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Activist and Lecturer Sishuwa Sishuwa has charged that President Edgar Lungu’s silence ok let national issues has created a leadership crisis in the country.
Dr Sishuwa observed that the leadership vacuum is now allowing PF Minister’s to start campaigning for their own political ambitions.
He wrote on Twitter that, “What is the reason for Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu talking less, amidst the impending crises in the economic and health sectors? Are these really the actions of a man in charge? He has only made a single public appearance in the last one month,” Dr Sishuwa observed.
“His absence has created a leadership vacuum. Ministers are campaigning using press conferences to display competence in relation to the running of one’s ministry. The idea is to be seen that one is working and to endear oneself to the public, ahead of a possible leadership bid.”
He added, “When someone like Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo suddenly starts to say all the right things, such as distancing himself from Lusambo’s lawless antics and thanking the UPND for donating resources to the fight against COVID-19, then you know that something is brewing.”
Zamtel, the Examinations Council of Zambia and the Ministry of General Education have launched a national eLearning portal and Smart Revision platform as a way of ensuring continued learning.
The launch of both the e-Learning and Smart Revision portals, which are a complete package for providing alternative and supplementary learning resources for school learners as well as for the out of school children have come at the time when the Ministry wants to bridge learning gaps due to the closure of schools in light of COVID-19.
The national e-learning portal is an electronic platform for educators and learners which has various educational resources for learning and teaching materials such as e-books, links for specialized services and virtual library.
The portal has academic subjects under junior and senior secondary school levels.
The subjects under the junior secondary school are Mathematics, English language, Integrated Science, Social Studies and Information Communication Technology while the Senior Secondary School subjects on the portal are Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry and Physics.
The Smart Revision portal is hosting Examination Council of Zambia past examination papers together with model answers and revision tips for grades seven to nine and twelve as well as General Certificate of Education (GCE) candidates.
The platform is meant to help learners in examination classes from Grade 7,9 and 12 prepare for examinations.
General Education Minister David Mabumba launched the two online platforms in Kasama at Kasama College of Education.
Mr Mabumba said the Ministry of General Education will endeavour to continue meeting the educational needs of the learners and continue taking quality education services as close to the learners as possible.
He said the platforms are expected to provide an opportunity to all learners especially those in examination classes to continue learning and practicing whilst they are away from school.
General Education Minister David Mabumba and ZAMTEL CEO Sydney Mupeta pose for a photo after the launch of the e-Learning and Smart Revision portals in Kasama
Mr Mabumba said Government is elated to see that ECZ has leveraged the services and expertise offered by Zamtel, good example of how partnerships among government institutions can make use of public infrastructure to benefit the people of Zambia.
He commended Zamtel for zero-rating the two services during the COVID-19 period describing the gesture by Zamtel as patriotic.
And Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Sydney Mupeta said the launch of e-learning and Smart Revision is part of the digital journey that Zamtel has embarked on which has seen the company roll out a number of digital products on the market.
Mr Mupeta said the e-learning platform contains rich educational resources including; learning and teaching materials, eBooks, links to specialized services and virtual library.
He said with this immense content, this virtual classroom will cater for all school-going children from Early Childhood Education to Grade 12.
Mr Mupeta said the launch of e-learning and Smart Revision is part of the digital journey that Zamtel has embarked on which has seen the company roll out a number of digital products on the market.
“The launch of the e-learning and Smart Revision Platforms comes at a time when we are facing the challenges in the health sector which have forced the authorities to order the closure of all schools as a precautionary measure following the outbreak of COVID-19. With schools closed, the pupils can take advantage of these products to continue learning from their homes by accessing content online,” Mr Mupeta said.
“The launch of these two products also speaks to the promotion of social distancing as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Meanwhile, ECZ Director Michael Chilala said the e-Learning and Smart Revision portal completes the circle of e-education services that the Council is providing to learners.
He said the two platforms are the latest innovations that the Council has implemented after the successful roll-out of the SMS results release and the online registration of candidates and the most recent e-statement of results taking away the paper-based exam statements.
