Zambia Records 6 New COVID-19 Cases out of 80 tests in the last 24 hours
Zambia has recorded 6 more COVID-19 cases bringing the cumulative total to 95, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has said. Dr. Chilufya said the 6 new cases are out of 80 tests that were conducted in the last 24 hours and brings the number of active cases to 50, 42 recoveries, and 3 deaths.
Speaking at the latest COVID-19 update, Dr. Chilufya explained that the cases involve three truck drivers who were quarantined at the University of Zambia (UNZA) while the remaining three are from Chipata Compound, Matero and Emmasdale.
“We are actively looking for cases and surveillance coupled with upscaled testing is the strategy so that we find cases, isolate them to avoid further spread. We have since invested in improved laboratory testing” Dr. Chilufya said.
He, therefore, said mass screening will continue in many parts of the country as well as the distribution of masks and called for collective support as the exercises are been conducted. The Minister further said that, so far, 1 300 people were tested in the Makeni area and results are being awaited, with the team conducting mass screening now in Kamwala and Madras areas.
The Minister further said that Zambia will not be forced into adopting medicines or testing processes being done by other African countries, adding that teams are on alert for any evidence for solutions to the pandemic.
The Minister also disclosed that the country has received 50,000 face masks that have been distributed to various communities, among the markets. Dr. Chilufya further said about 20 Members of Parliament have also collected protective personal equipment, hygiene materials that are being distributed to their constituencies
“We have not less than 20 members of parliament including those from the opposition who have joined in the distribution of masks in their respective constituencies. We have quarantined politics because a health issue knows no politics” he said as he called for concerted efforts in the Coronavirus fight.
And Dr Chilufya has disclosed that the Mongu case which was under investigation has been ruled out to be negative.
Meanwhile, Nchanga North General Hospital in Chingola district has put up strict measures at the health facility to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking when Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo visited the facility, Nchanga North General Hospital Medical Superintendent Samuel Phiri said the health institution has put up screening facilities to test all persons entering the place.
Dr. Phiri said apart from screening, management at the health facility have also banned members of the public from visiting patients.
He said social distancing posters have also been placed on benches and also on selected areas of the facility.
Dr. Phiri has since called on Chingola residents to comply with hospital management by following the measures that have been put in place.
And Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo, who donated 450 face masks to health workers at the hospital, has lauded all health workers for their tireless efforts to fight the deadly pandemic.
Mr. Tembo noted that the commitment from health workers will further minimize the chances of recording more COVID-19 cases.
He explained that people and institutions in Chingola have since stepped up precautionary measures following the two COVID-19 cases that have been reported in the district so far.
Declare 28th April, KK Day, Nevers Mumba urges Government
Opposition New Hope President Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba has called upon Government to declare the 28th of April as Kennetj Kaunda day.
In a statement circulated to the media this afternoon, Dr. Mumba who is also former Republican Vice President wished Dr. Kaunda a happy birthday.
“On behalf of my wife Florence, the New Hope Movement for Multiparty Democracy and on my own behalf, I would like to wish our Founding President Dr K.D. Kaunda a happy 96th Birthday”, Dr. Mumba
Dr. Mumba then said that Dr. Kenneth Kaunda sacrificed a lot.
“Not only did he spearhead the struggle for independence but also played the leading role in reestablishing the multiparty system of government in 1990. After facilitating constitutional changes by amending article four, he sacrificially cut his term of office by two years and called for early elections which he lost. His greatness was demonstrated in the manner he responsibly handed over power to the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. A rare attribute on the African Continent”, Dr. Mumba said.
Dr. Mumba then said that Zambia has not done much to honor Dr. Kaunda.
“We have an icon and a greater than a celebrity amongst us, but Zambians have not fully given honor to the great asset in our founding President. He belongs to the class of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jnr and Nelson Mandela. ZAMBIA has a reason to celebrate the life and gift of Dr Kenneth Kaunda. He should serve as a rallying point in our efforts to unite our nation”, Dr. Mumba said.
