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Indian Youth organization honours KK with 51 scholarships

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Indian Youth organization honours KK with 51 scholarships

An Indian based Youth organization has pledged 51 fully funded scholarships for the Zambian youths in honor of Zambia’s first Republican President Kenneth Kaunda.

Confederation of Young Leaders (CYL) Ambassador Series Chairperson Himadrish Suwan said the youths in India are mourning with the government and the people of Zambia following the sad demise of Dr. Kaunda.

This came to light when Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga presented a virtual lecture to the Indian academia on Actualizing Natural Convergences between Zambia and India organized by Zambia High Commission in India and Confederation of Young Leaders (CYL) Ambassador Series.

This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS by First Secretary for Press and Tourism at Zambia High Commission in India Bangwe Naviley in Lusaka today.

And Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga praised Confederation of Young Leaders (CYL) Ambassador Series for the 51 scholarships in honour of the late president.

“Dr. Kaunda was a Gandhian Student who got inspiration from India’s Founding Father Mahatma Gandhi to embark on a non-violent movement which saw the independence of the Republic of Zambia from the British on October 24, 1964 and he was the First Republican President,” Mrs. Kapijimpanga said.

She said Dr. Kaunda valued Zambia’s relations and friendship with India as evidenced by his visits to India which accounted for 10 times during his Presidency.

Mrs. Kapijimpanga said that the current President Edgar Lungu was following the steps of Dr. Kaunda as he is the first President to visit India in 16 years in a State Visit executed in August 2019.

She said in April 2018, President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind was the first to visit Zambia after a span of 30 years.

Mrs. Kapijimpanga said Zambia had built fly over bridges and expanded existing roads under the Decongestion of Lusaka Roads Project under an EXIM Bank of India Line of Credit.

She also said Zambia was also building 650 health posts Project under an EXIM Bank of India Line of Credit.

First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda died on Wednesday June 17, 2021 at Mina Soko Military hospital.

United States Government to aid Zambia with 165, 600 COVID-19 vaccine doses

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United States Government to aid Zambia with 165, 600 COVID-19 vaccine doses

The United States of America (USA) has pledged to contribute 165,600 doses of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to the Zambian government through the COVAX facility.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Malama disclosed that the United States government has confirmed their contribution of 165,600 doses of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility.

He noted that the consignment of the COVID-19 vaccines will be in the country within the month of July 2021.

Dr Malama noted an improvement in the availability of vaccines in the third and fourth quarter of this year and hence urged members of the public not panic as the government remains committed to ensuring that all the entire eligible population have access to the vaccines.

He has, however, said that the government will commence the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine this Friday July 9, 2021.

“Contrary to some reports on social media, I wish to advise that we have not commenced Dose 1 administration of the vaccine as yet, the date for the commencement of Dose 1 has been set for this Friday, 9th July, 2021,’’he noted.

Dr Malama further disclosed that 2,354 second doses of AstraZeneca vaccinations have been administered bringing the cumulative number of the vaccinations to date to stand at 142,198.

‘’AstraZeneca dose one vaccinations 135,299 and 6,899 Sinopharm and of these, 27,724 have gone on to receive dose 2 vaccinations, with 21,388 dose 2 AstraZeneca of those that received dose 1 and 6,336 dose 2 Sinopharm of those that received dose 1,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours the country has recorded 1,871 new confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 7,635 tests conducted bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to date to stand at 169,003. Fifty nine deaths were recorded bringing the cumulative number of deaths to date to stand at 2,618.

Dr Malama further disclosed that the Africa Centers for Disease control and Prevention will recruit 2500 community workers who will beef up community responses to fight against the spread of the virus at community level.

‘’Risk communication and community engagement is a key pillar to response, more so in light of our crusade to take the fight from the hospitals to the communities,’’ he stressed.

‘’This equips members of the public with the correct knowledge to protect themselves against COVID-19 infection, shared through community outreach, television, radio and social media,’’ said Dr Malama.

He disclosed that efforts meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 have continued to be frustrated by some bar owners who are locking patrons in poorly ventilated premises to avoid being inspected and shut down.

‘’During our patrols this long weekend, we found a number of drinking premises reopening despite being directed to not operate, our Lusaka operation alone closed down 28 premises, including 6 nightclubs and 16 bars,’’ said Dr Malama.

This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS by Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Malama.

Lusaka High Court tosses out bid by KK’s children to stop his burial at Embassy Park

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Lusaka High Court tosses out bid by KK’s children to stop his burial at Embassy Park

Lusaka High Court Judge Wilfred Kopa Muma has rejected an application by Kaweche Kaunda to have the body of Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda to be buried at State Lodge instead of a designated official burial place for Heads of State.

Delivering a judgement in which Kaweche had sued the Secretary to Cabinet to compel government to hand over the body of Dr. Kaunda and be buried at State Lodge,Judge Muma said the case required that public interest was given consideration as it overrides personal or family interests.

Judge Mumba said he sympathized with some family members that wanted this matter to transpose it to a private or family funeral.

He said Dr. Kaunda was not an ordinary man.

Judge Muma said there was no arguable case fit for consideration at substantive hearing.

Dr Kaunda has since been buried at an embassy party in a colourful ceremony that has just concluded.

Memorial Service and Burial Programme for Dr Kaunda gets underway

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Memorial Service and Burial Programme for Dr Kaunda gets underway

The Memorial Service and Burial Programme for the late First Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Zambia’s Founding President, His Excellency Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda is underway here at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka.

In attendance are; His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu accompanied by the First Lady, Mama Esther Lungu, former President, His Excellency Rupiah Bwezani Banda, former Vice President, Dr. Guy Scott and the Kaunda family.

