Dear Zambian friends,

I want to share some thoughts about the news that has been broadcast around the world and that I know is on the minds of many of you. Today, the United States is struggling with difficult and persistent challenges of racial discrimination and violence.

All of us at the U.S. Embassy grieve at the deplorable killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. The horrific scenes of his death have justifiably shocked Americans and people around the world. The police officer involved has been charged with murder and manslaughter. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the death of Mr. Floyd.

Our prayers and thoughts are with Mr. Floyd’s family, his loved ones, and indeed with African Americans and others who continue to face acts of racist violence and discrimination. That is absolutely contrary to what the United States stands for and why I choose to represent my country as a diplomat.

For all of us who serve at the U.S. embassy here in Zambia, I vow to you that we are committed to represent our country’s highest ideals of racial equality, justice, and human dignity for all persons. Most Americans share this commitment, as I know most of you have experienced who have visited our country. That is the spirit that motivates us as diplomats and aid workers to serve in partnership with friends and citizens in Zambia and in countries around the world.

Sincerely,
David Young
Charge d’Affaires

Zambia Alliance of Women is happy with the increase in crop production for the 2019/2020 farming season as announced by Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo recently.

Organisation Executive Director Edah Chimya is proud that Small Scale Farmers mostly women contributed immensely to the 3 million metric tonnes projected maize harvest for this year.

Ms Chimya is further happy that increased production has also been recorded in sorghum, rice, millet, sunflower, Soya beans, Irish Potatoes, Bambara nuts, Cow peas, and sweet potatoes among others.

She said Wheat, Barley and Popcorns equally recorded increase in production, a sign that farmers are moving away from mono cropping and embracing Crop diversification.

“Zambia Alliance of Women is proud of small holder farmers especially Women for the 69% Increase of Maize Production, 199.37% increase of Sorghum production, 81% increase of Millet production,106% increase of Irish Potato production and 190% Increase of Sweet Potato Production which will result into our Country being Food Secure”, he said.

She has since called for timely disbursement of Inputs under the Farmer Input Support Program as Small holder Farmers have demonstrates to be a hope for the National Food Basket through this increase in Crop Production.

RE: YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

Reference is given to the above stated subject matter.

I am a young Zambian youth, a graduate from the University of Zambia (UNZA). I have decided to write to you on the subject matter as reflected above. I have heard your manifesto and how you intend to provide descent jobs to the youths of Zambia. As you maybe aware, the majority of us youths are unemployed. Statistics indicate that more than 50c/o of the youth population in Zambia is unemployed and most of the youths depend on their vulnerable parents to survive.

The current regime which was voted on the premise that it will absorb youth unemployment among many other promises has failed to deliver what they promised. The majority of us youths are living in abject poverty despite the fact that we have the right educational qualifications. In Zambia today, for a youth to get a descent job it has become a game of connection. You need to be connected to one or two individuals in the corridors of power for you to be given a job. On the other hand, the private sector, has put up tough qualifications especially on the experience part for a graduate to get a job. Most of the jobs that we see around they need 2-7 years experience making it difficult for a young person to get employed.

As a result of this, a good number of our youths end up being frustrated and resort to doing all sorts of things in order to survive. The government seems to have no plan on how to combat this problem.

For those of us who have entrepreneurial skills we do not have the necessary capital to start our own ventures. Am sure you do understand that access to finance especially for small business holders or perhaps startups is a tall order in our nation. I understand that government has a sink fund for youths entrepreneurs but to access this money you need to be connected to power and for some of us we have no relatives in power making it difficult.

1 | PageAs such, I have written this letter to you on behalf of so many youths so that you can explain in clear terms on how you will provide the much needed jobs as well as jump start our businesses when ushered into power. I understand, the majority of us youths we are ready to support anyone including you as long as you tackle this salient issue of unemployment which has rendered us useless in society. You need to tell us the duration in which those jobs will be provided and how you will curb the high levels of nepotism in public offices especially at Public Service Management Division (PSMD). We do not want another fake promise just like the way the Patriotic Front (PF) government did.

We want to assure you that once we evaluate your stance on this matter and if at all it will be feasible enough to address our plight, we are willing to go flat out and campaign for you. We are tired of fake promises and fake politicians who do not even show any concern. All they care about are foreigners who have a high bribing power.

Yous sincerely
Barnabas Robert Zulu Jnr.

