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Mopani denies Owing Kitwe City Council K58 million

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Mopani denies Owing Kitwe City Council K58 million

Mopani Mines has accused Kitwe City Council of increasing rates by 600% outside the binding agreement.

On Wednesday, Kitwe City Council bailiffs pounced on Mopani Copper Mines in an attempt to collect various properties after the mining company refused to pay the K58 million owed to the local authority under the new valuation roll as approved by the rating tribunal.

But in a statement, Mopani also refuted reports that it owes Kitwe City Council a staggering K58 million in Property rates.

The mining giant alleges that it entered into a 5-year agreement with Kitwe City Council in 2015 to pay K8 million a year and that the agreement remains valid until end of 2020.

“Earlier this year the Council without prior consultation, increased the rates to K58 million (+600 percent) contrary to the provisions of the Agreement, and rejected Mopani’s offer to pay the undisputed amount of K8 million while negotiations were ongoing.“

Mopani Copper Mines PLC has since disputed the rates in the High Court, which granted a Stay of Execution against the award of the new rates.

“Mopani remains a long standing partner to Kitwe City Council. The act of sending bailiffs to collect a disputed debt, which is still before the Court of law is concerning. Mopani has since made the full payment for the undisputed K8 million and remains hopeful of a swift conclusion to the matter,” read part of the statement.

But Kitwe City Council says it dismayed by Mopani’s statement claiming that it has increased the rate by 600%.

In clarifying the matter, the council has indicated that the agreement Mopani is alluding to in its statement was tied to the life of the 2014 Valuation Roll which expired in 2019.

It said the preparation of the valuation roll is governed by the Rating Act No. 21 of 2018 and the process is very consultative as observed from the timeline of events which occurred during the review of the 2014 valuation roll.

The statement indicates that, on the 11th October 2019, the Council passed a resolution to propose the rate levy from K0.016 or 1.6 ngwee in the 2014 valuation roll to K0.0165 or 1.65 ngwee under the 2019 valuation roll giving the difference of K0.0005 representing an increment of 3%.

“The Council resolution on K0.0165 rate levy was published in the gazette on 14th October 2019 and in the print media on 16th October 2019 to invite the leaseholders to inspect the valuation roll which inspections ended on the 11th November 2019,” says the statement.

The Council has revealed that Mopani lodged an objection to the effect that the levy of K0.0165 was too high but did not dispute the value of properties on the roll.

“Thereafter, the Mine and the Local Authority held meetings to narrow the differences in opinion where it was agreed that parties proceed to seek the Valuation Tribunal decision on the rate levy proposed by the council. However, the Valuation Tribunal after hearing both parties, agreed with the Kitwe City Council accordingly. Consequently, the 2019 Valuation Roll came into effect on 1st January 2020.”

“Upon service of the bill, the mine sued the council and obtained a conditional stay of execution which elapsed by the date of execution” says the statement.

Kitwe City council has confirmed that, part payment of K8 million has been paid and the mine has committed in writing to resolve the remaining balance of K21,241,913.51 within five days from 1st July 2020 which is the date of the commitment letter.

This payment is for the period 1st January to 1st July 2020. The Council is hopeful that the mine will honor its commitment within 5 days as promised.

Kitwe City Council has further urged companies and residents to settle bills on time as the local authority requires resources in order to provide the much needed services.

MMD Youths launch Operation KU SEKWILA 2021

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MMD Youths launch Operation KU SEKWILA 2021

Opposition New Hope Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Youths Yesterday launched the Operation KU SEKWILA 2021.

Speaking yesterday at the MMD Secretariat, MMD Vice Youth Chairperson Mr. Joshua Mulenga said that bad weeds have taken over the Governance of Zambia.

“We the Youths of the New Hope MMD are shocked with how bad Weeds such as Corruption, Unemployment, theft, mismanagement of the Economy, Poor Currency just to mention a few have outgrown in the field of Governance of our beloved Country Zambia. These weeds have hampered the growth of Zambia”, Mr. Mulenga lamented.

