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.
The Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) has said the agriculture sector should be competitive for it to effectively contribute to the national economy.
Speaking in an interview ahead of the 105th annual congress, ZNFU head for outreach member services and administration Coillard Hamusimbi said the only way that agriculture could be competitive was by farmers striving to produce high quality products.
The annual congress starts today and President Rupiah Banda is scheduled to officially open the meeting whose theme is “Productivity, competiveness and market development,” which Mr Hamusimbi said was meant to highlight the importance of competitiveness in the sector.
“We have noted that production efficiency is still low particularly among the small-scale farmers as they are only able to produce 2.5 tonnes per hectare but using conservation farming, they can produce five tonnes per hectare and if we make agriculture competitive, we can export at reasonable cost,” Mr Hamusimbi said.
The problem that has led to Zambia fail to export was the cost of production and transport which were on a higher side than others in the region.
[pullquote]“We have noted that production efficiency is still low particularly among the small-scale farmers as they are only able to produce 2.5 tonnes per hectare but using conservation farming, they can produce five tonnes per hectare and if we make agriculture competitive, we can export at reasonable cost,” Mr Hamusimbi said.[/pullquote]
The livestock sector was cardinal and Government needed to control livestock diseases which were a perennial problem for many farmers.
During the congress, Mr Hamusimbi anticipated that the problem of livestock diseases would be tackled as the union had invited experts from 10 regional countries.
The experts from other countries would be able to highlight how their respective nations had overcome the problem of livestock diseases.
The congress is expected to bring together about 400 delegates from 65 districts and others from neighboring countries.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Chief Government Spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha
Government has said attacks by Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata will not derail its programmes to deliver development to the people of Zambia.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in a statement yesterday that it was cheap politicking for Mr Sata to constantly attack President Banda that his trips abroad were for personal gain.
He said President Banda’s trips abroad were on behalf and for the benefit of the people of Zambia.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said Mr Sata should concentrate on the problems in the pact instead of raising accusations that he could not prove.
He said the achievements scored by the Government under the leadership of President Banda were causing Mr Sata sleepless nights.
The minister said Mr Sata was a desperate and frustrated person, and that was the reason he had resorted to baseless attacks on the president and his Government in his fruitless pursuit for power.
Zambia was now one of the prime investment destinations in the world because of the prudent economic policies the Government of President Banda had put in place.
Gen Shikapwasha said the country had been posting a trade surplus since January, and that inflation was at single digit, international foreign reserves had swelled to an all-time high of US$2 billion, while the economy was projected to grow to more than six per cent this year.
He said foreign direct investment had continued to flow into the economy, resulting in the resurgence of the mining, tourism, construction, agriculture and other key social and economic sectors.
[ Times of Zambia ]
The United Party for National Development(UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF) have been told to avoid taking Zambians for granted.
Former Church of God overseer Bishop John Mambo said if it is true that the pact was founded in response to calls by Zambians for a united opposition, then recent statements by Pact partners prove otherwise.
Bishop Mambo said it is important that the UPND/PF pact partners stand by what was agreed when it was formed last year.
He noted that the bickering that has rocked the pact should not persist as it threatens its existence.
Bishop Mambo disclosed that the PF/UPND pact has a lot to learn from the previous political alliances the that country had in the past.
He said for the pact to work, there is need to desist from putting the issue of the pact presidency top of the agenda.
Bishop Mambo has since called for a united and strong opposition stressing that this will give the ruling MMD stiff competition.
[ QFM ]
Zambian boxers made bright starts at the Commonwealth Games in India today with win in lightweight and welterweight bouts.
Martin Chibela beat Felix Mwamaso of Malawi 4-3 with a scorecard of 2-0, 2-1 and 0-2 in the three-round lightweight bout.
Welterweight Godfrey Mumba beat Reece Shagourie of Jamaica 3-1 in a fight that came alive in the final round.
Boxing is usually Zambia’s biggest medal prospect event at the Commonwealth Games.
