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Zambia Police Service Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has commended the Police Command for the mature handling of sustained picketing by retirees at the Justice Ministry headquarters in Lusaka. Mr. Sinkamba has appealed to the Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja to keep up with that spirit exhibited at Justice Ministry because the sovereign authority of Zambia is vested in the people themselves.
“You see, Article 5 of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment 2016 provides that the sovereign authority of Republic of Zambia vests in the people of Zambia themselves, which may be exercised directly or through elected or appointed representatives or institutions. If the people feel let down by elected, nominated or appointed officials, let the people have space and moment to freely express their disgust. If it means to express their disgust at offices of appointed, nominated or elected officials, so be it. The Police should not interfere at all, unless the expression is violent,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
“Looking at the case of retirees who have been picketing at Justice Ministry Headquarters for some time now, I think that the Inspector General of Police Mr. Kakoma Kanganja, and his Command, must be applauded for non-interference. The retirees have been accorded space and moment to air their grievances without Police interference. That is the maturity we want to see from the Police all the time when members of the public chose to picket to express their grievances
“We hope that the maturity exhibited by the Police in that instance will be sustained. That is the Zambia we want to see; a peaceful country where the right to assembly and expression is guaranteed. The barbarism we have seen in bye-elections and other incidents where party cadres and members of the public are involved in running battles with the Police over the rights to assembly and expression should be brought to an end. Let us all draw lessons from the Justice Ministry picketing,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
Here are some mid-week briefs from our European-based stars.
BELGIUM
Striker Fashion Sakala started for KV Oostende in Wednesday’s Belgium Cup quarterfinal, last leg home defeat to Club Brugge.
Fashion was not on target and later substituted in the 78th minute.
Oostende lost the match 2-1 on post-match penalties after a 1-1 draw on the day following a 2-2 aggregate result.
FRANCE
Defender Stopilla Sunzu played the full 90 minutes for struggling French Ligue 1 side Metz on Wednesday who lost 1-0 to seventh placed Rennes.
Metz are currently third from bottom following their promotion this season.
RUSSIA
And on Monday in Russia, Arsenal Tula pulled-off a stunning 1-0 away win over thirteen-time champions and 2017/2018 runners-up CSKA Moscow.
Striker Evans Kangwa was the only Zambian interest but was an unused substitute in that win by seventh placed club over CSKA who are fourth.
Chipolopolo midfielder Enock Mwepu and striker Patson Daka both failed to make the final cut in the race for 2019 CAF Youth Player of the Year Award after second round of vetting.
The duo from Austrian champions RB Salzburg were on the preliminary 16-member shortlist announced by CAF on November 24.
But Shepolopolo’s interest in the race for 2019 CAF honours remains for the CAF Awards ceremony that will be held in Hurghada, Egypt on January 7, 2020.
Shepolopolo coach Bruce Mwape has made the final cut for the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award.
His team is also up for the 2019 CAF Women’s Team of the Year award.
Shepolopolo are enjoying great form in the 2020 Olympics qualifiers where they have reached the final stage to face fellow nominees Cameroon for Africa’s automatic ticket to Tokyo next summer.
The loser will face Chile in a play-off for the other bonus slot.
Shepolopolo have never qualified for the Olympics.
Shepolopolo also earned their debut runners-up finish at the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Cup held in South Africa in August.
-Women’s Coach of the Year
Alain Djeumfa (Cameroon)
Bruce Mwape (Zambia)
Clementine Toure (Côte d’Ivoire)
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria)
-Women’s National Team of the Year
1. Cameroon
2. Côte d’Ivoire
3. Nigeria
4. South Africa
5. Zambia
The Police Public Complaints Commission (PPCC) is in the process of establishing provincial centres.
PPCC chairperson Fredrick Musonda said this is aimed at expediting the process of addressing complaints from members of the public.
Mr. Musonda said the commission only has a presence in Lusaka, a situation he said has posed a challenge in the complaints procedure handling and processing.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Luanshya District Commissioner Patrick Maipambe, Mr. Musonda said the establishment of the provincial offices will also be done in order to address the inaction towards complaints against the conduct of the police.
He further stated that the commission will in the long run establish district centres in order to maximise the process of investigations relating to complaints against the police.
Meanwhile, Luanshya District Commissioner Patrick Maipambe said over detention of suspects is a major complaint by members of the public in his area.
Mr. Maipambe stated that suspects in his district are usually detained for long periods of time without being given police bond, a situation he described as worrying.
