President Edgar Lungu has promised to uplift the wellbeing of traditional leaders. The President made the assurance after noting the importance of traditional leaders in the governance system.

President Lungu said government is aware of the vital role traditional leaders play in the governance of the country and hence pledged to care for them.

The Head of State further noted that construction of Chief’s palaces is an ongoing programme despite financial challenges

He said that government intends to work with other stakeholders so that palaces are constructed for traditional leaders to live comfortably.

The President was speaking in Mumbwa yesterday afternoon during a meeting with traditional leaders in response to various challenges that were presented before him.

“As government we are responsible for traditional leaders. We know chiefs are useful but they can only be so when they are comfortable,” the President said.

“The construction of palaces, we remain committed to that even though funds are not available. We are working on it and we will approach other stakeholders whom we know are able to work with us,” he said.

The President added that apart from construction of palaces, government is among other things looking into the issue of transport and subsidies for Chiefs.

And President Lungu further hinted that government desires to see that Mumbwa district like any other town receives improved health care services for the people.

And President Lungu noted that the Ministry of health is working hard in ensuring that newly constructed health facilities are equipped with needed machinery, drugs and human resource to provide health services closer to families and only leave referrals to bigger hospitals.

“We want to provide hospitals with new equipment, human resource and everything that is needed. I will call Minister of Health to find out the status for Mumbwa and also on the issue of ambulances for the district for feedback,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Mulendema who represented other traditional leaders, requested the Head of State to look into transport issues for Chiefs and ambulances for Mumbwa District Hospital and health centres.

The traditional leader also among other things requested President Lungu to consider construction of feeder roads, Chief’s palaces and to help with maintaining of discipline among their subjects.

Other traditional leaders present at the meeting were Chief Moono, Chief Shakumbila, Chief Kaindu and Chief Chibiluma.

National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Godfridah Sumaili says government will continue to work with the Church and traditional leaders to foster development.

Rev. Sumaili said government appreciates the role of the church and traditional leaders as they provide leadership for the people in their various capacities.

ZANIS reports that Rev. Sumaili said this when she paid a courtesy call on Chieftainess Lesa of the Lamba people in Mpongwe district.

Rev. Sumaili said government is aware of the challenges that people in Mpongwe district are faced with and pledged to address the various challenges.

“We want to commit that we will work hand in hand with you our traditional leaders as we do with the church so that together we can develop our country,” she noted.

“We will continue to improve infrastructure, and provide good health care services as well as providing quality education for our children,” she said.

And Chieftainess Lesa thanked President Edgar Lungu for striving to leave no one behind in the country’s development agenda.

Police in Lusaka has opened a docket of a case involving 22 year old male who trespassed at Chingwere Cemetery. Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said the police received a report on burial sites trespass alleged to have been done by Fiesta Tembo of no fixed abode.

She explained that a Cemetery foreman in Matero Township found one male digging out bodies of babies at 04:30hrs today at Chingwere cemetery.

“Police in Lusaka received a report of Trespass on Burial Sites alleged to have occurred on November 9, 2020 at around 0430 hours at Chingwere Cemetery in Matero in which an Assistant Foreman at the Cemetery aged 56 reported to have found one male person unburying baby graves and removing wrappers in which the bodies were. One baby blanket was spotted in the open,” the statement read in part.

Ms Katongo pointed out that the suspect was found unburying baby graves and removing wrappers in which the bodies were.

She explained that upon being searched, Tembo aged 22 was found with a plastic containing suspected cannabis.

“The suspect was identified as Fiesta Tembo aged 22 of no fixed abode. Upon being searched, the suspect was also found with a plastic containing suspected cannabis. A docket of case has been opened and the suspect will also be handed over to the Drug Enforcement Commission,” she stressed.

She further pointed out that the suspect is reported to be a convict facing a similar offence and serving a suspended two year sentence since August 2020.

The Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region has applauded the diplomatic efforts to resolve the border dispute between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The meeting lauded the political will and engagement of Member States, which has culminated into various positive developments aimed at realizing sustainable lasting peace and socio-economic development.