Opposition leaders led by Hakainde Hichilema and Felix Mutati are also in attendance.

Late Dr Kenneth Kaunda's first Son Panji Kaunda at his Father's Funeral Service
Late Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s first Son Panji Kaunda at his Father’s Funeral Service
Zambia 's Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba attending the Funeral Service
Zambia ‘s Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba attending the Funeral Service
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema together with Felix Mutati attending the Funeral Service of Dr Kaunda
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema together with Felix Mutati attending the Funeral Service of Dr Kaunda

President Lungu meeting Former Rebublican President Rupiah Banda at the Funeral Service of Dr Kenneth Kaunda
President Lungu meeting Former Rebublican President Rupiah Banda at the Funeral Service of Dr Kenneth Kaunda

Coach Mwanza Laments ‘Brave’ Nchanga Rangers Flopped Promotion Race

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Coach Israel Mwanza is lamenting Nchanga Rangers’ failure to win promotion back to the FAZ Super Division.

Nchanga missed out on promotion after finishing seventh in the National Division 1 season on 52 points from 34 matches.

Brave ended five points away from the last promotion spot.

In an interview, Mwanza says failure to win away matches reduced Nchanga’s chances of returning to the top league in the ended campaign.

“Winning the league is starting to prepare to win the away games,” he said.

Nchanga collected 13 wins, 13 draws and eight losses in the season.

“If you can manage to collect points in away games, it indicates that the team is ready to go to Super Division,” Mwanza said.

The former Nchanga defender is promising that the club will come back stronger next season.

PF and UPND Political Campaign Songs

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PF and UPND Political Campaign Songs

UPND Campaign Song

PF Campaign Song

 

25 Business premises in Lusaka closed due to non-compliance to COVID-19 measures

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25 Business premises in Lusaka closed due to non-compliance to COVID-19 measures

25 Business premises in Lusaka were closed due to non-compliance to COVID-19 measures that were recently put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The premises that include bars, night clubs and wholesale liquor outlets were closed either for failure to operate within required operating standards or did not adhere to provided COVID-19 guidelines.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Technical Services Dr Kennedy Malama said the multi-sectoral team would continue with closures and prosecution as part of the response.

The Number of cases trend from the start
The Number of cases trend from the start

And Zambia in the last 24 hours has recorded 67 new deaths with Lusaka recording the highest at 20 followed by Eastern province with 16 deaths.

Dr. Malama expressed concern over the number of deaths and new infections coming out of Eastern province saying the province is too small to be recording such high numbers.

“When you look at the past 2 weeks, Eastern province has been having the highest positivity and we are very concerned as a response with Eastern province.” Dr. Malama said.

He said the province has been recording high numbers of new cases, severe cases, and deaths.

“We’ve engaged authorities in Eastern province to ramp up preventive interventions. Dr. Malama added.

The number of deaths Trend
The number of deaths Trend

And Dr. Malama said out of 6485 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, 1619 new confirmed cases were recorded representing a positivity rate of 25%, he added that of the 67 deaths recorded, the majority of people that died did not die of any underlying conditions but the disease itself.

“Most of these are developing acute pneumonia with respiratory complications, in other words, they are not able to breathe.”Dr. Malama said.

He added that most of the patients that are dying in the facilities are those that have been brought to health facilities late and it is too late for health workers to do anything to help the situation.

“We should learn from the people that we are losing that we cannot fight COVID-19 in the hospital, that is why we are shocked to see people still wanting to operate bars, still wanting to go around unmasked.

He showed concern that people insist on wearing masks incorrectly such as only covering the mouth, putting the mask in the neck (contaminating the mask) among other wrong ways of wearing masks.

“We are seeing people keeping patients at home, some who are severely sick and they only call for help when it is too late, there are some changes in the human body, once those occur, it is irreversible, and we are dealing with COVID-19, once there’s permanent damage to the lungs and other vital organs you cannot reverse them,” Dr. Malama said.

The number of tests being done the positive cases identified

KK to be buried twice, his Son Tilyenji Kaunda tells Diamond TV

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KK to be buried twice, his Son Tilyenji Kaunda tells Diamond TV

First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda will be buried twice.

Dr. Kaunda’s son Tilyenji has confirmed the development during a live interview on Diamond TV from the house of mourning monitored in Lusaka.

According to Tilyenji Kaunda, the first burial will be done at the Presidential Burial Site as planned and the second burial at his residence in state Lodge next to his wife Betty Kaunda.

Mr. Kaunda says the Family and the state have agreed that his second burial will only be done once preparations conclude.

And in responding to a court matter filed by his brother Kaweche challenging the state’s decision to bury Dr. Kaunda at the memorial park, Mr. Tilyenji Kaunda expressed ignorance over the matter.

He however revealed that the majority of the family members have agreed that the late statesman be buried twice.

Earlier yesterday. Kaweche had applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop the government from going ahead to bury Dr Kenneth Kaunda at the Embassy Park, the presidential burial site on Wednesday.

Kaweche and other family members have requested the State to respect Dr Kaunda’s wish to be buried next to his wife, Mama Betty at their State Lodge residence.

The application is awaiting High Court judge Wilfred Muma’ signature.

Kaweche said the funeral ceremony can go ahead at Embassy Park but not intering the body there.

He said intering the body must be done at the place of his wish, which is next to Mama Betty.

Kaweche, who is represented by Simeza Sangwa and associates, has commenced judicial review proceedings challenging government’s resolution to put the nation’s founding father to rest at the Presidential burial site.

He has cited the Secretary to the cabinet Dr Simon Miti in the Court action.

