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About Milupi’s Statement on Chadiza and Vubwi Roads: A Look at the Reaction by Eastern Province Elders

Chief Editor
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About Milupi’s Statement on Chadiza and Vubwi Roads: A Look at the Reaction by Eastern Province Elders

By Sean Tembo – PeP President

1. By now it is common knowledge that while on a tour of Eastern Province, Minister of Infrastructure; Charles Milupi said that the Chipata – Vubwi and Chipata – Chadiza roads are not economically viable and will therefore not be prioritized under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model. Of course this attracted a lot of sharp reactions, firstly from the Catholic Church and more recently from a group of Eastern Province elders led by Hon. Lameck Mangani, who demanded that Charles Milupi withdraws his statement and apologizes to the people of Eastern Province. Of course Milupi has tried to re-explain his statement, although l personally could not see much difference between his initial statement and his subsequent explanation of what he meant in the initial statement.

2. Anyway, the purpose of this my article is not necessarily to dwell on what Charles Milupi said or how wrong it is, no. Am sure enough people have debated that statement already and they have pronounced their respective verdicts. The purpose of this my article is to discuss a particular narrative which the Eastern Province elders raised which l feel is too dangerous to be left unchallenged. In trying to justify that the Vubwi and Chadiza roads are important for Government to work on, Hon. Mangani and his fellow Eastern Province elders kept emphasizing that the Province had overwhelmingly voted for HH and his UPND and therefore deserved to be repaid with developmental projects. The elders further went on to give an example of Chadiza District Council, where they stated that 15 of the 20 Councillors including the Council Chairman are from the UPND party, and hence the Chadiza and Vubwi roads deserve to be prioritized.

3. Such a narrative that people or areas of the country deserve national development when they vote for a ruling party is wrong. All parts of Zambia deserve national development from the Government of the day, whether or not they voted for them in the last election. It should be noted that national development is not undertaken with HH’s personal money or Charles Milupi’s personal money, no. National development is undertaken with taxpayers’ money. Each and every citizen of this country is a taxpayer. Even those that do not have a Tax Personal Identification Number (TPIN) like my grandmother; Dailes Daka in Mulima Village of Chief Kapatamoyo, when she goes to buy boom detergent paste at the nearby Kantemba to wash her apparel in readiness for church on Sunday, she pays Value Added Tax (VAT) which finds its way into the treasury and is subsequently used to fund national developmental projects.

4. Hakainde Hichilema’s New Dawn Government has a duty and obligation to develop all parts of Zambia regardless of whether those parts voted for him or not. That is because Hakainde Hichilema and his Government are merely custodians of this nation’s financial resources, for now. The country’s financial resources belong to the people of this nation. Therefore, the narrative which was driven by Hon. Mangani and colleagues that Eastern Province deserved national developmental projects because it overwhelmingly voted for HH is wrong and in bad taste. Perhaps even comparable in its bad taste to the statement by Milupi that the Chadiza and Vubwi roads are not economically viable and do not deserve to be prioritized.

5. The reason l found it particularly necessary to publicly challenge the narrative that areas or regions of Zambia that voted for HH are the ones that deserve developmental projects is because of the adverse effects it can have on provinces such as Luapula and Muchinga which did not support UPND in the last election. Going by the narrative of Hon. Mangani, what are we saying about these two provinces? That they deserve no developmental projects under HH because they did not overwhelmingly vote for him on 12th August? That kind of mindset is totally wrong and undermines national unity. Apparently a lot of people preach national unity but few practice it. Most people feel that if they preach national unity, they are immediately absorbed of the responsibility to practice it. That preaching it alone is enough. Practicing national unity is more important than preaching it.

6. Since we are talking about Eastern Province, a part of Zambia where l come from, allow me to extend some counsel to my fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews in the province. I know that the ascendancy of the new dawn to national leadership has caused anxiety especially to those who were staunch supporters of the previous regime. Most are anxious of what the new order of things will entail for themselves individually and for the province at large. Of course that is natural and expected. But my particular concern is that in an effort to re-align with the new Government, some are going overboard by disparaging the opposition and sometimes the previous regime. That is absolutely unnecessary. If you supported the previous regime, be proud that you exercised your constitutional right to do so. If you currently support the opposition, again be proud of your chosen political affiliation. If you wish to support HH and his new dawn, remember to only bow your head. Do not stoop. Let us maintain self-dignity for it is what people will use to judge us. Political parties will come and go, Governments will come and go, but our self-dignity as a people should be allowed to live forever.

