Chief Government spokesperson Dora Siliya says some retirees who are part of the group demanding payment of their terminal benefits have already been paid and were swindled by some of their lawyers.

Ms Siliya says it is not correct to say that government is doing nothing about the retirees’ situation because money has been released on several occasions to pay them.

Speaking at a media briefing, Ms Siliya said government is concerned with the status of retirees who are spending months in the cold demanding to be paid their money and will ensure that what is due to them is paid.

She however said that records are there to show that some retirees were paid through their lawyers and it is not government’s responsibility to ensure that the money is transferred to them.

Meanwhile, Ms Siliya has warned that there will be chaos in the country if politicians continue peddling lies about institutions of governance.

She said Institutions such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia have been handling elections for a long time and there is need for the people to have confidence in it.

Usually, birthdays come with a lot of excitement and some call for huge celebrations such as cutting of cakes, good food, popping of champagne and dancing to good music.

But this was never the case for Mrs Jane Kaonga Chanda who decided to spend her 50th birthday giving out hampers to babies born on her birthday – 15th of January. Mrs Chanda is the wife of Zambia Revenue Authority Commisioner General, Kingsley Chanda.

Her day began very normal with her children helping her wrap gift hampers which she would later in the day donate to newborns in selected hospitals in Lusaka.

Her first stop was Chilenje Level One Hospital in Lusaka where she donated eight (8) hampers to babies born on her birthday.

She later went to Bauleni Clinic where she donated one gift hamper to a newborn and donated another to an expectant mother .

Her last stop was kalingalinga clinic. Unfortunately, the clinic did not record any births on that day.

When asked why she decided to spend her birthday in such a unique style, Mrs Chanda, said she always prefers to spend her birthday in such a way.

“I am not a party person; I always want to feel for the other person. If I was Bill Gates, I would share with the whole world but I am able to share to the capacity God has blessed me with and I hope the mothers and the babies can receive these gifts with one heart, because it’s not even within my powers, it’s not up to me but God made it possible,” she says with a smile.

This kind gesture by Mrs Chanda excited the mothers whose babies benefited from the hampers and hospital staff who applauded her for her kind heart of sharing and encouraged her to continue being kind to others through sharing.

By Chanda John Chimba
[Zambian Sky]

By Arnold Chasaya

Communities play a critical role in the sustainable management of natural endowments.
In Zambia, one of the most precious natural resources, which continues to dictate the economic well-being of indigenous communities, is fresh water. For example, with more than half of the country’s population living within the Kafue River catchment area (according to Researcher Michael Kambole), there is no doubt that the river is a pillar on which many Zambians’ livelihoods depend.

But in order for the country’s critical fresh water bodies to be managed sustainably, there is an urgent need for both policymakers and conservationists across the country to find a way of empowering community members with basic research skills and tools so that they can take a leading role in initiatives aimed at assuring the integrity of natural water bodies. One of the ways of empowering communities with an active voice at conservation is citizen science.

Citizen science, also known as community science, is scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur (or nonprofessional) scientists, according to a 2013 write-up by Author Gura Trisha. Citizen science is sometimes described as “public participation in scientific research,” participatory monitoring, and participatory action research whose outcomes are often advancements in scientific research, as well as an increase in the public’s understanding of science.

Using basic scientific research tools, community members within the Lower Kafue River basin are monitoring quality of their natural water bodies, by closely observing the levels of nitrate and phosphates in the water. The citizen scientists are also monitoring turbidity, which is a measure of the degree to which the water loses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates.

The more total suspended solids in the water, the cloudier it seems and the higher the turbidity. The suspended particles absorb heat from the sunlight, making turbid waters become warmer, and so reducing the concentration of oxygen in the water. As a consequence of the particles settling to the bottom, shallow lakes fill in faster, fish eggs and insect larvae are covered and suffocated, according to a report by an online publication Lenntech.

Meanwhile, nitrate is one of the most common groundwater contaminants in rural areas. It is regulated in drinking water primarily because excess levels can cause “blue baby” disease, a condition where a baby’s skin turns blue due to a decreased amount of hemoglobin in the baby’s blood.
Although nitrate levels that affect infants do not pose a direct threat to older children and adults, they do indicate the possible presence of other more serious residential or agricultural contaminants, such as bacteria or pesticides.

