Livestock and Fisheries minister Proffessor Nkandu Luo says government will enhance animal clinics in all parts of the country to improve wealth creation through the livestock sector.

And Proffessor Luo has launched the Livestock National Electronic Data Collection System to improve data collection and ensure strict accountability of empowerment programs.

Prof. Luo observed that good animal health was key in realizing the full economic benefits that the diversified livestock farming presented.

She indicated that improved animal health coupled with a good data collection will improve the livestock sector in the country.

She was speaking yesterday when she distributed improved localized village chicken to livestock farmers under the Enhanced Stakeholder Livestock Investment Programme.

“ We are here not only to distribute livestock to you farmers, but most importantly we are here to empower you with knowledge on how to care and identify diseases in your animals for you to grow disease free livestock and ensure sustainability of these programs “ she said

The livestock minister also launched the livestock and Fisheries National Electronic Data Collection System for data collection all empowerment programs in the ministry.

“ We want to ensure that data is collected for all these projects that my ministry is rolling out, and to ensure accountability and sustainability it so important to have a computerized system that will ensure that all information is captured, “ she added.

Prof. Luo said a good data collection system will also ensure continuity and sustainability of empowerment programs.

She further said the electronic data base will also help in enhancing quick response to animal emergencies in terms of disease detection .

“ We want to see to see accountability of these empowerment programmed which are pass on projects. Also a computerized data system will ensure proper scrutiny of beneficiaries to detect fraud and avoid the same people from benefitting from all programs” she noted.

For the economy to grow there is need to grow the livestock sector, which minister said government was working on.

Prof. Luo also since handed over one computer to the Copperbelt Province livestock office and another Computers and three cell phones to the district office to be used in data collection.

Mobile phones will be used in data collection for the registration of beneficiaries to allow government to quick respond to animal emergencies.

She implored livestock extension officers to keep records of all activities relating to empowerment programs.

Officers from the department also shared information on livestock management , disease detection in chickens and other livestock , emergency response and also treatment for the diseases.

Government has also supplied all veterinary offices across the country with new castle vaccines that will be purchased at K40 , to be used for the livestock being distributed across the country

National Union for Miners and Allied Workers ( NMAWU ) has appealed to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH), new owners of Mopani Copper Mine, to ensure that it takes a good care of the mine employees when operations of the company resumes.

ZANIS reports that NMAWU president James Chansa in an interview in Ndola today said that ZCCM-IH as the new mine owners need to realize that workers are key in operations of the mine hence the need for them to look into the plight of the employees.

“The mining sector can only improve if the workers are taken care of by giving them incentives such as increased salaries and allowances,” he said.

Mr. Chansa also echoed on the need for MCM to quickly give miners their terminal benefits.

He added that miners are eager to get their benefits as MCM resumes its operations as soon as ZCCM-IH finds partners to work with.

He observed that although MCM is fully owned by Zambia, miners need to be paid their dues urgently.

Mr. Chansa has since called on all mining companies in the country to start doing more corporate social responsibilities (CSR ) following the rise in Copper prices on the international market.

Communities where mines operate from can only benefit from the country`s minerals if companies give back to the community through working on some developmental projects such roads, he said.

Government, recently completed the 100% acquisition of Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) following its negotiations with Glencore Corporation.

In April 2020, Glencore Corporation had announced its intention to place the mine under care and maintenance sighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and low copper prices.

However, this was rebutted by Government because it would have resulted in the loss of employment for 15,000 employees.

The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) has congratulated the DLN Entrepreneurship Institute for hosting a successful Revolutionary Entrepreneurship Walk from Congo to Zambia, aimed at encouraging people to venture into various businesses.

In a statement issued by ZACCI Vice President Sylvia Bwalya highlighted that the entrepreneurship walk which was led by Dumisani Ncube, the Chief Executive Officer of DLN Entrepreneurship Institute showed bravery and how an entrepreneur should be radical and able to be brave by taking risk with their dreams.

“It’s one thing to have a dream, but it’s another to take action and turn those dreams into a reality,” she said.

Ms Bwalya added that watching Mr Ncube and his team achieve this goal filled her heart and that of the entire entrepreneurship community’s heart with enthusiasm to dare to be radical and achieve goals of this kind.

“We would like to further this discussion and see to it that we action something out of this,” she said.

The Revolutionary Entrepreneurship Walk from Congo to Zambia was embarked on with five main goals which includes creating awareness that a time has come to embrace entrepreneurship; mind-set change to enable people to stop being dependent on just seeking employment; open people’s eyes to opportunities that are there; a school syllabus that will enhance and encourage entrepreneurship and creating an enabling environment that supports entrepreneurship.

Government says it is impressed with rehabilitation works on Chalimbana local government training college in Chongwe district which has reached an advanced stage.