Dr. Mumba then called upon the Government to honor Dr. Kaunda by declaring 28th April, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda day.
“In the USA they have honored Martin Luther King Jnr with a national holiday on his birthday on 18th of January. In South Africa, they created a Nelson Mandela day on 18th of July. In India, 2nd of October is a national holiday in honor of Mahatma Gandhi. It is also his birthday”, Dr. Mumba
“ZAMBIA will do well to emulate the three nations by declaring a Kenneth Kaunda Day on 28th of April. A nation that honors its patriarchs carries a blessing with it. We urge government to consider honoring the only remaining hero and patriarch in the class of the other three who have already been honored by their nations”, Dr. Mumba said.
Fake immigration consultant arrested
The Department of Immigration in Ndola has arrested a 50-year-old Zambian man for practicing immigration consultancy without registration, contrary to the Immigration and Deportation Act number 18 of 2010 of the laws of Zambia
Mr. Mulenga Salimu of Plot No. 3749 New Mushili, who has since appeared in court, was arrested in Ndola on April 22, 2020.
According to press statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka, Mr. Salimu was arrested after it was discovered that he had been falsely representing himself as an immigration consultant.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nshinka disclosed that the Department of Immigration in the last 12 days, between 15th and 26th April, 2020 apprehended a total of 70 persons of different nationalities for various immigration offences countrywide.
During this period, the department removed 93 illegal immigrants from the country and refused entry into Zambia to 14 foreign nationals, seven for being non-essential travelers. The department also secured four convictions.
“We would like to warn would be offenders that illegal immigration consultancy is a serious offence, one which has seen many people convicted and imprisoned. We would further wish to remind those who are tempted to think that they can beat the system since we went online, that the system is more secure than ever and it will detect their illegal activities,” he said.
Mr. Nshinka has also announced the extension for the deadline of replacement of the booklet type residence permits with digital card permits to May 31, 2020.
He also clarified that the extension does not refer to the collection of the digital card permits, but rather, refers to the successful submission of applications for the replacement, including payment.
“We therefore advise those who have made applications for replacement of residence permits, including those whose applications have been approved, not to be in a rush to collect the cards, as this will only cause congestion, which is not ideal in our fight against COVID-19,” he added.
Students pay glowing tribute to KK’s contribution to student welfare
Students in Zambia have joined Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda in commemorating his 96th Birthday by remembering his contribution to working with students since the time of Northern Rhodesia to liberate the people of Zambia.
The Zambia National Students Union (ZANASU), a mother body of all students Union founded during colonial times as the National Union of Northern Rhodesia Students, said Dr. Kaunda not only worked hard to ensure emancipation of black people through provision of free quality education but that the founding father was a comrade President whose value of student activism cannot be overlooked.
“We celebrate the fact that Dr. Kaunda always valued the student contribution during his Presidency and his administration always took the participation of student leaders in national building seriously,” said Mischeck Kakonde who is ZANASU President.
He said that even though students had been a thorny to Dr. Kaunda’s 27-year rule, students remain thankful to Dr. Kaunda for having been very reluctant to closing down institutions of higher learning in those moments.
“You always wanted to pursue engagement and dialogue with the student leadership to end demonstrations,” said Kakonde.
The National Union of Northern Rhodesia Students was renamed as the National Union of the Zambia Students (N.U.Z.S) on 3rd September, 1965 and later registered as Zambia National Students Union on 17th November, 1965.
Golfs’ Return From Lockdown is a Silver Lining For A Helping Hand
To the unassuming eye, golf is a lifeline on courses across Zambia as the game rambled back to life over the weekend following a month-long hiatus when it was handed Covid-19 immunity of sports on lockdown.
Golf, together with tennis, got the good news last Friday in President Edger Lungu’s bi-weekly Convid-19 update national address.
However, tee-off for now remains strictly a social affair with social distancing guidelines still the rule while all club house bars will remain off-limit’s for the thirsty.
