Friday, April 4, 2025
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 4969

Listen to your body and understand what it’s really trying to tell you

editor
-
9

In medicine, the word “symptoms” is thrown around as if it were something bad. Doctors talk about the “symptoms of disease” and then they prescribe chemicals to suppress those symptoms. If you have pain, they prescribe painkillers. If you have high blood pressure, they prescribe chemicals to artificially lower blood pressure.

This practice of detecting and then suppressing symptoms is called “mainstream medicine.”

But what if that entire approach were wrong? What if symptoms were gifts rather than curses? What if the messages they were sending actually contained important information about your health?

That’s exactly what you’re about to learn here (if you don’t already know this, that is): Symptoms are messengers… cries for help from your body. And learning how to listen to those messages rather than suppressing them may be the key to unlocking your greatest health potential.

Medications dull your body and mind

Conventional medical doctors have been trained that symptoms are things to be suppressed, negated or destroyed. These doctors don’t consider symptoms to be a holistic part of your healing experience, but that’s in fact exactly what they are.

If you sprain your ankle playing frisbee, for example, your body sends you a pain message. This message contains important information: “This tissue is injured. Do not use it until it is repaired.” If you heed the message, you will allow your ankle time to heal. Once it’s healed and safe to use again, the pain will disappear. It is now safe to put weight on your ankle again.

In this context, pain is an intelligent regulator of your activities. It can direct you to avoid further injury. But pain killers dull the pain and artificially block the pain messages. They allow you to keep playing on an injured ankle to the point where you are likely to cause further injury, resulting in even more suffering and perhaps permanent damage that cannot be healed.

That’s why pain is something to be listened to, not ignored. But pain isn’t the only messenger you’ll want to pay attention to…

What your skin and nails are telling you

Your skin is also a messenger. What’s happening with your skin is a reflection of what’s happening with your internal organs. If you have acne on your face, for example, you have much the same thing happening in your digestive tract. Facial acne is a sign to clean up your diet, eliminate all animal products for a while (dairy, meat, etc.) and detox with a plant-based diet.

If your skin is dry, itchy or flaky, it’s a sure sign that you’re deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and possibly some other key vitamins or nutrients. Increase your intake of omega-3s through fish oils, marine oils or plant-based sources like chia seeds, and add superfoods to your diet to cover any vitamin deficiencies you may have.

Your fingernails can tell a lot about your health, too: Misshapen or discolored fingernails point to chronic nutritional deficiencies in minerals and certain vitamins. If your fingernails have ridges, cracking, discoloration or any other symptoms, get yourself to a naturopathic physician right away. Fingernails, you see, indicate what’s going on with the rest of your body because your nails are, of course, grown out of your body. If you have nutritional deficiencies or chronic organ problems, they will be revealed in your nails.

Your tongue can tell a wealth about your health, too. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners use tongue diagnosis (and pulse diagnosis) to assess symptoms and clues about what’s happening with your internal organ health. Tongue diagnosis is remarkably accurate: A tongue that’s discolored, has a layer of mucous, has deep ridges on the sides or other non-healthy characteristics directly indicates problems with your liver, kidneys, heart, lungs or digestive tract.

What goes in must come out

To pay even closer attention to your body’s symptoms, observe what’s coming out of your body:

• Do you have body odor? If so, your diet is unclean. Too much milk, butter and meat.

• Does your breath smell bad? Same problem: Unclean diet or poor digestive health.

• Are your stools too hard, too soft or not healthy looking? Check with a naturopath — the health of your stools indicates the health of your digestion.

• Does your urine smell strange? It will after eating asparagus, of course, but normally your urine should not have an offensive odor. If it does, go visit a naturopathic physician for some advice.

• Are you hyperventilating at times? It may be a sign of consuming a diet that’s too acidic. Or could also mean pre-diabetes. Check with a naturopath.

What comes out of your body, you see, is a very accurate indication of what’s going on inside your body. Did you know that physicians actually used to taste the urine of patients? They could diagnose disease just from tasting the urine.

Of course, these days mainstream doctors don’t taste your urine anymore. Instead, they give you expensive urine by pumping you full of HRT drugs, psych meds and other expensive pharmaceuticals that you pee down the drain while you’re literally flushing your money away.

Listen to your cravings

Your body will also tell you what it wants through cravings. These are little subconscious messengers that direct you to eat something your body needs. Most people, however, misinterpret those cravings and end up eating something bad for their health instead of what the body actually craves.

