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The Zambia bench is still awaiting defender Emmanuel Mbola of DR Congo club TP Mazembe to join the team for the friendly match against Kuwait this Friday.
Zambia leave for Egypt on Wednesday take on Kuwait in Cairo, on New Year’s eve after 13 home and foreign-based players completed a two-day training camp in Lusaka under coach Lucky Msiska.
Msiska said Mbola was the last player being expected to join the team in Lusaka before departure on Wednesday morning for Cairo.
Meanwhile, defensive midfielder Francis Kasonde of Al Hazm in Saudi Arabia will join the team in Cairo by Wednesday with three other foreign-based players.
Kennedy Mweene and Noah Chivuta of Free State Stars in South Africa will fly to Cairo from Johannesburg on Wednesday while striker Vanecious Mapande who plays for Egyptian club Arab Contractors will await his compatriots in Cairo on the same date.
VICE President George Kunda says the MMD government has managed to accumulate over US$ 2 billion in foreign exchange reserves because of its prudent financial management.
However the Vice President has warned that the country risks having the foreign reserves plundered if Patriotic Front leader Micheal Sata and his UPND counterpart are voted into government in 2011, because of their insatiable appetite for the United States Dollar.
Addressing Livingstone residents who welcomed him at Livingstone International Airport today, the Vice President said the US$ 2 billion is with the Bank of Zambia.
He said the opposition were very desperate to get into government, in order for them to plunder the foreign exchange reserves which the MMD has been able to accumulate due to a sound economic environment it has created.
Vice President Kunda who is accompanied to Livingstone by Labour Minister Austin Liato said, the future for Zambia looks bright because of the country’s stable economic environment.
He said Mr. Sata and Mr. Hichilema would undoubtedly plunder the foreign exchange reserves which the MMD has worked hard for.
He appealed to people in Southern Province to vote for the MMD because it is the only party that can be entrusted with national resources.
Vice President Kunda said, with the rising copper prices on the international market, Zambia’s foreign exchange earnings were projected to increase further next year.
Secrectary to the cabinet Jsohua KanganjaSecretary to the Cabinet Dr. Joshua Kanganja has warned controlling officers against using Government resources on holding end of year and Christmas parties.
Dr. Kanganja said Government or public service workers intending to hold such parties should use their own money and not Government resources.
ZANIS reports that Commenting on the end of year parties in Government institutions, Dr. Kanganja explained that Government resources could not be used towards the holding of Christmas and New Year parties because national coffers had inadequate funds.
“Government resources shall not be used for holding festival parties (Christmas and New Year. If Officers wish to have a celebration they ought to contribute some funds to enable them celebrate,” he said.
He said Government resources were only intended for serious national programmes like holding of important workshops, Government Summits, construction of road infrastructure, schools and health centres among other capital projects.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kanganja said expressed disappointment at the low reading culture among Civil Servants.
He observed that Civil Servants and other public officers did not read circulars brought to their attention by their superiors.
He said it was the duty of all Supervisors to address their juniors and inform them about what was happening in Government hence the issuance of the Circulars.
“If people are not reading circulars issued by my office, then we have a serious problem in this country. Supervisors should tell their staff what is happening at places of work,” he advised.
Dr. Kanganja’s sentiments come in the wake of some public workers who have opted to stay away from duty today thinking that since Christmas fell on Saturday, Monday December 27th should be a public holiday.
Dr. Kanganja stated that he will issue another circular before New Year, 2011 and warned that his Office would take stock of every officer who would be absent on Monday, January 3rd 2011.
Senior Chief Mwamba of the Bemba speaking people in Kasama district in Northern Province has bemoaned the alleged rampant theft of public funds at Kasama Municipal Council.
And the Chief has accused some councillors of shielding officers involved in the embezzlement of funds at the Council.
Commenting on the Ministry of Local Government and Housing Audit report on Kasama Municipal Council for the period January to December 2009, Senior Chief Mwamba said it was unacceptable for Council workers to abuse public resources meant for development, with impunity.
The Audit report highlighted numerous financial irregularities at Kasama Municipal Council.
