Vice President, Inonge Wina is tomorrow expected on the Copperbelt Province for a two -day working visit.

Provincial Permanent Secretary (PS), Bright Nundwe says Mrs Wina is expected to arrive in the area at South Down Airport in Kalulushi district.

Mr Nundwe said the Vice President will on Saturday morning check on the welfare of the Kitwe flood victims accommodated at Helen Kaunda School grounds.

He said Mrs Wina will also visit families whose houses were demolished by Mopani Copper Mines in Luyando Community.

“The Vice president will visit the flood victims and make provisions of relief food before checking on the designated site in Mufuchani area where they will be relocated,” Mr Nundwe said.

Mr Nundwe further said Mrs Wina will later in the afternoon have interactive meetings with the Mines Workers Union of Zambia, ex-miners, marketeers, Taxis and bus operators.

He added that Mrs Wina will on Sunday attend a church service in Kitwe before departure for Lusaka.

“I urge all senior government officers to welcome the Vice president to the province. She makes our work lighter whenever she comes to the province,” he said.

President Edgar Lungu has called on nations to consider re-calibrating their relationship with nature by rebuilding a more environmentally responsible world in the wake of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

President Lungu has said as the world population was approaching 10 billion, nations and their leaders should be able to better understand the web of life in which citizens lived and their relationship with nature.

Addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 75) during the Summit on Biodiversity Leadership Dialogue, President Lungu told world leaders that the Covid-19 pandemic had acutely undermined economic activities across the globe, particularly the tourism and conservation sectors.

The Head of State delivered his address to the General Assembly through a pre-recorded statement on addressing biodiversity loss and mainstreaming biodiversity for sustainable development.

The theme of the Summit on Biodiversity is; “Urgent Action on Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.”

He informed world leaders that the Covid-19 had completely altered human movement and activities hence the need for nations to address zoonotic disease that are emerging as a result of human activities.

President Lungu stated that Zambia’s abundant biodiversity in flora and fauna such as forestry fisheries, wildlife and aquatic biodiversity, which form the country’s socio-economic basis had been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has endangered wildlife species such as Rhinos that require constant protection and management. In many National Parks, Rangers prevent the decimation of wildlife by poachers and also implement other wildlife protection regulations. With COVID-19 cutbacks, the endangered animals might be at increased risk,” President Lungu said.

He cautioned that other consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic included the increased illegal logging, pollution of the ecosystems, and the subsequent closure of ecotourism sites.

President Lungu said Zambia’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2015 had estimated that the country had over 12,500 different species in flora and fauna but that this critical biodiversity was facing a growing threat of loss because of human-induced activities.

“In order to address this serious threat to biodiversity, my government has enacted policy and legislative frameworks to promote biodiversity conservation. Our national Vision 2030 and the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) have integrated environmental issues. We place emphasis on sectors such as agriculture, forestry, wildlife, and wetlands,” President Lungu said.

The Head of State said Zambia had taken practical measures such as the promotion of Climate-Smart Agriculture, the annual National Tree Planting Programme, and the wildlife re-stocking in the effort of addressing biodiversity loss.

He reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to prioritizing sustainable management and conservation of the country’s biodiversity. He said Zambia fully supported efforts on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which is contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Public Service Management Division (PSMD) Permanent Secretary Borniface Chimbwali says Government should be patted on the back for the improved conditions of service it is providing for the civil service.

Mr. Chimbwali was said this when he paid a courtesy call on Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Mukwambuyu Katungu this afternoon.

He said the division is currently touring Western province in the quest to look into the issues of outstanding pension bills and human resource cases.

The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the division is working towards the dismantling of personnel emoluments and leave benefits in the civil service as a way to motive the work force in Government.

Mr. Chimbwali stressed that the 2021 salary negotiations with the unions are yet to commence before the end of the year.

He said the civil service workforce should be in mind that Government has already made steps to increase the personal taxation on salaries from K 3300 to K 4000 next year, saying this is a good motivation.

And Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Mukwambuyu Katungu bemoaned the large number of un-confirmed cases and frozen positions in the teaching service that stands at 217 cases.

Mr. Katungu expressed confidence in the visiting team that all human resource cases will be handled and sorted by the time of its exit.

Meanwhile Public Service Pension Fund Board Member Makai Makai called on the civil service to desist from participating in politics.

Mr. Makai said workers must always support the Government of the day working towards the execution and achieving its programs diligently.

The PSMD Permanent Secretary is in Western Province with a full team to look into Human Resource matters.

Accountant General Kennedy Musonda has cautioned accounting officers against leaking information to the public that come in their possession.

Mr Musonda said accounting officers are privy to a lot of information that sometimes finds its way to the public, especially through social media.

He cautioned officers against abusing social media, especially ahead of the 2021 general elections, adding that any officer found wanting will be disciplined.

“As accounting officers, you are privy to a lot of information that any other person is not privy to, but that does not mean that you have to be giving out information, any information that comes to you by virtue of your position is for employment. You are paid for it,” Mr Musonda said.

Speaking in Solwezi yesterday during a meeting with accounting staff from all the 11 districts in North-Western Province, Mr Musonda said leaking of information is a serious and punishable offence according to the conditions of service of the public service.

