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First-quarter copper production in Zambia, Africa’s largest producer, rose to 174 407 t from 170 948 t produced in the corresponding period last year, Zambia’s central bank said on Wednesday.
Copper exports in the first quarter rose to 173 421 t versus 153 306 t exported in the same period last year, a statistics report from the Bank of Zambia showed.
“We should expect more copper with the start of production at the Konkola deep mining project, the resumption of output at Baluba mine and ramp up at Lumwana mine,” said Mathias Mpande, a mining engineering senior lecturer at the University of Zambia.
“Zambia should reach 800 000 t of copper without much difficulty by the end of 2010 unless something unexpected happens,” he said.
Zambia’s total copper production in 2009 was slightly below 700 000 t.
The central bank said cobalt output in the three months to March 31 jumped to 1 921 t from 1 081 t last year, while exports of cobalt increased to 1 905 t from the 1 251 t exported during the first quarter of 2009.
“Cobalt production is increasing because Chambishi Metals has started producing again. The cobalt price is also rising and this is an incentive for cobalt producers to increase their output,” said Mpande.
Copper mining is Zambia’s economic lifeblood and the mines are a major employer in the country of 12-million people.
Foreign mining companies in Zambia include London-listed Vedanta Resources, Canada’s First Quantum Minerals, Glencore International of Switzerland and Metorex of South Africa.
Republican president Rupiah Banda has described the red card campaign being spearheaded by Change Life Zambia executive director Fr. Frank Bwalya as total madness.
President Banda said that he will not be disrupted by the campaigns that seek to disturb his distribution of developments in the country. He added that Fr. Bwalya is no longer a Catholic priest and that the red card campaign, which he described as nonsense, will not go anywhere.
Speaking on the Copperbelt on Tuesday, President Banda expressed happiness that the people there have rejected the red card campaign. He stated that the red card campaign will not take Fr. Bwalya anywhere but will just bring chaos.
And President Banda says that he will never be worried about the United Party for National Development and Patriotic Front pact. He has expressed confidence that he will do far much better than the pact as the two parties have failed to win in the previous elections.
Meanwhile President Banda has said that the people who were laughing at him when he wore a white barret instead of a red one are just jealous because he looked good.
[Q FM]
National Constitution Conference spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis, flanked by Patrick Jabani addressing journalists in Lusaka
THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) has warned United Party for National Development (UPND) members of Parliament to desist from distancing themselves from decisions passed by the conference.
NCC spokesperson Mwangala Zaloumis said the conference arrives at decisions collectively through consensus hence it is irrational for some members to dissociate themselves.
Mrs Zaloumis said this in Lusaka on Monday in response to UPND vice president Richard Kapita, who was quoted saying that some UPND MPs were not part of the decision arrived at by the conference last week.
Mr Kapita was referring to the decision by the conference to delete an article relating to the right to access food, water and shelter.
Mrs Zaloumis, however, said the conference does not arrive at decisions as parties or stakeholders but collectively.
She said all members of the NCC are expected to honour the decision of the majority of members.
Mrs Zaloumis said political party members taking part in the NCC deliberations should not use the conference to settle scores with opponents.
She said the deliberations of the NCC are neutral and decisions are arrived at amicably.
“Whenever we are adopting articles, if there are members who do not agree with certain decisions, they are at liberty to rise to call for a division within the deliberations.
“So it’s surprising that we can have members who want to rush to the media to distance themselves from the decisions we arrive at,” Mrs Zaloumis said.
She said the conference has been given a mandate to deliver a people-driven constitution and that members of the NCC should ensure that this is achieved.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
THE Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia (PSZ) has supported President Banda’s calls to enhance the national drugs supply chain in the Ministry of Health.
And Government has advised health practitioners tasked with the duty of ensuring constant supply of drugs to health centres to ensure they do so without unnecessary delays.
Speaking when he toured Medical Stores Limited yesterday, Health Deputy Minister Solomon Musonda said the delays in the procurement process had affected the smooth delivery of services and resulted in artificial shortage of drugs in health centres.
Dr Musonda called on staff at local clinics to coordinate with the procurement officers at district health management team offices to ensure they ordered for drugs required before they completely ran out of stock.
