The Zambia Police have arrested eight people for suspected illegal possession of government drugs and illegal operation of drug stores.

Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) Senior Public Relations Officer, Christabel Mutale Iliamupu, has disclosed this in a press statement issued to the media in Lusaka today.

She said among the arrested, are five men aged between 24 and 40 identified as Stephen Mumba, Allan Ngoma, Apson Phiri, Francis Banda and Fredrick Ngoma who have been charged for operating pharmacies without certificates of registration Contrary to Section 14(1) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act (3) of 2013.

She said others are two women identified as Mary Tembo 24, 35 years old Everlyn Phiri and Andsen Phiri 47.

‘The suspects have been detained at Chipata Central Police station and will soon appear in court,” Mrs Illiamupu stated.

Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe has assured Copperbelt residents that the province has enough medicines and medical supplies for all health facilities in the region.

Mr Nundwe said this when he toured the Zambia Medical and Medicines Authority (ZMMA) Copperbelt hub in Luanshya that he was happy with the medical stock and the distribution of medical drugs in the province

He said matters of health of the people are a priority to government, and establishing of the regional medical hub is to ensure medicines are available on time for the wellbeing of people.

He said he will not allow any deficiencies or pilfering of drugs at health facilities as this has potential to affect service delivery to the people.

“We do not want to see drugs expiring at the hub when people need them, this calls for alertness of members of staff at the facility, don’t allow stock to deplete, order on time,” PS emphasized.

ZANIS reports that the PS has since directed ZMMA regional hub to ensure the facility has enough stock off medicines and medical supplies and distributed to all the health facilities in the province.

“President Edgar Lungu pays high premium to issues of health because in the absence of good health, the country cannot develop, he said

And Copperbelt Province Health Director Dr Robert Zulu said the facility is strategically positioned in the province to enable people access medicines at facilities in their communities.

Dr. Zulu said his office was looking forward to have the facility commissioned so that it becomes fully operational to enhance service delivery in the province.

Hub Manager Mathews Fwambo said since the establishment in 2018, the facility distributes medicines and medical supplies to 6 districts while others are serviced by third party partners up to the health centers.

GOVERNMENT says it remains committed to prioritizing the coordinated delivery of social service protection programmes as close to the people as possible as contained in the Seventh National Development Plan.

Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Pamela Kabamba said in a speech read on her behalf by Central Province Permanent Secretary Bernard Chomba during the handover of Information, Communication Technology equipment (ICT) that communication of available social services improved due to translated information in six districts.

Mrs Kabamba commended the first six Single Window Service Delivery System districts commonly referred to as ‘’Champion Districts’’ which include Kafue, Mpulungu, Samfya, Mongu, Lunga and Mambwe for having made tremendous progress in designing and implementing coordinated stakeholder mapping and engagement which has resulted in reduced fragmentation of social protection interventions.

‘’The Ministry has also noted the reduction in the silo approach to the implementation of social protection programmes in the implementing districts,’’ she said.

And Mrs Kabamba further noted that the system has resulted in value for money not only on the part of government but also for other stakeholders involved in social protection service delivery.

Speaking earlier, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Acting Director Planning Marrian Tembo said a lot of lessons had been learnt from the districts implementing the single window initiative which will go a long way in enhancing efficiency in the districts.

And ILO Country Office Representative for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique Kelobang Kagisanyo said social protection played a critical role in the national development agenda as it provides sustainable security against deprivation and extreme vulnerability as outlined in the 7 National Development Plan.

He said ILO was pleased to note the efforts of government to strengthen the coordination of social protection programming at national, sub-national and district levels.

‘’One key approach to enhance coordination, is the Single Windows Initiative, as reflected in the 7NDP. It lays a practical framework for improved coordination at district and community level, as well as to improve ease of access to social protection services, ‘’ he said.

He also commended government for establishing a comprehensive policy that was pro-poor and for increasing funding to the social protection programmes as evidenced by the 2020 national budget.

The procured equipment includes six desk top computers, six laser jet printers, five canon digital cameras and three sony digital cameras.

Government adopted the national social protection policy in 2014.

Government says early marriages is another form of Gender Based Violence (GBV) especially for pupils.

Community Development and Social Services Minister Kampamba Mulenga says government places high priority to ending child marriages and all forms of GBV in the country.

Mrs. Mulenga called on parents and guardians to join hands with government to protecting young girls from being married off at a tender age.

Mrs. Mulenga said government recognizes the vulnerability of women and girls go through but accord them an opportunity to complete their education.

Mrs. Mulenga reiterated that the Ministry of General Education has ambitious empowerment programs such as Keeping Girls in School and Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) among others that attract girls to be in schools.

The Minister says government is committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfill their potential and effectively contribute to national development of the country.

She was speaking in Gwembe district yesterday when she addressed girls, parents and guardians who gathered at the Freedom Square.

“Child marriage is an appalling violation of human rights and robs girls of their education, health and long-term prospects.