For example, if your body craves salt — real salt, not the processed sodium found in junk foods — you may feel an urge to eat a salty snack food. But that urge is often just a craving for full-spectrum salt. Try eating some fresh nuts dusted with full-spectrum sea salt and see if that takes care of your craving.

Cravings for chocolate may often be just your body crying out for magnesium. Your body sends you the message, “Eat more magnesium!” but your conscious mind mistakenly thinks you just need more chocolate. The problem is that most of the processed, store-bought chocolate on the market today is overly processed and has little or no magnesium left in it. Buy real chocolate if you want it to contain the minerals it’s supposed to.

Is your body crying out for water?

Dehydration can cause all sorts of symptoms that are often misdiagnosed as other diseases. Chronic dehydration can appear as all the following symptoms or diseases: Asthma, high blood pressure, hunger, kidney disorders, heart problems and constipation.

Drinking more water on a regular basis (and avoiding dehydrating beverages such as sodas) can solve these underlying problems, and you may actually see many of those symptoms vanish within a few days, weeks or months.

Use the symptom as information

Never be tricked into taking a medication that masks the symptom. Use the symptom as a clue to look for root causes that can be corrected through more holistic, natural means. This is how you can listen to your body and interpret its messages in useful ways that lead you in the direction of health.

It takes no intelligence whatsoever to mask symptoms with medications. Any fool can accomplish that by popping pills, much to the delight of pharmacies and drug companies. But an intelligent, mature person will listen to their body’s many messages (symptoms) and learn from them to discover what’s really going on with their health.

Masking symptoms, in other words, is a childish, adolescent approach to medicine. But listening and learning from symptoms in order to take a more holistic approach to health is characteristic of an intelligent adult. Which approach will you decide to take?

[adapted from Naturalnews.com]

Why Africans are Religious

editor
-
86
Christians from different churches exit the Lusaka High Court where they started proceedings for palm sunday

By Leo Igwe

A new study conducted by the Washington based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life says that Africans are among the most religious people on earth. The study titled Tension and Tolerance: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa was based on more than 25,000 interviews conducted in more than 60 languages in 19 countries. According to the study at least half of all Christains in Sub-Saharan Africa believe Jesus will return in their lifetime. One in three muslims in the region expect to see the re-establishment of the caliphate-islamic golden age- before they die. At least three out of 10 people across much of Africa said they have experienced divine healing, seen the devil being driven out of a person or received a direct revelation from God. About a quarter believe that sacrifices to ancestors can protect them from bad things happening. Sizeable percentages believe in charms and amulets. Many consult traditional religious healers, and sizable minorities keep animal skins and skills in their homes.

The study found that in many countries across the continent roughly nine in 10 people say religion is very important in their lives.

Do these findings surprise anyone? Surely they shouldn’t. Unless the person is not familiar with the situation in Africa.

These findings do not surprise me at all. I am an African. I was born in Africa. I live and work in Africa. I am non religious though I was born into a religious home. I attended religious schools. I had a typical (African) religious upbringing. I do not believe that Jesus will return again. I do not think that the Biblical Jesus existed and even if he did, I think he’s gone and gone forever. I can’t see the world coming under an islamic caliphate except what we have been experiencing since September 11, 2001. I have never experienced divine healing and I don’t think those who claim to have experienced it are honest to themselves. I have not seen a devil being driven out of any person except some self induced hysteria by some pentecostal con artists. I have not received any revelation from God except may be one day some godly people would claim that their god revealed this piece to me. I don’t believe that sacrifice to the ancestors will protect people from harm. Otherwise the ancestors would be alive today. I think charms and amulets are useless and consulting traditional healers and clerics is a waste of time.

The reasons why Africans are the most religious people in the world are not far fetched. Africans go through religious indoctrination from cradle to the grave. Africans are not allowed by family, society and the state to think, reason or live outside the religious box. In Africa religion is by force not by choice. Religion is by compulsion and not according to one’s conscience. Africans are brought up to believe that there is NO alternative to religion. When in fact there is. So in Africa, it is either you are religious or you are nobody-you are not a human being, you are nothing. There is too much social and political pressure on Africans to be religious and to remain religious. The social, political and sometimes economic price of leaving religion, renouncing religion or criticizing religion is so high.

So Africans are religious willy nilly. Africans profess all sorts of religious crap even when they know it is all nonsense.