The Ministers also endorsed the candidature of Angola for the position of Executive Secretary of the ICGLR, subject to appointment by the Heads of State in the region during the forthcoming 8th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Great Lakes Region scheduled for November 20, 2020.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Joseph Malanji, participated in the 8th Session of the Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) aimed at reviewing the security and political situation in the region.

The virtual meeting which was held on November 7, 2020, was hosted by the Republic of Congo and attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs/External Relations and representatives of Governments of Member States from Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, and Tanzania.

The committee received reports on the security, political and health situation in the Great Lakes Region and deliberated on the status of the annual contributions by the Member States.

The committee commended the Republic of Burundi and the Tanzania for the peaceful and successful political transition in their respective countries.

The meeting also commended the Burundi and Rwanda on the recent meetings between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs aimed at normalizing the bilateral relations between the two countries.

It further welcomed the formation and operationalization of the Government of National Unity in South Sudan and hailed the signing of a peace deal on 3rd October, 2020 between the Sudan Government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) to end a 17-year conflict.

The committee saluted the decision of the Council of the International Organisation of Francophonie to lift sanctions on Burundi and further urged the European Union to consider progress in the political situation in Burundi and consider lifting sanctions.

The ministers further welcomed the on-going procedures declared by United States government to delist Sudan from the countries sponsoring terrorism.

The Ministers’ meeting was held in preparation for the Ordinary Summit.

The virtual Summit will be convened under the theme “Fostering the Implementation of the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region by intensifying Regional Economic Cooperation and Development.

This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Relations Officer, Chansa Kabwela in Lusaka today.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Nkandu Luo has handed over three thousand improved village chickens and 320 goats to 80 women groups in Chadiza district of the Eastern province.

Prof Luo handed over the chickens and goats to the women at Tadyela Primary School in Chadiza yesterday.

Prof Luo disclosed that the livestock is an exercise to stock and restock animals under the Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Program (E-SLIP) which is meant to improve the incomes and nutrition status of poor households countrywide.

“Government has put livestock development on top of its agenda as it is critical in creating wealth and alleviating the sufferings of rural communities countrywide, livestock are a multiplying resource which can help to grow the country’s economy if well harnessed,” she said.

Professor Luo called on the beneficiaries to share the livestock once it multiplies as it has been given as a pass- on- the- gift arrangement.

Prof Luo also challenged youths to get involved in cooperatives and avoid vices that may disturb their lives.

“I don’t want pregnancies in this programme, don’t create marriages but work together by seeing girls as your sisters and not girl friends,” she said.

Meanwhile Chadiza Member of Parliament Salatiel Tembo thanked President Edgar Lungu for considering Chadiza women clubs on the E-SLIP program.

Mr Tembo said the handover of the three thousand chickens and 320 goats to the clubs is a testimony of government’s pro poor policies.

He is optimistic that the empowerment program will help people in Chadiza especially the women folk to fight off poverty.

And Tigwilane Manja women’s club chairperson Dorika Phiri said the cooperatives in Chadiza are grateful to government for recognizing them as beneficiaries of livestock.

“These chickens can help us to make money through meat and egg sales and so I want my fellow beneficiaries to really take care of the chickens so that together we can realize the benefits,” she said.

E-SLIP is a seven year government program which is being implemented with support from OPEC and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).The project’s small livestock sub-component is targeting to benefit 28,000 poor small households of which 50 percent should be women, 30 percent rural youths and 20 percent men.

Cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) have risen to 7,640 countrywide in the third quarter of 2020 compared to 6,788 recorded during the same period in 2019.

Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said there was an increase of 852 translating into 19.8 percent (%).

Ms Katongo stated that the third quarter of 2020 disaggregated data indicates that 1,849 children were abused countrywide representing 24.2 percent of all the victims of GBV.

She indicated that out of the 1,849 child victims, 1,363 were girls representing 74 percent while 486 were boys representing 26 percent of all abused child victims respectively as well as 4,425 women and 1,366 men were abused countrywide representing 58% and 18 % respectively.