Medical Store pharmacist Ann Zulu said there were adequate stocks of medicines but the delays were from clinics which were not making orders in advance.
And PSZ president Bonaventure Kasama said Mr Banda’s efforts to address the inefficiencies in the supply of drugs was commendable.
Mr Kasama said the association was ready to offer professional, technical and mutual support in rectifying the situation.
In a statement in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Kasama said it was important to strengthen and streamline the national drugs supply chain by re-establishing the directorate of pharmaceutical services to oversee the function of drugs supply and give it oversight jurisdiction.
He said the Ministry of Health should include pharmacists and pharmacy technologists on rural retention schemes to boost the capacity of health institutions in such areas in managing drug supplies.
Mr Kasama called upon the MoH to enhance medicines regulation by convening the pharmaceutical regulatory authority board, which he said had not taken place for a long time despite the board having been appointed.
“The existence of a functional pharmaceutical regulatory authority board will further strengthen the functions of pharmaceutical regulatory authority,” he said.
On Monday, during the swearing in of the newly-appointed Health Permanent Secretary, Peter Mwaba, President Banda said the country had sufficient drugs but administrative lapses were responsible for the artificial shortages being experienced in some health centres.
And a check by the Times at some clinics in Kabwe showed that they all had essential drugs in stock and patients were being treated normally.
At Mahatma Ghandi Clinic, a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “We have all kits of the essential drugs in stock. There has never been a situation where we have run out of drugs because Medical Store ensures that it supplies medicines on time.”
The situation was similar at Pollen, Railway, Mpima, Natuseko and Bwacha clinics.
And some male and female patients admitted to various wards at Ndola Central Hospital said the institution was not experiencing a shortage of drugs.
Abraham Kalulu, who has a problem with his legs, and Chola Tembo, a malaria patient, said they were hopeful they would soon recover because of the adequate supply of drugs at the hospital.
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has directed Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and other mine managements in the country to quickly resolve outstanding differences with local suppliers over delayed payments.
And the president has challenged the private sector to take up the challenge and establish industries that will add value to copper products.
Mr Banda said he had received numerous complaints from local suppliers over delayed payments by the mines.
He said given the small size of operations of most suppliers, the situation had negatively impacted on their ability to expand their businesses.
“On several occasions, I have received complaints from the suppliers to the mines of delayed payments. Given the small size of operations of most suppliers, this has negatively impacted on their ability to expand the businesses. In this regard, I am urging the management at KCM and other mines to quickly resolve any differences that you may be having with the suppliers,” Mr Banda said.
The president said this when he officially commissioned phase one of the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) and the Nchanga smelter in Chililabombwe yesterday.
He also urged the mine management to continue working with the suppliers to develop their capabilities to supply not only the required quantities at the right time but also the right quality.
Mr Banda who was flanked by Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale, parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga, Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Lwipa Puma and other high ranking Government officials, said the challenge that remained in the sector was value addition.
While annual copper production was increasing, there was very little progress being made to add value locally to the commodity to enhance the benefits accruing to the nation.
[pullquote]The president praised KCM for committing $17.5 million for the development of Mulungushi University into the third public university as well as the awarding of 18 scholarships tenable at top Indian universities at which young Zambians would undertake studies in degree programmes.[/pullquote]
Export of copper ore means export of thousands of jobs meant for thousands of Zambians and therefore urged the private sector to take up the challenge and establish industries that will add value.
Mr Banda said there were still challenges in establishing industries that would provide the mining sector with the materials they required in the production process and it was an opportunity for the private sector to establish industries to support the mines.
“We also still face challenges. Again this is an opportunity for the private sector to establish industries to support the mines,” the president said.
The mining sector remains Zambia’s key source of economic growth contributing close to 15.9 per cent of the total GDP in 2009.
The president expressed concern that mining companies still had high production costs.
The president said, in addition, the Government would like to see continued expansion of mining activities through exploration and infusion of modern and state-of-the-art mining and metallurgical processing technologies.
On safety, Mr Banda said issues of environmental protection were still a matter of great concern to the Government and urged all mining companies to invest in improving safety and protecting the environment.
