful that some men were sexually abusing their own children in homes.

He said people abusing children should stop and repent before they face God’s wrath.

Bishop Phiri further cautioned female guardians against being cruel to children in homes, especially orphans.

Bishop Phiri said this in his homily when celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday Mass at Divine Mercy Parish in Hillcrest, Ndola attended by scores of people that included juveniles.

“Treat children well, those children whose parents are not there and you agreed to keep them, those children who belong to other people but whom you have agreed to keep. Do not mistreat them. Ladies please don’t mistreat them because their cry is very strong. It is heard by God, their cry is very strong. You may be fine today, tomorrow but eventually after tomorrow you will be crying as well because of mistreating children.”

“So let us treat children well and we the men let us be responsible. There are some of us who go into the zoo to hunt animals. Some of you are hunting your own children in your homes. Shame, God is looking at you, you must ask for God’s mercy today. I am saying what the spirit tells me. These things are happening in your homes, some of you who are seated here. Let us be careful, let us not play with God. May God bless you, may God grant you the graces you need to be able to be true disciples, to me merciful and above all may God protect you from all evil and from all harm,” Bishop Phiri preached.

Meanwhile, Bishop Phiri has spoken against promotion of un-Christian teachings being championed by the Western World that include homosexuality.

He said some of the teachings coming from the western world today are sinful and diabolic.

“I pray that none of you who call yourselves Christians will stand in front of people in order to teach things which are not Christian. Some of the teachings that are coming from the Western World today are sinful. They are sins and you a Christian you will stand in front to open your mouth just to earn a living, to teach those things. May God have mercy on you if you do that because God’s patience tested beyond a certain point actually does give in. When there is no hope for you, let us be strong, let us be true witnesses. Let us teach others to be strong and to be true witnesses but above all let us show mercy to each other especially in families. Mu ma families umu, ma families yenagu appear like war zones. When people arrive at home everybody has already their fists ready for a fight. Whom are you fighting; you are sleeping in the same house. You are all one body of Christ so let us treat each other well especially those children,” Bishop Phiri said.

The Bishop further implored Christians to be merciful, kind and loving to one another as the church celebrates Divine Mercy by emulating God’s mercy towards humanity.

He said Easter demonstrates God’s kindness to humanity that has repeatedly offended him from the time of Adam and Eve.

“God is merciful. We are here because of God’s mercy, we have what we have because of God’s mercy, and we are what we are because of God’s mercy, not because we are better human beings but because God is kind. Let us pray that God may look kindly upon us and bless us and grant us the graces that we need in order to be better, so that we maybe good disciples, good children of God, that we maybe better brothers and sisters to each other, that we may fear God,” Bishop Phiri said.

Copperbelt Province Minister, Elisha Matambo says millers in the area are this week and expected to receive 80 percent of the 30,000 metric tonnes of maize which was recently released by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

Mr Matambo said the maize will help increase the production of milling companies and reduce the shortage of mealie meal in the province.

ZANIS reports that the Minister said this at a press briefing in Ndola today.

He said with the released maize, millers in the province will get back to full production and produce mealie meal.

Meanwhile, Mr Matambo said about 40,000 bags of mealie meal that were impounded by Police will be sold to members of the public at a reasonable price after the court issues disposal notices.

He further revealed that security has been heightened at border points such as Kasumbalesa, Sakania and Mokambo among others in the province so that people do not smuggle mealie meal into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He said over 800,000 bags of mealie meals from Zambia National Services (ZNS) were received last week and are readily available on the market.

Mr. Matambo added that the Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) is also expected to bring on board more mealie meal that will be available for sell to the public.

He has since called on members of the public to continue being whistle-blowers if they come across people who are trying to smuggle mealie meal to the neighboring countries.

Mr Matambo added that millers and retailers are being encouraged to sell only one bag of mealie meal to an individual to avoid the shortages of the commodity.

The high demand for mealie meal and maize in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and other East African countries has resulted in temporal shortages in some parts of northern Zambia, according to Cornelius Mweetwa, the spokesperson for the United Party for National Development (UPND). Mweetwa reported that smuggling levels have worsened on the Copperbelt, where the high price of maize in DR Congo has led to an increase in smuggling activity.

Mweetwa noted that the northern hemisphere had more than 800,000 metric tons of white maize, which should have been sufficient. However, the huge demand from East Africa and South Sudan led to traders buying up the maize from farmers, leading to a shortage. The UPND spokesperson said that the buying up of the commodity in Muchinga, in particular, prompted the government to move stocks from other parts of the country to cover up for the shortages in the north and the Copperbelt.

Mweetwa also highlighted that the demand for Zambian white maize is high in East Africa and DR Congo because it is non-GMO. He stated that the country’s strategic maize reserves were still secured with 375 thousand metric tons of maize, which is enough for the country to last until the next harvest season. With the 2022 – 2023 farming season harvest underway, he expects the food situation in reserves to drastically improve.

The Zambian government has put measures in place, such as the temporal suspension on the issuance of export permits until the commodity is stabilized. However, Mweetwa warned that a permanent ban on exports would affect the long-term export trade.

