Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi says he expects personnel in his Ministry who are preparing the burial site for the late President Rupiah Banda to do a good job.

Mr. Milupi has said President Hakainde Hichilema expects to see a good burial site befitting the late former Zambian President.

The Minister was speaking when he inspected works at the Presidential burial site at Embassy Park in Lusaka today.

Mr. Milupi has further instructed his Permanent Secretary, Eng. Danny Mfune to ensure that a thorough job is done because the state funeral for the late President Banda is expected to be attended by various dignitaries who include foreign Heads of State and Government.

“President Banda did a lot for this country and preparing a good final resting place for him is the least that we can do. I expect to see a good job done here.” Hon. Milupi said.

And Eng. Mfune assured the Minister that works to prepare the burial site is going on smoothly and that the workforce that includes the Defence personnel are working according to the programme set.

The Minister was also joined by Zambia Army Commander, Lieutenant General Sitali Alibuzwi and the late President Rupiah Banda’s son Andrew.

Zambia’s former President Rupiah Banda, who died on Friday, March 11th, will be buried on Friday, March 18th at the Presidential burial site at the Embassy Park.

Meanwhile, President Hichilema, has declared Friday, 18th March, 2022 a Public Holiday.

According to a statement from Cabinet office, President Hichilema has made the declaration under the Public Holidays Act, Cap 272 of the Laws of Zambia.

The declaration is meant to facilitate a befitting State Funeral and burial ceremony to the Fourth President of the Republic of Zambia, the late Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda.

In view of the declaration, Government is urging Members of the public and the business community to observe the public holiday in a dignified manner as the nation puts to rest President Banda, a gallant Freedom Fighter, Great Son of the Nation and Statesman.

Members of the public are further guided that attendance to the State Funeral Church Service at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross is strictly by invitation, while the Burial Ceremony at the Presidential Burial Site is a private function restricted to family members and a few invited guests.

The public is, however, encouraged to follow the live ZNBC Television broadcast of the State Funeral proceedings at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross and burial ceremony at the Presidential Burial Site, Embassy Park.
The live proceedings will also be made available on other social media platforms.

As the Nation observes the Public Holiday on Friday, institutions which provide essential services are requested to ensure that adequate arrangements are put in place to avoid a disruption in the provision of such services.

Chaos has characterized operations at the Black Mountain in Kitwe that officially resumed on Monday morning.

Scores of people were on Monday captured in a video operating at the Black Mountain in a disorderly manner.

Furthermore, some people picking chrome, the mineral found at the dump site, on Tuesday morning ran amok disrupting operations at the Black Mountain in Kitwe.

The scavengers, mostly youths, refused to leave the site following the elapse of the three hour scheduled picking time and started stoning vehicles.

An increased number of police officers have been deployed around the Black Mountain to keep vigil.

Meanwhile, Copperbelt University Don Dr. Brian Chirambo has advised the Government against disregarding environmental management as operations at the Black Mountain resume.

Dr. Chirambo, the Head of Department under Environmental Engineering in the School of Mines and Mineral Sciences at CBU, said a little has been said on environmental protection as cooperatives begin to operate at the slug dump.

Dr. Chirambo said just like safety issues, the environment like water bodies near the Black Mountain should be protected to safeguard the lives of people.

He has since called for serious engagement on the implementation of the environmental management plan at the Black Mountain.

Kitwe District Commissioner Lawrence Mwansa has told ZNBC News that chrome hand-pickers will no longer access the Black Mountain until further notice.

Mr Mwanza also disclosed that it was a serious error and breach of the Mines and Minerals Act for operators at the Black Mountain to allow chrome hand pickers at the site.

He also accused small scale miners popularly known as Jerabos and some foreign investors operating in Kitwe of sponsoring the chrome hand pickers who are causing confusion at the black mountain.

Meanwhile, UPND Copperbelt Youth Chairman Warren Hinyama has alleged that some individuals are sponsoring confusion and fake rumors about current operations at Kitwe’s Black Mountain.

The UPND Provincial Youth Chairman told journalists that there are few selfish and greedy individuals who worked on the black mountain previously and currently are trying by all means to sabotage the gains of the new dawn administration under the leadership.

Mr Hinyama said the UPND Youth Wing on the Copperbelt is warning individuals sponsoring confusion and fake rumors about current operations at Kitwe’s Black Mountain.

