The ministry of Education has announced that the school curriculum currently under review will be ready by March next year.

Minister of Education Dora Siliya says a team of experts will formulate the new syllabus once the review of the curriculum has been concluded.

She told journalist at a media briefing in Lusaka, Monday that the school curriculum is being reviewed to incorporate entrepreneurship and Information Communication Technology-ICT- skills.

Ms Siliya explained that government is of the view that school leavers should have entrepreneurship and ICT skills when they complete school.

The minister said this will enable school leavers become self employed because of survival skills they will have acquired at school.

And Ms Siliya said her ministry will play a critical role in the implementation of the Sixth National Development Plan -SNDP.

She said under the plan government intends to build more schools in the next five years.

The Sixth National Development Plan was officially launched by President Banda last week Friday.
[ ZNBC ]

The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has appealed to activists calling for the restoration of the Barotseland Agreement to be peaceful and learn to tolerate opposing views.

ZEC, a group of Catholic bishops, said in a statement released yesterday that the activists should commit themselves to peaceful means in their advocacy and should tolerate people with different views on the subject.

The bishops said while it was the right of the activists to organise and associate with anybody, it was important to respect the rights of other people who did not belong to the groupings and may have different views on the subject.

“We appeal to the activist groups, particularly the Linyungandambo, Barotse Freedom Movement, Movement for the Restoration of Barotseland Agreement and the Barotse Patriotic Front to commit themselves to peaceful means of advocating for their demands,” the statement reads in part.

It said all stakeholders in the matter should commit to peace by refraining from violence, intimidation or use of force as a means of achieving their objectives.

The bishops said dialogue was the best way forward.

The bishops did not blame any particular party for the violence that took place in January this year in Mongu but called for a lasting solution to remove tension in Western Province.
[pullquote]“We appeal to the activist groups, particularly the Linyungandambo, Barotse Freedom Movement, Movement for the Restoration of Barotseland Agreement and the Barotse Patriotic Front to commit themselves to peaceful means of advocating for their demands,” the statement reads in part.[/pullquote]
They said although they realised the duty of the Government to maintain law and order, it was important not to use live ammunition on the public again.

The bishops appealed to President Rupiah Banda to exercise his prerogative to release those detained in connection with the violence in Mongu in January this year.

They also said the Government should address perceptions that Western Province was sidelined in matters of development.

The bishops said they acknowledged efforts by the Government to take development to the province and called for more development programmes.

They said diocesan groupings, deaneries, parishes and small Christian communities should use every opportunity available to preach, promote and to be witnesses of peace and unity.

[ Times of Zambia ]

THE Government has described former prime minister in the UNIP administration Malimba Masheke as a liar for claiming that Western Province is the poorest region in the country because it has allegedly been neglected.

Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane said General Masheke, who was a Government leader for many years, failed to influence development projects such as the roads from Mongu to Kalabo and Mongu to Sesheke which the Rupiah Banda administration was now spearheading.

Gen Masheke said at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that there was little attention paid to Western Province which he claimed had become the poorest region in Zambia.

He was flanked by former minister of Communications and Transport William Harrington, former secretary to the Cabinet Sketchley Sachika and former Southern African Development Community parliamentary forum secretary general Kasukwa Mutukwa.

But Dr Musokotwane said Gen Masheke, Dr Sachika and Mr Harrington failed to deliver development to the province when they held senior positions in the Government.

He said the Government in this year’s national Budget had provided K586 billion for various infrastructure development, which was higher than before when the province was receiving about K50 billion per year.

Dr Musokotwane said the K586 billion did not include the money held by ministries such as Education, Works and Supply, and Agriculture which had their own allocations for projects in the province where huge sums of money were being spent.

The minister asked Mr Harrington to tell the nation what he did when he was minister of Tourism and later Communications and Transport for him to support the statement that the province was poor.

He also said Dr Sachika held the influential position of secretary to the Cabinet and did nothing for the people of Western Province while President Banda’s administration had constructed several schools, health centres and boosted agriculture.

Dr Musokotwane said the province was under-developed because some former leaders such as Gen Masheke failed to provide a proper foundation for socio-economic advancement.