Mr. Mulenga said that MMD Youths had decided to launch Operation KU SEKWILA 2021 to Save Zambia.

“When we left Government in 2011, Zambia’s Economy was a rising star, the Dollar was less than k4, Mealie Meal was less than K30, the Unemployment rate was low just to mention a few. Now the situation is quite the Opposite, The Kwacha is dancing to the dollar, Mealie Meal which is a staple food is now a delicacy for the rich. It is because of these bad weeds that We the Youths in the New Hope MMD have decided to launch the Operation KU SEKWILA 2021 to make sure that Zambia is Saved next year”, Mr. Mulenga said.

Mr. Mulenga urged the Youths to rally behind the New Hope MMD and Dr. Nevers SEKWILA Mumba because all the bad weeds will be weeded out next year.

“We would like to take this opportunity to call upon all the Youths especially Us the Disgulted Youths to rally behind the New Hope MMD and Dr. Nevers SEKWILA Mumba. The MMD has a track record of Sekwilaing the Weeds during the time We were in Power and We can and We will SEKWILA these Weeds once we bounce back in power next year”, Mr. Mulenga said.

President Lungu drops four South DC’s

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President Lungu drops four South DC’s

President Edgar Lungu has appointed four new District Commissioners in Southern Province.

The new DCs include Brenda Mwenda for Kalomo, Timothy Siakiziba for Gwembe, Kanji Musokotwane for Kazungula, Ephraim Mwanjabantu for Siavonga and Munachongo Muleya for Monze.

Siavonga’s Lovemore Kanyama, Cosmas Chiiba for Kalomo and Gwembe’s Justus Phiri have since been benched.

Provincial Permanent Secretary, Mwangala Liomba has confirmed the appointments in an interview and adding that Pascalina Musokotwane moves to Livingstone from Kazungula.

Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu is today expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit.

President Lungu is expected to arrive in Livingstone in the morning and will immediately proceed for a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a four star Mosi-0-Tunya Livingstone resort hotel and conference facility.

Dr. Hamukale explained that the project is an outcome of the 2019 Southern Province tourism and investment exposition.

And President Lungu will on Saturday travel to Monze to commission new housing units for the Zambia Correctional Service.

President Lungu will later in the afternoon be in Mazabuka to commission another set of housing units for Zambia Police Service.

UPND goes to court over Bill 10

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UPND goes to court over Bill 10

Leader of the opposition Jack Mwiimbu has commenced judicial review proceedings before the Lusaka High Court over the Speaker’s decision to allow debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019.

Mr. Mwiimbu wants the Court to halt the debate in Parliament over the bill saying the bill’s life elapsed on June 2, 2020.

Lawyer representing Mr. Mwiimbu, Mulambo Haimbe confirmed the development in an interview.

The UPND this week maintained that Parliament should not make a mistake of retabling Bill 10 of 2019 as the party will be left with no choice but to seek legal redress through the courts of law.

The party has further revealed that the Patriotic Front’s interest in Bill 10 lies in the repealing of Article 52 (4) of the current Republican constitution as amended in 2016 which empowers citizens to challenge the nomination of a presidential candidate.

At a media briefing this week, UPND deputy national spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says by his own confession, Chief Government parliamentary whip Brian Mundubile agreed that Bill 10 lapsed on June 4th,2020 in accordance with procedures and practice of parliament on the lifespan of Bills.

Mr. Mweetwa said the fact that the Bill died twenty days before the Standing Orders Committee decided to defer it to another day is indisputable while what is in dispute is whether the Standing Orders Committee has the jurisdiction to defer a dead Bill to another day.

“What is in dispute is the question on whether the parliamentary Standing Orders Committee operated within its ambits to extend the life of a bill whose life expired 20 days before. What is a fact is that the committee can only give life to a Bill which still has life left in it. This is the position of the UPND legally and procedurally. There is no law which allows the Standing Orders Committee to resurrect any dead Bill”, he said.