Opposition National Democratic Congress Leader Chishimba Kambwili has called on President Edgar Lungu to constitute a Commission of Inquiry to determine whether or not CIVID-19 exists in Zambia.

The opposition Leader has charged that the COVID-19 story in Zambia is a hoax meant to achieve three things by the PF regime namely to block the opposition from engaging their members, disadvantaging the poor by closing their businesses and to attract donor funding.

Mr Kambwili has condemned the President for openly contravening COVID-19 Public Health measures when he traveled to the North Western Province on a three day working visit.

He has said that the COVID-19 figures that have been given by the Ministry of Health are fake and has lamented that the freedom that Freedom fighters fought for has been destroyed by President Edgar Lungu.

Mr Kambwili has wondered how the President who has been preaching adherence to public health measures recently abrogated the same measures by traveling to North Western province where he interacted with the masses and went into markets where he interacted with the people.

He said the behavior of the President who is breaking the law with impunity does not give confidence that there is coronavirus in Zambia.

Mr Kambwili has also charged that the partial lockdowns was a political mission to block the opposition while President Lungu was busy trotting the nation campaigning for the PF.

He has challenged the President to immediately open bars and other places that have remained closed due to COVID-19 as there is seemingly no coronavirus in Zambia saying the effects of the partial lockdown have been bad on the Zambian people and President Lungu’s behavior does not give any hope.

He said what the President has done will haunt him forever and he will do well to allow businesses to operate normally.

Mr Kambwili has also wondered why Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya and his information Counterpart Dora Siliya have remained home when other people testing positive for the pandemic are being quarantined.

He said President Lungu must be ashamed for openly breaking the COVID-19 measures and should resign on moral ground.

Schools in Zambia have reopened for examination classes today after over a month of closure caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Some pupils in grades 7,9 and 12 have reported for class today with measures in some schools checked in Lusaka seemingly in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Pupils entering school premises are all seen wearing face masks while hand washing basins have been placed at school entrances to ensure that pupils wash their hands and sanitize as their temperatures are being checked.
However, some parents especially for grade 7 pupils are reluctant to allow their children back into schools saying current disinfection efforts are not enough to convince them it’s safe.

Those talked to have said that nothing was done in some schools before now to prepare for the reopening of the schools and wondered how the disinfection will now be done with pupils in class.

Others have said that the reopening of schools was I’ll timed as Zambian leaders are struggling to contain the virus, which has infected over 1000 people.

They have expressed fear that schools risk becoming the epicenter of the pandemic.

And the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia says fter monitoring a total of 631 schools across the country, between 22nd and 28th May with their counterparts Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia it has been revealed that three quarters of rural Primary schools are not ready for reopening today.

The two organisations have advised government to give rural primary schools one or two weeks in order for these institutions to receive all protective equipment, be safe and ready for both Teachers and Learners during this devastating period of Covid 19.

They said out of the 631 schools monitored,413 were Primary schools while 218 were Secondary schools.

“308 were rural Schools while 323 were Urban Schools”, they said in a joint statement adding that out of 308 rural Schools visited,290 of them ( 94.2% ) did not have sanitizers,no masks,no temperature recorders, fewer desks ,were not disinfected and had poor sources of water.

They said this makes them fertile environments for spreading and contraction of the Covid 19.

“We are of a considered position that allowing rural primary schools to reopen when they are clearly not ready would be going against the very good and plain guidelines put in place by Ministries of General Education and Health, aimed at fighting the Corona virus”, they added.

They explained that out of 323 Urban Schools visited,298( 92.3%) had put in place measures necessary for reopening except that they all lacked masks and thermometers but because of the advantaging locations and economic standing of most Urban Schools they should go ahead and reopen.

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has named the road adjacent to Football House as Danny Pule Road.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Lusaka Deputy Mayor Christopher Shakafuswa said the Council decided to honor Dr. PULE for his contributions to religious and political development of the city, and the country at large.

Mr. Shakafuswa said the Council has adopted a policy of naming roads after residents of Lusaka who have contributed to the development of the city.

He called on residents who feel that they have any contributions on who should be honored in the same manner to follow Council procedure by submitting the profiles to Lusaka City Council for consideration.

Speaking at the same event, Dr. Pule expressed gratitude to the Mayor of Lusaka for honoring him by naming a road after him.