Golfs’ return is especially a big relief for the caddies who charge for their services to carry golfers’ equipment.
Caddies jobs goes beyond the long five-hour trek carrying a loaded golf bag that can weigh anything from 15-20 kilograms on the rolling courses and keeping track of the players’ golf balls positions.
They also play the unofficial role of second opinion technical advisor to the golfers.
But over the last one month, their daily bread and butter was wiped-out to zero.
I got an insight into just how much the caddie and golfer relationship works from a playing member of Chainama Golf Club in Lusaka.
“The green fees are K100.00 while caddies fees per game are K80 but we end up paying K100 because of the silent tip,” the golfer said.
“They can caddie for two or three people in one day…early morning players, midday players and those late afternoon players. Other caddies even have full time bwanas who like pay them something more like salaries”
But with the lockdown, it tested that harmonious relationship.
“One called asking me to send money via Airtel money that he needed to buy medication at the chemist for his sick child,” he said
“Then I got a call that a caddie had died at Lusaka Golf Club. The person who called said they were merely calling numbers saved on his phone for assistance.
“I remembered the caddie because I once used him. I merely gave my number so that the next time my usual caddie was not around, I could use his services.”
And so the lifting of the golf club ban is certainly a welcome financial chip of the ball out of the rough and onto the safety of the greens but sadly where the shadow of a health bogey of global proportions still lurks.
Official Laments Crumbling Sports Facilities on the Copperbelt
The Mufulira Central Sports Organisation has bemoaned the poor state of most sports and reaction facilities on the Copperbelt.
Organisation General Secretary Alick Tembo has cited lack of maintenance and vandalism as some factors leading to the deterioration of sports infrastructure.
Tembo, a former ZCCM sports and recreation officer in Mufulira, also bemoaned the tendency by councils to allocate plots on land that hosted football grounds and play parks.
“The sports complexes on the Copperbelt are in a deplorable state. I am referring to the facilities that used to host ZCCM sports festivals and training such as the ones in Mufulira, Nchanga, Nkana, Luanshya and Chililabombwe,” the ex-Mighty Mufulira Wanderers player said.
“The future of sports infrastructure in Zambia leaves much to be desired as the new and old infrastructure are being vandalised. People concerned have also failed to maintain the infrastructure,” Tembo said.
“To make matters worse our local authorities national wide are busy allocating residential plots forgetting to spare areas for sports complexes,” he added.
Tembo wants councils to take an active role in maintaining existing sports infrastructure while establishing modern ones.
“We are also urging our civic leaders to also allocate funds from Constituency Development Fund for the renovation of defunct clubs and sports infrastructure in a bid to support sports development,” he said.
President Lungu and South Africa’s ANC wishes KK a happy 96th Birthday
President Edgar Lungu as wished First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda a happy 96th Birthday which falls today. In his message of goodwill to Dr. Kaunda, President Lungu said April 28th always brings to his fond memories of Dr. Kaunda as President of Zambia, a title that President LUNGU assumed 24 years later.
The President said he admires Dr. Kaunda’s gallant fight for Zambia’s liberation. President Lungu added that he admires Dr. Kaunda’s fight for freedom and independence of other African nations. He said the story of Africa cannot be told without mentioning the name of Dr. Kaunda.
President Lungu said Dr. Kaunda’s achievements are too numerous to itemize, suffice to say that without his passion to have all young people educated, Zambia will not have been what it is today.
The Head of State said that he prays for Dr. Kaunda’s good health even in his advanced age. President LUNGU said that on behalf of the Nation and his family he has wished Dr. Kaunda a 96th Birthday.
This is according to a statement released to media by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe.
And the South African’s ruling African National Congress has released the following statement to wish President Kaunda a 96th Birthday.
ANC WISHES PRESIDENT “KK” HAPPY 96th BIRTHDAY
Today marks the 96th birthday of the first President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Buchizya David Kaunda.