The traditional ruler said it was annoying and disappointing that a council, which was supposed to be spearheading development in the district, is engaged in fraudulent activities.
Senior Chief Mwamba has since questioned the legality of the decision by senior officers at the Kasama Municipal Council to allegedly award themselves salary increments three times in one year.
He also wondered why Council management decided to award itself rural retention allowance when they all live in urban settings.
Senior Chief Mwamba also charged that it was immoral for these officers to award themselves hefty responsibility allowances without following the correct procedure.
The traditional ruler has accused some Councillors of being party to the embezzlement of public funds at the municipality by failing to take appropriate action against the erring council officers.
Senior Chief Mwamba wondered how Councillors could allow Council officers to continue collecting revenue from taxpayers without receipting for the money.
He has since urged the Councillors to show leadership by stopping the willful abuse of public funds by Council workers.
He said what was happening at Kasama Municipal Council was a clear indication that the financial system had completely collapsed.
Senior Chief Mwamba has since appealed to law enforcement agencies to immediately institute investigations into the theft of public funds at the Council and take appropriate action against the erring officers.
Efforts to get a comment from Kasama Mayor Abraham Mulenga on the alleged financial irregularities at the Kasama Municipal Council proved futile.
A Condom, as many people know, is a protective sheathe made from rubbery substance such as latex or polyurethane, closed at one end and open at the other.
When used correctly and consistently during sexual intercourse, a condom can help in avoiding unwanted pregnancies and also reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI) s, including HIV and AIDS.
In Zambia where the majority population is the youths who are sexually active, the condom is often used as a protector against Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) and has proved to be a people’s ideal choice for protection.
It is available free of charge in most public health centres, youth resource centres, lodges, non government organization dealing in reproductive health and many other places although the same product can be bought at an affordable price elsewhere in chemists, night clubs, bars and even grocery shops.
The first batch of the latex male maximum condoms was introduced in Zambia in the 1990’s and has since gone through a number of transformations. All this has been done with the hope of making it more effective both as a contraceptive and for disease protection.
Zambia being one of the countries most affected by HIV and AIDS with 14.3 percent of the population estimated to be living with HIV and approximately 690,000 children orphaned, the disease poses a threat to the economic and social gains the country has achieved.
This has made government working with other stakeholders both local and international to develop a multi-sectoral national response to fight the disease and this has started reaping rewards.
The UNAIDS report for 2010 has shown that Zambia is reducing the rate of new infections and this is partly because young people are delaying entrance into sex, using condoms as well as significant reductions in the number of sexual partners.
Statistics have shown that about 40 million packs of condoms have been sold since it was first introduced.
Meanwhile Zambia Health Demographic Survey (ZHDS) of 2009 has also shown that the country is making progress concerning the use of condoms among the people, and there is also an indication that there is an increase in the percentage of people using condoms in the country.
Free condoms..save your life...an unidentified man distributes condoms during the World AIDS day celebration in Lusaka
According to the ZHDS of 2009 which was released this year, about 40 percent of the people who were surveyed, confirmed using a condom compared to only 35 percent in 2005.
The survey also showed a slight increase among the youths who are sexually active using a condom within the same period at 34 to about 40 percent, while 29 percent of the youths indicated that they used a condom the first time they had sex compared to 21percent who used a condom in 2005.
Recently the Society for Family Health (SFH) Zambia, who are producing and distributing the male maximum condom in the country, re-launched a new version of the condom which it described as strong; triple tested, and does not break.
The new version of the condom is a three (3) ply lubricated latex condom which gives the user a peace of mind when using it.
The re-launch was done in Chipata at David Kaunda Stadium and was graced by Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao during the commemoration of the 2010 world AIDS day celebration.
The 2010 re-launch of the maximum condom under the theme, ‘trusted protection’, was the third time that SFH was re-launching the condoms since its inception in 1992. It was first re-launched in 1998 under the theme, ‘It’s My Life It’s My Choice’, it was then re-launched for the second time in 2004 as a maximum classic, and scented condom with the later specifically designed to provide a choice and encourage non-users to adapt to the use of the condom.