The temporal shortages of white maize in northern Zambia are due to the high demand for the commodity in East Africa and DR Congo. The government is taking measures to stabilize the commodity, and with the ongoing harvest season, experts expect the food situation in reserves to improve significantly.

Emmanuel Mwamba has called for the resignation of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) management and board and for them to face criminal charges for allowing the importation and feeding of Zambians on GMO products without consent or following the laid down procedure provided for by the Biosafety Act of 2007. Mwamba stated that the Act prohibits the importation of GMO products that relate to crops and livestock of national importance, which maize is.

“The Biosafety Authority Management and Board need to immediately resign. Further, criminal negligence charges must be considered for them to allow the importation and feeding Zambians on GMO products without following the laid down procedure as provided for by the Biosafety Act of 2007,” said Mwamba.

He further explained that Section 11(1) of the Biosafety Act No. 10 of 2007 states that “The Authority shall not grant any approval for the importation, development, production, release into the environment or placing on the market of any genetically modified organism or product of a genetically modified organism relating to any crop or livestock OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE AND FOOD SECURITY!” He also pointed out that Section 14 obligates the Biosafety Authority to conduct public consultation and public participation.

Mwamba’s comments come in response to a statement released by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), which stated that the mealie-meal from South Africa produced from genetically modified maize is safe for consumption. The NBA has been working with other government institutions to ensure that mealie-meal that may contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be imported and transited through the country is from the maize varieties that have been authorized by the NBA.

The NBA’s Scientific Advisory Committee Chairperson, Dr. Sody Munsaka, has assured the nation that risk assessments have been conducted on the maize events and soya varieties from South Africa and have been found to be safe for human and animal consumption. Munsaka revealed that the authority had previously granted permits for products made from GMO maize or which may contain GMOs to various distributors and traders in the country.

Mwamba, however, believes that the Biosafety Authority Management and Board failed to follow the laid down procedures provided for by the Biosafety Act of 2007, which require public consultation before GMO products are imported into the country or in transit. He believes that the management and board should be held responsible for allowing GMO products into the country without following the laid down procedure.

“The management and board of the National Biosafety Authority must be held accountable for allowing GMO products into the country without the knowledge and consent of the Zambian people,” said Mwamba.

Mwamba urged the government to take action against the Biosafety Authority Management and Board and to ensure that GMO products are not allowed into the country without following the laid down procedure. He also called on the Zambian people to demand transparency and accountability from the government and its institutions.

“We urge the government to take action against the Biosafety Authority Management and Board and to ensure that GMO products are not allowed into the country without following the laid down procedure as provided for by the Biosafety Act of 2007. We call on the Zambian people to demand transparency and accountability from the government and its institutions,” said Mwamba.

Citizens who challenged the appointment of 20 judges of the superior courts by the President have urged the Constitutional Court to nullify the appointments for having been done in contravention of constitutional values and principles.

In a reply to the Answer by the Attorney-General filed on Friday, Governance Activist Isaac Mwanza and Maurice Makalu submitted that public interest demands that the Constitution and the law must be respected and upheld.

Mr Mwanza maintained that the Judicial Service Commission contravened the Constitution in the selection process of judges when it failed to respect constitutional values and principles outlined in Article 173 which require a transparent and competitive process which provide equal opportunities to suitably qualified persons.

“Whereas there was need to recruit more judges into the superior courts in order to enhance access to justice and the administration of justice, suffice to reiterate that the recruitment process had to itself comply and be within the Constitution and the law otherwise it all amounted to a nullity.”

Mr Mwanza reminded the court that it has judicial authority and has previously used such authority to nullify decisions by the President which came into conflict with the Constitution.

He pointed the Court to its decision in 2016 which nullified the decision by the former President to keep Ministers in office after dissolution of Parliament and ordered the Ministers to pay back the money they had earned.

“If the Judicial Service Commission was in violation of the Constitution in its process of selecting judges, so was the President in making appointments and the National Assembly in confirming the appointment made by the President,” said the Petitioners.

The Petitioners submitted that Article 140 as read together with Article 95 of the Constitution provides a the process of appointing Judges in Zambia in three-phased approach.

They stated that the appointment process starts with selection and recommending persons by the Commission, followed by appointment of judges by the President, and culminates with confirmation of presidential appointment by the National Assembly.

The petitioners also differentiated the appointment process in Zambia from that of the United States of America where the process starts with the President and ends with the U.S legislature.

The petitioners said the Zambian process is similar to Kenyan and South African processes which uses a three-tier system and require respect for constitutional values and principles.

Mr Mwanza has since told the Constitutional Court that courts in Kenya have shown extraordinary courage and independence by nullifying appointments made by the President which contravene the Kenyan Constitution, even after appointees have been sworn into office.

Northern Province Health Director Ernest Mutale has called on Community Based Volunteers in Nsumbu area of Nsama district to help in sensitizing the community on the need to take cholera preventive measures seriously.

Dr. Mutale observed that the area has recorded cases of cholera this year after the community refused to take the cholera vaccine when it was administered some two years ago.