The African National Congress joins the people of Zambia and the African continent as a whole in wishing this outstanding statesman, freedom fighter and humanist, President Kaunda, a very happy 96th birthday!
President Kaunda holds a special place in the hearts of our movement, our country and her people. He opened up Zambia and made it the home and headquarters of the ANC for over 30 years. This was a demonstration of President KK’s belief that Zambia would not be free until sister countries in the continent that were still under the yoke of colonial oppression were free. He was a great friend of our President Oliver Tambo and became a loyal friend of the people of South Africa during our hour of need. President Kaunda maintained support for the ANC and other liberation movements despite the policy of the apartheid regime which was aimed at the destabilisation of governments in the region. The people of Zambia suffered immensely economically and socially due to President Kaunda’s unwavering support of our country and other countries in the region that were fighting racism and colonial oppression.
President KK is part of a generation of illustrious leaders of the African continent, who dedicated their lives to the liberation of their countries and peoples. In 1963 when he became President of the Pan-African Freedom Movement for East, Central and Southern Africa, he used this position to advance freedom in the region. He extended his influence to the global level after Zambia’s independence, serving as chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 1970 to 1971 and from 1987 to 1988.
The selflessness of President Kaunda and his peers such as our own President Nelson Mandela, President Oliver Tambo and others must inspire us to continue the struggle for an Africa that is free of landlessness, poverty, disease and human suffering.
As we fight the invisible enemy that is the vicious novel corona virus, we draw inspiration from President Kaunda and his peers. We will soldier on and ensure that the freedom they fought for does not disappear in the face of this public health emergency.
President Kaunda was honoured with the National Order of the Companions of OR Tambo by the South African government, the highest honour awarded to international friends of our country who displayed great solidarity during our struggle for liberation.
Happy Birthday President KK. You remain an inspiration to the people of South Africa. We are truly grateful for the gift of your life!
We wish you good health, a long life and success in every endeavour in your retirement.
Let’s honor President KK by adhering to precautions as we fight the deadly Coronavirus and by continuing to #StayAtHome
Protect Yourself. Defend Each Other: Let’s Do It Together
ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, CDE ACE MAGASHULE
Chanda Mbao declares himself president of the ‘yo ballys’ and launches yobally.com
In a bid to make a light moment for his music fans, Chanda Mbao has declared himself the president of an association known as the Yo Bally Association of Zambia (YBAZ for short, we are told). He made the announcement by way of releasing a surprise single a couple of weeks ago. The single was even launched on the website www.yobally.com in a bid to legitimize the association.
When asked about the meaning and mission of the association, Chanda Mbao noted that often young urban youths who speak a certain way in Zambia are stereotyped, and so his goal was to create positive connotations for young urban youths in Zambia. To that end, he published the Yo Bally Code of Conduct on the website which has gotten positive feedback. Chanda mentioned that he intends to get together with young Zambian men to engage in positive activities underneath the auspices of the association but for now he wishes to impart a set of values they should aspire to.
When asked about the song, Chanda narrated that his goal was to release something light-hearted during these tough times and bring a smile to the faces of young Zambians who follow his music. Ultimately, he said, he hopes to be a positive influence and hence his anti-drug references and his drafting of the Yo Bally Code of Conduct.
A very interesting roll-out, we must say!
Check out the song below:
Birthday Tribute Kenneth “Buchizya” Kaunda: The Unexpected One
By Field Ruwe EdD
LION AND THE KING
In the heart of the jungle, man and beast were dead in their tracks, locked in a gaze. Roaring and ready to pounce was the king of the jungle, famished yet strong. Standing at 6ft 2in (1.88m, including the zonky hair) with bicycle above the head, ready to hurl, was Buchizya, the man who would become president.
The bicycle as a weapon was drawn from the entrails of his instinct without a pause of thought. The locking of eyes was about the only defence Buchizya had, triggered by a high level of adrenaline. He, like most of the Chinsali young men who scoured the savannah forest learned that the locking of eyes with a predator such as the one before him, eliminated the surprise of ambush.