Campaigners say two-thirds of Zambia’s debt needs to be cancelled

Chief Editor
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Campaigners say two-thirds of Zambia’s debt needs to be cancelled

Figures released by the Zambian Civil Society Debt Alliance and Jubilee Debt Campaign UK show that external private lenders and other governments need to cancel at least two-thirds of Zambia’s debt.

The campaigners argue large scale debt cancellation is needed to make Zambia’s debt sustainable.

Zambia is currently negotiating a restructuring of its debt with private and government creditors through the G20’s new Common Framework.

Whether the restructuring leads to a sustainable debt will be a key test of the Framework both for Zambia and other countries in debt crisis.

Father Alex Muyebe, Chairperson of the Zambian Civil Society Debt Alliance, said, “Both lenders and the previous Zambian government are responsible for plunging Zambia into the current debt crisis. The debt burden is increasing poverty in Zambia, preventing us from tackling and recovering from the pandemic and dealing with crises caused by rich countries such as climate change.”

“Private lenders and other governments lent to Zambia at high interest rates and at high risk. Lenders need to accept they lent recklessly and agree a large-scale debt cancellation to allow the people of Zambia to tackle multiple external crises.”

Heidi Chow, Executive Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign UK, said, “three years Zambia’s debt has been bought and sold at 30 to 70 per cent below face value on financial markets. These high interest loans should never have been lent in the first place and now the rich owners of this debt stand to make massive profits out of the Zambian people. Large scale debt cancellation is the only sustainable way out of this crippling debt crisis and lenders need to take their fair share of responsibility. If private lenders refuse to agree the necessary debt cancellation, then the IMF and G20 governments should politically and financially support Zambia to stay in default on them.”

“Zambia defaulted on interest payments to foreign currency bondholders in November 2020 and applied for a debt restructuring through the G20 Common Framework in February 2021.”

“The G20 Common Framework allows for cancellation of debt to reduce it to a sustainable level by G20 governments, including China, but only if private lenders agree to at least the same amount of debt cancellation. The G20 are guided by the IMF as to whether a debt is sustainable or not. The IMF has declared that Zambia’s debt is unsustainable and is due to complete its Debt Sustainability Analysis for Zambia soon. However, often these analyses are not made public.”

The IMF’s current practice is that restructurings need to reduce the risk of debt crisis to moderate under its Debt Sustainability Framework, while leaving enough room for an economic shock not to push a country back into debt crisis.

This means Zambia’s external debt payments need to be around 12% of government revenue.

The Zambian Civil Society Debt Alliance and Jubilee Debt Campaign UK have calculated this means that around two-thirds of the external debt owed to private lenders and other governments needs to be cancelled, as well as all interest payments.

Of Zambia’s external debt 46% is owed to private lenders, 22% to China, 8% to other governments and 18% to multilateral institutions.

The debt to multilateral institutions is not included within the Common Framework debt restructuring.

The average interest rate on each creditor group is:

  • 6.1% external private lenders
  • 3.1% China
  • 4.8% other governments
  • 1% multilateral

Nkana Lose Ground in 2021/2022 Title Race

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Nkana lost ground in their quest to stay close to the top two on Saturday after Chambishi completed a double over them in the 2021/2022 FAZ Super League season.

Fourth placed Nkana lost 1-0 away at Chambishi to suffer back-to-back league defeats against their promoted neighbours this season.

Chambishi also beat Nkana by the same margin the first leg meeting in Kitwe on September 29.

But there was a sideshow to Saturday’s game that suffered a 30 minute delayed due to a waterlogged pitch at Chambishi Stadium following to a relentless 72 -hour downpour that has blanketed the area.

Meanwhile, Chambishi scored the games only goal in the 29th minute through a stunning Stephen Kabamba free-kick in a match the hosts were literally a duck to water in the soggy playing conditions.

Nkana on the other hand were a shadow of themselves especially without injured striker Alex Ngonga who is reportedly out for a month.

Furthermore, new boy David Obashi deeply disappointed in the first half although his 64th minute free kick that was parried by Chambishi’’s impressive goalkeeper Menard Mhango to briefly calmed Nkana’s fans who were exasperated by his overall performance.

Nkana drop from fourth to fifth after the loss on 33 points and are now ten points behind leaders Red Arrows who crawled back from one-down to finish 2-2 at home against Konkola Blades at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

Zesco stay second on 38 points following a 1-1 home draw against newcomers Kafue Celtic at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Green Eagles are third on 36 points.

Nkana’s arch-foes Power Dynamos have replaced them at number four following a 2-0 home win over Buildcon in Kitwe.

