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Vice President George Kunda says the flood situation in Lusaka is complex and requires concerted efforts from all well meaning Zambians.
Mr. Kunda has since appealed to all Zambians across the country to help find ways to mitigate the impact of the disaster on the affected people.
He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today shortly after conducting an Ariel view of the flood situation in the city, that the flood situation in Lusaka was not a new phenomenon and that it has been there since time immemorial.
The Vice President advised opposition political party leaders to desist from engaging in cheap politicking and finger pointing over the situation but to work with government and other key stakeholders in addressing the problem.
He said government alone cannot manage to address all the challenges facing the nation hence the need for political party leaders, Members of Parliament, the relevant government institutions among other stakeholders to partner with government to address the challenge posed by friends in the country.
Since the onset of the rains floods are said to have claimed 6 lives in Lusaka while some schools and houses are submerged in water.
Three of the deaths were recorded in Ng’ombe compound while the other three occurred in Mandevu compound.
Government, though the Lusaka District Disaster Management Team has since mobilized equipment to pump out the water in affected areas.
The Media Liaison Committee (MLC ) has announced May 3 this year as the date for the launch of the self-regulatory Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC).
Committee Chairperson Henry Kabwe disclosed that ZAMEC was a product of best practices adopted from three countries and other commonwealth jurisdictions which were visited last year by the MLC.
The information from the countries visited by MLC has helped the committee to develop a viable self regulatory mechanism.
Mr. Kabwe was speaking at a Media Liaison Committee press briefing in Lusaka today at which he also announced the composition of the ZAMEC .
He said ZAMEC would comprise an eleven member governing council which would provide guidance to the executive in the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Mr. Kabwe said that it would be a member driven organization based on the collective will of all members as guided by the constitution and code of conduct.
He said the council shall have a balance of six media representatives and five members of the public to achieve the desired public confidence in the self regulatory mechanism.
Mr Kabwe has since appealed to all media institutions to publicize the process of media self regulation as widely as possible in order to create the desired awareness it needed.
He said the committee will this week send executive briefings to all media owners and editors to ensure they are on board at every stage.
Government says traditional leaders play an important role in fostering peace,which is a prerequisite of national development.
Lusaka Province Minister, Charles Shawa said it was for this reason that government considers traditional leaders as partners in the monitoring and implementation of developmental programmes in their areas.
Mr. Shawa was speaking when he and Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu paid a courtesy call on Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II of Chongwe district today.
He informed Senior Chieftainess Mukamambo II that government has released K5 billion towards the re-gravelling of feeder roads in Lusaka province.
Mr. Shawa added that government has released another K2 billion for phase two of the construction of Chongwe District Hospital.
And Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu reiterated government’s commitment to respecting traditional leaders who are custodians of customs and traditions in the country.
Mr Kaingu said government is working out modalities of promoting culture tourism and establishing cultural villages.
And Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II reaffirmed her commitment to working closely with the government of the day in a bid to accelerate development in the district.
The Two Ministers were accompanied by Lusaka province Permanent Secretary, Stephen Bwalya, Chongwe D.C, Japhen Mwakalombe and other senior government officials to inspect government’s Poverty Reduction Programmes (PRPs) in the district.
The Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) says it has the capacity to offer temporal accommodation and food to people who have lost their houses due to heavy rainfall experienced in some parts of the country.
ZRCS Public Relations Manager James Zulu told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the society is ready to assist the displaced people with tents, food and cooking utensils as they resettle.
Mr. Zulu said the society has put materials in place in readiness to respond to emergencies that may require its intervention.
He said ZRCS only acts when they receive reports from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
Mr. Zulu noted that currently the society has not received any report on people alleged to have been left homeless due to torrential rains.
He said the only report they have received is from Lusaka district where some compounds have been flooded saying the Red Cross society will only intervene in the area of health.
He disclosed that the society is also considering giving tents to people who have affected by the rains in Lusaka district to supplement the efforts of the Lusaka District Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (LDDMMU).
He said ZRCS will soon embark on a door to door sensitization programme to educate people in Lusaka on how to prevent themselves against cholera during this rainy season.
Mr. Zulu stressed that the programme will include distribution of chlorine.
United party for national development has castigated Vice President George Kunda for deciding to go and campaign in central province despite the devastating floods being experienced in Lusaka.
Speaking on QFM’s Monday Night Live program, Hakainde Hichilema said that Lusaka has been experiencing a heavy rain which has caused some havoc on some of Lusaka residents.