Mr. Mweetwa added that the UPND would have no option but to seek legal action and seek interpretation on the provisions of the law surrounding the issue should the PF and Parliament opt to bring the bill back on the order paper as announced by Justice Minister Given Lubinda on the floor of the House.

The UPND Deputy National Spokesman further revealed that the PF interest on Bill 10 is to tamper with Article 52 which provided for challenging the nomination of a presidential candidate by a citizen.

“The PF is scared that President Edgar Lungu’s candidature is likely to be challenged using Article 52(4) of the current constitution hence wanting to repeal the said article using section 12 of Bill 10. The issues in bill10 such as the return of deputy ministers, coalition government, dissolution of parliament were not part of the original plan. These were deliberately introduced to create a ploy to cause confusion. The PF should deal with issues that affect the governance of this country and not those that are political in nature. The PF should not attempt to remove the rights of the people in the constitution to challenge any illegalities” he said.

El Mukuka, HVMZA and Marocco bring the latin flair to winter with the massive collab track ‘Dame’

Entertainment Editor
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El Mukuka, HVMZA and Marocco bring the latin flair to winter with the massive collab track ‘Dame’

“Dame” is a fun, cheeky and light-hearted track about romance and was created in a late-night studio session in Berlin 3 years ago, but was put on the back burner shortly after. El Mukuka had just travelled to Spain right before the song concept was born and was inspired to create a piece of music that fused flamenco with deep house and a spice of Afro-house too. The team also incorporated a fun Latin guitar riff that brings out a sexy summer vibe. The song, like most of Mukuka’s music, is a cultural melting pot.

In 2019 during a studio session in Zambia, El Mukuka played the track to Marocco and she fell in love with it. “We did some additional writing and decided to have the song in both English and Spanish. At almost the exact same time I was introduced to the music of the Belgium-based DJ/Producer HVMZA. I started to play a lot of his music in my sets and we connected on social media where we began to discuss music and collaborating. I played him “Dame” and we instantly clicked. As we were developing the production, I started to test the song out on tour during most of my key sunset parties in Zambia, Uganda and South Africa at Ultra Music Festival right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Africa. The response was great, everywhere!” explains Mukuka on how the collab came about.

With most of the world under lockdown due to the pandemic, an upbeat song like ‘Dame’ is the perfect cure for the lockdown blues.

Mukuka also has a special message to the fans during this pandemic: “I hope this song will be a contrast to the hardships most of us are facing during these unprecedented times. Stay strong and healthy so that we can party again soon! Much love!”

 

Kambwili calls for the Fielding of One Opposition Presidential Candidate for 2021 Elections

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Kambwili calls for the Fielding of One Opposition Presidential Candidate for 2021 Elections

National Democratic Congress Leader Chishimba Kambwili has called on all genuine opposition parties in Zambia to unite and field only one candidate in next year’s presidential elections.

Featuring on Radio Phoenix, Mr. Kambwili stated that leaders of opposition parties should do away with their egos and do that which the people of Zambia are demanding, which is unity of purpose, similar to what was done in Malawi.

Mr Kambwili stated that opposition leaders should be ready to set aside personal ambitions for the good of the country and the desires of the people of Zambia should come above self interest.

He has since disclosed that the Opposition Alliance partners including NDC, UPND, RPP, and ADD are already in discussions with a view to developing a framework for a united opposition in support of only one Presidential candidate.

Mr Kambwili added that he is fully committed to this proposition for the purpose of liberating the people of Zambia from the corrupt PF government.

Several stakeholders have urged the opposition in Zambia to Unite if they are serious about removing the PF from power next year.

History Dr Euston Chiputa says continued fragmentation of the opposition gives the PF an upper hand in next year’s polls.

Dr Chiputa is urging the opposition to unite and their counterparts in Malawi who have united for the purposes of removing the ruling party and ushering in a government that is interested in the wellbeing of the people.

