Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
Last weekend my son in grade 5 at Martin House boarding school in Chisamba opened up to me that he was beaten every night.
The Bully is another boy in his class and sleeps on the same bunker bed with him.
He continued that he does not allow him to sleep on top when rules are that they alternate. Where dows he punch you? ” Anywhere, in the head or stomach”
What do you do when he beats you? ” I just cry or just keep quite”
Why have you not told your teacher or the principal? ” He said he would come beat me even more if I ever told on him”.
That was so traumatic to hear. I felt like driving to the school, summon the father to the bully boy and punch both in their stomachs at once.
I allowed myself to cool down and only called the school Principal Mr Robby Swanepol last night. He had no clue this was going on. He promised to call me back in the morning.
He just call now and informed me he had summoned and interviewed both pupils and established that it is true one pupil was abusing the other.
He stated that he has since written a ‘Final Warning Letter’ letter to the Bully pupil and any one more such complaint on him from any pupil, he would be Expelled.
I commend the Principal Mr Swanepol for his quick and decisive approach in dealing with the matter.
I share so all parents of Lusaka City can counter check with their children and ensure they are not victims of bullying like my son has been.
Kids or pupils overly subjected to bullying tend to loose confidence in themselves and lead to poor academic grades and haze future career prospects.
School Headmaster and Teachers; we entrust our children into your care. Please curb bullying in your various schools.
If any of the parents in Lusaka City may need my intervention on matters of pupil bullying, please note that I am available to help out.
A joint operation by Lusaka City Council (LCC) Legal Services Committee, Health Committee, and Zambia Police, on Friday night, closed 33 bars for operating outside the law.
The team conducted a night operation in selected parts of Munali, Kabwata, Mandevu and Matero Constituencies.
Public Relations Manager George Sichimba
Confirmed this to Smart Eagles that a joint night operation was undertaken to check on compliance with the laws and regulations relating to liquor trade in the city.
Mr Sichimba said the operation started at 22:30 hours last night and ended at 02:30 hours this morning.
He said the affected bars were found operating outside stipulated hours contrary to the Liquor Licensing (Permitted Hours) Regulations of 2012, for noise pollution and admitting underage patrons.
Mr Sichimba said the law stipulates that bars and bottle stores (retail liquor) must open at 10:00 hours and close at 22:00 hours.
He said the only exempted establishments are night clubs, hotels, lodges, Guesthouses, Restaurants, boarding houses, camps and camp sites which can sell liquor at any time to clients who are lodging with them and people that are buying food with regards to restaurants.
He expressed Sadness that some establishments dealing in liquor are not operating within the law hence the operation to check on compliance levels.
He said during the operation, seven people were apprehended, out which three were apprehended for selling liquor without a licence, two for obstruction of officers from carrying out official duties and two for suspected underage.
He added that the apprehended suspects were handed over to Chelstone Police Station for further action.
And Committee Chairperson, George Daka warned that people operating liquor establishments should always abide by the law to avoid inconveniences.
He said the local authority will not relent in its quest to bring sanity in the city.
Councillor Daka observed that with the coming of the festive season liquor traders usually disregard the law and the expense of making more money while consumers also became excited.
He said the season situation usually comes with so many complaints from residents affected by nuisances such as noise pollution and underage patronage.
“We are aware of the fact that some liquor traders tend to engage in illegal activities during this period but we will check them out,” he warned.
Councillor Daka also reminded patrons that it is their responsibility to make sure that they only patronise bars and night clubs that are licenced to avoid being inconvenienced.
Other members of the joint committee were Councillors Longa Chiboboka, Moses Bwalya, Patrick Mwansa, Chilando Chitangala, Sylvester Mulenga and Tasila Lungu.
Others were Councillors Ruth Phiri, Douglas Tembo, Adrian Banda, Francis Bwalya, Makungu and Jonas Phiri.
Napsa Stars moved within four points of leaders Zesco United after the champions 100 percent start was halted by Green Eagles.