Kaweche argues that it is illegal for government to burry the remains of Dr Kaunda at embassy park on July 7, 2021 and thereafter exhume the body and rebury it next to his wife mama Betty Kaunda on subdivision no.9 of subdivision A of Farm no.28a Lusaka in accordance with his wishes.

He is seeking a declaration that the government’s decision to bury his father’s body at embassy park and later exhume it and burry him at his farm next to Mama Betty at State Lodge as the deceased wished was null and void for want of authority on the part of government.

Kaweche wants an order of certiorari to quash government’s decision.

He is also seeking an order of mandamus compelling government to release the remains of Dr Kaunda to the family so that they can honour his wish to be entombed next to Mama Betty.

Kaweche prayed that if leave is granted it should operate as a stay of government’s decision pursuant to Rule 3(10)(a) of order 53 of the rules of the Supreme Court and that hearing of the matter be expedited.

In his notice of application for leave to apply for judicial review, Kaweche said that following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa in 2008, government had no designated place to bury serving and former heads of state.

Kaweche stated that Dr Mwanawasa’s widow Maureen agreed with government to have the late President’s remains buried at the now Embassy Park.

He said by statutory instrument no. 64 of 2009 dated September 18, 2009 pursuant to section 27 of the National Heritage Conservation Commission Act, chapter 173 of the Zambian laws, Embassy Park was officially designated as a national monument where former heads of state would be put to rest.

The applicant stated that others who have been put to rest at Embassy Park are Zambia’s second president Fredrick Chiluba, who died on June 18, 2011 and president Michael Sata, who died on November 11, 2014.

Kaweche argues that there was no law which allowed government to bury its former presidents at Embassy Park.

“During his lifetime, the deceased (Dr Kaunda) was aware that his predecessors whom he had outlived had been buried at Embassy Park. However, his wish which he shared with his children and grandchildren was that he be buried next to his wife on sub-division no. 9 of Sub-division A of Farm no.28a Lusaka,” Kaweche stated.

“His wish was communicated to the secretary to the cabinet during his lifetime and the correspondence will be made available after discovery.”

Kaweche said after Dr Kaunda died on June 17, 2021, the issue of his resting place came up and the position of government was that his remains would be buried at Embassy Park contrary to his wishes.

“By letter dated June 21,2021, the children and grandchildren of Dr Kaunda wrote to government reiterating the wishes of the deceased to be buried next to his wife. Dr Miti responded to the said letter on June 22, 2021 wherein he proposed a compromise that the remains of the deceased be buried at Embassy Park on July 7 and that after a few months the remains would be exhumed and reburied at his farm next to Mama Betty to conform to the deceased’s wishes,” Kaweche disclosed.

He said in response, the children and grandchildren sent a letter dated June 23, 2021 to President Edgar Lungu and copied it to Dr Miti rejecting the proposed compromise and insisted that the wishes of Dr Kaunda be respected and his remains be buried once and for all next to his wife.

The applicant stated that it was illegal for government to go against Dr Kaunda’s wish to be buried at his farm in preference to the presidential burial site.

“There has been no response from either President Lungu or Dr Miti. Plans are at an advanced stage for the remains of Zambia’s founding father to be buried at Embassy Park in complete disregard of the wishes of the deceased,” said Kaweche.

Here is how Corruption has Ruined Zambian economy

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Here is how Corruption has Ruined Zambian economy

By Mwansa Prospery Chalwe

There is a very vague picture about what the impact of corruption on the day to day lives of ordinary people is. In this article, I will show how endemic corruption negatively impacts any economy in the world including that of Zambia based on supporting empirical econometrics evidence in my book.

For the purpose of clarity, there are three main categories of corruption which are: bureaucratic corruption, economic corruption and political corruption. All the aforementioned types of corruption exists in Zambia at endemic levels.

The major problem that we have in Zambia and Africa, is that those who profess to fight against corruption, and the so called experts, are unable to simplify and explain to an ordinary person such as a villager, the compound or shanty town dweller, HOW, this scourge of corruption directly affects them. Corruption is only talked about in abstract terms. I will attempt to simplify and explain in summary, using three proven technical economic costs of corruption – low GDP, Excess public Debt and Low Tax revenue.

I will demonstrate how endemic corruption can be traced to Zambia’s current high cost of living, high youth employment, the shortage of medicines in hospitals, under funding of social services such as education, high poverty levels and social ills such as political violence, based on the Zambian experience. My appeal to readers in my country is: please do not politicize my article. This is intellectual and patriotic stuff and not for knee jerk commenters who lack tools of analysis and rationale.

From the technical point of view, it has been proven empirically that countries like Zambia with perceived high level of corruption have slow economic growth in terms of GDP, excessive government debt, lower tax revenue, higher income inequality and high fiscal deficits. This is not in dispute to the knowledgeable – those who bother to read.

As Zambians, we should agree that there is no need to debate or argue about the existence massive corruption in our country as it has already been admitted by the highest level office in the land. Our area of focus should, therefore, be to educate the people on how corruption affects their daily lives and what, we as a nation, should do about it, as no country ever developed with endemic corruption.

Zambia’s Head of State is on record as having confirmed the existence of corruption in country. The President, His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, openly admitted the existence of corruption. In 2016, when swearing in five Ministers, he announced that some of his ministers were involved in corrupt practices and had acquired immense wealth in a very short period of time.

“Lately, I have seen an increase in acts of corruption amongst our people. We have integrity committees at places of work and ministries but they are not working. There is so much corruption, so much corruption that you can smell it,” President Lungu said. “I have seen deposits in people’s accounts, huge amounts on a daily basis, for people who are not in industry, business, commerce or trade. It shows that there is something wrong here. Desist, keep away, refrain because very soon, I will be firing people, I will be firing cabinet ministers,” he said.