On Thursday, light flyweight Christopher Katanga and flyweight Brian Mwabu begin their campaigns when they face Jacob Lavigilante of Mauritius and Mohd Kamis of Malaysia respectively.
And on the track, Rachel Nachula qualified to 400 meters semifinals after finishing third in first round heat 2 to stay in the medal hunt.
Meanwhile, the bowling team is now at two wins, two draws and as many defeats.
Libyan based player Felix Katongo will join the Zambia team in Tripoli ahead of Sundays 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifier against Libya.
The midfielder plays in Libya for Al Ittihad is in the country for a family commitment and is expected to link-up with the team in Tripoli on Friday.
Zambia take on Libya in Tripoli on Sunday in both sides second Group C match.
Also joining the team in Tripoli on Friday will be 17-year-ol defender Emmanuel Mbola of TPO Mazembe in DR Congo who was denied a visa to join the team in Roma where they have gathered for a brief camp.
The Italian Embassy in Lusaka denied Mbola a visa because he was a minor and could not file in an application without his parents’ consent nor travel without a legal guardian.
Also joining the team in Tripoli will be Felix’s brother Christopher of Xanthi in Greece.
Kickoff for Sunday’s game will be at 20:00 Zambian time.
Zesco United this afternoon dealt a serious psychological blow to Zanaco’s title ambitions when they beat the defending league champions 3-1 at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola.
The wins sees Zesco go three points clear of the chasing pack following their victory in this rescheduled Faz Super Division Week 16 game to 50 points from 25 games played.
Zanaco are stuck in 12th place on 27 points from 18 games played with eight games in hand.
The two sides went into the break 1-1 t after Yona Mwango had put Zesco ahead in the 3rd minute before Venacious Mapande leveled scores nine minute later
John Chingandu restored Zesco’s lead in the 57th before Maybin Mwaba cemented the three points in the 90th minute with the third and final goal of the game.
Lusaka District Commissioner Christah Kalulu has called on Zambians to co-orperate with enumerators tasked to conduct the 2010 census, so that all information can be collected for planning purposes.
Ms Kalulu said this when she launched the 2010 Census Sensitization walk in Lusaka’s Chipata Township Wednesday
She said that Zambians must not shun the exercise as the data to be collected will be used for national development and other related plans.
And Mandevu Constituency Member of Parliament Jean Kapata called on residents to avail all the necessary information to the census enumerators..
And Some residents told ZNBC News that they are ready to give all the necessary information to the enumerators carrying out the census.
The 2010 national census commences next week and the exercise is expected to run for four weeks.
[ ZNBC ]
The United Nations says Zambia will achieve the Millennium Development Goal on universal primary education by the year 2015.
The UN Resident Representative in Zambia ,Kanni Wignaraja says the challenge, however, will be to invest in secondary school education and reducing the drop out rate for girls.
She said this in Lusaka Wednesday at a ceremony where Standard Chartered Bank donated 200 million Kwacha to World Vision.
The 200 million Kwacha is the first installment that will total about 660 million kwacha over the next three years.
The money would be spent on fixing classrooms, providing solar power and buying desks for Simwaba school in Magoye.
Standard Chartered Bank Managing Director, Mizinga Melu said the 200 million Kwacha is for rehabilitating Simwaba Basic School in Magoye, Southern Province.
Mrs Melu also said the Bank would be contributing 35 million Kwacha each year for the next five years toward a scholarship program.
And World Vision Zambia National Director, Michael Veitenhams said the organisation plans to recruit up to 600 children to benefit from its scholarships.
[ ZNBC ]
A traditional dance troupe performing inside one of the carriages on the maiden train journey from Malawi to Chipata during the launch of the Chipata-Muchinji railway line.
By Henry Kyambalesa
In an article entitled “Give Us Time to Finish Projects,” which appeared in the Times of Zambia of 4th October 2010, President Rupiah Banda is quoted as having asked Zambians to give the MMD and his government another term of office to enable them complete the ongoing development programs in the country.