“Under sexual abuse, 832 cases of sexual offences were recorded representing 11% of all the reported cases. Out of 832, 741 victims were girls translating to 89%, 67 victims were women translating to 08%, 23 victims were boys translating to 03%, whilst 01 victim was man translating to 0.1%.A total of 714 cases of Child defilement were recorded of which 713 were girls and 01 case of a boy,” the statement read in part.

Ms Katongo also disclosed that Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 301 translating to 42% of the child defilement cases reported countrywide with Central Province having recorded 102 cases translating to 14% followed by Eastern Province with 89 cases translating to 12%.

She pointed out that Southern Province had 48 cases translating to 7% and Copperbelt Province recorded 44 cases translating to 6% of all the reported defilement cases.

“Others are North Western with 35 cases representing 05%, Luapula, 27 representing 04%, Western and Muchinga recorded 23 each representing 3% each, Northern had 20 representing 03%.118 rape and 21 attempted rape cases were recorded during the period under review. The country also recorded 36 cases of indecent Assault out of which 25 victims were women, 10 girls, and 01 boy. 28 cases of incest were recorded in which 14 were girls, 10 women while 04 were boys as victims,” she said.

Under Physical Abuse, Ms Katongo said the country recorded 2,368 cases translating to 31 % of the reported cases of which 394 tanslating to 17% were males, 1,762 cases translating to 74% were females, 98 cases translating to 04% were girls and 114 cases translating to 05% were boys.

She further said during the period under review, the country recorded 25 GBV related murder cases compared to 23 recorded in the third quarter, of 2019 showing an increase by 02 cases translating to 08% increase.

Under Economic Abuse, The Police Spokesperson said 452 cases of failing to Provide Necessaries of life and 351 cases of Neglecting to Provide Necessaries were recorded translating to 10.3% and 7.9% of reported cases respectively.

“It has been observed that during the initial stage of COVID-19, victims of crime were hesitant to report GBV cases due to misinterpretation of some COVID-19 preventive measures such as the Social Distancing and Stay at home campaigns. The Zambia Police Service has been working closely with cooperating partners in providing support to victims of crime as part of the COVID-19 response and in ensuring that Victims of GBV continue accessing essential service from the institution,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Ms Katongo explained that Police in the recent past have recorded an upswing in the cases of theft from motor vehicles whilst parked more especially at shopping malls.

Ms Katongo emphasized that unsuspecting members of the public have lost various property among them huge sums of money and laptops.

She appealed to members of the public to avoid leaving valuables in their motor vehicles as such attract criminals.

“It is also suspected that criminals are also trailing unsuspecting members of the public from various banks who they later steal from after parking motor vehicles hence we advise members of the public to avoid moving with huge sums of money and adopt other safe transactions such as online banking,” the statement read in part.

She further indicated that police have intensified patrols in strategic areas such as at various shopping malls to enhance security as the country is approaching the festive season.

Transparency International Zambia Chapter President Rueben Lifuka has been re-election as Vice Chairperson of the Transparency International (TI) global Board of Directors.

TIZ Executive Director Maurice Nyambe congratulated Mr Lifuka on the successful renewal of his mandate adding that the board has no doubt that he will continue to fly the Zambia flag high in the global fight against corruption.

Mr Nyambe said Mr Lifuka has spearheaded far reaching governance reforms that have positioned the TI movement for greater impact at different levels of the fight against corruption across the globe.

He said that the renewal of Mr Lifuka’s mandate is a recognition of the efforts that TI-Z continues to make in the fight against corruption in Zambia.

Mr Nyambe said such recognition puts us as a country in the spotlight when it comes to issues of corruption and good governance.

The newly elected TI Board, which is chaired Argentine Dr Delia Ferreira Rubio and comprises members from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, North America and Africa, will provide strategic direction to the global anti-corruption movement for the next three years.

“We therefore wish to renew our call to the Zambian government and other stakeholders to accelerate efforts to fight corruption and promote good governance in Zambia, not just to protect our resources but also to ensure
our good standing in the international community.”

“TIZ remains committed to collaborating with different stakeholders in our quest to eradicate corruption from Zambia, and our presence in these global spaces gives us greater resolve to succeed,” he said.