WEEK 22 RESULTS
03/02/2022
Nkwazi 2-Prison Leopards 1
04/02/2022
Zesco United 1-Kafue Celtic 1
Indeni 0-Kansanshi Dynamos 1
Power Dynamos 2-Buildcon 0
Chambishi 1-Nkana 0
Lusaka Dynamos 3-Forest Rangers 1
Red Arrows 2-Konkola Blades 2
Kabwe Warriors 1-Green Buffaloes 0

Africa must actualize its potential, HH tells AU leaders

Chief Editor
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Africa must actualize its potential, HH tells AU leaders

President Hakainde Hichilema has called on African leaders to embrace a new paradigm anchored on trade, investments and partnerships to end poverty on the continent.

President Hichilema says Africa must be tired of talking about its potential because it needs to be actualized now.

In his maiden address to the African Union assembly at the 35th ordinary session currently underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Hichilema said Africa is endowed with vast resource to produce foods and other needs.

He, however, lamented the lack of value addition adding that increased value addition has the potential to lift Africans out of poverty and develop the continent.

The President further called for value addition of African raw materials before being exported.

President Hichilema, who is among the three newly elected African leaders making a maiden appearance at the AU Assembly, stated that challenges of instability, corruption and poverty need to be fought with vigor and change the narrative.

He said the current crop of African leaders has a new opportunity to be a generation of leaders that will thrive on economic success and change narrative once and for all.

The President said that instability anywhere is instability everywhere hence needs to be curtailed.

The President said the Assembly’s theme, “Building Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthen Agriculture, Accelerate Human Capital, Social and Economic Development,” aligns with his administration’s key priorities of dev

development which is increasing contribution of agriculture to economic growth.

He also stated that African leaders should not expect to be respected by citizens if they cannot respect the rule of law.

Earlier, during the official opening of the assembly Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on the African Union -AU- to establish a continental media house that wilol diffuse negative publicity by Western media.

He lamented that the stereotype kind of reporting in Africa as being a hub of poverty, disease, wars and hunger by the western media is retrogressive and portrays a wrong image.

Mr. Ahmed said the AU continental media house should give as many voices as possible to share the various opportunities that Africa offers.

He also called for the continued push for Africa’s representation on the United Nations Security Council and other organs.

Mr. Ahmed said the huge population of young Africans is key in driving the continent’s prosperity.

And AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said Africa’s greater challenge remains realisation of the autonomy of its economy.

He, however, noted that expansion of acts of terrorism of the economy has been a challenge to economic and social development.

Mr. Mahamat also added that growing interest in Africa has not so much been in favour of Africa’s development.

He, however, challenged African leadership to mobilize resources to harness the continent’s potential by taking appropriate decisions that stakeholders expect them to take.

The AU Commission Chairperson further stated that the African Medicines Agency -AMA- is ready to play an active role in fighting disease outbreak and promote manufacturing of medicines and vaccines in Africa.

And UN Secretary General Antonio Guterez, who was virtually represented by his Deputy Amina Muhammed assured the AU of the UN’s support in its transformative agenda of Africa.

He noted the need to boost supply of Covid vaccines while appealing to developed countries to support production of vaccines in Africa.

Mr. Guterez also stated the need to fight climate change saying Africa only contributes about 3-percent of global emissions despite being the most affected.

And outgoing AU Chairperson Felix Tshisekedi handed over power to Senegalese President Macky Sall with a call on ensuring that all deliberations are concluded within two days.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sall thanked South African President Cyril Ramaposha with support of the AU Commission and African CDC in ensuring availability of Covid vaccines for the continent.

Mr. Sall further called for maintenance of dynamism in fighting diseases on the continent and establishment of an African pharmaceutical industry.

The new AU Chairperson however lamented that Africa lags behind in development despite vast potential, 1.3 billion population, 60 percent of arable land and vast mineral wealth.

He said the continent has the necessary potential to ensure the conditions change.

President Hichilema Must Fire those Corrupt Ministers and Curb Lawlessness

Chief Editor
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President Hichilema Must Fire those Corrupt Ministers and Curb Lawlessness

 

By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

President Hakainde Hichilema must fire Ministers that have been implicated in the illegal mining and smuggling of a rare gemstone called Sugilite in Chembe District, in Luapula. President Hichilema must also discipline the UPND Deputy National Youth Chairman, Stephen Chikota who stormed the area under dispute, with a horde of cadres and threatened the Police guarding the area, with dismissals and transfers if he was not allowed access to the premises.

Mr. Chikota also demanded to have “a word” with the investor, an action that clearly threatens the investor. It is a government that issued the licenses and if there are any complaints or grievances, they must be dealt with in a legal way and not through the lawlessness perpetrated by Mr. Chikota. These lawless actions instill fear in law enforcement agencies and were roundly rejected by Zambians on the 12th August 2021 elections.