The president praised KCM for committing $17.5 million for the development of Mulungushi University into the third public university as well as the awarding of 18 scholarships tenable at top Indian universities at which young Zambians would undertake studies in degree programmes.
DEFENCE Minister Kalombo Mwansa has said former Zambia Army commander Malimba Masheke is wrong to claim there is a crisis in the security and defence wings of the country.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Mwansa said General Masheke should not claim there was a crisis simply because the defence chiefs were retired at the same time.
He said President Rupiah Banda, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, was at liberty to retire the senior officers in the security and defence forces.
President Banda recently retired senior officers in the defence and security wings, saying he wanted to improve the morale among junior officers that were complaining that they were not easily promoted.
“There is no crisis in the defence and security personnel. The president has the right to retire army staff and Gen Maskeke is wrong to insist that there is a crisis or vacuum,” Dr Mwansa said.
[pullquote]“There is no crisis in the defence and security personnel. The president has the right to retire army staff and Gen Maskeke is wrong to insist that there is a crisis or vacuum,” Dr Mwansa said.[/pullquote]
He said citizens should not even panic about the security of the country, and that the safety of the populace was guaranteed.
The minister said there was a smooth handover of office between the new appointees and the officers that were retired.
“People who were appointed are working well, they have been able to carry on from where the others left and so there is no vacuum or crisis that Gen Masheke is talking about,” Dr Mwansa said.
But in reaction to a statement by chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha last weekend that the ministers of Defence and Home Affairs had been instructed to investigate and establish whether or not he had violated the terms of his oath of secrecy, Gen Masheke said it was not the function of politicians to carry out such a function.
“In the first instance it is surprising that such a serious allegation should be investigated by the political wing of Government.
“In our established system of Government any breach of the law is investigated and decided by the security services without political influence,” he said.
Gen Masheke said he had not committed any offence and would not allow the State or any other person to infringe on his rights.
PRESIDENT Banda has directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to sell the Itawa flats and houses at the Masala housing complex to the sitting tenants at fair and reasonable prices. The President has also ordered the Ministry of Lands and all councils to expedite the issuance of title deeds before the end of August this year.
Mr Banda said this was so because the Patriotic Front (PF)-run councils were charging exorbitant land rates on houses owned by Zambians. The president said the council had conspired to reverse the empowerment policy initiated by second Republican president Frederick Chiluba by frustrating house owners by asking rates which house owners could not afford.
He was speaking during a Press briefing at Broadway Lodge in Kitwe yesterday.
“My Government will not entertain this kind of dishonesty any longer. These PF councils which have turned rates into rentals and are demanding rates from people on residential properties which are unattainable must reconsider this,” Mr Banda said.
The president said the owners of the houses were Zambians without a regular income, adding that some of them were over burdened with the care of orphans, while others were widows or widowers who had lost their bread winners.
[pullquote]“My Government will not entertain this kind of dishonesty any longer. These PF councils which have turned rates into rentals and are demanding rates from people on residential properties which are unattainable must reconsider this,” Mr Banda said.[/pullquote]
He said it did not make political, economic, moral or even financial sense to over-value properties just to collect higher land rates.
Mr Banda said some house owners who failed to pay the increased rates had their household goods confiscated by councils, a situation he said was unacceptable.
He said the manner in which PF-run councils were charging rentals was a sure recipe for political revolt. The council had not undertaken any maintenance or repair works to the flats.
And Mr Banda disclosed that he had also received a petition from former United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) workers throughout the country who were offered houses by Government to buy at book value but had not because some officials in Government increased the property prices beyond the former workers’ ability to pay.
He said he would not entertain any further delays in the issuance of title deeds, adding that the Government would not allow the councils to frustrate its efforts to empower the people.
Earlier, when he launched the Copperbelt roads project, President Banda commended the Japanese government for the support it was rendering to the Zambian people.
He said the Japanese people opted to support the Zambians because they knew that they were accountable and would use the funds for their intended purpose.
And Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura said the project was particularly significant in that it would enhance economic development.
Mr Mitamura said the project would be implemented at an estimated cost of US$27 million, which was equivalent to about K133.4 billion, and that it was the largest grant project to be undertaken by the Japanese government.