The 2010 launch was done in style where a couple who presented the scissors to the Minister of health for cutting the ribbon clad in attire made from expired condoms at an event that was witnessed by government officials, donor agencies, AIDS activists, Non-Governmental Organizations involved in the fight against Aids and scores of Chipata residents.
The lady’s dress was entirely made of condom where 864 condoms were used while the man’s waist coat used 432 condoms.
The designer, Monde who also wore the dress and presented the knife to the Minister, said she came up with the idea of designing the condom dress just in time for the launch of a new version of the condom.
And speaking during the re- launch of the condom Mr. Simbao called on people to embrace the ABC strategy to fight the pandemic.
He said although there was no known cure for the disease world over, the disease could be controlled by observing the Abstinence, Being faithful and using Condoms every time one has sex which is the (ABCs) strategy.
He explained that there was no cure for the disease world over although people with the disease could still remain healthy through taking the Ant-Retroviral Treatment (ART) which government is currently offering free of charge in most clinics and health centres in all the nine provinces of the country.
The Minister encouraged people to remain faithful to one sexual partner and always practice safer sex with the use of the condom even in marriages.
He said there was need to remove the misunderstanding of condom use in married life where people think that it’s only those who are unfaithful in their marriages who should use it.
“There is a wrong perception that has been created by people in marriage that it’s only those who are promiscuous who use condoms. But what you should know is that even you who are in marriage can use this to protect yourselves from disease” Mr. Simbao said.
He also emphasized on the need for abstinence for those who are single and faithfulness to one sexual partner to those in marriage and asked people to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) to know their HIV and AIDS status stating that government was providing free medicines to those infected with the disease.
Although a condom can be used to protect one against disease, it should however be emphasized that condoms in themselves cannot guarantee 100 percent protection.
“Make sure that you read the instructions, check for all the necessary information like the expiry date before using the condom,” Mr. Simbao advised.
Research shows that condoms slightly offer about 90 percent of protection from disease. This is because of the risks of breaking, and in other cases not following instructions, like the expiry date.
It should be emphasized that we should not take chances, never have sex with someone you are not married to, those who are in marriage should stick to their spouses, while those who are single should wait till they are married to have sex to avoid risks of contracting the disease.
As they say abstinence ili-che ‘Abstinence is the best’ no one will surely go wrong with it.
Management at Livingstone General Hospital has said the number of live births at the institution had improved due to good maternal practices.
Maternal Health Administrator at the Institution, Sister Lishomwa Mutomwa told ZANIS in an interview that infant mortality rate had drastically reduced by almost half at the institution.
Sister Mutomwa said most of the infant deaths that were recorded at the institution are as a result of natural causes and not clinical errors.
She was speaking when Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Gladys Kristafor visited the General Hospital on Saturday to present gifts to three babies born on Christmas Day.
And Mrs. Kristafor advised mothers to socialise their Christmas babies into Christianity so that they grow up as responsible children.
However, Mrs. Kristafor said although the babies born on Christmas were special, they were not better than other children born on any other day.
She donated various items among them baby blankets, nappies and bathing tubs to the three babies, a girl and two boys.
Mothers of the babies are Jane Kalaba, whose baby boy was born at 08:00, Princess Mulwani, whose son was born at 02:30 hours and Beauty Kaunda, whose daughter was born at around 07:00 hours.
Officials from Chinese An Hui construction firm inspect the dilapidated Independence stadium in Lusaka where they have been engaged to refurbish the infrastructure
Construction of the new Independence Stadium in Lusaka will start after the rainy season.
Shanghai Construction, the company that will construct the 50 thousand seater stadium says all is set for the start of construction works.
A ZNBC Sports crew found the Company putting up structures in readiness for the ground breaking ceremony.
Group vice General Manager Wu Zhen Rong said the ground breaking ceremony is expected to take place on January 10, 2011.
Meanwhile the Zambia National Soccer team is this afternoon regrouping for an international friendly Match against Kuwait.
The Match will be played in the Egyptian Capital Cairo this Friday.