Local Government Minister Dr. Charles Banda says the Institute which has been transformed into a modern state of the art learning facility will help staff from various local authorities to enhance skills in various fields which will enable them to carry out their duties effectively.

He said government decided to partner with the German governments to work on the infrastructure at the learning facility which was old because it has a rich historical background and has contributed towards improved delivery of services by staff from different councils.

Dr Banda said when he inspected progress of works at the institute in the company of Chongwe member of Parliament Japhen Mwakalombe in Chongwe.

He disclosed that the first phase of the project which was funded by GIZ and KVW at a cost of £8000 000 million is almost complete.

” The first phase costed £ 8000 000 million. We are yet to implement the second phase of the project at a cost of £2000 000 million which will focus on rehabilitating old staff houses, landscaping and roads within the premises of the institute,” Dr. Banda said.

Dr. Banda further called on students at the institution to take care of the new infrastructure for future generations to benefit from the training institute.

Meanwhile, Chongwe member of Parliament Japhen Mwakalombe commended the ministry of local government and the German government for joint efforts made to improve service delivery in councils by upgrading the learning institution.

Mr. Mwakalombe also expressed happiness with the creation of formal and informal employment resulting from the rehabilitation of the institute.

Police in Isoka district in Muchinga Province have arrested two people in connection with the vandalism of Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) installations in the area.

Muchinga Province Commissioner of Police, Lizzy Machina, has confirmed the development to ZANIS today and identified the suspects as Ernest Mubanga and Moses Simwinga both aged 35 years and of Katonga village in chief Kafwimbi’s area.

Ms. Machina explained that the duo were arrested after a tip off from the community that there were people tampering with ZESCO cables.

She disclosed that 60 metres of service cables valued at K3, 262 were stolen from three separate houses in Katonga village.

Ms. Machina stated after visiting the scene of crime, police recovered 37 meters of copper cables whose insulation was removed and a wooden ladder.

She said a docket has since been opened adding that the suspects will be charged accordingly.

Meanwhile, Ms. Machina has since thanked Isoka residents for a tip-off saying everyone should be on guard to protect public property.

In the recent months, ZESCO has suffered constant thefts of its copper cables from its installations.

-Government has released 20Million Kwacha to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to pay Chiefs and their Retainers.

Minister of Chiefs and Traditional affairs, Lawrence Sichalwe, says the subsidies and wages were for four unfunded months in the period between 2016 and 2019.

ZANIS reports that Mr Sichalwe disclosed this during a media briefing in Lusaka today, adding that the funds were released to the Ministry after approval of the supplementary budget by parliament in the current session.

“In this regard, my ministry has engaged the respective royal establishments through the relevant provincial administration to ensure necessary documents are submitted to facilitate payments’’, said Mr Sichalwe.

Mr Sichalwe explained that the Ministry has paid outstanding claims amounting to over 1.4 Million kwacha to Chief’s Retainers for various cases.

“These are travel benefits, leave, long service bonus and terminal leave benefits to Retainers who have been retired, dismissed or terminated from their employment in all the ten provinces of the country, Mr Sichalwe stated.

Mr Sichalwe who is also Chawama Law Maker, has however, appealed to traditional leaders to be non-partisan ahead of the August 12, 2021, general elections.

“Chiefs are responsible for promoting unity among subjects as opposed to being biased towards political party interests,” Mr Sichalwe advised.

He stressed that if traditional leaders take a partisan stance, they may threaten the peace among their subjects in their respective chiefdoms.

“For instance if a Chief takes a partisan position, this means that he will compromise the reconciliation process over his subjects who belong to different political parties in his chiefdom,” he lamented.

The Minister added that traditional rulers must not be tempted to engage in politics, but must embrace all courtesy calls due to them.

“They will certainly receive various political leaders in their chiefdoms as they try to sell their parties to citizens,” he said.

Luano District Agriculture Coordinating Officer (DACO), Roy Kalipenta has projected a bumper harvest for the 2020/2021 farming season.

Mr. Kalipenta said the district is expecting at least 48,000 tonnes of maize to be produced from about 14,679 hectares cultivated.

He stated that the output represents a significant increase from the previous season, as the district had experienced attacks on maize fields by Fall Army Worms late last year.

Mr. Kalipeta further said the soy beans production is expected to be at least 20,045 tonnes from the 8,083 hectares area of cultivation.

He added that groundnut production is expected to be at least 1,765 tonenes, with sweet potato production being pegged at 7,050 tonnes.

Mr Kalipeta said sorghum is expected to be 216 tonnes, mixed beans at 275 tonnes, whilst sunflower would be at least 605 tonnes.

The statistics are based on the 8,874 small scale farmers who are beneficiaries of the government subsidized Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).