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said the country has sufficient stocks of drugs but administrative lapses are responsible for the artificial shortage being experienced in some health centres.
Mr Banda said in Lusaka yesterday that on many occasions, Medical Stores Limited and some hospitals and clinics had failed to effectively communicate, resulting in shortages of drugs.
He challenged newly-appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Peter Mwaba to sort out the administrative problems in the health sector that had led to such problems.
Speaking when he swore in Dr Mwaba at State House, President Banda said the country had sufficient stocks of drugs but because of administrative problems, some health institutions could not access the medicines.
Everyday we read in the newspapers of missing drugs and when we carry out our own investigations we find that the drugs are there. The Government has provided adequate resources for drugs.
We shall count on you to ensure that the drugs are given. Use your knife to operate on people and use that knife to work on the administration in the ministry. Operate using your knife to move people where they are suitable,” Mr Banda said.
He said the Ministry of Health was one of the key institutions in the country, hence the need to be run by competent people.
The president noted that it was a daunting task for appointing authorities to find suitable people to effectively run the ministry.
President Banda said Dr Mwaba had vast experience in running health institutions and he was optimistic that he would not fail the citizens.
Until his appointment, Dr Mwaba was University Teaching Hospital (UTH) managing director.
He said Dr Mwaba had been given the mandate to run the Ministry of Health and should run it effectively just like he managed UTH.
The selection for people to lead this ministry is a serious task. One has to be careful and I am happy that I have finally appointed you. You are a public man and this appointment is after wide consultations,” Mr Banda said.
He said Dr Mwaba was able to transform the UTH even under difficult circumstances, and that currently, UTH was one of the best and dignified health institutions in the country.
You provided leadership at the UTH and your choice will see drastic changes at the ministry. It is a huge ministry and so you have to assist the minister and everybody,” Mr Banda said.
A truck that has damaged a bridge that was built last month at Mweezhya area along Maamba/Batoka road in Sinazongwe district.
Sinazongwe district in Southern province has been cut off from the rest of the country for the fourth time following collapse of the temporal bridge that was built last month along Maamba/Batoka road.
Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete confirmed the development that a truck carrying coal from Maamba Collieries (MCL) damaged the bridge when it passed on it.
A check at the site found a truck loaded with coal has cut off the entire bridge that was mounted last month.
The temporal bridge was built by the Zambia Army to connect the district that was cut off from the rest of country for more than a month.
In February a bridge at Sikalamba stream collapsed and three culverts collapsed at Sinakasikili, Mweezyha, and near Bampu area following heavy rains and affected business operation in the entire district.
Malima ward Councilor Fisher Zimana has also said Malima area is still cut off from the rest of the district as vehicles are failing to pass at Nangombe stream.
Mr. Zimana said people were traveling long distance to come to Sinazeze and to connect to Choma district to get essential food stuffs and to conduct their business.
Sinazongwe district received the highest rainfall this year than ever before in the life history of the people.
A 26-year-old from Halifax is the latest emerging Canadian filmmaker chosen to screen his work at the Director’s Fortnight during the coming Cannes Film Festival.
Noah Pink’s 44-minute film ZedCrew will screen during the prestigious film series running during the venerable French festival, organizers announced in the French city on Tuesday.
“It is both thrilling and humbling to have my work recognized by Cannes,” Pink said in a statement issued by Telefilm Canada.
“It is the very festival that put the first spotlight on so many of my favourite directors from around the world, those who inspired me to become a filmmaker. To say that I’m excited would be a gross understatement. I’m glowing!”
Pink’s medium-length film, a Canadian-Zambia co-production, is a portrait of three young Zambian rappers who attempt to make it big in New York. It stars Zambian hip hop star Alvin (The Lyracist) Fungo, who also provides the film’s score.
ZedCrew offers a view of “contemporary, urban Africa,” Pink said.
“It portrays the life of cool, young Zambians who, like so many others, dream of making it big in America. But unlike so many others, these guys are forced to the extreme.”
Last year, young Montreal filmmaker Xavier Dolan became an international sensation when his directorial debut, the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age film J’ai tué ma mere (I Killed My Mother), was selected to screen at the Director’s Fortnight and nabbed a trio of trophies. It went on to become a darling on the festival circuit and scored a host of prizes back in Canada as well.