Firstly, this suggests that Comrade Kenneth D. Kaunda should have been given more time to complete the Chipata-Mchinji railway project, for example, which was initiated in 1982 as a joint venture between Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, and which was completed this year.
Secondly, the people expect that any new Republican president would be obliged to adopt and implement projects and programs initiated by previous administrations which are designed to benefit communities nationwide. And this is the way the government has been administered in Zambia thus far, and it is the only way in which all democratic countries worldwide are administered as a matter of fact!
Thirdly, the President needs to acknowledge the fact that most of the ongoing development programs were started before he was elected to the presidency, and are partly or wholly financed by multilateral institutions, and/or bilateral cooperating partners like Canada (CIDA), China, Denmark (DANIDA), France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan (JICA), The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden (SIDA), the United Kingdom (DFID), and the USA (USAID).
Sooner or later, we are going to be continually bombarded by other rehearsed, stale and meaningless campaign tools coined by MMD cadres, sympathizers and sycophants, such as the following:
(a) That we should not experiment with leadership. Well, many of the current crop of government leaders are deadwood and, therefore, do not hold the key to Zambia’s future.
(b) That voters should not vote for presidential candidates from political parties which do not have a majority in parliament because they will not be able to pass new laws. Well, any new Republican president should be able to run the country with existing laws, even enact some essential pieces of legislation.
(c) That voters should not vote for presidential candidates from political parties which do not have a majority in parliament because such candidates will have problems in the appointment of government Ministers, since the 1996 Republican constitution requires that such Ministers be appointed from Members of Parliament. Well, a president-elect who wishes to trim the current bloated government to at most 12 Cabinet portfolios, abolish the position of Deputy Minister, and provide for the administration of provinces by elected governors rather than by Provincial Ministers would not be encumbered by this; he or she would nominate 8 technocrats to Parliament and appoint them as government Ministers, and then figure out how to fill the remaining 4 Cabinet portfolios—possibly by poaching a few MPs from other political parties.
(d) That voters should vote for parliamentary candidates fielded by the ruling political party because such candidates will have ready access to funding. Well, all MPs have access to Constituency Development Funds regardless of the political parties they belong to, and any additional funds allocated exclusively to ruling party MPs are not likely to be lawful.
(e) That voters should not expect development to take place in their areas if they vote for candidates from opposition political parties. Really? We need leaders who recognize citizens’ right to vote for candidates of their choice without being threatened that their communities will be excluded from the development process if they do not vote for candidates fielded by the ruling political party.
(f) That one can never become president unless he or she is meant to be. No, in a democratic country like Zambia, an individual can become president through genuine and competitive elections. Only in pseudo democracies and totalitarian states would a citizen become president if he or she is meant to be – that is, through coronation! And
(g) That Vision 2030 will bring salvation to Zambia. I doubt it. Such a Vision is going to be a mere dream and an empty MMD campaign tool if President Banda and his administration cannot immediately and seriously start to address such issues as education and training, public health and sanitation, sustained food security, public infrastructure, corruption and other forms of criminal activity, and so forth.
Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga says government will soon outline the way forward on the constitution making process.
Mr Mwaanga said it is irresponsible and mischievous for some Members of Parliament to suggest that government has abandoned the constitution making process.
He said this in parliament Tuesday evening in his contribution to debate on President Rupiah Banda’s speech to Parliament.
Mr Mwaanga also paid glowing tribute to some UPND, UNIP, FDD and PF Members of Parliament for their contribution towards the constitution making process.
And Deputy Minister of Community Development and Social Services Adons Mufalali said four thousand women have benefited from the Women Economic Empowerment Programme in the country.
Government had set aside five billion kwacha for the Women Economic Empowerment Programme.
And Minister of Home Affairs Mkhondo Lungu said the successful implementation of government programmes is as a result of the peace Zambia is enjoying.
