Dr. Kalombo Mwansa has disclosed that his ministry has partnered with the World Bank and the European Union in redesigning and  modernising the existing mining rights in the licensing system in Zambia.

He said the new mining system CADASPRE will position Zambia in line with
international best practices and that streamlining the administration of mining
rights will make the sector more efficient

The Minister said the mining sector in the country plays a dominant role in the
economy hence the economic and mining policies promoting private sector initiative
and investment in the development of  the mining industry.

Dr Mwansa said since ZCCM privatisation in 2000 more than US$2 billion has been
invested in the mining sector and underscored that Government will continue creating
and maintaining a conducive environment for private sector participation.

He further disclosed that efforts are underway to update the mining policy and
existing mining laws and regulations to suit the changing mining environment.

The Minister said the reforms will enhance the  already favourable investment
climate in the mining sector.

Dr Kalombo said Government intends to keep the mining sector risk free and Zambia a
highly attractive investment destination.

He said the stable and predictable fiscal resume prevailing in the country and the
legislative provision will continue to provide an assurance to both local and
foreign investors.

“The exploration activities which are in progress in Zambia have resulted in a
number of discovering which are likely to lead to the development of new mines”, Dr
Mwansa said..

The annual Africa Mining Congress 2007 has drawn international companies and
investors from around the World to Livingstone for a second year
running with a total of 24 mining companies represented at this year’s conference.
Participation has increased by 70 percent this year as compared to last year.

I had to meet Prof A at the reception of the hospital at 7.15hrs. He was to introduce me to the people in the surgical department. As I stood there nervous wondering what the day would be like. I looked around this newly built hospital. It was pretty impressive. A far cry from my beloved UTH in Lusaka. Its corridors were sparkling clean. It didn’t even smell like a hospital!

“Dr. K.N,”I heard his frail voice say.

“Oh! good morning Prof A,”I responded.

“Shall we proceed to the surgical meeting,” he said hurriedly. We walked through immaculate wards, took an elevator to the 4th floor. Very impressive I thought. I was always terrified of those old un-serviced elevators at UTH. I was always close to having a panic attack when I was in Dr. Kasebas unit and had to use an elevator to get to ward C. Prof A lead me to a conference room full of surgeons. I felt their eyes on me as I slipped into a chair in the front. The only free chair had to be in front!

There was an intern presenting the patients she had admitted the previous night. She was describing how she performed an appendicectomy. I felt intimidated. All I had done on my own as an intern were I&Ds and MUAs! Most operations I just assisted or observed!
I remembered the story Dr.S.Banda had told us in 3rd year, about how he went to the U.K and people thought he was brain dead but soon got to know he was deadly brain! When the consultants started “wiring”, I realized I knew the answers after all.

I was later put in a unit. The people were unfriendly and conducted the ward round in their local language. They took no notice of me. I told myself I wasn’t going to put up with that and sneaked out of the round. I went to the trauma unit headed by a Ugandan neuro-surgeon. His medical officer was Ghananian. They were glad to have me and I stayed in that unit for the rest of my rotation in surgery!

The surgical department was far from organized. You would get doctors on call running clinics simultaneously and forgetting the emergency cases in the casualty wards .I appreciated the way the surgical department was organized when I was at UTH.

There was one case where a young man had been brought to the casualty after being assaulted. He was not fully examined and only left on ringers lactate for about 8hrs.
Whilst seeing another patient we accidentally saw this patient whose Glasgow coma scale was falling. Apparently the patient had been shot in the back and the admitting doctor had missed it! It was then I really appreciated Prof Krikor, who taught us to always examine a patient fully! I thought no U.T.H trained doctor would have made such a blunder! From then on I walked with my head high as I acquired a new confidence.

Though I was trained in a dilapidated hospital which had no drugs and high tech equipment, the way I treat my patients is far superior than those trained in this world class hospital!

