Columns

PUTTING 90 per cent of people’s money into Patriotic Front (PF) councillors’ pockets is a damning indictment on a political party that premises its election message on putting more money into people’s pockets. This is a party whose leader, Michael Sata, has, since his first Republican presidential election race in 2001, been promising that if elected into power, he would put more money into people’s pockets. Today, Zambians know that the pockets Mr Sata has been harping about are PF councillors’ pockets!

WHEN the two–day media conference held at Pamodzi Hotel ended with the adoption of a Code of Ethics and Constitution, architects of the few months’ process congratulated themselves for a milestone achievement. But the celebrations were misplaced because the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC) they had...

Many people shy away from VCT for various reasons, one of which is fear of stigma - real or imagined. They would rather treat diseases such as malaria and coughs. Some patients only decide to find out their HIV status when it is too late and their immune system is completely damaged.The most unfortunate part of all this is that even people who are literate, those who work in middle class jobs and some high profile personalities, are also part of the group shunning VCT

IF he is not calling someone foolish, he is describing an elderly political opponent as one with a small brain, lacking logic, common sense or being downright dull. Not only that. He shows absolute disregard for other political players’ intellectual capacity, describing their stand-points on many issues as nonsensical, rubbish and many such demeaning words. In defiance of African or Zambian cultural norms, he scornfully addresses elderly people by their first names without due regard to their

By Elias Munshya wa Munshya The Holy Week is a powerful moment in the life of the Christian church. Each year this week becomes a reminder of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Beginning on Palm Sunday, the Church all over...

There is actually a lot a President who is in a hurry to develop Zambia can do within 100 days to set the stage for enhanced socio-economic development that is sustainable in the long run. From inauguration day on 2nd November 2008, for example, President Banda would have taken measures akin to the following, which do not include recurrent government functions:

by Dr. Charles Ngoma As a little boy in the renamed town of Fort Jameson in the late 60s and early 70s. I was fascinated by two ‘white’ men. They were very successful businessmen in the town. From their farms, fresh produce flowed day in...

by Henry Kyambalesa I wish to comment on The Post newspaper article of March 23, 2010 entitled “Politicization of Relief Distribution Worries DMMU” by Florence Bupe. In the article, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) is quoted as having called for reduced political interference...

It was utterly disturbing to read about Darius Mukuka from Ndola who has been sentenced to 18months imprisonment because he verbally insulted President Rupiah Banda. This shows just how intolerant of opposing views the Zambian government is.It also shows how that ordinary Zambian citizens are supposed to 'bootlick' if they expect to have a decent existence in the Zambian system. Most people are frustrated with the way things are running especially when we remember how things once were.One must not insult their elders but when one does imprisonment is not the solution.If that was the case half the Zambian population should be in jail.Should we all now start shouting 'defamation' every time we are insulted?

WHEN Father Frank Bwalya convened a conference at Buchi Hall in Kitwe dubbed “Save Zambia Campaign’’ and made radical resolutions to embark on a nation-wide campaign against President Rupiah Banda’s Government and the MMD, he expected immediate protestations from the MMD. When there...

The Medical Retention Scheme may not be adequate to curb the exodus of health personnel. The provision for new vehicles, for example, is really not an incentive to individuals who are keen on securing jobs in developed countries where their services would fetch adequate salaries and allowances which would make it possible for them to buy vehicles on their own. And formal education (from Grade 1 through Grade 12) in such countries is generally free! The Scheme, however, is likely to give incentive to those who wish to emigrate to other developing countries in search of higher incomes, a better standard of living and/or a less-hostile environment, among a host of other reasons.

Do not doze in public, lest you fart’, so goes one Zambian saying. After seeing the picture of Hon Rev. Lt Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha dozing in parliament, I was not worried for the Gen doing anything of that sort in his slumber. I was furious because he was sleeping on duty while time was ticking towards his allowance and his gratuity from the hard-earned tax payers’ money. What was even more annoying is that the sleeping honourable is a full cabinet minister whose ministry is blemished with questionable media reforms.

This week I want to talk about consumer driven products and sales driven products. As a consumer of many goods and services in the country, I cannot help it but notice how much companies in the country force their products on consumers. Or using what I call the sales driven products approach. This approach focuses on sales and is designed by the company prior to the launch of the product. However, the consumer driven approach tests the market first and develops a strategy according to the demands of the consumers.

The recent revelation made in Parliament by Hon. Lameck Mangani that Zambia will give K2.7 billion to Zimbabwe as a contribution to the country’s economic recovery needs to be condemned, because Zambians like their counterparts in Zimbabwe are equally facing very serious socio-economic problems.There is, therefore, no wisdom in “stealing” from the poor in Zambia to give to the poor in Zimbabwe. In fact, there is no guarantee that the money will not end up being used by Robert Mugabe in his 2011 presidential bid. Mugabe has already announced that he is ready to contest the 2011 presidential poll regardless of whether or not the country’s new constitution will have been enacted by then.Zambia needs to stop using borrowed money on unproductive ventures. For too long, a significant portion of loans secured by the MMD government has been used on keeping inefficient state companies in operation, financing the production of non-tradables, subsidizing consumption, financing government leaders’ superfluous perquisites, and/or on other unproductive schemes.

By Lwanga Mwilu Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, the day that women can speak and be heard, in theory at least. I am celebrating my day by standing in solidarity with all my fellow women and by imagining a more woman-friendly world through my...