At home, religious indoctrination is the first form of orientation an African child receives. At a very early and impressionable age, infants are taught to recite meaningless syllables called prayers. Children are brainwashed by parents with various religious and spritiual myths. Their minds are infused with all sorts of religious dogmas. Parents ensure that children are brought up in their faith- the faith of the family and the faith of their fathers. Children are taught to believe and follow, and not to question religious teachings even when there is every reason to do so. Some of the findings of the Pew Forum constitute the ‘sacred’ teachings which African kids receive and are told not to challenge, examine, criticize or renounce. African children are brought up to believe them and to swallow them hook , line and sinker. Not to question one’s family religion is seen as virtous and as a mark of a good child. This religious tradition is upheld and handed down unchallenged from one generation to another in Africa.

The religious brainwashing continues in schools. Most African colleges are religious indoctrination centers. Western missionaries and Arab jihadists brought formal education(the model widely used today) to the continent. They established schools to win converts and recruit new members, not really to educate Africans. So schools in Africa are covert churches and mosques. Education is faith based. And this religious tradition is still upheld in most schools across the continent. Some of the findings of the study are what African puplis are taught everyday in schools. They constitute what African students recite and memorize as part of their compulsory morning devotions.

Pupils at one islamic primary school near my house in Ibadan sing this song everyday as part of their morning devotion.

We are soldiers. We are soldiers.

Fighting for Islam. Fighting for Islam

In the name of Allah, we shall conquer, we shall conquer

Every morning these children are made to recite that they are muslim children ; that they believe in Allah and Mohammed as his messenger. What do you expect from these children as adults after going through this religious drilling and being brainwashed with these superstitious messages? Do you think they will ever grow to say that religion-in this case Islam is not important in their lives? As in their homes, African students are taught to blindly accept the so called divine revelations without questions. They are induced to try and have some encounter with God or to have some spiritual experience as a manifestation of faith or piety. Children and youths are made to believe that professing articles of faith is a mark of a good student. And that education is not complete without religion or belief in God. So why should anybody be surprised that most Africans attach so much importance to religion.

This religionizing continues in politics and in the state houses across Africa. State power is used to endorse, promote and privilege religion. In Africa, prayer, piety and politics go together. Religion and politics mix. States are not separate from churches and mosques. So there is very high political pressure on individuals to be religious-and to remain religious and faithful even when they are not convinced of the religious teachings or would prefer to be faithless. Many African countries have adopted a religion or some religions as state or official religions. For instance in Morocco, the King is not only the president of the country, but also the commander of the faithful. So every Moroccan is under political pressure to be a faithful – an islamic faithful, particularly a sunni islamic faithful. The president of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh is addressed as Dr, Alhaji, Sheikh ….. among others. Some years ago he added to the list of his presidential duties praying for the citizens and trying to heal the sick including those who have HIV/AIDS using some verses in the Koran. In the self-styled islamic republics, anyone who is not a muslim cannot be president. Is there any special value being a muslim adds to the post of the president? None. In Gambia, the government erected magnificent mosques in all public schools in the country. Meanwhile these are schools without good classroom blocks, no libraries or laboratories.

In Africa, politicians have made it look as if to be a good citizen one must be religious or expressly pious. African politicians have made it seem as if theocracy, not democracy is the best form of government. And that the Bible and the Koran are the best constitutions. In fact the Bible and the Koran are the best constitution no country ever had. African politicians strive to ensure that state legislations are based on these‘holy books’ and that any policy, program or proposal that is not in line with the sacred texts are thrown out. Another reason why there is high level of piety in Africa is because most Africans do not think for themselves. They allow clerics to think for them. Africans consult their priests, bishops, sheikhs, marabous, traditional medicine men and women whenever they have problems or when they want to embark on a major project. And they accept whatever they give them including charms like holy water, olive oil as solutions and remedies. They do whatever they recommend they do including carrying out ritual killing and sacrifice.

Lastly Africans are deeply religious due to lack of human rights particularly religious freedom in Africa. This may sound like a contradiction. But it is not. Some may argue that the high religiosity in Africa should be due to ‘too much religious freedom’. No, it is not so. Rather it is due to no guarantee of religious freedom, no protection of freedom of conscience. Africans do not enjoy or exercise their freedom of religion or belief. Africans are denied with impunity this basic human right by state and non state actors. Africans are forced to be religious or to remain religious. That is why they are ‘too religious’. The mechanisms to protect and defend the full human rights of those who change their religion or renounce or criticize religious beliefs or those who do not profess any religion at all are weak and non existent. Religious believers and non believers are not equal before the law. Many Africans are religious because they don’t want to be in the minority. They don’t want to renounce what the majority upholds. They don’t want to denounce what the state or society revers. Many Africans are religious because they just want to play along.