National Team Assistant Coach Lucky Msiska says the Chipolopolo boys will regroup this afternoon for friendly before departure for Cairo on Wednesday.
President Rupiah Banda has said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will not interfere in the way the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had reacted on the issue surrounding embattled Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo.
President Banda said the Western African regional body had done its work on Ivory Coast and that SADC has got its own problems as a region which it was handling.
Mr. Banda, who is also chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, said SADC, would not join in pressurising the Ivory Coast embattled leader, Mr. Gbagbo to step down.
President Banda was speaking to Journalists at the Lusaka International Airport shortly before he left for Cairo, Egypt where he has been invited for a for a State visit by his Egyptian counterpart, President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak.
“ECOWAS has done its work on Ivory Coast. As SADC, we cannot reach that level because we have got our own problems to solve,” President Banda said.
Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is facing renewed international pressure to quit or “face force”, as thousands of Ivoirians flee the chaos in their homeland.
The West African regional economic bloc had given the incumbent President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo an ultimatum: “Stand down or expect to face legitimate force”.
The statement comes after emergency talks on the crisis. At least 200 people have been killed since last month’s disputed election.
And Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised election winner, says perpetrators of violence “would be prosecuted”.
On the State visit he has undertaken to Egypt, President Banda said energy, construction and aviation sectors would be part of the discussions at the high-level talks with his counterpart President Mubarak on Tuesday after an official welcome parade in Cairo.
On the economical front, Mr. Banda said Zambia would benefit from Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) because Egypt being in the middle-east understood a lot about what was happening in Zambia.
“Zambia will learn a lot from Egypt in the energy, construction and aviation sectors. Arab Construction firm is coming to Zambia and they will register a company in the country as well as repairing our aircrafts in the aviation industry as you are aware Egypt understands better what is happening in Zambia,” Mr. Banda said.
Whilst in that country, President Banda is also expected to present a keynote address to the Zambia-Egypt Business Forum, which will be attended by Zambian businessmen and women and Egyptian investors.
President Banda and his delegation were also expected to attend a luncheon to be hosted in his honour by President Mubarak.
Zambia and Egypt have maintained high-level bilateral relations and recently signed various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields such as agriculture, land, livestock and fisheries, and science and technology.
President Banda began his career as a diplomat, serving as an Ambassador to Egypt during the reign of First Zambia Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda when Abdel Nasser was Egypt’s Head of State.
He is accompanied to Egypt by First Lady Thandiwe, Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa, Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati.
Others on the presidential entourage include Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga, Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Lands Minister Gladys Lundwe and other Senior Government Officials.
President Banda was seen off at the airport by Vice President George Kunda, Defence Chiefs, some Cabinet ministers, senior government officials and MMD party members.
President Banda and his delegation will return home after completing his scheduled business in Egypt.
ZANIS
Lucky Msiska will wear two hats this week, at least temporarily, with both the senior and Under-23 teams.
The local press has been awash as to whether Msiska will be part of the bench for Zambia’s friendly on December 31 against Kuwait in Cairo besides Dario Bonetti.
This is after he had a highly publicized bust up with Bonetti at Zambia’s Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup quarterfinal exit at the hands of Ethiopia.
Msiska put the storm behind him this afternoon took Zambia through their paces after early taking care of Under-23 duty earlier in the morning that he is preparing for the 2011 All-Africa Games first leg qualifier against Zimbabwe on January 8 in Lusaka.
“I will train the team for two days .I am here to serve my country and I don’t want to talk about that (Bonetti) issue again. I am here to work that’s all and not to get into politics,” Msiska said.
Msiska will not travel to Cairo and will instead revert to his duties preparing the Under-23 for the match against Zimbabwe.
Nchanga Rangers coach Bruce Mwape is in temporal charge of the Under-23 before Msiska returns on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 12 players out of 18 trained with Msiska at Lusaka Club with three more expected to join the team on Tuesday ahead of departure for Egypt on Wednesday morning.
Notable of the foreign players in camp were Isaac Chansa, Rainford Kalaba, Joseph Musonda and Signs Chibambo.