On the other hand, phosphates enter waterways from human and animal waste, phosphorus rich bedrock, laundry, cleaning, industrial effluents, and fertilizer runoff. If too much phosphate is present in the water the algae and weeds will grow rapidly, may choke the waterway, and use up large amounts of precious oxygen. The result may be the death of many fish and aquatic organisms, notes Brian Oram of Water Research Center.
In its relentless effort to help manage natural water bodies sustainably, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia and its strategic partners are providing the citizen scientists with the support they need to help assure the quality of critical fresh water bodies in their communities.
Speaking recently during a citizens’ engagement tour of the Lower Kafue River catchment area, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia Fresh Water Programme Officer Diilwe Syamuntu observed that citizen science would not have come at a better time than now when community participation in conservation initiatives counts more than ever.

“With citizen science, community members, who are the custodians of these natural resources, are in a position to influence policy in the conservation sphere,” he noted.

Mr. Syamuntu also urged the citizen scientists to prioritize sharing their observations with their respective communities, so that a community motivated solution could be found to various factors compromising the quality of water.

“As you monitor this water, always remember to share your observations with the community so that you are on the same page in terms of the quality of the water you are using. If you sit on the observatory results, you will be defeating the whole purpose of citizen science,” emphasized Mr. Syamuntu.

Speaking earlier, WWF-Zambia Water Stewardship Officer Gershom Pule emphasized the need for more concerted efforts in the management of natural water bodies. He said that since water is a shared resource, it requires collective action to be managed sustainably. “Collaborative planning and action on fresh water will sustain the resource. Therefore, communities, private and public sectors must work together,” appealed Mr. Pule.
Meanwhile, the citizen scientists praised WWF-Zambia and its partners for introducing them to the science.

One of the visibly satisfied citizen scientists, Kalaluka Mwiya, disclosed that since he was introduced to the science, he has been helping other community members appreciate their role in conservation. Mr. Mwiya noted also that by sharing his scientific observations with the rest of his community, he has seen a drastic improvement in the quality of the water bodies surrounding his community.

The citizen scientists are spread across community schools, government departments and parastatal institutions within the Lower Kafue River catchment area.

After they have monitored the water, the citizen scientists move on to upload their observable results onto FreshWater Watch, a mobile application accessible to other citizen scientists across the globe.

Once uploaded, the results are automatically made available to other citizen scientists spread across various fresh water basins around the globe.

There is no doubt that with citizen science, the significant role communities play in natural resources management will be harnessed fully for the benefit of both nature and the human race as a whole.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Youths have urged the Government to concentrate on improving the school curriculum than introducing more exams.

In a statement circulated to the Media, New Hope MMD National Youth Secretary Mr. Gregory Mofu said that there is a huge number of Pupils who sit for Grade 7 who can’t read and write.

“We in the New Hope MMD Youth League, have received the proposed introduction of Grade 4 assessment and examinations with uttermost shock and surprise. A number of Pupils who sit for grade 7 cannot read and write for various reasons. What makes them think that one who can fail at Grade 7 can pass a Grade 4 examination? We find it shocking that instead of sorting out the problem behind this, they want to create more problems”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu called upon the Government to find out what is leading to a high number of Grade 7 examination failures.

“From the information, we have gathered, we understand that the Government through the Ministry of General Education has come up with this proposal to reduce the high number of Pupils who fail the Grade 7 examinations. However, we are of the view that this has nothing to do with lack of previous examinations but has more to do with other factors like the school curriculum. We would like to urge the government to find out the root cause for high drop out rates”, Mr. Mofu said.

Mr. Mofu further called upon the Government to improve the school curriculum.

“Lastly but we would like to call upon the Government to immediately improve the school curriculum. We are of the view that the curriculum in its current form is outdated and is among the main reasons why there is a high rate of failure at the various examinations levels including Grade 7. So we find the proposed Grade 4 examinations as a misguided missile, which might come to hurt us more”, Mr. Mofu said.

Isoka District commissioner Even well Mutambo has expressed worry over the 3 330 confiscated Mukula logs, which are lying idle at his office.

Mr. Mutambo revealed this to Muchinga Deputy Permanent. Secretary Jonathan Ngonga yesterday in Isoka.

He lamented that the Mukula logs have been lying idle for over three years and ZAFFICO is quiet over the matter.

And responding to the matter Muchinga Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Jonathan Ngonga said he would look into the matter with the permanent Secretary Joyce Nsamba.

Mr Ngonga appealed to all Civil servants and Isoka community to embark on serious tree planting programme in the district.

Meanwhile, Mr Ngonga has praised the Mafinga district administration for their quick response on planting 7000 trees on the source of Luangwa River.

And on Nakonde district Mr. Ngonga said Schools have planted 7650 trees.the situation he said was impressive.

Mr Ngonga has, however, urged Isoka District Education Board Secretary Gino Malongo to take advantage of pupils and plant trees in the learning institution.