Africans are among the most religious people on earth due to failure of family upbringing, failure of human rights and the rule of law, failure of educational system, social and political pressure and bad governance. Africans are religious because they cannot but be religious.

Leo Igwe is the director of the IHEU in West Africa. He lives in Nigeria

Presidents and Insults: From Kaunda to Banda and Beyond

editor
-
42

By Elias Munshya wa Munshya

Recent reports of insults and counter-insults between President Rupiah Banda and Hakainde Hichilema and between President Banda and Mr. Michael Sata make for some distressing reading. However, these events have been exacerbated and grossly exaggerated, partly, by the media. In actual fact, Zambia’s history with presidential foul language is not new. We in fact started having presidential foul language as soon as our nation was born—with the famous “stupid idiot” rants of Super Ken. However, with the emergence of new print media in the Third Republic has meant that anything spoken by any leader now will be subject to diverse reports and interpretation from various media organizations both public and private. Sometimes you would wonder whether it is not the media themselves acting as the factory of these invectives. In this article however, I wish to draw upon the history of presidential insults from Kaunda to Banda.

Kaunda was a kind, Christian, gentleman at independence. He was widely admired by friends and foes alike. Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe at independence had lots of praise for KK. Princess Nakatindi Wina remarked that KK was like Moses sent by God to deliver Zambians out of “Egyptian bondage.” However, with the growing opposition to his rule from within his party UNIP and from an array of Zambians—in the army and in the trade unions—KK started to change the tone of his language. In press conferences he was famous for calling his opponents, “stupid idiots”, and would occasionally call them “frightened little men.” By this he was implying that only he was the courageous big man.

I cannot recall any report of Frederick Chiluba insulting anybody. Ironically, when he faced the fiercest opposition bordering on insults, Chiluba would famously say, “infumu taituka bantu, bantu ebatuke imfumu.” This Bemba adage basically means that while the general population may have reasons to insult a leader, a leader should not insult his people. With this mindset, Chiluba never used foul language. The only moment, that stands as the exception with regard to Chiluba was at his rally in 2001 in Kitwe when he was introducing presidential candidate Levy Mwanawasa. At that rally Chiluba famously used a Copperbelt street idiom, and quickly added, “I am not insulting because I have not called any particular person or insulted any particular person”. He further mentioned that only “catile cobe” would qualify as an insult. Chiluba, generally, was not the type that used strong or bad language.

Like Kaunda, Levy Mwanawasa is reported to have been a man of very sober manners—as Amos Malupenga in his biography of Mwanawasa has pointed out. At a rally in Southern Province when MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba tried to intimate that Levy was a handsome man whom ladies could truly fall for. Levy was quick to correct Kalumba and remind the rally that he was a happily married man. When it comes to drinking, it is reported that he was not a habitual drinker and the only time he sipped some alcohol was when the Supreme Court ruled the presidential petition in his favor. However, he became a victim of a serious allegation that he had insulted the Bemba speaking peoples while visiting Ndola. To the question of why most of the people he had been prosecuting were mostly Bemba speaking, he is reported to have said how much he hated corruption, and how “stinking” corruption was. This set off serious political tsunami that could only be assuaged by appointing a Bemba as his Vice-President. And one of the first duties for Dr. Nevers Mumba was to go to the Bemba chiefs and calm the storms of the “stinking” insult. Undoubtedly, Michael Sata used Mwanawasa’s alleged insults to his political advantage.

When Levy Mwanawasa was looking for a replacement of a Bemba speaking Vice-President Augustine Festus Lupando Mwape, he needed to find a person who could bring some maturity and stability to the Vice-Presidency. This person in Mwanawasa’s judgment was going to be a retired 67 year old farmer, Rupiah Banda. And maturity I assume here may include being a person of sober words and a mature tongue. That was not to be, however. Banda maintained his tongue only as long as Levy was living and only as long as he remained Vice-President. But when he became the President, insults and rumors of insults besieged him as well. His closest insulting partners became opposition leaders Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema. With youthful vigor and a moderate tempter HH responded tit-for-tat to each and every of Banda’s insults. HH sometimes called Banda, “sleepy”, and a “man of small brains”. For his part Sata and Banda’s major area of insult is about who between them is more handsome than the other. Just recently, Banda called Sata, “cisilu ca zoona” and Sata reciprocated the affront very swiftly.