[ ZNBC ]
Deputy Minister of Finance Hon Chileshe Kapwepwe at the Zambia Embassy, Washington DC.
The Government says the favourable performance of the economy in several sectors such as in mining, agriculture and tourism is expected to register strong economic growth in the next half of 2011.
Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Hon. Chileshe Kapwewe said the increased copper production at 740 thousand metric tonnes and the record maize bumper harvest of 2.7 million metric tonnes were some of the indicators of good performance in the economy.This was according to the Press statement released to Lusakatimes by Ben Kangwa,First Secretary (Press) at the Zambian Embassy in Washington.
Addressing members of the diplomatic staff at the Zambian Embassy in Washington DC when she paid a courtesy call on Her Excellency, Ambassador of Zambia to the USA, Mrs. Sheila Siwela, the Deputy Minister of Finance said the government had revised its economic growth targets from 5.8 to 6.6 per cent on account of a higher than expected performance in the first half of 2010.
She said the government was hopeful that Zambia would achieve its target of 8.0 per cent inflation by the end of the year.
Hon. Kapwepwe also stated that the government was in the process of finalizing the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP)(2010-2015) whose focus is on infrastructure and human capital development.
She said the SNDP is due to be launched in November 2010 after taking into account the comments of the stakeholders who held a meeting between September 29 and October 1st, 2010.
On tourism, the Deputy Minister also acknowledged government’s positioning of the sector as the second most important segment of economic activity in Zambia.
She said in a bid to exploit its potential and expand tourism to other provinces within Zambia, government was working on development projects that will attract huge investments such as the Kasaba Bay Tourism Resort Development Project.
Ms. Kapwepwe said government was encouraging public private partnerships into the Kasaba Bay area in order to develop a fully fledged tourism resort with all necessary public amenities.
Earlier,in her welcome remarks, Ambassador of Zambia to the USA, Mrs. Sheila Siwela revealed that the Zambian Embassy in the USA had embarked on an aggressive program to attract more tourists to Zambia than it has done in the past.
She said currently, the number of tourists that visit Zambia from North America stood at 40,000 per year and that with the marketing strategy that the Embassy had put in place the numbers could increase for the better.
It was for this reason that in conjunction with the Zambia Tourist Board through the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, a successful Zambia Travel Show to five cities in the United States of America and Canada had just been undertaken.
She also added that the tourism sector in Zambia was more attractive than other neighboring countries and called for all Zambians in the diaspora and at home to market its potential in the most positive manner.
Ms. Kapwepwe is in Washington DC to attend the 2010 IMF/World Bank annual meetings taking place from the 8th – 10th October, 2010.
She is accompanied by the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Likolo Ndalamei , Dr. Richard Chembe, the Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Development Affairs and senior economists from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.
From the Bank of Zambia is the Bank Governor, Dr. Caleb Fundanga, the Deputy Governor(Operations), Dr. Danny Kalyalya and Directors of Various departments within the Bank.
Zain Zambia has officially handed over the Zain Africa Challenge grant to Copperbelt university for taking part in the prestigious inter-Africa university academic tournament held in Kampala, Uganda.
Copperbelt university won US$15,000.00 while each of the six team members walked away with US$1500.00 for their performance at the international festivals.
Handing over the items, Zain Zambia Managing Director Fayez King said: “As you all know by now, everyone is a winner in the Zain Africa Challenge. The challenge is not so much about money but more about exposing the educational opportunities that lie in Africa and cultural exchange among African universities. I am sure that the team that traveled made a lot of friends from across Africa and came back with more information about the diversity of Africa through interactions. It is against this backdrop that I ask you to join me in congratulating Zambia Adventist University for making it that far.
He also said Zain is committed to uplifting the education standards in the country through the Build Our Nation initiative in which vulnerable schools get facelifts and donations of literacy materials.
“Since inception, we have spent over K6 billion supporting vulnerable schools in all the 72 districts in Zambia through interventions such as infrastructure construction and renovation, donation of desks and literacy materials just to mention a few. We believe that the development of this country and indeed the world lies in an educated population”, said Mr. Sinkamba.