Konkola Copper Mines detects impending caving in of the Ground at the Nchanga Open Pit

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Konkola Copper Mines detects impending caving in of the Ground at the Nchanga Open Pit

Konkola Copper Mines has predicted an impending slough (Caving in of ground) after its geo-technical assessments detected some slope instability at the Nchanga Open Pit Cut 2 in Chingola.

KCM Chief Executive Officer Christopher Sheppard says the anticipated slough is manifesting through a series of multiple tension cracks, which have continued opening up almost parallel to the strike of the open pit east perimeter road in a South East–North West direction.

Mr Sheppard said when he addressed the media in Chingola that preliminary indications have shown that the slough will be confined to a stretch of approximately 350 metres and the estimated volume of the area that would be involved in the failure is 8 million cubic metres.

He said the real time slope stability monitoring radar station is currently tracking the increasing movement of the slope inside the open pit and current predictions are that the open pit slope will fail anytime between today, 2 July and Tuesday 7 July, 2020.

He said, “I should hasten to mention that as a responsible management, we have already implemented a number of measures to avert a significant impact of the predicted slough on people, essentially communities around the mining area and our employees. I must state in no uncertain terms that our priority is to ensure the safety of people first, and also make sure that KCM, public and private property are safe-guarded.”

Mr Sheppard said the mine has demarcated a hazard exclusion zone, which is 90 metres thick to provide for an acceptable factor of safety.

He said the exclusion zone in which the slope failure will take place is thus at least 60 metres away from the nearby communities of Nchanga North (Buyantanshi Township and in particular Buntungwa Ward).

“All the structures within Nchanga North are situated on competent, stable basement rock which will not be effected by the sloughing of the open pit slope,” he added.

The CEO noted that KCM is currently rerouting power lines and water pipes, which carry water from Kafue Pump Station to the Nchanga Smelter and Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company on a stretch of approximately 650 metres and hoped works would be completed in the shortest possible time to avoid major disruptions to power and water supply.

Mr Sheppard said in order to prevent inadvertent entry of nearby residents into the hazardous exclusion zone, members of the Zambia Police and KCM Security have been deployed full time to the perimeter of the exclusion zone.

He said the mine has been engaging various stakeholders including the Central and Local Government authorities, civic and community leaders in sensitising people to find common solutions together.

It’s morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations

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It’s morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations

Action Aid Zambia says it is morally wrong for a Cabinet Minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations or any other
allegations of corruption in nature.

Action Aid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba says while the principle of ‘innocence until proven guilty’ is legally recognized, failure to do so has the potential to promote compromise in leadership.

With direct reference to Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya who President Edgar Lungu says is innocent until proven guilty by the courts of law, Ms Ziba says regardless of the absence of a legal provision that allows the President to remove a Cabinet Minister on allegation of corruption, he can still act on moral grounds to demonstrate that he upholds national values.

Below is a full statement…

Explicitly, there is no provision that allows the President to suspend a Cabinet Minister from office on the grounds of an enquiry pending on the said Cabinet Minister. We cannot, however, depart from our determination as a people of the Republic of Zambia to ensure that our values concerning family, morality, patriotism and justice are maintained and that all functions of the State are carried out in our common interest.

This commitment is enshrined in our Constitution.

Part II of the constitution on National Values, Principles and Economic policies clearly outlines the principles of morality and ethics, good governance, and integrity.

These values are enshrined in our constitution which the President is obliged to report to the National Assembly once every year on the progress being made in applying the values and principles.

Based on the above, the President as an appointing authority and one who has sworn to protect the constitution including commitment to uphold morality should be able to demonstrate this by relieving the Cabinet Minister of his duties to enable an impartial process to take place. Similarly, it is a moral duty and responsibility of any Cabinet Minister being investigated to step aside to allow investigations to run without undue influence.

While the principle of ‘innocence until proven guilty’ is legally recognized, it is morally wrong for a minister to remain in office while facing corruption investigations or any other
allegations of this nature, as it has the potential to promote compromise in leadership. The fact that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is dealing with a high-ranking official of government; who exerts so much power and authority, there is a high likelihood of intimidation and interference; either direct or implied.