The eLearning portal can be accessed at www.elearning.co.zm while Smart Revision can be accessed at www.smartrevision.co.zm
President Edgar Lungu has expressed displeasure with the performance of the Zambia Police in North-Western Province.
ZANIS reports that President Lungu said police in the province has not provided enough security to safeguard gold deposits in the area.
The Head of State has with immediate effect replaced North-Western Province Police Commanding officer, Hudson Namachila with Luapula Province Police Commissioner Elias Chushi.
President Lungu said this at State House yesterday during the swearing-in ceremony of Richard Mwanza as High Commissioner to Ghana, Joyce Kasosa as High Commissioner to Kenya, Pandwe Lubamba as Chief Policy Analyst for Project Implementation at State House and Chilije Nyirenda as Police Commissioner for Luapula Province.
“Let me take this opportunity to state that I am disappointed with the poor performance of Zambia Police in North-Western Province. They have not done enough to provide security in order to safeguard the gold deposits in the region. I have, therefore, transferred Luapula Province Police Commissioner Elias Chushi to North-Western and the commissioner for that region will come to Police Headquarters as his fate is being considered,” he emphasized.
President Lungu expressed optimism that the newly appointed Police Commissioner for Luapula Province Chilije Nyirenda will perform exceptionally well as he has been appointed on merit.
The Head of State pointed out that Mr Nyirenda who has been in the Police Service since 1984 will perform without doubt as he has vast experience.
And the Newly appointed Luapula Province Police Commissioner, Chilije Nyirenda pledged to offer total allegiance to the Republican President as well as defending the Republican constitution.
In December 2019 the government suspended all mining exploration activities in Kasenseli in Chief Chibwika’s area in Mwinilunga, North-Western Province.
Mines Minister, Richard Musukwa furthering announced that ZCCM-IH working together with the local people will oversee operations of the mine.
Transport and Communications Minister Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya says the global aviation industry has been negatively affected by the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) which he says will have an impact on countries’ economies.
Hon Kafwaya says movements of people and cargo have reduced following the outbreak of the disease.
He said this when he featured on Sun FM Zambia’s special program on Monday afternoon in Ndola.
“The global aviation industry has lost business because of the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). We had South African Airways flying into Zambia five times a day, Air Link, Ethiopian Airways, Emirates flying five times a week and others, but now only one airline is able to fly into Zambia which is Ethiopian Airways. Sometimes they come with two passengers and in worst scenarios even one passenger. This is the extent to which the global aviation industry has lost business because of COVID-19,” said the Minister.
Hon Kafwaya said players in the aviation sector have to rethink on how to address the impact the disease has caused in the industry.
He reminded the program listeners that President Lungu ordered the closure of three international airports in Zambia namely Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe in Ndola, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula in Livingston and Mfuwe International Airport in Eastern Province as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
He also took time to encourage the listeners to remain at home safely or if they are moving in public to observe social distance and wear face masks so as not to contract the virus.
He emphasized the need for all busses to ensure that their passengers wear masks at all times.
This is not Politics. It’s not about winning or losing elections. It is about saving Zambian lives.
I write this, knowing well that I may sound like a lonely voice in the wilderness or a broken record, but I will say it again.
Mr President, the current interventions we have put in place to stop the spread of the Coronavirus are grossly insufficient. The city center, market places, compounds, public transportation have remained crowded. We MUST lock down Lusaka for a period of time to help us put in place measures that shall curtail the virus from spreading across the country. We still have a small window to achieve this.
This is the third warning we are giving to government. We should not be deceived by the few numbers of infections we are announcing at the press briefings. This virus is deadly and we don’t have capacity to deal with a fully blown pandemic.
COVID-19 may be the burial ground for the PF government. If the virus is not contained and the country begins to lose unprecedented number of lives, no Zambian shall forgive the PF government because they have been warned several times.