The former prime minister also accused the Government of torturing suspects arrested in connection with the confusion that erupted last month in Mongu over the Barotseland Agreement.

He said the suspects, who had been transferred to Mumbwa, would not have access to legal representation and care from their relatives.

Mr Harrington said the treason accused had merely asked for the recognition of the Barotseland Agreement and were not pressing for the secession of Western Province.

But Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu, in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, said Gen Masheke was not telling the truth because all the suspects were under the care of
prison officials.

Mr Lungu said food was being provided for the suspects while legal representation had adequately been addressed.

He said the matter about the treason suspects was in court and urged Gen Masheke, Mr Harrington and Dr Sachika to stop commenting on it because if they were arrested they would start attacking the Government.

The briefing was attended by Kabwata Member of Parliament (MP) Given Lubinda, PF chairperson for mobilisation Charles Banda, former Mandevu MP Patricia Nawa, PF chairperson for legal affairs Edgar Lungu and Barotse Royal Establishment spokesperson Oliver Saasa.

[ Times of Zambia ]

MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga has advised the people of Western Province not to be hoodwinked by Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata’s hypocrisy over the Barotseland Agreement because the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) is actively discussing the matter.

Mr Mabenga said in an interview yesterday that talks are going on regarding the problems in the Western Province.

“The Barotse Royal Establishment called for a Barotse National Council last week. The Barotse National Council comprises all the chiefs in Western Province and all stakeholders that should talk about the issue…this has been held and we are waiting to hear how they will proceed,” Mr Mabenga said.

He said Mr Sata knows nothing about the operations of the BRE and is displaying ignorance by commenting on the Barotseland Agreement.

Mr Mabenga said the BRE knows the steps to take over the problems in the Western Province.

“How can Mr Sata say that for the PF, the honouring of the Barotse Agreement is a matter of urgent necessity? He is on record as having said it is a non-starter when he was a senior Cabinet Minister,” Mr Mabenga said.

Mr Sata is quoted by a local tabloid as having said that for PF, the honouring of the Barotse Agreement is a matter of urgent necessity and not political expedience to win an election.

“Mr Sata is a hypocrite. We know the schemes that he is playing and people must not be hoodwinked by this hypocrisy,” Mr Mabenga said.

He advised the people of Western Province not to forget the disparaging attacks that Mr Sata made against them.

“We also know how he treated the people of Western Province who wanted to stand as members of Parliament when he was MMD national secretary in 1996. I am able to testify and call upon all those who stood as MPs because they heard the words Mr Sata uttered.

“I want to tell the people of Western Province not to be taken for a ride. We will not accept this kind of hypocrisy. The Barotse Royal Establishment is taking a clean path on this, let us not listen to these lies and the hypocrisy from this man,” Mr Mabenga said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him”
(Genesis 26:12, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

One time Isaac was in a famine. There was a great drought in the land, but Isaac went out and planted crops right in the middle of that famine. It didn’t make any sense, but somehow in that same year of drought, the Scripture says, “Isaac received 100 times what he had sown because the Lord blessed him.”

What’s interesting is that when Isaac got blessed, the people around him, the Philistines and his friends all of the sudden got jealous of him. They were fine as long as he was broke. As long as they were at the same level, it was no big deal. But when he stepped up to a new level, when he began to wear his blessings well, the Scripture says, “The Philistines hated Isaac.”

Maybe you’ve noticed this in your own life. When you start to do better, the people around you don’t celebrate. They become jealous. But you can’t allow the attitudes of others to hold you back and cause you to live in mediocrity. Instead, when you’re blessed, brag on God! Shake off the criticism of others and receive His blessing. Wear it well because when you honor Him, He will continue to increase and promote you all the days of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for every good and perfect gift that You have poured out on my life. In humility, I choose to wear my blessings well. I won’t shrink back at the criticism of others; but instead, I will walk with You forward into the life of blessing You have prepared for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

This came to light when Father Bwalya and Citizens forum executive secretary were preparing to address scores of Livingstone residents on the need to have a new constitution.

Despite the explanation to the Zambia Police officers in plain clothes, the two social commentators were asked to go to the police station for what was referred to as a meeting.