Zesco’s nine match winning start to the season came to an end today when Green Eagles held them to a 0-0 home draw.
The highlight of the game pitted Green Eagles coach Aggrey Chiyangi who is Zambia trainer against his Chipolopolo technical advisor George Lwandamina who is Zesco coach.
Zesco stay top on 28 points but see their lead cut from seven to four points.
This after Napsa beat Zanaco 3-2 in their Lusaka derby at Woodlands Stadium.
This game see-sawed well into the 90th minute when Doisy Soko scored his debut goal for Napsa in the 5th minute before Moussa Souleymanou equalized in the 27th minute.
Collins Sikombe put Napsa 2-1 into the break on the stroke of half-time but Roger Kola restored parity in the 6 3rd minute.
But Luka Banda had the final say in the matter with the winner for Napsa in the 81st minute.
Napsa have 24 points while Zesco edged forward slightly on 28 points.
But Napsa are not comfortable in second with Red Arrows within a whispering shout at number three on 23 points.
Arrows hand the fortune of a Jeff Chanda own-goal to thank for after beating townmates Nkwazi 1-0 at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.
Arrows are third on 23 points while Eagles are sixth on 15 points after the draw with Zesco.
Nkana are fourth on 20 points after eleven rounds played.
Prince Ndoyi has called on stakeholders and the public at large to critically interrogate the principle behind the appointment of Simon Miti to two government positions as Secretary to Cabinet while working at STATE HOUSE.
The young politician has come to the defence of President LUNGU’s decision to appoint Simon Miti to two senior government portiflolios, whereas he has described the decision as a killing two birds with one stone.
Ndoyi who commended the News Diggers editorial team for being fearless and a voice of reason, observed that the issue regarding Dr Miti’s appointment raises eyebrows on face value but that it is one that benefits both the Presidency and Cabinet.
He said before the two positions were separated it used to be one which he said only goes to straighten the argument that the current scenario is better than appointment of two different individuals.
“The News Diggers Editorial was insightful and thought provoking and it’s good to question some of these decisions especially that these are senior positions in governmeht. However, the principle issue is whether there is any oversight or breach of the Constitution in doing so? Is there any incompliance to rules within the civil service regulations for one to hold two positions that are appointive in nature? The answer is a BIG NO.
“As a matter of fact, the two roles used to be one back in the days until they were separated. If we listened attentively, President Lungu when swearing Dr Simon Miti at State House he made it categorical that he will be working from State House more often. That meant to signify that he holds the view that one person who works in his office daily best understands his position on matters and his vision overall would best serve as head of the civil service that merely implements his vision.
“This current scenario works better because the Secretary to Cabinet is yet the same person whose the Presidency’s Principal Secretary meaning there won’t be two versions of one story.”
He noted that there is need to narrow the gap with bureaucracy and that having Dr Miti doubling on two positions helps the civil service and the presidency work hand-in-hand.
“This way the civil service and Presidency now work hand in hand. He is more at an advantage to advise appropriately because he well understands the position of the President on matters as well as the position on the ground in terms of the public service. You will be killing two birds with one stone. We must narrow the gap or bridge the gap with bereaucracy. It all depends with the thinking of the Presidency with what works well. It’s his prerogative, other Presidents in future may see it differently and may apply different wisdom but I agree totally with the wisdom behind maintaining Dr Miti in these two responsibilities.”
Ndoyi further noted that it is not the first time an appointed government official has held two positions citing Gorge Kunda who worked as Vice President of the Republic as well as Justice Minister in the MMD government among others.
He said the position of Secretary to Cabinet has more than 6 positions who are equivalent to deputies hence the question of efficiency does not arise.
“Also note that this is not the only position and scenario where one office bearer has two functions including one function junior to the other, remember the late George Kundu SC among others. He was Vice President and Minister of Justice.