Apart from the Head of State’s admission, the respected Transparency International’s annual reports have confirmed the same. Zambia’s corruption perception index has deteriorated since 2013. The 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International revealed that Zambia’s score on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has dropped by one point from 34 in 2019 to 33 in 2020. In 2018, Zambia had a score of 35 and was placed 18th in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in 2017 it had a score of 37. It is clear that Zambia’s corruption perception index has been worsening four years in row.

The first technical economic cost of corruption is its hindrance of the economic growth and development of a country. In other words, it results in lower level Gross Domestic Product (GDP).This does not make sense to the man in the street. Let me simplify how this occurs. When a country has high level of corruption, most credible foreign investors avoid that country. If one was to go and do an analysis of the quantum of foreign direct investment inflows into Zambia in 2011 and 2021, they are likely to find the answer. The local investors also reduce the amount they can invest. This is for two reasons, one, the cost doing business goes up due to the required bribes. Two, the perceived risk of the country goes up as there is inherent insecurity in the economy due to the politicization of the economic environment. The net result of all this is that because of corruption there is less production of goods and services by companies and individuals as a result there is reduced economic activity, resulting in high unemployment levels.

The other issue that is closely connected to slow economic growth and the consequential high unemployment figures in Zambia, relates to empowerment programmes. The Zambian government has implemented so many financial assistance programmes in the past ten years. Studies have shown that financial empowerment programs are ineffective in a corrupt environment as they tend to be selective. The main reason is that due to patronage and cronyism, awards of grants are not made on merit and the wrong people are given grants which are based on political affiliation and their projects end up failing.

Also, when corruption is endemic, with high level of patronage and cronyism, merit goes out of the window and preference is given to unqualified Party cadres. The result is the economy becomes inefficient. This is a situation where contracts and key jobs in government and quasi government institutions are not given on merit. Innovators and talented entrepreneurs who can add value and create jobs are excluded from the economic system as well as highly qualified individuals are excluded. This is happening in Zambia at political, government and parastatal levels. It is not surprising that there are poor decisions being made due to quality of human resources running government and state institutions.

Econometric analysis has also proved that one of the main economic costs of corruption is the high level of public debt of a nation. There is overwhelming empirical evidence all of the world to prove that corruption results in excessive public debt accumulation. The question one may ask, as usual is: how does this happen? There are two ways this occurs. The first one is that corrupt public officials are incentivised to borrow because they stand to benefit directly from the commission of the debt contracted. Alternatively, public officials are incentivised to accumulate unnecessary debt to fund unnecessary infrastructure projects from which they will get bribes from contractors who are awarded projects. It has been proven that in countries with high level of infrastructure projects, there is so much corruption driven excess debt accumulation. There is so much borrowing for wrong priorities due to potential personal benefits to government officials which is very common place. It has also been proven that defence contracts are a major conduit for corrupt deals and excessive public debt.

There are critics of the current administration in Zambia, who allege that the above scenarios are all obtaining in Zambia. They argue that although not all public debt can be attributable to corruption, there has been substantial unnecessary and excessive debt that Zambia has accumulated that must have been corruption driven. As a result, ordinary Zambians are suffering from the high cost of living due to the kwacha depreciation caused by excessive foreign borrowing. The lack of jobs for the youth are also partly attributed to corruption and its consequential excessive borrowing by government; which has overcrowded the private sector, who cannot borrow at high interest rates to start or expand their businesses. The high debt servicing levels which is over 40% of government budget revenue has resulted in high taxes by Zambians. In addition, the high amount of revenue being used to service the debt has contributed to the shortage of medicines in hospitals and other social services.

Corruption is also said to impede the amount of tax revenue collected in a given country. Tax revenue is significantly affected by corrupt activities and results in the reduction of the amount of tax revenue collected. Data from studies carried out demonstrate that countries with higher corruption levels tend to have relatively lower tax revenue-GDP ratios. From the technical point of view, therefore, there is no doubt that nations with high corruption levels tend to collect fewer tax revenues in relation to GDP. But what does this mean to the man on the street? This simply means, there will be less money to buy medicines, less money to fund education, less money to fund farmers’ subsidies and of course there will be need to borrow more money to finance these activities.

The issue of corruption having a direct impact on the performance of the economy has clearly been demonstrated this article. This should not be a partisan issue and all Zambians are supposed to be united across the political divide. There is more than sufficient empirical evidence to show that countries with high level of corruption perform poorly economically on almost all economic indicators. They have lower GDP, lower tax collection, high debt levels, high income inequality, high government deficits and high levels of unemployment. Zambia appears to fit this narrative.

I have extensively covered how corruption affects an economy like Zambia in my book, this article is only a tiny little bit and only comprises the excerpts my book. Below is the link to the book.

CHINA-WEST BATTLEGROUND IN AFRICA:DEBT RIDDEN ZAMBIA: Why U.S. May Lose Geo-Economic Competition to China https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097DVXBKH/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_api_glt_7PR5H7YBZZ14FCDNT54Y

The Writer is a Chartered Accountant and Author. He is a financial commentator and Analyst, and an Op-Ed Contributor to the Hong Kong based, Alibaba owned, South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Mwepu Relishing Brighton Adventure

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Chipolopolo midfielder Enock Mwepu is delighted to join English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a permanent deal.

Brighton on Tuesday confirmed that they have secured the 23-year-old services from Austrian champions RB Salzburg on a four-year deal.

“I am excited and delighted to have joined Brighton,” Mwepu told the Brighton media.