In what seemed like eternity, Buchizya’s 24-year old heart did not succumb nor did it lodge into his throat. He could hear it pumping the same way it had since he came into this world on this day the 28th April, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-four in the Bembaland called Lubwa in the Chinsali District.
It’s clear his Malawian parents, missionary and teacher Reverend David Julizya Kaunda, son of Mtepa Kaunda and NyaChirwa both Tongas of Nkhata Bay, and teacher Helen Jengwera Nyirenda, daughter of the Tumbuka (Henga) elderman Mugagana Nyirenda of Chisanya Village near Ekwendeni, were content with seven children. When he showed up, they named him Buchizya, meaning “the unexpected one”—just as unexpected as the lion.
A FATHERLESS CHILD
As a young boy, intuitively mapping his destiny, Buchizya was aware his parentage was a thorn in his side. He began to distance himself from his own tribe and the country of Malawi (Nyasaland). Beholden to Bemba dictates, he embraced the Bemba language and spoke it with an accurate intonation, just like his childhood Bemba friends Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Robert Speedwell Kapasa Makasa, and John Malama Sokoni.
As he grew older, he was able to identify and understand the classifications of thought, codes and pictograms that undergirded the Bemba language and culture. By the time he became a teacher at Lubwa, at the age of sixteen, Buchizya was a quintessential Bemba. An authority on the language, a Bemba gatekeeper would capture not a scintilla of accent.
At the age of eight Buchizya interred his father. The death of David Kaunda rendered a blow in the gut of the Kaundas. David, the African-Malawian who brought rigor to Lubwa was notorious for his impertinence and insubordination to white authority, an attitude that landed him in prison for a couple of hours for drumming for the 10 o’clock church service while the Chinsali Native Commissioner’s wife was still in bed. To the Chinsali white civil servants, and some Catholic missionaries, David’s death brought a sigh of relief.
With David gone, the hamstrings of the Kaunda influence were expurgated and the family was left vulnerable in a foreign land. Without a father, young Buchizya’s deep-seated anxiety about the future took command. Mindful of the indubitable service of his father which so justly entitled him, he saw a sudden necessity of doing for himself that which nudged his sensibility.
From his earliest age, Buchizya was judged to be more determined, more polemical, and more fearless than his siblings—more like his uncle Robert Gwebe Nyirenda. Circumstantially, his uncle, Helen’s brother Robert Gwebe Nyirenda (senior) of Karonga, Nyasaland (Malawi), had stolen his heart, perhaps at birth and washed over him.
Robert, who throughout his teacher’s training at Overtoun Institution, Khondowe, opposed European imperialism gave up teaching, and in 1912 became one of the founders of the North Nyasa Native Association, Malawi’s first political party. It was from this celestial realm that Buchizya descended. As he grew older he unconsciously hopped on his uncle’s golden wings and took a flight.
MORE DEADLY THAN THE LION
But landing was not that easy. There was molten bubbling on the surface. That molten was his identity. It was more deadly than the lion. It was an enigmatic faulty right from birth. When, he told his mother and siblings that he was abandoning teaching and throwing himself into the politics of a country that was not his, they cautiously took a backseat to his ambition for they knew what lay ahead. Buchizya was not “one of us,” many Bembas said. He was a foreigner, a bona fide Malawian, a Malawian Tonga with Tumbuka roots.
But Buchizya “the unexpected” was born an outlier with unbridled ambition. It was not just his handsome ebony face under the kalwena-combed zonky hair, there was a truculent stubbornness about him that never could bear to be terrified at the will of others, not even at that of a lion. In the company of fellow boys; Kapwepwe, Makasa, Sokoni and others, some older than him, Buchizya was often a trailblazer. In general, he was extraordinary in the decisions he made.