WHAT THE VIDEOS SHOWED US

Mr.Chikota stormed an area in Muombe Village in Chembe District accompanied by a group of UPND cadres. The area is being protected by the Zambia Police because of a raging dispute between the Indian farmer/Miner and the UPND.
What is worrying in the video are the allegations made by Chikote. He has also threatened to expose corrupt Ministers allegedly protecting the investor. He also defied the Police and threatened to have them transferred or fired if he was not allowed access to the premises.

From the video, he claims that the farmer has a prospecting mining license for copper, cobalt, and manganese but he is mining Sugilite, a rare and expensive gem, popular and won as an ornament for its healing properties. Whatever the facts, the actions by Chikota remind us of a period of lawlessness perpetrated by party cadres and their senior officials holding state institutions captive and paralyzed.

ZAMBIA’S NATURAL RESOURCES

A systematic way must be established to protect our natural resources, especially mineral resources that are being stolen in the name of prospecting. Further, the favoring of or giving official preference to foreigners and foreign entities over Zambians and Zambia’s interests is extremely worrying. Let us empower our people.

DEMANDS

Numerous reports are now emerging in the public and media domain that Ministers and senior Government officials engaged in wanton acts of corruption and abuse of offices. It is sad that when these matters are being reported, like in the past, the reports are being casually dismissed or people are advised to report to Law Enforcement Agencies. President Hichilema has a noble duty to establish facts as President and deal with the rise of corruption and lawlessness among his senior appointed officials.

PF rejects the Results of the Kabwata By-Election

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PF rejects the Results of the Kabwata By-Election

The Patriotic Front party has rejected the results of the just-ended Kabwata parliamentary by-election.

PF acting Secretary General Hon. Nickson Chilangwa said elections were not free and fair citing widespread intimidation, violence and manipulation.

He said the former ruling party is compiling evidence and consulting lawyers on the next course of action.

“As PF we do not concede defeat in the Kabwata parliamentary by-election, we reject the results. We are compiling all the evidence of electoral malpractice and we are consulting our lawyers on the next course of action,” Hon. Chilangwa said.

“The UPND went into panic mode and resorted to the use violence, intimidation, and manipulation to win the elections. Immediately Clement Tembo was adopted to stand on the PF ticket, the UPND started putting pressure on the Zambia police to arrest him on some fictitious charges. Their aim was to stop him from filing in his nomination, ” he said.

He adds that on the voting day seven PF members were arrested and badly beaten by both the police and UPND cadres and are still detained at central police without charge or formally arresting them.

“The UPND cadres besieged and literally took over all polling stations and the totaling center in Kabwata. They were armed with all sorts of weapons and intimidated and threatened our polling agents, election monitors, and even ECZ officials,” he said.

And Hon. Chilangwa the performance of the PF in the Kabwata by-election shows that UPND is losing popularity while the PF is slowly gaining ground.

He said contrary to assertions, the PF still remains strong, intact, and will not die.

“If the PF dies, people should worry because the country will slide into dictatorship under the UPND. We are still a formidable party and we are here to stay ” Hon. Chilangwa said.

With Skyrocketing Prices, Government Challenged to Actualize Permanent Price Reduction of Mealie Meal Prices

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With Skyrocketing Prices, Government Challenged to Actualize Permanent Price Reduction of Mealie Meal Prices

The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has challenged the government to actualize its plans to reduce mealie meal prices permanently.

ZACA executive secretary Juba Sakala has charged that for a long time now, the government has been talking about finding a lasting solution to the rising mealie meal prices but no solution is found.

Mr. Sakala said that it is high time government desists from politicking on the matter and stops issuing statements aimed at appeasing consumers and that that government is well aware that it is supposed to incentivize mealie meal production but wonders what has caused them this inertia.

His comment follows a statement by Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo-Phiri who recently announced that the government is collaborating with millers on identifying areas in which they can be incentivized.

But last week Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma also disclosed that as a way of cushioning the high mealie meal prices in the country, the government has through the Zambia National Service’s eagles brand reduced the prices of 25 Kilogram bag of breakfast meal to K125 while the 25 KG bag of roller meal is now selling at k85.

This week, Agriculture minister Reuben Mtolo-Phiri said that the government is currently engaging with millers to arrive at incentives that will enable the country to see a reduction in the cost of mealie meal locally which has been on an upward trajectory recently.

Mr Phiri said that the government has already allowed millers to buy maize from the Food Reserve Agency-FRA- and also allowed to continue exports with a condition that this should help reduce the cost of mealie meal locally.