Mr. Hichilema expressed shock at the vice presidents journey to the central province at the expense of suffering flood victims.
He said that incidences of death as a result of heavy rains in Mandevu constituency would not have taken place if government took responsibility.
He said that it was the flood situation was supposed to be re-declared as an emergency as a lot of people are suffering.
Mr. Hichilema said that the vice president was supposed to take immediate action on the matter as the disaster management and mitigation unit is under his office.
And speaking on the same program Mr. Hichilema said his party knew from the beginning that the National Constitutional Conference was flawed from the beginning and would not deliver a people driven constitution called for the NCC to be brought to an end.
He said his party made a conscious decision not to allow the MMD to have their way all the way through and that this was why the UPND is taking part in the NCC. He said the MMD would have had an easy way had his party not been part of the National Constitutional Conference.
Mr Hichilema adds that government has failed to provide leadership on the National Constitutional Conference by failing to come up with a definitive date when the NCC will conclude its work.
He further stated that the constitution making process has cost the country too much money while its conclusion remains a mystery.
Meanwhile Mr Hichilema said no decent Member of Parliament would want to defect to the MMD when it is clear that the ruling party will be confined to the opposition after next year’s elections. Reacting to claims by vice president George Kunda that some UPND and PF members of parliament will be defecting to the MMD, Mr Hichilema says every Zambian sensible Zambian with a basic brain understand that the ruling party is exiting in 2011.
School leavers queuing up for police recruitment in Lusaka
By Wesley Ngwenya
Introduction
What qualities and qualifications do you look for as an employer when hiring? What are the most important attributes you consider? Whether it is education or experience the employer has to look deeper into the candidate to ensure they will fit into the overall goals of the organization.
There are three important characteristics that an employer needs to take into consideration in their search for a candidate. They are characteristic are what I call the three Es. They are education, experience and ethics.
Education
Education is a very important quality. Both formal and informal education should be taken into consideration. There are certainly occupations that require that a candidate have formal education to help them understand and interpret information. This is certainly important in many vocations such as accounting and medicine. However, there are also many vocations that require a candidate to have education whether formal or informal. A skilled computer programmer does not necessarily need to be formally educated. Nowadays many young people teach themselves how to operate, program and repair computers at an early age. Such skills can be taken advantage of by an employer.
Solely looking at formal education alone is a big mistake on the part of employers. A lot skilled candidates are left out because other qualities are not taken into consideration. In Zambia especially, employers are hang on diplomas and degrees. They have the diploma disease. What if you are able to find a candidate who can perform better and is exceptionally good but does not have the degrees and diplomas? Do you leave them out on the basis of education? Or do you bring them on board and disregard the lack of diplomas and hire them?
Experience
Experience is perhaps the most important quality an employer should take into consideration. I have helped various people in designing their resumes. Many candidates especially those without formal work experience often neglect the other forms of experiences they have acquired in life. Many young people have various life experiences in leadership and business. One can note in their resume that they managed the family’s expenses or they led and taught a group of youths at church. A candidate who recognizes and appreciates these experiences is likely sharp and thinks outside the box. Employers need to consider the candidate’s life experiences. If these are not highlighted in the resume then they should be asked during the actual interview. A candidate who has been able to deal with many complex life situations outside the workplace will very likely be successful at their job. They will be able to deal with various complex work situations independently.
In considering the candidate’s experience, obviously, the employer need to ask the question, “how will the company benefit from the candidate’s experience?” The company needs to clearly relate to how the experience will fit in the candidate’s job description and key result areas. In the same way, the candidate’s challenge is to show that their experience will be highly beneficial to the employer. They need to come up strong and make the potential employer that they cannot do without them.
Ethics
This is perhaps the most overlooked characteristics by employers. It is very important to know the candidate’s ethics so that you can determine how that candidate can fit in the culture of the organization. Employers should look for candidates with unwavering work ethics. Similarly, the candidates need to define their work ethics. They need to determine how their work ethics will benefit the organization to which they are seeking employment.
Ethics are vital in the sense that employers can set some standards on what qualities to expect in a prospective employee. Ethics are important because they filter candidates who are just looking for employment and those who are looking for a career and understand the culture and goals of the organization.
Conclusion
Finally, when looking for a candidate the three Es are important characteristics to consider. They help the organization to get the best of the best. It also helps the prospective employee to distinguish themselves from others. It is the challenge of the prospective employee to show their excellence in education, experience and ethics.