He stated that Mpulungu, which was also prone to cholera outbreaks, has not recorded any cases this year due to the intake of the vaccines.

“Mpulungu was prone to cholera outbreaks but has not recorded any cases last year or this year. The question is, where has cholera come from in Nsumbu?” he asked.

Dr. Mutale said this when he addressed community-based volunteers who are involved in the distribution of chlorine to communities.

And the Provincial Health Director explained that the coming of the disease has presented an opportunity for health workers and the community to learn from it and prevent its occurrence in future.

He also commended the health staff in the area for putting in place various interventions to control the disease.

“We have visited the admission centre and we have not found any admission, an indication that the prevention measures that have been put in place are working,” he said.

Nsumbu last month recorded an outbreak of the disease which affected Nsumbu, Kapisha and Chibanga catchment areas.

By BENEDICT TEMBO

Africa’s water basins could benefit significantly from cooperation among the continent’s river basin organisations (RBOs).
To that extent, Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Regional Coordinator Isaac Alukwe sees the recent tour to the Zambezi water Commission (ZAMCOM) and Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) as the genesis of cooperation between RBOs).

Dr Alukwe was part of the 35-member high-powered delegation on the NBI study tour to ZAMCOM and ZRA a fortnight ago.

“The journey to collaborative and experiential learning and study tours between the River Basin Organisations just started by NBI visiting ZAMCOM, and the converging of the 18 RBOs under the umbrella of ANBO (African Network of Basin Organisations) in Entebbe, convened by the NBI will cement this collaborative relationship,” he said.

The study tour was aimed at enabling the participants from the Nile Basin countries, Lake Victoria Basin Commission, Nile Basin Discourse (a civil society organisation in the Nile Basin) and NBI staff to share experiences with different water monitoring systems and tools.
Several meetings with ZAMCOM and ZRA leaderships took place during the study tour.

The visits targeted interventions in water pollution control, database centres, eutrophicated lakes/impoundments in the basin and water monitoring systems. Dr Alukwe was impressed with the support received by ZAMCOM from the member countries through Southern African Development Community which he described as “solid and encouraging.”

He said whereas not all member countries are up todate with their annual country contributions, remittances to keep the commission up and running are regular.

“This is quite commendable,” he said.

Dr Alukwe observed that ZAMCOM can as well learn from the NBI beyond enhancing the transboundary cooperation and policy development in the sustainable use of the Zambezi River waters to the real investments on the ground through benefit-sharing directly to the local communities through actual investments and developments as exemplified in the activities of the NBI as a river basin organisation.

He cited the Lake Edward and Albert Fisheries Project, which benefit Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as well as the Regional Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Project shared between Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

There is also the Hydromet Project, power interconnections between the member countries to enhance power development and trading/wheeling), among others, which have all been implemented by the NBI through the NBI/NELSAP based in Kigali, Rwanda.

Dr Alukwe said the role of ZRA in the management of Lake Kariba is quite exquisite and bolsters the transboundary cooperation and benefit sharing from the lake through energy generation, and equitable sharing of the benefits from, the common water resource.

He was also impressed by the real-time water quality testing and monitoring which was an idea worth transferring the knowledge to the Nile Basin.
The NBI intends to escalate the collaboration with ZAMCOM and ZRA, hence it is planned that around the month of May this year, ZAMCOM/ZRA will be among other River Basin Organisations in Africa totalling 18 under the umbrella of the ANBO, which will converge in Entebbe Uganda.
“This will encourage and foster experience sharing and learning by the basin organisations,” Dr Alukwe said.

He said the water equipment particularly the ZRA water boats used for water monitoring and boat cruise was an exhilarating experience.
“The team was able to take a boat ride to the Kariba Dam, had dinner on the ferry and eventually held a final meeting on the ferry. This was indeed an exciting and memorable experience. However, it is worth mentioning that NBI has equally unparalleled achievements that are worth learning from, and emulating by other river basin organisations globally,” Dr Alukwe said.

He said the NBI 10-year strategy in its second phase covers the core goals in the areas of water security, energy security, food security, environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation, strengthening transboundary water governance.

Dr Alukwe said the strategy, which ends in 2027 and has seen realisation of 134 projects identified by countries of which 84 projects have been achieved on the in form of plans and actual projects on the ground including tangible flagship projects like the Rusumo hydropower, Lake Edward and Albert fisheries project and several power interconnection transmission lines projects.

“The interconnection projects have realised interconnectivity of the Eastern Power Pool (EAPP) to the Southern Power Pool (SAPP), courtesy of the Nile Basin Initiative through her investment arm known as the Nile Equatorial Lakes subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP),” he said
However, ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said he was not sure as to what the NBI would benefit from ZRA given their kind of utility position compared to a commission like status.

“Our approach to water quality has to drastically changed, choice of hotsports, access to grant funding,” Mr Munodawafa said, suggesting the need to come up with a joint commission arrangement for technical issues with the NBI.

He said riparian community interfaces have not been elaborate.

“We can learn from them”, Mr Munodawafa said, pointing to sedimentation checks as one of the learning points from the NBI.