He was intrepid too. With a born-to-fight Mtepa mindset, Buchizya, eyes still set on the lion, waved the bicycle. Mtepa was the grandfather he never met, a brave Tonga warrior who died in the revolt against the Ngonis in 1895, seventeen years after David’s birth. Cognizant of Buchizya’s clout, the lion turned, and slowly slunk off into a mesh of elephant grass.
Watching the lion disappear, Buchizya breathed a sigh of relief. As he got back on the bicycle, he thanked God for His tender mercy and sang songs of praise, not in Tonga, Tumbuka, not even in English, but Bemba, the language he had to perfect if he were to meet the demands of his 1952 new role of Provincial Organizing Secretary of the African National Congress (ANC) for the Northern Province.
Riding his bicycle through a forest inhabited by some of the most dangerous creatures in the world, Buchizya was thinking for himself. He was a notch ahead of other early political rising stars Godwin Mbikusita Lewakina, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula, Dauti Yamba, Mainza Mathew Chona, and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe. Unlike them, he possessed a singular ability to translate the majesty of his imagination and idealism into a pragmatic stratagem that befitted his dream—that of becoming president of the Republic of Zambia.
But with the label of “foreigner” stuck to his back like a leech, Buchizya knew his cycling was in vain and the fate of his political career at stake. He knew he had to overcome a deep-seated prejudice and the common wisdom that no foreigner could rule Zambia. Acknowledging only his identity could defeat him, he branded himself a Bemba, and dropped his Buchizya name and replaced it with his father’s name David. Henceforth he was to be called Kenneth David Kaunda. He did so, knowing his father was someone the Bembas revered.
A BRILLIANT STRATEGY
Then, he devised a brilliant piece of political strategy with audacious assertions. Aware recalcitrant friends still held him at arm’s length, and did not fully embrace his self-acquired Bemba kinship, Kenneth doubled his efforts by courageously inculcating his self-proclamation in the minds of the Bemba people, and set out to take their temperature. To this, he got himself a bicycle, an acoustic guitar, a prophetic toga (a cloth draped over the shoulders and around the body), and Jesus sandals. Then later, he added the famous white handkerchief.
The bicycle, the same one that had just saved his life, he used to cycle the breadth and depth of the beast infested savannah; the guitar juxtaposed his melodious voice each time he sang “Tule bomba tule bachulila ba mwansa kabinga” (We are working and suffering for colonizers), and other songs of social protest; the prophetic toga he wore to look like the law giver who met God face-to-face on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments; and the Jesus sandals completed the “prophetic” outfit. The white handkerchief was a necessary prop used when too much pressure was laid on the safety valve of his emotions.
A combination of the above paraphernalia coupled with a good measure of charisma, gave Kenneth an acceptable unique iconic poise. The Birth Trait theory was held in him that “some humans are born with unique qualities that earmark them for leadership, while the majority of people are destined to follow and be subordinate.”
Everywhere he went people gathered in their hundreds to hear him speak. There was a thrum of urgency in his tone when he spoke or sang. Each time he did, his voice rose an octave with unspoken cry for freedom. In towns and cities his fame spread in advance, and people flocked to his rallies. Many considered him a hero—a martyr, even a prophet. When he shouted “kwacha!” they all replied “ngwee!” in hysteria and carried him shoulder high as he waved his white handkerchief.
KK THE LIBERATOR
The lion infested path Kenneth took on his bicycle led him to the State House on 24th October 1964. Along the path, Buchizya “The Unexpected One” guided by his personal beliefs and conviction became Kenneth David Kaunda the radical vegetarian; the prisoner; the humanist; and the liberator.
In a chaotic world, Kenneth became an immensely popular president at home and abroad. At times he used to be everywhere opening doors that were closed to others. Throughout he spoke in a language of unity. Sometimes he spoke in the language of forgiveness and love. Of course there were times he erred. Many times. But is it fair to say he was God given; that although his ninety-six years have been punctuated by brilliant flickers, bedazzling delights, and heart breaking sorrows, his legacy and old age are worth living for. Was he a God? Of course not. Was he a saint? No. Was he like no other? Without any doubt. Is he human? You bet.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT KENNETH DAVID KAUNDA
Author is a US-based Zambian multicultural scholar practitioner and author. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts, U.S.