Construction works on Kayombo High School and Mushivi basic schools in Chief Chiyengele’s and Chief Kalunga’s chiefdoms in Kabompo District, at an estimated cost of K40 billion, has started.
Kabompo District Board Secretary, Felix Ngoma confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Kabompo today.
Mr Ngoma said he was happy with the works being done in the construction of the high school at Kayombo and the basic school at Mushivi in Kabompo west constituency. He said people in the two communities were happy that the government has released K33 billion for construction of Kayombo high school and K7 billion for Mushivi basic school.
Mr Ngoma further expressed happiness at the manner in which the communities were contributing sand and stones towards the construction of the two schools and the support they are giving to government.
He appealed to people in the district to emulate the two communities’ efforts to improve on literate levels in remote rural areas.
ZANIS
A ROMAN Catholic Church priest in Kitwe on Sunday advised former Radio Icengelo station manager Frank Bwalya to stop using the Church for his political messages but was jeered by supporters of the outspoken priest.
St Francis Wusakile Parish priest Justin Chimba said clergymen were not supposed to be actively involved in politics because they were destroying their calling of preaching salvation.
During Sunday mass. Father Chimba advised Father Bwalya to reconsider his position after he informed the Church members that he would hold a public meeting later that day at the church hall.
Fr Chimba was jeered by some supporters of the outspoken clergyman as he advised his colleague.
He called on fellow clergymen to desist from involvement in active politics because they risked losing respect from the public.
There was confusion as the congregants taunted Fr Chimba and it took some time for the jeering to stop.
Some parishioners said it was sad that such commotion took place in Church during mass.
Despite the jeering, Fr Chimba stood firm and said Christians who were encouraging clergymen to indulge in active politics were misleading them.
“As clergymen, we could be made into good leaders or bad leaders depending on what we get from our fellow Christians, so it is imperative that we are careful and remain focused. Christians who are encouraging clergymen to indulge in politics are not helping them in any way, they are merely misleading them,” he said.
When asked to react to the advice by Fr Chimba, Fr Bwalya said he had nothing to say.
“No comment, but I hope you will not highlight the negative things said about me and leave the positive response I received from some people,” he said.
Some members of the congregation expressed mixed feelings over what had happened during the service as well as the involvement of clergymen in active politics.
Faith Moyo said she did not support the humiliation Fr Chimba suffered at the hands of some congregants.
She also said the active participation of some clergymen in politics was only serving to tarnish their image.
Ms Moyo said it was sad that such an incident took place in the Catholic Church, where discipline was always upheld.
“To start with, I didn’t see any reason why some people decided to boo our priest for advising Fr Bwalya to desist from indulging in politics because that was wise advice.
“I am among those Catholics who do not support clergymen involving themselves in politics because once a clergyman engages in politics, he will lose respect from the people,” she said.
But other members said clergymen had the right to discuss and take part in national affairs, but they should have respect for people in power.
“Even though clergymen sometimes can talk about politics, they should be able to respect those in authority, instead of just saying anything which comes to their mind.
“It is because of the bad language that comes from some clergymen that makes people lose confidence in them,” he said.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has lost direction, the office of the second Republican president Frederick Chiluba has said.
Featuring on Joy FM’s Platform programme, Dr Chiluba’s spokesperson Emmnuel Mwamba said the former president had in 2006 supported Mr Sata because he had raised attractive issues.
Mr Mwamba, however, said Dr Chiluba had chosen to support President Rupiah Banda because of his good leadership as opposed to Mr Sata who had been inconsistent in the recent past.
“A lot has happened between 2006 and now, and Dr Chiluba’s choice should be respected because dynamics in politics have changed,” he said.
He said Mr Sata had been inconsistent on several issues such as the windfall taxes and the Constitution review process which he had initially supported but later changed positions.
In 2009, Dr Chiluba did not see stability in Mr Sata’s leadership, hence his support for Mr Banda.
Mr Sata was also not telling the truth by claiming that he had been given a dossier on Dr Chiluba by late president Levy Mwanawasa.
Mr Mwamba said Mr Sata should never think that he had done any favour for Dr Chiluba because the former head of State did a lot to help the PF as he had encouraged people to join it.
He refuted allegations that the former president was actively involved in politics, saying he had no intentions of holding any elective or party office.
According to Zambia’s laws, former presidents could issue any statements because they had not lost their fundamental right of expression, he added.
