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The Court of Arbitration of Sport(CAS) has dismissed the appeal by Zambia’s soccer icon Kalusha Bwalya.
Kalusha had petitioned the Sports Arbitration body to compel the Football Association of Zambia(FAZ) Ethics Committee’s decision to bar him, to be declared null and void.
But the Court of Arbitration for Sport appointed Sole Arbitrator, Andre Branjes stated that the FAZ Ethics Committee arrived at the decision to make the candidature of Kalusha ineligible, properly and without prejudice.
The Court also stated that the proceedings currently in the Ndola High Court will not prejudice Kalusha as he was not part to the proceedings.
Kalusha was represented by Paulo Torcheti from Valencia Spain, while FAZ was represented by Hastings Pasi of Mando &Pasi Advocates of Kitwe
Proflight has suspended operations for 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline will cease international flights effective from today, March 27, 2020, and domestic flights will not operate between April 1 and April 30.
The airline plans to resume international and domestic flights from May 1 to Lusaka, Ndola, Mfuwe, Solwezi, Livingstone and Johannesburg on a very limited schedule.
“The last two weeks at Proflight have been two of the toughest weeks in the company’s history. We have had big decisions to make and these decisions have not been easy,” Corporate Director Chitalu Kabalika told staff this week.
“We hope to resume normal operations by July 1 but we do not know yet whether this will be possible. When normal operations do resume it is likely to be with very reduced frequency especially on tourism routes,” he said.
Proflight would like to assure all passengers holding Proflight Zambia tickets that there is no need to contact the airline immediately.
Passengers holding an unused ticket will be able to use the full value of the same ticket to travel within 18 months of ticket date and all change fees and re-route fees will be waived.
Those who no longer wish to travel will be allowed name changes on unused ticketed. Names changes will not be permitted on partially used tickets.
For more information please see the COVID19 Policy on the Proflight website or call the Proflight Contact Centre.
In the interim the airline will continue to operate charter and cargo flights within Zambia and regionally for as long as borders remain open.
Proflight’s airport offices, head office and Southern Sun office will be closed to the public from 1 April until further notice but the Contact Centre will still be available via phone, whatsapp and email.
Passengers can access booking and flight information at www.flyzambia.com.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Zambia has increased to 22 after six more cases were identified, says Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya.
Dr Chilufya says six new cases are from 72 contracts that were tested starting yesterday which shows that the number is small compared to the number of cases being followed up.
He said two cases are admitted to Masaiti Isolation facility in Ndola with another 20 cases being managed in Lusaka at the Levy and Tubalange isolation centers.
“We have managed to test 264 suspected individuals. Today we are running tests for another 25 to complete the whole tree of the contacts for the 26 people who traveled to Pakistan,” Dr Chilufya said.
“When we tested the next 54 contacts, we broke up four positive cases, that is what brought our numbers to 16. When we tested the next 72 contacts in the last 24 hours, six were confirmed positive. That brings our total number of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases to 22.”
Dr Chilufya said 12 people who were symptomatic and were isolated but tested negative have been discharged from the isolation facilities at both the Levy and Tubalange isolation facilities.
He told a media briefing that Government has followed up in excess of 3000 travellers who came into the country from high risk COVID-19 countries with another 1300 being followed up for any symptoms while over 700 have finished the 14 days self quarantine and are being discharged.
He added that 264 suspected individuals have been tested today and government is running 25 cases to complete 26 individuals that travelled to Pakistan and may be suspected to be infected.
He said Zambia has been able to test and trace all primary contacts of all the 22 confirmed cases.
“I want to emphases that the first two cases that came from France that were tested positive had all their contacts traced and we did not record any positive case from the first two contacts,” said Dr Chilufya.
“The third case from a COVID-19 hit nation where he had been for nine months and returned to Zambia and tested positive, he had been kept in our isolation facility. The fourth case traveled to Pakistan and returned on the 18th [March] and we traced all his contacts….”
Shepolopolo has continued its quarterly rise for a third successive time and reached the top 100 of the FIFA Women’s Football Rankings.
The Zambia women’s national team is the 100th placed side as of the latest rankings released on March 27 in Zurich.
Shepolopolo rise six places from 106 in December 2019 after earlier making a nine-point jump last October of the quarterly rankings.
Zambia are 12th from 13th in Africa where Nigeria lead at number 38 in the World while second placed Cameroon drop two places to 51st.