South African-based Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and Noah Chivuta will link-up with the team in Cairo on Wednesday after flying directly from Johannesburg.
Bonetti will also join the team in Cairo on the same day from his Italian base.
FDD President Edith Nawakwi campaigning for RB in 2008 elections
The Christian Coalition has castigated Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi for suggesting that President Rupiah Banda had done nothing since he became President in 2008.
Coalition spokesperson, John Mwendapole said it was wrong for Ms. Nawakwi to allege underdevelopment when the country had recorded massive developments which were conspicuous.
In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Mwendapole said to the contrary, President Banda should be commended for various developments that he had undertaken during the two years he had been in office as Republican President.
He was reacting to a statement by FDD President Statement in today’s edition of the Post newspapers that President Banda had failed to deliver.
He said President Banda’s Government had managed to construct more health posts, hospitals, schools and roads.
Mr. Mwendapole also noted that Mr. Banda had also managed to build investor confidence and that through massive investments in various sectors of the economy with jobs having been created for many Zambians.
“If you say President Banda has failed to deliver and you judge him by the garbage in Mandevu, that is shallow thinking, let us see what he has managed to achieve in other parts of the country. There is massive construction in the health sector, education and roads are been constructed are these not developments? ” he asked.
Mr. Mwendapole has instead accused Ms. Nawakwi of failing to deliver and taking her party to higher heights despite the late Christon Tembo having laid a good foundation for the party.
[pullquote]“If you say President Banda has failed to deliver and you judge him by the garbage in Mandevu, that is shallow thinking, let us see what he has managed to achieve in other parts of the country. There is massive construction in the health sector, education and roads are been constructed are these not developments? ” he asked.[/pullquote]
He has since challenged FDD members to call for elections in the party and elect new leaders who would compete with other political parties in the country.
He said FDD like MMD was founded by people from various parties of the country but observed that it had lost popularity and was no longer among the major political parties because of Ms. Nawakwi’s lack of leadership and vision.
“FDD was a strong party under Christon Tembo but look where it is now; it has failed because its leader Ms Nawakwi has no direction. She has managed to reduce the number of seats in parliament and very soon we might not remember it. So I would call on FDD members to call for elections so that they chose people with direction and rejuvenate this party Ms. Nawakwi has failed,” he said
Mr. Mwendapole has also advised Ms. Nawakwi and other opposition politicians to stop attacking President Banda in public but use established channels to advise and give their suggestions on national issues so that all Zambians could benefit.
“We especially expected Ms. Nawakwi as the only female President of a political party to be a unifying factor where she could be bringing the various politicians together as a mother,” he said.
And the Forum for Progressive Politics (FPP) has said it was unbelievable that a person of Ms. Nawakwi’s caliber could not see and appreciate the enormous developments taking place in the country.
FPP Secretary General Charles Kafumbo has since challenged the FDD leader to tell the Zambians what she did for this country during her ten years as a minister in the Chiluba government.
“Let Ms. Nawakwi give an account to the Zambian people of her achievements while in government for ten years,” he said.
MMD Lusaka province chairman, William Banda has described accusations that he is the main cause of violence in the country as nonsense.
Mr. Banda told QFM in an interview today that those accusing him of perpetuating violence during elections in the country risk facing the law if they do not desist from issuing false statements against him.
He says it is an offence for someone to accuse him of being behind violent activities in the country when his concentration is only in Lusaka province.
Mr. Banda wondered why people accuse him of being the perpetrator of violence when every province in the country has its own chairperson.
He has since challenged those accusing him of causing confusion to come out in the open and tell the nation what exactly they want from him instead of coming up with false allegations.
Orlando Pirate and Zambia international midfielder Isaac Chansa has given Christams gifts to his former clubs.
Chansa has donated a set of jersey each to Chambishi and Power Dynamos.
The midfielder began his league journey at division north side Chambishi in 1999.
He later made his name under the late Ben Bamfuchile at Power Dynamos from 2001 to 2005 before heading to Pirates.