Government has stepped up measures to rid streets of Lusaka and other big towns of street kids and has subsequently called on the members of the public to stop giving handouts to children in the streets. Community Development and Social Services Minister Catherine Namugala said Government’s strategy is based on principles of prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of all street children.

Ms Namugala said giving money, food and clothes to street children only encouraged them to remain in the streets where boys engaged in crime and girls in prostitution. The Minister said assistance to street children would only make sense if given to an established childcare facility rather than to them while still on the streets.

She called on all Zambians to develop a culture of assisting institutions that cared for children as a way of partnering with Government in solving the problem of street kids.

Ms Namugala was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when she officially launched the Street Children Reintegration Programme and handed over two vehicles to the Social Welfare Departments for Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces.

She said the Welfare Departments should use the vehicles for the intended purposes of transport and inspecting orphanages and other childcare centres adding that they would have no excuse for not doing so.

Ms Namugala commended all childcare centres for supplementing Government’s efforts in solving the problem of the rising number of street children in the streets, which is posing a great threat to the future of the country.

She, however, urged all people running child care centres not to make business out of the children they cared for adding that their responsibility should be to give them love, care and protection which they could not find in the streets.

Meanwhile, Ms Namugala observed that Members of Parliament (MPs) have a task of sensitising families in their constituencies about the danger of keeping children in the streets.

The Minister noted that through their local Councils, MPs should encourage the extended family system that offers security to orphans and other vulnerable children.

Ms Namugala observed that the cooperation with all stakeholders would greatly enhance Government’s efforts of removing children from the streets and giving them a decent life and education for a better Zambia.

Government has unveiled a K12 trillion for the year 2007 of which, 72 percent is to be financed domestically while the remaining 28 percent will be from external financing.

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has implored government to come up with a national budget that is growth oriented and pro-poor to reduce poverty the majority Zambians are going through.

A Lusaka based clergyman has called on the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Taskforce on Corruption to launch investigations into the K 3 trillion reported to have been stolen by some civil servants.

Bailiffs  from the Lusaka High Court today seized office equipment and motor vehicles from two catholic learning institutions and national housing authority in Kafue for failing to settle outstanding ground rates owed to Kafue district Council.

By Tovin Ngombe

The irrigation Schemes earmarked to be belt in Sinazongwe district have been a disappointment, have taken too long, and people are fed up bemoans Chief Sinazongwe.

Zambia today commissioned the first ever-electronic weighbridge constructed at the cost of K3.4 billion, in Kapiri Mposhi, Central Province.

By Tovin Ngombe

Maamba Collieries Retrenches Steering Committee (MCL-RSC) has appealed to government to promptly pay their money to save them from destitution.
The MCL-RSC Secretary Maunda Misebezi bemoaned that it was ‘pathetic’ and hectic that government has taken so long to pay them their retrenchment packages since 1998.

Mr. Misebezi explained that when they were retrenched from Maamba Collieries there was an agreement that government would pay them their money adding that immediately they were flown to them they became destitute.

“Government should show some human face. I agree we are poor and but I can not accept that they have failed to raise funds that is deliberate,” Mr. Misebezi said.

Maamba Collieries retrenched 332 workers in 1998 and 1999 among them 127 have died and four were suicide cases said Mr. Misebezi.

“Government should be realistic after all it is our father and why should it abandon us like this we have gone through rough time, through hell and God should just burn us first,” the Secretary said.
The Secretary noted that although he was retrenched the Maamba mine was in shambles as every department has been paralysed.

Mr. Misebezi has urged his colleagues to be calm as they would meet Finance Minister
Ngandu Magande on Monday to discuss the matter.

He said government has only paid them 16 billion Kwacha since they were retrenched.
Mr Misebezi noted that the money looks to be enough on paper but the mode of payment has been bad owing to high number people to be paid.

Maamba Mine Manager Coin Siakachoma has also made a passionate appeal to government to look into the issue of retrenches and retirees.