“Secretary to the cabinet has more than one deputy in fact his job’s functions are equally devolved into several other roles that are at level of his deputy. The Secretary to the Cabinet basically has over 6 individuals to the equivalent of his deputies that have his devolved and separate functions to play.”
Former Republican President Rupiah Bwezani Banda has called for re-organization of the Zambia national soccer team.
Mr. Banda says the recent streak of losses by the soccer team was frustrating to soccer fans.
He said continuous losses by the senior national soccer team was an indication that Zambia needed to engage an expatriate coach.
Mr. Banda, who is also former FAZ vice president and foremost football administrator said recent results showed that local coaches could not cope with expected football standards.
He mentioned that Zambia should not shy away from engaging an expatriate coach if the nation was to turn its fortunes adding that Zambia needed to work harder as football was the most loved sport in the country.
Mr. Banda noted that there was too much politics in the running of football in the country which was affecting the game.
He has since appealed to people politicizing football in the country to stop
Mr. Banda also congratulated the Shipolopolo for the good game the played.
He was speaking in South Africa when he met Zambia’s High Commissioner to that country Major General Jackson.
The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has followed with keen interest the events unfolding in relation to the intended Kangaluwi Copper Mining Project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
The Kangaluwi Project is an initiative of Mwembeshi Resources Limited, which was granted a large-scale mining license for a period of 25 years in March of 2011.
The site of the intended mining activities is the Kangaluwi area situated in the Lower Zambezi National Park, which covers about 977 km (roughly 25 percent of the national park).
However, the open-pit mining activities will likely occupy a larger area to accommodate employees, storage equipment and piling of tailings or the earth in order to reach copper ore.
Environmental and mining experts predict that full-scale mining activities could cover up to 50 percent of the Lower Zambezi National Park, which is an ecologically sensitive area. As an extractive industry, mining activities will inevitably cause severe damage to the environment and disrupt the ecosystem of the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Lower Zambezi National Park is a priority tourist destination with its abundance of wildlife species and vegetation as well as conservation value being that it is considered to be the western arm of the East African Rift Valley.
Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Zambian economy and vital to the government’s economic diversification policy.
CTPD Executive Director Isaac Mwaipopo is concerned about the intended mining activities and urged the government to cancel or revoke all pending and existing licenses in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Mr. Mwaipopo says CTPD is encouraged by the statement that was issued by the Minister of Tourism and Arts, Ronald Chitotela to the effect that the mining operations by Mwembeshi Resources were still subject to an environmental impact assessment report and that no mining activities were currently permitted.
“CTPD has however taken note of the sentiments expressed by Senior Chief Mburuma of the Nsenga-Luzi people. Chief Mburuma urged the government to allow the mining activities in order to create jobs and secure livelihoods for his people. As an organization focused on the development of pro-poor trade and development policies, CTPD is concerned primarily with the well-being of the communities and the impact that various policies and government decisions have on the day to day lives of Zambians, “Mr. Mwaipopo said.
He stressed that the concerns raised by the traditional authorities are valid in the wake of the decline in the country’s economic growth which between 2016 and 2018 averaged 3.5 percent per year compared to 7.4 percent between 2004 and 2014.
“According to the World Bank, Zambia has one of the highest inequality gaps in the world such that the economic growth has characteristically benefitted a small segment of the urban population,” Mr. Mwaipopo said.
Mr. Mwaipopo noted that Rural communities remain largely marginalized, bearing the brunt of the unemployment rate currently at 7,15 percent and susceptible to promises from unqualified investors, issues which must be addressed.
He said that whilst CTPD maintains its stance against mining activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park, all stakeholders, and interested parties should continue to engage in dialogue and reach a mutually beneficial consensus.
“CTPD concurs that whilst tourism should be the primary economic driver in relation to the Lower Zambezi and other national parks, efforts should be made by the government to ensure that the industry is driven by Zambians and in so doing guarantee a trickledown effect to the local communities,” He added.