Meanwhile, the death has been announced today of former Zambia international defender Joseph “Untrainable” Bwalya.
Bwalya who played for Konkola Blades, Kabwe Warriors and Railway Express, died on Saturday at the university teaching Hospital after an illness.
The defender, who enjoyed a brief stint in Zambian colors from 1995 to 1996, was prior to his death on the bench of South African lower league team African Warriors.
The Committee of Citizens (CC) has said the current debate on the Barotse Agreement should be condemned by every well meaning Zambian as it had potential to engulf the country into ethnic violence.
Committee Executive Director Gregory Chifire said Zambians should distance themselves from the debate as it was being driven by people with selfish motives who were only interested in fanning dangerous ethnic and tribal divisions in the country.
Mr. Chifire said this in a media statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He condemned some leaders from named political parties for capitalizing on the Barotse issue describing this as cheap propaganda.
Mr Chifire said it was hypocritical for some political leaders to claim support of the issue when they were on record of having opposed it in the past.
“It is dangerous for any selfish politician or group of people to demand for issues that threaten the peace, stability and unity of our country” Mr. Chifire said.
Mr. Chifire called on Zambians to draw lessons from what was happening in other African countries which were characterised by bloody ethnic violence has due to secession demands.
He accused people championing the restoration of the Baroste Agreement of 1964 in Western Province of being insincere saying their demands were already being addressed by Government.
President Rupiah Banda has said Government would not tolerate violence being perpetrated by an excited group of people trying to use the Barotse Agreement.
It will not be any surprising if President Rupiah Banda is re-elected into office next year with a fresh five-year mandate added to his CV, and there are more than enough reasons why that would not be a miracle.
Challenging a ruling party is one thing, and the opposition in Zambia manages to do that so well, but ousting the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) from office needs nothing short of the 1991 revolution that sent UNIP packing, which unfortunately is not within sight.
As we count down to the 2011 general elections, it might be interesting to look at just how the ruling party packages it’s campaign messages and also where the opposition gets it wrong.
Donations
Debating whether it is wrong or right for the President, Vice President, First Lady and ministers to make donations either to organisations or individuals citizens especially during campaign periods should be left to people who interpret the law better, but let’s look at the effects it bears.
Not so may headlines ago, First Lady Thandiwe Banda was in the news facing criticism and condemnation for donating money and other materials to some unknown women’s organisation in Mpulungu, Northern Zambia.
That was shortly after Mpulungu area member of parliament, the late Lameck Chibombamilimo was put to rest. Those with unfailing memories will recall that Thandiwe’s almsgiving was a replica of Vice-President George Kunda’s charity to a bunch of dancers during the campaigns for the Chitambo by-elections 2009. Pictures of his ‘brown envelop exercise’ are almost collecting dust now, but the results from both occasions are needless to mention.
There are so many other ways in which the ruling party, enjoying tightly massaged publicity from four well funded media institutions – including ZANIS, manages to gather momentum into the now all familiar ‘Operation: Rural vote’.
Just last week, President Banda made headlines with his K5million (about US$1,000) donation to a needy Kabompo couple that was seeking help to raise new born triplets.
“President Banda was sympathetic with the couple after reading about their plight in the press, read a statement signed by State House special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere.
And well, the Kabompo triplets surely had their Santa Clause wish granted, but how many triplets born in Zambia have had the luck of capturing the Head of State’s attention?
Of course the first family is blessed with twins Temwani and Dunia and probably understands better the challenges of multiple birth. But haven’t Siemens Siamese twins been born in this country and some died for lack of foreign specialist treatment? If the problem facing Emelda Chikamba of Chikamba Village in Kabompo is so touching, can’t there be a constitutional provision taking care of such natural situations?
Bumper harvest
Hats off to the Zambian farmers for producing about 2.8 million metric tonnes of Maize in the “Bumper Harvest” of last season. It is still very difficult however, to fully credit President Banda for the massive yield, unless the ministry of Agriculture supplied unprecedented farming inputs in 2008.
But a good rainy season met with standard agriculture policy can produce enough maize, some of which soaked by the way, to earn the ruling party positive governance points.