He therefore urged the commission to thoroughly liaise with the police command so that various problems facing members of the public pertaining to the operations of the police in the district are quickly addressed.
The Bank of Zambia has said that it is not true that the Constitutional Amendment Bill number 10 of 2019 will take away its powers to print the currency and supervise the financial sector.
The Bank says contrary to social media reports, the Central Bank will continue printing the currency as well as supervise the financial sector.
The Central Bank says reports suggesting that the printing of money will be done by the Central government through cabinet are not correct.
The Bank says the submission it made to the National Dialogue Forum (NDF) is aimed at allowing it to perform its primary objectives while pushing the other functions to subsidiary legislation.
The Central Bank has argued that this submission is in line with best practices and complies within the SADC model Law of Central Banks which encourages Central Banks to adopt a single primary objective.
The Bank said it further submitted to the government that the primary function of the Bank should be to formulate and implement monitory policy.
This is contained in a statement made available to media by Bank of Zambia Communications division.
The official opening of the third session of the twelfth National Assembly
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in partnership with church groups have written to Police for a public procession next Tuesday with a petition to be presented to Parliament.
YALI Administrative Assistance, Natasha Kapoma says the Unity Assembly will be on the enactment of the Constitution Amendment Bill number ten of 2019 and against Homosexuality.
In a letter to LUSAKA Province Police Commissioner Nelson Phiri and made available to ZNBC, Ms Kapoma said the Assembly is proposed for Tuesday 10th December 2019.
She said Assembly will be held outside Parliament Grounds from 10:30hrs to 12:30hrs.
Ms Kapoma said the speakers will include the organization’s leaders, Church and other civil society leaders.
She said that a petition will also be handed over to the National Assembly for possible debate with the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Green Eagles on Wednesday replaced Green Buffaloes at number five on the FAZ Super Division table following a 1-0 home win at Independence Stadium in Choma.
The result keeps the 2019 transitional season runners-up unbeaten in their last eight games in which they have won five and drawn three matches.
Sixtyseven minute substitute Shadreck Mulungwe ,who came on for Kennedy Musonda, struck three minutes deep into stoppage time to hand Eagles the league victory after two scoreless away draws at Zesco United and Nkana.
Eagles exchange places with Buffaloes in 5th and 6th position from ten and twelve games played respectively but are tied on 19 points, nine points behind leaders Zesco and another six adrift of second placed Napsa Stars.
The result also ended Buffaloes’ quiet five-match unbeaten run that had seen them collect four wins and a draw.
Meanwhile, Eagles continue to clear their four-match backlog when they return to action on December 7 in a delayed Week 11 fixture when they host Red Arrows who are at number four on 4 points.
A home win this Saturday will see them supplant Nkana from fourth place where the record 12-time champions currently perch on 21 points.
Eagles incurred the backlog due to their just-end CAF Champions League campaign that they exited in the pre-group stage in September.
The government has released K251 million to the Local Authority Superannuation Fund (LASF) for paying retirement packages.
The funding was released on September 25, 2019, and a sum of K114, 019,123.71 in life pensions, with a lump sum payment to 2,880 retirees has been paid.
Of the total members paid 2,172 have been paid in full with a total payment, amounting to K68, 518,926.05, while 708 members have received partial payments towards their retirement benefits amounting to over K46, 000.
LASF Public Relations Manager Chishimba Milongo in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said the accelerated payment efforts are part of the undertaking by LASF to liquidate outstanding lump sum pension arrears to members.
Mr Milongo advised retirees to ensure that their bank account details are validated and submitted to the LASF using the prescribed forms so that there are no challenges in remitting the retirement benefits and pensions in to respective accounts.
Mr Milongo further appealed to pensioners and other beneficiaries countrywide who have not yet received their lump sum retirement benefits to be patient as the system has been put in place to ensure that as many members are paid.
He added that this is because LASF has set the clearing arrears of unpaid retirement benefits to retirees as a priority in order to contribute to government’s vision of addressing the plight of retirees.
National Democratic Congress Consultant Chishimba Kambwili
NDC President Chishimba Kambwili says Parliament’s move to defer the controversial Bill 10 is a loss on the part of the government and a win on the part of the citizens.
Dr. Kambwili said citizens could not allow President Edgar Lungu to fraudulently amend the constitution to suit him and his cohorts.
“The PF government knew they could not attain 2/3 of the vote so instead they decided to defer Bill 10 to 2020 after smelling the imminent defeat,” Dr. Kambwili said.