“I am looking forward to seeing you all at the Amex Stadium next month. I hope you are ready to meet the computer,” he said.

Mwepu joins his former RB Salzburg club mate Patson Daka in the English Premiership after the Chipolopolo striker sealed a five-year deal with Leicester City last month.

Three players from the 2017 AFCON U20 winning team will now be playing on the British Isles with the third, striker Fashion Sakala, just north of the border at Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic after leaving Belgian club KV Oostende at the close of the 2020/2021 campaign.

The Burial of the Late President Dr Kenneth Kaunda to take Place tomorrow at Presidential Burial Site, Injunction not granted

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The Burial of the Late President Dr Kenneth Kaunda to take Place tomorrow at Presidential Burial Site, Injunction not granted

Former Minister of Justice Given Lubinda has said that the late founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda will be buried at the Presidential burial site.

Mr. Lubinda said that the proposed plan to lay the remains of the late Head of State at the Presidential site remains the same.

In a telephone interview today, the former Minister of Justice said that Dr Kaunda will be buried where other past Presidents are laying.

Mr Lubinda said that Mr Kaweche Kaunda has not been granted the injunction to stop the burial of the late President Dr. Kaunda at the Presidential site.

Mr Lubinda assured the public that the proposed burial site has not been changed.

“Yes Mr Kaweche Kaunda applied for the injunction but his not been granted, So the public may wish to know that His Excellency President Dr Kenneth Kaunda will be buried at the burial site tomorrow,” Mr Lubinda said.

Earlier today, Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s son, Kaweche and his siblings had dragged government to court over the decision by Cabinet Office to bury Dr Kaunda’s remains at Embassy Park.

Kaweche and his siblings who are represented by Simeza, Sangwa and Associates had cited the Secretary to the Cabinet as the respondent in his application for leave to commence Judicial Review proceedings.

They were seeking a declaration of the government’s decision that Dr Kaunda’s remains be surrendered to the family.

Kaweche contended that the decision made by Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Simon Miti to bury Dr Kaunda’s remains and thereafter be exhumed and reburied next to Dr Kaunda’s wife Betty in State Lodge in accordance with the wishes of Dr Kaunda is null and void for want of authority on the part of Dr Miti.

Zambia’s First-Come First-Serve Approach on COVID-19 Vaccinations Wins Praise

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Zambia’s First-Come First-Serve Approach on COVID-19 Vaccinations Wins Praise

The African Woman Foundation has commended President EDGAR LUNGU and his government for not segregating in the administering of the COVID 19 vaccine.

Foundation Founder and President JOSEPH MOYO says the Covid 19 vaccine in Zambia has been given on a first-come-first-serve basis unlike in some countries where special categories of the population are accessing the vaccines.

Mr. MOYO says vaccine administrations world over have been chaotic with many people who needed to get the vaccine not getting it on time.

He says the Zambian leadership has taken the best approach by allowing anyone willing to access the vaccines, unlike choosing some allegedly more important groups of society.

And Mr. MOYO has urged the opposition political parties to be relevant in the fight against COVID 19 by being part of the solution and not armchair critics, adding that some opposition political parties are condemning the government even on things that it is doing right.

ECZ confirm the arrival of a UPND rep in Dubai

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ECZ confirm the arrival of a UPND rep in Dubai

The United Party for National Development (UPND), have finally sent a representative to monitor the on-going printing of ballot papers for the August 12th general and presidential elections, currently underway in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Vice Chairperson, Emily Sikazwe confirmed the development today during a media briefing in Dubai.

ZANIS reports that the Commission Vice Chairperson has since received communication from the opposition political party in form of a notification letter that Linda Nkonde is already in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and is expected to join the Zambian team in Dubai tomorrow (Wednesday).

Dr Sikazwe stated that it was relieving that the UPND representative will finally join the team, in verifying and approving the presidential candidate ballot proofs together with other members of the delegation, ahead of the printing process, which is expected to commence tomorrow.

She said the verifying of the presidential candidate ballot proofs was a very important part of the exercise and requires major stakeholders to avail themselves in the verification exercise, in collaboration with the commission.

Dr Sikazwe explained that it is in the commission’s best interest that the process of printing of the ballot papers is done in a transparent manner, and that all stakeholders fully participate.

And the commission has signed off the official printing of ballot papers for parliamentary candidates.

The process was signed off today by ECZ Vice Chairperson Emily Sikazwe at the Al Ghurair Publishing and Printing Company plant in Dubai and witnessed by stakeholders who included the civil society representatives, Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy National Chairperson Davis Chama, security wings, the media and ECZ staff.

Dr Sikazwe expressed happiness with the process, describing the printing progress as being on course.

And ECZ Director Electoral Operations Royd Katongo revealed that 108 verified ballots out of the 156 ballots for the parliamentary candidates have so far been received, while the remaining 48 are still being processed in Lusaka.

Mr Katongo explained that the process of verifying the ballot papers was at two levels, starting with the 16 political parties in Lusaka who are expected to check for correct names, colours, pictures and party symbols, after which, the ballot papers are proof read by the Zambian team stationed in Dubai, before being commissioned for printing.

Mr Katongo said printing of received ballot proofs for parliamentary candidates will continue, while the remaining ballots will be printed one they are received from Lusaka.

Meanwhile, AL Ghurair Company General Manager Lakshmanan Ganapathy indicated that the company expects to finish printing both the parliamentary and local government ballot papers by end of tomorrow (Wednesday) before commencing on the presidential candidates’ ballot proofs.

The printing of ballot papers has entered day two, with printing, packaging and airlifting of the finished products expected to be complete by the end of July, 2021.