Dr Chiluba’s support of President Banda should be respected, just like when he supported Mr Sata in 2006, Mr Mwamba said.
He said Dr Chiluba remained a man of great influence like Dr Kaunda and some people still appreciated what the two former leaders did for them.
Vice President George Kunda says government will protect farmers’ interests in the country because this is the only way of guaranteeing food security in the country.
Mr. Kunda says farmers are playing a very important role in the economic development of the country hence the need to protect them
He says once farmers’ interests are protected, food production will be strengthened in Zambia.
He was speaking when he addressed commercial farmers in Chisamba yesterday.
And Zambia National Farmers Union Vice President David Golden, who is also a farmer in Chisamba, said the fluctuation of the exchange rate of the Kwacha to the United States dollar has affected farmers’ profits.
Mr. Golden also asked government to control the imports of wheat products into the country.
Ministry of health permanent secretary Velepi Mtonga
The Ministry of Health is in the process of establishing an ultrasound training centre at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Velepi Mtonga disclosed the development when she officially opened a three day ultrasound training workshop at UTH in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr. Mtonga noted that the establishment of an ultrasound training centre at UTH will help reduce the number of pregnancy related deaths among women in the country. Dr. Mtonga observed that the country has continued to lose lives due to lack of effective ultrasound services especially in rural hospitals.
She also observed that the skills which will be acquired from the centre by medical experts in various fields of the medical profession will help the health sector to make steady progress towards the attainment of the vision 2015 of providing equity of access to affordable, cost effective and quality imaging services close to the people in the country.
The Permanent Secretary said government alone is not in the position to adequately address all health problems hence the need for collaboration with various stakeholders to help speed up the implementation process in the health sector.
She said the partnership between government and other key stakeholders in the medical profession is vital in addressing some of the health problems that the country is faced with.
Meanwhile Dr. Mtonga has disclosed that government through the Ministry of Health has continued to play an instrumental role in devising, implementing and promoting the medical image of the country.
She noted that resulting from government’s commitment to providing quality health services to the people, about 71 hospitals country wide have been equipped with new ultrasound and X-Ray machines to help detect diseases in patients.
Speaking at the same workshop Radiological Society of Zambia President Beatrice Mwape commended government for equipping hospitals with X-Ray and ultrasound machines as well as human resource development.
She said this will help in the provision of quality health care to patients across the country.
However, Ms Mwape has bemoaned the lack of an ultrasound school to provide the necessary training to caregivers across the country and has since appealed to government and its cooperating partners to consider building an ultra-sound school.
The workshop which runs from the 8-10 February is being attended by various medical practitioners from across the country as well as researchers and professors from Germany, Tunisia and Uganda.
A hippo has killed a six year old girl of Kalabo district in western province and injured her grandmother after hitting a canoe in which they were.
Western Province Police Commanding Officer Vael Muzwenga identified the deceased as Nyambe Situmbeko and the grandmother as Mushiba Simasiku aged 45 years, both of Nalikoko village in Chief Sinawambuyu’s area.
Mr. Muzwenga told ZANIS that the incident happened along Lwambimba river as Mushiba, her husband and their granddaughter were in a canoe from a health centre to the village.
He said the family was attacked by the hippo near Machaulala village where it hit their canoe.
Mr. Muzwenga said the hippo killed the girl while Mushiba survived with injuries.
She is admitted to Kalabo district hospital where she is receiving treatment while the body of deceased has not yet been retrieved from the river.
A two year old boy of Dambwa North in Livingstone on Friday drowned after falling into a 20 litre container of water.
Southern Province Police Commanding Officer, Lemmy Kajoba confirmed the drowning of the boy to ZANIS in Livingstone yesterday.
Mr. Kajoba said the boy, Shula Mulenga, was sent to fetch water from an open container which was in the house.
He said it is suspected that the boy climbed on an object to fetch the water from the container and fell into the container, with head first.
He said the incident occurred at around 16:30 hours on Friday.
Mr. Kajoba said since there was no other person in the house, the boy drowned and died in the container.
He said people at home discovered what had happened when it was too late to save the child.
Mr. Kajoba said the matter was however under investigations to determine whether there was an element of negligence in the circumstances that led to the death of the child.
Meanwhile, investigations by ZANIS revealed that Mulenga was buried yesterday (Sunday, February 7).
Livingstone Deputy Mayor Aggrey Njekwa and former Town Clerk George Kalenga were among the mourners that attended the burial of the boy yesterday.