Mr. Phiri said that his ministry is currently talking to millers and other stakeholders on possible incentives for cheaper mealie meal on the domestic market especially that government is concerned with the ever-increasing price of mealie meal despite the country having surplus maize.

Mr. Phiri said that government is hopeful that millers will consider slightly reducing the price of the country’s staple food following a drop in fuel pump price and the export facility that allows for more profits that should essentially cushion the local market costs.

Mealie meal in some places is currently fetching as high as K170 per 25kg bag of breakfast.

State House responds to allegations of Corruption and Wealth Flaunting acquired within a short Period

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State House responds to allegations of Corruption and Wealth Flaunting acquired within a short Period

State House has described allegations of corruption among the Aides as false and malicious.

Presidential Spokesperson, Anthony Bwalya said that the allegations of improper conduct among State House aides must be dispelled with the contempt they deserve, adding that the trend of relentless falsehoods against individuals within State House is not only counterproductive but also aimed at denting the image of the President.

Mr. Bwalya said that the President has always made it clear, that corruption and all manner of improper conduct have no place in the new administration, let alone State House.

Mr. Bwalya said that the President has always demanded, and will continue to demand the highest levels of integrity among all members of his administration, and wants to see a collective focus on serving Zambians.

In a statement to the media, Mr. Bwalya said he is aware of the identities of all those fully intent on disparaging and discrediting the leadership of the President by constantly drawing the names of his aides into falsehoods.

He has however encouraged all the critics of State House to take their purported evidence of impropriety before independent law enforcement agencies for action.

Mr. Bwalya has also urged media institutions, to always endeavor to test the credibility of all allegations made against any member of the administration and not allow their platforms to be used as conduits of propaganda and malice against innocent individuals.

He said as Government continues to promote, support, and ensure the growth of a free and independent media industry in the country, it will also continue to call for responsible and ethical reporting by members of the media fraternity.

New Labour Party president Fresher Siwale
New Labour Party president Fresher Siwale

Yesterday, New Labour Party President Fresher Siwale said that lack of transparency is leading to corruption, theft and plunder of national resources and that President Hakainde Hichilema should begin nailing his own people charging, “You were accusing PF of plunder but a good example of plunder is right in the middle of State House”.

“This also explains why an aide at State House can buy a house in Avondale area for cash and knock it down, completely raze it to the ground. Five months into government! How much is Hakainde Hichilema paying his press aides for them to have that kind of money? And where is DEC, Anti-Corruption [Commission]?” Siwale asked and wondered how the UPND administration could fight corruption under such circumstances.

“You were accusing PF of plunder but a good example of plunder is right in the middle of State House,” he charged.

“I will not mention names as of now but I want DEC, ACC to deal with this matter. I want Hakainde Hichilema to deal with this matter. I am available to help them. What is not acceptable is to have this kind of plunder. Five months into government, we have seen UPND cadres driving brand new vehicles. Is State House buying those vehicles and we are now seeing issues of a person buying a house for cash and razing it to the ground. People have worked their entire lives but have not bought houses and razed them to the ground.”

Siwale said President Hichilema should begin nailing his own people and that the UPND pot should wash itself before it can start calling the kettle black.

Government to tackle youth unemployment through skills training to create a self-employment platform-Mutati

Chief Editor
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Government to tackle youth unemployment through skills training to create a self-employment platform-Mutati

The new dawn government has a singular purpose to tackle youth unemployment through skills training to create a self-employment platform says Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati.

Mr. Mutati said the country has the capacity to rebuild the economy through competencies derived from skills acquisition by youths.

Speaking during the handover of donated training equipment, a bus, a truck horse, and a driving simulator, Mr. Mutati was grateful for the gesture by Transaid UK and commended the Industrial Training Center (ITC) management for delivering skills, tools, and competencies in lifting up capabilities of trainees.

Honorable Mutati said the donation is a clear demonstration of a partnership to support the youths in skills training and that an integration of skills development, with the transport and logistics sector working as one force will eliminate inefficiencies and instill competencies in the drivers and provide for safety on the roads.

Mutati called on ITC management to expand on its operations, commercially, and generate own income that will enhance training and supplement government efforts.

And Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali said government appreciates ITC and Transaid’s initiative for enhancing training through collaborations.

Mr. Tayali said the government is also elated with ITC for the purchased land in Chibombo district that will result in improved driver education with a view to producing highly trained and disciplined driver operators for safety.

Honorable Tayali disclosed that many road carnage cases are as a result of incompetence hence the new dawn government’s agenda has attached relevanence to skills training.