Mr. Mwaipopo also observed that the National parks in Zambia are spotted with secluded luxury camps managed by foreign multinationals and private individuals.
“The luxury resorts and camps cost upwards of USD 500 a night on average, making the facilities largely inaccessible to the majority of Zambians and hindering local tourism. This is itself an impediment to the growth of the industry and a loss of revenue and potential employment creation”, he noted.
Mr. Mwaipopo strongly urges the government to firstly continue engaging with traditional authorities and develop effective strategies that strike a balance between sound investment and opportunities for rural communities.
“In addition, there is a need (through consultation and dialogue) to develop interventions aimed at increasing local participation in the tourism sector”, he said.
President Lungu flanked by his political adviser Kaizer Zulu departing for America
Police in Lusaka have opened a docket in a case where President Edgar Lungu’s Political Advisor Kaizer Zulu caused an accident in Ibex Hill and beat up the driver of the School Bus he hit into.
Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo has confirmed that Mr Zulu reported himself to Simon Mwana Kapwepwe Police under which the area where the accident happened falls.
Mrs Katongo said the matter is however being handled by Woodlands Police who went to the scene first and Mr Zulu is expected to report himself to Woodlands Police where the docket is.
Mr Zulu was on 19th November involved in a traffic accident which occurred along 1st street road in Ibex Hill.
Involved in the accident was Denis Musopelo of Mtendere East aged 35 who was driving a Toyota Hiace mini bus registration number BAF 9274 whose damages are right front door and right side door.
The accident happened when Mr Zulu who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser registration number AJD 8961 was over taking improperly and hit into a Toyota Hiace which was turning right and the Land Cruiser fell in a drainage.
Five days after being on the same side of the cause, Zesco United coach George Lwandamina and Green Eagles coach Aggrey Chiyangi will sit in opposite dugouts this Saturday in a 2019/2020 FAZ Super Division clash at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The encounter comes in the wake of Lwandamina and Chiyangi’s Chipolopolo assignment in the 2021 AFCON Group H qualifiers against Algeria and Zimbabwe that Zambia lost 5-0 away on November 14 and 2-1 at home in Lusaka on November 19 respectively.
Zesco head into the game unbeaten and enjoying a 100 percent start to the 2019/20 league season leading on 27 points from nine games with a match in hand.
Eagles are sixth on 14 points from seven matches with three games in hand and are one of two sides with one league loss this season together with second placed Napsa Stars.
Eagles and Zesco also renew rivalries six months after meeting in the 2019 transitional season playoff final on June 29 in Lusaka .
Lwandamina’s side won that final 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 0-0 draw to see the eight-time champions retain the league title for third successive season.
However, Lwandamina said the match will not be about personalities but about proceedings on the pitch.
Lwandamina returns to club action together with eight players who were also away on AFCON duty for their respectively national teams.
They are Burundi midfielder Enock Sabumukama , the Kenya duo of Jesse Were and Anthony Akumu and Zimbabwean Thabani Kamusoko.
Defenders Mwila Phiri and Clement Mwape were on Chipolopolo duty while Shemmy Mayembe and Solomon Sakala were on 2019 U23 AFCON assignment in Egypt.
“The players who didn’t go anywhere continued to train very well and those that who were out, have trained well in the last two days,” Lwandamina said.
“Meaning the team has blended well and are ready for the task ahead.”
Eagles on the other hand welcome back midfielder Amity Shemande who was on Chipolopolo duty earlier with the CHAN team away in Namibia on November 11 where they beat their hosts 2-0 in a friendly in Windhoek.
Meanwhile, Eagles head to Zesco where they last won a league match in 2009.