The government has only now, announced the mandatory wearing of masks. As important as this measure is, more than ten million of our people cannot afford these masks. Government has made no adequate arrangements to provide these masks for the poor who are the most vulnerable.
We urge government to adopt a systematic way of distributing the masks. We encourage the private sector, churches to play their part in providing masks to the most vulnerable, but government must lead the way.
The perception of wide circles of our society is that Patriotic Front Party, your party has jumped on this unfortunate vulnerability to make masks using their campaign material.
Mr.President, we would like remind you that Zambians consider all such acts being carried out by senior or prominent members of the ruling party as insensitive, immoral and an abuse of power.
Lastly, Mr.President, we do realise that any serious attempts to lock down the epicentre WILL require serious resources that can adequately cover the cost of feeding or distributing food packs to communities in affected areas.While this is at a huge cost, the cost of dealing with a fully blown pandemic will be much much worse and it will be completely UNMANAGEABLE.
The success of this life or death exercise lies in its being apolitical and free from limited partisan interests. I end with a quote from the WHO Director General, “ Please do not politicize the COVID-19 fight other wise you shall end up with more body bags. Please quarantine politics away from this fight..”
Again, for the third time, Mr President , shut down the most affected cities and contain this virus and let us fight this invisible enemy together.
Social Scientist Innocent Kolala says it is disappointing that the recruitment of medical staff as directed by President Edgar Lungu is delaying while positive cases of the coronavirus are rising in the Country from only 2 on 18th March, to more than 60 cases on 19th April 2020.
About three weeks ago, the Zambian Government through the Ministry of Health announced the planned recruitment of 400 medical doctors and 3000 other health workers to scale up the fight against Coronavirus Disease.
Mr. Kolala said the services of health workers are needed more, now than ever before to help fight this pandemic which has devastated millions of people across the globe.
He said there is need for vigorous screening and testing especially in border areas and the people to do this are health workers, so the delay to recruit is creating a disaster, bearing in mind that borders are crucial entry points for diseases such as COVID-19 and if not properly managed would affect the Country significantly.
Mr Kolala has appealed to bureaucrats in charge of these recruitments to speed up the process or risk being reactive because the COVID-19 has potential of escalating to uncontrollable levels as witnessed in some Countries.
He noted that President Edgar Lungu has shown leadership by directing the employment of more health workers especially during the coronavirus disease fight, and through the hardworking Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya as well as other cabinet Ministers, it is expected that implementation is given the attention it requires.
He said those responsible for ensuring that the Presidential directive is actualized to quickly do so.
Mr Kolala said the addition of only 3400 health workers is, however, not enough for the Zambian health sector which has been facing human resource shortages for a long time thereby straining existing personnel with unprecedented work overloads and abnormal hours of working.
He said with the way coronavirus cases are rising in the Country, the Government should consider adjusting upwards the numbers of health workers to be employed as the recruitment exercise progresses.
He said the health sector is a critical one because it involves life, and a healthy citizenry is among major ways of enhancing productivity for a sustainable economy.
From the 600 tests that were conducted in the last 24 hours, Zambia has recorded 4 new COVID-19 cases.
Briefing the media this afternoon, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya said that disclosed that 3 cases are from the mass screening in Kafue while the other case is a primary contact of the deceased from Chilenje hospital.
“The case involves a 42-year-old man of Kafue out of the mass screening, a 45-year-old man from Shikoswe in Kafue, 31-year-old female also from Shikoswe and a 22-year old male who is a primary contact of the woman who died at Chilenje level one hospital,” Dr. Chilufya said, adding that investigations have been constituted on all the positive cases to determine their contacts.
Dr. Chilufya noted that recoveries have continued to be made with 2 more recorded bringing the total of those discharged to 35 and, cumulatively, the cases now stands at 65, 35 recoveries, 3 deaths and 27 active cases which are all stable.
Dr. Chilufya further said that Kafue still remains a hotspot and as such, mass screening is still ongoing and further announced that similar screening exercises will be conducted in Lusaka.