Mining
Almost every day, chiefs in Zambia have been praising President Banda for scoring positive economic strides and calling for his re-election next year, citing the single digit inflation among other economic indicators as his achievements MMD through President Banda claims that its administration has seen a record high foreign direct investment in the mines, not to mention job creations in the booming sector.
About two years ago, Zambia’s Copper was selling for less than US$3,000 per tonne, a situation that saw mining companies folding up and leaving. Today Copper has shot a record high price of over US$8,000 per tonne, would there be any connection between honourable Commerce minister Felix Mutati’s speeches to the investors and the London metal exchange rates?
But again, for a country like Zambia whose major export is copper, the rising global metal prices has a lot to write home about for a party in power.
Infrastructure
The people of Mongu are surely happy and deservingly so, for the Mongu – Kalabo road that has been a mock to their livelihoods for more than 10 years. Thanks to President Banda, K1.2 trillion has been earmarked to finally put a full stop to the old Western Province story.
The sad news is that a very tiny fraction of that amount is coming from Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane’s 2010 budget, the rest of it is coming from Exim Bank of China.
Due to demands of increased power supply to drive the growing economy, Energy minister Kenneth Konga last year signed a US$1.5billion agreement with the China-Africa Development Fund to construct a 700 megawatts Kafue gorge lower hydro power station. Over 2,000 jobs will be created.
Again the only problem is that government through ZESCO and the constructor Synohydro is expected to source only a third of the total budget while the US$1 billion remains a loan from China.
What may not be foreseen for these and numerous other projects at this stage is that President Banda may not be there when these loans will require servicing.
But systematically President Banda and his ministers are packaging their ‘progressive’ campaign messages in a way that suits the ears that have no preview to behind the scene realities.
TV advertising
To blind it all, President Banda has intensified his TV adverts on the national broadcaster ZNBC, which he uses to amplify his party’s manifesto and government achievement.
Even though these prime time adverts, which the opposition have not really questioned to expectation, have continued to run, it remains a mystery who is sponsoring them.
The packaging may suggest that ZNBC does not cash-in anything from the ruling party, and much as that may only be left to speculation, MMD is enjoying the fruits.
Yes President Banda has done exceptionally well, for a man who was hopped back into active politics from his productive farm ascending to the highest office. But to say that he is Zambia’s guardian angel may well be an overstatement.
The Pact
When all this is happening, you would expect the opposition joining hands to form a united front to bring about the much talked about change, but the reverse is the situation.
Firstly, No one really knows whether or not the Pact between the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) is still existent and from the look of things, it would seem that even members of either parties don’t know the answer.
From Fighting over the Pact presidency to constituency seats and finally giving each other cold shoulders, PF and UPND, the unbreakable Pact is without doubt staggering.
Even though UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is consistently assuring Zambians that the Pact, which was born out of their demands, is still going strong, it would not be surprising if we learnt later that Mr. Hichilema was in fact singing lullabies to himself.
What happened to joint campaign rallies, what went wrong with joint press briefings and a joint manifesto for the Pact?
Let’s suppose Mr. Hichilema and his PF counterpart Michael Sata went flat out campaigning in Western, North Western, Eastern and Central Provinces, giving the same donations that the ruling party is giving and uprooting the resistance in the rural areas, where would it leave MMD?
This is not likely to happen, not soon. Instead Mr. Sata has gone his own route and so has Mr. Hichilema. It is simply to the MMD’s advantage that the two leaders are failing to realize that they would not win an election in their individual capacities.
Opposing the opposition
As though that were not enough, the other smaller opposition political parties have charged up against the bigger opposition parties, putting holes in their challenges to the ruling party.
Some are eager to nail the Pact completely out of existence while others like Humphrey Siulapwa’s New Generation Party have literary lost their vision, courting 74-year old President Banda as there 2011 hero.
FDD’s Edith Nawakwi Nawakwi is seemingly comfortable watching the political scenario from a respective distance, buoyant with her booming agriculture activities. You can only guess if she is confident of becoming Zambia’s first female president in 2011.