Part VII of our 2016 Constitution under Executive functions section 92, subsection 1, states ‘The President shall perform, with dignity, leadership and integrity, the acts that are necessary and expedient for, or reasonably incidental to, the exercise of the executive authority. Although not explicit, this is sufficient ground for the President to demonstrate the much-preached zero tolerance to corruption, and the need to uphold integrity in the office of the President and government.

Failure to exercise these powers from a moral standpoint raises a great deal of suspicion, and you cannot blame citizens when they insinuate conspiracy within senior leadership.

These are defining times, in our opinion, where the Head of State has an opportunity to walk the talk by upholding moral standards.

The President needs to demonstrate his principles on the call for every Zambian to uphold the National values particularly paying attention to key issues such as Integrity,
Transparency and Accountability which are key among government officials who occupy public office as they need to demonstrate principles to the general public that they are managing the public resources in a prudent manner.

It’s against this background that regardless of the absence of legal provision that allows the President to remove a Cabinet Minister on allegation of corruption.

It is our considered view that based on the moral grounds, The President can still act in order to demonstrate that he upholds the National values.

Nalucha Nganga Ziba
Country Director,
ActionAid Zambia

Free Lead Screening and Treatment for Children Impacted by Lead Poisoning in Kabwe Begins

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Free Lead Screening and Treatment for Children Impacted by Lead Poisoning in Kabwe Begins

The Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project has commenced free Lead screening and treatment for children impacted by Lead in Kabwe.

ZMERIP National Project Coordinator, Gideon Ndalama explained that the Project is using the door to door approach to recruit children for testing and treatment due to the Covid19 restrictions.

Mr Ndalama said the screening programme started with children initially identified by the Copperbelt Environmental Project, an earlier World Bank funded project and Kabwe Mine Pollution Amelioration Initiative (KAMPAI) project funded by JICA before it was scaled up.

He said since the commencement of the programme in April, 2020, over 4258 children below 14 years old have been screened for high blood lead levels, of which 659 have been put on Chelation treatment representing 15.5% of the total number of children screened.

Mr Ndalama said ZMERIP is aiming to test atleast 10,000 children and treat 4,000 by 2022.

He said the response from the community is overwhelming and expressed optimism that despite the slow start due to a number of challenges, the Project will meet the targeted numbers for testing and treatment.

According to the health facilities, an average of 30 children per day are being screened for elevated Blood Lead Levels (BLL).
Mr Ndalama said working in partnership with local leaders and Community health volunteers, the community is being sensitised on how to prevent exposure to lead. “As a Project we hope to see a change in attitudes towards Lead exposure especially after children have undergone treatment.”

Lab technician analysing blood samples for lead poisoning
Lab technician analysing blood samples for lead poisoning

ZMERIP Medical Officer Tiza Mufune said children with elevated blood Lead levels above 45 micrograms per decilitre are being put on Chelation treatment for 19 days after which they are retested to ensure they are responding to treatment and that Lead levels are reduced.

He said the Project with support from Ministry of Health has continued providing health education on Lead to caregivers and parents of the children during the focused group meetings in the community and during their visit to health facilities.

Medical research has shown that Lead exposure at any level could be harmful to people especially children.

Dr Mufune said the programme of screening and treatment of children allows the community to know the wellbeing of their children and how they can prevent high Lead exposure at community level. Apart from blood lead screening, the children have their nutritional status and general well being assessed.

And speaking in an interview, Elizabeth Tembo, a resident of Makululu Zone B in Kabwe commended Government for supporting the Lead testing and treatment programme.

Mrs Tembo who is also a community health volunteer said Lead testing is important because it keeps the community informed about the status of childrens’ health.

“We are happy that the children are receiving the free health services. The community has waited for this opportunity for a long time,” Mrs Tembo said.

Mrs Tembo said, “I have two grandchildren with high Lead levels and I am confident that with the treatment the levels will reduce in their bodies.”