HH says he will exercise due care in choosing a running mate for 2021
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema says he will not repeat the same mistakes he made before when selecting vice-presidents.
He said if the elective conference allows him to stand on behalf of the UPND, he will then announce the running mate. He pointed out that he will exercise due care in doing so.
“We won’t rush this process. Let’s look at the US example. Biden is the presumptive nominee for the Democrats in this year’s election but they are yet to announce the VP,” he said.
Hichilema said the issue of the VP is one he has deeply reflected on and admitted that in the past he made mistakes that saw him being deserted.
“I admit making mistakes before but not this time. We must learn from our past and ensure that moving forward, we should not only consult but thoroughly vet. I can safely say, you will not be disappointed,” he said.
At some point, the UPND saw a number of its vice-presidents leaving the posts and party under unclear circumstances, these include Sakwiba Sikota, Patrick Chisanga, and Bob Sichinga.
Others include Francis Simenda left on his own after being allegedly offered a position by PF as ambassador to Ethiopia. The PF is said to have cheated him and in less than six months, they dismissed him from his diplomatic job. And Richard Kapita left to campaign for the PF and Edgar Lungu. He was rewarded a position of provincial minister in the PF government.
Dr Cannisius Banda left in frustration after being left out as a running mate to HH. GBM was HH’s preferred running mate.
At one time the National Management Committee of the UPND passed a vote of no confidence in Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba a VP then and asked him to exculpate himself from allegations of gross misconduct.
However, according to the party spokesperson, the high turnover of UPND vice-presidents was not Hichilema’s fault. He claimed that in some of the cases, the ruling party had its dirty hand in it.
President Lungu pays tribute to the Zambian soccer community in remembrance of the 1994 national football team
REPUBLICAN President Edgar Lungu has paid glowing tribute to the Zambian soccer community in remembrance of the 1994 national football team that perished off the coast of Gabon 27 years ago.
In a statement issued to media yesterday by his President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Mr Isaac Chipampe, the Head of State described the accident as one of the most difficult moments for Zambia and wished it had not happened.
” I wish you had reached Dakar, Senegal your final destination, I wish, with your collective talents you could have conquered Senegal and Morocco, we could have probably won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 and we could arguably qualified for the first time to the world that very fateful year” President Lungu lamented.
The President remembered how the very team made the country proud when it thrashed Itali 4- 1 at the Olympics held in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, in 1988.
“I remember how then President of Zambia Dr Chiluba delivered a Eulogy that ended with the nation weeping, I remember anger among Zambians, I remember our sadness but most of all I remember our unity,” President Lungu said.
President Lungu who is Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Zambia also paid tribute to the 1994 ZAF aircraft crew that perished along with the national team off the coast of Gabon.
“I pay tribute to you Colonel Feston Mhone, Lieutenant-Colonel James Sachika, major Edward Nambote, and Steward Thomson Sakala,” the president said.
The Head of State said that as much as the squad of 1993 did not fulfill their mission in 1994 another generation of football players fulfilled it 18 years later when Zambia beat Ivory Coast in Gabon to become the 2012 African Champions.
Sectors recently given green light to operate by President Lungu do not meet the Criteria as Key Economic Activities
The Center for Trade Policy and Development has called on Government to seriously rethink its definition of key economic sectors.
The CTPD is of the view that whilst calls to re-open certain sectors amidst COVID19 are welcome, there was a need to clearly define what constitutes key economic activities and differentiate those that are social in nature.
CTPD Senior Researcher Dr. Simon Manda says key economic sectors are those that contribute immensely to the country’s GDP, job creation, domestic resource mobilization and help to reduce poverty and inequality.
Dr Manda said the sectors which were recently announced by the President fall short of that definition.