ECZ has since assembled a delegation of civil society representatives, security wings, political parties and the media who are in Dubai monitoring the process of printing ballot papers up to the month end of July 2021 in readiness for the country’s elections.

Zambia is this year holding general elections slated for August 12, 2021.

COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers

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COVID-19 vaccine safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers

The Ministry of Health says it is safe for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and the elderly to take the COVID-19 vaccines.

Ministry of Health, Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Malama says the Ministry through the Zambia Immunization Technical Advisory Group (ZITAG) examined the safety of the vaccines to the three groups of people.

Speaking at the routine COVID-19 press briefing in Lusaka today, Dr Malama noted concerns raised with regard to the administration of the vaccines to pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly.

Dr Malama allayed the fears saying a process of due diligence was conducted to ascertain the safety of the vaccines.

“Based on these findings, the Zambia COVID-19 vaccination guidelines support the vaccination of pregnant and lactating women as well as the elderly based on the great potential benefits,” he said.

Meanwhile Zambia has continued to record high numbers of COVID-19 infections.

The country recorded 1,619 new confirmed cases out of 6,485 tests conducted.

Dr Malama said this represents a 25 percent positivity rate bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases recorded since the pandemic broke out in March 2020 to 167,132.

Dr Malama further disclosed that 59 deaths and eight COVID-19 associated deaths have been recorded countrywide in the last 24 hours.

He said Lusaka and Eastern Province have recorded the highest number of deaths with 20 and 16 respectively.

Dr Malama further disclosed that both Copperbelt and Southern provinces have recorded 10 each, while Western recorded 4.

He said Luapula and Muchinga recorded 2 each with Central, Northern and North-western all recording one death each.

Dr Malama expressed concern that Eastern Province has recorded a spike in cases.

“Eastern Province has seen an increase in testing positivity, admissions to hospital and deaths all above the national average. We call upon the people to adhere to the public health and social measures if we are to turn this unpleasant trajectory,” he said.

KK’s Family Sue Government Over Burial Site, want State to Surrender the Body

Chief Editor
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KK’s Family Sue Government Over Burial Site, want State to Surrender the Body

Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s son, Kaweche and his siblings have dragged government to court over the decision by Cabinet Office to bury Dr Kaunda’s remains at Embassy Park.

Kaweche and his siblings who are represented by Simeza, Sangwa and Associates have cited the Secretary to the Cabinet as the respondent in his application for leave to commence Judicial Review proceedings.

They are seeking a declaration that government’s decision that Dr Kaunda’s remains be surrendered to the family.

Kaweche contends that the decision made by Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Simon Miti to bury Dr Kaunda’s remains and thereafter be exhumed and reburied next to Dr Kaunda’s wife Betty in State Lodge in accordance with the wishes of Dr Kaunda is null and void for want of authority on the part of Dr Miti.

The family is seeking an order from the High Court to quash Dr Miti’s decision.

They also also seeking order to release Dr Kaunda’s remains to the family to be buried in accordance with his wishes.

Kaweche is also seeking an urgent hearing of the application and hoping that Leave to apply for judicial review is granted which should operate as a stay of the decision to which the application is made.

The application was filed by Simeza, Sangwa and Associates on behalf of Kaweche Kaunda.

Below are the documents

 

IN THE HIGH COURT FO AT THE PRINCIPAL RE HOLDEN AT LUSAKA
(Civil Jurisdiction)
IN THE MATTER OF:
IN THE MATTER OF:
BETWEEN:
0 76 g
2021/HP/———–
AN APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW ORDER 53 RULE 3 OF THE RULES OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ENGLAND 1965
THE PEOPLE
THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET
Ex Parte KAWECHE KAUNDA

NOTICE of Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial Review Pursuant to the Provisions of Order 53, Rule 3(2) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of England 1965
THE REGISTRAR, High Court for Zambia, at Lusaka, High Court Building, Independence Avenue, LUSAKA.
Names, Address and Description of KAWECHE KAUNDA one of the Children of
Applicant Dr KENNETH KAUNDA the First President of the Republic of Zambia who died on 17 th June 2021 (hereinafter referred to as the”Deceased”) of Sub-Division No. 9 of SubDivision ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of
Zambia.

Decision or Proceedings In Respect of The decision made by the Secretary to the Which Relief is Sought Cabinet to bury the remains of Deceased at the Embassy Park on the 7th day of July 2021 in line with the wishes of the Government of Republic of Zambia (hereinafter referred to the “Government”) and thereafter be exhumed and reburied next to the Deceased’s wife Mrs Betty Kaunda on SubDivision No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia in accordance with the wishes of the Deceased.
Relief Sought