South Africa (53), Ghana (60), Cote d’Ivoire(63), Equatorial Guinea (71),Tunisia (78),Morocco (81),Mali (83) and Algeria (85) are the top ten CAF teams while Senegal are eleventh at number 87.
Shepolopolo’s rise is thanks to their exploits over the last ten months in the 2020 Olympic Games football qualifiers in which they lost only one and drew one of their seven games.
The highlight came in early in March when Shepolopolo beat CAF’s second highest ranked side Cameroon to Africa’s lone automatic Tokyo Olympics qualifying place that will see the latter play Chile in a playoff for the games that have been rescheduled to 2021 in Japan due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Shepolopolo, whose best ranking was 95th in 2009, have been on the rise over the last 24 months under coach Bruce Mwape since qualifying to the 2018 Women’s AFCON where they lost one game but finished third in Group B on 4 points.
Zambia later made their debut COSAFA Women’s Cup second place finish last August when they lost 1-0 in the final to hosts South Africa before embarking on the Olympic quest later in September.
The BBC is reporting that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus.
Mr. Johnson said he developed mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including temperature and cough and will now self-isolate in No 10 but will “continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus”.
Mr Johnson was last seen on Thursday night, as he clapped outside No 10 as part of a nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff.
In a video on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson, 55, said: “I’m working from home and self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do.
“But, be in no doubt that I can continue thanks to the wizardry of modern technology to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus.
Mr. Johnson was tested at No 10 by NHS staff, on the personal advice of England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, Downing Street said.
He will still be in charge of the government’s handling of the crisis, the statement added. Earlier this week, the prime minister’s spokesman said if Mr. Johnson was unwell and unable to work, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, as the first secretary of state, was the selected minister to stand-in.
It is not known whether Mr. Johnson will still be living with his fiancee Carrie Symonds, who is several months pregnant.
There are more than 11,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, and 578 people have died.
It comes after the Prince of Wales also tested positive for the virus earlier this week.
Prince Charles, 71, is to be displaying mild symptoms “but otherwise remains in good health”, a spokesman said.
Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has warned that the government will confiscate mealie meal from traders selling the commodity beyond the recommended price of K136.
Mr Lusambo said all mealie meal produced by millers who are on government tripartite list should not sell beyond the recommended K136.
The Lusaka Province Minister is happy that the supply of the commodity on the market by millers accessing maize from the Food Reserve has stabilized but regretted that some traders have continued exploiting consumers.
He said some retailers are selling mealie between K170 and K200 instead of the recommended K136 for a 25kg bag of breakfast mealie meal.
Mr Lusambo has warned that government will not tolerate abuse of citizens by traders adding that the mealie meal that will be confiscated from them will be donated to vulnerable people.
And Mr Lusambo said the distribution of mealie meal to far flung Districts in the Province among them Chirundu, Rufunsa and Luangwa will commence soon to enable residents access the commodity at a cheaper price.
He said District Commissioners from the said Districts are in direct contact with the milling companies among them Champion, Nyimba and African Milling to facilitate for the transportation of the commodity in the said areas.
Over 1000 trucks carrying Congolese cargo are marooned in Chililabombwe and Chingola after the Congolese government closed their side of the border, opposition Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has disclosed.
Mr Sinkamba who toured the Kasumbalesa Boarder and Chingola has accused the Zambian Government of lacking seriousness in dealing with the Coronavirus.
He wondered how the Congolese Government can close their boarder to transporters carrying their own cargo but concluded that this can only be done because the Zambian government is a joke.
Mr Sinkamba said the Congolese government takes the Zambian government for jokers.
He said a serious government would have ordered the truckers to return to their destinations of origin with immediate effect and order that no Congo destined trucks are allowed to enter Zambia until further notice.
And Mr Sinkamba said it was inevitable for coronavirus cases to rise in Zambia provided the country is not locked down, and all entry points closed.
With numbers having increased to 16 as announced by Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya yesterday, Mr Sinkamba said the country need total shutdown of all entry points.
He said stimulus packages, in terms of tax exemptions, should also be contemplated.
Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu has revised Zambia’s economic growth for 2020 to 2 percent.
He announced during a news briefing that because of Covid19, growth is now projected to be lower at around 2 percent despite the anticipated significant recovery in the agricultural sector.
He stated that the tourism, mining, manufacturing, construction as well as wholesale and retail trade sectors are projected to slow down on account of the pandemic.
Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu said in order to provide relief to Businesses, the government has announced it will suspend excise duty on imported ethanol for use in alcohol-based sanitizers and other medicine-related activities subject to guidelines to be issued by the Zambia Revenue Authority.
Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu said in order to provide relief to Businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Zambia, the government will also remove provisions of SI 90 relating to claim of VAT on imported spare parts, lubricants, and stationery to ease pressure on companies.
Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka today, Dr Ng’andu said Government will further suspend import duties on the importation of concentrates in the mining sector to ease pressure on the sector and also suspend export duty on precious metals and crocodile skin.
The Minister has projected a slowdown in the country’s economic growth and reductions in revenue collection due to the outbreak of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic although inflation will remain between 6 and 8 percent.
And the Finance Minister said the lockdown in South Africa will largely affect imports as that country is a major trading partner of Zambia.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ng’andu said the Zambian Government is in the process of making applications to multilateral partner organizations for COVID-19 support.
He said the International Monetary Fund is making available a total of 50 billion US dollars to affected countries via rapid disbursing emergency facilities while the World Bank Group has approved support of up to 14 billion US dollars under a fast track COVID-19 Facility.
Dr. Ng’andu added that the Zambian Government will release K2.5 billion to reduce domestic arrears owed to domestic suppliers of goods and services, reduce outstanding arrears to pensioners under Public Service Pension Fund and retirees under Ministry of Justice and reduce outstanding third-party arrears and other employee related commitments.
Dr. Ng’andu said in addition, K140 million will be released to pay local contractors in the road sector.
The People’s Alliance for Change has appealed to President Edgar Lungu to consider pardoning inmates that have committed minor crimes and do not pose huge danger to society in an effort to decongest correctional facilities in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in Zambia.
Party President Andyford Banda says the decision should be made in the spirit of embracing social distancing in the overcrowded facilities as advised by the Health Care Providers.
Mr Banda said the current hygiene levels in most correctional facilities do not help in preventing the spread of the virus.
He said unless the President acts now using his Presidential powers, the Coronavirus will spread rapidly in congested Zambian correctional facilities thereby endangering not only inmates and correctional Officers but the general public as well.
Mr Banda said as the country prepares for further spread of the pandemic with 16 cases reported so far, President Lungu should take immediate steps to limit the risk posed by mass confinement, including those with a few months remaining to complete their jail terms.
Further, Mr Banda said testing should be extended to new convicts in congested correctional facilities to avoid exporting the virus into the facilities.
He has also asked the Inspector General of Police Mr Kakoma Kanganja to find ways of decongesting Police Cells another area where the virus can rapidly spread if it breaks out.
“It is a well known fact that suspects in Zambia spend more time in cells before they can appear in court, a situation which should be avoided in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Police should take stock of the people in Cells and consider releasing those that have committed minor offenses to decongest Police Cells”, he added.
Mr Banda said the government should also consider temporarily employing nurses that are on the streets to respond to the threat of corona virus in markets, bus stations, shopping malls and other strategic public places.
He said the Ministry of Transport should also consider instructing bus operators to reduce on passengers on commuter buses.
UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says the Zambian Government needs to move fast on Economics of Covid-19.
Mr Hichilema says the first round of World Bank Covid response has gone without Zambia submitting an expression of interest which should not be the case.
He said while the country is concentrating on the health side of the disease, the kwacha continues to plummet.
Mr Hichilema noted with regret that between Wednesday and Thursday this week, the kwacha has devalued with over one kwacha against the US Dollar.
He said this is not a good sign and has urged the government to approach the multilateral and bilateral lenders now before it’s too late.
On Thursday, Mr Hichilema commended the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund who have written to the multi lateral and bilateral creditors to consider a debt service freeze from International Development Association countries in view of the Corona virus pandemic.
The UPND Leader said Zambia is highly indebted and expressed hope the Government will utilize this relief window to approach their debtors for debt service freeze.
As countries in the northern hemisphere hard hit by the novel corona virus cling to the hope that warmer weather will bring about a relief and a slowing down of the pandemic , what do the coming winter months hold for countries in the southern hemisphere as they approach their winter months?
Effect of temperature on coronavirus
Scientists do not currently agree on how, air temperature seems to play a role in the transmission of the corona virus. A 2007 research paper published in PLOS Pathogens was one of the first studies to demonstrate how the aerosol spread of influenza virus was dependent upon both ambient relative humidity and temperature.
As the corona virus (COVID-19) began to spread across the world, a group of researchers from the US and Iran found that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 had significant community spread in cities and regions along a narrow east- west distribution.This was roughly along the 30-50 N degree corridor.Of particular note was the consistently similar weather patterns in these regions. The average temperature being 5-11 degrees Celsius and an absolute humidity of 4-7g/m3.