Dolan is heading back to Cannes this year with his latest film, Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats), which is competing in the Un Certain Regard category of innovative and daring works by emerging or established auteur filmmakers.
Battle for Bandas...Milanzi parliamentary candidates for PF Albert Banda (l), UNIP's Musa (c) and MMD's Whiteson Banda during a public debate in Milanzi
2.
United National Independence Milanzi by-election candidate Musa Banda talks to voters in Milanzi during a public debate
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Patriotic Front and MMD Milanzi parliamentary candidates Albert Banda (l) and Whiteson Banda (r) shake hands before a public debate in Milanzi
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PF Milanzi by-election candidate Albert Banda talks to voters in Milanzi during a public debate
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Ruling MMD Milanzi by-election candidate Whiteson Banda talks to voters in Milanzi during a public debate
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Ruling MMD Milanzi parliamentary by-election campaign manager Eustarckio Kazonga kneels before voters in Milanzi during a public debate ahead of the April 29 poll
7.
President Banda boards the Zambia Air Force executive plane in Chipata before heading back to Lusaka.
Lusaka Business and political consultant Bob Sichinga has castigated the government’s attitude towards foreign investment. Mr. Sichinga says that the investment in the country has failed to match to the specific objectives that the country has. Mr. Sichinga has strongly called for the review of the investments in a way that it can benefit the majority Zambians.
Mr. Sichinga said that government has failed to implement the investing programmes adequately, describing it as unfortunate. Speaking on Qfm’s Monday Night Live last evening, Mr. Sichinga said that government has been too lenient to get enough taxes to come back into the national systems.
[pullquote]But Mr. Sichinga said that if investment is not being translated into the creation of the wealth, then it is not worth celebrating.[/pullquote]
He further charged that the Zambia is not getting anything from its resources all in the name of the investment. He said that it is important that the country maintains a type of investment that generates employment and adds value to the general growth of the economy.
He said that the government should be fair in distribution of wealth for the benefit of the country.
And Mr. Sichinga has doubted governments continued support of Chinese investment saying that the value is not being visibly seen.
Last week, Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said Chinese Investment in the country has helped the country attract other investors from bigger economies.
Dr. Musokotwane urged politicians to avoid politicizing Chinese investment because it is helping the country in bringing in more investment into the country. But Mr. Sichinga said that if investment is not being translated into the creation of the wealth, then it is not worth celebrating.
The Zambia Export Growers Association (ZEGA) says it is losing US$ 150,000 a day as a result of the restrictions of flights in Europe.
ZEGA Managing director Colin Rhoda said that the Association has greatly been hit by the move to cancel its flights due to the volcanic ash from Iceland.
He further disclosed that a large portion of its fresh consignments of vegetables and flowers meant for transportation to the European Market has perished.
Air travel throughout Europe and around the world is still disrupted as thick clouds of ash from a volcano eruption in Iceland continue to drift across the continent. Some European nations have completely closed their airspace, while others have enacted partial closures.
Thousands of flights have been canceled, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.
Officials expect air travel to be disrupted for several days.
The ZEGA managing director has predicted that the association might lose millions of dollars if the situation remains the same.
[Q FM]
Two witnesses from Grace Academy in Lusaka’s Makeni area have testified in court in a case in which a 10 year old girl was allegedly defiled.
Karen Kapokola a teacher at the institution told the court that on 18 February 2010 she noticed that the named girl was walking with her legs apart. She said she called the girl and asked her what was wrong and the girl revealed that an elderly man had done what she termed as “bad manners” to her.
Miss Kapokola said at that point she took the girl to the head teacher who later reported the matter to police.
And Grace Academy Head teacher and Acting Principle Josephine Mwanza told the court that she checked the girl’s private parts and took her to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for a medical checkup where it was confirmed that the girl had been defiled.
And the 10 year old girl identified the man who she claims had carnal knowledge of her in February.
Facts before the court are that on dates unknown but between 13th and 18th February 2010, 20 year old Dickson Siampika had carnal knowledge of a 10 year old girl in Lusaka’s Misisi compound.
Trial continues on 27th April 2010.