Therefore, I’m calling upon you parents and guardians in communities to work together with government and end early marriages,” Mrs. Mulenga added.

She observed that girls are more vulnerable to intimate partners and that there are more complications of pregnancy at childbirth leading deaths in young girls.

Mrs. Mulenga reminded the parents that adolescence have more chances of staying healthier, better their education and build a better life for themselves and their families.

She urged girls, parents and guardians to report men to the police and other law enforcement agencies selfish men bent on perpetrating the vice.

“Ending child marriage requires multi-stakeholder efforts from governments, parents, cooperating partners, cultural and religious institutions and the media to take action towards the elimination of the harmful practices,” the Minister said.

And Gwembe District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Benson Zemba said Keeping Girls In School program is a success.

Mr. Zemba told the Minister that over 200 girls this term have been retrieved from their ‘forced’ marriages in the district and they have returned back to school.

The DEBS however, appealed to government to deliberately consider supporting young girls beyond just Grade 12 for those who get good results.

“Girls who obtain good results at Grade 12 should automatically be taken upon to tertiary level so that they become a testimony and encourage others of the importance of education,” Mr. Zemba said.

Minister of Home Affairs, Stephen Kampyongo has announced that government is in the process of formulating mechanisms to protect children from abuse and manipulation especially on social media.

Mr. Kampyongo says government is worried that the increase in access to internet by children is posing a threat to the wellbeing of the young ones as most of them are falling prey to abuse and manipulation.

He says the new mechanisms and the enforcement of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes laws will deter culprits from abusing the cyber space to manipulate, traffic and entice children to indulge in illicit activities that are detrimental to the livelihood.

The Minister said this before departure for Zambia after attending the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice which has come to an end today in Kyoto, Japan.

He has since urged parents to monitor the activities of their children especially on social media as a measure to protect them.

And Mr. Kampyongo has announced that reforms for the country’s correctional service have advanced with a focus on empowerment of youthful prisoners with various skills.

“It is government’s wish to see all the prisoners becoming more productive with skill sets that guarantees good livelihood and capacity to contribute to national development once they are released from the correctional facilities,” said the Minister.

He said government will ensure that those released from correctional facilities are fully reformed so that they do not engage in criminal activities once they are integrated into society.

The Minister said it is for this reason that government will soon recruit Correctional Officers with various skills as part of the reforms.

Meanwhile Mr. Kampyongo has described the just ended Kyoto congress as a success saying the lessons and experiences learnt will benefit the country in preventing crimes and administration of criminal justice, which is key to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals -SDGs-.

The congress which drew participants around the globe was held under the theme, “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.”

The UN Crime Congress has since adopted a political declaration that will set the crime prevention and criminal justice agenda for the next five years. This contained in a press statement issued by the First Secretary-Press at the Zambian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan Yotamu Mugara.

PANOS Institute Southern Africa Executive Director, Vusumuzi SIFILE says citizens should hold duty bearers accountable on various issues affecting their welfare in the country.

Mr Sifile said this during the provincial stakeholder sensitization meeting dubbed amplifying citizens’ voices to push for accountability in the COVID-19 response in Zambia held at Country Lodge in Mongu district of Western province.

He said citizens should be equipped with necessary knowledge and skills as they deliberate on issues affecting them in the district.

The Executive Director said the media should be in the forefront of disseminating correct information so that citizens can access messages based on facts.

Mr Sifile said in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens should hold government and different players to know how the resources and other materials are distributed to various communities in the country.

He said the media should desist from feeding people with wrong information as doing so will be like giving people poison, adding that there should be proper sharing and facilitate the usage of information for the purpose of development.

Mr Sifile said the government is spending huge sums of money in a bid to counteract the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as such citizens should not be passive observers but ensure that active participation is sought from everyone so that the pandemic is brought to manageable levels.

He said PANOS is carrying out a project of sensitizing people through various media platforms in the province so that citizens are aware of the much technical assistance that partners are bringing on board to cushion the impact of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Western province Chairperson for people living with disabilities, Abraham SITALI has appealed to the government to disseminate the COVID-19 pandemic messages so that all the differently disabled people in the province are not left behind.

Mr Sitali said more corona virus information should be done in braille to enable the people in the region to have access as the disease does not know the living conditions of the people as it can affect anyone in the province.

And Namakau MUKETOI from the Network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Mongu district said her organization has recorded a number of people defaulting in accessing Art retroviral treatment from various health institutions in fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Muketoi said more sensitization programmes should be done by all stakeholders to assist people on ART access their medications.

And Mongu District Commissioner, Bright TOMBI said all the people were at liberty and free to visit his office for more information on what the government was doing to the people during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Tombi said government offices in the district were operating in a transparent manner adding that holding government officials should be accompanied with facts in order to avoid speculations.

He has, however, called on people in the district to join hands and foster unity as the government was working on finding lasting solutions on how to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.