“It does not help you to shun screening. You are putting your life and that of your neighbor at risk if you avoid or hide from being screened,” Dr. Chilufya said and urged people to be cooperative with all health authorities who are conducting the exercise.
Dr Chilufya emphasized that early detection of cases and isolation of positive cases to reduce human to human transmission of the virus by disinfecting public places is a priority and encouraged the need to adhere to the mandatory wearing of masks in public places.
He further assured that government is and will continue to distribute face masks as evidenced by today’s earlier distribution in Chilenje as well as other parts of the country by members of parliament and other stakeholders.
“As you can see, it is getting denser with the contacts and that is why it is important to follow all the directives to stay at home, social distancing should be followed because it is easy to transmit the virus if we do not control our movements, ” Dr Chilufya said.
On incentives for frontline health personnel, Dr. Chilufya assured that President Edgar Lungu’s commitment to incentivize health workers who are sacrifising in the fight against Coronavirus still stands and will be fufilled as he assured that the head of state recognizes and appreciates all the health workers as well as other stakeholders who are contributing in every way to the fight.
Jay Rox released the video for “Pala Ba Nda” featuring Tommy D and Bobby East
This is a single off Jay Rox’s brand new album titled SCAR. This music video was inspired by Joaquin Phoenix’s role in the Joker and Money Heist (Netflix). The bright part of the video represent the hope that my people have for a better tomorrow.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia (PSZ) is concerned that cloth face masks that people are making to protect themselves from the corona virus have zero percent protection.
PSZ President Jerome Kanyika argues that there is no scientific evidence to show that cloth face masks can prevent Covid 19 and that different research conducted indicate that the masks have zero percent protection against the virus.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Kanyika feels the best preventive way is to observe social distancing and washing hands with soap.
He explained that in as much as the presidential directive to all citizens to wear masks is welcome, the best government can do is to distribute free face masks to citizens if this order is to be successful.
In a related development, Patriotic Front National Youth Committee Member, Francis Kapyanga says Zambia will not succeed in the fight against the corona virus if the on-going exploitative prices of all products used in the prevention of the virus is allowed to continue.
Mr. Kapyanga is concerned with the high level of exploitation of consumers wishing to buy products such as masks, hand sanitizers and wipes, a trend he says is negatively affecting efforts in the prevention of the disease.
He is appealing to government to immediately use relevant agencies to put price controls on products being used in the fight against Covid 19 as only a few privileged individuals can afford to procure them.
The government has Suspended customs duties and Value Added Tax on additional medical supplies used in the fight against COVID-19 in order to expedite the provision of medical-related devices needed to support the fight against COVID-19.
Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu says the government will extend the list of medical supplies that are not subject to Import Duty and Value Added Tax for an initial period of 6 months.
Dr Ng’andu says the complete list comprises 38 individual items which include testing equipment, protective garments, thermometers, disinfectants, sterilization products and other medical equipment such as ventilators and patient monitoring devices.
He also said that in order to assist companies and businesses manage their cash flows during this period when they are faced with reduced revenues, Government has decided to waive tax penalties and interest on outstanding tax liabilities resulting from the impact of Covid-19.
Addressing the nation on further measures aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus on the Zambian economy, Dr Ng’andu said the Zambia Revenue Authority will soon issue guidelines on the criteria on who qualifies, the period of relief and other related modalities.
And Dr Ng’andu said government is still engaging the International Monetary Fund with the view to benefit from appropriate facilities to which Zambia qualifies apart from those which have already been rolled out.
Dr Ng’andu said with respect to an economic programme, Zambia has just completed a two-week virtual mission with the IMF at which an assessment of the macroeconomic and fiscal situation was undertaken.
He said this follows Zambia’s request for an economic programme with the IMF which was made at the end of 2019.
Dr Ng’andu added that Zambia will now discuss with the fund on an appropriate macroeconomic framework that may lead to a programme.
Meanwhile, Dr Ng’andu said Zambia has further applied to the World Bank, the African Development Bank and Afreximbank to be considered for support under their various Covid-19 Emergency Funds.