With this history in mind, I do not have any illusions that Zambian presidents will get any better in terms of insults. If Banda does not continue his presidency next year, we are very likely to have another insulting president in Hakainde Hichilema or Michael Sata. We just do not know yet what the next insult will be. We have graduated from Kaunda’s “stupid idiots” and we are in area of “dogs and sons of dogs.” One thing however, is for sure; an insulting president has immunity from both civil and criminal prosecution, at least until parliament lifts his immunity. And the only president who has had his immunity lifted so far is Chiluba who never made it a habit to insult others. It seems Parliament has better matters to take care of and “catile cobe” is not one of them.

RB appeals for calm in Mufumbwe

editor
-
69
President Rupiah Banda

Republican president Rupiah BANDA has appealed for calm in Mufumbwe Constituency following the violence that rocked the election campaign period for the parliamentary by-election.

The President says it was regrettable that the campaigns in Mufumbwe were characterized by violence perpetuated by the opposition supporters. He appealed to the residents of Mufumbwe to go back to their normal lives and avoid getting involved in violence activities which continued even after the vote.

President Banda has reiterated his earlier instruction to the Zambia Police Service to make sure that all perpetrators of violence are brought to book and the law should take its course regardless of whoever is involved.

He says it was regrettable that political parties were now resorting to violence in an attempt to win elections at all cost.

President Banda, who was in Mufumbwe for three days, said it was clear that the parliamentary by-election in that area was not conducted in a free and fair manner going by the amount of voter intimidation, violence and blatant disregard to the electoral rules.

The President has thanked the people of Mufumbwe for the warm reception accorded to him and his delegation during his three-day campaign tour and pledged to continue with the development projects in the area.

He says he would return to visit Mufumbwe District in the near future.

President Banda has thanked all the people, especially the campaign team of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), for their tireless in campaigning for the MMD candidate.

He has since urged them to remain focus especially that the MMD performed well in the Parliamentary and Local Government by-elections held on April 29, 2010.

QFM

Leaders Power Dynamos Visit Arrows

sports
-
3

Power Dynamos staying power at the summit of the Faz Super Division table will be tested on Saturday when they visit Red Arrows at Nkoloma stadium in Lusaka.

League leaders Power are one of four teams that are unbeaten in the Super Division this season together with second placed Nchanga Rangers, Zesco United and Zanaco.

However, Forson Kabole’s Power have seemingly lost their momentum in their last two successive league games drawing 0-0 away to Green Buffaloes and 1-1 at home last weekend with Lusaka Dynamos.

And Power return to Lusaka this time hoping for better fortunes of getting the three points away at Arrows that will keep them at the top of the table.

However, that match could be overshadowed by defending league champions Zanaco’s visit to vivacious Kitwe where promoted record 11-time league champions Nkana awaits.

Zanaco’s visits to Kitwe to play either against Nkana or Power always raise high emotions.

This is especially after the Sunset sides successes in the last 10 years when they won five league titles to tilt the scales in the balance of power from the Copperbelt to the Midlands.

Zanaco come into this match having played only two games since the start of the season and are second from bottom while Nkana have now gone four games without a loss gathering 8 points out of a possible 12 along the way.

Can Nkana throw a spanner in Zanaco’s works on Saturday at Wusakile?

Zanaco badly need a morale boosting win this weekend ahead of the May 8 CAF Champions League second round, home leg must-win clash against Entente Setif of Algeria who beat them 1-0 away on April 24 in Setif.

And in the rest of this weekend’s Week eight matches Dynamos host Zesco at Queensmead, National Assembly await Konkola Blades at Woodlands stadium while Kabwe Warriors visit Buffaloes at Edwin Imboela.

City of Lusaka visit Roan United,  Nchanga await Choma Eagles at Nchanga stadium in Chingola and Nkwazi are in Ndola to face Forest Rangers at Dola Hill.

[standings league_id=15 template=extend logo=false]

UPND/PF grabs Mufumbwe seat from MMD

Entertainment Editor
-
158

United Party for National Development (UPND) has scooped the Mufumbwe seat deemed as the heavily contested and the bloodiest parliamentary by-election in North-Western Province.