Since then, Zesco has won all seven home games but lost two and winning three away matches in Choma.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION WEEK 12 FIXTURES
23/11/2019
Zesco United-Green Eagles
Red Arrows-Nkwazi
Green Buffaloes-Kabwe Warriors
Mufulira Wanderers-Forest Rangers
Lusaka Dynamos-Kabwe Youth Soccer Academy
Napsa Stars-Zanaco
-Independence Stadium, Solwezi
13h00:Lumwana Radiants-Nkana
15h00:Kansanshi Dynamos-Buildcon
24/11/2019
-Arthur Davies Stadium, Kitwe
Power Dynamos-Nakambala Leopards
Power utility company Zesco says it has continued to exempt critical and sensitive installations around the country from load shedding in order to ensure that the operations of such institutions are not disrupted.
Zesco Public Relations Manager Hazel Zulu says the establishments in question include hospitals, airports and other amenities of a sensitive nature that require constant power supply to deliver strategic and life-saving services to the public.
Mrs Zulu said Zesco has received complaints from some customers around the country asserting that the company was not fair in the manner in which the load shedding programme was being expedited.
She said the customers are complaining that there are areas that do not experience load shedding at all.
Mrs Zulu has clarified that most exempt institutions do not enjoy single dedicated lines to their premises but instead there are other customers that feed on such lines.
She explained that in such a case, it becomes obvious that such customers will also have access to that power.
Mrs Zulu has since urged customers that are on exempted lines for one reason or the other to be prudent in the manner in which they use power and ensure that they use energy efficient solutions such as gas for cooking and energy saving bulbs for lighting.
“Our customers should know that ZESCO is not in any way being selective in the manner it is implementing the load shedding exercise. The emphasis is that only critical instiallations such as hospitals and other sensitive areas will be exempted from load shedding until such a time that our generation capacity improves”, she said.
Vice President Inonge Wina says the government has blocked the November 2019 salaries for employees not eligible for government salaries.
Mrs Wina says the government has also suspended and revoked logging credentials for all payroll end-users’ countrywide in order to avoid paying ghost workers.
The Vice President was responding to Lubansenshi Member of Parliament George Mwamba during the Vice president’s question time who wanted to know what measures government was taking over the 4000 ghost workers who are drawing salaries.
She said 779 Public service employees were found to be unknown as they have been dismissed, died or resigned and 3969 appearing on the September payroll were not found during the headcount on the Copperbelt Province.
Mrs Wina said those found to have breached the government regulations in the management of payroll systems are being handed over to law enforcement agencies.
A recent government payroll clean-up exercise on the Copperbelt established that 4,000 civil servants are unaccounted for while K60 million is lost monthly through fraudulent management of the payroll.
Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Simon Miti said the payroll clean-up exercise was done last month by the Public Service Management Division, Accountant General’s office, service commissions and Smart Zambia Institute.
FILE: Finance Minister Dr BWALYA NG’ANDU addressing investors from North America, South America, Europe, Middle-East and Asia, at an Investors Forum held at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington DC, USA
Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu has attributed the depreciation of the Kwacha against the US dollar and other major convertible currencies to low reserves caused by debt servicing and low production and supply in the mining sector.
Dr Ng’andu says the local currency has depreciated by 5.6 percent in November 2019 and by 17 percent on a year on year basis.
He said a sustained depreciation of the currency can lead to inflationary pressure, affect the economic growth of the country, increase the cost of servicing debt and raise the cost of doing business for companies.
Dr Ng’andu said the government has put measures in place both long and medium-term among them tightening the Monetary Policy Rate to help manage the depreciation of the currency.
He also noted the need to increase exports particularly the private sector in order to bring in more foreign exchange which is key in building the reserves.
Dr Ng’andu noted that being an import driven economy, the depreciation of the local currency is expected.
The Finance Minister was responding to Kapiri Mposhi UPND Member of Parliament Stanley Kakubo who asked him what the cause of the rapid depreciation of the Kwacha during the month of November, 2019, is and what urgent measures the Government is taking to stabilize the performance of the Kwacha against other currencies.
Mr Kakubo also asked the Minister what effects the depreciation of the Kwacha has on the economy and what measures the Government is taking to mitigate the adverse effects.