With due respect to a law abiding citizen, Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, his passion for leadership and relentless efforts to change mother Zambia is yielding too little.
New comers like Elias Chipimo’s National Restoration Party (NAREP) must have tested the waters by now and seen just how deep it runs. Challenges have not spared them as seen by their occasionally broken silence and change of party convention dates.
But even that has not stopped parties you would want to refer to as jokers like the Africa’s Democratic and Economic Development Organization -Zambia Must Change Now (ADEDO – ZAMUCANO) from coming on board.
With the reduced presidential election nomination fees, more parties are expected to mushroom between now and next year, adding to the pressure facing the countrie’s opposition.
Under such circumstances, it would be more of a miracle if President Banda lost the 2011 elections than if he won it.
File:Former President Kenneth Kaunda dressed as Santa Clause
By Wesley Ngwenya
Last week, I was having a chat with a friend of mine about Christmas and how we felt that it was becoming more and more Western. Apparently, my friend’s five year old daughter was following our conversation. She simply said, “Jesus is white!” We were both stunned at this insight and looked at each other not knowing how to respond. I broke the silence and engaged the girl in conversation. She said she has seen Jesus on television and on pictures and he is white. “How about God, what color is He?” I inquired. “He is also white like Jesus”, she responded.
I couldn’t blame the little girl for the white images of Jesus or God that she had after all I grew up with similar images myself. Later that week, I decided to do a random survey of adults and what color they thought Jesus was. Most thought he was white, a few got philosophical or theological and said he had no color and no one ever said he was black.
During this Christmas season, I am shocked at how Christmas has turned out to be a “White Christmas” with everything Western. Shops are filled with Christmas gifts and decorations of white santa, snowflakes, Christmas trees—the kinds you find in North Dakota, red and green lights and even a nativity scene. All these products are made and imported from China where they do not celebrate the holiday at all.
I think slowly, Christmas has lost its meaning in Zambia. Back in the day, we celebrated Christmas by having uncles, cousins, friends and anyone to come and eat and drink. Our parents played the tunes of Smokey Haangala or Paul Ngozi and we danced to them. Yes, we knew about the “White” Jesus but we never really focused so much on him or had all kinds of white pictures in our living rooms.
Today, Christians have completely been transformed where we fill our homes with all kinds of decorations we do not understand. If Jesus is white maybe we have embraced a wrong religion for ourselves. We need to keep searching for the ideal black religion or better return to the good old African religion.
When I was talking to one person on the same subject they said, “Well, God used the white people to bring this religion to us because we were lost. That is why we follow their religion.” I asked him if it had ever occurred to him that perhaps our religion wasn’t that bad at all. Or why was it not the black people who were enlightened so as to spread the good news to the white folks with a black Jesus uh? I am sure the white folks would love that. Then they would have to decorate a mango tree for a Christmas tree, fun isn’t it?—with all the yellow, green and red mangoes acting as lights.
Now I am not anti-Christian myself. I am a God fearing, God loving Zambian. My only concern is that Christianity is still “too foreign” and we do not fully understand it. That is why we continue to fight in its name. That is why politicians take advantage of us in its name. That is why we remain poor in its name. And I think that is why we embrace it too—because we are poor and believe that someday God will change things for us. Maybe we need to change things for ourselves. Like my grandmother said when she visited Minnesota, “God built America first with all its road, bridges, airports and skyscrapers but when He got to Zambia He had no more money.” Now that can only be a “white god” who can do that right? Because a black one will do the exact opposite.
Where is our God this Christmas? Have our images about Him or His Son been transformed completely to think of Him as someone hanging in the sky above Western countries? Do we think of Jesus as a white man with long blonde hair, a goatee, and wearing a white rob? Whatever, your image of God or Jesus is , I hope this brings peace to you during this season. I hope it is time to celebrate with your family and friends. I hope it is time to reflect and appreciate how far you have come. And I hope it is time to look forward to more great things in the year to come. Make, yourself happy this Christmas. Happy Christmas, Happy Kwanza and a winning 2011.