The win has proved most political analysts’ predication that the UPND/PF pact would scoop the Mufumbwe seat while MMD would also win the Milanzi seat in Eastern province.

UPND/PF pact candidate Eliot Kamondo got 5333, MMD‘s got Mulondwe Muzungu got 5009 while UNIP’s Stephen Kamwengo got 180 votes.

The defeat is heavy for the MMD party that is trying to regain its previous domination of North-Western Province after they lost Solwezi central seat in a parliamentary by-election to UPND/PFpact last year.

Mufumbwe bye-election was another test for the ruling party’s popularity in North-Western province as the country draws near to the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Jubilant supporters of UPND/ PF pact spent the whole night celebrating their early victory from results that there trickling in.

Police yesterday restricted UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s movement to avoid running battles that erupted between UPND supporters and the MMD cadres during the campaign period.

MMD candidate Mr. Muzungu was recalled from Libya were he was the ambassador to come and contest the Mufumbwe seat.

Prior to the elections some MMD supporters in Mufumbwe rejected Mr Muzungu’s adoption as a parliamentary candidate.

Mwange, Kala refugee camps face closure

Guest Editor
-
3
Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ndiyoi Mutiti talking with Malawian government officials from the ministry of internal and public secretary during a courtesy call on her office in Lusaka

The Government has said Mwange Refugee Camp in Mporokoso and Kala in Kawambwa will this year be closed and warned that none of the refugees from the two camps will meet the immigration requirement for them to continue staying in Zambia.

As such, the Government has said Congolese refugees at the two camps should take advantage of the voluntary repatriation and return to their country to help rebuild that country’s economy.

Speaking in Mwange yesterday when she addressed refugees on the need to return to their country, Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Ndiyoyi Mutiti said once the status of refugees ceased, none would be able to meet the immigration laws of Zambia.

“Mwange and Kala will be closed by the end of the year and you have to take advantage of the voluntary repatriation and return to your country. The reasons why you left your country are known but now there is peace in Congo. We have been there before and we know what we are talking about. Once the refugees status has ceased, you will not be able to meet the immigration criteria,” Ms Mutiti said.

She warned that the Government would not be complacent but ensure that the immigration laws were equitably applied on the Congolese.

She explained that there was no way the refugees could continue to claim that Democratic Republic of Congo was no longer peaceful when all the stakeholders were aware that the war was over.

Ms Mutiti said the UNHCR and other stakeholders would ensure that the refugees were assisted to start new lives in the DRC and therefore saw no logic in them resisting to be repatriated.
[Times of Zambia]

NCC concludes reports adoption

editor
-
22
FDD vice president Chifumu Banda

THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) yesterday finished adopting all the committee reports.

NCC Chairperson Chifumu Banda, in his closing remarks, said the conclusion of the adoption process for the committee reports was a milestone in the Constitution-making process.

“As I indicated at the opening of this session of the NCC, the next activities which remain to be accompanied are the following (i) preparation of the intial report and Draft Constitution Bill from the decision that you have taken in adopting the reports of the committees,” he said.

He said after the preparation of the initial draft report and Draft Constitution, the two documents would be adopted and published to facilitate public debate and comments.

“Thereafter there will be facilitation of public debates and receipt of comments and memoranda on the intial report and Draft Constitution Bill and then preparation and adoption of the final report and Constitution Bill and their handover to the Hon. minister of Justice,” he said.

He said members of the public would take keen interest on how their views and comments would be taken by the conference in terms of incorporation into the final report and Draft Constitution.

Mr Banda said the public would also be interested on whether the entire constitution would be submitted to a national referendum.

“The general public will take keen interest on how the conference adopts the final report and Draft Constitution Bill, whether only those parts of the Constitution which require the holding of a national referendum before they are altered should be submitted to a national referendum while the rest of the articles should be submitted to Parliament for immediate enactment,” he said.

He said the General Purpose Committee would meet to finalise the preparation of the remaining activities.

He urged the members to take keen interest in the public discussions, which would be held.

“You should endeavour to explain to the members of the public whenever opportunities arise, the rationale for the decisions that the conference has taken,” he said.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD retains Milanzi seat as UPND/PF pact lead in Mufumbwe

Entertainment Editor
-
287


The Movement for Mult-party Democracy (MMD) has retained the Milanzi parliamentary by-election seat in Eastern province.
However, counting of votes in Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election in North Western province is still going on but the United Party for National Development is leading (UPND).