He said the UPND Government and President Hakainde Hichilema have given the slag to youths, community and women which is an inclusive empowerment for every citizen who desires to be involved.

Mr. Hinyama encouraged Zambians and other stakeholders to ignore people who are against current operations at the Black Mountain because the UPND Government is working hard every second to better the lives of all Zambians.

“We would like to warn individuals sponsoring youths to disturb the current economic empowerment of the Black Mountain in Kitwe.The Black Mountain has been given to the youths, women in mining and the community at large by his Excellency President of the Republic of Zambia Mr. Hakainde Hichilema as one of the many empowerment programmes that the UPND Government has line up for youths, women and all Zambians,” Mr. Hinyama said.

The Government last month officially handed over 30 % of the Kitwe Mineral Slag Dump commonly known as Black Mountain to cooperatives owned by the local youth and women.

The Black Mountain located between Wusakile and Nkana West is owned by Nkana Alloy, who are the major shareholders with the Government having a minor stake.

When handing over the 30% portion of the Black Mountain in February, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe told the cooperatives to begin operations with immediate effect.

The government has allocated over K930 million to equitably employ and deploy 11, 200 health workers countrywide this year.

Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo has disclosed that this is in a bid to transform the health sector in real terms and achieve universal health coverage for all.

Ms. Masebo revealed that the current number of health workers in the health sector stands at 63, 838, against the approved establishment of 139, 590.

She explained that the situation leaves a human resource gap of 75, 752, which represents 56 percent of the approved establishment.

The minister said this in a ministerial statement in Parliament, noting that the dire situation has for a long time negatively affected the delivery of quality healthcare services to the Zambian people.

Ms. Masebo pointed out that the recruitment of the 11,200 health workers will improve staffing levels in the Ministry of Health.

She said the number of health workers will increase from the current 63,838 (46%) to 75,038 (54%) of the approved establishment.

“I wish to emphasise that the recruitment of these health workers does not only mean doctors and nurses. Health workers include among others, dental surgeons, midwives, clinical officers, laboratory personnel, pharmacists,” she said.

Ms. Masebo said all the mentioned workers are equally important in the delivery of quality health services in the country.

She explained that the Ministry of Health will utilise the recruitment process to normalise, through promotions and some of the longstanding challenges, for example, some eligible senior resident doctors that have been receiving salaries of junior resident doctors will have their plight resolved.

The minister also said some of the Registered Midwives that have been receiving salaries of mere Registered Nurses will have their appropriate salary issues resolved.

She said the specific numbers regarding each cadre per district shall be spelled out in the advert that shall run before the end of this month.

The Minister of Health added that government is very much alive to the challenges of health workers that have specialised in various disciplines but are still occupying lower positions on the payroll due to lack of vacant and funded promotional positions.

“I am happy to inform the House and the nation at large that this problem, however, will be addressed during the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF),” she said.

She said the Ministry of Health, through a consultative process with the Civil Service Commission, Public Service Management Division, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Finance, has finalised prioritisation of the 11,200 health workers to be recruited in 2022.

The minister explained that the priorities are based on the actual human resource needs that are affecting the sector.

These include having at least one qualified health worker at a facility where there is none and increasing the number of health workers.

She stated that the treasury authority for the recruitment process will be effective 1st April, 2022.

She said the modalities of issuing the treasury authority have advanced and are expected to be concluded before the end of March 2022.

Ms. Masebo further said that the new administration has embarked on a decentralisation programme whose implementation has so far reached an advanced stage.

She revealed that the government will, through the Civil Service Commission, decentralise the recruitment of health workers.

“It is envisioned that the Civil Service Commission should advertise the recruitment of the 11, 200 health workers within the month of March 2022,” the Minister said.

She said following the new government’s aspirations in supporting family values, the decentralised recruitment process will help in curbing separation of families.

Ms. Masebo said in order to enhance transparency and fairness in the recruitment process, government, through the Civil Service Commission, has established human resource committees at district and provincial levels.

These committees, with specific terms of reference, are multi-sectoral in nature and will spearhead the recruitment process.

She has since paid glowing tribute to the trained health workers in the country for their patience in the recruitment process.

She assured them that time has come for them to be employed.