Mrs Tembo has encouraged parents from the affected communities of Makululu, Chowa, Kasanda and Katondo to work with the Project and ensure children benefit from the programme.

Government through the Project has procured state of the art Lead analysers and test kits. The Project has also procured drugs for $2.5 million dollars under a framework contract with UNICEF to support the health interventions.
The equipment has been installed at health facilities in Kasanda, Makuklulu, Chowa and Katondo, the lead hot spot areas which are serving as centres for Lead screening and treatment.

ZMERIP, in partnership with Kabwe Municipal Council, will be undertaking environmental remediation of households and selected public places in affected townships to reduce Lead levels in the soil.

Sunday Chanda backs President Lungu’s stance on Dr Chitalu Chilufya

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Sunday Chanda backs President Lungu’s stance on Dr Chitalu Chilufya

Patriotic Front (PF) Media Director Sunday Chanda has backed President Edgar Lungu’s stance not to interfere with the justice system and uphold the right of any person to be presumed innocent until proved guilty by the due process of the law.

Mr Chanda says President Lungu as a lawyer and leader, who respects human rights in the country, is saying the fight against Corruption is crucial and must be energized but that it must be done within the confines of the law.

He says the Head of State is saying the fight against corruption must be fought within the provisions of the law, without political considerations because they only create political witchhunts.

Mr. Chanda says President Lungu has placed on record that any senior government official can be investigated, arrested but must be done without any prejudice and upholding Article 18 -two that states that everybody is innocent until proven guilty.

He has told ZNBC News in an interview that the country is moving away from a regime where senior government officials or those that are connected to the corridors of power are shielded from facing the due process of the law.

Mr. Chanda said President Lungu reserves the right to fire or suspend any official under investigation when they try to temper with investigations.

He said in the past there have been, individuals that had been accused and suffered so much damage by the so called court of public opinion and in the end, got acquitted.

Mr. Chanda said it is unfortunate that sometimes those that are supposed to uphold and promote human rights are not rising to defend the right of accused persons.

Kansanshi Mine Appoints Anthony Mukutuma as First Zambia to to Head the Mine

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Kansanshi Mine Appoints Anthony Mukutuma as First Zambia to to Head the Mine

Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi North Western Province has for the first time appointed a Zambian as the Mine’s General Manager.

Anthony Mukutuma takes over as the Kansanshi Mine General Manager from David De Vries.

And Government has hailed First Quantum Minerals – FQM which runs Kansanshi mine for appointing a Zambian to the position of General Manager for the first time in its 14 years of operations in the country.

North Western Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu says this is a sign that major industries can be managed without expatriates .

Speaking when he met with management from Kansanshi Mine in his office in Solwezi, Mr. Mubukwanu said the government will continue supporting operations at the mine.

Meanwhile, FQM Country Manager Kingsley Chinkuli said the number of expatriates at Kanshanshi Mine is reducing as Zambians are being elevated to decision making positions.

And Mr. Mukutuma said he will ensure that the mine remains viable.

He said he will work towards ensuring production at the mine is increased and has called for political support from government.

Zambia Debt Crisis and its Implications on the Economy

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Zambia Debt Crisis and its Implications on the Economy

By Hakainde Hichilema UPND President

The combined effects of poor economic management, corruption, prolonged power cuts and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a severe deterioration in economic outcomes in the first half of 2020.

Shortfalls in tax revenue collections, intensification of corruption and heightened debt vulnerabilities continue to narrow the fiscal space to grow the economy and provide jobs, especially for our energetic youth.

At the current pace, Zambia risks reaching a precarious point at which a disorderly fiscal adjustment becomes inevitable.

To avoid a prolonged and painful recovery that this situation would entail, Zambia must not waste any more time in using the narrow window of opportunity that remains.

As stakeholders in the Zambian economy, our offer for free advice to the PF administration on debt and other economic management issues still stands. Our free consultation will save critical resources.