“When we talk about economic sectors, we have in mind sectors such as agricultural food production, mining and local manufacturing”, he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Manda has also called on the Government to consider the vulnerable, poor and equally food insecure urbanites as it comes up with interventions aimed at protecting the affected populations from COVID-19.
He has observed with concern that the scaling down of economic activities and restrictions on social movements could create a new stream of urban poor as they face financial constraints due to reductions in or loss of jobs in the wake of COVID-19.
Dr Manda also advised Government to identify needy urban households especially in high density areas and consider introducing support such as through food banks.
“Such food Centers can act as fall back strategies for struggling urbanites,’’ He noted. Dr Manda and disclosed that for Lusaka alone food banks could play a pivotal role in closing gaps in food access to the majority of who do not have reliable access to food and that this raises the need for not only government support but also food charities and ordinary individuals.
Dr Manda added that recent records show that close to 1 million people (between 23 – 30%) are characterized as poor, the majority of whom live in high-density areas.
“These face unique livelihood challenges due to their close connections to markets on the one hand and generating incomes from informal opportunities. These dynamics make food access through markets and most importantly capacity to switch food preferences difficult’’, He added.
Dr. Manda stressed that this can help address not only food insecurity but also food waste by distributing food which otherwise would have lost.
He further added that food banks can play a vital role in supporting and sustaining vibrant local food systems and can leverage their purchasing volumes to support urban food security and regional economies.
Dr Manda has however urged government to consider working with different charities, churches and other key actors to find actual modalities and pathways for delivering food to needy households.
OYDC Zambia In Talks With Mother Bodies To Resume Some Sports Activities
The OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre will consult the Ministries of Health and Youth, Sport and Child Development, National Sports Council of Zambia, and the National Olympic Committee of Zambia on steps to take to resume some sports activities which do not involve physical contact.
OYDC Zambia, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Fredrick Chitangala says this move follows the recent national address by President Edgar Lungu, where he announced that non-contact sport activities such as tennis & golf could resume.
Dr. Chitangala says if the relevant stakeholders give OYDC a green light, the Centre will resume sports activities in tennis, athletics, badminton, table tennis, pool, and chess adding that all those who will be accessing the sports facility will be screened for body temperature at the main gate which will be the only entry to the facility. He adds that not more than fifty spectators will be allowed at every particular event and will ensure that everyone maintains social distancing, wear face masks and wash their hands on entry. All athletes will be required to carry with them hand sanitizers.
The OYDC Zambia, on 17th March, 2020 suspended “All Sport and Non-sport” activities indefinitely following the outbreak of the Covid-19.
“Following President Edgar C. Lungu´s recent national address, the OYDC Zambia, is consulting key stakeholders on next steps to take to resume some of the sport activities which were suspended indefinitely on 17 March, 2020”.I wish to reiterate that OYDC Zambia, values the health of every citizen, and it is our hope that measures being taken by government to avoid the further spread of the virus are adhered to by all wellmeaning Zambians to curb this deadly pandemic which has claimed a number of lives” he said.
U.S calls for seriousness in fighting malaria
The American Embassy in Zambia has called on the Zambian government and the global community not to lose ground in the fight against malaria.
United States Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires David Young said without focused attention and collaboration, there was a risk of running in a dangerous spike in health complications and deaths associated with malaria.
In a statement to ZANIS on world malaria day 2020 today whose theme is “zero malaria starts with me”, Mr. Young said his country through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), has joined the Zambian government and the global community in commemorating the world malaria day 2020.
Mr. Young noted that from 2007, PMI has invested over US$300 million to combat malaria nationwide in Zambia with a focus on five high malaria-burden provinces namely Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Muchinga, and Northern.
He said the funds provided 2.3 million insecticide-treated bed nets and funded indoor residual spraying.
He further said his government and its people had also helped to provide 21 million rapid diagnostic tests and over 8.8 million life-saving malaria treatments to Zambians.
This contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by U.S Embassy Press Office.