He urged all transporters to take advantage of ITC training and avoid road carnage in the country.

Mr. Tayali commended Transaid UK for the support rendered to ITC.

Speaking at the same event ITC executive director Llyod Mbasela said the Institute and Transaid UK partnership strength has over the years grown through its vibrant training in professional driving ranging from class A to class CE levels, and inclusive other training programs in engineering courses (power electrical, and automotive)

Mr. Mbasela said ITC also provides transport and logistics services to the public by transporting goods.

And in his remarks, ITC board chairperson professor Francis Yamba said the donation by Transaid is a landmark that has added value to the safety of people from road carnage on the Zambian roads through imparted knowledge and skills to the learner drivers.

Transaid UK director at the Zambian office Fidelia Mwaba said her organization’s partnership with ITC provides for road safety standards that help transform lives through training support.

And MoTS director planning Succeed Mubanga said the gesture by the two Ministers sharing a platform to promote skills is a sign that the new dawn government is committed to promoting synergies evidently seen on many forums.

Spending K1 million on a new ECZ Logo was a toe-curling act

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Spending K1 million on a new ECZ Logo was a toe-curling act

By McDonald Chipenzi

The Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ- May have acted extravagantly on its expenditure of K1m on rebranding the new logo for the Commission.

GEARS initiative agrees with George Mpombo on his observation in Mast Newspapers that spending K1m on a new ECZ Logo by ECZ was a toe-curling act.

However, Mr Mpombo’s argument that the K1m was have been on electoral law reform may not be accurate because it is not the ECZ that must push for the review of the electoral laws as suggested by Mr Mpombo but the Government and other stakeholders like CSOs or NGOs, political parties.
It is indeed a toe-curling act for ECZ to rebrand its logo in an excess of K1m.

It is our considered view that rebranding a corporate logo must not even have been a priority for the Commission.

This expense is unbelievable for an institution that has failed to respect the provision of the law since 2016 on account of limited funding.

Provisions of the law which the ECZ has disrespected on a claim of having no money include, section 7 of the electoral process Act on registration of voters on a continuous basis and Article 229 of the Constitution on decentralizing the operations of the Commission to provinces and progressively to districts.

Currently, ECZ borrows poll staff from ministries of Education and Local Government respectively, most of them have questionable loyalty to the Commission but their parent ministries.

The hired poll staff usually get excited to work with ECZ for extra allowances and are exposed to political interference especially at the recruitment stage.

It is clear that the reasons for not embarking on decentralizing its operation to provinces and failure to undertake continuous voter registration exercises are not limited funding now but limited political and institution will.

This is a misplaced priority by the ECZ the institution has undertaken as a public body.

Wouldn’t K1m enough to create offices in the 10 or at least 6 provinces of this country to ease its operations and avoid hiring government workers to do its job?

Or wouldn’t it be enough to reopen the closed office points and make their permanent offices in Lusaka and the Copperbelt for the continuous registration of voters to show some commitment to the demands of the law for continuous registration of voters ahead of the 2026 General Election?

Spending K1m public money on rebranding a corporate logo and justifying it is being insensitive and unaccountable to the public demands for efficient, prudent, and accountable use of public funds for quality electoral service delivery.

Who complained against the previous corporate logo for the Commission to prioritize its change so quickly after the general election for it to attract an expenditure of K1m for a new logo?

Are there no priority areas and complaints on ECZ operations lodged to the Commission that it has not acted on due to the claim of limited resources or poor funding?

Is it that now the Commission is well funded to an extent of being such an extravagant spending agency of government with a hopping K1m for a new logo?

The public expects better use of public resources than this surely. Only for a new logo whose impact on the electoral process is nil to gobble K1m?.

Government must help its institutions to avoid such acts in the future where possible so that they are not wasteful because the K1m the Commission has spent on the new logo is a clear act of wastefulness of public funds.

It is a disgusting expenditure truly speaking.

This kind of exaggerated expenses is what makes the electoral process dummy expensive in Africa and Zambia in particular.

No wonder as a country we still take pleasure to print ballot papers in the most expensive places like the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) with excitement deliberately refusing to do it locally.

We must come down to our level of economic development for us to do the right things and compete with equals not with unequal.

The Author is the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GEARS Initiative Zambia

Chief Mukuni thanks the government Evacuating him to India for medical care

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Chief Mukuni thanks the government Evacuating him to India for medical care

SENIOR Chief Mukuni has thanked the government for facilitating his movements and health expenses to India where he was evacuated to.

The chief, who did not disclose the ailment, said this when Vice President Mutale Nalumango paid a courtesy call at his palace.