The International Monetary Fund has urged Zambia to cut spending as a way of reducing the mounting debt.
Zambia has been pursuing a US$1.3 billion financial bail out from the IMF for over three years.
But at the end of its latest staff visit to Zambia, the IMF stressed the need for a large, front-loaded and sustained fiscal adjustment that would help set debt on a downward path and reduce domestic arrears.
In a statement, the IMF says Zambia’s spending commitments should also be prioritized in order to meet key development priorities including supporting vulnerable populations.
The staff team was led by Dhaneshwar Ghura and were in Lusaka from November 13–19, 2019 to discuss recent economic developments and the economic outlook for 2020 and the medium term.
At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Ghura said,” Macroeconomic outcomes have weakened as a difficult fiscal position combined with a severe drought have resulted in projected growth slowing to below 2 percent and an increased risk of food insecurity.
“Discussions covered both near and medium-term policy options to address these challenges, including the main elements of the draft 2020 budget being currently debated in Parliament.”
“The IMF staff met with President Lungu, Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng’andu, Bank of Zambia Governor Denny Kalyalya, other senior government and Bank of Zambia officials; and representatives of the private sector, civil society organizations, and Zambia’s development partners.
“The staff wishes to express its gratitude to the Zambian authorities and the various stakeholders for the constructive spirit in which all discussions were held.”
Napsa Stars resume their early season push for a top four placing heading into the halfway point of the 2019/2019 season when they host Zanaco on Saturday in a Lusaka derby at Woodlands Stadium.
Napsa, who are one of two sides with only one league defeat so far this season, are currently second on the log with 21 points from ten games, six points behind unbeaten Zesco United who have began their season with a one hundred percent start in nine games with a match in hand.
Mohammed Fathy’s side returns to action after the two-week international break enjoying a five match unbeaten run since Zesco handed them their first defeat of the season on October 6 with a 3-2 away loss in Ndola.
“The league is 34 games, we have already played ten, so we still have 24 games left. So if we manage to maintain second place in the same postion, and keep ourselves close to number one, we will see what will happen at the end of the day,” Fathy said.
“Like what I said, our target is to play continental football and we have to keep ourselves in the top four bracket, that’s our target.”
Napsa also head into the match unbeaten in the derby against the seven-time league champions and last tasted defeat at the hands of Zanaco in November, 2016.
Since then, Napsa have won two and qdrawn as many games against Zanaco.
Zanaco on the other hand, head into the match with a warm engine after resuming their league campaign on Wednesday with a 1-1 home draw against Green Buffaloes across town at Sunset Stadium.
But Zanaco, who are 11th with as many points, and still playing catch-up from seven matches played with three games in hand due to their CAF Confederation Cup engagements, need a win this weekend before heading to Kinshasa to face DC Motema Pembe in their Group B fixture on December 1.
Former president Rupiah Banda speaks during the Zambian’s meet the President dinner at the Ambassador’s residence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, January 29,2017 -Pictures by THOMAS NSAMA
Former President Rupiah Banda has called on farmers across the country to fully participate in food production in order to make Zambia food secure.
Mr. Banda says small scale farmers who are majority producers to take advantage of this year’s farming season to grow a variety of food crops.
He said it is important for Zambia to be food secure by encouraging small scale farmers to fully participate in food production.
Mr. Banda said he is happy with the current farming input distribution strategies as most inputs have been distributed across the country.
He also called on young people to go into farming as there is available land for the activity.
Mr. Banda was speaking in South Africa when he transited to Mozambique where he has been invited by that country to attend former President Joaquim Alberto Chissano’s 80th birthday celebration.
He is also expected to attend a symposium under the theme “Mozambique’s Foreign Policy and Diplomacy from the Origins to the Present”.
The purpose of the symposium is to pay tribute to President Chissano for the important role he played in the building of a new and independent Mozambique as a diplomat and as a statesman.
This is according to a statement issued to the media by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Naomi Nyawali.