Since 2012, our advice on debt management has been as follows:

(a) Stop the careless, unplanned and excessive borrowing;
(b) Strengthen the legal and regulatory framework for debt procurement and management;
(c) prepare a robust plan for the repayment of the enormous debt, including the establishment of an adequately funded sovereign wealth fund.

Failure to heed our advice has brought us to this point – an unsustainable debt path that casts a shadow on the economic prospects for our children.

We know we were right. Our first 10-year Eurobond was issued with a 5.625 percent yield in 2012, and nine years later, the yield has increased to over 50 percent. This means that our Eurobond is of junk status, reflecting a heightened risk of default. Enlisting the services of debt advisors is further confirmation of the dire situation we are in.

Our current advice to the PF Administration as the country seeks to restructure our debt, is that a successful restructuring that provides enough debt relief relies on taking immediate measures to restore debt sustainability and restore stability in the economy.

In this regard, our high-level advice is that with immediate effect, strengthen oversight and the overall framework for debt procurement, monitoring and reporting. Proposed changes in the Bill 10 will only weaken the oversight role of Parliament, further undermining this effort.

Procurement of non-concessional debt must stop. The PF Administration must end the situation where their alleged ‘moratorium on new borrowings’, has seen some Ministers commit the country to new loans. For now, we will not comment on the role of the Minister of Finance in debt procurement, as the issue is in court.

Importantly, the PF government must commit itself to transparency and full disclosure of all contracts that have been signed. Transparency and accountability, which are the hallmarks of good governance, will build confidence among our creditors, especially in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to which Zambia has sought participation. Regarding the DSSI, we further implore the PF Administration to adhere to the requirement to direct financial resources toward mitigating the health, economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and call for strong safeguards to protect public resources against theft.

We also take this opportunity to implore Zambia’s creditors, official and private, to provide relief to the country through this initiative. It will not only bring some relief to the multitude of Zambians struggling to cope under these challenging economic times but also improve the country’s repayment capacity.

Of great concern to us is that government expenditure continues to rise in the context of significant revenue shortfalls yet without major changes to the National Budget. The government recently announced that while revenues have fallen by K20.8 billion, expenditures have risen by K20.0 billion, including an increase in debt service by K8.7 billion. Current measures to address this shortfall do not go far enough.

We implore the PF Administration to revise the 2020 Budget and undertake necessary reforms to make a real impact on lowering runaway expenditure. Of note is the need to eliminate all inefficiencies in the Farmer Input Support Programme (FSIP) to reduce its fiscal burden of this initiative, while improving the targeting of poor farmers. We also highlight the inefficiencies in the operations of ZESCO that tend to shift losses towards the taxpayer.

We therefore encourage the government to keenly look into this and other areas where savings can be made.

Lastly, subscribe to an IMF staff monitored program, commit to undertaking both structural and quantitative benchmarks.

In rebuilding the economy, we are happy to engage fully and continue to provide the advice we have been giving you for the last nine years. We have one Zambia and no other country to run to.

President Lungu expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit

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President Lungu expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit

President Edgar Lungu is tomorrow expected in Southern Province for a two day working visit.

President Lungu is expected to arrive in Livingstone in the morning and will immediately proceed for a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a four star Mosi-0-Tunya Livingstone resort hotel and conference facility.

Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale has confirmed the Presidential visit in Choma today.

Dr. Hamukale explained that the project is an outcome of the 2019 Southern Province tourism and investment exposition.

And President Lungu will on Saturday travel to Monze to commission new housing units for the Zambia Correctional Service.

The President will later in the afternoon be in Mazabuka to commission another set of housing units for Zambia Police Service.

And the Patriotic Front -PF-Southern Province Chairman Lawrence Evans says the party in the province is excited that President, Edgar Lungu is once again expected to undertake a working visit to the province.

Mr. Evans says the President’s visit to Southern Province is a continuation of his developmental agenda for the province.

He has urged everyone to accord the President a warm welcome as he visits Southern Province on his unprecedented development drive, which has seen him either commissioning a secondary school, district hospital among others which has never been seen in the country’s history.