Mr. Kabanda refused to go and asked Father Bwalya to go and meet the officer in-charge, and some suspected intelligence officers.

Sources told QFM Livingstone that police had no idea that the conference was going to be addressed by Father Bwalya.

Sources further said that the local authority only allowed the conference to take place thinking that it was a district committee and not father Bwalya.

After a meeting that lasted over 20 minutes Father Bwalya was released and warned not to issue any inflammatory statement.

Father Bwalya obliged and stated that he will, however, “call a spade a spade” adding that Zambians needed a new constitution before elections.

Meanwhile, scores of people attended the save Zambia conference.

Father Bwalya told Livingstone residents that he will not be intimidated by those in authority over his rights to associate with anyone.

Speaking at the occasion, citizen’s forum executive secretary charged that the MMD government will rig this year’s election.

He asked the people who attended the conference to demand for a new constitution to avoid the people in government to secretly rig elections.
[ QFM ]

Mr. Pelete said at the hand over of a teacher’s house at Muuka Basic School that was built by PilgrimWesleyan Church of Zambia that government has built 56 class rooms in the entire district.

He said government would this year expand Maamba high School to cater for the growing number of pupils.

Mr. Pelete said government would also build another high School after expanding the Maamba high School.

The DC disclosed that government graded the Kanchindu/ Siampondo road that did not receive attention for over 25 years and the works ended at Nyanga near Siameja.

Mr. Pelete said through the Land Development Funds that the district received, the Local Authority has developed Siansowa Township which is at the centre of tourism and fishing activities in the district.

He also thanked the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church for finding a Sponsor from United States of America to build a teacher’s house and to help in alleviating the housing shortages among the teachers in Muuka area.

Pilgrim Wesleyan National Suprintendent Dr Alfred Kalembo commended government for ensuring that all citizens have equal access to education.

Dr. Kalembo said the delivery of quality education calls for adequate and appropriate infrastructure especially for teacher’s houses.

The donor for the teacher’s house that was built at K30 million Brian Maydew said he was happy for making a contribution to the school to assist the community the community in accessing education.

The Patriotic Front-PF has said it will hold its party general conference in mid March ahead of this year’s tripartite elections.

PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba said currently, the party is holding its provincial conferences and that so far five have been held.

Mr. Kabimba told ZNBC news that the PF has already held provincial conferences in Western, Central, Southern and Northern Provinces.

He explained that Northern Province has been divided into two, and that five more provincial conferences are remaining.

Mr. Kabimba has appealed to the party leadership to exhibit humility during the party’s provincial conferences.

He has also urged PF members to fully participate in the provincial conferences.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Front has asked government to put in place measures that will curb financial irregularities cited in the Auditor General’s report.

Mr. Kabimba said the PF is particularly concerned that every Auditor General’s report has financial irregularities.

He said the K308 billion  misappropriated is too huge and that it could have been channeled into the social sector.

And in Mansa, The United Party for National Development (UPND) in Mansa District says it will not recognize any aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) candidate for Mansa Central and Bahati Constituencies because it has not been consulted.

And Mansa UPND has challenged PF in the Province to come out in open and tell the UPND if they are not ready to work as a pact in the Province.

In an interview with ZANIS, Mansa District UPND Coordinator Jones Mutimushi said UPND will not recognize all the PF aspiring candidates for Mansa Central and Bahati constituencies because the selection was done without consultation.

Mr Mutimushi said the PF UPND pact has never sat to choose and interview any aspiring candidates adding that it is therefore disappointed to learn that the pact already has the candidates.

He said UPND in the district has therefore distant itself from being part of the panel that chose all the PF aspiring candidates.

He said even if PF has more support in Mansa Central and Bahati constituencies than UPND, PF was supposed to consult them on the selection and not just dictate to them that they have picked candidates.

He said from the inception of the Pact, PF and UPND in the district met only once when the PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda visited the district.

Meanwhile, Mansa UPND has challenged PF in the Province to come out in open and tell the UPND if they are not ready to work as a pact in the Province.

Mr Mutimushi said the PF in the province has been working in isolation adding that this cannot establish the pact that people want.

ZNBC