The MMD’s Watson Banda has scooped the seat after amassing 5,120 votes his closest rival from the Patriotic Front (PF) Albert Banda got 2,347 while United National Independence Party Musa Banda got 2,194.

The Official results in the Mufumbwe bye-elections are expected to be announced today by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) but so far UPND’s Eliot Kamondo has 4844 votes, MMD’s Mulondwe Muzungu has 4599 and UNIP’s Stephen Kamwengo has 165 more results are being expected from three polling stations.

Jubilant supporters of UPND/ PF pact spent the whole night celebrating their early lead from the results that were being counted.

Voting closes peacefully in Milanzi and Mufumbwe

editor
-
57

Voting closed on a peaceful note in both the Milanzi and Mufumbwe parliamentary by-elections.

Voting officially closed at 18:00hrs.

AVAP executive director Bonnie Tembo told QFM from Milanzi that the voting process in the area went on peacefully with no incidents of violence.

Mr Tembo has hailed the people of Milanzi for turning up in numbers to cast their votes.

He particularly paid tribute to women who made up the large number of voters who turned up to cast their votes in Milanzi.

And AVAP National administrative officer Dominic Mumba told QFM from Mufumbwe that voting closed without any incident of violence being reported, apart from the incident this morning were a police officer was attacked by suspected UPND cadre.

Mr Mumba has however bemoaned the voter apathy that has characterized the Mufumbwe by-election.

He attributes the voter apathy in Mufumbwe to the violence that characterized the campaign period.

Results for the elections are expected to start trickling later this evening.

QFM

Zambia has highest women death rate

editor
-
26

MEN in Iceland and women in Cyprus have the lowest risk of dying worldwide, and Australia is among only six countries that have cut death rates by more than 2 per cent in the past 40 years, researchers have found.

In a survey from 1970 to 2010, the researchers in Australia and the US found a widening gap between countries with the highest and lowest premature death rates in adults aged 15 to 60.

The findings are in contrast to the trends in child and maternal mortality, where rates are mostly dropping worldwide. Health officials have long thought if child deaths were decreasing and health systems were improving, adult deaths would similarly decline.

Their study was published today in the medical journal, Lancet.

“The new analysis challenges the common theories,” wrote Ai Koyanagi and Kenji Shibuya of the department of global health policy at the University of Tokyo, in an accompanying commentary.

They were not linked to the study. Mr Koyanagi and Mr Shibuya said it wasn’t clear why there were such major differences among countries in adult deaths.

The researchers calculated death rates in 187 countries using records from government registries, censuses, household surveys and other sources. The study was paid for by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Only a few countries have cut death rates by more than 2 per cent in the last 40 years: Australia, Italy, South Korea, Chile, Tunisia and Algeria. The US lagged significantly behind, dropping to 49th in the rankings for women and 45th for men. That puts it behind all of Western Europe as well as countries sush as Peru, Chile and Libya.

“The US is definitely on the wrong trajectory,” said Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington, one of the study’s authors. “(The US) spends the most on health out of all countries, but (it) is apparently spending on the wrong things.”

Mr Murray said they weren’t sure why some countries – like Australia and South Korea – were particularly successful in reducing death rates, but guessed better policies on things like tobacco control and road accidents might be responsible.

Death rates were highest for men in Swaziland and for women in Zambia. Researchers also found death rates jumped in eastern Europe, perhaps because health systems fell apart after the collapse of the Soviet Union and widespread smoking. In sub-Saharan Africa, deaths have fallen, possibly due to the rollout of lifesaving AIDS drugs.

Murray said adult deaths have largely been neglected by the UN, except for AIDS and tuberculosis programs.

“We need to recognise just how bad things are getting in some parts of the world,” he said.

[news.com.au]

Zambia’s April inflation falls to 9.2 %

editor
-
23
A husband and wife leaving matero Shoprite after a shopping spree

Zambia’s inflation slowed to 9.2 percent year-on-year in April from 10.2 percent the previous month as food prices fell, data showed on Thursday, and is seen easing further.

“The decline of one percentage point in the annual inflation rate is attributed to the decline in the cost of some food items,” the Central Statistical Office said in a statement.

Analysts said a good maize harvest could help cool inflation further.

“With the expected good maize harvest, inflation should further decline and Zambia should be able to achieve (sustained) single digit inflation by the end of 2010, if we can manage the harvest well,” Finance Bank country treasurer Miles Sampa said.