The fourth edition of the Zain Africa Challenge was won by Egerton university of Kenya who have won three times. The university won US$50,000.00 in institutional grants while each of the participating team members won US$5,000.00.
The Zain Africa Challenge which ended this month is televised across Africa. In Zambia, the show was broadcast on Muvi TV and ZNBC TV.
The Zain Africa Challenge is part of the Zain Group’s corporate social responsibility efforts to support education across Africa.
Copperbelt university which was eliminated at quarter final stage qualified to the inter national festival alongside the University of Zambia and Zambia Adventist. This was after eliminating three other eligible universities; Cavendish, Copperstone and Zambia Open universities.
The Zain Africa Challenge brings together over 100 universities from across Africa while at the international festival 32 universities compete for the prestigious Zain scholars trophy and the grand prize of US$50,000.00 institutional grants and US$5,000.00 personal cash.
[Issued by the PR & Corporate Affairs department of Zain Zambia]
An enraged Lusaka landlord has removed iron sheets from his house in a bid to evict tenants.
Codol Phiri said he ripped off the roof of his house as he had given enough notice to his tenants.
Mr Phiri noted that he has plans to renovate his house and that no one should question him.
Meanwhile, one of the tenants told MUVI TV news that the landlord removed the roof around zero five hours this morning without giving any notice.
She complained that the confusion on whether to vacate the house or not was created by the landlord and his son who both claimed to have powers over the house.
Meanwhile, landlord and Tenant Information Referral Centre chairperson Roban Muke has charged that the landlord did not follow right procedure when evicting the tenants.
He said the landlord refused to go to the police even after a police call out was issued to him.
Mr Muke said both landlord and tenants have rights hence the association next step will be to take the matter to the courts of law.
[ MUVTV ]
The Southern African Center for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has called on government to allocate more funds towards governance in the 2011 national budget.
SACCORD Programme Officer for Accountability and Good governance, Michelo Mwango said as the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) concludes this year, her organization expects government to concentrate more on the electoral processes in the 2011 National budget.
Mrs Mwango says the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) currently faces numerous financial constraints and that there is need for more funding to the Commission to enable it operate effectively.
She has,however, hailed government for the infrastructure development taking place in the country.
She noted that though a lot has been achieved, economic growth has not reduced poverty levels in the country.
Mrs Mwango has since advised government to ensure that there is an equal distribution of wealth in the country with regards to the rural areas.
Finance and National Planning minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane is this Friday expected to present the 2011 national Budget to Parliament.
[ QFM ]
The National Sports Council of Zambia’s (NSCZ) four-member sub-committee constituted to settle the constitutional impasse over the future of the Faz executive committee will set on Wednesday at NASDEC in Lusaka.
The four-member committee that was announced on Monday comprises of ex sports council head Max Sichula, current council board member Elliot Mhende and lawyer Emmanuel Mwansa.
NSCZ spokesman Smart Mwitwa completes the Faz constitutional crisis sub-committee.
The team will hold to full day session and will summon stakeholders to make submissions before the sub-committee on Wednesday.
Sichula and his team are expected to submit their verdict on Thursday.
NSCZ head Chifumu Banda said the council will maneuver around the potential Fifa minefield , that stop government interference in local football associations matters, and reach a logical conclusion to the Faz constitutional crisis.
“Where the council has reason to believe that that an association is acting in a manner prejudicial to the interest of sports or the public interest generally, the council may order the suspension of the activities of the association,” Banda said at a media briefing on Monday in Lusaka.
Last week, four Faz executive committee members namely; ex-vice president Emmanuel Munaile, Violet Bwalya, Pivoty Simwanza and Henshel Chitembeya.
That left Kalusha Bwalya’s executive constitutional dissolved after it failed to forum a quorum, a situation the Faz bosses has disputed despite legal minds familiar with the situation stating the opposite.