The Applicant prays for:
(a) a declaration that the Respondent’s decision that the remains of Deceased be buried at the Embassy Park on the 7 th day of July 2021 in line with the wishes of Government and thereafter be exhumed and reburied next to the Deceased’s wife Mrs Betty Kaunda on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia in line with the wishes of the Deceased is null and void for want of authority on the part of the Respondent.
(b) an order of certiorari to remove into the High Court for the purpose of quashing the Respondent’s decision.
(c) an order of mandamus to compel the Respondent to release the remains of the Deceased to the family of the Deceased to be buried in accordance with the wishes of the Deceased.
(d) the Applicant hereby requests a hearing of this application before the Judge pursuant to Rule 3(3) of Order 53 of the Rules of the Supreme Court (RSC); if leave to apply for judicial review is granted, a direction be given that the grant of leave should operate as a stay of the decision to which this application relates pursuant to Rule 3(10)(a) of Order 53 of the RSC;
if permission to apply for judicial review is granted, a direction that the hearing of the application for judicial review be expedited;
(g) an order for costs; and and that all necessary and consequential directions be given.
The Facts, Law, Grounds of Judicial Review Relied Upon By the Applicant
1. Facts
[Il The Deceased was the first President of the Republic of Zambia and he held that office from the 24th day of October 1964 to 1991.
[21 After leaving office the Deceased lived at various places until sometime in 2004, when the Government of Republic built his retirement home on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia where he lived with his wife Mrs Betty Kaunda.
[31 The Deceased outlived his wife who died 18 th September 2012 and was buried on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a , Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia.
[41 During the life of the Deceased other persons have occupied the office of President of the Republic of Zambia who have since died.
[5] The first such person was President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa who died in office in July 2008.
[61 Until then the Government had not designated a burial place for persons that had held the office of President.
[7] President Mwanawasa was outlived by his wife and his wife with the concurrence of the Government agreed to have his remains buried at a place in Lusaka, which has become known as Embassy Park.
[8] By Statutory Instrument No. 64 of 2009, dated 18 th September 2009, made pursuant to Section 27 of the National Heritage Conservation Commission Act, Chapter 173 of the Laws of Zambia, the said Embassy Park was officially designated as a National Monument.
[9] The second remains to be buried at Embassy Park were those of President Frederick Chiluba who held the office of President from 1991 to 2001 and died on 19 th June 2011.
[101 President Chiluba was outlived by his wife and the decision to have his remains buried at the Embassy Park was made by his wife and family with the concurrence of the Government.
[111 The third remains to be buried were those of President Michael Sata who died whilst in office on 11 th November 2014.
[121 President Sata was also outlived by his wife and the decision to have his remains buried at Embassy Park was made by his wife and family members with the concurrence with the Government.
[131 The Deceased was the only person who held the office of President and who outlived his wife.
[141 There is no law, which obliges the Government to bury the remains of its former Presidents at Embassy Park.
[151 During his lifetime the Deceased was aware that his predecessors whom he had outlived had been buried at Embassy Park. However, his wish, which he shared with his children and grandchildren was that he be buried next to his wife on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia.
[161 His wish was communicated to the Secretary to the Cabinet during his lifetime and the correspondence will be made available after discovery.
[171 President Kenneth Kaunda died on 17 th June 2021 and soon thereafter, the issue of the burial place of his remains came up.
[181 The position of the Government through the Respondent was that his remains be buried at Embassy Park contrary to his wishes.
[191 By letter dated 21 st June 2021, the Children and Grandchildren of the Deceased wrote to the Respondent reiterating the wishes of the Deceased to be buried next to his wife at on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia.
[20] The Respondent responded to the said letter via his letter of 22 nd June 2021 wherein he proposed a compromise: that the remains of the Deceased be buried at Embassy Park on 7th July 2021 and that after a few months the remains be exhumed and reburied on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia next to the Deceased’s wife to conform to the wishes of the Deceased.
[21] In response to the said letter the Children and Grandchildren of the Deceased
sent a letter to the President and copy to the Respondent dated 23 rd June 2021, wherein they rejected the proposed compromise and insisted that the wishes of the Deceased be respected that his remains be buried once and for all next to his wife.
[221 There has been no response from either the President or the Respondent. [23] Plans are at an advanced stage for the remains of the Deceased to be buried at
Embassy Park in complete disregard of the wishes of the Deceased.
11. The Law
(a) The Court Power of Judicial Review
[241 As to the general power of judicial review vested in this Court, the Applicant takes the liberty to draw the Court’s attention to the decision of the Supreme Court in Derrick Chitala (Secretary of the Zambia Democratic Congress) v The Attorney General, l wherein Chief Justice Ngulube said:
After all, since Ridge v Baldwin,2 the distinction between judicial and administrative activities has been swept away and as a general proposition judicial review now lies against inferior courts and tribunals and against any persons or bodies, which perform public duties or functions. There is, of course, no blanket immunity from judicial review even for the President: see Mwamba and Another v Attorney General. 3 (Emphasis ours)
[251 As the High Court’s power of judicial review of decisions of inferior Courts Applicant draws the Court’s attention to the observations of the Supreme Court in Frederick Chiluba v The Attorney Genera wherein the Court said:
“The remedy of judicial review is concerned with reviewing, not the merits of the decision in respect of which the application for judicial review is made, but the decision-making process itself. ‘It is important to remember in every case that the purpose of [the remedy of judicial review] is to ensure that the individual is given fair treatment by the authority to which he has been subject and that it is not part of that purpose to substitute the opinion of the judiciary or of individual judges for that of the authority constituted by law to decide the matters in question.’ (Chief Constable of North Wales Police v Evans [1982] 1 W.L.R. 1155 at 1160; [1982] 3 ALL E.R. 141 at 143, per Lord Hailsham L.C.). Thus, a decision of an inferior court or a public authority may be quashed (by an order of certiorari made on an application forjudicial review) where that court or authority acted without jurisdiction, or exceeded its jurisdiction, orfailed to comply with the rules of natural justice in a case where those rules are applicable, or where there is an error of law on the face of the record, or the decision is unreasonable in the Wednesbury sense (see para. 53/14/27).”5 (Emphasis ours)
[Il It may be contended that the citation of the parties to this application is wrong.
In support of same the Applicant will rely on the case of Dean Namulya Mung’omba and Two Others v Peter Machungwa and Others wherein the Supreme Court said when it comes to matters of judicial review in Zambia, Order 53 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of England and Wales shall apply and that our High Court Rules are inapplicable.
[21 Under the Rules of the Supreme Court of England and Wales applications for judicial review are cited as appears herein and the Applicant relies on the following proposition:
The underlying policy is that all inferior courts and authorities have only limited jurisdiction or powers and must be kept within their legal bounds. This is the concern of the Crown, for the sake of orderly administration of justice, but it is a private complaint, which sets the Crown in motion. The Crown is the nominal plaintiff but is expressed to act on behalf of the applicant, so that an application by Smith to quash an order of (for instance) a rent tribunal would be entitled R. v The Rent Tribunal, ex parte Smith.
Ill. Ground for Judicial Rcvicw
(a) Illegality
It is contended that the decision of the Respondent to bury the remains of
Deceased at the Embassy Park on the 7 th day of July 2021 in line with the wishes of the
Government and thereafter be exhumed and reburied next to the Deceased’s wife Mrs
Betty Kaunda on Sub-Division No. 9 of Sub-Division ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia in accordance with the wishes of the Deceased is illegal for want of authority on the part of the Respondent.
Dated the day of 2021.
AND FURTHER TAI High Court copies of which are attached hereto.
This Notice was filed by:
LONGACRES
Tel.: +260-211-2275741
Email: [email protected]
P. O. Box 36824 | LUSAKA I ZAMBIA I
0768