“The most serious threat to sustained single-digit inflation is the proposal by (state power utility) Zesco to increase electricity tariffs by 36 percent because that would immediately push up prices.”

The statistics office also said the trade account showed a surplus of 752.9 billion kwacha in March after a 391 billion kwacha surplus in February.

[Reuters]

Milanzi voters turn out in numbers,as HH’s movements are restricted in Mufumbwe

Entertainment Editor
-
78

http://www.lusakatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hh_hakainde
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema
Voting is underway in the Milanzi and Mufumbwe parliamentary by-elections as United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has been confined to the UPND command centre in Mufumbwe by police.

In Milanzi voters have turned out in large number to cast their votes in an atmosphere described by monitors as calm.

Anti Voter Apathy Project executive Director Bonnie Tembo said from Milanzi that the turn up of voters in the area has been encouraging, with queues of voters forming at some polling stations as early as 04:00hrs.

He cites Kagoro and Dole polling stations as some of the polling stations which has seen a large turnout of voters.

Mr. Tembo disclosed that more women have turned out to cast their votes in Milanzi as opposed to youths, pointing out that this could be because most young people do not have voter’s cards.

Meanwhile Mr Tembo has attributed the low turnout of voters in Mufumbwe to the insecurity in the area which has instilled fear in the voters to come out and cast their votes.

Mufumbwe has seen some of the worst political violence in the run up today’s parliamentary by-election involving MMD and UPND cadres.

Mr. Tembo whose monitors are on the ground in Mufumbwe said that the heavy police presence in Mufumbwe during voting is likely to scare away voters.

The UPND leader’s movements have been restricted by police for what they say is a way to avoid violence during the voting period.

UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said in Mufumbwe that the restriction on the movements of the UPND leader amounts to house arrest.

Police have since surrounded the area were Mr Hichilema is lodging.

The candidates contesting the Milanzi parliamentary seat are MMD’s Whiteson Banda, PF’s Albert Banda and UNIP’s Musa Banda.
Those contesting the Mufumbwe seat are MMD’s Mulondwe Muzungu, UPND’s Eliot Kamondo and UNIP’s Stephen Kamwengo.
[ QFM ]

RB urged to show leadership to opposition leaders.

Entertainment Editor
-
51

https://i0.wp.com/www.lusakatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/RB_and_Sakwiba.jpg?resize=314%2C257
President Rupiah banda with United Liberal Party leader Sakwiba Sikota
United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has advised president Rupiah Banda to show leadership to opposition political party leaders in the country.

Mr. Sikota said Mr Banda’s strong reactions to political party leaders criticizing him do not exhibit the respect associated with the republican presidency.

He said it is the duty of the Head of State to lead by example especially that he is referred to as the Father of the nation which he described as a challenge.

The ULP leader noted that President Banda’s position demands for tolerance on vast issues that have the potential to trigger frustrations.

Mr. Sikota said a head of State is a mirror of society and that his conduct must be of high character so as to show he is fit to lead others to perfect solutions during hard times.

He was reacting to a statement attributed to President Banda were he referred to UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema as a “son of a dog.”

He said such kind of language does not befit the caliber of Mr Banda’s status.

Mr. Sikota stressed that the nation is yearning for a leadership that is able to show a good example to young people, and called on all political party leaders to show respect for one another.
[QFM ]

PF sure of wrapping up Milanzi

editor
-
13

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
THE Patriotic Front (PF)-United Party for National Development (UPND) pact has said it is confident of scooping the Milanzi seat in today’s parliamentary by-election.

PF Eastern Province information and publicity secreatry, Mung’omba Ngoma said in an interview yesterday the pact would win the polls because people on the ground want change.

“We have done our homework and we have determined that people in this constituency are ready for change,” Mr Ngoma said.

He said If the pact candidate, Albert Banda was elected to Parliament, he would ensure that maize marketing in the area was improved.

He said village headmen would be involved in the distribution of farming inputs because they were on the ground and understood their people’s needs.

Mr Ngoma said the PF-UPND Pact would invite millers to buy maize from the farmers instead of waiting for the Food Reserve Agency and to avoid being duped by ‘briefcase’ buyers.

He also promised that feeder roads would be repaired to ease the transportation of farm produce.

1...4,9684,9694,970...5,616Page 4,969 of 5,616

Company

Trending

Categories

© Lusaka Times