He said Bilateral discussions have also commenced with a number of G20 countries on the postponement or rescheduling of debt service payments over a period to be agreed.
Dr Ng’andu said engagement with the bilateral partners center around the possibility of them meeting the financing gap arising from the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the fiscus.
Police in Maamba of Southern Province have arrested a male adult identified as Paul Mayembe aged 37 for allegedly stabbing his wife to death with a kitchen knife.
Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo identified the deceased as Grace Mutale aged 36 of New township in Maamba District.
Mrs. Katongo said the incident occurred in the early hours of today, 20th April 2020 at about 01:00 hours at New township.
She said Police who visited the scene found the body of the deceased lying on the bed facing upwards in a pool of blood with a deep cut on the left side of the neck.
Mrs. Katongo said a blood-stained kitchen knife was recovered from the scene and the suspect who did not run away has been apprehended.
She said in a statement that preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident was a result of a domestic dispute.
Finance Minister Bwalya Ngandu says it is estimated that the budgeted revenue will fall short of the target by at least K14.8 billion or 19.7 percent of the approved 2020 budget.
Dr Ng’andu said this estimated impact does not include the revenue loss arising from the tax relief measures that he announced on 26th March 2020.
He said it is based entirely on the expected economic adjustments due to COVID-19 adding that in the projections, the Government has assumed that the peak period for the impact of the Coronavirus on revenues in April and May.
“If we further assume that the pandemic will be quenched by August 2020, we project that the negative impact on revenue will continue until December 2020.
Dr. Ng’andu said in addition, projections suggest that the reduction in the price of copper on the London Metal Exchange will continue until June resulting in a drop in mineral royalty and income tax payments from mining companies.
He said Pay As You Earn from the mining sector is also expected to fall as some contractors may lose their contracts going forward.
Announcing further measures aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus on the Zambian Economy said scaling down of mining sector activities will lead to reduced engagement of foreign providers of management services, hence affecting Withholding tax receipts on management fees and consultancy.
He said the scaling down of economic activity is expected to cut across all sectors including manufacturing, transport, power generation and transmission, wholesale and retail trade, tourism and the hospitality industry in general.
Dr. Ng’andu said this will basically translate into a reduction in all tax and non-tax revenues among them PAYE, VAT, customs duty, excise duty, fuel levy, export duty, road user charges, fees, and fines.
He said in responding to these challenges, President Edgar Lungu directed the Ministry of Finance to prioritize the saving of lives by providing the Ministry of Health with resources needed to undertake the fight against the pandemic in a timely manner.
Dr. Ng’andu said furthermore, in order to prevent companies from collapsing under the weight of the current challenges, President Lungu has directed that both the Ministries of Finance and Commerce, Trade and Industry workout measures that will sustain businesses during this period.
He said in arriving at these measures, the Government engaged various stakeholders, including the business community as well as bilateral partners on the possible interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19.
Human Rights Defender Fumba Chama popularly known as Pilato has described as primitive and not efficient the manner Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo is enforcing the Presidential declaration making the wearing of face masks mandatory in Zambia.
Pilato says the problem with the Bowman approach is not how he decides to whip or who he whips but how he thinks that laws or presidential declarations must be enforced.
He said statecraft is the art of managing the affairs of the country and this must be done through well-designed systems.
Pilato said these systems are collaborative in nature to ensure that there is efficiency and effectiveness in the management of the state affairs.
Below is a full writeup….
Midnight rant
The Problem with the Bowman Approach is not how he decides to whip or who he whips but how he thinks that laws or presidential declarations must be enforced. I wish to submit that his ways of enforcing the Presidential declaration are primitive and not efficient at all and here is why?