The chief fell sick in January and was admitted to Maina Soko Hospital in Lusaka before he was evacuated to India.

And Ms Nalumango has said the UPND has walked the talk during the short time it has been in power.

Ms Nalumango said the government is implementing and fulfilling its campaign promises.

“I am lost for words to visit you because this is a special palace to us. We are coming here to see how you are doing because we believe in the role that you play as royal highnesses and you in particular,” she said.

“We are happy with the interest that you have showed to develop our nation

Because of that we are here and all the time we need your input because you are a reservoir of knowledge in this country and you are capable to do that,” she said.

Mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park goes to the Constitutional Court

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Mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park goes to the Constitutional Court

An Environmentalist Robert Chimambo has asked the Constitutional Court to order that Mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park is a violation of the Constitution.

Mr. Chimambo has also asked the court to command the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to withdraw the approval of the Environmental Impact Statement dated May 7, 2021 for being in breach of the Constitution.

The petitioner also wants the Constitutional Court to order that freedom of Environmental Information is a Constitutional right in Zambia.

This is according to a petition filed in the Constitutional Court.

In this matter, Mr. Chimambo has sued the Attorney General as the first respondent and ZEMA as the second respondent.

In his petition, he has argued that it is his constitutional duty as a citizen to protect the Environment and urged the court to speed up the process of hearing his case.

Elisha Matambo challenges Church and its leaders to rebuke the UPND Government when it goes astray

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Elisha Matambo challenges Church and its leaders to rebuke the UPND Government when it goes astray

Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo has challenged the Church and its leaders to rebuke the UPND Government when it goes astray.

Speaking as guest of honour during an interacting meeting with the Ndola District Clergy on Thursday, Mr. Matambo said the Church should not hesitate to correct and counsel the Government.

He said the New Government is willing to listen to the Church.

Mr. Matambo said in the past the Church was afraid to speak out as it feared cadres during the Patriotic Front regime.

“The Church should be there taking the role of preaching to us. Helping us spiritually and also controlling us where we go astray. We don’t want to wait until we clash then you come in. We want if you see us going astray you quickly come in and control us. We also don’t want to be chumbu munsholowa; we want to listen to what the Church is saying. The servant of God talked about cadrelism also affected the Church,” Mr. Matambo said.

“They were some instances when servants of God were failing to speak to us for fear of victimization from cadres. We don’t want that to happen again. The clergy is there to correct us if this is A they should tell us this is A and not B. We don’t want cadres to come and protest at the church to come and intimidate you. I think this is what we want to achieve as the new dawn Government administration,” he said.

Mr. Matambo observed that some years back the Church had a stronger voice.

“In the days behind us when the Church spoke, the Government listened not only in Zambia but in other countries. This is how important the Church is.The Bible says seek thy Kingdom first and other things should be added unto you. So the first thing we should do as the New Dawn administration is to seek his face then these other things will follow. If we don’t we will be chasing the wind because man can go to a certain level and the rest is done by the Lord himself the Ancient of days. So the first thing I should have done when I was appointed was to meet you, the servant of God before I go on with my mission as Minister of this province but I couldn’t do that because of the schedule I had at Parliament. So now that we have closed parliament I thought that it was important that I meet the servant of God so that we can engage each other,” Mr. Matambo added.

He said President Hakainde Hichilema anchors his leadership on the principles of the word of God.

“One of the things His Excellency wants to do, who is also a Church elder at Seventh Day Adventist is to run the New Dawn Government on the principles of the word of God; this is why you have seen most of his pronouncements are in that line. Hence the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation like he has said will remain so as long as President Hakainde Hichilema is President of the Republic of Zambia. My belief at a personal level is that Zambia will remain a Christian nation until the Lord himself come and take us with him,” Mr. Matambo said.

Speaking on behalf of the Ndola District Clergy, Rev. Chilekwa Mulenga pledged that the Church in Ndola will work with the Government of the day.

“Our stance remains that we will be non-partisan but we will collaborate with the Government of the day regardless of the party in office. We thank the New Dawn administration for making it clear that the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation will continue,” Rev. Mulenga said.

He also appealed to the Government to exempt the clergy from remitting Pay as You Earn Tax and Churches from paying commercial land rates.

Rev. Mulenga further urged land agencies to consider sparing land for Church building constructions when allocating land.

“Sir we appeal to you through the Lands Department and the local councils to see to it that Church plots are considered when allocating land in districts. When plots are being allocated how many are given to the Church,” he said.

Sean Tembo to Petition the Kabwata By-Election

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Sean Tembo to Petition the Kabwata By-Election

The Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) hassaid that it will petition the outcome of the Kabwata parliamentary by-election in the courts of law.