“This is exactly what we told President Lungu, despite spending millions trying to woo opposition MPs this Bill was always a Brought in Dead case.”
“A huge thank you to the gallant Opposition MPs including our very own Joseph Chishala, these men and women should be considered heroes for standing up to a ruthless government with ruthless and ill intentions.”
He added, “Even in 2020, this Bill will die a natural death because it was ill-intended to perpetuate Edgar Lungu’s stay in office. Unfortunately, the country has gallant men and women who could not allow such an affront to take place.”
PF deputy chief whip Tutwa Ngulube
And PF deputy chief whip Tutwa Ngulube has accused chapter one foundation led by former law association of Zambian president Linda kasonde of being sponsored to discredit bill 10.
Mr Ngulube notes that there are a lot of good clauses in bill 10 which are unfortunately being misinformed by those opposing it.
He dispelled accusations that the bill intends to increase the powers of the president, interfere in the appointment of judges, give powers to the president to contract debt without parliamentary approval, reintroduction of deputy minister among others.
Speaking when they both featured on hot fm breakfast show, Mr. Ngulube disagreed with Ms Kasonde for not being factual on the actual provisions of the bill.
“We must be truthful, this bill number 10 did not come from government, this bill did not come from ministry of justice, this bill came from the national dialogue forum and LAZ was part of the body that participated to come up with this bill. There is no where the bill says the powers of the president will increase even by an inch” Mr. Ngulube explained.
Ms Kasonde was also reminded that she should well understand the procedure of appointment of judges, being a former LAZ president that the president does not appoint any judge but just swears them in after a long process has been endured to appoint them.
Hosts Zambia made a roaring start to the 2019 COSAFA U20 following a 5-0 win over Botswana in their opening Group A match at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
The victory is a massive lift for Coach Oswald Mutapa as Zambia embark on finally winning the title in their third and final time as hosts after staging it in 2017, and making a first round exit, and in 2018 when they reached the semifinals.
Francisco Mwepu and Crawford Mwaba put Zambia two-nil into halftime with goals in the 5th and 34th minutes respectively.
Young Napsa Stars striker Jimmy Mukeya added a brace in the 64th and 79th minutes before Jumulo FC striker Ricky Banda made it 5-0 with five minutes left on the clock.
Zambia top Group A on goal difference tied on 3 points with Malawi who crushed Comoros 4-0 in the early kickoff at Nkoloma.
Zambia play Comoros in their penultimate Group A match on December 7 before facing Malawi on December 9 at Nkoloma Stadium.
Only the three group winners and best runner-up advance to the semifinals on December 12.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka, Dr. Kalyalya recognised that to address the prevailing economic challenges, monetary policy actions alone are not sufficient.
Bank of Zambia (BoZ) Governor Denny Kalyalya says Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in flows fell by almost 50 percent to about US$560m in 2018.
Dr. Kalyalya says the significant decline was mainly due to losses of almost US$340m mostly in the mining sector where some companies encountered operational challenges.
The BoZ Governor says as a result of declining profitability, borrowing from foreign affiliates increased to about US$640m in 2018 from US$560m in 2017.
Dr. Kalyalya was speaking during the dissemination workshop of the Foreign Private Investment and Investor perceptions survey results in Lusaka today.
He explained that in terms of sectoral performance, the manufacturing sector was the leading recipient of net FDI liability flows.
Dr. Kalyalya explained that peace, security, political stability, and a relatively stable macroeconomic environment have continued to be the main motivating factors for investing in Zambia.
The opposition UPND says it does not approve of the conduct of its Members of Parliament, who refused to walk out of Parliament when the Constitution Amendment bill number 10 of 2019 was presented in Parliament.
UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka says a collective decision will have to be made on how to handle Nalikwanda Member of Parliament Geoffrey Lungwangwa and his Solwezi Central counterpart Teddy Kasonso.
Mr. Katuka told ZNBC in a telephone interview that the Opposition Leader in Parliament JACK MWIIMBU gave a position which everyone needed to follow.
Yesterday, the Constitution Amendment Bill Number Ten of 2019 was restored on the order paper in Parliament.
This means that the Constitutional amendment Bill number ten of 2019 is eligible to come up for second reading in Parliament.
Acting Justice Minister, Stephen Kampyongo moved a motion for the restoration of the bill to the order paper.
However, most of the UPND MPs walked out of the house protesting the restoration of the Constitution Amendment bill number ten of 2019 to the order paper.