Statecraft is the art of managing the affairs of the country and this must be done through well designed systems. These systems are collaborative in nature to ensure that there is efficiency and effectiveness in the management of the state affairs. If Presidential decrees or laws depend on an individual to whip people into obedience then the state systems have collapsed and we are all advised to call our grandparents in the village and tell them that we are in trouble. In Zambia we have 10 provinces and only one Bowman Lusambo. If he is in Cairo Road kicking asses then what happens in Kafue where he can’t be at the same time he is in Lusaka? Can Bowman be in Lusaka and be in Chinsali at the same time to ensure that the Presidential decree is obeyed? If he cant then his approach is primitive.
Government has structures weaved in what I called a system, if this enforcement of the law or decree was done through government established systems, we would have been assured of efficiency in making sure that those who have refused to be sensible in this crisis are dealt with righteously and by now they would have been gripped with the fear of the lord without paying tithes.
The problem we have been faced with in Africa for a long time now is the “powerful man syndrome” where leaders become very powerful than the system they are supposed to be guided by, we have powerful leaders but weak institutions. We have men of action but institutions of inaction. If the only way we can prevent the spread of this Covid 19 is by Lusambo’s whip then our problems are bigger than the red sea we would need Moses to strike the sea and Bowman to strike our bums for us to pass through this crisis. We do not need powerful leaders only but powerful institutions and systems that should guide all those that work for the government. Leadership of powerful men and women is not sustainable because when they are gone, everything goes back to zero. But systems remain.
I do understand some of you my friends have applauded this simple approach in dealing with a very complex problem. I understand this appreciation for him, it is because he is trying to fill a leadership vacuum that can only be filled in by an elected president. There are certain actions by the state that can only be triggered by the president and in moments like this you would expect that the president would make certain decisions to make sure that lives of the people are safeguarded in a very systematic order. Instead of these kangaroo jumps we need a more efficient approach in ensuring that lives are safe even in places where Bowman is not present.
Mr. Bowman Lusambo is daily moving up and down while we are told to stay home, what if he has been exposed to the virus in the process?
Has anyone checked his temperature yet?
Does he think that wearing the ECL hoodie is protection enough from the virus?
UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma has distanced the party from the face masks produced in its colors and has warned members of the public to reject the masks.
Mr Kakoma says the UPND has not produced and will not distribute anything marked in its party colors towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the party position, as directed by their Leader Hakainde Hichilema remains that it shall not engage in any form of politics on the issue of COVID-19 as it is a matter of serious national concern that transcends party politics.
Mr Kakoma has maintained that the party shall not produce branded personal protective equipment and has accused the PF of being behind the masks that has surfaced in Southern Province in UPND colors.
But PF Media Director Sunday Chanda has called on the UPND to reconsider its anti-masking campaign as a matter of urgency.
Mr Chanda said this is not a time for taking such a campaign, for so many reasons beyond the call to unity during this pandemic.
He noted that the World Health Organisation is predicting that Africa coronavirus cases could hit 10 million in six months, should the models be accurate.
Mr Chanda said this by itself must be a wakeup call for all stakeholders, including political parties to contribute positively to the fight against Coronavirus.
“Our Health sector is doing everything in their power and capacity to slow down the rates of infections in Zambia by encouraging all Citizens to adhere to the strict prescribed hygiene measures. To ensure the rates remain low, and most importantly, it is mandatory for everyone to wear masks in public”, he said.
Mr Chanda said any type of mask that helps protect the citizens is a life-saver under these circumstances adding that this means that all stakeholders, including political parties must do what is necessary to help, especially those in society who are unable to buy masks fetching between K15 and K25 per piece.
He expressed hope the UPND will be able to see the bigger picture the pandemic and consequently rescind its anti-masking campaign.
Mr Chanda has urged the UPND to make homemade masks irrespective of the colors or branding and avail them to ordinary members of the public for free.
He said such a donation from UPND, will help citizens using public transport every day, Marketeers who are selling every day, and many others in compounds who cannot afford to spend K25 daily on masks.
Mr Chanda said for the sake of these and many others,UPND should immediately reconsider its anti-masks campaign and instead act by complementing Government efforts to ensure that every citizen has access to a mask, on a daily basis, until this pandemic is over.