Party leader Sean Tembo said that the party has refused to accept the results in the Kabwata Parliamentary by-election as a true reflection of the free will of the people of Kabwata Constituency.

In a statement, Mr. Tembo said that because of the violence which was allegedly perpetrated against his party members and supporters by the ruling United Party for National Development from the very onset of the election cycle.

Mr Tembo said that on 28th December, 2021, during the first nomination process at St. Patrick’s Primary School in Kabwata, members of the PeP Women’s National Choir were attacked by UPND members allegedly led by William Banda, in full view of Police officers, with four of the attacked members sustaining serious injuries and had to be admitted to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital for more than a week.

Mr. Tembo added that the PeP bus was vandalized, music equipment including amplifiers and speakers stolen as well as two drums and that the matter was reported to Kabwata Police Station despite the assailants being identified by the victims, the police did not effect any arrests and the docket remains open up to this day.

Mr. Tembo is of the view that the blatant acts of violence by the ruling UPND against PEP party instilled fear in the people of Kabwata and prevented them from freely associating and supporting his party, for fear of being targets of the UPND violence.

Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) Candidate Henry Muleya got a paltry 30 votes.

Trial for four Kasama youths are charged with assaulted Kasama District Administrative Officer Starts

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Trial for four Kasama youths are charged with assaulted Kasama District Administrative Officer Starts

The trial has finally commenced in the case in which four Kasama youths are charged with assaulting Kasama District Administrative Officer (DAO) Beauty Namukoko over accusations of denying them empowerment.

The four who are said to be UPND supporters are also facing theft and criminal trespass charges.

According to Radio Mano of Kasama, trial commenced in the Kasama Magistrates Court on Thursday, with the victim Ms. Namukoko narrating her ordeal on what transpired on a fateful day.

The case commenced with a heavy presence of uniformed police officers keeping vigil of the Court premises and nearby areas in a bid to ensure that any form of disturbance like what was witnessed on Tuesday last week, was not repeated.

The trial could not commence last week on Tuesday following a disturbance by suspected UPND youths at the court premises.

Narrating her ordeal, Ms Namukoko, 53, told the Kasama Magistrates Court that on 21st January, 2022 at about 08:13 hours; whilst in her office and on a phone call, a group of men stormed her office and within a split of seconds, snatched the phone and started beating her up, the beating which included several punches and slaps, as she cried for help and begged the attackers to stop.

Ms. Namukolo added that on the material day, the alleged attackers, who have since been identified as Andrew Sichimba, 27, Boniface Kaonga, 30, Nathan Phiri, 23 and Costen Kalimwengo, 24, walked away with her hand bag.

And Ms. Namukolo has further told Principal Resident Magistrate, Osward Chibalo who is presiding over the case, that three-days prior to her fateful day, the said attackers visited her office asking for youths empowerment forms and when she did not give them, explaining that the forms have errors requiring corrections, the overzealous group unleashed insults and threats on her life.

The Court has since adjourned this matter to 3rd March, 2022 for continuation of trial.

On Tuesday last week, trial in this matter could not start due to some supporters of the UPND being at the Court premises while clad in their political party regalia, a scenario which made the Court adjourn the matter.

Meanwhile, appearing for plea before Principal Resident Magistrate, Osward Chibalo, on Monday 24th January, 2022, the accused; Andrew Sichimba, 27 of Mukulumpe township, Boniface Kaonga, 30 of Musenga township, Nathan Phiri, 23 of Amini village and Costen Kalimwengo 24 of Winberg suburb, pleaded not guilty.

On 21st January 2022 and a few days that followed, a video went viral where visibly identifiable people, suspected to UPND political cadres, are captured mercilessly attacking the Kasama District Administrative Officer, or DAO, Beauty Namukoko.

On 25th January, four youths appeared in the Kasama Magistrate Court on charges of assaulting Ms. Namukoko.

According to Kasama based Radio Mano, the four local youths, suspected to be political cadres that are allegedly seen captured in a video that has gone viral beating up Ms. Namukoko in her office last Friday for allegedly denying them empowerment.

And Magistrate Chibalo had denied the accused bail after the State objected to their lawyer’s application on grounds that none of them is of a fixed abode.

The accused are remanded in custody at Kasama’s Milima Correctional Facility.

This matter was adjourned to 27th January, 2022 for commencement of the trial.

Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema took interest in the case.

President Hichilema expressed sadness over the attack on Ms. Namukoko and told police to protect people.

The head of state said the police do not require his instruction to protect citizens, saying this is the more reason that if they are failing to protect the citizens then he, as Republican President, does not need them.

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