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR ZA
HOLDEN AT LUSAKA
(Civil Jurisdiction)
In the Matter of Order 53,
And in the Matter of an
KAWECHE KAUNDA
BETWEEN:
THE PEOPLE
THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET Ex Parte KAWECHE KAUNDA
AFFIDAVIT
Verifying the Facts relied on to Support Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial
Review
l, KAWECHE KAUNDA of Sub-Division No. 9 of Subdivision ‘A’ of Farm No. 28a, Lusaka in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia make oath and say as follows:
1. 1 am one of the Children of Dr KENNETH DAVID KAUNDA, the First President of the Republic of Zambia who died on 17th June 2021, at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka, in the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia and the abovenamed Applicant, seeking the leave of this Honourable Court to apply for judicial review on the grounds set forth in the notice of application for such leave.
2. The facts and matters stated in paragraphs 1 and 23 of the grounds in the said notice of application are true to my knowledge.
3. Produced and shown to me marked:
(a) “KKI” is a copy of the letter dated 21 st June 2021 to the Respondent; and (b) “JS2” is a copy of the letter to the President of the Republic of Zambia dated
23 rd June 2021 and copied to the Respondent.
4. In the premises, I respectfully ask for leave to move the Court by way of judicial review as set out in the said notice of application.
5. I depose to the facts herein verily believing the same to be true to the best of my knowledge.
SWORN at LUSAKA by the said KAWECHE
– day of 2021.
DEPONENT’S SIGNATURE
BEFORE ME:
COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS
Tizic;na Marietta, LLB
Advocate of the High Couvi’ of.
Commissioner for Oaths
This affidavit is filed on behalf of KAWECHE KAUNDA, the applicant.

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR ZAMB
AT THE PRINCIPAL REGISTRY HOLDEN AT LUSAKA
(Civil Jurisdiction)
In the Matter of Order 53, rule 3 of the Rules of the Supreme Court.
And in the Matter of an Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial Review by FINANCE BANK ZAMBIA LIMITED
BETWEEN:
THE PEOPLE
THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET Ex Parte KAWECHE KAUNDA
CERTIFICATE OF EXHIBITS
These are the exhibits referred to in the Affidavit of KAWECHE KAUNDA marked and
Dated the – – day of – 2021.
COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS
Tizicna i\/iGfietCi, LLB
Advocate of the High Couli of Zambia
Commissioner for Oaths
to Cabinet 21*t June 2021
Secretary
Government to the Republic of Zambia
Lusaka
Re: Burial for First R ublican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda
We, the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are grateful to the State and the
President, His Excellency Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, for according the First President of the Republic of Zambia, Or Kenneth David Buchizga Mutepa Kaunda,a State Funeral We wish to put it on record that we shall forever remain grateful for this gesture,
Following our disCussion between the family and the State representatives, it was agreed that we, as the family, would provide guidance to the State regarding his burial wishes:
Therefore; the undersigned. children and grandchildren sat to consider governments proposal to bury him at Embassy Park, and feei grateful, but the family requests, with great humility, that the State consider his wish: Therefore, we propose that the First President accorded his last wish to be buried next to his wife the late Mama Betty Mutinkhe Kaunda» on his farm.
– In addition, with the prevalence of the raised coronavirus pandemic, we wish to reiterate that we would not be comfortable to proceed with the ten-province tour ofthe body ofthe First Ptesident;;
We respectfully await further guidance on this matter
Yours,

23 rd June, 2021
His Excellency Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu
President of the Republic of Zambia
State House
Lusaka
RE: Dr Kaunda’s Burial at Embassy Park

The above matter refers and our letter addressed to the Secretary to the Cabinet dated 21st June, 2021 (attached herewith for ease of reference) and the letter of 22 nd June, 2021 from the Secretary to the Cabinet.
We the undersigned, representing the collective view of the Family, have taken into consideration the proposal to exhume Dr. Kaunda’s remains from Embassy Park after the burial to be relocated at his residence as a compromise to the family’s request. However, we find this proposal unnecessary as Our gallant First President needs to rest in peace at his final resting place.
We therefore humbly request that the government reconsiders its decision to bury him at Embassy Park and honour what was his only final wish to be buried next to his dear wife at his residence.
Yours Faithfully,

Kaunda Family
Cc Secretary to the Cabinet
Cabinet Office
Mundaula Kaunda
Mazuba Kaunda
Lubuto Kaunda
Masuzgo Kaunda
Wezi Kaunda
Malume Kaunda
Jennifer Mbuvi

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