The yellow green regions experienced exponential growth of covid 19
The type of spread that was seen in this region was much more significant than what was seen in locations with higher populations and areas with more extensive interaction with China.
This would explain why at the start of the pandemic the virus went from China to Iran skipping more densely populated regions like India. It must be pointed out though ,that cases have sprung up everywhere because of the world’s interconnectedness through travel,however a more forceful growth of cases seemed to be in that zone during the early phases of the pandemic.
In new research from MIT, which used data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the researchers confirmed that the maximum number of coronavirus transmissions has occurred in regions that had temperatures between 3 and 13 °C during the outbreak. In contrast, countries with mean temperatures above 18 °C have seen fewer than 5% of total cases. This pattern also shows up within the US, where southern states like Texas, Florida, and Arizona have seen a slower growth rate than northern states like Washington, New York, and Colorado. California, which spans north and south, has a growth rate that falls in between.
The African situation
As temperatures begin to cool in the southern hemisphere, the same scenarios being played out in the northern hemisphere may be repeated if environmental temperatures have an effect on the virus.
Africa has had a few months head start in this pandemic. We have watched the effects of the Covid-19 in countries in the northern hemisphere and hopefully have learnt enough to see that we may be in a more precarious situation than developed countries.
The public health interventions taking place world wide are meant to flatten the curve– that means to prevent a lot of people from getting very sick at once and therefore overwhelming the health system. But this obviously assumes access to good healthcare in the first place.
In much of Africa, public healthcare is inaccessible to a huge proportion of the population. The African health system is already under strain from endemic infectious diseases and the emerging non infectious diseases. Africa also battles with high HIV infection rates, with more than a third of HIV-infected Africans unaware of their status and therefore not on suppressive medication, and immunocompromised.Governments heavily rely on donor funds to support the health care systems.Unless there is a miraculously fast overhaul of the continent’s healthcare system, flattening the curve will be an impossible feat once the corona virus takes a greater hold in the continent.
The current primary prevention measures of social distancing,hand washing , banning of large groups of people must continue. However in a densely populated continent where many people live in close quarters and do not have access to running water this will be a great challenge.
What does this mean for Africa
Africa has to take more stringent measures than developed countries have done. Africa can not afford to take a lackadaisical approach to mitigating the effects of covid-19. As policy makers draw up plans on the way forward.They must bear in mind that our situation may be worse in winter and should therefore plan for measures lasting till summer.
The corona virus has an incubation period of up to 14 days so whilst the situation on the ground may appear calm, it is important to know that at the microscopic level the covid 19 is quietly multiplying. Recent modelling based on data from China shows that asymptomatic carriers of the covid-19 may have been responsible for its initial rapid spread there.Therefore Africa can not afford to rely on temperature readings and symptoms when screening travellers from high risk areas. Allowing people from high risk areas to determine for themselves whether they will self isolate or not could have dire consequences for the poor African and our poor health care systems.To survive Africa must nip this scourge in the bud.
By Dr.K Nkanza-Kabaso
The author is a medical doctor specialized in Public Health
Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Hon Vincent Mwale says government remains committed to funding the C400 road rehabilitation and construction project on the Copperbelt.
The Minister says the Ministry of Finance is seriously considering ways and means of funding the road project.
He, however, says if it is established that the Ministry of Finance is unable to immediately avail resources towards the project, his Ministry through the Road Development Agency (RDA) will have to find means of ensuring that the project is completed.
Minister Mwale who is also Chipangali member of Parliament says his ministry is alive to the fact that most Township roads on the Copperbelt are in a deplorable state and urgently need attention.
He said it is only the C400 Road Project that will address the situation.
The Minister was speaking in Kitwe, Thursday, when he together with a team of RDA Engineers inspected some Township roads and washed away bridges.
Hon Mwale is on a tour of inspecting the state of roads and washed away bridges to ascertain what type of interventions is required.
He says after the Copperbelt, he is proceeding to Luapula and Northern Provinces.
And after a successful tour in Kitwe, the Minister directed the Road Development Agency to quickly find solutions of addressing all the washed aways Bridges and that where funds will not allow, he will engage the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in the Office of the Vice President to assist.
Meanwhile, Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe says the City has been negatively affected with lack of funding of the C400 Road Project.
He says this is because the road project once completed will change the face of Kitwe.
Mayor Kang’ombe says following the heavy Rains the country has been expirencing, Kitwe has recorded a number of washed away Bridges which needs to urgently be attended.