Hakaindeh in 2008Vice President George Kunda has accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Hakainde Hichilema of gagging the party’s original philosophy of inclusiveness and non-tribalism stance.
Mr. Kunda said Mr. Hichilema’s going into a political pact with the Patriotic Front (PF) was against the ideals on which late UPND president Anderson Mazoka formed the party.
“When the late Mazoka formed the UPND, it was represented by all tribes, it had a national agenda but HH is selling the party for silver,” he said.
He said PF president, Michael Sata, with whom Mr. Hichilema has entered into a pact, was supporting tribalism as evidenced in the last Kasama parliamentary by-election campaigns where he (Sata) allegedly declared that his candidate should be supported and voted for because he comes from Kasama.
“Hakainde Hichilema is not a tribalist, but why has he gone into a pact with a self-confessed tribalist?” he asked.
Mr. Kunda was speaking when he addressed a public rally in Chisamba today.
He appealed to UPND Members of Parliament (MPs) not to allow their party to lose the ideology it had at its formation.
“Tribalism is illegal in this country. So I am appealing to MPs in the UPND to kick HH out if he is misleading the party” he said.
The Vice President disclosed that many members and sympathizers of the UPND have noted the differences in the UPND-PF pact and were therefore leaving it to join the MMD.
“Thousands of Zambians have seen the evil in the UPND-PF pact and so they are moving out. By 2011, the pact will be a shell,” he told the rally.
Mr. Kunda has unlike the pact, President Rupiah Banda was promoting love and non-tribalism.
He said the party had a bright future and hence should be supported by all Zambians.
He said government, under the MMD has performed very well in the education, health and agriculture sectors by building more schools, health centres and creating a fertilizer support programme for farmers.
Mr. Kunda said government was currently rehabilitation silos around the country to ensure that the grain produced by farmers was properly stored before it was sold or consumed.
“As a government, we are planning ahead to address the problems we have in Zambia. We are developing the sixth national development plan which will be implemented over a period of five year,” he said.
And speaking at the same rally, Chisamba Member of Parliament, Moses Muteteka appealed to government to consider degazeting some forestry land in his constituency if order to subdivide it for resettlement by the local people.
Mr. Muteteka said many more people in Chisamba were engaging into farming hence the need to allocate more land for agricultural activities.
Earlier, Mr. Kunda addressed commercial farmers in Chisamba where he declared that government will protect farmers’ interests in the country in order to guarantee food security in the country.
Mr. Kunda said farmers were playing a very important role in the economic development of the country hence the need to protect their interests.
He said government will address farmers’ interests in terms of promoting irrigation and providing small scale farmers with agriculture inputs such as fertilisers and seeds.
And Zambia National Farmers Union Vice President David Golden, who is also a farmer in Chisamba, said government’s agricultural policies have enabled the sector to grow massively in the last ten years.
Mr. Golden said Zambia was now self-sufficient in wheat, maize and Soya production.
He however asked government to ban wheat importation into the country because there was enough local wheat produced by Zambian farmers.
He however complained that fluctuations of the exchange rate of the Kwacha to the United States dollar have affected farmers’ profits.
Mr. Kunda was on a three day tour of Central province to interact with chiefs, local people to appreciate challenges they were facing and inspect development projects.
Zanaco head to Kampala on Tuesday with six new faces in the 18-man team ahead this Fridays Caf Champions League preliminary round first leg match against hosts Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
Zanaco and URA clash on February 12 at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala at 15:00 Zambian time.
Wedson Nyirenda’s side fly-out to Uganda at 11:00 on Tuesday
The six new faces in Zanaco’s team to face URA include striker Mathew Macha who joined from promoted Nchanga Rangers this year.
Striker Vanecious Mapande who arrived from demoted Chambishi is also in the final 18 that also includes left-back Maybin Chishimba from Konkola Blades plus his former club-mate in at the Chililabombwe side midfielder Trinity Chalanshi.
Forward Judge Mkandawire signed from Red Arrows and midfielder Sydney Kaluwe who joined this season from Lusaka Dynamos complete the newcomers in the travelling party.
Meanwhile, veteran defender Kennedy Nkethani returns to the fold after a lengthy injury spell that saw him miss all of last season due to injury.
Zanaco will host URA in the return leg on February 27 at sunset Stadium in Lusaka.
Winner over both legs will advance to the first round where they will take on ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire who they host during the weekend on March 19-21.