Mr. Evans has told ZNBC News that the PF is also happy to note that the President is also scheduled to meet with traditional leaders in the three districts.

He said this is because traditional leaders are partners in development and President Lungu has continued to accord the traditional leaders the respect befitting their status and has been appealing to them to continue giving counsel to politicians.

Mr. Evans said the engagement is timely especially coming a few days after the Southern Province council of Chiefs made a passionate appeal to Members of Parliament to fully support the Constitution amendment bill number 10 of 2019.

President Lungu was in Southern province in May during which he opened the Victoria Falls to the public, which was closed due to the outbreak of the Coviod-19.

This is according to a statement issued to ZNBC News by PF Southern Province Information and Publicity Secretary, Trymore Mwenda.

Zambia Police Arrest Man for Defaming Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development

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Zambia Police Arrest Man for Defaming Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development

Police in Lusaka have arrested Maxson Nkhoma of Kapata Compound in Chipata, Eastern Province, for alleged defamation against Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development, Vincent Mwale.

Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo says Mr Nkhoma, aged 33, is alleged to have published defamatory remarks on social media against Mr Mwale.

Ms Katongo says Mr Nkhoma has been charged with two counts of Criminal Libel contrary to section 391 chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Meanwhile, Police in Siavonga have also arrested a former UPND Youth District Chairman John Simweemba, 40, of Kaleya Compound for proposing violence.

Ms Katongo said Mr Simweemba, acting with four other people, allegedly organized an illegal public meeting where he was inciting people to be beating public officers.

She said he was referring to officers who will be conducting mobile issuance of National Registration Cards, including Police officers.

Ms Katongo said this allegedly happened on June 28, between 14 and 16 hours at Sianyolo Primary school grounds in Siavonga.

She said Simweemba is currently detained in Police Custody and is likely to be jointly charged with four others with unlawful assembly as they did not notify the Police to have a public meeting.

M’membe’s Socialist Party receives kudos for appointment

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M’membe’s Socialist Party receives kudos for appointment

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has hailed the appointment of Rehoboth Kafwabulula, a 21-year-old youth, as Socialist Party spokesperson.

YALI President Andrew Ntewewe who affirmed his organisation’s belief that political parties must show a genuine commitment to bringing the youth to the decision-making table said the Socialist Party appear to be leading the way.

“Our country’s national development trajectory is dependent on bringing the youth, women and persons with disabilities to the decision-making table rather than using them as a springboard to achieve one’s political ambition,” he said

Meanwhile, Mr Ntewewe has said opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) is an organisation that stands in the way for the youth to have fair and guaranteed representation in Parliament in 2021 through its its opposition to a mixed member representation system.

“The capitalist-gatekeepers and MPs in the UPND will not relent but fight a system that should ordinarily make youth representation a reality through enactment of the proposed Article 47(2),” said Ntewewe.

Mr Ntewewe said the proposed Article 47(2) facilitates the changing of an electoral system to one that promotes fair representation and equitable treatment of each gender as required by Article 45(1)(c)(d) of the Constitution.

“We know, however, that unlike parties that are socialists in nature, capitalism is not about fairness. For UPND, only those leaders with capital to fund their campaigns will dominate are preferred as best representatives of the people in the National Assembly,” charged Ntewewe.

The proposed amendments to the Constitution of Zambia proposes to introduce a mixed member electoral system meant to provide for safer seats for youths in the National Assembly, including those from UPND.

Mr Ntewewe said the Zambian youth has spoken, loud and clear, that time has come for them to be represented in law-making processes and decision-making on the affairs of their country.

“Our hope is that parties such as the Patriotic Front (PF) and Socialist Party will participate and adopt more youths in the forthcoming 11 ward by-elections and 2021 general election,” said Ntewewe.

He said the Zambian youth must not be surprised that UPND does not support the changing of Zambia’s electoral system to one that would support a mixed-member representation in Parliament.

The organisation has since encouraged Rehoboth to exert her influence and become good champions of youth leadership and representation stating that youth deserve a place on decision-making platforms.

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