The Kitwe Mayor has also appealed to the RDA to consider a variation on the Kitwe – Chingola road so that the road can reach the Central Business District (CBD).
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has condemned the persecution and disbarment of prominent Zambian Constitutional lawyer John Sangwa SC, on 13 March 2020.
The International Bar Association is the global voice of the legal profession and the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies that was established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations.
BAHRI Co-Chair, Anne Ramberg Dr jur hc, commented: “The Zambian judiciary’s attack on John Sangwa’s individual rights to freedom of expression, as well his independence as a lawyer, is of serious concern to the IBAHRI. The absence of a fair hearing and due process in addressing the complaint made against Mr Sangwa suggests that his disbarment comes in retaliation to his criticisms of the current President of Zambia and the judicial appointments to the Constitutional Court.”
”The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers ensures the right of lawyers to freedom of expression (Article 23), which is further upheld in the IBA Standards for the Independence of the Legal Profession (Article 14). It is imperative that the independent voices of lawyers are respected.”
“ IBAHRI is concerned by the lack of due process and disregard for the rule of law demonstrated in the judiciary’s complaint against Mr Sangwa. In accordance with Part IV of Zambia’s Legal Practitioners’ Act and Section 7 of the Law Association of Zambia Act, a legal practitioner can only be punished following a hearing by the LAZ Legal Practitioners’ Committee and/or the Disciplinary Committee. The notice from the Registrar’s Office at the judiciary regarding Mr Sangwa did not indicate any legal provisions to support this action and he was disbarred before the complaint against him had been considered by the LAZ.”
And IBAHRI Vice-Chair, Mark Stephens CBE, commented: ‘The IBAHRI urges the Registrar’s Office to repeal its disbarment of John Sangwa from all courts in Zambia and to recognise the rule of law by allowing due process in the alleged complaint brought against him. The Registrar’s Office must consider the hugely damaging impact this decision will have upon the principle of the rule of law in Zambia and in upholding the population’s belief in the judicial system.’
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Diego García-Sayán has publicly condemned the suspension of Mr Sangwa, as an affront to the independence of lawyers in Zambia.
Following an alleged complaint of professional misconduct by the country’s judiciary to the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), the judiciary’s Acting Chief Registrar Prince Boniface Mwiinga announced that Mr Sangwa would not be allowed to appear before any court in Zambia.
The judiciary’s alleged complaint against Mr Sangwa coincides with his criticisms of the government.
In the weeks preceding his disbarment, Mr Sangwa made appearances on radio and TV during which he asserted that President Edgar Lungu was not eligible to stand for the Presidency in 2021 as the Zambian Constitution allows for an individual to be elected twice to the Presidential Office.
President Lungu has already held office twice, making him ineligible.
Mr Sangwa has also been openly critical of the appointment of judges at the new Constitutional Court.
He argues that they are insufficiently qualified because they lack the required qualifications as stipulated by law – 15 years’ experience and specialised training in constitutional law and/or human rights.
Huawei Technologies Zambia has donated Intelligent Temperature Measurement Equipment for Access Control worth K500,000 to the Ministry of Health.
Speaking during a briefing held in Lusaka, Huawei Technologies Managing Director, Anthony Yu said national health is everyone’s concern and the company felt compelled to donate the equipment in order to supplement Government efforts in the fight against the spread of Corona Virus.
Mr. Yu said Huawei has remained on high alert but at the same time concerned at the safety of everyone and hence feeling the need to make the donation.
He revealed that the equipment donated was meant to be mounted on the entrance and automatically detect one temperatures .
A detection in person’s high temperature triggers the alarm to go on in order to give alerts to inspectors for further attention and action.
He said Huawei was pleased to reach out to the government through the technological solution because it was in line with Huawei’s aspirations to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected and intelligent world.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Dr.Chitalu Chilufya commended Huawei for being a strategic partner in strengthening Zambia’s health system.
“Huawei is standing with the government this particular period and this shows the true friendship. Huawei is a trustworthy corporate citizen that my ministry can partner with.
We know Huawei as the world leading ICT solution company and I am sure this intelligent equipment can help us intensify the surveillance and do further on controlling measures in the fighting against the pandemic. We very appreciate their contribution” the Minister said.
And Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Hon. Dora Siliya said Government wants to put on the record the involvement of the private sector in the fight against corona virus.
“We have very good corporate partner from the private sectors who have quickly come to support the government like we have seen today. We are also very pleased to receive support from a strong private sector community in form of donations that we have received today” she said