But two UPND Members of Parliament Mr. Kasonso of Solwezi and his Nalikwanda counterpart Geoffrey Lungwangwa opted to remain in the house after their counterparts walked out.
And the Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) says there is no need to harass or punish the two UPND Members of Parliament who refused to walk out when the Constitutional Amendment Bill number ten of 2019 was presented to Parliament.
SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Chembe says the members of Parliament merely exercised their right to remain in the House and that no one should have a problem with that.
Mr. Chembe says with the explanation given, the two members of Parliament cannot be blamed for their action.
Mr. Chembe told ZNBC News in a Telephone interview that instead of antagonizing the two Members of Parliament, the UPND will do well to listen to their reasoning and respect their action.
He said it will not be in the interest of the UPND to antagonize the Nalikwanda and Solwezi Central law makers.
Parliament has unanimously resolved to defer the enactment of the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 10 to February next year.
Acting Justice Minister Stephen Kampyongo told the House Wednesday afternoon that there is not sufficient time to debate the Bill in the current sitting.
Mr Kampyongo who is also Home Affairs Minister said the Executive is aware that in the current sitting, Parliament has limited time to pass the Budget Act which takes precedence.
He said Parliament also has a number of Heads to Consider when debating the Budget Bill and also has to pass the Money Act to support the implementation of the budget.
Mr Kampyongo said deferring the Bill to next year is not a sign that the Executive is scared of losing the vote but that it is confident that the Bill will pass.
The ongoing diplomatic battle between the US. Ambassador Daniel Foote and the PF government on the 15 years’ imprisonment slapped on an innocent gay couple confirms the saying “he who pays the piper calls the tune.” Despite irresponsible statements from dishonorable and corrupt PF cadres, this immoral sentence harms our nation’s international credibility. The PF government has surpassed Uganda’s anti-gay foolishness, we are now the official gay killing nation. Even PF government’s spokesperson, Hon. Dora Siliya cannot defend this injustice in her statement.
Hon. Siliya’s statement is a child-like plea for US continual economic support, which helps pay for her rich lifestyle. In Hon. Siliya’s world, however, Amb. Foote must only praise the PF government but never criticize its evil policies. This is self-evident in her statement’s citation of the US embassy’s assessment of the socio-political trends in the nation. In order to assuage PF cadres, she nevertheless defines Zambians as God-fearing (thieves, rapists, child molesters, etc), who are anti-gay and pro-death penalty.
I wondered why Hon. Siliya brought up the death penalty, which has nothing to do with the unjust sentence. “Who does not know that 15 years in Zambian prisons is the death penalty?” I initially thought. But then I realized she simply iterated Senegalese President Macky Sall’s response to President Obama during the June 2013 Dakar Joint Press Conference. Whereas Obama called for the decriminalization of homosexuality, Sall argued that Senegal has outlawed the death penalty, which is still lawful in the United States. His country, President Sall argued, was still not ready to decriminalize homosexuality–though gay persons were not persecuted or discriminated against (which was not true). Hence, there is a need to respect each nation’s laws. Unlike President Sall, however, Hon. Siliya could not make such a statement–a gay couple is unjustly and wrongly sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. It is this injustice that horrified Ambassador Foote in a Christian nation where criminals are acquitted, while the innocent overpopulate our life-ending jails.
One could question ambassador Foote’s sincerity in his opposition to the sentence following the Trump administration’s human rights violations. From the caging of immigrants to the separation of children from parents to attempts to reverse gains in sexual rights globally, the US is no longer the human rights defending nation it used to be. Is it not only fair that ambassador Foote should clean his country’s closet first, before pointing a finger of injustice on Zambia?
This question though justified ignores the fact that most US ambassadors are career diplomats whose duty is to represent, and uphold their country’s constitution as opposed to promoting the interests of the sitting president. The cooperation of US ambassadors with the US. Congress in the impeachment investigations against President Trump (despite Trump’s directive not to do so) speaks to this point. In this regard, Amb. Foote has a moral responsibility to stand up for those on the margins–something that provoked ignorant PF cadres to foolishly demand his expulsion from the unjust Christian nation.
Madam Siliya’s statement sought to placate cadres on the one hand and to beg for forgiveness from the US ambassador on the other. Thus she wrongly employed the Westphalian accord in international relations theory (IRT); a pact that prohibits foreign nations from interfering in domestic politics. Based on this misapplication of IRT, she interprets the ambassador’s position as interference in what is purely a domestic matter.