“The only person allowed to give out financial related information is your controlling officer here, controller of internal audits, my office, secretary to treasury and auditor general, the rest of you, do not try to become a hero by giving out information that has come to you by virtue of your employment,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, Mr Musonda expressed concern over the increasing number of audit queries in the auditor general’s report which he said was as a result of not following internal audit controls.

Mr Musonda said the lack of adherence to internal audit controls and the public financial management act has contributed to the number of audit queries rising.

“I have noted with concern that audit queries keep going up in the Auditor General’s report because of not complying with internal audit controls. Work with internal auditors, they are not your enemies, to avoid making mistakes that will attract audit queries,” Mr Musonda said.

He advised accounting staff to acquaint themselves with the available regulations in order to offer proper guidance to controlling officers when handling financial matters.

Speaking at the same meeting, North Western Province Permanent Secretary, Willies Mangimela said he expects accounting staff to play a key role in ensuring prudent utilization of resources in accordance with the public financial management act.

“I do not want to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 2021 and start answering audit queries because of your negligence, I will not hesitate to charge you,” Mr Mangimela said.

He commended the office of the Accountant General for interacting with accounting staff in the province to ensure improved performance.

The Accountant General is in the province on an orientation tour to appreciate the financial management challenges that accounting staff are facing in implementing financial regulations.

Government through the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs says it has decided to introduce a Covid-19 Empowerment Fund for the churches.

She said the fund is aimed at helping the churches to come up Covid-19 sensitization in the communities and help the vulnerable in their congregations.

Speaking when she addressed journalists yesterday at Government Complex, Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili said President Edgar Lungu’s administration is aware of the economic hardships the churches have gone through during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Rev. Sumaili stated that her Ministry has been tasked by the President to make modalities of how the funds shall be disbursed and accessed by the church.

“The churches will be informed when this has been done and obviously, we shall make consultation so that the fund is properly administered without leaving anyone behind. Even those churches that in the rural areas should be able to access,” she added.

The Minister further added that the government is grateful for the support it has continued to receive from the church and Religious Bodies as the nation continues to battle with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rev. Sumaili disclosed that churches that operate in school class rooms are still not operating but they have not been banned from using classrooms.

She said the suspension has been done in order to allow the school authorities to organize themselves and see how the pupils can be kept safe in this time of Covid-19.

“The decision to suspend the of use classrooms for worship purposes was done in consultation with the Ministry of health, Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Local Government,” she noted.

The Minister further noted that the issue of churches worshiping in classrooms is receiving the necessary attention as her Ministry is working with other line ministries in finding a lasting solution.

LUSAKA High Court judge Gertrude Chawatama has dismissed a case in which Fumba Chama also known as Pilato and four others wanted to challenge the decision of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to compel duly registered voters to present themselves for verification under a new register for the 2021 general elections as a condition to participate in the poll.

Pilato, Maiko Zulu, Brian Bwembya popularly known as BFlow and two youths Nawa Sitali and Muleta Kapatiso were seeking leave to commence judicial review proceedings to challenge the decision by the ECZ which they argued that it was illegal.

Pilato and Others through their lawyers Mutembo Nchito and Musa Mwenye wanted the court to quash ECZ’s decision for being unreasonable.
But ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano urged the court not to grant the applicants’ application because the case was prematurely before court.
He explained that the case by Pilato and others was similar to two other case in court already in which applicants are seeking similar remedies.
Nshindano urged the court not to entertain the application.

“The applicants are prematurely before this Honourable Court as the respondent is guided by the Electoral Process Act in carrying out of the voter registration exercise and the law provides for a redress mechanism for persons aggrieved with the registration process,” Nshindano submitted.

In her ruling, judge Chawatama said allowing proceedings in the Pilato case to proceed might lead to conflicting decisions by herself and judge Mwila Chitabo who is presiding over a similar matter by the UPND and that that would bring the integrity of the court into disrepute.

She said the decision which would be made before judge Chitabo, although brought by the UPND, would resolve the issues which Pilato and Others have brought before her.

“I agree with the ECZ that the motives for the respective applicants may be different, the rights they all seem to protect are not of those individual groups or the groups they represent,” the judge said.

Judge Chawatama said the complaints emanated from a set of facts, and that is the decision of the ECZ to require currently validly registered voters in terms of the law to participate in a process that amounts to requiring them to register as voters in a period of one month.

“The reliefs sought in the two matters are similar, the gist of which is to quash the said decision of the respondent,” she said.

Judge Chawatama added that she was also alive to the fact that whatever decision she would make, it might impact on the application for leave for judicial review.

She dismissed the application and granted Pilato and others leave to appeal.

Judge Chawatama however, ordered that each party will bear own costs.

Group spokesperson Muleta Kapatiso after the ruling said the applicants were shocked that the matter was dismissed on grounds that it was similar to that of the UPND.

“It comes to us with shock because in our view, this amounts to telling us that until one case which is being handled by judge Chitabo is heard and finalised, no other citizens will raise anything on similar grounds. We will not be forced to join the UPND and their case,” he said.

“We will continue to seek other avenues to ensure that ECZ is accountable.”