It is not unusual for ambassadors to publicly support human rights in foreign lands. So I doubt if Hon. Siliya is aware that the non-interference protocol does not apply to human rights violations and war crimes. We live in the post-Westphalia era, in which foreign governments have the right to oppose human rights violations across borders. In ITR, it is thus within the ambassador’s duties to speak out against state-sponsored human rights abuses; in this case, the shameful and uncalled for imprisonment that even Madam Siliya could not logically defend.
Ignorance of international relations is poisonous. Many ignorant PF cadres don’t know that the US is behind the many developmental projects in the nation–from hospitals to Universities to roads to toilets to HIV/AIDS drugs to countless others. It is this reality that forced Hon. Dora Siliya to walk back the PF government’s irresponsible attacks on the heroic ambassador. She understands that without the US financial support, Zambia’s economy is dead–something that would rightly send many PF cadres and officials to jail following the 2021 elections. Hence the Lungu administration has no choice, but to kneel before this hero–the gay rights defending diplomat.
I take offense with Hon. Siliya’s presentation of the 15 years imprisonment as a matter of opinion–it is not. This is about human beings, whose lives are destroyed simply because of who they choose to love. We ought to understand that human rights are non-negotiable. Masses may see homosexuality as sinful, but to imprison innocent people due to their sexual orientation is simply wrong. We all want justice, and when justice is denied, we must oppose it at all costs. As an award-winning Indian economist, Amartya Sen’s human development theory concludes, we cannot develop holistically in the absence of freedoms. In short, upholding human rights is critical to human development. Behind Zambia’s underdevelopment is the ongoing misapplication of justice by our courts.
On a strategic note, the ambassador’s threat to review the US–Zambia relations is exactly what President Lungu and his morally bankrupt administration need. At the time when masses are starving, unemployment is out of control and the Kwacha is at its weakest, the anti-homosexuality hoopla will characterize the 2021 election campaigns. Homosexuality is the only issue the PF will run to define HH to the overt religious electorate; further jeopardizing the wellbeing of sexual minorities. As for now, the Lungu administration has finally put its tail between its legs–it has surrendered to the heroic ambassador.
All people of goodwill should not surrender to this injustice. The threat of “contempt of [disgraced] courts cannot erase the facts; Zambian courts have repeatedly insulted justice, democracy, and even human decency.
I know I am the lone religious voice on this subject. But as long as l breath, nobody will silence me. Your insults and threats are the very fuel that drives my passion–sexual minorities deserve their rights.
To the sacred LGBTQI community, this fight is ours to win.
File: Women and children waiting to be attended to by only one Nurse at Siameja Clinic in Sinazongwe district.
The National Health Insurance Management Authority is assessing health facilities countrywide for possible accreditation as health care providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Speaking when members from the authority paid a courtesy call on Acting Kalabo District Administrative Officer Simasiku Simasiku, delegation leader Cynthia Kachamba said once accredited, the initiative will help revamp the target health facilities.
Ms. Kachamba, who is also Health Professionals Council of Zambia (HPCZ) senior training officer, said beneficiaries shall locally access health services adding that only ailments requiring specialized treatment will be referred elsewhere.
She revealed that the scheme has a lot of benefits for both the beneficiaries and accredited health facilities.
She said the delegation was in the district to assess Kalabo District Hospital and Yuka Adventist Mission Hospital for possible accreditation as the scheme’s health care providers.
Meanwhile, Acting Kalabo District Administrative Officer Simasiku Simasiku observed that there was need for mass sensitization about the National Health Insurance Scheme and its benefits.
Following the enactment of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018 and gazetting of Statutory Instrument number 66 of 2019, beneficiaries have started contributing to the scheme effective 1st October 2019.
In accordance with Section 15(1) of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018, the scheme is a contributory entity at the prescribed rate of two percent with the employee contributing one percent and the employer contributing another one percent of the monthly basic salary.
The authority targets to register about 700,000 scheme members by February next year.
The focus is to register employees, pension managers and the informal sector whereas everyone above the age of 18 years and below 65 years is eligible for registration.
Scheme regulations, health benefits package and accredited health care providers shall be communicated in due course while members of the scheme shall be eligible to access health benefits with effect from 1st February 2020.
During the transition period, administrative measures such as registration of members, issuance of membership cards, accreditation of health care providers and all functions incidental to the implementation of the scheme shall be undertaken.
